True stories are the most difficult to review. Like how can a reviewer say that, this part should have been better or that part needed a little more spunk. I mean, it is reality painted on the canvas. It cannot be a shade lighter or darker!! The critic in me wanted to accept this daunting task and here I am reviewing
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Writing a book is like having a baby. You nourish an idea for months, feding it from your own blood, sweat and soul (sometimes even tears in case Writer’s Block comes looking) and then, somehow, by some miracle, your baby is conceived – you finish writing it. Now comes the gestation period – the period of sending it off to
Read moreMurder on the Side Street by Salil Desai is the author’s second novel. I happened to read Desai for the first time while reading a review copy of Killing Ashish Karve, which was his debut work. And it was impressive. Tightly written. When I started using Kindle, I came across his second work on a monthly deal and the author’s name
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I am back with more banned books and looking at the history, I might continue this column for quite a long period! India has always thrown strong reactions to books that stir up some dirt from different layers of the society. It is not solely about books dealing with religion, there is every sphere that holds a record of works
Read moreRapes have become the most prevalent topic to discuss these days. Everyday the newspapers are filled with how girls are raped and gang raped. Few days back I read a story about how a 28 day old baby was raped. Apalled as I was, I got the opportunity to review a book which talks about how a woman resurrects herself
Read moreReading this book has been like a breath of fresh air. No plot, no thrill, no path-breaking psychological insights into complicated characters. Yet, I enjoyed the read because on every page I read something that a) reminded me of my childhood, b) made me smile because I recognized a similar funny incident/situation in my own life and c) for those
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Should books by Indian writers be banned in their own country? Should books by any writer be banned in India? These are controversies that never die and history keeps repeating itself with books being banned even today. Books on politics, politicians, celebrities, religion, even fiction have been barred to reach our readers. We are no judge of right and wrong,
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A couple of weeks ago, my wife received a message on WhatsApp from the mother of one of my daughter’s classmates. The mother – let us call her Mrs X, for convenience – had heard from her son that Kaavya (my daughter) is one of the better students in school when it comes to writing in English. Mrs X wanted
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If you, like me, are astounded that anyone actually needs to be told reasons for reading humour, then this piece is not for you. Or, maybe it is – for after all, more often than not, one is only preaching to the choir and it would ill-suit me to dispense with my only possible audience. But there I go too
Read moreThe Siege is a book on the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, focused almost entirely on the Taj Hotel, by career journalists Adrian Levy and Catherine Scott-Clark. The duo happen to be married and are co-authors of an impressive array of investigative journalism style books on terrorism. While reading the book, it is easy to forget that the book is fact
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As we celebrate Easter today in all it’s fun, frolic and great food, how can we stay away from the joy that books bring. That. is. the. real. joy. Right? Here we go…we bring you 5 fiction books that capture the beauty of real christian life in India in all it splendour, highs and lows. Em and the Big Hoom
Read moreI read this book in tenth standard a few months before the stress of the Board exams began. I am quite surprised that this book isn’t that well known, considering it was quite well written and inspired me (fleetingly) to consider taking up a career in the Civil Services. Ultimately I chose the path of least resistance (with respect to
Read moreThere has been a dearth of good readable Indian history books and The Ivory Throne helps fill that void. (Other eminently readable and lesser known Indian history books: 1857 by Vishnu Bhatt, Do and Die by Manini Chatterjee). Manu S. Pillai’s Ivory Throne is a fantastic book that chronicles the history of the kingdom of Travancore. To be frank, I only picked the book
Read moreWritten by renowned polemicist, Hitchens, The Missionary Position is a sort of sting operation conducted on the life of Mother Teresa. At 99 pages, it is also probably among the thinnest yet incredibly good books that I have read. Hitchens lays bare Teresa’ life like it should have been. After all, what’s wrong with a little bit of devil’s advocacy? And,
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If you’ve ever written a book or if you’re planning to write one soon, then I’m sure you understand the pains that come with it. You can’t escape those long, torturous hours wrestling with yourself in your head about what your characters’ arcs will be. And once you do, you can’t help falling in love with these characters and spend
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We all love our favourite festival of colours – Holi soo much. Isn’t it? Wouldn’t it be fun to see it come alive all through the year, whenever we want. Yes, Yes…we know and we bring you exactly that this Holi. We have complied a list of gorgeous coffee table books that capture the true and beautiful spirit of Holi
Read moreI have recently gotten hooked to Indian history again, after a few years. To be honest, except Guha’s “India after Gandhi”, I wasn’t aware of any good book on India’s history post Independence. And I have recently come across around five… I read Amritsar right after Kuldip Nayar’s fantastic ‘Emergency Retold‘ and loved it. Mark Tully and Satish Jacob take
Read moreDid you know India and French have a literary connection? Lets Explore! Many Indian origin writers have written in French and many french writers have written about India. And we being we, the World of Indian Reads, wanted to celebrate this beautiful connection. What better day than today! It’s the International Francophone Day. 20th March, observed as the International Francophone Day, is
Read moreWhen I went through the book blurb for the first time I knew the story is going to be something that is totally unlike other thrillers. As the cover of the book hints, the sole theme of the story is based on the significance of the emblem printed on the cover of the book. The story, Borrowed Plumes, revolves around
Read moreHave you been reading? Reading women writers? May you read, read more and read more women writers. If you ask why, I believe that women have been adding more sensitivity to writing in India. I have been brought up on a staple of books written by women in Bangla, and they are all amazingly touching and close to reality. Women
Read moreHow can someone be funny and serious at the same time? It is like asking me to see a respected guru in a capering clown. But, then, that is exactly what a satirist aspires to be and do. Satire seeks to make you laugh and make you think. The point of all satire is to show up the foibles of
Read moreNirbhaya case had taken the entire nation by shock. It was one of the most talked about and heartfelt case in the history of Delhi Rapes. This particular incident has again come to the limelight, due to the juvenile being released free after committing such an atrocious crime. In the midst of all of this when I got the opportunity
Read moreI must say I have not read too many Booker Prize winning books. In fact, not more than one. The only Booker Prize winning book I have ever read is Arundhati Roy’s ‘God of small things’ which blew my mind away. That book was a Booker and a half, and then some more. I was drawn into Jhabwala’s world with
Read moreHow often is it that we meet a protagonist who is recognized as one of the biggest mammals walking on earth? This was certainly a first for me and such was its grandeur that it will forever be etched in my memory. Period. From the critically acclaimed author of Atlas of Unknowns and Aerogrammes, here is Tania James’ latest adventure-cum-tragedy set in
Read moreIndian publishing is at a very interesting turn now. We currently have a hoard of writers writing in different genres. I don’t claim that all of them are readable but there are definitely some gems that don’t see the limelight much but are gems nevertheless. As a reviewer who gets review copies from most of the known publishing houses in
Read more‘A backbreaking misadventure in the Himalayas’, this line coupled with one look at the book cover was enough to entice me towards it. And I quickly flipped it around to see if its blurb held any material to justify my interest. And it did. There is something about travel writers that I don’t find in anybody else. They pique my
Read moreAfter the colonial rule became the destiny for the people of India – India was known to the outside world, particularly to the western world as a country of snake charmers, fakirs, tigers and of course – Nawababs and Rajas for a long time. It was the country where extreme poverty and extreme wealth had a peaceful coexistence for centuries.
Read moreHaving been born and brought up in independent India, most of us have no idea what freedom means. It can only be realised when you are captive and crave for freedom. The protective confines of our home don’t give an idea what it is to not be free. Four Miles to Freedom is the story of a brave Indian fighter
Read moreOne of the defining things about growing up in a small town in early 90s was Superhit Muqabla. Those in the metros had access to DD-Metro. Those growing in smaller towns, waited for DD-Metro to reach their cities. Or, they waited for the cable TV revolution and channels like Zee TV, Prime Sports, and so on. Tara with her Ta,
Read moreIf you’ve followed some of the Zen Garden articles (in Forbes India) by Subroto Bagchi, a rather fine business person and a good storyteller, you would know what to expect from the book. You’re getting something a little better than that, by the way, in this compilation of his articles. Is there something new in the articles? No. Is there
Read more“Life for a warrior is filled with challenges… ……..The legacy of our family was written with this sword… As long as you hold it; our family’s name will live.” Ancient Warriors dying for honor and love for their country has always made Indians swell up with pride. Women have always showed their potential in various steps of life down the
Read moreI read Sriram Karri’s Autobiography of a Mad Nation and wondered if something was wrong with me. The book has apparently been longlisted for the MAN Asian Literary Prize. And I suffered through most of it. The book begins with a rant a few pages long, which has the sort of putrid vile hatred which makes you wonder how the
Read moreTo be frank I did not understand why Picture Abhi Baaki Hai is a book at all. It put me off at the outset with a lengthy, vapid prologue justifying its existence as a book – a prologue in which the author keeps bringing up the name of the book twice on every page. For example, Picture Abhi Baaki Hai
Read moreTime for some Twitter fun Pensievers! Stop staring at the cover & day dreaming about that beach holiday 🙂 Read this ↓ to WIN a signed copy of that one! Log into twitter. Tweet about your new trouble to @talespensieve. Don’t forget the hashtag #TroubleHasANewName The Rules: 1. The contest will start on 10.10.2014 and run through 20.10.2014 till 11:45 p.m 2.
Read moreWhat do you get when you put a mollycoddled Oxford resident who hates getting out of her comfort zone into the chaos that is India – or, more specifically, Delhi? You’d think you’d get a coming of age story, a witty/ interesting/ hilarious account of her travels, or perhaps her travails to grasp the culture shock that Delhi most certainly
Read moreLike many, I am a sucker for happy endings and when I was looking for a light read after a exceptionally heavy dose of an autobiography from my previous read, I came across this book. And it turned out to be exactly that – a light read for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Becoming Mrs. Kumar is about Julia Robinson who,
Read moreWhat should I tell about a young woman named Savita Halappanavar that she was smart, beautiful and vivacious; that she was a doctor by profession and loved to dance; that she was ever vibrant in personality and had a diamond smile; that she was recently married and was expecting her first child; that her womb had along-with the fetus, some
Read moreThe Seventies decade of the Twentieth century started on a very inconsolable note especially for the South Asian countries. There were series of events & agitations in eastern Pakistan that culminated in the Indo-Pak war of 1971 eventually leading to the birth of a new nation called ‘Bangladesh’. The irony of these events is that despite being involving one of the
Read moreSet in the 1960s, in the fictitious hill station of Hamara Nagar, Love Potion Number 10 transports its readers to a gentler age and times with its quirky cast of characters. Though touted as a Jana Bibi adventure, do not expect any pulse pounding action. The intrigue that the book blurb refers to is at best muted. But that doesn’t take
Read morePart of Debut Indian Writers Challenge 2013 An Incurable Insanity is the story of two people bound by an arranged marriage where one party is all set to start a new life, while the other never wanted to get married in the first place! It is a tale that most of us would have heard before from friends or relatives of those
Read moreA north american with memories of India, returns back after decades to write a fiction based in the country of her childhood memories. Part memoir – part fiction the Jana Bibi Adventure series is back this winter with its second instalment. We get inKonversation with the creator of the vivacious fortune teller Jana Bibi and her intriguing parrot – Betsy
Read moreOnce in a while, you come across a book that will make you ponder about the life you have lived – about everything you have learnt and done; and this thought process might trigger a self introspection of your being. This book did that for me – it had me thinking about my journey, things that I could have done better and how I can start making little changes that would make me a better person and take a step closer to achieving my dreams.
Read morePart of Debut Indian Writers Challenge 2013 The fact that the author’s name rhymes with Chetan Bhagat, is not a coincidence. Ketan Bhagat, is in-fact the younger brother of an author who has redefined our reading habits and has proved that best-selling books can also be made into box-office film hits, in an Indian context. As Ketan Bhagat writes, in his
Read moreThrough the story of captain Ranjit Singh, Ahmad showcases one man, at two places – thousands of miles apart, in two situations – set years apart, yet connected like those thin threads of cheese that refuse to break, stretch as much as you may. A word-potrait of emotions with some intriguing secrets and revelations infused in the storyline is what, I would call The Caretaker is about.
Read moreThe Karachi Deception starts of with a foiled assassination attempt on Irshad Dilawar – India born, international criminal, most importantly wanted by India for a number of crimes against and in his home country. The action soon shifts to India where, the elite secret group of RAW -Unit Kilo – are selecting a 3-member team..
Read moreA science graduate of Stanford University with an MBA from the Harvard Business School, an insatiable interest in the religious history of India, spirituality and mythology and one who claims to have spent his entire life researching for his debut book Tantra – Adi is the WordMaverick of April 2013. We get inKonversation with the shy wordsmith who gives us not
Read moreThe Shiva Trilogy by Amish for me will always represent that whiff of freshness that stormed the Indian literary scene that was nearly choking with louveeee in 2010! (not that the scene is any different now [after 3 years] but the winds are definitely changing). The mythological – historical – adventure – fiction series is all but immortalized as one of the trend changers amongst Indian books and Indian publishing
Read moreRoll of Honour is without doubt one of the best books read and reviewed on The Tales Pensieve so far and a journey into the mind of the wordsmith behind the book was yet another wonderful experience. In again one of the best interviews here, Amandeep Sandhu gets inKonversation about capturing the stories in our lives, peeling yourself to write and some
Read moreThe Stopover has been one of the most exciting debut books I happen to read in the past six months. It not only introduces a talented photographer and two exciting story writers but also a genre itelf – Photofiction. The art of story telling through pictures was somewhere lost to children books; we adults after a certain age think it
Read moreThe man who scintillated us with his sensational debut on blurring lines in news reporting in The Newsroom Mafia is back this year end with yet another shocker. This christmas Oswald Pereira takes us, wrapped in fiction, to a less talked about truth concerning Christianity in India. We get inKonversation with the multi-talented wordsmith who seems to be on a mission
Read moreAn engineer turned writer, debuting with a love story? Sounds similar? Tad too much but Rohit Sharma‘s Te Amo….I Love You have been garnering some rave reviews since it hit the literary scene a few days back. In yet another enticing tale of how an artist discovered the storyteller in him; we get inKonversation with the latest debutant about dancing to
Read morePart of South Asian Challenge 2012 Title: Zombiestan Author: Mainak Dhar Publisher: Duckbill Publications ISBN: – 978-93-81626-92-4 Pages: 248 Genre: Fiction Rating: 3.75 of 5 Reviewed for: Blogadda.com This review is honored to be on Duckbill Publication’s Official Page and the official page of the book. I confess, while agreeing to review this one I had never been this wary
Read morePart of Debut Indian Writers Challenge and South Asian Challenge 2012 Title: Red Jihad Author: Sami Ahmad Khan | inKonversation Publisher: Rupa Publications ISBN: – 978-81-291-1987-2 Pages: 263 Genre: Fiction Rating: 3.75 of 5 Reviewed for: Blogadda.com This review is honored to be on Rupa Publication’s official page and the official page of the book. Lives have been held to ransom
Read morePart of South Asian Challenge 2012 Title: What Young India Wants Author: Chetan Bhagat Publisher: Rupa Publications ISBN: 978-81-291-2021-2 Pages: 181 Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 3.5 of 5 Ok, before anyone jumps on me let me confess I am a fan of Chetan Bhagat’s columns, if not of his books (though I loved 2 states; it is his best fiction work
Read moreEntry no. #10 – Debut Indian Writers Month: October 2012 Part of Debut Indian Writers Challenge and South Asian Challenge 2012 Title: The Aryavarta Chronicles Book I: Govinda Author: Krishna Udayasankar Publisher: Hachette India ISBN: 978-93-5009-446-4 Pages: 444 Genre: Fiction Rating: 3.75 of 5 Reviewed for: Hachette India
Read moreEntry no. #8 – Debut Indian Writers Month: October 2012 Part of Debut Indian Writers Challenge and South Asian Challenge 2012 Title: Untruly Yours Author: Smita Shetty Publisher: Leadstart Publishing ISBN: 978-93-81836-29-3 Pages: 146 Genre: Fiction/ Romance Rating: 3 of 5 Reviewed for: Leadstart Publishing
Read morePart of South Asian Challenge 2012 Title: The Bankster Author: Ravi Subramanian Publisher: Rupa Publications ISBN: 978-81-291-2048-9 Pages: 358 Genre: Fiction Rating: 4 of 5 Reviewed for: Author This review is honored to be on the official page of the author.
Read moreEntry no. #7 – Debut Indian Writers Month: October 2012 Part of Debut Indian Writers Challenge and South Asian Challenge 2012 Title: The Shadow Throne Author: Aroon Raman Publisher: Pan Macmillian ISBN: 978-81-923-9800-6 Pages: 329 Genre: Fiction Rating: 3 of 5 Reviewed for: Pan Macmillian
Read morePart of South Asian Challenge 2012 Title: 1888 Dial India Author: Anuvab Pal Publisher: Random House India ISBN: 978-81-8400-158-7 Pages: 230 Genre: Fiction Rating: 3.5 of 5 Reviewed for: Random House India
Read moreTwo huge blue colored doors, possibly wooden, vedic flower designs splattered over them in a matrix pattern, bells hanging from each of those flowers, golden pegs, an ornate lead lock that brings them together with a single beam of light between them hinting at the other side and golden words underneath the huge lock proclaiming The Krishna Key. The cover
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