Exploring the Bookish World

Aparna Upadhyaya Sanyal's Circus Folk & Village Freaks is an extraordinary book in which stories are told as narrative poems in rhyming couplets. This book stands out from the rest not only because of its innovative narrative style but also for the beautiful illustrations. A collection of eighteen twisted tales, this book is an absolute gem. Each of the tales talks about important social issues and paints before the readers a true image of typical Indian society. The quirky tales of the circus folk and the people who live in the adjacent village will leave the readers intrigued and astonished. A man bitten by a crocodile becomes a God. A clown finds his place in Hollywood. A Devadasi woos the entire village with her culinary skills. These are a few of the people whose tales are narrated in this book. Read the book to know more about the lives of the Circus folk and the village freaks! With lucid language and beautiful rhyming couplets, the author has done a brilliant...

The Children of Destruction by Kuber Kaushik is a young-adult fantasy fiction, full of magic and adventure. It tells the story of a teenager named Alice. Alice, the protagonist, suddenly discovers that she possesses magical powers. The main theme in this book is magic and the use of magical powers. The character of Alice was very well developed and I really liked her character. Especially her sense of sarcasm was on point. The story started quite well, at a moderate pace. It seemed quite interesting. But as it progressed, things grew really complicated. I had very high expectations from this book, but it failed to impress me. The plot is not very well constructed. It could have been much better. Too many characters complicated the storyline all the more. The book started with a lot of amazing ideas but was not properly executed. Although the language was lucid and the dialogues were quite well written, the book as a whole is not very interesting. Multiple subplots further compli...

Astra: The Quest for Starsong by Aditya Mukherjee and Arnav Mukherjee is mythological/fantasy fiction set in ancient India. Ravana, the King of Lanka sets on a march to find all the divine weapons (astras), in order to become most powerful and invincible. Seers whisper that he has awakened the Starsong, a mythical Astra which belonged to the Gods. Ravana thirsts for this particular weapon, which will make him invincible. High up in the glistening tower in the city of Ulka, a young boy named Varkan, who is the prince of Ashmaka, was held captive by his uncle. He finally manages to escape from the prison with his mother. However, danger awaits him on his way. The Rakshasas, the army of Ravana, attack him to take away the divine weapon or Astra, Starsong, which originally belongs to the family of Varkan. Will he be able to protect himself and the Astra Starsong from Ravana? What will happen in the perilous journey? Read the book to know more. I had expected this book to be rathe...

Kautuk Srivastava's debut novel 'Red Card' is a wonderful coming-of-age story. Set in the suburban Thane of 2006, this book tells us the story of a young boy named Rishabh Bala, a student of the tenth standard. But his life takes a turn and all of a sudden things become complicated. The story begins with four boys watching French Football player, Zinedine Zidane's career's final match. All of them are equally shocked when he gets a Red Card. Rishabh Bala, the protagonist of this story, is one of the boys watching the match. He is completely unaware of the fact that a similar 'Red Card' change his life. Rishabh finds himself in a lot of pressure as his upcoming board exams are knocking at the door. Also, he falls hopelessly in love with one of his classmates. Although his father refuses, he still plays football for his beloved school football team. Amidst all these distractions, how will Rishabh manage to succeed in the journey of life? You'll ha...

Joginder Paul's Land Lust is a collection of twelve short stories in English, translation of Dharti Ka Kaal , originally written in Urdu. Beautifully narrated, each tale is about the hardship, poverty, racism faced by the people of Kenya. The author has brilliantly portrayed the harsh reality prevalent in society. The book begins with the story 'Miracle' (translation of 'Mojaza'), in which we come across young Kenyan boys forced to jump into a dangerous lake to pick up coins thrown by foreign tourists, just for their amusement. The boys put their lives in danger to retrieve the coins which are not of any value to the tourists, but for them, it is a lot of money.  All the stories are equally beautiful and do not fail to strike a chord with the readers.  Another brilliant piece is 'When Life Dies'. In this tale, the protagonist Jagore is an enthusiastic and well-meaning African employee - becomes a victim of institutional racism when he is abruptly fir...

The Women Who Ruled India by Archana Garodia Gupta is a book which focuses on the powerful women who are an important part of Indian history. These women were brave, fierce and possessed great leadership qualities. They were great rulers of their times and continue to inspire future generations as well. Their stories of valour and diplomacy, leadership and wit make this book a very informative read. The book features the stories of twenty powerful figures from the archives, offering us a glimpse of their fascinating lives. Each one of them ruled India during different time periods. It is a matter of great pride that such brave and powerful women are a part of India's rich history. From the Bhaumakara Queens, Didda of Kashmir, Raziya Sultan to Nur Jahan, and Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, the women rulers who were often overshadowed by their male counterparts in the patriarchal representation of history; their true accounts are presented in this book. The Women Who Ruled India  i...

Nupur Anand's debut novel, Mehboob Murderer, is a nail-biting murder mystery which will keep you hooked to the book till the very end. The book is really interesting. Right from the very beginning, the story is packed with a lot of interesting turn of events and the thrill is kept intact till the end. The story takes place in Mumbai. On a rainy September night, six people are murdered in an old Parsi cafe. The plot revolves around how Inspector Intekhaab Abbas investigates the case. The mass murder suddenly attracts a lot of media attention and political pressure mounts on the police force to nab the mass murderer. But the protagonist, Inspector Abbas is not ready to give up so easily. As he digs deeper into the lives of each of the victims, more complicated the case becomes. Read the book to know how Inspector Abbas proceeds to investigate the murder and what happens next. The plot is gripping and has the capability to keep the readers hooked until the very end. It is f...

Oxygen Manifesto by Atulya Mishra is an interesting book which throws light on environmental issues. It makes the readers question certain things in society and think about the condition of the environment. Not only does it talk about the environment, but it also discusses political issues. The book is very informative. The protagonists of this book are Ravi Chandran Bose and Tatha. Ravi Chandran Bose is an IAS officer from Tamil Nadu and Tatha is a man from a village near the North-Eastern state of Manipur. When they both meet, Ravi is influenced by the ideals of Tatha and they both strive towards a better future. Although the characters are completely different from each other, they share a similar aim. The book describes their journey towards the betterment of the environment. Read the book to know more about their mission to save the environment. The book discusses in great details about important issues like habitat conservation, environmental protection, direct civil ac...

Rajesh Talwar's latest book, The Sleepless Beauty, is a beautiful fairy-tale which narrates the story of a young Princess Ramya. She lives in a small kingdom near the Himalayas. When her mother, Queen Mohini passes away, the princess was only at a tender age of twelve. As a result of this tragic incident, Princess Ramya suffers from insomnia. Her father, King Bhoj, tries all efforts to make the princess sleep, but all end in vain. Nothing can help her to fall asleep. The princess grew up, but this problem of her sleeplessness remained. She came to be known as the 'Sleepless Beauty'. Eventually, the king comes up with a competition, in which whoever will succeed in getting the princess to sleep, will get her hand in marriage. The story takes exciting turns with romantic and comic elements which will surely make you fall in love with the tale. To know more about what happens to Princess Ramya, you have to read the book. This book is very different from the last book t...

Bestseller by Ahmed Faiyaz is a hilarious satire on the Indian publishing industry. The content is very fresh, interesting and it is a light read. This book gives an insight into the 'behind the scenes' of the publishing industry.  The plot was quite different and there was not a boring moment in the entire book. The plot revolves around Akshay Mathur, a literary editor who has lost his job in the UK and has moved to India to turnaround and revamp Kalim, an old publishing house in India. And he has only a year ahead to prove himself and bring Kalim in the limelight. What follows is an amazing journey filled with twists and turns and lots of funny instances. Read the book to enjoy and know more about Akshay Mathur's story. The book is a complete page-turner. It is fast-paced and written in an easy and lucid language. The writing style is great and the narration was on point. The story touches on various themes and is absolutely an enjoyable read. The characters ar...

Satyayoddha Kalki: Eye of Brahma is the second book of the Kalki Series by Kevin Missal. The first book Dharmayoddha Kalki was quite interesting. The second part is no less than the first one. It's equally good. After I completed the first book, I was very eager to read the second book of the series. After the events that took place in the first book, this book begins with the events that follow. The book begins with the third part - The Coup at Indragarh. (The first two parts - The Battle of Shambhala and The Rise of Kali has been covered in the previous book). To make it easier for the readers, the author has provided with a brief synopsis of the first book at the beginning. The book begins with Kalki's escape from the execution and his journey to meet Bhargav Ram at Mahendragiri. Padma and Kripa accompany him on his journey. On his way, he faces various adversities. There are many subplots intertwined with the main plot. As the story progresses, it becomes more inter...

One of the most significant personalities, who strived hard to free India from the British Rule, is Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. He led the Indian National Army and is one of the most revered freedom fighters of India. It is said that Netaji died in an air crash in Taipei, Taiwan soon after the Second World War came to an end. But a large number of people do not believe this. The sudden disappearance of Netaji has been a subject of great speculation and of great interest to Indians as well as to people all over the World. There are various theories regarding this, but none has been proved to be absolutely authentic.  The question about Netaji's sudden disappearance was considered by three inquiry commissions, the last of which came to the clear conclusion that there was, in fact, no air crash. Each report is carefully dissected by the author, a trained international lawyer and public intellectual. The Introduction to the book is very informative. Although it...

Vish Dhamija's latest novel, The Heist Artist is a nail-biting thriller. It has all the elements which will keep the readers glued to the book. The plot revolves around the quest to trace down a Vincent van Gogh painting, Poppy Flowers that has been smuggled into India after it went missing from a museum in Egypt. Although the protagonist of this novel, Vagh Pratap Singh, who is also known as the Captain, has certain antagonistic characteristics, one cannot help but sympathise and support him. The Captain is a conman, who is an expert in transporting illegal merchandise, stealing cars, breaking safes and what not!  A shrewd politician, Udhham Kumar has his eyes on the painting and has made a deal with a Japanese businessman and art connoisseur to sell the prized painting. To accomplish his plan, he hires the Captain to track down and steal the famous painting. Will the Captain be able to track the painting? How will he be able to succeed? You have to read the book to know...

Karan Sharma's novel Sometimes it Happens is a romantic tale of two smart professionals - Gautam, who is a twenty-five-year-old upcoming professional and Roshni, a senior management member working in the same multi-national bank. However, as Roshni is twelve years older than Gautam, they themselves have doubts about their relationship in their minds. The author has done a commendable job in portraying such a beautiful relationship between the main characters. The society has always been judgemental about relationships which involve a woman older than the man. It's high time, and people need to become more open-minded. The story is narrated in a perfect pace and written in a lucid language. It is a very light read and does not take much time to read. I completed reading it within a few hours. The plot is much like a Bollywood movie. However, the message conveyed in the story is really amazing. If you are someone who loves romance novels, this book is for ...

A collection of thirteen short stories, originally written in Urdu, translated into English: Preeto & Other Stories is a book which makes you contemplate and leaves a huge impact. Each one of the stories is thought-provoking and unique in its own way. Female characters in stories and novels have always been viewed by male authors through a monochromatic tinted glass. There can be no in-between, no 'grey' area in the female characters. This book brilliantly portrays how famous male authors, who mainly write in Urdu, has depicted female characters in their works. Often the primary idea of the original work gets lost in the translated version. However, this has not been an issue here. Each of the stories has been impeccably translated and has retained the original idea and feel. I personally liked most of the stories. Among all the thirteen stories, I liked Preeto by Krishan Chandar, Man by Gulzar and Driftwood by Deepak Budki the most. There is one single thread t...

Hello everyone! 2018 is almost over. This year, I had set my Goodreads goal to read 50 books. And I successfully surpassed the number. I have managed to read 65 books this year! I am super happy and excited.😃 I plan to read a lot more in 2019. Let's see how much I can read. Out of the 65 books that I read in 2018, I have put down below my top ten books. I absolutely loved these books. The list below is not arranged in any particular order. All these are in my list of favourite books. Without any further ado, let's begin the list. 1. When Breath becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi.         Blurb:   At the age of thirty-six, on the verge of completing a decade's training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. One day he was a doctor treating the dying, the next he was a patient struggling to live. W hen Breath Becomes Air chronicles Kalanithi's transformation from a medical student asking w hat makes a virtuous ...

Ballad of Kaziranga is a beautiful book originally written in Assamese by Dilip Chandan. It is translated in English by Parbina Rashid. The book beautifully narrates the story of three people and their experiences and journey in the forest of Kaziranga. Kaziranga is a forest region in Assam, North-Eastern region of India. It is a World Heritage Site, and the sanctuary is home to two-thirds of world's One horned-rhinoceros, which is on the verge of extinction and needs to be conserved. The book perfectly describes the beauty of this place and it reminded me of my trip to Kaziranga a few years ago. The plot is interesting and beautifully written. The main characters in this novel are Arunabh, his cousin brother Amal, and his friend Rishi. Amal has a plan of opening a resort for tourists adjoining the forest of Kaziranga. Read the book to know more about the journey of these three people and of course, Kaziranga! The book is very informative and descriptive. I got to kno...