Exploring the Bookish World

A collection of fantastic tales which takes the readers to a completely different world; the stories of the wonderful bond shared between children and animals; with beautiful illustrations to accompany each of the tales - Olga Perovskaya 's Kids and Cubs  is an absolutely delightful read. Although it is considered to be a part of children's literature, I think that both children and adult will enjoy this gem of a book alike. The bright and colourful cover of the book with small illustrations of two wolves, a fox, a stag, a horse and a tiger quite intrigued me. Just as I had laid my eyes on this beautiful book, I knew this book will definitely be an interesting read. But as I started reading the book, I understood that my first impression of this book being 'interesting' is an understatement. I could not stop reading once I had started.  The author reminisces the memories of her blissful childhood days which she had spent with her family in rural Kazakhstan (then part of...

Arushi Vats' latest book, Oasis In The Desert And Other Stories, is a collection of nine short stories. Each one of the stories is unique in its own way, yet seems to be connected by a single thread. The book begins with the story titled, An Oasis In The Desert. It is about two star-crossed lovers - Aryan and Neelakshi. Another story, Dadu is a heartbreaking story about the relationship between a grandfather and his grandchild. The Wheel of Memories is another brilliant tale which is included in this collection. Apart from these, there are six more short stories in the collection that makes the readers think, and see life from a very unique perspective. The subtle messages that these stories embody make it quite a thought-provoking read. The author has intricately woven each of these beautiful stories. The stories perfectly capture the hope, disappointment, the pain, and the happiness that the characters experience. The readers can feel all the emotions as they read the stories. Th...

A unique take on the tales of the mythological women, Yugal Joshi's 'Boons & Curses: Legends of the Mythological Mother' is an interesting read. Set in the times after the great Kurukshetra War, where the two groups of cousins, the Pandavas and the Kauravas, fought for the throne of Hastinapur; the book is written in the form of a conversation between Kunti and Krishna. After the war of Kurukshetra, the Pandavas emerged victorious, defeating their cousins, the Kauravas. Dhritarashtra and Gandhari are left childless and at the mercy of the Pandavas. Kunti, the mother of the      Pandavas, feels guilty of fulfilling her desires and ambitions through her sons. A distraught Kunti seeks help from Krishna to get rid of her guilt. What follows is the conversation between the two - about the fascinating tales of the legendary women in Indian mythology. This brilliant retelling places Kunti at its centre and running parallel to her story are the tales of the mythological mothe...

Mohini: The Enchantress by Anuja Chandramouli is a wonderful retelling of the tale of Mohini, from her own perspective. A perfect amalgamation of Indian mythology with fiction, this book is quite a refreshing and insightful read. From the creation of Mohini, from the essence of Vishnu; to Mohini being the Enchantress and meandering her path in the tumult between the Devas and the Asuras; this book covers it all. Mohini  is loved and desired by all; and yet, she is elusive—a tantalizing temptress. The author beautifully tells the tale of Mohini through her book. And not just Mohini, there are a lot of mythological characters whose stories we get to know from this book. The author has done extensive research, and the book reflects that. It is quite an informative read. The character of Mohini, as has been portrayed in Indian mythology (which is basically from a patriarchal point of view), is quite different from what we see in this book. Hence, female characters often go unheard and...

Malathi Ramachandran's latest, Mandu: The Romance of Roopmati and Baz Bahadur,  is an exceptionally well-written book. As is suggested by the title, the book tells the tale of  Miyan Bayezid Baz Bahadur Khan was the last Sultan of Malwa Sultanate, who reigned from 1555 to 1562; and the beautiful peasant girl Roopmati. It is, however, not just the tale of love, and romance; it is so much more... This historical fiction is set in the 16th century India, in the enchanting fortress city of Mandu. The young Sultan Baz Bahadur comes across a beautiful maiden sitting near the banks of River Narmada, with her eyes closed, singing the alaap of Raaga Megh Malhar, the song of the monsoon... Roopmati, the beautiful and young peasant girl, has a special affinity with music and nature.  Baz Bahadur has a passion for fine arts. Listening to her magical voice, he is attracted to both the art and the artist.  He decides to bring Roopmati to his palace in Mandu as his personal musici...

Kochery C. Shibu's latest novel, Faith and the Beloved, is a suspenseful and gripping crime thriller. The book delves deep into the various themes of love, lust, betrayal, intrigue, and revenge. The plot is intricately woven and quite terrifying and tense at times. In the novel, there are two storylines that run parallelly, but are connected.  Naithy Cherokil, a rich and successful businesswoman marries the young and handsome model Tony D’Souza after the death of her husband.  Prem is a Kalari exponent and brilliant student who is very close to his brother Arun. Things go awry when Arun gets killed under mysterious circumstances.  Alice Cherokil  is a smart and intelligent eighteen-year-old, whose life takes a turn when her mother gets hospitalised and is in a coma. She kills her stepfather and is on the run. The lives of the characters are inextricably intertwined by a single thread. The author introduces a lot of characters throughout the book. Also, there is an ab...

As children, most of us loved reading fairytales; the fantastic tales of adventure, of princes, princesses, fairies, of magical lands and so much more. Reading Rajesh Talwar's recent book, Fabulous Four Battle Zoozoo, the Wizard was like a trip down the memory lane for me. It reminded me of my childhood days and my love for reading fairytales.  As is quite evident from the title of this book, Fabulous Four Battle Zoozoo, the Wizard is a tale about Samara, the princess of Nonamia, who embarks upon a journey to save her parents from the clutches of the evil wizard Zoozoo. To succeed in her mission, she requires the help of three young princes from the neighbouring kingdoms -In  Wetlands, she  meets Raja, who can balance a candle on his head while swimming in waters; in Hotlands she meets Nandu, the Fire Boy, who has the ability to walk through  blazing wind; while in Snowlands, s he meets Prince, the Snow Boy, who remains unaffected in freezing temperatures wearing onl...

An anthology of poetry, Samir Satam's recent book, Rhythm of Remembrance, portrays an emotional journey of the author; reminiscing the memories of past. The deep emotional impact memories have is reflected in each of the poems in this collection.  Short, yet deep and meaningful, the poems have an emotional tone. As is quite evident from the title of this anthology in each one of the poems, the author rediscovers and reminisces the past memories; he is dancing to the 'rhythm of remembrance' through the poems.  "not from any country, but we come from our stories, from fragrance of memories, of unknown cities and villages, that we live in and carry with us, in breezes, in steps, not our own,  but of places that flourish in our souls." (Rhythm of Remembrance, 68) There are a total of seventy-five poems in this collection and each one is unique and fresh. It is a short and easy read. Also, the photographs included between poems and they are absolutely beautiful.  Altog...

Set in the beautiful Indian hill station, Gangtok,  The Fragile Thread of Hope,  by Pankaj Giri tells an inspirational and moving tale. The plot revolves around the lives of two people - Soham and Fiona. Both the protagonists have had a troubled past and are trying to move on from the demons of their past. Soham lost his elder brother in an accident, and the devastating memories still haunted him. Fiona had a difficult childhood. But she finds happiness and things get better when she married her beloved. However, her happiness was shortlived as she lost her husband in an accident. Fate had something unexpected in store for both of them. Will Soham and Fiona be able to overcome their pain and grief? Read the book to know more! The plot is very well constructed and the writing style is beautiful. It perfectly captures the emotional and moving tone. The vivid description of the setting makes the book all the more amazing. The plot progresses at quite a slow pace and t...

The Chi-Chi Boy by Sombit Naskar is a short and beautiful tale about love. After reading Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda  recently, I wanted to read more books belonging to LGBTQ genre. Hence, I decided to give this book a try. The book revolves around the love life of the protagonist, Rik. He gives a first-person account of his relationships,  how he met different men at different points in his life, and how his relationship was with each of them. The story is quite simple and is narrated much like a journal entry. It is a very short book and took me hardly half an hour to complete reading it. But there are certain aspects of this book which I did not quite like. The book seemed very abrupt. It progresses at a very fast pace and ends too soon. Although the writing style of the author is lucid, making the book a very simple and easy read, the plot could've been much better and developed. It could have been better if it was a bit more descriptive. I really liked the...

Sanjay Khan's Assalamualaikum Watan is a very well-researched and interesting book. It provides a unique perspective on subjects that are not very well known. This book highlights the role that the Muslim community has played in shaping the nation in the past as well as in the present times. The author has discussed a lot about all the minority communities in this book as well. It is very informative and the detailed description of lesser-known facts makes the book a very interesting read. The writing style is beautiful and it is organised into sections, which include a short history of India. It is quite engaging and thought-provoking. This book also contains a number of rare images in it as well. It is very evident that this book is a result of extensive research by the author. He has written in this book about his experiences and has also shared his views on various topics. Well-written and very sensitively handled, this book is indeed unique. Overall, Assalamualaiku...

An emotional tale that is sensitive, romantic and motivating - Rohit Sharma's fourth fiction book Our Love Story is a beautiful book. The story begins with Veronica, on her thirty-fifth birthday when two kids come and ask her to narrate her love story. What follows is a tale of love and heartbreak, friendship and hatred, smiles and tears. Veronica was extremely upset, going through an extremely rough situation and had decided to end her life. But she was stopped by a man. Aditya. The son of a business tycoon who lives each day like it's his last. They fall for each other and things finally seem to be in place. But there is a painful secret which Aditya has been hiding from Veronica. Will Veronica get to know about the secret? Why did Aditya hide it from Veronica? Read the book to know what happens to Veronica and Aditya. The plot is quite gripping and very well narrated. All the characters are very well developed. The story proceeds at a fast pace.  It is a sweet and...

A collection of ten horror stories, Ghosts of The Silent Hills by Anita Krishan is a book which will make the readers shocked and scared. Eerie stories set amidst silent hills and deserted lodges, surrounded by forests enveloped in a deadly silence... The book is divided into two parts. Each part contains five stories each. All the stories are based on true hauntings. Scary, mysterious and spine chilling - these are the words that best describe the stories. It is so gripping that I could not stop reading it once I started. It took me a few hours to complete reading the entire book. What makes the book really gripping is the fact that each of the stories is really realistic and unique in nature. The spooky atmosphere that surrounds the tales left me terrified. The vivid narrative style adopted by the author to pen this book, and the use of simple language make this book an easy read. The plots of the stories are very well constructed. Some of the stories which I really liked a...

An Indian novel published in 2018 and set in various parts of Asia and Europe was uncannily prescient about the possibilities of accidental or otherwise release of biotechnology products and how it can trigger an epidemic comparable to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. In this novel, The Butterfly Effect (Niyogi Books) by Rajat Chaudhuri, North Korean agents steal an untested genetically modified rice variety, from a UK lab and carry it back to Korea, which cross-pollinates crops and triggers an epidemic of rapid ageing across the continent with high fatalities. The prestigious Nature journal reported last week about the arrest of a Harvard chemistry chief for making false statements about receiving research funding from China. It is alleged that he received ` hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Wuhan University of Technology (WUT) in China and agreed to lead a lab there’. Although involvement, if any, of the arrested professor cannot be assumed or rejected at this s...

The World Between Us by Sara Naveed tells a heart-warming tale of love, the journey of the protagonists, and how they overcome the demons of their past. It is very different from the regular cliched plot that romance novels in general have. It is unique and that is what I really liked about this book. Amal is a simple girl who is troubled by the memories of her disturbing past. Although she tries to move forward, she cannot completely let go of her disturbing memories. Qais Ahmed, on the other hand, is very different from Amal. He seems narcissistic, manipulative and arrogant. But Qais has a troubled past too. And that affects his mental health. Qais joins Amal's office and both start to develop feelings for each other. However, the story takes a drastic turn, when they find out that they have a deep connection to the past from which they are trying to move forward. The author has a beautiful style of writing. It is descriptive yet the story proceeds at a fast pace. It ...

Chandan Deshmukh's book, 6 Secrets Smart Students Don't Tell You, answers all the questions that are always asked by students and parents alike: 'How to study better and have a successful academic career?', 'How to succeed and crack exams?' and many more.  This book is a compilation of many advices for students that are really helpful. The book describes each and every aspect of detail pointwise. There are diagrams and flowcharts for better understanding as well. It is quite relatable for students as it discusses the problems that they face. The book is based on extensive research by the author and the tips and tricks seem very useful. It is conversational, funny and quite insightful in nature.  The writing style is very simple with the use of lucid language, making this book an easy read. It is indeed a very useful self-help book. It took me a few hours to complete reading the entire book as it is quite a short read. Overall, it was a good a...

A sweet tale of love, loss, and most importantly, second chances, Sindhura Kotaru's novel, My Crownless Queen  is quite an interesting read. The protagonist, Peter, is a doctor and has his career soaring, his dreams fulfilled, new colleagues in his life, and his friends beside him. But his life takes a turn when he comes for a trip back home. His parents have fixed his marriage with a girl of their choice. But Peter cannot forget the love of his life, Annie, with whom he broke up ten years back. Both of them tried to move on with their lives. But clearly, Peter had not. Although none had tried to contact each other during the past ten years, Peter still had feelings for her. But, what awaits for his is the most unexpected surprise! Will he be able to accept his past and move on, or will fight for what he believes in without any guarantee for happiness? Peter is left with two choices. Either to make peace with his past or to keep dwelling on it. Read the book to know what...

Self-help books are really great and extremely informative. Chandan Deshmukh's 7 Dream Jobs and How to Find Them is one such amazing book. The author, in this book, guides the readers and discusses in detail the various opportunities, challenges and turning point of any career. We spend most of our lives working. And it is very essential for us to like our job. If the job makes us unhappy, neither will it be productive, nor will it give us job satisfaction. A study says that 80% of Indians are unhappy in their jobs. This book solves a lot of unanswered questions that young people find while trying to choose a career option. It talks about human personalities, and how they're suited for certain jobs, and most importantly, how to find a job that gives satisfaction. It is a short and engaging read. It took me a few hours to complete reading this book. The book has detailed descriptions on career and the point-wise analysis makes it easier to read and comprehend. Overal...

The eleventh edition of the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival was held from the 17th to the 19th of January 2020 at five different venues in Kolkata. Various literary events were held, and many bestselling authors, dignitaries, film and theatre personalities graced the eleventh edition of the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival. The first day of the Festival began with the inaugural session on Forgotten Treasures with William Dalrymple and Jawahar Sircar in conversation on the latest book,  Forgotten Masters: Indian Painting for the East India Company by William Dalrymple. The inauguration was followed by discussions and conversations at the various venues of Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival. A special session on what today’s youth want to read with Vivaan Shah, Kavita Kane, Karuna Ezara Parikh and Jimmy Tangree was a unique and interesting one. The next session was In a New Light: Revisiting Dara Shukoh, Sri Chaitanya and Veer Savarkar with Vikram Sampath, Avik ...

Legitimacy of Power: The Permanence of Five in the Security Council by Dilip Sinha is an informative and brilliant piece of work. I have always chosen fiction over non-fiction, but recently as I am reading more of the non-fiction genre, I am intrigued and amazed by the brilliance of this genre. As is evident from the title of the book, it talks about the working and operations of the United Nations, more specifically, about one of its most important organ, Security Council. It is a study of international security cooperation and its international law. It has historical details about how the organisation came into being, with UK, USA, Russia, France and China as the Permanent Five members, and how it has been working since. The book is divided into 16 chapters, each chapter describing the various aspects of the UN, from its formation to the modern times. It is extremely informative and contains a detailed description. Legitimacy of Power is a perfect academic text and is suit...