Review: Stars from the Borderless Sea

Stars from the Borderless Sea by Shalini Mullick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"It felt as if he had taken a piece of her with him. A piece she hadn't known existed. A piece that had been hidden deep within her, waiting to be found only by him. He had unearthed it, caressed it lovingly and tenderly, and walked away with it. It would now forever belong to him."

-- "Stars from the Borderless Sea", Shalini Mullick.

There was a time when I loved reading love-stories as much as watching romantic Bollywood movies. Love, once upon a time, seemed a rosy, glossy kind of emotion to me. With age, came wisdom and the love-stories that I used to savour earlier lost their sheen to me. They all seemed too perfect to be true.

"Stars from the Borderless Sea" is a book in the romance genre, a genre that I explored after quite a long time. The book piqued my interest solely because it has been written by Shalini Mullick. I have been reading Shalini's writings for quite a long time and being accustomed to her style of writing, I know that she always creates thought-provoking content. All I can say is that I have not been disappointed after reading the book.

This book is a collection of three romance novellas. None of the stories has a predictable storyline with a conventional happily-ever-after kind of ending. Shalini's protagonists are strong-willed, their love as strong as them. In these three novellas, Shalini has explored how love need not always culminate in a lifetime of togetherness. Love, even if it lasts for a brief period of time, can be healing and can nurture a person's soul for a life-time. "I discovered that, in love, each moment can be a lifetime. And a lifetime of togetherness was what we found with each other. Those moments were so precious to us that we couldn't allow them to be tarnished by the reality that our love would be unrequited." How true!

The first novella is titled "Sayonee" which means soulmate. It's the story of Geetika, descendent of an erstwhile royal family and Shekhar, who dreamt of joining the Indian army. They were college sweethearts. As fate would have it, both didn't complete college and life took them in divergent directions. Yet the love between the two never died.

The second novella is "Humsafar" meaning companion. Rachna, the protagonist, is a paediatrician. When her marriage hit a rock bottom, she found love outside the wedlock in a man named Venkat, her teacher and mentor.

The third and last one is "Humraaz" meaning confidante. In this story, two persons, Mahima and Sanjay, who were both trapped in unhappy marriages, found love and solace in each other.

All three novellas are well-crafted and makes the readers think about love from different perspectives. Shalini's prose is lyrical. Her one-liners make the readers pause and reflect. Like, "...life is the sum of choices. And often, the choices in one's life are made by someone else." Appropriate lines of Rumi's poetry add to the beauty of the stories.

Another thing I must add is that I haven't come across such personable male characters in a long time. Be it Shekhar, Venkat or Sanjay, each one is the epitome of kindness, compassion and determination. They are the kind of men any woman would fall in love with.

Do read the book and discover the magic of love.

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March Reads 2022

I have read total three books in March. And all three books have been written by women writers! What a pleasant coincident given that the International Women's Day is also in March. In this post, I'm going to review briefly all these three books.

1. "The Seven Sisters: Kitchen Tales from the North East" by Purabi Shridhar, Sanghita Singh

This book is basically a collection of authentic recipes from the Seven Sister states of North-East India. But what makes the book different from other cookbooks is that this book also tells the stories associated with the recipes along with describing the distinguishing topography, culture, cuisine of each state. The recipes are very simple and requires basic ingredients. Most are made from locally available herbs, vegetation, fishes and animals and requires little to no spice. Some recipes don't even require the addition of salt. They are a reminder of the simple tribal way of life that existed in North-East India. While there's no doubt about the health benefits of these recipes, I don't think they will be quite palatable to my Bengali taste-buds. However, it's a pleasure to know about the cuisine of the little known North-East India.

2. "Song of the Cuckoo Bird" by Amulya Malladi

It's a book spanning four decades in post-independence India, beginning in 1961 and ending in 2000. The novel depicts the lives of women inmates at an ashram situated at Telia Meda, Andhra Pradesh. The plot is quite interesting with many strong women characters. The characters seemed to me as trapped in their own lives, own circumstances. They tried hard to escape their destinies, but not always succeeded. These women differed from the women of mainstream society as Telia Meda provided shelters to the discards of society.

The characters will stay with the readers for a long time even after finishing the story. They were thrown into a life which was not their own choice, the only exception being Kokila, the protagonist of the story. Charvi, the guru of the ashram, who was anointed guru by her father but who herself was unsure of her divinity, was never able to have a traditional family. Chetana, a prostitute's daughter, tried hard to get a normal life outside Telia Meda, but failed miserably. Kokila, who stayed in the ashram and refused to leave it for her husband's home, searched for love in men much older than her

Overall, a pleasant read. But the writing, I felt, could have been better. 

3. "Sach Kahun Toh: An Autobiography" by Neena Gupta

Ever since the book was published last year, I knew that I had to read this book. Neena Gupta is a controversial actor. While we all know that she gave birth to her daughter out of wedlock, I wanted to read about her struggles as a single mother. She has written just a few lines about her controversial affair with Vivian Richards in the book. So while the 'juicy' tid-bits are missing, reading about her journey as a single mother was a pleasure. I have always admired her for her courage, but reading the book made me realize that the real Neena Gupta is sometimes as vulnerable as any ordinary woman. She has written, "Raising a baby without the father, however, is really really hard. It's possibly one of the hardest things any woman has to do." 

She has not made any attempt to hide her relationships in the book. But what I loved best was her passion and her unwavering determination in whatever she did, be it pursuing her acting career or raising her child single-handedly. Coming from a humble, middle-class family, she has succeeded in making a name for herself as an actor. There are lot of tips and advices for the newbie actors in the book. And some quotes just stayed with me long after I finished the book. I'd love to share few such quotes here.

"If you are such a person, who genuinely wants to be liked and make everyone happy, please know that the only person you can make yourself happy is yourself. If you want to please everyone in the room, you're doomed."

"I want to ask my daughter countless times: What do you want from life? A career? Kids? Both? But I feel, in the end, regardless of what she chooses, the only thing that matters is that she has high self-esteem. That she loves herself and knows what she's worth. That she respects herself enough to not chase after other people's acceptance."

Book Review: A Mother's Goodbye

 

A Mother's Goodbye by Kasturi Patra
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"After all, she was so much more than just our Ma.

Isn't every mother that way? We assume they're just generic lumps of women steeped in the sacrificial essence of motherhood, but I wonder how many fragrances are hidden beneath that strong scent, waiting to be released? These women are such beautifully complex creatures and we reduce them to the role of just being our mothers."

-- Quote from "A Mother's Goodbye" by Kasturi Patra

Can a woman long for a life without her children? Is motherhood only about sacrifice and unconditional love? Is there anything wrong with viewing our mothers as asexual beings? Kasturi Patra's debut novel raises a lot of such questions about motherhood. The plot revolves around three siblings in Kolkata: two teenagers and an eight-year old boy. The story is told from the perspectives of the two teenagers. When their mother suddenly disappears, they are forced to take on adult responsibilities for which they were ill-prepared. Dipa was a single mother raising her three children on her own. The teen-agers try to make sense of an adult world and earn a livelihood while grappling with their own sexualities.

What I love most about the book is that Kasturi doesn't take sides. Being a mother, my heart goes out to the children who have been compelled by circumstances to live without the support of any adult gurdian. But when I read Dipa's account, I cannot help but feel for her. Kasturi has written with so much sensitivity that it becomes difficult to take sides.

My biggest takeaway from the book is that like all other aspects of life, motherhood should also be a choice and not a compulsion. And we all know that both the agony and ecstasy of parenthood belong mostly to the mother, even if she is not a single mother. So her opinion whether she wants to be a mother or not matters most.

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Book Review: Ace and Proud: An Asexual Anthology

Ace and Proud: An Asexual Anthology by A.K. Andrews
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In my 37 years of existence on earth, I have heard about women who are labelled as 'frigid'. I have heard of men who are disinterested in physical intimacy. But it's the first time I'm learning that they may have an altogether different sexual orientation, thanks to this book. So far, I knew of only two sexual orientations- straight and gay. This is the first time I came to learn about the "Kinsey Scale" which graded sexuality on a 0-6 scale, with 0 being fully heterosexual and 6 being fully homosexual. There's even an "X", which stands for asexuals.

This book is a project of AVEN (Asexual Visibility and Education Network), which was founded in 2001 by David Jay for asexuals. This anthology is a collection of stories written by asexual writers from around the globe. I got to know the nuances of sexuality, like differences between "heterosexuality" and "heteroromantic" or terms like "demi-girl" from this book. This whetted my interest in further academic studies on the subject of sexuality and I ended up reading some very informative articles in various websites. The book may not have great literary value, but it offers great insights into the lives and behavioural patterns of asexuals.

Sexuality is very much a part of our lives. I think we should all learn more about it as our views on sexuality are mostly restricted to socially acceptable norms.

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Book Review: The Train to Darjeeling & Other Railway Tales

The Train to Darjeeling & Other Railway Tales by Sanjoy Mookerjee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"The biggest organization on the planet, our own railway system provides the wheels on which the nation moves. Often referred also as the lifeline of the nation, the mighty railway system is the most powerful symbol of national unity and pride."

--- Ashwani Lohani, Former Chairman, Railway Board

Railway is the most common means of transport in our country. It's hard to find an Indian who has never travelled by railway, either for commuting to work or for taking a vacation. However, we are often unaware of the lives of the railway employees.

The author of this book, Sanjoy Mookerjee, was an officer of the prestigious Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS) as well as a railway heritage enthusiast. In his words, this book "is the culmination of anecdotes heard and experiences gathered during my long innings with the Indian Railways." Peppered with photos collected from the photo repository of the Indian Railways and illustrations and drawings derived from various sources, this book offers a delightful collection of railway anecdotes and at the same time, offers great insights into the working of the railways and lives of railway employees.

The book starts with the eponymous tale, "Train to Darjeeling" describing the author's journey to Darjeeling to take a vacation as a kid along with his parents. I experienced almost a childlike glee while reading about a kid's excitements while travelling by train. Then there are some really funny anecdotes like "Regal Encounter", "Who revised the Budget?" and "The first official journey". "The Tusker Regiment" warmed up my heart. In "Those Were the Days", he describes his training period as a probationer at the Railway Staff College, Baroda, now re-christened as the National Academy of Indian Railways. With the author, we also take a vicarious tour of the royal campus at Baroda. "Rescue" highlights one rescue operation undertaken by the Indian Railways during a flood situation in 1978 and the dedication towards public service shown by the railway employees during the difficult time. Then there are anecdotes related to Computerisation of Passenger Reservations on Indian Railways. After going through all these heart-warming tales, "A mother's wish" simply teared me up. The book ends with the tale of how the author's efforts as a Railway heritage enthusiast culminated in the setting up of the Railway Heritage Park at Tinsukia.

Overall, a pleasurable read.

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15 Best Books That I Read In 2021

I read total 40 books in 2021. 40 may not be a big number, but it's not a small number too. It is the highest number of books that I read in a single year so far, though some of the books were really short, like "The Almost Mothers" by Laura Besley or "Hannah and her Mommy" by Thomas Evans. Even the longest book that I read in 2021 was only 407-pages long: "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen. I made an attempt to read a few English Classics, "Pride and Prejudice" being one of them. Though I liked "Pride and Prejudice", I couldn't relate to few other well-known classics like "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Brontë. Anyway, here I have listed down 15 best books among the books that I read in 2021.

1. "Pride, Not Prejudice: Decriminalising Love" by Tell Me Your Story

This book is a delightful collection of assorted love-stories from the LGBTQ community.

2. "Maybe in Another Life" by Taylor Jenkins Reid

It's the first book I read that explores the concept of the existence of a parallel universe beautifully.

3. "Dating for Fun and Profit: A Girl's Guide to Useful Men" by Cynthia James

Though this book claims to be a dating guide for women, it has an amazing feminist perspective and explains why men and women view relationships differently from biological and sociological viewpoints. Though it has been written primarily for an American readership, it's fun to read.

4. "Regretting You" by Colleen Hoover

It's a romance novel that didn't feel cliché like the Mills and Boon books. Rather, it was as riveting from the very beginning as a thriller. Two love-stories are narrated parallely from the point of view of two protagonists who happen to be mother and daughter. The ending was predictable, yet it kept me hooked till the end.

5. "Evidence of the Affair" By Taylor Jenkins Reid

The repercussions of an illicit affair unfold in this short-story. The entire book is written in epistolary form. Just when I started to think that the end is going to be predictable, an unexpected plot-twist took me by surprise.

6. "Serving Crazy With Curry" by Amulya Malladi

Peppered with mouth-watering recipes, this novel explores the relationship between three generations of women and a terrible secret that turns their lives upside down.

7. "Verity" by Colleen Hoover

Another masterpiece by CoHo. A sudden plot-twist at the end left me speechless.

8. "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

This book doesn't need any introduction. It's a famous Classic. Though it's a bit difficult to read with long, complicated sentences, but the happy-ending leaves the readers with a sense of satisfaction.

9. "Ahalya's Awakening" by Kavita Kane

It's the story of Ahalya of the Ramayana, told from her perspective. It's the kind of story that every woman would be able to relate to, even today.

10. "Dietland" by Sarai Walker

 

It's a brilliant book on body-positivity, exploring how women are treated unfairly and judged solely by their outer appearance in a patriarchal world.

11. "Where the Forest Meets the Stars" by Glendy Vanderah

This magic-realism book features the uncanny relationship between an orphaned girl and a breast-cancer survivor.

12. "The Queen of Jasmine Country" by Sharanya Manivannan

It's a historical fiction book exploring the life of Andal, the devotional poet of Tamil Nadu during ninth-century. Written in first-person narrative, it's a brilliant book.

13. "Piranesi" by Susanne Clarke

Winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction in 2021, this is a fantasy-fiction book. Though the first few pages are difficult to relate to, things get a lot better once you get the drift of things.

14. "A Mother's Goodbye" by Kasturi Patra

Can a woman long for a life without her children? Is motherhood only about sacrifice and unconditional love? Is there anything wrong with viewing our mothers as asexual beings? Kasturi Patra's debut novel raises a lot of such questions about motherhood. The plot revolves around three siblings, two teen-agers and an eight-year-old boy, raised by a single mother. After their mother's sudden disappearance, the teen-agers try to make sense of an adult world and earn a livelihood while grappling with their own sexualities.

15. "Mafia Queens of Mumbai" by S. Hussain Zaidi

This book explores the lives of some of the fierce women who left indelible marks in the underworld of Mumbai. While reading some of the stories, I felt like I was watching a Bollywood Blockbuster. Zaidi's graphic storytelling makes the book a pleasure to read.

Cover Image Source: pixabay

Book Review: City Of Nine Gates

City Of Nine Gates by Pankaj Rajput

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


"An atheistic millionaire is forced to find and help his long lost friend achieve self-realization in a mystical 'City of Nine Gates' known only to the Gods and the wisest sages of the Advait and the Sankhya."

These lines from the back-cover of the book intrigued me to start reading this book. I thought it to be a blend of mythology with a modern story line, just like the books written by the likes of Ashwin Sanghi. But what awaited for me was a pleasant surprise. This book deals with a totally different subject-matter.

We all encounter lot of hardships and difficulties in life, which force us to ask, "Why me?" In this book, the author has tried to answer that question which has troubled mankind since eternity. He has woven a tale through which he has tried to elucidate the spiritual, supreme truth. He has attempted to make it accessible to common readers who may lack any prior knowledge of Hindu spiritualism. Basically, it combines the teachings of the Bhagavad Geeta and other Hindu religious scriptures and tries to enlighten the readers with their teachings with the help of a story. I'd like to share some of my favorite quotes from the book:

"Happiness normally brings complacency and makes us think that the goal of life is achieved. That's a sweet trap. Celebrate happiness as much as you cried in a time of adversity. But never deviate from the path to Moksha. Treat happiness as a phase of preparation for liberation- just like dejection is but a phase."

"Pain is the alarm!..... This most abhorred of all emotions is the key to the path of Moksha. It is only pain that cuts-off one's attachment to happiness, sadness, liking, disliking and the rest of the dualities of this mortal material world."

"Everyone in this world is alone and hence needs to be with someone. But there are those rare ones who stay alone as they never feel lonely and hence never need the company of others. Such rare ones who prefer seclusion and are devoted to God are most dear to him."

There are some minor editing mistakes at some places. Considering this to be the first edition, such mistakes are inevitable. The language is simple. The story is not fast-paced. So if you are looking for a gripping story-line, this may not be the ideal book for you. This is the kind of book to savour slowly, allowing yourself time enough for the teachings to sink in. If you have a spiritual bent of mind, you'll surely like this book. I myself am a regular reader of the Bhagavad Gita. So I found the author's way of telling the deeper truths of life through a story quite fascinating. Go for it if you want to explore the deeper meaning and purpose of life.

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Book Review: I've never been (Un)happier

I've never been (Un)happier: by Shaheen Bhatt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"Your pain, like your fingerprints, is unique to you. In other words, you can buy happiness off the rack- but sadness is tailor-made just for you."

----- Shaheen Bhatt

I read quite a few books in the month of February. However, I chose to review this book as it kind of shook me. It deals with a very relevant topic of our times: Depression. However, unlike physical illness, there is so much stigma associated with mental illnesses that one hardly talks about these. In this context, Shaheen Bhatt's writing on this subject, that too based on her own life experiences, is truly remarkable. For those of you who haven't heard of her, she is the daughter of Mahesh Bhatt and sister of Alia Bhatt. And she has battled depression for seventeen long years.

"We're taught early in life to keep our emotions hidden and we're especially taught that negative emotions have no place in a public domain."

This book breaks this stereotypical thinking. The book begins with acquainting us with what depression is and what are the symptoms. In the process, it succeeds in creating awareness on the taboo subject. Very often, we fail to recognize the symptoms of depression even if we ourselves or a close acquaintance of ours is passing through this phase. Shaheen's own personal experiences in this regard is truly gut-wrenching. She lets us see the inner turmoil and the profound pain of the person suffering from depression.

What I found most endearing are the last few pages of the book. Almost all of us have underwent down phases in our lives, though not all of us are clinically depressed. The words of Mahesh Bhatt are truly inspiring to all of us. In our constant bid to be happy, we forgot that happiness is an ideal, may be non-existent, state. "You're constantly trying to reach this non-existent, ideal state of emotional well-being. It's not real." And then, "You can't spend your life feeling bad about feeling bad." Shaheen rightly points out, "Happiness is a one-note emotion that doesn't challenge you in any way."

Do read the book. Even if you don't want to learn about depression, read this book to look differently at the ever-elusive "happiness".

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Book Review: Chokher Bali

চোখের বালি by Rabindranath Tagore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rabindranath Tagore is one of the most cherished renaissance figures of India. He put India in the literary map of the world by winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. Recently I read one of his prominent novels- "Chokher Bali" ("Sand in the eye"). There have been many movie adaptations of this novel, including the famous movie of the same name directed by Rituparno Ghosh. Tagore's writings are well-known for his deep understanding of the nuances of female psychology. And this novel is no exception. It portrays some strong female protagonists, who are sure to etch indelible marks in your memory once you finish the novel.

The Plot

The plot revolves around four protagonists- Mahendra, Ashalata, Binodini and Bihari.

Mahendra is the only scion of a rich family based in Calcutta. Bihari is his childhood friend, who frequents his house. Mahendra's mother wanted him to marry Binodini, her friend's daughter. But Mahendra refused. Then his mother requested Bihari to marry Binodini and save the poor girl which Bihari refused. Eventually Binodini got married to a man who died soon after marriage. Meanwhile, Mahendra married Ashalata, a poor orphan girl. Mahendra was besotted with his wife, when Binodini came to live in their house. With time, an extra-marital relationship develops between Mahendra and Binodini, which threatens to destroy his marriage with Ashalata. But soon Binodini discovers that Mahendra is a self-obsessed person, unable to provide a safe shelter to her. So she inclines towards Bihari, who lives life by principles. Throughout the novel, there is an implicit implication of Bihari's affection towards Ashalata, though he never crosses the boundaries of relationship. At the end, Bihari falls in love with Binodini when he came to know of her feelings towards him. He proposed to marry her, which Binodini refused saying that she doesn't want to 'dishonour' him further. During that period (the novel was written in 1902), widow remarriage was not well accepted in society. That may partially explain the reason behind Binodini's refusal. At the end, Binodini leaves for Varanasi- a fate that awaited most of the widows in those days.

Characters

The novel portrays the contemporary Bengali society and the treatment meted out to widows during that period. I loved the characters of both the female protagonists- Ashalata and Binodini. The character of Binodini is well-crafted. She is the kind of woman who was far ahead of her times and she had to pay heavily for it. She was educated- a trait quite uncommon among women of that era. Her father arranged for a 'missionary mem' (a missionary woman from Europe/England) to educate her. Even after she crossed the 'marriageable age', her father never bothered about her marriage. After her father's death, her mother began searching for a suitable groom. She got married and after a short period of marital bliss, she became widow. Though the society prescribed an austere life for widows, but Binodini was a rebel and refused to succumb to societal pressure. She was young, beautiful and intelligent. "...Sikha ek vabe ghorer pradip rupe jwole, ar-ek vabe ghore agun dhoraiya dey" (The same flame which lights the room, can destroy the whole house), observed Tagore. She craved for love and companionship like all, inspite of being a widow. She mistook her feelings for Mahendra as love and came close to ruin his marriage. Later when she realised that Mahendra is too blind to understand her, she left him and boldly sought shelter to Bihari. But the end of novel fails to do full justice to her character. When a woman as strong as Binodini chose to stay at Varanasi for the rest of her life, like all others, readers like me are disappointed no doubt. In Rituparno Ghosh's film, Binodini joined India's ongoing struggle for independence at the end. I think that befits a character like her. Though Ghosh's movie doesn't strictly adhere to the novel.

The character of Ashalata seems dull in comparison to Binodini in the beginning. But when her husband left her for another woman, she took charge of her ailing mother-in-law and the entire household on her own.

The character of Mahendra seems narcissistic. He lacks any definite purpose. Being self-obsessed, he went on from Ashalata to Binodini who rejects him. Then again he came back to his wife who re-accepts him.

Overall Rating

No need to mention that reading this novel was a sheer pleasure. If you haven't read this novel yet, do read. For readers whose native language is not Bengali, you can go through the translated version of the book. Each of Tagore's work is a masterpiece on their own.


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Reading Challenge 2019

"There is no friend as loyal as a book"

---Ernest Hemingway

It's January and it's time to decide on my TBR for 2019. For the past few years, I have been participating in Goodreads Reading Challenge. This time, though, apart from that, I wanted to be part of another Reading Challenge. In the past few years, I have read some really amazing books of fiction. This year, though, I want to explore non-fiction on a greater scale. I am keen on learning something new. So I decided to participate in a Non-fiction reading challenge. My goal in 2019 is to read at least 18 non-fiction books, which roughly translates to 1.5 books per month.

I am participating in 2019 Nonfiction Reading Challenge at Doing Dewey.

I am participating in 2019 Reading Challenge at SMS Nonfiction Book Reviews.

At SMS Nonfiction Book Reviews, the challenge is simple:

• Read at least 3 books on a topic you’ve not read much about but would like to learn more about.
• Challenge runs Jan 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019
• You can use any types of books (physical books, ebooks, audiobooks etc)
• You can overlap your books with other challenges
• You can pick your books as you go or pick ahead of time, whatever you prefer
• You can use children’s nonfiction too
• You can pick your topic now or later and you can change it anytime before you read your first book.
• It can be something you’ve never read about or something you’ve read a bit about but not a lot.
• Pick ANY topic you want.
• You can review the books or just write down your thoughts.
• You can have a blog or not. Social media is fine.
• Use #LSNReadingChallenge if you want

Here goes a tentative list of the books meant to be read in 2019:

1. Money Smart: The Indian Woman's Guide to Managing Wealth by Reenita Malhotra Hora & Divya Vij

2. Indian Mutual Funds Handbook by Sankaran

3. The Problem That Has No Name by Beity Friedan

4. Option B by Sheryl Sandberg & Adam Grant

5. On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft by Stephen King

6. Everything you wanted to know about Investing by Shalini Amarnani

7. Seeing Like A Feminist by Nivedita Menon

8. The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf

9. Coffee Can Investing by Saurabh Mukherjea, Rakshit Ranjan, Pranab Uniyal

10. The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir

11. Income Tax Guide For The Taxpayer by Subhash Lakhotia

12. Women Who Love Too Much by Robin Norwood

13. The Curse: Confronting the Last Unmentionable Taboo: MENSTRUATION by Karen Houppert

14. Chanakya's 7 Secrets of Leadership by Radhakrishnan Pillai & D. Sivanandhan

15. The Heartfulness Way by Daaji

16. Imagining India by Nandan Nilekani

17. The Argumentative Indian by Amartya Sen

18. A Room of One's Own and Three Guineas by Virginia Woolf

However, this is just a tentative list. I may pick-up new books as the year progresses or I may skip a book or two from this list. So lets start reading!

Book Review: I am a home to butterflies

I am a home to butterflies by J. Alchem
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"This collection of poetry is all about you and me, but I am afraid it will no longer be about 'you and me' once a reader picks it up. It will then be about them only."

Yes, the themes around which the poetries of this collection revolve around are the ones anybody can relate to. So when the reader starts to read them, these poetries become his/her own. The serenity of love, the sharp heartache that love brings, the laughter and the tears depicted in this collection are felt by all at least once in their lifetime. I'd rather call them quotes instead of poetries, as most of them are very short- some of them even have only a line or two.

The poetries in this collection are arranged in a few groups, each depicting a particular theme, such as Life, You, Love, Obstacles, Break-up, Awakening, Wisdom, Love again. I fell in love with some of the poetries, took screenshots of few and shared with my friends. I am sure if you read this book, you will also be tempted to take screenshots of the poetries. They beautifully convey such deep emotions in so few words. I'd like to share few of my favourites here:

"There is another sky

under the sky

that's you, for me."

"The world

is already

full of temporary people

you,

please,

don't be one."

"And then you left

leaving a story

incomplete."

The second part of the book is named as Letters. It contains a few letters written by a man who is separated from his lover. Strangely for reasons unknown to the reader, they are all written on the 19th day of different months. Reading these letters has been a painful experience for me. I felt choked by emotions. The last of these letters is a reply from his estranged lover, which brings an unexpected twist at the end.

Overall, a good read. The book can be finished within just an hour. So if you love poetries, do give it a try.

P.S.: I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. But the views expressed here are unbiased.

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Review: Mistress

Mistress by Anita Nair
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Adultery is one topic which I despise the most. "Adultery, I assumed, dragged itself into murky places. Hotel rooms and box beds, bathrooms with dripping faucets and bed linens that wore bleached spots of previous assignations. Stolen kisses and clandestine couplings. Cars with tinted, rolled-up windows and dingy movie theatres." Instead, what this novel portrays is love. Love which cannot be "dismissed as squalid or vile".

This is the second novel by Anita Nair which I read, after 'Ladies Coupé.' And I am spellbound. The author's take on art and relationships, and life in general, is full of insights. Nair's language is lucid, almost lyrical at places.

Five on five, as I can't rate it higher!

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Review: The Tree Bears Witness

The Tree Bears Witness by Sharath Komarraju
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a free review copy of this book, alongwith a letter from the Marketing department of Westland Publications Pvt. Ltd. mentioning to share the feedback. Though I was a bit late to finish reading the book, but sharing feedback is almost an obligation to me. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. What seemed like an impossible murder mystery in the beginning, came to a logical conclusion at the end. Set in the Mughal era, the famous courtier of Emperor Akbar, Birbal, fitted the missing pieces of the puzzle with sheer intellect. I am a huge admirer of Komarraju's writing and this book has only served to kindle that admiration further. Komarraju's writing style is lucid as usual. This novel has proved that he can be the Agatha Christie of India.

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Review: The Art of Happiness: A Handbook For Living

The Art of Happiness: A Handbook For Living by Howard C. Cutler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"Happiness is as elusive as a butterfly, and you must never pursue it. If you stay very still, it may come and settle on your hand. But only briefly. Savour those moments, for they will not come your way very often."

So says the proverb. We all seek happiness, but we almost always find happiness to be elusive. In this book, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama teaches us the art of finding happiness. The book is actually written by Howard C. Cutler, who happens to be a Western Psychiatric. He had many interactions with Dalai Lama and in this book, he has presented the essence of those interactions. He has validated Dalai Lama's words with modern Western Psychological research results. Cutler's own words sometimes seem to be a bit dragging, but Dalai Lama's wisdom is as pure as a glass of crystal clear water, that'll surely quench the thirst of many souls, who have become overwhelmed by the challenges thrown by life. Dalai Lama basically teaches us to be good human beings and cultivate positive traits and eliminate negative ones.

A book to read again and again to find solace. A must read for all.

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Review: Undelivered Letters

Undelivered Letters by J. Alchem
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First of all, I'd like to thank Sidra for giving me a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Here goes the review:

Technology has made it easier for us to connect with others quickly and easily. Now we can instantly send messages via e-mail, sms or whatsapp. But just think of the world as it used to be around two decades ago, when people didn't have the opportunity to communicate with one another with such ease. The only way available for communication was letters. Yes, this book talks about letters, which have become extinct now-a-days. The protagonist of this book, Aron, used to be a postman couple of decades back. After two decades, while he and his wife were packing their belongings for shifting to a new house, they accidentally come across some old letters, that he was supposed to deliver to their recipients twenty years ago. But he somehow forgot to deliver those letters. Now, driven by his conscience, he decides to deliver the letters to their original recipients and embarks upon his journey. Now, if I disclose any further, that would be a spoiler. So go and read the book to find out the rest.

The book surely has a different kind of story-line, which will surely amaze you. The whole book will take you to a roller-coaster ride of emotions. I had read the previous book, "The Highway Man" by the same author, which also had stories with novel story-lines. So I was curious to read this one too. And I am not disappointed. It's a short novel and I managed to finish it in just two sittings.

So, if you are looking for some out-of-the-box story-line to indulge in your weekend, go for "Undelivered Letters". You'll surely love it.

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Review: Echoes from Vrindavan: Stories of 2017 - April Edition

Echoes from Vrindavan: Stories of 2017 - April Edition by Sharath Komarraju
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This collection of stories may well have been a novel, with each story linked to the successive one. These stories are about the encounter of Krishna with Yama, Lord of death, at the moment of the former's death. They question the very godhood that we bestow upon Krishna. Does he deserve such unwavering devotion? These stories shake the very foundation of our faith.

The first of them, named "Echoes from Vrindavan", after which this collection is named. It speaks about Radha and Yashoda, after Krishna deserted them. I have always wondered what happened to them after Krishna set out for Mathura. And here they are. Radha, "browned by the Yamuna’s mud,

wrinkled by age, battered by years of milking cows and carrying pots, shrunken by the crushing weight of hope, greyed by the silence of dusk, flattened by endless longing, eaten by the monster that she had once thought was love." We come to know of Yashoda, who died with hope of Krishna's returning in heart.

The second one "Sons of War" moved me the most. This story brought tears to my eyes. I never heard about Iravan, with my limited knowledge of the epic. After reading this story only, I googled his name and read the original story about him. His story, along with those of Abhimanyu and Ghotatkacha will surely make you cry and question your long-standing faith.

The third one, "Vasudeva" provides a new perspective regarding the meaning of the term Vasudeva. The fourth one, "King's Gambit" makes Suyodhana out of Duryodhana. The last one, "Fault Lines" talks about Balarama, the forgotten hero of history.

I have been reading the short stories of Sharath Komarraju from the beginning of this year. But this collection, of all, moved me the most. I'd recommend all lovers of the mythology genre to go through this one.

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Review: A Handful of Sunshine

A Handful of Sunshine by Vikram Bhatt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If I have to use one word to describe this book, then that eould be this: "Bollywood-ish". It has all the ingredients of a bollywood block-buster: a heroin who is "beautiful, petite and slender. Her long hair tumblimg carelessly over her shoulders snd back, eyes shining bright like they held a secret, and her full lips, red- with life, instead of lipstick." A hero who looks like "an angel from a Michelangelo painting". To make it more interesting, the novel also has another hero and another heroin in the side-role. The location changes from Mumbai to Switzerland, then London, and New-York in between. I can almost see the word "INTERMISSION" hovering before my eyes when the part of novel in Mumbai is over, with the break-up of the lead couple.

Anyway, nice storyline, a fast and easy read. Some quotes are really great to remember for a long time.

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Review: The Highway Man: Short Stories

The Highway Man: Short Stories by J. Alchem
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

First of all, I'd like to thank Sidra for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"The Highway Man" is a collection of three short stories by the author. Each story has a different flavour. Each is different from the other and unique in it's own way.

The first story 'Catherine' is about a Psychiatric, who became the physician of one best-seller novelist, who writes romantic tales of love. I just loved the offbeat storyline and the final twist in the story just leaves me speechless.

The second story depicts one day's happenings in the lives of a couple who are very much in love with each other. I am sure every woman wants a husband like Jihan, who treasures his wife and can go to any length to make her happy. Every husband should take inspiration from this story.

The third one is the story from which the book's title 'The Highway Man' comes. It teaches us the secret to find happiness in a life, which can take an adverse turn at any moment. However, it gives us the mantra to be happy, no matter what curveball the life throws at us. I am sure many readers will find a renewed jest for life after reading this story.

Overall, a delectable treat for the lovers of short-stories. If you enjoy this genre, do give this book a try. You'll not be disappointed.

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Review: এটুকু বৃষ্টি...

এটুকু বৃষ্টি... by Smaranjit Chakraborty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The intertwined lives of some teen-agers form this novel, with teen-age love being the central theme, as is typical in the novels of Smaranjit Chakraborty. A light read, you can finish the book in 2-3 sittings, but immensely enjoyable.

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Review: প্রেমের উনিশ-কুড়ি

প্রেমের উনিশ-কুড়ি by Smaranjit Chakraborty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is a collection of love stories, meant for the teen-agers mainly. Though I have left behind my teens long ago, still I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The stories are suffused with innocence of teen-age and the first encounter with LOVE, which leaves a lasting impact on our minds for the rest of our lives. These stories are like the first shower of monsoon-- fresh and make you craving for more.

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