The Bride of Amman by Fadi Zaghmout, translated from Arabic by Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp: Book Review

Passed university with distinction? Good, you are well enough a bride material now.

Thirty and unmarried? Bad, you've almost reached your expiry date.

Did your father take your virginity? It's okay. Keep quiet.

Do you love someone of another religion?  Beware,you might be soon ostracized from your society.

Are you attracted towards the same sex as your's? Worse, control yourself, get married and have children. 

Author Fadi Zaghmout shares such social taboos that have confined young Arab men and women to the deepest corners of their beings. The Bride of Amman is a tale of five young dwellers of Amman, the capital city of Jordan where gender inequality and gender discrimination, make them struggle through their everyday lives. 

Published originally in Arabic, the book is translated by Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp.

Title is Untitled by Santosh Avvannavar, Kundan Srivastava & Raghunath Babu Are: Book Review

Santosh, an author dedicated to bringing into awareness the social crimes and injustice in India, has teamed with Kundan Srivastava & Raghunath Babu Are in Title is Untitled. The authors have come up with 11 short fictions in the book that highlight how women in India become victims of rape and forced marriages. The stories also speak of how some women unlawfully misuse women-centric laws like dowry laws in their favour. Yet, other stories, on a lighter side, underline how shallow Indian education system is and ironically, how deep the Indian Beggary system is.

Written with utmost sincerity, the book is sure to churn your feelings towards such victims. At the end of each story, through the Dear 'No Light' Diary, the authors present brief facts about the issue related to the particular story. I appreciate their thoughtful efforts in collecting the data.

As I always recommend, please try to imbibe the authors' messages from this book and spread them as far as you can.

Our Heritage Revisited by Anju Saha: Book Review

Most of us including me, if asked which Hindu texts we are aware of, would have Mahabharata and Ramayana in our answers. If asked twice, we may answer Vedas but then we wouldn't know any other word about the Vedas. 

For centuries, we have cornered ancient Hindu scriptures to temple priests. Of course, unfortunately, not all of us are permitted to acquire and practice the knowledge of Vedas. However, isn't it good to learn what in the first place Vedas and Upanishads are? 

That's what Author Anju Saha does in her book, Our Heritage Revisited! She takes us through an easy and comfortable ride into the world of ancient Hindu scriptures. If you've felt guilty for being ignorant of them all these years, here's the right tool for you. 

Grey & White Day Scholar by Raj Sekar: Book Review

25 years past schooling, the author and his friends think about a reunion of their school classmates. A few of them travel from Chennai to Tirupattur, a town in Vellore district, Tamil Nadu and the place where their school is located. Grey & White Day Scholar is all about the memories the author recollects as he travels to his old school. They travel in search of their other classmates and eventually discover the whereabouts of a few of them. 

The author has realistically brought out the little joys, that towns in Tamil Nadu would have offered its school boys in the 1980s. Readers who did schooling in the same period in a similar town can not only relate to the author's experiences but also can drench in beautiful memory showers. 

SHE: Ekla Cholo Re by Dr. Shayan Haq & Santosh Avvannavar: Book Review

(The video embedded above is the official book trailer)

He wanted to play with dolls while he was forced to play with cars.

He fancied being Debu's girlfriend while he was seen as his younger brother.

He loved draping his mom's Tant saree privately while he had to wear what a boy would, publicly. 

When everything that he felt within, contradicted with what others expected from him, 

he realized becoming a SHE from a he is a lonely path and it's best to tread this path alone -

Ekla Cholo Re!

SHE: Ekla Cholo Re is the story of Kusum who suffers a gender identity disorder since childhood. Through Kusum's conversation over a long drive with a stranger, the authors have brought out the subtle feelings that Kusum undergoes during each phase of her life. 

The Curse of Brahma by Jagmohan Bhanver: Book Review

'How much more of Indian mythology is still left unexplored?!' is what I awed as I turned the last page of the book. The Mahabharata I knew began from almost the birth of Sri Krishna. However, here's an unheard tale, compiled into an entire book, of the events that happened 200 years before Lord Krishna's birth. 

Can ever somebody like Kansa, who killed innocent newborns, have another side of goodness? I would have been surprised if somebody said a 'yes' before I read this book. Totally moving, the character of Kansa seemed to be justly portrayed. His true, devoted love towards Devaki and his loyal friendship with Vasudev were contrary to anything that I've ever heard of Kansa before. 

Dark Lord, the man who holds the grip of the plot, though the personification of evil doesn't fail to exhibit the innate goodness in him. In a sense, this book shall make us rethink about what exactly evil is and if Brahma, the Lord of creation, did any justice to him at all? 

Vividly narrated, The Curse of Brahma, is a well-conceived plot though for some reason, the story line seemed dragging at a few places. The suspense created at the end is a sure call for the second in the Krishna Trilogy series.

The Rigveda Code by Rashmi Chendvankar: Book Review

This review is also posted at my personal blog, Pages from Serendipity. 

The Rigveda Code is an interesting mythological fiction based on the after-effects of the Mahabharata war. The plot centers around Rikshavi, a warrior princess of the Vrij kingdom (in present-day Bihar). Thirty years post the war, Lord Krishna wishes for a new system of governance for the future of Bharatkhanda. However, instead of establishing the new system by himself, he chooses to pass the secret code to the Pandavs’ legacy which the warrior princess is destined to fulfill. 

The circumstances that lead Rikshavi, since her birth and childhood, to unfold her destiny form the The Rigveda Code. What stands out throughout the book is the suspense factor. It has a gripping flow that makes it a compelling read. The narration is rather straight forward and does not divert the attention of the readers to the intricacies of anything that’s unimportant. 

An epilogue describing the background of the archaeological excavation and discussion, enlightens the readers about the subtle conception of The Rigveda Code which was both informative and admirable. 

Umbilical Cord by Meena R Chandawarkar and Santosh Avvannavar: Book Review

At birth, the umbilical cord is cut as a baby passes from the womb to the outside world. However, there are myriads of other cords that bind us to a blind existence. This book talks about a few of such cords that should be better, nipped off.

Umbilical cord is my 5th read of author Santosh’s. All of his previous works speak of a theme, directed at, either an individual’s development or a societal reform, mostly in the form of short fiction. To readers’ delight, umbilical cord showers forty of such stories, each with a unique message.

The short stories are notably of just one or two pages which gives an additional charm to the authors’ ability to convey a profound point in a few words. Most of the messages addressed are neither extraordinary nor new to readers. Rather, they are simple incidents that all of us can relate to, with the matters of our daily lives.

Though at a quick glance, Umbilical cord seems to enlighten readers about the most elusive emotions like love and forgiveness, at a greater depth, it actually intends to remind all of us, the little nuances of life that we unmindfully overlook with age and time.

There's Something About You by Yashodhara Lal: Book Review

I read the last 50 pages almost breathlessly, completing it at 2 midnight. 

If you've ever been into the confining world of a book, you would know why I did that. 'There's something about you' is one such work!

Trish looks at herself as a fat, unattractive woman who can never get along with the corporate gimmicks; yet can hold her heart and head strong against any level of criticism with her sarcasm - an attitude that will make you fall in love with the character. 

She gets unexpectedly fired from work. She meets Sahil unexpectedly. She finds a new fortune through her sarcasm, unexpectedly. She unexpectedly discovers her potential interest and it's a series of unexpectation to the readers as well. 

One might presume the fiction being directed towards love, overcoming difficulty or just a personal ranting, but believe me, at a deeper level, the story of Trish is about understanding relationships, diving into the subconsciousness and following one's heart. Shouldn't miss reading!

God's Table by Santosh Avvannavar, Jyothi Byahati & Dr. Sandeep Huilgol: Book Review

Yet another social subject from Author Santosh and team! This time, it is in the form of a conversational discussion between a couple over their dinners and breakfast tables. They discuss about twelve major social and personal crisis that prevail in our society. At the end of each discussion, they seek the advice of Paul, a Godly man, who enlightens the readers with his unbiased, expert opinions.

A few of the topics that are discussed are education system, euthanasia, honour killing, abuse and social media.

God's Table is a quick read to remind all of us of the atrocities happening around us. The book rightly educates the readers about the intricacies of our society.

Please take part, spread awareness!

The Departing Point by Santosh Avvannavar, Jyothi Byahati & Raghunath Babu Are: Book Review

Two people departed…

In search of love…

Leaving love in between”

This is the tag line of the book.

The Departing Point is a collection of seven love stories that neither have a happy ending nor highlight the sadness of love failures. Three common aspects of all of the seven tales are:

• narrated by the boy in love

• the couple in love does not get to stay together in the relationship for long and

• the girl in love happens to be the reason for the break-up.

Hence there comes a departing point in their relationships which all of those men end up facing with both maturity and resentment. 

The authors have brought out the persistent mind set of men when it comes to love. At the same time, the wavering and indecisive natures of women towards relationships are also highlighted.

The Prism of Life by Ansh Das: Book Review

The Prism of Life is a self-help book intended to address many of man’s eternal quests. The author claims to have channeled these messages directly from the Akashic Records.

Tap a little of your school Physics.

Remember what happens when white light passes through a prism?

Yes, it disperses into a spectrum of colours. When all these colours, merge together, they form white light again.

The author has introduced a brilliant metaphor with these terms:

Prism = Life

White Light = Spirituality

Constituent Colours = Constituents that make up spirituality

In short, this book throws light on the smaller constituents of spirituality that can help one to decipher his/her purpose of life.

Surrogate Author by santosh Avvannavar and Shilpa Patil: Book Review

The corner tag of the book says ' To Aspiring Authors'. 

And that says it all! 

If you've been brooding over a plot or a concept to make a book out of it, and you seem to move nowhere, you are sure to delight in 

Surrogate Author.

If bollywood movies like Devdas, Sholay and DDLJ recharge your soul, 

you are sure to have a heart full of laughter with

Surrogate Author.

Yes! It's that rare combo of a serious career put in a LOL way!

Unravelling Anjali by Nim Gholkar: Book Review

 


Anjali is like any other middle-class Indian girl raised by the traditional values of India. When she was seventeen, she made a decision that she would only ever marry for true love. 

At last at the age of twenty six, marriage knocks her door and she is married. It was an arranged marriage, to Ravi, a Non Resident Indian, settled in Australia and a divorcee. Her family is happy about getting her married to a NRI and she as well is excited about the life abroad and looks forward to a romantic married life as she lands at the Sydney airport, a few months after their wedding. 

Least did she know then, the fate that awaited her in the new place and how the turn of events would change the traditionally rooted Anjali to an entirely new person. 

Finding Ecstasy by Rebecca Pillsbury: Book Review

Author Rebecca Pillsbury, Prize Winner of "The Christine Kloser's Transformational Author Writing Contest", pens down the most intimate moments of her life in her debut book and a transformational memoir, Finding Ecstasy.

A Candid Memoir!

Conditioned by her family upbringing, religious beliefs and childhood ideologies, Rebecca grows up to an introvert girl carrying unidentifiable shame, guilt and fear about her womanhood and sexuality. Consequently, she faces trouble being in relationship with a partner, both emotionally and physically. The repressed state of her emotions also shows up in her body as disturbed menstruation patterns and poly cystic ovaries. In Finding Ecstasy, author Rebecca discloses her inner-most secrets of how she felt confined within the spaces of her body and mind and how a visit to Buenos Aires and meeting a Brazilian, life-changing books, travels, retreats, opening up with a group of women, blues dancing, yoga and a five-year relationship with her boy friend bring about a transformation not just about her body and sexuality but rather a holistic upliftment, which is truly spiritual in nature.

What Finding Ecstasy is?

From a broader perspective, Finding Ecstasy is not a tale of just one woman. Perhaps, every woman, at some point in time goes through the emotional confinements that the author does in her memoir. By the example of her own life, author Rebecca helps women to identify their emotional and sexual needs and connect with their inner beings with greater depths. It also offers men, a walk through the conflicting inner world of a woman which otherwise remains ever-elusive to their eyes.

The Bluest Marble by Vipin Kumar: Book Review

Yet another energetic write-up of man’s search for meaning!

The Plot

Aditya Saxena lives a quite decent life as an investment banker with a loving girlfriend and nice friends in the most happening city of Mumbai until one day:

when he finds himself thrown out of the company because of his boss' clever politics

when he finds his girl friend's secret relationship with another man

when he realizes that friends are helpful but not to the extent he had expected them to

when Mumbai can no longer accommodate him jobless

when he realizes his parents don't trust him now after all of the above

If You Were Me and Lived in … Portugal by Carole P. Roman: Book Review

If You Were Me and Lived in … Portugal  is among the children's book series by author Carole.  This series intends to educate children about cultures of several countries. The collection is ideal for children from pre-K to age eight. 

The book takes children for a quick tour to Portugal. As you can see, the book cover shows where exactly Portugal is in the world map. Another map on the first page gives a geographic outline of the country with its capital city, just for kids to identify; not a detailed one. And then a little about the country’s history; a little about the origin – all just a little for little children!

The Seller of Beliefs by Trishala D Shah: Book Review

The Seller of Beliefs is a narration of a young, dynamic girl about her visit to an unusual fair. The story begins with her reluctance to attend a two-day course, though she finally succumbs to her parents’ persuasion. As a part of her course, her teacher instructs to find, what she calls as, ‘essential ingredients’ and a ‘secret element’ from the fair. A guide is assigned to her who would take her around at the fair.

Now what’s so unusual about the fair? One enters it with no pennies and returns with nothing either. Instead a jar of Punyas is allotted to each. And for every joy ride or a game, an amount of the Punyas gets depleted. In other words, the fair is metaphorically depicted as the life of an individual which one enters with the punyas he carries at birth. The fair events are set as life-learning lessons which the girl is supposed to grasp with the help of the guide, whose character is subtly woven as a spiritual being.

Order of the Dimensions by Irene Helenowski: Book Review

Order of the Dimensions is a Science fiction plot happening at several cities in the Unites States. The main character, Jane Kremowski, is a research student at the Physics laboratory of Madison State University in Wisconsin. One of their new inventions, the black box, has the ability to transport people to other parallel lives – what the author refers to as Dimensions. The villain character misuses the ability of the black box to attain the highest power in the world. And the plot continues with constant trap – escape struggles with the villian, leading to the expected end.

The concept of time travel was too impressive. Especially, it’s not a kind of travel to another one time. The characters travel to several dimensions every now and then. And in each dimension, their lives are almost similar with a few differences in the life events.

By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept by Paulo Coelho: Book Review

Actually I wasn’t planning to buy another book within a short span but the 15% New year offer in Odyssey was irresistable. Probably a part of destiny’s tricks and magics? You see my third book of Mr.Coelho’s I can’t help writing this way ;) Am already a die-hard fan of his by now.

When two young lovers are reunited, they discover anew the truth of what lies in their hearts.  

This was the description I had read about this book before I had bought it. Well if you are not married yet and in particular still single, no wonder this subject shall allure you. And trust me this is a beautiful love story I’ve ever read!