The Story of A Suicide by Sriram Ayer: Book Review

"Adida avala, vetra avala...." (Translation: Beat her, kill her) is a popular Tamil movie number starring Dhanush. Recently, I heard a 5-year old boy singing this song to his play mates at our children's park against a little girl because she wouldn't give way for them to play in the sand.

Imagine these little children growing up imbibing such attitudes from films and observing other male relations in their families. 'When a woman doesn't comply to his wish, hurt her' is what is seeded in their minds which becomes the reason behind several acid attacks, rape, murder cases and stalking. 

And this is in fact happened in the Swathi murder case recently in Chennai!

The Tantric Curse by Anupama Garg: Book Review

This review is also published at my Personal Blog, Pages from Serendipity.

I could not have written this review on a better day for it's Gurupurnima tonight!

As the cover image and book title reveals, the tantric curse is about tantra, one of the spiritual  practices originating from India. The word 'Tantra' is most often associated with the fear of an unknown realm of mysticism. Another common mis-association with tantric rituals is sex. 

Author Anupama, a tantric herself, writes with deliberate sincerity the reality behind the concept, practices and rituals of tantra, in her debut fiction, the tantric curse. At the end of the book, one can certainly attain a clarity on the subject, not by enforcement or judgement but by acceptance of the truthfulness in the author's words.

Irrespective of whether a reader has an inclination towards tantra or not, this book can offer profound knowledge about the basics of spirituality. 

300 Days by Bragadeesh Prasanna

300 Days is a simple love story of Jai and Sravani. While Sravani is struggling within a confined relationship with Sai, Jai hopes to win Sravani's love. In contrary to the usual, complicated triangular love stories, 300 days sets off  with a smooth sail between the two main characters. Following cycles of love and separation, whether Jai finally wins her love is the rest of the story. 

The book stands out in realistically depicting the emotions beneath seven gradual stages of love as enumerated in Arabic literature, namely,

Hub - Attraction

Uns - Infatuation

Ishq - Love

Aqeedat - Reverence

Ibaadat - Worship

Junoon - Obsession

Maut - Death

(Though the course of the novel is subtitled according to the seven stages, one cannot find a brief explanation about the same in the book. However, the author, in his blog, shares his inspiration behind adapting the concept). 

300 Days is author Bragadeesh Prasanna's first book. As a debut author, he has proved his stand as a writer and as an earnest narrator. 

Songs of the Mist: Volume 1 (The Monk Key Series) by Shashi

How often do we hear people fret about stressful life situations! So were the characters of the Songs of the Mist, to begin with. However, how often do we hear such people making a journey towards the Himalayas, the abode of self-realization? That's where our characters make a difference.

If you are in the process of finding  a book written with practical wisdom to aid your spiritual quests, be sure you've already reached the first step in your quest. Songs of the mist shall clear the initial mental anxieties that a seeker faces, shall make one feel consoled that after all, there are several others who are struggling with similar uncertainties of life. 

Songs of the Mist: Volume I is the first of the three-part Monk Key series. 

Just You, Me and a Secret by Ganga Bharani Vasudevan: Book Review

Just You, Me and a Secret marks a history in my book reading experience for two reasons: This is the first complete book I've read in the digital format through Amazon Kindle Unlimited. And the first book I've read without taking a break because I just couldn't. 

Just You, Me and a Secret is a psychological romantic thriller in which the protagonist, after losing her memory in an accident, tries to regain her lost identity. Shuttling in between whether to trust or not the stories told by people around her, she finally arrives at a point where she understands what has been done to her while she remained unconscious. 

Author Ganga Bharani, as a debutante, has proved to the literary world, "Man, I have a great plot and I can write in flawless English. That was all it required to write a fantastic book."

Ramayana: The Game of Life - Book 3 - Stolen Hope by Shubha Vilas: Book Review

As the reading continues, the deer on the footnote on the page continues to move as well, walking, running, leaping and finally gets attacked by an arrow on the last page. Sometimes, I could relate the state of the deer to the intensity of my absorption into the book. And on the last page, I felt disappointed, like the wounded deer, that the book and mostly, my learning had to come to an end. 

Re-telling Ramayana was a part of the author's intention. Yes, only a part! And the rest was imparting wisdom to the readers about significant nuances of our everyday lives. As a spiritual seeker, it has come naturally to Author Shubha Vilas.

Ramayana: The Game of Life - Stolen Hope is the third of the six Ramayana series by the author. 

KLASS by Prita Yadav: Book Review

KLASS is a sports school in Pune where our protagonist, Jolene Jordan, is forced to join, by her father. Jo is determined to behave as bad as she could at her new school, hoping she will be soon expelled by the school authorities. However, the events that follow bring unexpected turns in her life and the book temporarily ends at the end of the first year of her schooling, making the readers curious for the next in the KLASS series. 

Halfway through the book, without the reader’s realization, she/he would be watching a vivid movie about KLASS. The narration is so full of life that the reading experience surpasses beyond words to render an in-depth visualization of the scenes. Friendship, rivalry, hatred, love, passion – human emotions have been well-placed throughout the plot. 

Most part of the book is in the form of conversation between the n number of characters of students and teachers at KLASS. Yet, each character is marked as a unique personality. And that’s where author Prita stands out as an extraordinary debut author. 

Autobiography of a Yogi by Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda: A Tribute

We keep hearing about spirituality, yoga, meditation, kundalini awakening and salvation. For those of you who are vaguely knowledged about such terms but seeking a reliable source of sensible and practical information, Autobiography of a Yogi is a great choice. If you expect a yogi's autobiography to be a boring account of how he found God, this shall be a different kind of an autobiography for you. 

To clear any prejudice you might be having towards picking up this book:

• You need not be a follower of Paramahansa Yogananda 
• You don't have to have an opinion about how good a spiritual master he is. 
• You really don't have to know a word on spirituality.
• The book is not about Hinduism. In fact, more Biblical references than Hindu scriptures can be found throughout the book.

The book doesn't teach you to become a yogi. Rather, Paramahansa Yogananda discusses his spiritual affiliation since childhood, scientific and logical explanations about meditation, breathing techniques, past lives, reincarnation, astrology and his experiences of meeting other revered masters of India and elsewhere.

I don't wear sunscreen by Kavipriya Moorthy: Book Review

Two girls being friends since childhood is a unique relationship. They would hold hands while walking on the road; they would feel jealous when the other gets closer to a new acquaintance and they can't blurt their hearts out better to anybody else.

There hasn't been a formal proposal yet between the boy and the girl. But their relationship is apparently heading a romantic way. They know that it's only a matter of time before the ice gets broken and they are relishing the best phase of their love story. 

All of a sudden, after a train journey, the would-be boyfriend becomes a question mark, the job that she's been dedicated to, slips away and eventually, the best friend walks away from her life. To add to her misery, she is confused without the missing links which she suspects to be connecting the circumstances. And she ends up in a neurotic state. 

I don't wear Sunscreen is a fast-paced tale of Lakshya which carries, till its last page, emotions and suspense of  a myriad of things that could happen to a young Indian girl.

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. 

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.

Second Heart by Dr. Sandeep Huilgol & Santosh Avvannavar: Book Review

There are several awareness campaigns towards heart-health often posted through social media. But how many times do we hear such health campaigns about kidneys? How many of us are aware of kidney related disorders? Will you believe that kidneys are considered to be second hearts? 

Author Santosh joins hands with Dr. Sandeep Huilgol in his book Second heart, to educate the readers about simple must-know information on kidneys through five short stories. Each of the stories talk of a unique tale where one of the characters suffers a kidney disorder. 

What stands out about the stories is the kidney related information are not forced on to the readers like how a book on medicine would do. Instead, they are subtly written, mostly falling behind the main scenes, though it forms the central theme of the book. 

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.

The Guardians of the Halahala by Shatrujeet Nath: Book Review

If there is a human brain that needs to be researched upon, next to Einstein's, it is author Shatrujeet Nath's. I am not trying to exaggerate, but you will understand the truth in my statement if you've read his second book, The Guardians of the Halahala. Certainly, such an intricately woven plot could not have come from an ordinary brain!

When I read The Immortals of Meluah by Amish Tripathi, I felt it was the best mythological fiction. It may not be right to compare the efforts, work and creativity of two artists, however, it feels compelling to reveal that The Guardians of the Halahala definitely has an edge over the former. Eagerly looking forward to the next in the trilogy series.

It's simply a must-read for all readers interested in Indian mythology.

(This review is also posted at my personal blog Pages from Serendipity)

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.