WHAT'S INSIDE
by S.Hareesh and Jayasree Kalathil
STORMY DAYS: The Story of the First Amendment to the Constitution of India by Tripurdaman Singh
STORIZEN REVIEW
The Recycle Man by Nikhil
Chandwani
- Swapna Peri
STORIZEN REVIEW
Narasimha by Kevin Missal
- Swapna Peri
STORIZEN REVIEW
Poetic Letters to God by Shilpa Goel
- Swapna Peri
STORIZEN REVIEW
The Perfect Weapon by David E Sanger
- Swapna Peri
STORIZEN POETRY
Toast To The New Year
Vidya Shankar
STORIZEN POETRY The Bliss And Grace Of Heaven - Aparna Mukherjee
calling all writers!
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You can also be a contributor. Mail us your entries at talktous@storizen.com. Your smart ideas and inputs help us create our informative issues. from the editor
"In the period where the life is defined by the journey unknown, the New Year special issue of the Storizen Magazine is dedicated to the fearless, open expression which needs no hand holding.
This issue weaves a tapestry of a disparate threads as an ode to the seeker of the charming experiences
With a large number of books piling every day on the reading shelves, we bring out some of the best, new hot releases handpicked for you.
We have with us on the Cover, a producer, stand up comedian and an author - Anirban Bhattacharyya who has a fearsome story to tell to the readers. The producer of one of India's most popular crime shows on television called Savdhaan India on Life OK is all set to venture into the writing world with his latest book - The Deadly Dozen: India's Most Notorious Serial Killers. Unveiling the Notorious, How? Check out the special feature on Page 8.
Book Lovers, this month we bring you nine hot releases in association with HarperCollins Publishers, Hachette India, Penguin India and Fingerprint Publishing viz. SHE – Screw Silence! by Reecha Agarwal Goyal, The Making of Hero by Sunil Kant Munjal, Book 3 Mahayoddha Kalki: Sword of Shiva by Kevin Missal, Guru Nanak by Harish Dhillon, future tense by Nitasha Kaul, Moustache by S.Hareesh and Jayasree Kalathil, BEHOLD, I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW by Devdutt Pattanaik, SIXTEEN STORMY DAYS The Story of the First Amendment to the Constitution of India by Tripurdaman Singh, and Sridevi: The Eternal Screen Goddess by Satyarth Nayak. Grab your copies NOW!
Do check out our Editor's Choice Story of the month - "The Girl in a Champagne Yellow Dress by Sumana Bhattacharya.
Packed with poetry to touch your hearts and four book reviews you will surely enjoy the issue! We received a lot of love and support and would like to thank our readers and contributors.
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Happy Reading!
Chawla, Editor in Chief editor@storizen.com
UNVEILING THE NOTORIOUS ANIRBAN BHATTACHARYYA
AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Spanning a versatile career from Production to Standup Comedy, Anirban Bhattacharayya has another feather in his cap with his latest debut The Deadly Dozen - India's Most Notorious Serial Killers. What motivates one to be a serial killer? Anirban tells Pria.
by Pria
How and when did you decide that you wanted to venture into Media?
I loved the movies – and I guess I fell in love with movies even before I was born. My mother and her friends were ardent Amitabh Bachchan fans and would head out to Navina cinema hall in Tollygunge to catch the latest blockbuster. And for 8 months of 1973 I was in her stomach while she saw Namak Haram, Zanjeer, Saudagar and Abhimaan.SoImusthavebeen hearingthedialoguesfrominside
the womb!! And then at boarding school in Kalimpong – I fell in love with movie screenings every once a month on the big screen. And by class 7 I knew I wanted to write and direct stuff… movies or television shows, being glued to Bangladesh TV airing the best of American serials way back in 1986…The A-Team, McGyver, Fall Guy, Knight Rider. So as soon as I finished my B.A in English Lit from St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta – I headed off to do my M.A. in Mass Communication from MCRC,
A schoolteacher who killed multiple paramours with cyanide; a mother who trained her daughters to kill children; a thug from the 1800s who slaughtered more than 900 people, a manservant who killed girls and devoured their body parts. If you thought serial killers was a Western phenomenon, think again! These bone-chilling stories in The Deadly Dozen will take you into the hearts and heads of India's most devious murderers and schemers, exploring what made them kill and why?
Jamia. It was a natural progression from my childhood –step by step – finally reaching Mumbai.
You began your career in TV18 and as a Content Head of Channel [V]. What was your experience and how did you venture into Crime and thriller show like Savdhaan India?
TV18 in the 90’s was the Finishing School or the Ultimate College for learning everything about television production. It was incredible working across genresandformatsandlearning
TV18 in the 90’s was the Finishing School or the Ultimate College for learning everything about television production.
everyday. Suddenly I realized that Tarkovsky or Godard or Truffaut didn’t quite fill the commercial needs of Indian Television – it was all about Entertainment and Content is King – if only you managed to get the eyeballs! Channel [V] was like a dream come true… It was like being in Woodstock in the new millennium! We created our own content – directed and produced it – everything was hands-on. And we didn’t return home for 6 days at a stretch – it never felt like a job – it was a non-stopparty.OnceIleftChannel[v]–It
was time to create more mainstream general entertainment content. And so in 2012 I helped co-create SavdhaanIndiaforLifeOK.Crime is a fascinating genre – and we can’t get away from it. I love the genre. Especially going into the mind of the criminal and doing an autopsy and finding out the WHY and HOW. And now I am blessed that I am now producing the baap of Crime shows of India – Crime Patrol. So I have been breathing crime24/7/365since2012!
Your book talks about the most notorious serial killers in India. What kind of research, interviews you had to be involved in to write the book?
Studying and reading at least a thousand pages of legal documents, speaking with journalists and lawyers, digging up old newspaper articles, separatingthefakenewsfromthe real,goingthroughdustypagesof ancient books at libraries, And most importantly, taking a journey into the dark, macabre heads of thekillers.Ihavestudied
hundreds of legal documents and Supreme Court judgments! So much so I think I ought to be a lawyer now! But I enjoyed researching. For eg. Thug Behram lived in the 1800’s and I had to track down books that were about the thuggee movement and which were written in the 1800’s – and it was fascinating time-traveling back to that era. I have been blessed to have Penguin as a publisher. For a debuting author – it’s a dream come true!
Do you think that society/culture is somewhat/somewhere responsible for creating such killers?
Most serial killers are selfmotivated. But many of them have had a disturbing childhood, or something has happened to them when they were younger. That planted a seed in their heads that said ‘I will show you.’ And this manifested through their killings –which are signs to prove their power, dominance, fulfill aspirations. I don’t think we can make a blanket statement blaming the society.
(L-R) Anurag Kashyap, Anirban Bhattacharyya
You are also a dubbing artist and have dubbed Hindi version of Walt Disney movie Cars 2 (2011) and also The Wild (2006). When did you realize that you have this skill too?
My teachers at the boarding school, Dr. Graham’s Homes, Kalimpong always wrote in my report card: He has the gift of the gab; or can do better, but talks too much in class! And I loved acting. I used to a bit of voice-overs now and then. But Ellie who’s the voice-coordinator for Disney called me and asked me if I would like to do voices. For The Wild I think I ended up doing 7 different characters! Dubbing for Cars 2 was fabulous!! I dubbed in Hindi for the evil Professor Zündapp.
Tell us something about your career as a Standup Comedian.
I always loved being on stage. And I always was the so-called ‘funny guy’ in class. So in 2011 when The Comedy Store opened in Mumbai had its first ever open-mic night I applied and performed on a lark. And I won! That set into motion of my being a standup comedian. And I have now performed in Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Shillong with my solo show‘Don’tMessWithTheBong.’ Unfortunately, my day job doesn’t allow me too much time to perform and that has taken a back seat of sorts. I continue to do corporate showsandalsocombinemystandup
with my life-experience and give talks tostudents.Recently,Igaveatalkto 800 students at an engineering college and it is always so fabulous to getthereaction–it’sadrug!!
What inspires you to be a multifaceted artist? You like to try out new things on your own randomly or it comes as a revelation?
Ifiguredthathumancreationhasthe probability of 1 to 10 million. And so I want to live by experiencing everything that I love doing. It is one life – why reach the end and regret not having done so many things! I am a TV producer and director by profession… and the rest are what the corporatescallthesedaysas‘passion projects’. I love being on stage and so comedy and acting! And I love telling stories – and so I am an author :) Whoknows,what’snext?
The stories in the book about the serial killers is based completely on true incidents or some level of editing is done in them?
Ifiguredthathumancreationhasthe every story, every incident, every detail written in the book has a citation. Nothing is made-up. It is all true. The only story that has a conspiracy theory is that of the Nithari Killers. And this is because, when I was researching the story, I came upon the work of an investigative journalist called ArpitParashar (he died in an accident in 2017). He had unearthed some mind-blowing details of the case, which most of us are unaware of. And these were the conspiracy theories that still haunt the Nithari case… the D6 doctor and organ-trafficking, the missing torsos of theskeletons,Koli’ssupposed
I figured that human creation has the probability of 1 to 10 million. And so I want to live by experiencing everything that I love doing.
Rapid Fire With Anirban:
1. author/writer?
Your all-time favorite
Amitav Ghosh
2. Do you believe in writer’s block? Did you have it anytime or not?
Yes. But one has to keep attempting to go around it.
3. Your favorite place to write your book(s)
My son’s room.
4. What do you do in your free time?
Research first and then write. And then with new research one keeps editing the manuscriptandupdatingit.
5. Do you Google yourself?
Yup! I need to know what readersaresayingaboutmy book.
coerced video confession and more… And I had the choice to either tell the story via the official narrative that we all know; OR include the conspiracy theories to give the reader an insight into the murky nature of the case. And I felt that it would be unfair for the reader not to know the latter. And so Nithari is the only story that has conspiracy theories along with the official narrative. All I can say is that once you read Nithari – you will not look at the case with the same eyes again! It blew my mind when I unearthed the hidden treasures! Also I did not want acutanddrynarrative,whichjust
have read! The intention was to tell their story in a way that was interesting, that would suck the reader into this macabre world; and also be an interesting and entertaining read. I was blessed to have had my literary agent Suhail Mathur (The Book Bakers) and my super-generous editor at Penguin –Gurveen Chadha – both of them believed in the narrative. And Gurveen allowed me to tell the storiesinthewayIwantedto.
"All I can say is that once you read Nithari
– you will not look at the case with the same eyes again!"
sewed the facts – and so instead optedforafictionalnarrativestyle. If I didn’t – the book would have ended up as a dry, legal, psychological study of these criminals–whichnoonewould
The genre like Crime/Thriller have picked up pace in India compared to other genres. In your opinion, what has led to this increased interest?
We are all voyeurs. Deep down in our dark souls we love violence, reading about the worst happening to others (and feeling safe that it’s not happening to us). True stories of crime always fascinate us with their incredulous plots, heinous motives and modus-oprandi and psychotic killers. Everyday you open up the newspaper – at least 60% of the news is crime related.Through these books we manage to get our foot in the door into the dark, taboo world of blood, gore and crime. And because of the Internet, fast data speeds, and connectivity – true crime reportage has gone up – and therefore the
the way a killer kills! And I deliberately retained all the blood, gore and violence in the stories – I wanted to shock the readers into realizing how heinous these killers were. If I wrote, “Raman Raghav killed the man.” It would seem so ordinary, nothing shockingaboutit.ButwhenIwrite,“He raiseditabovehisheadandbrought it down on the husband’s head. A crunch was heard as the impact smashed the skull. The side of the man’s face had caved in. He convulsed and a stream of blood flowed from his mouth. Raghav brought down the rod again and again –tilltheman’sheadwasamessypulp
"True stories of crime always fascinate us with their incredulous plots, heinous motives and modus-oprandi and psychotic killers."
dissemination of the stories is wider and faster. We Indians love crime stories. At the end of the day, the human being is a voyeur. We love to see the gory details. Our basic core oftenrevelsinseeingtheviolence,or
of blood, skull and brain.” Now suddenly, I have you by the jugular! You are visualising the crime – you are shocked, revulsed, scared, vulnerable. And that is the emotion thatIwantedtobringoutinthe
reader. These killers were heinous –thereisnogoodinthem–and you as a reader need to see them in their true avatar and hate them! And my brilliant editor at Penguin, Gurveen Chadha allowed me to tell the stories the way I wanted to – in all its gory glory! She was a rockstar who held my hand through theentreprocess!!
What do you have to say about the dark side of TRP game? Is content important in that game?
It’s the only form of measurement that’s available in the market. And unfortunately or fortunately thousands of crores of business is dependent on the handful of boxes that are there. The boxesto-viewer ratio is really small. But withTataSky,Airtel,Jioandother providers it is easier now to measure and get data. Broadcasters and then content creators have to play by the existing rules. We can’t get on a cricket pitch and play football. Content will always remain King. Content is no longer solely defined by quality, but by engagement as well – if the viewersloveit–itisgreatcontent.
We are no longer a 2 channel universe.Wehavenearly2000 channels in India – and it is competitive. Remember it is known as the ‘entertainment business’ not just entertainment. Theyaretwosidesofthe weighingscale.
Which genres you enjoy reading the most? Which you don’t enjoy at all?
I never got around to enjoy Mythology and Westerns. I absolutely love reading travelogues. Bill Bryson and Pico Iyer are incredible. And I worship Amitav Ghosh. Also I love reading autobiographies and investigative journalism. Anuj Dhar’s ‘India’s BiggestCover-up’and‘Conundrum’ just blew apart the ‘Netaji died in a plane crash’ theory, which we have been taught since the 50’s to be completely fake and politically motivated.
What is the biggest surprise that you experienced after becoming a writer?
The biggest surprise was that I had the patience to write a book, in the first place. It took me a year to research and write the book. From 11 pmto4ameverynightIwouldsitand
write. I did not know that my laziness could be conquered. After the release, the surprise has been in experiencing the literary world through the festivals. It is a completely new world for me –having been a frog in the well –living inside a television bubble from 1998 – I am loving meeting new authors, people at these fests.
Anything you would like to say to your readers?
When reading my book… be scared… be very scared! And be prepared to dive into a murky world of deception, danger,murder,greed,lustandmeet
What are some ways in which you promote your work? Do you find that these add to or detract from your writing time?
The promotion of the book starts a month before the release. I produced a trailer for the book, which I shared on social media through paid spots and promotions. And this helped the book hit the No.1 spot on Amazon within 16 hours of the pre-order link going live! There is also a need to get recommendations/endorsements for thebook.AndIhavebeenblessed to have endorsements from John Abraham, Ayushmann Khurrana, Ronit Roy, Shashankha Ghosh,
"When reading my book… be scared… be very scared! And be prepared to dive into a murky world of deception, danger, murder, greed, lust and meet"
some of the most cold-blooded killers ofIndia.
Jayant Kripalani and Kiran Rao. The launch was the big one – where I managed to get the incredible Anurag Kashyap to launch the book and got 9 media houses to cover the launch. In thesedaysofsocialmediaexplosion–
I had to create a FB page for the book through which I regularly sharereaderreviews,updates. And am blessed to be invited to amazing Literary Festivals across the country – The Jammu Lit Fest, The Pune International Lit Fest, The Shimla Let Fest, The Gurgaon InternationalLitfest.
What projects are you working on at the present? When can we expect a new crime fiction from you?
My second book has been picked up by one of the biggest publishers of the country. And it is completely on the opposite side of the spectrum. It’s a children’s fiction book!!!Nomurders,noviolence,no gore!!It’sabeautifulYAbook–oldschool detectives, case-solving, friendship, and fun!! Set in 1985 when there was no internet or mobile phones. I want to take back the young readers of today to the time when I was growing up! Crime fiction is not as enjoyable as true crime. As Anurag said at the launch, “sometimes real life is stranger than fiction.” So I am researching for the sequel to this book to bring the stories of the next 12serialkillers.
What do your plans for future projects include? Any plans for a motion picture/web series based on your book(s)
In the pipeline is a book of shortstories and novellas about my growing up in Kalimpong and Calcutta – a slice of life, coming-of-age that celebrates friendship and love and all the tragedies that one faces as a teenager! It is incredibly funny and poignant and serious and sad – If I may say so myself. It has stories set against the Gorkhaland agitation of the late 80’s, love stories between adolescents, boarding school shenanigansandinsanefriends.I am in talks with an OTT platform for The Deadly Dozen – and that’s all I amallowedtosayatthispoint:)
How do you feel about eBooks vs. print books and alternative vs. conventional publishing?
Personally, I love picking up a book, smelling it. Or, even heading out to second-hand stores, and finding treasures. I have a huge collection of Indrajal comics. But times have changed,andweareonthemove.So e-books is fabulous – because it has broughbackreadingintothelivesof
(L-R) Vrushali Telang, Anirban
Bhattacharayya, Anurag Kashyap
(L-R) Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Anirban Bhattacharayya
(L-R) Anirban Bhattacharayya, Javed Akhtar
many people who had stopped reading altogether. The convenience of carrying a hundred books in a kindle is revolutionary. Having said that, my bookshelves are over-flowing as I haven’t gotten used to e-books, still preferring to buy physical books. A lot of authors opt for self-publishing. But that puts a lot of pressure on the author to ensuresalesandpushingthebook on platforms. With conventional publishers – there is the advantage of distribution and marketing. And with Penguin India – my debut was dreamcometrue!
Who are some of your favorite authors that you feel were influential in your work? What impact have they had on your writing?
Amitav Ghosh, Pico Iyer, Murakami, Bill Bryson, Enid Blyton, Charles Dickens, W. Somerset Maugham to name just a few. From AmitavGhosh, Murakami and Dickens – I learnt that one has to be completely visual in one’s writing – to help the reader project an image inside their heads. And so The Deadly Dozen is very visual.Someofthereadershavesaid thatitisasiftheyarewatchinga
movie,orreadingascreenplay.Iwill acceptthatasgoodpoint,humbly.
In your opinion, what is the most important thing that people DON'T know about your subject/genre, which they need to know?
The truth is never obvious. The murderer is not the one who you suspect. And that, real life isfar more gruesome, heinous, and gorier than reallife.
What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
The reasons for writing this book about serial killers of India were twofold. In India, we have a perception that serial killer is a western phenomenon. And secondly, we don’t have too many serial killers in India. Both of which, I feel I have managed to dispel and rectify. There is a basic difference between the serial killers of IndiaandtheWest.TheMotive.Inthe west one gets psychotic or mentally disturbed killers who kill girls or have ahungerformurder.HereinIndia,
the serial killers in most cases murder for money, wealth or greed. Inmybookthetwokillerswho probably are more closer to the ‘western’ type are Raman Raghav andAmardeepSada.
(As told to Pria)
(Visit www.storizen.com for the full coverage!)
About Pria - Young mesmerizing freelance blogger, social enthusiast, an economics graduate from Jharkhand University with Master in Child Psychology. She is hardworking yet crazy, a passionate reader, an ardent music fanatic, an avid caffeine lover, and a maniacal animal lover too.
She has been a part of numerous anthologies, articles, and write-ups for newspapers and magazines which are multi-linguistic. She has also written screenplays for YouTube series.
pria@storizen.com
HOT OFF THE PRESS
A collection of hard hitting snippets expressing her inner strength, courage, and will power
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Haveyouheardthewhispers?
Shewokeupdifferenttoday.
She smiles like she is hiding a secret.
She holds her head high, like she is wearinganinvisiblecrown.
Theairaroundherischargedwith confidence,strength,andcourage.
Haveyouheardthewhispers?
Shewokeupdifferenttoday.
Yet it feels she has been like this always. Maybe it’s the story that has changed.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
‘FragilebutUnbreakable’ishow Reechadescribesherself.Shebelieves inmiracles,takeslifeheadon,andis passionateaboutweavingmagicwith herwords.Andnowthatshehasfound hercalling,shedesirestospendher entirelifereading,travelling,and dwellinginherownlittlefictionaland poeticworlds.
AnMBAfromLoyolaInstituteof BusinessAdministration,sheisbased outofNewDelhiwheresheliveswith herhusbandandtwokids.SHE–ScrewSilence!isherthirdbook.
A collection of hard hitting snippets expressing her inner strength, courage, and will power
HOT OFF THE PRESS
FOUR BROTHERS, TWO WHEELS AND A REVOLUTION THAT SHAPED INDIA
ABOUT THE BOOK:
FROM THE BYLANES OF KAMALIA and the rugged landscapes of Quetta in India of the 1940s which later became Pakistan, they escaped to the Partition-ravaged cities of Amritsar, Agra, Delhi and finally settled in Ludhiana with little more than the shirts on their backs. From here, four of the six Munjal brothers built their business, part by part. There was no grand vision of building a world-scale enterprise; their aim was simply to survive and providefortheirfamilies.Herobegan with trading in and then manufacturing bicycle parts, evolved into bicycles, mopeds, automotive parts, motorcycles and scooters, and today therestructured group also encompasses service businesses and infrastructure. In 1986, thirty years after its inception, Hero Cycles became the largest bicycle maker in theworld.Inthenextfifteenyears,
the motorcycle venture Hero Honda also became the largest in the world, and both pole positions are held firmly even today. This is an authentic ‘Make in India’ story about overcoming many odds: labyrinthine red tape, tepid economic growth and later, global competition. It follows the lives and times of the four Munjal brothers who lived together and scripted a dramatic revolution on two wheels without any formal education or resources. In parallel, it’s also the story of how an agrarianeconomy like India, with limited means of transportation, took wing on the back of this two-wheel revolution. Driven by family values and Indian ethos, yet wholly contemporary and pioneering in their thinking and best practices, Hero firms today are renowned for putting mutually beneficial relationships at the very core of their business philosophy. The book goes deep inside the ‘family spirit’ that broughtemployees,customers,
FOUR BROTHERS, TWO WHEELS AND A REVOLUTION THAT SHAPED INDIA
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channel partners, suppliers and local communities together to create success, welfare and well-being for millions over the past seven decades. A rare story that proves how a principle-drivenorganization can create exceptional value for society.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Sunil Kant Munjal is an entrepreneur and investor with wide-ranging business, governance and policy advisory interests. He is the youngest son of Brijmohan Lall Munjal, the Founder of the Hero Group. Besides setting up many new enterprises and providing strategic inputs for the Hero Group as chairman of Hero Corporate Service, he was also one of the managing directors of Hero Cycles, and subsequently the joint managing directorofHeroMotoCorp(formerly
Hero Honda). As the Chairman of Hero Enterprise, he oversees diverse service and manufacturing businesses, and has made strategic investments in several areas ranging from ecommerce to hospitality both in India andoverseas.
HOT OFF THE PRESS
THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE END
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Kalki Hari arrives at Indragarh to find out that his brother has been taken prisoner, his beloved is about to be butchered, and the city is embroiled inaghastlywarwiththeNagaqueen andDakshiniking.
Armedwithamightyswordforgedby a god, he fights to take the city back fromhisnemesis,theevilKali. But the Avatar of Vishnu is at a crossroads. It is his destiny to fight the last battle with Adharm and obliterate evil from this world. However, he has stumbled upon a terrible truth over the course of his journey . . . A truth that may change everything.
Will Kalki be able to win against Adharm and fulfil his destiny? Or will the world lose its greatest hero and headtowardsdestruction?
Find out in the explosive last book of theKalkitrilogy.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kevin Missal wrote his first book at the age of 14, and at 22, the St. Stephens graduate is bestselling author and a full time writer, with the first two books in his Kalki trilogy being runaway successes. Dharmayoddha Kalki: Avatar of Vishnu and its sequel Satyayoddha Kalki: Eye of Brahma have sold one lakh copies in under a year.
Kevin loves reading fantasy fiction and has always been a fan of mythology. Hisbookshavefeaturedinnewspapers such as The Sunday Guardian, The New Indian Express, and Millennium Post.
He lives in Gurugram and can be contactedatkevin.s.missal@gmail.com
THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE END
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A part of the Spiritual Masters series, tells the fascinating story of a unique messiah who showed a gentle, peaceful, humanistic path to religion.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Guru Nanak was born 550 years ago, during a period of political and religious turmoil in India. Tension between Hindus and Muslims had escalated, leading to a greater polarization of the two religions. Guru Nanak created a synthesis of Hinduism and Islam with the belief that God is one. He advocated a casteless society based on truth, brotherhood and equality. He spent twenty-three years travelling not only in India but also in Tibet, Ceylon and the Central Asian countries of Arabia, Iraq and Iran, preaching the truth as he had perceived it and showing mankind the path to salvation. This book, part of the Spiritual Masters series, tells the fascinatingstoryofauniquemessiah who showed a gentle, peaceful, humanistic path to religion. The worldhasagreaterneedforNanak’s message and teachings now than everbefore.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Harish Dhillon completed his postgraduation and doctorate in English literature from Lucknow University, where he was a lecturer for seven years. In 1971 he went to Lawrence School, Sanawar, to teach English and went on to become the principal at Yadavindra Public School, Patiala, in 1987. He went back again to Sanawar as headmaster in 1995 and then moved to Yadavindra Public School, Mohali (Chandigarh) as principal in 1999. In the 1970s, he wrote and published two novels, The Wayside Tree and The Right to Die, and a book of critical essays on Indian writers in English, The Alien Voice. His other books include The Lives & Teachings of the Sikh Gurus, Love Stories from the Punjab, After the Storm (a collection of short stories), The Legend of Banda Bahadur, The Living Saint (a biography of Bhagat Puran Singh), and Kali Saver (short stories in Punjabi).
A part of the Spiritual Masters series, tells the fascinating story of a unique messiah who showed a gentle, peaceful, humanistic path to religion.
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A poignant meditation on young lives caught up in the sweep of history and politics.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Thesonofaformermilitant,Fayazis an aimless bureaucrat whose marriage to his wife Zeenat has broken down. His nephew Imran is a young student, a misfit in Srinagar, hoping to join a new kind of spectacular resistance. Shireen, the granddaughter of a spy, discovers how her painful and divisive family story is deeply intertwined with the history of Kashmir. The paths of these characters intersect and diverge in Nitasha Kaul’s tour de force novel Future Tense, which traces the competing trajectories of modernity and tradition, freedom and suffocation, and the possibility of bridging the stories of different kinds ofKashmiris.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Nitasha Kaul is a multidisciplinary academic and novelist. She has worked on themes relating to identity, democracy, political economy, feminist and postcolonial critiques, Kashmir, and Bhutan. Her first novel Residue was shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize. She lives in London.
A poignant meditation on young lives caught up in the sweep of history and politics.
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A contemporary classic mixing magic, myth and metaphor into a tale of far-reaching resonance.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Vavachan is a Pulayan who gets the opportunity to play a policeman with an immense moustache in a musical drama. The character appears in only two scenes and has no dialogue. However, Vavachan’s performance, and his moustache, terrify the mostly upper-caste audience, reviving in them memories of characters of Dalit power, such as Ravanan. Afterwards, Vavachan, whose people were traditionally banned from growing facial hair, refuses to shave off his moustache. Endless tales invent and reinvent the legend of his magic moustache in which birds roost, which allows its owner to appear simultaneously in different places and disappear in an instant, which grows as high as the sky and as thick as rainclouds – and turn Vavachan into Moustache, a figure of mythic proportions.Set in Kuttanad,abelow-sea-levelfarming
region on the south-west coast of Kerala, the novel is as much a story of this land as it is of Vavachan and its other inhabitants. As they navigate the intricate waterscape, stories unfold in which ecology, power dynamics and politicsbecomekeythemes.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
S. Hareesh is the author of three shortstory collections: Adam, which received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, Rasavidyayude Charithram, andAppan.
Jayasree Kalathil’s translations have been published in the Malayalam Literary Review; No Alphabet in Sight, an anthology of Dalit writing; and as partofDifferentTales,abookseriesfor children. Her translation of Kerala writer, N. Prabhakaran’s novellas, Diary of a Malayali Madman, was shortlisted for the 2019 Crossword Book Award for IndianLanguageTranslation.
A contemporary classic mixing magic, myth and metaphor into a tale of far-reaching resonance.
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How Judaism, Christianity and Islam affirm the dignity of queer identities and sexualities
ABOUT THE BOOK:
In 2015, a historic panel discussion took place at the global Festival of Theology held in Sweden. Its objective was to examine what the sacred texts of the Abrahamic faiths – Judaism, Christianity and Islam –had to say about human sexuality. Behold, I Make All Things New is its outcome.This is a landmark work that recasts religion –especially Abrahamic faiths – as an ally and not an adversary of queer emancipation, and thus significantly informs the secular and legal movements for LGBTQ rights around the world. It follows in the same vein as I Am Divine, So Are You, published in 2017, which put forth perspectives on sexuality from the Karmic faiths of Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and Hinduism, and played a significant role in the reading down of Section 377 of the Indian Penal CodebytheSupremeCourtin
2018.Taken together, the two groundbreaking books expand the conversation between world religions and human sexuality to a truly global level.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Devdutt Pattanaik writes, illustrates and lectures on the relevance of mythology in modern times. He has authored the introductory essay in this book, as he had for the previous book in the series, I Am Divine, So Are You.Rev'd J.P. Mokgethi-Heath is an Anglican priest and works with the Church of Sweden.Rev'd Loraine Tulleken is an international freelance journalist and editor based in South Africa.
How Judaism, Christianity and Islam affirm the dignity of queer identities and sexualities
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The Story of the First Amendment to the Constitution of India
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Sixteen Stormy Days narrates the rivetingstoryoftheFirstAmendment to the Constitution of India—one of the pivotal events in Indian political andconstitutionalhistory,anditsfirst great battle of ideas. Passed in June 1951 in the face of tremendous opposition within and outside Parliament, the subject of some of independent India’s fiercest parliamentary debates, the First Amendment drastically curbed freedom of speech; enabled castebasedreservationbyrestricting freedom against discrimination; circumscribedtherighttoproperty and validated abolition of the zamindarisystem;andfashioneda specialscheduleofunconstitutional lawsimmunetojudicialchallenge.
Enacted months before India’s inauguralelection,theamendment represents the most profound changesthattheConstitutionhas
ever seen. Faced with an expansively liberalConstitutionthatstoodinthe way of nearly every major socioeconomicplanintheCongressparty’s manifesto, a judiciary vigorously upholding civil liberties, and a press fiercelyresistinghisattemptto control public discourse, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru reasserted executive supremacy, creating the constitutional architecture for repression and coercion. What extraordinary set of eventsledtheprimeminister—whohad championed the Constitution when it was passed in 1950 after three years of deliberation—to radically amend it after ameresixteendaysofdebatein1951?
Drawing on parliamentary debates, press reports, judicial pronouncements, official correspondence and existing scholarship, Sixteen Stormy Days challenges conventional wisdom on iconic figures such as Jawaharlal Nehru, B.R. Ambedkar, Rajendra Prasad,SardarPatelandShyama
The
Story of the First Amendment to the Constitution
of India
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Prasad Mookerji, and lays bare the vast gulf between the liberal promise of India’s Constitution and the authoritarian impulses of her first government.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Tripurdaman Singh is a British Academy postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London. Born in 1988 in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, Tripurdaman read politics and international studies at the University of Warwick, and subsequently earned an MPhil in modern South Asian studies and a PhD in history from the University of Cambridge. Tripurdaman is a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society and has been the recipient of a fellowship award from the Indian Council of Historical Research. His previous book, Imperial Sovereignty and Local Politics, was published by Cambridge University Press.
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The Story of the Eternal Screen Goddess
'Sridevi - The Eternal Screen Goddess', a book published by Penguin, celebrating the screen legend's five-decade long iconic journey from child star to India's First Female Superstar, is all set for a grand launch in Mumbai this weekend. After Deepika Padukone, Boney Kapoor and Gauri Shinde unveiled the book written by Satyarth Nayak in a glittering ceremony at Delhi earlier this month, filmmaker Karan Johar will be launching it at a Penguin event in Mumbai on 22nd December. Charting fifty years of Sridevi's iconic career, the book for thefirsttimegivesadetailedaccount of her glorious innings down south in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada cinema besides her legendary sojourn in Hindi cinema. Exclusive interviews with many film personalities Sridevi worked with along with rare photographs make hebookacollector'sitemand
Satyarth Nayak holding the book
The
Story of the Eternal Screen Goddess
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definitive text on India's First Female Superstar. Says a source, “Karan has a special bond with the actress. He has been an ardent fan of Sridevi not only for the brilliance of her art but also for her mega-stardom. He was even hoping to direct her in a film.'Karan also recently tweeted about the book - https://twitter.com/karanjohar/status /1206101299516887040?s=19The author, Satyarth Nayak, expressed his gratitude towards Karan for this gesture. "I couldn't have asked for anyone better for the Mumbai launch. Karan has even shared several of his inputs and memories of Sridevi in the book and those have highly enriched my narrative. He has been a vital part of this journey and I am extremely thankful that he has so graciously agreed to launch the book in Mumbai.'The bookhasalreadymadeittothebestsellerchartsforPenguinandis
getting an ecstatic response from Sridevi admirers. More launches are beingplannedinothercitiesnow.
My all time favourite actor....her legacy is irreplaceable ....this book encapsulates he tremendous body of work and the professional and personal lives she gloriously impacted.
- KARAN JOHAR
(L-R) Karan Johar, Satyarth Nayak
(L-R) Gauri Shinde, Boney Kapoor, Deepika Padukone
JThe Girl in a Champagne Yellow Dress
by Sumana Bhattacharya
ishnu was sipping his drink slowly, trying to look attentive. He was in an important meeting with an international client of his advertising agency along with the entire senior team. It was a briefing session for the forthcoming launch of an AI enabled Bluetooth speaker that their client, a global audio company, was set to launch. As the national creative head of the agency, Jishnu had an important role to play in presenting the entire creative strategy but somehow, he just couldn’t focus on the discussions, even though he was the one who set up the dinner meeting with the global Marcomm head who was flying through Delhi. This campaign could give him the breakthrough he had been waiting for, take him to greater heights in the creative fraternity of the ad world.
But Jishnu was not himself that evening. Tara’s harsh words were reverberating in his ears, “I am sick of waiting Jishnu, I am leaving.” She stormed out of the apartment even before a stunned Jishnu could react.
Beautiful, whimsical Tara, who dumped him once, got back again, saying he was all she wanted. Though Jishnu was completely taken aback by her sudden change of heart, he chose to believe her, took her back no questions asked. Tara came into his life like a gush of warm breeze. It was not easy to deny Tara; she was stubborn and strong willed and got what she fancied. They were insanely happy for a while, till things started going downhill again.
Lost in thoughts of Tara, battling conflicting emotions of rage and a sense of loss, Jishnu’s eyes wandered to the table in the corner. Sitting on that candle-lit table all by herself was a girl in a champagne yellow dress, and something about her looked very familiar. She was sipping wine and taking small bites from a plate placed before her. Jishnu looked again and was transported back to a late spring evening when he and this girl were drinking beer, talking and laughing. She was wearing a yellow dress that evening as well, lemon yellow,
Jishnu recalled. He met her at a party at a colleague’s place. She had just moved to Gurgaon then and was still getting used to the ways of the city – a city that could at times be very cultured and at times rude and rough. “Chandrima has joined a PR agency in Gurgaon,” said his colleague introducing them. Like moonlight, Chandrima’s quiet beauty and natural grace lit up the room the moment she walked in. She was born on a full moon night;Chandrimalater told Jishnu.
Jishnu was immediately drawn to her. That was a few months after Tara had unceremoniously dumped him the first time after a brief tumultuous affair. He was still smarting from Tara’s rejection; he had agreed to come to the party to take his mind off that painful affair. The serene beauty of Chandrima was in stark contrast to the willfully attractive Tara. Her poise, warm smile, soft but assured voice drew him to her. Unlike Tara who was a spoil daughter of a rich father, Chandrima was an independent and a successful career woman. Since Chandrima didn’t know too many people at the party she was glad that Jishnu was keeping her company. As they started talking, they realized they had a lot in common.
Jishnu offered to show Chandrima around the city over the weekend, she agreed eagerly.
They met on Saturday, Jishnu drove her around for a while. As Gurgaon doesn’t have much to offer besides malls and pubs, they ended up in a popular pub in Cyber Hub. A few glasses of beer further added to the ease of the conversation. They were talking as if they had known each other for a while. Chandrima had lived in Mumbai all her life. She wanted to get away from the city, especially her family, try living on her own. Fortunately for her, a position opened at the Gurgaon branch of her agency. Jishnu, pretty much a Delhi boy, moved to Gurgaon to avoid the long drives to work every day and ofcourse for his own independence and space. Though he told Chandrima a lot about his family and work he somehow didn’t mention Tara.
That evening, after a long time, Jishnu was happy, as if the heady sweetness of Chandrima’s company had drowned the bitter after-taste of Tara. He couldn’t sleep that night, he kept thinking about Chandrima, her sharp sense of humor, soft laughter, most of all how beautiful she looked
in the semi darkness of the pub. Next morning, he wanted to call her, but held himself back. His experience with Tara made him wary and he didn’t want to rush things. He kept thinking about Chandrima through the week though he didn’t call her. Perhaps the strong attraction that he felt for her scared him.
On Saturday morning Chandrima’s call woke him up. She wanted to go around the city, ‘would Jishnu care to join?’ she asked. They enjoyed a beautiful afternoon together, met again on Sunday and kept meeting frequently. One night while dropping offChandrima, Jishnu kissed her gently. Shyly and happily Chandrima kissed him back. Soon they started spending time in each other’s apartment. Though they were very much like a couple in love, none of them ever uttered the L word. After a few months, an opportunity opened for Chandrima to work on a prestigious project in the US.Though Jishnu knew that he would miss her terribly he encouraged her to go. “But you must call me every day, no matter how late” he said. “I will,” promised Chandrima as she left for New York.
Beautiful, whimsical Tara, who dumped him once, got back again, saying he was all she wanted. Though Jishnu was completely taken aback by her sudden change of heart, he chose to believe her, took her back no questions asked. Tara came into his life like a gush of warm breeze. It was not easy to deny Tara; she was stubborn and strong willed and got what she fancied. They were insanely happy for a while, till things started going downhill again.
Lost in thoughts of Tara, battling conflicting emotions of rage and a sense of loss, Jishnu’s eyes wandered to the table in the corner. Sitting on that candle-lit table all by herself was a girl in a champagne yellow dress, and something about her looked very familiar. She was sipping wine and taking small bites from a plate placed before her. Jishnu looked again and was transported back to a late spring evening when he and this girl were drinking beer, talking and laughing. She was wearing a yellow dress that evening as well, lemon yellow,
Chandrima called every day, she shared pictures from different cities. “Once she’s back, I will tell her how much I love her,” Jishnu told himself. Then one day, a month or so after Chandrima left, he got a call from Tara. Though he didn’t respond initially Tara kept calling. “Typical Tara,” muttered Jishnu as he took the call to avoid curious glances of his colleagues. Tara was hysterical, “Jishnu please, please meet me this evening,” she kept pleading and sobbing.They agreed to meet in a coffee shop that evening. When Jishnu reached, Tara was already waiting for him. “I am really sorry; can we try one more time. I love you so much.” “No, it’s over Tara,” said Jishnu curtly. A hysterical Tara and held his hand, Jishnu took her home to avoid a scene in the coffee shop. As soon as he closed the door Tara threw herself on him with so much passion that he just couldn’t resist her.
When Chandrima’s call woke him in the morning, he found Tara sleeping next to him. The night of wild passion flashed before his eyes, he silenced the ringer and put the phone down. Tara moved in with him the next day. She was like a force that he could not deny. He didn’t take Chandrima’s call the next day as well. “Travelling,
crazy schedule, will call you back,” he messaged. Tara promised to make up for the last time and she was true to her promise. She was chirpy, vivacious, her laughter and pranks lit up Jishnu’s apartment. Jishnu realized he never really got over Tara. She had taken up a job in a design studio in Gurgaon. In the evenings she would cook for Jishnu. Cooking was Tara’s passion and she loved to experiment with different cuisines. To Jishnu it seemed like Tara had never really left.
Meanwhile, his phone calls to Chandrima became less and less frequent. He blamed it all on his hectic work schedule. Soon it was time for Chandrima to return. Jishnu was supposed to pick her up from the airport, he told her he was travelling for a shoot. He promised to get in touch the week after. Unsuspecting Chandrima did not ask any questions.
Jishnu felt terrible about lying to Chandrima. Guilt was eating him up. He knew he had to tell her the truth, he just didn’t know how and when. Finally, he mustered enough courage to call Chandrima on a Saturday morning. “Hey, can we meet me in the pub in the evening,” he
suggested. Only too glad to hear from him, Chandrima agreed. On reaching the pub he found Chandrima waiting, glowing in a lemon-yellow dress. She talked happily and excitedly about her time spent in the US. Seeing her after so long, Jishnu forgot the purpose of his visit. He got carried away by her soft laughter and happy conversation.
When he got home that night Tara was already asleep. Jishnu lay awake next to her, with a feeling of restlessness and guilt. On Monday, before entering office, he called Chandrima and told her about Tara. Chandrima was silent for a while.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”, she finally asked, holding back a sob. “I am sorry, I didn’t know what to say,” muttered Jishnu. Chandrima wished him well and hung up. The hollow silence hung over him for a while. Life with Tara was perfect.
They were so much in love,there was so much fun and laughter that he soon forgot Chandrima. A year flew by. They started talking about marriage. Tara decided to quit her job and take a break for a while.“Why do you want to quit? You’ll get bored,” Jishnu gently protested. “Oh,
I will have a lot to do,” laughed Tara. Soon enough Tara started getting bored, she had too much time in hand and she was not good at being alone. She kept calling Jishnu during the day, pestered him to come home early. It became difficult for Jishnu to give in to her demands, “There’s too much happening at work, there are launches lined up,” He tried reasoning with her. But Tara has never been reasonable. Every other day she would throw tantrums, pick up fights. Tara was very much in love with Jishnu, but she could only love by putting herself first. Their relationship started going downhill. Jishnu was too busy, too irritated to try and reason with her.
One day when he reached home, he found Tara in the middle of the living room with her suitcases packed. “What happened? Where are you going?” asked stunned Jishnu. “I have had enough. I am sick of waiting for you Jishnu, I am leaving,” yelled Tara as she started picking up her bags. “Tara wait, don’t do this please,” urged Jishnu. Before he could finish the sentence, Tara was out of the door.
The sonorous voice of his client talking about the speaker brought Jishnu back to the present. He looked at Chandrima and wondered how differently his life would have turned out if he hadn’t given in to Tara. He let out a soft sigh of regret. “But why is she alone? Is she waiting for someone?” Chandrima looked content, enjoying her food and wine. There was no sign of impatience or restlessness in her behavior. After a while, she got up and started walking towards the table where Jishnu was seated, or so he thought. Jishnu couldn’t take his eyes off Chandrima, their eyes met briefly. There was a flicker of recognition, anger, reproach in Chandrima’s eyes that made Jishnu shrivel. She looked away, crossed the table, walked towards the door and left.
Sumana Bhattacharya is a PR practitioner by profession and a writer by passion. Her style is simple, she likes to write about things she feels deeply about.In her writings she sometimes draws from her experiences of having grown up in a small town, Agartala. She has recently started a blog The Retro Feeling, that stems from nostalgialonging or twinge of guilt for days gone by or left behind. She is an ardent reader of poetry, fiction and mythology. Sumana is a post graduate in English from Hyderabad Central University. She works for a PR agency and lives in Gurgaon.
The Recycle Man
by Nikhil Chandwani
by Swapna Peri
The book is the story of a 10-yearold’s journey, his lessons of failure, his fights against the minds ofeveryonearoundhimandhis inventions that has revolutionized how we see waste. A book like no other, a tale like never, a man who invented USE out of the USELESS.
Based on the life and works of DR. BINISH DESAI; learn from the expert about how we need to take our waste seriously and how waste istoday’sgold.
My Review:
' The Recycle Man ' is just not a story but shall be termed as biography of Dr.Binish Desai whose vision towards a cleaner country since his early days. The fervor that ignitedinhismindwhenhewasvery young today has created a revolution in ' Waste Management ' inandoutsidethecountry.
THeauthorDr.Nikhilquotedthat he came to know about Dr. Binish through a Ted X talk and Binish's journey which is so inspirational made Nikhil to write a book on him. Nikhil says such personalities are must not be just confined to certain medium of communication but should be brought out and is to be imbibed in people's minds. Thus, he decided to author the book. In the book, Nikhil articulated Dr.Binish's story in an inspiring way that the first few chapters explainBinish'searlylife,
his upbringing in a conservative community, his ideas of recycling after watching lots of waste getting wasted and how his idea of recycling was never considered . Once the momentum changes in the book to Binish's interest in understanding the inventions around him and his ideas as a 12-year-old to pen a poem ' White Dove ' will definitely surprise the readers. The pictures of Binish's school notes books and his ideas that popped at those times surely will inspire young minds. The book has a language which is comfortable to the readers of every age and thus can be shelved as ' Inspirational Books'. It is not that people should get inspired and start recyclinghowDr.Binishdidbutitis to see how innovative and creative was his mind at a tender age and what made him now in the world is whatistobegrasped.
The cover image itself is interesting and the font is comfortabletoread. What I like:
1.
2.Thebookisuniversal.
3. The poems in the book that flash inthemidwayareimpressive.
4.Thenarrationisstriking.
5. Simple language pleases every reader.
What I didn't like: Thereisnothingtodislike.
Book Cover: The cover image of the book is a picture of making bricks fromtherecycledmaterials.
Book Title: The title of the book 'The Recycle Man' is innovative.
My Final Verdict: Undoubtedlyinspiringbook!
Rating
Book Title: 5/5
Book Cover: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Narration: 5/5
Language & Grammar: 5/5
Final Rating: 5/5
Swapna worked as SAP Consultant for 10 years in Major IT companies. Reading has always been her passion and occasional painting her hobby. She decided to quit her job, look after the family and pursue her hobby of reading and painting in a larger way. Thus, her big leap into book reviewing has paved a way and has been successful to date. Reading challenges interest her a lot and visiting book fairs is her favorite thing. She believes that there is no good back or bad book, but only books. Writing unbiased reviews is her strength and she is appreciated by fellow reviewers and readers for the same. An anthology of musings with her paintings is her pending dream!
@swapna.peri
@swapna508 @sappy_dreamz_unlimited
Narasimha: The Mahaavatar
by Kevin Missal
by Swapna Peri
arasimha, once a brave soldier, has leftthewarandlieslowasa physician in a village. But a familiar facefromhispastseekshishelpto stop the tyranny of the blind usurperAndhaka. If Narasimha refuses, the world mightjustend.Whatwillhedo?And why did he leave the war in the first place?Prahlad,theinterimking of Kashyapuri, is torn between the idealsofhisunrighteous father and his love for Lord Vishnu. Whom will he choose? Hiranyakashyap, the ruler of the Asura Empire, wants to avengethedeathofhiswife.Todo
that, he must go through the Trials andgetthegreatestweaponthe Brahmastra. But the Trials have sentsomanyotherstotheirdeath. CanHiranyakashyapsurvive?
My Review:
The book by Kevin Missal, ‘Narasimha: The Mahaavatar’ is a mythological fiction story which war, revenge, kings, powers, blood and other mystical powers. It is a known fact that is one of Lord Vishnu’s incarnation who is half human, half lion. Many years back Narasimha kills little Prahlad's mother Leelavati duri ng a war between Lord Indra and Asuras. After the war Narasimha still cringes with guilt of killing an innocent woman. One day he decides to leave the war land and goes away. He restarts his life in isolatedplaceasaphysician.Hestill has the guilt of killing an innocentladyandhisbrothertoo
and hence he decides to leave war and now lives his life in isolation as a physician. He takes an oath for himself that in any case he will save Prahlad from all the wicked plans that Asuras plan to kill him. One of the main characters in the story is Andhaka, who is a terrible person for many reasons. Who is Andhaka? How is he related to Prahlad? What is the catch-22 situation Prahlad faces? Read the bookandindulgeintoafantasy world.
There are so many other things which can be read and experience a thrilling feeling. It would inhuman on my part to show all such subplots. Hence, please read the book if you havenotyet!!!
What I like:
1. The intrinsic detailing of the charactersisimpressive.
2. The karma factor is well explained withthecharacter'sdeeds.
3. No one is perfect. Everyone has both negative and positive traits is what is beautifully explained in the story.
4. The narration and author's writing isabsolutelycommendable.
What I didn't like:
I have read all books from the author and I am a little partial towards his writing. Not a single time I could find any error or flaw or drawback. This sectionreallystandsobsolete!
Language & Grammar:
Easy and simple language brought morebeautytothebook.
Narration:
Thrilling and persuading narration is foundinthestory.
Book Cover: The cover image of the book is abstract watercolor art of a woman in distress with closed eyes and a male figure in the background. Itcouldbededucedthateitheroneof them is waiting for one's homecoming.
Characters:
Apart from the mythology story that everyonehasheardduringvarious times, Kevin's explanation of characters really stands out. With awesome detailing the known story withnewfactsisamazing.
Book Title: The title of the book 'Narasimha: The Mahaavatar' is mythologicalandferocious.
My Final Verdict:
Do not miss the terrific story! Muchrecommended.
Rating
Book Title: 4/5
Book Cover: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Narration: 4/5
Language & Grammar: 4/5
Final Rating: 4/5
Swapna worked as SAP Consultant for 10 years in Major IT companies. Reading has always been her passion and occasional painting her hobby. She decided to quit her job, look after the family and pursue her hobby of reading and painting in a larger way. Thus, her big leap into book reviewing has paved a way and has been successful to date. Reading challenges interest her a lot and visiting book fairs is her favorite thing. She believes that there is no good back or bad book, but only books. Writing unbiased reviews is her strength and she is appreciated by fellow reviewers and readers for the same. An anthology of musings with her paintings is her pending dream!
@swapna.peri
@swapna508 @sappy_dreamz_unlimited
Aby Swapna Peri
Poetic Letters to God
by Shilpa Goel
fter reading and reviewing some poetry books in the English Language recently by Indian authors I have realized that the words in a poemyieldmuchmorepowerthan words in a story, even if it's a very small feeling. The beauty of the poem is that with the usage of minimum words it conveys and expresses much more intensity than astory.
Shilpa Goel's ' Poetic letters to God' is one such poetry book which is very unique in the concept that I havereadinrecenttimeswitha collection of beautifully written poemsthatwillreallytouchthe
reader's soul. The most lovable and remarkable thing in the book is that God is her muse. I loved how the author used beautiful words while penning down her thoughts in the form of letters that she dedicated to God. Her language is quite refined, uncomplicated,eloquentandsoulful. The manner in which the themes of life, love, emotions, and relationships that she has taken into consideration is quite fascinating. The other novel point in the book is the word God doesn't point towards any faith or belief system but to that onesupremepower.
From all the 70 poems listed in the book,thepoems:
**IbelieveinYou
** Your goodness makes you strong andsufferingstronger
**Nicenessiswhatyourheartholds
** While cruelty is what your head beholds
**YouKnowI'mBroken,and **FallthatHelpedmeRise are the most favorite ones in my mind. These are not only written with simple feelings but effective usage of emotions.
Book Cover: Thecoverimageof the book is a rustic colored picture of acrumpledpaperwiththetitleonit and a rose flower. The image gives anauthenticandvintagefeeling.
Book Title: The title of the book 'Poetic Letters to God' is sensitive, hearteningandemotional.
My Final Rating: 4/5
Swapna worked as SAP Consultant for 10 years in Major IT companies. Reading has always been her passion and occasional painting her hobby. She decided to quit her job, look after the family and pursue her hobby of reading and painting in a larger way. Thus, her big leap into book reviewing has paved a way and has been successful to date. Reading challenges interest her a lot and visiting book fairs is her favorite thing. She believes that there is no good back or bad book, but only books. Writing unbiased reviews is her strength and she is appreciated by fellow reviewers and readers for the same. An anthology of musings with her paintings is her pending dream!
@swapna.peri
@sappy_dreamz_unlimited
@swapna508
The Perfect Weapon
by David E Sanger
by Swapna Peri
Author David E. Sanger, national securitycorrespondentfortheNew York Times and author of The Inheritance and Confront and Conceal, provides an insightful perspective chronicling the contemporary history of statesponsored cyberspace operations in The Perfect Weapon: War, Sabotage, and Fear in the Cyber Age. The book basically highlights the cyber world and the attached dangers,challenges,threatsand chances of misuse with a trace of political.Withagreatamountof information, the book is definitely a must-read.
Some incidents and events like how suspected Russian hackers broke into the Democratic National Committee, the White House, the DepartmentofState,etc, by installing certain cyber tools in some of the most secret and sensitive networks. The hackers found access to disturb the power and energy department across the USA.
Several incidents that the USA is involved in and also became prey to the cyber crimes are explained coherently in the book. One of the most interesting incidents that caught my attention is how earlier the United States used Operation Olympic Games to destroy centrifuges for nuclear reactors in Iran.
In some places, it was very hard to come to a conclusion if the taken stepisacceptableornot.
Author Sanger describes how the advent of cyber capabilities has caused a paradigmatic shift in the international security environment. He also stresses the cost that becausetheyarecheap,relatively easy to acquire, and extremely effective. The book may appeal to all those readers who are most interested in world cyber crimes, cyberweapons,andstrategicpolitical sequences.
Book Cover: Thecoverimageof the book is a snapshot of an encrypted computerized message depictingthecyberworld.
Book Title: The title of the book 'The Perfect Weapon' is dynamic and informative.Thesubtitlesaysitall.
My Final Rating: 3/5
Swapna worked as SAP Consultant for 10 years in Major IT companies. Reading has always been her passion and occasional painting her hobby. She decided to quit her job, look after the family and pursue her hobby of reading and painting in a larger way. Thus, her big leap into book reviewing has paved a way and has been successful to date. Reading challenges interest her a lot and visiting book fairs is her favorite thing. She believes that there is no good back or bad book, but only books. Writing unbiased reviews is her strength and she is appreciated by fellow reviewers and readers for the same. An anthology of musings with her paintings is her pending dream!
@swapna.peri
@sappy_dreamz_unlimited
@swapna508
A Toast to the New Year
by Vidya Shankar
Bling bashes, jamboree glows
Night-long indulgences, countdown craziness
The extravagant welcoming of a new year—
What are we celebrating? A sham!
One year—
The growth, the experience
The journey of a year lived...
Yay yay the celebration!
Twelve months—
Our blessed self of the twelfth
Not the same entity that entered the year in the first...
Oh! Doesn’t that call for merrymaking!
Weeks, all fifty two of them—
The hits and misses, highs and lows
Gains and losses, births and deaths
To all this… a toast!
Three hundreds, five and sixty days—
Each a unique one as each night fell
Survived the vibrant, the placid
The agonising, the bad-haired one
The ones we faced with strength
The ones that strengthen’d us
Rounds of celebratory cheers to all that!
But most importantly Is there brought to a closure
The pain, the grief, the dismal, the defeats
The partings, the bitings, the silences, the sharpness
The unforgivable stories?
If yes be the answer that the heart says, then Jive into a celebration like none other, for
The fairy dust of forgiveness will emit sparklers of joy
Peace will flow like abundant wine Love will satiate your hungry belly And heartfelt good tidings will light up cheery smiles.
This, my dear, is the party you should be in...
This, my dear, is how you must toast the new year in!
Vidya Shankar is a poet, writer, blogger, motivational speaker, English language teacher, instructional designer, content developer, and yoga enthusiast. An active member of poetry circles, her work has appeared in national and international literary magazines, literary platforms and anthologies. Her first book of poems 'The Flautist of Brindaranyam', a collaborative effort with her photographer husband, Shankar Ramakrishnan. Herself a ‘book’ at the Human Library, Vidya Shankar lives a life of purpose by using the power of words, both written and spoken, to create awareness about environmental issues, mental health and the need to break the shackles of an outdated society.
The Bliss And Grace Of Heaven
by Aparna Mukherjee
There you come In every form, Sometimes in rain Sometimes in storm.
There you bestow Your never-ending bliss, Through gleaming moon You send tranquil and peace.
Your ecstasy can be sensed Through blooming flowers, Everything appears to be powerless In front of your supreme power.
Where world is battling over Caste and creed
You come to my rescue Whenever I need.
You pick me up Whenever I fall, I get you near me Whenever I call.
I search for you in love I see you in my prayers I know you are beside me In my success, in my despair.
Worries, pain and tears Are no more in me, For I have come to know You were then, now and forever with me.
You be with one You be with all, Different names your children call Thee Some say Lord, some say Almighty.
In a few words, Aparna defines a woman who beholds high aspirations and firmly believes in expanding her horizon. She holds a Master degree in English from Mumbai University. By profession, she is an online content writer and blogger who writes informative articles for various UK and US blogs and websites.
Her poems got published in the digital Reflection Magazine and in the Indian literature website named Facestory's.com. She is a budding author too. Her first story on romantic theme got published in a book named "Memoirs Of Love".
As a person, she is open-minded, downto-earth and amiable in nature. Her world revolves around creativity. She wishes to make her mark in the literary world, hoping to leave an indelible imprint on her readers' minds.
Today
by Nikesh Jain
Today is a new day. Today create joy in your life.
Give no place to guilt. Give no place to worries. Choose what you want to allow in. Control what you are containing.
Release all you limitations. Learn the secrets of life. Today change your life for better, Because all you have is today.
Today you can be sad. Or you can just ignore that and be happy.
Today you can cry for your failure. Or you be happy that you tried.
Today you can get stuck in memories. Or you can forget and move on. Today you can do something for yourself.
Or you can do something for someone, Who can't do it for themselves?
Today you can make a new promise. Or you can go back, where, Few promises you made are incomplete. Today, do what makes you feel yourself. And today it's ok, If you can't explain how good you feel.
Nikesh Jain currently residing in Bangalore, is an International Business Management graduate from MIT-SOM College, Pune.
He says “If you don’t know where it ends, don’t run a race”. With young mind motivated and driven on business start-up “XROSS BUTTON™”, an apparel brand, he is passionate about his future.
He feels the power of a pen and a book together is greater than anything else.
He has an intense love for writing and reading, and put this out as a useful tool to inspire and motivate people around him.
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