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A Trip to the 7 Lakes in/around Nainital
A lake carries you into recesses of feeling otherwise impenetrable. Stay close to the serenity of a lake to meet your own peace of mind. Even though the situation of Covid-19 has not eased out in India, people have learnt to step out to take a break by ensuring that they take all the precautionary measures. We are no different. Hence, when we got the opportunity to sneak to the nearest hill station, we grabbed the chance by the horns. Located just 143 km away from Bareilly, Nainital is one of the most happening hill stations that is close to our hometown. We jumped the bandwagon, booked a taxi and…
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Book Review: Myths and Legends by Sowmya Rajendran
Myths and LegendsAuthor: Sowmya RajendranPublisher: Rupa PublishersRating: 5/5 Myths and legends act as a foundation for learning and understanding modern Literature. While many don’t believe in knowing about the myths, I feel they are important as they narrate the ancient tales about the world and the experiences of mankind. This, in return, rekindles our curiosity to know more about the past that eventually acts as the compass for our future. Therefore, Myths and Legends is just the book that will re-tell every legend and help the readers take a plunge into folk Literature. A compilation of 22 stories from across the world, Myths and Legends comprises the stories on creation,…
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Book Review: The Curious Case of the Boarding School by Mahnaz Mir
The Curious Case of the Boarding SchoolAuthor: Mahanaz MirPublisher: Rupa PublicationsRating: 3/5 When children are sent to the boarding school, they become more independent and lead a life on their own terms. Even though the rules and regulations bind them a little, the choices experience freedom, for the parents are not there to keep an eye on them. That’s why they say that the best friends are found in the hostel. The Curious Case of the Boarding School is a story of a young boy, Sameer, who struggles to come to grips with the new reality- his life in Kingston High Boarding School. After an elaborate affair of trying to…
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Book Review: Love Alive by Rijuta Gupta
Love AliveAuthor: Rijuta GuptaPublisher: Redgrab Books Pvt. Ltd.Rating: 3/5 A woman’s silence shouldn’t be taken lightly. It is like a roar that echoes through the empty hearts of those who feel their words are enough to make their heart content. Love Alive is a story of Udita who makes her way through the shackles of life. As life throws a curveball in her path, she doesn’t give up that easily. Instead, she gives her life a second chance and starts afresh. But life is all about those roadblocks that reduce your speed and offers breaks. And that’s what happens in her life too. Love Alive is a decent story about…
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Book Review: Lucid Dreams by Mehul Krishna
Lucid DreamsAuthor: Mehul Krishna KumarPublisher: Rumour BooksRating: 3/5 Love, in all its forms, should be devoid of lust, greed and obligation. Love is pious and if it doesn’t happen naturally, nobody can force this feeling upon anyone. Lucid Dreams touches upon the complexities of love and relationships. The story pans around the two characters Aman and Reshmi and their quest to reach a safe haven, an abode when love and warmth would fill their hearts. But alas! Aman, a distinguished rockstar, gets hit by cupid and falls for Reshmi in the college. Sadly, Reshmi refuses to give his love a chance and moves on with her life. It wouldn’t take…
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Book Review: 26/11 Braveheart by Praveen Teotia
26/11 BraveheartAuthor: Praveen K. TeotiaPublisher: Rupa PublishersRating: 4/5 Brave men rejoice in adversity just like the brave soldiers triumph in war. One of the deadliest attacks on India is still the 26/11 attack in Mumbai. The eerie silence of the night was penetrated by some ear-piercing sounds that not only left the listeners aghast but also made them bleed. Who could be better at narrating the minute-by-minute experience of what went into getting the situation under control meanwhile putting so many lives at stake than the person who witnessed this massacre up close? 26/11 Braveheart is a heart-wrenching account by the ex-MARCOS Praveen K. Teotia. He shares how a soldier…
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Book Review: Batla House by Karnal Singh
Batla HouseAuthor: Karnal SinghPublisher: Rupa PublishersRating: 4.5/5 What happened in 2008 would have remained a mystery or a half-baked truth had this book not come out in the public domain. Just like how Praveen Teotia wrote a heart-wrenching account of his deadly encounter with the terrorists in the Taj, Karnal Singh, the officer-in-charge of the raid in Flat no. 18, Batla House, pens down a spine chilling thriller that narrates the actual events that led to this encounter. Several lives were risked and blood was shed too. This event is still remembered for the political bigotry and the influence of the top organizations. Yet, in spite of so much that…
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Book Review: Bhagwad Gita for Millennials
Bhagwad Gita for MillennialsAuthor: Bibek DebroyPublisher: Bibek DebroyRating: 4/5 Life is mostly busy for the millennials. The work pressure and the inability to find adequate time to brush up the roots often misleads the mind into believing that one can make do without certain important life lessons. I am not a preacher and thus, I shall not preach whether one should read Bhagwad Gita or not. I would just write about the plus points and the negative points of the book in question. Bhagwad Gita for Millennials is a handy self-help guide to understanding the scripture in an easy and fast way. The book offers translated versions of the life…
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Book Review: The Vision of Wisdom- Kabir by Chandan Sinha
The Vision of Wisdom: Kabir (Selected Sakhis)Translator: Chandan SinhaPublisher: Rupa PublicationRating: 4.5/5 I have always been fascinated by the idea of small verses that often project a stark reality that we fail to notice while living this chaotic life. Some time back, I had got a chance to read Looking Within: Life Lessons by Lal Ded. I was thrilled to read such a beautiful book and now I got a chance to read the selected (also translated) sakhis by Kabir. It was such a quaint experience reading these short musings that store so much wisdom and learning. The Vision of Wisdom neatly translates the emotion and the purpose of the…
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Book Review: Etchings of the First Quarter of 2020 by Sabarna Roy
Etchings of First Quarter of 2020Author: Sabarna RoyPublisher: Leadstart PublicationsRating: 4/5 I have mentioned this before and I would like to mention this again that my love for Literature only became more profound when I experimented with the content and tried to understand the various point of views. Poets like Percy Shelly, John Keats and William Wordsworth have already written quite a many poems describing man’s quest to find the ultimate happiness and it is those poems that often make me question the life that all of us are living. Touching upon a number of essential topics, Sabarna Roy’s Etchings of the First Quarter of 2020 is a marvellous example…