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Book Review: White Bird by R J Palacio
White BirdAuthor: R J PalacioPublisher: Penguin PublishersRating: 5/5 Graphic novels were once my favourite when they used to be sold for cheap and were called as comics. Now, these novels are sold under a fancy name. White Bird is a graphic novel that is set during the time of the second world war. Narrated by Sara Blum, Julian’s grandmother, this story takes you on a visual roller coaster ride of love, hope, loss and kindness. With beautiful illustrations, crisp story-telling and less number of characters, the author deftly portrays the sorrowful plight of the Jews who were discriminated and hunted to be shot during the time of the war. The…
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Book Review: Breathless by Jennifer Niven
BreathlessAuthor: Jennifer NivenPublisher: Penguin PublishersRating: 4.5/5 This is the first book by Niven that I got a chance to read. Honestly, she has a flair for words and when she weaves them together, the stardust of magic transports the readers to a world where love and freedom are imperative and everything else is secondary. Inclined more towards being chick lit, Breathless is just wow! The narrative, the illeism, the metaphorical references, the connection between the past and the present, the characters and the plot- all make it a complete potboiler. Claude Henry is a rebellious young girl who dreams of flying in the sky like a bird. Along with her…
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Book Review: The Goddess’s Homecoming by Nibedita Deb
The Goddess’s HomecomingAuthor: Nibedita DebPublisher: Self-publishedRating: 4/5 The Goddess’s Homecoming proves the adage- women are like teabags; you don’t know how strong it is unless it is in hot water- right. Women, god’s most wonderful creation, are super beings, for they know fairly well how to brace themselves for all adversities and eventually emerge victorious. Sometimes victory is not counted in terms of winning; sometimes victory is more about acceptance or silence that pervades through the most impermeable walls. ‘The Goddess’s Homecoming’ is metaphorically related to women’s homecoming. Five stories revolving around the biggest celebration that happens every year in Kolkata, Durga Puja, bring forth some of the most memorable…
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Book Review: Escape from America by Vinnie Apicella
Escape from AmericaAuthor: Vinnie ApicellaPublisher: PublishDriveRating: 3.5/5 To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself.– Søren Kierkegaard Often we take a leap of faith when it comes to carving out a niche for ourselves in this populated world. One of the disadvantages of not knowing what the unchartered territories hold for our future is that testing the waters becomes all the more difficult. But even then, the will power and the desire to reach the apex keep us going. Escape from America is based on a similar idea. It is a reflective account of the author’s journey to China. It comprises the lessons…
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Book Review: Eat to Prevent and Control Disease by La Fonceur
Eat to Prevent and Control DiseaseAuthor: La FonceurPublisher: Emerald BooksRating: 3/5 With the market now flooded with books that discuss the healthy eating habits and also provide tips that can help one achieve a balanced diet, it becomes very difficult to rate the books. The USP is the only factor based on which one can choose one out of the plenty! Eat to Prevent and Control Disease is yet another book that discusses the foods that lead to the onset of ailments like diabetes, hypertension, etc and also mentions the foods that can help combat these illnesses and keep the troubles at bay. Written deftly with well-researched data, this book…
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Book Review: Momsie Popsie Diary by Juju’s Pearls
Momsie Popsie DiaryAuthor: Juju’s PearlsPublisher: Notion PressRating: 3/5 In our fast and fleeting lives, we often lose out on the essential lessons that we learn on a daily basis. Hence, it has been rightly said that the blind can see more than the visually abled can see, for the latter are distracted by the abundance of choices they have! In ‘Momsie Popsie Diary’ we get the amalgamated flavours of nostalgia, longing, reminiscence of the good, old days and a feeling of hope and encouragement! This book is not a diary, for it comprises mostly of the anecdotes from the life of the author. She rightly calls herself as Juju’s Pearls…
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Book Review: The Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Deep End by Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Deep EndAuthor: Jeff KinneyPublisher: Puffin Books Jeff Kinney’s The Deep End is the 15th book in this series. Knowing that Greg never bores the readers with his jokes and hilarious comebacks, it would be right to say that when Heffleys go on this adventure, the unprecedented journey promises fun all along the way. I have not been a fan of Wimpy Kid series but I do like reading Greg’s narrative. Therefore, when this book was released, I had made up my mind to get this as I had to be with the Heffleys on their new adventure! ‘The Deep End’ begins when Greg’s family…
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Book Review: The Very, Extremely, Most Naughty Asura Tales for Kids by Anand Neelakantan
The Very, Extremely, Most Naughty Asura Tales for Kids Author: Anand Neelakantan Publisher: Penguin Publishers When we hear about Asuras, the stereotypical image of dark-skinned, horrendous-looking creatures appears before our eyes. That’s what the legends and folktales have taught us after all! Well, Anand Neelakantan definitely knows how to woo children with his comic narrative that lifts up the mood and also lightens the narrative. The Asura Tales is funny, quirky and has been beautifully illustrated. The chubby and happy Asuras win your heart. But that’s not all. While you feel that Asuras might not be so bad after all, you also realize that the people around them do suffer…
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Book Review: OGD by Anusha Ravishankar
OgdAuthor: Anusha RavishankarPublisher: Duckbill Publishers Anusha Ravishanker is back yet again with another nonsensical prose that is as clear as mud! OGD is a story about Messiah, who sets out on an unprecedented journey to uncover some truths and in the process discover so many other lies. Loaded with satire and antithesis, this book is one of its kind. You will need both patience and a free mind to understand what lies behind the facade of balderdash! Messiah is different; she is born with a foot in her mouth. When she grows up, her resilience and her curiosity to question everything that is not backed by logic irk the people…
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Meet the Author: Gopal Chowdhary
Hi folks!I am back with another interview. This time, I have Gopal Chowdhary with me. I had a chance to chit-chat with him about his journey as a writer, his ambition and his interests. Read along and enjoy! Tell me a little about yourself and your background?I am a social activist of the academic type. I belong to a middle-class family of Engineers and Doctors. My father is an Engineer and mother, a Doctor. My siblings are either doctor or engineers. While growing up in a backward and highly stratified society of Bihar, I became disgusted with social and political realities. I wanted to understand the social and political contradictions…
