As the name suggests, Ballad of Kaziranga is a story of three people and their shared love for Kaziranga. Author has unfolded the majestic tale of this national park through the lives of these three men and their dreams, aspirations and sometimes even their frustration. Written originally in Assamese by Dileep Chandan, the book is translated into English by Parbina Rashid.
Ocean of Melancholy is a tragic historical fiction with mythical elements in it. The original book Bishad Sindhu written by Bangladeshi author Mir Mosharraf Hussain doesn’t need any introduction. It’s written in an effortlessly simple language so that readers can easily understand what actually happened in Karbala.
The Night Ferry by Lotte & Søren Hammer
Review:
The Night Ferry by Lotte & Søren Hammer is my first Nordic/Scandinavian mystery novel. It’s the fifth book in Konrad Simonsen police procedural tales. Sixteen children and four adults are killed in a devastating boat crash in Copenhagen. Detective Chief Superintendent Simonsen is called in, only to discover that this was no accident and one of the passengers has a very personal connection to the homicide team. But the more he digs, the further the truth slips from his grasp. Continue reading
Day And Dastan by Intizar Husain
Review:
Intizar Husain is one of the finest author of Urdu prose and the most brilliant story teller of the post partition generation. His most famous novel “Basti” which is set against the backdrop of partition of India was shortlisted for Man Booker prize in 2013. After that, many of his other works has been translated into English. Nearly six decades ago his book Day and Dastan (Din aur Dastan) was first published in Urdu. These two novellas show his flexibility and prowess as a fiction writer. Recently it has been translated into English by Nishat Zaidi and Alok Bhalla. Continue reading
Review:
The Trees Told Me So by Purva Grover is a collection of eleven short stories. Each story deals with different facets of human nature such as joy, anger, sorrow, compassion, regret, love, pain, suffering etc. To be honest, I was not expecting much when I picked up this book. But once I started reading the tales, I was completely hooked. So I finished the book in one sitting. Continue reading
The Aryabhata Clan
Review:
The Aryabhata Clan is a mystery-thriller novel written by Indian author Sudipto Das and published by Niyogi Books. It is author’s second novel after The Ekkos Clan. Islamic state is spreading its tentacles in India, penetrating stealthily into academia, media and politics. Three men have been brutally murdered. All these terrorist activities are headed by mastermind Shamsur Ali, ex-professor of physics at Dhaka University. He aims to create a sort of apocalypse to destabilize India. Crux of the story lies in a verse composed by Indian mathematician Aryabhata. The main protagonist of this thrilling tale is twenty years old Kubha who has to work together with Afsar, Parush and Kratu to decode this complicated riddle. She is the only one who can save India from this impending doom. Continue reading
This Is How It Ends
Review:
Ella is a community activist who squats in an almost abandoned building. All the tenants are slowly evicted by the owners because they want to convert the building into swanky condos. Ella is determined to stay and defend the few remaining tenants, despite the death threats. Molly is a seasoned activist, who devoted her whole life to political activism. Over the years she has sacrificed a lot to become a campaigner. As they both share a common interest, eventually their friendship turns into a sort of mother-daughter bond. Continue reading
That Thing We Call A Heart by Sheba Karim
Review:
You know it’s a good book when you click with the teenage characters right away, even though you are not a teenager yourself. Shabnam is a first generation Pakistani-American girl who is about to finish her senior year and start college. Over the summer she hooks up with a popular (and racist) guy then tells a huge lie about a tragedy that happened to her family during India-Pakistan partition and then falls in love with another guy. Things get more complicated, when her best friend Farah starts wearing hijab. Continue reading
Circe by Madeline Miller
Blurb:
When I was born, the name for what I was did not exist.
God, Mortal, Daughter, Monster, Savior, Outcast, Sister, Lover, Destroyer, Creator, Witch, Mother, CIRCE
Review
When I started reading this book, I didn’t know I’ll love it so much.
Magnificent, Unbelievable, Extraordinary, Incredible, Overwhelming, Remarkable, Glorious, Enthralling, Irresistible, Breathtaking, Soul-Stirring, CIRCE. Continue reading
Review
This is the first self help book I read in 2018. There are seven sections in this book which talk about discovering your true self, your relationship with yourself, relationship with your circumstances, relationship with your partner, relationship with family, friends and society, relationship with your work & career and the essence of a liberating journey. Each section begins with beautiful quotes pertaining to the subject matter. Continue reading
-Shikha Readster- 