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Book Review 123
Name Of The Book : Gently Falls The Bakula
Author : Sudha Murty
Publisher : Penguin India
Year : 2008
Category : Fiction

Blurb :

Gently Falls The Bakula is a realistic fictional read from Sudha Murthy, a profound writer and the Chairperson of Infosys Foundation. In this book, Sudha has boldly presented the agony of work ethics and modern lifestyle. The story is about a young couple Shrikant and Shrimati, and the changes they come across when Shrikant walks up the corporate ladder to the peak of success, while his married life slowly loses the charm and identity. With a magnificently straight way of writing, this book brings a simple but heart-touching story of a couple and the events that shake their life. Shrikant has always been attracted towards Shrimati, his school-companion, and after Shrimati also realises having fallen in love with Shrikant, both get married. After Shrikant joins an IT company, he dedicates his entire focus on being successful in career. Shrimati dilutes her own aspirations and stays back at home supporting Shrikant. Shrikant has turned into a successful corporate person while Shrimati has been with him in his journey. The life of both was fine until one day Shrimati realises while speaking to an old professor about what she had missed in her life. In the modern work-style, she had lost her own identity, while just remaining the wife of a successful man. This story of Shrimati’s confession to her inner emptiness and the extraordinary presentation of the dark side of corporate lifestyle is the main theme of the book. The readers would find the book to be a philosophical and beautiful depiction of a common topic, and would be able to relate to many lives around.

Review :

Like all of Sudha Murty’s books, this book is also written in a simple language and the plot is also not complicated. The story begins with Srikant’s and Shrimati’s school life. Initially, I thought that this would be the story of a high-school romance. But that is only a small part of the book. The story is not unique – it is the story of a lot of women in India. Even when they are better educated and intellectually more capable than their husbands, they sacrifice their career post marriage. In the initial years, it does not affect their marriage as they are still in their honeymoon period. However, once the excitement fades out, the wife feels trapped and frustrated in the marriage. She feels that she is being unappreciated for her sacrifice and her knowledge, skills and education were put to waste. This is a product of patriarchy. Thankfully, there has been a change in this trend but it will take a while before it is understood by all. Another aspect that is discussed in this book is work-life balance and money. A lot of us are so busy earning more and more that we forget to live. No amount of money can make you happy if you do not have time to spend with your family and friends. As much as it is important to progress in our careers, we should see that we do not become greedy for money and power and ignore our personal lives. The ending of the book was unexpected and it is what made me like the book the most. Sudha Murty has a clever way of weaving stories that have elements of nature and this book is no exception. Through this book, I discovered bakula flowers as I had not heard of it before. It is a great book that I think everybody needs to read.

Rating : 5/5

Amazon Link :

https://www.amazon.in/Gently-Falls-Bakula-Sudha-Murty/dp/0143103776

Book Review 122
Name Of The Book : The Flower Girls
Author : Alice Clark-Platts
Publisher : Raven Books
Year : 2019
Category : Fiction/Crime Thriller

Blurb :

THREE CHILDREN WENT OUT TO PLAY. ONLY TWO CAME BACK.

The Flower Girls. Laurel and Primrose.

One convicted of murder, the other given a new identity.

Now, nineteen years later, another child has gone missing.

And the Flower Girls are about to hit the headlines all over again…

Review :

Right from the first page, I was completely drawn to the book. The storyline is unique and the blurb is what piqued my interest. The story is mysterious till the end and the reader is always trying to work it out in their mind. The writing style is unique and I really loved it. The chapters are short so we will not be bored easily. The book has good plot twists which are quite unexpected. The story is spine chilling and there is a lot of graphic violence. I would have preferred that this book came with a trigger warning. The ending of the book is a little ambiguous and I had to discus it with others who have read the book. We were unable to come to a precise conclusion. Overall, it is a great crime thriller which has the potential to be made into a Hollywood movie.

Rating : 4.5/5

Amazon Link :

https://www.amazon.in/Flower-Girls-Alice-Clark-Platts/dp/1526602156

Book Review 121
Name Of The Book : How To Get Published In India
Author : Meghna Pant
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Year : 2019
Category : Non-Fiction

Blurb :

They say everybody has a book in them, so why should only a select few get to share theirs with the world? As a new writer, the process of making your dream into a reality feels incredibly daunting given the lack of information out there. This inspired award-winning, bestselling author Meghna Pant to write a book filled with the advice she wishes someone had given her when she was starting out. Including never-before collected essays from experts in their field including Jeffrey Archer, Shobhaa De, Ashwin Sanghi, Meena Kandasamy and many more, How To Get Published in India busts myths and answers questions as varied as which publisher would be best for your work, where to find inspiration for a short story, how to manage your finances if you plan to write fulltime, how to write a cover letter and how to successfully promote your book.

Review :

This book has a really unique theme. I have not come across any book which gives a comprehensive idea about the publishing industry in India to help upcoming writers. I did not know what to expect from this book; I wanted to get an overall idea about the publishing industry. The book starts with the writing process and goes on to explain even about the marketing of books. I liked how the book gives a practical step-by-step guide to the readers. It is quite detailed but never boring. The book is crafted beautifully and the information is concise. The author has taken the help of real-life examples to explain different concepts. She has added chapter summaries from her previous book without giving spoilers and now I am really curious and planning to pick up that book as well. This book contains lists of agents and other relevant information which can be really handy for aspiring writers and those who do not have much idea about the publishing industry. The second half of this book contains essays about writing, books and the publishing industry in India. I strongly urge you all to pick up this book. It is the go-to book for aspiring authors and needs to be treasured as it can come handy anytime.

Rating : 5/5

Amazon Link :

https://www.amazon.in/How-Get-Published-India-go/dp/9388271068

Alex woke up with his pyjamas drenched in sweat. He was once again woken up by a nightmare. He was still holding his breath in fear. He tried to relax and drift back to sleep, but he knew that it was arduous; it had always been. He would stay awake until the wee hours of the morning.

The recurring dreams had begun after the death of his elder brother Noel, a year ago. Alex was eight and his brother fourteen. On that fateful day, the whole family had been picnicking on the river bank. It was a beautiful sunny day and they were all boisterous when Noel had drowned. No one had been able to rescue him. Initially, Alex used to sob and wake his parents from their sleep; and they would with much trouble put him back to sleep. However, after a few months, he decided not to wake them up anymore.

The dreams were always the same; Noel drowning and he watching his brother helplessly. Alex had developed a kind of aversion to water. He feared that at any moment his brother would emerge from the water and reprimand him for not saving his brother’s life.

Today, no matter how much Alex tossed and turned, he could not go back to sleep. He glanced at the garden through the window beside his bed. Everything was placid outside. The trees and flowers were bathed in the veil of darkness. The silence was palpable.

That was when Alex noticed a slight glow at one end of the garden. He could not make out the source of the light. He was curious about the mystical lights. Hastily, he climbed out of the bed and stealthily walked out of the house making sure that he did not disturb his parent’s slumber.

He was in complete darkness, save for the earthshine and the glitter of the stars. He walked towards the side of the house from where he had seen the light. Sure enough, the light was still there but he was unable to find its origin. But rather than being appalled, this made him all the more inquisitive.

Alex walked towards the light. The more he walked, the farther the light disappeared. But he soon reached close enough to realize that it was, in fact, a secret passageway and that the light was at the other end of it.

He did not brood over it and briskly walked into the passageway still in his pyjamas. As he progressed, the light intensified until he finally reached the end. He looked around and realized that he was standing beside the brook. It was almost as if he was transported back to that catastrophic day when everything had changed. Sunlight fell on his face and he blinked a few times as his eyes got accustomed to the sudden effulgent light.

The river glistened and a delicate breeze touched his cheek. All at once something caught his attention. There was someone seated on the grass beside the bed of red lobelia. Alex took a few steps in that direction and was petrified to find that it was his brother.

Noel’s face had an ethereal glow but his charming smile was still the very same. It did not appear that he had seen Alex. He was intently gazing at the crimson efflorescence; smiling and talking in what seemed to be the language of flowers.

At that very instant, Noel looked up and their eyes met. Alex thought that there was a hint of recognition on his now serene face but in a second everything around him turned into a blur. He felt a pair of hands shake him by his shoulder.

“Wake up Alex”, that was his mother’s dainty figure. He opened his eyes and saw his mother’s comforting smile. What had happened the night before? Did he visit his brother or was it merely a product of his imagination, he would never know. But he knew that he would never again be tormented by nightmares. He now knew that his brother was happy wherever he was.

Book Review 120
Name Of The Book : The Gift
Author : Cecelia Ahern
Publisher : Harper Collins Publishers
Year : 2008
Category : Fiction/Young Adult

Blurb :

If you could wish for one gift this Christmas, what would it be? Everyday Lou Suffern battled with the clock. He always had two places to be at the same time. He always had two things to do at once. When asleep he dreamed. In between dreams, he ran through the events of the day while making plans for the next. When at home with his wife and family, his mind was always someplace else. On his way into work one early winter morning, Lou meets Gabe, a homeless man sitting outside the office building. Intrigued by him and on discovering that he could also be very useful to have around, Lou gets Gabe a job in the post room. But soon Lou begins to regret helping Gabe. His very presence unsettles Lou and how does Gabe appear to be in two places at the same time? As Christmas draws closer, Lou starts to understand the value of time. He sees what is truly important in life yet at the same time he learns the harshest lesson of all. This is a story about people who not unlike parcels hide secrets. They cover themselves in layers until the right person unwraps them and discovers what’s inside. Sometimes you have to be unraveled in order to find out who you really are. For Lou Suffern, that took time.

Review :

The last book I read by Cecelia Ahern was not that great so I had no expectations from this book. The cover and the name of this book itself will give you a Christmassy feel. This is a feel-good book in the YA genre. The story is being narrated by a policeman to a boy but I liked only the back story. The story is slightly clichéd except the ending; nevertheless. Cecelia’s magical storytelling will keep the reader mesmerized. I don’t enjoy magical realism usually but in this book, it is very toned down so I liked it. The book sends a beautiful message to its readers, about spending time with people we love and not running behind money and power. I read a few reviews where it was mentioned that the tone of the author is patronizing but I did not feel that. The book is emotional and touching. Right from the start, there is an element of suspense which makes the book unputdownable. The only problem I found was that the character of the wife was too forgiving, probably for the sake of their children. I recommend this warm YA novel which has a great takeaway.

Rating : 5/5

Amazon Link :

https://www.amazon.in/Gift-Cecelia-Ahern/dp/0007312571

Book Review 119
Name Of The Book : Festival Stories : Through The Year
Author : Rachna Chhabria
Publisher : HarperCollins Children’s Books
Year : 2018
Category : Fiction

Blurb :

India is a country of myriad festivals! Not a month goes by in which we don’t have something to celebrate. This book invites you to rejoice in India’s rich culture through the simple stories of two young twins, Natasha and Nikhil, as they experience an entire year of festivals and celebrations – starting with Lohri in January and ending with Christmas in December! The detailed descriptions and wealth of detail about each festival that Natasha and Nikhil record in their blog and journal will make this a book to treasure and return to every time a festival comes by. So come celebrate with us!

Review :

This children’s book has an extremely attractive cover page with colourful illustrations that will make you want to pick up with this book. I expected it to contain stories about each festival but this book contains one story with all the festivals. The storyline is unique and I really liked it. The book shows the bonding between grandparents and grandchildren, teachers and students, neighbours, etc. There are cute drawings that go with the stories. Kids will enjoy colouring the pictures as well. The characters are from diverse backgrounds and will teach the children the concept of inclusivity. It also shows by example the importance of sharing. The characters are all very likeable and I really enjoyed reading this book. It contains almost all the major festivals of India. I also learnt quite a bit about the various festivals.

Rating : 4.3/5

Amazon Link :

https://www.amazon.in/Festival-Stories-Through-Rachna-Chhabria/dp/9353023521

Book Review 118
Name Of The Book : The Mad, Mad World of Elections
Author : Sudhir Dar (Cartoons) & Debkumar Mitra (Facts and figures)
Publisher : Penguin Books India
Year : 2004
Category : Non-Fiction/Humour

Blurb :

Every five years or so (and sometimes at alarmingly higher frequencies) India, the world’s largest democracy, goes to the polls. For months on end, the normal routine of the nation comes to a grinding halt as an elaborate machinery is set up for citizens to exercise their franchise and elect the 545 representatives whom they see fit to govern a country of over one billion residents. The sheer size and scope of the electoral exercise is mind-boggling: in the 2004 general elections there were some 387 million votes polled for a total of 5398 candidates at 700,000 polling stations nationwide, using over 1 million electronic voting machines, at a cost of close to Rs 100 million. With a few perceptive brushstrokes, master cartoonist Sudhir Dar brings alive all the excitement and eccentricities of Indian elections. Nothing escapes his scrutiny: from bickering over party tickets to allotment of innovative election symbols, from high-octane campaigning to meaningless manifestos, from booth capturing to long electoral queues, from lost security deposits to victorious post-poll alliances between sworn enemies. For more than four decades, Sudhir Dar has regaled generations of readers with his inimitable creations. This volume contains some of his best work, including a host of new and topical cartoons. Accompanying the cartoons are facts and figures and little snippets about elections in India that are sure to intrigue and fascinate you. This is a memento of the chaotic and delightful world of elections that every reader will want to own.

Review :

I was expecting this book to be a political satire or contain essays about the Indian democracy but I was surprised that it contained some facts and figures about elections in India. Each page contains a fact and one cartoon. The cartoons are a sarcastic take on the political situations in India. I came across some interesting facts starting from the first election after Independence. The cartoons were excellent and the humour was on point. It is a short book that can be completed quickly. This is a book that can be read only once so I found the price of the book a little high when compared to the length of the book and its contents. This book was published during the 2004 Indian general elections and thus contains facts only up to 2004. The book is no longer available on Amazon.

Rating : 3.2/5

Amazon Link :

https://www.amazon.in/Mad-World-Election/dp/0143032038

Book Review 117
Name Of The Book : Myth = Mithya – Decoding Hindu Mythology
Author : Devdutt Pattanaik
Publisher : Penguin Books
Year : 2006
Category : Non-Fiction/Mythology

Blurb :

A brilliant pocket-sized handbook on Hindu mythology penned in English by an Indian author Devdutt Pattanaik. The book ‘Myth = Mithya: Decoding Hindu Mythology’ is fabulously conceptualized a story based on Shiva and Shankara. The book has also decoded the Phallic Symbol and also demonstrates the story about the man who was a woman and other queer story from Hindu lore. The story has a lucid and provocative introduction named Ancient Hindu seers knew myth as mithya. Pattanaik has explained that it would be arrogant to presume that the ancients actually assumed in “virgin births, flying horses, talking serpents, gods with six heads and demons with eight arms”. These are symbolic presentations of the thoughts of truths that need to be conveyed. The concepts in the book are inspired by the revolutionary art, establishment of empires etc. The book is segmented into three parts decanted into the Brahma-Saraswati, Vishnu-Lakshmi and Shiva-Shakti. It features these gods or goddesses in simple and attractive prose and the reference has been taken from the Vedas and Puranas. Indeed it’s an amazing collection for reader.

Review :

When I started with this book, I was sceptical because it started with philosophy but after the first chapter, the book gained momentum. Almost all the basic concepts of Hindu mythology are summarized well in the book. The language is simple and crisp and the accompanying diagrams make the concepts crystal clear. It covers a wide variety of topics. There are stories from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Upanishads, etc. among others and each story is narrated to explain certain concepts. This book contains only a few sketches by the author. I liked the tables which also presented the summary of many concepts. It is an interesting and informative book which will help you get a gist of the Hindu mythology and their inner significance. I learnt quite a lot from this book.

Rating : 4.3/5

Amazon Link :

https://www.amazon.in/Myth-Mithya-Decoding-Hindu-Mythology/dp/0143423320

Book Review 116
Name Of The Book : The Code
Author : Mukta Mahajani
Publisher : Jaico Books
Year : 2019
Category : Non-Fiction/Self-Help

Blurb :

Stories to guide you to success. Awaken the hidden wisdom of your heart. Live free of the seven deadly behavioural attributes that threaten to disrupt our lives.We can resolve most problems by applying the wisdom of our heart, all we have to do is listen carefully. However, in practice, a range of detrimental yet common attributes that we experience in large doses prevent us from listening to our inner voice. In The Code, author Mukta Mahajani identifies these negative attributes as the Ego, Over-Competitiveness, Jealousy, Over expectations, Over ambition, Anger and Procrastination. These attributes flare up when we face challenging situations. We explode when the world does not go our way and our relationships with others suffer as a result. Based on meaningful quotes from world leaders and revered religious texts, this book weaves short stories about the impact of these attributes. These narratives are designed to help us reset our mind-set and resolve the issues we face in our day-to-day life. They help us understand that we have the inherent power to make the right choice at all times.

Review :

Initially, it took some time for me to get adjusted to the format of this book. It is divided into seven sections that cover seven problems that we face in our daily lives. Each section is further divided into chapters. Each chapter starts with a quote, contains an anecdote of sorts, the lesson to be learnt from the incident and questions to contemplate on. Certain stories/anecdotes were great while certain others seemed pointless and incomplete to me and failed to make an impact. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter were excellent and well-picked, but I did not find the questions at the end relevant. One good thing about this book is the fact that it can be read in order or we can pick out random chapters. Each chapter is independent of the others. Something that really put me off was the fact that this book had far too many printing and grammatical errors. It needs a thorough proof-read. This book would have been better if it had a concluding chapter where important points are summarized. Within each chapter, some points are repeated. These could have been avoided and a shorter and concise version would have worked better.

Rating : 3.7/5

Amazon Link :

https://www.amazon.in/Code-Mukta-Mahajani/dp/9387944603

Book Review 115
Name Of The Book : Draupadi – The Tale of an Empress
Author : Saiswaroopa Iyer
Publisher : Rupa Publishers
Year : 2019
Category : Mythological Fiction

Blurb :

Being born a princess, and raised by a loving father and three doting brothers would make life seem like a bed of roses to any woman. Born out of the sacred fire, Draupadi is no ordinary woman, and her destiny cannot be to walk the beaten path. Witnessing estrangement and betrayal within her own family makes her perceptive and intuitive beyond her years. Complicated marital relationships, a meteoric rise and a fateful loss, humiliation unheard of and a pledge of revenge, all culminating in a bloody war—her ordeal seemed never-ending. Yet she stands up to it all—never succumbing, never breaking. One of the most unforgettable characters of the Mahabharata, Draupadi shows what a woman is capable of. Told with great sensitivity and passion, this book brings alive a character of epic proportions that resonates with every reader across space and time.

Review :

Though this is the story of Draupadi, it is narrated by Uttara. Uttara is not a character who is usually given much importance. So it was a refreshing change. Uttara is the daughter-in-law of Draupadi and they share a beautiful bond. It shatters the usual stereotype where mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are enemies. In the same way, the dynamics between Draupadi and her mother-in-law Kunti also deviates from the usual. In this book, Draupadi looks up to Kunti and respects her courage and determination. Kunti is not a shrewd, jealous woman as she is usually portrayed. Also, something else that I liked is the fact that Draupadi’s permission is sought before she marries the other four Pandavas. She is not afraid to speak what is on her mind and keeps certain conditions before them. Right from childhood Draupadi refuses to let somebody else take control of her life. She is wise beyond her years. Draupadi is unconventionally beautiful with a dusky complexion and curly hair. Both Draupadi and Arjuna share special bonds with Krishna but it is rare to see them conversing about Krishna in his absence. I like that particular scene. In ‘The Palace of Illusions’ by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, we will unknowingly sympathize with the character of Karna, but it does not happen in this book. Even when Draupadi is pawned by her husbands and is insulted in public by Duryodhana, Karna and the others, she fights for herself and refuses to be the victim. One of my favourite parts of the book is when Draupadi lives in incognito. She is insulted by Keechaka but she refuses to be a silent victim in spite of knowing the dangers that she and her husbands would face if they were exposed. This incident is relevant even today and the author has written it very well. The part where Draupadi loses her children is very emotional. I could feel the pain that she felt. Her confrontation with Aswattama is so heart-wrenching. By the end of the book, we are able to understand why Draupadi and Uttara share a special bond. The author uses autumn or spring to describe the age of the characters. I liked it but I did not understand why different seasons were used for different characters. Bhanumati is another character whom I did not know much about. She plays an important role in saving her husband from grave danger. Draupadi’s relationship with Yudhishtira, Bhima and Arjuna are different but very little is said about Nakula and Sahadeva. I would have loved to know more about both of them. This book is amazing and shows beautiful relationships between women in mythology. This book will make you fall in love with the character of Draupadi all over again.

Rating : 5/5

Amazon Link :

https://www.amazon.in/Draupadi-Saiswaroopa-Iyer/dp/9353333156