I love it when the books we need in our lives find the way to us at the right time. Ruskin Bond’s “While the birds still sing” is such a calming book that you need when things are not going as you want. While there’s no story to this book, I still decided to find one through the snippets shared here. The short paragraphs mention Mr. Bond's life in mountains, different phases, relationship with hills, trees, windows, flowers, birds etc. I have read many books by him but nowhere do I find the incidents, stories or thoughts to be repetitive. I want to specify that I just adored the portion where ..read more

Whenever I read Mr Bond’s work, I don’t know what I get envious of more: The adventures he writes about or the writing itself. Either of these has a thing in common, simplicity. Tales from my heart is a lovely collection of Mr Bond’s candid experiences from his walks, neighborhood, incidents from childhood, career and overall life. Almost all of these touch upon the intricacies of human nature. These are the tales that remind us how little things in our lives matter the most. Mr Bond talks about the most mundane anecdotes with such charm that you will not put this down without finishing it. A ..read more

What we know about her by Krupa Ge is a longlisted title for JCB Prize 2021. That is when I heard about it first. The cover, the blurb and reviews convinced me to pick it up first from the list. So, I read it. And oh boy, I am frustrated and disappointed. A long rant ahead, plus potential spoilers. If you are planning to skip this book, go ahead and read it. If you want to read the book, skip my rant. Before I begin my tirade, let me highlight a few good things about the book. Krupa Ge’s writing is ingenious. It is something that will leave mark on the reader. The themes this book covers in pa ..read more

,People are fickle that way. Something they once valued becomes meaningless to them almost overnight. Even the most treasured presents, letters, and beautiful memories are forgotten about, becoming useless odds and ends. This book's hero is a postman who does not have much time left on Earth. He is diagnosed with a tumour, and the news shakes him, of course. He lives in the city with his cat, Cabbage. Now that his days are numbered, he resolves to make a bucket list of stuff to do before he dies. But out of nowhere, the Devil appears in front of him with an offer - In exchange for making one ..read more

In his memoir " I came upon a lighthouse", Shantanu talks about his time with Mr. Tata as an employee, as a friend and as a colleague. But before we read about their time together, Shantanu speaks of his own life, about his family, his humble background and how he had a chance to meet Mr. Tata. Nowhere he tries to occupy this book with the privilege of being around one of the biggest business tycoons in the world. Rather, with his sincere narration, Shantanu gives a peek into Mr. Tata's personality, along with his own. He does not shy away from highlighting his accomplishments and also the low ..read more

4-YO Tara disappears from the house, leaving no clue to trace. She is the daughter of Drishti Sengupta, an unapologetic singer from Kolkata and a single mother. Nobody knows if this is an abduction or murder and how even a four-year kid disappeared from her own house? Drishti being a mystery herself, the case unfolds in many unexpected ways. A lifestyle journalist Ahana gets involved in the case and goes deep enough to find some hopeful clues. But most of the time, the clues lead to nothing significant. She is the narrator of this book. There are many people to suspect. Who did this and why ..read more

The choices we make shape our lives, in many ways. The things we wished for, give us hope and courage to achieve those. I think the risks that we take while making choices or the hopes that we keep while wishing for certain things work like affirmations. What do you think? "No matter what they wish for, no matter how far they go, people can never be anything but themselves. That's all." - Haruki Murakami, Birthday Girl A waitress in Tokyo celebrates her twentieth birthday working. ‘Celebrates’ is the wrong word here actually. Her twentieth birthday is very monotonous. Nothing special. While wo ..read more

"Are You Enjoying?" by Mira Sethi comprises seven stories set in Pakistan. In this book, Sethi bestowed the idea of contemporary Pakistan, which most of the world is unaware of because we know how the majority of the nations recognize South Asian countries. So, reading this book will give them quite a shock. I, too, never imagined the idea of urban Pakistan as presented in this book, and I highly blame the media and Bollywood for that. I had a different picture in my mind when I saw reviews of this book stating this as "Contemporary Pakistani literature". I am a little embarrassed for never tr ..read more

Carla Haslbauer’s hilarious debut picture book is about a mother who’s an opera singer. So here, her daughter sees her changing roles, quite literally, always curious what their mother will be today. Her mother impresses the audience with her aura and character, but her death scenes always leave a significant impression on the audience and daughter. Told from a child's perspective, the book has a unique story with a pinch of drama and quirky illustrations. It is equally hilarious and heartwarming. Lastly, a great reminder about how we slip into different roles every day, and there is always a ..read more

Cry, my dear. Never be ashamed of your tears. Cry, and everyone knows you’re alive. '10 minutes 38 seconds in this strange world' is an ode to all who fight against all the odds to live their life on their terms. Shafak’s prose is so delicate and captivating that I was absorbed in the book like someone was telling me a story - A story of Tequila Leila. She was a sex worker in Istanbul, whose body was found dumped in a bin. In the last 10 minutes 38 secs before she dies, her mind takes a trip back to the memories from her childhood, her family, teenage years and her life in Istanbul, her friend ..read more