BOOK REVIEW: MY DARK VANESSA by KATE ELIZABETH RUSSELL

                                                

Sexual assault, molestation, or any other form of sexual misconduct is a nightmare for any parent. The mere thought of such wrongdoing sends shivers and chills down the spine!!! We bend backward trying to protect our children from all possible threats of sexual predators but sadly there have been instances when we fail to protect them. 

One such place where we put our trust in and send our children is the educational institution, be it a day school or a boarding school. However, honestly speaking, no place is safe, not even our homes!

This story is set in a boarding school where a young adolescent aged around 15 years old is coerced into an illicit sexual relationship with her English teacher. The story is from the point of view of the young girl. The story is very real because it talks about the lifelong impact of this relationship on the young girl- the way it molds her thought process, her behavior,  her growth as an individual, her self worth, her confidence- her entire being!!!  

The story talks about the psychological dynamics of this affair and brings to light some important concerns such as consent, participation, acceptance, and willingness. It's a heartwrenching story that makes a vulnerable 15-year-old girl, who has shifted to a new school, a new environment, an easy target for an experienced sexual predator. Moreover, the worst part is the way he manipulates the whole seedy affair into something that she believes is her choice and has an equal voice in!

The part which hit me the most is when toward the end of the book, she finally finds the courage and strength to question the relationship. 

She says, " I just really need it to be a love story." 

" Because if it isn't a love story, then what is it?" 

"It's my life. This has been my whole life."

Another aspect of the story that was dehumanizing was the way the school authorities made the adolescent take the blame for the relationship and expelled her from the school. The naive trusting girl accepted the blame as she was made to assume that she was a contending partner in this sordid affair!

This attitude of the school authorities is a mirror to the ugliness of our world, which does not bat an eye in blaming the weak and washing our hands off a matter, just to keep our IMAGE clean!

The emotional turmoil that a young woman is made to carry for a relationship that was wrong and twisted and thrust upon her against her will is so dispiriting and hurtful. I say 'against her will' because she was just a 15-year-old teenager-a sensitive minor in a new school trying to find her space, make new friends, understand the physical changes in her body, and when the older mature and so-called responsible adult started showing undue attention to her, she was simply overwhelmed. Neither her actions nor her words anywhere make us feel that she was OK with it. She just got swept into it and was deluded into believing that it was her choice. The guilt, the feeling of helplessness, anger, hurt, and the effects of such a huge trauma- all kept buried deep within her with no outlet to express and vent out. 

To be honest, I had almost given up writing a post on this book. This is a topic where there are no grey shades. It is plain and simple EVIL. I knew that my words might sound judgmental and that some might even feel that I am missing certain elements of the story here. 

However, finally, I decided to write what I felt about reading this book as the whole reason for this blog is to pen down my experiences as a reader. 

This post seems a bit abrupt now but there is no right or correct way to end it.

I just want to add that we all pray and hope and wish that our children never have to go through such ugliness ever in life. And God forbid, if ever something happens, I wish that we all remain strong and focused on being there for our children with love, acceptance, courage, hope, and positivity!

Till the next time happy reading!!!

BOOK REVIEW: BECOMING by MICHELLE OBAMA

                                                                          

BECOMING is the first audiobook that I tried and I am actually quite lucky to have chosen this book as my initiation into the world of audiobooks. What made the experience all the more mesmerizing and enthralling was that the book was narrated by Mrs. Obama herself. She made the incidents come alive for me. I could visualize her childhood home, her attending school, her first piano recital, and many more. 

Honestly speaking, this memoir needs no write up and no reviews; and neither does Michelle Obama. 

Hence, I thought I would rather write here what I have carried forward from this book. 

The most important thing that I learned was to be resilient. A simple word but so powerful and so motivating. I keep repeating this word to make myself move ahead whenever I am low, which is quite often these days, owing to the pandemic and that feeling of being stuck in uncertain times. This book made me realize that instead of playing the victim card, which does not suit me at all, I need to pull up my socks and be flexible and adaptive. I may not have a perfect life but I can sure make some changes and try to live a little better for myself.

Becoming taught me to enjoy the small moments of happiness that life gives us. We all plan and work hard for a bright future and a better life, but we should not forget our present for the future. The small simple joys of life, like family dinners, family outings, spending time with our parents, laughing out loud with the children on silly things are what make the most cherished memories and moments of our life. Money and luxuries do not bring us happiness- one of the oft-heard motivation lines ever heard. At times it seems so cliched and exasperating BUT it's a true fact. 

A school friend of mine had once commented in the WhatsApp group, "It's ok to be average, to not be the topper. We should celebrate being normal, encourage the normal/common!" 

Another word that I relearned was acceptance. This word is applicable in all our relations and in all the myriad facets of our life. This ordinary word has an extraordinary influence on us. It makes relationships simple and easier, makes handling tough situations a tad bit easy, and in extreme situations makes it easy to breathe and simply move on!

I studied in a catholic school where one of the first lessons we learned was to help others. Over time, we twisted this simple learning to suit our needs and to justify our selfish actions. This autobiography also talks about this basic thumb rule of life: be there for others! One does not need to be rich or affluent or a philanthropist to be a good human being. We need to be emphatic and lend a helping hand to others in whatever means we can. It can be just being there for them to lend silent support or to do something to alleviate their problems.

Another very important topic raised in this book is education, especially educating the girls. Coming from a conservative society and a country like ours, this topic is very close to my heart. I completely believe in the power of education and its importance in the life of a female. I come from a family where we were seven girls (cousins including), and at this juncture of our lives when we are all in our 40s with children growing up fast, we have one and only one regret: lack of a higher education !!!

As the name of this memoir goes, Becoming is us, you, me, and so many like us..... we who are adapting, changing, adjusting, learning, and moving ahead in life with our head held high and a heart that beats for her near and dear ones, and who wants a better world for her children, prays for it and does her bit for it!!!!!

I could not stop myself from adding a few quotes from Mrs. Obama's memoir here.

“Women endure entire lifetimes of these indignities—in the form of catcalls, groping, assault, oppression. These things injure us. They sap our strength. Some of the cuts are so small they’re barely visible. Others are huge and gaping, leaving scars that never heal. Either way, they accumulate. We carry them everywhere, to and from school and work, at home while raising our children, at our places of worship, anytime we try to advance.”

“At fifty-four, I am still in progress, and I hope that I always will be.”

“Your story is what you have, what you will always have. It is something to own.”

“Now I think it’s one of the most useless questions an adult can ask a child—What do you want to be when you grow up? As if growing up is finite. As if at some point you become something and that’s the end.”

“For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end.”

Until the next time, happy reading!!

BOOK REVIEW: RAAVAN: ENEMY OF ARYAVARTA (Ram Chandra Series - Book 3) by AMISH

Raavan: The epitome of evil as per our Hindu mythology. We know him as a man who was egotistical, evil incarnated, kidnapped the wife of a pious and honorable king, and considered himself to be way above than the heavenly Gods above!

While growing up in a simple Indian Marwari household, granny would always warn us against growing up to be someone like Raavan as he was a "bad man". Moreover thanks to Ramanand Sagar's Ramayana, we took this to our heart and believed it with all our faith!

However, as with all childhood 'truths', this one too took a bad fall! We all realized that in reality, Raavan was a highly educated man, a Shiva worshipper, a great warrior, a loving brother, and above all a just king!

There have been many stories written, plays written, and even movies being made to showcase the story of Raavan from a different perspective, to highlight his positivities, and to bring to life his story

from his point of view!

Amish as an author needs no introduction. He is a master storyteller who seamlessly weaves mythology with fiction. The Shiva trilogy was an absolute delight to be read. Till date, no author had been able to write Lord Shiva's story with such a unique and out-of-the-box storyline!

The Ram Chandra Series is another brilliant gem by this genius man. To come up with a storyline that is completely tangent to what has been passed on since ages as our great Hindu truth is not a simple task!

This is the third book in the series after Ram: Scion of Ishkvaku and Sita: Warrior of Mithila. 

At the onset, I have to give in to my fangirl emotions and have an "OH! MY GOD!" moment.

A very well-crafted story that begins with the early childhood of Raavan in the ashram of his father, sage Vishrava. Raavan did not have a happy childhood and was never loved by his father. This had a deep-rooted effect on his mindset and decisions later in life. He is shown to be an exceptionally talented man who was not only a brave warrior but was also a highly accomplished musician and an artist. He was very loyal towards his family and in fact, took up the job of looking after his mother and younger brother, Kumbhakarna from a very young age.

Raavan had a lot of hatred and negativity inside him and the responsibility of earning for his family since a young age made him a bitter and hard man. He rarely gave in to his softer side and preferred to be feared by others. Regular people crave to portray themselves as good and pious for the world, but Raavan was just the opposite. He enjoyed the stories circulated about him being cruel and barbarian. He reveled in his negative image and took immense pride in being considered as the larger-than-life barbarian of all times!

However, there was another side of Raavan that was privy to Kumbhakarna alone. The two brothers had a very strong and close relationship. Kumbhakarna was the only one who knew about Raavan's inner turmoil and did his earnest best to be there for his brother, both physically and emotionally. When Kumbhakarna realizes that Raavan has lost his moral compass, he does his utmost, through cash and kind, to cut down on Raavan's adharma and make additions to his dharma quota!

The story comes to an end when Raavan kidnaps Sita and is en route to Lanka in his pushpak vimaan along with Kumbhakarna. 

The fourth story in the series will be the grand finale bringing the stories of all the three principal characters together!

I have purposely not written much about the story as I did not want to reveal the suspense here and spoil it for all you wonderful readers out there.

If you have enjoyed the Shiva series and have in fact read the previous two books of the Ram Chandra series, there is absolutely no way that you can stop yourself from reading this book. This is a fantastic story, although slightly boring in some parts, but one that you will want to finish in a single sitting!

Amish has written in the Introduction of the book that he had changed the title of the book from Raavan: Orphan of Aryavarta to Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta as he felt that Raavan alienated himself from his motherland through his own actions. I am not in full agreement here. Yes, Raavan did distance himself from his motherland owing to his wrongdoings, but one should also consider the reason behind his hatred and anger. I am not justifying Raavan or his behavior but I do feel that he does deserve a benefit of the doubt!

Till next time happy reading and please do leave your comments to connect with me on this book!

BOOK REVIEW : A GOD IN EVERY STONE by KAMILA SHAMSIE

City of Men
City of Flowers
Land Beyond the Mountains
Caspatyrus, Paruparaesanna, Paropamisadae, Gandhara, Parasapur, Purashapura, Poshapura, Po-lu-sha-pu-lo, Fo-lu-sha, Farshabur, Peshawar
" They all had a name for it, century after century- the Persians, the Greeks, the Mauryans, the Indo- Greeks, the Sassanids, the Kushans; kings and generals and Buddhist monks and travelers, everyone felt the tug of Peshawar."
Truly and aptly said by the famed author Kamila Shamsie in her latest book, A God In Every Stone.
History, archaeology, India's fight for Independence, World War 1, Ottoman regime, Indian sepoys fighting for the Queen in the World War 1, Peshawar in the early 20th century- such contrasting topics but under Shamsie's excellent writing, it turns into a beautiful story, set in the early 20th century. It starts somewhere in 1914 and ends in the middle of the 1930s. Vivian Rose Spencer, Nazeeb, and his elder brother Qayyum Gul are the three main protagonists here, sharing a unique connection amongst themselves, which though seems insignificant in the beginning reveals its true meaning and importance at the climax of the story on the Street of Storytellers, Peshawar.
The story begins in the ancient town of Labraunda, where Vivian is a part of an excavation dig led by her father's old friend, Tahsin Bey, a Turk. Shamsie's style of writing about the ruins of Labraunda, the broken columns, half-buried rocks and the wild foliage growing there is so vivid that I could picturise it all so well and almost feel myself being present there. Beautiful!!!
From Labraunda, the story jumps to France in the time of World War One, where the Indian sepoys are being deputed to fight for the Queen of England- the readers have to understand that the JUMP in the story is not haphazard rather a very smoothly done one!!!
After the excavation dig and the battle of Ypres, Shamsie takes the readers to the mesmerizing, alluring, addictive, mysterious city of Peshawar where the story reaches its climax and the destiny of our three main characters come together to create an ending that is brave, humane, sad, poignant, and at the same time is cruel and harsh. It makes you weep and smile and even get angry, simultaneously!!
I am very impulsive and mostly all the books which I end up buying/reading are a result of this impulsive streak. This book was another such buy. I was very cautious when I started this book, fearing the worst ( that I might get bored and lose interest), but to my pleasant surprise, I really enjoyed this story. I was never a history buff but I was hooked to this one from page 1. Moreover, the one aspect that thoroughly had me in its grip was the detailed archaeological parts. Shamsie has done a brilliant job here and the descriptions were so apt that I just had to close my eyes to visualize it all. Just one word... Wow!!

Peshawar - I have no words to do justice to the charm, the magic, the chaos, the culture, the people, the society of a city which is the heart of this story. The myriad lanes of Peshawar and their intriguing names - The Street of Partridge Lovers, The Street of Englishwomen, The Street of Felt Caps, The Street of Silver, The Street of Potters - made the story all the more interesting and enthralling for me.
I am right now in my happy place, feeling content and satisfied, having completed a good book and enjoying visualizing certain scenes and characters in my mind, again and again!!
This is one author whom I would love to read again to enjoy the beautiful synchronized blend of history, facts, and fiction with characters who stay with you long after the story is over!! 

Aaahhhh... A big sigh of bliss n contentment!!!

BOOK REVIEW: CRAZY RICH ASIANS by KEVIN KWAN

I grew up in Guwahati, a small city in the north-eastern part of India in the 1980s. During those days it was considered cheap and lacking in social manners if one was heard of flaunting his or her money. This attitude has stayed with me and hence, I purposely keep a low profile and generally stay away from people who love to show off their wealth. 

This book, therefore, has been quite an out-of-the-box experience for me.

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan talks about a society that is so far away from the realm of my modest reality that I would not mind it calling it mythical. A society that consists of a handful of the uber-rich pedigreed Chinese families who live in these monstrous houses designed by the who's who of the architecture world, traveling all over the world in private jets, shopping unpronounceable brands, holidaying in places that are as exotic as they come, buying jewellery as if it doesn't cost money, and investing in properties as if these are simply peanuts!!

WOW...talk about being so sinfully rich that you even put the Arabs and the Sheikhs to shame!

Remember the simple saying that we have grown up listening, "Money never buys you happiness." This is an absolute truth and it applies to this stinkingly-rich society too. Although these families believe that their money, bloodline, and lineage shields them from the troubles of the mere mortals such as jealousy, hatred, indifference, infidelity, insecurity, and many more; however these vices plague them too because it's a known fact that man is never satisfied. The more he has, the more he craves. This uncontrolled greed is the crux of all problems!

This story is about two individuals living in New York working as professors, Nicholas Young, and Rachel Chu. When Rachel agrees to spend the entire summer with Nicholas and his family in Singapore, she envisions meeting a simple family with modest roots, spending time exploring Singapore, and hoping to take their relationship to the next level. She is in for a rude awakening when she realizes that her boyfriend is the most eligible bachelor with a family that is as good as Chinese royalty and that snootiness and bitchiness runs in the veins of 95% of Nick's family who is hell-bent to break nick and her relationship. The entire story is how this young couple maneuvers the Young family full of landmines! 

There are some very interesting subplots in the story too that add to the zing!

This is a light breezy read that is all fluff. It is a total no-brainer, a pure chick-lit, with vivid, hilarious, and outrageously over the top characters who are so full of DRAMA and SECRETS. It's opulent, it's melodramatic, and it's completely nuts.

This is perfect for your light Sunday reading making you forget your measly real-life issues and plunges you straight into the superficial problems of the CRAZY RICH ASIANS! Enjoy!

BOOK REVIEW: THE FOREST OF ENCHANTMENTS by CHITRA BANERJEE DIVAKARUNI

Ramayana: A fantastic Hindu mythological tale about the journey of the righteous king Rama from being the crown prince of Ayodhya to being banished into the forest for 14years, and then waging a war against the demon king Ravan ensuring that justice prevails and spread the message of the victory of goodness over evil.

There have been innumerable stories written on the virtuous life of Shri Ram extolling his achievements and the pious way he lived his life setting an example for leaders and kings for centuries to follow.

The Forest of Enchantments by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is yet one more retelling of this great tale. However, this time the story is written from the perspective of none other than Lady Sita, daughter of King Janaka and wife of Ram.

Although Sita has always occupied the space of great importance in the Ramayana, this book is unique in the sense that here, Sita is the main protagonist and we get to understand the Ramayana from her outlook. The most distinctive feature of this book is the manner that Divakaruni uses Sita's story to explain the startling and diverse forms of LOVE and our actions-reactions to this most-desired yet the most-complicated emotion!

We all believe love to be an all-encompassing feeling that alone can make our lives picture-perfect. How wrong are we in this thought process and even Sita realized it through her trials. One gem on this emotion that caught my eye in the story is, "Love, no matter how deep wasn't enough to transform another person: how they thought, what they believed. at best, we could only change ourselves."

Divakaruni has a divine gift wherein she has the ability to beautifully portray the varied gamut of emotions faced by Sita in her tumultuous journey of life bringing alive her decisions, her judgments, her feeling of despair, her joys, her loneliness, her fear, and the deep and true love for her husband.
Being a woman, a wife, and a mother, I could relate to Sita's feeling of helplessness and her righteous anger or should I say hurt on some of her husband's decisions that may be correct from the point of view of an honest and fair leader but are biased and unfair for the wife.

Why is it that the family of a conscientious man should always be the one to pay the heaviest price? Why can a just ruler not be able to balance duty and love?
Why should be always the female who has to be the one standing beside her husband in all his decisions irrespective of whether she approves it or not?
Why is the woman who has to make sacrifices in the name of duty towards her husband?
Why is it always the woman who has to prove her innocence time and again, just for the satisfaction of the male ego?

As Sita rightly said before she leaves her life on Earth to join the otherworld that when life tests us, we women should be able to stand steadfast and think carefully with our hearts and head when to compromise and when to say NO MORE.

Through this hauntingly soulful story, Divakaruni has given a place of prominence and a voice to the otherwise silent female characters who have been unceremoniously pushed to the edges of the Ramayana: Queen Kaikeyi, Queen Kaushalya, Ahilya, Surpanakha, Queen Mandodari, and last but not the least Urmila.

This book is a true feast for all book lovers and a must-read. Pick your own copy by clicking on the link below:
https://amzn.to/2EotgMp

I want to end this post using another of Divakaruni's definition of Love that says that love is like an ocean: unfathomable, astonishing, measureless, and of course, forgiving!

BOOK REVIEW: HERAI by AARON D.KEY

The future holds a unique fascination in our minds. This is because it holds an unparalleled allure regarding the unseen yet highly awaited eventualities! Numerous books, movies, plays, and theories have been made about the imminent as well as unpredictable future. This is a very popular genre and although not a fan of such books, I wanted to try one. I picked up HERAI by author AARON D. KEY.

This story is based on a dystopian society living in an underground city, deep under the Earth. Their leader Glant believes that they need to be safe and away from the savages living high up the ground, and as such, the city has a very strict and tight patrolling 24*7. This story has a distinctive feature in that there is an all-powerful, all-knowing being who is watching the story develop in two diverse realities- in one reality a known associate of the supreme being is present who has the ability to mold situations and change the direction of the story with a clear conscience whereas in the alternate reality the absence of this enigmatic person takes the story in a totally different dimension. In both the scenarios the main protagonist is Herai, Glant's daughter who has just attained adulthood. In the first plot, Herai is brutally attacked by some unknown dissidents whose motive is not known. On the other hand, in the other plot, Herai is being given the responsibility to go Outside to seek the savages and convince them to reach a truce that will be beneficial to everyone. How the mastermind behind Herai's brutal attack is caught and to know whether she had been successful in meeting the savages is to be seen as the story progresses.

Hats off to Key for writing this story in such a different style with two simultaneous moving plots with the same characters. I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions penned by Key. One situation that stands out in my mind is where Herai has stepped out in the Outside for the first time in her life post the attack and she is simply mesmerized on seeing trees. Moreover, Key has done a brilliant job in bringing alive the underground city with its heavy stone walls, dark damp alleyways, and musty stale air! He has even splendid in keeping the suspense of Herai's attack till the end of the story, but has not been able to keep the reader glued to Herai's journey to meet the so-called savages!

To be honest, I was confused with these two side-by-side running plots. the first 100 pages were a real task. It was only after the 100th page that my interest peaked and I could enjoy the storyline. I, for one, found the story to be a tad slow at times and wished that it could have been made sleeker! I have another complaint about this book and that is the abrupt ending. It just happened suddenly leaving an incomplete feeling in my mind. I wish the author had probably given it a more thorough finale! Hence, I would recommend this book especially to those who are fans of the sci-fi genre.

If you liked the review and want to grab a copy, just click on the given link and voila! The book is yours to enjoy:
https://amzn.to/2DM88zg

That's all for today. Happy reading till next time!

BOOK REVIEW : THE ONE by JOHN MARRS

The idea behind this book is very interesting.  A DNA match to find your true life partner. 

Imagine, the horror of our average Indian parents - forget trying to match the astrological charts of the prospective brides and grooms to find a suitable match in one's own community... Your "apple of the eye" son, now has the ultimate freedom to marry whosoever the DNA chooses... female or male!!!!!

The irony is so amazing here.... previously parents would not let their children choose their life-partners and now here is a technology ( albeit fictitious) which surpasses all astrologers, numerologists, and even the parents when it comes to choosing a life-partner, who like the website claims is scientifically your ideal mate...the CHOSEN ONE!!!

However, as with all stories, this story too has a dark, murkier side, waiting for the reader to slowly pull away the carpet to rear it's ugly head out!!!!!

Can technology actually choose the right one for us??? 

Can we blindly follow science bypassing what our heart or instinct is screaming at us?

Or are we just getting carried away by our pheromones and a deep down desire of " being in love" under the guise of a DNA match???

This story is set in London, where there is a popular website running by the name of " MATCH YOUR DNA ". This site assures to find one's ideal mate in a span of 6 months by paying a nominal amount. So, we find a couple who in spite of being committed to each other, go for this test for a guarantee that they are "made for each other". On the other hand, there is someone who is desperate to have a baby and tries her luck on this site. Similarly, there is another character who in her search for the CHOSEN ONE goes all the way to another continent... we even have a female police officer looking for her ideal man on this site... and a highly successful businesswoman trying her luck too!!!!
What happens when the so-called DNA matches finally meet?????
Will it be all "roses and scented candles" moments or is it some horror waiting to uproot their lives completely......
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and tried analyzing myself whether I too would have gone for such a test, in spite of being happily married and two girls.
Probably yes, out of a morbid curiosity to always venture where I am asked not to go..:)
But that's me!!
I would recommend this book for a light read and you can buy one immediately by just clicking on this link: https://amzn.to/2DVxQC2  and let your imagination run thinking of "what if I too get a chance to find out my true CHOSEN DNA match!!!!!!"

BOOK REVIEW: EXIT WEST by Mohsin Hamid

Exit West is a novel written by the highly acclaimed author Mohsin Hamid. This is his latest novel. This book is one of the most memorable books of 2017 as per Amazon. Click on the given link to grab a copy https://amzn.to/2QQiHZD 

Migration /Migrators: In a nutshell, this story is about migration - be it the physical migration of an individual from one place to another in search of a better life or in order to escape the cruelties of war or in search of an illusion of happiness...It may even be a mental or an emotional migration, which we all go through either gradually with the passing of time or it may be a sudden and spontaneous one throwing us in unfamiliar, unknown and uncomfortable zones!!!

" For when we migrate, we murder from our lives those we leave behind."

" Everyone migrates, even if we stay in the same houses our whole lives because we can't help it."

These two lines from the story sum up the feelings stirred in me by this beautiful, poignant, sad yet at the same time a story which is full of hope, faith, and love!!

The book revolves around the lives of two young people, Saeed and Nadia, who meet and fall in love, in the background of a war-torn country. However, life is very insecure owing to the growing unrest in the country, where no place is safe nor is anyone reliable!!

BLACK  DOORS were mysterious exits in secret places across the town, which had the ability to take people away from the collapsing town to far away places like London or Greece or San Francisco. Saeed and Nadia too joined others fleeing from their hometown, hoping for their place in the world. 

How I wish I could say that the story ends on

a "happily ever after" note here with Saeed and Nadia building their new life in a new city full of positivity and love!!! Alas, life never turns out as we expect it to......

Saeed and Nadia had to face a whole new set of challenges in the form of adjusting to a new life as that of a war victim, an illegal immigrant trying to not lose their identity, their roots in a foreign land. 

Hamid has woven many short beautiful stories in this complex web - stories not directly related to the main plot but somehow deeply embedded in the storyline. I am not exaggerating when I say that these stories are the highlight of the book. I actually would go back to re-read these stories.

This story does have a happy ending where all the wrongs do not convert into rights BUT a time and place in this universe where Saeed and Nadia are at peace with each other and especially content with the way their lives have shaped up!!

BOOK REVIEW : GOOD ME BAD ME by ALI LAND

This is my first book review after almost one year - my first proper good book after almost a year. Now I am sure you must be wondering what the whole fuss about a "good book" is for!!!!!!!

In my simple terms, a good book is one which is not a mushy romance story and most importantly, one that is not free on Kindle..:)

What attracted me to this book was this intriguing title: GOOD ME BAD ME I feel that this phrase is a sum definition of all of us. We are a blend of good and bad. No one can claim to be perfect. It is not always about black or white.  It is the grey shade which holds the mystery and the answers too.

This book is a thriller written by first-time author Ali Land. She has spent a decade working as a Child and Adolescent Mental Nurse in the UK and Australia.

This story is about a mother-daughter duo. The daughter is the only witness to her mother's gruesome crimes and she takes a life-altering decision by going to the authorities against her mother.
Now the real story begins...Is it all as simple as it seems? Is the girl really a victim of her own mother's crimes or is she an accomplice who was an equal partner in all the wrongdoings or worse still, is she a gifted student who has learned it all from her teacher/ mother and is now ready to fly on her own leaving her roots behind!!!!

There is a line in the synopsis of the book which holds the key to the whole story
It goes like this :

                                "But her mother is a serial killer.
                                  And blood is thicker than water......."

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and finished it in flat 2 days...although this is nothing special as I do this with all my books....hahaha!

On an honest note, what hit me most was how the story ended. I literally had goosebumps !!!!
I would strongly recommend this book- not for its language or the depth of the story but for its pace and characterization and of course for its end!!  You can get hold of one right away by simply clicking on this link: https://amzn.to/2U7ZtgN

Happy reading till the next time!!

BOOK REVIEW : BURNT SHADOWS by KAMILA SHAMSIE

Books are my guilty pleasure. Rather they are my single, most cherished, and satisfying soul cleansing pleasure. I love escaping to the world created by the authors, be it some fairy tale or a mushy romance or an adventure or a thriller or a story which is a combination of all the love and more, full of hard-hitting events casting everlasting shadows!!! There are certain books which make you feel light and happy and full of positivity but then, there are those books which hit you hard, really hard and especially when it is least expected! It comes with a surprise, leaving you completely reeled up and experiencing sensations long after you have moved to another book!!!!
This book, THE BURNT SHADOWS is one such perfect example. It made me so emotional and sad and withdrawn in my shell, that it took days to get over that tragic melancholy!!! Nevertheless, I would rather read a book which garners such an impactful reaction from me, than a so-called light read where you can literally shut your brain off and just let it all flow!
It is very difficult to write the summary of a story of this magnitude with a scope so huge. It spans about 60 years, from the A-Bomb in Nagasaki to the partitioning of India and Pakistan, to war-torn Afghanistan and to post 9/11 America.
This is a profound and powerful novel of family, nations, and wars. If you ask me, I found two-three themes in this story to be very interesting and relatable. First of all is the power of language, not solely as the means of communication, but as a cultural and attitudinal divide.
Second of all was is how identity plays a very important role in our lives and how a sense of identity can be damaged by the horror of an atomic bomb, or by failing exams, by subterfuge, or by looking different to those around you.
Another intriguing theme which stood out was what happens when we try to be nice to others and "do good" to them without treating them as equals, resulting in far-reaching, inhumane and humiliating consequences.
 Besides all this, this book is special as it explores the wonderful ties that bind people together. The loves, the loyalties and the sense of belonging that makes up the beautiful and intricate web of our lives, the knots of which cannot be snapped by a sudden breeze or disturbance.
It is an intelligently written story wherein Shamsie has explained some of recent history’s more complex issues through a family saga.
The characters are well drawn and believable. They are shown with flaws, making mistakes that have serious consequences. Although it is these traits that make the characters more humane and relatable.
Its a good read albeit a very emotionally draining one (true for me, at least)!!

BOOK REVIEW : SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN by LISA SEE

CHINA: a country with the highest population( at one point of time), the country with the fastest moving economy( till recently), a country that cannot claim to be best friends with India, a country which is jinxed for Niraj( he fell sick both the times he went there...:)) ...So at least my family has no plans ever to visit China... Not that not being able to go to China ever bothered me... But now after reading The Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See, I want to go there once and visit the places See talks about in her story and meet the natives who would share with me their experiences and their long lost stories about those forgotten times....
See has written a beautifully poignant story of a young girl and how her life moves ahead with the changing times and situations....
Lily is a third child born into a family of farmers... She is an unwanted child as girls were considered worthless during that time by the Chinese...It was only boys who were desired and were supposed to seal a woman's fate in her husband's house and life. She craves for her mother's love and attention... This was the age of the acutely painful Foot Binding ( statistics claim that one out of every 10 girls died as a result of this inhuman practice) and Lily happily jumped into it, hoping to win her mother's love!! But it was not to be so as her mother was driven by her own demons and had her own motives and reasons for being the way she was!!!
She gets married and goes to live with her husband and his parents. Here, she learns how the other better half live and she quickly learns all the tricks and manners of the rich and soon becomes famous and admired and looked upon as Lady Lee...The mistress of the Lee household. But between her marriage and the fame and modesty and maturity she acquires is a journey full of doubts, jealousy, love, insecurity, ego, pain, suffering and regrets...
Lily and her laotong Snow flower...LAOTONG  meaning soul mates...Friends for life...One who is always there for the other...In deeds, in actions, in prayers, in laughter, in joy!!! And the secret women's language NU SHU... A language meant only for women.. an interesting method through which Chinese women shared their thoughts among themselves away from the prying eyes of men...
How interesting...I wish we had something like this too...We do have friends - some casual, some really close - our besties...Though we share everything with our besties it's nothing like the LAOTONG of that era. And imagine a secret language which only we women could understand and use...I am sure it would lead to a major revolution and an overhaul of power between men and women.. What say...Atta girls!!!!
Another thing which really attracted me and I found very different are the terms See uses to describe the various chapters in Lilly's life...like the Daughter Days which talks about Lily's childhood,Hair -Pinning Days which talk about her betrothal and her marriage, Rice and Salt Days to talk about Lily becoming a mother and her mommy days, and finally Sitting Quietly that talks about Lily in her last years when she has nothing but to look back into her life and remember all that took place in her life- shaping it the way it is now...
I loved the story and could relate to certain incidents so well that I literally got tears in my eyes.....
I would say yes to this book because it gave me a beautiful chance to have a rare glimpse into a life so far fetched from ours, yet so similar in many ways...
Awesome!!!

BOOK REVIEW : THE HUSBAND'S SECRET by LIANE MORIARTY

"What if" - Is this not one of our favorite expressions??? Don't we always wonder how our lives would have changed had a few "what if's" come true???
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty is loosely based on this commonly used phrase "WHAT IF"...My dear friend Sri recommended this book to me and I needed this one after the intense book, Bridges of Constantine...I have written about Sri in one of my earlier posts too.. She is my confidant and a true book lover ( which makes me incline toward her all the more)
This story is about three women and how their seemingly perfect ordinary lives change overnight, changing the very equation of relationships!!!
Cecilia Fitzpatrick - a superwoman( seriously!!) mother of three daughters, a Tupperware consultant and an excellent homemaker comes across a letter written by her husband addressed to her, with an instruction, "To be opened after my death"... Will she open it ( while her husband is away on a business trip) or will she be able to control her curiosity and leave it unopened...And what happens if and when she reads that letter???
Cecilia's situation is just like that of Pandora who opened the box of secrets, unknowingly opening up a can of problems for mankind...In her defense all Pandora could say was, "No one ever warned me not to open it".. Poor Pandora, how was she supposed to know???
Then we have Tess, short for Teresa,  who is happily married to a wonderful person Will and has a young son named Liam...Felicity (Tess's cousin), Will and Tess run an advertising firm together...Tess thinks she is in a very happy zone but reality knocks her badly when Will and Felicity break news about their affair to her. Now how Tess reacts and what happens to her happy family is to be read....
The third female protagonist is Rachel, a mom who lost her daughter when she was murdered at a young age of 20 and the worst part is that the murderer has still not been caught!! She was heartbroken and started looking forward to life only after the birth of her grandson who is now 2+. But her life is again set to crumble as her son and daughter-in-law plan to shift base to America taking her grandson along!!
Cecilia, Tess, and Rachel, three distinct individuals, who are mere acquaintances but destiny have their lives entwined in such a manner that one person' s action has a manifold ripple-like effect in the others' lives...
Its a light read, not something that will make you think deep or make you uncomfortable about certain long-held beliefs...But it is definitely a page-turner and keeps you hooked till the very last page. This very feature says a lot about the capability and sheer brilliance of a good storyteller, which Moriarty undoubtedly is!!!
As a woman, mother and wife I could really relate to the story especially Cecilia's as I too started imagining what would I do IF I  ever find a similar letter written by Niraj!!
Interesting thought right...
The part which I thoroughly enjoyed in the book was the Epilogue... Here Moriarty writes about many What If incidents that would have changed the lives of the three central characters a full 360 degree, giving the readers a delightful visual imagining the variety of ways in which the story could have shaped and this interesting book would have ended!!!
Another reason for enjoying this book is that I am a true follower of this expression, WHAT IF... I can spend hours imagining and visualizing different scenarios of my life by permutation and combination of various WHAT IF's...My favorite one is " what if I had not taken up commerce in class 11 and had taken up English literature and then would have pursued writing as my career...Ahhhhh!! Just talking about this makes me smile... Am truly senile!!
But life is not made up of what if's nor does it wait for us to leisurely think of such inane scenarios... So here I am in my mid 30's trying my best to carve a niche with my writing!!!
Enough about me...
You all carry on with your lives and enjoy reading this book and imagining your "what if" situations.....
An excellent way to spend an idle Sunday...Bliss

BOOK REVIEW : BRIDGES OF CONSTANTINE by AHLEM MOSTEGHANEMI

"There are countries we live in and there are countries that live in us"
         This is the basis of the novel "The Bridges of Constantine" by author Ahlem Mosteghanemi. She is an author, who I can rightly say, is fairly new to the western world of book lovers as her first book, "The Bridges of Constantine" got published only in the year 2013....but the fact is, she is the most popular and successful and loved and followed female author  in the Arab literary world. She is, in fact, the first female Algerian author who writes in the Arabic language. She is a poet first and then an author. In her own words, " When we lose a love, one writes a poem, when we lose our homeland, one writes a novel." Algeria is never far from her mind. Her father was a militant political activist who was forced to go into exile during the Algerian Revolution.
I was so impressed by Mosteghanemi that after finishing this book I read almost all the articles on the internet on her.
The story is about an Algerian revolutionary who fought during Algeria's war of liberation and is currently in a self-imposed exile since the past two decades in Paris. Khaled, a man of strong principles, is a victim of post-war disillusionment, wherein the ideals held dear during the struggle are now replaced by greed and money and worst of all, an all-pervading feeling of "self before nation"! He finds this attitude unpalatable and hence refuses to go back to Algeria, his motherland that once filled the vacuum in his life at the sudden death of his mother.
A famous painter now, he shuns fame and recognition. The irony of life is such that it was freedom of his country from the French government that made him lose his one arm in the revolution and now he is taking shelter in that same France to get away from corrupt Algeria!!
Khaled's life turns 360 degrees when Hayat, daughter of his long-dead commander Si Taher comes into his life in Paris. Hayat makes Khaled remember all his long forgotten/buried memories of Constantine and once again makes his wounds raw!! He is completely besotted by her and starts visualizing their future together....His obsession with Hayat reaches such a state that he starts thinking of her and Constantine in the same breath..as in they both begin symbolizing the same meaning to him...his one true love who is difficult to attain but impossible to leave/forget....but  again life, as we know, is never simple nor does it move in  our desired lane. Khaled and Hayat part ways and all he is left alone with is his broken heart and shattered dreams!!!
A beautiful heart-rending story of unrequited love.
The story is from a man's perspective.
 A 50 something-year-old man - his dreams, his love, his lust, his frustration, his helplessness, his anger- its all written so convincingly that one can almost imagine the author to be a male....And this has, in fact, happened with Ahlem when she first published this book in Arabic in the mid-'70s. It took her three years and five lawyers to prove that this was her creation, written from a male's point of view. Wow, isn't it!
Frankly speaking, before this book, I did not know where in the world is Algeria located and had zilch knowledge about its turbulent past. So I was unable to completely relate to the story. But what I really enjoyed was the style of writing and reading about the culture and social setup of the Algerian society!!! 

BOOK REVIEW : NOON by AATISH TASEER

NOON is that time of the day when the sun is at its zenith... We can even say it is at its highest peak...Around 12'o clock...
A weird and out of context beginning of a post.... Right???
Wrong!!! I am not talking random (though I usually am a pro in randomness).....The word NOON is very significant here.
Reason being simple.... we have an author here, the title of whose book is NOON, which (to me) sounds very intriguing..... for this one word is full of numerous interpretations as per the reader' s discretion...
Aatish Taseer, a man with four books to his credit...
A man who is not unknown to controversy, conspiracies, chaos, and confusion...
And he brings it all in his writing as he sees it - as he feels it - as he experiences it!!!!!
Taseer's first book "Stranger to History: A Son's Journey Through Islamic Lands (2009) is a part memoir part travelogue.
This book NOON is a loose adaptation of his memoir with the same star cast : a strong Sikh mother, a famous Muslim father, a childhood in Delhi during the 1980s, a journey to Pakistan to meet his elusive father and the extended family, the impact on one's emotional DNA as a result of craving for an absentee father!!!!
The story starts with a train journey undertaken by Rehan Tabassum (the main protagonist) to Pakistan to meet his estranged father and family for the first time. Here he meets a young boy from Kashmir who talks about the recent horrific earthquake which had devastating effects. An interesting beginning!!
The story then moves to Delhi, during the 1980s when a young Rehan comes from England with his mother to live at his maternal grandmother's house. Taseer then moves the story ahead to the mid-1990s when Rehan, now studying in the UK returns to Delhi during his summer break. He is staying in the family farmhouse to concentrate on his writing when suddenly the calm and tranquillity is shattered by a burglary.
Taseer spends a good portion of his story time in this incident, trying to highlight the deep-rooted caste system of our Indian society that refuses to fade away in the face of any globalization/ modernization!! It is a staunch reminder of the harsh reality of our society which the new age/gen x/urban India wants to forget and move on!!
Although this incident seems to be an important part of the story and I presumed that it was going to take the story further, Taseer ends it abruptly by showing Rehan going back to the UK unable to handle the situation what with the police hounding his seemingly innocent staff!!!
A typical attitude.....Run away from what you cannot face or handle!!
The story now comes to its final chapters when Rehan goes back to Pakistan to spend some quality time with his stepbrother and experiences first hand life under a dominating father, an uncle who is very loyal to his father (loyalty that crosses the healthy limit), an older stepbrother who like Rehan has always craved for an absentee father' s attention, and the young Kashmiri who tries to fit in there by claiming allegiance to one party while getting cozy with the other.
Taseer tries his best to highlight the hypocrisy and an inherent sense of confusion which plagues the Pakistani society but somewhere he fails to get the empathy of his readers.
I for one felt shortchanged after reading this book. Aatish Taseer has been touted as the next big thing in the world of literature, but this book has been a disappointment. Its seems like Taseer wanted to write about two-three topics and instead of writing a short story on them, he pieced it together in the form of a novel. But the stitching has been very haphazard and has many visible gaping holes which left me with a feeling of being cheated out!!!
As this is his only book which I have read, I cannot comment about his writing skills per se, but have to say this, "what a letdown!!"
Just have to say this before ending the post, just because people say that one has an interesting life, one need not write a story on it....A story should always be written with the most basic equipment...A GOOD SUBJECT and an INTERESTING STORYLINE!!!

BOOK REVIEW : THE AMERICAN GODS by NEIL GAIMAN

Hello people... Let's start this post with an interesting insight ( at least from my point of view )....... Here's the thing: How important are the looks of the author while choosing a book to read??? Weird question huh!!! I disagree!!!
Looks of an author are as important as the storyline, the content, the characterization, the flow of the story.. Trust me!!! It's a serious thought process and nothing to laugh about!!!!
I, for one, have been known in the past to choose a particular book because the concerned author was good looking...And I stand guilty for doing it even today......
Authors like John Grisham, Khaled Hosseini are such excellent storytellers and their good looks are just like the "cherry on the icing!!"...
And girls, you seriously can't deny this fact...
The recent addition to this club is Neil Gaiman - my favored author of the season !!!! You have to check out his pictures to believe me...He is NICE!!
And honestly, this was the only reason I choose this book. I had never heard of this guy before and I downloaded this book on a whim.
I was in for a shock when kindle shows me that this book "The American Gods" is of 10,000+ pages. I decided then and there that I am going to skip through half the story and finish it in record time and that too only for Gaiman's face...
Otherwise, me and read another big fat book after the Pamuk disaster...
 No Way!!!
The reality was way different from what I had presumed... I enjoyed this book so much that I did not want it to finish...Instead of hurrying through the story I was taking it real slow, savoring its unique storyline but alas it all got over real fast!!!
Now that I have piqued your interest, let me tell you about its story....
Tell me something... Whether we are overly religious or not, we always carry our faith, our Gods with us to distant lands,  right... We carry them with us across the seas and oceans to protect us, to guide us in a new strange land with strange customs amongst total strangers... With the passage of time, we become familiar and comfortable in the new land, till we start treating it like our own and eventually become one with those strangers and their customs, even accepting the new Gods...Now, what happens to the Old Gods who had come with us, with our ancestors in this faraway land??? Do they continue living here, long forgotten by us or do they go back to their origin or do they perish in this new land uncared and unloved?
This is the premise of Neil Gaiman's book The American Gods...It is a story about Gods and their survival...Are they as human as we are??? Do they too need love, dedication, care, and faith?? Or are they above it all??
It is a story of trust, betrayal, cunningness, love, faith and most importantly of a person who is good and has a pure heart...
Here in Gaiman's world, you have old Gods and new Gods. The old Gods are long forgotten by their believers and are living an almost non-existent life at the periphery. Some of them have accepted this cruel twist of time whereas there are some who are not willing to fade away without a good fight. Standing facing the old regime are the new Gods...Gods of plastic money and bank and real estate and the media who are riding the high wave!! As is the rule of nature there is a big gap between the 'have nots' and the 'haves' which leads to discontent and the beginning of the war: War of Gods!!
I am in love with Gaiman's imagination and am more than game to read his other books just to see how far he stretches the imagination of his readers!!!! 

BOOK REVIEW : SCION OF IKSHVAKU by AMISH

RAMAYANA: A tale by Valmiki which depicts the responsibilities, conduct, and duties of an ideal person, living an ideal life in an ideal society.
Uffff.....So many "ideals" in one sentence itself!!
Seems like an impossible task to me...And moreover who defines IDEAL?? Everyone has their own definition of Idealism and as for society, frankly, most people care two hoots about what the society is up to!!!!
Coming back to the Ramayana, we all know its story and have read books on it and seen it being adapted into movies and drama series and even animated ones for children...
My first brush with Ramayana was on Doordarshan, in the 1980s when Ram Gopal Sagar had made a drama series based on Valmiki's story...
And what a hit the series was. You would not find anyone on the streets on Sunday mornings as people would be glued to their television sets watching Arun Govil playing Ram and Deepika playing Sita!!!!
As a result, funnily, till date, the first image that comes to my mind when I think of Shri Ram is of Arun Govil, with his raised right arm, palms facing out, as in giving "aashirwaad", with a serene smile on his face!!!!!
Scion Of Ikshvaku is the latest book by Amish on the life and deeds of Shri Ram.
To be honest, I was not too enthused about this series as I, in all the arrogance of a so-called "seasoned reader", rationalized that there cannot be anything new to add to this well-known story and that it will fall short of expectations!!!
But I was in for a surprise!!
This is the first book in the trilogy and it starts with the birth of Shri Ram and ends with the famous "Sita Haran" scene or the kidnapping of Sita by Raavan.
It is a very interestingly written story which offers its readers a completely new take on many important incidents in the life of Shri Ram...
Starting with the birth of Ram, the reason behind the intense hatred between Ram and Raavan, Ram's formative years and his relation with his father, King Dashrath, the reason behind Ram's 14year exile, the story of Jatayu are all written from a completely new perspective, which is a delight and cliched though it sounds, makes one exclaim, " Its different!!"
I especially enjoyed the way Amish took care to explore Ram and Sita's relationship, right from their unconventional first meeting to their wedding and their conversations were Just Right!!
Amish has also made Sita be a lady with spunk, wits, intelligence, and a strong constitution. She is not just a sweet-faced docile wife... But then this was expected as Amish always makes the female protagonists be strong and a companion to their husbands, in every true sense...
King Dashrath is best known as the king of Ayodhya and the father of Shri Ram who dies alone without any of his sons around.. A very one-dimensional character who has never been given much importance in any of the Ramayana adaptations...
But the surprise element (at least for me) was the way Amish has sketched the character of king Dashrath. He is shown here as a man who attacks his enemy without any prior planning but only to satisfy his hurt ego and pride. A man who ignores his son during his formative years blaming him for all his failures but turns a full 180° when he realizes that his name will become immortal as the father of the next Vishnu throughout history... A truly selfish man, as Queen Kaykeyi once accused him to be!!!!
There are those who strongly criticize Amish and his storytelling and the subjects that he chooses...
Yes, I do agree that he does use a certain style in crafting his stories, which initially seems brilliant but after three books, it does have an " I know what is going to happen" feel but at no point does it make the book boring.
I for one enjoyed the story very much and thanks to Amish have started to respect and admire the principles which Ram stood for and sincerely hope for the other books in the trilogy to be equally entertaining.
I would definitely recommend this book to all the readers out there and instead of dilly-dallying you can buy it here:
https://amzn.to/2DX51ow

Jai Shri Ram!!!

BOOK REVIEW : THE HANDMAID'S TALE by MARGARET ATWOOD

Imagine a world where women are meant to perform only one job and that is to give birth.... She is considered worthwhile only till she is fertile and able to produce babies!!!! She is to have no identity, no independence, no financial security, no choice!!!
No choice as to what she wears, what she eats, not even with whom she has a sexual relationship with!!!!
She is just a vessel for carrying babies!!!!
And the worst part....  Even after enduring all this, she has no right over her newborn child!!!
It is the male, the man who holds all the power and has the right to make or break your world as per his convenience!!!!
Horrific isn't it???
 It's like a walking talking nightmare for every woman.
 Margaret Atwood's novel "The Handmaid's Tale" portrays a terrifying but very real and possible dystopia.
At first, it's difficult to tell what exactly is going on in the handmaid's world, although her spare narration is filled with a deep sense of fear and danger. It's challenging but exciting to try to make sense of all the frightening details that she describes, and that's one of the things that made this such a compelling read for me.
Atwood had written this science fiction way back in 1986 but one can so clearly see parts of this fictional story coming true in our society today in 2015, just after some 30 odd year gap!!!!!!
Isn't blaming the rape victim, causing her to bear the burden of unwarranted shame and social stigma a very common and familiar occurrence in our society today??
Have we not witnessed the fate of women who are led to their untimely deaths by inhumane laws still unwilling to acknowledge the importance of the life of a mother over her yet unborn child?
Are there not materially prosperous nations governed by archaic laws wherein the women had to fight for their right to drive???
There are many who have hated this work of fiction and have ridiculed it calling it absurd, far-fetched, full of feminist talk, extremist outlook, lacking in logic and very superficial!!!!
I am not about to start a dialogue here extolling the greatness of this story but one thing which I want to do write is that are not the women belonging to our modern civilization experiencing the same nightmare as Offred( the central character in this story). The shackles which bind us today are invisible as we are used to them since the dawn of time and are not able to differentiate between willful and conditioned submission!!!
Just like we humans are an imperfect blend of black and white, so is this story... Along with it being scary and depressing, it does have some uplifting moments.
For me, it was those scenes where Offred reflecting on some images from her past, mostly small little daily incidents of life, thinks, "And we didn't even know we were happy then."
 Atwood does a marvelous job in highlighting the fragility and importance of our little moments of happiness which we usually forget or take them for granted!!!
The story has an open ending which leaves the readers to imagine the end based on their personal reaction to the story. As for me, I am confused. I am not sure whether it terrified me or was there a tiny yet hopeful story building up slowly but surely beside the terror giving my reasoning wings to imagine a HAPPY ENDING!!!!!
You can buy this book by simply clicking on this link: https://amzn.to/2zNrIZN
I would love to hear your views here and talk more about this classic!!

INTRODUCTUON TO THE WORLD OF POETRY

Prose vs Poetry
This is an argument, I am sure has been around since time immemorial.
I have always been inclined towards prose.... And always frowned upon poetry saying its not my cup of tea..
While growing up I was surrounded by cousins who were avid Ghazal listeners, who would spout poetry or rather I should say ghazals at the drop of a hat and were very familiar with the names of various Urdu poets... But me, I was miles away from all things poetry as  I never had the patience to understand the words or its depth...
Since the past year, Ketan has been trying to push me into ghazals...his logic being to try out everything under the sun and only then judge!! So after lots of deliberation and pestering and nagging and arguments, finally,  I ventured into the vast ocean of ghazals or perhaps the better term would be "sher-o-shayari"..... As usual I assumed it would be a piece of cake, so I started my lyrical journey with Ghalib... But I fell flat on my face for all my arrogance as Ghalib is not for first timers like me.....One needs a developed taste for reading poems by someone as great as him.
Ketan being Ketan, he refused to give up and for my next attempt gave me TARKASH by Jawed Akhtar. I enjoyed reading it and that gave me confidence to read more..And the site which helped me get addicted to the awesome world of poetry was "ekfankaar"...
Now I am familiar with many great poets who were way ahead of their time in terms of their writing, way of thinking and outlook...
I want to share some of my favourite shers here..
A few samples:

har ek baat pe kahate ho tum ki tuu kyaa hai
tumhiin kaho ke ye andaaz-e-guftaguu kyaa hai

ragon mein dauDate phirane ke ham nahiin qaayal
jab aankh hii se na Tapakaa to phir lahuu kyaa hai

jalaa hai jism jahaan dil bhii jal gayaa hogaa
kuredte ho jo ab raakh justajuu kyaa hai

kar rahaa thaa Gham-e-jahaan kaa hisaab
aaj tum yaad behisaab aaye

nahiin nigaah mein manzil to justajuu hii sahii
nahiin visaal mayassar to aarazuu hii sahii

Are you not moved by these priceless shers?? I had just one word when I read them... It was WOW!!!!! What made them all the more interesting to me was its simplicity... I mean a layman like me could understand them.. What more need be said about the greatness of these poets who could express such complex emotions in such simple words!!!
Poetry especially Urdu poetry makes you look at the world from a completely different perspective making you exclaim, " Oh yeah!! Why did I never think in this manner" or even " Yes, this is exactly what I think  but could never articulate!!!"
Having said all this I have to admit that I have not changed sides or have turned over my loyalties to poetry.
Poetry is my new craze and I am thoroughly enjoying this new addiction ..... Its like a new kick!!! But Prose has been and will always remain my true passion.
I have an idea which I would like to share with you all.... How about I write a weekly post on a couple of shers by a particular shayar with the meanings and what that sher meant to me.. Then you all can let me know of your connection with the Sher making it interactive...
What say???
 Shall we????

BOOK REVIEW : OPEN by ANDRE AGASSI

Hello...

Let's start this post by talking about a simple yet interesting game which I am sure we are all very familiar with... It starts with one person saying a word and the others have to tell the first thing that comes to their mind, associating with that word!!!

"Lawn Tennis".. Steffi Graff and Andre Agassi, these are the two names that pop in my mind whenever "lawn tennis" is mentioned!!! My big dream is to watch these two living legends playing tennis in the center court, during the Wimbledon ( be it a friendly match or whatever)while I relish strawberries and cream... Ahhhhh!! How I wish this dream of mine comes true... And I would love to take Papa along, a true sports fanatic...

When it comes to sports and the Jain( my maiden surname) family, it's like the Jains can never have their fill of sports!!! As far as I can remember I have always seen Babaji ( paternal grandfather) Papa and Chacha ( paternal uncle) watching one or the other sporting event on television. In this respect, I am the black sheep of the family who runs miles away from anything to do with sports!!!

Lawn Tennis is the only exception and that too because of Agassi and Steffi.

OPEN, an autobiography by Andre Agassi, caught my eye in a book shop and was brought instantly. For the record, this is the first autobiography read by me and what makes it all the more special is Agassi himself...He was my first "sportsman crush" and it was HUGE!!

Watching tennis matches on television I used to go all "wow", finding it all very stylish and glamorous... Beautiful people playing the game, awesome prize money and the glitzy after event parties!!!
But on reading 'Open' the first thing that struck me was the deep connection of pain with tennis... The excruciating pain in the back or the wrist or the arm or the cramps in the calf muscles or stomach!! The way Agassi writes about pain being his constant companion and spending many a night sleeping on the floor, as its better for his back makes me look beyond the glamour and really really respect sportsmen and the rigorous hard work put in by them to reach the top...

Another thing that struck me was the deep hatred which Agassi had for tennis. This revelation took me by surprise and what's even more surprising was to know that even Graff was never in love with tennis... But again I guess its only natural... Agassi's father was a real taskmaster and he would make Agassi practice all day long without letting him relax and would always find fault with his son's playing technique. He was never satisfied with Agassi's achievements. In fact, during Agassi's childhood, his father would encourage him to miss school... His logic being "no school meaning more hours of tennis practice!!!!"

The book is a heart touching story about Agassi's journey through the big bad ugly yet beautiful mesmerizing addictive land of Lawn Tennis... Its heart touching as Agassi has written from his heart and he writes it as it was.. Meaning neither does he glorify any win nor does he downplay any loss... He writes it without mincing the words... Straight from his heart!!
He talks about his hatred for the sport yet he feels the pull and is unable to give it all up right till the very end... He only quit the game when he thought it to be the correct time and not when others wanted him to!!!

The autobiography makes for an interesting read with Agassi writing about his rebellious days, his struggles, his love-hate relationship with his father, his love life, equation with his peers. I respect this guy all the more ever since he admitted taking recreational drugs in the year 1997 in this book. By disclosing this, he was putting everything at stake - his career, his ranking, his wins, his fan base, all that he had worked so hard for!!! But I really appreciate his honesty... A true man!!!!

The best part of this autobiography besides Agassi and Graff's romantic story is the part where he writes about his dream project of building a school in Vegas and how he got his dream fulfilled... It gives me a warm feeling to read about this awesome side of Agassi, who despite being a school dropout could visualize such a unique concept of a school... I would love to visit this school whenever I visit Vegas... Another item on my "to do list"!!!
See, I agree I am biased when it comes to Agassi, so naturally, I will find no fault in this autobiography. But, seriously people, it is a very engaging and thrilling book which you will not feel like putting down till you reach the very end:))