Which way to go?
While on treks even I have often noticed, as did Oorja, the protagonist in ‘Mapping Love,’ the debut novel by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, that everyone is ‘in a hurry although everything around them is slow. They know that they have to make things happen before the sun sets…’ The narrative pace of this book, as...
A birdwatcher reaching out to the soul of intrigue
A sense of great possibilities, a space to explore and discover, and a world that wins a place in a reader’s world can be transformative enough to not just give us a massive adrenaline rush but also add life to our life. This is how my mind perceives a thriller and this is way better...
When readers imagine what happened in a story
Review of ‘Shadow of the past’ by Mayank Manohar. Let me say at the start that Mayank, the author, has everything in place for him… a tale that relates to lot of people, experience of writing short and long pieces, and the courage to move a perfectly fine idea into a novel. He was probably...
Battle for survival. Review of ‘Bestseller’ by Ahmed Faiyaz
Battle for survivalReview of ‘Bestseller’ by Ahmed Faiyaz No, this review isn’t about battles fought on the borders of a country but an interesting, fictional and a somewhat factually cursory glance of ways in which authors, publishers, editors, celebrities, journalists, and those in PR are invariably pulled together to define success. Publishing isn’t just another...
One shot. One kill.
There are Bibles and then there are handbooks for everyone interested from making bombs to creating political conflicts. These can be long-drawn and full of jargon that the lay reader may or may not fully understand. It is the same with the art of being a great sniper. The best way is always to get...
Conversations around art
Conversations around art Review of ‘The Book of Chocolate Saints’ by Jeet Thayil Jatin Das hasn’t probably read this book yet but what he said a couple of days back is relevant because he talks of the present having ‘no conversations around art. No one critiques it – there is no space to discuss...
A world beyond words
A world beyond words Review of 31 Miles written by Vinita Bakshi Is it a mere coincidence that I have begun writing the review of this book with the help of proofreaders sydney on the 6th of February which isn’t too far from the National Mathematics Day? Let me first explain the connection. This book...
A synchronised eye roll with fiction
A synchronised eye roll with fiction Review of LOVE, whatever that means written by Aditi Mathur Kumar If reading certain types of fiction makes you overthink, I guess it is time to read certain other types of fiction. I mean, a genre of fiction where everything is ‘all honey and whiskey and chocolate’ or ‘totally...
Between now or never
Between now or never – Review of DANGLE by Sutapa Basu Thrillers, I had written in some earlier post, are not just about guns and grenades, but about the impact of the battles of minds. The mind creates a thriller if it really wants to… and this is what Sutapa Basu has done in...
A thriller that is both young and sane
A thriller that is both young and sane – Review of ‘The girl who loved a pirate’ Thrillers tend to be either similar to creaking bones oozing with wisdom or strut with the irreverent arrogance of youth that has little to convey. It is rare to come across one that defies these clichés and...
Bags and bags and bags of pain
Pain and conflict surrounds us in myriad forms and we understand only a part of it. We empathise with a much lesser part of what we understand and we are in a position to alleviate only a fraction of it all. But like Kirthi Jayakumar, the writer of ‘The Dove’s Lament’, we need to know...
Jojo needs a little time
Jojo needs a little time. Review of KALYUG It is Mrs Pandit, one of the political characters in the book (or should I say, political caricatures) who says, ‘Jojo needs a little time before he takes on more responsibilities. I think by the time the next elections take place, he will be ready for a...
