Book Review : Confessionally Yours

Confessionally Yours by Jhoomur Bose is an excellent read. It is a story of Polly who deals with a Hitler like boss who piles on loads of work on her and thinks she is incapable of writing any good article, she deals with the most annoying Mother In Law (I felt like jumping in the book and hitting her, I tell u) who comes visiting and stays on like glue stuck on ur bottom, nor can u move nor can you sit there all your life, she deals with her husband who gets back with his ex-girlfriend, she deals with a friend who finds her very tame and it gets you wondering if she really is a friend......

I had no clue how this book would be and had picked it up on impulse but now I don't regret it. I was glued to the book to know what happens next and next and next before I knew I had finished reading and it left me thinking... The author has wonderfully created characters in this intense feminine story with a little humor a little sarcasm and a little bit of reality.

The way the story shapes up, from Polly being a pushover to a strong person if very interesting. This book stands out as a good one time read. 

Book Review : The Day I Stopped Drinking Milk

The Day I Stopped Drinking Milk....by Sudha Murthy, I was so excited to see the book on my library shelf...picked it up and rushed home to start on it straight away....for those who dont know I love all of Sudha Murthy's books and her writing. It is a pleasure reading her simple yet meaningful stories.

This book has stories from her real life experience and one can learn lessons from it too....most of her stories are such. The book is a collection of 23 short stories, the title being one of the stories.

I really cant pick a favourite one cause all of them are lovely. The way Sudha Murthy writes all of her stories are so interesting and this one is a real treat with life lessons and incidents where we all would feel that we have come across similar situations. In today's fast moving world where Morales and Values take a backseat this book kind of tones you down and helps you looks at life in a different yet meaningful way.

Highly recommended without doubt....suitable for all age :)

Book Review : In the Sea there are Crocodiles

In the Sea there are Crocodiles by Fabia Geda is a true story of an Afghan boy, Enaiatollah Akbari's journey in search of safety....in search of home. Fabio Geda is an Italian novelist who works with children in difficulties. He writes for several Italian magazines and newspapers, and teaches creative writing in the most famous Italian school of storytelling (Scuola Holden, in Turin). This is his first book to be translated into English.

When Enaiatollah's village in Afghanistan falls prey to Taliban rule, his mother in desperate attempt to save him from being a slave or worst be killed takes him away across the border into Pakistan but leaves him there all alone to fend for himself after giving him an advice : don't use drugs or weapons, don't cheat, don't steal. 

From here begins Enaiat's heartbreaking journey of pain and torture filled with traffickers, hunger, border patrols, freezing, drowning, casualties, dangerous circumstances where he could almost get killed. He journeys through Iran, Turkey and Greece before he seeks political asylum in Italy at the age of fifteen.

This impressive account will keep you wanting to know more about Enaiat's life. I was quite amazed by the strong determination of the boy to keep moving on and finding safe ground. He was a small boy when his mother left him and at that age to be so smart enough and take life turning decisions is something hard to believe...but it did happen and that what makes this book a great read. An incredible uplifting story which makes you believe that where there is a will there is a way. Highly recommended.

Book Review: The Diary of a Social Butterfly

If you want a good laughter then The Diary of a Social Butterfly by Moni Mohsin is what you should lay your hands on. This is a difficult to keep down book filled with humor and silliness...

The book is a diary of a silly socialite called Butterfly who is completely unfazed by the happenings around her. All she cares about is her parties, get together (GT as she calls them), shopping, trips to London....Each of her diary entry begins with two contrasting headings, a political heading and another one to her own self. The constant misspellings and incorrect pronunciations in her diary are the one's to watch out for. It completely changes the meaning of the sentence and leaves you laughing out loud. I loved the way the conversations go between her and her husband Janoo...poor guy.

This is definitely a light read and will surely lighten up your mood. The book is inspired from the collection of the author’s own columns written for Pakistan’s national weekly, The Friday Times. 

Book Review: Custody by Manju Kapoor

Custody by Manju Kapoor touches the delicate and emotional issue that follows divorce.

Raman and Shagun, a couple with two children have a peaceful life going until Shagun meets Raman's boss Ashok. Raman has to travel constantly being the marketing head and trying to promote his company's products. At the same time his boss and his beautiful wife get involved in a passionate affair leading to Shagun trying to find the meaning of her life. She ask Raman for a divorce and moves out of the house. When Raman refuses a divorce she takes away the only beautiful aspect in his life.....the children.

At the same time somewhere else, Ishita a young divorcee tries to find happiness in her social work. She was divorced and forgotten by her once-so-loving husband because she could not bear a child for the family. She happens to meet Raman and his little daughter and gets attracted towards him to fulfill her desire of having a family and children. She falls in love with his daughter as if she were her own.

Then starts the ugly battle of custody where both the kids are torn apart from each other....their emotional state being confused between two families, two mothers and two countries...

This is one of the best of Manju Kapoor and the way she has handled such a delicate issue is commendable.

Book Review: Intermission & To Live Once Again

Intermission by Nirupama Subramanian is one of the books I read in the last two weeks and I yet dont understand why the title. The rating for this one would be average. Its just another extra marital affair story....nothing great about it and nothing in particular that will make you feel "wow" about it. The story is about a forty four year old man Varun who is a father to a sixteen year old and has fallen for Sweety who is a young mother. They emotionally connect with each other and then get physically involved as well. And then starts the hushed meetings, behaving like a teenager.....everything that a person does when he says he is in love.

The writing style of the author is good. This is her second book the first one being Keep the change which I have not yet read. There is nothing much I would like to say about this book only that I didnt enjoy it much as there was nothing new to it.

The next one I read was To Live Once Again by Jayanti Anubhav which is a cute looking book because of its size. Its just 136 pages and I finished it pretty soon. Its a story about two girls Yamini and Lavanya who have a rather troubled childhood and find solace in each others in the friendship that blossoms between them when they meet at a boarding school. They become best of friends sharing everything..... until one day they find out that they have shared too much.

Though its a book of few pages the author has not failed to describe every character, every emotion and every place with such beautiful detailing and all this packed into that small little book makes the story very convincing. Being a debut novel for the author Jayanti I must say she has done a good job and this is an excellent read!!! And yes, the title is so apt !!!  :)

Book Review: Nick of Time & Ladies Coupe

If you are looking for complete bollywood masala then this is the book you should read. It has everything in it....best friends, love triangle, typical punjabi shaadi.....and of course the masala.

Komal Mehta in her debut novel, Nick of Time, has done her best to give us a fun filled book that you would enjoy reading. I liked the book, being a rom-com fan that I am and I did feel that I was watching a movie.

Its a well written story that revolves around 3 childhood friends Shagun, Alehya and Vicky and I cant really call it a love triangle cause its just a triangle....and why do I call it that, well you will get to know once you have read the book.

The story begins with Alehya quitting her job and getting a call from her best friend Shagun who tells her that she is getting married and wants her to come to Chandigarh asap. Little does she know that this trip would be a life turning point for her.

After reading this fun book I turned to my next pick Ladies Coupe by Anita Nair. The story of a woman's search for strength and independence and very important....the search for an answer to the most asked question, " Can a woman stay alone and yet be happy?"....

The story is about Akhila a forty-five year old who has never had the liberty to live her OWN life...always the daughter, the sister, the provider....until one day she decides to take on a journey with a one way ticket to Kanyakumari in search of answers to her questions. During her journey in the Ladies Coupe she meets different women who share their life stories with her and she tries to draw her answers whilst she listens to them and slips back and forth into the memories of the incidents of her life.

I completely loved the book and it is a must read....the author Anita Nair has such good sense of putting life into each character. Each story is so intense and finely drawn that it would be difficult to put down the book once you have begun. 

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