Author: Keerthana

12 Jan

Posted at 05:47h in fiction
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It is very difficult for authors to write a novel once their debut becomes a global success! I feel that is what happened in this book after the grand success of 'The Girl on The Train'. The plot goes by like this, two sisters, Jules and Danielle are estrangled where Danelille or Nel tries to have a conversation with Jules but absolutely ignore her calls and messages. Unfortunately, Nel is found dead in the drowning pool or lake where other women have also committed suicide over the decades. Jules realises that she has to return to her town not only to pay respects but also to take care of Lena the 15-year-old daughter of Nel. The remaining story is (the main highlight) Jules doesn't believe that her sister jumped off a cliff to die in the lake that Nel loved dearly. And Nel was an excellent swimmer. What is even intriguing is that just a few months back Lena's best friend Katie also died in the same lake. The book begins with quite a lot of mystery and all the characters seem equally suspicious. Because all of them are involved with Nel in one way or the other. The author has done a good job by showing us the inner thoughts of all the characters but at times it does become monotonous especially towards the end. The book is divided into four parts and the third part is where the author tends to drag the storyline. Ultimately you do feel the satisfaction...

10 Jan

Posted at 04:56h in fiction
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This is a fast-paced novel but unfortunately not to my liking. The author has done a good job in making me finish the book in a maximum of two days which is a good thing. This is going to be mainly my thoughts rather than a review. The main character of the book is Kate Moore who was also present in the author's previous novel The Expats. She is a former CIA operative and has started living with her husband Dexter and her child Ben in Paris after some disastrous event in her previous assignment. What we find here is she is caught in between an apparent terrorist attack, She realises that it is not what the police officers think and maybe the attack is closer to her than Paris. If more details are given then, this review will have spoilers rather than my views. I am quite surprised by the reviews given by some authors in the book because it is not a heart-throbbing thriller. It is a one time read and I wouldn't suggest you buy it until you are a book collector like me. I got this book only because of the name. Let me be honest I am fascinated by the French and their ways. I have been to Paris only once but it was enough for me to fall in love with the city. Though it is called the city of love I believe for me the city of love is Cairo. I am going off-topic...

01 Jan

Posted at 14:10h in life chronicles
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2021 have been a year with an extreme emotional rollercoaster ride. I have been in the hospital twice and then I recently came to know that I have heart disease. It is quite strange how you think your life will be and how it is! I don't regret any aspect of my life as it taught me many lessons both good and bad! Talking about books, I have read some wonderful books this year and what stole my heart are The last Queen, False Allies, My name is Red! Also, quite an unbelievable incident that happened is that I got to meet Manu S.Pillai. *sigh* He is a true inspiration for the current generation. He is an example of success after hard work, something that I should learn in my life! My little brother got married this year which is also wonderful. I have quite a lot to tell. Maybe I will add later but I want to wish everyone who is reading this A very Happy New Year and a healthy, productive year for both of us! Cheers Keerthana...

01 Nov

Posted at 07:17h in non fiction
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Rajaraja Chola or Arulmozhivarman was born to Sundara Chola in 947CE and that marked change of the entire Chola Empire. We see in this book the events that happened before the arrival of the great king Rajaraja Chola as well as his reign at the age of 38, his administration and his socio-political tactics. The victories and defeats of the chola empire have also been written and their sources have also been mentioned. The building of many Shiva temples including the famous Brihadeeshwara Temple at Tanjavur was a sign of Chola's legacy and they being ardent devotees of Lord Shiva. The book is not a smooth read as as a regular fiction reader I did find it quite tedious to attach the different kings and their conquests to the main focus of the book. (eventhough there is a map and a chronological chart). The author have done a tremendous job and I am quite impressed by the amount of work he has done gathering the information about a great king like Rajaraja Chola. It is quite difficult to find a complete genuine article of this king and there a few or none( if I can say that) about the king in detail. Do go in for the book if you are a history buff as the insights are quite marvelous. I have always been a lover of the Brihadeeshwara temple at Tanjavur and this book was a delight to read about the king who sanctioned the building of the 1011 year old temple!...

30 Aug

Posted at 14:14h in life chronicles
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Dear Atlanta, I hope this letter finds you in your best health! Life has not been the same from the time you left. The eagerness to wake up has literally gone out of the clouds. I am writing this not to complain about my de-motivated days. What I am going to say is going to be a shock to you! As you know in my previous letter I mentioned a certain man that has become my friend Lucifer! The other day I saw him walking on the aisle of our gate with a very tense look on his face. I went up to him and asked what is the cause of this agitated behaviour. He looked at me and told me to leave my home as soon as possible as disaster is going to fall upon me! Of course, I told him that whatever the matter is please be frank. He hesitated in the beginning but eventually gave in. He told me that he has been seeing strange dreams about me being murdered by a person wearing a strange mask! I laughed the minute he said that and I told him I would be rather happy to have such a death because that would be a much exciting moment in my life considering the drag that I am going through. He told me not to take the matter lightly as some of his dreams have come true. I told him not to worry and thank you so much for his consideration....

30 Aug

Posted at 13:41h in life chronicles
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It was an auspicious Monday morning for the Padmabhushans. Their only daughter Vainika was getting married to someone who her father did not approve of much. No, it wasn’t a love marriage but it cannot be called an arranged marriage either. Vainika and Ashok knew each other from childhood. They were in the same neighbourhood of the village and used to visit the same temple regularly. The temple festival were other days when they used to see each other. The families did know each other but weren’t friendly as Padmabhushan was a rich man whereas Ashok s father passed away and left nothing for his wife and children. They had to fend for themselves with the milk their Gitalakshmi had to give. Their cow was indeed a lucky one for Ashok as it was the reason Vainika spoke to him the first time. Ashok was the youngest among his siblings of 2 brothers and 2 sisters. He used to take Gitalakshmi for grazing when he s back from school. It used to be the same time when Vainika used to return with her mother from the temple after the evening prayers. Being an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna, she always bowed before a cow believing it as the Gow Mata. And she was overjoyed to find Gitalakshmi on her way back to bow before and thus slowly Vainika and Ashok started talking. Padmabhushan did not like any of his family members talking to someone below their status, in short everyone. He did...

25 Jun

Posted at 14:41h in fiction
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Before we delve into the review I want to clear a few things. Number one, I have nothing against the author. This is one of the few books that I disliked but still, my opinion is not biased. I do like one or two books of the author which is remarkably good compared to other authors of the same genre. PLOT HIGHLIGHT: We have two stories going simultaneously with each other. One goes back to the era of 340BC and one of our present days. We see in the old times a young brahmin Chanakya decides to avenge his father who was beheaded as he decided to speak his mind to the then King of Maghada. But what no one saw coming was this Brahmin would end up uniting all the north of Bharat under the able rule of Chandragupta Maurya who is the grandfather of the legendary king Ashoka, The Great. In the present time, we see an equally brilliant Gangasagar Mishra who decides to take the reins of dirty politics to unite the entire country to an able leader Chandini so that India has a good future! REVIEW: The author has managed to keep my attention only in the era of Alexander the Great invading India, the present time has been explained in too much detail that forget what is actually happening. The author has done a brilliant job in researching the lives and times of Chanakya and also how Indian politics work. The constant use of foul language in the book...

07 Jun

Posted at 07:41h in fiction
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The author has best-selling and prize-winning books in his bag such as The Shell Collector, About Grace, Four Seasons in Rome, and Memory Wall. He has also won the Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Prize. PLOT HIGHLIGHT: The main character in this book is Marie Laurie who becomes blind after the age of six and Werner who is a German orphan who stays with his sister till he is taken to the Hitler regime. The story revolves from the years 1934 to 1945. Marie Laurie’s father teaches her how to go about the streets of Paris by creating a small miniature of the city so that she can reach home by herself. The small and happy life of her family completely changes when she has to move away because of the war. It is quite an interesting twist how the boy and the girl meet each other and that lies the entire story! REVIEW: The author has done a magnificent job in his book. The writing style is simple yet complicated but easy to read. Though it is a work of fiction, we can easily connect with the characters who are suffering emotional turmoil during the war times. The author has also done his research well as we can see that certain events mentioned in the book have actually happened. The book is actually a gem and I feel everyone should read it. It is truly a literary art and doesn’t go by my words. The truth is dive into the book...

07 Jun

Posted at 07:32h in fiction
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This book has been longlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2004 and also shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction 2004. The book received the Hudson/Wright Legacy Award 2004. Quite an extraordinary effort for her first book! The author forbids herself to read reviews. It is not that she fears criticism but it may hinder her way of being true to herself in her books. PLOT HIGHLIGHT: The story is about a 15-year-old Kambili, her journey into two extreme worlds and finally finding her true self! Her father Eugene, an orthodox Christian, who has no clue about the difference between love and torture, doesn’t allow his daughter, her bother Jaja, and their mother to have a life of their own. The goal of this little Kambili is just to make him proud and impress him in every feat of her life. It is only after her aunt Ifeoma comes into her life with her cousins Chima, Amaka, and Obiora, she realizes that sometimes letting go also can also be called life! REVIEW: For the author’s first book this is really a good read! The writing style is quite impressive and it is also an easy read. The turmoil Kambili goes through in each chapter is easily connectable and we can also feel the intensity of the civil war that has been explained in the book that is going on in Nigeria. The author has justified totally the sensitivity of faith and religion that is in Kambili’s heart. The book is true to its...