book review Tag

26 Jan

Posted at 08:04h in non fiction
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Well written and even better researched, the author has done a tremendous job by not only bringing the harsh truth of the women in India where patriarchy plays a major role but also that they have to find solace in the songs and movies of a megastar, Shah Rukh Khan. The data and analysis of the working force of women in India spanning from 1919 to 2019 are terrible. Even though we live in an era where progressive men talk about equality, we know the truth! Our mothers, sisters and daughters cannot leave the house alone after sunset. It is so sad that we being in the 21st century are still so backward in our thinking. No, I'm not talking about ladies, it is the entire generation of both men and women. We as women should make sure that our sons and brothers understand work and status equality thus making the next generation of girls be safe and they could have equal pay and a good life. We have always seen the suffering of our mothers, grandmothers and our sisters! Now all this rubbish should stop so that our daughters should shine as bright as the sun and should be able to live their life as they wish! The book deserves all the appreciation and praise! I am indeed so proud of the author that it took her 15 years to come up with this. It takes a lot of courage to publish such a book and face the wrath of the...

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!...

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...

07 Jun

Posted at 07:25h in fiction
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The book is by the author who had many best sellers in her kitty like The Forest of Enchantments and Palace of Illusions. She is not only an author but also an activist and a teacher of writing. Her work has been published widely, in magazines and anthologies. Plus, her books have been translated into 29 languages. So now let’s get into the plot of the book! PLOT HIGHLIGHT: The book is all about Rani Jindan’s journey from her teens to her demise. The book is a work of fiction through the characters in the book are real! The plot is divided into the time when Jindan Kaur comes to Lahore with her father and brother, her marriage to the king, then she becoming the Queen, and finally her demise! Her father being the kennel keeper of Maharaja Ranjit Singh never expected his daughter to be not only the king’s consort but also his favorite. We see in the book how she has to face the wrath of the King’s eldest wife and how most of the courtiers cannot accept her because she is not of the royal bloodline. Each section of the book not only shows the events in the life of Rani Jindan but also the emotional turmoil that she has to go through. The book describes really well the weight that a Queen has to carry when she also wants a life of a regular human being! REVIEW: The book is truly remarkable and it is quite an interesting read. Though...

07 Jun

Posted at 07:16h in fiction
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  Being an Agatha Christie book, we all know what to expect, yes you have guessed it right, it is a crime thriller! And this one of her Jane Marple series! The Hercule Poirot series is far more interesting than the Jane Marple series! So I would usually suggest that if you are a beginner in Agatha Christie's books, do take the Hercule Poirot series. PLOT HIGHLIGHT We have the main character Jane Marple, an old lady who loves or let's say gets involved in crime mysteries most of the time. She lives in a small town called St. Mary Mead. She gets a curious letter from the lawyers (Mr. Broadribb and Mr. Schuster) of one Mr. Rafiel who had recently passed away! When she visits them, there is a strange request from the late Mr. Rafiel of her going for a tour with Famous Houses and Gardens of Great Britain. It is at the tour she meets a few of her fellow passengers and as fate would have it one of them dies! Now Jane Marple gets into a fix as she realizes as one of them who is traveling with her could be the killer and then the investigation is on! REVIEW: Quite frankly if you miss out on this one, no hell will break loose! A typical crime thriller and most probably if you are a regular reader of Agatha Christie you may realize why the murder has been committed! The writing skill is to perfection as I have nothing to say there....

12 Sep

Posted at 09:25h in non fiction
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Do you believe in Arranged or Love marriage, or in marriage itself? I would love to get your feedback on this! Before we dive into the review, let me thank the author for sending me this book via email and saying that my review is honest and unbiased! The author, Meryl Elizabeth Mathew, a master’s graduate in Global Business and a content writer, is also a freelance writer with Times -Kuwait since 2018 and Bazaar Magazine since 2019. To top it all, she also teaches creative writing to kids in Kuwait since 2020. A truly zealous person! Now let’s get into the review of the book. Just as the name suggests, the stories are short and simple. The main highlight of the book is that we get to read true stories! The author did change the names of the people whose stories we read to respect their privacy. The main subject is Arranged Marriage which is quite controversial among the millennials. Arranged or Love Marriage has its advantages and disadvantages. When we read this book we get to know the events that take place when a family decides their son or daughter should go for an arranged marriage. The book has 12 amazing stories that can cheer you up! Some are truly hilarious and some are worth using your grey cells! Living in the 21st century doesn’t mean we have to forget our age-old traditions and sometimes we find true love via matrimonial websites! The book is only 75 pages and it is...

03 Sep

Posted at 05:58h in non fiction
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Before we delve into the review of the book, we must talk about the author Manu S. Pillai. He is been my favorite author from the time I read this book. He is truly a gem in this era in the field of historical non-fiction novels. There are also many webinars that he takes part in and his knowledge about Indian History is mind-blowing. He has an Instagram account @waatcoconut where he posts most of his recent work and also historical paintings which is a delight for both his fans and followers. This is his first book and his two other marvelous books that is equally spellbinding. Now, let us start with a review of the book. The book is divided into 20 chapters: A Painter Prince The Queen of the Kupakas Three Consorts The Second Favorite Her Highness The Maharajah A Christian Minister Malice Domestique Tea and Troubles The Boudoir Dewan Black Magic In Letters of Gold Mother and Son La Revanche A Real Little Grande Dame A Palace Coup The Ultimate Eclipse The Villain of the Piece Rivers of Blood The Reluctant Princess Once I Had a Kingdom Each chapter is more interesting than the next one! Each page is wound into a wonderful marvel, too exotic to be true! The author has done absolute justice in the retelling of the extraordinary life of the last and forgotten queen of the house of Royal Travancore. The Kings and Queens of the Royal Travancore House is the epitome of class! So different...

02 Sep

Posted at 08:49h in fiction
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'Hercule Poirot delves back into the past and discovers that old sins leave long shadows.' Welcome to yet another review of Hercule Poirot's decoding of crime. As you already know the author of the book is none other than my favorite Agatha Christie. Now without further adieu let's jump directly into the review. As the title suggests let me break the bubble that this book has no elephants in it but an old memory surfaces and just like an elephant, certain memories stay etched in our minds. When Mrs. Oliver( a writer I presume) goes to a luncheon that had invited all the great literary artists of the time, she meets with one Mrs. Burton Cox. This lady approaches Mrs. Oliver with no particular warning and starts bombarding questions about her goddaughter Celia Ravenscroft who is going to marry her son. The talks about her Goddaughter brought her a special warmth but all that vanished when Mrs. Burton Cox asked if Celia's mother killed her father or vice versa! This left Mrs. Oliver completely speechless and said she has no clue about this matter whatsoever. But even after the luncheon, this did not leave her mind and at once she went to visit her dear friend, our Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. The events that follow after this is so twisted as it's quite impossible to believe how can true love be a reason for a horrible crime.The book is good but not good enough compared to other Hercule Poirot books. With that said I would like to add that...