The Search by Sajita Nair

 

Title: The Search

Author: Sajita Nair

Publisher: Juggernaut

Format: Kindle edition 

The Search is the story of an eighteen-year old girl Laya who is portrayed as a regular vivacious girl of her age. Her doting parents, loving friends, a boyfriend and a fun-filled college life complete the picture of her life. A certain event in her life pushes her to take up the quest for her roots more seriously and urgently. As the story progresses, she comes across as a strong-willed person who decides to stand alone than to cave under societal pressures or norms. As she continues to walk on her chosen path, her loved ones join her and provide her the much needed support. While riding the emotional waves at various levels, she realises how going ahead with one decision brings her the wisdom to make peace with the situation of her biological parents.

 

The narrative is quite fast paced. The first significant turning point comes a little too soon but then the readers get hooked to that momentum. Story is engaging and as one keeps turning pages, one is actually hoping for the same happy ending where the author leads the readers to. Plot is not complicated and it is handled with ease as well. This story is about a young adult and for young adults. I like how author has attempted to highlight the significance of learning to take responsibility for the choices made. The new age young adults feel free and empowered to make choices and take their own decisions, but wisdom is in always remembering that some choices have life changing consequences. 

 

I remember reviewing Sajita's first book - She's a Jolly Good Fellow, more than a decade back. Not wasting anytime on frivolous characters and events in storytelling has been her forte which I really appreciate. Having said that, personally I was expecting a little more in terms of substance in whatever comes out of Sajita's pen. I will look forward to her next writing attempts for that. 

THE WORDKEEPERS by JASH SEN

 

Author: Jash Sen

Publication: Duckbill

ISBN: 978-93-82618-16-4

Price: INR 225

The book begins with an account of some war. This is followed by a letter from Vibhishan, the immortal king of Lanka and the brother of Ravana, of the time of Lord Rama.

A normal life of a regular busy teenager of the year 2028 is thrown topsy turvy when she receives strange messages from her mother and notices that her father's body casts no shadow in the mirror. A very strange sequence of events make her realize that she is no ordinary human, but the child of a 'wordkeeper' and is expected to live up to and act as per a prophecy. And she must rescue her mother.

Through the journey, she meets many people, who have, in their existing forms or their earlier incarnations, been characters from the great Mahabharata or the Ramayana. She discovers that she herself had been one.

Meanwhile, in the other world, in the world of the the nemesis of these wordkeepers, a handsome plan is being hatched to ensure that relevant information is collected and a trap is being laid upon the wordkeepers. This world is headed by God 'Kali'(not Goddess Kaali), the forth yug of the Hindu mithology. He has in his control, all the vices, the personifications of foul acts and all the existing demons and aims to become the sole God of the humanity.

A string of trustworthy friendships, bitter betrayals, family union, happy and sad phases, lead the teen-aged girl to discover something more about herself and take her a little further on the journey prescribed for her. And eventually, what has to happen, happens!!

An enormous eye keeps a track of all of her activities, until just before the end. 

It is interesting how the story, a very very common story of a child suddenly discovering his/her special powers (much like the characters of Harry Potter, Lexi , Henrietta and so many more in the contemporary fiction arena) is mixed with the complex story of the Hindu mythology, with a twist that incorporates all the other religions. (Kaalki, the last avatar of Lord Vishnu, is depicted through a Muslim boy here). Though the concept is brilliant and the author has done her homework really well, the final outcome falls short of the expectation that such a storyline would ideally demand. The theory of the child discovering gifted abilities has become too commonplace and childish to carry the heavy wight of the mythological tales. Though a racy narration, it becomes hard to convince oneself to read on and it gets too complex and ambiguous at places. 

A point I liked about the book is how the people, especially those of the other world, the Vishasha have been named. Dambha, Mrityu, Bhay, Vyadhi, Jara, Trishna, Shoke, Krodhe and so many more are basically the personified versions of the vices and problems we all face. For someone with a decent base of mythological knowledge, all this seems good, for others, it would have been better had a detailed glossary been give at the end.

A first of the trilogy, I think it is a fairly decent job. I hope the other two books are nice and make up for the loopholes in this one.

RUPA PUBLICATIONS: The Perfect Murder

Title: THE PERFECT MURDER
Genre: FICTION
Author: RUSKIN BOND and Others
Price: INR 195
ISBN: 9788129144973

Ever wondered if a perfect murder was possible?
Ever planned or thought of one?
Ever read about one? One that would give even Holmes or Poirot a real tough time..

Well this collection of selected short stories would sure give you an idea that a perfect murder was possible. A murder so perfect that even the murderer wouldn't know.

'The Perfect Murder' is a collection of 8 short stories, each a perfect suspense thriller, and each promising to take the reader on a spooky yet amazing journey.

The title story, the best of the collection, is short tale of two brothers plotting to kill an old aunt and how their planned murder turns out to be the perfect murder. Who murders whom eventually and who the beneficiary of the game ultimately becomes is the climax. A sure shot thriller that is bound to keep the reader at the edge of the seat.

Another story details how Ruskin Bond's uncle once tried to poison him and what happened next.

From being straight forward give away tales to open ended ones to keep the readers guessing, from simple Ruskin Bond to the ultimate mystery man - Edgar Allen Poe, the book has plenty to offer for all types of murder mystery lovers.

Although not all stories live up to the expectation set by the title of the book and the first story, it is a great collection on the whole.

A wonderful option for a one time read and well decided gift for a mystery lover. Bond doesn't let you down with this one.

Happy reading :)

Done With Men by Suchi Singh Kalra

Title : Done With Men

Author : Suchi Singh Kalra

Publisher : Indireads

'Done With Men' is a light romcom set in the beautiful locales of Goa. Kairavi (Kay) is a weirdly interesting character as the main protagonist who is done with dealing with friends of opposite gender. She resolves never to get involved with any man in future and in the moment of desperation she gets 'Done with Men' etched on her skin as a tattoo. But the love bug does not follow any rules, and it bites her again when she happens to come in contact with Vivian, an Orthopaedic in the hospital. She finds herself falling in love with him in spite of her earlier firm determination. Still recovering from her last heart break, Kay is admonished and advised by her best friend Baani and the pesky Thought Bubble. Kay is back on an love adventure ride.

The characters etched by the author are easy to identify with. Their vulnerabilities, weak moments and imperfections make them very real. The interactions between Kay and Baani are quite believable. Good thing about these IndiReads' novellas is that one can finish them in one sitting. Though there are many Hindi words used in the narrative but the translated words of the same have been provided at the end for the benefit of non-Hindi speaking people. A light, fun and quick read to brighten up any day. The light and breezy language would go well with young adults too. The narrative is laden with humour and wit which keep the readers engaged right from the beginning till the last line. This could easily have been extended with more interesting incidents and anecdotes, but author has not extended the story unnecessarily. Though the narrative takes some very predictable twists and turns but readers would surely enjoy this innocent, short and sweet love story.

THAT AUTUMN IN AWADH by RACHNA SINGH

TITLE : That Autumn in Awadh A true Love Story
Author: Rachna Singh
Publication : Alchemy Publishers


That Autumn in Awadh though a work of fiction is inspired by the author's life.
The story reflects the diversification and rigidness of our society especially when it comes to matter of marriage and also how inter cast marriages find difficulty in being accepted.

Love bubbles and simmers between Sara Shergill a Punjabi Christian and Samar Solanki, a Rajput boy.
Sara and Samar both trainees at Telco, starting out their careers, enjoying their new found freedom with friends and colleagues, slowly and steadily slide into love.

By the time they realize the significance of what has happened, it is too late to do anything about it. Sara and Samar, aware of the futility of their situation, find themselves helpless. Still they both make an effort of going back to just being friends. Being from diverse background, they both are aware that their families are not going to accept their relationship easily.
Samar's resigning from the job and joining a management institute albeit in the same city does not make things easy for the love birds.  In midst of all the on goings Sara and Samar get hitched in a civil ceremony without their immediate families know how!
 The book is about Sara and Samar's love, their anguish and embarrassment of being married but forced to live apart, their difficulties in overcoming all the obstacles and love conquering all!

 Is love really able to conquer in this case?                                                                                                                                                It is for readers to find out and the reviewer to keep a secret.

 Readers who are in their late 30's till mid 40's can see glimpses of their youth reflected in the book. Rachna Singh has a keen sense of observation and puts it to good use in her book. You find instances of every day happenings of life woven into the story. She finds humor in very small  little things.

 I had reviewed Rachna Singh's debut book 'Dating, Diapers and Denial' and had found it unique and a very quirky book. I had found her style of writing very unconventional.
 I had high expectations from this book as well, though this is a different genre, but, That Autumn in Awadh, has left me disappointed, wanting for more. The author has not been able to do justice to the story though the main plot itself is sweet. Rachna Singh has not been able to maintain the smoothness and the free flow in the narration. It is as if Rachna Singh had a few incidents in her mind which she wanted to incorporate in the story and has gone ahead and done just that, somehow jammed them in the story! There are also editing issues in the book.

 In spite of this I would say That Autumn in Awadh makes a decent light read for romance readers.

ROBINSON CRUSOE by DANIEL DEFOE

TITLE: Robinson Crusoe

AUTHOR: Daniel Defoe

REWIED BY: Vidhi Sethi (12 yrs.)

The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe is a wonderful book. It starts with a father not allowing his son to become a sailor. But set on his goal, Robinson Crusoe made his maiden voyage to Hull in London with his friends. This was a big turn in his life.

Adventurous as he was, he made his next voyage with another friend of his who was the captain of a ship going to guinea in Africa. Further he went to Brazil and started living with a sugar planter’s family. He bought a plantation of his own. But when a group of them asked if he could journey to Guinea he could not resist the call of an adventure and agreed to go. Little did he know that this journey wasn’t a normal one. It would lead him to a completely new life on an uninhabited island.

Struggling for supplies with failures and successes for twelve years he began to lead a comfortable life. But one day when he saw a man’s footprint and then human skin, flesh and bones he was filled with great fear and anxiety. He tried all possible ways to make his existence a secret. Everything became peaceful once again. Twenty-three years had passed since he had come on this island.

But when one December morning he saw from his window smoke rising somewhere he was filled with dread. Soon after that he came across cannibals and after fighting with them he freed a man who was kept as a prisoner. He named him Friday as he had got him on a Friday.

Friday was a faithful and cheerful person. He told Robinson about his land and his people. But when savages, cannibals and mutineers entered into their life everything is changed. The story then goes on with Robinson capturing the mutineers with eleven other people on his side and then finally in 1686 he left the island after spending twenty-seven years, two months and nineteen days. In June, 1687 he returned to England his hometown and started leading a new life.

This book is the author's first novel and is one of the best known adventure stories in the world. It is a story which thrills all the readers alike, with wonderful events like shipwreck, a young man alone on an uninhabited island, storms, dangers, cannibals, mutineers and finally a glorious home coming.

It is a must read for young readers. Happy Reading!!!

THE DEPOT by CARMEN DESOUSA

Title: THE DEPOT: WHEN LIFE AND DEATH CROSS TRACKS
Author: CARMEN DESOUSA

Though I am not a big fan of downloading random books from the net and reading them, but there were several factors that prompted me to get this one and read. The newly downloaded Kindle app on my Windows 8, the fact that this was available for free, had a four and a half star rating, and the most important two factors - it was estimated by Amazon to be a kind of novella of hardly 44 pages, and it was in the 'mystery' category, all worked in its favor.

A young homicide detective gets to decode the case of an apparent suicide of a very wealthy, handsome young male. His experience as a detective had taught him to make no assumptions on the case till the culprit (if any) had been caught. He goes about searching for clues and hints to resolve the case, until he comes across an arcane tale of a very similar murder that had happened here itself, many years ago. He also sees the video coverage (or CCTV coverage tape) of the day previous to that of the crime, and lo! there, the book begins to stink of a large filthy twist that lies ahead. The detective suddenly finding himself in midst of a rush of emotions for the lady who was the most likely culprit, if (and only if) it was a murder of some sort, and not a suicide.

The good things about the book are quite a few. Well, the story progresses super fast, and the various events do not take very long. It is a simple two hour read and yes, if the suspense part interests you, you would not be disappointed. If weird twists in the plot is what you cherish, go ahead! And yeah, there are ghosts here too... (trust me, the ghost part IS the best part).

Additionally, if you are the one who believes in 'art for art's sake' or you want to become a writer yourself someday, this is the book you must read. You can almost feel the characters around you. 

But, the story being too short, the mystery part has not been appropriately elaborated and ends too soon. It is a little book after all.

A spooky, crisp read but leaves much to be desired. It would only get a 2.5/5 from me.

Oleander Girl by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Title : Oleander Girl

Author : Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Publisher : Penguin Books India

ISBN : 978-0-670-08673-3

No. of Pages : 288

Korobi (named after a beautiful but deadly flower) is brought up by her grandparents in Kolkata, after her parents expired in a car crash. Though very strict and righteous old man, her grandfather Bimal Roy showers love and affection on Korobi. Grandmother Sarojini is warmth, gentleness and wisdom personified. The story begins on the day when Roy household is buzzing  with joyous activities as Korobi is getting engaged to Rajat Bose, the only son of a high profile business family of the city.

On the engagement party night, Korobi's grandfather dies of a sudden heart attack. Sarojini understandably feels a big jolt post the disappearance of that strong anchor - Bimal Roy, from her life. But readers are subtly introduced to the underlying liberating feeling that she experiences for the first time then. She clearly wants to atone for the sin that Bimal Roy had committed by creating big secrecy surrounding Korobi's birth. Exemplifying an individual with mind of her own, she feels it to be Korobi's right to know about her parentage.

When Korobi comes to know about some part of the truth, she decides that she needs to find her true identity first before building a new life with Rajat. For that she needs to embark on a journey out of her sheltered life of Kolkata, to a new world - the United States of America, where her mother had spent some years as a student. The combination of - ticking away of the limited time lease that she had committed for, the threadbare budget and the burning desire to find her identity - keeps the readers glued to the narrative. As she progresses in her pursuit, her sincerity, commitment, conscientiousness and her experiences mature her into a confident individual who does not want to shy away from the truth of her parents.

Though the plot is not entirely unique yet the sensitive handling, which is distinctly Chitra's style, makes it a great read. The way she portrays the poise, grace, vulnerability and strength in a woman, be it in Korobi, Sarojini or Rajat's mother - is commendable. 'The Palace of Illusions' penned by her was a masterstroke and the glimpses of the same excellence are visible in her other writings too, including Oleander Girl.  She painstakingly etches each character beautifully which makes the narration a little slow in the beginning but then the pleasure of reading a well thought through tale increases manifolds.

The story is narrated from the viewpoints of various characters throughout - Korobi, her prospective mother-in-law, her grandmother, the Muslim driver and some others, bringing in extra layers to the proceedings. Chitra Banerjee yet again enchants the readers into a story brimming with mystery, intrigue, heritage, romance, familial ties, revenge, forgiveness, emotions and much more. In the end, Korobi's character rises above, triumphant over all obstacles. 

THE DEADLY ROYAL RECIPE by RANJIT LAL

Author: Ranjit Lal

Publisher: Duckbill

Price: INR 225

ISBN: 978 93 81626 94 8

Everyone is living a perfectly normal and happy life. Everything is going as it normally must for three friends, a little boy and a little girl. Only so long as the little girl, a princess of one of the still surviving royal families in India, decides to join a school, where she meets the three friends and the little boy. And from there on their lives go an a roller coaster ride. Only, not in an actual roller coaster, but on some of the most exquisite, expensive yet rashly driven cars.

These five kids decide to go on a tour along with the princess' uncle. There they are kidnapped and their attempt to run away from captivity only leads them into further danger. The only thing that can save them is the kids' quick wit and the princess' excellent culinary skills, which she has inherited.

The parts of the story are linked to one another so beautifully and the story literally keeps you at the edge of you seat. It is not so easy a task to put it down once you begin reading. There are times when all seems perfect and peace seems close, and... it is only the beginning of what would eventually turn out to be a real crazy sequence of events. 

From underage driving to dishes called 'sharabi suar ka bachcha' and 'angoothe ke beech ka murabba' to the most mouth watering aromas to the murky rivalry between the blue blooded families to the most dangerous car rides to sweet poisons to kind beasts and beast faced madmen to horse racing to a heartwarming homecoming, this book gives you an experience of everything. And this 'everything' revolves around a book. A single book. Well!

It isn't the regular kind of book you would like to read, review and put away. It is the kind you would want to read as fast as possible, finish up all your nails in the process, wonder, smile, close your eyes, imagine the scenes, smile again and go to a happy sleep.

Go ahead and read it if you are not afraid of scary adventures and scary captors. Not to mention that this book will be a very special delight for the foodies and those who generally believe in eating for a happy life.

THE GUILTY BY GABRIEL BOUTROS - WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A LAWYER CROSSES THE LINE

TITLE : THE GUILTY
AUTHOR : GABRIEL BOUTROS
ISBN : 9781479277759

The Guilty, is loosely based on a double murder that shocked Montreal in the 1990’s. 

                                                                     The Guilty is a story of a successful criminal lawyer, Robert Bratt, who is inherently an honest man but has mislaid his priorities somewhere along the course of defending criminals.

 The book opens up to the turmoil and anguish that Robert is facing in his life. Expressing his frustration and confusion over nearly losing his only child, Jeannie, to his profession, Robert finds himself questioning his past choices and decisions.

In the midst of all this, though Bratt does not want to but thanks to his legal partner, finds himself defending Marlon Small, a young man of Jamaican descent, accused of a double murder and an attempted murder. On top of it, he finds his lady love, Nancy Morin, in the opposite camp and refusing to have anything to do with him till at least the end of the trial. To his chagrin he also finds his ambition of becoming a judge of Superior Court hinging on the outcome of the Small trial.

The ironic twist comes in the story when Bratt has everything, the trial, his relationship with his daughter and his love life, moving in the positive direction. Robert comes across something which shakes him up and forces him to take stock of his life. Bratt finally takes a decision which alters his life on a monumental scale.

                                                            All this put together makes an interesting read. The story is fast paced and gripping, especially once it reaches the trial part.One can feel Bratt’s moral dilemma and it is easy to empathize with this legal eagle. 

Gabriel Boutros, the author of The Guilty, has practiced criminal law for twenty four years and as a consequence his professional experience shows in the story.

If you like reading court room drama then this is your book. 

THE REDEEMERS by SURESH TANEJA

Author: Suresh Taneja

Publication: Frog Books

Editor: Vibha Sharma

Price: INR 145, $6
Rating: ***3/4

A bunch of youngsters (G4, as they call themselves)  have a long vacation at hand. They plan a mischievous party, only that they are forced into a bizarre situation. A situation that causes them to think. To think about things that their tender brains and hearts are not yet trained for. 

The situation, or the sequence of events, as I can put it, changes their lives altogether. From carefree teenagers, almost overnight, they grow into flag-bearer of one of the largest mass movements that modern India has seen.

Their creativity, thinking, resolve, determination, never say die attitude, situation handling skills, friendship, integrity, honesty, even a fair amount of good luck, all are put to hard tests, time and again, and almost always, the G4 comes out victorious. Do read the book to find out what happens eventually.

It is heartening to see how a topic that has impacted almost all the people of India, be dealt with, so easily. The book definitely gives a whole new perspective to the problem of rampant corruption in India, and a novel solution to it. The book will see its ultimate success, when people get inspired by the story, take hints and eventually shake the soul of the nation with a similar mass movement, thus cleansing the nation of this ill that has ailed her for so long.

Though the narration is quite excited, rather than being subtle and does not come across as natural, I think it is a good start for the author. It would have been better, had the story also dealt with some moments of the G4 where they actually failed, or did not succeed as per expectations. This would only make the story more real.

Additionally, I think, it would have been better had the part with the PM be reduced to him releasing a formal letter or something similar, as the G4 attending meetings had, by that time, become too commonplace and routine. Joking with the PM, PM crying and even an anchor crying on screen is too much to imagine. 

It is reassuring that time and again the emphasis of the story has lain in the fact that truthfulness must be achieved. One must walk the righteous path to glory as only that path has the power to sustain. The goodwill and trust you earn over time is bonus.

Another brilliant thing about the book is the family tree right in the beginning of the story, its absence would have made life really difficult for the reader.

As for me, I would love to see this book scale heights of fame as the time passes... Just for a reassurance that the literary world still acknowledges those who want to write a clean story, devoid of all that was once considered cheap, but has now become the selling point of many books.

Do read the book, for there is still hope for a better world.

THE WITCHES by ROALD DAHL

And just what does a paradoxically avid kid-lit reader, who already has some three big books banging hard due to their upcoming review submission deadlines and who is barely and that too, rarely getting any time to do anything sane off late, do, when she unexpectedly gets a day- forcibly away from work??

Yes! Read a Roald Dahl. What else.

And I mentioned 'paradoxically' basically because, although I believe myself to have read 'kidlit' the most, among all the reading that I have chanced upon, the book I picked up today is only the second of Roald Dahl. And all that, because of an autobiographical extract of the author, that we were made to understand at school, and which had become torturously boring due to repetition.

Anyway, past is past. All I understand today is the simple fact that eventually and finally, my roads have lead me to Roald Dahl, the king of kidlit.

And here's the review of the book for you... Enjoy...

Title: The Witches

Author: Roald Dahl

I can bet that you would not agree that old grandma's bedtime tales of witches and fairies, of lands far away and their kings could ever have been true. Yes, I can bet on it. Because so did I believe - or rather not believe in the truth behind the tales grannies told. Until I stumbled upon this book.

A little boy gets to live with his grandmother after he loses his parents to a road accident. The grandmother, or grandmumma, as the boy calls her, is a retired witchophile - someone who has studied witches and knows a lot about them. She tells him tales about how she has seen witches take little children away, what do the witches look like, how can they be spotted, what they like and what they want and so on.

The little child does not believe all this, until he is approached by a lady - who tames snakes and has all the signs of a witch that grandma has told him. Luckily he escapes this time. But not the next time. The next time he is the unfortunate victim of not one, but rather, some 84 witches tall and strong. Or so to say, all the witches of England and their overall administrative head put together. Poor boy! But no longer a boy. He gets transformed into a mouse!

The good thing, however is that incomplete magic allows him to communicate and he has already understood properly, the reality of witches and all the evil plans they have, for finishing all the kids of England.

One must surely read the book and find out whether the transformation into a mouse causes a sense of revenge to bloom in the little one, or he plans to embark on adventures that only mice can. Do read the book and find out what happens to the boy-turned-mouse eventually! Trust me, the book ends exactly as it must.

I love to read kid-lit mainly because it is a delight reading what grown-ups write for kids, what kids actually derive from it, what they are supposed to derive, and most importantly, what obvious lessons these books give that we generally overlook.

It is strange that simple things reveal so much. Through this book, aren't the kids being taught to try overcome their greed and not accept offerings by strangers. Aren't the kids being taught that it is okay if some misfortunes strike you. You must pick your pieces and move ahead.

Well, one thing that caught my notice was the behaviour of witches. Whatever may be the case, the evil wants to hide behind the garb of normalcy! Often, what appears to be the sweetest, may be the most evil thing around. Something like a sugar coated poison. But nonetheless, the good thing is that there is, more often than not, some good always working to undo the wrong. History illustrates, that ultimately in the long run, it is the good that can sustain.

So, Goodbye Witches!

True by Melinda Field

Title: True

Author :Melinda Fields

Publisher :Wise Women Ink

Genre: Fiction 

A breathtaking book! That’s how one would describe “True”. In a plot that resembles life itself, this book takes you on a wonderful journey of birth and death, making you realise the inevitability of both.

Caterina, a teenage girl is forced to leave the city of Phoenix, when her mother is sent to prison for prostitution and drug dealing. She has to go and live with her ailing grandmother whom she has never ever seen. The Green Valley in California is a cold and forbidding place for the young girl who is not welcomed in the small tight knit community. The story describes how racial prejudice and stereotyping brings her life on the edge of a dangerous precipice.

Just then she is taken in by Emma Cassidy , a midwife. Emma and her circle of horse-women friends pull Caterina inadvertently in their close knit sisterhood helping her overcome the life shaking incident and live a secure life. Caterina with her innate strength of character and determination emerges a winner from her ordeal.

The story gives us a touching portrayal of the eternal and deep friendship between Emma, Briar, Lilly, Clare and Midnight and how each faces her own battles of life. An illness makes Briar the ‘Clairvoyant’ and everyone becomes a student of life with her. Lilly and Clare, sisters, have to undergo pain because of their mother who has to live away from them. Additionally Clare finally chins up to an abusive husband. Midnight has her own demons to fight . Emma also sees an upheaval late in life when the old love she had brushed aside surfaces again.

The story weaves these absolutely believable characters and situations in beautiful tapestry. It strengthens the belief in love, friendship and humanity by its portrayal of the lives of these wonderful women who become each other’s guiding light and support. The pangs of loss, the pain of death and the fact that life is ever- ongoing is touchingly brought to fore. The cyclical plot  takes the reader on a travail of birth and death, restoring the faith in love and life. The language is lucid and flowing. The weather, scenery, animals, farm life and wildlife come alive with vibrant description and imagery.

One can see glimpses of our own life and our own quest for the meaning of it all at many places. That is a measure of the author’s wisdom and deep understanding of life. True is indeed a novel not to be missed.

MURDER UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

Author: Jane Bennett Munro

Publication: iUniverse Inc.

ISBN: 978-1-4502-9862-9

Rating: ****

Dr. Day, better known as Toni, is a young pathologist working at a local hospital at Twin Falls, Idaho. All is going very smoothly in her life. She is happily married, settled in her job and comfortable with her friends. But enter Dr. Shore, a surgeon at the hospital Toni works and re-enter Robbie, Toni's stalker ex-boyfriend and her life is thrown off the tracks.

Robbie has threatened to kill Toni's husband and Dr. Shore, having caused enough trouble to Toni, to last her a long time, dies mysteriously. It is really interesting and entertaining how Toni tries to bring her life back to normal after her husband is kidnapped and she is accused of Dr. Shore's murder and also, how she discovers so many unknown facts about the people around her when she tries to decode the mystery behind the death.

The sequence of events, the truth behind many a rich person, the warmth of friendship, the undying love of a parent for her child, the understanding of a close one, and of course, two full fledged mystery cases running parallel in a single story, everything is described so beautifully in the book, that it makes a compulsive read once you begin. Moreover, though the main mystery plots are solved there are some tiny aspects left unanswered for the reader to imagine and guess.

Only when you feel that it was a dud ending to the mystery that you realize that all was far from over and what lies ahead may be really murky and dark. A real must read for mystery lovers looking for a suspense thriller of a different kind.

The medical jargon used in the book gives it a different feel altogether, much like a green garnishing on a red colored dish, but it does get a little too much at places, given that an average reader would not have a pathology background.

The closing of the book leaves the reader awestruck, by answering an apparently silly question that remained unanswered during the book, giving further insight into the psychology of the people, in general.

Overall, an awesome piece of work by author Jane Bennett Munro, MD, a pathologist by profession. Having read this book, I would obviously want to read her other book, 'Too Much Blood' with a hope that it lives up to the level similar to that of this book.

I'd Kill For You by Alan Plessinger

Title: I'd Kill For You

Author: Alan Plessinger

The wife of a man convicted of killing his own son is found dead, the man goes into hiding, and thus, the whole story begins. As an unlikely twist, the detective agency hired to search for the man and solve the murder mystery, come upon a teen aged runaway who is looking for her mother whom she has never met but has been writing to. The girl falls in love with one of the detectives, just a little bit, but it is decided that they have better things to do for the present.

'I'd Kill For You' is a very complex tale with the detective agency, trying to uncover two full fledged mysteries and it seems unlikely that the two cases could possibly have any connection. The detective agency is being run by five brothers, who apart from being detectives, have their other lives as well. One runs a hotel, one is an ex-cop, one is a male prostitute, and so on, and all of them together, also form a music band.

The best part about the book is the mystery, for it is the only part that makes the book worth reading. But there are several other things as well that may put some readers off or maybe, just turn them on. A wonderful read for those who love a complex murder mystery, rolled together with loads of adult stuff, while also some great inputs on Christianity and God and a variety of other stuff and even some good values. 'I'd Kill For You' is one book where you could get all that.

The most touching aspect that I found about the book was the letter the father of the teenager runaway wrote to her. Even the toughest of shells could contain the most tender of hearts. And parents are parents, after all. Also, one could actually take lessons in forgiveness from Adam De Remer, one of the detectives, his patience being mountain sturdy.

And, you'll really have to read till the last few chapters to know who'd kill for whom, and of course, what becomes of the two strange cases that the detective agency is working upon, if you can brave it till there, that is.

Whims, Wits, and Whiskers: A Californian Pet Tale

Author: Sieglinde C. Othmer

Illustrator: Clare Rosean

Rating: ****

What do you expect from a story that has animals? Not few but many. What do you expect from a story that has some six dogs and two cats coming together under one roof and then all of them going out into the open and joining a number of other animals and singing what some hummingbirds had taught? Sounds weird, right?

Well, 'Whims, Wits, and Whiskers: A Californian Pet Tale' is a very beautiful and exuberant take on a situation similar to the above one. Three pet dogs, bored with their routine life are happy to host two of their cousins (dogs). They discuss and realize that they all want to do something amazing, but are really unsure what this amazing thing could be. All are independent and have their own likes and dislikes and thus are unable to come to a consensus.

What follows is the sudden arrival of two of their other cousins, this time, cats from Hollywood. The cats are artists and know a great many skills. With the help of these cats, and of course, little hummingbirds, who interestingly join the story at many places, the cousins are able to find what they would love to do. Just like the famous line from Paulo Coelho's novel "The Alchemist", 'When you really want something to happen, the whole world conspires to help you achieve it', things start falling in place and an unexpected journey to another of their cousin's place enables them to achieve their dream. A dream they could live. All seven of them.

What holds the story is the innocent narration that allows the innate nature of the animals to come out so brilliantly. Each animal has a unique identity and a unique nature, their own strengths and weaknesses, their hopes, aspirations and desires from life and from others, much like humans. The way the natural surroundings are described, does not leave a feeling that something might be missing or that it wold have been better had their been something more or something different.

And it is not one of those goodie-good books that have all things going as per the best possible. The cat and dog fight, the brief fight for supremacy, the conflict of opinion, the sudden death of a benefactor, the crashing of dreams and thinking that all was over, all make the story really realistic and far more acceptable than an ordinary ever happy storyline might have been.

Having grown up on those numerous animal stories of Panchatantra and Jataka and the others, to get me to read an animal story from start till end, without my getting bored and then smiling, speaks a lot, a real lot about the book. 

And yes, the book also has a little gift, an audio CD of the 'Fiderallalla' song these animals make. Some music lover friends of mine, who listened to the song, really liked it, despite having not read the book or knowing the context of the song. So, even the music scores as well as the book.

Mine to Avenge by Kerry Letheby

Author: Kerry Letheby

Rating: 4.9/5

Just glancing through the pages of the book, I could see that it had something to do with the tragedy of 9/11. But in reality, it hardly did. The main story is far more intricate.

A girl is brutally raped while her brother is away hunting. The brother blames his friend for prompting him to go hunting, while his sister was sick and so he plans to take revenge. Not a small one, but one which would last long. Really long.

The story “Mine to Avenge” revolves around a family of Galanos, which is under a very weird kind of spell. All the male Galanos’ undergo a peculiar pattern in life. They grow up, get married, have kids, are extremely happy, and suddenly become exceptionally protective and paranoid about their wives and kids’ safety, and then one fine day, they simply disappear. No one knows why this happens, and so it is said that they suffer from some kind of mental illness.

One day, at a family get-together, the Galanos family comes across a strange little piece of paper. It uncovers a complex vendetta that the family of the raped girl had organized against the Galanos, understanding that it was the fault of the Galanos that the tragedy had occurred in their family. Alethea, one of the youngest Galanos’, and whose father also disappeared during the September 11, 2001 attacks on World Trade Centre, USA (commonly known as 9/11) and is considered dead, takes it upon herself to uncover the big picture behind this vendetta, until she finds that that the culprits are uncomfortably closely associated with the Galanos families. One has to really read the book to find out what eventually happens and I would not like to spoil it for you.

The most wonderful aspect about this book is the simple fact that it is so unpredictable. You could never know what twist the story might take, even till the very last page. I could not just put away the book once I started reading it. The narrative is so profound and picturesque that one can hardly choose against loving it. The story, at many places is narrated from the point of view of many people. This makes the story far more appealing. The only trouble is the fact that at times, it becomes repetitive and lengthy. But it is enchanting, nonetheless.

The men of the house receiving strange calls, acting odd and then ultimately disappearing is so incredibly similar to men of the house receiving weird letters, then going mad and ultimately dying as in the story “The Five Orange Pips” (Sherlock Holmes Adventure Story by A.C. Doyle). And the character Spyridon in “Mine to Avenge” is somehow distantly similar to Heathcliff of “Wuthering Heights”, especially in the sense that both men are so driven by task they want to accomplish, that family and happiness mean nothing to them and sons for both are just means to accomplish their aims and nothing more.

A very poignant tale. A must read, especially, if you have been a fan of those old intricate Hardy classics.

I wish I could get to spend a day in Spyridon’s library… just in case it held some books with some similar stories. Maybe. Just maybe..

The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan

Title : The Twentieth Wife

Author : Indu Sundaresan

Publisher : Harper Collins

The great Mughal empire with all its expansiveness, grandeur, opulence and flamboyance has always mesmerized and intrigued historians, storywriters and commoners alike. Mughals (the word which is actually derived from Mongols) came from middle Asia towards India and reigned over most of the Indian subcontinent in the period 1526 to 1757. Though the royal emperors like Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb have long been resting in the annals of India, yet their styles, their polished faculties for art and culture, their elaborate mannerism, their harems, their foods still hold the unabated charm to enthrall many.

Indu Sundaresan brings back a slice of that era spanning from Akbar's reign to that of Jahangir's focusing more on their counterparts - the Mughal women and especially Mehrunnisa - a lady ,who, true to her name was like a Sun among women.  She grew up fantasizing about being Salim's wife some day but her dreams were brutally shattered when emperor Akbar commanded her father to marry her off to a valiant soldier of Persia - Ali Quli. Salim, who got enamoured by Mehrunnisa's beauty at a couple of chance meetings could not do anything to change Akbar's words. Being in a loveless marriage, enduring the stigma of being a barren lady for a long time after marriage, Mehrunnisa never got over her first love and nor did Salim. As fate would have it, they both met again and the dormant love between them got a chance to rekindle again.  After long torturous years of waiting, Salim (now emperor Jahangir) got to make his own choice, entirely devoid of any political aspiration - to marry his love of life Mehrunnisa who was given the name Noor Jahan by him. The controversial empress, the twentieth and last wife of Jahangir, went on to become a very powerful entity in Mughal lineage.

The author very meticulously talks about the veiled women wielding strong influence over the emperors, the political games played on either side of the curtains, supremacy and code of conduct in harems, open revolts of sons against their respective fathers for the prized crown, marriages for political gains or supremacy and much more.

I think I am a little biased towards the stories with strong female protagonists who let their grace, wisdom and strength of character introduce their identities to the world. In 'The Twentieth Wife'  Mehrunnisa is undoubtedly an epitome of poise, intelligence and patience. The beautifully written tale is based in parts on historical facts, gossips of bazars during that time and traveller's accounts with gaps filled with fictional spice and the result is a wonderfully weaved world full of flavour and fragrance. The amount of research that the author must have done for this piece of writing is evident from every detail that has been given due regard throughout the narrative. All the characters, their strengths and vulnerabilities are understandable and relatable. Indeed a very fast paced story with no dull moment in the whole of 376 pages long book rather every page teases you more and more for the events that are waiting to unfold in the subsequent pages. It is a sheer pleasure to read this story so must not be missed.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Title : Life of Pi

Author : Yann Martel

Publisher : Canongate/Random House

ISBN : 978-1-84195-392-2

There are some stories, I consider fortunate enough to enjoy the spotlight of the center stage more than once in their life times. Life of Pi happens to be one of them. Published in 2001 after being rejected by at least five publishing houses in London, Life of Pi won Man Booker Prize for Fiction, the following year. Later it got translated to a couple of other languages too. The story has managed to create hysteria once again after a decade when it has been adapted into a movie by an ace director - Ang Lee.

Life of Pi is a fantasy adventure novel written by Yann Martel. The protagonist of the story is Piscine Molitor 'Pi' Patel, an Indian boy hailing from Pondicherry, who happens to get his unusual name courtesy a famous swimming pool in Paris. His not so regular name makes him subject of a lot of ridicule, teasing and some funny incidents though it brings a lot of distress for the owner of the name himself.

Majoring in religious studies and zoology, Pi's quest to learn more about the divine power leads him to be a Muslim-Christian-Hindu, a rare combination indeed. The family (his parents, elder brother Ravi and he)decides to make the alien lands of Canada their home when his father, a zoo owner decides to call it quits in India. But that was not destined to be and the cargo ship tragically sinks in the rough waters of ocean leaving just a few survivors on the solitary lifeboat - newly orphaned sixteen year old Pi, a hyena, a monkey, a crippled zebra and a royal Bengal tiger who accidentally got the name Richard Parker. And hence the stage is set for a perfectly adventurous, nerve wrecking tale of fiction.

Life of Pi turns out to be a coming of age story of a boy who is caught in a strangely precarious situation where it is unimaginable to be sharing a lifeboat with a tiger while it is equally important for him to keep the tiger alive.  "A part of me was glad about Richard Parker. A part of me did not want Richard Parker to die at all, because if he died I would be left alone with despair, a foe even more formidable than a tiger. If I still had the will to live, it was thanks to Richard Parker. He pushed me to go on living. I hated him for it, yet at the same time I was grateful. "

His experiences, understanding, grit, patience, suffering and much more equip him to churn the same into fine pearls of wisdom. Situations which demand all possible and many times impossible faculties of an individual make the highlight of the book and it is wonderful to read how the survival instincts kick in at the right time. 'When your life is threatened, your sense of empathy is blunted by a terrible, selfish hunger for survival'.

After struggling with many menacing foes, learning a lot more than regular routine offers, graduating from being a simple vegetarian to eating anything for survival, realizing the desperation that threat to survival poses, confronting the power of fear from close quarters, witnessing the magical presence of God on many occasions, riding the waves of hope and despair continuously, striking a symbiotic relationship with a creature with whom it is most unlikely, Pi, in the company of Richard Parker reaches the shores of Mexico after 227 days. 

The commendable part of Martels's writing is the life like portrayal of Pi, every mood, every feeling and every scene. Pi's questioning and analyzing mind goads the readers to introspect on many issues including the one that stays in the thinking minds always - presence of God. Overall an extremely well written, engaging account of adventurous life of Pi indeed. The story is power packed with action, philosophy, spirituality and introspection - all in one. 

The Immigrant by Manju Kapoor

Title : The Immigrant

Author : Manju Kapoor

Publisher : Random House India

'The immigrant' is the story of a thirty-year old Nina who has apparently missed the bus of matrimony at the right time. But one fine day, unexpectedly a proposal arrives from a dentist Ananda settled in far away lands of Halifax, Canada. The marriage arranged by their respective families takes place and Nina leaves her home and country with stars in her eyes to the alien lands. But within a short period of time, the stars disappear and reality stares hard in their faces. The rest of the story revolves around the obvious - managing finances and loans, getting foothold in the foreign country, warding off boredom because of lack of human interaction while dealing with some very personal issues between the two of them.

The background is not unique, many books have already been written on this subject. 'The immigrant' is actually the story of incompatibility emotionally and physically, cheating, feeling cheated, search for identity, disillusionment and much more. But as the story progresses none of the two protagonists manages to strike any chord with the readers. The seem to be working on a very shallow plane and the story fails to become a genuine one. The story felt like progressing on a single track only whereas in relationships that is hardly the case. The mention of the political situation of the country at couple of places is left dangling in the middle of nowhere. It did not do anything other than adding the timestamp to the saga.

I always say and continue to feel the need to say it every time I end up feeling cheated by a book -

The readable fiction generally falls in either of these two broad categories: 1) Books offering some unique idea, out of the box thought, new plot or some extraordinary event which has never been presented before.  2)  Books working on known plots or ideas but the outstanding handling and packaging enable them to rise about the rest. By handling and packaging I mean - either the narration is very witty or engaging or is presented in such a fashion that something is there for the readers to savor.

Unfortunately 'The Immigrant' did nothing for me.

I am not sure if this book went through any editing iterations because it is very hard to ignore blatant mistakes like - the mother of the protagonist being referred to as Mr. Batra throughout the book and there are more name mix-ups at other places too.