tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65683613564666465142024-03-14T15:36:13.755+05:30Me & My Bookshelf !Padmajhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543983127473002611noreply@blogger.comBlogger166125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568361356466646514.post-12606058879687502452024-03-14T15:34:00.001+05:302024-03-14T15:34:15.692+05:30A Long Season of Ashes : A Memoir | Book Review<p><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Review of Siddhartha Gigoo's memoir - A Long Season of Ashes</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxv3i2VlzxW_HxG0YJm-6TTwZfvpR9S2s-Jhyphenhyphen9vl5f2UCNCyRmrH172JZ6WtIiYo26AV8_YsmKV5xdoXTSI1tSIQdoQbcpIHKfSgkEFFul0zfhMGw_h1Kj8IZMgE2JbA8XJJnQATzh_9fhtiQrfc2EaduPQfENx17UMzgo6ltvzh9lhvkKFLLZ_Xkew9xd/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202024-03-14%20at%2010.45.12%20AM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxv3i2VlzxW_HxG0YJm-6TTwZfvpR9S2s-Jhyphenhyphen9vl5f2UCNCyRmrH172JZ6WtIiYo26AV8_YsmKV5xdoXTSI1tSIQdoQbcpIHKfSgkEFFul0zfhMGw_h1Kj8IZMgE2JbA8XJJnQATzh_9fhtiQrfc2EaduPQfENx17UMzgo6ltvzh9lhvkKFLLZ_Xkew9xd/w335-h446/WhatsApp%20Image%202024-03-14%20at%2010.45.12%20AM.jpeg" width="335" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUC7R78I1-SM4BGrfVherKKMSxZReAguFGIvjGJ6D5RPU5jnD3E28tyvY_utGcTqA_fmk7ue7Kwn3xTUGoOjEnaj4Zxo8l5UYq7po9DSxWH_C0yJXU4J40bah45kNY6kwpJ6jipLk_lhytvKarQzDo-FSVMdlLkJ_WtRgVnNE-CCQq0GnXvCEx0AKj_5Ih/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUC7R78I1-SM4BGrfVherKKMSxZReAguFGIvjGJ6D5RPU5jnD3E28tyvY_utGcTqA_fmk7ue7Kwn3xTUGoOjEnaj4Zxo8l5UYq7po9DSxWH_C0yJXU4J40bah45kNY6kwpJ6jipLk_lhytvKarQzDo-FSVMdlLkJ_WtRgVnNE-CCQq0GnXvCEx0AKj_5Ih/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(1).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Title - A Long Season of Ashes</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">Author - Siddhartha Gigoo</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Year published – 25 January 2024</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Pages - 480</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Genre – Memoir</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Format - Hardbound</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Publisher - Viking [India]</span></li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgMoC0gS0AzVeeARadvfBmFjvv5uRC9ohQssNa8EvbHL8Ka8o0wcvL_vIuBQrIafRjlMKtTnatMrDaMuCx6F_pzBu_5BM9VvB_htQPWY3NpU5hAxTJmFcT-wvEi9FNwo_5ZPQ91cDdjpeHzSeAfyjMTlKzK04lfkqJ_-TT_gdOE9IUoEJeM111kbtdibH/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgMoC0gS0AzVeeARadvfBmFjvv5uRC9ohQssNa8EvbHL8Ka8o0wcvL_vIuBQrIafRjlMKtTnatMrDaMuCx6F_pzBu_5BM9VvB_htQPWY3NpU5hAxTJmFcT-wvEi9FNwo_5ZPQ91cDdjpeHzSeAfyjMTlKzK04lfkqJ_-TT_gdOE9IUoEJeM111kbtdibH/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In March
1990, sixteen-year-old Siddhartha Gigoo was forced to flee his home in Safa
Kadal, Srinagar, Kashmir. The preceding days have been full of fear and horror
for the Gigoos— having seen friends and neighbors killed outside their homes.
They could be next if they don’t leave. But they want to stay, even when faced
with a looming threat to their lives. Siddhartha thinks his leaving is
temporary and that he will be back home soon. Little does he know that his fate
is sealed.<br />
What follows is a long, dark time— a camp existence and a struggle
for survival.<br />
Thirty-four years on, Siddhartha chronicles the story of his flight from
Kashmir and an entire youth spent in exile.<br />
A meditation on the nature of memory, A Long Season of Ashes is a
book about a boy’s journey of self-discovery.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieYLZEPJV6RrjsK8IvBp2WK0X5MAxeycONraY0uDzE84Jyw8UaA0x3Xif4mXdMGcqjMEwZWAB0wTRe7YJ6H69B8k1ytovQCht-ZVXfWewOMZiyAjG0uvs0IE0oFDVBtiSvLOPjdUMp2a_ww0J3PudSrwfYzChSiSXvE5lNF_EsDPW3eaNJBB7tTvG7N9Qv/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(4).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieYLZEPJV6RrjsK8IvBp2WK0X5MAxeycONraY0uDzE84Jyw8UaA0x3Xif4mXdMGcqjMEwZWAB0wTRe7YJ6H69B8k1ytovQCht-ZVXfWewOMZiyAjG0uvs0IE0oFDVBtiSvLOPjdUMp2a_ww0J3PudSrwfYzChSiSXvE5lNF_EsDPW3eaNJBB7tTvG7N9Qv/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(4).png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Book #23 of 2024</span><p></p></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Non-fiction
#15<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Rating 5 stars</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><br />
This poignant memoir is the heart-wrenching story of the displacement of
thousands of Kashmiri Pandits from their homes in the late 90s and the arduous
journey they endured thereafter. While the plight of these displaced
individuals was a familiar topic, the depth of their suffering truly hit me as
I turned each page of this memoir.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The author vividly portrays the grim reality faced by his community,
where the fate of so many was sealed on the day they were forced from their
homes. The longing of the author's grandfather to return to his homeland,
unfulfilled until his last breath, serves as a poignant reminder of the
profound loss experienced by countless families.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Reading this book was an emotionally charged experience, with moments
that brought tears to my eyes and scenes so vividly depicted that I had to
pause to collect myself. The descriptions of the chaos, disorder, food and
water shortage, and unsanitary living conditions faced by those living in camps
were particularly gut-wrenching, highlighting the unimaginable hurdles and
hardships endured by the displaced population.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The atrocities committed against the Kashmiri Pandits, especially the
women, were even more heartbreaking. It's unfathomable to comprehend how
individuals who once led comfortable lives had their world turned upside down
in a matter of minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Amidst the tragedy, the author beautifully captures the bonds formed
with family members, friends, and fellow survivors, offering glimpses of hope
amidst the despair. Written in the form of a diary interspersed with letters to
family members, the memoir encapsulates a range of emotions - from desperation
and sadness to fleeting moments of happiness found in simple pleasures like a
home-cooked meal.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The stark contrast between life before displacement and the harsh
reality of life in camps or on the run is powerfully depicted, serving as a
stark reminder of the fragility of security and the resilience of the human
spirit.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Furthermore, the inclusion of "The Kashmiri Pandits and Kashmir: A
Historical Timeline" at the end of the book provides valuable context,
tracing the history of the community from 1500 BCE to 2023. The meticulous
notes section offers references for events mentioned throughout the memoir,
adding depth and authenticity to the narrative.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">In all, this book is not only a heart-rending memoir but also a
testament to the suffering endured by the Kashmiri Pandit community and the
author's journey to self-discovery. It serves as a crucial record in Indian
history, shedding light on the targeted attacks against minorities and the
enduring spirit of those who survived.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">A 5/5 star read.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdZbm7I5D6bvzYSY5fGUWDZvLMUV-nRayl9FT1P4G0ZKOqSljpSmk7GyoKdi89XiQ90UffasfKj3KEjwzPqIbjTEbnqrLVPJtX0opkWq4fLhlnO5PgfwhxmfAeHJ_6KHdoZgy-gxuyw58XE2Y3XsXlBgyjGz86DOwrwW4L7wd9l1z6Y_YaK0OpQoThec7/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(2).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdZbm7I5D6bvzYSY5fGUWDZvLMUV-nRayl9FT1P4G0ZKOqSljpSmk7GyoKdi89XiQ90UffasfKj3KEjwzPqIbjTEbnqrLVPJtX0opkWq4fLhlnO5PgfwhxmfAeHJ_6KHdoZgy-gxuyw58XE2Y3XsXlBgyjGz86DOwrwW4L7wd9l1z6Y_YaK0OpQoThec7/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(2).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Siddhartha
Gigoo, winner of the 2015Commonwealth Short Story Prize (Asia) for his short
story, ‘The Umbrella Man’, has published two books of poetry―Fall and
Other Poems and Reflections, four novels―The Garden of Solitude, Mehr:
A Love Story, The Lion of Kashmir, Love in the Time of Quarantine―and
a book of short stories―A Fistful of Earth and Other Stories (long listed
for the 2015 Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award). He has co-edited
two anthologies, A Long Dream of Home: The Persecution, Exodus and Exile
of Kashmiri Pandits and Once We Had Everything: Literature in Exile.
In 2021, Siddhartha won the New Asian Short Story Prize for his short story,
‘Elephant’s Tusk’. His short stories have been long-listed for the Lorian
Hemingway Short Story Prize, the Royal Society of Literature's V.S. Pritchett
Short Story Prize, and the Seán O'Faoláin Short Story Prize. Siddhartha’s short
films, The Last Day and Goodbye, Mayfly, have won several awards
at international film festivals. His writings also appear in various literary
journals.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /></span><p></p>Padmajhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543983127473002611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568361356466646514.post-27014584943138534342024-03-09T20:15:00.002+05:302024-03-09T20:15:12.577+05:30Dante's Paradox | Book Review<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Review of the memoir - Dante's Paradox</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgriGNEilvf0tMBpg15PHh8V3GtYuTb8h2hxIAJGBqop2mqMzvt6xxGFovKIYeT5t3C283fq8g1ODSz-6qxex0oFRWyiW_V1VF8g3d6PaRWeJBDe5fTrFAvRWvEomQ-Go3XROiDJTvKcoPsXip9dAjSS8dCvmdB_DayOeQVsaGF0jKLDfkqDbQIiOWjtgPP/s1080/Untitled%20design%20(34).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgriGNEilvf0tMBpg15PHh8V3GtYuTb8h2hxIAJGBqop2mqMzvt6xxGFovKIYeT5t3C283fq8g1ODSz-6qxex0oFRWyiW_V1VF8g3d6PaRWeJBDe5fTrFAvRWvEomQ-Go3XROiDJTvKcoPsXip9dAjSS8dCvmdB_DayOeQVsaGF0jKLDfkqDbQIiOWjtgPP/w372-h372/Untitled%20design%20(34).png" width="372" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9YFQE5wA5waO4VsLXJqURT2Sza57j8Zb1yXQUNkrLGs_InFqlyWt588m1FXTTQuyMUypbO85In5GZJQPgf_Kx7q2lTyIXv_Es7oU34IeCvQhiqYbfUFdZ5Sbkiv_pzOOUlNY0obPVLqe5K0IorNbKRntqDU7nV8EM9K-Y1x0fcYrBpn0alMbrba0EAjyV" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="66" data-original-width="320" height="66" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9YFQE5wA5waO4VsLXJqURT2Sza57j8Zb1yXQUNkrLGs_InFqlyWt588m1FXTTQuyMUypbO85In5GZJQPgf_Kx7q2lTyIXv_Es7oU34IeCvQhiqYbfUFdZ5Sbkiv_pzOOUlNY0obPVLqe5K0IorNbKRntqDU7nV8EM9K-Y1x0fcYrBpn0alMbrba0EAjyV" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></p><p></p><ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Title -Dante's Paradox</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">Author - Dante M Slater Sr.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Year published – 17 January 2024</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Pages - 103</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Genre – Memoir</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Format - ebook</span></li></ul><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtR_a_hraXQAr8JOUzW1d3qje1t6kJh__xz6z6yRfLHs0L9bOaDxuEEZNYQo5vJHedDAvVqi47PD8P7HxTcxfeRFt11F5rtpC56EP-RngI3YuvHARMnVNE8LSeVjyNud_-2xnS2aTo_cH2Q6_G4b_R3lCTXYW0ftJImA-sMvHqQoTp9wRXQQDm6TVGNld/s424/image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="83" data-original-width="424" height="63" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtR_a_hraXQAr8JOUzW1d3qje1t6kJh__xz6z6yRfLHs0L9bOaDxuEEZNYQo5vJHedDAvVqi47PD8P7HxTcxfeRFt11F5rtpC56EP-RngI3YuvHARMnVNE8LSeVjyNud_-2xnS2aTo_cH2Q6_G4b_R3lCTXYW0ftJImA-sMvHqQoTp9wRXQQDm6TVGNld/s320/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">"Dante's
Paradox" delves deep into the profound journey of an individual driven by
an insatiable thirst for truth and a relentless pursuit of life's enigmas.
Throughout his lifetime, he stumbles upon a sequence of events that defy
conventional explanation, bordering on the realms of science fiction. These
encounters challenge the very fabric of his reality, compelling him to confront
the notion that coincidence is a rarity in the tapestry of existence, from the
moment of birth to the inevitable embrace of the tomb.<br />
<br />
As the narrative unfolds, the protagonist embarks on a philosophical odyssey,
exploring the tantalizing idea that the threads of human connection possess the
transformative power to reverse our self-destructive tendencies. With
unwavering conviction, he advocates for the profound impact of second and even
third thoughts, believing that as sentient beings, we possess the capacity to
mend the fractures in our existence and chart a course toward redemption.<br />
<br />
"Dante's Paradox" is a mesmerizing and thought-provoking tale that
weaves together elements of mystery, science fiction, and profound
introspection. Join us on this extraordinary journey as we traverse the blurred
boundaries between reality and imagination, challenging our perceptions of
truth, coincidence, and the limitless potential of human connection.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmXrGaN8hBh0kGD0MtbYjBthTWt0m4XcCABkUiBsDnp0au7a2qBjiHE0rgGMMXdOZ5FFw7JdAOrc7cOuMS20tD_wYH4DIofu9ie1jn9URnJQF-s2d1IFmyzeFgZmOjGlWqIu1hNcu9XF1_SpamSHpN8w-azrqeYHD0SPmWs88P0HHXDYsx22i6adqSPor/s422/image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="81" data-original-width="422" height="61" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmXrGaN8hBh0kGD0MtbYjBthTWt0m4XcCABkUiBsDnp0au7a2qBjiHE0rgGMMXdOZ5FFw7JdAOrc7cOuMS20tD_wYH4DIofu9ie1jn9URnJQF-s2d1IFmyzeFgZmOjGlWqIu1hNcu9XF1_SpamSHpN8w-azrqeYHD0SPmWs88P0HHXDYsx22i6adqSPor/s320/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></p>Book #22 of 2024</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Non-fiction- #14<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">Rating - 4 stars</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The title of this book caught my attention with its intriguing promise
of a paradox. A paradox, by definition, embodies conflicting features or
qualities, leading me to wonder what sort of paradox Dante, the author, would
explore.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">As I dived into the short chapters, I found myself immersed in a series
of narratives that defied conventional explanation. Each story challenged my
understanding of science and reality, leaving me both fascinated and perplexed.
From the very first chapter to the final one, every tale held me captive with
its enigmatic twists and turns.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">While I could relate to some experiences shared in the book, such as the
uncanny synchronicity of feeling pain in the same place as a loved one or the
serendipitous delays that turn out to be blessings in disguise, others
recounted by the author left me utterly mystified. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">These narratives provoke deep contemplation, inviting readers to
question the nature of intuition and the existence of phenomena that seem to
defy the laws of nature and science.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">In particular, the bond between Dante and his daughter emerges to be
more intriguing than the rest, characterized by a rare connection akin to that
of twins, where they share not only physical sensations but also dreams with
uncanny precision.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">This captivating collection of stories serves as a journey into life's
mysteries, exploring the intricate connections between family members and the
profound depths of human emotion. It's a thought-provoking read that I would rate
4 out of 5 stars.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Book #22 of 2024<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Non-fiction- #14<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The title of this book caught my attention with its intriguing promise
of a paradox. A paradox, by definition, embodies conflicting features or
qualities, leading me to wonder what sort of paradox Dante, the author, would
explore.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">As I dived into the short chapters, I found myself immersed in a series
of narratives that defied conventional explanation. Each story challenged my
understanding of science and reality, leaving me both fascinated and perplexed.
From the very first chapter to the final one, every tale held me captive with
its enigmatic twists and turns.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">While I could relate to some experiences shared in the book, such as the
uncanny synchronicity of feeling pain in the same place as a loved one or the
serendipitous delays that turn out to be blessings in disguise, others
recounted by the author left me utterly mystified. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">These narratives provoke deep contemplation, inviting readers to
question the nature of intuition and the existence of phenomena that seem to
defy the laws of nature and science.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">In particular, the bond between Dante and his daughter emerges to be
more intriguing than the rest, characterized by a rare connection akin to that
of twins, where they share not only physical sensations but also dreams with
uncanny precision.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16pt;">This captivating collection of stories serves as a journey into life's
mysteries, exploring the intricate connections between family members and the
profound depths of human emotion. It's a thought-provoking read that I would rate
4 out of 5 stars.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Thanks to <a href="https://booksirens.com/" target="_blank">Book Sirens</a> for the review copy.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Until next post...</span></p><p>the </p>Padmajhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543983127473002611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568361356466646514.post-54157334112379418212024-03-07T09:29:00.006+05:302024-03-09T20:07:41.309+05:30Navapashanam: The Quest for the Nine Magical Poisons | Book Review<p> <span style="font-size: 16pt;">Review of Nitya Neelakantan's book - Navapashanam: The Quest for the Nine Magical Poisons.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJ336jRalFiNaPjc9u5qMvSWiEhhRb5iswJ9hyphenhyphenzBSW8ueSKbG32ZomWUX5BGu8qxAFQXO7hNuULM5HKA4XSwL7XYdAqnH2NGbCtWtf5aBipBM8aZyXdbiNc9w32fv5O0Mttpwjm5P5VurXyOS33XyhIY03DeX56KSzP8KbA4CMF4lhyphenhyphenpCUy9nAjoFQo_c/s1522/WhatsApp%20Image%202024-03-06%20at%2012.31.29%20PM.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1522" data-original-width="1116" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJ336jRalFiNaPjc9u5qMvSWiEhhRb5iswJ9hyphenhyphenzBSW8ueSKbG32ZomWUX5BGu8qxAFQXO7hNuULM5HKA4XSwL7XYdAqnH2NGbCtWtf5aBipBM8aZyXdbiNc9w32fv5O0Mttpwjm5P5VurXyOS33XyhIY03DeX56KSzP8KbA4CMF4lhyphenhyphenpCUy9nAjoFQo_c/w291-h396/WhatsApp%20Image%202024-03-06%20at%2012.31.29%20PM.jpeg" width="291" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1w0i4XHm41CwRt_G2iZSRGSKw50eWklHoB0xM0ibfyAyqEFjd6rOrUx6beUauJOBbHYpoyDMEZgYdDp1GAH-7sLpKQ-rvDj9t9EKhId9cw1jk0hQahYm2ewc8HUfCxyQT841cR_xZvRTg3LUruTk2vFwDzhCfi3SFtnvv71sDP6Q9gIjHDT7U-yPzNYxE/s423/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="87" data-original-width="423" height="66" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1w0i4XHm41CwRt_G2iZSRGSKw50eWklHoB0xM0ibfyAyqEFjd6rOrUx6beUauJOBbHYpoyDMEZgYdDp1GAH-7sLpKQ-rvDj9t9EKhId9cw1jk0hQahYm2ewc8HUfCxyQT841cR_xZvRTg3LUruTk2vFwDzhCfi3SFtnvv71sDP6Q9gIjHDT7U-yPzNYxE/s320/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Title -Navapashanam: The Quest for the Nine Magical Poisons</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">Author- Nitya Neelakantan</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Year published – 11 December 2023</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Publisher - Readomania</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Pages - 240</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Genre – Fiction / Thriller / Mystery</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Format - Paperback</span></li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDres8FZyh0dctzXGSKAOvU68Zf5_qKG4L3Df3fFmxr_RLleJC59qNF1_QZ_5QWXblYyjMtLtacJRka9ee2nf_av4VMiH3N85cHYPkoOuPwDbb9adXz1jvDQBwdBDgZQ4CKFyc15sfHcQIIgdJ84mX9dWKKIx1gfxbl3fTTNfbIfE-DLO4BX4l_sBNP8z/s424/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="83" data-original-width="424" height="63" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDres8FZyh0dctzXGSKAOvU68Zf5_qKG4L3Df3fFmxr_RLleJC59qNF1_QZ_5QWXblYyjMtLtacJRka9ee2nf_av4VMiH3N85cHYPkoOuPwDbb9adXz1jvDQBwdBDgZQ4CKFyc15sfHcQIIgdJ84mX9dWKKIx1gfxbl3fTTNfbIfE-DLO4BX4l_sBNP8z/s320/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Two
women…two hundred years apart. A story of magical healing, hidden treasure,
betrayal, and murder. Mookambikai, the secret keeper of the Navapashanam, is
being hunted and persecuted by nefarious factions until her trail goes cold
after a confrontation with the vilest Aghora who wants the Navapashanam. 200
years later, Mookambika’s great grandniece, Manimeghalai aka Megha, finds
herself entangled in a maelstrom of events involving dark elements who are
still on the hunt for the Navapashanam. Amidstnear fatal accidents, an
increasing count of dead bodies, and a missing fiancé, Megha, is pushed into
looking for the lost Navapashanam. Will she find what she desperately seeks?
Are Mookambikai’s and Megha’s destiny entwined? Will Megha save the day?
Navapashanam takes you on a fascinating journey of passion and intrigue.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_QOzkyzgmQoylKn5B-Rdl6yQKrWwE7HWMYu3MK4LyEzY2bBbLzLhZESCG-LuUg2-F0Gej_0ghq-Nopj-EwgwVvKZyTn3O7mIou_iTgIwlI72s5S0Mdmp3BcmlPr6B1tElVnRf7dgC3QGVfjSuLMeTolXDEuDejwZd6eAf-eF8e8AbObLBqE2p57EtFAX/s422/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="81" data-original-width="422" height="61" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_QOzkyzgmQoylKn5B-Rdl6yQKrWwE7HWMYu3MK4LyEzY2bBbLzLhZESCG-LuUg2-F0Gej_0ghq-Nopj-EwgwVvKZyTn3O7mIou_iTgIwlI72s5S0Mdmp3BcmlPr6B1tElVnRf7dgC3QGVfjSuLMeTolXDEuDejwZd6eAf-eF8e8AbObLBqE2p57EtFAX/s320/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Book #22 of 2024<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Rating – 5 stars<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The intriguing blurb caught my attention and as I read on, I'm thrilled
to say it exceeded my expectations! With a title like "Navapashanam"
- a substance shrouded in mystery and legend - I knew I was in for a thrilling
ride.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The narrative seamlessly transitions between the late 1700s and the
present day, leaving each chapter on a gripping cliffhanger. I found myself
eagerly devouring each period's storyline, unable to tear myself away. I
finished this book in a single sitting within a couple of hours.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The fast-paced narration kept me engrossed until the very last page,
with the author skillfully weaving together fact and fiction. References to
real-life landmarks like the Murugan idol at Palani and many more such places lent
an air of authenticity to the story, despite the storyline being fictional,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Furthermore, the incorporation of Tamil language and culture added depth
and richness to the narrative, making it feel more immersive and true to its
roots. </span><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">The footnotes
providing explanations and meanings of the Tamil words used are a plus as they are
certainly beneficial for readers who are new to the language.</span><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="background: rgb(33, 33, 33); color: #ececec;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The characters, particularly Megha and her cousin, captured my heart,
while the revelation of Chandran's true nature took me by surprise. Saravanan's
motives kept me guessing, and I found myself despising the character of Chakri.
Mookambikai instantly won my heart with her gentle demeanor and unwavering
dedication to safeguarding the Navapashanam. Her selflessness and willingness
to make sacrifices for the greater good left a lasting impression on me. On the
other hand, Sambu, the village doctor, failed to earn my admiration. His
actions and demeanor were off-putting, and I found myself disliking his
character as the story unfolded.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Even now, a week after finishing the book, the characters and their
stories linger in my mind. This fast-paced thriller, with its blend of history
and suspense, kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. Without a doubt, I
give it a well-deserved 5/5 stars for its gripping storyline and unforgettable
characters.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">Until the next post....</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAzVDb7ui3pvvvTlz0ACTWwg3NFdaql30B4q0i38d0UVO6A7ylwckjxdFMqx0ZOeHrDirPkX_peECp045ZD2OmbO3uXzunskap6UaqXcGE2BuRzOPuouY6tWMESDBbxpN6IDB1EypdfYZjLGNz1EhBJJfkv1C_aDXdX3nn_BF6M3HeTuGOWpxwTt2lG_4/s106/PJ%20sign.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="89" data-original-width="106" height="89" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAzVDb7ui3pvvvTlz0ACTWwg3NFdaql30B4q0i38d0UVO6A7ylwckjxdFMqx0ZOeHrDirPkX_peECp045ZD2OmbO3uXzunskap6UaqXcGE2BuRzOPuouY6tWMESDBbxpN6IDB1EypdfYZjLGNz1EhBJJfkv1C_aDXdX3nn_BF6M3HeTuGOWpxwTt2lG_4/s1600/PJ%20sign.png" width="106" /></a></p>Padmajhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543983127473002611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568361356466646514.post-59122748670633795652024-02-22T19:19:00.000+05:302024-03-05T19:25:56.789+05:30Island In the Sun | Book Review<p> <span style="font-size: 16pt;">Review of Monica Carly's book - Island in the Sun</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTuaaaBwkGsqDG6BgXWlcxHCcgyf8QA5_FFdOw-Fg9BY_x11OagB2j5FXksUvF6SNF0mr2N6AzYfuwT15BiIGyEbVOjfvJzzEFE0EEIKMIbLSHvpCB3FPXKZe3_bbfjWZZ55OioYr4pohvHzRMOHb6V2oW28SpXjtxgqBDi0_MAXabj1tFIhQy3HTCD2B/s1080/Author%20Bio%20Born%20and%20raised%20in%20North%20London%20in%201952,%20John%20still%20lives%20in%20the%20city%20with%20his%20wife%20and%20three%20children.%20Privately%20educated,%20John%20left%20school%20after%20%E2%80%98A%E2%80%99%20levels%20and%20completed%20a%20business%20di.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTuaaaBwkGsqDG6BgXWlcxHCcgyf8QA5_FFdOw-Fg9BY_x11OagB2j5FXksUvF6SNF0mr2N6AzYfuwT15BiIGyEbVOjfvJzzEFE0EEIKMIbLSHvpCB3FPXKZe3_bbfjWZZ55OioYr4pohvHzRMOHb6V2oW28SpXjtxgqBDi0_MAXabj1tFIhQy3HTCD2B/w408-h408/Author%20Bio%20Born%20and%20raised%20in%20North%20London%20in%201952,%20John%20still%20lives%20in%20the%20city%20with%20his%20wife%20and%20three%20children.%20Privately%20educated,%20John%20left%20school%20after%20%E2%80%98A%E2%80%99%20levels%20and%20completed%20a%20business%20di.png" width="408" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Book #18 of 2024<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Non-fiction #12 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My
repertoire of nonfiction reads has now reached a dozen, thanks to the
delightful addition of this captivating book! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The author
transports readers into her world in Jamaica, sharing her rich tapestry of
experiences in this new environment. From cover to cover, I was enraptured by
the heartfelt narrative that effortlessly brings to life the vivid scenes from
her life.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The author
masterfully recounts her journey from childhood through to navigating a new
school, cherishing moments with friends and siblings along the way. What truly
struck a chord with me was the vivid depiction of culinary delights - from
Gladys’ mouthwatering pastries in the tuck shop to the tantalizing aroma of
rice and beans, and the irresistible allure of ice creams.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Moreover,
the book resonated deeply with me as I found echoes of my own experiences
within its pages. Reliving the nostalgia of childhood haunts and the challenges
of uprooting to a new place evoked a flood of memories. Additionally, the
inclusion of numerous black-and-white photographs provided a richer insight
into the various facets of the author's life.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Emotional
resonance permeates the narrative, from the relatable instances of schoolyard
embarrassment to the heartwarming moments shared with loved ones. Witnessing
the struggles of the author's mother as she pours over the accounts trying to make
ends meet, the heartbreak and the elation of witnessing the college almost in
ruins, and then knowing the restoration of cherished college takes readers on
an unforgettable emotional rollercoaster.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The cover
perfectly captures the essence of the book and I absolutely love it!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I found
myself completely engrossed, devouring the book in a single sitting. Without a
doubt, it earns a well-deserved 5/5 star rating.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Padmajhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543983127473002611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568361356466646514.post-75236342591539076782024-02-21T19:11:00.002+05:302024-03-05T19:19:44.143+05:30How Boys Learn| Book Review<p> <span style="font-size: 16pt;">Review of the book - How Boys Learn by Jeff Kirchick</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggaSA2EnVfvViTy1aCRs_DHKrkNd6-OngShRQnH6CAp-XM2TW5mk7BlcyYOeo02GMztaE_f_Fdbn3Jb0yv1EpoN9BpaqKzY74s5-5IwVxDdNDZr97Lva_K7oT_CY1mFLjnHaKM-tOn6-aBRtWkpHE_ynexgdBge19x9pU7Uh4BlxLsY2a_SB2kwGdxJ2ms/s1080/keep%20smiling%20and%20happy.%20(6).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggaSA2EnVfvViTy1aCRs_DHKrkNd6-OngShRQnH6CAp-XM2TW5mk7BlcyYOeo02GMztaE_f_Fdbn3Jb0yv1EpoN9BpaqKzY74s5-5IwVxDdNDZr97Lva_K7oT_CY1mFLjnHaKM-tOn6-aBRtWkpHE_ynexgdBge19x9pU7Uh4BlxLsY2a_SB2kwGdxJ2ms/w392-h392/keep%20smiling%20and%20happy.%20(6).png" width="392" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Book #17 of 2024</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Non-Fiction - #11<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">When I
initially picked up this book, my expectation was to delve into the realm of
boys' experiences, upbringing, and all the nuances associated with boyhood.
With a 12-year-old son at home, I anticipated an insightful exploration that
would shed light on his world. However, as I delved into the pages, my
expectations took an unexpected turn.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">The book
presents a series of short stories, each offering a glimpse into the male
perspective of life. What struck me most was the emotional depth woven into
these narratives. From tender moments of friendship to the complexities of love
and sexuality, the stories delve into the intricacies of male relationships and
emotions. Moreover, the author fearlessly addresses the harmful impacts of
toxic masculinity, highlighting how societal norms can detrimentally affect
boys and men alike.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">As I
immersed myself in these stories, I found myself confronted with a myriad of
emotions. Some moments resonated deeply with my own experiences, while others
felt slightly disjointed. Nevertheless, the overall effect was both insightful
and thought-provoking.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">One of the
book's greatest strengths lies in its ability to illuminate the complexities of
the world through the male lens. By providing a platform for male voices to
express their truths, the author offers readers a deeper understanding of the
male experience.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Despite
deviating from my initial expectations, this book proved to be a refreshing
departure from the norm. Its poignant narratives and thought-provoking themes
earned it a solid 4/5 stars in my eyes. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking
a deeper insight into the male perspective and the complexities of masculinity
in today's society.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Padmajhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543983127473002611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568361356466646514.post-41028058563907882422024-02-20T19:06:00.012+05:302024-03-05T19:20:00.879+05:30The Silent Witness | Book Review<p><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Review of the Vikas Trivedi and Smitha Agarwal's book - The Silent Witness</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGpq6-1wS-D2Q5c6rqZgTCnbAm3kQLSY4LbNyIFjRkphw35ie0pMOoJKvw40yLT3IWW3iBgDtrhimMKynJoJ0QqLDP9Neo4JmM3Jg0JccfHM1cgeBak5GfZ0gf1uL_wWoIGYdWpQ0WIuyWqzj4nr8s9SXcvLj-NCT8mL4YgF0mPFKvKyyMPaLlxEWJw8d/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202024-01-26%20at%2011.00.58%20AM.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGpq6-1wS-D2Q5c6rqZgTCnbAm3kQLSY4LbNyIFjRkphw35ie0pMOoJKvw40yLT3IWW3iBgDtrhimMKynJoJ0QqLDP9Neo4JmM3Jg0JccfHM1cgeBak5GfZ0gf1uL_wWoIGYdWpQ0WIuyWqzj4nr8s9SXcvLj-NCT8mL4YgF0mPFKvKyyMPaLlxEWJw8d/w320-h427/WhatsApp%20Image%202024-01-26%20at%2011.00.58%20AM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Book #16 of 2024<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Neha and her
mother's relocation to Deadwood marks the beginning of a new chapter in their
lives, with Neha enrolling in a new school. However, their fresh start takes a
dark turn as threatening notes begin to surface mysteriously, hinting at hidden
dangers and secrets lurking beneath the town's surface.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">The
narrative kicks off with an engaging premise, drawing readers into Neha's
journey of adaptation and the relatable emotions that come with starting anew.
Yet, as the plot progresses, the mentions of the town's secrets and the
emergence of threatening notes become repetitive. Disappointingly, these
intriguing mysteries are eventually abandoned, leaving loose ends in the
storyline.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Furthermore,
the latter parts of the book suffer from a lack of clarity, making it
challenging to follow the narrative cohesively. The ending feels a little
unclear.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">While the
inclusion of multiple points of view adds depth to the storytelling, the book's
quick pace doesn't fully compensate for its shortcomings. Overall, it was an
average read.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Padmajhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543983127473002611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568361356466646514.post-91691373165960510482024-02-15T16:28:00.006+05:302024-02-15T16:28:46.418+05:30Right Across the Bay | Book Review<p> <span style="font-size: 16pt;">Review of Quinn </span><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">Avery's</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> thriller - Right Across the Bay</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5AdGM0xXQz40IVOLLt4FTqAlcv69eg_JFymjjp3xQWozexC-m7SrxfnJNMOqUGTSBLHafffX2eiFFJc5wVbE1GQc1EOplVuguUxSxCqbSidg3GMthT3WxDOrNxeeS9AL-Y2-E8PnI79pDIuWIEp0irwceuHN5TgK8nU18L_G1fBtxjTIxD25GAPKhdBq0/s1080/Author%20Bio%20Matthew%20Ross%20is%20the%20author%20of%203%20published%20novels%20to%20date.%20His%20first%20novel,%20&quot;Death%20Of%20A%20Painter&quot;%20was%20selected%20by%20The%20Sun%20newspaper%20as%20one%20of%20its%20picks%20of%20the%20week.%20Matthew%20wrot%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5AdGM0xXQz40IVOLLt4FTqAlcv69eg_JFymjjp3xQWozexC-m7SrxfnJNMOqUGTSBLHafffX2eiFFJc5wVbE1GQc1EOplVuguUxSxCqbSidg3GMthT3WxDOrNxeeS9AL-Y2-E8PnI79pDIuWIEp0irwceuHN5TgK8nU18L_G1fBtxjTIxD25GAPKhdBq0/w418-h418/Author%20Bio%20Matthew%20Ross%20is%20the%20author%20of%203%20published%20novels%20to%20date.%20His%20first%20novel,%20&quot;Death%20Of%20A%20Painter&quot;%20was%20selected%20by%20The%20Sun%20newspaper%20as%20one%20of%20its%20picks%20of%20the%20week.%20Matthew%20wrot%20(1).png" width="418" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9jvqFh5Nom8usUBm-p_TakFkYicAOTAfxErs3eoC95W3yn_YcnoFag5iB8wLdomSa13Szp1wvDQH76bA9aHj6lHHa5QDHvXWKS_PVzgLH7XmB9HJlaAmzjfnKktsfahUjxhGLsIiRCQ-pxEkErDA_7d4967owbGedEnjT2PkgLgz-2HN1WjkpU9S5xcs/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(1).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9jvqFh5Nom8usUBm-p_TakFkYicAOTAfxErs3eoC95W3yn_YcnoFag5iB8wLdomSa13Szp1wvDQH76bA9aHj6lHHa5QDHvXWKS_PVzgLH7XmB9HJlaAmzjfnKktsfahUjxhGLsIiRCQ-pxEkErDA_7d4967owbGedEnjT2PkgLgz-2HN1WjkpU9S5xcs/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(1).png" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p></p><ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Title - </span> <span style="font-size: 16pt;">Right Across the Bay</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">Authors- Quinn Avery</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Year published – 20 Feb 2024</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Pages - 268</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Genre – Thriller / Mystery</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Format - eBook</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Author's website - </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.quinnavery.com/&source=gmail&ust=1708075297602000&usg=AOvVaw1EM7fjbuv4U9a_4E-Rb4qh" href="https://www.quinnavery.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">https://www.quinnavery.com/</span></a></li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMzQNPU7dRxfFy1-Jq9NzzRSO8KN-o-XAFLWymbo4hoeC_1EStTQUlRBhNeeJl012etj2xVlOdzi0m1M2u1IXGWVac3wJbrMDjMvBiqjYajntLP_spxdXE3S4JnJsipTy7IeuYYvxQi5C5dnxWPQh3758IWkN5xm5niXqSCxWurOGPo2blYWphbq65o5Dd/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMzQNPU7dRxfFy1-Jq9NzzRSO8KN-o-XAFLWymbo4hoeC_1EStTQUlRBhNeeJl012etj2xVlOdzi0m1M2u1IXGWVac3wJbrMDjMvBiqjYajntLP_spxdXE3S4JnJsipTy7IeuYYvxQi5C5dnxWPQh3758IWkN5xm5niXqSCxWurOGPo2blYWphbq65o5Dd/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">They were
cousins who shared decades of secrets.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And now one
of them is dead.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Britta
Baxter, beloved fitness influencer and estranged wife of a surgeon, gave up
city life to start anew on their grandma’s property overlooking Lake Shetek in
southwestern Minnesota. After she convinces her cousin, Maxine Thomsen, to
revisit the same lake where they’d spent their summers together as kids, Maxine
is shocked to learn the boy she loved as a teenager lives across the same
quaint bay. Although repairing the decades-old relationship between Maxine and
Noah seems possible, a dark ending has already been set in place.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When
Britta’s body is discovered floating in the bay, Detective Josephine Kelly is
called in to assist in the murder investigation. With a near-perfect record,
Detective Kelly's sharp instincts rarely lead her astray. Once she senses
something is amiss in the neighborhood, she’ll apprehend a suspect no one saw
coming.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But Britta
isn’t the only victim on the killer’s list, and the body count is about to
rise.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Right Across the Bay is an unputdownable
thriller fraught with life-changing twists and unfathomable secrets rooted in a
shadowy past</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9O5Njkfeod2yociIp4Yk9F6za9-Nz_bI_6CPc2YBiJuuBAaeAI79kxG8K7z6gg4UI9yGtaWWHhGVfPJy2Pr_os0i8O1Skjpx_2dyTKbopvSpSEQDjKST4Hfh-9u7irXY6YDIlzf9tauRgXw8hEjHEhJki8EDf5FOopWnWQq0rsJVpoFEa6BNAzXX-mBD/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(4).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9O5Njkfeod2yociIp4Yk9F6za9-Nz_bI_6CPc2YBiJuuBAaeAI79kxG8K7z6gg4UI9yGtaWWHhGVfPJy2Pr_os0i8O1Skjpx_2dyTKbopvSpSEQDjKST4Hfh-9u7irXY6YDIlzf9tauRgXw8hEjHEhJki8EDf5FOopWnWQq0rsJVpoFEa6BNAzXX-mBD/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(4).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b>Book #15 of 2024<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">Rating - </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> 5</span><span style="font-size: medium;">🌟</span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The gripping
tale begins with the shocking discovery of Maxine's cousin and best</span><span style="color: #ececec; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">friend, Britta's body, pulled out
from the lake. From this harrowing moment, the narrative launches into a
whirlwind of deceit and suspense, taking readers on a thrilling roller coaster
ride.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
relentless pursuit to unravel the truth behind the murders will keep you
eagerly turning the pages, unable to put the book down. I found myself
completely engrossed, finishing the book in just a couple of hours. The story
is full of suspense, filled with unexpected twists and turns that keep you
guessing until the very end.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What sets
this narrative apart is its expertly crafted narration, which seamlessly weaves
together present events with flashbacks from various points in time and
different points of view. The characters are vividly drawn, each with their own
complexities and motivations. From Molly and Beth to Noah and Detective Kelly,
they all contribute to the enthralling journey, though Noah and Kelly emerge as personal favorites.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The author's
descriptive prowess brings every scene and situation to life, immersing readers
in the unfolding drama. And the ending, a culmination of carefully laid clues
and shocking revelations, ties everything together in a satisfying and
unexpected conclusion.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Overall, I
give this book a solid 5-star rating for its fast-paced narrative, multiple
perspectives, and intricate timelines that kept me hooked until the final page.
If you're a fan of mystery and thrillers, this is a must-read that deserves a
place on your bookshelf.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">Until the next post...</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZNghrDvISebW9ltjyxlWgJgoJMP3IRIqobnYSrgr6p14cBjN5LNkjye8252iDyBMUoq3hAgwwI095NSO3pW0-mhcuQya2EWg99p-cizuRjolIlngQFWuai4JBI1-h08koxSv8lUcU57zMXqJqz5biZupUWEnnlLZ4FL3UefeXWUrksmiABzI_6qBEa2-/s106/image.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="89" data-original-width="106" height="89" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZNghrDvISebW9ltjyxlWgJgoJMP3IRIqobnYSrgr6p14cBjN5LNkjye8252iDyBMUoq3hAgwwI095NSO3pW0-mhcuQya2EWg99p-cizuRjolIlngQFWuai4JBI1-h08koxSv8lUcU57zMXqJqz5biZupUWEnnlLZ4FL3UefeXWUrksmiABzI_6qBEa2-/s1600/image.png" width="106" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;"><br /></span><p></p>Padmajhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543983127473002611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568361356466646514.post-77199979443922886552024-02-11T17:51:00.002+05:302024-02-11T17:58:02.025+05:30Out of Sri Lanka | Book Review<p><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> Review of the Book - Out of Sri Lanka - Tamil, Sinhala, and English Poetry from Sri Lanka and its Diaspora</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ELbTBTjYcBiPriwNP_6xeGhYHWPWFytT7uOmcB_XqlHFmHhdSwXeY1mPqpBzRU7RDIDBi5pLy2dTkQyL55Z4PTZ2Wc3b5beF5XEl1MJieZxeLi8RSmmJjRFvNY9GQd2DPnhNl_L5oiGT-6XGJeO52wABZIUhU_Ro54R9DT-SQwJRYvDB19tRH0AZ0LcR/s1600/out%20of%20srilanka.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ELbTBTjYcBiPriwNP_6xeGhYHWPWFytT7uOmcB_XqlHFmHhdSwXeY1mPqpBzRU7RDIDBi5pLy2dTkQyL55Z4PTZ2Wc3b5beF5XEl1MJieZxeLi8RSmmJjRFvNY9GQd2DPnhNl_L5oiGT-6XGJeO52wABZIUhU_Ro54R9DT-SQwJRYvDB19tRH0AZ0LcR/w335-h446/out%20of%20srilanka.jpeg" width="335" /></a></div><b><br /></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><b><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></b><p></p><b><span><a name='more'></a></span>
</b><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9jvqFh5Nom8usUBm-p_TakFkYicAOTAfxErs3eoC95W3yn_YcnoFag5iB8wLdomSa13Szp1wvDQH76bA9aHj6lHHa5QDHvXWKS_PVzgLH7XmB9HJlaAmzjfnKktsfahUjxhGLsIiRCQ-pxEkErDA_7d4967owbGedEnjT2PkgLgz-2HN1WjkpU9S5xcs/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(1).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9jvqFh5Nom8usUBm-p_TakFkYicAOTAfxErs3eoC95W3yn_YcnoFag5iB8wLdomSa13Szp1wvDQH76bA9aHj6lHHa5QDHvXWKS_PVzgLH7XmB9HJlaAmzjfnKktsfahUjxhGLsIiRCQ-pxEkErDA_7d4967owbGedEnjT2PkgLgz-2HN1WjkpU9S5xcs/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(1).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Title - </span> <span style="font-size: 16pt;">Out of Sri Lanka - Tamil, Sinhala, and English Poetry from Sri Lanka and its Diaspora</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">Authors- Vidyan Ravinthiran , Seni Seneviratne, Shash Trevett</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Year published – 4 December 2023</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Publisher - Penguin Random House</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Pages - 424</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Genre – Anthology / Collection of Poetry</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Format - Paperback</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Buy book on <a href="https://www.amazon.in/dp/0143464345" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></li></ul><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsX1ZjLKi3-2JhYf6Z4W49aH6Q65B8fjwVmcDMXeHSghBo8ycCjU2iS_-m3KAw8txQlRz3QcYSFewTngZO_fRhsu6rusNNFrNySvkIlXqAzCrgLtoUwNDXgm8Tyg-IXM37dwoEz7h13aCGtf7kkGfeMdfvZDB75zuTcKKDgqmgDTUl4PGxZz5PLZ3tXavX/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsX1ZjLKi3-2JhYf6Z4W49aH6Q65B8fjwVmcDMXeHSghBo8ycCjU2iS_-m3KAw8txQlRz3QcYSFewTngZO_fRhsu6rusNNFrNySvkIlXqAzCrgLtoUwNDXgm8Tyg-IXM37dwoEz7h13aCGtf7kkGfeMdfvZDB75zuTcKKDgqmgDTUl4PGxZz5PLZ3tXavX/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header.png" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Sri Lanka
has thrilled the foreign imagination as a land of infinite possibility.
Portuguese, Dutch and British colonisers envisioned an island of gems and
pearls, a stopping-point on the Silk Road; tourists today are sold a vision of
golden beaches and swaying palm trees, delicious food and smiling locals. This
favours the south of the island over the north rebuilt piecemeal after the end
of the civil war in 2009, and erases a history of war crimes, illicit
assassination of activists and journalists, subjugation of minorities, and a
legacy of governmental corruption that has now led the country into economic
and social crisis. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">This first ever anthology of Sri Lankan and diasporic poetry
– many exiles refuse to identify as “Sri Lankan” – features over a hundred
poets writing in English, or translated from Tamil and Sinhala. It brings to
light a long-neglected national literature, and reshapes our understanding of
migrational poetics and the poetics of atrocity. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Poets long out of print appear
beside exciting new talents; works written in the country converse with poetry
from the UK, the US, Canada and Australia. Poems in traditional and in open
forms, concrete poems, spoken word poems, and experimental post-lyric hybrids
of poetry and prose, appear with an introduction explaining Sri Lanka’s
history. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">There are poems here about love, art, nature – and others exploring
critical events: the Marxist JVP insurrections of the 1970s and 80s, the 2004
tsunami and its aftermath, recent bombings linked with the demonisation of
Muslim communities. The civil war between the government and the separatist
Tamil Tigers is a haunting and continual presence. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">A poetry of witness
challenges those who would erase, rather than enquire into, the country’s
troubled past. This anthology affirms the imperative to remember, whether this
relates to folk practices suppressed by colonisers, or more recent events
erased from the record by Sinhalese nationalists. Poetry Book Society Special
Commendation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjAGgAvW2vYOHNEfKgNVxmNwwlwZoFbedIxuuLFy7vbC3zCbhmItah0HIvQruIPC4CePLSCAPi-6KAMU_8qUFLzf3GwAQOK_NtUvFgoEP5I1MjaU_e-6WrzVQiikNv0Bdu19y4K-Lyer80uZou1IGwIuhdnCyT_Vb276dIY5fW33JByB1IRv0EjoFc1wcS/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(4).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjAGgAvW2vYOHNEfKgNVxmNwwlwZoFbedIxuuLFy7vbC3zCbhmItah0HIvQruIPC4CePLSCAPi-6KAMU_8qUFLzf3GwAQOK_NtUvFgoEP5I1MjaU_e-6WrzVQiikNv0Bdu19y4K-Lyer80uZou1IGwIuhdnCyT_Vb276dIY5fW33JByB1IRv0EjoFc1wcS/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(4).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><b>Book #11 of 2024</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b>Non-Fiction # 7<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">Rating - </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> 5</span><span style="font-size: medium;">🌟</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">From the
instant I started this anthology, I found myself drawn into a realm that feels
both familiar and distant, all at once. </span><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Despite Sri Lanka's proximity and
the numerous stories I've heard about the place, I never truly grasped the
beauty of its literature until now.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">The
introduction offers a glimpse into recent uprisings and economic hardships
before delving into the rich tapestry of Tamil, Sinhalese, and Anglophone
poetry, reflecting themes of war, civil unrest, and eccentricity. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">This
anthology features both traditional and open forms of poetry, weaving together
a mosaic of emotions and experiences. With contributions from over a hundred
poets, it captures the essence of Sri Lanka's landscape and its people,
exploring themes of love, nature, and the devastating impacts of war and
natural disasters like tsunamis.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Each poem is
preceded by a brief biography of the author and you can find the translator's
notes/bio at the end of the book. Ranging from brief verses to lengthy
compositions, each piece encapsulates the cultural essence and struggles of the
land and its inhabitants. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br />
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">The impact of the second poem in this book left me reeling with shock. After reading the note accompanying the poem's conclusion, I found myself unable to continue further. The anguish endured by Manamperi and Koneswari was unfathomable.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Some poems
are by poets long out of print, offering fresh insights into the state of the
nation, while others reflect recent events. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Even though we
do not have access to the original Tamil or Sinhalese versions, I must say that
the translators have breathed life into the English renditions, allowing
readers to empathize with the pain, appreciate the landscapes described, and
experience the spectrum of love and loss.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Each poem,
regardless of its original language, resonates with heartfelt emotion,
portraying the raw and poignant scenes intended by the poets. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">This
anthology is a must-read, not only for its captivating content but also for the
window it opens into Sri Lankan literature and its global diaspora.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">The authors
and translators deserve commendation for their monumental efforts in showcasing
Sri Lanka's literary heritage to the world.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">This
anthology is a gem in which you explore its verses and immerse yourself in its
profound depth and resonance. Every page takes you into a realm where emotions
are masterfully woven into poetry. Whether you linger over a few lines or lose
yourself in multiple verses, the impact is undeniably profound. These poems
will linger in my heart, their imagery and sentiments echoing in my mind for
days to come.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">In all, this
anthology is an outstanding collection that I wholeheartedly recommend,
deserving a perfect 5-star rating.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">This review is powered by </span><a href=" https://www.theblogchatter.com/" style="font-size: 16pt;" target="_blank">Blogchatter Book Review Program</a><span style="font-size: 16pt;">.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Until the next post...</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAzVDb7ui3pvvvTlz0ACTWwg3NFdaql30B4q0i38d0UVO6A7ylwckjxdFMqx0ZOeHrDirPkX_peECp045ZD2OmbO3uXzunskap6UaqXcGE2BuRzOPuouY6tWMESDBbxpN6IDB1EypdfYZjLGNz1EhBJJfkv1C_aDXdX3nn_BF6M3HeTuGOWpxwTt2lG_4/s106/PJ%20sign.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="89" data-original-width="106" height="89" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAzVDb7ui3pvvvTlz0ACTWwg3NFdaql30B4q0i38d0UVO6A7ylwckjxdFMqx0ZOeHrDirPkX_peECp045ZD2OmbO3uXzunskap6UaqXcGE2BuRzOPuouY6tWMESDBbxpN6IDB1EypdfYZjLGNz1EhBJJfkv1C_aDXdX3nn_BF6M3HeTuGOWpxwTt2lG_4/s1600/PJ%20sign.png" width="106" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br style="font-size: medium;" /></span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>Padmajhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543983127473002611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568361356466646514.post-82001493652763052242024-01-29T10:51:00.004+05:302024-01-29T11:31:52.372+05:30Missing in Mumbai | Book Review<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">Review of Kirki Akrivou's novel- Missing in Mumbai</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0cLoVERXPsCq2j53BtG58bkmjz5E6WxW1bn7o06s1-AyMTm9nVmEMn8mWkSpt75J75mluZO2mvWUF1GhXPtlTOXKMnExWyeDCmhZzUxacCSGTQZEg2bPDqCDEKGLUWO_guzCCUwtxW8vJ9G_cHX2aEd1UNTgmg0WLNCcDxeA2ALufVq-6XNSNwt92M8bR/s1080/keep%20smiling%20and%20happy.%20(5).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0cLoVERXPsCq2j53BtG58bkmjz5E6WxW1bn7o06s1-AyMTm9nVmEMn8mWkSpt75J75mluZO2mvWUF1GhXPtlTOXKMnExWyeDCmhZzUxacCSGTQZEg2bPDqCDEKGLUWO_guzCCUwtxW8vJ9G_cHX2aEd1UNTgmg0WLNCcDxeA2ALufVq-6XNSNwt92M8bR/w393-h393/keep%20smiling%20and%20happy.%20(5).png" width="393" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Oj_YFJq6gRL0zht-eBbXeAxS31m3UBSJcxai8Dkamk9f7MUlyaDz1zyItxzrBdcmPWosfvFAnF5aniC0eSCEPqugS4xKY8IrKwvO7dGYPIUMYShhxGFZFuGgo_rMiZrGfHinGyT4z_pi0sL0Y-4aGh6H18X6XvR8R_X2fany6i7rSJwizyl7MvIZ5mT2/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(1).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Oj_YFJq6gRL0zht-eBbXeAxS31m3UBSJcxai8Dkamk9f7MUlyaDz1zyItxzrBdcmPWosfvFAnF5aniC0eSCEPqugS4xKY8IrKwvO7dGYPIUMYShhxGFZFuGgo_rMiZrGfHinGyT4z_pi0sL0Y-4aGh6H18X6XvR8R_X2fany6i7rSJwizyl7MvIZ5mT2/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(1).png" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"><br style="font-size: medium;" /><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"></span></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"><b>Title</b> - Missing in Mumbai</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"><b>Author</b> – Kirki Akrivou</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"><b>Year published</b> – 26 December 2023</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"><b>Pages</b> - 182</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"><b>Genre </b>– Mystery / Thriller</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"><b>Format </b>- eBook</span></li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvN1HqjrUMLAWWZmZaejxQwnExosbOw99cBNjWWpDlMgzwJzA0c9IbjYpHTk40YqFXRWKVdyM-LOrBCI8QwHafxk4KSP3Kxzs9Bdud-he_vKf66j0n_QNvNsBOynQUqNL6W424LaMod8lK5JhWIdjUBMhU7ftDq_AP6g8CYKm6Y-_xZGRE8Eh-jeqKlLE/s320/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="107" data-original-width="320" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvN1HqjrUMLAWWZmZaejxQwnExosbOw99cBNjWWpDlMgzwJzA0c9IbjYpHTk40YqFXRWKVdyM-LOrBCI8QwHafxk4KSP3Kxzs9Bdud-he_vKf66j0n_QNvNsBOynQUqNL6W424LaMod8lK5JhWIdjUBMhU7ftDq_AP6g8CYKm6Y-_xZGRE8Eh-jeqKlLE/s1600/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">How do you
find one missing woman in a city of 20 million?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">The answer:
You don’t. At least not without help.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Amateur
sleuth Rudhrani Sen didn’t expect to be drawn into a case during her sister’s
wedding in India. Let alone a case with no leads and no police aid. But there’s
something sinister about the missing woman’s housing complex.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Rudhrani
will find out what’s going on. She always does. All she needs is to find her
way in.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">*<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Shonali
inherited a disaster.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">When her
tenants in Mumbai go silent for months, Shonali has no choice but to
investigate. The problem is that she’s broke, isolated, and on the verge of a
breakdown. So, when her housing complex feels off, when so many of her
neighbors have vanished, it’s easy to believe the churning in her gut is only
an anxious afterthought.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">But it’s
bigger than that. And if she’s not careful, she might find herself missing,
too.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 10.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 10.5pt;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">*<br />
Love domestic thrillers like When No One Is Watching? By Alyssa Cole
and The Perfect Tenant by AJ Carter? Then you’ll want to follow
Rudhrani as she unravels this web of deceit – and uncovers more than she
bargained for.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb4wqAR3b8nYvNQ70VbWVR-FH-p8HdN_Q_RFnRusYv2eGIIhB2cuYUCKO8OQsFn_z1vBD2pIgfUVcqcAx063hliwKcQD9anxirCESM2huBW5so6NQvkMZ7u3TYLjXxXMwQRLAS_p-YdZ2AIAAVxQwOmjbdPcEPDu_xEWc-cEGD0dugfpAHtsqmjb6ak-C-/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(4).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb4wqAR3b8nYvNQ70VbWVR-FH-p8HdN_Q_RFnRusYv2eGIIhB2cuYUCKO8OQsFn_z1vBD2pIgfUVcqcAx063hliwKcQD9anxirCESM2huBW5so6NQvkMZ7u3TYLjXxXMwQRLAS_p-YdZ2AIAAVxQwOmjbdPcEPDu_xEWc-cEGD0dugfpAHtsqmjb6ak-C-/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(4).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0cm;"><b style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 16pt;">Book #8 of 2024</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><b>Rating</b> - 4</span><span style="font-size: medium;">🌟</span></span></p></div><div><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">This novel
marks the first installment in the Rudhrani Sen Mysteries series, unfolding the
intersecting journeys of Rudhrani Sen, an amateur detective, and Shonali, the owner
of a residence within a dilapidated building in a housing complex. While
Rudhrani embarks on a quest to locate a missing woman, Shonali grapples with
the challenge of collecting overdue rent from her tenants.<o:p></o:p></span></p></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">As the
narratives of these two women converge, revelations surface, unraveling the
mysteries surrounding the various deaths and shedding light on the tenants'
adamant stance. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">The novel
weaves a compelling tale, employing dual perspectives—Rudhrani's and Shonali's.
A diverse cast of characters, including Shonali's brother, tenants, her uncle, etc.,
each plays a significant role, contributing to the intricacies of the plot.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">The
narrative unfolds with simplicity and clarity, making it easily accessible to
readers. Noteworthy are the informative footnotes at the end of chapters,
providing meanings or opinions on Hindi words and dish names mentioned in the
story. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Through its
pages, the author skillfully exposes the dark underbelly of the real estate
industry, portraying the unsettling consequences when individuals pursue their
agendas with unwavering determination.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Though I was
able to anticipate certain developments, the author has adeptly maintained
suspense until the final pages. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Overall,
this thriller proves suitable for readers of all ages, offering an engaging and
thought-provoking experience. A 4/5 star read.</span> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoZojmOum1To9W8VztuhnSMJNtfww0-vAMTP09ocUJLLh_88OADHsUseflsJGvGqSbyIva9i7x79d098uAx5pCrW3k6F6ZRRDQrg70eb1QfvMN5OsA9dlIYAjY_vmUqzvbmQk3iYiYB1VJDOmeOowXbFWEJ_8mOW3NM80OCv5gvHFJoCccv1xOHG5EXsA/s320/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="107" data-original-width="320" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoZojmOum1To9W8VztuhnSMJNtfww0-vAMTP09ocUJLLh_88OADHsUseflsJGvGqSbyIva9i7x79d098uAx5pCrW3k6F6ZRRDQrg70eb1QfvMN5OsA9dlIYAjY_vmUqzvbmQk3iYiYB1VJDOmeOowXbFWEJ_8mOW3NM80OCv5gvHFJoCccv1xOHG5EXsA/s1600/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Kirki
Akrivou is a Greek-American author. When not writing, you can find her
traveling, reading, or just nerding out.</span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">While she
leans into mystery and horror, Kirki doesn't shy away from romance or
historical fiction. Between living abroad and writing in a global community,
readers can expect characters from across walks of life, from Greece to India
and beyond.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Thanks to <a href="https://booksirens.com/" target="_blank">Booksirens</a> for a copy of this book.</span></p>Padmajhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543983127473002611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568361356466646514.post-73203141954932886882024-01-26T15:17:00.004+05:302024-01-26T15:17:59.926+05:30My First Prayer to Lord Ram| Book Review<p> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Review of </span><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Chitwan Mittal, Sarita Saraf’s book – My First Prayer to
Lord Ram.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwPHdNcM4H6ODF9L_vmNWc50WR_EceMr6iiSqd_4nG0Wjvl_WlTj_0LS4B8Ve-MYtixcSVpU-DkzAJxKMRnyXcfHpL8d7YnX15qgV7S5n7d4vhCbp1tG_xlBrgE7NS6uVtV0J2benq2J-8nvj-W55gVraegaYKH56ce1-PSsgUmmuT45xMybfJFHrsuvl/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202024-01-26%20at%2011.01.00%20AM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="411" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwPHdNcM4H6ODF9L_vmNWc50WR_EceMr6iiSqd_4nG0Wjvl_WlTj_0LS4B8Ve-MYtixcSVpU-DkzAJxKMRnyXcfHpL8d7YnX15qgV7S5n7d4vhCbp1tG_xlBrgE7NS6uVtV0J2benq2J-8nvj-W55gVraegaYKH56ce1-PSsgUmmuT45xMybfJFHrsuvl/w308-h411/WhatsApp%20Image%202024-01-26%20at%2011.01.00%20AM.jpeg" width="308" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Oj_YFJq6gRL0zht-eBbXeAxS31m3UBSJcxai8Dkamk9f7MUlyaDz1zyItxzrBdcmPWosfvFAnF5aniC0eSCEPqugS4xKY8IrKwvO7dGYPIUMYShhxGFZFuGgo_rMiZrGfHinGyT4z_pi0sL0Y-4aGh6H18X6XvR8R_X2fany6i7rSJwizyl7MvIZ5mT2/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Oj_YFJq6gRL0zht-eBbXeAxS31m3UBSJcxai8Dkamk9f7MUlyaDz1zyItxzrBdcmPWosfvFAnF5aniC0eSCEPqugS4xKY8IrKwvO7dGYPIUMYShhxGFZFuGgo_rMiZrGfHinGyT4z_pi0sL0Y-4aGh6H18X6XvR8R_X2fany6i7rSJwizyl7MvIZ5mT2/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(1).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><p></p><ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"><b>Title</b> - My First Prayer to Lord Ram</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"><b>Author</b> –Chitwan Mittal , Sarita Saraf, Aparajitha Vasudev[Illustrations]</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"><b>Year published</b> – 1 January 2023</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"><b>Publisher </b>- AdiDev Press</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"><b>Pages</b> - 32</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"><b>Genre </b>– Children's Books</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"><b>Format </b>- Hardcover</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Buy from <a href="https://www.amazon.in/My-first-prayer-Lord-Ram/dp/8195899285/ref=rvi_d_sccl_2/257-0962257-7418541?pd_rd_w=JesI7&content-id=amzn1.sym.2fa5ef78-d215-4b54-bdb7-fa3d3620b822&pf_rd_p=2fa5ef78-d215-4b54-bdb7-fa3d3620b822&pf_rd_r=JZBDEF48J050AK0MN350&pd_rd_wg=OoP7j&pd_rd_r=b8aaadf2-c0ec-49f2-a6e9-8459947d2567&pd_rd_i=8195899285&psc=1" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQXT9dMlJYLULbVCAGTbK9gWQ2b17iz5dCjeVjxSaAY6fMEzeJd427lu6KS7rwDOfWCsQ4gAhcPV2Ii1bQHTTgOYxkmPMh4QtJ-r32dDjcplI5VAJdTEwNBOMBrn0llhtdbXzOjU0P9gbHIDhP93WPNdvTz8AT-n29RK765EpoB7u1t7CKAlrEIeJCkRJ/s320/image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="107" data-original-width="320" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQXT9dMlJYLULbVCAGTbK9gWQ2b17iz5dCjeVjxSaAY6fMEzeJd427lu6KS7rwDOfWCsQ4gAhcPV2Ii1bQHTTgOYxkmPMh4QtJ-r32dDjcplI5VAJdTEwNBOMBrn0llhtdbXzOjU0P9gbHIDhP93WPNdvTz8AT-n29RK765EpoB7u1t7CKAlrEIeJCkRJ/s1600/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The second
book in our best-selling Prayer series! Tulsidas’ classic prayer to Ram is a
beautiful introduction to the character and qualities of this beloved Hindu
figure. Our translation of the original Awadhi text is crafted especially for
young readers. It includes word meanings and a simple text as well as
captivating illustrations that will keep them engaged!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRELLbYIOlIvwGSdGm_7SmC97Kgrc8AG0bFRFNfPTA2Jc8VrzpMOYuzdjtxUrzSt2AVlk0MKPcuKmejQKFmZIXlx0VsJvDgkEeprQuLo665dA3fpKkIKqXetK1pRo41RiBVQnmHH5rQY5oQejsHYDCYyZpli7MA4WHIVqbfaGY8x80BBbbCxcEzjgd5Yy/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(4).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRELLbYIOlIvwGSdGm_7SmC97Kgrc8AG0bFRFNfPTA2Jc8VrzpMOYuzdjtxUrzSt2AVlk0MKPcuKmejQKFmZIXlx0VsJvDgkEeprQuLo665dA3fpKkIKqXetK1pRo41RiBVQnmHH5rQY5oQejsHYDCYyZpli7MA4WHIVqbfaGY8x80BBbbCxcEzjgd5Yy/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(4).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Book #7 of 2023<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Non Fiction #6<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My earliest
recollection of learning Slokas goes back to the cherished moments spent with
my grandfather during our vacations. He would diligently guide us through the
rhythmic recitation of these sacred verses, and those memories, along with the
resonance of the Slokas, have become indelibly etched in my mind. Encountering
this book was akin to a nostalgic journey, transporting me back to those
cherished times.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The book is
a translation of the original prayers penned by Saint Tulasidas nearly four
centuries ago, devoted to Sri Ram and composed in Awadhi, an archaic form of
Hindi.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">From its
very cover, the book radiates an enchanting charm that engages the senses. Each
verse is not only transliterated but also meticulously translated. The
inclusion of the Awadhi/Hindi terms in the English translation facilitates a
nuanced understanding of the word-by-word meanings, enhancing the accessibility
of the content. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcmzeEzMqlYc-mhUjMumOn4xYfe7sWOnq_xs7DQAn4KkcTW3PLEUzV8CscT-kLsF0-nQdqu0bmmolAH59SbdYvr57f677C1Ym1Oua7TAI4dasacJ6K4hv3M6YVO-o86hUasUo6O4wy0QIVP43sVwAR_kJulCV8gCO0GmAZsDB0QSz6totOgCCAH1JEgu6/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202024-01-26%20at%2011.01.00%20AM%20(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcmzeEzMqlYc-mhUjMumOn4xYfe7sWOnq_xs7DQAn4KkcTW3PLEUzV8CscT-kLsF0-nQdqu0bmmolAH59SbdYvr57f677C1Ym1Oua7TAI4dasacJ6K4hv3M6YVO-o86hUasUo6O4wy0QIVP43sVwAR_kJulCV8gCO0GmAZsDB0QSz6totOgCCAH1JEgu6/w400-h300/WhatsApp%20Image%202024-01-26%20at%2011.01.00%20AM%20(1).jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Adding to
the charm of the book are the exquisite illustrations by Aparajitha Vasudev,
which breathe life into the verses on every page. The visual representation not
only complements the literary content but also serves to create a more
immersive experience for the reader.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This book
stands out as a delightful resource for children, encouraging them to explore
and absorb the rich tapestry of Slokas and mythology. The hardbound copy, with
its durable and aesthetically pleasing design, makes for an ideal gift for
children of all ages. It is a book that is likely to be revisited and
treasured, as it seamlessly weaves together the beauty of language,
spirituality, and artistic expression.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Overall, a
5/5-star rating for its enchanting cover design, its commendable thematic focus
that inspires children to delve into Slokas and mythology, and the captivating
illustrations that grace each page. It is, without a doubt, a commendable
addition to the bookshelf for young readers.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2kLtW67dZfctN2tacl-OJBanm2LQYa353RJT4K5NY_6InGNvP3FbxBVDeUbqiMxr7lCXRO1UJezF5aeUKs5xK2eogleGWOgctHoMVdNCBPgOxIH55XBxqU5clXK4MXhtkwMV4yAwL1HmntPUXHVPRu8EGCDSIhzcOtvWj12bu0So8-bUfa5bocK3roM6i/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(2).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2kLtW67dZfctN2tacl-OJBanm2LQYa353RJT4K5NY_6InGNvP3FbxBVDeUbqiMxr7lCXRO1UJezF5aeUKs5xK2eogleGWOgctHoMVdNCBPgOxIH55XBxqU5clXK4MXhtkwMV4yAwL1HmntPUXHVPRu8EGCDSIhzcOtvWj12bu0So8-bUfa5bocK3roM6i/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(2).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Chitwan
Mittal holds a BSc in English Education from Boston University and an MA in
Values in Education from the University of London. She is a published author
with titles such as Education for the Complete Person, Taittiriya Upanishad and
The Arguments for the Existence of God. Actively involved in children’s
education since 2005, she was part of the committee that established the Indian
Institute of Teacher Education and the Children’s University by the Government
of Gujarat, India. Both institutes are focussed on experiential learning and
holistic development of children through innovative education tools. She is now
foraying into the field of writing children’s picture books. Her books
encourage engagement and diversity and focus on value-oriented education,
bi-lingual learning and South Asian culture. She lives between India and
Singapore with her husband and two sons, who are her constant source of
inspiration.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Sarita Saraf
is a writer and an artist, with an intense passion for philosophical
literature. She is an author of three short English publications - Nachiketas,
Socrates and Abraham Lincoln. She has also authored Rahasyamaya Agni Ke Prati
Sukta, a Hindi translation of poet and mystic, Sri Aurobindo’s Hymns to the
Mystic Fire. She is currently in the process of translating into Hindi, a
13-volume chronicle of the spiritual journey of mystic, Mirra Alfasa titled The
Mother’s Agenda.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For the last
2 decades she has been researching and developing a repository of
value-oriented stories for children, used across public schools in India. Her
first story emerged as a birthday greeting to her 13-year old daughter. Ever
since she fell in love with verse and is today a prolific editor and author. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">************</span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">This review is powered by </span><a href=" https://www.theblogchatter.com/" style="font-size: 16pt;" target="_blank">Blogchatter Book Review Program</a><span style="font-size: 16pt;">.</span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;"><br /></span></div>Padmajhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543983127473002611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568361356466646514.post-68429910418255024322024-01-23T13:59:00.007+05:302024-01-29T11:36:01.502+05:30Survival at stake: How Our Treatment of Animals Is Key to Human Existence |Book Review<p> <span style="font-size: 16pt;">Review of
Poorva Joshipura’s book - Survival at Stake: How Our Treatment of Animals Is
Key to Human Existence</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28nhiMoigzUZ-pX27PdBh8kshzop52xDjMllgKBl8SmbN4EyVCZhqD5k8X9B2qNNNo7tiWibEtdcP-K5Bcs9kwRQC_tcpngdI02YGZODZdD4zNALcpokUP2ICy4oRukKoUIOvmgkuGITRLu8eUMSglMI55f-yuQOjoa7e3b5Nx_WaAW8cSHeJSeoQ69cS/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202024-01-23%20at%201.31.56%20PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28nhiMoigzUZ-pX27PdBh8kshzop52xDjMllgKBl8SmbN4EyVCZhqD5k8X9B2qNNNo7tiWibEtdcP-K5Bcs9kwRQC_tcpngdI02YGZODZdD4zNALcpokUP2ICy4oRukKoUIOvmgkuGITRLu8eUMSglMI55f-yuQOjoa7e3b5Nx_WaAW8cSHeJSeoQ69cS/w277-h369/WhatsApp%20Image%202024-01-23%20at%201.31.56%20PM.jpeg" width="277" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMoIKjzl5-7bPL35wSOiJT7tsiCdRC-oWl4c_7Wy8YHl_kz66AXnJ4vkGGj9-EUIgsCiuZXe4jdgl4g7pUsthjWlOza_0egWeQfTC9sPbArR2inxWy_H5lmpOr-PzhBzJiEi3FH24BaIb8URe8V5v3OY41Z-AMtsKeKXOr1jTkshO9ALaAP0twfo68zSS/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMoIKjzl5-7bPL35wSOiJT7tsiCdRC-oWl4c_7Wy8YHl_kz66AXnJ4vkGGj9-EUIgsCiuZXe4jdgl4g7pUsthjWlOza_0egWeQfTC9sPbArR2inxWy_H5lmpOr-PzhBzJiEi3FH24BaIb8URe8V5v3OY41Z-AMtsKeKXOr1jTkshO9ALaAP0twfo68zSS/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(1).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><p></p><ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"><b>Title</b> -Survival at Stake: How Our Treatment of Animals Is Key to Human Existence </span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"><b>Author</b> – Poorva Joshipura</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"><b>Year published</b> – 23 October 2023</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"><b>Publisher </b>- Harper Collins India</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"><b>Pages</b> - 328</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"><b>Genre </b>– Non-Fiction</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"><b>Format </b>- Paperback</span></li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRqQV7QLlfbpvJtC3RSef1hIe24goX81RCnMzg4InYhhvOdBeFdU59xbwy_hw3jO6xKFwdEhyphenhyphenxwVUpy7EVDh54uUWfukLEJqSt_HItqAtvxZBDj2eghTGrk5KrXYQlr2AILf4OcyVsHrEehYJAU73zIsGLmvSMPz5kEvWaCTyNjvoqrhoCiIzhzOYDMs-V/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRqQV7QLlfbpvJtC3RSef1hIe24goX81RCnMzg4InYhhvOdBeFdU59xbwy_hw3jO6xKFwdEhyphenhyphenxwVUpy7EVDh54uUWfukLEJqSt_HItqAtvxZBDj2eghTGrk5KrXYQlr2AILf4OcyVsHrEehYJAU73zIsGLmvSMPz5kEvWaCTyNjvoqrhoCiIzhzOYDMs-V/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With science now recognizing animal
consciousness, intelligence, emotion and even morality, there must come an
awareness of our own moral responsibilities towards other beings. But there's
another reason to consider animals' well-being-because it is intertwined with
our own.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In Survival
at Stake, leading animal rights activist Poorva Joshipura argues passionately
that, evolutionarily, humans are far more like other animals than we care to
believe. She examines how hunting wildlife leads to pandemics and epidemics,
which, in turn, harm us; how the production of meat destroys forests and causes
climate change, which, in turn, destroys us; how blood sports hurt both humans
and animals; how leather production damages the environment and human health;
how animal experimentation is often a threat to public health; how cruelty to
animals leads to violent crimes; and so on.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It is
Joshipura's view that if we reject speciesism-the belief in human
superiority-and accept that we are animals too, irrevocably interconnected to
other species, from the largest elephant to the smallest bee, and a part of,
rather than holding dominance over, nature, we can take the necessary steps
towards the betterment of all the planet's inhabitants.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPVhxrKy7tw8uIuvDZPgRLNspeKQhwL2uqO8X5x7-K-Mox5AyT287Ih7GMxnzfmPWjgsJVCFA0FB0UfxPUBCbYgaHxtrC1rMNxzGkra5NXC663IwMPzUr6te1hUTyAIb7RyJ4ShqqqrMyA4U7nWnznSh0T2KljtVjygaVXv0ssfcY2MlCjy6VyTQ3n-Bl4/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(4).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPVhxrKy7tw8uIuvDZPgRLNspeKQhwL2uqO8X5x7-K-Mox5AyT287Ih7GMxnzfmPWjgsJVCFA0FB0UfxPUBCbYgaHxtrC1rMNxzGkra5NXC663IwMPzUr6te1hUTyAIb7RyJ4ShqqqrMyA4U7nWnznSh0T2KljtVjygaVXv0ssfcY2MlCjy6VyTQ3n-Bl4/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(4).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b>Book #6 of 2024<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"><b>Non-fiction - #5<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><b>Rating</b> - 4</span><span style="font-size: medium;">🌟</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This is the fifth
non-fiction book I've read this year. The focus of this book is on how we treat
animals, and it argues that our treatment of them is crucial for our survival
on Earth.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Despite the
belief that humans are superior to animals, the author emphasizes the
similarities between them. The key, according to the author, lies in
maintaining a balance among all living beings for the sake of our survival.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The book
explores various human actions, such as the leather industry, hunting, and meat
production, and highlights their impact on mankind. The author supports the
arguments with well-researched articles and personal experiences in the field.
Numerous references and citations presented at the end of the book demonstrate
the depth of research behind the book.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">While the
writing is simple, the author's engaging style kept me hooked. The book is
packed with facts, and the author's perspective suggests that our current
attitude could lead to the extinction of the human species if we do not change
our attitude and actions. The importance of understanding the roles of even the
smallest creatures in nature is emphasized, stressing the need for coexistence.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Each chapter
provides new and surprising information. For example, the chapters on
"Testing 123" and "The Deadly Games" shed light on the
unfortunate behavior of the human race towards animals. It was a shocking revelation
in the chapter –“Creating a monster”, where the author explains that a person's
behavior with animals might indicate how they may behave, citing the examples
of school shooters! These chapters are just a few examples from the book.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Overall, the
book conveys a profound message that animals and humans are alike, and
harmonious coexistence is essential for the greater good. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
insightful content, along with a beautiful cover, makes it a compelling read. An
eye-opener and I would give it a 4/5 star rating.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsYIBKJlLfrnMEyKT5GR33fUg9K8Xo114n4-fh2r4xz7zqng8no7IWW2MEMd2ocnO5FZIET06RtjBqPgXUnx2zKLnv7L1MoiQlTC2id56j0_Ki68IDo1HdqhcE7jzW6maPeLf7nT1GfbsLDDINavrtRhPbH9ycGPiM-CtccVESCq_T5pJnFWzWeJZbik5/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(2).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsYIBKJlLfrnMEyKT5GR33fUg9K8Xo114n4-fh2r4xz7zqng8no7IWW2MEMd2ocnO5FZIET06RtjBqPgXUnx2zKLnv7L1MoiQlTC2id56j0_Ki68IDo1HdqhcE7jzW6maPeLf7nT1GfbsLDDINavrtRhPbH9ycGPiM-CtccVESCq_T5pJnFWzWeJZbik5/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(2).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Poorva
Joshipura is the author of For a Moment of Taste: How What You Eat Impacts
Animals, the Planet and Your Health (2020). She is the Senior Vice President of
International Affairs for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
Foundation UK, through which she oversees numerous global PETA entity
operations and projects. She is the former chief executive officer of PETA
India, and the former director of PETA UK. Early on in her career, she also
worked in various capacities for PETA US. She is a member of the board of
directors for PETA India and the former co-opted member of the government body
Animal Welfare Board of India. Poorva is also an advisor to Animal Rahat, an
organization that aims to help some of the most neglected animals in the world,
and to the Petra Veterinary Clinic, which does similar work in Jordan.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
Poorva's award-winning work involves stopping cruelty to animals used for food,
clothing, experimentation, entertainment and other purposes in countries around
the world. She has personally conducted undercover investigations into places
where animals are used and has overseen numerous other such investigations. Her
work for animals extends to courtrooms, corporate boardrooms, government
offices, police stations, college campuses, schools and on the street through
rescue and emergency response efforts. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Poorva has led many campaigns that have
been widely covered by major news agencies around the world. She is a regular
guest on television news and radio shows through which she encourages viewers
and listeners to be considerate to animals. She speaks on animal rights at
universities and at other events, and can usually be found in London, Mumbai,
Delhi or Wadi Musa.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Until the next post...</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAzVDb7ui3pvvvTlz0ACTWwg3NFdaql30B4q0i38d0UVO6A7ylwckjxdFMqx0ZOeHrDirPkX_peECp045ZD2OmbO3uXzunskap6UaqXcGE2BuRzOPuouY6tWMESDBbxpN6IDB1EypdfYZjLGNz1EhBJJfkv1C_aDXdX3nn_BF6M3HeTuGOWpxwTt2lG_4/s106/PJ%20sign.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="89" data-original-width="106" height="89" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAzVDb7ui3pvvvTlz0ACTWwg3NFdaql30B4q0i38d0UVO6A7ylwckjxdFMqx0ZOeHrDirPkX_peECp045ZD2OmbO3uXzunskap6UaqXcGE2BuRzOPuouY6tWMESDBbxpN6IDB1EypdfYZjLGNz1EhBJJfkv1C_aDXdX3nn_BF6M3HeTuGOWpxwTt2lG_4/s1600/PJ%20sign.png" width="106" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;"></span></div>Padmajhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543983127473002611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568361356466646514.post-1554523266777031312024-01-22T17:19:00.005+05:302024-01-29T11:36:19.765+05:3013: One Woman's Sacred Journey to Discovering Her Greatest Power | Book Review<p> <span style="font-size: 16pt;">Review of Nikol Roger’s book - 13: One Woman's Sacred
Journey to Discovering Her Greatest Power</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8t3xzeYxpCdfbXYQdeizx_HEY857ImYBggYV_KFD44-w7C3tIXAWChOB6U1_EOlGWywplnRhOrDfPEEnjCq7oM5yWrqczfcZ1CNcSemoKnJw6WxZ46AXJFwebAFO_TNXEoVBDanHwKpy5r4gyADTaEJ-MUE0jqH0oLTEao3dcv85SrLc6_eBc05Q0iJMp/s1080/Brown%20Minimalist%20Monday%20Greeting%20Instagram%20Post%20(1).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8t3xzeYxpCdfbXYQdeizx_HEY857ImYBggYV_KFD44-w7C3tIXAWChOB6U1_EOlGWywplnRhOrDfPEEnjCq7oM5yWrqczfcZ1CNcSemoKnJw6WxZ46AXJFwebAFO_TNXEoVBDanHwKpy5r4gyADTaEJ-MUE0jqH0oLTEao3dcv85SrLc6_eBc05Q0iJMp/w379-h379/Brown%20Minimalist%20Monday%20Greeting%20Instagram%20Post%20(1).png" width="379" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0mci7HWZZh3LAPaNDzpY0jJrbm-Tv6y8PF7DfaqER0Fw35Emw-Mbb870FtcIQIjicVA8yIMuT-RxmCyqCYc10M1FIu3WXxzi8olfdDB1CqD4Aj53DVvOGXS00r-bahITa7yezQ6115CLT-Z41tJ_RMAK7LKt_o4Iciwl1p3bZJhyphenhyphenmfcBY7PgoGUKMNQF3/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(1).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0mci7HWZZh3LAPaNDzpY0jJrbm-Tv6y8PF7DfaqER0Fw35Emw-Mbb870FtcIQIjicVA8yIMuT-RxmCyqCYc10M1FIu3WXxzi8olfdDB1CqD4Aj53DVvOGXS00r-bahITa7yezQ6115CLT-Z41tJ_RMAK7LKt_o4Iciwl1p3bZJhyphenhyphenmfcBY7PgoGUKMNQF3/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(1).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium;"><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Title - 13: One Woman's Journey to Discovering Her Greatest Power</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Author – Nikol Rogers</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Year published – 2 November 2023</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Publisher - Zenred</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Pages - 242</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Genre – Non-Fiction / Memoir / Self-Help</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Format - eBook</span></li></ul></span><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicWgdLEy2weX7hG6uGftlWecei-55OIu74iLY_bLK7W4mUZIzDCpgNXIX6D-gyDBXh0Bt-3eraLAHJa8QGK0pbDq1syh6465eLASMQSb-4hEUNhYF4jQOkQqIUrJWpljBBvp3RCzbuwZvqTWsFiEiu8ZStfsin8tjaO2e-d5uY73B4OMsiWvDEU1C79aU-/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicWgdLEy2weX7hG6uGftlWecei-55OIu74iLY_bLK7W4mUZIzDCpgNXIX6D-gyDBXh0Bt-3eraLAHJa8QGK0pbDq1syh6465eLASMQSb-4hEUNhYF4jQOkQqIUrJWpljBBvp3RCzbuwZvqTWsFiEiu8ZStfsin8tjaO2e-d5uY73B4OMsiWvDEU1C79aU-/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">“A
masterpiece of truth, bridging the terrestrial to the celestial.” — Alice
Inoue, Life Expert, Indie Excellence Award-Winning Author and Founder of
Happiness U<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
We know the number 13 to be traditionally viewed as an unlucky
number, but for Nikol, it turned out to be the most transformative number of
her life.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
This book is a story about the year Nikol’s life went up in flames, burning to
ash all of who she thought she was. Nikol had spent decades carefully crafting
her career, marriage, persona, and friendships. But as she watched the life she
had built disappear into smoke, she found herself hearing a new, quiet voice
within her. The voice of 13.<br />
<br />
13 is the sacred invitation, the auspicious calling to your heart to
finally have the life you have always desired.<br />
<br />
Sharing with absolute vulnerability the ravages of losing her identity, Nikol’s
writing creates a beautiful space of self empowerment for anyone who hasfelt
deeply stuck in relationships and a life that doesn't work. This book is for
people who want to create a whole new beginning and have decided their life is
precious and worth living. It is also about the workings of sacred numbers in
our lives and how devastation can open you to your greatest power.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvfFqcuCu4DZymQeHIQFEfkMin48fw-Ig2o8xS7N_EMdhU2_jLXSsDlWppkd9zY6K8uADIbwvvETegGqXB3GuCnxNEL9Oedi4QibZp7mfj_Xl01l63Dkgp-hya6bCXPLw0LNVXzOF4PHdKNvE9wYjdL-D6eIshNWs_bQvbk5bxT6XKqiB9F7yXht3FaDaA/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(4).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvfFqcuCu4DZymQeHIQFEfkMin48fw-Ig2o8xS7N_EMdhU2_jLXSsDlWppkd9zY6K8uADIbwvvETegGqXB3GuCnxNEL9Oedi4QibZp7mfj_Xl01l63Dkgp-hya6bCXPLw0LNVXzOF4PHdKNvE9wYjdL-D6eIshNWs_bQvbk5bxT6XKqiB9F7yXht3FaDaA/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(4).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b>Book #5 of 2024<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Non-fiction
- #4<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><b>Rating</b> - 4</span><span style="font-size: medium;">🌟</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Some people
believe the number 13 is unlucky, while others feel it is lucky and in this
book, the author, Nikol Rogers, shares her life story and how this
controversial number changed her life.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Nikol
carefully built her career, marriage, and relationships, but when everything
fell apart, she had to rebuild. That's when the significance of '13' became
apparent in her life. In her memoir, she opens up about all aspects of her life
– the highs and lows, including the pain of divorce and her determination to
bounce back.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">This book
isn't just about Nikol's story; it's also a guide to discovering our greatest
powers. Through her words, we feel her joy, sorrow, and the belief that we can
overcome tough times too.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">The book
starts with quotes about the number 13 and includes colorful photographs. It's
not a quick read; take your time with it. Nikol weaves valuable life lessons
that need to be absorbed and applied. It's the kind of book you can revisit for
reassurance, as it resonates with relatable experiences.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">In summary,
this memoir/self-help book is a valuable guide to unlocking your powers and
reshaping your life. A 4/5 star read.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxo8h1n283AzUE0D2KxaYxJJArwVev5ZkKY2TwZXqhGvnHGPvpwQqmUP8y-XoBcsKiS3UzAcOsDemY7kFgPDqbME3DPRSHzBxv6CZIV7tXxlUjpwu-RwFI7oI_yRPErwMhBdiITY2R23W3jvk3LKskL6npU9SMHq-VhptcTz5EsYZRuNMLaC-YfJf59Dni/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(2).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxo8h1n283AzUE0D2KxaYxJJArwVev5ZkKY2TwZXqhGvnHGPvpwQqmUP8y-XoBcsKiS3UzAcOsDemY7kFgPDqbME3DPRSHzBxv6CZIV7tXxlUjpwu-RwFI7oI_yRPErwMhBdiITY2R23W3jvk3LKskL6npU9SMHq-VhptcTz5EsYZRuNMLaC-YfJf59Dni/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(2).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Nikol Rogers is a speaker, writer, and empowerment coach who helps
people reclaim their confidence, expand their perfect audience, and bring their
fearless vision to life. She has taught her ZenRed Method globally and has
helped her clients become more confident versions of themselves and in
alignment with their true purpose through her signature course, Powerful
Presence.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">With a 20 year professional performance career that includes kicking eye
high as a Rockette, Nikol has stood on countless stages. Her work is greatly
influenced by her Zen practice, Energy Medicine, Qi Gong, Nonviolent
Communication, and her decades of experience as an Artist. Nikol teaches that
the heart of transformation lies in discovering who you are. It is this journey
that unlocks a person’s greatest power, and allows you to manifest a life you
love.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Her clients and students have published books, sold out events and
concerts, created Solo shows, spoken on large stages, and created award winning
businesses that feed and nourish them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Nikol lives in New Jersey with her life partner and family, and can be
found regularly holding binoculars, standing in nature, and fawning over birds.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Meet Nikol at NikolRogers.com, and @Nikol_Rogers. This is her premiere
book.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><a><span style="color: #007185;"><br /></span></a></span></div></span></div>Padmajhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543983127473002611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568361356466646514.post-23782555036877940862024-01-19T10:24:00.008+05:302024-02-26T11:19:48.674+05:302024 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge - Book List<p> <span style="font-size: large;"> </span><a href="https://www.escapewithdollycas.com/2024-reading-challenges/2024-alphabet-soup-reading-challenge/" style="font-size: large;" target="_blank"><b>2024 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge</b></a><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">- A very straightforward, easy, and fun challenge where, as the name suggests, we read one book for each alphabet.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1-rVVtov5Rgs9vz52O58ohftCijJsXZedGzIxCDlDPvED2qDEi1pLe4JonO6o20osyHXAxDlgc7nWFXeSAlrgLVQkRGFPOVs36JLTiDjgHIPAQRaExVypmKTydJWGISDnSBh7UFb9E4ILs-W703eem9-U36wneqjtcsvKLKMfPw8YDNxzblZbyCUGJJP/s640/ALPHABET-SOUP-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1-rVVtov5Rgs9vz52O58ohftCijJsXZedGzIxCDlDPvED2qDEi1pLe4JonO6o20osyHXAxDlgc7nWFXeSAlrgLVQkRGFPOVs36JLTiDjgHIPAQRaExVypmKTydJWGISDnSBh7UFb9E4ILs-W703eem9-U36wneqjtcsvKLKMfPw8YDNxzblZbyCUGJJP/w296-h222/ALPHABET-SOUP-2024.jpg" width="296" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Here are the spoonfuls for each alphabet...</span></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;">A-</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">B- <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C1y0aOjpefG/" target="_blank"><b>Baby Steps to Big Dreams</b></a> - Manjula Pooja Shroff</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">C- Complication</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">D- Devbhoomi Uthrakhand</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">E-</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">F-</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">G-</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">H- <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3nfsOCMUHI/" target="_blank"><b>How Boys Learn</b></a> - </span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">I- <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C1mA8RkpsWc/" target="_blank">Imperfect Parenting</a></b> - Jane Ruff and co authors</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">J-</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">K-</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">L-</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">M- <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C1n1pviJN28/" target="_blank">Mother to Elephants</a></b> - R.G. de Rouen</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">N- Nalisa's Universe</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">O- Out of SriLanka</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">P-</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Q- <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C138FFiJJTq/" target="_blank">Quiet Whispers</a> </b>- T.A. Rosewood</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">R- Right Across the Bay - </span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">S- Spreading Joy</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">T- </span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">U-</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">V-</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">W-</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">X-</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Y-</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Z-</span></li></ol><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I will be updating this post as and when I finish off an alphabet.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Happy Reading!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCrJoUpVy32i7HxPnBznjWQcgan-PZQEgHx-62v1fQqksTftj4PHQ_GDrxKQJuLgioB-xhFMGPLIcVkPR0W4orNRf5t4psRZpy_E9juEhzvQ_EkDqVb85NC32sqzR7vPFSjZ_1__2jqYszqDkSklbuYS5606XkNda1oh4wb6xxrUsRIpub_7tdUtVWyI4/s500/White%20Brown%20Minimalist%20Signature%20Photography%20Logo%20(2).png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCrJoUpVy32i7HxPnBznjWQcgan-PZQEgHx-62v1fQqksTftj4PHQ_GDrxKQJuLgioB-xhFMGPLIcVkPR0W4orNRf5t4psRZpy_E9juEhzvQ_EkDqVb85NC32sqzR7vPFSjZ_1__2jqYszqDkSklbuYS5606XkNda1oh4wb6xxrUsRIpub_7tdUtVWyI4/w108-h108/White%20Brown%20Minimalist%20Signature%20Photography%20Logo%20(2).png" width="108" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Padmajhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543983127473002611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568361356466646514.post-60007986803795336142024-01-19T10:10:00.001+05:302024-01-19T10:27:41.204+05:302024 Reading Challenges<p><span style="font-size: medium;">One way to read more books or tackle a never-ending TBR is to participate in Reading Challenges!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Like the past few years, I am signing up for a few Reading challenges and hope to complete them at the end of the year.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgklXtfR3VexVklUxaFfY5wY_DGtGYN_tlVE7kStg2yqDFtN4k2GCGikl_h3mj0axOkg2wQg6QUd7jy8RMKQDMhaNOv7rqZxf3H148NQaKMsCTk5mv5kJl02GY2zpFSOwYOoLyHzrCiDUuGG-ev2HT__XKdeFH46S2UPAAuuhKZAjXa2p13HCWT2iLBKuFN/s1080/@meandmybookshelf.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgklXtfR3VexVklUxaFfY5wY_DGtGYN_tlVE7kStg2yqDFtN4k2GCGikl_h3mj0axOkg2wQg6QUd7jy8RMKQDMhaNOv7rqZxf3H148NQaKMsCTk5mv5kJl02GY2zpFSOwYOoLyHzrCiDUuGG-ev2HT__XKdeFH46S2UPAAuuhKZAjXa2p13HCWT2iLBKuFN/s320/@meandmybookshelf.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">1. <a href="https://www.escapewithdollycas.com/2024-reading-challenges/2024-alphabet-soup-reading-challenge/" target="_blank"><b>2024 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge</b></a> - A very straightforward, easy, and fun challenge where, as the name suggests, we read one book for each alphabet.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1-rVVtov5Rgs9vz52O58ohftCijJsXZedGzIxCDlDPvED2qDEi1pLe4JonO6o20osyHXAxDlgc7nWFXeSAlrgLVQkRGFPOVs36JLTiDjgHIPAQRaExVypmKTydJWGISDnSBh7UFb9E4ILs-W703eem9-U36wneqjtcsvKLKMfPw8YDNxzblZbyCUGJJP/s640/ALPHABET-SOUP-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1-rVVtov5Rgs9vz52O58ohftCijJsXZedGzIxCDlDPvED2qDEi1pLe4JonO6o20osyHXAxDlgc7nWFXeSAlrgLVQkRGFPOVs36JLTiDjgHIPAQRaExVypmKTydJWGISDnSBh7UFb9E4ILs-W703eem9-U36wneqjtcsvKLKMfPw8YDNxzblZbyCUGJJP/w296-h222/ALPHABET-SOUP-2024.jpg" width="296" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">2. <b><a href="https://www.the52book.club/2024-reading-challenge/" target="_blank">The 52 Book Club's Reading Challenge </a></b>- 52 prompts and we match it with the books we read or read to match the prompts. Either way, it is something to look forward to each year.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The books that I have bookmarked or read for the prompts are already up. <b><a href="https://meandmybookshelf.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-52-book-club-reading-challenge-2024.html" target="_blank">Click here </a></b>to take a look...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxV8bh2g-In5f0IgZe1ncRDkp7agY7VYgy0fPSt-oApwTOXiZL9cF4cbUWZDwGSLhINHeBkl0YAddAPfg0_p9Kz1aCiOKj31-iOFeB2hOC5mfNNBtI3x6iB1Q-DQqSuOLX6e7je9Msmnv4-nS1SqQgrab7Es2Z2PTT82AOqmLI1hApSoLSQBKMeID9tIp/s1024/2024-Challenge-Cover.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxV8bh2g-In5f0IgZe1ncRDkp7agY7VYgy0fPSt-oApwTOXiZL9cF4cbUWZDwGSLhINHeBkl0YAddAPfg0_p9Kz1aCiOKj31-iOFeB2hOC5mfNNBtI3x6iB1Q-DQqSuOLX6e7je9Msmnv4-nS1SqQgrab7Es2Z2PTT82AOqmLI1hApSoLSQBKMeID9tIp/s320/2024-Challenge-Cover.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">3. <b><a href="https://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2023/10/color-coded-read-it-again-sam.html" target="_blank">Color Coded Reading Challenge</a></b>- Read books with the 9 color categories, either with the color dominant on the cover or the color on the title.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ikMhIJGx8XoB7cqvHvGlS_O37mTJdskLDPgFBFtaRJiDYN5nIqpgK31W8qrfCV3KUM2KpX6P0wJHIk63Wd0Z4gCNdFerA8XU4BI4Mlk_TU564HzKB8Le1JjDnxGtMkGqNhjY_0FEFqe-Ogf97mENaL2KQ4w7nwLylj6fF6DVnWmzcjtIjbzuppNQAhom/s181/Screenshot%202024-01-19%20095237.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="181" data-original-width="176" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ikMhIJGx8XoB7cqvHvGlS_O37mTJdskLDPgFBFtaRJiDYN5nIqpgK31W8qrfCV3KUM2KpX6P0wJHIk63Wd0Z4gCNdFerA8XU4BI4Mlk_TU564HzKB8Le1JjDnxGtMkGqNhjY_0FEFqe-Ogf97mENaL2KQ4w7nwLylj6fF6DVnWmzcjtIjbzuppNQAhom/s1600/Screenshot%202024-01-19%20095237.png" width="176" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">4.<b><a href="https://bookdout.wordpress.com/2023/12/03/sign-up-for-the-2024-nonfiction-reader-challenge/" target="_blank"> Non Fiction Reader Challenge</a></b> - With my resolve to read more non-fiction this year, I feel this challenge will fit perfectly! I am choosing the Non-fiction Grazer where we can read and review any non-fiction book and set our own goals. I am planning to do 10-15 non-fiction books this year.</span></p><p><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">So, here are the four challenges I am taking part in! </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Check out the roundup of all the 2024 reading challenges that are going on and join a few or more and tackle that ever growing TBR!!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Happy reading!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgElWDh_7VuODjycYHX8TMSUQaa-B_4TBTWIp0d1hqD5_yc8DFUMwKpgNSIMK0gyomN9RUqx0B4h1glHG0miLCzHPTxN5wqWxfHNCYluQ7RGtSS1_PIhgke4mamsLD640PuhFZo__O0zKGDpLTOWRR05ckwp5H31qsdOKyHHpC2ozJKHDnQNIC6cfQSuXs5/s106/image.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="89" data-original-width="106" height="89" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgElWDh_7VuODjycYHX8TMSUQaa-B_4TBTWIp0d1hqD5_yc8DFUMwKpgNSIMK0gyomN9RUqx0B4h1glHG0miLCzHPTxN5wqWxfHNCYluQ7RGtSS1_PIhgke4mamsLD640PuhFZo__O0zKGDpLTOWRR05ckwp5H31qsdOKyHHpC2ozJKHDnQNIC6cfQSuXs5/s1600/image.png" width="106" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>Padmajhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543983127473002611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568361356466646514.post-38829029682716380202024-01-07T18:45:00.001+05:302024-01-29T11:36:01.502+05:30Baby Steps to Big Dreams:Book Review<p><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Review of Dr. Pooja Manjula Shroff's book - Baby Steps to Big Dreams - Essential Conversation for Modern Parents.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGaqWKFwdd3AjOeOX8WyzaTJTpK2iZm5ZBS6o0aygv6SGGCstvjjWt-7e8ldenSntAwls5b2B1C4bbj7m5CBa0FeDCmbJuOyFt8mvDdDffc_RrCx0VRmoZEnRF-fdM3p-lsPya8gdjvvdUCHgnf4a8ighBBZHSjpaANMjWz1kQfD2tcf6NTE1U_7affUJ/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202024-01-07%20at%202.54.07%20PM%20(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGaqWKFwdd3AjOeOX8WyzaTJTpK2iZm5ZBS6o0aygv6SGGCstvjjWt-7e8ldenSntAwls5b2B1C4bbj7m5CBa0FeDCmbJuOyFt8mvDdDffc_RrCx0VRmoZEnRF-fdM3p-lsPya8gdjvvdUCHgnf4a8ighBBZHSjpaANMjWz1kQfD2tcf6NTE1U_7affUJ/w312-h416/WhatsApp%20Image%202024-01-07%20at%202.54.07%20PM%20(1).jpeg" width="312" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimshuQCHU-7GalTfGrK1SAkRspl6L7XmjF-OclzbxXpTs6ic7CcIJjdHiiuyD8cI42hwoDeii88j9zdGdXkx6EeLKYjDHzAJo7m11b1fguqV4hN-se2E1T_SHXtiX3wDmeECzpKV9eMMhf-wVxAkzjPhmkeLOsk42pHZYdRUwbzfyj3okNiZiaaydL3nlp/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimshuQCHU-7GalTfGrK1SAkRspl6L7XmjF-OclzbxXpTs6ic7CcIJjdHiiuyD8cI42hwoDeii88j9zdGdXkx6EeLKYjDHzAJo7m11b1fguqV4hN-se2E1T_SHXtiX3wDmeECzpKV9eMMhf-wVxAkzjPhmkeLOsk42pHZYdRUwbzfyj3okNiZiaaydL3nlp/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(1).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Title - Baby Steps to Big Dreams - Essential Conversation for Modern Parents</span>.</li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Author – Dr. Manjula Pooja Shroff</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Year published – 24 August 2023</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Publisher - Vitasta Publishing Private Limited</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Pages - 248</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Genre – Parenting / Family and Relationship</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Format - Hardcover</span></li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMXzosbmrs1siNU4EnFwdZqUOiAvyef5hKFWno_69AzKQA9c5MFPdb8MD3v2BNx1910aIKAx5ZI6Wm0wX_3BHA5vqyrk4LCo7ICZ0TIeOfmTx5-PoREoUcamMTVAEGCB4Zy_A_VGguUvqVqaghwuyJ0WI9QJADmwWDaf14ZJSrHvBy1N3dwOjbqN9Zti9/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMXzosbmrs1siNU4EnFwdZqUOiAvyef5hKFWno_69AzKQA9c5MFPdb8MD3v2BNx1910aIKAx5ZI6Wm0wX_3BHA5vqyrk4LCo7ICZ0TIeOfmTx5-PoREoUcamMTVAEGCB4Zy_A_VGguUvqVqaghwuyJ0WI9QJADmwWDaf14ZJSrHvBy1N3dwOjbqN9Zti9/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><div><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></div>Did you
know, accurate reasoning and logical conversations work wonders for the
psychological development of children? The art of parenting requires patience,
a little bit of jockeying, tactfulness, switching between roles and many more
skills that vary based on the unique qualities and characteristics of each
child. By engaging in meaningful and open dialogues with children, parents
provide a nurturing environment that promotes growth, learning, and emotional
well-being. This book on parenting conversations is intended to act as a
reference tool for parents, to make them better equipped to navigate the
developmental years of their children from birth to teenage years. The hope and
aim is to endow you with processes and methods to achieve what we all strive to
do – protect our children’s childhood and help them grow into confident and
mature young adults with self-esteem.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LtXjDEu05YibRttNNACcRrnup-1x6J7wzZK92A5K_2X16WrQDRJ8dF7kQFyWsgz0xbUguXQUHfNukaL2NmbpurAcJy8kiwuyFo2R8MG8W1HFRxa2yjN3JxHXkcwo92l93QKIThlpgdQcPAgcJmiZEszskpj95qSswJz5X6fyaZ95UqFEE8r0rerqpxUd/s320/image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="107" data-original-width="320" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LtXjDEu05YibRttNNACcRrnup-1x6J7wzZK92A5K_2X16WrQDRJ8dF7kQFyWsgz0xbUguXQUHfNukaL2NmbpurAcJy8kiwuyFo2R8MG8W1HFRxa2yjN3JxHXkcwo92l93QKIThlpgdQcPAgcJmiZEszskpj95qSswJz5X6fyaZ95UqFEE8r0rerqpxUd/s1600/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><b>Book #3 of 2024</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><b>Rating</b> - 5</span><span style="font-size: medium;">🌟</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This year, I
decided to read more nonfiction; this is my 3<sup>rd</sup> one! I chose
this book as I found the title and tagline interesting. Right from the first
line, I found myself nodding along, and as I kept reading, I discovered many
relatable things.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The author
has worked with child psychologists and experts in the field, including
counselors who help children with their emotional and social well-being. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The book is
divided into nine chapters, covering different stages of a child's life,
starting from when they are still in the womb till the teen years!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It talks about handling young kids,
communication, making them comfortable around new people, and being mindful of
their fears. It emphasizes the importance of being a good role model and using
effective communication.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">One section
that stood out to me was about dealing with sibling rivalry, where the author
gives tips to turn it into positive sibling relationships. I think many parents
will find this part of the book helpful.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">While dealing with kids up to 10 years seems difficult
to parents with small kids, I feel the preteen and teen years are the most
difficult to handle! Having kids under these categories, I now feel the toddler
and primary school age were golden! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">The book
does an excellent job addressing preteens and teens, covering everything from
approaching them to discussing sensitive topics. There are practice questions
in these chapters that parents can answer to understand their teens better. I
found this section to be beneficial.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The book
tackles various issues such as social media, drugs, teen romance, abuse, anger,
aggression, etc. It provides tips on how to handle these situations and be
supportive of them in difficult circumstances.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All these
make it a valuable handbook for parents. The practical tips are helpful for
quick reference, and the concise sections make the information easy to digest.
Parents can use this all through the child’s milestones and reread the sections
that are relevant for that life stage.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Parenting
can be daunting, leaving many feeling lost, but books like these are
undeniably helpful. A 5/5 star rating from me.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl53jbTNxYld4GoqWQjk1dgk66IB8QQly4qjm6PfQvWsa6yHGGafy1kwfEaf8GXZ5h_XA1GDyOhe8ofv5DDJSb_9W4WEdd9O9ZSSBtra4HJovsMcC-f8ijNXggMppc1FrBSmw27B_d8kFGIN3nMot5JyZX3ITz1sr8n_bt4e9x_g7q5YCyJSDfvPir-WlV/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(2).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl53jbTNxYld4GoqWQjk1dgk66IB8QQly4qjm6PfQvWsa6yHGGafy1kwfEaf8GXZ5h_XA1GDyOhe8ofv5DDJSb_9W4WEdd9O9ZSSBtra4HJovsMcC-f8ijNXggMppc1FrBSmw27B_d8kFGIN3nMot5JyZX3ITz1sr8n_bt4e9x_g7q5YCyJSDfvPir-WlV/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(2).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A pioneering
visionary, edupreneur Dr. Manjula Pooja Shroff, MD & CEO of the Kalorex
group, is a name synonymous with education in India. She has influenced the
lives of more than 65,000 students over the past decades. Driven by a passion
for excellence, she has dedicated her entire life to the empowerment of
students and the advancement of education.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /></span><p></p>Padmajhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543983127473002611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568361356466646514.post-6640056940378333542024-01-03T10:02:00.002+05:302024-01-29T11:36:32.988+05:30 Mother to Elephants - The Story of Daphne Sheldrick | Book Review<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Review of R.G. de Rouen's book - Mother to Elephants - The Story of Daphne Sheldrick.<span class="ContributorLink__name" data-testid="name" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline !important; flex-basis: auto; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; text-wrap: nowrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhheTJx3mJgPsp6eT6IFE2M7xJRnqom7Ow3q6zUFZMQzWiOzWwxPZID92zu9-_HqjJ7sDOmWZ47tZGsbbNQ-o3CXIYZx7685c8awztttw_RUmpO6cz_ZVN517nkJEu4L1mdfwujAEXv0oiHFfTZLq69khgKsNHm-kULfWUjtlkUwJ7S91Rw8u60aVd1F8e1/s1080/Brown%20Minimalist%20Monday%20Greeting%20Instagram%20Post.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhheTJx3mJgPsp6eT6IFE2M7xJRnqom7Ow3q6zUFZMQzWiOzWwxPZID92zu9-_HqjJ7sDOmWZ47tZGsbbNQ-o3CXIYZx7685c8awztttw_RUmpO6cz_ZVN517nkJEu4L1mdfwujAEXv0oiHFfTZLq69khgKsNHm-kULfWUjtlkUwJ7S91Rw8u60aVd1F8e1/w359-h359/Brown%20Minimalist%20Monday%20Greeting%20Instagram%20Post.png" width="359" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /> <span><br /><br /><a name='more'></a></span></span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivd49eCUwyGlvbFszy8vR8yyHazvOU6yVlPZplMClJbKPFZ5hDX2HgBmCqDE00ihYe72bIukRuQOLS5N_eEORRKC_7aKhI2zsl7B61PkH5VCXHu0WS3FthilF778u6Q-HTpE_Ocz9bDRvR3UZTf85cVpq7NODKf9ubTgo2P3Yokxji5GaKY7kEGnjhLrQ6/s320/image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="107" data-original-width="320" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivd49eCUwyGlvbFszy8vR8yyHazvOU6yVlPZplMClJbKPFZ5hDX2HgBmCqDE00ihYe72bIukRuQOLS5N_eEORRKC_7aKhI2zsl7B61PkH5VCXHu0WS3FthilF778u6Q-HTpE_Ocz9bDRvR3UZTf85cVpq7NODKf9ubTgo2P3Yokxji5GaKY7kEGnjhLrQ6/s1600/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Title - Mother to Elephants - The Story of Daphne Sheldrick</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Author – R.G.de Rouen</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Year published – 24 September 2023</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Publisher - BooksGoSocial</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Pages - 34</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Genre – Biography / STEM, Kids</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Format - eBook</span></li></ul><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz_y2LZNb4M_fFOSl00TUOc4n90oT0rty3gBDJZg9DiYCdTKitIthYTnPhgy1QdwpVRmO9RJZggte4HZMCz4b_WXALAgtIcukSizV0_vUdSLXNKaDupeKBD1sLVV6z0yZbuLvYWYwph1cQszlAHMWxy5rNnj6Xf-8xrx8gvHZV1tVANtrOMmuXOeyWr3ee/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz_y2LZNb4M_fFOSl00TUOc4n90oT0rty3gBDJZg9DiYCdTKitIthYTnPhgy1QdwpVRmO9RJZggte4HZMCz4b_WXALAgtIcukSizV0_vUdSLXNKaDupeKBD1sLVV6z0yZbuLvYWYwph1cQszlAHMWxy5rNnj6Xf-8xrx8gvHZV1tVANtrOMmuXOeyWr3ee/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">A picture book celebrating the life of a pioneer in elephant care. It’s
a wonderful story for Kids 6-9 (perfect for your nature loving child).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><br />
Born free – living free! How young, orphaned elephants found a playful
temporary home with a different kind of family. A true story filled with love
and determination.<br />
<br />
<br />
No doubt you’ve heard the saying, “Mother knows best!” But what if the baby is
a six-hundred-pound elephant, and the mother is of the two-legged kind? Would
the saying still hold true?<br />
<br />
Mothering elephants is what Daphne Sheldrick did her entire life. As a young
girl, she was put in charge of wounded or abandoned animals. As a grownup,
Daphne and her dedicated team saved and nurtured countless elephants.<br />
<br />
When a tiny, milk-dependent calf arrived, Daphne’s determination would be
tested. No one had ever hand-reared an elephant baby this young, but what
Daphne learned with Aisha would be the key to saving future orphaned elephants.
What’s more, she had an elephant-sized dream of returning them to the wild!<br />
<br />
This non-fiction biography picture book for kids is sure to inspire young
budding conservationists and make the perfect gift for elephant lovers
everywhere!<br />
<br />
Includes a section with many ele-fantastic elephant facts!<br />
The perfect choice for parents and teachers looking for:<br />
• Inspiring nonfiction narrative books<br />
• Biographies about women<br />
• Role model books for children<br />
• Kids STEM books<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzasrk_94RjR6Dox09KEIi9s44JZmgBKBf0n2cC42fdnVdHsSibsjXbVP2qgyppx5Vk4t7Oo2b2J6V8LbjYDiXAKDPFr2GQli0T9KWI0v-W5xCp35SsAlbUKTpRFpnKlFI-JWER1SMOHpjJ5Haij4yNwCnNkr-HJ9HN0sovEIlZ2iSOmTOzOVapB8Klwv6/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(4).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzasrk_94RjR6Dox09KEIi9s44JZmgBKBf0n2cC42fdnVdHsSibsjXbVP2qgyppx5Vk4t7Oo2b2J6V8LbjYDiXAKDPFr2GQli0T9KWI0v-W5xCp35SsAlbUKTpRFpnKlFI-JWER1SMOHpjJ5Haij4yNwCnNkr-HJ9HN0sovEIlZ2iSOmTOzOVapB8Klwv6/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(4).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b>Book #2 of 2024</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><b>Rating</b> - 5</span><span style="font-size: medium;">🌟</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I chose this
book to be a part of a Reading Challenge that I am doing this year.The book
talks about Daphne Sheldrick and how she came to establish the Elephant
Orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Young Daphne
is thrilled to be living in nature in the Great Rift Valley, Africa, and has a
special love for animals. One day, she's given the task of caring for an
orphaned antelope named Bushy. Even though her dad warned her that a wild
animal is only a borrowed animal, she feels sad when Bushy returns to the wild
after staying with her for a bit.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Years later,
she cares for Aisha, a tiny orphaned elephant who does well under her care, but
things go wrong when Daphne isn't around. After this, Daphne decides to help
orphaned elephants more and hires people to assist her. That's how Daphne's
Orphans project begins to grow.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Besides the
touching story, the book has beautiful illustrations on every page that
transport us to the place and connect us to the story. The language is simple
and suitable for kids of all ages, making it a great read-along or bedtime
story.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Additionally,
there are Elefacts at the end of the book with interesting facts about
elephants, adding to our knowledge. The 'What kids can do to help?' section
explains how kids can contribute to preventing poaching.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Overall,
it's a beautifully illustrated book with a wonderful story about a woman's
journey to save and protect orphaned elephant calves. It's a 5/5 star read
suitable for kids of all ages and even adults.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJMdysYs-VLzXgzqgBlntdTfTE3qWlRhvtX7y9oUY2B_cf1t4kYHgHmlelSMVEeireoy9-anZFRwQE6BT5uAXK6utcH_AIsk6EQgLJV1zQ8vM0-fKqP7u6XJUljJMNkhSSiNQY2IpToU2WlhQh_oAhwjk57dlKZ61sachhoRAqgm0twfsX-D-eNXfnhIk/s6912/Add%20a%20heading%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="6912" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJMdysYs-VLzXgzqgBlntdTfTE3qWlRhvtX7y9oUY2B_cf1t4kYHgHmlelSMVEeireoy9-anZFRwQE6BT5uAXK6utcH_AIsk6EQgLJV1zQ8vM0-fKqP7u6XJUljJMNkhSSiNQY2IpToU2WlhQh_oAhwjk57dlKZ61sachhoRAqgm0twfsX-D-eNXfnhIk/s320/Add%20a%20heading%20(1).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><br /></p>Padmajhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543983127473002611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568361356466646514.post-27897587840171738712024-01-02T14:57:00.005+05:302024-01-26T16:44:10.991+05:30Imperfect Parenting: Honest Stories from Global Parents - Book Review<p> <span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">Review of the book - Imperfect Parenting: Honest Stories from Global Parents</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2S-VL8ytzwU42AAD60yy8xOcR5vnmZzzjbHE6kYE3LYW8hOTNrjFx__scjfhlwH0bZ5D11CvGBcWLscjxxc0FB3Noa5aLUK4GBDRDunHrcrRFcpiAFvDKkqKKc7zi3vWBvb7UnmKDJyCINz1adSTEd6aHW0UyBg0rBhTl4fl2DXdGyaVGShoNOBtYKVZB/s1080/Untitled%20design%20(29).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2S-VL8ytzwU42AAD60yy8xOcR5vnmZzzjbHE6kYE3LYW8hOTNrjFx__scjfhlwH0bZ5D11CvGBcWLscjxxc0FB3Noa5aLUK4GBDRDunHrcrRFcpiAFvDKkqKKc7zi3vWBvb7UnmKDJyCINz1adSTEd6aHW0UyBg0rBhTl4fl2DXdGyaVGShoNOBtYKVZB/w383-h383/Untitled%20design%20(29).png" width="383" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6emJLJvd8L0OBvx8ZQSfbauH6HKFlrmyAa06W9RAG9nRS26WF9x-uqQtVCfk3TnKcoVDdYa7EYlRxenQLhkItb0byhtdZ6YwKGcwkW0kKx4Rf-diZYFK2pvJU7YEwvTBGqQFYTpVHxBmaalkN6MgSiLENP7Og28M12lHt573ETuoS9XfFjqi81lETI9w/s423/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="87" data-original-width="423" height="66" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6emJLJvd8L0OBvx8ZQSfbauH6HKFlrmyAa06W9RAG9nRS26WF9x-uqQtVCfk3TnKcoVDdYa7EYlRxenQLhkItb0byhtdZ6YwKGcwkW0kKx4Rf-diZYFK2pvJU7YEwvTBGqQFYTpVHxBmaalkN6MgSiLENP7Og28M12lHt573ETuoS9XfFjqi81lETI9w/s320/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Title - Imperfect Parenting: Honest Stories from Global Parents</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Author – Jayne Ruff,Arthi Prabhakaran and co-authors</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Year published – 17 November 2023</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Publisher - Letsauthor Technologies Private Limited</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Pages - 196</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Genre – Parenting / Non Fiction</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Format - Paperback</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Get the book - <a href="https://www.amazon.in/Imperfect-Parenting-Honest-Stories-Parents/dp/8195869599" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></li></ul><p style="text-align: left;"></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEeDHOH0eIONee2q3uf8aPfw-xNAXdioiYxBx5n4S1wwFx83O__u0C2SEi8gSjT4M7YbRusx5HV62FWfKSD7RgO9x4UOWYT69vu2HJaZImmHTiq0PU1xSLe1MFcP7AGkO4M-7FFMzSE-R9pCkhsRMvKW0DtasNHA_-kvvNA0JwASJOnnMoXaaLRWs7syo/s424/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="83" data-original-width="424" height="63" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEeDHOH0eIONee2q3uf8aPfw-xNAXdioiYxBx5n4S1wwFx83O__u0C2SEi8gSjT4M7YbRusx5HV62FWfKSD7RgO9x4UOWYT69vu2HJaZImmHTiq0PU1xSLe1MFcP7AGkO4M-7FFMzSE-R9pCkhsRMvKW0DtasNHA_-kvvNA0JwASJOnnMoXaaLRWs7syo/s320/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Exciting.
Confusing. Enriching. Lonely.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Parenting
is a life-changing experience filled with many emotions. This collection of
real-life stories, written by parents from across the world, offers solace and
reassurance, whilst re-affirming there's no one-size-fits-all approach to
parenting. Join our community of authors as they talk openly about the highs
and lows from their personal journeys and extend this compassion and solidarity
to you.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"><img border="0" data-original-height="81" data-original-width="422" height="61" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3IPnbaujT0tU6SduKWh_dUw9RIt7ZxNzz4gSyM0jYxMMYZM2I-dGcEnsNSKokB0rPWtrP4PqAN17mMhfZKcBG7uGHGHayLodKNPBPsLSpsF58zxqabVV52sUlC9AlMIsdGRROr2JvmYOI3CPt1NJI4qJ_SViSlQAvImGhTAJToO1f54MQ6Ri2j7dOhD3/s320/image.png" style="color: #0000ee; font-size: medium;" width="320" /></span></p><div><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><b>Book #1 of 2024</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><b>Rating</b> - 5</span>🌟</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Parenting is undeniably challenging, devoid of clear-cut rules for a
smooth journey. The highs and lows, coupled with a spectrum of emotions, make
it a unique experience. While a guidebook would be convenient, the absence of
one acknowledges the individuality of each parenting journey. In today's world,
parenting is simultaneously more challenging and slightly easier than in the past.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Upon reading this book, I discovered it doesn't dispense advice or
present rigid rules. Instead, it immerses readers in the world of parenting,
offering scenarios through the authentic narratives of parents. This approach
resonated with me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The book provides reassurance that parents, especially mothers, are not
alone in their journey. Real-life instances and relatable stories from parents
foster a sense of camaraderie. The absence of preachiness in favor of practical
tips fosters an understanding of children's needs and promotes mutual growth
for parents and kids, especially those navigating the delicate balance between
personal and professional lives.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The various authors share their experiences, addressing a myriad of
topics parents grapple with, from the power of communication to parenting
special needs children, handling a child coming out, addressing mental health,
and navigating single parenthood. These topics, among others, are vital for
understanding and managing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">It also sheds light on things like parents are the best people to decide
what’s best for their child, we should adapt to the situation and be flexible
to change our thoughts and ideas, all of which in turn will encourage the child and help them, as well as the parents, grow!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The inclusion of quotes, tips, and tricks throughout the book adds
value. As I read through the chapters, I found myself smiling, nodding in
agreement, and gaining insights.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Particularly helpful were chapters like "Parenting Ourselves Before
We Parent Our Children," "Learning to Feel, Process, and Support
Emotions as a Parent," and "Raising the Children in a Virtual
World." The book concludes with a list of resources for further reading.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Learning from others' experiences is more manageable when it's not
preachy, and this book excels in that regard. It's a 5/5 star read, a winner
that offers valuable insights to parents navigating the intricate balance of
home and work, assuring them that they are not alone in their journey. An
insightful and supportive read for all parents.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">***************</span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">This review is powered by </span><a href=" https://www.theblogchatter.com/" style="font-size: 16pt;" target="_blank">Blogchatter Book Review Program</a><span style="font-size: 16pt;">.</span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45YRWDaMM-t1VEa1uvkvboAjGjFu_742tt_N68Yg1b5-Co6dE3ClZ3p7c4oONlOJqCO4Rp-9Wz4moXwVoJ6VMpyS-GU40l0BSWmwsOs9dR51e9NCGBuKruoJ2ndKHgWSS-x1nKU2DxwKEjlySnHJMFb6rAAn-HqXNf0aI21ohEMmg0RVfmQZDL8537F-B/s6912/Add%20a%20heading%20(1).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="6912" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45YRWDaMM-t1VEa1uvkvboAjGjFu_742tt_N68Yg1b5-Co6dE3ClZ3p7c4oONlOJqCO4Rp-9Wz4moXwVoJ6VMpyS-GU40l0BSWmwsOs9dR51e9NCGBuKruoJ2ndKHgWSS-x1nKU2DxwKEjlySnHJMFb6rAAn-HqXNf0aI21ohEMmg0RVfmQZDL8537F-B/w237-h119/Add%20a%20heading%20(1).png" width="237" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Padmajhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543983127473002611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568361356466646514.post-23859426080509237652024-01-01T02:00:00.014+05:302024-03-13T23:18:33.897+05:30The 52 Book Club Reading Challenge 2024 - Books List<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This is the only challenge that I finish each year. For 2024, the prompts were interesting and challenging and I got around to picking a few for the prompts.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But, as always, I am unsure if I will stick with my list or change them as I go. So, I will update as and when I find a book that fits a prompt.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgo1R2sqiMDKJ28AMQ1Xu3L5Rp4wE8-PeESu3Q-h0VdIGap8y30eUmlIaLdTtUk07rGATuNTdTYXckb08FcK6EJo2UuS4wHd4tBfm8_QtXL2i9_3j7kn9QBLCrWdU_UDTTvKKk-tJ4diwHf6ruMekPd7KCYkUaY61y_jvS1xtSZgBAHYiCFYTRmEMSkyf_B" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgo1R2sqiMDKJ28AMQ1Xu3L5Rp4wE8-PeESu3Q-h0VdIGap8y30eUmlIaLdTtUk07rGATuNTdTYXckb08FcK6EJo2UuS4wHd4tBfm8_QtXL2i9_3j7kn9QBLCrWdU_UDTTvKKk-tJ4diwHf6ruMekPd7KCYkUaY61y_jvS1xtSZgBAHYiCFYTRmEMSkyf_B=w517-h291" width="517" /></a></span></div><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><b>The prompts for the 52 Book
Club’s 2024 Reading Challenge:</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Locked-room
mystery - </span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Bibliosmia: A
smelly book-</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">More than 40
chapters</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Lowercase letters
on the spine</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Magical Realism</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Women
in STEM - Mother to Elephants - The Story of Daphne Sheldrick</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">At least four different POV -<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3XXfqfp2LB/" target="_blank"> Right Across the Bay</a>- Quinn Avery</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Features the ocean</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A character-driven novel- the 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Told in non-chronological order - Little Fires Everywhere</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Title starting with the letter “K”</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Title starting with the letter “L”</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">An academic thriller - Angels and Demons</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A grieving character - </span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Part of a duology</span></li><li><a name="_Hlk140748315"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">An omniscient
narrator</span></a></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Nominated
for The Booker Prize</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">An
apostrophe in the title</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A
buddy read</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A
revenge story - Murder on the Orient Express</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Written
by a ghostwriter - Nancy Drew</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A
plot similar to another book -Baby Steps to Big Dreams: Essential Conversations for Modern Parents. - Dr Manjula Pooja Shroff</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></p></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The
other book with the similar plot - Imperfect Parenting- Honest stories from Global Parents</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A
cover without people on it - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C30Fz6spiqX/" target="_blank">Guns and Almond milk </a>- Mustafa Marwan</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">An
author “everyone” has read except you</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Hybrid
genre</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">By
a neurodivergent author</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A
yellow spine - Bootcamp Murder - Matthew Ross</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Published
in a Year of the Dragon - Dante's Paradox - Dante M Slater Sr.</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Picked
without reading the blurb - Quiet Whispers - T.A.Rosewood</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Includes
a personal phobia - Great expectations</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Time frame
spans a week or less</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">An
abrupt ending - Girl on the train</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Set
in a landlocked country - Heidi</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Title
matches lyrics from a song</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Has
futuristic technology - Acts of God - Kanan Gill</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Palindrome
on the cover</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Published
by Hachette</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Non-fiction
recommended by a friend</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Set
during a holiday you don’t celebrate</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A
sticker on the cover</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Author
debut in the second half of 2024</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">About
finding identity - Eat Pray Love</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Includes
a wedding</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Chapter
headings have dates - Guns and Almond Milk</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Featuring
Indigenous culture - A Long Season of Ashes- Siddhartha Gigoo</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Self-insert
by an author - Jane Eyre</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The
word “secret” in the title</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Set
in a city starting with the letter “M” - Missing in Mumbai </span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A
musical instrument on the cover</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Related
to the word “Wild”</span></li><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 106%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Published
in 2024</span></li></ol><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3PoYxQftIdOSVGWX5xV8b1N2P5E7rznZki-p7rt2E-INJpEG6QI_alW8ThpmPX7OdErdpMdHwD4kE-MJQViSIj0sVpbvtR9LlCMgt3KX4dwpMOXUmeeRez8zHGpa2keMAvliy6UJeUcFJududIbixoPypUfefDvObcyVW3_5qCEhlILfueO26QUIeUuNN/s6912/Add%20a%20heading%20(1).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="6912" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3PoYxQftIdOSVGWX5xV8b1N2P5E7rznZki-p7rt2E-INJpEG6QI_alW8ThpmPX7OdErdpMdHwD4kE-MJQViSIj0sVpbvtR9LlCMgt3KX4dwpMOXUmeeRez8zHGpa2keMAvliy6UJeUcFJududIbixoPypUfefDvObcyVW3_5qCEhlILfueO26QUIeUuNN/s320/Add%20a%20heading%20(1).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p>
</p>Padmajhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543983127473002611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568361356466646514.post-43300963316219162892023-12-17T18:28:00.003+05:302024-01-26T16:44:20.244+05:30Nandi's Charge - The Battle of Vathapi- Book 1- Book Review<p> <span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">Review of Arun Krishnan's Nandi's Charge [The Battle of Vatapi- Book 1]</span></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5TNzKlrMf5RsSTtKcA2vOepZHZBaJRlFGXFisdHAskeizFaZYLQEMh4KPEpEdUHnj1DKP0LPyji1QcKOE7BR7QvWg5orZ8t5P26OjuZRsSjQhuyYXqk59gKE_xH09UocqTvy165eUUi0hM0niuMUvH5kfC2L7PcQKwofQwYQPAOkwQhS0YTQDDwNkXq3-/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-12-17%20at%206.21.35%20PM.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5TNzKlrMf5RsSTtKcA2vOepZHZBaJRlFGXFisdHAskeizFaZYLQEMh4KPEpEdUHnj1DKP0LPyji1QcKOE7BR7QvWg5orZ8t5P26OjuZRsSjQhuyYXqk59gKE_xH09UocqTvy165eUUi0hM0niuMUvH5kfC2L7PcQKwofQwYQPAOkwQhS0YTQDDwNkXq3-/w338-h450/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-12-17%20at%206.21.35%20PM.jpeg" width="338" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhH3wz-sWQG4-TLWGq-elBR-X066e4f96Vlh3zcpX4PZRlmiJw78HrlRwDWuKweXZe7uCOP5HoFJiuh8_bdN6gY6DqL8LsrFrsLjB79zeFmOmJnZ1LPt6vp2LnoYEF5RTjp0fJTfNEH2usEuAQK_qiYic4CdgiYyCTAA8eVFX9CfOWbobyCrn5ys8a41XRy" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="276" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhH3wz-sWQG4-TLWGq-elBR-X066e4f96Vlh3zcpX4PZRlmiJw78HrlRwDWuKweXZe7uCOP5HoFJiuh8_bdN6gY6DqL8LsrFrsLjB79zeFmOmJnZ1LPt6vp2LnoYEF5RTjp0fJTfNEH2usEuAQK_qiYic4CdgiYyCTAA8eVFX9CfOWbobyCrn5ys8a41XRy" width="212" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6emJLJvd8L0OBvx8ZQSfbauH6HKFlrmyAa06W9RAG9nRS26WF9x-uqQtVCfk3TnKcoVDdYa7EYlRxenQLhkItb0byhtdZ6YwKGcwkW0kKx4Rf-diZYFK2pvJU7YEwvTBGqQFYTpVHxBmaalkN6MgSiLENP7Og28M12lHt573ETuoS9XfFjqi81lETI9w/s423/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="87" data-original-width="423" height="66" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6emJLJvd8L0OBvx8ZQSfbauH6HKFlrmyAa06W9RAG9nRS26WF9x-uqQtVCfk3TnKcoVDdYa7EYlRxenQLhkItb0byhtdZ6YwKGcwkW0kKx4Rf-diZYFK2pvJU7YEwvTBGqQFYTpVHxBmaalkN6MgSiLENP7Og28M12lHt573ETuoS9XfFjqi81lETI9w/s320/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><p></p><ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Title - Nandi's Charge [The Battle of Vathapi- Book 1]</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Author – Arun Krishnan</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Year published – 16 November 2023</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Publisher - Harper Collins India</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Pages - 544</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Genre – Historical Fiction</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Format - Paperback</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Get the book - <a href="https://www.amazon.in/Nandis-Charge-Battle-Vathapi-Book/dp/9356995664" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEeDHOH0eIONee2q3uf8aPfw-xNAXdioiYxBx5n4S1wwFx83O__u0C2SEi8gSjT4M7YbRusx5HV62FWfKSD7RgO9x4UOWYT69vu2HJaZImmHTiq0PU1xSLe1MFcP7AGkO4M-7FFMzSE-R9pCkhsRMvKW0DtasNHA_-kvvNA0JwASJOnnMoXaaLRWs7syo/s424/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="83" data-original-width="424" height="63" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEeDHOH0eIONee2q3uf8aPfw-xNAXdioiYxBx5n4S1wwFx83O__u0C2SEi8gSjT4M7YbRusx5HV62FWfKSD7RgO9x4UOWYT69vu2HJaZImmHTiq0PU1xSLe1MFcP7AGkO4M-7FFMzSE-R9pCkhsRMvKW0DtasNHA_-kvvNA0JwASJOnnMoXaaLRWs7syo/s320/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">An ageing Chalukya ruler. A young, vengeful Pallava king. The war
between the two is imminent. Who will win?<br />
<br />
Seventh-century India. The young Pallava king Narasimhavarman I promises his
dying father that he will avenge the humiliating defeat inflicted upon their
clan by the Chalukyas nearly a decade ago. Three valiant Pallava captains
embark on a quest to form strategic alliances and weaken Chalukyan allies—the
Pandyas, Gangas and the Lankan forces—before their fateful encounter in
Vathapi. But there are obstacles aplenty in their way.<br />
<br />
From central Lanka to Ujjain, the determined trio faces unexpected twists,
dastardly plots, cunning spies and treachery and deceit at every turn. Blazing
battles are fought, shocking secrets are revealed—and love blooms even amidst
the chaos. Will the Pallava warriors succeed in their mission? Will
Narasimhavarman fulfil his oath?<br />
<br />
With its captivating drama and rich detailing of a glorious period of India’s
history, Nandi’s Charge, the first book of an enthralling trilogy, is an
irresistible page-turner.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3IPnbaujT0tU6SduKWh_dUw9RIt7ZxNzz4gSyM0jYxMMYZM2I-dGcEnsNSKokB0rPWtrP4PqAN17mMhfZKcBG7uGHGHayLodKNPBPsLSpsF58zxqabVV52sUlC9AlMIsdGRROr2JvmYOI3CPt1NJI4qJ_SViSlQAvImGhTAJToO1f54MQ6Ri2j7dOhD3/s422/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="81" data-original-width="422" height="61" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3IPnbaujT0tU6SduKWh_dUw9RIt7ZxNzz4gSyM0jYxMMYZM2I-dGcEnsNSKokB0rPWtrP4PqAN17mMhfZKcBG7uGHGHayLodKNPBPsLSpsF58zxqabVV52sUlC9AlMIsdGRROr2JvmYOI3CPt1NJI4qJ_SViSlQAvImGhTAJToO1f54MQ6Ri2j7dOhD3/s320/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Book #87 of
2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">I am captivated by historical fiction and period novels, with works like
'Ponniyin Selvan' and 'Sivagamiyin Sabadham' being among my favorites. In the
same vein, this particular book held me spellbound from start to finish as I
effortlessly turned its pages.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The author skillfully unfolds a compelling narrative centered around a
son's quest to avenge his father's death and fulfill his final wishes—all set
against the backdrop of the 7th century. While many events and their historical
contexts are recognizable, my focus will delve more into the book's style of
narration rather than its plot.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The cast comprises real and fictional characters, each carrying
their weight throughout the tale. Although the character list is extensive, the
author provides it at the book's outset, making the reading experience more
accessible.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">While our
knowledge of real characters is derived from various historical texts, the
fictional ones in this narrative possess a striking authenticity, reminiscent
of individuals who could very well have existed in those bygone eras.
Surprisingly, one might find echoes of such characters even in contemporary
times.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The characterizations and backgrounds for each individual are
meticulously crafted, offering rich details without causing the narration to
lose momentum. The depictions of various locations are a delight to read,
demonstrating the author's dedication to thorough research and groundwork,
bringing scenes vividly to life.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The maps following the character list illustrate the empires and
journeys undertaken by Muthu and Kannan. Three storylines and
multiple points of view maintained my engrossment amid the myriad twists and
turns.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">What truly appealed to me was the author's commitment to period
authenticity, employing language and terminology prevalent during that era. The
footnotes further enhance this by providing meanings and descriptions,
enriching the reader's understanding.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The exploration of cultural and political backgrounds proves to be a
pleasurable experience. The escapades of spies and the intricacies of war
strategy added an extra layer of fascination. The book not only delves into
historical events but also sheds light on the advancements across various
facets of life, a perspective often overlooked elsewhere.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The narrative is brisk and keeps readers actively engaged, with the
language being both accessible and supplemented with footnotes for clarity.
Across its 54 chapters, the book continuously piqued my curiosity about the
unfolding events and the characters involved. Anticipation builds as I eagerly
await the next installment.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Last but not least, the artistic design on the cover adds to the charm and sets the tone for the reader's journey into the past.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">I must say
here that the author has presented a beautiful work tailored for English
readers, infused with the essence of Kalki, ensuring an engaging
and mesmerizing experience for all.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<form>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">For enthusiasts of history and historical fiction, this book offers an
enthralling experience, earning a solid 5/5 stars from me. Do pick it up and embark
on a fantastic journey through the 7<sup>th</sup> century!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</form><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHXTDVfzEeRGeSPNgJwfuqHJ29yRNv_W9MIu12MRgaz59R8589abbTiRCDvbFGYMjPDZ5J_YkC5llxXGX0HsWYkpyiiCFVIoSPkW-buKIEcnAJHbjZOrP7wUrERQuy_2PX6aZr6rUqv0vCfFNP-qhmtW5qV5p7BiiZ42TRsR0PC18kp6wkJd2RW4c10C0/s424/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="85" data-original-width="424" height="64" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHXTDVfzEeRGeSPNgJwfuqHJ29yRNv_W9MIu12MRgaz59R8589abbTiRCDvbFGYMjPDZ5J_YkC5llxXGX0HsWYkpyiiCFVIoSPkW-buKIEcnAJHbjZOrP7wUrERQuy_2PX6aZr6rUqv0vCfFNP-qhmtW5qV5p7BiiZ42TRsR0PC18kp6wkJd2RW4c10C0/s320/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Dr Arun
Krishnan has studied and lived in different cities across India, USA, Singapore
and Japan, before putting down roots in Bangalore. He started off with a degree
in engineering and a doctorate, and went on to work in sectors like IT, high
performance computing, bioinformatics, computational biology and HR analytics.
He has worked at various corporations, research institutes and also in academia
as an Assistant Professor of Computational Biology. And then, just to shake
things up, Arun went for an MBA and turned entrepreneur. He is a polyglot and
is conversant in Tamil, English, Hindi, Bengali, Japanese and Kannada. He loves
to sing and plays the guitar, keyboard and percussion instruments. He is also
an amateur historian and enjoys visiting historical places. While he has over
fifty articles published in journals, conferences and book chapters, this is
his first work of fiction.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">*******************</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">This review is powered by </span><a href=" https://www.theblogchatter.com/" style="font-size: 16pt;" target="_blank">Blogchatter Book Review Program</a><span style="font-size: 16pt;">.</span></p></div><div><br /></div>Padmajhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543983127473002611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568361356466646514.post-22721896728932411422023-11-21T23:33:00.000+05:302023-11-22T12:33:26.402+05:302023 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge - Books List<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> <span>These are the Books that I <strike>am reading</strike> read for the <a href="https://www.escapewithdollycas.com/2023-reading-challenges/2023-alphabet-soup-reading-challenge/" target="_blank">Alphabet Soup reading challenge.</a></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgq4t1QVyydOejnH2om-Vz1-i1PSAajrJLhj_ivv5-IPN3OHORnElbfleB5os6SaXEGbP8kRGcTRpTpQK663simvrWE4w8U0unQpJI4rnRaswk__JLgTkPlx9O-_cFDsV_XOIaeAhb1MZJkG1nKsSFF94hakj-NLEPL6-vO0Df3WiiWqy2j0fqiOkuQhQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="320" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgq4t1QVyydOejnH2om-Vz1-i1PSAajrJLhj_ivv5-IPN3OHORnElbfleB5os6SaXEGbP8kRGcTRpTpQK663simvrWE4w8U0unQpJI4rnRaswk__JLgTkPlx9O-_cFDsV_XOIaeAhb1MZJkG1nKsSFF94hakj-NLEPL6-vO0Df3WiiWqy2j0fqiOkuQhQ" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><span><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Take a look at the books that I have added to the soup mix!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">A - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CrvPL68sgO-/" target="_blank">Ambapali </a>- Tanushree Poddar</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span>B - </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Co-TVduA_yc/" target="_blank">Blue</a><span> - Danielle Steel</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">C - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CsVEgANJo9g/" target="_blank">Caged Tiger</a> - Subhanshish Bhadra</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span>D - </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CoB5TsUJKky/" target="_blank">Digital Maths</a> - Sharad Thakur</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span>E - </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CoRIa_yLRAU/" target="_blank">Encounters of a fat bride </a><span>- Samah</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">F - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CtspGmbKiZi" target="_blank">Find your way home</a> - Victoria Margaux Nielsen</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span>G- </span> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CsVIWOMJ0D8/">Grabber</a> - Jehan Zachary & Nirmal Pulickal</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span>H - </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn4AVQfJV9A/" target="_blank">Hunger for fur and fame</a><span> - Sean Kanga</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span>I - </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CrVuUrtpKBu/" target="_blank">I hear you</a><span> </span><span>- Nidhi Upadhyay</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">J - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CqPP4e4Ja6L/" target="_blank">Just Aspire</a> - Ajai Chowdhry</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span>K - </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CoDFeEwMwi7/" target="_blank">The Karachi Deception</a><span> </span><span>- Shatrujeet Nath</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">L - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx5UQgwJ6b4/" target="_blank">Ladies Tailor </a>- Priya Hejela</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span>M - </span><span lang="EN-CA"><span> </span></span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpun4NQpHJs/" target="_blank">Murder in the bylanes :Life and death in a divided city</a><span> - Aloke Lal and Maanas Lal</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">N - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cri0YeGJNdV/" target="_blank">NTA NEET </a>[Biology] - Rakshita Singh</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">O - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cwmaqiepb4z" target="_blank">One</a> - Mansoor Khan</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span>P - </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp9vItSpcSJ/" target="_blank">Prahlad</a> - Kevin Missal [The Narasimha Trilogy]</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Q - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CuCUHdUpvA-/" target="_blank">Queen and King</a> - Nandini Gupta</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">R - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CsnJlC8pOHI" target="_blank">Rashi Goshal will find her prince charming </a>- Aniesha Brahma</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span>S - </span><span lang="EN-CA"><span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CoRv_ONJu6K/" target="_blank">The Sun,the moon and everything in between</a> - </span></span><span>Faraz Kazi,Sahar Quaze</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">T - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CpLGbBByuqD/">The Tattoo Trail</a> - Gurucharan Singh Gandhi</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">U - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CtrBI0PJj6h/" target="_blank">Until I find you</a> - Nidhi Upadhyay</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">V - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cwjv2A4pl9F" target="_blank">Vanished </a>- Theo Baxter</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span>W - </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CoBzazEJgpq/" target="_blank">The warrior and the Sadhvi</a><span> - A transcendental Love - Prashanth Wankade</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">X - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CwmYwMeMiS5/" target="_blank">The eX Factor</a> - Harini Srinivasan</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span>Y - </span><span lang="EN-CA"><span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm3EhC5pmbM/" target="_blank">You are being watched</a> - </span></span><span>Diptendu Chakraborty </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Z - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cvy5uP1prFs/" target="_blank">The Zamindar's Ghost </a>- Khayal Patel</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">It was fun doing this challenge. Will be joining the 2024 challenge as well!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWNd_84JF4Iy34hlx8Z3Ql0Tb9NmUtwqyNcMXd71LVG-e2NVGPFv9Mmn-r-xeQ59MaQFgs1Mv1-fWptPaWP3Mvrd48bEtY3-k6KyKJIuS2gVGXtJ-B6WXqi01AQOU1qksebSZ2dB-mc2WW8kdSLVIVyBxeEKEZlkHDkthzOjejKgoVryzRswi--i3ng/s106/image.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="89" data-original-width="106" height="89" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWNd_84JF4Iy34hlx8Z3Ql0Tb9NmUtwqyNcMXd71LVG-e2NVGPFv9Mmn-r-xeQ59MaQFgs1Mv1-fWptPaWP3Mvrd48bEtY3-k6KyKJIuS2gVGXtJ-B6WXqi01AQOU1qksebSZ2dB-mc2WW8kdSLVIVyBxeEKEZlkHDkthzOjejKgoVryzRswi--i3ng/s1600/image.png" width="106" /></span></a></div><p><span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></p><p></p>Padmajhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543983127473002611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568361356466646514.post-91753581454630719342023-10-23T07:24:00.000+05:302024-01-26T16:44:30.462+05:30Everything The Light Touches | Book Review<p><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Review of Janice Pariat's book - Everything the light touches.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhub8NzSOt99ZLal_UQ3AXH_ekNburd7Vht7hAv4AKtEwqzWRidJLRStavJSfvdAB_CiOWBEPL6wt-SfOa1nqYUS5xCUQyaf55NCyzR8adTWCeTZQy8tqdMlnDjFc5vWYCn84tifwIp-ntVwIh_D5Wn-h6rREyjljaCYbJd_XFXLcsJqyCVCMya02C4d9lP/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-10-23%20at%207.10.20%20AM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhub8NzSOt99ZLal_UQ3AXH_ekNburd7Vht7hAv4AKtEwqzWRidJLRStavJSfvdAB_CiOWBEPL6wt-SfOa1nqYUS5xCUQyaf55NCyzR8adTWCeTZQy8tqdMlnDjFc5vWYCn84tifwIp-ntVwIh_D5Wn-h6rREyjljaCYbJd_XFXLcsJqyCVCMya02C4d9lP/w301-h401/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-10-23%20at%207.10.20%20AM.jpeg" width="301" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Rc16ue4H2_3Vh-jN43ziAUVmgMm8xx2iZHq4Luy1XIcJECVLQ641oMwxcdOzpflqI_4IjikGnUq5xvPOA6GQu0YOlUauUFjYAk2xX6voCx_vVh6GIdZXyNfsd-UZNZsqMJaX3Vc5AKfcAfCjhbOh01ZApomPHV5Vy2IAbARjAKWw7a-EEsaGM2DTCgJE/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Rc16ue4H2_3Vh-jN43ziAUVmgMm8xx2iZHq4Luy1XIcJECVLQ641oMwxcdOzpflqI_4IjikGnUq5xvPOA6GQu0YOlUauUFjYAk2xX6voCx_vVh6GIdZXyNfsd-UZNZsqMJaX3Vc5AKfcAfCjhbOh01ZApomPHV5Vy2IAbARjAKWw7a-EEsaGM2DTCgJE/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(1).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Title - Everything the light touches</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Author – Janice Pariat</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Year published – October 25th, 2022</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Publisher - Fourth Estate</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Pages - 512</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Genre – Fiction</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Format - Hardcover</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Get the book - <a href="https://www.amazon.in/Everything-Light-Touches-Novel/dp/935629139X/" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxR7AgLNpWgh-OY_17QuXW9_sBIuJzJxYOeRMRJjqrCbZmodi9WNrkctSva2nlRS78xDqPHyjd-UyqyY5mXRI7pkQvuBHQxqnpPTnAVi-OgQe-VK0qaa-kwOnWfGAWjdUIHK56epJ1kLbNNhNnRliO3wbLm3tPKBaftB0P8r2VN29nNbvEI5mOD7W4_aS/s320/image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="107" data-original-width="320" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxR7AgLNpWgh-OY_17QuXW9_sBIuJzJxYOeRMRJjqrCbZmodi9WNrkctSva2nlRS78xDqPHyjd-UyqyY5mXRI7pkQvuBHQxqnpPTnAVi-OgQe-VK0qaa-kwOnWfGAWjdUIHK56epJ1kLbNNhNnRliO3wbLm3tPKBaftB0P8r2VN29nNbvEI5mOD7W4_aS/s1600/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">In </span><span class="a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic !important;">Everything the Light Touches</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"> we meet many travellers: Shai, a young Indian woman who journeys to India's northeast and rediscovers, through her encounters with indigenous communities, ways of living that realign and renew her. Evelyn, an Edwardian student at Cambridge who, inspired by Goethe's botanical writings, embarks on a journey seeking out the sacred forests of the Lower Himalayas. Linnaeus, botanist and taxonomist, who famously declared "God creates; Linnaeus organizes" and led an expedition to Lapland in 1732. And Goethe himself, who travelled through Italy in the 1780s,formulating his ideas for a revelatory text that called for a re-examination of our propensity to reduce plants - and the world - into immutable parts.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Drawing richly from scientific ideas, the novel plunges into a whirl of ever-expanding themes, and the contrasts between modern India and its colonial past, urban life and the countryside, capitalism and centuries-old traditions of generosity and gratitude, script and "song and stone." At the heart of the book lies a tussle between different ways of seeing - those that fix and categorize, and those that free and unify.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span class="a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic !important;">Everything the Light Touches</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"> brings together, with startling and playful novelty, people and places that seem, at first, removed from each other in time and place. Yet all is resonance, we discover; all is connection.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQ26VY0uJWr7b0KmaBXAtNBi4C5F99G2hHv__LlVZQkd4XxTS8u_MGAPJxmJ9HdE2JcAwAPp5TLNWRlADauNP-C_oEViSTlolkbUndIx8T3aSevR55L1IBFrkOiXWLDP9mkVeKcLyP1oyFzd_GRYVpoxREK0peN2fo351aaobDoQJCHui6TpLzrhURkA9/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(4).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQ26VY0uJWr7b0KmaBXAtNBi4C5F99G2hHv__LlVZQkd4XxTS8u_MGAPJxmJ9HdE2JcAwAPp5TLNWRlADauNP-C_oEViSTlolkbUndIx8T3aSevR55L1IBFrkOiXWLDP9mkVeKcLyP1oyFzd_GRYVpoxREK0peN2fo351aaobDoQJCHui6TpLzrhURkA9/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(4).png" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></span></span><p></p></div><p><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Four
characters, Shai, Evelyn, Gothe, and Carl, each with their own distinct stories
set in varying times and locations, find themselves intricately linked by a
common thread. The book embarks on its journey with a deep exploration of the
natural world before transitioning to the other tales, ultimately
culminating in a poignant path toward self-discovery.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
narrative style employed in the book is notably intriguing and descriptive, a
facet of the storytelling that greatly appealed to me. It provided an excellent
opportunity to immerse myself in a wealth of fascinating details. Right from
the outset, Shai's story painted a vivid picture, bringing to life the diverse
array of sights, sounds, culinary delights, and the unique lifestyle of the
indigenous people. This attention to vivid descriptions and immersive details
is a recurring theme throughout the entire book, consistently enriching the
narrative with a strong sense of place and culture.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The message
the author imparts in this book carries significant weight, especially in the
present times we live in. The core concept of adopting a mindful approach to
consume only what is truly necessary deserves deep contemplation and practical
integration into our daily routines. Equally intriguing is the notion of
reciprocity with the natural world, suggesting that as we utilize its
resources, we should also leave a respectful offering in return. This idea,
rooted in the principles of sustainability, advocates for a more balanced and
harmonious relationship with our environment, presenting a timely and
compelling call to action in today's world.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
characters, consisting of two fictional and two historical figures, seamlessly
weave the</span> <span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">central theme
into a narrative that skillfully presents elements of nature, adventure, and
travel. While each character's story can stand alone as a separate novella,
reading them as a collective whole beautifully reveals the core essence of the
book by interweaving their distinctive ideals and experiences.</span><span style="background: #444654; color: #d1d5db; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The main
characters and the supporting cast across the different timelines shine
brilliantly throughout the book, collectively rendering it an engaging read.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The book
explores concepts including seeking solace in one's heritage, venturing into
uncharted domains to advance scientific knowledge, and ultimately, harmonizing
philosophy with modern science to gain a deeper understanding of our existence.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Overall,
it's a 4/5-star read, inviting you to
savor its content and fully absorb the book's essence, ensuring your engagement
from start to finish.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">************************</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This review is powered by <a href=" https://www.theblogchatter.com/" target="_blank">Blogchatter Book Review Program</a>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p>Padmajhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543983127473002611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568361356466646514.post-78627017906325790082023-10-01T20:21:00.005+05:302023-10-23T07:19:51.535+05:30AI Rising:India's Artificial Intelligence Growth Story | Book Review<p> <span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">Review of Leslie D'Monte and Jayanth N. Kolla's book - AI Rising: India's Artificial Intelligence Growth Story.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5F8kTIJw-WK2ab-r2YlBLs6NZg9aMe-1uriUh6-tTI-J_Z7Uq2HMLHpPNoGmvCLCzRbUUrlIOl51cIJbgnTyYBHL__QARthostcG5OPelg31NK1VVgiToWEFbo7ksnu7SbpBo-YR9K9uDx-MPkjrc5YV4fZbOcOgxc2RBjKoljBZwJqwxzhTggHOX1PCd/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-10-01%20at%208.06.05%20PM.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5F8kTIJw-WK2ab-r2YlBLs6NZg9aMe-1uriUh6-tTI-J_Z7Uq2HMLHpPNoGmvCLCzRbUUrlIOl51cIJbgnTyYBHL__QARthostcG5OPelg31NK1VVgiToWEFbo7ksnu7SbpBo-YR9K9uDx-MPkjrc5YV4fZbOcOgxc2RBjKoljBZwJqwxzhTggHOX1PCd/w289-h385/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-10-01%20at%208.06.05%20PM.jpeg" width="289" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIdmVpp4LJSmjWUOv1lGGqQ-E9bGZY_0d6DtwzEkBRQ_0-OZtABJSENxhDVNZwKDoZo04xM2B7avmIH_ey51x4FnerM3OvmVYZ1Xi4CDeRPskMeUkyJLvLFTYBr0gTOPwDaO8fZbRM0CaohisJ_zoJQHVD_uiifTsZNR0k1bZkj3MKjbSTLpL6-594WOGI/s320/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="107" data-original-width="320" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIdmVpp4LJSmjWUOv1lGGqQ-E9bGZY_0d6DtwzEkBRQ_0-OZtABJSENxhDVNZwKDoZo04xM2B7avmIH_ey51x4FnerM3OvmVYZ1Xi4CDeRPskMeUkyJLvLFTYBr0gTOPwDaO8fZbRM0CaohisJ_zoJQHVD_uiifTsZNR0k1bZkj3MKjbSTLpL6-594WOGI/s1600/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;"><br /></span><p></p><ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Title -AI Rising: India's Artificial Intelligence Growth Story </span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Author –Leslie D'Monte and Jayanth Kolla</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Year published – June 20th, 2023</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Publisher - Jaico Publishing House</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Pages - 272</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Genre – Technology</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Format - Paperback</span></li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7lqG7jKO3wOaC0wObmUAGcFhjAauVN9lycRe-gZaIWPxBec43jzDsloOpsZSs3p4WkoB2GRU1MjhxLKVKuMsUui48S9a0MXBnlRgZd9Kct5z6MJ9L26Bx7N1iTePGTt1_LCsmKYvGDhM8Q8Zk8N-iZFrzpiBlWb6CfwqOlQHVbax3ox-L2NcqfMh6t66/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7lqG7jKO3wOaC0wObmUAGcFhjAauVN9lycRe-gZaIWPxBec43jzDsloOpsZSs3p4WkoB2GRU1MjhxLKVKuMsUui48S9a0MXBnlRgZd9Kct5z6MJ9L26Bx7N1iTePGTt1_LCsmKYvGDhM8Q8Zk8N-iZFrzpiBlWb6CfwqOlQHVbax3ox-L2NcqfMh6t66/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">The long,
harsh winter is over. Now artificial intelligence (AI) is a game-changer.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">AI is
reaching an inflection point. The conversational AI chatbot ChatGPT garnered
over 100 million users in just two months of its launch. Following the hype,
Google and Microsoft were forced to slug it out with their chatbot-powered
search engines Bard and Bing, respectively.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Yet to
figure out how these AI developments will transform your lives and work? Will
AI will take away your job or even become self-aware? Regardless of whether you
are an aspiring student of AI, an entrepreneur, a policymaker, a senior
executive, an investor, or a decision-maker, this book is for you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">AI Rising
will provide you with enough information and perspective to form your own
opinion about AI and its applications in business, industry, and society at
large. It will also help you understand and appreciate the progress that AI has
made in India.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3sihFxTy7-hZXCq4b-tAv37TXhuTXcUr2nOGHQT4D9uLMXVmXslu6ad6cE6JTNP6zdcXmZcx7-lbW4X85pGpRutJVazGe9E8BsYrn-IHjNpfZgJr6TmtL-rxfPOLbgDsx8-fJvQtoRRJsCyBcTjXRS69Tl_WRF5rYkwCpdZldCXFxzqUmGusTtq1YipNt/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(4).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3sihFxTy7-hZXCq4b-tAv37TXhuTXcUr2nOGHQT4D9uLMXVmXslu6ad6cE6JTNP6zdcXmZcx7-lbW4X85pGpRutJVazGe9E8BsYrn-IHjNpfZgJr6TmtL-rxfPOLbgDsx8-fJvQtoRRJsCyBcTjXRS69Tl_WRF5rYkwCpdZldCXFxzqUmGusTtq1YipNt/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(4).png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">AI has
undeniably become an integral part of our lives, if not already dominating them
entirely. Bearing this in mind, the book delves into numerous facets, providing
valuable insights, weighing the pros and cons, and addressing all aspects
related to AI.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">For someone
like me, who doesn't possess extensive knowledge about the realm of AI, this
book proves to be an enlightening read. Certain aspects I encountered during my
reading did evoke a sense of unease, as the author thoughtfully examined the
potential scenarios where AI might surpass human capabilities.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: #d1d5db;"><br />
</span><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">This book serves as a
comprehensive source of knowledge, offering insights into the multifaceted
roles of AI. It sheds light on how AI comes to our rescue in situations where
human intervention is practically impossible, as well as its implications for
our security and personal information. Moreover, it provides a global
perspective with a focus on the Indian context.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">The authors
employ a combination of case studies, narratives, and anecdotes in their
writing, enhancing the reader's comprehension of the subject matter. The book
is divided into four sections, each comprising several chapters with concise
subsections. The language used is intentionally simple, ensuring that even
those with limited technical knowledge can grasp the content. Despite its
technological focus, the book avoids excessive jargon, presenting complex
concepts in a straightforward manner that even a layperson can comprehend.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">The
references located at the end of the book serve as valuable resources for those
interested in deeper exploration of the topics discussed. Another aspect I
appreciated is that each chapter commences with a pertinent and
thought-provoking quote.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">The book
delves into the extensive applications of AI across diverse domains such as
Agriculture, Healthcare, ecommerce, and crowd management, while also addressing
its potential impact on future job prospects and the imperative need to address
security concerns accompanying the AI surge.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Overall,
this is a comprehensive book that caters to a wide audience, from novices to
tech enthusiasts seeking detailed insights into the ascent of AI technology and
its profound implications on our lives. I would rate it 4/5 stars.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Thanks to Writersmelon and Jaico Publishing House for the review copy</span></p>Padmajhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543983127473002611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568361356466646514.post-22032023809184251312023-09-10T17:41:00.003+05:302024-01-26T16:44:39.001+05:30Unbroken | Book Review<p> <span style="font-size: 16pt;">Review of Indrani Mukerjea's memoir - Unbroken: The Untold Story</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 16pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhroXKndCb7IfMN2zOplrXYC60dmjz4ekIlKyP8olxdAmlLeHN8G7CgjLmLXOHlQ2F7PEVRUclMtx0yYiPDRmlCUgNrfoDhU9DOeTI94F0uaL4-PKQTx1OhLnV5s-TrQdAPawnj4-32g8_nsO1tD7rSdh1Q6m8Y4gMthS-5SDOaJhFA-WH6GD7pm-vB-ela/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-09-10%20at%205.26.45%20PM.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhroXKndCb7IfMN2zOplrXYC60dmjz4ekIlKyP8olxdAmlLeHN8G7CgjLmLXOHlQ2F7PEVRUclMtx0yYiPDRmlCUgNrfoDhU9DOeTI94F0uaL4-PKQTx1OhLnV5s-TrQdAPawnj4-32g8_nsO1tD7rSdh1Q6m8Y4gMthS-5SDOaJhFA-WH6GD7pm-vB-ela/w339-h452/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-09-10%20at%205.26.45%20PM.jpeg" width="339" /></a></div> <p></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYXkVwNgWA81NrSeBPK3HZy6yEgBCyS9jktz1YaA-B1VJsWEpAiYPukUZPdPfOvnkRm_Lav0p-wYVOtbSO4v8QDYbtfU1V7AZBu_Mttau0A_KRVRV_Yi-KzlgO_SvRFaRgVKDON5i2SOVQJzPeb8RhLwe7Ghv5MW8IIyLQjMab5yQMD6Q6C8o-SGQmyuU/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(1).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYXkVwNgWA81NrSeBPK3HZy6yEgBCyS9jktz1YaA-B1VJsWEpAiYPukUZPdPfOvnkRm_Lav0p-wYVOtbSO4v8QDYbtfU1V7AZBu_Mttau0A_KRVRV_Yi-KzlgO_SvRFaRgVKDON5i2SOVQJzPeb8RhLwe7Ghv5MW8IIyLQjMab5yQMD6Q6C8o-SGQmyuU/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(1).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Title - Unbroken</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Author – Indrani Mukerjea</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Year published – July 30th, 2023</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Publisher - Harper Collins India</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Pages - 422</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Genre – Memoir</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Format - Paperback</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Buy book on <a href="https://www.amazon.in/Unbroken-Indrani-Mukerjea/dp/9356994102/ref=sr_1_1_sspa" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0UNtRoTrPF8k14X6e2bSsYD14PzV8TOeL7Ae4oceZTbfoiBzefUWMj__hRqT4da502sS9IQLOcYlWprCBP76rw4TGgGsf0PHA672MJBhJPPS_njJ7erpGEK81Gv9ZR8-VnoaqDwjj_w6KuaOFa_g4x3YLuMLN9UK6qfPyyt_V_pHxIFX9x0PbhDkOT-0i/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0UNtRoTrPF8k14X6e2bSsYD14PzV8TOeL7Ae4oceZTbfoiBzefUWMj__hRqT4da502sS9IQLOcYlWprCBP76rw4TGgGsf0PHA672MJBhJPPS_njJ7erpGEK81Gv9ZR8-VnoaqDwjj_w6KuaOFa_g4x3YLuMLN9UK6qfPyyt_V_pHxIFX9x0PbhDkOT-0i/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;"><div><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;"><br /></span></div></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">You've seen the headlines and heard the rumours. Now hear the story from
the woman who was at the centre of it all.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">25 AUGUST 2015 was to be a happy day for Indrani Mukerjea-a birthday
celebration had been planned in the family. But everything changed when she was
accosted by a group of officers of the Mumbai Police in plain clothes as she
exited Anand Ashram that day. The charge: the murder of her daughter, Sheena
Bora.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">As the news spread and more details unravelled, Indrani found herself in
the middle of a sensational murder investigation. A fast-expanding list of
suspects, the beginnings of a sinister plot, and the strong whiff of
scandal-the media had smelt blood. And, soon, Indrani was under the merciless
glare of journalists and television anchors, making her a household name.
Accusations of filicide, broken marriages, a mighty business empire, the gilded
lives of the rich and famous, powerful politicians, and a complicated
family-this case had it all. As a constant feed of images and updates from the
trial bombarded television screens across the country, people across the
country grew more and more curious about this woman who was at the very heart
of the controversy and stories swirling around.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">In her memoir, Unbroken, Indrani doesn't hold back. From her
childhood in Guwahati, the time she spent in Calcutta in the 1980s to her
meteoric rise as a media baron in Mumbai, the city of dreams, and finally, the
2460 days she spent in Byculla jail as prisoner number 1468-this is her
journey, in her own words, for the very first time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">Told with unflinching honesty, Indrani's memoir speaks to the fragility
of human relationships, the devastating aftermath of betrayal and grief, and
the power of human resilience, of a woman who despite it all remains unbroken.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYLKVkIjCK24N-E3Ai4j1Jj0V5blCmmseF1Mx64HYYJyF9gukcf5HEhR5xT2AftS7xtjccXPmT94SeJ2usFpVUofhnd4inxroBmsQQzbyZIcodPlAtSQFswBwK-YMXzS33k0ApsTXUnRSg3hbrJeQiTcO1KA80zeaeHSV9w2OWIwBHOKkPuToVxHQggdFv/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(4).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYLKVkIjCK24N-E3Ai4j1Jj0V5blCmmseF1Mx64HYYJyF9gukcf5HEhR5xT2AftS7xtjccXPmT94SeJ2usFpVUofhnd4inxroBmsQQzbyZIcodPlAtSQFswBwK-YMXzS33k0ApsTXUnRSg3hbrJeQiTcO1KA80zeaeHSV9w2OWIwBHOKkPuToVxHQggdFv/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(4).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">This </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">memoir
by Indrani Mukerjea is a compelling account of her life, including the
high-profile case involving her daughter, Sheena Bora's murder. Prior to
reading this book, I had limited knowledge of Indrani and the case itself.
However, after reading her memoir, I gained insights into the origins of the
case and its subsequent developments. Indrani Mukerjea provides her
perspective, spanning from her childhood in Guwahati to her eventual release
from prison more than six years later.</span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">What sets
this book apart is its unique structure, with chapters alternating between
recounting events from the past and her experiences during her time in prison.
This narrative style adds depth and intrigue to the storytelling.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">While it's
common knowledge that she was with Peter Mukerjea and the ensuing legal case,
this narrative approach introduced us to various individuals in her life who
displayed empathy and support, acknowledging her challenging circumstances and
the trauma she endured.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Throughout
the book, Indrani maintains a straightforward and candid tone, making her
narrative relatable and engaging for readers as she forthrightly shares both
her professional and personal life experiences. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Numerous
elements in her account proved deeply unsettling. From the harrowing
experiences of childhood abuse at the hands of her father to her mother's
dismissal of these events, taking away her own children and forbidding her from
visiting them, and the grim conditions of prisoners, the weight of these
incidents was profoundly overwhelming. However, in the midst of it all, she
displayed remarkable resilience and transcended these challenges, ultimately
forging a path to establish her own reputation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Love,
betrayal, heartbreak, profound grief, and happiness; this memoir encompasses a
spectrum of human emotions. It was only during her time behind bars that she
could finally unravel the intricate tapestry of events that had given rise to
each of these intense feelings and complex circumstances surrounding the facts
that decided her fate.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">In addition
to sharing insights into her professional and personal life, she has provided a
window into the realm of prison, delving into its rituals, the psychology of
the inmates, the dietary and dress codes, and various other aspects. Her
narrative also offers a glimpse into the inner workings of the legal system and
the intricacies of life within the prison system.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Furthermore,
it sheds light on the compassionate prison personnel, empathetic legal
advocates, and supportive medical professionals, and, most significantly, it
unveils the unvarnished reality of friends and family, exposing their true
colors in the process.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">While she
was released, her daughter is said to have been sighted in the Guwahati
airport, and with no conclusive DNA evidence on the remains of the supposed victim,
the book leaves us hanging with a quote from “Life and Fate”. Though the day
was a subject of much speculation and rumors, she mentions that she cannot
elaborate on what actually happened on April 24<sup>th,</sup> 2012 due to legal
binding.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">The author
is portrayed as an indomitable woman who waged an unwavering battle against
seemingly insurmountable odds, emerging victorious from the myriad of trials
and tribulations that plagued her life, starting from a tender age.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The cover is simple yet striking, and it seems to
depict Indrani as a person who has come to terms with her past and present and
is at peace with herself and the ones she loves.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In all, this memoir is a candid version of Indrani’s
side of the story that talks about a lot of issues in her life and how she
overcame them all, made a path for herself, and became resilient in spite of
all the hurdles that were thrown at her, the ultimate one being accused of
murdering her own daughter! A 4/5 star read.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">However,
there are certain thoughts that left me a bit perplexed. While she avoids
outright accusations or finger-pointing, there's an underlying tone that
suggests almost everyone in her life, be it family, friends, or relatives,
cannot be fully trusted and has, in one way or another, betrayed her.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">One puzzling
aspect centers on Sheena's presence. Given that Sheena was alive when Indrani
was arrested, it raises the question of why she didn't step forward to advocate
for her mother's release, even if not immediately, at some point during her
mother's six-plus years of imprisonment. The book remains conspicuously silent
on Indrani's guilt or innocence and provides no explanation for Sheena's fate
during her mother's time behind bars.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Within the pages of this memoir, Indrani mentions her
daughter’s literary work, one that she says is slandering, titled “Devil’s Daughter”.
It was then that I recalled having a copy on my shelf. I will be reading that
one soon and sharing my views here. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqEEuR_E2e7aTkx5tymeRMgmV4LJTYfkiyXH23LqwDEeGA7yEtAGQf6E0Wwg2hrKCUDpL6EyVOmgebH0Idoo3o707fpVNWA7vRpcHsFPbzVI6thz28flGoU4L18XRznWrCGSe5EYsykLkG_tl2SPZ-gKXjs0wwgnUlbbtBY7tuxgHnRDYJoktIvEfwfTeo/s320/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="107" data-original-width="320" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqEEuR_E2e7aTkx5tymeRMgmV4LJTYfkiyXH23LqwDEeGA7yEtAGQf6E0Wwg2hrKCUDpL6EyVOmgebH0Idoo3o707fpVNWA7vRpcHsFPbzVI6thz28flGoU4L18XRznWrCGSe5EYsykLkG_tl2SPZ-gKXjs0wwgnUlbbtBY7tuxgHnRDYJoktIvEfwfTeo/s1600/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Indrani Mukerjea is
an accomplished Indian-born British media baron. From founding INX Services
Private Limited in Kolkata to co-founding and leading INX Media in Mumbai,
Indrani's entrepreneurial spirit and exceptional achievements propelled her to
great heights.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">As the regional director for the Asia Pacific region at IMD International Search Group, she garnered recognition for her expertise and leadership abilities. The Wall Street Journal acknowledged her remarkable contributions by including her in their prestigious list of ‘50 Women to Watch'.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Mukerjea has
also embraced philanthropy and is actively engaged in improving the lives of
prison inmates in undertrial prisons. She has become a beacon of hope for prison
inmates, working tirelessly to provide them with easy access to legal aid and
teaching them their rights. Her commitment to promoting fairness, justice and
rehabilitation within the prison system is unwavering, as she strives to break
down social and legal barriers faced by incarcerated individuals. She can be
found at@indranimukerjea on Instagram.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">***********</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This post is for the </span><a href="https://www.theblogchatter.com" style="font-size: 21.3333px;" target="_blank">Blogchatter Half Marathon</a><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">. And this also marks the final post of the Half Marathon. I was hoping to write a few more bookish posts apart from book reviews. Hopefully, will get down to writing them soon.</span><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Until then...</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrF3jCAh-pbz__6XD2fsDfHiSP7ZDR6GP1aObtHOMGAQbsIfxRc3uHlc6zKnjDp76qwuuLt2Nb4a3yTnV28PfZzGLluJuNjkMKuJphj141FjZflLhoEiDxXc4P1tN1lBVBz-Er667R7MYwhPjL4VqhktTbKcpCjMI-TRXpo6Fq2I3JPdgcSKV6TUbw4UdS/s106/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="89" data-original-width="106" height="89" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrF3jCAh-pbz__6XD2fsDfHiSP7ZDR6GP1aObtHOMGAQbsIfxRc3uHlc6zKnjDp76qwuuLt2Nb4a3yTnV28PfZzGLluJuNjkMKuJphj141FjZflLhoEiDxXc4P1tN1lBVBz-Er667R7MYwhPjL4VqhktTbKcpCjMI-TRXpo6Fq2I3JPdgcSKV6TUbw4UdS/s1600/image.png" width="106" /></a></div>Padmajhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543983127473002611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568361356466646514.post-87667122942734304482023-09-09T23:22:00.002+05:302023-09-09T23:28:03.648+05:30My Illegitimate Son | Book Review<p> <span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">Review of Sanjay Jha's - My Illegitimate Son</span></p><p><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPolYxNYnzK0BXoB42t9Zi2IY_mnPPWGqWXFWpDjL0wMq-ToE6_frIen4rnuTDYYXs80b5RfDFkuL43Q7j-sn2XMgcFSTqPIQ2x2PKBlpgmfSrRn21ucrFj0GdtxRJj2gAJvjYZtgv4Rwu9jDTY4YJl1dRAr-6xUDsNU4jOSRLfCewUmjFkUkmHEVTC9ZJ/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-08-08%20at%205.43.04%20PM.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPolYxNYnzK0BXoB42t9Zi2IY_mnPPWGqWXFWpDjL0wMq-ToE6_frIen4rnuTDYYXs80b5RfDFkuL43Q7j-sn2XMgcFSTqPIQ2x2PKBlpgmfSrRn21ucrFj0GdtxRJj2gAJvjYZtgv4Rwu9jDTY4YJl1dRAr-6xUDsNU4jOSRLfCewUmjFkUkmHEVTC9ZJ/w300-h399/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-08-08%20at%205.43.04%20PM.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkhsEjIbdCwL_A27JZZIXOeLizgXp13d5uKwvSgRTlRJdJyKJiV2GbKzsj6UJfXZvuVWL83veamQ3d8rGTKZ28H3Ii-X5xoJZna0C2jTkZ63nwq9nMFbjCFx1FmPFNVDdHU9RULDTErorMmzlg1EZ2MXj-S2iuzS_BXrb2StAy0gDRjS0vMs3Ouqv2TU3/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(1).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkhsEjIbdCwL_A27JZZIXOeLizgXp13d5uKwvSgRTlRJdJyKJiV2GbKzsj6UJfXZvuVWL83veamQ3d8rGTKZ28H3Ii-X5xoJZna0C2jTkZ63nwq9nMFbjCFx1FmPFNVDdHU9RULDTErorMmzlg1EZ2MXj-S2iuzS_BXrb2StAy0gDRjS0vMs3Ouqv2TU3/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(1).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"></span><p></p><ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Title - My Illegitimate Son</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Author – Sanjay Jha</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Year published – May 5th. 2023</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Publisher - Rupa Publications India</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Pages - 200</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Genre – Based on a true story</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Format - Hardcover</span></li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Hm65MEICj-4ZUZ1YbEDp-RE7XTmL39fisaZb4MqWu3ARgNTwBja4XMX3h5U6SSfSTmcQ__E-n-kyL8Dd-M8L-U-2BPSfe8SOko699Z9OsirI20oKNhNocnA-w0DKBsTyAG6VGqtDs07rA4opqJje8icqtXmgxFquwXjzg5ZN0cLGp0zol2eH9culTtoY/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Hm65MEICj-4ZUZ1YbEDp-RE7XTmL39fisaZb4MqWu3ARgNTwBja4XMX3h5U6SSfSTmcQ__E-n-kyL8Dd-M8L-U-2BPSfe8SOko699Z9OsirI20oKNhNocnA-w0DKBsTyAG6VGqtDs07rA4opqJje8icqtXmgxFquwXjzg5ZN0cLGp0zol2eH9culTtoY/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Relationships
are achingly complex, even more so when it’s a father and his accidental love
child.<br />
<br />
Two strangers meet serendipitously. One is an irrepressible, mischievous brat
and the other a brooding platitudinous bore. Their contrasting individual paths
that portend a star-crossed disaster suddenly find a shared future. Fate brings
them under the same roof, and soon, the insolent child’s wild, roller-coaster,
mind-numbing life takes centre stage in a moody family’s wacky, dysfunctional
abode. What follows is a fantastical journey, and that is putting it mildly.<br />
<br />
Enter an unexpected visitor, and soon their lives are completely disarranged.
The vicissitudes of life are on full display as the father-son duo confront a
new reality. The family struggles to grapple with the new power dynamic as
circumstances start spiralling beyond everyone’s control, with grievous
consequences.<br />
<br />
In this exceptional slice-of-life book, Sanjay Jha tells us a heart-rending
account of love and loss, happiness and grief, regret and redemption. ‘Grief,
once it checks in, is a permanent guest’, says the tiny protagonist. Is atonement
and forgiveness at all possible, or is it just a desperate human urge for
finding inner peace? Is time, eventually, the only true healer? Can we really
move on?<br />
<br />
In My Illegitimate Son, Sanjay Jha narrates a stirringly poignant story,
which has both riotous laughter and abundant sorrow, that might just find an
echo with your own.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcPe-lm2c145UudzLjIyYEmOIj7i12aTj9YwRwxKH2XrPJAcACS25nZWSpy4pfRnaC1-t4-kbXkzczsUW78HaEPYkN-fa-aCbM8tvSePWrWPS2BREjcqKSGvj86iLiDY6g94ezBZ2GRFFqvZDlsANYRwtNz9BvPlTWuzyD74d6hkw7GQhC8Qbup6LQDA5f/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(4).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcPe-lm2c145UudzLjIyYEmOIj7i12aTj9YwRwxKH2XrPJAcACS25nZWSpy4pfRnaC1-t4-kbXkzczsUW78HaEPYkN-fa-aCbM8tvSePWrWPS2BREjcqKSGvj86iLiDY6g94ezBZ2GRFFqvZDlsANYRwtNz9BvPlTWuzyD74d6hkw7GQhC8Qbup6LQDA5f/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(4).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"><p style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">The intriguing title, authored by a politician, immediately caught my attention, and as I delved into its pages, I discovered an absorbing narrative that held my interest from beginning to end.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The perspective of Louis, the charming Dachshund adopted by Beard, Big Mama, and the girls, Missy and Mo, provides a fresh and captivating narration through which the story unfolds. From the prologue to the final page, I was captivated and completed the book in one sitting.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">While I've read accounts of pets penned by their owners, this one stood out as it was eloquently narrated from the pet's viewpoint. The depiction of Louis's birth, his introduction to the household's other pets, the dynamics between them, their routines, conflicts, and their experiences during trying times like sickness and the pandemic, all felt relatable and emotionally resonant.</span></p></span><p></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The narrative skillfully captures the unique way pets perceive the
world, their interpretation of love and affection, and their inherent
connection to their human companions. The writing flows effortlessly, adorned
with an impressive vocabulary that occasionally prompted me to consult a
dictionary, enhancing the impact of the storytelling.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Throughout the book, readers will find themselves chuckling, smiling,
shedding a tear or two, and nodding in agreement with Louis's perceptive and
sometimes humorous philosophies. The book also cleverly weaves in commentary on
current events and political figures through Louis's perspective, enhancing its
relevance and engagement. The chapter-opening quotes add an extra layer of
depth and enjoyment.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">The inclusion of beautiful illustrations is a commendable addition,
offering a visual dimension that enhances the reader's connection with the
characters and their world.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">In conclusion, this book is a witty, heartwarming, and emotionally
touching journey that resonates deeply. With a rating of 4/5 stars, it is a
must-read for pet lovers, those seeking a lighter read after a heavy one, or
anyone looking for a quick, worthwhile read.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUpk-q89mJcAaRra_ue3HoBNwqLk-76MOhUbNc2aSA0yGrd34bJR-LII_rWcBxgQDN38dtAM4JjrsNy8wz741M-ojMOXublf9088ddR4J2fRj8QBxzsHL-ioJylaM5MYlZ2R-BKzVvoyH7jhOVJI9GI2JPuKDrM6W9att80ghesqBkpbL4gX_rhiFuYVL/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(2).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUpk-q89mJcAaRra_ue3HoBNwqLk-76MOhUbNc2aSA0yGrd34bJR-LII_rWcBxgQDN38dtAM4JjrsNy8wz741M-ojMOXublf9088ddR4J2fRj8QBxzsHL-ioJylaM5MYlZ2R-BKzVvoyH7jhOVJI9GI2JPuKDrM6W9att80ghesqBkpbL4gX_rhiFuYVL/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(2).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Sanjay Jha is
a former National Spokesperson of the Congress party. He is also the
bestselling author of The Great Unravelling: India after 2014 and The
Superstar Syndrome: Making of a Champion. He is Executive Director, Dale
Carnegie. Jha is a regular contributor as a political analyst in mainstream
media and digital platforms. He lives in Mumbai with his wife, two daughters
and some dogs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">**********</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This post is for the </span><a href="https://www.theblogchatter.com" style="font-size: 21.3333px;" target="_blank">Blogchatter Half Marathon</a><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">.</span><span style="font-size: medium;">I will be back with another post tomorrow. Hope to see you ...</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Until then...</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrF3jCAh-pbz__6XD2fsDfHiSP7ZDR6GP1aObtHOMGAQbsIfxRc3uHlc6zKnjDp76qwuuLt2Nb4a3yTnV28PfZzGLluJuNjkMKuJphj141FjZflLhoEiDxXc4P1tN1lBVBz-Er667R7MYwhPjL4VqhktTbKcpCjMI-TRXpo6Fq2I3JPdgcSKV6TUbw4UdS/s106/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="89" data-original-width="106" height="89" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrF3jCAh-pbz__6XD2fsDfHiSP7ZDR6GP1aObtHOMGAQbsIfxRc3uHlc6zKnjDp76qwuuLt2Nb4a3yTnV28PfZzGLluJuNjkMKuJphj141FjZflLhoEiDxXc4P1tN1lBVBz-Er667R7MYwhPjL4VqhktTbKcpCjMI-TRXpo6Fq2I3JPdgcSKV6TUbw4UdS/s1600/image.png" width="106" /></a></div>Padmajhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543983127473002611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6568361356466646514.post-75741898361951630322023-09-08T23:37:00.002+05:302023-09-08T23:37:29.672+05:307 Steps to Joyful Living | Book Review<p><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Review of Suresh Kumar's book - Steps to Joyful Living </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRpRgMhjKnaMFNy0HtxE2H2SDUNXqAeBD-f0vp5Lv72Sl-WMuSuEW0i7x4DsDfDxKa6O436kEWkoVPZw1JFhBffayZzFuo1BNnnPIipBn6ux6QDK0S63tFhiQfP5lmqPjzhUtM-8O3HGjQoqYm5O_01DFDoYV5ggsf_MivdEo4ayDOlRfSVgoTM0MWyjap/s1280/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-08-31%20at%2011.48.28%20AM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRpRgMhjKnaMFNy0HtxE2H2SDUNXqAeBD-f0vp5Lv72Sl-WMuSuEW0i7x4DsDfDxKa6O436kEWkoVPZw1JFhBffayZzFuo1BNnnPIipBn6ux6QDK0S63tFhiQfP5lmqPjzhUtM-8O3HGjQoqYm5O_01DFDoYV5ggsf_MivdEo4ayDOlRfSVgoTM0MWyjap/w330-h440/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-08-31%20at%2011.48.28%20AM.jpeg" width="330" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh10sLuos2ro55W3CiBv1zh6qbIpe64KnXWamMryrc0JxNb8-xHPdYOptWTVDKJcSkQ-pNQvju3uEQEGhC5UTKr-O9sk4yMOq7iDlTjQGY-6gngkUeE3Wwxt73iAwp5nPvQ_GIvJ2je1OM_0wuJtTxro3U-7PzUYc_C8BqZwGDLKp3ETFFDe_n6pQTr6QSH/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh10sLuos2ro55W3CiBv1zh6qbIpe64KnXWamMryrc0JxNb8-xHPdYOptWTVDKJcSkQ-pNQvju3uEQEGhC5UTKr-O9sk4yMOq7iDlTjQGY-6gngkUeE3Wwxt73iAwp5nPvQ_GIvJ2je1OM_0wuJtTxro3U-7PzUYc_C8BqZwGDLKp3ETFFDe_n6pQTr6QSH/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(1).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 16pt;"></span><p></p><ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Title - 7 Steps to Joyful Living</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Author – Suresh Kumar K.K</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Year published – May 22, 2023</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Publisher - The Write Order Publication</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Pages - 187</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Genre – Self-help</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;">Format - Paperback</span></li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHRdHBEUBgnzFrK8YSrMeN1-PCF8OGR4rd0gQAJQFzvI-ulKvk_8KglFKX65CzL7AYlupfnIiMZkikxWQi3ssFzygKNvyuB0qU2i6wlW7OVMj7z11tPjD7xK2RDaWOUudmIW83UDR9hg6tOJc9k6q6K_dNkB6GRa_WiqTQvIqsQ2A3vHL2as4t6KKZ7yEF/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHRdHBEUBgnzFrK8YSrMeN1-PCF8OGR4rd0gQAJQFzvI-ulKvk_8KglFKX65CzL7AYlupfnIiMZkikxWQi3ssFzygKNvyuB0qU2i6wlW7OVMj7z11tPjD7xK2RDaWOUudmIW83UDR9hg6tOJc9k6q6K_dNkB6GRa_WiqTQvIqsQ2A3vHL2as4t6KKZ7yEF/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Understanding
yourself, knowing what is best for you, doing that with absolute involvement,
and being happy and joyful may not come naturally to even ten percent of the
human population! Typical motivational workshops, personality development
courses, management/leadership training, or spiritual discourses may not be
able to help you here. Through this book, the author succinctly articulates the
simple and practical steps for success, starting with birth, body, mind, food,
sleep, education, love, relationships, marriage, work, excellence, failure, and
even death. As a practical guide for you to discover yourself, love what you
do, and celebrate your life. The author also conducts a Joyful Living workshop
for people from all walks of life to enhance their understanding and gain
deeper experience on the seven steps discussed in this book.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_xkNLhqaRhLa3bjfY-0mbKfUIJ0t6aWZaKBjj3SzQMb7q8Z6VWE0_adJmpoVEaKPG58T18oipNbz14YMg_uskceBCOq09TjSdz-xNgywWwFFvM6D63ep1sAbWujmlpApW6tIJtnLlbXkitdD4Mhb4h3M8zPPsoLToiJsUpVflzB6mY6LuW15AnXpX9Y32/s1500/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(4).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_xkNLhqaRhLa3bjfY-0mbKfUIJ0t6aWZaKBjj3SzQMb7q8Z6VWE0_adJmpoVEaKPG58T18oipNbz14YMg_uskceBCOq09TjSdz-xNgywWwFFvM6D63ep1sAbWujmlpApW6tIJtnLlbXkitdD4Mhb4h3M8zPPsoLToiJsUpVflzB6mY6LuW15AnXpX9Y32/s320/Colorful%20Watercolor%20Twitter%20Header%20(4).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p></div><p><span style="font-size: 16pt;">This book
serves as a guide, for the readers by taking them on a transformative journey towards
the realization of their inherent strengths, desires, needs, boundless
possibilities, and inherent responsibilities. Through a series of
straightforward and accessible steps, the author encourages us to embark on a
journey of profound self-discovery.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">The author's
message resonates with the need for fundamental shifts in our thought patterns,
values, beliefs, and perspectives on the world that surrounds us. According to
the author, the gateway to change is found within, and he is committed to
equipping readers with the knowledge and tools to unlock this inner
transformation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">This book
provides a comprehensive exploration of the entire spectrum of human existence,
spanning from the moment of birth to the twilight of life, encompassing all the
profound experiences in between. The author employs an accessible and
straightforward writing style that renders the book enlightening and engaging
for readers of all ages.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Each chapter
is thoughtfully organized into distinct sections, contributing to a
reader-friendly format that facilitates ease of comprehension. Furthermore, the
book seamlessly integrates elements of Hindu philosophy, presenting them
through a scientific lens. What sets this approach apart is its ability to
remain inclusive and not overly religious, making it accessible even to those
who do not hold strong religious beliefs. Readers from various backgrounds can
readily grasp, appreciate, and potentially apply these insights in their lives.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">The sections
on topics such as Karma, fasting, mindfulness, and mental training were
particularly enlightening. What adds to the book's appeal is the inclusion of
brief anecdotes and stories throughout these sections. These not only enhance
the book's overall interest quotient but also serve to make the subject matter
more relatable and easily comprehensible.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">In all, this
book serves as a practical guide in offering the readers a comprehensive
roadmap to embark on a transformative journey. It also empowers individuals to
connect with their innermost desires, talents, and strengths and guides readers
to a heightened sense of self-awareness. It is also a companion for the
reader’s personal growth journey. A 4/5 star read.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYtNw03dVPU3hYauL2S-eMLUlkqWY-KwNFlDYCNz_b5QyK9E8CVQB4hkneYDylmGQckgPObnC5pZJle7NASbU_p0qRV1D31v_ql4nkGDdmijXCebIABn26tRDaFr2pcwhQRKW1Qo97_WJ6toEzXFZWNHK7HXovhf3x59-1vVKdUeUjUdWdHQA1_RshBam/s320/image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="107" data-original-width="320" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYtNw03dVPU3hYauL2S-eMLUlkqWY-KwNFlDYCNz_b5QyK9E8CVQB4hkneYDylmGQckgPObnC5pZJle7NASbU_p0qRV1D31v_ql4nkGDdmijXCebIABn26tRDaFr2pcwhQRKW1Qo97_WJ6toEzXFZWNHK7HXovhf3x59-1vVKdUeUjUdWdHQA1_RshBam/s1600/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">The author,
an Electronics and Communication engineer specializing in Software and Business
Management, has worked in research and development for over three decades in
different types of organizations across the globe and has built many
award-winning teams, products, and businesses. Additionally, his passion and
practice in theatre, creative design, sports, gardening, yoga, meditation, and
giving back to society have also helped him to bring this book as a practical
guide to success for anyone alive and willing to transform.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px;"> **********</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This post is for the </span><a href="https://www.theblogchatter.com" style="font-size: 21.3333px;" target="_blank">Blogchatter Half Marathon</a><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">.</span><span style="font-size: medium;">I will be back with another post tomorrow. Hope to see you ...</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Until then...</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 22.8267px; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrF3jCAh-pbz__6XD2fsDfHiSP7ZDR6GP1aObtHOMGAQbsIfxRc3uHlc6zKnjDp76qwuuLt2Nb4a3yTnV28PfZzGLluJuNjkMKuJphj141FjZflLhoEiDxXc4P1tN1lBVBz-Er667R7MYwhPjL4VqhktTbKcpCjMI-TRXpo6Fq2I3JPdgcSKV6TUbw4UdS/s106/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="89" data-original-width="106" height="89" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrF3jCAh-pbz__6XD2fsDfHiSP7ZDR6GP1aObtHOMGAQbsIfxRc3uHlc6zKnjDp76qwuuLt2Nb4a3yTnV28PfZzGLluJuNjkMKuJphj141FjZflLhoEiDxXc4P1tN1lBVBz-Er667R7MYwhPjL4VqhktTbKcpCjMI-TRXpo6Fq2I3JPdgcSKV6TUbw4UdS/s1600/image.png" width="106" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Padmajhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11543983127473002611noreply@blogger.com0