A House Full of Men - Book Review

Review of Parinda Joshi's A House Full of Men

At a Glance:

Title - A house full of men
Author - Parinda Joshi
Pages - 340
Publishers - Harper Collins India
Format - Paperback

Blurb :

Twenty-five-year-old Kittu has left Lucknow only on two occasions in her life. The first trip involved the last rites of her grandmother. The second involved a wedding, thankfully, but she returned home to her mother's funeral. She has never forgiven her mother for leaving her alone in a house full of men. Is there anyone at home she can share her deepest thoughts with? Anyone who can lend an ear to her endless relationship issues, manic obsessions and simple aspirations? Who's got the time? Kittu might live in a full house, but sometimes, she feels like she's all alone in the world. A House Full of Men is a novel about false starts and failed attempts, love and the importance of being understood.

My Review

This is my second read by the author. A simple family drama that revolves around Kittu and her family. As the title suggests, Kittu, whose real name is Kritidhara Pant,lives with an all-male family comprising of her Grandfather, father, twin brothers, Bark twain- their pet dog and a framed photo of P.G Wodehouse, in Lucknow. She longs for female company in the house but she does have a few friends from work –Sonali and Rishi.

She shares a unique bond with each of the male member of the family .Though she works as a journalist in a travel magazine, she has never really been on a trip outside Lucknow and the 2 times she went out, ended in the death of her grandmom and mom[or so she assumes]. She is hesitant to step out of her town in the fear of losing another member of the family.

She also has a secret that has been a burden on her heart for almost a decade – the reason for her mother’s death!As each day passes, she finds it hard not conceal.

Enter her chatty neighbour-Anandita and her smart nephew-kartik, the Pant residence is totally drawn towards them especially- Anandita. What effect do they create on the Kittu’s household and what is the outcome is the crux of the story.Does she finally take a trip ? Does she talk about her mother’s demise?Well, that’s for you to find out when you read the book!

The book looks bulky but makes a quick read as the story flow through different phases of the 25 year old protagonist’s life. The characters are well formed. Kittu has her own identity with her own troubles of trust and relationship issues with people.She is forever helping out one person and the other in her family and almost takes her mom’s place in looking after the people in the household. Her bond towards Nishant is heart-warming. We are able to see the grandfather as the authoritative figure of the family though he does not get along well with his son Ravi and her father- Ravi shares a profound closeness with Kittu.

Anandita is a happy and chatty lady who draws everyone towards her and Kartik is floored by Kittu. Vicky, her boyfriend, is an enigma. He is a person who can’t come to a conclusion or is so confused by what he wants or what is happening. Neelu Aunty,Vicky’s mom is another character who literally makes you laugh out loud at the end, with her demands during Kittu’s wedding and not to forget Lakshmi Mause, the caretaker / cook who treats the family to delicious meals! Even the framed photo of P.G.Wodehouse has something to do in this story line!

All in all, this is a nice book, a little lengthy one though, which shows the patriarchal side of the Indian society and with a little bit of romance, relationship issues, humour and loads of family drama. Pick it up if you are looking for a light read.

Discerning Grace | Book Review

Review of Emma Lombard’s Discerning Grace, Audio Book Tour. Narrated by Siobhan Waring. Listening time – 10 hours 35 minutes.

At a Glance:

Title - Discerning Grace
Author - Emma Lombart
Listening time - 10 hours 35 minutes
Format - Audio book
Genre - Historical Fiction

Firstly, I was not sure if this book would hold my interest as I have been disappointed with quite a few audio books. I have left most of them half way! But the narration by Siobhan Waring did keep me hooked to the audiobook!

Blurb

As the first full-length novel in The White Sails Series, DISCERNING GRACE captures the spirit of an independent woman whose feminine lens blows the ordered patriarchal decks of a 19th century tall ship to smithereens.

Wilful Grace Baxter, will not marry old Lord Silverton with his salivary incontinence and dead-mouse stink. Discovering she is a pawn in an arrangement between slobbery Silverton and her calculating father, Grace is devastated when Silverton reveals his true callous nature.
Refusing this fate, Grace resolves to stow away. Heading to the docks, disguised as a lad to ease her escape, she encounters smooth-talking naval recruiter, Gilly, who lures her aboard HMS Discerning with promises of freedom and exploration in South America.

When Grace's big mouth lands her bare-bottomed over a cannon for insubordination, her identity is exposed. The captain wants her back in London but his orders, to chart the icy archipelago of Tierra del Fuego, forbid it. Lieutenant Seamus Fitzwilliam gallantly offers to take Grace off the fretting captain's hands by placing her under his protection.
Grace must now win over the crew she betrayed with her secret, while managing her feelings towards her taciturn protector, whose obstinate chivalry stifles her new-found independence. But when Grace disregards Lieutenant Fitzwilliam's warnings about the dangers of the unexplored archipelago, it costs a friend his life and she realises she is not as free as she believes.

DISCERNING GRACE is historical women's fiction that will appeal to fans of Claire Fraser from Outlander and Demelza Poldark from Poldark—in other words, fans of feisty historical female leads.

My take on the book.

Grace Baxter, a strong willed and out spoken woman is afraid to speak her mind when she over hears her father’s plan to marry her off to Lord Silverton. Grace finds his approach repulsive and escapes off, dressed as a lad and lands as a ship’s boy in the HMS Discerning.

She works with the rest of the crew and bears all the teasing and taunting and even the punishments until one day her cover is revealed. Lieutenant Seamus Fitzwilliam, whom she had already met at the house party on the day she ran away from home, takes her under his wing. She is relived of her duties and is given a separate cabin which leads to boredom aboard the Royal Navy. Things go south when her stubbornness leads to the death of her favourite crewmate. Does Grace find the love that she deserved? Well, that’s for you to find out when you read the book!

Historical fiction is usually not my go-to genre , especially with a women as a protagonist but this one, I really enjoyed. The author had whisked me back in time and it was such a pleasure travelling and being a part of Graces’ journey.

I love the characterization of Grace and Lt. Fitzwilliam. Grace seems to be very ambitious and outspoken but is also quite soft and considerate in nature. She still had the guts to walk out of the life her father wanted her to have and with just a bit of reluctance joined the HMS crew. She is also seen to be naïve at times and bold and headstrong at other times! Lt. Fitzwilliam can be noticed as a stern and able officer and equally polite and soft man when he falls in love with Grace!

All the supporting characters are well formed and my favourite is the witty Gilly!I hated the nasty Lord Silverton and the tribes for doing what they did and my heart still aches for Gilly.

The author has done a good deal of research on the happenings aboard a ship and I actually learnt how the depth of the sea is charted!

Overall, a wonderful historical romantic fiction that is full of adventure, strong characters, twists and turns and one that will keep you listening to every chapter without a break! It pulls your heartstrings and also keeps you locked in suspense and that’s what kept me hooked to the storyline.

This is the first of the ‘White Sail ‘Series and I am looking forward to the next ones.

Thanks to @instabooktours and author @emmalombardauthor for this copy of the audio book.

Return of the Brahmin | Book Review

This is the review of Ravi Shankar Etteth's Return of the Brahmin

At a Glance:

Title - Return of the Brahmin
Author - Ravi Shankar Etteth
Pages - 342
Publishers - Westland [14 June 2021]
Format - Paperback
Genre - Historical Fiction

Blurb :

After thwarting the devious Lord Suma and becoming the emperor of Magadha, Ashoka now faces a new threat—a lethal foe whose only aim is to topple his empire. By slaughtering imperial officials, kidnapping royal prisoners and infiltrating the palace, the nemesis weaves a mesh of hatred, intrigue and menace. His identity is unknown, yet he breathes such terror that even dying men fear to utter his name. He calls himself the Khandapati. He provokes prison riots. He leads the Resistance. A poison witch and a murderous giant terrorise the people. What is the role of the vishkanya Daarya and the Pretnath? Who is the mysterious prisoner named Nirmukh?

Caught in a vortex of death and deceit, there is only one man Ashoka can turn to. The Brahmin. Years of friendship and fealty lead the spymaster back to Magadha, only to be caught in a violent conspiracy that extends beyond the empire’s boundaries. Will he be able to live up to his role as Magadha’s protector or will the Khandapati prove to be more than a match for the Brahmin?

My Review:

The return of the Brahmin is a historical thriller set in the times of Ashoka the Great! This is a sequel to the book The Brahmin. Even though this is a sequel [and I haven’t read the part 1] the storyline is easy to pick up from the part 2.

The Brahmin is the Emperor’s wily spymaster and he returns to Magadha only to find himself amidst a hell lot of conspiracies! Magadha is under turbulence. The Buddhist Emperor is caught in a web of lies and deceit and those around him are plotting against the throne.

The spy master is under great resolve to calm the waters and this fast paced book takes us through various regions of the Kingdom and introduces to several characters.

The characters are aplenty and it takes a while to get used to them. The characterization is quite interesting, like the Visha Kanyas or the poison maidens who are fed with tiny doses of poison so that they become immune to it and they are sent to kill kings and imperial officials! The Nirmukh or the faceless man, Pretnath , the necromancer, Kandapathi, the enemy who is hell bent on killing Ashoka etc are some of the unique characters that you will come across. Each character has some really distinctive qualities and one can never imagine what havoc they can cause!

Ashoka who turns to Buddhism after the war and embraces non-violence still wants to go on a Holy war against the Ajivika sect who do not believe in reincarnation. With this war in mind and the threat to the life of both the King and the Brahmin, the spymaster tactfully manages each and every situation.

The relationship between the Brahmin and the King is brought out very well. It shows how much respect and trust they have on each other. They tactfully escape various assassination attempts and the spymaster proves his loyalty to the King by above and beyond the means of duty.

The narrative is very vivid. Be it the dresses, food, landscape, transportation, character description, all are descriptive and the author brings before our eyes everything from the ancient times!

On the whole, this is a fact paced and action packed historical thriller that takes you to Magadha and beyond. An enjoyable read filled with suspense that moves at an electrifying speed that you won’t put down the book until you reach the last page!

A Regal Man - The Life & Lessons of Vasu Shroff | Book Review

A Regal Man by Priya Kumar

At a Glance:

Title - A Regal Man , The Life and Lessons of Vasu Shroff
Author - Priya Kumar
Pages - 270
Publishers - Regal Group [22 Feb 2021]
Format - Paperback
Genre - Biography

Blurb :

Vasu Shroff is an icon. In 1961, at the age of 20, he stepped onto the sandy shores of Dubai. Starting from a single shop, his journey has led to an empire called the Regal Group, today a household name in the UAE. He now ranks amongst Forbes Middle East's Top 100 Indian Leaders.

Though an astute businessman, he is better known as a dedicated philanthropist. He has established scores of temples, schools, hospitals, and similar institutions across the UAE, India, and the world. He has helped countless individuals to overcome personal struggles. He has received India's highest overseas civilian honour for the good work he does.

Along the way, he has experienced many challenges, setbacks, failures, and heartbreaking losses. He has overcome all these, while building a legacy that spans generations.

And from it all, he has learned what it means to make a life worth living.

This book distills decades of experience, with Vasu Shroff sharing and guiding you through the core principles and practices that have contributed to his success - in business, service, love, and life.

Award-winning author Priya Kumar has deftly drawn out the best from a man many consider a living legend.

Learn to create an extraordinary life - one built on the art of giving.

My Review:

This is the biography of Vasu Shroff who has established a large business empire in the UAE. This book takes us through the life of Vasu Shroff right from his childhood spent in a small village in the now Pakistan and then moving on to Mumbai after partition and how he went on to build a successful business empire.

What I like about this book is that it is as told by Vasu Shroff in his own words. So we get a little closer to the narrative. He has given an insight of his life that has ups and downs and how he overcame all obstacles to become what he is now.

The book is not preachy but gives us the various aspects in life that one needs to pay heed to so that we do not stray away from our goals / missions in life.

Another thing is that he has not only shared his successes and triumphs but also the struggles ,challenges and problems he has encountered on the away and how he had strongly adhered to the right values all through. In spite of the heart breaking losses on the way ,he overcame all situations to attain the pinnacle of triumph.

The book gives us a lot of insights to take us towards our aim without wandering away or being misled by mundane things. This we realise is from his decades worth of experience and practices.

One of the highlights of this book is the ‘Wisdom in hindsight’ that is given at the end of each chapter. These tips and pointers give the reader something to work not only to have a better family environment but also for the overall development of the individual.

The ‘Let’s talk about you’ section is a sort of questionnaire that makes us ponder over the situations in life and how we should react to them or how to overcome those obstacles. And the empty lines at the end of the chapter are for us to write down our thoughts and responses.

The book also has some beautiful black and white photographs of Vasu Shroff taken during various events / occasions.

The language is simple and easy to follow.

Overall, this is a very good book to learn and understand the path to success and that life is not always a bed of roses and one should set aside the problems and face the challenges to achieve our target.

Zikora | Book Review

Zikora is a short story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

At a Glance

Title: Zikora
Author:Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Publisher: Amazon Original stories [27 Oct 2020]
Pages: 35
Format - Ebook

This is a short story, 35 pages long, that talks about the relationship situation between indivuduals. A girl and a boy, a mom and her daughter, a father and her daughter, relationship between cousins.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie talks about the reality of things in our society like Zikora being abandoned by her boyfriend as soon as she tells him about her pregnancy!

Zikora goes through the pains of child birth alone under the watchful and disapproving eyes of her mother. The story goes back and forth between her time in the hospital and her childhood, her relationship with her boyfriend, conversations with her cousin etc.

The story really brings out the stark realities of our society and how women are affected.Not only that, she clearly shows how little men know about what women actually tell them about!

A touching short story in simple language that shows a womans emotional turmoil.

Reasonable Lies | Book Reivew

I am into thrillers and mystery novels and have been reading a bit of non fiction too these days. This book is from a totally different genre yet I wanted to read this one after I found it under #bookstagram.

At a Glance....

Title: Reasonable Lies
Author: T.A.Rosewood
Publisher: The Independent Barcodes Network [21 March 2020] 1st Edition.
Pages: 344
Format - Ebook

There are so many things that we need to have awareness around and breast cancer is one among those. And the author has not only brought about the awareness but has also shown the readers the mind-set of the affected person and how the family reacts in this situation.

Reasonable lies is a touching story that revolves around Jane and her family. Jane is a very happy go lucky person with a wonderful family and a friend who would do anything for her! Things start going south when she gets herself examined at a screening camp organised in her workplace. Once the results come back, her beautiful world turns upside down.

She wants to make special memories with her loved ones before they find out about her condition and her friend Sara is with the family through the highs and lows.

What I liked about this book is the strong characterization. Jane takes matters into her hands and goes about doing stuffs that won’t hamper her family routine and also she wants to handle her situation all by herself.

Her best friend Sara is someone who you wish was your bestie! Such a strong and beautiful friendship! She goes to great lengths to bring comfort to her Sara! And of course, the ever understanding and supportive husband, Karl and the two teenage twins who make up the ideal family. They have their melt downs and the ups and downs but they are so empathetic and understanding that we feel like shedding a tear or two when they are hurt.

And then there is James. Sometimes I feel I like him much more than Jane or any other character. I cannot tell much about him as it will give away the story, yet he is my favourite.

The emotional turmoil that the family and close ones undergo when they come to know about Jane’s diagnosis is really heart wrenching. The author has conveyed the struggle of each member very clearly and it is so realistic.

I loved the plot twist at the end that involves a character [which I cannot give away] . But I really wished Jane had gotten over the disease and lived happily with her loved ones. I felt like I had lost a person I was just getting to know about! Even then, the author has penned a beautiful ending to the story.

Finally, the language is simple and there is no drag anywhere in the storyline.

It is an emotional read yet an eye opener for women of all age groups to take care of themselves and get checked regularly for breast cancer whether or not you have a family history.

Go for this book and you will be sucked into the moving storyline that will surely tug your heartstrings!