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jainandsdiary's Reviews (310)
The Distaste of the Earth by Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih blends mystical and historical elements in a tale of magical realism. Inspired by ‘the true and tragic love story of Manik Raitong, or Manik the Wretched, and Lieng Makaw, the wife of a famous king who ruled an ancient Khasi state’, Nongkynrih weaves an enchanting story that incorporates the Khasi folktales, culture, language and celebrates it to the fullest.
The story is very descriptive, digging deeper into Khasi culture thoroughly throughout the book, to the extent that there are times when the culture is explained in so much detail that the main story takes a backstage. It is atmospheric and takes into consideration every single character it presents, going to great lengths to describe them, which makes it a very cumbersome read at times. It almost feels like reading a non-fiction book on the cultural aspect of the Khasi land and its people in between the fiction.
Read the detailed review on Blog. Link
The story is very descriptive, digging deeper into Khasi culture thoroughly throughout the book, to the extent that there are times when the culture is explained in so much detail that the main story takes a backstage. It is atmospheric and takes into consideration every single character it presents, going to great lengths to describe them, which makes it a very cumbersome read at times. It almost feels like reading a non-fiction book on the cultural aspect of the Khasi land and its people in between the fiction.
Read the detailed review on Blog. Link
The 7 Jewels Of Nature by Lakshmi Prasanna Paturi is a collection of seven illustrated stories where the authors take the readers to the wonders of nature through merman, flamingos, peacocks, owls and so on!
Each story is a refreshing tale attached with learnings from the experiences of the characters and helps in embedding the lessons through narration and not on-the-face teachings, which makes it more interesting.
The story illustration is done by Amar Kumar Jena and it is fascinating and lovely to see how the illustrator played with colours beyond the boundaries, literally! It adds up to the chirpy and quirky nature of the stories and beautifully complements it.
With gorgeous illustrations, the simplicity of the stories and heartwarming narration, the book is perfect for the children and would make great bedtime stories.
Each story is a refreshing tale attached with learnings from the experiences of the characters and helps in embedding the lessons through narration and not on-the-face teachings, which makes it more interesting.
The story illustration is done by Amar Kumar Jena and it is fascinating and lovely to see how the illustrator played with colours beyond the boundaries, literally! It adds up to the chirpy and quirky nature of the stories and beautifully complements it.
With gorgeous illustrations, the simplicity of the stories and heartwarming narration, the book is perfect for the children and would make great bedtime stories.
The Dancing River by Thanusree Shyamkumar is a Fantasy Adventure for children where a 9-year-old Princess Luna along with her brother Prince Thomas and best friend Susan sets out to find the legendary Dancing River, from which on full moon nights "a sweet, melodious song can be heard throughout the kingdom". The fun ride of discovering the dancing river gets elevated when it is followed up by new adventures.
The story shows the beauty of friendship and sibling relationships, and when it is combined with the adrenaline from the adventure, it's a treat to read.
This story is written by a 9-year-old fifth-grader whose imagination, fascination, and innocence are depicted in the story. The world-building is fascinating and would be loved by young readers.
Overall, it's a beautiful story that would be enjoyed by young readers, which not only gives wings to their imagination but will show them the importance of being together and fighting against all odds to follow their dreams.
The story shows the beauty of friendship and sibling relationships, and when it is combined with the adrenaline from the adventure, it's a treat to read.
This story is written by a 9-year-old fifth-grader whose imagination, fascination, and innocence are depicted in the story. The world-building is fascinating and would be loved by young readers.
Overall, it's a beautiful story that would be enjoyed by young readers, which not only gives wings to their imagination but will show them the importance of being together and fighting against all odds to follow their dreams.
We do not often think about things that make our lives normal, say, for example, salt. We give it a thought when it is lacking or is present in excess in our food, or when we talk about Dandi March, but even then, we restrict it to the facts related to it and Mahatma Gandhi but never beyond it!
A Touch of Salt by Anita Agnihotri tries to break this tradition where she incorporates the famous Dandi March of Mahatma Gandhi as a central theme, and waves a multi-generational saga. It shows the conditions of Agariyas, the salt harvesters of Runn of Kutch through Tribhuvan Patel, who ran away from his home to join the Salt March with the hope that it would be a battle that can help their community in their battle of life, in ensuring the basic necessities of water, food, shelter and education. And how even after generations—through the story of Azad, the grandchild of Tribhuvan—their battle continues with the industrialists, and the environmentalists in post independent India, as their land is claimed as 'reserved forest'.
I loved the way the author has drawn the parallels between the British rule and Indian government post-independence with the way they have treated the Agarias. The point of view of Kasturba Gandhi in between gives the voice to a character that is often shadowed in the light of Mahatma Gandhi and gives rise to some important arguments. The translation by Arunava Sinha is a delight to read and it beautifully compliments the sharp, yet subtle writing and themes explored by Agnihotri.
Overall, it's a deeply impactful novel that gives voice to the unheard and neglected part of the population, and is highly recommended.
A Touch of Salt by Anita Agnihotri tries to break this tradition where she incorporates the famous Dandi March of Mahatma Gandhi as a central theme, and waves a multi-generational saga. It shows the conditions of Agariyas, the salt harvesters of Runn of Kutch through Tribhuvan Patel, who ran away from his home to join the Salt March with the hope that it would be a battle that can help their community in their battle of life, in ensuring the basic necessities of water, food, shelter and education. And how even after generations—through the story of Azad, the grandchild of Tribhuvan—their battle continues with the industrialists, and the environmentalists in post independent India, as their land is claimed as 'reserved forest'.
I loved the way the author has drawn the parallels between the British rule and Indian government post-independence with the way they have treated the Agarias. The point of view of Kasturba Gandhi in between gives the voice to a character that is often shadowed in the light of Mahatma Gandhi and gives rise to some important arguments. The translation by Arunava Sinha is a delight to read and it beautifully compliments the sharp, yet subtle writing and themes explored by Agnihotri.
Overall, it's a deeply impactful novel that gives voice to the unheard and neglected part of the population, and is highly recommended.
Naam, Namak, Nishan 2: The Ultimate Indian Armed Forces Quiz Book
Anurakshat Gupta, Anmol Dhawan, Sagnik Sarkar, Arnabh SenGupta, Hitesh Mahato
Naam Namak Nishan 2 is "The Ultimate Indian Armed Forces Quiz Book" written by a team of quizzer-doctors from the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune: Anurakshat Gupta, Hitesh Mahato, Anmol Dhawan, Arnabh Sengupta, and Sagnik Sarkar. Quite self-explanatory from the title itself, this is the sequel to India’s first quiz book on Indian military trivia, Naam Namak Nishan.
The book is divided into four chapters: Before Independence, From 1947 to 1999, The Kargil War, and A Kaleidoscope of Anecdotes, each diving deeper into the facts and information in a very engaging, easy, and interesting way, which helps the readers to be more aware of the Indian Armed Forces. The chapter on the Kargil War was very significant and became more so because India commemorates 25 years of its victory over Pakistan in that war.
With the addition of pictures, maps, crosswords, and 'Did You Know' boxes in between, the information becomes more intriguing and raises the curiosity to explore more about the given facts and stories. The format of question and answer invites readers to be on the journey of exploration and being involved in the world of the Armed Forces.
Overall, it's an engaging book that keeps the tradition of quizzes alive—which we, as students, looked forward to during school morning assemblies as participants first and then as organisers—and presents the details of the armed forces in such a way that it would excite the general population as well as the people engaged in the field already! A must-read for everyone, for sure.
The book is divided into four chapters: Before Independence, From 1947 to 1999, The Kargil War, and A Kaleidoscope of Anecdotes, each diving deeper into the facts and information in a very engaging, easy, and interesting way, which helps the readers to be more aware of the Indian Armed Forces. The chapter on the Kargil War was very significant and became more so because India commemorates 25 years of its victory over Pakistan in that war.
With the addition of pictures, maps, crosswords, and 'Did You Know' boxes in between, the information becomes more intriguing and raises the curiosity to explore more about the given facts and stories. The format of question and answer invites readers to be on the journey of exploration and being involved in the world of the Armed Forces.
Overall, it's an engaging book that keeps the tradition of quizzes alive—which we, as students, looked forward to during school morning assemblies as participants first and then as organisers—and presents the details of the armed forces in such a way that it would excite the general population as well as the people engaged in the field already! A must-read for everyone, for sure.
Folk tales are an integral part of our upbringing. For many of us, they are our introduction to storytelling from our grandparents, parents and guardians, and make a lifelong imprint. Thus, this form of oral storytelling needs to be preserved in writing to be carried on for generations, as it not only carries our culture but makes it flourish.
Folk Tales from Meghalaya by Sobhona Bhattacharjee, translated by Utsa Bose is a collection of sixteen folk tales, divided into three parts - Stories from The Khasi Hills Jaintia Hills, and Garo Hills, each exploring the rich tradition of folktales from the mentioned region, written with the intent of preserving it and spreading it to other people as well.
I have seen a glimpse of the rich folktales from the Khasi region in the book "The Distaste Of The Earth" by Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih, and the folktale "Man's Best Friend" in this collection also mentions a part of it differently, which was nice to read, and shows how there can be multiple interpretations of the same folktales around us, increasing its richness and diversity.
This is a beautiful collection of stories, not only for children but for anyone who wants to explore the rich culture of Meghalaya and its folktales. With magical elements, natural beauty and delightful reasons for the presence of rivers and landscapes in the region, the stories become more intriguing and exciting. Overall, a must-read book for anyone who wants to explore more folk tales, especially from Meghalaya.
Folk Tales from Meghalaya by Sobhona Bhattacharjee, translated by Utsa Bose is a collection of sixteen folk tales, divided into three parts - Stories from The Khasi Hills Jaintia Hills, and Garo Hills, each exploring the rich tradition of folktales from the mentioned region, written with the intent of preserving it and spreading it to other people as well.
I have seen a glimpse of the rich folktales from the Khasi region in the book "The Distaste Of The Earth" by Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih, and the folktale "Man's Best Friend" in this collection also mentions a part of it differently, which was nice to read, and shows how there can be multiple interpretations of the same folktales around us, increasing its richness and diversity.
This is a beautiful collection of stories, not only for children but for anyone who wants to explore the rich culture of Meghalaya and its folktales. With magical elements, natural beauty and delightful reasons for the presence of rivers and landscapes in the region, the stories become more intriguing and exciting. Overall, a must-read book for anyone who wants to explore more folk tales, especially from Meghalaya.
My Encounters With A Peacock by Ramu Ramanathan is a collection of poems where the poet shows the readers the conversations he had with the peacock when he was staying in Dharampur, a small town in the South Gujarat.
With this interesting premise, Ramanathan with his poems and perspective captivates the attention from the beginning itself, and intrigue readers with the brewing of an unconventional duo and their world and how both the peacock and human can interact and understand each other's world and how it grows on them with time.
In these 65 interactions with the peacock extending over months, Ramanthan elevates the mundanity of life into compelling conversations, and how with each successive interaction, their connection and understanding deepens and yet surprises them out of nowhere. He managed to inculcate a lot of themes and issues subtly, and yet makes a point to make the readers delve deeper - marriage and relationships, financing and poverty, literature and stereotypes of life among various others.
It was delightful to see how both of them go through a lot of learning and un-learning and push the conventional line of thinking. And the most fascinating parts of the poems come when the peacock interacts with the wife of the narrator!
The poems are arranged with the occurrence of interactions and shown in the monthly sequence. Though I was a little confused with the timeline and events occurring.
A conversation between a bird/animal with a human is something that I have seen a lot in our folktales and bed time stories from elders, and it never fails to fascinate me. If you are looking to read poems that break the narrative of meaning beyond the textual understanding in poems and conventional relationships, this collection will definitely entertain you.
With this interesting premise, Ramanathan with his poems and perspective captivates the attention from the beginning itself, and intrigue readers with the brewing of an unconventional duo and their world and how both the peacock and human can interact and understand each other's world and how it grows on them with time.
In these 65 interactions with the peacock extending over months, Ramanthan elevates the mundanity of life into compelling conversations, and how with each successive interaction, their connection and understanding deepens and yet surprises them out of nowhere. He managed to inculcate a lot of themes and issues subtly, and yet makes a point to make the readers delve deeper - marriage and relationships, financing and poverty, literature and stereotypes of life among various others.
It was delightful to see how both of them go through a lot of learning and un-learning and push the conventional line of thinking. And the most fascinating parts of the poems come when the peacock interacts with the wife of the narrator!
The poems are arranged with the occurrence of interactions and shown in the monthly sequence. Though I was a little confused with the timeline and events occurring.
A conversation between a bird/animal with a human is something that I have seen a lot in our folktales and bed time stories from elders, and it never fails to fascinate me. If you are looking to read poems that break the narrative of meaning beyond the textual understanding in poems and conventional relationships, this collection will definitely entertain you.
Too Good To Be True by Prajakta Koli is feel-good contemporary romance fiction. It is the story of Avani, a law student who is working part-time at a bookstore and romance reader if time permits! And while working at the bookstore she comes across a man straight out of a romance, Aman, the CEO of Raina Textiles. And here starts the drama and you need to read the book to witness it.
If you are a follower of Koli's content creation journey and have seen her sketches, you'll find a lot of similarities in the thinking pattern, inner monologues, dialogues and conversations and even characteristics of the protagonists, especially Avani. And that's her style of representation!
The book was fast-paced and could be easily finished in a day. The interaction between Avani and Aman, though cringe and some moments, was cute. I loved their interactions with their own and each other's family, especially the moments when Avani's Aaji and Aman's mom were there.
The friendship of Avani with Martin, Maya and Rhea was a delight to read and I would have loved to see more of Aman's friendship with Jogi. Also, I would have connected deeper with the characters if their past had been given more time and depth and their conversations had explored it more. The lack of it compromised the emotional depth of their relationship, which if present, could have made it memorable. The story was cliché and cringe at times, but it was enjoyable.
It's the genre of romance that I enjoyed when I was new to reading, and I enjoy reading it now because it was a perfect escape for me between all the work I was in when I started it and provided me with comfort. So if you are looking for a fast-paced, feel-good contemporary romance that can give you all the feels and hearts, you can try it.
If you are a follower of Koli's content creation journey and have seen her sketches, you'll find a lot of similarities in the thinking pattern, inner monologues, dialogues and conversations and even characteristics of the protagonists, especially Avani. And that's her style of representation!
The book was fast-paced and could be easily finished in a day. The interaction between Avani and Aman, though cringe and some moments, was cute. I loved their interactions with their own and each other's family, especially the moments when Avani's Aaji and Aman's mom were there.
The friendship of Avani with Martin, Maya and Rhea was a delight to read and I would have loved to see more of Aman's friendship with Jogi. Also, I would have connected deeper with the characters if their past had been given more time and depth and their conversations had explored it more. The lack of it compromised the emotional depth of their relationship, which if present, could have made it memorable. The story was cliché and cringe at times, but it was enjoyable.
It's the genre of romance that I enjoyed when I was new to reading, and I enjoy reading it now because it was a perfect escape for me between all the work I was in when I started it and provided me with comfort. So if you are looking for a fast-paced, feel-good contemporary romance that can give you all the feels and hearts, you can try it.
Seasons of Love by Mamata Sampath is a collection of poems and reflections by the poet about love, loss, longing, hope and belonging. The poet very creatively reimagined the phases of love in heartbreak, healing and hope as seasons of surrounding in winter, spring-summer, and autumn.
The first part - Winter: Echoes of a Broken Heart beautifully captures the coldness that heartbreak brings into one's life. It shows the readers the power of love and at the same time how that power when manipulated questions the foundation of it. The emotions are raw and real and it's my favourite part of this collection.
The second part - Spring-Summer: Healing with Hope dives deeper into finding one's place in life and rediscovering the joy of love. It talks about grief, anger, hurt and at the same time hope! But with most of the poems having similes, it feels underwhelming and I would have appreciated it if it had explored the emotions in more depth.
The third part - Autumn: Fated Hearts paves the way for love again in life. It shows the power of positive relationships. It reflects how people are different from each other and yet can find a way to love each other in tandem.
The little illustrations in between make the poems more beautiful. Though the first part overpowers the next two underwhelming parts, it's a heartwarming collection. Overall, it's a good collection with great conceptualization and can be easily read in a day.
The first part - Winter: Echoes of a Broken Heart beautifully captures the coldness that heartbreak brings into one's life. It shows the readers the power of love and at the same time how that power when manipulated questions the foundation of it. The emotions are raw and real and it's my favourite part of this collection.
The second part - Spring-Summer: Healing with Hope dives deeper into finding one's place in life and rediscovering the joy of love. It talks about grief, anger, hurt and at the same time hope! But with most of the poems having similes, it feels underwhelming and I would have appreciated it if it had explored the emotions in more depth.
The third part - Autumn: Fated Hearts paves the way for love again in life. It shows the power of positive relationships. It reflects how people are different from each other and yet can find a way to love each other in tandem.
The little illustrations in between make the poems more beautiful. Though the first part overpowers the next two underwhelming parts, it's a heartwarming collection. Overall, it's a good collection with great conceptualization and can be easily read in a day.
The Other Side : Poems about medicine and the maladies that plague it
Swapnil Paralikar, Swapnil Paralikar
The Other Side is a collection of 'Poems about medicine and the maladies that plague it' by Swapnil Paralikar, a doctor-medical teacher-poet. This collection consists of 56 poems, divided into four sections - Medicine, Mind, Pandemic and Metaphors. Each part, as the name suggests, emphasizes the emotions and circumstances attached to it.
Paralikar very craftily showcased the life of medical professionals from the time they decided to enter into the field - the student and the hostel life being an important part of it. There was a special emphasis on mental health and mental disorders, and it translates very well through the words.
There were some poems with which I felt very connected with. 'During The Blues' was one such poem where the poet talked about how in difficult circumstances, all we need is a hand to hold and when it lacks, it changes everything. The lines from the poem depict it beautifully -
"I had the blues
as I waged a lonely battle.
And when I emerged a bruised victor,
I wondered whether I deserved to suffer.
While my buddies, they turned a blind eye;
I wish I'd had them by my side."
However, at some points, I felt a little disconnected from the poems and would have appreciated them more if emotions were more translated into words. The explanations about the poetry form and structures in between at some places also hinder the experience and could have been done without them.
Overall, it's a good collection to see things from the lens of a doctor. So if you are someone who is looking forward to this experience, this book would help you.
Paralikar very craftily showcased the life of medical professionals from the time they decided to enter into the field - the student and the hostel life being an important part of it. There was a special emphasis on mental health and mental disorders, and it translates very well through the words.
There were some poems with which I felt very connected with. 'During The Blues' was one such poem where the poet talked about how in difficult circumstances, all we need is a hand to hold and when it lacks, it changes everything. The lines from the poem depict it beautifully -
"I had the blues
as I waged a lonely battle.
And when I emerged a bruised victor,
I wondered whether I deserved to suffer.
While my buddies, they turned a blind eye;
I wish I'd had them by my side."
However, at some points, I felt a little disconnected from the poems and would have appreciated them more if emotions were more translated into words. The explanations about the poetry form and structures in between at some places also hinder the experience and could have been done without them.
Overall, it's a good collection to see things from the lens of a doctor. So if you are someone who is looking forward to this experience, this book would help you.