Book Review: Ramayana versus Mahabharata

Title: Ramayana versus Mahabharata- My Playful Comparison Author: Devdutt Pattanaik Publisher: Rupa Publications Pages: 208 ISBN: 978-9353332303 Source: Publisher Devdutt Pattanaik's Ramayana versus Mahabharata, as the subtitle suggests is a comparison of the two great epics. Devdutt Pattanaik is no new name in mythological literature and thus the question of his mastery on the topic …

Best Reads of 2018- Happy New Year

With only a few hours left of this Year, here I am sharing the best reads of 2018. I managed to read 55 books this year, just like the previous year. Although I had set my Goodreads Challenge to 60 books, I couldn't manage to meet my target because of some personal matters. Nevertheless it …

Book Review: Punjab, Punjabis & Punjabiyat

Title: Punjab, Punjabis & Punjabiyat- Reflections on a Land and its PeopleAuthor: Khushwant SinghEditor: Mala DayalPublisher: Aleph Book CompanyPages: 192ISBN: 978-9387561403Source: PublisherPunjab, Punjabis & Punjabiyat is a compilation of various articles written by the author at various points of his life. These pieces of writing, collected here by his daughter Mala Dayal, represent Khushwant Singh's …

Book Review: A Yellow House

Title: A Yellow House Author: Karien van Ditzhuijzen Publisher: Monsoon Books Pages: 368 ISBN: 978-1912049349 Source: Publisher A Yellow House is a coming-of-age novel about a young girl Maya as she explores the world of domestic workers in the present day Singapore. Ten-year-old Singaporean Maya is lonely; her grandmother is dead, her mother is focused …

Book Review: Convenience Store Woman

Title: Convenience Store Woman Author: Sayaka Murata Translator: Ginny Tapley Takemori Publisher: Portobello Books Pages: 112 ISBN: 978-1846276835 Source: Publisher Keiko has never really fitted in. At school and university people find her odd and her family worries she'll never be normal. To appease them, keiko takes a job at a newly opened convenience store. …

Book Review: The House of Islam

Title: The House of Islam- A Global History Author: Ed Husain Publisher: Bloomsbury Pages: 336 ISBN: 978-1408872277 Source: Publisher The House of Islam by Ed Husain is a remarkable book that clears several misconceptions surrounding Islam. In this book, he accounts for the present situation of Islam, that is for the negative spotlight in which …

Book Review: The Occasional Virgin

Title: The Occasional VirginAuthor: Hanan Al-ShaykhTranslator: Catherine CobhamPublisher: Bloomsbury CircusPages: 230ISBN: 978-1526601643Source: PublisherThe Occasional Virgin presents a short period of life of two friends- Huda and Yvonne. Brought up in Lebanon, Huda is a Muslim and Yvonne is a Christian. Both of them come from conservative families- where women are deemed inferior to men. Having …

Book Review: Love and Marriage in Mumbai

Title: Love and Marriage in Mumbai Author: Elizabeth Flock Publsiher: Bloomsbury Pages: 334 ISBN: 978-9387471634 Source: Publisher Love and Marriage in Mumbai is a true account of what may be considered as the real face of marriage & love in modern day India. A clash of traditions and modernity is what India is witnessing these …

Book Review: The Fisherman’s Story

Title: The Fisherman's Story Author: Simon Boreham Publisher: Olympia Publishers Pages: 206 ISBN: 978-1848979482 Source: Publisher The Fisherman's Story is a book based on the very intriguing incidence of Jesus's crucifixion. The story starts after the episode of crucifixion and the author unfolds an imaginative story of what happens to Christ's body after his crucifixion. …

Book Review: Indian Cultures as Heritage

Title: Indian Cultures as Heritage- Contemporary Pasts Author: Romila Thapar Publisher: Aleph Book Company Pages: 262 ISBN: 978-9384067359 Source: Publisher In her book Indian Cultures as Heritage, Romila Thapar talks about the phenomena called culture and what constitutes the Indian culture. Her focus is on those things that are generally not considered when talking about …