Category Archives: Books in 2016

AB de Villiers – Decoding Mr. 360 In His Own Words | Thoughts

It is common knowledge that South African cricketer AB de Villiers is a phenomenon on his own. I don’t think any cricketer is loved as unconditionally across nations as he is. His humility, his humanity, his understated swashbuckling nature, his devotion to the sport and his family, and his smile that reflects his good natured heart are what defines him. And to read his story in his own words – sometimes heartwarmingly humorous – in AB de Villiers – The Autobiography, was something of an emotional journey for me as a quiet admirer.

Us by David Nicholls | Book Review

It was on a grim, depressing day that I picked up ‘Us’ by David Nicholls. Walking around the bookstore in the mall that I usually go to when I need some me time, I spotted this book sitting against a number of Agatha Christies – a very unusual place to be, in my opinion. The very intriguing cover piqued my dull senses and I gave the blurb a once over.

False Ceilings by Amit Sharma | Book Review

Author Amit Sharma’s book, False Ceilings, I have to admit, is a pleasant surprise in terms of how strongly it makes you feel nostalgic and want to go back to reading history as soon as possible. The summary at the back of the book provides a certain level of intrigue that is added to by the muted impressiveness of the front cover.

Dear Sakhi – The Lost Journals Of The Ladies Of Hastinapur by Sharath Komarraju | Book Review

The reason I picked up this book is that it is related to the Hastinapur series by Sharath Komarraju. When I finished The Rise of Hastinapur, I knew there was a long wait before the next book came out and I was mighty disappointed. But Sharath Komarraju offered me this: Dear Sakhi: The Lost JournalsContinue reading “Dear Sakhi – The Lost Journals Of The Ladies Of Hastinapur by Sharath Komarraju | Book Review”

The Puppeteers of Palem by Sharath Komarraju | Book Review

Sharath Komarraju’s books give out a rustic, village feeling. Everything the characters do is filled with an Indianness that resonates with everyone. He, yet again, sets his story in a small village where as he says, “everyone knows everyone else.” The Puppeteers of Palem starts off on a tentatively eerie note, as if it is trying to gauge whether or not the reader is going to get scared.

Murder in Amaravati by Sharath Komarraju | Book Review

The reason I keep going back to read Sharath Komarraju’s books is his exceptional description skills. His words have a knack of transporting you into the scene almost immediately. His wonderful insights into the workings of the mind, especially a woman’s, leave me spellbound. At one place, he says, “She wondered if it was the woman inside her that made her worry so. Did she always have to have something to think about, something to fret and brood over?”

Donoor’s Curse by Sharath Komarraju | Book Review

Donoor’s Curse is a story woven around the village of Donoor; a village steeped in superstition. Or so it may seem. But when Devdutt Pathak loses his godfather, who has very wisely or unwisely left him clues, Dev heads out to the village to find out why his baba was unceremoniously snatched from him. What follows is a thrilling story of adventure and revelations and shocks, woven in with Dev’s spasms of alcoholic craving.

Raakshas – India’s No. 1 Serial Killer by Piyush Jha | Book Review

When you read the life story of the serial killer, you begin to think: No wonder he turned into one. He was dealt a tough hand by everyone he knew! And when you think about Maithili, you think, how did someone like her become so righteous? No guilt associated? The story is, in a gist, is something we might have seen portrayed multiple times on screen in different languages, but it is so freshly put that the book turns out to be quite the thriller.