Mystery of the TBR that never ends

During the days we visited libraries often, either at school or public ones in the holidays, the library card was my golden ticket. At school we were allowed to borrow one book at a time and once the librarian trusted us enough to be voracious readers who also returned books without scribbles and dog ears,…

Why revisit children’s books?

Whether it’s in a library or a bookshop, the children’s shelf is always so appealing that it makes us stop to take a look, examine the pretty covers, just hang on a moment with the vibrant colours wearing a nostalgic smile. While our reading tastes evolve as we grow up, there will always be something…

Spooky reads for Friday the 13th

It’s Friday the 13th. I waited and waited, nothing spooky happened. But Blogchatter’s friendly ghost Mohan Das has been super active today snooping around and asking us to share our favourite trysts with the horror. As a person who used to watch and read horror back-to-back, this came as an opportunity to pick some of…

You’ve got to stop and gaze at The Color Purple

Purple signifies grandeur, independence, creativity and magic- just like the women characters in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple.  The moment I began to read it, I felt like I’ve stepped into the diary of the protagonist Celie- a diary in which she writes heart wrenching letters to God.

You choose your sky- Aisha Chaudhary’s ‘My Little Epiphanies’

Your sky is where the magic is. While troubles are part of everybody’s life, some of us choose to create beauty through them, Aisha Chaudhary was one of those people.Reading through her poetry and thoughts I was reminded of another bold girl who spoke her heart, Anne Frank. I was introduced to Anne Frank when…

The Scream of Nature

“Water, water, everywhere, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink.” ― Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner The Rime of the Ancient mariner is the longest literary work of Coleridge.  Every verse in this lyrical ballad is beautiful for its transparency and the simple and strong message…

Vanara- Anand Neelakantan (2018)

  Vanara by Anand Neelakantan magnifies the intense love between brothers Baali and Sugreeva, the lesser explored characters of the Ramayana. Growing up in the ashram of Rishi Gautama, they are reminded time and again of the down trodden tribe they belong to, the Vanaras.  The innocence of Sugreeva, his blind and foolish faith on…

My Last Foster Mom – Pablo Pereira (2018)

…the pieces click together..   Cynthia, the protagonist of this novella struggles to make both ends meet. Her only concern is her little 6-year-old daughter Jeanne. For a single mother to bring up a young child without any support is a real challenge. That’s when Mathilde comes into the picture- grumpy, old Mathilde. Her meeting…

Heavy Weather- Ness Lobo (2017)

Poetry comes from the soul and is for the soul. Good poetry reaches out and stirs the still waters of your soul, certainly changing something inside. Heavy Weather by Ness Lobo is a collection of poems on love, betrayal, heartache, unrequited love and longing.