'Criti....que not Criti....cize'

Hold Still Please by Tina Huerta My rating: 3 of 5 stars This is a compilation of poems written by Tina Huerta over time and the aesthetic and subliminal use of pictures make the poems more endearing and sensuous. But considering the Indian sensibilities and set-up, I wonder how many would be comfortable enough to turn over the pages in public. But it does make for a good read. However, I would have appreciated it more if the layout in some poems had been a bit more easy on the eyes. For example, Soul Twin and Ethereal Rein could have done with a better font setting. But nevertheless, the poems makes up for their placements! The poems do touch a romantic chord somewhere. Certain emotions expressed through certain words may not be comprehended as per the author's wish but isn't that the beauty of a poem, after all? To be left to be interpreted as per the reader's understanding, rather than pressing to find out what 'exactly' the poet meant when she w...

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom My rating: 4 of 5 stars Morrie became my coach as well, long after he passed away and found peace. I laughed, cried and ‘thought’ with him, thanks to one of my colleagues at office, Mr. Sumeet Naik, who introduced me to Morrie and Mitch. Imagine sitting on a chair in your room and looking out of the window. You see patterns in the distant sky and try making shapes or look at the hibiscus plant that has been witnessing changes in days and seasons, along with you, for quite some time now. Then there is an occasional sound of a truck pulling by, on the opposite street. Life seems blissful, isn’t it; to admire the beauty of the subtle movements in the big thing called life? Now here comes the “minor” glitch. While you do see people roaming around in the park through your window, to your left, you have to make peace with the fact that you can only be a mute spectator of it. Never again in your life would you be able to do it-  ...

Scion of Ikshvaku by Amish Tripathi My rating: 4 of 5 stars Tripathi has done it once again- restructured ancient mythology to suit modern preferences- making history so much more colourful and sensible! The first in the Ram Chandra series, it perceptibly has Amish’s magical storytelling. Indians undeniably grow up listening to stories from ancient epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana. Some read the original version while others read it year after year.   In fact, there are times when Hindus dedicate an entire month to read the Ramayana (that concluded on August 16, this year, according to Malayalam calendar). Being a Malayali, I keenly observed my grandmother reading it bit by bit every single day and finally flipping through the last 5-8 pages today. It is said that reciting Ramayana during this month leads to blessings being showered upon the next seven generations by the almighty. Keeping the myths aside, I did think of it from a new angle. It is probably said s...

This blog was started as an assignment during the course of MA in Communication and Journalism. Many books were reviewed and many more relationships established with different worlds thanks to the varied journeys they took me upon. I got to know authors, their journeys, their views about the print media and their take upon the profession of story-writing. While I believe that the journey has just begun and that I have miles and miles to go before I sleep (yes, Robert Frost), here's a review that found a place in Mumbai's Free Press Journal, one of the oldest dailies. Amy Snow by Tracey Rees My rating: 3 of 5 stars The review - epaper.freepressjournal.in/556248/The... -Divya Nambiar View all my reviews