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

Leave Me by Gayle Forman My rating: 4 of 5 stars Life’s about swimming through an ocean of troubles, to reach the shore that soothes. Author: Gayle Forman Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pages: 340 Price: Rs 550 You may also find the review here . ‘So this was how it was. People entered your life. Some would stay. Some would not. Some would drift but would return to you.’ Marriages are those events that get ingrained into one’s mind from the time one is growing up. Girls grow up dreaming about their “happily ever after” while boys about their “princesses”. Even though the dynamics of the same is changing – with girls claiming to be their own superheroes and girls and guys preferring to travel the world rather than settling down with a family of their own – to some “marriage” still means what has often been popularized by popular media: A silhouette of a man and woman walking towards the sunset, holding hands. Troubles before marriage abound and often movi...

One Indian Girl by Chetan Bhagat My rating: 3 of 5 stars So the moment I picked up the book for reading (after beating competition from the receptionist at the workplace as well as a colleague) and reviewing it, I wondered, for the hundredth time, why the euphoria? Why the adrenaline rush in trains among teenagers when they spoke about the book, irrespective of their views about the author being either totally positive or lashing at him for his contribution to bad literature if I may add ‘literature’ at all. I read it while commuting to and fro my workplace, via the Mumbai Local. It was surprising to find posters of One Indian Girl on a local train. No kidding. In fact, I even attempted to click a picture of it but the train moved and Bhagat blurred away. Mumbai, a cosmopolitan city, thrives because of the variety of people and cultures co-existing here. And yet, Chetan manages to reserve a place for himself so prominently, on the local trains, mind you! Alright, loos...

It's All in the Planets by Preeti Shenoy My rating: 3 of 5 stars So Preeti Shenoy is back with her latest book. Veering once again towards her forte, fiction, after her non-fiction work titled 'Why We Love The Way We Do,' this time she has advices, life lessons and even a diet chart for her fan following that is not restricted to one particular age group. This author's books are solely to be read for her distinct, subtle and motherly way of doling out tips to young and old, without being bossy. She brings in an element of fun just to make her tales seem like they are of people we find around us. Her characters are never larger-than-life because they could be you and me. However, do not expect to find an out-of-the-box plot. In fact, there could be surprise elements but for many, it won't be surprising at all. Despite the characters and situations they find themselves in, Shenoy gives them her touch and then something changes. A very simple book ...

The Last Queen of India by Michelle Moran My rating: 4 of 5 stars सिंहासन हिल उठे राजवंशों ने भृकुटी तानी थी, बूढ़े भारत में आई फिर से नयी जवानी थी, गुमी हुई आज़ादी की कीमत सबने पहचानी थी, दूर फिरंगी को करने की सबने मन में ठानी थी। चमक उठी सन सत्तावन में, वह तलवार पुरानी थी, बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी, खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी।। ..... जाओ रानी याद रखेंगे ये कृतज्ञ भारतवासी, यह तेरा बलिदान जगावेगा स्वतंत्रता अविनासी, होवे चुप इतिहास, लगे सच्चाई को चाहे फाँसी, हो मदमाती विजय, मिटा दे गोलों से चाहे झाँसी। तेरा स्मारक तू ही होगी, तू खुद अमिट निशानी थी, बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी, खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी।। - सुभद्रा कुमारी चौहान As a child growing up in India, it is only rare if the above poem is unknown to him/her. Recited in schools with actions that could simply give goosebumps to the listeners, this poem has always struck a chord within my heart. And yet, I wonder wh...

Basanti by Bhisham Sahni My rating: 4 of 5 stars A tale that makes a mark upon your heart in its utmost simplicity - by way of words, emotions and the description of the lives of the characters. As simple as it may seem, it delves into some of the big problems faced by the poor- the fear of displacement, a sense of security and the feeling of "arriving home" when forced to live a nomadic life. Basanti is the soul of the tale. It's her tale and the tale of many others like her who live their lives with an infectious laughter at the most unlikeliest of hours, even when their lives seem to be doomed to the well-off. It is a startling glimpse into the lives of the ones whose stories often go untold. Their lives may seem shallow at first sight but delve a bit deeper. Often, they are the fighters, the brave warriors who face life boldly, even if it means to life with a 'bad' name, a child with his father having escaped with his wife and child, a shatt...

The Rise of Hastinapur by Sharath Komarraju My rating: 3 of 5 stars Sharath writes and he does a good job with the words. He makes sure that the words are strung beautifully together so that when the reader reads, he gets only the best of what he has to offer. I haven't read the first part of the series. I won a copy of The Rise of Hastinapur as part of Goodreads Giveaway. So I don't know what the first part has to offer, yet. The dimension of looking at the characters offered in this series is worth applause. For example, I always wondered how a mother could just give away a son only to see him years later and claim to have loved him, always. It just didn't register in my brain or heart. But thanks to this book, I can somehow make a bit more sense about the circumstances that may make a woman do what she did, bound by circumstances that often leave no other options for one except for doing something that would only seem unimaginable at that point. Years ...