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

All those who crave to write but do not know where the "inspiration" or the "words" come from, probably this is your chance to get a hang of it. A creative writing course by Preeti Shenoy, bestselling author, keynote speaker and artist -- here is more from the author's own blog. Click here . She was “just a mother of two” (her blog’s name) when she started her blog in 2006 shortly after losing her dad all of a sudden. And in 2008 came her first book. There has been no looking back since then for PREETI SHENOY. https://critiquedontcriticize.blogspot.in/2018/01/giving-youngsters-their-time-under-sun.htmlShe features among the top five bestselling authors in India and finds a place on the Forbes list of the most influential celebrities in the country.                                    ...

NEW DELHI LOVE SONGS by Michael Creighton My rating: 4 of 5 stars Name of the book: New Delhi Love Songs Name of the Author: Michael Creighton Name of the publisher: Speaking Tiger Price: Rs. 299 Pages: 122 ISBN: 978-93-86702-78-4 e- book available The review can also be found here: https://www.freepressjournal.in/book-reviews/new-delhi-love-songs-poems-by-michael-creighton A quaint piece of art that subtly dances in the reader’s mind and makes a place in her heart, refusing to let the charms of Delhi, the gentle scent of loss, the gust of summer wind, the sense of longing and so much more fade, for a long time. A middle school teacher and library movement activist in New Delhi, this is Michael Creighton’s first book. As a reader, it looked to the reviewer like an evolving poet’s work. There were some poems that left the reviewer aghast. But so addictive were some others that it did not let the reviewer put the book down. Little surprise then that...

Preeti Shenoy She was “just a mother of two” (her blog’s name) when she started her blog in 2006 shortly after losing her dad all of a sudden. And in 2008 came her first book. There has been no looking back since then for PREETI SHENOY . She features among the top five bestselling authors in India and finds a place on the  Forbes  list of the most influential celebrities in the country. Here, she opens up about her latest book, growing as an author, bridging the generation gap and of course about blogging to DIVYA NAMBIAR . Down to earth, pleasant and downright honest, here’s Preeti at her candid best. We share the tidbits of the interview here:   A Hundred Little Flames (AHLF) seems to have generated brightness and cheer, yet again. With it topping charts and the signing spree over, how are you spending your time now? Thanks so much. Haha—I am writing my next book! 9 books since 2008. You are unstoppable, aren’t you?  Tell us how you would define ‘...

Rumi: Tales to Live By by Kamla K. Kapur My rating: 3 of 5 stars Name of the book: RUMI Tales to Live By Name of the author: Kamla K. Kapur Publisher: Jaico Publishing House ISBN Number: 978-93-86348-93-7 Genre: Self-help Price: Rs. 299 Pages: 221 The review can also be found here: https://www.freepressjournal.in/book-reviews/rumi-tales-to-live-by-kamla-k-kapur "How long," Rumi cries to the reader and himself, "will you play at loving the shape of the jug? Leave the shape of the jug, go, go seek the water." Words like these always brought me closer to Rumi and his thoughts. And to see ‘Rumi’ emblazoned on the cover page of this book only pulled me closer to it. The image welcomes the reader into a journey that is more or less to be taken by oneself. It is a journey that takes one closer to one’s soul. As human beings, we easily tend to blame others for the way they are without sparing one thought about how we might be, from...

Chikankari: A Lucknawi Tradition by Paola Manfredi My rating: 4 of 5 stars White-on-white embroidery made more beautiful Name of the book: Chikankari: A Lucknawi Tradition Author: Paola Manfredi Publisher: Niyogi Books ISBN: 978-93-85285-53-0 Price: Rs.2495 Pages: 252 The review can also be found here : https://www.freepressjournal.in/book-reviews/chikankari-a-lucknawi-tradition-paola-manfredi In the words of Amita Walia, “The magic of Chikankari or the white-on-white embroidery of Lucknow reflects the splendor of Indian craft as pure moonlight resplendent in all its beauty.” Spread over 252 pages, this illustrated book exquisitely presents a detailed view and well-researched analysis of chikan embroidery – the most artistic and most delicate form of what may be called the purely indigenous needlework of India, as per George Watt (1903). It delves into the nitty-gritty of the chikan embroidery – the mysterious origins of the craft that develop...

Everybody's Son by Thrity Umrigar My rating: 4 of 5 stars Coloured woes, in black and white Name of the book: Everybody’s Son Name of the author: Thrity Umrigar Publisher: HarperCollins ISBN: 9780062442246 Pages: 352 Price: 26.99 USD The book review can also be found here: https://www.freepressjournal.in/book-reviews/everybodys-son-by-thrity-unrigar Thrity Umrigar , an Indian- American journalist and the winner of the Nieman Fellowship to Harvard and a 2006 finalist for the PEN/ Beyond Margins Award, who relocated to the US at the age of 21 from India, has deftly explored in this book how racism can exist without one even realizing about it. Everybody’s Son is an example of powerful and uncomplicated writing which pushes your borders and leaves you at the edge of a mountain top. The only option you have is to jump. And jump you will, into Anton’s world – the main character in the novel. There is not much suspense in waiting. The story has be...

Of humour, Islam and hope A Hundred Journeys by Omar Zafarullah My rating: 3 of 5 stars Name of the book: A Hundred Journeys (Stories of My Fatherland) Name of the author: Omar Zafarullah Publisher: Rupa Publications Price: Rs.295 Pages: 211 ISBN: 9788129147394 Also available as an e-book The review can also be found here: https://www.freepressjournal.in/book-reviews/a-hundered-journeys-stories-of-my-fatherland-by-omar-zafarullah Two words that escaped my mouth after I completed reading the book, 'astonishingly pleased', summarise how I felt after reading A Hundred Journeys – Stories of my Fatherland . For me as an Indian, this book brought forth a fresh perspective. Omar Zafarullah , a mechanical engineer with a degree from Yale University, USA and an executive in a Fortune 500 company, who belongs to Gojra and lives in Lahore, has written something that people all over the world must read to understand and learn to look at Pakistan in co...