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

Saffron and Pearls: A Memoir of Family, Friendship Heirloom HyderabadiRecipes by Doreen Hassan My rating: 4 of 5 stars The review has also appeared in the Free Press Journal: https://www.freepressjournal.in/book-reviews/saffron-and-pearls-a-memoir-of-family-friendship-heirloom-hyderabadi-recipes-by-doreen-hassan-review Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Photographs by: Cyrus Dalal P-ISBN: 9789352770328 E-ISBN: 9789352770335 Genre: Cookery/Memoir Pages: 220 Price: Rs.1199 Saffron and Pearls is aptly titled for it has both – Saffron symbolizing the rich and mouth-watering recipes adorning the pages of the book with the essence of each recipe captured beautifully thanks to the photographer and Pearls symbolizing the rich family history along with the age-old traditional bits transferred from one generation to the other over the years. The book has an aura, probably reflecting the author’s. It is not one of those books, which my father calls ‘over-the-t...

I Was the Wind Last Night by Ruskin Bond Find the review here too: https://www.freepressjournal.in/book-reviews/i-was-the-wind-last-night-new-and-collected-poems-by-ruskin-bond Name of the book: I Was the Wind Last Night: New and Collected Poems Author: Ruskin Bond Publisher: Speaking Tiger Price: Rs. 399 Category: Poetry ‘Out of the city and over the hill, Into the spaces where Time stands still’ Be rest assured that in no time, the lyricism in his verses will transport the reader from all her woes in connection with the vagaries of the weather, the umpteen troubles that grip her in everyday life into a world of Ruskin’s making where ‘peach and pear are still the sweetest of fruits.’ It is a timeless collection of more than a hundred of his poems written over the years grouped under ‘A Peepul Tree I Knew’, ‘Remember the Old Road’, ‘Friends, Far and Near’, ‘We Must Keep Loving, All Our Days’, ‘I’ll Take the Road Alone’, ‘If Mice Could Roar’, ‘Odds a...

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...