A(NU) Thought

Book: Tree Bears Witness Author: Sharath Komarraju Publication: Westland Books Wise is the one who doesn’t get influenced by anything…even by the truth Tree Bears Witness (TBW), the name says it all. This Birbal mystery by Sharath Komarraju is an engaging suspense book. The building of the plot in interesting it keeps; as a reader you are compelled to get your grey cells to work. Usually while reading a suspense book, we tend to get involved, we tend to get into this invisible race, to solve the mystery before we reach the conclusion. When you are unable to do that, accurately, you know that you have invested your time in a good book. The surprise element!!

Book: Waterboarding Author:  Bragadeesh Prasanna Publisher: Self Published Waterboarding takes you to the life of the main character, Ved, who loses a part of his memory in a bike accident. Life isn't the same anymore for Ved, as he slowly discovers what his past looked like and how he ended up in this state. Bits and pieces of information come to him through his friends and family, however it still remains a distant puzzle that cannot be solved.  If he endured physical pain to the fullest, he also has to face distant reality about loving a woman who is no longer with him and another woman who wants to be with him. Maya is from her past whom he is curious about and don't remember much about the relationship they had. Sara is the only bridge between him and his past, but memory-loss can be a manipulative tool to play with emotions and instill new memories that are unreal in order to achieve something. In this case, Ved's togetherness and love.  ...

Book: The Goat Thief Author: Perumal Murugan Translated by: N Kalyan Raman Publication: Juggernaut Ordinary moments make life extra-ordinary Yes, life is all about the small moments, when felt intensely forms a memorable part of lives. This is the thought that reverberates in all of the short stories. I am glad that I got this opportunity read works of the celebrated Tamil author Perumal Murugan, thanks to N Kalyan Raman’s translation. The Goat Thief is a collection of 10 simple stories that irradiates the rustic charm.

Book: Second Chance   Author: Dr. Sandeep Jatwa Publication: Educreation So, what would you do if you got a ‘second chance?’ We all have committed at least one such mistake in life that makes us wish for a second chance, a second chance to perhaps relive that moment, a second chance to perhaps revisit that event and a second chance to rectify that mistake. The blurb is pretty self-explanatory and it is like, you get what you see, no less, no more. The concept is not something new or unexplored, but for a debut author Dr. Sandeep Jatwa has neatly carved out the story around the theme.

Book: 8 Hours Author: Upendra Namburi Publication: Westland Books Trust, as they say, is an expensive souvenir, you shouldn’t give it to everyone... Going by the title ‘8 Hours’, and the blurb, one would think the book is a fast-paced thriller, well, I wouldn’t call it so. The story progresses at a relatively normal pace, educating the readers on the detailed background of the event and briefing on the past of the characters, well that’s much required, isn’t it? The most prominent character in this book is an inevitable device – mobile phone. Yess! The author Upendra Namburi would have mentioned about 80,000 calls in the 8 hours (not literally, com ’on, I did try counting it, but lost the track :P)

Book: Fragments - A Collection of Short Stories Author: Janaki Nagaraj Publication: Self Published Life is made up of big and small moments, rather memories that stay with us for a very long time. A collection of short stories is more or less similar to that. Different memories, different thoughts all woven in a string, together. Fragments is the debut book of the author Janaki Nagaraj, it is a collection of 13 short stories that covers different aspects of life. The first story ‘The Ritual’ – a murder mystery is indeed a psychotic thriller. It has unexpected twists and is the best among the lot. The next story ‘The Homecoming’ is about a father - son relationship, it is soft-hearted story. It could have been more elaborate on the state of mind of the father, who is a soldier back from war field.

Book: Hell! No Saints in Paradise Author:  A.K. Asif Publication: HarperCollins It is often the thought of acquiring the knowledge of the unknown that gets us curious and motivates us to do things, we never thought we were capable of. Something beyond our reach and power, acts as an influencing factor for achieving the unexpected and the impossible. This thought is what sets the plot of the book – ‘Hell! No Saints in Paradise’. This is a well- researched book by the author A. K. Asif and dives deep into the religious teachings of Islam; he has carved out a blueprint of what the country would be in the hands of the extremist sometime in the year 2050.

Image Credit Book: Unlawful Justice Author: Vish Dhamija Publication: HarperCollins India This is the first book that I have read of Vish Dhamija. After reading this book, I am now tempted to go back and read all his earlier books. Vish has beautifully described the plot and moves from one scenario to another with fluid grace. His language is simple, yet it carries the weight of the story, the emotion and tension between the characters with ease. He doesn't attempt to overdo things, be it explaining the characters, or a particular scene and keeps the suspense well-hidden within the story. The book has the potential to become a Bollywood potboiler. As you read the book, the pre-murder, murder scenarios and the court-room saga becomes a visual scene inside your head and you do not want to put the book down. Not even for a moment.

Book: Letters from Kargil Author: Diksha Dwivedi Publication: Juggernaut Letters from Kargil takes you through an emotional rollercoaster where every word, every sentence leaves you tear-jerked and with a big lump in the throat. Diksha Dwivedi takes you through the lives of those brave warriors and their families who fought in the 1999 Kargil War and emerged triumphant. She beautifully balances the Kargil war narration throughout the book and the personal moments of each soldier who fought that war. Diksha lets us into her little world through various letters exchanged between her and her beloved father. She explains the fear that she, her sister and mother felt at each moment when her father was busy fighting the invading enemy at all times. The loving letters dripping in extreme affection and care, made her feel that he was not at the border but sitting next to her, sharing life lessons with her. She makes us feel the excruciating pain that she and her family had to g...

Image Credit Book: The Royal Roommate (Kindle edition) Author: PG Van Life is unpredictable. We plan many things but not everything happens as planned. Infact, most of the times life has surprises in store for us. The key is to play along and play it well. This is what you will find the protagonist -Amy doing in this book. Accepting the twists and turns life throws at her and running along with the stride. This the first book of PG Van that I have had a chance to read, and hence I didn’t have any set expectations. Good!  The story is about Amy, a young intern with a law firm (oh that just doesn’t matter). Turns out her new roommate has been replaced by an irresistible, sexy, tall and handsome hunk - Sid (now that’s what is important, right). There begins a love and hate – push and pull kind of chemistry between the two. Needless to mention, lust and love (in that order) blooms in the room. Interestingly, Sid is a spy and Amy is his suspect. However, from suspe...

Book: Inside The Heart of Hope   Author: Rishabh Puri Publisher: Srishti Publishers In life, nobody gets everything he or she desires. The one who can move beyond the limitations and make the best of what is available to him or her, has lived the life to the fullest. Instead of worrying about what you cannot do, relish what you have and redefine your life. Reading the blurb, I was worried if the story will be about a depressed soul, with broken body and confidence, but thankfully, it wasn’t. Inside The Heart of Hope (IHH) is a story of life, in the sense, the narration and plot are very similar to what would happen in real life. There is no drama in it.  I am happy that the author has kept the story very real to life, rather than making it a sad sob. That's what gave it a fresh perspective and an interesting read.

The Mahabharata Murders: Dark & Fast Paced Murder Mystery Book: The Mahabharata Murders   Author: Arnab Ray Publisher: Juggernaut The beauty of a murder mystery is that it keeps the reader engaged and thinking in parallel, as the story proceeds. The Mahabharata Murders (TMM) by Arnab Ray is no different, at least not in this sense. Like a good thriller, it keeps the reader thinking about the mystery killer, his choice of modus operandi and potential motives. The narration and the plot are the heroes here. A definite a page – turner!

Book: The Mahabharata Code   Author: Karthik KB Rao Publisher: Notion Press They say do not judge a book by its cover, well it does turn out to be true in case of most books.  Well, if the same fact is applicable for The Mahabharata Code, read on to find out ;) The book, as mentioned, is the first person narration of the story which primarily revolves around author’s fascination of Lord Krishna and the significant role that he has played in Mahabharata. The protagonist Narayan Rao, as NASA scientist is sent to another planet which has shown signs of life. 

Book: The Blue House In Bishop   Author: Sunanda J. Chatterjee Publisher: Sunanda J. Chatterjee This is my first book by the author and I have to admit, it was quite an interesting read. The Blue House In Bishop has romance, suspense, mystery, thriller and some bit of action too. The author has weaved all these elements neatly in the story with well-defined characters. Described as a romantic suspense book, the story revolves around four main characters and their quest for finding the answers to their miseries. Alisha, Sunil, Duke and well a mysterious woman (not giving any spoilers here), who come from different directions settle down in the Blue House in Bishop. The author has vividly explained the various pasts and backgrounds of the characters and sensibly brought them all together where the main story awaits the readers.

Image Source Book: A Walk In The Rain Author: Udai Yadla Publisher: Revelation House Books A Walk In The Rain is a romantic fiction story, with thick strips thriller thrown into it. The story has several emotions such as love, romance, action, thriller, desperation, longing and certainly, pain.      The plot of story is about childhood sweethearts who are forced to part ways due to drastic situations; only to meet later in life, again in strange circumstances. The story takes a turn, when in incident the protagonist is killed and he is re-united with his childhood best friend.  

Book: The Indus Challenge Author: R. Durgadoss Publisher: Rupa Publications India The first thing that demands attention is the cover of the book. It’s intriguing! Then comes the blurb of the book, which also makes you feel that this is going to be an interesting journey. A journey of a rare blend of mythology, history and present-day fiction. The story is spread over centuries giving you a glimpse of various eras however, the most intriguing part is that of the segment of Alexander and Chandragupta, which contributes the maximum in the story. The story has lot of interesting  elements, such as there's an angle of reincarnation, ancient seal that unearths the long lost mystery . It is the author’s deep-rooted passion for Indian mythology, history and philosophy that has resulted into a well-researched and well-thought series. It can be a good addition to your library, especially if you a lover of mythological and historical fiction.  My rating: ...

Book: Key To My Soul Author: Probal Mazumdar Publisher: Maple Press The title of the book and the cover design gives an impression of a romantic journey in the pages; however, the beginning of the story speaks of a physical assault to the protagonist giving you a hint that this book is more than just a vanilla love story. For me, the author has managed to hook me to the story right at the start. As the blurb says, the protagonist Siddharth (Sid) goes back to find her childhood sweetheart in a state of coma. The story revolves around the flashback of childhood and letters that Sid should have received about 15 years back; and if he actually did that, his life would have been completely different. 

The greatest villain of our legends, burnt down every year, reduced to ashes again and again, only to rise anew. His is a cycle of death and rebirth that never ends, a legend that refuses to die. And there is a reason for that. The tale of Rāvan still screams to be told, to break free of the falsehoods that have buried his truth. But in the vastness of our myths, there are bits and pieces of his legend scattered all around, leading us to the truth of what could well be the greatest unsolved mystery of all time.  The truth of Rāvan’s life, and his death by a God in mortal flesh.

Book : Finding Anya Author : Sundari Venkatraman Publisher : Independently Published Blurb Anya Chhabria wakes up in a hospital room with no recognition of who she is and where she belongs. In her troubled times, Anya finds her anchor in a handsome stranger. But is he really unknown to her? Dev Wadhwa's past finds him when he sees Anya lying unconscious in the middle of the road. Not willing to let go of her one more time, Dev takes her to the hospital and later to his farmhouse, where he helps her recuperate. Sparks fly and Dev and Anya fall for each other! But the feisty Anya refuses to commit herself to marriage as her loss of memory looms larger than life. Things aren’t easy with an ex-husband, not-so-understanding parents, and a jealous neighbour thrown into the mix. What if Anya’s memory never comes back? Will Dev and Anya get a second chance?

Book: The Party orker Author: Omar Shahid Hamid Publisher: Pan Macmillan India The Party Worker is a full-fledged masala movie material, oh yes!!! The story starts with an attempted murder and gradually moves on to a wider net of politics, murders, corruption, underworld secrets, rising of a don among others. The book revolves around the lives of four important characters a hitman, a cop, a journalist and an old man. The plot connects them all very strategically. Certainly credit goes to the fluid narrative and flawless storyline. Their lives crosses that of each other’s, while there are several parallel stories also. The story is set in New York and Pakistan. The author has successfully penned an interesting book, that’s just not put downable. It’s a gripping crime thriller that’s racy and an exciting read.      Wait for some hard-hitting and shocking events in the story. I received a copy from Pan Macmillan India in exchange for an hones...

Book : The Diamond Heist Author : Sai Daksh (11 year old) Publisher : Notion Press Blurb: Life was all fun and play, with a few small adventures and mishaps, for Daksh, Arsh, Garv, Om, Swarit, Aditi and Simran till…  They are recruited by the Indian Detective Agency.  They are summoned to the headquarters and given a mission – to recover a lost diamond.  With all the plans and props in place, they set forth to hunt down the diamond.  By chance, they stumble upon a conspiracy that is connected to the theft.  Do they succeed in foiling the conspiracy? What happened to the lost diamond?

Book: Finding Juliet Author: Toffee Publisher: Srishti Publishers Finding Juliet by Toffee is a story about Arjun’s transformation from sweet and simple guy to the womanizer. The sole purpose of the protagonist’s existence is finding true love and it turns out that he manages to do a PH.D in how to fail in any relationship. “Can a Geek ever find love?” is what essentially the book about. The geeky Arjun starts as a bichara innocent little boy who has been having hard luck when it comes to love and relationships.

Image Credit Book: Saraswati’s Intelligence Author: Vamsee Juluri Publisher: Westland In India, since childhood, the mythological stories of Mahabharata and Ramayana are ingrained in us. We have grown up perceiving a certain character in a certain way, without even giving a thought on the facts and fictions. Similarly, we have a traditional image of Lord Hanuman established in our minds; while the author in this book ‘Saraswati’s Intelligence’ has attempted to portray a different picture, unconventionally. When one talks of Hanuman, we automatically relate it to Ramayana; the mythology sees him as a loyal and close comrade to Lord Ram and a fearless fighter. But was he always as fearless? Was devotion always an essential part of his character? Could the bhramachari hanuman too have a love story?

It's difficult no matter what you do, at times, it gets more difficult. You get up in the morning loathing to run pass the mountain-like huge day ahead, and what after that? Another same day. Every morning you try to begin a new day. You repeat to yourself that you gonna  stay optimistic, not get bothered by other's opinion, or hassled by what they are bitching about you, or not get bogged down by their nasty comments. You promise yourself, that today will be a new day, happy and stress-free (though, full of work). You command yourself that today you will do good work and important ones too.  And you do all the possible things to let the positive aura surround you. It sure does. But then, how do deal with stubborn people who you cannot avoid. These people have something against you, for unknown reasons. These are the people who like to put you down, because they can't do anything good themselves to rise high. Perhaps they feel you are an easy target and smirkingly bing...

Book: Thank You Love Author: Ayush Gupta Publisher: Half Baked Beans In this day and age, it is not uncommon to fall in and out of relationships. People get into relationship (on trial basis) if they feel things are not working out, they break up and get into a new relationship. It’s fine! It’s the norm today, majority of our younger population follow it.  However, what is unusual is one of the partners unable to get over the break up and move on in life. It is not very common to see somebody being unable to believe that his/her partner has moved on and so should the person as well. This plot revolves around Rayan, who is madly and deeply in love with Akshita; however due to certain circumstances Akshita decides to break up this relationship and move on. 

Book: Someone To Love Author: Ruchita Misra Publisher: Harlequin  This book – ‘Someone to Love’ (STL) has refreshed the memories of SRK-Kajol-Rani starrer Kuch Kuch Hota Hai . I am sure each one of us who has been audience to that movie, will relate to the concept of love with friendship with it.  I wouldn't say the story is something new, but the treatment is and the simple yet captivating narration is something unique. It effortlessly holds readers’ attention. It's a simple love story turned sour and what happens next with their lives is what makes the story. So basically it’s a story of two childhood friends – Koyal and Atharv, inseparable. But one incident (which is revealed towards the end and I am not gonna give any hints) destroys this beautiful friendship. 

Bestselling author Omar Shahid Hamid's third and most chilling novel yet About the book A burnt out New York cop; an eighty-year-old Parsi sitting in a decaying Karachi mansion; a hitman whose days are numbered; a journalist who dreams of the big time. When a Jewish woman is killed on the steps of the Natural History Museum in New York, disparate lives are thrown together for one purpose: to bring about the downfall of the Don, the uncrowned king of Karachi. The Party Worker  explores the Machiavellian politics of Pakistan's busiest city, where friends come bearing bullets, and enemies can wait patiently for decades before striking. Gritty, disturbing, and compelling, this is Omar Shahid Hamid at his best.

Image Source Book: The Four Patriots Author: Sumit Agarwal Publisher: Rupa Publications India All of us, yes all of us, have a patriot in us; maybe somewhere hidden in our sub-conscious, covered under the daily chaos or dumped under the layers of bitterness in the system. But most of us tend to accept the situations thrown at us. Even if we initiate a change, often we are unable to execute it till the end, owing to varies reasons, such as lack of support, knowledge, expertise or strategies. The Four Patriots is a saga of four such individuals, who overcome their personal griefs and surface to make a positive change in the society, in the country.   The story revolves around four youth who at some point of time has been affected by the system in some or the other way. Those events stirs a strong desire in them to change the faulty systems and corruption that is creeping up in every corner of nation. They begin their journey in their own different ways, only to come...