A(NU) Thought

Book: Suryavamsha: The Noble Kings of Ancient India Author: Manjunath Dattatreya  Publication: Notion Press Mythology, I believe, encourages us to question, reason, comprehend the metaphors, go deep into philosophies and develop our own understanding of it. Suryavamsha: The Noble Kings of Ancient India , by  author Manjunath Dattatreya  does exactly the same. This book consists of several stories from the solar dynasty in brief snippets. The key essence of these stories is then highlighted. These stories attempt to answer the question of ‘why’. ‘Why or how did that event find a place in the ancient texts?'; ‘are they still relevant?’; ‘what are they trying to tell us?’

Hello guys, I am very happy to share this with you! Finally, one more step towards my dream! I have self-published my first book on (3) short stories - 'Lockdown Stories'. With this book, I have attempted to capture the perspective and experiences of a 20-something PR professional, a working mother/wife and a doctor, during the lockdown phase. Do buy the ebook and would love to get feedback from you 😁😁 . Here is the link: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B08F28DBHH Cover designed by Varun N Rao

Book : Indogene: Stories of Indians Across the Globe Kindle Edition Author : Sriram Devatha   Publication : Klang Sound Solutions         Indogene! You read the title of the book and look at the cover image and you know what to expect in the pages you flip thereafter. Authored by Sriram Devatha, Indogene is an anthology of 10 short stories of Indians settled abroad spread across different countries and different periods.   The first thing I noticed is that the author’s writing style is very lucid. The flow of the stories is engaging. I especially liked how he has described the reactions to inanimate things for an example "keys chimed back in return". 

Book : Unfulfilled Desires Kindle Edition Author : Rachi Publication : Half Baked Beans One look at the cover and you know that this book is about love story and romance; and you won’t be disappointed by picking up the book for that reason. The plot revolves around different colours of love, in this book Unfulfilled Desires authored by Rachi and published by Half Baked Beans (HBB).   The protagonist Avantika is reluctant to get into a relationship because of her scepticism in the same. she witnessed a tragic incident in her college days and hence she could not commit to anyone into a relationship. Walks in not 1 or 2 but 3 men who are potential partners for Avantika. However, her quest for understanding ‘what is love’ continues. The three men have different answers to her question ‘what is love for you?’ none of them seems to convince Avantika.

Book : Puma - A Soldier's Dog Author : Richa Kashyap Publication:  Quignog   Puma - A Soldier's Dog by Richa Kashyap is a heart-rending story of an Indian pariah breed pup who is rescued, adopted by an army officer whom he lovingly calls ‘Dadda’ and trained to become a soldier. Narrated by Puma himself, the story takes us through the twists and turns of Puma's life where he is immensely loved and pampered by his ‘Dadda’, faces hostility from various people and dogs within the cantonment, gets lost searching for his ‘Dadda’, meets new human and doggie friends in the process and eventually re-uniting with his ‘Dadda’. 

HarperCollins India is delighted to announce that  Shweta Bachchan-Nanda’s  debut,  Paradise Towers,  will release on 10 th  October 2018, with a book launch event in Mumbai. A heart-warming slice-of-life novel set in an apartment building in Mumbai, Paradise Towers ,  is a riveting read brimming with the drama and intrigue of everyday lives. The book is now available for pre-order on major online retail sites. About Paradise Towers :  Dinesh opens the door to the Kapoor flat to find Lata, the enchantress who works at Mrs Aly Khan’s, carrying a hot case with freshly made gaajar ka halwa. On the first floor, the inquisitive Mrs Mody wipes the dust off her precious binoculars to spy on the building’s security guard. The Singhs open the doors of their SUV, their four boys creating a ruckus – they are the newcomers, the outsiders. Through the peephole, the ever-watchful Mrs Ranganekar observes their arrival. Welcome to Paradise Towe...

Book: Hush a Bye Baby: The Cradle Will Fall Author: Deepanjana Pal Publication: Juggernaut  Hush a Bye Baby is a crime fiction authored by Deepanjana Pal. This is the author’s debut novel and it’s Wow!   The story starts with the poplar socialite gynecologist Dr. Nandita Rai, getting arrested for interrogation of female feticide. The team of police working on this case, under several pressures, have to prove their point and get the culprit to accept the crime and bring her to justice.  Whether Dr. Rai commits the gender-selective abortions or not is no secret. The thrill is built when the Team of police – Hadpude, Lad and Reshma begin hunting for clues and work along their way through strenuous interrogation.

Book: The Woman Who Saw the Future Author: Amit Sharma Publication: Readomania Have you ever abused your key capabilities or manipulated people by misusing it? Can you own the consequences it would have resulted into? This was the first thought that crossed my mind after I finished the reading it…and it stayed for some time. Such is the impact of ‘The Woman Who Saw The Future’ (TWWSTF) authored by Amit Sharma. I guess that’s the thing about good (fiction) stories, it get you back to real life but not empty handed. You return with a thought in head that inspires you to be good, do good.

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: 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.

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...

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.

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: 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.

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?

Book : The Peshwa:  The Lion and  The Stallion Author : Ram Sivsankaran Publication :  Westland If this is the debut book, I have to admit, it doesn’t read like one. The book is an amazing read. Where was he all these years with this amazing story telling talent?  The book is based on the life of Bajirao Bhat, his learnings, his fights, his experiments, his love and his relationships with his father, wife, his loyal subordinates, et al.  So, here’s what I liked about the book. The cover is extremely fascinating and intriguing. The narration is flawless and so is the characterisation. You can actually picture the person or the scene or the event that is taking place, as it is being described by the author.