Reviews

Chaos in a coupe by Divya Dugar is a book that snuck into my TBR (ever since she kindly invited me for the launch) and refused to behave. Like Divya’s pampered furry babies, the book took umbrage at the time it took me to systematically work through my TBR to …

Char Dham (The Sacred Shrines) by Shweta Mathur Lall (published by Rupa) is a book that will stay with me for a long time. It blew my mind, exactly like a racy thriller fiction would, even though this book is non-fiction. In Hinduism, the Char Dham yatra or pilgrimage is …

Enter at Your Own Risk by Anirban Bhattacharya is an interesting collection of six horror stories rooted in India’s most infamous haunted locations. What makes this book stand out is not just its chilling subject, but the inventive way in which the author enhances the reading experience. The prose is …

You Beneath Your Skin by Damyanti Biswas is a brooding psychological thriller. At its core lies a deceptively simple question: can we ever truly know another person, or even ourselves? Set against the gritty, unvarnished backdrop of Delhi, the novel dives into a world where appearances deceive and morality blurs. …

Twisted Tales and Turns by Smita Das Jain is an unapologetic nod to the storytelling style of Jeffrey Archer, particularly his signature ‘pull-the-rug’ endings. This anthology of twenty stories is thoughtfully divided into four sections, each unified by a shared emotional tone. Smita’s writing is refreshingly clean and linear. There’s …

Mysteries, Mountains and Mythology (Uttarakhand’s folktales retold) by Supriya Bansal is a book that I read with child-like glee. For me, it was childhood canoodled between the pages. The ease with which Supriya writes, weaving emotions and narratives rich in imagery and replete with metaphorical beauty; was a thoroughly engaging …

CALLING ALL FAUJIS (and brats!) If Top Gun gave us Maverick in Tom Cruise—reckless, brilliant, and unforgettable—then India had its own real-life maverick decades earlier in Sq Ldr Pushp Kumar Vaid. Extraordinary Life of a Helicopter Pilot by Sangeetha Vallat is a crisp, engaging tribute to a life that reads …

Joint review of two books by Anamika Kundu Book 1 – Jewels From the Treasure Trove is an anthology of 35 short stories spanning genres: fantasy, drama, thriller, mystery, crime, horror, served like bite-sized delights at a literary banquet. With no single thread binding them, each story arrives as a …

To those who carry both scars and stars—these are whom Prajkta dedicates her book to. I loved that. Just a simple dedication, and yet it encompasses everyone. The book has won the first century Emily Dickinson award. The book is Prajkta’s debut poetry collection (42 pages), a tender exploration of …

A poignant take on the archaic custom of child widow segregation from society, this book resonates with depth and emotion. The book captures the spirit of Banaras in breathtaking details right from the gulkand to the paans. The imagery is vivid, transporting the reader to the scenes with ease. The …