Shadow of Life

  It is a Covid lockdown story which revolves around a father-son duo. The book depicts several stages of their relationship, from their initial lack of communication to their eventual warming up to each other. It is a simple story that touches my heart and gives me mixed emotions of happiness and grief. We all had such moments during lockdown where we found our lost love towards our family and loved ones. For some, it has been a nightmare. Yet, for some, it represented a glimmer of optimism that transformed their life. This story gives confidence that everything is attainable with equal efforts from all sides. Here, the father unveils a few secrets about his life that he has not shared with anybody, not even his wife. And this secret reconciles the bond between them. Sometimes, someone who fears judgement holds so much inside that they worsen the situation. When expressing their fears is all they need to do to release themselves. It is a lovely book that encourages you to be more ...

It is a sequel to PS I Love You.  If you have loved that one, then you will also enjoy this. In contrast to the first book, which was about Holly receiving letters from her late husband and completing the task assigned, this one describes what happens after those letters. It gives you a reality check of things. Despite everything, how difficult it is for people to move on once their loved one has passed away. Some people might not show it much, but their pain is still acute. In this book, you are able to comprehend both the letter's writer's and the recipient's points of view. After Holly gives an interview on how she handled her husband's death, strangers pursue her to get more information. It was tough to reopen those wounds again years later, but they also gave hope to certain people. Holly, however, experiences it as a terrible nightmare. She nevertheless battles her demons once more. It's natural to assume that someone's intentions while writing a letter ar...

This book offers guidance on how to extend your perspective while evaluating yourself and those around you, which I found to be quite engaging and beneficial. The book describes two types of mindset - fixed and growth and; how it affects our future or decisions. There can be many things that you believe people are doing incorrectly, but when you examine yourself, you see that you are just as guilty. It assists you in determining what we might do correctly to adopt a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset. It has chapters based on the viewpoints of entrepreneurs, students, athletes, parents, teachers, and couples. So this book is for everyone. Also, it focuses on praising the work than talent. Moreover, it emphasises the value of labour rather than skill. The book awakens you to the fact that self-development can only happen when you consciously work to become a better version of yourself and break harmful habits. You need to become conscious of your actions, and this book precisely...

The book has multiple characters, which makes it very difficult to follow. However, once everyone has been introduced, everything begins to make sense. Set amid Edinburgh Festival makes the story more happening as every character has a specific role in the festival. It is fascinating to see how they unexpectedly cross paths. The book starts with Tess Goodwin, who works in the Main office, then moves on to other characters like Albert Deussuin, Angelique Pascal, Rene Brownlow, Gavin, etc. The best thing is each character has a unique gift and struggles to overcome, yet it’s interesting to see how they work together to support one another. Initially, you might be put off, but if you give it some time, you’ll get hooked. I believe each character represents us in some or the other way. When I first started reading this book, I didn’t have high expectations, but by the time I finished it, I was happy with how well-structured it was. If you are planning to read a light book, go for it. Ratin...

There are 30 short stories in the book that focuses on women of different age and background. Each narrative brings out something different. The underlining themes are sexism, racism, toxic masculinity, the feeling of loneliness, undermining one's worth, gender politics, and so much more. Some stories might look weird, some are hilarious, and then some effects you deeply. While reading, you will feel yourself connecting to many stories, so there is this feeling of being connected to other individuals in some way, and you won't feel alone. I felt the book is not blaming anyone per se but how women are perceived, in general, despite doing double the work. Women need to demonstrate their abilities more, especially in fields where they are underappreciated by males. Each story has a deeper meaning since it uses humour to illuminate serious subjects. I adore the vasectomy situation when a man wants one but the hospital's female staff members who uphold the law deny it because it...

Isn't it dangerous when you read a book written 76 years ago, and it still stands true? It was scary reading this book and knowing how falling into the footsteps of wicked people can reverse a situation. It is crucial to take note of our conscience and be aware of circumstances around us. To have knowledge about the economy, in general, is a boon that we take lightly. Also, half-knowledge is dangerous as people can cook up stories and force you to think what they are saying is true by sugar-coating facts. It shows us how a corrupt leader can ruin the productivity of the people and make them think they are not working up to their 100% capacity. It also showed the difference between autocratic and democratic economies. In one, you get to select the person and voice your opinion, whereas, in another, the leader elects himself and makes you believe it was a unanimous decision. In this book, the farm was taken over by the animals and Pigs, who think they are the smartest, become the lea...

I was very excited to read this book because this was supposed to tell me the journey of a person trying to be himself and find his place in the world where being LGBTQI+ is a crime. Things might have improved for them in the modern world, but this wasn't the case previously. So, no matter how hard you try to understand, you will never know their suffering. You can only be empathetic. While reading the book, I felt like my friend was trying to tell me his story. I have read reviews where people said it felt repetitive. But I felt like I could listen to his story over and over because, after all, isn't that what we do when someone is trying to share their grief or joy. They tend to repeat a few things and emphasize some moments more than others. The sole reason for me to read this book was to know my friend better and understand how difficult things were/are for him. It might not be the same, but I got a glimpse of everything. This book was too personal, as the author has poured...

Poetry books are always beautiful because they speak more with fewer words. To grasp the underlying meaning, you need to reach the depth of the expressions. They make you feel things that you have forgotten about and make you forget those that you don't want to remember. Poetry is a wordplay where you like some and love some a little more than the others. Lullabies take you to places from where you do not want to come back. I really loved a few pieces of poetry. They spoke to me in a language which I'm unable to express. Some were too distant for me to reach. It might be because of the way I approached them or never had that kind of experience to get those. It is a combination of poetry and excerpts. I have always loved Lang Leav's posts. Hence, the book came with a familiar aura of wishful emotions. If you are a connoisseur of poetry, you should definitely try it. It might not be best, but it will provide you with something useful. Rating - 3.5/5 Genre - Poetry

It was an interesting read as it puts across the concept of good and evil in a person. It is like good and bad both are part of the same coin. So every person has both sides of a coin. For some, goodness is on the heavier side, whereas for some, evil takes over everything else. How you balance it or maintain it depends on you and your willpower. This book is a perfect example of this. It shows how for the smaller gains, we become greedy and let our evil side rule to get some attention or please our ego. But in the longer run, all these things become petty and make us terrible human beings. Even if we want to become better, it becomes hard to let go of our habits. It also shows how our ego plays with us and how we become a slave to it. The relationship between Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is like two inseparable friends who don't like each other but can't stay without each other. On a bigger scale, you need to keep your emotions in check and never give a free hand to greed. Because onc...

Some books make you feel so many emotions in a short period of time. They are like those friends who you always admire despite their shortcomings, who you love unconditionally. There is nothing wrong with them, and even if there is, you would easily forgive them because they are the epitome of happiness for you. Though this book talks about pain and suffering, even that feels like a melody to my ears. I witness so many beautiful moments in between where I see how we humans crave for few bondings. When a daughter leaves a house, she takes along so many memories with her of the house and the family. To separate herself from that part of life is the toughest part, and on top of it, if your family refuses to accept your new relationship, she is heartbroken. It happened with Rukmini. Her family has cast her out. Here, you will get to see the bond of a girl with each family member; be it her father, mother, brother or uncle. Each bond is precious in its own way, and any issue with any of the...

It is the final book in the series with some action-packed sequence that will make you hold your seat tight. It was fun reading this one. I really enjoyed the first one, A Flight of Broken Wings, but it topped that as well.  It takes further the connection between ariels and humans. You will see how things have changed over a while, for better or worse. The main characters are Ruban (Human) and Shwaan (Ariel). They don't like each other. But as the story moves forward, you can see two strangers becoming best of friends. The best part I liked in the book is anybody alive has a conscience. So no matter what, there will be a part of them that will always root for what is right. Here, you will see a different side of Ruban, where in the first book, he was strict and a no-nonsense man. In this one, he is more empathetic and understanding but looks irritated most of the time. Shwaan is the coolest guy in the town. He has various conspiracy theories that always work in his favour. If you ...

The book starts with a story of two couples who are trying to cope with the modern lifestyle. They want to pursue their dreams but end up doing something else in order to sustain themselves. Later, it shows the journey of a person who has nothing, but with the help of his hard work and luck, becomes rich and famous. Then how his lineage turns out is covered in the book. As the story progressed, I felt the title of the protagonist also changed from one person to another. It was so seamless that I stopped bothering about the previous one, but I could feel their presence throughout. The book revolves around waste management and how it can affect our environment if we won't start taking a step toward reducing waste. It gives you a feel of a dystopian novel where everything is going wrong. You get a glimpse of the amount of waste we are creating at an individual level. And how industries and the developed countries try to take advantage of it by dumping everything to small and developin...

I’m unable to make up my mind about this book. The way it begins gives you an uncanny feeling. When you are halfway through it, you understand it better. But what happens afterwards grips you. It doesn’t let you move from your place. In the beginning, I was trying to make out what was going on, but in the end, I was shocked. It was not like it wasn’t obvious, yet it gave an eerie feeling thinking about all that happened with The Protagonist, Giovanni and Hella. Giovanni’s character was straightforward, yet there was so much depth in it. On the other hand, The Protagonist was sharp but a little insensitive. I was rolling my eyes at his replies all the time. The choices he made were not peculiar but weren’t good as well. But, I guess there are some choices in our life that are difficult. So talking about them is like addressing them, and we might not be in a position to do that at that specific moment. Thus, it makes sense. But nothing good came out for Giovanni in it. He lost everything...

Sometimes you dislike your present team because you have a prejudice against them because of their backgrounds. They don’t need to be who we think they are. They can be the opposite version of it, and once you get the hang of working with people, you might start liking them despite everything. Also, with the right company, your drawback starts feeling like your strength. So, sometimes you have to be cold-hearted to survive in the world even when your conscience says otherwise. The story starts from where they left last, and this time it was interesting knowing their background well and their potential to do things. Where Six of Crows was revolved around a heist, Crooked Kingdom is all about an auction. When we think about such themes, we are like, what more can happen. But wait! There is a lot that is cooking, and more food is yet to come. You might not like all the dishes, but some are going to blow your mind. Wylan and Inej are my favourites in this book. They are the ones who I was ...

I'm finding it hard to talk about this book because there are so many emotions weaving inside that it is becoming tough to keep a hold on one. The story tells you different scenarios, each one weird from another. Weird because people don't do such things. Though some do things on a whim, this felt a little extra, with a perfect amount of crispiness in it. The protagonist is at such a phase in life where everything looks in vain, but there is hope, too. If you are letting go of one thing, another is ready for you to grab it, yet it depends on how you take that situation or behave under such circumstances. It shows the relationship we share with our parents. How we are close to one parent more and despise the other for some of their weird habits. It doesn't mean we don't love them, but we do not accept/agree with their habits. For some, this becomes a reason to stay distant, and by the time we realise the reason behind said behaviour or habits, aeons have passed. It also ...

There are moments when you just want to ask questions and sit beside your friend. You want someone to answer them for you even if you know the answers yourselves. When the answers come from someone you are close to, they look much easier to deal with than before. They make more sense whenever you fail to convince yourself. Such is the magic of good friends and companionship. This book is all about it. You will read all about love, kindness, tenderness, and courage. The book revolves around The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse, as the title suggests. First, the boy meets the mole, and later they meet Fox. As the journey goes on, they ask each other questions which are simple but thought-provoking. You would want to sit and think about answers that you would have given or hoped for after you are done reading. It will make you wonder how sometimes the simplest of things have the most impact. My favourite quote from the book is when the boy asks, “What is the bravest thing you’ve e...

  I don’t know what to make of this book as it left me with so many things to think about regarding the scenarios/situations I read. Also, if it falls into the romance genre, I can only find revenge and desperation to prove the other person wrong. The book is tricky as it has a story within a story. But after some time, it becomes easy to identify one from another, and it doesn’t feel like a chore. I found it hard to understand what is going on at the beginning.  Also, the gothic parts were very few and were not scary at all. They added little to the story; I feel. I felt something would come out of it, but found nothing. There are two main characters, Heathcliff and Catherine, and both were just okay. I didn’t like Heathcliff at all. His traits were brutal and harsh. Despite that, I was always looking forward to what he is up to next. On the other hand, Catherine is too sweet and gullible (not the Catherine you are thinking about, though). The book has a theme of love, frie...

Not everyone dwells in small talks. It comes naturally to some but quite a task for others. This book is a kind of small-talk where you talk about mundane stuff, then jump on to serious matter, then come back to gossip about your neighbour next door. You will feel a sense of belongingness and might detach somewhere to maintain a distance from all things negative. But how long can you hide behind your yellow umbrella? You have to come out and take things as they are. There are six essays in the book that talks about different issues or incidents from your day-to-day life and then compare them with how things have changed after lockdown. The author has explained very well here how perspectives take shape after the occurrence of few incidents. Each story differs from one another and is beautiful in its own way. It took me time to get accustomed to the style. I started reading this book at the beginning of April but left it in between. Then by the end, I felt I’m comfortable enough and i...

                                            It is a book that will take you to places and circumstances that once upon a time were your humble abode. Now things have changed and, we have moved forward in life where things or people that matter live far away. The poems were deep. One has to focus on what he is trying to say, else you'll lose the plot. I enjoyed some and, some were out of my reach. I feel I should go back to those again in the latter part of life to understand them better. Not merely reading it, but feeling them as well will only make me closer to the truth. Even though I didn't get few poems, I wish to read them again. It happens very rarely when I feel like re-reading a book. So, if it is happening, that means it has left an impact on me. Like every other poetry book, go slow with this. My favourites from this book are – Can’t, This Room, In Touch, Day and Nig...

  It is a contemporary poetry book that includes themes of feminism, abuse, mental health, bullying and accepting your flaws. It also features fairytales that are rewritten, representing the face of a powerful woman, empowering them through her words. The Author talks about issues in a simple yet impactful manner. The topics discussed in the book feel close to heart; some, you might have felt during your life, whereas some, you have heard often. It evokes empathy towards women who have gone through a tough time. This book focuses on self-love, and it is one of my favourite things to do these days. It was a delightful experience reading this book. I felt as if someone is pushing me to feel positive and better. Good vibes were all around after a while. Don’t you feel better when one of your friends sits by your side and says things that you already know yet cannot implement? But when they are spoken out loud, some actions need to be taken to change things. It portrays the exact sen...