Shadow of Life

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 ...

  Not every book speaks to you the way you want it to. Some might indulge you for a while, and later you get bored. Some start slow in the beginning but talk to the point afterwards. Some will make you feel jealous, whereas some might want you to put yourself first. This book points out the faults, the outcomes and then what should be the course of action. There are situations/ circumstances in our life where we tend to become blind whenever a problem happens. At times, it is our fighting mechanism, but most often, it is opposite to what we want ourselves to believe. In the name of love, we let go of some important things and principles which become a curse in the latter part of our life. I’m sure nobody would like to witness oneself at such a crossroads. It is the story of Tara, whose husband, Tej, never leaves a chance to demean her and always makes her feel small. He takes credit for everything she does to make her feel inconsequential. Whenever Tara points out the issues, he ac...

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...