Book Review: I played a game with life By S Richardson

Introduction

· ISBN – 978-93-83023-02-8
· Genre: Fiction
· Publishers: Parlance Publishers
· Price: Rs. 180/- (I got this book from the author for a review)

Few years back when I had started reviewing I never had imagined the wonderful books I would be getting to review in future. Every time I see an author request for review or hold a new book in my hand I beam. For I see the effort that goes behind that book, the number of hours spent typing away, imagining, creating this story, drafting, re-drafting and then of course the long process of getting it published. The hard work shows in those crispy pages that I turn and begin my journey with the author.

Behind The book

Source: Google Images

Will one young man’s hurts, disappointments and pressures lift him up to greatness or will he submit to mediocrity?

About the author

After spending a few years reading international and regional novels, he has ventured into the next stage of his life namely that of an author. Having received his Bachelors in Computer Scienece, Richard is presently working as a technical writer in a software company.

You can reach him at FBpage | Facebook

P.S: The author has sent a personalized message with this book which actually makes the reader feel very special. Thanks so much for this one!

Me thinks

Love and relationships as a genre is something I really enjoy reading as well as writing in my blogs. When the author approached me for this book I did not even give it a second thought as I knew I wanted to read this. Who wouldn’t after such a pretty cover page? I love reading books with pretty cover pages.

I began reading the book half expecting the same college drama, couple falling in love, differences, break ups and then ofcourse finally happys-the-endings. But then the author proved me wrong. For though the premise looks very run-of-the-mill types make no mistake. It is anything but a common story being retold by someone else. Rather it is an uncommon story never before told, waiting to be heard by each one of us.

I loved the lead characters and the way author has described them he has made them come alive before your eyes. You can feel their pain, their hurt, love and anger. You cry with them, laugh with them, are afraid when they fight and will rejoice when they are smiling in life. You witness family values, ethics, morals, love, friendship, enmity and a lot more in those pages beautifully expressed by the author. Moreover the most appreciable part is where he has described the female protagonist’s dilemma so nicely making you wonder if it written by a female author.

Beautifully written and I must say for a debut novel this has been well written. Though there are a few places where the story seems a bit stretched in between otherwise the narrative is gripping enough to make you want to complete the whole story in one go.

Foodie Verdict

Source: Google Images

Blueberry Slush – Delicious, tangy, sweet – leaves a nice taste in your mouth long after you have finished it.

Movie Review: If by Tathagata Ghosh – A Tender Portrait of Love, Loss, and Possibility

If , a 26-minute short film by acclaimed Bengali filmmaker Tathagata Ghosh, is a sensitive, evocative piece of storytelling that lingers long after the credits roll. Set against the everyday rhythm of life in Kolkata, the film delicately unpacks the story of a lesbian couple torn apart by the weight of societal expectations and dares to imagine a different future, one where a mother's love might just change everything. What struck me first was the film’s raw, grounded realism. The characters feel like people we know, middle-class families navigating a complex world with quiet resilience. The world of If is filled with silences, glances, and stills, rather than heavy dialogue. Ghosh masterfully uses these moments to speak volumes, allowing viewers to sit with discomfort, interpret the unspoken, and feel deeply.

Book Review: The Story of Eve: Selected Poems by Zehra Nigah

Few voices in Urdu poetry have carried the weight of history, resistance, and deep personal introspection quite like Zehra Nigah. One of the first women to break into the traditionally male-dominated world of Urdu poetry, Nigah’s work stands as a testament to the power of words to illuminate, question, and challenge. The Story of Eve: Selected Poems, translated by Rakshanda Jalil, brings together some of her most powerful nazms and ghazals, showcasing both her literary elegance and her unflinching gaze at the human condition, particularly through the lens of gender, social injustice, and political turmoil.

The Urban Gaze : Reimagining the Village in Contemporary Indian Cinema

Indian cinema has long been fascinated with the village. From the earthy, socialist realism of Do Bigha Zamin (1953) to the melodramatic lament of Mother India (1957), the village once stood as both heartland and hinterland — a space of moral clarity, rustic struggle, and often unyielding fate. But as the urban middle class began to dominate cinematic production and consumption, the depiction of the village increasingly came to reflect an urban gaze, that is, a perspective shaped by distance, nostalgia, condescension, or even outright fantasy. In recent years, this urban gaze has taken on new shades, evident in the way mainstream and indie filmmakers alike have re-engaged with rural India. While some have tried to explore the village as a site of resistance, authenticity, or even horror, others continue to reproduce sanitized or exaggerated versions of village life that serve urban sensibilities more than rural realities.

Reviews & Musings

Search This Blog