Reviews & Musings

Introduction ISIN: 9788193237212 Genre: Fiction / Crime Thriller Publishers: Juggernaut Books Price:  Rs. 399/- ( I got this book from the  publisher for a review ) On a muggy monsoon afternoon Sohini Sen gets a call from the chief minister's office. A young woman from a well-connected family in the city has been found brutally murdered. Sen is brought back from a bureaucratic wasteland to the thick of the action. An intelligent and intuitive investigator who struggles with addiction and depression, Sen is ill-prepared for an investigation that is a political minefield with TV anchors and tabloids baying for blood. As various interested parties, armed with power and money, try to manipulate the murder enquiry. Sen is forced to question the very possibility of justice. A moody atmospheric novel that is as much about the Indian city and the dark depth of the human mind as it is about crime and investigation, City of Death marks the debut of a brilliant new voice. Beh

Introduction ASIN: B01BYD1J24 Genre: Fiction / Fantasy Fiction Publishers: Penguin Random House Price:  Rs. 250/- ( I got this book from the  publisher for a review ) How would you feel if you got what you really wanted? What would you do if you were given the power to change the world? Everyone on BA flight 142 from London to Delhi got off it with a unique superpower. A power they didn`t even know they wanted. Everyone, that is, who`s still alive. Because someone is hunting down the passengers. And now Aman Sen`s ragtag collective of rogue super humans is in grave danger. They must decide what to do with their powers and their lives – and quickly. This explosive new blockbuster moves at hyper speed across two continents as colliding forces move towards an action-packed finale that will leave the world – and you – changed forever. Behind the book Source: Goodreads.com

Introduction ISIN: 9789352013388 Genre: Anthology / Poetry Publishers: Leadstart Price:  Rs. 150/- ( I got this book from the  author for a review ) "Don't use the phone. People are never ready to answer it. Use poetry." _ Jack Kerouac 'Thousand Unspoken Thoughts' brings together the collection of poetry of an amateur poet who uses words to see through the world. Prerna, though being an Advocate by profession believes that writing is where her heart lies. The collection is a passage through her mind, where innumerable dreams and aspirations, are brought down to ink. Her writing is not confined to any age group; hence, no censor certificate is required. Keeping that thought aside, she believes in the power of ink, and her poems stand as witness. " Behind the book Source: Goodreads.com

Introduction ISIN: 978-0670086115 Genre: Non Fiction / War Stories Publishers: Penguin Random House Price:  Rs. 699/- ( I got this book from the  publisher for a review ) Between 1939 and 1945 India underwent extraordinary and irreversible change. Hundreds of thousands of Indians suddenly found themselves in uniform, fighting in the Middle East, North and East Africa, Europe and—something simply never imagined—against a Japanese army poised to invade eastern India. With the threat of the Axis powers looming, the entire country was pulled into the vortex of wartime mobilization. By the war’s end, the Indian Army had become the largest volunteer force in the conflict, consisting of 2.5 million men, while many millions more had offered their industrial, agricultural, and military labor. It was clear that India would never be same—the only question was: would the war effort push the country toward or away from independence? In India’s War, historian Srinath Raghavan paints a c

Introduction ISIN:  978-81-8495-871-3 Genre: Non fiction / Biography / International Affairs Publishers: Jaico Publishing House Price:  Rs. 350/- ( I got this book from the  publisher for a review ) A compelling page-turner that traces one woman’s political career in the world’s most dynamic democracy. On 12 April 2015, casting herself as the champion of the common American, Hillary Clinton formally announced her intention to run for President in 2016. With her core principles unchanged, Hillary seems all set to secure the one role she has long desired. What drives this most intriguing and polarizing of political figures? Will she be able to shake off the past and finally emerge a winner? What are her chances of winning the title? And most importantly, what kind of President would she make? The questions are endless. Drawing on original interviews with close associates of both Bill and Hillary, as well as a wealth of recently declassified materials from the Clinton ar

Introduction ISIN:  9780143426424 Genre:  Fiction / Indian writing Publishers:  Penguin Books India Price:  Rs. 299/- ( I got this book from the  publisher for a review ) High-school best friends Ameena and Jamilla couldn’t be more different: while one smokes cigarettes in their school playground, the other is a member of her mosque’s discussion group in suburban Yorkshire. When heartbreak and doubt leave Ameena bereft and alone, she turns to Jamilla’s beloved Allah for solace and purpose. It is then that both girls find themselves entranced by a powerful Internet preacher—Hejjiye, a woman running an orphanage-home in support of the men fighting in the name of jihad. Leaving their families and country behind, they run to join the Islamic State in Syria to serve a cause they unquestioningly believe in. However, things begin to change for the worse once Ameena marries Hassan, a jihadi leader, and suddenly Jamilla begins to see the world that she left everything for diff

Having been a part of this publishing industry for a while, both as an author and an editor I have had many good and not so good experiences. Though I have rarely highlighted most of them here, some did make their space here as they needed to be heard. Sharing one more such experience with you.

Introduction ISIN:  978-8193136065 Genre:  Fiction / Indian Writing Publishers:  Read Out Loud Publishing LLP Price:  Rs. 249/- ( I got this book from the  b00k r3vi3w  for a review ) In an age when families are becoming more nuclear, Karthik's family was an aberration: It was a large joint family with its own complications, contradictions and commonalities. Two love stories and a wedding get intertwined within the family at the same time. One of them could make or break the joint family, will the family survive? Will the love story succeed? Will the younger generation respond to the needs of the family? How will the older generation respond to the changing perceptions of the younger generation? Will the family eco-system survive? In an India swamped by globalization, this racy and humorous story tries to dissect the generational changes in Indian society and how the Indian society is responding to the changes. Amazon.in  | Goodreads  | Amazon.com Behind the book

Introduction ISIN:  978-8193255315 Genre: Fiction Publishers:  LOCKSLEY HALL PUBLISHING LLP Price:  Rs. 250/- ( I got this book from the  author  for a review ) What if you had 7 minutes to relive your life? What would you like to see? 23 year old Joshua White wakes up in a hospital bed, unaware of how he got there in the first place. All of a sudden, he sees events from his life being played out right from the time he first attended school with his best friend, George to the birth of his younger brother, Ethan, who looked up to him. He goes through the trauma of losing a dear one and the ecstasy of personal success. He is reminded of a trip to India that changes his life, and the presence of Ayesha- a girl he is romantically linked with. But does he get to pursue his ambition? Is Ayesha really the girl he yearns for? Does his friendship with George stand the test of time? Through these visions Joshua realizes what he meant to others and how they in turn changed his life. But

Introduction ASIN:  B01BXR4838 Genre: Fantasy / Horror/ Science Fiction Publishers:  Australian Ebook Publisher Price:  Rs. 201- ( I got this book from the  author  for a review ) A nun commits suicide in front of thousands in Spain. In Australia, Siobhan Russo recognises that nun as her mother, Denise Russo, who disappeared six years ago. In search of answers, Siobhan travels to the isolated convent where her mother once lived. Here she discovers Denise’s final confession, a book that details a heinous betrayal that left her crippled and mute, and Denise’s subsequent deal with the Devil to take revenge. In the desperate bargain Denise made with the Prince of Darkness, she wagered Siobhan’s soul. As Siobhan discovers the fate of her soul, she learns that hidden within the pages of her mother’s confession is part of The Devil’s Prayer, an ancient text with the power to unleash apocalyptic horrors. And now her mother’s enemies know Siobhan has it. Can Siobhan escape an

Introduction ISIN:  978-1940014715 Genre: Children / Young Adult / Fantasy Fiction Publishers:  Wise Ink Creative Publishing Price:  Rs. 349 /- ( I got this book from the  b00k r3vi3w  for a review ) 16-year-old Aurora Darlington is an orphan. Mistreated by her adopted family and bullied at school, she dreams of running away and being free. But when she is kidnapped and dragged through a portal into a magical world, suddenly her old life doesn’t seem so bad. Avalonia is a dangerous land ruled by powerful mages and a cruel, selfish queen who will do anything to control all seven kingdoms—including killing anyone who stands in her way. Thrust headlong into this new, magical world, Aurora’s arrival sets plans in motion that threaten to destroy all she holds dear. With the help of a young fae, a magical pegasus, and a handsome mage, Aurora journeys across Avalonia to learn the truth about her past and unleash the power within herself. Kingdoms collide as a complicated web