Reviews & Musings

Source: Goodreads About the Book A roller-coaster fantasy horror story with Jinns, demons and nagins Mehran is a handsome young Rajput aristocrat – without a grand title, estate or any wealth. He lives with his widowed mother in a decaying mansion in Pakistan, Remembering his beautiful cousin boyer and his childhood in the glittering estate of his Nawab uncle in India. But hidden behind the grandeur of the old palace is a dreadful curse that strikes every heir to the nawabs line. Tragedy hits when, on a red moon night, a demon arrives and koyel falls victim to the terrifying curse. Little does Mehran know that the curse will soon visit him and he will find himself in a world of demons, monsters and nagins. About the Author Imran Kureshi lives in Pakistan. He is a former employee of the Pakistan State Oil Company Limited and has been a freelance editor of books and PhD theses for over sixteen years. His collection of short stories set in rural Punjab, titled Billa ...

"I am not sure that I exist, actually. I am all the writers that I have read, all the people that I have met, all the women that I have loved; all the cities I have visited. " - Jorge Luis Borges Source Every time I start reading a new book I embark on a new journey. Page after page as the magic of words begins too unveil I am transported to a different world. Slowly the characters of the story began to take shape before my eyes. I actually witness them coming alive. Their pain becomes my pain, their smiles begin to appear on my lips and somewhere along with them I fall in love too maybe with them, maybe with all that they love, maybe with the story or maybe simply with the author. 

  Title: Wild Boar in the Cane Field Author’s Name: Anniqua Rana Publisher: Amazon, 2019 ‘My mothers found me a week after I was born.’ And so, begins the poignant story of Tara’s birth, her survival and her death. Anniqua Rana’s  Wild Boar in the Cane Field  is a testimony to the old adage — survival of the fittest .  Her observations of life of women in rural Pakistan combined with her knack of storytelling, ensures a reader is left enthralled. Anniqua Rana lives in California with her husband and two sons. Apart from teaching English to immigrants and international students in community college, she also writes essays on gender and education. Rana’s novel,  Wild Boar in the Cane Field , journeys rural Pakistan where amidst the cane fields and smell of spices, we are introduced to Tara and her mothers. The prose is evocative and lyrical with descriptions that come alive in every passage. “I hurriedly finished the verse, not sure that I had the s...

Since I started this blog 7.5 years ago, it has undergone so many changes. And yet there is not a single day when I am not feeling proud of having been at it. Throughout all the changes my life has been through in these years, books are one of the many things that kept me sane and this blog continues to be a testimony of my love for it.  So it was extremely overwhelming to see my blog featured in the top 25 literary blogs of India . From being among the top 50 for 6 consecutive years (out of 7.5!) this one is a huge leap for me. Especially since last year when I have consciously started making changes in my review style and trying to lean more towards literary criticism. 

Source: Goodreads.com Blurb 1998. Twenty-two-year-old Mina is moving to the US from Bangalore to begin a new life with her husband. Then there’s a horrific murder and her life is turned upside down. Mina’s best friend Neelu helps her out of the abyss. Mina gradually leaves her past behind and settles into a new life in the US. Years later, she is forced to return to India and is confronted by the demons from her past. In her fragile mental state, she is unable to support Neelu in her time of need. Their friendship hits rock bottom. Mina goes back to the US and faces further hurdles, this time on the work front. She tries to make amends with Neelu, but their friendship ends with Neelu accusing Mina of something unimaginable related to the murder. Something, that deep down, Mina knows is true... Will Mina redeem herself? Will the people she loves forgive her for what she did? Alternating between flashbacks and the present day, What Mina Did explores how one...