Book Vue

I just got an intimation that the third book in the Shiva Trilogy 'The Oath of the Vayuputras' by Amish Tripathi is releasing early March 2013 and is up for pre-order at a discounted rate on Flipkart. Go grab it people!

Rating: 4/5 Title:  A Face in the Dark And Other Hauntings Author: Ruskin Bond Genre: Fiction, Supernatural Pages: 216 Publisher: Penguin Books ISBN-13:  9780143067863 I had read ‘A Face in the Dark’ in school and I instantly fell in love with Ruskin Bond. The simplicity of the narration is what attracts me. His stories emphasize on creating an eerie setting for the reader rather than making it gory and horror-packed. There are several other good short stories in the book, the first one being ‘A Face in the Dark’. Since this was the story that introduced me to the reverent writer, it is special. Mr. Bond’s tales follow a pattern consisting of old fashioned haunted houses, witches, graveyards and wandering ghosts waiting to avenge their misdoers. His way of thrilling readers in the means of stark oak tree branches in the moonlight or howling dogs and hooting owls rightly manages to do its job. And, personally, it excites me every time I read ...

Rating: 3/5 Title:  Monsoon Wedding Fever Author: Shoma Narayanan Genre: Fiction, Romance Pages: 226 Publisher: Mills & Boon ISBN-13:  9788184744347 It was in my college days that I last read a Mills and Boon and after this I recollected how romantic these books can be. Though, when I ordered this one I never knew that it was a Mills and Boon and that too, by an Indian author. The story begins with Riya discovering her long lost lover Dhruv, lying on her living room floor. Their breakup had been messy and to come face to face after all those years makes the whole rendezvous a little awkward. But the spark between them remains, all the same. They have to attend a wedding together by obligation and through the course; they come closer and move apart now and then. Although they can’t seem to keep their hands off each other, they have themselves in a confused state where Riya totally believes in love and Dhruv doesn't prefer t...

Rating: 4/5 Title:  Mahashwetha Author: Sudha Murthy Genre: Fiction Pages: 160 Publisher: Penguin India ISBN-13:  9780143103295 After reading ‘Dollar Bahu’, I browsed for other books by Sudha Murthy and bought ‘Mahashweta’. While ‘Dollar Bahu’ is a light read, this one on the other hand, is more introspective. Anupama is happily married to her doctor husband Anand when she finds out that she suffers from leukoderma. Her husband works abroad and in the meanwhile she is forced to leave Anand’s home and return to her own in the village. When her husband doesn’t reply to her several mails, she is left hopeless, lonely and marred for life. The crisis and evasion she faces from people and how she overcomes them all is the gist of the story. The book was originally written in Kannada but as the case with all Mrs. Murthy’s books, it was later published in English and all major Indian languages. The plight of the Indian woman is just as described in...

Rating: 4/5 Title: The Secret of the Nagas Author: Amish Tripathi Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Pages: 414 Publisher: Westland ISBN-13:  9789381626344 I ordered this book on Flipkart and couldn't wait to get my hands on it! As soon as it arrived, I had it covered (the snake on the cover scares me!!) and dug into it – pronto! The story starts off where the previous book, The Immortals of Meluha, had concluded.  Shiva succeeds in saving Sati from the hideous Naga who killed his dear friend Brahaspathi back in Meluha. The story moves forward with the introduction of several new characters. Amongst the primary ones is Sati’s sister Kali – The Queen of the Nagas. Sati gives birth to Karthik but soon discovers that her elder son, Ganesh, is still alive and that he is none other than the Naga who has been following her from Meluha. Shiva reaches Branga, where he hopes to find some clue about the Nagas. There he realizes that due to a plague in...