Crisp Reviews of Books On My Nightstand

Thought provoking seven Short stories from best-selling author of "The Reader" exhibit the most humane aspects of our inner inhibitions, our desires and the willingness to go distance to satisfy our deep down insecurities.  Psychologically, the cold winter months cause people to have Seasonal affective disorder with less positive mood but the Spring/Summer months bring the exposure to bright light which in turn increases the Brain hormone Serotonin which elevates our mood. The aptly named book contemplates the human tendencies transforming from dark, grey emotional downside into bright revelation which is not necessarily happy. But the revelation is definitely more clear and open to all kinds of possibilities. All the stories start with an emotional turmoil that journeys through the difficult decisions and are all left open ended for readers imagination for the possible closure of the story.   This 240 pages book is a collection of 7 short stories are unrelated ...

An overwhelming story that touched me to the core 

A plot inspired by a true story for a woman who provided us a peek into the life of indigenous people of Papua New Guinea and the human emotions at their best even while facing so many adversities in life. Three anthropologists who embarked on separate missions somehow ended up together on a journey that they would not have planned to go this way. The female protagonist who believed in the true spirit of humans, her husband who was chasing only glory and a stranger who was searching for meaning of life itself, all brought in circumstances that would challenge their basic human instincts to survive emotionally and physically. A journey that started in the search of knowledge ends in a bitter place where none is winner. Because as said in The Bhagavad Gita,  "For the senses wander, and when one lets the mind follow them, it carries wisdom away like a windblown ship on the waters." And that's how those three end up at their destinies as we finish ...

India has a wide cultural diversity with its population of 1.24 billion across its 21 states and 7 union territories, with its 21 major spoken languages, eight major religions, hundreds of regional festivals and thousands of flavours of local cuisine and arts. With this much load of diversity in one nation, it is very likely that one being an Indian is not aware of everything around the nation. But it is really hard to believe that how much little we know about the north eastern states of our own country. Beyond knowing their capitals (because teachers made you remember it), I doubt if any one of us knows about their culture, their beliefs, their traditions, or their political struggle.  Recently a north-eastern friend recommended me a book called ‘The Gurkha’s Daughter’ by Prajwal Parajuly which according to her was an eye-opening picture of the experiences faced by the people whose culture and language is Nepalese but who are dispersed to Bhutan, India and beyond. T...