A better way to read this book is to curl up under the warmth of a thick blanket on a rainy day with a hot cup of soup/cocoa surrounded by dim fairy lights swaying all over the walls. Feels like a dream, truly. Lakeside cottage (Lake Crescent in Olympic Peninsula) exhumes pleasantness and pure romance. It's what many of us badly crave in the merciless unfair reality. At times, we think that wishful thoughts complicate our lives. Why unreasonably muck up your state of mind with stupid emotional expectations when you can accept the presence and just go on.         Well, that's not what we need all the time. It is okay to picture silly prospects regardless of their likelihood of happening. It's the hope that keeps us going. It is always there at the corner of our hearts and most of the time we are just frightened to acknowledge its existence. The story of Kate and JD & their family tells us that it's okay to let go of our fears and indulge in some fascinating fa...

Marichjhapi, Lusibari, Emilybari, Garjontola, Bon Bibi, BhotBhoti, Shankar Machh, Tangra, Ilish, Parshey, Puti, Bhekti, Rui, Chitol, Muorola, Bagh, Johor, Aghunmukha and many many more beautiful Bangla terms to know and learn from this tragic tale of the tide country. Poetry, Nature and a fictitious storyline in unison create a magical world of profound characters for the readers here. The raw and intense portrayal of the way of life for the locals in the communities is beyond comparison. When it rains, you feel the gentle touch of mizzle; When it gets foggy, you feel the mist enveloping you and clouding your vision; when there comes a storm, you feel the intensity and graveness of the situation; When there's food, you smell the authentic aromas wafting through the pages. That's how overwhelming the style of writing of the author is, given the perspicacious records and data that have constructed this beautiful piece of work. The best part is where those refreshing lines of p...

Short stories usually have the potency to magically transport the readers to any situation or location for a period of time. The core ideas around which these stories are woven seep through various layers of the stories and exude beautiful thoughts and cultural aspects of the setting.     Guy de Maupassant has a flawless finesse with his words and story-telling that creates a Victorian virtual ambience for the readers. Every story in this book contains a powerful message, cocooned by subdued dialogues, scripts, and contexts. I also happened to read "The Tale of Two Cities" accidentally which turned out to be a one-of-a-kind page-turner that beautifully illustrated forgiveness, loyalty, and sacrifice.           Those days of revolution and rebellion took an artistic form of representation through literature. Exceptional ideas that were instrumental in sculpting the modern society that we live in, were propagated through such f...

I have often thought about this. When you read books by foreign authors, the cultural, emotional and metaphysical elements of their place of inhabitance are sometimes strongly felt through it. When Literature and Visual Art meet each other, it's altogether an ethereal experience. Author Bussi proves to be brilliant and a genius storyteller who interlaces History, Arts, Language and Literature into his beguiling novel. The narration of this story focuses on various characters who lived during different times in different places. "What's so great about that?", you might ask. Well, the author had constructed the chain of events in such a way that the readers don't get to discover the elements of surprise till the time the last chapter is read. It's one hell of a way to keep the suspense mounting from page to page.        Black Water Lillies is a stimulating book filled with tons of fascinating facts about the world-famous Artist Monet's life and his paint...

"Family"- This word, This concept or This system has always been an overrated concept for me personally. End of the day, I believe that an individual's comfort and support lie within himself/herself and nobody can necessarily fill that void or can forever offer an unconditional company that would last longer. But this book has gradually disintegrated that thought of mine and has given a huge deal of thought to process. The way Mr Hosseini weaved this beautiful web of relationships among his characters in "And the Mountains Echoed" is absolutely beautiful and powerful. It's an amalgamation of strength and subtlety, I should say.           Human relationships are complex and also one of the interesting aspects of this societal set-up. The nature of association we all have with each other, with the environment around us and with our inner selves is beguiling and makes us who we are. This wonderful piece of work is packed with delightful experiences and emo...

I am filled with a lot of dismalness that no words can describe. What started off as a slightly satirical narrative gradually turned into an emotional life story of a young man called Stuart Shorter. What do we know about those who live on the streets, observing the pedestrians, gawking longingly at the Store Window Displays, looking vacantly at the vehicles speeding past them every day? What could we possibly assume to be the reason behind their abandonment and unusual lifestyle? This might seem peculiar to the middle-class nine-to-fives or to the elites but certainly not to the homeless. Each of them has a story to tell; a powerful one indeed. This book is one such creation.      Truly can't appreciate the Author Alexander Masters enough for his pertinacious work in compiling the biography of a derelict soul whose actions and temperaments were nothing but the manifestations of a turbulent past. Every individual that is committed to a wrong-doing ...

Civics- This used to be a separate chunk of 50 pages in the history books when I was in school. By looking at the design of the books and syllabi, would feel that much importance is given to history and it is complemented by civics in the end. Another impression we could get would be that history, civilization and civics go hand in hand. It helps us understand the path we have taken and the significant episodes that have transformed our society during this journey. This book has compiled this journey in a simplified manner. The writer has tried to cover all the major aspects of the Constitution, Government, and Judiciary and has been substantially successful in producing a quality result. In many areas, the Indian Constitution is referenced through the mention of Articles and Sections. There are also criticisms in the form of appreciation and assessments in various chapters. My favourite part is where the statement of CN Annadurai "Autonomy to states and Coalition in Cente...

"For the first time, I felt a drama calming my nerves down; Zero anxiety; No stress; Nill cliffhangers. It's like sailing on a boat in lovely weather listening to the sounds of rumbling waves. The author Cathy Kelly had exquisitely created the characters and relationships among them. It's also not like a fairy tale all is well sort of a Novel. It is very believable and unfeigned. The writer's inventiveness truly lies in places where she had tried to bring in a little suspense and drama but still managed to create a pleasant bearing for this book. Of course, it has been a wonderful experience getting teleported to the imaginary city Kinvarra and enjoying the glimpses of Ireland. Watching the happenings in and around the lives of 3 amazingly contradistinctive women for the past few months made me truly enjoy reading this book and imagining beautiful things.

    After going through some astounding reviews about this book and the author, I picked the book "Chronicles of the Death Foretold". This is a brilliant tale of a plot that's set by two men involved in the complicity to kill a man called Santiago Naser for he had desecrated the dignity of their sister Angela Vicario. The arrival of the Bishop, being the big event of the entire plot becomes the beginning of any new happening that's a part of this tragedy. The lifestyle, culture, festivities and daily routines of the Spaniards are lucidly elaborated in different passages. Being the skirt-chaser that he is, Santiago after the night of debauchery would not have expected the fatal turn of events that were about to happen the next day. With sharpened Scimitars, his perpetrators were waiting to commit the heinous act amidst the delirious crowd. The beguiling and pitiable part is that everyone in the town knew about the plan devised to kill Santiago except him. In defi...

There's a reason why I used the word "Prophet" in the title of this blog post. I bought this book with the thought that it was an autobiographical compilation of Abraham Lincoln. However, it turned out to be an extensive collection of facts and assumptions to prove that Lincoln believed in God and the Church. Though there had been a time when he had prejudices and scepticism in his beliefs in the existence of a supreme power, once he attained leadership, his trust and faith in God strengthened. In his speeches on various occasions, he quoted and alluded to scriptures and verses from The Holy Bible. This also gives us a glimpse of the events that took place during the Civil War. The Missouri Compromise, Kansas-Nebraska Act, the Battle in Fort Sumpter, Fighting the Confederate army led by Robert Lee, recedence of various states to consecrate the practice of slavery, are some notable information. Lincoln's greatest strengths are his oratorical skills and his unwilli...