There is nothing more satisfying than reading a book while sipping a hot cup of tea.
Sanskrit is one of the most ancient languages of the world. I am in awe of the power of its words as manifested in the innumerable mantrs, strotas, and raags. It is a matter of regret for me that in school I never tried to learn the language properly and now can only rely on … Continue reading Classics Club #A1: Dasa Kumara Charitam by Dandin
Every passing moment makes us suffer, though differently with different people. The very act of passing through life entails some bruises which nobody else can see. Though I had heard of Indian Punjabi author Ajeet Cour I hadn't read her work till LO brought her book from the library, thinking that the title: Dead End, … Continue reading Literature of India: Dead End and Other Stories by Ajeet Cour
Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore is one of the foremost poets and philosophers of India. However, he was an excellent author of prose too. This collection of his contains ten stories, and virtually all of them showcase his genius. The collection begins with his most famous and anthologized story, Cabuliwallah, where an Afghan seller of dryfruits … Continue reading Literature of India: Stories from Tagore (1918)
I read Joan Fleming for the first time last year because the cover of her book, The Chill and the Kill, had me intrigued when I first read about the book at John Norris' iconic Pretty Sinister Books. The cover with its serpentine female figure reminded me of the Indian legend of the shape-shifting Nagins, … Continue reading Two books by Joan Fleming: Miss Bones (1959) & The Chill and the Kill (1964)
aapbeeti: Kale Pani ki Karawas Kahani by Bhai ParmanandMy rating: 3 of 5 stars The writer was a Professor of Modern European History at National College, Lahore and thus was a teacher of Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev. This was his memoir of his days in captivity at the Andamans. The book was proscribed by the … Continue reading Review: aapbeeti: Kale Pani ki Karawas Kahani
Gandhi Benaqaab by Hansraj RahbarMy rating: 4 of 5 stars This is a brave book since many authors would shy away from exposing the 'Mahatma'. However in doing so Rahbar exposes his own prejudices. Nevertheless, it is a well-researched critique of Gandhi and his politics. First Line: Desh ki shashya shyamla bhumi par Shiv ka … Continue reading Review: Gandhi Benaqaab
Richard Mason (1919-1997) was a British author who served in the RAF during the second world-war and fought on the Indo-Burmese front, later becoming an Intelligence officer. Best known for his 1957 novel, The World of Suzie Wong, Mason also wrote a handful of other novels, two of which, The Wind Cannot Read (1946) and The … Continue reading Forgotten Book: The Fever Tree by Richard Mason
To the author, Ben Coes, to be an American is to belong to the Master Race. Period. Superhuman strength; Always right; No doubts, no dilemmas; Always on Top. The only people who can come (somewhat) close to the Americans are the Israelites. The rest are wimps, nincompoops, bunglers, cowards, traitors, avaricious, and brutes. Actually this … Continue reading American Superhero: Coup D’etat by Ben Coes
Bandi Jeewan by Sachindra Nath SanyalMy rating: 4 of 5 stars The book which according to a British secret report sent "more young men to the jails and gallows than any other book" is a first-hand account of the revolutionary movement in India during the second and third decades of the twentieth century. Sachindranath Sanyal, … Continue reading A Revolutionary’s Life: Bandi Jeewan
A History of the Indian Nationalist Movement by Verney LovettMy rating: 2 of 5 stars A biased, often condescending look, at the freedom struggle of India. *First Line: An accurate knowledge of the conditions of the past is necessary for a right understanding of the problems of the present.Pub. Details: 1920. ND: Vishal Publishers, 1972.Pages: … Continue reading Review: A History of the Indian Nationalist Movement
a hot cup of pleasure 