Book Review: Lajja

Lajja by Taslima Nasreen is a story of a Hindu family- Sudhamoy, Kironmoyee and their children- Suranjan and Maya. They live in Bangladesh which is ridden with religious and political conflict.But their lives take a turn for the worse when Hindus in India demolish Babri Masjid at Ayodhya. With already burgeoning Muslim fundamentalism, this incident added fuel to the fire. The event which happened in India had repercussions in Bangladesh.

Hi people!! This is my third read of the year. It has been on my TBR for so long and I am so happy that I read it. The story is gut wrenching and it left me emotionally drained. Find out the detailed review on my blog. The link is in the bio. #bookblogger #bookstagramindia #bookstagram #books #bookphotography #bookporn #booknerdigans #booklover #bookaholic #lajja #tbr #readersofinstagram #reading #instabooks #picoftheday #penguin #bookstagramindia #lake #nature #trees #naturelovers

A photo posted by Ravneet Kaur ll 21 ll India (@the.crazy.booknerd) on Jan 25, 2017 at 3:06am PST

The story depicts their life over a series of thirteen days- how each family member feels and reacts to different situations. The narrative is very powerful.  The language is simple yet impactful. Several themes pertaining to religion, secularism, patriotism are explored throughout the narrative which makes you think what is right and what is wrong. It left me emotionally drained. 

 The characters are wonderfully written. Sudhanmoy is patriotic and idealistic. His idealism gets very irritating when he fails to see the reality. Suranjan comes across as careless and detached. But his thinking undergoes a lot of significant change. 

Throughout the story, there are a lot of facts which recount the horrific incidents of lootings and killings in Bangladesh. That threw me off a little. Other than that, the book is worth reading. 

I highly recommend this book. 

My Rating

Book Review: The curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

Hola! This is my first read of 2017. So many of my friends recommend me this book that I had to read it. The review is up on my blog. Link in bio. QOTD: Have you read this book? How did you find it? #bookstagramindia #bookstagram #books #bookporn #bookphotography #currentlyreading #tbr #mark #booknerdigans #readersofinstagram #reading #mystery #dog #instabooks #picoftheday #booksofinstagram #igreads #bookstagramfeatures #blogger #bookblogger #book1 #readingchallenge

A photo posted by Ravneet Kaur ll 21 ll India (@the.crazy.booknerd) on Jan 20, 2017 at 11:47pm PST

This book  came  highly recommended by so many people that I snagged it as soon as I spotted in the World Book Fair. Upon reading it, I did not understand what the hype was all about.

The book is written from the point of view of a boy named Christopher who suffers from Asperger Disorder. He loves prime numbers and Sherlock Holmes. He makes sense of the world in the form of patterns and diagrams, so he enjoys making lists.  His mother is dead, and he lives with his father. One day, the neighbor's dog gets killed, and he takes it upon himself to solve the mystery. But during uncovering this mystery, he unearths a lot of other secrets. 

The pace of the novel is just right- neither quick nor very slow. The author does not indulge in giving unnecessary details. He has done a good job getting into the mind of a person with Autism and interpreting the world around him. There are various illustrations which add an extra element to the book. 

I didn't like the plot of the novel very much. While the first half looks promising, the author didn't do very well in building suspense. And in the second half, the author drifted off to some other direction. The mystery is solved and then the real struggle is reaching London all by himself. Why London, you will get to know when you read.

In a nutshell, it's an interesting one time read but I would not recommend it.

Leaving you with my favorite quote:

“On the fifth day, which was a Sunday, it rained very hard. I like it when it rains hard. It sounds like white noise everywhere, which is like silence but not empty.

My Rating:

Book Review: Colorful Notions

Do you ever dream of visiting different places? Do you think of not just visiting the places as a tourist but immerse yourself in the local culture and traditions? Do you think of going on a road trip with your friends?  If yes, then this is the right book for you.

Colorful notions by Mohit Goyal is a story of two guys and a girl on a road trip across the length and breadth of India. They visit a myriad of places. This is not a travelogue but a travel fiction. It is not limited to the description of places where  they went  but the plot is spiced up with love, jealousy, and betrayal. They start from Jim Corbett National Park and go through Rajasthan, Punjab, Ladakh to end their roadtrip in Delhi. From convincing parents to getting cold feet just before the trip to proposing to robbing, the story keeps getting more interesting.

The characters in the novel are very relatable. Abhay is your typical 20 something who wants to quit his job and travel. Shashank is trapped in his family business but wants to do something he is passionate about. Unnati is Shashank’s girlfriend and an RJ. The friendship between Abhay and Shashank is real. It warms your heart to see the things they do for each other. I found the relationship between Shashank and Unnati a bit clichéd. My favourite parts to read were their trip to Bhangarh Fort in Rajasthan and their conversation with the Lama.

The novel is written in a lucid manner. The story progresses seamlessly and in no time, you find yourself engaged with the characters. However, the description of places leaves the reader wanting for more.

In a nutshell, pick up this book if you want to read something light.

Leaving you with my favourite quote:

That’s what life is all about. You may hate it one moment, but later on, that very moment may become your most cherished memory.

My rating:

Book Review: Hello Bastar

It's thousands of years old
their anger
thousands of years old
is their bitterness
I am only returning their scattered words
with rhyme and rhythm
and you fear that
I am spreading fire.
- Gorakh Pandey

Hello, Bastar by Rahul Pandita is the story of Maoist movement in India. The book starts with a very gripping story. In fact, throughout the book, the author seamlessly weaves one story into another. The book sheds  light on the origin of the movement. It further explains that how the struggle continued in different parts of the country with special focus on Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. The book is  well researched and backed with chilling statistics.

The book gives us insights into the hardship that people face. It tells us how the simple agitation against landlords in West Bengal turn into a nationwide movement. The author also throws light on how this issue has been politicized and made into what it is not. The role of media in furthering this agenda has also been discussed. 

The party's ideology, structure and funding is explained in a  simple manner. I especially love the part where the author's experience of staying in camp is described. It reminded me of Arundhati Roy's Walking with Comrades. The section on Anuradha Ghandy's life is very informative. The book culminates with the issues faced by slum dwellers and how they can be unionized to further the Maoist agenda.

The book covers the subject adequately. The narrative style makes it an interesting read. The only thing  I don't like is that I feel the narrative is one-dimensional. 

In a nutshell, this book is perfect for a beginner who wants to understand the issue.

Book Review: Courting Injustice

                                         
                                                 


                                                    

Courting Injustice by Rajesh Talwar is a book which entails the horrific gang rape case of Nirbhaya which took place in Delhi on the fateful night of 16 December. The book is divided into 10 chapters with each chapter dealing with a 

certain topic. 

Anger. Shame. Disgust. Helplessness. This is what I was feeling as I was reading the book.

It starts with the description of what happened on that night. The author also delves into the life of the victim and her family. From then on, he talks about the New-Anti Rape Laws which came into force as a result of this unfortunate event. This section of the book is comprehensive as it clearly delineated the difference between the old and the new laws. He not only talks about the crimes against women but also against men, children, and transgender. 

The section on Verma Committee recommendations is  thorough and well-articulated. From highlighting the good points to highlighting where it failed to offer the solutions, the author has done a very good job. He explains the lacunae in the system and how new laws filled those gaps.

The author not only goes rambling about the problem but also provides solutions. He first explains the problems which plague our judicial system backed with shocking statistics. Then he offers the possible solutions. The author also touches some crucial topics like marital rape, capital punishment and the inclusion of stalking and voyeurism as  crimes.

The author has referenced many other cases which show that the book is backed with a good amount of research. The details are not too elaborate, just enough to summarize what happened without leaving any important details.  The analytical approach towards the subject has helped the author to cover all the aspects in a balanced manner. The book has definitely helped me understand the subject a little better.

The only parts I didn't like reading were the description of laws in legal language. Though the explanation was simplified by the author, I found them distracting. Other than that the book has done its job quite well.

My rating: