Solitude and Books

What would you do if a simple business trip suddenly turned into a race for your life? And worse, what if every clue led you closer to spies, hackers, assassins and a country where secrets seem to have secrets of their own? The Pyongyang Option by Jonathan Brooks Thriller pulls us into a world where trusting the wrong person can be a very expensive mistake. Jonathan Brooks is a New Orleans attorney trying to rebuild his law firm after Hurricane Katrina. With work not coming easily, he accepts a business deal in Ukraine. Sounds manageable, right? Well, not for long. His client's executive disappears, Jonathan is attacked, and soon he is chasing clues through Kyiv and even near the abandoned areas around Chernobyl.  I really enjoyed how quickly his ordinary legal work turned into something much bigger and far more dangerous. At the same time, Jonathan's ex wife Linda is in North Korea, reporting on important nuclear talks. She starts asking que...

Sapna Bhattacharya’s When A Met B is a good story set in 1990s Bombay. It is set against corporate world which revolves around two professional women whose lives meet while working at a software company. “A” is a hardworking technical writer. She quietly handles the financial needs of her family.  “B” is ambitious, confident, and very competitive. However, but she has insecurity and fear around technology.  Both women are very different, very contrasting personalities. But what makes it feel realistic is they are like us , having their own sets of fears, doubts, and struggles in life and career.  Its not like one of them is better than the other. Both characters have their own strengths, weaknesses and insecurities but their workplace rivalry feels real and shows how difficult it can be to balance ambition, honesty, and personal values. People in IT jobs can relate to it much more deeply.  As its all happening in the backdrop of 1990s Bombay , the setti...

Have you ever had a friendship that felt so safe and special that you could not imagine your life without it?  That is the kind of warmth I found in Hearts and Hiccups by Divya Ramaswamy. Set in college, this sweet romance brings together friendship, love, dreams, grief and the confusing little moments of growing up. Nia is brilliant, awkward and dependable, Amanda is the cheerful chaos everyone needs, and Jay is calm, sincere and quietly caring. There is no tiring big drama added just to keep things moving. Instead, we get small moments, playful conversations, misunderstandings and thoughtful acts of care. Nia, Amanda and Jay are not perfect, and honestly, I liked that. They make mistakes, get confused and sometimes hurt each other. But don't we all? The story begins with fun college days, silly jokes and easy friendship before slowly touching deeper emotions like grief, loss and healing. I enjoyed how the book does not rush these feelings. Nia...

 ✨️"Maybe that's the gift, if it is one. Not answers. Just permission to trust something before you understand why." — This captures the main message of the story I feel, reminding us that we don't always need to have everything figured out to move forward and trust our path. _______________________ Finishing this short story of 90 pages, felt like sitting by a quiet river after a long walk just like Aruni's gradpa and him. It is a moving tale about a boy named Aruni who leaves his home to search for answers, only to discover that life isn't about solving every mystery. The story focuses on the essence of ordinary things: tending a fire, carrying questions without needing immediate answers, and learning to sit comfortably with the unknown. The characters from Meher and her heavy gift to Pallav and brave young Kiv, bring meaning. ✨️"The saving isn't the point, boy. It never was. The going is." — Spoken by Palla...

This is a real story. Not a story, but a biography of the author, Moa Ijaz. It is his life through his nani's love, childhood sexual abuse in the most unexpected place, teenage perceived guilt and shame, and adulthood mental health breakdown. From infancy till his middle age, he shares how family, friends, relatives, and society downgrade us, and how that leads to us losing our identity, lowering our confidence, and later becoming like a "ghost." But why all this? Just because of some conventional, meaningless rules of families and society that refuse to look deep into the issues that need upgradation. I really felt for him. The evil preacher, who was really far from being God's voice, installed the virus, as the author says. But I would say he corrupted the thought process of a very pure human mind, leading him to feel shame, along with the shame he received from teachers, peers, and even his small uncle. I wish parents would be more open to sit and speak...

I read mostly serious books but at times some light reads bring in fresh air! This one is one of those books that makes you smile from the very first story. It takes a simple saas bahu relationship and gives it a fresh modern twist.  Like say, Roopa is a traditional Marwari mother in law while Divi is an independent Maharashtrian news editor. Dono ki personalities bilkul alag hain, but that is exactly what makes every situation so entertaining. Their intentions are always good, yet things somehow become total chaos. Addition of Dadi's presence brings more fun.  The book is a collection of ten short stories and each one talks about everyday family life. From wedding rituals and household work to gifting, UPI, public image and work life, every topic feels familiar. Bahut baar laga, arre yeh toh almost sare gharo ki hi baat hai. The humour comes naturally because the situations are so relatable. I liked the fact that neither ends are painted as...

After a long time I had fresh read! It made me contemplate at times about lives and how intricate emotions are. The First Sip honestly has the capability to touch hearts deeply even if the story feels simple but its quite meaningful.  The story revolves around Arjun and Anjali two very ordinary individuals navigating life in an Indian city. They have contrasting personalities. Arjun is a quiet boy who suppresses his feelings and learns to cry with his mouth closed because his family is already carrying so much tension. On the other hand Anjali is confident and knows exactly what she wants from life. They feel like we know such people in our friends groups too. Now, their paths cross and a beautiful connection develops between them. It is a moving narrative about love family pressures and personal growth. The story captures the typical desi or Indian conventional family dynamics where relatives constantly interfere and make decisions for you. Families are no...