Book Reviews by Simran

  The Calling: Unleash your True Self Priya Kumar Blurb: The Calling is a spiritual adventure. It is an encounter with the truth, the wisdom, and the force that is innate to us all. At the brink of a divorce and personal breakdown, Arjun took a trip into the heart of the Himalayas, on the insistence of a sadhu, who predicted that the journey up to Hemkund Sahib would align him to his purpose and change his life forever. At every turn, the mountains hold secrets and tests that urge Arjun to evolve into the person he had denied to be – himself. Pretenses, falsities, confusions, and untruths fall apart as Arjun is forced to confront the mess he had created in his life. What started off as an opportunity to escape reality, turned out to be an opportunity to escape from the dwindling spiral of self-created misery. Filled with spiritual insights and sprinkled with light humor, this story will help you find your calling, your voice, and who knows, even your true self. About the Au...

  A house full of men Parinda Joshi Blurb: Twenty-five-year-old Kittu has left Lucknow only on two occasions in her life. The first trip involved the last rites of her grandmother. The second involved a wedding, thankfully, but she returned home to her mother's funeral. She has never forgiven her mother for leaving her alone in a house full of men. Is there anyone at home she can share her deepest thoughts with? Anyone who can lend an ear to her endless relationship issues, manic obsessions, and simple aspirations? Who's got the time? Kittu might live in a full house, but sometimes, she feels like she's all alone in the world. A House Full of Men is a novel about false starts and failed attempts, love, and the importance of being understood. About the Author Parinda Joshi was born and raised in Ahmedabad and later immigrated to Los Angeles with her new husband where she navigated the challenges of starting life from scratch in an unfamiliar milieu, enriching herse...

  “Not without your love” by Arvind Parashar Blurb   KABIR  – a young and dynamic travel journalist, he lands in Afghanistan for a special project. But his actual destination is Noosh, the love of his life. NOOSH  – smart and spirited, she has known Kabir since her college days. In her hometown, buried under political unrest, she is waiting for Kabir, the man of her dreams. When Kabir’s idol, Professor Sizov, offers him this special project, it comes with baggage – he has to be a spy. Little does he know that he is a part of a larger conspiracy that will ultimately lead to a war and crush his existence. After multiple setbacks and betrayals, he takes it upon himself to fight for love. Spread over years,  NOT WITHOUT YOUR LOVE  is a story of unresolved hatred and lasting friendships, of suspicions and unwavering faith, and of the power of true love that beats all odds. About the Author Born and brought up in Dehradun, Arvind Parashar's heart belon...

  “Death served cold” by Sourabh Mukherjee Blurb A woman relishes the last cries of her husband on the phone as he is brutally murdered by her lover. A teenager poisons her family for the love of her tutor. A woman driven by greed ruthlessly bludgeons eight members of her family. Beautician gangs up with her lover to rob a house, killing innocent women from three generations of a family. A practicing lawyer strangles her lawyer husband with the cord of a mobile charger. A friendly and jovial teacher commits at least six murders over fourteen years in a sleepy town down south. DEATH SERVED COLD  is a painstakingly researched collection of true, blood-curdling accounts of gruesome murders committed by India’s most dangerous women over the last three decades. These stories explore the dark recesses of the female psyche and challenge popular stereotypes by revealing shocking excesses of sadism and aggression rarely associated with women. About the Author Sourabh Mukherje...

  “God is a person” God is a person is a book that connects the law of physics and even the concept of spirituality to form a dialogue about the thinking of two renowned personalities. The Author asks them about their belief in God, about science, philosophy, etc. All in all, it is a really good book and is full of knowledge. One who seeks the answers to questions related to God and the connection with science should definitely try giving it a read, you might find answers in this little book.

  “Somewhere beyond hope” by Deepali Adhikary Somewhere beyond hope is a tale of grief, loss, and a promise of tomorrow, as described in the title of the book. The Author did justice with the title, the cover, and the whole plot as well. This review would be free of spoilers, so let’s start talking about the book, shall we? The first part of the story talks about a little girl named Jenny, she loves dancing, singing, watching movies, and everything a little girl would love at her age. She believes firmly in a ‘happily ever after’ and lives with her mother. One day, her mother tells her that there is a new person coming into their lives who’ll become an important part of each of their life and that is the day when her life changes and takes a turn. The other part of the story talks about Jatin, who is the same age as Jenny and is dealing with a different scenario in his life, both of them relate to each other and after thinking a lot about it, become friends. One fine ...

  MAPPING LOVE ABOUT THE AUTHOR ASHWINY IYER TIWARI is an artist, filmmaker, and writer. A gold medallist in Commercial Arts from Sophia Polytechnic, Mumbai, she spent over a decade in the advertising world, telling stories for the biggest brands in India and Southeast Asia. She has won several advertising ‘craft’ awards across the world for her layered ideas and in-depth understanding of human psychology at the grass-root level. She directed the critically acclaimed, award-winning short film, ‘What’s for Breakfast?’, ‘Brothers’ and ‘Ghar ki Murgi’ (Taken for Granted). Her first highly acclaimed Hindi feature film, ‘Nil Battey Sannata’ also known as, ‘The New Classmate’ helped her spread the message of ‘education for all’ and won Indian and International gender sensitivity awards. She remade it in Tamil as, ‘Amma Kanakku’ (Mother’s Calculation). Her next movie, ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi,’ a slice of life romantic comedy continued her passion for storytelling won many popular and criti...