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Book Review : Culling Mynahs and Crows

Title : Culling Mynahs and Crows
Author : RK Biswas
Publisher :Lifi Publications
ISBN : 978-93-82536-19-2

The author’s note just in the beginning of the book mentions that Culling Mynahs and Crows is set at a time when the city of Kolkata was known as Calcutta, which is why I have used the earlier name for the city.

Read the complete review at Spark - the online literary magazine.

Interview : Sarita Varma

Sarita Varma is not new to literary field. She has contributed short stories for the Chicken Soup series and has written many articles for magazines and websites. She is actively associated with the Multiple Sclerosis Society of India. Writing transports her to a different, magical world of make believe. 

When did you start writing and how has been your journey as an author so far?

I have been writing forever! As  a schoolgirl, I and my friend, author Anjana Appachana, would write stories to entertain each other when we had exhausted what the libraries had to offer. In the past two decades, I have written for NGO publications like PLAN INDIA & MSSI, online websites and contributed stories for a couple of Chicken Soup books.  As you can see the journey has been varied and  unplanned and I have taken life pretty much as it has come. My active association with the Pune chapter of MSSI ( Multiple sclerosis society of India),  and looking after my family has kept me busy. When I was approached by Indirom, now Indireads to write a romantic novella meant  for e publication I jumped at the offer and that's how 'Girl From Fatehpur' was born!

What was the inspiration behind your novella - Girl from Fatehpur? Why novella and why not a full length novel?

As an army child, I have lived in small towns  and my own family is from Allahabad. The transition as an adult to the metros of Kolkata and Mumbai inspired the novella. I think it is interesting the way girls from small towns change and adapt to a faster paced life yet retain the values of their upbringing. That's not to say that some don't go overboard!  My heroine is a little old fashioned !

The length of the novella was decided by the publisher because it was in e format. I myself would be happy with a longer format.

Are you satisfied with the final version of 'Girl from Fatehpur'? Do you think you could have improved it more?

As my first serious writing of substantial length, the book is very special to me although I don't think any writer is ever satisfied with the final product!  There is always room for improvement! However, you also have to heed the advice of your editors and publishers and manage deadlines. I know I could have  developed the situations/conflict better in a slightly longer format and hopefully in my next effort I will.

What is next after this? What is your dream piece of writing?

I have always been fascinated by the historical genre and my next piece of writing deals with our pre independence days.

Which genre of books do you enjoy reading the most? Who are  your favourite authors - Indian and foreign?

I enjoy historical romances  with a light hearted touch, especially the books by Georgette Heyer and also the  detective writings of Ellis Peters and Ruth Rendell. Ruskin Bond, Anjana Appachana and Anuja Chauhan are the  Indian writers I admire most. I think the sheer familiarity of the local atmosphere in writings by Indian authors makes all the difference to readers and, may I add, the quality of writing too is as good as any in the English speaking world. 

How difficult/easy it is for an amateur writer to get published these days? What all roadblocks one is required to surmount in order to see the final published product?

While it has always been difficult for writers to find sympathetic publishers, the opportunities now offered on a vast, international level by electronic media have been truly mind boggling! The e format idea is slowly catching on and Indireads is a path-breaker in popularising  South Asian literature.  Any good publisher will meticulously edit your writing and even suggest changes. It helps to have an open mind to suggestions and  constructive criticism...after all, you do want your book to reach a wide audience and editors can provide the much needed objective view of your writing. It is a good idea to submit drafts and meet necessary deadlines. Later on, it is best to cooperate with the publisher to promote your book.

What do you have to say about Indian literary scene? What all changes are taking place in this field?

The Indian literary scene is dynamic and interestingly poised.  There is a huge potential market of English readers in India  and slowly the writing is reaching out to varied groups of readers in the sub-continent and outside. Literary festivals, book readings, the easy availability of books not just in book stores but also through online stores  all help generate interest and hopefully sales.

What are the areas where Indian writings lag behind their foreign counterparts?

Indian writers don't lag behind in quality of writing but perhaps they do so in marketing them. The  common view  is that the subject matter/ cultural atmosphere/story line of Indian writing  may be too India-centric or exotic to be internationally appealing...although my own personal view is that a good book always has universal appeal. I believe this will change as the world gets more connected through electronic media and travel.

What suggestions would you offer to the budding authors?

Simple advice for budding authors is  they should be true to themselves and should  know their  subject matter well to create the right atmosphere. Stick to simple story lines till they have gained experience. There are many book clubs/associations where it is possible to promote  books and networking helps but the best is  still to find a good committed publisher. While it is now easier  to self publish books through online websites, it is not easy to market the book. 

You don a lot of hats during a single day, which of the activities that you engage in is the most satisfying for you?

Of the many roles I play during the day , the most satisfying is that of mother! Not that I can do much of that now with both my children grown up and living ' saat samundar paar'. There is another hat I like to wear when I can ....and that is chilling out with my good friends. In their company I am once again a happy go lucky teenager:)

Book Review : Girl From Fatehpur

Title : Girl From Fatehpur

Author : Sarita Varma

Publisher : Indireads

When I was asked to review a romantic novella, I was not much interested in reading yet another book of this genre. Although 'Pride and Prejudice' still happens to be one of my all time favourites but then it is 'Pride and Prejudice', a different class where everything from characters, situations to feelings are dealt with utmost care and aestheticism. Unfortunately the new age romance novels are not considered complete without some dose of those 'scenes' in them. I have a big grouse that innocent and decent romantic stories are hard to find. But 'Girl From Fatehpur' was like a whiff of fresh air which contains all elements to bring a pleasant smile on a reader's face.

I always maintain that a story can aim to make an impression on readers if it offers something new either in terms of plot or in the execution of the same. If neither of these get satisfied then readers feel cheated. Sarita Varma's story excels in the execution category. It is a simple story of a small town girl Sanjana, who is now working in Mumbai. She happens to be the point of adoration of one of her seniors Krish who proposes her for marriage. But something in Krish does not make Sanjana feel the way she wants to. Before committing herself to a relationship with Krish, she wants to give herself some time to think it through. A family wedding comes as a perfect escape to distance herself from expectant eyes of Krish for sometime.

There she happens to meet Rajan - a childhood friend and a neighbour. As a young teenager she had nurtured some tender feelings for Rajan but Rajan was at the threshold of giving wings to his life in the promising land of US. Back in Fatehpur, during the marriage preparations there are ample situations in which they are thrown together and this gives them the chance to know each other better. But do they really know each other better now? Does Rajan muster the courage to overcome his fear of commitment which he had inadvertently developed seeing failed marriage of his parents? Would Krish be able to woo Sanjana in the wedding itself? The marriage commotion, various preparations, the kumbh mela, all add beautiful colours to the narrative.

Sanjana is portrayed as a pretty, loving and simple girl with her head rightly placed on her shoulders. Rajan is a doting friend to Sanjana and is clearly in an unfamiliar situation when he confronts his own feelings. A commitment wary person, Rajan finds himself at loss of words when he is pitted against Krish. 

The impeccable and lucid language and taut editing - deserve special mention. Language is perfectly balanced, neither unnecessarily flowery nor low on adorning the proceedings appropriately. The characters are neatly created and developed. A feel good story that would leave readers with happy and pleasant feelings. Perfect for short, fun light-read. 

Book Review : Simple Sewing

Title : Simple Sewing

Author : Katie Lewis

Publisher : Cedar Fort

ISBN : 978-1-4621-1288-3

'Simple Sewing' offers 30 fast and easy sewing projects for beginners. It actually delivers what it promises - the projects are interesting, instructions are simple to follow, pictures are attractive that inspire one to try all the projects listed in the book.

Kate Lewis has a wonderful knack of breaking the big assignment into smaller, simpler and doable tasks and if one just keeps following the instructions as they are explained in the book, it is highly unlikely  that one would go wrong. By the time one accomplishes making even 3-5 projects one would have gained enough confidence to experiment a few things on one's own.

The projects are categorized under six sections - Accessories (bows, tote bags, sunglasses case, headband), Home (placemats, fabric basket, microwave heat pack, pillow pincushion, travel pillow and pillowcase), Celebrations (Scrap Flag Garland, Tooth Fairy Pillow, Pom-pom garland, Stocking), Baby( Reversible Bib, Burp Cloths, Swaddling Blanket, Sleep Mask, Door Bumper), School Days (Lunch Snack, Lunch Napkin, Pencil pouch, Journal Cover, Pocket Hand Warmers) and Toys (Soft Play Camera, Chalk Mat and Eraser, Memory Game, Bean Bags, Baby Doll Pillow and Blanket). Author deserves special appreciation for so thoughtfully selecting the items which are of great utility in the house.

Every project begins with - list of required material to make the item, a useful tip for how to get that required material, followed by precise step by step instructions that need to be followed in order to accomplish the task. But before plunging into sewing process, Katie has used initial 10-12 pages in explaining the sewing supplies, various kinds of fabrics, different stitches and terms and techniques that are used throughout the book. It is highly recommended that readers should first go through these pages thoroughly in order to avoid going back and forth once into the projects.

This book is a great tool for beginners, for those who are taking sewing classes, for children who are interested in learning the art of sewing and even for experienced seamstresses for some more interesting ideas. A perfect gift item for baby showers, house warming or other special occasions. 

Interview : Parul Sharma

Parul Sharma is a well-known, witty author of three books - 'Bringing Up Vasu', 'By The Water Cooler' and her latest 'Tuki's Grand Salon Chase'. It is an honour to interview her on Literary Sojourn again after the successful release of her third book. (First interview can be read here.)

'Tuki's Grand Salon Chase' is your third book. How has been the journey as an author so far?

It's been great though obviously there are challenges that one encounters. My voice is evolving, and that fills me with self-doubt, wondering if I am following the right path (not that I have any control on it, to be honest). That is why it is extremely encouraging to hear reviews commenting on my growth as a writer. That is what I am in this for, to be as good a writer as I possibly can be. 

How do you decide on the plot of your books and what is the typical timeline that your books follow?

No one can really point out where the seed of a story first falls but I think in my case, it starts with people. People who are interesting and unusual and then their own story ceases to be and I give them the story I want to. Tuki's Grand Salon Chase took a few months to write and then a year and a bit for the edits, proof-reading, design and so on.  

Out of the three books that you have penned, which is the one that gave you the maximum satisfaction and why?

I honestly cannot answer that. Tuki involved the maximum effort though.  

Who was the inspiration behind the protagonist Tulika in Tuki's Grand Salon Chase?

A girl who cut my hair in an upmarket Bandra salon. A girl with so much naive ambition. All the girls who have ever cut my hair, really.

  

In your last interview on Literary Sojourn, you expressed your desire to write one funny travel book. Has there been any progress on that front?

None, unfortunately, except in my head where I am on the second draft already.  

What is next in pipeline after 'Tuki…'?

I have an idea sort of building up but I haven't yet started working on it.  

Where do you see yourself ten years from now?

Greyer, fitter, much better travelled, much better read, kids all grown up, waking up every morning and sitting at a desk to write, many more books with my name on the shelf.  

Who are your favourite authors - Indian and foreign? Which genre of books do you enjoy reading the most?

Gaura Pant Shivani and PG Wodehouse. That doesn't change.  

What are your suggestions to the budding authors?

That doesn't change either. Focus on becoming the best writer you possibly can be, publishing will follow.  

How do you see the literary scene changing in India over the last decade and which areas still need more work?

There are just so many more books. Not all of them are of great quality. Some of them show such disdain for language and even grammar. I am hoping the market will evolve and really good first-time authors will emerge with new stories to tell, whose voices will be strong and engaging and we will all want to listen to the tales these people want to tell. 

Book Review : The Choice

Title : The Choice

Author : Eliyahu M. Goldratt

Publisher : Productivity and Quality Publishing

ISBN : 9788185984308

I read 'The Goal' by Eliyahu Goldratt some seventeen odd years back and the thing which stayed with me all these years is how simply the author made the business problems solvable. He defines Theory of Constraints in 'The Goal' and explains various concepts, constraints and bottlenecks through a practical example of Alex Rogo who is finding the problems at his professional and personal life highly overwhelming. 

The well-respected author is looked up to as a philosopher and thinker par excellence. He is also credited as an educator, a scientist and a business leader. Eli goads his readers and listeners to think and approach the problem with fresh look and pull it from hopelessness to feasible progress.

In 'The Choice' Eli elaborates upon his fundamental thought process and beliefs through a stimulating conversation with his daughter - Erfat.

The objective is to extrapolate this approach to every aspect of life in order to make one live a fulfilling and meaningful life and the beginning of doing that is to take full responsibility of one's life. In doing so, one must not aim for the simplicity of life because full life may not be directly proportional to leading a simple life.

Through a case study he lets his daughter peel layer after layer of logically and analytically approaching any scenario and not taking anything as irreparable or un-improvable. Efrat keeps populating her list of revelations  as she progresses under her father's guidance. By the end of the whole exercise, she sees no reason to not agree with the conclusions - people are good; every conflict can be removed rather than compromised; every situation, no matter how complex it initially looks, once understood, becomes exceedingly simple(Inherent Simplicity); every situation can be substantially improved, ever person can reach a full life, and there is always a win-win situation.

While working on developing this simple way of living, one must never lose touch with one's inner humble arrogance. "Humility to have the conviction that you don't know; arrogance to have the conviction that you can develop the knowledge." This simply stated belief if one develops will take care of various fancy feelings and emotions that hinder the path of progress and growth, eventually making the path of living a full life a far fetched dream.

As he suggests to his daughter, the way to make 'thinking clearly' a part of one's being is to - practice it regularly. "To practice you don’t choose a subject and free up the time to do a full analysis. That is not the right approach. You should use any opportunity to try and decipher the cause and effect. Be it a casual conversation with a stranger, a comment from your husband, or something that you are reading. You said that you are constantly thinking, and you are right, but that implies that you should try to constantly think clearly."

This book is highly recommended for all seeking business as well as personal solutions or even for those who are not looking for any solutions. The book is an easy and engaging read and guides the readers through an objective way of problem solving. 

2013 : The Year That Was

Happy to recommend these titles to the readers of Literary Sojourn.

Mythology

Sita

Fantasy

Luka and the Fire of Life

Fiction

The Oleander Girl

Non-Fiction

It's Not About the Bike

Kidlit
The City of Ember

Historical fiction

The Twentieth Wife

Happy Reading :)

Book Review : Tuki's Grand Salon Chase

Title : Tuki's Grand Salon Chase

Author : Parul Sharma

Publisher : Westland

ISBN : 978-93-83260-59-1

Parul Sharma, impressed many and made many followers (including me) with her first two books - 'Bringing Up Vasu' and 'By the Water Cooler'. So I was waiting for her next piece of writing all this while. Finally her 'Tuki's Grand Salon Chase' reached  me and I did not lose any time starting to read it.

After having read the book, I can safely say that Parul has managed to continue her winning streak this time as well. As the name suggests this is a story of a young ambitious girl Tulika (Tuki) who dedicatedly works towards achieving the goal, carefully following her well thought out plan A. She successfully graduates from a murky looking Lovely Beauty Parlour to the elite Nancy's Factory graced by Bollywood beauties. But she is neither complacent nor contented with what she has achieved. She has a clear vision of owning a state-of-the-art salon in front of her.

The readers are thrown into the daily humdrum of a typical high-class salon right from page one and as the scene unfolds so are the characters of the story - the clients and the employees. Tuki, with - a sparkle in her eyes, her perseverant efforts and a heart of gold assumes the role of a perfect heroine of the story. With this, from first chapter itself, the stage is beautifully set for an adventure full story.

As Tuki precariously carves her road to reach her dream, her desire takes her to various diverse places including Mumbai, Goa and  London. Love and career seem to play hide and seek with her all through the narrative. One moment she sees everything all clear in front of her and the next moment, the whole thing disappears in thin air. Though all sorted out in her own mind regarding her future and career, she ends up getting entangled in a lot of cobwebs - sometimes of others and sometimes of her own making.  As she tries to make sense of her life where  she had not accounted for any plan B, she finds herself never erring on being there for others. 'She was her Baba's daughter, through and through. She would always find it easier to say yes than no.'

Many other supporting characters nicely complement and complete the story - her endearing always-experimenting Baba, besotted tattooist Faraaz, always-there Arvind, bizarre yet brilliant writer Bijoy Dutta, Nancy and her twins and of course Kaloo - a pig in a dog's hide.

When one picks up Parul's book to read, one expects a fast paced, fun-filled, light-read  book just as she had delivered in her previous books. But this time something lacked on all the above mentioned fronts. There is witticism, there is humour, there is fun, but not sufficient to keep the readers happily engaged and not tempted to skip some parts here and there. While reading her earlier two books, it was hard to find places in the story to keep the book down. However, this time the narrative suffered from some lows at various places.

She is one of those Indian authors who write good and interesting language, however, there is one thing which needs a mention here in this department too. In the first couple of chapters, it feels as if the author is rather in love with the word 'rather'. The word makes its appearance a little sparingly after that but then it surfaces again towards the end with much more enthusiasm. To make long story short, a tighter editing would have done the needful.  

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Book Review : Brahma Dreaming

Title : Brahma Dreaming

Author : John Jackson

Illustrator : Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini

Publisher : JJ Books

ISBN : 978-0-9569212-8-4

"Through the ages of this world the minds of Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva the Destroyer think and dream. And from their dreams come all the things that are, and all the things that happen, in the heavens and in the world and in the underworld. From these dreams come all these stories and all the stories that have ever been, and all the stories that are not yet told. "

Brahma Dreaming is an anthology of tales taken from Hindu Mythology categorized under three broad sections - 'Tales of Creation', 'Tales of Destruction' and 'Tales of Preservation'. It is believed that Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh(Shiva) form the holy trinity and hence are the forces to create, nurture and demolish. It is marvelous how the author has done the arduous task of picking up some tales from grand Indian mythological ocean. The stories that are under Destruction and Preservation sections are primarily stories of Shiva ad Vishnu respectively but those in Creation part are not all Brahma stories. The beginning is beautiful which sets the stage for more interesting and adventurous stories full of flying demons, battles, kings and warriors and much more.

Though every religion has its own set of mythological stories, there is an underlying common thread that connects all of them together. All such legends have high amount of melodramatic content and comprise of ingredients of immortal themes like - love, affection, respect, hatred, deceit, revenge, sorrow and greed. As one reads the story, it becomes clear that even Gods experience similar sensitivities, vulnerabilities and challenges like any human does. This subtle reassurance makes the tales relatable and a great medium to learn life lessons.

All the stories are exciting and thrilling God stories, perfect - to be read to small children, for young readers as well as for grown ups. However, the stories are exciting as they are, there is not much of a value addition by the author in narrating the same. They are just re-told and that too in a very simplistic style, not attempting to go beyond what has already been told in so many ways by multitude of story tellers already.

'Brahma Dreaming' is a large book with gorgeous page-length illustrations. Daniela Terrazzini's black and white illustrations with a hint of red here and there, work as perfect accompaniment to the allegorical text. Having said that, illustrations are quite misleading in the sense that they do not bring in the essence of the culture to which these stories belong. The pictures do not have signatory Indian soul in them which is sorely missed while one proceeds through the book.
The paper and production quality of the book is supreme. It is pleasure to read such an exquisitely created book.