Learning to Make Tea for One-Andaleeb Wajid

Book: Learning to Make Tea for One: Reflections on Love, Loss, and Healing
Author: Andaleeb Wajid
Publisher: Speaking Tiger

I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

How do you deal with grief?

In the summer of 2021, India was throttled by the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospitals were running out of oxygen and the daily news recorded the soaring death count. Families were torn apart as beloved ones were quarantined or confined in intensive care units and lost to the deadly virus—leaving survivors without even a chance to say goodbye. In that cruel summer, Andaleeb Wajid lost her mother-in-law, and then just five days later, her husband, even as she was hospitalised with COVID herself. Wajid’s grief struggled to find words as she returned to a home that was shorn of the love that had once inhabited it and was now empty, but for her two children. Wajid finally turned to her writing to make sense of it all. She found herself wanting to tell the story of her life and her loss. She chronicled her family life, of growing up as a cherished daughter of a father whom she lost too early. She wrote about her marriage, the happy companionship that marked it, and the many ways in which her husband and she looked at life so very differently. She described the incredible joys and the unbearable pain of motherhood too. Learning to Make Tea for One is Andaleeb Wajid’s journey through her grief. She tells her story with truth and courage, looking at death squarely in the face as she learns to make tea for one. It is a story that will deeply touch anyone who has faced loss and pain.

Andaleeb’s memoir tells us the story of how she lost two of her family members during the Covid wave of 2019, and how she dealt with the loss. While that is the central idea of the book, Andaleeb explores something even more visceral in the book. It is not just about loss and changes in her life, but she explores how she felt during that time, shuffling between hospitals, dealing with all that was happening around her. Andaleeb tells us the story of how she dealt with grief when she lost her father too early, or the pain of motherhood. While reading the memoir, you almost feel that she is telling you the story sitting next to you, and some of the moments are so visual that you feel the same emotions that she must have been feeling. She also chronicles the story of how she started writing and her journey of becoming an author through her experiences as well as of those around her. As her reader, you also come across some instances which inspired some of her stories which she has published.

I really liked how Andaleeb maintains her storytelling prowess while narrating some of the lowest moments of her life, and some of the high points as well. Outlining the importance of the support of family and friends, you realise that as a social animal, you need the people around you to be your pillars of support. Her narration of small things that remind her of her father, her mother-in-law, and husband was quite vivid, and the moment where she is preparing tea after coming home was something that will stay with me for quite some time, and this is also the place from where the title comes from. The book moves in time as she tells the story, and just like a memory, it flits between time and instances where one memory leads to another and just like that a chain of moments are revealed.

This is a memoir that should be read not just because it presents a perspective on how to deal with grief, but also chronicles the story of a person who moves ahead with life, despite the setbacks. The book scores a 4.88/5 for me.

Get a copy of the book on Amazon India or a bookstore near you.

Haadsaa-Vish Dhamija

Book: Haadsaa
Author: Vish Dhamija
Publisher: Bloomsbury India

I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Have you ever played snakes and ladders?

Beautiful young Anushka Khan is a privileged South Delhi wife. Her perfect world turns upside down when she awakens in the hospital, beaten and bruised, her body overrun with prescription drugs and alcohol. Her husband, the nawab Akbar Khan, is missing, suspected of murdering their friend Rajiv Pant at their palatial home in the swanky Sainik Farms. As Anushka makes a slow recovery, trying to piece together her memories of the haadsaa that fatal night, she must contend with ACP Kamala Jha, a diligent young police officer. Jha is focused on uncovering the truth hidden in a web of misleading theories and dirty secrets. Was Anushka having an affair with Rajiv? Was Akbar involved in shady hawala dealings? Was there another man present that evening? What really happened that hot July night in Sainik Farms? Bestselling author Vish Dhamija's latest thriller, Haadsaa, is a maze of deception, leaving you questioning whom to trust.

Vish’s writing is wildly misdirectional and every page attempts to throw you off course. The book is a simple whodunnit and each chapter takes you that much closer to finding the killer. Easy right? Unfortunately, with Vish, this time the book is placed on a hypothetical snakes-and-ladder board, where the moment you are close to 100, you get bit and you start at the very beginning. The writing in the book is easy to read, but the complexity of the story is par excellence. The plot is very well planned, and along with ACP Kamala Jha, even you start racking your brains to find Akbar Khan and I must say I came very close to the truth, but alas the curse of the 98 bit me again. The storytelling is powerful and the plot twists are quite interesting to read. The visual aspect of Vish’s writing comes out very nicely and a good example of this is the clock in Anushka’s room. While inanimate and stationary, the mere mention of it becomes a part of the storytelling. Every time you get to hear the events of the fateful night, you try and figure out the reason why and then you come to the climax, and suddenly it is not just the characters, you realise that you’ve been misdirected as well, and it is not just the people in the book, but by our very own storyteller in his signature style using the very elements he has included to help you keep on track in the story. The climax is something that some people might not agree with, however I feel that given the core idea of the book, it was a perfect way to close the story.

Coming to the characters, ACP Kamala Jha is a tenacious investigator and I loved the way she has been integrated into the story. Even in the face of the strongest challenge, she strives ahead in the face of truth. With the stories that are being told to her, she takes her time and separates the chaff from the wheat. The other characters-Anushka, Aanya, Siddharth, Monica, Piyush and Dr. Aryan-each of them are a part of the story, whether knowingly or unknowingly and after a point, you are not sure whom to trust because of the secrets that are coming tumbling out. I loved how each character gets their time in the story and then gets a graceful stage exit until the spotlight remains on the key characters.

Haadsaa is a book that stupefies you, thrills you, confuses you, but at the same time puts up a question-do we really know the people around us. The book scores a 4.94/5 for me.

Grab a copy of the book on Amazon India or a bookstore near you.

Daughter of Two Rivers-Arun Krishnan

Book: Daughter of Two Rivers
Author: Arun Krishnan
Publisher: Penguin India

I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Do you ever look back and think how the people in the older civilizations would have lived?

Undergoing a ravaging drought, the riverside settlement of Rohitaka is at odds, struggling to recover from their losses. When a request from Babylon to trade weapons arrives as a blessing in disguise, a trade delegation, headed by prince Arjuna, and the grizzled veteran, Shrutasena, sets off for the faraway kingdom. An encounter with Lilith, the fierce bodyguard to the Queen, and more importantly, a woman who is hell-bent on despising Arjuna, leaves him flustered. But there’s more to Lilith than meets the eye. The woman is a formidable soldier, but something about her reminds Arjuna of home, Bharatavarsha. But as fate would have it, Arjun and Lilith find themselves entrenched in a political ploy to overthrow Babylon’s King, Sin-Mubalit. Will they be able to stop the usurpers to the throne? And can they trust each other to have their backs as they do so, even as they’re uncovering new secrets on the go? Inspired by the twentieth century discovery of a Sumerian tablet off the coast of Mumbai, Daughter of Two Rivers is a homecoming story. And like all good homecoming stories, it’s a story of learning what home means―across countries, and across time.

Arun uses an interesting real-life discovery to weave a story that seems quite plausible. The writing is very visual and you are transported into Babylon as you start reading the story. What I liked was the fact that the plot is simple, and Arun has used the entire plot to show the importance of the discovery off the coast of Mumbai and only when you finish the book, that you go back and read the part of the discovery again to understand the core of the story. Another interesting aspect of the book is that Arun has not taken too many liberties while crafting fiction from fact and the plot does not seem outlandish. The idea of home is explored in a multifaceted manner and you keep revising the definition of home. Through the idea of family, culture, friends and the basic idea of survival, the author has presented this question many times as to what we call home, and what does it truly mean to lose a home. While the book is well-done, I did feel that the plot was a bit flat, considering the tone of the book. The first half of the book does set the tone and you expect some fireworks in the second half, you are left disappointed because things happen too fast, too easily. That part of the book I believe could have been improved a bit. The climax almost makes you pray for a happy ending, and as soon as you release your breathe, you realise that Arun has pulled one on you, and then the realization of something important, something that the author mentions in the beginning comes on to you. For me, that was the mark of a good storyteller.

Coming to the characters, Arun’s character development is quite imaginative, and I was impressed by the way he uses Arjuna and Lilith’s characters as a mirror of the pairing from the Mahabharata as a symbol. The way Lilith’s character develops in the book was fun to read. The two sides of her character, feisty and a fighter, and on the other hand, this soft-natured woman have been wonderfully balanced and written. Arjuna’s character was fun to read however I felt that a bit more of nuance in his character was required. He came across as a character who is a soldier, but then the other aspects of his character were very much hidden. Shrutasena, on the other hand, impressed me quite a bit, right from the first page to the last, especially his love and devotion.

Overall, this is a nicely written historical fiction that presents a nice interpretation of our ancestors might have lived. The book scores a 4.69/5 for me.

Grab a copy of the book on Amazon India or a bookstore near you. 

History Unpacked-Saisudha Acharya (Illus. by Rohit Bhasi)

Book: History Unpacked-The Why, When and What of Ancient India
Author: Saisudha Acharya
Illustrator: Rohit Bhasi
Publisher: Duckbill

I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Do you think reading History can be made fun?

Does history leave you scratching your head? Does the endless parade of kings, battles and dates make you yawn? Well then, this is the book to change that! It is full of amazing, often hilarious and sometimes baffling stories from ancient India. From the Stone Age to the Golden Age, India's past is full of interesting people, mad antics and unbelievable connections. From central Asia to Kanyakumari and ancient Rome to southeast Asia―ancient India was linked with the world in ways you wouldn't expect! With quizzes, timelines and maps, and laugh-out-loud funny cartoons―the book truly unpacks ancient Indian history and tells you what we know about names, places (as far as we can decipher inscriptions), events and motives (as far as we can figure out!) and of course the strange things that humans do, whether back then or now.

History Unpacked is a wonderfully written book that teaches you the History of our country in a fun and engaging manner. The book spans the Stone Age to the Golden Age, and covers the various people who ruled over this land. Saisudha’s writing is quite interesting and keeps you turning the pages. Most of us have felt sleepy while reading History in our classrooms, however this book does the opposite. Each section of the book is very well written and reads like a story. Aimed for a young audience, the storytelling method of the book would certainly garner attention from the target group. The 10 chapters in the book are clearly segregated in specific timelines and talk about very specific aspects of History. Apart from the facts and history, there are maps, quizzes, and activities. This part of the book is something I enjoyed (even being out of the target audience), specially because it helps you connect with the facts as well, at the same time have some fun, reliving history. I would like to specially mention about the last chapter where the book explores the history of the North East, and the fact that the author admits that there is not much facts to develop this part of our history.

Coming to another aspect of the book, the illustrations complement the book wonderfully. The illustrations are not just some pictures. Each of the illustrations is wonderfully thought out and equally fun-filled as the text. Rohit has blended contemporary aspects with history with elements such as hashtags, selfies etc., somethings that the target audience would be able to relate as well. Each chapter is preceded with a timeline that summarizes the chapter and its illustration adds a wonderful layer to the storytelling.

Overall, this is a book that tells our story in a fun manner, and a definite pick if you are looking for a book to gift someone in the age group 10 years and above. The book scores a 5/5 for me.

Grab a copy of the book from a bookstore near you or on Amazon India.

The Ayodhya Alliance (Bharat Collection #8)-Ashwin Sanghi

Book: The Ayodhya Alliance (Bharat Collection #8)
Author: Ashwin Sanghi
Publisher: HarperCollins India

I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Do you believe that the answers to our future lie in our past?

Seven thousand years ago, as he lay dying on the battlefield of Lanka, Ravana whispered a secret to Lakshmana about a mysterious technology that held the key to Ayodhya's prosperity and the world's destiny. For centuries, desperately sought by explorers, marauders and emperors alike, it has been kept hidden, safeguarded by warriors bound by an ancient oath. Now, as tensions escalate along India's volatile borders and a crucial defence project teeters on the brink of failure, Indian industrialist Aditya Pillai and South Korean technocrat Somi Kim are thrust into a mission that will upend everything they know. The two realize they must act fast, but never once do they anticipate that they will stumble upon startling revelations about a miraculous force that once connected Ayodhya to Kailasa, the Pandyan Empire, Rome, Damascus, Thailand and Korea. As the forces of past and present collide, a question looms large: who will harness the power of the ultimate enigma, and at what cost? The Ayodhya Alliance spans continents and centuries, seamlessly weaving together science, legend and history in a breathless race against time. In this sweeping, unputdownable story of intrigue, betrayal, survival and love, master storyteller Ashwin Sanghi casts his web wider than ever before, spinning once again a riveting, edge-of-the-seat thriller.

The Bharat Collection by Ashwin has always blended mythology, history and fiction admirably for the past 7 books and he does the same in this book as well. The Ayodhya Alliance manages to take discrete events from history and mythology and tell us the tale of this secret that spans millennia and crosses borders as we know them. Ashwin’s writing is visual and powerful. As you read through the story, you can visualize the scenes, be it in 2025, or almost 5000 years ago, and that helps you become a part of the narrative. While the story is fictional, the facts that forms a part of the narrative are very well researched. As a reader, you are compelled to look up a few facts and that strengthens your connection to the story. Another aspect of the book I really loved was the way in which the author takes you back in time, one step at a time, easing you into the narrative. The decision to include a timescale that moves with the story was a great visual tool that helps you stay in touch with the primary plot. The writing is brilliant as usual and you are hooked right from the first page till the last.

The book not just focuses on the mythological stories, but also on the power of love, relationships and friendship which form an integral part of the storytelling. Through the story, Ashwin shows that while we might be separated by borders and languages, our cultures are more similar than dissimilar, and it would be a good experience to keep an eye out while exploring historical locations. The idea that history repeats itself is presented so subtly and beautifully that you almost smile at the realization in the end.

Coming to the characters, I liked how the author has created these characters based on real-life historical figures that form a critical part of the book. Starting from Aditya Pillai, I liked how he creates this resilient industrialist who loves to take up impossible challenge, and when he given one, how he decides to take that up. Somi Kim was another character I really admired for her presence of mind, and her hold on history of not just her country, but the interlinkages with the world history and mythology. While we have these characters in the present time, the characters 2000 years ago are equally resilient and wonderful. Padmasen’s character is wonderfully penned, and I liked how he shows resilience and strength in the face of adversity. Equally important were the characters of Mithra and Soju, specially how they adjusted to their situations and took up the mantle when it was asked of them. But apart from all, there is one character that stood out for me was that of Suriratna through her courage, willpower and the ability to think on her feet. Her character was someone I would really take inspiration from.

Overall, this is a book that is highly recommended for anyone looking to read a wonderfully written mythological-thriller that will help you look at geopolitics today in a completely different light. The book scores a 4.90/5 for me.

Grab a copy of the book on Amazon India or a Bookstore near you.

Check out my review of the previous books in the series:

Check out my review of other books by Ashwin Sanghi:

Girls Who Stray-Anisha Lalvani

Book: Girls Who Stray: A Novel
Author: Anisha Lalvani
Publisher: Bloomsbury India

I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Do you think that the choices that we make define us?

A, 23 and unnamed, returns from an obscure British university armed with a useless degree to her new home in Noida—a home of feeble men—and the breakdown of her parents’ marriage. Serial procrastinator, overthinker, anxious and unhinged, A overcompensates her low self-esteem and sense of alienation with snootiness, even as she so badly wants to belong. Her only saving quality is that she is self-aware. Before long, A finds herself elbow-deep in an affair with a property developer and subsequently in a double murder. Faced with the anxieties of the crime along with precarities of living in a hypermodern city marked by seething inequality, A navigates heartbreak and tiny acts of freedom. Girls Who Stray is about the foolish choices you knew you shouldn’t have made. A dazzling literary debut, this coming-of-age thriller is a heady mix of real estate dons, crime, and the twisted, twisted nature of love.

Anisha’s debut novel is a story that explores how choices we make at each step in our lives impact our future. Anisha also blends in two major incidents around that time, right into the plot to turn a mirror on the social lens on a woman who likes to explore life. The writing is gripping, and while the storyline might seem a bit slow to a few readers, the true essence of Anisha’s writing lies in the details. Be it the high-rise buildings of Greater Noida, or the protest sites near Jantar Mantar, Anisha takes her time in setting up the plot of the book. As a reader, if you grasp the messaging, the storytelling becomes smoother. The writing is very visual and being a resident of NCR, I could see and visualize the scenes that Anisha wrote. The social messaging of family, societal expectations, crime, and regret is nicely captured. One more aspect that stood out for me were the songs, translated and mentioned. It was a great experience decoding and then fitting the songs in the story. What could have been improved in the book was a bit of proofreading and fact checking. We see a Shatabdi between Delhi and Mumbai, however that does not exist, and while creative liberties in fiction are allowed, such instances can break the flow of the storytelling. The climax of the book is quite poetic and I liked how it combined all the aspects of A’s life, yet leaves some questions open, mirroring life.

Coming to the characters, the book is primarily driven by A and her approach towards life. In the first half of the book, we see this teenager, who wants to escape her circumstances at all costs, without any regards to the impact on the family back home. The transition of A from this teenager to the person we meet on the last page is beautifully captured. Her moral dilemmas form a critical part of the story, and in the second half of the book those questions start popping out more often. Her relationship with her parents is also very beautifully captured. A’s journey through our country is also nicely captured, and the way it forms a boundary between her character traits was good to explore. A’s perspective on social issues, protests and the prevailing situation adds a wonderful layer to the story.

The book is a definite recommendation for anyone looking to read a well-written thriller with a social message. The book scores a 4.75/5 for me.

Grab a copy of the book on Amazon India or a bookstore near you. 

The Dalhousie Murders-Aneeta Sharma

Book: The Dalhousie Murders
Author: Aneeta Sharma
Publisher: Readomania

What if your life was upended by an incident that happens years ago?

The picturesque hill station of Dalhousie is rudely jolted when a honeymooning couple chances upon a mud-caked corpse. Inspector Kanet is plunged into a high-stakes investigation, only to face constant interference by the CID based in Delhi. As secrets unravel and the race intensifies, Kanet and CID navigate a maze of deception to prevent another murder. Everyone is a suspect and there are unanswered questions—is entrepreneur Lalit Bharucha concealing a dark past while protecting his stunning wife, Kiyana? Why has the fiercely competitive Ashlesha retreated to this remote town? What’s behind Haneesha’s deceptive innocence? Who is Kabir Rana, and why is he imprisoned? With every clue exposing deeper lies and every suspect harbouring hidden agendas, this relentless thriller delivers a whirlwind of intrigue, betrayal, and revenge. Buckle up for a thrilling ride of twists and turns!

The Dalhousie Murders is a book that explores the idea of how our past can come back to haunt our present. Written as a whodunnit, the book starts off with the discovery of a corpse that unravels a series of events that go back decades. Aneeta’s writing is engaging and you are hooked to the plot to discover what happened in the scene described in the prologue. The plot is straightforward and most of the storyline focuses on the investigation and the motives. The scenes are detailed out and you are able to visualize the characters and the locations, be it the lukewarm tea of the police station, or the house of Haneesha. I liked the way the author slowly shows the layers that she had planned for the story, and through the investigation, you realise that sometimes even mistakes can lead to some unimaginable outcomes and that past rarely forgets. Another good part about the story is that as a reader, you are investigating the case along with the police and the investigator. What I think could have been improved from the perspective of a whodunnit was a bit more of depth in the investigation, forensics and interrogation. As a thriller, the component of excitement and thrill was a bit lacking, and I believe addition of that could have elevated the reading experience a bit more.

Coming to the characters, I really liked the character of Indraneil or CID as he is referred to in the book. His grit and the ability to read people is very well established. I liked how the author has slowly built up this character which could recur in upcoming books, and given him some good and unique character traits. Kanet’s character is also quite well written and the continuous teeth scratching does give him a unique identity that stays with you. Apart from these two, I liked how the author has created the other characters, be it Daksh, Kabir, Ashley, Lalit and Kiyana. Each of the characters gets their own time and detailing so that the needle of suspicion lies on everyone, atleast in till three-quarters of the book.

Overall, this is a recommendation if you are looking for a good whodunnit, and to add an interesting home-grown sleuth to pick up in the times to come. The book scores a 4.63/5 for me.

Grab a copy of the book on Amazon India or a bookstore near you.