The Eminently Forgettable Life of Mrs. Pankajam-Meera Rajagopalan

Book: The Eminently Forgettable Life of Mrs. Pankajam
Author: Meera Rajagopalan
Publisher: Hachette India

What is one memory that you would like to preserve for eternity?

The Eminently Forgettable Life of Mrs. Pankajam by Meera Rajagopalan is the story of Mrs. S Pankajam who has always lived two lives. One that of the normal and ordinary family life, and another of desires and sharp observations on her view of the world. When she starts losing her memory, she decides to inscribe her thoughts into a diary to keep the semblance of sanity alive. As she starts documenting her live, her observations and the things her family starts disclosing to her, she finds her childhood coming back to her as a reminder that it cannot be outrun. A tale of a person slowly losing their memory who is trying to retain her life as she knows it, this is a story that pushes the reader to question their beliefs and try and make amends.

The plot of the book seems quite simple and straightforward in the first glance, and one is tempted to take this book to be a narration of the diary entries of a senile old lady, but the actual plot is quite far from that. Meera has created a plot that is filled with multiple themes, and this is a story that will make you pause and think at various places and evaluate the way you conduct yourself with your family and friends. The plot spans almost 20 months and through that we are introduced to the world as Mrs. Pankajam sees it. Meera explores how the changing world affects people from an older generation and how societal constructs might actually stop people from being as progressive as they would want to be.. Another track that emerges is that of Mrs. Pankajam’s past and how it affects her life in the present. I loved the way it is teased bit-by-bit throughout the first half and how it emerges and blends into the main plot towards the end. The storytelling is fluid and keeps the reader engaged despite it being told from a first POV. The language is extremely familiar, and I would urge the readers to not ignore the footnotes wherever present because they form an interesting element of the story and should be read as an explanation from Mrs. Pankajam and not Meera. The key idea that impressed me was Meera’s attention to detail and how that flows out into the story. The elements of the scenes are described to the very last detail, and it was as if I was almost a part of the events. The climax has layers of complexity and not only addresses the primary plot, but answers a very crucial question that, frankly, was plaguing me subconsciously.

TEFLoMP has a set of wonderfully created characters that play a very interesting role in the life of Mrs. Pankajam. The titular character has been sketched as a person who has a very interesting way of looking at the world. She is sarcastic to a fault and the footnotes in the diary are the perfect example. Srini as a character reminded me of the people I have met, and are a part of my family. The scene after the first dance was extremely delicate and I would tip my hat to Meera for sketching the entire sequence so beautifully. I also loved how she wrote the character arc for Pari and how she comes out as a queer person. This character arc is explored to support Srini’s and Mrs. Pankajam’s arc and I loved the way she weaves it into the story. Overall, I fell in love with the characters of the story and somehow I could relate to the instances that take place in her life.

Overall, this is one book I would definitely recommend to people who love their characters sarcastic and stories meaningful. TEFLoMP scores a 4.93/5 for me.

Get a copy of the book from Amazon India Here!

Lifeline-Chetan Maheshwari

Book: Lifeline: Will They Ever Succeed?
Author: Chetan Maheshwari
Publisher: Storymirror

Do you have a zeal to follow your passion?

Lifeline by Chetan Maheshwari is a story of three people, about love, friendship, money and a lot more! Exploring the lives of Teesha, an ambitious workaholic who is battling the scars of her last relationship, Akhil, a consultant and good at his job who is facing the biggest challenge battling office politics, and Rati, a single mother and a freelancer looking to launch her own startup. When their paths intersect and life takes a turn, the three of them have to take come of the most crucial decisions of their lives, one that could probably define the rest of their lives. Can they hold on to their lifelines in this challenge?

The story is an interesting fables that takes up multiple themes and explores them through the course of the story. While the primary arc of the story is that of discovering one’s own self, it also explores various ideas such as relationships and family. I loved how there are three independent stories in the first half of the book, each of them unique and dealing with a specific aspect that Chetan wanted to explore. The narration is interesting and the changing perspectives between Teesha, Akhil and Rati shows different perspectives to a similar situation. Chetan has expressed his idea of relationships quite interestingly. The things that did not work for me though was that the story stretched out a bit in the second half. Some of the scenes felt over dramatized and probably could have been toned down as they caused the concentration to break. The climax is interesting and well developed and closes the story nicely.

The book stands on the shoulders of its three characters-Teesha, Akhil and Rati and they do an excellent job pulling it forward. The character arcs are well developed and each of them gets their own space to develop. I particularly liked the way Akhil’s character developed through the hoops of office politics and emerged a better manner. Rati’s character seemed more like the whining kind and while she appeared positive on the first impression, her character had a negative trait that cast a shadow on the otherwise positive vibes from Akhil and Teesha.

Overall, a good book that scores a 4/5 for me.

Get your copy from Amazon India here.

A Murder at Rosings-Annette Purdey Pugh

Book: A Murder at Rosings
Author: Annette Purdey Pugh
Publisher: Honno

Do you like stories set in the Victorian Era?

A Murder at Rosings by Annette Purdey Pugh explores the story of what happens when Mr. Collins is found stabbed to death in the garden of Catherine De Bourgh. As the investigation progresses, tensions that were simmering among the residents starts coming to the fore. While the prime suspect is identified as one Mr. Bennet, who was overheard arguing with Mr. Collins over the entail of Longbourn a few days before the crime is discovered. His daughter, Mary, discovers a secret that might just hold the key to the murder. The question is, would the truth come out?

Set in Victorian times, the plot of the book is gripping with the suspense maintained till the end. Annette takes up a seemingly ordinary murder and creates an interesting investigation out of it, one that has more layers than an onion. The idea to use a Victorian setting, with limited resources gives the reader a chance to take a look at the facts and delve into the plot as it moves along. The plot has the right number of hills and valleys to keep the reader engaged. As soon as it feels that the mystery is cracked, a plot twist is introduced, one that drastically alters the narrative. The language of the story might be a bit difficult for a layman to comprehend as it uses old English, but once you are into the plot, the words start making sense by association. The climax of the story is surprising yet well executed, one that ties the story with a neat bow.

"A Murder At Rosings" is inherently a character-driven story and the flesh of it is made up of the people who are a part of it. The characters are well created and play their part well to propel the story forward. Each of the character that appears has a critical part in the story and I was amazed by the tiniest of things that the author has made sure to incorporate that attests to this fact, a great example being the breaking of the crockery towards the end. The detailed character arc makes it possible for the story to connect with the reader, so much so that one might just empathize with them at the climax.

Overall, a definite recommendation if you like to read a well-crafted murder mystery. The book scores a 4.44/5 for me.

Get a copy of the Book here!

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Ganesha’s Global Startup-Prachi Garg

Book: Ganesha’s Global Startup
Author: Prachi Garg
Publisher: Srishti Publications

Do you have a startup idea in mind?

Ganesha’s Global Startup by Prachi Garg is the story of Ganesha, an entrepreneur who is on the look out for ideas to make life worth living. From a failed startup to getting the entrepreneur of the year award, he has been through the complete cycle in his pursuit. As the realization of success came, so did the idea that the business needed to grow and for him to look out for Series-B funding. Drawing parallels from Indian mythology, Prachi dishes out some practical and sane advice for people looking to venture out and explore their ideas.

The book is a short but engaging read that talks about an entrepreneur’s journey. The ideas are taken and narrated in such a manner that they are easy to grasp and understand. Prachi’s idea to use mythological references to give examples is an excellent way of helping people connect with the idea she is putting across. One thing that stands out is the fact that she shows both, the positive as well as negative side, of being an entrepreneur. We see Ganesha enjoying success as well as learning from his failures. The idea to condense the learnings from the chapter into a summary in the end helps the reader grasp and connect with the core idea in detail. The language Prachi has used is simple and easy to understand, making sure that the focus of the reader is on the core ideas, rather than making sense of the language. I loved the way she closed the story which showed the human side of an entrepreneur.

The characters chosen for the fable are drawn from Indian mythology, and thus connecting to them was quite easy. Prachi has used the common associations with the names expertly into the plot, making them a part of a corporate structure. The characters have very human characters, and that is one takeaway for me that regardless of who you are, the human factor is quite critical in every scenario.

Overall, a wonderful book which I would recommend to all, irrespective of you being a part of a startup ecosystem or not as it gives some valuable lessons for life. The book scores a 4.19/5 for me.

Get a copy of the book here.

In Plain Sight-Mohamed Thaver

Book: In Plain Sight
Author: Mohamed Thaver
Publisher: HarperCollins India

What is the best crime thriller you have read?

In Plain Sight by Mohamed Thaver tells the take of Mumbai being under siege of an unlikely killer, and the investigation of the case by an ace investigator. When the cases of rapes and murders of three minors remain unsolved for a long time, DCP Sawant decides to bring in Police Inspector Waghmare. Known as the “Investigation Machine” among the Mumbai Police, he takes on the case, only to find lead after lead turning into a dead end. With an eerie feeling that the perpetrator is watching them, Waghmare turns up the heat when one of their own loses his life. A police procedural told from the eyes of a rookie reporter, this is a well told whodunnit tale.

The plot of the book finds its roots in Mohamed’s background as a journalist and the authenticity it provides to the narrative is excellent. From the very first page, the perspectives in the story alternate between a reporter and a journalist and it shows how a situation is viewed differently by both. The procedural is quite detailed, and rather than focusing and dwelling on the crime, Thaver puts the spotlight on the investigation, the inter-service rivalries and how things take time to unravel. This is the best part about the narrative. It is not the story of a supercop who jumps in to save the day or a master investigator who takes just a few days to examine the clues, rather it is the story of an policeman who, armed with investigative skills and the grit to persist, gets results. The climax is interesting and difficult to predict, specially with the twists that come towards the later part of the book. The language is easy to understand, and he has used Marathi to accentuate and establish certain  events, along with translations that help the reader.

The plot is intrinsically character driven and there is no dearth of interesting ones in the story. Rohan as a budding reporter, new to the world and trying to make his space is impressive as he faces the ups and downs of being a crime reporter is impressive. Waghmare is another character that elevates the plot with his quirks and investigative methods. Malhotra added a bit of some humour with his tea and the subsequent reactions to it. Overall, the characters seem to be drawn from real life experiences as they were easy to connect to, and it helped that each of them had a unique identity which helped me connect to them. I would have expected a bit more of detailing which could have helped paid a clearer picture of them.

Overall, a definite recommendation to people who love reading police procedurals. This one scores a 4.25/5 for me.

Get a copy from Amazon India here.
(This is an Amazon Associates Link)

Stoned: The Untold Story of CO-Weed-20-Gautam Mayekar

Book: Stoned: The Untold Story of CO-Weed-20
Author: Gautam Mayekar
Publisher: Half Baked Beans

What is your favorite song by Nucleya?

Stoned: The Untold Story of Co-Weed-20 by Gautam Mayekar is the story of Amar, who travels back in time and is narrating his story into the Voice Data Recorder of the time machine he uses. He is stuck alone in the machine with Mohit, his friend who made the machine, and the only person who knew how to operate it getting tested CO-Weed-20 positive and going to a permanent sleep. With the entire city of Mumbai afflicted with the same effects of CO-Weed-20, Amar only has twelve hours to find a cure, or the machine will disintegrate. Before it does, Amar will reveal the secrets behind the production of the deadly drug – CO-Weed-20 and how it all went awry. Find out the identity of Amar and the ultimate fate of him and the entire city.

The plot of the book is unique in the sense that it is a series of blog posts compiled to form the story, so each of the chapter has its own unique identity and yet has a common thread that propels the story forward. Satirical writing is one of Gautam’s talents and he uses it to its maximum here. He has taken the concept of getting intoxicated and then used his writing to extend it to ridiculous proportions that make it a fun read. Amar’s journey is captivating as it has both elements-relatable, as well as some scenes that seem extremely farfetched, giving the reader a chance to smile and laugh at moments. The language is easy to comprehend. The plot flows seamlessly and maintains the tempo of the storytelling till the end. One thing that could have been improved is the editing, as I noticed that a couple of scenes were repeated in 2 chapters. While the climax is well executed, I would have loved to see a couple of more chapters after the climax and the reality. One thing that I must commend on is Gautam’s use of Nucleya’s music to accentuate his plot and establish characters.

Coming to the characters, Amar is a well-executed character, and he propels the plot in the way it goes. His ideas are detailed, and his perspective of the world is quite unique and explored well in the plot. Another thing I liked Amar was his out of the box ideas and his zeal to execute them. Joanna was another interesting character, who I thought could have been explored well and used to bring out some more parallel tracks in the story. Another character I would like to highlight here is that of the time machine, and for me that was the crucial character, without which the events would have not transpired.

Overall, a fresh and breezy read that scores a 4.19/5 for me. 

Grab a copy of the book from Amazon here.
(This is an Amazon Associates Link)

P.S. I did create a Spotify Playlist of the songs mentioned in the book. Check it out here.

The Last Boy to Fall in Love-Durjoy Datta

Book: The Last Boy to Fall in Love
Author: Durjoy Datta
Narrated By: Rasika Dugal and Sikandar Kher
Platform: Audible

What would be the first thing you would do if you were the last person alive on the planet?

The Last Boy to Fall in Love by Durjoy Datta takes place in a version of our future where a virus wipes out the entire world’s population. Only 2 survivors are left-A boy named Amartya and a girl named Erika. As their story begins, it seems that they are meant to be together, but maybe there is something more than what meets the eye. As always, each of them has their own secrets, their baggage that they are carrying, and if revealed, threatens to end the relationship. With the key to the future of humanity possibly lying in their relationship, the question is what does the future hold?

The storyline is very well planned, Durjoy takes up a dystopian future where everything seems bleak, and just like an oasis in a desert, love blooms to make things brighter. The plot is engaging and moves in a pace that is comfortable, yet takes its time to establish events and things. The level of detailing is quite high, and the story is able to paint a vivid picture as to what is happening at a particular point in the story. The book has 3 parts, being narrated by Amartya and Erika alternatively as they explain their story. The tension in the plot is quite palpable and the plot twist is unexpected and elevates the plot to another level. I loved how the climax has a callback to the first scene and how things come a full circle.

The characters of Erika and Amartya are well crafted, with adequate information about their motivations and intentions. I liked both the characters, though I loved Erika’s character a bit more as it had multiple shades and her actions were quite unpredictable. Another thing about the characters that stands out is that they are opposites and Durjoy makes sure to emphasize on the point multiple times.

Since this is an audiobook, the voices are as important as the story and the characters because as a reader and as a listener, you visualize those faces in those characters and for me Rasika as Erika and Sikandar as Amartya are 2 voices that perfectly fit the characters. With just the right amount of voice modulation and activity, the scenes came alive. It felt as if the story was tailormade for those voices. The pace of the narration is comfortable with Rasika and Sikandar emulating the emotions very well, specially in the third chapter which was quite emotive.

Overall, TLBTFIL gets a 4.63/5 for me, with a special mention to the wonderful narration by Rasika and Sikandar.

The audiobook is available on Audible!
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Patna 800020-Daisy Bala

Book: Patna 800020
Author: Daisy Bala
Publisher: Blogchatter

Patna 80020 by Daisy Bala is the story of the quirky family of Dr. Saheb residing in Geeta Sadan in Patna. The story chronicles the family life of an upper-middle class family with some common yet pertinent issues. With culture, family, and a dash of drama, what is the future that the family is looking at?

The story is based on an interesting premise to understand and show the life of a middle-class family in a modern yet small town, Daisy covers the points very carefully by making sure that the details are expressed properly, and the reader is able to understand the scenes as they happen. The one thing that stands out is the use of accents by incorporating the same while penning it, adding the local flavor to it. Another thing that moves the story forward is that it has a bit of everything-tension, forbidden love, marital issues- which makes it a perfect story of the Indian middle-class. The things that didn’t work out for me were some of the grammatical issues that cropped up and the sudden ending of the plot. I expected a bit more to come out of the story, specially in the book form and quite a lot was left unexplored.

Coming to the characters, the people in the story are very easy to relate and can be seen around us, which makes the story connect on a sub conscious level. I loved the detailing that Daisy has put in to paint a vivid picture of the characters, helping the readers visualize them and imagine the story as it takes place.

Overall, a good story that scores a 3.56/5 for me.

Get your copy of the book from the Blogchatter Library.

R.S.V.P. : A Novel-Ruchira Khanna

Book: R.S.V.P. : A Novel
Author: Ruchira Khanna
Publisher: Self Published

Do you think there is more to life than money?

RSVP: A Novel by Ruchira Khanna is the story of Jay Sethi, an Indian born American, who is living with a past that is refusing to let him go. With love turning its back on him and facing massive debt, he decides to take control of his life and settles in a small town in California. Things take a turn when his cousin Gina comes to stay with him for a few days, which is when he decides to take on his bucket list and embarks on a cruise with his canine best friend, Yogi, however things are not meant to go his way. Jay is shipwrecked and washed ashore on an island. It is there he realizes the importance of love and the salvation in letting go. This is a story that explores the idea of family and the will power to let things go.

The book has a wonderful storyline that takes you on a journey as the protagonist takes a journey to find himself. The story told through Jay in the first half shows the monotonous life he was living in pursuit of material comforts, and how for him everything was a transaction with no space for emotions. The story is excellently told, and the reader gets to experience the emotions that Jay is feeling through vivid imagery and Ruchira’s words. Another thing that stands out is that the story moves on its own, without much required to do the same. The second half of the book is something that is what took me by surprise. The manner in which the story transforms is an experience in itself. I did feel that the first half of the book did drag for a bit and probably could have been trimmed to enhance the reading experience, but the second half moves at a decent pace. The climax of the story is well crafted, and it is a wonderful Christmas story.

Coming to the characters, the arc of Jay was something that takes the show away. His association of identity with money and material life and its transformation into a person who is able to detach is very well told. Gina was a wonderful character, a polar opposite to Jay and she was the one who manages to balance the story in the first half. Mack and his island are people who inspired not only Jay, but me as well and that part of the story is a wonderful fable that entertains and teaches. Lastly, Yogi as a character did not speak much, but highlighted the fact that love as an emotion creates inseparable bonds, one that can transcend species and time.

Overall, a wonderful story that I would recommend you read. It scores a 4.19/5 for me.

Get a copy of the book from Amazon India here.

Ghosts in Our Backyard-Alisha ‘Priti’ Kirpalani

Book: Ghosts in Our Backyard: The Ramsay’s Real-Life Encounters with the Supernatural
Author: Alisha ‘Priti’ Kirpalani
Publisher: HarperCollins India

Do you believe in spirits and other supernatural entities?

Ghosts in Our Backyard by Alisha ‘Priti’ Kirpalani is a collection of supernatural incidents that the Ramsay Brothers, famous for their spooky movies, and their family endured off the camera. Said to be India’s first family of horror, their name is synonymous with supernatural and gore. Alisha is the granddaughter of FU Ramsay, who has grown up on the family stories of supernatural encounters, and following in her family tradition, she has seen past the barrier that separates this world from the other. Gripping collection of incidents, this is one book that would shake you from the very first page.

The book is a collection of 22 incidents that the Ramsay family encountered with the supernatural. Alisha narrates the incidents in the first person, and we get to understand the events playing out from the eyes of the person experiencing it, making it even more chilling. The stories span family members, and it seems none of them were immune to this ability to experience. Almost as if it were one of the Ramsay scripts, each of the stories is spine-chilling and might make you sit up while reading, praying that you get a good night’s sleep. The storytelling is engaging and makes for a wonderful read, and at the same time, gives us a unique insight into the lives of the Ramsay family from the eyes of an insider. One thing that makes the book interesting are the micro poems that signal the start of a new story, which are very apt and excellently written.

GIOB works because of the sheer simplicity in the way things pan out. There is no exaggeration of horror, or unnecessary sounds and visual cues. It is subtly communicated and that is what makes some of the stories terrifying. I was chilled to the bone reading “The Hitchhiker” and “The Jogger”. These 2 stories were specially quite vivid and almost made me relive the events. This is a highlight in the other 20 stories as well. The visual cues and the descriptions are enough to set the tone, making them light to read, yet with maximum impact. The way the story moves from the Ramsay family to Alisha’s own struggles was interesting and while I pray that no one should experience what she did, it was her courage and perseverance that should be applauded.

If I had to give one reason for recommending this book, it would be the ease of storytelling and the narration that takes the baton away.

Overall, this is a book that is highly recommended for fans of horror and the supernatural, and if you have watched a Ramsay movie, then this is a must read. GIOB scores a 4.75/5 for me.

Grab a copy of the book on Amazon India here.