InklingsInsight

Book Name: The Correspondent Author: Virginia Evans Publication: Penguin Genre: Fiction ( Epistolary Novel) The Correspondent by Virginia Evans is an epistolary novel, a novel written through letters, and a story that connects a woman with people who felt writing was easier than speaking to communicate what they wanted, even when she was losing her eyesight. The book follows the story of Sybil, a woman in her seventies who communicates through correspondence, whether she has to talk to her friend, family, stranger, or even neighbours. She was bold and outright when it came to writing a letter. From June 2, 2012, till February 8, 2020, she wrote letters to multiple people, and each letter was a reflection of her relationship with the person she wrote the letter to. She showed angst, plea, disgust, sorrow, happiness, and every other virtue without shying away in her letters, no matter how the other person would feel. It is all about letters, and the story falls in place when the rea...

Book Name: And Then There Were None Author: Agatha Christie Publisher: Harper Collins Genre: Murder Mystery And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie is a locked room murder mystery with a mix of strangers having diverse intellect and emotional balance to keep them intact as a team until the last soldier dies.   Review The book starts with an epigraph that gives all the hints for readers to find the reasons behind the murders that take place in the book. The story is set on a deserted island called "Soldier Island" where ten strangers from diverse backgrounds, including a lawyer, an ex police officer, and a doctor, are lured to join a party with different reasons to spend leisure time for free in a vast property on this secluded island. Each individual received a letter as an invitation from Ownes, but as they arrived, they found the hosts were missing. It looked a little queer to them initially; later, they understood something was wrong with the place and setting when...

Book Name: Navapashanam : The Quest for the Nine Magical Poisons Author: Nitya Neelakantan Publisher: Readomania Genre: Mystery & Crime Fiction Navapashanam: The Quest for The Nine Magical Poisons by Nitya Neelkantan is a narrative across two distinct timelines.    Review It is a thrilling story of the forgotten past, a battle with evil and the secret protected for two centuries. The dual timeline narrative follows through in 1798 and 2018. In 1798, the story revolves around Mookambikai, who is a fierce secret keeper of the Navapashanam. She is relentlessly hunted by a shady alliance, including a vile Aghora, seeking to steal and exploit the compound. Her trail comes to an end as she dies, yet leaving behind her legacy, she left space for her great-grand niece Manimeghalai (Megha) , who continued her quest in 2018 as she unexpectedly returned to her ancestral home in India. After a series of near-fatal accidents, dead bodies in the garden in Mangal Mansion, and a missi...

Book Name: Bimbisar’s Curse Author: Tanushree Poddar Publisher: Rupa Publishers Genre: Myths, Legends and Sagas / Historical Fiction Bimbisar’s Curse by Tanushree Poddar is a historical fiction that explores multi-generational family epic from ancient India.   Review Bimbisar's curse is a tale from ancient India. As the name suggests, this story is about Bimbisar's life and the curse he received on his journey of expanding his kingdom. It begins with Bimbisar's days in the dungeon, which eventually led to the curse coming to reality at the end. While reading the book, the plot would take the reader from the present to the past and circle back to the present state of Bimbisar in the dungeon. The golden age of the Magadh empire, when Bimbisar became the ruler who followed matrimonial alliances to expand his kingdom, saving his power and strength to take revenge on his father's embarrassment. This story will take the reader on a ride from one son who fought for his fat...

Book Name: The Glitch In Our Stars Author: Divya Iyer Publisher: Indie Press Genre: Contemporary Fiction The Glitch In Our Stars by Divya Iyer is a contemporary fiction novel that explores themes like belonging, long-distance love, depression, heartbreak and bonding.   Review The story revolves around two main characters, Rusham, living in London, and Dil from Mumbai, who fell in love amidst the chaos, struggles, and doubts of their lives and existence through an expected conversation that started on Facebook when Rusham reached out Dil thanking her for sharing the review on his book, yes you read it correct, Dil is a book reviewer (and content writer) and Rusham an author. Readers and bookstagrammers out there will relate to this connection and look forward to what will happen next, and maybe this might be an unexpected turn for them, or maybe some readers might fantasize about falling in love with their favorite authors, forming such a connection. No more spoilers about how t...

Book Name: The Diary of An Author Author: Ajitabha Bose Publisher: Ajitabha Publishers Genre: Non-Fiction, Autobiography The Diary of An Author by Ajitabha Bose is the first ever hand-crafted novella based on the author’s life, and his struggles.   Review It is an autobiographical journey of the author exploring his struggles, heartbreaks, and his journey through all the odds he faced. From a nobody to becoming a pioneer of pocketbooks, he wanted to inspire people through his journey, and this book is unlike other autobiographies or biographies as it only holds some parts of his life, from which he wanted to motivate people to never give up on their dreams. Things that set this novella apart include: Handcrafted diary: Ajitabha is known as an author who brings unique style books, from pioneering pocketbooks to crafting this diary; he is setting high standards for upcoming generations of authors. It is the first-ever novella that is handcrafted. It is a personalised experience t...

Book Name: Laughing Through Life Author: Ruskin Bond Publisher: Rupa Publication Genre: Teen and Young Adult Short Stories Laughing Through Life by Ruskin Bond is a collection of humorous stories, essays, anecdotes drawn from Ruskin Bond’s life and his observations of the characters and situations he encountered in his life. Review "Borrowed books and umbrellas are seldom returned. By some mysterious process, they become the permanent property of the borrower." Does that remind you of your book or umbrella that you thought you misplaced? I bet it does, and now you are making a note in your mind about all those friends who might have borrowed your favorite book or your umbrella. Similar thoughts are explored in Ruskin Bond's collection of twenty relatable anecdotes. Laughing Through Life comes with twenty short and quick stories that will make readers laugh, giggle, and cherish the little moments of the characters' lives in this diverse collection. The essence of t...

Book Name: 12 Years: My Messed-Up Love Story Author: Chetan Bhagat Publisher: Harper Collins Genre: Contemporary Romance 12 Years - My Messed Up Love Story by Chetan Bhagat is quite an entertaining romance novel that will make readers laugh, question and eventually lead them to form their opinions.   Review The story follows the setting in modern-day Mumbai and Dubai. With two central characters, Payal, a 21-year-old passionate woman working in a private equity firm, and Saket, a 33-year-old divorced finance professional who turned into a struggling stand-up comic after selling his startup, the plot starts with Saket trying to get a settlement with his ex-wife, who was coming up with new demands as part of alimony. Amidst his struggle and discussions with his lawyer, Saket did his debut stand-up set in his friend Mudit's Crayon Club, where he met Payal in the audience. From sharing a common space and falling in love to falling apart, it is the story of two different people who ...

It was challenging to decide what to write for this blog hop. Now that I have decided to share a few Hindi books that I am going to read soon, I am showing up here. "Books are the secret escape from reality, discovering oneself away from the chaos of life and dealing with the world of one's own." Are you someone who is an avid reader? Or someone who is looking to read some Hindi literature from Indian authors? If your answer is yes, then you have come to the right place. I am sharing with you the list of books that I am going to read soon, not out of hype but I have seen through those books by now. So, I have a feeling that not just me but you will also fall in love with those books. Wondering, how can I say that? Because I have found some lines from these books that made me feel happy and enlightened. Here is the list: कतरने by Manav Kaul In this book, you will feel as if the book is talking to you. I have read half of it, and while reading, I was so engrossed in it that...