Well, The Readers of the Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald is precisely the kind of book described above. An ode to books and readers, the book plays its part well. Broken wheel is a strange town, granted, and Sara has set new definitions of friendship with her pen pal. Beautiful gestures come together with Sara opening a bookstore in the memory of her friend. It is surreal, almost otherworldly as the plot reeks of raw innocence. The story progresses in the most charming way, and is indeed commendable for a debut. Although I could’ve read through it again and again, at times, the prose was verbose enough for me to flip through or skim through pages. Nevertheless, the book rekindles the magic that bookstores hold, and one cannot help but wonder if we can ever go back to the times of paperbacks and hardcovers, before e-readers took over. The entire plot has a sense of old-world charm to it with its roots in the bond between pen pals. But then again, I wouldn’t mind that, if the story is about reading and books. Every reader, whether casual or ardent, should read it at least once. Image Credits: www.amazon.com Kritika Narula [email protected]]]>
“Almost everybody in this world can’t bear to see the other person being better than him.” It’s in these short sentences that she makes the reader relate to her life. “…as he grew older, his Christmas list got smaller and the things he really wanted could no longer be bought.” Keith and Avantika’s story is offbeat and chooses to break multiple norms; it’s unfazed and fearless. One would simply keep on reading to know what the newly-find solace in Avantika’s life shall turn out to be like. The end, though, will make you question if life is fair to everyone, after all! Image Credits: stylanzo.com Arushi Pathak [email protected]]]>
Michael Lewis was fresh out of Princeton when he was rejected from several investment banking interviews. His background in art history certainly didn’t aid his aspirations to become a banker. But fate had something else in store for him. Subsequently, while he was living in London in the winter of 1984, finishing a master’s degree in economics at the London School of Economics, he received an invitation to dine with the Queen Mother. It was his interaction, at the dinner, with the wife of a more senior Salomon Brothers managing director that led him to his appointment in the Salomon’s training program. Liar’s Poker is the hysterical and hilarious account of his journey from being an overpaid trainee to a bond salesman. The book flows in an instructive manner detailing financial intricacies. It is a nonfiction account of how Wall Street’s premier investment firm was led to its curtain call owing to a deep financial crisis that was essentially perpetrated by the greed and gluttony of Wall Street executives. The book is a piecemeal work of investigative journalism. It develops further as the author’s exploration of the ideals and motives behind the trading floors of the firms at Wall Street. It gradually evolves into an often profane, but “wickedly funny” review of the series of events that led to a deep crunch in the global economy. While the author graduates from the level of a “geek” to a “big swinging dick,” his narrative captures one of the most important period in the history of Wall Street. The plot keeps you glued and shocked as more of Mr. Lewis’ journey manifests. Two of Wall Street’s most important figure heads, Lewis Ranieri and John Gutfreund, feature prominently throughout the text. The storytelling technique is bound to keep you on edge while you dive deeper into the obsessed and enclosed world of unprecedented greed. The events are, however, detailed in a way that you might find the information overwhelming. Despite that, the book distinguishes itself as one of the most colourful and comical account of behind-the-scenes look at a heady and frenzied time in the American economy. I’ll strongly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to further understand the financial world. The gripping and compelling narration sure makes it an excellent addition to your bookshelves! Image Credits: jpupdates.com Surbhi Arora [email protected] ]]>
Sudisha Misra [email protected]]]>
The plot is as refreshing as it gets. It is the story that delves deep into our definitions of friendship, love, companionship and belonging. How far will we go to be with someone? How far are we ready to bend the rules? Is bending the rules worth the breach? Does the breach justify the end? Are we ready for the consequences?
It gets you thinking and keeps you so.
But here is a friendly warning: to fully understand the book, and to let it to what it intends to, you need to accept it as fiction, being a realist wouldn’t help. The beauty of the book lies in how it ticks our thinking cells by bringing another dimension to our world.
This is the story of A. A wakes up each day in a new body- and that implies he misses out on so much. On having an address, on having a family, permanent fiends, and so on. Things we take for granted. Things we’d lose and not realize what they’re worth.
Apart from the lessons in living, the plot sure does hold a sense of mystery and intrigue. The author has done such a great job in weaving a plot out of nothing, and I am definitely going to read more from the author.
A beautifully written book, provokes you into thinking incessantly, and makes you question the right and wrong.
Uptil this point, the book was similar to Every Day, the original written from A’s perspective.
All those who’ve read EveryDay are super-thrilled to read this one. Although we know there won’t be any freshness in the plot, still there were so many questions left unanswered from Rhiannon’s perspective in Every Day, that Another Day, a companion book as it is called, seems much needed. One can finish this book in practically no time, partly because it feels like going through the same parts and incidents again, for little utility. So, you might skim through the repetitive dialogues, just like I did. Yes- they sounded beautiful from A’s perspective, but Rhiannon’s words made everything look like it was deceitful, and she was unfortunately made to look like the bad guy here.
I’ll give this to the author- he did write R’s perspective with so much conviction that it made me empathise with her, overriding the sympathy I had towards A earlier.
But, what goes without saying is the part where A woke up in R’s body- I had all my excitement directed towards it. It was worth it. If i am given an option between Every Day and Another Day, I’d choose the latter, though Every Day is the novel that endears me to the author. Another day after ED sounds like a justification! Nevertheless, it was amusing by and by. A sequel is still awaited.
Was it worth it? You might ask. And my answer would be incontrovertibly, undeniably yes. It was so totally worth it.
Image credits: goodreads.com
Kritika Narula
[email protected]
If someone asks you today to choose between a love and an arranged marriage- which one would you prefer? Those who say that they prefer the latter, they’d be lying to themselves if they admit to never having secretly wished for love to enter their life. There’s a difference between what one ‘wishes’ for and what one ‘wants’. Therefore, while some may simply wish for a love marriage, they may also consider ‘wanting’ an arranged marriage in the future or vice versa.
Arranged marriages garner much apprehension in today’s times. Parul Tyagi steps in and breaks new ground by showcasing an evolving process of a modern arranged marriage through her second novel- Hurry Om Hari.
The story revolves around two extremely likeable and endearing characters- Om, (the groom-to-be) a charming, good looking lawyer and Hari, (the bride-to-be), an effortless beauty-with-brains hockey player. The two of them are betrothed by a perfect chattis guna match of astrological calculations.
More than a love story, it’s a journey of how these two people, who are brought together by their families and bound by societal expectations, develop a strong connection, unbreakable by norms and inseparable by hearts even while they stay apart. So much so, that they postpone their wedding until they accomplish their personal ambitions, irrespective of how long it takes. The novel chronicles their journey of self-development and the further strengthening of their bond. Topped with the occasional saas-bahu gossip, it’s a perfect blend.
The author through her exceptional storytelling has kept the story true to the real world with aspects of Indian families and traditions infused in the story perfectly. There is a unique sense of charm in every chapter, compelling you to stay glued to the book all the way till the end, and without you feeling disconnected with the bigger plot.
So go ahead and read it! I guarantee you’ll fall in love with it, and just like me, feel the impact of the changed views of all kinds of love for everyone around us in this world as well.
Hurry Om Hari has been published by Half Baked Beans.
Shagun Marwah
Megha Agarwal, a student of Economics from Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), portrays the protagonist as a winner in her dark, gloomy fable. The book is written in diary entry form, which helps the reader connect better with Krisanne. Every emotion and thought that she experiences appears live before us. The story embarks with Krisanne’s expectations and aspirations as she enters into a lifelong companionship of love, faith and consideration with Paul Dore. But soon, her illusions are shattered as she discovers the devil in her husband. Even after years of harassment, Krisanne is caught in a web woven by the baseless norms and practices that our society entraps women in. ‘Death in Every Stride’ isn’t just another story with a sad ending. It’s a celebration of Krisanne’s victory. It’s about how she, fighting all odds, defends herself against the fiendishness of her own husband, Paul, her family and the society. One striking feature of the book is that each diary entry ends with Krisanne’s name prefixed with her emotions, such as being hopeful, scared, dutiful, victorious, etc. So give the book a read and mull over this: Why must the woman always pay for the mistakes of men like Paul in our society? Tanya Agarwal [email protected] Image Credits: Nayanika Yadavendu]]>
Shefali Bharati [email protected]]]>
“I just don’t have time right now,” said every Type-A person ever. As a solution, we urge you to gift this book to them. It’s a promise that they’ll thank you for gifting them this book weaved with an inspiring message.
When you see ‘The Time Keeper’ by American Best-seller ‘Mitch Albom’ kept on the bookshelf, you’ll probably think it’s a non-fiction book about time management. Then you’d read the synopsis at the back of the book and realize it’s a fiction story. However, once you finish devouring this book in an evening or two, you’re left behind with a heart-warming story, your own perspective of time and an unforgettable truth – the true value of time.
Mitch Albom weaves together three supposedly unrelated life paths to make us stop and think. One is of a love-starved teenage girl living in the era of social media who gets humiliated by her crush wanting to end her time, an aged billionaire down with cancer wanting to buy some more time, and ‘Father Time’ who’s story will leave you thinking about the very notion of counting seconds.
Albom adopts an abbreviated style to narrate his story, making any reader feel like they went through just 50 pages instead of 240. He adds a unique combination of mythology, reality, fantasy, science, and of course – makes us realize how ‘time flies’.
If you ever hear yourself say phrases like “It’s too late”, “I don’t have time”, “just some more time”, “Five more minutes” – Then perhaps, you too could give this book your time.
Featured Image credits: usatoday.com
Shaina Ahluwalia