#Book Review: A Mountain, a Lake and a Song by Manav Kaul

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There are some books that you read, and then there are books that you seem to travel through. Manav Kaul’s A Mountain, a Lake and a Song was that kind of book for me. As I read, I often felt that I was travelling alongside him, seeing what he saw, sharing his experiences as they unfolded, and at times feeling less like a reader and more like a quiet co-companion on his journey. Perhaps that is what makes this book so special; it is a travelogue, but the journey is never merely about the places he visits. It slowly becomes …

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#Book Review : Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag

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Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag is one of those rare books that enjoys a quiet but powerful popularity among the reading community. It is a short novella, written in simple, unembellished language, yet it leaves a deep and unsettling impact. At its core, the book tells the story of a middle-class family and their everyday struggles, which take a dramatic turn once sudden wealth enters their lives. What fascinated me most was how money subtly but decisively alters family dynamics. Power within the household shifts to the person who controls the finances, and over time, this control becomes absolute. The …

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#Book Review : The Chowpatty Cooking Club by Lubaina Bandukwala

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The Chowpatty Cooking Club is a thoughtful and quietly powerful middle-grade novel published by Duckbill Books, a publisher known for curating meaningful and well-researched children’s literature. The book is part of Duckbill’s special collection, Freedom Song, which brings alive the Indian freedom struggle through the voices and experiences of children across the country. Set in Bombay in 1942, during the Quit India Movement, the story is narrated through diary entries written by Sakina, a young girl who desperately wants to contribute to the fight for independence. Along with her friends Zenobia and Mehul, Sakina lives in a city buzzing with …

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Book Review: There’s a Ghost in My Room: Living with the Supernatural by Sanjoy K. Roy

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I met Sanjoy K. Roy for the first time at the second edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival, where I already knew him as a literary connoisseur. What I hadn’t realised then was what a beautiful and engaging writer he is. I must admit, I had my moments of doubt before picking up There’s a Ghost in My Room: Living with the Supernatural. I am not a reader who enjoys creepy, gory, or bizarre stories. However, while returning from JLF 2026, I noticed the book at the airport and managed to get a good deal on it. I remember thinking, …

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#Book Review: More Days at Morisaki Bookshop by Satashi Yagisawa

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More Days at Morisaki Bookshop is the second episode of the Day at Morisaki Bookshop series. This book was enjoyable to read because it was about books. Set in Tokyo’s Jimbocho Book Town, the novel digs into the daily transactions of Morisaki, a popular bookshop that sells used books, as well as the lives of the key protagonists Takako, her uncle Satoru, her aunt Momoko, and others whose lives are intertwined by this bookshop. It depicts a moving narrative of love, relationships with loved ones, and the importance of bookstores and books to those who seek sanctuary in them. This …

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#Book Review: Abscond by Abraham Verghese

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Abscond by Abraham Verghese is a poignant short story that explores loss, grief, shifting relationship dynamics, and the search for identity in the aftermath of death. In a brief yet powerful narrative, Verghese captures how a single loss can fracture a family and force its members to confront themselves in unexpected ways. The story centres around a small family of three whose lives are irrevocably altered when the father passes away. His death leaves behind a household overwhelmed by grief and emotional disarray. The son, struggling to process his loss, begins to define himself through the rituals he performs during …

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