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