Bookishlife2022_

 Meera by Riya Nayak “Meera" is the narrative of three women. Here each woman represents a distinct facet of love, devotion, and discovery. However, underlying this narrative clarity lurks a maze of ideas – about gods, rituals, fate, immortality, and the human soul's desire for connection. The main thread follows Meera, a young lady whose burning questions about faith and morality lead her on a journey far deeper than she expects. Meera is the sister of a house help who comes to help her sister and is taken aback by the beauty of the mansion. Here she gets to know about the landlady whose husband lives with his second wife, who tries to maintain the calmness of her face though lurking a battle inside. The other is her mother, who was left by her father to struggle and earn a livelihood to survive. Yet she tries to engage herself in the worship of God. The way Meera questions her mother or her landlady makes the reader ponder on many issues that go ignored most of the time. Her...

 Marked for Murder: A Vikram Rana Mystery by Sharmishtha Shenoy This book understands how to balance emotion with mystery. Rhea's background gradually exposes itself, Robin's reactions are brutally realistic, and Indra adds subtle tension. Vikram Rana's quiet inquiry style promotes steadiness and clarity. Rhea's story serves as the narrative's emotional backbone. Even though she is no longer alive, her presence is felt deeply. The author gradually reveals her past, allowing the reader to comprehend her after the disaster. Robin's emotional breakdowns were very real. His sensitivity brought significant weight to the story. I could sense his perplexity and shame as if they were happening there in front of me. Indra's character causes unease. Her reactions raise questions about what she knows and what she hides. The pacing of the story is one of its strongest points. Each chapter contributes something—whether it’s an emotional detail, a clue, or a small conver...

 Mumbaii Expeeriment: Crime thriller novel mystery suspense drama by Dhaval Birajdar "Mumbaii Expeeriment" is a police procedural thriller with enough thrills and chill to keep you rooted to your chair. And not just thrills, it also has enough dramatic flair to keep you associate and relate with the characters too. What begins as a routine investigation for Inspector John swiftly escalates into a series of brutal killings—each more disturbing than the last. But the real shock lies not just in the gore, but in the disturbing realization that the victims are tied to John’s own past. A murder connects John to his past Priya. The ruthlessly killed man points at a personal connection. But the bodies keep coming and John has to race against time, and catch the killer, while grappling with internal department politics, his crumbling domestic haven and his past now dissolving into his present. Will he be able to sort his life out of these multiple cyclones that are all hurtling towar...

 Valedictorian: Virtue kept her chained Violence set her free by Shrestha Raychaudhuri "The Valedictorian" is a psychological fiction that made me linger to read the book quickly. I chose this because it is not solely a love story, but it contains elements of psychology, mystery, suspense, and sacrifice. The story revolves around Nandini, a stunning IIM graduate who falls in love with Arjun, a stand-up comedian and fellow contestant on a reality program. He's mediocre and lacks the ambition she has. After defying everyone, she discovered him to be inappropriate later. But will she do anything to get him and go forward? The author depicts the decline so accurately that you almost miss when curiosity turns into obsession or appreciation turns into manipulation. Her adroit manner of depicting the characters and their turmoil behind grips the reader till the end. What I liked best about the book was how it captured the mentality of overachievers—the quiet worry behind c...

 Heaven's Gate by Abhaidev Heaven’s Gate is a book that takes you on a mind-boggling journey into this unimaginable world where humans are teleporting, and it’s not a fantasy to anyone.  A powerful company known as Aeonia Group brings out a revolutionary technology to change the lifestyle of human beings, but it brings along with it chaos and a war of ethics, as it's perceived as bending humanity and the laws of physics and nature. This is a sci-fi thriller, and I found the narrative fast-paced, deep and captivating. While there is a sci-fi premise, it also brings out a deeply human story about ambition, fear, and the ethical limits of technological progress. I loved how the story starts like a science breakthrough but slowly turns into a gripping thriller filled with secrets, power struggles, and moral questions. The Aeonia Group, with its promise of instant travel, seems like a dream come true, but as I read on, I could feel that something darker was hiding beneath. The wri...

 Swathwa Viprasthitha: The Voyage of the Soul — A Hypnotic Blend of Fantasy, Mystery, and Spiritual Adventure Some books entertain you. Some challenge you. And then there are books like Swathwa Viprasthitha: The Voyage of the Soul that completely transport you, blurring the delicate line between the world we know and a world that exists just beyond the edge of consciousness. Jijesh V. Saseendran’s fantasy drama offers exactly this kind of immersive journey, creating an experience that lingers long after the last page is turned. At its heart, Swathwa Viprasthitha is a story about the mysteries of the mind and the uncharted territories of the soul. The novel begins in a modern-day setting, with strange events unfolding around a mysterious old book. But what seems like a medical puzzle slowly transforms into something far more profound and a multi-layered narrative begins that bridges centuries, realities, and spiritual dimensions. Rather than following a conventional fantasy structur...

 DON'T BE THAT DONKEY: A Modern Guide to Outsmarting the Obstacles in Your Way by Amuraj Srinath Are you looking for a way to throw away your baggageor obstacles in no time? Then this pick of mine will be a suitable match for you. I was curious to know about my personality traits that could help me perform better in my work placeworkplace.. Through this book I learnt that when we cultivate emotional intelligence, we don’t just become more likeable,workplace.likeable; we become more trusted, resilient, and capable of shaping environments where others can thrive. It is in the quiet strength of empathy and self-awareness that the true power of human connection lies. It is important to form good relations,likeable;relations, but for that we need to see the dangerous traits of the people around us beforehand. Even though we understand the personality type, their thought process and their intentions, we cannot escape the horrors. It’s about breaking the cycle, refusing to be manipulated,...

 The Galactors by Mayank Sinha Have you heard the term 'jet lag'? But have you ever heard the word Reality Lag? Yeah, this is a new word to me myself. I was curious to read a new but quick fantasy when I stumbled upon this book where a boy wakes up with his memory making him hallucinate everything as a lie. Blake Clark as this boy is given a name, or a real name, everything is a big question. He is narrated with a story that he is not human and the lady next to him was his grandma. She guides him about his new life or fake life, a truth or a myth. I was intrigued to turn the pages to know the reality. It felt like a reality check for me, as this boy might have felt as he blatantly refused the lady to accept her as his grandma. I was intrigued to know how Blake will find out his reality surviving alone in the new world far from his friends and family. Or he had some superpower which made some people segregate him from his original position. The author has meticulously woven the ...

 Shadowbound: An Indian Superhero Thriller by Nikhil Sampath Shadowbound is a touching story about Kadhir. It's an enormous and very intimate fantasy about destiny, memory, and the decisions that shape who we are. Kadhir is a college student who has odd abilities after a dark night at a temple. Afterwards, pupils begin to go missing, and no one knows when, how, or where. As darkness falls over the community, Kadhir must take the initiative and act like a hero to preserve lives.  Kadhir realises that the key to solving the mystery lies in the ancient texts hidden in the temple's depths. As he delves deeper into the lore, he uncovers a dark prophecy that foretells the rise of a malevolent force, pushing him to confront not only the enemy but also the shadows lurking within his own soul. Surekha is an additional highlight. Initially, I considered her irritating, but as the novel progresses, she develops into a truly endearing character.  Her wit and resilience provide a much...

 Stop Panicking, Start Thriving: The Unilever VP’s Unfiltered Guide to Corporate Success The corporate world doesn't come with a manual—until now. Pawan Kumar Marella, a seasoned leader who spent over two decades climbing the ranks at Unilever across India, Africa, and the UK, has penned the must-read career guide for every newcomer: Dear Rookie, Don’t Panic: Your Cheat Sheet for Thriving at Work. This isn't your typical, theoretical business book. Marella, an alumnus of elite institutions like IIT Kharagpur and IIM Calcutta, pulls back the curtain to share the unfiltered reflections and hard-won lessons that no classroom or induction program teaches. He delivers practical wisdom that addresses the real challenges of a young professional's life, from navigating subtle office politics to building an indispensable personal brand. The book is cleverly structured into digestible, impactful sections like "You Versus You," addressing self-doubt and personal resilience, ...