I recently read a novel called ‘Firebird’ which is the English translation of the original Tamil book by Perumal Murugan. I had heard an interview of the author at the Bangalore Lit Fest and got interested in the book. It is translated into English by Janani Kannan. The novel is steeped in the world of … Read more
I recently read this collection of Bengali short stories translated from the original by Arunava Sinha. It is simply outstanding – to put it in short. Verily a collection of carefully curated masterpieces by some of the most well-known as well as not so famous writers from Bengal that provide the reader with the cultural, … Read more
I recently read a novel by Vivek Shanbhag, the acclaimed Kannada writer, titled ‘Sakina’s Kiss’ – translated in English by Srinath Perur. I was introduced to this author by an earlier novel titled ‘Ghachar Ghochar’ again translated into English. At that time, I was left with a feeling of intrigue after finishing it in a … Read more
Two book recommendations for the yearend. Both by Ruskin Bond. I read both of these one after the other almost a year back and was just going through my Kindle to check them out again. Unhurried Tales is a collection of the longer, well-known stories by Ruskin Bond. Time Stops at Shamli is one of … Read more
I have read a lot of books by a friend Sharath Komarraju, who writes both fiction and non-fiction primarily around the Mahabharata. He has read and written all kinds of things on the Mahabharata. Many years back, I think it was when he launched his first book on Hastinapur, as a simple promotional tool, he … Read more
I read a lot of books by Seth Godin over the past couple of years. I like his style of writing – a mix of simple yet profound sentences that often leaves you with food for thought. It is not fiction, it is mostly business advice, but he started and made his name as a … Read more
I am a big fan and reader of Ruskin Bond (who isn’t?) and have read a lot of his fiction set in the Himalayas. Recently chanced upon a small book titled “Stories Short and Sweet” which contains some of his not so well-known stories (no Room in the Roof, or Blue Umbrella, et al). This … Read more
A few months back I read a book which was an anthology of R K Narayan’s enduring stories and novellas. Titled ‘The Very Best of R. K. Narayan Timless Malgudi: Timeless Malgudi’ it turned out to be true to its name. It contains lots of stories about Swami and Malgudi, and then there was the … Read more
A while back I read a book titled “Business for Authors” by Joanna Penn. Though I never looked at writing as a means to a livelihood (25 years of corporate life perhaps allowed me to keep it as a hobby at best, or at worst, a vocation), for those who have the gumption to start … Read more