Write-ups and book reads of our members in March, 2024
Diving into the rich tapestry of literature, HydRAW embarks on a captivating journey through the pages of diverse narratives each month. As March unfolded its chapters, members delved into an array of genres, from haunting ghost stories to thought-provoking historical revelations, from gripping mysteries to soul-stirring memoirs.
Arun Kumar, a seasoned bibliophile, traversed through a myriad of tales, from the enchanting narratives of UR Ananthamurthy’s Bharathipuram to the spine-chilling whispers of Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay’s The Devil’s Teacup And Other Ghost Stories. Meanwhile, Sanjay Churiwala delved into realms of longevity and vitality with Outlive by Dr. Peter Attia and Bill Gifford. Fizza Younis, with an affinity for suspense and intrigue, explored the realms of darkness and deception in Lana Pecherczyk’s Castle Of Nevers And Nightmares and Charlaine Harris’s Dead Over Heels. In parallel, Manohar Grandhi delved into the realms of personal growth and success with titles like The Art And Science Of Results by Joe Vitale and Dan Strutzel. Ankit Choudhary delved into the captivating biography Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson, offering insights into the life and ambitions of one of the most influential figures of our time. As the pages turned, Dhruva Nalla embarked on a timeless journey through the Jazz Age with Scott Fitzgerald’s classic The Great Gatsby, while Mahboob Hussain savored the flavors of romance and mystery in Jasmine Guillory’s The Proposal and Dean Koontz’s The Vision.
With each book, HydRAW members not only explored literary realms but also delved into the nuances of culture, history, and human experience.
- Bharathipuram by U.R. Ananthamurthy
- Cheekati Rojulu by Ampasayya Naveen
- Laburnum For My Head: Stories by Temsula Ao
- The Devil’s Teacup And Other Ghost Stories by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay
- The Boy Who Met A Whale by Nizrana Farook
- The Girl Who Lost A Leopard by Nizrana Farook
- Read, Write, Race by Arti Sonthalia
- Are There Bun Shops In The Jungles Of India? And Other Secret Stories From History by Nandini Nayar
- A Sailor Called Wet Paint and Other Secret Stories from History by Nandini Nayar
- The Tomato Thief by Niyatee Parikh Sharma
- All He Left Me Was A Recipe by Shenaz Treasury
- Hungry To Play by Arti Sonthalia
- Prrsepolis 2: The Story Of A Return by Marjane Satrapi
- The Last Book Wanderer by Anna James
- The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart
- Emerald by Ruth Padel
- Central Time by Ranjit Hoskote
- The Last Kids On Earth by Max Brallier
- Escape From Mr Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein
- The Time Of Green Magic by Hilary McKay
- Navapashanam by Nitya Neelakantan
Cheekati Rojulu
I enjoyed this novel by Ampasayya Naveen. It is based on the events during emergency period. Written in a diary format and the story is narrated as the diary pages are filled in.
Bharatipuram
This is translated from Kannada. Post independence a man returns from London. The village with various narratives and the person with foreign influence and his mind during the days immediately after his return.
- Outlive by Dr Peter Attia and Bill Gifford
Multiple people had recommended this book to me. It’s about : how to live a long life and more importantly a life that is healthy. The author gives a lot of importance to:
- genetic makeup
- exercise
- nutrition
- sleep
- and, then, mental well being.
Personally, I did not like the book that much as:
- a lot of importance on many tests and monitoring
- a very detailed exercise regimen
- the book has been made too technical through a lot of bio medical terms and processes.
Still, relevant in terms of basics:
- exercise regularly
- eat only in moderation and be mindful of what we eat
- get proper sleep
- and, have a pleasant mental setup — so that we can actually enjoy life.
- Castle Of Nevers And Nightmares by Lana Pecherczyk
- The Julius House by Charlaine Harris
- Kingdom Of The Wicked #1 by Kerri Maniscalco
- Murder At The Crown And Anchor by C.J. Archer
- Kingdom Of The Cursed #2 by Kerri Maniscalco
- Kingdom Of The Feared #3 by Kerri Maniscalco
- Dead Over Heels by Charlaine Harris
- One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
- Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig
- A Fool And His Honey by Charlaine Harris
The Shepherd King duology : One Dark Window & Two Twisted Crowns
It’s an epic fantasy perfect for readers who like dark stories. The story is set in a world unlike ours. In this world, people can use cards to channel magic. There are twelve different types of cards for different types of magic. And only the rich and influential people have them. Of course, the king has most of them and is actively looking for a few he doesn’t possess. Not just for more power but also to lift a curse that plagues his kingdom. Sometimes, children become sick and can wield magic without the cards after recovering. Such children aren’t allowed to live. That’s the law. Yet, Elspeth’s father couldn’t bear the thought of her death so soon after her mother’s. Instead of reporting her illness, he hid her with her mother’s sister’s family. Her uncle lives in the woods and his family doesn’t socialize among nobility. It’s a perfect hiding place for Elspeth. She has survived the illness but hasn’t developed any magical abilities that she or anyone knows of. For a while, it seemed all was good until it wasn’t.
A chance encounter places her in the middle of a royal drama. And the more she learns about the king, his family, and his rule, the more she hates me and wants to change things. That’s why she joins a rebellion when the opportunity comes her way. Enters Ravyn, the king’s nephew and self-appointed leader of the rebellion. Not only he but one of the princes is also involved in the revolt. They all want a better future for themselves and their loved ones. Now, they must gather all the cards before the king does and lift the curse to save their kingdom. Lives are at stake and things are uncertain. They have very little power and many adversaries to tackle. The help will come from an unaccepted source, but how much of what they know can they trust?
The first book is amazing. I couldn’t put it down. The story line is brilliant and it has enough twists and turns that will keep readers second-guessing everything. The second book, which is a continuation of the first, isn’t great. It’s an average read and even dragged at places. This might not be a problem for slow readers, but since I prefer to read in one or two sittings, it got boring. I kept reading because I was too curious by that time and just needed to know how the story would end. So, that definitely goes in the author’s favor. The ending didn’t disappoint, which is another positive point. All in all, it’s an enjoyable read for fantasy readers.
- The Art And Science Of Results by Joe Vitale and Dan Strutzel
- Karmic Marketing by Joe Vitale and Dan Strutzel
- The Secret Prayer by Joe Vitale
- Unexpected Kindness by Joe Vitale
- What If It All Goes Right by Mindy Audlin
Karmic Marketing
This book is about new age marketing. The thing Joe talks is about ‘unconditional giving’; he explains this with an amazing story that gave me a feeling of wow.
It happened that Joe in his lunchtime visited a Italian restaurant. The restaurant had literally no customers or hardly 2–3 at lunch time. But Joe loved the food so much. He took the phone number and called the restaurant owner. Joe took 500 xerox copies of the menu and distributed the menu to all the residents nearby. The next day many people from the surroundings came to the restaurant.
The restaurant owner was so happy that he gave lunch for free for a few years. When Joe wanted to buy a home the restaurant owner gave him his home by not even taking a down payment. Joe talks about how giving can be such a big power. The power of unconditional giving he says will come back to you 10x.
Ankit Choudhary
- Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson
Dhruva Nalla
- The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald
- The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory
- The Vision by Dean Koontz
