“Oxygen Manifesto: A Battle for the Environment” by Atulya Misra

🌱 Oxygen Manifesto is a fictional interpretation of a world where the environmental problems that our Mother Earth is facing as of today, are solved by bringing out positive changes around the community by a jealous and honest IAS officer, Ravi, with the help of Thatha, a man determined to plant trees in any corner he can.
🌱 The book primarily focuses on establishing a new polity based on conservation of habitats, both for humans and animals and to have decentralised governance, one where each community is responsible for its own administration.
🌱 While the manifesto highlights the problems that our environment faces today, I found the solutions advocated lacked depth and it is very hard to see how the points of the manifesto are going to solve the very big problem of ‘environment degradation’. Somewhere the narration also lies flat and only comes off as a series of bullet points that attempt to touch the topic from the surface.
🌱 The idea that communities as a whole can restructure themselves, evolve and work towards making a better future, sounds promising but as is with any society the first point is having awareness and the will to change, and how often do we see that in people? Yes, it is a good attempt at bringing forth awareness for the multitude of issues that mar the land, the air, and the sea, but without the will to change does a manifesto help much?
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Anyhow, credits to the author for attempting to talk about a topic that demands utmost attention now, more than ever.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐/5
Genre: fiction, indian-Literature
Reading Difficulty: ⭐⭐/5

“Small Days and Nights” by Tishani Doshi

“We raise our heads to the sky as if the sea was a window and we were climbing out of it.”
– Tisha Doshani, Small Days and Nights.
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Having had a normal childhood, born to parents of Italian and Indian descent, Grace finds herself in a small coastal village of Paramankeni, running away from her failed marriage and having found her sister, Lucia who was born with Down’s syndrome and was kept a secret from her all these years.
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Escaping the restless and highly active social life in States, grace decides to move into her mother’s house, with Lucy, the village housekeeper Mallika and little dogs to surround the house.
A story that looks so simple on the surface, turns complicated as one unveils the layers of a life of a single woman living alone without any men in a village in India, by the sea.
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Grace’s days are filled with taking care of her sister, feeding the dogs, taking them to the beach and in the process trying to find her lost self, and make meaning of a life she has spent in Madras, Italy, the States, Kodaikanal and now Pondicherry.
But the nights are full of fear and anxiety, for the endless glares and attention a house being lived by a single woman attracts, of someone breaking in, of someone marring the beauty of the life they are trying to build here.
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The prose is absolutely lyrical full of metaphors and analogies, that warms the heart and can be cherished long after one is done reading.
The beautiful description of the sea and the sand, and the nights and the days, and you can almost feel yourself walking on the beach or strolling on the streets of Italy suckling on a gelato.
The writing reminded me of Subhangi Swarup’s portrayal of all the alluring landscapes.
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An absolutely marvellous account of a story of survival, or finding one’s lost self, making peace with the misgivings of a family, of mistrust and finding trust, unveiling secrets and accepting them.
But above all, it is a tale of the one’s self-discovery amongst all the chaos, loneliness, heartbreaks and confusion.
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A sad yet thought-provoking novel full of life and the various emotions of ecstasy it has to offer.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5
Genre: contemporary, fiction, indian-literature
Reading Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐.5/5

“The Gollancz Book of South Asian Science Fiction” by Hachette India

“The Gollancz Book of South Asian Science Fiction” by Hachette India is a collection of contemporary sci-fi stories, focusing on themes such as dystopia, climate change, space travel, the arrival of aliens and man’s quest to find sustainable ways to live.
These are some tales from the masterful minds of some of the most inventive minds, and barring a few pieces here and there, all of the narratives were exhilarating and thrilling.
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The book being first of its kind of a selection of historical sci-fi and new age dystopia from the South Asian subcontinent to appear in the twenty-first century, did hold a lot of potentials and it was able to live up to the hype albeit by simple yet effective narratives that one can enjoy and be left with something to ponder on at the same time.
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Some of the anecdotes didn’t work for me, because of their long, tedious and unnecessary description, but the others more than made up for the experience, especially in the latter half of the book.
I absolutely loved the last one, a hypothetical future where a group of young scientists is trying to find a way to combat climate change by coming up with ideas such as sustainable colonies and to seek a way to communicate with the forest even though the web of life has reached a point of destruction.
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Read it with an open mind and overlook the minute nitty gritty and I am sure you are in for a culmination of laughter, wonder, amuse and intrigue.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Genre: sci-fi, south-asian-lit, short-stories, future
Reading Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐/5

“To Kill the truth” by Sam Bourne

Sam Bourne’s latest in the series of former White house operative Maggie Costello’s encounters with a dire threat, “To Kill the truth”, opens up with a Professor of History dead, libraries around the world that house evidence of the history of important events like slavery and holocaust are getting burnt, digital records are being wiped out, and someone is trying to destroy all documentation of the greatest crimes committed, in a bid to rewrite history.
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Can you imagine how frightening a world like that would be where there is no written proof of anything and people forget the atrocities some sections of the societies have encountered?
Now it is up to Maggie to find who is behind all these killings and blazing and stop them in time.
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An interesting and thought-provoking premise coupled with a fast-paced and compelling narrative, this makes up for an exciting political thriller.
Although, having read the first one from the series does account for gaps in the character development, but the gripping plot and provocative theme more than makes up for it.
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A highly captivating and riveting political thriller that is sure to stir up your grey cells.
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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Genre: fiction, thriller, political-drama, adult-fiction

“The Essence of Delhi ” by Aleph Book Company

“The Essence of Delhi” encapsulates the spirit of the city Delhi, in all its complexities, tragedies, and charm.
12 stories that aim to capture the glories of the riches and the miseries of the poor, the history that is lost, and the potential that the future holds.
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From Malvika Singh’s introduction to the history of the city, Khushwant Singh’s description of the nitty gritty’s of life of a Delhite, William Dalrymple’s depiction of the metropolis as the city of Djinns, to Ruskin Bond’s portrayal of the life in Punjabi household headed by a matriarch, each story unfolds with such interlude, one cannot help but marvel at how simple things can be a cause of great joy.
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These authors need no introduction and even before picking up the book, I was sure I am in for a good time and I am glad the book didn’t disappoint me at any point.
One can take their time reading each story and allow it to be taken in in all its essence, a flavor of the city composed of a myriad of emotions, its grandeur, its distress and hardships, the culinary delights that the city offers and the spirit that the people exhibit even with all the chaos.
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A city that rises from its ruins and coexists with a glimpse of the past and a promise of the future.
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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Genre: non-fiction, short-stories, indian-literature, indian-author

“Engineering a Life” by Krishan K. Bedi

“Engineering a life” by Krishna K. Bedi is a memoir that takes you through the protagonists journey of trying to build a life in the United States of America, having left his small village in Punjab at a very young age, landing in New York with only 300$ in his pocket but a will to study engineering in the land of opportunities.

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As we progress through the voyage that constitutes the struggles of a young Krishna trying to travel to America, a bewildered and confused man working odd jobs to make money all the while juggling studies to maintain good grades, we find an older Krishna torn between his promise of returning back to his homeland or staying in a country that made all his dreams come true.

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The book is written in a simple and easy to understand manner but the narration falls flat even though the premise of the book being so promising. I wish there was more depth to the anecdotes shared and at times they were told in a manner that fails to evoke any emotion while reading them.
Some of the situations that are portrayed as ‘adventures’ came off as callow and juvenile and I didn’t find them as inspiring as I expected.

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It is definitely a good attempt at describing ups and downs in one’s life but I found it hard to be inspired by.
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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐/5
Genre:#nonfiction, #memoir, #biography
Reading difficulty: ⭐⭐/5

“In a Violent Land ” by Aleph Book Company

“In a violent land” bring forth essays and stories, panning the length of our vast country of India, a collection of some of the best fiction and non-fiction stories that have been written on the violence that infiltrate all sections of the Indian society.
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As you go through each recital, you hear the cries of the Babri Masjid incident, the pangs of the Gujrat riots, experience first hand the brutality shown in the name of casteism, the atrocities meted out in the Naxalite bound regions of North East India, or the sadism exhibited in the garb of social status.
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In a country which inhabitants populace of such varied characteristics, divided by religion, caste, gender, language, class or geography, clashes are bound to happen and more so in a place where politics thrive on the differences between people.
Such are these tales that reminds you of the catastrophic past that has scarred the land for centuries now and acts as a constant reminder of the folly of not being tolerant of each other’s differences, even in this time and age.
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Stories featured comes from writers like
Khushwant Singh, Mahasweta Devi, Udayan Ghosh, Anna Bhau Sathe, Manoj Mitta, Harvinder Singh Phoolka, Salam Bin Razzaq, Suketu Mehta, Vijaydan Detha, Sonia Faleiro, Barkha Dutt, Shahnaz Bashir, and Sanjoy Hazarika.
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So one cannot doubt how beautifully woven each narrative is, in it’s all entirety.
Some stories are more impactful than others but there is no doubt that every single one of them is equally alluring.
Pick this one for a pretty hardcover coupled with powerful and compelling tales that blotch the history of our glorious nation.
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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Genre: essay, short-stories, politics, IndianLiterature, cultural

“A Man called Ove” by Fredrick Backman

“People said Ove saw the world in black and white, But she was as color. All the color he had.”
– Fredrick Backman, A man called Ove
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Ove is a grumpy man on the exterior but if one peel through the outer layer, they will find a loveable man, one who is staunch on his principles and has come to become bitter in life due to the loneliness and sadness that surrounds him.
What happens when a chatty couple moves next door and tries to strike a friendship with our cranky old man.
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The story is packed with all the emotions, sadness, heartbreak, laughter, the joy of an unexpected friendship and the innate bond of selflessness.
It highlights the sorrows of losing a loved one, the constant melancholy that reminds one of the loss, and the isolation that eats you up.
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Adjourned with beautiful metaphors, the humour, and witty narrative makes an impression on you, even while discussing sombre or depressing topics.
What really stands out is the relationship between Sonja and Ove, their marriage, their relationship, their heart-rending love even when the two people were at the opposite end of the spectrum.
“Ove had never been asked how he lived before he met her. But if anyone had asked him, he would have answered that he didn’t.”
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A highly recommended warm and fuzzy read, one that is sure to make you laugh and cry at the same time.
Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5
Genre: fiction, contemporary, humour, swedish, adult-fiction
Reading difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐/5

“Becoming” by Michelle Obama

Becoming by Michelle Obama, an account of the first lady’s life before and in White House, her marriage with one of the most favorite presidents of the United States, and a, for the most part, a safe narrative of the Obama’s achievements that fail to evoke inspiration.
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While the book started great with depicting Michelle Obama’s as an ambitious young lady, talented and hardworking, somewhere with the start of Barak Obama’s political career, it all seemed to fade away.
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I felt, in the end, it was an attempt to portray her as someone much more than a First Lady and although the book describes her as deriving her self worth not only as an accessory to her husband’s career, it felt more of a political memoir where the focus was on the achievement’s of the Obamas in their tenure. In a way, I was disappointed in seeing so less of Michelle Obama as an inspiring person with her own ambitions and aspirations.
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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐/5
Genre: Non-Fiction, Politics, Memoir, Black-History
Reading Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐/5

“Unstoppable: 75 Stories of Trailblazing Indian Women” by Gayathri Ponvannan

Thank you @hachette_india for a copy in return for an honest review.
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Are you an advocate of women’s rights? Do you interest yourself in the achievements of women not only in the present century but ones that were attained at a time when the concept of feminism didn’t exist? Do you like illustrations?
If yes, this book is for you.
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A book featuring the lives of 75 of the bravest Indian women that adjourned our history with their courage and willpower and fulfilled their aspirations even in the face of prejudice against women and stigma from a society that still deems women unworthy of doing anything worthwhile.
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Each account fills you with pride and admiration for the wonderful women who fought for the country, flew planes, became scientists, teacher, took part in the freedom struggle and above all worked hard to realize their dreams.
Not only that, it stresses the roles of the male members of the society, the fathers, the husband, and the mentors, in paving the way and providing support to these fearless women.
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The language is simple and easy to understand. And coupled with the apt and beautiful illustration by @doodlekaari the stories came out beautifully. A recommended read for all the young girls and boys to introduce themselves to the female role models of history as well and inculcate a sense of respect equally for both the genders at a young age.
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I agree there were so many unsung heroines that I didn’t know about and I regard it a fallacy on my part to never make an effort to get to know about the daring ladies of history but I consider this a start and urge everyone to give this book a chance.
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Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Genre: feminism, indian-literature, non-fiction