Lavender Orchids

Plan SeaAuthor: S. E. AnsleyPublisher: Self- publishedRating: 4/5 To some people, travelling is the only means to reset their minds and set forth on the path of self-discovery. Whether it is the misty mountains or the pristine beaches, each place makes a spot in the heart and the lifestyle of a vagabond teaches so many new lessons that the mundane, chaotic life fails to teach. ‘Plan Sea’ is such a book. It houses the anecdotes, first-hand experiences, learnings and strategems to outwit boredom- all in one book! The author derives his inspiration from the real world where opportunities are plenty but the choice is way too difficult. In his quest…

PunisherAuthor: Sarah WeirPublisher: Coach House Press This book derives its inspiration from an indi-rock album with the same title ‘Punisher’. With overwhelming lyrics, the songs touch upon the themes of detachment, missing links/ connections with self, despondency and loneliness. The book in question, Punisher, comprises the verses that reek of emotional trauma that comes along with distanced communication and unclear expression. Punisher offers some very genuine moments of introspection when the readers might be urged to think of the umpteen possibilities that a human mind has! Right in the very beginning, the poet quotes Julia Kristeva, the author of Life and Death of Speech, and explains how the speech of…

Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant-JésusAnonymousPublisher: Coach House Press Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus translates to Twenty Visions of Infant Jesus. In Western classical music and jazz, a collection of ordered pieces of instrumental pieces is called a suite. Hence, Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus is a suite of 20 such pieces. The book in question is based on the same pieces of music. It comprises essays on the themes of God, the magic of love, joyful spirit and the creativity of the divine. The composition of one of the toughest single piano pieces was done after the second world war and that inspired several poets to put their creative brains to work. Borrowing…

Be You: The Journey of Self-realizationAuthor: Chris CirakPublisher: Chris CirakRating: 3/5 Quite similar to The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck, Be You is a self-help book that helps the readers identify the barriers that prevent them from opening up their mind to a more progressive and enriching transition. It employs simple strategies that can help one achieve a clear headspace, maintain calm and invite peaceful thoughts into the mind. Divided into several chapters that deal with smaller issues one at a time, this book offers a simple narrative that often sounds repetitive as it would have been read in another book about mindfulness. Sadly, no new concepts are…

FerrymanAuthor: Claire McFallPublisher: PIRATESRating: 3.5/5 Paradoxical and riveting, Ferryman is a thrilling story of life and death- till love does ‘them’ apart. Written intelligently using allusion to the ferryman from the Greek and Roman Mythology, this story uses the legend of the ferryman of Hades who carries the souls of the newly deceased across the river Styx. In this story, the twist, however, is because of the love that blossoms between the passenger and the transporter. But they cannot defy the laws of nature, can they? Dylan, the female protagonist, survives a train crash only to realize later that it is her soul that escapes death. When her soul attempts…

Tangled Love Untangled EmotionsAuthor: Ankush KapoorPublisher: Rumour BooksRating: 2/5 “Because sometimes even if you know how something’s gonna end that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the ride.”~Ted Mosby (How I Met Your Mother) Based on the above quote by our dearest Ted Mosby, Tangled Love Untangled Emotions is a rollercoaster ride of love and hope. Just how several protagonists in web series and movies believe that the ‘right one’ for them is waiting in some corner of the world, the character of this book, Akash Vardhan, keeps his hopes high when his heart tells him to be patient in the matters of love. The story pans around Akash’s encounter with…