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Book Review: The Unsolved Case of an Indian Woman by Puneeth JH
The Unsolved Case of an Indian WomanAuthor: Puneeth JHPublisher: Half Baked BeansRating: 3/5 “You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.”― William Faulkner Often doing things greater than oneself involve a lot of risks. Giving back to society is not an easy task, for one needs to take a leap of faith at the cost of one’s life or maybe more. ‘An Unsolved Case of an Indian Woman’ is a multifaceted story that deals with a variety of issues that are prevalent in society. Right from lack of affection to physical and mental abuse during childhood, the story highlights the impact the…
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Book Review: Wildcard 3 by Asfiya Rahman
Wildcard 3Author: Asfiya RahmanPublisher: Hal Baked BeansRating: 3.5/5 Reading this book reminded me of an old saying- ‘If we were meant to stay in one place, we would have roots instead of legs’. Unlike other species, man has the gift of will that serves as a driving force and helps the man to keep going even when there are adversities. Wildcard series is based on this will to go on. Each part of this series has a protagonist who knows how to snatch success from the jaws of death. Now that the third part is out, it wouldn’t take rocket science to figure out that that the story will be…
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Book Review: HBB Micro Fiction Anthology (Horror) by Multiple Authors
Micro Fiction Anthology (Horror) by Multiple AuthorsPublisher: Half Baked BeansRating: 3.5/5 Even though I do not like watching horror, I have taken a liking towards reading horror. I like the descriptions that are capable of scaring the daylights out of me. Coupled with moments of light humour and dark horror, HBB’s Micro Fiction Anthology is one such book that I liked reading. Right from the very first story ‘Bittersweet’, every story is different from another and that adds to the overall impact of this book. The concept of ghosts always elicits a debate because some people believe in them and some don’t. What people fail to understand is the fact…
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Book Review: Deepak and Raj by Naren Weiss
Deepak and Raj: Two Indian PlaysAuthor: Naren WeissPublisher: Half Baked BeansRating: 3/5 There is something about the plays that lures me into reading them. The dialogues bring characters to life. In spite of the missing description, the words speak volumes. Such are the plays in the book Deepak and Raj. Tracing the life of two individuals who are examples of yin and yang, this book is so interesting that it will resonate with your mind quite well. The first play, ‘Dramatic Failure’ is a pun in the title itself! It revolves around Deepak, a resolute and patient man, who is a theatre enthusiast and wants to pursue this art in…
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Book Review: Dance to My Tunes by Tanvi Sinha
Dance to My TunesAuthor: Tanvi SinhaPublisher: Half Baked BeansRating: 2.5/5 Dance to My Tunes is a women-centric anthology of 18 short stories that touch upon various issues that undermine the capability of women and foster inferiority complex in their mind. Taut narrative and simple language make this book a breezy read. Therefore, it is a good bet if you have less time to spend with your kindle. Dance to My Tunes, as the title says, shows us the light at the end of the dark tunnel. Most of the stories end in a happy happenstance and thus, that doesn’t quite seem palatable. It is contrary to what really happens in…
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Book Review: Innocentism by Suhasini Malde
Innocent-ismAuthor: Suhasini MaldeTranslated by: Priyadarshini Nithin GokhalePublisher: Half Baked BeansRating: 3/5 Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible. –Francis of Assisi Problems are like the wind- you cannot change its direction but you can adjust your sails so that you can sail smoothly. Suhasini Malde’s effort in delving into the real joy of giving is highlighted in her book, Innocent-ism. She adjusted the sails of those who were afraid to face the wind and paved their path to a brighter future. This book was first written in Marathi as the author wished to reach to smaller towns and areas but then…
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Book Review: Unfulfilled Desires by Rachi
Unfulfilled DesiresAuthor: RachiPublisher: Half Baked BeansRating: 2.5/5 It is said that if it does not involve walking on fire, it is not love. Love tests your endurance, it tests your loyalty and it also tests your willingness to give up your most prized possession. When you truly love someone, it might be difficult expressing it in words. But your actions compensate for those unsaid words, for you do not even think twice before putting everything at stake for the one your love. Unfulfilled Desires explores the pathos associated with love and its aftereffects. It is a poignant tale of affection, sacrifice and loss. Caught in a whirlpool of turbulent emotions,…
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Book Review: Wildcard 2 by Asfiya Rahman
Wildcard 2Author: Asfiya RahmanPublisher: Half Baked BeansRating: 3/5 It is believed that opportunity knocks but only once. If one knows how to turn the odds in their favour, one can leap on the opportunity and do something profitable. Wildcard 2 is a sequel to Wildcard that retells the story of passion, determination and belief in self. If you haven’t read the first book, you won’t lose the plot, for the author provides a brief summary of the events in the beginning. The story continues from where it was left in the previous book. While Karan basks in the glory of his recent win in the Wimbledon, Tahira, his helping hand,…
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Book Review: Ganesha by Syd K.
GaneshaAuthor: Syd KPublisher: Half Baked Beans PublishersRating: 3.5/5 “Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live; it is asking others to live as one wishes to live.” ― Oscar Wilde Our actions speak louder than words and despite that, we fail to understand that our morally ambiguous character will destroy us all in the long run. ‘Ganesha’ is not a philosophical book; it is a story of a hybrid elephant who fights tooth and nail to combat every trouble in his life. It is a story that inspires us to be strong, believe in what is right and bond well with the ones we love. Just like how a…
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Book Review: Ping! by Rashi Dubey
Ping!Author: Rashi DubeyPublisher: Half Baked Beans Rating: 3/5 Millennial love is different from the love of the 90s. The former lacks the innocence and patience. ‘Ping!’ is set in the year 2004 when chat messengers acted as a catalyst in bringing two people close. These chat rooms were like dates where getting to know each other became easier because the fear of communicating face-to-face wasn’t there. The story is a mushy love tale that revolves around a pragmatic Riddhi and a doting Aarush. Their personalities are like chalk and cheese but when cupid strikes, they embark on the journey together ignoring the differences. Online dating wasn’t that popular back then…
