From Deepa's Desk

This book is a collection of 33 short stories all of which feature a cat. Why a cat, and why the moon? To quote the author, 'If Zen were to take form, it might very well show up as a cat - appearing when it pleases, ignoring you when you try too hard, curling up in the most inconvenient places, and slipping away just when you think you have finally figured it out.'   About the moon, the author says - 'In Zen, the moon often represents truth - unreachable, yet reflected in every puddle, every bowl of tea, every pair of eyes that dares to stop and look.' This is definitely one of the best books that I have ever come across. It is simply amazing how the author has created such beautiful and insightful tales around a cat. The stories are deep in meaning, imparting unforgettable life lessons and invoking self reflection. At the end of every chapter there is a question that makes you pause and think on it.  Reading this book felt like the ultimate mindfulness exercise. The na...

Mrs.Ludlow is the matriarch of the Ludlow family. Confined to a wheel-chair, she runs the household and keeps everyone in the family under her control - her daughter Phyllis, her sons Gerald and Derek and her grand-children from these two. There is also her caretaker Mrs.Mackenzie who is an invaluable asset not just in the kitchen but in also keeping the family intact.  But one fine morning, Mrs.Mackenzie doesn't wake up from her sleep.  Was it a stroke? A heart-attack? Or was it an external force, or someone?  Dr.Patrick Grant is the dean of the school where the Ludlow kids study and he has a curious mind that seeks out mysteries even in the ordinary. And Mrs.Mackenzie's case is anything but plain. As he interacts with the Ludlows, new insights emerge and the case takes a shocking turn. Did Mrs.Mackenzie indeed die of natural causes, or was there a sinister twist to the plot? The story has been written in English literature style, complete with Edwardian customs and trad...

  I am kind of ashamed to say that I didn't know about Narmada Parikrama until I read this book.  The author Sameer Gaikwad decides to go on a special pilgrimage, the Narmada Parikrama, the circumambulation of the river Narmada. It is a journey of around 3k kms and takes atleast 3 months to complete. However the author took 29 days to complete the pilgrimage. The amazing part is, he covered this entire journey on his cycle.  The book begins like a travelogue, with the author giving a brief prologue of how the events up to his date of travel unfolded. But when he begins the journey, he doesn't travel alone. He takes the reader along with him. The author's vivid description brings every scene to life and I felt like I was present there, cycling through roads that are sometimes smooth, at times in dire need of cement, other times making their way through fields and yet many other times, giving a glimpse of rolling hills in the background. I absolutely loved the narrative tha...

You only have to search for thrillers on Kindle and you will find Freida's name staring at you from every page you scroll through. Freida has made a name for herself as an author of excellent thrillers. I have read some of her previous works and I took up this book with lots of expectations. I wasn't disappointed. Dr.Charlotte McKenna, a dermatologist wakes up to no feeling at the left side of her head. But apparently that is what a bullet shot at the right side of your brain will do - it will wipe out every memory, every feeling from the left side. Charlotte has a long way to recovery.  But that is not her only concern. Who shot her? She sure has suspects lined up. Her dashingly good-looking husband Clark? Her patient Stan who keeps popping up everywhere she goes, giving off stalker vibes? The ex-husband of one of her patients Regina, whom Charlotte treated for skin ailments against her husband's wishes? It didn't help matters that once Regina was cured of her ailment,...

Ruskin Bond is one author to whom I keep returning time and again and never get disappointed. His simple narratives, vivid description of the places he lived in and the characters that he met and brings to life through his stories make him one of the best writers of the age.  A Murder In Mussoorie And Other Tales is a collection of ten short stories mostly centered in small towns. There is the story of a mysterious murder in Mussoorie that has stayed unsolved till date.  There are stories based on places where Rudyard Kipling is said to have lived during his stay in India. Through these stories, you get a view of India like it was when Ruskin was a child, a teen and a young man, the India that only lives in his memories now. Ruskin's vivid description of the places brings them to life in front of the reader. There is his beloved Dehra where, Ruskin says, the trees are a match for man. There is the lonely and isolated town Shamli where you won't find any civilisation for m...

This book is the debut novel of Nibedita. The story centers around Anaya whose calm and peaceful domestic life is disrupted by an email from Shakti, an unforgettable chapter of her past. The story deals with their tumultous relationship and the effect it has on both of them. The narrative is poetic in its content. It has been written with a lot of grace and is beautiful in its essence. Anaya's guilt, self-doubt and her confusion about her relationship with.Shakti have been portrayed very well. Shakti's character has been well-etched - a dynamic personality who doesn't do things half-way and wears his heart on his sleeve. The gradual progression of his character, from being in love, to drowning in love forms an important part of the story. The book also features poems by Nibedita, expressing her emotions as she takes a nostalgic trip down memory lane with Shakti. The poems are poignant and deep in their essence. I feel there could have been a better demarcation between th...