From Deepa's Desk

A Thousand Trains To Somewhere by Krishna Gady Available in Kindle edition This book is a travelogue of a couple's visit to Japan spanning the twelve blissful days they spent there. It starts with a not-so-pleasant flight to Japan. But things start changing right at the first glimpse of Mt.Fuji, or Fuji-san, as the Japanese refer respectfully. The travelogue describes in detail, the couple's visit to the various locales in Japan that make it the amazing country it is. First glimpse of Fuji-san, scuba diving in the waters of Okinawa, the sublime autumn of Kyoto, the bowing deer of Nara and the charm of Tokyo - all these amazing experiences have been featured in the travelogue. I loved the description of every place. It felt as if I was there personally. The author's unique style of staccato narration to describe emotional experiences is indeed amazing. I have always fantasized about Japan and this book brought many a fantasy to life for me. The breezy and crisp narration kee...

Ex-cop-turned-private-detective Satyadarshi who works in Mumbai is given the case of an eighty-year old woman who was stabbed to death. Outwardly the case appears unsolveable. An eighty-year old woman with no apparent enemies, leading a retired life of her own. Satyadarshi needs something to start looking into the case. Thankfully, she doesn’t have to look far. A mysterious wall-hanging and a book that appears to be out of place in the library inside the deceased’s home gain her attention. As Satyadarshi begins her investigation by trying to contact friends of the deceased, she gains startling revelations that point out that it is no way a simple investigation, especially when kings of the past have a connection to the same! What with her mother amping up her matchmaking skills, Satyadarshi having to play investigator for over-weight yet incredibly cute canines and trying to remind herself every few seconds that she is not to fall for her almost-a-date (no matter how cute or nerdy ...

As I stand before the holy pyre lit for Bhogi celebrations in my lane, I realise that another spiritual month has come to an end - the month of Margasheersha or Margazhi as we South-Indians refer to it as.  But then, when a month ends, it doesn't end alone. After all the month is made of days, and the days are made of tiny rituals that more or less make us who we are, and stay as memories in our mind.  With the ending of Margazhi, there ends the daily ritual of listening to Thiruppavai, a beautiful composition of thirty pasurams (or paragraphs, if you will). These are dedicated to Lord Vishnu and have been composed by one of His greatest albeit youngest devotee, Devi Andal. Every morning, since thirty days, this composition has been playing in my home. This ritual comes to an end today! Thiruppavai is also song in the temple in my colony. The special prasad for Margazhi month is pongal, steaming, peppery, ghee-laden aromatic pongal that just tastes divine. Today, this ritual o...

The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down – Haemin Sunim Haemin, a Zen monk used to share inspiring messages and tweets on social networking sites, in response to the queries that people often sought him for. Gradually these posts garnered worldwide attention and publishing companies started asking Haemin to publish his messages in the form of a book. Thus, this book came to existence, and how glad are we for the same! There are totally 8 chapters in the book. Every chapter begins with a short reflective essay written by Haemin. The essay is then followed by inspiring and soulful messages, quotes and insights shared by Haemin. Sometimes he has cited the quotes said by other people (and has given them their due credit). The messages, though short, are deep in their impact. Although the title of the book advocates slowing down, it feels like the book is written for those who don’t have time! The short and inspiring messages are like power capsules, giving you the essential mental st...

  The Reluctant Doctor – Stilettos To Stethoscope written by Balesh Jindal Trigger alert – Some chapters in the book deal with crimes such as rape, abetted suicides and dowry-related torture. This book is a candid account of Balesh’s tryst as a doctor in a little village named Kapashera. Like the title suggests, the journey began reluctantly, for Balesh had dreams of pursuing medical practice in London. However, her father’s nudging brings her to a little clinic in Kapashera. Balesh meets the patients gradually, hoping that this would only be for a short term, but she spends the next thirty-eight years of her life as a doctor for the village and the nearby ones. Not just a doctor, she becomes a confidante, lending a helping ear to every patient in need and ends up building a rapport that far exceeds the relationship between a doctor and a patient. Balesh has been very candid throughout her narrative, sharing both her moments of strength and weakness. Her narration takes the...

Krishna, Buddha and Lao Tzu have a coffee with you – Jana Capri and Charan Diaz I will be frank – I bought the book solely influenced by the title. Also, I like reading books based on spirituality and philosophy. And this book? It is a wonderful combination of both. Picture this scene – a psychologist sits surrounded by three great wise men – Krishna, Buddha and Lao Tzu. He asks them questions that almost every human has ever had and wanted to know the answer to. This is the premise of the whole book. The authors have wonderfully compiled timeless insights from spiritual texts such as the Dhammapada, the Bhagwad Gita and Tao’s wisdom and provided them as answers to the questions baffling the human mind. The questions do not pertain to any one religion. They are universal in general. More spiritual and philosophical than religious, if you will. To cite one question, how does anger negatively affect our spiritual development. There are three answers to every question – answers provided b...

The Book Of Ichigo Ichie by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles I have read Ikigai by the same authors and absolutely loved it. So I decided to give this book a try. Also, Japanese culture, their mindset, their leisurely pace of living and their reverence to life – all these have fascinated me always. Ikigai was thoroughly inspiring, and I started reading this book with a lot of expectations. Each and every one of them was met, and how! Ichigo Ichie roughly translates to, What we are experiencing right now will never happen again. And this makes the current moment precious, since there is no chance that we will experience the same again. The whole book is based on this concept of Ichigo Ichie and shares insights about how we can live in the current moment optimally. The authors have shared snippets from everyday life in Japan to explain in detail, the various concepts that the Japanese follow, such as Kaika, Mankai, Ikigai and more. The book is not preachy. It feels like you are listen...

  I sit in front of the laptop and stare at the screen in frustration and despair. I have been fighting a creative block since many days. The experts say that there is no use fighting it, and that it is best to relax and step back whenever one is facing a creative block. I feel restless if I don’t attempt to write. I feel frustrated when I attempt and fail. Oh, the turmoil! In moments of sheer desperation, negativity rises to the surface and whispers, ‘All this struggle, and for what exactly? What do you gain by writing? Money? Followers? Subscribers? Fame? Recognition? Is it worth it – to struggle mentally, to write page after page, blog after blog, book after book, only to get single-digit views and readership?’ I can’t deny that I have succumbed to such negativity time and again. I have questioned my existence as a writer. I have wondered whether I can be called a writer, whether I justify the term. Here is a candid truth – the process of writing has given me more mome...

  How did you celebrate 31 st December? My friend messages me. I spent it at home. I reply, the words at home evoking a strange nostalgia in me. I am one of those fortunate souls for whom the word ‘Home’ means several places. I have had to say goodbye to four homes, and every goodbye hurt differently. But today as I write this from the place that is my current home, I look around and realize that perhaps I am where I am exactly supposed to be. There are books in every room. Sprawled on the couch, gathering dust on the tv shelf, on chairs that I keep beside my bed, inside my wardrobe, beneath the coffee-table – they are everywhere. And they make my house a home. I spend evenings with the books, lost in the deep recesses of their timeless wisdom. For me, home means sitting on my favorite chair at my usual spot with a book in hand and getting lost in a beautiful and mystical world. Home is the place where my habits have a habitat.   Home has come to mean routines. ...