Book Review: Another Life by Kristin Hannah

Here are some of the things that I liked about the book:

Apple Never Fall

Apple never Fall” by Liane Moriarty is a gripping novel that delves deep into the dynamics of a family and their secrets. The book is set in Sydney, Australia, and follows the lives of four adult siblings – Stan, Amy, Brooke, and Trent – and their parents, Joy and Stan Sr. The story begins with the disappearance of Joy, a retired figure skater, and how her absence affects the entire family.

Moriarty is a master at creating complex and flawed characters, and “Apple Never Fall” is no exception. Each of the siblings has their own secrets and issues, and the book explores how these secrets affect their relationships with one another and their parents. The author expertly weaves together the past and present, slowly revealing the family’s secrets and how they have impacted their lives.

One of the standout features of the book is the author’s ability to portray the intricacies of family relationships. The interactions between the siblings, their parents, and their significant others are incredibly realistic, and the tensions that arise feel raw and authentic. The novel highlights the idea that even those closest to us can keep secrets, and how those secrets can impact our lives in unexpected ways.

The pacing of the novel is slow but steady, with the tension building gradually as the story unfolds. Moriarty expertly drops hints and red herrings throughout the book, keeping the reader guessing until the very end. The writing style is engaging and descriptive, and the characters are well-rounded and relatable.

Overall, “Apple Never Fall” is a well-crafted family drama that explores the complexities of relationships and the secrets that can tear them apart. Moriarty’s writing style is engaging and descriptive, and the characters are well-developed and realistic. The slow and steady pacing may not be for everyone, but for those who enjoy a character-driven drama, this book is a must-read.

The 2022 International Booker Prize winning book has been announced!

The winner of the 2022 International Booker Prize is Tomb of Sand, written by Geetanjali Shree and translated by Daisy Rockwell. 

Tomb of Sand is Geetanjali’s first novel to be published in the UK. It is also the first book originally written in any Indian language to win the prize, and the first novel translated from Hindi to be recognised by the Booker Prizes.

The novel is published by Tilted Axis Press, which was founded by Deborah Smith with her prize money from when she won the 2016 Man Booker International Prize for her translation of The Vegetarian by Korean author Han Kang.

Captivated by the power, the poignancy and the playfulness of ‘Tomb of Sand’, Geetanjali Shree’s polyphonic novel of identity and belonging, in Daisy Rockwell’s exuberant, coruscating translation. This is a luminous novel of India and partition, but one whose spellbinding brio and fierce compassion weaves youth and age, male and female, family and nation into a kaleidoscopic whole.

Geetanjali Shree is the author of three novels and several story collections, and her work has been translated into English, French, German, Serbian and Korean.

Shree was born in Mainpuri, India, in 1957. Tomb of Sand is the first of her books to be published in the UK. She has received and been shortlisted for a number of awards and fellowships, and currently lives in New Delhi.

TOMB OF SAND

Written by Geetanjali Shree and translated by Daisy Rockwell from Hindi. In northern India, an 80-year-old woman slips into a deep depression at the death of her husband, then resurfaces to gain a new, highly unconventional, lease of life. Original, engaging and funny, Tomb of Sand is also an urgent and timely protest against the destructive impact of borders.

Click here to buy this book from Amazon
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सच कहूँ तो : An Autobiography

Beautifully penned if you read it without being judgemental

In Sach Kahun Toh, actor Neena Gupta chronicles her extraordinary personal and professional journey-from her childhood days in Delhi’s Karol Bagh, through her time at the National School of Drama, to moving to Bombay in the 1980s and dealing with the struggles to find work. It details the big milestones in her life, her unconventional pregnancy and single parenthood, and a successful second innings in Bollywood. A candid, self-deprecating portrait of the person behind the persona, it talks about her life’s many choices, battling stereotypes, then and now, and how she may not be as unconventional as people think her to be.

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The 2020 Booker Prize Winner

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

“She was no use at maths homework, and some days you could starve rather than get a hot meal from her, but Shuggie looked at her now and understood this was where she excelled. Everyday with the make-up on and her hair done, she climbed out of her grave and held her head high. When she had disgraced herself with drink, she got up the next day, put on her best coat, and faced the world. When her belly was empty and her weans were hungry, she did her hair and let the world think otherwise.”


A heartbreaking story of addiction, sexuality, and love, Shuggie Bain is an epic portrayal of a working-class family that is rarely seen in fiction. It is a blistering debut by a brilliant novelist who has a powerful and important story to tell.

Douglas Stuart was born and raised in Glasgow. After graduating from the Royal College of Art in London, he moved to New York City, where he began a career in fashion design. His work has appeared in the New Yorker and on LitHub. Shuggie Bain is his first novel. https://www.douglasdstuart.com

Sister of My Heart

“Every person has a heart, but we’re not always lucky enough to get a glimpse of it. And every heart, even the hardest, has a fragile spot. If you hit it there, it shatters.”

My favourite author and wonderful human being. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an Indian-American author, poet, and the Betty and Gene McDavid Professor of Writing at the University of Houston Creative Writing Program

More about her : http://www.chitradivakaruni.com/

Zero Bridge & The Hanging River : Book Review

Zero Bridge & The Hanging River is a story of a teenager who is smitten by a charming girl in her class. His repeated efforts to come close to her are so simple and adorable. They fill the heart of readers with warmth and affection.

As story progress, abrupt events of destiny adds new dimensions to his journey.

Reader’s get connected immediately with the protagonist. They will start breathing the life of the young teenager, and may often see a reflection of themselves in him.

It is an emotive roller coaster bumpy ride with romantic, dreamy, heartwarming and intense soul searching moments

Zero Bridge and the Jhelum river have been beautifully used as metaphors to give depth and meaning into the contemporary life of the characters.

It’s a true reflection of the fact that all of us are connected with our past traditions. We need to understand and recognise them to understand our present.

It’s heartening to see the protagonist finding the answers of his complex problems while getting connected with Zero Bridge and looking into the river Jhelum.

Author has been successful in talking the readers into an inward journey and ask questions. Some of them may get answerd and some may remain hung, to be answered by the destiny.

Grab your copy now !

Link is here

About Author

Dinkar Chopra is a good friend, and amazing human being. Science graduate from Delhi University with vast experience in corporate world at different managerial positions. An energetic, upbeat leader with excellent verbal, written and presentation skills.

Finalists announced for The Man Booker International Prize 2015

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The Man Booker International Prize recognises one writer for his or her achievement in fiction.  Worth £60,000 to the winner, the prize is awarded every two years to a living author who has published fiction either originally in English or whose work is generally available in translation in the English language.
The ten authors under consideration for this 2015 prize are:

  • César Aira (Argentina)
  • Hoda Barakat (Lebanon)
  • Maryse Condé (Guadeloupe)
  • Mia Couto (Mozambique)
  • Amitav Ghosh (India)
  • Fanny Howe (United States of America)
  • Ibrahim al-Koni (Libya)
  • László Krasznahorkai (Hungary)
  • Alain Mabanckou (Republic of Congo)
  • Marlene van Niekerk (South Africa)

The finalists were announced at the University of Cape Town in South Africa by the chair of judges, Professor Marina Warner, who commented:
‘The judges have had an exhilarating experience reading for this prize; we have ranged across the world and entered the vision of writers who offer an extraordinary variety of experiences. Fiction can enlarge the world for us all and stretch our understanding and our sympathy. The novel today is in fine form: as a field of inquiry, a tribunal of history, a map of the heart, a probe of the psyche, a stimulus to thought, a well of pleasure and a laboratory of language. Truly, we feel closer to the tree of knowledge.’
Previous winners have been Lydia Davis (2013), Philip Roth (2011), Alice Munro (2009), Chinua Achebe (2007) and Ismail Kadare (2005).

The 2015 winner will be announced in London on 19 May.

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