Category: Book Reviews

Book Review: The Eight Crafts of Writing

The Eight Crafts of Writing by Stefan Emunds is a must-have on the bookshelf for anyone who wants a succinct reckoner for basic principles of good writing.

Eight-Crafts-of-Writing

Book: The Eight Crafts of Writing

Author: by Stefan Emunds

Genre: Nonfiction, Contemporary, Writing Craft

Review Copy: Reedsy

Available at: Amazon.in

Recommended: Loved it!

As a writer, this book grabbed my attention with its title. The Eight Crafts of Writing by Stefan Emunds is a must-have on the bookshelf for anyone who wants a succinct reckoner for basic principles of good writing.

Presented in a crisp format, the book provides a comprehensive map to navigate the writing jungle. Writers are often distracted by the tools of the trade, the multitude of best writing practices, advice on, and criticism of the styles. They tend to miss the overall picture. They forget the joy of creating art.

Nuggets of wisdom, easy to recall definitions, and a simplistic view of concepts are the cornerstone of this guidebook. It brings forth brief comprehension of elements of creative writing that we think we know but may not have clarity. For instance, defining a story as a genre or distinguishing a fictional piece from a nonfictional one. It talks about the techniques that convert big ideas into a masterpiece.

I realized the value of this book as I delved deeper. This is not a one-time read. It is reference material; a textbook. Highlight the nuances, make notes in the margins, view the online material, and memorize the definitions. I recommend it as a must-have for every student and pursuer of the craft of writing. Simple diagrams support the narrative. Links to external material like videos and articles enhance the reference power of the content.

Each page will draw you in, as you consume it. It’s virtually a tome because not a word is wasted; not a sentence is vagrant. It’s packed with a punch, a solid dose of learning in every single line. Read the whole book in a go or pick up a section and ruminate. You must also access the website – https://www.eightcrafts.com for additional learning through maps and articles. This is a masterclass in a book!

Book Review: Inauspicicous

Book: Inauspicious

Author: Renée L. K. Eastabrooks

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Review Copy: Reedsy

Available at: Amazon.com

Some aspects of our society and cultural mores are so horrifying that we strive to keep them under wraps. It takes someone with courage, compassion, and empathy to bring forth depraved secrets so that the evil can be ripped apart at the roots. Renée L. K. Eastabrooks pens down the true story of a young widow in Rajasthan, who miraculously escapes the burning pyre of Sati, and goes on to search for a new life across continents. Easterbrook’s novel – Inauspicious – contains insights from her month-long trip to northern India where she worked with widows and street children.

Sati, the practice of burning alive a widow on the pyre of her dead husband, is illegal in India. However, in the hinterlands, the widow is a financial and social burden, and an entire custom is perpetuated to get rid of her while crowning her with divinity. In this horrifying landscape, a young widow, Triti, escapes a lit pyre and through sisterhood and kindness, and the power of her dreams and forte attempts to rewrite her destiny. The novel is gripping from the start and has the reader rooting for the protagonist.

The writer is invested in the local landscape and heritage. The book contains verses, local lullabies, songs, and a few colloquial dialogues. Amidst the sorrow and the depravity, the descriptions of colors, bazaars, spices, jewelry, bring out the visual vibrancy for which Rajasthan is well-known. Eastabrook’s writing is evocative and the observant narrative fills the pages of an otherwise troubling story.

Initially, it seems Triti’s recovery and journey to Delhi and then to New York is not only swift but convenient. A quarter into the book, the 18 years old, Triti, has changed her identity and moved out of the country, only to discover the smoke and mirrors in the world. Her trysts are yet to unfold.

This is a story of sheer grit and the desire to survive, against all odds. From small towns and impoverished societies rise some of the strongest souls who become an inspiration. Triti’s story, even in adversity, speaks of the power of serendipity and the inner strength that can pave the path for redemption and healing if ever there is for those who have experienced the darkest depths of society.

Book Review: Espresso with the Devil

Book: Espresso with the Devil

Author: Thomas Poppe

Genre: Fiction, Self-Discovery, New-Age

Review Copy: Reedsy

Available on: Amazon.in

Must Read!

A title as interesting as Espresso with the Devil keeps up to its promise of being an engrossing read. Tom, a writer, is approached at the airport by Fred, who introduces himself as the Devil. The Devil is worried and he needs Tom to carry his message to mankind. The premise reminds me of two popular renderings on modern television – Lucifer on Netflix and Crawley from Good Omens on Prime Video – and Fred seems as intriguing and entertaining as these televised characters.

Soon, the writer and Devil are engaged in contemporary discourse on the nature and purpose of modern life. The discussions elaborate how the Devil is able to allure humans to go against their basic instincts and indulge in complex and artificial living that exacerbates the struggles of humanity.

The onslaught of technology diminishes mental faculties. Ease, convenience leads to decay. As fake news, deep fake, permeate our lives, the conscientious can identify the perils of idolizing achievers and creating role models, without knowing the whole truth.

The discussion delves into the competition, materialism, commercialization, scientific and medical advancements, as concepts that imply success but actually are instruments of destruction. Harmony and equality perturb negative forces, hence, rivalry and envy are created in the Devil’s workshop.

The contemplation provides advice to free oneself of the rat race and reclaim the simplicity of a hard-working life for a fulfilling existence. Impulsiveness in thought and action, quick fixes, and striving for the luxurious lead to many of our daily and long-term problems. These are just some of the intriguing topics touched upon in this engrossing read.

The conversation is light, yet the message is deep. A book to be relished in one go and then picked up in moments of deliberation, making an impact one passage at a time. It is a self-help book but for humanity. It puts in words all our scattered thoughts on what is wrong with our world.

Practical insights, spiritual messages, anecdotes, and Devil Hacks may help us reset, recover, renew, or leave us wondering at the impending fate of humans. A book that makes one think is worth the time and attention. I am glad to have discovered it. It pulsates with the anguish of our modern lives and how we are in self-destruct mode. Is there a way to turn away from the abyss? Let the book reveal.

Book Review: The Nonchalant Man Between Worlds

Quite a few stories are narrative in style, imageries piling up, increasingly reflecting the complexity of perceptions. Chan clearly questions, “Has the world always been like this, both insane and chaotic, only he has not seen it as it actually is until now?” This is the theme of the book. Anguished ponderings on the chaos in our minds, purpose, and meaning of our lives, as we try to find a place as friends, lovers, and social beings.

Nonchalant Man

Book: The Nonchalant Man Between Worlds: And Other Stories

Author: William W. Chan

Genre: Fiction, Self-Discovery, Short Stories, Magical Realism

Review Copy: Reedsy

Available on: Amazon.in

The first story in this collection by William W. Chan, reminded me of Oliver Sack’s work – The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. Deeper into the book, a Kafkaesque feeling emerged. It is the nature of man to always seek. Some seek answers in science, trying to decipher the mysterious functioning of the brain. Many lean towards metaphysical pondering on the functioning of the heart, soul, and mind.

The Nonchalant Man Between Worlds: And Other Stories are based on this quest, chasing the pertinent question of what’s real in our world and what may lie beyond in other realms. Dreams can be derived from realities and perturb us as much as illusions in waking hours.

The human and anti-human, creatures, demons, evil, fear, all emerge in our thought-scape based on the state of our mind. What happens when something snaps within us and cracks appear in our vision; when the mind is philosophical, the heart is lonely, and the soul disillusioned? Hallucination-based stories like those told by Chan are born.

Nightmares and illusions predominate the stories. Shifting perceptions harass the characters. My personal favorite is, The Fallen, where I sensed a mystery and indulged in a guessing game of who Harold was and his fate. Many of the open-ended stories leave us wondering.

Quite a few stories are narrative in styI can derive dreamsle, imageries piling up, increasingly reflecting the complexity of perceptions. Chan clearly questions, “Has the world always been like this, both insane and chaotic, only he has not seen it as it actually is until now?” This is the theme of the book. Anguished ponderings on the chaos in our minds, purpose, and meaning of our lives, as we try to find a place as friends, lovers, and social beings.

The well-articulated stories are for anyone who has an interest in metaphysical, spiritual, and philosophical notions, motifs, and themes. Interpretation and understanding of Magic Realism shifts from one reader to the next, in fact, one day to another. Such works are not for light readers.

This is a book for rumination and not just about people going about their daily lives. It is for readers who question the happenings and perceptions of their regular existence. It demands attention and offers deep contemplation dressed up as Magical Realism. Keep a highlighter handy for some musings that are worth marking for a later read, as you relate with them.

Book Review: Bombay Hangovers

The fragility of the aged, raciness of the illicit, achiness of nostalgia and aging bones, the darkness of lust, tender cares of motherhood, the inevitability of fading youth, travails of escapism, and troubled demons of haunted pasts – each story is woven to create an elaborate tapestry.

Bombay Hangovers

Book: Bombay Hangovers

Author: Rochelle Potkar

Genre: Fiction, Short Stories, Indian writing in English

Warning: Explicit content

Available at: Amazon.in

Review Copy: Himalayan Book Club

Our world is made up of stories and most have already been told. It takes an exemplary storyteller to bring life to the mundane and the inconspicuous. Unabashed rendering of exotic yearnings, sensitive descriptions of romantic longings, intense emotions of despair, the gravity of age, trappings of secrets, and a gamut of vast emotions, and scenes flow through the pages of Bombay Hangovers by Rochelle Potkar. The book title is reminiscent of a city, clinging to a past, delving in intoxicating memories of humans, with all their flaws and follies, oft succumbing to the power play of destiny.

Exotic words describe marital bonds from early years of lustful romance to the complacency and frustrations of tired householders. The fragility of the aged, raciness of the illicit, achiness of nostalgia and aging bones, the darkness of lust, tender cares of motherhood, the inevitability of fading youth, travails of escapism, and troubled demons of haunted pasts – each story is woven to create an elaborate tapestry. This is not a leisurely read because it digs into the crevices of fears and passions, dreads and desires, showing us a mirror, bringing to life a society that we ignore. Yet, it pulls you in, word-by-word, page-by-page, as it rips away the facade and unmasks the raw truth pulsating in the heart of Mumbai.

The stories delve into different social classes in the city of Mumbai, as it is now known. Metaphors and analogies embellish the book, revealing research and understanding of the nuances of geometrical terms, workings of a cotton mill, the Goan real-estate, the dhobi ghat, the underbelly of city life, just to name a few. Details are rendered with care, without haste, each word conjuring imagery, sometimes leaving you embarrassed, mostly engrossed. The no-holds-barred flourish of a bold pen takes you on a breathtaking journey into the lives of ordinary men and women.

A few typos are glaring, a sudden shift in the person of narration is disconcerting, and you wish these were not there. Amidst all the beauty of the words, I felt the writing could have been tauter in some stories. Some descriptions could be less superfluous, allowing the reader to savor the exquisite composition and leave some space for musings. The comparatively shorter stories are my favorite in this collection of 16, as they are the most impactful. The introduction is exquisitely written though it contains insights into stories so you may want to read it after diving into the book.