deepat's Reviews (252)

It was nice to read about how the famous Ellora Cave temple was built. A Rashtrakoota Queen refused to eat even a single morsel until she saw the top “kalasha” of the temple. To fulfill the vow, the temple was built from a single large rock - from the top down - so that the “kalasha” was completed first. I do wish the story was more well-fleshed out - even the name of the queen is not mentioned. However the rise to power of the Rashtrakoota empire is well explained. The Amar Chithra Katha books are such a treasure trove of Indian culture and history. Thank you, Uncle Pai. These comics are a great idea to introduce youngsters to Indian culture, mythology, folk tales, great scientists, historical figures and so much more. 

Another great read from J K Rowling. It is very interesting how she manages to link everything together so well. Small, minor sentences from the first chapters turn out to be so crucial in the final chapters - everything makes so much sense. A masterpiece in threading narratives and plots together. The stories are getting darker and darker, and yet there is always hope glimmering through by the end of the book. Truly love Rowling’s writing. Truly love Dumbledore- he’s the best!

I had purchased this book ages ago and completely lost track of it. Glad I read it though. Great story. Real world psychos ego behave like vampires and a stalker who knows chillingly too much. Quite a gripping tale. The vampire sections of the book are a bit gory and the stalker sections are scary. But when the serial killer vampire was finally caught, I was a bit disappointed with the whys and the whats. The stalker - I had long begun to suspect - and felt quite validated when he was revealed. Overall a good read. 

A very interesting book. I read it as part of the Across Time and Space Challenge on Storygraph that encourages to read books from different decades and different countries. It just confirms my belief that even while so many customs are alien to me, so many similarities persist, nonetheless. Perhaps rural Africa is more similar than one realises to rural India. Except for a few snippets of explicit language (personal preference for a family-friendly read, that’s all), I enjoyed the author’s style of writing. She truly transports the reader into the life of Baba Segi. Glad I picked up this book. 

I’m pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this book. I had heard of this book long before, had heard that it was great book for creative people. But I had always assumed that I was not the intended audience. Was I wrong!! 

This is the kind of book that makes me glad that I’ve joined these book clubs. They force me out of my usual path and I find these absolute gems out there. A great book that advocates the simple, age-old values of courage, consistency and faith. I’m so glad I read this and I definitely will be rereading it every once in a while. 

Another fun read from the Nancy Drew series. I really love how short yet immersive these stories are. Also they are perfect for a quick read to complete readathons. The story was quite complicated with a lot of side issues and it made for some interested reading. 

It is always a pleasure to read the first book in any series - seeing how it all started. This first story in the Asterix series does not disappoint. It introduces most of true main characters and their quirks- how they are and mostly, why they are as they are. Also it emphasises early on that it is the sheer cunning and wit of Asterix, not merely his physical strength (thanks to the potion) that won the day. The level of detail in the illustrations is unparalleled. One of my all-time favourite comics. 

I love the Miss Marple series of books. I love the idea of a gentle, old lady knitting away silently, not missing a single trick. She is sharper than most of the professional detectives and police forces combined, thanks to her skill of observing people and learning from life. Maybe it is because I’m quite the opposite, that she intrigues me so. Great story, great characters and a great mystery. 

2024:
Such a wonderful book. It inspires me to be a much better and happier person in my home. The suggestions are all very practical and doable. The French are far from being perfect - as the author herself says. But there is so much that could be learned from their culture. I’ve already implemented several ideas from this book and it has made all the difference. I’m so grateful I picked up this book - another keeper for my bibliothèque 😍

2025:
This is one book I can never tire of. I absolutely love the vibes of this book. I splurged on the hardcover edition and am so glad I did. It has a pride of place in my own personal library forever. The author talks just as much about the why-s as the how-s of French homes and that is awesome. I re-read this book very frequently just to remind me of a better way of living. 

A classic forever. But the quaint writing style makes it difficult to read. Glad I went for the comic version; the full play would have been a bother. The confusion created by the author in the plot is par excellence. There were some of the more popular Shakespearean quotes in this book too.