deepat's Reviews (252)

Was an easy quick read. Read the entire book in one sitting. Three new fairy tales I had never heard of. A re-telling, actually. One of these tales, the one about the thieves, was eerily similar to Baddu and Chhotu, one of my favourite ACK titles. Liked the White Wolf quite a bit. Another thing I liked is that the author has included the original story. Comparing the two versions was another interesting factor. I read this book as part of my Magical Readathon - Orilium Academy - Character Creation. Might never have picked this one up otherwise 😀

This is one of my life changing books. I started Bullet Journaling sometime in 2016 and bought this book when it first came out as a bundle along with the official Bullet Journal notebook. This method has been the mainstay of my life since then. It makes me happy, keeps me organised and grounded and is a great place for me to reflect and re-calibrate my priorities. Online, one finds so many complicated versions of Bullet Journals. But this book details the essence of bullet journaling, the mindfulness part. I often need that reminder myself. Highly recommend this book, both for newbies and for seasoned bujo-ers. 

I’m confused about my feelings for this book. The writing is good, I admit. But the topic has left me confused and unhappy. It is a satire about India - the real life of the real people - both the rich and the poor. I was truly saddened by the life of Balram, our protagonist. But then, he treats his master, the one person in this world who treated him like a fellow human being, so appallingly without so much remorse. It was a contradictory read, to say the least. Interesting,too. But depressing. I will not be reading it again.

This is one of my frequent re-reads. A sci-fi thriller from the master of medical thrillers. A clear departure from his usual storyline. But I find this one very intriguing. An interesting mix of Jules Verne and H G Wells, yet feels quite different somehow. I especially love how human nature is brought to the forefront towards the end. Also interesting how the only female protagonist is the one rooting for peace 🧐

One of the quickest reads. But oh so satisfying. Always leaves me amazed and inspired, with a smile on my face. I love this comic manga format so much more than the original book. The story is short, sweet and jam-packed with all the essentials of the Konmari Method. This book is definitely on my permanent bookshelf. 

I'm conflicted. I loved parts of this book, hated other parts and was discomfited by others. For starters, this is a book for the "ambitious" and I'm not one. That immediately puts me at odds with the author of this book.

The first few chapters seemed like a re-reading of Rhonda Bryne's Secret. Since this book was published much earlier, I presume Rhonda was totally inspired by this book. The next few chapters challenged my opinions quite a bit, and I found myself disappointed with the contents. In contrast,  the last few chapters were quite brutally honest and pricked my conscience far more than I was comfortable with. 

Lots of gems of wisdom throughout the book. I've highlighted extensively and perhaps, I'll someday read the last few chapters once again for a jolt, when I feel the need for one.

Not having read Barbara Cartland books before, I had no idea what to expect. I had read somewhere that she “helps us to escape from our day-to-day…”; oh yes, that she certainly does; to a land of irresistible beauties and admirable gentlemen, who are true, kind, generous, courageous, brilliant and everything good. Every story is the same- it ends perfectly well, all sunshine and rainbows- and yet, every story has a unique element to it. This kept things interesting, even though I was reading 10 stories at one go. I picked this book up under the theme “An author everyone has read except you” and I couldn’t be happier about my choice. 

A very captivating read. I found it very hard to put the book down until I had read through to the last page. In Hindi, the book is tilted “Sitayan”, a more apt name for the story,I feel. It is indeed Sita’s life examined with an equal mixture of admiration and sympathy. It is so true and so sad that women, over the ages, have been forced to suffer and take blame for men’s foibles and failures. It is shocking that this was happening even during ancient times, whenever the Ramayana was initially composed. Growing up, we have all revered Ram as the maryada-purush and yet, he too was immensely cruel towards the one who loved him the most. 

I have a theory - “Great” men, or women, are “great” mostly for posterity alone; people will surely sing their praises for years to come. But “great” men, or women, usually inflict great suffering upon their families. The ones who pay the price of their greatness are the people who love and care for them. 

One of the darker books. Harry is losing so many of the people he has come to trust and love. From the next book on, Harry, Ron and Hermione are mostly on their own. The book continues to surprise me with little gems of wisdom and wisecracks (mostly from Dumbledore, himself) sprinkled throughout the story. The sincere love of Fleur, the tragic courage of Snape, the loss of Dumbledore - in my mind, these are the highlights of this book. 

Another excellent book from Allen Carr. It has definitely inspired me to eat better. I love the author’s logic-based argumentative approach to eating healthy. The logic is certainly un-refutable. I’m planning to introduce fruits, vegetables, fruits and nuts into my meals as well as drastically reduce the carb content and overall portion sizes. Book review turned life plans… oh well!