Inane Murtaza

Title : Upon a Burning Throne : Part 2 Author : Ashok Banker Genre : Mythological Retelling Ashok Banker is one of those authors that I came across pretty recently when I had heard of Upon a Burning Throne which is a retelling of the epic saga Mahabharata. A bit of research across platforms, I was pretty much intrigued by his books and that was the time when I had picked up the first part of Upon a Burning Throne. Apparently for Indian audience, the book was divided into two parts for reasons unknown and since I had dedicated myself to the first part, I picked up this one to further prick my curiosity and here is my take on it. Blurb (From Amazon): He is poisoning the very heart of Hastinaga. And he must be stopped. The powerful demonlord Jarsun has declared war on the vast burnt empire. Wars, deceit and sorcery wreak havoc, practically shattering the realm. And he must be stopped. But how? the odds are unsurmountable. And then, on one dark night, everything changes. For the...

Title : The Dutch House Author : Ann Patchett Genre : Historical Fiction I had never read much of Ann Patchett books, this is basically my first from the author and I had my own reasons to pick this one up. Internet has been quite a boon to me since it has introduced me to so many different authors helping me expand my horizons and Patchett turned out to be one of those. Since the time, I came across the blurb of this book, I decided to pick it up and here is my take on it. Blurb :  Set over the course of five decades, The Dutch House is a dark fairy tale about two smart people who cannot overcome their past. Despite every outward sign of success, Danny and Maeve are only truly comfortable when they’re together. Throughout their lives, they return to the well-worn story of what they’ve lost with humor and rage. But when at last they’re forced to confront the people who left them behind, the relationship between an indulged brother and his ever-protective sister is f...

Title : The 117- Storey Treehouse Author : Andy Griffiths and Terry Dentons Genre : Middle Grade Graphic Novel Off late I have been getting my hands on quite a few Graphic Novels and I must say my picks have been really diverse and interesting. Yesterday, it was about a humorous take on life with Trust No Aunty, today it is about Middle Grade Fantasy 'The 117-Storey Treehouse'. Blurb : Andy and Terry have added another thirteen levels of crazy fun to their every-growing treehouse. They've got a tiny-horse level, a pyjama-party room, an Underpants Museum and Treehouse Information Centre! But Andy and Terry have found themselves running from the Story Police and the only way to escape, is through the terrifying Door of Doom! Honestly, since it was my first encounter with the Treehouse stories of books, I wasn't sure what to expect from it. From what I had read about the other books in the series, each book adds 13 levels of fun and excitement. The illustra...

Book Title : Trust No Aunty Author : Maria Qamar Genre : Humor / Hard Hitting Reality Are you a Desi Girl? Are you someone who has been brought up in a desi household family? Then no fear when aunty is here. I had picked up this graphic purely on recommendation by my other reader friends and honestly speaking, the book is truly hard hitting. Based on her popular Instagram @Hatecopy and her experience in a South Asian immigrant family, artist Maria Qamar has created a humorous, illustrated “survival guide” to deal with overbearing “Aunties,” whether they’re family members, annoying neighbours or just some random ladies throwing black magic your way. If you are looking for a book that will make you laugh in splits throughout, this one is your pick. Eventhough it is more relatable to all the lovely ladies out there, you can even glimpse similar incidents as a desi boy as well. Out of the 7-8 different types of personalities that we have encountered in this book, Im sure each and every...

Title :  The Extraordinary Life and Death of Sunanda Pushkar Author : Sunanda Mehta Genre : Non - Fiction There are times when all you find a person being put up on a pedestal of celebrity status so suddenly that you always keep wondering where did this person came from. For me, Sunanda Pushkar was one such person who came into limelight mainly because she married the evergreen politician Mr. Shashi Tharoor. Her marriage was in news everyday and people flocked to internet to find out more about her. Her death became another sensation when she passed away amidst the huge controversy of fights between herself and her husband where she accused Shashi Tharoor of infidelity. But who exactly was Sunanda Pushkar? What was her life before the status of celebrity and how did she die? All the details are explored in this book written by one of her juniors in college which is quite interesting. The book talks about Sunanda Pushkar and her life at every different stage. A Kash...

Title - The Truants Author - Kate Weinberg Genre - Coming of Age Fiction Agatha Christie has always been one of my most favourite mystery authors and her books have always been my first recommendation to people who are looking for books in the genre.So when I found out the book 'The Truants' is a book where the plot involves Christie's book, I didn't hesitate even once to pick it up and here is my take on the same. The Truants is a story mainly revolving around three people. Jess, Alec (Jess's friends boyfriend) and Lorna. Jess arrives at the university mainly bcoz she is in awe with Lorna and wants to take her classes. Though initially disappointed with the course she was enrolled in (Agatha Christie's course) she makes her way to one of Lorna's favorite student. A twist in tale involving them all puts their life upside down and what happens next forms the rest of the story. While the book was pretty intriguing, you do keep going chapte...

Book : Pan's Labyrinth Author : Guillermo del Toro, Cornelia Funke Genre : Children Fantasy We have all heard about movies being made from books and at times criticized them for leaving out so much from the books but there are extremely less cases when we see movies translated to books and the one we are talking about here was a major success garnering critical acclaim all over the world. Pan's Labyrinth was a 2006 fantasy film which even made Stephen King squirm in his seat and we finally have the literary adaptation of the same. Pan's Labyrinth is the story of Ofelia who moves in with her mother to her stepfather's place. A gullible girl who still believes that magic exists in the world looks at the people in the same frame of lens. Her surprise knows no bounds when she meets a Fawn who tells her that she is a princess of the Underworld and gives her three tasks to return back. A book based during Spanish Civil War needs no introduction to readers who are f...