Srivalli Rekha (Semi Hiatus)'s Blog, page 79
March 13, 2021
Temple Trail- a Quest for Cultural Identity- A-Z Theme Reveal
Temple Trail- a Quest for Cultural Identity It’s time for the A-Z Challenge again- a month full of crazy fun and learning.
I’ve down poems the last two years, and this year is going to be no different. Yet, the theme for this year is something that has become close to me in recent times.
Ancient architecture has always fascinated me, though my inclination was towards European structures for a long, long time. Coming across the marvelous temple architecture from my land, India has been an eye-opener. Imagine using a chisel and hammer centuries ago to carve breathtaking sculptures.
I found life in temple architecture, pulsing with divine energy and serenity, even if the broken pillars lay abandoned in ruins. From being someone who declared there wasn’t a need to go to a temple, I became a person who craves to visit all the ancient and not-so-ancient Hindu temples in the country and the world. Guess it was good that the pandemic brought restrictions with it and saved my already weak bank account.
Following social media accounts such as Lost Temples, Vertigo Warrior, Desi Thug, Kashmiri Pandit, Reclaim Temples, and others, opened doors to a world I was more than ready to embrace.
Yes, I love my temples.
Yes, I want them freed from greedy clutches.
Yes, I am PROUD of my heritage. I no longer believe in degrading and insulting my culture to earn brownie points. I can bake my own brownies, thank you very much.
My temple trail for April is an attempt to travel across the country in search of some ancient, monumental, ignored, destroyed, rebuilt, and even relatively new temples. Every place has its history, its Purana.
Some make us smile, some make us cry, and some instill hope. My collection is just a drop in the vast ocean. I haven’t even touched 2% of the temples on my land. But I did try to pick at least one for every alphabet.
If you’re wondering how poetry fits into the picture, it’s simple.
Each poem would talk about the temples and their heritage associated with the alphabets. I’ll be mentioning the sources for my data at the end of each post.
I hope my series helps you know more about the land that was here long before any of us were born and decided we were worthy of her. She may be the ground beneath our feet, but she is the one that lets us stand tall and look at the sky. The least she deserves is respect for enduring the ravage unleashed upon her for centuries.
Join me in my Temple Trail- a Quest for Cultural Identity
P.S: A gentle yet firm request to atheists and intellectuals who wake up when it’s convenient- my posts are NOT for you. If you have nothing good to say, stay away. In a secular country, I have the right to practice my religion without others telling me what to do.
The Choice I Made- Book Review
4.2 Stars
The Choice I Made is the story of Julie, who has to make more than one decision in a relatively short time. The book also deals with the choices another person was forced to make and how that changed the current events.
Told from Julie’s perspective, the book highlights the importance of family, support, and having a loving partner. Most of the characters are well-etched though the two crucial ones didn’t get enough space.
It is easy to invest in the characters and feel for them. The author has us hooked from the first page, and we keep rooting for the ones we love. Julie is confused, frustrated, and even terrified at times. But she doesn’t ramble or act like a nitwit. Not once did she come across as stupid. In fact, no character is a caricature, even the unlikable Tristan, Julie’s husband. He has many faults, but he is not a villain or a disgusting two-dimensional man.
I found myself wanting to read faster and know what happens next. The writing holds the readers’ interest, and that, for me is a huge plus.
Overall, this is a bittersweet book with a happy ending about life, choices, and love.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bookouture and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 11, 2021
Girl in a Million- Book Review
Girl in a Million is a book of childhood, friendships, bonds that break, bonds that stay, loss of innocence, loss of lives, and much more. It is a bittersweet story where the narration moves between the past and present to give readers a glimpse into the life of Sagarika and her gang of friends from school.
What connects them? What binds them despite the differences? What makes them lean on each other even after drifting apart for years? You’ll find the answers to these questions and more.
As the title highlights, the book primarily deals with the life of Sagarika and why she was christened girl in a million.
The narrative shifts and alters between different POVs, with Sagarika’s being the primary voice. We see things from her perspective, in bits and pieces, as we continue to piece together the past and present.
The narrative is mellow and takes time to establish itself. Once you get into the flow, the book becomes easier to read. The author’s vocab seems to be the highlight of the book, though readers like me don’t have to get annoyed by the extensive use of Tharoorish language. The author balances it well, making the narration appear seamless.
As you would have guessed from the blurb, there is darkness surrounding our leading lady. What is it, and will she be able to come out from it? You’ll have to read the book to know.
March 7, 2021
The Vault of Vishnu- Book Review
3.3 Stars
The Vault of Vishnu is a combination of history, myth, politics, crime, and some science. The blurb shows that the story would progress in dual timelines, if not more. Everything about it sounded fantastic.
This is my first book by the author. While I enjoyed the first-person narrative of the Buddhist monk, I failed to connect with the young rookie, Pam. Instead, I liked the secondary characters (Mr. Rao and Anu) more than the leading lady.
The division of chapters and scenes was done well. Keeping track of the events was no issue. But the information dump about every character was annoying. Right, I know I need to know about them. But I sure don’t need their bio when they are introduced. Space it out throughout the book. The initial background dump slowed down my reading pace.
Despite the whole list of places the monk traveled, I enjoyed his voice the most. It was probably the only one that felt steady throughout the book. Mark showed promise, but his character wasn’t developed enough.
Coming to the ‘thriller’ part, it fell flat. The details about the secret services and hubs were enjoyable, no doubt. But the pacing was wrong. First, it’s too slow with information overload. Then, there’s a small section where some sort of scheming and confusion occurs. And voila! The story starts to unravel, and everything is tied up with a shiny bow. Effortless, almost.
When we really look at it, Pam did very little. She was more of a catalyst while others took the scene into their hands. If that was the author’s intention, then no complaints.
What I do love was the research that went into the book. Still, maybe a bit of toning down on the data and emphasizing the plot itself would have worked better for readers like me who love tight narratives and good thrillers.
The blurb and the title felt like they fit the story in a roundabout manner. They didn’t make show much significance until towards the end. Even then, the link wasn’t strong.
Overall, the book is okayish. It's a one-time read for me.
This review is posted as a part of the Thousand Reviewers Club. Thank you, Indic Academy and Indic Book Club, for a review copy of the book.
February 17, 2021
The Turncoat's Widow- Book Review
The book is about Rebecca Parcell or Becca, widow of Phillip Parcell, the supposed Patriot during the American Revolution. We see how he was a British spy and had made a list of fellow spies, which is supposed to be in Becca’s possession.
She is targeted by the folk of Morristown for various reasons- hatred for her husband, suspicion on her loyalties towards the land, and for the list, she doesn’t even know existed. Above all, we see that she was an easy target for being different from the rest of them.
Becca is offered a deal by none other than George Washington to find the list and be free of the rumors and the Council's threat to take away her farm.
Daniel Alloway, an escaped British prisoner, is appointed as her protector when Becca travels to New York to uncover the mystery around her dead husband.
The book is full of action, twists, and revelations. The lines between good and bad, friend and foe, blur as Becca gets embroiled deeper in the tangle of web around her.
What I like:
It is a fast-paced story with a straightforward and crisp narration. Some characters were interesting to read. (Augusta, Annie, Mason, etc.) I wished there was more information to give them the required depth. A decent and neatly tied up ending that can lead to another book in the series (it does look that way). Keeping the reader guessing about the twist. Half my guesses were right.What I Wished was Better:
Too many characters crammed into the story, causing confusion. (Yeah, they are necessary, but some could have been used without names). There are no proper explanations for some developments in the story. I wouldn’t call these plot holes. It’s more of a lack of character development. There is no real depth of emotions displayed by any character. Even Becca seems superficial and removed from the story. While that made reading easier, it would have been more impactful to delve into the emotional turmoil of the lead characters. The love/ romance angle wasn’t explored enough. I understand there wasn’t time for it, but the emotional connection was not as strong as it should be.Overall, this is a good debut novel and was quite enjoyable. But it is a one-time read and not memorable enough to stay with me for a long time.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Level Best Books and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#TheTurncoatsWidow #NetGalley
February 12, 2021
The French House- Book Review
Genre: Historical Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Literary Fiction, Inspired by True Story 4.3 Stars
The book is based on the true story of none other than Nicole Clicquot, the woman who ran the world’s greatest champagne house, Veuve Clicquot, when the world thought the business was no place for a lady. Of course, I wasn’t aware of this when I requested the book. The blurb and cover were enough to attract my attention.
The book deals with the life of Nicole Clicquot since she was 11 years old (1790) until the time things start to look hopeful after Russia defeats Napolean and decides to open the trade borders with France in 1815.
We see Nicole as a girl, a young lady with a spark in her eyes, a wife, a mother, a widow, and most importantly, an unrelenting businesswoman. She worked in the vineyards as a worker and took the business to new heights as a successful boss.
Of course, times were hard and even brutal. Things hit a new low, but Nicole continued. I’ve read about the great woman on Wikipedia and loved her grit.
Coming to the book, it’s a mix of facts and fiction. We have Louis, the real-life loyal salesman of the company, along with various fictional characters. The love shared by the husband and wife and their mutual love for the vineyards were taken from real life, the author said.
We see an array of characters, and a good number of them have been well developed. Theresa, Xavier, Natasha, Madame Oliver, Emile, Alexei, Moet (along with Nicole and Louis) have depth and appear quite real. They have flaws, they have positives, and their actions align with their personalities.
The descriptions of the vineyards, the growing vines, the champagne-making process are vivid and wonderful. I enjoyed them a lot. Some made me want to try champagne and see if it would really be as it was described in the book (I’m a teetotaller).
A lot happens in the book, and it can be overwhelming if you read it all at once. I mean, it felt like so much had happened, and I saw that I reached only 50% of the book. That’s both an advantage and a disadvantage.
This is one of those books you have to read in installments. You won’t mind putting it down to take a breather and pick it up the next day. But yes, you will pick it up. Overall, The Champagne Widow is a lovely book with more grief and struggles than laughter, but it is worth reading if you like women-centric books, especially with a war backdrop.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bookouture.
#TheChampagneWidow #NetGalley
The Champagne Widow- Book Review
Genre: Historical Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Literary Fiction, Inspired by True Story 4.3 Stars
The book is based on the true story of none other than Nicole Clicquot, the woman who ran the world’s greatest champagne house, Veuve Clicquot, when the world thought the business was no place for a lady. Of course, I wasn’t aware of this when I requested the book. The blurb and cover were enough to attract my attention.
The book deals with the life of Nicole Clicquot since she was 11 years old (1790) until the time things start to look hopeful after Russia defeats Napolean and decides to open the trade borders with France in 1815.
We see Nicole as a girl, a young lady with a spark in her eyes, a wife, a mother, a widow, and most importantly, an unrelenting businesswoman. She worked in the vineyards as a worker and took the business to new heights as a successful boss.
Of course, times were hard and even brutal. Things hit a new low, but Nicole continued. I’ve read about the great woman on Wikipedia and loved her grit.
Coming to the book, it’s a mix of facts and fiction. We have Louis, the real-life loyal salesman of the company, along with various fictional characters. The love shared by the husband and wife and their mutual love for the vineyards were taken from real life, the author said.
We see an array of characters, and a good number of them have been well developed. Theresa, Xavier, Natasha, Madame Oliver, Emile, Alexei, Moet (along with Nicole and Louis) have depth and appear quite real. They have flaws, they have positives, and their actions align with their personalities.
The descriptions of the vineyards, the growing vines, the champagne-making process are vivid and wonderful. I enjoyed them a lot. Some made me want to try champagne and see if it would really be as it was described in the book (I’m a teetotaller).
A lot happens in the book, and it can be overwhelming if you read it all at once. I mean, it felt like so much had happened, and I saw that I reached only 50% of the book. That’s both an advantage and a disadvantage.
This is one of those books you have to read in installments. You won’t mind putting it down to take a breather and pick it up the next day. But yes, you will pick it up.
Overall, The Champagne Widow is a lovely book with more grief and struggles than laughter, but it is worth reading if you like women-centric books, especially with a war backdrop.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bookouture.
#TheChampagneWidow #NetGalley
February 4, 2021
Secrets at the Last House Before the Sea- Book Review
Genre: Women’s Fiction 4 Stars
There’s nothing the view of the sea and the sky from the window of your childhood home. And the occasional mist that surrounds the house and isolates you from the rest of the world can be peaceful, stifling, or terrifying.
Rosie Merchant feels all of these and much more as she stands in the empty Driftwood House, located in the small seaside village, Heaven’s Cove. Her mother passed away when Rosie was in Spain, enjoying her life and work.
She gets back home to the village she couldn’t wait to escape from. What else could she do? But her plan of packing her mother’s possessions and catching the next possible flight crumbles when she receives a notice.
Confused between listening to her mind and her heart, Rosie finds it hard to come to terms with her mother’s death. One decision leads to another, and secrets start to trip her in the most unexpected ways. Was her life even real? What other secrets did her mother hide? How would it change Rosie's future?
Include a handful of villagers- Nessa, a single mother who fast becomes Rosie’s friend again, Liam, the school’s heartthrob, who is now a farmer with sad eyes and troubles of his own, Belinda, the lady who knows everything and can gossip from day to night, Katrina, who manages to inspire strong feelings without even trying, and a few others; the book is a mix of people we come to like and people we’d love to hate.
The setting and its descriptions are the highlights of the book. As a fan of settings, this pleases me to no end.
Luckily, the characters, too, were well developed to add more weight to the story. There is a good mix of show and tell, which set a steady pace for the narrative to create interest and hook the readers’ attention.
The story is neither too heavy nor too light. It has moments of smiles, chuckles, and sadness. Of course, we can guess the secrets, but then, this isn’t a thriller. The author keeps us invested in the characters, and we find ourselves wishing for something good to happen.
Yes, there is some romance as well. I found it quite nice to see how it develops over time rather than take us by surprise at how fast it seems to have proceeded. The story has a happy ending, and that made me very happy.
Overall, this is a warm and bittersweet book with wonderful locations and easy-to-understand characters.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bookouture.
P.S: I’ve come to expect more from the books by this publisher. The covers are fantastic and make me want to read them all.
#SecretsattheLastHouseBeforetheSea #NetGalley
February 1, 2021
Sanskrit Non-Translatables- Book Review
Have you wondered how cultures are replaced and wiped off altogether overtime? Many ‘pagan’ or the non-Abrahamic civilizations died an unnatural death as the West tried to civilize anything that didn’t align with its ideas and thoughts.
Some survived, barely. India is one such land. Among the various elements that resisted the forceful conversions, the subtle manipulations, and the brutal genocides, language is one crucial factor that has stood the test of time.
Of course, any progressive sepoy from India will parrot that Sanskrit is a dead language. And they’ll do it with such contempt that one wonders whatever did a language do to them? Are they not speaking their mother tongue that has originated from the very dead language?
And what do we say about how the ideas, inventions, and philosophies from ancient Bharat are first ridiculed, removed from the public’s memory, and then patented by the West, with claims that it was their own invention?
Your turmeric latte and cow-hugging farms are the latest examples. (Read The Secret Doctrine by Madame Blavatsky if you want to know more about Bharat’s role in various branches of Science and Spirituality, among other subjects).
The modus operandi has been the same, be it in Ireland, Scotland, Africa, or India. Replace the local customs, create an equivalent in the new culture, and wipe off the roots of the original culture to declare that the adopted culture is superior and the only valid one in the entire world.
A recent attempt has been made to do the same to Oman, a Hindu festival. It was our luck that the attempts were refuted. But we know they won’t stop trying. If you are wondering why this is so dangerous to a culture, remember what happened to Halloween and Thanksgiving Day. Imagine celebrating a day that saw the genocide of millions of Native Indians who were the true owners of the land.
How many of today’s generation know that Halloween is much more than a costume party? How many know what happened to the Native Indians? How many know that Thanksgiving was not a New England custom but rather a harvest festival celebrated by the Natives? How can you stop a Native American child from looking down upon their ancestors when that’s all they are taught in the name of oneness and sameness?
Now, imagine what could have happened to a language as intricate as Sanskrit and land as diverse as Bharat.
Why is it that we lament how translating Russian is hard as a single dash could change the entire meaning? Why are that only languages like Russian or Urdu that do not have equivalents in English? What makes one declare that the same is not the case with Sanskrit?
From being a land of universities like Takshasila and Nalanda, which attracted scholars from across the world, why is India struggling to regain its dignity and establish its ancient language? We know what had happened to the universities, no matter what a progressive scholar wants us to think. Books don’t burn themselves, nor do build crumble overnight.
Sanskrit is much more than just a language. It is the root that holds the country deep down and keeps it alive. Kill the root, and you kill a country. Plain and simple.
Sanskrit Non-Translatables talks about how even the simplest words in Sanskrit have been given wrong and superfluous meanings, which led to the ancient scripts being reduced to nothing more than a jumble of words. A word without its original meaning has no value in a paragraph. That is what has been happening with Sanskrit.
The book explains how by learning the actual meanings of Sanskrit words and not equating them with insufficient English terms, we can save the language from being butchered and declared useless. This is an attempt to prevent the dilution of diverse identities. In a world that wants to have a diverse workforce, why is being an Indian Hindu a bad thing?
If one can see Islamophobia, why can’t they see Hinduphobia? After all, there are more than a dozen Islamic countries while even India isn’t a Hindu nation. Aren’t our identities being replaced with the so-called polished and civilized versions as the West wants us to be? Why should we not resist this attack on our identity?
Sanskrit Non-Translatables explains how a Sanskrit word should be understood. It talks about Shabda- Brahman- the dhvani (sound) and artha (meaning), interconnected in a Sanskrit word.
A Sanskrit word starts with vibrations. Call it energy waves if it makes things easier to understand. The vibration is a combination of the sound and the object. It is a manifestation of the sound and its meaning.
An alphabet is called an Akshara in Sanskrit, which means imperishable. That’s how the language is, eternal and indestructible. The book explains the role of Vyakaranam (grammar), Madhyama (medium), and the importance of the Bija mantra, the source of vibrations in Sanskrit.
There is an easy-to-understand table in the book for ready reference about how-
Kavya is not poetry Kama is not lust Naga is not naked Atman is not soul Prema is not love Shakti is not EnergyAnd many more. There is another chart at the end of the book that explains the difference between the Sanskrit word and its so-called English equivalent. There is a detailed bibliography in case one wants to look up the references.
Sanskrit Non-Translatables is much more than an attempt to decolonize the brainwashed generations. It is about teaching the citizens that they should try to look beyond the popular opinions and learn how a culture has been able to survive as many attacks. It is a nudge to understand that one has to take pride in their culture if they need to have an identity of their own. It won’t take long to be a faceless admirer of the West if one were to hack off their own roots in ignorance and misplaced superiority.
If you have felt offended by the review, you are not going to understand the book. I wouldn’t waste my time trying to convince you otherwise.
If my review made you curious, I suggest you pick up the book. The writing is dry and sounds more like a thesis paper at times. But you will gain new insight into how civilizations have been destroyed. Remember that there are people out there who have no idea about the origins of their land because there is no one left to tell them the truth. Fluttering aimlessly like a leaf in the gusty wind may sound poetic but it’s not how a country or an individual should be.
And if the review made you order the book without a second thought, I wish you the very best. May you learn the intricacies of this beautiful language. It is not easy. I’m a newbie too, and still am guilty of trying to find equivalents in English. I’m trying to change that and hope you will also try. We don’t have to apologize for being Hindus or for learning Sanskrit.
Remember- Sanskrit is not a dead language. It is the root, and we will nourish it back to its original glory.
This review has been posted as a part of The Thousand Reviewers Club. Thank you, Indic Academy and Indic Book Club, for a copy of the book.
January 30, 2021
Finding Love at Mermaid Terrace- Book Review
Genre: Romance, Small Town, Feel-good romance 3.7 Stars
The book is set in a picturesque town called Port Lowdy. It has colorful houses, friendly people, and no high ambitions to become a bustling city. With the sea, cliffs, and cute houses, the setting is perfect for a cute and heartwarming romance.
Tressa is an artist and works at the local paper. She comes from a rich family that doesn’t seem to understand what she wants.
Dan is a famous columnist in Ireland with a loud, angry voice (or so is his image). When a certain article leaves him without a job, he applies for the temporary position at the same paper Tressa works (and is now managing).
Thrown in Tressa’s tabby and Dan’s Golden Retriever, an ex-convict on parole, and a few locals- you can guess what happens next.
The story flows well, dealing with the lives of the locals as well as our lead couple and new entries. It has some conflicts that could have been exploited even better. But the author keeps the emotions touch and go with the lead characters.
What I love about the book is the setting and the equal importance given to secondary characters. Penny, Wendy, Remi, Markel, Jenny, Caro, George; we get a glimpse into some lives and an in-depth backstory for some. The characters felt quite real and relatable, despite the easy conflict-resolutions. Who doesn’t want to read a sweet book at times?
What I wished to be better was the relationship between Tressa and Dan. We know they are going to hit off, and they do. But the conflicts seemed silly. And considering the insecurities each of them had, it felt they were still not sure about their feelings for each other. The uncertainty (despite them saying they love the other person) reduced the overall impression of the story.
I’d rather see this as a small-town book rather than a simple love story. The relationship between other characters shone better than the one between the lead couple. The resolution didn’t have an impact either. It was a bit too mellow, even for a heartwarming romance.
Overall, this is a nice book if you are in the mood for something light and cute. Pick it up for the secondary characters. You won’t regret knowing them.
P.S: The history behind the name Lowdy was sweet, and so was the use of mermaid in the story. It was a good touch.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Aria & Aries and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#FindingLove #NetGalley
