Tarang Sinha's Blog, page 2

Book Review: There Was No One At The Bus Stop by Sirshendu Mukhopadhyay, Translated by Arunava Sinha

Book: There Was No One at the Bus Stop

Author: Sirshendu Mukhopadhyay

Translator: Arunava Sinha

Pages: 121

Price: INR 120 (Kindle version, paperback available @ 171)

'It was one thing to be alone by oneself, but quite another thing altogether to feel lonely even in the company of others.'

Debashish, a widower and father of a six year old boy Robi, falls in love with Trina. Trina, a married woman with two teenage children, reciprocates this feeling. But, the consequence of this forbidden relationship i...

When No One Was Looking: Whispering Shadows

             

             

                      📸: Pinterest 


When no one was looking, the afternoon sun shifted and the Palash tree, laden with crimson flowers, cast its enchanting shadows on the pale yellow wall, the paint chipped from several spots. At the same time, its fluttering leaves and swaying branches made purplish patterns on the deserted coal tar road that wound and vanished after a few meters.  
You pause to reflect, and some distant memory rushed back. 
You've always been inexplicabl...

Book Review: A Temple of No Gods by Manav Kaul, Translated by Sayari Debnath

Book: A Temple of No Gods

(Original Hindi: Shirt Ka Teesra Button)

Author: Manav Kaul

Translator: Sayari Debnath

Page: 277

Publisher: Penguin Books

Price: ₹ 319 (on Amazon)

I was travelling on a train when I started reading the book and it instantly brought a smile to my face because, interestingly, the book opens with an intriguing scene where a boy named Ateet (which means 'the past') is traveling on a train where he meets a girl (whom he refers to as tragedy) who is reading Chitralekha. 

The book tel...

The Classics Swap

 

 Image source: Pinterest (AI modified)

Ananya opened the wooden gate, framed with bougainvillaea, and entered the beautiful garden where poppy, jasmine, dahlia, aparajita and guldaudi fluttered in full bloom. She turned right to a separate cottage-like room that belonged to her dadi ma. Dadi ma sat in her room, engrossed in a book - ‘Saket’ by Maithilisharan Gupta that Ananya had bought for her from a very popular bookshop - Granthalaya - in the main market of the town. She’d brought another bag...

Book Review: The Memory Collectors By Dete Meserve

Book: The Memory Collectors 

Author: Dete Meserve 

Genre: Sci-fi/time travel/mystery 

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Source: ARC from Netgalley.

The joy of reading an unputdownable book! There's something so intriguing and fascinating and kind of uplifting about time travel stories. 

‘When you know how easily things can be taken away from you, you appreciate them more.’

‘The Memory Collectors’ follows four strangers who are chosen for a rare opportunity — a time travel trip to the past for one hour.

Eliz...

The Compartment

 

            Image source: Freepik

It was a cold, foggy night, a stunned silence stretched across the deserted railway station. The only working yellow light seemed like a stain in the air. There was no hint of life except a black dog that just lumbered past as though it sniffed some danger. 

No, wait! There was a dainty figure sitting on a bench. A girl bundled in a black shawl. And then a shadow emerged from the darkness. He stopped, as he spotted the girl. He approached her, hovered around her....

The Slow Imprint Books by Neelesh Misra: A Fresh Path to the Art of Storytelling

Listening to Yaadon Ka Idiot Box stories had been a part of my life, but at that time, I never imagined I would one day be writing for the show—mainly because I didn’t write Hindi stories back then.

It’s been exactly two years since I became part of Mandali—the wonderful YKIB writers’ team that has allowed me to grow as a writer. We discuss stories and find every possible way to enhance them. It’s always a joy to attend those meetings.

I’m happy to share that Neelesh Sir finally stepped into the w...

The Slow Imprint Books by Neelesh Misra: A fresh path to the art of storytelling

Listening to Yaadon Ka Idiot Box stories had been a part of my life, but at that time, I never imagined I would one day be writing for the show—mainly because I didn’t write Hindi stories back then.

It’s been exactly two years since I became part of Mandali—the wonderful YKIB writers’ team that has allowed me to grow as a writer. We discuss stories and find every possible way to enhance them. It’s always a joy to attend those meetings.

I’m happy to share that Neelesh Sir finally stepped into the w...

If We Were Having Tea: Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay

 

I’m not sure where it came from but I suddenly imagine myself in a Bengali household. It’s an old fashioned Bengali home with a large verandah and a small courtyard where a huge neem tree stands tall. This room I stand in has a high ceiling, lined with heavy beams. There are two large windows with green shutters. A big, wooden almirah is tucked at the far corner; its glass doors flaunt nicely stacked books. Old books. I walk towards it and the first book I see is probably Datta, as my very limi...

Book Review: White Mulberry by Rosa Kwon Easton

Book: White Mulberry 

Author: Rosa Kwon Easton

Publisher: Lake Union 

Source: Netgalley (for an honest review)

Genre: Literary/Historical Fiction

Pages: 331 (to be released on Dec 1, 2024)

I love reading multicultural stories, particularly stories set in Japan fascinate me. This story, however, is more about Korean people and their culture, dominated by Japan army and administration during WWII. The book is inspired by the true life story of the author’s grandmother’s (Halmeoni) life. 

This is Miyoung...