noorthebookworm

#readwithharpercollins #newrelease a fabulous #debut

#equations = like family, but not quite
by @shivanisibal

❤I loved it!!
More than the story, it’s the “execution ” that I totally adored. The reading experience & the insight i gained was precious.
______
■ Around 200 pgs (13 chapters), the entire read is divided into two parts. Fast paced & a quick read, it is capable of being read in a single sitting.

■ Layered. The story has quite a few characters, but each is properly sketched & given indepth analysis & it’s totally worth it! Each character tells you quite a few life lessons & takes you through some emotional & some pragmatic, experiences & decisions..forming an important part, no matter how small, of the story.

■ I understood, “equations” here as a metaphor for relationships/ position/ power. How it changes, when the relative variables change, is interesting to note.. The varying ‘power dynamics ‘ keeps the reader on the edge, all the time..

■ It is penned in changing timelines..starting with 2016, going back to 1980’s..the 1990’s..2013..but the shift is smooth & the flow, easy to get along.

■ The story is about two kids, Aahan Sikand, son of the master of the house & Rajesh Kumar, son of the servant. The read captures the change in power, stature, relationships..w.r.t time..from the beginning, when they are kids..till the end, when they are in their thirties..
In the process, it encompasses a handful of characters & they join the journey, effortlessly. At a point, I did feel the story is going offtrack with too much space being given to supporting characters but then, it all amalgamated together perfectly.

■ The location is Delhi..The Sikand house was acquired in 1946..during partition.. The way, Aahan’s grandfather establishes himself, thereafter is interesting to note.. Aahan & his sisters were the pampered kids of the house while, Rajesh was just a sidekick, called for as & when required.. The madam of the house, Aahan’s mom is a snobbish woman.. Rajesh & his parents are loyal servants of the house..

Here, it’s worthy to note, how Rajesh was always grateful for what he got..always eager to learn his lessons..tough life lessons..how his mother always kept him grounded & demarcated his boundaries.. In the meanwhile Aahan became a dependent brat, his father went astray which caused his mom to lose herself in alcohol completely..the daughters got married off..& then his father moved out with his 2nd wife. Aahan being the legal heir was given majority of the property but he couldn’t make hay while the sun shined.. on the other hand, Rajesh stepped up the status ladder, gradually picking up small opportunities smartly..

I really found the character of Rajesh,  his wife Sana, Aahan’s stepmother Nooriya..very very interesting.  They are smart, pragmatic people, humans who know how to exploit an opportunity to the most. They certainly gave some important life lessons.

The story ends at the same point, from where it had begun, the Sikand house & it gave a perfect closure to the entire read.

■ Time well spent reading this book. Definitely looking forth to reading more work from this fab debutant author.

#equation #équation #equationoftime #équations #noorthebookwormreviews #punjabbookstagram #punjabbloggers #punjabblogger #mommyblogger #internationalauthors #indianauthors #amazoninfluencer #indianwriters #summerreads #inspiringreads #bookstagram #bookstagramcommunity #bookstagrammers #bookstagramindia #bookreviewer #reviewcopy #newrelease2021 #newreleases #newrelease #noorthebookworm

• 

This is so unique!!

First of all, #happypubday @barbarasantarelli @blackrosewriting @suzyapprovedbooktours
⚘Thankyou for bringing forth this wonderful #memoir

#booktour
#truthsdaughter : Legacy of Divorce, A Memoir.

⚘This is the 2nd Memoir by the author & a fabulous one!

The author had been brought up by a single mother.. who shunned her husband & mother-in-law in front of her children..so that they would detest them..but strangely it helped the author weave a creative imagination sourced out of the anecdotes..which were sometimes humorous, to say the least..
She last saw her father, when she was 3. The years were followed by a few letters & the author vividly explains his calligraphy..Ages later, when she herself was a mother, she receives news of death of her father, killed by a negro on an impulse..
There was neither a feeling of loss nor remorse..

But later..she becomes passionate about investigating her past, to come as close to facts, to her father & paternal family, as much as she could.. now when both her parents are no more & she herself is around 70, she explores her options but decides to dive into her past so that she can rest peacefully in her grave later..

What she finds is both shocking & human..in other words..imperfect.. Imperfect people who were bad at relationships.. but still she chooses to remember them with their good stuff & forgives them for their imperfections..for being human.

⚘ This memoir taught me healing, forgiveness and moving on is so important in life & also, trying to fulfill any & every wish before we come to an end of this journey called life is sooooo crucial for our inner peace! After all, we have got only this 1 lifetime,  who knows what happens next..

Also I felt nostalgic & related to how, the words & stories our elders, family tell us..goes on to produce an almost real imaginative in our minds & our memory..

I would also like to mention the writing style of the author.. it’s witty, with pearls of sarcasm & humor dropped here and there & quite bubbling with life & energy! The vibe comes through!!

Definitely worth a read.

INR 449/- on kindle &
INR 2277/- for paperback
free on kindle unlimited!!

#memoir #suzyapprovedbooktours #booktour #newbookrelease2021 #newrelease #july2021 #july2021bookreleases #july2021releases #julyreleases #summerreadinglist #summerreadingguide #summerreading #summerreads

‘What a lovely and REAL read- so relatable!…
I just couldn’t put this one down’
#malaikaarora
——
#readwithharpercollins
#thelword by @aasthaatraybanan ( currently editor of @sundaymidday, has been a journalist for 19yrs, has a fab #podcast #loveaajkal on @spotifyindia & has written- released 4 original songs! Also has written- published 4 romance fiction bks.)
This is her 1st non- fiction book.
——-
I looooved this book ! It surpassed my expectations & therefore,  caused such delight!

a must read for TEENAGERS,  People in a relationship  & even Married ones!!
It will help in giving you clarity of thought & clear the clutter & confusion.
A very PRAGMATIC & Systematically Formatted read.

It discusses #LOVE right from the dating apps to how to avoid heartbreak & ghosting to finding out if u r in a secret relationship.
At every instance, Aastha puts in a story for better understanding,  pointers for ease & quotes a load of facts, journals & studies.

I also like the fact that she understands relationships like an expert, giving practical advice at every turn.

⚘a valuable tip:
Speak your heart, and the rest will follow.
If it doesn’t, then it was never meant to be.

There are extensive writeups on topics like sex, faking love, psychos/ Mr & Mrs wrongs, consent, porn..explained brilliantly with the help of stories n examples.

The topics include.. How can we be sure if he’s the One, gaslighting, cheating, toxic relationships, red flags, importance of economic independence,  how to move on, power of affirmations, long distance relationships & finally marriage, divorce & being single is not a sin..& many more.

⚘if issues are not addressed, they will raise their ugly head again, for sure.

I have highlighted & marked the book at numerous places, it’s that good!!

To conclude, I would say, KNOW YOUR WORTH & be economically independent.
163 pgs of pure experience & wisdom. LOVE is never bad.
——-
‘A fun, cheeky and thoughtful exploration of the pleasures and perils of being in love in lndia’.
#durjoydutta

#noorthebookwormreviews

𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒽𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓁𝓎 𝒶𝓃𝓉𝒾𝒸𝒾𝓅𝒶𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝓃𝑒𝓌 𝓃𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓂𝓊𝓁𝓉𝒾𝓅𝓁𝑒 𝒶𝓌𝒶𝓇𝒹-𝓌𝒾𝓃𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓇 𝑜𝒻 𝒬𝓊𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒪𝓌𝓁𝓈 . . .

𝙏𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙦𝙪𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙣,
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝘽𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨
𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙬𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙎𝙪𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙖𝙝, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙣𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚:
𝙒𝙝𝙤 𝙖𝙢 𝙄, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙤 𝙄 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜?

🤎 THE SOUND BETWEEN THE NOTES by barbara_linn_probst

Her 2nd novel.
287 pgs, 28 chapters..written in 7 parts.

I liked the detailed discussion questions at the end.

“𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮. 𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠, 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣.”

❤️
Have you ever felt guilty for putting yourself 1st?

This story is so close to my heart.
Told in two timelines, “then” & “now”..its beautifully narrated.

Its the story of a woman, who sacrifices her self, her dreams & aspirations due to her first born & for fulfilling her duties as a wife & a mom.
She herself was adopted, so she always felt an empty space, a benchmark that a mom should follow. To achieve it, she leaves no stone unturned.

But after 16 yrs, when she gets an opportunity to reignite her passion, achieve her long forgotten dreams, will her family be supportive?
Would they remind her of her duties or let her go?

To add to her woes, fate tests her vigor & zeal when she faces a hereditary disease which literally blows the air out of her.

Read to know more!🤎

𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙤 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛;
1. 𝙀𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙃𝙖𝙬𝙠𝙚’𝙨 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙎𝙚𝙮𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙧: 𝘼𝙣 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.
2. 𝙩𝙬𝙤-𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙢𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙗𝙮 𝙀𝙡𝙮𝙨𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙘𝙝 (1980 𝙖𝙣𝙙 1988), 𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙋𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨.

It’s as realistic, as a story could possibly be.

Synopsis:

What if you had a second chance at the very thing you thought you’d renounced forever? How steep a price would you be willing to pay?


Susannah’s career as a pianist has been on hold for nearly sixteen years, ever since her son was born. An adoptee who’s never forgiven her birth mother for not putting her first, Susannah vowed to put her own child first, no matter what. And she did.


But now, suddenly, she has a chance to vault into that elite tier of “chosen” musicians. There’s just one problem: somewhere along the way, she lost the power and the magic that used to be hers at the keyboard. She needs to get them back. Now.


Her quest—what her husband calls her obsession—turns out to have a cost Susannah couldn’t have anticipated. Even her hand betrays her, as Susannah learns that she has a progressive hereditary disease that’s making her fingers cramp and curl—a curse waiting in her genes, legacy of a birth family that gave her little else. As her now-or-never concert draws near, Susannah is catapulted back to memories she’s never been able to purge—and forward, to choices she never thought she would have to make.


Told through the unique perspective of a musician, The Sound Between the Notes draws the reader deeper and deeper into the question Susannah can no longer silence: Who am I, and where do I belong?

#noorthebookwormreviews #soundbetweenthenotes #motherhood #identitycrisis