Book-o-philic

 I am back with my 2026 resolution: writing book reviews! The elegant portrait of Ms. Mira Kulkarni, the founder of Forest Essentials, is enough to compel you to choose this book. Of all the books scheduled for this year, I decided to make this my first read of 2026. My reading list is dominated by books of, for and by women. Returning to the book, what I liked is the short and crisp chapters, not much melancholy, and straight to the point. This also reflects on who Ms. Mira is. And her straight-to-the-point approach helped her build a luxurious brand.  Her life, like everyone's, is full of ups and downs, happy and unhappy events, fortunate and unfortunate incidents. From my understanding, she had a rich father, a flamboyant lifestyle, a luxurious childhood, and a perfect life like a bollywood movie. This was all transient. It collapsed. But she collected herself and the fallen pieces and built a magnanimous palace.  The book does not glorify her misfortune. There is no m...

As difficult as I may find it to pronounce Matthew's surname, this book is as simple as possible.  As good-looking, handsome, and charming as Matthew is, the book is equivalently brilliant and surpasses his looks and charm. It might leave the reader surprised at how good it is.  Matthew has been writing in journals since he was fifteen years old. He has chronicled his journeys from Texas to Australia and Mali to Peru. In this authentic, unconventional journal, the prompts encourage going inside: remembering, reflecting, and musing, and also going outside: adventuring, taking risks, and dreaming big. Who could be a better guide for seekers setting out on the road to understanding their lives inside and out, past, present, and future? On finishing this book, I realized that Matthew did not complain about his life. He glossed up all the weirdness and chose to see the 'Greenlights'. He was beaten, and so was his brother and his mother too. His is not certainly a rags-to-riche...

Open is an autobiography elucidating Andre Agassi's hatred for the game. A game that earned him accolades. While reading and even after completing this book, I wondered if he could top the charts in something he hated, what if he did something he loved! The memoir throws light on his troubled relationship with his father, and his mother who wasn't very involved. The vigorous training regime that he underwent and detested the most. This marvelous book is only about Andre coming out as a human being and his inner battles. It takes courage to acknowledge and express it openly.  Many of us do things even if we do not love them. Not only that, some of us ace it. Perhaps living in defeat is unacceptable and ace-ing is the only option left. Andre agrees that he wanted to end it all but at the same time, he did not. Not only that but he wanted to end it by winning. The reader can easily figure out the love-and-hate relationship that Andre has with his father and the game of tennis.  ...

First and foremost, I must thank Ms. Vandana Sehgal from Sweden. We happen to be in a WhatsApp book club group. She DMed me one day that she was looking for a reading partner for the book “Can’t Hurt Me’ by David Goggins. I quickly opened another tab on my laptop and searched for the reviews. The reviews were smashing. I agreed to be her reading partner. We decided to meet online every week and discuss a chapter. I bought this book on Kindle, and commenced my reading journey. A few days into it I got a message from Vandana that she was working on a project, and had to travel. Which meant she wouldn’t be able to be my reading partner.  I was perplexed. To read or not to read. But I decided to read. The book was not great initially…it did not hook my interest. Yet I did not give up. I knew the best part was coming. And word by word, para by para, page by page, David takes you along on a journey of commitment, grit, determination, and unthinkable courage. I am glad that I stuck up to ...

Women often say, more women in power will bring more opportunities to the tribe. And one of the most powerful women, the Facebook CEO fiercely penned down her real experiences. The book titled ' Lean In ' was published in 2013 and brought a wave amongst women and got them thinking. It has been a year since I read this powerful, no-beating round-the-bush book. Sheryl puts her points straight and eloquently and means every word. I was in a phase in my life where I was dwindling between desire and deserve. I constantly questioned myself, "Is this what I want to be?" Is this the end of my career? And this book met me at the right time. I have started believing this—you do not choose; things, people, or events...everything chooses you! Ultimately, this book chose me...it brought clarity and power. Lean In  became  a huge cultural phenomenon. It instantly got a lot of attention, and women readers, making it a top bestseller. It openly talked about women's ambition powe...

Dear Reader-friends,  You read the title right! I am a self-declared book-o-philic. It is absolutely true that books are the best friends, the best ever companions. I have realized this more than ever as I touched my 40s. Now, in my early 40s, I am so happy being a book rather than someone else, except my daughter. She is my reading partner 💕.  While I read, the book too reads me. How many of you have felt the same? It is already 6 months past the new year 2023 commenced. And if in retrospect, I am reading okay-ish while managing a job, looking after the daughter, giving tuition, and that too grade 12! This requires a lot of subject reading. My work too demands reading research papers...so all in all, there is a lot to read. At this stage of my life, I feel intelligent and wise. I feel confident. And all that is by virtue of the books that I read in the past and reading in the present. A few months ago, I was so inspired that I downloaded Audible. On my way to and fro from w...