These are my books and still more to buy. Give any books recommendations based on my collection. Just read death of ivan ilych now and inspires to read more tolstoy. After reading some fiction i throwed away my self help books

Fight the Mahabharata or become the reason for another Jaun Elia sher.

I just finished Animal Farm, and much of it feels like it describes Indian politics today. Leaders make big promises to win trust. Once in power, they exploit that trust. When things go wrong, they blame past governments, opponents, or outsiders, just as Napoleon blames Snowball, and there is no real accountability.

Orwell wrote this about the Soviet Union, but I think the pattern is the same.

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Indian-set romance with an older, commanding, intellectual male lead and young and mischievous female lead.

Keywords: Arranged marriage, patriarchal household, age gap, gentle dom/sub dynamic,sexual tension, slow burn.

What are your current reads and tbrs ?

Reading a weatherbeaten copy of Wuthering Heights from the library when i was 8 and having no recollection of it whatseover resurfaced in my memory when i heard about the new movie-and as i am on a quest to complete almost all the classic books from all the genres i love i got an ardent desire to acquire it as fast as possible and give it a read with a more developed mind. I also fell in love with this beautiful cover.

Jurassic Park was a book which my younger brother(who is absolutely tasteless when it comes to literature and barely reads) begged me to read after he binged all the movies from the Jurassic Franchise. It will be my first dive into the Sci-Fi Genre as well.

Puja is approaching and I'm not allowed to read during that time period so I'm going to finish one of these books today itself. Give me your non spoiler reviews for them, please?

Also Phantom Of The Opera was supposed to arrive today, but it got delayed-:(

if i want to buy and read unadulterated and true writings from the author, which publication should i buy books and novels from.

Hi, I want to experience the writers real view on the society and democracy. It just feels like sometimes the government or the system could have changed or asked a publications to change what needs to be shown to the people.

I am from india btw.

The author has used gn instead of just n (eg: carbognated , extermignated). Ordered the book during the Amazon sale so thought I’d received a pirated copy, but after a quick search got to know the author was trying to be quirky. Am I too dumb to find it irritating or maybe that’s the point of it?
Apart from that just began reading the book, and it was a blind buy so hoping for the best.

Guys I have just completed "The lost river" by micheal danino (which I liked) and am searching for a new book to read as you know there is a big sale going on on amazon.

Please Suggest me some book which delves deep into human history/civilization more like pre history (with accurate data).

Thank you

I picked behave simply because it arrived first, so far I can comfortably say i would read anything written by Sapolsky. Jaadu hai kalam me inki. Watch his lectures if you haven't

Premise:

A graphic, graphic novel by the masters Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell, this colored edition omnibus tells the story of Jack the Ripper(JTR) terrorizing the streets of 19th c. London.
Historical faction is what I would call it.

What I loved:

• The simple ink drawn characters work surprisingly well for this dark story. Just goes to show, one doesn't need Alex Ross' level of panel art to tell a great story.
• The deep dive into the mind of JTR was probably the best part of this story. Esp., chapter 4. Mixes architecture, geography, psychology, history, mythology to present a really twisted mindset.
• Loved the rich depiction of the underbelly of 19th c London. There's class division, prostitutes, asylums, Victorian politics, conspiracies, xenophobia, slums...
• DEEP RESEARCH: The Appendices were a pleasure to read. So many sources, ideas and books referred... Alan Moore truly is a genius. Every page and almost each panel is accounted for! Is this the most thoroughly researched graphic novel out there?! Has to be!
• Font style: Very unique. Ink pen, handwritten mostly. It feels very gritty, grounded, as if the reader too is going through those files/conversations, trying to decipher their meaning, the dialects. Very new experience for me.

Cool ideas/concepts:

• Book begins with Salutation to Lord Ganesa!
• Howard Hinton published a paper - "What's the Fourth Dimension" in 1884, Edwin Abbott's Flatland was published then too!
• "Water falls down as slope, any hope of it going up has to be through a trial by fire, touched by purity, it becomes steam! And rises to God."
• Hackney was once Hakons Ea- where Saxons deified heroes as gods, like Hengest's father Ivalde, who killed Mani: Teutonic Moon God. - I wanna read more on this mythology now!
• Intriguing theory about corpus collosum thickening since millennia...might have linked the Apollo Left to Dionysian Right, so now the left brain doesn't get much mystified by right brains visions.
• Chapter 4: What a twisted rabbit hole of psychology and mythology. All about twisting the Sun vs Moon trope, to infer chaining woman to men. That's some twisted sick mentality... wow.
• Chapter 5 opens with Austria 1888, conception of Adolf Hitler... and the 1st murder by JTR, with Salutation to Ganesha, also connecting to the Elephant Man How does one think of these links!
• Attention to detail in some panels is absolutely insane. Like the calender pages, each with a banger quote (see image 👆). It's what I love about Alan Moore ... He sprinkles these seeds of ideas and concepts for the enthusiasts. Not only does it make for a richer story, it forces one to think - go down multiple rabbit holes - be as crazy as him, for a while. For example, Ch11 pg 23 - I had to Google Thomas Browne's quote's meaning, and it comes from his work "Urn Burial". But the page is also discussing dust prints as a possible new method for criminal identification!
• How seamlessly he brings together so many historical characters and events into this story, it's marvelously dense! Krakatoa, Queen Victoria, Oscar Wilde, David Croly, WB Yeats, The Elephant Man), George Bernard Shaw, Annie Besant, Howard Hinton, Hitler, even Osho)!
• Regarding David Croly - I took a break of few months after chapters 4-6... (Chapter 10 is the most brutal😨) At times I felt as if Eddie & Alan might be MO(o)RE messed up than JTR! In the meantime, I started reading Croly's excellent 1888 book "Glimpses for the Future". Really fascinating stuff. I'll post a review soon.

Ending:

Masterful. I'd like to believe it's true that Mary perhaps escaped, and had daughters named after her friends.. . The Epilogue is just Cherry on top: All is explained, and yet nothing is. Paradoxical, like the Koch Snowflake.

Probably has the funniest panel in whole work, includes the authors Gull-catching XD (see image above👆)

Rating: 11/10 {Like Moore's works, the Rating can't be just normal, it must TRANSCEND!}

I'm not a book/novel reading lover or anything like that and had read "The catcher in the rye" only due to the anime "Ghost in the shell" (😂), but long time book lovers and literature experts and even long time enthusiasts obviously know and understand books/literature a lot more than me, so please enlighten me on this.

The premise was enough to intrigue me into exploring the story of The Starving Saints. Halloween season, and I’ve been targeting horror for the month, but finding unique tales (not that similar stories are boring or anything, but I did crave something uncommon) had been a tough job. Fortunately, Caitlin Starling did a great job at bringing us this bleak set of events.

The story revolves around survival. And boy does it set the dire situations right. Horror is not meant to be just thrill, or mystery, as it often turns to. A loss of hope, and feeling helpless is often a major part of anything worth being scared about. And this novel does a great job at it, throughout. What it does even better, is show how the characters navigate it, all with different personalities and responses, none right or wrong, all in the grey, as a person in this situation should be.

The setting is vivid and well described. Not just the environment, but its essence, the air, the heaviness of the sections it takes place in, and all entities involved, including the world and all its emotions as well. The pace is medium, can be called slow by some, but the prose is interesting enough to keep you hooked, if you’re paying attention. I did struggle with it in that aspect a bit, but I blame it on my poor comprehension skills and rust, not the author.

All in all, I don’t think I can find anything bad to say about this one. Loved it. Not scoring it a perfect 5 purely because I believe I could have experienced it better at a later stage in my reading journey. Glad all the same.

4.25/5 ⭐️

Found this helpful to understand

Hello, I came across this IG account called The Basement Book Store and they also have a physical store in Jaipur. Their collection and prices are good, shipping is additional. Just wanted to know if they’re legit and sell original copies. I’m fed up of receiving pirated copies from Amazon.

Hey everyone! 📚

I’m a complete beginner in the world of reading and have recently started exploring nonfiction. So far, I’ve read David Goggins’ books (Can’t Hurt Me and Never Finished), Deep Work, RAW Hitman 1, and Indian Spy in Pakistan.

I’m particularly interested in books that teach me something new, challenge my thinking, help me understand people better, or offer a different perspective on life. I’d love to hear your recommendations on what I should read next, whether it’s nonfiction or fiction.

I’d also love to ask you all a few questions about reading, discovering new genres, and choosing books.

I’m looking forward to learning from your experiences, discovering great books, and becoming a better reader along the way. Any recommendations or advice would be greatly appreciated! 😊

Often times I find myself unable to comprehend the rhythm and meaning of poetry while I read/recite it but I enjoy it a lot more when I hear it on youtube. I want to improve my ability to be able enjoy poetry by reading it

Hi everyone!

I’m researching an early-stage idea for a book-focused business in India, and I’d love to hear from fellow readers.

I’m curious about how people buy physical books, what makes a special edition worth owning, and whether curated book boxes are something readers would genuinely consider purchasing.

A few things I’d love to hear your thoughts on:
Do you collect special editions, or is the story itself what matters most?
Which features appeal to you most: sprayed edges, illustrated covers, foil details, or bookish accessories?
What price range feels reasonable for a curated book box in India?
What would make you decide not to buy one?
I’ve put together a short, optional survey to understand reader preferences. It takes around 4–5 minutes.
Survey: Indian Readers & Book Subscription Survey⁠

For transparency, this research will help me evaluate a potential small business. I’m not selling anything, and there’s no purchase involved.
Honest opinions, including criticism, are very welcome. Thank you! 💛

Yesterday, I would have said the child belongs with the mother. As a mother myself, I would have fought for that right.
Today, I am not so sure.
Not after readin
S. L. Bhyrappa’s Vanshavruksha, and especially this conversation.
It has got me thinking.
I don’t know what I would have done in Katyayani’s place. I hope I never have to be in such a situation. But the question she faces is worth thinking about.
A little background: Katyayani’s husband has passed away, and she has remarried. She wants to take her son, Chini, with her, and her new husband is completely supportive. Her former father-in-law, Anna, is a kind and thoughtful man. He explains why he believes the child should remain with his father’s family. But he does not force her to stay or threaten to fight her in court. In the end, he leaves the decision to her conscience.
We just had Mahalaya.
For many of us, Mahalaya is a time to remember our ancestors, express gratitude for what we have received from them, and acknowledge that we are part of a lineage that began long before us and will, hopefully, continue long after us.
We perform rituals for those who came before us. We speak of Pitru Rina, our debt to our ancestors. We recognise that we have inherited more than a body: a name, a family, traditions, values, and a place in a continuing chain of generations.
But it is one thing to celebrate these ideas through rituals and understand their meaning intellectually. It is quite another when life places an impossible Dharma Sankat before us.
What happens when a mother’s natural love for her child comes into conflict with the continuity of the family into which that child was born? What happens when her right to begin a new life collides with the family’s understanding of its responsibilities towards the next generation?
This is precisely what makes Katyayani’s dilemma so intriguing.

It is one thing to speak of Dharma. It is quite another to discern Dharma when every choice comes at a cost.
Here is the conversation from Vanshavruksha, translated into English.

Katyayani: I want to take my son with me.
Anna: Katyayani, even in England (the story is set in the British colonial era), a child belongs to the family into which he was born. Even if a widow remarries, her children continue to carry their father’s name.
Katyayani: To live away from one’s own child is terribly difficult for a mother. You know that too, Anna. What more can I say?
Anna: This is not merely a question of the mind or the heart. We must look at it from a different level.
I have nothing to say against the love between a mother and her child. I have no doubt about that love.
But do you think we have no affection for him in our hearts?
Your husband died. You found another husband. Can we find another son in place of the one we lost?
That boy was our son. How can his son now belong only to you?
I do not believe that a child belongs exclusively to the mother. Nor do I believe that a child belongs exclusively to the father.
Children belong to the lineage. If any one person tries to claim exclusive rights over them, it will benefit no one.
As long as you were part of this family, you had a place in it. You had a claim to everything within this family, and that included Chini, your son.
But once you step outside that circle, how can you claim ownership over what lies at its centre?
Katyayani: I am not talking about rights, claims or ownership, Anna. I am talking about a mother’s claim that comes from within her very being.
Anna: Without the foundation of lineage, can motherhood be celebrated with pride? Motherhood, fatherhood and brotherhood — all these relationships acquire their particular meaning within the framework of vansha, of lineage and family.
A man and a woman become husband and wife, in the first place, for the continuation of the lineage. How, then, can motherhood be separated from all of this?
Katyayani: There is a fundamental difference between your outlook on life and mine.
You believe that the individual exists for the lineage. From my perspective, the life of the individual is more important.
Anna: When our basic outlooks differ so fundamentally, what can further discussion achieve?
You will at least agree that grandparents have as much of a claim over a child as the parents do?
But leave that aside. If you take Chini away today, will you be able to raise him in such a way that he proudly identifies himself with the Shrotri family?
Will he perform the rituals for his father and ancestors as he does today? Think about how strange that might become in your new household.
Katyayani: I do not believe in these rituals.
Anna: This is not merely a question of whether you believe in them or not.
When Chini grows up, he will legally inherit the property of the Shrotri family, even if he lives with you. If he has no emotional attachment to that family’s traditions, beliefs and religious customs, will he still have the right to accept its wealth?
And this is not just about property.
Look at it from another perspective. We inherit our bodies from our parents. Along with those bodies, we also inherit certain innate qualities and dispositions.
To say that we want the body but none of those other things — is that not a contradiction?
A seed from one lineage is placed in the field of another lineage so that the former may continue. In nurturing that seed within her womb, the woman, too, finds a sense of fulfilment in her life.
But once a woman has become a mother, she remains a mother forever. How can she return to being a maiden and accept the role of a new wife as though motherhood had never happened?
Once a gift (daan) has been given, how can it be given again?
When life has reached a particular stage, to turn back from the perspective of experience is contrary to the laws of nature.
I am not saying all this to hurt you, my child.
Katyayani: Then… can I take Chini with me?
Anna: Under the law, you may perhaps be able to take him.
But the law cannot give you Dharma.
Even if you take him away, I will not go to court to protect the reputation of the Shrotri family.
You are free to make your own decision. But I do not have the right to lift him up and place him in your hands.
Katyayani: Why do you say that, Anna?
Anna: One branch of a lineage tree does not have the authority to cut off another branch and give it away.
I will never tell you to leave him here for my sake or for the sake of an old woman — my wife, his grandmother — who is sitting here crying.
I have never expected him to be my support in old age.
Go into that room. Chini is sleeping there.
Think once again about what I have said. If, even after that, your conscience permits you to take him away, then take him without hesitation.
I will make sure that neither your father nor Bhagirathi, my wife, interferes or opposes you.
— End of the conversation.

What stayed with me was not simply Anna’s argument. It was the question he left Katyayani with.
He did not force her to stay. Nor did he simply hand over the child. He asked her to think.
And that is precisely what this conversation has made me do.
The framework of Dharma begins with a different question.
Instead of beginning with the individual and asking what the individual is entitled to claim, it begins with the larger web of relationships, responsibilities and continuity within which the individual exists.
The Western, individual-centred framework often starts with the rights, choices and autonomy of the individual, and then asks how society should accommodate them.
The Dharmic framework asks us to consider the individual in relation to the family, the community, the ancestors and the generations yet to come. It asks us to look beyond an isolated claim and examine the responsibilities and consequences that arise from our place within this larger whole.
This is not to say that one framework has all the answers and the other has none. Nor does invoking Dharma automatically resolve a dilemma.
Because here, the individual is not just a mother. The child is not just a child. There is a father who is no longer alive, grandparents who have lost their son, a mother who has remarried, a new family, and a child who has a life of his own ahead of him.
Every relationship has a claim. Every choice has consequences.
So, whose claim takes precedence?
The mother who carried and gave birth to the child?
The father’s lineage, into which the child was born?
The grandparents who see him as the continuation of their family?
Or the child himself, whose future must not become a battleground for competing claims?
And what about the Dharmic framework itself, in which a family is not merely a collection of individuals, but a lineage with its own continuity, responsibilities and place in the larger order of life?
Can the question be answered by asking who has the right to the child? Or must we first ask what is right for the child, the mother and the family as a whole?
I don’t have an answer.
Yesterday, I had a clear answer to the question: Who does the child belong to?
Today, I am not so sure.
And perhaps that is the point of reading a book like Vanshavruksha, not necessarily to find answers, but to question assumptions we have held without ever examining them.

a lil description of the book would be nice

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Suggest me some books that can literally change the way you think, shake you up and make you smarter, sharper and more aware of how the world really works.
I’m a 30YO man looking for something that changes my perspective on life and human nature.