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Showing posts from August, 2019

Book Review: The Strawberry Thief by Joanne Harris

Book Review: The Strawberry Thief by Joanne Harris Quote: Food is the thing that unites us all, that brings us back together. Food is the thing we can provide when there is nothing else we can do. That’s why we serve it at funerals. To remind us that Life always goes on. The fourth book in Chocolat Series was delicious like it's prequels. We are back to our little southern French village where Vianne Rocher has dropped her anchor. The story begins with a death; the florist Narcisse and deed of his estate. Rosette Vianne's winter child, who is specially-abled teen has been left with the inheritance of a strawberry farm. This deed serves as the bone of contention between Narcisse's daughter and the Rochers. The novel pans out again during the time of Easter and it unfolds stories within stories of this village. Finally, the classic Joanne Harris style murder and old memories enter this world too. We learn a bit more of Francis' history and

Book Review: Smokewater by Ibne Safi translated by Shamsur Rahman Faruqi

Book Review: Smokewater by Ibne Safi translated by Shamsur Rahman Faruqi Quote: Hameed was of the opinion that if everybody in the world tried to study the newspaper with such concentration, at least half of them would go mad. Therefore, instead of reading the newspaper, he spent his mornings reciting ghazals to billy goat, and lecturing it on progress and morals. Until two weeks ago I didn't know who Ibne Safi was! Now I am ashamed that I didn't. Smokewater is a story about a case that comes to Colonel Faridi and his assistant Captain Hameed. When Shakila the intelligent and beautiful granddaughter of prominent industrialist Sir Fayyaz Ahmad comes knocking to their door, the corrupt world of super-rich gets revealed. The book is a sheer page-turner with two detectives who are eccentric. Though Faridi is the brains, it's Hameed who is the man in action leading the story. Till the end, I kept wondering why was Sir Fayyaz was drugged and kidnapped, but the reason