Fazayal Reads

Must read poems

I usually don't read poems, mostly read prose. However, this collection of poems by Dr Gitanjali Kalia got my attention and how! They are not love poems like we mostly see in the market. They are a collection of truth about humanity. The poems in this collection are a mirror to the society and everyone should read them and understand their meaning. I really loved the way, the poet chose so many varied and relevant topics. There are a total of 30 great quality poems in the collection. Though, difficult to choose but my favourite ones from the collection are "Women", "I Felt So Small", "Borders", " Slaves of the system" and "A Robotic Life".

A perfect read for a weekend. Hope to read more work of the Gitanjali Kalia in future.

'Choice of Fate' by Hassan Usmani is an interesting book which I just read. Angels in this book work in a factory and create human beings as per the specifications given to them. One of the angels receives an interesting specification one day. He could give to that human whatever feature he or she wants. But would it be as simple as it seems? The language of the book is simple and easy to understand. There aren't any grammatical errors which one sees in books from the subcontinent. I feel the book can be adapted very well on stage. It is also written in that format. It is a short read and one can easily finish it in one sitting.

Do get it if you want to read something philosophical yet light.

'Mirrro' by Manoj Kumar Sharma has been one of the most visible books on social media in the past one year or so. It has been nominated for many awards and even won a lot of awards. The story of "Mirrro" is very interesting. It deals with the biggest social evils our country is facing. Alcoholism, tobacco usage and crime against women. It also covers how ragging is a menace and should be eliminated totally from colleges and hostels. It also gives social commentary on the condition of media in our country. Story is set in the year 2030. It begins with attacks on alcohol and tobacco units in various parts of the country. Plus instance justice given to rapists.
Who is responsible for this? Is it a person or a group of people? Are they isolated incidents or are they related to each other?
Who is Indo Sharma and what's his story?
You would get answers to all these questions when you would read the novel.
Why is the novel named "Mirrro"?
There is an interesting twist and you should read the book to know the secret. The language is simple and the flow of the book is good. The book also contains lots of diagrams and sketches which helps visualise the story better. The only thing which I felt could have been better is that the story could have been told in lesser pages, it was stretched a bit.

Overall, a very enjoyable read. There is a scope for a sequel as well.