Book Reviews - That Teacher

Half of a Yellow Sun

Bythatteacher.in 2 June 2018

Half of a Yellow SunChimamanda Ngozi Adichie2007 (first published 2006)Harper Perennialpp. 433Adichie writes about the forgotten civil war in Biafra and the making of ‘united’ Nigeria. The story revolves around the lives of twin sisters of upper middle class Igbo family. A life spent in realising and living the contrast between the haves of middle…

Book Reviews | Harper Collins | poetry | Rumi

Rumi – The Book of Love

Bythatteacher.in 11 May 2018

Rumi- The Book of Love: Poems of Ecstasy and LongingColeman Barks2003Harper CollinsThe book is a collection of poems by Rumi, organised by themes that revolve around love and life. Some of the themes that were covered included Spontaneous Wandering, Sudden Wholeness, Madness, Absence, Romance and Friendship. The commentary by Barks is interesting and a good read…

Oedipus

Bythatteacher.in 22 April 2018

OedipusSophoclesoriginally performed around 429 BC(ebook read)Oedipus also referred to as Oedipus Rex is a famous Greek tragedy and the story of a King who unknowingly fulfills the prophecy of killing his own father and marrying his mother. Often referred to as the greatest of Greek tragedies, the play ends with the father (King Liaus) murdered…

adolescence | Book Reviews | Harper Collins | Indian writing | Krishna Shastri Devulapalli

Ice Boys in Bell Bottoms

Bythatteacher.in 15 April 2018

Ice Boys in Bell BottomsKrishna Shastri Devulapalli2011Harper Collins Indiapp. 263(Available here https://amzn.to/2Hs5uS9)Ice Boys in Bell Bottoms is a coming of age story. The chief protagonist is the grandson of a famous Telugu poet and a nearly equally famous illustrator. Set in Hyderabad and then Chennai, the story gives a vivid description of life in a household…

Book Reviews | fiction | humour | Short stories | Stephen Leacock

Winsome Winnie and Other New Nonsense Novels

Bythatteacher.in 23 March 2018

Winsome Winnie and Other New Nonsense NovelsStephen Leacock1920Kindle editionGeneral Books (2010) It takes a lot of effort to reach an author like Leacock. In my quest to meet the Extraordinary Reading Challenge by The Curious Reader, I was to read something funny. Now, heavens alone know why, but we are constantly fed with satire in…

Book Reviews | future | Indian Fiction | Indian writing | Mythology

KRISHNA: The Sovereign of 2050

Bythatteacher.in 5 March 2018

KRISHNA: The Sovereign of 2050: A Sci-fi Adventure of a GodA Nolan2018AmazonKindle edition The story revolves around what it would be if Lord Krishna was our future, instead of our past. The concept is great. There is science fiction mixed with environmental concerns and some futurism. It is The story has tremendous potential, sadly the…

Amitav Ghosh | Book Reviews | fiction | Indian writing

The Shadow Lines

Bythatteacher.in 2 March 2018

The Shadow LinesAmitav Ghosh1988Penguin Indiapp. 288The Shadow Lines is one of the earlier works of Ghosh. I picked it up as part of a reading challenge. The temptation was to read one of his books since I haven’t read any of Ghosh’s works earlier. I was a bit disappointed, and I believe his other books…

Book Reviews | fiction | young adulthood

Thank you Love

Bythatteacher.in 16 February 2018

Thank You LoveAyush Gupta2016Half Baked Beanspp. 153 Another one in the young adult romance journal. The good things about this book are that it was free and it was a quick read. The plot is not new, the narrative style is not new, it lacks totally in editing which is the fault of the publisher…

Book Reviews | Non fiction | self help books

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

Bythatteacher.in 14 February 2018

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ckMark Manson2016Harper Collinspp. 224One of the few books in the self help genre that I have ended up reading and liking. My experience of reading in this area is limited and had not been for the Extraordinary Reading Challenge by The Curious Reader, I probably wouldn’t have read…

Book Reviews | children's literature | E B White | friendship

Charlotte’s Web

Bythatteacher.in 2 February 2018

Charlotte’s WebE B White1952Harper & Brotherspp. 192Charlotte’s Web is a story of a young girl who sets out to save a pig that her father thinks is too unfit to survive. Raising the pig with love and compassion helps the pig to survive and eventually live in a barn. Wilbur, the pig, finds some new…