I've said this dozens of times: I love epistolary novels. I made a video about a few favourites for World Post Day 2021, I love doing letter-writing activities at workshops, and I've written an epistolary novel of my own.When we read Dear Mr. Henshaw for the first time at my book club, I knew it would be a book I would introduce time and time again. So come June, we'll be rereading this delightful book at Read, Write, Explore!Leigh Botts writes to his favourite author, Boyd Henshaw, and in the beginning, he doesn't get a reply. Later, he gets a printed response, rather than a handwritten one, which is almost as disappointing. When he is in the sixth grade, however, he receives a proper letter, which he needs for his author report, and this is the beginning of a funny, moving series of letters he writes about himself, his school and family. As we read Leigh's letters, we get to know not … [Read more...]
Smash It, Butterfingers!
I love it when you can begin a series with absolutely any book! I have been eyeing the Butterfingers series for a long time, but I somehow never got around to any of them. And so, when I was asked if I would read and review the seventh one, Smash It, Butterfingers!, I agreed right away. What an enjoyable story it was!The book opens with Amar Kishen, aka Butterfingers, meeting P.V. Sindhu and Saina Nehwal - in a dream. With everyone's eyes on the Tokyo Olympics, it was the perfect time for me to read about a sports-mad boy, determined to play, and determined to win!Amar trips over a badminton racquet and sprains his arm. He is utterly delighted. He revels in the drama of being injured and is disappointed that his arm is not broken, just sprained. Feeling almost cheated, he convinces the doctor and his father to get him a fancy sling so that his injury looks more serious than it … [Read more...]
The Tigers in the Tower
I've lost track of the number of times I've written about Julia Golding's books - the Cat Royal series, the Peril trilogy, the Dragonfly trilogy, the Darcie Lock series ...And now, The Tigers in the Tower. I would not say it is my favourite work by Julia Golding - not even close - but I did enjoy it!Sahira, the protagonist of the story, is a little spitfire. She might be an orphan, but she's not going to be a meek little lamb, giving everything up to the greedy Mr Pence. Other adults try to be peacemakers, paying Mr Pence to calm troubled waters, but Sahira is riled up with the injustice of it all.However, as time rolls by, one hope after another is stripped away. How long can her temper and spirit keep her going? The bullies aren't just children; they're adults. And these adults wield power over Sahira's life. Even as the young girl makes friends, she learns that her … [Read more...]
The Very Glum Life of Tootoolu Toop
A fully trained ten-year-old witch chooses to live with regular human beings. The premise itself is delightful. Sure, you want to be a witch or a wizard. You want to do magic. But have you ever thought about the other side of the story? The magical creatures who want to be part of a regular world?Enter Tootoolu Toop, who loves books and regularly sneaks into the cottage of an old lady nearby to “borrow” what she can. She’s forced to do this because ever since the great war, the written word has been banned in the magical world, and witches from Tootoolu's tribe have hidden themselves underground. Is this the life Tootoolu wants for herself? Of course not!Soon, with the help of her grandmother, she takes the big step. She leaves her tribe and goes off in search of a glum* (read non-magical) family that would be willing to adopt her.[*I love that 'glum' is written with a small 'g'. … [Read more...]
Ahimsa
Ahimsa has been on my TBR list for a long time and finally, it was my first read of 2021. What a lovely, lovely book.When I started reading it, I was a little puzzled. We've studied about the independence struggle several times in school. We know about Gandhi, his fasts, the swadeshi and boycott movements and his call for ahimsa or non-violence. We know about freedom fighters having been imprisoned and about the Hindu-Muslim riots that erupted all over the country. There seemed to be nothing new in Ahimsa, nothing that would make readers everywhere to talk about the book for so long.And then, Ahimsa went on to be so much more. We do know about social reformists and about Gandhi moving from the word Untouchable to the word Harijan. Ahimsa goes deeper. Was Harijan an acceptable word to people who felt rejected by the god that supposedly created the caste system? Was change even … [Read more...]
Today I Am … A Writer!
The worst thing about being a writer is not writer's block. Not by a long stretch. The worst thing is all the waiting.Waiting for people to respond. Waiting for a book to be ready. Waiting for a book to hit the market. Every time I get an email - even a rejection - there is a little Varsha inside me that celebrates, simply because the waiting period is over.That's why this week has been particularly incredible. So incredible that I don't know what to write about first. So, not in any order of importance, here goes.I was shortlisted for the Scholastic Asian Book Award once more. In 2016, a collection of my short stories was shortlisted, and it will be published by Scholastic Asia later this year. This time, a novel titled Red Eyes is on the list!Mango Books published my book, The Prophecy of Rasphora, and you can now buy it easily at the Mango Books e-store or … [Read more...]