Solitude and Books Blog

Solitude and Books Blog “Whosever is delighted in solitude, is either a wild beast or a god." I read books in solitude and feature them for the public.

Sapna Bhattacharya’s When A Met B is a good  story set in 1990s Bombay. It is set against corporate world which revolves...
03/09/2026

Sapna Bhattacharya’s When A Met B is a good story set in 1990s Bombay. It is set against corporate world which revolves around two professional women whose lives meet while working at a software company.

“A” is a hardworking technical writer. She quietly handles the financial needs of her family.

“B” is ambitious, confident, and very competitive. However, but she has insecurity and fear around technology.

Both women are very different, very contrasting personalities. But what makes it feel realistic is they are like us , having their own sets of fears, doubts, and struggles in life and career.

Its not like one of them is better than the other. Both characters have their own strengths, weaknesses and insecurities but their workplace rivalry feels real and shows how difficult it can be to balance ambition, honesty, and personal values. People in IT jobs can relate to it much more deeply.

As its all happening in the backdrop of 1990s Bombay , the setting add a special charm to the story. Lets say those local trains, busy streets, and rainy evenings... all make them appear almost as if we are a character and part of the story. But what happens between these twisted lines ? Read to know.

Its is a thoughtful read. As its about ambition, work, self doubt, and finding yourself it makes all the sense finally.

Have you ever had a friendship that felt so safe and special that you could not imagine your life without it? That is th...
25/08/2026

Have you ever had a friendship that felt so safe and special that you could not imagine your life without it? That is the kind of warmth I found in Hearts and Hiccups by Divya Ramaswamy. Set in college, this sweet romance brings together friendship, love, dreams, grief and the confusing little moments of growing up. Nia is brilliant, awkward and dependable, Amanda is the cheerful chaos everyone needs, and Jay is calm, sincere and quietly caring.

Naturally the relationships grow. There is no tiring too much unrealistic drama added just to keep things moving. Instead, we get small moments, playful conversations, misunderstandings and thoughtful acts of care. Nia, Amanda and Jay are not perfect, and honestly, I liked that. They make mistakes, get confused and sometimes hurt each other. But don't we all?

The story begins with fun college days, silly jokes and easy friendship before slowly touching deeper emotions like grief, loss and healing. Nia's journey is not only about finding love but also about understanding herself, facing pain and learning to move forward.

And now comes the question. Are Nia, Amanda and Jay really ready for everything their hearts are about to face? If you enjoy cozy romance, friends to lovers, genuine friendships and characters who feel imperfectly real, this short and comforting read might just be your cup of tea.

Catching the Sun and Wind by Anjali Joshi is a wonderful, inspiring book. It tells the true story of Anna Mani, an incre...
25/08/2026

Catching the Sun and Wind by Anjali Joshi is a wonderful, inspiring book. It tells the true story of Anna Mani, an incredible Indian scientist who loved reading and grew up to study weather and clean energy. I love the colourful pages! It’s a great book for kids. It shows children how asking simple questions about nature can lead to big scientific discoveries. Kids learn that we must protect our planet by finding smart, clean ways to use power like sunlight and wind. It introduces young readers to a brilliant female scientist, proving that girls can achieve big things in STEM. The book uses easy words and bright, colorful pictures that easily hold a child's attention. It is a fantastic read to inspire little dreamers to care for the earth!

Whenever you feel depressed and feel like life is out of colour and your inner spark is going away, I think you all must...
25/08/2026

Whenever you feel depressed and feel like life is out of colour and your inner spark is going away, I think you all must pick such a kind of book. Through tender lines, poetry, prose that are simple known to us, thus working as reminders paired with beautifully hand-drawn watercoloured illustrations, these pages explore heartbreak, grief, healing, growth and the emotions we carry quietly within us in such beauriful ways. The presentation felt everything. Its special thus!

It's literally like someone gently is holding us while we break apart and telling us to hold on and that you don't have to have everything figured out at once. The book's gentle reminder that healing doesn't always arrive dramatically stays. Sometimes it happens quietly, in tiny moments, in choosing yourself again, in letting go of what hurts, and in learning to breathe through what cannot yet be changed.

✨ A book for heavy hearts, unfinished healing and souls searching for a little light. Because sometimes, the light we spend our lives looking for isn't waiting somewhere beyond the darkness. Perhaps it has been glowing quietly within us all along. 🤍

I absolutely love this book. Each page is a different kind of soft embrace to me. I love all the pages, every illustration to be honest. Now I am a big fan of the author for her ways of hand-painted warercoloured sketches and sharing heart felt lines.

✨️"Maybe that's the gift, if it is one. Not answers. Just permission to trust something before you understand why." -  T...
25/08/2026

✨️"Maybe that's the gift, if it is one. Not answers. Just permission to trust something before you understand why." - This captures the main message of the story I feel, reminding us that we don't always need to have everything figured out to move forward and trust our path.
________________________________

Finishing this short story of 90 pages, felt like sitting by a quiet river after a long walk just like Aruni's grandfather and Aruni.

It is a moving tale about a boy named Aruni who leaves his home to search for answers his grandfather left unsaid. But what we are hoping to know is completing different from what he finds out in the end.

The story focuses on the essence of ordinary things throughout his journey: tending a fire, carrying questions without needing immediate answers, and learning to sit comfortably with the unknown.

The characters from Meher and her heavy gift to Pallav and brave young Kiv, bring meaning to life.

✨️"The saving isn't the point, boy. It never was. The going is." - Spoken by Pallav, this quote highlights how the true value of life is found in the journey, the trying, and the everyday actions we take rather than just reaching a final goal.

It’s a story that redefines what it means to search for something you hope for but then you come up with something unexpected but profound than ever.

It feel more like poetry than a traditional plot. It’s gentle and wise. As per my understanding the main lessons and takeaways from the story -

☀️The journey matters more than the destination: Aruni set out looking for answers and a big beginning, but he learned that experiencing the world bring bigger perspective.

☀️You don't need all the answers to find peace: Just like tending the endless fire or accepting the river, life is not about stressing over and over questions that don't have simple beginnings.

☀️True strength of life is found in connection and care.

The dialogue and world-building lean heavily into parable and metaphor thus literary fiction lovers who enjoy deep, meditative prose, would find it a nice read. 

Check author's page - Ram Singh

I love the cover. So minimal yet classy and beautiful
I love the chapt

Dilmil is one of those books that  makes you smile from the very first story. It takes a simple saas bahu relationship a...
09/07/2026

Dilmil is one of those books that makes you smile from the very first story. It takes a simple saas bahu relationship and gives it a fresh modern twist.

Like say, Roopa is a traditional Marwari mother in law while Divi is an independent Maharashtrian news editor. Dono ki personalities bilkul alag hain, but that is exactly what makes every situation so entertaining. Their intentions are always good, yet things somehow become total chaos.
The book is a collection of ten short stories and each one talks about everyday family life. From wedding rituals and household work to gifting, UPI, public image and work life, every topic feels familiar. Bahut baar laga, arre yeh toh almost sare gharo ki hi baat hai. The humour comes naturally because the situations are so relatable.

I liked the fact that neither ends are painted as bad or villains. Neither Roopa nor Divi is perfect. Both make mistakes, both try to adjust and both care for each other in their own way. They both are humans. This gave a feel good entertainment and a good nod of happiness inside my heart.

If you enjoy light family comedies with an Indian flavour, Dilmil is a lovely pick. It is funny, warm and easy to finish

I giggled at many moments and quietly appreciated how beautifully the author captured the little joys and misunderstandings of Indian families. Yeh book sach mein full paisa vasool entertainment hai. Padh ke dekho.

______________

Sukriti is a Mumbai based writer, producer and TED speaker behind Unibrow Stories, creating novels, comics and videos inspired by real Indian life. She is the winner of TEDxIndia and has written Dilmil, Gold Digger and Beta Builder, along with popular comics like Love on a Visa and NINK. A Columbia University graduate, she has also developed screenplays with several acclaimed filmmakers.

After a long time I had fresh read! It made me contemplate at times about lives and how intricate emotions are.  The Fir...
06/07/2026

After a long time I had fresh read! It made me contemplate at times about lives and how intricate emotions are. The First Sip honestly has the capability to touch hearts deeply even if the story feels simple but its quite meaningful. The story revolves around Arjun and Anjali two very ordinary individuals navigating life in an Indian city. They have contrasting personalities. Arjun is a quiet boy who suppresses his feelings and learns to cry with his mouth closed because his family is already carrying so much tension. On the other hand Anjali is confident and knows exactly what she wants from life. They feel like we know such people in our friends groups too. Now, their paths cross and a beautiful connection develops between them. It is a moving narrative about love family pressures and personal growth.

The story captures the typical desi or Indian conventional family dynamics where relatives constantly interfere and make decisions for you. Families are not that close knit as they seem as they give so much value to the third parties from society! Everyone of us have faced one or the other things in our lives like these.

Arjun goes through so much emotional struggle moving between four different schools and dealing with an absent father. It felt deep. You can actually feel his pain because he never asks for anything out loud. I did feel for him.

Again everything beautifully portrays how families can mean well but still cost you everything. It shows the realistic side of middle class struggles that we see around us every day.

This is not a magical fairy tale with an unrealistic happy ending. It is a raw story about himmat and making small stubborn choices every single day. Zidd is necessary I feel. That helps us.

The romance is not loud or dramatic instead it is like a comforting cup of tea that heals you slowly. Anjali stands her ground beautifully and helps Arjun face his deep past trauma. Their love story refuses to be controlled but do they succumb later under the pressure of expectations?
What happens later? Thats why you should read this story.
Just go for it for a simple, realistic thoughtful story.

Puri, Devotion, and the Timeless Stories of Lord JagannathThere is a beautiful belief that you can visit Puri only when ...
02/07/2026

Puri, Devotion, and the Timeless Stories of Lord JagannathThere is a beautiful belief that you can visit Puri only when Mahaprabhu calls you. I have been lucky to visit Puri three times, and every visit has made me believe this even more.
Puri is a perfect blend of peace, spirituality, and the beauty of the sea. But the biggest attraction is the magnificent Jagannath Temple. Every time I visit, I am amazed by its grandeur. And then comes the famous Mahaprasad! There are so many varieties, and every one of them is delicious. It truly feels like a blessing when the Lord calls you to experience the divine darshan, the peaceful beach, and the unforgettable Mahaprasad.
Growing up listening to stories of Lord Jagannath, I really enjoyed Jagannath: Stories by Smita Das Jain. I also loved the beautiful artwork on the cover.
The book brings together seventy-five wonderful stories from temple records and oral traditions. It takes readers from ancient legends to present-day worship. Many stories reminded me of what my mother taught me, while many others helped me learn new things about Lord Jagannath and his rich history. Reading this book filled me with happiness and a deep sense of devotion.
The book also explores the history of Nilachala long before the famous temple and Rath Yatra existed. I especially enjoyed "The Dawn of Worship" and the stories of the early Sabara devotees, which helped me understand their special bond with the Lord.
Each story flows smoothly into the next and explains important traditions, including the Banajaga Yatra during the Nabakalebera ritual. The book beautifully shares the message that anyone who sees the Lord at Nilachala with true devotion can attain liberation. It is a wonderful and heartwarming read for anyone who loves Lord Jagannath or wants to know more about the magic of Puri.

https://amzn.to/4wmxuvc

Crimson Nacre is a mystery thriller. It slowly unfolds into a deeply layered story filled with secrets, fear, jealousy a...
04/06/2026

Crimson Nacre is a mystery thriller. It slowly unfolds into a deeply layered story filled with secrets, fear, jealousy and hidden emotions. The backdrop or the story is set in the quiet town of Pindhauri, the novel creates an atmosphere where every resident appears calm on the surface but carries something disturbing underneath.

The sudden gruesome crime changes the mood of the town completely, and from that moment the story keeps building tension with every chapter.

One of the strongest parts of the book is its characters. They are not written like typical fictional personalities but like real people with flaws, emotional conflicts and complicated relationships.

Seerat stands out because of her warmth and kindness, while Vatsala brings discomfort and intensity into the story.

Characters like Banka, Dr Radha and Dr Viren Vaish add emotional depth to the narrative, making the town itself feel alive and believable.

The supernatural angle involving the ghostly woman and the abandoned House Number Eleven adds a haunting quality to the story without taking away from the investigation.

Police officer Baldev Rawat is portrayed realistically as he struggles to solve a case that constantly leads him toward silence and uncertainty instead of easy answers.

These characters are connected to real life observations and that emotional understanding reflects throughout the novel.

Crimson Nacre is not just a suspense story but also a study of human behaviour, hidden desires and the darkness people quietly carry within themselves sharing how intricate lives are.

01/06/2026

Chanakya is remembered as one of ancient India’s most influential scholars. A master strategist, economist and mentor, he played a key role in shaping the Maurya Empire. In The Chanakya Playbook, Abhiraj Gupta takes Chanakya’s ideas and presents them in a way that feels relevant to today’s business environment. What I appreciated most was how approachable and practical the book felt. It reads not only as a guide to business, but also as a reflection on leadership and personal growth.

The emphasis on balancing success with values shared is the best. While many modern business books focus mainly on growth and profits, this one highlights the importance of integrity, discipline and responsibility. The concepts are explained clearly, making the book engaging without feeling overly academic.

The discussions on leadership and decision making were essential. Reading them reminded me how little the core principles of success have changed over time. The traits of strong leaders, the challenges organizations face and the importance of long term thinking remain just as relevant today. Many of the lessons felt applicable far beyond business.

This is a thoughtful and inspiring read that successfully bridges ancient wisdom with modern realities. It is well suited for entrepreneurs, professionals and anyone interested in leadership. As Chanakya wisely said, “Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions: Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful.”

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