A Promised Land by Khadija Mastoor

 

The 1947 Indo-Pakistan Partition, divided not just a piece of land, but two similar culture and people. Being an Indian, we know our side of the story, movies, books, or sometimes our own relatives. But do you know the other side of the story, for a Pakistani to leave his ancestral Indian land to this pure land of "Pakistan" and that too from a woman's point of view? 

 A 90's woman whose world is only confined to her household and her family, you might wonder how much of a difference would it make for someone whose only concern is household. Well, this story will surely prove you wrong, refugee camps, starting over from scratch, uncertainty, betrayal, tense family relations, this story portrays all. 

It's slow yet a  beautiful story of Sajidah who leaves her life in India for their own land of Pakistan, living in a refugee camp where everything is helter-skelter, her hope for a better future is shortlived by her father's death. She is taken in by another family, her personal relationship with each member. Sajidah's life in Pakistan in their pure and promise land. This book written by Khadija Mastoor, a celebrated and highly regarded writer in Urdu literature, a classic on its own is definitely a must-read.                    

The Godfather : Mario Puzo

"Behind every crime great fortune there is a crime"

            -- BALZA

 The Godfather written by Mario Puzo is a crime novel published in 1969 , often considered as a classic bestseller. This novel  is based on the lives of fictional mafia family in New York portraying the 1940's criminal underworld. 

When youngest son of the mafia family , Michael reluctant and recluse towards the family business but finds himself drawn towards the mafia world as duty calls when his father is brutally murdered. Unbeknownst to Michael, he carries all the qualities to serve as the "Don". Michael's journey from reluctance to racketeer is one of a blood saga. 

The author's magical writing and his tyrant world of murder, deception, revenge, and ruthless crime will surely baffle you. Without a doubt, this classic is a must. 

Behind Her Eyes :- Sarah Pinborough

 Behind Her Eyes:- Sarah Pinborough  is a thriller novel by English author Sarah Pinborough who is a New York Times bestselling and Sunday Times Number one  and Internationally bestselling author. 

This book is a thriller , physiological mystery and a suspense  novel. The novel is based on the lives of David (a psychiatrist ) , Louise (a single mother) and Adele(David's wife). Louise runs into David in a bar and kisses him , unbeknownst that he is her boss more so over that he is married . The two rub it off at the moment , but can't keep apart eventually . Things get further complicated when Louise runs into Adele and the two become friends but Louise is Adele's only friend . 

Inadvertently Louise finds herself drawn into the lives of Adele and David . She senses something suspicious  with them individually and their marriage . The more she entangles herself out of their lives  the more she finds tangled to it. 

The characters are dreary and enigmatic , when you think you know where the plot is heading  , it proves you wrong . The storyline is full of twists and turns . Each and every chapter of the book is a puzzle within itself . This book will surely keep you hooked . The end will certainly defy you. 

The Code Of The Extraordinary Mind By Vishen Lakhiani

The code of The Extraordinary Mind 

By reading the title , I believe most of you might have realized that it's a self help book. Now , I am going to be a bit honest with you , am not really a fan of self help books because many times I believe things written in those books are easier said then done and many of those books are written by gurus with embezzled portfolio of over achievements who haven't even experienced or (maybe they have but don't talk about it ) mundane failures which personally have pushed me into a space of disappointment .

For those of you , who kind of agree with me The Code Of The Extraordinary Mind is none of those typical self help books . It is written by Vishen Lakhiani a motivational speaker , founder and CEO of Mindvalley .The author blatantly talks about his struggles , I felt a sense of relief when I read a person of that certain aura as that of Vishen Lakhiani talking about those mundane struggles brushed off majorly  by everyone .

"Rules imposed by the society which need to be broken off ?" quite a famous ideology right ! fashionably coined by the author as "brules" , he lists those brules and abashes them . This book is definitely a game changer with self development ideology , it is going to mess with your definitions of life and throw you in a space where you will definitely ponder on some things. Yes, this self help book is worth the shot. 

TRAIN TO PAKISTAN : KHUSHWANT SINGH

" The fact is both the sides killed. Both shot and stabbed and speared and clubbed. Both tortured . Both raped."

― Kushwant Singh 

The end of the British colonial era saw the most dramatic and devastating partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. This unfortunate event is recounted by Khushwant Singh an Indian journalist , diplomat and politician who has pen down his own personal experience of pain and sorrow through this historic novel Train To Pakistan through the perspective of Juggut Singh ( a village gangster).

The novel is based on the village of Mano Majra , on the borders of India and Pakistan , where Sikhs and Muslims live together peacefully where partition seems a political foul play . They don't pay much heed to it and carry on to their  daily routine. 

But slowly , the situation tenses when a train full of dead Sikh bodies passes through the village. 

The tables have turned , there's unrest , suspicions and conflicting loyalties much to the aghast of the magistrate and police officer who find themselves helpless in this situation . This book is a must read to get a glimpse of the partition whose effect is still lingering in the hearts of people. 

I AM MALALA : The Girl Who Stood Up for Education And Was Shot By The Taliban

I AM MALALA : The Girl Who Stood Up for Education And Was Shot By The Taliban written by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb . Malala Yousafzai winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. In this memoir the author describes her challenging journey where she had to fight for being a women , for her rights and for humanity. 

 Right from her birth, born in an orthodox community where the birth of a male is much celebrated than a female. But , her parents support helped her fight for her rights from a very young age.

When Taliban took control over Swat Valley , her neighborhood struck with terrorism her thirst for education remained unwavered.

Her stoicism and resilience to remain silent for right her for education is inspiring. She stood against the Taliban for which she had to pay a price for her life. On 9th October 2012 , she was shot in head at point-blank range while returning from school, yet she refused to bow down. Inspire of all the tragedies , that shock her life she emerged strong and victorious . 

There's a lot to learn from her fierce personality her perseverance , stubborn courage and dedication. Malala's strength is encouraging , definitely a must read. 

The Diary Of A Young Girl : Anne Frank

In this time of pandemic , confined to our homes for about a span of six months all of us have become anxious and bored.We are eagerly waiting for the vaccine to release us from this depressing saga, with internet , Netflix and uncountable source of entertainment and leisure , we inadvertently find ourselves in this situation . Well, this story is nowhere close to our despair. 

The Diary Of A Young Girl is written by Anne Frank , a 13 year old Jewish girl forced into hiding from the Nazis. Anne and her family hides in an apartment above an office, to avoid any kind of suspicion they have to maintain absolute pin-drop silence . For two years Anne and her family were confined to this apartment. 

Anne's diary recounts vivid description of her days in hiding , there's a constant fear to be caught yet Anne lives her life to the fullest, her petty disagreements with family members , romance with one of the family friend , her hope for a better life.Anne's remarkable journey is  a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent  testament to the human spirit.