Saalabhanjika

Saalabhanjika by Kuppili Padma is a collection of 11 stories which had appeared in various magazines over the period of 1997 to 2001. All the stories portray women - strong and independent, even as they jostle against the circumstances. Loved the writing style. "Athani Kalalu", the first story in the collection, seemed abstract and poetic. It describes the desperation of a woman to seek divorce from her husband. The title story "Saalabhanjika" is about the life of 'escorts'. Other stories too are set in varied backdrops, dealing with the usual aspects such as love, family, marriage, betrayal, and sex.

Each story is different in its own and still has a connecting thread to the rest of the collection. "Saalabhanjika" is a gratifying read.

From Anuradha, With Love

This is a collection of 23 short stories by Ampasayya Naveen. More than a few stories deal with naxalism - how it lures young minds to their doom and how it adversely impacts the common man.A few stories are about the subtle and not so subtle abuse women face and the need to question it and get out of the situation. There are also stories about general married life, which strike a chord or two for many. Bonded labor too gets mentioned in many stories and makes the readers to acknowledge the atrociousness of it. Some stories also talk about the fragile and impermanent relationships between people. All in all, it's an engaging mixed bag.

Table for Four

Table for Four by K. Srilata was an impulse pick but I was not disappointed. It delivered what the book cover promised. It's a racy book about 4 people sharing a house, and their respective stories. Each one of us, like the "four" in the novel, has a story to tell - our past - with our own share of secrets. Our present is shaped by our past and the struggle with oneself - one's own past - is the greatest struggle one can go through. Letting go, is perhaps, the most important lesson of life.

The fashion-savvy Sandra has a traumatic childhood behind her, the silent journalist Derek is infatuated by an Afgan boy, the composed Maya is scared of the sea and the otherwise charming Uncle Prithvi seeks recluse. Each has a story to tell, which surely captivates the reader's interest.

This book had been long listed for the Man Asian Literary Prize 2009.