D.preetika duggal

I finally had got my hands on 'Tuesdays with Morrie' by Mitch Albom, about which I had heard from my brother a few years back. He said he saw it in the form of a play back in Boston, and it had moved him to tears towards the end. This, obviously piqued my interest in the book. I was curious about this book from then on. I started reading this book on 29th August, 2025, and it took me a good 5-6 days to finish this one. This is the fastest I have read a book, that too a self-help. For those who have known me for long this is just not my genre, but off late after Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach, I have developed a liking for self-help books if they're in the form of a story unlike those straightjacket books asking you to do this, asking you to do that. Coming to this book, this here is a memoir in the memory of Morrie Schwartz a professor who had touched several lives including that of the author, Mitch Albom. The presentation of the book is well-structured with chapters narrating the discussion on several topics like emotions, love, family, death etc., some of which have us on the edge all the time. As the book progresses, it grasps you emotionally. You get to learn alot from their lives, their conversations, and from Morrie's aphorisms. For eg., there is this part in the book where theyre talking about Death, and Morrie very beautifully helps you note how "most of us all walk around as if we`re sleepwalking. We really don't experience the world fully, because we're half-asleep, doing things we automatically think we have to do." He further mentions what happens if you face death. He says you're stripped away from all the stuff the pre-occupies your mind, and instead you focus on the essentials. He further says, "When you realize you are going to die, you see everything much differently". There are several such lessons throughout the book, and I suggest you should read this, especially if you've experienced loss recently, or know someone who has. You should read this even otherwise, because of the messages it gives you. It moves you in a way you cannot imagine. End note: In business, people negotiate to win. They negotiate to get what they want. Maybe you're too used to that. Love is different. Love is when you are as concerned about someone else's situation as you are about your own.

Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. This here is one of the classics which I believe most of you have read, or are looking forward to read. Before beginning this book, I had read a brief about it to get an overall idea in order to understand what I was getting into now. This here is the story of Gregor Samsa (a salesman) who on one fateful day wakes up being a monstrous verminous bug. A scary looking bug whose sight in itself caused disgust to many. Kafka, very fairly right from the start highlights Gregor's anxiety, his inability to accept this sudden transformation at the start. He even hints if Gregor is infact watching a very dreadful dream and has woken up with a start unable to differentiate between the realities of his life. However, as the book progresses, along with Gregor, the reader starts accepting this transformation that Gregor now is in fact that motionless, disgusting looking creature whose life had just taken an unexpected 'U-Turn'. Gregor Samsa is the eldest son of the family living in a family of 4 (father, mother and his sister, Grete Samsa). The way this book, novella (short story) has been written is very invigorating, where it makes you (the reader) feel every emotion which Gregor goes through. You see how this book transcends from mere endurance to hatred. Of what initially seemed like a funny book at the start explores quite finely the transition of their conditional acceptance to an overall unacceptance eventually. As I read this book, I frequently could not help but compare this to a 'handicap' where there is detachment, an unexplained anger, and several unaswered questions from the start. I could right even more on this book, but alas there has to be a end somewhere. To understand this fully, and what happens to Gregor eventually, I recommend you to read Metamorphosis for it is a really short book with 3 chapters overall.

Another book from the Classic Hercule Poirot series of one of most celebrated crime-thriller authors, Agatha Christie. Right from the start of the book you feel you're on a journey with the author (Christie) and HP embarking on a journey with some serious business. The story of the book is quite gripping and keeps you hooked because who would've thought about a murder on the train? No-one but Christie. The book is divided in three parts (the facts, the evidence, and the final part) and is written in a very elaborate style detailing every character with finesse. As a lawyer, I have enjoyed every bit of this book - and as a reader I implore you to read this for it makes your mind run at the speed of a windmill connecting dots to uncover the murder before another one happens. But does it happen, really? Read to find out.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach with beautiful photographs by Richard Munson is a fable, a short story that teaches life lessons with a Seagull as it's main character. The author, Richard Bach is a former USAF Pilot and his books are about flying. This book is about individuality, freedom, and about breaking the matrix. It's about prioritizing your desires, dreams and to stand firm for yourself. It also talks about how rituals, and closed-thinking can threaten ones freedom. And for some this book is also about leadership. Just about how good a leader he was. Jonathan Seagull is just about that. With 100 odd pages this has been a wonderful read. A book you can always get back to. A self help which doesn't actually feel like it. "We choose our next world through what we learn in this one. Learn nothing, and the next world is the same as this one, all the same limitations and lead weights to overcome." Recommended ✅️✅️✅️✅️

And just like that I have finished the seuqel book, It starts with Us by Colleen Hoover. This is a sequel to It ends with us. A sequel which Lily Bloom, and Atlas Corrigan deserved. Initially, when It ends with us rolled out, it made huge waves for the topic it touched upon, it's characters, and the story per se. I wouldn't have been happy if there was no "It starts with us" after a heart-breaking It ends with us. So this is for everyone who has been connected to the series. Relate to the story. Are looking for that one silver-lining, or for that one incident where they will take a stand for themselves and say, It ends with us. One of my favorite paragraphs in this book has been a para where Lily interprets what Atlas meant by "I love you", and goes onto describe it as big wave. Lily's presence in his life has been that of a wave. A wave that brought so much with it that the impressions would remain forever even if the tides rolled out. Atlas Corrigan has to be that Green-flag which every girl deserves to be with, and should be with. Recommended. (P.s. Advise to read books in the order of their release for a thorough understanding)

Book review: I came across this book called "Love in the time of Cholera" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez in an article titled '75 books and novels that everyone should read in their lifetime'. Coming to the book as the name suggests this is a Love Story and is regarded as a Classic with more than 300 pages to read. Gabriel Garcia, a nobel prize winner surely has got his own style of writing. The book revolves around the lives of Fermina Daza, Florentino Ariza and Dr. Juvenal Urbino. Story per se, is very simple. Fermina and Florentino loved each other in their youth. But, Fermina gets married to Urbino. What happens after? How long can one wait for someone they've loved in their youth? Forever? Writing style is slow just how a Classic should be. You may not love this book entirely, or hate this book even, but one thing is for sure that this book deserves a place on your book shelf! This book will even bore you to a certain extent because of the time it takes in character building, and narrating lives of the characters. You will also hate Florentino for the irrational decisions he made. But there are some parts of the book which are funny. I will give this a solid 4/5.

This here is a psychological thriller and I must say the book keeps you with it, makes you keep guessing throughout that what could've gone wrong on that fateful night when the Protagonist, Gabriel dies. It explores in-depth threads of mental health, and trauma. Every character is written with proper thought, and it easily convinces you. Just when you start trusting a character, the book throws out a twist, surprise which you don't expect. The end-twist is something that will stay with you a for a long time ⌛️ Totally recommend you to read this one.

Never really knew who Colleen Hoover was till today. Now and then her books came up in my Amazon Search for novels but I never had read them ever. I am glad I read this one. The story hooks onto you, it creeps you but at the same time you also dont want to let go off it. Its a spinechilling thriller. Mindbending. By the end of it my mind was not at the right place. I had so any questions about this character, Verity. The book ends with: Which truth was she manipulating? (I second that) If you like thrillers then you should go for this. Its just so well written. Suitable for mature adult readers.