Archana A

This book is a captivating tale of human spirit and resilience. It's a story about Sridhar Das, a boy from a humble background who dared to dream big. Growing up amidst a large family in a mud cottage, he found solace and wonder in the magic of light. This book beautifully portrays his journey from a curious child to a celebrated artist. What I loved most about this book is how it delves deep into Sridhar's personal life. It's not just about his achievements but also the sacrifices made by his family. It's a poignant reminder that success often comes with a price. The author, Sridhar's granddaughter, writes with a raw honesty that makes the story even more compelling. It’s a heartwarming tribute to a remarkable man. Highly recommended!

"I must have learned what my soul came here to learn, that’s why now the entire universe is helping me leave, successful and accomplished!" Stories of travel always teaches all of us a lot. I've been an NRI for quite sometime in my life. Trust me, it taught me a lot. Similarly, in this book, the author talks about her travel journey, she in her late teens left home and traveled across the globe. When Baisakhi traveled to Germany, she told that her Indian friends made fun of her for spending time with Germans. When I was in the US, I too worked at a Community Agency, where I got an opportunity to work with the locals. I purposefully didn't want to chose an Indian community to volunteer, because there would be no much learning : Meaning, I'd already been raised in India and worked with Indians. When she spoke about the exchange program, I remembered my own Indo-Srilankan Exchange program that I'd been to before the pandemic. I'm so overwhelmed reading all the experiences. I'm glad I picked this up, because I, too, learned a lot.

Avocado said, "Thank you all for the surprise birthday party!" Well, I was excited to read this book, though I don't have a little one at home for two reasons. One, I love reading kids' illustrations books. Two, I met Kiara and Vinay in the San Francisco Bay Area in one of the fundraiser events, where I learned about the various other books of Kiara. So, I am impressed by it. So, this book is about the surprise birthday party thrown to Avocado by her friends Lemon, Bacon, and Honey. Avocado is the turtle and has the slightest idea about her friends throwing her a party. Well, will the party become a success? What would Avocado's reaction be? The story is very impressive for little ones at home. I must also congratulate Avantika Dixit for the very creative, beautiful, and eye-captivating illustrations. If you're looking for a book to read out to your little one at home, then go for this.

"The sacred Ganga, considered as a Goddess, is the lifeline of every Hindu living in India or abroad." If you are interested in social science topics such as history, politics, then this book is for you. Even then, I must say, that it is a very informative one. The author starts off by talking about the Ganga (Ganges) river - like its origin, religious significance, its pollution, etc. It deals with Indian history when China detonated its nuclear test in the year 1964. There are many incidents discussed in detail. The installation of the nuclear device on Nanda Devi in Uttarakhand, it's connection to the Holy Ganga, the efforts from the Government put every year to clean Ganga, etc are the details of the coveted mission that are put forward by a former R&AW (Research and Analysis Wing) officer. He also describes how the secret mission became public in 1970. Overall, I felt that it was a lot of info and it is something to be aware of, as Indians.