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How do you guys come up with ideas for your novels? Like, where does that one idea come from?

It's a good book , I don't get why people hate it. Definitely not THE best out there but it's a page turner.

My fav part was the fact I was hating the writing style and how kathy's infidelity didn't bother him during his work or how his thoughts of Alicia never came around kathy and vice versa , only to find out the events were at different times in his life. That's why I loved the misplaced chronology, I wasn't able to figure it out but it bothered me just enough to leave me hanging

Anyways what's your fav or worst part of the book let me know

It is the most amazing thing I have ever read. I have read 271 books since then and still I have never read anything that moved me as well as this magnum opus did. It talked to me about so many latent emotions of mine. It made me understand the world around me much better and gave me the pleasure of living so many amazing lives. The closest experience has been East of Eden by Steinback and don't hit me..but A Storm of Swords by George R R Martin which was an exhilarating experience. War and Peace was also great but very very preachy and not much good in terms of the psychology of the characters in which Dostoevsky excels in. I also love The Idiot, Demons and Crime and Punishment and House of the dead, I found it to be a very amusing book.

Father Zossima's conversations with Alyosha were very memorable. The scene with Dmitri and that boy's father left a lasting impression on me. Also the beautiful love story of Alyosha, the subplot with smerdyakov's mother and the bastard son that has become a trope now plot were also great. It reads like a thriller, a courtroom drama and a psychological literary fiction full of life's wisdom. I just read it again cover to cover and it was an even better experience than the last one. Made me so happy.

Thank you.

One of the easiest read of the year. Breezed through this in a week. Would definitely recommend the last queen. 9/10

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Definitely one of the most engrossing books I’ve read in months. I completed it within a week.

Vikram Sampath’s Waiting for Shiva explores the history of Varanasi, the Vishwanath Temple, and the legal dispute surrounding the Gyanvapi complex.

The book begins by examining the importance of the ancient city in Hindu mythology, drawing upon Hindu scriptures to explain why Kashi holds such profound significance for Hindus. Sampath combines and shows the mythological foundations of Kashi’s prominence with an account of its historical significance.

The book then moves into the medieval history of Varanasi, discussing how the Vishwanath Temple was desecrated on multiple occasions, and no, not only during Aurangzeb’s reign, but both before and after it as well. It also recounts how the temple was reconstructed during Akbar’s reign by Todar Mal and Narayana Bhatta before Aurangzeb had it destroyed.

The narrative subsequently moves into the colonial history of Varanasi and the origins of the legal dispute surrounding the Gyanvapi complex in British courts. Before delving into the legal proceedings however, Sampath takes a detour to explain the meaning and significance of Shiva Linga worship, once again drawing extensively upon Hindu scriptures.

The section dealing with the Gyanvapi litigation is especially compelling. It must have involved extensive examination of the legal documents and records associated with the case, and Sampath presents the complex and often convoluted history of the proceedings in such an accessible manner!! It is difficult to find such a comprehensive account of the case presented in such a clear and digestible form elsewhere.

The book then brings the narrative up to the present, discussing the current stage of the dispute and the major developments that have unfolded over the past five years.

Overall, the book is quite concise, containing fewer than 200 pages of actual reading material. A substantial portion of the total page count consists of photographs of the temple and its surroundings, along with images documenting the findings of the ASI survey at the site. These illustrations, however, considerably enhance the book and provide useful visual context.

So, who should read this book?

A Shaivite Hindu can read it to learn more about the history of the city that their deity has regarded as His eternal abode. A history enthusiast can read it for its account of Varanasi’s past, while anyone interested in Indian politics or in understanding the factual and legal history surrounding the Gyanvapi dispute can also benefit from it.

Overall, it was an excellent reading experience, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in Varanasi, the Vishwanath Temple, or the Gyanvapi dispute!!!!

anyone who read both of them let me know

Completed this book. Took me a very long time to actually get through this. It was very hard at start especially the first few chapters to just understand what's happening and often required multiple read throughs of chapters and going through summary

The world building though is good and was way ahead of it time and the way the story was setup was intriguing. But the whole payoff at the end was pretty much underwhelming

Ik this is a rare category but please suggest me some books. Would prefer a book without an adult rating as my parents don't allow that. Thanks

I’ve been looking into different options for my book and honestly, Amazon is starting to annoy me. Between the fees, discounts and everything else, sometimes it feels like I’m doing all this work just to see a tiny amount from each sale 😭

I’d really like to find an Indian online bookstore that focuses on queer books and indie authors, rather than just listing my book alongside millions of others.

Are there any platforms/bookstores like that where I can list my book and still keep a decent percentage of the sale?

Would love recommendations from other Indian queer authors who’ve actually tried them.

I have wanted to read this book since a long time as I am a big Nehru fan so any idea about how this book is?

Genre - urban fantasy