From breaking my reading slump to forcing me to question everything I have learnt, these Indian mythology books have played a significant role in shaping my present life. In this blog, I am sharing those books that I loved reading:
The Shiva Trilogy by Amish Tripathi
After a long reading slump, the book that got me back into reading mode was Immortals of Meluha. I read the three books in this trilogy with such ease and pace that I realized my love for reading with this one.
As a bonus, I also fell in love with Lord Shiva as I got to see a different perspective with this book, one that our elders never taught us. This trilogy always tops me on the list of books I recommend.
Palace of Illusions by Chitra Bannerjee Divakaruni
Most of us know the story of Mahabharata and how the politics in this epic made us think of righteousness in a profound way. While I was looking to read more Indian mythological books, I found this one. The premise is simple: Mahabharata told from Draupadi’s perspective, and this fascinated me.
And rightfully so, as the book confronts the hard choice of love and dharma. It is difficult to choose between these two as the heart asks for love while the brain supports dharma, and both are right in their own ways.
The narration by Chitra Bannerjee added more depth to Draupadi’s character and made me think twice about Karna’s involvement in Mahabharata – was he a straight up villain or an anti-hero?
The Kalki Series by Kevin Missal
After I read the Shiva Trilogy, I wanted to see if any other character would ever make me feel the way Shiva made me feel. And I found that in The Kalki series where I was in awe of the character Kalki. The way he was vulnerable while being the hero for his troop was just what I wanted in someone who plays the role of an inspirer.
The plot, the narration, the storyline: everything in this book was a hit for me. Kevin Missal did an amazing job in researching for this book as the detailing of the story was impeccable.
The Jyotirlingas: Tales of the Twelve Shrines by Samhitha Reddy
The book that finally gave me the idea to find my path of becoming an author was The Jyotirlingas. As I mentioned earlier, I became a fan of Lord Shiva after reading the Shiva Trilogy. When I saw this book in the Sapna book house, it was obvious that I pick it.
Some books make you so restless that you would want to finish them as soon as possible to know the climax. But there are some books that literally embrace you, giving you the comfort that you would take your time to read them, process them, and enjoy the reading experience thoroughly. This was that book for me.
Karna’s Wife by Kavita Kane
When I was in my postpartum phase, I thought I might hit a reading slump for obvious reasons. But also, reading was my comfort space, and I couldn’t let go of this habit, for this is still the one that is keeping me sane amidst the sleepless nights.
That was when I picked Karna’s wife which explores the story of Mahabharata from Karna’s wife, Uruvi’s perspective. Again, this book makes you think twice about the virtuous characters in this epic and question their ways. From Bhishma Pitamaha’s silence to Bhima’s insults, you are forced to think if they were really on the side of Dharma. This book was a beautiful experience for me from this angle.
Conclusion
My debut book, Legends of Devi Bhagavati Bhuvaneshwari, is the result of my love for all these books. Here is the link so you can go check it out: https://amzn.in/d/cUSdmdv
Leave a Reply