UPDATED: MARCH 6, 2021 11:48 PM IST | ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: MARCH 6, 2020 11:48 PM IST | Each book we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team.
The world has a lot of and more are composed, altered, and delivered each year. To help make it a smidgen simpler to discover something to read, we're curating the rundown so just the most convincing, entrancing, provocative books (as we would like to think, obviously) are highlighted. In case you're looking for a decent book club, needing a book you can read with a companion or accomplice, or simply need to remain refreshed on the best books of 2021, return here every month for our most recent picks. Enjoy reading books from the desk of love by 6 amazing authors David Richards (Instagram: @authordavidrichards), Grace Grossmann (Instagram: @graceygrossmann), Akanksha Agarwal (Instagram: @akan_kshaagarwal), Sougand Akbarian (Instagram: @sougand_akbarian), Kingsley Kurien (Instagram: @kingsleykurien) and Prachi Agasti (Instagram: @echoes_n_hurricane) in DE MODE (Instagram: @demodemagazine) FEBRUARY 2021 (Vol. 4, Issue 20) GLOBAL ISSUE.
1. "THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER - A STORY OF MIND MASTERY" BY AUTHOR DAVID RICHARDS
ABOUT THE BOOK
"The Lighthouse Keeper: a story of mind mastery" by David Richards is an amazing book, which will just blow your mind off. The book is around 200 pages long and fast-paced. This book was given the title "unputdownable" by many global book reviewers.
The book is divided into 3 parts and 10 chapters. Part 1- Keeper Of The Light, Part 2- The Storms Within Part, 3- Sailing Into A Dream.
Sam knows how the life he's currently living ends. It isn't the life, or the ending, he wants. He makes a choice to try his hand as a lighthouse keeper's apprentice. The life of a lighthouse keeper promises responsibility. Adventure. He will find adventure, the likes of which he could never have imagined. The journey that unfolds before him promises to change his life...if he can only survive.
This book is a splendid amalgam of adventure, introspection and execution of what one really wants! It is a story told with unfeigned charisma with the characters who have an air of authenticity and have their staunch ordinaries brought out in the unhindered narration! You'll like the voice that Author David Richards has given to the Armand character, and how sparks of inspiration are showered on us by him!
Writing and narration are lucid and easy to understand. Spanning in the pages this will be a philosophical read packed in fiction. The good part it's not heavy on your mind. DE MODE highly recommends it.
The book is available on Amazon in Kindle format and has a global rating of 4.1 stars out of 5. CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BOOK.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: DAVID RICHARDS
David's journey started as a young boy. He grew up in the military, and because they moved constantly, he relied on this imagination a great deal. Inspired by the comic books he read, he created the most imaginative stories he could think of. Dramas of the greatest consequence. He traded toys for homework and started writing. When he was sixteen, he received national recognition for one of his short stories and received awards for his poetry, but the thought of being a writer as a way of life was something he didn’t take seriously. He lacked confidence and used to subdue his passion for writing. By the time he was at university, even though he was studying literature and writing as his focus, he knew a career in the U.S. Marine Corps awaited him upon graduation. Whenever he wore his uniform, he set aside his passion for writing. For fifteen years, he lived the drama afforded by a life in the uniform. Somalia. Singapore. Honduras. The United Arab Emirates.Vietnam.France. Italy. During that time, writing had returned to his life, but after a ten-year absence. He started writing poems again, inspired by a boss who painted. It was little more than an outlet, a hobby. He fell into romantic poems and scratched at the unrelenting itch of love as often as it called on him.
By the time he left Marines in 2006, he had seen much of the world, always through the eyes of a warrior. He never entertained the idea of taking a yoga class while on active duty but found himself in one less than a week after he hung up my uniform. It was transcendent. By his second class, he was hooked. The idea that he was more than just a physical body, more than a mind, was fascinating. He became a yoga instructor, which led him down the path of seeking a greater understanding within himself.
After tossing out four months of work and 200 pages of writing, he wrote a ten chapter book "Whiskey and Yoga: Find Your Purpose" in two months. Overjoyed that it went to #1 on Amazon for both Yoga and Personal Development, he wrote his second book, "The Lighthouse Keeper".
2. "CHILL OUT AND CHEER UP - A TEN STEP GUIDE" BY AUTHOR GRACE GROSSMANN
ABOUT THE BOOK
Nowadays, we question what leading a happy life entails, how to be satisfied. We end up wasting our energy away, looking for happiness and not living it the right way. What even is the right way!? We follow the path that is supposedly set out to us by societal stresses and cunning commercials, steering us in the direction of Always. Wanting. More. When in your twenties, thirties, even sixties, we often question what's happening. Let’s heal together.
We strive to be successful. We are compelled to work harder to earn more money and keep up with the standards of life set out in the Western world. We are forced to feel fulfilled by consuming, buying, investing, and all the while forget to invest time into ourselves. We are fed false beliefs about the way we should look, led on not to feel comfortable in our own skin. It’s a constant catch 22 effect.
Author Grace has been diagnosed with onset schizophrenia and depression so she can relate and you are not alone. Reality check: A really bad mental health phase can happen to anyone, even a person like Grace Grossmann wrote an entire book about cheering up.
If you're going through a bad time, don't hesitate to tell friends and family and seek professional help! We must work together to get better. The author knows she can't help everyone, but she can help someone and that is all that matters. Your opening up is going to make your circle of care know that there is more than we think in the air. Get yourself a copy of "CHILL OUT AND CHEER UP" and live your life.
The book is available on Amazon in Kindle & Paperback format and has a global rating of 5 stars out of 5. CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BOOK.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: GRACE GROSSMANN
Grace Grossmann is a writer, author, qualified Yoga Teacher and Wellbeing Coach based in Berlin, Germany. Through eBooks and paperbacks, Grossmann shares her wisdom as learned through the hard times life has taken her through and shows us how we can remain resilient and come out stronger than we went in. Her voice is honest and vulnerable - something people can feel and hear when reading her words. She is raw and real. Her words are there to share and care, as well as show you, it's ok to not be OK. Remember this: find faith.
Her faith in God shines through her writings as she offers honest ramblings from the heart. Her heart on paper allows people to connect with her words and feel like they are talking with a friend. She's no expert, but she's a human just like you, who has gone through tough times. However, she is reminded that we all must go through hard times to feel better again - this is why she writes to feel all right.
You might feel lighter, better when reading her words of comfort; they are honest and open for anyone to interpret in their own way - just know everything will be OK. Asides from her writing that has been reviewed as "a hug", Grace also teaches yoga and coaches people to find peace within. Her mission continues on paper, in person, and on the mat.
Through helping you with blogs or copywriting, she can share her clear voice for a reasonable price as a freelance writer. Through offering coaching sessions, she helps guide you to find your truth and feel happy and healthy when dealing with hardships such as anxiety. She asks the right questions and probes tough love so you end up showing yourself your answer that lies within. Through her yoga sessions, she leads you to find grace and gratitude on the mat as well as a smile - don't take life too seriously!
All in all, Grace offers a refreshing view of the world with a smile and a sense of worth.
3. "THE SECRET IN MY BLOOD" BY AUTHOR AKANKSHA AGARWAL
ABOUT THE BOOK
The secret in my blood is a lattice of emotions expressed by a woman through her being that is analogous to life. The analyst recites the intricate torrid state that marks the tumultuous journey from a girl to a woman. Every word epitomizes the indefinite feeling of love. The poetess weaves the alchemy of blood and love that demands to be reckoned, one meaningless without the other. The poems depict the fervour and rhapsody between a man and a woman with vivid characterisation. Akanksha renders a vignette that illustrates implicit yearnings, the joy and ecstasy of passion and love.
The poetry book is spread across three parts:
Ovulating in Emotions - When someone falls in love, everything seems extraordinary and magical. You'll begin analyzing your lover with everything you adore from celestial objects to edible items. You wanted to go to the places to spend quality time and enjoy each other's company. This part portrays the feelings when you know that you can't live without that particular person or how their love intoxicates your heart and mind.
Bleeding in Love - this part is dedicated to the stage where one's heart-breaks. The loneliness, darkness, negative thoughts looming over and everything reminds you of your partner. The sleepless night, tears, yearning for physical touch, endless memories become part of life. You try to forget everything, but still unable to do it because in your heart you know that maybe one day, he/she will come back, and that fantasy lives on.
Fertile to Fly - Love and lust are both the side of the same coin. Physical intimacy is as much important as emotional bonding. In this part, Akanksha Agarwal depicts the craving of bodies where passion and love for each other are boundless and sturdy as the ocean. This segment is also a gentle reminder that love is about growing old together, and there is no moment you regret if you are with the one you belong to.
The book is available on Amazon in Kindle format and has a global rating of 4.1 stars out of 5. CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BOOK. Also available on Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Google books.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: AKANKSHA AGARWAL
Akanksha Agarwal is an ambidextrous artist who expresses her heart with her pen, dances with her soul, sings for the stars, play the instrument for the birds, paints nature and completes the spirit of her home. The eclectic experiences give her a perspective of how colourful life is and she entwines them with her creative pursuits. A “Pen” from her father who was a friend and a mentor, inspired her to profess unabashedly. The spark of flagrant expressions was inmate ever since she was young, depicting a feisty sense of longing and belonging. She is a zephyr on cold sunny noons, a paradoxical delight. Winning accolades in various esteemed dais’ were just a commendation to aspire for more. The phoenix rising on the Instagram platform; has recently organized a live session of poets across the globe with aplomb.
Akanksha writes from her heart, dreams with her heart, and being a people's person, lives with her heart. The Secret in My Blood, her first book of poems, is a beautiful work on the profoundness of love and romance. Her deep and untainted feelings come through in each rendition with her immiscible play of words.
4. "SOUGANDILLI - AN INCOMPLETE INDO-IRANIAN STORY" BY AUTHOR SOUGAND AKBARIAN
ABOUT THE BOOK
SouganDilli, An incomplete Indo-Iranian story. An illustrated book in RomTravel (Romance + Travel) genre by an Iranian girl.
Anyone's life can change with a small incident forever. My life also changed, it has got a new and special colour after my first travel to India and especially to Delhi (Dilli). My story, the SouganDevraj love story (Sougand & Devraj) is an Indo-Iranian story. Maybe this is rummy and strange to you, as there is no space between the names of these two persons and D is in common. Well, the D of Dilli is the end of SouganD and the beginning of Devraj! This book is more than just a genre. SouganDilli, is a love story, a novel which is a Safar Namah (Travelogue) of an Iranian girl in Delhi, India. A book that in many aspects is a real story.
Sougand, an Iranian girl, is excited as her articles get selected in one of the international conferences at the Delhi University. She is all set to visit Dilli (as she calls, Delhi), the place she feels connected with her Dil. The moment she lands in Delhi she starts savouring all the pleasant essence of the city. Entering the hotel, which she booked for her Delhi stay, she bumps into a handsome man who kindly returns her passport which she'd dropped by mistake. Soon she comes to know that the man she bumped is none other than the hotel manager- Devraj. Devraj is a kind and helping gentleman who shows Sougand the city of Dilwale, Dilli. Wandering through the beautiful city of Dilli, Sougand and Devraj start to feel something in their Dil. SouganDilli is a sweet tale that will take you through the city of Delhi and make you fall in love with it.
Devraj never knew a princess will come to him from some other country. But unexpected things come to us at the most crucial moment of our life. He met someone from Iran who came to India and took his heart with her forever. Will she be back?
The book is available on Amazon in Kindle & Paperback format and has a global rating of 4.8 stars out of 5. CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BOOK.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: SOUGAND AKBARIAN
Sougand Akbarian is a young Iranian translator and author. She is a bestselling translator in Iran of Indian literature into Farsi (Persian). She has been to India many times and especially to Delhi as a traveller and interpreter, that is the reason she decided to write her travelogue in the English language based on her Delhi travel as SouganDilli which also made her the bestseller author as well. Sougand is also a researcher and scholar in Translation and Cultural Studies and she already presented and published her papers and articles in national and international conferences in Iran and India.
She is the Official Campus Ambassador at International Model United Nations. She is a motivational and educational speaker at different events as WICCI (Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry), Altior Model United Nations, Global Literary Festival Noida, Hindustan College of Science and Technology (HCST) Mathura, The Conflux Rivista Literary Festival, Toastmaster International Club, International Multidisciplinary Research Foundation India (IMRF), and many more at different occasions as India Republic Day and in topics as literature, books, authors, writers, translation, translators, cultural studies, women synergy, and event about world mental health day.
She is a TEDx speaker as well. Sougand is currently based in Iran. She has completed her Masters in English Language, Translation Studies. You can reach out to her on Instagram handle @Sougand_Akbarian, Facebook @Sougand.Akbarian, Twitter @SougandAkbarian, or write to her at Sougand_Akbarian@yahoo.com.
5. "LOVE NEVER FADES" BY AUTHOR KINGSLEY KURIEN
ABOUT THE BOOK
The year 2020 we put an end to has changed a lot of things for a lot of people. Through constantly changing times, dreading news and a strive for better days, we all managed to find the light.
For a life that runs on a countdown and is created to succumb to the cruelty of time, we find companions who make the journey worth living and eventually worth reading about. Here is the story of Peter and Annie who had tasted love and gulped its bitter tears. They found a way to each other every time distance ripped them apart, but sometimes it takes more than love to stay together.
After storms that threatened their future, will they be able to make it? But the prominent question will always be - "Will they be able to make it together?
A journey made by scratch and seeped with smiles, tears and a lesson worth remembering through this lifetime.
Join hands to read all that love gives and all that it takes to love enough.
The characters in the book - Annie and Peter, have together built a home we can never leave. Please show your support and love for stories and get a copy of the amazing debut book of Kingsley 'Love Never Fades'.
The book is available on Amazon in Kindle & Paperback format and has a global rating of 4.0 stars out of 5. CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BOOK.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: KINGSLEY KURIEN
Kingsley Kurien is a seasoned and senior Human Resources professional having more than 15 years of Live-Wire experience leading and managing Human Resources. Has been credited with pioneering startups with Human Resources and which have made their way into becoming large corporates.
A debut author who has just released his first novel "Love Never Fades" which is currently capturing the readers for its beautiful narration and emotional appeal and a story that is written in the ink of reality.
Writing happened by accident for Kingsley who started writing in April 2019 with a few lines and these lines became Para's and Para's became chapters and it was only during the lockdown the most portions in the book were completed and only in September 2020 the book could be completed and published subsequently and released exactly on Christmas day.
Kingsley is also a singer, a musician (Has a music channel - "Music hill" on YouTube), avid traveller and a foodie. He believes in living life to the fullest and making the journey of life always memorable.
Kingsley's inspiration in writing naturally has been his father Mr P.K. Kurien who was the ex. Dy. Editor for "The Hindu" in Hyderabad and also credits his mother Mrs Lizzy Kurien for all support and who was the ex. Nursing Director at NIMS Hospital in Hyderabad. Kingsley's family also comprises his wife Princy who is a banker and a lovely little daughter - Queenie who sings and plays the keyboard.
Author Kingsley is an MBA in Human Resources from Osmania University and is also aspiring to pursue his PhD in Human Resources in future. With the overwhelming response to his debut book "Love Never Fades", Kingsley plans to keep writing in future and besides the same as a collection of short poems which have been penned and which he plans to publish shortly.
6. "DEAREST LOVE" BY AUTHOR PRACHI PRANGYA AGASTI
ABOUT THE BOOK
'Dearest love', two words that seem simple yet engraved with emotions of togetherness and an inseparable bond or a distance too long that may never be bridged, a distance that exists because love does.
'Dearest Love' isn't just a collection of poems, it's a journey of a love that breathes, exists and hopes. The phases of emotions where heart hopes if loving was easier but then it wouldn't have been this beautiful; sad or happy but beautiful. These collections of poems beautifully portray an unfinished love, a love that is bound by the apprehensions of this world. It’s a series of emotions that the protagonist expresses for the person that he believes that they are meant to be. It's like she is writing a letter to him, the emotions maybe she cannot convey directly. She has gathered the courage to write a series of poems to him instead of for a great love she wants to express to this world that how beautifully messed up they are among the differences this world created.
‘Dearest Love’ is a book inspired by the remembrances and longings that persists in spite of the chaos. It depicts a journey of love at each stage; longings, desperation, winning, losing, storms, rain, thunder, pain, and hope. Every moment that her heart has experienced has been engraved in these pages; how love faces the battle with itself and then with the world; how it blossoms, loses hopes, sacrifices, and survives.
As much sad a love can be, never forget the moments that made your hearts rush and surrender to a longing because a love where you find your home inside is a love that you hold onto. You stay and you fight. These poems have tried to bring out the vulnerability, delicacy, and depth of the feelings between two people who are putting up a fight to be together.
The book is available on Amazon in Kindle & Paperback format and has a global rating of 4.3 stars out of 5. CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BOOK.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: PRACHI PRANGYA AGASTI
A 26 years old B-tech graduate almost finishing her MBA-HRM at XIMB, Prachi Prangya Agasti was introduced to the enchanting world of literature and art by her family since her early days. Growing up with the constant support of the people around her, she had always desired to touch millions of hearts through her words that express untold emotions.
She always had bits and pieces of an undying love story, with a longing to put it into words. She took a step for the first time in 2015 and came up with ‘Just Once’ and certainly her foray into writing didn’t just end with her debut novel. She has also been a part of an anthology on friendship, a collection of short stories by Shades publications, ‘Friendship-bonds beyond time’. Subsequently, she also published a collection of 14 short stories, ‘White Night Moonbeams’ based on the multiple shades of human emotions. Published by Authorspress, India this collection was followed by another collection of short stories and poems named ‘Freefall’. She has also recently published her fourth, novel named ‘Dance with me’, an intense love story between two estranged lovers who cannot let go of their emotions even after separation. She has debuted with her collection in poetry, ‘Empty Roads and Broken Words’ by Authorspress, New Delhi in 2018.
Her latest creation ‘Dearest Love’ is a collection of poems that is engraved with words depicting a series of emotions the protagonist feels in her journey of love. These words aren't just mere words but feelings that we harbour with hope within us; hope, that exists because love does, because he does. She believes love is never defined by sunsets and unfinished letters; love that grows in spite of thousands of maybes.
Besides being a writer in fiction, she is an avid reader and also has a great passion for painting.
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