Birthday Girl by Haruki Murakami: Book Review

teatimewithmaggi  | 

Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer, who is known for his essays and short stories. The specialty of his popularity is with how he portrays the character, who is not big hero or something extraordinary, but it is just an ordinary girl or boy as you and me. He digs deep into everyday life and brings out minute details that will relate to you.I came across such a short story- Birthday Girl that has a unique storyline and kept me hooked throughout.

What’s the story all about?

Birthday Girl is about a girl who spends her 20th birthday by working at an Italian restaurant in Japan. The girl would have had a fight with her boyfriend three days ago. Due to her partner’s sudden illness, she had to switch slots at work. Not just this, the manager of the restaurant, who for the first time in ten years ever since he started working there, had to skip work because he had a sudden stomach ache. The manager gives her an important job, that is to deliver food to the owner on the sixth floor of the same restaurant. Strangely, nobody has ever seen the owner and she was asked to just ring the bell and deliver dinner.

It is when she delivers the food that the owner asks her about the age and she tells about her birthday to which he grants her that he will fulfill her one wish. She makes her wish and the owner tells her that it will come true.

The later part of the story will make you wonder what did the girl wish for on her twentieth birthday from the owner of the Italian restaurant who promised to make her wish come true. The story is like a puzzle and it will make you decide its conclusion. 

Few quotes in the story tells you philosophy or are life lessons. My favorites are, “No matter what they wish for, no matter how far they go, people can never be anything but themselves. That’s all.” And “It’s as though something happened to make me think that things happened that never really happened at all.”

Inner Engineering: A Yogi’s Guide to Joy by Sadhguru: Book Review

teatimewithmaggi  | 

Looking for some peaceful space. Looking forward to a spiritual path- then this book- Inner Engineering: A Yogi’s Guide to Joy is for you.

Inner Engineering by Sadhguru is an amazing eye-opener for everyone and is a must-read. Experiencing some of the practices that have been mentioned in the book will take you to completely different world, and don’t be surprised if it changes you to a new person!

For those who are not aware, Inner Engineering is a technology for well-being derived from the science of Yoga.

So why to read this book? What makes this book so special?

We live in a stressful environment, and every day is a drill for each person. Dealing with any difficult situations during the stressful times becomes major task! It is then that the practices and teachings of this book comes to your rescue. By reading and practicing, or by just following the guidance of Sadhguru- will help you learn how to be happy in any kind of situation. It guides you as to how to survive, and gives you purpose and hope.

Bonus in this book!!

Sadhguru’s journey and about Dhyanalinga is mentioned in this book.

The book not only talks about yoga and the science behind it, it also sheds light on lot of other things. Like, you get to read a lot of funny stories that will make you smile as you read on (may not also) and it has a lot of facts (like science behind digestion, what you need to eat and how much food is good for your health). Also, the science and a few logics behind few traditional practices are beautifully explained – like why do you fast during Ekadashi.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig- Book Review

teatimewithmaggi  | 

You don’t have to understand life. You have to live it. Yes!! I completely agree with it, especially after reading the book. And those who feel unloved, feel they have lot of regrets in their lives, are guilty and feel that they do not want to live. This book is definitely for YOU!!

I’m glad I picked this book up as it is entirely different from what I read before not a fiction or drama or even just inspirational… A fantasy novel, which comes with a lot of motivation to live life.

I wish I had gotten to read this few months before. Because I felt my life is full of regrets and wanted something more from it. But I’m happy that I got to read it now. Because I don’t want to have any regrets and I feel ALIVE! (You will know as you read it).

It’s about a young girl Nora Seed, who has lost almost everything, feels unloved, is unhappy with her life, her choices in life and has a lot of regrets. She was good at a lot but ends up being ‘nothing’ and she calls herself ‘unsuccessful’. She feels a failure, and to be precise, she doesn’t even know what she wants in her life! The story is about the girl and about the day she decides to take her life and ends up in the ‘midnight library’, which is situated between life and death. Her life is just like-Schrödinger’s cat/dog. You will begin to start believing in the multiverse, yes the other world! Read this amazing book to know what happens to Nora Seed.