Book Discussion: MRS. HAPPILY SINGLE!

 Mrs.Happily Single has finally arrived in Bhubaneswar and is being welcomed in the best possible way: through a discussion with fellow book lovers. 

On 18 October 2025, on the auspicious occasion of Dhanteras, and the relaxed evening of a Saturday that is followed by a few days of holidays for Diwali, I am honoured to have some extremely knowledgeable and erudite authors as discussants. 

I shall share more snippets with you once the evening is over. 

In the meantime, if you want to join the discussion, get your copy from: 

Mrs.Happily Single on Amazon

Mrs.Happily Single on Flipkart

I would love to hear from you, what you think about the book and the story. Leave a comment or mail me.

Do Judge a Book by It's Cover

My first book was 'Fly on the Wall & Other Stories' which featured a housefly perched on a wall, some drops of blood splattered around it. On the grey background, it was sharp and stunning. A lot of people appreciated the cover, while others (including Dr.Shashi Tharoor) said it was a bit dark or macabre. 

For someone who grew up with murder mysteries and thrillers as the favourite genre, the cover was point on! Enticing, Mysterious, Promising. I thought it suited the stories, which had shades of grey and dark in them. 

When my second book came out, 'The Awasthis of Aamnagri', the cover was bright and cheerful, much like the contents of the book. The vibrant colours, a lovely red bungalow, the mango and parijaat trees, and the parrot with the family heirloom, each scribble and drawing on the cover spoke about the book. Most people told me they liked the vibe and the cover, both of which matched the book.

This is my third book and I cannot express how much I love this cover. It is feminine, with flower power and yet, mysterious. The book has come out only recently, but I have had people congratulate me for the cover, even without reading the book. 

The first iteration was a black & white drawing, showing a family, with a young daughter. Everybody looked suitably unhappy, as I guess they were supposed to. (The book talks about conflict and marital dispute). The second one was better: the woman was the focus, as she is in the novel, and she looked like she was enjoying her self (which she does in the book). However, the final one that came out was mind-blowingly beautiful. The beauty and delicacy of the flowers, complemented by the vibrancy of the colours is what makes it memorable. 

So I enquired more about the designer of this fabulous book cover and I want to tell you more about him. 

Amit is a self-taught book and designer who enjoys long walks and dancing. 

He currently works out of his home studio in New Delhi and is nurtured by his two pooches.
He has work experience of 18 years. And has worked with Harper Collins, Oxford University Press, and Dorling Kindersley before working independently.

THANK YOU, AMIT 

Mrs. Happily Single

 

Stepping out of your comfort zone! 

My first book was an anthology of short stories set in Lucknow, Assam and Odisha, all places that I have lived in and which form an intrinsic part of me.  The tales themselves were not autobiographical, but were definitely crafted from stories I had witnessed or heard of. 

Soon after the release of "A Fly on the Wall & Other Stories', a person I respect tremendously, told me that while they liked my stories, it was evident that I was writing about things that I was comfortable with. The true challenge for a writer is to step outside her/ his comfort zone and write about the unfamiliar. 

My second book came- The Awasthis of Aamnagri. More of Lucknow and familiar settings, a tad bit more personal. And still within my comfort one. 

It was only when I started writing this book, with a working title of D-vorse, that I really gathered the courage to step out of familiarity and into a darker space. It made writing difficult, going against your natural instincts and grain. It also made it pleasurable and satisfying.  

Book Review by Ashutosh Thakur (Bhaskar Live)

 Ashutosh Thakur has penned one of the sweetest reviews. He calls The Awasthis of Aamnagri a thoroughly engaging read. 

Thank you for the words of encouragement. 

You can also read it here: Review

Coverage by Times of India Adda 24

 ADDA 24 TIMES OF INDIA

Coverage by Sambad & Dharitri Odiya newspapers

Dharitri

Sambad

Coverage by Prameya

 

Coverage Continues.

 Bhubaneswar News:

Odisha Post

Review in OmCom News

 

Review in Political & Business Daily

As any author will tell you, reviews are precious. Whether they are from widely circulating dailies and literary critics or small time newspapers which have a closed group readership. Each review is precious. For many reasons. It gives valuable feedback on how the book has been received by readers, what is it that struck a chord or did not interest them, and thus, guides the author on her journey of self improvement. Each review will tell you something, some more and some less. 

Read on for the review by PBD, Cuttack.