TaleSpin, It spins wonderful tales…

Nobel Laureate Sir V.S. Naipaul launching debut author Nickunj Malik’s book TaleSpin at ITC Maurya, New Delhi.Also seen in the pic is Sir Naipaul’s wife Lady Nadira Naipaul

L-R -Debut Author Nickunj Malik with eminent writer and playwright Farrukh Dhondy , Nickunj’s daughter Nikita Malik and Prabhat Kumar -Publisher Ocean books at the launch of TaleSpin

The Ambassador of the Hashmeite Kingdom of Jordan, HEMahmoud Mohammad Al Jawarneh with author Nickunj Malik at the launch of her debut book TaleSpin

Tale Spin, the book by Nickunj Malik is a compilation of her short stories/published columns reflecting a part of her life in Amman and other places. Nickunj herself is a columnist in Jordan Times, a leading newspaper in Republic of Jordan. Apart from that, she has also written articles for Khaleej Times (Dubai), Star (South Africa), Business Times (Tanzania) and Bahrain Tribune (Bahrain).

The good part was that I had the privilege to attend the book launch of Tale Spin at The ITC Sheraton (few days before President Obama came to stay here and it was sealed for public gatherings). And the best part was that I could meet the author herself in person. She came across as a very humble and down to earth lady.

Why did they have to cut this lovely cake?

I like to read books but I have a special taste . Not all books entertain me and monotonous books are not my cup of tea. But at the book launch and reading itself, I was convinced that this would not happen for Tale Spin. The reason for this was, as I mentioned in the beginning, that this book is a compilation of short stories. One more interesting fact about the book is that for every story is complemented with an art work, which more or less depicts a funny side of the story. These two things in tandem kept me happy as a reader.

The short stories not only give you a peek into the life of the author but also tell you how lively and optimistic the author is. The author talks about her childhood, her current life, life in Amman and the cultures associated with it.  The short stories are a mere two page write ups and very easy to read through.  Along with the stories, the art work that complements each one of them is awesome.

There were plenty of stories which I liked while reading but the ones which impressed me were when she was late to meet President Mandela and eventually ended up meeting him in some other location. Another which is still afresh in my mind is when she talks about how close she is to her mother and then she is handling motherhood.

Nickunj has presented the stories very interestingly and at the end almost every story leaves you with a smile on the face. The language used is very simple, straight forward and comprehensible. The description of characters in different stories is so lovely that you actually start visualizing  them while reading.

All in all, the book TaleSpin kept me hooked till the very end. I enjoyed reading all the columns in it. Each one has so much to say.  The book inspires us to look at wonderful elements of life, the humor in it is great and the way in which Nickunj reacts to different situations have been beautifully worded in the book. I would recommend it. It is a must read for everyone who loves to read crisp short stories.

Manik Sehgal

Thanks to my blogger wife for taking me along for the book launch.