Kaumudi Singh
Bio
I love reading, traveling and photography. And I write because I love sharing my experiences.
Stories (11/0)
Traveling through Time in the Tales of Blake Crouch
Time. It is a fascinating thing. It always keeps moving. Sometimes it passes too quickly. Sometimes it feels awfully sluggish. But the clock is always ticking. And yet sometimes it has the tendency to stand absolutely still. Time really is a mysterious thing. We, humans, have always been obsessed with time and its passage, which is why we have invented a plethora of methods - sundials, hourglasses, clocks - to measure it. We celebrate, and at the same time mourn, the passage of time. And the one thing that we want to do the most is to travel through time. Even while having casual conversations, we end up talking about time travel quite a lot. Questions like what would we do if we were given a chance to travel back in time, what would we tell our past selves, or what would we ask our future selves, turn out to be great conversation starters. Our obsession with time travel has been well represented in both the literature and the movies. The Time Machine by H G Wells introduced us to the idea of traveling through time with the help of a device in 1895. Stories like Kindred by Octavia E Butler, 11/22/63 by Stephen King, The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, and The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell, all have the main character(s) interacting with and/or manipulating the flow of time. Even Hermione traveled through time in her third year at Hogwarts. But all excursions through time are not identic. Every story adds its own flavor to the concept of time travel. Please have a look here to enjoy the very many realizations of time travel in books and movies.
By Kaumudi Singh5 months ago in Futurism
Looking for Adult Fantasy Stories Written by Women?
Often when we talk about famous adult fantasy stories, the stories that surface are most likely penned down by male authors. The elaborate worlds of the "The Lord of the Rings" (J R R Tolkien), "The Wheel of Time" (Robert Jordan), "The Stormlight Archive" and "The Mistborn Series" (Brandon Sanderson), and "A Song of Ice and Fire" (George R R Martin) have been conceptualized and created by men. Frankly, I have nothing against male authors and their creations. In fact, I have thoroughly enjoyed most of the fantasy series I mentioned so far and I have quite a few fantasy series penned down by men in my To-Be-Read(TBR) list.
By Kaumudi Singh8 months ago in Futurism
Should You Read the "The Realm of the Elderlings" by Robin Hobb?
Robin Hobb is an American author who writes stories in the science fiction and fantasy genre. Hobb also writes under the name of Megan Lindholm. The Times has dubbed Hobb as "one of the great modern fantasy writers" for her stories set in "The Realm of the Elderlings". A total of 16 books, which are organized into 5 series, have been set in this realm. It is one of the most expansive and detailed worlds that I have ever come across. Understandably, starting a 16-book series can be quite intimidating. So, in this blog, I will delve into some of the highlights of this fabulous world that should convince you to begin your Hobb journey.
By Kaumudi Singh10 months ago in Geeks
The Blue Blooms of Belgium
The arrival of spring is in itself incredibly beautiful. The weather gets pleasant, trees grow green, and nature invites colors once again. Similarly, when spring arrives in Hallebos - The Blue Forest - in Belgium, colors come knocking. But the only colors that are allowed entry are green and blue. New green leaves arrive on the branches of the deciduous trees of the forest and bluebells bloom on the forest floor, turning it completely blue. And this is indeed a sight worth witnessing.
By Kaumudi Singh10 months ago in Wander
Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories that I Wish I Could Have Loved
Recently, I wrote an article listing a few stories that took me by surprise. In the article, I talked about how sometimes I would select a book to read after doing a great deal of research, and at other times I would select books blindly and start reading them without knowing anything about the story or its characters. When I do the latter, I get to find treasures in unexpected places and that was what the last article was all about. Nevertheless, in situations when I take care of my reading after performing extensive research into the books, their authors, and their stories, there is no assurance that I will end up loving the tale. There have been a couple of instances where I could not get into the story even after multiple attempts and finally realized that the story was not for me.
By Kaumudi Singh10 months ago in Futurism
Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories that Surprised Me
I gather my book recommendations from a variety of sources. The internet is a great place where one can find a whole bunch of people talking about their reading experiences. One can readily find almost everything - synopsis, summary, and reviews - about a book on the internet. There are times when I have received recommendations from my friends, my family, my peers, and sometimes even from strangers whom I have met in bookshops. Upon receiving these suggestions, there are times when I select a book after doing a considerable amount of research - reading the synopsis, reading about the author, and reading multiple reviews of the book. This drill is repeated several times especially when I am picking up an author whose work I have not read before. But then there are also occasions when I have picked books without doing any background research. And when I do that, I start reading the book without any expectations. Obviously, I do expect to enjoy the book, but other than that I try not to raise my hopes very much.
By Kaumudi Singh11 months ago in Futurism
Productivity Apps - How Well Can They Manage Our Time
I believe that every once in a while, all of us wish for a day with more than 24 hours so that we can wrap up all that we must do and still have time for ourselves. Often, we feel that we have a never-ending list of tasks that must be finished in a given amount of time and we are clueless about where to start. In situations like these, making a "To-Do List" and starting with the smallest and easiest of the tasks can motivate us to build momentum which then can help us tackle the big tasks.
By Kaumudi Singh11 months ago in Journal
"Set in a Small Town" - Mystery Thrillers with a Common Backdrop
The world of mystery and suspense fiction is vast and filled with all varieties of stories. Nonetheless, in all these stories, there is a central puzzle that must be solved. A question is posed at the beginning of the story and readers are promised answers at the end. A good mystery should grab its readers' attention with an intriguing question and then urge them to stay invested till the resolution. Part of the intrigue is associated with the central puzzle itself. The rest of the intrigue is associated with its backdrop. Just as an old, creaking house feels more spooky when one enters it on a quiet night, the place where an incident occurs gives the much-needed context to our question and compels us to think about why the question is important. Another important aspect of the story is the set of main characters who undergo all sorts of twists and turns to resolve this great puzzle. The journey that these characters undergo is central to the overarching theme of the story. Readers might not feel invested in the revelations of the story if they do not believe in the characters or their journey. Therefore, an apt combination of an incident, its backdrop, and a believable main character is required to capture the readers' attention and keep them engaged throughout the story. In this blog, I would like to talk about one such combination and the books in which I have encountered them.
By Kaumudi Singh11 months ago in Criminal
"Telling a Lie" - Does it Work as the Main Plot Device of a Story?
I love reading and I want to love everything that I read. But, alas, I do not end up enjoying every story. There are some that I admire immensely and there are others that fail to impress me. In this blog, I would like to talk about two stories, viz., "Anything You Do Say" and "The Lying Game", that just could not hold my attention because of their main plot device - "characters lying to one another".
By Kaumudi Singh11 months ago in Criminal
Let's Read Indu Sundaresan
Indu Sundaresan is an author of historical fiction novels. She hails from India and is currently living in Seattle. She has written a total of six books, and her stories are set in medieval and contemporary India. More information about her works, her interviews, and her blog can be found here.
By Kaumudi Singh12 months ago in Geeks
Why I Love Agatha Christie and Her World of Crime
I remember I was looking up the bookshelves in my school’s library, trying to find some fiction to read. Exams had just been over and so, I wanted to spend my time immersed in stories rather than studies. I came across a few books by this author named “Agatha Christie”. Incidentally, just a few days ago, I had asked my father who Agatha Christie was and he replied in a very simple manner that she was an author who wrote crime fiction. One of the books available in my school was “And Then There Were None”, and I picked it just because I liked the title. When I brought the book home, my father told me that it was a good choice. And boy was that true. Till then, I had not read anything like that. From the way the characters were introduced to the manner in which the surroundings were described, everything pointed out that something dark is lurking behind the shadows. Needless to say, I was engrossed in the story from the very beginning and by the time I finished the book, I knew that I was an absolute fan. With all my excitement of just finishing a fantastic book, I told my father about my newfound love for Agatha Christie’s writing only to realize that he already was a huge admirer of her work. It felt really special and surreal when I realized that the love and affection that I feel for Christie’s work is something that I shared with my father.
By Kaumudi Singh12 months ago in Criminal
