Stories, reviews & literary ideas

Book reviews, reading guides, author interviews, and community highlights from the Newbooks team and our members.

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A sample of my writing - Devilish Rain
11 min

A sample of my writing - Devilish Rain

The hunger was a living thing inside him. It was a cold, coiling serpent in his gut that demanded to be fed. It had started with small things: a stray dog he had kicked in a fit of frustration, the sharp, satisfying yelp it made. Then, a bird whose wing he had crushed, just to see the light go out of its tiny, black eye. He had been horrified at himself, had doubled his meditation, had chanted the sutras until his throat was raw. But the serpent only grew stronger, its whispers more persuasive.

Semitic Faiths ‘n Sanatan Dharma: A Simple Study of Contrasts
10 min

Semitic Faiths ‘n Sanatan Dharma: A Simple Study of Contrasts

The vital difference between the Sanatana dharma and the Semitic faiths lies in the concurrent philosophical stream of the former and the abject absence of the same in the latter that the Roberto Baggio episode amply underscores. Inconsolable at letting down Italy in that FIFA world cup final with his over-the-crossbar kick in the penalty shootout against Brazil, that too as its captain, and not finding any solace in ‘Jesus shedding his blood to save sinners’, he turned to Buddhism

How Good is the Indian Muse?
6 min

How Good is the Indian Muse?

The problem is writing has come to be regarded as a means to acquire name and fame, if not money, and it does not matter as long as the writer is in the news, never mind whether someone really comes to read to enjoy or tends to be provoked by the book. Unfortunately for literature, the greater rewards of writing lost their relevance and the lesser benefits came to mean everything.  Till this is understood, unkind cuts would continue to be inflicted in the arena of Indian writing. That’s for sure

On Writing ‘n the Writers
6 min

On Writing ‘n the Writers

And those who treat writing as a vehicle of visibility would be incapable of experiencing the joy of the journey. In the end though, were they to come into spotlight, they might well gloat in the limelight though without experiencing the real thrill of letters. Even in case such won’t make it to the post; their pain cannot be intense for they wouldn’t have felt the joy of writing either.

My maiden 'Novel' blues
4 min

My maiden 'Novel' blues

When, in an absorbing story, these and other inimitable characters began to come alive in an intricate plot, I could sense that my maiden novel was turning out into a work of art on the Indian literary stage, and so I was desperate to live up to its completion in its poetic prose. Oh, how I feared death then, and what a relief it was as I lived to keep up with the muse to complete 'Benign Flame'!

Midwest Book Review Calls Hymns of Blue Hollow “A Simply Riveting Read from Cover to Cover”
3 min

Midwest Book Review Calls Hymns of Blue Hollow “A Simply Riveting Read from Cover to Cover”

Set in 1941 East Tennessee, Hymns of Blue Hollow by Kemma MarShall follows Esther Primm as she seeks refuge at a secluded estate, where opening her heart to new attachments means risking everything. Selected for Midwest Book Review's October 2026 issue, this riveting historical romance explores love, grief, and survival in the American South.

Made For Each Other; A Contemporary Christian Romance

Lissa Davis came to New Mexico for a temporary job assignment, not to fall for a man whose faith challenges everything she believes about security and the future.

Karen Cogan Oct 13, 2026 👁 23 💬 0
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11 min read

A sample of my writing - Devilish Rain

The hunger was a living thing inside him. It was a cold, coiling serpent in his gut that demanded to be fed. It had started with small things: a stray dog he had kicked in a fit of frustration, the sharp, satisfying yelp it made. Then, a bird whose wing he had crushed, just to see the light go out of its tiny, black eye. He had been horrified at himself, had doubled his meditation, had chanted the sutras until his throat was raw. But the serpent only grew stronger, its whispers more persuasive.

Colin Devonshire Oct 11, 2026 👁 15 💬 0
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Community Voices 10 min read

Semitic Faiths ‘n Sanatan Dharma: A Simple Study of Contrasts

The vital difference between the Sanatana dharma and the Semitic faiths lies in the concurrent philosophical stream of the former and the abject absence of the same in the latter that the Roberto Baggio episode amply underscores. Inconsolable at letting down Italy in that FIFA world cup final with his over-the-crossbar kick in the penalty shootout against Brazil, that too as its captain, and not finding any solace in ‘Jesus shedding his blood to save sinners’, he turned to Buddhism

BS Murthy Oct 03, 2026 👁 18 💬 0
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Do you love a good contemporary Christian romance?

Lissa Davis has built her life around one thing: security. She doesn't trust easily, not with her heart, her future, or her plans. Then she meets Jason, a man who trusts God with all three

Karen Cogan Sep 30, 2026 👁 21 💬 0
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How Good is the Indian Muse?

The problem is writing has come to be regarded as a means to acquire name and fame, if not money, and it does not matter as long as the writer is in the news, never mind whether someone really comes to read to enjoy or tends to be provoked by the book. Unfortunately for literature, the greater rewards of writing lost their relevance and the lesser benefits came to mean everything.  Till this is understood, unkind cuts would continue to be inflicted in the arena of Indian writing. That’s for sure

BS Murthy Sep 29, 2026 👁 17 💬 0
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Back to Square One on the Writing Board

However, as it seemed all was over bar sighing of the genuine writers, in came the internet with a formidable e-publishing space for their works as if to free the literature from the publishers’ prejudicial editorial grip and to directly deliver their e-books into the readers’ digital laps to sort them out for themselves.

BS Murthy Sep 28, 2026 👁 21 💬 0
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On Writing ‘n the Writers

And those who treat writing as a vehicle of visibility would be incapable of experiencing the joy of the journey. In the end though, were they to come into spotlight, they might well gloat in the limelight though without experiencing the real thrill of letters. Even in case such won’t make it to the post; their pain cannot be intense for they wouldn’t have felt the joy of writing either.

BS Murthy Sep 26, 2026 👁 21 💬 0
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My maiden 'Novel' blues

When, in an absorbing story, these and other inimitable characters began to come alive in an intricate plot, I could sense that my maiden novel was turning out into a work of art on the Indian literary stage, and so I was desperate to live up to its completion in its poetic prose. Oh, how I feared death then, and what a relief it was as I lived to keep up with the muse to complete 'Benign Flame'!

BS Murthy Sep 23, 2026 👁 24 💬 0
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7 min read

My ‘Novel’ Account of Human Possibility

Who would have thought that life held such literary possibilities in English language for a rustic Telugu lad in rural Andhra even in post-colonial India? The possibilities of life are indeed novel, and seemingly my life has crystallized itself in my body of work before death could dissipate it.

BS Murthy Sep 21, 2026 👁 25 💬 0
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Fear Not the Spirit: A Novel about Conservation

How long before this magnificent gift of nature disappears forever from Bangladesh? The central theme of this novel revolves around this question.

Tarek Masud Sep 21, 2026 👁 72 💬 0
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Midwest Book Review Calls Hymns of Blue Hollow “A Simply Riveting Read from Cover to Cover”

Set in 1941 East Tennessee, Hymns of Blue Hollow by Kemma MarShall follows Esther Primm as she seeks refuge at a secluded estate, where opening her heart to new attachments means risking everything. Selected for Midwest Book Review's October 2026 issue, this riveting historical romance explores love, grief, and survival in the American South.

Author.Kemma.MarShall Sep 19, 2026 👁 27 💬 0
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