Shweta Ganesh Kumar

Between the headlines is everything the book blurb and the publisher claim to be – it is the journey of a TV reporter – her life and times. Unlike recent genre of books by Indian women – this is not a chick lit with juicy, eye-grabbing story about love life. Love figures, but it is not the focal point of the book. Focus always remains on the work life of a TV reporter.

Satyabhama Menon has just moved from Delhi to Bangalore as a TV reporter for new, upcoming N.E.W.S India channel. Like show more all journalism students, she has dreams to make a difference – and make it big while doing so. (I know because I was one myself longtime ago.) However, she realizes in a competitive business like TV journalism, talent is not the only factor that takes you places. There are small, asinine things as pesky bosses or input teams, office politics, jealous colleagues and of course TRPs that always govern the priorities. TV reporter, especially a budding one, remains a small cog in the network.

Rest of review here at: http://alchemistpoonam.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/book-review-between-the-headline... show less

One of the best short story collections I have read and definitely the best by a single author. 22 short stories on one theme and there was never a dull moment. I loved the references to Kerala and could see the connections and even the mood of the place well shown. The stories are mostly emotional so I would have liked some more funny or comic pieces but apart from that the collection rocks. I even read a few stories twice.

Suspended Animation is a collection of 22 short stories of ordinary folks and their lives where constant waiting is a reality of life. The stories are set in places like Loch Inverness in Scotland, Puerto Galera and Manila in the Philippines, Bangalore, Mumbai and Kerala.

All the 22 stories in this book, are based on the unifying theme of waiting. Shweta Ganesh Kumar wonderfully depicts the pangs of frustration created by the anticipation brought about by the suspended time. The lives of show more ordinary people, whom we can relate to, are narrated realistically in the form of these short stories.

The first story, The Matrimonial Clock, was something that I could perfectly understand as I have been through the same gamut of emotions like Tara, the thirty-six year old protagonist of the story went through. I couldn’t keep aside the book after reading this first story. The issue of global warming is also touched upon in an interesting manner in one of the stories.

The stories are short, crisp, and simple yet interesting and leaves the reader wanting to know more of what happens beyond the suspended time. This book is a compelling read and I must say, this is the best collection of short stories that I have read. I would recommend this to all the readers.

****I received a free copy of this book from LibraryThing for an honest review. show less

A really great collection of stories with some memorable characters and some very familiar situations. Some of the characters like the schoolgirl and the nosy neighbour have been portrayed so realistically that you feel you known them from before. The funny piece on global warming and the one about the politician’s visit to the village are very smart writings. I will recommend it as a very good buy.