Review- Charcuterie of Thoughts by Rathnakumar Raghunath

 Charcuterie of Thoughts on Goodreads

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

Charcuterie of Thoughts is Rathnakumar's highly anticipated sophomore collection of poetry. Much like its previous iteration - the bestselling and critically-acclaimed Smörgåsbord of Musings - this book is a concoction made of love, life, laughter, anger, joy, despair, romance, disgust, yearning, pain, wonder, and hope.

It's a tribute to the full spectrum of the human experience, with each poem offering a unique insight into the beauty and complexity of our existence, showcasing the richness of our shared humanity.

In essence, Charcuterie of Thoughts is a celebration of all that makes us human.

Release date: June, 17 2023

Published by: Ukiyoto Publishing

Pages: 239 (Paperback), 217 (Kindle)

REVIEW:

Author Rathnakumar Raghunath’s highly anticipated second collection of poetry, Charcuterie of Thoughts, has truly been worth the wait.

The writer created magic with words with his début, Smörgåsbord of Musings. A book that is a warm hug and filled with everything relatable, Smörgåsbord of Musings is an extraordinary marvel that the author gifted the world during Covid, when all we wanted to feel was loved and hopeful, something this book will never fail to provide us, even years down the line. It has indeed found a permanent place not only on the shelves of readers, but in their hearts too.

Coming to Charcuterie of Thoughts, this collection of poetry is reminiscent of Smörgåsbord of Musings in many ways, and yet, stands as a unique, proud and grown up collection all on its own. Just like he did with his debut, Rathnakumar Raghunath has created even more magic and proven that he is the epitome of a writer of our times who is a class part yet one with us, with his new book. If Smörgåsbord of Musings is a warm hug, Charcuterie of Thoughts is like knowing you have an umbrella on a rainy day to protect you from the rain, while being fully aware that it is capable of flying away, out of your hands, at any second, if your grip is not firm. At the same time, however, and most importantly, the book pried that it’s okay to let go of this umbrella sometimes and simply make the most of the rain. It is a reality check about the fragility of life, that sometimes seems like a slap in the face, in a manner that is raw, real and relatable.

While reading any work of art, it is difficult to entirely separate the creator from his creation, and Charcuterie of Thoughts proves that Rathnakumar Raghunath has grown immensely, as a person and as a writer. That growth is something many readers might also have experienced, given the times we live in, which makes the book a true contemporary masterpiece. With the right amount of bitterness, betrayal, cruelty, darkness and disgust, balanced with the right amount of love, hope, loyalty, sweetness, fun, humour and so much more, Charcuterie of Thoughts has something for everyone. It is a well curated, meticulously thought of and immaculately written collection of poetry that speaks to the heart and the mind alike. This book romances you in way that is both loving and dangerous, which takes it to the next level, making it an extraordinary and remarkable work of art. It consumes you in a way that will leave you coming back to it and wanting more.

Rathnakumar Raghunath’s writing is reminiscent of great French poets, but he does what they could never - he puts down what’s on his mind and in his heart, in a manner that is easy to comprehend and easier to relate to. He pays tribute, in the most incredible ways, to everything he is passionate about, and he proves, that above anything else, love will always win, and there is so much peace in simply knowing that. He has the magical ability to make you believe, to convince you to never lose hope, and to simply keep carrying on, experiencing the entire spectrum of human emotion.

RATING:

BUY THE BOOK: Amazon / Odyssey

Review: Les Cicatrices by Rathnakumar Raghunath

  BOOK SUMMARY:

Le livre de poésie « Les Cicatrices » parle de ceux qui ont ressenti cette douleur particulière que seul l’amour peut infliger à quelqu'un, et leur cheminement vers la guérison.

Release date: October 27th 2021

Published by: Self-published

Page numbers: 31

REVIEW: 

Les Cicatrices by Rathnakumar Raghunath is a gorgeous collection of French poetry that is all about giving yourself a reality check every once in a while, sadness, hope and happiness. What takes it to the next level and makes it even better is the multi-talented writer’s French, which as a language is in itself extremely pleasing and poetic, and Rathnakumar’s knowledge of it takes it further ahead, making it even more gorgeous. His writing that is straight from the heart is very touching, comforting and soothing. The stunning cover designed by Reshma Dhanraj deserves a mention and a huge round of applause for the unique purple and the intricate and stunning illustrations. Overall, if you know even some amount of French, give this lovely collection a go for it is simple, pure and simply stunning.

Review: Catch Me 'Cause I'm Falling by Rathnakumar Raghunath

 BOOK SUMMARY:

Catch Me 'Cause I'm Falling
Digital Pride Series by Rathnakumar Raghunath


Lately, everything was making Abhi cry. He was kicked out of class for showing up drunk. His parents were getting a divorce. And to make matters worse, Shray, his boyfriend of two years, told him it was over between them.

From Rathnakumar Raghunath, the author of Elevator, comes a new piece of Flash Fiction just in time for Pride Month.

Release date: June 25th 2021

Page numbers: 9

REVIEW: 

With relatable characters, simple yet brilliant writing and a story that’s emotional and adorable, Catch Me ‘Cause I’m Falling by Rathnakumar Raghunath is a quick read that is guaranteed to leave you feeling warm and hopeful.

Review- Smörgåsbord of Musings by Rathnakumar Raghunath

 Smörgåsbord of Musings on Goodreads

                                                                 BOOK SUMMARY:

Smörgåsbord of Musings is a collection of poems, anecdotes and random thoughts expressed from the points of view of different people - men, women, non-binary persons, kids, teenagers, adults - all going through different things in life. People living happy lives, some not-so-happy lives, people in love, hopeless romantics, people dealing with heartbreak, the ones who believe life is better with a bit of whimsy, this book, hopefully, has a little something that resonates with everybody, lets the reader find the silver lining when needed and discover the joie de vivre even when times are hard.

Release date: October 27th 2020

Published by: Goya Publishing

Page numbers: 233

REVIEW: 

To be honest, the reason I decided to read Smörgåsbord of Musings is because the author Rathnakumar Raghunath is a friend of one of my closest friend and favourite person, Aditi, so I was a 100% sure that the book and the person behind it would both be inspiring and incredible. While we started interacting with each other, I realised Rathna is a genuinely kind, supportive and just an overall splendid human, which made me extremely curious about his book. Reading a book written by someone you know is always a challenge because somewhere, there is that slight pressure of being truthful and nice. I knew I would like Rathna's book because I liked the person behind it, but I had no idea that reading the book would made me appreciate and look up to the person even more. 

Smörgåsbord of Musings is a collection of a variety of stuff written by Rathna. Now I always say that I love books that make me feel- what it is that they make me feel, doesn't matter, as long as I feel something, you know? This collection had me go from ah to oh to aw to ugh to what not in a matter of some 200+ pages, and I love when a single book makes me experience the plethora of human emotions. Rathna's writing was simply awe-inspiring. He has presented the world with an exquisite collection of his writing that is so relatable, it will take the reader on a journey of their own life. Trust me, each and every part of the book made me feel belonged in the sense that it gave me a sense of comfort knowing that there is something that I have been through that is put down so terrifically in words by someone who has been through the same. It's just so magical, isn't it, how simple words connect us?

I had told Rathna that I wanted time to devour his book. I had actually meant to say savour because I wanted to feel each and every page. I got so hooked on to the author's writing though, that I ended up devouring it anyway, in less than 3 hours! This is one book I know I will keep going back to. With all my favourite parts marked with a post-it... that's the one sign for me that what I'm reading is not just going to stay with me, but that I will go back to it for that same sense of belonging, comfort and oneness that I felt while reading it. If your book makes me run to grab my sticky notes and makes my review seem endless, your writing just made me experience euphoria, so thank you, dear writer. 

A book like Smörgåsbord of Musings is a rare masterpiece that encompasses the profuseness and richness of feelings and an assortment of themes- touching on literally each and every one of them. The one and only downside to this book was that I wish there were more handwritten works. There was one and it was enthralling to read something in the writing of the writer- there's always something very charming about it that makes the reader connect with the writer in a personal way. Another negative I have is that the adorable bookmark I got out for this book was of no use as the book was unputdownable. 

I don't suppose I have done justice to the book with my words, but hey, I tried. As someone who has been following Rathna for quite some time now, I know it in my heart that he has written this with all his heart and it shows. His book is literally him in all his sincere, grand and simply majestic glory. I often get asked for book recommendations and I find myself getting confused as to what book to recommend to someone without really knowing what they like. There are books that make the reader happy, sad, anxious, depressed, angry, elated and just a basketful of emotions. But they have to pick different books to feel one or two of these. With Smörgåsbord of Musings, the reader will feel all of these and I know that henceforth, I will recommend it to everyone whether they ask me for recommendations or not. This book is like a one time investment for it explores the vastness of human emotions and experiences in one single read. 

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by Rathnakumar Raghunath in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

Buy the book: AMAZON