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The Shooting Star
BRAND NEW, Exactly same ISBN as listed, Please double check ISBN carefully before ordering.
216 pages, Paperback
First published September 14, 2018
119 people are currently reading
995 people want to read
About the author
Shivya Nath
2 books92 followersShivya Nath (born 1988) grew up in Dehradun, India. At age 23, she quit her corporate job and a couple of years later, gave up her home, sold most of her belongings and started living nomadically. She is the author of one of India’s leading travel blogs, The Shooting Star (the-shooting-star.com). She appeared on the cover of National Geographic Traveller India magazine in 2017, and has been featured on BBC Travel, NDTV and TEDx.
Connect with her on Instagram / Twitter: @shivya
Connect with her on Instagram / Twitter: @shivya
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 189 reviews
February 10, 2019
I don't know what the author wanted to achieve from this book except being able to pay for her purposeless nomadic lifestyle filled with a lot of alcohol (there is more detail about the types of beer/wine/local brews she drank than the places she visited) ... Her below par writing, lack of honesty/transparency (she keeps mentioning her partner in gender neutral terms - is it a man or a woman, is it one or many partners--we don't know. I mean it's 2019!), missing storyline and life mission made it impossible to get through the short book! Oh wait, her mission in life is to live like her sack carrying ancestor nomads.. That should be enough to change the world I guess? I am beginning to have the urge to publish my diary I kept as an 18 year old- random thoughts, new types of intoxication, discovering things about the world from a selfish point of view! Maybe it will pay for my recreational expenses as well :D
September 23, 2018
Una Vida- Un Libro Para Leer...
One Life-One Book to Read!
To travel is to introspect, you see more of yourself than the world and Shivya Nath’s writing echoes this idea excellently. Having followed her blog this book was something I had been waiting for, going by the number of people around me who have spoken about the author or this book I can say that there are many like me who are eager to read her story. What impressed me more than the interesting anecdotes and experiences is the way she writes about how they changed her as a person. Thankfully there is no chronology, so each chapter is a new box. In a world where you want to be yourself, you 'will' be called a rebel or an unconventional freak, Shivya has made use of her passion to make a living and this is an inspiration to millions of people out there who not only want to travel. You may want to bake the best pizza in this world and you still have the right to dream about it and make it happen!
Thank you for writing this Shivya, waiting to read more from you. More journeys to you! ‘Una vida’ and you have made it beautiful.
One Life-One Book to Read!
To travel is to introspect, you see more of yourself than the world and Shivya Nath’s writing echoes this idea excellently. Having followed her blog this book was something I had been waiting for, going by the number of people around me who have spoken about the author or this book I can say that there are many like me who are eager to read her story. What impressed me more than the interesting anecdotes and experiences is the way she writes about how they changed her as a person. Thankfully there is no chronology, so each chapter is a new box. In a world where you want to be yourself, you 'will' be called a rebel or an unconventional freak, Shivya has made use of her passion to make a living and this is an inspiration to millions of people out there who not only want to travel. You may want to bake the best pizza in this world and you still have the right to dream about it and make it happen!
Thank you for writing this Shivya, waiting to read more from you. More journeys to you! ‘Una vida’ and you have made it beautiful.
October 2, 2018
Sheer Brilliance. Re-evaluating life right now.😌
.
If I have to take one thing from the book it's "Una Vida" - One life..
The Shooting Star is not a travelogue or a itinerary or a collection of short stories. It's all of them and more. Shivya is very relatable, with respect to her thoughts, the only difference between her and us is that she puts her thoughts to action and is braver than most of us. I enjoyed the first part of her.. I think I can call it a "memoir" (I expect this book to become a series now, Shivya, please write and publish more in the years to come 😁), so much so that she has put a vision in my head, a vision that I hope to see come to life. .
.
So many of her experiences, I can only hope to recreate.. I teared up quite a lot, either because I longed for what she had or because I knew I would never be able to. It's an experience to go through the book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. .
.
.
The Shooting Star - A glimpse isn't enough!😍🙈
.
If I have to take one thing from the book it's "Una Vida" - One life..
The Shooting Star is not a travelogue or a itinerary or a collection of short stories. It's all of them and more. Shivya is very relatable, with respect to her thoughts, the only difference between her and us is that she puts her thoughts to action and is braver than most of us. I enjoyed the first part of her.. I think I can call it a "memoir" (I expect this book to become a series now, Shivya, please write and publish more in the years to come 😁), so much so that she has put a vision in my head, a vision that I hope to see come to life. .
.
So many of her experiences, I can only hope to recreate.. I teared up quite a lot, either because I longed for what she had or because I knew I would never be able to. It's an experience to go through the book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. .
.
.
The Shooting Star - A glimpse isn't enough!😍🙈
June 3, 2019
A girl out there!
A girl out there, alone!
A girl who gave up her material possessions to travel!
A girl who gave up her material possessions to travel, alone!
A girl who drank this thing there!
A girl who smoked that thing there!
A girl who told you almost every 5 lines that she was a 'girl' out there in this cruel, fuck-all world alone living her dream!
Getting bored already? Imagine what I had to go through while reading this book?
She took the unusual path? Good for her! However, a lot of other women did that too. Want some examples? Zohra Sehgal
Zohra Sehgal gave up niqab (veil) and her religious leaning upon seeing her elder sister's sufferings. Her sister was religious and it somehow impacted ZOhra's faith. Not only did she moved out to live on her own terms but she also took up theater, toured across the world and married a Hindu. More than 50 years before out author was born.
I am by no way undermining the things this lady has done. However, it wasn't enough to take form of a book.
A girl out there, alone!
A girl who gave up her material possessions to travel!
A girl who gave up her material possessions to travel, alone!
A girl who drank this thing there!
A girl who smoked that thing there!
A girl who told you almost every 5 lines that she was a 'girl' out there in this cruel, fuck-all world alone living her dream!
Getting bored already? Imagine what I had to go through while reading this book?
She took the unusual path? Good for her! However, a lot of other women did that too. Want some examples? Zohra Sehgal
Zohra Sehgal gave up niqab (veil) and her religious leaning upon seeing her elder sister's sufferings. Her sister was religious and it somehow impacted ZOhra's faith. Not only did she moved out to live on her own terms but she also took up theater, toured across the world and married a Hindu. More than 50 years before out author was born.
I am by no way undermining the things this lady has done. However, it wasn't enough to take form of a book.
October 21, 2018
I bought the book assuming it would be a personal voyage with deeper insights, but it felt too guarded to me in parts. As a follower on Instagram, it felt exactly like the posts Shivya puts up regularly. I guess I was expecting more? Special mention to the cocoa story though...heady feeling just imagining it all.
December 24, 2020
Started this book when it just came out a few years ago.
I simply cannot enjoy it as much as I though I would like to.
There's nothing much interesting nor anything different or unique in this travelogue book.
It feels like the author was busy trying to be more specific about her lifestyle and other personal matters rather than her experiences of visiting different places. Something was amiss - and that is the much wanted information about the places in a travelogue. Well, I was expecting that! And I got just a pinch of salt but the dish was missing.
The title is ok. Fine with the actual content. But the words following the main title? 'A girl, her backpack and the world'. Sure. Misleading.
I got this book based on that.
But there's nothing much about the world. Just some random thoughts, some random places and some random people.
Not interesting. Not appealing. Unnecessarily long. Nothing much to learn from this read.
Even the pictures included towards the end of the book did nothing much.
I simply cannot enjoy it as much as I though I would like to.
There's nothing much interesting nor anything different or unique in this travelogue book.
It feels like the author was busy trying to be more specific about her lifestyle and other personal matters rather than her experiences of visiting different places. Something was amiss - and that is the much wanted information about the places in a travelogue. Well, I was expecting that! And I got just a pinch of salt but the dish was missing.
The title is ok. Fine with the actual content. But the words following the main title? 'A girl, her backpack and the world'. Sure. Misleading.
I got this book based on that.
But there's nothing much about the world. Just some random thoughts, some random places and some random people.
Not interesting. Not appealing. Unnecessarily long. Nothing much to learn from this read.
Even the pictures included towards the end of the book did nothing much.
November 9, 2018
I am glad I picked this one up.
So this one is not a piece of literature, the content is not ornamented... but it’s a piece of heart !
Glad to see how simple flow of words could connect us to actual experiences.
The only style in which she wrote this book is what she felt, what she did and what she saw!
And why I liked this book so much is because through her words and stories I somewhat got a glimpse of what it would have been like if only I too were as brave as hers ...
It’s a must read for people who love to see the world and get newer perspectives !
So this one is not a piece of literature, the content is not ornamented... but it’s a piece of heart !
Glad to see how simple flow of words could connect us to actual experiences.
The only style in which she wrote this book is what she felt, what she did and what she saw!
And why I liked this book so much is because through her words and stories I somewhat got a glimpse of what it would have been like if only I too were as brave as hers ...
It’s a must read for people who love to see the world and get newer perspectives !
April 5, 2019
Before discussing the book, I would like to offer a tidbit about her background. In 2011, Shivya Nath, a 23-year-old Indian girl hailing from a small town in Dehradun, decided to cut off all ties with her mundane corporate job to travel the world. Till date, she has traveled to over 50 countries and was featured on the cover of NatGeo Traveller India 2017 and various other international publications have written articles about her audacious journey across continents around the globe.
The shooting star is a Travel memoir by Shivya Nath wherein she shares with us the menagerie of experiences she gained during her solo trips. Rather than narrating the events in chronological order, she chose to divide the book chapter wise, each of which recounting the incidents which impacted her the most. In some chapters she talks about the marvelous things/people she came across whilst in some, she conveys her ideas and thoughts about the stereotypes that plagued each and every household in India. The tone of the book is never the same. Every chapter showed a glimpse of the various shades of her character. The soft side of her, the ever-burning fighting spirit inside her, the silly/funny side of her, etc. The narration clearly reflects her immense passion for exploration. Being a Wanderlust, I could feel a strong sense of kinship brewing between us as I read more and more about her escapades.
The Descriptions were so vivid and being a travel blogger, her writing enabled me to see the world through her eyes. I found myself silently striding beside her through the dense Amazon forests, trekking up the snow-capped mountains, guided by nothing but her voice(narration).
That being said, the only concerning issue which I still have is - Money.
Born in an urban family, she had the privilege to pursue higher studies in Singapore where she got her first job in the Singapore Tourism Board. But I just can't fathom how she was able to travel to so many countries on a shoestring budget. No freelancer would have that much financial freedom to pursue such expensive endeavors. She didn't present a clear picture of about how she managed to pay for the expenses. Very little information was provided about that. Not everyone has that sort of liberty to quit the job and embark on the path of uncertainty with a hollow pocket.
So I found it a bit hard to relate to her.
But overall, the book served as a quick escape from reality for me.
The shooting star is a Travel memoir by Shivya Nath wherein she shares with us the menagerie of experiences she gained during her solo trips. Rather than narrating the events in chronological order, she chose to divide the book chapter wise, each of which recounting the incidents which impacted her the most. In some chapters she talks about the marvelous things/people she came across whilst in some, she conveys her ideas and thoughts about the stereotypes that plagued each and every household in India. The tone of the book is never the same. Every chapter showed a glimpse of the various shades of her character. The soft side of her, the ever-burning fighting spirit inside her, the silly/funny side of her, etc. The narration clearly reflects her immense passion for exploration. Being a Wanderlust, I could feel a strong sense of kinship brewing between us as I read more and more about her escapades.
The Descriptions were so vivid and being a travel blogger, her writing enabled me to see the world through her eyes. I found myself silently striding beside her through the dense Amazon forests, trekking up the snow-capped mountains, guided by nothing but her voice(narration).
That being said, the only concerning issue which I still have is - Money.
Born in an urban family, she had the privilege to pursue higher studies in Singapore where she got her first job in the Singapore Tourism Board. But I just can't fathom how she was able to travel to so many countries on a shoestring budget. No freelancer would have that much financial freedom to pursue such expensive endeavors. She didn't present a clear picture of about how she managed to pay for the expenses. Very little information was provided about that. Not everyone has that sort of liberty to quit the job and embark on the path of uncertainty with a hollow pocket.
So I found it a bit hard to relate to her.
But overall, the book served as a quick escape from reality for me.
October 18, 2018
I have been following Shivya's Travel blog - The Shooting star, since it was introduced to me by a friend from Dehradun, few years ago. I love to read her blog posts as they give a totally different perspective unlike any other travel blog out there, most of which are just contributing to over tourism.
Ok, yeah, I know this review is not about her blog, so let's talk about the book. Before picking up this book, I was wondering how it will be any different from her blog. Why would a travel blogger would write a travelogue? On her blog she writes regularly, so is there anything still left to share?
And the answer is Yes! I must applaud Shivya as you have marvelous story telling skills. And now I know how chapters in the book can be so much different than blog write ups. This book is her travel memoir where she has bared her heart out sharing her emotions and experiences. I still can't decipher how she manages to be a nomad leaving everything behind - her home and her connections, yet being overwhelmed with the emotional bonds she creates during the course of her travel. The book will take you through the sections of time since she has been traveling, telling how travel changed her. I believe, there are still many stories left to be shared.
As I follow her blog, I have read few of her stories before, but in the book she has given them more depth and meaning. Traveling around the world solo and experiencing the things which normally travelers would hesitate to go through, She is a very brave traveler. I read this book slowly as it deserves to be felt and lived. I wish there would have been more pictures as all of the pics in the book are ones already shared on the blog.
Do I recommend this book? Of course! With not fleeting but twinkling stars.
Ok, yeah, I know this review is not about her blog, so let's talk about the book. Before picking up this book, I was wondering how it will be any different from her blog. Why would a travel blogger would write a travelogue? On her blog she writes regularly, so is there anything still left to share?
And the answer is Yes! I must applaud Shivya as you have marvelous story telling skills. And now I know how chapters in the book can be so much different than blog write ups. This book is her travel memoir where she has bared her heart out sharing her emotions and experiences. I still can't decipher how she manages to be a nomad leaving everything behind - her home and her connections, yet being overwhelmed with the emotional bonds she creates during the course of her travel. The book will take you through the sections of time since she has been traveling, telling how travel changed her. I believe, there are still many stories left to be shared.
As I follow her blog, I have read few of her stories before, but in the book she has given them more depth and meaning. Traveling around the world solo and experiencing the things which normally travelers would hesitate to go through, She is a very brave traveler. I read this book slowly as it deserves to be felt and lived. I wish there would have been more pictures as all of the pics in the book are ones already shared on the blog.
Do I recommend this book? Of course! With not fleeting but twinkling stars.
September 18, 2018
Shivya's book can hold its own among the great travel memoirs of the past. Her writing is lucid and heartfelt. She challenges societal conventions and provides a peek into the human journey behind the glamorous facade of modern day travel.
October 19, 2019
If one word I have to say, that would be
"Amazing"
"Amazing"
September 23, 2018
Why do you travel solo?
- Freedom
This is amazing for me as I mostly travel solo and write about my travelling experience.
Best travelling book yet.
- Freedom
This is amazing for me as I mostly travel solo and write about my travelling experience.
Best travelling book yet.
November 29, 2020
>Oh this book gave me goosebumps and made me idealize her traveling tough decisions/calls for her own inner peace and challenges. Shooting star defines the beauty and hardships of traveling solo, carrying your own bags, being responsible for your stuff being stolen, also being the only one receiving so much love and insights from locals and strangers who never leave your soul cause they’ve indirectly made your journey beautiful and worth exploring. Engulfed within the struggles of leaving a good job to living under a not so furnished ceiling and diverting all savings on booking tickets, barely surviving on the minion money she earned from travel writing back then, really shows the reality of how people are stuck in crossroads most of their life confused and weak to just pick a decision and live with it. She doesn’t make it look easy, hence expresses the financial, mental battles, physical difficulties as repercussions to her final call to become a travel for life. I love every bit of her writing, her short conversations with monks and their kids, making promises that might break, questioning her confidence at some steps, just like every single solo traveler out there.
March 22, 2019
To the author,
I had come to know about this book when I happened to stumble upon an article in a magazine. I am not an avid reader of non fiction yet something about that article made me to order this book immediately. The book itself is magical and honestly I was not expecting to feel what I am feeling right now. All your experiences across the world, I found so much warmth and the words went straight to my heart. Its been a while I have felt this way reading a non fiction. All your emotions resonated beautifully as my eyes fervently read from one page to another. I was fascinated to know about the versatility of information unbeknownst about various ethnicity. I would like to give you my heartfelt gratitude for penning down your memories. Thanks a lot for inspiring :):) I wish you only the best in your future endeavors.
I had come to know about this book when I happened to stumble upon an article in a magazine. I am not an avid reader of non fiction yet something about that article made me to order this book immediately. The book itself is magical and honestly I was not expecting to feel what I am feeling right now. All your experiences across the world, I found so much warmth and the words went straight to my heart. Its been a while I have felt this way reading a non fiction. All your emotions resonated beautifully as my eyes fervently read from one page to another. I was fascinated to know about the versatility of information unbeknownst about various ethnicity. I would like to give you my heartfelt gratitude for penning down your memories. Thanks a lot for inspiring :):) I wish you only the best in your future endeavors.
September 26, 2018
If you are looking for a chronological memoir of a girl justifying why she chose to quit a lucrative job and travel solo to the remote parts of this big bad world, then this book is not for you.
This is a book splattered with memories, emotions and stories of a small town girl, finally living her life by her terms. You travel across the globe as her fleeting memories fly by. In a single chapter, you'd have traveled from the remote corners of Guatemala, Africa, to the vast expanses of the Rann of Kutch only to finally end up in a little house with red roof nestled in the hill station of Dehradun.
Read my complete review here:
https://sathvikshetty.wordpress.com/2...
This is a book splattered with memories, emotions and stories of a small town girl, finally living her life by her terms. You travel across the globe as her fleeting memories fly by. In a single chapter, you'd have traveled from the remote corners of Guatemala, Africa, to the vast expanses of the Rann of Kutch only to finally end up in a little house with red roof nestled in the hill station of Dehradun.
Read my complete review here:
https://sathvikshetty.wordpress.com/2...
October 3, 2018
We all dream of one path to walk through, while only few us actually take that path and follow our dreams. There are hundreds of inhibitions which we prioritise over what we actually want to perceive, it may be what society approves to be a good or safe path or it may be so called settled life with home, money and children. Shivya is one among those who chose the path which wants to. Travelling solo in a native style, sooo many unique experiences which we are never gonna experience if we stick to what everyone approves of, living a nomadic life and many interesting stories are just a few of many things I admire about this book. Very well written book by Shivya and It is definitely one the best books I read till date. 😀😀
September 23, 2018
Why do you travel solo?
- Freedom
Most amazing travel book I have ever read yet. Being a solo traveler and a wanna be travel blogger I loved every experience shared by shivya
- Freedom
Most amazing travel book I have ever read yet. Being a solo traveler and a wanna be travel blogger I loved every experience shared by shivya
March 21, 2019
I feel fortunate to have read this book at a very crucial point of my life, and having realised that, I'm sure my life is not going to be be the same ever, now that I read The Shooting Star.
This is not a travel journal for travel enthusiasts. This book would not help you plan and prepare for your adventures, give you geographical details or historical citations to marvel at. On the contrary, this book would help you effortlessly flip through 140ish pages and take you around the globe through the eyes of a 27 old woman. Pure in its essence and honest in its narration, The Shooting Star is all and only about 'a girl, her backpack, and the world' - personal at all levels yet impersonal in its significant relation to us as fellow humans.
On a personal level the pages excited within me an old fire that I had long thought were burned out. The travels gave me answers and inspiration and most of all consolation. I'm unsure of how that translates here, but somehow Shivya Nath' s journey tranformed to be mine too, through all those pages.
This is not a travel journal for travel enthusiasts. This book would not help you plan and prepare for your adventures, give you geographical details or historical citations to marvel at. On the contrary, this book would help you effortlessly flip through 140ish pages and take you around the globe through the eyes of a 27 old woman. Pure in its essence and honest in its narration, The Shooting Star is all and only about 'a girl, her backpack, and the world' - personal at all levels yet impersonal in its significant relation to us as fellow humans.
On a personal level the pages excited within me an old fire that I had long thought were burned out. The travels gave me answers and inspiration and most of all consolation. I'm unsure of how that translates here, but somehow Shivya Nath' s journey tranformed to be mine too, through all those pages.
December 4, 2020
This is my first book in the travel genre. I simply read it cause I wanted to know how the hell she managed to break free!
I admire her on a personal level for that, and she does what a lot of similar minded girls, even boys in our country cannot imagine- and I appreciate the fact that she acknowledges her privilege.
I don't think I can review this as a piece of literature, rather what it conveys to me. So, that's what my rating stands for. I used to follow her blog during college days, and then her book wasn't published. And, I'm glad I put in the time for this one!
I admire her on a personal level for that, and she does what a lot of similar minded girls, even boys in our country cannot imagine- and I appreciate the fact that she acknowledges her privilege.
I don't think I can review this as a piece of literature, rather what it conveys to me. So, that's what my rating stands for. I used to follow her blog during college days, and then her book wasn't published. And, I'm glad I put in the time for this one!
September 25, 2018
Solid Travel experience reflects boldly in book. It is stuffed enough to inspire any soul.
Must read for who aspire to travel !
Must read for who aspire to travel !
September 22, 2018
Magnificently written. Not able to pause once started reading. Riveting. The description is so lively that you feel as if your in the place. Social issues taken up in very subtle manner. Worth every penny. All the best Shivya. Shall wait for your next book.
November 27, 2025
DNF at page 63.
Though I have a lot of respect for what Shivya has done, the kind of journeys she has taken, I simply didn’t like this book. Her blogs are better.
The book was very repetitive in which she was in this funk all the time- “I’m a girl, I travelled, I travelled alone, I trusted people, Being a girl from India, I trusted people”. It started to get annoying after a point. The timeline was also broken and it was difficult to understand where she is now and in what year.
I just couldn’t continue reading it.
Though I have a lot of respect for what Shivya has done, the kind of journeys she has taken, I simply didn’t like this book. Her blogs are better.
The book was very repetitive in which she was in this funk all the time- “I’m a girl, I travelled, I travelled alone, I trusted people, Being a girl from India, I trusted people”. It started to get annoying after a point. The timeline was also broken and it was difficult to understand where she is now and in what year.
I just couldn’t continue reading it.
September 24, 2018
"Unbeknownst to me, it had become my mission to prove that the world isn't the horrible place we often make it out to be. That just because there are some dirty fish, it doesn't mean the entire ocean is dirty and we need to confine ourselves to the shores we know. The fear bred by the news compels people to stay at home - trapped in a shrinking comfort zone - like it had once compelled me. I had much to unlearn for the sake of the freedom I chased, the victimhood I despised and my mission to build unlikely friendships."
- Some of my favourite lines from The Shooting Star by Shivya Nath.
In The Shooting Star, Shivya shares several anecdotes from her vast collection of travels, mostly in non-chronological order. These unexpected encounters, happy coincidences and bittersweet memories portray a different, happier and kinder world from the one we're taught to believe in. Shivya also offers a glimpse into her personal life, her relationships and details the struggle and conviction it took to break out of the mould and become the success story that she is today. The anecdotes are often refreshing and thought-provoking, and even gripping at times. The book urges you to reconsider your choices in life - whether it be your diet, your impact on the environment, or how travel can change you.
As you finish the last page of the book and take it all in, you're left with a glimmer of hope and a lingering thought: if a twenty-three year old girl from a conventional Indian family could break the glass ceiling to follow her dreams, then maybe you could too.
- Some of my favourite lines from The Shooting Star by Shivya Nath.
In The Shooting Star, Shivya shares several anecdotes from her vast collection of travels, mostly in non-chronological order. These unexpected encounters, happy coincidences and bittersweet memories portray a different, happier and kinder world from the one we're taught to believe in. Shivya also offers a glimpse into her personal life, her relationships and details the struggle and conviction it took to break out of the mould and become the success story that she is today. The anecdotes are often refreshing and thought-provoking, and even gripping at times. The book urges you to reconsider your choices in life - whether it be your diet, your impact on the environment, or how travel can change you.
As you finish the last page of the book and take it all in, you're left with a glimmer of hope and a lingering thought: if a twenty-three year old girl from a conventional Indian family could break the glass ceiling to follow her dreams, then maybe you could too.
October 2, 2018
Its been two weeks since Shivya 's first book was delivered. It may be an easy breeze of about 200 chapters, but it took me more than the anticipated time to finish reading it. Its not your regular travel related book where the author pens down only about the bright side of travelling - crystal clear oceans lined with pristine white beach, colorful tulips, cherry blossoms, snow-capped mountains, cobalt blue skies, starry nights, milky waterfalls, lush green forests.
Instead it focuses on a person's struggle to break away from the societal norms to carve a path of her own which she herself is not sure of. It is story of how a person conquers her fears. It is a story showcasing that you dont have to follow what others tell you to. Behind those rosy pictures are heart-felt bonds, everlasting friendships, secrets, pain, emotions, passion, love, heartbreaks, falls - something we may not always see/feel.
Thats the reason I didnt want to just breeze through the book. It wouldn't have done justice to the feelings that have gone behind in writing this book. Every chapter will make you ponder over your life choices/decisions. Its not easy to pour your heart out to the whole world, to share something so intimate and personal at the risk of being judged. If we are able to feel even a percentage of what has gone behind in writing this book, I believe justice would be gone. I am re-reading the book to grasp, to feel all over again that I have surely missed at the first time. Love and respect, Shivya.
Instead it focuses on a person's struggle to break away from the societal norms to carve a path of her own which she herself is not sure of. It is story of how a person conquers her fears. It is a story showcasing that you dont have to follow what others tell you to. Behind those rosy pictures are heart-felt bonds, everlasting friendships, secrets, pain, emotions, passion, love, heartbreaks, falls - something we may not always see/feel.
Thats the reason I didnt want to just breeze through the book. It wouldn't have done justice to the feelings that have gone behind in writing this book. Every chapter will make you ponder over your life choices/decisions. Its not easy to pour your heart out to the whole world, to share something so intimate and personal at the risk of being judged. If we are able to feel even a percentage of what has gone behind in writing this book, I believe justice would be gone. I am re-reading the book to grasp, to feel all over again that I have surely missed at the first time. Love and respect, Shivya.
December 31, 2018
Given Shivya's unique approach to travelling and travel blogging, I had to get my hands on her book as soon as it came out. Just like her blog posts, the chapters are deep, meaningful, and intense. She narrates her journey into the far-off lands - that are otherwise rarely talked about - with an intimacy that kept me hooked. In spite of the fact that some of the chapters carry similar stories to those in her blog posts, in the book, the descriptions are uninhibited and personal. At times, it does seem that she may have more to say or disclose and she chooses not to.
Best of all, I am glad she came out with a book to record the journals which do set her apart in her field and keep travel writers motivated to seek real journeys.
Best of all, I am glad she came out with a book to record the journals which do set her apart in her field and keep travel writers motivated to seek real journeys.
September 28, 2018
I must say it's one of it's kind. i guess aspiring to write or aspiring to travel is something which most people want . I must say i am one of them too and i have always made my boundaries by saying "may be it's not for me", "i can't do it " the reason goes so on and on. reading travel book merely gives me a pleasure and motivation to go one step towards my desires . reading this book has certainly given me enough boost to realize that boundaries made by us as long as we keep them it certainly be as it is making us gray and old and our dreams shallow and bore. we just have one life , we must make most of it :)
December 3, 2018
I am simply stunned by the work of this debut Indian writer - Shivya. So glad I stumbled upon this book, which I am sure is going to leave tingling sensation in the hearts of many readers. Through her honest writing, she has described her life altering travel experiences in a soul touching manner. The book is surely going to inspire several people to go see the world, especially single women travellers. Her book truly epitomizes the saying 'You don't take the trip, it's the trip that takes you"!!!
October 3, 2018
One of my most awaited books of 2018, Shivya's journey was worth so much more than it would first look at first. Her poignant and path-breaking journey through our world, her first-hand experiences and the fact that I can relate to her up-bringing, made this a wonder read.
Give it a shot, I'm sure you will love the journey and will surely fall in love with travel and this traveler.
Happy Read :)
Give it a shot, I'm sure you will love the journey and will surely fall in love with travel and this traveler.
Happy Read :)
October 5, 2018
Introduces you to a whole new perspective on travel. Shows you how it's done.
Started reading thinking it would be just another travelogue, but it turned out to much more than that.
Started reading thinking it would be just another travelogue, but it turned out to much more than that.
February 10, 2019
The writing is simple, lucid and straight from the heart. The travel accounts are quite interesting while the author's self introspection is very insightful.
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