The Author
I'm Krishna Iyer. I was eighteen when I started writing this, after one too many sleepless nights, the kind that end with you awake at 2 a.m., needing somewhere to put everything you're feeling. Mine was a diary. That's where the author in me was born.
It took almost two years to finish. I wasn't writing it for anyone at first, just for myself, the way you write things down so they'll stop keeping you up. Somewhere along the way, I decided it was worth showing to the world instead of leaving it in a drawer.
My first work. Not my last.
Why This Book
I wrote the first page of this book at 2 a.m., in the kind of mood you're not supposed to make decisions in.
It took me a long time to admit that the parts that hurt to write were the parts worth keeping.
“I wanted to write the kind of love that doesn't announce itself, the kind you only recognise from how much it costs to let go of.”
Half a Bottle of Beer
A story about the nights that half-empty a person, and the mornings after that ask you to stay anyway.
Half a Bottle of Beer follows a young man through a year he can't quite look back on sober. A story about love that arrives quietly, wrecks slowly, and leaves you better than it found you. For anyone who has ever measured a relationship by what was left in the glass when it ended.
What readers are saying
“This book actually attacked my emotions because Veer and Myra are absolute disasters at age eighteen. Veer is out here trying to be the ultimate "fixer" of everyone's problems while completely ghosting his own feelings, and Myra is just casually hoarding secrets without apologizing. They have the communication skills of a wet potato and detonate their whole relationship in the most human way possible. It's a goofy, sloppy reminder that teenagers shouldn't be trusted with big feelings — but it's also lowkey beautiful and entirely human.”
“Excellent piece of writing. The book is a deeply personal memoir that captures the highs, lows and defining moments of the author's life with remarkable honesty and emotional depth. The author has a natural gift of storytelling and is able to transform everyday life experiences into compelling narratives, exploring themes like resilience, self-discovery, family and relationships. The book is so engaging that it's hard to put it down. Highly recommend to readers looking for an inspiring tale of growth and self-discovery.”
“A moving story centred around Veer and his experience of falling love, and the complexity of relationships. Navigating big emotions in delicate years as he and his friend group transition into adulthood. Veer reflects deeply about how his family life impacts upon his character and behaviours and how he works on himself. A raw tale of a young man that is refreshingly honest. This is not a love story caught up in fast romance, but authentic and carefully shares the smaller details which form the bigger picture. To read a young man's emotion told in this way is both moving and thought provoking. This is an enjoyable read that through the honesty of own character flaws allows the reader to self reflect on their own in a gentle way. A great book- highly recommended.”
“This book actually attacked my emotions because Veer and Myra are absolute disasters at age eighteen. Veer is out here trying to be the ultimate "fixer" of everyone's problems while completely ghosting his own feelings, and Myra is just casually hoarding secrets without apologizing. They have the communication skills of a wet potato and detonate their whole relationship in the most human way possible. It's a goofy, sloppy reminder that teenagers shouldn't be trusted with big feelings — but it's also lowkey beautiful and entirely human.”
“Excellent piece of writing. The book is a deeply personal memoir that captures the highs, lows and defining moments of the author's life with remarkable honesty and emotional depth. The author has a natural gift of storytelling and is able to transform everyday life experiences into compelling narratives, exploring themes like resilience, self-discovery, family and relationships. The book is so engaging that it's hard to put it down. Highly recommend to readers looking for an inspiring tale of growth and self-discovery.”
“A moving story centred around Veer and his experience of falling love, and the complexity of relationships. Navigating big emotions in delicate years as he and his friend group transition into adulthood. Veer reflects deeply about how his family life impacts upon his character and behaviours and how he works on himself. A raw tale of a young man that is refreshingly honest. This is not a love story caught up in fast romance, but authentic and carefully shares the smaller details which form the bigger picture. To read a young man's emotion told in this way is both moving and thought provoking. This is an enjoyable read that through the honesty of own character flaws allows the reader to self reflect on their own in a gentle way. A great book- highly recommended.”