Tag: bookreview

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Review of I hate my curly hair

BLURB :

I tug till my head’s black and blue!
But nothing can tame
This wild, curly mane!

Curly haired girl does everything she can to straighten her stubborn curls-after all, everywhere she looks she sees heroines with smooth, silky hair. Then one day, a big bully comes along and everything changes! A humorous tale of self-acceptance. And of hair, lots and lots of glorious curly hair!

REVIEW :

Having read her first book dare eat that. This book is a complete contrast and is aimed at a different age group.

The author Divya aka ‘baal ki dukan’ had struggles with her unruly and very much curly hair. I’d definitely trade mine to have curly hair now.

This book is from the point of view of a four year old girl, who absolutely hates her curly twirly hair that coils and twists.

She feels it’s so unfair for someone to be blessed with curly thick hair that makes it unruly, frizzy and unmanageable.

Being called names like noodle, poodle this girl has tried everything she can to get those curls straight. From stretching it with books, glue, oil and what not the poor thing has tried to set right the unruly mane.

A sense of sadness surrounds her when she watches girls with long straight silky hair on TV and that’s something she doesn’t have.

Being bullied and laughed at for all her hair struggles, she tries hard not to cry.
But an incident changes her while thought and she starts feeling proud and happy to sport those lovely twirly whirly curls. Taking similarity to favourite heroes from books who are brave and adorn curly hair. She feels unique and is finally happy to have accepted herself as the curly haired girl and so does the bully friend.

The illustrations by @rujuta.td are brilliant and absolutely cute to look at.

A recent obsession of my daughter to grow long hair right after I narrated #rapunzel . She now wants curly hair post we finished reading this book.

A very fun and engaging read this book can reread as many times just to teach kids self acceptance and joy of reading.

BOOK DETAILS

Format available: Paperback and ebook

Price : paperback 244 ebook 156

Publisher : puffin books

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Divya, often called ‘ baal ki dukaan‘, struggled with unruly, thick, curly hair for over two decades before she realized her hair looks best when it’s left uncombed! She loves using her curls to hold the numerous pens, pencils and paintbrushes she needs while she’s writing, doodling or working. She gets her best creative ides when she’s hanging upside down, doing anti-gravity yoga. If you’re in Bangalore, you might spot her (and her distinctive curls!) with her husband Vivek. Their quest to eat bizarre foods from around the world features in her first book, Dare Eat That. Follow her at: http://www.divyaanand.in

Do check what Arti has to say about restaurants open in Delhi And what Debidutta has to say.



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Review of Izzy’s magical football adventure

BOOK DETAILS
Target Age: Children 7+

Genre: Sports / Female Sports

Tour Dates: 12th – 16th October 2019

Publication Date: 16th September 2019

Formats available: Mobi, Epub or Paperbacks

Standalone story

BLURB

Izzy is a seven-year-old girl who lives in Ireland and loves all sport, especially Gaelic Football.

She has three brothers, David, Patrick and Robert.

Izzy plays football with her brothers on a regular basis in their back garden and dreams of playing for her county in the All Ireland Ladies Football Final in Croke Park when she is older.

One day, Izzy puts on her great grandmother’s bracelet, which is made of old All Ireland medals that her great grandmother won a long time ago, and something unexpected and magical happens, which may make Izzy’s Croke Park dream a reality sooner than she expected…………….

This book is aimed at readers from age seven onwards starting to read independently. It is based around the themes of promoting strong girls, encouraging girls to play sport and girl’s ability to play sport at a high level, while also having a fun magical theme. It is 32 pages long, about 1,700 words and has lots of lovely illustrations.

REVIEW :

A very short read picture book that sure is to be useful and be giving goals for all ages though it mentions the age as 7+.

Izzy a little girl who loves the ball and has dreams of being a good player. A book that helps you by giving the push to follow your dreams and live up your goal.

She puts on her great grandmother’s bracelet which has medals from all over Ireland that she had won. What Izzy didn’t know was that she would be transported to a magical world of future of what would her life be like if she followed her goals.

We all have dreams and aspirations but do we all live up to it or take efforts. This bok telling you the story of Izzy will definitely make you think on that point. A great book for little readers and for everyone with a dream.

About Emma Larkin

My name is Emma Larkin, and I am the founder of “Emma Larkin Books” and “Rebel in Kerry Press”. I have recently written and published my first book “Izzy’s Magical Football Adventure”, and I hope to write many more books about Izzy and her adventures in sport. As may be evident from the name of my publishing imprint, I am a “Rebel in Kerry”! This means that I am originally from County Cork in Ireland, which is known as the Rebel County, but I moved to Kerry (another county in Ireland which neighbours Cork) in 2006 and have been happily living in Kerry since then, with my husband and four children. My husband is a Kerry native and we live in North Kerry, near Listowel, where my husband is from, and is an area which is rich is literary history!

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Review of N for Nourish by Pooja Makhija #myfriendalexa

BLURB

Do you know why eating right is so important? Because it’s food that makes you zip through classes, tear across the football field or win that game of chess. The right diet influences your mood, your thoughts and even your ability to have fun.
With the aid of innovative models and striking visuals, this book will help you understand the components of a healthy diet, what makes the five fingers of nutrition (and how they turn into a power-packed punch) and the importance of sleep, water and exercise in your day-to-day life. Not only does this contain the ABCs of nutrition but also a series of amazing facts about how food can change your life.
N for Nourish will make you look at yourself and what you eat in an absolutely new light!

Review

MY REVIEW

Been a fan of her after eat delete and eat delete junior.
Was eagerly waiting for N for nourish.
First thing when I got my hands in this. I knew I could have solutions for fuzzy eating problems.
🍉 Five fingers of nutrition – Carbohydrates ( simple and complex) , vitamins,minerals, proteins and fats . The chapter describing the importance of each element and how to be consumed.
🍒How to eat -Making fist( meal having five fingers), eating at home, every two hours, to know the friends(categorising food as friends) great concept of classification. Knowing right proportions to eat.
🍓What happens when- the I’ll effects of skipping breakfast, too much of junk or sugar consumption, not having good sleep, not having enough water , not doing much of exercise.
🍑the food world and the food alter egos – talks about environmental exposure to food.
🍊- eating for future – talks about eating for exams, sports happiness.
🍇H for help- explains about the nutritional facts and the food labels that explain them.
🥥On the whole a book that teaches you goodness of food and also ill effects of having junk and sugary foods. The exercises at the end make the book even more interesting.
Loved the colorful illustrations.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pooja spends most of her time telling adults what to eat-adults like Shahid Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor. But she also counsels children like you and her two daughters, who are about your age. She teaches children about the wonder and magic of food, and she finds that giving them the right tools at the right time helps them reap lifelong benefits. And even though she’s strict about her kids eating right, she is-by her own account-a fun person to live with. Pooja resides in Mumbai but eats everywhere.

I am taking my blog to the next level with blogchatter’s #myfriendalexa.
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Review of The happy fruit adventures #myfriendalexa

BLURB
What if happiness was a fruit and life a jungle, one had to cross to find it? Two nineteen-year-old boys set about a journey through a jungle called ‘life’ in search of the happy fruit. They both take different paths. On their way, they come across various challenges and distractions, myriad beasts and men. From insight-the owl with a unique power, to monster pessimism-the giant snake with legs to stand on. The boys find it the most enchanting place but an evil outcast named doctor Diablo forms an army to take control of and annihilate the jungle. But a chain of sudden events puts the teens between him and his fiendish objective. The boys find support from master experience, who reveals what lies ahead; commander courage, who leads the way into battle; and princess envy, who brews a mysterious, pulpy potion. Will the boys win the war and find the happy fruit? The happy fruit adventures is an exciting, allegorical tale about the journey of life.

BOOK DETAILS

Format : paperback

Publisher : Readomania

MY REVIEW

A book that describes life and the challenges it throws upon us . How do we survive? How do we tackle them? Wait this is not a non fiction self help book.
It’s a fictional book but also one that can make you learn things about life.
The comparison of happily as a fruit and life as a jungle is mind-blowing setting a solid plot. The two 19 year old boys who set out on a journey to find happiness is greatly explained in an enjoyable fictitious manner.
The challenges that are thrown at these boys and how they tackle is what we learn from the book. Most often we take the road that people take very often, the one that is well-known and easier.
I loved the meaningful naming of each character and the subsequent thought that went behind it.
A simple and an engaging narration while teaching you the life lessons makes this a great book to read .
The Uber cute illustrations are definitely a plus and kudos to the cover design and the map.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
P. K. Hari Ram Narayanan was born in Bangalore, India. His father got transferred often, so he grew up in a variety of places ranging from the tranquil Kavaratti Island in Lakshadweep to the buzzing capital city of New Delhi. Hailing from a family of eminent writers, he was exposed to the classics of literature from a young age. His first published article, ‘Mouse click for a toothpick’ appeared in The New Indian Express when he was at school. He went on to write in other renowned publications such as The Hindu, India Today and The Economic Times. In 2017, he won the NaNoWriMo challenge and he was also one of the finalists of the ‘Write India Contest’ held by The Times of India. The Happy Fruit Adventures is his first book. For his day job, Hari works as a marketer for Zoho, where he writes about leading teams and managing work in the modern office. He has travelled extensively across the United States, Europe, Australia and of course, India talking about how Zoho’s offerings can help businesses work better. He lives in Chennai with his wife Krithika. When at home, both have their noses buried deep in some form of writing or are busy planning their next getaway.

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Review of Ginormous Joe series – book 3-4 #myfriendalexa

About The Ginormous Series

Through The Ginormous Series children learn how to communicate their problems and work through their feelings. Loving, engaging adventures that follow pets discussing their ‘life handling’ problems and how they solve them together.

In ‘Ginormous Jo’s Silly Bullies’, ‘Ginormous Jo’s Welcoming Arms’, ‘Ginormous Jo’s You Are Special’, ‘Ginormous Joe’s Broken Bark’ and ‘Ginormous Joe’s Annoying Friend’ the animals chat about lots of ‘stuff’. Bullying, recycling, welcoming new members to a family or classroom, feeling alone, listening, learning and caring for others. A great addition to any child’s home or teacher’s read-aloud library. Encouraging thought-provoking conversation between adult and child.

Series Purchase Links:

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07RN8JY24/
US – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RS4XLVN/

Ginormous Jo’s Silly Bullies

Written & Illustrated
by S C Cunningham

Looking for a way to help children face bullies?

Have them follow along on the adventures of Ginormous Jo and her dog friends as they learn to face bullies in her dog neighborhood. When Ginormous Jo visits one of her friends Muttley, she notices Muttley is very down. She doesn’t seem to want to do their normal play activities. Jo is worried, and finally gets Muttley to bravely tell her why she won’t go outside. The dogs down the street are bullying Muttley.

Will Muttley stand up to them? Or will it take some help from her friend Jo first?

This is a great read-aloud for the whole family or for a class working on beginning of the school year skills. Children will learn the techniques on how to stand up to a bully. This is the fourth book in the Ginormous Jo collection.

REVIEW :

Bullying is something that children shouldn’t be subjected to at an early age.

And even if they are being bullied they must be thought how to handle it bravely.

Children shouldn’t feel suppressed when bullied and stop facing situations. They must be taught to handle it smooth and in a courageous way.

Here Joe teaches Muttley how to handle bullies and how to be brave. Read along to know how.

Purchase Links
UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07RMKMKDR/
US – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RMKMKDR/

Ginormous Jo’s You Are Special

Written & Illustrated
by S C Cunningham

Ever wish you could ask someone the big life questions?

Tom and Vincent have a full list for their friend, Ginormous Jo. Being in a unique family of three dogs and a kitten, they are all the best of friends. Tom, a little white dog and Vincent, a small kitten, play quietly in the backyard until they start asking questions about life. Are they special? Why do they feel they don’t fit in?

They come up with a list to ask Ginormous Jo, the friendly senior dog in the house. She takes the two to heart and listens to their questions. The answers might be astonishing to the pair, but they are an excellent example of how you can learn from those wiser than yourself. But the important thing, of course, is they asked for help from an elder. She teaches them how they are already special. And that through recycling, they can help save the whole world!

This darling little picture book continues the Ginormous Jo serious stressing the importance of asking questions and being honest with your elders. It helps model how children should feel free to express their feelings to loved ones older than them, and follow the advice. It stresses how anyone can be special by their personal effort to better the world. This is a great book for any children’s library especially as a gift from a grandparent or older sibling.

REVIEW

This book brings out the message about how to feel special about oneself. Self love is important to make others realise how special you are. It is also important to know how special you are and how honest you could be with one another by asking questions.

Here in this book Vinnie and Tom have questions lined up for JOe and seek her answers. Her answers not only satisfy yom and Vinnie, but also open up a different perspective of thinking for us.

Purchase Links
UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07S19R2P9
US – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07S19R2P9
About S C Cunningham

Owned by 3 dogs and a cat, Cunningham normally writes suspense thrillers. As respite from her crime novels, she creates children’s picture books, each with a theme to gently teach our precious young, and help open up conversation. The Ginormous Series is based on Cunningham’s beloved family pets – Joe, Muttley, Dali (Jo), Tom and Vinnie.

She is an ex-model, British born of Irish roots that married a rock musician and has worked in the exciting worlds of music, film, sports celebrity management and as a Crime Investigator and Intelligence Analyst for the Police. She supports causes for: Veterans, MH, Child and Animal Protection.

Social Media Links –
WEB
https://www.sccunningham.com/the-ginormous-series-by-s-c-cunningham.php

TWITTER
@sccunningham8
@ginormousjoe

FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/pg/GinormousSeries/posts/

Giveaway to win a choice of 1 paperback from the first 6 books of the Ginormous Jo Series (Open Internationally)
Winner can pick from
Ginormous Joe’s Broken Bark
Ginormous Joe’s Annoying Friend
Ginormous Jo’s Secret
Ginormous Jo’s Silly Bullies
Ginormous Joe’s Welcoming Arms
Ginormous Jo’s You Are Special

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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Review of Ginormous Joe – book 1 & 2 #myfriendalexa

About The Ginormous Series

Through The Ginormous Series children learn how to communicate their problems and work through their feelings. Loving, engaging adventures that follow pets discussing their ‘life handling’ problems and how they solve them together.

In ‘Ginormous Jo’s Silly Bullies’, ‘Ginormous Jo’s Welcoming Arms’, ‘Ginormous Jo’s You Are Special’, ‘Ginormous Joe’s Broken Bark’ and ‘Ginormous Joe’s Annoying Friend’ the animals chat about lots of ‘stuff’. Bullying, recycling, welcoming new members to a family or classroom, feeling alone, listening, learning and caring for others. A great addition to any child’s home or teacher’s read-aloud library. Encouraging thought-provoking conversation between adult and child.

Series Purchase Links:

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07RN8JY24/
US – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RS4XLVN/

Ginormous Joe’s Broken Bark

by S C Cunningham
Illustrations by Scarlett Raven & S C Cunningham

Can a dog be saved by the love of a family?

Can he find his bark to save them from the local thief?

Meet Joe. He’s got the worst owner that dumps him by the road where he is found by the Tuttle family. They take him in, even though he has no bark at all. But he is a very large dog which should help protect the family from the recent break-ins around the neighborhood. But Joe loves to sleep. He stretches out and snores loud, barking while he dreams of chasing rabbits. He just can’t bark while he is awake
.
Will he save the family when a burglar enters the house? Will Joe find his bark to warn them in time?
This delightful story is the first of a series of stories featuring Ginormous Joe. It shows how he becomes part of the Tuttle family. It’s a great read-aloud for families that have recently got a dog and teaches a lesson on how everyone has a purpose.

REVIEW

It’s always great to have a dog as a pet. The amount of love they show on you, the care they take , the little tail wagging as a sign of gratitude all that makes your heart chirpy.

One such story here in this book is that Joe here is a cute , white fluffy dog. Initially with nasty Nik, who doesn’t care a bit for the dog eventhough how much love the dog shows on him. One fine day Nasty Nik drops him off on the highway. Joe unable to react due to the shock. He loses his bark. Nasty Nik mocks at this and leaves.

Joe is devastated and goes on without food water and struggles which is when the Tuttle family finds him and decide to keep him

Joe is best friends with Mary, the little girl but they do not feel bad that he cannot bark. Mrs Tuttle is happy that Joe will be a good watch dog eventhough he doesn’t bark. Will he save the day ? What happens ?

A lovely tale for the little ones. I thoroughly enjoyed reading and I’m sure the little kids will also do.

Purchase Links
UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005U5EAL0/
US – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005U5EAL0/

Ginormous Joe’s Annoying Friend

Written & Illustrated
by S C Cunningham

Do you have a child that has trouble talking to people? Or expressing their feelings?

Here is a story about dogs with the problem of communicating their feelings, and how they solve it together. The Tuttles enjoy walking their dog, Ginormous Joe. But one day, they bring home a new friend, another dog named Mo. Joe and Mo don’t seem to hit it off. She is always ignoring him and not wanting to play. One day, Joe realizes that all he needed to do was reach out and talk. This gave Mo a chance to tell him why she never would play with him. She was shy. The awkwardness between them evaporates, and they become friends, all from finally being brave enough to tell each other their feelings.

This is a great book to show children how to communicate to solve their problems and work through their feelings. It will make a great addition to any child’s home collection or teacher’s read-aloud library.

MY REVIEW :

A good book that shows importance of communication, eventhough if it’s between dogs. Communication plays key role in conveying emotions at the right time.

Joe is the sole owner of all the love at Tuttle’s home. But when aunt decides to go away on a trip, Mo makes her entry which makes Joe sad that he has competition.

Mo tries to impress him in every possible way, but to Joe it appears as interference. So he wishes that she goes away sooner.

But he soon changes his mind and wishes for her to comeback sooner. What incident made him think that way ? Read on…

I loved the illustrations and brief narration which was easy to comprehend.

Purchase Links
UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07RCZH6TJ
US – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RCZH6TJ

About S C Cunningham

Owning 3dogs and a cat, Cunningham normally writes suspense thrillers. As respite from her crime novels, she creates children’s picture books, each with a theme to gently teach our precious young, and help open up conversation. The Ginormous Series is based on Cunningham’s beloved family pets – Joe, Muttley, Dali (Jo), Tom and Vinnie.

She is an ex-model, British born of Irish roots that married a rock musician and has worked in the exciting worlds of music, film, sports celebrity management and as a Crime Investigator and Intelligence Analyst for the Police. She supports causes for: Veterans, MH, Child and Animal Protection.

Social Media Links –
WEB
https://www.sccunningham.com/the-ginormous-series-by-s-c-cunningham.php

TWITTER
@sccunningham8
@ginormousjoe

FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/pg/GinormousSeries/posts/

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Review of Dear people, with love and care your doctors #myfriendalexa

BLURB

From time immemorial, medicine has remained one of the most respected professions. Trust formed the unshakeable foundation of the doctor-patient relationship and, for long, doctors were treated next to God.
In recent times, though, this sacred relationship is suffering from an erosion of faith. We often hear discouraging stories of doctors being abused and hospitals vandalised. The narrative is gradually turning negative-a dismal reality for both doctors and patients. We tend to forget that there are many great things happening in the medical world. Today, we are living much longer, we have managed to eradicate many diseases, we have vaccines that prevent our children from dying, life-saving surgeries are being performed while the baby is still in the womb, and we can give the gift of life to someone by transplanting vital organs. Medical miracles are happening every day in hospitals worldwide.

This book is a collection of heartfelt stories by doctors and patients from across the globe. These are stories of triumph, empathy, positivity, loss and, sometimes, failure. It goes one step ahead and captures the experience of people who surround a doctor-the mother of a doctor, a surgeon’s husband and an acid attack survivor-stories that underline that a doctor too is a human being after all. Human resilience can often break barriers, and these stories serve as inspiration to both patients and doctors alike.

Riveting and absolutely unputdownable, Dear Peoplegives an inside view of the world of medicine and hopes to inspire millions to retain faith in this beautiful relationship.

MY REVIEW

📝They say we should never hide things from the doctor and lawyer. A gentle caring relationship is the one between a doctor and a patient. It is only when we open up, the doctor gets the know the complete issue and can help us heal better.
📝A book that gives you a complete picture of what is the day to day life of doctors and view of the scenario from a patient’s point of view. The book will definitely change the way we look at the medical profession.
📝The number of experiences compiled into a single book gives you a clear picture of how each case is handled by the doctors. Some give you the glimpse of struggle, some about new discovery and some about hope.
📝A number of medical terms could be learned from reading through each chapter. The lovely drawings that also give you a glimpse from the patient view.
📝A number of quotes at the beginning of each chapter makes it even interesting. Not only that in order to increase the knowledge of the reader we even have a section that gives you a did you know?
📝A compilation of 34 distinct stories from doctors of different fields of medicine, this is sure to change your perspective of the doctors.
📝The narration and language are lucid and simple making it easy to comprehend. A good book that gives you a whole new perspective of doctors and some experiences that sure would leave you emotional.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr Debraj Shome is a surgeon, specialising in facial plastic surgery and facial cosmetic surgery. He is the co-founder and director at The Esthetic Clinics, which has multiple centres across India. Known for his breakthrough innovations in facial plastic surgery, Dr Shome has received many awards. He has more than 55 research papers written in top peer-reviewed international publications along with a US patent to his credit for inventing the QR 678 hair growth formulation. He was the first recipient from Asia and the youngest globally to be awarded the prestigious Davies Foundation Grant Award by the Royal College of Surgeons, Glasgow, in 2010. Besides clinical work, Dr Shome is the Director of the Debabrata Auro Foundation.

Dr Aparna Govil Bhasker is a bariatric and laparoscopic general surgeon and practises in the city of Mumbai. She is associated with Global, Currae, Namaha, Suchak and Apollo group of hospitals. She has multiple publications and numerous book chapters to her credit. She is the managing committee member of several surgical societies and has a keen interest in clinical research. She is the co-founder of Debabrata Auro Foundation.

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Review of Flyaway boy and Shrilok homeless

Flyaway boy :

We live in a society where our kids should either have or follow a passion that has already been established or determined successful. If I would have to explicitly say, a passion that also makes you earn your bread. Anything out from this list is termed different and is not really considered.
Every kid is born with a different talent. We shouldn’t be pooling them into the categories which I said above. If your kid is doing something different, is making him/her happy encourage them and not just try to change their track.
Kabir, here in flyaway boy is a kid of one such kind. He is different in the place he lives and also in the school he studies. He does not fit into any of the categories just like I said above. He is not like his friends and has a different way of thinking. When the entire world is busy with the rat race, he has his own way of doing things. So what’s the result? Kids like him are not accepted in society. Leave the society when having him in the family with parents support is a big question mark.
Realising him being ignored and not having any support, he vanishes. Finding him will now make them understand who he actually is? But is it too late? Did they find him out is the rest of the story.
The book is a short read and can be completed in one shot. The book is a must read by all parents and to kids when they come to a level where they could understand that kids like Kabir need to be accepted, understood and be given support from family and friends.

Shrilok homeless:

A must read for all budding detectives. This book.is the second part in this series. For someone who loved Sherlock Holmes and detective themes stories this book is a sure win win.
The book is comprised of several short stories where Shrilok and his friends solve mysteries.
This was something like an exam paper racket to levels like dealing with terrorist .
It’s a fast paced book but a very quick read. The cases that are dealt make you intrigued and complete it at one go.
For kids who are into detective fiction this book is a great.
The narration is simple and brief . It has hinglish narration a mix of Hindi and English which would make it engaging for Indian readers.

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Review of Bestseller

BLURB:

Akshay Saxena, an out of work editor of a defunct literary magazine in the UK, is told to move to India for a year to help shore up the value of Kalim, an ailing Indian publisher. Akshay finds himself in a job where he has to do the impossible. Angus Lee, the new owner of Thomson Lee Books, wants at least five bestsellers in the coming year, failing which the business would be wound up. He has to find a way of making a success out of books he would never publish or would never even read. To complicate things further, he has to contend with motley crew of has-beens and misfits working for the publishing house as well as wannabe writers, dealing with their follies and derisive tactics, and battle his own affections for Zorah Kalim, the impulsive daughter of his former boss. Will he succeed in bringing out that one ‘bestseller’ from his publishing house? And what about his own life and love in office? Find out in this riveting read.

MY REVIEW:

A sudden burst of reviews and promos for the book really did make me want to read this. And must say the decision to buy this was worthy. Writing something about the publishing business in India and with elements of friendship, romance in it couldn’t have been widely thought of.

The author has taken up a different plot for the satire genre and has done complete justice to it. The books clearly lists out the various happenings that take place when a book is into publishing to become a “bestseller”. The humorous elements out into the plot makes it an engaging read.

The book is about an Indian who returns from UK and takes up an Indian publishing house job and to revive the business of the failed enterprise. Does he keep up his job by Publishing five bestsellers a year is the rest of the story.

It is a light read and a great book to go with your relaxing time. The book cover makes more sense as you progress through reading the book. The plot could be easily visualized giving credit to the narration and the simplicity in writing.

Overall it was an engaging read and I would definitely recommend this to people who prefer humor since there are a lot of LOL moments in the book making it an interesting read.

BOOK DETAILS:

  • Paperback:196 pages
  • Publisher:Rupa Publications India (3 November 2018)
  • Language:English
  • ISBN-10:9353332648
  • ISBN-13:978-9353332648

MY RATINGS:

Title: 4/5

Writing and presentation: 4/5

Plot:4/5

Cover: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ahmed Faiyaz is the bestselling author of Love, Life & All That Jazz…, Another Chance, Scammed and the editor of the Urban Shots anthologies. He was born and raised in Bengaluru. Apart from being a passionate writer, he dabbles with film-making and travels to lesser-known destinations to better understand life and the times we live in. He lives and works in Dubai, with his two boys and their tabby cat named, Bob.

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Review of lost and found in Banaras

BLURB:

Banaras celebrates death, but what does it do to the living dead? When three-year-old Brinda is widowed after being married for a few hours, her family refuses to take her back in. Deemed ‘munhoos’, she finds her way to Nirmala Ashram in Banaras where she leads a life of child widow under the watchful eye of Vasanti Bua and her friend, Debi. She and Debi are just another shade of white in the city’s numerous ‘white shadows’ until Sia and Uday return to Banaras. As visitors to the ancient city, they assumed that the unfinished stories of their past were long behind them. Little did they know that Banaras was waiting with its unspent debt and the dishonest voices would find their way back to them in Brinda and Debi. Will Banaras, standing at the crossroads between the ancient and the modern, help them expiate? Will they find what they once lost—love, longing or perhaps nirvana?

MY REVIEW:

A sober read that brings up the lives of innocent widows in Banaras is the story in this book. The book starts off with young Brinda and her brothers playing. Brinda is young, I mean very just that she is 3 years old. The house in the village is gearing up for a major celebration. No you’re wrong if you assume it would be the carnival or temple fest, it’s Brinda’s marriage. Yes, you heard me right, the three year old girl is being married off to an eleven year old boy, Biswaas.

The celebrations take place in a grand manner. Brinda is married to Biswaas who is from another village. So soon after the marriage and feast she is being sent off. Biswaas seemed disinterested right from when the marriage talks were on. Brinda cries her lungs out when she is being sent, but that is how it is in the villages. Upon her arrival she is welcomed by the siblings and her mother in law. Few moments later there is a strong downpour after which there are floods. The entire family except her father in law is lost and she keeps sobbing. When taken back to her village, things are not in their favor and she is marked as a sign of bad omen. Her brother Jhulan takes up an oath to come see her soon.So the father in law who is suffering a deadly ailment is forced to send her to Nirmala ashram run by Vasanti Bua , a home for the widows.

She being the youngest takes time to settle but is close with Debi upon whom there are numerous eye of the landlord for flesh trade. Vasanti Bua, safeguards her from the evil eyes and runs the ashram. Sia who returns to Banaras wants to bring this out to the world and give these young women a better place to live. Uday, a journalist photographer, stumbles upon SIa who then enlightens him the current situation. What happens next? Does Brinda meet her brother, what happened to Biswaas, Does Sia reunite with her love? Who takes over the ashram after Vasanti Bua is the rest of the story.

The author takes the plot in a slow pace and the sufferings of the widows and condition of the ashram is something we worry off. The vocabulary used is simple and easy to understand. It is a slow read and took me a couple of days to finish. I would not say this is a gripping read, but has a different style on its own.

The cover design could have been better. The characterization is done well with few characters playing their part. Nothing is over exaggerated. The narrations with respect to Sia’s life flashback could have been briefed instead of a longer write up.

BOOK DETAILS:

  • Paperback:232 pages
  • Publisher:Readomania (17 August 2018)
  • Language:English
  • ISBN-10:9385854666
  • ISBN-13:978-9385854668

MY RATINGS:

Title: 4/5

Writing and presentation: 3.5/5

Plot:4/5

Cover: 3.5/5

Overall: 3.75/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mona Verma is an alumni of prestigious Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi and an award winning author of 6 works of fiction, A Bridge to Nowhere, God is a River, the White Shadow, the Clown of Whitefields and other stories, the Other and Lost and Found in Banaras. She had edited various science journals, self -help books, biographies and is a regular feature writer for online newspapers. She is on board of various Universities as an advisory expert and is much sought as visiting faculty for Creative writing, Haiku and Limericks. She is now a member of FICCI and member of Writers’ meet called for by Governor of Uttarakhand, at Rajbhawan Dehradun. A Paul Harris fellow, she actively volunteers with Interplast, Germany and Rotary International foundation for the treatment of surgical accidents and burns victims. Recently, she has been honored with the executive membership in the Management Committee of Anushruti, a social initiative of IIT, Roorkee for the exemplary work done for the special children at Anushruti. She is also serving as a member of the Academic Review Committee with Anushruti, IIT Roorkee. Presently, she co-owns and runs her firm Disha, an education consultancy and thought leading initiative, which deals with corporate, organizational and faculty/student trainings in schools and Universities. Apart from the above, she has a keen interest in classical music, charcoal sketching, oil painting, photography and travel.