fiction – That Madras Mom

July 9, 2019July 9, 2019

The feast #WoWe

Married to an orthodox family, Mithila was nervous and desperate to get a good name. Though Arvind had already given her lessons of how the family traditions are, the ways they good, she still seemed tensed like a student who is appearing first time for the boards. Yes, Mithila and Arvind were in love and after a long struggle they had gotten married. Their traditions, customs everything deferred except for the love for each other which remained the same. They had an intercaste marriage.

It was the day when Arvind’s relatives were invited home for a feast. This made Mithila even more nervous. Taking a guess, yes Arvind is born in a strict Brahmin family who feast on vegetarian food, not even onion garlic or other foreign vegetables included in their food. Mithila on the other hand is a hard rock non vegetarian meat lover. Giving up on meat was the last thing she would have ever thought. But she had to.

The date was fixed for the feast and as a family tradition the new daughter in law was supposed to cook the famous paruppu urundai kozhambu. Had they asked for mutton kola or some other non-vegetarian gravy she would have happily danced her way into the kitchen and finished it off in a jiffy. SO she geared up for the challenge in front of her. She browsed through all possible sites for the recipes and had them practiced in her mind.

The next day she had it all set up, the ingredients, the ground paste and all other items needed to prepare the dish. And in a matter of half an hour she finished it. Arvind, his mom and his sisters tasted it and they all had the same expression. Well, did Mithila succeed? Well her mother in law was kind enough to point out that the dish was ok but it lacked the authenticity of a typical Brahmin dish. So she added whatever was needed and yes it was done. The dish was served to the guests and they were more than happy to taste and appreciate Mithila for being an excellent cook.

Wondering how this would relate the prompt? Nobody except Arvind knew that Mithila was from another tradition. But her way of cooking brought her out. Yes, his sisters were able to identify that. Her style of cooking was unique and known only to the people of her area. How did they know? They had colleagues from the same area who cook the same way. Now that they know, they casually tease Arvind and Mithila that they would let out the secret. SO even though Arvind tried to make Mithila as one in the family, her style of cooking gave out who she was. At least, to his sisters. So a wolf can only be a wolf, even if it dons sheep’s clothing.

This post is written as part of the #WoWe Blog Hop hosted by Mayuri and Rashi.

April 4, 2019April 4, 2019

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.

February 25, 2019

Review of Something I never told you #superbloggerchallenge #instacuppa

BLURB:

When in love, you tend to take each other for granted, and sometimes, that can cost you a lifetime of togetherness . . . Ronnie knew that his first crush was way out of his league, and yet he pursued and wooed Adira. Shyly and from a distance in the beginning, and more persuasively later. He couldn’t believe it when the beautiful Adira actually began to reciprocate, falling in love with him for his simplicity and honesty.

Slowly, as they get close and comfortable with each other, life takes on another hue. From truly magical it becomes routine. There are fights and then making-up sessions-a clash of egos and doubts.

Things begin to change for the worst.

It is too late. Ronnie and Adira will probably never find their forever after . . .

MY REVIEW:

This book is yet another love story with the usual struggles. Raunak or Ronnie as he prefers to be called falls in love with Adira. Both are from middle class background. The story goes back and forth between the past and present.

Raunak is late for his first day at office and looks to have lost his metro card somewhere in the commotion with the auto wala regarding the fare. On searching around he notices that it is under the dupatta of a beautiful girl who is seated on the staircase talking on her mobile. I know that sounds cliched. On looking at her he realizes that she is not an unknown face but someone he knows very well.

This girl is Adira. Raunka’s maternal grandma has a PG at home, one of whom was Adira. Raunak immediately fell in love, the first day when she came into the place. Raunak hangs out with his cousins or more aptly the only friends he has during weekends, who help Granny with managing things for the house. A few formal hellos were the conversation exchanged between Raunak and Adira. Basically he is very shy to express his liking for her. This is evident in few instances where he buys a silver charm bracelet for her birthday and places a note on it without writing his name, consequence of which some random guy unknown to him in the party claims he was the one who presented it.

Bamm!! Our hero loses his chance. Yet again when Adira falls sick, he gets medicine and makes someone else hand them over to her and she thinks it was Rohit, Raunak’s cousin who took the pain of getting her medicines. Here we go again. At the same timeline, his cousin Piyush falls in love with Tamannah, Adira’s friend, proposes and they are all set for marriage.

Upon the metro train journey Raunak loses track of Adira and ends up late in office; halfway through an important meeting with the clients and his team. But a sign of relief is that through the window he catches a glimpse of Adira is happy that she works for the same company too.

Like a God given chance, Raunak and ADira are on the same team who travel to Melbourne for a client project. That is when they start talking casually. Raunak’s lead helps him understand that he is delaying a decision to go up to and confess his love to Adira.

Raunak decides and proposes, Adira replies saying she needs time to think but he is definitely more than a friend. IN between we have the usual opposition from Adira’s mom refraining her from any male company, she absconds, they meet again at Piyush’s marriage.

What happens to them? Do they reunite is the rest of the story.

The story started off in a good pace and somewhere in the middle that seemed lost. It again regained the pace during the climax. Part of the narration seems to be dragged and things are explained way more in details in the middle which kind of is not engaging.

The vocabulary was good; the narration is clear. Over all is a one-time read and a usual love story. The cover design is too good that makes you want to pick this up. Kudos for that.

BOOK DETAILS:

Paperback:256 pages
Publisher:Penguin (14 February 2019)
Language:English
ISBN-10:0143445901
ISBN-13:978-0143445906

MY RATINGS:

Cover: 4/5

Title: 4/5

plot: 3.5/5

Writing and Presentation: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Shravya loves to find hidden stories around her and write novels about them. Formerly a corporate employee, she managed to flee the madness after a few years of boredom to become a full-time writer. She is a sucker for romance and strives to pen down exciting stories. When she is not reading and writing, she is out enjoying nature, playing with her dogs or cooking for her family.

She lives in Melbourne with her family, in a house with a barren backyard and a lifetime’s collection of books.

This article is written as a part of SuperBloggerChallenge conducted by Healthwealthbridge.com , Allaboutthewoman.com and powered by Instacuppa and should not be repurposed, republished or used otherwise. The content herein is owned by the blogger. SuperBloggerChallenge is not responsible for any infringement caused.”

February 20, 2019

Review of Aranghya and Jahar – Bandahar series part I

BLURB:

Evil Sorcerer or Tyrant? Mercenary or Warrior Prince? Songstress or Mythical Nymph? Three Protagonists conjoined by the wrath of a wasteland create an unprecedented history Only one thing stands between an evil sorcerer and his will to destroy a flourishing empire – Shikhanderi’s love for Ishanya Will Shikhanderi’s quest for his identity rock the very foundations of Bandahar? Will Shikhanderi and Ishanya’s love ever see light in the darkness that is Jahar? From a first time writer, comes a thrilling tale of adventure, myth, and fantasy.

MY REVIEW:

The plot involves many characters of whom Mithilesh is the King of Aranghya, part of Bandahar which comprises of seven kingdoms. He has been warned that he would be killed by a golden serpent. And also been warned by the dreamers that he would have to get rid of Kindgom else his entire dynasty would have to be wiped out of history.

Even after having all these thoughts in mind, the King wants to marry of his daughter Princess Binodhini to Prince Vikrant (Prince of Kingdom Dwadesh of Bandahar). But as a twist the prince is in love with Ishanya, the daughter of a sage and is someone who sings well. Her voice is known to be magical with mystical abilities. A love triangle exists between Binodhini, Vikrant and Ishanya.

The book begins with a scene which introduces the main Protagonist Shikanderi. The initial chapters give you an idea about the Kingdoms. There are too many plots involved like the Kind and his destiny, the relationship between the kingdoms, the prince and the princess. There is one more character, Karmachakra involved who wants to invade Bandahar and has ill intentions that he kidnaps women to satisfy his intentions. He is a great sorcerer.

What is the fate of the King Mithilesh, what happens to the kingdoms? Does the serpent kill the King? Does Karmachakra invade the kingdom? Whom does the Princess marry? Do Shikanderi and Ishanya unite is the rest of the story.

The narration seems a bit complicated to understand, but no worries you are provided with a glossary at the end. The too and fro between past and present, too many little plots make it a bit tough to continuously read.

The names of the characters and few serious sequences were worth mentioning.

The books cover shows open sky with some explosions which could have been better for a serious plot like this. But the cover does not reveal what the book actually holds.

Overall the book deserves its place in good one time read list.

BOOK DETAILS:

Format:Kindle Edition
File Size:2347 KB
Print Length:147 pages
Sold by:Amazon Asia-Pacific Holdings Private Limited
Language:English
ASIN:B07M6GG7GX

MY RATING: Cover: 3.5/5

Title: 4/5

plot: 3.5/5

Writing and Presentation: 3.5/5

Overall: 3.5/5

January 24, 2019

Review of the watchmaker and time

BLURB:

Pedro’s love for watches was born out of a strange incident in his childhood. Over the years he has become one of the most renowned watch designers in the world also holding the title, ‘the Maestro of Time’.

One fine day, he gets challenged by his granddaughter on the fundamentals of Time. Unable to answer her innocent questions, he realizes that all his life he had been creating watches but had failed to understand what Time was all about. He gets on to an interesting journey in search for answers.

The journey unfolds with the puzzles of his past guiding him ahead as one after the other his beliefs start getting shattered. Will the puzzles of his past ever let him get to the future? Will he ever find out the true essence of Time? Join this watchmaker in his enriching and thought provoking journey in search of time.

MY REVIEW:

If you are looking for an engaging short read, you must definitely go for this book. Simply one of the best reads I have come across this year. When I initially signed up for review, I thought that the plot would sound very complex and would take a lot of time for me to complete. But the author proved me wrong completely. Would you below I completed the book in 45 minutes.

The book starts with Maria, an eight-year-old looking around a room full of clocks. She is dumbstruck by the collection and is keen to find which clock is new. She is a regular visitor and can find out if anything new is occupied in the room. Right in front of her, we see a 70-year-old man, looking down and working seriously. The man is none other than, Pedro or the “maestro of time’ as he is known. He is Maria’s grandpa and was currently working to fix her watch. He loves to work quietly and when he’s into work, he’s into completely a different world and does not want to be disturbed. His world while working is only him and the clocks.

His work is interfered when Maria, tries to open her purse to look at her new flipbook. That is when it all starts. She starts questioning him on what is time and where is it. Pedro is startled when Maria questions him and makes him realize that all these years he’s been working with watches and he had missed thinking about these.

Pedro receives a phone call from his friend Stuart, post which Pedro and Maria are on their way to see Stuart. Stuart hands over a black box and a letter to Pedro. The letter was from Edward who is Pedro’s opponent counterpart from whom Pedro was expecting a solution to his long-running question in mind. The letter read out that Edward was unable to help and is unaware of any solution that would help Pedro.

When Pedro was a kid, he went out on a trip to Stonehenge with his parents and uncle. Pedro dreams of an old man chasing him and wakes up with a loud cry. That startles uncle Joseph, who ends up crashing the car into a tree. Unnoticed by anyone Pedro realizes they are so close to Stonehenge and he sleeps on the open field when he again sees the old man who gives him a watch. The watch has been running till now when Pedro is 70 years, but the question is how since it does not have a battery or cell.

Pedro meets Reishi, a spiritual man, who gives a word of knowledge to Pedro about calmness and disturbance. It is after this meeting; Pedro decides to go back to Stonehenge to find out answers for the underlying mystery of the watch.

Does he find the answers? Who was the mysterious old man? What is the relationship between what Reishi told Pedro and what he is about to discover?

The narration is just right with the amount of pace that it puts into the reader’s mind. Those cute aeroplane drawings made to explain time concepts make it an additional reason for you to like the book. The editing was fine and the plot was simple and easy to comprehend.

Pedro’s character was thought out well, to have the maturity and knowledge of a seventy-year-old man and the childishness he has when he is around Maria are commendable.

BOOK DETAILS:

Paperback: 118 pages
Publisher: Embassy Book Distributors; First Edition edition (27 November 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10:9386450984
ISBN-13:978-9386450982

MY RATINGS:

Cover: 4/5

Title: 4/5

plot: 4.5/5

Writing and Presentation: 4.5/5

Overall: 4/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Devang Kanavia is a passionate storyteller who ventured into the world of writing with his first book, Best Sellers: Because Everything Is About Selling. A notable speaker and leadership coach, Devang is a versatile author with a perfect blend of science and philosophy. With a lucid and compact style of writing, Devang uses powerful analogies to question the obvious and explore the oblivious while creating page-turners, be it Management or Fiction. In The Watchmaker And Time, he explores one of the most enigmatic subjects, Time, and weaves a delightful and thought-provoking tale unravelling the mystery of Time.

January 19, 2019January 18, 2019

Review of return to Hiroshima

EXCERPT

Return to Hiroshima
1995, Japan struggles with a severe economic crisis. Fate brings a number of people together in Hiroshima in a confrontation with dramatic consequences. Xavier Douterloigne, the son of a Belgian diplomat, returns to the city, where he spent his youth, to come to terms with the death of his sister. Inspector Takeda finds a deformed baby lying dead at the foot of the Peace Monument, a reminder of Hiroshima’s war history. A Yakuza-lord, rumored to be the incarnation of the Japanese demon Rokurobei, mercilessly defends his criminal empire against his daughter Mitsuko, whom he considers insane. And the punk author Reizo, obsessed by the ultra-nationalistic ideals of his literary idol Mishima, recoils at nothing to write the novel that will “overturn Japan’s foundations”….
Hiroshima’s indelible war-past simmers in the background of this ultra-noir novel. Clandestine experiments conducted by Japanese Secret Service Unit 731 during WWII become unveiled and leave a sinister stain on the reputation of the imperial family and the Japanese society as a whole.

MY REVIEW

Centered in Hiroshima, the plot paints a vivid portrait of Japan during and post the attack.

The events are told by a series of characters as Japan is slated for the biggest crisis. The story begins with Mitsuko, daughter of dominant Rokurobei who live on the abandoned high rises in Hashima island near Nagasaki.

Mitsuko escapes and meets Yori whose boyfriend works on a novel at his warehouse.She then meets different characters who then shed spotlight on to Hiroshima, which is crucial to the plot. How does Mitsuko escape from the dangers coming up is the rest of the story.
The narration is in such way that it sends chills through the spines. The worst curse on mankind is technology being used in destruction.

Some of the descriptions presented is not for the faint hearted. The writing style and the way the plot is narrated is very mature.

Purchase Links

e-book Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Return-Hiroshima-Bob-Van-Laerhoven-ebook/dp/B079NL7FNN

paperback Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Return-Hiroshima-Bob-Van-Laerhoven/dp/9881493889/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

e-book amazon.co.uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B079NL7FNN/ref=nosim/authordatabase

paperback: amazon.co.uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Return-Hiroshima-Bob-Van-Laerhoven/dp/9881493889/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

e-book amazon.ca

paperback amazon.ca https://www.amazon.ca/Return-Hiroshima-Bob-Van-Laerhoven/dp/9881493889/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
e-book amazon.fr: https://www.amazon.fr/Return-Hiroshima-Bob-Van-Laerhoven/dp/9881493889
paperback amazon.fr https://www.amazon.fr/Return-Hiroshima-English-Bob-Laerhoven-ebook/dp/B079NL7FNN/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
e-book amazon.es: https://www.amazon.es/Return-Hiroshima-English-Bob-Laerhoven-ebook/dp/B079NL7FNN/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
paperback amazon.es: https://www.amazon.es/Return-Hiroshima-Bob-Van-Laerhoven/dp/9881493889/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Author Bio –

A fulltime Belgian/Flemish author, Laerhoven published more than 35 books in Holland and Belgium. Some of his literary work is published in French, English, German, Slovenian, Italian, Polish, and Russian. Three time finalist of the Hercule Poirot Prize for Best Mystery Novel of the Year with the novels “Djinn”, “The Finger of God,” and “Return to Hiroshima”; Winner of the Hercule Poirot Prize for “Baudelaire’s Revenge,” which also won the USA Best Book Award 2014 in the category “mystery/suspense”.
His collection of short stories “Dangerous Obsessions,” first published by The Anaphora Literary Press in the USA in 2015, was hailed as “best short story collection of 2015” by the San Diego Book Review. The collection is translated in Italian, (Brazilian) Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish. “Retour à Hiroshima”, the French translation of “Return to Hiroshima,” is recently finished. In 2018, The Anaphora Literary Press published “Heart Fever”, a second collection of short stories. Heart Fever, written in English by the author, is a finalist in the Silver Falchion 2018 Award in the category “short stories collections”. Laerhoven is the only non-American finalist of the Awards.
Social Media Links –
Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G89ns-UgCzk
Author social media links:
https://www.facebook.com/bob.vanlaerhoven
https://twitter.com/bobvanlaerhoven/with_replies
Pinterest: https://nl.pinterest.com/laerken/
Author websites
http://www.bobvanlaerhoven.be (NL/FR/EN)
http://www.bobvanlaerhoven.com (Russian website for Месть Бодлера, the Russian edition of Baudelaire’s Revenge)
Giveaway to Win 2 x Return to Hiroshima Paperbacks (Open Internationally)
*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 I reserve 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 I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
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This book review is part of Rachel’s random resources (@rararesources )

January 9, 2019

Review of together forever to never

BLURB:

No one can love like you… if I lose you, I will be left with nothing’ So says Sariyanka, a girl from a small town, madly in love with Samar. Having lost true love once before, Samar too believes that Sariyanka is his other half whom Zeus, the Greek God had separated from him.. In a chance conversation with his friend Mayank, Samar discovers some shocking truths. As the story unravels, a series of events follow that forever change the meaning of love for Samar. Is Sariyanka the one Samar calls his ‘other half’? Will Samar get the love that he always longed for? This highly anticipated novel by Satish Goyal is an emotional roller coaster that bravely explores the highs and lows of love. It’s a story of love – unshaken and unquestioned; yet unfulfilled and unrequited. A saga of deceit served on a platter of lies. About the author: Satish Goyal is a finance professional and works at a US multinational company. Since his days at the university, he had dreamed of writing on subjects close to his heart, but had put those dreams on hold to focus on his family and career. He finally plucked up the courage to put pen to paper with his first novel ‘Together Forever To Never”. Satish believes that success cannot be measured in terms of wealth or titles. The true measure of success is happiness that one is able to achieve in life. Satish is now writing his second book, “The Coaster Series”.

MY REVIEW:

Samar and Monali, sweethearts at young age, married happily for ten years. Samar, the protagonist has everything in life-great career, a loving wife and an adorable son. If life is described as a fairytale, their story should definitely be one of the chapters.

While the story goes on happily, a tragedy struck. Monali exits their world and leaves Samar in deep sorrow. Human spirituality, psychiatrist’s advice, he embraced life again. There we have another entry. Sariyanka came into his life. That is when he realizes he has found his better half. They fell in love madly with each other.

One fine day, when he was conversing with his friend Mayank. He comes to know a shocking truth. The truth gets proved by a couple of evidences which raises a doubt of loyalty on Sariyanka. After deep thinking, he confronts her and gets shattered. He moves on after a long struggle. A very engaging tale that makes you enjoy the feeling of love.

I loved the way it was printed the quality of paper used. Being a debut novel, it was written well and sequences placed at the right points. The narration was good and the character portrayal was really good.

Love makes you blindly trust people, that makes you forget everything. But falling in love with the right person makes the difference.

I just loved the way the cover is designed, that makes you want to pick it up and read it right away.

BOOK DETAILS:

Paperback: 188 pages
Publisher: Paper Towns Publishers; 1 edition (15 December 2018)
Language: English
ASIN: B07LDVQL3J

MY RATINGS:

Cover: 4.5/5

Title: 4/5

plot: 4.5/5

Writing and Presentation: 4.5/5

Overall: 4.5/5

December 28, 2018

Review of Endurer – a rape story

BLURB:

Life was a fun fed roller coaster: New found love, drugs, cat-fights, patch ups, crushes, night hangouts, and unplanned trips. Like any girl, not in the wildest dream, Palak could imagine that after attending a Rave Party, she will wake up to the horror of finding herself raped. In traumatic conditions and struggle between sanity and hallucinations, she is compelled by the circumstances to leave her world. Already fighting a war within, her stances take a toll witnessing horrifying tales of women and girls. Little did she know that this catastrophe was not enough for one lifetime, and a storm – was just cooling its heels. Will she be able to carve her path while facing the rapists, her tyrant father, appearances of her passed away mother? Should Palak let her life to be decided by people, society, and taboos? Would justice return her life or revenge lend her peace? A heart-rending story of a girl, whose beliefs and honor has been battered, stands up to make choices, rediscovering the meaning of life.

MY REVIEW:

After Nirbaya, the word ‘rape’ brings in a chill whenever we hear. Though we have several acts, security for women, the crime is happening at some corner of this country.

This book brings out one such case. The book initially describes the high-fi lifestyle, rich kids, parties, drugs, alcohol. The protagonist Palak stays in the hostel with her friends. They enjoy life at the fullest. High-fi car rides, drinks and what not.

At one such instance the friends plan to attend a rave party which is considered illegal. Initially they had fun, but as time goes on they do not realize what is happening due to the amounts of intake. On Awakening, Palak realizes she’s been raped. Unaware of who did it, they all zero in on Rohin who seems to be missing post the party. A porn video of Palak being raped in on circulation which adds to her depression, as she starts getting panic attacks frequently.But the twist is Rohin later comes into picture and takes Palak to his hometown to heal her from depression. He proposes her when he goes to hometown. There Palak meets Sethani and Meethi, the women in Rohin’s family. These women were also subject to harassment and rape in younger age.

Palak is showered with love and affection by them both. Meanwhile, her friends also arrive there to see how she cope up. That is when Rohin makes a plan to find out the culprit. What happens then? Who is Sethani ? How is she related to Meethi and ROhin? Do they find out the culprit and male them pay for the cruel crime? is the rest of the story.

The pace of the narration is apt for the plot. The characterization is brilliant, especially that of Rohin and Palak. There are a lot of emotions conveyed, that make you feel since the book is being narrated in first person.

The front cover looks so intriguing, the design makes you go aww and conveys a lot of emotions. Rohin is not very outspoken but is a secret admirer of Palak. Jahan on the other hand openly expresses his liking.

I really appreciate the author for taking up a bold subject and handled it in a great manner.

BOOK DETAILS:

Paperback:224 pages
Publisher:Write India Publishers; First edition (16 September 2018)
Language:English
ISBN-10:8193653572
ISBN-13:978-8193653579

MY RATINGS:

Cover: 4.5/5

Title: 4/5

plot: 4.5/5

Writing and Presentation: 4.5/5

Overall: 4.5/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kapil Raj is an author and a professional based at New Delhi, India. His writing reflects the understanding of the social functioning and human psychology.With the heart of a philosopher, mind of a realist, and a deep-rooted non-conformist, he lives many lives, yet stealing the time for the most precious thing which matters to him: crafting plots, playing with characters and weaving the stories with inscribed messages.He actively runs a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram/realistespresso reflecting the other interests like photography and poetry.

December 25, 2018

Review of Because I promised

BLURB:

At their college farewell party, Varnika publicly rejects Sushant’s candid proposal in the most disrespectful way imaginable, leaving everyone – including her gang of cousins – dismayed. She feels that her reasons are valid, for doing this to her best friend. What exactly are her reasons for making this upsetting choice? Did her mother’s move to Mumbai during Varnika’s formative years have a bearing on her? Or is it more than that? What is she planning to do at the NGO for eunuchs? Will she succeed in her chosen career? Would she be able to overcome her inhibitions before it is too late? This is Varnika’s journey as she overcomes her personal reservations and professional challenges, all the while contemplating her promise to lock her heart away.

MY REVIEW:

Get yourselves ready before reading the book, since there are lot many characters you need to keep in mind when you start reading. The book’s plot is kind of usual, a proposal being rejected, career prospects, hard work, success and so on. So the book has all sorts of emotion- friendship, romance, family drama, brother- sister sentiments.

The book starts off with an extravagant farewell party organized in the college. Sushant grabs this opportunity to open up his feelings and confess his love to Varnika, the female protagonist who is going be the driving factor of this novel. Sudhant proposes with a bouquet on one knee during the time when folks are almost gloomy and tired after an enthusiastic anthakshari which again was Sushant’s tactic to get Varnika into his proposal plan. That particular proposal episode was well thought out I must say; was indeed good to read through that part. But in vain, Varnika out rightly rejects.

Varnika stays with her extended family and her cousins along with her grandma, fondly called by all as Badi ma. Varnika’s mom Beena is settled in Mumbai, whom she visits as and when she gets time. Varnika planned to settle with her mom post her graduation. Varnika is showered with love and care from cousin brothers, sisters.

So after the graduation she moves to Mumbai and instead of taking up responsibility in her mom’s business, she decides to work in the NGO, started by her grandfather which is run for eunuchs and their well-being. Beena initially has hesitations, but agrees to it finally. Sushant meanwhile pursues MBA in Bangalore. Ulfat bi is one of the care takers at the home, who becomes the guiding light, friend , philosopher to Varnika. She also realizes that Varnika is in love with Sushant but is stopping herself to bring out her honest emotions.

In the amidst of this, Varnika is challenged by a bigshot to raise 50L for the NGO in a fair. So there begins a racy pace in the narration that they decide to accept the challenge. Beena brings in Sushant to assist her. What happens in the end? Does she win the challenge? Does she accept Sushant is the remaining part of the story.

The writing style is simple and engaging. Even though the plot seems to be usual the narration and other factors make it a good script for a Bollywood movie.

There are a lot many characters. Varnika’s cousin brother Swayam and his wife Avani, who are fond of her. Avani who is an equally enthusiastic character wishes to pursue fashion designing instead of settling in, bearing an offspring as per wishes of Badi ma. She even succeeds to pursue the course.

Varnika’s cousin Golu, a little chirpie kid. Tapasya, another cousin whose adolescent but still wishes to be considered an adult and to be involved in discussions.

Though there are many characters, the role of each is carved perfect and not over dramatic.

Overall, it’s a good read.

BOOK DETAILS:

Format: Paperback
Publisher:GJ Group (2018)
Language:English
ISBN-10:8193660250
ISBN-13:978-8193660256

MY RATINGS:

Cover: 4/5

Title: 4/5

plot: 4.5/5

Writing and Presentation: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

About The Author

Anupriya belongs to that generation of Idiots (the proud ones though), who did their engineering first and then decided on what they actually wanted to do. She completed her MBA in Human Resources and worked in the corporate world for 8 years, before taking a professional break. A mom by day and a reader/writer by night, Anupriya is a die-hard romantic. Yet she believes that love (in any relationship) is a part of life, not, the heart of life. And she aims to bring to the world, stories around this theme.

December 13, 2018

Review of The death wish

BLURB:

“Detailed observations of human behavior and the complexity of human relationships…” – The HinduAs a man decides to end his life by jumping off the roof of one of the tallest skyscrapers in the city.Should he; should he not? Is there something to change his mind at the last minute?

MY REVIEW:

This book is yet another gem in the “it’s all about love series”. The plot revolves around Abani Halder, an old man who is on the verge of committing a suicide. The story begins with the description of tall buildings in the city, the sun setting down, children playing around. Abhani , the old man rewinds his childhood.

Shibu as he’s known to be called is Abhani’s father. He sells flutes on trains. He plays it while sitting beside windows at home, listening to which Abhani falls asleep peacefully. His mother on the other hand cooks their food. It’s a typical daily wage earning scenario. Shibu is also an alchoholic who spends his earnings in drinks. And on that fateful day he takes up more than usual and slips between the train steps and platform and ends up dying.

His mother takes up the burden to work an extra mile to meet the needs of the family. Abani on the other hand realizes his responsibility and studies hard. He longs to buy a saree with his first earnings for his mom, just like how the heroes do in movies he’s watched.

But fate played its part again, two days before his first salary day his mother dies and so does his dream of buying her a saree. All this flashes across Abhani’s mind. The only thing that was sweet about his childhood is the prashadh and aarti his mom prepares on his birthday.

His current life, he thinks that he is a burden to his son and daughter in law. More recently he was confined to his own room, rather than the common areas. He gets humiliated in a way he does not accompany them when guests pay a visit. His opinions are not to be taken into consideration. He clearly knows that he cannot live there anymore and remembers a thought that suicide is comforting.

When all this plays in his mind, he notices that all vehicles come at a standstill on the road. A lady sprang in action to save a child from going under the wheels of a truck. HE realizes that the lady could only be the mother’s child who would have dared to do such a thing. Does this change his mind? Does he die or he continues to draw strength and lives with the family is the remaining story?

The blurb took my attention and I chose to read it immediately. It’s a short read but a satisfying one.

Some situations in life make us realize if we are really important to live this fully or to stop it ourselves. But time teaches a valuable lesson to think and make a decision.

The narration is wonderful and the character of Abhani has been beautifully portrayed. There are no mistakes in editing and the cover design supports the plot and is also one of the reasons for me to pick this book up.

BOOK DETAILS: