Book Review: 10 Love Stories: An Indiblogger Section

There is something about Short stories. You get done with them fast. Also if it is a collection of short stories then, you can relish many more stories (10 in this one) in one, which is like icing on the cake for a reader. I like the fact that at the start of every story a brief has been mentioned about the author and his/ her preferences. Since there are 10 different stories I would like to review each one separately.

Crystal Cacophony by Jenny Sarto
This story is about Ahaana and her brother Pavan. It is quite a predictable narrative. But I like the fact that Jenny has written it very simply. And even though the reader is aware of what is going to happen next, you still want to read ahead. It is a pleasant read.

Delhi Times by Deepika Asthana
Rhea and Ashwin meet in an arranged marriage setup. Both are not willing for this meet, but they are forced to spend some time with each other. Whether they warm up to each other or no is the story of Delhi Times. It is a feel good read. It leaves you with an enormous smile and that is the magic of Asthana’s simplistic writing.

For Love of the Written Word by Natasha Gayari
This is a story about Riya, her boyfriend and her room mate Sweety. I liked the character of Sweety. I am a little biased towards characters that are portrayed as readers and writers. It is written well. The story progresses also well. I somehow was left a little perturbed with the climax. It didn’t sink in well and left a few questions unanswered.

Love? Bah! Humbug by Nirvana
This is a beautiful story of Nidhi and her boss Mr. G. I loved reading this story from the first word to the last word, not to forget smiling all through out. Nirvana has done a wonderful job carving this one out. It is crisp, interesting and the lovely characterization makes it for a splendid read.

Mind the Gap by Kobita Banerjee
I tried reading the first two pages of this story twice but somehow couldn’t comprehend what was happening. The reader can just skip this one as it develops no curiosity to read as you don’t go past the first few pages.

At the End of the Parade by Nilanjana Bose
This story has suspense to it. But the author has done a good job in maintaining it right till the end and has revealed it at the most apt time. Inspite of not knowing what is happening the reader remains connected to the story somehow and kudos to Nilanjana for this. The end obviously takes the reader by surprise.The reason for the turn is unclear but it is a fascinating read.

Right or Wrong by Summerita Rhayne
This is about a married couple Arnav, Raina and their son – Eshraf. This was for me the best story out of all the 10. The flow of the words, the choice of the words are pertinent. I almost cried (which is a 1st for me!!) reading the climax and Summerita should be credited for that, as it is brilliantly written. I can almost assure, that to just read this story one can buy this book. I read the story twice in 1 sitting (again a 1st) and that speaks volumes of how much I have loved this one. Summerita, you have definitely found a fan in me.

Speechlessly in Love by Varsha Dutta
This is a very different kind of a narrative. I have no complaints, but still some things are not believable. But I like the way Varsha has written it. It makes for a fine read.

The Transitional Boyfriend by Parmita Borah
This is a story about break up (everyone’s favorite). I must confess that I was pleasantly surprised with the way it ended. I had anticipated something else. Parmita deserves all the credit for this. She maintains a certain amount of curiosity all throughout and that makes it an intriguing read.

WhatsApp-ening to Me? by Palak Kapadia
Another feel good and a splendidly written tale. This is the new form of writing and rightly so, it is  catching up because as a reader, you enjoy reading it.

Stars-4.25/5

This review was first published on thetalespensieve.com

Book Review- Eighteen: The End Of Innocence

We are termed as the Y generation. Science and technology has progressed and reached a level where nobody can function without Internet. Like every coin has two sides, this definitely has it’s own share of cons. Teenagers are feeling lonely. Relationships have become futile. Intrigued to know about their day to day issues, I decided to read this one.

Raghu, like most of the teenagers has a circle of friends who he is attached to. They have fun together and also fall into various difficulties. But all of them support each other through thick and thin and that is the beauty of their friendship. Aadi, is his closest buddy out of all of them. Raghu, then meets Shalini whom he falls in love with. They start dating very soon. Whether all of them together are able to solve all the difficulties they get into and get a direction in their respective lives, is the story of Eighteen:The End of Innocence.

Firstly I want to mention that the cover page has been designed really well. It captures the essence of the storyline pertinently. The characters of Raghu and Shalini have been carved out well. They have not only been written as any teenage lovers but have also been projected maturedly when required. The camaraderie between Aadi and Raghu has come out well, as well. The sincerity and honesty of their friendship comes across to the reader very evidently. The way, all the characters support each other, makes you yearn for such friendships. The final call that Raghu and Shalini take for their relationship was surprising but a delightful one.The author has given a very realistic treatment to it.

There are many characters in this narrative. I was not very impressed with the way they were all introduced. It was very confusing. Initially, one wants to keep a track but then as it gets difficult, the reader tends to skim through and read more about the main protagonists – Raghu, Aadi and Shalini. Kudos to the author for being brave enough to highlight the grave complexities that teenagers face these days, but I was not very happy with the way the solutions of those problems were put up. They were too simple. In my opinion, if it was this simple these would not have been problems in the first place.  I wish the guilts, the repercussions that the characters face would have been more stringent.

This being a book on teenagers, I comprehend the kind of audience the author wants to reach out to and therefore it is well taken that the the writing is very breezy. But the constant hindi connotations put me off completely. Not only words but there are sentences also in hindi which kind of break the flow and imagery for me as a reader. The chapters are very concise. For some readers it works, but for a reader like me it breaks the continuity. I feel a book becomes interesting when at the end of every chapter, there is a certain curiosity to read the next one. Sadly none of the chapters evoked that curiosity for me. The initial chapters make for a very dreary read. It only picks up after the love story begins. The book has been written from all the three protagonists perspective. But Shalini and Aadi’s perspective comes at the fag end. Also when one reads from Aadi’s perspective, it feels repetitive because most of the story had unfolded, and his feelings were very evident earlier.

Sudham has done a very good job by not only highlighting one issue but a series of issues that teenagers face these days. Premarital sex, drinking and driving, confusions regarding one’s future – the story woven around all these has a lot of potential and would have been true to its form if the editing was to the T.  Also the book would have made for a brilliant read if the contriteness was severe.

Stars-2.5/5
This review was first published on thetalespensieve.com

Book Review- Chief Minister's Mistress

I devour crime fiction. There are not many Indian authors who attempt this genre. So when I got an the opportunity, by Tales Pensieve to read this crime fiction by Joygopal, I immediately took it up. Joygopal had written 5 novels in 9 months in 2012. Also 10 novels in 21 months. Alarmed by his speed, I was pretty excited to read Chief Minister’s Mistress.

The story starts off with the obvious death of Priyanka Singhal. She was a beautiful damsel – the mistress of the dynamic Chief Minister – Mr.Ravindra Pratap Singh. She also has an ex lover – Rajat Verma. A lawyer by profession, Rajat looks at solving the murder mystery of the girl who he is still in love with. How he connects the dots and unravels the mystery is the story of Chief Minster’s Mistress.

Firstly I think the cover page is fantastic. Though I got a free copy, this is one of those cover pages that compel you to pick the book up immediately, from the book shelf. It has an element of sensual appeal (rightly so, for its title) and also evidently comes across as a mystery novel, which is commendable.There are not many characters in the book. But whoever are there, have all been well defined. They all occupy their own space and do not confuse the reader at any point. Ravindra Singh’s character is etched very strongly. The initial pages of his action are a delight to read. His confidantes – Sudhir Mishra and Dinesh Singh – have also been etched out fairly well. The trio develops a fair amount of interest in the reader’s mind. Chandan Kumar – also another important character does his job well, but sometimes gets on your nerves. Priyanka truly comes across as a damsel in distress. I loved her friend – Dipali. It was very intriguing to read about her life story. But all in all my most favourite character was Rajat Verma. He has been carved out almost flawlessly. His honesty was the most striking feature as not many murder mysteries have this. The characters are always playing games. But Rajat Verma solves the entire mystery with his sheer honesty and sincerity.

Although the characters have been etched well, there are few things that put you off completely. Ravindra Singh’s presence is felt so strongly in the initial chapters that you almost miss him because he is absolutely not there till the very end, when he makes a reappearance. The conversation between Rajat Verma and his boss was completely scrap-able. Those 2-3 pages could have been summed to 1-2 paragraphs. The most disappointing part was the climax. Though I had already guessed the killer (Blame all the terrific crime fiction authors that I have read!!), the way it unfolded and the reason for the murder, left me a little annoyed. Closing all open ends is very important in a thriller but here a few questions were unanswered….

It is definitely a good attempt by Joygopal. But I wish it was edited a little better. It would have been an excellent read if the author would have maintained the pace towards the end chapters as well and the suspense created would have got its fair due.

A there but still not there read...

Stars- 2.5

This review was first published on thetalespensieve.com.

Book Review- The Suicide Diary

The Suicide Diary- Hari Prasad

                 When Tales Pensieve gave me the opportunity to review this book, I was completely unaware of what to expect. I have never read a book like this before. The author had sent me a signed copy, so as elated as I was, I started reading not knowing what a ride I was in for.

                  The protagonist is fatigued by his existence. He feels like an old man trapped in a young man’s body. He is hunting for ways and procedures to end his grieve. Every minute of his life, he feels is a waste. Every minute there is somebody to make him realize that his life is not worth living. But everytime he looks at ending his life, his inner voice thinks otherwise. On this journey, how he meets a few people and how he then decides and plans his cessation, is the story of The Suicide Diary.

                     I must confess that initially when I started reading I felt a little blasé. I felt that I had done a mistake by picking this book. Since I had taken it up for review so I had to under any circumstance finish reading it. I really thought that this book would be a drag. But I was proved wrong. The book picked up and how. Gradually I understood the style of the author and what he wants to infer.

                      The characters are developed strongly by verbalizing the entire novel superlatively. The cynical thoughts that go in the protagonist's mind scares the reader due to the way it is written. The horrendous encounters by the lead character leave you flummoxed. The entire storytelling is unexpected. The author weaves the entry and exit of each and every character so well that you are left gobsmacked and you wait for a moment, to let your grey cells  comprehend what has happened. Each and every word can be visualized and you feel that those things are happening right in front of your eyes. The sadism of the protagonist leaves you frozen. Mildred, Estella, his wife all have been drafted impeccably. Infact, even the short role of the inspectors have been drafted to perfection.

                     During the course of the reading the protagonist depicts his feelings a lot of times and 9 out of ten times it is the same but you don’t feel it to be repetitive even once. This is due to the magician Hari Prasad. His usage of words and metaphors are pertinent. They create such an impact on the readers mind that the visuals of the narrative leave you with goosebumps. Description of certain incidents are penned flawlessly. Couple of them stay with you forever. Like the lust which the lead character faces for a young girl at the beginning while travelling to the petrol pump. The feelings that he gets while uploading the pictures on the internet. Kudos to Hari Prasad for this. I am in awe of his writing.

                     The author had sent me a copy signed: “Let literature Inspire and enrich your life always”. I would like to request the author to continue writing and inspire amateurs like us with his wisdom because it is a rare gift and something worth sharing with the world. I would also like to thank Tales Pensieve for giving me this once in a lifetime opportunity to review such a piece of art. This is not a genre that can be read and re-read. But just for the writing style and the sheer vocabulary you would want to re-read it. It is a learning experience and I feel myself fortunate to own a copy of this masterpiece.

Stars-4.75/5 

Book Review- Killing Ashish Karve

KILLING ASHISH KARVE-SALIL DESAI

Crime fiction is a genre I have always enjoyed. Though I have marked that not many Indian Authors attempt this genre. Contrary to this,Salil Desai has penned down two murder mysteries. This one being his first. After reading a lot of rave reviews and being termed as “The Best murder mystery by an Indian Author so far”, I was itching to pick this one.

Sanjot Karve, the wife of Ashish Karve, goes to the police station to file a missing complaint of her husband. The Police not believing her at the very first instance,later find a dead body in a car. Identifying the body as Ashish Karve the police department then start their investigations. A Suicide  note is found alongwith the dead remains, but Senior Inspector Saralkar is of the opinion that it is a murder. Tracing one clue at a time, how he, alongwith PSI Motkar unveil the mystery is the crime fiction thriller by Salil Desai.

I have read murder mysteries before but this is first of a kind where they have given step by step procedure of how the police department works on a murder/suicide case. And I must say the author has done a good job with it. He has worked hard on the usage of words as well. The use of words have been pertinent and accurate, making it a simple as well as an enjoyable read. The biggest thing according to me for a novel to do well is the strength of the characters. The author wins your heart with strong characters of Sanjot Karve, Suchitra Chopra, Jaideep Karve,PSI Motkar and my favourite Senior Inspector Saralkar. His character is written to perfection. He is intuitive, smart,witty and fearless. A lot of different traits of his personality come through, throughout the narrative. Another ace of the book is the relationship depicted between Saralkar and Motkar. It is humorous, witty and make for a delightful read. The reader almost waits for their conversations to happen throughout the story-telling.

Alongwith the positives there are negatives as well. The characters of Saralkar and Motkar are penned so well that one yearns to read their discussions. I wish those conversations were crisper. Too much description sometimes makes you skim through it and read only their dialogues. ALso I wasn't very happy with the climax. First of all in the beginning itself I had a little inkling over who the killer was (Blame Sydney Sheldon and all his racy reads!!). Secondly I do not think the reason was justified. It is the 21st century. We are looking ahead in life. Looking at equality, then why would we consider this topic taboo. How can the murderer be so ruthless as to kill someone on this basis or have such a regressive opinion on this matter.

Inspite of this, this book has been drafted well and Kudos to Salil Desai for this. If nothing then this book should definitely be picked up to witness the sheer camaraderie between Senior Inspector Saralkar and PSI Motkar.

Stars- 2.5/5

Book Review- Death In Every Stride

                      

                       Death In Every Stride- Megha Agarwal

             Being a part of the reviewing team for Tales Pensieve, when I saw this book on their Reviewers list I called for a copy immediately. No, I am not a sadist and I do not enjoy reading about people who are in immense pain (this book is about domestic violence, assault, rape) but sometimes knowing about people who suffer such a great deal, helps you realise that we nitpick over such trivial matters in our life.

              This book is an Epistolary (novel written in the form of diary entries, letters). It is the story of Krisanne, who like many other Indian girls gets tied down with a groom of her parent’s choice. With dreams in her eyes about her new life, she embarks on this, so-called, "blissful" journey called Marriage. How her dreams get shattered by a "monster" (her husband - Paul) and his atrocious and merciless behaviour is the story of Death in Every Stride.

              I had developed a penchant for reading this style, after reading so many of Princess Diaries. Though, I never thought that I will end up reading, such a genre, in this style. Krisanne's diary depicts the brutal and pitiless behaviour she tolerated in the name of marriage. The story spans over 20 years. The character of Paul has been drafted well. The author has hit the bulls-eye in penning Paul like the perfect villain. It comes across very evidently. Two or Three incidents of his behaviour have been written by the author so well that your heart almost cringes for Krisanne. You just want to pull her out and comfort her. You can hear the silent screams and tears and that is a victory for such a young author. Out of their two kids, the character of Aarav remains questionable. His behaviour, his softness for his ruthless father, is very difficult to fathom. Emily,their daughter, becomes the most favoured character. Her fearless streak just wins your heart and reading about her is the only time the reader smiles in the entire novel.

               There were a few questions unanswered here. Inspite of having such a huge family and loving siblings why didn’t Krisanne ever confide in them? Why didn’t her family regularly check on their beloved daughter? Why did she not raise her voice when her kids were going through the same ordeal? A mother ceases to think as a wife or a daughter if a single tear also drops from her child’s eye.Then why didn’t Krisanne oppose what her children were facing?  Also I felt some places the authenticity of Krisanne’s feelings were camouflaged by the unnecessary usage of heavy and difficult words, thus losing the plot those times.

                  Other than these minor hiccups, Death In Every Stride is a hard-hitting read and leaves you with a very emotional and a melancholy feeling. A feeling which will definitely stay with you for long.

Stars-3.5/5

Book Review- Brutal

BRUTAL - UDAY SATPATHY

            A few months back, Rashmi Bansal came up with an innovative idea to discover and publish new writing talents - www.bloodygoodbook.com. First time authors get this opportunity to upload three chapters of their new book. Based on the reviews a decision is taken to publish the book on the website. Being one of the readers, I was eagerly looking forward for the book to be printed, as the three chapters were nothing less than amazing. As soon as I received a message that the e-book is available, I couldn’t stop myself from purchasing it through Amazon.

            This book starts with Nitin Tomar, a friendly teacher, massacring children in his own school. He is shot dead when he is taken for the trial. Finding some suspicion, in an otherwise open and shut case, are two reporters- Seema and Prakash. Both of them are working for rival channels but are very good friends. They start digging into the mystery of this case. Gradually each and every witness is found dead before they reach them. Inspite of the personal mishaps that both of them are facing, they get into the crux of the case and whether they emerge as winners is the story of Brutal.

            The author has written this book like a three book series (all in one). The entire book has been written with the intention of keeping you at the edge of your seat always. It is racy. Most of the times you are reading through hastily to know what is going to happen next. The reason why Brutal is an interesting read is the characters. All the characters are real and have an important role to play in the flow of the storyline. The characters of Seema and Prakash have been drafted immaculately. The way they begin the investigation at different points and how they meet midway and unravel the truth is the USP of this book. This has been drafted to perfection and leaves you stunned. But I have fallen in love with the boisterous nature of Mrinal. He keeps you entertained always.

            There are only a couple of hiccups that took me away from this nail biting narrative. The story on Khushwahas. I think that could have been edited a little. Too much family history was avoidable. Also, the part on Israel and Iran could have been written more interestingly. Those chapters were wearisome to read.

            Other than this, Brutal has been an exemplary experience. Uday, indeed, has done a commendable job. It does not feel as this book has been written by a first time author and that's a victory in itself for him.

            The book is available in the e-book form on Amazon, Google Playbooks and www.bloodygoodbook.com. The paperback is going to be out on 11^th September 2015. So do pick this book if you love this genre, Uday does not disappoint one bit.

STARS-4.5/5

                

Book Review- Twenties Girl

TWENTIES GIRL - SOPHIE KINSELLA

            Twenties girl was on my "To be Read" list ever since I had read "Confessions of a Shopaholic" by the same author. So this time when I went strolling in my library and caught a glimpse of this book on the desk, I picked it up immediately.

            Twenties girl is about Lara Lington and her great Aunt Sadie's ghost, who can converse only with Lara and is not visible to any human around. Lara is dealing with her own dilemmas when Sadie entrusts the responsibility of finding her treasured Dragonfly Necklace on her. Soon they start working together, sometimes agreeing to each other and other times working forcibly eventually helping each other in their messy situations. Initially wary of the other, gradually builds into an envious camaraderie. The search of the Dragon fly necklace takes Lara into deep family history and the manner in which the suspense unfolds before she finds it, is the story of Twenties Girl.

            The book starts of extremely slow and makes it a tedious read. But I would urge the readers to hang on and continue reading, as the book sequentially picks up. The character of Lara is quite predictable. A girl having a plethora of problems who eventually solves them all and emerges a winner (I secretly wish life was that easy). She has been penned well, but does not stay with you after you have finished reading. The character that imprints in your heart is Sadie. She has been drafted impeccably. She is fearless. She is full of life. She is everything any 23 year old would dream of being. The companionship of Sadie and Lara that augments over time is what makes this book an enchanting read. The manner in which Sadie rules Josh (Lara's ex boyfriend) is humorous. The character of Ed has also been drafted superbly and his equation with both Lara and Sadie is noteworthy. It flows immaculately with the storyline inspite of that primarily being about finding the dragonfly necklace.  All the characters have been composed well and are extremely pertinent to the narrative. But the creme de la creme is the suspense which is exhilarating to read and was completely unforeseen. The finale chapters are written to perfection and keep you at the edge of the seat always. One would instantly want to read the next section to know more.

            What I devour of Sophie Kinsella's writing is the effortless flow of words in enfolding the story. And I think this is the reason of her being so successful and numero uno in this genre.

            Do pick this book if you have the patience to survive the banal commencing chapters because it is then a friendship worth reading of.

STARS-3.5/5

Book Review- Mrs.Funnybones

Mrs.Funnybones - Twinkle Khanna

                                    

                                  Being an ardent admirer of Twinkle Khanna's columns in Dna After hrs and Times of India, it was natural that I was waiting with bated breath for her book. Twinkle Khanna is known for her satirical sense of humour. This book is a compilation of all her columns.

                                    When we think of someone writing a column, we think about it being preachy and also expect to read, four to five paragraphs put together. The author out here writes with timing. She gives the exact timing of the occurrence that somehow intrigued me and helped me connect better to her work. What encouraged me to start reading Twinkle Khanna's columns (obviously because I was not a fan of her acting prowess) was this different approach towards writing. Well, a lot of people have termed this book as funny, and it is rightly so, but the USP of her writing is that she explains the profundity of each subject in a very lucid manner. Her writing is effortless. Facts of life that everyone advises, simple things that everyone expects us to follow but we think otherwise, comes very naturally to her thus keeping the reader engaged. Explaining varied things by means of self deprecating humour and by being witty is the art the author has mastered.

                                    I love the fact that she has named the famous superstar Akshay Kumar, also her husband "the man of the house", her son as "the prodigal son". The book has a lot more other characters like the mother in law, her mother, her sister, the relatives and everyone's favourite Karan Johar. My favourite writing piece was the one on MOM and Mars. As mentioned earlier I have read her columns so a lot of the chapters were repetitive for me. But the magic of Twinkle Khanna's writing is that I have not felt like skipping even a single chapter and reading the next. In fact, I enjoyed reading it the second time even more than the first and I am sure any other reader would enjoy it too. Some stories will register in the reader's decaying brain cells (the way she would put it) for a long time and that for a first time author is a matter of immense achievement.

                                    There are so many lines that I have noted which immediately strike a chord and start exercising your brain cells. Following are my favourites:

1) "Life is full of contradictions. We crave security and independence in equal measures"

2) "Love is only about putting the other person's needs ahead of your own, that, my friend is just as simple and as complex as you make it"

3) "I want to be a child again, to climb up hills and roll down the other side, only because the hill exists and so do I"

                                    Apart from the fact that the book thrives on tongue in cheek humour, it is written straight from a mother's heart. Her equation with her children has been crafted fondly and honestly. The author gives us a peak of her celebrity life which makes us realise that the minuscule problems we face in our day to day life is what they face too and that takes the relatibility quotient of the book to an even higher scale.

                                     A must read for anyone who wants to forget the daily grind for a bit and gyrate to Twinkle Khanna's satirical world. I definitely see myself re-reading few parts for a long time.

STARS-4/5 

Short Story 1

It was the same coffee shop. It exuded the same warmth that had engulfed all their laughters, all their good times. But today the situation was peculiar. Her hand clutched his, longing for the same warm-heartedness. Her eyes were moist. Her heart was beating faster than normal. Her feet were trembling. He looked at her concerned.

 "I love you baby" was the only thing she could say till now. She was looking into his eyes waiting for an answer. But now his gaze had shifted somewhere else- her ring.