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.

Book Review-Half Girlfriend

REVIEW-HALF GIRLFRIEND

The author has claimed that this manuscript has taken him three years to draft. Mohit Suri and Ekta Kapoor have announced that a movie will be made based on the manuscript. Masaba Gupta, inspired by this manuscript has created a range of iphone covers,saris,and other apparels. Within a short time of announcing that the book is available for Pre booking the site crashed. My library took 15 days to rent this book out to me inspite of calling him even before the book was released. I was the third one in pre booking of a book that was not even out yet. Facebook and Twitter was inundated with posts of how so many people had already purchased a copy of the book in the pre-order stage. This was the hype created before the release of Chetan Bhagat's latest offering-Half girlfriend.


Well the book starts with Chetan Bhagat emphasizing on how he wants to write for a change. An encouragement to all non readers to read. According to me he is on the right path as I personally know a lot of people who are non readers but wait with bated breath for “A Chetan Bhagat” novel and do end up reading it as well. His way of self deprecating humour is what intrigues everyone and makes everyone curious of this character called Chetan Bhagat. The line that touched me the most by him is that “i don’t want to be remembered, I just want to be missed”


Coming to the book,it is about a namesake prince Madhav and an affluent “English speaking” girl called Riya. They meet as they share their common weakness for basketball. He falls in love with her, she just likes him and dodges his pleas. A crass statement by Madhav,Riyas marriage to a London return pushes the both of them to discrete paths. Madhav starts helping his ailing and social worker mother in Bihar and engrosses himself in all the school work started with the sole aim of imparting knowledge to all the children of Dumraon (a tehsil (block) in Buxar district in Bihar). A speech to be given in English and the conquest for learning the language for the betterment of Dumraon's only school destines Riya and Madhav's reunion.


The story is predictable. It is a typical Chetan Bhagat book absorbing the repetitive formula of rich girl dodging a poor boy-their separation, their re-union and finally the rich girl falling for him. What I really liked about the book is the climax which embraces our very own Chetan Bhagat himself. The part in New York is elongated. An appalling feature of Chetan Bhagat's characters are that they do not get etched in your heart, they meet their logical end once you finish reading the book, but what develops the curiosity of reading a Chetan Bhagat novel is that it has simple writing and accounts for a very breezy read. The story does not touch your heart but it does make you visualize the flow thus a valid script to be captured as a movie.


As rightly said, you love him,you hate him you cannot ignore him. This book is one such read. Pick it up if you are in a mood for a light read this festive season..




STARS-2.5/5

Review-Scandalous Housewives

SCANDALOUS HOUSEWIVES-MADHURI BANERJEE

After reading the synopsis and Being a Sex and the City Addict( TV series ofcourse!!) ,I just had to pick this book up. Also this is the First book I have read of Madhuri Banerjee, and What an Experience it was!!!

Scandalous Housewives is a story that revolves around four characters-Gita,Sarita,Aarti and Natasha. Each one having their own difficulties and glitches. The author wins your heart by the sheer courage with which she handles each and every subject and the way out for all of them.

Gita is an absolutely perfect mother,daughter-in-law and wife. She plays all her varied roles to perfection. But somewhere she does fathom that in performing all these responsibilities she has foregone her own aspirations. We tend to ignore our expertise and strive to work only for the growth of our family. The obstacle of identity crisis faced by the housewives of today is tackled brilliantly with Gita's character. Also another important thing that her story teaches us is that marriage is not only taking care of your husband's family and your children but also involves the active involvement and encouragement of your partner in your area of interests and your growth. We tend to ignore it, in turn ignoring our own progress. A partner helping you in taking you forward in life is the true definition of a happy and successful marriage.

Sarita hails from a conservative Gujarati household where the smallest of things have to be approved by her in-laws and only then it can be taken forward. Due to these conventional beliefs the couple is not able to be open minded and rational with their own children leading to the children going the immoral ways. As mentioned in the synopsis the depiction of “kinky sex” is dealt with very aesthetically. I am bowled over by the author's sheer vividness in scripting these parts.

Aarti has the perfect husband, the perfect in-laws, the perfect son and a fantastic career. She is the only working woman out of the four. But she has a deep dark secret which disrupts her “perfect marriage”. Some people may not agree with this story. But according to me the author has dealt with it very maturely. Do we have to live through a marriage because our husband and in laws are very loving and supportive, isn't consummation equally imperative? This is the question that this story raises and the author has once again dealt with it audaciously.

Natasha's story is of self esteem and morals. An ex-model who is neither respected by her husband nor her daughter. Does love only hinge on physical appearance and your working status? DO people who leave work or who are not as slender as before, deserve affection and reverence of his/her partner? Once again the solution to this glitch is dealt with cleverly. Every woman should stand for her self-respect and the author teaches us this through Natasha's narrative.

The author via this book teaches us not only to take bold steps for ourselves but also that it is not enough to make others happy. The first and foremost person that should be content is yourself. The inner gratification modifies the way we handle other things and other people in our beautiful journey called-LIFE. This may lead to certain decisions that are not as per the “so-called” societal norms but you have to stand by them for your contentment. I want to applaud the author for this experience and the courage to deal with one's problems bravely and fearlessly. Would like to end my review with a very pertinent “Ernest Hemingway quote:

“So far, about morals, I know only that what is moral is what you feel good after and what is immoral is what you feel bad after.”

STARS-4/5