Rakhi Jayashankar's Blog, page 31

Cover Reveal- Gay Icons Of INDIA

Gay Icons of India

Hoshang Merchant and Akshaya K. Rath

9789386215956 | PAN ǀ Rs 450 ǀ Paperback | July 10, 2019

 

‘Hoshang Merchant has gone boldly into a territory that was “out of bounds” in India till the historic ruling down of the dreaded Section 377. The narrative of Gay Icons of India is well paced, personal and insightful’ -Shobhaa De

 

‘India’s history is incomplete without acknowledging the millions of unspoken stories of the queer world. Gay Icons of India is symbolic of a way forward. “We’re here, we’re queer!’ - Keshav Suri

 

Fighting a relentless culture of discrimination and homophobia, India’s LGBTQ+ community is finally on the road to inclusion and acceptance. While there are still miles to go, the Supreme Court’s landmark reading down of Section 377 in September 2018 came as a battle hard-won for those who identify as gay.

 

In the wake of this watershed judgement, Gay Icons of India celebrates twenty-two extraordinary personalities from the queer community who have resisted injustices through their art and greatly aided LGBTQ+ social movements. From dancers and poets to writers and artists, Hoshang Merchant and Akshaya K. Rath pay homage to these inspirational figures who stand steadfastly for equal love and the right to be different.

 

AUTHOR BIO

Hoshang Merchant is the author of Yaraana: Gay Writing from India, Forbidden Sex, Forbidden Texts: New India's Gay Poets and The Man Who Would Be Queen. A well-known poet and teacher, he has published over twenty books of poetry. He recently retired from the University of Hyderabad after for twenty-six years.

Akshaya K. Rath is Assistant Professor of English and teaches creative writing, gender and sexualities at NIT Rourkela. His book Secret Writings of Hoshang Merchant was published in 2016.

Snakes in the Meadows by Ayaz Kohli- Review

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Classics have the power to  change our reading habits. They have the power to be realistic yet entertaining.But most books of late don't have that charm. Nonetheless there are a few pieces of literature that stood out and Snakes in the Meadows is one among them.

The flawless blurb itself tells us the finesse of the writer. Snakes in the meadows is a saga of the onset of militancy, the suffering and the resilience of Pir Panjal- the 'and' of Jammu Kashmir.

It is the tale of terrorism, of love , of expectations. Aslam and Ashwar, are in love but the societal pressure and situations forced them to separate. Further the surge of insurgency and terrorism unites them. The plot is not as simple as it seems.

 She had only one regret-that someone knew about her secret dream.

The style of narration is exemplary. The relationship between Aslam and Ashwar has been depicted in a subtle fashion yet the depth of their love is not lost on the readers. Author has closely pulled out the life of Mujahideens and presented a classic piece for the readers.
The gravity of the recruitment of young boys to be a Mujahideen is depicted such that the readers could relate with how they have been misled and cheated. The fact that not all Mujahideen are cruel perpetrators of terrorism is a shocking revelation for the readers who live in another part of the world. 
It is more of a geopolitical mirror than a love story. The highlight is the subtlety of portraying the relationship between Aslam and Ashwar

THE PATOMSKIY CRATER BY KHEMKARANN- REVIEW

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A mystery thriller based in Russia often gives the impression of drug mafia, trafficking and other underworld dealings and not to forget the tattoos of the dons. A regular book would have revolved around all these. But Patomskiy Crater stands out in the premise itself. The nature of the Patomskiy Crater itself gives a curiosity pump to the reader.

Patomskiy crater is located at remote South-Eastern Siberia.

Vin, the Son of the business Tycoon John Catt sets out to the Patomskiy Crater with his friends but they go missing. Catt assigns Russian military men to search for his son and his friends but they stumble upon dead bodies. Vin and his friend Mia survives but they are absconding. Further a series of nail biting events make sure that the readers don't keep the book aside for even a second.

Blurb serves as a spoiler- Intricate, scary and ruthlessly suspenseful Patomskiy crater is dark but will thrill the reader to no end.

The narration is the highlight of the book, The style of narration is excellent and it reminded me of John Grisham and David Baldacci. Author has carefully weaved the premise that the fun loving readers would also be interested in the book. The sub plot that involves Nikolai and Salva is portrayed differently yet thoughtfully.

That was one thing about planning a trip, it caused so much excitement within him but he had to actually wait to go on it.

Readers will flow relentlessly with the plot but towards the middle, the pace of the book plummets primarily because the blurb itself serves as the spoiler and hence the readers would be tempted to skip to the part that remains. Nonetheless the readers who are interested in the details of the thriller would thoroughly enjoy the book.

One discrepancy noted was that  Vin's father's name is John Catt in the book but it is James Catt in the blurb. Further it is given as  Catt only. So it was tad bit confusing. Nonetheless it didn't affect the overall mood of the book.

In the nutshell the book is a full on thriller.

Cover Reveal- The Fix by Omar Shahid Hamid

PAN MACMILLAN INDIAannounces the release of

THE FIX by OMAR SHAHID HAMID

 

 

THE FIX

A Riveting Novel on the Networks of Fixing in the World of Cricket

Omar Shahid Hamid

ISBN 9789389109016 ǀ Rs 399 ǀ Paperback

 

Winner of the Karachi Literature Festival Prize in 2016 for THE SPINNER’S TALE and in 2018 

for THE PARTY WORKER, Omar Shahid Hamid’s THE PRISONER was longlisted for DSC Prize 2013

 

Praise for Omar Shahid Hamid

‘Few writers know Pakistan’s darkest corners, or can write about

 them with such verve and insight’ DECLAN WALSH 

‘Crime thrillers are often considered escapist literature, but a book like 

The Party Worker reminds us how the opposite can hold true as well’ Aditya Sudarshan, THE HINDU 

‘If there was a trend in Pakistan that adapts crime thrillers into movies, 

there would be no doubt that Hamid will pioneer it’INDIA TODAY

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Will the profusely talented Sanam Khan’s rise to the pinnacle of world cricket be interrupted by the bookies and the powerful match-fixing mafia?

Ever since she was fifteen years old, the talented Sanam Khan has only had one dream: to win a world cup for her country. Now, thanks to her own efforts as the captain, her team of talented misfits in the Pakistan Women’s cricket team stand on the verge of realizing that dream. But fate intervenes, and the team’s success attracts the great corruptors of the sport, the match-fixing syndicates that captured the men’s team two decades ago. Will Sanam and her girls succeed where the men failed, or will history repeat itself?

 

AUTHOR BIO

As part of the Karachi Police’s Counter Terrorism Department, Omar Shahid Hamid has survived being ambushed by gangsters, implicated by colleagues in a false case, and, as CID chief, barely escaped the bombing of his office by the Pakistani Taliban. In 2011, following an attack on his offices by the Pakistani Taliban, he took a five-year sabbatical to write books and worked as a political risk consultant. In 2016, Omar returned to active duty as a Counter-Terrorism Officer. He has been widely quoted and regularly featured in several publications including The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Times, Le Monde, Reuters, CNN and BBC. His first novel, The Prisoner (2013), was longlisted for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2015 and is now being adapted for a feature film. His second novel The Spinner’s Tale (2015) won the 2016 Karachi Literature Festival Prize. He received the award again for his third novel The Party Worker (2017) at the Karachi literature festival in 2018 which is now being adapted for a TV series.

Strangers in the Night and Growing Up- Review of two books in one

Click here to buy Strangers in the night

Click here to buy Growing Up

Strangers in the night and Growing up are two books, however I believe that they should no be counted as two different books. Why? Becuase one defines the other.

"Has anyone ever told you that you are a really strange character?"

Strangers in the night is the love story of Alisha and Arjun who meets outside a nightclub by chance. They soend time with each other and part ways without even sharing the numbers or introducing each other.  But both of them gets connected. Alisha has come to London for a brief visit and is about to go back to India but her unfathomable attraction towards Arjun forced her to recheck the decision. But she needs to overcome a lot of hurdles to take the decision. Will Alisha be able to overcome the barriers or will they part ways?

In this world of infinite possibilityMaybe there is you and me

Growing up is a collection of poems the author wrote in her adolescent years. Why I decided to review both books together is because after reading Growing up, it would be evident where the author got the inspiration of Alisha. There are a lot of glimpses of Ruhee Advani in the whole character. Plotwise the book Strangers in the night is indeed weak but the innocence of the character and the goodness in the whole book makes is a good read. The style of narration is vernacular and hence apt for beginners.

The book is an out and out teenage book and the teenagers would be able to enjoy it and hence the book growing up is connected with Strangers in the night. The poems in growing up is primarily about pain and love and everything else is deftly intertwined with these emotions.

Essential Vivekananda by Mukul Kanitkar and Anoop A J- Analysis

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Swami Vivekananda, the phenomenon that all Indians are proud of. The speech that begins with "Brothers and Sisters of Chicago" is known to any Indian beyond the age of 13. A lot of literature could be available on this legend but which one to go for is always confusing. Mukul Kanitkar and Anoop.A.J have compiled these for the ease of the readers and provided a concentrated smoothie of information.

Dare to be free, dare to go as far as your thought leads and dare to carry that out in your life- Swami Vivekananda

The first part of the book is his journey from Narendra to Vivekananda. It is endearing to read how an ordinary boy with extraordinary thoughts managed to pave his way into the life of Sri Ramkrishna Paramhansa to become his prime disciples and finally ended up being a bigger person that his Guru. Calling him a celebrity would be nothing less than a blasphemy. He is an undefinable source of intellect. The anecdote on how he gave a new definition to idol worship proves his intellect as well as power of comprehension.

The blurb says- " Essential Vivekananda is the compact concise representation that unveils all the shdes of his personality and give the reader and essential understanding of Swami Vivekananda.

The second part of the book is about his messages and these form the crux of the book. Many topics are covered like women empowerment, gender equality, caste discrimination etc But what excited me on a personal level and what have been unknown to me, was that he professed the consumption of non vegetarian food.

All the mischief to women has come because men undertook to shape the destiny of women.

The book touches the thin line of hagiography but for a human being as great as Swami Vivekananda, it could not be written off so. How Swami have been attacked by different interested groups especially against his speeches on how Hindus were converted covertly is written without any inhibition.
Overall the book is a first class addition into anyone's personal library.

Review copy from Rupa Publications

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE BY ARVIND PARASHAR-REVIEW

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The final part of Messed Up! trilogy is sure to create a buzz among the readers. Neil and Gauri have won so many hearts that everyone would be curious to know what happens next.

The blurb has helped in piquing the curiosity to another level. "Read on to discover the life and times of Neil and Gauri and the deepened mystery in this yet another romance thriller – All You Need is Love."

Neil and Gauri set out to the site of their new venture. On the way they take selfies that they send to their daughter but an unexpected attack makes their world upside down. Both of them goes absconding and their friends are hell bent to find the mystery behind the incident. Though the third book in the trilogy, author has tried his best to give a glimpse of their past so that the readers would be able to read it as a standalone book but to fully comprehend the scenario, it is advisable to read the prequels. If approached as a standalone , readers would not be able to easily understand which character is there in the past and which is new. Especially Racheal's character. Initially since it is introduced along with Arya's character gives an impression that it is a past story but further the switch between present and the past gives the picture. By then the readers would be immersed in the mystery and least interested in Neil's past.

If you love the quintessential Bollywood love story with too good to be true pure romance, you will love this.

The cliche of multi millionaire protagonist who attracts women like honey attract bees is an overworked scenario and hence monotonous. How a woman is degraded in the whole book by going after the hero telling "f**k me" is sleazy and repugnant. The cover picture is that of a couple with a kid but no space is allotted to their daughter in the book except the mentions here and there and also the child birth scenario. The repeated mentioning of the brands and the deliberate attempt to portray the protagonist's connections with Ambanis and other celebrities could have been avoided.

Author has successfully weaved the mystery part and succeeded to a great extend in conveying it with conviction. A rework on the climax could have improved the book. 

Aspire to Inspire - Book Spotlight

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ASPIRE TO INSPIRE
by 
NASREEN VARIYAWA


BLURB
Aspire to Inspire: Poems that elevate your speech is a book full of poems that defy all norms and rules for poetry writing. The authors work is packed with words that rhyme and when read with rhythm, are delightful to the tongue and ears alike. Right from the acknowledgments and dedications at the beginning of the book till the concluding statements at the back of the book, the author has aspired to be lyrical throughout. Written between 2017 and 2018 in Antalya, Turkey, all the poems in the book are simultaneously independent but connected to each other by way of the subject of leadership. Nasreen has always held that Leaders don’t need titles and aren’t necessarily from the corporate world. All people are leaders in whatever they do and so she has written a diverse range of poems that are aimed at inspiring massive action in whatever people want to do or accomplish in their lives. 
In Aspire to Inspire: Poems that will elevate your speech, motivational speakers, teachers, trainers, and coaches can look forward to 100 poems that can be used at the beginning, middle and concluding parts of presentations. The author has written short but powerful poems on love, leadership, spirituality, strength, abuse, authenticity, financial management, communication, listening, heartbreak and family to name but a few. Whatever the subject, the poems embody the aspect of leading oneself in different aspects of life and living. They teach simple but powerful lessons and reach the point of the subject very quickly. Speakers using them can begin the objective of a speech quickly, make valid points during a speech by breaking the monotony and conclude just as powerfully at the end of a talk. 
In an industry overflowing with advice in the form of quotes that are either overused or recycled, Aspire to Inspire: Poems that will elevate your speech is a fresh, innovative and entertaining way to influence an audience, persuade a client or simply lead passionately. The book is a must have for your coffee tables, library shelves, office desks and makes for a thoughtful gift. 
Grab your copy @
Amazon.com |  Amazon.in
About the author

"Nasreen Variyawa was born and raised in South Africa where she completed her Post-Graduate Diploma in Education Leadership and Management from Regent Business School. Most followers would know her as a trainer, coach and mentor. Having worked at some of South Africa’s biggest education and training brands, Nasreen has touched thousands of lives through her work.
After spending 10 years in the corporate trenches, she swapped life in suits and stilettos for the classroom and chalkboard, wander-lusting through Turkey where she now resides and teaches English as a Second Language.  Nasreen is also a graduate from Ledge International where she pursued a Mastermind Programme in the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C Maxwell. 
She is the author of 4 books and hit the #No. 1 best sellers list on Amazon recently for Ignite the Champion Within and Inspire Others to Begin and Ignition: Answering your call which she coauthored with Dr. Farookh Sensei.
"

Click here to check out all the titles by the author...

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Wiley Innovation Black Book- Analysis

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Innovation Black book is one book that is the most relevant in the current scenario. 15 Top industry leaders provide the snippets of innovation through revolutionary technology. The book is one piece that enables us in reaping new opportunities and tackling new challenges

In future automation is expected to be smart and coverend-to-end network, including backhaul communication.

In an era where businesses are crafted around technology, building technology for business has become obsolete. The major idea of the book is to enable us to deal with business in the world of  Industry 4.0. 

In essence, annual editions of Wiley Innovation Black Book On Exponential Technologies promise to be a recommended reference template that attempts to track the evolution and adoption of exponential technologies year on year.

The prevalent idea in the whole books is the level of influence that AI has in our lives and how it has become inherent part of human lives in general and how it could be used productively and simultaneously cut down the negative traits through regulation.

Machine learning algorithms can be used to repurpose drugs faster and at lower costs.

Overall the book is relevant, engaging, informative, and a must read for not only the people related business but also every laymen.

Thanks Wiley India for the Review Copy.

Influence without authority- Analysis

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Influence without authority is an out and out practical book. It gives us pragmatic directions about how to influence people who are not in the same department as ours and also the people who are seniors. We have read numerous  books about how to influence people but this is one book which tells us how to influence without authority.

The book gives you a useful model and the practical strategies for influencing your colleagues, managers, or customers in order to meet your goals.

The book lays out a detailed study on the business strategies as well. Author gives an influence model for us. The books gives an idea about how to understand what they want and offer more than what you think. Author tells us not to think beyond stereotypes. Influencing at a distance is a unique topic that many of us won't think about as a priority.

To have influence, you need resources that other people want to trade for what you want.

Organisational politics, these days, is the toughest nut to crack and author gives us the cheat code into it. Shortly, author tells us about anything and everything that helps you in influencing your colleagues without authority.

Thanks Wiley India for the review copy.