Rakhi Jayashankar's Blog, page 39
January 4, 2019
Book Name - Publishing ...
Review
It is a rare instance when I review a book on a personal level. But this book is all for me. So I could not review this in third person. When I wrote 'Waves in the Sky' I was clueless of the publishing sharks. Did many mistakes. I wished if I could indie publish the book. But didn't know how to do that as well.
Sundari Venkatraman through her book tells the aspiring authors, how to indie publish the book and become a sought after author. The way she set the book is amazing. If you are an aspiring author, all you have to do is prepare an edited and proofread manuscript ready. The rest everything is taken care of in the book. Take this book and do each step mentioned and your work is done easily.
It is very thoughtful of the author to write about Vanity Publishing in her book because there are many authors who mistake that these vanity publishers would make sure that their book will become a hit. Apparently my experience as a reviewer has proved that it is not the case and the authors have to do the promotions themselves. Another idea that is shared is joint publishing
A little more detail about the same could have been given but that's a negligible thing.
Verdict
If you are an author looking forward to indie-publishing your book, this is the guide you need to have.
Scenario: 5/5Narration : 5/5Research: 5/5Relevance:5/5
This review is in return of a free book from the Book Club
Book Blitz- A Couple of Choices by Ajesh Sharma
A Couple of Choices by Ajesh Sharma
Format: Kindle EditionFile Size: 405 KBPrint Length: 133 pagesSimultaneous Device Usage: UnlimitedLanguage: EnglishASIN: B07836YLTW
Current Ranking on Amazon.in
#21907 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction#49279 in Books > Literature & Fiction
Alex and Phyllis have seen life overtake them. With their dreams, aspirations, and love for each other crushed by the choices they made, their mental discord has led to physical separation. Ten years have gone by when she calls to say she’s coming over to see him. Their meeting opens up old wounds, old memories and forces them to think about their lives, as people, as a couple, as lovers. The story comes together as a reflection of their individual lives, their relationship and the choices that lie ahead of them.
It would be great if you can add this book to your TBR
"Ajesh Sharma, is a Canadian author and playwright. His short stories have appeared in The Telegram Magazine and Unbound eMagazine. A Couple of Choices is his first play. He uses his blog, sloword.com, to showcase his love for wordplay and humor, his intense dislike for cats and his fanatical adoration of okra.
When not wearing colorful socks or attempting to play guitar, he tries to read, write, learn photography and spend time with one wife, two grown-up sons, one daughter-in-law and her dog on the outskirts of Toronto, Canada.
Links to his work may be found at http://www.sloword.com/published-work/"
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January 3, 2019
The Girl I Love by Amit Nangia- Review
Book Name - The Girl I Love Author - Amit Nangia Publisher - Srishti PublicationsBuy books from Amazon
Review
When there is friendship between lovers, that makes the relation perfect. The girl I love is the tale of love between best friends.
Myra is in love with Kairav, who is a "no-commitment-in-relations" man. Whenever he breaks up he goes to Myra who supports him unconditionally. Kairav on the otherhand is unaware of Myra's feelings. Once Myra starts attracting men and starts getting attention of men who are ready to tie a knot with her, Kairav senses danger. Will Myra move on with the men who loves her? Will Kairav realizes her love for him? 'The Girl I Love' gives you the answer.
The basic plot of the book is a cliche. We had read several books and seen several movies where the girl is forthcoming to a casanova boy, who realises his love at a point when he almost lost her to someone. Hence the storyline did not hold any uniqueness. The style of narration is good. Author has given a good attempt in covering up for a weak plot through good narration. The character of Myra is crafted well but the miss goody two shoes could have a few negative traits.The same applies to Kairav. The good looking Casanova lacked mettle. The charcter of Akhil who is waiting to marry Myra could have given more space because that is a character which had a lot of possibilities. Same goes with the character of Navya. Navya's character portray is highly misogynistic. A girl who is ready to offer her in a platter is not something that appeals to a self respecting woman reader.
Nonetheless the book could not be tagged as a bad one. It will definitely entertain YA lovers who are in the teens. If you are looking for a book with substance, you will be disappointed but if you are looking for an easy breezy read, this is the perfect one for you
Verdict
Scenario: 2.5/5Narration : 3.5/5Character : 3/5Entertainment Quotient: 3/5
This review is in return of a free book from the publisher
January 2, 2019
Bonus by AJ Adams- Review
Book Name - TheBonus Author - A J AdamsBuy books from Amazon
Review
An unnatural story of a girl who has been subjected to domestic abuse and a man who is doing dirty business. If one is a lamb, tha other is a lion. The combination is deadly yet unbelievably soothing. It is the tale of Kyle and Chloe. The readers could see how Kyle takes Chloe away from a nightmarish life and brings her to peace and how Chloe changes Kyle from an ogre to human.
EXPLICIT SCENES ALERT!!
The lovemaking scenes as well as the violence are cringeworthy but for a reader who loves explicit literature, it is a feast. In a era where Fifty Shades of Grey become a blockbuster, Bonus fits well. The title is unique and surprises the readers who learn that Chloe is a Bonus for Kyle. How he finds her as a Bonus is for the readers to see themselves.
The narration that alternates between Kyle and Chloe is interesting. Notwithstanding the switch in narration, the continuity of the storyline is maintained throughout. Kyle's character is confusing for he seems confused himself. To pull off such a complicated character is not an cakewalk. Author has mentioned in all promotions that the book is indeed for 'Adults'. Hence the readers would never be misled and hence the chance of someone who reads the book to not like it is rare.
Verdict
Loud, violent, explicit yet realistic.
Scenario: 4 /5Narration : 4.5/5Character : 4/5Entertainment Quotient: 4.5/5
This review is in return of a free book from the author
December 28, 2018
Book Name - Hidden Chil...
Review
Since Harry Potter, there have been an increasing demand for fantasy novels. Fulfilling the desire for magic, Reshma Barshikar has brought to the readers, a mix of fantasy and contemporary fiction.
The book is primarily the story of Shayamukthy a.k.a Shui, a US returned girl who have been mocked and bullied for her accent and also the fact the she used to be an NRI. Nonetheless she manages to get a few friends. While her life goes on amidst the little fights, basketball practice and lectures, she meets Anya, a girl who is as different as her and another target for the bullies. With utmost astonishment Shui learns that she has magic in her and her dislexia is not a defect anymore. Her first foray into the world of magic, when she summoned butterflies, which Anya calls Kairos, changes Shui's life forever. How her life proceeds further is the rest of the plot.
Author has maintained a balance between fantasy and reality which widens her target readers. The strategy is commendable. The characters are the highlights of the book. They are all crafted such that each one has an individuality of their on. Simultaneously, they represent the current generation in general. The introduction of magic takes the book to another dimension. Choice of names is another factor that needs mention. It has been a general tendancy of fantasy authors to name the characters such that their names sound bizarre and inappropriate to the current scenario. Author has chosen to give normal names to the characters , which in turn attracts hardcore fantasy lovers and YA lovers alike.Nonetheless, the pace of the book is inconsistent. Midway through the book the story starts dragging but gains momentum towards the end. The parallel plot of the subtle attraction between Shui and Adyant is interesting to read. The title Hidden Children and the cover image is perfect representative of the book and does justice to the overall plot.
Verdict
Perfect YA Fantasy
Scenario: 4 /5Narration : 4.5 /5Character : 4.5 /5Entertainment Quotient: 4.5/5
This review is in return of a free book from the author.
December 22, 2018
Love in the Time of Taliban' by Rajesh Talwar- Review
Author - Rajesh Talwar
Buy books from Amazon
Scenario: 5/5
Narration : 5/5
Character : 5/5
Entertainment Quotient: 5/5
This review is in return of a free book from the author.
December 21, 2018
The Code of Manavas by Arpit Bakshi- Review
Book Name - The Code of Manavas Author - Arpit Bakshi Publisher - Rupa PublicationsBuy books from Amazon
Review
What if man becomes an extinct species like the dinosaurs? Will planet earth be still there after 50 years. Arpit Bakshi has foreseen the impending doom that could happen to the human race.
In 2050, man no longer exists and the race that evolved is called Manavas. The earth is not Bhoomi and exists with the help of Bhoomidium, an invention of Krishna, the saviour of mankind. The manavas are a developed race without any weaknesses that men had. Present situation puts Krishna in a precarious situation since the Bhoomidium level is going dangerously low. Krishna needs to find and develop a new planet, Prithvi where he needs to rehabilitate the Manavas. In his process he finds that one of his friends turned foe. From there a thrilling, scientific and mythological journey takes off.
Being the first book in the Trilogy, author has attempted to establish the scenario in the first book. Nonetheless apart from establishing the story, author has added the sub plots that enriches the basic plot. The style of narration is easily comprehensible yet rich in literary value. The mythological part is kept subtle but the term Maha Vishnu Trilogy indicates that further mythological foray could be witnessed in the sequels. The character are limited, which is a rarity for fantasy books but it the characters are all crafted well so that the readers won't find any missing in the book. The climax opens the gate for sequels and hence left the readers at the verge of a cliffhanger. The book could be counted as analogical to Shiva Trilogy but the Sci-Fi factor makes the book unique. It takes some time for the plot to establish and take off. The graph is slow in the first part of the book but later the the pace accelerates.
Verdict
Scientific Mythological Futuristic Thriller.
Scenario: 4 /5Narration : 4/5Character : 4 /5Entertainment Quotient:4/5
This review is in return of a free book from the publisher
December 16, 2018
Heart Quake by Ishita Deshmukh- Review
Book Name - Heart Quake Author - Ishita Deshmukh Publisher - Lifi PublicationsBuy books from Amazon
Review
Love stories amidst calamities have been the most appreciated for years. Ishita Deshmukh, through her book Heart Quake, has brought to the readers the love story amidst Gujarat earthquake.
Sonal reaches Gujarat in search of her friend Smita on the pretext of relief service as a nurse as well. A group of doctors and nurses working to help the affected folks, discover some discrepancies in the medicines of medical services given to the patients. They settle on a plan of action to find out why, what, where and when, things went south. Unexpectedly, Sonal meets Tejas who used to be her beau but ended up sorely. Will Sonal and Tejas rekindle their relation? Will the group of young doctors find out what went wrong and do something about it?
Based on a historical calamity, author has developed a storyline with several subplots that are reconnected. The style of narration is way above average, yet simple and easily comprehensible. The love angle could have been underplayed. Nonetheless, the subtle give and take between Sonal and Tejas is endearing.
Overall, there was a balance between the subplots. The characters are crafted well. There were too many charcaters especially the doctors but each one was given due priority and development at the point their character gets prominent and thus kept the proportion correct.
Verdict
Priceworthy
Scenario : 4 /5Narration : 4/5Character : 4/5Entertainment Quotient: 4/5
This review is in return of a free book from the AuthorsChannel
December 13, 2018
Dissected by Naveen Kakkar- Review
Review
Life of students in Medical Colleges has been subject of curiosity for all other students. They keep on wondering how their practicals would be, how will they deal with anatomy, will they get time for the nitty gritties of the college life-the questions go on. Naveen Kumar, through his book "Dissected", dissects the life of medical students.
The book is collection of anecdotes of various aspects of college life. The term Progressive Medical Education is unknown for majority of the laymen and hence the topic incites the interest of the readers as to how the students set out to different locations to directly deal with the pulse of common men. The book tells the readers that hostel life is the same irrespective of the stream of education you choose. The first introduction to the anatomy hall is equally eerie and hilarious. Needless to say, there are a few romantic connections in the college but they remain in the background.
Characters are the most unique point in the book; Especially their name. The names Slick, Taxo, Podgy etc leaves the readers wonder if the college is indeed in India or the names were selected for some hidden reason. The style of narration is the USP of the book. Author has portrayed each instance in a quirky manner. Humour in the book is effortless and hence attractive.
Despite being a fiction, lack of a proper story line gives the impression of a memoir, which, to a great extent is true as the author himself is a doctor and as a student he would have had similar experiences. The same makes the book even more appealing.
Verdict
Memoir like fiction.
Scenario: 4 /5
Character : 4/5
December 9, 2018
New World Reapers by Amritansh Dayal- Review
Book Name - New World Reapers Author - Amritansh Dayal Publisher - Notio PressBuy books from Amazon
Review
To review this book, the fact that should be considered is the age of the author. The depth of the characters, the novelty of the imaginations and the twists and turns, everything would be according to a teenager's imaginations and hence the book should be judged accordingly.
Coming to the plot, the book is a sci-fi-fantasy thriller. After the apocalypse, the humans left are transformed into shadows and mutants the rest of the humans are superheroes and the only one without superpowers is the protagonist Athias Dawn, who leads the team and makes the strategies. Further the readers get to see the thrilling incidents with a lots of twists and turns.
Plot and the characters are complicated and the author has managed to sew them together without lumps. The characters seemed immature but as mentioned before the age of the author matters. The book is indeed targeted at young readers and hence the plotline and the type of characters are justifiable. The book cover is appealing and forces the readers to pick it. While considering the age, as mentioned before, what stands out beyond the age of the author is the attempt to narrate the incidents in different perspectives, which the author has pulled off beyond his age.
Verdict
Targeting the young readers
Scenario : 4 /5Narration : 4/5Character : 3.5/5Entertainment Quotient: 4/5
This review is in return of a free book from the publisher
