Rakhi Jayashankar's Blog, page 58

Review- Writersmelon's Jukebox

Book Name         - JukeboxAuthor                  - AnthologyPublisher              - ReadomaniaNumber of Pages - 176Publishing Year   -2017Edition                  -Paperback
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Rating : 4.0

My Review
Talent is a word that brings a varies of emotions in everyone's lives. each of us might have come across atleast one talented person who did not get the due recognition due to many reasons. Hunting the right talent from pretenders and plagiarists is not a cakewalk. Writers melon, through the venture melonade succeeded in hunting the deserving writers whose stories are too good to be neglected.
'Monster' is my favourite. It tells the readers about a girl who sets out in search of the enigma behind the life of her deceased father, whom she comprehends as someone who is as monster like as her. The next three stories "The sinner", "Marital Chains" and "Mrs. Neeraj who lived in Neeti Bagh are a glimpse into the domestic violence, marital rape and women empowerment. While the latter two speaks about standing up for oneself, "Sinner" disappointed me pathetically. Being a woman and a mother, the climax is unacceptable for me, though the language and narration is brilliant. 
"Lizard grass" and "Deep fried love story" are quirky and satiric in a subtle fashion. "The letters undefined", "Homecoming", "Missing earring" and "Cycles and cyclones" let the readers breath romance. Love that is weightless, musical yet painful. "Colours" is also a love story, the respectful love of a husband towards his wife who is recovering from the travails of childbirth. " The pupil" is the tale of love between a teacher and her little student. The effort tetcher takes in motivating her pupil who stutters is heart melting. The most unique and hence special story among the fifteen ones is "The boy who never became a man".
All in all the stories are all emotional at one level and literary in the other. We can complete the book over a day but to get rid of the hangover might take several.
This review is in return of a free book from Writers Melon

Book Blast- Children's Classic Stories by Aniesha Brahma

About the Book:
This gorgeous treasury of ten classic stories is guaranteed to delight and entertain young children, bringing the magic of traditional stories to the new generation of children. Aimed at 8-12 year olds, each favourite fairy tale or story has been sensitively retold for young readers.
The series 'Children's Classic Stories' contains total 100 stories in 10 volumes. The stories in this collection show the consequences of greed, pride, and vanity, but also tell of the love that grows from a kind heart and a cheerful nature.

Volume 1 includes the following stories:
01. Little Red Riding Hood
02. Cinderella
03. Hansel and Gretel
04. Sleeping Beauty
05. Snow White and Rose Red
06. The Emperor's New Clothes
07. Rumplestiltskin
08. The Wise Little Girl
09. Goldilocks and the Three Bears
10. Rip Van Winkle

Goodreads * Amazon
About the Author:

Aniesha Brahma knew she wanted to be a writer since she was six years old. She was schooled in Dolna Day School and went on to pursue B.A., M.A., and M.Phil in Comparative Literature from Jadavpur Univeristy. She currently lives in Kolkata, with her family and five pet cats. She is the author of All Signs Lead Back to You, When Our Worlds Collide, The Guitar Girl and The Secret Proposal. She compiled and edited the 10 volumes series, 'Children's Classic Stories' with love and great efforts.

Website * Twitter * Instagram * Facebook









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Book blitz: Water boArding by Bragadeesh

Print Length: 292 pagesPublication Date: October 8, 2017Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLCLanguage: EnglishASIN: B075W9WBVR


As a torture technique, Waterboarding involves the torturer to pour water over the face of the captive, over a damp towel to give a sensation of drowning. While the mind knows that he is not actually drowning, the captive's body sends contrasting signals to the brain making it a very painful experience.

Ved, who just got out of a life-changing accident finds out that he has blank spaces in his memory. He is unsure about his past and uncertain about his future but goes through with the present with the help of his friend Sara. Sara slowly builds Ved's past, filling him with people and instances he had forgotten.

As Ved struggles with the financial strain caused by his accident and subsequent medical bills and figuring out whom to trust, Ved is forced to live in the moment, which is dark, terrifying and maddening as his past catches up with him. Will he finally know who he was and how his past actions affect his present?

It would be great if you can add this book to your TBR





Bragadeesh Prasanna is a Chennai based writer, who blogs, writes short stories and sometimes lets his stories stretch itself to become a full fledged novel.  His romance novel, 300 days, which released in 2016, received generally positive reviews.  He had also contributed to different short story anthologies like After the Floods (Published by sixth sense publication), From Chennai, with Love (Curated by Chennai Bloggers Club)
When he is not writing or dreaming about writing, he runs a marketing agency in Chennai, which specializes in digital marketing. He loves his scotch and coffee, chicken biriyani, Rose milk and Chennai. You can just type in his full name in Google search bar to reach his blog. No, seriously, try it. 

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

You can stalk him @                 
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Confessions of a self-proclaimed existentialist by Akul Sharma

Book Name         - Confessions of a self-proclaimed existentialistAuthor                  - Akul SharmaPublisher              - AuthorpressNumber of Pages - 104Publishing Year   -2017Edition                  - Paperback
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Rating : 3.5

My Review

For an existentialist, finding the meaning of life will point to several actions. To attain eternal bliss, protagonist assorted to an act that will assuredly secret DMT in our body. In order to feel the ecstasy , he decides to do that which provides maximum ecstasy, embrace death.



 With an unequivocal satire, author throws light to the folly of the youth who tries to find the pleasure of travel and exploration through the virtual world. Author is indeed a well read existentialist and has a vast idea about the philosophy.  But the story does not delve much into the philosophy. Author has succeeded in subtly and palpably elucidate the philosophy for an extensive target audience. With mild and subdued humor author has tried to maintained the entertainment quotient of the book.

Towards the second half of the book, author foray into drugs makes the narration monotonous. It cannot register in my narrowminded brain that most of the youth takes joint these days. Well, I don't think majority does. A few grammatical errors too added as a turn off.

Overall the book is a unique attempt to establish a philosophical satirical contemporary fiction.

This review is in return of a free book from the author

The Perfect Murder

Book Name         - The Perfect MurderAuthor                  - Ruskin BondPublisher              - Rupa PublicationsNumber of Pages - 167Publishing Year   -2016Edition                  - Paperback
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Rating : 5.0

My Review

A collection of short stories, rather murder mysteries that are authored by Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Allan Poe, Ruskin Bond and several other talented authors- What else can a mystery lover can ask for. Writing a murder mystery is a step by step process. First the characters and the circumstances need to be established. Next the murder scenario need to be explained. Next the suspense element to be sustained. Next a perfect climax need to be crafted. Delivering all these in a short story is not an easy job. A group of extremely talented writers proved that impossible is nothing.



The stories cannot be tagged as brain-racking since, by the time we rack our brains the tales would be over. The book can be completed in a day or two. They are short yet not easy reads since establishing the crimes require out uncompromising attention. The books cannot be based on whether we were able to guess the culprit or whether the supense is complicated. It need not be forgotten these stories were written by authors who were born before independence and we should keep in mind that they pulled off these plots in that era. The authors whom we follow now would have surely taken inspiration from them.

Hence read this book as a collection of classics.
This review is in return of a free book from the publisher  

Askew by T.J.S George- Review

Book Name         - AskewAuthor                  -T.J.S GeorgePublisher              - Aleph BooksNumber of Pages - 113Publishing Year   - 2016Edition                  - Hardcover
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Rating : 3.5

My Review

From the time I was a student, I have heard people delving into the nostalgic memories of Bangalore. Bangalore seemed to me as a city that once ventured will never leave our mind, like an obsessive lover. I have always been anxious about the real reason behind this admiration towards a city. When I recently visited the city all I could see was unending and frustrating traffic. But T.J.S George's book Askew provides a whole new perspective about the city, decades back.



The narration is lucid and the language is engaging. The book is a simple easy read, it could be completed in a few hours. Author has also inculcated the views of people about Bangalore and the political jugglery. Thankfully there is no washing dirty linen in public regarding the political or generational differences. A major blemish in the whole tale is unduly lengthy biography of Sidharth Mallya. Well, author could have his own reasons for the same. 

Overall the book is an easy read into Biography of Bangalore,to tell Bangalore is a charmer.
This review is in return of a free book from the publisher  
About the author

T. J. S. George is a journalist who began his career at the Free Press Journal in 1950 and was the founding editor of Asiaweek. He established himself as a serious political author and biographer with a series of major books, including M. S. Subbulakshmi: The Definitive Biography, The Life and Times of Nargis and Krishna Menon: A Biography. At present, he is editorial adviser to the New Indian Express. A proud Bangalorean for nearly forty years (where he lives with his wife, Ammu), he received the state’s Rajyotsava Award in 2007.

Then the doorbell rang by Capri Jalota

Book Name         - Then the doorbell rangAuthor                  - Capri JalotaPublisher              - Leadstart Publishing Pvt LtdNumber of Pages - 395Publishing Year   -2017Edition                  -349
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Rating : 4.0

My Review

'Love is a feeling that brings happiness in your heart and soul. ' The quote is soothing to hear and read but reality is different. Love is not always about flowers and music. There is a different reality about love and lovers.

After a bitter relation with her father, Jane's mother behaves tough with Jane, to strengthen her as a woman and to learn to stand up to herself. Jane, who misunderstands this as lack of love and care, hates her mother, till one day, precisely on her birthday which falls on the New year, Jane's mother leaves her husband and daughter to live for herself, after a candid confession. She asks her daughter not to fall in love, not to surrender her dreams to any man and not to forget her self worth. But life has something else in store for Jane, who falls in love with and marries a person whom she knows only for two weeks. Post marriage Jane realizes that her mother was right. Her husband Uday is not longer the one she loved. After four years of restraint, she finally decides to leave Uday, when a tragedy strikes Jane's life. What is the tragedy? What changed Uday? Will Jane and Uday part ways? 

The tale is melancholic, and palpable. Author has succeeded in tugging the right string in the heart of the reader. A painful feeling is evident all through the book. The narration and language is powerful and a literary bliss. The language is simple yet enchanting. The characters are realistic and self empowered. Each character is crafted with finesse. The entertainment quotient of the book depends on how much you value the realistic appeal of a story. If you are looking for a puppy love story, the book might not appeal to you but if you are interested in deep emotions depicted without any exaggeration, this is the right book for you. 
About the author

Passion is elixir for the soul’ - this is Capri’s mantra for a happy and fulfilling life. He lives this everyday, in everything he does. He developed a passion for writing and plunged fearlessly into it. This book bears the hallmark of his commitment to his passion. 

Human behaviors have always intrigued him. He believes that we are a product of both our circumstances and our choices. Whilst circumstances are often outside our control, how we react to them is very much a conscious and voluntary action. And that ultimately shapes not just us but also our relationships. Our choices and decisions define the role we play in the lives of everyone around us. Sometimes, small gestures can make a big difference. It is this thought which he has tried to encapsulate and portray in his first novel. 

Capri is from Chandigarh and has studied Management at IIM Ahmedabad. He has worked for over 13 years in reputed organizations like Maruti Suzuki, Tata Strategic Management Group, Fortis Healthcare and KIMS, across India and the Middle East, before he decided to pen his first novel. 

Capri is also an avid numismatist with a collection of over 1000 coins from 100+ countries.

Colours of Passion by Sourabh Mukherjee

Book Name         - Colours of PassionAuthor                  -Sourabh MukherjeePublisher              - ReadomaniaNumber of Pages - 238Publishing Year   -2017Edition                  -250
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Rating : 4.0

My Review

The colorful life of celebrities might not be as colourful as it seems to the laymen. There are stories of love, lust, betrayal, revenge, hardwork and heartbreak behind the scintillating lives of the actors and actresses. Sourabh Mukherjee has weaved a tale that could be counted as the prototype of the celebrity lives.

I would like to tag this book as futuristic since a similar incident has happened in Malayalam Film Industry, an allegation of contract rape. Hence the whole plot is imaginative realistic and futuristic. The character craft is the highlight of the book. The idiosyncrasies of the character are depicted tangibly. The numerous affairs, the pub life, the splendor and the underlying mystery is portrayed well. 

The suspense revolving behind the culprit was predictable or at least I guessed it right but the reason behind the crime was the real hero. It was not only unpredictable but novel as well. This might be my personal experience. Rituja's character portrayal was misogynistic, cliched and hence a turn off. A woman or a wannabe star letting off her saree pallu to invite someone to her bedroom is a worked, overworked and 

This review is in return of a free book from author paradise

About the author

Sourabh Muherjee is the author of the psychological thriller *In the Shadows of Death: A Detective Agni Mitra Thriller* and *Romance Shorts*, a collection of dark-romance short stories. His books have been highly appreciated by readers, bloggers and the mainstream national media. Sourabh received the Golden Pen Award in the Monsoon Romance Contest 2014 organised by Sulekha.com and judged by an eminent panel of literary luminaries.

Sourabh speaks in several events on a variety of topics. His points of view in a panel discussion on serial killings, occult crimes and ritual killings in the Supernatural Literary Festival, Kolkata (2017) with the legendary Ipsita Ray Chakraverty was highly appreciated. He was also an invited panelist in a debate organised by Rotary Club, Kolkata on International Women’s Day, 2017.

Sourabh writes a column for *Sportskeeda*, India’s largest all-sport website. His articles have been featured in *Yahoo Sports* too.

An Electronics and Telecommunications Engineer from Jadavpur University, Kolkata with a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from School of Management Studies, New Delhi, in his day-job, Sourabh works in a senior leadership position in a technology consulting multi-national. Author of several publications on emerging trends in business and technology, Sourabh speaks regularly in various national and global conferences and technology summits.

A keen observer of human behaviour and cultural diversities, Sourabh loves travelling and has travelled across USA and various countries in Europe and Asia. An avid reader of fiction, Sourabh is equally passionate about photography, movies and music.

The Dark Net by Benjamin Percy- Review

Book Name         - The Dark NetAuthor                  - Benjamin PercyPublisher              - Houghton MifflinNumber of Pages - 256Publishing Year   - 2017Edition                  - Hardcover
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Rating : 4.0

My Review

The Dark Net- The title as well as cover image provide the readers with the impression of a tragic, colourless tale. While starting off with the book, I was not expecting any flavours that incite the taste buds of a reader. Nevertheless the book proves to be a thriller with unending action. The exact genre of the book is debatable. There is psychology, fantasy, blasphemy, religion, technology. Everything is mixed in the right measure and meter.



Little Hannah is being treated for her blindness. A high tech device called mirage brings her to the world of light. While Hannah is bracing herself to celebrate the light in her life, her aunt Lela is chasing a mystery. A journalist by profession, Lela stumbles upon a mystery behind Rue apartment, which she chases and ends up having a skull with cryptic language, in her possession. Cheston a techy guy whose major client is Undertown, that bought Rue apartment, which is Lela's interest. Juniper who owns Weary Traveller, one of several shelters in down town portland, encounters a dog, or hound, a hairless strange creature, the encounter with which changes his life forever. Sarin, an underworld queen, who is an angel at heart. All these characters are connected with each other by the Rue apartment and Jeremy Tusk, a psychopath serial killer.

What seems like a psychological or investigative thriller, takes a twist as a fantasy thriller towards the second half of the book, with shadows and beasts chasing the characters. Characters drive the plot in this book. There are too many, which could be confusing, but for the systematic narration and impeccable developmental edit. The sequences with the hound and shadow figures are dragged beyond what is apparently needed. After a point author seems to be confused as to how the plot should be concluded. Somehow, after some perplexing sequences, things falls into place.

Overall the book is an entertainer, a cliffhanger at that.
This review is in return of a free book from the publisher  
About the author

BENJAMIN PERCY has won a Whiting Award, a Plimpton Prize, two Pushcart Prizes, and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. He is the author of the novels The Dead Lands, Red Moon, and The Wilding, two story collections, and an essay collection, Thrill Me. He also writes the Green Arrow and Teen Titans series for DC Comics. He lives in Minnesota with his family.

Watch Out! No Touch by K Krishna- Review

Book Name         - Watch Out! No TouchAuthor                  -K. KrishnaPublisher              - ScholasticNumber of Pages - 24Publishing Year   - HardcoverEdition                  - 199
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Rating : 4.5

My Review

Child abuse is a major stress for the parents with kids. We cannot always guard them wherever they go, especially schools. Child abuse in school is like an everyday instance in our newspapers and channels and we keep on wondering if our kids are actually safe or is there anything they hide.
Watch out! No Touch is like a friends who helps us in dealing with the dilemma. The major case with child abuse cases is that kids are often silenced by the abusers by blackmailing. The book does the job by making our kids understand the complicated issue with the help of a simple and colorful story. The pictures are colorful and educative. Even my four year old son could comprehend what the story meant, from the pictures.

The part about good touch and bad touch deserves special mention. Connecting the same with a swim suit helps to overcome the awkwardness that the parents might feel while explaining the same.
Along with the message the books also helps the kids with vocabulary and incites the interest in reading.

Overall the book is an entertaining and educative package
This review is in return of a free book from the publisher