Rakhi Jayashankar's Blog, page 87
March 24, 2016
Interview with Shivangi Sharma author of I made a booboo
Hi everyone
Today I have someone whom I can relate to and empathize with. A mother, writer, SAHM. I am not an SAHM anymore! I wasn’t working for a bit when my son was born, but resumed work later JWell That’s also great JWelcome Shivangi Sharma, author of I made a booboo to my virtual teté-a-teté
Tell us a little about yourself and your background?I was born and brought up in Chandigarh, India. I studied Engineering, worked for a bit in IT, and then went on to do MBA from ISB Hyderabad – following the very logical sequence of things. After MBA I moved out of India for work, got married, and have lived in 3 different countries in last 8 years. Right now, I live in Amsterdam, with my husband and 3.5 year old son and I work as a marketing manager. In some spare moments that I get, I write, sing, dance, and practice yoga and meditation among other things.
When I read the blurb and title, I myself asked for the book to review because the title was so catchy. How did the title emerge?Well, my husband suggested the title and it immediately clicked with me. I have also given credit for that to him in the book. I wanted it to be something that immediately associates with children, parenting, and the fact that this is a humorous, real book and not a guidebook on parenting. Therefore, it goes well with the subject of the book, as booboo means a silly mistake or a goof up. And that is what this book is about – the reality of parenting, all the mistakes I did, all the booboos I made. So I am the booboo maker in the book J
\How did you manage the time to write the book?I used to write when I was on a career break after the birth of my son. The time he used to nap in the day or late in nights when he was sleeping, I would dedicate a few hours every day. On weekends when husband was home, I would get a little more time to write. But I was constantly thinking about the book even when not writing, so I used to scribble down on paper napkins or post its whenever a thought came rushing to my head. I had joined work before I got the publishing offer, so I did a lot of editing work on trains and flights when I was travelling for work. The passion to write this was strong that I didn’t have to force myself to make time for it. In any spare moment that I’d get, I would only write and do nothing else, even if that meant writing only two sentences on some days.
How did you manage to control your anger? I mean I have always been roaring like an ogre. :-PHaha, well I don’t anger very easily anyway. But yes I used to get stressed, irritated and feel helpless. But if I would ever lose my calm, the guilt after that would be so huge that I would be very conscious the next time. I learnt to laugh away at everything pretty quickly, a result of which is this book. Writing was my outlet for all emotions. Parenting gives you a very important lesson that there is hardly anything in this world that is under your control. So if the baby is not sleepy when you are, what can you ever do about it? You can’t force him to sleep or to do anything else you want. Once you realize that, you just let things be as they are and don’t get perturbed by them.
Does he know that you wrote a book about him?He does know it is ‘mama and baby’s book’ and he recognizes that wherever he sees it. He knows the name of the book too. But he doesn’t really understand the concept of me writing a book about him and his mama. The book doesn’t even have any pictures (except for some icons at the beginning of each chapter), so it hardly interests him right now!
The most important question. What is your tuty fruity’s name?Amay
Cute name. As cute as your son.
Well, coming back to writing; what are your ambitions for your writing career?I never want to stop writing, because that is where I truly connect with myself. My biggest dream is to write a life-changing book, one that can help millions of people and that stays with them forever. It may not happen soon, may not happen at all, but that is what I wish for. Let’s see!
So, what have you written?Before ‘I made a booboo’, I co-wrote a travel anthology titled ‘Dutched up’ about expat living in the Netherlands. It is a collection of real life stories, and I have one in that titled ‘A love affair called Amsterdam’. The book was rated among top travel books of 2014 by the Wall Street Journal Blog. I have also written for Mother’s World, Amsterdam Mamas and Women’s Web. I now also write on my blog shivangiwrites.com.
What are you working on at the minute?I sort of half-wrote a book a while back but couldn’t pursue it further. I started another one in the genre of romantic fiction. But I am still not sure which one to get on with further. I don’t want to write just for the heck of getting my second book out. There are millions of books coming out every day, so only when I think I have a story to tell very strongly I will take it up.
Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?Not really. My work has been very demanding lately so I haven’t done much writing and also I am very busy promoting my current book. But when I get in the flow of writing, I generally write late nights and weekend afternoons. So I will be back to that rhythm pretty soon.
How was your publishing experience?Easy peasy, thankfully. I went via the normal route of sending in my proposal to a few renowned publishers in India, exactly the way they had listed on their websites. Within four months of submission, I had a nod of approval. After that it took over one year for the book to come out while going through the process of editing, proofreading, cover design etc.
Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?Please listen to Rakhi’s advice and read my book! And once you have, please let me know what you thought of it. It should interest you even if you are not a parent. But parents would definitely find a lot to relate to and laugh at.
How can readers discover more about you and you work?
Website: http://shivangiwrites.com
Blog: http://shivangiwrites.com/blog/
Facebook: Shivangi Sharma https://www.facebook.com/imadeabooboo/
Twitter:@shivangi_ti
Thanks a lot Shivangi, for taking time out from your demanding, job, son and life in general. All the best for your book
Today I have someone whom I can relate to and empathize with. A mother, writer, SAHM. I am not an SAHM anymore! I wasn’t working for a bit when my son was born, but resumed work later JWell That’s also great JWelcome Shivangi Sharma, author of I made a booboo to my virtual teté-a-teté
Tell us a little about yourself and your background?I was born and brought up in Chandigarh, India. I studied Engineering, worked for a bit in IT, and then went on to do MBA from ISB Hyderabad – following the very logical sequence of things. After MBA I moved out of India for work, got married, and have lived in 3 different countries in last 8 years. Right now, I live in Amsterdam, with my husband and 3.5 year old son and I work as a marketing manager. In some spare moments that I get, I write, sing, dance, and practice yoga and meditation among other things.
When I read the blurb and title, I myself asked for the book to review because the title was so catchy. How did the title emerge?Well, my husband suggested the title and it immediately clicked with me. I have also given credit for that to him in the book. I wanted it to be something that immediately associates with children, parenting, and the fact that this is a humorous, real book and not a guidebook on parenting. Therefore, it goes well with the subject of the book, as booboo means a silly mistake or a goof up. And that is what this book is about – the reality of parenting, all the mistakes I did, all the booboos I made. So I am the booboo maker in the book J
\How did you manage the time to write the book?I used to write when I was on a career break after the birth of my son. The time he used to nap in the day or late in nights when he was sleeping, I would dedicate a few hours every day. On weekends when husband was home, I would get a little more time to write. But I was constantly thinking about the book even when not writing, so I used to scribble down on paper napkins or post its whenever a thought came rushing to my head. I had joined work before I got the publishing offer, so I did a lot of editing work on trains and flights when I was travelling for work. The passion to write this was strong that I didn’t have to force myself to make time for it. In any spare moment that I’d get, I would only write and do nothing else, even if that meant writing only two sentences on some days.
How did you manage to control your anger? I mean I have always been roaring like an ogre. :-PHaha, well I don’t anger very easily anyway. But yes I used to get stressed, irritated and feel helpless. But if I would ever lose my calm, the guilt after that would be so huge that I would be very conscious the next time. I learnt to laugh away at everything pretty quickly, a result of which is this book. Writing was my outlet for all emotions. Parenting gives you a very important lesson that there is hardly anything in this world that is under your control. So if the baby is not sleepy when you are, what can you ever do about it? You can’t force him to sleep or to do anything else you want. Once you realize that, you just let things be as they are and don’t get perturbed by them.
Does he know that you wrote a book about him?He does know it is ‘mama and baby’s book’ and he recognizes that wherever he sees it. He knows the name of the book too. But he doesn’t really understand the concept of me writing a book about him and his mama. The book doesn’t even have any pictures (except for some icons at the beginning of each chapter), so it hardly interests him right now!
The most important question. What is your tuty fruity’s name?Amay
Cute name. As cute as your son.
Well, coming back to writing; what are your ambitions for your writing career?I never want to stop writing, because that is where I truly connect with myself. My biggest dream is to write a life-changing book, one that can help millions of people and that stays with them forever. It may not happen soon, may not happen at all, but that is what I wish for. Let’s see!
So, what have you written?Before ‘I made a booboo’, I co-wrote a travel anthology titled ‘Dutched up’ about expat living in the Netherlands. It is a collection of real life stories, and I have one in that titled ‘A love affair called Amsterdam’. The book was rated among top travel books of 2014 by the Wall Street Journal Blog. I have also written for Mother’s World, Amsterdam Mamas and Women’s Web. I now also write on my blog shivangiwrites.com.
What are you working on at the minute?I sort of half-wrote a book a while back but couldn’t pursue it further. I started another one in the genre of romantic fiction. But I am still not sure which one to get on with further. I don’t want to write just for the heck of getting my second book out. There are millions of books coming out every day, so only when I think I have a story to tell very strongly I will take it up.
Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?Not really. My work has been very demanding lately so I haven’t done much writing and also I am very busy promoting my current book. But when I get in the flow of writing, I generally write late nights and weekend afternoons. So I will be back to that rhythm pretty soon.
How was your publishing experience?Easy peasy, thankfully. I went via the normal route of sending in my proposal to a few renowned publishers in India, exactly the way they had listed on their websites. Within four months of submission, I had a nod of approval. After that it took over one year for the book to come out while going through the process of editing, proofreading, cover design etc.
Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?Please listen to Rakhi’s advice and read my book! And once you have, please let me know what you thought of it. It should interest you even if you are not a parent. But parents would definitely find a lot to relate to and laugh at.
How can readers discover more about you and you work?
Website: http://shivangiwrites.com
Blog: http://shivangiwrites.com/blog/
Facebook: Shivangi Sharma https://www.facebook.com/imadeabooboo/
Twitter:@shivangi_ti
Thanks a lot Shivangi, for taking time out from your demanding, job, son and life in general. All the best for your book
March 22, 2016
All about you by Nikita Dudani and Puneet Aggarwal
Book Name - All about you
Author - Nikita Dudani and Puneet Aggarwal
Publisher - Cyberwit.net
Number of Pages - 85
Publishing Year - 2016
Edition - Paperback
Buy books from Amazon
Rating : 3.0
Blurb
All About You' is a collection of short stories from Dr. Puneet Aggarwal and Nikita Dudani. They are momentary stories on love and relationships. It is a take on today's fragile relationships and commitments; which looks hard to do but actually is very easy to give. Every story brings its own fragrance of new love and world of characters which leave you contemplating about modern age relationships
My Review
All about love is an anthology of short stories by Puneet Aggarwal and Nikita Dudani. The book is bifurcated into two sections. Part one is the collection of stories by Nikita Dudani and part two by Puneet Aggarwal.
The stories in part one are simple and shallow. Though there were some thought provoking subjects in some of the stories, the storyline failed to maintain the convey the right message. Some of the stories were micro stories. The stories are all easy read and will be interesting for the readers who have a zeal for simple easy reads. Like a collection of blog posts. For the first part I would give a rating of 2.5 stars.
The stories in the part two were comparatively deep and engaging. They targets the prejudistic, judgemental, opportunistic and fragile societal relations. Author succeeded in inciting the interest in the readers. The topic of each story was one different from the other. I would give a rating of 3.5 for part two.
Reviewed for the publisherDisclosure of Material Connection: I received this book as a complimentary copy in exchange for a honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
About the author
Nikita Dudani did her M.A in English Literature. She works as an independent freelancer content and copywriter. Some of her articles have been published in leading dailies such as Ahmedabad Mirror, DNA, Femina Gujarat Special, Ahmedabad Blog, and Times Food Guide 2015. She has been writing stories and poems since her childhood. For her, weaving stories is all that she knows. She believes that her life is a story, whose bits and pieces she is putting together every day. With this, she is an avid blogger who blogs about everything under the sun. She is also a Tarot Reader, Reiki Therapist, Foodie, and a luxurious traveler.
Dr Puneet Aggarwal, a student of Medicine & Faculty in Medical Sciences is based in Ahmedabad for last 13 years. He is an avid blogger, photographer and writer. His first book, titled Voices & Vices came out in 2013. After that, he has been published into various national and international anthology including The Dance of Peacock . This book is a compilation of his understanding of the human relationships and mutual establishments. His stories shall connect you to the personal experiences of common day occurrences and leave you pondering the reality in illusion.
March 19, 2016
Review of I made a booboo by Shivangi Sharma
Book Name - I made a booboo
Author - Shivangi Sharma
Publisher - Rupa Publications
Number of Pages - 208
Publishing Year - 2016
Edition - Paperback
Buy books from Amazon, Flipkart
Rating : 5.0
Blurb
Once upon a time there was a woman who used to sleep eight hours a day and laze around on weekends. Her clothes were mostly free of gross body fluids and her bag rarely had biscuit crumbs. Then she decided to have a baby. With books and the internet for friends - and a husband who answered commonsensically - she thought she had it all sorted. But then her baby arrived, and turned everything upside down! The baby made it his mission to present a new surprise every day. Mommy, after fighting hours of helplessness, came to learn that parenting was a lost battle. There was only one way to survive - keep calm, laugh on and write when the baby dozes. The result : I made a Booboo, a rollicking account of the trials, tribulations and occasional triumphs of a first-time mom. P.S: Everyone did live happily ever after (albeit only when the baby willed so).
My Review
The review might be biased since I am a mother. Yes I mean it! Every mother will relate to this book lest they are blessed with obedient, well behaved and soft children.
Shivangi shares her experience as a first time mother- the mistakes, the blunders, which are funny, interesting and frustrating at the same time.
Every single word reminded me of how I tackled my first child. Starting with finding answers from google about child behavior and failing miserably, being embarrassed by the tantrums the throw in public, and what not. I am short of words while writing the review since I don't know how to assess the book. I am not writing much. Just the following words describe the book.
The book targets, 1. every mother who had a hyperactive/ highly active child, deprived of sleep
2. Every wannabe mothers who think that I will not bring up my child like this while seeing a naughty, disobedient brat.
3. Every pregnant ladies or going to be pregnant ladies who think that the vitual mother community will help you raise your child.
4. Everyone in the male species who think that looking after a child is easy job.
5. Every man who have helped his wife handle their child.
The above category is irrespective of age
Reviewed for the publisherDisclosure of Material Connection: I received this book as a complimentary copy in exchange for a honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
About the author
Shivangi Sharma, a Marketing professional with an MBA from ISB, Hyderabad, has co-authored an anthology titled Dutched Up (rated among top travel books of 2015 by the WSJ) and has written for Mother's World, a popular parenting magazine. She lives in Amsterdam with her husband who plays way more sports than a normal wife can be okay with, and her son, who rarely listens to her. To maintain her sanity through it all, she performs as part of a professional Bollywood dance troupe in different European cities, and indulges in yoga, spirituality and music at home.
The Great Indian Wedding Conspiracy by Sreeju Sudhakaran
Book Name - The Great Indian Wedding Conspiracy
Author - Sreeju Sudhakaran
Publisher - Leadstart Publishing
Number of Pages - 351 Pages
Publishing Year - 2016
Edition - Paperback
Buy books from Amazon
Rating : 4.0
Blurb
The Puyickal family, a reputed Mallu clan based in Mumbai, is going through a huge crisis.
One of their younger scions, Neeraja wants to marry her Punjabi boyfriend.
Her father wants to hear none of it.
Her aunts would rather die than allow it.
Her uncles don’t care a damn about it.
And her poor cousin's idyllic existence is screwed by it…
Arjun never wanted to have anything to do with his distant and more successful cousin; Neeraja. However, her decision to marry a non-Mallu, an unheard-of scandal in her family, changes his life forever. Forced to take part in the family ‘discussions’ by his mother, he tries to devise ways to get out of this mess, when he finds out Neeraja’s beau’s sister is his college crush. Desiring to win her back, he realizes it can only happen if Neeraja gets married to her boyfriend. With no option left, he forms an uneasy alliance with his hateful cousin, as they work in tandem to emotionally manipulate the elders into making this marriage happen… until one day, a dark secret gets revealed that threatens to unravel all their efforts…
My Review
A Mallu- Punju love story reminded me of 2 states, when I read the one liner but it is nowhere similar to 2 states. There are no filmy sequences, 'no love you', 'you are my life chants', yet conveys the pure emotion of love and affection. The story is about how the protagonist, Arjun is dragged into the family drama. His initial reluctance and lack of interest gives way to active involvement in binding the two love birds in a knot. His college time fling/ crush is the prospected groom's sister. While the scenario unfolds, it took me to some movie or book with quite similar story line but I could not recollect which one. There are a lot of drama and twists in the story. There has not been a lot of books which portrays the Malayali lives. Being a Malayali myself I was able to relate with it easily. But he sarcasm was a little over the top sometime. Not all mallu's are selfish, narrow-minded and opportunists. The highlight of the book is the narration. The first person narrative of Arjun is quirky, snappy, and will glue the reader to the book.
The twist in the end lacked conviction. I have always wondered why the authors make it a point that there is atleast a single scene of love making in the story like taking a tablet. Well' I wouldn't count it as a negative but again without that part also the story would be interesting and the intentions of the female protagonist could have appeared purer.
If you are tired of the daily dose of puppy love stories, if you love drama, if you love twists, twists and more twists, you will love this book.
Reviewed for the publisherDisclosure of Material Connection: I received this book as a complimentary copy in exchange for a honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
About the author
March 16, 2016
English Translation of the Tamil Naaladiyar by Jyothirllatha Girija
Book Name - English Translation of the Tamil NaaladiyarAuthor - Jyothirllatha GirijaPublisher - Cyberwit.netNumber of Pages - 216Publishing Year - 2016Edition - PaperbackBuy books from Amazon
Rating : 4.5
Blurb
The Tamil Naaladiyaar comprises four hundred quatrains containing instructions to humanity for a blameless behaviour, stressing on morality. This great work was created in the 7th century, according to learned researchers. Like Thirukkural this work is also divided into three parts - Virtue, Wealth and (Man-to-woman) Love. These four hundred quatrains are contained in forty chapters, each one of them comprising ten quatrains as the Thirukkural pattern. This is the creation of several poets whose names are not known except that they were Jain Saints.
My Review
I have always wanted to read Thiruvalluvar and Naaladiyar, all through my life. I have tried to learn Tamil to enable myself to read these scriptures. But I realized that the letters which I learned were not enough to imbibe the depth of the books. Sadly, I abolished the mission.
When I got the English translation of Naaladiyar, I was shell shocked with excitement. I was wondering how the book reached me for a review.
Translator has done a fantastic job. Along with the English translation, the explanation of the quatrains is also provided. The scripture written centuries ago is relevant even now. I have bookmarked the chapter 'patience'. I am sure that by reading it again and again I will definitely be able to attain the level of patience which I would never be able to attain otherwise.
I would like to that Cyberwit.net for providing me this informative and fantastic book treasure.
Reviewed for the publisherDisclosure of Material Connection: I received this book as a complimentary copy in exchange for a honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
About the author
Born in 1935, Jyothirllata Girija started writing in Tamil for children first in 1950 and then was introduced as an adults’ writer by ANANDA VIKATAN in 1968. She has more than 500 short stories, 25 novels, 50 novellas, 3 full-length plays, several articles on social issues, translation of major part in Tamil of Kiran Bedi’s As I see it etc. to her credit.She has won 20 awards so far for her Tamil creations. Her teen-agers’ novel which already won an award in Tamil Nadu was translated in Ukraine and released during the Festival of India in Moscow in 1987.As for her creations in English, introduced by Vimla Patil of Femina in 1975, she has written about 36 short stories in the Indian periodicals – THE ILLUSTRATED WEEKLY OF INDIA, FEMINA, EVE’s WEEKLY, PRATIBHA INDIA, YOUR FAMILY, FICTION REVIEW, WOMAN’S ERA, MOVIELAND (MALAYSIA), THE SUNDAY (INDIAN) EXPRESS, THE WEEK END and EVE’S TOUCH. Several articles on social and political issues in ALIVE and OPEN PAGE in THE HINDU.Long rhyming poems in couplets that were serialized in POET, Chennai - edited by late Dr. Krishna Srinivas - viz. Ramayana in Rhymes, The Story of Jesus Christ, Voice of Valluvar (Tirukkural, The Tamil Veda), Pearls from the Prophet (300-odd sayings of Prophet Muhammad in verses), Song on the Sun God (English rendering in verses of Aditya Hrudayam) and The Living God at Puttaparthi, in quatrains.Gandhi Episodes, based on Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography, is being serialized now in In METVERSE MUSE, (Visakhapatnam), edited by Dr. H. Tulsi.Also several single poems in anthologies of various poetry magazines of India.
Chinky Pinky- A Birdy adventure by Hemdiva
Book Name - Chinky Pinky- A Birdy Adventure
Author - Hemdiva
Publisher - Smashwords
Number of Pages - 31
Publishing Year - 2015
Edition - Kindle
Buy books from Amazon, Smashwords
Rating : 4.0
Blurb
Chinky and her best friend forever, Pinky are not your average girls! They can do anything to complete a school project. Even if that means going to the local store at night and having ice cream on the way and turning into.....!
Good girls never go out alone in the night. But what if you need to buy stuff to complete your school project? would you dare? Find out what happens with Chinky and Pinky who are brave enough to step out in the dark.
My Review
Chinky pinky is a cute little story of two 7- year old girls, Chinky and Pinky who set out for an adventurous trip and finally landed in trouble. The story proceeds with how they survives the danger.
When I started reading the book, my brows met in a frown wondering how two 7 year old girls managed to go out at night let alone call each other and plan. When I looked at my two over smart kids who are 4 and 2 years old, I realized that yes, it can be possible.
The book comes with a great message that mothers strive to convey to their children these days. WATCH OUT! BEWARE! How will we tell these to our fragile kids? This is one such story that helps us do this job easily.
My only complaint is about the pricing. The book is a little overpriced especially since it is an e-book A little more colorful illustrations would have made it more attractive.
This will definitely be added among the bed time stories that I will tell my children.
Reviewed for the author
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book as a complimentary copy in exchange for a honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
About the author
HemDiva is the Author of the series Chinky Pinky. She loves to read books as much as she loves to write. She also loves to study, English being her favourite subject!
Also known as a Poet, Blogger, Foodie, Traveller and cartoon addict.
Chinky Pinky : A Birdy Adventure is her debut book.
A treat for the child in you! This book is inspired from the bedtime stories my mom narrated to me when I was a kid.
The characters are the one you will fall in love with. The plot will keep you engaged!
Find my book at Amazon Kindle here- http://mybook.to/ChinkyPinky and Smashwords here- https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
My Blog- http://momsprincesspari.wordpress.com
mybook.to/ChinkyPinky
Review of She- Ekla Cholo Re by Santhosh Avannavar
Book Name - She-Ekla Cholo Re Author - Santhosh Avannavar
Publisher - Hoffen
Number of Pages - 58
Publishing Year - 2015
Edition - Paperback
Buy books from Amazon, Flipkart, Smashwords and Barnes&Nobles.
Rating : 3.5
Blurb
Set in the backdrop of 1990 Calcutta, She is a story about finding one’s own identity in spite of all odds. The story spins around the life of Kusum, a brave heart whose identity is often untitled and blurred; it does not belong anywhere, definitely not under the ‘he’ or ‘she’ bracket, thanks to our social conditioning. Will she be successful in her mission? Find out in She, an utterly absorbing read that derives inspiration from Tagore’s “Ekla Cholo Re” song, which urges everyone to move on despite the fear of abandonment from others.
"She is one of the finest book to read" - Sujeeth Kumar, Project Manager, MNC Bengaluru
"A story often untold. Appreciate the team for presenting She in the best possible harmonious way!" - N K Narasimhan, CEO and Co-Founder, Nascor Technologies, Bengaluru
"Don't miss the ending!" - Raghunath Babu Are, Employee at Microsoft, Bengaluru
My Review
She is an inspirational story. The story is an eye opener bringing forth the issues of a mass of people who could not place themselves in the Male- Female category. LGBT as we call them. Authors tried to bring a lot of issues faced by them like difficulty in societal acceptance, recognition, finding a job, and even filling up a form where is there is no provision to include themselves.
The story is set in the backdrop of 1990 Calcutta but it is applicable till now. Except some cities and villages, rest of our nation still is a taboo for them.
Love, loss, heartbreak, self respect everything is same for them as well since they are also human beings. The storyline begins with Rajender's (Male Protagonist) coincidental encounter with Kusum (She-male protagonist). Raj gives a lift to Kusum and during the trip she opens up about her personal life. Citing Rabindranth Tagore's peoms in between is an added bonus The story is short but with a great message. The book cover is not appealing at all. If I had seen the book in a book stall, I would not have picked it up since the cover doesn't speak anything about the book. It is said that we should not judge a book from it's cover but sadly that is what we do generally. There were a few grammatical errors. For a book as short as this, the errors could have been avoided
Reviewed for the publisher
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book as a complimentary copy in exchange for a honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
About the author
Santosh Avvannavar: Santosh started his career as a consultant and Soft Skills Trainer. After his college education from NITK, Surathkal, he worked as a researcher at University of Eindhoven, University of Twente, and Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He was also the Placement President while working at IISC, Bangalore. He has over twenty-five publications of mostly research documents in national and international journals. He has also authored sixteen conference papers and regularly written articles for a national and worldwide daily paper. He also works as an advisor for different organisations.
He also dabbles in fiction writing and is the author of Adhuri Prem Kahaniya; Dear Wife, Your Husband is not a Superhero, Second Heart and Get a Job WITHOUT an Interview; Be A B.A.; Surrogate Author; Title is Untitled; Black, Grey and White; The Departing Point; God’s Table and Umbilical Cord.
He likes to devote his personal time in writing for a website, namely the Amrita Foundation for HRD ( www.amritafoundation.wordpress.com ). He has conducted seminars and training sessions for more than 45,000 people in India and abroad over the last seven years.
Review of Harley by Michelle Jo Quinn
Book Name - HarleyAuthor - Michelle Jo Quinn
Publisher - Limitless Publishing
Number of Pages -
Publishing Year - 2016
Edition - Kindle
Buy books from Amazon
Rating : 4.0
Blurb
With her ailing father on his deathbed, a whispered secret sends Cadence’s life into a tailspin. Determined to either confirm or debunk her father’s claim, she sets out on a mission to grow close to the only man with evidence to set things straight. To do that, Cadence earns a position in an elite security firm owned by her father’s old army buddy, Noah “Mac” Mackinley.
Mac is the only man who could hold the evidence to support her father’s claims…
But first, she must prove herself worthy of Mac’s trust and get close enough to find the truth. Her first mission is to watch over an eight-year old girl, Harley Clark.
Harley is not an ordinary girl. She’s the daughter of a rock star…
Despite her fragile appearance, Harley has tenacity and brilliance like nothing Cade has ever seen. To everyone’s surprise—including her own—Cade forms an unlikely friendship with the beautiful wallflower.
Her first assignment just became more interesting…
When Harley’s rock star father, Jax Clark, enters the scene, Cade can’t deny the instant attraction for the self-proclaimed bad boy. Tattoos, piercing eyes, and a raspy voice that sends thousands of fans into a screaming frenzy, he’s more than just a heartthrob. Worse, Jax starts to pay her more attention than she expects.
She’s faced with a choice—get lured in by the celebrity world and lose any chance of finding out the truth, or stick to the plan and avoid Jax at all costs to earn Mac’s trust.
My review
This is the forth or fifth time in the past two months that I am reviewing the Successful celebrity in love with unknown stunner type of stories. This has been the trend recently but most of the books failed to bring about novelty in the cliché.
Nevertheless Harley is an exception. I am already in love with the little girl. After finishing the story I could not believe that Harley is a fictional character. Her giggles, smiles, and sadness lingered with me. Since I started reviewing books, I rarely had this experience.
Even if the plot of the romance is a cliché, author has pulled of a different background to pull it off. Happily and surprisingly there is no overdose of erotic moments in the story. It's interesting to see how Cade tried to cage herself from the who circus and how the little girl tried to get her back. Initially felt the whole scenario over the top but how it turned out, is very convincing and realistic.
Another attraction of the story is Jax's friends and family. Unlike the stories where in rockstars are bluntly portrayed as drug addicts and womanizers, here author showed us that a life of fun, attachment and friendship is also possible.
Truth behind Cade's existence and the twist with Fiona in the end was an unwanted. It could have been dealt differently. In between a perfectly crafted story, these two stuck out like a sore thumb.
Overall the book is a feast to the romance lovers and also for those who like to read a soft story of love, hate, music and grandeur.
Reviewed for the Xpresso Book Tour
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book as a complimentary copy in exchange for a honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
About the author
Michelle ‘s love for writing blossomed when her father gave her a diary. However, instead of recounting her daily life, she wrote stories of fictional people. Like most of her characters, she believes in Happily Ever After. Naturally, she finds harmony in writing romance.
An unabashed, self-proclaimed foodie, Michelle loves to try new food whenever she travels. She once had triple crème Brie and duck rillette for lunch on top of Grouse Mountain.
Michelle is an active member of RWA and several of its chapters. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two kids.
March 12, 2016
Review of A dream come true by Rishiraj Sen
Book Name- A Dream come trueAuthor - Rishiraj SenPublisher - Omji PublishersNumber of Pages - 168Publishing Year - 2015Edition - Kindle
Buy books from Amazon, FlipkartRating : 3.0
BlurbNineteen years had gone by, to a crucified act that separated the soul, who were madly in love with each other. Family drove them to unwanted roads, which they would had never chosen. Their love was killed and buried for nineteen long years, under the sand of time. She was married, he faded away. Bitterness in heart, always engrossed their way. She was a mother, he became no one to bother, But dreams of being together never left... Will they able to be together in the last phase of life? Can love find its way in the most obscure route of life? Or the story that remained incomplete and untold will remain so?
My review
After reading the book, my first reaction was ' Is the author actually fifteen? Seriously !!' It is unbelievable to think that a fifteen year old boy could pull off a love story which was more convincing than many best sellers.
The story is the relation between Anya and Arjun, how they met each other, fell in love, fell apart and waited for each other for more than 19 years. A girl cherishing her three months old love for nineteen years was a little bit exaggerated but again it's love. Anything can happen.
The moments between Anya and Arjun were quite filmy and cliched and the story was also heard about but there is a lot of freshness and innocence in the narration which reflected the freshness of the author's age. One should not be judgmental while reading the book thinking that 'Oh! it is written by a kid' because his literary finesse out passed his age in high degree.
Anya is the representative of lakhs of students who were victims of academic pressure and family expectations and those who were pushed into the entrance mania irrespective of their interests.The quintessential romance lovers will definitely fall head over heels in love with this book.
Reviewed for the publisherDisclosure of Material Connection: I received this book as a complimentary copy in exchange for a honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
About the author
March 11, 2016
Review of Spitting on Hans' Tosti by Karin Bosman
Book Name - Spitting on hans' tostiAuthor - Karin BosmanPublisher - C.B LogisticsNumber of Pages - 198Publishing Year - 2015Edition - KindleBuy books from Amazon, Barnes&Nobles.
Rating : 3.0
BlurbSexual harassment at work, the real life story about unwelcome and unlawful behaviour in the workplace. The intimidations of sexual harassment unwittingly pull you into a world of sadness and loneliness. This story gradually reveals how an apparently stray kiss leads to degrading harassment.
My review
To fight a harassing boss is tough. To join hands with your colleague in the war keeping your job at stake is tougher. Spitting on Hans' tosti is the fictional adaptation of the sexual harassment faced by the author and how she found the will power, strength and courage to go out and tell the world about what was happening behind the closed office doors and bring the culprit before the law.
Inspite of blandly narrating the incidents, author put forth the imagery of spitting in the tosti of the boss instead of speaking up against the injustice. Author proved her literary quality through the book. The story cannot be fitted into a normal story jacket.I would count it as an inspirational book forcing the exploited mass of employees to raise their voices.
I salute the author's courage in facing an influential person capable of doing anything and also holding her ground without breaking down under the pressure. Her colleagues set a new example of humanity.
The book should be considered as a sincere effort to show the right path to the exploited, instead of the literary value.
Reviewed for the authorDisclosure of Material Connection: I received this book as a complimentary copy in exchange for a honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
