Kritika Sharma's Blog, page 15
October 13, 2016
Book - When Arya Fell Through the Fault: A Rather Unique Perspective to Ramayana
#WhenAryaFellThroughTheFault #BookReviews
Title: When Arya Fell Through the FaultAuthor: Reenita Malhotra HoraPublisher: Om BooksPages: 207Price: Rs. 125My Rating: 4/5
Blurb:When Arya Fell Through The Fault Is The Magical, Coming-Of-Age Tale Of Arya, A 12-Year-Old Boy From San Francisco, Who Is Ridiculed By Bullies. Anything To Do With His Ethnicity—Food, Traditions Or The Fascinating Mythological Stories He Has Been Raised With, Has Become The Building Block Of Unpleasant School Experiences. In The Wake Of An Accident That Confines His Once Vibrant Mother To A Hospital Ward—Kept Alive By Tubes And Machines—Arya Clings To The Only Remnant Of Their Bond: An Old, Battered Copy Of The Ramayana, India’S Ancient Epic Story Of Rama’S Battle Against Demons.One Night, Arya Falls Through A Fault In The Earth Into The Wild Woods, Where Ravana—The Demon King—Strategises To Destroy His Ramayana—The Last Copy Left—And Threatens To Rewrite History From His Evil Perspective. Will Arya Be Able To Save The Story Of Rama, Heal His Mother And Return Home To Tackle The Demons In His Ordinary World?
Review:When you look at the cover you feel so intrigued - that is the charm of the book. As it can be visualized, the book revolves around a boy who is trapped between Lord Rama, Demon Ravana and the things he loves most. The blurb also offers a deep perspective to the book, basically how a 12 year old boy is struggles in his own life and how mythology becomes his sole rescue source. I felt very much drawn to this book just basis these.'
As mentioned in the blurb, the book revolves around a 12 year old Indian boy who lives in San Francisco. The biggest challenge in his life is the racism he faces throughout. Be it is his skin color or food, he is bullied in and out. His mother, an ayurvedic doctor is a well-cultured traditional woman who tries to embrace her traditions deeply and his father is a taxi driver who is trying real hard to meet the ends. The soul purpose of their lives is to ensure Arya gets the best. In all challenges that Arya faces, there is one thing that binds him to his family and his culture - the Ramayana. He embraces the story of Ramayana to his core. The moral learnings from the epic story have such significant impact on his own life that he uses them to fight all his demons.Another thing I found interesting is the family bond that is visible. When Arya's mother is on her death bed, it is rather touching how he uses Ramayana in an attempt to save her. Few points leaves chill to the soul.
I really liked reading this book, it is rather quick read and refreshes the mind. The characters are well plotted and well narrated. I didn't find a dull moment in the book.
If you choose to pick up the book, I am sure you would love it as well.
You can grab your copy here. My rating 4/5.
The review copy of this book was shared with me by Cyclops Literary Services
I hope you enjoy it too.
Love & Cheers
Title: When Arya Fell Through the FaultAuthor: Reenita Malhotra HoraPublisher: Om BooksPages: 207Price: Rs. 125My Rating: 4/5
Blurb:When Arya Fell Through The Fault Is The Magical, Coming-Of-Age Tale Of Arya, A 12-Year-Old Boy From San Francisco, Who Is Ridiculed By Bullies. Anything To Do With His Ethnicity—Food, Traditions Or The Fascinating Mythological Stories He Has Been Raised With, Has Become The Building Block Of Unpleasant School Experiences. In The Wake Of An Accident That Confines His Once Vibrant Mother To A Hospital Ward—Kept Alive By Tubes And Machines—Arya Clings To The Only Remnant Of Their Bond: An Old, Battered Copy Of The Ramayana, India’S Ancient Epic Story Of Rama’S Battle Against Demons.One Night, Arya Falls Through A Fault In The Earth Into The Wild Woods, Where Ravana—The Demon King—Strategises To Destroy His Ramayana—The Last Copy Left—And Threatens To Rewrite History From His Evil Perspective. Will Arya Be Able To Save The Story Of Rama, Heal His Mother And Return Home To Tackle The Demons In His Ordinary World?
Review:When you look at the cover you feel so intrigued - that is the charm of the book. As it can be visualized, the book revolves around a boy who is trapped between Lord Rama, Demon Ravana and the things he loves most. The blurb also offers a deep perspective to the book, basically how a 12 year old boy is struggles in his own life and how mythology becomes his sole rescue source. I felt very much drawn to this book just basis these.'
As mentioned in the blurb, the book revolves around a 12 year old Indian boy who lives in San Francisco. The biggest challenge in his life is the racism he faces throughout. Be it is his skin color or food, he is bullied in and out. His mother, an ayurvedic doctor is a well-cultured traditional woman who tries to embrace her traditions deeply and his father is a taxi driver who is trying real hard to meet the ends. The soul purpose of their lives is to ensure Arya gets the best. In all challenges that Arya faces, there is one thing that binds him to his family and his culture - the Ramayana. He embraces the story of Ramayana to his core. The moral learnings from the epic story have such significant impact on his own life that he uses them to fight all his demons.Another thing I found interesting is the family bond that is visible. When Arya's mother is on her death bed, it is rather touching how he uses Ramayana in an attempt to save her. Few points leaves chill to the soul.
I really liked reading this book, it is rather quick read and refreshes the mind. The characters are well plotted and well narrated. I didn't find a dull moment in the book.
If you choose to pick up the book, I am sure you would love it as well.
You can grab your copy here. My rating 4/5.
The review copy of this book was shared with me by Cyclops Literary Services
I hope you enjoy it too.
Love & Cheers
October 8, 2016
Stayed Dark for a Month
#RandomThoughts
Ever since I started using internet (don't even know the time... maybe it was the 'Orkut age').
September was the first whole month ever where I stayed away from internet. Yes... I actually mean no facebook, no twitter, no blogging, even no watsapp or anything... Have you ever done that?
It was primarily due to extreme workload that I was facing and in the beginning I was like damn! I should find time to come online... but after sometime I actually felt great. After few days I felt no obligation to post anything anywhere... no compulsion to like any photos or comment any where. It was actually interesting.
When you are not online you actually feel more alive - more connected to your family & friends... I realized it last month. All the spare time I found, which although was hardly any, I spent with my dear husband. It was just me, my family and sadly my work...
Yes I am back online now but I believe it is now the time I would spend more with my them and relatively less online and maintain a balance.
Why I writing this post? Well... I wanted to share this new found happy revelation with everyone and also suggest to do the same thing. Try & Go Dark for sometime, you will definitely find something new in your life... it can be a new hobby, a new person or like me - a new found serenity in your existing relation.
Love & Cheers
Ever since I started using internet (don't even know the time... maybe it was the 'Orkut age').September was the first whole month ever where I stayed away from internet. Yes... I actually mean no facebook, no twitter, no blogging, even no watsapp or anything... Have you ever done that?
It was primarily due to extreme workload that I was facing and in the beginning I was like damn! I should find time to come online... but after sometime I actually felt great. After few days I felt no obligation to post anything anywhere... no compulsion to like any photos or comment any where. It was actually interesting.
When you are not online you actually feel more alive - more connected to your family & friends... I realized it last month. All the spare time I found, which although was hardly any, I spent with my dear husband. It was just me, my family and sadly my work...
Yes I am back online now but I believe it is now the time I would spend more with my them and relatively less online and maintain a balance.
Why I writing this post? Well... I wanted to share this new found happy revelation with everyone and also suggest to do the same thing. Try & Go Dark for sometime, you will definitely find something new in your life... it can be a new hobby, a new person or like me - a new found serenity in your existing relation.
Love & Cheers
August 28, 2016
Gurgaon's "Majnu Drive" - Something for women safety
#RandomThoughts #WomenInIndia
I came across a news last night and I was immensely happy and impressed, not because I like to go out at night etc. but because it is high time that women should start feeling safe in their own country and police out there is doing something about it.
The condition of women is horrible and you don't need to pick up a newspaper to know it. All you need to do is to step out if you are a female or -if you are a male - ask a female in your family. There are hardly any places in India where one can feel safe and I speak from a lot of personal experiences.
What I am glad to see is that at least Gurgaon police did something different. I am not sure about any such drives in any other city so I can't comment there.
Gurgaon police led a drive this weekend where they placed women police officer in plain clothes on streets of Gurgaon and addressed the rising issue of women abuse and eve-teasing.
The drive is called "Majnu drive" where over 50 men were arrested and put in special 'majnu cells' for making inappropriate comments, gestures or more at women. 50 men arrested on 1 street in 2 hours is too much and clearly states the current condition.
I also read that this drive was also conducted in December 2015 where more than 250 men were placed under arrest. Did that improve the condition of streets or mind-set of men who step out in order to do such offensive things - I don't think so. But if such drives are conducted regularly it would at least instill a fear, a doubt that maybe there is someone who can cause them some consequences.
I really wish and hope that such drives are more frequent and spread across India so that all over India women feel safe and they can step out whenever they want and not just when 'society allows them'
I hope you agree with me.
News article here.
Love and Cheers
I came across a news last night and I was immensely happy and impressed, not because I like to go out at night etc. but because it is high time that women should start feeling safe in their own country and police out there is doing something about it.The condition of women is horrible and you don't need to pick up a newspaper to know it. All you need to do is to step out if you are a female or -if you are a male - ask a female in your family. There are hardly any places in India where one can feel safe and I speak from a lot of personal experiences.
What I am glad to see is that at least Gurgaon police did something different. I am not sure about any such drives in any other city so I can't comment there.
Gurgaon police led a drive this weekend where they placed women police officer in plain clothes on streets of Gurgaon and addressed the rising issue of women abuse and eve-teasing.
The drive is called "Majnu drive" where over 50 men were arrested and put in special 'majnu cells' for making inappropriate comments, gestures or more at women. 50 men arrested on 1 street in 2 hours is too much and clearly states the current condition.
I also read that this drive was also conducted in December 2015 where more than 250 men were placed under arrest. Did that improve the condition of streets or mind-set of men who step out in order to do such offensive things - I don't think so. But if such drives are conducted regularly it would at least instill a fear, a doubt that maybe there is someone who can cause them some consequences.
I really wish and hope that such drives are more frequent and spread across India so that all over India women feel safe and they can step out whenever they want and not just when 'society allows them'
I hope you agree with me.
News article here.
Love and Cheers
August 22, 2016
Book - Her Resurrection - Be ready to take an emotional rollercoater ride
#HerResurrection #BookReviews
Title: Her ResurrectionAuthor: Soumyadeep KoleyPublisher: Gargi PublishersPages: 260Price: Rs. 199My Rating: 3.5/5
Blurb:So begins Maya’s story in the picturesque countryside of Maharashtra, where she grows up amidst cruelty and domestic violence, being an unwanted girl-child. Yet, like a lonesome beacon beset by sinister wilderness, she pursues her dreams of reaching the stars with her tiny wings. One night, a twist of fate triggers a series of incidents, when she loses everything she had—even her virginity.
Severely traumatized after her father’s death, her mother’s imprisonment, and her own gang-rape, Maya finds herself all alone in the streets of Mumbai, with wolves lurking around for raw flesh. She’s weary, but not wary. She has no sense of the fate that awaits her. What follows, would change her life forever, as also yours, as her heart wrenching, yet inspiring story echoes through time.
‘Her Resurrection’ bravely paints an appalling picture of the society. Heartbreaking, hopeful and immensely healing at the same time, this emotional rollercoaster through dreams, tragedy and triumph is a moving tribute to womankind. Are you ready to embark on a transformational journey with Maya?
Review:It's a scary world out there and it is clearly evident in this book.What made me pick up this book was the title - 'Her Resurrection' clearly indicates what to expect out of the book and the blurb defines it very well too. We all have heard the condition of women in India, but reading it in such detail is whole other story. Also the cover is different, you look at it and for a moment you feel, 'Whao, that's intense'
The story revolves around Maya who struggles her way in Mumbai. You name the violence and she has endured it but unlike many others she finds her way out and resurrects in a new form. It is a very intriguing and soul-touching story. It gives you chills at various instances but you would not dare put the book down. And although the topic is common these days and situations are little too predictable, you tend to be mesmerised in the words and Maya's world.
The author, being a guy, has done a wonderful job in putting himself in shoes of women while writing the story. I liked the command and the flow.
The characters are well drafted, however, I feel the lack of relationship definition between Maya and her mother. This could have been written a bit more to bring more taste.
Overall, it was beautiful read, it's just that it had a few drawbacks. To start with it was kind of predictable, but we can ignore that as the story has its own charm. There were some grammar and editing issues which are visible here and there, and lastly, some descriptions were too detailed. With so much details one tends to lose focus.
However, all in all, I liked the book and would recommend it to everyone who would like to read on women issues and something different from romance.
My rating: 3.5/5. You can grab your copy here..
Hope the review helps.
The review copy of this book was shared with by Cyclops Literary Services
Love and Cheers
Title: Her ResurrectionAuthor: Soumyadeep KoleyPublisher: Gargi PublishersPages: 260Price: Rs. 199My Rating: 3.5/5Blurb:So begins Maya’s story in the picturesque countryside of Maharashtra, where she grows up amidst cruelty and domestic violence, being an unwanted girl-child. Yet, like a lonesome beacon beset by sinister wilderness, she pursues her dreams of reaching the stars with her tiny wings. One night, a twist of fate triggers a series of incidents, when she loses everything she had—even her virginity.
Severely traumatized after her father’s death, her mother’s imprisonment, and her own gang-rape, Maya finds herself all alone in the streets of Mumbai, with wolves lurking around for raw flesh. She’s weary, but not wary. She has no sense of the fate that awaits her. What follows, would change her life forever, as also yours, as her heart wrenching, yet inspiring story echoes through time.
‘Her Resurrection’ bravely paints an appalling picture of the society. Heartbreaking, hopeful and immensely healing at the same time, this emotional rollercoaster through dreams, tragedy and triumph is a moving tribute to womankind. Are you ready to embark on a transformational journey with Maya?
Review:It's a scary world out there and it is clearly evident in this book.What made me pick up this book was the title - 'Her Resurrection' clearly indicates what to expect out of the book and the blurb defines it very well too. We all have heard the condition of women in India, but reading it in such detail is whole other story. Also the cover is different, you look at it and for a moment you feel, 'Whao, that's intense'
The story revolves around Maya who struggles her way in Mumbai. You name the violence and she has endured it but unlike many others she finds her way out and resurrects in a new form. It is a very intriguing and soul-touching story. It gives you chills at various instances but you would not dare put the book down. And although the topic is common these days and situations are little too predictable, you tend to be mesmerised in the words and Maya's world.
The author, being a guy, has done a wonderful job in putting himself in shoes of women while writing the story. I liked the command and the flow.
The characters are well drafted, however, I feel the lack of relationship definition between Maya and her mother. This could have been written a bit more to bring more taste.
Overall, it was beautiful read, it's just that it had a few drawbacks. To start with it was kind of predictable, but we can ignore that as the story has its own charm. There were some grammar and editing issues which are visible here and there, and lastly, some descriptions were too detailed. With so much details one tends to lose focus.
However, all in all, I liked the book and would recommend it to everyone who would like to read on women issues and something different from romance.
My rating: 3.5/5. You can grab your copy here..
Hope the review helps.
The review copy of this book was shared with by Cyclops Literary Services
Love and Cheers
August 14, 2016
Book - Hill Billy: Take a trip down your childhood and hills
#BookReviews
Title: Hill BillyAuthor: Shivdutta SharmaPublisher: Yogi ImpressionsPages: 206Price: Rs. 202My Rating: 3.5/5
Blurb:A mango ensures the birth of a son…Ghosts hoot and cackle in a forest…A tiger strikes terror in the heart of a village…A boy experiences the first stirrings of desire…
On trips back to his hometown, memories appear, cling, and then fade away like the mist in the Himalayan foothills. Tracing the pangs and pleasures of growing up during the time of missionary schools, wind-up gramophones, hand-pulled designer rickshaws, maharanis in their imitation castles, busty film stars of the black-and-white era – a lone, all-brown boy in an all-white American school comes to grips with his coming of age.
Fast-paced and furiously funny, The Hill Billy zips up the otherwise tranquil, languid, laid-back life in a hill station that hasn’t quite got over the hangover of its British past.
The debut work of an author who has spent a big chunk of his life coining advertising slogans and jingles – The Hill Billy runs riot with its take-off on school teachers, hunters, swamis, dairy farmers, and nosy neighbours. In the process, it takes a somewhat whacky, irreverent and cynical view of the characters who love, laugh and come alive through its crackling narrative.
ReviewHill Billy is the second book I have read of Shivdutta Sharma and I am not disappointed.To me it is nothing like what my childhood was, but it is rather entertaining to read from someone else's perspective.
The story revolves around the time of India's Independence. When a boy is born out of a mango - we consider it pure superstition these days (well in some of us at least), I found it utterly hilarious. As if a mango can turn the chromosome factor, haha. Anyways, it is written in those old superstitious days and it totally makes sense. And the story continues in conjunction with the adventures of the boy and his family. How they move to India, how various incidences take place and he grows up.
The characters are rather interesting and will mostly remind you of your own aunts, uncles, grand-mom especially. Many women can also relate to their own mother-in-laws ;). The way certain characters are written, it is simply hilarious. You cannot help but feel how silly sometimes relatives behave and maybe laugh on some of your real life characters as well.
What struck me most is the way the time during Independence is written. Esp when Gandhiji was murdered. The way it is written gives you a glimpse into the grief that our nation felt - though us, today's generation, most of us literally don't care about what happened then. But it is worth praising.
Overall, it is a nice read and would make you want to go back to your childhood and play again and enjoy with those lost (in touch) cousins.
My rating for the book is 3.5/5.
You should grab a copy here if you would like to go down the memory lane too.
The review copy was sent to me by Anuj Kumar, Kalamos Literary Services.
Love and Cheers
Title: Hill BillyAuthor: Shivdutta SharmaPublisher: Yogi ImpressionsPages: 206Price: Rs. 202My Rating: 3.5/5
Blurb:A mango ensures the birth of a son…Ghosts hoot and cackle in a forest…A tiger strikes terror in the heart of a village…A boy experiences the first stirrings of desire…
On trips back to his hometown, memories appear, cling, and then fade away like the mist in the Himalayan foothills. Tracing the pangs and pleasures of growing up during the time of missionary schools, wind-up gramophones, hand-pulled designer rickshaws, maharanis in their imitation castles, busty film stars of the black-and-white era – a lone, all-brown boy in an all-white American school comes to grips with his coming of age.
Fast-paced and furiously funny, The Hill Billy zips up the otherwise tranquil, languid, laid-back life in a hill station that hasn’t quite got over the hangover of its British past.
The debut work of an author who has spent a big chunk of his life coining advertising slogans and jingles – The Hill Billy runs riot with its take-off on school teachers, hunters, swamis, dairy farmers, and nosy neighbours. In the process, it takes a somewhat whacky, irreverent and cynical view of the characters who love, laugh and come alive through its crackling narrative.
ReviewHill Billy is the second book I have read of Shivdutta Sharma and I am not disappointed.To me it is nothing like what my childhood was, but it is rather entertaining to read from someone else's perspective.
The story revolves around the time of India's Independence. When a boy is born out of a mango - we consider it pure superstition these days (well in some of us at least), I found it utterly hilarious. As if a mango can turn the chromosome factor, haha. Anyways, it is written in those old superstitious days and it totally makes sense. And the story continues in conjunction with the adventures of the boy and his family. How they move to India, how various incidences take place and he grows up.
The characters are rather interesting and will mostly remind you of your own aunts, uncles, grand-mom especially. Many women can also relate to their own mother-in-laws ;). The way certain characters are written, it is simply hilarious. You cannot help but feel how silly sometimes relatives behave and maybe laugh on some of your real life characters as well.
What struck me most is the way the time during Independence is written. Esp when Gandhiji was murdered. The way it is written gives you a glimpse into the grief that our nation felt - though us, today's generation, most of us literally don't care about what happened then. But it is worth praising.
Overall, it is a nice read and would make you want to go back to your childhood and play again and enjoy with those lost (in touch) cousins.
My rating for the book is 3.5/5.
You should grab a copy here if you would like to go down the memory lane too.
The review copy was sent to me by Anuj Kumar, Kalamos Literary Services.
Love and Cheers
August 9, 2016
Gaining perspective of Life...
#Random #Life
Love and Cheers
Love and Cheers
August 3, 2016
Book - Soft Target: A thought provoking novel with key message for Life
#BookReviews
Title: Soft TargetAuthor: Kalyan NandaPublisher: Notion PressPages: 212Price: Rs. 249My Rating: 3/5
Blurb:Is God good? Or is He a manipulative villain who plays with the lives of his creations in the name of karma? As far as Mohan Mishra is concerned, God is a villain. Mohan is God's soft target, for He 'blesses' him with a strange mental problem and kills his support system when he needed it the most. The Soft Target is the story of a boy's journey into manhood, as he takes on God with his mental prowess, defeating Him at every stage, thus making God his soft target. Supported by great friends and a loving wife, Mohan fights an epic battle against the murderous society, the conniving legal system and ultimately God himself, with remarkable courage and spirit.
Review:While reading blurb, soft target seems like an interesting book and believe me it is.Firstly Kudos to the author for coming up with a story that revolves around a man who has such strange and rare mental problem. Mohan, the protagonist of the book is a genius - a literal genius, but suffers from mental issues. Sounds ironic but it is true (I don't want to spoil author's suspense here so please read the book to know about it :D). The story basically revolves around his life from boyhood to manhood and his struggles and his challenges with God - who apparently is the villain of the story.
What I liked about the book is the ultimate message it is trying to convey. Mohan, from whom everything has been taken, uses three tools of life to achieve great heights i.e. Hope, Knowledge, Guts. The story motivates readers to follow their dreams and always have hope. It motivates one to attain enough knowledge to reach the goal and finally, motivates one to have enough guts to see it through.
The other characters of the story, Samidha, Brij, Nikhil and Revathy. Their story is nicely gelled together with Mohan's and at times you feel you are not getting enough of them.
Another thing that I really liked about the book is the explanation of certain things, like life, hope and song - 'Hotel California'. Read it, I am sure you will like it too.
What I didn't like about the book is its predictability. To me it was highly predictable at times and ruined the fun. There were some grammatical errors but one can ignore them. Also, it is like the only book which actually has abusive language in some places. I have read books where people drop f-bomb (my upcoming novel too has it) but to have Hindi ones is rare. I believe author believed it to be integral part of story line but sorry to say I didn't find it appealing, instead I found them distracting.
Another thing I didn't like was the parallel story line. It goes one from beginning and pops up every now and then. To me it ruined the flow and could have been better. Yes, it was very important for the ultimate climax but still!
Talking about climax (and few other scenes), it is very - very depressing. I know all novels don't have to be happy ending but this one got very depressing. I made a mistake and read whole book one a weekend and it led to a bleak Sunday evening - so head's up.
My rating to the book is 3/5 primarily for the good script, unique thoughts and motivation.
I hope you enjoy the book too.
You can grab the copy here.
The review copy of this book was shared with by Cyclops Literary Services.
Love and Cheers.
Title: Soft TargetAuthor: Kalyan NandaPublisher: Notion PressPages: 212Price: Rs. 249My Rating: 3/5Blurb:Is God good? Or is He a manipulative villain who plays with the lives of his creations in the name of karma? As far as Mohan Mishra is concerned, God is a villain. Mohan is God's soft target, for He 'blesses' him with a strange mental problem and kills his support system when he needed it the most. The Soft Target is the story of a boy's journey into manhood, as he takes on God with his mental prowess, defeating Him at every stage, thus making God his soft target. Supported by great friends and a loving wife, Mohan fights an epic battle against the murderous society, the conniving legal system and ultimately God himself, with remarkable courage and spirit.
Review:While reading blurb, soft target seems like an interesting book and believe me it is.Firstly Kudos to the author for coming up with a story that revolves around a man who has such strange and rare mental problem. Mohan, the protagonist of the book is a genius - a literal genius, but suffers from mental issues. Sounds ironic but it is true (I don't want to spoil author's suspense here so please read the book to know about it :D). The story basically revolves around his life from boyhood to manhood and his struggles and his challenges with God - who apparently is the villain of the story.
What I liked about the book is the ultimate message it is trying to convey. Mohan, from whom everything has been taken, uses three tools of life to achieve great heights i.e. Hope, Knowledge, Guts. The story motivates readers to follow their dreams and always have hope. It motivates one to attain enough knowledge to reach the goal and finally, motivates one to have enough guts to see it through.
The other characters of the story, Samidha, Brij, Nikhil and Revathy. Their story is nicely gelled together with Mohan's and at times you feel you are not getting enough of them.
Another thing that I really liked about the book is the explanation of certain things, like life, hope and song - 'Hotel California'. Read it, I am sure you will like it too.
What I didn't like about the book is its predictability. To me it was highly predictable at times and ruined the fun. There were some grammatical errors but one can ignore them. Also, it is like the only book which actually has abusive language in some places. I have read books where people drop f-bomb (my upcoming novel too has it) but to have Hindi ones is rare. I believe author believed it to be integral part of story line but sorry to say I didn't find it appealing, instead I found them distracting.
Another thing I didn't like was the parallel story line. It goes one from beginning and pops up every now and then. To me it ruined the flow and could have been better. Yes, it was very important for the ultimate climax but still!
Talking about climax (and few other scenes), it is very - very depressing. I know all novels don't have to be happy ending but this one got very depressing. I made a mistake and read whole book one a weekend and it led to a bleak Sunday evening - so head's up.
My rating to the book is 3/5 primarily for the good script, unique thoughts and motivation.
I hope you enjoy the book too.
You can grab the copy here.
The review copy of this book was shared with by Cyclops Literary Services.
Love and Cheers.
July 25, 2016
Book - Seventh Cup: A Suspense Thriller with Hints of Romance
#bookreviews
Title: The Seventh CupAuthor: Nitish Kumar JainPublisher: CyberwitPages: 311Price: Rs. 225My Rating: 3.5/5
Blurb: A student of history in Switzerland goes missing; a man drinks exactly seven cups of coffee everyday in the same restaurant and believes in Mind Transportation. Two newly married Swiss detective agents arrive and begin a shocking tale of love, friendship, betrayal and death. From the colorful coasts of Goa, India to the enchanting backdrop of Zurich,Switzerland, the mystery of Verona Schmidt baffles everyone. With shocking twits and turns in every chapter, The Seventh Cup might just have the addictive flavor to stir the readers mind...may be forever !!!
Review:With a beautiful and attractive cover, it is a well written suspense-thriller mystery novel which also has hints of romance. It revolves around multiple characters and introduces an interesting concept of 'mind transportation'. It is loosely inspired by 'The Secret' by Rhondy Bryne and one can clearly be inspired by the concept.
Talking about the story, it is engaging and twisting. At places it is very confusing as well as the flow changes and storyline moves every few pages. If you are not sitting continuously and reading it, you might have to go back and re-read few lines to get back into plot or not feel like you are missing something. The story is written primarily in two folds, experiences in Switzerland and in Goa, both are written in most picturesque way and you can actually feel the beauty of both places.
In terms of characters, they are well written and everyone play a vital role. However, at times you feel certain characters a little too drenched into the story which might not have been needed.
All in all it is an engaging story with hardly any grammatical issues. It is evident author has put in good efforts into the book. The only drawbacks I found were - it was too long, some monologues were boring (and slight irritating at times) and of course the flow. Apart from these it is a perfect read and my review for it is 3.5/5.
You can buy the book here. I enjoyed it, hope you enjoy the book the too.
The review copy was sent to me by Anuj Kumar, Kalamos Literary Services.
Love and Cheers
Title: The Seventh CupAuthor: Nitish Kumar JainPublisher: CyberwitPages: 311Price: Rs. 225My Rating: 3.5/5Blurb: A student of history in Switzerland goes missing; a man drinks exactly seven cups of coffee everyday in the same restaurant and believes in Mind Transportation. Two newly married Swiss detective agents arrive and begin a shocking tale of love, friendship, betrayal and death. From the colorful coasts of Goa, India to the enchanting backdrop of Zurich,Switzerland, the mystery of Verona Schmidt baffles everyone. With shocking twits and turns in every chapter, The Seventh Cup might just have the addictive flavor to stir the readers mind...may be forever !!!
Review:With a beautiful and attractive cover, it is a well written suspense-thriller mystery novel which also has hints of romance. It revolves around multiple characters and introduces an interesting concept of 'mind transportation'. It is loosely inspired by 'The Secret' by Rhondy Bryne and one can clearly be inspired by the concept.
Talking about the story, it is engaging and twisting. At places it is very confusing as well as the flow changes and storyline moves every few pages. If you are not sitting continuously and reading it, you might have to go back and re-read few lines to get back into plot or not feel like you are missing something. The story is written primarily in two folds, experiences in Switzerland and in Goa, both are written in most picturesque way and you can actually feel the beauty of both places.
In terms of characters, they are well written and everyone play a vital role. However, at times you feel certain characters a little too drenched into the story which might not have been needed.
All in all it is an engaging story with hardly any grammatical issues. It is evident author has put in good efforts into the book. The only drawbacks I found were - it was too long, some monologues were boring (and slight irritating at times) and of course the flow. Apart from these it is a perfect read and my review for it is 3.5/5.
You can buy the book here. I enjoyed it, hope you enjoy the book the too.
The review copy was sent to me by Anuj Kumar, Kalamos Literary Services.
Love and Cheers
And the Magic Begins...
#colgatemagicalstories #random
Kids and their fun. They need something new every day and each parent thinks what to do to keep the child motivated and happy. Colgate came to aid of such parents when they launched kids packs which includes four sets of magical stories. The theme is called 'magical sea world' and it lets your kid learn something new every day. With more than 15 magical sea characters (some your kid might have never heard of before), it comes in four attractive and interesting themes, a Treasure Hunt, a Pirate Ship, Coral Reefs or the Sea Magic with a little mermaid. The other good things about these packs is they also contain some very interesting facts that enhance kid's knowledge. These interesting and mysterious themes allow kids to run wild with their imagination and create their own stories - all they need to do is cut the package and enter the magical world. (Well, they can't cut it as the pictures are very close together, hence only an adult can do the honors)
Magical Sea World CollectionMy own kid is a little too tiny to play with such stuff hence I gave all the packs I received to my nephew, who is just as loved and important to me as my little baby. Yeah, the initial reaction was 'mausi, it is not a toy' but when we explained and opened up the pack it was a whole different talk. The moment his eyes fell on the pirate his imagination ran wild. I have never seen him so excited. The entire day he cooked up various stories and all we did was sit enchanted and listened to him.
One of the stories he told - 'Once there was a man, he was a bone pirate. He ran wild across the sea... He once found a little mermaid who was in trouble. He took the mermaid on his ship and found her lost friend the turtle. The shark was about to eat the turtle so the bone pirate kills it with his spear and runs away to the safety where they meet crab man and their friend dolphin.' Yeah reading like this must not be a great fun, but when you hear a four year old cook up story like this, you could do nothing but stare at him with awe and admiration. My sister is not at all into writing, she is not into reading as well, but she could not be happier after seeing her adorable son cooking up such stories. For me, well I am very proud aunt, finally I will have someone in family who will have remote interest in storytelling. It was real fun and best part was the spark in his eyes and smile he gave when we clapped after the end of each story.
The Box of Colgate with the Magic insideThe above story was not just it, he also made many others and included his own toys in them. Once he merged his train set with the pirate ship and saved all onboard as the ship was on fire. He did realise later that trains don't have tracks on water but well, it is a two-fold thing right - education plus entertainment.
All in all it was a great experience and he played with it so much that the cardboard has withered and torn now. Sadly I forgot to take pictures of the characters while he was playing with them. :(
I would like to say a special thanks to #Colgate for bringing this joy in our lives. We will always cherish it.
You can know more about this initiative from Colgate at http://www.colgate.co.in/en/in/oc
I hope your kid enjoys it too.
Love and Cheers
Kids and their fun. They need something new every day and each parent thinks what to do to keep the child motivated and happy. Colgate came to aid of such parents when they launched kids packs which includes four sets of magical stories. The theme is called 'magical sea world' and it lets your kid learn something new every day. With more than 15 magical sea characters (some your kid might have never heard of before), it comes in four attractive and interesting themes, a Treasure Hunt, a Pirate Ship, Coral Reefs or the Sea Magic with a little mermaid. The other good things about these packs is they also contain some very interesting facts that enhance kid's knowledge. These interesting and mysterious themes allow kids to run wild with their imagination and create their own stories - all they need to do is cut the package and enter the magical world. (Well, they can't cut it as the pictures are very close together, hence only an adult can do the honors)
Magical Sea World CollectionMy own kid is a little too tiny to play with such stuff hence I gave all the packs I received to my nephew, who is just as loved and important to me as my little baby. Yeah, the initial reaction was 'mausi, it is not a toy' but when we explained and opened up the pack it was a whole different talk. The moment his eyes fell on the pirate his imagination ran wild. I have never seen him so excited. The entire day he cooked up various stories and all we did was sit enchanted and listened to him. One of the stories he told - 'Once there was a man, he was a bone pirate. He ran wild across the sea... He once found a little mermaid who was in trouble. He took the mermaid on his ship and found her lost friend the turtle. The shark was about to eat the turtle so the bone pirate kills it with his spear and runs away to the safety where they meet crab man and their friend dolphin.' Yeah reading like this must not be a great fun, but when you hear a four year old cook up story like this, you could do nothing but stare at him with awe and admiration. My sister is not at all into writing, she is not into reading as well, but she could not be happier after seeing her adorable son cooking up such stories. For me, well I am very proud aunt, finally I will have someone in family who will have remote interest in storytelling. It was real fun and best part was the spark in his eyes and smile he gave when we clapped after the end of each story.
The Box of Colgate with the Magic insideThe above story was not just it, he also made many others and included his own toys in them. Once he merged his train set with the pirate ship and saved all onboard as the ship was on fire. He did realise later that trains don't have tracks on water but well, it is a two-fold thing right - education plus entertainment. All in all it was a great experience and he played with it so much that the cardboard has withered and torn now. Sadly I forgot to take pictures of the characters while he was playing with them. :(
I would like to say a special thanks to #Colgate for bringing this joy in our lives. We will always cherish it.
You can know more about this initiative from Colgate at http://www.colgate.co.in/en/in/oc
I hope your kid enjoys it too.
Love and Cheers
July 6, 2016
Help your kids grow with Horlicks Growth+
#CatchUpOnGrowth #Random
PC: clipartcraft.com
Life is full of challenges, competition and we see it every day - at work, at home, everywhere. As a parent last thing we want is the same thing for our children. Yes, there are certain things we cannot control but something are definitely in ours. Somethings like our children growths - mental, physical and psychological.
I don't remember much from my childhood but one thing I do remember is falling sick again and again. Same is happening even now. My immunity is still very bad and most of the times I am surviving on medicines - not good at all, I know. I feel so miserable and everyone says it is the after effects of what happened of when I was growing up, i.e. my body never developed proper immune system and now it is costing me. Well, what's done is done, now what can I do. I do try to make up but - ah! never mind. However, what I can do is make better future for my kids and kids of my friends and families.
PC: epubbud.com
In today's scenario, what we eat, drink, even breathe, is 80% toxic. In old days if you ate an apple you would feel full and get lot of vitamins and minerals, however gone are the days when 'an apple a day, kept doctor away'. Try eating 2 or more apples in one go, you might need to visit a doctor as it would contain so many harmful chemicals etc. So in short, we don't get apt nourishment through what we consume and so is the case with our kids. And given it is very important to provide them right and balanced meal, Horlicks has come up with an amazing product which helps our kids recover with lost nutrients.
“Horlicks Growth+ is a specialized nutrition product designed by international pediatric experts for children in age group of 3-9 years who are lagging behind in height and weight. It contains high quality whey protein with added nutrients that are known to enable children to catch up on lost growth. It has been clinically proven for visible growth in children in 6 months.”
PC: etsy.comAnd if we talk about our children growth, proper and healthy immune system is not the only requirement, kids also need right height and weight. Talking about heights, no one wants their kids to be too short to pull a box from top shelf or too short to be always mocked at. Kids stop getting tall after certain age, earlier it was around 12-14 but given change in lifestyles and everything I believe it would be around 10ish now. Hence it makes it vital for every parent to make sure that their children get enough nutrition to get those extra inches. Talking about weight, we all want to be skinny and sexy. No one wants their kids to be overweight but it is also important to ensure that they are not underweight. If being heavy have its side effect, being too light is also not very healthy. It affects both physical and mental health, plus it affects the brain development.
Horlicks Growth+ product claims that it helps children grow in 6 months. If it improves mental and physical health of our kids, which in turn affects their psychological health as well, I believe it is a wonderful product to try. I am going to try it, would you?
Read more about this at: https://growthplus.horlicks.in
Love and Cheers
PC: clipartcraft.comLife is full of challenges, competition and we see it every day - at work, at home, everywhere. As a parent last thing we want is the same thing for our children. Yes, there are certain things we cannot control but something are definitely in ours. Somethings like our children growths - mental, physical and psychological.
I don't remember much from my childhood but one thing I do remember is falling sick again and again. Same is happening even now. My immunity is still very bad and most of the times I am surviving on medicines - not good at all, I know. I feel so miserable and everyone says it is the after effects of what happened of when I was growing up, i.e. my body never developed proper immune system and now it is costing me. Well, what's done is done, now what can I do. I do try to make up but - ah! never mind. However, what I can do is make better future for my kids and kids of my friends and families.
PC: epubbud.comIn today's scenario, what we eat, drink, even breathe, is 80% toxic. In old days if you ate an apple you would feel full and get lot of vitamins and minerals, however gone are the days when 'an apple a day, kept doctor away'. Try eating 2 or more apples in one go, you might need to visit a doctor as it would contain so many harmful chemicals etc. So in short, we don't get apt nourishment through what we consume and so is the case with our kids. And given it is very important to provide them right and balanced meal, Horlicks has come up with an amazing product which helps our kids recover with lost nutrients.
“Horlicks Growth+ is a specialized nutrition product designed by international pediatric experts for children in age group of 3-9 years who are lagging behind in height and weight. It contains high quality whey protein with added nutrients that are known to enable children to catch up on lost growth. It has been clinically proven for visible growth in children in 6 months.”
PC: etsy.comAnd if we talk about our children growth, proper and healthy immune system is not the only requirement, kids also need right height and weight. Talking about heights, no one wants their kids to be too short to pull a box from top shelf or too short to be always mocked at. Kids stop getting tall after certain age, earlier it was around 12-14 but given change in lifestyles and everything I believe it would be around 10ish now. Hence it makes it vital for every parent to make sure that their children get enough nutrition to get those extra inches. Talking about weight, we all want to be skinny and sexy. No one wants their kids to be overweight but it is also important to ensure that they are not underweight. If being heavy have its side effect, being too light is also not very healthy. It affects both physical and mental health, plus it affects the brain development.
Horlicks Growth+ product claims that it helps children grow in 6 months. If it improves mental and physical health of our kids, which in turn affects their psychological health as well, I believe it is a wonderful product to try. I am going to try it, would you?
Read more about this at: https://growthplus.horlicks.in
Love and Cheers
