Preeti Rajput's Blog, page 2

Chatroom with a view by Glenn Maynard

Rating : 4/5 4.0 out of 5.0 stars 4.0

The first thing that compelled me to read this book was its spooky cover. Dark bluish night in the woods and a wooden cabin give the impression of a horror story. However, the book is dark but not horror. It opens with a gruesome scene of excavating graves, a blood-drenched ax, a dead body, and a wounded man.

From this very first chapter, Troy Cullen’s decisions seem ununderstandable to me. If someone finds out his father has killed his mother, the natural response would be to get the culprit arrested rather than keeping him safe, fearing that police might consider him an accomplice. The rest of the story unfolds with similar bizarre decisions by all the characters.

Troy works as a restaurant manager with two waitresses Natalie and Marnie, with whom he happened to share a history. During their school days, he was a coy victim of their bullying. One day eavesdropping on their conversation about trapping some rich and hot men through online chatrooms gave him an idea of revenge. Later, he impersonated the type of guy who could lure those two. In the end, he held them captive in his house, but what exactly is his plan remains nebulous. It seems he doesn’t even have a plan. Along with this main storyline, his ex-girlfriend – Veronica, bombarded him with the news of her pregnancy. He doesn’t love her and wants to get rid of her.

The story of a murder, an injured father, two kidnapped waitresses, and a psycho ex-girlfriend goes in parallel. It is hard to lose interest when so much is going on in the story.

It is not mentioned in the novel, but I felt all the characters are psychopaths who don’t think before doing anything and hardly cares about the consequences. The most compelling character is Veronica. Her weird acts and talks motivated by her mental condition arouse a bone-chilling impact.

In summary, it is a fast-paced thriller, quite unusual from regular ones. The characters are hard to relate to and loathable to some limit. It is hard to guess what is going to happen next. The author has conscientiously managed to keep the readers captivated. I would recommend this as a book where you will hate everyone.

Connect with Author :- htttp://glennmaynard.weebly.com/

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Faster by Alex Schuler

Rating : 4/5 4.0 out of 5.0 stars 4.0

As the name and cover suggest, “Faster” is all about cars and not just cars – AI-based self-driven cars. The opening scene of Ted’s reckless driving while handling technicalities sets the correct tone of the story. Ted’s character is a typical sci-fi speed-obsessed young man who is autonomous, can solve anything, has no time to waste, needs everything faster, etc.

His qualities to fix almost everything led to his recruitment into DARPA under a stern supervisor for a self-driven vehicle challenge. As expected, the team of techies gets stuck onto some knotty problems, and Ted resolved that within minutes by the presence of mind and impresses everyone. I expected team members to despise him, but they all respected him and sought his assistance.

The most exciting part is the race itself, where an overconfident Ted meets with a rival team led by an attractive woman Sam – A beauty with the brain. The group emerged out as a formidable opponent. Such encounters almost always get converted to a love story, and this is not an exception. I felt it to be a quibble in a fast-paced story. Sam is throughout the challenge humiliating Ted at every opportunity, and suddenly, she became so sympathetic towards him she came along to travel together and enjoyed a romantic time in between the stress of finals. The fanciful story of Sam and Ted appears to be forced and doesn’t invoke genuine emotions.

The process of building their vehicle “Cyclops” for the DARPA fast challenge progresses with time lapses of months. The author should have built up some more tension during this time.

I expected the race to be the main event and climax of the story, but it gets over in the initial 30 percent of the book. The rest of the part has two other races and preparations, which were not too thrilling. The story closes on a satisfying note. It is an enjoyable read which should have been compressed a bit. The challenge keeps you on the edge most of the time. It emphasizes the promising future of self-driven cars.

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Tides by Patricia Morais

Rating : 3/5 3.0 out of 5.0 stars 3.0

Originally a Portuguese novella, it has recently been translated into English. It is a quick read of 75 pages and readable in a single sitting. Coming to the plot, what starts as a tragic family story with Ada Hughes, a doting sister, talking to her brother about how they can’t stand the sight of their father takes a complete 180-degree turn and gets transformed into unexpected supernatural fiction.

One day Ada’s father came running, blabbering some warning, and the next day, her loving brother gets missing. I first thought it to be a dream sequence but no, and from here begins the story of supernatural creatures. The author has tried to create a virtual world of monsters by writing out minute specifications of varieties of monsters. It seems unpromising when two experienced professionals couldn’t identify the kind of monster dealing, but Ada, with her sharp reflexes, recognized it, and the rest follows. Writing anything more will be a spoiler for readers.

The plot has the full potential of being a novel rather than a novella. However, it is abrupt and too swift for a reader to understand and immerse in the story. Removal of some extreme events and slowing down the pace could have helped in building interest.

The author has incorporated domestic violence, alcoholism, family stress, and an imaginary world in a single novella. So, naturally, it gets overwhelming. It is a one-time and an average read for me.

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Made Of Pixels by Gabriela Marin

Rating : 4/5 4.0 out of 5.0 stars 4.0

Every person experiences life in their way and is not a bed of roses. Some get through extremely substantial turmoil in their life, sounding almost like a fiction movie. The journey of Gabriela Marin is no different and perfectly fits in the description. This memoir has all elements of a bad childhood, betrayal in love life, youth predictions, and losing the life of your closest ones. The story moves through pleasant days and gloomy days equally.

It is set in the communist regime in Romania and narrates the experience of the 70s entirely different from the present with no advanced communication technologies. The readers experience life during that time from the author’s eye. Her love life is the one that suffered irreparable damage. It made me anxious, and I couldn’t envision the distress she went through. Differences with her mother appear grave initially; later, she arose as the ever-present support. I appreciate her courage to emerge out and express such personal experiences.

Saying anything more about the book would be a spoiler. In the initial chapters recounting her despair, she concludes the chapter with a question to her perpetrator as if staring directly into their eyes and inquiring if they realize their deed. The story itself was enough for cognizance; the direct questions sounded a bit inappropriate when recurred. The author could have evaded it. There are grammatical errors making the reading experience a little jarring. Continuous switching between past and present tense creates confusion, and it wasn’t necessary.

Overall, it is an impressive read, packed with a myriad of emotions and life events. It ends at a point when Gabriela began her new life and her encounter with technology. The rest of the story is part of the sequel, which I haven’t read yet. Although, I am eager to read it and know what happened next.

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The Magic of Andros

“You’re going where?” friends asked when we told them about our wintertime house-sit on a Greek island. “Never heard of it.”

That’s what we love most about Andros. That it’s secluded and isolated—particularly in November.

This tiny rocky island in the northernmost region of the Cyclades is quiet at that time of year. So quiet, in fact, that goats sit in the middle of main roads, fully aware they won’t see a car for a while. The sky is brilliant blue, aromas of wild thyme drift across fields filled with abundant purple heather, and ripe olives drop like raindrops from the trees. It’s the perfect time to visit.

Andros is home to approximately 9,000 inhabitants, and measures 40 by 16 kilometers – a smidgeon smaller than Malta, but with 42,000 fewer people. There are no shopping centres, no theatres, no wild party scene, and not many shops.

Instead, there are goats. Hundreds of them. And stray cats peeking from rubbish bins. And steep, narrow roads winding like snakes through craggy mountain ridges, often with no guardrails. And hiking trails that go on for miles, meandering past stone walls, up sharp inclines, through enormous fields of olive trees and prickly, wild thyme.

And views. Spectacular vistas across tiny harbours, shimmering water and lush, sprawling valleys. From routes along rocky coastlines plummeting hundreds of feet, to dirt paths winding down the mountains ending at tiny, deserted beaches. On clear days, you can see layer after layer of distant islands dotting the horizon, and on stormy afternoons, steely grey clouds race across the sky, and lightning punctuates the sky with fiery flashes.

Summertime, we’re told, is a different story. The population swells to 34,000 – mostly Greeks visiting from the mainland – and the tiny seaside town of Batsi becomes clogged with traffic and tourists. But it’s a far cry from the hordes of Santorini or Corfu, where more than 100 boats cross from Greece every day. In Andros, there are less than a dozen, and they only come from the port of Rafina. Why? Because the island is home to many of Greece’s wealthy shipping magnates who restrict boat passages in order to preserve the island’s quiet charm. It’s the second largest island in the archipelago (after Naxos), the closest to mainland Greece (two hours by ferry from Rafina), yet one of the least touristed.

It also has water, so much that some gets bottled for export to the mainland as Sariza mineral water. And the lush, green hillsides are sprinkled with cypress trees and the island’s signature white houses, complete with azure blue shutters.

Once the holidaymakers pack up for the summer, so does the island. Businesses close for the winter, so there’s only a handful of restaurants serving food. It’s the time locals love best. Roads are empty (we rarely saw more than five cars on half-hour drives), and the pace moves as slowly as Greek honey. Many days we strolled the marble-paved pedestrian street of the beautiful capital, Chora (population 4,000) and were the only visitors in local cafes. And in the tiny port of Gavrio (population less than 1,000), there were usually more cats than people.

While there may not be much going on, there are 300 kilometers to be explored. On foot. In 2015, the European Ramblers’ Association granted Andros’ hiking paths the title of “Leading quality trails – Best of Europe”. More than 25 trails crisscross the island – once stone-paved trails which were the main routes of commerce, communication, and transportation between the villages. There’s even an epic, ten-day 100 kilometer tour of the entire island that crosses the mountain range for intrepid folk ready to take on a challenge.

We walked some of the paths, following the ever-present red and blue route markers, and were treated to surprises every time: stone bridges, ancient ruins, gorgeous sea views, and Byzantine monasteries. One time, we bumped into a jovial Greek wearing a threadbare sweater who came over to chat and gave us pieces of chocolate for the hike. He introduced himself as the local priest. Another time we found ourselves surrounded by 16 cats, that curled around our ankles mewing for morsels of the cat food we carried.

And everywhere we went, people were welcoming, warm and generous. Restaurateurs gave us free desserts, tastes of their signature garlic salad, and complimentary glasses of tsipouro (the signature anise-flavoured brandy, similar to grappa). Shop owners stopped to chat. Strangers waved and greeted us with a cheery Yassas!One of our new English friends who has lived on Andros twelve years summed it up. “The first time I stepped off the ferry, I felt the stress roll away. And whenever we leave, we can’t wait to come back. There’s something haunting about the place. Each time we return to Andros I keep thinking the magic will have gone. But it never does.”

About the Author:

Gabrielle Yetter is a British author who has lived in the US, Bahrain, South Africa, and Cambodia, and now lives in southern England with her husband, Skip. In Cambodia she published The Definitive Guide to Moving to Southeast Asia: Cambodiaand The Sweet Tastes of Cambodia (about traditional desserts) as well as two childrens’ books, Ogden the Fish Who Couldn’t Swim Straight and Martha the Blue Sheep.  She also co-authored Just Go! Leave the Treadmill for a World of Adventurewith Skip. In November 2020, she published her first novel, Whisper of the Lotus, an inspirational story of discovery based in Cambodia. www.GabrielleYetter.com

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Do Not Wash Hands In Plates by Barb Taub

Rating : 4.5/5 4.5 out of 5.0 stars 4.5

It is the first book of the “Your camels are here” series. Somehow I read part-2 (Please don’t ask for extra glasses) before this, leading to a stimulating experience of reading which compelled me to read the first book also. Gladly, I wasn’t disappointed at all reading this hilarious and delightful book.

Jaya, Barb, and Janine plan to meet in India to have an extended sightseeing trip. It starts from TajMahal, going through Delhi, Kerala, and concluding in Mumbai. They stayed and picked heartful menus at Jaya’s infinite relative’s homes. It is true, in India you can have connections in almost all the states. I gather the reason for their delightful experience was the presence of an Indian woman among them; otherwise, they might have stuck in language issues and tourist traps.

As usual, the worst experience every international tourist goes through in India is an upset stomach. Due to differences in food habits, it is common for most of them. Barb also got the same. She survived and overcame the nightmare and went on the journey to have the time of their life. I can relate to their love for Paranthas, camels, and elephants. Unlike Book2, this time, Jaya wasn’t a too aggressive, no-nonsense kind of woman, apparently being mainly among her family.

Few things are repetitive, like the mention of IPS (Indian Pedestal system) in both the books. Either the drivers were the same with different names, or at least their behavior was.

It is a short book with exotic pictures of the trio having loads of fun. Roughly, one can finish it off within an hour. And the hour will be a pleasant and exhilarating experience for the readers. I started the book with similar hope and am glad it went as per the expectation. And yes, Indians are very generous, especially to international travelers, for no particular reason.

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Thinking fast and slow – Daniel Kahneman

Rating : 3/5 3.0 out of 5.0 stars 3.0

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Already plenty has been written and said about this book; there is a scanty window to talk more. However, contrary to the popular opinion, I deem it to be a good matter on psychology but not great. It has been called Phenomenal, International bestsellers, intriguing, a masterpiece by renowned reviewers and readers. In my opinion, it is an average book, compressible within 100 pages, but is bulky due to iterating the same concepts over and over again and dragging unnecessarily.

Roughly, we can summarize the book within a single page. In short, there are two decision-maker systems in our mind – System1 and System2. System 1 is intuitive and spontaneous that decides and calculates in a snap moment. System 2 is analytical and logical but is a lazy thinker. Whenever system 1 gives an intuitive opinion, system 2, being lazy, hardly takes the initiative and accepts it. So, in general, our decisions are influences by system1, and to make a thoughtful and logical decision, it is essential to awake system2 and put it on work.

The book starts with a bang and captivates the reader immediately. As you navigate the initial chapters, it looks promising and gives valuable insight into human psychology and decision-making. After 100 pages, the content starts to look insanely repetitive. Throughout the book, the same point gets proved after each theory and model. I got tired of reading a similar example of choosing between a certain amount or a percentage of a certain amount. In the middle, skimming was my only resort to finish it. By the end of the book, I was so exhausted and had no courage to read another text set in the Appendix. No, I was not even skimming.

I would recommend getting an abridged version (If available) to get the fruitful insights that this book aims to provide.

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Capital Action by GJ Stevens

Rating : 3/5 3.0 out of 5.0 stars 3.0

Capital Action is a 100 pages long novella narrating crime fiction. It is confusing whether it is a part of series or a stand-alone thriller as the blurb or description does not explicitly mention it.

The story starts with a range of characters. Within such a short story, loads of characters make it arduous to keep track of who is who?. After a point, I stopped trying to do it. Even if it is a part of the series, it is futile to have so many characters who will eventually die on the next page before establishing a connection with readers.

The first five chapters elaborate on every possible detail about an early morning raid by the police, which is the prime episode of this book. The brigade of characters introduced till now gets killed except for Agent Carrie. Agent Carrie Harris, known by her code name “red,” has begun her stint with Metropolitan police without being a cop. During her convalescing, she is convinced someone tipped them off and is an inside job. What made her think so is not explained. Then she embarks on a secret investigation to identify the mole and sequentially finds her like a doodle.

The book is a crime thriller with no sitting on the edge, no nail-biting twists and turns but a simple plain story. One cannot expect too much action in a novella, but it even lacks the basic spices of a thriller.

Undeniably, the plot is a good one with average execution. If the author had added some more conflicts, confrontations, suspects, and twists, the story would have done wonders.

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Weatherman by Price Doom

Rating : 3/5 3.0 out of 5.0 stars 3.0

“Weatherman” is a story of a queer daughter-father duo, Heart and Sonny. Everything appears to be bizarre, from their talks, their behavior, to their life. This sci-fi novella (as per the blurb) doesn’t have anything scientific other than a few mentions of sun, moon, heat, helium, or other elements. The story, distributed in four parts, doesn’t make any sense until it reaches the last leg. It keeps the reader confused as to what exactly is happening.

In the fourth chapter, the chunks come together and start making some sense. At this point, I promptly forgot the confusion built till now and got immersed in the story. Although the ending is fascinating, yet the incidents leading to it seem illogical. The girl wanted to meet and knew about her mother for ages. One day she suddenly sneaks out to run a google search, and all things themselves fall in place like a doodle. Why she waited so long for such a trivial thing? In 3/4th of the book, the daughter shares a loving bond with her father, and abruptly as she reaches teenage, she doesn’t trust him and feels annoyed. What led to this change?

I assumed there must have some meaning of repetition of the same lines and action by characters, but there isn’t. For instance, “You know it, buddy,” Sonny says this to his daughter almost on every second page, and in every chapter, Sonny gives an exact number of kisses to Heart as her age. Both the things remain unexplained. The author unsuccessfully tries to show a deep relationship between them, unable to evoke emotions. The only way to display his love is by saying, “I love you so much,” which sounds hollow and impassive.

If the author had dropped some hints or explanations about the actual story in between, it could have been a fast-paced novella. By the time it starts making sense, it is too late. I wish it were structured appropriately, and then it would be an excellent read.

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Indigo : A Time Travel story by Paula Berinstein

Rating : 3.5 out of 5.0 stars 3.5

The story starts on a gripping note when Esther suddenly inherits a quaint mansion worth a fortune from an unknown cousin. Puzzled and excited, she decides to travel to England and view her newly acquired estate. As expected, she gets amazed by the grandeur of her palace. Here she finds a diary of her great grandmother scribbled with the formula of time travel. From this point, all the story of inheritance fades in the shadow, and a new storyline emerges. So all this built-up only to find a diary? I was a bit disappointed here as I coveted to stay on this storyline.

Slowly the story loses its pace and gets ensnared in a plethora of topics. The author picked up so many issues without resolving anyone satisfactorily. There is romance, murder, medical science, Catholics, Jews, Slaves, women upliftment, abolitionists, discrimination, homosexuality, and Nazi connection too.

An essential part of any time-travel story is the incongruity of lives between current and past. If not explicitly told it is the 18th century, there is no way to guess it other than the mention of slavery. It is strange when one more person traveled in her jeans and outfit, 1750’s guys are not baffled by it or are afraid of it. In the end, when the mysteries unfold, it is done in a haste. In a spur of the moment, Esther understands everything. The story runs at a fast pace but gets slow down in between, resulting in a jarring experience.

In a series, it is acceptable to leave a few threads open to cover them up in a sequel. But leaving many loose ends has resulted in a mediocre end to an otherwise excellent story. Irrespective of some flaws, I enjoyed reading “Indigo” and will wait for a sequel. I appreciate the author for her noteworthy, and lucid style of writing.

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