Manali Manan Desai's Blog, page 26

Triangle of Treason by Bob Richards

Blurb (as on Amazon)

Triangle of Treason takes us on an exciting journey through a momentous period in Bermuda’s history.
Retired Captain Rodney Horatio Grant RN, through a German friend, meets Hitler and soon finds himself embroiled in treason and murder as a dedicated spy for the Third Reich.

Alongside this story of espionage and violence we meet Alan (Hooks) Jones, Bermuda ferryboat pilot and devoted family
man. He makes friends with newly deployed Lieutenant Harley Harvey, call sign ‘Swordfish’. We follow Swordfish as he falls in love with Hooks’ daughter Becky, and so we learn of the difficulties endured in those days by an interracial couple striving to keep their relationship secret.

Upon uncovering the truth about Captain Grant, Swordfish and Hooks embark on a nail-biting mission to bring him down.
Their adventures leave Hooks famous on the Island and Swordfish a war hero.

Triangle of Treason keeps us absorbed from beginning to end. By the time you have finished you will want to visit Bermuda.

Genre: Fiction/ Historical Thriller

Pages: 203

Format: Kindle eBook/Paperback/Hardcover

Price:

Kindle eBook (available only on Amazon.in) : 49 INRPaperback (available outside India) : $18.95Hardcover (available outside India) : $29.95

My Ratings: 4.8/5

Rodney Horatio is a retired captain of the British Navy, who meets Hitler through a German friend and somehow becomes a spy for the Third Reich. On the island of Bermuda, where the treason happens, we meet Alan (Hooks) Jones (a ferryboat pilot) and Lieutenant Harley Harvey, who learn the truth about Horatio and set out on a mission to bring him down.

Book cover taken from Amazon

What I liked about the book:
->The balance between romance, mystery, thrill, and adventure lends a perfect reading experience.
-> Though the book is majorly a mystery thriller, it has its emotional and thought-provoking moments, making us reflect upon quite a few aspects of life and history.
-> The book is quite long, to be honest. This was especially a challenge for me because I have not read a thick book in a long time. But kudos to the author that I was able to finish it in just a few days because the plot never loses grip.
-> The setting of World War II in the Bermuda Triangle was quite intriguing and fascinating to read about. I devoured the historical aspects and enjoyed this knowledge amassing read.
-> I was amazed at how the author has built up vivid imagery using fictional characters to make us know the geographical and political issues of this region and also its role in WWII. We get to know many new things and facts about this place and even learn some trivia about WWII that we might have been unaware of till now.
-> The romance between Harley and Becky sheds light upon the difficulties faced by interracial couples during WWII. Reading about their struggle to keep their relationship a secret makes us reflect upon and appreciate the times we live in and the kind of freedom we have.
-> The book is actually a collection of three close-knit stories that seem to be unrelated at first glance. But the way they come to all make sense together is mind-blowing.

Buying details:

Amazon.inAmazon.com

Taking A Break

Photo by the author| Location: Feuersee, Stuttgart, Germany

Peace,
Beauty,
Greenery,
All that you’ve always craved for,
But…
You’re still not happy.,
Birds,
Flowers,
Trees,
All that you’ve always admired,
But…
You’re still not smiling.
Friends,
Family,
Love,
All those you’ve always wanted by your side,
But…
You still feel someone’s always missing.
Success,
Recognition,
Respect,
All that you’ve worked for,
But…
You’re still running.
All an indication,
To look within,
Everything a sign,
To halt a while.
Each moment pointing,
Towards you needing a break.
Pause,
Reflect,
Breathe.
Before your next project,
Chasing a new goal,
Focusing on the upcoming target.
Take a while to turn,
Look back,
And appreciate how far you’ve come.

****

If you liked that, you might also enjoy:

Time to come, Time to go

Thank you for reading.

How to contact me:Connect with me on LinkedIn.Subscribe to my YouTube channel.Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Check-In Checkout.. and the horrors within by Keran Pantth Joshi

Blurb (as on Amazon):

THE DARKNESS AWAITS YOU….
Hotels conjure images of cosy rooms, lazy holidays, memorable adventures, fresh crisp white sheets and gorgeous views. But the scenic Villagio Hotel hides a dark and bizarre secret.
Check-in Checkout is the story of those secrets. Behind the renovated majestic façade, laminated polished exteriors, fresh-smelling and brightly painted rooms lie old, rotting innards, musty corners and creepy crevices. The place houses some chilling horrors, seething in unknown corners, which stir to life in the darkness of night. Between check-in and check-out, the guests of the Villagio Hotel experience blood-curdling horrors.
This book will take you on a thrilling ride, with ten gripping stories depicting different genres of horror – urban legends, revenge spirits, gore, modern-day haunting, psychological horror & satanic practices. Come uncover the grisly and ghastly tales of the travellers who visited the Villagio Hotel from different parts of the world.
But remember! In this hotel, you are not alone…someone somewhere is always watching you!
WOULD YOU DARE TO STAY A NIGHT?

Pages: 160

Genre: Fiction/Horror/Thriller

Format: Kindle eBook/Paperback

Price:

Kindle eBook: 49 INR/$8.00Paperback: 225 INR/$10.99

My Ratings: 4.3/5

The scenic Villagio Hotel seems idyllic for a holiday, but little do the guests checking in know about the chilling horrors that stir to life in the darkness of night. This book is a collection of various short stories, right from spooky to shocking, with Hotel Villagio at the backdrop of each.

Book cover taken from Amazon

What I liked about the book:
-> The stories touch on various lesser-known (or popular? I a, probably the ignorant one who didn’t know about them before reading this book) myths and legends like Hitori Kakurenbo and Kuchisake Onna.
-> Though it’s a horror book, it made me question a lot of things, like our blind faiths, superstitions, and dark practices.
-> Some of the stories feel as if they are true that they do exist in the world today, like the lifestyle -> The writing style is impressive as per the genre. It manages to creep you out in necessary places and creates an atmosphere of suspense and drama.
-> The stories touch upon social issues like rape, being a single woman, poverty, and the plight of women in war-ridden countries, etc.

What I did not like about the book:

-> Being a person who scares very easily, I wasn’t quite scared while reading it. I have almost zilch experience in reading horrors and it was underwhelming for me to discover that reading horror did not scare me as much as watching a movie/series does.
-> It felt more telling than showing. If there wouldn’t be so many indicators of what’s happening rather than the description of what’s happening, maybe it would have turned out more scary.

Quotable quotes:
-> Your door might be locked and lights turned off. But someone waits for you in the darkness of your safe haven. It’s death!
-> Maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel. But what if darkness is now your forever companion and there is no end to the tunnel.
-> Credit cards can buy fashion but not style sense.
-> That’s how social media sites work. Every nobody is a somebody, and people hide behind fancy facades.
-> There are no explanations for weird people doing weird things.
-> Sometimes imaginary demons arise and invite in the real evil around. And there is no turning back as they surround and persecute you, drowning you bit by bit.
-> An incomplete love. The kind of love that comes as a blessing and mutates into a curse.
-> Death! The strangest and the most normal thing in life. What happens when a loved one dies? Perhaps, after our death, we reunite with them.
-> Love! One that consumes and smothers you. One that is irresistible and risky. That finds you in the most unexpectedly ways.
->Love! Such simple four letters but was it just as easy to find love? Maybe not. Often, it took a lot of faith, luck, aligned stars, and some divine intervention.

Buying links:

Amazon.inAmazon.com

Author’s social media links:

InstagramTwitterFacebookLinkedIn

Summer Memories

Photo by Carles Rabada on Unsplash

Sunflowers on every road

Hues of yellow hay and shine

Facing the sunlight

Making merry with brightness

Limited time happiness

*****

I’m an NRI currently residing in the Netherlands. The weather in this country is completely different from my native land. I miss the tropical weather of my homeland terribly. But summertime in the Dutch country has brought in some respite. It has made me realize that summers are full of childhood memories and happy times, across the globe.

My favorite part about the summers is the sunflowers blooming in all their glory.

I’ve tried to bring forth the beauty and the nostalgia that sunflowers represent in the Tanka form of poetry here.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed that, you might also like:

Flora FondnessHow to contact me:Connect with me on LinkedIn.Subscribe to my YouTube channel.Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.Send me an email: arusticmind@gmail.com/manali1988

When My Socials Became Anti-Social

Photo by Piotr Cichosz on Unsplash

Instagram: Manali loves me the most! Why are we even having this conversation? It’s a clear waste of time.

Facebook: *rolls eyes* oh, please! I came to her solace when she was mourning over her first love Orkut. She would never love anyone more than me. I’m literally the shoulder she cried on after a horrid breakup and I’m also the rebound who stuck around.

Instagram *scoffs*: And are you sure she is not cheating on you with me? Not even a little bit? I mean she does spend an awful amount of nighttime making love to me through her eyes full of stars.

YouTube: Are we really not going to talk about how I provide her the solace she needs, at all times and anywhere, in the form of her favorite balm, her music?

Spotify: *coughs* umm, what?

YouTube: *glaringly* Shut up dude, she also has a channel with me. And I don’t keep badgering her with 1-minute long ads. At least she can skip mine, you don’t even give her that choice.

Spotify: *sticking tongue out* She has a channel with me too now, JFYI.

LinkedIn: Guys, really, all these arguments are so inconsequential when we see her success and professional achievements. Where else can she share this if not via me? She has garnered over 1500+ followers through me in the shortest period and not just in India. She makes new global connections via me, every single day.

Instagram: Don’t give me that pointed look, dude. I gave her 13k followers!

Facebook: *almost yelling* Let’s not forget you also gave her two heartbreaks she’ll never get over. She still gets bouts of anxiety every now and then thinking that you might betray her again. May I remind you that she had to revive you twice and she almost lost her willingness to write?

Goodreads: *meekly* Umm, I’m sorry to butt in. I know she has only 20 or so odd followers with me. But I’m literally the only platform that gives her the official ‘author’ tag. It felt important to bring this up because we were talking about her writing. And.. and… I’m also the only one to connect her with her only true love, reading.

Amazon: *slamming a hand on the desk* Am I a joke to you? She has now self-published (and then gone on to traditionally publish) two out of her four books, thanks to me. People are able to read her books because I enable them to buy her books from me. Talking about reading, she reads only on Kindle now and I don’t need to point out where that comes from, do I?

Twitter: At this point, I feel so irrelevant in this conversation. I don’t even know why she still has me around.

Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Spotify, LinkedIn, and Goodreads in unison: Because she likes being everywhere!

WhatsApp: *sighing* That’s right guys. She’s using us all; rather ‘abusing’ us would be an appropriate term. I’m the most victimized here because she interconnects and makes a cocktail out of you all through me.

*all nod in agreement*

Instagram: Let’s not be too harsh on her. She does give us all a minimum 10-hour break every day though. Some of us more than that. Most other users don’t give us such leisurely hours.

Facebook *nodding reluctantly*: I kind of miss her too when she goes off. Like right now I’m just waiting for her to tap on my icon and see the amazing content I’ve gathered just for her.

Instagram: That’s true. I am doing the same and can’t wait for her eager eyes to check my feed.

*everyone shrugs and nods*

Facebook: Oh, wait wait. She’s coming online. Quick, everyone, remind her of what’s she missed. Let’s just conclude for now that we’re all important to her.

*all nod and prepare for launch*

In unison *holding hands*:

Smile, get set, and off we go into another glorious day of online content.

****

How to Be A Better Reader

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
― Dr. Seuss

For as long as I can remember I’ve been a bookworm and a reader. One thing you can find for sure in my handbag is a book. I never walk out of the house without my best friends, aka, my books. A lot of people ask me how I manage to read so much despite my (seemingly) busy schedule and hectic life

(Side note: It’s a hoax but that’s a topic for another day)

So here are a few suggestions/tips that might help you read more. Rather they’ll help you become a better reader.

1. Read consistently and set a daily goal if possible.

Before March 2020, I used to crib about how I’m not able to read as much as I want to. The pandemic opened up m my schedule as well as my mind. It gave me an easy way out of my dilemma to read more. I’m an organized person, a planner so to say. So I brought this aspect of my personality into my reading as well. I decided to set up daily targets i.e. to read a specific number of pages every single day. Lo and behold, one and a half years down the line, I’ve read over 200+ books already. All I can say is, if it worked for me, it’ll definitely work for you. So go ahead and set a daily reading goal.

2. Read critically

Yes, I know reading is a hobby; a relaxing activity per se, for most of us. But hear me out, okay? By reading critically I meant, read with an open mind, without being judgmental or jumping to conclusions. This will help you absorb whatever you’re reading, better. Also, focus on what the reading makes you feel. This generally helps you understand your preferences as a reader and then maybe you can stick to reading similar works. The result? You end up reading more!

3. Work on your post-reading experience

For years I used to believe that reading is an isolated activity. Oh! I could not have been more wrong. Irrespective of what we all believe, there are hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions out there who resonate with our reading experience. So, share this and let the magic of a community engulf you. As you feel heard and accepted, you’ll be motivated to read more and more. It’s a true win-win.

****

If you found that helpful, you might also find something worthy in the following article:

Daily Reminders for Sharing Content on Social MediaThank you for reading.How to contact me:Connect with me on LinkedIn.Subscribe to my YouTube channel.Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Eye On You by Kanchana Banerjee

Blurb (as on Amazon)

You’re seen, tracked, and followed everywhere you go. Every line & picture you post; someone is watching. All that information in the wrong hands is a recipe for disaster.
You have a smart door, a CCTV; everything is controlled via an app on your mobile phone. All they need to do is to hack into your phone. Anyone can get in, anyone can see you inside your home.
How safe are you inside your home?
Myra is a young, independent, single working woman living in Gurgaon. After a party in her home, she wakes up the following morning and discovers that she has been raped. But she was at home, surrounded by her friends.
Who could have done this to her? Was it one of her friends or a stranger?

Genre: Fiction/Thriller

Pages: 188

Format: Kindle eBook

Price: 200 INR/$2.99 (free to read with Kindle Unlimited subscription)

My Ratings: 4.5/5

To celebrate the happy occasion of moving into her own 3BHK apartment in a posh locality of Gurgaon, Myra throws an open-house party. The celebration night leads to a horrific morning when Myra wakes up with severe pain, obscenities scribbled on her body and leading to the discovery that she has been raped. Who could it be? She can’t figure it out and neither can the police, because it was a party full of known people.

Book cover taken from Amazon

What I liked about the book:
-> Each female character, be it the lead protagonist Myra, or the side characters like her BFF, the police team investigating the case, all have their own backstories, justifying their actions and prejudices.
-> The male characters too show varied negative traits of the supposed superior sex, right from misogyny to patriarchy.
-> What the female lead goes, makes us wonder, and even be scared about how vulnerable we too are in the world of social media and digital technology.
-> The interlinking of the past events with what happens to Myra in the present. I really liked how the past was well concealed right till the climax, making us anticipate what exactly happened back then.
-> The junior constable, Sonali’s character, was most interesting for me, because, we can relate to her enthusiasm as well as come to appreciate that her fresh and contemporary thinking actually leads to new pathways and solutions.
-> The way Myra’s character is put under scrutiny and her being the victim is questioned simply because of her lifestyle choices, which is a relatable thing for many women of India (and probably globally too)
-> It sends out an important message that we (especially women) need to be wary about every single person and event happening around them. With the digital explosion, this has become even more necessary, because personal space and privacy can easily be hacked, and this book manages to bring home the message quite alarmingly and fearfully well.

What I did not like about the book:
-> I wanted to know more about Dipti’s life, at her job and especially in her family life. The character truly had some shades that would be relatable for many women in India, who are successful in their professions, yet struggling to earn the respect of their family members.
-> The culprits were kind of predictable for me (this may be because I’ve read too many crime thrillers and mystery books)

Quotable quotes:
-> We don’t talk. Sometimes silence is comforting. To be with someone who understands your silence better than words; who knows when not to speak a word and yet be there. We’re lucky to have such people.
-> It’s not always vintage that establishes a solid friendship.
-> Life takes us on a different trajectory and often one doesn’t relate to or have anything in common with those we shared our tiffin boxes with or bunked lectures and slipped off for the matinee. People grow up and change. And change isn’t always bad.
-> Someone who decides to shed weight and transform herself; shows enormous grit and dedication.
-> Some things, even in the closest of friendships, are off bounds. It sits in the -we-dont-go-there island surrounded by the sea of topics we discuss to death.
-> One can Google and learn anything and everything.
-> Women…all of us… we are different but fight the same battle.
-> Why do all decisions have to be practical in life?
->Sometimes you walk into a situation and you know it’s going to be right for you.
-> “Don’t take this the wrong way”
Every time someone says this, it’s almost a given that they have something not so nice to say.
-> What’s the point of living if you don’t do something idiotic and reckless once in a while? To be safe all the time, that’s not living. That’s just surviving.
-> Don’t you hate it when people try to be friendly when they have no bloody intention of being remotely friendly?
-> If one can be careless and callous about their health, they aren’t worthy of being trusted with anything. Least of all with an important job.
-> Bitchy behaviour and backbiting is okay. These can be dealt with. It’s fake sympathy and offer of help that makes you mad.
-> What’s the point of living if you aren’t chasing an impossible target?
-> Sometimes one needs to pretend that everything is fine. Just to hold on to sanity.
-> Appearances can be so deceptive; sometimes people surprise you with hidden facets about themselves you wouldn’t have imagined.
-> Normal people trust people and don’t start from the point of mistrust.
-> One never really knows the other person.
-> Why do men think that they need to change a woman?
-> Revenge is a dish best never served.
-> Misfortune seldom comes alone.

Buying details:

Amazon.inAmazon.com

Author’s social media links:

WebsiteTwitterInstagramFacebookLinkedIn

In Conversation with Shakti Ghosal

“Coming back to your native land after an absence of many years is a surprisingly unsettling business, a little like waking from a long coma. Time, you discover, has wrought changes that leave you feeling mildly foolish and out of touch.” – Bill Bryson

As an NRI, I feel nostalgia every time I come across any kind of news related to my homeland. I’ve been away from my native city for many years and nothing beats the joy of coming across stories of the city where I was born and raised. I believe that stories about one’s native, whether fictional or nonfictional, always bring out the best in a writer. Maybe that’s why I enjoyed reading The Chronicler of the Hooghly and Other Stories. You see, the author belongs to Kolkata and almost all the stories in this book are based in this charming city.

Read my detailed review of this book here

After reading the book, my curious mind wanted to know what inspired these stories. The author, Shakti Ghosal is as kind-hearted as one can expect from the creator of such wonderful tales. When I invited him to be a part of the #AuthorCollaborative, he didn’t think twice before saying yes.

As is the norm, he read my book Love (Try) Angle and his raving review on it made me gloat about my creation for days on end.

Read Shakti’s detailed review here

Today, after almost two months of that first interaction, we were finally able to have a long chat with each other

IG handle: @arusticmind_

We talked about many things, right from our books to our love for our native lands.

Listen to Shakti’s answers hereListen to my answers here

The session was informative and knowledgeable. To end it on a light note, we did the rapid fire round of questions with each other.

Listen to Shakti’s answers hereListen to my answers here

You can have a look/see at our full conversation in the video below:

****

Books discussed in the session:TCoTH on Amazon IndiaTCoTH Amazon.comLove (Try) Angle

Thank you for reading.

How to contact me:Connect with me on LinkedIn.Subscribe to my YouTube channel.Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

CAFE HOUSE. 21: where love meets destiny by Nivedita Vedurla

Blurb (as on Amazon)

Akriti’s love for a special coffee at Coffee house 21, lands her up at the café every Friday. But with each passing Friday, she is presented with mistrust, failure, and constant worries of life. However, like a perfect blend of coffee that churns itself with sugar and milk and lives upto the taste buds, Akriti has faced life with strong faith and resilience.

Does destiny have someone in store for her, who loves her for herself, or does it take away everything from Akriti in the name of family responsibilities?

Read this sensuous short story to find out more

Genre: Fiction/Romantic short story

Pages: 43

Format: Kindle eBook

Price: 49 INR/$0.99

My Ratings: 4/5

After a family mishap, Akriti decides to give up on a promising modeling career in order to be more helpful to her family. In the process, she also loses her boyfriend who she thought would understand her sacrifice. She moves on, being stuck in a job she doesn’t enjoy and taking care of her family who doesn’t appreciate her. Her only solace are her Friday hourly visits to her favorite hangout, Cafe House 21. She runs into an unexpected admirer here and life promises a positive change for her. Will Akriti accept these changes though?

Book cover taken from Amazon

What I liked about the book:
-> The story makes you feel positive about decisions that you might have once regretted taking.
-> Both the protagonists, Akriti and Raj, have a creative inlcination. Being a creative person myself, it felt good reading about them.
-> The way Raj takes care of all of Akriti’s problems in order to ensure that they can be together.
-> The intimacy scenes between Akriti and Raj leave you tiltiltated.
-> The book sends out a message that though we might feel unloved and unworthy, someone out there, admires us for who and how we are.

What I did not like about the book:
-> Akriti’s mute acceptance of her family’s behaviour towards her and her family taking her for granted, is kind of annoying.
-> Seasoned readers might be able to pick up on the upcoming revealations and climax quite easily.

Quotable quotes:
-> Some things are more important than money.
–> It’s better to throw unwanted people and things out of your life.
->Many things can be forgotten by drinking the blend of bitter coffee, milk and sugar.
-> There is no point crying over something impossible to mend.
-> Sometimes life decides your career for you.
-> For once, forget about others and live for yourself. Live the moment and do as your heart urges you to.
-> Everyone is entitled to happiness.
-> There isn’t a problem in life which can’t be shared.
-> Thought at times our lives seem to be in turbulent waters if we live with dignity and intergrity, God is bound to bring a rainbow of colours and overshadow the grief in ways one can’t imagine.
-> Life is a combination of bitterness, sweetness and grace; same is the case with coffee. When we churn ourselves with this bitterness that life presents us with and add loads of love and patience to it, we get the finest experiences of life.

Buying details:

Amazon.inAmazon.com

Author’s social media handles:

WebsiteInstagramTwitterFacebookLinkedIn

Time to come, Time to go

Photo by Evie S. on Unsplash

A bud,

just starting to bloom.

Soon it becomes

A thing of beauty.

With its vibrant and pleasing colors,

It becomes admirable, inspiring,

A breathtaking thing, that makes passersby

Halt and take notice.

It stays that way,

sometimes for long,

sometimes for short,

But never, forever.

Eventually withering,

Going back to where it came from,

Slowly deteriorating,

and then altogether diminishing.

If we watch its progress closely,

It can be life teaching,

Because, what are we,

If not like a flower,

With our time to come,

and time to go,

already preplanned

And our destinies written beforehand.

What we do with what we’ve been given,

Is in our hands,

Like the flower that inspires the gazers.

But, eventually, we do all have to

Go back where we came from.

****

Thank you for reading.

How to contact me:Connect with me on LinkedIn.Subscribe to my YouTube channel.Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.