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The Extra in Ordinary

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“Stories lived yet untold,

Are worth their weight in gold,

To those with eyes willing to see,

The Extra in Ordinary”

The true stories that live within may be forgotten.

Or immortalized.

The decision rests entirely with you.

132 pages, Paperback

First published May 12, 2021

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About the author

Ashutosh Marathe is an ex-cricketer who has represented India in Under 15 category and has also played for his State in Under 19 and Under 22 matches. He is a merit list holder in H.S.C. examination and has topped the Marketing Management course from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies. He is a partner in two law firms that specialises in consumer litigation.

Ashutosh was brought up in a clustered economic living inhabited by a class of people often referred to as the 'also-ran'. A ring side view of their struggle led to his conviction that ordinary people lead life less ordinary.

His compilation of true stories illuminates that extra he found in the so-called ordinary that is abundantly available but rarely noticed.

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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Profile Image for Dalia (book_o_creativity).
566 reviews81 followers
July 4, 2021
“Stories lived yet untold,
Are worth their weight in gold,
To those with eyes willing to see,
The Extra in Ordinary"

Everyone begins their journey as an ordinary person and no one is born with extraordinary skills or mindsets but ordinary people perform extra ordinary things in their life which we often ignore or deny to acknowledge. This book is one such collection of true stories of people possessing something extra in their traits.

The Extra in Ordinary is a collection of random encounters and experiences of the author with personalities and events that can't be labeled as ordinary as they possess some extra charm to them.

This book has 40+ stories segregated in three different categories. Part 1 is dedicated to more dark and intense events that will lead the reader to more darkest secrets of human mind and build the perception of difference of Black & White from Grey. Most of these real life incidents reveals the twisted mindset of humans that can leave you in awe. And in this part I felt the creativity in author's writing is more profound and vivid with apt amout of gloominess in the writing.

Author has dedicated the second part to some funny incidents of life where the writing gets really light-hearted and jovial.This part has that cheery atmosphere that can lessen the escalated tension from the previous part.

Last but not the least in the inspirational part we get to see some inspirational stories. Here the writing gets really slow, I was feeling a little distracted because of it but there are some really good daily life inspirational stories which we seldom notice.

Overall this book is filled with stories of compassion, honesty, hardship, love and the darkest side of humans with noteworthy writing style. I enjoyed reading this book. Would recommend this to everyone.
Profile Image for Richa Sharma.
229 reviews31 followers
June 28, 2021
There are books that make you cry, books that make you laugh, make you think, make you dream, inspire you. There are books for every kind of a reader, every kind of emotion. Then there are books, that are a blend of all those and so much more.

Such is the book, The Extra in Ordinary. This book of short stories, anecdotes even, show how there is a twist extra in our otherwise ordinary life. The author has penned down his own experiences as well of others, giving us life lessons and little pockets of peace.

The language is fluid, extremely easy to read and I surely recommend this to the beginners. I for one read it on my kindle app just before going to sleep every night and after waking up. The chapters are very short so according to me it was the perfect time to read it

The book is an emotional rollercoaster, each anecdote vastly different than the other. So I took my time with it, reading it at leisure with breaks to ponder and laugh and brood. This kind of book might not be for everyone, as at times even I wanted to know more about a story, about a person, but was left at a cliffhanger.
Profile Image for Solitude and  books.
1,210 reviews56 followers
July 14, 2021
This is a collection of short stories. All Stories are divided into three parts according to their themes into
Intense, Funny and Inspirational.
Each part has 13 short stories each which again begin with a relevant picture presentation.
____
These tales try to present to us that within our mundane day to day life some extraordinarity is hidden within it. We can find it once in a while and it makes life worth it. These moments bring to us the spark of life, the hope that helps us continue it.
____
They all are related to contemporary relatable characters and backdrops. That is way you will feel easily connected to them.
_____
What makes the difference is the smooth, fast paced narration that does drag and presents the folds at appropriate time in lucid yet impactful language.
_____
The nuances of feelings and emotions are conveyed beautifully making them atmospheric stories. I really liked their simplicity yet how they subtly present the exceptional twists in them.
_____
Few stories like Indelible Mark, A Unique Threading ceremony, Broken Clock touched my heart. While others like The Boy Who Knew Too Much and The Wolf again felt quite thoughtful.
_____
I recommend this story book to all who are thinking to start reading as a hobby, short story enthusiasts and people who like reading stories based on real life events.
Profile Image for Tanisha Rahman.
99 reviews1 follower
July 5, 2021
How often do you find a book that has the potential to please all your moods? Not many, right? Here I am with a book recommendation that can cater to your hot-blooded craving, tingle your funny bone as well as uplift your sulky mood.

Stories like 'Parasite' pose serious questions about conscience on the other hand the ones like 'The Wolf' used concepts as deep as Freud's psychoanalysis to explore the human psyche and the fact that the author does so using such mundane and otherwise insignificant experiences is laudable. Even the funny ones, despite being light-hearted, does convey important messages. The short stories under the category of inspiration are like little case studies that sing songs of little achievements - very realistic and relatable.

While their short length make the book a perfect break-time read, the thought behind them maintain a lingering effect on the readers.

After reading just a few of these offbeat short pieces, I was able to realise the sheer significance of the title of the book. The way the extraordinary is brought out from very ordinary experiences manifests the author's competence. Go pick it up for a short but great read.
Profile Image for Jainand Gurjar.
303 reviews14 followers
August 25, 2021
The extra in ordinary is a short story collection by author Ashutosh Marathe. It is divided into three parts and every part consists of 13 stories.

The first part is "Intense". As the title suggests, this part was literally intense and stand strongly on the title. The author has literally raised the hope of readers from the first story itself and the author didn’t disappoint the readers. And while reading the stories from the part itself, you can feel the depth of the title of the book. “The extra in ordinary”, how ordinary stories arises from our surrounding and have always some extra meanings for us in our ordinary life.

The second part is “Funny”. The first two stories of this part are my favorite and it was really fascinating that how the author has picked up these stories from our surroundings and the stories reflected the keen observation of the author. But as the other stories continue, the stories have the fun part in it, but apart from that, they have some intense parts as well as some lessons in it too. For some, it might work great, for some it doesn’t. while some people like the funny part with intensity and lessons, some don’t.

The third part is “Inspirational”. This part is my favorite. Generally, many writers write inspirational stories and they have the inspirational part in it but it doesn’t feel so generous but this time, the author in just two to three pages in each story has created magic or I should say, he has observed his life, his past, his experiences and without adding a pinch of species of unrealistic things, he presented it is as real as it is and this is its key factor. I loved the stories as they were not something fictional or extraordinary, they were real, these were the stories that we all see everywhere around us but just ignore. The author should be appreciated for his work.

Honestly saying, this is one of my favorite short story collections of this year. There are many stories that are my absolute favorite and I will visit them very often. These stories will not leave you very easily, they will be with you, whenever you walk, whenever you visit someone, either you will be at someone’s wedding or at the bank, these stories are ordinary, these stories are of ordinary people and just like there is always some extra in everyone’s life, there is extra in these stories. THE EXTRA IN ORDINARY.

I will recommend this book to everyone. If you are looking for a short story collection, whether you are an absolute beginner or have read many other books in the same genre, you will definitely love it. The language of this book is simple and quite beginner-friendly. So, if you are someone who is looking to come to start your reading journey, this book is for you.
Profile Image for Chirag Malik.
162 reviews13 followers
July 22, 2021
“Use of a product depletes in value. Knowledge is the only thing, the value of which keeps on increasing when put to use.”

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:

Before diving into the introduction let me just appreciate the title of this book, it has resonated completely with the kind the stories that are being shared in the book.

The extra in ordinary is a compilation of 39 short stories from the author’s personal life, categorized into three distinct parts.

Part one covers the intense stories in which the author has shared incidents where the darkest of the human traits are prominent and filth of the human behavior is being manifested. And how sometimes we as humans can stoop down to such low levels both in terms of our character and morals.

Part two is a much-needed break from the intensity of part 1, In this part, he shares some hilarious incidents of his life. My favorite is the story named “Hindi Medium.”

Part 3 is both a cherry on the cake and my favorite part, it covers the inspirational incidents of the author’s life, but there is a slight twist, we always tend to take inspiration from people who are world-class leaders, entrepreneurs, or politicians. Here we get to hear stories of ordinary people striving for doing something EXTRA be it for their families, for themselves, or even for a stranger.

𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:

I loved this book to the core, Each story had something to offer, some of the stories made me laugh, some of them inspired me, some of them put a crystal in my eye and some of them disgusted me.

The narration is the salient feature of this book, Mr. Marathe (the author) is a wonderful storyteller. When this book finished I was craving for more of these heartwarming & real stories. The narration is linear, language lucid and every story maintained a sense of mystery even though it’s just a two-page story.

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐎𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧:

I urge every one of you to read this book. Irrespective of the genre you like, this book can connect with you on a very deeper level.
Profile Image for Vidhika Yadav.
772 reviews37 followers
July 22, 2021
Every regular person, I suppose, has something special; he or she must be good at something we aren't. People aren't born remarkable, but there are some aspects in which we recognise extra attributes in an ordinary person, and this is what is referred to as being extra ordinary.

The book's title is "The Extra In Ordinary," and it is exactly that.

The author has included small stories that are only 2-3 pages long in approximately 100 pages.These are his true life stories and incidents, which are quite touching to read.

These stories depict the human struggle, darkness, and humour, and have been grouped into three categories to reflect this.These stories depict the human struggle, darkness, and humour, and have been grouped into three categories to reflect this. These stories aren't for those searching for a profound, intense read, but they are definitely worth reading if you are looking for serenity, bliss, and something that will leave you smiling.

Even the stories' themes are diverse, but what draws you in is the rawness. These stories will elicit a range of emotions, but the end result will be tranquilly. I enjoy reading anecdotes and was really absorbed while reading this.

I don't think everyone will enjoy it, but if you're searching for something lighthearted, something that feels real and true to life, this is the film for you!
It will cause you to recognise and develop the ability to see something extraordinary in the commonplace, something unique in the everyday
Profile Image for Himanshu.
651 reviews20 followers
July 15, 2021
📌The book "Extra in ordinary" is a stunning book written by the author Ashutosh Marathe.
This is the compilation of quite forty stories under three several varieties.
Part one is assigned to more shady and drastic incidents which will direct the bibliomaniac to the additional darkest mysteries of the human mind.

📌The second part consists of some funny incidents where the writing gets light and jovial.
The third part contains a pleasing environment that will reduce the escalated anxiety from the prior one.

📌The book contains love, suffering, sympathy integrity, and therefore the shadiest angle of humans with noteworthy writings.
Coming with the flat narration and luminous vernacular the book streamed with superb acceleration and therefore the writer's struggles are admirable and praiseworthy for this. I didn't face any trouble while flipping through it.

📌The language used is straightforward, with great narration. I prefer how flawless the narration is. Characters are well built and portrayed. The plot is new and refreshing and therefore the title is extremely well justified.

📌Beautifully composed, with accurate characterization and vivid description.
Language inscribed is simply about easy to comprehend.

Highly recommended..!!
Profile Image for Aditi Mehta.
191 reviews6 followers
July 19, 2021
Ratings : 3.5/5

'The Extra In Ordinary' is a book of many interconnected short stories inspired from author's own life. Each stories tell us about different ordinary individual and how they are extraordinary. The one thing I really appreciated in this book is author not only describes that something extra in positive way, he equally describes the other side of the coin also, totally justifying human nature.

There's a sense of discovery throughout the book, for the reader as well as the characters. This isn't the book which will excite you, this is something which will give you a feeling of calmness. The book is about the people like you and me so it's very relatable but still I found it difficult to completely engross in the book. Some stories are really good but in some the narration didn't help much to keep the reader's hook.

Language is for everyone and overall the book will teach you, you do not have to do extraordinary things to be extraordinary; it is enough that you do ordinary things differently. It is enough that you live life by a set of values, without following the herd. And you have to follow the same set of rules for yourself as you do for others. And, well "extra" is just an addition to the ordinary.
Profile Image for Aswathy.
185 reviews12 followers
July 20, 2021
The book 'The Extra In Ordinary' is a collection of amazing short stories and these stories portray some real life incidents. These short stories are interesting, witty, heart touching and inspirational.

As the title indicates, this book contains some extraordinary stories that the author found in the lives of common people around him. I loved the concept of this book as it highlighted the fact that every life is important and even an ordinary person has an extraordinary story about his life to tell.The whole book is divided into three parts. The first part contains some intense stories and most of the stories are heart touching. One of the stories that really made me sad was the one named 'White Lie'. The second part contains some witty stories which are light and funny. The third part includes some inspiring stories which makes the readers realise that every life is extraordinary.

All the short stories in this book are light and easy to read. Therefore, I was able to finish this book in one sitting. Another interesting thing about this book is that the content of all the stories are different from each other. Overall it was a good read. I would recommend this book to everyone who loves reading short stories.
Profile Image for Arun Verma.
411 reviews8 followers
December 17, 2022
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞.

It is a bunch of outstanding true stories from the life of author. It consists of 39 short stories out of which some are intense and funny while others are inspirational.

Filled with essence of positivity, author has penned down each story with candidness. The stories are short and simple with great message. Each story ends up either with a question or line which will make you think.

What I liked most about the stories was the sense of humanity filled in each story. Whether it's a story under funny theme or intense, each story depicts another version of humanity and kindness.

Starting from ‘The boy who knew too much’ to ending with ‘Sweat equity’ each story is filled with intense emotions. Some stories will inspire you while some stories will left you in awe. Stories like Indelible mark, Parasite and White lie are some of my favorite stories. Stories like Great escape and crossword will surely make you laugh.

I read each story every day and I found them as a great companion. However bad or tough the day was, the stories made it lighter. These stories are soothing, peaceful and ignite optimism in chaotic mind.
Profile Image for Bookswithavinish.
2,055 reviews59 followers
October 19, 2022
"The extra in ordinary " by Ashutosh Madhukar Marathe is a short story collection. And it us divided into three parts, where each part consist of 13 stories . In first part stories are mostly intense and he has done a wonderful job and author raises the bar since , the beginning of the story. To kept the readers on the edge of their seats to know what will happen next ? Although the second part is bit funny . It was quite fascinating the way author has picked up these stories from surroundings . And they beautifully reflected the keen observations.

The narration is flat with engaging and gripping writing style . Characters are well penned and plot is very intriguing and title of the book sums up the entire theme and concept of the book.

The language of the book is lucid and smooth with incredible vocabulary. I will recommend this book to everyone. And especially for those who are eagerly looking for short- story collection , it is well suited for everyone .Even though if you are a beginner, overall i really enjoyed reading this book .

Must read❤❤
56 reviews7 followers
June 19, 2021
Book : The Extra in Ordinary by Ashutosh Marathe

What makes an ordinary man extra-ordinary?
Is it his skills, his knowledge and wisdom or is it his story?
I say its his story. It's not only the rich and famous that have brilliant stories to tell, seemingly ordinary people around us often have such intense, funny and inspiring anecdotes that enthrall us with their extraordinariness.
The book is divided into three parts : Intense, Funny and Inspirational, each of which have a dozen small stories which take hardly 3-4 minutes to read but they manage to take you on a roller coaster ride of emotions in that time.
Reading these stories feel like listening to anecdotes from your friends or elders sitting around the dining table after a hearty dinner.
While you read the stories you also develop a life sketch of the narrator, author Ashutosh Marathe, whose own life is no less inspiring.
I particularly liked the story 'Jekyll and Hyde' which is one of the most intense stories I've recently.
Profile Image for Arbaz Khan.
Author 2 books1 follower
June 22, 2021
📙 Book: The Extra in Ordinary
Author: Ashutosh Marathe
Genre: True Accounts
Language: English
Publisher: Notion Press
Published on: 12 May 2021

The quality of a writer lies in the story he/she creates. Whether it is a long and strong story or a short story and the result of these stories, the reader learns something in the end.

It is believed that a person becomes intellectual due to the stories happening around him when you read the parts written by the author of this book such as:
Intense,
Funny and Inspirational stories, you will also feel intellectual from within. By getting lost in the imaginary world of each story crafted so well, you will remember the conclusion and the learning till your life remains.

Some of my best highlights from this book:

💫 Punishment is what you do to someone while discipline is what you do for someone
💫 Compassion without action is just observation
8 reviews
June 27, 2021
I like to read more and more blogs, this book is written in blog style, and each story gives some meaningful message. Here I will not go into the depth of the meaning of the stories because it is the perception of the readers that they can interpret what they read on their own.

Out of all the stories some stories remain in my mind, like the story of a poor boy and a lawyer (The boy who knew too much), we mostly see on the street that these people often come to us and ask for food, not the money. Another story "A unique Threading Ceremony" refreshes my memory of my grandmother who always had to struggle to pass the thread through the eye of a needle.

All these stories have been classified by the author into two parts as "Intense and Funny". I highly recommend everyone to read all the stories. Congratulations to the author for his impeccable effort and we look forward to seeing more from him.
Profile Image for Sucharita Parija.
240 reviews7 followers
October 24, 2022
The book "The Extra In Ordinary" left an undeniable mark on my mind long after I had finished it. It is simple in unusual styles of daily life. The book is a collection of short stories, yet they are unique ones. It has three sections—each with 13 fiery tales. The book cover is impressive, and the title is apt to the book's theme.

A thousand incidents happen in our immediate surroundings in day-to-day life. Yet, we see and ignore them that portray actual pictures of our so-called concerned society. "The Wolf" is not a chilling story; It feels guileless.

The simple virtues and emotions have been presented in an artistic style through factual incidents. One can love or hate the tales, yet the happenings cannot be ignored. The book perfectly blends sentiments, humor, evilness, and goodness. The author has weaved magic through his words, transforming from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

Book- The Extra In Ordinary
Author- Ashutosh Marathe
Genre- Drama/Family
Profile Image for Walkwitha_book.
667 reviews33 followers
July 28, 2021
“Stories lived yet untold,
Are worth their weight in gold,
To those with eyes willing to see,
The Extra in Ordinary”
 
The true stories that live within may be forgotten.
Or immortalized.
The decision rests entirely with you.

This book is a collection of short extraordinary stories. This book is divided into 3 parts: Intense, Funny and Inspirational. Each part has 13 short stories which I really enjoyed reading. All the stories are inspired from author’s real life experiences.

A lot of emotions have been depicted in this book. The characters and the stories are diverse. A connective read.

It was very difficult to put this book down. The titles are really impressive. Every chapter has been initiated with a photograph. The best part I liked about this book are the titles, deep to understand.

Recommended to everyone. Short and a perfect read.

104 reviews3 followers
August 17, 2021
This book is a collection of short stories. Stories are divided in three categories. This was such a short and interesting read that I couldn't keep it down without finishing it.

Writing style of the author is remarkable it keeps you hooked till the end which shows the quality of good storyteller. Although the incidences described in the book are ordinary but are full of human emotions. Author wrote the stories from very different perspectives of banker, father , cricketer, lawyer, husband and a son

Stories are short and crispy. According to me everyone can easily relate to stories and characters. I could easily connect with the characters. Language used in the book is very simple. Book is as brilliant as its title. I found the title of the book attractive.
42 reviews2 followers
August 17, 2021
Here "the extra in ordinary" Is a collection of short stories. With intense , funny and inspiring emotions blend together.

Usually books uphold one emotion either happy or intense but this book with such blend made me love it.
Every story is really a quick read, perfect for your breaks and make you feel calm.

The book upholds different stories, some will force you to think over worlds dark side, intense, evil side. On the other read will make you laugh out loud.
And at the end will inspire your soul the most. Language is quiet easy with perfect gripping.
1 review3 followers
January 17, 2023
Beautiful stories that will lead you down familiar lanes of your childhood in India, allowing you to reminisce but also make observations that will warm your heart, heartily giggle or send chills down your spine.

Baba has penned this book with all his heart, I urge you to read it and see my country, communities and it's people's life closely!
Profile Image for Kesu.
370 reviews6 followers
October 3, 2021
🍁 How often do you live in nostalgia? Would you spend your entire day reminiscing about those nostalgia to put them into a jar of the collection of your motivation, inspiration, and giggles? Certainly, the author has done that in this book; part memoir, partly non-fiction, and completely nostalgic and inspirational piece of work. I have never been to Mumbai and never faced the daily life of a Mumbaikar, but a reader can experience that via Marathe's word. As the title suggests, there is something 'extra' in every story crafted in the form of a blog in a very 'ordinary' way.
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📖 There are 3 segments in the book and consists of 13 short stories in each segment with page counts in between 2-4 pages.
🔹 Intense - The segment, where the endings of each story hold a sudden thrill.
Parasite, Jekyll and Hyde, The Saint are some of the stories one can surely check out to get a pure intense moments.
🔹 Funny - This segment is partly funny and partly thought-provoking. While Crossword, A Masterstroke, and Faux Pax come under the funny category, on the other hand, Aromatic Experience and The race he aced is certainly the thought-provoking ones.
🔹 Inspirational - As the title suggests all of the stories are inspirational and Insightful. One return ticket, Sore thumb, and Broken clock are some of the stories among them which hold a greater side of the segment.
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🍁 Written in a blog format, the book can be and an easy pick for every age group and any genre preferring readers. Because of the memoir format, Marathe hasn't focused much on the literature rather he has focused more on portraying and conveying the words to a larger audience. If you are a fiction reader and love to read short stories then this for you.
Hope you will love reading it. Until then, happy reading.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews