Review: Never Been A Loved One

Author: Sivaranjini Ramamurthy.

Genre: General Fiction.

Rating: 🍫🍫🍫

Blurb:

If we are not loved by anyone, it doesn't mean that we will be in the same way forever. One day our life will change, we would be the special person for someone waiting out there, we would be their life, we would be their soul, we would be their breath as we wanted to be, we two halves will become one. But we should move on for that to happen in our life. This is a story of real female protogonist in an unreal story of love, pain, adventure and thrill.

Cover Review:

The cover is pretty generic, and doesn't even have the author's name on it. I'm definitely not a fan. 

Book Review:

Never Been A Loved One starts with the birth of CK—Chandra Kanth—and the death of his mother. His father, unable to bear to be with him, sends him off to live in a boarding school overseas. 

The storyline was actually pretty interesting, and I can say I'd have enjoyed the book if only the narration had been better. I couldn't get into the story at all, because there were no true feelings in it. And even if there were, the author hasn't managed to get them across to me. 

Most of the chapters read like reports, with not many dialogues. As they always tell us in writing class, we're not supposed to 'tell' the readers what's happening. We need to 'show' it to them. That's where this book lacked the most. There was more telling and almost no showing. 

All in all, I believe that the story had potential, but the narration did not.

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Review: The Panchatheertha Part I

Author: Rajiv Mittal.

Genre: General Fiction, Folklore.

Rating: 🍫🍫🍫

Blurb:

The Panchatheertha (five pilgrimages) Part 1 is a facetious, satirical revision of sections 1 & 2 of The Panchatantra, the masterpiece Vishnu Sharma wrote between 1200 BCE to 300 CE. The stories are primarily about statecraft and full of wisdom and morals. Despite that, youngsters found them very entertaining. In the tales, animals act and speak on behalf of human beings. The series begins with a parent story that unfolds story after story; each strung to the other by a narrator.

Vishnu Sharma’s reincarnation Shiva Varma has, in this redraft, revived the ancient Indian tradition of parampara (continuation of knowledge from one guru to the next). In his excitement, he forgot the younger age group of his shishyas (students). His characters now try to explain the motives for their actions, also express their feelings; something The Panchatantra had cleverly avoided doing. Within its pages, animals are still made to think and behave like human beings but have not otherwise been harmed in any way.

The Panchatheertha was considered lost but the discovery of two altered strategies ‘The Loss of Friends’ and ‘Gaining Friends’ should create hope within the large and growing community that has had considerable success with the first and complete failure with the second. Those wanting to meet Shiva Varma are hereby informed he dislikes economists, preferring astrology. He is in samadhi, (seclusion / deep meditation) and not in hiding.

There are many intriguing characters not known to Vishnu Sharma in this adaptation; from a sex consultant plying his trade in the locality Ajilundpenodhoka in district Makasam… to a devadasi (courtesan) wanting to conduct the temple prayers because she is bored… to Sage Narada Muni!

Bibliophiles are urged to read the original Panchatantra (which Shiva Varma did consider including as an appendix), to truly appreciate the extent to which history gets distorted when it is made to explain itself. Historically, the appendix has been viewed as a vestigial organ with no real function. This is why Shiva Varma chose not to include it… or so he claims.

Cover Review: 

I DO NOT like the cover. I mean, there's nothing to the cover except some badly edited images. 

Book Review:

Panchatheertha has been loosely inspired from the classic panchatantra stories we used to read as kids, though this collection has a much more developed, modern form of those stories.

Though the narration reminded me of lores and classic writing style, the dialogues sometime reflected a modern time. Also, the mention of modern gadgets with kings and queens kinda confused me. The timeline of the stories was never clear. 

I liked the stories, but it wasn't something I enjoyed thoroughly. The stories were intriguing enough, but I guess they just weren't for me. 

Even so, it was a good enough read to make me want to finish it. If you enjoy folk/classic takes like the Panchatantra, you might enjoy this book!

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Review: Knotty Affairs

Author: Chirag Bagadia.

Genre: General Fiction, Romance.

Rating: 🍫🍫🍫🍫

A land of countless customs, few things in India get bigger than a big fat wedding. A marriage is a celebration which brings families and friends together. And the ceremony ends with the tradition of the bride leaving her parents' home and moving in with her husband. The groom always has a choice-he can either stay with his parents or stay separately. However, for the bride her 'home' is now a strange place.

Meet Aakash, a young dental intern, who falls in love with Kashish. However, what he doesn't know is that winning her heart was never going to be easy. Kashish is resolute-nothing, not even their budding romance, will come in the way of her devotion to her parents.

Cut to four years later. Akash has fallen in love with Aneri, the only daughter of her parents. However, his father is clearly miffed by this development, and enlists the help of a psychologist friend to help Aakash. Furthermore, his father is also not surprised at the couple's request of entering into a live-in relationship before the marriage. But is Aakash ready to challenge the existing customs for his love? Is he prepared to go to any lengths to see that his love does not shed another tear?

Take this tradition-defying journey with Aakash, Kashish and Aneri as they dare to delve deeper into the web of love and relationships. Warm up to their crazy antics which will leave you wondering-why can't this be my story?!

The cover is cute, not exactly beautiful, but a good cover nonetheless.

Knotty Affairs was the story of a guy who was on the quest to find a perfect life partner. It was full of humour as well as much needed pondering over the age old customs Indian marriages and societies still follow. 

I loved the book because of its uniqueness and because someone finally went out there and said that it's NOT okay to force a girl to move out of her home when the boy clearly gets a choice. That's what made me like the book so much, more than anything else in the book. 

There wasn't much romance. There were love stories, sure, but only a few instances of romance, and that's why I'd shelve the book under general fiction rather than under romance.

Knotty Affairs was a fun, light read at first glance, but it also talked about much more serious topics that need talking about. 

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Review: Seduction by Truth

Author: Mukul Kumar.

Genre: Romance.

Rating: 🍫🍫🍬

Shiva is handsome, an irresistible talker, well-off, lives in Delhi's poshest suburb, is a dutiful husband to the attractive Akriti and is a perfect father to their little son. So why is he the picture of disenchantment?

Is it that not-so-uncommon human condition-boredom that sometimes accompanies fidelity-that haunts him? In Shiva's case, the discovery that Akriti has already found distraction with someone else frees him to look for excitement on his own-but with a mind conflicted between dharma and desire. Which is the path that he will choose to walk on?

Shiva embarks on a journey to empirically explore different options-the sexually vibrant Sana and Mary, to name a few-but at the end, winds up with more questions than he started out with. To confuse things further, Akriti continues to occupy a tender place in his heart-as a woman first and a wife later.

A slice-of-life tale, which is part reality and part legend, Seduction by Truth dares the modern reader to solve civilization's oldest puzzle-marriage.

The cover is intriguing, though even after reading the book, I've yet to understand its symbolism. 

Seduction by Truth was way different than what I'd expected. Reading the blurb, I'd assumed it was a quick romance read with a touch of adultery. 

But reading the book, I realized that it was way different. To me, the book seemed more like a thesis on Adultery than an actual story. It was full of mythological references regarding adultery. 

There was no depth to the characters, and all that happened in the story was Shiva cheated on his wife with three different women, and also spent the whole time thinking whether adultery is just or not. 

So as you can see, I was very disappointed with it. The 2.5 stars are just because atleast there weren't many grammatical errors to suffer through. 

If you're a huge mythological buff, I'd definitely recommend you to check this book out. Otherwise, I'm not so sure you'll enjoy it.

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Review: 2 Day Down

Author: Nikita Lalwani.

Genre: Short Stories, General Fiction.

Rating: 🍫🍫🍫🍫

2-day-down is a compilation of stories of 5 women from different walks of life. Each story digs into one of the five period related problems: Pain | Staining | Sexual Inhibition | PMS | Taboo, through each one's journey. The title signifies the second day of a woman's period, which is said to be the toughest of the five days. The stories are a reflection of the less acknowledged society around us. Through menstrual problems as a window, the book is an attempt to bring light to the intriguing yet briefly understood aspects of womanhood in different age groups.

The cover is simple, but beautiful all the same. The pink silhouette and the details within add a nice touch to the cover. 

2 Day Down is a collection of stories loosely related to the problems faced by women because of menstruation and the weird ways of the society regarding the same. 

I really liked the stories. They were a well needed slap in the face for all those age old customs that still haunt the women of India, while at the same time, the stories had enough light moments to make it an enjoyable read. 

The title irks me a bit, to be honest. Everyone who knows me knows that I'm a grammar Nazi, and the title "2 Day Down" sounds a bit off to me. I think "2 Days Down" would have been more apt, grammatically speaking?

But the stories themselves had scarcely any mistakes, and it was a light and easy enough read. 

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Review: Shine

Author: Jodi Picoult

Genre: General Fiction, Novella. 

Rating: 🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫

Blurb:

Today is Ruth’s first day of third grade at Dalton. The prestigious institution on New York’s Upper East Side couldn’t be more different from her old school in Harlem. Despite being the smartest girl in her grade, Ruth suspects that her classmates and teachers only see her dark skin. She also notices that Christina, the daughter of her mother’s employer, treats Ruth very differently when they’re hanging out with the popular girls rather than playing together. Ruth must navigate between two worlds, never losing sight of the dreams she has for herself—in hopes that someday, someone will see her for who she really is.

Cover Review: 

The cover is colorful, just like the novel. It has blues, pinks and yellows. I love it.

Book Review:

Jodi Picoult is my idol. My Sister's Keeper was the first book I read by her and since then I've read almost all of her books. 

I listened to Shine as an AudioBook and it was all Jodi Picoult. I loved how, even in such a short story, she managed to create such deep characters. 

Ruth was a sweet, caring character, even when she was a small girl, and I'm so looking forward to read more of her story in Small Great Things. 

I love Jodi Picoult for writing about topics that matter, issues that need to be focused on, and Shine was just what I always expect from her, a bunch of awesomeness. 

Okay, so this review may sound more like a fangirl's post than a critique's but I can NOT critique Jodi Picoult's work, all I can do is fangirl about it! 

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Review: Men And Dreams In The Dhauladhar

Author: Kochery C. Shibu.

Genre: General Fiction.

Rating: 🍫🍫🍫🍬

Blurb:

A hydro power project in the remote Himalayas.

Three people brought together by fate. Nanda, an engineer from Kerala at the dam construction site hiding from his past, from the law, torn between the love of his dear ones and the traditional kalari code of revenge.

 

Khusru, a boy displaced from his native village in Kashmir, a gambit in the terror plot threatening to blow up the dam, working as a labour at the site.

 

Rekha, a Kathak dancer in heart, a doctor by profession, arrives at the campsite as the consort of Khusru.

 

A village that accepts the dictates of modernity with a heavy heart, its population steeped in superstitions and religious beliefs.

All throng the camp site like moths to a flame. Some escape untouched,successful; some miss a step and perish.

Each has a story to tell and a dream to realize. The fury of nature and hardship of project life has no mercy for the weak and time for the dead.

Like an eternal spectator the Dhauladhar watches as men risk their limb and life in their quest to full fill their dreams.

Cover Review:

The cover is simple and beautiful. I like it. 

Book Review:

Men And Dreams is a story that reflects the truth of the society, with all its flaws and goodness. 

The three main characters, Nanda, Rekha and Khusru are well created and have individual personality traits. Their struggles are real, as are they. 

The writing style was great, and so was the storyline. It was pretty unique, and I enjoyed delving into the mystique of the Himalayas. 

The only thing that made me reduce the rating was, that at times, the tenses kept changing within a paragraph. Being a budding writer and a grammar Nazi, it really bugged me a lot. 

Though overall, Men and Dreams was an interesting, heartfelt read and I really enjoyed it!

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Review: Then The Doorbell Rang

Author: Capri Jalota

Genre: General Fiction.

Rating: 🍫🍫🍫🍫

Blurb:

One fine morning, Jane wakes up and stands upon the ledge of her 18th floor flat in Dubai Marina. Till a few years back, she was everything that would make anyone jealous – beautiful, rich and successful. But then the wheels of time turned. Today, she is miserable and lonely. Would she get over a deception? Can she forgive herself for deserting a friend? Would she ever find true love? Will karma get the better of her or will life give her another chance to correct the wrongs?

Then the Doorbell Rang is about Jane’s roller-coaster journey as she explores the mystical phenomenon called Life.

Cover Review:

Both the title and the cover made me think that this was a mystery novel. Though it most definitely isn't. The cover though intriguing and relating to the storyline, does not fit well with the genre.

Book Review:

Then The Doorbell Rang begins with Jane thinking about jumping off her balcony and killing herself. Then, the story moves through multiple flashbacks in order to explain her reasons for wanting to do so, and her life in general. 

The story was well written, well planned and easy to follow despite the multiple flashbacks. Though the flashbacks oftentimes weren't written in the correct tenses, which irked me a lot. 

The characters were real, well created and had their own personalities. There were, of course, a lot of characters, but it was easy to keep track of them. 

All in all, Then The Doorbell Rang was an entertaining, interesting read and I'm glad I read it!

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Review: The Boy

Author: Nrupal Das.

Genre: Short Story, General Fiction.

Rating: 🍫🍫🍫🍬

Blurb:

Story of a boy who went to play his usual tennis ball cricket in a nearby field. Nothing was unusual that day. Until in the evening when the boy does not return. and a friend tells her mom that the boy never went to play that day.

A frantic search begins with the neighbours and the boy’s friends pulling in all their resources. Does the boy return? Where did he go? Where was he taken? What happens at the end?

Cover Review:

The cover is dark and beautiful. The shining stars only add to the book's allure. 

Book Review:

The boy was a simple story about a simple boy who loved his parents. It is a story of faith and love. 

The story was well written, with an interesting, full of action storyline. The one thing that irritated me the most was how lengthy the descriptions were. I mean, I'd rather read a shorter version with appropriate descriptions than slog through five pages comprising merely of descriptions. 

It was a short, quick read and I had fun reading it.

All in all, The Boy was a short read with well-crafted characters and a good storyline.

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Review & Giveaway: Times And Places

Author: Keith Anthony.

Genre: General Fiction.

Rating: 🍫🍫🍫🍫

Blurb:

Ten years after his daughter Justine’s death, an anxious Fergus embarks on a cruise with his wife. On board, he meets a myriad of characters and is entranced by some, irritated by others and disgusted by one. These turbulent feelings, combined with a sequence of bizarre events, only lead to his increased anxiety.

In a series of flashbacks, Justine enjoys an ultimately short romance, a woman concludes she killed her and an investigating police officer is drawn into her idyllic world. Fergus, haunted by poignant memories, withdraws in search of answers. 

Back on the cruise, Fergus reaches breaking point, fearing he has done something terrible. By the time the ship returns, his world has changed forever.

Times and Places spans Atlantic islands, the Chiltern countryside, Cornish coasts and rural Slovenia, all of which provide spectacular backdrops to a humorous and moving tale of quiet spirituality.

Cover Review:

The cover is made up of two contrasting colours with orange foxes on a black background. It's simple, artistic and beautiful. 

Book Review:

Times And Places is a book that brings out the extraordinary in ordinary situations. It shows us that even the tiniest happenings can alter our whole future. 

Justine's death is shocking because of how it happened. The simple decision of taking a bus led her to her demise. Her story told me that even the most trivial things matter. 

"Don't worry," he replied with a smile, "I'll live." 

It didn't turn out to be a good prediction.

I loved how so many characters and their various stories were woven together in this beautiful novel.

The cruise taken by Fergus and his wife is full of so many beautiful descriptions of equally beautiful places. 

Times and Places features a myriad of characters, stories and emotions and will leave you with a jumble of feelings!

Giveaway:

Win 3 x Signed copies of Times and Places (Open International)

Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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Review: That's How It's Meant To Be

Author: Shilpi Chaklanobis.

Genre: Romance, General Fiction.

Rating: 🍫🍫🍫🍫

Blurb:

Love transcends distance, time and age. It’s beyond the customs of the world around us that spin us into a frenzy. People meet, they fall in love, that’s where your usual love story might end. But not this one. For this is not a love story, this is a story about love. When Nilanjana meets Vikram in the strangest circumstances, they fall in love with each other against all odds. The quintessential Bengali girl finds herself smitten by your not so spoilt Punjabi guy. But sometimes, life throws lemons at you and you ask yourself, is love enough to keep two people together? Come on the journey of a lifetime that makes you wonder, introspect, dive in your deepest thoughts, only to come out wiser. Experience, anger, joy, surprise and love. Experience, LIFE.

Cover Review:

The cover is okay, but I didn't really like it.

Book Review:

That's How It's Meant To Be is a story about growing up, falling in love, falling out of it, and making your own identity.

I felt that Nilanjana was the only character that was well developed and complete. But I guess since it's her story, it's alright. Not good, but okay. 

The storyline is well thought out, and the writing style is pretty impressive, though the beginning wasn't all that interesting. It was way too passive, with no action. And that's definitely not how I like my beginnings. 

Another thing that irked me was the fact that some characters were only introduced when they were absolutely needed. Like Nilanjana's roommates weren't named or introduced until months later at her birthday party. Similarly, Vikram never talked about his nanny until the accident with his sister. This sudden appearances of new characters were a definite put off, but if you can ignore that fault, the book is actually a pretty good read. 

Overall, it was good enough to finish reading, but I won't be reading it again. 

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Review: The Three Wise Monkeys

Author: Jeet Gian

Genre: General Fiction

Rating: 🍫🍫🍫🍫

Blurb:

The trio—Amar, Akbar, and Anthony—had no clue whatsoever about their goddammit indecisive-careers-and-indefinite-struggles.

And that was because they were born with the Peter Pan Syndrome and were simple enough to be tricked by anyone, including their mystifying girlfriends—Meghna, Farah, and Sarah. And as is the fate of all morons, they were drawn into
trouble—deep trouble—of hiding crores of rupees of black money in secret offshore companies.

Will their mistake of turning a blind eye to the philosophy of ‘See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil’ cost them their careers and put them in prison?
Or

Will Lady Luck change their fortunes forever?

Cover Review: 

The cover depicts the three wise monkeys with all their apparels, consisting of guns and gold and stuff. The cover is quite colorful and contrasts nicely with the title.

Book Review:

The Three Wise Monkeys centers around the topic of black money and how all sections of the economy are busy in hoarding it. It depicts the struggle of the three monkeys a.k.a Amar, Akbar and Anthony, who try to stay honest and ethical in their work, but then have to choose between money and ethics...Of course, it's easy to guess what they choose...

The writing style of the novel is very simple, and yet interesting. Not being a commerce student myself, I found some parts and words that I couldn't understand and wished that the author had written it a little more in layman's terms.

Another thing-that bugged me- I noticed is that the author makes a lot of comparisons. It's okay upto an extent, but 2 comparisons per page gets tiring.

Other than those few minor things, the dialogues are full of jokes, sometimes funny and others not so much. 

All in all, it was an interesting and entertaining read and despite it's faults I still enjoyed it!