It's All About Books!!!: 2017

Thursday, 9 November 2017

Forever is True by Novoneel Chakraborty (Book Review- 4.25*/5) !!!

The book “Forever is True” is the 2nd book in the two book series where the 1st book was named “Forever is Lie”. “Forever is True” starts right from where the 1st book ended and kept us waiting to know what eventually happens in the end with the characters which are so miserably trapped in a web which they do not have any idea about. As always, Novoneel Chakraborty has used his typical style of writing where some strange activities keep happening with the protagonist and his closed ones and the reader is unable to comprehend what the real matter is. The good part about this series is that Novoneel has kept the character of culprit hidden throughout and once we get to know who he/she really is, we find it believable and still support him/her.

To be precise, the climax is worth a wait for the reader who has to finish two books to get to know the real person behind all the killings on the birthday of Saveer Rathod right since he was in school. The narrative is very interesting which does not let you keep the book d own until you know the suspense. The built-up of the story and curiosity is very well done. Being the 2nd book, the challenge for the author was double to keep the book in sync with the first one and still deliver double of it. The author almost achieves this and which is what makes this series one of the recommended books by him. Novoneel knows how to write psychological thriller better than anyone else in India and this is what makes him still the favourite among so many peers and Indian authors.

With this book, Novoneel has evolved better than all his previous books and comparing this work with the Stranger Trilogy, this one is far ahead than that. Talking about the drawbacks of this book, I would say that there should have been some parallel story showing the lifestyle and timelines of the culprit too to make the audience feel more excited about the villain of the story. This is a normal flow in Novoneel’s story that the main culprit is revealed only in the end so it becomes quite risky for him as a storyteller to assure that reader feels the same churn he expects them to have after knowing the killer. Rest, this book is a perfect page-turner and a wonderful thriller with a fine climax. I give this book 4.25* out of 5.

Thanks.

Abhilash Ruhela

Monday, 4 September 2017

Immortal India by Amish Tripathi (Book Review- 4*/5) !!!

Taking just the name “Amish Tripathi” is itself self-explanatory and makes you appreciate the revolution and surprise that he brought in the Indian publishing market with his Shiva Trilogy which is still talked as if it got released last week. After publishing 5 fictional mythology books, Amish Tripathi has come out with his first non-fiction work named “Immortal India” which is a short read of less than 200 pages that can be read in a single sitting of less than 6 hours itself. I have been reading Amish Tripathi’s articles as published since his arrival in Indian book industry hence I know his non-fiction writing capabilities and the book wasn’t much a surprise to me. But for the folks who have read only his fiction books will enjoy reading this book by him and appreciate it as much as his fiction books.

Amish Tripathi has shared his newspaper articles, magazine pieces and several speeches that he delivered at best conclaves, debates and public appearances. The best part about all these articles is his straight-forwardness about the issues. Amish Tripathi does not shy away from speaking his mind irrespective of what religion he follows, which political party he endorses and whatever ideologies he believes in.

The book starts with the section- Religion & Mythology in which my favorite articles are about why the author adores Lord Shiva among all the Gods, The Purpose of God, Recasting mythology and the alternate ending of the Shiva trilogy. The next section is about the social issues our country is facing as of now where author has very rightly narrated about how LGBT issue is never said to be criminal in any of our scriptures. Another impactful chapter is about how religious conversion is negative and never churns anything productive out of it. Almost every chapter in this section is unbeatable and the choice of putting them in the book is commendable. The data shared regarding the difference between our country and others tell us about how great we really are and how wrongly we are projected in newspapers.

The section about history is something for which I would like to personally thank Amish Tripathi. He discusses those topics that people aren’t aware about even a bit. The best information for me has been the chapter State vs Centre where author discusses how the decentralized powers are better than a centralized arrangement. And the last section- Musings is the best closure to this non-fictional attempt which brings the readers closer to their favorite author. Overall, this is a wonderful attempt and I would wish to read many more non-fictional works from the author. Amish have stamped his mark even in this genre too. I give this book 4* out of 5. I am not giving it more because the articles are already on the public forum and hence something distinct was also expected from the book. Recommended!

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!

Thursday, 31 August 2017

Forever Is A Lie by Novoneel Chakraborty (Book Review- 3.5*/5) !!!

Though Novoneel is one of my favorite Indian pulp-fiction writer, I, still, end up reading his books months after its release. This is the first time that it has happened that I have read the book in the same month of its publishing. I have just ended up reading another thriller by him named “Forever is a lie”. If any one of the Indian authors who has really enhanced his skills and showed vast improvement since his/her 1^st book, its none other than Novoneel. His books leave such an impact that even after you are done with it, you keep thinking about it. Same has been the case after reading FIAL. I am more impatient after reading it because the last three words of the book are “To be continued”. This is what I had not assumed that the book must be having a sequel otherwise I had waited for the whole part to release like I did at the time of Stranger trilogy.

Novoneel’s narration is perfect which makes the timeline understandable to the reader in spite of it being little messy in the beginning. The “Mean Monster” thing sounds quite cheesy and unrealistic but the way author handles it immediately before it pisses off the reader is great. The revelation of the real personality behind this name is what starts making this book magical. The chemistry between him and Prisha Srivastav, the protagonist of the book, is nicely portrayed in the movie and it all sounds genuine irrespective of the childishness of Prisha and maturity of the Mean Monster. The philosophical quotes shared in between of the story in voice of any of the characters are again why I love Novoneel’s books.

The suspense part that has still not revealed in this book is the only drawback of the book. A reader feels cheated when he is not told that the book is 1^st part of the many to come in future or the main revelation of this part of the story is also left for the 2^nd part of it. I felt the same in the climax when I didn’t get to know anything about a character that is kept hidden from the readers. Though I know that the 2^nd part will amaze me a lot, I had expected at least some conclusion with this book. Anyways, talking about the anti-climax and climax, it has been beautifully summed up with some fast-paced events which excite you. It is like an orgasm for the readers. Haha! I felt the first goose bump the moment a paragraph tells about something happening at Mean Monster’s home which is not done by him. That itself thrilled me. Rest of the book has just been plus after that. I give this book 3.5* out of 5 as of now because it didn’t deliver the conclusion. Looking out desperately for the 2^nd part of this book.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!

Wednesday, 30 August 2017

7 Secrets of Vishnu by Devdutt Pattanaik (Book review- 4*/5) !!!

Reading Devdutt Pattanaik’s books are such an eye-opener even for Hindus who believe that they know everything about their God and customs. I am just done reading the 2nd book of the Hindu Trinity Series which is named “7 Secrets of Vishnu”. The book is again written in the same format with each page consisting of a diagram/image and the opposite page consisting of texts related to the God in discussion. This book tries to decode the Lord Vishnu and the explanation behind many of his avatars and the thought process behind each of them. The importance of each of the avatars in the Hindu mythology has been discussed.

Devdutt Pattanaik has used a very simple language and assures that after the reader finishes the book, he remembers most of the articles and pieces discussed. After reading the book on Shiva, this book sounds more simplistic and easy to understand. The following entities associated with Vishnu are described in the following 7 chapters: Mohini’s Secret, Matsya’s Secret, Kurma’s Secret, Trivikrama’s Secret, Ram’s Secret, Krishna’s Secret and Kalki’s Secret. I, particularly, liked the last three chapters where Lord Rama, Lord Krishna and Kalki are discussed in brief about what is their prominence in our modern society.

Many incidents from Mahabharata have been discussed which clears lots of myth and lets us know about the small incidents that lead to the bigger events. The way author stays democratic in his views and discusses both the good and bad points about the Lord and his differences against Lord Shiva is worth-appreciating. This book is must for everyone who wants to know Lord Vishnu’s philosophies and the perspective of each of his avatars. I rate this book 4 star out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!

Monday, 21 August 2017

Despite Stolen Dreams by Anita Krishan (Book Review- 4.5*/5) !!!

I am just done reading 48^th book of this year and what an incredible stuff this book is- “Despite Stolen Dreams”. The book is written by Anita Krishan and published by Fingerprint! publication. While reading the bio of the authoress, I got to know that she has already published two novels. After reading this one, I am sure to pick them very soon though I don’t believe that she can ever match the magic she has woven in the book. Whenever any story is based upon Kashmir or India-Pakistan border or terrorism, it gets boring after a while because of the depressive state of characters that is spoken right from the first page to the last. Even the climax is always sad and predictable which makes almost all the books based on this topic sound like one.

I had the same expectation from this book too after reading the synopsis but that’s what made me excited about the book when I completed the first 30% of it. The book talks less about the depressive stories of the characters who have been victim of brutality but talks more about how they have forgotten about the tragic circumstances of their life and moved on. The book tries to spread positivity and the author’s efforts are clearly visible in these sections. The initial pages of the book makes you chill reading about how a family is been held captive just because the team of terrorist want the daughter of the house to marry one of their members. The author’s hold on the language and narrative can be easily judged from these initial pages itself.

Later on, the chemistry between Wali and Kashmira Singh is the USP of this book for which I shall always remember it even after suffering memory loss. That’s the impact the conversation between these two characters do to you. Also the other characters discussed in their colony and how they help them speaks a lot about the author’s motive behind writing this novel. The social issues described through the stories of different characters are very nicely handled without being too preachy or cliché. The anti-climax of the book is another great part of the book where Shakeel’s story is narrated separately. It brings the much needed change in the plot of the story. Talking about the climax, I liked how with all the tense moments etc. the book ends on a happy note. Overall, this is a book that you will always want to keep in your shelf. I give the book 4.5 star out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!

7 Secrets Of Shiva by Devdutt Pattanaik (Book Review- 3.75*/5) !!!

Reading two books in queue from the Indian mythology master: Devdutt Pattanaik surely made an impact upon me. I am just done reading another book from the Hindu Trinity Series named “7 Secrets of Shiva”. Any book that is written with good research and experimentation surely spreads some great knowledge. Indian mythology always had lots of version which always made it very confusing for the devotees and readers. The good thing about this book is that author tries to explain us every theory behind the existence of Shiva and the thought process that Lord believes in.

Devdutt Pattanaik discusses about the seven different versions of Shiva and his participation in those respective avatars. The seven different aspects of Shiva that are discussed in the book are: Lingeshwara, Bhairava, Shankara, Bholenath, Ganesha, Murugan and Nataraja. It is astonishing to know about the differences in all the perspective of these aspects yet a common thread that binds all of them with the Lord Shiva. The visual representation on every page helps the reader understand the incidents and spirituality behind the scene clearly.

There are few logics which are not described nicely in the book because of which they bounce over the head. It is very difficult for a common man to understand what exactly author is trying to convey. Only if in those few narrations, author could have handled it in easy language the book would have become perfect. The way Shiva’s linga is described and briefed in first chapter is the best start to the book which describes Shiva in the best way possible. My favorite chapter is the one in which Bholenath and Ganesha are discussed. It is joyful reading about Shiva as Bholenath who is very innocent totally contradictory to his regular image. Rest of all the chapters is also okay. I give this book 3.75* out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!

Wednesday, 16 August 2017

7 Secrets From Hindu Calendar Art by Devdutt Pattanaik (Book Review- 3.5*/5) !!!

We are lucky to have someone like Devdutt Pattanaik as one of the most popular authors in India who also manages to publish as many books as possible for him to do. This makes us read some very amazing facts about our mythology, religion and faith. I have just ended up reading one of his recently published books by Westland Publication named “7 Secrets From Hindu Calendar Art”. The book speaks about the images that we see since childhood in our home and others but never get to know the meaning and story behind these paintings. Pattanaik has tried to decode the meaning behind the images for the readers and believers of Hinduism.

This is one of the quick-read types of book by Devdutt Pattanaik which can be completed in a single sitting and is best when you are travelling. I completed this book in a day sitting in the Mumbai local while traveling for office. The book shares many images which I had seen in my home, temples and everywhere and also got to see the ones from different regions of India which I would have never been able to explore. The concepts behind the images let us know that even if the images portray God in different forms, ultimately, they are one and the same. Devdutt Pattanaik discusses this very intelligently and wisely about how a single God is been modified in different forms for different purposes and messages.

Devdutt also does not shy from telling the mistakes and confusion been created in few of the creative images but also tries to reason why it must have been portrayed in that form. The only problem with reading this book is that sometimes the image is not on the same page hence you have to turn the image every time to refer. The labeling over the image is also appropriately done. The book is nicely researched while some segments are mentioned just by the basic knowledge Pattanaik already had about mythology. The best part of the book is that the author does not try to insult any of the portrayals. This book is a one-time read for sure. I give it 3.5* out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!

Wednesday, 9 August 2017

5 Break-Free Truths by Vijaya & Amol (Book Review- 3*/5) !!!

No one can separate a reader from reading non-fiction books in queue if he has picked up the first one from the genre. Something similar has happened with me. These days I am enjoying non-fiction books than any other books. I am just done reading “5 Break-Free Truths” which also comes with a tagline “Discover your potential and achieve extraordinary success”. The book is written by the duo- Vijaya Suvarna and Amol Muley and published by my favorite non-fiction publication house- Jaico. This 230 pages book tells us a lot about the preconceived notions in our mind that we have created about something. It tells how we have blocked our mind from thinking anything beyond the confinements that we have created around it. This book is an eye-opener for everyone who wishes to achieve something but keeps on blaming someone else for its incompletion.

The book is nicely divided into chapters and a similar format under each chapter which makes it easy for the reader to understand the basic problem that has been identified in the chapter and then reading further comes to know what exactly the Truth behind our version of distorted truth is. The way author asks us to analyze our problems by also giving multiple statements of similar section of problem is quite helpful to understand exactly what kind of problems can be solved by following the suggestions provided in the particular chapter. The examples given in the chapter are nice. The only problem is that some of them are so descriptive and long that it becomes boring after a point of time as we already know what problem the protagonist in that part of the story must be facing. Such chapters could have been discussed just in a page or two.

The 5 break free truth that are discussed are worthy enough to be written in a book format to let the people recognize the ultimate truth behind all the confinements they have created in their life for not achieving something. Yes, I believe that the book is not super-motivating but few tips provided in it will surely bring effect in the life of the reader as people will stop blaming and start working. The case-studies in the end is a nice ending to the book. Overall, the book is an okay effort in this genre and I give it 3 stars out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!

Tuesday, 8 August 2017

The Leader Who Had No Title by Robin Sharma (Book Review- 4.5*/5) !!!

If there’s one author whose book I pick up whenever I need an answer for anything in my life, it’s Robin Sharma. The way he articulates his sentences and frames his paragraph makes a lot of chemical reaction to take place within your mind and body. The sudden changes that you start seeing in your attitude and thoughts after completing his books are remarkable. He is the epitome and zenith in the genre that he writes and a legend of course. He had changed my life at a point when I had already given up on it and was regularly thinking about committing suicide. He is my favorite author and now when I was actually little upset with few decisions of mine, I picked up another great book of his “The Leader Who Had No Title” which is written fictionally but speaks only volumes and no nonsense.

The great thing about the book is that it tells you how to improve personally and automatically find difference in your job, business, personal life and inner feelings. The book tells you that to become a leader at something, one should not wait until and unless one does not get a position, designation etc. to perform leadership. He gives the guidance through different chapters how one can be a leader even without a formal title or acceptance from the masses. Though the book is published couple of years ago, it is prominent still in the current business scenarios.

The book is wonderfully handled by fictionalizing it and showing the protagonist meeting four different personalities who teach him four different leadership fundamentals with five pointers each that changes his total approach in just a day time. The author has handled the story in such a way that you feel yourself as protagonist and concentrate on each and every sentence being spoken by the four personalities. The climax is also nicely handled which sums up the reason for which all the guidance suggested in the book should be followed from the present hour. Once again, Robin Sharma has been able to create magic and change people’s life through his book and this is definitely one of this best works. Talking about the drawbacks, I would say that there are many things that are repetitive from his previous 10 books or so. Also, his style of fictionalizing a book is almost similar every time which makes it little boring at times in between. Rest, this is one of the most recommended books read by me. I give it 4.5 stars out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!

Tuesday, 1 August 2017

The Art Of Mentoring by Ravishankar Gundlapalli (Book Review-3.75*/5) !!!

Reading non-fiction book after reading fiction stories regularly makes you reach a different level of thinking and thought process itself. I have just finished reading the non-fictional attempt named “The Art Of Mentoring” written by the debutante, Ravishankar Gundlapalli. Generally, whenever we discuss about the self-help section of non-fiction books, there are always almost the same topics on which the author discusses throughout the book- how to be happy, how to be socially active, how to avoid stress etc. This book is totally different from all the self-help books I have read recently. It talks about how we can be a good mentor to people who are in quest to learn and also discusses about what are our responsibilities as a mentee.

The book begins with a long explanation by the author about why he wrote this book and how it would be helpful for the readers. This has taken a long time which makes sense as author wanted the reader to know the goal before starting to read this book. After that, author discusses about the myths of mentoring that people generally believe and sidelines it thinking that it’s not so important to spend his/her time in mentoring someone. And after this the real stuff begins where the author discusses about the points that a mentor should follow to be a good person to give guidance to people who are in actual need and can bring difference to the society. After discussing about the mentor, author focuses on the responsibilities of a mentee who needs a mentor to learn new things desperately and reach to another level of performance altogether.

The book is nicely written with diagrammatic representation in middle of the chapters which makes the experience of reading this book interesting. This book can be completed within one sitting of 1 to 1.5 hours itself. The points discussed are nicely briefed and described which makes it easy for the reader to remember and implement them later on. As Mentoring is not discussed much as a topic either in college books, this attempt is surely distinct and something which is essential as at any point of time in life, there are people who are looking forward to us for guidance while even we are looking out for someone who can lead us towards our goal and dreams. I give this book 3.75* out of 5. It is surely recommended for the people who want to be leaders and the people who are looking out for someone to lead them. Go for this book.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!

Wednesday, 26 July 2017

Himalayan Lust by Sadhguru (Book Review-3.5*/5) !!!

In the books and authors that speak only about spirituality, I have gone through many books but finally found my home and solace in the books and words of Sadhguru. I can identify with every word that he speaks. Even if something that I am not able to understand, following some advises of his makes it possible for me to decipher the meaning of what he wanted to speak in that particular chapter or paragraph. I am just done reading his “Himalayan Lust” written in the year 2010. It has become my task these days to read all the books of Sadhguru one by one and follow the path of meditation. Because they he describes meditation and concentration, no one else does.

Himalayan Lust is about the conversation of Sadhguru with the seekers who joined his adventure of trekking over Himalayas. As everyone could not be with Sadhguru in this great experience of being at Himalaya, this book helps the reader to understand the thought process of each peak and mountain with significance as Sadhguru talks about specific topics only at respective peaks. The dialogues between the Seekers and the Sadhguru is nicely edited and presented which helps the reader to understand the topic in flow. Otherwise it would have been very messy for the reader to understand what exactly is being talked about.

Sadhguru answers many difficult questions like why saints chose only mountains for meditation, how does one know that which Guru is real, how does one understands that one is in need of meditation, how much is several myth related with a normal person who has never been in touch with meditation etc. The best thing about the book is that even after the book is based in Himalayas, Sadhguru presents his ideas and tools in such a way that it does not sound religious from any point of view. Any person of any religion will find his talks relevant and customized for himself. The only drawback of the book is that I found Sadhguru talking too much about his greatness in this book unlike many of his books and speeches. I was surprised to notice this again and again. Another problem is that the book is not much about Himalayas as the title goes. This is just another book on spirituality by Sadhguru but has nothing to do specifically with Himalayas or mountains. I give this book of Sadhguru 3.5 star out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!

Monday, 24 July 2017

A Sister To Honour by Lucy Ferriss (Book Review- 4*/5) !!!

I have never read any book by Lucy Ferriss before but while browsing through the books published by Fingerprint publishers, one of my favorite publication houses in India, I got to read the title of the book “A Sister To Honour” which made me pick up the book and read it this weekend. The cover page of the book says a lot but its only after you end up reading this almost 400-pages book that you are able to comprehend what this book wanted to let us know. The way author has discussed some contemporary issues through this story is worth-praising. We only hear in news about honour killing etc. but after reading this book, the mentality that few regions, religions, sect etc. has will open your eyes as an individual.

This book is about a Pakistani girl who goes to USA following her brother who is already settled there as a star athlete. She never knew what future had for her. She just wanted to finish her medical studies in this part of the world. But one photograph of her holding hand of an American man that gets posted on Internet changes her life. Even her brother, Shahid, who is expected to save the honour of his sister, is considered a crime-in-partner for not being able to save his sister from getting into such acts. This would have been a normal case for any American girl to do but for a girl belonging from Pakistan primarily, this case leads to investigations and what not.

The way author lets us know the point of view of each character by speaking the story in the first-person voice makes it easy for us, as a reader, to understand the different mindset of people. At some moments, we feel like hitting some character speaking their mind for being so miserable in their thinking and close-mindedness that it becomes hard to accept some truths in the form of this fictional story. The book is nicely written which makes us read every page with details to capture every minute details about the people’s reactions, mindset and thinking.

The first half of the book sets the plot of the book while the second half of the book actually plays the purpose behind writing this novel. The good thing about this attempt is that author has based the whole thing in USA to make the reader understand about how two totally different cultures resides on this same planet itself where something is very casual at one end of the world while it is a crime in the opposite end of it. Such a bold topic is very greatly handled by the author and I give this 4 star out of 5. I would ask everyone to read this book and also ask everyone to read this book in your circle that belongs to such close-minded society. Kudos to the author for attempting something like this. Recommended!

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!

Sunday, 23 July 2017

Warjuna- Book 1: Mrithasu Rising by Krishnaraj (Book Review-3.75*/5) !!!

Since Shiva Trilogy has made it mark in the Indian literature market, I have seen many authors trying out their creative piece in the same genre by writing stories based in the historical era. Many authors have done well in it while many have failed badly. I know many books that were meant to be a trilogy but never came out with their 2^nd part because the first one itself didn’t work with the readers. It’s very tough to garner the interest of readers when you are writing in the same genre as everyone in the contemporary period where the particular stuff has become fashionable. However, I just completed reading the book named “Warjuna” which is said to be the first book in the trilogy based on the rising of the Mrithasu. The book is written by the author Krishnaraj and published by Notionpress.

This 300-pages book doesn’t allow the reader to get up from his seat and leave it even for a second. The book engages you right from the first page itself. The author does not take time in introducing Arjuna with the readers and makes sure that he is regularly involved in all that takes place throughout the plot. The way author has managed to take out some characters from the epic, The Mahabharata, and use them in a totally new story based in another era makes this book special. Earlier, it took me sometime to understand how exactly is the book related with Mahabharata but after reading some more pages, I understood that it is a totally new fantasy fictional world that the author have created in this book.

The book is very fast-paced and the story regularly moves forward without boring the reader at any point. Some or the other events keep taking place in the whole set-up of war and the ideologies shared between the characters and the way war is proceeded with different political mindset gives the reader what he desperately asks for. The only problem with the book is that to move the story ahead in a very speedy manner, author has forgotten to give some time to develop the characters. The characters are just used as a stepping stone in this story and only the main protagonist is discussed in detail. Anyways, the way author describes action-packed scenes, nature, Mother Earth, war-based scenarios tells a lot about how deeply he fantasizes the world within his mind and only after which he shares it with his readers. Overall, this book will make you imagine each and every sentence in your mind and take you to a different world itself. I give this 3.75* out of 5. I am definitely waiting for its 2^nd part to release soon and take the author’s work a level up.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!

Black Suits You by Novoneel Chakraborty (Book Review: 4*/5) !!!

There is not a single book that I have missed by Novoneel Chakraborty because of the suspense that is always involved in his books. Not always I have enjoyed the final climax but still I love whatever he writes because he doesn’t only narrate a suspense thriller but make the reader to keep thinking in parallel about what will happen with the protagonist in the end. His thrillers are very different from what I read from other popular authors of India. I am just done reading “Black Suits You”, the latest released novel of Novoneel, however, his another book is up for pre-order already. His speed of writing and publishing book is something I am sure his publishers would be very happy and grateful about. Haha!

Black Suits You is an amazing thriller where the protagonist is shown involving in an affair with a girl even after he is in relationship with Anaysha. He is been made to fall for this new girl named Kashti by her even though he finds the whole thing very scary. He breaks up with his girlfriend, Anaysha, on the day of their engagement just because he gets a “gift” from Kashti which makes him not say “NO” to her. And from here onwards, he is been dominated by Kashti and being followed everywhere. And then begins the real story of this book which will make the readers keep turning page to know what happens next.

Author’s decision to tell Anaysha’s story from her own voice in the form of the diary notes is nice as it makes the narration more fluid and systematic. The reader gets to understand the parallel thought of Anaysha after knowing what is up with the life of Kiyan, the protagonist. The suspense is nicely built up in spite of the linkages that the characters have amongst each other in a correlated timeline. The pre-climax is wonderfully handled where the final thrilling part is out and we come to know about the people involved in the crime, avenge or revenge (read to know what specifically it is).

The book could have become boring as it is written in lot of confinement as there is no traveling part of exploration of characters but only what goes on between the protagonist and Kashti. But author makes sure that the plot is enough engaging to never make you feel bored. And in the 2^nd half the way story starts progressing makes the reader not leave the book until the climax is not finished. And the climax is very well executed which makes this book a best concluded one. Thankfully, this is not a trilogy or else waiting for the next one would have become much difficult. Author has absolutely written it better than his most famous “The Stranger Trilogy”. I give this book 4* out of 5. And I am just waiting to put my hands upon his upcoming novel “Forever is a Lie”.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!

Thursday, 20 July 2017

The Boy Who Loved by Durjoy Datta (Book Review- 4.5*/5) !!!

There are few authors with whom you share an emotional connect as you are an audience to their work since the time they were building their niche in the field. That’s the reason I connect with many authors even if I like their work or don’t. One of the most unusual authors for me is Durjoy Datta who started writing campus love stories full of sexual explorations but started experimenting different plots since last 3 years. I have enjoyed him as a writer since beginning but the variations that I got to experience in these few years is what is more delighting to me than anything as a reader. I am just done reading his latest experiment named “The boy who loved” which sounds to be just another love story but this is one of the best character-based novels I have read. I can easily compare this one with another favorite DD-novel, “Someone Like You”.

The book starts as a diary of a boy who has considered himself as he is good for nothing because he does not have any bigger ambitions but wants to lead a normal life. The way the whole plot is handled in the form of a diary spoken in the first-person voice is amazing and does not bore you even for a minute unlike many popular fictions where the same concept is not treated as maturely as DD has done in this book. The magic is woven in the book right from the first page till the end. The way the protagonist is introduced in the initial chapters makes you curious to know more about him. And the way each day is narrated makes this book a perfect page-turner that you won’t be able to keep down without completing it in one sitting.

The characterization is so beautifully done in this story that you will be able to interpret each one’s mindset. The orthodox mentality of the protagonist’s parents is very nicely discussed in this book which makes you wonder why Indian parents are so pitiless and rude when it comes to accepting the child’s choice for his/her own marriage. The way the chemistry and relationship between the protagonist and Brahmi is mentioned also breaks your heart many a times. The condition in which Brahmi lives will make you emotional time and again. The last chapter of the book is heart-breaking and I wish if the ending would have been something different but whatever, I feel this book would have been incomplete if everything would have ended happily. This will remain to be my favorite Durjoy Datta’s book for a long time for sure. I rate it 4.5* out of 5.

THANKS.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!

Saturday, 15 July 2017

The Left Roof by Narendra & Vishvendra Singh Nathawat (Book Review- 3.25*/5) !!!

It has been very rare when I have picked up a book which belongs to the world of fantasy because I am generally not used to imagining stuff a lot while reading which are not usual. That is the reason why I have still not gone through Harry Potter series because I feel very hard to connect with such stories. But still I like picking up such books rarely to be connected with this genre too. I have just finished reading another fantasy-based book on Kindle named “The Left Roof” which also comes with a tagline “A Way to the Infinity World”. The book is written by two authors, Narendra Singh Nathawat and Vishvendra Singh Nathawat and published by Partridge publishers.

The book starts off very well which keeps the readers hooked to the story as they want to know about the protagonist’s past and his parents’ back story. The suspense behind the old home is what makes the reader excited in the initial few pages itself and after the concept of Infinity World gets introduced, the world of fantasy gets opened for the reader. The way characterization and conceptualization has been drafted for this section of the story tells about the authors’ dedicated towards telling the story about an imaginary world where each and every term has to be created to make the fake world seem to be live. The way authors have described the fantasy part makes it very easy for the readers to imagine the scenarios which adds effects to the book.

The 2^nd half of the book gets little slow in the beginning but the way whole pre-climax is handled makes the closing of the story even more interesting. I just felt that the climax could have been a lot better as it ended in a very lighter note. Just like the movie, Bluffmaster, even this book manages to surprise the readers in the end and make them go like “Why the authors didn’t tell this in the first page itself!” This is the surprise element of this book- The very last small paragraph. The drawback of the book is that it stops discussing anything about the Earth etc. but only focuses on the escapade of the protagonists and his supporters from here and there in the Infinity World. I also felt that the narration of the book could have been better as it becomes quite of a booster in between where the plot is taken forward by discussing one scene after another in hurry. Otherwise, this is a good fantasy novel. I give it 3.25* out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA !!!

Wednesday, 12 July 2017

Somewhere To Go by Shambhavi (Book Review-3.5*/5) !!!

After reading books belonging to different genres, I finally read a book after going through its synopsis which fascinated me a lot. “Somewhere To Go” is written by Sambhavi and published by Rupa Publication. This 200-pages book is a stuff that can be read in one sitting. The book is based upon how a boy in a relationship working in a good media company suddenly takes the decision to go on a spiritual path to find himself. The suspense about what he would do in the end- return back to his previous life to be back again with his dear people or find his calling in the world of loneliness itself keeps this book a good page-turner. Even though the plot is simple but the way author has narrated the whole scenario makes this book worth reading.

The book is written in a very good flow making it sure that reader does not find any difficulty in identifying the characters and their backdrop. The characterization is done very wonderfully making it sure that every character who passes just as a cameo in this book also leaves an impression on your mind. As the character is shown to be very dedicated initially towards being spiritual etc, the way he has to struggle while treading on this journey and the easy decisions that he ends up taking makes this story sound more realistic. The first half of the book is very difficult for the reader to adjust with considering the tough decision that the protagonist is about to take. The second half turns little boring but it is interesting to read about what really would happen if someone takes a decision of this sort.

Talking about the drawbacks of the book, I found that author only concentrated on the protagonist and left all the other characters as a by-product of the story. Even the girlfriend of the protagonist isn’t discussed after he moves on to his journey. It would have been interesting if author would have added some parallel plot about how other characters struggled after the protagonist moved away. Also, there are many typos in the book which makes it look silly on the publication’s end. Rest, this is a book I liked reading as the genre is of my interest. I give this book 3.5* out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA – VEERU!!!

Sunday, 9 July 2017

Mayhem in South China Sea by P. R. Franklin (Book Review 4*/5) !!!

I remember watching “The Ghazi Attack” some months ago and enjoyed it a lot because of its thrilling and surprising elements with intelligence and mind games involved in the whole game of fight between the two countries. If ever I would be able to compare the movie with any book, it would be none other than my latest read book named “Mayhem in South China Sea” written by the debutante P. R. Franklin. The book is written with very good research and knowledge which is evident in each and every chapter. You can decipher just by how the scenarios and conversations between the characters are planned about the background of the author who has served in Defence services and has a wonderful experience list.

The book is about the plot that is based upon how China is trying to occupy the South China Sea and treat it as its own area while the neighboring countries and littoral states are helplessly watching it happen. With the support of America, India decides to upset the Chinese policy. The book starts with full flow and maintains its rhythm throughout till climax. The book never gets boring at any time. The way the author has used his experience in writing this fiction tells about his conviction towards defining few rules about how to treat the countries/continents who try to break the rules for their own benefits.

The book treats various characters such as politicians, civilians, officials, terrorists, separatists, media, naval forces, defense team etc. Author never fails adding twists and turns whenever needed. The dialogue between the different parties is nicely written which makes you smile while reading the conversations. The war and strategies are nicely handled in the second half of the book and mainly the climax. The way the book ends make you want to read more about it. I wish author writes something on the similar lines again. The book has been edited well because of which you never feel any part been stretched. As the book is divided into small chapters, it is easy to read in multiple sittings which is generally not the case with thrillers. Overall, an impressive debut. I give this book 4 star out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!

Saturday, 8 July 2017

My bouquet, for you by Rukmini Dey (Book Review-3*/5) !!!

There are very few books that you can finish within half an hour. And when the book is about poetries and poems with just 65 pages, it can be finished even within 15-20 minutes. But the effect of the book stays only if the words embedded in the sentences are enough to reach your heart and make you say “WOW” after understanding the depth of it. This is the same feeling you get when you will read this very short collection of poems written by Rukmini Dey named “My bouquet, for you”. The book is published by Zorba publication that I have tried for the first time and I am quite impressed with their choice.

The poetess talks about small things in this book through poems which she experiences in her daily life. There are poems dedicated to her particular friends. There are poems dedicated to her trips, vacations and journeys. There are words which tell us about her love with mathematics as she either talks about it directly or uses it as metaphor to compare it with something else. She also speaks about how Rabindranath Tagore is next to Jesu for her as his poems and writings are something which is very close to her. There is another funny four lines of her husband. It can be said that poetess has actually offered her bouquet to her readers through this book.

The poems are written in easy language unlike how mostly English poems are written. Some poems are just describable about something or some moments while some of them are really deep in their meanings which rejoice the reader in you. The book makes you feel about the unobserved and unforgotten elements around you. The book is a very good flavor for a reader to taste once in a week as few write-ups are really nostalgic. I give this try 3 star out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!