It's All About Books!!!

Monday, 15 August 2016

Rightfully Wrong Wrongfully Right by Varsha Dixit (Book Review-2.5*/5) !!!

I had read Varsha Dixit's Right Fit Wrong Shoe more than 5 years ago and since then I didn't get any chance to read other novels that she published in between. I finally laid my hands up on her latest release named "Rightfully Wrong Wrongfully Right". The cover page of the book is very appealing which might result in the sales of this book. When I read the 1st book by Varsha Dixit, I got very confused as I was new to fiction reading and remembering the multiple characters just tired me as a reader. Comparatively, I found this book very sort out and easy to read. The characters are nicely built though few of them aren't used the way they could have been like Aditya’s.

Varsha Dixit’s narration is very simple and she does not believe in complicating things for the reader. Right from the first chapter, you will find the series of the scenes and sub-plots well organized which makes pace of reading faster and gives the reader momentum. The characterizations are well done as I have mentioned in the first paragraph itself. The biggest hurdle for this book has been its predictability. A reader, at every step, will understand what is going to happen next. And too much time has been spent in things that should not have been described that minutely and descriptively.

The love angle is beautifully managed except the predictable part. I also liked the initial few chapters where Gayatri is trying to be comfortable with a character with which she has bad equations because of something she tried to do to spoil her married life earlier. The recovering phase is also narrated nicely after Gayatri got attacked by few men on a dark road. Overall, this book is a light read which can be done in a sitting or best, carries with you while traveling. I give this predictable story an average 2.5 stars out of 5 as it has nothing new to deliver but is still a time-pass read.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA – VEERU!!!

Sunday, 7 August 2016

Amazing Secrets of the Bhagavad Gita (Book Review- 4.5*/5) !!!

There are so many books that are releasing these days based on Hinduism, Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharata or Ramayana in the author’s own version. I am specifically attracted towards this genre because of my interest of knowing about my religion in the simplest language. I have tried reading the Bhagavad Gita written by some renowned sages but failed to understand the meaning and its implementation in my life which made me buy these books which were written for people of 21st century to understand what the holy book is actually trying to say and how can we implement it in our day to day life. The recent book that I read in the same genre in the quest of understanding my religion better is “Amazing Secrets Of The Bhagavad Gita” written by ED Viswanathan.

The cover page itself consists of many questions that we have in our mind about our religion and what exactly is the right path to walk upon. And then the book is written answering all these questions. It is narrated as a conversation between Grandfather-grandson where grandson is asking questions about Gita and grandfather answers them all in the easiest possible manner so that the meaning can be understood by the child. The book starts with making us understand the several scriptures present in our religion and how Gita is one among them. The author also tells why Gita is the most referred book and when does it actually occurs during the war of Mahabharata. Who have written the book and how is also told to us. Only after clearing the basics did author move towards the prominent questions directly based on Gita.

The book is written in a very easy language and author has been successful in making us learn many things about our religion. Many things are covered in this book which makes the reader more than happy as some books are very small talking about only one aspect of Gita. After every topic is covered, author has summarized the main quotes in the end for us to remember them and refer them if in case we do not have much time to read this book again. The author have not written this book in the most popular format of giving the Sanskrit sentence first and then translating it word to word. He has just kept narrating it as a speech which makes it easier to read and understand. I give this book 4.5 star out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA – VEERU!!!

Destiny of Shattered Dreams by Nilesh Rathod (Book Review-4.5*/5) !!!

I spent my whole Saturday in reading the debut novel written by Nilesh Rathod named “Destiny of Shattered Dreams”. He is a businessperson, writer and poet. He is also the co-founder of Ensemble Infrastructure India Limited which currently employs over 2000 people. While reading the book, it made me feel that most of the parts are influenced from his real life experiences as the plot of the book is about a middle-class boy who turns into an entrepreneur after which several unfortunate events start taking place in his life because of the decisions he takes. The book is published by Rupa and I feel it is one of their best releases this year in the fiction category.

Nilesh Rathod’s writing style is amazing and no way has it looked as if a debutante author has written this kind of thriller book. It cannot be called as thriller but it’s a perfect page-turner as events keep unfolding and the reader will remain excited to know what happens in the next page. I liked the pace of the book with which the author has written right from the start to the end. The opening scene shows the protagonist in the jail where he is sharing his life story with the inmates because of which he ended up being behind bars. The story consists of love, romance, ambition, blood, glory, success, failure, politics, entrepreneurship, friendship, philosophy, poetry, marriage, extra-marital affair, depression etc. The first half is more about how the protagonist is forcibly made to invest money in his business from illegal sources because of which he gets affiliated with the corrupted politician. The 2nd half is more about the protagonist’s struggle to clean the image of his company and the insight in his personal life.

The book is exciting and makes you feel for the protagonist who gets trapped in the entire web just because he has an ambition to see his organization succeed and grow. The book tells about how a person gets trapped in the situations even after he knows that it will cause trouble later on but he has no option other than choosing that particular option itself. The last 20-30 pages where the author narrates protagonist’s destiny of shattered dreams brought tears to my eyes and I suddenly started feeling very lonely. The effect that the last pages have done to me is unforgettable and therefore, this is going to be one of the most special books I read. I believe that the author can write great thrillers like Ravi Subramanian. I am just expecting his next to be the same. I give 4.5* to this book. A great book indeed!

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA – VEERU!!!

Thursday, 4 August 2016

Being Salman by Jasim Khan (Book Review- 2.5*/5) !!!

Salman Khan is one celebrity who has always been in news since his arrival in the industry. Take it for misbehaving with media or his love affairs or the hit-and-run case or the violent behavior with many other colleagues etc. Everyone wants to know why Salman Khan is the way he is. The journalist and producer, Jasim Khan, takes the challenge to tell us why Salman Khan behaves and reacts in a particular manner in this book called "Being Salman". A perfectly-titled book with a good cover page is surely attractive which makes any reader to pick it up even if he/she is not crazy for the actor. Though the pricing is on the higher side but for Salman's fans, nothing matters when it's about their Bhaijaan.

The book begins with history of Salman Khan's family where the author discusses even the past 5 generations of the actor by naming and characterizing each of his great-grandfathers properly and making you understand the background from which Salman Khan comes. The only problem is that this become boring after a point of time as Salman Khan is no where in the picture and the main motive for reading this book is to read as much as possible about the Dabangg superstar. Salman Khan finally arrives at the page no. 70 by the time it's too late but author have managed to keep the readers interested after 4-5 pages and reading about his conducts in school and college is a great read.

By the time the unofficial biography reaches the point where his filmy career and the events happened after joining the industry is discussed, it seems as if a recap is being given about Salman's life which we have already heard crores of time on news channels and read in newspapers. But the other good thing about this whole section is that author have not sensationalized anything for the sake of making this book interesting but spoken about everything the way it is. The few insights on his court cases were a good read as many untold facts have been told. Rest, I am disappointed because author have not been able to explain why Salman Khan is the way he is. In stead we are told what and who he is which we already know. That is the main reason why this book has not gained from the word of mouth otherwise this could have been a great bestseller as autobiography and biography are doing wonderful these days. I give the book 2.5 stars out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!

Sunday, 31 July 2016

Akash Verma: "I have witnessed caste based discrimination personally" (Interview) !!!

It has been 4-5 years since I am fan of the author, Akash Verma. And this happened just after reading one book of his named "Three Times Loser". I recently read his new novel named "A Broken Man" which is based on the mindset with which a Dalit boy grows up in a region where caste discrimination is prominent. Hence, I thought of interviewing him finally about several questions I had in my mind.

1. Hello Akash, can we know where were you from last 4 years after releasing Three Times Loser? Why did it take so much time to bring your next book in front of the world?

It takes me while to get away from the story that I have recently finished. But yes after Three Times Loser it’s rather been long. I had to switch careers during this and turned into an entrepreneur after having been a corporate professional, so that took a while. Also A Broken Man required research as well for the protagonist here is a Dalit and to get his thinking and psyche right I had to put in a fair amount of struggle.

2. How has been the response for Three Times Loser from the last 4 years from the readers?

Three Times Loser has been well acclaimed and has been receiving love from the readers for last four years. However I think that the shelf life of a book is fairly long, so in that sense it still has a long way to go.

3. Tell us something about your newly released book- “A Broken Man”?

A broken man, my recent book, is the story of love and hope. It is the story of Krishna a Dalit boy from Bihar who struggles to overthrow the chains that hold him back and Chhavi is a high caste Brahman girl fighting for the rights of others, propagating equality in a politically charged Lucknow University campus. After Krishna saves Chhavi from getting torched during a protest against reservation, love slowly blossoms, only to be ruthlessly crushed by a society that thrives on divisions of caste and religion.

From student politics in Lucknow to the interiors of Bihar, from the corridors of power to the glitz of media and the film industry in Mumbai, A Broken Man is the quest of a deprived Krishna to redeem hope from despair, love from separation and success out of repeated failures.

4. How did you think of writing a book on caste discrimination based on a backward class society?

I belong to a middle class family where you grow up with everyone around, meaning all strata of society. I have witnessed caste based discrimination personally. Moreover Mandal was a dominant issue when I was passing out from school and took admissions in college. It has stayed with me and became a backdrop for A Broken Man.

5. Weren’t you doubtful that metropolitan readers might not pick it up?

A metropolitan reader is first a human being and then a city inhabitant. So a good story to my mind would have a universal appeal. I write because I want to tell a story and not particularly worrying about who and where is going to read it. However a broken man is the story of eternal love and invincible hope which to me is a fairly common human quest.

6. Why is it that your last two books have saddening titles consisting of words like “Loser” and “Broken”?

Three Times Loser despite having a not so happy ending is the story of optimism and moving on despite having faced failures in the matter of heart. A Broken Man is the story of hope and fighting against the odds despite facing tremendous challenges and repeated failures, and coming victorious in the end. The essence of the book is that the potential within each one of us is infinite. It is completely up to us of how much we can tap.

7. Has there been any talk related to any of your three books to be adapted into a movie?

Yes there have been and interest was shown by some parties however none turned into a finalized project till now.

8. Can you throw a little light on what your next book is going to be based upon?

I have a broad outline of my next book in my mind. It’s going to be a crime thriller set in Gurgaon. Quite different from the books that I have written so far. I am currently researching it.

9. Any words for your readers who are falling in love with your books?

I can only wish that my books make my readers happy in the present and hopeful about the future.

Break Free by V. Rajesh (Book Review-4.25*/5) !!!

2 decades ago, people usually communicated with the same kind of people and there wasn't much challenge regarding communication until and unless one had to talk with a very senior person. But these days, specially in the corporate world and post-office, one has to be on his toes when it comes to perfection while communicating with someone. It has become mandatory to not hurt or depress someone with your speech and dialogues. To ensure that you do not make any mistake while communication, V. Rajesh has come up with his new book named "Break Free" which also has the tagline "Unlock the powerful communicator in you". The book is published by Rupa Publication.

This book is written very wonderfully which explains you each point at a time with great examples and tips. In the end of the chapter, author also manages to give "Key Takeaway" and how can one adapt this so easily that it becomes walking the talk for us. This book is recommended not only to the people in jobs where communication can effect your career but also for teenagers and students who can sharpen their skills from now itself. The book is divided into two parts in which the one is dedicated in giving away the tips while the 2nd one explains things with stories. I personally liked part 2 better than part 1. It's not that part 1 is bad but for me, Part 2 worked better as I am a fiction lover. Haha!

Author even goes on explaining what mistakes we do while writing emails and even SMSes. This book is sincerely different from other books that are written on communication as it is not talking only about those obvious points of being a good listener etc. It is talking about the points that even you'll realize while reading does make effect in a communication but not given importance. After reading this one, now I am excited for reading the previously published books of V. Rajesh. I give this one 4.25 stars out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!

Wednesday, 27 July 2016

101 Entry-Level Jobs by T. Muralidharan (Book Review-5*/5) !!!

Not many books are interestingly written when it comes to career or education. This is the main reason these books are never treated like other books by readers and you'll find them only in the bookstores at Railway platforms or bus depo. But then are always exception and one of them is the recently released book by Rupa Publications named "101 ENTRY-LEVEL JOBS" written by T. Muralidharan. Mr. Muralidharan is one of the India's top recruiters and career columnists so there could have been no better person to write something like this. The book discusses only the jobs that can be fetched as a fresher after earning either a Graduation or Post-graduation degree. The qualifications that are eligible for the 2 million new entry-level vacancies in the next six years are BE, BTech, BCom, BA, BSc, BBA, BCA, BPharm, BL, MBA, MCA, MBBS, CA, ICWA, CS and Diplomas.

The author have explained various industries in which jobs are open for a fresher and he guides properly about what the industry works in and what many roles are going to be available in that particular industry as a fresher. Then he answer many questions such as what are going to be the responsibilities, skills that are required, stress levels, salary and future career prospects for each of the specific roles that the author discusses. Each and every designation is explained so well that you won't be required anyone else to explain it you in a better way. I also liked this book believable and written after a good research as the salary as fresher and after attaining the experience of specific years is rightly mentioned without any superficial amount.

Author has not given any false statement throughout the book as per what knowledge I already had about few of the posts. Also, you might not find many designations that you have heard from your friends because they are not for Freshers. The Practitioner's view given after each job description by a person working in the same position is wonderful to read as it makes more clearer to us regarding what an individual gro through the years in that position. I will recommend this book to every student who is in 9th std or more plus I would like to ask parents to ensure that you have this book in your home as soon as your child reaches in secondary school. Someone who does not know where to venture can surely find an interest after going through all the industries and designations described in this book. I give this book 5 stars out of 5. Yes!!!

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!