The Hidden Letters by Purba Chakraborty: a review

Author of a best-selling book, The Hidden Letters is Purba Chakraborty’s second book and with what I have just completed reading, I can very well say that this would be another best-seller. The cover of the book, for me didn’t compel me much but I must say that the cover (to a certain extent) does make readers go and read the blurb of the book to know more of the book.

According to the blurb- She is a successful author, a loving wife and the world’s best mom. Her doctor husband dotes on her, her teenage daughter idolizes her and her readers yearn for her writing. Shouldn’t all that respect and love make her happy? Yet, she is devoid of inner peace. In the wee hours of the night, her slumber is disturbed by horrifying nightmares. All her harmony is abducted and lost amidst the bunch of hidden letters kept in her cupboard, Those letters were written long back by her cousin, presently a patient at a mental asylum in Kolkata. Haunted by her inner demons and tired by the long-time secrecy, she decides to put end to her misery by surrendering to her husband and daughter, The Hidden Letters… Will she lose her husband’s love and daughter’s respect? Can she forgive herself for her own selfishness which rendered her cousin’s fate malignant?

The beginning scene of the book of the award ceremony where Anaya Chatterjee gets a literary award at her husband’s hometown was the most important catalyst which made me read this book in one go. And I must take this opportunity to say that I enjoyed this book thoroughly.

Though at one point (before starting the book) I felt that this book might be just another fictional romantic tale but once I started reading it, I felt that the book went more than expected. The characters were the best in their roles with my favorite being that of (of course) Anaya Chatterjee.

The life of Anaya Chatterjee, Dr. Nishith Chatterjee and Olivia Chatterjee looked so perfect from outside and was too but only if you delve much into their lives that you will know the turmoil they have gone through or are going through. I would like to congratulate the author for having framed the plot so well.

It has been the wonderful thinking of the author to have induced a story within a story, to pen an author from an authors’ pen. It has been written in such a way that there were parts where the readers might feel that there is ought to be a connection of the story with the authors’ life and only a part of it is fiction. I also liked the way the authoress have described the scenes of the story giving them a very lifelike feel making them very well connected to the storyline.

For the hitches, I would say that at places, the authoress has used varied time gaps which don’t match with the other fact giving it a very vague feeling. Apart from that, I also felt that a few places had loose ends which might disappoint a few sets of readers (I have no idea they were deliberate or not). All in all, a wonderful read which made a lone tear form its way through my eyes at the end. I would rate it 4.5 out of 5.

#Inspirati presents- Tables Turned...!!

                                                            

the story continues from...

                                                                  **Episode-10**

After reading the e-mail and going through the googled contents, Jennifer couldn’t understand anything that was going around her. She had, in a fit of rage, moved out of the hospital in order to find him and she kept on calling Tawde, half-expecting him to pick up the phone but to no avail.

She went to the police station but couldn’t find Tawde here. She knew, anyhow she had to confront Tawde and tell him all she has known. But for everything to happen, she had to first find Tawde. She had taken his house address from the station and was en-route to his place only. Sweat beads were forming on her forehead but she wasn’t bothered to wipe them away, all she knew was that she had to get Cyrus out of all this and continue the trail which Cyrus had left behind by hook or by crook.

She knew how much Cyrus loved her and it was only her he entrusted his secrets with. She needed full-proof and only Tawde could answer all her questions. As she was contemplating all the possibilities, she reached Tawde’s house. All she knew now, was that there was no return for her on this trail and she had to find something substantial. As she went inside the house, a foul stench hit her nose.

                                                                      ***

The room was dark and all she could see were bottles of alcohol strewn around. She put a handkerchief on her nose and tiptoed towards the bedroom. She saw Tawde sitting on a sofa and drinking. He had his back towards her. As she put her foot inside the bedroom, she called out loud “Inspector Tawde!”

Tawde, startled at having someone inside his house after a long time and that too a female, stood up, stumbling and looked back. As shocked as he was at hearing a voice in his house, he was more shocked to see Jennifer, the photographer there.

“Why weren’t you picking up the phone Inspector?” asked Jennifer. “Uh! My head was paining and my phone was in the silent mode, I came home to take my medicine” explained a fumbling Tawde. “Do not dare to lie to me Inspector! I know the truth. And I want you to confess it here in front of me” barked Jennifer. “What truth are you talking about Ms.Jennifer?” asked Tawde almost stammering over his words.“I AM SERIOUS HERE INSPECTOR” shouted Jennifer, stressing over each word to make their importance known.

Just as Tawde was going to say something, her phone started ringing. It was ringing for a long time but Jennifer didn’t notice. Taking it out of her Jean pocket, having received the phone and listening to what the other person said, the phone slipped out of her hands and she slowly sank to the floor. Tears streaming out of her eyes. Tawde, startled at seeing such a scene, started shaking Jennifer frantically. Between cries, all she could murmur was that…

“Cyrus is in coma….”

                                                                       ***

As Tara was pulling Shekhar by the collar after he disconnected the call from Inspector Tawde, Shekhar couldn’t find words to say what he heard. How can the Inspector loose Roohi after so much? Where will his baby be? How is Roohi? All these questions were forming in his mind and It was after a long time he heard Tara shouting in front of him. She was asking where Roohi was. What happened to her? Was she alright? He knew, it was justified for Tara to behave like that; but at that moment, only one name escaped his mouth…

                                                                      ***

Tara barked at his house in anger. She had lost her senses when she had heard the name and she knew that she could have her questions answered only at his place but still she couldn’t understand how he is related to the disappearance of Roohi. Her suspicions from Day 1 about the aloofness of the person gave her food for thought. She now knew that he has to be the person behind all these. She had to confront him and find her baby asap.

As she entered the house, she heard him talking on the phone with someone.

“I have to get him soon” he said to his master. Unable to stop herself any more from the outburst, she shouted while storming into the room “Who are you talking about, Aryan Ahuja?”

                                                                       ***

Aryan Ahuja, was a man in his late 40’s and was Shekhar and Tara’s neighbor. It has been a year he has been in the house and his over-friendliness with Roohi always caused discomfort to Tara. She tried talking to Shekhar regarding it but Shekhar was always too busy with his own thoughts to contemplate what was going on and he always brushed Tara aside telling her that it was her over-the-top thinking that made her feel that way. As over friendly he was with Roohi, that much aloof he was with the others of the neighborhood.

No one saw him moving much outside his house. Neither did anyone visit him nor did he visit anyone. He didn’t even have his family. Due to his aloofness, many people forbade from talking to him or even going near him. As Tara heard his name from Shekhar’s mouth related to Roohi’s kidnapping, she knew that he had to be the person behind everything.

                                                                        ***

Disconnecting the phone after a quick “Will call you back” Aryan stood bewildered. He couldn’t understand why was Tara accusing him and what has he done. “What are you talking about Mrs.Dutta?” asked Aryan. Tara, shocked at his audacity to answer her back shot back “You very well know what I am talking about! Where is Roohi? Where is my baby?”

Aryan couldn’t understand what she was upto. He said “I do not know where is Roohi Mrs.Dutta!” bewildered Aryan replied. “Stop lying! I know, I know you know where Roohi is. I doubted you from Day 1. Tell me, tell me you bastard, where is Roohi?” shouted Tara in an even bitter tone. “I will kill you if you don’t give my Roohi back. My baby, my baby is my life. I can’t live without my baby. Tell me where have you hidden her?” accused Tara, wailing inconsolably.

Aryan, still confused at what was happening, regained his composure in a moment and shot back, an eerie calmness in is voice “Mrs. Dutta, I know Roohi’s disappearance is disturbing you but trust me, I don’t know anything about this. And you have no right to blame me for something that I have not done and moreover, for something which you don’t have proof.”

Tara would hear nothing, anger possessed her like anything. She searched the room frantically, and as she laid her eyes on the thing she was searching for, she jumped on it and grabbed hold of it; angry at not having done it earlier and guilty of not having been able to stop all these from happening; she went on to shove the knife in Aryan Ahuja’s chest, like a woman possessed. As she was a second away from Aryan, Shekhar came in and pulled her away.

Tara was not ready to go, Shekhar tried calming her down but he was unable to do so. He slapped Tara to bring her in control and forcefully took the knife from her hands and threw it away. Aryan was a mute spectator to all this. He couldn’t get out of the situation. He was more confused with Shekhar coming in between.

Tara now, was crying hard and was slung on Shekhar’s chest. “I want my Roohi... Where is Roohi..?” was all she could say. “It’s ok Tara, our baby will be back soon” consoled Shekhar.

“I am sorry Mr.Ahuja for the entire problem. As you can see, she is very disturbed with what s going on! With Roohi gone missing, she has been uncontrollable. I am really sorry! I sincerely hope you would understand. She meant no harm” apologized Shekhar.

“It’s ok Mr.Dutta, I totally understand her state of mind. Not a problem. Please do keep me informed about Roohi” said Aryan and Shekhar pulled her away and took her to their home.

As Aryan heard the front door closing, Aryan mumbled… “I understand… I really do understand...!”

                                                                            ***

                                                                                                     ... and the story continues

PS- “Me and my team are participating in ‘Game Of Blogs’ at BlogAdda.com. #CelebrateBlogging with us.”

Take Vanya's word on- Operation Mom by Reenita Malhotra Hora

When you try to set your mom’s life right. Be prepared to have your own turned upside down. Seventeen-year-old Ila Isham has serious problems. There’s the angst of being an Ali Zafar groupie, for one. Then there are the extra layers of fat she owes to her Punjabi roots. Add to this, parents who have separated; an enthusiastic best friend whose idea of variety is dating three guys at the same time; and her mom’s best friend, Aunty Maleeka, whose good intentions and savvy ways throw up more problems than solutions- and Ila’s got her hands quite full. When her mother flips out over her plans to stalk Ali Zafar, Ila decides she has had enough and sets out to create a few distractions to keep her mom busy. With a little help from BFF Deepali, Aunty Maleeka and Dev of the inviting chocolate-pool eyes, Ila will have to brave everything from Lagaan.com and OKCupid profiles to meeting handlebar-moustache colonels and middle-aged psychos, as she tries to set up the perfect parent trap for her unsuspecting mother.

After reading the blurb now, I am sure you guys must have understood what the book is all about. Ila Isham getting her mother a new life. Nah! A man after getting new profiles done in social match making sites and testing them. But the real interesting part is to see how she does that and what all she gets to know about her mom in the process.

For the ‘umphteenth’ time today, Reenita Malhotra Hora has proved what to do and more importantly, how to go more close to the teenage group today’s time. After Forever Young, Inner Beauty and Ayurveda; Operation Mom is one awesomely cute book that shows what goes on in the minds of the teenage group. Written in a very funky way, the book is a must read for every mother and for most teenagers too.

Specially written for girls, this book has been filled with what girls do in their summer vacations and usually. Being a girl, even I know what it feels to be a ‘groupie’ and what a girl feels when everyone says that it is a very kiddish thing to do. To relate with the book, I didn’t have much difficulty cause it was written in a very tell-tale way. The ‘male’ characters in the book were written with so much precision that any girl might fall in love with the characters (shall I take my chance here to say that Aditya has been my fav character)

I am sure, as always Reenita has put in her journalistic mind into framing this book cause this book will do wonders in the minds of the readers. For the hitches, I might say that if the book were a bit more interesting with a bit more for the guys of today’s time then it would’ve taken the book to a whole new level. For now, I would like to request you all to grab a book and tell us what you feel about the book…

Catch the book trailer here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f79GNwuYbQ

Operation Mom by Reenita Malhotra Hora: a review

In the cover is something that all teenage girls would love to see and which would surely act as a catalyst in attracting girls of all age groups to itself giving the readers a very chirpy vibe from it. Specially the title of the book ‘Operation Mom’ and the sub-title of it ‘How I got my mother a life… and a man’ by Reenita Malhotra Hora gives in a very enthralling and perky side of the content of the book making the readers eager to read the book.

According to the back cover- When you try to set your mom’s life right. Be prepared to have your own turned upside down. Seventeen-year-old Ila Isham has serious problems. There’s the angst of being an Ali Zafar groupie, for one. Then there are the extra layers of fat she owes to her Punjabi roots. Add to this, parents who have separated; an enthusiastic best friend whose idea of variety is dating three guys at the same time; and her mom’s best friend, Aunty Maleeka, whose good intentions and savvy ways throw up more problems than solutions- and Ila’s got her hands quite full. When her mother flips out over her plans to stalk Ali Zafar, Ila decides she has had enough and sets out to create a few distractions to keep her mom busy. With a little help from BFF Deepali, Aunty Maleeka and Dev of the inviting chocolate-pool eyes, Ila will have to brave everything from Lagaan.com and OKCupid profiles to meeting handlebar-moustache colonels and middle-aged psychos, as she tries to set up the perfect parent trap for her unsuspecting mother.

When the book started on the note of the conversation between Ila and Deepali, I was truly transferred to my school times when I used to do the same thing! What to do and what not to do in the summer vacations have always been a matter of huge discussions between me and my friends and seeing Ila and Deepali do the same made my day at first glance of the book.

What I felt after reading the first few chapters was that the authoress was trying to unnecessarily stretch them but when the actual ‘Operation Mom’ commenced in the book, I started to like the book from then on and the book, in itself picked up speed on its own which was same throughout the book.

The authoress has done a good job in penning down the feelings and the thoughts that go on in a seventeen year old teenage girl’s mind and heart to perfection. The book has shown friendship to a wonderful level. How a child sets her mom up with blind dates after herself testing them on online dating sites is worth reading.

What I felt bad about the book was that at times it felt too girlish as if it wasn’t made for boys to read. At places, there had been places where I had to read and re-read a line till I could grasp the literal meaning to it which might be a problem regarding the pace at which the story was moving.

The grammar at places were also a bit shaky (at least that’s what I felt) which might be a bit turn-off to the readers. Being a girl, I liked the way it had been written and the end was very cute too (if that’s the word to define it) All in all, wanting to read an even better version of this book, I would like to give it 4 out of 5.

Twice Upon a Time by Anjali Bhatia: a review

A story of love, karma, dreams, memories, and destinies… I can’t really put the cover in words but can say that the cover of Anjali Bhatia’s debut book Twice upon a time, touches chords of the readers. The cover in itself brings in a surrealistic feel with itself. The lotus shaped 7 point sign, the readers would know is of much importance in the book. Travelling through time, this book in itself is a dream.

A sneak peak on the blurb- Is a man’s past set in stone, or can it be changed? Rewritten and reshaped? Is time a reality, or a construct of the imagination? Fleeting and fragmented? One man is about to find out…Meet Arpit, a bitter young man who embarks upon an incredible and seemingly impossible journey to right the seven wrongs that have shadowed his life, all in a quest to be together with Mannat, the love of his life. When Arpit meets Nishimaya, a modern-day mystic, little does he know that his life is about to change. In entirety. But change comes with effort. And Arpit has to lose himself in order to resurrect his past and set things right. With every past mistake he corrects, he finds a corresponding change in his present life… but not all changes are easy to make. And as Arpit travels further back into his own life, he’s forced into frightening depths and fight against his own self to dredge up the truth from the sediments of folly that litter his world. Unknown to him, however, Mannat is supporting his struggle from halfway across the world even as she tries to gather her own life together. And Nishimaya, as she takes Arpit through the swirls of time, has to confront ghosts of her own as well. As their lives get caught in the web of karma, dreams, memories, and destinies, Arpit, Mannat and Nishimaya must stumble and fall if they are to reach the end. But time still holds a revelation none of them had expected.

To describe the characters, Arpit’s character was very vulnerable from the very start. But the descriptions were so wonderful that any person reading it would paint the picture of the characters in their minds (only if they have powers like Nishimaya to produce them on paper) A few characters were very distinct and I didn’t feel any unnecessary characters here in the book.

Certain stories bring forth a character and then make them disappear only to never bring back it in the story but Anjali Bhatia proves all those sensations wrong cause whenever she has brought forth a character in the story, she has done proper justice , to the story and to the character; mixing them both very beautifully in a single story.

I loved the character of Nishimaya cause maybe I could see a few similarities with me. The characters of Mannat, Veerji and even Sunny were beautifully etched. The way the author has weaved the story together with the perfect punches, makes this book a nice read all-together. The incidents in the book seem to-good to be true at certain points of the story making it more of a fantasy but that doesn’t mar the effect of the story.

The way the story seamlessly slides from one place to another brings the readers in awe and that is, I believe to be one of the plus points of the storyline. The other elements apart from the mystic flavor of the book also show to be a nice part of the story. I particularly liked the redreaming sessions and the end of the story. Coming to the hitches, I felt that at places it has been a bit exaggerated and so much of divultion wasn’t much necessary for the book.

For that sole reason, I also felt that a few more twists and turns would have done no harm to the story and the book in itself and would’ve given it a more interesting feel. For now, I would like to rate the book 4.25 out of 5 waiting for more of the majestic experience from the writer in the future.

The Mahabharata Secret by Christopher C Doyle: a review

The key to the secret of the Mahabharata adorns the cover of this very book. Following the path of the most read genre of the era, Christopher C. Doyle’s The Mahabharata Secret is in itself a wonder to read. The answers to ‘why is the key in the cover?’ to ‘secret in the epic Mahabharata?’ is perfectly given once the readers start reading it and yes, it is one adventurous journey.

On the back cover- 244 BC Asoka the Great discovers an ancient and terrible secret- a secret buried deep in the Mahabharata; a secret that could destroy the world; secret hidden away for over 2500 years… Present Day A retired nuclear scientist is murdered. He leaves only e-mails with clues for his nephew. He and his friends follow a trail through ciphers and 2000- year old ruins. Pursued by powerful dark forces, caught between the secrets of the past and the intrigues of the present, can they unravel the mystery before an unspeakable horror is unleashed on the world…

When I started this book, I had my mind full of expectations. The beginning confused me a bit but when I re-read it, I knew I am in the book for good. The mythological part of the book- Asoka, The Nine, Suryasen and the discovery of the secret had such an impact on me that I sat there researching on the topic.

The characterizations of the book were nice. Starting from Vikram Singh to Vijay, Colin, Radha, Mr.Shukla and Farooq, all were very apt and to the point making this a very nice read. The formats of the riddles also are liable to run the brain cells of every reader in an attempt to solve it before the author. I also liked the way the author has mingled the secrecy of the secret with Al Qaeda.

The way it has been narrated makes the read very smooth for every reader. The interest is kept at its peak from the beginning of the book making the readers finish the book at one go. The ride throughout the book is very smooth making it a very equal throughout the journey.

For the flaws, I felt that the ‘mythological’ part of the book could’ve been written more diversely with more descriptions. And I also felt that the author had given in too much about the mystery of one of the characters and about the secret too. The readers who have read many mystery books like this might be a little disappointed with this book.

The end of their adventure, for me, also left a bit of loose ends but the end of the book brought a triumphant smile on my face. I wish, to read a much better version of the book because at the end of the day, I felt that the author could’ve played a lot with the minds of the readers and the story. For me, the book is a 4 out of 5.

#Inspirati presents- Confessions of an Ailing Heart...!!

                                                                  **Episode -1**

‘A girl is walking and as she covers the distance, she goes more inside the darkness of the night. Wearing a greenish frock with two ponytails up in her hair, she keeps walking. She seems frail and because she has her back at me, I can’t see her face. “Hey! You there, stop!” I try stopping her but she doesn’t stop and keeps diving into the darkness instead. Curious, I follow her. As soon as I touch her shoulder to stop her, she turns around. I turn cold after seeing her face. Two lifeless eyes look at me, cheeks having a permanent line of the path of tears. My feet get glued to the earth to see myself staring back at me. Yes, it is me; I am sure but why am I like this? Suddenly I feel a magnetic force pulling me into the darkness and without a word, lifelessly; I follow myself in the darkness. It’s a cave it seems to me; I look around to see where exactly I am. I find myself standing in the midst of a riverbed. Black water flowing. I feel someone creeping up my leg, I shake away the thought but when I look at what was there, I shriek at the scene. A big poisonous snake is creeping up. Yes, I know it is poisonous because I have studied that in science class. I jerk my leg and try to run, but I am bound to the ground. I feel something else in my hand, a scorpion. Oh no! Where am I? The more I try to free myself, the more I get stuck here. I start crying like mad; I can see demons wherever I look. Just when I am about to give up, I see a flicker of light coming from somewhere, I shout out loud “Ma! Paa”I know, my ma and my paa would be coming soon to save me from here. They love me a lot. I start pushing them hard so that the demons get off me and I run frantically towards the flicker of light, I just know that ma and paa have to be there. My intuition proves correct. I see ma and paa from here but just as I call them, I am pulled inside the cavity formed in the sand created by me standing on top of it. Oh no! It’s not just sand, its quicksand. The sand keeps pulling me downwards as if pleading me not to go ahead and forcing me to stay with it. I know, I will be drowned in a matter of a few seconds and then I won’t be alive anymore. I keep on calling ma and paa but they can’t hear me. I see them arguing over something, fighting with themselves. As they have always been since quite some years. Their argument level is so high that they are unable to hear me pleading to them to save me from death. Time listens to none, as ma and paa kept on fighting; all I remember is being drowned inside the quicksand….”

 A visibly scared and sweaty Roohi jolts out of her sleep with a shriek, only to find herself lying on her bed. The lights are on and there was no darkness around. She was afraid of darkness and that’s why she never let anyone switch the lights off her room, not even at night. Checking the wall clock, she sees that it is around 5 in the morning. Reaching for the glass of water on her bedside table, Roohi gulps down the water in one go. Wiping the sweat beads formed on her forehead because of the treacherous dream she had a few moments back, Roohi sat down thinking about what has been going on in her life off lately.

Her once, very happy family was scattering now. Her ma and paa both love her to the core but she could understand that something was wrong in their life. Her ma and paa used to fight everyday behind closed doors but the volume in which they fought was so much that Roohi could listen to them from her own room. There has been a new word which keeps on popping up in her ma and paa’s discussions. Trying very hard to decipher the meaning, she failed. She could hardly pronounce the word. Roohi couldn’t understand the meaning of the word, but owing to her parents’ expressions, she knew it was something serious.

9 year old chubby little girl Roohi felt her life going down the drain when she first saw her parents fight and her mother had taken her to grandma’s place around 3years back. As a kid, Roohi was very happy to be at her grandma’s but it had been 2months she was there. As she was very notorious, she used to jump around everywhere playing pranks on everyone at her place but off lately, whenever she used to jump around, her ma scolded her. She was very depressed with the ongoing circumstances around her. And that was when she heard the word for the first time ‘Divorce’

After two months when they had come back to her father’s place, she was more than happy but things had changed, ma and paa used to talk less and fight more. Though they still cared and loved Roohi as their life depended on her, but the ‘Happy family’ feeling was amiss. Roohi used to cry to sleep every night telling her pillows the saga of her depression. It was from that time that she started having those recurring dreams of horror and terror. The end was always the same, but the situations were different. In all those dreams, she saw something happening to her and herself calling to her parents but they were so engrossed in fights that they were least bothered to hear her desperate pleas.

Off late, she has been very quiet in her class and otherwise which resulted in her losing all het friends. She had lost her appetite even. She couldn’t let her heart out to anyone and she was suffocated within.

Today, as visions of the past come to her; Roohi decides to lighten up the mood of her parents as was her habit. She saw that she had woken up early, even before her mother called her. She wanted to surprise her mother knowing very well that at this point her mother would be in the garden, practicing Yoga. As she was jumping happily to surprise her mother, she was oblivious to the pair of eyes following her closely.

                                                                   ***

It was 5.30 am when Tara woke up from her sleep. It has been quite a tedious night the day before and she had been tired. Tara Dutta was a media professional; and a fitness and perfection freak she was. Always prim and properly dressed, Tara used to don her formals with very light makeup matching perfectly with her fair skin and short hair everyday to office. It’s been her routine of waking up at 5in the morning everyday and after a rejuvenating session of Yoga, boiling milk for her daughter and waking her up for school.  Today, she had woken up half an hour late and the yoga session had taken her a tad too long because of her tiredness. All refreshed from the session and after freshening up in the morning, and boiling milk for her daughter she went up to her daughter’s room.

Tara opened the bolt of the room and closed her eyes, as was her habit and wished her daughter a very good morning. On getting no reply from her daughter, she opened her eyes only to see Roohi’s bed empty. She kept the glass of milk on the bedside table and searched the washroom for Roohi, but she wasn’t there. She kept on calling her name and searched her whole house for her daughter but to no avail. ‘Where could she be?” thought Tara. She ran to the security guards and hoped they would know something about her disappearance but they had no clue.

The ever so perfect Tara, depressed and dejected at not having known what to do next, fainted in the garden itself…

                                                                   ***

                                                                                                              ... and the story continues

PS- “Me and my team are participating in ‘Game Of Blogs’ at BlogAdda.com. #CelebrateBlogging with us.”

Even God Doesn't Know! by Rajeev Pundir: a review

The cover with very bold colors and much specified objects in it, made it look all the more appealing to the readers. The title Even God Doesn’t Know! By Rajeev Pundir adding to the glam factor of the book. The cover, according to me does its best in conveying to the readers what the book is all about. The triangle between the protagonists, the different states of mind of them also is clearly visible in the cover and that makes it perfect for the book.

According to the blurb- Amar and Akbar are bosom friends Rekha is their classmate while studying in an engineering college. Where Akbar and Rekha fall in love, Amar also has a crush for Rekha which changes into a one-sided love affair and gradually into an obsession. He continues to endure his feelings for Rekha for years together, silently. A sudden mishappening in Akbar’s family changes the lives of all the three overnight. Will Akbar be able to marry Rekha? What role Amar’s obsession for Rekha plays in their lives? The novel unfolds the story of the threesome lead by infatuation, possessiveness, obsession, love, hate, doubt and greed against the backdrop of premonitions.

It’s tough to describe my first feelings about the book cause after reading the blurb and the cover when I turned to the first page of the book; I didn’t know what to expect from the book. With a fresh mind when I was prepared for it, I started flipping the pages. And what I saw, I have no words to describe.

The way the characters have been introduced and the scenes have been narrated was nice and the narration was something that kept me interested and hooked to the book till the last of the book. The book had very precise characters- Amar, Akbar and Rekha. And the characters had very precise and to-the-point roles in the book.

The book had all the things needed to be a perfect family book. It has friendship, love, jealousy, possessiveness, infatuation, fights and even family drama in it. The story goes on in a very smooth way in a very balanced speed which gives the readers time to flow with the story.

If I am to note the flaws, I might say that I had found many. According to me, the story was a bit old and seemed to be already told. There were grammatical errors in the book and printing errors were also there. I also believe that somewhere the story was a bit loose in its base. A bit shortened version of the story with interesting twists and turns could’ve made this book just it.

I felt that maybe the story has been unnecessarily dragged at parts. Even though, I liked the end which made me uncertain of my reaction. Keeping all the things in mind, I want to give this book 3.25 out of 5. Waiting for more to come from the author and moreover, wanting to read a more improvised version of this book.

Spot Girl by Komal Mehta: a review

A spot boy/girl, as described by the authoress and as known to the world is a person found only in the Indian Film Industry looking after all the needs of the actors and actresses, no deed is too big or too small and the person has to abide by everything. When I saw the cover and I read the name, I had a feeling that the book would be about the same spot boy/girl but didn’t know that my intuition is going to be somewhat wrong …

According to the back cover- The greatest disaster in Bollywood is love! Jia is living her greatest dream. She’s the manager-cum-girl-Friday of the country’s hottest film star, Shezad Khan! She loves her job and she loves her boss. However, her wonderfully stressful life hits a low when Shezad gets romantically involved with an up-and-coming actress. She soon finds her picture-perfect existence clouded with self-doubt and heartbreak. From Mumbai to Cannes, Spot Girl is the journey of an ordinary girl who ends up finding something ‘real’ in this fascinating world of ‘make believe’!

Coming from the wonderful pen of bestselling authoress Komal Mehta, Spot Girl has huge expectations on her shoulders. The first scene or rather the prologue of the book just swept me off and especially being a girl, I loved the scene to the fullest. The narrating style was something that caught my eye and it is a wonder to see the authoress maintaining her style throughout the book.

To the characters I would say, I loved the way the characters have been chosen which gave them a very much lively feel. Jiya, Shezad, Ayesha, Falak and all the characters were brought in and brought out very appropriately which resulted in (as far as I believe) no loose ends on the story point of view.

Using facts from the real life, situations from the real life gave this book its much needed effect. Though the characters were fictitious, the real life subtle character mentions were perfect to give this book the ‘filmi’ yet real life effect. The facts that the authoress has presented in the book can surely make any film lover, love the book.

The feelings attached to Jiya while she is narrating the whole story and while talks about films can make any film lover fall for her. Though, my favorite character was Falak for what he is; I really liked the way Jiya has been portrayed. Story wise, though it might seem like a normal mills and boons chick lit, it ain’t so; it is much more than that.

For me, I felt that the story has a pace with which it moves and at places, the readers might feel the need of running a bit fast on the story. A few twists and turns could’ve been added to the story to make it more interesting. The end is very beautiful, leaving the readers smiley-faced. I also felt that this book is mostly for girls because there is nothing much for guys in the book.

But be it girls or boys, for a film lover this book is surely a must read. A bit more descriptions, adventure could’ve made the readers go ‘aaawwww’ over the book. A bit of silly mistakes were also spotted which are easily forgotten and are not of much importance. All in all, this book is a very beautiful one time read giving all its readers a nice time with the book; falling in love with its characters and the facts presented. I would like to rate it 4 out of 5.

Obstinacy The Dauntless Chase by Dhishna: a review

I believe, this is one book; which I read after a long time and which brought tears not only in my eyes but in my heart. Firstly, when I saw the name of the story, I was a bit confused and I didn’t know what to expect from the book but when I turned its pages, it was a wonder to read.

I loved the cover of the book which gives the book a very ‘classy’ effect, turning heads of the readers towards itself. What I believe is that, the authoress has done total justice to the title of the book with such an attractive cover.

 Dhishna Radhay, in her debut work has very successfully brought to life the character of Cléopâtre. In the society, that we live in; it’s been great to read about such a strong willed character, who despite fighting throughout her life emerges as a winner in the end.

The character gives us an inspiration to fight for our rights and not suffer mute. I also liked the narrating style of the authoress who was able to convey all the feelings with words chosen much carefully, making it a very easy to read novel.

About the story; Cléopâtre had to suffer loads in her life, from being hit by her husband to being a mother of a fatherless child and raising him to the best of her capabilities. Managing professional and personal life together is not an easy job, but she did it and that is what makes Cléopâtre a wonderful person to read about.

There is a dire need of women like Cléopâtre in the world that we live in. Not about the sufferings, but about the way the woman can learn to make her own decisions and not be dependent on others.  Parents like that of Cléopâtre is also needed for survival.

The way the story went on from the beginning till the end was very measured and the fact that the story didn't consist of much characters and a big time frame; made it all the more interesting. I liked Stevie’s character a lot too.

As for the drawbacks, I think that if the descriptions would’ve been a bit more and the book would’ve been a bit bigger than what it actually is; it would’ve been really good. Apart from that, a few errors here and there were spotted.

But the end, I am sure will make all the readers forget all the errors and make them give this book flying colors. For me, I would rate it 4 on 5; waiting to read more from the authoress.

P.S.: Original source is SpectralHues.com

Private India by James Patterson & Ashwin Sanghi: a review

To hold a book of the ‘Private’ series, written by the world famous thriller writer James Patterson and co-authored by the best thriller writer of India, Ashwin Sanghi; titled ‘Private India’ has been a very pleasurable experience for me. Starting from the first page till the last, I could go on giving a thesis of what I liked and what I disliked about the book.

According to the blurb of the book- In Mumbai, seemingly unconnected people are dying, strangled in a chilling ritual and with strange objects carefully arranged with the corpses. For Santosh Wagh, head of Private India, the Mumbai branch of the world’s finest investigation agency, it’s a race against time to stop the killer striking again. In a city of over thirteen million, he’d have his work cut out at the best of times, but this case has him battling Mumbai’s biggest gang lord and a godman who isn’t all he seems. And then he discovers there may be an even greater danger facing Private India. Hidden in the shadows is someone who could destroy the whole organization- along with thousands of innocent Mumbai citizens.

To begin with, I would like to comment on the cover of the book. With bold colors and the typical ‘Private’ series type of cover with a sole man running and Mumbai in the backdrop enhances the feel of the book, along with the names of the authors being the icing on the cake. The subtitle also gives a very eerie sensation to the book with the readers brains twitching with the thought of reading the book.

The book starts with an explosion. Not to think of the deeper meaning of the word, I am referring to the literal meaning of it. A planned terrorist bomb blast is all that the book starts with and that becomes one of the best reasons why the reader is attracted to the book. I loved the way the characters have been described in the book.

Giving precise descriptions of all- characters and situations till to-the point layout and importance to every single scene; this book is surely a treat to the eye. Flawless- should be the word if I want to write about the narrating style of the authors. Given that the book is from the best people, it was expected.

The ‘murders’, I would say were planned wonderfully and even more wonderfully described by the authors. The readers would read around a quarter of the book with a normal pace, waiting for special Ashwin Sanghi effects (mythological twists I meant) to the book and just when the readers would start to think, there are none; would come the real twist in the tale.

As for the mystery is concerned, a commendable work by the authors in keeping the mystery alive till the very end of the book. Just as the readers think, this is the end- a new mystery pops up and they know- there is much more to it. I would say that it is the capability of the authors that they have managed to keep the brains of the readers at work along with the Private India team, making all the characters suspects at different parts of the story.

As a book, all in all; the authors have done their best to mention all kinds of crimes and situations that Mumbai and India faces currently, starting from forced prostitution, to corrupt politicians, to terrorism and everything else. Appreciating the writers for having written it so wonderfully that the readers fall in love with the book and along with it, they feel a sense of responsibility once they finish it.

The readers also feel the adrenaline rush when the race against time is going on. I would term it an unputdownable book. But for me, I kind of feel that the book is a tad too stretched. Though, I truly believe the fact that the descriptions were needed to keep the mystery intact, still I felt that the book, if it were a bit shorter than it already is; would’ve made it a perfect book.

When the story of Private India ends, the readers have a smile on their faces and when they attempt to close the book, James Patterson keeps the interest alive with an excerpt of ‘Discover where it all began…Private’ and as the readers read the excerpt they are left wanting for more. Such, is the charisma of the book and the authors. Just only one hitch, for me, made it an imperfect book but still; hoping to read more and more of the Private series and much more from the authors, I would rate the book 4.75 out of 5.

P.S.: This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books! 

Emotions Unplugged by Vishal Anand: a review

A bright green touch to the otherwise black and white life of everyone in today’s time surely makes this book an instant grab for readers of all age groups. Teemed with the title, Emotions Unplugged; debut author Vishal Anand makes this a really wonderful read. Did I mention that the name of the publisher also plays a part here? Moments it is!

According to the back cover- Emotions Unplugged is a collection of 15 short stories based on different genres. Diksha, travels through the roads of Mumbai a day prior to her divorce with her husband, Virain; Gauri steals the money from her master’s locker and runs to her village; Rizwan works as a laborer in construction sites at Dubai in spite of being the son of a rich man from Bangladesh; Samar gets last gift of love from his grandmother after her death; Patrick believes after visiting a state that he has visited a country, he still had to visit 27 more countries in India; Rajat spends the night in different bars with a friend to meet a lady, Palak; an old lady who believes in her religion and hates Muslims finds an indigestible truth when she visits her daughter’s home; Vinit falls in love with a veiled girl while travelling in Delhi metro to reach his office everyday and a lot more. Numerous emotions pluck in to bring a thought provoking cocktail. Indeed pen is mightier than sword, and words have potential to bring the change. And surprisingly you never know when it does.

Yes, as the blurb says; it surely is as interesting as it gets. While reading the book, I could feel a myriad of emotions flowing through me. Relating myself to most of the characters of the stories represented in the book.

I would like to congratulate the author and the publisher for it’s because of them that the book is easy to hold and easy to read, making it a perfect coffee table book. The stories presented in it surely gives the readers a picture of the amount of research the author has put in to make the book what it is now.

One of the perks of the book is the fact that it is a collection of short stories (with a moral) other than the regular novels that we read. Through this book, the author has very well nurtured the narrating style while writing different kinds of stories.

All the stories had a feeling of their own with a moral of their own. I loved the fact that every story begins with a quotation from some renowned people. No story felt repetitive and that made the book all the more interesting.

Among the drawbacks of the book, I would like to state that most of the stories needed a proper proofreading because many errors were spotted which might, at places drop the speed of the book.

A few stories, if written in a more descriptive way would’ve made the book just wonderful. 

Nonetheless, a very nice and thought enriching read; I would like to rate it 3.75 out of 5 waiting for more to read from the author.