Dark Romance by Ankit Gusain: a review

Amongst all the ‘darkness’ that surrounds the main two protagonists in the book’s cover, the flowers and skeletons and the love that blossoms is surely a sight to behold. The dark romance, Ankit Gusain’s debut novel is a work of fiction which is based loosely on the beliefs of the villagers about the darkness that surrounds them. I really liked how the book has been presented to the readers but I would’ve liked it more if the cover of the book had resemblances to the village given in the book.

According to the blurb- ‘Dark romance’ is a story of two lovers caught up in the narrow minded attitude of village thinking. Superstition and dark spirits that the villagers’ believe in add their bit in making their life a living hell. The lovers, Priyanka and Ashu, meet clandestinely and their love develops and grows for each other. Things begin to go well for them, but then things take a dark twist… Ashu does everything in his power to get Priyanka, the love of his life, out of this darkness. But her family is out to get his blood… Will Ashu and Priyanka ever be able to get out of the clutches of darkness and the evil that has over shadowed their lives? Will the family and the villagers’ overcome their superstition, their old fashioned village thinking and allow the two lovers to find their happiness? Or will the ‘dark romance’ never find the light of day…

After reading the blurb and seeing the cover of the book, I had expectations from the book. The prologue of the book surely raised my expectations quite a lot. When the story started to present itself to the readers, I could feel myself getting to know the characters a lot but then there was feeling of ‘not-connecting’ too.  The flow of the story was nice and considering the fact that it has been written by a debutant writer, it was really nice. What I liked about the whole book was that, the error count of the book was very low and coming from a debutant, it was really impressive.

When I talk about the characters, I can say that the author has all that he could do to justify the characters. Every character that has been introduced has been given a closure and there weren’t any extra characters. The author has given exactly the needed amount of attention to the characters he has introduced. I really liked the way how the characters were brought into life and then their closures.

Coming to the story, where many people would like to read a hardcore ghost story in the book; most of the book has been filled with normal scenes. The ghost part of the story comes in much late and even though it has its importance, it doesn’t make its presence felt much. It is done very lightly that might be a big disappointment to the readers who were waiting for a proper ghost story. I would’ve preferred it more if the ghost part or rather the dark part of the story would’ve given more highlight throughout the story. The ending to the book was kind of expected but maybe the readers would’ve liked it a bit more if a bit of twist would’ve been given to the end. Apart from all that, the book is a nice one time read and I would like to rate it a 3.25 out of 5.

Ramayana, Shattered Dreams, Book 2 by Shubha Vilas: a review

The cover and the presentation of the whole book along with the fact that I have already read the first part of the series, made me attracted towards the book at first sight. I knew, no matter what I had to read it. Such was the effect that stayed after reading the first book. The best part of the second book of the series is that it starts just where the last one ends. And if you are a bit particular, then I don’t think that you would’ve missed a few chapters of book 2 in book 1 that intensifies the urge to read the book.

According to the blurb- Shattered dreams is the sequel to the national bestseller, Rise of the Sun prince, in the new spiritual and motivational series Ramayana- The game of life. Twelve joyful years have passed in Ayodhya since the wedding of Rama and Sita at the end of Book 1. Now, in Shattered Dreams, Shubha Vilas narrates the riveting drama of Rama’s exile. Through tales of Rama’s unwavering and enigmatic persona, the book teaches us how to handle reversal positively; through Bharata’s actions, it teaches us to handle temptation; and through Sita’s courage, to explore beyond our comfort zone. This complicated family drama provides deep insights on how human relationships and how they fail. With Valmiki’s Ramayana as its guiding light, Shattered Dreams deftly entwines poetic beauty from the Kamba Ramayana and Ramacharitamans, as well as folk philosophy from the Loka Pramana tales, to demonstrate how the ancient epic holds immediate relevance to modern life. Experience the ancient saga of the Ramayana like never before!

To begin with, I would like to thank the cover designer for giving us such an artistic vision to look at with the cover. After reading the blurb when I started reading the book, I couldn’t help myself from being carried away with the author’s work. Calling it a philosophical book would be the perfect definition that I would like to give to the book. I would also compliment the author for being the spiritual guide throughout the book for all its readers. There is one special quality of the book that is the book is readable for people of all ages and that makes it one awesome book.

Throughout the pages, the only thing I could feel was to be mesmerized on how the author has penned down pages of Ramayana in such a wonderful way which is relatable to all. The struggle that the characters had to go through has been described in a very nice way. Along with the story, I really loved the way the author has given importance to the fact that this is a self-help book. At the end of the book, or rather at the end of most pages, one goes on with a feeling of something new learnt.

If this is how Indian tradition and customs are to be recite to the people of today’s time for better understanding, I would like to recommend this book to all my readers and even as a self-help book for institutions. The notes and points given inside the book, along with the story gives the book a very natural feel and at times, you can actually feel someone sitting in front of you and dictating you the whole thing by making you understand it line by line and word by word.

Coming to what I didn’t like in the book was that, people who haven’t read the Book 1 of the series is in for a miss. I would always recommend reading the first part of the book before starting the second part so that you get the flow of the story. Yes, we all are acquainted with Ramayana and that’s why maybe the exact flavor can be taken in with just the book 2 but at places, a book 1 reading is necessary. Another thing I missed in this book is the insight of the next book. Apart from that, I would like to call this book a very enriching read. A hundred marks for the presentation, I would like to rate the book 4.75 out of 5.

P.S. : This review is a part of the biggest <a href="http://blog.blogadda.com/2011/05/04/indian-bloggers-book-reviews" target="_blank"> Book Review Program </a> for <a href="http://www.blogadda.com" target="_blank">Indian Bloggers.</a> Participate now to get free books! 

Six inches are enough on heels... not in bed by Mehak Budhrani- a review

A debut book is mostly about how intriguing everything is. Since the first impression is the last impression, starting from the cover of the book, to the blurb and finally the writing and story everything should be done to their best. Mehak Budhrani has done her best in making the cover interesting and it has done its best to make the mark. Six inches are enough on heels… not in bed!! Yes, the book is exactly about what you are thinking it to be. The book has explored relationships on a whole new basis altogether, the basis of physical needs and before going to the blurb, I would love to congratulate the authoress on this brave attempt for the debut book.

According to the blurb- After her first ever heartbreak, Mia decides to analyze relationships and mend broken ones. Whenever her friends Kimaya, Mrinal, Neha and Uday have problems, she is the first one they call to discuss their problems. Even though she has never had the perfect relationship, she decides not to give up on love. But at an age where hormones are running high and emotions are on a low, lust takes over love. From issues such as not having a place to make out and under-sized vibrators, Mia finds that couples are getting even more complicated in the new age Indian society. Even though Mia finds Viren, a close to perfect guy, he gets addicted to gambling and loses interest in her. Mia finds herself without love all over again. All her best friends move on and are entering the phase of marriage except for her. She is still 26, single and lonely.

The story of Mia aka Meow is one such story that can be found in every second girl of the city. It’s about love, about friendship, relationships and above all, sex. I use the word sex because it is exactly what is given in the book. The book is a diary that brings in the best in a relationship of every girl and boy alike. The tempting title of the book made me read it in one go. I couldn’t get enough of the book at one point of time. The good to hold size of the book and the text size also comes as added attributes to the book.

Mia, Mrinal, Uday, Neha and Kimaya; all of them has different characteristics and so does the other characters of the book but the authoress has done her best in defining all the characters equally and wonderfully. It isn’t much hard on understanding the traits of the characters. Every character is drawn from real life and we all find one such character in our real life. Another very important character of the book is Mia’s Maya which plays a very important role in the book.

I would like to congratulate the authoress on choosing such a new plot for writing and that too such a challenging thing to write for the debut book. The book might seem to be an erotica at first, but the book is anything but erotica. Exploring the different viewpoints of relationships is given by the book. Though, at points of the book, the book seems to be more of a diary and people might not always agree to the points given in the book still it can’t be resisted specially by girls.

For me, all in all, the book is quite satisfying but a few grammatical errors here and there were spotted. We can’t help ignoring the fact that the book is very much for girls and boys might find the book a bit boring. I would’ve loved it more if the book would’ve been written in a more quirky way. The base story of the book was also very predictable at the end. Waiting for more from the authoress, I would rate the book 3 out of 5.

Myriad Tales: a review

The cover of the book can turn eyes of the readers but then the size of the book, specifically of that of an anthology can turn them off. I really liked how the book has been presented to the readers with the Glitterati signatures and personalized messages from the authors. The printing quality of the book and paper quality was also nice (just to mention, my copy had a page that was printed in the opposite direction) but nonetheless, the first impression that the book gives is very nice. The book has 32 stories and that’s why I would like to write a few lines on all the stories…

Guns and Roses by Akash Shrivastav- The story of Rajveer, One year of his life where he had seen the most highs and lows was the biggest attraction of the story. What I felt was that, the story was a bit too fast paced and it could’ve been better if that was done in a slower way. The story was very ‘listened to’ and I felt that I had read it earlier.

Prank by Nikhil Uprety- I would call this story a real good one. The super natural element added in the story makes this a show stealer. The story, the way of describing and the turns of the story can give goose bumps to the readers. The story is also such that it can be read in one go. It surely seems as if it is enacted in front of you.

Battle of wits by Rafaa Dalvi- I don’t know what to say about the story. Reading the story I would like to say that the story is indeed about the battle of wits. The characters, the story is something that has been paid very much attention to. But still, at one point I felt that the story could’ve seen a better ending than it has.

Duplicity by Alexander Altman- Thrill, the story shrieks of the word and the cold blooded murder describes the word to the fullest. Though the very base of the book seems ‘already read’, still, the new plating of the story makes it a very interesting read for all the thrill lovers. A perfect one time read.

The unwelcome Guest by Dr.Roshan Radhakrishnan- The eerie feeling that the story gives you is something that any reader can look forward to in the story. I specifically liked the way the author has described the scenes. But at one point of time, it felt that the story was a tad too big for an anthology. If it were a bit shorter, it would’ve made a great story.

Atarahbaham; Mahabharata Remixed by Suhail Mathur- Coming from the editor of the anthology, I had much expectations from the story and specially when the story talked much about a remixed version of the Mahabharata. When I read the story, yes, the comic timing was very accurate and it can make the readers laugh out loud, but to a certain extent being a mythology lover; I personally feel that a certain set of readers might get offended with the story. Apart from that, a very nice concept.

The raveled mystery by Saurabh Chawla- I really liked the way the author has tried to move on with the story, but at one point of time; the story seemed to be a tad too clear to the eye which is not mostly the case with thrillers. The characters were etched very properly and the feelings too but the ending could’ve been a more elaborate one and the story a bit twisted and turned.

Seat Number 66 by Vaisakhi Mishra- If you travel on trains late at night and are mostly alone; if a cemetery is on your way then treat this as an early warning. For people who travel late night on trains, this story is not exactly something that they would like to read. But telling that, I would also say that the story is actually that much creepy that you are bound to imagine things when doing the things mentioned in the story. Over all, an eerie story.

Spectacles in Goa by Anil Antony- Friends, Goa and fun; that surely is the perfect mantra for a fun filled adventure. And if the adventure is as funny as the author has described it to be, it is sure to be experienced! The way the story progressed never gave a hint to the reader about the end but surely it was a fun filled story.

The lady who loved tea too much by Ritesh Agarwal- This story can very well be called one of the stories in this book which I liked a lot. The way the story progressed didn’t give in much about the story and that’s how I like my stories to be. The end of the story, though, made me smile with tears in my eyes.

Gem of a thief by David Singh- A very nice comic ‘drama’ as I would like to name it by the author. The way the narration has been done leaves all readers ‘into’ the story from the beginning till the end. What the end has in stores surely pushes the right comic buttons of the readers. A great job done by the author.

The facebook girl by Dr.Vivek Banerjee- Spooky! What happens when a stranger is watching you? Well, a stranger? Not exactly… Telling more about the story will actually ruin the fun so I would like to leave it on the readers to see what happens when Sahil puts up a facebook status. I would really like to read more from the author.

Fundawear by Saurabh Mishra- You can’t stop yourself from laughing your heart out from the time you start reading the mid portion of the story. The way the story has been narrated, can make anyone laugh. But the only hitch is that, I, personally, don’t like stories involving mainly around physical intimacy amongst a book that is supposed to be read by people of all ages. Thinking about the story as an individual, a nice attempt by the author.

The poison ivy by PT Sahasranaman- This story is also one of the best stories I have read in the book. The references given at the end of the story brings forth the thin line of non-fiction that is used in the book, making it more reliable to the readers. The readers, at one point surely feel into the book which is a great achievement by the authoress. I wish the story was a bit shorter than it actually is.

The deal by Tapobrata Kumar- The author struck a chord within me mainly because he used a few lines from my most favorite poem and justified them to the fullest. The terrorist part of the story was a very intriguing one. For me, this story was a complete story but again, it could’ve been written in a more interesting way.

401 wellington Avenue by Nabanita Dhar- Yes, you get creepy while reading the story and that is exactly why this story is written. At the end, you are left with mixed emotions and that makes you like the story. Hitting the perfect spots, I would like to read more from the authoress on this genre.

The love story by Upneet Grover- After finishing the story all I could do was *facepalm*. Well, yes. The story, told in very few words is surely one of its kinds. What would happen next, is something you think while reading the story and when you end it; all you can do is *facepalm* (in a good way) Not revealing much, I would want the readers to enjoy the read.

Twisted Fate by Chandrapal Khasiya- The story actually can be treated as an eye opener. It opens the eyes of those people who are blinded by faith. The way the story has been churned out brings out one of the best by the writer. Though I was expecting more, I really liked the story as a whole.

Raped by Raviraj Ramavarapu- Thrill is written large on the story. Having read the authors’ work a lot of times earlier, I would say that the author could’ve written the story in a far better way. But still, to a certain extent, the story has the capability to hook the readers from the first till the last. Would like to read more from the author.

The black pearls by Sufia Khatoon- Pearls are something that unknowingly castes a very endearing feeling on every woman and the same happened in this case. A story within a story. Thrill and spookiness teamed into one makes this story a must read by the authoress. I would’ve loved it even more if the story would’ve been a bit more shortened.

It’s time by Arka Chakrabarti- It’s not very frequently that I have tears in my eyes while reading a short story and I would like to give a round of applause for the author to have brought tears in my eyes. I would’ve appreciated the author more if he would’ve given a bit of descriptions in the story instead of telling it in one flow.

The venomous vault by Ayush Agarwal- The story can actually cause panic amongst the people reading it. One’s mind is constantly thinking of so many things while reading the story. But as compared to the whole story, I somehow felt that the ending lacked the much needed surprise that short stories mostly contain. Apart from that, a nice story to read.

Today’s special poison by Uwais zubair Sait- The story leaves the reader with mixed expressions. Mostly that of a smile. To talk about the story would be tough because that would mean telling about the story. I would just like to say that the narration could’ve been done in a better way. Other than that, the story keeps the readers hooked till the last line.

3AM when reality met illusion by Neoni D’souza- I have a particular aversion for stories coming from the authoresses’ pen. I have read her earlier and I had huge expectations from the authoress. No doubt, the authoress didn’t disappoint me. The story of Annie kept me hooked. The only thing I wish was that it is high time that the authoress higher up her writing standards a notch.

Paint it red by Rahul Mohan Sharma- The story surely has a moving effect on every reader and the time and dedication that the author has given in writing the story clearly reflects on the writing. I wish to read more from the author. The only hitch is that the story is too short of descriptions. A stronger base story could’ve made it work.

The letter by Ayush Agarwal- When I started the story, I never knew what is going to happen next. Maybe just another stalker story. But when the story advances, the thrill of the story gets into you and the unexpected twist at the end of the story can actually shudder the readers to an extent. A job well done by the author.

Project phantasm by Kosha Srivastava- This is again one of those stories that left me dumbfounded. Talking more about the story would mean revealing it and I don’t want to do it. The narrating style was wonderful and has the capability of keeping the readers hooked and guessing about what is going to happen next. I would like to read more from the authoress.

Drishti by Praveen Sinha- For this story I would like to congratulate the author for having weaved this story to a wonderful symphony of words. It’s not every day that you get to read a story weaved like this. But somehow, the ending couldn’t quite satisfy the needs of the reader. The description style is something that the readers can look forward to in the story.

Unravelling the night by Amogh Srivastav- The story kept me at the edge of my seat from the beginning but at the end I couldn’t believe my eyes. The twist in the end was surely a very nicely executed one. The writer surely has a knack of writing and I would like to read more from the author.

Messed up by Shipra Jain- The story started off quite nicely. Just like any other thriller story. But at one certain point, I felt that the story got actually ‘messed up’. The main base of the story was very shaky and even though the narration was nice, the formation just couldn’t take place properly. I guess, a bit more descriptions and a firm plot could’ve taken the story to a whole new level.

The forgery by Arka Dutta- The story is exactly about what the title of the story claims to be, ‘forgery’. The story has a very good quality to it and you must read the story to know what exactly it has in store for you. The descriptions have been taken care of and that keeps the readers hooked.

Honeymoon of the Haunted by Mihir Shah- The title itself attracts the readers and I won’t be wrong if I say that the book has one of the best for the last. The way the story has been etched makes the readers sit at the edge of their seats. The end can actually bring a wicked smile on everyone’s face.

At the end, there are a few things I would like to say about the book. In certain places of the book, editing and grammatical errors were seen that drops the speed of the book. For me, I somehow felt that all the stories have been written with almost the same graph in mind. If the book is read constantly, without any breaks then the book might seem to be written by a same author rather than different kinds of authors. For an anthology, I particularly hunt for different edges of stories which were present here but the frame seemed similar. All in all, a very satisfactory read. I would like to rate it 4 on the scale of 5.

I would always prefer chatting over a phone call!

New in the city? Transfer from work? No budget to buy new things to set up your home? Quikr.com has taken care of these problems for a long time since its inception. In today’s time, Quikr.com has become one of the most used sites where one can sell and buy items of their choice. Not only that, you have a valley of options to choose from and you can also take anything for rent. Real estate, gadgets, appliances etc are something’s that are very common to the site.

Even after all these pros of the site, there is one thing that is a very big con of the site. The con is that all the communications that has to be done for buying, selling or renting items from the site has to be done through phone calls. This problem has been there with the site for a long time. People don’t have enough time or the facility of talking any time over phone to negotiate deals and that’s why the complaints have been ticking in. To solve this problem, as a remedy, Quikr.com has come up with Quikr Nxt. This service is more like an application that is available under all platforms. The service is a sigh of relief for all the sellers and buyers at quikr.com.

The biggest facility that Quikr Nxt gives is that all the communications that has to be done with the prospective sellers or buyers can be done through chats. I personally have used the facility and am very satisfied with it. I would always prefer a chat over a phone call for many reasons.

1)      With respect to the field I am in, I am mostly outside or in different meeting where attending a phone call is something that I can’t do all the time. It is not possible. It might be that I am outside or maybe in a very important meeting or doing a work or may be sleeping and then a call comes. It is sure to say that I won’t be able to receive the call or calls which can make me lose the confidence of the buyer and I might not be contacted again. To solve this, chats are way better where we can talk anytime without any disturbance to the situation I am in or to the buyer.

2)      There are many moments where the prospective buyer wants to see the pictures of the product I am supposed to sell and its features via a photo but the e-mail is not accessible every time. For such moments, Quikr Nxt’s application has a photo sharing feature which allows us to share the photos in a jiffy within the chat and that doesn’t even waste time.

3)      For the last reason I would prefer chat over a phone call is that, I am very forgetfull by nature. My scheduler is something that I look forward to whenever it comes to meetings and other important schedules. Among those important schedules and the numerous calls, it is almost impossible to jot down the important points given by the prospective buyer and what I have told to whom. The chat feature of Quikr Nxt is one feature that helps me revisit the chat history anytime for different buyers so that I can anytime know what has been told to whom without much hassle.

Apart from these, there are many more such reasons on why I would prefer chat over a phone call. All thanks to Quikr Nxt for coming up with such a feature for all the users. I would like to recommend the same for every perspective buyer and seller out there.

Note: This article is a part of  http://www.quikr.com/.