Kalamos Literary Services - Mega Giveaway

Hello everyone, Kalamos Literary Services is proud to announce its first ever Mega Giveaway. We invite all book lovers out there to participate in this giveaway and make this event a success. Rules: 1. The participant must be a resident of India. 2. The participant must have an Amazon account. 3. The participant can enter in maximum of 3 books giveaway, not more than that. 4. The participant will have to comment in the comment box of�Colors of Life blog. In the comment plz mention name and author od the book, and note that includes your views and expectaions from the book. 5. Multiple entries are not allowed. 6. The winners will be selected by the authors themselves. Below are the books you can win-

1. The Three Wise Monkeys by Jeet Gian

Blurb- The trio Amar, Akbar and Anthony had no clue whatsoever about their goddammit indecisive-careers-and-indefinite-struggles. And that was because they were born with the Peter Pan Syndrome and were simple enough to be tricked by anyone, including their mystifying girlfriends�Meghna, Farah and Sarah. And as is the fate of all morons, they were drawn into trouble�deep trouble�of hiding crores of rupees of black money in secret offshore companies. Will their mistake of turning a blind eye to the philosophy of �See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil� cost them their careers and put them in prison? Or Will Lady Luck change their fortunes forever?

2. Should I Fall in Love by Shradha Khanna

Blurb- A story of Fear..... of not finding forever after and questioning your heart. Naina has always been a strong headed, lively and carefree person. She always felt that there was a reason for everything. She believed in love, commitment and sacrifice, but when her three year old relationship crumble down in front of her she lost all the hope in love and marriage forever. With time and help of her friend, Naina starts afresh in a new city with a new job and people around. For the first time in her life she was not looking for love but a deep urge to stand on her own feet made its way in her life. Little did Naina know her life was going to change? Nothing could prepare her for the storm of love in the shape of Nihal, the confident, persistent and handsome guy she met at her boss housewarming party. Read on to know, will Nihal be able to penetrate the cold walls covered around Naina's heart or her insecurities are more than enough to lead them on different paths in life. A story where thinking that questioning your heart with "Should I", can stop you from "Falling In Love".

3. Terminal Love by Vicky Arora

Blurb In the mad roller coaster that is Mumbai, two men separated by age, class, and religious faith, find the love they yearn for in each other. This is their true story of braving all odds through the ups and downs in their lives. What survives is their unconditional acceptance, unwavering commitment, and an unbounded love in the face of an unrelenting fate.

4. Secret, Sins & Struggles by Kamini Kusum

Blurb This collection of tales about the lives and loves of five women traces their long, eventful journeys. Meet Pooja, a teenager forced into the flesh trade but determined to escape and get justice. Shrawani who dreams of becoming a bureaucrat despite all the trials life throws her way. Avni who is torn between her childhood friend and her brand-new boyfriend. Harsha who is trapped in a loveless arranged marriage while still being haunted by thoughts of her forsaken lover. Geshna who falls head over heels for a high school sweetheart only to find her own life shrinking to accommodate his. These stories are about the odds stacked against these women in their paths to love and success, and their hope that the next turn that they make will be the one that leads them to the happiness they are longing for.

5. Wild Card by Asfiya Rahman

Blurb Karan Mehrotra thinks he has it all. He is about to marry the love of his life, Riya and is on his way to win at Wimbledon, fulfilling a childhood dream of his. However destiny has other plans for him and he is forced to put aside his dreams when life throws a wild card at him. Eight years later destiny coyly lays another opportunity in front of him. Does he finally get another chance to fulfill his childhood dream or will he let his fear stop him from taking up the challenge? Find out how a tennis champion is forced to step away from his fame into obscurity and how a bossy little girl forces him to take up one of the hardest challenges of his life and face the life he had left behind.

6. My Wife's Diary by Deepanshu Saini�

Blurb- 'Am I okay?' I asked myself again, for the hundredth time. 'I don't know,' I told myself again, for the hundredth time. I have never been so confused. For my entire life, I have taken decisions with a simple 'yes' or 'no': 'Do I want to go for engineering?' 'Yes'; 'Do I need to go for another job?' 'No'; 'Should I look for career in writing?'; 'Yes'; 'Do I love her?' 'Yes'; 'Should I smoke?' 'No'; 'Should I drink?' 'Yes' -my whole life has revolved around these two words. And the same words worked while making the most important decision of my life - my marriage. 'Should I go for love marriage?' 'Yes'. Why shouldn't I? After all, she is beautiful, fair and tall, with a shapely body, and with that tiny mole under her lower lip that most guys would be ready to die for. Overall, a trustworthy companion, a perfect daughter-in-law and an ambitious girl - what else does a guy want? But one year of marriage can prove you wrong. It can even give a shock perhaps. Just the thought that a girl in her mid-twenties can hold so many secrets, so many emotions, is actually astonishing. Few months ago, I would've never pictured things the way they are now. She once said to me: 'Love has nothing to do with the body. It speaks from the soul.' Well, she was absolutely correct. But I think, I was an Idiot as what she meant that day came into my wits now... I was uncomfortably aware of my conscience every time I faintly turned the page of her diary, and every time a feeling went through my nerves, like I was about to bite my own tongue. How had something so simple become so tangled and complicated suddenly? I still remember the first time I had met her. As much as I tried not to think about her, she kept flitting into my consciousness or into my line of sight. And I was clear that I wanted her. I want to formalize the relationship. How? I don't know. But yes, my sentiments were really honest. That's it. But now, it's something different.

7. Epiphany: Tales of Revelation�

Blurb- "A true and brutally honest utterance of love, this book connects with you instantly. An attempt to bring out the various nuances of a heart in love, the collection ranges from romantic poems to poems dwelling with the questions of self. This book is for everyone who wants to have a rendezvous with themselves and also with the ones they love in a familiar yet newer light."

8. Blemishing The Odds by Harish Penumarthi

Blurb- Say hello to Raghav, an immature, insensitive person who is apathetic about everyone else except himself. His life revolves around his parents and his friends. He is among the bad books of all his Teachers. Until one day, when Trisha, a new entrant; mesmerizes him at the very first glance. He finds a friend, savior, nurturer and an inamorata in her. Just when he thinks that everything has been set out in a picture perfect manner, life throws a series of ghastly surprises at him. Will he change for good or stick to his immature stand of "My Life, my rules" and screw it all up? This tale journeys across all the ups and downs a student could possibly encounter. The transformations that a student may endure, the courage and guts one needs to have in order to dodge all predicaments and eventually sketch the perfect end to all his agonies.

9. The Kissing Circles by Nitin Tewari

Blurb- "A boat race. Sounds fun" "Not for me. Oh, but I can be a cheerleader." No doubt a Toddy effect. "Yeah dude. So Pandey is going to design the next aircraft carrier ship." "And Bansal, you're going to brand this into the first Water Olympics." "And I shall win the race and marry Kala in the most lavish wedding Mevalloor has ever seen" Yeah, welcome to the world of Ordinaries! Extraordinary In 2007, at the height of the Global IT boom, Manoj Bansal and Rajesh Pandey, two newly-releasedprisoners of Engineering with mediocre grades and a looming IT future, set out for Trivandrum for their Corporate Learning Programme (CLP). Torn between their past miscues and topical aspirations, they hope to find their true calling.Whilst in a confused, depression ridden transitory phase, they soon run into their fellow trainee, Adish Matthew - a Malayali Computer engineer, and a village simpleton Mutthur Sankunni - the no-hope skipper of MaruthiVallam, gearing up for the annual Vallamkali. Bound by a common thread of mediocrity, they shun the modern world's great expectations and take off on a spree to discover the tranquility of the God's own country. Until one day...when a Tsunami of mishaps rocks their life, impelling them to join hands and transfigure into the four kissing circles, fighting the most irrelevant battle of our times: To be or not to be, extraordinary.

10. Strangers With Known Faces by Gautam Dutta

Blurb- Rajat, Meenakshi, Sadaaf, Amol, and Shanaya are five University students with nothing in common- who should never have met in the first place. They meet after winning a lucky draw- the prize of which was to take part in a puzzle game. Though the game was engrossing, they were unable to solve the puzzle in the stipulated time. However, this lead to the beginning of a deep friendship between them. Their friendship blossomed. But ego and misunderstanding led to an acrimonious break up. They meet again- two decades later- when Shanaya is murdered, and the other four are suspects. The four soon realize that in spite of being estranged for so many years, there were unknown ties that bound them- ties of treachery, deceit, and subterfuge. Ties that have led them to come together in circumstances that no one could have foreseen. And the game that they had left incomplete two decades back has to be played yet again - on a much bigger canvas. Now they have to trust each other, clear their names, and get to the bottom of the mystery, which threatens not only their lives and relationships, but also the fabric of democratic India. As their travels and travails continue, they discover hitherto unknown facets of the people around them, as well as their own selves. Can they succeed in resolving the puzzle this time? Or is history doomed to repeat itself? As hidden aspects of the human personality are revealed, they realize that no one is what he or she appears to be. For the world comprises of 'Strangers With Known Faces'.

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Book Review : The American Indian Dream by Pranay Sahu

Book- The American Indian Dream

Author- Pranay Sahu

Genre- Fiction

Publisher- Half Baked Beans



Blurb-

His life was his dream. From being a Wall Street Investment Banker to being a jobless put under spiritual arrest, to being hopelessly in love with a hippie ten years elder to becoming an entrepreneur , he lived his dreams throughout his life. Cut to 2012, destiny's favourite child is now controversy's favourite child. Come success, come controversy. Controversies are inevitable, one's reaction to them, is optional. Roshan should not have reacted. Four years since he lost his job, Roshan is now battling his life after multiple gun shots; defending his actions before a spiritual guru whom he does not like at all. But life is not always your choice. The difference between dreaming and making dreams come true is what life is all about.


Review-

Pranay Sahu’s book is different but not completely different. The book starts at a very great turn; someone’s life is completely shattered. The American Indian dream is a really nice take on the youth of India who are running here and there to find stability in their career.

The nice thing about the book is that it is divided year wise and thus there are no confusions at any point of time. The author divided every incident nicely and kept the leap intact with proper tags, making it easy to keep the track.

Book starting with problems become instantly hit. The whole episode of Roshan’s return and his further take on life is hilarious. It shows the perfect state of an adult who doesn’t have plans for unnecessary and unplanned changes in his/her life. What is more hilarious is a family who have different prospective towards these changes.

Indian families are weird and supportive, a deadly combo, and it was shown fully in the former part of the book.

The twist in the tale comes with Eternal Bliss. It was a perfect wrap up to the moving story. But what made this part equally graceful is the fact that the characters didn’t budge from what was expected them to do. We are shown what was shown from the start. Believers remained believers and vice-versa.

I was finding the after effects of the camp really suffocating because everything happened in a jiffy and things touch the sky in the blink of an eye. For me it was like a little away from reality and grounds, though I am not denying the existence of such stories. But it was not for this book from my point of view.

Summing up- The book has some great potential due to a well crafted downfall, some great incidents and bunch of people who meet suddenly to form a new life. The writing style was simple; vocabulary was not under or over the line. It was a good book.


Eye-catchers-

• “...one can be as open minded as the number of windows one lets open for her mind.”

• “...attention seeking is the beginning of the end of a relationship.”

• “...the worst, the most useless thing to do during bad times is to do nothing.”


Recommendation-

This book has different elements, like friendship, success, love, spirituality and the real face of life. I recommend this for light reading and some great one-liners.


About the author-

Pranay Sahu is the classic case of an engineer turned MBA turned banker turned novelist. He is also an avid marathon runner, a stand up-comedian and a lonely traveller. Having lived in places like Kota, Bhopal, Indore, and Bangalore, Pranay now lives in Vadodara and divides his time between three cities, other two being Mumbai and Ahmedabad.


Connect with the author-

• www.facebook.com/sahunomics

• sahupranay@gmail.com


Buy the book-

• Amazon Link-
http://www.amazon.in/gp/aw/d/9384315397/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481393241&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=the+american+indian+dream

Book Review : Colorful Notions - The Roadtrippers 1.0 by Mohit Goyal

Book: Colorful Notions- The Roadtrippers 1.0

Author: Mohit Goyal

Genre- Fiction

Publisher- Srishti Publishers

Pages- 194

Price- 175


Blurb-

Abhay is all set to start an adventure but before any other planning he need some partners for company. They finalise 25 exotic places around the country and decide to shoot a documentary.

Sasha is a foodie and Unnati is an Assistant RJ, the catch is they are in love.

What happens when the trio experience some spooky things and some thrilling threats? Will there be any problems due to the love birds in the movie making? How the end would look like?


Title and Cover-

I loved the cover. It tells the tale in a very nice way and same I can say about the title. Though the tale is slightly in contrast with the expected story but still the first impression is not at all bleak.


Review-

The book is basically a travelogue summed up with different emotions to make it more readable and also accessible in some terms. Author followed first person narration which I thought was limiting the whole experience to some extent. I was able to connect with only character largely due to this choice which the author made.

The concept of the book was amazing and I was high after reading the list of places where the trio was about to travel. Author did quite good homework in picking the most amazing sites which speak about India. I fell in love with the concept instantly.

Complete tale was weaved nicely around Ab, Sasha and Unnati, the roles assigned to them were crisp and the background which all three of them left behind were showing the face of India and the perks of living there.

What was highly disappointing was the fact that the author was more concerned about telling the readers about the outside story that happened while travelling. He was not much interested in telling about what happened when they actually saw the place at large. He was in hurry all the time to wrap things up and move to the next place.

The connectivity maintained to keep the flow of a fiction novel was nicely done but what was expected from the cover, title and the blurb of the book couldn’t be delivered by the author.

There was a lot of scope for the author in terms of introducing interesting characters, their stories and other stuff. Author managed to do that at some places, like in Hyderabad, in terms of Sandeep or the Lama and his great advice to the people. But that essence was not filled at every point of the journey.

I liked the part of Alwar, Sundarban and Gaya. They held the story to a really high extent because they had a variety of incidents and a lot to show. I didn’t like the part where Ab was experiencing weird emotions; also the book was losing its glow when the love story started ruling the pages.

Summing up- The book was a great attempt by author in terms of the content and concept. Every page had a different scent of India and the efforts done in order to compile this book are really commendable. But there was a wide gap in terms of great imageries which were missing and could have been totally added up without much efforts and a little research. But it was a nice break from normal love stories.


Eye-Catchers-

• “I wish I had a way to capture memories, emotions and feelings- only to replay them and feel them all over again.”

• “Nobody can go back and make a new beginning, but anyone can start now and make a new ending.”

• “That’s what life is all about. You may hate it one moment, but later on, that very moment may become your most cherished memory.”


Recommendation-

I completed the book in two days, so I can recommend this book to those who want a quick read, or want to know about different parts of India briefly but yes don’t expect a lot of information; it is basically a fictional tale.


Connect with the author-

• www.theroadtrippers.in


Buy the book-

• Amazon link-
http://www.amazon.in/gp/aw/d/9382665803/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481369506&sr=8-1π=SY200_QL40&keywords=colorful+notions+the+roadtrippers+1.0&dpPl=1&dpID=51ungQjA14L&ref=plSrch

Book Review : With You I Dance by Aarti V Raman

Book- With You I Dance

Author- Aarti V. Raman

Genre- Fiction (Romance)

Publisher- Fingerprint Publishing


Blurb-

Meera has left New York, her dancing and all the dreams behind because of some vicious incidents in her life. She has left so much that the emptiness crawls all over.

Abeer and Zoya try everything that is possible for them and tries to hold Meera in the toughest times of her life.

Will Meera live up to the expectations of herself and others? What will the Ballerina do to live her life again to the fullest?


Title and Cover-

The cover of the book is as radiant as the book itself. The elements added to narrate the story of the book in the cover itself is done remarkably. Also the fluidity maintained in the word “Dance” is really impressive, well thought of. With pleasant colours and great central images, the cover is a sure win-win.
And as far as the title is concerned, I don’t think that could have been the only option.

So, I liked the cover more I guess.


Characters-

Well well, the characters were limited but strong and that is really a plus point. I don’t want a book that is over-crowded and I forget about the characters with every change of phase in the story. With you I dance had mainly four to five characters which kept coming again and again.

I liked Meera but not too much. There were incidents in the story that told me that Meera’s traits were really conflicting and it is not at all good. I also didn’t like Abeer that much. But I loved Zoya and Bullet. They were really straight and rational from the very start. I simply loved them.


Review-

With You I Dance is a book that starts at the end. It was fascinating to take a glimpse at the life of a young girl who has ended a phase in her life and has stepped in the second one. The book is full of twists, turns and revelations. And what makes this book a little different is the essence of purity.

The book starts with grief and a great remark is left in the heart. It doesn’t take a lot of time to connect with the lead Meera whose life the author has shown at large. Meera’s character was elaborated a lot and thus I was not able to decide whether I should like her or not. Yes, I had confusion.

Meera is a strong woman, with everything in her life that she desired but the fate is not always in your court. A strong, independent girl suddenly becomes fearful of her dreams. The phase of transition from everything to nothing in hand is shown very nicely by Aarti. She has closely observed her character and perfection can be seen easily.

What fails to impress me is the extra sweetness of the characters. Let us see the male lead Abeer, he was the one on the lower end of the balancing equipment. I didn’t like the way he handled the situations. I found him extra participative. I would have loved to see Meera emerge out fully, as a folk who chased her dreams like anything.
Also when we talk about Abeer he was extra submissive too. It was nothing different from every love story that we see.

What was freshening up the tale was the mental state of Meera. It was worth noting. It was relatable to be frank. The madness, the freakiness and the never ending grief was on every page and in all the actions. The book became great from good because of great writing skills and very fluidic vocabulary. There were limited conversations and the narration was so peerless that nothing seemed to be missing.

Summing up- With you I dance is a well crafted book with equal amounts of everything, placed in right nooks and corners, for entertaining the readers. It was a simple, neat and very precise tale containing limited proportions of varied emotions.


Eye-catchers-

• “...her face squealed into his chest as if she wanted to find a way to crawl inside his skin and live there.”


Recommendation-

I can definitely recommend this sweet and simple tale to any reader who is into romantic reading. The book is short and will be entertaining without any doubts.


About the author-

Aarti graduated from Mumbai University, with a degree in Mass media focussed on journalism which provided her the perfect background for conducting sound research on any project. She then went on to study Creative and professional writing at Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia. Her first novel is “White Knight” published in 2012 and second novel “Kingdom Come” published in 2014.


Connect with the author-

• Twitter- @RT_writes

• kingdomcomethebook@gmail.com

• Facebook- Aarti V Raman-Author


Buy the book-

• Amazon Link- http://www.amazon.in/gp/aw/d/8175993529/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481366703&sr=8-1π=AC_SX118_SY170_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=with+you+i+dance

Book Review : The Three Wise Monkeys by Jeet Gian

Book- The Three Wise Monkeys

Author- Jeet Gian

Genre- Fiction

Publisher- Leadstart Publishing

Price- 299

Pages- 400

Blurb-

Amar, Akbar and Anthony are trying there best to make a name in the wide industry they are in. Making contacts, getting clients and having some money is all the trio is trying to doing whole heartedly.

Sarah, Meghna and Farah are settled but there is much more in their lives then what Amar, Akbar and Anthony really know.

Raj and Suhas are big business tycoons but are not on talking terms but somehow they are in a web, together.

Will the mayhem come to a standstill? What happens when police is after the culprits? Who are the real culprits?

Title and Cover-

The title and the cover both could have been much better because I felt that the author didnt itch his nerves much while deciding them because he has just put in front what his novel has substantially, nothing literary is present. The cover is a perfect elaboration of an incident which I thought was not a nice idea. and the name well that is an another story.

Characters-

There were umpteen characters in the book. There were different people, bad, good some jsut there not in any party or side. I liked a few and I thought many were just not doing anything and just there names were used here and there for making different connections and making up the stories.

The three boys Amar, Akbar and Anthony were nice, simple, straight and plain. The girls were just like Bollywood heroines. They were just adding some pages and feelings and not doing much till the climax. I loved Raj and Suhas, they were a great picture of middle-aged men. The supporting characters were of a lot of help for bridging the gaps and passing on information from one end to the other. I liked Tukaram and Damu a bit. I also loved Ruma and Rex for being so irritating.

Narration-

The chapters were short, clean and crisp. There were perfect breaks and the incidents were neatly divided according to different person who was heading the mass. Third person narrative was a perfect choice for such complex web. Easy language was a plus point to complete this long and entangled tale.

Review-

This is the second book written by Jeet Gian and I have been consistent in reading his works. “The three wise monkeys” is a suspense novel and also one of its kind. The author has carry forwarded the concept of showing the lives of Chartered Accountants in this wide world, which I thought was not a very promising idea. I was not expecting a carry forward mode in the new book.

Though the idea was somehow relatable but the story was not. There was a lot of freshness in the tale and that was brought due to the normal dialogues and the easy lifestyle shown by the author of the three leads Amar, Akbar and Anthony. I was hoping the same till the new characters the big business tycoons were introduced. From there the story became very loud.

The author tried his best to form a great beginning but somehow I felt that he was not up to the mark because the things were so highly predictable that I was scratching my head and tried to move a little fast from that phase, specially the award ceremony sequence. That was a really low phase in the book.

It was so refreshing to read  the middle portion in the book because it had a complex tale and I was enjoying the dog rush very much. Every page had something new and entertaining. The best thing that the author did was avoiding romantic sequences between the couples. Though I really enjoyed the concept of Sex Deprivation and the final outcomes, that was really hilarious and it was giving a break from the never ending chase.

I felt that few characters could have been avoided easily. There names in the middle were creating chaos because they were not much involved in the story at any point of time.

The most hilarious and enjoyable part was when Amar, Akbar and Anthony visits different places due to there work. The Suma Dairy, the journey to Kutch and the encounter in the hotel, everything was lightning up the mood.

I found a lot of over doing and extra make-up in a lot of parts but somehow that gelled well with this Bollywood Masala type book.

With such a great and interesting middle, the ending was very horrible. I wish the author could have came up with a little more ideas for the climax. I felt that things wrapped up just like that, without much happening in real. It was like that comedy movie which has a stupid ending and that does not relate in any terms with the whole novel.

Summing up- The three wise monkeys was a really enjoyable book because of its simplicity and inspiration from Bollywood tales. There were different characters who were meant to entertain the readers only and their presence brought up the whole phase in the book very efficiently. With a great middle and a great chaos created, the author couldn’t match up the level in the end. But still the book was a light read with equal amounts of everything like friendship, struggle, lust, love and the everlasting need for success and fame.

Recommendation-

A reader who is new to reading can give it a try for an easy and light read. this book can be a nice start. But its a long book so patience is needed.

About the author-

Jeet Gian is a Chartered Accountant and the founding partener of JCA consulting group based in Dubai (U.A.E). at present he lives in Dubai with his family.

Connect with the author-

• ·        www.jeetgian.com

• ·        info@jeetgian.com

Buy the book-

• ·        Amazon link- http://www.amazon.in/Three-Wise-Monkeys-Jeet-Gian/dp/9352016181/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1478083036&sr=1-1&keywords=the+three+wise+monkeys+by+jeet+gian
  

Book Review : Ashvamedha by Aparna Sinha

Book- Ashvamedha

Author- Aparna Sinha

Genre- Fiction

Publisher- Srishti Publishers

 Blurb-

Ashwin Jamwal wanted to help his country. Thus he became an IAS. But little did he knew that there are people who will never let him go his own way, distractions is the key to depression.

New fields he tries to opt, the game has changed but the motive is same. But there are hidden truths and logics that only few people know. But will they be able to tell the rest?

What happens when a man has some deadly goals? Will all the nations come together to solve this mysterious issue which is in front of them?

Characters-

The characters of this book are high officials, politicians, speakers and what not. The extravaganza is in full form. I loved the deep secrecy of some characters, which was maintained nicely till the very end. Also I liked the supporting people because an office can’t be run by just the CEO.

The main leads Ashwin and Adya were really mesmerising and that is not because of their positions but because of the bond that never keep them far. There is no lust in the book, there is just longing.

Also I loved Arun and the secret hidden behind these two friends who are together since childhood. Well the antagonists were planned nicely but I didn’t find them extraordinary because maybe we see these kinds of people on regular basis.

Narration-

The book was written in third person narrative. For the first time I felt that there was a need of chapter names because it would have become more interesting to decipher the meaning of the chapter from the name.

Review-

Ashvamedha strongly depict the real sense of power in one form or the other. The subtitle strongly recommends some trauma and hasty moves but there is a lot more in the story. The author has surprised me from the very start in a positive sense.

The book starts at a very fast pace and all the cards are opened in front one by one making it a really nice page turner for any kind of reader, irrespective of his or her genre choices. I was so involved in the life of the lead Ashwin that I felt all his worries in a deeper sense. The way he wanted to spend his life and all the hard work that paid in the end is really inspiring.

His life is not very different from what we inspect on the day to day basis and thus this makes the reader sit and continue this reading venture for long. The dirty game of politics and an unknown source behind all the movements continues to make things more spooky and dark, raising the level of suspense.

But wait things are never too easy, isn’t it? The story topples over and a very new face has emerged. Every person has to make choices at one point of time but how the story moves ahead is quite a show.

What I liked about the book are the breaks that the author gave in the form of Arun and Adya. Friendship and love are the key factors for one to succeed and I liked the fact that the author has tried to imbibe everything and thus succeeded in keeping the book away from ripples.

There were a lot of incidents after the middle portion and I felt that a little bit of overdoing was done. I liked the crisp plans and the hideouts but all the nations were on the same platform yet things were moving so smoothly without any hints, loopholes, umm, that was a little too Bollywoodish for me.

With a great beginning, nice middle, the ending was a bit okayish. I think the showdown; the secrets were all really not going with the story. It was like the building up of suspense was much better then what the real suspense was. Or maybe the author penned everything with such high precision that an easy end was just not easy to swallow.

Summing up- The book was a great attempt by Aparna Sinha. With a great storyline and crisp plot the book has set a benchmark. I really liked the planning and plotting, the dark and mysterious characters and the movement of the story. I didn’t find any problems in connecting with the book at any point of time. Only if the author could deliver equal amounts of chills till the end, the book could have been a great read for me. But still it was a very nice book.

Eye-catchers-

• ·        “We need an honest man with a gun to run this country.”

• ·        “All the dreadful criminals of the world are humble people in real life.”

Recommendation-

A complex web is waiting for you if you are planning to pick this book. It will be a mixture of an easy read and a great story.

About the author-

Aparna Sinha wrote her first poem when she was eleven, which she recited on All India Radio. Since then, her literary work and industry specific articles have been published in various media, including reputed business magazines across Asia.

Buy the book-

• ·         Amazon Link-http://www.amazon.in/Ashvamedha-Game-Power-Aparna-Sinha/dp/9382665765?ie=UTF8&keywords=ashvamedha%20by%20aparna&qid=1478082412&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1
  

Book Review : Love Bi the Way by Bhaavna Arora

Book- Love Bi the Way

 

Author- Bhaavna Arora

Genre- Fiction (Young Adult)

Publisher- Penguin Books

Blurb-

Rihana is a well known painter and Zara has taken over her dad’s business. Both of them are successful and leading their lives in their own way.

Rihana is always surrounded by men but Zara is on the shy line. They both are off for a vacation and that turns out to be a little alarming bell for both of them.

What will happen when the dark secrets of Rihana and Zara will haunt them? Will they be able to cope up? Will they find solace in love?

Title and Cover-

I really liked the title and the cover and that is the sole reason for picking up the book. They both were very creative and elaborative. The background, images, etc were all working in sync to make a nice appearance.

Characters-

The bright characters were the lifeline of the book. The author has been really precise in penning really strong people in her book. Let it be the maid of the house or the driver, the doctor or the dog, every character was nice, soothing and well crafted.

Rihana and Zara were nice, very nice, really polished. I also liked the different males who were supporting the story in one way or the other like Harish, Zubair, Shaurya and Saif. And from all Tiger was my favourite.

Narration-

The narration was simple and clean. I didn’t find any flaws in that. The vocabulary was very easy and that made the book a quick read.

Review-

Love Bi the Way is quite an expressive novel. And that can be easily seen from the cover itself. The book is not about some people, the book is not about what one desires; the book is about what one discovers and feel. I liked the idea behind this book, exploring things to the fullest.

Starting from the start, well both the ladies were radiant, dynamic and successful. What I liked about it was that there was no way the author tried to victimize the girls even though they both had very dark backgrounds. There strength was in there friendship and it was in full swing till the end. There inclinations were shown nicely, without any hesitations and that brought up the characters more nicely and in a refined manner.

The starting of the book was perfect. The difference between the two leads, Rihana and Zara were shown fully, including their weak and strong points and how they have moved in this harsh world without support and sympathy. The book will fill you with admiration for these two young girls who haven’t compromised much to reach where they are and how they have fought with the inner demons and ruled the outer ones.

I found the beginning of the book really interesting because I was getting to know more but then things were repeated, habits were shown more than what was really required, in short there was less of a story and more of incidents as we progress ahead. This was major drawback in the book. It made the book boring and not at all adventurous.

The only time I felt that something will happen is when the two ladies are out on a vacation. I felt that it was shown in a more dramatic way then required. I didn’t find any place in the whole episode where I could wait and think for a minute because there was nothing to think at all.

In the whole book the author has talked about the likes and dislikes of the two girls not to forget their dark pasts, not even at a single place the emotions ruled the characters. I felt that doing that all of a sudden at the end was not a good idea. There were a lot of places where things could have reached another point but author killed that hope by shrugging off that thought which she ignited in her characters.

Coming at the dark pasts which the girls have been traumatized from, well that was not at all original for Rihana. I liked the revelation of Zara because that came in the former part of the novel where the story was much fresher then the latter section.

I liked the part which the dogs played in their lives. Those incidents and the unbreakable bond were delightful.

Summing up- The novel was a nice attempt in order to touch a different subject. But no doubts there were loopholes because many people have started commenting and writing on social issues so things have become really general. If and only if some different incidents could have been merged with the tale, things could have come up more refreshingly. Still a nice attempt.

Eye-catchers-

• ·         “Gone are the days when women were responsible for everything bad that happened, and men took credit for all god.”

• ·        “...the best thing to do when you feel out of place is to make others feel out of place.”

• ·        “Then they both sat down to watch Aphrodite play. When she got tired, she slept on Tiger’s grave as if fondly hugging her father.”

Recommendation-

If you are looking for an easy read on LGBT issue then you can give the book a try.

About the author-

Bhaavna Arora is the bestselling author of The Deliberate Sinner and Mistress of Honour. Before her foray into writing, she was heading a business school as a director; she also trains students and professionals in leadership. She holds two management degrees and a PhD in leadership from Pittsford University.

Buy the book-

·         

• Amazon Link- http://www.amazon.in/Love-Bi-Way-Bhaavna-Arora/dp/0143425293?ie=UTF8&keywords=love%20bi%20the%20way%20bhaavna%20arora&qid=1478016996&ref_=sr_1_1&s=books&sr=1-1