Wednesday 25 January 2017

Interview : Rubina Ramesh - Author of Knitted Tales

I always wondered about sending some questions to any random author for whom we were doing a Blog Tour on TBC but not a single question ever came to my mind. But then we  had "Knitted Tales" and I was sad because I was asked to send only five questions for Rubina Ramesh.

"Some people are not extremely close but still they pour some warmth."

In conversation with Rubina Ramesh.
Writer, Reviewer, Second name of TBC.



1. How were you pushed in the world of books?

With your Grand-dad a writer and your mom swimming in the world of books, how can you not? I can't remember when I started reading. It was always there with me. My dad would get transferred every 3 years. So books had to become my best friend. Same thing happened after marriage. So with wheels on my heels, books have been my life partner always :)


2. Managing a book club, reviewing books and now writing one. How were the three phases?

Never thought of this one. Writing came first. I wrote a sci-fi for an anthology much before the Book Club was formed. Book Club has gone through many phases. People have left me and rejoined or unfriended me. Hah hah.. but I am stuck with TBC. There are days I am fed up, want to give up and then a cute letter drops in my mailbox saying that a new author wants to be promoted. I get hooked. I love promoting new authors, aspiring one. The one's that have the drive and zeal to face any reviewer, however, harsh they might be –so every time a new author turns up the wheels start rolling again. 

Reviewing is the toughest job for me. I hate criticizing any writer. Yet I cannot praise always. Most of my reviews are private. I am not looking to be acknowledged as a reviewer for this is one of the toughest jobs in the literary world. A job that does not get you money but costs you many relationships. 


3. What inspired you to write the book?

Knitted Tales was based on prompt writing in Wrimo India Group. We had such fun during those days. We fought over good writing, were passionate over our viewpoints and it was simply about the art of writing. The Knitted Tales were kicked, abused and then loved in Wrimo India. 

Most of the stories are taken from life or incidents I have heard. But the endings and the sequences are mine. You know those small things that you hear and you go in a 'mungeri lal' mode? I often do that. And Knitted Tales does prove that I have a very wrapped sense of imagination. :P




4. Do you think short stories are easy or hard to pen then a complete tale? What was your experience?

I cannot consciously sit and write a short story. I cannot plan a short story. It has to happen. Something bursting inside me to be told. It comes very naturally and I will not change a single event after I write it. But novels are planned. Characters are built and events are plotted. It has to have a depth which should suck in a reader. It took me four years to write Finding the Angel and a few hours to write each story of Knitted Tales.


5. If you want to change one thing in your book what would it be?

Not one thing. I am very stubborn that way :D As I said, each story has to come out naturally. I never plan them. So how can I change them? :D


It's really fun to know some people. :)
You can read my review of Knitted Tales here.

Saturday 21 January 2017

Book Review : Agniputr by Vadhan

Book- Agniputr - When Agni First Spoke

Author- Vadhan

Genre- Fiction (Mythology/Suspense)

Publisher- Bloomsbury India

Pages- 364

Price- 299


Blurb-


When ace lawyer, Raghuran Surya, received an order of requisition from the Government of India for his ancestral castle, he was unaware of the Sutran beneath it or his own legacy. He will have to choose between the world’s end or his own.
Before long, the lawyer takes on India’s most powerful politician, Kiromal, a man utterly obsesses with power. Kiromal and his sinister Tantric advisor intend to use the evil beneath the castle to play God. Raghuram finds an ally in Sheila, a scientist who is tasked to investigate the Sutram. Using Quantum science to interpret a Vedic verse, they will have to unravel the secret of Creation to stop the destruction. Through it all, they have to be one step ahead of Kiromal just to stay alive.


Now is the time to final reckoning. Will Kiromal harness the evil to rule the world? Or will the Sutram break free to eradicate the planet? Or, are Raghuram and Sheila merely pawns in an even deadlier game?


Review- 


What makes this book enjoyable is the mixture of a lot of things in a one go, without making anything clumsy. When a lot of things are moving simultaneously it’s important to maintain decorum for the readers, so that they can enjoy themselves to the fullest and the author has tried his best to do that. The subject that the author has chosen is really alluring because it is not widespread in Indian reading and writing community. The characterization is great and effective. Nothing more, nothing less in the name of suspense or explanations, sheer to the point context and realizations.


I loved the book and my detailed version of the review coming soon.


About the Author-


With more than two decades as a litigator and consultant for legislative compliance, Vadhan turned to writing a few years ago. He is a lawyer by training, an entrepreneur and dreamer. His first book, ‘Shatru’, part of the Kronikles series, is highly praised and critically reviewed to be one of the best fantasy novels in India. Vadhan is married with two children. He aspires to be a politician and a reformist one day. Vadhan lives in New Gurgaon, India, with his wife.


Buy the book- 

Amazon Link-                                                                                                                                          
http://www.amazon.in/Agniputr-When-Agni-First-Spoke/dp/9386141078/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484988782&sr=1-1&keywords=agniputr

Thursday 19 January 2017

Book Review : Her Last Wish by Ajay K Pandey

Book- Her Last Wish

Author- Ajay K. Pandey

Genre- Fiction

Publisher- Srishti Publishers

Pages- 207

Price- 175


Blurb-

His father’s over expectations only ruined his self-confidence further with each failure. A ray of hope walked into his life as his wife, a charismatic personality spreading joy wherever she went. Everything is going per plan, but darkness comes knocking soon. He finds out that she does not have much time to love and takes it upon himself to fight all odds – even his family. If need be – to help her fight her medical condition. His father sees his own redemption in helping them, he knows his son will be a winner only if he will fight for her, with her. Will a defeated son prove himself to be a good husband? Will the father-son duo together be able to change the course of fate? Her last wish is an inspiring story of love, relationships and sacrifice, which proves once again how a good wife makes the best husband.


Review-

The second book of Ajay sir is pretty ok and after the huge success of the first one it was hard to stay away from the second one. From the cover and the blurb it seems a really engrossing and touchy subject but was it the same, well, read to find out. There are no doubt some flaws in the book but nothing is perfect. There was a balance of everything, in short a recipe to win the heart of readers who are into light reading. Was there any scope? It depends according to the taste of the reader.

Starting from the start, well the book was full of emotions, messy relationships and a never ending struggle. From the very start i was hoping to find a bit more after every chapter but sadly every chapter has a very bland incidents which didn't seem to change till the very end. When one is reading a touchy and emotional story (here i am referring myself), there are a lot of expectations. I want to cry when the leads are crying but i was reading it like a machine without feeling extra hue of tingle in my heart even at very sensitive matters.

Am I a machine then, well no, the problem in the book was the extra plain and simple projection of emotions. Who wants to read a simple book when the subject is really strong? Not me at least.

There were some positive things in the book too which kept me going. Like the character Astha. i kept on liking her after every chapter. And when the truth unfolds i was falling for her with every word. She was the real hero of the book. Also when talking about supporting characters Vijay's father played a very crucial and important role. For a person like he was, dominating, seeing him in that phase was really refreshing.

But there was a strong need of more characters. This story had a lot of scope and by adding more characters i think it could have been uplifted. Like there was no role of Astha's parents in the whole book. I don't understand why author didn't include them even in one chapter.

I didn't like Vijay much. Why? Well I have many reasons and the most important one is that I don't like drastic changes in the characters no matter what. They ought to grow gradually and not so suddenly. It makes me feel disconnected to them and same happened here.

One more problem was the first person narration. It sounded really monotonous after some chapters. I needed more insight over the details. But author filled this space a little bit by adding different versions of other people and their take over the whole scenario.

Talking about the writing, everything was good. Well that was it, everything was good, not nice, not even very good. The lines seemed same, the emotions seemed same, even the choice of words was very simple and no such phase came in the book which could have hit the correct vein.

The book was a nice read, it is a great book for those who need small books but this cant be read again and again. That means it is just a one time read. I enjoyed the book but there were a lot of things that i was expecting from the book which it was not able to deliver. I think romance novels are nowadays more hard to right because after one point of time they all move in just one direction and it is hard to differentiate two books which showcase the same subject matter.


Eye-Catchers-


  • "If a miracle has to happen, it will happen anyway. Give it your maximum."
  • "Winners always forgive whereas losers always retaliate."
  • "If a child lacks confidence, it means you have never allowed him to take any decisions."


Recommendation-

You can pick this book if you are new in reading. You can surely like it because it is a nice and easy tale to grasp. But if you are looking for a composed tale then this is not the one for you.


About the author- 

Ajay K Pandey is currently working with Cognizant, Pune. Although he grew up with a dream of becoming a teacher, destiny landed him in the IT field. Travelling, trekking and reading novels are his hobbies. Travelling to different places has taught him about different cultures and people and makes him wonder how despite all the differences, there is a bond that unites them.
His debut novel You are the best wife was based on his life events and went on to become a bestseller soon after its release.


Connect with the author-


  • Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorAjayPandey
  • Twitter: @AjayPandey_08
  • Email: ajaypandey0807@gmail.com

Buy the book-


You can buy the book here- 

Monday 16 January 2017

Book Review : Finding Juliet by Toffee

Book- Finding Juliet

Author- Toffee

Genre- Fiction (Romance)

Publisher- Srishti Publishers

Pages- 224

Price- 195


Blurb-

Arjun is an incredibly nice guy who believes in true love and is waiting for it with open arms. He falls in love, not once or twice, but thrice. And every single time, happiness – like the girls he fell for – comes very close to him before pushing him away. His only pillar of strength in all his moments of grief and dejection is his childhood friend Anjali.

Dejected by the games played by girls and fate, he leaves Hyderabad for Bangalore and ends up meeting Krish, an irresistible flirt. He understands Arjun's predicament, pacifies him with his words and enlightens him about the most complicated species ever created by God – Women.

And then, Arjun's life changes forever.

Will Arjun find the one he has been waiting for, or will he end up becoming a flirt? Will he ever taste lasting happiness?

Join Arjun as he tries to figure out women and discovers the meaning of love, lust and life... all in his journey of Finding Juliet.


Review-

Finding Juliet can lure readers due to an impressive blurb, an eye-catchy cover and a very sweet title. It is a sure shot winner in the initial league. The book starts with a very plain and simple aura. I was glued to the text from the very first line. Author tried to keep the text as simple as he could, by doing that the book can surely reach a lot of people and not just high profile readers.

The story of the book however is not very impressive and the signs of the same start appearing as soon as you move ahead in the book. Though the first few chapters can be ignored in this context because many books do fail to impress in the start, no issues on that because it takes time to form a good and strong bridge; but as I moved and reached the middle, the story was still the same.

The main problem in the book was the extra boastful male chauvinist character, hidden behind the geeky appearance. What was enjoyable was to see how a girl can take different turns at different places. Needs are of both the genders and it was shown in full swing. But apart from that there was nothing noteworthy at all.

I was not able to get the whole concept of showing the mediocre behavior of a guy in different forms. The realizations were just so bleak; there was no charm in it. And how could the charm be left in it, it was all consumed with the different set of experiences which the author associated the lead Arjun with.

If I look back and try to pick a favorite character, I can’t put my finger on any. Krish came up to be wannabe and I hated Anjali from the bottom of my heart. She was showing a different era, for no reason at all. Neha was boring; Ruchika was a neutral character for me.

There were many places where the story could have evolved like in the last section but it became a daily soap as we approached the end and I was very disappointed because a good end can make up for the other blunders.

The book can be read for light reading by those who have just stepped in the readers’ community because there is nothing new in the book which an avid reader can really enjoy.


About the author-

Toffee is a simple guy who loves the complications of life. He used to write code by the day and books by the night earlier. But currently, he is busy writing assignments and chasing deadlines in his Master's in Business Analytics from the University of South Florida. Toffee loves narrating interesting stories with subtle insights. Through books, he wants to share beautiful stories, reach out to people and touch their hearts. Finding Juliet is his second book, written specially for India's Generation-Y.


Connect with the author-
  • www.facebook.com/ToffeeIdiot



Buy the book-
  • Amazon Link- http://www.amazon.in/Finding-Juliet-Toffee/dp/9382665854/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484576774&sr=8-1&keywords=finding+juliet+by+toffee



Book Blitz : God and his Girlfriend by Priyank
















Name of the book: God & His Girlfriend

Author: Priyank


Read some reviews:

1. Bani Jain
2. Alisha Patel 

The Story:


Have you ever met a pretty girl in a suspicious condition with blood stained hands lying in a hotel room where you are staying in? 

Can a love story see its acceptance in the Indian society when the boy is from slums and the girl is born in a rich family? 

How many of you have met those girls who were molested by their known ones when they had not even crossed the age of 14? Isn’t forced and unwilling sex after marriage similar to a rape? 

Whether the prayers offered in love strong enough to bring back someone’s lost beloved from PoK? 

How many of you know a person whose deeds are completely ideal, something which only a God can do? 

Whether religion, caste or community should really be a parameter in deciding the hierarchy and dominance of people living in this world? 

God and his girl-friend is a mercurial story about two youngsters, from entirely different backgrounds who strive hard against their comfort to live with their passion. A boy from the slums and a girl from a rich lavishing family set out on an embarking journey to touch the moon. This takes them through many tests, eventually tying them up in love, followed by an unforgettable service to the nation as true stalwart patriots.







You can buy the book @










About The Author 









‘The HINDU’ calls Priyank’s books, which has stories inspired from real life to be perfect in portraying the power of love.

Bollywood film maker Imtiyaz Ali conveyed his words to Priyank at a literary event in Delhi that he could see Priyank emerging out as a potential story writer from his city Jamshedpur.

Priyank is an author, a start up lover cum aspiring entrepreneur, a story teller and a motivational speaker. He is a gold medal winner in creative writing at the National level. He was named as the Best Debut Author of 2014 by Aagman Literary Organization, a Delhi based literary and cultural house for his novel ” I am dead but my heart beats. ”

He completed his Engineering from BIT Sindri, Dhanbad in 2015. He has delivered story telling sessions and motivational talks across many organizations in a short span of one and half year. He is the founder of Embellish India, a start-up he kicked off while in college. Currently, he works for a Delhi based funded start up after resigning from his first MNC job at TCS.

Born in Amethi (Uttar Pradesh) on 29th October, in a Maithil Brahmin family and brought up in Ghatsila (a small town near Steel city Jamshedpur in Jharkhand), Priyank’s dream is to bring changes in the country and make it a better place to live in. Writing was never his passion nor his goal. It happened to him by chance, by destiny, in an attempt to fulfill someone’s dream. He loves cricket, travelling, sleeping and trying out new delicacies.






Stalk him @





This Tour is Hosted by 














Thursday 12 January 2017

Book Review : Thank You Love by Ayush Gupta

Book- Thank You Love

Author- Ayush Gupta

Genre- Romance

Publisher- Half Baked Beans


Pages- 121

Price- 175


Blurb-

"Thank You Love" "...yes, I said, everything in life is uncertain, and it speaks the same." All human energy comes from that one thought. All the pain that we bear and the joys that we celebrate are the results of our thoughts at any moment. Strange isn't it? When Akshita was making her choices, Rayan made his. He refused to get over her and chose to own her absence in his heart and mind . Thank You Love describes how sitting on the floor in silence changed the world of "Rayan". He realized that love is not something that happens between two people, instead it's an enduring quality within people. He realized that love is not something that you do, but is the way you are. He re-moulds one of the most important event of his life into a spark, re-channelizes it and heads towards something that would later change the course of his life.


Review-

Thank You Love, written in first person narrative was a quickly wrapped up love tale of Rayan and Akshita. The story was nothing different from the casual love tales but there is a difference in the way of presentation.

The scenarios stated in the book are casual but penned in a very neat manner. I was hoping to find some spiritualistic turns after the book started. It was creating an aura of suspense; a want was created to find what happens next. The idea of story narration within a book is quite common but it never fails, same happened here.

First part of the book is showcasing a very contradictory image of both the leads from what we see in the middle and end portion. Well it was nice or not that will definitely be a different thing from different readers’ point of view; for me it was not nice. I love a strong characterisation which doesn’t sway in different situations. Here there was a mixture of positive and negative in both the leads.

There was a nice touch of mediators in between. The addition of extra characters always helps the book externally. There was not the need of more characters but there was a need of making those already existing characters a little stronger. For example, Rayan’s sister, his friend Shivai, they both had a great scope but author didn’t use them well.

Shivai I felt was the most left out character, even though he had a great significance. It was more of a one way friendship shown.

Coming on the plot of the book, there were no major shocks, no bumpy turns; everything was smooth, clean and clear. Was there any hope of more twists, well I guess no. The story was kept short and sweet and its beauty was in that only. Extra decorations could have messed up things.

The cover of the book has a great relation with the ending of the story. But there was a need for things to become a bit more elaborate. Author could have shown more of this phase because the cover gives a different image altogether.

The ending of the book is the most unlikeable part in the whole book. I liked the start, the middle portion was good too but I was expecting a bit more with the ending. Wrapping up needs to be a little tidier, this was not seen here.

Summing up- The book was a nice, short and simple tale of two beings in love. The new things added up here and there made things a bit more enjoyable. It was a romantic novel but there were shades of psychology, spiritualism and friendship. There was a nice message in the book, and when you take something from the book after completing it, the reading experience becomes a lot more enjoyable.


About the author-

Ayush Gupta is a notorious gypsy, driven by a bountiful zest for life. According to him, writing merely follows the rhythm of nanoseconds of life strings. He has been deeply in love with words since the age of 12. His aim is to become a politician, and a person who is loved and followed by the world. He wants to pen down simple thoughts with ardent meaning.


Connect with the author-



Buy the book-


  • Amazon Link- http://www.amazon.in/Thank-you-Love-Ayush-Gupta/dp/9384315486/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484239612&sr=8-1&keywords=thank+you+love+by+ayush+gupta
The book is provided by Arudha Club in exchange for a genuine review.

Tuesday 10 January 2017

Book Review : Knitted Tales: A collection of emotions by Rubina Ramesh

Book- Knitted Tales: A collection of emotions

Author- Rubina Ramesh

Genre- Short stories

Publisher- Self Published under the banner of The Book Club


Blurb-

What forces an innocent girl to become a sex symbol? Her desires? Or cruel fate? 
Is a lifetime enough—for avenging a betrayal? How do you hide secrets that never stopped haunting you? 

Can vengeance and secrets of your past devastate your present? How can long-buried crimes of yours suddenly raise their head? Can sinning be saving?

Is your spouse your soulmate? What if they never understood your feelings? Can you still live with them?

Lastly, does life give only two options? Live or die? What if there is a third?

In her anthology, Knitted Tales: A collection of emotions, Rubina Ramesh tries to find answers to these questions that are often from the heart and yet make the mind ponder over the solution. Or is it the other way round? Either way, Knitted Tales is a bouquet of emotions that is bound to touch both your head and your heart.


Review-

A secret in their closet was a very intricate tale with usual turns. I was ready to shriek out after I started reading the story. The author has started on a great note, transferring her skills on the very first page. The story was short, crisp, and precise but didn’t contain completely new traits. It was just a change within the old package but the change was a rejuvenating one. I liked the character of Anjali quite a lot because she was really mysterious, dark and rigid, completely suiting the tale.

Betrayal was a really interesting story because of its strange familiarity. Every nook and corner seemed visited yet there was an aroma of freshness in it. I liked Sudesh’s character in the whole because he made me really curious in the whole process.

Chiclets, the sweetest tale I read in this collection. I was not certain what I was about to read in this. I was procrastinating. It so happens when we read about such tales. Two girls, different backgrounds, stuck in a situation. I so loved the whole incident and situation that took me to a wonderful ride in order to get me through some wonderful lessons.

Forgive me, for I have sinned sent shivers down my spine. It was a love story of a great repute. There was everything in the tale that I longed to read in a love tale. There was no romance, still it was there, there were no hidden aspects yet there was a lot that I explored. I was swaying after reading this small tale of love.

Stories like Lolita are really hard to find these days. The story was short of conversations but still it didn’t seem incomplete at all. There was a strong emotional flow in the story and that is why the connection formed between the reader and Lolita grows stronger word after word. The phases of Lolita’s life were planned in such meticulous way that the whole tale got uplifted.

No Regrets, a comical tale of Raima and Arvind. Well in all senses it was a story that didn’t came 
with fights, though it was the needed thing, it didn’t came with heartbreaks though that was intended to come, but it came with lessons, loose strands and a great plan.

SuvarnaRekha touches the actual rims of India in a very subtle manner. What I really liked in the story is the fact that the story didn’t reveal its true colors till the end. And the trend is followed in a lot of stories which make them really interesting and involving.

The little godmother touches a very difficult and critical subject, child psychology. When most of the people ignore the cries and abnormal behavior of the children, the story teaches us what needs to be actually done. A simple process, few smiles and a great tale added in the collection.

The missing staircase is a reality check. But for most of the people the time flies just like it happened with Christie. The author managed to be really curt and show the real face to the people who have move ahead in life, leaving even the pathway behind.

The other woman, a provoking satirical story, the author follows the trend of revealing things at the end in a very crucial way. The ending is really moving because in life both the sides are right sometimes and the difficulty of choosing from both the right options becomes much more difficult.

Daddy, hear me out and Cliff Notes are the ending stories of the book. They have in them different kind of juices of fiction. On one hand Daddy, hear me out is a very simple, quite heard tale and on the other hand cliff notes is a mesmerizing narration of a mountain. I simply loved all the images that were penned in the story.

Summing up- The collection was a superb amalgamation of varied emotions, narrations and situations. I loved Cliff Notes, SuvarnaRekha, No regrets, and forgive me for I have sinned. These stories were vivid, had great hue and allowed my reading experience to be an enchanting and ecstatic journey.


Eye-catchers-
  • “If silence had a sound of its own, then there would be a cacophony of screams.”


About the author-

Rubina Ramesh is an avid reader, writer, blogger, book reviewer and marketer. She is the founder of the book club, an online book publicity group. Her first literary work was published in her school magazine. Living with her DH and two human kinds and one doggie kid, Rubina has finally started living the life she had always dreamed about- that of a writer. Her other published works are featured in various anthologies.


Connect with the author-


Buy the book-
  • Amazon link- https://www.amazon.in/Knitted-Tales-collection-Rubina-Ramesh-ebook/dp/B01M6UV0DK?ie=UTF8&keywords=knitted%20tales%20rubina%20ramesh&qid=1484059144&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1 

Book Review : The Multitudes of Ripples by Vaachakmitra

Book- The Multitudes of Ripples

Author- Vaachakmitra

Genre- Non-Fiction

Publisher- CinnamonTeal Publishing

Price- 499

Pages- 276


Blurb-

The novel is a first person narrative of an entrepreneur who struggles to make sense of his life. He reconstructs his memory while recuperating from a nervous breakdown. The distortion in his narrative is not only the manifestation of psychopathology of his mind but also an exploration of human values. The novel demonstrates how optimism incorporates meaningful semantics even in the face of psychopathology. The dualism of hope and pathos creates a touch of absurd, almost reminiscent of Kafka and Camus.


Review-


“The Multitudes of Ripples” is a very peculiar and different book which doesn’t hit the market often. There were times that I felt that this book was not for me but gradually I started getting involved in all the Mohmayi visits.

The author was careful in detailing every single aspect of his sentences, his experiences and travels. But I found that extra detailing quite unnecessary. With a subject as wide and imaginative as Fantasy World, author should have transpired the characters, incidents in a more dramatic way, hiding some meaning, showing some unexpected imagery's. Plainness is not always good.

There were abundant characters along with the narrator on this journey and I loved everyone. When more people were exposed to Mohmayi, things started becoming a little comical because there was more variation due to this.

Themes of the book were of great range, family love, the bond between siblings, with the caretaker, loved one. I enjoyed the former years of the narrator’s life the most because I felt that the Mohmayi sounded more convincing then. Seeing everything from the eyes of a kid was much easier than seeing things from the point of view of an adult.

I felt that author should have concentrated a little bit on conversations, the narration was nice but not very effective, and with extra explanations in the brackets, one expression became quite a lot to intake. A reader who is not used to of reading psychological anecdotes can find it a little bit boring.


Recommendation-

The book can be read in order to understand the critical yet interesting life written to showcase a fantasy world in autobiographical form.


About the author-

The author is a research scientist by training. He is technical consultant who works in an advisory capacity to the pharmaceutical industry. He specializes in intellectual property, technology upgradation and information technology. He is a science writer specializing in theoretical and philosophical foundations of modern scientific thought.


Connect with the author-



Buy the book-