Book Review: Sin is the new Love by Abir Mukherjee

Book: Sin is the New Love

Author: Abir Mukherjee

Publisher: Srishti Publishers

Genre: Fiction (Mystery/Suspense)

Blurb:

Ahi is an aspiring publisher and wishes to make it big someday. When he favourite author’s autobiography lands on her table – which has confessions of his heinous crimes, illegal businesses and few eminent others as his partners in crime – she doesn’t know if it’s real or someone’s trap. It could get her a big breakthrough, but little does she know that it would turn her world upside down completely.

Her morbid curiosity pulls her into the depth of a conspiracy. She finds herself in the centre of various mishaps and murders, as if someone wants to lead the way. Driven by her childhood friends Samim’s encouragement, and watched over by the ever so charming ACP Rathore, she has to jeopardize her life to find the brutal truth of her past.

Touching, thrilling and deeply mysterious, Sin is the New Love is the journey of a girl who stumbles upon the truth about her origin while chasing her dream.

Review:

This is the second book by Abir that I have read, and I was very excited to read it as I know how grounded and realistic the stories are. The book deals with various themes like romance, friendship, triangles, suspense, thriller and a never-ending edge and sharpness.

The characters in the book are few but refined. Though I strongly feel that apart from physically characterizing the people nothing else was done. I would have really appreciated if the characters would have been shown in more depth, which would have further made the story more connective, taking in account why the character is doing what. Apart from plain facts, some connecting dots would have done wonders.

The narration of the book was on point, nowhere I felt that I am getting confused with turning events. It was plain and smooth. I could very well imagine and go with the flow of the story.

I couldn’t connect with the love interests in the book. It was bland for me, very bland. If it wouldn’t have been there, I am sure the book wouldn’t have missed even one bit of its existing charm.

The unfolding of events, the narration within a narration was well portrayed as these kind of situations leads to misleading directions. But it was well executed by the author. Extra points for that.

The ending for me was okay. It was different from what you would have thought but not extremely shocking. The series is about to get continued and I am really looking forward to reading the further story.

All the very best for the next venture Abir 😊

About the author:

Abir Mukherjee was born and brought up in Bardhaman, a small town of West Bengal. He is currently based in Bangalore, having completed more than ten years as an IT Professional, after securing his degree in engineering. This is his third novel after As Life Has No Undo and S.O.A.R - Success over Adversity Reigns! He loves to sketch and write in his spare time.

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What a good book can do to you

You know you are submerged in a good book when you stop everything you have been doing for many weeks; all of a sudden. What it is doing to your mind and heart is more complex to understand then the book itself.

What I have been reading since past 3 days have left me wondering what your mind can do to you when you are involved in a fictional tale which you can relate to your own life.

How can it make you feel connected to different people in your life?

When the story is divided in phases and when people come and go according to their roles you understand how important that is. How the same thing has been following you around day in and out. But now as you know the ending of the book you understand how things mattered in the very start which led us to this outcome. You suddenly start worrying less. Its such a sudden thing that even you can’t believe it for some time.

People come and go but they leave their imprint and that will shape up what you desire wholeheartedly.

How you start loving and hating the same person in and out of the book?

Its strange how a writer can play with your mind and make you believe that you have been trusting the wrong person all along. You stop, close the book, wait a minute or two, read the passage again and connect the dots. Its hard to manage the bile rising in your throat but not everything runs according to your fancy. Loving and hating are strong words and run hand in hand. On one page you are loving them and on the last sentence you are heart broken. Sounds relatable?

How big revelations are not embellished, and pain is not told but allowed to be felt?

When I was reading this book, death was told in between all the commotion that was going on; it wasn't mentioned once in full royalty. It can be the last sentence and that tells you the chapter is over, move on. That hits hard. Analyze it for yourself, feel the pain hidden somewhere in between the last and the current page you are on and inhale the emptiness; as you are not going to meet the same character again in your life, but the book wouldn’t have been completed without them. That was something to learn for a lifetime.

How people turn their biggest defeats around?

I love books which don’t have an over-powered protagonist. The weight is too heavy for two shoulders. It needs to be passed on over and over and over till the distribution sounds sane, the problems sound genuine and the rewards are hard earned. Who needs a hero when you can have multiple normal people? Similarly, who needs one soul when you can have many who shapes you through and through until you sail with them, knowingly or unknowingly. You fail but who said it was an easy road. Be anxious, be stupid, make mistakes but DO something if you are not content.

How love can teach you what it takes to be there?

Fiction can have unrealistic love couples. But I see two normal people who fell in love because of no reason. Simply fell in love and never fell out of it. The stolen glances are much more functionary then the endless and tiresome love making. Something that lasts longer and leaves a beautiful imprint in the heart of someone who is reading such a simple and ordinary love tale that ends in not more then a few chapters or few pages, or maybe a paragraph.

How social reasons cannot affect a fictional tale?

 I skip all the unnecessary information the writer tries to give me when I am enjoying just a story. But you need to know who supports who just to see how they will react further. It’s an enjoyable process, though people are dying, murderers are not convicted but do you care when you know it’s a reality hidden behind a story which never happened. It’s a maze of creative space and real world which you never want to exit.

How big revelations can make you wonder your intelligence?

You feel you know it all, a few more chapters and its done. You will be crying your heart out in a few seconds without any explanation even if you are sitting in a room full of people. You breathe slowly, keep the book as far as possible to never return to it. But that is a pretense. You return to it after few hours, you are ready now. It will be over in a few chapters and maybe you have been too negative, and the writer wasn’t in the bad mood while writing the story. Maybe love stays when you think everything has gone astray. The hope rises and its not in your power to relate it to yourself.

How the pressure of finishing it and not letting them go is balanced?

Just 40 more pages; and it has been hard on you. People are dead, love has bloomed, hardened, lied to and what not. Nightmares will haunt you too because you are part of it now, believe it or not, it is not going to leave you alone tonight. You can’t escape it. You skip paragraphs because you need to end it before going to bed, but you know you are letting go of your breath with that, you revisit and find your favorite quote. Just like how you miss on important things not knowing they were important in the first place. But you go back and that is what really matters.

It was hard but it was hard in a subtle way 😊 

Book Review: Killing Time in Delhi by Ravi Shankar Etteth

Book: Killing Time in Delhi

Author: Ravi Shankar Etteth 

Publisher: Westland

Genre: Fiction(Mystery/Thriller)

Blurb:

Bon vivant Charlie Seth, a privileged denizen of Lutyens’ Delhi, leads a life of idle luxury fuelled by money, drugs, sex and parties. A cocaine overdose kills his ditzy girlfriend, thrusting him into a maelstrom of conspiracy, murder, blackmail and promiscuity. As the world of Crazy Rich Punjabis unravels, Charlie’s future is suddenly at the mercy of an enigmatic woman, an unscrupulous swami, a society-obsessed policeman, a slippery drug pusher and a disloyal valet. The only person who can help him is his missing aunt. Holed up in the country palace that his grandfather had won in a game of cards from a raja on Diwali, Charlie plots his revenge.

Killing Time in Delhi is a brutally funny look into the shenanigans of Delhi’s ultrarich who live in the fast lane and are high on hypocrisy, borrowed money and dubious deals.

Review:

One problem I have with books dealing with rich people is that I cannot deal with the aura and the surroundings but here in this book when two and two put together the results were fascinating. I really enjoyed every bit of the book; from the thriller element to the witty things everything was on mark.

The characters were so rich and well executed that it felt like a real life experience to me. What takes a book ahead is a story but here the book was carried forward by the instances and narration. With a great narration and ambience this had me on edge from the very start.

I had some personal issues while dealing with this book because I was going in with a mindset that I will be reading a well know tale of thriller but oh my god I was totally wrong. It was hard at first to connect with it but as soon as I was few pages in I couldn’t stop reading it.

This book can be enjoyed any group of reader because it has something for every sort of reader.

Was my mind racing ahead of the book? Yes. Was I predicting things? Yes. Were my predictions somewhat on point? Maybe Yes. So there was a downfall.

Apart from few glitches here and there I had an amazing time reading this book.

About author:

RAVI SHANKAR ETTETH is a Delhi-based journalist, satirist, graphic designer and author. He has been the editorial cartoonist of Indian Express, creative director of Observer Group of Publications, editor at India Today and Sunday Standard, and CEO and editor-in-chief of Voice of India and Millionaire. In 1996, Etteth published his first book of short stories, The Scream of the Dragonflies. Subsequently, he published five more titles—The Tiger By The River (2002), The Village of Widows (2004), The Gold of Their Regrets (2009), The Book of Shiva (2016) and The Brahmin (2018). He is now a columnist and consulting editor at New Indian Express.

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Book Review: The watchmaker and time by Devang Kanavia

Book: The watchmaker and time

Author: Devang Kanavia

Publisher: Embassy Book Distributors

Genre: Fiction

Blurb:

Pedro's love for watches was born out of a strange incident in his childhood. Over the years he has become one of the most renowned watch designers in the world also holding the title, 'the Maestro of Time'.

One fine day, he gets challenged by his granddaughter on the fundamentals of Time. Unable to answer her innocent questions, he realizes that all his life he had been creating watches but had failed to understand what Time was all about. He gets on to an interesting journey in search for answers.

The journey unfolds with the puzzles of his past guiding him ahead as one after the other his beliefs start getting shattered. Will the puzzles of his past ever let him get to the future? Will he ever find out the true essence of Time? Join this watchmaker in his enriching and thought provoking journey in search of time.

Review:

For a fantasy cum fiction book I always love depth. This book had a great topic to start with. The ambience was great but still something was there that was not enough. It was super quick to start with and I couldn't grasp much. But whatever hit my head, hit hard.

The story revolves around very few characters and I liked how things entangled and emerged as the outcome. The revelation and path taking instances were good and fantastical.

Only if the story could have evolved more and the tale could have been more descriptive, the book could have been on another level.

I loved the relationship between Pedro and the grandchild. The nuances and connection were worth looking for.

I liked how the story turn out to be. The ending to be specific to look out for but it was not obvious. I loved how the book transformed its own genre from fantasy to philosophical and what not.

About loving the book, I am not sure but surely, I liked reading this book. It was different and in the end that is all that matters.

Recommending this book to all those who are looking for a quick and hard-hitting book.

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Book Review: The Peshwa: War of the Deceivers by Ram Sivasankaran

Book: The Peshwa: War of the Deceivers

Author: Ram Sivasankaran

Publisher: Westland

Genre: Fiction(Mytholody)

Blurb:

Seven years have passed since Peshwa Bajirao Bhat annihilated the Nizam’s armies at Fort Mandu. The two forces have been engaged in attacks and skirmishes ever since. Acting on the advice of his right-hand man, the mysterious Anaamik Dabhade, the Peshwa now sets about laying a trap to truly ensnare the Mughals, and break their might.

The Empire, of course, has methods of its own. And Nizam Ul Mulk is itching for an opportunity to exact revenge of the formidable Bajirao. With assassins, saboteurs and criminals infiltrating the Maratha lands, the Mughal Empire scores as many victories in the night as the Peshwa does during the day.

Meanwhile, in the far reaches of the country, set ablaze by the never-ending conflict between these major powers, a Sikh warlord, a Rajput king and a Bundela princess find themselves increasingly tangled up in the endgame that will determine the very course of history. It is a battle of wits and skill, and the greatest deceiver of them all will prevail.

Review:

The book though being second in line of the Peshwa series seemed liked a standalone as I haven’t read the first book, but it didn’t hamper my reading experience. The best part of the book is the vivid imagery and the execution. Everything seems well planned and well thought of.

Every character has a role in the book, and it adds to the beauty of it. The war scenes add glory, and this makes the reading experience even better. The book was not an easy read there were times where I had to put the book down in order to understand or grasp a part because at some places the writer dragged things.

It was not a perfect read for me because I put the book down to take a break from it several times, but this doesn’t mean that the story was boring, it was just slow and extra elaborated.

The book has a great narrative aspect which made the story even more engaging at times.

Tale of the book doesn’t only deal with one topic but many. There is love, strategic aura, explanations to varied instances and stuff like that. This quality in the book make it a sure shot winner in masses as it can provide a wider area for readers to explore.

I highly recommend this to every mythology lover.

About the author:

Ram Sivasankaran was born in Madras, India, but has spent most of his life abroad, largely in the Middle East and the United Stated of America. He was brought up on stories from Hindu legend and the great epics and classics of both India and the West.

He holds a dual master's degree from Stanford University, specializing in aeronautics, astronautics, space environment and plasma phenomena. Although a scientist by training, Ram is, at heart, a daydreamer of sorts, who believes deeply in the power of imagination—the mind being the canvas on which even the seemingly talentless can create new universes, resurrect eras long gone, bring the gods to life and even revive heroes and heroines of yore.

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Book Review: The Alpha Yeti by Sum

Book: The Alpha Yeti

Author: Sum

Publisher: Authorhouse UK

Genre: Fiction/Fantasy/Folklore

Blurb:

Every tribal land has its own tribulations and the Kasis were way beyond any hope or help, for what they were undergoing was terrifyingly unspeakable. It wasnt any myth or taboo. This one was true. The One God was as real as the White Giants. But, all the suffering and trepidation came from the impossibly aggressive Grey Giants. They were a deformity: a fallen imprecation on the Kasis. Somehow, a sensible Bhirendi, the elderly last of the Kasis, addresses the tragedy and rushes his people into the underground chambers of Ravaial before they are forced to face the wrath of the monstrosities that lately have begun to roll down from the White Mountain. With the situation only getting worse by the moment, the tribes hire a pack of ace hunters from the West. But, one of them freaks out and abducts the daughter of an estranged but once-upon-a-time famous hunter to only earn his ire. The hunters are drawn together into a strangely unwelcome land of doom with their fates sealed under the White Mountain. They soon realise that time is all they have left in the entire world when the Grey Giants begin their vicious play. SUM brings to you, The Alpha Yeti!

Review:

A thriller with a good narrative is always an enjoyable treat. The book is great in terms of execution, the pacing is good, the movement in the story is well done. For a book with such a great topic I thought the book was a bit short and the characters did nothing extra to adjoin in the greatness of the book.

The tale is intriguing from the very start and the same is maintained throughout, though it was a good and interesting read I found it hard to connect with it at times.

I love stories that has some different touch and this book certainly had one. The author did a great job in producing something to the readers at every twist and turn.

I felt the cover of the book could have been story driven, it says nothing to me and is not appealing.

Recommending this to all the book lovers who love fast paced books with edgy topics and narration. This is a sure shot weekend escapade.

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Book Review: Aashiqui by Callre

Book: Aashiqui -Where there is love, there is life...

Author: Callre

Publisher: Blue Rose Publishers

Genre: Fiction(Romance)

Blurb:

Rahul Bedi's college dreams include an education, meeting new friends and hopefully launching a successful music career. With the notes in his soul, he feels the rhythm in his rhymes and the beat of the instruments even when he closes his eyes. When he meets Sia Lennox, her voice and her form inspire that music and shine through every interaction they have. There is something about her that pulls him and calls to him... an underlying feeling that maybe she is the one who will complete him and be the partner he need. However, sorority princess Priya walks and talks as if Rahul is already hers, a fact that seems surer by the day. While Sia is not exactly looking for a relationship, there is something about Rahul that makes her catch her breath - and ensures that a confrontation with Priya is inevitable.

Review:

This book I read after I finished a very hefty plot driven book and it really relaxed me a bit. The story is not anything unusual, but it has something to it which can’t be pointed out in general.

This is the story of two people who fall in love, but things are not that easy going for them. I read this book back in July, but I am still not sure how I felt about it. The main concern I had with the book is the length, the story had so much to say but things wrapped way too soon than needed.

The reader is getting connected to the characters and suddenly the ambience changes and characters are in a different reality. I felt a smooth realtionship was missing between the characters and the reader.

Also, I felt that the character of Priya was under done. She had a lot of potential as a character and the story could have been a little interesting, but the narration kept revolving around the struggles of the two main characters which really didn’t allow the book to breathe as much it needed to.

Keeping the comments short I would like to mention the fact that the book was enjoyable but not in a way an avid reader would want it to be. I enjoyed it at some point when the story was going somewhere but every time I saw a peak the downhill was not far.

The book can be a good pick for those who love reading contemporaries which light plot.

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Book Review: Tarikshir- The Awakening by Khayaal Patel

Book: Tarikshir: The Awakening

Author: Khayaal Patel

Publisher: Westland

Genre: Fiction(Fantasy)

Blurb:

A small princely state in Rajasthan is the last bastion of resistance against the might of the British Empire. While unrest surrounding the sudden death of the king of Devangarh grows, young prince Rudra Pratap Chauhan prepares to ascend the throne.

But the kingdom is in turmoil. The Devangarh army is outnumbered and the British forces are closing in. To make matters worse, Rudra discovers the king’s death may not have been accidental after all. The strange appearance and disappearance of a mysterious hooded stranger and a series of ritualistic murders in which the bodies have been drained of blood, spread panic across the realm.

As Rudra struggles to manage his new responsibilities and investigate his father’s death, dark secrets will be uncovered that will disrupt life as he knows it.

Review:

Tarikshir: The awakening is an easy read but not an easy story to pen. It has elements of love, bravery, history and folklore. From the very start the story takes you on a ride which you want to and don’t want to end at the same time.

The story has various characters supernatural or otherwise which makes the story more gleeful and noteworthy. The characters have hidden traits and stories behind their existence which make the things more interesting.

Best thing about the book is that the pace of the story is well maintained by the author and all that he covered in the story seemed relevant and well thought of. Many a times in fantasy books things happen just for the sake of connectivity between two points but here things were drawn together keeping in mind the bigger picture.

All that I would have wanted to see in the book was a clearer and more refined picture of how the supernatural things worked. Things in the book happened in background and we get to know about them together in one go. If things could have unfolded at various points, I might have felt more connected and superbly engrossed in the tale.

I liked the end, but I thought the premise was much better than the outcome. I am surely looking forward to continuing this series and read all the author has left to be said.

About the author:

Khayaal Patel is working on newer stories set in Rudra’s exciting universe, and when he is not, you can find him reading comic books, watching movies, trying to figure out the secrets of the universe and indulging in his incredibly unheakthy addiction to anything chocolate. This is his first novel.

You can buy the book here:

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Book Review: Into the Great Heart by Kamla K. Kapur

Book: Into the Great Heart

Author: Kamla K. Kapur

Publisher: Jaico Publishing House

Blurb:

Legends and Adventures of Guru Angad the second Sikh Guru.

From the bestselling author of Classic Tales from Mystic India, The Singing Guru and Rumi: Tales to Live By, comes the second book in the Sikh saga series about Bhai Lehna’s journey from being Guru Nanak’s constant disciple to becoming Guru Angad (1504 – 1552), his successor and the second Sikh Guru.

Into the Great Heart carries forward and concludes the stories of Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana, his favourite minstrel, from the first volume of the Sikh saga, The Singing Guru. History, legend and fiction merge to populate this book with fascinating personalities from Sikh history. Pivotal to this narrative are forgotten female luminaries such as Guru Nanak’s wife, Mata Sulakhni, his sister, Bebe Nanaki, Bhai Lehna’s wife, Khivi and daughter Amro. Brought to the foreground, their wisdom and insights as they overcome obstacles to spiritual growth embody the basic tenets of Sikhism in everyday living. They enhance Guru Nanak and Bhai Lehna’s tale with their diverse approach to life.

Filled with captivating characters that enrich the tapestry of this compelling narrative, Into the Great Heart is a must-read for anyone who loves a rich story about human nature in its search for spiritual awareness.

Review:

It isn’t easy to write religion drawn books, they can create chaos and lack of clarity but this book succeeded in making the whole reading experience a beautiful one. The book not only tells about all the aspects of Sikh History, it also connects lots of dots in order to clear the bigger picture.

I thoroughly enjoyed the complete book. Being a little different from what we read generally the book take its time to get on your nerves, making you habitual of a different world, of a different reality.

The whole book had some points which being a Sikh child even I haven’t heard. I should give credit to the author for going deep in the subject and researching every nook and corner in order to present a book which can be really helpful to understand the culture and aura of that time.

The narration and language of the book helps a big time in getting to the core of the book.

This is a must read for all people who wants to go deep in the subject. I can’t wait to read the first book in the series now after reading this one.

The author has done a great job in doing what is not common and standing on top of the ladder.

About the author:

Kamla K Kapur’s previous books include Classic Tales from Mystic India and Pilgrimage to Paradise. She is also a poet (As a Fountain in a Garden, Radha Speaks), a short story writer and an award winning playwright. She and her husband, Payson R. Stevens, live half the year in the Kullu Valley in the Himalayas and the other half in Southern California, USA.

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Book Review : Rakshasas: The Shadow Warriors by Rajiv G. Menon

Book: Rakshasas: The Shadow Warriors

Author: Rajiv G. Menon

Publisher: Westland

Genre: FIction(Mythology)

Blurb:

Rise, o mighty Rakshasas! The time has come for us to give these warriors of Light a reason to fear the Dark.’

The world is in turmoil. Naraka and his formidable Asura war machine march unhindered across it bringing once great nations to their knees. They have now set their eyes on the ultimate prize — Bharata, the land of the seven rivers. Indra and his Devas struggle to contain this threat, even as they battle their own differences and the temptations of Swarga.

In Bharata, Jayanta, the son of Indra, is the new ruler. Even as he prepares for the Asura invasion, a potent threat is rising in the vast forests of Dandaka. Vidyutkesa — the only survivor of a genocide perpetrated by Jayanta — has journeyed into its heart and made contact with the Order of the Sarpa. An ancient and powerful secret society headed by Queen Manasa. With the blessings of Raksha, the Earth Spirit, the Sarpas transform Vidyutkesa and his companions into supernatural beings called Rakshasas. Their mission: to protect their land, forests, and way of life.

In this second installment of his Vedic Trilogy, Rajiv G. Menon weaves a rich and vibrant tapestry of the epic struggle between earth-worshipping feminine cultures that live in harmony with nature, and the patriarchal forces that seek to tame her.

Review:

Mythology interests me all the times, because it creates a deeper and more profound impact than any other cliché love story. This book held me captive for so long I couldn’t believe. Some books transport you into a different world in a mere few hundred pages.

I couldn’t click with the book easily to be honest because this is a second instalment of a series but I could connect with the words. The pace of the novel is fantastic and also the narration. The book seems to be both entertaining and giving you an edge on this journey.

I love novels where the anti-hero schema works, it gives you a break from all the usual things you hear or read about the particular time period or dynasty. A lot of different characters is always a treat.

The realistic approach and ground level topics that the author tried to touch really worked well in the bigger picture. There were no sugar coated things there was reality, there was violence, there was blood, there were schemes and everything came out beautifully.

There were many twists and turns some unexpected ones too that always keeps you on the edge of your seat and this made my reading experience even more ecstatic. There are also inside stories and explanations that work in between the whole fiasco. A lot is happening and it was not easy to grasp erverything at once.

This book is not easy to read, it needs time and patience because a lot is going on. It is not easy to digest all the battles and hidden aspects of things but at the end it seems totally worth it. It was definitely a one-time read for me.

I won’t recommend this book to people who reads to pass time, I won’t recommend this book to people who can’t handle wars and I also won’t recommend this book to those who can’t stand fantasy.

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Book Review: Mango People in Banana Republic by Vishak Shakti

Book: Mango people in Banana republic

Author: Vishak Shakti

Blurb:

Ravi Bhalerao is a top of the rung business strategy consultant struggling with two disquiets in life – a festering career disillusionment and a festering wound in his posterior. Stung by an unfair performance appraisal, he pulls off an outrageous stunt at his workplace, drops off the urban map and reaches his ancestral land, a village in drought-prone Vidarbha. There he encounters India in its elemental form. Convinced that his destiny is somehow entwined with that of his country, he sets off on a truth-seeking mission. On that mission, he finds love, revolution and most importantly, a redemption for the disquiet in his rear.

Anand is a former physicist on a spiritual quest through esoteric India. He realizes that the path to realization is beset on all sides by gurus, their cults and their boundless quirks. As he hops from one ashram to the other, he grows convinced that liberation does not come with a user manual in a neat little box.

Wrapped in light-hearted, almost tongue-in-cheek prose, 'Mango People In Banana Republic' is a tale of an Indian’s search for personal identity, against the backdrop of a country divided along fault lines of countless social identities. Teeming with a cast of characters and ideas that encapsulate modern India, the tale ascends from the gross to the sublime, much like the Kundalini powers some aspire to acquire. With a steady pace, and gentle mocking humour, this book is an absorbing read and a laugh.

Review:

There are not a lot of books which force you to think and think about what you just finished reading. This book was different. At first I thought this is going to be another suspense corporate book but it was much more and much beyond that.

I loved how different kind of genres came together in this book. There was madness, self-help, spiritualism and every other kind of transition a book can get in itself.

The main character was very nicely crafted, he can make many people see themselves in him. The frustration, the want to find the bigger meaning and the never ending fight from yourself. His viewpoint is really commendable. This made the book funny and sarcastic at various turns.

The rediscovering part in the book is my favourite. I got lost in it from time to time. The book is not an easy read. It needs your patience and time and that really pays off.

The writing was mediocre but the narration and execution of the book was good. The pace was easy going and flowy. It made the whole reading venture great.

I can recommend this book to anyone who love books which are genre-less.

About the author:

Vishak Shakti is a writer by compulsion. He writes to vent, to purge, to indulge, and sometimes just for the heck of it. He has written for publications such as MSN India, The Hindu, and Clean Bowled. He thinks that a good book has three essential ingredients – entertainment, artistry and relevance, in that order. 

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Book Review: The Bitter Pill Social Club by Rohan Dahiya

Book: The Bitter Pill Social Club

Author: Rohan Dahiya

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pages: 314

Price: 399

Blurb:

Witness the private life of the world’s most beautiful animals.

You know exactly who they are. The ones who walk right past club lines, who get what they want before they ask for it. It’s a familiar cast: the centre of attention, the shameless flirt, the loudmouth, the narcissistic writer. You’ve seen them all. You’ve felt their Gucci-anointed aura. Laughing and dancing. Kissing the wrong people at the wrong time. Swaying to their own beat. Going out every night they’re sad. Finding solace in the crowd in a city paved with mildly good intentions and cocaine lines. A city of smooth talkers, armchair activists, and the rich brats of Instagram. A place to talk pop spirituality and purple prose in connoisseur-only jazz clubs.

The Bitter Pill Social Club takes a look at the lives of the Kochhar family, who find themselves drifting apart in the city of djinns, gins, and fake friends wrapped up in cigarette smoke. As one of their own gears up to tie the knot, three siblings come home to the neurotic parents who raised them. Meanwhile the parents face the family patriarch’s constant judgment. Divorce, disappointment, and disasters ensue as the entitled Kochhar brood dodges old lovers and marriage proposals.

Review:

This book can take you on a ride to a rich household where every life is tangled in the net so badly that it would need a lot of time and patience to solve the riddle. The book is centered around the life of Sana who goes through different phases of her life in the need to explore and find herself; while going through her life we enter the passageway to take a sneak peek into other people lives too, which are in no way less interesting.

I had a love-hate relationship with the book. I loved the transparency of the book but I didn’t like a lot of other things.

Talking about the transparency I think the author did a good job with it. I could taste every flavor of a rich lifestyle. Without taking the help of lot of brand names and expensive stuff, the author made it possible for the reader to dive in the right corners to experience the shimmery life of the characters. This was mainly a family saga where every life is on fire and every heart is in pain.

If I talk about other things then I found major drawbacks. As a reader I don’t want the book to put me in slump, this book did just that; why, well I think it was because of the execution of the story. There was no timeframe maintained or the sceneries differentiated. We shoot one basket in London and one in Tokyo. It was a mess at one point and it was crystal clear the other moment and in between these phases I lost the interest.

The story line was itself not very strong. I loved the idea of the book but the story was weak, it was bits and pieces of a puzzle but it never came together to achieve the grand result of completion.

Characters were good but not extraordinary. I couldn’t fall for anyone; maybe that was the motive of the author; maybe he needed to form such a chaos where you can’t focus on one person and their life. If that was his prime agenda then I think he was successful. I couldn’t love anyone but I liked everyone. Hassan, Asim, Kama, Geetu, Gayatri, I liked them the most. They had a lot to show us. I didn’t like Sana or Lakshman or Ankit or Surya or Dhiraj; they were annoying.

All in all, I enjoyed the book and I am sure I lay somewhere in the middle of liking and not liking this book. But I would recommend this book to those who needs some inside story of all the happens in the big mansions. It fits perfectly with the background of Delhi; something I could relate to.

Eye-Catchers:

·        “Do you want some uncle chips?” He beamed at her, “That’s the best thing anyone’s ever said to me in my life.”

·         “…memories echoing with the faded glamour of old photographs – some nights he’d open the heaviest photo albums.”

·         “She turned back to face the now cavernous foyer that in its silence had become the staying place of all her fears.”

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Book Review: Pretty Vile Girl by Rickie Khosla

Book: Pretty Vile Girl

Author: Rickie Khosla

Pages: 448

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Blurb:

Everything she touched turned to gold, everything she said turned to scandal, everyone she wanted out of the way...died.

Beautiful, talented and wildly sexy, Jazmeen is Bollywood's most in-demand starlet, and in a relationship with to one of the country's most powerful politicians. Even though she's known for her outrageous candour in interviews, no one could guess at the dark secret she's carried for years. And no one will escape her vengeance, not even the prime minster.

Following her journey from her loving family to an orphanage run by a sadistic matron, from the fringes of the Mumbai underworld to the casting couches of Bollywood and beyond, Rickie Khosla crafts a racy, pacey and explosive debut about a woman who'll do anything to settle scores and get what she wants

Review:

Pretty Vile Girl is a normal story of stardom, love and betrayal. But normalcy is not that normal. The book shocks you with every turn of page, with every new character and surrounding that how grand this tour is going to be.

The narration of the book juggles between past and present which is a very common narrative style but works well with every genre and story. I loved how things progressed, one at a time, slowly yet at a good pace which can make a reader fly through the book.

At some places I felt the book drooled over, there was no need for such length. The whole idea and aspect was very much evident from few incidents, within the sphere of few people but bigger character sketch is like a big party, you get more options to choose your favorite from.

From all the characters I liked Jazmeen a lot. It has been after a very long time that I have liked the main character so much. She was a true picture of softness, fragility and a badass attitude. Her glory was magnified with every phase she crossed in her life and the author was very open minded while penning this character of his.

Apart from her I liked Jazmeen’s brother and all the men who came in the life of Jazmeen. They all were great, vivid and colourful.

What could have gone wrong with so much running in the book was the portrayal of everything at the right time; the author has truly laid out his true potential to the maximum height.

With such a good plot some flaws were there too, I found it a bit dragged at times, the language was easy, way too easy. There was no literary high point in the book which I could bookmark or wait for a second to grasp in.

Summing up- The book was a great read, a very smooth and fast one. I can recommend it to anyone who love mystery and good intertwined plots. Also if you like high profile stories this book can be your next pick.

About the author:

Rickie Khosla is a marketing executive and film buff who has recently moved to New Delhi from New York. This is his first novel.

Buy the book:

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Book Review: 8 Hours by Upendra Namburi

Book: 8 Hours

Author: Upendra Namburi

Publisher: Westland Books

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 282

Blurb:

Aratrika Reddy, the charismatic CEO of ARYA Holdings Ltd., has just 8 Hours to save her company from certain bankruptcy.

The multi-billion dollar hotels to steel conglomerate, founded by her mercurial father, liquor baron Madhusudhan Reddy, has many suitors, all of them plotting a hostile takeover. Aratrika’s estranged husband, Siddhartha is one of them. His inside knowledge is the real ace up his sleeve. The Rathores, the Reddys’ arch-rivals are looking to buy ARYA too and thereby settle old scores.

Aratrika has to weave her way through a litany of lawyers, politicians, bankers, bureaucrats, investors, power brokers and her dreaded family. Behind the scenes, Jagannath Rao, her wily uncle, is playing a dangerous double game of manipulation. Her father Madhusudan is furiously pulling the strings from behind the scenes. To add to the confusion, overseeing the whole sale process is her old flame, Peter.

Over the course of a single night, 8 Hours to be precise, Aratrika must fight the demons at the gates of her company and those within. It’s a fight to the bitter end.

A fight that Aratrika does not want to lose…

Review:

Often times you come across a book which you carry everywhere. Because you need to know what happens next; 8 hours is one such beauty.

The story is of posh people, staying at a posh place and taking big; also doing big. It takes some time to get in the skin of the tale, it takes time to understand where all this is heading to but when you are into it there is no turning back.

If I talk in brief without giving any spoilers, the story is about a firm which needs some repairs in the next 8 hours and by repairs I mean some serious ones. How the tale twists and turns, who plot against whom and who come clean is worth seeing, it’s a glamorous show of power.

Characters were in abundance ranging from mere pawns to the real big showman’s. There were villains and villains, some bad for someone and some very bad for someone. I didn’t love any of them because not much was told about them, it was there story not there real selves which was projected. I liked Siddhartha, Aratrika, Aratrika’s father, Prince Said and some more people who come and go in jiffy.

Now I don’t like these characters for who they were but how much potential they had. They were always growing, showing something more, giving something extra to the book. It was a good parade of people

The plot was amazing. It was the one thing that held the book together, there were so many minute details so many pickup points that a great execution was must and the author was able to show the same. The placing of events around the 8 hours through which the story moves is commendable. I never missed a beat or felt off radar.

The environment of the book could have been better, the background setting too. I felt the story just started and ended, there could have been some bridging gaps. The little flashbacks were good but weren’t enough.

Externally too the book is appealing, the blurb, title, cover, font, quality, editing; everything was taken care off with precision.

There was no flaw in the writing but there was also no extra punch. There was a lack of something quirky, something edgy which could have helped the book to become unforgettable.

Summing up- The book was a great surprise, an extremely quick read and a page turner in true sense. It can be a great weekend escapade. There was but something off beat. The story started and finished. There was no spark. But all in all a good read. I can recommend it to those who are into suspense and thriller novels.

About the author:

A digital & marketing professional by day, an engineer & MBA by accident. Upendra is married and has a son. Upendra was first bitten by the writing bug when he was invited to write for one of India’s leading finance dailies. It soon turned into a love affair that turned him into an avid blogger and finally made him take the plunge into the unchartered waters of the Novel. Upendra now takes complex subjects like banking, consumer goods, mergers and acquisitions and turns them into nail-biting thrillers, making those dull and dreary numbers come alive. But he really hasn’t shifted his focus as such, for he still thinks of his books as numbers: 31, 60 and 8. 8 Hours is the third book in the Numbers series.

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Book Review: Prem Purana by Usha Narayanan

Book: Prem Purana- Mythological Love Stories

Author: Usha Narayanan

Genre: Fiction (Mythology)

Publisher: Penguin Books

Pages: 286

Blurb:

Stories of love and extraordinary devotion

No one is untouched by love, not even devas (gods) and asuras (demons), kings and nymphs. And when they face life’s unexpected tribulations, their love also undergoes trials. Read how Ganesha took myriad forms to please Riddhi, Siddhi and Buddhi, how Ravana shared an unbreakable bond with his true love, Mandodari and how Nal and Damayanti’s relationship was tested till nothing remained.

Tormented by passion, wracked by betrayal, torn by the agony of separation, love in its many splendored forms is the origin of these incredibly endearing stories of Prem Purana.

Review:

Prem-purana is one of a kind book which can transport you to a world which is so unusual and divine that you don’t want to step out. The book has three stories, three magnificent stories which can make you see different forms and feelings of love and reading it in the month of love made it extra special and revived the spirit of love in a new way.

From all the three stories there is something to learn, something to grasp and adapt in your life. Though the book can put you in a tight spot at times due to varied tales entangled in between the main story that is going on. This happened with me mainly with the first story which was not very engrossing and was wavering at times.

The first story is of Ganesh and his love life. The story was new for me as I have never read anything about Ganesh in any mythological book till now. So everything was way too much for me. So many names, so many details, so many things to take in. I liked the atmosphere but I didn’t connect to it as much as I connected to the rest of the two stories.

If I have to pick any character I would pick Siddhi, she was amazing, so confident yet so tender. She was perfect.

The second story was so amazing that I read all the way in just few hours without wanting to stop. It was so engrossing and the characters so well explained and interesting that it transported me straight to the world it was set in. I loved the aura of power and knowledge the story carried. It was enticing and I couldn’t like it any less.

I loved the character of Mandodari and Ravana. They were so powerful and their love was so pure and radiant that it made me fell in love with love. They had a different kind of bond and that is why I was attracted to it.

The final story of Nala and Damayanti expressed immense sacrifice and an everlasting love. The story was good but short. I wanted to know more about their hardships and blossoming of love. I think it was wrapped up a bit too fast then needed. But it was engrossing.

Summing up- The book is very different and unique. It surely has the power to attract a reader who likes the kind of genre it falls in. It does justice to its title but taking the reader on a journey of such varied love stories which are not very famous but are still present and are powerful enough to take ones breath away.

About the author:

Usha Narayanan had a successful career in advertising, radio and corporate communications before becoming a full-time author. She has written several books, including the suspense thriller The Madras Mangler and the fun office romance Love, Lies and Layoffs. Her books Pradyumna: Son of Krishna and The Secret of God’s Son have been praised as ‘Indian mythology at its fiercest and finest’. 
When she is not travelling, writing or editing, Usha reads everything from thrillers to the puranas.

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