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.”

You can buy the book here

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:

Amazon.in

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.

Buy the book:

Amazon.in

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.

Buy the book:

Amazon.in

Book Review: When Love Happens by Manish Kumar

Book: When Love Happens

Author: Manish Kumar

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 138

Publisher: Srishti Publishers 

Blurb:

True love never dies. It is redefined every time you feel it.

When Nish falls in love, little does he know the impact it is going to

have on his life. Hailing from conservative backgrounds, love is

nothing less than war with the world for the lover and his beloved.

Albeit limited communication, they still dare to dream of a life

together. But with the pressure of attaining stability in life, he finds it

impossible to chase his dreams endlessly.

An unassuming man from a modest background, he fights helplessness

and challenges thrown at him by life, only to learn precious life lessons.

His faith in God gives him the strength to move on and find his calling

in writing and poetry.

When Love Happens... is a tale of shattered dreams and redemption, of

fear and fortitude, and above all, of the indomitable human will.

Review:

When Love happens is a short love story with elements of spirituality used here and there to uplift the story from the black hole it often fell in due to dark and a never ending struggle.

The story is about a boy Nish hailing from a small place. Like any other boy his story touches the realm of life when he realizes that he has fallen in love and it is not what it seems like. His story is different. It is sour, it is ecstatic and it is dull, all in one, shown at different angles at different times.

The characters in this book were weak and very limited in their scope of attaining richness. I found the main character okayish. He was what was expected from him. He was good, obedient, charming but not rebellious which I would have loved to see in him. I couldn’t follow the female lead with any appreciative eyes. She came and passed in my happy zone like a small beam of light, leaving very minor impact or to be precise negligible impact.

The supporting characters were so shallow, I felt I am reading just one name throughout the book. There was no newness anywhere in terms of a support crew.

If I talk about the plot then I would say it was simple, to the point and soft. It lacked a little edginess and crispness but sometimes you need a break from intricate tales and enjoy a book like this with a very plain approach, just to inhale the old freshness which is sometimes lost in the midst of new patterns and varied aspects.

Being from a small town myself I could understand a lot of things much better than they were even expressed. I could understand the conservatism, the hidden love blooming and a never ending need to be at peace in between the running chaos. It was a good brush up.

Coming to the story, I felt the phases of Nish’s life were fine, there was nothing extra-ordinary in it. There was no juice in his life because as I said earlier it was very natural. It happens to every next door kid you encounter these days, a never ending struggle to join the biggest run.

I felt the story could have been a little more informative and better, there were problems in the execution of the story because there were a lot of missing links. The story jumped from here and there but there was a missing essence which could have brought up with a little more time and thinking. There were no background images, no atmosphere, it was just a story and that didn’t allow the book to become a proper comforting tale which you can remember for decades.

Summing up- The book was a good real life picture of today’s race in which kids participate out of peer pressure or family pressure and sometimes due to their own want too. The tale was simple and quick but wasn’t quirky and edgy. It had some flaws, like extremely quick wrap ups of situations which didn’t allow me to indulge in the bigger picture.  The book was good but certainly could have been much better.

About the author:

An IT-guy living in Bangalore, Manish Kumar has been working with IBM for the past five years. Keen about writing true stories inspired from one’s own life, he always aspired to write about his observations on nature and its creations. He likes travelling to natural destinations and is fond of riding bikes. This is his first published book.

Buy the book:

Amazon.in