Review- Maya and the Sword of Gringak

 One ruse that I have often shared in interviews and my reviews is that we rarely see a novel factor in books by Indian authors.

Most books are just different flavors of the same limited subjects. While there is some degree of novelty in how they treat their scenes or characters of storyline, there is rarely a unique plot or subject that comes across.

I am glad to say Maya and the Sword of Gringak definitely falls in the category of "different"

Cover is apt to the theme of the book, in fact all major elements are in full display. Cover is such that would attract eyes when kept with other books.

This is Book 1 of what is a full blown fantasy world build by Meera, that looks like will be introduced to us, part by part. 

Meera has chosen her protagonists, the names, the characters, situations pretty well. This is a big book, easily spanning over 370 pages, but because of the interesting way in which scenes are built, doesnt come across as tedious. In fact the world that Meera has built is so vibrant that even after 370+ pages, you are left wanting for more.

Maya is definitely the pick of the lot, it is her story and she completely makes herself your hero by the time this book ends and leaves you wanting to see her adventures more in coming books. My pick, however is Dhruv. It is often not very easy to write conflicted characters. Not only Meera clearly shows the conflicts, she keeps us wanting to root for him and he delivers.

The book has all essential flavors of a good entertaining story, there is romance, drama, betrayal, conflicts, love-hate, humor, all of which a fantasy novel, apart from the fantasy element itself.

On the flip side, I didnt find much of issues. There is a good amount of character growth of every central player, Maya having the most of it, from being a demure, shy girl to a hero and a leader. However, at times, I found her decisions and actions slightly predictable. Not a major issue, but maybe thats why I liked Dhruv more. Perhaps thats the curse of being the hero in the eternal conflict of good vs bad.

That said, this is one book I would definitely recommend to everyone. The book has potential to be liked by kids and adults alike. Perhaps, a good candidate for bedtime stories. All in all I would definitely give it a perfect 5! A lot of people would say this is great candidate for a webseries or an animated series. I would say, this has huge potential to be the backstory of a video game. Perhaps Meera should contact a few.

Read it for the novelty factor and the fabulous world of Maya. It is available on Amazon

https://www.amazon.in/MAYA-SWORD-GRINGAK-MEERA-PILLAI/dp/8195306594/

Review- The Legend of Lachit Borphukan

 I would start with a note here. I am not a fan of historical fictions. And my not liking historical fictions has got lesser to do with the genre itself and more to do with the writers not able to do any justice to the theme they pick up. Most would just pick up a personality or event of their choice and then spice it up with some "must-have" themes of love, friendship. They even mostly go through similar journeys irrespective of the book or the topic. With time I have realized, the reason is that most of the times the authors do not understand the people they are writing about.

And that exactly is what has made this book different.

The Legend of Lachit Borpukhan works not because of Lachit Borpukhan himself, but because the author Nilutpal Gohain understands him so well and his resistance against the Mughal army. 

This is the perfect lesson on how historical fictions should be written. Covers everything and does complete justice to the lead character as well as the important event of the naval war that takes place as the heart of the story. The events and details which lead up to the war and then its subsequent execution and final victory is so beautifully written, you almost feel a part of the time and era itself. You can almost feel how much Nilutpal really cares about the subject and Lachit himself and you can very easy relate to how much the legend means to the land of Assam. 

This is a perfect David vs Goliath story where the wits and tactics displayed by Lachit is what made all the difference.

Mostly I would put out positives and then negatives and give my final rating. But I honestly didnt find any negative aspect to the book or the writing style of the author.

I would give it a perfect 5!!

You can buy the book from

https://www.amazon.in/dp/8195176119

Review-Dare. Dream. Travel by Shefali Arora

 A few weeks back I had the pleasure of reviewing On the Krishna Trail by Lalitha Balasubramanian. She very clearly brought out the difference between visiting a place of worship as a devotee vs a tourist.

Now, what is the difference between a tourist and a traveler? The book by Shefali Arora brings out this difference most clearly, as traveler focuses more on the journey rather than the destination itself.

 

A very interesting cover. I have been an avid fan of Life is Strange game series, and the cover starkly resembles the artwork in the game. So, definitely a plus from my side.

The book is actually a compilation of a few female travelers who wanted to share their experience of various journeys they undertook and how it went from being ordinary to an extraordinary endeavour and what they learnt out of it. At a lot of times, their experiences also teach a lot of things to interested travelers who seek similar adventures.

The book is for everyone. Any person who dreams to travel or who finds peace in traveling will find a major or minor connect with this book. The fact that these all are stories of female travelers adds another zing to the book.

A few of these experiences felt very close as I myself had experienced a few similar to those. The one driving in snowfall, or the one about having a generous host, as I mentioned previously, everyone will find some or the other connect to one of the experiences definitely.

The book is written in a very interesting narrative. Kudos to Shefali sometimes normal telling of certain events also sound interesting because of the narration.

On the flip side, nothing to take away from the book or the writing itself, certain experiences turned out positive for certain travelers, but might not for those who seek similar adventures. But again, that takes nothing away from the book.

It is a must read for those who wish to share their own experiences some day as well. A perfect case study in how to compile as much varied experiences and then narrate in the most interesting way. I would rate it 4.5/5

You can buy the book from Amazon

https://www.amazon.in/Dare-Dream-Travel-Shefali-Arora/dp/939131726X

Review- Babri’s debt

 This week I read Babri’s debt by Dr Kamiksha Narda Sharma.

First a word of appreciation for the publisher “Book Street Publications”. I read another one of their book “To Color The Heavens” some time back and one recurring theme I found was both the books talk about extraordinary journeys of ordinary and relatable people. And the journeys are so well documented that you start feeling as if you know these characters from the books and really feel for them and hope they find peace and success in life. So definitely Book Street is doing something right there.

The cover is simple yet has a charming effect. The title reveals quite a lot about what to expect yet has a tone of mystery.

The story really is about a group of few girls who are all batch mates in a medical college and the author has put in a lot of details and exposure of how things are , in the field of medical science. One of the girls Nancy is the main protagonist and the story really follows her journey and shapes the flow of the book.

Dr Sharma has made a lot of effort to shape her characters and other people who influence their lives. All characters seem relatable and their struggles very realistic. The communal tensions and how orthodox people behave across religions is recorded quite realistically. How these communal tensions impact the protagonists form the crux of the book 

On the flip side, Certain situations and characters play very expected in the story. Certain characters when introduced you immediately know their entire character arc right to their final situation. I feel a certain novelty could have been introduced to make them unique.

That said, the book has no major faults. It’s not an easy breezy read because of the theme of the book which is quite intense. But definitely makes an excellent read during times when you want to introspect or want to spend a few hours with yourself.

All in all I would call this an excellent read . I would give it a 4.5/5 stars rating 

Book is available on Amazon 

Babri’s Debt https://www.amazon.in/dp/8195230628/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_AFRRYG69PQBTAT5JJWQX

Review- The Secret of Stolen Idols

 I will be honest. I was waiting to read this book since it was announced. The theme, the cover, and the initial reviews were compelling enough for me to give it a read. And I really wanted to know what author Vivek Rajiv Chaturvedi has written. I finally got a chance to give it a read and needless to say, it doesn’t disappoint.

First I would like to applaud Vivek and the team of The Book Bakers for a magnificent cover. The cover is compelling and gives a hint of the mystery that is in the novel.

The book is written in a very stylish narrative. Every scene is built with some flavor and characters fit very well into the chapters. The book is centered around Goa and it’s history, it’s colors, it’s culture is displayed in full vibrancy. Goa is almost a character in the book.

The book moves with a good pace, and each chapter is laced with a shroud of mystery which builds further as the story moves ahead. The entire story and the elements of surprise and mystery are built very well and integrated masterfully together.

I didn’t find any major problem with the book. Just a few minor ones. One is when characters are being introduced, Rajiv takes a well crafted scene to introduce them. However, these scenes add a lot to his credential but do little to the story or the character himself. 

All in all this is a must read if you are interested in reading books of thriller genre. I like books which have something new to offer and the story as well as the narration style both are very creative. 

All in all I would go with 5/5 stars for the book

Book is available on Amazon

https://www.amazon.in/SECRET-STOLEN-IDOLS-VIVEK-CHATURVEDI/dp/8195037259

Review- Tomb of God

 I very much am fan of books which make the readers think and not everything is served on a platter..

I picked up Tomb of God by Victor Ghoshe and though it took me multiple sittings to complete the book(partially my fault), it is very well deserving of accolades.

The cover is interesting. Wont say it does justice to the book but would definitely stand out in a book store and would compel you to purchase.

The premise is interesting. Victor has done a lot of research and travel to paint the picture of all the places the book visits. You get a very realistic look and feel of those places and can very well fit in the shoes of the protagonists. The book begins on a kind of familiar note, a disaster when all the characters of the book are set into motion at some point of time or another. Victor has scaled multiple timelines, multiple geographies and definitely multiple cultures and brings out the stark differences very smartly. The mystery element of the book is interesting, and culminates into a fulfilling ending.

On the flip side, no major complaints actually. At times, some of his characters behave a bit out of the loop. In the beginning a lot many characters are introduced across many geographies and walks of life and confuses reader a bit, but when the story is set into motion you feel comfortable in how story moves. 

Overall it is a book that you will most def enjoy. It is not a very easy one sitting read, the book forces you to think and be imaginative and that may take multiple sittings. That said, you wont be disappointed if you pick this up and read it through.

I will go with a rating of 4.5/5

You can buy the book on Amazon

https://www.amazon.in/Tomb-God-Victor-Ghosh-ebook/dp/B0937C1NBD/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2UO5CC3PF3YGI&dchild=1&keywords=tomb+of+god&qid=1630462206&sprefix=tomb+of+%2Caps%2C284&sr=8-1

Review- From Kanha to Krishna: The Journey to Divinity

 This is the week of Krishna! Few days back I read and reviewed the very interesting and unique travel memoir by Lalitha Balasubramanian, 'On the Krishna Trail'. So, when it was the time to pick up my next one, I decided to choose 'From Kanha to Krishna: The Journey to Divinity' by Pranab Mullick. Kind of my own Krishna Trail in books.

A lawyer by proffession, Pranab has put loads of reading and experience into the book and it shows. Cover is interesting, with two facets of Krishna, one at a young age and one when he became the mastermind Krishna that we know him as. There is often a discourse about how could a mischief like Kanha become such resourceful and mysterious, yet mastermind Krishna and this book helps bridge in the gap. What happens in the life of Krishna that helps him take this journey.

Interesting choice of cover, right there. Marked with the tone of divinity and the two stages that the book talks about. The title is interesting as well. So, definitely accolades to the author for both.

Since the time Amish Tripathi started a never seen before trend of mythological fictions, there have been many interesting and riveting titles that have come up on the Indian books scene and its very fascinating to find what all different authors have to write and portray. Some time back I read Kaikeyi which narrated the story of Kaikeyi and this one talks about Krishna.

Author has invested a lot of time and energy in development of few very interesting characters, the character of Chanur comes the most to fore front. Depicting the entire build up of how Kansa became the demonic king, how the prophecy of his sister Devaki's eighth son being his demise came to happen, how Kanha became the lovable and charming boy of Nandgaon, how Radha came to his life, how he never saw Radha again in his life and so on. 

Pranab has tried to keep the book as realistic as possible. The story of Krishna is marked with divitnity, mysticism, magic but Pranab has translated each and every event to reality. Sometimes he has went into details of how these events played out, while some times he just gives out a hint and leaves it there to readers's imagination. Kudos to writer for his imagination and translation of such acts into reality.

The war on Kansa's palace is a long scene, and plays it out perfectly like a well thought of war scene. The entire scene is interesting, and well laid out and keeps you on your toes. A lot is happening in this scene and never does it confuse you and keeps you engaged.

On the flip side, the greatest strength of the book is also its biggest weakness. In an attempt to strip Krishna of any kind of divinity or mysticism and just to portray him as a regular person(its a re-imagination of Krishna) and even gives him kind of a sad ending. But this attempt also makes the central characters of Krishna and Kansa as weak. Both are narrated as pieces in the game of a chessboard which are strong but then, are being played by someone else. Krishna still takes a few key decisions towards the end but Kansa is completely being managed behind the scene. This robs the book off some sheen because in the end Krishna and Kans are the reason people know this story of, not Chanur or Akrur. 

But barring these little pieces, overall the book is a very engaging read. Its a page turner and you cannot keep the book without completely reading the journey that Kanha took to become Krishna. The overall atmosphere of Mathura and the times have been described very tastefully and lingers in the mind of the reader long after he is done with the book.

Overall I would give this book a 4/5.

You can purchase the book here

https://www.amazon.in/Kanha-Krishna-Divinity-Pranab-Mullick-ebook/dp/B07M65C55L/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=kanha+to+krishna&qid=1628434456&s=digital-text&sr=1-1

Review-On the Krishna Trail

Few years back, I visited the southern part of India and visited many places like Munnar, Allyppey, Kovalam, Wellington, Tiruvanantpuram and Rameshwaram. It was while visiting Rameshwaram and the Rameshwaram temple when we heard all the tales and legends from locals, and saw all the murals and paintings around the city and the temple itself, and of course, a live demo of the rocks that float on water when inscribed with the name of Lord Rama, there was this deep desire within me to complete the trail of the journey of Rama. Visit places where he was born, places which were special to him, Sita temples in Nepal and so on.. But it was an extensive journey and despite harboring this desire for long, I never could partake it.

On the Krishna Trail is a unique book. The author Lalitha Balasubramanian decided to visit one of the places related to Krishna when her husband suggested to complete the trail by visiting every place related to Krishna and that is the very basis of this book. Its a memoir of this trail with details of all places, every temple, every tale, every legend and local encountered, along with helpful details like how to reach the place, what to visit, in what capacity, etc. The details are so colorful you feel you are actually visiting the place and seeing/feeling what the author was actually going through.

The book is also marked by photographs taken by the author during the journey and the author has decided to pursue pics of not only the more famous places, but also of the lesser famous ones and even certain important points and places. The temples and places she visits in the book range from old earlier constructed Vedic temples to the more recent ones. 

As mentioned earlier, what makes her narration interesting is her coverage of all legends and tales related to each of the place and temple and then enhancing the reader experience with photographs of this place. Another major achievement of Lalitha has been that she has written this book from the viewpoint of a devotee and not that of a tourist. In my opinion, that makes all the difference that there is between what could have been a regular travel memoir and a heartfelt coverage of the life of Krishna.

I dont have any complaint with the book. The writer has been successful in keeping the narration interesting and you are always hooked to the chapters which is mostly what you wont expect with books covering personal travel details of the author. The author deserves full marks for achieving exactly what she had set out for initially.

I would give this book a perfect 5/5

The book is available on Amazon

https://www.amazon.in/dp/B097LBPRVW/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

Review- The Good Wizard

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 Growing up one of my most favorite show on TV was Alif Laila. That and I have always been in awe of The Tales of Arabian Knights. While Aladdin has catapulted itself into another level of stardom, the rest of them also have fan favorites. Prasun Roy's The Good Wizard reminded me of those childhood memories. 

Despite Prasun wanting to keep it very real, this clearly falls into the fantasy genre, and many would claim this one is for kids. Well, we all were kids at one point of time, so why would it not appeal to anyone and everyone? This is one book where I can easily claim, its for everyone. And if like me you enjoyed the fantasy genre shows or games or movies like Ajooba, well you are in for a treat.

The best part about the book is that the story drops in the middle of nowhere, which in my opinion is very important for a book belonging to the fantasy genre. In the very first opening scene, there is a wizard who is the best at what he does and that chapter itself stamps the theme, the tone, the protagonists and the antagonists of the book. There is a larger than life magician who does larger than life tricks and then there is a larger than life villain akin to Jafar or Mogambo...well you get the idea.

The great magician is losing his art to his failing health and mind and he has to bestow the knowledge upon someone. Enter the young kid Titli who has all what it takes, except that she needs some discipline and guidance to achieve all great things that life has planned out for her. Their relationship and journey together is what forms the crux of this book. The ending is kind of expected, the magic is in the narration.

The book is interesting, and as I said, perfect for kids and adults alike who like fantasy genre. There is never a dull moment and the pacing and narration has been consistent and not once you feel bored or want to take a break. Despite knowing whats going to happen in the end, it still keeps you on your toes. Thats the magic of this genre.

I dont have any major complaints with the book, a few  minor hiccups(like villagers claiming their secular credentials again and again and again. Once should be enough). Also there....well lets not spoil the party with more complains.

This is the perfect book I would want my son to read and one I could gift to any kid that I know of. In fact if you are an adult and you tell me you have loved movies and shows like Ajooba or Toofan or Aladdin or Chandrakanta, well I would gift it to you as well.

All in all, I would give this book a perfect 5/5

You can purchase the book from Amazon

https://www.amazon.in/Good-Wizard-Prasun-Roy/dp/9390441072

Review- Kaikeyi: The Warrior Queen of Koshala

 I will be honest. I dont believe in regionalism. I think literature and arts and entertainment transcend beyond regions and boundaries.

But, when I learnt author Jai Shukla, whose book Kaikeyi: The Warrior Queen of Koshala is available on Kindle and that he is a fellow Kanpuriya, well, I was delighted. 

As the author mentions clearly in the foreword, not much is available in any text about Kaikeyi. The fact that she triggered such a mammoth change in the Indian landscape, the ripples and chants of whose are vibrant even today, still she is not covered or discussed or written about much, is indeed a mystery. Kudos to Jai Shukla for picking up such a topic.

Jai has put up a lot of his worldly experience and maturity in the book which is evident right from the start. There is an immense amount of study, research and exploration done to write this book and it is pretty evident in its pages. Jai has carefully crafted the characters of Kaikeyi and Manthra and these two are the backbones of the book. As the entire book is about the early years of Kaikeyi and her marriage to Dashrath, the focus is solely on her childhood and her youth and few years into her marriage. There is a lot of worldly knowledge also put up in the pages mixed with lot of references from source text which keep the flavor of the book interesting. How the entire situation eventually leads our two main characters to be what they later became is capture beautifully.

On the flip side one problem with the book is that for some reason Jai has decided not to capture her later years, specially her sending Rama to exile or when Rama returned, or when Bharat decided not to be king. Jai himself has accepted that there is very less source material about Kaikeyi and when you dont cover a good 70-80% of her story, you are left with even lesser source material to refer to. This is not necessarily a big problem but from reader's perspective they wanted to know how such a firebrand young girl would have reacted to these situations in details.

However, if we just consider this book as a a coming of age book for Kaikeyi then Jai has exceled in what he set out for. Jai paints a very lively picture of the kingdom and how things are in the kingdom and the royalty themselves. The challenges, the triumphs, the shackles of the royals of Koshala are captured very realistically. The cover of the book is really intriguing and I would give full marks for making the cover captivating

All in all I would go with a 4.5/5 rating for the book

You can purchase it from here

https://www.amazon.in/Kaikeyi-Warrior-Koshala-Jai-Shukla/dp/9385440918/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1626315674&sr=1-1

Review- The House of Awadh

There is already a huge backlog which I have to clear up out of my books and while last few weeks provided with ample opportunities to clear it up, work and other family duties have stuck again and I am going slow with reading and reviewing again. Weather is flip-flopping between extreme hot to cold and we are confused between keeping the windows opened or closed at night lol.

This week I had the chance to read The House of Awadh by Nitin Kushalappa MP

I started reading this one without reading the blurb or context. With under a 100 pages, this seemed like a quick read, so I decided to pick it up as I didnt want to jump into longer books at this point of time. 

The cover seems decent. You can figure out a marriage ceremony being done. 

The first thing that hits you when you start reading the first ten pages is the speed of the book. It seems like the author is rushing to introduce all characters, and there are so many of them, and their life choices, their destiny in a very short span of time. The story just rushes from one character to another and it becomes a very demanding read. The setting is modern day India and you are confused as to why the author is rushing so much.

By the time you reach the 11th or 12th page, you realize that this is modern day retelling of Ramayana, with all characters and situations modified to suit modern times. Once you grasp this, it becomes an easy read, because now you know these characters and you know the situations which are going to happen, or happening currently. Now the characters are known so its not that demanding anymore.

Nitin has a huge daunting task in front of him. Previously, there have been attempts  made to retell Ramayana in another context. Mani Ratnam's Raavan or Manoj Kumar's Kalyug ki Ramayan were both such attempts and despite the brilliance of Mani Ratnam, both attempts tanked hugely. So, its not an easy task to retell Ramayana in modern context. With that task in hand, Nitin has done a good job by retelling the story where Rama is a software expert along with Lakshmana while Ravana is a mafia don and Hanuman is a lawyer and so on...

Nitin has done a huge amount of research going much beyond and above of what is mentioned in Ramayana. He has tried to gather as much details and incorporate as much characters as possible and tried to weave a modern day story around it. While turning the pages, there always is a curiosity of how he has interpreted the forthcoming event as mentioned in Ramayana. How he has mentioned the Sita Swayamvar, how he interprets Agni Pariksha, how he interprets Shurpnakha incident and so on. He has done a thorough research and applied a huge deal of imagination of which event would be interpreted as how. Most of the times, he has been successful and when those events occur you want to applaud the author for his imagination and open mindedness.

On the flip side, perhaps the biggest enemy of Nitin's book is its size. Ramayana is a huge subject, and even when modernizing it, it still is a huge subject. I dont know what compulsion Nitin had to finish it up within a 100 pages. There are a lot many events which just come out of nowhere because Nitin had to interpret it to be a part of his book but there is not enough back story and not enough reasoning provided. At many times the book feels rushed and honestly its a disservice to Nitin himself because there is such a diverse and vibrant world he had painted and so much effort went into research and interpretation but the number of pages restrict him.

Still, this book is a huge effort and mostly it succeeds in binding you. Barring minor inconveniences, its a brilliant read and the interpretations of a thousand year old text in modern context comes very natural and modern. The best part for me was that despite modernizing the epic tale, he stayed true to the source text. This for me was an attempt worth applauding.

I would go ahead with a rating of 4.5/5. I again appreciate the task that Nitin set out to achieve and does shine brilliantly.

You can buy the book at

https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B083JMV55B/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

Review- Humorously Yours

 Sometimes all it takes is an anecdote.

Sometime you dont need a story. A beginning, an end, a message in between. Sometimes, an anecdote is all you need.

While reading through Amitabh Sarwate's "Humorously Yours", I was often reminded of Malgudi Days by R K Narayan, published in 1943. And thats an actual compliment for the author. Short tales from the grounds of Deccan Gymkhana from Pune, the chapters involve few members of the gymkhana talking to each other, with a character named Barkhurdar always as pivotal point of these talks, and the one who drives each chapter, some times by being an active participant of the tale being told, some times a passive participant.

Despite the name, the book is more of tales and anecdotes which range from subtelety including hope, ambition, faith, and then in some cases, crazy situations.  The cover of the book was OK. There is a good art work in the book which makes it interesting, but cover could have been more engrossing. Its my personal opinion, the back cover would have made a better front cover for the book.

There are certain good things about the book. The chapters are all interesting anecdotes. None of them appear boring. You can pick up the book any time when a chapter ends and a new tale awaits you. As this is not a book of stories but rather of anecdotes, author has focussed just on one character and rest are just few names and milestones on the road. Every chapter is interesting, every tale is fresh, and you can recommend on his writing style that he builds up interest as soon as the tale starts. Amitabh has explored a number of topics ranging across the horizon to compile his list of tales. He has chosen well. He has also been successful in making the character of Barkhurdar memorable and interesting.

I dont really have any major complaints from the book(Except occassional missing quotations for spoken dialogues, which doesnt cost anything because you understand who is speaking and to whom).

 As I mentioned previously, not all chapters are funny but some of them are very subtle and dormant in their ambition. However, because of the same, a couple of chapters end up going nowhere. Also, a few chapters really go into details which is often not needed to drive the chapter. The tale and the anecdote is itself good and there is not really a need to drive the "how" when the "what" is interesting itself. These details sometimes break the continuity of the chapter. 

Its also my personal opinion that characters like Barkhurdar should remain ambiguous for the life of the book. Revealing his back story, kind of rubs a bit of charm off him towards the end.

But, these are just minor complaints. Amitabh delivers each chapter like a master story teller where each chapter most of the time ends up taking a path which reader wont often expect. Amitabh tries hard to build up a setting of Deccan Gymkhana the way, I assume,  he would have seemed through his own eyes. This book certainly has the mileage and the potential to drive a home run.

I would go with a rating of 4.5/5 for the book

You can purchase the book from here

https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B089NS4D7H/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_o01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Review - The color of Heavens

 I was naturally inclined towards reading this book after reading the blurb because I wanted to get an in-depth understanding of what went through the lanes and bylanes of smaller and major towns of Kerela when the Sabrimala judgment was passed. Previously I have read arguments from both sides of the spectrum, but only as a third person. This gave me an opportunity to witness it through characters

The book I am talking about is To Colour the Heavens

A very simple cover marked by two colors. Author could have gone for a more vivid cover as this kind of gives feeling of an old school book or some older novels, so I wont judge the book by its cover. To me the cover was simple enough and attractive yet not really pulling. So, I would stay neutral.

The book is a story of seven individuals from different walks of life, different ages, different educational backgrounds, different fields who come together to visit the Sabrimala temple after the judgment was passed that women could, in fact, visit the inner sanctum. Few of these are pure devotees, some just want to be a part of this journey while some just want to be part of this group. The story is told from the perspective of each of these seven individuals, their relationship with each other and how this journey changes their lives.

The book has a complex subject to deal with. It has to show the side which was in favor of the judgment and the author has picked up his seven characters well. Some are devotees so want to visit since childhood, some are just wanting to be part of the historical judgment. They face challenges and fury of those who are against the judgment. Each character has its own arc and their relationship with each one of the other is portrayed well. The book is written in a non-linear fashion where there are time jumps and also character jumps(what one character says in the end of one chapter is picked up by another.) Author has tried to keep the narrative going forward through how each character tells their story and is definitely a fresh take. 

On the flip side, a few hiccups here and there do exist. There are two kind of books- character driven and plot driven. This one is character driven. In a character driven book, cohesion between pages is very important.  In a character driven book the author cannot assume the reader knows his characters already. He has to introduce them to readers and build them up gradually so that reader knows them properly. There is a good amount of backstory and history for each character but author has started them right off the bat without letting reader learn about them. Another major hiccup is lack of and improper quotations, punctuations and paragraph breaks. These hiccups dont take anything away from the book itself but make it a very demanding read where you have to pay more attention that what it should take.

Though I wont say these hiccups impact the book and narrative highly negative. This was a complex book and the first book by the author. These are somethings he can work on in future. The history of each character described is very thoughtful and well researched. These are people who actually can exist in your office, your college, your neighborhood and yet each have a story worth telling.

This was a good read as it introduced me to a new perspective. I would give this book a 4/5

You can buy the book on Amazon

https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B096YGYXF2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_o00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Review - Happimess

 Two things which you have to keep in mind while reading or watching any book or a movie or show based on humor, 1)Comedy is subjective. 2)Making people laugh is the most difficult thing to do.

Being a part of the literary circle, I have always had one major complain with my fellow Indian authors. They dont take risks. Most just want to take the road often traveled, and hold themselves back in delving into subjects beyond romance or at most drama. 

That is the reason anytime I find a book with a difference, specially by an Indian author, I give a half point extra for the thought and the effort that was put in. Love story with a major twist, any good mystery novel, a drama with a peculiar undercurrent are all examples of such. Good humorous books by Indian authors are rarity. You may still find satirical books available or on shelves, but crazy whacky comedy is hard to find. So, I give Biswajit half points extra even before I begin.

Happimess by Biswajit is a collection of small anecdotes, which begin practically but then Biswajit's imagination takes over and go way beyond normal.

For once, I was not very impressed with the cover. I mean its still good, but not something which would immediately attract me. Must be because I never saw the physical copy and I read it on Kindle, so totally possible physical copy would be more attractive than digital.

There is not one character in the book, except maybe the protagonist who is the story teller himself. Crazy whacky characters enter one anecdote, play their part, and leave. The book is divided into chapters where each is based on a theme. And then the chapter keeps on taking turn after turn based on that theme.

The book is an easy read. You can pick it up any time of the day and still enjoy the content. Happimess is a book that grows on you. Initially the satire and the humor seemed totally out of the loop to me, but by the time I hit 3rd or 4th chapter, I could understand Biswajit's humor and then I re-read the first two chapters again and this time I liked the jokes in there. Biswajit has tried hard to create wacky situations out of regular day to day activities, which seem weird at first of how quickly things escalate but once you accept it as the theme of the book, you start to enjoy.

On the flip side, its my personal opinion that books based on crazy whacky comedy or satire should be written in simpler english, throw in some vernacular lingo and that makes it more laughable. Using complex lingo takes away some sheen from the comic element. Also,  at times Biswajit stretches his self indulgence into his humor way above and beyond when the chapter could have ended two paragraphs earlier.

But, overall its a very nice read. Many years back I read a comedy book by Cyrus Broachs and I didnt enjoy it once. But I definitely did enjoy Biswjit's book and that should speak volumes for his efforts. I enjoyed his satires more than his "on your face" jokes, but as I mentioned in the beginning, comedy is subjective and I am sure someone would have enjoyed those jokes more than satire. 

I would have gone with a rating of 4/5, but as mentioned previously, I give one extra half point for the effort and taking risks which not many people take.

So, 4.5/5 is the verdict from me.

You can buy the book on Amazon

https://www.amazon.in/HAPPIMESS-BISWAJIT-BANERJI/dp/8194382041/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1623206552&sr=1-1

Review - Being Good Enough

Summer has brought in not only hot weather, but also longer days, and I am getting opportunity to finally read some of the books kept in my digital library since some time which I could not do earlier because of tighter schedule and family time.

This time I picked up Being Good Enough by Rohini Paranjpe Sathe.

Unlike the previous two books that I had reviewed previously, this is a book which you just cant finish in one go. You have to take breaks to contemplate, to revisit what all happened in the previous scene and then move ahead. The cover, which again is beautifully designed by The Book Bakers, show two silhouettes, against the backdrop of skyline of a coastal city, which I later learned in the book, is supposed to be Mumbai. The cover would give you an idea that the book is a tale of melancholy as well as hopefulness, and the key characters would be a mother and her son. The cover and blurb gave me an idea of what I was going into, and for this book you have to be in a certain frame of mind to appreciate the content.

The cover reminds you of song "O Majhi Re" which could very well be the theme of the book.

The story is of Jyoti Gupta, who lives in Mumbai along with her Mausi and teenager son. She is trying to escape and run away from her past and, in a way, saving her son from all the demons of her past. Her mausi is her companion in this journey and she also has suffered a lot so they understand each other.  How her past is uncovered, and how that has shaped her present, and what decisions she takes for her future is the story of Being Good Enough.

Rohini Paranjpe Sathe has paid the most attention to the protagonist Jyoti. Her character has been thought of and sketched beautifully and how her situations strengthened her for her son is displayed wonderfully. There are some memorable quotes and some memorable scenes which live with you long after you finish the book. The chapters where characters talk about  Gods has been done very carefully and Rohini's maturity of thinking and writing shines in those scenes, where the conversations are neither preachy nor insulting, they just hang perfectly balanced. Her use of Hindi words while communicating is also a very smart decision and works well for the book.

I dont have major complains with the book, just a couple of minor ones. Firstly, for the situation that the protagonist Jyoti is in, there have to be certain characters which behaved a certain way. Patriarchal family, meek mother are certain characters which are expected because otherwise Jyoti wont be in this situation. The little complain I had was that almost every characters other than Jyoti is very stereotypical. As soon as the character is introduced and her relation established with them, you just know how the character will play out. 

The other minor complain is that at times the book plays out like some scene from a movie, and in fact certain events look very filmy. If you have seen enough movies like Sairat, LSD, Devdas, Honeymoon Travels etc, a certain novelty factor is lost. I felt there was a chance for Rohini to do certain things a bit differently,  but she toyed the well established line.

But, I wont let those two minor complains come in the way of appreciation of the book. Rohini clearly presents a very clear and definite direction to her story. The switch between time lines are done smartly, and there is never a confusion in identifying the city and the time where we are in. Its a tale which gives hope and strength which Jyoti displays despite having faced so many challenges in her life.

I would go with a rating of 4.5/5 for this book.

You can purchase the book from Amazon

https://www.amazon.in/Being-Enough-Rohini-Paranjpe-Sathe-ebook/dp/B0953XPGTG/ref=pd_sim_1/257-1148829-5487120?pd_rd_w=dlGrI&pf_rd_p=0aaff7c0-bee4-416f-a552-2342cdc17544&pf_rd_r=46MVDRPECQ746JH6D9WA&pd_rd_r=245d80cb-3958-4cfa-8b6e-7c830ec8b357&pd_rd_wg=wAawl&pd_rd_i=B0953XPGTG&psc=1

Happy Reading

 

Review of Delhi Bytes by Amulya Priyadarshi

 And this time I continue with another book review of another 'metro' read. Books which are easy on content, smooth flow and language, and can be easily finished on one metro ride or a sunny day on a beach or just a lazy Sunday afternoon.

I came across and read Delhi Bytes by Amulya Priyadarshi

The cover is designed by Book Bakers and they have done a good job to it covering major aspects of Delhi in all its glory. Amulya is a senior executive at Bhilai Steel Plant and he has put his formative years spent in Delhi while he was in College before he joined his first job. A title and a cover like this would always have me intrigued to pick up the book.

Before you even start with the book, reading the blurb, the title and the cover, you are certain of a few things of what you are going into. Firstly, Delhi, the National Capital will play a strong role, almost another character in the book, secondly there is a reason it is called Delhi Bytes. It will be more of a collection of anecdotes, rather than a full fledged tale. I started the book with these in mind and I wasnt disappointed.

The story takes place in 90s when India as a country and Delhi as a metro was going through major political and social changes. Author has done a commendable job in capturing the essence of those times. Its pretty clear the book is semi-autobiographical and the author takes us through the lanes and bylanes of Delhi, so much so you can feel the weather and the smell of air by his description. I dont think Amulya intended it to be a tale of fiction with a beginning, and ending, and a message in between. It was more of capturing a journey with a tinge of fiction and nostalgia.

I liked the depiction of the protagonist. Initially he was being almost developed like an alpha male, something which I strongly discourage, but thankfully Amulya brought out his faults in a very subtle and beautiful way. Amit Mathur can be your average small town boy who has arrived in Delhi to make it big. Being from a small town myself, I can certainly identify with Amit. Despite having charms and intelligence he has his shortcomings which other characters understand very well. Rest of the characters are like milestones in his journey, some are set in stone while others are just on notice boards. But the interaction of Amit with each one of them looks very natural, and not focred.

On the flip side, I always believe whenever an author decides to put his or her experiences in his work, it should be done very carefully. In a zeal to paint as detailed a picture as it actually happened, they go into rather long details of events, something which Amulya often does. A detailed trip to a restaurant just to come back the next paragraph is an example of events that could have been avoided. A lot of times, it adds color and depth to the narrative though, so its not a major complain. Also, Amulya introduces a lot of characters which initially appears could have a huge potential later on in the story but are dropped rather unceremoniously. Another area where he missed was not naming his chapters, which is often a huge marketing tool. 

On the whole, the book is an easy metro read and certainly would not disappoint you. The book has some memorable quotes as well which can be shared with your friends and family and they will be instant hits. I dont have doubts that the book is being well received by the reader fraternity. It deserves all the accolades it has been receiving all along. Always remember, while life is a journey, what you recall is not the entire tale, but these bytes, which make it memorable.

I would go with 4/5 stars for the book.

The book can be purchased on Amazon

https://www.amazon.in/DELHI-BYTES-AMULYA-PRIYADARSHI/dp/8194382033/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=delhi+bytes&qid=1622602164&sr=8-1

 

Review of My Father's Girlfriend

 Namaste to all my readers,

Decided to pick up a few books and review them as the backlog of pending reads and books had been constantly increasing.  Life has gone from busy to super busy in just a span of couple of years. I had my daughter, new role at my office and with my own writing, reading was taking a back seat. So, decided to pause my writing and do some pending reads and reviews

I decided to pick up Jagadish Nadanalli's My Father's Girlfriend. A very interesting cover, and then I learnt Jagadish is also an engineer. I tell you, engineers will be the next super leaders of the world with their creativity.

The first thought that crossed your mind when you read the blurb and see the cover is of the movie 'Mere Baap Pehle Aap'. I have never been critical of books inspired from movies or even each other, in fact I appreciate it, I just want to witness how imaginative and creative the author has been to keep their work unique.  Jagadish certainly excels in this area as the book is certainly very different from the movie.

The theme of the book is comparing love stories between two eras. The era which was devoid of social media hence love would take its own sweet time to blossom, and then the current age  where breakups may happen even on Messengers.

The good part about the book is obviously the telling of the earlier love story. Author has captured the era and essence of friendship and love very well. Another good aspect of the book is his depiction of Bengaluru. Till now I have only read fiction where city is a vessel for story telling but this one kind of makes it its soul, something which I have often seen Bengali writers doing with Kolkata so this was definitely a plus. The character of Devdas seems to have come straight out of a TVF show and is essential to keep the flow of the story smooth. I also liked the author's depiction of software companies, the projects, deadlines, politics and how the support of few you love keep you afloat. 

On the downside, personally I liked more the father and his girlfriend and their story, but because a lot of time is taken to establish the story of the young ones, the ending with the father and his girlfriend seemed a bit rushed. Also, would have loved to see some more acrs which author started, get some closure, like the office politics, or Devdas and Paro, Ganesh. Not saying, its a bad thing to leave them as props in story and not touch them later, but some conclusion would have added some points.

On the whole, I would call it a breezy metro read(I miss the metro rides all affected because of COVID). A book you can buy at the station and then finish it while you reach your work/class etc. Its a feelgood book, which has a happy ending and is a light read, something you can also enjoy on a beach or just a lazy Sunday.

All in all, I would give the book 4/5 stars

You can buy the book from Amazon

https://www.amazon.in/My-Fathers-Girlfriend-Jagadish-Nadanalli/dp/8194607574/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=My+Father%E2%80%99s+Girlfriend&qid=1622516428&sr=8-1

Happy Reading!