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!

 

Mrs Photogenic- Suruchi

I will try to keep this short, and sweet.

Women Empowerment is such an important tool, yet the way it is used and thrown around just aimlessly, I often get confused which events or phenomenon actually empower women and which ones are merely a facade. That is the reason, I have stopped judging a book by its cover. I see, I study, and then form an opinion.

3 months back, my wife Suruchi told me she wanted to participate in Mrs India New England and asked my opinion. As a couple, who fiercely believes in "better regret for things you did than for things you didn't", she didn't really have to ask my opinion, I was already planning on how this would go.

I entered the event hall with my 4 year old. There were glitz and glamour all around and the judges looked fab in their attire and charm oozed out of the judges table. While a few were previous winners, some were business tycoons, movie stars and the likes.
The winners were to be crowned out of three different categories, Miss India, Mrs India and Miss Teen New England. Needless to say this was my first rendezvous with a beauty pageant,  I was just rooting for Suruchi, who, anyways looked ravishing as usual



But when the women started with their ramp walk, everyone was stunned with the poise, the elegance and the charisma these women carried. As they began their introduction, it was rather fascinating to notice how multi-faceted each one of these women were. They looked all very charming in their evening gowns
There were a few segments of talent showcase and performances which completely raved the audience.  The next round in the event was of ethnic Indian dress. As the girls walked out amidst waves of applause, it was rather fascinating to see how Suruchi had completely transformed into a queen from a princess.
It was at this moment, that I realized, this is real women empowerment. For decades people have argued of the relevance of beauty pageants, when that day I realized in reality, these pageants give these women the confidence, the stage and the platform to be themselves, show their best side to the world, and achieve whatever they want to once this night is over.
Suruchi performed well in the Q&A round as well, and while I always knew her to be a queen without a crown, this time, she did actually win it.

While the ladies add sparkle to the evening and rightfully take away all the glee of the viewers and the glam, the organizers should be given special credit as they are the ones who help realize the dreams and ambitions of these wonderful ladies while they remain as an active background.

Ruchika Arora, the brains behind the pageant should be given all the credit for the success of the event. She almost single handedly helped get the ladies their walk right, the choreography of the event, the arrangement everything. More power to her.

Special mention to Vidhi Dalia of Flawless Creations as being the sole person behind the enigma of the beautiful ladies and their hairdo.

And finally, a special mention to Monika Gill, Dharmatma Saran, and many more who graced and blessed the event.

Needless to say, it was a completely new learning experience just witnessing the event, I am sure for Suruchi, it has been life changing. 

Review of Poornima Dhiman's "Arranging Love, Contemporary Way!"

I was requested by Poornima Dhiman to review her debut novel "Arranging Love, contemporary way!" and was sent a digital copy of the same. I tried to finish the book in minimum sittings to arrange a quicker feedback for Poornima and the book being a light hearted take on an otherwise serious subject helped in achieving the same.

And that, in fact, is the biggest strength of Poornima Dhiman as a story teller.

The book begins with a rather familiar territory of a strong, independent single women in her late 20s being dumped rather unceremoniously. When I expected a story of redemption with my experience out of similar books based on strong values of feminism, Poornima has rather a different and interesting subject to discuss and that was really a welcome move.

Poornima has solely focussed on a comparatively lesser known and lesser discussed topic of "what goes on while searching for a potential groom via marriage portals" through her debut book and has fairly succeeded in achieving the same. The entire process, those anxious moments, the nervousness of meeting your prospective partner for the first time after having talked to him for some time, has been detailed out rather elaborately. 

The biggest success of Poornima in her debut book has been managing to keep the entire mood of the novel comparatively light weight and not at all break into a preachy or a philosophical tone. In spite of meeting some of the most mean, sexist and MCP characters most of the times, her protagonist never turns "anti-men", and is always able to put up a positive outlook towards the entire turn of events in her life. 

The book definitely demands better editing. At times, dialogues start but soon turn into narrative leaving the reader confused. One major problem I had with the book was that Poornima skipped certain important and major aspects of this search of groom on marriage portal. I would have loved to read into her first Skype chat with a prospective groom, how she prepared herself, how she thought he had come prepared/unprepared, etc. I would also have liked to read maybe what happens when some of the meanest men in her book get married and face the taste of Karma for once. 

In spite of those little nuances, because she has digressed a topic which many are unaware about and is kind of a black box, she deserves full marks. That, adding to the overall tone of the book makes it a perfect metro read.  The book is certainly different. Not everyday you get to read about the thoughts of a modern day successful woman who actually is not skeptical about finding her partner through a contemporary arranged marriage setup.

All in all, I would give this book a rating of 4/5.

The book is available at Amazon Kindle store

You can get in touch with her at Poornima.dhiman@gmail.com