Category: Uncategorized

Book Review 133
Name Of The Book : The Farm
Author : Joanne Ramos
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Year : 2019
Category : Fiction

Blurb :

Ambitious businesswoman Mae Yu runs Golden Oaks – a luxury retreat transforming the fertility industry – where women get the very best of everything, so long as they play by the rules. Jane is a young immigrant in search of a better future. Stuck living in a cramped dorm with her baby laughter and her shrewd aunt Ate, she sees an unmissable chance to change her life. But at what cost ? A brilliant, darkly funny novel that explores the role of luck and merit, class, ambition and sacrifice, The Farm is an unforgettable story about how we live and who truly holds power.

Review :

The theme of this book is refreshing and quite relevant in the current global scenario. This dystopian novel shows us how capitalism and patriarchy can join hands to control women’s bodies and turn the process of giving birth to a child into a commodity to be sold to the highest bidder. The book sends across a subtle message without inducing panic into the minds of its readers. The underlying themes of poverty, marriage, relationships, class, race, ethnicity, etc., are woven into the plot. Something that I loved about this book is that almost all the primary characters are female. This was organic and not a forced effort by the author for the sake of representation. Each woman has a unique personality. Ate is one of the complex characters, and as the book unfurls, we keep discovering more and more secrets about her. The female friendships are refreshingly real and relatable. At any given point of time, there is a lot of drama happening in the book, and the reader is always on their toes. There is just the right amount of dramatizations and emotions. The only part of the plot that I did not enjoy is the end. I felt like it was for the sake of a happy ending. I would have preferred a different realistic ending. This book is brilliant, and I completed in one go. It sends across a powerful message through fiction.

Rating : 4.2/5

Amazon Link :

https://www.amazon.in/Farm-Joanne-Ramos/dp/1526615134

Book Review 132
Name Of The Book : Give Your Heart A Break
Author : Anuj Tiwari
Publisher : Rupa Publications
Year : 2019
Category : Fiction

Blurb :

When is it enough, really enough? In love, never! In abuse, forever. Written flawlessly with tenderness and fury, heartbreak and acceptance, Give Your Heart a Break is the story of Addya, a flamboyant, confident woman, leading a carefree life. That is, until the day she gets married, and her life suddenly takes a turn for the worse. Caught in a steadily deteriorating relationship, Addya is stretched to her limits as she tries to cope. Through it all, she has her brother Agastya standing by her side like a rock, vowing to avenge his sister. Will Addya be able to survive unscathed? Will Agastya succeed in seeking justice? Or will he succumb to the wounds of his past? Can the love of his life, Tarjani, provide him succour? Inspired by a true story, this is an incredible tale of abuse and vulnerability, of the exhilaration of romance, of an unshakeable sibling bond that is at once unique and universal. Above all, this is Anuj Tiwari’s unsparing account of love and loss, capturing the grit and courage of a woman trapped in a loveless relationship.

Review :

I had expected a cliché love story when I read the title, but when I read the blurb, I realized that it had a different theme. The names of the characters did get confusing at times as there were quite a few. The story is a flashback of events that took place a year ago. But it ends abruptly and the connection with the present has a lot of loose ends. The book talks about domestic violence and is a relevant issue. However, I think the author has only grazed the surface; the way the issue is portrayed lacks depth and thus fails to bring emotions. The characters need to be more nuanced to feel realistic. I liked the concept of the art gallery and its description. The book needs thorough editing. There are lots of errors which need to be corrected. Certain parts of the book were quite unbelievable. I did not like the cover design. It is an okay book for a one-time read.

Rating : 2.7/5

Amazon Link :

https://www.amazon.in/Give-Your-Heart-Break-Tiwari/dp/9353334357

Book Review 131
Name Of The Book : When India Votes – The Dynamics of Successful Election Campaigning
Author : Jaishri Jethwaney & Samir Kapur
Publisher : Rupa Publications
Year : 2019
Category : Non-Fiction

Blurb :

Elections have always been festive occasions in liberal democracies, and India is no exception. Media becomes one of the most important players in elections because of its power of reach and agenda-setting. From one government-controlled television in India in 1984, to hundreds of news channels owned by various interest groups, a burgeoning print media, the coming of the social media and the tiniest and most ‘lethal’ of mass reach weapon, the mobile phone – all these have changed the way elections are now contested! The power of mass contact through rallies and public gatherings, reinforced by the event-driven media channels and the power of digital media to reach out to the young audience, has redefined electioneering in India. When India Votes looks at the theoretical underpinnings of the relationship between democracy, mass media and election campaigning, as well as representative campaigns of the last three decades of the two major players, viz. the Congress and BJP.

Review :

The book starts off by introducing certain models and theories related to the influence of media on the masses. It looks into how election campaigning has changed over the years with more and more dependency on the media. The chapter ‘Media in India: Imperatives for Election Campaigning’ is quite a lot about paid and unpaid election campaigns. This is a thoroughly researched book. My favourite chapter is the one based on Modi’s 2014 election campaign. It contains unbiased observations and opinions. The book also critically looks at political discourse and campaigning and their evolution through the years. The chapter ‘Ideas, Ideologies and Campaign Planks’ provided great insights on the previous election campaigns in India. The references at the end of each chapter make the sources transparent. The links provided are useful for those who are interested in extra reading. One of the short-comings of the book was that it could have been shorter – certain parts are quite repetitive. This book could have had a hardcover and slightly better colour combination for the cover. Overall, this is a good and detailed book for those who want to understand the interdependence of election campaigns and the various media.

Rating : 4/5

Amazon Link :

https://www.amazon.in/When-India-Votes-Jaishri-Jethwaney/dp/9353333806

Book Review 130
Name Of The Book : Politics of Jugaad – The Coalition Handbook
Author : Saba Naqvi
Publisher : Rupa Publications
Year : 2019
Category : Non-Fiction

Blurb :

Politics of Jugaad examines the history of coalition governments to project the possibilities of one, as the countdown to the 2019 Lok Sabha election begins. It asks whether coalitions are an inevitability we have to live with, especially since coalitions have been unstable, and whether they also hold out the promise of greater democratization in a nation as diverse as ours. It analyses the possibilities of the formation of coalitions in various states and their chances of success and failure, leading up to the question: can a few regional parties potentially tip the scales and defeat the Modi-led BJP? In this most authoritative volume, Saba Naqvi strikes the perfect balance between precise argument and fresh prose, minutely discussing what could be the direction, politics and policy of India’s next coalition government. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the nature of transformation in Indian political parties and their role in contemporary times.

Review :

This is an extremely important book to read, especially with the election fever going on in India now. The book is a comprehensive guide to all the coalition governments that we have had till date. It gives an unbiased opinion on coalitions based on the Indian political scenario. I learnt quite a lot about the political history of India from this book, which I had been previously unaware of. It is neither too long nor too short; the book has been edited to perfection. The cover has been designed beautifully in keeping with the theme of the book. I loved that it is a hardcover. This book has urged me to pick up more non-fiction on Indian politics. It also asks important questions about the future of Indian democracy and the viability of coalitions in our country. I could not help but take down notes from this book for future reference. This book is highly recommended for those who want to understand coalition governments in the context of Indian politics. This book was also recommended by BooksOnToast (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSzPk0ShJD6ygdZw7HqK5QA) as ‘election essential read’.

Rating : 4.5 /5

Amazon Link :

https://www.amazon.in/Politics-Jugaad-Saba-Naqvi/dp/9353334187

Book Review 129
Name Of The Book : Tune For The Dead
Author : Debashish Irengbam & Anshul Vijayvargiya
Publisher : Harper Black (an imprint Harper Collins Publishers)
Year : 2019
Category : Fiction/Thriller

Blurb :

One tune. Three listeners. Three grisly suicides. The melody – an eerie piano symphony – is the last thing they hear. Leading an unremarkable existence in the sleepy town of Manali, Private Detective Dhruv is jolted into the heart of this case when he is hired by Misha, daughter of the first victim, Raina Awasthi. As he delves deeper into the mystery, threats against his life begin to multiply. It’s soon clear that he is dealing with a conspiracy that goes far beyond suicides and murders, and that there is more at stake here than just his life. The shadows are closing in, and Dhruv is all that stands in their way.

Review :

When I read the blurb, I was intrigued by the storyline and curious to know what was going to happen. The beginning had me hooked to the book. Dhruv is an interesting character. The language used is great and the book is well-written. Misha, the female lead is simply a damsel in distress and Dhruv’s sidekick. She had so much potential but it was not utilized. After the first half, the book starts to become a little too dramatic and filmier. Then it feels more like a movie script rather than a novel. Veer’s character is very flimsily written. The end was quite unbelievable. This book would have been better with a more realistic second half. Dhruv’s back story is good but not long enough to bring emotional depth into it. Dhruv’s and Misha’s unspoken chemistry is something that put me off. Even at the end of the book, it is not explicitly stated about their relationship with one another. Dhruv’s luck at certain times seemed too unrealistic – a subtler approach would have been better. Mariam is a great character whom I would have loved to see more of. The cover design and the colour theme chosen for the cover is on point. This a good one-time read.

Rating : 3.8/5

Amazon Link :

https://www.amazon.in/Tune-Dead-Detective-Dhruv-Mystery/dp/9353029619

Book Review 128
Name Of The Book : Harley Quinn : Mad Love
Author : Paul Din & Pat Cadigan
Publisher : Titan Books
Year : 2019
Category : Fiction

Blurb :

When she was only seven years old, Harleen Quinzel witnessed her father being beaten up by thugs, and then arrested by the police. That night she ran away to the safest place she could think of : Coney Island amusement park. But there, pursued into the Funhouse by the men who brutalised her father, she beheld unimaginable horrors. Years later, Harleen has put her past behind her, and used her intelligence and ambition to escape her childhood of poverty with a career in psychiatry. Assigned to her first position at Arkham Hospital, she will discover, deep in the asylum, something dangerous and alluring, something quite unlike anything else she has ever known before: The Joker. Because why would you settle for love, when you could have MAD LOVE? From the moment that Harleen finds a rose on her desk, to the moment she dons her harlequin hat, this is the definitive story that chronicles the obsession, the burning desire, the manic laughter, and the birth of one of the most controversial and popular comic book supervillains ever created: Harley Quinn.

Review :

I have not read any DC comics and I have not watched any of the movies based on the same so I did not have any clue about the love story of Harley Quinn and Joker. But I picked up this book because Harley Quinn is a much talked about character. Something that was fascinating to me was how the characters and their superpowers were made to look very realistic. That does not happen very often in superhero books/movies. The book begins with Harley Quinn’s childhood which shows us how her personality was moulded by her experiences. The first half of the book, up to the part where she falls in love with Joker is brilliant. I really enjoyed how her character was portrayed. However, in the second half of the book, her character undergoes a drastic transformation. This change, I felt was inconsistent with her initial character. Dr Leyland and Harley Quinn share a great mentor-mentee relationship. This book shows how difficult it is to break free from abusive relationships. Most of the time, the victim will be manipulated by the abuser. I enjoyed looking at Batsman from a different perspective. Even after being cheated by Joker, she returns to him – this is something that I did not like about the character. The character had the potential to have become a supervillainess but was reduced to being Joker’s puppet/sidekick. The other women characters like Poison Ivy, Magpie and Mary Louise also deserve a special mention. This is a great book for those who are not comic fans and want Batman novels.

Rating : 4.1/5

Amazon Link :

https://www.amazon.com/DC-Comics-novels-Harley-Quinn/dp/1785658131

Book Review 127
Name Of The Book : Crazy Rich Asians
Author : Kevin Kwan
Publisher : Anchor Books
Year : 2014
Category : Fiction/Young Adult

Blurb :

Crazy Rich Asians is the outrageously funny debut novel about three super-rich, pedigreed Chinese families and the gossip, backbiting, and scheming that occurs when the heir to one of the most massive fortunes in Asia brings home his ABC (American-born Chinese) girlfriend to the wedding of the season. When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home, long drives to explore the island, and quality time with the man she might one day marry. What she doesn’t know is that Nick’s family home happens to look like a palace, that she’ll ride in more private planes than cars, and that with one of Asia’s most eligible bachelors on her arm, Rachel might as well have a target on her back. Initiated into a world of dynastic splendor beyond imagination, Rachel meets Astrid, the It Girl of Singapore society; Eddie, whose family practically lives in the pages of the Hong Kong socialite magazines; and Eleanor, Nick’s formidable mother, a woman who has very strong feelings about who her son should – and should not – marry. Uproarious, addictive, and filled with jaw-dropping opulence, Crazy Rich Asians is an insider’s look at the Asian JetSet; a perfect depiction of the clash between old money and new money; between Overseas Chinese and Mainland Chinese; and a fabulous novel about what it means to be young, in love, and gloriously, crazily rich.

Review :

This is the first book of a trilogy based on extremely affluent families in South Asia. I had heard mixed reviews about the book but the theme was exciting so I decided to pick it up. I was going through a reading slump and I thought this book would be a welcome change. And it did turn out to be a great choice. The book has a lot of characters and their extended families so I kept getting confused. However, there are family trees given which will help the reader. The story is a cliché – poor girl meets rich boy (aka Prince Charming). There are certain plot twists and suspense which I enjoyed. It was fun to delve into the world of the rich – their lifestyle, hobbies and problems. We also get an idea about racism within the Chinese culture. I loved the elaborate details of the entire extravaganza. Rachel Chu’s relationship with her mother is something I envied. The book gives summery holiday vibes. It is a great book for those who want to relax and is looking for a light read. This is one of the few books that has been made into a movie without losing its charm. Now I am looking forward to the other books of the series.

Rating : 4.1/5

Amazon Link :

https://www.amazon.in/Crazy-Rich-Asians-Kevin-Kwan/dp/0385536976

Book Review 126
Name Of The Book : The Complete Persepolis
Author : Marjane Satrapi (Translated by Mattias Ripa)
Publisher : Pantheon Books
Year : 2007
Category : Fiction/Graphic Novel

Blurb :

Persepolis is the story of Satrapi’s unforgettable childhood and coming of age within a large and loving family in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution; of the contradictions between private life and public life in a country plagued by political upheaval; of her high school years in Vienna facing the trials of adolescence far from her family; of her homecoming–both sweet and terrible; and, finally, of her self-imposed exile from her beloved homeland. It is the chronicle of a girlhood and adolescence at once outrageous and familiar, a young life entwined with the history of her country yet filled with the universal trials and joys of growing up.

Review :

This the first graphic novel that I have read and I have now turned into a graphic novel fan. This is a coming of age novel set in Iran. It is a memoir and narrates the author’s own experiences. This book is quite helpful in understanding the history of Iran which I was unaware of. The narration of the story is crisp and uses beautiful illustrations. Satrapi’s teenage years and the thoughts that she has are honest and relatable. We get a deeper understanding of the women in Iran and how the different governments and their rules affected the lives of people in general and women in particular. I absolutely adore her parents for being so open-minded in spite of the society in which they lived. They let her experiment and make mistakes and learn from them. This has positively shaped her personality. Though Satrapi is a sort of rebel, I loved her for how outspoken she is. I wanted the book to be even longer as it was a visual treat. This is a highly recommended graphic novel that will help you learn about the political history of Iran and women’s lives.

Rating : 5/5

Amazon Link :

https://www.amazon.in/Complete-Persepolis-Picture-Pantheon-Graphic/dp/0375714839

Book Review 125
Name Of The Book : Summer Holidays
Author : Koral Dasgupta
Publisher : Rupa Publications
Year : 2019
Category : Fiction

Blurb :

Three cities—Mumbai, Bangalore and Shimla. And a big family feud spanning over sixteen years. Summer holidays is a fairy tale for adults with a comic take on modern families, their ideals, beliefs and prejudices.

Review :                                     

Unlike usual novels which are mostly based on romantic relationships, the protagonists of this book are cousins – Rishi and Mira. They were close when they were young, but their families drift apart and they do so too. Due to certain circumstances, Rishi and Mira re-unite without the knowledge of their parents. The story follows the efforts taken by Rishi and Mira to bring their families close again. The theme is interesting and all the characters are unique. I liked how Rishi treats Mira in a mature way and keeps check on his behaviour when he is becoming a possessive brother. Rishi is a really fun character that I enjoyed the company of. The book is packed with subtle humour which makes it a warm and sunny read. Mira’s evolution as a character is well-written. A few things about the book did not work for me. Mira’s romantic relationship needed more clarity. Certain parts were too dramatic and should have been avoided. An example is the scene where Meera visits Rishi’s boss at his flat. Though the story is good, I could not connect with it at an emotional level. The plot has an abrupt ending. I am a reader who needs closure and I do not like open-ended stories. The cover design could be better as it has not captured the complete theme of the book.

Rating : 3.7/5

Amazon Link :

https://www.amazon.in/Summer-Holidays-Koral-Dasgupta/dp/9353333768

Book Review 125
Name Of The Book : To The Lions
Author : Holly Watt
Publisher : Raven Books
Year : 2019
Category : Fiction/Crime Thriller

Blurb :

A journalist must follow the clues, no matter how far that takes her. Casey Benedict, star reporter at the Post, has infiltrated the lives and exposed the lies of countless politicians and power players. Using her network of contacts, Casey is always on the search for the next big story, no matter how much danger this might place her in, no matter what cost emotionally. Tipped off by an overheard conversation at an exclusive London nightclub, she begins to investigate the apparent suicide of a wealthy young British man, whose death has left his fiancé and family devastated. Casey’s determined hunt for the truth will take her from the glitz of St-Tropez to the deserts of Libya and on to the very darkest corners of the human mind.

Review :

I love thrillers involving investigative journalists and the blurb of this book was promising. The core theme of the book is the issue of migrants – the horrendous conditions in which they live, how they are perceived by the government and the people of the country. Hatred towards migrants is something that is rising in the present political scenario and so this book is very much relevant today. It also deals with people’s dark fantasies which if unchecked may turn them into sociopaths. Right from the start, the reader will be sucked into the world of Casey and the issue that she is after. The writing style is great and I liked it, though I read a few reviews which criticized it. This book can be made into a Hollywood movie and I could easily picture it in my mind. I really liked having two powerful women characters who are present from the start to the end. There are several other important women characters that we encounter as the book progresses. I felt that the story might not be a hundred per cent realistic, but it is on the whole, plausible. I am curious to know if this book is based on real-life incidents but there is no mention of the same. I think this is an amazing crime thriller which has some well-written cliff-hangers and forces us to think about certain issues.

Rating : 4.7/5

Amazon Link :

https://www.amazon.in/Lions-Holly-Watt/dp/1526602105