Category: Uncategorized

Book Review 104
Name Of The Book : Roar
Author : Cecelia Ahern
Publisher : Harper Collins Publishers
Year : 2018
Category : Fiction

Blurb :

         I am a woman. Hear me roar. Have you ever imagined a different life? Have you ever stood at a crossroads, undecided? Have you ever had a moment when you wanted to roar? The women in these startlingly original stories are all of us: the women who befriend us, the women who encourage us, the women who make us brave. From The Woman Who Slowly Disappeared to The Woman Who Was Kept on the Shelf and The Woman Who Returned and Exchanged her Husband, discover thirty touching, often hilarious, stories and meet thirty very different women. Each discovers her strength, each realizes she holds the power to make a change. Witty, tender, surprising, these keenly observed tales speak to us all and capture the moment when we all want to roar.

Review :

       This book is a collection of thirty stories about women. They are all stand-alone stories but connected through a common theme – women who are facing issues. The names of the stories are of the form ‘The Woman Who Did Something’ and the protagonists of the stories have no name. Cecelia Ahern is one of my favourite writers and I was really excited to pick up this book. This book is quite different from her other books in theme and style of writing, and it was interesting to see how the author has taken up this unique theme. The book started off quite well with the story of ‘The Woman Who Slowly Disappeared’. I liked the idea of naming stories in this manner and it helped to create a kind of link between the stories. A few readers had mentioned that not naming the protagonist and calling her just ‘woman’ made the story seem impersonal and the character unimportant. But I felt that by calling her ‘woman’ Cecelia Ahern has tried to convey the message that irrespective of the woman’s name, religion, ethnicity, nationality, skin colour or any other differences, they are connected by the common thread of being a woman. As much as I enjoyed reading this book, there are certain aspects of the book that could have been improved. Since these are short stories, it needed more emotions to make it powerful. Unlike a full-length novel, slow development of the characters cannot bring emotional depth to a short story. I felt like a few of the stories were bizarre. I could neither connect with them nor understand the message being conveyed through these stories. Also, a few stories could have had a better ending as I felt that they did not convey the intended message or serve the purpose of the book. Towards the end, certain subjects felt redundant. Recurring themes could have been avoided, Overall, I liked the concept and enjoyed reading the book, but I cannot say that it is a powerful book on the subject.  

Rating : 3.8/5

Book Review 96
Name Of The Book : The Explorer
Author : Katherine Rundell
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Year : 2017
Category : Children’s Fiction

Blurb :

         From his seat in the tiny aeroplane, Fred watches as the mysteries of the Amazon jungle pass by below him. He has always dreamed of becoming an explorer, of making history and of reading his name amongst the lists of great discoveries. If only he could land and look about him. As the plane crashes into the canopy, Fred is suddenly left without a choice. He and the three other children may be alive, but the jungle is a vast, untamed place. With no hope of rescue, the chance of getting home feels impossibly small. Except, it seems, someone has been there before them …

Review :

        I wasn’t really expecting this book to be about teenagers but it was a pleasant surprise. Fred, Con, Lila and Max survive a plane crash and are stranded in the Amazon wilderness without an adult. This is the story of their adventure, friendship and survival. Right from the beginning, I found it very interesting. Their experiences in the forest are both exciting as well as dangerous. They learn how to survive in the forest on the bare minimum and learn a lot about nature and its unusual ways. I was taken back to my school days when I used to devour Secret Seven, Famous Five, Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. This book gave me a similar experience. The narration is also beautiful and we can picture it well in our mind. The illustration is the cherry on the cake and makes the experience even better. I also learnt a lot about the Amazon forest and about the tricks for surviving in the forest. I liked how they grow up and meet again as adults. This book also conveys an important message though, in a subtle manner. If you are looking for an exciting adventure with the flora and fauna of the Amazon, don’t hesitate to pick up this book.
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Rating : 4.2/5

Book Review 97
Name Of The Book : Awaken The Durga Within – From Glum to Glam, Caged to Carefree
Author : Usha Narayanan
Publisher : Rupa Publications
Year : 2018
Category : Self-help

Blurb :

         Awaken the Durga Within is a handy, easy-to-follow guide to help every woman assert themselves at home and work and reclaim their life. As a woman in a patriarchal country like India, they are often held back by family or society; and even education or employment does little to help improve their status. Bringing in the lesser-known and exciting stories about goddesses from the Hindu mythology, Awaken the Durga Within puts forward practical solutions that can be implemented immediately, without compromising on values and principles. These stories will help invoke the ‘Shakti’ within every woman so as to transform their minds and transcend their limits. Identify the fears holding you back and discover a pithy, three-step process to help you take control of your life and garner respect. Make choices that are right for you and experience the rewards. Discover the true spirit of feminism wherein women are given the same rights, power, and opportunities as men.

Review :

          Though the blurb and the name of the book were enticing, I didn’t know what to expect from it. This book completely took me by surprise. It is an innovative way to pen a self-help book. As the name suggests, it targets women though it might be helpful for others also who feel compelled to obey and please others and cannot be assertive when needed. It takes us through the stories of the great and ferocious women in the Hindu epics and through each story, drives home an important message about taking control of your life and learning to free yourself from the shackles of oppression. The author gives relatable everyday scenarios and how to tackle them in a pragmatic manner. The book does not preach philosophy, rather it guides us and helps us to introspect and understood our problems better. This book has given me a lot of positive energy and I really felt empowered after reading this book. I have tried to follow what the author wanted to convey and it has helped to make a positive impact on my life. Any of you who find yourself in a similar situation will surely benefit from this book. I strongly recommend this unique self-help book. 
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Rating : 5/5

Book Review 98
Name Of The Book : Until Love Sets Us Apart ; To Love with Love
Author : Aditya Nighhot
Publisher : Fingerprint Publishing
Year : 2018
Category : Fiction

Blurb :

      Aisha and Rohit are like chalk and cheese. While Rohit is completely aimless and imperfect, Aisha is focussed and a perfectionist. Just two opposites. But don’t they say opposites attract?He loves her . . . She loves him. Their wedding is on the cards but their love is put to the test when an unforeseen incident hits their lives. Can loving somebody immensely set you apart? Can everything just change in the blink of an eye? Inspired from real-life incidents, this ‘Best Romance Book of the Year’ award winning novel is a heart-wrenching tale of true love, friendship and destiny. And a young author’s quest to find out what exactly happened . . .

Review :

          Aditya, an aspiring writer is intrigued by Rohit’s case. He strongly feels that there must have been some strong motive for committing the crime and that Rohit may have been pressurized to do so under the circumstances. He finds Rohan’s close friend Alok and hears the complete story leading to Rohit’s present circumstances. Rohit and Aisha had met during their college years and had fallen in love with each other. Soon after college, they decided to get married but none of them knew that their life was going to take such unexpected twists. The story is a cliché with such storylines being common these days. Even then, the important issue of rape cannot be overlooked as it has become a major problem. Their college days are interesting and will remind you of your own carefree college days. The story was able to hold my attention and I was curious to know how the book would end. The book needs to be edited; there are lots of errors. Overall, a good novel for those who are looking for a light romantic read. 

Rating : 3.5/5

Book Review 99
Name Of The Book : To Obama With Love, Joy, Hate and Despair
Author : Jeanne Marie Laskas
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Year : 2018
Category : Non-Fiction

Blurb :

         President Barack Obama received ten thousand letters a day from his constituents. This is the story of the private and profound relationship with letter writers that shaped his presidency. Their voices combine to reveal the diary of a nation. Every evening for eight years, at his request, President Obama was given ten handpicked letters written by ordinary American citizens – the unfiltered voice of a nation – from his Office of Presidential Correspondence. He was the first president to interact daily with constituent mail and to archive it in its entirety. The letters affected not only the president and his policies but also the deeply committed people who were tasked with opening and reading the millions of pleas, rants, thank-yous, and apologies that landed in the White House mailroom. In To Obama, Jeanne Marie Laskas interviews President Obama, the letter writers themselves, and the White House staff who sifted through the powerful, moving, and incredibly intimate narrative of America during the Obama years: There is Kelli, who saw her grandfathers finally marry – legally – after thirty-five years together; Bill, a lifelong Republican whose attitude towards immigration reform was transformed when he met a boy escaping MS-13 gang leaders in El Salvador; Heba, a Syrian refugee who wants to forget the day the tanks rolled into her village; Marjorie, who grappled with disturbing feelings of racial bias lurking within her during the George Zimmerman trial; and Vicki, whose family was torn apart by those who voted for Trump and those who did not. They wrote to Obama out of gratitude and desperation, in their darkest times of need, in search of connection. They wrote with anger, fear, and respect. And together, this chorus of voices achieves a kind of beautiful harmony. To Obama is an intimate look at one man’s relationship to the American people, and at a time when empathy intersected with politics in the White House.

Review :

          Barack Obama has always been one of my favourite American Presidents. This book has helped me to discover another dimension of President Obama. The idea of an American President reading ten letters a day from the common man in order to understand their concerns and engage with them meaningfully is downright brilliant and empowering. It is a task that requires utmost empathy and dedication. It only strengthens the fact that Obama wanted to connect with more and more people without prejudice and ensure that the spirit of democracy is upheld with everybody participating in the decision making directly or indirectly. In the book, we can see how Obama has painstakingly tried to reply to each and every one of them as he knows that every small gesture goes a long way. All of those who received his replies hold it in high regard and considers it to be a treasure. It has been able to bring a positive change in people’s lives. Through the idea of reading and writing letters, he reinforces his ideology of how hope can make a significant change. His team led by Fiona, have worked tirelessly throughout his presidency and need to be applauded for their timely response, ability to handle situations maturely and their efficiency. They have remained true to their duties and have always strived to show the President a real picture rather than a rose-tinted one. This book has a huge collection of letters received by Obama and his replies to many of them. The circumstances that led many of these letter writers to write to the President are interesting and enlightening. They include an amalgam of kids, adolescents, elderly, rich, middle class, poor, Democrats, Republicans among others. Obama has always been polite to both those who praise him and those who criticize him. This is the true quality of a leader. We can see that certain people had written letters right after he was elected, citing their problems and the very same people have again written to him after eight years to thank him for the positive changes he had brought. The letters are heartwarming and give a deep insight into how ordinary citizens viewed Obama as the President and his policies. Even after his tenure, he continues to receive hundreds of letters each day and he responds to as many as he can. This is a testimony of people’s love and acceptance. I strongly recommend this book to everyone irrespective of your age or your favourite genre.

​Rating : 5/5

Book Review 100
Name Of The Book : One
Author : Sarah Crossan
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Year : 2015
Category : Fiction

Blurb :

            Grace and Tippi are twins – conjoined twins. And their lives are about to change. No longer able to afford homeschooling, they must venture into the world – a world of stares, sneers and cruelty. Will they find more than that at school? Can they find real friends? And what about love? But what neither Grace or Tippi realises is that a heart-wrenching decision lies ahead. A decision that could tear them apart. One that will change their lives even more than they ever imagined…

Review :
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            When I first picked up this book, I had no clue what it was about. When I read the blurb, I was excited to read it as I had never read a book with the protagonists being conjoined twin sisters. Grace and Tippi cannot lead a normal life as they are conjoined twins. I think this book captures perfectly, the dilemmas and the physical and psychological issues they face. Their friendships and relationships with those around them are extremely complex. The nuances of their complex relationship with each other, is portrayed beautifully. Sarah Crossan has written this book in the form of a lyrical prose and has done a great job. Through minimal words and sentences, the author has composed an excellent work of art. It contains so many emotions and we cannot help but feel what Grace and Tippi feel. It provides an excellent insight into the lives of conjoined twins and their identity crises. The cover design is also exquisite and merges well with the theme of the book. It is an emotional and touching book which I think most of you will enjoy reading.

Rating : 4.5/5

Book Review 103
Name Of The Book : The Sun Is Also A Star
Author : Nicola Yoon
Publisher : Corgi Books (an imprint of Penguin Random House UK)
Year : 2016
Category : Young Adult Fiction

Blurb :

Natasha: 
I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.
Daniel: 
I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store – for both of us.
The Universe: 
Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

Review :

         I had heard mixed reviews about this book and I wanted to know how I would find it. Also, the cover is gorgeous and I was surprised to know that it was made on a large scale using nails and yarn. There are parallel stories of Natasha and Daniel and we know that they will eventually meet. Natasha and her family are illegal immigrants to the US and they are twelve hours from being deported when she meets Daniel. She was never a romantic and does not believe in fate or destiny; she loves science, facts and figures. Daniel belongs to a Korean family who has immigrated to the US. He constantly tries to put his parent’s wishes above his own and strives to be the ideal son. He is a hopeless dreamer and poet who believes in love at first sight, fate and destiny. Not only are they and their families apart, but also Natasha will leave for Jamaica and they know that their relationship cannot survive the distance. The beauty of this book lies in its writing and the depth of the characters. There are chapters written from the perspectives of both Natasha and Daniel and also the Universe. I loved the chapters of the Universe where the author strings together history, philosophy, people and their thoughts beautifully. Only Nicola Yoon can weave this image so perfectly. This story is not unpredictable but it is not unrealistic either. Something I loved about this book is the fact that the characters think – and a lot! Rarely do we find books where the characters think and introspect so deeply and contemplate on the mundane affairs of their life. I was able to connect with their thoughts and that made the characters relatable. The book is able to bring out the emotions of the characters really well. The problems faced by the immigrants (legal and illegal) are touched upon in a subtle yet powerful manner. Their hopes and fears, how they adapt to their surroundings and the culture of the place that they now call home, is all portrayed well. This is one of the finest Young Adult books that I have read and I am sure I can read this over and over again. If you are looking for a touching Young Adult fiction with a love story which will melt your heart, do pick up this book. Now I am looking forward to reading the other books by the same author.

Rating : 5/5

Book Review 102
Name Of The Book : Charles Sobhraj : Inside the Heart of the Bikini Killer
Author : Dr Raamesh Koirala
Publisher : Rupa Publications
Year : 2018
Category : Non-Fiction

Blurb :

          Charles Sobhraj: Inside the Heart of the Bikini Killer provides glimpses of Charles Sobhraj – the notorious serial killer – without the glitz and trappings lent to his image by media reports. It is not the cold, calculated ‘Bikini Killer’ we find here, but a balding man worried about his failing health; a man who requests the doctor to put off his surgery for a few days because he is afraid; a frail man who bursts into tears when he learns the operation has only a slim chance of success. Candidly narrated by the doctor who had initially refused to treat a criminal like Charles, this book explores the ethical dilemmas and the choices we have to make to remain true to ourselves.

Review :

          Raamesh Koirala, a cardio surgeon working in Nepal finds himself in a dilemma when he is approached to treat Charles Sobhraj, the infamous bikini killer who was found guilty of murdering many innocent people in cold blood. He is bound by his duty as a doctor to treat everyone equally, but his conscience worries if it morally right to provide treatment to such a ruthless person who shows no regret even after all these years. He finally decides to treat Sobhraj and thus begins the interesting episodes that take place at the hospital. The doctor is intrigued with Sobhraj and has a lot of unanswered questions about him and through his observation of the patient and by talking to Charles, the doctor finds answers. We are also taken through the treks that the doctor undertakes along with his friends. The picturesque scenery of Nepal is explained in great detail. Surprisingly, everyone around me seems to have heard of Charles Sobhraj but this was the first time that I had heard about this serial killer. The book is never dull and the writing is interesting. I learnt quite a lot about Charles Sobhraj and all the incidents related to him. However, what I did not like was the fact that whatever Dr Raamesh has written is not exactly based on his conversations, but rather from his research and observations. I had expected to know more from Charles’ perspective. Nevertheless, it is an interesting book for those who want to know more about Charles Sobhraj or his cases.

Rating : 3.9/5

Book Review 101
Name Of The Book : Yoddha : The Dynasty of Samudragupta
Author : Rajat Pillai
Publisher : Jaico Books
Year : 2018
Category : Fiction

Blurb :

AD 379.
The Gupta dynasty is stepping into its golden age. But the past holds many dark secrets…
After long and bloody wars, Samrat Samudragupta sits on the pinnacle of an empire. Yet, close to his throne are hearts filled with revenge, scheming to bring him down. Into this gathering storm arrives Chandragupta, the king’s long-lost son. As he settles into his new life devastating family secrets surface, old wounds are reopened and Chandra can no longer trust anyone – least of all those closest to him. Bizarre and sinister incidents abound as palace conspiracies unravel plunging Rajgriha into a pit of chaos. Will the son pay for the sins of his father? Yoddha: The Dynasty of Samudragupta unfolds the murky loves and lies of one of the most illustrious clans in history.

Review :

          King Samudragupta has two sons Ramagupta and Chandragupta who have grown up far away from the public eye and the difference in their upbringings reflect on their characters and personalities. The fight for the throne and the subsequent events will reveal the traitors within their own kingdom. Usually, I am reluctant to pick up books which involve kings and war as I am not a fan of historical fiction. What I usually find in historical fiction is an overload of information and details along with a painfully slow progress of the plot. But surprisingly, this book had my undivided attention right from the first page. The story is filled with suspense and action right from the first chapter and the momentum is retained until the very end keeping the reader on their toes. I was eager to unravel the mystery. The characters are well developed and the plot proceeds smoothly without any lag or glitches. Towards the end, certain parts seemed a little too dramatic for my taste, but overall the story is not unbelievable or exaggerated. The cover of this book could have had a better design. It is not very catchy. If you are looking for a well-written fiction based on Indian history, you will enjoy reading this book.

Rating : 4.2/5

Elizabeth was at her favourite getaway spot – The Highbrow Library. She spent nearly all her free time in that utopia, submerged in the ocean of books. Her mother had brought her to this library when she was seven years old and since then she had never looked back.

It did not matter what her age or mood was; there was always a book she could engage in. Her love for books only increased with each passing year. She was a regular there and knew the place like the back of her hand.

Today she had decided to devote a few hours to the latest book that she had been reading – ‘Bones of the Sun’. She made herself comfortable and passionately engrossed in the book when she began to feel a slight uneasiness. It was as if a sparse envelope of heat was building up around her though it was a wintry day.

She removed her pale blue cardigan and was about to turn the page of her book when she noticed something queer. Smoke hung so thick in the library’s rafters that she could read words in it. Was she daydreaming? Or did the smoke take the guise of the word ‘FIRE’?

Elizabeth felt a sense of déjà vu. This was a scene from the book she had been reading. Surely this cannot be true, she thought; I must be dreaming. She rubbed her eyes and looked again but the smoke and the message were still intact; much to her horror.

In the book, the protagonist Caymen had dismissed such an admonition and had been engulfed in the fire. A shiver ran down her spine. Hallucinating or not, she had to escape without delay. She looked at the librarian Mrs Teresa who was at the other end of the library. She still had her usual composed demeanour. She looked around to find that apart from them, the library was practically empty.

A few hours later…

From the initial inspection, it was inferred that a short circuit may have been the cause, but it was yet to be ascertained. Mrs Teresa, the police and the fire officials praised Elizabeth’s timely intervention which impeded a major catastrophe. Elizabeth still wholeheartedly believes that it was Caymen who saved her and the library which was equally dear to her. She will never know if the words in the smoke were real or a product of her imagination.