tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55970778694115685762024-03-18T11:12:52.716+05:30Chevus' Readfewgoodreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06218937492427641380noreply@blogger.comBlogger640125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597077869411568576.post-6858913054577301292022-02-05T18:40:00.001+05:302022-02-05T18:40:00.225+05:30Book Review - Tinku's Summer Adventure<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For a reader couple like us, the best time we spent with our child is when we read the story to him. No matter how tired we are no matter how late it is in the night, if my kid is awake he demands a story. And unless exceptional case, I read a story to him. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinyJUz4fLp7PSQPtd9RoXHu9ffoTRCEifTZbyrrbOElZ5vDCh90DcQlXMlllMWNVCq-AswH3Wp-mSDcFuyr8kl8ZUPB2aoZxq6tg6nhnJ5168HQQG2aTdZuerYv08LzGclnrCD2V9sWXxwgxeDLnXySG8KAysvlgo7MlXHWN2QEr7fXPCt2yxuSj1elA=s550" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tinku's Summer Adventure" border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinyJUz4fLp7PSQPtd9RoXHu9ffoTRCEifTZbyrrbOElZ5vDCh90DcQlXMlllMWNVCq-AswH3Wp-mSDcFuyr8kl8ZUPB2aoZxq6tg6nhnJ5168HQQG2aTdZuerYv08LzGclnrCD2V9sWXxwgxeDLnXySG8KAysvlgo7MlXHWN2QEr7fXPCt2yxuSj1elA=s16000" title="Kids book review - Tinku's Summer Adventure" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">Recently I took a book "Tinku's Summer Adventure" with a purpose to tell and educate my kid how was the social norm and kid's life when we were kids ourselves. </span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The story is about the era of the 1990s. The main character Tinku's parents were supposed to travel. Tinku was ill and could not join her parents. She was taken in the care of her paternal and maternal aunts. She visited a village and had a great adventure and learned from that visit, which is described vividly in the book.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Good point</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1. It shows how children spent time without the digital world.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">2. It shows how culture and value system was imbibed while growing up by staying with family members.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">3. It is a real mirror to the vacations I have spent with my aunt.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">4. Language of the book is easy and fluid for kids to read.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">5. Drawings provided in the book can give a good motivation or entertainment to kids to continue the book.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Overall a good read and it deserves 4 out of 5 stars. </span></p>fewgoodreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06218937492427641380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597077869411568576.post-22153049999819294202021-09-21T18:48:00.003+05:302021-09-21T18:48:19.014+05:30The Stranger in the Mirror - Memoir of Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra<p>I have been reading Bollywood-based books for the last 4 years. Just like Its movies and songs, Bollywood books also provide unparalleled sources of interest. Especially if you are reading some informative content like behind scene stories, success stories, and biographies of interesting characters. With similar hopes, I have selected "The Stranger in the Mirror" by Rakeysh Mehra. The hardcover book is designed so beautifully that after finishing it I kept it in a seperate collection of coffee table books.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IZTwB6DoIq4/YUnbR6IxTbI/AAAAAAAAYqY/EHQklCFK0J4LWwckOtRvZe-hVJo-MZXxwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_20210825_091231_096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Stranger in the Mirror is the memoir of the legendary producer-director, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra" border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IZTwB6DoIq4/YUnbR6IxTbI/AAAAAAAAYqY/EHQklCFK0J4LWwckOtRvZe-hVJo-MZXxwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/IMG_20210825_091231_096.jpg" title="The Stranger in the Mirror is the memoir of the legendary producer-director, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra" /></a></div>The book covers the following aspects of Rakeyesh's life<p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>His early childhood days and few interesting incidents of that time</li><li>His initial struggle from ad-film director to movie director</li><li>His way of visualizing story, characters & people's perception</li><li>His strategic thinking about field marketing</li><li>Behind scenes of movies like "Rang de Basanti"</li><li>Other Bollywood personalities' view or say about Rakeyesh's life from a personal as well as professional front</li></ul><p></p><p>The book covers many more things than I have listed above. Though it is a biography you will find it as interesting as a storybook. My observations about the book</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Easy language usage makes a smooth reading experience.</li><li>Just like parallel timelines common infections, a biography is written in more than one timeline.</li><li>Book is not just about Bollywood gossip but full of business insights in and around Bollywood.</li><li>You will surely enjoy narration covering behind scenes as well.</li><li>A must-read for movie buff for sure</li></ul><p></p><p>I will give 4.25 out of 5 to this book.</p><p>Book links - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58687377-the-stranger-in-the-mirror" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/2XDKB0o" target="_blank">Amazon</a></p>fewgoodreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06218937492427641380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597077869411568576.post-72229631659172749892021-09-17T19:24:00.003+05:302021-09-17T19:24:12.735+05:30Twenty millionaires under thirty by Sophia Graham<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I have been reading business startup stories almost for 12 years now and they always capture my mind. Being a NITIE alumnus, I always read more of this genre. My favorite author is Rashmi Bansal. Reading success or failure stories give us not just inspiration but new ideas as well. Chanakya had rightly said the smart people learn from other's successes & failures. With the same hope, I selected "Twenty millionaires under thirty" by Sophia Graham.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aWBHsMIanQA/YUSdpsUzgOI/AAAAAAAAYp0/lWTDMUpoy3UBVVcnQDA6PipGxNDFGRrhgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_20210724_190124_904.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Twenty millionaires under thirty by Sophia Graham" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1810" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aWBHsMIanQA/YUSdpsUzgOI/AAAAAAAAYp0/lWTDMUpoy3UBVVcnQDA6PipGxNDFGRrhgCLcBGAsYHQ/w283-h320/IMG_20210724_190124_904.webp" title="Twenty millionaires under thirty by Sophia Graham #bookreview" width="283" /></a></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">As the title suggests, you will find 20 chapters in the book. Each chapter is dedicated to one successful personal. The book specifically covers entrepreneurs from the IT & Technology domain. The story coverage is to the point as the book is short only the most important points were covered. You will find a good number of inspirational quotations in the book.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My observations</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ol><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Fast-paced story writing </span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Easy and smooth language usage</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Catchy cover design and title</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Limited domain coverage when you are covering 20 personalities</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Limited content. Only the inspirational aspect was kept high. The author could have shared some strategic points of these businesses</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">If you are a follower of success stories, you will find repeated sections for many stories about personalities covered in the book.</span></li></ol><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Still a good book. An especially new entrant can enjoy the book.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I will give 3.25 out of 5. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Book links - Goodreads and Amazon</span></p>fewgoodreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06218937492427641380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597077869411568576.post-51237225043861312252021-09-11T09:59:00.005+05:302021-09-11T09:59:44.439+05:30Song of Draupadi by Ira Mukhoty<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The diversity of the Mahabharata is so vast that you will get narration from almost any character of it. I have read the purpspectives of not just Pandavas & Krishna but Duryodhana, Shakuni, Karna, wives & sisters of these characters. The most touching of these narrations is that of females who played a pivotal role in the story but were always given a smaller platform than their male counterparts in mythological literature. Recently many authors have taken it to next level and have given females their due platform. In all those literature, the story from Draupadi's point presents a more vivid picture of the Kaurava dynasty's family values.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4baSOUO7dnc/YTwvyDwZ1hI/AAAAAAAAYnI/NFpmrmkfd4YqbXaDT261rOVtMz7_r-_eACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_20210730_195929_832.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Song of Draupadi by Ira Mukhoty" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4baSOUO7dnc/YTwvyDwZ1hI/AAAAAAAAYnI/NFpmrmkfd4YqbXaDT261rOVtMz7_r-_eACLcBGAsYHQ/w320-h320/IMG_20210730_195929_832.webp" title="Song of Draupadi by Ira Mukhoty #bookreview #mahabharata" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">When I selected "Song of Draupadi" I was expecting a story from or of Draupadi. Instead, the book delivered more stories than just Draupadi's. Let's remove magic from the epic and now tell me which characters were landmarks in the story. You may give names like Bhishma, Pandu, Dhritrashtra, Kauravas, Pandavas & Krishna. I am not talking about who fought the war, I am talking about why they turned towards war. Why did Bhishma take auth of celibacy? Why did Shakuni take auth of revenge? What happened during Game of Dice? Why did Pandavas share a common wife? All questions will finally end with one or another female character. Ira has painted that canvas for us. Read the book to know more.</span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Good points about the book</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ol><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Attractive cover design, one cannot forget such a nicely designed cover.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Fluid language for smooth reading</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Diversity in capturing female issues of that time</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Strong character building that makes us adore even minutest contributor </span></li></ol><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I will give 3.5 stars out of 5 to this book.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Book links - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58599718-song-of-draupadi" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/3tv6RVE" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></p>fewgoodreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06218937492427641380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597077869411568576.post-2616693883591838182021-09-02T20:55:00.004+05:302021-09-02T20:55:53.232+05:30Ganesha's Global Startup by Prachi Garg<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My group has reviewed around 5 books of Prachi Garg collectively. And she is on our list of top ten inspirational authors list. "The Legend of a Start-up Guy" was Prachi's and probably among Indian authors' first attempt at mythology-based startup fiction. In that book, she wrote a fictional story around Ganesha's attempts to establish himself as an entrepreneur. Her next book was based on the story of Ramayana-based characters. Prachi is back with her next book and that too sequel of "The Legend of a Start-up Guy".</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I think I have discussed enough previous works of Prachi, let's talk about the main book for which I am writing this review. "Ganesha's Global Startup"</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6DlOz3sbv4/YTDpzky1pDI/AAAAAAAAYmM/lBRIMt6pHC0utgGGMJc13jACe83qOesdQCLcBGAsYHQ/s475/58313004._SY475_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ganesha's Global Startup by Prachi Garg" border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="312" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6DlOz3sbv4/YTDpzky1pDI/AAAAAAAAYmM/lBRIMt6pHC0utgGGMJc13jACe83qOesdQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/58313004._SY475_.jpg" title="Ganesha's Global Startup by Prachi Garg. Book-review" /></a></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In the first part, we read that how after mountainous efforts Ganesha got successful in establishing his startup and make it a steady business. He also received good recognition and an award for the same. But as we see in real life, you need even greater efforts to survive and to expand your new startup. This book is more focused on those points. Through this part, Ganesha's story passes through phases like handling funding entities, expansion strategies, sustainable business models, etc. Read the book to know more.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My observations about the book </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ol><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Easy language for any age group</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Familiarity with Indian Mythology characters' names. Added benefits if you have read the prequel</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Fast paced storyline</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Self-help bundled with fiction</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">All basic startup-level learnings were covered in the last part. This book is more about the next level of startups</span></li></ol><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I will give 3.5 out of 5 to this book.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Book links - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58313004-ganesha-s-global-startup" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> & <a href="https://amzn.to/3tb3aV1" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></p>fewgoodreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06218937492427641380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597077869411568576.post-67725157461486389562021-09-01T20:33:00.001+05:302021-09-01T20:33:41.421+05:30The Sinful Silence by Abir Mukherjee <p style="text-align: justify;">Thrillers are the best source of entertainment in the reading spree, at least for me. I enjoy it the most and the only competition I get against thrillers are mythology-based fiction. I have seen many reviewers post about books of Abir Mukherjee and I made my mind to read his latest book when I came to know that it's a thriller. The book I am talking about is "The Sinful Silence".</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9FTd0msLzE8/YS-Vhlke1wI/AAAAAAAAYmE/-aQUgD8pnhEWWIo3PHZhzHAuURfNfEG1wCLcBGAsYHQ/s600/IMG_20210901_191434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Sinful Silence by Abir Mukherjee" border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9FTd0msLzE8/YS-Vhlke1wI/AAAAAAAAYmE/-aQUgD8pnhEWWIo3PHZhzHAuURfNfEG1wCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/IMG_20210901_191434.jpg" title="Book-review thriller suspense" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">There are two central characters of our story, DCP Abimanyu, and newly appointed IPS officer, Vayu Iyer. They are faced with a challenging crime where a successful businesswoman was found dead in a locked room. Vayu being a novice officer followed all clues and procedures but found deadends in most of them. Along with that Abhimanyu's attention was divided as he was also after the killer of his fiance. The book is full of twists & turns to make the book unpredictable. Read the book to know more.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Good points about the book</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;">Fast paced story that won't let you put the book down</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Easy language usage makes reading fast</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Written for the age group of 15+ for lovers of a wider genre reader</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Short read gives you a ride for a weekend or short trip</li><li style="text-align: justify;">A good mix of thrill, suspense, and drama.</li></ol><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The book deserves 4 out of 5.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Book links - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58336642-the-sinful-silence" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> & <a href="https://amzn.to/38AGqny" target="_blank">Amazon</a></p>fewgoodreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06218937492427641380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597077869411568576.post-67272646731001220072021-08-22T21:31:00.001+05:302021-08-22T21:31:27.730+05:30Asur Kanya & Her Route To Unrequited Love by Maneesha Agrawal <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I was attracted to the fancy font style of the book "Asur Kanya & Her Route To Unrequited Love" by Maneesha Agrawal. I took a blind call based on a few of the trusted reviewers and got the copy. The book is a fast-paced story fictionally set around early civilization after the great flood. This short read of around 170 pages gave me company for a day or so and I finished this book in 2 sitting last Sunday.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XeRt-bJffRg/YSJzA3X0fpI/AAAAAAAAYk4/KYS4haX7hXc70LpPj-SjtM2CrMY1olcRQCLcBGAsYHQ/s475/43440612._SY475_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Asur Kanya & Her Route To Unrequited Love by Maneesha Agrawal" border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="296" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XeRt-bJffRg/YSJzA3X0fpI/AAAAAAAAYk4/KYS4haX7hXc70LpPj-SjtM2CrMY1olcRQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/43440612._SY475_.jpg" title="Book review - Asur Kanya & Her Route To Unrequited Love by Maneesha Agrawal" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Let me give you a brief of the story. As I just mentioned story is based on historical/mythological events of the great flood. Ira, the daughter of Asura king, is our protagonist. Her father had expected her only daughter to join marital knots with Banasur a promising general of the army. She took time a year to explore the world before marrying Banasur. Ira's adventure led her to the Manava settlement of Manali where she met Manu, the chieftain who played a pivotal role during the great flood. Though Manu was married when he met Ira, Ira was attracted to Manu. What will be the outcome of this wanderlust and how will it affect both Manavas and Asuras is portrayed in the later section of the story. Read the book to know more.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Few good points about the book</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The book is a short and fast-paced read</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Language is smooth and easy to cope up with</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Language is age-appropriate for almost all age groups</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The story is written in and around few characters and encaptures their mindset only.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Prequel read is beneficial but not mandatory. I read this part directly and faced no issues.</span></li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Few points of improvement</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Though the author has done some research on earlier Indian civilizations, the story sounds too much like a fantasy tale than a historical one.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Though the cover is nicely designed, I have seen people selecting mythology reads based on character-drawn covers, which is missing here.</span></li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Overall a 3.5 out of 5.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>Book links - <a href="https://amzn.to/3j8jLVX" target="_blank">Amazon</a> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43440612-asur-kanya-her-route-to-unrequited-love" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></p>fewgoodreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06218937492427641380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597077869411568576.post-19249250920319792772021-08-15T17:57:00.002+05:302021-08-15T17:57:29.158+05:30AgniBaan: Guardians of the Fire Chamber by S. Venkatesh<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The first book of S Venkatesh Was Kaalkoot, which was a nice read. Except for the end, I enjoyed the book and finished in 2-3 sittings. So I had higher hopes with "AgniBaan: Guardians of the Fire Chamber". And I am glad that the author has surpassed all expectations. It wouldn't be an exaggeration if I say Venkatesh has outperformed twice or thrice than Kaalkoot.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CQ9NsmENM9M/YRkG3cpNrpI/AAAAAAAAYkI/2FKW-FF2k_I5y-vNSqD-_kmtWhUdVYDVwCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/51a4mCdMVNS._AC_SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="AgniBaan: Guardians of the Fire Chamber by S. Venkatesh" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="325" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CQ9NsmENM9M/YRkG3cpNrpI/AAAAAAAAYkI/2FKW-FF2k_I5y-vNSqD-_kmtWhUdVYDVwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/51a4mCdMVNS._AC_SL1500_.jpg" title="AgniBaan: Guardians of the Fire Chamber by S. Venkatesh Book Review" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">The book is written in two parallels. One around 535 CE when around 15-20 months earth atmosphere was covered with dust due to multiple reasons and proved very stressing period for civilizations over the world. And the second parallel is written after the Covid situation where political chaos is going on throughout the world due to multiple reasons. In between this chaos in both parallels we have two strong protagonists as well as two strong antagonists to give us company till we reach the last page. </span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The book belongs to the league that of Dan Brown from foreign authors and Ashwin Sanghi from Indian authors. The book shows the depth of research done by Venkatesh. Not just cultural analysis but the author has given vivid details about India's and Egypt's geopolitical situations. He has taken support of numerology and astronomy of ancient times to give us added interest. The book easily glues you to the story, because every place in the book you will get a good combination of fiction with facts. I liked the story and this time I found the ending better planned and written than Kaalkoot. The pace of the story is apt for fast reading, you can read this 350-page story in less than 4 sittings for sure.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Overall a 4.5 out of 5 for this book. And I am putting it in one of the best read of the year and must-read thrillers written in the last decade by Indian authors. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Book links - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58749177-agnibaan" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> & <a href="https://amzn.to/3yOb7kJ" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></p>fewgoodreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06218937492427641380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597077869411568576.post-7906837539969314222021-08-06T20:20:00.005+05:302021-08-06T20:20:30.034+05:30The Misters Kuru by Trisha Das<p>When I took "The Misters Kuru" by Trisha Das, I was not aware that it was a sequel. And the author has kept it so independent that till I came to Goodreads for writing a review, I didn't realize it. So for those who haven't read the prequel, not to worry, just plunge yourself into this one.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tFKUH_fFcH4/YQ1LG8zlC9I/AAAAAAAAYjY/OJEGvukI7GEd5crAXZLvnVEg_rGan6kxwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1500/91nSyxXrULL._AC_SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The misters kuru by trisha das" border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="977" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tFKUH_fFcH4/YQ1LG8zlC9I/AAAAAAAAYjY/OJEGvukI7GEd5crAXZLvnVEg_rGan6kxwCLcBGAsYHQ/w260-h400/91nSyxXrULL._AC_SL1500_.jpg" title="Book review" width="260" /></a></div><p>Let me give you a brief of the story. For Pandavas, life became usual and predictable in the heavens. They were so accustomed to heaven that they didn't realize the passing of many millennia. But one fine day, Arjuna came to know that Kunti, Draupadi & Amba went to the mortal world and decided to stay there till their mortal life ends. He along with his brothers (who self-appointed themself as protectors of women of their family) thought that these women needed protection. He took special permission from Krishna to visit the mortal world for 30 days (just like part one) and reached Delhi. Their journey through the modern world starts and takes us on a trip to the world of laughter & joy. Read the book to know more.</p><p><br /></p><p>Good points about the book</p><p>1. Frank tone of the storytelling. No extraordinaire display of vocabulary</p><p>2. Easy to follow pace. Not too slow, not too fast</p><p>3. Filled with many satirical situations</p><p>4. A good companion if you are taking it to 2-3 days trip</p><p><br /></p><p>I will give 4 out of 5 to this laughter-filled book.</p><p><br /></p><p>Book links - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57775916-the-misters-kuru" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> & <a href="https://amzn.to/3rZLbQH" target="_blank">Amazon</a> </p>fewgoodreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06218937492427641380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597077869411568576.post-34226559753004600972021-07-24T19:57:00.002+05:302021-07-24T19:57:35.884+05:30The Panipuri Crimes by S B Akshobhya<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Many times it happens to me that the book delivers completely different content than what you expected when selecting it. The same thing happened to me when I selected "The Panipuri Crimes", I was expecting short crime stories but what I found was completely surprising.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QWCNXRnxpOU/YPwh6pFtLMI/AAAAAAAAYhw/a762af9TM_4269KTpOJjqBbJYGDv_tI4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s550/IMG_20210420_205217_029_20210724195037198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Panipuri Crimes" border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="550" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QWCNXRnxpOU/YPwh6pFtLMI/AAAAAAAAYhw/a762af9TM_4269KTpOJjqBbJYGDv_tI4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/IMG_20210420_205217_029_20210724195037198.jpg" title="Book Review" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The protagonist of our story is Sagar. He had the idea of starting an online panipuri business. And so did few guys before him. But there was a danger lurking in dark, targeting people who wanted to digitize panipuri business. Read the book to know more.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The story was smooth and fast-paced. The presentation was new, and the idea was also different. The language usage was also easy. I finished the book in two sittings. The excitement that the author generated in the first half (my first sitting through the book) was not matched at the same level in the second half. Still an enjoyable read. It gave me company on a short trip.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Book links - <a href="https://amzn.to/2UC7rE8" target="_blank">Amazon</a> & <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57649520-the-panipuri-crimes" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></p>fewgoodreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06218937492427641380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597077869411568576.post-50207484227990784412021-06-30T20:06:00.003+05:302021-06-30T20:22:45.073+05:30The Gatekeeper's Staff (TJ Young & The Orishas #1) by Antoine Bandele<p>I was listening to too many serious books that I decided to try one YA or middle-grade fantasy book. It was then I came across "The Gatekeeper's Staff" on Netgalley. I liked the cover and description, on top of that I have listened to one more book by the author, so I applied for the review copy. I got it in exchange for an honest review.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pc3t3LEv2qY/YNyAmdduwoI/AAAAAAAAYaE/1pG94QPodE0SyZmqnrhlKN88-LnN9mxtgCLcBGAsYHQ/s255/58434718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="255" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pc3t3LEv2qY/YNyAmdduwoI/AAAAAAAAYaE/1pG94QPodE0SyZmqnrhlKN88-LnN9mxtgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/58434718.jpg" /></a></div><p>The story is written around boy TJ who belonged to a magician family. Magician in the book is known as diviners. TJ's sister was a child prodigy and was working on a secret project. Though he was from a strong line of magicians, his skill as a magician was nothing but a lucky charm and tingling on the top of his fingers. But the demise of her sister changed everything. He was selected for a camp where wizard kids go for training. Read the book to know more.</p><p><br /></p><p>When I started the book and heard words like Orisha, Diviner, Ashe I thought the author has taken ideas from Tomi Adeyemi. But later on, I searched on the internet and found that Orisha is mythology and no one has their claim on it. The book is a good mixture of fantasy, mythology, a mystery to give you good company. I will wait for the sequel.</p><p><br /></p><p>The book deserves a good 4.25 out of 5.</p>fewgoodreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06218937492427641380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597077869411568576.post-69209379611957988722021-06-21T22:06:00.001+05:302021-06-21T22:06:16.383+05:30I-Tigress: A letter to humans: A Tribute to Fighting Mothers<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7PYYBHL2CwI/YNC9m_8ucII/AAAAAAAAYOA/HUcnr-DXfhsVOVz6V2unZaerWGB5E5TLwCLcBGAsYHQ/s318/57323040._SX318_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="318" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7PYYBHL2CwI/YNC9m_8ucII/AAAAAAAAYOA/HUcnr-DXfhsVOVz6V2unZaerWGB5E5TLwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/57323040._SX318_.jpg" /></a></div><br />I had read 2 books by Syd K before I took I-Tigress. Those who have read the author have taken the best traits from his first book and built his next book based on that. His brilliance in writing stories with animal POV was remarkable. And I am happy that instead of writing about a completely new domain, he went ahead in animal territory again. Last time he wrote about the most respected animal of the jungle, an elephant. And this time he brought out the most feared animal of the jungle, a tiger. <p>The book talks about the story from the POV of a tigress, which is very closely followed by a real-time tigress. The story starts with the birth of the tigress to her death. Each stage of the tiger's life their upbringing, their survival as adolescents, their constant battle for dominance of their area, etc. I don't want to spoil readers' experiences.</p><p>My observations about the book</p><p>1) The book is not just written with Tigress POV, the author has invented vocabulary for the animal kingdom used by tigress</p><p>2) You will feel like watching discovery episodes on tiger's life while reading the book</p><p>3) Easy language usage makes a smooth experience</p><p>4) A read for all above 12 years old</p><p>5) Shows harsh realities that affect wildlife due to human interventions</p><p>This book deserves 4.5 out of 5.</p><p>Book links - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57323040-i-tigress" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> & <a href="https://amzn.to/2UiSEgN" target="_blank">Amazon</a></p>fewgoodreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06218937492427641380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597077869411568576.post-81394368206016516632021-05-31T18:45:00.001+05:302021-05-31T18:45:14.970+05:30Rukmini: Krishna's Wife by Saiswaroopa Iyer<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I have read all books of Sai Swaroopa except Unsung Valour. Her books are smooth in narration but filled with women-centric heroism. I know I should have read Rukmini - Krishna's Wife earlier but unexpected health issues in the family delayed it. Well, no regrets, I finished the book during my summer vacation and I got really good company for two days. When I took the first dive into the book, I read around 90 pages in one and a half hours. It took me two more sittings to finish this book. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JVYJIJq5zRg/YLTf7ypsrcI/AAAAAAAAYMU/LaHSJ3zHk20_ho9R0SX4o57Foic9r-N7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s600/IMG_20210422_211956_722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rukmini: Krishna's Wife by Saiswaroopa Iyer" border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="550" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JVYJIJq5zRg/YLTf7ypsrcI/AAAAAAAAYMU/LaHSJ3zHk20_ho9R0SX4o57Foic9r-N7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/IMG_20210422_211956_722.jpg" title="Rukmini: Krishna's Wife by Saiswaroopa Iyer" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">The content is divided into 4 parts. Those who have read and researched deeply about Mahabharata might be aware of the story around Rukmini, the first and one of the eight principal wives of Krishna. So for them, this book is like "Rise and Fall" of mighty Yadava & Dwarka along with Mahabharata from Rukmini's point of view. </span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We all pray Krishna for his role for mankind and his efforts to establish Dharma, especially his support for Pandavas. But rarely do we think that if Krishna was always available to these parties, what about his kingdom and family. Have we ever thought about what happened to Dwarika when Krishna was in the East with Arjuna for their conquest? Do we know how many times other kingdoms have attacked Dwarika when brothers were away? It was the role of Rukmini, she went through many of these struggles on Krishna's behalf. Read the book to know more.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My observations</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ol><li><span style="font-size: medium;">The books has projected couple as more historical characters than mythological</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Easy language usage and straight narration makes the book a fluid read</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Touching the emotional and responsible side of Rukmini</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Less imagination more facts.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Strict adherence to the storyline</span></li></ol><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A lovable short read one which can be finished in few sittings.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Links - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57605688-rukmini" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> & <a href="https://amzn.to/2SCBUAp" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></p>fewgoodreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06218937492427641380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597077869411568576.post-35797466400324329302021-05-25T23:05:00.002+05:302021-05-25T23:05:08.521+05:30DEATH IN COLABA BAY: A Colonial Bombay Mystery by Ambika Subramanian<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I love Dan Brown books but haven't read one in recent times. I adore Ashwin Sanghi but have listened to his latest release instead of reading, one of the main reasons is length. You need to read almost 400-600 pages long book to enjoy a mystery thriller written for mature age reader. I have tried many short thrillers but rarely I found something as interesting as "Death In Colaba Bay: A Colonial Bombay Mystery" by Ambika Subramanian. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZD8hgRNW9eM/YK00ZuoRMpI/AAAAAAAAYLk/8-O-XEqoMDoeemoVo4OF1pNyMTfWqaKEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s535/IMG_20210420_205217_029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="DEATH IN COLABA BAY: A Colonial Bombay Mystery by Ambika Subramanian" border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="520" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZD8hgRNW9eM/YK00ZuoRMpI/AAAAAAAAYLk/8-O-XEqoMDoeemoVo4OF1pNyMTfWqaKEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/IMG_20210420_205217_029.jpg" title="DEATH IN COLABA BAY: A Colonial Bombay Mystery by Ambika Subramanian" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This 140+ page books can be your best companion due to following reason</span></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It will take you to the historical era of the late 1890s.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It will give you a story based on historic Bombay culture and city </span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Story filled with twists and turns</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Not a shallow crime sequences but a well-planned theme</span></li></ol><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Sherlock Holmes of our story are Tara and Arun. Tara is a young widow who wanted to help young girls pursue education in modern schools. But recent kidnappings of young girls from school posed a huge threat. Whereas Arun found something similar in recent cases which reminded him of a few previous incidents/crimes. Things became more challenging and problematic when one of the kidnapped girls was found dead. And just like other murder mysteries race against time started ticking.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The story writing is smooth and fast-paced. You will get a good grip within 15 minutes of staring at the book and then it will become un-put-able. Languages usage is simple and can cater larger reading audience. You can read this book in 2-3 sittings. My concerns are:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Less importance on strong character building</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lesser exploration of cultural era</span></li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Overall 4 out 5 to this book.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Book links - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57368043-death-in-colaba-bay" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> & <a href="https://amzn.to/3un39fv" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></p>fewgoodreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06218937492427641380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597077869411568576.post-3364782185271056142021-05-20T23:19:00.005+05:302021-05-20T23:21:07.715+05:30Five Reasons Why One Should Read - Rajinikanth a Life by Vaasanthi<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Your taste needs to be special to read & enjoy biographies. Otherwise, you have to wait for special occasions it is about the character you follow or from the field of your interest. From time to time you may find some inspirational biographies which are adored by the larger group. Rajinikanth a Life by Vaasanthi is one such book. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CrHvoufkwxw/YKadrwaUd_I/AAAAAAAAYKg/ANVv_k_4YwA48xVm_sACSaAaFdXQucK3wCLcBGAsYHQ/s555/IMG_20210428_203906_546_20210520230408734.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rajinikanth a Life by Vaasanthi" border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="475" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CrHvoufkwxw/YKadrwaUd_I/AAAAAAAAYKg/ANVv_k_4YwA48xVm_sACSaAaFdXQucK3wCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/IMG_20210428_203906_546_20210520230408734.jpg" title="Five Reasons Why One Should Read - Rajinikanth a Life by Vaasanthi" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Five of my favorite reasons why one should read this book</span></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Though the book is a biography, it is written as a story.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The story of a superstar covered in this book is an inspirational one.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Simple and fluid writing style makes the book the lightest read.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Language usage is simple and caters larger population.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The book not just covers the life of Rajnikanth sir, but the social and economical aspects of the southern states of India.</span></li></ol><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Coming to the content of the book, it started from the childhood of Shivaji a.k.a. Rajanikant sir. It shows his struggle throughout his childhood and his relationship with his brother & sister-in-law, his liking for stage, and theatrics. Then comes the portion of his life as conductor and side by side theater performances. Then comes the portion which I liked the most. It is the section explaining social, emotional factors which had helped Rajinikanth to get a fan following, even though till his entry Tamil film industry was majorly dominated by actors with a fair complexion. The author has a deep understanding of the industry and social scenarios of Tamilnadu which is prevalent in her writing. The remaining portion might be more common because that covers his life after he became a known celebrity & later superstar.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">One can get much eye-opening Information not only about the film industry but about the whole culture through this book. A must-read for movie buffs. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I can give 4.5 out of 5 stars to this information as well as an entertaining read.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;">Book links - <a href="https://amzn.to/3oBxyFr" target="_blank">Amazon</a> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58042582-rajinikanth-a-life" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>fewgoodreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06218937492427641380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597077869411568576.post-90498786220861365392021-05-18T20:03:00.003+05:302021-05-18T20:03:38.127+05:30Fitness Habits: Breaking the Barriers to Fitness by Amaresh Ojha, Subhra Moitra<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There are millions of people who want to be fit and slim. And they all wanted to cultivate healthy habits. We all know that if you make a habit, it will last longer. But activities become a habit when one does it regularly. People who give advice may talk about habits and their benefits. But how to cultivate a habit that too also fitness-based is a bigger question.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wqo16msWSf8/YKPP6BkO0pI/AAAAAAAAX-8/mL8CxksWlQcw7D_ba-KzpcVPHwrpVD5OgCLcBGAsYHQ/s550/IMG_20210416_212152_502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fitness Habits: Breaking the Barriers to Fitness by Amaresh Ojha, Subhra Moitra" border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="550" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wqo16msWSf8/YKPP6BkO0pI/AAAAAAAAX-8/mL8CxksWlQcw7D_ba-KzpcVPHwrpVD5OgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/IMG_20210416_212152_502.jpg" title="Fitness Habits: Breaking the Barriers to Fitness by Amaresh Ojha, Subhra Moitra" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The book is divided into 8 chapters. The book starts with the topic of why don't we find exercise as easy as other activities. The next two chapters cover how to convert fitness into a habit and how long efforts are needed to convert an activity into a habit. The last four chapters cover benefits and other important facts about fitness habits. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The book is filled with many motivational quotes. The one that changed my view the most is "Fitness is a lifestyle to be lived, not a goal to be reached." The book is a short read but filled with proper exercises, theories, pointers, etc. The writing is simple and engaging. Most of the topics were explained with at least 1-2 real-life examples. The language is kept simple for readers to enjoy and cope with the content. You may need a marker while reading this book so that you can easily revisit points while implementing them.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The book deserves 4 out of 5 for sure.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;">Book links - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57791326-fitness-habits" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> & <a href="https://amzn.to/3hzHEoZ" target="_blank">Amazon</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>fewgoodreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06218937492427641380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597077869411568576.post-45182489216676538962021-05-05T20:33:00.006+05:302021-05-05T20:33:47.406+05:30The Oracle Of Karuthupuzha: A Novel by Manu Bhattathiri<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Three reasons why I selected "The Oracle of Karuthupuzha" by Manu Bhattathiri</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1. Attractive cover design.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">2. Interesting plot description given in the blurb</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">3. Story based on the local culture of Kerala</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FewdgUeic5I/YJKzHGDLWeI/AAAAAAAAX40/Akf5DlGlfmciAjtk5vVz_aD1nIpLUR3LQCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/IMG_20210425_074340_282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Oracle Of Karuthupuzha: A Novel by Manu Bhattathiri" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FewdgUeic5I/YJKzHGDLWeI/AAAAAAAAX40/Akf5DlGlfmciAjtk5vVz_aD1nIpLUR3LQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/IMG_20210425_074340_282.jpg" title="The Oracle Of Karuthupuzha: A Novel by Manu Bhattathiri" /></a></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The book presents a unique plot. The protagonist of our story is Sasaru, the girl portrayed on the cover picture, the girl in yellow with devious laughter. The story goes like this Sasaru's family was very poor, her father was a milkman, struggling to meet days end. Their life changed when Sasaru was possessed by a demon god. The personality that was possessing Sasaru was known as Chaathan in their locality. This incident brought the opportunist mindset of Nareshan (Sasaru's father) out. He wanted to take benefit of this opportunity by earning quick bucks by making goddess out of his daughter. The situation was not as simple. Things would turn out more than just opportunity. Read the book to know more.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The cover depicts the first possession of Sasaru, and just like the cover picture you will feel like you are watching the story on tv while reading the book.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is my second read based on local Kerala village life, the first one was Cliffhanger, and just like that book, Karuthupuzha also gives a real-life picture of the local culture. The book is a journey rather than a destination. I loved the way things were described in the book. Though the book is just 300 pages long, you will feel that you have taken a long ride. The pace of the story is medium. Writing is intriguing even though a little bit slow at certain points. Choice of the word is simple, and easy English makes the book a smooth read. The book also delivers a social message. It wonderfully shows how people are ready to earn extra money in name of faith. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">An enjoyable read, deserving 4.5 out of 5.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Book links - <a href="https://amzn.to/3eUAc4R" target="_blank">Amazon</a> & <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57883936-the-oracle-of-karuthupuzha" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>fewgoodreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06218937492427641380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597077869411568576.post-69621230512170488212021-04-26T21:39:00.000+05:302021-04-26T21:39:08.146+05:30Teaching a Horse to Sing: Tales of Uncommon Sense from India and Elsewhereb by Delshad Karanjia<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I selected Teaching a Horse to Sing: Tales of Uncommon Sense from India and Elsewhere</span><span style="font-size: large;">b</span> by Delshad<span style="font-size: large;"> Karanjia due to the following reasons</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1. Attractive cover design and hardcover format</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">2. Collection of witty and wisdom-filled short stories</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">3. Recollection of stories of Mulla Naseeruddin & Birbal</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">4. Introducing these wonderful characters to my kid.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FIfXYXPr0bE/YIbhM4Bg-HI/AAAAAAAAX38/2cPyulb8XLo8-93HwS8VFPvZNomw1JH2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s600/IMG_20210423_223716_175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Teaching a Horse to Sing: Tales of Uncommon Sense from India and Elsewhereb by Delshad Karanjia" border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="458" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FIfXYXPr0bE/YIbhM4Bg-HI/AAAAAAAAX38/2cPyulb8XLo8-93HwS8VFPvZNomw1JH2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/IMG_20210423_223716_175.jpg" title="Teaching a Horse to Sing: Tales of Uncommon Sense from India and Elsewhereb by Delshad Karanjia" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I finished the book in few sittings. Though short and sweet stories can be finished within 3 sitting with ease. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The book is divided into three segments: Mulla Naseeruddin, Akbar & Birbal, mixed section. In the last mixed section, you will find stories from multiple cultures, countries, mythologies. There are 150 stories, each story is a page long except a few which were also 1-3 pages long. The stories deliver different messages or learnings to us. My personal best is the first story of 3rd section covering emotions-related stories. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lot of learnings, happy moments, and smiles were delivered to me by this book. I know my kid is not mature enough to understand all witty jokes (especially covered in the Mulla Naseeruddin section) but I can read this book to him once a year.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A must-buy, must-have, and recommended read.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I will give 4.5 or 5 to this book.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Book links - <a href="https://amzn.to/32P2msl" target="_blank">Amazon</a> & <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57816269-teaching-a-horse-to-sing" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></p>fewgoodreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06218937492427641380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597077869411568576.post-79291720400298236182021-04-20T20:12:00.003+05:302021-04-20T20:12:32.704+05:30Faceless: The Mystery of the Carved Arrow by Ashwin Karthik<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I am a big fan of the thriller based on ancient cultures, be it Dan Brown, be it Ashwin Sanghi, or Christopher Doyal. I have read many books in this genre from debut authors as well. That was the read I have "Faceless: The Mystery of the Carved Arrow by Ashwin Karthik"</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MJYoQo_xTz4/YH7nFBsJ_RI/AAAAAAAAX20/ZzIuwBnan3Aobf4HTODuQWl6SSfsWy29QCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/IMG_20210212_122503_487.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Faceless: The Mystery of the Carved Arrow by Ashwin Karthik" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MJYoQo_xTz4/YH7nFBsJ_RI/AAAAAAAAX20/ZzIuwBnan3Aobf4HTODuQWl6SSfsWy29QCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/IMG_20210212_122503_487.jpg" title="Faceless: The Mystery of the Carved Arrow by Ashwin Karthik" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">The story starts just like any of the books in this genre, the murder of a scientist by a mysterious method. This time instead of a researcher we have an inspector chasing the murderer. The protagonist of our story is inspector Abinay Chaturvedi and his subordinate Lance. Abinay was already facing challenging times with this murder case when he came to know about another murder in similar situations. But the second murder brought some actionable clues. He also got help from a lady working on the theory of "unknown nine cult of Ashoka times". Read the book to know more.</span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My observations</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1) Book pace is super duper fast. A line skip may change plot settings for you.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">2) When I say fast plot, I mean it. At places, it was difficult to see when the situation shifted our conversation changed.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">3) for many such fast paces is a good option, but there should be some space to breathe as well.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">4) I found the historical angle shallower than expected. You will not find anything new which is not there in the first 3 pages of Google search of these topics. In my opinion, a little bit of research would have given a boost.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Otherwise a short and quick read. Enjoyable for one-day trips.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I will give 3.5 out of 5 to this book.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Book links - <a href="https://amzn.to/3xcG9SY" target="_blank">Amazon</a> & <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57036424-faceless" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></p>fewgoodreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06218937492427641380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597077869411568576.post-53918113259163707082021-04-08T18:55:00.001+05:302021-04-08T18:55:12.825+05:30Murder at the Mushaira by Raza Mir<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">"Murder at Mushaira" by Raza Mir has attracted my attention the moment I saw the cover photo. I was attracted to the Detective nature of Mirza Ghalib portrayed in the book. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NJFHzrawAdc/YG8DbeOqx6I/AAAAAAAAX14/9gS8MUpLX283HvDaWvtEcWWjXunkK8QwgCLcBGAsYHQ/s550/IMG_20210222_091028_922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Murder at the Mushaira by Raza Mir" border="0" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="550" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NJFHzrawAdc/YG8DbeOqx6I/AAAAAAAAX14/9gS8MUpLX283HvDaWvtEcWWjXunkK8QwgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/IMG_20210222_091028_922.jpg" title="Murder at the Mushaira by Raza Mir #bookreview" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">As the name suggests, the story is based on a murder investigation that happened after a mushaira. Let me give you a little gist. One of the royal houses in Delhi had a tradition of holding mushaira during the month of Ramazan. The royal house is Iftikhar, and Miya Iftikhar had an unspoken grudge against Ghalib as Iftikhar's wife had a crush on Ghalib before her marriage. Murdered entity here is Khairadabaadi, who was a spy for Angrez and was killed just before he was supposed to give his report on newly introduced Kartoos. The story is strongly linked with the 1857 independence movement, and murder was making things more mysterious. Multiple people's lives and wealth were at stake if the case was not solved within a week. Readout how Ghalib with his unique style works on the case.</span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I was expecting a thriller based on simple historical fiction. But the book has much more to offer, it presents cultural fit, socio-economic scenario, slow death of Mughal Empire and rise of English rule, people's state, etc. e</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Everything is portrayed wonderfully. The language is appropriate for the culturally-driven novel. The pace is medium too fast based on the plot's demand. Characters like Iftikhar & his wife, Umrao (Ghalib's wife), Inspector were given good space to get mature. You will find a strong flavor of historical facts while reading. The mystery behind the killing will keep you to edge. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I will say the book is a masterpiece. One may give time to enjoy this book. If you are a ghazal or poem lover you will find multiple stanzas throughout the book.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This wonderful book deserves 4.75 out of 5.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Book links - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56866442-murder-at-the-mushaira" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/2QaSwxK" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></p>fewgoodreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06218937492427641380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597077869411568576.post-49420489097078149952021-04-06T13:02:00.003+05:302021-04-06T13:02:33.991+05:30Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Power: 5 Battlegrounds by Rajiv Malhotra<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I am a data scientist and working in this domain for the last 8 years. I have solved many data problems in past and I still do that. But the hard part of our job is, it removes manual labor which was there earlier. I mean every AI project we implement, we reduce our manual labor. Yes, that's true, it is a harsh reality. Those who are listening about the boom in automobile sales in the last 3 months but same time job cuts in that domain, were shocked by this contrasting behavior. My answer to those shocked individuals is AI, it's robot-driven manufacturing that is taking more space from human labor.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4_4WznXVWls/YGwNzWbx1XI/AAAAAAAAX1Q/BU__khKGumktRa_0MNlCE05ykYaUqICPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s600/56312171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Power: 5 Battlegrounds by Rajiv Malhotra" border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="394" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4_4WznXVWls/YGwNzWbx1XI/AAAAAAAAX1Q/BU__khKGumktRa_0MNlCE05ykYaUqICPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/56312171.jpg" title="Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Power: 5 Battlegrounds by Rajiv Malhotra" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Through the book "Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Power: 5 Battlegrounds" the author Rajiv Malhotra has provided a basic understanding of AI and how it is affected our day-to-day life. His message is clear AI revolution is going on, we already gave our consent, it's just a matter of when not how. Even if you stay away from smart mobile, you use smart TV, fridges, AC, Home devices, all such things capture your unique signature. Leave all smart devices, you may not be aware that even by recording your driving sample I can make your unique signature. Somehow statistics fits everywhere in your routing as well as your life. </span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Apart from personal life, the author has also given how as an economy and country we are lagging. India was and is an IT hub, but we were so busy counting BPO income that we forgot to check innovative solutions. We seldom invested in R&D. The results are in front of us, though China is still lagging in the IT industry, they dominate the Data domain and giving tough fights to the USA. Rajiv has mentioned India need a total revolution in thought process, from politician to businessmen to data engineers to the common man.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A wonderful book even for non-data science background people. Regarding content, you can read the blurb or review of other reviewers I have given my take and added my experience with this review.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I will give 4.5 out of 5 to this book.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Book link - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56312171-artificial-intelligence-and-the-future-of-power" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> & <a href="https://amzn.to/2PvETcU" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></p>fewgoodreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06218937492427641380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597077869411568576.post-48897492601509149922021-04-04T17:31:00.005+05:302021-04-04T17:31:48.858+05:30BEYOND COVID’S SHADOW: Mapping India’s Economic Resurgence by Sanjaya Baru<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I selected this book in the last week of December 2020, hoping that Covid is totally in control. Little did we knew by the end of March it would resurface with vengeance. And I finished the book during the self-isolation period.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vCpK6IU6AAE/YGmqSNkwcxI/AAAAAAAAX1E/igvoR9GXbqA5_liYJo8GlSRtvBEpyZEaQCLcBGAsYHQ/s550/IMG_20210213_092006_361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="BEYOND COVID’S SHADOW: Mapping India’s Economic Resurgence by Sanjaya Baru" border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="550" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vCpK6IU6AAE/YGmqSNkwcxI/AAAAAAAAX1E/igvoR9GXbqA5_liYJo8GlSRtvBEpyZEaQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/IMG_20210213_092006_361.jpg" title="BEYOND COVID’S SHADOW: Mapping India’s Economic Resurgence by Sanjaya Baru" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">The book is not written by one individual, rather written in parts by various domain specialists. It is a collection of articles from different domains affected by Covid. It was not an easy decision to lockdown, but when it was taken Prime minister must have consulted as many experts as possible. The book is designed such that in segments like Economy, Financials, People management during pandemic, trade policies, employment, etc. Each article gives us ground reality and how it was affected. It also covers plans or the possibility of coming out of stress. Whenever possible articles were supported by charts and tabulated results. </span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My observations</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1) This is not your casual read. It is full of facts and figures.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">2) Technical terms are explained so not to worry</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">3) If you find any chapter heavy you can skip it. No compulsion in reading sequentially</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">4) Each author has done proper justice to their work and visible in their article.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I liked the book in bits and pieces. I am giving 3.25 out of 5 to this book.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Book links - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57622679-beyond-covid-s-shadow" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> & <a href="https://amzn.to/39GM7S2" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></p>fewgoodreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06218937492427641380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597077869411568576.post-91249087597456278322021-04-04T16:02:00.001+05:302021-04-04T16:02:11.546+05:30BAAHUBALIS OF INDIAN POLITICS: From Bullet to Ballot by Rajesh Singh<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Due to the positive image created by the movie series Bahubali, I was expecting a list of political heroes of Indian politics from "BAAHUBALIS OF INDIAN POLITICS: From Bullet to Ballot" by Rajesh Singh book. But this book gives us 11 real characters of Indian politics who reach on top using the wrong means. And then the actual meaning of the title made more sense to me.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d8B5fzoGY5g/YGmVGj_l6eI/AAAAAAAAX08/pG6GgFJuAP0VkJR4sfT93FJTv1TuG90DACLcBGAsYHQ/s500/IMG_20210112_091245_530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="BAAHUBALIS OF INDIAN POLITICS: From Bullet to Ballot by Rajesh Singh" border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d8B5fzoGY5g/YGmVGj_l6eI/AAAAAAAAX08/pG6GgFJuAP0VkJR4sfT93FJTv1TuG90DACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/IMG_20210112_091245_530.jpg" title="BAAHUBALIS OF INDIAN POLITICS: From Bullet to Ballot by Rajesh Singh - bookreview" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The book is based on 11 notorious characters who used their power to the extreme that they reach mainstream politics. Many of these characters started as Robinhood or messiah of poor or Dalits or tribesmen. On another end, few were more deep-rooted in the criminal world. They knew staying mainstream crimes won't be a long-running game, they took use of their power or support of their follower and became MP or MLAs or higher up in political parties.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My observations</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1) Author has gathered good information about each Bahubali. Each of them got around 15-25 pages. I knew looking at their life's events this is not even the tip of the iceberg, but the author has done a good job.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">2) Language is easy and writing is smooth.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">3) You can find many of these characters on Google as well, and probably more in-depth. This book can reduce your efforts of Googling. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I found the book a one-time read. I will give 3.25 out of 5 to this book.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Book links - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56268404-baahubalis-of-indian-politics" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> & <a href="https://amzn.to/2R5oegB" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></p>fewgoodreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06218937492427641380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597077869411568576.post-53821637366128773032021-04-03T17:11:00.006+05:302021-04-04T20:46:15.812+05:30The Crusader: How Modi Won 2019 Elections by Randeep Sisodia<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">As I am in quarantine due to Covid, I decided to take few serious reads now. The first book I took was about our Prime minister Modi Ji. The name is "The Crusader: How Modi Won 2019 Elections" by Randeep Sisodia. I had read how he won the 2014 election, so it was obvious I would read this book as well.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AwvOS9OPuJQ/YGhULk5QvmI/AAAAAAAAX0k/gEO8CDs1sg0JvrlGaNKxk2kCk9OqHY3_wCLcBGAsYHQ/s550/IMG_20210203_090916_368.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Crusader: How Modi Won 2019 Elections by Randeep Sisodia" border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="467" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AwvOS9OPuJQ/YGhULk5QvmI/AAAAAAAAX0k/gEO8CDs1sg0JvrlGaNKxk2kCk9OqHY3_wCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/IMG_20210203_090916_368.jpg" title="The Crusader: How Modi Won 2019 Elections by Randeep Sisodia" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Before I start I would like to tell readers that the book is short and full of details and strategies. The total length of the book is 199 pages. Having said that book is the result of detailed research.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The author has started with the history of why there came a group of extreme power people (he called them darbari) into existence, who were more worried about not repeating Modi as PM. The way the author explained why this group hated Modi so much is eye-opening. Here author explained it was not the plan of political parties to have Mahagathabandha but this group. They planned to bleed Modi in 1000 small cuts. I liked the way in further chapters the Author explained how his leadership and willingness to improve India as a nation made him victor once again in 2019.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The book is a must-read for not only Modi supporters but also for those who wanted to explore politics as a career. It can also help people in their domain of leadership. I like the smooth and simple narration style of the author. I like the way every comparison or example gives us an exact idea of the context. Even if you are not interested in politics, you can enjoy this book.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I will give 4.25 out of 5 to this book.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Book links - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56804101-the-crusader" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> & <a href="https://amzn.to/3sTn8Ti" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></p>fewgoodreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06218937492427641380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597077869411568576.post-82950168169597819352021-04-02T20:29:00.005+05:302021-04-02T20:31:11.828+05:30The Inside Story of Indian Banking by Sandip Sen<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We used to use as much jargon as possible during MBA GD/PI. But once we landed in our jobs, we were faced with the actual implementation of those jargons. I feel the field or domain having maximum jargon must be the banking and financial domain, every year governing bodies introduce multiple laws and new jargons to follow. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In India no matter from which age group you belong, you must have heard at least one scam in this domain every five years. With so many rules and regulations, with so many audits to follow, and even with such a digitized state how people are still fooling around authorities. It is a big question. I had many such doubts when I picked up this book.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JDuIklZAVmk/YGcxBENinZI/AAAAAAAAX0Y/IJ4z358igxIVZt_uw795uxgWhBGER-jEQCLcBGAsYHQ/s563/IMG_20210115_091553_255.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Inside Story of Indian Banking by Sandip Sen" border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JDuIklZAVmk/YGcxBENinZI/AAAAAAAAX0Y/IJ4z358igxIVZt_uw795uxgWhBGER-jEQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/IMG_20210115_091553_255.jpg" title="The Inside Story of Indian Banking by Sandip Sen" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If you are not aware of the history of Indian banking, then how you can judge current regulations. To bring you to the same level, the author has started with all basic details on how banking started in India. Then the author takes us to a post-independence era where banks started facing real problems, following which nationalization came. The author has properly covered those details. Then comes post-1991 liberalization, and the country started getting competent banks from private sectors. Through this author has covered many big scams and how they happened. The last segment of the book covers the solution accumulated by the author from his experience and experiences of various stalwarts of the domain.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My observations</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1) Though the book is non-fiction the writing style makes you feel it like a fiction one</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">2) There was an order in which content is prepared and that can keep readers interest intact</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">3) Author has made all efforts to keep the book less academic and keep it reader-friendly (not student-friendly)</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">4) Language and wording are easy and smooth. One can finish this book in 3-4 sittings. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">5) Minimum use of jargons and if they are used, they are explained in layman's terms.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Overall a good attempt to bring facts of the financial domain. I will give 3.75 out of 5 to this book.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Book links - <a href="https://amzn.to/3sNhSAe" target="_blank">Amazon</a> & <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55769281-the-inside-story-of-indian-banking" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></p>fewgoodreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06218937492427641380noreply@blogger.com0