The Misters Kuru by Trisha Das

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.

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.

Good points about the book

1. Frank tone of the storytelling. No extraordinaire display of vocabulary

2. Easy to follow pace. Not too slow, not too fast

3. Filled with many satirical situations

4. A good companion if you are taking it to 2-3 days trip

I will give 4 out of 5 to this laughter-filled book.

Book links - Goodreads & Amazon 

The Panipuri Crimes by S B Akshobhya

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.

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.

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.

Book links - Amazon & Goodreads

The Gatekeeper's Staff (TJ Young & The Orishas #1) by Antoine Bandele

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.

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.

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.

The book deserves a good 4.25 out of 5.

DEATH IN COLABA BAY: A Colonial Bombay Mystery by Ambika Subramanian

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. 

This 140+ page books can be your best companion due to following reason

1. It will take you to the historical era of the late 1890s.
2. It will give you a story based on historic Bombay culture and city 
3. Story filled with twists and turns
4. Not a shallow crime sequences but a well-planned theme

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.

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:

• Less importance on strong character building
• Lesser exploration of cultural era

Overall 4 out 5 to this book.

Book links - Goodreads & Amazon

The Crusader: How Modi Won 2019 Elections by Randeep Sisodia

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.

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.

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.

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.

I will give 4.25 out of 5 to this book.

Book links - Goodreads & Amazon

The Tantric Exorcist by Ashwin Mudigonda - a Book Review

I have not ventured into the realm of horror literature and usually, keep them away. But I was attracted to "The Tantric Exorcist" by Ashwin Mudigonda because as per the blurb the book is based on Vetaal from Vikram-Betaal. I have seen two images of Vetal, one in tv series (which gave me goosebumps) and one a ghoul master from the Vikramaditya series by Shatrujeet. This book gave me the horror face of Vetal. 

Vikrama (Not the king but a college boy) was interested in knowing about Vetal. He got some ancient text and Sanskrit mantras around Vetaala & tantrism. And just like any horror plot,  accidentally he chanted mantra which invoked the demon from other realm and Vetal took control of Vikrama. On request of Vikrama's friend, one of the strongest tantric came to help. That tantric was Chaturvasi. Chatur knew the weight of the task, he was not dealing with normal ghosts but Vetal himself. And on top of that, he smells something else as well. Read the book to know more.

Some of my observations

1) if you are a horror buff, you will find the medieval thrill. The dose is good for new readers of this genre. I would say ideal for first-time horror reader

2) if divided into two parts, the first part was very fast-paced and interesting compared to the second part. Having said that I don't mean the second part is slow it is comparatively less speedy and has too much description. 

3) language is easy for any proficiency level reader

4) the climax was nicely planed. The author was able to tie loose knots up to a certain level here.

Overall this deserves a 3.75 out of 5.

Book links - Goodreads & Amazon

Cyber Privacy: Who Has Your Data and Why You Should Care by April Falcon Doss

I selected "Cyber Privacy: Who Has Your Data and Why You Should Care" by April Falcon Doss because I am a data scientist myself and I wanted to see to what extent the author shares the power of data. After reading the book I can say the author has done a pretty good job.

I don't want to share much about the content, for that you can refer blurb or others' review. But the author has taken proper ways including historical importance and implementations to explain things. Starting from most common and more specific I.e. individual data theft (I.e. financial information), to more information-driven such as your likes & dislikes. Everything can be derived easily. 

But it is also equally difficult not to leave a trail behind. Every damn digital thing we do leave footprints behind. Let's say you don't use a smartphone or even a phone. But the content you watch on your television leaves a trace behind. Examples are many I have quoted only one. Many such examples and few steps to reduce risk at your side were quoted in this book. As the author is a lawyer you will also find many citations of cyber law.

Am sure opening the book, language is somewhat semi-technical at places. But enjoyable read which deserves 4 out of 5.

The Warrior's Progeny (Heaven & Earth Series #2) by Jeny Heckman

 I was not aware of the auto approve concept on Netgalley. So when I was auto-approved by "Backlit PR", I was very happy. The book with which I got this approval was "The Warrior's Progeny" by Jeny Heckman. I was a bit skeptical while applying for the book because it is the second book in Heaven & Earth Series. But I was relieved of that tension once I started reading the book. Accept the initial 2-3 chapters, the book was somewhat independent. 

The usage of peacock feathers in cover design gave me the impression that there might be a reference to Indian God Krishna. However, the story is based on Greek Mythology. As I have already mentioned, this is a second book in the series, though it is part of the grander plan, the book is focused more on Colten, a football player, notoriously known for sleeping with his colleagues' wives, and Lilly, a single parent. Though their personalities were opposite, their attraction towards each other was as strong as magnetic opposites. Apart from mythology, this book covers a mature love story as well. Read the book to the know-how on a grander scheme Colten and Lilly would be helpful to ancient Gods.

Coming to writing style, Jeny has used easy-to-read and easy-to-comprehend language. I found no difficulties following the storyline of Lilly & Colten. I accept I faced difficulties while reading the first few chapters as they influence the first book. The tempo of the writing was high, so is the pace. You will hardly find a dull or boring page during the story. I enjoyed it. 

Overall I will give 3.75 out of 5.

Book Review -When Love Came Calling by Preeti Shenoy

"When Love Came Calling" is my 3rd read from Preeti Shenoy, and my expectations from Preeti were matched in this book. I was a little bit skeptical after reading "Wake up, Life is calling". Though the "wake up" was presented as an inspirational book, for me, it was a similar experience that I felt with "Veronica decides to die" by Paulo Coelho. I felt too negative while reading both books. Surprisingly when Love Came Calling was a refreshing, cute, and light read in this pandemic depression.

The protagonist of our story is Arush and Puja. Arush was born and brought up outside India. He was a kind of self-made man who was deciding his life based on his passion. He was selected for a paid assignment to work with an NGO based in Kerala, India. Puja, on other hand, had was a kind of lazy girl who felt her life was not in her hands but her parents. She was not happy with the career path set for her by her parents, at the same time, she didn't want to divert from that path.

When the two met, a bond was created instantaneously. Though both were opposite, their different nature brought them nearer. They wanted to know more about each other. The feeling was mutual, but things were not smooth for them. Puja got up in a mess, and unknown to the depth of the consequences Arush tried to help Puja. Do read the book to know whether Puja was rescued or Puja had to rescue Arush.

Apart from the love story, the book brings us two wonderful things to us,

1. As author Preeti is herself a Keralite, she has wonderfully described nature's bounty of Kerala, proving the phrase " God's Own Country" true.

2. Preeti has a good control over bringing an inspirational story without leaving the story. You are bound to learn good things by reading the story itself. You cannot disintegrate the invitational discussion from the story. 

Coming to writing, as usual, Preeti has used a simple narration style. The usage of English is easy for any level of readers. The choice of words makes interest intact. This book hardly falls under DNF, I finished it in 3-4 sittings but can be finished in 1-2 sittings as well. 

Overall I will give 4 out of 5.

Book links - Goodreads and Amazon

Book Review of Popular Indian Fairy Tales by Stuti Gupta

When I selected "Popular Indian Fairy Tales" by Stuti Gupta, I was expecting either panchtantra or mythology-based stories. But I was completely surprised by the stories of the book. Stuti has brought out stories that are not based on both of these genres. She had prepared and presented a fresh way of storytelling.

The book contains multiple stories. Few are based on magic, few on wisdom, few based on bravery, but all of them are full of learning. It's not just stories for your kid but a full set of moral values. Literally, after each page author has provided questions that will help you and your kids to linger upon. Let me share with you my experience while narrating stories I was asking these questions to my kid. He was thinking up to his level of understanding. At many places, he was able to separate good from bad, the difference in a situation which was a good experience for both of us. Due to this question-answer process, I couldn't use the book for bedtime stories. Asking questions and expecting answers will keep the child aware and awake, which defeats the purpose of bedtime stories. So I took the book slowly, one or half story at a time. For my kid, it was entertainment with learning.

Regarding language usage, it is plain and simple. The wording was age-appropriate. The selection of stories and characters were also engaging for the age group of 5 to 10. Few activities like the color picture, find the path, connect dots, etc are also provided in between chapters. 

Overall it is a nice concept and deserves 4.25 out of 5 for the age group.

Book links - Goodreads & Amazon

Being Gay by Sandeep Sharma - Book Review

I took up this book because I support the LGBTQ community whole-heartedly, and that everyone has the right to be who they are without any prejudice. I expected a coming-out story like "Simon v/s the homosexual agenda" or "call me by your name" but this book came out with a completely unexpected storyline.

This book is about a guy who has a feminine personality but is still straight. And in his definition, the gay is just another word for Happy. Sahil is an amazing character. His struggles, his morals, his relationship, and everything that he has gone through along with the way he came out even stronger is shown in the book and been inspirational. The book also touches the influence social media have on people's lives both in a positive and negative sense. And how social media cripples creativity. It shows thoughts of a social media star who had become a brand. I know that you're thinking what's social media has to do with a book called being gay, but I won't reveal that you'll find out once you read the book.

Now, if we come to story writing, the begging of the book, where there is a description of naga baba on the bank of river Ganga is attention-grabbing.

The story, in middle, did get a bit haywire, but the end is thrilling, astonishing, and unexpected in a way that you will feel spellbound. 

So my last thoughts about this book are:

It is not what you're expecting from the title. It's definitely worth reading even if you belong or don't belong to the LGBTQ community.

I will give 3.5 out of 5 to this refreshing read.

Book links - Goodreads & Amazon

Mohini: The Enchantress by Anuja Chandramouli - a Book Review

Anuja Chandramouli is one of my favorite Indian authors in the mythology genre. She is also in my list of favorite 5 Indian female authors. Her books belong to a completely different league. You need to develop patience and taste to enjoy her books. I never take her books in haste, and that's the reason I usually come back somewhat late with a review of her books. Her last book I read was "Muhammad Bin Tughlaq" that book has shown a neutral face of a king who was known as a tyrant.

Around 2 months back, I saw Anuja's post about her latest mythological book that also has an LGBT touch, and then came cover release. I was completely enamored by the cover design. I wanted to read the book, and my luck was in my favor. I was provided the book in exchange for an honest review. 

I knew a limited portion of Mohini Avatara's story. I was aware of Samudramanthan and about the lord Ayyapa being the son of Shiva & Mohini. But this book opened other stories in front of me that I was not aware of. It takes us through the curse of Rishi Brighu due to which Lord Vishnu had to take incarnation in female form. It also covers other stories connected with the Mohini avatar. Though being the incarnation of a male god, the book shows Mohini's independent female emotions. 

Anuja's choice of words makes you fall in love with literature. If you want to challenge your vocabulary, I strongly recommend you Anuja's books.

As usual, storytelling is fluid, almost poetic. But that has affected pace in some places, where the pace became medium to slow. Maybe many of you knew all stories covered in the book, but Anuja's style of narration is the real beauty. One more thing you need to keep in mind when you select this book, you need to develop taste for Anuja's style.

Overall I will give 4 out 5 to the book.

Book links - Goodreads and Amazon

Boons Curses: Legends of the Mythological Mother by Yugal Joshi

I have read many books based on mythology and my thirst for the same is still strong. Every book I read in this genre brings a new piece of information. Just a week back I read the book "Arjuna - Journey to the heaven ends in hell" and now it's the turn for "Boons Curses: Legends of the Mythological Mother"

by Yugal Joshi. Things that made me select this book.

1. Attractive cover

2. The relevance of title and cover

3. Mythology Genre

4. Perspective of Kunti

Till now I have read more than 20-30 perspectives or points of view from which Mahabharata was portrayed. And in those narrations, I have hardly found a version where Kunti was shown as innocent or a person without higher hopes. She was shown as a shrewd and a calculation woman. She was shown as a person with a determination of instilling her son as a monarch. Her desires made her took some dubious decisions. Many of us knew these dark facts, whether we accept it or not. Let's not go into that discussion. 

After the war when Kunti had introspected the outcomes, she found them very costly. She wanted to discuss her confusion with someone and who could be a better person than Krishna. The book contains a conversation between Kunti and Krishna. Very patiently and with thorough examples, Krishna had attempted to give answers to all questions of Kunti. His answers are not just theosophical or conceptual in nature. He has taken the proper support of other mothers who had been through tough times. And that's why the book subtitle is "Legend of mythological mothers"

Yugal has used references from various stories. You might be knowing many of these stories, but the difference is stark from normal narration we have heard or read. Yugal has focused more on the mother's role in those stories be it Diti-Aditi, Ruma-Tara, or Kunti-Gandhari. Each story shows why they have made some difficult choices. 

I found the book refreshing, as it brought around half novel stories or narrations to me. The language is easy for a fast read. The pace is fast but the grip on the story and conversation between Kunti Krishna continues. I have thoroughly enjoyed the book.

I will give 4 out of 5 to this wonderful book.

Book links - Goodreads & Amazon

Colorblind by Aditya Chowdhury - Book Review

There are few genres where Indian authors seldom venture. Dystopian is one of them. I have read and seen only a single digit of such books to date. Maybe my knowledge of the field is limited but if such books didn't get my attention means they were not tried with proper efforts. That's why I always give a chance to such books by an Indian author. "Colorblind" by Aditya Chowdhury was provided to me in exchange for an honest review. I plunged into the book within 5 days of adding to my shelf. 

I would like to start my review with this line I got from the book. 

"Sometimes, to get some real insight, you need to risk a complete change in your perspective.”

I am not aware of how many of you know about the book blurb. But the book brings us a world where color blindness is a norm. A person can see three colors black, white, and one more color. The last color decides everything for a person. People are divided as per their color. Also, an ability to see more than one color is considered an illness and it is a capital crime to hide this fact. In such a world, the above line makes a good context whether you are willing to get real insights or not. 

The protagonist of our story is Lohit. He belonged to the red community. All his life he was connected with only red people. But one fine day he found an interesting girl who was not red but applied red lipstick, which was rarest of the rare. When he met that girl she told him something which I found true even for our normal world. She said

"We become the lies we tell ourselves daily, it won’t be too late for us to change.” 

She gave him a strange spectacle which had changed Lohit's life forever. Anything more from my side and it may spoil your reading experiences. Read the book to know more.

Coming to writing style, the author has used simple language and kept content engaging for readers. With its medium pace, the book provides a sweet read that won't bore you out. A book which you can take on your short trip. Though the book is dystopian in the genre, it is different for the normal dystopian category which usually goes around action and thriller sequences. Instead, the author has delivered a good message. The author's intention of telling people to venture out and experience something new is very well delivered. 

I will give 3.75 it of 5 to the book. 

Book links - Goodreads & Amazon

The Saga of Shom and Raima by Tapan Ghosh - a book review

"The answers to our questions are all there in our mind but we choose not to notice them. The trouble is, we don’t know what to look for unless we have a problem." 

I think it's one of the best pieces of advice I read in recent times. The line I read from "The Saga of Shom and Raima" by Tapan Ghosh. I have recently read poetry books by Tapan and added many stanzas into my Kindle clipping collection. So I took "Shom and Raima".

As clearly mentioned in the blurb, the story revolves around Shom and Raima. They are having a relationship that we cannot explain in simple words. In the usual world which people may say adultery, is a lifeline for them. Though they have their normal life and priorities, they have kept their feelings unaffected towards each other. The story started in 2018 and traveled from 2008 to 2018 about how their relationship developed over 10 years. Apart from Shom and Raima, we have two more companions who understood their relationship, like Harry, Khush, Natasha, and Swapna. Each character is portrayed with a unique brush of traits. The most eye-catching of the character was Harry. The title given to Harry was Love guru, but he was more than that. He was a spiritual guide, mentor, poet, successful entrepreneur, and whatnot. He was always there to help his friends. Below is one dialog between Harry & Raima

"Bad experience teaches you a lot because you have to deal with it. It disciplines you. Good experience teaches you nothing, it just makes you happy and lethargic. No challenges and you take life for granted."

Coming to writing style, just like it's characters' writing style is also different. The author has used mixed writing styles. At places, he used play style dialog exchange, at some places he has used poems and some places he has used normal writing. It will keep you entertained. If you like to read something new, this is a good recommendation. One thing that I found lacking was the relatability of characters in real-life. They are shown so carefree, you will find such people in only Osho-camp.

Fun apart, a nice story deserves 3.75 out of 5.

Book links - Goodreads & Amazon

Love, Life & Everything Else: Poems by Tapan Ghosh - Book Review

Boredom is your biggest burden 

It’s bound to crush you for certain 

Step out of your comfort zone, go for a variety 

Don’t be stuck with monotony, a life of anxiety 

This poem from "Love, Life & Everything Else: Poems" by Tapan Ghosh has enthralled me. I have highlighted more than 12 couplets from the poetry book. 

Before I talk more about this book, let me tell you how I encountered this book. I have seen the suggestion of the book on Amazon a few days back and got the copy during prime day sale. I finished it in single sittings and really enjoyed it.

Just like a deck of cards, this book contains 52 poems. The way you can never devalue a card from a deck whether it's a 2 or an ace, same way each poem delivers a good and unique message. It covers various aspects of human life, love, relationship, motivation, dedication, spirituality, and whatnot. 

Good points

1. Easy language usage, no complex stanza

2. Relatable context

3. Poems will relax your mood and negativity, you will feel calm and will try to relate with our life

4. If you don't find any poem of your liking you can always skip, as they are independent small snippets

5. Barring 2-3 poems all are age-appropriate and can be read by as young as 12 years ago well.

6. Those who like to try poems should start with books like this, as it's easy to understand and continue with interest.

I will conclude my review with below snippet

When balance between the muse and the purpose is achieved Work becomes play, happiness is conceived.

I will happily give 4 out of 5 stars to this lovely poetry collection.

Book Link - Goodreads & Amazon

Hinterland by L.M. Brown - a Book Review

I have been provided ARC of the "Hinterland" by L.M. Brown in exchange for an honest review. As the cover was that of a flower vase on a chair, I didn't get any idea what to expect. So I checked the blurb, I got a feeling that book is a semi thriller and semi drama. Finally, I took a chance and read the book.

As mentioned in the blurb, the story is formed around a small family. Central characters of our story are Nicholas, his daughter (Kate), his wife (Kathleen), and Ina (his neighbor). The story started when Ina came back to town as her mother, Tilly, met with an accident. But Kathleen who was already unstable took it in the wrong manner and had a fight. Few days after that Nicholas found Kathleen in a suspicious position with evil intentions. Authorities took Kathleen away, but nobody told Kate what actually happened.  Fearing that truth would destroy Kate, Nicholas hide the truth from his daughter. He went into extreme, hampering his relationship with her daughter. Ina who knows truth helped Nicholas but the gap between father & daughter was something out of her hands as well. Read the book to know more.

Few facts about the book

1. The book portrays the unconditional love of a father who wants to protect his daughter. If you are a father yourself you may find yourself in a fixed situation and may like to debate what you would do in his position.

2. The book is written uniquely. Though it is an emotional drama, the author has unraveled facts in thriller fashion. For example, an actual event that occurred during Kathleen's accident was mentioned multiple times but every time only a fraction of information reveals each time.

3. The pace of the book is slow. Except for the last 20% section where pace improved. 

I found a few weak points here and there. But those are about character, not about the plot. When I inquired about cover design and message behind it, I came to know that the current picture of a flower on chair represents dysfunction, something off with the picture and not right.

Overall I will give 3.75 out of 5 to this emotional drama.

Book Links - Goodreads

The Green Signal: Poems of Virtue, Positivity & Emotions by Manishi Gupta - Poetry Book Review

I have been recommended "The Green Signal" by Amazon suggestions engine. I have recently bought few poetry books on Amazon Kindle (though mostly free or below 19 rs), that's when I saw this suggestion. I took my chances and bought the book. 39 pages long book was a short and sweet read, it has lightened my mood.

There are a total of 17 poems in the book divided into 3 sections, Virtues, Positivity & Emotions. And poems of each section follows the theme of that section. Three poems of virtue will make you face the mirror and think about gratitude & morale. The poems containing in positivity section can boost the reader's confidence and morale. And emotions section can remind you of your upbringing and may bring tears in your eyes. I have lost my dad when I was away, though I never had arguments with him (mentioned in the poem ) it still made my eyes moist. The best part of the poems is simplicity in which it is written. Limited use of exquisite words, which makes poems available for a large audience. I think this is a very important aspect because many poets use the choicest wording which deters normal readers' interest quotient. If you were not able to take a poetry book in the past due to its complexity you may try this book, you may be able to relate easily and read it with ease.

My favorite poems are

1) Everyday learning

2) Believing in yourself

3) When my father was alive

4) The power of love

Coming to the book design, the cover of the book was aligned with the title. But when I checked the book in colored screen (mobile/iPad Kindle app) I was blown away by the page design. A unique background on each page captivated my mind. 

You may take down 20-25 couplets in your diary which may be useful for your day to day life. A quote or stanza from these poems and you can give a different touch to your gifts or belongings. With a uniquely designed product, you may also gift this book to your near & dear ones. 

I will give 4 out 5 stars to the simple yet deep poem collection.

Book Links - Goodreads and Amazon

Black Hole Oblivion - Earth to Centauri Book 3 - A Book Review

Out of 6 books written by Kumar, L. l have read 4. And I am a close follower of Earth to Centauri book series. I have read the first two parts of the series within 3 months of its release but due to our strict schedule, we were not able to get enough time to read the third party for the last one year. Covid-19 came in disguise it gave me time to finish my previous pending books and I got enough time to read the book of my choice for almost three months now. 2 days back I saw a post by Kumar where he mentioned that he has few copies of Hindi edition of third part which contains few typo errors. I have read the first 2 parts in English, still, I didn't miss the chance and took the third part's Hindi edition. I started reading it within a week of its delivery and finished it within 4 days. I finished it into 2-3 seatings and I enjoyed it a lot.

The third part started just after the alien attack on Earth. The Indian government sent Anara's team to capture the person responsible for the attack, the person called chairmen. Unknown to them, somewhere between the solar system and Proxima, Joe had blasted devastating bombs that they have captured from Antrariksha. He wanted the device to get lost so that the chairman cannot use it further for his nefarious actions. But this action of his made a black hole which was within the path of Antrariksha. On their way to the next assignment, Anara's crew stuck into the horizon of this black hole. Not just that they found a French space station on way to Proxima, which gave negative signals to Anara. Stuck in a black hole where their every tries to escape horizon failed how Anara would save her crew. Read the book to know more.

Good points about the book

1) Fast track storytelling. No nonsense to the point narration

2) A strong female character steering the plot

3) Mixed of sci-fi and space-time hypothesis

4) Unexpected twists and turns

5) Easy language usage. No showcase of extraordinary vocabulary.

6) The best cover in the series.

Overall I will give 4 out of 5 to the series.

Book links - 

GoodReads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49002087

Amazon - https://amzn.to/2DhnONa

Grumpy due to Lock down - Cheer up - Read the Laughter Riot called Scoundrels

I have been a regular member of NetGalley till Sept 2018. Later on my visits to their site reduced, I think one of those visits I applied for "Scoundrels 1 & 2". I got the approval for both the volumes. I think I checked the first volume and read a few pages. But somehow I forgot about those two books and found them during COVID Lockdown. I wanted some good books which can lighten the mood and stress level during these trying times. And Scoundrels gave me that peace of mind. I am grateful to NetGalley and authors for providing such a wonderful book in exchange for an honest review. And I would like to apologize for the delaying review. Still, books needed it's pending praise and here I am delivering duty which was due for almost a year and a half.

Before we discuss the plot let me tell you my first impression of the book cover. I was going through NetGalley shelves when two funny covers came into the view. They reminded me of my favorite childhood tv show "Laurel and Hardy". The title was equally funny, "Scoundrels". I knew the books will be a fun riot. I applied to them immediately. I think they were the last books I applied within those 12 months. I am glad I have these books with me to enlighten my mood. As I applied books in combo and got approval for both, I am posting a combined review. 

"Scoundrels" & "Scoundrels: The Hunt for Hansclapp" are the first two volumes of adventurous, fun-filled & thrilled journey of Major Cornwall and Major Trevelyan. The word scoundrels are not specifically for majors but rather a secretive club dedicated to great Britain. But the name does signify their activities which can not be done through political dialog or war. They do the nasty jobs.

The first volume started in recent times where Major Cornwall pushed Major Trevelyn to work on a combined memoir of their adventures. After much cooing and pushing around Major Trevelyan reluctantly accepted Cornwall's request. And thus started a rollercoaster of comedy. The very first incident they mentioned was "Race to Dakor desert". After that followed, their encounter with the Chinese Emperor. After giving a brief of what is to be expected (if you continue reading the book) both major took sequential narration of their memoir. The first part covers both major's school lives, how they entered the Scoundrel club, how they brought a secret weapon from Nazis, survived as prisoners of war in the Japanese army's captivity. The first part ends with Majors making enmity with Gruber Hansclapp.

The second volume starts with Major Cornwall getting poisoned by Hansclapp, and then went to Istanbul to destroy his plans. On their mission to Istanbul, Major Trevelyan met a lovely 8 years old girl named Anais and adopted her. Same way Major Cornwall adopted a gorilla named Titus. In this part, Major Trevelyan got married and got himself stuck knee-deep problems. Check out both the books to know more. I haven't given any spoilers. So don't worry. 

Major Cornwall is shown smarter of the two always get stuck in the problem and later on saved by Major Trevelyan. Both of them, or I would say most of the club members, were shown as super-rich and their lifestyle is shown with comic style. The way Majors use a variety of liquor and specially made tobacco for various situation/place/moods bring a smile to your faces.  

Now coming to characters & storytelling, I must have mentioned fun quotient more than 7-8 times, and you will find multiple styles of comedy. There is a black comedy, blue comedy, situational comedy, physical comedy, character comedy and whatnot. The selection of words is time appropriate. The first volume was around the second world war, and the second volume covers a decade after the second world war. 

Language is not age-appropriate, it is strictly 16+ material. 

My advice is not to read the book in public, you may end up laughing out loud and may embarrass yourself. 

With this, I will complete the review. Talking about ratings

1) Scoundrel - 4.25/5

2) Scoundrels: The Hunt for Hansclapp - 3.75/5

Book Links - 

Amazon - Volume 1 & Volume 2

GoodReads - Volume 1 & Volume 2