Modern Hindi Short Stories by Bhisham Sahni

A comfy sofa-chair, center table with books & coffee strongly suggests that the book would be a good companion for a nice reading journey. The plain sky-blue background suggests an uninterrupted interest quotient. My assumptions were right when I read the book, "Modern Hindi Short Stories" which was indeed a nice try to bring classic Hindi literature to English readers. 

The short book consists of 14 beautiful short stories in less than 230 pages. Each story from a different author, hence touching different notes with narration. Though it is not possible to bring out the same level of the emotional connection while translating, here translator has done a pretty good job. My personal favorite stories are

1. The Mark of Man by Himanshu Joshi

2. Miniature Tajmahals by Rajendra Yadav

3. Sargam Cola by Asgar Wajahat

The best part of short stories is you can read at leisure and without depending upon the previous chapter. I haphazardly read a book.

I will give 3.5 out of 5 to this book.

Myths and Legends from Around the World by Sowmya Rajendran

I remember growing up listening to Hindu mythological stories from my father. We did the same with our kids but nowadays he has developed taste for more than Hindu gods and goddesses, even panchtantra. So we shifted to different genres. Recently I was recommended the book "Myths and Legends from Around the World". 

The very first impression of the book cover was that of Maa Bahuchara & her sister deities. I am not sure whether your guys know it or not, but in southern Gujarat, many goddess shrines & temples have similar decoration to the one in cover design.

The book contains a little over 20 short stories, from different cultures and civilizations. Even theme of the stories is also divided into three parts just like of Hindu belief of creation, organization, and destruction. You will find stories based on deities and animals. I read one story per day to my kid for the last month and he enjoyed it.

The language is easy for kids. The story length is also aa per child's interest not too long not too short. If parents read it to a child it will take roughly 10-15 minutes which is adequate for them to get sleepy with a nice story. 

I love it and currently second round is going on with some of the favorites of my child.

The book deserves 4.5 out of 5.

Book links - Amazon & Goodreads

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

Book Review - World's Most Popular Short Stories by Maupassant, Anton Chekhov, Saki, O.Henry

Just before the lockdown, I have been gifted this wonderful book by one of my friends in the publishing industry. I am considering this as a gift because I have not been subscribed to it. And it turned out to be a wonderful present in these trying times of quarantine. "World's Most Popular Short Stories" by Srishti publishers is a collection of classic short stories that have accompanied me for two days in the quarantine period

The book covers short stories by four classical authors, each of these stories captures different human emotions. From each of these classic authors, 5-7 different stories have been selected and a total of 25 stories have been delivered to readers. The stories are as short as 5 to 20 pages long. Authors have been assigned a proper segment in the book, which starts with their short introduction followed by stories written by them.

My favorite stories are

1. From Maupassant The diamond necklace
2. From Anton Chekhov the beggar
3. From O Henry the last leaf
4. From Saki the saint and the goblin a bread and butter miss

Good points about the book

• It captures human nature and its complexity with the simplest of word usage. I think that is why they are considered classics
• The best part about the short stories are you me always keeps you if you don't like it
• The best companion for your travel for vacation for me it was for a quarantine

My only complaint is a simple cover. It could have been better.

I will give 3.5 out of 5 to this book.

Book Links - Goodreads & Amazon

Book Review - Deceptions of Tomorrow: Electrifying Tales of Science Fiction: Robots, Black Holes & Time Travel

I have recently joined FewGoodReads and before that, I followed their reviews for a long time. Kumar L was mentioned in multiple book posts in the past by Vishnu. His book series Captain Anara made me look for his other books. So when Vishnu offered me "Deceptions of Tomorrow: Electrifying Tales of Science Fiction: Robots, Black Holes & Time Travel" for the review, I simply grabbed the opportunity. Light in size and language it gave company to beginners like me.

Book Blurb

Human rights for robots! Time travel chaos! Black holes at the centre of our galaxy! These stories will entertain you, opening your mind to the possibilities of science and the future. 

As Artificial Intelligence evolve with time, will we face a robot revolution? If it becomes possible to travel through time, what will be the result? Will we be able to change the past? And, of course, black holes – those barely understood, never seen, immensely powerful entities – can we harness their power for good or evil? 

Understand Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics, and read stories about the impact of these laws on the society of the future. 

These laws aim to protect humans from robots. But what about the rights of the robots and other ‘Artificial Intelligence’ which humans will create in the future? Do they deserve, and should they be eligible for the same rights as humans? 

Till now I have read very few books. None of them was short stories collection. Longer books and multiple characters demand efforts from the reader and as I said earlier I am new so short stories gave me warm feelings, like they knew I need to take small steps at a time. I can read these stories without much stress, as each of them is independent. They say your first-time experience is always memorable. So was the case with me in short stories. This will book keep in mind for years to come.

Good points about the book

• Very light read. Just 50-60 pages
• Easy language usage
• Good for beginners

I would give 3 out of 5 to Kumar

Book can be found at Amazon & Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

"The Code - Awaken the Hidden Wisdom of You Heart" by Mukta Mahajani - A Book Review

I have seen many positive reviews of Mukta Mahajani's previous book. My only reluctance was the self-help genre, as that is my less preferred genre, I was not sure whether I can take her book. But I played on my gut feeling and selected the book. I am glad that I said yes to the book. Because we got a hidden treasure in form of the book.

Book Blurb

Live free of the seven deadly behavioral attributes that threaten to disrupt our lives!

We can resolve most problems by applying the wisdom of our heart; all we have to do is listen carefully. However, in practice, a range of detrimental yet common attributes that we experience in large doses prevent us from listening to our inner voice. In The Code, author Mukta Mahajani identifies these negative attributes as the Ego, Over-Competitiveness, Jealousy, Overexpectations, Overambition, Anger and Procrastination. These attributes flare up when we face challenging situations. We explode when the world does not go our way and our relationships with others suffer as a result.

Based on meaningful quotes from world leaders and revered religious texts, this book weaves short stories about the impact of these attributes. These narratives are designed to help us reset our mindset and resolve the issues we face in our day-to-day life. They help us understand that we have the inherent power to make the right choice at all times. 

Coming to the content part, yes I am confirming this is a self-help book. but you will love the content preparation.

The book is divided into multiple small chapters. Each character starts with a wonderful quotation of a well-known personality. Then comes a short story. This story was followed by a section called "The Code" which is the psychological part or I would say self-help part of the book. Last part of these chapters cover questions for readers related to the chapter. Answers of exercising those question will help readers to learn the hidden lessons of these stories.

The last time I read such well-designed book was "Open Eyed Meditation" by Shubha Vilas. That book was also a self-help book but in disguise of mythological short stories. Similarly, Mukta has given short stories with hidden messages.

Good points about the book

• Simple and straight stories
• Easy to follow language. Even for starters.
• Freedom to select your choice of chapters. You may skip or change the order in which you would like to read. As there is no strict dependency on previous chapter.
• You may skip part of questions or "The Code" itself if you are not comfortable. Because the author has done a wonderful job covering the same in the story.

Ratings

1. Cover - 3.5/5
2. Content - 5/5
3. Concept - 5/5
4. Overall - 4.5/5

Book can be found at - Amazon & Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Book Review - 8 Down from Saharanpur

Kumar L is one of our favorite authors. His futuristic Scifi "Captain Anara" series made us realized that author from Indian literature can also write in that genre. As we were (and we are still) eagerly waiting for the 3rd book in Antriksh series, we were following author's all posts. A few days back while surfing Instagram, we saw this post from Kumar. He was holding a Hindi & English edition of his new book. We did in-depth research about the book and made the decision to get a copy or I would say add in our collection.

Book Blurb

A woman out for revenge. A warrior deep in the jungle about to face a life-changing moment. A corporate executive falling just short of success. An encounter with a revolutionary in British India. And zombies!

Welcome reader to a world of fantasy, mystery and horror. I hope this collection of stories will take you on a journey of exploration, fear and possibly self-discovery. Some of these stories draw inspiration from our everyday experiences but some.

As given in blurb, the book is a collection of short stories. Each story placed in different time and place. There are only 7 stories but each of them narrates completely different styles. You won't believe but starting from mythology to history to zombies to sci-fi, subjects are vast enough. As I have made the goal of reading certain % of books in Hindi and/or Gujarati, I have read Hindi edition. It was a worthy read for me. My favorite stories

1. Zombies - Shaapit
2. Sci-fi - Sitare Ki Chori
3. Cover story - 8 down Saharanpur

The gem on the crown is the cover story. It covers the era of pre-independence. The author has conceptualized side story around legendary Kakori Theft. This story shows how a teenager who hated his father at the beginning of the story ended up being proud of his father. I don't want to reveal much, but you will like the book for sure.

Talking about other good points of the book

• Easy to follow language (both English & Hindi)
• Fast-tracked stories
• Character building
• Short and interesting read

I wish the author has given a few more stories, the ride would be longer. An ideal pick for short trips. I would like to see a full-fledged book (on above mentioned favorite stories).

Ratings

1. Cover - 3.5/5
2. Concept - 4/5
3. Character - 4/5
4. Overall - 4/5

Book can be found at Amazon - In Hindi & In English

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Book Review - Bargad Ka Ped - Waqt Ke Pher Se Phere Lekar Kuch Lamhein Talashne Nikla

We have made a resolution to read at least 20% of our books/pages in the regional language/mother tongue. Under this agenda, we always look out for some good books in Gujarati & Hindi languages. Things that made us go for "Bargad Ka Ped".

• Wonderful cover page/artwork
• Collection of poems & short stories
• Short in content

I wanted to take this book in the first week of January itself, but I received the courier late. Still, we are able to take it in the first month of the year and we are happy about it.

As I have mentioned the book is a collection of around 50+ poems & a few short narrations. Even these narrations are poetic & it would be hard not to call them poems. The topic and theme of poems varied. Most of them are based on memories. They are about parents, home town/village, friends, lost time, childhood. A major portion of poems are around love (or I would say lost love)

My personal favorites are

• Jao Tum - Which discussed breakup of a couple
• Gumsum - A lover recalls his last moments with his partner spent in darkness
• Saath Sapne Dekhe The - Discussed harsh reality when some people in friendship or love uses others for their personal goals
• Woh Char Log - A taunt on gossiping nature of society, which pulls us down most of the time

Each poem depicts its story in a different context. Though the book is short in content it is very rich in context. The word usage is also simple if you have studied Hindi in school and if you are keeping track of Hindi shows, you can easily read the book without a dictionary. Yes, you need to read it with full concentration as it is not a story. It is a poetry book.

The only complain would be the last 8-10 2 liners poems, the author could have reframed them and given as full poems.

Talking about ratings

1. Cover - 5/5
2. Content - 3/5
3. Context - 4/5
4. Overall - 4/5

Book can be found at Amazon & Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Book Review - Reaching for Kloud 9 - Foreword by Ruskin Bond

The first thing that took our attention while checking this book was "Ruskin Bond". Though we considered ourself bookworm, we haven't read a single book by him till now. So we started exploring what the book is all about. Later on, we came to know that the book was foreward by Ruskin Bond. As the book was a collection of short stories, we gladly took it.

As given in the description, this book contains short stories written by a student from class 7 to class 12. These were the winner of competition help from 2015 to 2017. Later on, they were personally guided by Sir Ruskin Bond. So the quality of the stories is bound to be good.

As it is a collection of short stories, I don't have the liberty to discuss about the plot. But I can share a few stories that I liked

1. The Tree House
2. The Return Gift 
3. An unreciprocated wish
4. A day to Remember

As each story is written by a different person, you will find uniqueness from one plot to another. You will also find a different narration style in each story. You will feel that each story is written with clear thought-process. I think attempts like this should keep happening in India to bring literature glory in back. I will give 5 out of 5 stars for each story.

Book can be found at Amazon
Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Book Review - Harables: Short Stories 1 & 2 by Haidji

Before I start my review I would like to apologize Haidji and my husband for ignoring these books for more than a year. In 2017 beginning my husband became so active in book blogging that I got excited to help him (as he got this bookworm-iness from me). So in excitation, I gave him a list of genres I can help him. He gave confirmation on my promise to few authors. "Harables: Short Stories 1 & 2" by Haidji were two of them. I still remember my husband giving me the deadline of 3 months while handing me thse two books. But later on, I got busy with my kid and was not able to finish 50-60% of the books I took. During this year Diwali cleaning I found these two books in the storeroom and I got guilty feeling so I took them on my vacation. 

Book Blurbs

Harables (Short Stories 1) brings together eighteen of Haidji’s short stories. Each story is prefaced with a hint of what’s inside, for example: “To be shaped for life is never easy…”. “Life seemed to be just a letter, or a few words, in the metaphor of the Earth’s biography.” “All lines are drawings!”… “For the Earth to survive, for the human race to survive, we need to overcome our own survivor instinct.”

Harables - Short Stories 1 and Ines' Words now brings us Harables - Short Stories 2, with fifteen new stories. Each story showcases Haidji's unique voice and imagery, including "The Gondola Walker," "Lob's Castle," "The Blue Spot," "Final Destination" and "Candles." True to Haidji's form, this book is beautiful and magical. You'll want to read each story more than once, to uncover all Haidji's meanings. Entering Haidji's world, you will find hope, love and wonderful mysteries.

I would like to tell the author to come up with an attractive cover, another major reason for the delay in the review was the cover, I didn't get strong urge/appeal to read the book at first go.

When I started first part I was not sure whether I would be able to read second as well due to dull cover. But content or I would say amazing stories of part-1 made me jump to part-2.

Both books contain short gems (yes I would call story/poem gem, read the review to know why) with a different tone. Some were funny, some were cute, and many of them are thought-provoking. It will take you in a rollercoaster of various phases and emotions. Inspiring messages are the real reason I called there stories as a gem. And the icing on the stories are quotations given for each story as a crux.

Stories I liked in part 1

1. One Euro
2. The New School
3. War Love Story
4. The last to go

Stories I liked in part 2

1. Pipo
2. Lob's Castle
3. The Pine Tree
4. The Gondola Walker

The language usage is simple and narration style is straight and sweet. You may fall in love with many characters. I sure shot recommend to any genre lovers. Even if you don't like some stories, you can simply skip them.

Talking about ratings

1. Cover - 2.5/5 (I strongly recommend the author to have another design)
2. Content - 4/5
3. Overall - 4/5

Book Links

Amazon - Part 1 and Part 2

Goodreads - Part 1 and Part 2

A Must-Read for the Movie Buff - The Legends of Bollywood by Raaj Grover

I am not a movie buff but reading books in and around Bollywood has created a bug in my mind, which will always attract to more books of the said genre. This is my third book after "Khwabon Ka Safar" and "In a Cult of Their Own". The first book was about the production houses & studios which started movies in India. The second book was about some extraordinary movies which may not work well in cinemas but able to generate fan followings for generations to come. So now it is the turn of actual people who made this worked, which are actors and directors. The Legends of Bollywood - Tales of madness, mischief & mayhem by Raaj Grover.

Book Blurb

Before the overly dramatic movies with technologically enhanced backgrounds, simpler times existed. A compulsively readable collection of memoirs and stories of Bollywood’s who’s who, The Legends of Bollywood includes enthralling stories of the stars of the yesteryear.

From Amitabh Bachchan’s first screen test to Badruddin Jamaluddin Kazi’s baptism into Johnny Walker, and from Dharmendra’s journey from a tractor driver to a legendary actor to Dimple Kapadia’s iconic comeback into the industry, this book includes everything that’s good, bad, and fabulous in Bollywood. With never-before-seen pictures, it is a sensational book that narrates the tales behind celebrated births and lamented deaths, secret romances and controversial moments, booming films and unforeseen flops.

Penned by a man who was a constant witness to these moments, these stories have been pulled from the archives of his myriad memories.

Raaj Grover was the production-in-charge of the prestigious Ajanta Arts in Mumbai, which was owned by Sunil Dutt. Grover was an integral part of the Dutt family. During his days in the film industry, he also dabbled in filmmaking. A poet at heart, he is known for his witty take on life and his joie de vivre. He currently lives in the USA.

"The Legend of Bollywood" has covered some of the most renowned personalities of the Indian Cinema. 24 stories/personalities in just 240 pages may seem an injustice to these legends, But the author has focused on limited areas. The author has a direct-indirect official or personal connection with most of these celebrities. So he has shared some personal incidents with us which we rarely come to know from main-stream media. I have finished the book in less than 5 sittings and not a single moment of boredness.

Stories I personally liked (or I can say characters whose incidents I personally liked are)

• Dharmendra - Specially incidents about the guest visit to his house.
• Dilipkumar - His struggle as fruit wallah
• Kapoors - Story of Chintu (Rishi Kapoor) taking money from Rajendranath

Frankly speaking, you will find many such instances which can give you laugh or wow moments. The good part is most of the chapters finished in 10-20 pages limits, which make no boring part of the star story. Just like Raj Kumar Hirani movies only entertainment nothing else. 

Talking about ratings

1. Content - 4/5
2. Cover - 4.5/5
3. Overall - 4.5/5

The book can be found at Amazon and Flipkart

Reviews from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Book Review - 100 Greatest Sportspersons by Kalyani Mookherji

Recently I have started liking real-life short incidents, stories or events about celebrities, businessmen, brands etc. The beauty of this genre is you have freedom of reading book at your liking, your sequence and added benefits of skipping few chapters without affecting overall interest. "100 Greatest Sportspersons" has none such chapters though. The book is worth read for any age group.

Book Blurb

‘Faster, higher, stronger’ is the Olympic motto. But very often the real achievement of a sportsperson is more than breaking and setting records; it is as often about overcoming personal setbacks, changing cultural mind-sets and fighting gender stereotypes. This book brings together 100 such personalities from mid-twentieth century onwards who have not only excelled in their individual fields but more importantly, chartered a new course for others to follow. Through their lives, these men and women have given us a message of inspiration and hope—inspiration to remain committed to our passion and hope that anything is possible if we work hard enough and persevere

As suggested by the title the book contains brief of each sports person's career. The flow of the stories are simple: introductory para, birth & initial upbringing para, followed by their entry into the professional career and their achievements. The final 1-2 paras contain the incidents related to their retirement, awards-accolades and after retirement life. For each player, some unique traits are incidents given at the end of the chapter, which is indeed informative.

Talking about some good points

• Language usage is damn easy. You can easily read it without many difficulties.
• The narration style is straightforward. You won't feel bored. And by chance, any character's story won't interest you much you can always skip it.
• Author has not restricted players from a particular game or country. It is selected based on their persona.
• It can boost your General Knowledge by 100+ sports/player related facts for sure
• You can gift this book to almost any age group. Any person above 2nd grade can easily read this book

Some points of improvements

• Many stories lack life-changing experiences. I mean such high-level celebrities usually have some traits which can be useful as a learning for readers. 
• Stories seem too short. I felt some of the players didn't get equal canvas. Well, I think the author has to decide so I am not emphasizing on the point.

Stories/chapters I personally liked are - Dhyan Chand, Bille Jean King, Eddy Merckx, Garfield Sobers, Zinedine Zidane, Sachin Tendulkar (How Can I not add him to the list)

Ratings

1. Cover - 4.5/5 (I loved collage and sketches)
2. Concept - 3.5/5
3. Content - 3/5
4. Overall - 3.5/5

The book can be found at Amazon and Flipkart

Reviews from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Book Review - The Myth of Hastinapur by Rahul Rai

The Epic Mahabharata was written after Pandavas won the battle of Kurukshetra. Have you ever thought how gory stories would be if it was written by a completely neutral party? Both parties had a black spot but recount incidents and tell me which side got a bigger spot. I have read "Rise of Kali" by Anand Neelakantan and it made me question those events.

The Myth of Hastinapur by Rahul Rai is one such trial where the author has given perspectives of various characters at the different time of the grand event. 2-3 stories were kind of repeat for me, but remaining were really engaging. Like

• The struggle of Drona and Ashwatthama - A completely new perspective for me
• Two friends from two neighboring villages fighting from different sides
• The last speech of Karna - the insistence of being known as Sootputr/Radheya

The narration style is simple. The author has focused more on story than detailing. For me, that is plus point. Language is straight and suitable for new learner or kids between 12 to 18 age. As the stories are in respect to different character, you will find randomness in order. For some, it may look jump from one timeline to another.

Final or one-liner review could be "A worthy read." Talking about ratings

1. Cover - 4/5
2. Concept - 3.5/5
3. Characters - 4.5/5 (Especially for Karna and Ashwatthama)
4. Overall - 4/5

The book can be found at Amazon

Reviews from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Time Crawlers - Stories from Parallel Universes by Varun Sayal

I have read Scifi novels either as whole books or box set. This genre needs space to get developed, because you need to explain age/time for which the story was conceptualized, technologies of the age, geographical/astrological information, science (only a few of the authors try it, others just assume it fantasy genre and leave it) So when I saw "Time Crawlers - Stories from Parallel Universes" by Varun Sayal was collection of 6 short stories, I was confused about how an author is gonna do all these things in a few pages. Well, I added the book to my kindle shopping list.

Book Blurb

Billions of universes run slightly parallel to our own universe; worlds full of infinite possibilities. There are many humans living in those parallel worlds, leading their lives, in a very similar way to how we are leading ours. But their respective realities differ from ours in some very peculiar ways.

Inhabitants of some worlds have already been visited and are being ruled by aliens. Some traveled through time, back and forth, and some have taken their space exploration to advanced stages using their powerful spaceships. Some created ruthless artificial intelligences that are fulfilling dark, human desires. Some developed advanced weapons technologies thousands of years before we did.

I believe a writer's brain can somehow tap into this multitude of universes and take a peek into the events happening in each of them. This book, comprised of six stories, is my attempt to narrate to you tales from six different parallel universes. These stories are events that my brain somehow tapped into and captured in detail.

Let me know if your unconscious mind visited the same universes as mine.

As per Forward of this book, there are millions of universe in parallel to each other. And millions of civilization thriving in each of these universes. The stories, covered in this book, are for those places where space-time travel is possible. Each story is based on one of the controversial scientific mystique concept starting from alien intrusion in culture, telepathy, telekinetics to time travel.

Four reasons why you should read this book

• In love with sci-fi concept - The author has taken the time to explain his imagination of sci-fi concepts to readers with whatever scientific bases available without killing interest that too within 100 pages.
• Action Packed Drak Theme - If you love to read some sci-fi war stories, you have stories for you. If you want to read some dark theme stories they are also present in the book.
• To the point Description - No rubbish. 
• Light Read -  Yes you can finish it in one sitting. But can give your imagination to another level for the next few days.

I personally feel that Varun has just given seeds for testing. Whichever story gets more feedback, he should make a full-fledged book on that topic. I would really love to read a full-fledged novel on "The Cave" and "Nark-Astra"

Talking about ratings

1. Cover - 4/5
2. Concept - 4/5
3. Characters - 3.5/5
4. Overall - 4/5

Book can be found at Amazon

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Review of Short Story - That Girl on the Street by Sandeep

Have you ever met a perfectionist? Especially an artist? The look so wonderful with their piece of art, be it painting, poem, story, sculpture or anything else. But have you seen their life when they were going through the process of creation of that art? Especially their family relationships?

Blurb

"Staring out of the window, he could see that lady; walking down the dark abandoned street with flickering streetlights. Stray dogs were barking loudly at someone or something and that could be easily heard from a distance. But she wasn’t afraid." 

This is the story about an author who is obsessed to know the story of his characters and is ready to cross all the boundaries. 

How far you can go to fulfill your obsession

"That girl on the street" has shown the similar story of an author who has lost his wife while creating his masterwork (Novel). His inner turmoil has ruined his personal life to an extent that his pregnant wife left him. Unmoved by personal hurdles he achieved his target.

For his second novel when he sat for the character building he got uncomfortable feelings. Following his inner voice, he reached a location where he witnessed something worthwhile to capture.

The story may not be longer than 15 pages but it will give you a message. Though I was not able to digest climax fully, I still enjoyed narration style.

Book can be found at Amazon

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Book Review - Stories from Saratchandra: Innocence and Reality

The name "Saratchandra" rang my ears when I checked the title "Stories from Saratchandra: Innocence and Reality" An interesting looking book-cover with content written by one of the well-known writers of India. Vishnu has shown me this book and I instantly took it for review. I have read Porineeta and Devadas' Gujarati edition (after watching movies) and I liked them. I had a similar hope while selecting this book.

Book Blurb

‘Some time ago, a sudden rumour spread across our region that unless three children were sacrificed, the railway bridge over Roopnarayan just could not be constructed. Two small boys had already been buried alive under one of the pillions, and only one more needed to be caught...’

This book is a collection of twelve widely acclaimed short stories of Saratchandra Chattopadhyay, one of the doyens of Bengali literature. Divided into two sections, the first bunch of stories portray childhood in all its unburdened innocence while the latter section leads on to deeper sensibilities—the everyday experience of casteism, the lived reality of social hierarchy, and the bonds of almost filial affection forged between man and animal that sustain both.

Stories from Saratchandra shows Saratchandra’s keen eye as a social commentator, presenting a vivid picture of life in rural Bengal during the early twentieth century.

I have read many critically acclaimed work in my mother tongue so I wanted to try the same in this case.  As this book also contains 12 critically acclaimed stories by Saratchandra. Stories belong to rural parts of India around late 1800 or early 1900 when poverty and untouchability were major social issues. The story of a farmer, teenage life, poor mother's struggle were some of the heart touching stories given in the book. As suggested in the subtitle, the stories in the second half were showing harsh reality, compared to normal toned stories in the first half.

Coming to the translation part, I haven't and cannot read the original work in Bengali so I have to rely on translations. I found Gujarati translation slight better, I am not sure whether it is the impact of mother tongue or something else. I was able to read Devadas and Porineeta at a faster pace. But this book has taken serious effort and time from my side. It took me more than one and a half month to finish the book. I also think the way characters' flow was portrayed also had taken its toll on the pace of the story. Frankly speaking, you need to be a serious reader or a patient one to finish it in 2-3 sittings.

I feel that selection could have been slightly better. I have read some of the Saratchandra's short stories' Gujarati translation published in our regional newspaper, they had a good and/or interesting climax. In this book, I felt that stories were ended very casually.

Having said that the author was not failed at any angle. He had done the fantabulous job by giving apt social message based stories.

Talking about ratings

1. Cover - 4/5
2. Content - (Selection) - 2.5/5
3. Character - 3.5/5
4. Overall - 3/5

Book can be found at Amazon and Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Short Story on Woman Empowerment - Kaveri by Vaishnav Shravan - A Book Review

Kaveri s a short story about a girl. If read just for a sake of reading then it would be a below average story of a village girl who came to the city for studies and pursues her dreams. But one glance at that plot and you come to realize that it not the dream of one girl but millions of such girls in rural India.

Book Blurb

Kaveri, a girl who believes in destiny, is confined to her house by her mother's love, which is being manipulated by an uninvited politician, their neighbor, Padmaja. She's homeschooled by her guru, Sahasra, who induces the idea of empathy and charity to Kaveri. Kaveri discovers her destiny. Hindered by her mother's emotions, she has no other choice but to wait for her time to come. Will she cross her hindrance and make her dreams come true?

Kaveri, the protagonist of the story, was brought up in a poor family in rural India. But her father wanted his daughter to achieve goals of her life, he valued education. Contrary to him, Kaveri's mother was blinded by orthodoxy by a neighbor woman for whom outside world is full of rapist and molesters. Kavery was given an opportunity of a lifetime, which could bring emotional turmoil in her mother's life. But going after butterflies was the nature of a strong-willed person. Check the story for more.

The story is plain and simple. No twist and turns. It is the story of a common girl and it is as common as possible. Read it to open your mindset.

Talking about ratings

1. Cover -2.5/5
2. Character - 3/5
3. Concept -3.5/5
4. Overall - 3/5

Book can be found at Amazon

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Source of Inspiration - Book Review of From Ideas To Iconic Brands

Being a management student, I love to read successful business cases, marketing cases and stories of branding. I remember reading Phillip Kotlar's book just for case studies. So when I saw "From Ideas to Iconic Brands - Inspiring stories of 101 amazing brands that changed the world" by Giles Lury, I had strong liking and expectations from it. And I am happy with book's content and coverage.

Book Blurb

Inspiring stories to help you build a bigger, better, stronger brand

A cross between a business book and a storybook, From Ideas to Iconic Brands is a collection of 101 accessible, enjoyable and revealing tales behind the creation of some of the world’s greatest brands, including Mercedes, Apple, Disney, KFC, WWF, Guinness World Records and Coca-Cola.

The stories are arranged into sections covering brand origins, brand naming and identity, marketing strategy, communication, innovation, repositioning and renovation, with a moral at the end of every story. For each story, the author has drawn a marketing principle that can be applied to many brand and marketing challenges businesses face today.

Packed with compelling anecdotes illustrating how to gain increased visibility, cultivate a loyal following and establish a reputation of being the best in the market, this book provides the reader with a fully-equipped toolbox for building a winning brand!

The book has covered not just ten or twenty but 101 success stories, all across the globe. And the author has divided them into segments. Each segment covers around ten or twenty cases. The author has selected major fundamental subjects around marketing/branding as segment topic. Topics like rebranding, necessity, survival, new entrant are covered. But in the core of each case were an idea and persuasion.

I had more than 20 books to read when I received this book, and I haven't planned to read this book at that moment. But just one glance at a book, and I kept other books aside. I finished it in 3 sittings.  Management guys can read this light book to boost their marketing examples which can be used in their group discussion and personal interviews. I wish I had this book during my NITIE time.

Some good points about the book

• Short and crisp cases. No detailing and to-the-point description.
• A pool of general information. Brands of different time and location are covers.
• A short thought-provoking question is given at the end of each case
• Easy to follow language. English learner can even read it without any problem.
• Attractive title and elegant cover design.

If you want a detailed explanation of each point this is a wrong book, it is a light read not a serious marketing textbook. It would be a perfect gift on corporate occasions and college events.

Talking about ratings

1. Cover - 4/5
2. Content - 4.5/5
3. Overall - 4.5/5

Book can be found at Amazon & Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Book Review “Tales of Man Singh, King of Indian Dacoits” by Kenneth Anderson

A lost in thoughts turban wearing dacoit riding through Chambal valley carrying a gun in its cover and a colophon boasting the of Man Singh’s exploits promising to be the complete account of his legends, I decided to take a break from fiction and explore Man Singh through the words of Kenneth Anderson.

Book Blurb

A single man who was pursued by 1,700 policemen of four states for fifteen years! A man who ruled the Chambal ravines and roamed 8,000 square miles, leading the police on a wild goose chase every time they plotted to nab him! Loved by the underprivileged and feared by the rich, he was eventually shot dead when cornered by a company of Gurkhas. Read the thrilling tales of his adventures and the legends of a man who was called ‘Raja’ because of his generosity and large-heartedness.

Overall Verdict:- A could-have-been better one time read

'Tales of Man Singh' is a collection of stories of Dacoit Man Singh which describe some of his exploits, his background and ultimately how he died.

To start, the well written foreword sets a good mood for reading and increases the expectations for what’s to come. The stories themselves are disconnected and there is no specific timeline as to when they are happening. You are able to read from one page to other but it lacks the elements that makes you immerse in the experience.

The book is written in first person perspective. Personally I felt the character of Man Singh could had been better portrayed. The choice of tales are taken from a period once he had been established as the king of dacoits, with the exception of last chapter which deals with how he became a dacoit and how he died. Mostly, he’s shown more a leader/judge than that of a dacoit, who swoops in to give judgement and move aside for someone to execute it. Even though the books title is Man Singh, we find that most of the tales consist of support characters, their background story, wherein Mansingh appears to be their conclusion.  

Personally, I felt that the last chapter could had been introduced earlier. It would had perhaps given a better justification of the fear and respect of Raja Mansingh which the author makes tremendous use of. In comparison of the rest of the book, the last two tales are written well.

My overall rating would be 3/5.

Book can be found at Amazon and Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Review of Preeti Shenoy's Latest Book - Love a Little Stronger

I am following Preeti Shenoy on twitter since January 2017. I have window shopped all her books on Amazon. So when I got the copy of "Love a Little Stronger" for review, it was a big moment for me. You may say an SRK fan was asked to watch SRK's new movies on premier and was asked to review the movie.

Book Blurb

Life is a collection of moments, some memorable and some mundane. Often it is the tiniest things that bring the greatest joy, even though at that time, we have no idea that what we are witnessing may be magical, something that we will talk about and laugh over after many years.

Packed with her hilarious narratives, poignant observations and a writing style loved by millions across the world, this book is certain to strike a chord with anybody who has children or who has been a child, themselves!

Before I got to content when I had unwrapped the book, my son liked the cover so much he took the book. It required cajoling from my side to get the book from him.

Now coming to content, I think the author has shared some golden moments of her life. These moments comprised of humorous incidents, some life changing events, some learning lessons. If all of these happened with Preeti then I think she is a lucky person to experience them. Stories include

• Her struggles in becoming an author
• Her parenting years
• Her teenage years
• Early years of her marriage life

She has also given funny and/or important list that we can keep in our mind.

In short, you can think this book as Chicken Soup for Soul. Differences are single author and theme is life (unlike Chicken Soup books). The book is so lightweight in content but so deep-rooted in the context that one can feed it to their productive mind. Take this book on your journey, you will enjoy it. I have finished the book in 2 sittings though you can do it in a single sitting as well.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted to read something light & meaningful. Language is pretty simple to follow. Those who are learning English or would like to cultivate reading habit can take this book.

Talking about ratings

1. Cover - 4.5/5
2. Content - 4/5
3. Overall - 4/5

Book can be found at Amazon and Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads