A Must Read - Nine - A Gripping Tale of Ila Sharma, The Number Girl

It has been more than 3 years since I last read Dan Brown's book because I started reading more from Indian literature/authors. And it has been more than 2 years since I last read Ashwin Sanghi's book, as in Indian literature I focused more on debut or small authors. But the feeling of losing or not able to read a book by them kept coming to my mind. So it was a wonderful experience when I was reading Nine by Sweta Samota because the plot, storyline, and genre reminded me of Robert Langdon and Bharat Series. 

Book Blurb

Brilliant but stubborn teenage number decoder, Ila Sharma needs to stay low in college.

With her photo flashed across the media, she is being hunted by the notorious to unravel the mysteries.

And with the three scientists going missing, she is on the target by the Indian Intelligence.

Still reeling from the events back home, and with a handsome undercover agent by her side, Ila is not sure whom she can trust any more.

With the scientists missing and father dead, it's her job to bury the powerful secret forever and save it from falling in the wrong hands.

AND IN THE CHASE, SHE HAS NO IDEA HER LIFE IS GOING TO CHANGE 

FOREVER BY THE GROWING PROXIMITY OF THE AGENT AND THE LURKING DANGER.

CAN ILA SAVE HERSELF FROM THE INEVITABLE?

Nine is one such journey that will have you biting your nails or gasping for breath but one that you cannot abandon till all the pieces of the jigsaw fall in place.

Those who read Indian Mythological & Historical genre might be aware of the conspiracy theory of Ashoka and his Nine unknown. We know because we have more than a dozen fictional books around that theory. And still, our hunger for the subject is unsatiated. So when we saw Sweta's post on Instagram about her book and special kindle promotional price of 79 INR we just grabbed the copy for us. 

As I have mentioned the story is around Ashoka and his secret knowledge sect. Ila a math problem solver known as number girl is our protagonist. She got problem-solving skills from her dad who had changed his identity to save his life and country. He advised his daughter not to solve a problem for someone. But she didn't listen to his dad and joined a prestigious college in Pune. Her goal was to get a gold medal in the world puzzle championship. In college she met with Kyra and Aryan both became close to her but always seems mysterious to Ila. Things changed Ila's life when she accidentally solved the problem given by Kyra. She didn't know she was messing up something related to national security and international terrorist group. Read the book to know more.

You will be shocked to find a small role by our dear Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the book as well. By mentioning codes/math don't worry much even if you are weak at it, Sweta has taken care to explain it to naive readers as well. The flow and pace were smooth and fluid. Not a single moment of unnecessary boring narration. Interesting chemistry between Aryan and Ila. Good mix and match of mystery, thriller, and drama. A perfect pick for a date with a book. I would love to have this book published by well-known publishers and get its copy in our physical book collection.

Ratings 

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

Book can be found at Amazon India & Amazon USA

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Winning Like Yuvraj: Think & Succeed Like Singh - A Book Review

There are some stalwarts which are associated with our memories because they are part of those moments that we cherish dearly. Yuvraj Singh & Mohammad Kaif entered Indian Cricket team when I was a fan of Cricket. That read (2001-2006) was the era when Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dravid & Laxman were the backbone of the Indian Cricket team. Yuvraj with his style of cricketing had taken place in my heart. Though I left the following cricket then after (except occasional WC finals / T20 finals), Yuvi's matches always kept in my heart. Last month I saw this sweet little book on Yuvi and we didn't waste a moment to think whether go for it and here we are discussing a book based on Yuvaraj Singh a real-life fighter.

Book Blurb

There are many achievers and great sportspersons whose lives have inspired millions, but India’s star cricketer Yuvraj Singh is special among them. How many sportspersons have achieved so much despite facing mountainous challenges? Yuvraj grew up in a broken family, suffered from critical illness twice, had frequent injuries, break-ups and worst of all–-was diagnosed with cancer at the peak of his career in 2011. Anyone else would have buckled under the onslaught of afflictions, but not Yuvi. He emerged a winner each time and his list of achievements speaks for itself. His impressive record in cricket and his personal achievements are truly inspirational even to accomplished individuals.

So what makes Yuvi this special? What can one learn from his life, struggle and his success? Winning Like Yuvraj offers insight into the qualities of Yuvi’s life that make him a winner amidst adversities. It offers a peek into Yuvi’s personal and professional life to learn important lessons for achieving momentous success the way he did.

The book promises not only to inspire, but also show the readers how to nurture winning qualities the way Yuvraj did. Readers of all ages, but more importantly the youth who are studying or in the earlier phases of their careers, will find this book very useful towards achieving higher goals in their lives.

I was surprised once I started reading the book, the author has done an amalgamation of Yuvi's life records along with self-help. I was under impression that book would be a biography, but the author has proved me wrong by converting star's life into a motivational guide for others. The book is divided into 7 different chapters, each chapter starts with struggle/achievements of Yuvi. Then focusing on his strength/values that made him or let him fight his war. Last part of these chapters is self-help material discussion how we can apply similar values or discipline in our life. In short, content justify the title "Winning Like Yuvaraj"

Good points about the book

• Easy to follow language usage
• Short & Sweet in content
• Self-help needs examples which are ample in form of Yuvi's life incidents
• Ideal for beginners at the same time equally good for regular readers
• Serious topics discussed in a light tone

Overall a good pick if you would like to read a short, informative, inspirational self-help book. A must-have for cricket fans and sports buff.

Ratings

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

Book can be found at Amazon & Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads

Book Review - Ramayana Versus Mahabharata: My Playful Comparison

Last month when Vishnu sent me monthly books that we are supposed to review, I saw "Ramayana vs Mahabharata" by Devdutt Pattanaik. I have seen many good posts by Devdutt on Twitter & Instagram, I have also seen many reviewers praising work of Devdutt, so I wanted to check his book myself. And that's book reached me. As I have mentioned, "Ramayana vs Mahabharata" is my first book from the author. Though mythology is not my genre, after reading this book I am interested in reading more of the author's work.

As Indian, we have all grown up hearing stories about Ramayana and Mahabharata but the idea of comparing both epics and find the similarities and dissimilarity is a really unique attempt and also unique read for me. Points made in this book are really logical. This book has mentions of regional tellings of both epics as well. This book also sheds light on similarly between Hindu, Buddhist and Jain mythology.

What I like about this book:

• I get to know about the similarity of both epics with other mythologies
• Relative illustration at the start of every chapter
• Mention of how both epics shed light on feminism
• Book shows retelling of both epics in other culture
• Conclusion part
• To the point writing
• Cover of the book

So all and all this book comparing two epics of Hindu mythology is also an epic book in my views. If you have heard stories about Ramayana and Mahabharata than this book is gonna open a whole new perspective on both epics for you. If you are open minded and want to explore more then this book will blow your mind away. I recommend this book to everyone (especially who grew up hearing stories of these epics) and looking forward to reading more from Devdutt Pattanaik.

Ratings

1. Cover : - 5/5
2. Content : - 4.5/5
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

Meet Vivek Ishwar - Author of Walk the Wire - A Self-help Book

"Walk the Wire" by Vivek was a short informative and inspirational read for us. Today we have Vivek with us to talk more about his book. We had a rapid-fire round of Question & Answer with him.

Educational Background

Chartered Accountant, Bachelors in Commerce

What were you like at school/college apart from studies?

An outgoing, social, cheerful person who loved sport and extra-curricular activities

What are some day jobs you have held?

Head of Ops and Finance for a startup, Investment management division team of Goldman Sachs, Assurance team at E&Y

Which author inspire you the most?

I read a lot. Eckhart Tolle is my current favourite author; the man has a way with words

When did you start writing?

May 2018

When did you decide to become a writer?

May 2018

What are your ambitions for your writing career?

I would love to write many books in this lifetime

Do you have a special time to write, or how is your day structured to accommodate your writing?

There is no real structure to it; it could be in the mornings or late at night. I can write anytime and anywhere really

Is this your debut work?

I have written several blogs which is available at https://vivekishwar.com/blog-posts

What genre are your books?

Self help

Can you describe your current book in few lines?

My current book “Walk the Wire” is about finding balance and achieving multiple goals, targeted to millennials in the 21st century. I write about the pitfalls in goal setting and how to use several tools at our disposal to reach our goals.

Give us an insight into your main character:

Thoughtful, Self confident, Growth oriented

Where did you get idea for this book?

Through a phone conversation with a friend which made me realize that I had a lot to say

How much research did you do for this book?

No research

What was the most difficult thing about writing your latest book?

None

Release date.

Dec 22nd 2018

What are you working on at the minute?

My second book, title TBD

What are your thoughts on writing a book series?

I would love to write several books, but don’t see it in the form of a series

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

80% satisfaction and perfection is sufficient; you can never get to 100% because you will never be fully satisfied with your work. There will be days when you don’t feel like writing; those are the days you need to get it done more than others

Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?

None

Links for your book readers

• Website: https://vivekishwar.com
• Blog: https://vivekishwar.com/blog-posts
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vivek-Ishwar-2102782576651474/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vivekishwar
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivek-s-ishwar-a16a3186
• Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/2WG1qCe
• Book Links: https://vivekishwar.com/my-book
• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43678802-walk-the-wire

Dharmendra: A Biography: Not Just a He-Man by Rajiv M. Vijayakar - A Book Review

We usually don't read/review biographies, we have done some memoirs time to time, but biographies are still less preferred. Recently we started taking interest in Bollywood - movies, and actor related books. During one such hunch, we were reading "The Legends of Bollywood" by Raaj Grover which was a compilation of various legends of Bollywood. In that book, 15-20 pages were dedicated to Dharmendra and I liked whatever information was given about the star in that book. That short description was not enough for the legend, so when the opportunity arose to read a dedicated book on the star (that to his Biography) we jumped for it.

Book Blurb

A teacher’s son from the hinterlands of Punjab who dreamt of doing what Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand and Raj Kapoor did on screen and expecting to own ‘a flat and a Fiat’ consequently, has emerged as one of the most loved icons of Hindi cinema.

This ever-humble Jat attributes his hard-earned superstardom and global following to parental blessings, the Power Above and the love of the people. It’s been over fifty-five years of blockbusters like Phool Aur Patthar, Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Sholay, Yaadon Ki Baaraat, Pratiggya, Chupke Chupke and Dharam-Veer, with fabulous performances in many of these and notable productions including Satyakam, Betaab and Ghayal.

What’s more, this Padma Bhushan awardee has also dabbled sincerely albeit fruitlessly in politics and writes poetry that comes straight from his heart. There may be a million stars, but there can be only one Dharmendra.

Before we go to the content, let me tell you if you are looking for a book that can give distinctive view to your shelf/table/compartment then this book is a perfect choice. It is hardbound, with a wonderful cover picture of the actor. The book contains some legendary pictures of the actor with different cast & crew. A perfect gift material to a movie buff. 

The content of the book is designed in a semi-structural way. By semi-structural I mean, though the author has started with how Dharamji's life started from Dharminder to Dharmendra, at every stage, few important characters were quoted in narration along with their recent / after star era of Dharmendra. The book takes you through how he got succeeded in his second attempt (almost after 5-6 years of previous struggle) through talent contest. Then comes era when he started working with that eras legends as side role or second lead. His innocent and humble nature has won hearts then and it is still true today. Authors second inning with Apne and continuous devotion to a greater cause (keep working in subline movies to help families dependent on him) touched my heart.

I know 300 pages are still not enough to describe Dharamji. But I would say the author has done commendable efforts to bring information from various sources and to compile it into an interesting narration. 

A-must-have-copy for the movie buff. Ratings

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

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 - Walk the Wire - A 21st Century Guide for Millennials

The title "Walk the Wire" in red font and a man juggling 3 apples at ease got my attention when I first saw the book cover. Then I saw the introductory line "A 21st Century Guide for Millennials to Find Balance and Accomplish Their Goals" on the top of the book. Though self-help is not our favorite genre, the short length made us select this book.

Book Blurb

A strong reason why we fail to achieve our goals is our inability to comprehend our minds. We sometimes tend to over-commit to multiple goals and set ourselves up for failure or lose direction of where we want to go. History is important because it reminds us of mistakes from the past, the knowledge of which prevents us from repeating the same. Similarly, our personal history with goal-setting and goal-achievement is salient in understanding what we could have done better in the past, and implementing them into a more effective present and future. 

Through this book, you will become aware of why you aren’t as effective in goal-setting and goal-achievement and how you can become the absolute best version of yourself. We will cover the wonderful art and science behind setting multiple goals and achieving them, and attempt to master the jugglery of balance in several aspects of our lives. Take this journey with me to truly understand how you can excel in multiple aspects of your life all at once. You can have your cake and eat it too. 

Let’s walk the wire together!

The book is divided into 4 chapters. The name goes like this

1. Too many distraction, too little substance
2. Dealing with the beast
3. Putting into Practice
4. Finding balance 

You may find the name of chapters too generic or theoretic, but the author has nicely covered important points as in bullet list. He has perfectly started with the situation of the 21st-century young generation. It is easy to get distracted in today's world. Even if you feel you are not distracted then many of us are still under the false impression of achieving something. Things may look good but won't fit us. Many times we set goals without giving many thoughts. Author has shown a systematic approach to decide realistic, achievable and measurable goals, considering all circumstances. And then comes how we are going to achieve them. We all complain about lack of time and money. But so was the case with successful people. Here the author has shown some real cases to prioritize/delegate/schedule our current lifestyle. Lastly, he has shown the importance of balance between work life and how to achieve maintain goals.

Self-help book required a good amount of illustrations and examples otherwise it will end up another theory book. Vivek has given ample examples (one per topic) to keep the reader hooked. Illustrations /tools/materials also help the reader to apply these concepts in real life. Finally short in size book will not give the first impression of a dull read. The author has also provided blank spaces, wherever thought process and jotting down required. If you are really looking for some help in increasing your focus/concentrations, but cannot take self-help, then I would recommend this book to you. It is a light and engaging read, and equally helpful.

Ratings

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

Book can be found at Amazon & Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads