Book Review:Mainak Dhar's Chronicler of the Undead

Author:Mainak Dhar
Title:Chronicler of the Undead
Westland Books
178+Pages
review copy via writersmelon

                   I'm a huge fan of Horror films.But when it comes to books,I try to avoid them as far as possible.Somehow,I feel that the 'scare factor' is lost when it's read.I had tried reading a couple of Stephen King novels a couple of years back ,but couldn't finish them as the 'horror element' didn't work for me at all.So,when this new book by Mainak Dhar came to me for review from writers melon,I was a bit apprehensive initially to pick it up as it belonged to the horror genre.Anyways,I decided to give it a try as it wasn't a very lengthy book.
                   Mainak Dhar is one of the few Indian authors who writes Horror fiction(well,I've done my bit of research on him by now).Set in the backdrop of  a Zombie apocalypse,'Chronicler of the Undead' is a horror tale laced with humour.The hero/narator is an army man- turned -writer who is the last man surviving after the ZA.He is staying in an isolated mansion on top of a hill and is currently running out of food and water.With zombies roaming around in the streets,his survival instincts are put to test.However he chronicles his day to day activities and his struggles for survival in his journal.

                            There aren't many characters in this book apart from the protagonist,the Zombies and the 'gentlemen' whom he encounters.Pretty soon he realizes that it's not only the 'Morekos' whom he has to fight with.The book is essentially about the hero's fights for survival and has traces of movies like 'I am Legend'.

                The book didn't 'scare' me that much but with it's twists and turns,it did manage to surprise me a few times.The language used is pretty simple and conversational without any literary pretensions.It has got a nice suspense towards the end and at less than two hundred pages,this is the kind of book which can be finished in just one setting.On the downside,'Chronicler..' is definitely not everyone's cup of tea and if you are looking for a breezy romantic tale for your weekend reading,this is just not the book for you.

Verdict-On the whole,the book is an entertaining read.I'm giving it a 3 out of 5.

-nikhimenon

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Book Review:Black,Grey,White by Santhosh Avvannavar

Title:Black,Grey,White
Authors:Santhosh Avvannavar,Santhosh Biradar
Pages:127
Price:N/A
Source:review copy(author)
Publisher:Pothi

(Santhosh Avvannar is a Consultant and Soft Skills trainer.He is also actively involved in social work.Our review of Santhosh's earlier work, 'Title is Untitled',can be read here)

              'Black,Grey and White' is a compilation of five short stories which deal with the world's most dreaded disease-HIV/AIDS. HIV is one disease,inspite of all the government funded campaigns and programmes continues to be the least understood malady by the general public.It's high time that the common man sat up and took notice of this dreaded disease and it's implications in the society.Even now,many people don't know about the different modes of spread of this dangerous disease.Through initiatives/works like 'Black,Grey,White',I hope the many myths about this disease are broken for good!
                  First things first,the authors deserve a pat on their back for choosing a taboo disease like HIV/AIDS as the principal theme for their anthology.These stories not only help in spreading awareness about AIDS among the lay man but also helps in inspiring/sensitizing them to unite and fight for the rights of the HIV infected people.Right from the title and it's tag line('no one is spared from it'),there is a conscious effort from the author's part to stay true to the basic theme as far as possible.The first story,'Shahid',written like a drama/social-skit is packed with a number of meaningful dialogues and inspiring situations.As in the case of his previous work,every story of this book also ends with a tail note which is addressed to the 'dear diary'(the first one talks about myths).The second story is about Chintu,an HIV positive boy and how the society deals with him.Though the tale is only a couple of pages lond,this undoubtedly is my pick of the lot.The societal attitude towards AIDS patients and their hypocrisy  is clearly etched out in this story(the customer not buying ice cream from him after getting to know that he is HIV positive).The third story,'Game of Lust' is a bit contrived,but succeeds in driving home the point.The 'Highway Sex' and 'Abram and his Prodigal Son' are passable.
         Coming to the positives,the authors have tried their best to be as genuine and honest as possible.They have tried to keep the prose simple and straight forward.There are a couple of heart touching dialogues which are quite effective in conveying the message which it intends to.The book is quite short and can be finished in one sitting.As a social awareness piece,'black,grey and white' gets a five out of five.The cover page is quite competently designed.It's quite evident that a lot of thought has gone into it's making.
         On the downside,as a literary work,this book does miss the mark.Agreed,there are some great ideas and some fine sentences,but is it enough to qualify as good fiction?The book also suffers from numerous typos and grammatical errors.The narrative too is often inconsistent and even boring at times.
        On the whole,despite it's flaws,'Black,Grey and White' is one work which needs to be appreciated for the good intentions behind it.It's definitely a one time read!
-nikhimenon
-n

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Book Review:The Wedding Trousseau & Other Short Stories by Ankita Sharma

Title:The Wedding Trousseau and Other Short Stories
Author:Ankita Sharma
Pages:135
Price:180 INR/-
Publisher:Humming Words 
Source:review copy(author)
amazon,flipkart
              

         (Ankita Sharma is a blogger and independent publisher,'The Wedding Trousseau.....' is her debut work as an author.You can read her blog posts at hummingwords)

          Short Fiction is the 'in' thing in the desi publishing arena.'The Wedding Trousseau and Other Short Stories' is a collection of eleven short tales of fiction which is inspired by the various shades of life(a welcome change from the assembly line 'anthologies of love' which hit the book stores every other week!).Though the stories don't have a common theme or character which link them,it's pretty evident that they are based on real people and incidents whom the author has met with/experienced in her day to day life.

         The best thing about Ankita's writing is the believability of her characters.From the timid lover in 'The Pink Card' to the hypocritical mother in 'One More Bite',Ankita's characters are all flesh and bones and having their own share of vices and virtues.The writer's attempts at making a satirical dig at the society and it's pretentious approach towards the underprivileged section of people do hit the bull's eye.From maternal bond to puppy love,Sharma explores varied themes through her short,yet poignant tales.The writing is so powerful that some of the stories do manage to disturb and shake you up totally('The Fresh Stock' and 'Courtesy').The writer deserves a pat on her back for giving us a genuine book like this and not succumbing to the 'market pressures'. 

         The book design and lay out are quite appealing with the spacing and font size being quite easy on the eyes.The Cover design is also quite competently done and suits the overall mood of the book.At just about 140 pages,the book is undoubtedly a quick read and can be easily finished in one sitting.

       The book is not entirely devoid of flaws either.As in the case of any collection of short-stories,this work too has got some tales which are quite mediocre.Some stories do miss the mark completely(though they are very few in number) and fail to leave any emotion in the reader's mind.Likewise,some of the stories have an 'incomplete' feel to them and leave you wanting for more!

Verdict-On the whole,this debut work by Ankita Sharma is a decent read and is totally worth your time and money.I'm giving it a 3.75 out of 5.

-nikhimenon

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Book Review:Capturing Wild Life Moments in India by Ashok Mahindra

Title:Capturing Wild Life Moments in India
Author:Ashok Mahindra
Pages:88
Source:review copy
Publisher:Oxford
Price:1450 INR

                   Well,I think it's the first time that we are reviewing a unique book like this here, at random thoughts.It's difficult to put this book into a particular genre.Though from the looks of it,this work by Ashok Mahindra resemble any other coffee table book with a lot of wild life pictures in it,the book  actually offers a lot more than that!
                   First things first,the book obviously has got quite a number of high resolution pictures of wild animals.Right from the Bengal Tiger(Ustad) in the cover page to the Lion-Tailed Macaque which make it's appearance towards the fag end of this book,almost all animals featured in this work have 'a story of their own' to tell! Full marks to the writer for taking pains to make this as informative as possible.As the author himself rightly states in the beginning of this work,the book will definitely help a great deal in creating awareness about wild life conservation and afforestation among the younger generation.
                   Almost all the pictures in this work are equally good and I must confess that I am impressed by the pains taken by the author(photographer) to get the 'right' snap!Hours of dedication and hardwork have definitely gone into bringing out this book in the present form.Although I loved all the pictures featured here,my personal favourites are the staring Rhesus Macaque and the spotted Owlet.The short descriptions about each of these photographed animals helps the reader to increase his awareness about them.'Capturing Wild Life...' also gives a list of resorts/National Parks which give concessional package for school children, towards the end. 
                    Now don't get me wrong,this book is not only about beautiful pictures and wild animals,it also meticulously lists out interesting places to check out and also gives directions regarding where to stay in case you are visiting those places.In short,if you are a nature lover with a sense of adventure,I'm sure that you will be bowled over by this brilliant book!

Verdict-On the whole,this book is an interesting work.I'm giving it a 4.5 out of 5.

 This post is a part of the book review program of at Saevus Wildlife India in association with The Hemchand Mahindra Foundation for the book Capturing Wildlife Moments in India 
      

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Book Review:Mid Career Crisis by Partha Sarathi Basu

Title:Mid Career Crisis
Author:Partha Sarathi Basu
Publisher:Collins Business
Source: review copy (writer's melon)
Pages:170+
Price:299 INR/-
amazon

                 At a time when a brand new self-help book is hitting the book stores on a weekly basis,what's the relevance of yet another one in the same genre?What more will it have to tell that hasn't been old already?My apprehensions when I picked up this book for review were many.I think atleast a few of you who are avid readers of Indian writing will share my feelings.Anyways,I decided to accept this book for review as the offer for review came through writer's melon,who have sent me some wonderful books in the past.I finished the book in two sittings and I'm quite happy that I actually accepted this work for reviewing in the first place.This book is all about MCC and the methods to overcome it.Well,now you will be thinking what in the world is the meaning of MCC! Okay,MCC is nothing other than Mid Career Crisis.Now don't get me wrong,this book neither explains crisis nor defines it.On the other hand,the book  touches upon the myths and effects that cause in us a sense of misery and,thus,a crisis!     

                  The book is basically divided into two parts.In the first part,the author tries to analyze the different stages of mid-career crisis and also throws light into the methods to recognize the crisis ourselves where as in the second,he lets the different leaders,(read successful corporate professionals) share their life experiences with us.Though this book packs in a lot of information in it,the good thing is that it's actually quite short.At 170 pages,MCC is quite a crisply edited work.

                  Partha's writing is effective and never lets down the reader with boring blocks of prose.The language is pretty simple and free of any literary pretensions.The use of relatable real life stories and incidents has helped a grea deal in making this book interesting.Though the 'Avik story' some how reminded me of the 3 Idiots prologue(with a positive twist),the author cannot be blamed as it undoubtedly succeeds in conveying the intended message.Like wise,the friendly reminders( not to settle into our comfort zones and the necessity of retaining our signatures in everything we do),helps in making this book unique and noteworthy.The book isn't entirely flawless,it definitely has it's share of flaws.But,those are far and few in between.

                 Design and lay out of the book is also competently done.On the whole,Mid Career Crisis is a good work.I'm giving it a 3.5 out of 5.

-nikhimenon

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Book Review:Title is Untitled by Santhosh Avvannavar

Title is Untitled
Santhosh Avvannavar,Kundan S,Raghunath Baby Are
Pothi
November 2014
Review copy sent by author

                    'Title is Untitled',what a weird title for an anthology of ?short stories!,when I received the book for review,this was the first thought which came to my mind.But then,after going through the book,I can confidently say that this is one title which totally does justice to the content and the overall mood of this work.The book,which is more like a socio-political commentary on the present day India,dapples with many socially relevant themes like child marriage,suicides,erectile dysfunction,fake degrees and universities,domestic violence,to name a few.The book treats these themes in a mature and responsible manner at the same time without any kind of literary pretensions.
                    The book has got about a dozen stories,each written in the form of a diary of a real life individual.At the end of each chapter,there is a small note which enlightens the reader about the magnitude and gravity of the issue which has been delt with in the corresponding story.The book definitely has got it's heart in the right place and it's the sincerity and honesty in the writing which makes this book worth a read.
                      Having said that,I must also confess that the book doesn't offer much for those who are lookng for literary merit in it.The writing is plain,language pretty mediocre and the stories often read like first drafts of amateur short film scripts!The occassional typos('scared' becomes 'sacred')  and grammatical errors too take the sheen out of the narrative to an extend.But what makes us overlook all these flaws is the honest,genuine content of the book and the noble intention of the authors to make the society aware of these 'evils' through simple,relatable stories.For a self-published work,the lay out and cover design is decently done.
                     The book has definitely got it's heart in the right place and it's undoubtedly more effective than Aamir Khan's emotionally manipulative,so-called 'social-awareness' programme on T.V.(Satyameva Jayathe) in driving home it's point.Santhosh Avvannavar and co,take a bow,you people have definitely succeeded in what you have attempted!

Verdict- 'Title is Untitled' is a very relevant work.I'm giving it a 3 out of 5.

-nikhimenon

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Book Review:City of Nine Gates by Pankaj Rajput

Title:City Of Nine Gates
Author:Pankaj Rajput
Publisher:notion press
Price:280
Source:Author
amazon

                         Indian writing in English is going through a very interesting phase.With the debutant writers being brave enough to explore hitherto unexplored genres in desi fiction,there are quite a good number of interesting works of fiction hitting the stores every other week.From the 'Chetan Bhagat' clones to the likes of Anees Saleem and Jeet Thayyil,desi writing has indeed matured for good.This post is about one such gem by a first time author named Pankaj Rajput and it's titled 'City of Nine Gates'.

                         Before going on to the review,I have a small confession to make.Though I had received this book from the author almost 8 weeks back,it took me this long to write and publish the review.No don't get me wrong,the book is not dull or boring by any stretch of imagination.Infact,it's the other way round.This book is quite unique and it took me a long time to figure out what to write about it for I believe,no review will be able to do justice to this wonderfully crafted work!

                         City of Nine Gates is the story of Gyan,an atheist multi-millionaire who embarks on a journey of self-realization.Gyan during one of his archeological pursuits(he is an historian at heart) stumbles upon an ancient site,a cursed fort/temple.What follows is his realization that the site is actually the crown over an entire City that lies beneath it.He also finds out that he is the 'chosen' one who can liberate the City out of the curse.Joining him in his journey is his friend,Parth.Through Gyan's and Parth's story,the author tries to answer some basic questions about life and existence.

                          The book is written in simple English and is peppered with Sanskrit slokas and Verses which undoubtedly elevates it to an altogether different level.There are some books which on repeated reading appear more meaningful and inspiring.'City of Nine Gates' is one such work and is a recommended read for people of all ages.

                        Though this book is a highly philosophical work,the debutant author has made sure that the reader is never burdened with forced,heavy duty philosophical lines.Infact,Pankaj deserves a pat on his back for putting across his thoughts and concepts in a simple,highly effective manner.The book could have easily become an extremely boring and a pretentious affair,considering it's theme and the core subject.It's the writer's belief in his theme and his conscious decision to tell it in a contemporary setting which has worked wonders for this work.The book lay out,cover design are top notch and kudos to the publisher(notion press)for making this possible at an affordable rate.The book is also free of grammatical errors and typos which is also a great thing,considering it's a self-published work.On the downside,I think if you are looking for a breezy,light read,you can definitely stay away from this 'meaningful' book.

Verdict-On the whole,'City Of Nine Gates' is a unique book.Don't miss it! I'm giving it a 4 out of 5.    

-nikhimenon

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Book Review: He fixed the Match,She Fixed Him!

Title:He fixed the Match,She Fixed Him
Author:Shikha
Pages: 282+
Source: Publisher(via Think Why Not),Tales Pensieve
Publisher:Vitasta
Price:175 INR/-

Image:GR

                     I do like reading chick-lit once in a while.Believe me,good works belonging to this genre are genuine fun reads.These days,there is a brand new desi (wannabe) chick-lit  hitting the bookstores every other day! Almost all of them have the same old desperate-oversized girl in the wrong side of twenties-looking for a boy formula but not many of them end up selling more than a few hundred copies! So now,when a new chick-lit work reaches me for review,I think twice before accepting it.This new work by debutant author Shikha,came to me for review a couple of weeks back.Anyways,here I am,reviewing this desi (Mills and Boons inspired) romantic tale!
              I picked up 'He Fixed the Match,She Fixed Him' by first time author Shikha expecting it to be a quick,fun read.Well,the book turned out to be fun in parts,but again,if you are looking for something new in it,you will definitely be disappointed.It's the same old 'brash boy-marries-goody goody girl-only to fall in love with her in the climax- story,served in a new format! 
             So,'HFTM:SFH' tells the tale of Shreya,an ambitious,highly qualified Dilli girl and Kunal, a young entrepeneur.Kunal tricks Shreya into an arranged marriage and how Shreya fights back and make the crooked Kunal fall in line is what this book is all about.As you might have figured it by now,the plot of this book is wafer thin and what makes it work to some extend is the writer's minty cool approach to her debut work.Shikha has made sure that the tale is peppered with entertaining one liners and interesting incidents though one wishes that there were more of them.A little more imaginative plot interesting plot twists might have made this book a far better work.
             Coming to the characters,apart from the protagonists,the book has got a couple of likeable characters in Vineet(Kunal's Cousin) and Jyothsna(his love interest)but it's a pity that the Shikha hasn't bothered to give them more space in the narrative(may be she wanted to focus more on her protagonists!).Anyways,it's a good thing that there aren't too many characters cluttered in the narrative.The book is written in quite plain,conversational English and is not entirely devoid of typos and grammatical errors.The couple of advts (the prominent one being that of a popular matrimony site) which creep up in the narrative also stick out like a sore thumb.The length of the book is also a big negative(for a wafer thin plot,282 pages is too much)

The book was received as part of Reviewers Programme on The Tales Pensieve.

Verdict-On the whole,'He Fixed the match...' is a passable affair. I'm giving it a 2.5 out of 5.

-nikhimenon

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Book Review-Holy Sinners:Search Of Kashmir

Title:Holy Sinners,Search Of Kashmir
Author:Major Saras Tripathi
Pages:370+
Publisher:Manas Publication
Source:review Copy
Price:995 INR/-

                       I have great respect for Army Men.Infact,that was the sole reason behind me accepting this rather 'heavy' book for review.Written by debutant writer Major Saras Tripathi, an ex-army Man himself, 'Holy Sinners:Search Of Kashmir' is a moving account of the senseless devastations,encounters,firings,militancy and life in the Kashmir Valley.

                     Divided into 14 chapters,'Holy Sinners' is no light read,but that doesn't mean that it's a dull or boring work.Major's writing may lack the craft and finesse of a veteran story teller but that doesn't take the sheen off this well- intentioned, decently executed work.The book not only portrays the hardships faced by the soldiers in the most hostile terrains but also serves to shatter a lot of myths about kashmiris.Our mainstream media quite often gives us a very hazy picture of life in the valley and it's only through books like this that we get to know about the real Kashmir and it's inhabitants.From the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits to the senseless killings happening in the Valley in the name of the 'holy war',the book gives a three dimensional view of the complex issues faced by citizens of the Valley.

                   As I had mentioned before, this is a work of non-fiction.It is actually a collection of real-life incidents which the author had experienced during his stint as a serving Army Officer in the Valley.Some of them are really touching and inspiring.From the illiterate mother in 'Mozi' who, despite losing her beloved son helping the soldiers when they are badly in need of help to the mild mannered teacher in 'The Gift Of Shroud',the book has got some really interesting stories to tell.For me,this work is a celebration of humanity,more than anything else.It's all about courage,hope and love for the motherland.

                   The writing is competent and is devoid of any literary pretensions.The writer deserves a pat on his back for doing away with lengthy descriptions and un-necessary detailing.One of the main positives of this book is that it never turns out to be a tiring read.The book packs in a lot of information on how the Army functions and also throws light into the hardships faced by  Army Men.The minor issues I have with this book concern the editing and proof-reading.Some chapters definitely need a little bit of trimming.The Cover page also could have been better,a lot better! At INR 995/-,I think this book is pretty expensive!But these minor flaws apart,'Holy Sinners' is an interesting read which deserves your time and money to be invested in!

                 On the whole,this book is an interesting work.I'm giving it a 3.25 out of 5

-nikhimenon

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Book Review: How Did It Go? by Prasun Choudhary

Title:How Did It Go?
Author:Prasun Choudhary
Publisher:Become shakespeare.com
Pages:200+
Price:225/-
Source:review copy from the publisher
amazon

                 Prasun Choudhury's 'How Did It Go' is the coming of age story of five engineering students of I.I.T. Kharagpur.It is the typical desi campus story by a techie- turned- author trying (a bit too hard) to be an inspirational/self-help version of Chetan Bhagat's 'Five Point Someone'. 

              Written in the form of the protagonist Percy's journal,'How Did It Go?' traces his four years of life as an undergraduate in one of the most prestigious Institutions of the Country(read 'Indian Institute of Technology').It's about how he meets and makes new friends,falls in love and ultimately learns some big 'life lessons' from his failures.

              As the author rightly tells us in the beginning of this work,'HDIG' is no nobel worthy literature.It's a simple story of five friends narrated without any literary pretensions which infact turns out to be it's biggest strength as well.I'm sure that this book will remind atleast some of you of your long forgotten College days-the good old days in which you were a free bird and did whatever you felt like doing.The illustrations by Biban Roy are quite good and helps in setting the overall tone of the book.The writer has included a few practical takeaways from the small mistakes which he had made during his formative years which also works to the advantage of this book. 

              But sadly,all good ideas don't necessarily translate into fast entertaining reads. The basic problem with this book lies in it's execution.The writing is too verbose and fails to evoke any kind of emotion in the reader.Even though the writer has put in a lot of effort to pack in a number of amusing incidents in the book,all the efforts go down the drain,thanks to the mediocre writing.To make matters worse,the editing is also shoddy and as a result the narrative goes on without any definite direction for a major portion of the book.Agreed,the book is a collection of incidents in the college life of Percy and his friends,but there should be some sort of connection between the events so that the reader doesn't lose interest in the proceedings.Perhaps, this book would have worked better if it were an anthology of Campus stories!

             The characters are poorly developed and appear half-baked.Honestly,the protagonist,Percy never comes across as a likeable or a funny person.At times the book itself reads like a memoir rather than a genuine work of fiction.

 Verdict:Overall,'How did it Go?' works in parts.I'm giving it a two out of five.
    
-nikhimenon

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Book Review:Two for the Heart by Ekta.R.Garg

      (Stories in Pairs is a new series by publisher-turned-author Ekta Garg.The series will essentially feature two novellas which will share two things:a theme and a link.To know more about this series,visit the author's website.This post is going to be a review of the first book in this series)

        The first book in this series,'Two for the Heart' narrates two tales which emphasis the impact of love and it's power to cross boundaries, overcoming all the negative feelings within us.The book opens with 'Proposal' which tells the story of Akshay Mehra and Dr Pooja who are into a marriage of convenience.Akshay's mother is a terminally ill patient and that was the reason why he chose to enter into a wedlock with the famboyant Dr Pooja,though they share nothing in common.Akshay also has a troubled past and the duo are in an agreement to free themselves out of this 'strange arrangement',once his mother succumbs to cancer.'Proposal' is all about their emotional struggles and how they alter their destinies in a positive way.The second story,'Remembrance' is about two sisters,Rose and Helen.Their relationship is on the verge of collapse but that doesn't deter Rose from lending a helping hand to her sister when she needs it, the most.Blood is indeed thicker than water! 

       Ekta's writing is of superior quality.Though the stories are a bit predictable,the emphasis is clearly on the way they have been told.The first one is more of a mature love story between a doctor and a corporate lawyer while the second one portrays the emotional bond between two sisters in a pretty realistic and touching manner.The writing never becomes cheesy or emotionally manipulative which proves that Ekta is indeed a writer to watch out for.There aren't too many characters in either of these stories but that doesn't make these tales dull or boring at any point of time.

      The book has it's own share of flaws though.Some characters felt half-baked and lacked purpose.For instance,in the first story,there is a character named Patrick.The reader never gets to know what kind of a person he really is and only gets the feeling that he is a stalker who is harassing Dr Pooja.Likewise,the situations which made Pooja accept Mehra's proposal to get into their 'strange' agreement is also left un-explained.May be,their characters will recur in the future books in the series,I don't know.

These minor flaws apart,'Two for The Heart' is a decent debut work.Looking forward to the future works by the same author.

Verdict- A decent debut.Rating-3/5

(I received a review copy of this e-book from the author.This post is not a paid review)

Title:Two for Heart
Publisher:Prairesky Publishing
Price:185 INR/-
Author:Ekta R Garg
Pages:70+
Format:E-Book
amazon

-nikhimenon

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Book Review: A Three Faced Coin by Bhalindra Singh

Title:A Three Faced Coin

Author:Bhalindra Singh

Publisher: Notion Press

Pages:281+

Price:350/-

Source: review copy via Tales Pensieve

          I accepted this book for review expecting it to be a corporate thriller(I don't know what made me think so, may be it was it's cover page!)but what I got was something entirely different.This debut work by banker-turned-author Bhalindra Singh, is essentially the story of a U.S. settled upper-middle class couple,Zubien and Mekha Arora.They have decided to shift back to India and soon after,they chance upon a mysterious man named Adeeb.The chain of events which ensues and how it afffects the life of the young couple is what 'A Three Faced Coin' is all about.The story which starts off as a cliched,predictable horror story soon shifts gears(for it's own good!)and metamorphoses itself into a crime-thriller(yielding mixed results!).

        As I have mentioned in the beginning of this post,'A Three Faced Coin' is Singh's first work as an author.It's pretty evident that the author has got a rather innovative premise and an interesting concept to convey but the way it's told leaves a lot to be desired which is the biggest issue I have with this book.Anyways,let's look at the good things about this book first.

        First and foremost,the basic thread of this novel is quite appealing.Full marks to Singh for that.Though the language used is pretty functional,I liked his writing style-it's simple,yet effective.There aren't many lengthy descriptions and tiring blocks of prose which might weigh down the average reader.As a result, this work easily qualifies as an easy,light read.Having said that,I should also point out that that the book tries too hard to sound philosophical at times and ends up being preachy towards the middle portions (the conversation between Adeb and Mekha,for instance).These 'intellectual' pretensions stick out like a sore thumb,not gelling with the overall mood of the narrative.

       Singh has divided his first work into three parts and this is exactly where he has faltered.There is absolutely no connection between the first and the 'second' part(which narrates the story of the cunning Charlie)and the reader almost gets the feeling that he has suddenly started reading an altogether different tale.The 'flash-back' portions of Charlie are not only poorly written with lengthy,bland (gambling/betting) sequences coming one after the other but also kills the curiosity of the reader and only results in testing his patience.I hope the author edits out these un-inspiring sequences in the subsequent editions of the book and thereby make his debut novel more racy and entertaining.The way Charlie executes his ponsy schemes are entirely unconvincing(even silly at times).C'mmon,in this age of digitalization where there is easy access to information,why would someone risk all his life savings in a half-baked,ill-conceived scheme as proposed by Charlie?

      It's in the third part that the tale regains it's pace again(to a certain extend) where the missing dots are connected before it culminates in a rather ordinary climax.But by this time,I'm sure that half the readers would have lost their interest in the proceedings.The characters are also poorly developed with the reader not getting a chance to know the 'real' Charlie at any point of time.The 'Villains' are pretty weak and it's not very clear why 'Rambo' chose 'Charlie' for his illegitimate activities. 

      The book has got a decent lay out and cover design (hats off to notion press for their quality work!).The formatting is also good.

     If you are ready to overlook the occasional grammatical errors,the few illogical sequences,half-hearted 'comic' lines and the bland writing in the second part,you might find this as an okay,one time read.It definitely has it's own share of flaws,but is not a bad work by any stretch of imagination.Lend it from your nearest library.You won't regret it!

Verdict-An okay,one time-read.Rating-2.5/5

The book was received as part of Reviewers Programme on The Tales Pensieve

-nikhimenon

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Book Review: Tat Tvam Asi by Pinky Acharya

Title:Tat Tvam Asi
Author:Pinky Acharya
Publisher:becomeShakespeare.com
Year:2014
Source:Publisher
Pages:110+
Price:150 INR

            I received a review request for this book from the publisher, a couple of weeks back.I must admit that the decision to accept it was more or less an impulsive one because even after going through the blurb of the book, hadn't got much idea about the tone/genre to which it belonged to.Neither the book cover nor the blurb revealed much about the actual content .All I could make out was 'TaT Tvam Asi' would be quite different from the usual stuff (atleast aspired to be!).Actually,reviewing a book which belongs to self-help/Memoirs is quite tricky.There is always the risk of the reviewer inadvertently penning down his opinion about the author rather than the content of his/her work.I have come across a lot of reviews which have fallen into this trap.Now,for those of you out there who are wondering about the reason behind these sudden rants,I'll state the obvious,'Tat Tvam Asi' belongs to the afore mentioned genre.Well,almost! 

        For a debut work,'Tatvam Asi' is quite decently written.Pinky has put down her thoughts and opinions in the most sincere and livid manner.There are about two dozen chapters in this small book(well,it is infact only half the size of the 'Tablet/Phone' which you are carrying to your office everyday!),each one stressing on an important virtue.Going by the the size of the book,you may be tempted to finish it in one setting,but I feel it will be better if you read not more than a couple of chapters at a time.That way,you'll be in a better position to assimilate and even critically analyze the content of each one. Peppered with real life incidents(I think her experience as a graphologist has helped her immensely in this regard) and inspiring anecdotes,this work is quite relatable for the average,'desi' reader.From the honest carpenter who loses his sleep on possession of undeserved money to paatiwalas who are more than satisfied if they can earn a paltry sum of one hundred and fifty rupees per day,the real life 'stories' narrated in this book are very much thought provoking.The story of the 'prodigal son' also deserves special mention.Crisply edited(with each chapter running to not more than two pages) and beautifully illustrated(Ashni Acharya),at 110+ pages,it is indeed a quick read.The writing is pretty simple,devoid of any unnecessary literary pretensions or heavy duty philosophical lines which infact increases the potential reach of this book.The cover design is also quite appealing and suits the tone of the book.The same applies to the overall layout and print quality of this work.

       On the downside,I felt that some of the incidents and examples were actually not worth narrating in a printed book.Some chapters (Man'doct'ary)also tend to lose direction after a promising beginning.(as a blog post it woud have been fine,but in a 110+page book,well,I have my own reservations!).

Verdict-'Tat Tvam' Asi is a well intentioned,thought provoking work.It might not be the best work in this genre,but is a good one,definitely.Rating-3.25/5

-nikhimenon

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Book Review: Breach by Amrita Chowdhury

Title:Breach
Author:Amrita Chowdhury
Pages:352
Year:2014
Source:review copy via Think Why Not
Publisher:Hachette India
Price:350 INR
amazon

    Indian writing in English is booming.The last couple of years has seen an unprecedented surge in the number of books releasing in the (desi) pulp-fiction genre.Be it military/banking/historical/horror/science fiction thrillers,you name it,an Indian version is readily available for you,at a mouse click.(thanks to that awesomely awesome device called Kindle!).Almost all the internationally best selling thriller sub-genres have been tried out by the Indian writers,with varying degrees of success.Having said that,I would also like to remind you all that 'medical thrillers' is one sub-genre which hasn't got the fancy of these desi writers,till date.'Breach' is one work which bravely steps into this hitherto unchartered territory and comes out with flying colours.

Acel,the pharma-giant is all set to grab a global patent for it's newly discovered path breaking anti-cancer drug,'Colare'.In an unexpected turn of events,Acel's offshore centre in Mumbai is attacked by hackers and a lot of sensitive,confidential data are stolen.The dynamic,young country(India) head of the Company,Dr Udai is blamed for this serious security lapse and he finds his life and career turned upside down all of a sudden.Now,the onus is on him to prove his innocence.It's not only his reputation and career at stake,but also the future of a potentially life saving drug which can benefit millions of cancer patients across the globe.'Breach' is an inter continental tale which is all about trust,deceit,blatant greed and medical ethics.

Though the cover page(quite decently designed) screams that it is a Cyber thriller,for me 'the Breach' worked more as an emotional rollercoaster ride set in the back drop of the pharmaceutical industry than as a full fledged cyber/techie story.A lot of technical stuff is explained in the book in a very simple,easy to understand way.Kudos to the writer for making them (the hacking part/patent related portions) as simple as possible.Through the book,Amrita tries to highlight the flaws in the patent laws and the deteriorating work ethics in this highly cut-throat,competitive world.The irony of the mad rush for profits among the drug companies at a time when the lives of millions of poor and unpreviliged are at stake has been etched out well by Mrs Choudhury in this book.For that matter,I think 'Breach' is a very relevant work.It throws light into the rot in the pharmaceutical sector and also suceeds in reminding us that all is not lost,yet!

There are quite a number of characters in this novel.I can confidently say that the writer has derived them from her real life experiences.From high end executives,corporate honchos to small time movie pirates and school students who don't hesitate to make a few quick bucks by indulging in online piracy and illegitimate hacking,this tale finds a place for people from the different strata of the society.Infact,Amrita's characters are tangible and believable.

The book is undoubtedly an easy-to-read page turner.The Chapters are short(with each running to not more than a couple of pages)and crisply edited.The writing is racy and suits the overall mood of the book.The average reader might find the first couple of chapters to be a bit confusing as atleast a dozen characters get introduced here in rather quick succession.Even then, it cannot be overlooked that the writer succesfully manage to set the tone of the novel right from it's first couple of pages itself.There is also a short romantic track thrown into the narrative which,I personally believe could have been done away with.On the downside,I feel the book deserves a little bit of editing in it's middle portions.May be they can rectify it in the coming editions!

Verdict-Go and grab a copy of this unputdownable thriller at the earliest.It's actually worth every penny you spend on it.Rating-4/5

-nikhimenon

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Book Review: Your Dreams Are Mine Now by Ravinder Singh

Title:Your Dreams Are Mine Now

Author:Ravinder Singh

Publisher:Penguin Metro Reads

Price:175 INR

Source: review copy via Think Why Not

         Ravinder Singh’s latest novel ‘Your dreams are mine now’ is a teenage love story set in the backdrop of DU politics. The author is known for romantic tales with a tragic end.This one too,doesn’t defy the formula.While his first two novels were either auto-biographical or partly inspired by his personal experiences,’YDMN’ is a fictional tale which draws inspiration from a real life incident that shook the nation by storm a couple of years back.

Arjun is the typical rough guy who is the leader of a student’s union in DU.Rupali is the epitomical small town girl who comes to Delhi in search of a bright future.(thankfully,both of them are quite comfortable with the Queen’s language and Rupali doesn’t agree to be his half-girl friend or anything of that sort!)Saloni is Rupali’s roomie and best friend who is the rich girl with a heart of Gold.Now don’t get me wrong,this is not a triangular love story.Rupali falls in love with Arjun and they soon become the face of the DU politics not before making their own share of enemies in the process.What happens to their love and their political future is the crux of the story.

Ravinder Singh has never been known for his literary skills.More than anything else,it was smart marketing and his ability to narrate love stories catering to the taste of the ‘whatsapp’ generation in a simple and effective manner that made him an instant success.Here too,Singh hasn’t tried anything drastic and  pretty much follows his time tested, successful formula.The English is pretty simple and the book is quite undoubtedly an easy read.If you are a teenager and plain, candy floss teenage love stories are your forte,there are chances of you actually liking this campus story. But if you are expecting something new or innovative in this tale,I’m sure you will be disappointed.The characters(except that of the protagonist Rupali,to an extend) are poorly developed which is a pity because it could have been done in a much better way.The supposedly  menacing Villain(who happens to be a professor in DU)is nowhere to be seen for a large portion of the narrative and makes an appearance again only towards the end of the story (the ending,I felt was more like a writing of convenience than anything else!)

As expected ,Ravinder Singh touches upon topical issues which have the potential to strike a chord with it’s target reader group(the Young Urban Indian Reader).So there are references to the skewed reservation policy,corruption,the racial discrimination against  north east population in the Capital and above all the rise in sexual crimes against women. I recently read in some interview that ‘social change’ is something which  Ravinder Singh wishes to achieve through his latest work.Well,there lies the exact problem with this book.In his half hearted attempt to sound ‘socially aware’ or politically conscious,’Dreams are mine now’ ends up being a rather half baked affair.It’s neither a heart warming love story nor a socio-political commentary on the present day life in DU.There is a lot of ‘fake activism’ and pseudo anger thrown in which seems forced and pointless,after a point.

In short,though the dreams are mine now doesn’t have anything new or earth shattering to tell,might be lapped up by the romantic fiction loving teenagers.My Rating-2.5/5

-nikhimenon

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Book Review:Fraudster by R.V.Raman

Title:Fraudster
Author:R.V.Raman
Publisher:Hachette India
Pages:286
Price:250 INR/-
Source:Review copy via Writer's Melon
Genre:Thriller
Year:2014

                 I'm a huge fan of Ravi Subramanian.Frankly speaking,he is one of the most genuine thriller writers(English) India has ever produced.I have had the opportunity to read and review quite a number of desi thrillers by first time authors in the recent past and surprisingly found most of them to be pretty mediocre.So, when this new corporate thriller by R.V.Raman came up for review, I was not very excited initially .The book not only sounded but also looked pretty much similar to a 'Ravi Subramanian' thriller(for a fleeting moment,I even thought this new book was a knock-off of Subramanian's highly successful 'Bankster'!). But now,after reading this 280+ pages long thriller,I can confidently say that 'Fraudster' is no run-of-the-mill stuff and R.V.Raman is here to stay. 

               The book opens with the mysterious death of a young banker(Shruti),soon after she is  terminated from her job for no fault of hers.Somewhere in South Bombay another death happens,this time the victim is a high profile doyen (Mr Visht) of Corporate India.What makes the death significant is that Mr Visht was a member of the committe (which was investigating a high profile financial fraud) before which Shruti had deposed just before her demise.Enter Inspector Ranade,the maverick Police Officer who is in-charge of the case and joining him in his mission to find the truth are Kamini(Visht's daughter),Varsha-an energetic executive of a global auditing firm and her friends,Kunal and co.What ensues is a fast paced ride with twists and turns happening at the most unexpected plot points.   

              The writing style is reminiscent of Ravi Subramanian but I must confess that R.V.Raman has tried his best not to copy the former consciously at any point of time.The English is pretty simple with the technical facts explained in a simple and lucid manner without weighing down the reader with heavy duty jargons.Raman's writing is devoid of the faintest trace of literary pretentions; at the same time the suspense is well maintained throughout.The pace doesn't slacken a bit and the moment you feel the tempo is going a bit downhill,comes a totally unexpected twist! Raman is undoubtedly an author who knows the pulse of his reader.

What I liked the most about this book-

• The writing style
• The unexpected twists and turns
• The racy narrative

What I didn't like-

• The Title and the Cover design (The reason,I think I have already mentioned in the first part of this post)

Verdict:On the whole,Fraudster is a paisa vasool thriller.Buy it,you won't regret your decision! Rating-4/5

-nikhimenon

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Book Review: Ten Days by Leena Nandan

Title:Ten Days
Author:Leena Nandan
Publisher:Wisdom Tree/Chlorophyll
Pages:200+
Price:295 INR
Source:Review Copy (Publisher) via alop
Genre:Crime Fiction
Year:2014

         IAS officer-turned-author Leena Nandan's Ten Days is a (wannabe) crime thriller which narrates the strange incidents happening in the life of it's protagonist,Tina-a young,beautiful executive working in a call centre(24*365).Set in the innovative backdrop a BPO,this desi thriller tries to expose the 'grey' side of the 'new-age' professionals!  

       Tina is a bright call centre executive who is assisting Inspector Vikram in a cyber fraud case which had happened in their office not so long ago.Thanks to her smart,uber cool attitude and occassionally blunt demenaour,she has made enough of admirers and enemies in her workplace itself.Certain unpleasant incidents happen in her office(rape of a female colleague,arrest and suicide of a young executive and the death of the much senior scientist,Dr Maken) and pretty soon she finds herself stalked by a mysterious intruder.Parallely,Inspector Vikram gets  to know that his ex(Leila,the daughter of Dr Maken) is also in danger.Though the death of her father(Dr Maken) seems to be attributed more to a natural cause,he realises that there is more to it than what is apparently visible. 

        Coming to the good things about the book-Well,'Ten Days' has got a rather fresh theme.The English is pretty simple and conversational and for those of you who are looking for a book which won't weigh you down with it's literary pretensions ,this one might be the ideal choice.The investigation part(even with it's ample share of loop holes) is quite decently written and the suspense is well maintained till the end of the book.The final revelation(though not out of the world or anything) is also quite unexpected.The Cover design is also pretty well done and suits the overall mood of the work.

        The book has it's own share of flaws though.For an aspiring crime thriller,’Ten days’ is too slow to thrill.Apart from a couple of seemingly unrelated(crimes) incidents,nothing much really happens in the first hundred pages or so and too many pages are spent on describing Tina's childhood friends and the office politics at 24*365.Also,there are a lot of poorly developed,un-interesting characters(Deepthi,Rita,Jeet et al) and a lot of unnecessary detailing(the portions describing Tina's childhood might have been retained for it's inherent charm,but I honestly feel that those portions only served to slacken the pace of the narrative)which could have been easily done away with(the school girl club/password thing scenes looked straight out of an Enid Blyton/Secret Seven adventure and adds nothing to the narrative).Though the basic plot is somewhat innovative,the way it has been handled leaves much to be desired.The author seems to be confused on what to focus and what not to.As a result,she ends up confusing the reader.The stalker track(which reminds one of atleast a couple of American thriller novels -Sheldon's 'Tell Me Your Dreams' and Nicci French's 'Killing Me softly',to name a few)lacks fizz and fails to leave the desired impact .It'll neither horrify you nor scare you,thanks to the lack of focus on the principal track from the part of the author. All the genre cliches are also there in place-be it the investigator with a troubled past or the damsel in distress for which he slowly develops a liking for(in this case,for the second time!).C'mmon,we have read all this before!There are a couple of cringe worthy dialogues too.Sample this-“We’re a dynamic bunch of people here,sorry we’re dynamite actually”(!!!!!!).Though the book is a little over 200 pages long,I took almost two weeks to complete reading it.I think that sort of explains what is wrong with the book.

Bottomline-On the whole,'Ten Days' is an okay read.With a rather innovative premise and an interesting theme,it had the potential to be a real page turner.Sad that it's not,in the present form.I'm giving it a 2.5 out of 5.

-nikhimenon

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Guest Review:The first Mills & Boons review!

             (Well,this time we have a guest review in RT! Author Shilpa Suraj had requested for a review of her first published Mills & Boons story and Blogger-friend,Roshni K.J. has read the book and reviewed it for us.Thank you,Roshni! )
                          
                              Originally reviewed by Roshni.K.J.

Title:The Girl He Left Behind
Genre:Romance(Mills & Boons series)
Author:Shilpa Suraj
Publisher:Harlequin India
Price:150 INR
Pages:180+
Year of Publication:2014
Source: Review copy from author via alop

               First things first.'The Girl he left behind' by Shilpa Suraj is a desi Mills & Boons story.So,if you picked up this book thinking it to be a literary gem(which I don't think anyone would mistake it to be,thanks to the cheesy cover page),I suggest you return it to the book-seller as early as possible and sue him for trying to rob you off your hard-earned money! On the other hand,if you had laid your hands on this cute little book expecting to spend your Sunday afternoon with a light,breezy,romantic read,I must say that your money was well spent.
             The moment I saw the book, what impressed me the most was it's cover page, it was not only cute, but also gave me some sort of an idea that it would be just another 'teenage- girl reader' oriented love story. But let me confess that all my pre-conceived notions vanished to thin air once I started reading the book. The author through her debut work is trying to tell the story of a successful career woman(Sia) who, in spite of her failed personal life manages a bright career without any hiccups.

            The story begins with the return of her ex(Ryan), which temporarily proves to be a setback for her, bringing up all the ghosts of her past. But Shilpa has tried to show Ryan in a good light by bringing out his various attempts at trying to win her back.

            The book is a good read for all those who enjoy cute successful love stories. The author has really done a good job in bringing out the feelings of a woman who has been dumped by her boyfriend and happens to marry another guy later which ends in a divorce. The mentality of a woman who sees her first love coming back to her after a long gap of 6 years has been well written.

Initially though the reader may hate the hero for having dumped the heroine, as the book progresses his past story is brought out which makes your heart go out to him. The portrayal of the hero as an illegitimate child and that being the reason why he leaves her catches the mind of every reader. He comes back to her after a period of 6yrs as a successful entrepreneur.

            What I liked about the book is the way Ryan tries to win Sia over, initially by acting as though he doesn’t care and later by caring too much about her.What I didnt like though was the portrayal of Ryan’s parents as money minded individuals. The climax of the story is lame and too Bollywoodish,to say the least.
         All in all the book 'The Girl he left behind' is a good read and undoubtedly a decent attempt by the first time author. I appreciate her writing skill and her realistic and honest portrayal of all the characters without any confusion.

Bottomline- Decent debut.I'm giving it a three out of five.

Ps:This book has nothing to do with the 1956 Hollywood Romantic Comedy with the same name

-reviewed by Roshni.K.J

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Book Review:Working hard is not good enough by T.G.C.Prasad

Title:Working Hard Is Not Good Enough
Publisher:Random House India
Pages:248
Price:250 INR
Source:review copy via Think WhyNot!

                          As the title implies,T.G.C. Prasad's latest work 'Working hard is not good enough' belongs to the self-help genre.This is the author's third work in the same genre (the previous ones being 'Unusual people do things differently' and 'From the eye of my mind') with this one being mostly targeted at those working in the marketing field and in the corporate sector.The book has got about a dozen chapters,each one emphasizing on a vital quality/virtue which every entrepreneur/marketing professional should possess to succeed in his/her career.
                As in the case of any half-decent book belonging to this genre,'WHGE',too is peppered with real life examples of highly successful men,ranging from the former American President Bill Clinton,(the late)Steve Jobs to Srichio Honda.While some of them (the examples) are quite well known(Walt Disney getting fired by a newspaper editor for the apparent lack of good ideas),there are a few ones which even the die-hard fans of this genre might not have heard of.(the story of Bill Gate's initial enterprise called the 'Tref-o-data' which failed big time).Some of these stories are genuinely inspiring and helps a great deal in putting across what the writer wants to convey to the average reader.My personal favourite is the one involving George Washington and his Army officer.
               The author himself promises at the very beginning of the book that this will have very little of theory and more of real life stories in it.He must be applauded for sticking to his promise as not even once has he tried to sound 'intellectual' by putting in some high end marketing jargon in 'WHGE' to impress his reader(which he could have done easily,given his background in consultancy and marketing).Even a lay person like me (Who has no interest in business and marketing) could easily relate to Prasad's writing.
            The book is written in simple,conversational English but it's not a light read by any stretch of imagination.Well,whatever Mr.Prasad is trying to say(the salient point being the importance of thinking and doing things differently to become successful in life)is well intentioned and makes sense most of the time but the biggest problem is that it ends up monotonous,over long(atleast a couple of the chapters deserved better editing)and a bit bland after a point.Besides,it doesn't tell anything new.Don't we know all these life-fundas already?

Verdict-On the whole,TGC Prasad's 'Working Hard is not good enough' is a must read,if you are a management student or an administrator.My rating-3/5

-nikhimenon

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