Review of Not Totally Unbelievable

Name of the Book – Not Totally Unbelievable

Author – Vibhuti Bhandarkar

Publisher – Frog Books

Price – Rs. 95

The last 2 months have just passed me by; with my son on vacation , I hardly had any time to read and write. I missed that, but in the process made so many new memories with him that I can’t complain. Motherhood is the best thing to have happened to me  and I am sure Vibhuti would agree  since she has two kids of her own!!

The author of “Not Totally Unbelieveable” and I connected through Facebook. As time went by we exchanged numbers and connected through Whatsapp too….This is Vibhuti’s first published collection of stories for young adults and I must say it is an interesting read…One of the few books that I finished in one sitting…Below is the detailed review.

Blurb -

Lin delves into her knowledge of the magical powers of the Tisane to solve the problem that her elder sister Liu is facing at The Lingnan Tea House. Dereck has accidentally slipped into a seemingly unending black hole while trekking in the Black Forests of Germany. His whole life flashes before his eyes as he travels down the dark tunnel. Once out in broad daylight, he is surprised to be alive and shocked to find himself in India. One evening a teenager looks up from the book she is reading and finds a phantom staring her in the face, floating between her mother's white roses, just a few steps away from her. On another day Daddy's bike journey once again very mysteriously comes to a similar end like always, almost like a decree from God. From Meera, a young teenager, life seems to have always turned a deaf ear towards her. One day she finally decides to step off into oblivion. She goes unheard. 'Not Totally Unbelievable' is a collection of 10 short stories narrating the extra-ordinary experiences in the lives of the seemingly most ordinary people from the Occident, Orient and India. These pieces of fiction are essentially true stories that will compel one to believe in the mysterious, magical powers and forces around us, within us. 

What I feel -

This book was a welcome break for me; it was actually like a breath of fresh air on a hot summer day. Reading the novel  Aarushi was making me very emotional, every line was tugging at my heart strings and there I see Vibhuti’s book in my mailbox and jump at the chance of reading something that will divert my mind.

When I began the book I just stared at the words and marveled at the use of language - Simple and appropriate, the book had my attention! All  the 10 stories in the book appealed to me, but I especially liked - At the Lingnan Tea House, Trekking through time, A little thing called love, Ninny and The Wordsmith.

At the Lingnan Tea House - I liked the author’s use of narration, description and dialoges. The way she has described the love between the two sisters – Lin and Liu and the way they  look out for each other is done very subtly, but is so strong that you can feel it in the narrative. I actually felt I was sitting there at the Lingnam Tea House sipping tea!

Trekking through time - This story shocked me. I never expected the ending to be like that! Here I am making up my own story about Dereck and all of a sudden it all goes up in flames….Interesting ending. You have to read it to know what I am talking about.

A little thing called love - This story just pulled at my heart strings and a few tears escaped my eyes It may be a simple story that has been told many times before, but the way the author has handled he subject is nice….the little details showing disappointment, heartache, concern and love are well written.

Ninny - I love the jab at the Educational system. Being a teacher, I know how harmful words can be and how they can discourage and demotivate a child. Ninny’s feelings, his belief in himself, the support from his family, his inquisitive mind and the way he rises above it all is well described in this story. If you are looking for a story with a message…this is one!

The Wordsmith -  Suma has dreams and I like the way she works towards making them come true. I like her sense of observation, the way she deals with the devil in her head and yes, I loved the ending. I just wasn’t expecting something like that!

The author, Vibhuti Bhandarkar does have a unique style of writing, along with a good understanding of the English language.4 years have passed since she wrote this book and I am sure that she has now honed her skills further and is ready to share her new book with the world. Keep on writing Vibhuti…You are blessed with the wonderful gift of weaving interesting and heart touching stories!

Links -

Blog: http://klishmaklaver.blogspot.in/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vibhuti.bhandarkar

Twitter: https://twitter.com/klishmaklaver

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/Vibhutibhandarkar

Interview - Author Devika Fernando

     

   About the Author -

Almost as soon as Devika Fernando could write, she imagined stories and poems. After finishing her education in Germany and returning to her roots in Sri Lanka, she got a chance to turn her passion into her profession. Having lived in Germany and in Sri Lanka with her husband has made her experience the best (and the worst) of two totally different worlds – something that influences her writing. Her trademark is writing sweet, yet deeply emotional romance stories where the characters actually fall in love instead of merely falling in lust. What she loves most about being an author is the chance to create new worlds and send her protagonists on a journey full of ups and downs that will leave them changed. She draws inspiration from everyone and everything in life. Besides being a romance novel author, she works as a self-employed German web content writer, as a translator, and as a faithful servant to all the cats, dogs, fish and birds in her home. When she’s not writing, she’s reading or thinking about writing.

    Romance Novel Author – How did you choose this particular genre?

I think it chose me. ;-) I just always knew that if I’d really finally write a novel, it would be a romance novel. And most of my poems (which I wrote before writing prose) were about love in one way or another.

Which of your books is closest to your heart? Why?

That’s a bit like asking a mother which of her children she loves most. :D If I have to choose, it would be my latest release, “Saved in Sri Lanka”. It is set in Sri Lanka, and a little of the heroine was modeled after me and inspired from real life (and I won’t say what).

What is your next book about?

I am currently working on the sequel to my paranormal romance novel “Playing with Fire”. It’s called “Dancing with Fire” and will be Book 2 in the FIRE Trilogy. It’s about fire witch Felicia and ice wizard Joshua meeting another gifted person in Iceland. While Felicia deals with unwanted attraction and struggles to train her magic, they’re facing one catastrophe after the other that might mean the end of the world.

Animal lover, content writer, author and translator. How do you find time for yourself? Please tell us a little about your writing routine?

Good question. I wish the day had 48 hours... My main job is writing non-fiction, and I work on that from morning until afternoon, with breaks for meals and some housework in between. If I am not totally swamped with work, then I’ll reserve the evening for fiction writing. I always try and write a chapter in one go. I work on Saturdays too, but I usually take Sundays off to read, read, and read.

What do you look for in a book?

That depends on the genre and the reason why I picked it up in the first place. Generally speaking, the story should pull me in from the first page or chapter. And I want the characters to feel real and to develop over the course of the story. I’m also really fond of a happy ending. 

                                                                        

Your favorite quote?

So many... Let me settle on this nugget of wisdom by Rumi: “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”

I am sure that you have received a lot of reviews about your books...what is the nicest and the most critical review you have received so far?

The nicest one was comparing me to the famous author Nora Roberts, who I admire a lot and whose books are a great source of inspiration. The most critical one pointed out that I tend to get so lost in descriptions and details that action is lagging behind a bit.

How do you spend your time on weekends?

Reading. It’s by far my preferred hobby. But I’ll also watch television with my husband, dedicate more time to my 2 cats and 4 dogs, and write all those messages and e-mails to my friends from around the globe for which I don’t have enough time during the week.

If you had one wish, what would you wish for and why?

I wish I wouldn’t get motion-sick, so I could travel this beautiful country and the rest of the world.

Links -

http://www.devikafernando.com

https://twitter.com/Author_Devika

https://plus.google.com/+DevikaFernando

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00ISH0RD2

https://www.facebook.com/devikafernandoauthor

http://www.pinterest.com/devikafernando1

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7980006.Devika_Fernando

Review of the book - Liberation Bangladesh - 1971

The process of reading and reviewing is quite a complicated issue! I feel it is a skill that I will slowly master….well, I say this because as a reviewer I read different genres of books - some I personally like while others I get drawn into as I turn each page. The most difficult part though is to look at things critically and talk about the things I like and things I don’t in a manner that appeals to the reader, as well as the writer. Phew! The last few months have been quite a roller-coaster ride and that is why I took a break from all this as I felt that things were getting into a pattern and I was getting too absorbed into it. This review is an effort to create a fresh perspective on the entire process of reading a book and talking about it….

Name of the Book - Liberation Bangladesh -1971

Edited by - Major General Dhruv C Katoch

                   Lt Col Quazi Sajjad Ali Zahir

Published by - Bloomsbury India

www.bloomsbury.com

Price - Rs. 499

Blurb

“Liberation: 1971 is a collection of first-hand accounts by soldiers fought in the world of liberation. Published for the first time and narrated with disarming candour and honesty, the book highlights the achievements of the Armed Forces and the Mukti Bahini, as well as the heroic sacrifices of East Pakistan that together brought an end to the tyranny and genocide of the Pakistan establishment and gave birth to a new nation: Bangladesh. How can any nation not be proud of soldiers such as these? Their saga of courage, valour, suffering and pain must never be forgotten, if we are to preserve our freedom and our way of life. A compelling read for young and old alike.”

What makes the book interesting?

As you can see above, the cover is appealing and immediately draws your attention to the topics covered by the stories in the book. The book has been well-conceptualized and that is apparent from the contents page itself; since it breaks down the stories into various sections which keep the stories woven together and provide a flow from one section to the next. The sections are: Section 1 - Resistance, Section 2 - Stories from the 13 day War, Section 3 - The Paratroopers, Section 4 - Air and Naval operations and Section 5 - Surrender and after. The preface is detailed and offers an insight into the reasons behind writing this book, the terrible things that happened in the 1971 war and ends by appreciating the efforts of all the people who made the book possible. The pictures of officers and soldiers on the battlefield and the author profile at the end adds that personal touch to the book as the reader is able to see and read about the people who actually experienced this war and were responsible for creating a new nation called Bangladesh!

What I personally liked about the book -

When I began the book I was unsure about whether I wanted to read about the war and the atrocities that accompany it. Then I remembered that my mother had mentioned something about this war when we were younger and I spoke to her about it. She told me what she remembered and then I decided to read about it myself….I knew that one day I would like to tell my son and the children I teach about how difficult and painful a war can be.

The stories are interesting and provide a first-hand account of the war. It talks about how important teamwork is, how people are willing to sacrifice their lives for their country, how cruel some people can be, the conditions that accompany the war, how one has to keep moving forward despite the loss of family and friends and how important courage is. While reading the stories I have felt tears roll down my cheeks, at times I have held the book tighter feeling helpless and at others I have rejoiced when the enemy was defeated.

In the end, I would like to say that I agree with the statement made above - “A compelling read for young and old alike.” This book will make your realize that freedom comes with a price…a very expensive price!

The book is available on -

http://www.askmebazaar.com

http://amazon.in

www.bloomsbury.com

                               ===========================================

If you want me to review your book or would like to be featured on my blog, please send me a mail at myriadhues14@gmail.com

Looking forward to your mails :)

Review of "Lemon Girl" by Jyoti Arora

          Name of the Book - Lemon Girl

          Author - Jyoti Arora

          Price - Rs.131

Blurb

'It's all your fault.'

Mere words these are.

"But words can possess a shadow invincible enough to rob even a soul of its eternity."

In a society that finds it easier to mark sins of a victim than the culprit, Nirvi is a young girl punishing herself for the faults she did not do and avenging her hurts by defeating her own truth.

She is scared of her future, and ashamed of her past. She is failing herself, and knows it. She has had a long line of boyfriends, and hated them all. She detests the guy she is living with, runs away from the one she loves, and seduces the one who can never love her.

When Arsh first sees Nirvi, she's a free and frank girl in whose eyes sparkle the lemony zest of life. The next time he sees her, she is a voiceless doll draped in clothes that cover her body less and shroud her soul more. And Arsh can't rest till he finds out what made Nirvi give up her own real self.

Nirvi knows she is dragging herself on a path from which there can be no recovery. Can her spirit survive the treacherous downfall? Or is the pull of fear and push of desperation just too strong to withstand for a girl who believes she has "nowhere else to go" but down.

"When it's time for you to fall in love, even a lemon can become the cause of it," says Arsh.

But can love survive, when even the self-love dies?

Can love survive when respect is no more?

Does true love have the power to revive a dying soul?

Find out in the pages of this brilliantly woven, intense, heart-warming and thought-provoking saga of RISING IN LOVE...

What I liked about the Book -

As I writer, I like writing about women’s issues, I feel it is important to give a voice to the countless women who suffer just because they think that what they are going through is their destiny. I chose to review “Lemon Girl” because I liked what was written in the blurb. The method the author has used to speak about the trials and tribulations of a young girl who punishes herself for no fault of hers....The way the protagonist deals with her own conscience and how an old memory keeps her going and believing in herself and her strengths.

Jyoti Arora has written an engaging story that keeps the reader captivated till the end. The chapters in the story have been kept at a good length which helps the story flow from one page too another; there isn’t too little information and neither too much! The two main characters in the novel – Nirvi and Arsh are real; their friendship deep and their feelings for each other strong.

I especially liked that way Jyoti had shown the struggle that all of us face; the fear of dealing with our own demons. The mention of Rishikesh immediately has a calming effect on the soul and that is when you know that Nirvi will now find peace and come to terms with her past. The way she discovers herself, the feelings she goes through have been expressed well by the author. Apart from Arsh, the other characters may have been briefly mentioned, but have an important part in shaping the whole story.

What could have been better -

The language used is simple and yet expresses everything well! While reading the story, I came across a few grammatical errors which stopped the flow of the story and proved to be little painful as I had to go back and reread the last sentence again to understand the context better. Maybe another round of proofreading would help keep the flow of the story intact! I also feel that the author could have used another image for the cover. Something which would have expressed the conflict that Nirvi was going through better!  Of course, it goes without saying that this is a personal choice,  and as it happens you can't  please everyone in life :)!

I would like to end by wishing Jyoti a great future. Looking forward to reading many more good stories from you! :)

Links -

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/jy0tiar0ra

Website - http://jyotiarora.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jyotiarora

Interview With Author Varun Prabhu

Ever since I started spending more time on social networking sites I realized that there are many people who thought out of the box and chose to write about interesting things. Varun Prabhu is one such person who I connected with on Facebook! Very like me, author Varun Prabhu is at his creative best when the rest of the world is immersed in dreams. His debut novel “Exodus” will be available in an e-book format on the 7^th of March. Here are a few questions I asked him and this is what he has to say…. Happy ReadingJ!

Ø Tell us a little about yourself ….

      I am an ambivert, as in I can be both introvert and extrovert, depending upon the situation. I am also hard-working and detail oriented; always want everything to be perfect. I love research and I do a lot of it for my stories.

Ø What do you think makes a good story?

    Content. I will even ignore the grammar if the book has good content. There must be no loopholes and the story must have been developmentally edited. I will also ignore show versus tell as long as the story immerses me into the book and takes me to the world the author has created.

Ø Why did you choose to write about this particular genre?

    Fantasy, historical fiction, and mythology are some of my favorite genres. The current book, my debut novel, is a part of the Mahabharata series, a retelling of my own interpretation which will immerse the reader into the erstwhile Aryavarta politics and folklore. For my debut novel, I chose to write about this genre as I wanted to share the mythology from my POV and how I can relate to those times. Also, many have said my writing is kinda archaic, something that would suit that era. I choose these genres because I absolutely love writing them. Other genres, well, not so much. They pretty much end up being crap..hehe

Ø How much time did you spend on research?

    I have been a fan of Mahabharata since childhood and have been researching its folklore since ages. Considering I love the era and Krishna is my favorite, you may say that I have spent most of my time researching Indian mythology.  For this series, the research I have done before helped me a lot. Plus, I did a specialized research for 3-4 months and came up with new sub-plots and brought forth minor characters to play a major role in the epic. To come up with such things require extensive amount of time. The forthcoming books in the series will only double the research time because the need is extensive.

Ø How did you come up with the title?

    I had an ending in mind. Since the book ends with a temporary disappearance of Dharma and all the characters following it, it was simple really. Exodus means a mass disappearance of people from a place. Hence the name. 

Ø How long did it take you to complete your debut novel?

    It took me a fortnight to write up the first draft. Since this is a genre I love, I can usually write fast.

Ø Do you experience writer’s block? How do you deal with it?

    Not really. I haven't yet. I am clear upon what I want in my book from the start to the end. I plan extensively. I am a plotter, not a pantser.

Ø What does your family think about your career choice?

    Like all others, I face my share of judgment. I am a professional writer and editor. I don't earn much compared to the engineers and doctors and MBAs...I think my parents wanted me to become one of those. But I am happy where I am, because I am doing what I love. Despite all this, my family has supported my decisions even though they can be a bit cranky sometimes. I don't blame them. They have a right to be worried.

Ø Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

    I used to post a lot on websites and the readers have both good and bad things to say about my writing. The good thing is that they love how I write and interpret things. Reminds them of classics, they say. Some have even gone on and compared me to J R.R Tolkien by saying that my writing makes them reminisce the style the great author used. I take it as a compliment but I'm definitely not taking it to my head.

Ø Who is your favorite author?

    J.R.R Tolkien of course! If I had not read his Lord of the Rings, I would probably not have read many books. Or even write one. He is my main inspiration.

Ø What do you do when you are not writing?

    Reading, watching TV Shows (I am like an avid fan)

Ø You favorite song/singer…

    I don't really listen to much music, but then I like Ramin Djawadi and Enya.

Ø Your favorite quote…

“It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish.” - J.R.R Tolkien - Lord of the Rings

Ø What advice would you like to give aspiring authors?

    Write. Just Write. Don't worry about the grammar. Don't worry about Structure. That's for later drafts. For first drafts, just get your ideas to paper. Also research well, and even if you are a pantser, have some kind of an ending in mind. And if you find yourselves in a block, I suggest leave writing for a while, go enjoy and then come back :)

Link to his FaceBook Page –

https://www.facebook.com/Varun.Prabhu.Author

Twitter @VPAllasander

If you are interested in being featured on my blog or would like me to review your book, mail me at - myriadhues14@gmail.com

Guest Post - Mr. Uttam Kumar author of "First Job and Ten Mistakes."

Mr. Uttam Kumar is the author of – First Job and Ten Mistakes. This is his first published work. Read on to know more about him and his book.

About the Book:

The book highlights the common mistakes a Beginner must avoid in one’s career. It is useful for anyone in a new job or in the first 5 years of a job. Written in a simple and easy to understand language, the reader connects easily to the topics. Examples are quoted from real life. Solutions are easy and doable. It is a must read for the one who has already made wrong financial decisions and has created a financial mess for self. It also highlights the side effects of opening economy and easy access to credit.

Blurb:

Credit Cards are your advance Salary and not additional Salary.

Avoid SpEaR, adopt ESS.

Loan for Loan is Suicidal.

About the Author:

Uttam Kumar - More of a Human Being and nothing else, with a soft heart that empathizes and beats for underprivileged and ignored sections of society. Runs an NGO “Straight From Heart.”

Living in: Goa

First Book: First Job and Ten Mistakes

Inspiration: The Story of “My Experiments with Truth” by Mahatma Gandhi: This is my philosophy of life, my Religion.

Loves: Anyone who works to make the world safer and livable for “All Humans irrespective of anything and everything.”

Hates: None

Dream: A society where when I have my dinner, I am sure none of my fellow human is being forced to sleep with an empty stomach, where when I sleep on the bed, I am sure none of my fellow human being is being forced to sleep under stars and when I get up, I am sure none of my fellow human is dying because of lack of medical attention!

Motto: As of my NGO: One Life, One World, One Change!

  

Happiness: Smile on the face of others!

 If you would like me to review your book or be featured on my blog, please contact me at myriadhues14@gmail.com

You can also follow me on Twitter - @GuptaRach