Classic Tales from Mystic India by Kamla K. Kapur

Foretold:

It has been quite some time since we have received this book for reviewing from Jaico Publishers.

Like all the other books from Jaico Publishers, this also was sent by Marina. Thank you, Marina.

To browse the various other books sent by Jaico Publishers, click here: BR with Jaico

Note: This was originally named 'Ganesha Goes to Lunch', which was later renamed as 'Classic Tales from Mystic India'.

Blurb (from the jacket):

King Kubera was the greediest man in the world. Hated and feared by many, he schemed to win the love of the beautiful goddess Parvati . . . but learned an important lesson when he invited her elephant-headed son Ganesha over for lunch one day . . .

Thus goes one of the many delightful tales in this decidedly grown-up book of traditional Indian stories, retold for the modern reader. Author Kamla Kapur is well known in her native India as a poet and playwright, and her connection to these age-old stories is the reverent yet individualistic one we might expect from someone whose introduction tells of her hometown, where naked, dreadlocked holy men speed about on motorbikes.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Foreword:

I use Grammarly's plagiarism checker because it helps me find glitches in the prose and is way better than many other copy-cat applications.

It is this new-found tang for Graphic Novels that brought this book to me. Also, it is Srinivas - the other author of this blog - that introduced this book to me.

He kept ranting about this book for so long and at the end, I was adamant to read this. What started as a fleeting glance into the book carried to over 75 pages and I took a few more leaps to complete reading the novel.

I am still skeptical about how many stars to give this book. Maybe, I will decide before I reach the end of this review.

Blurb (from the jacket):

Wise, funny, and heartbreaking, Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi’s memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. In powerful black-and-white comic strip images, Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages six to fourteen, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah’s regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq. The intelligent and outspoken only child of committed Marxists and the great-granddaughter of one of Iran’s last emperors, Marjane bears witness to a childhood uniquely entwined with the history of her country.

Performance Anomalies by Victor Robert Lee

Foreword:

This is one of those very few books I have received through GoodReads First Reads Program. You know how difficult it is. There are thousands of members participating in each giveaway and there are very few copies to win. Almost all the times, I was one who was most likely to win. Well, I guess it is the same with you, too, if you have participated in any of those GoodReads giveaways.

However, I won this book, which was exclusively for Indians and I remember that there were as many copies as there were participants. Otherwise, how in the name of God did I even win this!

In that, a hard-cover! Big deal!

Blurb (from GoodReads):

Victor Robert Lee’s provocative debut spy thriller PERFORMANCE ANOMALIES introduces a protagonist to rival the most memorable espionage heroes. Cono is a startling young man of mixed and haunting heritage who has been gifted – or cursed – with an accelerated nervous system. An orphan from the streets of Brazil, he acts as a freelance spy, happy to use his strange talents in the service of dubious organizations and governments – until, in Kazakhstan, on a personal mission to rescue a former lover, he is sucked into a deadly maelstrom of betrayal that forces him to question all notions of friendship and allegiance. 

Anthem by Ayn Rand

Foreword:

This is one of those books which we haven't received for reviewing. Of course, we are just too small-time, to receive an Ayn Rand's book for reviewing. In fact, I don't see any need why her books would need ratings, reviews or publicity. People who are familiar with Ayn Rand's writing will read them anyway and others will read them, too, for the mere brilliance of her work!

Basically, this is my first exposure to Ayn Rand's work, her philosophy, objectivism, her followership. Never in my wildest dream did I think that Ayn Rand was such massive figure in the field of literature and philosophy. In fact, it was a shocker to know the various organizations named after her and built on the basic foundation of her philosophy - objectivism.

The very basic reason I picked up this book is by its slender thickness. It is seldom 105 pages, which includes 16 pages of 'Introduction'. Perhaps, I believe, this book is the thinnest book written by Ayn Rand. Well, I was being satiric, about her other humongous books - Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.

The other reason behind picking up this book is its Dystopian plot. Every since I read, Fahrenheit 451, I developed this strange tang to read more of Dystopian novels. In fact, there were many similarities that are clearly shared between these two novels, apart from their slenderness.

Horseshoe Garage by Hitesha Deshpande

Foreword:

Lately, Leadstart Publishers have been in a full-swing. The market is like flooded with a ton of their books. Especially from their self-publishing imprint, Frog Books.

However, this book is printed under the imprint, Jufic Books, which primarily concentrates on Thrillers and Urban Fictions. To know more about Leadstart Publishers, click here...

The present book in discussion is one of the four book sent by Parag Mayekar. The other three are:

• Arjuna by Anuja Chandramouli
• Marry Go Round by Sadiqa Peerbhoy
• A Salesman's Lessons by C.R. Jena

After reading all the four books and weighing them, I think Arjuna is the best, so far.

Blurb (from the jacket):

Though he has gotten used to his salary and his job at Grant Motors, Sarvesh still finds himself waking up in the middle of the night, his heart pounding with the excitement of a Neo-Racing dream. The technologically advanced cars and the smell of the burnt rubber of the tyres haunt him all the time. 

The Shadow Throne by Aroon Raman

Foreword:

It was well before now, when this book had just got published, when this blog was nonexistent, when I was pretty new to reading and I was roving around asking people for recommendations but only Indian. I had this special tang for Indian authors back then. Even now, for that matter. The stories they narrate could be related to and the feeling own-ness will never leave while reading.

That is when Vinit K. Bansal (author of I'm Heartless) recommended me two books - The Cavansite Conspiracy and The Shadow Throne (this one). Both were thrillers and by Indian authors. I got my hands on the former one and read it. I pretty much liked it. Though, I consider it an average book to the present standard. It was  pretty intriguing for a noob like me back then.

But then, I never got a chance to get this book. Though I have been coming across this book more than once, on various online-selling portals in their page of "Best Sellers", I didn't quite paid much heed. Until the author himself has contacted me recently.

I got a message on GoodReads from the author, Aroon Raman, asking to review his book. As I wanted to read that book for a long time, I immediately accepted to review his book.

Blurb (from the jacket):

India faces nuclear armageddon...

A mysterious murder at the Qutub Minar triggers a call to ace journalist Chandrasekhar from his cop acquaintance, Inspector Syed Ali Hassan. The victim is unlike anyone Chandra has ever seen: a white Caucasian male who has all the looks of a throwback to Greek antiquity. Soon after, Hassan calls in to report the case has been taken away from him – in all likelihood by RAW – the Research & Analysis Wing, the uber-agency of Indian intelligence.

When You Became My Life by Anshul Sharma

Foreword:

Like various other books from Srishti Publishers, I received this book also from Arup Bose (of Srishti Publishers).

The various other books received from Srishti Publishers: BR with Srishti...

Blurb (from the jacket):

Neevs life is marked with castastrophes after losing his parents and almost everything he owned, he finds refuge with his friend Aadi in Agra. Living with an old friend in a new house, busy with a new job in a new environment revives him, somewhat. 

And then, life happens. As he bumps into love and tries to keep running away from it, love follows him as Aashi a small-town girl with larger than life aspirations and a novel dream. Neev sets out to fulfil her dream but he has to pay a coast for it. Either love or life. What will he choose to let go? 

When You Became My Life is a story spun by destiny. It is a story of a young boy who takes it upon himself to defeat all odds and be one with love.

Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli

Foreword:

This is the first Graphic Novel I have ever read. Yeah, believe me, I never even read comics for that matter.

It is Srinivas, the other author of this blog, who developed a keen interest in graphic novels lately. In fact, it is he who first made me aware that there exists something like Graphic novels. Of course, I knew Batman, Superman, et al, but they are comics.

At first, I had difficulty understanding difference between a Graphic Novel and a Comic. It is Srinivas who made understand and it was simple.

Well now, after reading the book, I must say that it was a very unique experience. The experience was nothing like reading a book. Neither was it like watching a movie. It was more like watching a cartoon-movie on mute, with subtitles. No music, no background score, but the emotions are delivered with equal measure.

Blurb:

The triumphant return of one of comics’ greatest talents, with an engrossing story of one man’s search for love, meaning, sanity, and perfect architectural proportions. An epic story long awaited, and well worth the wait. 

Meet Asterios Polyp: middle-aged, meagerly successful architect and teacher, aesthete and womanizer, whose life is wholly upended when his New York City apartment goes up in flames. In a tenacious daze, he leaves the city and relocates to a small town in the American heartland. But what is this “escape” really about? 

The Edge Of Desire by Tuhin A. Sinha

Foreword:

I have won this book in one of the author interviews by Subhasis Das. Tuhin Sinha, himself, had sent this to me via a online shopping portal.

I have received this book a long while ago. But due to some misunderstanding, the reviewing of this book was delayed.

However, now, after reading the book, I regret stalling reading this for so long!

To view the other books received through Subhasis Das, click here: BR with Subho...

To the author's interview taken place on Facebook, click here: Tuhin Sinha @Subhounplugged

Blurb (back-cover):

Can a woman's humiliation change the destiny of a nation? It did in the Mahabharata. And it does, once again, in the lawless Bihar of the 1990s...

When journalist Shruti Ranjan, newly-wed wife of the Deputy Commissioner of Kishanganj in the lawless Bihar of the 1990s, is brutally raped by a ‘politically sheltered local goon’ all of her attempts at getting justice are crushed by a corrupt and complicit state government. That’s when the charismatic Sharad Malviya, a leading member of the Opposition party, offers her an unlikely solution: his party’s ticket to contest the Lok Sabha elections. 

Where The Rainbow Ends by Anurag Anand

Foreword:

Like various books from Srishti Publishers, this book also was sent by Arup Bose.

You can check out the other books from Srishti Publishers here: Books from Srishti...

This is one of the four other books sent by Arup. And this one has the second best cover design from among the four, which is the reason I have read this second, after The Storm in My Mind by Ayaan Basu.

Blurb (from back-cover):

Even the most artistic of imaginings can sometimes seem callow in the face of truth. That which appears may not be and that which lies hidden might just be the stark, naked face of reality.

Rahul had everything going his way – a soaring career, a happy family and all else a man his age could yearn for. And then suddenly his life began to crumble all around him, disintegrating element after precious element, leaving him to watch in helpless horror.

Where had he gone wrong? Was there still hope for redemption, even a solitary ray that he could cling on to?

Avantika, a pretty, vivacious girl who had come into Rahul’s life by pure accident, literally, has suddenly gone missing. Just like that, without as much as a trace.

Baramulla Bomber by Clark Prasad

Foreword:

There are lot of trilogies coming these day, aren't they? It was Shiva Trilogy and now Swastik trilogy. The only trait they share is that while the former has a great tinge of mythology to it, the predecessor is multi-faceted, including 'Mythology'.

Before I got this book for reviewing, there was lot of talk about this book that was going around. I thought it was just not over-rated book. Come on, too much talk gives that impression to me. But then, after reading the book, I take all those words back.

"Science Fiction Espionage Thriller". Well, that is pretty new for me in Indian writing. I had very high hopes when I open the cover and started the book...

Plot (from the jacket):

AN ANCIENT WEAPON FROM THE VEDAS & BIBLE 

ONCE HUNTED BY THE NAZIS 

POWERED BY THE SOUND OF UNIVERSE 

REBORN WITH HELP OF QUANTUM PHYSICS 

GOING TO BE UNLEASHED ON TO THE WORLD 

AND KASHMIR HOLDS ITS SECRET 

The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri

Foreword:

Like Fahrenheit 451 I have read this book to get a break of the whole lot of books I have been receiving for reviewing. This is a new development in me. I stopped accepting new books for reviewing and started to read a random (non-tbr) book for every 3 tbr books I read. Well, Ray Bradbury's magic did this to me.

Why Lowland?

• Well, I have heard so many good things about Jhumpa Lahiri from Srinivas, the other author of this blog.
• Because it was a gift from a friend.
• Because it was Shortlisted for Man Booker this year.
• Because I was hoping that this book wins Booker this year, which would make Jhumpa Lahiri the first person to win both Pulitzer Prize and Man Booker Prize.
• Most importantly, because it was hardbound!!!

Plot( from GoodReads):

Two brothers bound by tragedy; a fiercely brilliant woman haunted by her past; a country torn by revolution. A powerful new novel-set in both India and America-that explores the price of idealism and a love that can last long past death.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby

Foreword:

Long back, probably about 4 years ago, when I first saw Into The Wild movie, I instantly became its fan. Soon after I read the book. After which my life took an entire 'U-Turn'. It was a new me. Everything, even my perspective had undergone a makeover.

That is when I was searching like movies of Into The Wild. That is when I stumbled upon a French movie, titled 'The Diving Bell And The Butterfly'. The title made little sense. The connection between the two things mentioned in the title made even littler sense. Must have been something poetic, I thought.

Actually I was entirely not aware of the face that the movie was in French. Of course, I know that it is a French movie, but the title of the movie I downloaded was in English, so I thought it to be in English. I carried on watching the movie half-hearted, but at the end, I thanked my stars for not overlooking the movie, for not deleting it when I learnt that it was not in English.

A Salesman's Lessons by C.R. Jena

Foreword:

Like many other from Leadstart, this book is also sent by Parag Mayekar. He has this bad habit of sending in books without intimating beforehand, nor afterhand for that matter!

I have asked him not to sent books without informing me. There might be book I am not interested and wouldn't want to review. But no. He repeats the same with another of this book. So I gave up my effort to make him understand and decided to write what comes into my mind.

Hey, Parag, do remember. If I am rating this book low, it is your doing.

Other books from Leadstart Publisher can be found here: click here...

Plot (from back-cover):

What is the ground reality for a Salesman? Do the various laws, theories, hypotheses, anecdotes and sayings of science, mathematics, literature, engineering, management, history – in fact, everything that we painstakingly read and absorb in order to gain our college degrees before we start working, equip us for field situations when we actually go into the all–too–real–world of Sales? Can we really use the academic learning we struggled with and paid so much for, to sell better? Are there certain factors (which do not appear in the pages of any college or business school text), that are crucial to success in Sales?

Find_Love.com by Neeta Iyer

Foreword:

Like many Jaico books, I have received this book also from Marina.

Other books from Jaico Books: click here...

Plot (from the backcover):

"Love Is A Funny Thing. When You Get Stuck On Someone, You Just Get Stuck. All Reasoning Fails."

Meet 29-year-old Swati Kannan who believes in bells chiming and violins playing when you meet your very own Prince Charming. But Cupid hasnt visited Swati. And then arrives news of the world coming to an end! Swati is determined to bring an end to her misery of being attractively single. So off she goes on a hunt an online groom-hunt leading to several rounds of coffee offline. While Rockstar Rohit sweeps her off her feet, Amusing Amit promises her laughter.

Par Swati ki ghanti bajegi kya?

Youll just have to read Find_Love.com to find out, wont you?!

Look What Came In The Courier Today...

Baramulla Bomber

by

Clark Prasad

Received from Readers Cosmos...

Gift wrapped!!

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Foreword:

I didn't expect I would read this book. At least, not this soon. With that never-ending stack of books, I wouldn't read this book for coming quarter of a year, by when hopefully, I would be done reviewing the entire stack of tbr and would be as free as a flying seagull. (God, how poetic have I become! Well, this book is to be blamed for that!)

Now that I finally read it, how do I feel? It is not the emotion that could be literally described in words, so I decided to write this review with help of various .gifs and I hope that this review marks the start of the .gif influenced reviews I aim to write.

Plot (as per the back-cover):

Guy Montag is a fireman. In his world, where television rules and literature is on the brink of extinction, firemen start fires rather than put them out. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden.

Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television “family.” But then he meets an eccentric young neighbor, Clarisse, who introduces him to a past where people didn’t live in fear, and to a present where one sees the world through the ideas in books instead of the mindless chatter of television.

When Mildred attempts suicide, and Clarisse suddenly disappears, Montag begins to question everything he has ever known. He starts hiding books in his home, and when his pilfering is discovered, the fireman has to run for his life.

India Unlimited by Kulpreet Yadav

Foreword:

When author first contacted us to review his book, I have heard about this quite a lot of times from the other websites. Not to mention, the loads of promotions by the lifi publishers on Facebook.

Although, we are tightly packed with tbr stack, I accepted to review this book, anyway. I couldn't regret the my decision when I turned to the second page of the book, which had four simple words,

Dear Sundeep

Warm regards,

Followed by the author's signature.

I fell further in love with the book...

Plot (from the jacket):

The Indian phenomenon is capturing everyone's attention from businessmen to Hollywood stars. But how real is the Indian story on the ground? INDIA UNLIMITED is an attempt to lay bare the lives of people and their surroundings that define an ambivalent India trapped between hype and hope.

Aisle Be Damned by Rishi Piparaiya

Foreword:

Third one-go read of this week. Well, I was wondering, are the book really that interesting or is it that the bibliophile in me is back with a vengeance for all those lost days of no reading?

The other book two books being,

The Storm in My Mind by Ayaan Basu

Are you the one? by Jennifer Bernard

Like many other books we've received from Jaico Publishers, even this one is sent by Marina and I want to thank her for sending this and personally recommending this book. I don't think I would have forgiven myself if I have overlooked this book!

For various other books we received from Jaico publishers click here: BR with Jaico

Plot (from the jacket):

A Hilarious Take on just about Everything Associated with Air Travel.

Are you the one? by Jennifer Bernard

Foreword:

Seriously, believe me, this book came across as a Mills & Boon for me. I pretty certain it might have made a same impression on you, too. Well, I hate Mills & Boon. Don't ask me. I can't answer you. Yeah, that's the truth. I can't answer. I never read any Mills & Boon, yet I hate them so much. I have this feeling that Mills & Boon are meant for women and for women only. I wouldn't have accepted this book if it wasn't by Jennifer Bernard. We share a good relation and I accepted the book for reviewing.

But believe me, I am not disappointed...

In fact, the story turned out to be way interesting than I have expected!

Plot (from the jacket):

Repayment of a debt of gratitude is Stephen's father's explanation when he arm-twists his son to fly to Chennai to meet Bella his betrothed, the daughter of an old friend. Though reluctant at the prospect of an arranged marriage, Stephen is to woo Bella, who seems to be two people - she blows hot, she blows cold and intrigues him enough to make him want to stay on. 

Meanwhile, her childhood friend Michael and her sister Mira add spice to the proceedings.

Are Bella and Michael in love?

Will Stephen be able to win Bella over? Or is his trip to India fated to be a fiasco?

About the author (from GoodReads):

I [Jennifer Bernard] like making up my own stories and the only thing i like better than that is reading stories made up by other people. 

The Storm in My Mind by Ayaan Basu

Foreword:

Like various other books, even this book was sent by Arup Bose - our Srishti stacker - for reviewing.

I without much thought accepted this book to review because it written by a Bengali. Though I hadn't had a chance earlier to read any book by a Bengali (I aspire to read Amitav Ghosh and others soon), I know the true artistic potential of a Bengali. For instance, take their movies. I marvel at why most of their movies are off the grid!

That reminds me of an answer by one of my friends, when I questioned, "Can't Bengalis come up with normal plots for stories?" She replied, " 'Bangalis' and 'normal', both in one sentence?"

Especially when the book has 'Kolkata' in its tagline, I had a keen interest to read this book ever since I received it. Off the records, it is due to Srinivas, the co-author of the blog that I developed this keen interest for Kolkata, Bangali authors, and Bengalis, in general.

Plot (from the jacker):

When Aryan Roy stepped into college life to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming a successful engineer, little did he know that he was in for a journey of a lifetime. Anushka and Kaira turn his sojourn into a memorable one – in both good and not-so-good senses. 

I Played A Game With Life by Richardson Susairaj

Foreword:

It has been sometime since I have received this book, but, finally, I got time to review it. Firstly, I must apologize to the author for the late review. There are so many books flooding in and so little time I have. It has been quite a feat for me to take time for reading. I think I must take out more time for reading. However, first is first. That is one reason we stopped accepting any and every author that have contacted us for reviewing. Hope, I get done with the tbr stack ASAP.

Plot (from GoodReads):

SAM, a typical guy, living life happy and carefree, but has an ambition that far exceeds what a normal Chennai boy can aspire to. Encountering ‘Life’ itself in a dream, he’s convinced into playing a game with it. A game that ends when Life's travails get so hard that Sam is pushed to tears.

A girl enters Sam’s life. The moment he sets eyes on her he knows she’s going to play hard to get, but sparks do indeed fly between them, taken into a world of romance. 

When everything looked like its going according to the plan, it just wasn't. This is when Life starts pressing down on Sam. Though Sam’s attitude about living life is to be happy and cool, he finds himself being tested.

Circumstances pushes him into a world of discomfort and guilt. Amidst such emotional turmoil, he manages to grip on to hope. 

Sam is expected to worry, complain, and give up. One event after another sets him on edge to make him shed that tear which veritably ends Life's game. 

Does he win the game with Life, or will he spiral into what so many people who've given up the fight have fallen into? You simply need to be part of his life to find out.

About the author (from GoodReads, too):

Richardson is an upcoming Author, his debut novel I PLAYED A GAME WITH LIFE had hit store shelves this August. After spending few years reading International and Regional novels, he has ventured into the next stage of his life, namely that of an Author. 

Look What Came In The Courier Today...

It has been some time since we have received a author-signed copy!!

Indian Unlimited

by

Kulpreet Yadav

Marry Go Round by Sadiqa Peerbhoy

Foreword:

The new addition to our list of stackers is the Leadstart Publishers. This is one of the four books sent by them for us in the first shipment.

The reason I chose this book out the four because I liked the cover of this book. The main reason being its slender size. This books is too slender for its 223 pages. And then, the book is narrated with backdrop of Hyderabad. What else? I knew this is going to be the first book I was going to read.

The reviews of other books are going to follow suit pretty soon...

Plot (from the jacket):

A determined mother using blatant emotional blackmail to inveigle her NRI son into a marriage with the right sort of desi girl; a reluctant groom with a live-in girlfriend following him all the way to India; a bride on the rebound from a disastrous liaison with a married man; skeletons rattling in old family cupboards; an aunt on the vengeance trail ? and we have a heady cocktail of an arranged wedding that morphs into a love marriage with quite the wrongest possible girl?with a little tactical help from long-dead ancestors.

Written in a refreshingly original style, Marry Go Round is one quaint combine of today?s merrily irreverent humour and a staid Hyderabadi milieu with its Nawabi hangover from grandiose times long past.

Sadiqa Peerbhoy has published sever hundred short stories in leading magazines and Sunday papers. She has been a columnist for Deccan herald, Newstime, Midday, The Brief , and the Times of India, Bangalore. So no 'About the author' this time!

Our review:

There is nothing striking about the cover design of the book. It is simple. The very simplicity is appealing to look at. The story is exactly apt for the cover design. The story is simple too.

Stilettos In The Newsroom by Rashmi Kumar

Foreword:

Stilettos in the Newsroom. Isn't the name catchy enough? If you are on the impression that this book is a 'chic-lit', well, I can't justify you. When I first heard of this book. My reaction was the same. But considering the thin book, that this book is, I didn't hesitate to select this book for reading.

Actually, it is the other way around. I was selected to review this book. As you, readers, know Subho (Subhasis Das) is one of our stackers. It is in one of his interviews that Rashmi Kumar - the author of this book - is interviewed and I was chosen the winner so the book was sent to me, or maybe because I was the official reviewer of Subho's blog.

For the link to the author's interview, click here...

You might be wondering that how I accepted to review a 'chic-lit'. Well, the author herself had confirmed that this book is no chic-lit and can be read by anyone and everyone.

After completing reading the book, I am still left pondering over whether the book is a 'chic-lit' or not...

Plot (from GoodReads):

A racy and lively account of a bubbly 28-year-old journalist Stilettos in the Newsroom unravels itself through the eyes of Radhika Kanetkar right from the time she took her first step into the newsroom, got her first story, made bloopers and handled pressures to meet deadlines. In the midst of all this, Radhika experiences a journey of triumph, anguish, jealousy and of course finds her true love Sameer.

The Guardian Angels by Rohit Gore

Foreword:

I have come across many reviews rating this book a perfect-ten. I thought it was just another over-rated book. If some reviews rated it ten outta ten, it might be over-rated. If all the reviews rated it ten? Well, there is little chance it is over-rated. So I read a couple of reviews of this book (which is quite rare of me), reviewed by some of my most-trusted reviewers and settled upon that it was indeed a great book.

When I noticed this book up for a giveaway on TheTalesPensieve.com, I applied for it right away. It came as a shocker when I received a mail from TTP stating that I have won the giveaway and am expected to review it in 7 seven days. Well, I was greatly excited. Until I received the book...

I have an idea of Rohit Gore. His other book, Circle of Three, came across as a sensible book with a sensible story- a very rare at such low price. Never read it, though.

After reading this, I am dead-decided to read Circle of Three, soon.

Plot (from the jacket):

The Guardian Angels is the epic and tumultuous story of two star-crossed lovers who weren’t just soul-mates but were also each other’s protectors.

The fates of Adi Mehta and Radha Deodhar are deeply entwined when within days of their first rendezvous they save each other’s lives.

My Beloved's MBA Plans by Disha

Foreword:

Unlike various other books from Srishti, we have received this book singly. You know, Srishti ships a bunch of new releases of that month, it is rare to receive a single book. But then, there were only two books that were released in the previous month. 

When Arup Bose mailed asking me whether I was interested in reviewing this book. I didn't accept it right away. There was already a long stack of books and I don't want to be greedy, but then I noticed various other blogs receiving the book. I thought it must be interesting and asked Arup to send the book over.

I received a small, almost weightless packet. I was shocked to find so thin a book inside it. Seriously the book is only 110 pages! That is one reason, it has been one of the few books I have completed reading in a day.

So let me thank Arup Bose for sending over a good book like this and believe me, man, you keep our blog very much alive... ;-)

Plot (from the jacket):

My Beloved’s MBA Plans is a collection of engaging stories with a common thread running through all of them – How much are you willing to give to fulfil your MBA dream? Would you be willing to give up a cushy job and start from scratch? you be willing to stay apart from your spouse? you be willing to uproot your family from a well-settled life?

Read on to discover how Vivek’s MBA course turns out to be quite an adventurous journey with his wife Divya and their two kids. For Arpita, it is a second chance at love. Payal and Nitin make the campus their home while Geet faces a tragic loss. Join Suraj and Priya as they break away from the family business to carve out a path for themselves and discover how Rahul and Dimple spend an unusual honeymoon. These are just a few stories from this colorful collection set against the backdrop of life on campus and

aspirations for an MBA degree. 

The book is a ride through different shades of life and experiences. Whether you are single or married, this book is an absolute must read for anyone who wishes to take an unconventional decision in life.

About the author (from the jacket):

An IIM-Calcutta alumnus, Disha loves to express herself through her poems and short stories. Be it travelling with friends, philosophizing on life, working on a social project through her NGO or cooking for her family, Disha comes across as a multi-faceted person with an energetic smile. My Beloved's MBA Plans is her debut novel. Disha can be reached at dreamerdisha@gmail.com.

Our review:

Cover design:

There is nothing striking or interesting about the cover design. It is plain white with black spreads and depicting a could walking towards, what seems like a, hospital (it is a university in actual to the story).

Look What Came In The Courier Today...

The Jadoo of your Love!

by

S. R. Saha

~~~

When You Became My Life

by

Anshul Sharma

~~~

When The Rainbow Ends

by

Anurag Anand

~~~

The Storm in My Mind...

by

Ayaan Basu

~~~

Millionaire by Dayal Madan

Foreword:

Those were the days when our mailbox was flooding with book reviews and one such mail was really distinct from others. It read,

Hi,

I've set up a self publishing company, and my first book is going to be launched on 7th September. I would like to request a book review of my book for your blog. Please let me know the procedure.

The very aspect of self-publishing was pretty new for us. I rarely came across self-published books. Yeah, we reviewed quite a few books from Frog Books, which is a independent publishing book company, but that is a whole different matter. The frog books is maintained and funded by Leadstart Publishing house, a leading publishers in the market. But the story of this book is completely different. There are no maintenance of leading publishing house in the case of this book. I wholeheartedly wish the author, Dayal Madan and the co-owner of the publishing house, Rhythm Books, a very bright future. It is whole lot of hard-work to self-publish one's own book. There were many questions that popped up in my mind and there were many e-mails exchanged between me and the author. Not to forget, he answered each of my question pretty patiently

Thank you and all the best for your venture and the book, Dayal...

Plot (from the jacket):

Billions of people, with zillions of dreams. Dreams that say I want to be rich, I want to see my favorite car in the garage of my beach-house, I want to have everything I want. It’s true that money can’t buy happiness, ‘cause it is happiness. But do dreams really turn into reality? Can an ordinary life be deciphered to extra-ordinary?

The Paperback Badshah by by Abhay Nagarajan

Foreword:

It has been some time since I received this book from both, the publisher and the author. Due to the long stack of books piled for reviewing and the other author of blog, Srinivas doing little to help, I was pretty caught up. So finally I completed completed this book and am reviewing it...

Let me start the review by thanking both of them for sending over their books. Abhay, had sent all three of his books, yet published, for reviewing. It was the first for us. No author sent a mass of his books for reviewing. It was quite a stunt because we couldn't quite rate the book as per author's expectation. But come on, man, no soft corners when it come to reviews. Honest and Unbiased. Remember? I hope just that the author takes it in good sport and wouldn't build up grudge on bad rating.

Other books we received from Srishti can be see here: BR with Srishti

Reviews of other books of Abhay can be found here: Abhay Nagarajan Books

Plot (from the jacket):

‘In life…you can choose to become a specialist or a generalist. But in love, please don’t become a reluctant fundamentalist. Instead become a love scientist.’

-Raghu Balakrishnan

Raghu Balakrishnan is a laidback 25 year old, who quits his regular job as a financial advisor to focus single-mindedly on his dream of becoming a published author in India. He stays with his parents. They reluctantly tolerate his new found creative ‘nonsense’ as he works on his book, a love story, which he titles The Paperback Badshah. 

As time passes by, he realizes that writing the book is just one part of the dream.

How did one go about getting it published? 

What about the marketing and promotion?

What about reactions from the readers?

Would it open up the faucets of love in their hearts or would it irritate them, given the sheer absurdity of the plot?

English Bites! by Manish Gupta

Foreword:

When I first received a mail from the author asking to review his book, I was pretty impressed from the way the mail was composed. The whole mail comprised of six lines and those lines contained the basic plot of the book, the publications (which played a big role on accepting to review his book right away) and his liking for our blog (which I presume is genuine and feel grateful).

It has been sometime since I last read a researched non-fiction. Of course, my last read, Wise Enough to be Foolish by Gauri Jayaram, was a non-fiction, but it was a story, while this book is a researched non-fiction on English language, trying and improving the readers' vocabulary.

Overall, the book was pretty helpful for the BR catalog and to me, an aspiring author, to plunge and discover undiscovered areas of literary genres.

I can't continue with the rest of the review without thanking Manish Gupta, the author, for writing and sending the books over to us. Hope you are satisfied with our review, Manish ji.

After a good amount of thinking I decided to add two descriptions of the book - one from the jacket of the book and the one stated by the author in the mail - so that you, the readers, have a better idea of the aim of the book...

Plot:

From jacket:

English Bites! My Fullproof English Learning Formula is the story of a man who goes from being tongue-tied in school to becoming a smooth talking banker. Through a series of hilarious personal adventures and misadventures, Manish Gupta provides easy solutions to problems faced by language learners. So, whether you're a vernacular speaker, a GRE/ GMAT/CAT/XAT aspirant or just a language nut, English Bites! will expand your vocabulary and improve your verbal ability. It may even help you love the English language a little more! 

• Add over 1000 new words to your vocabulary and figure out easy and effective ways to expand your word bank.

• Combine etymology, mnemonics, jokes and anecdotes to better your understanding of the English language.

• Differentiate between similar sounding words and learn to use them right.

• Improve your general knowledge with trivia that spans brand names, automobiles, fine dining, love, money, banks, science and B-school jargon.

From the mail:

It is a simple yet hilarious story of a small town guy who studies in the vernacular medium and extremely poor in his communication skills, pronunciation, and vocabulary, and how he discovers and invents interesting tools techniques to best the convent educated lot in his class. He finally realises his dream of an MBA, gets a great job in a multinational bank, marries the women from his dream profession (medicine) for his spouse, and how he gets stumped by English in the new nursery rhymes his kids begin reciting at home. 

About the author (from the jacket):

Manish Gupta is a banking professional. When not crunching numbers he is busy engaging with and examining the vagaries and idiosyncrasies of the English language. He also likes trivia, travelling, adventure sports, delving into human psychology, and giving professorial discourses to colleagues, family and friends, and practically anyone who can give him a patient hearing. An engineering graduate from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh and an MBA from XLRI, Jamshedpur, he lives in Mumbai with his wife Deepali, a medical professional, and daughters Tamanna and Prakriti.

He can be reached at mystruggleswithenglish@gmail.com

Our review:

Cover Design:

The tagline - My Fullproof Enlish Learning Formula - with the word, fullproof, rounded with red marker visibly prompts that the story is comical. (If you didn't get it. The tagline indicates that this book helps you learn English in a more faster way. But the word 'Foolproof' is mispelled as 'Fullproof'. Hope you get the witticism behind the tagline. If you don't get it even now, God help you.)

Wise Enough to be Foolish by Gauri Jayaram

Foreword:

This is one of two books I have received first from Jaico Publishers. It didn't take much time for the other three books to add up to the list, too. So by the time I started reading this book, I had to make a choice between five books. How I settled upon this book? Well, honestly, this seemed to be most appealing among the five books. I wasn't yet ready for the Sherlock Holmes.

Before I get on with the review, I would like to thank Marina Fernandes for contacting me, in the first place, and especially, for sending this book over (even though I was one who requested to review the book).

For more details of Jaico Publishers and out relation with them, go here: BR with Jaico.

Plot (from the jacket):

Wise Enough to Be Foolish is a fictionalized memoir that traces the journey of an Indian girl’s life, with all its challenges and delightful surprises, as she blossoms from an insecure child into a confident young woman. This roller-coaster ride of adventure, laughter and heartache, as she balances her love life with her struggle for independence, will keep you guessing – What rules will she break next? How far will she go to find herself?

About the author (from the jacket):

Mother of two girls, amateur athlete, part-time writer, management school drop-out, entrepreneur, in full time employment with the world’s largest escorted touring company and the woman behind the Active Holiday Company, Gauri Jayaram is a little bit of many things and still not satisfied. She frequently combines her love for long distance running with rock music.

Our review:

Cover design:

The cover design of this book isn't flashy. It isn't dull, either. It is just sweet and simple. Just like the story enveloped between the covers. The cover pic pretty much depicts the basic idea of the story.