Laburnum For My Head by Temsula Ao

Laburnum For My Head by Temsula Ao
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There are so many highly acclaimed literary awards. Booker, Pulitzer, Orange, what-not. In fact, how many Booker winners and shortlisted have I read! I have read a few Indian literary awards too - like Shakti Bhatt First Book and Hindu Literary Prize - but I have left behind the father of them all - Sahitya Akademi Award! The official literary award of India. When I came across this book on some online book selling portal, I felt some kind of a patriotic urge to read the book. And so here I am done with it finally...

It is a bunch of eight short stories, the first one being the Laburnum For My Head is very touchy. In fact, all the short stories were touch, with nothing as much as an ant same. Each story is unique in it's own way. The only similar all the story share is that their settings are all North Eastern India, but even the time spaces differ from story to story. While Laburnum For My Head could be a modern day story, The Boy Who Sold an Airfield and Death of a Hunter are from pre-Independence.

Having nothing much to say about the stories, I decide to conclude the review stating that the language and the narration of the book is one of the best. Serenity is in every word in the story. When I was reading the book, it felt like I was living in a lush forest, among the other human-inhabitants, spending a uneventful, peaceful and a tranquilizing life.

I doubt there would people who wouldn't enjoy reading this book...

Business Doctors by Sameer Kamat

Blurb (from the jacket):

Ivy League educated management consultant, Michael Schneider, gets hired by an unlikely client - a mafia boss who wants to make a last desperate bid to resuscitate his family business that spans across gambling, drugs and porn.

A reluctant Schneider takes on the challenge to analyze the problems and re-launch the underworld organization into the super-competitive, highly evolved world of crime.

Ten Days by Leela Nandan

INRTODUCTION

TEN DAYS  Obessions...revenge...and murder most foul

AUTHOR: LEENA NANDAN

EDITOR: Shobit Arya and team

PUBLISHER: Wisdom Tree.

PAGES : 211

JOT(from the jacket): Tina is the brightest young executive in a call centre ,and an office romance adds spice to the hectic pace of world...till a stalker strikes terror in her life. 

Vikram , a police officer, is sent to investigate a cybercrime in the same call centre .His life takes a dramatic turn when his ex-girlfriend, leila, now married to someone else, re-enters his life. Soon after, his assistant ends up dead.

Tina,on one stormy evening, stumbles upon the plot behind these seemingly unrelated events which plot behind these seemingly unrelated events which turns out to be something infinitely menacing...

MY REFLECTION:  The life in a call centre is always quick, hectic, busy. The life at call centre , people over there, the emotional bridging between the people, their vulnerabilities and intentions etcectra are addressed in a realistic and appealing way. Tina our protagonist is a happy-go- lucky, cherubic and a charming woman. She seeks happiness from her little world. 

Things take an odd turn suddenly, Tina is in danger.She encounters few strange consequences , few events put her in bewilderment and shock. 

The book is a thriller but it is too gory.It's hard to digest many parts of the book. They are very painful. 

The author has given a  lot of description and addressed so many characters which is so confusing and deviating I guess. 

But this book addresses the atrocities against women , the irrationality and cruelity against them which will emotionlay shake the readers.

About the Author: Leena Nandan is an IAS officer of 1987 batch , Uttar Pradesh cadre. A graduate in English Honours from Patna Women's college, she has a Master's degree in Development Managment from the Asian Institute of Managment, Manali.

ISBN 978-81-8328-364-9

              

The Twelfth Imam by Joel C. Rosenberg

   

INTRODUCTION   

AUTHOR : JOEL C. ROSENBERG

PUBLISHER: JAICO PUBLISHING HOUSE

PAGES : 490 pps

JOT(from the jacket):  WHAT IF THE ISLAMIC MESSIAH COMES TO EARTH ?
                                          WHAT IF THE WORLD WAITS TOO LONG...AND
                                              IRAN DEVELOPS NUCLEAR WEAPONS?

Tensions are rising in the middle east . Iran's president vows to annihilate the United States and Israel. Israel's prime minister says someone must hit Iran's nuclear sites "before it's too late." The American president warns against a preemptive strike on Iran's nuclear facilities and says negotiations are the key to finding peace.

And amid it all, rumors are swirling throughout the region of mysterious religious cleric claiming to be the islamic messiah known as the Mahdi or the Twelfth Imam. Word oh his miracles ,healings,signs and wonders is spreading like wildfire.

CIA operative David Shirazi was born for this moment . he is recruited and sent into Tehran with one objective: use all means necessary to disrupt Iran's nuclear weapon programs, without leaving American fingerprints and without triggering an apocalyptic new war.

But time is running out.

MY REFLECTION :  This book being a Evangelical fiction was like a cultural and literary shock for me. It's  a religious thriller and it's narrated  mmarvelous The language is rock solid. The traits of all the ccharactersplaying in this thriller are presented intricately without missing a single nuance.

Coming to the plot. It's captivating. Especially , it's so amazing how the plot maneuvers towards the crucial events that made me feel awestruck. I definitely need to appreciate the author for the kind of research he has carried out  in understanding the theology of both Islam and Christianity The best part of the book for me is ,while connecting the dots between the two religions.

Overall the book is written fabulously with a stir of suspense,crime,mysticism religion, riots, politics, etc. The book revolves around issues which are very deep to my conscience, but I somehow made it to fathom them.

The only thing that bothered me is  the abrupt closure of the novel, with hardly a note of climax. without this the entire book is  good.

 WARNING: This book contains literature which may hurt the sentiments of people who believe in Islam. And  this book  has biased description about Bible and Jesus.

As this book is a work of fiction, I sincerely request the readers  to look at it  from a creative writer's point of view. I cordially request all the readers ,not to take any part of the book  granted as it triggers the feelings of Fundamentalism

I hope all the readers will  respect the "freedom of expression" and accept the author.

About the Author: Joel C. Rosenberg is the NEW YORK Times best-selling author of five novels. Joel is the producer of two documentary films based on his nonfiction films. He is also the founder of The Joshua Fund , a nonprofit educational and charitable organization to mobilize Christians to " bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus" with food,clothing ,medical supplies,and other humanitarian relief.
                       

ISBN-13: 978-81-8495-447-0

                    

Love Lasts Forever... by Vikrant Khanna

LOVE LASTS FOREVER...
                           only if you don't marry your love

    

                                                                    INTRODUCTION

                                               

AUTHOR - VIKRANT KHANNA

PUBLISHER- SRISHTI PUBLISHERS & DISTIBUTORS

PAGES- 248.

JOT(From the jacket) :    So you think your love can last forever..?

                       Get married !

Eighteen-year-old Ronit falls madly in love with aisha the moment he meets her at his graduation day from a navel college .He believes he has found his perfect soul mate, and come what may ,his love for her will last forever . Seven years later , he gets married to her. Big mistake! A week later, he completely hates her and believes she has turned into a devil.

But his perception about love and life change when he hears the poignant love story of shekhar ,his captain ,on a ship that later gets hijacked by the pirates of somalia .

As they are left fighting for their lives they comfront if love truly can last forever...?But does it get too late?

MY REFLECTION :  The problem with youngsters of this generation is they are too quick in everything, they are naive and gullibel.All the subtle emotions, vulnerabilities, feelings of two youngsters are showcased in a witty, artistic yet realistic way. 

The book comes like two birds at one hit. There is another love stroy narrated in this book, which is situated in 1980's which is a very heart touching one.It made me weep. I learned a lot from that story which is so true about love and life. 

The Best  part of the book for me is the depiction of the navy. All the scenes of the ship being hijacked, How  all the Navy staff had to disconnected from their family and friends and had to stay in somalia as hostage have thrown a light about the life of Navy men. Reading throw these scenes touched the chord of patriotism in me. 

Finally the book is a lovely story of a young navy person who looses hope in his love life(after marraige) and wishes to end the  relationship, but later  realises what's love by the love story of his captain which inspires him to introspect and get his love back

A must read to all the married people , who are having a gloomy married life. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR :  A Sailor by profession and a writer by passion , Vikrant has penned two novels before this . He lives in delhi with his family. 

You can get in tough with him at 

www.vikrantkhanna.com.

                                                                             

ISBN-13: 978-9382665175

                           

The Bluest Marble by Vipin Kumar

              

The Bluest Marble 

is it always about loving your friends & family

            

EDITED by Sandipan Deb

Published by BecomeShakespeare.com

Pages - 264

Genre - Fiction:Urban life

       

INTRODUCTION

JOT(from the jacket) : Aditya is know as Ram kumar 125 - a name given to amnesiac patients in a 'Mental hospital'. He doesn't have amnesia; he just doesn't want to go back to the world he knew before . His inmates include : UT- The brilliant former CEO, Rajesh- software engineer and Jacky - Doctor in Theoretical phisics.among these 'crazies' Ram Kumar 125 discovers happiness himself,the true Aditya ,and the secret of happiness.He has been unconsiously looking for all his life.

MY REFLECTION: 'Mumbai', the city filled with people full of dreams.Here lives one such person from the huge city, working in a Business firm leads an ordinary life. He is Adithya. Every thing about him goes well untill his Boss Ousted him.

        The depiction of the life of beachelors who stay away from their parents and come to the city to have a living, in the midst of masses is done very well. The life at night pubs,Parties etc. The emotional bridges between people in the city too are showcased in a realistic way.

        Aditya's frequent hallucinations about his ex-girlfriend pooja are a highlight to the book. these really hit the slightest chord. and finally the story takes a U turn when he decides to end his life.

        After that the story has rushed to the climax not narrating much about 'the bluest marble'. I felt it could be written better .The plot is ok but the climax wasn't satisfactory.                

ISBN 978-93-83952-05-2

                  

I.T. Hurts by Subhasis Das, Mahi Singla

Blurb (from the jacket):

Dont we all live for a few dreams? These friends did the same.

Gautam, the rich brat, Subho, the corporate slave, Mudrika (Moody), the ambitious girl, Richa, the tomboy, Pritam, the dummy and Ali, the carefree genius-six people from different backgrounds enter in the IT industry with a common dream-to become rich.

On the very first day of his job, Gautam falls for the gorgeous nanya. But when he admits his love to her, he gets the shock of his life-she is soon to be married. Devastated, Gautam moves out of Ananyas life and finds solace with his gang of friends and in cans of beer. Corporate life and its grind helps, too and so does a move to the States. But Gautam decides to give love a second chance and flies down to Mumbai. Will he be second time lucky?

Find out in IT Hurts! a heartwarming story of new found love, old friendships and the trial and tribulations of a punishing industry.

A Flight of Pigeons by Ruskin Bond

Blurb (from the jacket):

Set in Shahjahanpur during the revolt of 1857, A Flight of Pigeons is Ruskin Bond's classic novella about the twists of fate, history and the human heart. 

When Ruth Labadoor's father, a clerk in the British magistrate's office, is killed in an attack by sepoys, her family seek refuge with their trusted companion, Lala Ramjimal. From here they eventually hope to escape to their relatives in Bareilly. But their plans go awry when Javed Khan, a fiery Pathan opposed to the British, abducts Ruth and her mother and takes them to his haveli. To their surprise, it is not hate that impels him in this time of war, but an almost crippling passion for Ruth. It will be months before the fall of Delhi to British troops brings them freedom—from fear, bafflement and despair, not only their own but also Javed Khan's. 

Based on true events, A Flight of Pigeons is a haunting story, rich in detail and drama, told with simplicity and deep humanity.

Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

Blurb (from the jacket):

Saleem Sinai is born at the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, the very moment of India’s independence. Greeted by fireworks displays, cheering crowds, and Prime Minister Nehru himself, Saleem grows up to learn the ominous consequences of this coincidence. His every act is mirrored and magnified in events that sway the course of national affairs; his health and well-being are inextricably bound to those of his nation; his life is inseparable, at times indistinguishable, from the history of his country. Perhaps most remarkable are the telepathic powers linking him with India’s 1,000 other “midnight’s children,” all born in that initial hour and endowed with magical gifts. 

This novel is at once a fascinating family saga and an astonishing evocation of a vast land and its people–a brilliant incarnation of the universal human comedy. Twenty-five years after its publication, Midnight’ s Children stands apart as both an epochal work of fiction and a brilliant performance by one of the great literary voices of our time