Book Review - The Bestseller She Wrote

Today, I shall be reviewing Ravi Subramanian's latest book - The Bestseller She Wrote. Earlier this month, I received an autographed copy of the romance novel. You can also read my review of God is a Gamer by the same author.

Fast Facts:-

Title: The Bestseller She Wrote

Author: Ravi Subramanian

Genre: Romance (Fiction)

Publisher: Westland Ltd

Pages: 391

Price: Rs.295 (Paperback)

Key Characters:-

1. Aditya Kapoor: A successful author and banker
2. Shreya Kaushik: An MBA student and an aspiring writer
3. Maya: Aditya's wife and a teacher at an international school
4. Sanjay: Aditya's best friend from IIM-B 

The Review:-

'The Bestseller She Wrote' is not what you would ordinarily expect from Ravi Subramanian - the writer whose claim to fame is a series of successful financial thrillers. He writes his first romance novel, but the premise is still well within his comfort zone - writing and banking.

The story is explores a phase in the life of Aditya Kapoor, a bestselling author who also holds a senior position at a bank. He is handsome, charismatic and very lucky to have an understanding and loving wife in Maya - his B-school sweetheart. Theirs is a happy family with a toddler in the frame.

Aditya meets Shreya, a topper at IIM-Bangalore when he is invited to his alma mater to address the students and promote his latest thriller. Shreya is an attractive and intelligent girl who is fiercely ambitious at the same time. She pines to become a bestselling author of Aditya's stature. What in the beginning seems like an innocuous acquaintance, later turns into an adulterous affair. The plot is a result of coincidence and also deliberate scheming.

The book explores the delicate and dangerous world of adultery - how it starts, what goes on in the mind of an adulterer, if conscience and guilt make their presence felt, what happens when the cat is out of the bag, and if cheating can ever be forgiven. At the same time, the setting takes the readers through the nuances of getting one's book published and promoted. There are also the usual office scenes at the bank and the sundry issues you would expect.

The twist in the story is the sudden importance attributed to Maya and what happens to her. This is what keeps the book from going down the done-to-death route of a regular romance novel.

My Verdict:-

Perhaps I was expecting better stuff from the author, given my past experience with his writing. This is why the book disappoints me. Many cliches have been fortified in the book. Also, Subramanian seems to have made as little use of imagination as possible. Large parts of his story seem to mimic the life of Chetan Bhagat or perhaps his own. He casually indulges in name dropping - Ashwin Sanghi, Blogadda, HT Brunch and even Anurag Kashyap! The references seem jarring and distract you from the story as you wonder why he is irritating you with unnecessary third-party promotion.

The novel is not too bad though. It is fast paced and interesting enough to be carried along on a train journey. The interlacing of a certain global crisis is what kept me hooked to the book when my attention was wavering.

This book gets an overall rating of 6 on 10 from me. Here's a video-glimpse into the story:-

I am reviewing ‘The Bestseller She Wrote’ by Ravi Subramanian as a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

Food for Smiles

In our socially connected world today, we are digitally close but perhaps our hearts are miles apart. We tend to compare more - who looks better on Facebook? Who has more followers on Instagram? Who tweets from the most exotic locations? We tend to have thousands of friends, but we know few of them closely. We appear to be superficially happy, but are we really content from within?

The latest fashion fad will tell you it is the "in" thing to be skinny. How else will you fit into that pair of super-skinny jeans or string bikinis? You know you cannot lose all of that stubborn fat just by gymming and running, so you will also start following a strict diet of only freshly squeezed or cold pressed juices, fat free milk and high protein meals. In doing so, you will steadily reduce your production of endorphins, serotonin and dopamine - the "happy hormones". And ultimately, you will sit there all alone - sulking at your life and scrolling through your social media newsfeed.

I used to be that person a few years back. But I cut out all of the negativity from my life and now I love to stay happy and keep people happy! It is nice to go out for a jog in the park and eat green veggies. But you must not starve yourself of that occasional glass of wine, bar of dark chocolate or plate full of McCain snacks!

When my friends from Poland and Brazil and I shared some delicious snacks...

If I throw a party for my friends, I would have an array of delectable finger foods to go with the craft beers and soft drinks and fruit juices (for those health freaks ;-) ). I'd serve McCain Smiles to the sullen guests to help them forget their worries, McCain Potato Bites to the skinny fellows who haven't eaten carbs in ages, McCain French Fries to the angry old ladies who think the West is trying to hijack our culture, McCain Veggie Fingers to the snooty non vegetarian who things vegetarians only eat leaves, and McCain Aloo Tikki to the snobbish foreign return who complains about everything that is wrong with India.

When all of my eccentric friends dig into their deep fried goodies, they will lose themselves in the cheesey flavours and stop groaning about their lives. They will know that it is time to put aside their smartphones and tablets. They will find friendship once again as they smile and laugh through the evening and into the night.

The Dance Bible - Website Review

Coming from a Bengali family, I was introduced to dancing fairly early in life - at the age of five. I started learning Bharatnatyam first, and then moved on to Kathak, Bollywood dancing, Latin ballroom and salsa. With so much love and interest for dancing, I always wondered why there was such a dearth of dance-networking sites. But then I came across The Dance Bible - a platform that connects people who have dance in common.

Newly launched, this site is a treasure trove for dance enthusiasts. The website is organized into fifteen sections:-

1. Dance Styles - a repertoire of popular dance forms, both Indian and Western, the pages explain the nuances of various dance styles

2. Dance Anatomy - the articles under this heading have useful information on how to use your bodyparts effectively for dancing. You can also learn to take good care of your feet and other areas which bear most of the brunt of dancing.

3. Dance Blog - as the name suggests, this section has multiple informative blogposts on the topic of dance

4. Dance Videos - this one is for people who like to learn by watching online videos and do not have the time to travel to dance classes

5. Dance Audios - looking for some nice tunes to grove to? Have your pick here!

6. Interviews - a peek into the techniques and lives of the stalwarts of dancing

7. Dance Portfolio - This one is unique. You can create your dance profile by listing the dances you know, about yourself, your contact info and even a picture of yourself. There is a place of people to comment also. Don't forget to check out my profile.

8. Dance School - a very useful tool to search for dance schools across the world - by country, city or name. I would have liked to see a filter for dance styles too.

9. Dance Freelancers - a place where you can browse through dance teachers and freelance dancers and view their charges.

10. Dance Quotes - a nice collection of some inspiring words by dancing luminaries such as Michael Jackson and Marta Graham.

11. Dance Memes - I did not find this very useful, but I guess you could enjoy the humour.

12. Biographies - Life-stories of some very famous dancers, and also their videos!

13. Dance Diaries - This is where you can blog about your own dance journey for others to read

14. Dance Events - I did not find any upcoming events, but this is a useful tool if well maintained.

15. Dance Forum - This is where you can post questions and interact with others. The admin is pretty quick in answering your query (I speak from experience).

The site is quite responsive and neat in its design. I found it easy to navigate through The Dance Bible. Overall, the site is quite a useful one for those looking to learn, teach or talk about dance. The dancer in me is delighted to have this avenue and I will certainly keep coming back to this website for more dance tips. If you love dance or wish to start, you must visit this site.

#SachchiAdvice from Dad

Most affluent Indian parents treat their daughters as delicate dolls, mollycoddling them and not letting them lift a finger. Daughters of doting fathers are usually brought up on unlimited access to clothes and accessories. They are gifted cute VW Beetles on their graduation and a new phone every birthday. Most of my girlfriends have been living a fairytale. They never repeat outfits, always have their daddy or a driver to pick them up and drop them to sundry parties and hobby classes. Now that they have jobs, they are not even expected to save any of their income! They still get their pre-job privileges and have all of their salaries available for splurging on binge shopping and parlour treatments.

Unfortunately, I had none of the above. Even though my father loves me very much and earns enough to give me the life of a princess, he has ensured that I have a simple upbringing. I have never received pocket money in my entire life. Whenever I needed money, I would have to tell my dad the reason, and he would hand out a sufficient sum to me - not less, but certainly not more than what I would require. While many of my friends had cellphones at the age of 13, I was lucky to get his old mobile when I was 17. I spent most of my childhood thinking I was adopted. Afterall, my mum got to go on lavish shopping sprees (even to Dubai!), so we certainly did not have financial problems, right?

My father would extoll the virtues of hardwork and self reliance. He would tell me that one day I would be richer than those people with pocket monies, and he was teaching me how to be independent. I did not understand much of it back then, but all of that makes perfect sense to me now. I look back and feel proud of the fact that I bought my first bicycle at the age of 9 with my own savings. I would keep all of the gift-money (which I received from relatives on birthdays and festivals) in my little piggy-bank.

That habit of saving money had made me independent in a lot of ways. When I turned 16, I could fund my dates without having to ask for anything from my parents or having to lie to them in the process. I did not have to be a high-maintenance girlfriend who would literally rob their boyfriends of the very last penny that they managed to save. I saw the biggest benefit when I started working. My finances were impeccable! While most of my new colleagues were spending on expensive labels, fancy dinners and exclusive parties, I was carefully slotting my monthly salary away into retirement funds, bank deposits and mutual funds.

The king (my dad) hangs out with his princess (me) in Moscow (March, 2015)

No, I did not turn into a miser. I just learned to manage my money better. Even after saving aggressively, I have enough left to buy myself nice outfits and shoes. I also managed to visit 6 countries this year (yes, you read that right! :-) ) with my own hard earned money. And I do a trip within India every month. Sometimes, even I cannot figure out how I manage to globetrot and save so much at the same time. But I know, it is my father and his excellent child-rearing skills that has made me this successful and independent woman I am today. I cannot thank my dad enough for all the #SachchiAdvice he has been giving me all this while. I know how to stay physically fit, but my dad has taught me the art of staying financially fit!

I am participating in the #SachchiAdvice Contest by MaxLife in Association with BlogAdda.

The Best Gift was your Advice

Most of my friends who meet me for the first time since school or college tell me I have changed a great deal. It is almost as if I have undergone some sort of transformation - an image makeover, if you will. What they think is absolutely right. I have changed. But this has not been an overnight miracle. It has taken me several days, weeks and months of consistent effort... and following some priceless advice.

Before I tell you about my present, I must acquaint you with my past. I have always been ambitious, but limited in my imagination to dream. I used to think dreams should be reasonable and within reach. Anything too big was just fantasizing and a waste of time. I was also quite introverted, though not shy. I had a few talents - I could write and compose poems, but I never looked at those skills as anything more than hobbies.

Cut to the present - I am an international half marathoner with a world record up my sleeve; a published author and a rising blogger. Most of my new colleagues would classify me as a seasoned extrovert without a second thought. I dream a lot. And I dream without limits or boundaries.

I am elated after earning my finisher's medal at the Vilnius half marathon earlier this month.

All of this did not happen by magic, with a fairy Godmother turning me into some kind of Cinderella with a flick of her wand. It happened when I met a colleague (Purujeet) at my first job after graduation. We became fast friends over our common interests and love for books. He told me to think like men do. Men are usually fiercely competitive and ambitious. They take risks without the fear of failing. They do not worry about what the world thinks of them. They lead and succeed in whatever they set their eyes on. It is on his advice that I started aiming for a better life and career. A few months later, I switched my job and landed something far more glamorous (well, as glamorous as a banking job can get :-P ). I also discovered that ambition, the ability to take risks and be fearless are gender-blind.

Purujeet would also take me to various gatherings to meet his friends and colleagues. He seemed to have hundreds of them. That really put me out of my comfort zone. I did not like meeting new people or talking to people I did not have anything in common with. I would usually stay quiet or just give short answers to what his friends would ask me. I never made an effort to keep up the conversations. Later, Purujeet would ask me why I wouldn't open up. He told me I wouldn't get far if I let others take control of the conversations. I would have to be attentive and socially aware. I would have to put in some hard work and get to know people better, and also get them to know me better. Purujeet's #SacchiAdvice has made a very big difference to my life and my outlook towards life.

Step by step, I changed the way I thought - about myself and about the people around me. I realized I used to pay too much attention to how others perceived me. I was shaped by what I thought the world would approve of. I gradually stopped doing that. I learned to live for myself. I pursued hobbies I had never pursued before - ballroom dancing and running.

With Purujeet - my best friend, advisor and mentor

With time and practice, I got better at my craft. I ran at several long distance running events in Mumbai across 20 months. And earlier this month (10th September, 2015), I happened to be the first and only Indian to run the half marathon at Vilnius (Lithuania)! It brought tears to my eyes when I thought of how I would never participate in any sport or athletic activity as a kid due to my problem with asthma. I had conquered my respiratory condition and shattered my boundaries. My boundaries were never physical. They were only in my mind.

Today, I have another feather in my cap - my first published book! I never thought I'd get to that level so quickly. I still have a long way to go, but that friend's advice has been my guiding light... which will light up many more pathways to success for my future. 

I am participating in the #SachchiAdvice Contest by MaxLife in Association with BlogAdda.

My Food Gaffes

I have written time and again about food, whether I am on a trip or just in my city. Most of you who are my regular readers will know that food is central to most of my travel writeups. THAT is how much I love to eat! Even though I am a BIG foodie, I suck at cooking. I mean, I cannot even cook to save my life!

The first time I decided to experiment in the kitchen was when I was still in primary school. One lazy Sunday afternoon when my parents slept peacefully, I could not control the rumble in my tummy. I was craving some fried potato chips. Not wanting to wake my parents or satiate my hunger with biscuits or chocolates, I nudged my sister to follow me in the kitchen. Once inside, I was the head chef and my little sister, the sous chef! Now, my mum had warned me against getting anywhere close to the gas stove. I too wasn't very confident with operating complex cooking tools. (I still can't use a cooktop properly! :-P ) So, I decided to use a candle! (smart science student me! :-P ) I took out one of those old birthday candles from the bookshelf, snuck out a lighter (it was only a showpiece as no one in my house smokes) and got a dried potato wafer out of the packet.

Then I lit the pink candle with the lighter, let the wax melt a little so I could stick the candle on the granite countertop, and finally fried the potato wafer on the flame! In a few seconds, the wafer became too hot to hold, so I quickly put it in the deep freezer for a few seconds to bring it to room temperature. When it was finally ready, my sister and I split it into two and gobbled it down. I can't say how it had tasted back then, but I sure am scared thinking right now of what all that paraffin from the candle could potentially do to me. I hope I don't get cancer. The entire episode was hilarious though. When my parents found out, they (obviously) scolded me, but made some nice chips for the evening.

The sushi that made me cry :'-(

Cut to the present, I don't bother cooking lest I burn down my own kitchen. But I don't stop myself from trying out interesting cuisines. My first tryst with the Japanese cuisine was when I bought a DIY sushi box from a gourmet food store in Lower Parel. Now nobody had told me to go easy on the wasabi. I thought it would be a bland chutney sort of a thing and nicely spread it over my sushi rolls. One big bite into that thing and I had hot tears streaming down my face! I ran to the nearest water stall and drank a litre of water before I could tolerate the residual sting in my mouth.

Fortunately, now I know how to eat sushi properly. The trick is to mix very little wasabi with some soy sauce and very lightly dip your sushi in it. Sushi is actually quite tasty when you eat it the right way!

The "sweet" life that only Kings and Queens can afford

I have had a sweet tooth since I was a toddler without my realizing it until very recently. I absolutely adore desserts, especially ice creams! I have tried almost every brand available in the Indian market. (And I have also had icecreams in Spain, gelato in Italy and some more in the freezing winter of Russia!) Ice cream largely hasn't burnt any holes in my pocket, but I cannot forget my first "breakfast" at the Haagen Dazs restaurant in Hiranandani Gardens, Powai. Just one item on the menu ended in my footing a four-figure bill! The aftertaste wasn't so sweet afterall. :-P

The Tiny Owl App

I can recount countless food fixes that I have been party to over the years. Hopefully, I will have fewer of those now that there is Tiny Owl to the rescue! Through their nifty mobile app, I can now quell my hunger with the touch of my finger. I don't have to eat candle-burnt chips anymore as all the options are rated by several users. Their discounts will also ensure I don't go broke on ice cream! :-) Tiny Owl is solving a not so tiny problem in the lives of us foodies!

A Fresh Look at Traffic Jams

Any Mumbaikar will tell you how much we hate our roads. There is either a pothole every few metres apart or an ensuing jam that will keep you behind the wheel for eons. While the average person stuck in a traffic jam would just remain frustrated and have a bad day ahead as a consequence, I have an interesting idea for you all to turn a traffic jam into a "jam-session"!

When all the vehicles around you are honking and the traffic is still, do not just sit there and curse the roads or the drivers. Get out of your car or bus or auto and off your bike or scooter. Go out, play some music and dance! Or if you are lucky, call Anushka Manchanda to sing for you in the middle of the streets! She will cheer up every angry passenger in the bus and make them sing along. While you are at it, make a call to the Southern star - Allu Arjun and get him over to teach you some cool dance moves! If you are not yet convinced of this electrifying pair of singer and dancer, watch this video of Bezubaan Phir Se, one of the songs from the upcoming movie - ABCD 2:-

ABCD in the title of this movie stands for Anybody Can Dance. Allu Arjun is terrific in his new lean look. Anyone would be amazed by his flexibility and the agility with which he commands over the dance floor. We must not forget that he has Anushka Manchanda's crystal clear and powerful voice to infuse a new life in the dance.

Being a dancer myself, I know how wonderful it feels to be able to move your body in a rhythm of your choice. You must mot wait for moments in which to dance. Instead, you should just start grooving when you hear some good music or catch some nice beats. A couple of years back, I was at an amazing party but I was too shy to dance. A shot of tequila later, I hit the dance floor and showed off my moves. I danced not only until the last song was played, but also with some very hot guys I would otherwise have never had the courage to approach.

So, take my advice. The next time you are stuck in traffic, hop out and dance like Allu Arjun to Anushka Manchanda's music! ;-)

I am blogging for the #MaxFreshMove activity at BlogAdda.com. Are you?

A Fresh Move on a Boring Day

You will not believe how boring my office days usually are! To add to the boredom, my weekdays are tiring too! Let me take you through my schedule on the average workday:-

7 AM: I wake up after snoozing my alarm for half an hour. And I am woken by my screaming parents who cannot believe I have grown up and am not a school kid anymore.

7:30 AM: This is when I am actually awake and ready for a shower.

8 AM: I frown at my wardrobe and manage to fish out a half-decent outfit for work. If it's not well ironed, I have to iron as well. Then I throw in my hairclips, lipgloss and lip balms in my tiny pouch and decide I can do my hair and lips at office. I only wear some sunscreen and scrunch my hair up in a bun.

8:30 AM: My mum screams again to get me to have breakfast, and I realize then that I am late for my office cab. I take one bite into a fruit and ask her to pack the rest. She throws me a dirty look and curses me again. I rush out of my house, but remember to take my phone out of the charger just at the last minute. After getting irritated by the lifts that will take ages to arrive and the auto-rickshaw drivers who will never want to go anywhere, I finally am on my way to office.

9 AM: I reach office looking like I was stuck in a cyclone. Then I log on to my computer and am bombarded with a series of emails that make my heart sink. I cannot believe I am loaded with work again! I work non stop with only some loo breaks and a lunch break.

1 PM: Lunch is again something that makes me depressed. I wonder why nobody wants to change the caterers.

1:30 PM: My colleagues in London walk in and we have back to back meetings while my backache gets worse sitting on my chair for so long.

6:30 PM: It is finally time to leave for the day! But the traffic is just pathetic! To add to it, the rains beat mercilessly.

7:30 PM: I return home damp from both outside and within. I wish to do a bit of blogging, but my body is so tired, I just want to sleep. I carry my tired self through snacks, a lot of nagging from my mum and dinner.

Midnight: If I am lucky, I manage to sleep. Or else, I keep working until it's 1AM.

The only way to energize my dull day is to have Allu Arjun dance for me every morning with Anushka Manchanda singing a melodious number. This power packed duo can certainly charge my boring office day with some excitement with their glamorous presence. I would love to have them over at office too! They would totally rock the office and get us off our PCs and on the dancefloor!

I am blogging for the #MaxFreshMove activity at BlogAdda.com. Are you?

Book Review - Changes (Family Portrait Series)

For the past two weeks, I had been reading a wonderful novel by an authoress of Trinidadian origin. It is only today that I finished "Changes" which is the first volume in the Family Portrait Series by Gillian Felix.

Fast Facts:-

Title: Changes 

Author: Gillian Felix

Genre: Young Adult Fiction/Family Drama

Publisher: GillianFx Publishing (through Smashwords)

Pages: 80
File Size: 291 KB (PDF version)

Price: Rs.62 (Kindle Edition ebook)

Key Characters:-

1. Adriana Banovic: A fifteen year old actress in a daily soap who is suddenly removed from her role as her character takes a generation-leap.
2. Kevin Banovic: Adriana's elder brother and a popular face in UCLA.
3. Leighann DaCosta: A famous teenage singing sensation who only wants a normal life.
4. Savi DaCosta: Leighann's mum and manager who puts pressure on her daughter to continue with her singing career.
5. Haze Lyndon: A new boy in UCLA who catches Adriana's fancy on one of his shoots. 

Gillian Felix

The Review:-

"Changes" is the first book in the Family Portrait series. It is a family drama, mainly about the Banovics. The story begins with Adriana Banovic losing her job as the lead character in a popular TV soap. She is upset because that means she would have to join the Westwood Academy, a school for the rich and famous. She hates the snobbish atmosphere there.

Meanwhile, Leighann, a singing sensation stressed with the demands of her busy celebrity life, collapses on stage during her concert. She wants to give up her career to live the life of a normal girl, just as her friend and elder step-sister, L'Wren. Savi, Leighann's mother, is livid. She controls her daughter's every move and enjoys the perks of being the celeb's mum.

A few days later, both Adriana and Leighann find themselves at Westwood and deal with the exciting yet mean world of high school. The air is thick with pranks, crushes and friendships. At school, Adriana clashes with her nemesis, Astrid. And off school, she lusts after Haze, a handsome guy she finds at a photoshoot.

While the kids enjoy their teenage lives, the parents have their own share of ups and downs. Robin, father to Kevin, Adriana and Zax, learns of the death of his father, Victor. Victor leaves Robin his huge wine estate. Robin never got along with his father when he was young. The story keeps you guessing what will happen - Will Robin accept his father's estate? Will Adriana find Haze again? Will Leighann be happy in her new life?


My Verdict:-

I love how smoothly and swiftly the story proceeds. One can tell it has been written by someone who loves to write and is gifted in the art. Gillian succeeds in keeping the characters unique and interesting. The book holds your interest until the very end.

Changes gets an overall rating of 9 on 10 for the excellent storytelling, smart characterization and interesting plot. The story is good enough to be made into a TV series.

Steel-Willed Resolve

Every year, our country gives birth to certain people who grow up not only to raise their families but also to rise. They rise above their circumstances to inspire a million others. Today, I will tell you about two such people who inspire me. These stories are of people who have been nominated for JSW Will of Steel awards.

The first beacon of hope is Dr. Debal Deb. He has spent over twenty years in the difficult and unstable areas of eastern India, helping farmers stay true to their roots. Dr. Deb's cause is something nobody would ever have thought of. It doesn't even remotely come across as vital. But herein lies the crux of his struggle. He has worked with several farmers to conserve traditional seeds. His work is time consuming, and requires a lot of patience and long hours of field exposure to educate the farmers about the importance of indigenous varieties of seeds. In India, we have a crisis of traditional varieties of seeds due to the rampant cultivation of crops which are widely consumed or yield the best produce. Many farms still have cash crops as a backup.

Source: willofsteel.in/home/story/117

Dr. Deb's relentless efforts have saved nine hundred and twenty varieties of rice in in West Bengal and Odisha alone! His creative and unique approach is impressive and inspiring. He truly knows that India can progress only when the poorest farmers understand what they are growing and how they should be growing it.

The second story is that of Arunima Sinha, a volleyball player of national level. She inspires me for more reasons than one. She is an amputee who climbed Mount Everest! It is my dream to summit the tallest peak of the world once in my lifetime. That peak is extreme not just in its height but also in its harsh conditions - the wind, the temperatures that go up to minus seventy degrees Celsius, the low concentration of oxygen which takes your blood-oxygen level to about 40 (normal level is above 94). Such conditions are enough to kill the fittest of people. To survive the Everest, one needs plenty of endurance, excellent levels of fitness and nutrition, and several days of acclimatization.

Source: willofsteel.in/home/story/69

All of these challenges increase in intensity when your left leg is amputated. Arunima first showed her courage when she fought with the goons who were trying to snatch her chain. Then again when the robbers threw her out of the train. I salute such women who have the strong will to fight for what is right and rise despite all odds. I sincerely hope we all find that will of steel in us. It is an important ingredient in getting anything done, especially when our circumstances are unstable.

I’m voting for Dr. Debal Deb and Arunima Sinha’s #WillOfSteel and blogging on BlogAdda to help them get felicitated and eventually enabled by JSW.

Book Review - Shamsuddin's Grave

Earlier this month, I received a review copy of Shamsuddin's Grave by Paromita Goswami. My busy schedule kept me from finishing this novel, but I finally read the last page today. You can read my review now!

Fast Facts:-

Title: Shamsuddin's Grave 

Author: Paromita Goswami

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Partridge

Pages: 280

Price: Rs.450 (Paperback)

Key Characters:-

1. Shamsuddin: A poor Miyan Muslim in Assam - the central character
2. Latika: A passionate and dedicated social worker who forms a close friendship with Shamsuddin
3. Snehalata: Latika's aunt and Shamsuddin's benefactor
4. Debjyoti: Team Lead of the NGO that helps the slum dwellers in Guwahati. 

The Review:-

Shamsuddin's Grave is the story of a poor man who leaves his small village in Assam to make more money in the city of Guwahati. However, Shamsuddin is caught in new problems of the city. He finds it very expensive to make his ends meet and works doubly hard to afford a roof over his head and save for a new home. All this while, he leaves his wife, Amina, and their children with his brother. When Shamsuddin returns to his family after a couple of years, his world shatters.

Latika, a divorcee, leaves Delhi to work at an NGO in Guwahati. She is appalled by the pathetic and unhygienic conditions of the poor people living in shanties, especially those belonging to the Miyan Muslim community. Latika rolls up her sleeves and gets to work right away, despite threats from the local goons.

The book is very special, mainly because of the powerful story that needs to be told to the world. Paromita explores the sensitive situation in Assam and addresses the problems faced by this state - floods, infiltration, Government apathy, illiteracy, human trafficking and poverty. The author gets the emotions spot on! The characters feel real and unique.

The only downside of this book is the poor editing and sweeping errors in spelling and grammar. The same story, in the hands of an expert writer, would perhaps make it to the Man Booker longlist.

My Verdict:-

This book gets an overall rating of 6 on 10 from me for the moving story and high levels of interest that it commands. However, the poor language hinders the novel from being a great one.

*  *  *

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

Book Review - Metro Diaries

Another day, another love story! Today's review is for 'Metro Diaries' by Namrata. This book is a collection of short stories on love. I read the electronic version, but you can also buy a paperback.

Fast Facts:-

Title: Metro Diaries 

Author: Namrata

Genre: Fiction/Romance

Publisher: Revelation House

Pages: 162
File Size: 901 KB (PDF version)

Price: Rs.248 (Flipkart price for paperback) / Rs. 187.15 (Kindle edition)

The Review:-

Metro Diaries aims to bring you a collection of twenty true love stories captured in various cities and towns. Namrata, the author, proclaims all of the stories to be true, with changes only in the names of the characters. One of these stories is about herself. She does not reveal which one, though. Each of these stories have short verses separating them.

The stories are about people who have fallen in love, lost love, been through pain, and found love again. The characters range from teenagers and young office goers to married and old homemakers. Of all of the short pieces, I found the 18th and 19th stories to be the best. 'Love Revisited', the 18th piece, was the story of a beautiful girl who is married to a Londoner and later abused. Her story of escape and finding love again was slightly engrossing. 'The next story, 'The Last Letter', was that of an old lady reminiscing her days of yore when her husband was fighting in the war of independence in India. This one was touching.

Apart from these two, I found the remaining stories quite dull. The characters are not well fleshed out. Almost every character in the book seems to behave in a similar fashion. Their dialogues, emotions and reaction largely remain the same. The author fails to recreate the emotions of men. The points of view and letters from men and women are startlingly similar. It is evident that this book has been written by a novice who only uses feminine perspectives. Also, the book is littered with spelling and grammatical mistakes. The usage of certain words and phrases are absolutely out of place.

Some of the poems used in the chapter are nice. I do not wish to discourage the author. I know it takes a lot of courage and perseverance to bring a book to the table. Nevertheless, I feel Namrata needs to read a lot of diverse material so she can create better quality stories with more colour in her characters. Some of her pieces look promising. With plenty of practise, reviewing and editing, I'm sure she can come up with much better books in the future. I wish her the best in her literary journey!


My Verdict:-

This book gets an overall rating of 4 on 10 for poor editing and repetitive use of similar phrases. The book failed to keep me interested. However, some first time lovers and readers may enjoy the book in bits and pieces.

Only If You Accompany Me...

Today, as I flipped through an old album of a friend, I realized how much I miss him. It brought back wonderful memories from the past. From several beautiful instances, I clearly remember one that I shall narrate to you tonight.

It was sometime in October,  a couple of years ago when one of my close friends from work (let's call him Himanshu for the sake of the story) told me about the Bandra Wine Fest which would be held over the weekend. He really wanted to visit that festival as wines are one of his favourite alcoholic drinks. As fate would have it, I had a major exam on that Sunday morning. That meant I would not even have the Saturday to myself, as I would have to spend all of my time studying.

I felt horrible that I would not be able to go along with Himanshu. So, I got another friend to volunteer keep him company. This guy was an alcohol worshipper, so I guessed the duo would really enjoy their time in Bandra. But after the broke the news to them, they both seemed sullen. They had been thinking I would accompany them, and their hearts sank when they found out I was bailing myself out of this. The spiralling sadness engulfed me in guilt. Then, I decided to put my time management skills into action!

On Sunday morning, I finished my exam early and managed to get back home and finish lunch. I immediately called up Himanshu to check if he still wanted to go to the wine fest. He asked me sarcastically who I had arranged for him. I apologized and said I was free for the rest of the day and would love to spend some time together. He perked up immediately and asked me to pick him up in 10 minutes.

On our way to Bandra, he told me how he had almost gotten himself into a date-like situation with a girl he met the previous night at the cafe next to his place. She was so obsessed over him that he had gotten 14 missed calls after he told her he was going with me. After he showed me half a dozen text messages from that girl (named Gayatri), Himanshu switched off his phone and said, "My evening is all yours! No distractions today."

I wrinkled my forehead and told him he shouldn't be an idiot and just take his new girlfriend along. "Girlfriend?!" he balked. "I barely know her, Oindrila! I am not going to waste such a fantastic wine fest on a random chick I just met. You know how badly I wanted to go with you. I wasn't going to go with Gayatri even if you were unavailable today. I told you last week that I would go only if you accompany me."

I smiled at that. We both knew how much we loved wines. None of the other friends we had were into wines the way we were. They would be more attracted to beers and whiskies. But one thing we enjoyed more than wines was our friendship and the company we provided each other. I was glad I could make Himanshu feel special that day just by following my heart and showing up. But what said to me was even more sublime. I think he made me feel better than acing my exam would have.

The wine fest was absolutely rocking, by the way! We had over twenty glasses of wines and ciders, and ate quite a lot to cleanse our palates and keep us from collapsing with intoxication. There was even an impromptu salsa session, but we danced rock and roll to a slow tune. We were drunk alright! I have many pictures of that afternoon which turned into evening and ended late in the night. But don't think I will ever need pictures to remind me of that day.

I am participating in the #DilKiDealOnSnapdeal activity at BlogAdda in association with SnapDeal.

Book Review - The Guitar Girl

Today, I finished reading a novel that took me back to my teenage years! I really love feeling that way again. For that, I must thank and congratulate Aniesha Brahma, the author of 'The Guitar Girl'.

Fast Facts:-

Title: The Guitar Girl 

Author: Aniesha Brahma

Genre: Young Adult Fiction/Romance

Publisher: self published through Kindle Direct Publishing

Pages: 193
File Size: 932 KB (PDF version)

Price: Rs.61 (Kindle Edition ebook)

Key Characters:-

1. Rhea Shah: A sixteen year old schoolgirl who regularly writes in her journal.
2. Sophie Ghosh: Rhea's best friend, classmate and confidante. 
3. Arjav: The third friend and classmate who completes the trio.
4. Robbie Shah: Rhea's elder brother who goes to college and has his own band - Blitzkrieg Bridge.
5. Joy Fernandez: Robbie's best friend and another member of the band. 

The Review:-

This is the story of Rhea, a high school girl who has a huge crush on Joy, her elder brother's best friend. Sophie and Arjav, Rhea's best buddies, are the only two people who she can confess her feelings to. Robbie, Rhea's brother, is in college and only visits home on weekends when he usually gets Joy along. They have a very popular band which Joy plays the guitar in.

Unable to gather the courage to confess her love, Rhea starts a blog under the assumed identity of 'The Guitar Girl'. On her blog, she posts poems and songs that reflect her true feelings for Joy. Coincidentally, Joy comes across her blog and finds The Guitar Girl's lyrics to be perfect for their band. He offers her a contract which Rhea/Guitar Girl accepts on the condition that her anonymity is kept intact. Meanwhile, in her real life, Rhea ends up getting secret guitar lessons from Joy after a serendipitous incident.

Rhea's dual identity makes the situation very interesting and the story takes unexpected turns. To thicken the plot, her friends too have something to tell her. The book keeps you guessing if Rhea will have her happily-ever-after while she tries hard to manage her studies and tons of homework that she is assigned almost daily as punishment for passing notes to Sophie and Arjav in class.

The narration is youthful and in line with the media teens use to communicate. The entire book is a compilation of text messages, Google Talk chats, Facebook messages, notes passed in class and journal entries. The lingo is spot on and the characters lifelike. There are some typos in the book, but I'm not sure if they are deliberately placed to simulate real chat-scenarios. The editing, otherwise, is quite good, and the style consistent with that associated with the 16-18 age group.


My Verdict:-

This book is the perfect chick lit novel for preteens and teenagers! It is almost India's answer to Princess Diaries. The dialogues, levels of maturity and tones are carefully matched with the characters. The Guitar Girl is, not surprisingly, a pageturner! The story is light and an excellent palate cleanser if you have been reading critically acclaimed books. There could have been more layers to the story, but I like it the way it is. Simple, happy and light.

This book gets an overall rating of 9 on 10 for making me walk down my memory lane and reminisce the innocence and youthfulness of my teen years. My rating is biased as I am a huge fan of teen fiction and romance. However, even the unbiased reader would have generous and positive feedback for this story!

Book Review - The Accidental Wife

I just finished reading the second novel by an NRI writer, Simi K. Rao. The book kept me glued to my desk all day, and it is with a happy heart that I write today's review - for "The Accidental Wife".

Fast Facts:-

Title: The Accidental Wife 

Author: Simi K. Rao

Genre: Mainstream Fiction/Romance

Publisher: Kando Books

Pages: 202
File Size: 6.11MB (PDF version)

Price: $1.59 (Kindle Edition ebook)

Key Characters:-

1. Rihaan Mehta: A ridiculously handsome neurosurgeon and Harvard graduate who is nagged my his mother to get married.
2. Naina Rathod: A beautiful teacher and photojournalist who becomes Rihaan's "accidental wife". 
3. Shobha Mehta: Rihaan's controlling and commanding mother whose only goal is to find her son a suitable wife and herself a complying daughter-in-law.

The Review:-

The Accidental Wife is the story of two strangers - Naina and Rihaan, who agree to get married for reasons of their own. Rihaan, a successful neurosurgeon and an incredibly attractive Harvard graduate, is sick of his dominating mother constantly badgering him to get married. All Rihaan wants is to get his mother off his back and live his own life freely as a bachelor in New York. Meanwhile, Naina, a stunning Delhiite, who teaches school kids and ardently pursues her passion of freelance photojournalism, wants to remain independent and single.

By both design and deceit, Naina and Rihaan find themselves in wedlock and are forced by social-appearance-pressures to keep up their little "drama" even as they both outwardly detest being with each other. Life, however, plays cupid, and with time, the two protagonists of this story fall in love with each other.

In a few months, their love story is met with a tragic incident that shatters their tranquil lives. This is when the true test of love is administered by fate. Will Rihaan and Naina persevere and pass this test or will their story end in tragedy? Only this novel holds the answer.

The story at first seems like a regular chick lit or romance novel with the usual elements of two attractive characters besotted with each other, some tiffs and some scenes of unbridled passion. But Simi shows her real skill when she brings in the surprise element in the latter part of the book. That is when the book gets really intense, and enters the realm of a serious novel.


My Verdict:-

The two lead characters are undeniably well fleshed out and have interesting personalities. The plot is very tight and the editing rather good! (I could only spot a couple of typos in the entire book.) Simi is quite adroit with dialogues, and she creates very natural scenes, especially with the words exchanged between Naina and Rihaan. Despite the predictability of the romance scenes, the adept writing makes you enjoy every moment. The first half of the book seems like a run-of-the-mill Bollywood romance movie, but the author ups her game in the second half with the story taking a very grave turn. The animal-passion in the former half of the book transforms into a deeper love that has little to do with bodies.

This book gets an overall rating of 9 on 10 for putting an unusual and interesting spin on an otherwise regular love story. The good quality of writing, easy pace and charming story makes 'The Accidental Wife' an unputdownable book!

Nashta with Mr. Gupta

I am not able to sleep even at this unearthly hour. This is because my stomach is growling with hunger. It is not that I did not have a full dinner. It is just that the very thought of breakfast tomorrow morning is making me salivate copiously. And that's because I am planning to do something different at breakfast tomorrow!

I won't be eating the same old bread with omelette that almost kills me with boredom. Nor will I be relying on my mother who, I am sure, would make yet another poor attempt at getting me to eat papayas. Eating at office is out of question! They only have spicy pohas (I am not much of a "spice girl", if you know what I mean) or tasteless pau bhajis with the bhaji being mostly watery.

I shall go to Guptaji's place for breakfast tomorrow! :-) "Who is this Guptaji?" and "Why his place for the first meal of the day?" you ask? Well, nashta at Mr. Gupta's is an elaborate affair. It's not "food" they have every morning, but "joy" that stays with them all day. Guptaji is served a new dish every day before he leaves for work. And they always have Kellogg's cornflakes! Don't get me wrong. It's not just the plain old milk with cornflakes they eat, but almost a hundred unique dishes made with cornflakes as an important ingredient. Look at this video to see how many people in the neighbourhood yearn to be invited to Kellogg's waale Guptaji so they can have a delicious fill of anaaj ka nashta:

I am already drooling imagining the things I will get to eat when I visit Guptaji. I will start with something sweet - the cornflake coconut laddoos which are prepared with condensed milk and coated with crispy cornflakes. I missed the Gudi Padwa celebrations in India as I was travelling in Russia last week. I totally need to make up for the lost til-gud laddoos (sesame-jaggery sweet balls) with these innovative cornflake-coconut ones.

After my sweet tongue is satiated, I shall wash down the solids with a tall glass of Kellogg's Oats Peppy Papaya drink. This is a cool smoothie with oats and ripe papayas. There will also be some garden cress seeds for garnish. I shall then pocket handfuls of Oats Veggie Nutri cutlets. These are my favourite for the salty taste and healthy ingredients.

I hope Mr. Gupta will also offer me the yummy cornflakes chana chaat. I will ask him to go easy on the chillies though. Dessert will be a cornflake walnut chocolate muffin. The walnuts will keep me intelligent and the chocolate, happy! Let's not forget how nutritious corn is. It is full of vitamin B complex and great for the wear and tear of your body's cells. It is no surprise then as to why I want to go to Guptaji's for nashta!

So, what are you waiting for? Go to sleep so we all can wake up in time for nashta with Mr. Gupta! ;-)

Together in Russia

When my sister and I were in school, my family would frequently go on trips to various places in India. Those were the days I dearly missed when I went to college and then started working. We, as family, stopped going out together. We got so busy with our own stuff that we never found the time to share the company of just the four of us - my parents, my sister and me.

And then this month, everything magically changed. I won a couple of return tickets to Moscow, and my sister and I decided to make that trip together. When I broke this idea to my dad, he suggested we all go. I couldn't believe my ears! All the four of us were going to be #together in a foreign country again after thirteen long years! :-)

I am writing this post sitting in our room in central Moscow. And yesterday was our first day here. It was a little difficult to find our hotel and communicate with the locals who only speak Russian. But after the long flight and car ride, we finally found the place. And the people all around us have been really kind. The locals go out of their to help you, and even find people who will speak a little English so they can translate for us. Another nice thing here is that everyone is really willing to help and speak to you. We mostly try translating using Google Translate. I have been talking to our hosts by typing out the English stuff. The host then reads the Russian translation and types back the reply, which I read in English again.

But honestly, the best thing has been being together with my family. Last day was one of the most memorable I had. We walked about the famous Red Square in Moscow. We took hundreds of pictures and ate a lot of delicious Russian food. We are vegetarians, and most people back home told us we would hardly get any veg food in Russia. Our delight knew no bounds when we had an array of veg dishes to choose from. We gorged on kartoshka (potatoes drizzled in olive oil), pumpkin salad, an exotic beetroot preparation with lemon flavours, champignon with buckwheat, pirozhki ( a soft stuffed bread) and sauerkraut. We also drank some kalka vodka and, a berry-jelly drink.

Yesterday was not just a day of exploration, but also one of optimism. We had faith in the fact that we would certainly have a great time despite not knowing any Russian. We did try on our part and learn the Cyrillic alphabet. And that has been helping us immensely! We also believed that we would find great vegetarian food in a country that loves meat. With my family by my side, I know I will always have the strength to find ways to make the best of every moment I have. I will stay optimistic and #lookup.

Daddy takes the #WashBucketChallenge

This post is part of the #WashBucketChallenge activity at BlogAdda.com in association with Ariel India.

Last Sunday, we celebrated Women's Day to generate awareness of the issues that women face, and also to improve gender equity. Ironically, many advertisements today still propagate a stereotypical view of women and men. Take, for example, ads for washing powders. How many ads show a man cleaning clothes? It is always a woman who worries about getting the dirt off her husband or kids' clothes.

However, all is not lost. I just came across the #WashBucketChallenge which beckons all males to show their manliness by cleaning clothes for a change. This piqued my interest and I decided to nominate my dad for the challenge. Now, my father is a great sport and firm believer in equality of the genders. He promptly agreed to do the day's washing by using the Ariel Matic washing machine-friendly detergent that I handed him.

He operated the washing machine with ease and also hung out the clothes to dry. The new washing powder was quite gentle on the clothes. I had forgotten that I had put a delicate top on the dirty-linen pile. My mum always warns us against using the washing machine for delicates. Those are best washed by hand. But Ariel Matic saved my day! Also, my dad was very careful with the top once I told him about my mistake. He took that garment out of the machine after the first wash. I'm proud of my dad! :-) He actually walks the talk. He helps mum whenever he's around. My parents spend their weekends cooking together. And it's my dad who irons the clothes and does the grocery shopping for the week.

I'm very lucky to have parents who shoulder their responsibilities equally. I know, I too will treat my better half as an equal. Our kids won't witness any gender-stereotyping at home!

This review is part of the biggest Sponsored Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free Products!

Book Review - The Winner's Curse

A couple of weeks back, I read The Winner's Curse by Dee Walker. The author was kind enough to sign my copy for me! :-)

Cover Page

Signed by the author

Fast Facts:-

Title: The Winner's Curse 

Author: Dee Walker

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Srishti Publishers and Distributors

Pages: 277

Price: Rs.195 (Paperback)

Key Characters:-

1. Harsh Mittal: A flamboyant business tycoon who has risen to his current heights through sheer hard work, his genius and the alliance of his "Master"
2. The Master: The Prime Minister of India
3. Raghav Badhwar: A successful bureaucrat and Harsh's nemesis since their days in IIT.
4. Khosla: Harsh's adversary in the Telecom business
5. Robbie: The Master's son in law, a dimwit but very attractive
6. Kamal Pandey: Harsh's best friend from IIT and a righteous and austere personality.
7. Savita Bhambi: A political and corporate lobbyist who hails from a scheduled caste family in a small town.

The Review:-

The Winner's Curse is a novel that explores the dark side of success. The author maintains that as people grow more successful, they fall prey to greed. This "greed" is the curse that always chases the "winner". This is essentially the story of Harsh, a business magnate who was born an orphan. Harsh is discovered by an IITian and the founder of FIITJEE who bring him up an watch as the genius makes it to IIT himself. The book explores the stories and characters of a batch of IITians who study together and grow to be very successful in each of their chosen domains - business, politics, technology, corporate lobbying and social activism.

Harsh is asked by his Master to develop a technology that will uniquely identify all Indians and give powers to the government to directly disburse benefits and subsidies without any middlemen. And thus, Jan Shakti is born. Jan Shakti has the power to unearth corruption and make India clean. But in the shadow of Jan Shakti, there is a sinister program that will impeach on the privacy of people and lead to espionage.

In a parallel world, Arvind Pandey, an honest civil engineer, fights corruption and makes it difficult for Raghav and his corrupt politician friend to carry out their illegal mining and transportation jobs. But Arvind's foes are brutal. Kamal, Arvind's brother, takes up his case as a social activist and seeks some help from his best friend, Harsh. Only the book can tell you whether Harsh will listen to his conscience or let his promise to his Master compel him to do what he shouldn't.

Dee Walker sketches his characters really well. They are all well fleshed out, and the common thread of IIT is woven very well into the story. The story is fast paced and very interesting. The best thing about this story is the fact that you can relate the characters to many real world people. I could draw similarities to Manmohan Singh, Robert Vadra and Nira Radia [the (in)famous lobbyist from the Radia tapes fame]. Many of the incidents also bear resemblance to real life scandals.

My Verdict:-

Walker's grip on the story is very good. His dialogues are impactful and fresh. The book still needs another round of proof reading, but is entertaining nevertheless.

This book gets an overall rating of 9.5 on 10 from me for keeping the book so engrossing throughout. Dee Walker's novel has all the trappings of a classic corporate fiction. You must pick this book up wherever your can!

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This book review is part of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program and Blog Tours. To get free books, reach out to thereaderscosmos.blogspot.com.

My Ray of Hope

Until last year, I used think new year resolutions were only a bunch of points that were supposed to be jotted down for motivation, and at the end of the day (the first month, rather), chucked into the trashcan. But last year, I did something that changed my perception for good.

Just like in the beginning of every other year, I started 2014 by penning down a slightly long and ambitious list of resolutions. I would have to accomplish each and everyone of those by 31st December, 2014. "Ha!", I thought to myself, "That's never happening!". "I'll be lucky to achieve even one of those eight resolutions on that over-ambitious list."

My resolutions ranged from "Get eight hours of sleep a day" (easy) to "Go on a sponsored trip abroad" (crazy!). I would have given up on my dreams by February if not for a traumatic experience in the beginning of the year. I was so broken during that phase, that it took me tremendous effort to regain my old state of calm and happiness. It was then that a close friend said to me, "Your confidence and strength lie in you! Don't look toward others to pump yourself up."

His words worked like magic on me. I stopped thinking about the past and focused only on how I could achieve my future... my dreams. I started following my first resolution - getting eight hours of sleep. Irrespective of the time I slept at night, I would clock eight hours. I put in new energy into my travel articles. I got quite a few published, and some won me awards! I had succeeded in winning return flights to an Indian city and I even won the stay for free, albeit through separate contests. I had ticked off almost all of the milestones from my list of resolutions.

However, I still hadn't earned a foreign trip by October. While I continued multitasking and bettering my writing, I was surprised to hear that I won return tickets to Moscow! And the news came on my birthday. I was so happy, I had tears in my eyes! I knew I had kept all of my resolutions for 2014. The confidence and the strength were mine. My friend's words had been my ray of hope. I had achieved every little dream of mine by persevering with my hard work. I took time after work to hone my writing skills. I saved up money and leaves for interesting trips across India. In the end, it was all worth it. I had gifted myself a lot of positive reinforcement to become the strong individual I wanted to be.

Today, as I pack my bags for Russia, I look back at last year with pride at my perseverance. I made another list of resolutions for 2015. And I hope to tell you another story next year.