Thursday 22 December 2016

Ashvamedha (A book review)



Author- Aparna Sinha
Publishers- Srishti Publishers & Distributors (1 September 2016)
Language- English
Pages- 224 pages
Genre- Fiction

Blurb- "You have to dethrone a powerful man to become the most powerful. I was itching to defeat the single most powerful person, but there wasn't any. I was left with only one choice — to create one."

Little does Ashwin Jamwal know that the last twenty-five years of his life have been controlled by a master manipulator, who wanted to make him the most powerful man on earth, though for a reason! Ashwin steps up to take oath as the youngest Prime Minister of India and is unknowingly thrown into a vortex of power and authority as the entire world is threatened by a faceless enemy — Hades.

The world starts to look up to Ashwin as the savior, but he was just a pawn, reared only to be sacrificed in the end.

A story of greed, lies, deceptions, manipulations and corruption, Ashvamedha is a thriller revolving around the infamous game of power in a maddening bid to seek absolute control.

Book Review- ‘Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely’, forms the premise of this political thriller.

At the heart of this story, lies a complex protagonist, Ashwin. The rags to riches story of Ashwin, an orphan, is chronicled with great detail. His meteoric rise in politics and his battles with his foes are at the center-stage of the narrative. His romantic escapades further spice up the plot.

‘Ashvamedha’ is a fast paced thriller but as is often the case with driving in the fast lane, control over the narrative tends to slip away at times. Towards the end of the story, many unnecessary characters are introduced, muddling the larger picture. The readers may also end up having conflicting views regarding the climax of the story. I wished it to end on a different note.

The grammar is fine, proof-reading astute and the writing crisp. A good political thriller but not in the league of ‘Chanakya’s Chant’.

VerdictA good political thriller.

About the Author- Aparna Sinha wrote her first poem when she was seven, which she recited on All India Radio. Since then, her literary work and industry specific articles have been published in various media, including reputed business magazines across Asia.

Equipped with a Master's in management, when she was forced to quit her lucrative job because of a chronic disease, she focused on her sole passion – writing.



Perfect Prescription for Broken Hearts (A book review)



Author- Aparajitha Nagesh
Publishers- Leadstart Publishing Private Limited; First edition (12 September 2016)
Language: English
Pages- 326 pages
Genre- Romance

Blurb- What is the perfect prescription for broken heart? It is a full close of love-cetmol? Suturing the cut ends? A cardiac transplantation? Or a life time of love with hugs and smiles thrice a day?
Hrudi, a heartbroken and calumniated gynecologist, decides that the perfect prescription to her unending endurance is to put a full stop to her life once and for all. Inebriated by a rush of nostalgia, she chooses to relieve the past once again, before finally finding her eternal in peace.

This journey back in time takes her to her college days, where she falls into step with Aditi since day one and was always at loggerheads with the hunk, Hrishikesh Datta. But everything changed when the cupid struck his arrow on both the parties and life became even more beautiful, until the inevitable happened, crumpling down her world like a pack of cards.

When she was still coping with the heartache, another blow hit her like a wrecking ball and she was razed to the ground once again. As she prepares to end her life, Hrish awaits the one big confrontation that he feared for years.

Will she live through this?

Will her broken heart ever be mended?

Book Review- “Perfect prescription for broken hearts” is a sneak peep into the world of ‘medicos’. The story begins with a description of ragging of new entrants into a medical college. The lectures, anatomy dissection hall, physiology and biochemistry practical classes, and the freshers’ party follow suit. To a person who does not belong to the medical background, it is a voyeuristic trip; the trials and tribulations of a medical student. But at the same time, it takes the form of a docudrama.

The romance between Hrudi and Hrishikesh does not get enough limelight as the author is immersed in delineating the five and a half years of a medical student’s life. There are far too many characters filling up the pages than required. A love story set against the backdrop of a medical college should have been the skeleton to put meat on. But the writer misses the bus.

The climax is melodramatic and seems contrived. A story which begins on a promising not loses steam midway. A better editor and proofreader could have worked wonders to this honest attempt at story-telling.

Verdict- A peep into a medico’s life.

About the Author-Dr. Aparajitha Nagesh is a pediatrician by profession and an author by passion. She graduated from Rangaraya Medical College (2006) and pursued her post-graduation from Andhra Medical College (2011). She worked as Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at NRI Medical College. She is currently with Apollo Cradle, Chennai. She got published in Indian Pediatrics Journal (January 2014) with her article ‘A Newborn with Hemorrhagic Varicella.’ 

She blogs at www.hrudilaya.blogspot.in. She loves photography, travelling, painting and watching movies. She lives in Chennai with her software engineer husband Nagesh Donipati and her daughter Anagha Naina.




Tuesday 20 December 2016

Thank You Love (A book review)


Author- Ayush Gupta
Publishers- HALF BAKED BEANS; First Edition edition (2016)
Language: English
Pages- 150 pages
Genre- Romance

Blurb- "Thank You Love" "...yes, I said, everything in life is uncertain, and it speaks the same." All human energy comes from that one thought. All the pain that we bear and the joys that we celebrate are the results of our thoughts at any moment. Strange isn't it? When Akshita was making her choices, Rayan made his. He refused to get over her and chose to own her absence in his heart and mind. Thank You Love describes how sitting on the floor in silence changed the world of "Rayan". He realised that love is not something that happens between two people, instead, it's an enduring quality within people. He realised that love is not something that you do, but is the way you are. He re-moulds one of the most important events of his life into a spark, re-channelises it and heads towards something that would later change the course of his life.

Book Review- The story begins on a promising note. A bus stuck in a landslide on a frosty night, a hut in the middle of nowhere and two strangers. The premise holds a lot of potential. But alas, the plot goes downhill from here, just like the debris blocking the highway at the beginning of the narration.

"Thank You Love” is a meandering tale of a whining young guy who yearns to get the affection of his ‘unfaithful’ girlfriend back. The love story of Rayan and Akshita is devoid of any real drama, the sparks are few and far between. Grammatical glitches also crop up at regular intervals, acting as a source of nuisance to the reader. The relationship of Rayan with his mother and his elder sister is, however, well defined and instils a sense of warmth in the heart of the reader.

Through this story, the author has tried to delve into the issues of selfless love, letting go of the past and the importance of being thankful for the small mercies. It is a commendable attempt, but a little more effort should have gone into the story-line and proof-reading. The climax is innovative but bland.

Verdict-  Nothing to write home about.


Tuesday 13 December 2016

Turning back time (A book review)


Author- Shravya Gunipudi
Publishers- Gargi publishers
Language: English
Pages- 196
Genre- Romance

Blurb- When people we love pass away, they only take their presence with them. They leave their memories with us. The story revolves around 'Alia', an emotionally distant woman, and how the lives of four elderly strangers impact her own very deeply, bringing about a change in the way she treats herself and those around her. As the clock begins to tick and they each start to die, leaving their stories behind for her to learn from, she finds that the depression and trauma caused by their loss have left with her the gift of a lifetime... Realisation. In the tale of life, death and the ride in between, where there are always mistakes and never second chances, there is only one question. Can you make it through without regrets? 

Book Review- Turning back time’ is a simple story, a story of regrets we all have in our life at some point in time.

‘How many times have we shut our eyes and prayed to be given a solo chance to press the rewind button on the screen playing the saga of our life? We know the exercise to be futile. What has transpired can never be undone. What is left behind is a gamut of repent and guilt. Still, we yearn for a second chance.’

The writer narrates the story of Alia who is at crossroads in her life- her head and her heart constantly at daggers drawn. She has a strained relationship with her ageing mother; the writer does not delve deep into the reasons behind this blow hot, blow cold relationship between the two ladies.

Through a series of confessions that the inmates of an old age home leave behind for her, Alia struggles to find the real meaning of life. She discovers the hidden skeletons in the past of people close to her heart and learns valuable life lessons from the follies committed by them in their respective journeys. It leads Alia towards self-discovery and she finally is able to chalk out a path for herself.

While the story does tug at the heartstrings of the reader, it does suffer from the stigma of an overdose of emotions. After a certain point, the narrative tends to get repetitive. The reader knows beforehand as to the next turn of events which is not a very good sign.

Overall, it is a well-written tale, narrated with finesse. The book is divided into sections, each outlining an independent story with Alia as the common thread.  My personal favourite is the poignant saga of Girish and Priya. The story stays with you long after you have read the last page. And that is the hallmark of a good book.

Verdict- A story that tugs at your heartstrings…

About the Author- Shravya Gunipudi, a 23-year-old CA and CS, has been writing ever since the tender age of nine. Now, more than a decade since her first journey with the pen, she has won numerous prizes for her Articles, Short Stories and Poetry. She was a part of 19 Anthologies with a total of 17 published stories and was recognized as 'Best Writer of the Year, 2013' by yourstoryclub.com. She is also the editor of the project 'The Book of Dreams', by Numerique Publications. Shravya wishes to explore her passion both in Finance and Writing. It is her dream to merge her creative side with her analytical one. Writing, she believes, is the best form of expression that calms the mind and frees the soul. Her favourite quote is 'Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing about'.