The Soul Charmer (A book review)

Author- Richa Saxena

Publishers- Half Baked Beans (21 December 2016)

Pages- 75 pages

Genre- Poetry

Blurb- Remember the first time you uttered those three important words expressing your love or the first time when you said 'goodbye' to your loved one. The first time, you got a jolt in your heart or the first time you held a life in your arms. 

Richa Saxena has tried to put forth a compilation of thirty-five surreal poems that would recreate that magic and unleash your deepest thoughts. 

Seasons must have passed by, but that feeling still remains in the heart. 

Her poems would revive those very thoughts, the ones said and the ones that remained unsaid.

Book Review- “The Soul Charmer” is a collection of thirty-five poems penned by the poetess, Richa Saxena. There are many ‘firsts’ associated with this book. This is the first poetry book written by a contemporary poet that I have read. This is also the first Kindle book that I ever purchased. And trust me; I do not regret either of the two.

The poetess, it seems has poured her heart out while writing each of these compositions. As the blurb indicates, the yearning of a heart in love- at times melancholy and at times exultant, form the crux of each poem. The poems belong to the category of free verse, i.e., poetry written with rhymed or unrhymed verse that has no set meter to it. I am not a big fan of this writing style but for once, I liked most of the verse I encountered in this book.

At times, I did feel that the poems were meandering and felt myself losing interest. There are a few rough edges which can be worked upon. But at more junctures than one, the very next poem touched a chord deep inside my soul. My personal favourite is – ‘Daddy’s Little Princess’.

While rating this book, I will listen to my heart and give it 4 stars because poetry is all about words tugging at the strings of your heart. And the poetess definitely knows how to do it.

Verdict- A soul charmer indeed…

सौदा...

वो बेफिक्री भरी जवानी

इस दिल की हर मनमानी 

मेरे हिस्से की धूप, कच्ची सी

बारिश में बरसता पानी

कुछ ख्याल, आज़ाद से

यारों संग बातें रूमानी

मेरी कविताएँ, मेरे गीत

जो कभी याद थे ज़ुबानी

इक महफूज़ छत के लिए

सब का सौदा कर लिया

ज़िंदगी बन के रह गयी

‘नौ से पाँच’ की कहानी

                  (अनुराग)

The Alphabet Killer (A book review)

Author- Prachi Sharma

Publishers- HALF BAKED BEANS; First edition (2016)

Pages- 180 pages

Genre- Suspense/Thriller

Blurb- The city of Mumbai goes past, cold, impersonal, self-absorbed. A killer waits in the shadows, anticipating his prey. Mia Santos is a successful author, feminist and Chief Editor of the Mumbai chapter an international feminist magazine. Someone is raping and killing the women she works with, one by one, and carving out the initials A.B onto their foreheads. The media gives him the moniker 'The Alphabet Killer' Mia's getting taunted and tormented by someone who claims to be the killer. She's the only one who knows what the initials mean, and the killer's end game. The same is suspected by CID Inspector Damien De Silva, who's investigating the killings. Even as he tries to work with Mia, he starts getting attached to her. What is that horrible past which Mia's worked so hard to bury? Why is the killer so adamant to unravel this past? Will Mia reciprocate Damien's feelings? Will they be able to work together and find the killer before he executes his horrifying climax?

Book Review- “The Alphabet Killer” is author Prachi Sharma’s debut novel.

When I searched Amazon for this title, I found many books by the same name. Ideally, one should try to christen a new book with a unique title.

The cover design of the book has a cool retro look. The backdrop is pink which is incidentally the ‘colour of the hour’. Moreover, the protagonist of the book is a die-hard feminist, working for ‘Feminista’ magazine.

The plot of the book, as the blurb indicates involves three main characters- the heroine (Mia Santos), the cop (Damien) and a serial killer. The narrative is fast paced and the writing style lucid. I read this book in a single sitting. The premise, though not new, is nevertheless promising. Murders, violence and gore are a potent cocktail. A cat and mouse game between the perpetrator of a crime and the law enforcers makes for an interesting read. The same applies to this book. The first 150 odd pages of this book keep you glued to your seat.

The author, however, loses a grip on the proceedings towards the climax. A story, high on adrenaline, fizzles out in the end.  Another 30 pages, a better etched ‘hero’, a more complex antagonist and a riveting climax could have taken this book to another level.

Verdict- A breezy entertainer.

About The Author- Prachi Sharma is a clinical pharmacist, aspiring neuroscientist, book critic and blogger, content writer, and crime novelist. She also counts herself as a foodie, coffee freak, criminology buff, book worm, and an experimental cook. Her short works have appeared in e-literary magazines like Writer's Ezine and Literary Yard and websites like StoryMirror and Readomania. Her crime novella, A Predator in Paradise, has been published on CosyReading as a serialized e-novel. She blogs at The Crimocopeia and can be reached at percykerrywrites@gmail.com.

अल्फ़ाज़...

लबों तक जो नहीं आते

वो अल्फ़ाज़ कहाँ जाते हैं?

जिनके तारों में गीत नहीं

वो साज़ कहाँ जाते हैं?

सफ़र भी है, मंज़िल भी है

इक लंबा सा रास्ता भी

हवायें ना ख़ुशगवार बहें

पंछी परवाज़ कहाँ पाते हैं?

छोटा ही सही, इक किस्सा हो

माज़ी का एहम इक हिस्सा हो

लिखना मगर ना मुमकिन हो

बयान-ए-अंदाज़ कहाँ जाते हैं?

                        (अनुराग)

अक्स...

काले पानी में अक्स तेरा

मैला दिखता है, सॉफ नहीं

काई की परतें माज़ी पे

उजला यादों का गिलाफ नहीं

हर कोशिश नाकाम सी है

मुझ को तुझ तक लाने की

फलक में क्या कोई तारा है

जो शिद्दत से मेरे खिलाफ नही?

कोई जुम्बिश अब न बाकी है

पत्थर होते अल्फाज़ों में

खामोश कलम किस से बोले

स्याही को मिला इंसाफ़ नहीं…

                           (अनुराग)

बारिश...

बारिश की रिमझिम भी हैं
शाम का धुँधला मंज़र भी
भीगी भीगी सी आँखें हैं
दिल की मिट्टी बंजर भी

दो चार अल्फ़ाज़ कसीले
लिख जा जिस्म-ए-काफ़िर पे
हाथ में तेरे कलम भी है
और आस्तीन में खंजर भी...

                         -अनुराग

एहसास...

एहसास

जो तुम मानो, तो मैं तुम्हारा

ना समझो, तो इक वहंम सही

वो सपना जो अधूरा रहा

तुम्हारी ज़िद, तुम्हारा अहम् सही

काँच की तीखी नोक सरीखा

सुलगते सीने की खलिश सही

जो रो दो तो इक चीख हूँ मैं

गा लो…तो इक बंदिश सही

                  (अनुराग)