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.

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'.

"INTROSPECTION"

"INTROSPECTION"

Another year gone

Time frittering away

Still lost in the woods

Trying to find my way…

Shackled by maladies

My feet do not dance

The mirror taunts my image

I live, as if in a trance...

A few cravings to shed

Some probity to acquire

To burn; come out pure

I need a raging fire…

Another year gone

Time frittering away…

Still lost in the woods

Still trying to find my way…

Copyright © 2016 by Anurag Shourie

छोटी सी कहानी…

इक बीज, कुछ मिटटी

इक कलश पानी

इक पेड़, चंद पत्ते

हवा की रवानी

कभी धूप, कभी बारिश

कुछ यादें सुहानी

वो पतझड़ का राग

सर्द लबों की ज़ुबानी

टूटे पत्ते, कुछ मिटटी

दफ़न  होती निशानी

छोटा सा जीवन

छोटी सी कहानी...

(Copyright © 2016 by अनुराग)

We will meet again... (A book review)

Author- Tarang Sinha

Publishers- Gargi publishers

Language: English

Pages- 192

Genre- Romance

Blurb- Paridhi Mathur, dusky, beautiful, and (determined to be) single, is doing everything to keep her academic records high and her love life nil, but lady luck keeps frowning at her. When she meets Abhigyan Ambastha, rich - devastatingly handsome, intense and sometimes curt, her resolve wavers. Despite regular warnings from her ever-suspicious heart, she inexplicably gets attracted towards him. But she would not let him trespass her soul. Why? Is she scared of mendacious face of love her past has inflicted on her? Can Paridhi really trust Abhigyan? Will a blissful breeze of love ever kiss her heart? A heart-warming saga of dreams and desires, We Will Meet Again promises to make you smile and cry at the same time. Hold on to your hearts before embarking on this roller coaster ride of emotions!

Book Review- ‘We will meet again…’ is the debut novel of author-Tarang Sinha. It follows the journey of Paridhi, a modern age woman who has her head firmly on her shoulders. Recovering from a forgettable ‘love affair’, she meets the quintessential ‘prince charming’ and keeps on bumping into him. From here onward, the story takes on a course which is pretty familiar. There are no surprises along the path. The destination is one which we all are aware of.

The story has its share of clichés and the author does not shy away from them. A loud ‘Punjabi’ wedding, a fat boy named ‘Lovely’, a father who suffers a heart attack at just the ‘right’ time, orthodox ‘in-laws’ - all are present, duly going through the motions.

On the brighter side, the author writes in a lucid manner and the reader tends to go with the flow. The pace of the story does not slacken. The narrative is coherent. As far as the romance between the protagonists is concerned, the author decides to play safe. Sparks do fly but there is no smouldering passion.

Pick this book up for an unadulterated dose of mushy romance. We all believe in fairy tales- don’t we?

Verdict- An unadulterated dose of mushy romance…

About the Author- Tarang Sinha is a freelance writer and editor. She is an avid reader and active Blogger. Her works have been published in magazines like Good Housekeeping India, Child India, Woman’s Era and Alive, and a bestselling anthology “Uff Ye Emotions 2”.
A science graduate, she holds a Diploma in Creative Writing in English from IGNOU.
'We Will Meet Again...' is her first novel.

दाग...

चन्दन के पेड़ पे सर्प

गुलाब के फूल संग कांटे

कमल घिरा कीचड में

चाँद को दाग हैं बांटे…

कुदरत का मज़ाक कहो

या फरिश्तों का फितूर

ना गुलाब की कोई गलती

ना तो चाँद का है कुसूर…

(अनुराग )

DNA - Dad's Not Adopted (A book review)

Author- Shikha Kaul 

Publishers- Gargi Publishers; First Edition edition (18 April 2016)

Language: English

Pages- 250

Genre- Crime, thriller and mystery

Blurb- When the past that never existed comes to haunt you, there’s only one thing that persists in your mind – It is definitely a lie!

Sometimes life is not just a mystery, but withal a discovery and cognisance of facts and people around, people who have lived on this planet every moment of your life, as a part of your life, have breathed through the times you have spent. Yet they remain anonymous to you like aliens from a different world. Their existence is non-extant. Yet they influence you without your knowledge. Sometimes they too are oblivious to the reality, like the railway tracks which run parallel to each other but never meet. The moment the tracks meet, there is bound to be a disaster.

She is a simple girl from Thailand and he is one of the top business magnates of India. She claims to be his daughter and a year later she is found killed.

A Managing Editor of a leading newspaper and a CBI Investigating Officer team up to unearth the truth. How far do they go to uncover the mystery?
Delve into the timeless journey that promises to keep you hooked from the beginning to the end…. without a blink!

Book Review- ‘DNA’ is not a novel- it is a ready-made script for a movie. The story runs like a car on the expressway from Delhi to Jaipur-fast and smooth. There are no bumps on the way.

The characters have been etched out with great detailing-everyone has a past, a story of their own to share. They feel real; flesh and blood. The story takes time to shift gears in the beginning but once it does, it is in cruise control mode. The pieces of this jigsaw puzzle fit perfectly into place as the story progresses. The climax is unpredictable; well almost. Being an author myself, I could forecast fifty percent of the suspense but kudos to the writer for jotting down a wonderful culmination to this fantastic novel.

The element of romance though not smouldering, is refreshing.

On the downside, the author could have desisted from using words which send the reader scurrying for a dictionary. It’s never a good idea. The flashback, if narrated by a character is usually in the ‘first person’- the author inadvertently wrote it in the ‘third person’.

Apart from these minor glitches, it has all the ingredients of a book belonging to the genre of ‘Crime, thriller and mystery'.

Verdict- A quintessential suspense thriller…

About the Author- Winner of ‘Author of the Year’ award by Salis Online Magazine for her debut novel ‘Hidden Husband’, which is a romantic contemporary fiction, author Shikha Khanduja Kaul has experimented with a thriller and a murder mystery with her second book. Alongside her career in the staffing industry, she manages to pursue her passion for writing and at the same time ensures to fulfill her duties as a mother and a wife.

A graduate with Honours in Physics and a Post Graduate in HR, she has always been fascinated by books of all genres and finds peace in writing her mind out. Reach out to her:
Facebook: facebook.com/shikhakaulauthor
Twitter: @shikhakaul10
Email: shikha.kaul.author@gmail.com