Halo I Seek

The Kiss of Life- How a Superhero and my Son defeated Cancer :Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sridevi Nayak K) — Fri, 03 Jun 2016 07:31:00 +0000

Behind the book

How do you deal with the most difficult moments in your life?

Every experience that we go through changes us and helps us grow. As we learn to laugh and cry, win and lose, share and care, the meaning of life and true happiness unfolds before us. Known for his bold forays into Bollywood, Emraan Hashmi walks us through his memories that have shaped him - from a confused teenager who dabbled in a variety of things to finding his calling to the suave, smart and unorthodox actor he has become today. At the heart of his story lies the most important and transformative experience of his life - the period when his son, Ayaan, was battling with cancer. It reveals the man behind the limitless charm of Emraan Hashmi and how he dealt with his son's illness. Honest, personal, bold and heart-warming, The Kiss of Life is about an actor and a father's trials and triumphs.

Review

Anybody's world would come down to a rubble when they hear their loved one is diagnosed with cancer. When cancer strikes a person it sure does affect the immediate people surrounding the patient. Same was the case with Emraan Hashmi. This book is memoir of Emraan Hashm's son's battle with cancer. It is a very short and emotional read. It really touches every reader. Co written by Bilal Siddiqi and Emraan, this book is also a treasure trove for it has few quick tips on preventive measures to fight cancer. I loved the simplicity in the language used in the book. I also admire the courage of the little boy Ayaan. He sure became Ayaan Man in the end. Loved the influence of the superheroes the book had. One should never forget that come what may, we need to arise as super heroes. We have the power in us if we try and will to defeat the hurdles thrown at our way.

Apart from the details memories of Ayaan battling cancer, the book has few pages filled with Emraan's early life before film, how he is connected to Bollywood and how he met his wife Parveen. I felt this was written to add more chapters in the book.

More Details of the book

Price: Rs.248.90 ( Kindle version)
Copy bought from : Amazon
Actual Price: 399 INR

The Best Seller She Wrote : A book review

noreply@blogger.com (Sridevi Nayak K) — Mon, 21 Dec 2015 07:05:00 +0000

The Best Seller She Wrote, is a fiction by Ravi Subramanian. A banker by profession, Subramanian has written popular thrillers about banking and banker. This is his first book in romance genre.

Behind the book:

Paperback king Aditya Kapoor's life is straight out of a modern man's fantasy. His literary stardom is perfectly balanced by a loving wife and a spectacular career. With everything he touches turning gold, Aditya is on a winning streak.

Shreya Kaushik is a student with heat full of ambition. Young, beautiful and reckless. Shreya speaks her mind and obsessively chases after what she wants. And what what she wants is to be a bestselling author.

What happens when their worlds collide? Is it possible to love two people at the same time? Can real ambition come in the way of blind passion? Can trust once broken be regained?

More about the author:

Ravi Subramanian loves interacting with his readers be it in the book launch or even replying to the message his readers send him in Facebook or Twitter. He is very humble and friendly while interaction. He is an IIM graduate from Bengaluru and had knack when it comes to banking. His work include If God was a Banker, I bought the Monks' Ferrari, Devil in Pinstripes, The incredible Banker, The Bankster, Bakerupt, God is a Gamer. If God Was a Banker won the Golden Quill Readers’ Choice Award. He won the Economist Crossword Book Award in 2012 for The Incredible Banker, The Crossword Book Award in 2013 for The Bankster and more recently in 2014 for his thriller Bankerupt

A lot has been said and commented on the book. I only have one thing to say you cannot take a writer's fetish for thriller no matter which genre he writes in. This book had a small episode of unlocking the mystery behind the events, connecting dots and revealing the evil and mean character. While I enjoyed reading the book page by page, I found the story to be made only to be adapted as motion picture.

The book is a fast paced read and is constructed using apt language and tone. The characters are can be related very easily and I finished the book within few hours. His efforts in writing this book really worth it. I am sure he can juggle between the thriller and romance genre with much ease. Yes there is a lot of masala ( Won't most of the Indian audience want that? At least its much better than the daily TV soaps), drama in the book. There is love, lust, betrayal, redemption, forgiveness and entertainment. There is also some gyaan on publishing industry and some insights why marketing the book is important for an author.

The best parts of the book are:

The way the protagonist confesses the mistakes he had done. It is really not easy to accept and owe for your mistake that too at a given situation when you will be stared mercilessly and judged. He knew what is at stake if he did not handle the matter carefully.

If you want a relationship to work if will leave no stones unturned. While accepting and owing for mistake committed is the first step to mend things, forgiveness and forgiving is the ultimate act of moving on in life and dusting off the past.

P.S.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!

ISIN: 978-93-85152-38-2
Genre: Romance / Drama
Publishers: Westland Books
Price: Rs. 295/-

(c) Reviewed by Sridevi Nayak Karopady

God is a gamer : Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sridevi Nayak K) — Mon, 17 Nov 2014 19:00:00 +0000

On the back cover:
What happens when you cross Gamer, Banker, Politician and Terrorist with virtual money?
From the bestselling author of “If God was a banker” comes the first ever bitcoin thriller.
God is a Gamer is a world where money means nothing, martyrs are villains, predators are prey, assassination is taught by the ancient Greeks, and nothing is as it seems.
Moving from Washington’s Congress to Delhi’s finance ministry, the beaches of Goa to the corporate boardrooms of Mumbai, this is Ravi Subramanian’s most gripping novel yet.

My review:
The plot is racy and pushes a reader to skip a couple of pages to know what's going to happen next . It’s a total engagement which has love, lust, lies and secrets in various shades adding new spice to the story. This book is not that high on banking sector yet forms an integral part in the entire plot. Author will make you fall for all the games and twist and turns in the book and you will be stumped by the end.

As always, Ravi is very meticulous in his research and this time it is the world of Bitcoins. He has done a remarkable and an extensive research. God Is A Gamer is a perfect read and trust me, , the book punctuates with an adrenaline rush which will not let you sleep till you finish reading it and get stumped. Curious still? Go grab the book first.

Do I recommend God Is A Gamer?
If you like thrillers then yes. If you like to have a change with the genres then definitely yes!
Will I read more books by this author?
This blog says it all. Do I need to answer more?

This review is a part of the biggest <a href="http://blog.blogadda.com/2011/05/04/indian-bloggers-book-reviews" target="_blank"> Book Review Program </a> for <a href="http://www.blogadda.com" target="_blank">Indian Bloggers.</a> Participate now to get free books!
(c) Reviewed by Sridevi Nayak Karopady

Hitched : Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sridevi Nayak K) — Tue, 20 May 2014 16:33:00 +0000

courtesy

Want to know my review for this amazing book? Click on the link provided --> http://bit.ly/1jRzNtD
(c) Reviewed by Sridevi Nayak Karopady

The Prophecy of Trivine : Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sridevi Nayak K) — Sun, 18 May 2014 09:20:00 +0000

courtesy

A didactic novel however, the authors Pulkit Gupta, Srivatsan Sridharan, Tnashsin Garg, have designed the entire book with remarkable events involving alien race, teleportation, mind reading, supernatural, umwelt. And then there are three guys in a jungle with an alien lassie amidst flora and fauna. The premise of the plot is simplistic and narratives are impeccable. The poetic touch and the personification to express the darkness is something worth a treat.

The book has three significant young characters and are very different from each other hailing from the earth. In the dense forest resides an immortal alien lassie. The three guys encounter each other accidently or call it the conspiracy of the fate. Alien lassie performs an experiment on the three guys without their consent. The experiment is the determining factor of the destiny of the human race. The four characters seem to be like a maze at a point. At times I was awed with the events like the celestial powers possessed by the supernatural lassie. The beauty of the flora and fauna is appreciable.

Should human race be punished for harming the ecological balance or should they just be left to face their existence. It is interesting to see that the question which has to knock in the human minds has aroused in the supernatural lassie. However at the flipside the author manages to pull you out of that conclusion showing you that the human race is complex and has shown reasons for survival too.

After the conclusions are drawn by the alien from her experiment, I thought there will be some prophecy of trivine. However, it did not even after the three guys started following their goals with utmost dedication. The climax did not really build up to my expectations. May be it will be revealed in the sequels.

Verdict:
Apart from few glitches, this book is a fantastic read, kudos to its narrative language. Stay tuned for the action to unfold in the sequel.

This book review is a part of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program. To get free books log on to thereaderscosmos.blogspot.com

The Black Coat : Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sridevi Nayak K) — Mon, 05 May 2014 14:46:00 +0000

Courtesy

I received this book from BookGeeks.in. In return I have promised to write an honest and unbiased review. To read the review please click here

(c) Reviewed by Sridevi Nayak Karopady

The Luminaries : Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sridevi Nayak K) — Wed, 30 Apr 2014 16:08:00 +0000

The Luminaries is the second novel by Eleanor Catton,published by Victoria University Press in August 2013 and Granta. It s a longest book spanning 832 pages.

Summary

Walter Moody, a prospector, traverses to the fledgling West Coast of the South Island settlement of Hokitika, near New Zealand's goldfields in 1866 in an attempt to make his fortune. However, he stumbles into a edgy meeting between twelve local men. They pull him in to the complex mystery, a series of unsolved crimes. Anna Wetherell, one of the protagonist and a former opium-addicted Hokitika whore, has had a previous affair with one Crosbie Wells. Crosbie Wells yay or may not be Francis Carver. Carver is pursued by Ah Sook, a Chinese veteran of the Second Opium War. He wants vengeance for his father's death as a result of impaired border duties.

Wells is married to hotel keeper Lydia Wells, who initially met Anna when she gets off from a British passenger vessel at Port Chalmers. Anna was expelled from her former Dunedin accommodation and was forced into prostitution in Hokitika following an affair with Crosbie Wells and succumbing to opium addiction. Moreover, Anna was carrying Wells' baby. She had miscarried after a atrocious beating.

Questions arise about the authenticity of a new prospective Hokitika gold mine claim staked by newcomer Emery Staines, who is also opium-addicted. Anna is rescued from her life of prostitution by a forgiving Lydia Wells. This helps her to re-encounter Staines, whom she had fallen in love earlier. But, Ah Sook plans to attack Carver but is stopped by Governor Shepard who kills him - claiming that he fired to prevent Ah Sook shooting Carver.

My verdict

It is an everlastingly book blended with most compelling mystery. This book completely in control of all the active, scrimmage plot lines of the circular affair, as if they really were gritted by the astrological patterns.

P.S. I received this book from MySmartPrice (http://www.mysmartprice.com/books/) and in return I promised them to give an honest and an unbiased review.

While I was waiting: Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sridevi Nayak K) — Sun, 27 Apr 2014 18:13:00 +0000

Courtesy: Author

Stay tuned for this review in The Insight Magazine.
(c) Reviewed by Sridevi Nayak Karopady

Prisoner Jailor Prime Minister : Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sridevi Nayak K) — Sun, 30 Mar 2014 20:02:00 +0000

Courtesy

About the book from BlogAdda

India has a new Prime Minister but is Siddhartha Tagore the product of his genius or of his dangerous mind? India is on edge, as a subversive internal revolt against the Constitution and the threat of Jehadi terror of an unthinkable level, are looming on the horizon. Ringing Shivas damaru in and out of Parliament, a sudden turn of karma catapults outsider Siddhartha Tagore - a conflicted genius, music maestro and prodigal son, with forceful views on China and Pakistan into national prominence as the head of the Opposition Alliance and finally as the newly elected Prime Minister of a disturbed nation. But buried secrets are being resurrected and threaten to expose the past. Twisted within the double helix of menacing politics and hidden lust, Prisoner, Jailor, Prime Minister is a scorching account of Siddhartha Tagores fascinating journey from Harvard to 7 Race Course ad.

My verdict

1. Interesting story line with undertones of love, lust and loss
2. The plot could have been little polished
3. Book does grip you in certain intervals
4. Interesting way of comparing two different timelines
5. Characters could be even better. I felt little disconnected in between and hence I had to re-read few pages again.
6. Loved the way the story punctuates eliteness of the characters
7. Influencing descriptives and narratives.
8. Eye-catchy title and Cover page however, the picture at the rear of the book reminded me of Kota Nileema's Shoes of the Dead.
9. Loved the way the music has a significant influence in the protagonist.

P.S. This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

The Dalai Lama's Cat : Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sridevi Nayak K) — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 17:55:00 +0000

Courtesy

A perfect brew, appealing and love for felines and shedding light on Buddhism. The author has effortlessly weaved stories around the Buddhism teachings which he wanted to put across. The narrator of this book, the cat, is rather very unusual and felines lover will find it to be simply adorable. The coherent description of Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj will engage the the reader with delight and yearning. One would want to pin this places

The Dalai Lama’s cat is a journal of cat, a pet of the Buddhist leader. The cat that has the advantage of an exceptional outlook which forms the means through which the author takes the reader to a meaningful and blissful end. The difficult lessons are described with much ease which helps a reader to use them to enrich their daily lives. This book will be a great tool if you want to stride on a path of introspection simply want to be a a self content person.

Reading this book, one can self realise and organise thoughts. One can have an innate reaction to a miniscule problem.Going through every page of this book gave me a new vantage. It can definitely be an interesting start to know about self realisation. However, it is difficult to comprehend all spiritual teachings in one go for an amateur mind but if this book can bring in the right motion inside the mind then the purpose is achieved.

P.S. I received this book from MySmartPrice (http://www.mysmartprice.com/books/) and in return I promised them to give an honest and an unbiased review.

No Man's Land : Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sridevi Nayak K) — Thu, 23 Jan 2014 11:02:00 +0000

Behind the book

“Land - you can’t burn it like money, you can't melt it like gold. You can only buy it, sell it, snatch it, grab it. Titles change, governments change, times change but the land stays where it is unmoved and sterile. That is its beauty. But, somewhere deep down, men want to grab its immortality and slip it into their horribly insecure lives. They never can but they never will stop trying.”

Gurgaon, circa 1998. A city is being born. Ordinary farms are turning into virtual goldmines in the shadow of lofty skyscrapers.

Agastya, whose days are numbered, lords over one such estate. He realizes it’s time to pass on the legacy to the next generation his estranged sons, Pranay and Karan who will come from Delhi with blemished pasts, base aspirations and a woman who would divide them.

And then, not unlike the Mahabharata, the land would become the stage where their greed, affections and deepest fears would struggle and suffocate. No one would leave the place unscathed, if they would leave at all.

Verdict:
Makes you flip pages to know more
Remarkable imagination while setting the story
Amazing Characterization
Intriguing and captivating writing style
Fantastic plot.

P.S. This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!
(c) Reviewed by Sridevi Nayak Karopady

The One You Cannot Have : Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sridevi Nayak K) — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 19:37:00 +0000

The review is up. Click on the link --> The Insight magazine!

The Himalayan Revelation: Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sridevi Nayak K) — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 17:22:00 +0000

Courtesy

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

CLICK ON THE LINK--> Insight Magazine

(c) Reviewed by Sridevi Nayak Karopady

The Mad Tibetan - Stories from then and now. : Book Review.

noreply@blogger.com (Sridevi Nayak K) — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 23:38:00 +0000

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The Mad Tibetan, stories from the and now is a fiction by Deepti Naval. This book will definitely will be one of favorites for the way it is narrated. It is succinct and has a very idiosyncratic descriptive nature. Each story is picturesque and expressive and strikes the right chord of the readers mind.

The stories in this book are very vivacious. Thulli is a grimy tale of prostitute in Kamathipuri in Mumbai. It has a deep impact on the reader (I had, and I believe even you will also have). Piano Tuner gently pulls your heart to the tale of the music from a piano that Feroze Batilboi once played. Sisters is a story of two sisters whose long locks had to do be chopped off because of the uncontrollable proliferation of the lice’s breeding. They are tugged down into the sands of humiliation. One night they both plan to run away from their humiliation but will they be successful in their endeavors?

While Balraj Sahni is a story about Deepti’s first encounter of Balraj Sahni and her success story to grab an autograph for herself, Ruth Mayberry is story of Ruth who inspires with her never-say-die-spirit, yet struggles with lonliness. D, The morning after, Bombay Central, Premonition, Birds and The Mad Tibetan are stories that articulates in a tone that echoes and incites hope, love, and joy.

I am glad that I came across this book in my college library. Sooner will own the book until then I can just have it in my wishlist of To-Buy-Novels. My recommendation is – give a try, and then you shall see how you will fall in love with this book.

P.S. I received this book from MySmartPrice (http://www.mysmartprice.com/books/) and in return I promised them to give an honest and an unbiased review.

English Bites! My Fullproof English Learning Formula

noreply@blogger.com (Sridevi Nayak K) — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 17:44:00 +0000

I received this book from the author for an honest and unbiased review.

This book is a must for everyone who aspires to learn this language or wants to advance more. For more views on this book please click on this link.
(c) Reviewed by Sridevi Nayak Karopady

Whisper of the Worms : Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sridevi Nayak K) — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 18:32:00 +0000

Courtesy

The review has been moved to this site - The Insight, E-magazine

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

Happy Birthday : Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sridevi Nayak K) — Fri, 30 Aug 2013 17:26:00 +0000

Courtesy

My Verdict
The concept behind this book is very stimulating. Author Danielle Steel takes three birthdays that fall on the same day, all of them uninspiring to the birthday girl or boy, and turns them into the start of something that changes the life’s pace. Set in New York City, and full of the glitz and glamour associated with this city, the book twists the fast pace of the city with the strong, affectionate bonds of family. Despite the struggles from the characters in an attempt to resolve with a milestone birthday, they find love and happiness.

About the Book (courtesy here)

In this beguiling new novel, Danielle Steel tells the story of three very different people, each of whom, on the same day, reaches a crucial turning point in life—a rite both bitter sweet and full of hope, a time to blow out the candles, say goodbye to the past, and make a wish for the future.

Valerie Wyatt is the queen of gracious living and the arbiter of taste. Since her long-ago divorce, she’s worked hard to reach the pinnacle of her profession and to create a camera-ready life in her Fifth Avenue penthouse. So why is she so depressed? All the hours with her personal trainer, the careful work of New York’s best hairdressers, cosmetic surgeons, and her own God-given bone structure and great looks can’t fudge the truth or her lies about it: Valerie is turning sixty.

Valerie’s daughter, April, has no love life, no rest, and no prospect of that changing in the foreseeable future. Her popular one-of-a-kind restaurant in downtown New York, where she is chef and owner, consumes every ounce of her attention and energy. Ready or not, though, April’s life is about to change, in a tumultuous transformation that begins the morning it hits her: She’s thirty. And what does she have to show for it? A restaurant, no man, no kids.

Jack Adams once threw a football like a guided missile. Twelve years after retiring from the NFL, he is the most charismatic sports analyst on TV, a man who has his pick of the most desirable twentysomething women. But after a particularly memorable Halloween party, Jack wakes up on his fiftieth birthday, his back thrown out of whack, feeling every year his age.

A terrifying act of violence, an out-of-the-blue blessing, and two extremely unlikely love affairs soon turn lives inside out and upside down. In a novel brimming with warmth and insight, beginning on one birthday and ending on another, Valerie, April, and Jack discover that life itself can be a celebration—and that its greatest gifts are always a surprise.

P.S. I recieved this book from the publishers in return I promised them give an honest and unbiased review.

(c) Reviewed by Sridevi Nayak Karopady

Amreekan Desi : Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sridevi Nayak K) — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 17:13:00 +0000

Courtesy

Atulya Mahajan’s debut novel Amreekan desi is about two Indian boys with the similar dream of making a livelihood in America. With many stereotypes, the story relates how these Indian students get together in the US whilst they are searching for their so-called-American Dream. Akhil Arora and Jaspreet Singh are the protagonists of this novel. They become friends in this foreign land.

These two characters are from different states Delhi and Punjab in India, . Akhil is portrayed as a young engineer studying in Delhi longing for freedom from his pompous family and wants to prove that he is capable of managing his own life. Jaspreet or Jassi, lives in small town in Punjab. He too like Akhil, wishes to live the American dream. Jassi and Akhil meet in Florida and become roommates. While studying in the States, they apply for jobs for their survival purpose. Eventually, they become best of friends and share their hopes and dreams with each other.

Both characters are contrasting with respect to their outlook. Akhil, a true patriot, wishes to return India after spending a few years abroad. While, Jassi does not seem happy to carry on with his Indian identity as it makes him feel embarrassed and uncomfortable. So, he plans to lookout for an American girl and make a living in America. However, Akhil falls in love with Nandita, a girl he met on the flight; Jassi’s dream of living an American life is shattered at every step.

Amreekan desi has witty insights and hilarious anecdotes. While bringing out the archetypal experience of an immigrant, the author focuses on an important issue like cultural shock, how people change when they live in a foreign country forgetting the values which one inherits since birth, issues with identity and struggling to have a basic need for survival in a foreign place.

A good read though. Loved the way it is edited. And also the narratives stereotyped were something that amused me.

P.S. I received this book from Readers Cosmo and in return I promised them an honest and unbiased review.

Those Pricey Thakur Girls : Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sridevi Nayak K) — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 14:05:00 +0000

Courtesy

The book revolves around the five beautiful but niggling daughters of Justice Laxminarayan who resides in the extravagant bungalow on the classy Hailey road with his wife. He has named his daughters in alphabetical order which is very archetypal. He has two unmarried daughters Debjani, our protagonist and Eshwari, the overly popular girl in school while the other three married ones and rest of the daughters are married. Anjini is strikingly gorgeous and enticingly flirtatious but is childless. Binodini is the second daughter and she has filed a case against her own father to get her rightful share of Justice’s property and Chandralekha, is considered as the black sheep in the family who elopes on the eve of her wedding.

Dylan Singh Shekhawat, the hero and a die-hard patriotic journalist. His character is weaved as a sincere, courageous and kind and also unrepentant flirt towards Dabbu. Shekhawat is disturbed by the massacre of the Sikhs in east Delhi and undertakes a personal assignment to expose the man behind the riots. The plot solidifies when in the midst of on and off romance between Dabbu and Dylan, dirty politics that takes over sensational Journalism which leads to framing Dylan in bribery case and shown the doors of the prison.

Those Pricey Thakur Girls is a romantic and comedy fiction set in India, Delhi in particular. The story is written in third person. The language is mix of English, Hindi and also Konkani which makes a reader laugh. Also M and B and F slang words are extensively used which sometimes tickles the funny bones of the reader. The book has all the elements of Indian masalas like family drama, sibling rivalry, and quarrel between the lovers and also some comedy punches are more evident. The story is said to be continued in its sequel in the near future.

P.S. I received this book from MySmartPrice (http://www.mysmartprice.com/books/) and in return I promised them to give an honest and an unbiased review.

Through the window : Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sridevi Nayak K) — Sat, 24 Aug 2013 16:16:00 +0000

Courtesy

Julian Barnes, in this essay collection describes the reader about writers who inspired him. This is very remarkable for to read author’s thoughts on Penelope Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Kipling, Madame Bovary, Ford Madox Ford and George Orwell and those who were instrumental in influencing him.

He also, mentions about the writers who have help design his style and subject matter for many of his successful books. With Barnes luminous writing, the essays inscribed are windows into the mystery of creativity. It is a brilliant and catching writing. Through the Window offers many insights into other writer’s histories. This book is for the people interested in learning more about Julian Barnes.

P.S. I received this book from the publishers and in return I promised an honest and unbiased review.

Hoshruba, The land and the Tilism: Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sridevi Nayak K) — Sat, 24 Aug 2013 02:30:00 +0000

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Behind the Book:

Long long ago, a group of sorcerers created tilism or a magical land. It is a world of spirits and talismans, where mountains change shape, fairies spring from the earth, dragon’s head dart out of flowers, and things are rarely what they seem. But it has a limited lifespan for its destruction is preordained. Hoshruba is its name, and it is ruled by the bold sorcerer Afrasiyab. Prophecies claim that Hoshruba will someday fall to a hero who possessed the key to the tilism. But the key has been lost, and Afrasiyab, with his invincible army of sorcerers, has remained the unchallenged ruler of the land.

Fate will, however, not always be on Afrasiyab’s side. His protection of the giant Laqa draws him to a clossal battle with the force of the hardened warrior Amir Hamza, uncle of the prophet Muhammad and Laqa’s arch enemy. Heading the offensive against Afrasiyab are a band of tricksters-masters of disguise and wit-led by the cunning Ammar Ayya, and the young Prince Asad, Hamza’s grandson and the prophesied conqueror of Hoshruba. When Prince Asad is kidnapped by Afrasiyab’s agents, it is left to Amar and a rebel sorceress to salvage his mission. Who will triumph in the battle for Hoshruba? And can Afrasiyab’s wizard armies be defeated?

Full of magic, adventure, romance and fantasy, TheTilism-e-Hoshruuba is the Indian subcontinent’s greatest Urdu epic. Composed by two rival storytellers in late 19th Century Lucknow, this classic of world literature has never been-until now-translated into English.

Verdict

Hoshruba is a magic empire. Tilism is an Urdu word that originally meant a magic relic. The reader may find the plot of the book a little complex but it is important to mention that the original text has gone through translations meticulously. The nature of the quest is very significant also most of fantasy books, the source of the magic are never harmed whereas here, the source of the magic is destroyed.

This book is said to run to 24 volumes and will be translated into English for the first time ever by Musharraf Ali Farooqi, the much-admired translator of The Adventures of Amir Hamza. Moreover, Random House India will be publishing all the volumes. This is the first book of the volume.

P.S. : I received this book from the publishers and in return I promised them an honest and unbiased review.

Big Girl : Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sridevi Nayak K) — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 17:09:00 +0000

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This is a sensitive and an insightful novel by Danielle Steel. The author rejoices the qualities of so called unconventional beauty while exploring intense issues of weight, body image, fat phobia, self-image, sisterhood, and family. This books premise is very realistic. It talks about the unconventional beauty and body image. The society thinks fat is stigma. Whereas it is not as what the so called slim people think.

Fat people are ridiculed always. Because of such behaviour, the people who are fat are subjugated to have low self esteem and it is very difficult to combat with such problems.I liked this book personally because I could connect with Victoria, the protagonist of the book. This book is motivating for those who think being fat is not beautiful.

P.S. I received this book from the publishers and in return I promised an honest and unbiased review.

The Revenge of Geography : Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sridevi Nayak K) — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 22:47:00 +0000

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Behind the book

The Revenge of Geography, Kaplan builds on the insights, discoveries, and theories of great geographers and geopolitical thinkers of the near and distant past to look back at critical pivots in history and then to look forward at the evolving global scene. Kaplan traces the history of the world’s hot spots by examining their climates, topographies, and proximities to other embattled lands.

Kaplan then applies the lessons learned to the present crises in Europe, Russia, China, the Indian subcontinent, Turkey, Iran, and the Arab Middle East. The result is a holistic interpretation of the next cycle of conflict throughout Eurasia. Remarkably, the future can be understood in the context of temperature, land allotment, and other physical certainties: China, able to feed only 23 percent of its people from land that is only 7 percent arable, has sought energy, minerals, and metals from such brutal regimes as Burma, Iran, and Zimbabwe, putting it in moral conflict with the United States. Afghanistan’s porous borders will keep it the principal invasion route into India, and a vital rear base for Pakistan, India’s main enemy. Iran will exploit the advantage of being the only country that straddles both energy-producing areas of the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea. Finally, Kaplan posits that the United States might rue engaging in far-flung conflicts with Iraq and Afghanistan rather than tending to its direct neighbour Mexico, which is on the verge of becoming a semi failed state due to drug cartel carnage.

A brilliant rebuttal to thinkers who suggest that globalism will trump geography, this indispensable work shows how timeless truths and natural facts can help prevent this century’s looming cataclysms.

Verdict

The author describes global politics in the first part, specifically going through the theories of well appreciated intellectuals of the past. However in the part two author helps in informing about the various areas of the world i.e. Russia, China, India, Iran, etc. that have a probability for conflict with neighbouring countries or political unrest within. Finally in the last part of the book, author deals largely with the United States and the consequences of what our future might hold if we prolong with existing associations and interest abroad and the implication to the home country.

This book is definitely a thought provoking view of Global Politics.

P.S. : I received this book from the publishers and in return I promised an honest and unbiased review.

c) Reviewed by Sridevi Nayak Karopady

Happy Birthday and Other Stories : Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sridevi Nayak K) — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 22:07:00 +0000

Courtesy

Behind the book

A dedicated friend undertakes one last labour of love for a childless woman. Nadia - married into money - finds herself facing uncomfortable truths about her comfortably numb marriage. A Mumbai slum-girl dreams of speaking words valuable enough to be translated into English. An American tourist seeking nirvana sets off a sudden chain of events when his bag is stolen, and destiny plays her hand. A retired civil servant of modest means struggles to support his snooty foreign-returned daughter.

Meghna Pant’s knife - sharp stories are compelling, emotionally intelligent and provide a rare glimpse into the strange workings of the human heart. They evade neat categorization and are the perfect read for all curious spirits.

Verdict

The stories are crafted finely and provide a atypical glimpse into the complex and inexplicable lives of every human beings. This books is 13 collection of stories that are touching, introspective and emotional. Short stories lovers will be in a state of awe.

This book is written by Meghna Pant, financial journalist and also the author of One and A half Wife. This is her first short stories collection novel. This book is published by Random House India.

P.S. : I received this book from the publishers and in return I promised to give an honest and unbiased review.

Shoes of the dead : Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sridevi Nayak K) — Sun, 04 Aug 2013 13:03:00 +0000

Courtesy

I received this book after having an urge to read more on the farmer suicide based factional stories. One such book which instigated such urge was Foreign by Sonora Jha. The book, Shoes of the dead cries about the increasing debt-related farmers' suicide issues in Mityala district, Delhi. Kota Neelima, the author of the book, begins the story with a few journalists being invited to the MP’s residence to share ‘off the record’ information. It’s a trap which has a purpose to disseminate any potential acerbic outburst in the media with farmer suicides basking the limelight.

Gangiri Bhadra is the protagonist of this masterpiece. He is in the village to make sure the justice is brought in favour of his brother, Sudhakar Bhadra’s death. Sudhakar called for his death by forcing himself to commit suicide after facing successive crop failures which left him with grave burden of debt.

The Mityala district has an influential committee which decides whether to pass the verdict for the suicides and apply methods to compensate the widows of the farmers who commits suicide. The compensation is only given to a 'patra' which mean an eligible case. The district committee dismisses Sudhakar’s case as 'apatra' which means its an ineligible case of a suicide debt-related and refuses to recompense his widow. This verdict becomes instrumental in Gangiri’s life and giving a way for him to be a righteous member of the committee. Gangiri makes his brother’s death as his sole mission in his life by giving up his decent paid job as a teacher in the state capital just to bring a fair dealing while handling the cases of similar suicide cases by persuading the committee to validate their verdicts. He does this by a researching scrupulously about every committee members. He is, although, successful in bringing justice to a few but during this course of action he attracts couple enemies for himself.

The book also speaks about Nazar Prabhakar, a journalist who always stands for the truth. Who can make wrong doers of the society perpetrate for their action. The fine example is when he exposes the treacherous plans of Keyur Kashinath and his followers Lambhodhar, the maha sarpanch, and Durga Das, the moneylender, in ‘fixing’ Gangiri’s course of action. He is a person who would dislike if his views are subjugated. When he feels the domination, he quits his job without any further discussion. And maybe that’s why he is hired by Haridas Tulasi, the editor in chief of the newspaper.

Keyur is the potential heir of the Democratic Party who represents Mityala district. His character echoes with much conceit and too proud of the power he inherited from his father Vaishnav Kashinath, DP’s General Secretary. I find him too immature and is always in thirst of power. He, undeniably, found his real sense of mission of his life too late. However, if he could have learned and recognized his powers before, he could have saved many farmers from committing such horrendous act.

Lambodhar, the maha sarpanch and Durga Das, the moneylender, in Mityala district, are most influential. They can go to any extreme step just to quench their greedy needs. Lambhodar was instrumental in getting the votes for Keyur’s victory by using his very mean tactics by instigating fear in the minds of the people in his village. Whereas Durga Das, is known for his memory and also the way he deals with the farmers during money lending business. Both of them pass their verdict in favour of the suicide case or dismiss the verdict only if it serves their benefits. Moreover they dismiss the case by giving illogical reasons behind the farmer’s death.

In addition, this book is an exposition of the ethics in both journalism and politics, and also the ideologies and comments of those influential people who tried to silent the common man’s cry for justice to the mass sufferers of the farmer suicides. The book reflects how political parties try hard to subjugate the minor sections of our country. First they fooled and swayed the farmers with their impeccable lobbying techniques for using the genetically modified seeds to sow in their fields and then trapping them with never ending debts which led them to forcefully accept suicide as the resolution. This book should is recommended a try. One can understand the way what the author is trying to say on farmer suicides. It’s a fiction woven with facts collected by the political editor of the Sunday guardian.

P.S. I received this book from MySmartPrice (http://www.mysmartprice.com/books/) and in return I promised them to give an honest and an unbiased review.