Book Stop Corner

Review #722: The Forest of Enchantments by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

2019-02-15T16:05:00.002+05:30

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"I do not wish women to have power over men; but over themselves."

----Mary Shelley

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, an Indian best selling novelist, has penned an evocative and timeless tale of one of the greatest love story that our Indian mythology has ever given to us in the form of Ramayana in her new book, The Forest of Enchantments. But its not a retelling of our favorite mythology on Lord Ram, rather its told and primarily focuses on the life and time of Lord Ram's wife, Sita who is not just a Goddess who we all worship to, but a fateful woman with a heart full of only love and kindness journeying through a path of thorns till her death.

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Review #721: The Knife Slipped by Erle Stanley Gardner (Cool and Lam #1.5)

2019-02-14T17:17:00.001+05:30

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“The truly scary thing about undiscovered lies is that they have a greater capacity to diminish us than exposed ones.”

----Cheryl Hughes

Erle Stanley Gardner, an American lawyer and author, writing under the pen name of A.A. Fair for his sassy detective series, Cool and Lam. A hidden gem have been discovered after almost a decade with Gardner's book called, The Knife Slipped which was never published due to scandalous story line that revolves around two detective duo, one being the sassiest queen of her investigation agency and the other being her part time detective whom she loved to dominate with her orders, who find themselves muddled in a cheating man's deadly lies and his fateful murder.

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Review #720: I Didn't Expect to be Expecting by Richa S Mukherjee

2018-07-17T16:40:00.002+05:30

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's a great thing about being pregnant - you don't need excuses to pee or to eat.

----Angelina Jolie

Richa S Mukherjee, an Indian author, has penned an extremely hilarious and a captivating tale about motherhood and its mistakes in her new book, I Didn't Expect to be Expecting. This book revolves around a happily married, cool couple who amidst of their busy jobs, meeting deadlines and tackling weird bosses and colleagues in office, they always find time for each other and also for their crazy set of friends, and a kid is no where close in their 5 years blissfully married life's radar, until they become pregnant, and gradually their perfect life takes a slippery road and so the protagonist's body and mind.

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Review #719: I Tagged Her in My Heart by Anuj Tiwari

2018-07-10T16:13:00.000+05:30

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

“I think you still love me, but we can’t escape the fact that I’m not enough for you. I knew this was going to happen. So I’m not blaming you for falling in love with another woman. I’m not angry, either. I should be, but I’m not. I just feel pain. A lot of pain. I thought I could imagine how much this would hurt, but I was wrong.”

----Haruki Murakami

Anuj Tiwari, an Indian bestselling writer, has penned an uplifting story in his new book called, I Tagged Her in My Heart. Unlike its cheesy title, the story is somewhat inspiring enough for all those who are either finding a way to give wings to their dreams and passions and also for those who want to pick up the pieces of life after a messy and painful breakup. The story revolves around mainly two protagonists, where one is finding a way to publish his first novel while managing his hectic job schedules and keeping his feelings for his best friend in his heart, while the other has gone through a breakup and is meaning to find a way to give wings to her passion of making chocolates, even though the happy memories of her ex is hurting her.

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Review #718: Sidney Sheldon’s The Silent Widow by Tilly Bagshawe

2018-07-04T16:03:00.003+05:30

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option.”

----Mark Twain

Tilly Bagshawe, the New York Times bestselling author, is back with a bang with another gripping Sidney Sheldon mystery called, The Silent Widow. This story revolves around a top shot psychiatrist, whose husband died in a car crash a year ago, and is still in grief, but soon her patients and acquaintances are dropping dead like flies, and the local police mark the poor widow as the prime suspect, even though her life too is in danger. Eventually forcing her to take help of a local PI, who uncovers a lot of dirt about a missing girl case 10 years ago to her husband's tragic death to the serial killings of her patients, which might even make him a victim out of it.

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Review #717: The Wild Folk by Sylvia Linsteadt

2018-06-29T17:10:00.002+05:30

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Through our eyes, the universe is perceiving itself. Through our ears, the universe is listening to its harmonies. We are the witnesses through which the universe becomes conscious of its glory, of its magnificence.”

----Alan W. Watts

Sylvia Linsteadt, an American author, has penned an incredibly beguiling fantasy novel, The Wild Folk that centers around an enchanting land filled with the power of magical star-gold that can the divided city prosper with wealth and health, where two young kids accompanied by two young hares, must save their land and its dwellers from getting ruined by the Brothers from the city, who are hell-bound to destroy everything beyond the walls of the city that was once pulled up to save the humans from the wild folks and the diseases. Two kids and two hare embark upon a deadly journey through the villages and forests of the land of wild folk to save it.

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Review #716: The Last Watchman of Old Cairo by Michael David Lukas

2018-06-25T15:37:00.003+05:30

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature.”

----Antoine François Prévost

Michael David Lukas, an American bestselling author, has penned a compelling historical fiction called, The Last Watchman of Old Cairo that revolves around an American part-Jewish-part-Muslim student exploring the roots of his father's side family in Cairo where his father's forefathers used to be the watchman of an ancient synagogue, protecting its secrets and faith with their courage and sacrifices. The author has spun this tale around three shifting timelines about a young Muslim boy, two twin sisters from Cambridge on a mission to Cairo and a young American student picking the clues his father left for him after his death.

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Review #715: The Bitter Pill Social Club by Rohan Dahiya

2018-06-13T16:40:00.001+05:30

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

----Leo Tolstoy

Rohan Dahiya, an Indian author, has penned a satirical contemporary fiction called, The Bitter Pill Social Club that revolves around a family based in Delhi, India, who lives for their selfish reasons and most importantly for their social status amongst their friends, relatives and Instagram followers. The sarcastic yet very vivid portrait of a filthy rich family who lives on their own terms, without realization that they are destroying lives as they go on with their Insta worthy life. But soon tragedy strikes this family and it is high time for the family as a whole to realize their mistakes before they lose themselves to the social media frenzy.

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Review #714: I Am Thunder by Muhammad Khan

2018-06-08T16:57:00.002+05:30

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“These terrorists are the antithesis of Islam. They’re not Muslim. Violence has no place in religion, and the terrorists are responsible for their own crimes, not the religion and not us.”

----Samira Ahmed

Muhammad Khan, a British author, has penned a very intriguing debut YA novel called, I Am Thunder that revolves around a teenage Muslim girl living with her parents in Britain where everyday she wakes up to find a new challenge or bully to overcome with, but her life drastically changes when her family moves to different part of the city and she is admitted to a posh school, and there she meets a charming Muslim boy. Little did she knew that behind that charming smile, a sinister motive is awaiting for her and that would not only ruin her life but would ruin the lives of millions of souls, if not taken care of.

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Review #713: Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

2018-06-05T16:42:00.001+05:30

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“I have a million things to talk to you about. All I want in this world is you. I want to see you and talk. I want the two of us to begin everything from the beginning.”

----Haruki Murakami

Haruki Murakami, the international bestselling Japanese writer, has penned a heartbreaking coming-of-age young love story in his book called, Norwegian Wood that reads like listening to a sad, sad song about two young hearts beating for one another, yet separated by hopelessness and pain and where the readers know that they are never destined to be together, yet grasps on to that torturing pain of their longing for another till the very end, until an unpredictable tragic climax will shatter the millions of hearts reading or listening to this tale along with the protagonist. Yet the readers will keep reading/listening to this sorrowful yet enlightening tale of love on repeat till the end of time.

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Review #712: The Kissing Booth by Beth Reekles

2018-05-24T15:37:00.003+05:30

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

“A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.”

----Elbert Hubbard

Beth Reekles, a bestselling English author, has penned a sweet and pretty entertaining teenage contemporary fiction called, The Kissing Booth that revolves around a female high school teenager, who with her bestie, plans to run a kissing booth for their school's summer spring carnival, sadly, the girl, who has never been kissed or ever dated anyone, falls a victim to her bestie's older brother's Casanova charms and hence in secret, they begin their summer fling, but what happens when her only best friend for life finds out that she is dating his older brother? A cheesy and cliched rom-com drama is what this book has to offer, one time read, but I guess, the story could have been much better. And certainly, please not a movie on this book! It's a total pain.

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Review #711: This House of Clay and Water by Faiqa Mansab

2018-05-23T16:35:00.000+05:30

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“But you can only lie about who you are for so long without going crazy.”

----Ellen Wittlinger

Faiqa Mansab, a Pakistani author, has penned an extremely evocative contemporary fiction called, This House of Clay and Waterthat revolves around two women and one transgender searching for love, freedom and identity, set against the repressed yet exquisite backdrop of the city of gardens, Lahore. One is chained and married to a man of extreme political power in a loveless marriage, while the other is a feminist and is destined to be with a man with whom she can't explore her sexual desires and passion and then there's this transgender who knows that God almighty has made him the way he is destined to be and that he must find his love in Allah only, but their lives forever changes when they meet at a dargah (Mosque) and gradually a forbidden relationship begins to blossom under the holy roofs of that dargah.
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Review #710: Lean Days by Manish Gaekwad

2018-05-17T14:57:00.000+05:30

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“She was free in her wildness. She was a wanderess, a drop of free water. She belonged to no man and to no city”

----Roman Payne

Manish Gaekwad, an Indian journalist turned writer, has penned a heart touching travel-fiction book called, Lean Days which is a very personal journey of an artist/writer across the country through multiple cities and myriad of souls, food, culture, customs and religions to find love, all the while reminiscing about his past, along with that city's significance in his life. A journey that will not only touch millions of souls but will also inspire the souls to express their individuality and sexuality without any fear and also to wander to find oneself.

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Review #709: Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy

2018-05-11T17:36:00.001+05:30

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Take responsibility of your own happiness, never put it in other people’s hands.”

----Roy T. Bennett

Julie Murphy, an American best-selling author, has penned an entertaining and thoroughly inspiring young adult contemporary fiction called, Ramona Blue that surrounds around a confident white 6 foot 3 in' tall blue-haired high school teenager who has forever been sure about being a lesbian but when a childhood friend who has become tall dark and handsome arrives at the seaside town, her feelings act in a rather different way. Blue-haired Ramona has always been taking care of her good-for-nothing dad, pregnant elder sister and her sister's boyfriend, without giving a second glance to her dreams or ambitions. But will love and the arrival of a new baby save her from all the real-life drama?
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Review #708: The Fates Divide (Carve the Mark #2) by Veronica Roth

2018-05-09T15:14:00.001+05:30

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“When it comes to life, we spin our own yarn, and where we end up is really, in fact, where we always intended to be.”

----Julia Glass

Veronica Roth, the international bestselling author, is back with a bang and with her new book called, The Fates Divide that marks the end of this fantastic duology named, Carve the Mark. Up in the galaxy of stars and lives, two major planets are at war, and the fates of two teenagers who also happen to be in love with one another, are about to change drastically, that might not only bring war but will also divide them. And when a tyrannical ruler comes back from the dead, everyone in that galaxy is fearing for their lives, but can these two teenagers unite with one another to erase their common enemy before it turns into a bloodbath, despite of what their fates hold for them? This is an immensely power-packed ending to Roth's duology about an inter-spatial drama.
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Review #707: Fall from Grace by Danielle Steel

2018-04-27T15:57:00.002+05:30

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“There is scarcely any passion without struggle.”

----Albert Camus

Danielle Steel, the #1 bestselling author, is back with her new adult fiction book called, Fall from Grace that revolves around a mid-aged woman whose perfect life shatters when her husband dies but the worst part is that, after his death, she finds herself homeless and jobless. With little luck, she gets in the fashion industry, only to be falsely incriminated in a legal case by a trustworthy friend, despite her daughters' several warnings about her friend, but can she pick up the pieces of her life and rebuild it? Steele's new book will leave the readers heartbroken, as the protagonist's life is struck by one bad luck after another.

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Review #706: Shambuka Rama: Three Tales Retold by Mukunda Rao

2018-04-26T15:46:00.002+05:30

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“If you are unable to find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?”

----Dōgen

Mukunda Rao, an Indian writer, has penned a compelling mythological book of short stories called, Shambuka Rama: Three Tales Retold, inspired and taken straight out of the great Indian epics namely, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The stories are about Bhima who chances upon the female rakhshas (monster), Hidimba and decides to stay back in the forest of Maya, Duryodhan who ponders on the Great War and the pain that it brought upon the world and about Rama who during his exile meets Valmiki and Shambuka Rama, forcing him to quench for the truth.

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Review #705: My Old Faithful by Yang Huang

2018-04-19T15:19:00.002+05:30

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Families are messy. Immortal families are eternally messy. Sometimes the best we can do is to remind each other that we're related for better or for worse...and try to keep the maiming and killing to a minimum.”

----Rick Riordan

Yang Huang, an award winning Chinese writer, has penned a handful of short stories about a family in China in her new book called, My Old Faithful. The stories explore the lives of each family member and their secrets, desires, dreams and passion beyond the facade of a society stirred up due to China's one-child policy. Each family member opens up their heart about certain events of their lives that either affect the lives of their close ones mostly in an emotional way. The every day life and the struggles attached to it for a very simply family of five consisting of a mother, father, and three children, against the backdrop of China and America.

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Review #704: Flamingo Boy by Michael Morpurgo

2018-04-13T16:54:00.002+05:30

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Close friends are truly life's treasures. Sometimes they know us better than we know ourselves. With gentle honesty, they are there to guide and support us, to share our laughter and our tears. Their presence reminds us that we are never really alone.”

----Vincent van Gogh

Michael Morpurgo, a bestselling English writer, has penned a delightful children's historical fiction called, Flamingo Boy that revolves around a young teenage boy, who after finding the real artists behind the painting in his room, journeys to the north of France, where he stumbles upon a family of an old woman and a strange old man living in a farm, and gradually the old lady narrates the story of that strange old man, who was once known as the Flamingo Boy, a story that involves the German invasion, the playful song of a carousel, friendship, laughter, even grief, a boy with healing powers and lots and lots of flamingos.

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Review #703: Keepers of the Kalachakra by Ashwin Sanghi

2018-04-11T15:46:00.002+05:30

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

“Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality.”

----Carl Sagan

Ashwin Sanghi, the country's bestselling mythological author, has penned a compelling part sci-fi and part mythological thriller called, Keepers of the Kalachakra that revolves around the murder mystery of the world's prominent leaders under strange circumstances while an Indian scientist along side with his colleague is trying to figure out the real purpose behind his research at his new employer's lab, located somewhere deep within the forests.

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Review #702: Conspirator by R.V. Raman

2018-04-09T14:45:00.000+05:30

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Newspapers are not made any longer by news or journalism. They are made by sheer weight of money expressed in free gift schemes. They serve not the interests of the many, but the vested interests of the few.”

----Oswald Mosley

R.V. Raman, an Indian author, has penned a gripping thriller called, Conspirator that sheds much light into the dark underbelly of new trend setting belief called fake news that are tailored as per the standards and requirements of the high-profile and elite class clients from politicians to shady business tycoons. This story surrounds around the murder of two influential journalists at a media tycoon's private party at a resort somewhere secluded in Coorg, and little did the assigned detective knew that the world of journalism would not only be cutthroat, but would also be unexpectedly dark with zero ethics and is owned by the filthy rich people of the society.

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Review #701: The Sky at Our Feet by Nadia Hashimi

2018-04-05T14:37:00.000+05:30

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“If you don't take risks, you'll have a wasted soul.”

----Drew Barrymore

Nadia Hashimi, an internationally bestselling author, pens a heart wrenching and extremely intriguing tale about two kids' fearless adventures around the city of Big Apple to get to an address in her new book, The Sky at Our Feet. The story revolves around a young Afghan-American boy, goes on a quest to find his beloved aunt in New York City along with a friend whom he met at a hospital, when his mother is taken away by the police on the pretext of illegal immigration issue. But on their way the two kids face a lot of challenges and dangers, and how they overcome that has been brilliantly portrayed by the author.

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Product Review #2: Health Sense Pure Skin Electric Facial Cleansing Brush

2018-04-01T11:52:00.003+05:30

Pollution has become an everyday trouble, and we have already accepted its existence with no choice. From short life-span to skin related diseases to lung disorder to overall quality of life has degraded in general because of pollution. But to fight that, we need to live healthy and preach healthy and safe measures and habits. Because all you need is a good habit and encourage others to live healthy to beat any evil tactfully.

Let's talk about measures to keep our skin healthy and breathing that will solve all the skin related issues at one-go. Health Sense, a brand selling quality fitness products in India, has presented us with a really innovative, helpful and effective solution to all our everyday skin related drama with their Pure Skin Electric Facial Cleansing Brush.

Review #700: A Closetful of Skeletons by Tanushree Podder

2018-03-21T15:17:00.000+05:30

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

“Unfortunately, the clock is ticking, the hours are going by. The past increases, the future recedes. Possibilities decreasing, regrets mounting.”

----Haruki Murakami

Tanushree Podder, an Indian writer, has penned an interesting and slightly intriguing thriller called, A Closetful of Skeletons that revolves around an actress of yesteryear who escapes the silver screen glory to a quiet life at a sleepy hamlet somewhere up on the hills, but her life drastically changes when she meets an ambitious and mysterious young woman, whom she asks to ghost-write her autobiography. But little did the actress knew that her birthday party with her guest list of ex-lovers would go so terribly fatal when she announces about her tell-all autobiography.

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Review #699: Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart

2018-02-08T12:45:00.000+05:30

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“A liar is always lavish of oaths.”

----Pierre Corneille

E. Lockhart, the New York Times bestselling author, has penned an interesting young adult part-thriller and part-contemporary book called, Genuine Fraud that revolves around a teenage orphan girl, who is on the run, and in probably impersonating myriad identities, but why is she on the run? And for that, you need to trust the author as well as the story and not compare with some other book from where the author has found her inspiration. So kindly respect that and let's stop comparing the two and two, and rather talk about this book in particular. Debates can be taken up elsewhere, review is not the right place to talk about it.

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