Saturday 14 November 2015

My Fantastic Failures - Book Review

TitleMy Fantastic Failures 
Author: Shreya Upadhyaya & Siddhartha Upadhyaya
PublisherSrishti Publishers & Distributors
ISBN978-93-82665-41-0
Number of Pages255
Price: 250 [INR]
GenreFiction


The Blurb:

It is a book about – College courage. Dreams. Failures. Entrepreneurship. And a ....Relationship

A work of fiction 'My Fantastic Failures' is based on a real life story of a brother and sister who entered an interesting pact to safeguard each other’s dreams in face of all failures.

This powerful and fast paced story brings out a beautiful relationship of the two and how far they went to finally fail the failure.

Set in the backdrop of college life, this inspiring, dramatic, daring and yet humour filled story has the ‘what next element’ to keep you hooked.

A roller coaster ride in itself, the story deals with managing expectations when one is born and brought up in an IIT campus, entrepreneurship, braving countless failures and also facing the threat of getting dropped out of college (India’s no. 1 fashion institute).
 

My Review:

       Money is the ultimate goal for many people. What crossroads can one take to earn more? How much greed can a person have and to what extent will this be satisfied?

       Vijay and Paul, back in their college days, invented a machine which they called God or Noek. It had the capability of earning huge profit for them at the cost of jeopardizing the whole nation's financial market. But what happens when Paul kicks out Vijay out of his own machine?

       Akram, JASON's head is facing some fluctuations in their trade and he has no idea what or who it is responsible for the loss he is suffering from. Rahul, the young to-be entrepreneur is found dead as soon as he signed his contract with JASON.

       When Sahil connects the dot and finds a link with all these incidents, will he be able to take his revenge? Could he bring justice or will he fall prey to his own trap?

Things I Liked:


  • The chapters are short and precise.
  • The author has narrated the story in a no-nonsense manner.
  • The language was simple and the narration quite engaging.
  • The whole idea of Noek and MemoryWall was fascinating to read. 
  • Sahil's plan and the way he executed it was something I liked.


Things I Disliked:

  • The pace was too quick. The dots were getting connected sooner that I would have liked. It gives the reader little time to get into the mystery cracking mode but the story ends very soon.


Verdict:

       A fast paced book in which the dots get connected soon and the game is over even before you have realized it. It will leave you asking for more.

My Rating:




Until the next review,
Keep Reading :)

Love,
Starry Eyed Reader :)

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Googled by God - Book Review

TitleGoogled by God 
Author: Pulkit Ahuja
PublisherSrishti Publishers & Distributors
ISBN978-93-82665-44-1
Number of Pages164
Price: 195 [INR]
GenreFiction


The Blurb:

In 1986

Everyone has their secrets… But what if one common student’s secret has the potential of bringing down an entire nation’s financial markets. What would it take for him to reveal this secret?

In 2014

One of Nation’s leading investment bank is in danger of losing its fifty million dollar investment just four weeks after funding a start-up at a valuation of one thousand crore rupees.

In 2015

A man is faced with a most peculiar choice – to avenge his brother’s murder or take revenge for his father’s betrayal?
Googled by God is a fast moving financial thriller that takes the reader on a journey to the dark realms of entrepreneurship and technology. Revolving around the ever changing worlds of stock markets, investments and money, the reader soon finds himself in the middle of a dangerous game of emotions and karma.

My Review:

       Money is the ultimate goal for many people. What crossroads can one take to earn more? How much greed can a person have and to what extent will this be satisfied?

       Vijay and Paul, back in their college days, invented a machine which they called God or Noek. It had the capability of earning huge profit for them at the cost of jeopardizing the whole nation's financial market. But what happens when Paul kicks out Vijay out of his own machine?

       Akram, JASON's head is facing some fluctuations in their trade and he has no idea what or who it is responsible for the loss he is suffering from. Rahul, the young to-be entrepreneur is found dead as soon as he signed his contract with JASON.

       When Sahil connects the dot and finds a link with all these incidents, will he be able to take his revenge? Could he bring justice or will he fall prey to his own trap?

Things I Liked:


  • The chapters are short and precise.
  • The author has narrated the story in a no-nonsense manner.
  • The language was simple and the narration quite engaging.
  • The whole idea of Noek and MemoryWall was fascinating to read. 
  • Sahil's plan and the way he executed it was something I liked.


Things I Disliked:

  • The pace was too quick. The dots were getting connected sooner that I would have liked. It gives the reader little time to get into the mystery cracking mode but the story ends very soon.


Verdict:

       A fast paced book in which the dots get connected soon and the game is over even before you have realized it. It will leave you asking for more.

My Rating:



Until the next review,
Keep Reading :)

Love,
Starry Eyed Reader :)

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Umbilical Cord - Book Review

TitleUmbilical Cord 
AuthorMeena R Chandawarkar & Santosh Avvannavar
PublisherCreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN978-1515293828
Number of Pages108
Price545 [INR]



The Blurb:

Here comes a compilation of 40 short stories by Meena R Chandawarkar and Santosh Avvannavar that uses The Umbilical Cord as a metaphor to bring social awareness and intends to draw the reader’s attention towards the society. The stories in this book revolve around love, forgiveness, empathy etc. as society is a cobweb of relationships. There is something for everyone in this book. Read on to find out which ‘cord’ is closer to your heart, as the Umbilical Cord is an attachment that remains forever…the name says it all…

My Review:

       This book, as mentioned in the blurb is a collection of 40 short stories. There are many things that remain with us in this life time. These things are compared to the Umbilical Cord - A Cord that remains, always, in many ways. Among the 40 short stories, some were good and some weren't. Many of the stories in the collection were thought provoking. They make you ponder on so many aspects of life. 

The chapter titles and the tag line associated with each one of them was self explanatory. It pretty much gave an idea about what to expect in that particular chapter. All the stories are extremely short, 2 - 3 pages in length. While this is good in the sense that the stories make a quick read, some of the stories felt incomplete. It felt like the stories ended too soon before making an impact on readers.

The language used is simple and easy to understand. A wide range of topics are covered and many of them attempt on creating social awareness. There is something for every type of reader in this book, which he/she can relate to. This realistic approach helps the readers to identify with the stories, which is very important. All in all, this book is a very quick read which will give some food for your thoughts.

My Rating:



Until the next review,
Keep Reading :)

Love,
Starry Eyed Reader :)

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Friday 13 November 2015

Guru with Guitar - Book Review

TitleGuru with Guitar 
Author: Vikrmn
PublisherSrishti Publishers & Distributors
ISBN978-93-82665-53-3
Number of Pages252
Price: 250 [INR]
GenreFiction


The Blurb:

“Life is like a guitar. Tune. Play. Repeat,” says Viktor, a US based financial professional of Indian origin. He was rich, smart, intelligent, witty and emotional too, but still was lost in finding the purpose of his life. In spite of his great job and hefty pay package, he didn't feel the sense of contentment. 

Then he met Kim, his lady luck. She helped him realize his dream life, sparking a love story. Despite his failure in pursuit of his dream, Kim stood by him…till she decided to move on. Viktor is heart-broken, lost again, and struggles to balance his aspirations and office life. 

This story is his journey through life-changing experiences in India and USA – ranging from writing his first book to becoming a coach for cancer fighters, and then a motivational speaker, to finally becoming the Guru with Guitar.

My Review:

       We are always running after something or the other in our lives. First it is good grades, then it is good job and then it is a good lifestyle where you get a comfortable salary. But only once you reach this stage will you realize that life is not as easy as you expected it to be. The hectic schedule takes out all the fun from life and what you are left with is disappointment.

       It is in this stage, we meet Viktor. He has achieved that good position job and money wise but when it comes to his personal satisfaction, he realizes that he is far off from the mark. Confused and frustrated, he tries to find the purpose of his life, to balance between work and his dreams. Then he meets Kim, his lady luck, who stands by his side through thick and thin and gently guides him in finding his true calling. From Viktor's confused state to the time where he finds happiness, from finding inspiration to inspiring others to achieve their dreams, from rejections to gaining world wide popularity and from budding love to heart breaks, it is a story worth reading. 

Things I Liked:


  • There are many things one can learn from Viktor's story.
  • More than anything, I loved the quotes in the book. The way Viktor and Kim conversed using quotes was something I enjoyed reading.
  • The poems too (some in English and some in Hindi) were good.
  • Viktor's confusion with life, his desire to do something great, his pursuing of dreams, Kim's never ending support, Amber's sweet nature are all blended perfectly to make the story appealing.
  • I loved the sweet love brewing between Victor and Kim. It was all good till the point where the story takes a drastic turn.
  • The way the chapters were named and how the same was incorporated in the story was interesting.
  • The narration was good. The language in which this story is written is simple and easy to understand. The pace was neither fast nor slow making it a balanced read.


Things I Disliked:

  • The ending seemed like it was written in a hurry. It didn't have the appeal as the previous chapters had.
  • Editing: The last two chapters seemed to be swapped. I was really confused when I came to the last chapter and found Kim still in hospital when I had read something different in the previous chapter.


Verdict:

       A book with good beginning which makes you evaluate what you have achieve so far in life and how happy are you with it. The story flows smoothly till it reaches the end where everything happens so abruptly. All in all, this book is worth reading for there are many lessons you can learn from it.

My Rating:



Until the next review,
Keep Reading :)

Love,
Starry Eyed Reader :)

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Thursday 12 November 2015

When the Heavens Smiled - Book Review

TitleWhen the Heavens Smiled 
AuthorRitesh Arora
PublisherSrishti Publishers & Distributors
ISBN978-93-82665-52-6
Number of Pages157
Price: 195 [INR]
GenreFiction


The Blurb:

Sarthak Arora is a good looking and intelligent engineering graduate from Delhi who has recently bagged a high paying job with an IT company in Kolkata. 

Sarangi Sen is a beautiful, vivacious Bengali girl working as a front office manager at The Grand Vilas, a luxury hotel in Kolkata. Opposites in every way, the attraction is instant and mutual; so is their falling in love, though it remains unprofessed for long. When things seem to be falling on track, like a bolt from the blue, 

Sarangi is diagnosed with a medical condition that leaves her with only three months to live. With no visible solution at hand, nothing but fate seems to be holding power. Would Sarthak be able to alter Sarangi's destiny and save his love? Or would he let Sarangi succumb to the design of the mighty invisible script of fate? When the Heavens Smiled is a heart-stopping spiritual, heroic, tender and intense love story that will open up your mind to new and uncharted realms of life.

My Review:

       Sarthak is a smart person (looks and intellect wise) who is working for NetCon Consulting. His life comprises of working hard in office and enjoying with his two jobless best buddies post office. He somehow has the knack of getting into most embarrassing situations most of the times. Life was pretty normal (or as much normal as it could be for Sarthak) until that evening in Hotel Grand Vilas. When Sarthak meets Sarangi for the first time, it was love at first sight. And what happens from here is a roller coaster ride for them both.

       From the point where they both experience ecstasy in their new found relations to when Sarangi is diagnosed with a medical condition, it leaves them all shattered. It is at this condition that Sarthak has to decide how far he can go to save his love. Sometimes there comes a situation in our lives where everything seems to be going against us. Will Sarthak be able to stay strong in such a situation? When things which challenge his beliefs happen and he has to make a choice, will he be able to choose wisely? Can he fight destiny to save his love or will destiny tear apart this blooming love? Read the book to know more.

Things I Liked:

  • Sarthak's go-get-it attitude was something that I liked a lot. His confidence and never give up mantra earned him brownie points.
  • The numerous oops situations that Sarthak finds himself in were hilarious. 
  • It is always the unknown that we fear and it is the unknown that we battle against. The human mind refuses to accept anything that it doesn't know. There were many situations which makes you question your belief. Though some of them are difficult to believe, its all about our faith. 
  • I liked how the author has depicted 'No matter how hard life gets, there will always be a way out
  • A few incidents where people forget their differences and come forward to help one another were heart warming.


Things I Disliked:

  • The author hasn't done justice to the story between Sarthak and Sarangi. The story was so much centered around Sarthak that sometimes it felt like Sarangi was a side character.
  • The characterization could have been better. Many characters were just introduced but soon they were forgotten.
  • The flow could have been smoother.


Verdict:

       Not particularly awesome but not bad either. It was a slow paced, thought provoking tale with a dash of humor and spirituality. All in all, advised for a quick and one time read.

My Rating:



Until the next review,
Keep Reading :)

Love,
Starry Eyed Reader :)



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Keeping the Promises - Book Review

TitleKeeping the Promises 
AuthorDhruv Gajjar
PublisherSrishti Publishers & Distributors
ISBN978-93-82665-51-9
Number of Pages185
Price195 [INR]
GenreFiction


The Blurb:

No one, not even god can write a perfect end for you! Unless he is dying. 

Mighty and irreplaceable as they are, words are lethal weapons that change lives… by sometimes linking two hearts and sometimes shattering everything irreparably. 

But when they are woven into promises, the change lasts forever. 

He had almost lost himself when she brought him back to life with her promises. Dying from a dreadful tumour, every night before they went to sleep, she took a portion of his heart and soul as promises. For better or worse, he'd have to keep the promises for the rest of his life. 

On his journey of fulfilling those promises, his bond is strengthened with all those who, like him, are keeping their promises. 

What were those amusing, surprising and painful promises they all kept? 

Can you live and die…both at the same time? 

Meet the girl who changed the lives of the people she loved, and those who find their true selves in Keeping the Promises.

My Review:

Characters:

       Meet Dhruv. An MBBS student who got admission purely because of his dad's money, fitness freak, nerd and a cool guy with a devil-may-care attitude. He can go to any length to help his friends. Bound by promises he made to his dying girl friend, he is on a mission to bring his life back on track.

       Meet M, the cheerful and bubbly girl, who puts her friends and family's needs before her own happiness. On her death bed, M wants to leave behind her loved ones in a state from where they can carry on with their lives without brooding.


Plot:

       To what lengths will you go to ensure the happiness of someone you love? What would you do if you are left with no choice but to watch the love of your life die in front of your eyes even though you could save them? This is the story of M and Dhruv. M, who is suffering from Neurofibrosarcoma, makes everything in her power to ensure that her loved ones remain happy even after her death and Dhruv, even though belongs to a family of doctors, couldn't get his girl friend treated because she refuses to.

       Dhruv's life changes drastically when he discovers M has Neurofibrosarcoma. He would have lost himself if not for the promises M takes from him every night. Though some of them seem absurd, they does make sense in the end. Discover their journey together as Dhruv narrates their story to her everyday and as they relive those magical moments once again. It is a beautiful love story that will touch your heart and makes you both happy and sad.


Things I Liked:

  • The narration is what caught my attention first. Narrated through Nirali's view and then through Dhruv as he writes the novel, it flowed pretty smoothly.
  • The suspense as to how Nirali is associated with M kept me curious till the end.
  • The small notes with which Dhruv woke M everyday were my favorite. I loved reading these sweet notes.
  • The characterization was done well and the side characters were also given equal importance. The way Ansh and Angie's story developed and the way it ended (no I am not including spoilers!) was a treat to read.
  • I loved the way emotions were handled throughout the story. There were also many LOL moments in the story which I enjoyed thoroughly.
  • From M's stubbornness to her love, from Dhruv's carelessness attitude to his tender nature, M's parents' bonding with Dhruv, Ansh and Angie's love and break up, from Badepapa's threats to Rishi's love for his sister, it made an awesome read.
  • There were many flavors to the story - friendship, love, mystery, humor and yes, break ups too and it was a perfect blend of all these.


Things I Disliked:

  • I was expecting something more about Nirali and M's association considering how Nirali was scared about Dhruv not talking to her when he finds out the truth. I must say, this was where I was a bit disappointed.
  • I couldn't help but hate M sometimes for being so stubborn about the treatment. Though it was for the good, there were some times, when I just hated her for putting Dhruv and others through so much.


Verdict:

       It's not just another cancer patients' lover story; this much I can guarantee you. The story is written and narrated so beautifully that you wouldn't want to stop reading it till the end. One of the most beautiful tale I have read recently. Highly Recommended!

My Rating:



Until the next review,
Keep Reading :)

Love,
Starry Eyed Reader :)





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Tuesday 10 November 2015

Adhira - Love: Lost & Found - Book Review

TitleAdhira - Love: Lost & Found 
AuthorAditti Gaur
PublisherAuthor's Ink Publications
ISBN978-93-85137-13-6
Number of Pages211
Price250 [INR]
GenreFiction


The Blurb:

What will you choose between your life and death? 

Who would you give preference, yourself, your family or your friends? 

She achieved everything she wanted. She gave way to who wandered away from their path or had no opportunity by founding a music studio and exploring her own love for music. Her life was perfect until the day her world went upside down. She quietly surrendered to the situations and stood brave for rest of her world. Her friends also wanted her to move on. But then HE arrived. HE was her admirer and the only one, she was comfortable with. Still, she pulled her feet back when love bloomed in her life again instead of indulging into HIS life. So, what troubled her? 

That was not the end of her story, but was it the beginning or she just had a pit-stop? 

Come let’s discover the destination of her story.

My Review:

       Adhira is someone, who all her life, has put the dreams of others' ahead of her own. She is strong and independent yet fragile somehow. She is a successful woman who has achieved great heights in her life all by herself. The story begins with a shocking news where we get to know that Adhira is suffering from Bone Marrow Aplasia. Things start to get complicated when she refuses to take treatment. But Adhira being the selfless person, once again puts her friend's happiness in front of her own and starts to plan and prepare for her best friend and soul sister Riddhi's wedding in full swing. But as much as she tries to remain happy, things have a way of getting out of her hands and soon she finds herself at a juncture from where she couldn't get back. Her world is shattered totally and her smile seems to be lost. What will happen from then? Will she be able to find her way back? Will she find love again and if she does, will she be able to give it another shot? Read this beautiful journey of Adhira to find out more.


Things I Liked:  

  • Adhira's character is sketched really well as a girl who cares about her friends more than herself.
  • Her selflessness and stability of thoughts were worth appreciating. It is hard not to like her after you read about her.
  • The picturesque beauty of Manali, the enjoyment of the friends' gang, the preparations for the dream wedding, the mischief and the brewing love were some of the WOWs of the story.
  • The bonding between Adhira and Siddharth was woven so beautifully that it was a treat to read.
  • The ending hasn't been done with a happily ever after. It is written in a way where hope is visible at the end of the tunnel but the journey till there is left to the imagination of the readers. That, somehow, seemed realistic.
  • The title suits well with the story line. Finding the lost love is depicted well in Adhira's story. 
  • Also, the cover picture is beautiful and somehow manages to capture the beauty and innocence of Adhira well.


Things I Disliked:

  • The third person narration gets confusing sometimes. Especially when 'I' is used, it takes some time to realize it's not in reference to the protagonist but to Riddhi.
  • There were many typos and grammatical errors. The book would have been really good if the editing was done well.
  • The flow wasn't quite smooth.
  • Attention wasn't given to the side characters much. They were introduced and brought into the picture but soon their presence would be ignored completely.


Verdict:

       A nice book but could have been lot better with some good editing and stabilized narration. Nevertheless, the story is quite good and makes a quick read. Recommended for those who like to read love stories.

My Rating:


Until the next review,
Keep Reading :)

Love,
Starry Eyed Reader :)

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