I’ve read quite a lot of poetry books but one on Ghazals, never. So this was my very first and I’m in love with it. The best part for me was, being fairly new to the concept as such, I didn’t know much about ghazals, and how they’re different from the rest of poetry, even though it’s a thin line.
The author has beautifully explained the same in the beginning to help the readers connect better with the book. Once I started, it initially felt odd to be reading ghazals in English since I’ve always heard of Urdu or Persian ghazals only, but once I got the hang of it, i just couldn’t stop!
It’s not a very long read but if you want to savour every emotion being brought out through each ghazal then you must read it in retrospect. You’ll understand them from a different perspective.
My absolute favourite was ‘Soul’ and I also liked ‘bruise me with a kiss’
If you’re a poetry fan or a ghazal enthusiast, this one is a must read for you.
This book is based on the theme of friendships, love and all the part and parcel that comes along. When I read the blurb, I was really excited as it provided the perfect image of an immature friendship with some sort of misunderstanding turning into something more valuable in future.
But when I started reading, that wasn’t completely the case. Even though the plot was stupendous, I felt something lacking in the narration. There are not so important details and descriptions almost in every chapter which I feel could have been easily struck off.
The use of same phrases by different characters was a bit tiresome for me as a reader. Moreover it didn’t seem realistic. I know that this is a fictional story but even then, it felt a bit too superficial to me at some points specially.
The character of Shruti is portrayed as someone who is living and sleeping with a guy only for his fame and money, which again was too shallow. In a world where women are become more and more independent and empowering every day, coming across such a character was an absolute turn off.
She not only is using Raghav but also is at the whims of Ayush at certain times like when she pleads him to take her to Goa. Being an illustration artist for a prominent news paper company, Shruti could have been the woman who took charge. But the way she was after Raghav for money and later Ayush, it didn’t sit well with me.
However, I absolutely adored the character of Krithi, she was the kind, helpful and the most wonderful friend all along. Starting from their college days to present day story, she had been a constant for Shruti, so much so that she doesn’t mind attending to Raghav even when Shruti is out enjoying with Ayush. She cares for Shruti as a friend should. A perfect epitome of friendship.
Other supporting characters were well, supportive. The only thing I didn’t like was over exaggeration of some intimate scenes. That was a little too much to handle and I found myself mostly skipping them. Had all of this been avoided, the book would have been short, crisp and the perfect romance fiction we could ever ask for. Given the plot was beyond amazing!
Either way, I applaud the author’s sincere efforts and would recommend giving the book a try.
I’m feeling so overwhelmed after finishing this book which I was contemplating to pick up in the first place! The whole story is still being replayed in a flashback sequence in my mind. I believe this is the best imprint a book can ever leave on its readers.
The Saga of Spy X13 is a tale of two men reminiscing their school days and how they rebelled against corporal punishment culture of the past.
Even though that’s the gist of it, the book is indeed a roller coaster. Especially the last 2 chapters. The author’s narration is so strong that one cannot help but turn page after page until you get to the last one. I’ve rarely come across such a gripping plot and storyline.
The book perfectly presents the author’s understanding of human nature and psychology through the character of Pokey which was my personal favorite. Even though I relate more with the character of Burp, I’d rather be someone like Pokey.
The character development was on point. Every character was perfect in the role that was assigned to them. It painted a cumulative picture of every event that took place in the story in a perfect sequential manner.
Anyone who reads the book is going to have a great time and wouldn’t want the story to end at all. So don’t think twice and add this one to your list right away!
The Different Bride – The title perfectly fits the storyline and plot of this book as it is an extraordinary story of two people whose lives get intertwined in the most unique way possible.
I’ve never read any story based on this concept before, which is why it was extremely intriguing to me at first. Even though the beginning of the book gives you a subtle hint of what to expect, the story reveals itself with each page turned. It is a gripping tale and you wouldn’t wanna put down the book till the very end.
The characterisation of Chandrika and Prakash, set in the backdrop of year 2000, is beautifully narrated by Charu Singh. She truly felt the emotions displayed through both the characters which I could totally relate to. Chandrika and Prakash came from two very different family backgrounds – Where Chandrika’s family on one side was fully supportive of her life decisions and showed confidence in her, Prakash came from a completely opposite background where his father was a strict follower of rules and expected the same from every other member of the family.
It is a peculiar story in a way that you will feel sympathetic towards the protagonist. However it’s a beautiful love story and definitely different than any romantic story you’ve ever read.
Brownie points for the simple and sweet cover that reveals exactly as much.
⭐”They will call you ‘The Troublemaker’, but before you leave this world, you will cross the 7 mile bridge in Heera Mandi”⭐
I’m falling short of words to describe the emotions this book can arouse in its readers. The story is based on the main character, Rania’s life, who’s the daughter of a prostitute from Heera Mandi – the red light district of Lahore, Pakistan.
In the beginning, the author made sure to attain a certain level of mystery around the characters by not disclosing the straightforward story which I absolutely loved! I had those moments when I felt surprised, sad, hurt, disgusted, and proud. The zeal in Rania to make it big in life, and to get out of Heera Mandi was commendable. Although she did all possible effort to make herself a decent living by doing all the right things, her fate had different plans for her. She lands in a correction facility in America, on grounds of terrorism.
This story perfectly depicts the faults in our society, where we are so afraid that we are ready to punish the innocents only on the basis of ‘what ifs’
There’s just so much to learn from this book in terms of social stigmas, wrong modernization practices and a lot more.
Coming to the narration style, I’ve officially fallen in love with the author’s narration. Trust me when I say it’s no ordinary book. The language, although not very simple, can still be easily understood. The choice of words by the author is what makes an impact on the readers mind and soul.
The book cover is beautifully designed and couldn’t have depicted the plot better. I’m so in awe of this book that I’d definitely recommend this to every reader.
Being an architect myself, this book was of my interest and the blurb was pretty intriguing, which is why I picked this title in the first place.
Apart from architecture, it also interests me on mythological/historic fiction grounds. The plot is set up in an old setting where the master architect of Konark Temple shares his secrets during the temple construction.
This book is the first part of a duology of construction of Konark Temple. Readers who are into historic fictions would like this one.
The drawback I felt was too many details in the same scene. Hoping for better balance maintained between detailing in the second book. As for the narration, it’s a bit above average but some grammatical errors here and there break the flow. The way the story ended gives way to the second book. The level of mystery is intriguing and thought provoking.
This book reminded me of another book, “Signboard at Dholavira” The cover design is beyond excellence! Probably the best part of the book.
This book is by far the best non fiction I’ve read in a long time. The only reason is the way the author, Sharad Bajaj, has included practical, real life experiences as references and examples. Usually non fictions are about lot of content, theoretical only and not real life examples. And the chapter summary plus reflection points are an added bonus. Whenever we want/need, we can go back to the points.
The book is about how to be a leader, a manager. And being a self employed person, this book is personally of great value to me. I’d recommend this to all entrepreneurs, small biz owners and even the leaders of organisations and brands. It helps us introspect on how to lead a team and keep yourself and your team motivated to work harder and grow together.
The title – Tapestry of Life Cadences is an unusual one with rare words which might not attract everyone and anyone’s attention. But that works in favour of this book because the content that it contains is also not for every reader. Those who do not enjoy poetry, might not even be able to understand this book in one go!
However, the cover is quite misleading as it suggests the book to be a non fiction one, instead it’s a collection of short prose and poetry chapters. There are about 45 of them with some additional hindi poetry to sum it up which I feel was the real essence of the book.
I enjoyed the proses too but not so much as the poetry in the end. The language used is fairly decent for every reader to comprehend and the book is a pretty short read. But if you really want to enjoy it, you must take your time with the reading!
This Romantic Fiction is the best I’ve read in a while. The story is mature even though the backdrop is of a college. The main characters of Dhwani and Naman are very subtle and classy. Whereas the characters of Paarth and Aakash are confusing. At one point it says that Aakash has feelings for Dhwani, and then in next few chapters, it says Paarth has feelings for her. I had to go back to the previous chapters to confirm what I read which kind of spoilt my flow. The other thing that irked me was the rare but evident grammatical and spelling errors.
Coming to the plot, it was a predictable one but with an anticlimax. I sat back for half an hour going back through the story again to analyse where all things could have settled between the two love birds, but the plot was so wonderfully set that I couldn’t negate with the story at any point!
Considering the genre, I loved how the narration was so mature and respectful, which I specifically look for in a romantic fiction. The writing style was simple yet unique and again added to the charm of the story.
The cover design with the embossed lettering was apt when combined with the white background. Overall a flawless book cover design, also giving a hint about the plot.
All in all, this is the kind of book that I’d want to read again after a few months or years perhaps.
A tiny reason to live – The title at first gives the impression of a romantic novel but just one look at the cover will convey the idea of it being a sci-fi novel. This story is a sequel to Not worth living for, but not once did it feel like I was missing something since I hadn’t read the first one. Coming to the story, the plot has been well thought of, but character building isn’t as strong as it should be for a sci-fi. However, the author has so vividly described everything that one cannot help but imagine all of that in one’s own mind. I had once watched a TV series “Into the night” which was about an apocalypse and I could instantly relate to that. The thrill that an apocalyptic sci-fi brings, is what I love, and i could feel all of it while reading this book. I’ve also read Ayear without summer by the author, so I could relate to his writing style. Overall, this is a good one time read for sci-fi lovers.
anmoljauher 