Book Review: "Where the Rainbow Ends"

Narration can crave, intrigue and shove the reader to finish the book in one go and this particular book is the perfect example for the same. Though the story is predictable at few places, the way author has narrated is something marvelous and to be talked. I have never read works of any Indian author with such a narrating style and I bow my head to Anurag Anand. The first thing that I read as soon as I received the book is reading it back blurb. It said-

Even the most artistic of imaginings can sometimes seem callow in the face of truth. That which appears may not be and that which lies hidden might just be the stark, naked face of reality.

Rahul had everything going his way – a soaring career, a happy family and all else a man his age could yearn for. And then suddenly his life began to crumble all around him, disintegrating element after precious element, leaving him to watch in helpless horror.

Where had he gone wrong? Was there still hope for redemption, even a solitary ray that he could cling on to?

Avantika, a pretty, vivacious girl who had come into Rahul’s life by pure accident, literally, has suddenly gone missing. Just like that, without as much as a trace.

Where is Avantika? Will Rahul be able to find her? Is it her own past that has come back to consume her or is it something even more vicious and sinister?

Shalini, Rahul’s first love and a girl accustomed to leading life on her own terms. Hailing from a family that exerts considerable influence in the galleries of politics and power, she certainly has the wherewithal to impact a lot of things. Even lives.

Is Shalini fostering a grudge that could displace not one but many lives? Could she be the one behind Avantika’s mysterious disappearance?

Where The RAINBOW Ends is a racy page-turner that promises to take you on a tempestuous and soul-stirring journey which shall remain with you long after you have put the book down put the book down.

Coming to the review, “Where the Rainbow ends” by Anurag Anand turns out to be a well crafted story that gives no hard feeling when your are done with the book. The story telling style of the author makes it a page turner as the cover page says. The title, though has nothing to do with the story, is good and has synchronized well with them cover page. I should definitely talk about the cover page of the book as it has a perfect blend of colours in a most artistic way and is easily spot in any book store. Reading this book, I wonder how I missed reading the author’s previous books which I’m sure would have been talked for its narration.

To the story, it starts with an airport scene where the protagonist Rahul heads to Delhi in search of Avantika. The journey brings him the memory of his first meet with Avantika who happens to be an airhostess. Soon he meets her again in a mall and finds her to be friendly with his daughter. She makes a point to visit his place each time she lands in Mumbai. Rahul opens up his heart to her saying about his past life. When he finds their relation to grow stronger, Avantika goes missing. Thus he travels to Delhi to find her. Doing his best to get some clue, he lands up in police station to file a complaint. The cop turns out to be his old friend and he tells him about Shalini, his ex-wife. Shalini who comes from a political background is introduced to Rahul by his friend and soon they both fall in love. With the influence of her dad’s position, he manages to get a well paying job and soon they get married. Being married, Rahul expects Shalini to take some responsibilities but she still remains to live in a fantasy world. Soon after Myra, their daughter, enters their life, they end up in divorce. This life turns topssy turvy when he is made jobless but he succeeds in taking Myra under his custody. During this hard phase of his life, Avantika shows up and brings joy to Myra. But his life worsens when Myra becomes ill due to Aplastic anaemia. Avantika, who lends her help to support him financially for Myra’s treatment, goes missing soon. The climax is so unexpected and the last few pages make the read more intriguing.

Where did she go? Does Shalini have something to do with Avantika’s disappearance? What is that unexpected ending?

To know what happens next, walk up to the nearby bookshop and get your copy soon.

The author has managed to move the story with great suspense hooking throughout the story. The protagonist is shown simple yet common man who handles love, friendship and fatherhood in a balanced ratio. Though Shalini doesn’t travel throughout the book, her character was very realistic, portraying the modern age girls. Avantika’s letter makes the best part in the story which was unexpected. Not bringing Rahul’s family into the story was the only unsettling thing I felt. Though the letter part was good as I said before, I think the author could have done something more realistic to handle that portion. Nevertheless, the story gets its attention through its narration. 

On the language front, the author has kept it simple yet captivating. The narration is the heart beat of the story that hooks the reader which is also captivating.  

To sum up my review, I would say Mr. Anurag Anand has done a phenomenal job in giving life to this book. Through his best story-telling and simple language, this is an un-put-down-able book that I would strongly recommend. I would like to give 4.5 out of 5 for this wonderfully narrated story. I’m surely looking forward to read his next work soon. All the best Mr. Anurag Anand for your future endeavors.

About The Author:

Anurag Anand is the bestselling author of titles like The Legend of Amrapali and The Quest for Nothing. In his writing career panning seven titles, he has been lauded by several national publications and prominent personalities including Mahesh Bhatt, Dr. Shashi Tharoor, PrahaladKakkar and Sudhir Mishra. Where The Rainbow Ends, Anurag’s latest offering is a work of contemporary fiction based around four principal characters. In the words of Ken Ghosh, acclaimed Bollywood Director, “A refreshingly poignant plot that keeps its readers engrossed till the very end.

You can buy the book from Flipkart, Amazon or Homeshop18.

Happy Reading :-)

Book review: Aisle be damned

Should I even talk about the history of receiving this book at my door step? (I wished an air hostess as hot as in the cover page delivered this book!) I hope the cover page speaks it all. Well I finally got to believe that there do exist books that make to laugh our head off until we try to catch the final breath. I want to talk about this brilliant, sexy yet catchy cover page which attracts any reader and I thank Madhur Shroff for the cover images.

A Hilarious Take on just about Everything Associated with Air Travel.

- Getting seamlessly upgraded to Business Class.

- The hows and whys of micromanaging the pilots.

- Action plans to counter the airlines Technical Snag routine.

- Sure shot strategies for winning the affections of flight attendants.

- Awesome icebreakers to start conversations with attractive co-passengers.

- How smart executives deal with the Walk of Shame to the economy section.

- How a water bottle dramatically improves flight safety.

- Breezing through immigration and customs, always making your flight connections and a whole lot more

Rest assured, your flying experience will never be the same again!

The tag line ‘Swaying hips, praying lips and flying tips’ gives a clear idea about the content. This guide book as I see, talks everything that one would encounter with air travel. Starting from packing your stuffs till reaching your destination, this book helps you to provide some hilarious tips which I’m sure of following in my next travel. I think no one can ever advice better with the essential packing list to ensure a safe and pleasant journey.

Reading this book will ensure a new experience with your next travel even if you had been an air traveler by birth. I think airlines should give a thought about the author’s plan to offer this book as in-flight reading material.

His guidelines to dress yourself like a business class for an upgrade, the FIFO and LIFO principles in the bus, whether to choose the window or the aisle seat, pros and cons of all three sections, how to snatch the portions of the armrest when sitting in the center seat, the water bottle test and so many other intriguing tips. It will make you to note all so far gone unnoticed things around you. 

This is not a book which I think one can give any absurd excuse to pause the reading for a while to read the rest later. Few pages will make you want to read it again in time. One read will make you include this book in your packing list. Reading this book as you travel will make your journey hilarious.

The author has chosen not-so-complex writing style. There is humor in each page and each word. The next time you step into the airport, your only focus will be in all the stuff that the author has discussed here. Your journey will never be the same anymore. A must read for frequent travelers and also those who are yet to make their first travel.

Looking forward for my next travel. I would give all stars for this hilarious yet interesting book.

About the author:

Rishi piparaiya ia an over-worked and over traveled corporate executive based in the skies, 38,000 feet over India.

You can buy the book from Amazon or Flipkart.

Happy reading :-)

Book Review: Cherished

Book: Cherished

Author: Lakshmi Menon

ISBN: 978-81-8253-441-4

Publisher: Cyberwit.net

Blurb:

Grishma, accompanied by her father and her four month old baby Jyothi, boards the train to Delhi to join her husband, to surprise him with an unexpected visit. She dreams of a happy family life with him. Little does she know that her journey will end in havoc to her life. 19 years later, Grishma s daughter Jyothi, longing for her father s love and a family reunion determines to search for her father, despite her mother s strong protests. She succeeds in her mission, but will he accept her as his daughter? This is the heartwarming story of Jyothi s pursuit of parental love, which she considers her legitimate right.

Review:

“Cherished” by Lakshmi Menon is a book which portrays the relationship between a daughter and father. Though a very simple story, the message that it conveys is strong. The story begins with Mrs. Rao who helps Jyothi with her accommodation. Jyothi, being very determined about finding her unseen father, joins a college in Bangalore only for the purpose of regaining her relation with her father Praveen. After knowing her Dad’s address from her friend, she ends up writing a letter to him mentioning about her. When she receives the reply letter from her dad, she comes to know that her dad still loves her and her mother Grishma. Jyothi, who was brought up by her mother Grishma saying that her dad had deceived them, learns that it was her mother who was mistake and left her dad without giving him a chance to explain the situation. Knowing the true story, Jyothi pities her dad and their relationship grows stronger. She enjoys doing shopping with her dad and also he takes her to his home where he lives with his second wife and children. Malini, his wife, treats her well and makes her feel happy. Later when Mrs. Rao compels her to let her mother know about the relationship with her dad, she refuses it in the first place but then asks Mrs. Rao to tell her mom about her father herself. When Grishma comes to know it, she scares that Jyothi might leave her and falls sick. Praveen then sees her ex wife in hospital and soon he helps Grishma and Jyothi with their living.

The author has tried to portray the feeling of a girl who longs for her dad’s love. This simple short story could have been done within 75 pages. The whole story was dragged as if the author wanted to make her book to reach 147 pages. The author could have worked more with the narration which was again flat. On the language front, the author has kept it as simple that even a fifth grade student can read this book. The cover page and the title are good. Major drawback is its cost. I would rate 2.5 out of 5 for this book. All the best Mrs. Lakshmi Menon.      

About the Author:

Born and brought up in Kerala, Lakshmi Menon, after her primary education, moved to Karnataka where she did her graduation (BA in Sociology and History) and courses in Journalism and Creative Writing. She has authored a novel The Second Choice and 4 children s books. In addition, she has also written a novel (Veendum Yatra), a novella (Akale Oru Dweepam) and few short stories in Malayalam. Travelled widely and settled in Bangalore, Lakshmi is the Founder and Editor of the popular eMagazine Induswomanwriting.com, showcasing the work of both the amateur and published writers, from all over the world.

You can buy the book from Amazon and Flipkart.

Book Review: The Silent Howl of Demise

 Firstly I would like to congratulate Jyotirmoy Mazumdar for this bold attempt. After reading so many similar Indian love stories, this book is fresh without concentrating much on the love. It does have love but a brother-sister love. This is not just a novel but it is a book of facts that we are unaware of. The first thing that hooks the reader is their blurb

Assam, 2002: A young girl, somewhere in her early twenties becomes a victim to her good deeds, in an attempt to save one of the victims of the blast, she lost her own life. Life and death though are the two different sides of the same coin, change human life, very differently. When an innocent heart loses a loved one to the adversities of life and the wrongs of the people, it sows the seed of revenge in the mind, and soul of the one who is affected. The maturity of the heart falls prey to the fury inside the mind of the victim. Harsh, along with his friends, go on an adventurous journey, to find the truth behind the death of his sister, but the venture, wasn't as peaceful as they expected it to be. In the turn of events, they find out the reality behind the fiction they believed, about their own friends. Revenge, it tastes sweet, verbally, but to attain the actuality of revenge, one needs to risk, everything they ever had. From the deepest parts of their corrupted souls, to the filthiest intentions of their conscious minds, and the luxurious dreams of their illusionary world, revenge takes away, all of it. Revenge, will, not make them surrender, but it might kill their existence. What would this revenge do to the purity of their characters and the poison of revenge in their hearts?

The title “The Silent Howl of Demise” is too different that grabs every reader’s attention and the cover page clearly explains this book has got something different in it. Kudos to Sunil kaushik for the nice cover page that synchronise well with the story.

Coming to the story, the story starts with a nightmare of Harsh, where he sees his sister dying while they both are in call. The story revolves around Harsh and relationship between Harsh and Rimi, his sister is beautifully narrated. In few pages harsh takes us to his nostalgic trip explaining how he lost his sister and how her loss affected the family. After few days Harsh and his friends Manish and Anubhav goes on a trip to Kashmir where Manish being a Kashmiri explains the current scenario of Kashmir in a beautiful manner with perfect facts. Harsh wanted to know the cause of her sister loss and wants to take revenge for her sister’s loss. That is when he goes to Guwahati and gets to know the scenario of the north eastern part of India and decides to do something to them. Once after the trip comes the heroine, Priyali. The story then moves through Priyali explaining the political scenario and later Harsh tells about Rimi to her. When everything goes well, Harsh and Priyali falls in love and gets many difficulties in marriage. In few days Harsh gets a chance to move into Guwahati for his work along with Priyali and starts a movement against terrorism.

What happened to the movement? Did harsh succeed with that movement and protect them from terrorism? Did that change Assam? Did Rimi’s soul rest in peace? Read it to find out what happened.

The story has a strong plot and everyone contributes equally to the story making it interesting to read. The silent howl of demise is refreshing and is well researched. The book fictionalised on many aspects that India is seriously in need of and delivered very well without any flaws.

I would say this book is a bold attempt explaining the unaware facts of India. I got to know many things from this book and I wish this book reaches everyone’s hand. On the language front, the author has used a simple language and I didn’t find much mistakes though the book had many printing mistakes which can be rectified if reworked. 

The writing is matured and I would give 4/5 for this bold and strong attempt and wish all the best to Jyotirmoy Mazumdar for his future endeavours.

About the author:

Jyotirmoy Mazumdar is currently pursuing his bachelor of technology degree in the field of Computer Science, from SRM University. Though writing was never a priority in his schooling days, his quest to recite stories led him to write poems, short stories, and finally books. 'Did She Love Me?' is his first published novel, and 'The Silent howl of Demise' his second published work.  

You can buy the book from Homeshop18 and Infibeam.

Happy Reading J