Book Review: Boomerang

I still feel so much involved into the story though I have finished my read few minutes back. I think it’s the author’s spell on the readers. Surely a un-put-down-able book which keeps me wonder about the author’s imagination. No book has ever made me so excited to review.

Book: Boomerang

Author: Rajshri Raajgopal

Publisher: Frog Books

ISBN: 978-93-82473-29-9

Verdict: Thrilling story of a young women and a very intriguing read.

Blurb:

Set in a scenic village on the outskirts of Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala, this is the story of the struggles of a woman in its hostile society. The journey of Anna through her battle for freedom from an unhappy household, her first love, a debilitating marriage and a stressful divorce shows the reader how difficult life is for a young woman even in this modern era. Her remarriage is a blessing in every way but it comes with a curse too Anna finds an unusual friend who is determined to destroy her new life.

Review:

‘Boomerang’ by Rajshri Raajgopal, turns to be a thrilling read which talks about the journey of Anna, the protagonist, with an unusual friend of her. You can find the reason behind the title as you read the book. The cover page and the title are well used to hide a mystery under it. The back blurb is so brief that no one can ever expect much out of it which has helped to maintain the suspense.

Anna, a young girl who starts her new journey in a small village of kerala, initially enjoys her freedom to fly unlike the other girls who were restricted to have fun like her. Her parent’s failed marriage gives her no peace and she longs to find her love of life. Her first love gives her a heartbreak which makes her to fall sick. Upon recovering, she finds a new career as a receptionist in a hotel where George enters into her life. He falls for her at the very first sight but she shows no interest towards him. Convincing her parents he succeeds in marrying her.

Her marriage with George ruins her life and she feels of being trapped inside his big house. Adjusting her life with George who makes use of her only to have sex and her in-laws who takes no care for her, she finally breakdowns seeing her husband having affair with another women. This sudden shock results in her miscarriage. After living a hatred life for five long years, she ends her marriage in divorce.

Dev’s entry changes her hopeless life into a beautiful and loving life. They fall in love and get married. He gives her all the happiness she has never seen before. Her life turns out to be so romantic and blessed until she enters his late sister’s room which is kept locked after her death. She then encounters Maya, a spirit. Thinking her as Dev’s late sister, she befriends her. They talk about their life and discuss various things. Anna feels happy for their friendship only to regret it later.

Maya tries to put Anna into her spell and makes use of her to be freed from the world where she no mores belongs to. Not knowing her intention, Anna promises to help her with what she demands later. A demand which risks her husband’s life but she is helpless to escape from Maya. She spends ten horrible nights to help her out and in the eleventh night Anna finds an end for her freedom from Maya.  

But what did Maya demand for? Who was she and what’s her intention? To know these intriguing parts of the story, I think one should surely experience their own read.

To sum up my review, I would say Ms. Rajshri Raajgopal, has done a stupendous work in her very first book. The narration was excellent which gave me a visual reading experience. The usage a simple language and the little poems between the narrations add up to the book. The matured detailing about sex is well written by the author. The conversation between Anna and Maya was so intriguing and the way the ghosts live there life is imagined so well. I found no flaw and the emotions of love, hate, sex and spirituals are so well blended. I would give full score for this book. I’m looking forward to read her next book soon and I strongly recommend this book. All the best Rajshri.

About the Author:

Rajshri Raajgopal (b. Rajasree Parthasarathy in Thrissur, Kerala) is a graduate in English Literature from Kerala University. She also gained CELTA from Cambridge University and Postgraduate Diploma in Pre-Primary Teaching from Pune. Rajshri was a Cabin Crew with Emirates Airline and has lived in Dubai, Ireland and United Kingdom, before relocating to Bangalore. She also writes children books for Mimitra Enterprises. Her first book in this genre is Mani. She is a single parent whose determination to become successful led her to fulfill her dream of a writer. Boomerang is her first adult fiction.

You can buy the book from Flipkart and Amazon .

Happy reading :-)

  

   

Book Review: Wise Enough To Be Foolish

Book: Wise Enough to be Foolish

Author: Gauri Jayaram

ISBN: 978-81-8495-456-2

Publisher: Jaico Books

 No. of pages: 205

The Blurb:

Wise Enough to be Foolish is a fictionalized memoir that traces the journey of an Indian girl’s life, with all its challenges and delightful surprises, as she blossoms from an insecure child into a confident young woman. This roller-coaster ride of adventure, laughter and heartache, as she balances her love life with her struggle for independence, will keep you guessing – What rules will she break next? How far will she go to find herself?

Review:

Gauri Jayaram’s ‘Wise Enough to be Foolish’ is a book of her own journey of life which turns out to be bold lesson for any young women. It talks about the choices of her life and the way she managed to live in all situation in her own legs.

This flashback of the author’s, starts with her childhood days in Bangalore and how she longs for her parents love. She turns out to be a naughty brat, while her father, a pilot in the Indian Air Force, expects her to be a lovely daughter. Her behavior disappoints her parents and thus finds no love from them. Her school life is written well where she turns out to be the only girl in the football teams and her friendship with boys keeps her away from all girlish behaviors. Her crush Saiff, changes her life in unexpected way and make her realize her capability.

Her college life in Mumbai is not explained much but her life in hostel with her friends is full of fun and joy. Her love with Rahul ends when he asks her to convert to Christianity. After her college she meets suraj and falls in love with him only to break up few days before their engagement. She realizes that they are not meant for each other.

Her struggles for a career in travelling sector and her first trip abroad is so well addressed. Her relation with Zaid, her colleague, ends up in love and they secretly get married in register office. Though he is a muslim, parents of both accepts their relation and arranges for a reception to let the world know about them. Sudden change in Zaid’s behavior after marriage disturbs her and later she finds his affair with Maria. Then she moves out from his life forever. She then travels to the USA to forget all the sour feelings and she registers in a matrimonial site to get a perfect man for her. She then meets all her suitors and finally finds Uday in her life. She is now living in Bangalore with Uday and daughters Aprajita and Gayatri. 

I believe the author’s motive for writing this book is to teach women to take life as it comes. This story of her life experience will surely inspire those women who are in need of moral support to take the correct path in their life. 

To sum up my review, I would say Mrs. Gauri Jayaram has taken a good effort to make this book. I appreciate her boldness to write her own mistakes and choices of life into a book. The narration is very refreshing and the language is not so complex. The cover page is very attractive and the title best suits the story. Only thing which I found odd was the number of characters which made me confused to remember. Overall the book was entertaining. I would give an average of 3.5 for this book and would say a must read. I’m looking forward to read her next book soon and I strongly recommend this book. All the best Mrs. Gauri Jayaram.

Author’s note:

Mother of two girls, amateur athlete, part-time writer, management school drop-out, traveler, entrepreneur, in full-time employment with the world’s largest escorted touring company and women behind The Active Holiday Company, Gauri Jayaram is a little bit of many things and still not satisfied! She frequently combines her love for long distance running with rock music.

For more about this book visit www.wiseenoughtobefoolish.com

You can get your copies from Amazon, Flipkart or Homeshop18.

Happy Reading :-)

Author Interview: Rishi Vohra author of Once Upon The Tracks Of Mumbai

Welcome to the Author interview that we have today, Mr.Rishi Vohra author of “Once Upon The Tracks Of Mumbai” talks with us. Thanks Mr.Rishi for spending your time in between your busy schedule.

You can read my review of Once upon the tracks of Mumbai here.

Author Interview

Hello Rishi, Welcome! I am extremely glad to have you on my blog and I hope you have a great time answering the questions.

 

1.       Tell us something about yourself other than what you have said in author’s note.

Rishi: I have shifted residences between the U.S. and India several times, but am essentially a Mumbai boy.  I love music, plays, and traveling.  I have always been a student at heart and am always open to learning anything new!

2.       Did being a guest columnist in various newspapers in India inspire you to write novel? If so How?

Rishi:  Actually, it was working on films and screenplays that triggered the writing bug in me.  I found myself enjoying the story-telling aspect immensely, and reached a point where I wanted to try writing a book.

3.       How was your experience with Jaico Publishing house?

Rishi:  As a Publisher, they were amazing as they work as a closely-knit team and include the author in the process.  They always took time out to guide me in the publishing process and answer my queries, and being in the same city really helped.  It was a very positive experience.

4.       What was the time span of the book having been written and published?

Rishi: I wrote the book just for fun with no intention of publishing it at the time.  Later on, I pushed it towards the U.S. market but received innumerous rejection letters.  Then I rewrote the entuire book and started contacting publishers in India.  Several expressed an interest to publish the book.  I would say it took a couple of years, mainly because I wasn’t actively pursuing publication.  At the time, I was working towards an MBA, a Diploma in Environmental Law, and Sommelier of Wine course, one after the other.

5.       Not every debutant authors write a serious story at the first place.  But you have taken a challenging story line and also succeeded in it. What made you take up this challenge?

Rishi: True.  I know that this was a very risky debut as not only was the subject matter sensitive, but the story and protagonist were both unconventional.  But this was a story I really cared about and I went with my instinct.  I feel that a story should really mean something to you if you want it to touch your readers.

6.       Taking a psychotic person as a protagonist is not an easy. What made you to characterize such a person?

Rishi: The character’s psychological disorders were based on a friend of mine who had similar problems.  I created the character and really wanted to give him a story.  But before I could shape up his character, I had to do a tremendous amount of primary and secondary research to understand his conditions.  For that, I have mainly my University’s Psychology Department to thank.

7.       Why did you go for railways as the backdrop when there are many other options?

Rishi: The Railways are the lifeline of Mumbai.  Many of us use local trains as a primary means of transport to cut through the chaos of the city.  But apart from us daily commuters, there are many people whose lives are tied to the railways due to the proximity of their homes to the tracks.  And it grates on their nerves.  While traveling by train, I was always curious into the lifestyles of these residents.  And while writing the story, it seemed like a natural backdrop.

8.       The whole story was taken in a serious note. You have managed well without bringing humor to the story. But do you think some humor will add more to the story? Or any plans for writing a humorous story later?

Rishi: Well, the book does have subtle humour in it.  But yes, it’s not an out and out comedy.  My next book is.  It’s set in Bollywood.

9.       How will you describe your book in one sentence?

Rishi:  ‘Once Upon the Tracks of Mumbai’ is an inspiring superhero and love story of an autistic young man, set in middle-class Mumbai.

10.  How do you take the success of you very first book?

Rishi: I have received messages from readers who have said that they saw part of themselves in the book.  It feels great to have written a book that has touched so many people in some way or the other.  For me, that is the success of the book.

11.   What’s next in line for you? Any ideas for a new project? Have you started working on it?

Rishi: As I mentioned, my next book is a light and breezy comedy set in Bollywood.  This book is based on true events.  Once again, this book is an alternative fiction.

12.   As you said you initially wrote the story for screenplay. Can we expect it to be a movie someday?

Rishi: Yes. J

13.  Who is your favorite author and what are your favorite literary works?

Rishi: I like the books of S. Hassan Zaidi.  In terms of books, The Catcher in the Rye has always been my all-time favourite.

14.  What do you like to do when you are not reading or writing?

Rishi: I like to travel, spend time with friends and family, watch plays, movies.  The list can go on and on!

15.  Comment on the current scenario of the Indian literature.

Rishi: When it comes to reading English literature, readers still prefer reading foreign authors.  But when it comes to mass fiction, the Indian market is booming.  There is a huge variety of books and authors out there, catering to readers’ preferences.  So I would say that the publisher industry is going through a very exciting phase!

16.  What is your advice for the aspiring authors?

Rishi: Read what you love!  Write from your heart!

Thank you Mr.Rishi it was great chatting with you. All the very best for your future endevours.

Thank you for inviting me on your blog Abhinand!  It was great chatting with you too!

For more information, visit www.rishivohra.com

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

Author Interview: Swarupa Chavan author of A Journey to Remember

Welcome to the Author interview that we have today. Mrs.Swarupa Chavan author of 'A Journey to Remember' talks with us. Thanks Swarupa for spending your time in between your busy schedule. 

Author Interview

Hello Swarupa, Welcome! I am extremely glad to have you on my blog and I hope you have a great time answering the questions.

You can read my review by clicking here

1.       Tell us something about yourself.

Swarupa: I was born and bought up in Mumbai. I am a Science graduate, majoring in Physics. Further to that I completed my MBA and Packaging Technology in which I am a rank holder. I love travelling and exploring new places. I am a simple and reserved kind of a person. Love reading and spending time with nature.

2.       Few words about ‘A Journey to Remember’

 Swarupa: A Journey to Remember – is all about friendship and love. It is about discovering your true self. An everyday incident teaches you a lesson for life. The core principles and beliefs that you grow up with, are suddenly challenged one day leaving you surprised and wondering what to do next. Life presents you with difficult choices to make. Sounds familiar? That’s what this novel is all about. A story about two childhood friends Ananya and Reva. Best of friends, yet having varied personalities which adds the spice to an otherwise boring life.

The story revolves around the lives of these two friends and how they manage to complicate and create chaos in an otherwise normal lives of people surrounding them. Misunderstandings, theft and fraudulence amidst budding romance and breaking hearts, twisting and turning the tale along its journey.

3.      I found the book to have too much filmy touch. Do you think it attracts the reader?

Swarupa: Every writer has her own style of writing. And at times the story demands a particular style of narration. Readers have responded positively to this style and have thoroughly enjoyed reading the novel. I think that’s what should matter. My books are entertaining and enjoyable.

4.      How do you compare the response of ‘A journey to remember’ and ‘To err is human’?

Swarupa: You can’t compare two different books of different topics. Where one is my debut novel which followed quickly with my second one. I would say both my novels have been well appreciated by readers. Malini and Anaya the protagonists of my books have become quite popular. Readers easily relate to the stories as they are true to real life. It is fun, emotional and romantic which entertains the readers.

5.      How will you relate yourself to the protagonist Ananya?

Swarupa: Ananya is a practical girl who does not believe in love and nor does she fall for the emotional traps. She takes her friendship very seriously and goes to far extent to save her friend from a difficult situation. Ananya is a character built out of my imagination. But somewhere along the line what she thinks and does I feel myself relating to her.

6.      Why did you opt for young women to lead the main protagonist in both the books?

Swarupa: It was not a conscious decision. It just happened as a natural process. I think being a woman I am much comfortable to write from another woman’s perspective. A woman’s psyche and her feelings are better expressed if you can feel them yourself.

7.      Since both your books has a simple story line, any idea of taking up a serious plot in your next project?

Swarupa: My next project is going to be completely different. It is not going to be a love story nor would it be humorous like my previous two projects. It is going to be on a completely different topic, one which is close to my heart and on which I have been planning to write for quiet sometime. I hope my readers enjoy this book as much as they have enjoyed my previous novels as well.

8.      What was so challenging for you to make this book a complete one?

Swarupa: I think being able to write in a natural way by which you are able to connect with your readers is the key to a good book. The story, narration, characters have to flow in a natural way. It should not be a made up attempt. Both my projects have been natural and true to real life.

9.      Which genre other then love, do you think is comfortable for you to write?

Swarupa: Both my novels have been of the Rom-Com genre. Apart from this like I mentioned earlier I shall be now attempting a serious topic. Emotional and Intriguing story telling also interests me.

10.   What’s next in line for you? Any ideas for a new project?

Swarupa: Yes, the idea and plot is playing in my mind. Soon I shall start working on it.

11.  Who is your favorite author and what are your favorite literary works?

Swarupa: Plenty… I love reading Richard Bach, Ken Follet, Jeffery Archer, Paulo Coelho and many more.

12.  You consider writing as your hobby or you have plans to become a full time writer?

Swarupa: As of now I have started writing as a hobby. Let’s see how things progress in the future.

13.  Any tips for budding writers?

Swarupa: Listen to your heart, be passionate about your work and keep writing J

Thank you Mrs.Swarupa it was great chatting with you. All the very best for your future endevours. 

You can buy A journey to remember from Flipkart and Amazon.

You can contact the author at Facebook or mail her at swarupa.mynovel@gmail.com.

Book Review: A Journey To Remember

Book: A Journey to Remember

Author: Swarupa Chavan

Publisher: Cyberwit.net

ISBN: 9788182534117

Cover page: Rupali Shirke

Blurb:

A phone call from Reva summoning her for her help makes Ananya drop everything and rush to her aid. Ananya embarks on a journey of startling discovery, to Oakwood in Shimla where Reva resides.Her core beliefs and philosophies are challenged when she meets Kunal who is a matrimonial alliance for Reva invited at Oakwood by the General - Revas father. Kunal has agreed to visit Oakwood only due to family pressures and does not have any inclination to get married in the near future. Ananya is unable to fathom the attraction she feels for Kunal and is scared of the outcome. Things get complicated as Ananyas attempt to bring Reva and Nikhil together results in misunderstandings between Kunal. They turn dangerous when Sam the Chauffer- cum-Cook at Oakwood tries to sabotage their innocent plan out of his sincere loyalty towards the General. Ananya is faced with a grave question leaving her to wonder what her journey to Shimla would lead to.

The review:

Swarupa Chavan’s ‘A Journey to Remember’ talks about a journey which happens to change the life of two protagonists. Ananya believes love to be a hypothetical and highly overrated phenomenon. Kunal is a happy-go-lucky philander who has never taken any relationship seriously in his life. These parallel minded are destined to meet up in a journey which changes their life once forever.

Reva, Ananya’s best cum childhood friend, lands up in trouble when her parents decides to fix her marriage with Kunal. Reva’s father, a retired General from Army is here shown as a strict father who seems to control his fellow people with his spell. Knowing her father well, Reva is unable to confess the love with Nikhil to him. Therefore she ends up in seeking Ananya’s help which makes Ananya to take a journey to Shimla.

Kunal, being a rich kid has no idea of getting married so soon but his parents again give him no choice and ends up in meeting his father’s friend’s daughter Reva. His journey to Shimla in his bike makes him get nostalgic about the times with his friends. It is then he meets Ananya who is helpless with her flat tyred car on the way to Shimla. The very first sight of her makes him feel magical and she takes a part of place in his head. Though he extends his help to her, she refuses only to regret it soon.

Later when Ananya comes to know that Kunal is the guy who happens to be the suitor for Reva, tries to seek his help to break the marriage. By seeing Ananya at Reva’s premises, Kunal mistakes her for Reva and taking this as an advantage Ananya tries to move the cards well. Pretending herself as Reva, Ananya plans to meet Kunal to make a bad impression on him to the General. Sam who seems to be the right hand for the General smells something fishy and becomes the spy to identify it. Soon Ananya tells Kunal about her real identity and they fall in love. The four of them sketches a plan to help Nikhil score a good name in the General’s mind to accept Reva’s love for Nikhil. The climax saw some twist and made the read interesting.

The narration was good and the usage of simple language adds plus to the book. I think the total of 177 pages is a good number for this story. To say about the drawbacks, I would first mention about the price. 300 bucks for 177 pages? No ways! Next the cover page which seems not very attractive and looks quite dull. 

To sum up my review, I would say that Ms. Swarupa Chavan has made a good effort to write this book in a neat and simple way. Reading it was like watching a movie where you can guess what comes next. But a book turns up to be an interesting read only when it gives you no idea of what the further pages is going to bring. I would give an average of 3 for 5 for this book. All the Best Ms. Swarupa Chavan.

About the Author:

Swarupa Chavan was born in Mumbai- India, where she currently works as a DGM. Apart from writing she enjoys travelling and exploring new places. She can be contacted at swarupa.mynovel@gmail.com

You can buy the book from Flipkart and Amazon.

Happy Reading :-)

Book Review: Hold My Hand

When it comes to reading the work of our favourite author, we never bother to read the blurb. Every time I order his book once it is up for pre-order and I will make a point to finish it within the first week of its release but this time I never did the former or latter. I hope that was because I was destined to meet him in one of his book launch. I met him in the Chennai book launch on August 22^nd and got the book from his hand, a signed one.

Let me start with the cover page. The cover page has got bright colour with a photograph of Hong Kong in it and could be easily spot in any shelves. The back blurb, cover page synchronise well with the story and only after reading the book I can understand why he chose this colour for the cover page.

The initial pages were described very well making us to understand the mindset of the characters. The story revolves around the main protagonist Deep, an awkward young man obsessed with the libraries and book. He is sent to Hong Kong for a paid internship programme to develop software for cataloguing the books in the central library of Hong Kong. The pain of Deep’s mother for sending him to Hong Kong is perfectly written.

The story gets its grip only after Ahana steps into the story. He doesn’t find her eye disorder at the first sight but he finds it in the second meet which is on her birthday. They dance and celebrate on her birthday night under the nose of her father, Ranbeer. Deep finds he doesn’t have much work with the intern program and he decides to spend time with Ahana. Deep and Ahana gets along with each other and goes out to many places on her birthday and eventually they meet her ex-boyfriend, Aveek, who is another blind. After a few pages the story is written from Ahana’s perspective which is very well portrayed. We could find how the city is explained to her differently by Ranbeer and Deep. The story gets along very well and describes Hong Kong city well. The tourist places of Hong Kong are perfectly described and gets along with the story. The climax was said to have some surprise but I didn’t feel the surprise.

Overall I didn’t find any mistake in the book and I was little disappointed with the story as it was average when compared to his other works like “Till the last breath”. I felt the book was completed in a hurry to meet some deadline. Otherwise Durjoy Datta can never make it simple when the plots are very strong. I give this book an average of 3.5/5 and would expect his next book to be a page turner.  

Happy reading :-)