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

Book Review: I played a Game with Life

Sometimes reading books helps forget our tension. This is one such book which makes one to relax during a hard time. Though writing serious and heartbreaking stories have become a fashion recently, these kind of simple and jolly going stories still has its spark.

Blurb:  

Will one young man's hurts, disappointments and pressures lift him up to greatness, or will he submit to mediocrity?

Sam, a typical guy, living life happy and carefree, has an ambition that far exceeds what a normal Chennai boy can aspire to. Encountering ‘Life’ itself in a dream, he’s convinced into playing a game with it. A game that ends when Life's travails get so hard that Sam is pushed to tears.
A girl enters Sam’s life when he least expects it. The moment he sets eyes on her he knows, she’s going to play hard to get. Sparks do indeed fly and before long the two find themselves in a world of romance.
Though Sam’s attitude toward living is to be happy and cool, he finds all of that being tested. Circumstances push him into a world of discomfort, guilt, heartbreak and confusions. Amidst such emotional turmoil he manages to grip on to hope and still enjoys life. One event after another pushes him to an edge.
Does Sam find a way to win the game? Or Will he spiral into what so many people who've given up the fight have fallen into? You simply need to be part of his life to find out.

Review:

“I played a Game with Life”. The title makes me to think about my game with life. It is surely an interesting tile which makes one to check out for the blurb. When you can easily relate yourself with the protagonist in the book, then it makes you very much interesting giving you the feel of being a hero in your world. Any young boy, screwing up his life, can easily relate with Sam, the protagonist and enjoy the journey of his life in each page of this 246 page book.

A break-up can change one’s life topsy turvy. For some it means a fresh beginning of a new life but for some it even becomes the end of life. Here the story starts with the break-up of Sam and Harini. Though he finds hard to overcome it, he manages not to show it to anyone. Sam, being a movie freak, dreams to become an actor in Hollywood and hence enrolls his name in a well known school of acting at LA. His best friend, Harish is the only person who knows him and his dream well. Even he suffers a break-up with Preethi but soon re-unite with her. Amritha enters into Sam’s life and very soon they fall in love. He brings up the topic of his dream to his dad who refuses it. He then walks out from his home leaving his loving sister and mom in pain. He stays at Harish’s place and starts attending the training class offered by the acting school. He lands up cheating his dad for getting money only to regret it later. When he thinks all is going well, one big incident shakes his life which makes him to lose his family and also Amritha.

What was that incident which changed his life direction? Will he get back his love? Will he see his dream come true?

To know what happened to Sam and his dream, pick up this book from a nearby book store soon.

I found each scene of this story to be so real. It is not an easy job to write a simple story and grab the attention of readers. The author has done a good job with the plot. Each character was given importance and they made the story lively. Since the whole story was based on Chennai, I found it easy to picture every place. The humor part was well portrayed. The chapters name was very catchy and did fit the bills. There were few mistakes which I think can be edited off. Over all, this book was a good entertainment.

To sum up my review, I would say Mr. S.Richardson has put a lot of effort to produce his first work. This book will surely be a good read for every young people out there. The cover page was cool and the narration was clear. Usage of simple language gave no work for my dictionary. Thank you for that. I would rate 3 out of 5 for this book. All the best Mr. S. Richardson. 

You can also buy the book from Amazon.

Happy Reading :-)

Book Review: The Jadoo of your love

After a long time I read a book which left no hard feeling after reading. Though a simple story with few twists and turns, the book had all the magic to make the readers look forward through the pages. And also it felt good to hold a book from Srishti publications. 

Blurb:

In the final year of college, Anurag’s life was feeling apart- he vowed never to see Aditya, his best friend of many years again. Of course, what Aditya did was unpardonable.

Not just losing his best friend, Anurag’s love Urmi too got married to someone else the day unemployed 

Anurag got the job of a flight purser in an airline company.

But life has its own twists and turns, and one never knows where it will take him. Anurag too could have never imagined all that happened thereafter.

In this page-turner of a spellbinding novel, every reader would ride the crests and troughs of myriad emotions- love, hate, anger, depression, excitement and joy that fill life’s every moment and savor the essence of true love that is mystic and magical.

Review:

I liked the way the story begins and moves forward. The author has somehow connected his second book with his first one. The later talked about the journey of Ujani but his second book talks about the life of Anurag Sen who is introduced to the author by Ujani. Before briefing the story, I think it can be separated into three phases. Anurag’s college and love life being the first phase, his career as a flight purser as the second and his journey as direct as the final phase.

Anurag sen, being not so good at studies gets his admission in not so popular college in Calcutta where he does B.A in Modern studies. Aditya aka Mote is shown as a disciple of Anurag more than a friend who just follows his footsteps. Soon Mote falls in love with his professor’s wife and lands up into a trouble. Anurag saves him from the problem but Mote moves away from his friend. Urmi then enters into Anurag’s life first as friend and then it turns into love. Knowing that he is unemployed and comes from a middle class family, Urmi’s parent disapproves his love and Urmi ends up marrying another guy. After so many struggles, Anurag gets a job as flight purser in an Airline company. He loves his job and gains knowledge about many places. He comes across many people and discovers that each have their own problem to worry about. His life then changes when he saves the passengers and other staffs from the hijackers. Though the whole country praises him for his bravery, the Airline higher authority suspends him for not abiding the rules. He seeks help from the director Ram Gopal Varma, who was one among the passengers when the hijacking took place. Anurag starts his new life as assistant director and soon becomes a well known director after the success of his first film. Meanwhile he meets Mote as a rich business man and he supports Anurag financially for his first movie.  Though Urmi ditched him long back, he fails to forget her in his life. Soon he meets her in Calcutta and learns that her husband had died when her son was two. Seeing her suffer in life, he makes a reentry into her life and finds the truth behind her and her son.

Did they start a new life together? What is the truth behind her son? To know more about the twist and the turns, get a copy of the book soon from a nearby bookshop.

The author has brought in many emotions into the story and the book is complete in its own way. The journey of a director is shown very well with many twist and turns. Beside the story line, this book seems to provide information about various historic places in Delhi and also about other foreign places. Few mentioned speeches of Swami Vivekananda were really thought provoking. The strong character of the protagonist seems to be impressing. On the whole the author has well managed to bind all the emotions of a men say, his love, hate, friendship, betrayal, failure and success.

To sum up my review, I would say Mr. S.R. Saha has done a great job in producing his second book. The narration was flawless and the language was simple and decent. I did not find any dragging part and the author has done the complete story within 158 pages which helped me to finish the book in less than a day. The cover page is attractive and the title is interesting. I rate 3.5 out of 5 for this book. I’m looking forward to read his next book soon and I strongly recommend this book. All the best Mr. S.R. Saha.

About Author:

S. R. Saha (Shubha Ranjan Saha) graduated as a Mechanical Engineer from IIT, Madras. He has previously authored the bestselling novel Jab se you have loved me, the story of an IITian and an airhostess.

You can get your copy from Flipkart, Amazon and Homeshop18.

Happy Reading :-)

Book Review: Neil Must Die

I wonder how the author managed to make everything in this book stand unique among other group of books. Say, the title, which seems to confess something about the protagonist, the texture of the book which itself makes a lot of difference and of course the climax of the story, which is left to the reader’s choice. Reading the blurb, I was sure that the book is going to be an intriguing read.

Blurb:

Neil falls in love with his newly-wedded sister-in-law, Tuli, forcing seeds of suspicion and spilling blasphemy into the conservative Bengali family.

He runs away from the chaos, drowning himself in lies and false assurances, only to discover that Tuli is pregnant with his child-and all becomes clear.

His fears and doubts evaporate, and he sets out to make life wonderful for Tuli and their child, completely unaware that, even with the impending battle he has to fight, it is written in stone that he must die.

A story of silent rebellion, desperate escapism, self-destruction and thunderous passion.

Book: Neil must die

Author: Kaberi Chatterjee

ISBN: 978-162840070-0

Publisher: Blackbuck Publication

No. of pages: 264

Review:

The story starts with Neil’s trip to the Himalayas where he meets Cathy and open up his heart to her. The flashback is based on Calcutta and the description of the place makes easy for the readers to visualize it. True color of the city and the culture it follows gives a clear picture about the people of Calcutta. Tuli’s history of birth and her fate written makes a different introduction. Tuli is married to Neil’s brother Soumen who only dream of her in bed. Tuli shows no interest for him and disappoints him on the first day of their marriage. Tuli finds Neil to be so real and soon becomes close to him. Though Neil worries about her interest on him on the first place, he falls for her later. Their affair remains secret within Neil’s room where they have sex. Tuli pretends to be happy with Soumen but longs to live the rest of the life with Neil. Though Neil tries to move away from her, he finds him only much closer to her. Their hopeless affair comes to light when Soumen sees them together in Neil’s room. Neil then tries to explain their love but Soumen takes the matter to their mother who warns Neil for his behavior. Thus Neil and Tuli find no way to talk with other. Tuli, after knowing that she is pregnant with Neil’s baby, asks him to search for a career in Mumbai without letting him know about his baby. In Mumbai, he stays with Remo, his friend, who works for a Mafia. Juhi, a call girl helps Neil to get a job. Upon knowing that Tuli is pregnant with his baby, he leaves to Calcutta to see her only to find her dead. The shock becomes too much to bear and he leaves to Mumbai. He then works for Hussain, the Mafia and gets into a trouble. What trouble did he land up in? Does Cathy help him to recover from his past? Having no future, should Neil die?

To learn more about the story, walk up to the nearby bookshop and get your copy soon.

The author has brought all the emotions into the story which makes the reader feel the characters so alive. The narration of the story is clear and the glossary of terms helps for an easy read. The addressing of Calcutta and its culture surely makes the readers learn about the city. Tuli’s character was so interesting which I liked the most. And reading the conclusion part, I prefer Neil to live with a fresh start. I find no mistake on him to make him die. 


The credit for the uniqueness of the looks that the book carries goes to the publications. This is the first book of the Blackbuck publication and I am more than satisfied with its quality. Waiting for the new books soon from BlackBuck.

I congratulate Mrs. Kaberi Chatterjee for such a strong plot and for rendering the story in a neat way. I would rate a flat 3.5/5 for this book and would recommend for all.

About the Author:

Kaberi Chatterjee is a journalist-turned-author-turned teacher, born in India and grew up in a stately house under a conservative joint family system. She spent most of her childhood lost in her mysterious, huge house. Her imagination was fueled from here and she began writing poems and stories from the age of six. Born a Hindu and a Bengali, Kaberi attended an English medium Christian school where she grew up in learning about Christianity, singing hymns and carols. Kaberi grew up becoming a humanitarian by religion and spiritual by belief. 

Kaberi loves traveling and adventure sports. She has traversed the Himalayas and participated in white-water rafting. 

Kaberi is also a qualified classical Kathak dancer, which is her hobby. She loves animals and nature. This is her second book.

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

Happy Reading :-)

Book Review: Tall Man Small Shadow

When every debut novel in Indian industry has this word “love” somewhere in it, here is this book, with a very different title. The first thing which amused me is the title and makes every reader to have a look at the book. I was wondering what the story will be when the title said “Tall Man Small Shadow.” I then went on to read its blurb and it said

It is my debut English novel based on existentialism. Salil loves a shadow which transforms into many characters to reveal the secrets of life. Aalya, his neighbor, is doing research in English literature. Her guide Seema is a childless lesbian. Paul, husband of Seema, is a drama director. I am the protagonist, who coins philosophies for day to day events and my wife Sulekha is the second protagonist who makes coincidences happen with her artful manipulations. Read on to learn what happens when....

The word existentialism is something new to me. I have never heard about it before but through the cover page I could relate it is something dealing with the shadow. That made me curious to start with this book. The cover design is good and goes along with the title.

Coming to the review, the story starts with an old man (whose name is not revealed at the beginning) delivering a courier to his neighbour, Salil. Salil is working with a firm nearby and exhibits a strange behaviour to others. The old man lives with his wife Sulekha and only daughter Aalya opposite to Salil’s house. Aalya a beautiful and intelligent girl wants to excel in her studies and gets attracted by her neighbour Salil. The first meet of Aalya and Salil did not last even for two minutes. Then one day something wanted Salil to speak to her and they meet in a tea shop nearby. Salil notices that both of their shadows kiss each other when they are sitting separated in different benches and he likes her shadow. Aalya is curious to know why Salil behaves like this and hears about his past life. Even after hearing his breakup her love towards Salil did not decrease. Aalya in her post graduate studies wants to prepare a thesis and takes Seema as her guide. Seema is talented, childless and family friend of Aalya. Seema is married to Paul who is a drama director. When Aalya discuss about the thesis, Seema asks her to come over to her house for detailed discussion. In few days they turn to be lesbians and are happy with it. In mean time, Aalya falls for Salil and Salil gets close with Aalya’s family due to few incidents. When Paul is on a tour to Europe with a drama team, Seema finds herself being pregnant whose biological parents are Salil and Aalya. How did Seema carry twins of Salil and Aalya? What happened between Salil and Aalya? Did Seema and Aalya’s relationship continue after it? What is the role of Sulekha in this story?

To know more read the full story.

The author has kept the book more decent rather than explaining the sex sense elaborately and has kept everything precise. On the language front it is captivating and the choice of words shows the author’s brilliance. The book had few mistakes and it can be rectified by doing a little rework. The positive aspect of the story is its narration. It is narrated through different perspective and explains different dimensions of the same situation but the same turns to be the negative as sometime the reader is confused on who’s perspective he is reading from. The highlight of the story is when Sulekha takes her turn to narration and makes the reader clear that “nothing is coincidence”. She is the one who says her husband’s name as Anupam. Sulekha’s narration adds spice to the story and on the whole it is an intriguing read.

“Tall Man Small Showdow” is well written with a strong characterisation on different dimensioned peoples, explains about the existentialism equipped with many philosophies turns out to be a wonderful read.

I congratulate Mr. Vipin Behari Goyal for penning down such a good story and delivering about the existentialism. I would rate a flat 4/5 for this book and would recommend for all. 

You can buy the book from Flipkart and Amazon.

Happy Reading :-)