Book Review: No Time for Goodbye

Time Travel? Is it even possible? Common! I have only seen it happen in movies. BTW the question is not whether or not time travel is possible but it’s all about what would life be if we travel back to past. Sounds crazy right??!! Here is yet another story which will steal your time for a while.

2012, Bangalore. Sixteen-year-old Tamanna finds an old Polaroid photograph in the attic and stumbles into her mothers past.

It is 1982. Tamanna finds herself in her grandmother's house where her mom seems to be younger than she is. She also meets her grandmother, aunts and Manoj, her mothers charming neighbour. Manoj's granddad is a scientist working on time-travel but he seems pretty clueless about getting Tamanna back to the present. Even as Manoj helps Tamanna sort out the mess that she's in, they fall hopelessly in love. How will the impossible attraction ever work if Tamanna has to return?

A delicious romance, No Time for Goodbyes is tender, irresistible and unforgettable all at once.

No time for Good Byes begins with the usual description of a 16 year old Girl, Tamanna. Waiting for her collage admissions, she is already bored staying at her home with her mom and her younger sister Raina. Wanted to be isolated, she finds a dirty yet a secret place at the terrace to get involved with the Harry potter book. She finds a photograph of her mom with her sisters in their childhood along with a guy posing with them. Little did she know that this photo is going to life her toppy turvy. She decides to leave the place as her mom had already started to search for her.

When Tamanna goes downstairs, she gets a strange feeling. Finding her way down, she realizes things to be changed. The place where she was staying minutes before seems to be no longer her own house. Later she finds not alone the house to be changed but also the people inside the house were no longer familiar to her. She lands up in her grandmother’s house where her mom and her two aunts were younger than her. She also meets her mother's neighbor Manoj, on whom her mother has a crush and later as the story progress she herself was falling in love with. From Manoj, she comes to know that the photo which was taken by a camera designed by his grandfather was made to take people into the future. Due to some technical faults she lands up to 1982 which is almost 30 years back.

Though she feels strange to be in the past, she slowly falls in love with the whole bunch of people and the ambience. Does she gets back to the present? Or does she decide to make her life roll back to the past permanently? Will her love for Manoj fade away with the past? Order a book for yourself to know the unexpected end of this time travel journey.

With a seemingly different plot, Andaleeb has created a brilliant story which made me wonder how it would have been to meet my own mother, when she was a teenager. I especially loved the comparison of 1980s Bangalore with 2012s Bangalore. Though it is not that easy to write a story based on time travel, the author has succeed in bringing up an interesting story with a flawless narration. The language she has used is simple and neat which make it easier to live the character. I’m sure ever one will enjoy reading this book as I did. I would rate this book with *** stars. Looking forward reading the other two parts of Tamanna Trilogy.

You can get a copy for yourself at Flipkart and Amazon.

Happy Reading :-)

Book Review: Paper Towns

Could anyone steal the show in the very first paragraph of a book? I have never thought so until I read this one. Is this called a Miracle? Like the Miracle that happen to Q? May be it is. But here the miracle does not stop with the first few lines but it seems to continue with every turning pages. You wonder how? Here is the simple answer ‘John Green’. Got it?

The thing about Margo Roth Spiegelman is that really I could ever do was let her talk, and then when she stopped talking encourage her to go on, due to the fact that 1. I was incontestably in love with her, and 2. She was absolutely unprecedented in every way, and 3. She never really asked me any questions…

Quentin Jacobson has always loved Margo from afar. So when she climbs through his window to summon him on an all-night road trip of revenge he cannot help but follow. But the next morning, Q turns up at school and Margo doesn’t. she’s left clue to her disappearance, like a trail of breadcrumbs for Q to follow.

And everything leads to one unavoidable question: WHO IS THE REAL MARGO.

 I had absolutely no idea what a "paper town" is before reading this book. I though it to be some place having a paper mill or say just a title of a book. Then along with the journey of searching Margo, I came to know what exactly a ‘Paper Town’ is.

The novel begins with 9 year Quentin "Q" Jacobsen, and his neighbor Margo Roth Spiegelman, discovering a dead man at a park. Q, who is scared, wants to run from the place whereas Margo wants to know why and how did he die. Though this dead man has nothing to do with the story, this little incident clearly describes the characteristics of both main protagonists. After that incident, they quite drift apart.

At high school, Q has his own geeky circle of friends, not a big circle though. Ben and Radar being the best among them, are planning big for the prom show. Margo, who is the queen for her followers, doesn’t hang out with Q in school. When she comes to know that she is betrayed by her friends, she decides to take a revenge on them. On a fine night she turns up to Q’s window to summon him on her revenge trip. The next morning, when Q manages to turn up to the school, Margo doesn’t shows up.
Later on, Margo’s parents finds that she has left the house like she had done before. Her parents who are fed up with her behavior, seems to give up on finding her.

Q, who has spent the night with Margo on the revenge trip, couldn’t wait till she gets back to her house on her own. He wanted to find her out. With the help of his friends Ben and Radar, he finds the clues that Margo has left for him to track her. Lacey, Margos’s friend and also Ben’s girlfriend, joins them in their journey which turns out to be a very adventurous trip. The end of the story reveals the answer for whether or not Margo was found and what was she doing all these days.

The most interesting part of the story was the clues that Margo had left for Q and how he manages to figure of the clues. Here Margo’s character is portrayed with brilliancy. Ben and Radar, who travels throughout the story, have bought humor into the story. Q, though is not portrayed with heroic stuffs, still steals the show with his willpower to find her.

To sum up my review, I would say John Green has done an adventurous work in this book and I would rate 4.5/5. Though it seems to have some influence of his previous work, this book has proven it own way to reach the people. I very strongly recommend this book for all book lovers.

So people what are you waiting for? Go join Q in the journey of Finding Margo.

You can get a copy for yourself at Flipkart and Amazon.

Happy Reading :-) 

Book Review: One in a Million

There is always a special happiness when you read a book that is written by your friend. Harshita Srivastava and I were readers while we entered Mechanical engineering course but she passed out as writer while I am still a reader. I took “One in a million” along with me during the travel from Chennai to Madurai and I should really say it kept me away from boredom.

With one glimpse on the cover page of the book you can conclude that the story revolves around a female and the title really impressed me. The cover page is attractive and thanks to Prakansh Rathaur for it. The story revolves around the beautiful protagonist Priyanka. The story clearly shows how love changes a girl to women. The story starts on a rainy day and the rain has also equally played a role. She falls in love for the first time with Shashank on her school days and loses him. She then finds his best friend Vishal, falls for him and loses him too. Fed up with both defeats she concentrates much on her life and her passion. Soon she gets friend with Shashank few days later. How did Shashank change priyanka’s life and how did Shashank’s life get changed after Priyanka’s entry? Did their friendship last? Read it to know further.

At first, the story was little weird and seemed predictable but all my prediction faded away as I turned the pages. I should say Ms. Srivastava has done perfect justice to the story and has perfectly narrated the story. The bond between Priyanka and Vishakha has been written well without missing any emotions. Throughout the story the author has not missed anything and has penned down all the emotions perfectly. The story also answers few questions about Long Distance Relationship, Double crossing and social network site’s love. The way the author ends the story is cool and the poems in between the narration are awesome. “If the love is true then it can happen anywhere and can exist wherever you are” is the underlying theme of the story. Reading the whole story I found the title syncs well with the story and is well suited.

Ms. Srivastava has done a commendable job with her debut book. The author has brought out all the emotions perfectly and has kept the language simple. All characters are well defined and the best thing I liked in the story is that the characters are given a chance to speak at different situations. Though it was sometimes silly, it makes the story complete. The climax is the best part of the book and I enjoyed reading the Dating sessions of Priyanka.

Overall it was an entertaining read and I would give 4/5. Kudos for the first book and I heard the author is working on the second book “Bad Romance”. All the best for it and I would like to read it soon.

You can get a copy for yourself at Infibeam.

Happy Reading :-)

(P.S.- I am yet to receive my signed copy :( .)

Book Review: The Virgins

Reading a coming-of-age book is always fun and this book gives you no disappointment. 

Not every book gives you the chance to re-live your sweet memories but this story will surely bring back those memories which you have always cherished. 

How does one become a man?
Three young friends are about to find out.

With six unmarried sisters and a perennially drunk father, Pinku, a 19-year-old school dropout, has only one dream left: to marry the plump girl who’d caught him stealing flowerpots. His friend and confidant, 17-year-old Bhandu, is not faring any better — his parents are divorcing, his father has abandoned him, and the American tourist he is infatuated with doesn’t even know he exists. Bhandu and Pinku seek solace in the distracting shenanigans of their friend Guggi — a pampered rich brat who can do anything for a thrill. Guggi’s reckless hedonism lands the threesome in a series of 'sexpot' escapades — each adventure weirder than the one before.
But their seemingly innocuous joyride is about to end.
With their Class 12 exams around the corner, Guggi, restless to leave a mark, takes over the school’s notorious protection racket in a violent coup. The fallout drags the trio into a murky world of heartbreak, betrayal, and bloody vengeance . . .
Fast, funny, and earthy, The Virgins is a coming-of-age novel that marks the debut of a promising writer.

“The Virgins” is about three friends living in Banaras – Pinku, Bhandu and Guggi. Pinku is a school-dropout, with responsibilities towards his family, dreams of marrying a girl he loves and he is all of nineteen. Bhandu’s life is a mess. His family is not the perfect family and he is also searching his way on the road to love. Guggi is always up to no good and trouble, thanks to his friends as well. Besides this, they have their class 12 exams round the corner and life couldn’t get more exciting. From there on in this small town India, their lives begin and take on a different turn.  

A remarkable story of friendship, love, deceit and how teenagers grow into men by learning the hard way. Siddharth style of writing is incredibly witty and fast paced making it a page turning adventure. Set in the back drop of Banaras, this book will be interesting for those who had lived their childhood in such small towns. The title is catchy and so is the colorful cover page. The character formation was balanced giving equal importance to each characters. Overall a funny, entertaining and touching story.

To sum up my review, I could say Mr. Siddharth Thripathi has done a commendable job producing this book. He doesn't seem like a first time writer and he definitely has his own style which is totally different. I would give 3 stars for his story and I would like to read his next book soon. All the best Siddharth Thripathi.

The book was received as part of Reviewers Programme on TheTales Pensive.

You can get a copy for yourself at flipkart.

Happy Reading :-) 

Book Review: The Homing Pigeons

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 that keeps me wondered about the author’s imagination. No other Indian contemporary has left such an impact like this and no book has ever made me so excited to review.

In the middle of the catastrophic 2008 recession, Aditya, a jobless, penniless man meets an attractive stranger in a bar, little does he know that his life will change forever…..
When Radhika, a young, rich widow, marries off her stepdaughter, little does she know that the freedom that she has yearned for is not exactly how she had envisioned it…..
They say Homing Pigeons always come back to their mate, no matter where you leave them on the face of this earth. Homing Pigeons is the story of love between these two unsuspecting characters as it is of lust, greed, separations, prejudices and crumbling spines.

“The Homing Pigeons” by Sid Bhari is the book which has an excellent narration. This is a story of Aditya and Radhika. One chapter narrated from the perspective of Aditya and another from Radhika’s, so you get to know what each character feels from their points of view.  The first few pages started with suspense making us to get engaged with the book. Aditya is out of a job, as the book starts. He is well on his way to being an alcoholic. He passes out in the bar of a fancy hotel. Divya, a traveling professional woman, rescues him. She has a proposal for him, an indecent one.In the meantime, Radhika is on the brink of marrying off her step-daughter. She is a rich widow and looking forward to an independent life finally.

The best part of the book comes when both the characters, Aditya and Radhika, are showed to be diverged roads of same square, when we get to know that once both had been together, and its when we get the title justified! Instantly, reader gets confirmed about that both shall meet finally but Sid again proves himself and lets you wonder, the term 'how' until you are at the very end of your journey.

Aditya and Radhika have a common past, but do they have a future together?

Coming to the style of writing, it’s easy to read and is a page turner. The pace is very good at the beginning of the book but somewhere in the middle and end, the story slows down. The English is simple and easy to understand.

To sum up my review, I would say Mr. Sid Bhari has done an appreciable job in his very debut. Unlike other authors who just come out with typical college love stories as their debut, he has really changed the exceptions of reader from debut authors. I rate 4/5 for this poignant debut. I strongly recommend this book to everyone and I would like to read his next book soon. 

This book review is a part of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program. To get free books log on to thereaderscosmos.blogspot.com

Get a Copy for yourself at Flipkart.

Happy Reading :-)

Book Review: Syahi - Power of the Pen

I always loved the idea of Anthology which I believe lays a path for all budding authors. Syahi is a collection of many sweet and emotional love stories. I congratulate all the authors who have given their best to make this book a beautiful rose full of fragrance. Something very important to mention here is about the editing which is done in a way that it should be done. The cover page is very creative and pleasing. Thanks to Sunil Kaushik and Abhishek Joshi for giving this book a elegant look with two different covers. The blurb is carefully written to gain the attention of the people. I really liked it. I would like to give my feedback about few stories written in this book.

·         An Odyssey of Discovering Life by Apoorva Arora is the first story and it had all the essence to make a perfect start. The story talks about the journey of Aparna in search of the meaning of life. The author has given a clear picture of what a life is supposed to be. The title is very catchy and it perfectly goes well with the story. The climax really touched my heart. Beautiful read.

·         Better late than never by HIkatshi Bawa is a sweet love story of Akriti and Viraat. This story is for those who wait for a lifetime to express their feeling to the loved one. Akriti takes the right decision in proposing his love rather to wait. The love between them is very well defined that I was able to live each words.

·         Letting go by Aman Sharma is completely a very emotional story. The author has beautifully written by carefully handling the emotional part. The pain of living with someone we hate is more than letting them go out of life is what the story talks about. Good job Author.  It’s never too late is also by Aman Sharma. This is a sweet love story between Nikhil and smriti. The relationship between the characters is well expressed.  I like Letting go much than the second story.

·         26/11-A Dark twilight by Nehali Lalwani is a story which talks more about the most tragic incident that India has seen recently. The mention of 26/11 itself brings a shiver within every Indian.  Reading this story, one can realize the pain of those who lost their beloved once. Brilliantly narrated. A lesson for life is another story of this author. A short and sweet story about life and how to live life to the fullest.

·         Life a Vague mystery by Kushi Gupta is a story which talks about the emotional relationship between a mother and a daughter. How does a girl’s life suffer with a divorced parents?  Sarah’s suffer is well defined when her parents get their divorce. A very heart throbbing read and the climax speaks it all.

·         Shattered Tatters by Ayush Agarwal is a story of Kehav which has its own twist and turns. I like the way the author has narrated. The title is very catchy indeed. One particular incident that happens in a clinic is the most unexpected part. Surely a page turner. You Amaze me! is the next story of the author which I enjoyed the most. The idea of narrating the story from a eight month old child is amazing. The read was fun and emotional. Good work Ayush.

·         Sometimes it’s not simple by Neoni D’souza is a simple story which has an interesting climax as the title says. Reading the story I never expected the climax to have such a big twist. Narration was way good and I enjoyed reading it. That Night @ 12 is the next story of Neoni. It talks about the relation which some special person. An emotional tale.

·         The Survivor-U Khand Flood disaster by Omung Goyal is story which talks about yet another tragedy of India. The Uttra Khand flood disaster. The reading got very emotional with each word. Kadir’s journey as a survival was really filled with emotions. Nicely written. To be hanged till death is the last story of the book. I felt happy to have read an interesting story by the end of the book. Though it had some filmy touch, with all twist and turns the climax was made good. Good read.

·         3 sins by Salli Shah talks more about the reality that is more common in India. Girls are still considered as sin in few parts of the world where they are treated worse than animals. Some even kill them inside the womb. Sexual harassment is something the whole country is talking about recent but still we see no hope for the welfare of girls. This story is written so well.  The Un-destined Love is the other story by this author. Love happens with an unexpected person in an unexpected part of life. The story is well narrated and I liked the story.

·         It all started with a Key by Shrutee Parekh is a story about two friends with the concept of soul mate and soul friend. The tile is very catchy and it surely creates an interest towards the story. With an excellent narration, the author has also come out with sweet poems which i’m sure enhances the beauty of the story.

Overall Syahi has collected the best stories to make it reach in the hands of the people. All stories were good in it’s own way. I liked You amazed me! the most among all. I wish all the very best to Syahi team. 

You can get a copy for yourself at HS18.

Happy Reading :-)

Book Review: Spicy bites of Briyani

Reading a feminine romantic fiction brings a totally different feel from that of novels composed by masculine pens. It creates a light hearted ambience so like their character. This is a perfect romantic story with all needed spicy ingredients to bring out the masala of life.

Studied hard? Got the perfect job? Found the perfect mate? And Still Screwed up your life? Is it possible to do everything right in your life and still not be happy? Meet Sanjay, Aditi, Mayank and Jayshree. 

Sanjay is US-returned software millionaire determined to have an arranged marriage aftr slling his company and braking up with his two-timing girlfriends. 

Aditi is a commitment-phobic writer who cant figure out what her next book is about but has perfected the art of break-ups Manyank and Jayshree are the perfect couple. If only they werent dealing with rude relatives, killing deadlines, procreation pressures and those ultimate romance-killers... monotoy and boredom!

This light-hearted story traces the lives of these four successful, thirty-something friends who all come to the same conclusion... 

The hardest thing about having the perfect life is keeping it that way! 

The Spicy Bites of Biryani by Ms Ashwina Garg is a romance novel and I can definitely say a different story from the typical Indian love stories. The title is very catchy which comes with the tagline ‘because life needs little 'Masala'’. As the title says there is a mixed masala in the story to make it more Spicy. The story travels along the four characters Sanjay, Aditi. Mayank and Jayshree. Sanjay is a US returned software millionaire, who comes to India to have an arranged marriage with Indian girl and settle in India. After many failed proposals, he meets Aditi. Aditi, being an author, is struggling to make a story for her third novel. She lives life on her own terms and doesn’t give heed to what others think and feel about her. She also doesn’t believe in marriage. Sanjay and Aditi, who are so parallel, have common friends Mayank and Jayshree. Mayank and Jayshree both are married couple who had been together since past 6 years. They both had worked together and living well settled lives and trying to make their life happy and different by adding up Masala every day. They also help Sanjay in finding a perfect combo for him. Romance is found not only in Aditi and Sanjay's relation but also in the couple who have good amount of issues, which they handle well. Luckily not a predictable ending, it makes you want to know what's next? I wish not to reveal the plot here.

The book has been written brilliantly enough to make the readers get engaged with it. One of the most fantastic things about this book is the characterization. Even though it is Sanjay and Aditi in the lead role, the characters of Mayank and Jayshree were not any less than Mansur. Without these characters, so well built, I do not think that the story would have the same essence as it has now.      With the use of simple language, the author has succeeded to take the book to its destination.

Overall, I would say that Mrs. Ashwina Garg has done a commendable job in this book. Though the taste of the biryani she served changed as the story moved, it left no bitter aftertaste.  I would like to suggest all reader to read it if they are finding 'Masala' and experience the difference. It’s really spicy 'Biryani'. I rate it 4 out of 5.  I would also love to hear more from the author in her next book. 

About the Author

Ashwina Garg lives in Hyderabad with her husband and two kids. She studied accountancy and has worked as an entrepreneur, a German translator and a technical writer.

You can buy it from Flipkart and Amazon.

Happy Reading :-)