Book Review - Flirting With Fate by Preeti Singh

‘FLIRTING WITH FATE’ sends across a STRONG MESSAGE, SUCCESSFULLY!!!

Genre: Crime/ Fiction

Publisher: Mahaveer

‘FLIRTING WITH FATE’ is the first novel by Mrs. Preeti Singh, and finally, I have got an opportunity to read something different from usual college love stories. Set in 1980s, during the time of Contessa cars and Doordarshan, it is the story of Anand, who was abandoned by his parents and left at an orphanage – Palash, when he was just a baby. As he slowly grew into a beautiful boy, the lack of love and respect from the society developed negativity within him, which resulted in anger and a yearning for love, and which ultimately resulted into crimes.  What started from small and subtle crimes, like stealing, quickly turned into bigger ones like rape and well planned murders. The hunger for love, respect, status and power made him disrespectful, and deadly dangerous. But is money and status everything? Can you escape your wrong doings? Do you pay for your bad Karma? The answers to all these questions are answered in this book, and you better read it to find those answers.   

Now, the REVIEW... 

As a first time writer, Mrs. Preeti Singh has done an outstanding job. I just loved the way she has described everything, minutely – be it the crimson colour of the sky, or the gruesome rape scene, or the intelligently planned murders, or the pain and anger suppressed within the characters. The character of Anand is so meticulously sketched that it almost looks real. The reader feels connected to it. All the supporting characters like Mr. Gonzalves, Sunita, Miss. Joseph, Aslam Bhai, Gauri, Patty etc. are perfectly sketched as well. And how can I forget the highlight of this book – Fluffy, the dog. The expressions and thoughts of Fluffy are expressed as dialogues, and this is not only unique, but also well written. Among the many well-written scenes, I particularly liked the one in which Sunita is raped by Anand. The expressions and feelings of both the characters are so well written, that the reader is filled with anger for Anand, and sympathy for Sunita. Like this scene, there are many such scenes which look very lively.

The book is not at all predictable, and this is a major plus point. It is a complete page-turner. The book sends across a very strong message of Karma Returns, and Mrs. Preeti Singh has conveyed it successfully. Congratulations.   

And, the negatives...

The book has a few editing flaws, which I hope the author and the publisher will take care in the next edition. But the major negative, which I personally feel, is the too much usage of Hindi, especially in the later part of the book. I don’t know what extra effect it creates, but it looks a bit fake and forced writing to me. If a particular character, like a rickshaw puller, has a dialogue in English (which is the default language of a book), and then he speaks another line in Hindi, it looks unreal, because, it is highly uncommon that a rickshaw puller, can speak in Hindi and English both. Considering 1980s, only the elite class would have used English + Hindi lines in their conversation.    

On the whole, Mrs. Preeti Singh’s ‘Flirting with Fate’ is an engrossing read that sends across a strong message, successfully. The author has arrived with a bang, and if the book is marketed and distributed well, it will be a sure shot best-seller. I am going with well-deserved 4 out of 5 stars and a thumbs up for Mrs. Preeti Singh's 'Flirting With Fate'.

Verdict : ENTHRALLING !!! PAGE TURNER !!! ENGROSSING !!!

Book Review - An Idiot, Placements and IntervYOU by Toffee

‘An Idiot, Placements and IntervYOU’ is a perfect self-help book for I.T. job aspirants.

Genre: Self Help/ Non-Fiction

Publisher: Times Group Books

‘An Idiot, Placements and IntervYOU’ is the first book by Toffee (real name Taufeeq). It is the non-fiction story of Taufeeq, who was a brilliant student during his school time. He joins one of the best engineering colleges, and then, like most of the engineering students, he too spends his time in doing just about anything, apart from studies. Finally, when he begins his final year of engineering, a question starts haunting his mind – ‘What next?’ It is then he starts taking his life very seriously, gives his best shot and gets placed in his dream company. You all must be thinking, what is the big deal about this, as almost every engineer gets placed in one or the other I.T. company. A year later after joining his dream company, Taufeeq decides to share his experiences regarding interviews and placement processes. As a result, he has come out with a self-help book that gives you in-depth knowledge and information about the complete interview and placement procedure, which is carried by I.T. companies.

As a first time writer, ‘Toffee’ (Taufeeq) has done an outstanding job. In this book, Toffee has minutely and very accurately explained the complete interview procedure.  Every step, every single topic, like Pre-placement talks, preparation of a Resume (pronounced as Kaminey, not Dhoom), preparation for the Aptitude Test, Group Discussion, Technical Interview, HR interview has been explained in such fine detail, that a reader like myself feels that why this book was not available when I had to prepare for such interviews. Even after spending 7 years in the I.T. industry, this book didn’t bore me at all. So, I am sure that the freshers will definitely find this book very helpful.

The biggest plus point of this book is that it is not just a basic self-help book. Toffee has included all the ingredients of placements and interviews, and has blended them so well in a sweet, touching, and inspirational story. The another plus point, apart from the correct and fine detailing of the interview procedure, is the one liners thrown here and there by the writer. Please allow me to mention some of them:

‘Fight against the situation, not against the rival...’

‘Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is just the noise before defeat...’

‘When you hate someone, just tell it. That’s better than showing it. And when you love someone, show it. That’s sweeter than telling it.’

‘There is nothing like right and there is nothing like wrong. There is happiness and there is sadness. What makes you happy is right, and what makes you sad is wrong.’

‘Life moves on... But don’t just let it pass you by...’

Few words regarding the writing style of Toffee... Well, I don’t need a few words, only one word is enough – Fantastic. Well deserved applause for the publisher as well for producing an almost error-free book.

I really didn’t find any serious negatives to write about. The only thing which disappointed me was the lack of originality in the one-liners. I found most them on internet, and hence they are taken from the internet pool. But then, they have been used very effectively.    

On the whole, Toffee’s ‘An Idiot, Placements and IntervYOU’ is a very well written and well explained self-help book for I.T. job aspirants. Each and every chapter is very minutely explained, and Toffee’s writing is flawless. While reading a book, I generally dog-ear the pages on which I like something. After finishing this book, when I looked at the book, I found many pages dog-eared.  I am going with well-deserved 4 out of 5 stars for Toffee’s ‘An Idiot, Placements and IntervYOU’.

Verdict: A perfect self-help book, with all the necessary details blended with a fine story.  

Book Review - You and Me and our Relationship

‘You and Me, and our Relationship is a decent self help book, but drags quite often

Genre: Self Help/ Non-Fiction

Publisher: Mahaveer Publishers

‘You and Me, and our Relationship’ is the first book (yes, not a novel) by Mr. Nikhil Mukhija. Nikhil, an engineering student, has picked up the concept of a self help book, in which he shares his philosophies and thus guides young people (mostly men) the ways to win in their love lives.

Well, the back cover synopsis says:-

This book is meant for:

* those dreaming of igniting the spark of love in the Girl or Guy of their dreams;
*those ‘turtle-ing’ (progressing but slow) around their relationship;
*those who are confused whether it's the right move, right pace or the right way to proceed; and
*those who are missing the charm in their relationship.

Offering an insight into Love, Crush, and Infatuation and with psychology assisting you. This book gives you an insight into how a person perceives love and what causes attraction between a girl and a guy. Love is a very delicate feeling and even a slight mistake can lead to misinterpretation and misunderstandings.

So it is better to read this book and be forearmed with the arsenal to shoot down any adversity that comes the way of your love life. In the era where packing matters more than the substance itself. It is neither a Fictional Story nor a Hypothesis. It is a theory that will rewrite the script of your love life forever.

“Enough of ‘be yourself’ cliché, now its time to be, what ‘they’ want you to be what ‘they’ want you to be.”

Now, the REVIEW... 

As a first time writer and at such a young age, Nikhil Mukhija has picked up a tough genre (a self help book), and has done a fairly decent job. The whole book is divided into 32 chapters, and in each chapter Nikhil has taken some really good real-life examples to prove his philosophies and points. I was surprised to see how well he has studied, or how well he knows the complexities in relationships (especially between young people/ teenagers). I was mighty surprised to see his understanding regarding fairer sex’s thought process. The one-liners, which he has sprinkled all over the book, are true and meaningful. Some of them will make you laugh at times, but they are meaningful as well. Some of my favourites are:-

“People approach us for our stature and stay with us for our nature.”

“Love may or may not be blind, but lust has 6x6 eyesight.”

“Running after a girl is like hunting for a tigress – either you tame her or you get tamed by her.”

“If you can’t be happy with what you have, you can’t be happier with what you wish to have.”

“Stages in a relationship – Mad for each other. Made for each other. Mad at each other. Mad because of each other.”

The best chapter of the book is undoubtedly the last chapter – “Suicide: Is she really worth it?” With the increasing suicide rate, due to heartbreaks, in our country, Nikhil has sent a strong message, and I hope people should read it, and understand it. Kudos to Nikhil! The good thing about this book is, you can start with any chapter, and read them in any order.  Overall, the book is well written (with less editing errors), and well explained (with enough examples).

Done with Appreciations...

Youngsters/Teenagers/School-College goers will surely admire this book, but this book can give a lot of headache to matured adults, who have seen enough of relationships in their lives. Most of the philosophies and fundamentals explained in this book will prove useless to them. Almost entire book is covered with the concept of “How to win a girl’s heart?”, and very rarely the emphasis has been made on “How to sustain a healthy relationship in the long run?” As a matured and avid reader myself, the book sometimes appeared to me something like “100 ways to win a girl!” I would have loved the book much more, if Nikhil had paid more attention on “How to sustain relationships?” But instead, the book teaches you TIPS/TRICKS to woo a girl. The major disadvantage of this book is its limited readership. As already said, this book is limited to young school-college teenagers, but I am also not sure if girls can learn any of these tips/tricks and apply them on boys. Few of the chapters, like the last one, are really good, but most of the chapters drag, and the reader tends to feel bored. As said earlier, it will depend on who the reader is. If you are a college going teenager, this is the perfect book for you. But, if you are a matured adult, and looking to find something in the book to save your relationship, you will be disappointed.

On the whole, Nikhil Mukhija’s ‘You and Me, and our Relationship’ is a decent self help book, but is limited for certain kind of readers. Though it is very well written, it drags at many places. Nikhil has a very good control over his language, and is one of the better writers that I have read in recent times. I am going with a 3 out of 5 stars for Nikhil Mukhija’s ‘You and Me, and our Relationship’

Verdict: A good self help book. Pick it up, especially if you are a teenager and want to learn how to woo your girl. Rest of the readers may feel disappointed.

Book Review - Did She Love Me? by Jyotirmoy Mazumdar

'DID SHE LOVE ME?' is strictly for chic-lit lovers, but offers nothing new.

Genre: Romance Fiction

Publisher: Diamond Books

‘DID SHE LOVE ME?’ is the first novel by Mr. Jyotirmoy Mazumdar. It is the story of Jayrish (Jay), who has a dream to crack the IIT exam, and to eventually join ISRO one day.  His father is a rich businessman, and thus, his family believes he has no need to study this much, as he can easily mint money by joining his father’s business. But, against his family’s wishes, Jay leaves Guwahati, his native place, and comes to Delhi to continue his class 12^th, and most importantly, to prepare for his dream – IIT. Personally, Jay has very limited friends. He is focused, and is not keen to get into relationships.  He joins one of the best coaching institutes in Delhi, and makes two new friends – Ritwik and Anisha. One fine day, in his coaching class, he sees a beautiful, young, charming girl – Shweta, and instantly falls in love with her. With the help of his best friend, Anisha, he befriends Shweta. Though Anisha warns Jay that Shweta is not the perfect girl for him, Jay nonchalantly ignores her warnings. The friendship between Shweta and Jay strengthens, and she tells him about her ex-boyfriend – Ritesh, with whom she recently had a breakup. Soon, Shweta realises Jay’s true love, and agrees to be his girlfriend. Their love blossoms, as they go on multiple dates and share some intensely romantic moments. But Jay’s happiness and his love life are rocked when Shweta confesses that she is still in love with Ritesh. Jay is heartbroken. He pleads; he cries and eventually tries to kill himself. His friends, Ritwik and Anisha warn him again that Shweta is just using him for her own happiness. But Jay is adamant, because he truly loves Shweta. He again tries to convince Shweta, who eventually agrees. But their relationship suffers repeatedly due to Shweta’s undying love for Ritesh. And, every time, Jay pleads and convinces her to be with him, and every time she agrees. Finally they all give their IIT exams. Jay, Ritwik and Anisha score good ranks, and Shweta fail to crack even a single entrance exam. She takes admission in some college in Jalandhar and leaves Jay with an option to choose between her or his dream to join IIT. What will Jay do now? It is up to the reader to find out.

Now, the REVIEW...  

As a first time writer, Jyotirmoy Mazumdar has done a decent job. I appreciate the way he has penned Jay’s character. It looks real, and most people (I should say, most stupid people who are blind in love) can easily relate to him. The book is fast paced, though sometimes I felt it is a bit too fast, especially the second half. A few scenes are really well expressed, especially the sacrifices which Jay makes in Jaipur to be with Shweta, or their date to Agra, or the scenes in which he shows his frustration. All these scenes connect with the readers, and they really feel Jay’s pain when Shweta ditches him again and again.  The language of the book is very simple, though far from any sort of literature. The friendship and care between Jay, Anisha and Ritwik is also very well scripted. The romantic scenes between Jay and Shweta are good, if not best. The poems are well written.

Now the negatives... The story is submerged in the pool of predictability right from the word go. The reader knows what will happen, and how it will happen. The book, I am sorry to say, offers nothing new to its readers. It is a well narrated story, but it is the same old story of any other love-breakup-heartache-school-college-IIT chic-lit. It is my humble appeal to all new authors/writers, kindly stop writing school/college based love-breakup chic-lits. As an avid reader, I felt bored a lot many times while reading this book. Another point, which I want to highlight is, writing in first form has its own negatives (apart from the positives). It is very difficult to express the emotions of every character. In this book, though the central character is very well written, the remaining characters are not fully sketched, especially the character of Shweta. As a reader, you don’t know what’s going on in her mind, or why she takes certain decisions, and it baffles the reader. Lastly, I am not against love making scenes. I support them, if the script demands it. But showing too many love scenes between the characters who study in class 12^th, sends a wrong message to the society. Sorry, I do not want to sound orthodox here.    

A note to the publisher.... Most of the young authors depend heavily on you for good editing. This book is badly edited. Secondly, kindly do not fool the readers by releasing the first release of the book with a National Bestseller Tag. This diminishes the achievement of the books, which are genuinely best sellers. I do hope, and wish, that this book becomes the real bestseller. It has potential.

On the whole, Jyotirmoy Mazumdar’s ‘Did She Love Me?’ is a decent read. As this is Jyotirmoy’s first book, he has done a good job. He has potential, and is here to stay. I am going with a motivating 3 out of 5 stars for Jyotirmoy Mazumdar’s ‘Did She Love Me?’

Verdict: A good book, but offers nothing new... Strictly for Chic-Lit Lovers.

Book Review - The Myriad by Supriya Kaur Dhaliwal

‘THE MYRIAD’ is a collection of some world class poems.

Genre: Anthology of Poems

‘THE MYRIAD’ is the first book by Miss. Supriya Kaur Dhaliwal. It is a collection of poems. In Supriya’s own words, “The Myriad is a book filled with aching realities of life, passion, and love.” 

Well, I was eagerly waiting for the signed copy from the young poetess, and I had huge expectations. Generally I reduce my expectations to ZERO, when I take up a book for the review. That helps me to judge the book without any biasing, and with extreme honesty. But I must admit that I had a very high expectation when I sat down to read Supriya’s book. And, due to this high expectation, I had a fear in my mind; Fear of feeling a letdown after reading her work. Supriya once said to me, when I was miffed with poor writing skills of some of the Indian authors – “If you want to read international standard book, read mine.” I loved her confidence at such an age, and since then I was eagerly awaiting her book.

Now, the review:-

In one line, Supriya’s ‘The Myriad’ lives up to my expectations. It’s truly world class.

The book is an anthology of 39 poems. It includes 4 poems which Supriya wrote when she was not even a teenager. The first poem in the book, ‘Animals’, was written by her when she was just seven years old. The poem may feel very simple, when you read it. But the poem has a depth, an innocence, and you wonder, how a girl, of such a tender age, can think so big!!

As you read further poems, which Supriya wrote as she grew up, you will notice the immense growth in her thought process, and her hold on the language.  There are poems based on pure love, various emotions, beautiful nature, family bonding, and some are based on thought-provoking topics like Global Warming. Each and every poem is very well written, and highlights Supriya’s strong hold on Literature.

I personally loved ‘Ammi’, ‘Alimony of Climate Change’, ‘Avenged Musk of Intrigue’, ‘Deception’, ‘Freelanced Forest’, ‘Knowing Nothing of It’, ‘Power of Hope’, and of course the first 4 poems.

On the flip side, a layman may find certain words too tough to understand. But then, these are poems, a true form a literature, and you are allowed to express your literary prowess.

In a nut shell, ‘THE MYRIAD’ is a compilation of 'international standard' poems. People of any age-group can read these poems, and relate to them. Literature lovers will definitely love this anthology. There is a power, yet an innocence, in Supriya's writing style. I am going with 4 out of 5 stars for Supriya Kaur Dhaliwal’s ‘THE MYRIAD’. [This is the 4^th book, out of more than 25, which I have rated so highly.]

Verdict: A truly world class book. Take a bow, young poetess.  

The book can be ordered at : https://www.createspace.com/3704127

Book Review - Tea-20

‘Tea-20’ is simple, sweet, and teaches many lessons.

Genre: Anthology of fictional stories

Publishers: Frog books/ Leadstart Corp.

‘Tea-20’ is a collection of twenty simple, fictional yet very realistic stories. Penned by first time writer, Vinod Kumar S., almost each story in ‘Tea-20’ conveys a certain message, a lesson, worth learning. The hook of the book says, “This anthology will not only entertain you, but will also give you a generous dose of laughter; it will make you think and contribute to the society, teach simple things about life, and also take you by surprise.”

I must say, Vinod’s book, almost, delivers what it promises. The stories are simple, sweet, well narrated and conveys some important messages. As a reader, the stories will make you think and analyse yourself, and maybe, they will help you develop into a better person. The stories are short; most of them are only 4-5 pages long. So, you can sit back and enjoy a story, while sipping your tea. And, that’s what the tag line of the book is – Perfect companion for your teatime.  I really appreciate those writers, who fulfill the promises made by their story’s title and the hook. Vinod’s book succeeds in justifying the title, as well as the short synopsis (hook) behind the book.

I may not be able to write the gist of each story, but I can surely share a few of my favourites. I really liked how Vinod used coffee as a medium, in the story ‘A Cup of Coffee’, to explain that one should live a balanced life. One should not be too serious, and at the same time, one should not be too nonchalant. Similarly, the story ‘A Beauty that turned Dirty’ will highlight how and why basic etiquette are more important than the physical beauty. Stories, like ‘Bye’ and ‘My Dog – an Amazing Teacher’, highlights the importance of family and loved ones. Similarly, there are stories that will teach you to live your life with contentment and happiness, and a few stories will make you ponder – ‘How good a person you are?’ 

One of the very few negatives, which I felt, is the lack of humor quotient in the stories, which were supposed to be humorous. Secondly, too many stories revolve around the lives of IT professionals, maybe because Vinod is an IT professional himself. As a fiction writer, I personally feel, one should try to come out of his/her own domain.  There are a few editorial mistakes, but I won’t blame the writer for this.

In a nut shell, 'Tea-20' is a well-written compilation of short, yet meaningful stories that convey many lessons worth learning. As promised in its tag line, it is a perfect teatime companion. And, those who don’t drink tea, like me, can enjoy reading this book while doing, just about anything. I am going with 3.5 out of 5 stars for Vinod Kumar’s 'Tea-20'.

Verdict: Sweet, Simple, Well Narrated, Conveys some Important Messages and a Perfect ANYTIME Companion.  

Book Review : The Secret of the Nagas

“THE SECRET OF THE NAGAS” is PARTLY EXCITING, and PARTLY DISAPPOINTING

Genre: Mythology/ Fiction  

“The Secret Of The Nagas” is the second book of the Shiva Trilogy, written by Amish. This book is the sequel to “The Immortals of the Meluha”, a national best seller. 

“The Secret of the Nagas” begins where the first book of the trilogy, “The Immortals of the Meluha”, ends – a Naga attack on Shiva and Sati. Nagas are the people having non-human deformities, due to their past lives’ sins. And hence, they are neglected by the common society and are forced to live in abandonment. In the first book, Shiva’s best friend, Brahaspati, got killed in a terrorist attack, which Shiva assumed, was the act of Nagas. Now, Shiva is on a revenge mission.  He takes on a journey, across India, to find the evil and the real secret behind the Nagas. Who are these Nagas? Are they really evil? As Shiva travels across the lengths and breaths of ancient India, he finds out the answers to all the unsolved mysteries – the mystery behind the Nagas, the mystery behind the Maika system in Meluha, and of course, the mystery behind the death of his best friend, Brahaspati. He finds out that the Nagas are actually not as bad, as they are considered to be. There are incidents when the Nagas save the lives of his wife, Sati, and son, Kartik. In a major revelation, he also finds out that the Naga Queen is none other than his wife’s real sister - Kali, and the Lord of the People, a Naga, is none other than his wife’s first son - Ganesh. But, being born with deformities, they were abandoned by Daksha, the emperor of Meluha and the father of Sati. However, the biggest secret is revealed when Shiva reaches Panchvati, the land of Nagas. This is the secret behind the death of his friend, Brahaspati.  

This is a brief summary of a 385 page mythological saga. As I said in the review of “The Immortals of Meluha” – The Shiva Trilogy is NOT a Shivpuran. So those who are expecting to learn about the Lord Shiva, will be disappointed. Amish has picked up the mythological characters, like Shiva, Sati, Daksha, Nandi, Kartik, Kali, Ganesh, Parshuram etc. and fascinatingly blended them into a fictional trilogy.  

Now the review…“The Immortals of Meluha” was splendid. Quite obviously, expectations are always very high when a sequel to a successful movie or book is released. But, like most sequels of successful movies, the sequel of “The Immortals of Meluha” is nowhere near the first one. Yes, Amish has done an outstanding job in imagining the whole concept of Shiva Trilogy by blending mythological characters in a fictional story. This effort, indeed, deserves applause. “The Secrets of the Nagas” also has some exciting moments, some unexpected revelations, some great battle scenes, but… it drags! At most places, the flow of the book is slow, and the reader tends to feel bored. The narration is simple, but the narration style does not fit the story, which is set in the 1900 BC. Dialogues like “Ditto, Oh Hell, Dammit etc.” spoil the magic of the book. If, for a moment, we forget that the characters’ names are taken up from Hindu mythology, the story itself becomes very ordinary.

Some of the concepts, described in the book, are/can be really baffling. Like for instance – The competitive examination to filter Chandravanshis and Suryavanshis, reminded me of IIT or AIEEE competitive exams. The temples, build at great heights, acting as transmitters, reminded me of Transmitter Towers. There is one character in the book, which is sketched quite similar to Bollywood’s music director Mr. Bappi Lehri, and quite interestingly, the name of the character is Bappiraj. But the biggest concept, which may or will baffle the readers, especially strong believers of Hindu religion, is calling Ganesh and Kali as the Nagas – characters with deformities (Ganesh, a Naga with a face of an elephant, and Kali, a Naga with four arms). It is very hard for the reader to remember, that this is just a fictional story, with fictional characters whose names are similar to Hindu Mythological characters. If the readers manage to keep the Hindu religion beliefs out of their mind, then this book will surely be liked by everyone. 

To sum up, Amish’s “The Secret Of The Nagas” is exciting, yet disappointing. It will keep you engaged for a few moments, and then it begins to drag.  The reader will feel mesmerized, but sometimes, the reader will feel frustrated as well. There are way too many characters in the book, which reduces the immense presence of Shiva. I am going with a generous 3 out of 5 stars for Amish’s “The Secret Of The Nagas”.

Verdict: “THE SECRETS OF THE NAGAS” is partly EXCITING, and partly DISAPPOINTING.  The sequel is nowhere near the first book.