Book Review: Once There Was Me

After having tried his hand at short story writing in “Stories of Us: The Common Man”, Bobby Sachdeva comes up with a strikingly different, hard-hitting and content with a level of seriousness in his book, "Once There Was Me: The Extraordinary Life of an Unknown Indian", which is rare in today’s literature. While his "Stories of Us" is about the life and happenings of a common man, through "Once There Was Me", he takes up events from history which have impacted not only his life, but the lives of many others.

There's an interesting parallel in the lives of the author and his father where both had to run to save their lives at the same ages but at different places. Books like "Once There Was Me" is a like a representation of the many who have suffered and have been rendered voiceless. At the same time, the author is able to point out the brutality and the jolting impact it can have on the lives of the young and the old.

The reader of today's generation should definitely read this book in order to understand the psychological state and the sufferings people in the past have gone through. 

Book Review: That Night Under The Stars

Human nature is complex for a anyone to understand. What shade of a person may show up at what time is something that can never be predicted by anyone. “That Night Under The Stars: An Enemies to Lovers Romance” by Alka Dimri Saklani is one example of that where the author explores the manner in which the emotions of a person can change towards the other and also, how personal and professional fronts have to be balanced keeping all this in mind.

Saklani’s characters share this tension as the plot develops. At the same time, she builds a strong and independent character in the creation of Tanvi.

The book will find an easy appeal among the grown up, mature readers and young readers can also try reading it to understand the complexities of human relationships and how to balance them while doing equal justice on the professional front. The language that the author uses is written keeping in mind every kind of reader. At the same time, the first person narration by Tanvi brings the reader closer to her life and see things through her perspective.

Book Review: Frauds in the Pond

Satire is one of the less throvomg forms in present day literary writing. “Frauds in the Pond” comes across as a refreshing and energizing read by Josma Ettumanur. On reading the name the book seems to be a fable which shows glimpses of “Animal Farm” by George Orwell but on looking at the picture of the cover the reader is ensured that the book is a unique and a trend setter in the canon.

The book is likely to be enjoyed with people who have interest in the political issues prevailing in the present time and the fact that the author hails from the journalistic background makes sure he gives his take without tampering the facts. From naming the chapters to writing each of them, the author does a commendable effort and makes sure that the readers discuss the substance of the book among themselves with all those who have read it. At the same time, the book also gives the feeling of the pervasiveness of Marxist thought every now and then through a variety of references.

This book has the potential to become an instant hit among intellects and all those who have an analytical and thoughful appraoch towards the happenings of the present day.

Book Review: Samsara

Writers these days have opened themselves up to trying their hand at different kinds of themes and varying content. This has helped him in exploring the unexplored themes in writing and as a result, authors have now started experimenting with plots and writing things which were not thought of in the earlier times. One such example is of the book “Samsara: The Lore of Saraha” by Tannaya Taranna. Taranna’s book is one attempt of its kind as the action of the novel mainly happens in the world of monks. Such kind of writing has not been done much and in the light of this, Taranna’s endeavour and creativity is worth appreciating.

Life is more about making decisions. This is the basic idea that runs through in “Samsara: The Lore of Saraha”. The author begins the story by detailing the purity of the relationship of a teacher and his disciple in the characters of Yonten and his master who passes away right in the beginning. Thereafter, there are numerous questions that surround Yonten and the readers also wonder with him what the answers to those could be. The novel later becomes about his willingness to find out the answers to all those questions and in this exploration, the readers get acquanited with Yonten as a person. He gives a fair idea about himself to the readers through his actions and his thoughts. By the end of the book, the readers feel well acquainted and familiar with the personality of Yonten.

The cover of “Samsara: the Lore of Saraha” has the picture of Buddha and the combination of colors used also comes as a relaxing site to the reader. The readers are immediately relaxed and cooled down by mind to read what is to follow as they flip through the pages. That makes the book a comfortable read and the readers are not able to keep the book down without finishing it.

Buddhist monks and monastries are known for their silence and the serenity they have in the atmosphere and their lives. The readers feel the same calmness and peace while they read the book. Taranna has written the book in such a manner that the readers do not feel any sort of stress or burden or any sort of pressure while reading through. The author keeps the narration of a fine speed and mainly tells things through the third person narrative. This narrative technique detaches the readers from the text and as need be, they also become a part of the action when  Yonten begins to talk or interact with people.

The author has structures the book in a fine manner with 31 chapters other than an introduction and a prologue. He keeps the chapters of a length that is neither too short nor too long. The language used by the author in “Samsara:The Lore of Saraha” is well written and the vocabulary is close to the understanding of an average reader. This opens the book to reading by readers of all kinds. Since it is a work of fiction and the subject is such which can be read by anyone, the book can be read and enjoyed by readers of all ages. Also, readers who want to have a glimpse of the buddhist monk’s life and understand the cultural aspects should also try reading the book.

The character of Yonten comes across as perhaps the strongest and most well developed one. He is a man of high moral values and follows the words of his master without questioning him or even slightly doubting him. He aspires to be better to attain Samadhi is another very positive point about him. He gives the impression of a strong minded person and giving credits to his training would not be wrong. The readers can get to learn a lot of good things from him which they may try in their lives and work for the better. The author works on developing other characters too and they contiribute to make a character of Yonten an even finer one and he turns out to be more realistic than earlier. 

The author does a fine job in explaining and throwing light on the life of monks and the rules they have to lead it. His work is well researched and as she states in the introduction that her main attempt was to capture the life of Saraha in a fictional form. The author uses Gabrel Garcia Marquez’s famous technique of literary writing, magical realism in her writing and blends into the context of the plot she talks about. In the light of this, the effort of the author is worth appreciating and the readers can expect more such pathbreaking kind of work as “Samsara: the Lore of Saraha” which focusses on innovation and exploring such beyond mainstream themes and ideas. 

Book Review: Dolly Won't Play

After writing the tales featuring girls with different life experiences in “Sick of Being Healthy” and “Dying to Live’, Monisha K Gumber comes back with another contrasting and yet strong content in her book, “Dolly Won’t Play”. By featuring the earlier protagonists, Tara and Megha in this story, it kind of gets the required unification for  a “Teenage Trilogy”. Gumber has a flavour for playing with words and creating paradoxical titles and they make more relevance when viewed in the light of the protagonists they feature.

Teenage years are very critical in the life of a person and the events and experiences of that time have a strong impact on them. This is one of the points that the author harps on in almost all her texts. But what makes her work more interesting is the exploration of one of the many problems that she chooses and explores in the framework of the plot. 

Gumber explores the profound impact a sexual abuse can have on a girl’s life and how it can affect the person’s relationships in the future. The book is a short read written in free verse but the lesser words the author has used have had a stronger and more powerful impact. All readers, young and old, should read this.

Book Review: Love in Lockdown

The Coronavirus pandemic is one of the most horryifying and life altering events in the history of mankind. Amidst so much tension, negativity and uncertainity, Ratna Chandu brings across her book which is inspired by the present circumstances, “Love in Lockdown”. the author keeps the pandemic in the background and she weaves the narrative in its light.

For the plot she takes two characters who strike as people who anyone would meet anywhere in common life. She builds the tension and intensity between them while uncertainity and stress because f the pandemic remain in the background. She delivers the message that even among uncertain and unanticipated circumstances, there can still be hope of a better tomorrow. The cover of the book is also an accurate depiction of the present time and situation where he characters are shown to be wearing masks.

Book Review: Victims for Sale

“Victims for Sale” is a breath taking adventure read for the lovers of crime fiction by Nish Amarnath. The author uses her experience in the journalism field and takes the reader to the dark side of humanity through her book and brings reality in its stark form. Th narrative that the author chooses is fictional but the content and incidents seem very realistic and true to life.

Amarnath builds the protagonist, Sandy with a life and blood of her own and even though she is young by her years, her understanding and experience equips her for every battle that she confronts as the plot develops.

“Victims for Sale” is a definite read and must have for crime fiction lovers and also the readers who want to see the reality of life in its stark and true form. The plot development is upto the mark and the author applies her journalistic skills to paint a thrilling and nail bitting story while addressing serious a theme at the same time.

Book Review:Reflection of a Soul

Human life is such where it is more of a journey filled with ups and downs and the person living it goes through a variety of emotions. Amrita Sinha in her collection of 99 poems “Reflection of a Soul” takes the reader on a journey through all the different phases a person goes through in their life and hence are the themes she addresses.

The basic motive of the poet is to not give up and stay strong to sail through all the tides and storms that will come in life. The poems altogether leave a positive impact on the reader and a lasting impression of better to come.

Every person going through a tough time or even those having a good time can read the poems and experience the powerful effect they have.

Book Review: Express Expresso

QOTD: What are the thoughts and observations you have made looking around which you would like to raise as topics of discussion?

The present day writing is all about the extent to which artists can go and do experiemnts in their writing. “Express and Expresso- Heavenly Combo” as the title hints, is the expressions of the author Arhaa which can be the table talk while having a hot beverage like tea or coffee. 

The author collects her thoughts in the form of different thoughts in the book and takes up a varitey of subjects with which one person or the other can relate to and understand.

The fact that she talks of topics in general to issues related to the present day common man show her awareness and intellect which are true marks of an artist. She seems to be expressing herself vocally but in written form. She talks of abstract subjects in “Conditioning”, “Experimentation Scores Over Experience”, “Blend is the new trend- ethnicity going through identity crisis” and also touches upon contemporary issues in “English Vocab”, “Desi market”, “Dear Government” etc.

The address to such issues makes the book a read for grown up people who are well aware and informed.

Book Review: Life through BeYou

Every person’s life is full of ups and downs and there are times when people lose heart and try to find hope or inspiration or anything that would show them the positive aspect of things and motivate them through. “Live Through beyou: Your journey through Mylines” by Aparna Singh Chauhan is one such work of marvel where she has collected beautifully written poems that can be a lifesaver to sail through the tides of life.

The poet has written 50 pems in the collection and while most of them are short, the message they convey and the words they have carry a lot more depth than on the surface meaning. Chauhan writes the poems with a personal touch, yet they become a universal appeal and her basic message can become a mantra for the life of the readers, “to be yourself”.In recent times, this concept has gained a lot of prominence and the author explores it at length in poems like “Being Yourself”, “Chasing Dreams”, “Errors”, “Molatile Dreams”, “Winners Attitude” and many more.

Apart from this, she explores other ideas in “The truth of “100” lies”,  “Sometimes it’s a blessing to lose someone”, “Time”, “The Journey” and others.

Every lover of poetry should definetly read the volume and feel the positive effects it has.

Book Review: The Unfinished Chronicles

Shiva Pothu’s “The Unfinished Chronicles” is a blend of a novel with futuristic traits, depiction of a dystopian society, and also has a touch of history. The author creates the central character and gives her the superhero type responsibility of saving the world. This is where the novel is likely to become an isntant hit among kids. At the same time,he also talks of other issues which include the scientific progress, how life would be in the future and how humans are in the later time.

Futuristic books are always a thing of interest for readers as everyone wants to know how future would be and authors share their diverse visions.

Since he addresses different themes and issues at the same platform of “The Unfinished Chronicles”, the book can be read by readers of all ages and genres.

Book Review: Faith and the beloved

After exploring life in the himalayas, Kochery C Shibu is back with another marvel by his pen, “Faith and the beloved” where he takes a plunge in the life of contemporaru city and depicts more than one plot in his story weaving the lives of different characters together.

The book is short and packed with back to back events one after the other wherein the reader almost feels like being on a rollercoaster ride through the pages of the book. The cover of the book is simple and the author keeps the plot driven at dextrously explores multiple different with strikingly different lives and at the same time touches on a variety of themes.

Book Review: The Extraordinary

Pooja Rai is perhaps the most promising children’s book writer in the present time. After “Buddy Says”, she comes with another book meant specially for children named, “The Extraordinary”. Rai uses her artistic abilities and tries to reach children as closely as she can and explain the current situation of why there was a lockdown and why everyone was confined to their homes and also the fact that the little children and their family are not the only ones in this.

She uses ample illustrations to demonstrate her point and these illustrations help the children to understand things in a more concrete manner. She keeps the language very easy for young children and sentences short for kids to read owing to the less patience they have. Parents must encourage their children to read this book as it will explain the situation in a very easy and child-friendly manner.

Book Review: Tainted Money

“Tainted Money: Touch it and you’re dead” by Oscar Crawford is a breathtaking journey of suspense which takes its background from contemporary events and issues. The author picks the topic of terrorism of the present day and weaves the narrative around it.He balances it with the fusion of political flavour and setting it on U.S land which makes it all the more realistic and relevant to the present day scenario.

Without any diversions or distractions, the author keeps the story focused and constructs the plot in a manner where readers are unable to forget the burning issue of today and how it affects the people. At the same time, the flow of the plot is smooth without unnecessary details. This book is likely to be popular among readers who want to read fictional content based on the present issues that need attention and the power and reponsibilities the position of U.S President brings with it.

Book Review: Hats, Hoods and Humiliation

The young autho Hiranya Verma addresses a critical issue in her title, “Hats, Hood and Humiliation”. Humiliation is one mental scar that can impact a person for life and children are much more impressionable than adults. The level to which humiliation can affect them is unimaginable. The young author uses her experience in the book as a guide to fellow children and tries to explain ways in which they can get over humiliation and carry on with their lives.

The authir uses simple language and conveys her points with clarity. The book is short and can be finished in one reading. All the young children and parents who want to initiate their children into reading shouls read this book. This book can also serve as a guide to parents who want to take care of their children and give a boost in their self confidence and make sure that any bad experience does not affect them for life.

Magazine Review: Literary Voice

Literary magazines have always been a form of writing that encourage fresh talent and provide them a platform to get their writing published and readers getting to know the innovative ideas they have. This goes far back to Richard Steele’s “The Tatler” and “The Spectator” who can be attributed as the spearheads in magazine writing.

The bilingual magazine, “Literary Voice” is a fine attempt in terms of magazine writing for budding Indian writers. The magazine features a range of talents and ideas and makes sure every form of literary writing gets a platform. There are poems by talented poets like, Mrinalini Karmakar, Daisy Bala, Trishita Dey, Bhuvanshree Manjunath, Pradeep Kumar and many more. There are also book reviews by  young writers like Romita Mukharjee, Chaitra Pai, Sanjana Das and Suchismita Ghoshal. There is also an interview with the author Sukanya Basu Mallick. Other than that there is also hindi writing.

Since this is the second edition of the magazine, there is ample potential of its growing and the number of writers getting featured is bound to increase with time. In the literary world, this magazine may prove to be a milestone due to the wide range of contents it covers.  

Book Review: The Unprodigal

A story with the element of mystery can hold the attention of any kind of reader. When it is further packed with well developed characters and an unpredictable plot, it becomes more of a treat to the reader than anything else. The same treat is offered by Manu Dhawan in his well written book, "The Unprodigal". Dhawan begins the book with a journey to unknown destination on the train and only after sometime the readers get to know where the train is going actually. In the same manner, the author hold the suspense and the mystery of death of the loved one of the protagonist and the readers get to know things eventually. 

Dhawan maintains this place throughout the text and unveils the plot in a slow and steady manner. Side by side, he develops the characters too and they begin to appear as live human beings with flesh and blood of their own. Readers who are fans of mystery content should definitely read "The Unprodigal" and also the readers who are checking some beyond mainstream content.

Book Review: Celebrate Parenthood

Parenting is one of the toughest challenges that an induvidual faces in their lifetime. A child learns majority of his behaviour and habits from his parents because they are the ones who influence hsi life majorly. Hence the existence of courses on parenting in western countries is not surprising. “Celebrate Parenthood: Change the World” by Vidhu Bhatnagar is almost like the same course in parenting and helps parents and would be parents to understand the dynamics of the skills involved in parenting and how important it is to know what is the right thing to do in a situation.

Bhatnagar’s book is a lifesaver for many who are new and have no idea about the responsibilities and how to handle them. The time range that the author covers begins from pregnancy to almost teenage years and explains everything with a practical and realistic approach. Her manner of writing is fluid and smooth and any kind of reader can read and understand. This book should be read by all parents and all who are expecting to be parents and also those who know parents so that they can share their advice too.

Book Review: A Broken Man

After “Three Times Loser” and “It happened that night”, Akash Verma takes up an interesting and controversial subject in his book, “A Broken Man”. He discusses the critical issue of caste not only in social terms where the future of two lovers is affected but also the political implications of the caste issue in the idea of reservation.

With the story of Krishna and Chhavi developing and being decided by these factors, these issues form the background. the author gives the story a realistic touch when there is no fairy tale like happily ever after. Prseniting the stark truth in itself is a necessity of today’s time and people rather prefer to read that. the author realizes this well and constructs his plot accordingly.

Readers of all ages can read this book and at the same time the readers who look for a touch of reality in he framework of fiction can also find this book appealing.

Book Review: Three Times Loser

The modern day life is more complicated then it seems and authors go to all extents to predict that in their work. In the story, “Three Times Loser: Love Never Dies”, Akash Verma as done the same. With an interesting plot which revolves around 4 characters, the author weaves the narrative which explains them as induviduals and the kind of lives they all have. 

The cover of the book gives a fine idea which features the protagonist and the names of the three women here and there in postal form. The author builds up the necessary suspense in the beginning which begins to unviel as the readers flip through the pages. The plot of the book is finely constructed and “Three Times Loser” can be read by all kinds of readers.

Book Review: Primrose's Curse

Children can always be initiated into the reaing world with the help of fairy tales. Even non-readers are well aware of fairy tales and their characters. This is noteable by the number of films made which were inspired from fairy tales. But with time, this genre lost favour among writers as they preferred to explore realistic and true to life themes. In the story, “Primrose’s Curse: A Fairy Tale of an Audacious Girl”, the author, Kiara Shankar has made a remarkable attempt to rekindle the fairy tale genre of writing and to a large extend is even successful.

The story follows the unsaid conventions of a fairy tale where humans and animals live in harmony and a young girl who is having the determination to fight anything that comes in her way for the well being of others. The story does successfully deliver good morals and it can be read and enjoyed by kids and adults. If there could be moe such stories then no wonder, children’s literature would also be enriched time to time.

Book Review: Asherah: The Warrior Princess

The stories of kings, queens and warriors are always the fascination of any person since their childhood.The author Rubina Ramesh creates a marvel of a hero in the character of Asherah in “Asherah: The Warrior Princess: A Fantasy Romance”. Ramesh’s book takes the readers on a journey through time and travels back to the days when there were kings, wars, battles and sacrifices made. 

The title in itself is suggestive of the major idea that the book revolves around and the story being about. The author creates the character who reminds of the Arthurian knights or Homer’s Achilles. But Ramesh gives it a modern touch by creating the character who has internal conflicts and also her duties, responsibilities and the roles she has to do justice with.

The author builds up the character of Asherah remarkably well and all the others characters stand on their own and suppport the protagonist to emerge even better. The plot is also full of twists and turns and keeps the readers engaged throughout the action. The length of the book is a little longer than the average length of books these days but it is packed with different themes and emotions which make sure that the reader overlooks and ignores the length and remain glued to the book from the beginning to the end.

All readers who enjoy reading books with a touch of history in the frame of fiction should read “Asherah” and have the experience of hsitory in the present time.

Book Review: Adventures of Poorna

“Adventures of Poorna” by Mayur Kalbag is an adventurous ride that takes the readers on a rollercoaster journey with the protagonist, Rudra. For a moment, the readers may have second thoughts about reading the book on seeing its length but as they begin to read, the length is the only thing they begin to ignore. 

The book is packed with action having one event after the other and keeps the readers involved throughout Rudra’s journey as Poorna in joining the dots in relation to his earlier life. A reader who is in search of reading something new, innovative and out of the box should try reading “Adventures of Poorna” as Kalbag has plunged deep into his imagination and explores his creative abilities to express and write. Kids, teenagers and grownups, all are likely to develop an interest in the book in the course of its reading.

Book Review: You Never Know

Today’s reader prefers to read about realisttic content which deals with the present day time and situations. Writers also understand this choice and attempt to use their skill in their writing. Akash Verma’s “You Never Know” is one such example. The book reflects on the modern day city culture and at the same time suggests that an emotion as pure as love can not be restricted by age or responsibilities or situations.

The strongest point of the book perhaps is the author’s absence from the narrative and giving control to the characters to take it in the direction they want. This makes the readers more of an audience, making Brecht’s “alienation effect” more stronger. The author or the characters do not justify their actions and leave it completely to the reader’s discretion to decide and think whatever he wants to.

All the above factors alongwith the well constructed plot and characters make the book a fine read for all types of readers.

Book Review: Beyond the Credence

Swami Dayanand Saraswati once gave the idea of going “back to the Vedas”. Clearly, he had a vision and understanding of the importance of Vedas and Vedic literature. Manhar Sharma in his “Beyond the Credence” somewhere attempts to remind the present day readers of the same fact through the character of Apeksha.

He keeps the story focused and tries to touch upon different ideas which majorly revolve around the Indian education system and the conflicts in the life of a student who has a different choice when it comes to choosing her subjects. At the same time, there is also a portrayal of a concerned parent who is not wrong at his end either. Some readers may be able to relate to this conflict and are likely to identify with the leading character.

This book can be read by all students and parents and also those who are interested in understanding the education system and the conflicts it can bring in the lives of many.

Book Review: Dev

For any kind of reader, the excitement begins to build up on the slightest knowlege of their being an amalgamation of different genres in one writing. Rishabh Dubey ‘Kridious’ who had already amazed the readers with his talent in writing science fiction in his book, “Krikos: The Vertical Horizon” takes a plunge into his art as a writer and brings the product of “Dev” which, from the title itself shuttles between the different genres of science fiction and mythology.

The author builds up on the story quickly and with a finer pace takes the readers on the mythological journey he has in store for them. The readers are most liklely to enjoy reading the book due to the element of excitement it brings where the readers feel to be a part of the journey and the events for real.

Book Review: Strangers She Never Met

The true mark of an artist is to be able to find a reflection of the contemporary issues in their work. Indranil Roy’s “Strangers She Never Met” may not give any hints or clues by the title but the plot focusses on delicate and critical issues that confront the human society at present.

The author keeps the plot simple and focussed and at the same time touches upon issues of family, trust, present day people dangerous issue of terrorism. As the author reveals in the introduction regrading the story taking place on the basis of his reading in the newspapers, his artistic ability shows itself vividly in the manner he expresses his thoughts.

This book may belong to the genre of thriller but has much more to offer due to the variety of themes it addresses and the different ideas Roy attempts to raise in lesser words.

Book Review: 8pm: An Apolitical Love Story

As times have changed, authors have discussed and explored strong and dark subjects in their writing. They portray their characters as human beings having life and blood of their own and the best thing is that they appear much more realistic. Fazle Karim captures this style and shows his art as a character builder in the story, “8 Pm: An Apolitical Love Story”.

Karim creates the character of Rahul who is a representative of an average Indian who faces the consequences of unpredictable circumstances of demonetization. How he gets affected and how his life goes in shambles is the idea the author attempts to predict. 

The author takes up the recent events which would be recorded in history and gives them a fictional twist. He records events like demonetization, the declaration of national anthem being sung in movie theatres and other issues eating of beef etc.The remarkable aspect is the manner in which e shows the psychological state of the character.

Readers of present day should definetly try readng the book as the author has recorded the events in an interesting manner. At time same time, coming generations may find the book of interest as the author records history and gives voice to the most unheard of all, the common man.

Available on notionpress and Amazon:

https://notionpress.com/read/8pm

for kindle https://www.amazon.in/dp/B089K3D3L6/

Book Review: A False Alarm

The present day human society is confronted by issues that are critical and need attention. It becomes the responsibilty of writers to bring these issues into the limelight and raise awareness among people. Arjun Kacper in his book, “A False Alarm” fulfils this responsibility by bringing a critical issue in front of the readers through his work.

The two sisters, Viola and Valentine Romano take the centre stage and the narrative is explored through them. The author takes time to build up on their lives by frequently shuttling the narrative between Italy, New York and Miami and shows how nthe lives of the orphan sisters change. Both are finely developed personalities who are poles apart and yet one thing that unites them is their bond and the love they have for each other. Both show equal determination to go to the ends of the earth to save one another, however the situation calls for.

The critical issue which can also be considered to be the theme, human trafficking comes up a little later but thereafter, the readers are not able to forget the importance of it in the present time. This is one such issue on which quite less is written and the author makes sure to explain how this happens. The other themes that the author highlights are parenting, bond of blood ties, and human sensitivity. 

The title of the novel “A False Alarm” only makes sense at the end in the last section when the author gives the book the least expected twist but even to understand that, the reader has to read the whole novel. The twist begins to develop quite early but the reader only realises it at the end when the author informs the reader through his third person account. 

Kacper frequently keeps shifting the narratives in first and third person. He informs the reader of the scene that is is to follow and the reader gets to know about the rest through the characters and their words. With this technique, the author makes sure that the characters do not become mere puppets in his hands, rather develop and emerge with their own personalities. This does remain limited to Viola and Valentine. It goes beyond to Mr. Owen, Mr. Finn and even minor characters like Owen’s wife Emma, Benjamin, the less appearing Oliver, Arissa and Sogin Dang.

Although Viola and Valentine are opposites in terms of their personality and nature, they both sound quite convincing in their places. They decide for their lives on their own and do what they want with excellence. They both have their own lives but one thing that hold them and the narrative together is their love for each other.

The readers may have to be on their toes initially to get an actual grip of the plot and its development but as the plot progresses, it begins to hol the interest of the readers and they begin to observe and also become involved in the narrative to the extent that they also become their own kind of investigators. This is the art of the author, who manages to involve the readers at a subconscious level and makes sure that they remain involved throughout.

The subject of “A False Alarm” is very strong and hard-hitting which is only a reflection of the contemporary scenario. The subject more than relelvant in the current scenario and the fact that less has been written makes the book even more important. Keeping this in mind, readers should read the book with an open mindset to understand the critcicalities the author is trying to point out. The language used by the author is fine and can be understood by an average reader. This book is specially meant for those who look for content beyond the fantasy world and rather prefer to look at the realities of life. The book may be a work of fiction but the issues it raises and the characters he creates are more than enough to supply the realistic element to “A False Alarm”.

Book Review: Krikos: The Vertical Horizon

Since the development the development of human civilization, generations after generations have been involved in the rat race to achieve their goals and targets and getting the better from others. The author, Rishabh Dubey “Kridious” creates a hypothetical situation of when all these wants and desires would be satisfied and the targets will be accomplished, how things would be in his science fiction book, “Krikos: The Vertical Horizon”.

The author talks of this interesting subject and takes the readers on a journey in a future way beyond the present time and presents his thoughts. The very fact that the book takes a plunge into a distant future makes the novel a reading of interest. The author keeps the language simple and the content focussed on the main theme in subject. All the readers who have interest in reading science fiction books should definetly read “Krikos: The Vertical Horizon”.

Book Review: How to Stay Happily Married

Marriage is an institution that brings two induviduals together to spend their lives together. But since it’s abou two different individuals, the differences of their thinking and upbringing, there are bound to be clashes in those matters. Alisha Sharma in her book, “How to Stay Happily Married” addresses these issues that become reasons of clashes resulting in their becoming bigger issues.

Very less has been written on post marriage life as the real game actually begins then. This book is like an Indian version of couples counseling in western countries. Rather, the difference here is to avoid issues and attempting to run life in a smoother manner.

The author begins the book with a brief survey or it may be called a personality test and on the basis of scores the author declares what kind of person is. Thereafter, in a series of 10 short chapters, the author discusses various reasons that lead to all the issues in marriage and also gives solutions to them. “How to Stay Happily Married” comes as a kind of self help book or couples who do not know who to discuss their issues with. It can be read by both married and unmarried people.

Book Review: The Story begins at the end

Short stories give opportunties to writers to say more things in less time.Any author who can cash in this opportunity can create marvels with his words. The same endeavour has been done by Sujay in his short story collection, “The Story Begins at the End”.

As he suggests in the preface, the stories were written when different ideas came to him at different times. This may be one of the reasons of every story predicting a different mood in itself. He writes stories which depict different times and situations but they are binded together by the different human emotions that the author explores.

By writing a story on the present day pandemic, “Love in the time of Corona”, the author also proves that he is one of the artists who does not live in a fanatsy world but rather in the reality and attempts to showcase it, thus doing exactly what a true artist should do.

The author keeps the language simple and friendly to the understanding of the readers and also makes sure that they remain connected to the book throughout.The exploration of different kinds of emotions opens the book to be read by all.

Book Review: Cycles of the Phoenix

Innovation is what the modern readers look for. A literary work that offers an innovative idea or theme is bound to win the attention of the readers anyhow. Such is the book, “Cycles of The Phoenix: The Whole Interlaced Solus Series”. As the subtitle points out, the book is more about a series of different stories woven into one book in 3 different sections.

Through these different stories, the author explores different themes which revolve around the reasons of humans being affected psychologically or socially. The author manages to transport the readers in a different world and in a different land where they meet new people and get to know their lives. At one level or another, the readers may also start comparing their lives to theirs. The book may seem voluminous but once the reader begins withe the reading, the book length becomes a lesser concern. It can be read by everyone and adults may find the book more appealing due to the serious themes the author has discussed.

Book Review: The Infinite Road

Portraying human emotions in the right manner give the realistic element to a work of writing. If one character displays different emotions at the same time then he/she becomes more closer to life than the character who displays one emotion throughout. This kind of roundness of character can be seen in Alunkrita in Shefali Arora’s book, “The Infinite Road”.

The author addresses different issues at the same time in lesser words. These include human bonds going beyond blood relations, the society’s attitude towards disabled people, different phases in the life of a person and the tough decisions the person has to make.

This is one of the few books that should be read by all readers because of multiple themes it addresses and also for strong and well developed characters that the author has created.

Book Review: Buddy Says

Children’s minds are such that whatever they read and hear is imprinted in their mind. In such a young age, reading books like “Buddy Says” by Pooja Rai comes as an important read and the lessons she shares in the shortest manner possible may be something that help them in the later stages of their lives.

Parents could try reading the cute little book to their child and also learn from the book for themselves as the lessons shared are applicable for both young kids and mature grown up adults