Sunday 22 May 2016

Book Review - Beyond by Honey Tripathi

Beyond - Book Cover


Book Name: Beyond

Author: Honey Tripathi

Publisher: LiteraMuse Publications


Blurb:

This is a story of a young lady in her early 30s, who one day out of inquisitiveness enrolled herself into one stress management course and experienced altogether different world. This book is based on her personal experience. The book starts with some funny incidents that took place during the five days journey and ends up on some thinking notes. Hope u enjoy reading...


Review:

Beyond is a story that rolls over 40 pages and yet, it shapes the reader's life in a positive way. What happens when you are disturbed over a certain issue and you want to seek some refuge in order to make things better? You try to change the way you look at things. Isn't it? Well, this book too is about taking a plunge in order to make your life better.

It talks about how to see positivity in negative situations. The story of the girl is quite relatable. There will be many of us who sail in same ship as hers.

Beyond is motivational and a must read for all. It hardly takes an hour to read it.


I rate:

Cover: 3/5
Story: 3.5/5

Overall, I rate Beyond with 3.5/5 stars.

You can find this book on Amazon.

Book Review- The Crossbow Code by M. C. Raj


The Crossbow Code - Book Cover


Book Name : The Crossbow Code

Author : M. C. Raj

Publisher : Panther House Paper & Digital Publication LLP

Price : Rs. 245


Blurb:

The media is agog as the Pope passes out mysteriously on seeing Kris, thought to be  a terrorist. But is he one? Kris esapes from the police and returns to meet the Pope once again, after which the Pope is found poisoned to death.

On the run, Kris reaches Mumbai, where he gets to know that a prominent freedom fighter, Mohandas, was instrument in his escape. But the man is not as he seems and Kris is dismayed by the experiments taking place at his ashram. However, a chance encounter leads him to Germany. But someone wants him dead and attempts an assassination that could spell doom for Kris. Who is behind the pope's murder? How are all these countries connected? Who wants Kris dead? And lastly, who is this mysterious Kris?

Read on as a sinister international conspiracy is unravelled that will shock the reader as well as take them on an exhilarating ride, full of twists and turns in MC Raj's thriller, THE CROSSBOW CODE.


Story in a nutshell :

The story opens up with an incident where in Kris is jailed and two Muslim women come to free him. The next chapter takes you to the incident where Kris meets the Pope. Their conversations are sweet but over time, they move in the wrong direction. Ultimately, Kris is thrown out by the Pope.

Kris wanders around and bumps in to two unusual men. They share their story with him. Who were they? What was their story? He is also told about the two Muslim women. They happen to be his wives.

The very next morning, Kris receives a bad news that the Pope has died. All suspect that it is Kris who killed him.

Kris returns to India only to be encountered by another problem which leads him to Germany. What does he get himself into? Who has killed the Pope? And why is everybody suspecting him? Who is Kris?


Review:

The story begins with a bang and instills interest in the minds of readers. As the story progresses, I learnt many new things about Christanity. The mystery element is rightly maintained until the 5th chapter. From sixth chapter onwards, the focus completely shifts on Indian history and the freedom movement. Over the next few chapters, author keeps you engrossed with the untouchability in India and the subsequent try by Indian leaders for abolishing it. Towards the end, the Pope murder comes up again.

The narration is in 3rd person and kept me hooked. The characters also have been crafted well. I am not very much pleased with the flow of the story.

Likes:

  • Kris's thoughts about religion and God.
  • Kris's unconditional love for Fatima and Rhea.
  • Alice's confession.
  • The paper quality of this book is really good.


Dislikes:

  • The flow of events in the story.
  • The reveal of the murder mystery was plain and simple. The 'thrill' factor was missing.
  • The second last chapter takes the reader on a tour to Germany which I feel could have been excluded.


I rate:
Cover: 2.5/5
Characters: 3.5/5
Story: 2.5/5

On the whole, I rate 'The Crossbow Code' with 3/5 stars.

You can buy your copies on Amazon.

Monday 9 May 2016

[Ask n Answer] Interview Session with Namitha Ks - Silence and Sound




1. Hi Namitha. Please introduce yourself to readers.
    I'm an 18 year old with a passion for dancing and writing, along with an obsession with reading. Watching        and playing football give me immense joy even though i'm not very good at it. I also particularly enjoy spending time with animals, especially dogs. Singing is definitely not one of my talents but listening to old rock for just 10 minutes can help me survive even the worst days. Lastly, I have a major case of wanderlust and that aids in my desire to put my hands into photography.


2. You are in your first years and have come out with a poetry book. It's quite an achievement. How does it feel?
    Honestly, I still find it hard to believe that my poems have been considered good enough to publish. It puts me on cloud nine to just think of it. It also makes me feel very grateful for the family i have. Without them, this would've never happened.


3. When did you start writing poetry? Do you remember the first poem that you had written?
     I started writing poetry when i was 11 years old. Of course i remember my first poem. It was about a few instances in my childhood.


4. What does 'Poetry' mean to you?
    Poetry and dance are at the same level for me. They move me and help me express emotions that i didnt even know i was capable of having or portraying. Poetry is a means of letting myself go, putting myself out there and speaking my mind while still being okay with being judged and pointed at and praised in equal measure.


5. How do you manage poetry and your studies?
    Writing poetry is not a forced process. I hardly ever force myself to write about a particular thing, at a given time. Same goes for studies. I find it very hard to concentrate if I dont feel like studying. And since I possibly cannot feel like working and writing at the same time, managing both becomes an easy task.


6. How did your parents react when you mentioned to them about your book?
     Everyone in my family was nothing but supportive and excited and extremely proud of me. Whatever doubts i had about my work was vanquished by their support.


7. Your book must have received a lot many praises in your college. Can you share some of those college incidents with us?
    It was a riot honestly. A lot of my friends ordered the book as soon as it was out. As soon as they got the book in their hands, they started posting pictures of the book with reviews and positive messages. Also, most of my friends made it a point to announce to anyone they saw that their friend had published a book. Of course there was a lot of leg pulling as well. Free copies were asked for and so were autographs. It was an amazing experience for me
 

8. Why did you title it as 'Silence and Sound'?
    As a very boisterous person, I know that most people believe that loud people are constantly loud and shallow. But that's not true. The title represents the fact that every person has opposing qualities. Just because i'm loud doesn't mean i don't like silence. or just because someone is studious doesn't mean they don't like to have fun and so on. That's where the inspiration for the title comes from.


9. Every person has a role model. Who is that person for you?
      My mother. She and I are very different people but without her, I wouldn't be half the person that i am now.


10. What are you currently working on? Can we expect another collection from you this year?
      I am trying to write as much as I can. Probably not this year but I sure do hope that I will be able to publish more poetry as time goes by,


11. Thank you, Namitha. I wish you all the very best for your future endeavors.
      Thank you!

Friday 6 May 2016

Book Review- Confusingly Interesting or Interestingly Confused by Pravin R. Rathod.




Book Name: Confusingly Interesting or Interestingly Confused

Author: Pravin R. Rathod

Publisher: Frog Books

Price: Rs. 175


Blurb:

Sometimes, life comes with more questions and less answers and sometimes with many answers for a single question... And either way you remain CONFUSED.

Four friends, a tour to Goa and everyone's secret love life is revealed. Tik, Kash, NP and VJ takes you on such a confusing ride where each one of them remains confused about one or the other things in life.

Interest? - Confusion
Education?- Confusion
Friendship?- Confusion
Love?- Confusion
Career?- Confusion
Life?- Confusion

Throughout their lives, many things change but the only that doesn't... Is CONFUSION.

Welcome to their world of confusion...


Story in a nutshell:

Confusingly interesting or interestingly confused is a story of 4 friends and their lives. The four guys are Pratik, Vinay, Aakash and Aniruddha respectively. These guys are school mates. Its their journey from puberty to adulthood, from crushes to love and from being confused to being more confused.

Life changes completely for all four guys. They change cities yet stay in contact with each other, squeezing out time to meet during vacations. College life gets over and every one gets busy with their respective jobs. Life is knocking each one down at every step.

One fine day, Vinay calls the rest three guys to Goa. Why has he called them to Goa? What is the reason for such a sudden meet?


Review:

Confusingly Interesting or Interestingly Confused leaves the readers interestingly confused. The story focuses only upon love lives of the four friends. Yes, there are incidents about their work and family but those remain in the shadow.

The story has been narrated quite well. There are incidents which may make the readers feel bored. The characters have been crafted well. Each one exhibits different behaviour and I think, it is this difference that makes them such good friends.

Likes:

  •  Strong bond of friendship between the guys.
  •  Their love feelings.


Dislikes:

  • There have been quite a few grammatical errors. Correcting those will make this book a good read.
  • I feel that the flow of the story could have been improvised. The tour incident could have been used as a prologue.


I rate:

Cover: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
Story: 2.5/5

I rate 'Confusingly Interesting or Interestingly Confused' with 2.5/5 stars.

You can buy your copies here!

Tuesday 3 May 2016

[Ask and Answer] Interview Session with Arun M. Sivakrishna



1. 'Arun M. Sivakrishna -The Poet' How does this sound?
It indeed sounds nice and though I am nowhere near to be called one now, the ultimate aim is to reach there.J

 2. For how long have you been writing poems?
Writing has been a favorite hobby for a pretty long time. Used to contribute to the school magazines and other journals. But when the not so small matter of getting food on the table came, poetry took a back seat for sometime.Now, been penning for about 10 years, with some gaps in between as I am a very lazy one.

3. What does 'Poetry' mean to you?
To me, it is the ultimate form of self-expression.

4. Do you remember the first poem that you wrote? Share your favorite lines from it with us.
J The first one must be some innocuous stuff about some class mate or so. That’s pretty long back and I don’t remember any of it. But there is one about a boy I met in a train journeyand I am so sorry that I don’t exactly remember the lines completely now. Guess, it goes something like this
“I am a prince
but don’t really know who my king is “ and ends with
“countless genocides and regicides and
One more, my dear sir, wouldnt make any difference”

5. Your poetry collection is titled 'Songs of a Solitary Tree'. How did you come up with this title?
Most of the works in that series are more or less about random thoughts of a loner, someone who finds himself lonely either by choice or chance. Hence that title. Solitude doesn’t really mean that you are down in the dumps or in the deep pits of despair though it could drag you in the quick sands of peril, unless you know to deal with it. Often you hum, sing, dance or draw your way out of it. So lets say that the tree sings its way out of its blues..J


6. How long does it take for you to write a poem?
I am a very lazy and reluctant writer. I write on impulse and have to wrap up quite fast lest will end up not writing at all. But it has its own pitfalls. Many a times, on hindsight,  felt  this could have been different and could have had another  version or angle had I waited on and so on. I am working on that habit now by revisiting and ironing out the edges, quite deliberately.

7. Can I sum up your work to be an amalgamation of poems written over different phases of your life?
Yes. You may. But looking for the writer in all that he or she writes may not always be the right way too. All of us write about events we experience or acquired over or something which we identify ourselves with.

8. If I give you three words- love, jealousy/jealous and trust; would you write a poem for me?
“And when it comes to that
trust me, jealousy is the
other name of love.”

9. Which is your favorite poem from your collection? And why?
Though  I don’t have any particular favorites, “Wholesome Holes” and “Insects on the windscreen” come closer because of the emotions involved about some particular phase of my life.

10. Let's take up a short rapid fire session. I give you a word, you describe it with the first adjective that comes to your mind.
a. poem : Sublime
b. life : Beautiful
c. friendship : Lovely
d. love : Intense
e. mountains : Serene
f. snow : Pure
g. roots : Grounded
h. god : Divine
i. rebirth: Interesting
j. revenge : worthless

11. Your readers and me, of course, would like to hear a piece of advice from you.
Whatever you do, express freely. Never be a stickler for rules and genres.


Book Review: Chela - The Adventures of Jack and Ty by Saurabh Kumar



Book Name: Chela - The Adventures of Jack and Ty

Author: Saurabh Kumar

Publisher: Petals Publishers and Distributors

Price: Rs. 160


Blurb:

Chela: The Adventures of Jack and Ty is in part a tribute to one of the greatest writers and humorists of the twentieth century, Sir P.G. Wodehouse, and a spoof on the fantasy genre where anything and everything can happen at any given moment and time. Jack is a hungry jackal, booted out of his clan for being lazy and incapable of providing for himself. One night while wandering a patch of forest he accidentally steps on the tail of a tiger that is understandably furious at the jackal. The tiger Ty, confronts the jackal with the latter begging forgiveness. The commotion dies down and they soon go their separate ways. Fate, however, brings them together again and they soon realize they are both facing a similar predicament - an acute shortage of food. The two strangers soon become comrades and along with Herbert, a cross between a wolf and a pariah dog, set out on a journey through the vast woodland of Baganpore and beyond in search of food. On the way they face perils aplenty in the form of diabolical relatives, cunning scavengers, a mysterious banyan tree and a lake that isn't what it appears to be.

Review:


The book is actually an adventurous journey with the jackal and Tiger (Jack and Ty) where you’ll see the different aspects of society. One can learn while enjoying this brilliant piece of writing.  The book is filled with good messages and may leave you thinkfull about many social, emotional and human behavioral matters. Though it is fiction but very actual and realistic approach of writer, I must say. Mr. Saurabh has chosen a wonderful subject. Every character in the story has played a crucial and unique role.  

Very well narration, perfect humour, strong plot and appropriate use of words making it a fabulous story book.  As the book cover is attractive and beautiful, pages inside are also of good quality. Correct setting, apt designing and editing is also showcasing the publisher’s finest work. I really liked it so much.  


I rate 'Chela - The Adventures of Jack and Ty' with 4/5 stars.

You can buy your copies on Amazon.

Book Review: Voices of the Silent Creek by Vikkas Arun Pareek




Book Name: Voices of the Silent Creek

Author: Vikkas Arun Pareek

Publisher: Nivasini Publisher

Price: Rs. 199


Blurb:

Shanti is married in a prominent family but her life will never be the same for a life thrusted on her for honor of the family. She accepts her life but will she let the same fate unfold for her younger sister?
Bhano discovers the horrors of her sister's life and her sacrifices.

Arti finds herself strangled with choices. Will she risk her life and her family's life to help Bhano get justice or leave her helpless?

The story set in rural India takes us through unimaginable yet common atrocities which a woman faces in today's society. Will they fail to survive? Will they emerge stronger battling the troubles?


Review:

'Voices of Silent Creek' is one of those stories which leaves you in awe. The book teaches you a lot many things. You will feel love, anger as well as hatred raging inside you. This book will provide food for your thought and you will certainly wonder whether such a thing really exists in India. This book shows mirror to those rural parts of India which don't even exist for most of us. Author has successfully stolen all of my attention and a small place in my heart for his book.

Narrated in third person, the story of Shanti will surely touch your hearts. Escapes of Shanti and Bhano's life are well narrated. There are very few books which give you the feel that the characters and the incidents are for real. I must say this book fits well in that category. Every incident is perfectly timed. The flow of story has been consistent throughout the book. Not even for a fraction of a second will the reader feel lost.

Characters- Shanti, Bhano and Arti have been portrayed to be very strong. We need women like them in today's world. I feel very proud of each of them. They are different from each other but each of them have qualities that will make you feel that we should be like them. As far as the male characters are concerned, you will feel utmost hatred.

This book must not lie in those unattended bookshelves. It needs to be out in the world so that every person reads Shanti's story and no Shanti ever suffers again. A must read. I wouldn't mind reading it n number of times.

Excellent work!

I rate:
Cover: 3.5/5
Characters: 4/5
Story: 4/5

I rate 'Voices of Silent Creek' with 4/5 stars.

Buy your copies here.

Book Review- The Dream Come True by Rishiraj Sen



Book Name: The Dream Come True

Author: Rishiraj Sen

Publisher: Omji Publishing House Pvt. Ltd.

Price: Rs.


Blurb:

Nineteen years had gone by to a crucified act that separated the soul who were madly in love with each other. Family drove them to unwanted roads which they would had never chosen. Their love was killed and buried for nineteen long years under the sand of time.She was married he faded away.Bitterness in heart always engrossed their way.She was a mother he became no one to bother But dreams of being together never left...Will they able to be together in the last phase of life? Can love find its way in the most obscure route of life? Or the story that remained incomplete and untold will remain so?


Story in a nutshell:
Neha, a young girl comes home with a foul mood. Her mother, Anya, questions her about it. She wants her to get married to the love of her life. But Neha doesn't want to. When Anya asks her about her reason for not agreeing, Neha lashes out on her. They have an argument and Neha talks really bad stuff to her mother. Anya refuges to her balcony. She is astonished with Neha's talks. Few moments later, Neha comes to Anya and asks for forgiveness. Anya hugs her daughter and asks her if she would like to hear her story.


Anya starts with her story which leaves Neha teary-eyed. Something inside her changes and she makes up her mind and takes a decision. What story did Anya tell Neha? What decision did Neha take?


Review:

I had heard about this book over social media. It was creating a lot of buzz. Readers were singing praises about this book. Soon, the author pinged me and asked me to review it. And here I am with my review.
The story seemed to be kind of predictable to me. The flow of the incidents have been uneven. Some run at leopard's pace while some are slower than the snail. There have been incidents where I was bored. Overall, the story was good. I had hoped for some major twists and turns but the ones that were presented seemed quite minor. The story has been narrated in first person and seemed to be done from heart. It felt like a diary account- simple, emotional and touchy. The characters made a place in my heart. There were moments when I dropped a tear. The book seemed to be like a Bollywood movie to  me. I felt realism to be missing. (I am being very frank.)

Likes:

  • Anya's and Nandani's relationship.
  • Anya and Arjun's undying love for each other.
  • Shiv and his one-sided love for Anya.
Dislikes:

  • The book needs editing. Proper editing will benefit it in long run.
  • I felt liked heavy words have been stuffed at places to make the narration better (I guess). But that ruined the entire thing. I could really make out that the were stuffed in.
  • I felt that the title and the story did not match each other well.
I rate:
Cover: 3/5.
Story: 2.5/5
Characters: 3/5

Overall, I rate 'The Dream Come True' with 2.5/5 stars.

You can book your copies on Amazon.




Privacy Policy

We, at Musings of a Vivacious Heart are passionate about writing. We publish blogs since it is the best way to reach out to our readers. Ou...