Book Review - The Bestseller She Wrote by Ravi Subramanian

About The Author:

An alumnus of IIM Bangalore, Ravi Subramanian is the author of multiple best-selling commercial novels. Head on to his official website for more details - http://www.ravisubramanian.in/

The Blurb Says:

Paperback King, Aditya Kapoor, seems to have it all. Not only is he India s hottest and best-selling author, his enormous stardom is perfectly balanced by a lovely home, a loving wife and a stable career in banking. With everything he touches turning to gold, Aditya is on a winning streak. Shreya Kaushik is a student with a heart full of big dreams. Young, beautiful, and ambitious, Shreya speaks her mind and knows what she wants.

What happens when their worlds collide? Is it possible to love two people at the same time? Can ambition come in the way of passion?

The Bestseller... She Wrote is a story of illicit love, destructive jealousy and overriding ambition. As master story-teller Ravi Subramanian delves into the world of publishing and explores an unlikely romance between a best-selling author and his nubile protégé, faces will be unmasked and truths will be revealed. Sit tight and read on...

The Cover:

Bright Yellow base makes the book stand out from others in the bookshelf. The caption ‘Love, Betrayal, Redemption’ below two beautiful faces under a book clearly portray the basic plot of book.

About The Book

Ravi Subramanian is an established author and the efforts he has put in romance thriller are clearly visible in the book. May be it's because of this visibility of efforts; I have mixed review on this book. It liked reading it, but then there was something missing.

The story is not new, but the addition of details of writing and publishing a book gave an extra edge to all time it extramarital affair gossip.

What I Liked:

1. Simple Language and Short Chapters - The language us quite simple with just the right amount of fancy words used here and there. The chapters were crisp and short making sure that the story line is not dragged upon.

2. Book Writing - I absolutely loved the idea of getting to know the details of writing a book and getting it through publishing and in book-stores.

3. Society Viewpoint – In the society we live in, man generally blames his mistakes upon the woman itself – “She was too busy with kids”, “She stopped paying attention to me”, “I was deprived of love and pampering” etc. I was glad that Aditya openly accepted his mistake and made no excuses for the same.

What I Did Not Like:

1. Predictable - From the very beginning I could sense the end of story and was hoping that it might turn into something else. But I was disappointed. Even the reason of character who messed up the lead Aditya's life was same old cheap reason.

2. Unreal characters – Aditya to be precise. I could not digest the fact that Aditya loved his wife dearly and still he went weak in his knees when he saw Shreya while Maya was lying on the death bed. Even after he was sure that the girl made his life a living hell, he was attracted to her with lust. Hero of the book emerges out as a complete looser and total snub.

3. Missing link – The story completely skips the link where editor of publishing house found Maya’s manuscript a real-life story.

Mr. Subramanian has tried his level best to do better than Chetan Bhagat (nor that I am hi fan, but I do not hate his writing as well). I read at some review that the book is quite near to Nicholas Sparks! The ending speech of Aditya was very emotional, but it nowhere matched the density and warmth of Mr. Sparks (I am a fan of his letters). Still, I must admit that I could not put the book down till I had finished reading it.

Below are some life/writing lessons to be noted from the book:

‘Nerdy and well-read are two completely different personality traits,’

‘Relationships with the right people always pay in life,’

‘One day, Sunaina, I am telling you . . . one day. I will be a world-famous author. You will be proud of me.’

‘Life is all about choices you make…’

'If instead of malls we built libraries, the future generations would be a lot smarter.’

Without these bookstores, there will be no books, and without books, there will be no culture

A male mind can process so much information in nanoseconds when it comes to a woman’s body that no supercomputer can match it.

The problem with trust is that if it is broken, then all acts committed by the perpetrator come under the purview of suspicion.

Nothing in life is more wretched than the mind of a man conscious of his guilt.

‘Cheating is never a mistake. It is a choice’,

A lottery gives you a better chance at success than getting a book published."

The vestiges of the past, unless buried, will always keep cropping up and impact relationships

‘Life is binary in many ways. There is no way that we can move away from each other slowly and painlessly. There has to be a complete exit’

Would I recommend “The Bestseller She Wrote” to someone?

Well, I might do so if when the person asks me for its feedback. 

The book can be brought from following links:

Amazon-Paperback    Amazon-Kindle Edition      Flipkart

  

Read my Book Review for Ravi Subramanian's another thriller -  God Is A Gamer

Have you read Ravi Subramanian? If yes, which genre did you liked more - Romance or Thriller?

I am reviewing ‘The Bestseller She Wrote’ by Ravi Subramanian as a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

Sexual Violence – Report and Bust the Devil

Sexual violence is another term given to inhuman act of humans themselves towards their own species. I was not surprised when I learned that only 1 out of 100 women who face sexual violence every report it to the police. (National Family Health Survey (2005-06)).

What stops us to raise our voice against the crime? Why do we not report these cases? There is however one question more important than this and must be written or asked in bold letter or louder voice – “Why is it important to encourage reporting sexual violence?”

I gave a deep thought and came up with my own answer to the question:

1. We want our children to become humans

It is very rightly (to a great extent) said that home is the biggest school and children learn the lessons of life from their parents rather than their teachers. From centuries, many young and innocent minds have inherited the art of respecting or did-respecting women around them from their immediate family members. Sons take no time to become the actual figure from mere shadows of their fathers. Daughters often learn to live the life as their mothers lived - with some amendments owing to present generation.

He called her name

He slapped her to tame

He pulled her hair to room

The son is too small

The son would be afraid

He shut her woes

The son heard her crying

He lied to them

He threatened them

He abused them

He hit them!

He learned from him

The little boy who witnessed everything right form his childhood many times take the same route and parents are reminded of the popular saying – ‘As you sow, so shall you reap!

2. We want to make a difference

A child would never learn to walk if she does not overcome the internal fear of falling down. Once a child takes that first step forward, walking becomes just another natural trait for her. Similarly, I believe that if we do not try and report sexual violence or any such activity, we would never be able to put the laws to our good use. Till that day, we would live under same illusion of fear that ‘if I do this, I might face these consequences’. I agree the path is generally very rocky and full of hurdles, but then, the fruit thus received is worth the pride.

The day we start reporting more and more of them, is the day we make sure that we are aware of our rights and thus, that is the day we would take first and only step to ‘Equality’.

3. Sexual Violence should be reported

I find no reason convincing enough to ‘not’ to raise voices against sexual violence. The only method one can make sure that the voice risen in thus heard is by reporting them. Thus it is important to encourage reporting sexual violence because ‘It is important to report sexual violence’.

 If the above reasons are not good enough to encourage reporting sexual violence, following facts from law might prove motivating:

Snapshot source

Let’s take the first step to encouragement by making them aware of the basics. To do my bit, I would bring up the above points on some of the safety session I have in office. Word of mouth is the best way to spread the word.

Did you take your step?

I’m writing this blog post to support Amnesty International’s #KnowYourRights campaign at BlogAdda. You can also contribute to the cause by donating or spreading the word.

The Bridal Pyre by Avantika Debnath

About The Author

Coming from Kolkata, West Bengal, Avantika Debnath currently stays in Hyderabad and professionally works as an HR. She has also been a regular contributor to the Chicken Soup for the Indian Soul series. She can be reached at Avantika.dg@gmail.com

About The Book

The Blurb says

"Girls need to adjust a little after marriage." Said her mother. And she obeyed her mother's words. She gave up on her dreams... her hopes... her happiness... her self-respect... her father's dignity... her mother's honor... and herself. But she couldn't give up on her child. The child whom she never saw, named, or held close to her heart...The child whom she couldn't give birth to. She obeyed her mother's words but then.... Her own motherhood was taken away from her. She blew the conch shell and declared a war. She stood against all, the husband, the society, the law of the land and the leaders of the people. The local goons....politicians ...corrupt police officers and lawyers...irresponsible judges...the opportunist media...the futile judicial system...wasted legal system...no one could stop her. She feared none. She could not be broken or be burnt....And they said even the holy Ganga would refuse to immerse her... She was no more a body with a soul. She was a soul with a body. And the soul doesn't get torn, doesn't get drowned, and doesn't get burnt. She sat on her pyre and set it ablaze....The Bridal Pyre....but, Nainam Dahati Pawakah

Cover Page

'A beautiful bride with curious looks inside the blaze of havan kund' is near to perfect for the subject of book. Good job done by the designer.

What I Felt About the Book

There is a general misconception that physical and verbal abuse at home is only faced by uneducated women. Society very easily and wrongly assumes that an educated woman would never let such things happen to her.  "The Bridal Pyre' makes all these myths stand in queue along with corruption and politics prevailing at all levels.

There are some sections in the book would make the reader nod in agreement to their conclusion. Like-

-End of first chapter itself. It’s so bitter to read a daughter thinking those things for her mother, but they are all true at the same time

-Helplessness of parents in our society when it comes to their daughter and her life

What I Liked About the Book

1. Poems - Kudos to Avantika for brilliant effort on poems every now and then. I absolutely loved them and might even dedicate some post to the same.

2. The end - I like a story when the end is unexpected.

What I Did Not Like About the Book

1. Daily soap saga - Unfortunately, at many points I felt that I am reading a printed version of some typical daily soap where the cruel mother in law is not leaving any stone unturned to torture her poor daughter in law at the back of her dear son. I so wish the author was able to script those sections minus this effect.

Below are some lines to be marked as quotes from the book:

She sat on her pyre and set it ablaze….The Bridal Pyre….but

“May be I am not a man, but what made you think that I am not strong?”

**All The Poems**

The author has once again brought one of the ever 'In News' topic under crime against women in limelight with her debut novel.  Best of luck to her future endeavours.

Note: A PDF copy of the book was sent by the author in exchange of honest review.

The book can be brought from following Amazon or Flipkart links:

 Amazon:

The Bridal Pyre - Nainam Dahati Pavakah

Flipkart:
The Bridal Pyre - Nainam Dahati Pawakah (English)

The Shadow Of The Dark Soul by Sukhmani Gandhi

About The Author: Sukhmani Gandhi is pursuing her graduation in philosophy from Lady Shri Ram College for Women. She was previously published in ‘We are Not Alone’, an anthology published in association with Mood Indigo in 2014.Her views on the word 'Freedom' were a part of Unbound e-magazine in 2015. She also secured the third position in a competition organized by Rising Literia that reflected her views on the topic 'Freedom Mask' and were published in e-Fiction India in 2015.She is currently doing intern-ship as a columnist at bunkpages .More from her pen can be read on her blog ‘sukhmanigandhi.wordpress.com’

About The Book

The blurb says:

'The Shadow Of The Dark Soul' is the story of Zayesha who is a twenty something journalist working in Delhi. Sensitive and compassionate she is a league apart from her contemporaries, who believe in the mantra of manufacturing or milking news. Cornered by her boss, she fights against time to work on the Nirbhaya case in order to save her job. Synchronicity plays a crucial, life- altering role in her life when a series of events make her question herself. During this phase, Zayesha comes across The Shadow of The Dark Soul, thanks to her next door neighbor. Nothing stays the same afterwards as Zayesha is made to reassess everything. Will she manage to finish her report on the Nirbhaya case on time? How far will she go to step from armchair activism into the realities of life? Will she win in the end? The questions are many, but the answers lie within The Shadow of the Dark Soul, the maiden novel of Sukhmani Gandhi, a budding Delhi based writer.

Cover Page:

Dried rose over a green stem with blood spot in place of a leaf gives the book a mystery look.

What I Felt About the Book

"Weep because she died today. Celebrate because she woke us up"

I read this powerful quote somewhere on the day Delhi's brave heart Nirbhaya breathed her last breath. The book starts with author’s view on this incident and then takes over the storyline. Having read, heard and spoken so much about this, there is no scope of dis-interest for the subject - women safety.

Sukhmani Gandhi has conveyed her view point on ever debated topic of labelling the women who experienced different problems as 'Victims'. 

What I Liked About The Book:

1. Bold Writing - I really liked the author's fearless viewpoints made very clear.

2. Concept - The concept of letting the survivors live their life normally is much needed. 

What I Did Not like About The Book:

1. Spelling Mistakes and Typo Error - Spelling or grammatical mistakes and typo error are the biggest turn off's in any book. The rating could have gone up one complete start of they were avoided.

Below are some lines worth re-reading from the book:

Marriage is an easy substitute for rape?

One day humanity is going to vanish from our world

“If you get an opportunity to rape, would you do it?”

It is very important to know that rape is more the problem of the man. He is the one to be ostracised and not the woman.

The onus is on the men but the price is generally paid by the woman.

Born as a woman or a victim?

At the end I found 'The Shadow Of The Dark Soul' a thought provoking book and below lines from famous poem "On A Sunny Evening" suited just well on the message passed.

If in barbed wire things can bloom, why couldn't I? I will not die, I will not die.

The book can be brought from Amazon at - 

Note: PDF copy of the book was sent by the author for an honest review.

Books I can Recommend Without A Thought

A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies… The man who never reads lives only one. ~George R.R. Martin

I find myself smiling, crying, laughing, thinking, learning and what nothing while reading. Whenever I read a story or a book, I imagine myself in place of the characters.

There are times I love a book. Actually, I find it very difficult to say that I don’t like some book. I have tried my hand on writing many times and I know what it takes to write those words and convert them into pages and book. Still, there are some books which leave a mark on our soul and force us to think about.

I thought about my favourite book and there were 2 books which crossed my mind within seconds.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

I simple loved this book. Although I took a long time to finish reading it, I was mesmerized by the writing of Khaled Hosseini. This is the book about women and true friendship. The struggle of leading lady – Mariam made me realize that the little problems I face every day are nothing and how harsh life can be.

I can recommend this book with closed eyes to anyone with a small warning that its bit heavy on heart and mind. It’s an eye-opener to all those people who complain that life is not fair to them and a must read for people who underestimate women and their inner strength.

Click here to read my further views on A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom

I have no idea why this book always cross my mind when recommending some random reads. It’s fun and sad at the same time to read this book.

The mere mention of this book make me think about the incidents in my life which would be chosen by god so that I may relive them. Beware – the incidents need not be all smiles or all cries or even the ones we think left a mark on our own lives.

Click here to read my further views on The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom

Kristin Martz very aptly says – “We lose ourselves in books, we find ourselves there too”.

Do you like reading? Is there any book or story or author which comes to your sub-conscious on giving a thought on “Your favourite book or author”? Share it with me. I would love to explore new adventures!

Made In India by Biddu

About The Author

Biddu was born in India, where he started his career playing in a pop band whose influences lay in the classic repertoire of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Following his early success, he decided to hear West and move into the international music arena. He struck gold, signing the unknown Carl Douglas and producing "Kung Fu Fighting?" which went on to become a hit all over the world. He also wrote and produced hits for Tina Charles and soul legend Jimmy James. 

Around this time, Biddu became involved in Indian music: he composed the cult "Aap Jaise Koi" for the film Qurbani which set a new landmark for sales in India He followed this up with a pop album, Disco Deewane, with Nazia Hassan, which became the largest selling pop album in Asian history, and was the first Indian album to hit the charts in fourteen countries. In 1995, Biddu wrote and produced the three-million-selling album Made in India with the singer Alisha Chinai. To date, Biddu has sold over thirty-eight million records worldwide.

About The Book

The Blurb Says

As a child, Biddu dreamt of going west and making it big as a composer. At the age of sixteen, he formed a band and started playing in a cafe in Bangalore, his home town, At eighteen, he was part of a popular act at Trinca's, a nightclub in Calcutta devoted to food, wine and music, At nineteen, he had college students in Bombay dancing to his music. 

In his early twenties, he left the country and ended up hitchhiking across the Middle East before arriving in London with only the clothes on his back and his trusty guitar. What followed were years of hardship and struggle but also great music and gathering fame. From the nine million selling "Kung Fu Fighting" to the iconic youth anthem of "Made in India" and the numerous hits in between. Biddu's music made him a household name in India and elsewhere. 

In this first public account of all that came his way: the people, the events, the music tours and companies Biddu writes with a gripping sense of humor about his remarkable journey with its fairy tale ending. Charming, witty, and entirely likable, Biddu is a man you are going to enjoy getting to know.

About The Cover

The cover is simple yet attractive with the Author holding his favourite instrument - the Guitar.

About The Book

Failure to flee from home more than once, travelling in unknown country with just a guitar and small backpack, questioning from police in drug smuggling and many more - these are no doubt experiences of a lifetime.

Honestly, I had not heard of the name before I got the opportunity to read this biography. I have never been very much interested in music and music to me has always been just a form of entertainment once in a while or while driving. But that does not mean I have not heard of numbers like "aap jaisa koi meri jindagi me in aaye" and the anthem of every teenage girl - "Made in India". I have grown up singing these songs by all my heart.

The author has narrated his life story in a short and humorous manner. There were many incidents when I desperately wanted to know the outcomes early and had to hold on myself from flipping the pages and finding out.

What I Liked About The Book:

1. Humour - Biddu has been quite successful in making me smile every now and then.

2. Adventures - yes, as the title states, I loved them specially the one when Biddu got caught by his school after bunking. Some were funny and others were actually scary.

What I Did Not Like About The Book:

1. Professional - although the author has opened up quite a bit about his personal life, I still found the book more professional for an auto biography. I would have loved to read more about his love life, the spiritual connections of his wife with yoga, his mother and many more.

Here are some lines worth noting:

When you are young, failure is not an option.

...youth gives you freedom to fly to the sun.

I knew that music was my mistress and forever I would dance to her tune.

‘Sanctions of any kind only hit the man on the streets, no one else,

It's a learning experience for anyone looking to make a mark in a particular field. Like Biddu, he did work at restaurants, but made sure that he stood close to his field and choose the jobs wisely which landed him with right people at right time.

This review is a part of book tours at Book R3vi3ws

Milan (A Wedding Story) by Simi K. Rao

About the Author: Born and brought up in northern and southern parts of India, Simi K. Rao writes contemporary romance fiction. Head on to her official website to know more about her - simikrao.com

About the Book

The blurb says:
When a daughter turns marriageable age, what should a responsible father do? Easy--wed her to the most suitable boy who comes knocking on the door. Jai Bharadwaj, Mili's father and owner of The Serenity Tea Estate in the idyllic Nilgiris would've probably liked to do the same, but being who he was, he had to ask her first. What would she say?

Cover:
The cover page is designed well in sync with the story line. It's simple yet probably the best that could have been crafted for this journey.

What I felt about the book
This was one of those books which I finished reading in no time. It's a simple and straight story of a girl being getting married.
Most of the marriages in India are arranged where the couple decides to spend test of their lives together on the basis of one or two formal meeting. They hardly know anything about each other except the facts as on  resume - name, formal parental history and education. It is but obvious for both families to have some insecurities about the future ahead. The author has very carefully expressed those hidden feelings in written words - specially the girl and her parents.
What I liked about the book:
1. Connectivity - being a girl and married, I could relate to each and every instance in the book. I still remember how my papa stopped talking to me or coming near me after my marriage was decided. The hidden fears, surprises and tickling about the guy were all same.
 2. Simple Language - I like the books written in simple English without any fact words. I have a bad vocabulary and I hate going to the dictionary in between my reading time.

What I did not like about the book:
Missing element of suspense - while the story was simple and straight, some element of surprise or suspense to the readers could have added icing on cake.

At the end, I have no regrets in investing my time in this cute little wedding story. I was all smiles and actually cried once I think while reading it recalling my own memories. All the very best to author.

Big thanks to DDS for sending me the review copy of this book. This review is a part of book tours at B00k R3vi3ws

Janmashtami and Teachers Day at the same time!

गुरु गोविंद दोनों खड़े, काके लागूं पाँय । 

बलिहारी गुरु आपनो, गोविंद दियो मिलाय ॥

God and Teacher, both are standing before me, whose feet shall I touch first?

Dear Teacher, your first; for it was you that I met God.

What better day than today when both teacher and God are being celebrated and worshiped together. It's Janmashtami - birthday of Lord Krishna and also the Teacher's day.

I have a colleague who celebrate Janmashtami by cutting cake on this auspicious day. He says, we cut cake on our birthdays, then why shall we leave behind the most loved God.

My kiddo made this card for his class teacher - ok, I did the drawing part and he coloured them.

Here is my little effort to express my gratitude towards everyone who taught me anything in life. They all get the space of teachers in my heart:

Thank you mom, my first teacher,

You taught me what life is.

Actually, you gave me my life!

Thank you papa, my least acknowledge teacher,

You taught me what responsibilities are.

Thank you brother, my dearest teacher,

You taught me what friendship is.

You are the best brother ever!

Thank you all madams and sirs, my actual teachers,

You taught me to read, write and understand.

Thank you Reyansh and Samarth, my little teachers,

You taught me to love unconditionally,

I am still learning from you each day!

Thank you my readers,
You helped me improve my written words,
Your comments made my day!

Thank you God, my silent teacher,

You gave me ally wonderful teachers!

Unconditional Love (NaBloPoMo Day 2)

Tonight, my son said something which made me smile and would keep on doing so forever.

I asked him if he would love mummy the same way always?

I almost had tears in my eyes she he said - "No".

I asked No?

He said, "No, I would do it more than this. I would love you bigger than the mountain.".

Saying so, he kissed me and his kiss unintentionally landed on my forehead. 

From the times when he used to eat my face... ;)

I so wish that he keep his words when he grow up. Being a daughter myself, I know that kids change. Not that we stop loving our parents, it's just that we no more express our love so openly.

Tonight was undoubtedly one of the most memorable nights of my life. I never ever thought that I would have such a wonderful love story with someone. I am so thankful to My kiddo for making my moments special even without his knowledge.

Unconditional love is possible only when the lover is a child! 

Back To School (NaBloPoMo Day 1)

Words, and words are all I have,

To take your heart away.

This beautiful song was first introduced to be by my brother. I am still in love with it ever since that day. Every single word in this song has a different meaning. I so wish I could ever write anything so heartwarming. The only way to do so I find is by writing more.

Yes, I am back with a monthly blogging challenge or blog marathon. I am participating in NaBloPoMo September 2015. The theme of month is LESSON.

There are prompts available for each day except weekends. I am up for the prompt and in case k have some idea all by myself for the post, I would ditch the prompt.

Prompt for 1st September 2015 - It's back to school time: do you love the start of school or dread it?

Actually, in India, this time is from July. The summer vacations come to an end and children get ready to head the school again.

I personally used to have mixed feeling when the vacations came to end.

I was terrified of thinking about all the homework and project I have not completed.

I used to feel happy that I would be meeting my friends again.

I used to feel sad because this time meant end of all the fun with cousins.

I used to feel excited thinking of my crush on the basketball court, corridors and where not!

I used to start planning on faking my assignments.

I used to start planning on mischievous activities to be done soon.

Go back in the memory lane and share about your feeling when your schools reopened.

Keep learning and do not forget to share the same.

PS I Love You by Cecelia Ahren

The Blurb:

Everyone needs a guardian angel

Some people wait their whole lives to find their soul mates. But not Holly and Gerry.

Childhood sweethearts, they could finish each other's sentences and even when they fought, they laughed. No one could imagine Holly and Gerry without each other.

Until the unthinkable happens. Gerry's death devastates Holly. But as her 30th birthday looms, Gerry comes back to her. He's left her a bundle of notes, one for each of the months after his death, gently guiding Holly into her new life without him, each note signed 'PS, I Love You'.

As the notes are gradually opened, and as the year unfolds, Holly is both cheered up and challenged. The man who knows her better than anyone sets out to teach her that life goes on. With some help from her friends, and her noisy and loving family, Holly finds herself laughing, crying, singing, dancing – and being braver than ever before.

Life is for living, she realises – but it always helps if there's an angel watching over you.

How I Felt About the Book

Ever wondered what would you feel like if you loose someone as dear to you as your own soul?

The more difficult question would be  - How would you move on with life in that case? Do people ever forget and move on?

This light hearted yet so heavy book is all about answers to these questions. 'PS I Love You' is known as the romance fiction. Yes, the vet thought of getting love notes from your soulmate even after he/she rests in peace is utterly romantic. But, I found the story more about friendship, family and moving on (with the great help of soulmate of-course).

At some point or the other, I found myself imagining in place of holly and actually shivered at the very thought of my reaction on the loss of my family members - I know they say we should never think like this, but isn't this human nature? The author really made me laugh as well as cry at the same moment.

The letters - honestly speaking, I expected those letters to be more romantic and was actually disappointed when I found that they were just ideas/directions from Gerry to help Holly move on in life in the form of little love notes. Despite of my disappointment, I waited for the page which would reveal the contents of next letter.

Some lines worth rereading-

** Embrace the fact that you had someone whom you loved and who loved you back.

** I can't tease about him in conversation like I used to because it feels wrong. I can't talk about things he told me in confidence because I don't want to give his secrets away, because they are his secrets. I just don't quite know how to remember him in conversation. It doesn't mean I don't remember him up here.' she tapped her temples.

** Shoot for the moon, even if you fail, you'll land among the stars

** God leads you to it and takes you through it.

** Finding someone you love and who loves you back is a wonderful, wonderful feeling. But finding a true soul mate is an even better feeling. 

** A soul mate is someone who understands you like no other, loves you like no other, will be there for you forever, no matter what. 

** They say that nothing lasts forever, but I am a firm believer in the fact that for some, love lives on even after we're gone.

** Nobody's life is filled with perfect little moments. And if it were, they wouldn't be perfect little moments.

** We haven’t lost everything, if we haven’t lost our hope.

** you don't marry someone you can live with, you marry the person you cannot live without

** Sometimes there is only one thing left to say, P. S. I Love You....

If someone is looking for a deep romance fiction, this is not the book for that. However, I can easily recommend it to anyone who has not watched the movie and is looking for slightly light read and wants to know how people move on in life without forgetting sweet memories.

Title: PS I Love You

Author:  Cecelia Ahren

Language: English

• ISBN-10: 0786890932
• ISBN-13: 978-0786890934

Let Us Live

Do you remember the following?

Children stories - "Rare and Turtle", "Lion and Rat" etc

Phrases - "Dogs are men's best friends", "Hirni (female dear) jaisi chal (walk)"

Bollywood Songs - "Mahre hibra mein naache mor", "Hathi mere sathi"

Teasing lines and one liners - "Gainda (rhino - used for someone who is very fat)", "Maindak (frog - used for someone who makes irritating noise)"

The wonderful animals quoted in these could soon become a history and our coming generations would only think of them as fairy tales if they continue to diminish at the current rate. However bitter it might sound, but the mankind has been very cruel and selfish when it comes to other children of Mother Nature.

We humans have been using the resources available to us for both need and pleasure. While the need does seem relevant and logical, the usage of resources - both living and non-living has gone beyond required and is impacting the other species so much that some of them have already vanished and many are on the verge of extinction.

There is no doubt I am in for saving all of them - Frogs, Rhino, Elephant, Tigress,Blackbuck, Deer, Cobra, etc, all of them. But out of the twelve lives, I choose below three for this post:

Indian Wild Dog

So what if it's wild. So what if it's not that cute. It is a dog and an Indian. We can see all different foreign dogs around us. They definitely look awesome and make their owners proud. The other side that many of them suffer a lot because of the change in weather conditions and lifestyles they are subjected to is also true. It's time we do the deed to save at-least the species which belong to our own mother land 'The Indian Wild Dog' popularly known as the Dhole.

Did you know that Dhole is known to frighten even a tiger?

Indian Bull Frog

Honestly, I hate frogs. They are creepy and their skin is yuck (It might read not so fair, but I can't help feeling that way). These little creatures - the males, change their dark and dull skin to bright yellow accessorised with two blue vocal sacs during the mating season so that they can impress the female frogs. They look surprisingly beautiful at that time. Why do I want to save them? Because my kid love frog and its sound. I guess, all kids treasure making the sound of a frog.

Did you know that the Indian Bull Frog feeds on other tadpoles while it's a tadpole itself!

Asiatic Lioness

The Asiatic Lioness - the queen of the jungle is another powerful species and need to saved on priority. As much as the lions are to saved, lioness also need equal attention as they are the ones who can give birth to new generations. Being a female myself, I cannot skip this super queen.

Did you know that the majority of hunting for the pride is done my Female members in an Asiatic Lion's pride!

The main reason of all the animals being endangered is loss of habitat. In the race of development, man has taken away their place of living and food by excessive and unnecessary deforesting. With no place to thrive upon, the animals are forced to enter human societies and thus killed for being labeled as danger. A large population is not able to survive the changes. 

Illegal poaching is another major reason for their rapidly decreasing population. Hunting for animals is done for both pleasure and business. None of them makes sense. With the advancement of technology, all those feathers, skins, horns etc can easily be made just as pure as original. It's time we stop using those weapons and apply brains instead.

I want to mention again that despite of three specifically mentioned above, I raise mi hand to save all fifteen and may be more apart form them.

Below are some simple lines I am sure each one of them must be screaming with their heart:

Let me dance with my feathers among the rainbow,

Let me roar with the pride of king,

Let me make the ponds glow,

Let me feed the pride freely,

Let me flaunt my gorgeous skin,

Let me scare the Tigers away,

Let me crawl and hiss in my own home,

Let me display my horns proudly,

Let me eat with my fierce teeth,

Let us do everything freely,

LET US LIVE...

 I am participating in the Save the Species contest for the book “Capturing Wildlife Moments in India” in association with Saevus Wildlife India,  read the reviews for the book ‘Capturing Wildlife Moments in India’ here

Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg

Lean In landed on my shelf along with another book under same category - Lady You Are Not A Man by Apurva Purohit.

About the Author: Sheryl Sandberg is chief operating officer at Facebook. Prior to Facebook, she was vice president of Global Online Sales and Operations at Google and chief of staff at the U.S. Treasury Department.

She lost her dear husband recently in an accident while exercising.

She can be reached via her Twitter profile at - @sherylsandberg and the Facebook profile at - https://www.facebook.com/sherylsandberg.

The blurb says: Thirty years after women became 50 percent of the college graduates in the United States, men still hold the vast majority of leadership positions in government and industry. This means that women’s voices are still not heard equally in the decisions that most affect our lives. In Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg examines why women’s progress in achieving leadership roles has stalled, explains the root causes, and offers compelling, commonsense solutions that can empower women to achieve their full potential. 

Sandberg is the chief operating officer of Facebook and is ranked on Fortune’s list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business and as one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. In 2010, she gave an electrifying TEDTalk in which she described how women unintentionally hold themselves back in their careers. Her talk, which became a phenomenon and has been viewed more than two million times, encouraged women to “sit at the table,” seek challenges, take risks, and pursue their goals with gusto.

In Lean In, Sandberg digs deeper into these issues, combining personal anecdotes, hard data, and compelling research to cut through the layers of ambiguity and bias surrounding the lives and choices of working women. She recounts her own decisions, mistakes, and daily struggles to make the right choices for herself, her career, and her family. She provides practical advice on negotiation techniques, mentorship, and building a satisfying career, urging women to set boundaries and to abandon the myth of “having it all.”  She describes specific steps women can take to combine professional achievement with personal fulfillment and demonstrates how men can benefit by supporting women in the workplace and at home. 

Written with both humor and wisdom, Sandberg’s book is an inspiring call to action and a blueprint for individual growth. Lean In is destined to change the conversation from what women can’t do to what they can.

What I Felt About The Book:

I have to confess that I read other one first because I thought that I would be able to connect more with her being from same culture. I was so wrong as I was smiling and nodding to almost everything. While Sheryl has directed the book towards women and the need of them to be top or executive or senior positions across the world, a major part of book if read properly would also solve leadership issues of both sexes.

Sheryl has divided the book in 11 chapters each of them having instances from her own life and those of her near ams dear ones. She has also done a detailed homework in collecting various research/studies results and eye opening facts and figures.

I found her style of writing simple and clear and the book looked like she is standing in front of me and telling all those golden words. 

There were few sections I simply loved reading:

Sit at the table: reaction of Sheryl to her fifth ranking in Forbes most powerful women list - I might consider revealing that a spoiler, thus you need to read if you want to know it.

Make your partner a real partner: The answer to question what men could go to help advance women's leadership by Harvard a Business School professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter as "The Laundry" need to be displayed in all offices in bold letters.

The inequality imposed by laws when it comes to maternity and paternity leaves definitely need to be brought up more. Imagine 12 weeks for mothers and rarely 15 days for father - both are equal parents. I am glad some one brought this topic up.

The advice to girls for dating all; the bad boys, the cool boys, the commitment-phobic guys, the crazy boys - marrying/settling with the one who thinks women should be smart, opinionated and ambitious and this want equal partners gets a big high-five from me.

What I did not like about the book:

1. Too much concentration about having a baby and being a working mother - I agree that it's a major issue to be talked about, but the whole book need not run around this.

2. Too many statistics - this might be my personal opinion: I really got bored many times reading those statistics and skipped them.

3. Too many footnotes and references:

Frankly speaking, a major part of book looked like a good quality research work for some study. At the same time, kudos to Sheryl for sorting all that data under right sections.

Below are some words from the book which made me pick my phone and type them again:

** A truly equal world would be one where women ran half our countries and companies and men ran half our homes.

** Please ask yourself: What would I do if I weren't afraid?

** Success feels better when shared with others.

** When you want to change things, you can't please everyone. If you do please everyone, you aren't making enough progress.

** If you are offered a seat on a rocket ship, you don't ask what seat. You just get on.

** Letting the other side make first offer is often crucial to achieving favourable terms.

** Taking risks, choosing growth, challenging ourselves, and asking for promotions (with smiles on our faces, of course) are all important elements of managing a career.

** We need more men to sit at the table... The kitchen table.

** Trying to do it all and expecting that it all can be done exactly right is a recipe for disappointment.

** Perfection is the enemy.

** ...success is making the best choices we can ... and accepting them.

All-together, Sheryl has done a pretty decent job and has been quite successful in proving her point of view. At the end, I did not regret reading it and might recommend to someone who looking to collect data for some speech on women related topics.

Title: Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead

Author: Sheryl Sandberg with Nell Scovell

Language: English

• ISBN-10: 0385349947
• ISBN-13: 978-0385349949

Also read the review of Lady You Are Not A Man by Apurva Purohit.