Lady in Red: A Collection of Love poems by Shankar Kashyap

Blurb:

A collection of love poetry like no other. There are forty five poems composed in different formats to suit the mood of the poem - Sonnet, ballad, Ode, Villanelle and Tanka. or those interested in Persian poetry, there are many in the form of Ghazals and Rubaiyat too.



The cover:
The cover page I found a little average and could have been much more attractive and romantic.

About The Book:
As mentioned on the cover page, it is a collection of love poems. There are 45 short poems which includes sonnet, Tanka, Acrostics, Ode, Rubaiyat, Rondeau, Triolet, Minute poem, Ghazal and a few more. The title - “Lady In Red”, is based on one of the poems from the book.

The very fact that these are love poems attracted me to the book. The poems are mostly love struck and depict the feelings of man towards his lady love. The language and choice of words is very simple and that makes the rhyming lines easy to interpret.

Although I am all ears and eyes for love stories, at a certain point, I felt too much of it! The author did added a few poems about betrayal and lost love - but that came towards the end of book. Also, I could very easily spot repetition of thought process, phrases and comparisons all throughout the poems.

Apart from these small hiccups, I feel that it’s a one time light read and definitely a great source to add those little sticky notes to your loved one!

Grab the book from amazon at below link:

Once Upon a Reunion: A Romantic Suspense Novel by Nithya Sashi

The Blurb Says:

Have you ever sat late into the night, missing an ex, and going over hundreds of 'what-if' scenarios? 
Have you loved someone to the point of losing your mind? 
Like most Indian women who have loved, lost, and settled for an arranged marriage, Nirmala secretly pines for her ex-lover, Suresh, even as she leads a happy, mostly peaceful life with Sreenivas, her husband. 
Memories of her first love resurface occasionally, disturbing her present life. 
Unable to fully love Sreenivas with the insane intensity she had felt for Suresh, she is conflicted and lives in a parallel world, always tormented by the probability of a what-if!
It is at this time that her school friends plan a high school reunion, which her ex-lover, Suresh would also be attending. Nirmala sees this as an opportunity to bring a closure to that chapter of her life. But she is torn by the uncertainty and the upheaval this might cause. She fears that her meeting with her ex-boyfriend might ruthlessly tear apart the delicate fabric of her marriage. 

And at the reunion, her world turns on its head.
Suresh is found dead.
Was it suicide? If not, who was the murderer?
Nirmala is crippled by the shock. But blame quickly falls on her as the ex with a motive and before she realizes she is in the police net. 

How does she manage to escape? And what effect does this have on her marriage?

What I Felt About The Book:

“Once upon a Reunion: A Romantic Suspense Novel” as the title suggests is a love story with mystery involved and very obviously set up around a reunion which is generally organized by school or college alumni.

The author Nithya Sashi kept the language simple and urban. There are what’s app conversations, corporate lifestyle and daily issues which most of the current generation can relate to very easily.

The characterization for all the roles - lead as well as supporting is also very real. As some one wells said that nothing is perfect, author Nithya proved that right and added just the right amount of grey sides to all.

The title as suggests that it’s a suspense, there were small hints here and there right from the beginning. I would not say that I did not like anything, but honestly the boos was more than 50 percent done and the reunion had not begun. And then, it took may be even less time to wind up as the long wait it arrived. Revelation of suspense felt like just summarizing. I am sure of the author had given a few more pages and detailing of the final plot, t would have be so much better.

Apart from the never ending beginning and flying speed mystery solution, I quite liked the story. It was not a typical love story for me, but yes, a decent one time read.

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Hola! I keep on repeating after every few posts that I am back at my favorite genre - Romance. But then, maybe I like it so much that even if the break is only one book old, I can absolutely feel it.

"The Fault In Our Stars" is one such awesome book. It's about two teenagers battling bravely with cancer. The book offers their story of life and love. Being written in first person, it's the life events of Hazel Grace. The author beautifully captures little moments of love, craziness, panic and everything. For example, there is a section where Hazel remembers her mother dealing with her disease.

I was normal reading through when I read this. The very nanosecond I read what Hazel heard, I had to fight my tears back. May be because being a mother and daughter both, I could almost feel it to the soul!

Then there is an equally amazing a little love letter which Hazel wrote for Augustus. I won't spill the beans, but I smile every time I think of that. Being a love story, it ought to have xoxo moments. There are also some cheesy lines like -

But I think, when you like something, they become romantic!

Generally, romance fictions revolve around the main characters and so does ‘The Fault In Our Starts’. At the same time, author has taken safe care to add the emotions of people around them as well. There are lot of places where Hazel points out the feelings of her parents and that of Augustus.

From the beginning to end, the story is so sad and the reader is almost aware of the direction it is going to, but still, the author John Green did an excellent job in keeping the reader engaged and want to continue without taking a break. In short, I loved it and has taken a place to my list of books I can recommend

Check out other favorite lines from the book at - Quotes

Additionally, The blurb on the says:

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

#lifeline got to it considering what’s up with #mummy today... and guess what he found most interesting! . . . The book is - Blue and there are numbers in it.... #readerinthemaking #book #reader

A post shared by Amita Sehrawat (@amitagulia) on Jun 28, 2018 at 6:42pm PDT

Get the book from amazon:

Kindle Edition                                                            Paperback

                                                    

Little Maryam by Hamid Baig

About The Author:

Hamid Baig loves storytelling and has been writing poems since childhood. Being an entrepreneur. Let him speak for himself – Hamid Baig

About The Book:

The Blurb Says:

During the course of an international flight, Saadiq Haider, a renowned gene therapist, is transported not only back to the country that he left behind 20 years ago, but also back to a past that has never ceased to haunt him. A past filled with pain and love lost. A past that refuses to be suppressed by alcohol and drugs; memories of lost love that can’t be forgotten by the charms of other women. Saadiq travels back in time—to the rice fields of northern India, to the boughs of an ancient banyan, to the cool and calming winds of the valley where he grew up—a time when he could trust people. A time where every second, every minute, every hour, was Maryam’s. Maryam Dawood, a little girl who was scared of monsters, a girl who asked too many questions, a girl Saadiq was born to protect. A girl with whom he shared his first kiss; Saadiq’s first and only love. The girl who was forcefully taken away from him. Now, decades later, Saadiq is going to see Maryam. One last time.

The Cover:

A girl enjoying her swing beneath huge tree does throw a tiny light on what’s inside. As the reader dives into the story, it becomes even more relatable. Respectable job done by the designer.

How I Felt About The Book:

When I started reading the book, I did not have much thought about the plot and had an intuition that it would be highly predictable. But then, Romance had always been my favorite among all genres. This little book about petty things about love exceeded my expectations.

Innocence, love, hatred, respect, violence, betrayal, surprise, mystery, desire, lust, cry, laughter, depression, delight - name an emotion and it’s there somewhere in the story. Honestly, I found the book more about the lead character – Saadiq instead of “Little Maryam”.

What I Liked:

1. Love - Undoubtedly, it was the matter of hearts which got me hooked.
2. Twists - The writer kept throwing tiny hints about the upcoming events giving the impression of strong predictions. At the same time, he has been quite successful in not proving the reader right along with an un-predictable turn in the story.

What I Did Not Like:

1. Limited one liners - being a love story, I found it hard to fill my notepad with some beautiful quotes. The few I could notice made a little bouquet.

At the end, I am happy that the book made an entry to my bookshelf.

Here are the links if this makes you feel like buying “Little Maryam”.

Amazon - Kindle edition                                                       Amazon - Paperback
                                                                         

Secretly Yours by Vikrant Khanna

Image source

About The Author: Vikrant Khanna  is a caption with merchant Navy. He has the best seller – “Love Lasts Forver” to his credit. Head on to his website to know more about him - http://www.vikrantkhanna.com/

The Blurb:

Everyone has secrets but is hers the most shocking? Orphaned at birth, seventeen-year-old Sahil has always blamed himself for his parents' death. He has little interest in life until he meets the enigmatic Anya in a chance encounter during the Shimla fest. Soon he falls head over heels in love with her, but Anya doesn't reciprocate his feelings.

 An accident leaves him in a coma and when he wakes up he makes a startling discovery-he can read minds! Now he can find out what goes on in Anya's mind and maybe, just maybe, make her fall in love with him. But is Anya all she seems? Or is she hiding something? Deliciously plotted, full of morbid secrets and startling revelations, Secretly Yours will make you question what you see and who you trust."

The Cover:

The cover page has a beautiful girl lost in her own reflection which looks foggy. Would I pick the book from the shelf by looking at the cover? Well, may be yes. But the, wait for the complete review…

The Book:

Secretly Yours is the story of an unfortunate orphan who is in his teenage, has knowledge of music, plays guitar, loves reading and what more – Writing a book. Wait, I am not done yet. It’s also a thrilling murder mystery along with the element of supernatural power. Phew!

Yes, I book has so much to offer and to some extent, It did justice to some of the plots. I so wish, the other plots were also taken good care of.

What I liked about the Book:

1. Teenage - All of us love the time which has passed. Teenage is one of the best times of our lives. I was happy to relive some of my own teenage moments through this book.

2. Short Chapters - Chapters with the range of 5 pages are always a good pick.

3. Drugs, Self Harm – I never understand the concept of self-harm and suicides. I must refrain from stating my views on the topic especially on a public platform. The cutting of own body and delving into alcohol and drugs is depicted quite sensibly in the book from teenage point of perspective.

What I Did Not Like About The Book:

1. Poor Crime Scene Plotting - The depiction of gruesome murders could have been so much better. I have read books where a simple crime scene is written in such a way that they gave me shivers. The author chooses to write about horrible murders with an equally horrible scene explanation. I felt so unfortunate for the author. There was so much scope in those spine chilling plots. I did not think about them even once after reading.

2. Fading Thrill - The moment a murder is described, the context gets lost completely in the very next chapter. I actually waited for the next reference of the crime in true sense. This is definitely not a sign of any thriller.

There were a very few lines which did caught my attention;

"...apologies have an expiry date. If you wait long enough they lose their magic."

“Writing is about pouring your heart and soul onto a paper and feeling light after it.”

If I have to give a final opinion to the book, I would say, ”Secretly Yours does look a promising read by the cover page. The story and plot is an all-time hit. But, I would only prefer reading it on a boing flight or on my iPhone while I try to keep my eyelids open in some meaningless meeting. Go ahead and read it but do not expect any eye-popping thrilling experience.”

The book can be brought from following links:

Amazon Paperback                           Amazon Kindle Edition                                    flipkart Paperback



This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program  for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

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!