The Ring o’ Bells Mystery by Enid Blyton

I found this little book with rusty pages in one of my cupboards. I picked it up out of curiosity and thought of being traveling back to childhood. And then, there was no stopping till it was finished.

It’s a mystery thriller meant for kids. The story goes as below:

When Roger, Diana and Snubby go to stay at Ring O’Bells village, their old friend Barney hitchhikes over with his monkey, Miranda, to join them. Barney has nowhere to stay so he decides to sleep in deserted Ring O’Bells Hall. Bit eerie things happen - bells start to ring, strange noises are heard in a secret passage, and there are some unfriendly strangers about. 

Something very mysterious is going on and the friends mean to find out what...

Now, I totally read it with a kid’s mind. There is a secret passage, a village and people resembling children’s favorite bed time story - “Little Red Riding Hood”. Last but not the least, there are dogs! The description of dogs doing everything they could possibly do to show off and to gain attention of is just hilarious. I was smiling really-really wide as I could so relate that to the Labrador – Skipper at one of my cousin’s house. He is always picking up shoes or anything he can possibly get his mouth on while we are at their place to make sure that we do not indulge too much in our conversations and forget pampering him. To sum up this paragraph, there is something for everyone who reads it. 

The plot is just perfect for the age group “Ring O’Bells Mystery” is targeted for. Although it is obviously a little predictable for an adult, I totally put that aside as I thoroughly enjoyed reading it all.

All the characters and the language also very good which kept me engaged and not wanting to put it down till the end. If I had the luxury of sleeping through the day, I would have sat all night up to finish and reach to the end of truly adventurous journey.

I am all praises for this and recalled the "Famous Five" series! There are more books for sure, coming up in my book shelf soon to accompany it! I am waiting for my kids to grow up to the right age to introduce it to them.

Together Forever To Never by Satish Goyal

The Blurb:
No one can love like you… if I lose you, I will be left with nothing’ So says Sariyanka, a girl from a small town, madly in love with Samar. Having lost true love once before, Samar too believes that Sariyanka is his other half whom Zeus, the Greek God had separated from him.. In a chance conversation with his friend Mayank, Samar discovers some shocking truths. As the story unravels, a series of events follow that forever change the meaning of love for Samar. Is Sariyanka the one Samar calls his ‘other half’? Will Samar get the love that he always longed for? This highly anticipated novel by Satish Goyal is an emotional roller coaster that bravely explores the highs and lows of love. It’s a story of love – unshaken and unquestioned; yet unfulfilled and unrequited. A saga of deceit served on a platter of lies. About the author: Satish Goyal is a finance professional and works at a US multinational company. Since his days at the university, he had dreamed of writing on subjects close to his heart, but had put those dreams on hold to focus on his family and career. He finally plucked up the courage to put pen to paper with his first novel ‘Together Forever To Never”. Satish believes that success cannot be measured in terms of wealth or titles. The true measure of success is happiness that one is able to achieve in life. Satish is now writing his second book, “The Coaster Series”.


The Book
Title of the book actually gives enough hint on what’s in store and goes well with the cover page. I also liked the blurb which generates right amount of curiosity. The author managed to pump up the desire of reader to continue reader till it finds the reason of incident mentioned right in the beginning of the book.

The language is very simple and reader can make good progress in a short span of time without skimming through pages.

About the book, usage of good vocabulary is quite prominent from the very beginning. At the same time, it is simple enough to not let the reader refer a dictionary every now and then.

Another thing I liked was - There were a letters here and there! Any one who reads me does not need an introduction to my fascination about them.

Samar, lead character is portrayed as an ideal partner a girl would look for - faithful, hardcore romantic, responsible, innocent, successful, supporting... I am falling short of adjectives.

The story moves really fast but then suddenly goes on slow motion in second part.

There is a section in the book where preaching of life are mentioned. Again, it’s my personal choice that I am not into self help reads and tend to skim through these sections.

There were few sequences which I felt were repeated and felt already read in same book with different language.

Romance is my favorite genre but at the same time, book failed to make me fall in love. Overall, it is a decent one time read very much relevant to present times. The era and behavioral pattern we see nowadays has been existing in society ever since but then it’s now that we have become open and started talking about.

Answer in 10 seconds: What’s the best thing someone has ever done for you?

                                                             

The Sameness in a Consistent Change by Sujay Malik

The Blurb Says:

The wheel of time is a fascinating force. Sometimes it seems to only crawl along, while at other times it simply hustles. And when you tend to look behind, you expect that most puzzles would fall in place. But do they eventually?

Ramanuj, a village boy is confused about most things. He shares a strange rapport with his father, who, despite financial issues doesn’t stall his education. But Ramanuj has no idea what to do with himself.

Then one day things change and change permanently. There is no looking back from this bend; there cannot be. He meets Mr. Shrirangpure, through a chance meeting in a hospital through his daughter Pallavi. Something prompts him to appear more ambitious than he would like to have been.

Impoverished and submissive, he manages to rise above the shackles with time, even though everything is still stuck to his past. But now he cannot get back. He doesn’t want to. Until a revelation, prompts him to go back to his roots again. To the same tree, with which he shares a bond; to the drain water, with which he has shared many a memory; and to the same surrounding, which formed his core once.

This is a story of a boy who tried to end his life once. He loved as well and tried to rise to a level to become worthy of it. A boy, whose journey is all about mostly looking back.

‘The Sameness in a Consistent Change’ is a story of this interesting journey. A journey, devoid of a destination, perhaps. But the fun, sometimes, lies only in the journey.

How I Felt About the Book:

The Cover:

I kind of found the cover page quite creative after reading the book and understanding the context. But then, if I would pick it up in a book store? I am finding it difficult to answer it, so I would say may be.

The Book:

“The Sameness In A Consistent Change” is a short story and can be well finished in 1 single sitting. I however, took a few days to finish it – Yes, I belong to slow reading club.

Coming to the book, it was a simple story with almost no twists and turns. The author – Sujay Malik has used few complex words out of his vocabulary, which made me feel that I might need a dictionary! But at the same time, they are blended the lines and story line which did not make me go back to the dictionary every now and then.

I found the story line and characters quite average. Little more details about the characters other than Ramanuj might have made the book more interesting.

At the same time, there were few instances which could emotionally connect. For example, below extract where one could easily relate to being able to share the successes with your parents:

“when he achieved his dream of becoming something in his life after clearing the coveted Civil Services Exam, his was sapped of all energy and excitement. He was thankful but restrained. The Ramanuj of old would have reacted differently. But this was not the Ramanuj of old. He wanted to go to meet his father. It was not possible. He wanted to go to meet Mr. Shrirangpure.”

It was a one time read for me and before I finish, here are a few lines I highlighted.

He was no less a bird, who had come back to his nest in the evening. The evening of his life!

Life went on and he fell behind trying to leap ahead.

Written in so simple words yet so powerful!

Truths are good. But most falsities are better.

The sound of silence is beautiful.”

Catch Me If You Can by Rafaa Dalvi

The Blurb:

What happens when the world's best detective realizes that his prodigy has become a wanted global con artist? Prepare for a wild cat-and-mouse chase around the world.

What I Felt About The Book

Catch Me If You Can is a really really short  book - just 18 pages. The author used very simple language and started with a comic incident.

I so wish I could write more good lines in addition to above. I so hate to write a review I would not like to read for myself! But then, I cannot be dis-honest in my own blog.

The blurb says that it’s a cat and mouse chase which again fell flat. Honestly, sometimes, I have found comedy TV shoes more gripping and comical at the same time. The only time I smiled was in there beginning section where the making of one of the main characters is described.

Considering it was a short story, I still felt that a few more lines or paragraphs on the character building could have been better. The book just began and ended when the I began to gain interest.

A grammatical mistake is the biggest turn down in any book. While everyone is bound to make mistakes, including myself on this very blog, but still- an error -  that too in such little book!

In between everything, I managed to highlight 1 line - which earned a star from me :P

If history has taught us anything, it's that you either eat or get eaten up."

I felt it was very hurried attempt! Honestly, it could have been a good story and a nice read if more time, words and twists were given to it.

The Next person You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

The blurb says: The accident that killed Eddie left an indelible mark on Annie. It took her left hand, which needed to be surgically reattached. Injured, scarred, and unable to remember why, Annie's life is forever changed by a guilt-ravaged mother who whisks her away from the world she knew. Bullied by her peers and haunted by something she cannot recall, Annie struggles to find acceptance as she grows. When, as a young woman, she reconnects with Paulo, her childhood love, she believes she has finally found happiness.

As the novel opens, Annie is marrying Paulo. But when her wedding night day ends in an unimaginable accident, Annie finds herself on her own heavenly journey - and an inevitable reunion with Eddie, one of the five people who will show her how her life mattered in ways she could not have fathomed.

What I Felt About The Book:
"The Five People You Meet in Heaven" is my all time favorite books. It is one of those books, I keep on recommending whenever someone asks me for a good book to read. Recently, I started feeling I am sure I am not overrating it. Then, one day, I noticed the sequel to be coming and guess what? I pre-ordered it that very moment. I received the copy a few days earlier to the expected date of delivery and was glad to hold it. Don't buy the excitement, here is what I shared on Instagram as I got an update about the arrival -

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The Next Person You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom ... sequel coming up for one of my #favroite #novel “The Five People You Meet In Heaven”... read my review here - http://mydatewithbooks.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-five-people-you-meet-in-heaven-by.html?m=1 I so hope the sequel would be equally amazing if not better... #thefivepeopleyoumeetinheaven #thenextpersonyoumeetinheaven #mitchalbom #mitchalbom @mitchalbom #5peopleyoumeetinheaven #the5peopleyoumeetinheaven #alltimefavorite #reading #books #book #bookstagram #preorder #cantwait

A post shared by Amita Sehrawat (@amitagulia) on Sep 28, 2018 at 7:31am PDT

"The Next Person You Meet in Heaven" is a simple yet powerful book which succeeds in letting it's reader enjoy the story and teach simple yet important life lessons at the same time. Not every book is capable of doing so.

There is some or the other part in the story line which anyone would be able to relate to. My personal favorite part was Annie first encounter. No! I am not going to write a spoiler. Its is so true that we never ever realize how or what impact we might make by which of our decisions either knowingly or unknowing. Sometimes, the level of impact goes all over to generations.

There were one or two plots in the story that I could predict but then I did not regret it. They were written so beautifully yet. The writing style Mitch Albom uses is also really simple and goes with the flow. Regarding the supporting characters, there were few I already knew the feelings deep within even before I read them on paper.

I would recommend any one who loves general fiction to read this. It is not at all required to read the first book in order to get it. If someone has read it, it's actually an advantage  in terms of reliability and speed of reading!

It's one of those books which can be finished in single or two to three sittings easily. It is also one of those books which makes you cry but leave a smile at the lips every now and then throughout the end.

I am not done!!! Here are few lines I could not resist share as quotes.

My Favorite lines from "The Next Person You Meet In Heaven"


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National Post Day - India

My dear daughter,

I hope this letter finds you in the best of health and spirits. I am doing fine too.

My love, I want to remind you that yo are most precious gift I have ever had...

There was once a time when post was the only medium to stay in touch with the loved and dear ones. People used to wait for days, months and even years for that one letter from someone they missed. I truly miss that essence these days.

Technologies have converted the waiting time to less than a second and we can always see and talk face to face with anyone any-where in the world. Still, there are some things which cannot be replaced.

Time and again I have expressed my love for letters. See the posts here:

Posts which reminded me of Letters.

This post is thus dedicated to National Post Day - India celebrated on 10th October. Britishers gave  this gift to India in 1774 which is still a medium of communications in many places.

Did you know that the India Post is among the largest postal networks around the world?

When was the last time you received a letter from some one - not the official posts and reminders, an actual letter!

Banned Books Week

Hola readers!

Do you know there is a whole week dedicated to books that are banned because of any reason? Yes, it is #BannedBooksWeek!

Banned Books week is an annual event celebrated worldwide which aims at celebrating freedom to read. I think, it’s also a tribute to freedom to express and write. Ever since books have been existence, many of them have been challenged by some one or the other as they found the content inappropriate. It was launched in the year 1982 and is held during the last week of September.

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#bannedbooksweek #bookstagram #reader #book #bookstagram #bibliophile #bannedbooksweek2018 #bannedbooks #booksbanned

A post shared by Amita Sehrawat (@amitagulia) on Sep 25, 2018 at 6:40am PDT

Who bans books?

There are several authorities which play role in banning a book.

1.    International associations

2.    National associations, government bodies, courts.

3.    Local associations, courts etc.

Why are books banned?

As much as we all have the freedom of speech, the freedom of expression is also exercised equally. Published content either fiction or non-fiction, can be interpreted differently by everyone. Any person who has any kind of objection on a book or is contents can be challenged and thus lead to a ban if found reasonable at various levels like local, national, etc.

Below are some of the common reasons which mostly combined with one another have led to banning of a book

1.    Racial Issue

      Racism had been the most common social issue all over the world. Despite of the fact that fiction books clearly states that all content is purely fiction, many books have been challenged and subsequently banned because of this reason. Most common examples would be
“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee 
“Gone with The Wind” by Margaret Mitchell.

2.    In appropriate usage of words and Violence -

      Offensive language is one of the major reasons of the most commonly banned classic book - “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Many groups find a few books to be too violent to read. This combined with racism and sexually explicit language is the top most reason to result in banning a book. Here is another example:

“Lord of the Flies” by William Golding

3.    Sexual content

Sex - oh I typed the taboo word! Yes, this is one of the most common reason leading to a book being banned. This might also be the biggest list if made. Here are a few.

“Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl” by Anne Frank

“The Color Purple” by Alice Walker

“I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou

4.    Religious Issue

Religion is another sensitive topic and the most debatable one too. Unfortunately, many books have been taken of the shelf as they hurt or disrespected some religious beliefs.

“The Satanic Verses” by Salman Rushdie

“The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown

5.    Political Issue

Politics and politicians have also been a popular subject of inspiration for many authors. Here are some books that were banned considering various political references or allegations or challenges:

“Nineteen Eighty-Four” by George Orwell

“Mein Kampf” by Adolf Hitler

Then there are of course some books which cannot be sold or purchased in some parts of the world all due to strange reasons.

What are the books you know of were banned based on unthinkable grounds?

PS; The books I have mentioned are not necessarily banned everywhere. Also, the list is long and keep on growing with each new release.

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

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The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

Ever since my childhood, Jungle Book to me had been all about the very famous “Jungle Jungle pata chala hai, chaddi pehen ke phool khila hai, phool khila hai”. I downloaded the “The Jungle Book” to read the actual version of same and it took me to a total surprise – a pleasant one indeed.

The book is a good mix of five (most popular of all - the 'Mowgli' is actually divided in three stories.) stories. All the stories are followed by a related poems/songs/rhymes. All the poems summarize the nature of animals and their lives in the preceding story.

I think I might be repeating myself from my earlier posts that there is a reason some books are termed "Classics".

I could not write a single, whole some review for the "The Jungle Book" by Rudyard Kipling, so I decided to go one by one. The short stories along with their title and following verses are as below:

1. Mowgli's Brothers - Childhood hero Mowgli being rescued and raised by wolves and the realization of animals that he is a man after all! This chapter is the one we all know much about.

Wolfs always hunt in pack and they ought to have few lines to get them going. "Hunting Song of the Seeonee Pack” helps them to remain focused and follow their leader.

2. Kaa's Hunting - Big hypnotizing python - Kaa is helps Baloo and Bagheera to rescue Mowgli from the "Bandar-log".

I found this song very close to monkeys or at-least how we perceive them. The monkeys found pride in the song while Mowgli realized that this was not an environment he could enjoy for long. It's called the "Road Song of the Bandar-Log".

3. Tiger! Tiger! - The final of Mowgli's series where he goes to a village where humans live. But then, Jungle is where his heart belongs to. He along with his wolf brother finally brings an end to the cruel Shere Khan.

Finally, Mowgli sings "Mowgli's Song" with much pride and tells everyone about his victory over Share Khan. It's popularly known as the victory song, but I could not help but notice the tiny elements of sadness in verses. Life sure is unpredictable!

4. The White Seal - It's a brave story of Kotick - a rare white seal who decides to find a safe place for his fellow seals. Honestly speaking, this one is my favorite of all. There are so many takeaways from this little story with respect to 'modern society' we are living in. This story might make way to another post from my end.

The "Lukannon" song - which I found a bit sad does a good justice to the story. Reading the verses shows why Kotick decided to follow a path which was discouraged by all but was much needed at the same time.

5. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi - A mongoose named 'Rikki-Tikki-Tavi' finds himself rescued by a family of humans and returns the favor best by rescuing them back by a family of Cobra.

The tailor-bird "Darzee" sings in celebration as Rikki-Tikki-Tavi hunts cobra and made the garden a safe place to live for other creatures. The song is titled - "Darzee's Chaunt".

6. Toomai of the Elephants - World of Elephants has always been of much interest ever. It's a nice story about little boy Toomai and his adventurous encounter by elephants - of all types!

Wait before you think that the story has come to an end. a beautiful song Little Toomai‘s mother sang to him when he was a baby awaits next. It's a gorgeous song depicting the law of nature called "Shiv and the Grasshopper". Toomai‘s mother explains that the creator - Shiva is the one who "made all" and also ensured that all are fed leaving no one hungry.

7. Her Majesty's Servants - What happens when animals from different regions or work culture meet? What do they discuss? This short story is a compilation of one such event when mule, camel, horse, elephant and bullock spend the night together and discover new things about each other’s work - obviously each thinks theirs is better than others.

The story is followed by "Parade-Song of the Camp Animals" - a enthusiastic song where each group gets to echo their own verse and then a common one.

All the stories depict the world through the eyes of animals. They also focus on the basic nature of animal in picture turning it in the form of a tale children might enjoy. I would however like to give a disclaimer warning that it's nowhere near to Disney's magical world and might crush those sugar-coated images of animals we have built. As a child, I might not enjoy it originally and thus think that it's justified to tweak them a bit when it comes to presenting the same to children.

Very rarely I write this - Go for it with open heart! You would not regret the time invested. I Loved it thoroughly. Need more reasons to add it to your library - It's free on Kindle!

                                                                        

note - all quotes have been created for free at http://quozio.com/

Silly Tilly by Eileen Spinelli, David Slonim (Illustrator)

Remember the popular Airtel advert – “Hare ek friend jaruri hota hai (Each and every friend is important)”? This little picture book is all about that.

We all have that one friend we cannot live without at the same time is utterly intolerable. Tilly the Goose is exactly that friend among the farm animals.

Here goes the blurb:

"Tilly is not an ordinary goose. She takes her baths in apple juice. She wears a pancake as a hat. She tries to ride the farmer’s cat."

But the barnyard animals complain that she’s too silly. When she stops entertaining her friends with her antics, the farm becomes a quiet and unhappy place

 What happens next? Read it out to find.

The illustrations are very vibrant and kids would love them. My son was continuously laughing and I had to repeat few sentences to him since he stopped listening in between. Here is the picture he liked the most.

He loved it because he also knows cartwheels! But then, he is not silly to do them on a cow.

Grab the book now and read it aloud to the kids around you. And yes, it’s free with Kindle Unlimited subscription. Grab it from below links:

                    Kindle Edition                                       Paperback Edition