Book Review - Regular Porridge (✩✩✩)

I got an epub of this book as a Review Copy from the author.

*****

Regular Porridge is a short, decent collection of poems. While the content starts very strongly, with
powerful emotions being put forward in the harshest forms, the narrative quickly dwindles down. The initial poems on war and life are prose, each one telling a compelling story, or at least a part of it. 'Chottu' and 'Twinkle's Gone' were the other two pieces that held my attention.

However, post Life's Medley, I quickly lost interest. The number of grammatical errors and spelling mistakes also multiplied significantly, contributing to the loss of interest.

The content is good but deserves to be polished. There are some interesting pieces and concepts in there, but they are hidden by the lack of general proofreading which, for me at least, is highly distracting.

Recommended one time, but you could wait for the edited edition to enjoy it more.

*****


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Book Review - Tarikshir (✩✩✩✩✩)

I got the book as a part of the review program in Outset.

https://rakhijayashankar.blogspot.in

Took me a while to decide on the rating but I think I will stick to 5 because the book was, indeed, amazing!

When I read the blurb, I definitely did not anticipate what I am in for. The narration, the storyline, the execution of the plot - I loved every bit of it! And (bless the author!!) the book was edited. If you have read my previous reviews, you will know how this has been a big big big hindrance for me in the past. Congratulations on this beauty! Aapke khayaal kaafi behtereen

hain. :)

The cover: The cover design is beautiful. It is different and crisp and not screaming for attention, like sometimes cover illustrations do. The quality of the image is what makes the reader want to dive in the beauty, head first.

The blurb: I was a little disappointed with the blurb. While it is not inaccurate or lacking per se, it could have been made more exciting. The book is one hell of a roller-coaster ride and, for a reader who relies heavily on the blurb before picking up the book, the blurb does not do justice to what lies ahead. Spice it up, I'd say.

The plot: The plot is fresh and detailed. The story is, as the blurb says, of one Rudra, a newly crowned prince faced with the daunting task of saving his empire from the British army. In the process of unearthing secrets that led to his father's death/murder, Rudra uncovers some deep, dark ancient secrets that have the potential of reshaping his entire world. What follows is a nail-biting war between Rudra and dark powers, between the good and the bad, between peace and power.

There is an element of mythology in the book which gives it a unique flavour, a flavour that, in my opinion, should be introduced in the blurb as well. The fight between good and bad is age old, and placing this book contextually in the frame of Hindu mythology has rendered it a notch above your average good vs bad literature.

The execution: The plot had been executed commendably well. The author has left no stone unturned to make this book a definite page-turner. The editing is crisp and keeps the reader always on the edge, eager to know what's next. There are layers and layers to the book that keep uncovering every now and then. All the loopholes have been neatly tied the end, making this one satisfactory read.

The writing style: The author's got style (if you know what I mean). And damn, that style is thoroughly enjoyable. The imagination that the narrative is able to ignite in the reader's mind is commendable. The writing flows, along with the story, gently moving forward but still journeying like a bullet (geddit?). Oh, and the splash of humour here and there made me smile quite many times.

The characters: The characters are well-etched. The protagonist, Rudra, has been sketched fairly well, and is relatable. Burdened with the daunting task of running an entire kingdom under extreme circumstances, the young king is often faced with the same dilemmas we face in our lives. The choices may be difficult, but they still have to be made. There is a long list of supporting cast, who have been given their due place and time in the narrative.

The climax and end: The climax is exactly like it should be, unexpected yet plausible. This is not one of those "what the hell just happened?" kind of stories. Everything eventually makes sense, you just have to dig deeper.

The end is open, both in terms of interpretation and in terms of content. Maybe the end is an indication for a sequel, maybe it is a satire (that's not the most appropriate word but my vocabulary is failing me terribly in conveying what I want to say without giving any spoilers), a general remark on how the world functions. Read the book now to know more!

Definitely recommended! Looking forward to reading more by the author, and soon.

*****


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Book Review - DareDreamers (✩✩✩✩✩)

I got the book as a part of the review program in Outset.

I absolutely loved this book!
People who follow my reviews must certainly know how strict I am with my ratings. Hence when I give this book five stars, trust me that it certainly deserves it.

The book came to me as part of a review program, and I am very glad it did. I am certain that I would not have picked this up otherwise. And am also certain I would've definitely missed out on something great!

The story: The story is of one Rasiq, and his journey from being an MNC slave to being a part of a start-up of daredevils. The narrative opens with Rasiq's first day in Bombay, the city where dreams come true, as an investment banker. While the first part of the book discovers the struggles faced by Rasiq in an extremely hectic job, it also discovers the changes that money can bring in a man's life. The struggle to balance work with the rest of his life has been portrayed beautifully, along with the struggle of being in a difficult and unrewarding relationship.
In contrast, the second part of the book shifts gears as Rasiq decides to quit his job and invest in a start-up of super heroes. While the blurb details why exactly 'DareDreamers' a start-up of superheroes, the readers will also understand in the pages of the narrative that the service offered by the start-up is no less than that of heroes. Amidst competition and cheating and cunning competition, will the start-up survive? Will the dare-dreamers' dreams be crushed under the weight of politics and treachery? The narrative is one hell of a roller-coaster ride, leaving no time or space for the reader to get bored.

The stunts were OTT, but I think that was the fun part. They truly lived up to the description of 'superheroes'.

The language: The biggest plus point of the book was the fact that it was edited! And it is a shame for me to admit it, but most new books authored by Indian authors lose majorly on this ground. It was nice to read a well-edited, proofread book. The language is flowy and simple. No unnecessary fancy words thrown here and there for the sake of it.

The characters: Most characters are sketched well. The character of Rasiq's father is extremely endearing. He was my favourite background character. Even the character of the main villain had shades of grey to it, making him more believable. Narad Money, of course, was a man without any conscience.

The end: The end was satisfactory. This book made me feel quite happy.

Definitely recommended. The father-son duo have done a wonderful job and I hope more and more readers get to enjoy their work.


*****

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I am participating in the Thursday Thoughts challenge by Vidhya Thakkar.

Book Review - Chennai to Chicago (✩✩.5)

I got the book as a part of the review program in Outset.

I am very conflicted in my rating for this book. While it was definitely better than 'ok', I am not sure I can commit to the statement that I liked it. So, for me, this would be a 2.5.

The story is of one Sriram, and his journey across nations and his journey within himself. While I did not enjoy the first half of the book at all, there was something about the second half that held my attention. The narrative, however, was not very fluid and jumpy at many places. It was because of these reasons that I did not read the book in one stretch. Plus, this was a kindle copy, not my most preferred mode of reading.

The story: The narrative was slightly jumpy for me. There were too many things in one plot. While initially the blurb made me think that the story would revolve around the journey for an Indian from a city in south of India to the land of dreams, 'Merica, the beginning of the plot was quite different from my expectations. There was a flavour of heartbreak and romance in the initial chapters. And the detailing of the same, in my opinion, was very amateurish. Also, the romance (or the lack of it) between the characters named 'Sriram' and 'Madhuri' instantly made me think of Madhuri Dixit (a popular Bollywood actor) and her husband, Sriram Nene. What are the odds!

The story then moved on to the life of the protagonist in terms of his career and the set-backs he faces in that arena. This part was mildly attractive. The struggle that the protagonist faced in terms of his professional life is detailed but comes across as a diary entry/venting rather than a flowy narrative. The other area that the book explored was soul-searching. There are flashes of it throughout the narrative but it is mostly focused on towards the end.

My problem with the narrative was there was a mix of too many things, with no satisfactory conclusion to any part. Maybe there was a deliberate attempt on the part of the author to transition from romance to career to soul searching, but that transition did not work for me. When I pick up a book, I like to know what part of someone's life am I going to be privy to. Too much happening in too little always leaves me with a taste of dissatisfaction. The same was the case here. I would have, I think, preferred, if the story was categorically written in parts, or at least divided that way.

The language: At the very best, the language is poor. I am all for simple language. I firmly believe that the simpler the language is, the more the reader will enjoy it. However, the language used here seemed like an exact production of the thought process of the protagonist, with no effort made to add to the character of the narrative.

The book has not been edited. It is riddled with grammatical mistakes and spelling errors, so much so that I had to keep the book away for a few days as initially the bad editing was all I could focus on. The backbone of any piece of literature is the language used to narrate the story. This book lost out majorly in this criterion.

A major part of the book is on the lines of this happened, that happened and then that happened, with very little to portray the feelings/thought process of the character.

The characters: Apart from the character of Sriram, no other character is developed. May be that was deliberate, but a story (even of it is of a certain person's life) is wholesome when there is an interplay between characters. That was missing from the narrative.

All in all, the book has major potential if only someone would spend time editing and proofreading it. There is a story in there if you dig deep. In my opinion, the book needs some solid editing and, maybe, a bit of rewriting as well. Recommended if you want something light to read, probably in between books.

*****

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Book Review - Table for One (✩✩)

(I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the author.)

When I picked up this book, I was hoping to read something different and something new. However, I was pretty disappointed. And the lack of proofreading and editing only made it even more cumbersome for me to read this book in one flow.

The story is of one Taara Maheshwari, dejected in her love life and not sure about what she wants from her life. On an impulse, she decides to quit her job and take a one-month Euro trip (not in the same sequence). However, she barters the 'permission' to go on this trip with her father on the condition that she will come back to India to marry the boy her parents have zeroed down for her.

Destiny, however, has other plans for her. While on her trip, Taara meets some very interesting people, starting right at the airport when she is about to board her flight from India. All these people, at every given point in the trip, manage to shape her journey in a certain way. How does Taara survive alone in a foreign land? What is in store for her? Will Taara be able to find what she is looking for? The book explores all these ideas in a short, 171 page read.

The thing that I liked was the detailed description of European cities. The vivid imagination of the author almost compelled me to pack my bags and board a flight right now!

The story: The story was not what I expected it to be. The blurb does not give it away, but the book (especially towards the second half) is essentially a cliched romance. 

The protagonist: I can't find words to describe how much I detest the character of Taara. She is not only portrayed to be extremely immature for her age but also seems very superficial in her approach to life. Throughout the book, the reader can see how Taara has always looked for a man to be the anchor of her life. Now, per se, this may not be a bad thing, but this cannot be the only thing that defines a woman and her life, and her life choices and decisions. The constant need to have someone to fulfill you is, in the very least, dangerous to one's emotional character. I see a lot of 'Taara' in many people around me, and my opinion of them is the same. Be your own anchor - that is the advice I would give Taara if I had a chance to meet her. The clinginess is apparent on the face of it. 

I usually like books with the portrayal of a woman as a strong individual. This book, in my opinion, failed to do that. 

The language: The language was alright, but the book has definitely not been proofread before being published. There were glaring grammatical mistakes, punctuation missing, etc. right from the beginning. Even the blurb is not error free.

Also, the constant focus on body image, the reference to 'blacks', the reference to consumption of alcohol as being 'cool', reference to most women being neutral to politics, the shock on discovering someone's orientation, and such typical stereotyping threw me off. (Pretty inappropriate, in my opinion.)

The book, all in all, is an easy breezy, light read and can be finished in one sitting. There is no 'wow' factor in the book. Recommended for those who are looking for a light read between books.



*****
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Book Review - Let You Be My Puppet Once (✩✩✩✩)

I got the book as a part of the review program in Outset.
https://rakhijayashankar.blogspot.in

Quite a good break from some very poorly written and edited Indian authors I have read recently!
Congratulations to the author for writing a pretty gripping first novel.

Title - The title befits the story-line. Based in India, where every citizen at some point or the other feels manipulated in the hands of the Government, the reference to being a 'puppet' is apt. However, what happens when the tables turn and it is the political leaders that are being puppet-ed by those who have suffered under their reign is reflected well in the title.

Story line - The blurb explains the story perfectly. Unlike many books that I have recently, the blurb is not misleading and the reader knows exactly what they are in for.
The story is of four friends avenging the wrongs done to them by corrupt and criminally motivated political leaders. The backgrounds of the characters have been dealt with beautifully and one can easily connect the pieces and clues included sporadically in every chapter. How the four manage to manipulate the top Government agencies and survive against all odds is something that the reader will know only once they pick up the book. Every chapter leaves the reader on tenterhooks, and that is one of the reasons why I finished the book in one-two sittings.

Language: The language is flowy and gripping. No unnecessary jargon and irrelevant musings (which seems to be the trend these days) has been included, just for the sake of making the prose more flowery, and I am very happy about that! The narrative is easy to understand and is a good, light yet gripping read. 

Editing: The editing, however, much to my disappointment, is poor. The book needs some heavy duty editing before the next edition is out.

Definitely recommended. 
Read it with an open mind, don't expect to be mind-blown and you'll enjoy the book. Hi5 to the author for being an exception to the rule of trashy romance books.



*****
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Book Review - The Secret of the Sculptures (✩✩.5)

I got the book as a part of the review program in Outset.

While I had very high expectations from this book, this one just did not work for me.
The story offers a fresh theme - the theft of an ancient sculpture, embroiling two young girls, a bunch a their friends, a dubious professor, a shifty mentor and a mysterious light-eyed man. However, the freshness was contained in the plot itself and did not manage to translate into the 236 pages.

The characters are immature and very poorly developed. I did not feel connected to any of them. Far from it, it was difficult for me to even imagine any of them. Also, at a point in time, I felt that there were way too many characters without any specific role to play. The numbers just added to the confusion and not to the plot.

The story-line was jumpy and the smooth flow that makes for a good book for me was missing. Also, the narrative was way too feelings-oriented. You will probably have to read the book yourself to know what I mean.

Not recommended. But may work for you.



*****
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Book Review - Seductive Affair (✩✩.5)

(I got the book as a part of the review program by the author.)

What I expected when I read the title and the blurb and saw the cover: An out and out thriller with a touch of seduction and dark romance and a surreptitious affair.
What I got: A light and breezy read with mostly forbidden romance as the highlight.

The blurb: The blurb does not do justice to the book.
The desperation and urgency and the thrill in the blurb does not translate to the pages of the book. Prisha (if I were writing the blurb) is a girl-next door who 'thinks' she is ambitious and career driven, but is more romantic than pragmatic in her approach to life. (How else would explain her risking her first 'dream job' for a supposed investigative story and/or for a fiery romance that sets her loins on fire every time she thinks of it.)

The story that Rajesh is trying to hide from the editor, Priya, is far from investigative. In fact, the entire plot of the book is based around this supposedly front-page shattering story, except there is nothing woah-I-did-not-see-that-coming about it. Also, there is no good explanation offered as to why the protagonist had to hide this story from the editor. None whatsoever. The blurb, again, over-hypes this part as well.

Lastly, the blurb and the title makes reference to a 'seductive affair' that is absent in the entire book. The story is of a typical boy-meets-girl-and-instantly-falls-in-love one. Nothing 'seductive' about it. I can't say for sure whether it qualifies as an 'affair' either, which is often more scandalous.

The story: As I have mentioned before, the book is mostly a romance with a dash of suspense; just a little, almost negligible.

The language: The language is simple, flowy and easy to understand. There is no unnecessary use of jargon, but the author has also not managed to paint a picture with his words. The intimate description failed to incite even a pitiful tingle. Like I said, it is simple.

The characters: The characters are sketched decently, but I failed to form a connection with either of them. I did not find the character of Prisha relatable either. The supporting characters are, well, just mentioned sporadically, and hence it becomes easier for the reader to guess a lot of things in terms of story-line.

There are some things about the book that triggered my OCD and I am hoping the next editions will take care of these:
1. In the blurb, the name of the protagonists is mentioned as Prisha Khatri and Rajesh Lagheri. However, in the book itself, the protagonist introduces herself a Prisha Lagheri. :/
2. The editor informs Rajesh that his co-reporter would be unable to accompany him to Bengaluru. However, Rajesh and Prisha take the flight to Mumbai and the conference actually ends up being there instead. :/

Final views: The book is an ok read. The first 50 pages were quite interesting; there was a lot of build-up that falls flat as you proceed further. There is a love story, there is intimacy, but that is mostly all that there is.

One time read, if at all.



*****
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Book Review - The Last Attractor of Chaos (✩✩✩.5)

I got the book as a part of the review program in Outset. To know more, click: 
https://rakhijayashankar.blogspot.in

The Last Attractor of Chaos is a sci-fi thriller, very different from what I have usually read and definitely a first in this genre by an Indian author, and I must congratulate the author for doing a good job of it.

In short - The prestigious and supremely powerful Kali.x has gone missing and the prime suspect is Shruti Rathore, an officer with a dark past, who is on a run from the Government agencies for a 'crime' she did not commit. Guiding her on a different dimension is her dead husband, Ashwin Rathore, who was killed in an attempt actually targeted at Shruti. Through a series of twists and turns, the mystery unfolds.

Language: The language of the book is fluid. One can easily read it in one go, if time permits. The scientific theories have been explained in detail and (should be) easily understood by a person with no background in science. (I cannot be completely sure as I have a decent background in physics). Apart from the first chapter, the entire book is from the POV of the deceased husband. However, there were some glaring grammatical mistakes that, hopefully, would be done away with when the next edition is out. 

The characters: The characters have been etched out decently, although I do think a little more background into Ashwin's character was required. Factually, it is all there. Personality wise, a little more detailing would have been good. Shruti's character has a streak of darkness that contributes in creating an aura of mystery to the entire narrative. The supporting characters have been given adequate space to develop and showcase themselves.

The story: The story is unique. The combination of particle physics, thriller and an undercover operation make it a viable option for adaptation and I am hoping to see this book as a movie someday. 

The ending/climax: I was a little disappointed with the ending. The climax seems to be a little rushed and the author could've spared a couple of more chapters to satisfactorily tie all the loose ends. The ending seemed abrupt and that took away the charm of the climax.

One glaring problem I had with the book (which also is the reason why I finished the book in two sittings, instead of one) was the portrayal of romance between the two main characters. Not only did it seem ill-founded, whatever little bit of detailing that was given to their relationship only made matters worse. (Vague here to avoid spoiler.) The description of the approach of the male protagonist towards the female protagonist seems too bollywood-ish (and I do not say that in a good way). 

Also, there is a part where the author has described the female protagonist having a 'masculine confidence'. This description actually threw me off. Physical traits defined by gender, I can understand. But to deal with a non-physical intangible trait in terms of gender stinks of misogyny at some level, whether conscious or not. A big no-no!

Final thoughts: Recommended read. If one takes the above two points with a pinch of salt, the book is engaging. The USP is that the premise is new and refreshing.

Book Review - A Closetful of Skeletons (✩✩.5)

Two stars: It was ok.

The book is not bad. It is a decent one time read. But the entire onus of making a thriller/murder mystery a good one is on the climax, which failed to satisfy me. The end comes as a surprise, and I do not say that in a good way.

The story revolves around the murder of Ramola, a yesteryear's star, who decided to ruffle feathers of a bunch of (crooks) people from her extremely dramatic and tabloid-worthy past by announcing her autobiography in their presence on her 40th birthday. 

I'll go over the things that worked for me first:

1. The plot: It is simple yet interesting. The locked-room whodunit mystery with a bunch of characters related to the victim in convoluted ways added a flavour of drama to the book, and I quite liked it.
2. The treatment of characters: Most of the characters, in my opinion, were well sketched. I am particularly happy with the author's decision of placing the murder much after the initial character-building of the book has taken place. The clever placement gives the reader an insight to the protagonist's relationship with the various other characters, both in the present time as well as throwing light on the dynamics of their shared past.
3. The flow: The language was mostly flowy and the book seemed to move as one fluid and racy narrative, even though there were plenty of characters to be dealt with, each having an independent backgrounds. (I will come to the negatives later.) 
4. The build-up/suspense: When everyone has a motive, the whodunit becomes even more gripping. This book was definitely one of those that kept you on your toes (albeit only till the climax is revealed).

What did not work for me:

1. The climax: Big disappointment. (view spoiler)
2. The editing: I am extremely disappointed to report that like most Indian authors (I detest stereotyping but it holds true), even this book has not been edited properly. Problems with formatting, grammar, spacing - the book is riddled with one at least every ten pages. Being published by Harper Black, I expected the editing team to do a better job. 
3. Use of large words: Random big words, not used colloquially, are dropped in dialogues for no good reason. I am not a fan of big-word dropping in an otherwise simply written book. Cankerous, shindig, kowtow? Not my idea of sprucing up a narrative.
4. Use of brackets: To expand acronyms, to explain some remark - they just seemed very ill-placed. A dialogue is not spoken in brackets. I don't see why it should be written in that way either.

Recommended for the writing, not for the suspense.
Just about alright.
(This book could have easily been a 4-4.5 star for me had the climax managed to excite me even a tad bit.)


*****
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Book Review - The Last Chai (✩✩✩✩✩)

I seldom give books five stars, but this one deserves a six!

The story is set in 2019 India, right before the elections. The author has named the main political leaders inspired by our leaders today, making the story more relatable.
The book is an eye-opener for everyone, and makes you question everything you know and wonder how much of it is it that you have absolutely no idea about.
Ripe with conspiracy theories that make so much sense, I read most of this book in one sitting, unable to keep it down once I was 50 pages into it.
At times, the book gave me a very 'Ek tha Tiger' feel, but I say that in the best way possible. The missions, the plans, the foiling of plans and overthrowing downright selfish aspirations of other countries and the role played by 'Rohingyas' (you'll know why I have put this in quotes once you read the book) are the highlights of the book.
For most part, I was curious about the character of Poorvi Acharya, the ruthless journalist out to get the government, and did not really understand her significance in the entire plot. But the last few pages summed up her role so perfectly, I almost wanted to hoot and clap for the author.

Take a bow, Author Varun. 
I am extremely impressed with this tight, crisp and ripe with conspiracy theories narratives.

Highly recommended.
You are missing out on a lot if you haven't read this yet. And there is absolutely no way you should think of skipping it!

*****
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Book Review - The Temple Bar Woman (✩✩✩)

Received this review copy from Writers Melon.

This book had all the qualities of being a 4 star, save the ending.
But I will get to that later.

The Temple Bar Woman is a story of a young, innocent Radha aka Rani aka Radhika Chaudhary who struggles to avenge her honour by punishing her rapist - Vikram Pratap Singh, a young politician and a spoilt brat - and his friends who gang-raped her for standing up to their shenanigans. The narrative traces the protagonist's journey from 1999, when she was just another girl ready to embrace life with open arms, till 2017, when she has become the Chief minister of Agria Pradesh.

Radha, a teacher in her father's school, is brutally gang-raped by three men and thrown at the mercy of Habiba Bi, the wicked and shrewd 'malkin' of the brothel - The Temple Bar. What follows is a series of incidents which makes Habiba Bi and Radha/Rani come together as an unparalleled force to overthrow their common enemy, Vikram Singh, and his father, Bharat Singh. Since both men are powerful and devious politicians, the women have to resort to lies, treachery and deceit in order to achieve their common goal - punish the men for their mis-deeds. In their path to seek justice, the woman step-over and lure the recently widowed Rakshit Singh, another upcoming politician of the opposition party. Over the course of years, Radha, now Radhika Chaudhary, uses her charm and her sharp-wits to make a place for herself in the party.

In the end, as is predicted, Radha manages to achieve what she was set on - the rapists are punished. That's pretty much it. Not kidding. (Maybe now you can understand my disappointment.)

What worked for me:

1. The first half of the story is realistic. Woman standing up to man ridiculing her being 'taught a lesson' is the reason why we read about so many rape and molestation cases worldwide. Somehow, one gender has to take the onus of showing the other its place, and what better way to do it than defile them mercilessly and suck the soul out of their living bodies. (*rolls eyes*)
The narrative was, hence, very plausible.

2. The Temple Bar - Coming from someone who volunteers her weekends at brothels, I can credibly say that the author has managed to highlight some very important and realistic scenarios that are a part of such places today. Yes, there is illegal trafficking. Yes, women are sold in sex trade against their will. But these is also a more humane side to it. These women, brought together by their collective ill-fates, have seen and experienced more life than us. Hence, when they consider you family, they will NEVER let you down and always have your back, come what may. I like how the author has managed to put that across, albeit very subtly.

3. The Character of Habiba Bi - I need to especially mention this as her character was the one that was the most honest, in my opinion. Portrayed as a selfish and cruel woman initially, it is almost gut-wrenching to see Habiba Bi in a sorry position after her son's tryst with Vikram. It was in this part of the book that I found the most honesty. The fragility of human emotions, the strong thread of relationships, and the soul-stirring fear of loss - all were portrayed perfectly.

What did not work for me:

1. The End - As I have already commented earlier, the end was such a 'thap'. There is no other way of putting it. What started as a powerful tale seemed extremely rushed towards the end; and the fact that it was a little too dramatic for my taste didn't help the case either.

2. The Suicide - The book starts with Radhika/Radha attempting suicide, so there is no spoiler here. The spoiler is that the reason is so, pardon me for using this word, stupid, it is almost comical. The suicide has absolutely no relevance whatsoever. Utterly disappointing.

The end result is that what started as an utterly promising story ended up being a cliche of sorts.

However, I am glad that the author is talking about a subject that needs more attention. And that's reason enough for me to recommend this one-time light read.

P.S. Special mention to the cover image which I, for the life of me, couldn't understand. It looks like that of a sadhu/sant; no relevance to the plot whatsoever. (Unless the person who designed it only read the word 'Temple' in the title.) 

*****
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Book Review - 8 Hours (✩✩)

(Review Copy received from Writers Melon.)

Disclaimer: The views presented are only my own perspective of the book and should not discourage anyone from reading it. You may prefer apples, I may like oranges. Doesn't say much about the fruits, only about our choices.


8 Hours is officially my most difficult read of 2018 (yet). I could not, for the life of me, get through this book. Every chapter seemed repetitive, every hour felt like a lifetime. In fact, even though I was buddy-reading this with two of my other bookstagrammer buddies, none of us could motivate the other. Much contrary to that, I think we all just pulled each other down. This book, no matter how much I tried, just did not work for me.

The story explores the fate of a family-owned company, Arya, on the verge of its demise and the protagonist, a shareholder in the company and the daughter of the founder, Aratrika, is on a mission to save it anyhow. The book is titled 8 Hours, which is reflective of the last 8 hours of the company (from 1am to 9.22am, to be precise) before the said empire crumbles in its own mess, but it took me more than that to get through the book. While the first few chapters of the book are intriguing and did excite me initially, the boredom that overtook me subsequently enveloped me like nothing I have ever experienced.

I am not going over the storyline. You can read the same in the blurb.
I will just quickly go over what did not work for me.

1. Too many characters - It was, after a while, difficult to keep a tab on who was doing what, and related to which other character and how, and what they were up to and why. You get it? The entire book was as big a struggle as this sentence. I initially thought that once I got a hang of the characters and their relations, things would be easier (and maybe interesting?). No such thing happened.

2. Repetitive - If I had a penny for every call that each character made and received, I may be able to buy back my weekend that I spent on this book! Every chapter sounded the same, every 'plan' and 'trick' was same as the previous one and the plot just REFUSED to move forward. In short, nothing, absolutely nothing happened for the entire duration of 8 hours. (To be honest, I was only able to read till page 115; I mostly did not - could not - pay attention after that.)

3. The end was good only because it was the end. I had to suffer no more. (I would've apologised for being so harsh but I need to vent right now.)

Did not work for me, may or may not work for you.
The plus point is that the writing is decent and lucid. One of the very few error free books I have read in a while. 

*****
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Book Review - Hell! No Saints in Paradise (✩✩✩✩)

Received this review copy from Writers Melon.



I was very confused about this book in the last 24 hours, so much so that I couldn't commit to giving it 4 stars, but 3 seemed too less and hence I have decided to stick to 4.

The story, set in 2050, is of a 30 year old Ismael, a Pakistani-American doing his thesis on Hell and Paradise (or rather aiming to refute the existence of both through his study). In a chance meeting with a girl named Petra, Ismael is convinced to try the hallucinogen Ayahuasca, which will set him on the path to discover the secrets unknown to the real world.

What follows is a divine intervention in a drug-induced state that further convinces Ismael to take an unplanned trip to Pakistan, reunite with his estranged father and convince him that he is a 'firm believer', and help the 'higher beings' in their 'mission'. Unknown to the level of his mission, Ismael lands in Pakistan and finds it in a condition that shocks the soul out of his living body. The entire country is in a frenzied state to attain 'paradise'!

Isamel's journey through heaven and hell is painted so vividly by the author that one can almost, almost, imagine actually being there, experiencing everything first-hand. A series of ups and downs finally leads to the revealing of the mission to Ismael, who is already so much in shock with what all is happening that the extent of the mission doesn't surprise him anymore. The climax is detailed and leaves the reader satisfied (even though the end did not come as a big surprise to me).

The characters of Chacha Khidr and Pir are well etched and are bound to make a space for themselves in your head. The language is flowy, without being too full of jargon. The book is sprinkled with Urdu words but the author has done a good job of explaining the same in simple lucid language, making one feel in sync with the story-line at all times. The satire and mockery and the interpretation of the Quran were the highlights for me.

Definitely recommended.
Read it in a couple of sittings, preferably on a weekend when you have time to spare. The book will be far more enjoyable then.
P.S. The cover is one of the most beautiful I have seen and own. The texture, the print, the quality, everything is spot on!

*****
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About Time!

Hello Lovely People (some of you are still reading this, I hope?)
Anyhow, realising how my efforts for reviving this blog have failed miserably over the last few years, I have decided to make this platform more than just a personal blog. I plan to post my book/movie reviews from hereon.

WHY?
I managed to read 41 books in 2017 and have already read 13 in 2018.
I have become supremely active on my bookstagram and goodreads page.
I am reading and reviewing books like a pro!
Makes sense to use that impetus to revive this dying soul?

That's it for now.
I will be uploading reviews every 2-3 days from now on. Hopefully that will motivate me enough to keep this blog alive even otherwise.

P.S. This July/August will be the 10th anniversary of this blog. :D

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Love
Mishika