Ashvamedha by Aparna Sinha

Author: Aparna Sinha

Published By: Srishti Publishers

Pages: 224 Pages

Price: Rs. 195

ISBN: 978-93-826-6576-2





About The Author:

Aparna Sinha wrote her first poem when she was seven, which she recited on All India Radio. Since then, her literary work and industry specific articles have been published in various media, including reputed business magazines across Asia.

                                       

Equipped with a Master's in management, when she was forced to quit her lucrative job because of a chronic disease, she focused on her sole passion – writing.

Book Blurb:

"You have to dethrone a powerful man to become the most powerful. I was itching to defeat the single most powerful person, but there wasn't any. I was left with only one choice — to create one."

Little does Ashwin Jamwal know that the last twenty-five years of his life have been controlled by a master manipulator, who wanted to make him the most powerful man on earth, though for a reason! Ashwin steps up to take oath as the youngest Prime Minister of India and is unknowingly thrown into a vortex of power and authority as the entire world is threatened by a faceless enemy — Hades.

The world starts to look up to Ashwin as the savior, but he was just a pawn, reared only to be sacrificed in the end.

A story of greed, lies, deceptions, manipulations and corruption, Ashvamedha is a thriller revolving around the infamous game of power in a maddening bid to seek absolute control.

My Review:

Being a fan of love genre books it feels a great pleasure when I get to read a good Thriller genre book.  When you finish reading a book, either you get pissed off by the storyline or you start praising the way it is written. And definitely Ashvamedha falls in the latter category. With full of suspense and an unexpected ending this book deserves a place in your book shelf.

Ashwin Jamwal, the protagonist of the story is a man with ambition. He wanted to bring a change in the society. Recruited as a district collector he wanted to work for the welfare of the peoples. But as we know the system is quite corrupted and things don’t work as per our plans, Ashwin was being transferred to 4 different towns in a span of 2 years. And when he realized it isn’t going to work in a legal way, he decides to join Politics and it is then the whole story unfolds. 

Apart from Ashwin, there are a lot of other characters in the story. I’m not that good in remembering all their names. While reading the book often I felt that the Author has used more characters than needed but a few pages later, I realized every character’s importance and their part in the story. Well, the review cannot be completed without introducing you all with Hades. Yes! He is one of the most important character of the story. 

Who is Hades? What is his part in the story? Hades is none other than Arun (Ashwin’s best friend). Oops! I disclosed the suspense. Oh, wait! There is a twist at the end. It would be complete unfair if I disclose everything here. Hades is someone else but who? Well, you will get to know about everything once you pick up the book and start reading it. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

Likings: An Unexpected Ending, Simple Language, Easy Read, Page Turner, Worth your bucks.

Disliking: One time read, Can be used as an script by the directors of Bollywood. 

My Rating: 4/5
(A one time read but Worth your bucks)

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Love Bi The Way

Author: Bhaavna Arora

Published By: Penguin Random House

Pages: 248 Pages

Price: Rs. 199

ISBN: 978-01-434-2529-8

About The Author:

Bhaavna Arora is the bestselling author of the Deliberate Sinner and Mistress of Honour. Before her foray into writing, she was heading a business school as a director; she also trains students and professionals on leadership. She holds two management degrees and a Ph.D. in Leadership from Pittsford University. 

A fourth-generation army kid, Bhaavna is a true patriot. She enjoys reading, travelling, swimming, horse riding and playing sports and has a fancy for big bikes and cars.

Book Blurb:

Rihana is a painter who is trying to find inspiration in love. Zara is a businesswoman trying to make a niche for her company in a male-dominated world. Rihana is fire, Zara is ice; Rihana is openly sensual, while Zara is more cautious with her heart—they are opposites that attract. They are different people bound together by their house—‘Cupid’—and their pet golden retriever, Tiger. 

As both of them navigate their fulfilling careers and try to leave behind troubled pasts, they find solace in each other. But Tiger’s not the only male in their lives. Rihana finds herself a string of sexy men, while Zara emerges out of her shell and meets an actual prince who sweeps her off her feet. But can these relationships last? And what road will they take when love happens bi the way?

My review:

Wow! Now that is something that I have never read before. This book broke the stereotypes. Many of you might outrage against the storyline and you might sit in the dharnas too. But seriously the storyline is intriguing and at the end you will be left with a question, should this be legalized? 

The book cover is really attractive and if you are someone who buy a book looking at its cover then you might end in buying this one too. The story revolves around two female protagonists: Rihana and Zara. They have a strong bond between them, may be they are bff or maybe they are soul sisters or maybe they have a different side to the story. If I disclose everything here, why would you care buying the book? *Winks*

Before commenting on the way of writing let me tell you my likings and disliking about the story. 

Zara appears sweet and cute. Rihana appears to be hot. The start isn’t much interesting and you might need to drag yourself until the entry of Shaurya. The story gets interesting after that.  I don’t understand the logic behind Rihana falling for every other male she meets. I mean, if she had fallen in love I would have understood the thing but falling for every male only for sex is something I couldn’t digest. Be it with Dr. Saif, the Flight Attendant, Zubair or Major Shergil, all she wanted was some hardcore sex. 

The best thing about the book is its end. The author has kept the suspense till the last. Until you reach the last few pages of the book, you just can’t guess how the story will end. The end leaves a serious message to the society. The author has brilliantly written the book and editor has also done a good work to keep the book error free.

Likings: Cover Page, Friendship between Rihana and Zara, Out of box thinking by Author, The plot might not go well with many but still the Author dared to pen down. Admirable!

Disliking: Most of the pages are filled with Booze and Sex.

My Rating: 3.5/5
(Pick at your own risk. Intense reader would like this book)

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Canvas of a Storyteller

Author: Aniruddha Pathak

Published By: Ebooks2go

Pages: 156 Pages

Price: Rs. 160

ISBN: 978-16-181-3409-7

About The Author:

Aniruddha Pathak, aged 20 (as on 2016), is a Computer Science student, and has been into writing since long. He is the founder of 'Litera Muse', which helps the authors and readers to unite under one roof. Apart from writing and studying, 

Aniruddha is a music lover, and likes to spend his time helping the people flourish in their lives and loves to inspire them. Being an introvert, he feels less comfortable to write about his life, and his readers have been his all-time inspiration. He writes about them, and feels to be a part of their lives, though a distant one. He believes in learning new things every day, and hence calls himself an all-time learner.

Book Blurb:

In this rapidly changing world, we come across many people around us. These people have many shades, some bright...some dark. They might want to let their feelings out, but they find it difficult to do so - and we term them different from the population. The diverse personalities sometimes make us wonder, what is hidden under their veil? They show a happy face, while hiding an agony beneath their expression. Some want to scream with happiness, but their voices are suppressed even before they could speak about it. 

Stand by the people who mention their sorrows, happiness, pains, agonies, and much more. You could relate to it, and find them talking to you. Peep into people's diaries, their midnight loneliness, find them doing weird stuffs, read their confessions, hear to the conversations that they hold with me, and see them either rise up touching the sky or fall down to the ground. 

The people. Their stories. One storyteller. 

My Review:

We all know that the sun doesn’t move, it is the earth that revolves round the sun. There are many such things which happen in our day to day life.  How if someone writes a book narrating those small little things? Good, no? Well this book, ‘Canvas of a Storyteller’ has 14 short stories that one teenage can easily relate to. Every chapter, every story has something or other to tell and the best part, between every story the Author himself has something to tell. Like me, a reader will feel as if the Author is not just telling the story but showing the reality that we face in our day to day life. Mr. Aniruddha did a Grandmomma here!

The first chapter, ‘No, It’s Not Okay’ is a story of a baby. Yes, a baby. We all love to be around new born babies, don’t we? But how many of you have thought about the baby’s feelings. Well the Author here just portrayed that. And trust me you will smile reading this story.

The second chapter, ‘Distant Dream’ is of a school going girl and her friendship. Full of emotions one can easily relate his own life with this story. We all have been in and out of friendship. Misunderstandings even break the best of friends.

As you read further you will many such stories, describing all might make this review a long one. So let me cut it short. My favorite of all the stories was, ‘The Resurrection’. This story might make you bit emotional. So get ready for some cries and tears.

One more thing I would like to include. There are two stories, ‘A Princess’s Diary’ and ‘A Princess’s Diary- Reprise’. Both the story speaks of Father-Daughter relationship; still both are complete opposite to each other. The Author must be admired for using the same words but writing two different stories.

Likings: Easy light read, Small Chapters, Way of Narration, Feels like as if you reading someone’s diary.

Disliking: Ummm…. Teenagers would love this book but this book won’t go pretty well if you are someone looking for intense read. Won’t work well among adults.

Overall: A Good Read.

P.S. I know the Author personally and I have read many of his writings. Was expecting more!

My Rating: 3.5/5

(A good worthy read if you are someone who belongs to the teenage group)

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The Colour Of Love

Author: Jagdish Joghee

Published By: NotionPress.Com

Pages: 166 Pages

Price: Rs. 199

ISBN: 978-19-454-0078-0

About The Author:

Born and brought up in the beautiful hill town of Coonoor in the Nilgiris, Jagdish Joghee has always been attracted to the hills and the forests. Growing up in the midst of serenity, Jagdish had enough inspiration to write poems in his school days. He now lives in Chennai, where he works for a leading global information technology services company. Jagdish has worked in some of the top IT companies in India. His passion for writing started early, during his school days. Being a closet writer, Jagdish's writing was initially confined to journals and scrapbooks.

Jagdish is an active blogger and writes on issues that have a social impact, apart from reviewing Indian movies. This book is his second attempt at fiction. His first book In Love and Free received a good response encouraging him to continue to pursue his passion. He considers himself more of a story teller than a writer.

Book Blurb:

Sarfaraz is brought up with a good value system by his devoted parents. With time, curiosity and adolescent growth pangs take him through many experiences. His first brush with girls starts with a friend, and slowly meanders into casual flirtatious affairs with girls at college. 

All through it, he realises that none of them have his undying, true love. A time comes when he realises who he truly loves, and in the midst of it all, he handles brutal enmity and takes on vile characters that misbehave with his friends. 

Sarfaraz grows up in Coimbatore where a series of bomb blasts occur. His identity is called in question, as his status as a Muslim makes people see him as an enemy. He loses something precious in the blasts and leaves to Sharjah, only for life to find him and surprise him

My Review:

Some books make you cry, some make you smile but there are only a few books which can make you smile, cry and leave an everlasting impression in your mind. This book, ‘The Colour of Love’ can make your emotions up and down. I don’t really have the words to express my feelings about this book. Such awesome it was!

Usually while posting my reviews, I give a small indication about the storyline. This time I’m not giving you guys any hints or guesses. With millions of twist and turns, till the very last page, this book certainly deserves a place in your bookshelves. Buy and read it now!

This is Author’s 2nd book and trust me it is way better than his first work. If his first book In Love and Free was good, this really is a GEM. With easy flow of words, narrating the protagonist’s parts with perfect emotions, this book deserves thousand claps. You can never guess the end until and unless you reach the last few pages of the book.

I might have given a 4-star rating to this book but just for its ending, I couldn’t stop myself from giving it a 5-star.

Likings: Simple Language, Perfect Emotions, Chemistry between Male and Female Protagonists, Way the Political War has been described.

Disliking: There are a few grammatical errors, may be the editor just took a nap at some pages.

Overall: With a perfect ending, this book is worth your bucks. 

My Rating: 5/5

(Worth your bucks. Don't miss to read this book.)

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In Love and Free

Author: Jagdish Joghee

Published By: Notion Press

Pages: 118 Pages

Price: Rs. 149

ISBN: 978-93-520-6319-2




About The Author:

Born and brought up in the beautiful hill town of Coonoor in Nilgiris, Jagdish Joghee has always been attracted to the hills and the forests. Growing up in the midst of serenity, Jagdish had enough inspiration to write short poems during his school days. He now lives in the city of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu where he works for a leading global information technology services company.

Jagdish is an active blogger and writes on issues that have a social impact, apart from reviewing Indian movies. This book marks his foray into fiction. He considers himself more of a storyteller than a writer. Jagdish wants to write novels that will keep readers engaged with a good mix of romance, revenge, laughter and thrill. He is also keen to explore the realm of fantasy.

Book Blurb:

Shruthi has everything going in her life with great education, incredible romance, a wonderful husband, and two adorable kids. There is plenty of laughter, joy, and love in the cosy nest that Shruthi has carefully built.

All is well till that fateful Diwali day when passion gets the better of reason. One momentary lapse threatens to uproot the entire foundation of her beautiful life. The stakes are too high as Shruthi runs the risk of being abandoned by her husband and losing her children too.
And there is no one to blame but herself.

Caught in a cesspool of blackmail, ransom, revenge and remorse, Shruthi is on the brink of collapse. She can run but cannot hide.

My Review:

Many a times I pick a book only looking by its cover. ‘In Love and Free’ has a cover which seriously draws my attention. The book consists of only 108 pages, so if you are someone who is looking for some light easy reads, then go for this book.

Well the blurb tells a lot about the story so let me make it short, the story mainly revolves around the protagonist, Shruthi. It is her Story. Born in a rich family, Shruti had had almost everything. She was a topper in her school and college, she married the one she loved, Madhan. She had a lucrative job too. She was also the  mother of twins: a boy and a girl. But wait! Life can’t get that easy, right? When everything was smooth like butter, Rahul entry made everything changed.

Who is Rahul? How the story will end? Who is Deepa? Last but not the least, will Shruti survive till the end? All your questions will be answered once you finish reading the book. This book has a lot to tell.

Coming back to my views, I loved the story. It is bit different than the stories I have read before. The Author has kept it short and simple, and the way he had portray the protagonist’s state of mind is definitely commendable. I didn’t find any grammatical errors in the book and the language used is simple and easy to be read.

At the beginning, I somewhat felt that the author is using less words to narrate. But a few pages later, the narration got better and better. And with an unexpected climax, the book got even better.

Likings: Page Turner, Simple Language, Emotions, Narration, Cover Page.
Disliking: Start could have been better.

Judgment: This book deserves a place in your book shelves.

My Rating: 4/5
(Worth your bucks!)

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Rightfully Wrong Wrongfully Right

Author: Varsha Dixit

Published by: Rupa Publications

Pages: 288 Pages

Price: Rs. 195

ISBN: 978-81-291-4197-2

About The Author:

Varsha Dixit, the best selling author of four successful contemporary romance books. Her debut book, Right Fit Wrong Shoe was a national bestseller for the year 2010. Varsha was a part of the Indian Television Industry and worked as an assistant director and online editor. She considers herself a dreamer who thinks deep but writes light. Even though creativity is gender free,Varsha feels blessed and enriched to be a woman.Currently, with her family, Varsha resides in CA, USA.

Book Blurb:

Love is in the air again…and this time it’s steamy, bold and manipulative!

Gayatri, a rich, spoiled diva, is fighting to establish herself even as her tyrant father pushes her into a life not of her choice. Viraj is a genius and a con who shuns society and its hypocrisies.

Gayatri sees Viraj only as a means to an end. For Viraj, Gayatri is the epitome of all that he despises. So when their paths cross, it is a battle of feisty wills and desire.

Will Gayatri and Viraj prove to be each other’s salvation or annihilation?

From the best-selling author of Right Fit Wrong Shoe and Wrong Means Right End comes Rightfully Wrong Wrongfully Right. All the unforgettable characters of the earlier two bestsellers make a comeback in this unforgettable story of hurt, hearts and hope.

This is a tumultuous journey of two Wrongs who might just make everything Right!

My Review:

Where to begin with? Now if you are new to the world of books or if you are someone who is looking for a book to fall in love with, then you are at the right place. The characters, the plot, the storyline, the drama, the love, the twist, you will fall in love with everything of this book. I don’t remember the last time I have read such a beautiful book. 

The book has two important characters, Viraj (a mad scientist) and Gayatri Dutta (a rich, spoiled diva). The story revolves around these two central characters with a help from other characters: Nikhil, Sneha, Nandini, Aditya and others. 

Is Viraj really mad? Or is he showing a different side of his to world? Does Viraj has an unforgettable incidents of past? Who is Sana? Is there a twist in the tale? Will Gayatri ever fall in love with Viraj or will it happen the other way? Well you will get all your answers after you finish reading the book. Trust me, this book is a complete package of Love, Trust, Drama, Suspense and Friendship.

Kudos to the Author for the way she has written the story. The plot moves slowly narrating the mindset of every character. I am amazed at how the Author has built the story. Not at a single point you will feel bore and you will crave to reach the end. I started this book at midnight and thought of keeping it down after reading an hour or so but I failed. It took my around 5 hours to read the book and I slept in the morning 5 with a smile on my face. Having said that, at the ending pages, somewhat I got emotional too. 

Let me stop now or else the review will get quite long. 

Likings: Plot, Strong Characters, Twist, Way of writing, EVERYTHING.

Disliking: Not a single thing. 

My Rating: 5/5

(I never give a book 5 star until and unless it is that good)

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His Druken Wife by Sundari Venkatraman

Marriages Made in India

Book #2

HIS DRUNKEN WIFE

by

SundariVenkatraman

Blurb

The badass Shikha is startled when the nerdy Abhimanyu proposes marriage. She loves... herself, and Abhimanyu doesn't figure on her list anywhere. For Abhimanyu, however, it was love at first sight when Shikha walked into RS Software, where the two of them work.

When Abhimanyu shows her that he just might be rich enough for her, a pleasantly surprised Shikha accepts his marriage proposal and moves into his swanky apartment.

But it looks like the love is all from only Abhi’s side as Shikha continues to drink herself crazy. Yeah, even at their wedding party.

And then Abhi sets out on a honeymoon to Thailand with His Drunken Wife...

*MARRIAGES MADE IN INDIA is a five-novella series that revolves around the characters you have met in The Runaway Bridegroom.

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About the author

SundariVenkatraman

His Drunken Wife

is the ninth book authored by SundariVenkatraman. This is a hot romance and is Book #2 of the 5-novella series titled Marriages Made in India; Book #1 being The Smitten Husband. Other published novels by the author are The Malhotra Bride, Meghna, The Runaway Bridegroom, The Madras Affair and An Autograph for Anjali—all romances. She also has a collection of romantic short stories called Matches Made in Heaven; and a collection of human interest stories called Tales of Sunshine. All of SundariVenkatraman’s books are on Amazon Top 100 Bestsellers in India, USA, UK, Canada & Australia under both #romance & #drama categories.

Other books by the author

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Meet the Author: Shilpi Chaklanobis

Here today, I interview Shilpi Chaklanobis, the author of Panorama. 

Click here to read my review of Panorama! 

Let's begin with the interview. 

Coming directly to the casual conversation, How did it feel when your Panorama got published?

It was an amazing experience. The fact that this is my debut book made the occasion all the more special. First time is always special and it was a great feeling to see the book with my name printed on it as the author. Shall cherish the moment throughout my life. 

What inspires you to write?

Writing is my way of expressing my thoughts. Whenever I feel strongly for anything (which may be anything – my voice for any cause or simply a story) and wish to communicate with the world to put my viewpoint in front of everyone, I pen them  down. 

How hard was it to sit down and actually start writing something?

It took a while to decide that I was ready to pen down the stories.  I love reading and have been writing blogs since long, but writing a book is a different ball game altogether. However, once I was convinced that the stories have potential to entice the readers, I started writing the book.

Writers are often associated with loner tendencies; is there any truth to that?

Well if you ask me then I would say No. Being lonely and being alone are two different states. Yes, to some extent, I feel writers love to be alone because that gives them the space and time to get creative ideas. But lonely? No.

What, according to you, is the hardest thing about writing?

The hardest thing about writing is to convey the story or idea to the readers in an captivating form.

What would you say is the easiest aspect of writing?

Nothing.

Have you ever experienced “Writer’s Block”? How long do they usually last? Any tips to overcome it?

Yes, I do sometimes get writers block. Whenever I am stuck, I step away from whatever I am writing and start doing something else to distract my thoughts like reading a book or article or listen to music.

Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors?

I love reading. The list of my favourite authors is very long but to name a few Jane Austen, O Henry, Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Rabindranath Tagore and Shivani are my all time favourites.

What is the most important thing about a book in your opinion?

Like it is said, “anyone who says that he has only one life to live must not know how to read a book.” And this, I think, is the most wonderful aspect of reading that allows you to travel the world and also have a glimpse of another era or place through the eyes or should I say words of the writer.

What is that one thing you think readers generally don’t know about your specific genre? Please share it with us.

Truly speaking, I do not follow any genre. I try to tell my story with full honesty and in the most interesting way. If you ask me about one word about my genre then I would say “Life”.

*-*-*-*

Panorama by Shilpi Chaklanobis

Author: Shilpi Chaklanobis

Published By: Notion Press

Pages: 144

Price: Rs. 150

ISBN: 978-93-520-6966-8




About The Author:

Shilpi Chaklanobis hails from the beautiful city of Kanpur and has spent the majority of her adult life in Delhi. She currently heads the Digital Marketing division at an MNC. The amalgamation of her years spent amongst the quiet, calm streets of a small city and the hustle and bustle of a metropolitan like Delhi has lent her a unique perspective towards life. She aims to translate her experiences and understanding of human relationships into stories that not only move people but also resonate with them. She believes that the beauty of a story lies within its ability to be interpreted by the reader in the way they desire as is evident from her writing. Apart from writing, she spends her time devouring books by the dozen. This is her first endeavor as a writer and her writing not only shows promise, but also has a sense of sensitivity that compels you to think about the lives you touch every day.

Book Blurb:

A turbulent relationship between a mother and a daughter takes a sudden turn when the daughter stumbles across a past that she never knew.
The golden period of a professor's life is tainted by questions about his purpose until one night gives him all the answers he needs.
Desperate times test us all but when hunger drives a girl to do the unthinkable, her life changes forever.
Woven around the lives of the people around us - the shy girl on the metro, your domestic help, your neighbors and perhaps even you - this collection of short stories will take you on a bittersweet journey that explores the spectrum that is part of any human relationship and all the complexity and chaos that secretly dwell within the homes and hearts of India.
Often laced with an element of introspection, the stories are sure to change the way you see the world around you...

My Review:

Some like reading short stories and some don’t. I fall into the latter category. An anthology of short stories is certainly not my cup of coffee. But after reading this book, I have only one thing in my mind: good short stories are enough to alter your emotions. This book lets you ponder over the things which you see or feel in everyday life but usually take it for granted. As the author has mentioned, this book will certainly touch your lives and would change the way you see the world around you.
Panorama is an anthology of 15 short stories. Well the review would be long if I describe every story, so let me make it short and tell you about the stories which made me fall in love with this book.

The first chapter ‘Wok’ is an emotional story between a mother and her daughter. It speaks of love and care. This story is one of my favorite story from the book and it really provides a great start to the book. After reading this story, my brain urged me to turn the pages.

The second chapter, ‘Peanut’ is a story of a little Pomeranian. Every dog lover in this world can easily connect with the story. Just like the first story, this story has a perfect blend of love, care and emotions.

The third chapter, ‘The Thirst’ is again a story between a girl and her mother. This story has an abrupt end and might make the reader clueless. I didn’t like the story. Well while reading an anthology, you can’t expect every story to be great.

Now let me jump to the end of the book. The final chapter, ‘The Sealed Wish’ was perhaps the best from the pen of Author. A perfect end to an anthology. Beware! this story might make you cry.

The way author has narrated every story is commendable. The best thing about this book is, it has stories of different genres. Every other person can connect with the stories. Seriously this book is a page turner and never a reader would get bored. The book has only 134 pages and a perfect weekend read. If you are someone who is looking for some light read, then this book would be complete worth your bucks.

Likings: Easy and Simple language, Short Chapters, Page Turner, Twists in the stories (not all but some)
Disliking: Minor Errors, Lack of Editing

Overall: Well, I haven’t read an anthology better than this. A Must Pick.

My Rating: 4.5/5

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Meet The Author: Pavithra Ramesh

Pavithra Ramesh is a graduate from Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru, looking ahead to pursue her MBA in International Business and Finance. She has been an excellent academic performer emerging as the second topper in school (Commerce Stream) in her CBSE Board exam. Commitment and perseverance is her basic mantra. While based in Dubai, she has written many articles for a Sharjah daily newspaper. She has been the PR Event head of the Commerce Core Team in College and an active participant in cultural programmes in the field of dance. She has also participated in National Level Business Fests. She was a member of the entrepreneurship cell in college and was involved in the editorial team of Bengaluru e-cell. Writing is her passion. She now ventures with her first book ‘No Time to Pause’.  She believes that desire is the best driving force to success and trusts her instincts to find her goals and aspirations.

After reading her book 'No Time to Pause', I got a chance to interview the Authoress. And here is what she has to say about her book....

Q. Before we start the interview, can you please enlighten us about the Book and the Characters of the story?

A. Firstly I would like to thank you for the interview. Regarding my book, ‘No Time to Pause’ is a narration of a typical college student who decides to stay miles away from her family to get value education. She faces a host of challenges, encounters varied adventures and meets people who leave a tremendous impact on her life.

With the college term ending, she leaves the institution not only as an academic achiever, but also a strong woman ready to face the rough world out there. She realises that life keeps moving on and there is no time to look back or regret.

The protagonist, Pari, sets to live alone and meets this peculiar character Aditi whose actions are tinged by her past. The two of them are the main characters of the book around whom the story revolves.

Q. If I’m not wrong this is a fictional book but how real are the characters? And which one is your favorite?

A. Yes. the crux is fiction but the book has autobiographical parts and to a certain extent resemble living beings in the life of the author.

Though not completely, the characters are real only with regard to their appearance and background. 

My favourite is the fictional character Aditi who mirrors my thoughts and perceptions.

Q. Tell us about your favorite authors. What book or books did really inspired you?

A. I like Preeti Shenoy. Inspiration comes from every written piece and I have had it from the time I read books of Enid Blyton.

Q. This is your first book, so what made you to step into the creative world of writing?

A. I always loved writing. I often wrote small articles. This developed into an urge to try out something big. That is how I landed up with my first book.

Q. How does it feel being an Author? Can you tell us a bit about –pre and –post Author life?

A.It feels great to be an author. Who does not like doing something which brings recognition? As such there is not much difference in my pre and post author life. But yes, once I began with my venture, I realised that there is a lot to learn. I am becoming stronger with criticism. Moreover, after being an author I became aware that I need to keep improving my skills to reach out more efficiently to the readers.

Q. So are you Writer by 'choice' or 'chance'? And also tell us the reason behind it.

A. Well choice and chance go hand in hand in my case. I always wanted to write but never expected to turn up as an author. My first book is not a literary extravagance, but just an attempt to share my experiences. So yes, it was a chance as well.

Q. Sorry for asking this, but have you been rejected for your work (book)?

A. Rejection is a part and parcel of life. I wouldn't say my work was rejected but there was no clear response from many publishers I had approached before I got my hands on Half Baked Beans.

Q. Can we expect another book from your pen in near future? If yes, anything you want to disclose about it?

A. Yes. I would be working on my next book once the genre and plot are ready. 

Q. Tell us something that we don’t know about, Pavithra Ramesh.

A. Not many know that I am a dancer as well. I have been a part of various cultural programmes since childhood. I also have a love for fashion and often check out new outfits and makeovers. 

Q. If not reading or writing, what else do you like to do?

A. As I mentioned I love dance and keep a check on fashion blogs and DIYs. It keeps me going.

Q. Before ending this, I would request you to give some advice to the aspiring writers who want to be an author...

A. I would like to say start immediately. There is no point in procrastination. If you feel you have a passion for writing, begin with maybe small write ups and nurture your skills. And as I always say, follow your heart since intuition never betrays.

--- The End---

To read my complete review of the book, 'No Time to Pause', Click Here

No Time to Pause

Author: Pavithra Ramesh

Published By: HALF BAKED BEANS

Pages: 130

Price: Rs. 189

ISBN: 978-93-843-1527-6





About The Author:

Pavithra Ramesh is a graduate from Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru, looking ahead to pursue her MBA in International Business and Finance. She has been an excellent academic performer emerging as the second topper in school (Commerce Stream) in her CBSE Board exam. Commitment and perseverance is her basic mantra. While based in Dubai, she has written many articles for a Sharjah daily newspaper. She has been the PR Event head of the Commerce Core Team in College and an active participant in cultural programmes in the field of dance. She has also participated in National Level Business Fests. She was a member of the entrepreneurship cell in college and was involved in the editorial team of Bengaluru e-cell. Writing is her passion. She now ventures with her first book ‘No Time to Pause’.  She believes that desire is the best driving force to success and trusts her instincts to find her goals and aspirations.

Book Blurb:

Life of a young adult is filled with joy and mystery. 'No Time to Pause' is a narration of a typical college student who decides to stay miles away from her family to get value education. She faces a host of challenges, encounters varied adventures and meets people who leave a tremendous impact on her life. With the college term ending, she leaves the institution not only as an academic achiever, but also a strong woman ready to face the rough world out there. She realises that life keeps moving on and there is no time to look back or regret.

My Review:

Well the book blurb tells a lot about the story. This book speaks of life experiences of a young girl, especially about her college life.

Pari, protagonist of the story is a college student who joins a private college in Bangalore, far away from her home, Dubai. She then joins a PG, meets with other girls and forms a formidable bond. It is then she meets Aditi. Aditi has a story to tell and her story is something that would make the reader turn the pages of the book. 

So who is Aditi? What does she has to do with story? Well to know everything, you have to read the book. It would be unfair to the author if I describe the entire story here.

To be honest, I was confused who the main protagonist of the story was. Though the story mainly revolves around Pari, Aditi too has an important part to play. If you guys are looking for a light read then you would love reading this book. But lack of strong, intense contents would be a 'No-No' among the novel freaks. 

Well, if you someone who is new into the world of books then you would love to read this book and dive into the world of energetic and enthusiastic bunch of girls.

The story is slightly fast paced. Many a times I felt as if the characters are in a hurry to complete their part.

Likings: Easy Read, Chick Lit, Page Turner, Could easily be finished in a couple of hours.

Disliking: The characters are in a hurry to finish the story, Lack of editing, One time read.

My Rating: 3/5
(Chick Lit lovers would love it, intense reader might get upset)

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Though the Authoress has provided me a reviewer's copy of the book, I was completely unbiased while writing my review. 

The Curse of Damini

Author: Debajani Mohanty

Published By: Partridge Publishers

Pages: 180

Price: Rs. 399

ISBN: 978-14-828-5107-6

About The Author:

Winner of "Best Debutante Author of The Year" award by literature festival Sarjanaa, Debajani Mohanty is an engineering graduate and senior I.T. professional with a career of nearly one and half decades. Her interests include music, history, world cuisines and women education & empowerment. The nature of her work as well as passion for different cultures has made her travel half of the living world.

                                                      

“The Curse of Damini” her debut novel though crafted as a thriller is actually a historical fiction that covers seven decades of India's past and portrays many age-old vices against women. She started writing this 3 years back after the barbaric Nirbhaya episode of Delhi and her work is a small effort towards ending the violence and discrimination against women in society.

Book Blurb:

The world seemed not enough for free spirited Renuka, when she married the highly educated Shashank hailing from the mightiest Zamindars of Bengal. However, soon her life turned upside down when a neighbor revealed her of their sinister past.

It's a mysterious supernatural curse cast on their family almost a century back. Generation by generation, Damini's enraged curse had passed on, declining their family clan from hundreds to a handful few. Who would be Damini's next victim? And why innocent lives are at a stake for a crime committed by an ancestor a hundred years back? Renuka would not settle until she finds an answer and in her quest she struggles to eradicate all the evils that come in her way. Would she ever win a battle against an unseen enemy? Would the wrong done to Damini be ever avenged?

Set against the nostalgic era of 1940s, the story narrates the arduous journey of Renuka Pal, the protagonist, from a rash teen age freedom fighter to the seasoned writer of the 21st century India. In this thrilling saga of death, betrayal and power plays the narrative would cover a large chunk of twentieth century history. The passing of time, historical events and the changing country is so well-woven to the story that one would hardly differentiate between fact and fiction."

My Review:

“Sobaimorbe. Ami Sobai ke khete eschi. Amake Rokto chai” (You all will die. I have come to eat you all. All I need is blood). The book begins with these lines. And this is enough to give you goose bumps. I started this book in the wee hours of night and after reading these lines, I thought for a second, should I continue reading it or should I keep it for some other day. I chose the former. Few pages later, everything was normal. The story was everything but spooky.

The story revolves around Renuka, the main protagonist of the story. The Authoress has brilliantly created the character, narrating every details of her life, from the beginning to the very end. While I was reading the book, I very much fell in love with Renuka. Not just the female protagonist, but also the leading male character, Shashank is a guy on whom every girl can cash on. Full credits to the Authoress for building the characters so well, that everything felt quite real.

I’m completely impressed with the storyline of the book. This book has everything; a love story, plight of women in our society, the Zamindari system of 20th century and a curse too.

‘The Curse of Damini’- After reading the title and looking at the cover I thought this book must be spooky and must have some paranormal things but here the ‘Curse’ is referred to… Well, I can’t disclose everything here. You need to read the book to know about the curse. One more thing, you might be curious to know who Damini is? Well, that’s the suspense. Don’t ask who she is, just read the book and discover Damini.

Spoiler: while reading the book, you will keep on wondering what the real curse is, and you will discover it only at the last few pages.

Likings: Easy Read, Easy Language, Strong Characters, Use of Bengali words (with proper English translation)

Disliking: Not many but this book is anything but scary. (Expected more spooky things)

P.S. I'm really thankful to the Author for providing me a physical copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.

My Ratings: 4/5

[Would have given it full points, had it been more scarier]

(Irrespective of my ratings, you should read this book. A must read)

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