Book Review #136: The Second Life : An Anthology of 25 Life Changing Stories

Paperback: 224 pages

Publisher: Write India Publishers; first edition (10 October 2014)

Language: English

An awesome compilation of unique stories and they titled it so apt as 'The Second Life'. Take my words some characters of the stories will not leave you forever. All the writers have given their best work here, you will echo my views when you read the stories. I have a story named 'In The Classroom of Life' too. Here is the list of story names and their authors. 

Each story has its own flavour. While some are as sweet as a cold breeze, a few are upbeat and thought provoking. It is a highly recommended book with the right ingredients for everyone.

It's a collection of beautiful heart touching stories that can change even the reader's perspective about life. Only few books have this power, and this is one of them.

A particular story that stood out to me and stirred my soul was 'The Hug of Allah and Ishwar'. It left me wondering about the hypocrisy we live in. The religion that teaches us the way to ultimate peace, we use the same religion as a reason to kill. Shameful.

An inspiring book you must get. A worthy gift you can give to anyone. 

Ratings: 5/5

Book Review #128 : TIME GUARD: THE AWAKENING

Honestly, I was not impressed by the cover art as I believe it is not able to portray the subject matter of the book well. Also, the use of different font types along with the absence of a prominent title in the cover made it even more confusing for me. The blurb is the only thing that actually attracted me to the book! The ideas explored in ‘Time Guard: The Awakening’ are related to Astral Projection and Manipulation of Time.

The author challenges the readers to think outside the box and imagine a scenario where Astral Projection may be used by the gifted few to influence the mass for their own benefits or the ones who practice it for the benefit of the World.

From the very first pages, I found the book engaging as things were happening so fast. The scenes that lead to the female protagonist realising the powers of the protagonist were filled with a sense of thrill and tension. 

Although certain scenes were being repeated to move the story forward it did not seem tiresome. Actually, it helped in understanding the flow of the story and capture the missing elements. But, coming to the matter of missing elements, there were many characters whose origin or fate remained unknown.

Moreover, the end of ‘Time Guard: The Awakening’ seemed abrupt with the introduction to many new concepts that remained unexplained. Maybe, these will be cleared in the next book in the series; ‘Time Guard II: Reborn’.

Another drawback while reading the book was the presence of a few grammatical mistakes which should have been corrected while editing. Sometimes, the appropriate words were not used; thus, the author was not able to express a few situations accurately.

The book is filled with turns and these spirals are hefty and sometimes intricate. They’re daunting at first, but eventually a foundation of travel respite. There are many resplendently over-the-top actions sequences throughout the book.

I loved the portrayal of Arjun and Swathi. I also liked the small sketches in between the reads to give this book more pictorial plea and to comprehend the story well.

This book may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you are into make-believe, magical realism, science novels and more importantly time travel- then this book is a must-read. 

Ratings - 4/5

Book Review #112 : God of The Sullied

"God of the Sullied" is one of the most intriguing works of fiction that I have come across recently. It will take you down a rollercoaster ride as the pages reveal the mystery enhanced by Gaurav Sharma's engaging writing style. There are a lot of plots and twists along with fantastic characters in this book. 

The storyline is gripping. This book gives you a taste of Hindu medieval timeline. An un-put-down-able fiction, "God of the Sullied" is a pacy read for all mythology buffs! 

"God of the sullied" is the first book in which Eklavya is the protagonist. Eklavya was the boy who severed his right hand thumb and gave it to Dronacharya as his Gurudakshina. Apart from this, we hardly know anything about him. In this book, author Gaurav Sharma has re-imagined and executed everything. Reimagining and writing about a mythological character is not an easy work. But the ease with which the author has reimagined everything is laudable. 

Use of easy and lucid language makes it enjoyable to read. The narration is also good. Editing of the book is tight and absolutely perfect. This book has made my mind visualize every description made by the author. The book is well researched & takes you to the heights of excitement. 

VERDICT : This book is truly a captivating novel with each page and character building up interest in the book. Will surely recommend!

TIP: Preferably try finishing the book in one go. 

Keep writing, Gaurav Sharma. Kudos to you. Looking forward to reading you more. 

Rating - 4.5/5 

Disclaimer: I received the book from the author asking me to review this book. I read the blurb, which seemed intriguing, and I accepted his offer, in exchange of an honest review.

Book Review #99 : A Cage of Desires

Title - A Cage of Desires
Author - Shuchi Singh Kalra
Genre – Fiction (Erotic)
Publisher - Penguin
ISBN – 978-0143441625

Finally, a book that talks about women, their desires and dreams! It is such a refreshing read. It focuses on an aspect of the Indian culture that so many people choose to ignore. Women are not puppets to be tossed around, but deserve to be treated with respect. The story is a manifestation of how the men use women for their own lust. It felt so real and not fictional, with a strong message that if women are taken for granted, they will not spare anyone and you can’t escape its consequences.

COVER- The cover of the book is lit!

TITLE - It suggests the book must be based on physical desires but it turns out to be a sensitive, riveting and engrossing story, elegantly presented.

THEME OF THE BOOK – It portrays the mundane, middle class life of the protagonist Renu, who, is reckoned as a liability on the society. She also has to deal with acute loneliness despite having a family with two beautiful children and a shrewd husband. Their marriage misses the spark of romance and she often feels the lack of emotional and physical understanding. To make her life more miserable and unnecssary, there is an old father-in-law, who keeps a sarcastic vigil on her and treats her like a machine. She craves for: love, freedom, companionship, and physical satisfaction.

REVIEW - It was really interesting to read each and every page with utmost care as it brought out untold emotions which was overflowing from Renu. But, she had another face. Despite being a mother of two, a typical housewife, she was never given the place or freedom she always had yearned for in her life by her spouse. Her journey from a lost homemaker to a liberated, strong, and independent woman is nothing short of inspiring. How she finds solace in fulfilling her physical desires in secrecy and in doing so she explores the hidden desires of her heart is satisfying to read.

The book is a heady mix of love, sex, lust, greed, betrayal, drama, revenge and secrets… a middle-aged Indian woman openly expressing her desires, needs, wants and dreams.

Story is perfectly paced, and speeds up as the story unfolds. The writing style is very beautiful, poignant. Though there are some intense intimate and erotic scenes, they are placed subtly. Shuchi has a strong grasp of her writing - there is no cheesiness in the erotic parts and the story flows flawlessly.

The raw emotions and the portrayal of Renu's inner turmoils have been beautifully depicted in the book. This book is empowering, while still touching upon the taboo subject of a woman’s sexuality in our Indian society. Renu's philosophies will clutch on to your heart. She shows us what a determined woman with unwavering spirit can really do in life by breaking the stereotypical norms.

VERDICT - Shuchi Singh Kalra writes on bold subjects, that raise a lot of questions on our society. This book too does. Totally recommended! 
 

The book has certain expressions which seriously made me screenshot them & share on my social media! Check my Instagram and Twitter!

Rating – 5/5 
 

AUTHOR - Shuchi Singh Kalra is the Amazon bestselling author of two novels - Done with Men and I'm Big. So What!? Her short stories have appeared in Love across Borders, Stories for Your Valentine and NAW Anthology 2013. In her freelancing career of over a decade, Shuchi has written for major print and online publications such asFemina, Good Housekeeping, Hotelier International, Huffington Post, and Home Review, among others. She has also been listed among the top women authors to follow on Twitter.

You can purchase A Cage of Desires by Shuchi Singh Kalra here.