Book Review #134 : Dented & Painted

The anthology “Dented & Painted” comprises of 23 remarkable short stories. The cover of the collection is beautiful and attractive. The collection is penned down by author Tirupathi Khemka. This book is a must read for all humans due to the depleting mentality of our society. Harsh reality is portrayed that shows you the mirror unto society. 

Dented & Painted is appalling in its tone and subject. The stories begin with the opening lines in italics which store in them the essence of the whole story and ends with question marks that leave your mind ticking. These life changing stories shake the insides of your soul. It deals with some of the highly sensitive issues prevailing in our society at large. Each story is instilled with sheer pain, misery & struggle. The complexities of women’s life, how they are tortured, subdued, and tormented, and how they fight back are narrated by the author. The language is bold and comprehensive. On the whole, the collection is nicely compiled and stories are engrossing and have a power that grips you from within. As you continue reading these stories, you develop a strong sense of connection with the theme of feminism. The author has poured his heart into these stories. 

‘Male chauvinist pigs’ are well-exposed. The mind-blowing stories are an eye-opener and make you question so many things. The narrative is quite strong and details are well written. Sometimes the pace gets fast, though the emotions are well maintained. True reality is pictured which pinches you somewhere, depicting the cruelty of patriarchal society in which we continue to live. The stories expose a wide horizon of themes from prostitution to rapes, women as victims to women as fighters, the sufferings of women to struggles of women, women as creators to the women as destructors, the divine to the not so divine women, and many more. I can't get a few stories out of my mind; they were very impactful. I felt proud of a few ladies, yet felt sad for some. 

Dented & Painted is a complete page turner. It leaves your eyes moist with tears and you feel how crippled you have become by letting others dominate you and decide things for you. The author has made very interesting and keen observations before penning down each one of these wonderful pieces of writing. Kudos to him for his brilliant attempt! He proved the power of pen and the wonders that it can do. 

Ratings: 4.5/5

Book Review #107 : 'He's Just Not That Into You'

Authors: Greg Behrendt, Liz Tuccillo

ISBN: 978-0-689-87474-1

There are 16 chapters. Each of these chapters contains a brief description of the problem from Greg; two or three advice column-style questions from women, which Greg answers; a paragraph or two under the heading "It's so simple," which reinforces the chapter title; "Here's Why This One Is Hard," wherein Liz empathizes with reluctant readers and whines about how difficult her romantic life is; "This is What It Should Look Like," which discuss an ideal situation; and "Greg, I Get It," credited to a woman who finds the advice liberating.

Three items end each chapter: "If You Don't Believe Greg," which always has '20 out of 20' or '100% of polled men' giving advice that stands by the chapter's rule; a redundant "What You Should Have Learned in This Chapter" summary; and a trivial but occasionally giggle-worthy "Workbook" section.

You've probably told yourself all of this stuff before, but seeing it in writing really brings it home. I feel like this book has changed my entire perspective on dating.

If he is really that into you, you will know. There will be no doubting or questioning. This book just reaffirmed my inner voice that was telling me this kind of stuff but I always brushed aside in hopeless romantic style. But not anymore! This might be an uncomfortable book for both men and women to listen to, since it has high expectations of relationships. It has a light touch and is often funny. While the book often seems to have a very idealized view of romantic love and the perfectibility of relationships, relying on an old fashioned view of the differences between the sexes, it also fits in with one of the simplest and most obvious planks of feminism, that women should be treated with respect and kindness. We well know that it is often the people we get closest to that we hurt the most.

He's Just Not That Into You is certainly not an academic treatise, so readers should take the advice at the level at which it is offered. The idea of the book is to get women to improve their relationships, not make final pronouncements about the nature of men and women.

Move over diamonds, Greg Behrendt is a girl's new best friend. This book is hilarious and its humor will turn off any yearning for the man you thought was "into you" but not heard from in a while. (The book also gives women permission--and courage--to dump a man without feeling guilty.) The sad truth took a while to sink in that if a man really wants a particular woman, he'll move mountains to be with her.

It is not a bad message and maybe it is needed because as the authors say, there are too many women who put up with bad behavior from men. Women do need to believe that they deserve respectful behavior and should not fall for the many lies they are told. Indeed, women should not be so ready to lie to themselves about their relationships in the belief that they can't do any better. They need to respect themselves enough to insist on being loved well, because if they don't, then men won't respect them either. It is pretty crude psychology, but it makes sense.

He's Just Not That Into You will make its readers consider what their minimum requirements should be in the attitudes of a partner, and how much they should forgive the faults and mistakes of their lovers. So, surprisingly, it is a book that takes a strong moral stance. It is probably not a stance that its readers should adopt completely, but it is at least one worth keeping in mind. I sat with a highlighter pen to mark the important one-liners - the gems! ;)

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.