Book Review #115 : IKIGAI

I recently completed reading a very inspiring book — IKIGAI — The Japanese Secret to a Long Happy Life. The book is authored by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles. Today, I am going to talk about my learning from the book. The book touches the various aspects of life which can help us achieve a long happy life. It is based on ancient, well practised Japanese technique called — IKIGAI.

If you google the word, you will get various meanings like : A reason for being, encompassing joy, a sense of purpose and meaning and a feeling of well-being, Or, The word derives from iki, meaning life and kai, meaning the realisation of hopes and expectations. But the one I liked the most is — “A reason to jump out of bed each morning!” This book helps you deep dive into discovering the meaning of your life. It is quite evident that the authors stress more on discovering the meaning of life rather than creating one for you! If you have discovered the meaning of your life, you need to completely immerse into the experience without being distracted by the surroundings and you attain the flow. The book also talks about some very interesting techniques to practice which can help you achieve the flow.

Wabi Sabi Technique:

The book concludes after introducing to another Japanese Technique called — Wabi-Sabi. This techniques talks about finding beauty in imperfect, incomplete things. Here flawed is preferred over perfection. Japanese believe that only imperfect, incomplete and ephemeral things are beautiful because they resemble the nature.

Negatives:

What I found a missed opportunity was the fact that the writers didn’t include a resource list in the book with references. Many of their statements can be backed up with books and studies. I think the addition of sources would have made their message even stronger.

Also, it was sometimes difficult to determine whether the book was about how to get old healthily instead of finding your ikigai. I was imagining sometimes,  is this a book about finding your inner happiness or about healthy aging?

Verdict:

To conclude, I think the book is extremely inspiring and full of content. I could attain my flow while reading it. It is a nice, entertaining book that reads very easily and quickly and can certainly motivate you to live healthier. I wouldn’t go so far by saying that this book will help you to find your own ikigai. This is something very personal and this can be something very big or something very small. This book is not really about that. However, it gives you an idea of how it feels once you’ve found it and explains why it’s so healthy. I can also recommend this book if you’re looking for great insights and inspiration to live healthier and more positive. A great self help book.

Rating: 4/5

P.S: The book was a precious birthday gift.

Book Review #113 : Patna Blues

Book :- Patna Blues

Author :- Abdullah Khan

Publisher :- Juggernaut

First thing first. I would like to express my utmost gratitude to Mr. Abdullah Khan for entrusting me with the review for his debut book ‘Patna Blues’.

"Patna Blues" revolves around three main characters; Arif, a Muslim boy from the lower-middle-class family who dreams of becoming an official of the IAS and changing the fortune of his family. Zakir, Arif's younger brother and an aspiring actor who eventually becomes a victim of the fascist side of India. The love of his life, Sumitra, a mature married Hindu woman. Arif and Sumitra, two amateur poets, share their love and passion for Urdu poetry. Urdu Shayaris are the fragrance of this story which will certainly make you fall in love with them.

The book is hard cover and the cover looks very good with a picture of a young boy who plants a lots of questions and curiosity in the reader's mind.

The book illuminates the post-Babri life of Indian Muslims too. The way the author has explained the life of a Muslim boy or a Muslim family in the Hindu majority India is the highlight of the book.

The book is a heart-wrenching tale from dream to destiny with a gripping storyline and admirable characters. It explores the various taboos existing in our society and highlights the hostility towards Muslims. The characters are relatable inspired from those who we have met at some point in our lives. My most loved character is that of Arif, a boy who despite of several hurdles doesn’t lose hope. His relationship with his family and friends is warm and pleasant.

The book is a gripping read which doesn’t allow you to take a break from it. At one point, it seems that Arif is a reflection of the author himself. The distinct portrayal of emotions make this novel an interesting yet realistic read.

Patna Blues does full justice to its title. As we accompany Arif Khan, the protagonist, along his life’s path, mostly strewn with speed breakers, pothole’s and occasionally down gravel filled paths as he trips and falls, again and again, we can’t help but root for him to do better: to pass the all important IAS exam this time, somehow be with the woman of his dreams, help his Abba with the financial burden that wears his lower middle class police officer father down, find his beloved younger brother Zakir who the police have picked up one dark night and then have denied picking up.

There are a lot of scenes and incidents that take place and are left unexplained as to why it happened or what exactly happened. I humbly demand him a sequel. The author writes lucid language that is relatable and understandable. The narration is a combination of crispiness, ornamentation and a bit of a drag at places.

I recommend this book to one and all. Especially to those who wants to try out new storylines, that are different from the unusual boy-meet-girl tale. It is a heartrending tale that would eventually pull the reader to the very depth of the narration. The ending is touching, a feast to the readers’ soul and perhaps the best part of the book.

Rating - 4.5/5

Book Review #97 : Demons In My Mind

Title: Demons in My Mind 

Author: Aashish Gupta 

Genre: Fiction 

Publisher: Kalamos 

Format: Paperback 

Pages: 224 

COVER : I loved the simplicity of the cover, not too much in display but surely appealing. It’s the kind of cover that would make readers like me to pick the book only for the cover.

BLURB : The blurb is informative, just what provides a clear insight regarding the content of the book, not too revealing, just the perfect amount of information.

FONT : Its a fat book with a well spaced font, which is a big yay for me. Though the number of pages are 224, the well spaced font is that what led to the increase in the number; the book is easy to read.

The book is written in a simple yet captivating language, it holds in itself some beautiful pieces of poetry which flaunt the author’s fine storytelling skills.

This a novel which has every potential to cut through the humongous number of desi authors flooding the market with cheesy, chick-flick stuff. It’s a good, intellectual read which challenges the reader and brings forth some very relevant questions in quite an entertaining way. 

The book deals with heavy questions of criminal psychology and how a criminal should be treated in a society. This book is divided into various sub plots, all woven intricately, so together, it can provide enough suspense to the reader.

“Demons in My Mind” tries to make us understand human emotions in a better manner, emotions like anger, anguish, pride, hatred, etc. through three major stories entwined with the plot surrounding Dakshesh. 

The protagonist, Dakshesh is shown to be at the last stage of cancer nearing a painful death. To be relieved of this malady, this pain, he asks his comrades to take him to three powerful mystics who seem to be the only ray of hope for an escape from this end. The story seems to be going on a spiritual turn just when the twists are brought in, and these three are shown to be in real hardened criminals. They narrate their stories to Dakshesh and how they came to a fork in the road in their lives on meeting Alia, a homeless girl, when they made the decision to leave their dark pasts behind and move to a better path.

It is these three monks who narrate their own stories, and from their own experiences, show us a side of humanity that majority of us have never been acquainted with.

The author manages to highlight very important factors that bring a person to such a path. You see the happiness, the fame, the satisfaction, all ruined when the demons reign. The author, dedicates his work to those similar to him, to those who have demons in their minds.

It consists all elements that most of us readers seek in a book. Surprise, thrill, emotional touches, and a kick to our minds in the end. This book is full of them. From early chapters till last page, this book continued to amaze me. 

NEGATIVES : The book is just perfect. But, there are some spelling errors, typos and the story can get a bit confusing if you’re not paying close attention. I would suggest to take breaks while you’re reading this book.

VERDICT : The plots are dark and quite unbelievable at times, all suggesting that heinous crimes are nothing but a harvest of the uncontrolled minds. Coming from an Indian debut author, I congratulate the author for achieving a feat most debut Indian authors fail miserably at. His extensive vocabulary and the imagination fuels suspense scene after scene.

Overall, this book is a great read, which entertains and sometimes sends chills to your spine. A great work by debut author and I strongly recommend this book to every thriller lover. 

RATING - 4.8/5

Book Review #89 : Small Is Big

"Small is the new big." With Small is Big, Rafaa Dalvi has created a potpourri of 100 diverse micro tales (140 characters or less) that will provide you a rich experience in easy-to-digest fragments and urge you to read one page after another before you finally finish the book. It is such a page turner and keeps you hooked.

The title of the book is highly justified. I was lost in the world created by Rafaa. It is a breezy read that gives the readers many flavors all seasoned into one book. Being a multi genre book, you will experience all emotions all at once while enjoying this book. But everything is not upright there, 10% is revealed and 90% is for the readers to imagine. Stories build up a thought provoking process as it is a perfect mix of dark, light hearted and diverse plots. 

And the best part is that there’s a story for everyone, including YOU that will have a huge impact on you. A superb collection of tales with topics ranging from love, loss, pride, crime, thrill among many others! 

Tiny tales or micro fiction are easy to read, and my favorite reads, as they require less attention span, infact, this book, you keep flipping pages and within minutes, you reach the end! 

We see many Instagram pages popping up every day promising to set a platform for Microtale writers. Being a writer myself, I love to weave micro tales too! And once in a while even a non writer is seen penning exceptional micro fiction. 

Rafaa Dalvi's Small Is Big, a collection of tiny tales, is work of a prolific writer.I have followed Rafaa's writing for years now. In fact, it was his blog and writings that encouraged me to dive into this world of words and I started my own escape, my own blog. 

Tales are alphabetically arranged. Some of the works that I really loved were- Awoke, Beauty Marks, Birthday Special, Change, Daddy, Desire, Doctor, Faint, Goodbye, Homesick, Lie, Lookalike, Management, Mother's Love, Name, Ring, Scars, Suffer, The Switch, Trapped, Useless, Zoom. 

Every tale strikes a chord. To get this book in just Rs 49/- was a treat. I read it on Kindle. 

Anyone who has even a minor interest in literature should read this masterpiece. 

One could sit with a friend and discuss their take on almost each story. This book can be such a conversation starter! These micro tales are absolute gems and their impact is everlasting. Brilliant work. Would love to see this one in print too. 

Congratulations and huge credit to Rafaa, you are so so talented and dexterous enough to keep most of your stories open to interpretation. 

MUST READ! Looking forward to more such tales. 

Rating: 4.8/5 stars 

Download the book now and read it on the go on your Kindle app or device.

Book Review #87: Kalki

Title: Kalki

Subtitle: Avatar of Vishnu

Author: Kevin Missal

Publishers: Kalamos Literary Services LLP

ISBN-13: 9788193503300

Number of Pages: 462

Genre: Fiction, inspired by Mythology

The Plot:

Whenever there is a decline in righteousness and an upsurge in unrighteousness, at that time I take birth again – Lord Govind

Born in the quiet village of Shambala, Kalki Hari, son of Vishyunath and Sumati has no idea about his heritage until he is pitted against tragedies and battles.

Whisked into the province of Keekatpur, which is ruled by Lord Kali, Kalki sees the ignominy of death trumping life all around him. He learns that he is born to cleanse the world he lives in, for which he must travel to the North and learn the ways of Lord Vishnu’s avatar; from an immortal who wields an axe.

But trapped in the midst of betrayals, political intrigue and force that seek to decimate him will he be able to follow his destiny before Kalyug begins?

The Author:

Kevin Misal is a 21 year old graduate from St Stephens College. He has previously written 4 books so far, ranging from crime to mythology to horror. 

He wrote his 1st book at the age of 14 (wow!) and it was released by the then Chief Minister of Delhi. His 2nd book was written at the age of 16 and was published by a British-Indie press. 

Missal is also a pioneer in writing the World’s First InstaRead (which he kindly sent to me!) and is a bestseller on Amazon under the ‘Horror’ category. Kevin is also the co-founder and co-owner of Kalamos Literary Services, who publish and promote fledgling writers and help make a mark in the literary industry.

Review:

Before reading the book I was terrified by its size. There are many books that are fat and have tons of pages which can make the reader doze off to sleep, as they pick it to read. But this book is a complete page turner. Each and every page justified its reason of being a part of this book. The storyline is very addictive and keeps you glued. The author has done justice to all the characters and has described each one perfectly.

Fiction inspired by mythology is an interesting genre to read. And when you find out that it has been authored by a 21-year old, you look forward to a fun ride, as it is bound to have a touch of wildness and freshness to it.

Dharmayoddha Kalki is Part 1 of a series of books to follow. It is about the 10th and the final avatar of Vishnu known as Kalki who is said to appear after the current epoch of Kalyug ends and will usher in the next epoch called the Satayug. 

The author, Kevin Missal, has let his imagination run free to fictitious villages and kingdoms, with multiple characters and their colorful worlds. His descriptive writing is so on point, that it shapes the characters and etches out their characteristics for us, making them come alive, just like a movie.

My only little complaint is the indulgent editing. The book could have been made a tighter read with some clever editing.

This book talks about how the son of a normal couple residing in the village of Shambhala who does has no idea of his destiny. The book is divided into two chapters called the Battle of Shambhala and The rise of Kali. The battle of Shambhala part deals with Kalki’s life in Shambhala and the second chapter highlights the wrath of Lord Kali who rules the kingdom of Keekatpur and is known for his atrocities and political influence. 

Kalki realizes that he has to put an end to these atrocities, evilness and cleanse the foul world of the evil forces. He also faces many betrayals in his way and learns to use his powers to help the world become a better place. The story ended on a pessimistic note of suspense which certainly has made me look forward for the upcoming parts.

I particularly loved the character of Kali who has a strong personality and stands out as a very bold heroic character throughout the story.  Kevin has addressed many social stigmas of the society and how they are still an integral part of the modern world in different forms.

I loved this line from the book:  “Strength in a person doesn’t define a hero. But where he uses his strength is what matters the most. A hero isn’t born. He’s made. Through people, through journeys and most of all, through tragedy.”

Verdict:

Kevin Missal is a gifted writer. I am sure he has thoroughly enjoyed conceptualizing this book and has lived the process of writing it. The cover of the book justifies the theme of the book and gives a mythological feel. It was very easy to visualize the events while reading as if they took place before my sight, which means the narration is bang on. The way he has presented the story makes the book an addictive piece of mythological literature. The win of good over evil and how the society functions as a whole are some of the major takeaways from this book. Overall, it was a very commendable, inspirational and blockbuster read. I highly recommend this book to all those who have interest in reading mytho-fantasy thrillers. Nonetheless, I am waiting anxiously for the other parts to be out, one by one! Kudos to Kevin!

Overall Rating: 4/5

Book Review #73 : In Loving Memory

Title: In Loving Memory
Author: Haimanti Datta Ray
Publisher: Rupali Publications
Pages: 100
Genre: Non-Fiction/ Biography

In Loving Memory is in Haimanti Dutta Ray’s own words a memoir where a doting daughter recounts how she had seen her father the late painter Shyamal Dutta Ray, who passed away in 2005, at close quarters as well as her reflections on the art fraternity to which her father had belonged. The book isn’t about lamenting the loss of a beloved father; it is primarily a daughter’s reappraisal of his influence on her life that has been wilfully accentuated, and a celebration of this.

It is a memoir where a lovely daughter, the author Haimanti Dutta Ray, expresses her love to her father,  Shyamal Dutta Ray, a noted water colorist, in a sensitive way. It is a very short and sweet read with less than hundred pages. The artistic paintings done by author's father gain attraction.

The writing is so appealing for the fact, the memories were captured not only from the aspect of a doting daughter but also from the aspect of a fan who loved the art. She has written not just about the artist, but about the man behind those beautiful canvases that adorn the walls of several museums and private collections.

It also portrays some of her outings with her dad on special invitation to few places and what her dad liked the most. The book also points how her father stuck to the water colors when his counterpart moved to oil painting. Rivers have made the impact to create wonders in his paintings. His paintings have got a place in the hearts of thousands of people as well as they are displayed in national and international galleries.

What moved me the most was the final chapter "And Life Goes On" where the author talks about how her life and that of her mother changed after her father's demise. She writes, "Life must and should go on. This is the lesson that I have learnt after Baba’s death. Books have become a constant companion and a solid mass of unalloyed love and commitment, post our bereavement."

This book is an honest and humble tribute to a father by his daughter. It is a fantastic attempt by her in remembering her father for his great works getting national and international repute. This book is of great help to understand and appreciate the works of one of our major painters.

Born in 1934 at Ranchi , Shyamal Dutta Ray started drawing and painting at a very early age. The author of this book Haimanti Dutta Ray gives a clear picture about her father’s commitment and devotion to his job as a painter. He was blessed with a keen mind and the ability to impress others with his paintings. Since he worked hard to give life to his drawings and dreams he was honoured by laurels and prizes. 

Coming to the book – the writing style is simple and to the point. The inclusion of some of Dutta Ray’s paintings is an added bonus, as you flip pages.

The book is a good read for the artists and students of art so that they get a clear picture of an artist's life.

Rating: 4/5

P.S: I won a review copy from The Tales Pensieve as part of Reviewers Programme. Register on #TTP for lots of #book fun and activities.

Book Review #63 : The Speaking Ghost of Rajpur

Author: Priyonkar Dasgupta  

Publisher: Thought Balloon Books

Pages: 304

Genre: Fiction/ Adventure

The Speaking Ghost of Rajpur is a beautiful story about childhood, friendship, courage and the magic of adventure & innocence.  This beautiful story immortalizes summer time. And undoubtedly it is the children who enjoy the summer’s the most, for they have a month long vacation to explore, indulge and invite trouble! Also who can forget the great bonding time with cousins during vacations?

The novel is thought provoking and portrays the world, situations and circumstances through a child’s point of view.  Mystery, a child’s perspective of situation and the world are well woven.

I would like to comment on the cover of the book. The cover of the book gave me a very happy go lucky feel that extends to being a horror story too. Just like any comic book cover, we read in the childhood!  

The story is set in a small sleepy town of Rajpur, not very far from Kolkata.  I liked the setting of the book – the town Rajpur has just the perfect combination of amusement and mystery to keep the readers hooked on right till the end. The characters Shoumik and Shoumo are brothers who land up in Rajpur at their Cousin Joy’s place and thus the story unfolds. They spend their time chasing mysteries and weird rumors of tantrics and ghosts. And in their quest for adventure they find themselves in the middle of something far more frightening, unlawful and gruesome.

The writing style is easy and has a natural flow, the events are well narrated and characters well structured. The novel has a breezy feel to it and it’s primarily due to the writing style. The author successfully manages to take the reader through a fun filled adventurous childhood ride. The characters are nice with most of them being the typical notorious boys with a kind of notoriety most of us can associate with our childhood. We find a lyrical note in it where the imageries and metaphors are beautifully used.

The escapades and misadventures were fun to read and I especially enjoyed the parts which involved the tantric and the haunted dilapidated factory. The ghost angle makes the story and the plotline very interesting. What truly amazed me was the author’s ability to make the story feel so real. The climax was absolutely brilliant and unpredictable. It was finally like the icing on the cake.

This novel reminded me of all the good times spent in vacations and schools lazing around, indulging all sense whether it is food, friends or adventure. A journey back to sleepy afternoons where adults were not privy to children's worlds of make believe and wonderful motivations. An attempt to lead, an attempt to make friends, to be curious.

What I liked & disliked -

- What strikes the chord of the 90's kid mostly is the notable lack of gadgets encumbering our lives now. It helped us look at people's faces instead of screens. Nostalgic for sure.

- Great use of language, but more often the author has used very long sentences which may not go well with the readers. It acted as a speed blocker for me. Many sentences need to be fragmented.

- Amidst, minor punctuation errors, the story is one that helps you reminiscence the jazz of childhood.

- Incredible description of every place they visit and each person they meet. However, the book could have been 30 odd pages shorter if the pace of the narrative had been tightened a bit.

- Editing is above average, but some words have been used needlessly. They could have been skipped. Like 'Cousin Joy' each time instead of just Joy.

- Another issue I had with the book was the font size as it was a bit too small for my liking.

VERDICT: People of all the ages would love to read the story, so go grab the book and be a part of these young children’s voyage through it all! Kudos to the author for transporting me to the best phase my life. Thank you!

Rating: 4/5

P.S: I won this review copy from The Tales Pensieve as part of Reviewers Programme. Register on #TTP for lots of #book fun and activities.

Book Review #62 : 6 Degrees - Game Of Blogs

Title: - Six Degrees by Blogadda

Publisher: -Leadstart Publishing and BlogAdda.Com

Publication Year: - 2015

ISBN:- 9352013891 (ISBN13: 9789352013890)

Number of pages: -  422

Price: - Rs 349

BlogAdda, is a platform for bloggers to connect with each other, showcase their blogs and participate in interesting activities. The Adda has given writers various avenues to introduce their blogs to a large audience and interact with their readers.

Six Degrees is a product of the first collaborative blogging effort in India. It is a novel that is co-authored by many bloggers who are winners of the #CelebrateBlogging initiative by BlogAdda [that ran the first edition of Game Of Blogs in September 2014]. The objective was to write a fictional story revolving around five characters. Bloggers from across India came together as teams and after three rounds filled with it’s own set of twists & turns, three stories were adjudged winners by coveted panel of judges.

Each member had to write a blog page everyday and it all had to then come together in the form of a cohesive story. All the teams came up with their own distinct stories and writing styles and out of those thirty teams, the top three teams were selected for this book. Hence this book is the labour of love for writing of not one or two but 30 bloggers!

Hence, Six Degrees is not an ordinary effort but the result of “Collaboration + Creativity.”  The most fascinating thing about this book is that – Five characters are same and have the same characteristics in three stories narrated in the book.

The title isn’t clear at first glance and after reading I found that it relates to the six degrees of separation between the characters, stories and the storytellers. The cover is covered with a crowd of various types of smiley faces.

'Six degrees of separation is the theory that everyone and everything is six or fewer steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person in the world.'

As mentioned earlier, the book has three different stories with five characters (that remain same across stories). All the stories are set in Mumbai & Delhi. What we particularly liked about the book is that the language used in the stories is simple and authors (three teams of bloggers across India) have made a great effort to make the stories more engaging and keeping the readers hooked.

The Lead characters around which stories have been plotted are below:

Shekhar Dutta – A freelance writer and also a stay at home father

Tara Dutta – Wife of Shekhar and also a Media Professional

Roohi Duta – Their nine year old daughter. All the three stay as a close-knit family in Mumbai

Jennifer Joseph – Kochi based photographer

Cyrus Daruwala – Law student staying in Delhi

Three Stories that have been written by three different teams are below:

The Awakening

The Awakening is about Tara Dutta, Shekhar Dutta and their nine year old daughter Roohi. They are a close knit family who stay in Mumbai. It is a science fiction story with interesting twists and turns. They are leading a normal life until the arrival of a surprise guest – Jennifer, after which their lives become topsy-turvy. Every day, there are new revelations and incidents that threaten to tear the happy family apart.

Just like a Hollywood sci-fi flick, you can visualize the scenes and the good part about the story is that the scenes change at a very rapid pace. This keeps the readers glued to the story. The graphical representations of the aliens and the powers they possess adds more Masala to the entire story.

I liked the graphic descriptions of the aliens and their super powers and the story stays sharp till the end.

Would the ‘Once upon a time- Happy Family’ succeed to find out who are the strangers that have entered their lives ? What is the secret that holds the key to their happiness ? Would they be able to defeat the super-powers and save our earth ? These are the answers that lie in ‘The Awakening’, read it to believe it.

Entangled Lives

In Entangled Lives, a small seemingly happy family is thrown into turmoil with the arrival of strangers in the house. Tara and Shekhar Dutta have similar job profiles. Cyrus is an illegitimate child of Shekhar Dutta. She studies Law. Jennifer Joseph is an over-ambitious wild-life photographer. It is an intriguing story about an out of work writer, a power-hungry media head, a wild life photographer, 9 year old child and MURDER. The mystery that needs to be solved is who has murdered the maid of the Dutta household.

There is no direct evidence to link the murder to the crime though there is an eye-witness that will help in solving the mystery. For me, it was an edge of the seat thriller and a complete page-turner. Just like a Bollywood flick, this story has all the ingredients to make a great story – Relationships, Lies, Secrets, Betrayal and Revenge. We won’t be surprised if some Bollywood Director expresses interest in making a feature film on this story!

Missing – A Journey Within

As the title rightly suggests, this story is about a Missing person. Roohi, daughter of Shekhar Dutta goes missing from school. Roohi was accidentally clicked by Jennifer [photographer] when she was clicking pictures to complete her assignments. She recognizes Roohi since her parents have circulated her pictures on Social Media. So, who was Roohi last seen with?

Missing traces the journey of love, hope, care and affection right into hatred, ego, prejudice and negativity. It beautifully etches the pain that a family has to go through since there is a fear of losing Roohi forever. Just when hope to find Roohi starts to dwindle, journey takes a fascinating turn.

Would the family manage to find Roohi or they would loose her forever, Missing holds all the answers.

Overall Verdict: The USP of this book is the fact that the characters, their nature, the physical appearance and basically every other factors used for character development has already been defined and the teams had to think of stories around them. Usually it is the plot that defines the characters but it was a very unique experience to read how one set of character can be visualised in so many different plots and scenarios. “Wouldn’t too many cooks spoil the broth?” - I was worried that being a team campaign, there might be inconsistencies in the writing style but I have no such complains after reading the book. Written by a plethora of bloggers, with well knit stories - this book is a pageturner! All three stories are totally different from each other, but the characters and situations are believable which make them easy to connect to our lives. This book is a labour of love for writing. If you like to read about different perspectives in life, love drama, suspense; than Six Degrees is the book for you! 

Rating: 4/5   

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!

Book Review #58 : Surpanakha

Written by Hariharan Iyer, Notion Press brings you a riveting book that is based on politics, murder, and conspiracies. Titled Surpanakha, the book is full of twists and turns.

Excellent work. Fast passed narrative. Political thriller. That is Surpanakha!

The title Surpanakha intrigued me to agree to review it. The blurb is interesting. I liked the way the author has written the characters. All the characters are true to life and very relatable. Once the book takes its pace, it is interesting and you cannot put it down.

The characters are very neatly etched out and Hariharan takes most of the beginning of the book to introduce the characters. At one point, you do feel a bit dragged and confused as there are too many characters and you tend to lose the track and connect to the story.

The flow of the story is quite swift and language is easy to comprehend. But, you need your own sweet time to read the book, grasp the characters, but the good point is, the book doesn’t disappoint story wise.

I had a perception when I started the book that it would have some historical reference due to its title 'Surpanakha' but there wasn’t any and that came as a surprise, when towards the end, Hariharan merges the story and the title flawlessly. It is the highlight of the book and made the read worthwhile for me! I’m sure the book will find many readers. I would definitely read the author's upcoming books!

Rating - 4/5

This review is for b00k r3vi3w Tours