Tag: bookreview

Posted in Book Review

The ‘Local’ Book Review: Screw It, Let’s Do It! by Richard Branson.

Posted on by Shreya Jain 
Book Length: 106 Pages   
Genre: Self-Help    
Personal Rating: 5/5  
Buy this book here: https://amzn.to/3xMgXUA

Book Introduction: “Excuse me, are you a teacher?”; a sweet, womanly voice pulled me out of ‘Features of the New Economic Policy’ pointers that I was trying to absorb, while my desti‘station’ Dadar awaited. I looked up to locate its owner, and saw a pretty face gazing at me with eyes hopeful for a response. “Maybe one day in the future, yes, the still a student for now!” I replied, with my usual ‘Nice to talk to you’ smile. “Oh shucks, I thought you’re one. I’m going for a job interview as a teacher. It’s my first, actually! I thought you’re one, so I’d just talk to you and get some tips”, came her reply, with a similar ‘Nice to talk to you too’ smile. I felt the vibe strings match, and being the chatty one that I am, couldn’t help but continuing the conversation with “So where exactly is the school you’re going for interview, and which section are you looking forward to teach?”. Flowed out the entire band of facts from her end, and off in went… Our Mumbai local train tete-a-tete. God had planned for this, I know, because coincidentally we shared the same desti‘station’. That almost 1 hour conversation was one of the best parts of my day. I got to know about how she has had a successful home-tutoring career spanning 16 years (she started at the age of 15!), various common facets of both our lives, for example she living not more than 3 kms away from the area I lived and went to school in, and the fact she knew my ex-school so well and had tutored so many ex-students from the same, our views on feminism and equality, marriage, and the gender-roles that the society attaches to a woman. The most important bits of our conversation revolved around the fact that this was her first job interview in her entire life, and the first time she would be working under someone if she gets in, and how her nerves were bundling into over this. As I was reading ‘Screw It, Let’s Do It!” by Richard Branson, I couldn’t stop recollecting this incident. I wish I could go back in time, and give  her those valuable pearls of insights that this book contains. Alas, I can’t do that, but well… I’ll share it with you guys instead!

Richard Branson is a British entrepreneur and adventurer, head of Virgin Group Ltd., known for his setting records in powerboat racing and hot-air ballooning, and successful business ventures. This high-school drop-out is a self-made billionaire is a force of nature, a statement of mine that will be justified once you walk through the pages of ‘Screw It, Let’s Do It’, a book in which he puts down all the possible pieces of advice and life lessons he has culminated all these years. The crux of all that one of the most successful people on the planet’s journey has given him, and benefit you too, basically!

Review: To-the-point, acute, astute, inspiring, informative, sufficiently well-written, valuable. Baaki aap samajdaar ho, khud samaj jaoge.

Posted in Book Review

Book Review: A Home in the Sun

Posted on by Shreya Jain 
Book Length: 358 Pages  
Genre: Fiction   
Personal Rating: 4.9/5 
Buy this book here: https://amzn.to/3amkhO9

Introduction: Imagine… An extremely well-established house. No silver spoons and Bentley homes, but great IKEA. Spacious, comfortable, warm, pretty… Keeps everyone happy. And then one day, enters an earthquake. Its tremors destroy every particle of cement that held the bricks of the house together with strength all this while. In a painful extended blink, this sweet façade is gone… And all that’s left is those piles of scattered bricks, that once formed an absolute thing of beauty. But…. A thing of beauty is a joy forever, and those bricks, no matter how scattered… Were untattered. Their former grounds weren’t meant to hold a foundation anymore, let alone a home. So, the bricks find a new ground… One that’s far away, and rich enough to help them restore their former glorious structure, and they start rebuilding… Slow, efficient, steady. But little do they know, this time, instead of an earthquake, a thunderstorm is keeping their wait. Will this storm crumble away the bricks this time, and bury them into the same grounds, or restore those walls, no matter what? You need to dive into the turquoise waters of Malta with Judith McAllister, to know whether the disasters of emotional tumults succeed in not letting her restore, the house that’s her life… That too where? In the blazing sunlight of Malta or cold winds of England? A Sue Moorcroft’s tale to tell!

Review: Just one word… Lovely. Absolutely lovely, this book. The plot, characterization and narrative… C’est parfait! The articulation, however, could have been better. But nevertheless, if you are looking for something emotionally intricate, yet soothing… This is a read I’d recommend.

Posted in Book Review

Book Review: Demon On Fire and Other Stories

Posted on by Shreya Jain 
Book Length: 230 Pages 
Genre: Fiction  
Personal Rating: 4.95/5
Buy this book here: https://amzn.to/3MYVgXb

Introduction: The world is a vast, that’s a fact every single one of us with conscious know better than the back of our hands, isn’t it? No two corners are the same, be it with the structure or what they have to offer. And there are such crores of corners around this simple on the surface, but dynamic in every way word ‘world’. There is a corner we are born in, and over the course of our lives, multiple others we dwell within, at times nomadic, and some times settling. They might be in plenty, yet again, as the unchangeable rules of the world, its never ‘full’. Don’t you catch yourself wondering at times, how the corners far and beyond from ours, might be? And how do the dwellers of them, live? Of some we have an idea, and of the rest in thousands, we don’t. This wonder stems curiosity, which further stems many of human indulgences and leisure. Like expediting, and diving in stories (irrespective of the form they are expressed in). They are our portals to the worlds within this world that lies in these corners. This is why, we love them. ‘Demon On Fire & Other Stories’ by Madhavi Johnson is a bouquet of 15 such portals.

From a Dili knee-deep in war crimes and unrest, streets of New York City full of the young: lost, unsheltered, abused; to a flooded village in Sundarbans, Madhavi puts forth an array of tales that show you the surfaces of the world you’ve never seen, and emotions you’ve never actually confronted before. If you are ready for a whirlwind trip around the bests and worsts, and opposite seas, then this should be your next read!

Review: Incredible, exciting, magnificent *insert all the possible positive descriptive adjectives* The best short stories collection I’ve read, till date. I think its pretty much clear by now how high of a regard I have towards this book. Here are the major reasons why: 1) Extremely well thought, woven, and articulated stories. 2) An extensive diversity in the themes and settings. 3) Immaculate portrayal of emotions… Abh main aur bolu yaa aap convince ho gaye? Jokes apart, this book was a good learning experience, it has shown me new facets of life and gave me a lot to ponder upon, and made me introspect with plethora of feelings. However, few of the stories had minor plot holes, which if filled, would make it synonymous to ‘perfection’. But that’s alright, the stars might not match the moon, but they are dazzling too! I’m definitely re-reading this book at some point in time, and would 100% recommend my fellow reading community to devote their time to it as well!

Posted in Book Review

Book Review: The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield

Posted on by Shreya Jain 
Book Length: 282 Pages
Genre: Fiction 
Personal Rating: 4.7/5
Buy this book here: https://amzn.to/37WN7np

Introduction: Have you had moments when your heart and conscious, both have been gripped by this wind, that doesn’t let them still? Nothing is wrong per se, and yet, it doesn’t feel how it does usually, how it should be…Of normalcy. This wind is ‘restlessness’, and I’m pretty sure, at least once, have been its guests. The causes, and the contexts of these winds are variant, but the impact they create; often the same. They get us thinking with an intensity of exception, and even drive us to major consequences… At times good, and at times bad. These 100 words I just wrote, is the best way to tie together the entirety of ‘The Celestine Prophecy’ authored by James Redfield.

The restlessness of a certain young man, brought to his awareness and nudged in the right direction by an acquaintance, drives him to the rain forests of Peru, where a certain ancient doctrine is hidden, and trying to be supressed from coming to light, that would reveal to the world its true spiritual truth, and purpose. Armed with a satchel of resources, and co-incidences, he follows his heart on this conquest, where the insights that might change his entire mental landscape are waiting for him…. Along mortal powers, who would leave no stone unturned to guard what they have built and can be threatened by this manuscript (that’s what they believe). If introspection to the depths of oceans fits your cup, then pick this up!

Review: This book has turned a plethora of thought wheels in my head. Introspection comes naturally to me along with and after every single script I read, but this book took me on a new level of internal ride. The blend of psychology and spirituality in the content presented is my favourite feature of this book. However, the plot has a lot of room for improvements, in my opinion. The notions and the insights’ explanations feel very real, but the storyline is the medium for presenting them, and the storyline here seems quite fast-paced and fantastical for reality. Apart from this, I would 100% recommend this, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll soon pick it up for re-read.

 

Posted in Book Review

Book Review: Quiddity of the First Ray of Sunlight

Posted on by Shreya Jain 
Book Length: 63 pages
Genre: Poetry Collection
Personal Rating: 3/5 

Buy this book here:  https://amzn.to/3xS88KI

Introduction: “When you are young, they assume you know nothing” …Taylor Swift sung, I felt. And this ‘I’ here doesn’t stand for first person singular pronoun, but it represents every single one of them, I can assure you that. And the age of the pronouns would fall in the range of 13-19 years , I’m ready to bet on that as well. And to all those who hold that assumption true, what if I tell you the book I’m reviewing today is penned by a 13-year-old?

*smiles at the shot-up eyebrows*

‘Quiddity of the First Ray of Sunlight’ is an anthology of 21 poems, authored by Arushi Kohli, an Indian teenager, hailing from Delhi. Based on a mélange of themes and styles, the entire book takes us on a ride of the world (made of thoughts and viewpoints) this budding professional holds her own. The topics of the poems are based on generic aspects of life, which are elaborated with illustrations (in almost all of them).

Review: An excellent effort. At this tender age, going out and taking a professional step, let alone publishing your own book, is not a small or easy deal; and that’s still putting it mildly. If I see the pieces with an extreme critical lens, there’s definitely a lot of room for improvement. But those are the kinds of spaces that can only be filled with maturity and time, a process that is natural within a creative and doesn’t yield much when forced. The portrayal of thoughts, and putting together of words: Those are the areas the author needs to develop upon. As your senior in more ways than one, I have to say this: I’m really proud of you Arushi, keep your spirits, passion, and work progress up, always. If you wish to encourage this budding writer, do give the book a read. 

Posted in Book Review

Book Review: The Billionaire and The Monk by Vibhor Kumar Singh

Posted on by Shreya Jain

Book length: 129 pages
Genre: Fiction
Format: Paperback/E-book
Personal Rating: 3/5

Buy this book here: https://amzn.to/3rquXkt

Introduction: What is it that makes you happy? That chunk of chocolate at the end of ice-cream, that sweet text from someone you love, a long weekend after lots of busy weeks, the smell of new and old books (personal favourite huehue) … The list seems to be never ending, no? I find that a beautiful thing. For me, happiness and contentment are the ultimate goals in life. I feel everything that we do, is for happiness at the end of the day. Be it our own, or someone else’s. The journey in its attainment might be hell, but the destination… Heaven. However, Mr. Vibhor Kumar Singh doesn’t believe so. His notion says that happiness is both the journey and the destination. And with his debut book ‘The Billionaire and the Monk’ he takes us on this journey of how to travel the journey of happiness and soak in the beauty of its destination right.

 

In the borders of Shangri-La, a rare friendship thrives: That of a Billionaire and a Monk. The Billionaire is that everyday Billionaire you read about in newspapers: The over-achiever, the market-conqueror, the role model, and obviously… The Billionaire. The Monk in a way is your everyday monk and in a way isn’t. He has joined back the course of ordinary life after spending almost all of his life in monastery. Both of their paths intertwine, and they soon set off on an endeavour. Different, yet similar people, with their endeavour they also begin decoding the answer to an equal question: Are they truly happy? How can happiness be found? Do they taste the nectar of success? And what do they encounter in the process? Now that’s the story for Vibhor to tell.

 

Review: No regrets on the time spent, at all. ‘Sweet’ and ‘insightful’ are the best ways to put it in two words. What I feel about this book is that Mr. Singh has served all of his life’s best lessons and prosperity ingredients on a platter and presented them to us in the form of this book. And for a 16-year-old me, from someone who has seen and experienced the parts of the world I dream to, and achieved what I aim to, this platter has been valuable. The concept is nothing unique, however. When it comes to the articulation, structure, and flow of the story: It’s nice. All in all, a good effort and a great way to spend time, casually but productively on a weekend is how I’ll summarise my opinion on this.

Posted in Book Review

Book Review: The Daughter of Luharu

Posted on by Shreya Jain

Book length: 226 pages
Genre: Fiction

Format: Paperback/E-book
Personal Rating: 4.7/5

Buy this book here: https://amzn.to/35zS3NO

Introduction: If you look around in the world, what do you see? A hundred different people, each in their lives, which are mysteries and stories for us. When I say people, what is the image that comes in your head? Images of several human faces, probably some of them which you know, and the others you might have shared glances with at some point in life. Diversity, would be an evident inference from this collective picture that would form in your head, right? The bracket of people would be filled with an array of races, features and moreover… Genders. I think we all agree, that this simple word is vast and deep enough to substitute a world within itself. A natural construct bringing balance, significant in the universe’s way of working, and an instrument of humanitarian conflict are the two sides of the gender coin, positive and negative respectively. Patriarchy and misogyny are a tale as old as time, and sadly, prevalent even today. However, there has been improvement on this front, and we can’t deny that either. The year is 2022, and we would say that somewhat, the lives of women have developed for better. When I say somewhat, I have a feeling that many would disagree. To those who do, I have a simple question: Do you feel progressive as a man, or empowered as a woman when a husband says “He allows his wife to work”? If you nod in affirmative, you just proved my point. This is just the tip of the ice berg of the thousand gap that still exist in the mindset of us individuals who form the society, which are filled by these 2 Satans: Patriarchy and Misogyny. In The Daughter of Luharu, author Monica Sudhir Gupta opens up a window to help us look through what it is like, being a woman, in India. (I wouldn’t say ancient, as per setting of the story, because even though we have moved much forward in terms of years, at some point, we are still living this story, as a society and a woman).

Theme: Roheeni is a girl born in Luharu, a remote city in the state of Haryana. She has lived through the side of India, we now read about in our history textbooks. Yes, it’s the era before independence. In this fictional auto-biography, Roheeni takes us through the life of people, and most importantly women, before India gained its independence and along when Pakistan received its. That’s pretty much all I’ll describe about the theme of this book. But don’t be deceived, an overwhelming lot about the world this 226-page long manuscript show you, through the feeble layers of ghunghat* and folds of Roheeni’s pallu*.  

Personal Opinion: There’s a lot that’s crossing my mind at the same time when I think about my opinion and experience with this book, but somehow, I’m finding it difficult to put it into words. Irony? Definitely. That’s how emotionally this book has touched me. Coming from a background where so much of whatever that’s highlighted in the book is still so normalised and visible, in every page, the relatability factor hit me like a train. The story is beautifully woven, and extremely well-articulated. Every element is so realistic, it doesn’t even feel like fiction to be honest. My heart and mind have become a sea, with the waves of emotions I’ve felt while reading this. The only input that I would’ve given for improvement would be that in the initial chapters, the tonality should have matched Roheeni’s age. That would have made it feel all the more real. I applaud Monica’s efforts of creating something so honest, and though-provoking. She has done a commendable job of making this book a clear river through which we can crystal clearly feel, and not just see the state of women in this society. I would urge every human from every part of the world, irrespective of their age, race, gender, and all the possible borders that divide us, to read across this book once in their lifetime and do their bit, in making sure that there are no more Bhagwani Devi’s and lives like Roheeni’s, but more of Kishan’s and endings like Nutan’s (Read the book to decode this reference huehue).  

*ghunghat: A sort of veil, that women in India use to cover their face with as a part of cultural norm

*pallu: A part pf the garment saree, worn my Indian women

Posted in Book Review

Book Review: Five Little Heartaches by KG Vijhay Sundar

Posted on by Shreya Jain

Book length: 88 pages
Genre: Fiction
Format: Paperback/E-book
Personal Rating: 3/5

Buy this book here: https://amzn.to/3lR8vy8

Book Introduction: Everyone will tell you how life is a roller coaster, and it’s true too.  But have you ever how it’s a ferris wheel too?
A circle, held together by a centrefold, with factors propelling it for motion.

But if this ferris wheel is life, which is the centrefold? I, for one, consider it the heart. It makes you rise, it brings your fall too, but in the end.. It’s the one that is holding it together. Unavoidable, integral, consistent: That’s the centrefold, that’s your heart. I don’t know about everyone else, but K.G Vighay Sundar shares this notion of mine and based on that has put forth his creation: Five Little Heartaches.

It is a collection of 5 short stories, revolving around that ferris wheel and it’s centrefold: Life and heart. The stories are extremely diverse in nature, have a dark tone, and reflect the business of heart in all aspects. So if you like emotions and real life in your fiction, you’d be able to pick this up and complete it.

Book Review: I did like the book, although with strings attached. The articulation is well and style of writing is beautiful, there is also a mix of poetry which has a special effect.  However in few stories, some parts of the plot are very problematic in my opinion. Some of it is a bit unrealistic too. An author should always be careful of the messaging their story carries, and in few stories that messaging has a negative side. Overall, a good effort and a nice weekend read is how I’ll put it.

Posted in Book Review

Book Review: Nectar of All World Religions by Ishwar Joshi Awalgaonkar

Posted on by Shreya Jain

Genre: Non-fiction

Book Length: 204 pages
Format: E-book/Paperback

Personal Rating: 3.5/5

Buy this book here: https://amzn.to/3kyIX8x

Book Introduction: Ever since childhood, we have been taught: Believe in God. Different are the ways, different the space, different the names, different the phrases… Because different are our faiths. And yet, in the end, the crux is the same: To Believe. The crux we all know, but the story and what they tell; except the one we follow, we don’t. And so, Mr. Ishwar Joshi Awalgaonkar presents a ‘holy’ scripture, that extracts the sacred orchards’ nectar.

Mr. Ishwar Joshi Awalgaonkar is a software engineer based in USA, and works for Google. He has read the holy texts of all major religions of the world. He started this journey in his early youth, and hasn’t looked back ever since, given the fact how eye opening it has been.

The book presents the basic teachings of all the major world religions, and selected texts from their holy scriptures. So to explain in a line: It’s a summary of all the faithful stories. If you wish to soak in the ancient insight and know what the theory of life reads like in different shrines, you should pick this one!

Honest Review: Religion and faith is something which I am a lot into, and so I really enjoyed reading this one. I’d really recommend giving this a read if you have similar interests. There were a few limitations, like some spelling errors and repetitions of selected phrases from the texts. Apart from that, a decent read.

Posted in Book Review

Book Review: For One More Day by Mitch Albom

Posted on by Shreya Jain

Book length: 197 pages
Genre: Fiction
Format: Paperback
Personal Rating: 5/5

Buy this book here: https://amzn.to/3Cnfkxy

Book Review: When was the last time you spoke nicely to your mom? How did you react the last time you had with a fight with your dad? Just like every other relationship in the world, a parent child relationship doesn’t escape variance. It can be complicated, but it is nevertheless, precious. With this notion, Mitch Albom, introduces a story, that highlights almost every emotional aspect of life, but revolves around the one which forms it’s very base: Parental Bond.

The book narrates the story of Charles ‘Chick’ Benetto, a man who is broken, lost and step by step.. defeated. He lives a life drowning in mistakes, becoming all the more worse every day. When the last straw is drawn, he gives up and goes ahead to end it all at the same place it began. But that’s not what destiny has in store for him. And that’s not the only thing too. He attains a rebirth, and a priceless entity along with it. An extra day, with someone he failed and misunderstood the most.

This one day turns not just a leaf, but plants an entire new orchard which later blooms into the phase 2 of Chick’s story. Revelations, epiphanies, lessons, relationships, truths, lies, guilt and chances… Is all that I will say, for one more day.

Personal Opinion: Soul-stirring is the best adjective I can use to describe this. Mitch Albom deserves all the love in the world for a creation as captivating as this. The plot is fictional, but yet feels so real. It has this unique connectivity between imagination and our personal life. There is a Phase 1 Chick in all of us, and a Phase 2 Chick is waiting and in the making, is what I personally believe. The articulation is done so simply, with such a beautiful flow of writing and powerful storytelling. Everyone should read it, in this lifetime, for one more day.