Book Review: Flying without Wings by Rishabh Puri

Flying without Wings

Author: Rishabh Puri

Publisher: Black Ink Publishers

Rating: 3/5

Love is an uncanny emotion that baffles most. ‘Flying without Wings’ is a simple yet emotional story that describes the complexity of this emotion and also illustrates the aftereffects in broad strokes. Milli, an ordinary middle-class girl who is bent out of shape spends days and nights working at the airport and dreaming in her cloud cuckoo land. Like every other fairy tale, she, too, plays a waiting game and a Dating Application comes to her rescue.

Love blossoms and Milli finds the man of her dreams, Karan. Bound by the restrictions of their background and affluence, they face complications time and again but doesn’t love conquer all?

Written in simple language, the story doesn’t offer any twists and turns resulting in a clichéd plot. Lack of emotional connection and the crude caricatures of the protagonists fail to leave a lasting impression. At times I felt that the dumbing down of the content of the book was intentional in order to attract a larger audience. A sober cover completes the book in a decent manner. The narration is flawed at several places owing to the missing demonstrative adjectives and determiners.

Overall, the book is a one time read.

Best wishes!

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Book Review: Appu’s world of Sun, Sand and Sea by Radhika Ramachandran

Appu’s world of Sun, Sand and Sea

Author: Radhika Ramachandran

Genre: Children’s book

Publishers: Happy Squirrel (Leadstart)

Area A: Text

‘Appu’s world of Sand, Sun and Sea’ narrates the story of a young village boy who has an intense mind and imbibes his surroundings well. He learns to contrast and compare and the crests and troughs in his life shape up his personality. Longer sentences and difficult words might not be liked by the children. Unlike being a stick in the mud, Appu is inquisitive and attentive too.

Area B: Illustrations

The cover of the book neatly presents the main idea of the plot. However, the story lacks proper illustrations; only line drawings have been used (rarely).

Area C: Characterization

The main character of the story is Appu and just like the previous books, Appu’s personality is relatable. The children will like the protagonist and might feel the urge to give solutions to his problems too.  

Book Review: His Share of Sky by Rashmi Narzary

His Share of Sky

Author: Rashmi Narzary

Genre: Children’s book

Publishers: Happy Squirrel (Leadstart)

Area A: Text

The text has been organized in simple sentences. With numerous figures of speech like Onomatopoeia and Alliteration, the stories will be liked by the children. Narrative and entertaining, the story revolves around a young village boy (a round character) who is not only mischievous but also carefree. The short stories have been compiled and placed in such a way that the children will, at no point, feel disconnected with the main character. His qualities are relatable, his lessons are important and the circumstances are pragmatic.

Majority of the children have the odds in their favour and get a chance to go to school and live an economical life. Through these short stories, our children can be sensitized towards the children who are not born with a silver spoon in their mouth. However, the grammatical errors will hinder the process of learning. Time and again one can spot incorrect punctuation and the redundant beginning of the sentences.

Area B: Illustrations

The cover of the book neatly presents the main idea of the plot. The illustrations (in monochrome) strike the right chord and have been brilliantly done. The primary medium used in illustrations is drawing. However, colourful illustrations would have been better.

Area C: Characterization

The main character of the story is Barsau and the most dominant trait that can be identified is his impish behaviour. With the aid of exemplary description, the character of Barsau is well shaped.  

Every child is carefree and jaunty. It is in their nature and we cannot change that. However, if we make them read stories that reflect the similar mindset and give out a moral in the end, we make a sincere effort in equipping the child with the ability to take the right decision. This book is a good read. It explores the mindset and the perspective of a young boy and encourages the young minds to become a part of Barsau’s life. 

Book Review: Puffy and the Formidable Foe by Marie G Lepkowski

Puffy and the Formidable Foe

Author: Marie G Lepkowski

Genre: Children’s book

Publishers: Xlibris

Plot Summary:

‘Puffy and the Formidable Foe’ is a children’s book that narrates the story of a kitten called Puffy, who is not only curious but also adventurous. But his encounter with a smelly kitty leaves him marked for life, for he decides to stay in the vicinity of the house and be safe and sound. The story leaves a lot of scope for testing the cognitive skills of the children by asking them various questions related to the actions of the kitten.

Area A: Text

The text has been organized in simple sentences. ‘Rhyming Words’ has been chosen as the literary tool and it will definitely cater to the interest of the little children. The way Puffy has been described will compel the children to form an image in their minds and relate to the story better. Each page ends on a ‘curious’ note and the child will be tempted to read further. The author has ensured that the rhyming words are placed at such junctures that when they are read aloud, they will register in the young bright minds.

The target audience is young children aged between 3-4 years who have well developed auditory senses but take their time to work on their spoken skills. The rhyming words will catch their attention and help them remember. The vocabulary is simple and elementary.

With bigger font and a lot of white spaces utilized by illustrations, the book will be likeable by the children.

Area B: Illustrations

The cover of the book neatly presents the main conflict of the plot. The illustrations (in broad strokes) strike the right chord and will be liked by the children. The primary medium used in illustrations is rough sketching.

Area C: Characterization

The main character of the story is Puffy and the most dominant trait that can be identified is his curiosity. The central idea and the conflict of the story- the anxiety of Puffy to go out and explore the world- will be relatable. This short story explores the struggles of a young kitten and leaves behind an important lesson of life that will be imbibed by the children.

Verdict:

I would give 3 out of 4 stars to the book because of the witty writing style of the author. However, I felt the illustrations could have been better. I also wished the story was a little longer filled with some more twists and turns. 

KBC: Knowing the Tricks of the Trade!

नमस्कार देवियों और सज्जनो बहुत बहुत स्वागत है आप सबका इस अद्भुद और आवश्वसनिये खेल में जिसका नाम है कौन बनेगा करोड़पति |

Who doesn’t know about this show? Most of us have grown up watching this show like it was some tonic that aided in becoming more intelligent. We have even learnt Mr Bachchan’s lines with such prowess that we can say them out loud without looking into a piece of paper.

Owing to my keen observation skills, I have made these five observations about this show:

1.   The subtle hint of answers

Every time a contestant decides to go with the wrong answer, the host tries his level best to drop subtle hints so that the latter changes his/her mind.

If you haven’t noticed this yet, you need to sit tight and observe. Amitabh doesn’t lock the wrong answer so easily. He nags the contestant to think twice or opt for a lifeline.

2.   The ‘Sympathy’ card

Unlike the older version (s) of KBC, the new season focuses more on the personal lives of the contestant. Here the motive is to draw a parallel with their struggles and prove to the audience that the contestants are worth every penny they earn in the show.

3.   Low-quality content (FFF)

If I am not wrong then the questions given earlier as a part of Fastest Finger First were not only mind-boggling but also substantial. In the present season, not only the quality of the questions but the number of participants has also decreased.

4.   Inappropriate use of Technology

I am guessing that most of you would have noticed how Amitabh first hands over a cheque and then transfers the amount digitally through the Axis Bank Portal. I do not understand this concept of dual money transfer system.

5.   The ‘Bachchan’ brand

Over the years I have also noticed that people prefer following the blind alleyway and for them the change is unacceptable. Looking forward to KBC hosted by Mr Bachchan has become a norm. Remember the time when Shahrukh became the host? People were not only diffident but also sceptical in accepting him as the show host. 

1.   The Humility façade

I recently watched the episode of KBC in which a young lady had won the FFF round. Her exaltation was that of a different level; she was one of the biggest fans of Amitabh. The way the latter embarrassed her on-stage was contemptible. On the contrary, if Amitabh comes across a contestant who gives a cold shoulder, he doesn’t leave any stone unturned to make a sarcastic comment.

6.   The ‘Biased’ question bank

Whenever any celebrity comes to the show, the question bank fishes out questions that are related to their field. Competing in the second phase of KBC seems like a cake walk.

All said and done, KBC will always be one of the most liked shows. 

If you all have made other interesting observations, do share in the comment section.

Book Review: Karna's Celestial Armor by Surendra Nath

Karna's Celestial Armor

Author: Surendra Nath

Sold By: Amazon Asia-Pacific Holdings Private Limited

Rating: 3.5/5

Personally, Karna is my favourite character from mythology. And the foremost reason why this book caught my attention in a jiffy was that I had already read its first part. The author has chosen a subject that is seldom dealt with. Unlike other mythological books, this story revolves around a boy (Vasu) who is intrigued by the calibre and persona of Karna. In the first part, he sets on a quest to discover his true self. In this part, inspired and motivated by Karna’s alter ego, he decides to go on an expedition to find the Kavach-Kundal of Karna that was hidden by Lord Indra.

Trying his luck in every nook and corner, Vasu becomes the new Harry Potter (Deathly Hallows), who makes an attempt to find the missing parts of the armour that had been hidden wittily by Indra. While reading, one might feel like reading the chase for Horcrux (like in Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows). With lucid narration, the plot moves smoothly. The author’s prowess to showcase the marvel of nature through mere words is worth appreciation. With the help of the protagonist, he virtually takes the readers to some of the most magnificent locations in India. However, the simplicity of the language did not quite match my expectations. The vocabulary could have been better.

For the first book, Ruskin Bond had said that the genre of the book was still a question for him. And yet again, I would not refrain from highlighting the difficulty in classifying the genre appropriately. There is mythology, there is fiction, there is mystery and there is spiritual aspect associated as well. The character sketch of Vasu, as the alter ego of Karna, has been done beautifully and successfully. Not only does this book provides an insight into his life but also gives a sneak peek into the great Mahabharata.

The cover of the book was disappointing; it could have been better.

Overall an entertaining read with all the essential elements of a good story!

Drawbacks

There are some printing errors in the book.

Buy this book from:

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Book Review: Educating Naughty Chimpu by Gouri Dash

Educating Naughty Chimpu

Author: Gouri Dash

Genre: Children’s book

Publishers: Happy Squirrel (Leadstart)

Area A: Text

The text has been organized in simple sentences. ‘Onomatopoeia’ has been chosen as the literary tool and it will definitely cater to the interest of the little children. The way the different animals have been described will compel the children to form an image in their minds and relate to the story better. Each page ends on a ‘curious’ note and the child will be tempted to read further.. However, the grammatical errors will hinder the process of learning. Also, I felt the inclusion of the part in which the young Chimpu proposes the bird, was irrelevant. For such young children, it is wise to not expose them to white lies and concepts that their minds cannot process.

Area B: Illustrations

The cover of the book neatly presents the main conflict of the plot. The illustrations (in broad strokes) strike the right chord and will be liked by the children. The primary medium used in illustrations is drawing. However, clearer illustrations would have been better.

Area C: Characterization

The main character of the story is Chimpu and the most dominant trait that can be identified is his impish behaviour. The central idea and the conflict of the story- the reluctance of Chimpu to study- will be relatable. The exposition, rising action and climax are fine but the resolution and falling action are a bit out of place. The story could have been twisted in a better way.

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How important are book reviews?

Evaluation of work and the critique of the same is one of the essential components of the production cycle of literature. Since it is a well-known fact that books help in transferring literature and information, book reviewing is an essential constituent of literary progress. With writing becoming the cash cow for every other individual, the race of getting your book included in the list of ‘bestsellers’ is on. And it is this reason which has enabled the art of book reviewing become crucial.

What is the latest book that you have read? Was it recently bought or long time back? Did you like the book? Did you give your review about the same? I bet nine out of ten times the answer to the last question is a big no. It is the general human tendency to showcase the negative feedback/ criticism on social media than to praise what is good. It is more like too many chiefs, not enough Indians. There is so much criticism but seldom is any positive feedback seen.

The business of book reviewing has almost cornered the market and there are many reasons why this has happened:

1.   There are different strokes for different folks and the reviews can help the reader decide what to add and what not to add to the reading shelf

2.   Online shopping is one such thing that causes a stir. Nowadays people prefer everything online, right from shopping, selecting, and studying to payments, bookings and what not! This is the reason why the publishing companies offer more widespread online distribution as compared to the offline market. Gone are the days when people used to spend at least an hour in a library or a bookstore. Hence, if the purchasing has to be done online, it is important to get as many reviews as possible

3.   Advertisements are important. They are the medium that helps name, fame and opulence fall into your lap. But they come with a price. None of the advertisement companies agrees to sell your ad unless there is a certain count of positive reviews on the retailer site

4.   The more the number of reviews, the more likely it becomes for the book to be listed among the top choices or the top few suggested reads

5.   Word of mouth can help in transforming a book from being arcane to being the bestseller

6.   The readers might not always know about all the books and here the role of retail sites comes into play. The section on Amazon, ‘you might also enjoy’ or ‘other features in this category’ contains the list of books that have higher sales or higher number of reviews. Both ways the sale graph of the book goes higher.

So, yes, it is true that book reviews impact the book sales and that too more than any promotional activity or sponsors. People like to follow the lead. And in this case, the lead of a good book invites a larger number of copies to be printed and ensures the overall success of the author.