Am I normal? Or is it the dreamer within that speaks?

There are times when you feel zoned out. There are times when you feel drifted; when you feel you are a part of their world- the world which you can call your own, the world which gives you a reason big enough to S. T. A. Y.

Yes, this might sound weird. Or it might even sound insane. But it is true. I feel it. Occasionally and often. I feel it. I dream about it. I empathize and I wish not to be drawn out to the stark reality.

It is not like any port in the storm but like the only port in the storm. Even though life is going on perfectly fine, there is a part within that wishes to be unleashed, to be set free and to be left alone to explore. I do not know what that it. Nor am I seeking for answers. I want to live it. Experience it. But is it really feasible to leave aside the life that we have and simultaneously live in a parallel world?

I think it is for I believe and I already do it.

This piece of music lures my mind to think beyond the horizon and introspect.

Book Review: Love Story? Seriously! by Shivi Pandey

Love story? Seriously!

Author: Shivi Pandey

Publisher: Petals Publishers

Rating: 2/5

Summary

“Love story? Seriously!” is a squishy love tale that introduces us to Samar, a young, enthusiastic lad who can best be described as a philanderer. The story is full of all the elements of entertainment- drama, love, hatred, lust, relations, decisions and introspection. Samar’s three failed love interests- Surbhi, Samriddhi and Sapna have a really important role in his life. What role do they play? Who does Samar end up with?

Grab your copy to get an insight into Samar’s life and the webbed trajectory that his life follows.

My opinion

‘Love story? Seriously!’ is a delightful love story or may be a normal story, which revolves around the young lover boy, Samar. The title of the book is baffling. It could have been better. The cover page is all right- restrained and subtle. I could not understand the requirement of the first paragraph of the blurb. It is a mere description of sunrise (set). Instead, the summary of the story could have been better. The font is apt and the language is lucid and understandable. I would like to compliment the author’s ability to present this piece of fiction in a language that can be understood by everyone. The organization of content is fine.

The story is fast paced. As the story unfolds, the anticipation level also increases. But the titles of the chapters are not catchy enough. The organization and placement of events in the story is fine. But the climax seemed absurd. I felt as if the urgent need to end the book made the author include the chapter titled ‘It occurred that night (somehow)’. The title is grammatically incorrect too. There is a difference in the usage of happened and occurred. In this case, happened would have sounded more appropriate. The focus on the ‘love-making’ scene and the description of intricate details of the action, drift off the theme to an erotica. The last few chapters could have been penned with more clarity of emotions and more logical (may be off beat) concept. One thing I would like to point out is that it is not important to highlight a cliffhanger with question tags. Even without the questions, the cliffhanger can be exposed to the readers such that they are forced to think again and again about it. I could not relate with the epilogue as well.

Another point I want to highlight is the use of ‘F’ word, which I do not appreciate. Such informal language should be limited to spoken English only. Time and again one can come across Bold and Italics font and the relevance of the same is not easy to figure out.

The book lacks proper editing and proofreading as one can encounter punctuation errors (tenses, wrong use of apostrophe), missing words, wrong formation of sentences- time and again. The author, amidst the events happening in the story, starts talking to himself and simultaneously starts explaining ‘things’ to the readers. That acts as a speed breaker and breaks the flow of reading.

Overall, a good effort by the author!

Best wishes!

Buy this book from:

Amazon

REVIEW COPY: Courtesy Bookaholic and Mr. Shivi Pandey

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Book Review: Falling in love by Neeraj Mishra

                                                            Falling in love…

Author: Neeraj Mishra

Publisher: Rj Publishers

Rating: 2/5

Summary

“Falling in love” is a sweet love tale that is relatable and entertaining. The story revolves around Manav and Sriti, who come in contact by chance (or rather through Internet) and are struck hard by Cupid’s arrow. Manav confesses his love for his lady. But he faces denial from Sriti’s end. What cooks inside Sriti’s mind; we do not know. But that becomes the bane of Manav’s life for he cannot live without her.

Explore ‘falling in love’ and relive the romance of the two protagonists.

My opinion

‘Falling in love…’ is a love tale, which revolves around the two main characters- Manav and Sriti. The title of the book is fine but the three dots confused me. They were not required probably. The cover page is nice- sober and subtle. The initial part of the blurb is apt but the questions posed to ignite the spark of interest in the mind of the reader, are wayward. The font is apt and the language is lucid and understandable. I would like to compliment the author’s ability to present this piece of fiction in a language that can be understood by everyone. The organization of content is fine but the layout of the text on each page does not meet with the standard. The margins have not been used uniformly. The fineness of the cover lies in the fact that the red colour says it all about the feeling associated with the book.

Coming to the acknowledgement, I found some parts really unnecessary and absurd. The author says that ‘we are humans and thus, we are bound to make mistakes’ (referring to the mistakes that might be there in the book). Now, according to me being human does not restrict anyone to consult a good editor and get the corrections done in the manuscript. Right? Saying this actually gives an impression that the lights are on but no one is home.

Next, coming to the linguistic elements- the grammar is awful. And thus, I cannot classify these mistakes as the-mistakes-that-we-are-bound-to-make. The narration is finely tuned and paced.

The plot is gripping but the major drawback lies in the extended content about the online chats, text messages and phone calls, where the protagonists are trying to get acquainted with each other. Here, to be clearer, I would prefer quoting Doris Orens- ‘Not everything that you want to say, needs to be said.’ It is high time that the authors realize that penning down each and every minute detail that is either inspired or adapted from a personal experience, makes the story boring and can result in turning the odds against you. The book is more like a conversation and the story gets lost somewhere there. This book, no doubt, is a quick read and the reason for this is the presence of numerous dialogues.

The plot lacks originality. It is very much predictable and might be liked by the ones who prefer mushy love tales/ college romance/ online chatting. For the ones who are looking for something deep and meaningful, this book might or might not serve the interest.

Another point that I would like to highlight is the abrupt ending of the book. The plot moves at a comfortable pace but suddenly the air sends across happy vibes and the story ends. Also, the last conversation is absolutely vague. I understand the need to end the story on a happy note but the dialogues like ‘you are stupid’, ‘no, you are stupid’, ‘no, you’ and ‘you’, do not suffice for a good ending.

The book lacks proper editing and proofreading as one can encounter punctuation errors (tenses, wrong use of apostrophe), missing words, wrong formation of sentences- time and again. There is frequent use of hindi words, which might act as a turn off for the ones who prefer reading rich literature.

Overall, a good effort by the author!

Best wishes!

Buy this book from:

Amazon