February 24, 2016

Book Review: The Hidden Gems (Anthology)

The Hidden Gems
Compiler & Editor: Abhisar Garg & Isha Sharma (respectively)
Publisher: Notion press
Rating: 2.5/5

Summary
“The hidden gems” is a collection of short stories and poems that reflect the other side of being human. That side is the side that has the audacity to take a stand for what is right. This book is a sincere attempt to throw light on all those not-so-important moments of life, which were left ignored once, but which were supposed to be the turning point of the life.



My opinion
The very first impression of the book is pleasant. The glossy cover with intense imagery is thought provoking and catchy. The title of the book is perfect- suiting the theme in all respect. Technical details are fine, with satisfying font style and size and the indents, etc..

The organization is fine but somehow the stories failed to leave a lasting impact on me. The very first story by Supriya Parulekar is more like an article. No doubt it has been written with deep insights and creative language. But it definitely fails to appeal as a story. Although, looking at the brighter side, I can say that Supriya has provided information on institutions that we should be aware of and that is much needed today. ‘A friend’s reward’ made my mind go crazy. The plot did not match well with the theme. The use of Hindi words like ‘yaar’, ‘na’, etc. was a total turn off. ‘Life line’ is a good read. The plotting is fine and the sequential organization of events is good. ‘He knocked me’ is again off-track. The sad part of this is that even if the story is nice, the reader cannot relate to it. ‘Life changer’ is more like words without feelings. The emotional turmoil was somewhere lost in the drama. Overdone is the right word! Poetry is varied- subtle and sweet. ‘Days of her life’ is a short and sweet rhyming poem that has rhythm and apogee of feelings in it. ‘Aunty’- a compelling read. The characters are strong, plot is strong and it is one of the best suited, theme based story. ‘Vows conveyed’ is a beautiful poem. It has much more to it than it seems. ‘Missing hours’ has been well put and well drafted. It is a good one. ‘Asha- the Braveheart’ and ‘The Benevolent Driver’ are inspiring tales that will force the readers to empathize with the characters and relive their life. Other stories and poems are good and well amalgamated with the theme of the book.

The major drawback is editing. Several punctuation errors, wrong use of tenses, wrong sentence structure can be encountered time and again.


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February 19, 2016

Book Review: Second Spring by Sandhya Jane

Second Spring

Author: Sandhya Jane
Publisher: ANISAN Technologies Inc.
Rating: 4.5/5

Summary
‘Fate is what happens to you in spite of all your plans’. ‘Second spring’ is all about subtle romance and involves a satiric approach to project the truth about life. Every time the odds cannot be in your favor and same happens with Avantika. Having faced defeat in matters of love once, Avantika does not hesitate to realize that love has become the bane of her life. It is more like Achilles heel for her. 

Read more here.

February 04, 2016

Book Review: Honesty for sale- Live Evil Vol. 1 by Koushik K R

Honesty for sale- Live Evil Vol. 1

Author: Koushik K R
Publisher: Cyberwit.net
Rating: 3.5/5

Summary
‘Honesty for sale’ is a modern day thriller that revolves around the role of technology in tuning and shaping the lives of individuals. It delves deep into the fine precedents of politics, intelligence agencies and the vigilante cyber citizens. In order to decode the mystery inside this action-packed package, grab your copy.





My opinion
Strong plot, stronger characters and the strongest setting- is all that it takes to describe this novella. ‘Honesty for sale’ is a state of the art of thriller/ mystery novellas. The cover of the book seems stodgy but when the pages are turned, an overall new energy and enthusiasm grips your soul.

Talking about the technical aspects, the cover could have been made more intense. The blurb is catchy. The typesetting and organization of the content if fine.

The plot is strong (like I said before) but there is one weak point- the shortest ever dialogues, which may baffle the readers. Had the conversation been more refined, proper justice would have been done with the story/ book. Yet again, my personal grudge for the use of Hindi words, continues. Time and again one can feel disengaged from the plot as it will take immense concentration and solitude for connecting with the story. So definitely this book cannot be classified as a light read.

The editing lacks cleansing (in figurative way). But a great head start and a sincere attempt made by the author, to leave the readers wanting for more.

Best wishes to the author!


Drawbacks
There are some punctuation errors and at several places an unnecessary comma has been used. Short dialogues may confuse the readers.


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                        Review copy: courtesy cyberwit.net

Book Review: e- Love (Terms & Conditions Applied) by Ankit Bohra

e- Love (Terms & Conditions Applied)

Author: Ankit Bohra
Publisher: Half Baked Beans
Rating: 2.5/5

Summary
“e- Love” is a simple yet heart melting love tale about two people who meet with the help of technology, fall in love and then leave their destiny in the hands of technology. Yes, that’s e- Love for you, in a nutshell. The protagonist of the story, Ankit, comes under Cupid’s grip and falls for Akshi. But is virtual love the only thing that it takes to form a solid foundation for any relationship? Or does it require more?


Grab your copies soon to get an answer.


My opinion
‘e- Love’ is a love tale with lot of technology added to it. And that does justice with the title. The cover of the book is splendid (Kudos Book Bakers) and the title is also nice. A special mention about the suitability of the asterisk and the caption below the title. The blurb is short but it spills all the beans before the readers, even before the interest is developed. This can act as a negative factor for the sale of the book (may be).

The font (style, size), organization of the content, contents section, title of the chapters and the other technical aspects are presented in a very refined form. The story is, however, very much predictable. Nowhere in the story, does the author drop a bombshell that may help in making the reader’s jaws drop. The flow is smooth yet stodgy. But considering this as the debut attempt, the presentation and plotting is worth appreciation.

Time and again several short forms have been used like ‘Hf’ for Have Fun and ‘Ak’ for Akshi, etc. That was annoying to me but then since the book demanded this kind of language, it became palatable gradually.

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.

Best Wishes to the author!


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                              Review copy: courtesy HBB                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      


February 02, 2016

Book Review: Cleaning out my closet by Tasneem Sara

Cleaning out my closet

Author: Tasneem Sara
Publisher: Cyberwit.net
Rating: 3.5/5

Summary

‘Cleaning out my closet’ is a subtle story revolving around Leher, who decides to take a stand and move on in her life, leaving behind the past and letting the bygones be bygones. She looks forward to new hopes, opportunities and embraces change for good. She decides to socialize and in the process, falls for her neighbor. 

Read more here.

February 01, 2016

Book Review: Tamanna by Tejeshwar Singh

Tamanna

Author: Tejeshwar Singh
Publisher: FingerPrint Publishers
Rating: 3.5/5

About the Author
Tejeshwar Singh is a multitalented person, who runs a software consultancy firm in the heart throb of the country- Delhi. A little late in acknowledging his yearning for creative writing, he confidently pursues his passion now. He has had a keen interest in the mysteries and the truths about relationships and the human emotions associated with them.

Read more here