Ratings: 4/5⭐
Genre: Anthology
Number of Pages: 271
Format: Kindle
Publication Date: 15th May, 2019
Publisher: Leadstart Publishing Pvt Ltd

SUMMARY

Random Subterranean Mosaic by Sabarna Roy is a collection of random short stories, poems, proses, quotes, letters and thoughts weaved together in a 271 pages book. There are total of 93 chapters, though all of them last very few pages. There are episodes from his life experiences, of travelling to various places like Vanaras and Kashmir. The letters to his son and daughter are emotionally appealing. The proses and poems are well crafted.

“One of the endearing anxieties of anybody’s life is: Whether the finest moments have passed by in life or are those moments yet to come, and, if they have gone by why could we not hold on to them and dissect their mysteries to repeat those moments forever.”

PERSONAL REVIEWS

It can be said to be a fairly good written book. The writing is easy, lucid and descriptive. The chapters are so randomly arranged (as the title suggests) that you really don’t know what’s coming next, which kind of makes it intriguing. It’s a simple read and if you’re having those “reader’s blocks” and want to pick up something light yet good enough to read you can pick this one. The fact that the author has been completely honest with his perspective be it on his life experiences, family, relationships or politics (being a liberal) makes the book more likeable. However, if you’re reading the book in one go, it might turn out to be a bit monotonous. Overall, it’s a fine book.

Ratings: 4.5/5⭐
Genre: Non fiction; Travelogue
Number of Pages: 251
Format: Kindle
Publication Date: 25th January, 2020
Publisher: White Falcon Publishing

Dream beyond shadows is an exceptionally well written Travelogue by Kartikey Ladha which is an Amazon bestseller!

SUMMARY

Kartikey was working as a door-to-door salesman for a solar energy startup based in Brooklyn, New York which was his first job after being a graduate from a business school. It was one of the most successful community solarization programs in the U.S., and soon he became a team leader and also the highest earning member of the company. But something inside him told him that he has some unanswered questions, about the purpose of his life and he sets out on a spiritual venture. He quits his job, meets his family in India, and visits Peru and stays there for three months. In those three months, he meets dozens of people and bonds with each of in an exceptional way! He attends the renowned Ayahuasca vine session through the tribal magic of shamanic ceremonies in the Amazon jungle, which happens to be a life changing experience for him!

“Experiences drive change, and accepting change is what determines an individual’s growth.”

PERSONAL REVIEWS

The Travelogue is really well written. I appreciate the author for the vivid description of everything that he saw and felt. The imageries are so well used that I could visualise the scenario infront of my eyes. The cover of the book is really pretty, the wild mixture of the purples, pinks and blues is so eye soothing. I also like that there has been images added at suitable places for the readers to understand the author’s words better.

The book is divided into three parts and I feel the first two parts are more interesting than the third one, though it does get better at the end. I love the poetic pieces added in the midst of the narration. It brought together the poetic emotions of the author and are, simply to put, beautifully written. The realizations and the deep content made me pause and reflect on them and I can say it well deserves a read. This is the first time that I read a travelogue and completely loved it!

“A life of regrets and disappointments is not a life worth living.”

Ratings: 5/5⭐
Genre: Science Fiction; Thriller, Mystery
Number of Pages: 424
Format: Kindle
Publisher: Alpha-X
Published on: 24th March, 2020

SUMMARY

A group of German scientists- Dr. Chad Schmidt, Mr. Friedrich Krieger, Dr. Anneleen de Boeve & Miss Melissa are researching on “Cross Species Cloning” in Max Plank Institute of Molecular Genetics, Berlin. As they reach a dead end in their study, they begin to admire the scientific procedures encrypted in the Ancient Indian texts. Chad and Friedrich seek suggestion from Prof. Dr. Herbert Bauer and decide to visit India for more detailed information. Here in India, they meet Miss Geeta Sharma, who’s a historian.
The trio sets out to see the undiscovered and unappreciated mysteries of the past which are too complex for average human mind to process. They cross paths with Prof Dr. Hamad Al-Hassan who is an Afghan historian who has done adequate research about Indian history and he and his family has got enough threats from the terrorists, but that doesn’t cease his neverending thirst to know more about Ancient India and it’s technologies.
Soon they realise that they’re just puppets who’s fate is written by a maniac who calls himself “The Prophet” and wants to establish a new world order.
They have extreme experiences which changes their lives forever!

“Sometimes the brain needs to be rearranged to see things, that lie right in front of our eyes.”

PERSONAL REVIEWS

I liked Evolution Cradle for everything it is, from the characters to the narration, the suspense to the plot twists; it just fits perfectly like the pieces of a puzzle. The narration is so fast-paced, it’s almost like a rollercoaster ride. The jaw-dropping plot twists leave you completely overwhelmed! The plot and characters are very maturely developed. I appreciate the hardcore research work done by the author. It has the right blend of fiction and facts. I’d highly recommend this book.

Ratings: 5/5⭐
Genre: Fiction; Young adult, romance
Number of Pages: 289
Format: eBook
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s UK
Published in: 20th November, 2018
Movie adaptation: March 15th, 2019Five feet apart, awardee of the Goodreads choice Awards Best Young Adult Fiction, has a gripping and emotional story.

SUMMARY

Stella Grant, a patient of Cystic Fibrosis aka CF, is a control freak and a famous YouTuber!She has been to Saint Grace’s Hospital since she was a kid, and has practically grown up here! She has her best friend, Poe, who’s a CFer too. Stella is the type of girl who’d follow the schedules strictly, taking meds on time and doing every medical procedure to keep herself well.
Unlike her, Will Newman, a CFer and a B. Cepacia patient, is totally undisciplined and rebellious! He doesn’t follow his med charts or schedules as he believes he’s going to die anyways.
Turns out as they say “opposites attract”, the two young souls fell in love, irrespective of the fact that they always need to be six feet apart from each other so as to prevent getting infected. However, since the illness had already stolen so much from their lives, Stella decides to steal one foot of distance. They agree to be FIVE FEET APART at all times!

“It’s just life. It’ll be over before we know it.”

PERSONAL REVIEWS

I was too much into thrillers and I thought of changing the genre for a bit and I grabbed this one as I had watched the movie already and I cried too much! I can just say that if you’ve watched/read “The Fault in our Stars” by John Green, you’re surely gonna love this one. The characters of Will, Stella and Poe are so adorable that you’re bound to fall for them. The narration is so good that it gives you goosebumps! It’s definitely one of my favourite romantic reads now.

Ratings: 4/5⭐
Genre: Fiction; Detective, Thriller, Mystery, History
Number of Pages: 223
Format: Kindle
Publisher: StoryMirror Infotech Pvt Ltd
Published in: June, 2019

The Secret of the Palamu Fort, by Razi, is a mind-blowing thriller, loaded with mystery with an iota of history.

SUMMARY

Detective Robin Horo, a resident of Riverdale City, Kanke, Ranchi acts as a consultant in a murder case of an Associate Professor of the department of History of St. Xavier’s College, Dr. Anand Tigga. Inspector Patrick, who’s incharge of the case is totally puzzled as a homicide committed by a wandering spirit is not the usual murder mystery he encounters in his routine police work! The two witnesses of the crime- Professor Anand’s domestic help, Bheem and Professor Anil claim that the murder was committed by a poltergeist named Satyabhama.
On further scrutinising, Robin finds a message scribbled by blood at the back of a frame in Professor Anand’s house- “H- Golden Frogs Street”. Before they could know more about the mystery of this weird phrase, Professor Enos Baa was killed in the same inscrutable way as Professor Anand.
It wasn’t late before Robin deciphered that “H- Golden Frogs Street” was an anagram for “The Golden Fortress”, a famous novel written by the legendary Indian author, Satyajit Ray. The book was present in the Professor’s bookshelf but it was actually a box containing a scroll and few ancient coins inscribed “To Raja Medini Ray, with love”. The scroll had a riddle imprinted, which when solved could lead to an “Elixir”. To find out more about the legend of Satyabhama and the treasure, Robin and his squad visits the Palamu Fort. There they learn the legend of Satyabhama and Raja Medini Ray, which dated 350 years ago, around 1660s. Has someone really woke up from the dead to haunt the Palamu Fort?

“History always leaves marks on the face of earth. Some are ugly, some astonishingly beautiful, and some that have been lost into oblivion.”

PERSONAL REVIEWS

I picked up this book for two reasons 1. It’s cover (I know it’s a crime to judge a book by it’s cover, but this one’s got a real eye-catching one!) 2. The story has it’s setting in Jharkhand, from where I belong so it got me really interested.
I liked the book overall because of the storyline and narration. The plot development is fairly good and I liked the way each chapter ends leaving a bunch of questions in your head, creating ample suspense. Although, I feel few plots are emulated from the stories of famous authors like Sunil Gangopadhyay and Satyajit Ray. It’s a simple read and definitely worth it.

“No matter how dark the night is, it cannot ever keep the sun from rising.”

Ratings: 4.6/5⭐
Genre: Fiction; Thriller, Mystery, Politics
Number of Pages: 416
Format: Paperback
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published in: 2015

Reckless is the third book of Sidney Sheldon’s Tracy Whitney series, penned downed by Tilly Bagshawe. Reckless is definitely not written ‘recklessly’ and was therefore the worldwide bestseller!

SUMMARY

Group 99 were the modern day Robinhoods, a group of over-smart, geeky teenagers, basically global hackers exposing 1% of the population which consists of the “rich people”, aiming to end communalism and set up a new world order. Initially, they earned praises from the public, until they turned to violence by kidnapping Captain Bob Dylan and Hunter Drexel. Bob was shot in the head and the video of the shootout made the Britishers and Americans shift in their seats. Something had to be done to stop them. They found that Althea, an extraordinary smart American woman, was funding the group and also allowed the violence, had connections with Tracy Whitney.
Tracy was a con artist and a jewel thief in her times, who with her ‘partner’ Jeff Stevens had outsmarted even CIA. But after her son, Nicholas was born, she decided to leave her reckless life behind, settle down, live anonymously and look after her son, with a friend, Blake Carter. When the CIA approaches her to help them find Althea and Hunter Drexel, she refuses initially. But on a snowy evening, the worst tragedy occurs which leaves Tracy with nothing with nothing else to lose now. For justice and vengeance, she decides to assist the Americans.
Jeff Stevens too gets involved in this as MI6 approaches him. He keeps a close eye on Tracy. Tracy meets Cameron Crewe and feels a sexual tension between them from the very first meet. As days pass, more cases of violence take place by Group 99, which happen to kill scores of innocent people. Jeff and Tracy face each other and decide to work together to find Hunter and Althea, but Tracy being the cunning woman doesn’t trust anyone and leaves everyone behind to find Hunter on her own. She’s oblivious of what lies beyond what she had assumed. Will Tracy really get the justice she has been looking for?

“Everything passes. Nothing is forever. Least of all love.”

PERSONAL REVIEWS

I wanted to read a spy fiction since a long time and I guess reading Reckless totally justified it. The characters are strong, especially the character of the heroine, Tracy Whitney, a strong, independent, beautiful and smart American woman. The unexpected plot twists and the suspense kept me glued to the last page of the book. Even though I had my board examinations, I was so intrigued that simply couldn’t put down the book till I read the last page. The storyline is primarily powerful and worth a shot. Since I haven’t read the other two titles of the series, I don’t really have anything to compare it to but as a stand alone, the book was an amazing read!

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Sidney Sheldon is one of the famous names when it comes to international best selling authors. The American author was prominent in the 1930s and had written a dozen of thrillers with the most amazing plots and characters. He died at the age of 90, in January 2007 but left a legacy behind.

Matilda Emily Mary “Tilly Bagshawe” is a British Author and a journalist. She has written nine bestsellers, and is mostly known for her books in the vein of Sidney Sheldon, the best of them being Mistress of the Game and After the Darkness.

Ratings: 4/5⭐
Genre: Fiction; Thriller, Adventure, Drama
Number of Pages: 262
Format: Kindle
Publisher: Independently Published
Published on: 22nd October, 2019

The Apple, the debut novel of a budding author, Devashish Sardana, is an adventure-packed thriller. It is one of the Amazon bestsellers in Children’s Crime & Thriller section.

SUMMARY

The story deals with the ancient legend of “the immortality apple” mentioned in the Gospel. The Sentinels, living in the island of North Sentinel are responsible for safeguarding the Eden Garden and the tree which bears the fruit of immortality- the apple, and they’ve been doing so since the past 6000 years, until NOW.
There has been the greatest theft of all times. Someone stole an apple from the Eden!
Queen Azura, the leader of the Sentinels finds a young man, with a bullet wound in the head near the tree. The man cannot seem to remember anything, how he reached there, who tried to kill him and not even his identity. However, he gets almost life-like dreams which happen to be tales from his past, and he can recall that he was there with some girl named Michelle, who apparently, was his lover and they had to face quite challenging and fatal situations before they got into the garden. The girl, however, has escaped into the outer world. He remembers working for Dr. Costello, owner of the biggest pharmaceutical company, who hired him to get the apple for him.
Sensing the danger, the Queen prepares her men for war. After a brutal war, where the Sentinels almost lost, it is due to the cunningness of the Queen’s daughter, Aana, that they all are saved. The end of the story however is a cliffhanger and you should read the story to discover that!

“Fear can be a wonderful force. Once you understand you are in its grasp, you’ll either run from it or fight it. Either is a struggle.”

PERSONAL REVIEWS

I picked up this book as it kept showing up on my Kindle recommendations and I don’t regret reading it. For me, it was an amazing read. It has the right amount of plot twists as anyone would like and the suspense makes you read it till the end as soon as possible. The story is like that unsolved puzzle and you’re simply restless till you’ve solved it all. The story deals with various emotions of brotherhood, duty, responsibility, love, betrayal, fear, anxiety, loss and death. I like that tad bit humour in the writing, inspite of the built-up tension. Also, the war is a metaphor for the combat between civilization and nature.
Overall I’d say it’s a good read.

“What we seek is the progress of the mind, not the progress of the material world as you define it.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Devashish Sardana, a budding author, lives in Singapore with his wife, Megha. He lives and breathes in imagination and is a lover of thrillers. He has this Instagram and Facebook page ( @10x10thrillers) where he posts 100-words- thrillers. The Apple: History’s greatest mystery, mankind’s greatest theft, is his debut novel.
Born and brought up in Chandigarh, Devashish did his schooling from St Stephen’s school, graduated from IIM Ahmedabad and worked as a brand builder in Fortune 100 company for more than 8 years and polished his writing skills, in which his collage sweetheart, Megha, as he says, helped him a lot.
He’s currently in Sri Lanka, working on his second novel.

“It’s okay to be scared, but what’s more important is that you overcome the fear with courage. And you become fearless.”

Ratings: 5/5⭐
Genre: Fiction; Bildungsroman, Adventure, Drama
Number of Pages: 340
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Riverhead books
Published on: May 29, 2003
Movie Adaptation: 14th December, 2007

The Kite runner is the debut novel of the very famous and bestselling author Khaled Hosseini. The book deals with such events that is sure to move even the toughest hearts.

“Time can be a greedy thing-sometimes it steals the details for itself.”

Summary

The story is narrated by the protagonist, Amir, who’s the legitimate son of a Pashtun, who’s a rich and reputable merchant in Kabul. He lost his mother just after his birth. He felt he wasn’t much loved by his father because he wasn’t “as brave as his Baba was”. He gets the fatherly affection from Rahim Kaka, who was his father’s friend, and appreciated him for his writings. He was friends with Hassan, who was the son of Ali, a Hazara, who worked in their house. His mother, Sanaubar, had abandoned them when he was an infant.  The both boys grew up together in the same house and Baba loved them equally, which was quite annoying to Amir.
To earn praises from his father, the boys participate in a “kite flying competition” which Amir wins. Hassan is the best “kite runner” (from which the book gets its title) and can find a kite without even watching it. He runs after the last fallen kite saying Amir “For you, a thousand times over”. Amir runs after Hassan and beholds something that changes their relationship forever. Amir can no longer meet eyes with Hassan and thinks his life would be better without him so he falsely accuses him of theft and Hassan and Ali leave their place.
In 1979, when the Russians invaded Afghanistan, Amir and his Baba are forced to flee to Pakistan and then to America. There Amir meets Soraya and her family, who’re refugees too. Baba is diagnosed with cancer but before he seeks death, he fulfills the wish of his son to get married to his love, Soraya. Baba dies shortly after that.
Although, Amir has had fifteen years of lively writing career and a happy marriage life, he cannot seek redemption. His past still does haunt him. It’s now that he receives a phone call from Rahim Khan, who’s in his death bed and wishes to see him for one last time in Pakistan.
When Amir meets Rahim Kaka, he finds out that Hassan and Ali are dead. Though, Hassan had a son who’s still in Kabul and has to be saved from the impossible-to-live conditions there. After a lot of thought on Rahim Khan’s words- “There’s a way to be good again” , Amir agrees to go to his motherland.
When he reaches Kabul, he is shaken by the horrible conditions there and simply cannot recognise the place as it was in his childhood. However, after a lot of dramatical and suspenseful events, Amir happens to save Sohrab, Hassan’s son, though he gets fatal injuries.
‌He takes him to America along with him but Sohrab doesn’t seem to adapt really to all of the things that has happened to him in such a tiny age. But finally in the end when Amir and Sohrab fly a kite and Amir asks him if he should run after the fallen kite, he gave him the slightest of the smiles which was more than sufficient for Amir and he says “For you, a thousand times over” and he runs.

“It always hurts more to have and lose than to not have in the first place.”

Personal Reviews

This book was highly recommended to me by all my bookish friends and I’m glad I started my year with such a nice book. It is full of emotions which is sure to stir your heart. I love the intense and honest writing of the author. The plot is simply amazing and the characters have a lasting impact on your mind. The narration is smooth and the writing is lucid. The book leaves you with a smile on your face and it forced me to think about the characters and their lives again and again.
Now, it’s actually impossible for me to look at a kite and not think of “The Kite Runner”.

“Zendagi Migzara, life goes on, unmindful of beginning, end…crisis or catharsis, moving forward like a slow, dusty caravan of kochis (nomads).”

About the author

Khaled Hosseini, an Afghan-born American-based writer, is the author of three bestselling novels. He has an unique and appreciable style of writing. He was born in Kabul to a diplomat in Afghan Foreign Ministry and a school teacher in 1965 in Kabul. His family moved to France when he was 11. He completed his graduation in Medicals and practiced as a physician when he wrote “The Kite Runner”. It was after this book becoming an international bestseller that he quit practising medical to become a full time writer.
He lives in America with his family. He has been working to provide humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan through the Khaled Hosseini Foundation.

Ratings: 3.2/5⭐
Genre: Fiction; romance, adventure
Number of Pages: 176
Format: Kindle; Print Replica
Publisher: Invincible Publishers
Published on: 30th May 2019

The “ascent of love” is the second novel written by a budding author, Rooprashi. The book has a cozy romantic plot, topped with an iota of adventure.

Summary

The story is narrated in first person by the protagonist, Taara. She, apparently, is a happy girl, who loves adventure and goes on a trekking expedition to Kashmir. The story continues in flashbacks and present times. She dictates how she met the love of her life, Vedant, in the very first year, in her Engineering College in Dehradun. Initially, they had a really good time but soon this started to affect Taara’s grades. They split up but they come back together when Vedant meets with an accident. What Taara was unaware of is how such a sweet feeling as love can become toxic enough. Vedant’s over possessiveness suffocated her. Taara admits that she no longer wants such a noxious relationship and they move away from each other.
But destiny had some other plans. It’s after 5 long years that they finally meet in Kashmir. It’s evident that the love between the two hasn’t died yet. It’s interesting to know if Taara will accept the love of her life back or a hailstorm happens to change everything?

“Even a lifetime is not enough to understand yourself then how can we expect to understand others too in the same lifetime. Maybe this is what soul mates are meant to be.”

Personal Reviews

The story is smooth, short and simple. The author has beautifully described how you feel those “butterflies in the stomach” when you’re in love and you go crazy about it and think the world to be more beautiful! The imageries used to present the beauty of the mountains of Kashmir is appreciable. The characters or the plot isn’t very complex, which is why the book is a good, light read.
Though it has a “Bollywood touch” in it’s story, it’s worth a read because the book exudes optimism and good vibes. I’d rate it 7.5/10.

“But sleep is one the few things that doesn’t come with effort. Rather, it runs away. At the end of the day, when our mind is at peace and we are in our bed, it is the time when we listen to our heart loud and clear. The heart tries to convey its views to us most of the time but we ignore them because of our busy schedules in day. But at night, those thoughts come back again and they hover around in our mind.”

About the author

“The ascent of love” is the second book written by the author, Rooprashi. Her debut novel was “The girl who saw it all” which became a bestseller and earned praises.

She’s a HR professional in GAIL (India) Ltd. She had always been enthusiastic about writing but never really took her chance with it. She wrote her first piece of write up “Motherhood- An Ocean of Feelings” when she became a mother. This was published on a few websites, and shared on social media. It gained a lot of appreciation which inspired her to write her first novel- “The girl who saw it all”. Now she’s a blogger who often writes motivational and spiritual pieces and quotes.

Ratings: 5/5
Genre: Non-fiction; self help
Number of Pages: 224
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Harper Books
Published on: 13th September 2016

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life is the second book written by Mark Manson. It’s been a bestseller and a must read!

“The desire for more positive experience is itself a negative experience. And, paradoxically, the acceptance of one’s negative experience is itself a positive experience.”

This November I finally got to read this one and I loved it! The way the author approaches in this book is very different from the other self help books that I’ve read. It didn’t deal with “laugh more, love more, live more” stuff. Rather it talked about “the value of suffering” and how we should look for optimism even in the tough times because there ought to be negative experiences in life, but if we can wriggle out through those times with positively and perseverance, we’re bound to be successful. He also talks about that there’s struggle everywhere, and that’s what makes the life meaningful. So we need to “choose our struggle” carefully while we work for our dreams. And infact it’s more important to love the process than the end results.
The author doesn’t sugar coat anything, but blandly and honestly tells you the truths about the struggles, the positive and negative experiences, with instances from his own life, added with ruthless humour!
I’d highly recommend this book, and I rate this 10/10.