The house that spoke by Zuni Chopra

The house that spoke has a beautiful cover and some how , I had an equally warm feeling as I opened the book. There is something very charming , very vintage feel to the whole setup of the house , how it is built and the magic that flows through it. A welcoming house set hidden from the world , there were so many childhood tales and scenes that filled my head and heart as I continued reading the initial chapters. That is perhaps the best thing about Zuni's writing - the way she describes the scene , any scene for that matter. She makes the place come alive in your head and you will feel like knowing it.

The story is of a magical house that is entrusted with keeping the darkness in check and assisting the appointed guardian in that quest. Generations of the family have spent their lives in saving the nation from the darkness and now finally it is on the soon-to-be-fifteen year old that this responsibility is going to fall, no choices given. It is a coming of age story of this girl and the house together as they adopt / adapt to her life and adventure.

The book let's you down in the end as it seems a little rushed and a little dry in sense of emotions and drama. Yet, it is a wonderful fantasy / YA book. This is perfect inspiration for any teenage girl and an entertaining read for all ages.

My rating : 4/5 

Book Review: Final Cut by Uday Gupt

Short stories are something I love to read. They provide a refreshing break from the full length novels, and mostly hold my interest in its length and plot. A few short story books of late haven’t quite lived up to expectation, and I was hoping that one comes along that keeps me glued to it.

The book Final Cut by Uday Gupt did manage to do that. It has six short stories and a novella. I think the first thing that appeals to the reader in the book is the cover, which I felt was very nicely designed. The second is that all are set in India at various time frames, which give the stories a breath of their own.

“Hodson’s Gold” explores the key to a treasure, hidden by a British officer during his time. “Friends” explores the friendship between two unlikely people with completely different mindsets and backgrounds. In “It Only Happens in India” a Pulitzer winner comes to India to do a story. “Will Reena”, the sole novella, explores the story of Sukumar and Reena. “Buddha Poornima” is a story set in the 1st century, and is based on the customs before the festival. “The Last Supper” brings out the story of two British officers, who are part of a painting, and who have committed suicide. “Final Cut” brings out the story of the final trick of a magician.

Does each story have the capacity to hold my interest as a reader and offer a twist, or something to make me go wow? I feel so. The writing style in itself is different and enjoyable, though with respect to the first story Hodson’s Gold, I felt the way the initial details were given about Hodson and his quirks and actions made the read a tad boring, like a history book. The plot however was different, and the ending made me sit up and take notice, even laugh out loud in awe. The language is simple, and I couldn’t find any major editing issues. It entertains and engages me as a reader. And that in the end, makes it a very successful book.

In A Gist:

Positives: Cover design, characters, plots, entertainment factor

Negatives: Some parts are boring

About the author:

Uday Gupt currently works for one of the largest banks in the Middle East, in Abu Dhabi. He has been a regular contributor of opinion pieces on economic issues to newspapers and publications. This is his first collection of fiction

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Rating: 4/5

Book Details:

Title: The Final Cut

Author: Uday Gupt

Genre: Short Stories

ISBN/ASIN: 9789382473657

Publisher: Leadstart Corp

Price: INR. 195

 

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This was a PR requested review. The opinions expressed in the review are my own, and remain unbiased and uninfluenced.

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Shared with
1) First Reads Challenge at b00k r3vi3ws
2) Indian Quills 2014 at Tales Pensieve.

Reviewed by Leo

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The Way Corporate Works: Review of Chapter 11 by Amit Shankar

This is always better to read books by the same author must be chronological order. I did the other way round. The first book I read was Love is Vodka and then Chapter 11. His first impression was that of a person who writes chick-lit and can write a girl’s character with such élan that you would doubt that the writer might be a female.

Chapter 11 is his second book and he has already famous for his debut book, Flight to the Hilsa, about a woman artist. He has indeed learned to portray his woman characters. In his book, Chapter 11, the protagonist is a male and he is looking to broaden his horizons.

He is done with his old job and his home town where everyone seems to know him. He joins a Fortune 500 Company which is in Gurgaon. From the time when he has stayed in Delhi during his college days to now, it is all different.

Disaster happens when his company files for bankruptcy or Chapter 11. He has no idea what to do and how to behave. He is idealistic in nature but his bosses and his mentor isn’t. He has to choose between the two.  The novel revolves around the concept of molarity and also how much the world has changed over the time.

Coming back to the novel, it is a narrated well. The prologue makes for an interesting read and piques the interest of the reader. The questions of faithfulness, loyalty and above all greed are answered and how important they are in a corporate culture. Does the fast life means that we skip past our morality and live a life of a person who has no values.

The clash between the old system and the new one is written in such a way that you understand bot point of views. Amit Shankar has tried to capture the essence of how in a corporate there is more than just good salary. It is not 9-6 but 24x7. The book is

relatable and the way the protagonist deals in his life is very close to reality. We all want big houses, cars and dreams also very big.

The quandary is if we can do anything for those dreams or humanity is much more important than that. Amit Shankar asks some hard hitting questions with his book. Whether it is his introspection or ours, one thing is for sure, Chapter 11 is swift, racy and a total package. 

The City of Devi by Manil Suri

I was overjoyed to receive my first overseas mail carrying a book for review by Norton publishers. So far, I was aware of this publishing house's name for the critical content it printed on literary classics, and was pleasantly surprised to see Norton publishing contemporary authors with experimental narratives and genres. Taking up with novel with a slightly odd name - "The City of Devi" - was easy, since credibility was established by the very name and packaging of the courier I received. That Manil Suriwas a writer who could churn out an epic with an apocalyptal theme turned out to be a pleasant surprise waiting to be unfurled with the turning of pages of this book.

The City of Devi is an innovative, unique and adventurous novel. It dwells on a love triangle with a twist. There is a woman, and two men. However, contrary to what you might be already thinking, in this book, a woman, Sarita, and a man, Jazz, are both madly in love with a third person, a man -Karun - who is the mysterious, elusive figure in the book. It is Karun, however, who keep the two alternate strands of narrative, that of Sarita and Jazz, find a common ground to develop cohesively from. The rather tumultuous love saga of these three protagonists is set against the backdrop of an apocalypse waiting to happen - a nuclear strike on Mumbai, ready to wipe out the last trace of life from the island. In a classic tale of cross-border communal conflict, humanity is standing vulnerable and on the verge of being sacrificed for what are assumed to be conflicts of supremacy of divine powers. Mumbai only could be saved by its patron Goddess - Mumba Devi, recently resurrected in a Bollywood incarnation - Super Devi - giving more fillip to the blind adoration of gullible multitudes. And amid all this mayhem, two, no three, lovers are eagerly searching for an opportunity to unite with each other, after eliminating the 'other'.

This novel doggedly follows the quest motif - a rather effective one in stories which deal with the pains and ecstasies of love. Love is, it goes without saying, the underlying theme. In addition to it, theme of communalism, humanism, hypocrisy, apocalypse and homosexuality have been adequately dealt with in the book. With sensibility and gusto. Dystopia, towards which the real world too is fast spiralling, is another prominent theme. The novel is rich with explicit content, and for the shy readers out there, I have to mention, Manil Suri does not believe in using innuendoes. A powerful strain of narrative, in fact, is developed around a pomegranate - a perceived aphrodisiac (about the veracity of which claim I have no clue!), and that pomegranate continues to be an inanimate, silent yet pivotal character in the book. Manil Suri also weaves together myths and memories in the story; especially curious is the way he deals with a rare interpretation of the concept of divine trinity.

The City of Devi is a work of passion, and intelligent story telling. It has elements which enthral a reader and keep drawing him deeper and deeper in the fiction which starts assuming dimensions of reality. An intriguing beginning and an out-of-the-box climax add perfection to an already great scripting. A grand cast of characters does not obfuscate a reader, because the main concern - the protagonists - are so well constructed and foregrounded. Witty dialogues and great use of embellished language make the reading experience rich and satisfying. Love and romance always work for the audience; but when supplanted with an element of impending doom, they acquire a texture of passion and urgency - a fact aptly exploited by the author. I could go on writing reams of material on they way this book influenced me, but for now, I will conclude by awarding it, in all humility, 4 stars on five. It is one great adventure to be a part of.

Book Details -
Author - Manil Suri 
Publisher - Norton
Published - 2013
Book Source - Review Copy
Genre - Fiction/Romance/Dystopia
Price - Rs. 499
Pages -  400

Reviewed by - SAUMYA KULSHRESHTHA

Banquet On The Dead by Sharath Komarraju

Kauveramma loved life. She was terrified of water. So why was her body found floating gruesomely, hair fanned out, limbs outspread, in the well of the family compound?  Her sons, daughter, grandchildren—some of them resident, others far-flung—assemble at her death with expressions ranging from composed or confused to those of outright maniacal grief.
Things don’t quite fit, and one of them demands an investigation into the mysterious drowning.  Enter a policeman, Inspector Valmiki Nagarajan, and a charming rogue, Hamid Pasha. The latter is an elderly Muslim and a reformed criminal. He and the policeman regard each other with reluctant admiration and gruff affection. The duo interrogates each member of the family and staff in turn, unearthing secrets of their past, and calculating the degrees of their love, hatred or loyalty to Kauveramma and each other.  As it happens, everyone had something to gain from Kauveramma’s banishment from their lives…

When I first read about the book, I kind of liked the plot. I had imagined a laid back setting , lot of relatives and hence lot of secrets layered within the folds of household gossip.

I am glad to say, I wasn't wrong. Moreover I was delighted to see all these fit into this book so picture perfectly. Its a commendable job to make the lady , her three sons , a daughter , and the extended family with such clearity that you could almost imagine them to be moving in front of you. Thats when you get really immersed in the book I feel.

I totally loved the character of Hamid Pasha and together with Nagrajan , the duo does look like tailored for each other pair. I almost wished there were more books involving both of them , a series sort maybe *wishful thinking*


Like each family , Kauveramma's family members are neither good nor bad. Every one has their own issues to deal and Life hasn't really been kind to all. They are people like us - selfish yet caring , kind yet wishful , angry yet restrained. But of course some one did cross the limits and ended up killing the lady who was a mother figure to even the servants of the home. why would some one who is so scared from even showering , go near the well and end up drowning in the same ? Why would some one commit the crime in broad daylight and in presence of people working nearby ? The timeline of events as described by the residents match for some but not all. The proceedings of the day are as routine as different for the day Kauveramma died.

The author has made sure to thicken the plot as much as trying to provide the clues with every person's account of the day and otherwise. Add to this Hamid's charm and easy  going approach to all the facts presented to him , one does get hooked to the book instantly. but as the curtain falls and Hamid gathers everyone one last time to bring forth the murderer , I feel something missing. The "how" was revealed well but the "why" wasn't convincing. I needed a bit more to believe that the people involved in the crime did think and plan it all. when and how of the plan was as important for me as the execution itself.

Overall , this is one of the most enjoyed crime book from an Indian author for me this year.
It reminded me of the Byomkesh bakshi stories I had read some months back and partly gave the feeling of watching a series unfold.

Rating : 4/5

Other details :

Pages : 276
Price : 168 ( at homeshop18.com )

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This is an author requested review. Thank you Sharath for sending such an interesting read to me. I have already added your other book to my wishlist :D

Zombiestan by Manik dhar

 Zombiestan was a fresh change from all the romance / drama I have r ead in the last month. Not entirely the kind of fantasy fiction or thriller I am used to but still a page turner. It has all the ingredients you love in a fictional story on war and survival - action sequences , chases , escapes , brave decisions , tactics of war and combat , a young hero , a hope , a seasoned soldier , a heroine and a caring (grand)mother figure.

And oh, the sacrifices and the price you pay when you don the hat of becoming a hero.

Mayukh is the big guy Pete (of micky mouse clubhouse sort) for the 3 year old abhi and his sister swati. Having lost his parents to the zombie attack , mayukh had the company of old preoffesor Hina and US army soldier David (who witnessed this zombie fever begin and spread from Afghanistan) before he met swati and the kid. Abhi is the only ray of hope humans can think about while the zombies bite and infect any one they come across. This book is the journey of these unlikely survivors together from delhi to ladhak and the hurdles they come across.

Even in darkest hour there is always a hope , always a ray of light to pull you through. Humans can change yet humanity lives on in many ways. the book is a work of imagination and belief that if some day we are faced with such hell on earth, there would be people to help each other. Like David says , "watching out for the guy next to you". And that is what keeps these people moving ahead inspite of all challenges.

Manik's writing is fast yet easy to follow. The characters almost beleivable so you feel the connect with their feelings. The little flashes or insights into the person's life make you have a general idea of familarity with them. Not only zombies are the dreaded enemy but the greedy and selfish human beings too. The Zombiestan is a bleak world to even imagine living but with love , once can find roots even in the most depressing places. Life is about finding your purpose and doing it well till the very end. Also glad for the fact that the book sticks to the action plot and does not go much into the romance. I always have this trouble when I have to pass the book to my brother to read.

Though I feel, the creation of zombies and their intentions should have been a little more clear to me. Except that one doubt / curiosity in my head , I was satisfied with the way book ended.

David is my favorite character in the book and I did feel a little sad at the thought of losing him in the storyline.

Rating : 4/5

Definite recco for people who like action books.

Manik dhar, You are an author I would be looking forward to read again.
:)

Other Details :

Pages: 248

Price: INR 199

Publisher: Duckbill Books

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 This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com . Participate now to get free books!

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

AUTHOR –  Prolific 19th century author, Charles Dickens is famous for his remarkable characters and mastery of prose in the telling of their lives. Loved for his invaluable contribution to classic English literature, his good, bad and comic characters and realistic portrayal of contemporary life in Victorian England continue to fascinate readers worldwide

SYNOPSIS – A Christmas Carol debuted in 1843 and has touched millions of hearts since. Cruel miser Ebeneezer Scrooge is at the center of the story. His idea of life is an outlook of hard end capitalism mixed with misanthropy; this is a story of his transformation from a cynical mean butcher minded money monger to an emotional replica of his younger self. When Scrooge is visited by his old partner, Jacob Marley, and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to come, he learns eternal lessons of charity, kindness, and goodwill.

PULKIT SPEAKS – I first came across this story when it was served as a play in class 10^th. A shorter version of it was good enough to move my teenage self and the lessons it taught me has stayed with me ever since. I was also lucky enough to enact the play version next year in class 11^th and while playing central character of Scrooge on stage, I got a chance to go deeper into the mindset of this protagonist, which is one of the reason why this story in particular is etched so deep into my soul.

The story is divided in five chapters after a beautiful beginning preface by the great author.  Chapter 1 titled Marley’s ghost tactfully establishes the character of Ebeneezer Scrooge as a mean-spirited, miserly old man, while his clerk shivers he chooses not to pay for coal, makes mockery of his nephew who invites him for a Christmas party, reacts bitterly to charity seekers, and calls the entire festive spirit a humbug. Once the character building is done by action and statement pointers, the supernatural element seeps in the story and stars playing with the mental elements of thought process of the protagonists but also many readers who aspire to undermine kindness over success and money in life. Jacob Marley his old deceased friend and business partner who was equally shrewd and cruel visits him. His condition is terrible. As punishment for his greedy and self-serving life his spirit has been condemned to wander the Earth weighted down with heavy chains. He warns scrooge that unless he changes, he is bound to suffer the same fate. He also informs scrooge that in near future (same night in play version and successive nights in book), he would be visited by three more spirits and each of them would tell him important messages. Christmas ghosts of the Past, the Present and the Future who come to make him realize things he lost while becoming the man he is, things he is still losing while living the life he has and things he would end up with if he never changes. There are elements and intermediate stories in all these journeys, each pointing to the importance of virtues of life and how they are essential to have an honored loveable legacy post death. This is a beautiful story. A must read. If you attach your heart, which you would, It is bound to stay with you, probably till your last breath.

RATING – 4.5/5 – strongly recommended to be gifted to mean people around you and to children if you never want them to worship money over small happiness’s of life.

PRICE - Rs 80 on Rupa and co. from Flipkart

Also a very convenient online reading link for the same.  

The Secret Proposal by Aniesha Brahma

Reviewed by Nimue and Swarnali

From the book cover :

Twenty-one year old Larissa Chakroborty (better known as Jasmine) has been forced into the company of her parents' friends' son, twenty-five year old Tanveer Bhattacharya (aka Veer) ever since she was thirteen and he was seventeen.
Jasmine found herself slowly getting drawn towards this teenage boy and harbours an unrequited crush on him, long after he disappears from her life in order to pursue a college degree.
Eight years later Veer returns. and makes her a rather strange proposal. He wants her to pretend that they're in love and would eventually settle down in life, for he wishes to avoid tying the knot with a girl of his parents' choice.
The constant ego battle between the two, the love-hate relationship, break ups and realisations is what The Secret Proposal is all about, wherein love would eventually find a way.
Is it enough to get your long time love to be in a 'pretense relationship' with you?
Does one grand gesture convince you that you've found your knight in shining armour? And why is it that when you have someone, you don't want them… and when you lose them, you want them back?

Nimue Says :

First thing , I totally liked the personalized note that Aniesha added to the book before sending it to me. Thanks ! I loved the gesture.

What all we have not done or would not do to spend time with our crush ? To be in his good books always and to hope that one day he / she would realize the intentions ? But is it so easy to look past a person's defenses and intentions ? Do we not usually think just our side of the story unless some one else points out what we always missed to register and acknowledge !

Can you ever not fall in love with some one who lets ypu be who you are and still likes you ? Well , love is a hard feeling to accept , express and more so , convince the other person.

Jasmine is your usual girl who has forever been in love with Veer and yet he can't like all of him. He is sure arrogant and has a terrible sense of humor as per Jasmine but only she knows he is also caring , respectful and oh so charming forever. Both Jasmine and Veer love coming together even if as an arrangement or "the secret proposal" but both fail to hold on to the connect. And from there is one mis-event after another till the sweet reunion in the end.

The book is a fairly engaging read and entertains not just with the love story but the festival life of Kolkatta comes so vividly alive. I loved reading about all the pujo days and the wedding ceremonies and the way Kolkatta celebrates. A plus it is to the book and shows the beautiful observation skills of the author.

The writing is easy but not casual. The storyline connects the reader to Veer's and Jasmine's thoughts and intentions though Veer is such a confused character. I absolutely loved Meghan , the best friend character. What would we do without friends like her ?

The flaws / the minor negatives if I must point out here would be Jasmine fainting so much !! Was it 3 times or 4 ?? And totally not cool when there were 2 guys fighting for her !! Plus she is kinda too stubborn in her ways at times when she is avoiding Veer. Ok, not so much uncalled but I so wanted to hold her and give her some sense. A few scenes look dragged but they are tied well thankfully.

The book is fun.
Do try it any day for some smiles.

And oh , don't forget to check the poetry in the Preface ! Its absolutely wonderful.

Nimue's Rating : 3.5/5

Swarnali Speaks :

       First of all, I would really thank Aniesha for the personal note she added on the first page. Gestures like these make the reading experience better :)

  Coming to the book, the cover is really pretty and the picture prepares us for the fairy tale romance world that we are about to enter as we read the book. As you can read from the back cover of the book, this is the story of Larrisa a.k.a. Jasmine and her childhood crush Tanveer a.k.a Veer.

For starters, almost everyone would identify with the protagonist of the book, Larrisa for we've all had our shares of crushes, those innocent stares, the light-headed feeling when your crush looks back at you and smiles, the unending daydreams and what not. I don’t have a particular love for romances, but this book was a pleasant change from the same old stereotyped campus romance tales that I’m tired of reading. Another thing that I particularly liked was the absence of grammatical errors. I didn't notice any in the book (I don’t remember having come across typographical errors either but I’m not very sure about that). The language is simple and lucid and the story flows smoothly. I loved the narration where the author describes the festivity and mirth that envelops the City of Joy, Kolkata and its inhabitants during Durga Pujo. The celebrations and ceremonies are immaculately described.

Of all the characters mentioned in the book, I loved Larrisa’s best buddy Meghan a.k.a MM the most. She is the perfect best friend who is always there to help Jasmine and fixes all the mess ups she does. Everyone needs a bestie like her :D Veer is the very handsome knight in shining armour that our heroine has been crushing after since she was a teenager. He is omnipresent and arrives at the right moments to save our damsel in distress.

A few things I didn't like much in the book were the repeated use of phrases like “bridal style”, and “chocolate brown eyes”. The novel seemed to be filled with parties of all kinds happening over and over throughout the course of the book. Larissa seems to be too weak, fainting multiple times.

Apart from these minor glitches, the book is a really pleasant read, perfect for those days when you want to just sit down and relax with a light breezy book. A really good debut novel. If you are a chick-lit fan, you'll really like this one. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series (with Meghan as the protagonist) that Aniesha is planning to write next.

Swarnali's Rating : 3 / 5

Other details :

ISBN: 9380914237
ISBN-13: 9789380914237
Binding: Paperback
Pages: 208
Price : 125

(Author requested Review )

Body of Evidence by Patricia Cornwell

ISBN:          0751544434
ISBN-13:     9780751544435, 978-0751544435
Binding:       Paperback
Pages:         416
Language:   English




( From the book cover )

A reclusive writer is dead. And her final manuscript has disappeared ...

Someone is stalking Beryl Madison. Someone who spies on her and makes threatening, obscene phone-calls. Terrified, Beryl flees to Key West - but eventually she must return to her Richmond home. The very night she arrives, Beryl inexplicably invites her killer in ...

Thus begins for Dr Kay Scarpetta the investigation of a crime that is as convoluted as it is bizarre. Why would Beryl open the door to someone who brutally slashed and then nearly decapitated her? Did she know her killer? Adding to the intrigue is Beryl's enigmatic relationship with a prize-winning author and the disappearance of her own manuscript. As Scarpetta retraces Beryl's footsteps, an investigation that begins in the laboratory with microscopes and lasers leads her deep into a nightmare that soon becomes her own.




I read Patricia cornwell's novel " Book of the dead " two years back and I still can remember the craze it became for me that weekend to finish it and reach the end. After months ( probably the 2nd or 3rd time this year ) , i felt the same obsession in me.

The book follows the life of a writer Beryl who for some reasons writes under different names for each of her book and was on a run days before she is killed in her own home. The book engages you from the beginning with the letters she writes to a certain "M" ; with the stated fact that she opened the door to the killer even when she was scared enough to hide from the world till then. Then there is the odd mentor who is first thought as the man behind her killing and later the victim too.The simple looking plot goes on to link different people in unimaginable ways to the story - Beryl's friends , friend's friends, police , cheif medical officer , patient of a mental hospital , lawyers of entertainment industry and so on. Every answer is another question towards solving the mystery but question still. Its not till the end that the puzzle starts solving itself in your head and yet you have to read to make sense of few things that still are hazy in your understanding. The medical officer Scarpetta is intutive , sensitive, focussed and as humane as you can imagine. Married to her work , and living with a not so happy past , she is not the super hero you simply admire. she is the character you want to be inspired from. Patricia knows her art really well. I am totally into reading her other books soon.

Rating : 4.5/5 ( + 0.5 for being so addictive :P )

Stone Monkey by Jeffery Deaver

The FBI has recruited forensics expert Lincoln Rhyme and his protégée, Amelia Sachs, to capture “the Ghost,” a homicidal immigrant smuggler. But when they corner him aboard a cargo ship, the bust goes disastrously wrong and the Ghost escapes. Now the killer must eliminate two families who witnessed his flight before they jumped ship and vanished. . . . Searching New York City’s Chinatown, can Rhyme and Sachs find the Ghost’s targets before he does?

One of the best thing I like about a book is when the author does a good research about the setting and the characterization of his book. And Jeffery Deaver is one of my favorite author for the same fact. The Stone monkey is about chinese immigrants being smuggled into US borders and how one such shipment meets a different fate all thanks to Rhyme's intervention. He fails to save all the families but vows to not let the killer "Ghost" harm any of the two families who manage to survive the drowned ship. As all Rhyme series books , this book sets the surrounding and community of the people . You get to know all about Chinese traditions , their beliefs , the way they think and act , about limitations of each human as viewed by different ideologies and effects on any crime scene. The deductions about each evidence and the way it moves the story forward is simply a pleasure to read. Deaver is well known for the pace of his books and the twists he places all through the book. This book is no exception. A real page turner ! I personally loved the Chinese cop Sonny Li a lot more than any of Deaver's characters introduced in Rhyme series. 

ISBN: 0743437802
ISBN-13: 9780743437806,978-0743437806
Binding:     Paperback
Number of Pages: 576
Language:     English
Price : 350 @ flipkart

Rating : 4/5

Email me for the e - book.
I will soon host it on some site.

Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higgins Clark

Margaret and Steve Frawley return home from a dinner in New York to discover the police in the house, their daughters missing, and an eight million dollar ransom note. The Frawleys meet the kidnapper's demands known as "Pied Piper", but the abandoned car they're led to contains only Kelly, the body of the driver, and a suicide note, saying he had inadvertently killed Kathy and dumped her body in the ocean.

When unexplainable occurrences follow, indicating that Kelly is in touch with Kathy, Margret finds herself alone in wanting to continue the search for her daughter. As FBI agents set out on a search for Kathy, and close in on the Pied Piper and his  accomplices, Kathy's life hangs by a thread.

Nimue Says : Kidnapping of a child can be any parent's worst nightmare. So it is for the lovely couple here, more so since they have no money to pay to the kidnappers. but eventually the money is paid and even after detailed planning , the police fails to catch the kidnappers. The couple and the rescued kid Kelly both go through a tough phase as every one around mourn the death of the other twin. Only Kelly knows differently but her attempts to talk to the parents are termed as shock reaction and no one except the mother has any hopes alive. Mary clark has nicely detailed the bond between the twins both before and during the days of kidnapping based on which the story makes a mark in your mind and heart. The fact that she offers you not one but many possible suspects , each with a detailed past and motive shows her clarity about the suspense which she maintains till the very end. The chase and the struggle of Margret to find about Kathy is both heart touching and makes the book unput-downable. The twin love can be interpreted for any sibling love , the sense of protection , the sharing  and the heart breaking communications add beauty to the story. The book so easily show case how we in any given day miss certain obvious realizatiosn and how often our intution can help not just a good sleep but also others. How the lives are interconnected and how blessed is the feeling to get the kids back home safe. But do the marks wither away ?

This is a simple tale of kidnapping , planning and the consequences of lives of many in that town.

Ratings : 4/5

Other details :

Publication Date: April 4, 2006

Genres: Fiction, Thriller
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN-10: 0743264908
ISBN-13: 9780743264907
Price @ flipkart : 350/-

Jessamine by Eugenia O'Neal

JESSAMINEAUTHOR: Eugenia O'Neal
Genre: Novel / Fiction
NO. OF PAGES: 218
Apologies. I could not find the ISBN for the book anywhere and neither its price. I read the e book.

EXCERPT: (Talking about the mango tree in their yard,)

' “You’d never know to look at them that they’re diseased,” I marvel.

“A metaphor for the island and its politics. Let me go get your luggage.”  '

SWARNALI SPEAKS: Jessamine is the tale of two women, from two different time periods coming together for the same cause. The similarities in the lives of the two women are numerous,and so is their zeal for the change that they strive for. Jessamine is the beautiful mansion they both live in. Grace's life is in the present,she has come to stay in the island of St. Crescens to live with her husband,Julian. Arabella is a character from the past,from the 1800,she comes to the island in search of a livelihood. How their paths cross and how they interact with each other is very interesting.

The author uses a double narrative pattern in autobiographical style where her two protagonists speak for themselves and at times for the other. The chapters are alternately named Arabella and Grace for the readers to understand who the speaker is. There are times when the two narratives coalesce which provides complexity to the narrative.

The book reminded me very much of Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea in its description of the island of St. Crescens. The detailed description of the place,its people,the very strong racist feel than runs through the novel is very similar to Rhys' book.

The author very successfully gains the readers' "willful suspension of disbelief" from the very beginning. Arabella begins by saying, "We have a lot in common, we two, though she is alive and I am not." The very element of super-naturalism begins from here as the reader anticipates its arrival next in the book. What is commendable is that the reader never for once questions the validity of the existence of the spirit of Arabella and her communication with Grace. The two women are portrayed very efficiently with different layers of their personality defined and analysed. The central metaphor of the book is the mango tree in the yard of the house which is viral infected and produces mangoes which look healthy outside but are rotten inside,representing the political turmoil in the island.

The only thing I didn't like about the book is the strong political influence, the corruption and crime that is harped over and over. It becomes a bit tedious after sometime for politics isn't something I like reading much about. Somebody interested in politics might have a different opinion. 

Overall,an enjoyable and informative read. 

MY RATING: 4 / 5

Affairs of the Heart by Borislava Borissova

AFFAIRS OF THE HEART

[review on request by author]

Hellllooos !!
yeah I realize I have not reviewd a single book this April ( I read jsut 1.5 books actually)
And a biiiig heartfelt apology to Borislava for this much delayed review !
I do not read romantic genre as a rule ( neither prefer romantic movies ) so for a change , I agreed to review this book. And Am i glad ?
Totallly !!!

"Affairs of the heart" consists of two novellas - A love in time of war & "The last secret of ancient island "

Love in time of war is set in two cities Istanbul (Turkey) and Sofia ( Bulgaria) . Right from the setting of the time zone , the city architecture , the characters and the moods , the story draws you in.

“Yes. First there was the war… the love followed later. Peace was somewhere in between.”
“Yesterday, you could have killed her on the other side
of the front, today you are in love and what about tomor-row?”
“She feels the same way. All our efforts to remain ene-mies appeared to be in vain. The border line between our
ability to hate or to love appears to be a thin one.”
His fellow traveler shook his head distrustfully. “Your story sounds crazy.”

I had a little trouble getting used to the flashbacks and the present narration running parallel but once the plot was set , and you are introduced to Mustafa the soldier and Maria the unique lover , you will not want to leave the tale unfinished. The letters between Mustafa and Maria are one of the sweetest portions in the tale followed by the love they hold even when miles apart.

I shed many a lonely tears as I read this tale and wished from heart to read of their joys ..

Mustafa,
Dreamy? I was taught to give my best in all things so I want to do the same in my personal life. Is
it dreamy? Or too romantic? Perhaps. But I don’t know any other way to express myself. After all, who else would send you messages through the wind, and shiver in the cold rain to get them to you? Who else would wake up every morning thinking of you? Who is the only one who would like to fill the alien world with warmth for your heart to beat?
Maria

From her words, he could tell she needed reassurance.

Dear Maria,
I still keep the amber rosary in my bag. Heaven knows why. For others I have only respect but for you I have heart.
Mustafa


And I wondered , who writes like this now days .. I wish I could .. or some one would ..
I wish to go on and tell a lot more about these two destined lovers but I would leave you to live their tale and feel every emotion of love , longing , duty , honour , pride and pain.

This is one story I am never going to forget this year .


“Yes, everything is so beautiful. We walk in a tale, a very, very beautiful tale…”


"The last secret of ancient island " is a tale of small island , the land of Etna volcano , the most active volcano nearby. Like the volcano , feelings were in action in the hearts of each character of the book - the brothers Mike and Ralph , Mike's love Kate , Kate's husband David , their son Bob , Bob's friend Al  .. Every one contributes to the events that this tale talks about , with a crime linked closely to the town and the people living there.

Its a story of dreams , search for identity and love , of ancient runis and the conversations whispered in and around the town.

Changing his brother’s bandage with a clean one, Mi-chael noticed Ralph’s decisiveness not to show any pain and having mercy on him, replied warily, “Love is natural for God. But for people, it’s a legend coming from Heaven into our life.”
Ralph protested, “That’s simply not true. God is most familiar with the sense of lone liness. He’s unique, and there-fore very lonely. Maybe our loneliness and solitude is an echo of God’s own. Perhaps, he gave it to us involuntarily in the process of our creation.” “Ralph, the Creator is different, so it seems reasonable that his sense of loneliness is entirely different from ours. We are quite imperfect, so we accept this emotion in our way.”

It talks of some one's dream at an age where people do not expect one to fight for their dreams. A bond of brothers to support each other , a person's interest in philosophy and anthropology , a common man's ideas on life around him , teenager's issues and craving for freedom ,  a bank robbery . A very fast paced story , that resonates sentiments , confusions and decisions of many of us in present times. Mysterious  , sprinkled with good action and very heartfelt dialogues , the story mkes for a lovely read till the end.


Unsure of what his brother had mentioned, Ralph hesi-tated before replying. “I simply love being on the summit there. I get the sense that I can touch the line which lay be-tween the world beyond and me. Even if it was Everest, it would not be just a peak for me. It would be a bridge, the highest bridge between Earth and Heaven, between man and his yearnings, between the life in the green fields below and very different kind of emotions above.”
“It’s the same with me. My pictures, Ralph, are the bridges between others and me. That’s why I need to bring them to the world, not just take them to please myself. It’s not simply about success, glory, or money, this is how I express myself to others, my specific channel to them, my lifeboat
from everyday routine when the reality is not enough.”



I totally enjoyed reading these tales though i read them almost a month apart. I infact loved reading the first tale again in bits and bytes as I wrote this review. Romance lovers , do read this if you want a heart warming tale for a lazy sunday afternoon . And others, please read it for the way Borislava narrates simplest of emotions with a grace that touches you immediately ..

My Rating - 4 stars

The Rage of Angels - Sidney Sheldon

AUTHOR - Sidney Sheldon (February 11, 1917 – January 30, 2007) was an Academy Award-winning American writer. His TV works spanned a 20-year period during which he created The Patty Duke Show (1963–66), I Dream of Jeannie (1965–70) and Hart to Hart (1979–84), but he became most famous after he turned 50 and began writing best-selling novels such as Master of the Game (1982), The Other Side of Midnight (1973) and Rage of Angels (1980). He is the sixth best selling writer of all time.

SYNOPSIS – At the heart of Rage of Angels stands the woman who is Sheldon’s one of most unforgettable creation…

Jennifer Parker is brilliant, beautiful and indomitable – the most glamorous lawyer in and one of the most successful.

Her life is shadowed by two men. Both of them powerful and both drawn irresistibly to her.

A worldwide bestseller first published in 1980, this novel tells the story of a successful lawyer who is loved by two men, one a politician, the other, a mafia don.

Pulkit Speaks – Enough twists and turns to keep you turning pages of it

Rage of Angels is the story of Jennifer Parker and how her life progresses as she faces ups and downs. Like most of Sidney’s books, a female protagonist, strongly and clearly sketched lies at the core of this one too.

She is powerful and solitary, self made and at the same time vulnerable to emotional trauma, danger and love. She has a fiction charm and at the same time appears to be believable, someone whom you might have come across in life may be. As you see her struggle in life and rising from the ashes, falling in love and making mistakes, coming to age and choosing wisdom… you cannot help but connect to her. With every turning page, you wish to know her more and see what life has to offer to her next.

The plot moves on something like this - Jennifer Garner's life as an attorney takes an unexpected turn when she is wrongly accused and framed of being involved with the Mafia headed by Micheal Moretti ( a character that would at times remind you of The Godfather’s Micheal corleone, specially at places where mob mates addresses him as Mikey). She makes powerful enemies in her helplessness to prove her innocence. Adam Warner who helps her in those times for reasons explained well in the book and who is running for the senator's position (later destined to become the President of United States) brings the love quotient to the proceedings. He meets her in unexpected times and finds himself attracted to the self motivated, moralistic and gullible shades of her persona. Their passion, uncomfort towards each other, discreet side of their affair (because of him being already married) is written in a seductive and engrossing manner – something which defines the categorical shade of Sidney’s pen as always visible in most of his works. Their love suffers a fate they had not planned from a person they completely misunderstood while placing their trust. Then the story takes a turn in which you find yourself closely following Jennifer, and how she makes decisions that are humane and not heroic, she chooses people that are needed and not necessarily which are right. That believable, realistic part of her thought processes is what makes her a memorable gem. In trying to save life of someone she love, Jennifer finds herself getting involved in the unlawful dealings of the Mafia and Moretti himself. This begins a love triangle that sweeps across America's political and organized crime landscape as Jennifer, Adam, and Michael rise to become the most powerful figures in the country.

Sheldon is a master of plot twists, complications, and the emotional ups and downs of people's lives. "Rage of Angels" is one of his rare stories that does not have an expected end, which can be circumstantially happy or sad but leave you with an unknown feeling. it's a fascinating journey into the complexities of crime and punishment, politics, and corruption. Sheldon masterfully portrays the brilliant legal strategies that make Jennifer Parker come to life as a fully believable criminal defense lawyer.

Rating – 4/ 5 This is the story of Jennifer Parker and her dreams of becoming a lawyer and the reality of dreams lost.

In the book she encounters the love of two men both who killed her dreams in their own ways. Enjoyed reading this one and I am hopeful you would too, if plot interests your taste.

PS – I had a different cover of this book, but chose to pick a display image of this one. Needed to catch your eye: D