Interview:Author Nilesh Rathod

Image Courtesy-http://www.nileshrathod.in/

The other day, we interviewed the multi-talented Nilesh Rathod, the author of the recently released 'Destiny of Shattered Dreams'.

       Can you tell us something about yourself?

-          Born in Bangalore, brought up in Pune… I pursued my graduation in commerce and I ama Chartered Financial Analyst by education.I co-founded Ensemble Infrastructure India Limited in the year 2002 which, now employs over 2000 personnel. It has successfully delivered thousands of contracts including offices, hotels, hospitals and retail spaces.

·        Rupa has published many best-selling authors from Chetan Bhagat to Ravi Subramanian. Can you tell us briefly about your experience with your publisher?

-          They’ve been extremely co-operative and it has been an amazing experience working with Rupa.

          These days there are many desi authors writing in English.What do you think is your biggest USP when compared to your contemporaries?

-          English has been a primary language for Indians since the British era. However, of late the spread of language a lot of new authors are emerging and some of them have transcended borders when it comes to their quality of writing. Authors like Jhumpa Lahiri, Amitav Ghosh bring pride to us.

Writing is a creative art and doesn’t often need to follow a USP. In my opinion most genuine authors who know their trait simply write and their USP’s are cultivated by readers’ responses. Destiny of Shattered Dreams is a story of a middle class boy who pursues his dreams and gets caught in the embroil of modern day politics. The story is his take away of life as we live it today.

            When do you write and have you ever experienced writer's block?

-          I am going through one. I wrote my first novel within a month of starting to pen it, I spent double that time to just write the headers for the sub-plots, but once I got to writing, I was done within a month. I am a lazy researcher too; on the contrary research beyond a point is a road block to creativity. My first way to deal with a writer's block is to take a break, may be a day or two or even a week. I keep thinking and re-thinking about the scenarios without really penning them down. If I do get a break through, I start again. Reading another book or two within that break can help erase the block sometimes. And if nothing works, I simply force my way through the story, it might read bland or may sound timid when you do that, but remember it’s a small part of the story and there is always an edit option.

           Apart from writing,what are your other hobbies?

-          I love to read books..!

c   Amitav Ghosh,Salman Rushdie,Chetan  Bhagat;who is your favorite among these three Indian writers? Which one do you think is his best work till date?

-          Salman Rushdie..! MidNights Children is the best I feel

·   Indian Writing in English has truly come of age. What is your take on the future of the English language Fiction market in India?

-          India is a country that widely uses the language while, fiction books are pure entertainers. It shall evolve with time and grow further with increasing competition.   

     

    We are also living in an era when every author blogger wants to be a published author.Do you think this as a healthy trend?

-          Ya... Why not..? If there writing styles are better than the existing ones, I definitely think it’s worth giving a shot.

     Okay, one last question.I know it’s a little dumb to ask this,but still... You want to be remembered as a bestselling author or as an award winning one?

-          For now I’d want to be a bestseller. Maybe when the next book hits the market, I’d aim at becoming an award winning writer J But, more than anything else I’m happy to see my novel being loved by the readers..

 -nikhimenon

Stairway to Nowhere and other stories, edited by Ruskin Bond

I think it's wonderful that you have a story to tell, a few stairs to climb and aspire to reach somewhere. It's in school days that I came to know of my love for poetry writing, and it's wonderful to see there were contests for school kids that helped get their story put to print. Stairs to Nowhere, named so, I guess because quite a few stories in the book are titled thus (or maybe it was the theme given to them) brings out stories from young writers from different schools and from all across India. The stories in the book, reading now, feel average and could use a lot of editing or a bit of complexity, but I think looking at the bigger picture, and who wrote them, the effoert is commendable. Perhaps the presentation could have been nicer too, because it felt like I was reading a school textbook. Not a very memorable book, but one that I did like reading.

Reviewed by: Vinay Leo R.
Genre: Short Stories
Rating: 3 stars

Combat Of Shadows by Manohar Malgonkar

The best part of reading a book which narrates a tale of pre-independence era is the whole experiencing of witnessing the part of India we have never imagined.
The best part of "Combat of Shadows" written by Manohar Malgonkar is that it narrates the story of an Englishman who lived in India and the entire book is structured around the beautiful Assam mountains before the Independence. "Combat of Shadows" is one of the fine novels i have read recently. This novel talks about the whole influence of the western culture into our indian society.

Henry Winton is an English Manager stationed in the Silent hill and is slowly making a positive influence on the people as well as the company. He meets Ruby Miranda, a beautiful Anglo-Indian girl in a gala night and its an instant attraction. He appoints Ruby as a teacher in the plantation school and then he uses her as a mistress more to edge out his loneliness. Ruby on the other hand dreams of becoming his wife and break the shackles of her life and escape into the world where Henry belonged. When Eddie Trevor, lover of Ruby Miranda applies for a job on Silent Hill henry becomes suspicious that Ruby has a hand in giving out information of a vacant post. Furious of knowing that Ruby might still be in love with him he abandons Ruby and goes for a vacation in England and marries Jean. Ruby seeks revenge for his infidelity. Meanwhile the war has enveloped the british empire and Henry seeks desperation to join the war so as to serve his country. And one final task lay before him before he could join forces which is killing an elephant. Eddie trevor and Jane falls in love with each other while Henry could still not tae Ruby out of his mind who is still devastated.

The novel seems to be going in one smooth flow. The command of English portrayed in the book is just a stroke of brilliance. What sets off the most of the book is the unnecessary storyline that is sketched parallel to the tale. The relationship between Jane and Eddie is not explored much and the books seems to be hurried through the last 40 pages. But the stage was set to deliver one of the most clever ending a book can have.

This is book of multi layered romance and lust happening simultaneously. Emotions are strongly depicted and the characters are well sketched. There is an incomplete story of Jugal Kishore which does not adds much worth to the book. The book also points to the many aspects of how the western culture has altered the views of Indian Society. Ruby Miranda does not openly expresses her desires to mend into the english ways and become his wife and uses lust and sex to influence harry into marrying her. Edie trevor seems to be romancing the english man's wife. Many such aspects seems to be so modern now and yet it has been depicted in a tale stretched out in the colonial India period.

At the end of the book i was pretty much impressed with the story and the way it was written. At no point of time it was dragging and many times it was just too flawless to be reading continuously. In a genre of Interracial romance and intercultural relations this book sits on the top like a cherry on a cake.

Also I am thankful that I received this book from Rupa Publications and they gave me a chance to review it.

The Race of my Life - An Autobiography (by Milkha Singh)

Sometimes, to be inspired, you need to have an inspiration. Be it to achieve things, or to even think of what you want to achieve. I remember, a few years ago, I wanted to be a tennis player for India. I used to follow all of Roger Federer’s matches, even collected pictures, wallpapers, stats and what not. I’m digressing here. Sorry. I mean to say that when you’re having a dream, you would also, most likely have an idol. So perhaps, for a sprinter, to be Milkha Singh might have been one dream.

I’ve not yet seen the movie, so to read the story first was quite refreshing. Right from the time before partition, to him fleeing for his life (puts the title into perspective), the book was a very honest read. I wouldn’t criticize the story, because only he could write his life like it is. It isn’t some fiction to say it needed something, and it should have had this. It is an autobiography, and this particular one, is inspiring.

It is the story of an idol, of an Indian great, and a story of courage, determination, belief and excellence. I’m honored to have read it, and I would read it again soon.

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Book details:
Title: The Race of my Life
Author: Milkha Singh
Genre: Autobiography
ISBN: 978-81-291-2910-9
Publishers: Rupa Publishers
Price: INR. 250

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Reviewed by Leo

Shared with

1. First Reads Challenge at b00kr3vi3ws
2. Indian Quills Review Challenge at The Tales Pensieve

This was reviewed for Rupa Publishers, who I thank for the review copy. No other payment was taken for this review.

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How I Braved Anu Aunty and Co-Founded A Million Dollar Company, by Varun Agarwal

About the author:

Varun Agarwal is a 25 year old Indian author, entrepreneur, photographer, and filmmaker. The author did his schooling from Bishop Cotton, Bangalore, and holds a BE degree in Telecommunication. His start-ups are Alma Mater, Reticular, a social media marketing company, and Last Minute Films, a film production house. Agarwal used to write blog posts on Facebook which became very popular. He sent a few articles to Rupa Publishers, who later asked him for a complete manuscript. This is how his debut book was born.

My thoughts on the book:

Few books call out to you on the humor factor just with the cover design alone. I’m not a big fan of humor as a genre but somehow this book did attract my attention, and it was a hoot! I think this book is worth a read because not only is it humorous, but also a little inspiring. The message is not for everyone, but even if it helps one or two, then it is a helpful book after all.

I’ve heard this book was written in about eight days. What a nice way to spend eight days! A story about a young guy who has just completed his engineering, but not yet got a job. I can understand this part… the confusion, the parental pressure, the talk behind your back and all that… because I’ve faced it myself. And Varun brings those emotions out easily. I particularly love the monologues which give those short contrasting thoughts that we usually think to ourselves while saying something completely different, all come out very nicely. The work that Varun and his friend put to get their company started… the obstacles, the setbacks, the little fights and misunderstandings, and oh yes – the secrecy of the whole thing from the parents… everything was tactfully and wittily shown. There is an “Anu Aunty” in all our lives. Someone who tries to push you into something you don’t want to do, and who convinces your parents that what you do want to do is not really valuable. From the disclaimer to the end, it holds you in its characters and sometimes subtle, sometimes out-and-out humor. Simple narration, understandable and apt dialogues, and a message that is nice.

The small drawbacks are the lack of depth to the small romances that are portrayed. It could have been brought out better. Overall, it is a book that is worth atleast one read.

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My rating: 3.75 stars

Book details:
Title: How I Braved Anu Aunty & Co-founded A Million Dollar Company
Author: Varun Agarwal
Genre: Fiction/Humor/Inspirational
ISBN: 978-81-291-1979-7
Publishers: Rupa Publications
Price: INR. 140

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Reviewed by Leo

Shared with

1. First Reads at b00k r3vi3ws
2. Indian Quills at The Tales Pensieve

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Boomtown, by Aditya Mukherjee

About the author:

Aditya Mukherjee, an alumnus of IIM Bangalore, works for a management consulting firm in Delhi. This is his debut novel.

Thoughts from cover and blurb:

It could be good, or it could be boring. It depends on how the narration is. The cover page design is very beautiful, and right on the idea (no pun intended) put forth by the blurb.

My thoughts on the book:

I’m a self-confessed foodie! I can’t cook to save my life possibly, but I like being in the kitchen, I like seeing food shows like Masterchef and I like imagining the aroma of the foods that I can only see on the screen! So this book, with a young chef in Jaaved trying to innovate on traditional recipes right in the prologue, got off to the right start as far as I’m concerned. You could almost imagine the scene, the effort that Jaaved was putting in, his nervousness and his care. You could feel his heart racing, wondering if he would be found out, and his heart in his mouth moment when the doors open asking for the chef who made the dish!

Enter Jacob James (JJ)! Plump, short and from a rich family, he finds the slight difference in Jaaved’s dish to the traditional recipe and his venture starts there. JJ would mostly not wow you with his character… he’s careless, reckless, unemotional to the extreme at times, but he’s determined. He’s determined to chase a goal, or a dream, or maybe it was just a spur of the moment idea, and open a chain of restaurants. But he can’t do it alone, and his first recruit is Jaaved, grandson of a famous hotelier.

He needs someone who can do the talking, the presentations, the (ermm…) work! He finds his old classmate Karthik Roy, who’s very recently been fired from his software company, and convinces him to join his team. Karthik is the sweet, silent, innocent fella who tries to, but can’t say no to JJ. Or maybe it’s just the convincing skills of JJ, whatever, I’ll leave that to you to figure out.

The last of the entrepreneurs is Sheetal, who already manages a successful restaurant and after thinking on JJ’s proposal for awhile, agrees to join the venture. She’s a single mom, hard working, very business minded and hard on the decisions. She’s also sweet to those people she cares about, and honest as well.

The novel is a light read. And it works, works really well I feel. Language is easy to follow, the narration makes it very easy to imagine and the characters are true to who they are supposed to be. I’m no entrepreneur, but this felt the real deal, because it doesn’t just start with an idea for a restaurant, and voila, they make their dreams come true in the next chapter. It had the essence of business. The rejection of their ideas, their decision to give their lives a backseat and start pursuing that dream, to begin somewhere so they can show the disbelievers they can reach somewhere, how they handle the politics in their venture, the difficulties in getting the right combination to success! Everything is there! There’s a little romance thrown in the works too, and it works because it doesn’t overwhelm the actual plot of the book. There’s a family drama too, with the society’s idea of what’s great as a career and what’s not playing a part. I enjoyed this very much, and I feel it was a brilliant debut. It goes into my favorites list and to-be-read-again bookshelf! Kudos!

I’m still wondering about the title though… why is this novel called Boomtown?!

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Rating: 4.75 stars!

Book details:
Title: Boomtown
Author: Aditya Mukherjee
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 978-81-291-2407-4
Publishers: Rupa Publishers
Price: INR. 295

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Reviewed by Leo

Shared with

1. First Reads Challenge at b00kr3vi3ws
2. Indian Quills Review Challenge at The Tales Pensieve

This was reviewed for Rupa Publishers, who I thank for the review copy. No other payment was taken for this review.

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Kardamom Kisses - Shinie Antony

The Description:

In Kardamom Kisses, members of a dysfunctunal family flail along life's sunny path, hoping for salvation, or at least a piece of some action. The North and South of India clash in a celebration of contrasts as secrets come tumbling out, familial ties are refurbished and love is not quite what it seems.There's Punjab and there's Kerala, brought startlingly alive, and when Kedar weds Mangala, little does he bargain for whole cities and families to disdain each other. Pressured and soon celibate by compulsion, Kedar turns to other pursuits, notably a second wife, while Mangala copes with the results of hasty breeding. The children born to them travel into the future that alarmingly begins to resemble their roots and realise that in life magic is at a premium.Sparkling wit savages societal snapshots as Shinie Antony takes the nice and nasty to transform her debut novel into a merry carousel of touching moments. Here is a novel that clicks its tounge, asking the Great Indian Family to get moving.

My thoughts:

I think some imagery and mood setting type writing is agreeable in writing. It pulls the reader into the novel. When it is overdone, it seems to push the reader out just as easily. That's what happened with this book, esp. at the beginning parts itself. That, and the usage of so many local Malayalam terms that might not be understood by every reader. It would've been good to see a meaning coming just after the word, or a superscript number that leads to a meaning in the footer. Not recommended for those who might like a little fast paced narrative. You can read if you know Malayalam language more, and like a little descriptive mood setting.

I rate this: 2 stars!

Details:
Book Title: Kardamom Kisses
Author: Shine Antony
Genre: Love/Fiction/Saga
ISBN: 9788129107435
Publishers: Rupa Publishers


Reviewed by: Leo
Shared with: First Reads at b00k r3vi3ws and IQRC at Tales Pensieve

In Black and White by Rudyard Kipling

He was the youngest recipient of Nobel Prize in Literature, the first writer of English language to have that honour conferred on him. My inspiration in writing, Ruskin Bond, found inspiration in his writing. And if I had one regret emanating from the world of literature (which I know is vast and perhaps has no place for regrets), it was that I never got an opportunity to read any work of the great storyteller Rudyard Kipling. However, in a recent set of book Rupa Publications sent me for review, I got my chance to overcome that regret.

In Black and White is my first tryst with Rudyard Kipling, and what a grand, memorable meeting with the master-storyteller it has been. Kipling has been regarded as an innovator in the art of short story writing, and this book is only one of the many examples which lends credibility to that statement. In Black and White is a collection of some of Kipling's finest stories which shed light on the social, cultural and political fabric of India, as it was woven under colonial rule. The imperial conquest of power etched a firm, and almost cruel boundary between the ruler and the ruled - a reality which stories of this book bring out vividly. The language, I will have to admit, was not the easiest to understand. In fact, if anything, it was most abstract, but that is what gave space for philosophical ideas to run parallel to the main narrative of extremely engaging stories. A miner, a priest, a missionary, a betrayed and revenge seeking lover - each character has been drawn deep from within the womb of humble Indian terrain and represent in full the idiosyncrasies of Indians. The tales are endearing at times, witty at others, and scathingly ironical at certain places. Kipling presents both - the inherent innocence of Indians and the corruption which started taking roots under the reign of the Raj in these 8 short stories

The Whole Range of Kipling Special Books 

It is a small book, priced humbly, to invite readers to the enamouring, but critical world of Kipling. My favorite among all is a story called "Dray Wara Yow Dee". Don't ask me what that means. I just know I enjoyed this tale of a lover betrayed, seething with revenge. For the first time, it was not poetry, but prose in which I found an unmistakable lyrical quality.

Kipling has a controversial place in History. He is credited with a doctrine which not just justifies, but glorifies imperial conquests. Given his philosophy of 'A White Man's Burden', I have always wondered how is it that Kipling wrote of nothing but India and its people, so much so, that many literary connoisseurs bracket him in the Indian Writing in English category. A man, not wedded to the sensibilities of this magnificent land could not have possibly written literature which seems like our own. Perhaps this dichotomy in Kipling's writing is best understood in the words of one of my English teachers, who warns with affection - History often doesn't give us the chance to alter our opinions, we must learn to be careful with them.

Its a 3.5 on 5 star book for me.

Book Details - 
Author - Rudyard Kipling (With an introduction by Ruskin Bond)
Source - Review Copy
Genre - Literary Fiction/Short Fiction
Publisher - Rupa Publications
Price - ₹ 140
Pages - 118 (8 stories)
Rating - 3.5/5

The Bankster - Ravi Subramanian

Reviewed by Yatin, Blahblaholic and Swarnali

Publisher : Rupa Publications

ISBN : 978-81-291-2048-9

Genre : Thriller , Fiction

Price:  Rs 250

Find the author at :

Website: http://www.ravisubramanian.in/index.asp

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Authorravisubramanian

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SubramanianRavi

Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/authorravisubramanian

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/AuthorRavi

~ Summary ~

Back Cover

In  Angola, a covert CIA agent is about to exchange weapons for blood diamonds.

In Kerala, an elderly man will do whatever it takes to fulfill a promise made to a dying son.

In Mumbai, an international bank is stunned by the mysterious deaths of its key employees.

It begins in Angola, as a man exchanges weapons for the infamous blood diamonds of Africa.

In Kerala, the head of a family is accused of a crime he says he didn't commit.

And in Mumbai, the GB2 Bank are losing their key employees in a row ..

~  Excerpt ~

"Why blame him? You are allowing yourself to be used. While I have nothing against the protest and I am with you in this cause, you got carried away by the fact that this was making you famous in your neighborhood. "

~  Blahblaholic's Review ~

This is one of those books that you just CAN NOT put down once you start reading it!

There are three parallel plots running together, as you read each chapter, your mind darts from here to there and back again.

It is a legit page turner, which keeps you hooked.

The background is banking but the author here, manages to not use terms which would completely confuse and put a reader off. All the banking terms used are explained, and not in dumbed down, just-so-you-understand-way.

Along the story, you feel bad about Arvind and Laila, and more so, with Arvind's father Krishna.
You realize how cosmetic appearances go a LONG way, and not always for the good. You read about the insecurity and I could actually see it playing in my head as Harshita started to fall apart.

Wherever you go, from banks to corporate offices, there always are these basic problems that arise, and they will continue to arise, because yes, we have computers, and yes, we have brilliant advanced technology, but a human operates them at the end of the day.
Greed, lust, thirst for power, jealously, betrayal .. These are but basic human emotions!

When I read the withdrawal email (page 128) , I felt so bad for him.
It reminded me of those times when I was forced to apologize, when you're not really at fault, but you just HAVE to, and it is embarrassing and humiliating, but one's gotta do what one's gotta do eh?

There are moments when you are insulted, and then there are moments when you are just numb as you realize all you ever were, is a pawn. You try and plan this mega move, but you fail, miserably, and the way the author has depicted all of this, including the wife's dialogues as she tries to console and talk to her husband, I found it very realistic and beautiful.

One of the parts I liked the best, were related to the post mortem and the tides thing. It was right there in front of everyone, but they couldn't guess it. It was very probable, and it reminded me of Hermione in DH as she said that she wasn't super intelligent, just really precise and perspective.

Not for a moment during reading of the book can you guess the ending, as i starts falling apart piece by piece, I went all, "Really?! I never would have guessed that!"
Quite honestly, the culprits were a shock to me! One of them, I detested since the start, but the way they conducted it, it was quite an interesting read!
The best part about this book is that it isn't drab for a moment, there are so many things happening simultaneously that will scream for your attention.

~ Final Verdict ~

4/5

It is an exceptionally well woven book,
Because once you start reading this book, these 358 pages will literally fly by!

  Yatin Says :

Long back, when I was studying, I borrowed this book from a friend, "If God Was A Banker", the title was intriguing and my friend was praising the book too much, so I picked it up. Absolutely loved the book, recommended it as well to a lot of people. Post that, I never really kept a track of Ravi Subramanian's books, in fact, to be honest, I had no clue that the Ravi Subramanian who started following me on twitter around a month back is an author, till I checked his bio.

I never really thought in my wildest dreams that I would actually get to meet Ravi, he was in Delhi recently and I got to meet him as well, my first one on one meet up with any author and he gave me a signed copy of his latest book that has got released on 19th October. Here is the pic of it, just to make reader of this post a bit jealous ! :P 

Enough anecdotes now, lets get to The Bankster now. Honestly, there are very few thrillers that I have read in which you are not able to spot who is the real culprit, the same is the case with The Bankster. An absolute page turner, spread over 358 pages, 47 chapters, that would definitely make you bite your nails. I started reading it last night after meeting the author who has just been awarded with a popular choice award for his previous book "The Incredible Banker". 

The book opens with a man who lands up at Angola. There he strikes a deal in which he exchanges weapons for the world famous blood diamonds of Africa. Then the plot shifts to a family in Kerala, the head of the family accused for a crime that he hasn't committed. The person is concerned about a social cause and with all his honesty and sincerity he is backing up the cause till some opportunists get involved with the whole thing and things take an ugly turn. A parallel plot runs in Mumbai at the GB2 bank, where their key employees get murdered one after the another, but every murder was presented as if those people have died in accidents and a suicide in one case. 

I could hardly relate all these parallel plots, but the way they have been weaved together as the book progresses turned out to be complete shocker for me. The Bankster has definitely got all the elements of a best seller for sure and I would not be surprised if we get to see it in the best sellers list in the next coming weeks. The author knows how to keep the reader on his toes till the end and everyone who has read any of Ravi Subramanian's books knows about his writing style. There is too much of banking involved, but it never creates any headache for the reader. The language is simple and you don't need to refer to dictionary as well ! :D 

I am now looking forward to read "The Incredible Banker" as well and I think I am also gonna pick the rest of the books written by him pretty soon and for you who has read this post, go pick up the book. You would thoroughly enjoy it ! :) 

Swarnali Speaks : 

This is one book I heard a lot about ever since it was on the stands and I had almost planned to buy it when I saw it on Blogadda's review programs. 220 copies for the much awaited The Bankster were available and I'm pretty sure almost everyone who had applied for the book must have received a copy. :P

The book is worth the wait and is a complete page turner. What I loved best about the book is the fact that the author has done a brilliant job in withholding the suspense till the very last. There are moments when you think you've got the whole thing figured in your head but then a totally unexpected twist to the tale makes you realise that you've been digging in all the wrong places till now. The end is completely unpredictable. The entire book can be summed up as a jigsaw puzzle with all small pieces scattered here and there and you cannot make out which piece fits where until the author takes you by the hand and connects the dots and you are left with a sense of awe.

The author efficiently uses his banking background to his advantage in the setting of the book. The language is pretty simple but the book does contain a few banking jargon spluttered here and there but that doesn't act as a hindrance to the reading process. The book begins in Angola’s alluvial diamond mines and then the scenes keep seamlessly shifting from there to Devikulam in Kerala to Mumbai and to Vienna. I loved the wonderfully detailed descriptions of the setting which made the whole reading process feel like a movie watching experience. Despite the skips from one location to another, the reader does not feel a sense of fragmentation which is a big plus point for the book. The first few pages are a tad bit slow as the settings and characters are slowly established. I was in fact pretty puzzled trying to figure exactly what was happening and how all these different incidents happening at seemingly unrelated places relate to the main plot that is the deaths of the employees at the bank as mentioned in the blurb at the back. The protagonist of the book, Karan Panjabi arrives pretty late in the book and has a very casual entry and all of a sudden the book begins to move at a neck breaking speed.

The book was a pleasant read apart from a few minor issues here and there. There are a few typographical errors which were missed during the proof reading process. Another problem I found was with the usage of a few Hindi terms in the dialogues and a few direct and literal translations of Hindi terms and phrases into English. The use of colloquial language does make the story feel more believable and real but it obstructs the complete understanding of the connotations for a non-Hindi understanding reader.

I would definitely recommend the book to all readers who love fast moving thriller plots.

 Swarnali's Rating : 4/5

The Green Room - Wendell Rodricks

When I first got to know that Wendell Rodricks', a fashion designer who is a household name (if people of that house read newspapers) is coming up with a book, I made up my mind that I am surely going to read it. I have always followed news related to the fashion world, not to the T, but yes on and off so I knew who Wendell Rodricks' was and what he was famous for. The book named "The Green Room" with Malaika Arora Khan on its jacket landed up at my house on previous friday and thats when I thought that this is going to be my weekend read. 

The book opens up with a prologue in which models are getting ready in the green room, the backstage manager shouting at the models, and the choreographer of the show is all set to fire instructions so that the show can begin as soon as possible. Amidst all the chaos, the backstage manager keeps shouting that if something goes wrong, Wendell is going to throw a fit, so models should make sure nothing goes wrong. The way prologue has been written instantly had me. Wendell came across as a strikingly good story teller. It was one of the youtube videos that I saw about the book in which Wendell shared that it was a challenge among friends that who can write 60,000 words in two months and Wendell took up the challenge quite seriously and actually began writing. He completed the challenge and later realised that he should add some 60,000 words more to bring this book to life. In the book he shares that Lara Dutta once asked him to write a book because she liked the way he told stories. Wendell has politely thanked her in the book! :) 

The book has some 350 odd pages and 21 chapters and covers each and every aspect of Wendell's life. His family, his ancestors, his education, his friends, his collections, his designs, his assorted works, fashion shows he did, his sexuality, the controversies of the fashion industry, his infinite holidays all over the world, his stints in various parts of the world, his love and passion for Goa, his love for food, numerous friends he made in his life, his love for wine, his discoveries including Deepika Padukone and Anushka Sharma, controversies around him and his relationship with his partner Jerome, a french man he met in Oman, his pets and people who have worked with him over the years. 

The way this book has been written makes it an absolute page turner. If you have the slightest idea about fashion and fashion industry and popular names of the industry, you would sail through the book quite easily. Wendell is witty and blatantly honest with whatever he has shared in the book. His writing has got the WOW factor. The way he has described everything in the book shows how observant he is with things surrounding him. Also, Wendell praises Shefalee Vasudev, who has written a book Powder Room, which I read and reviewed few days back, for her honest reviews about the fashion shows and the fashion world. I absolutely loved Powder Room as well. 

I would definitely suggest you to read this book once. It gives you a wide insight about the fashion world and how to become somebody from nobody. Wendell has poured his heart out in the book and deserves a place in your book shelf if you enjoy reading autobiographies. 

Publisher : Rain Tree Publishers
Genre : Autobiography
ISBN : 978-81-291-2022-9 

Earning The Laundry Stripes - Manreet Sodhi Someshwar

 Title : Earning The Laundry Stripes

 Author : Manreet Sodhi Someshwar

 Pages : 300

 Genre : Fiction

 Publisher : Rupa Publications

 ISBN : 978 129 109811

If you want to see what versatility means, read Manreet's books. I mean it. I have read all three books by her now and I know what I am talking about here. She has penned down a thriller, The Taj Conspiracy, which is still ruling the bestsellers list, a book full of emotions, The Long Walk Home, my favourite book and Earning The Laundry Stripes, a witty take on the life of an IIM Calcutta graduate and her sales stints in an all boys club. 

Earning The Laundry Stripes happened pretty late to me. I ordered the book few days back and got it last evening only and I started on with it. Absolute page turner and if you are by chance a management graduate (which I am not), you are surely going to enjoy the read. And if you are into Sales field, you would completely relate with the book. I am saying this because one of my very good friend is currently working as a factory manager in one of the leading FMCG ( Fast Moving Consumer Goods ) of India and during his training days as a management trainee, he did all that what has been written in this book. He used to call me up and rant his guts out about whatever he was going through back then. 

The book opens with tensions related to placements session in IIMC. Noor Bhalla, the protagonist of the book goes through some unexpected adventures during this tenure and lands herself in a sales job at HLL (Hindustan Lever). A well educated lady from Firozpur, Punjab lands up in Nagpur, Maharashtra for her first sales stint as a TSI and there begins an adventurous  roller coaster ride for her which sounds so true. Once you get the hang of the book, it turns out to be a complete page turner, that is witty and practical at times.

Noor moves to different cities for her training and that included a month long stint in Bombay too. I must not forget to mention here, there is a beautiful poem in the book about Bombay. I wanted to share it here, but I won't because then you would buy the book. If you love Bombay, buy the book to read that poem. (Am I trying to pitch a sales thingy here ?) :P 

Manreet's writing impressed me as usual. I love her books so I might sound a bit biased here but who cares. I book is definitely a light read that you would enjoy and for management graduates who are planning to land up in the excruciating yet exciting field of Sales, this book is a must read. I am sure Manreet, being an IIM alumni and an ex-HLL employee has put in her personal experiences too in there. 

Book Source : Personal Copy