#BookReview: Undercover Princess (The Rosewood Chronicles #1) by Connie Glynn #TheWriteReads #UltimateBlogTour

Undercover Princess by Connie Glynn
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

When fairy tale obsessed Lottie Pumpkin starts at the infamous Rosewood Hall, she is not expecting to share a room with the Crown Princess of Maradova, Ellie Wolf. Due to a series of lies and coincidences, 14-year-old Lottie finds herself pretending to be the princess so that Ellie can live a more normal teenage life.

Lottie is thrust into the real world of royalty – a world filled with secrets, intrigue and betrayal. She must do everything she can to help Ellie keep her secret, but with school, the looming Maradovian ball and the mysterious new boy Jamie, she’ll soon discover that reality doesn’t always have the happily ever after you’d expect…

There are some stories you just know you will love them. This one came with a similar feeling to me. Royalty, Secret identities, bodyguard drama, School life, and found friends/family; all in one single book. What more could I ask for. 

I liked Lottie from the very first page and could almost see why she was so eager to help Ellie and be part of the whole royal drama. Ellie , I admit took some time for me to understand and like her, but when it comes to Jamie, I loved him instantly.  He is the one I am most interested to see grow in the books because I know Lottie is going to be an interesting influence on him. Also, I pity him a tiny bit to be responsible for these two girls - who can never be far from trouble & mischief. The school has such a whimsical vibe and the setting is just ripe for both troubles and more wonders happening because these students have the potential to bring the best in each other. As the book opening paragraph says, sometimes such wondrous places are inside a person - and that person can also be you. That's the exact dreamlike adventure this book is - part inspiring, part heartwarming, and more parts entertaining.

When I first read about this book, I wasn't aware that this is part of a series. And after reading it, I immediately bought the next part(s) because I just want to see a peaceful happy ending for this trio. Luckily the series finished recently so you can pick it up without bothering about waiting for the next part.  

A huge thank you to TheWriteReads, the author, and Penguin for my spot on the tour, and my ecopy of the book! So glad I was introduced to this fun series. 

View all my reviews

The Muse by Pratibha Pandey

Sometimes, for any bibliophile, a single short story can be a wonderful getaway after long books. At least, I'd like to believe so. Having read Pratibha's work since years before this short story was released, I can honestly say that I was actually looking forward to reading this!

When the "book" itself is only 18 pages, it's a bit hard to write a detailed review without giving away spoilers. The story is the interaction between two friends, one of whom is a poet who finds The Muse. Reading it brought a smile, and I suppose that's the biggest positive a story can get. It makes the reader happy. The friendship is portrayed that beautifully you see.

I wish P had made it a part of a bigger collection, because after finishing the read in under half an hour, one does feel like reading more from her. Oh well. Maybe next time, eh?

Book Review: The BFG, by Roald Dahl

When I read books that have been adapted into movies, inadvertently, I check to see if the movie is as good as the book. In the case of this one, the BFG by Roald Dahl, I felt the book held more promise than the movie (which is the case more often than not anyway).

The BFG (Big Friendly Giant) is a story about an orphan named Sophie who sees a giant during the witching hour. This leads the giant to capture her and take her to Giant Country, far away from the eyes of other human beings. This giant (BFG) lives in a cave, is the only friendly giant (who doesn't eat humans), is shorter than the other giants and thus oppressed by them. He also blows dreams into the ears of children. The book, you could say, is Sophie's adventure with the BFG, and how the two of them manage to tame the other giants and such.

I don't know about the movie, but I had fun reading the book. The funny language of the BFG (though one does need time to get used to it), his manner of talking or his giant ears, how friendly he is with Sophie... all that felt right for a children's book. It was also nice to read about some of the dreams. A couple of them felt familiar, so innocent, yet that's what we would have dreamt when we were children. I don't know how much I like the character of Sophie, or the other characters either. Some quotes in the book felt true, whereas others felt unnecessary to add to the humor that was already there.

Would I read it again? Maybe not. I would read other books from Dahl to see if they are better, or indeed, if this one felt great because it was the first time I read a Dahl book.

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Reviewed by Vinay Leo R. No payment was taken for this review; these are the unbiased and uninfluenced thoughts of the reviewer about the book.

Book Review: Angry River by Ruskin Bond

I love short stories. They are perfect to read after those heavy reads that take a lot out of me as a reader. On that front, I think Ruskin Bond’s books excel. I admire the author a lot for his simplicity. I found this book at the library and just the title alone made me wonder what it had in store.

Angry River shares the story of Sita, her small family consisting of her grandmother and grandfather, and their life on an island at the middle of the big river. The river floods when her grandparents aren’t around, leaving Sita in a dilemma.

The story, I feel, is one about hope and faith. Sita’s seemingly simple and happy life is disrupted by the flood, but the girl, who has grown up near the river and hearing of its tale from the grandparents, continues to be hopeful. She tries to survive, rather than get panicked. The story, on its face, is a simple one. There aren’t any unexpected twists and turns, and neither does the storyline call for one. It’s engaging in its brevity too. There are just four or five characters through the story, but the focus is the young girl and her struggle during the flood. Her innocence is well portrayed, as is the fact that the stories she has heard is from her grandmother. This in turn is reflected in her imagination. I remember the stories of Krishna, Sita and others from Indian mythology being shared with me by my grandmother as I was growing up. It’s the same with Sita, and that is something beautiful.

This book is a quick read, and a beautiful one. I would definitely read it again, even if just to take a break from the longer length stories/novels around.

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Reviewed by Vinay Leo R. No payment was taken for this review; these are the unbiased and uninfluenced thoughts of the reviewer about the book.

'Tips' to become a succesful book blogger

      

Image Courtesy-Fast Company

"Sir, I am the fan. Reading your book reviews. Me likes you.Want to write blog-bookreviews blog.What to do? How to get free review copy books?                                                   -Kuldeep (name changed,obviously!),via e-mail

                       I will be bluffing if I say that I wasn’t surprised when I read  this mail for the very first time.Infact, like flocks of pigeons getting back to their favourite coops,a myriad of permutations and combinations flew in to my mind,once I was finished reading it; the most rational ones among them being-

• Someone loves me so desperately that he/she wants to start a blog and  immortalise our laila-majnu love story in the virtual world.

•  The awesomeness in my writing  is so  irresistible that even  something as inanimate as my ceiling fan has started singing praises (in this case,typing e-mails) acknowledging my sheer genius!

•  My collection of personalised spam mails has just touched the magic figure of 10,000

             Usually in situations like this which warrant a socially astute and intellectually precise analysis,it’s my chechi who comes to my rescue .This time too she didn’t disappoint me.It took her a while to decode the cryptic message and convince me that what we were staring at wasn’t a cute little gay love letter (as I initially feared), but a certificate of appreciation from a good soul ('God bless him') who was mighty impressed with whatever crap I was writing here @ RT and was actually asking me for some pearls of wisdom (read tips on writing a book review) before making his/her baby steps in the big,bad world of book blogs. So I, nikhmenon, the most awesomely awesome blogger and love guru that the blogosphere has ever produced have decided to enlighten you all with my wildly original and stupendously fantabulous tips on how to become the Chetan Bhagat among the book-bloggers.

                  Well,before actually proceeding with the gyaan,I think it will be better if we look into the most vital part of Kuldeep’s question first - i.e. the bit about getting free review copies.-

      Let me be honest.You are no James Wood (atleast, not yet) but a newbie book blogger and there is every possibility of you and your family members being the sole readers of your initial posts.So don’t delude yourself into thinking,even if for a split second ,that publishers or PR agencies are going to pamper you with free review copies and review requests straight away.In other words,for getting books initially,you’ll have to rely heavily on the local library or buy them on your own .Now,don’t get me wrong.I can totally understand that books are pretty expensive and buying them at their cover price (of 399,250,499,599 INR) may not be financially viable all the time.These days,online stores are offering books at affordable prices and you can give them a try. 

So guys, here comes nikhimenon's golden tips to become a superstar book blogger-

Be organised: no one likes to read a review written in a haphazard manner.There may not be a definite format for writing one, but it will be better if you stick to a basic template which covers the important aspects of a book-plotting,characters,writing style,writing etc.

Keep away from spoilers : a review is not synonymous with  a  synopsis.So,while writing a review you are neither required nor expected to give away the whole plot and each and every plot twist and also,don't post something just for the sake of it.

Be Polite: good or bad it may be,every book is the result of someone’s passion and hardwork.You may totally hate a book,but be polite and not too harsh in expressing your views.

Make it simple and crisp:Remember this cardinal rule-People read blog reviews because they want to know whether a particular book is good or bad without having to go through blocks of prose replete with intellectual pretensions and heavy duty literary jargons.Respect your reader and make your reviews  crisp and easy to read.

Be Patient: No one has become a superstar blogger overnight.Recognition in blogosphere takes time and there are no short cuts for achieving instant success as a blogger.Read like there is no tomorrow and pen down your sincere thoughts in a lucid, organised and unpretentious manner.Your work will definitely get its due.

(The second part of this post will be published soon)

-nikhimenon

Terror on the Titanic: A Review

Terror on the Titanic is one of the first book that I have read by Samit Basu. Fantasy has always been tough to write and Samit Basu has given three good books before this book and because of this the expectations were high.

I can't say whether the book was the same level as his previous books but very few people manage to write good fantasy books and manage to do that for not only on series but for consecutive series.

Coming back to the story, as the blurb says it is about it is about the The Morningstar Agency and how the fate our world hangs in balance and is up to the young and talented Nathaniel Brown to save us. reading this book gave me a feel of children's book rather than that of young adult.

Even though the characters and the story is gripping, it would be much suited for the children than for adults. As all stories in which magic and fantasy is involved, the world will end if so and so events take place and the intrigue that provides and the goosebumps that come alive on the skin as you turn the page are there. But the problem is that Samit Basu has created a niche for himself and sadly this book doesn't justify that.

It could have been better but having said that I still think Terror on the Titanic is better than all those romance stories, which inadvertently take place in schools and collges. It is our very own series of Animorphs, which I loved as a child.

Read Terror on the Titanic for the character of Nathaniel Brown and also for Samit Basu who gives us not only a good fantasy but also the something different, something unusual.

PS: It is a mixture of aliens and Titanic. It took me sometime but it seems almost like the movie. Wish the way the book was presented and written reflected a adventurous streak of Titanic, rather than a comical (which doesn't make you laugh) premise. 

Toke, by Jugal Mody

About the author:

Jugal Mody believes in fiction. Before handling web and social media for Filmfare and Tehelka, he worked in gaming. As a rule, he only writes to feel like a dog sticking its head out the window of a moving car. This is his first book.

Thoughts on the cover:

Witty, humorous portrayal of Lord Vishnu, which sets the tone for the novel itself.

From the blurb:

I’d pinch myself if Lord Vishnu appeared in front of me, regardless of if I was high or not. The blurb promises a delightfully humorous plot, fresh and appealing.

My review:

It was very unexpectedly that I received this book as a review copy from Indi-blogger. I think that it had been so long between the date of receipt and my applying for the book that I thought I wasn’t selected for reviewing the book at all.

So coming to the novel, what I found in this book was partially what I expected. It was a fresh plot. The protagonist is an Indian dude, not famous or known, just an average chap with a run-of-the-mill job and a sort-of dominant family who are disappointed in him. He wakes up one day to see a guy in a funny outfit who he recognizes as being similar to a god. (No, he doesn’t realize the name) Stuck in a crappy job, he falls asleep at his desk only to be sent home with a half-day pay cut as punishment. Instead, he heads off to his old college-mates’ place where he decides to quit his job, becomes high for the first time and falls asleep. He wakes up to find a talking crow that likes to get high too, and one later he finds to be the same funny looking God he saw before, Vishnu. He is informed that the fate of the world is in his hands, along with his friends. And thus begins the adventure.

We can relate to the characters, crazy yet so familiar to our own at times. The narration is crisp though a bit predictable. The story moves quickly, sometimes too quickly for my liking. Humor is there, but I feel that it gets a little mundane as the story goes on. If I were to read it a second time, I might not find it just as humorous. His portrayal of Lord Vishnu challenges mythology and our beliefs and it is fun to imagine God being such a casual person, one who we can hi-five and call dude.

Overall, this is a fun read, and I feel it is one-time read. A confident debut offering.

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My rating: 3 Stars

Book details:
Toke, by Jugal Mody
Harper Collins Publishing
ISBN 9789350293409
Rs. 160, 224 Pages

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Reviewed by Leo
Also shared with:

• First Reads at b00k r3vi3ws
• Indian Quills Review Challenge at The Tales Pensieve 
• Debut Indian Writers Month at The Tales Pensieve

This review is for a review copy of the book given to me by Indiblogger and HarperCollins. Thank you.

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Book Review - Operation Lipstick - Pia Heikkila

Operation Lipstick, the title of the book gives an impression that it is related to fashion world, which it definitely doesn't.

Set up in Afghanistan, this is Pia Heikkila's first book. She is a journalist with over 15 years of experience in international media and the organisations for which she has worked would surely impress you. She has also done a small stint in Afghanistan also, hence I think the idea for this book must have come up.

Anna Sanderson, the protagonist of the book is a war journalist, working for a UK based news channel GNN. She has been into all the troubled and war struck places in the middle east and is a kind of go getter. She doesn't think much and is always up to some or the other mischief. Her cameraman, Tim and her friend Kelly, who is also a journalist live together in Kabul. Both of them are really close to Anna and Kelly specially is like her soul sister. There is another dimension to Anna's personality is, she always looks out for men who can satisfy her emotionally and physically. During all these her, she has hooked up with many men, slept with countless men and is on constant hunt even in a place like Afghanistan and she does manage to find some action. But Anna is looking for a man, whom she can be with all her life.

The plot of the story is about Taliban and how they get their weapons. Kelly's unfaithful boyfriend Richard, he is somehow involved in this whole thing and as he dumps Kelly for some other women, the trio decides to do a scoop on him and find out what actually is happening.

Pia Heikkila's writing has got a style. She is upfront, brash and witty at the same time. Its her writing that makes the book an absolute page turner, but when it comes to the plot of the story, I found it to be a bit confusing. Towards the end, you get this feeling that the ending of the book could have been better. This is what I felt. Anna's character and the way she keeps talking to herself in the whole book makes you laugh almost every time. The book is a good option for some light reading. Try it out sometime.

Book Source : Publisher
Publisher : Random House India
Genre : Fiction
ISBN : 978-81-8400-174-7

Jack Is Back In Corporate Carnival - P.G. Bhaskar

Another book dedicated to corporate culture, and I quite liked it. Jack Is Back In Corporate Carnival is a light read and definitely one of the funniest books that I have read in recent times. We cannot call it as a sequel, but yes its the book two of Jack Patel's series penned down by P G Bhaskar after his first book, the bestseller, Jack Patel's Dubai Dreams. The book has an interesting cover and also I liked the way it is printed, it endorses a flip page animation effect with the man coming down with the help of a parachute as the book progresses.

Jack Is Back In Corporate Carnival opens with Jack and Kitch, both the friends joining a new job in Dubai only, Adriann Abott bank. Peggy is still their boss and she is the reason why both of them are there. Kitch is married to Galiya and Jack to Mina, Kitch is a father of two year old Olga who keeps appearing and disappearing in the story. There is too much travelling that both Jack and Kitch have to do to tap in new clients for their bank. The new account holders invest millions of money on Jack's recommendation, for which Jack travels to many places in Africa. There are holidays, witty discussions, super hilarious events and what keeps Jack, Kitch, Peggy and the other teammates on their toes.

P G Bhaskar's writing is something to lookout for. The book is an absolute page turner. It keeps cracking you up and also keeps you on your toes. The way the whole story has been narrated is simply awesome. Spread over 20 chapters and 305 pages, the book is a rollicking roller coaster ride. If are you looking for something that's funny and interesting at the same time, pick this one up. You'd love it.

Book Source : Harper Collins India

Genre : Fiction

ISBN : 978-93-5029-351-5

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

Title : The Princess Diaries

Author : Meg Cabot

Genre : Young Adult / Chick-lit

Price : Rs 499

ISBN : 0061479934

Publisher : Harper Teen

Total no. of titles in the series : 17 (includes novels, novellas and companion books)

First Published : 2000

Summary : Mia Thermopolis has many things to worry about – a best friend who produces a TV show, and is stalked by a weird guy who has a fetish for shoes, the fact that her crush, the most popular boy in school, Josh Richter only has eyes for Lana Weinberger, her arch-enemy, and a mother who is dating her Algebra teacher – without having to find out that she is not Mia Thermopolis.

She is Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo, the princess of Genovia. Her paternal grandmother, the Dowager Princess of Genovia arrives in New York to groom her into a proper princess who, Mia soon finds out, has to be everything that she is not.

Excerpt :

Lilly says Josh's synapses were probably misfiring that day, due to heatstroke or something. She said he probably thought I looked familiar but couldn't place my face without the cement block walls of Albert Einstein High behind me. Why else, she asked, would the most popular senior in high school say hey to me, Mia Thermopolis, a lowly freshman? But I know it wasn't heatstroke. The truth is, when he's away from Lana and all his jock friends, Josh is a totally different person. The kind of person who doesn't care if a girl is flat-chested or wears size-ten shoes. The kind of person who can see beyond all that into the depths of a girl's soul. I know because when I looked into his eyes that day at Bigelows, I saw the deeply sensitive person inside him, struggling to get out.

Lilly says I have an overactive imagination and a pathological need to invent drama in my life. She says the fact that I'm so upset about my mom and Mr. G is a classic example.

Sudeshna's take : The Princess Diaries is a humorous and engaging take on the life of a New York city high school student, but with a twist. While there are the regular challenges of school life that Mia has to deal with, the additional pressure of finding out that she is a princess plunges her into unknown territories, which becomes the life of the novel. The characters are well-built to add to a fast-paced plot, and there isn't a single dull page in the book. In fact, I finished it in one sitting.

The format makes the book easy to read, and teen-aged girls will adore this book once they get hold of it. Although the story may sound a bit off-landish at first, Ms Cabot has crafted the story so well that everything becomes more than believable.

It is one of those stories that you will want to read again and again. I'd say, do read it!

Rating : 4.5/5.0

The Best of Quest

ISBN – 978-93-80658-80-3

First printed – 2011

Pages – 660

Binding – Paperback

Genre – Anthology

Author(s) – Several

Editors – Laeeq Futehally, Achal Prabhala, Arshia Sattar

Synopsis – A treasure trove of essays, opinions, poems and short stories by some of the most influential journalists and writers of the India of the 70s. The Best of Quest offers a detailed and varied insight into the lives and times of a nation emerging from the shadows of colonialism and trying to find its identity.

UCV says – Bad books had been falling in my lot. But the universe finally conspired to bring me the Best of Quest and I haven’t stopped reveling in the 660 odd pages of sheer brilliance in the last 10 days. Perhaps these parallels are not apt, but when researching Quest, I was most strongly reminded of Tehelka and Open, the magazine – two extraordinary periodicals of our times.  It has everything, from articles on political reform, history, the arts, psychology and education to a most wonderful section of poetry to a fantastic collection of short stories. Not to forget the enigma attached to it because of a mysterious CIA connection!

Because the book is an anthology, I decided to be random with my reading. The introduction had one of the editors talking about the erstwhile editor of Quest, Dilip Chitre, who was also apparently the mysterious columnist, D. I was immediately drawn to the last sections, where Mr. Chitre himself makes the admission, and also talks about his life and times and contemporaries at Quest. I, then, scurried to gobble up a few pieces written by D. While most were amusing, witty and even incisive, my favourite was the very tongue-in-cheek ‘Marriage & Morals: Updating the Pavitra Prostitute’. True that Chitre had to hide behind a pseudonym (a lone acronym really) to mention the unmentionables in a not-so-grown-up nation, but his take on issues such as sex, religion and women are refreshingly real. Writing as Dilip Chitre, he is a little more serious, a little more guarded, albeit equally insightful. His piece ‘Aspects of Pornophobia’, for example, deals with a hush-hush matter in a matter-of-fact manner.

The introductions and endnotes also pointed me towards another one of the enigmatic editors of Quest, Nissim Ezekiel. The In Memoriam section, comprising letters of people reminiscing about Nissim, the person and the poet, is heartwarming. Some of his poems in the poetry section, ‘Poet, Lover, Birdwatcher’ being my favourite, show just why the man earned the place that he did in the line of Indian poets.

Then there are many more pieces of social, political and cultural commentary by several authors, but I will remember very distinctly the following pieces because they are as relevant today as they were in the 70s India:

1.  ‘The Persistence of the Caste System: Vested Interests in Backwardness’ by Subhash Chandra Mehta – We all know too well what the race to be backward is all about, and what its consequences are.

2. ‘Am I a Muslim? Islam and Bangladesh’ by Mahbubul Hok – A bold piece by any measure questioning the validity of Islamic states and practices.

3. ‘Autobiography of Violence’ by Mihir Sinha – Though set in Calcutta, this account of how violence has seeped into our collective minds and lives is true of all of India.

4. ‘The Married Woman and Our Sex Morality’ by Sudhir Chandra – A piece way ahead of its times (even so now), discussing the possibilities of polygamy/polyandry within marriage and its acceptance.

And finally,

5. ‘The Coffee-Brown Boy looks at the Black Boy’ by J.S. Saxena – An insightful article exploring the deep racial biases that pervade nearly all humanity.

Some other articles/essays also found favour with me, because I have personal inclinations towards the topics. Among them are the point and counterpoint essays by Jyotirmoy Datta and P. Lal respectively on Indian English writing, ‘Konarak’ by Marie Seton – a detailed analysis of the erotic art of Konarak, ‘Sadhus and Hippies’ by Roderick Neill – where he is mainly showing off his knowledge of the holy men in India but pretends to draw a comparison between those mentioned in the title, ‘ An Interview with V.S. Naipaul’ by Adrian Rowe-Evans – A wondrous journey into the career and mind of the writer that is Sir V.S. Naipaul and ‘The City as Antagonist: Three Recent Films’ by Saleem Peeradina – the most detailed and ruthless film reviews I ever saw.

And while I did cheat through the Essays and Opinions section, often skipping a paragraph or two when the gravity of it all got too much for my frivolous mind, I was most agog when it came to the poetry and fiction sections. I lapped up every last turn of phrase, every dainty word, down to the last comma. And while most pieces were indeed masterpieces, I’d easily hand over the ‘Most haunting piece’ awards to the poem, ‘3 Cups of Tea’ by Arun Kolatkar and the short stories ‘The Discovery of Telenapota’ by Premendra Mitra and ‘The Moon Had to be Mended’ by Kiran Nagarkar.  Other memorable works in this compilation are ‘The Accompanist’ by Anita Desai, ‘Sword and Abyss’ by Keki N. Daruwalla, ‘Tangents’ by Abraham Eraly, ‘Love’ by Adil Jussawala and ‘Madurai: Two Movements’ by A.K. Ramanujan.

There is so much more meat, so much covered ground and so many perspectives for those who will care to plunge themselves into The Best of Quest.

Rating – 4/5 A definite read!

Price – INR 695, Tranquebar