Book: The 365 Days - Life's tale of Immigrants

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Title:  The 365 Days

Author: Nikhil Ramteke

Publisher: Write India Publishers

Pages: 192

Price: Rs. 110

My Rating: 3/5

Blurb:

This is a story that falls through the crevices of pitiless anonymity, yet miraculously waits to be told. 

Shijukutty, a Malayali fisherman, leaves his tiny hamlet of abject poverty in the coastal village of Vizhinjam on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, that picturesque vignette of searing beauty on the southwestern coast of India. Shiju, like millions of other Malayalis, seeks his destiny in Dubai, that gleaming global hub of fortune on the southeast coast of the Persian Gulf. What unfolds is a stirring story of distilled hardship, exploitation, identity, and friendship, and the heartbreaking choices Shiju is often forced to make. So what he sees is not what he experiences when he lands in a world of glimmering towers, fast-paced life, and unabashed opulence. For what he was not prepared for was the dark underbelly of Dubai beyond the shimmering mirage. 

Shiju's life is no more the same. But he holds his ground, drawing on ancient instincts of his seafaring ancestry. As things settle down around him, he is inexorably pulled into the canyon of recession...

Will Shiju be able to hold on to his dreams? Will he able to pull out himself from the whirlpool? Will he survive against all odds? Will he redeem himself? 

Nikhil Ramteke unfolds an extraordinary saga about Indian expatriates, their struggles, their alienation, and their dreams. The 365 Days is more than a story of a year in Shijukutty's life. 

Review:

Some dreams are fulfilled and some are shattered. While some turn into a living horror. The 365 Days is a book which comprises of the latter. It is a story of migrants from Indian continent and how they suffer and endure everything that's thrown their way.

Shiju, leaves his home and peaceful life and moves to Dubai in order to make money and earn himself a name. However what he gets is a big shock. The story revolves around his life and all the disastrous choices he make (or is forced to make) in name of his job.

Overall the plot is good. What I liked is the touch to the reality. While reading we can feel the pain and sufferings of Shiju and other migrants. We feel like killing the agents and others. And no matter the cost, we feel like saving these poor souls from the brutal torture. 

The characterization is decent. However at times I felt like losing touch with the lead characters. For other characters, author has done a good job in maintaining a balance between story requirement and character exposure.

What I didn't like about the story is the week narration at a few places and the way it felt dragged (to me) on certain pages. But that's just my opinion - I like fast pace on novels.

Overall it is a pretty decent read. It touches heart and leaves you with a feeling of solemness and wet eyes.

My overall rating to the book is 3/5

Do grab a copy.

Lots of Love

New Year's Resolutions

#NewYearResolutions

It's time to make some resolutions... Add these 5 for a better 2018.

1. Instead of wishing ‘Good morning’ to the entire world on WhatsApp, Facebook etc. Start your day by wishing ‘Good morning’ to the person next to you with a heartfelt smile
2. Instead of picking up phone or laptop all the time to pass your time, look up to your family members and talk. Talking to them will bring you closer, WhatsApp, Facebook won’t!
3. Hug your partner instead of your phone or laptop at night. Hugging phone/laptop will not blossom anything, hugging your partner will blossom your relationship
4. While spending time with your kids, keep your phone and laptop aside. They will remember the attention you give them, your phone or laptop wont
5. Spending time with family bring true happiness and solve problems. ‘Likes’, ‘Compliments’ etc. from social media don’t.

Take a Pledge today to make 2018 more loving and caring…

All the Best! 

Happy New Year.

Lots of Love

Book - Karna's Celestial Armor: Mytho - Fiction - Thrill - Suspense: It is the Ultimate Combo

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Title:  Karna's Celestial Armor

Author: Surendra Nath

Publisher: Kindle

Pages: 281

Price: Rs. 65

My Rating: 3.5/5

Blurb:

We all know that in MAHABHARATA, Karna had, on his body, his Kavach-Kundal (set of armor and earrings) which rendered him invincible in battle against any foe. God Indra tricked Karna and took away the divine set. So, in the final battle Arjuna killed Karna.

That’s the back-story. After that, what did Indra do with the all-powerful Kavach-Kundal? Did he hide it somewhere? What if someone can find it today? That’s what this novel is about. Vasu, from the present time, sets off to find the set. The spirit of Karna guides him through the search.

Indra always knew someone would come looking for it. So he used all his ingenuity to hide it in most impossible of places. That makes Vasu’s task so much more challenging. And he is not the only one who is interested in this quest. There are others trailing him.

Join Vasu in this thrilling adventure through mysterious locations in India to know why the armor was all that potent, and if it still is. 

Review:

The book is very hard to classify - it cannot be said as purely mythological, nor can it be classified into fiction. It is a combination with hints of suspense, thrill, treachery and present day drama.

The story revolves around Vasu, kind of an alter ego of Karna, who sets out to hunt for Karna's long-lost celestial armour. Evidently it is a very powerful object and in hands of enemies it can wreak havoc. Vasu, an army man, travels around to find it's missing pieces. The story is entertaining and gripping. However it lacks a pace. At times you feel like it is flying and at times you feel like it is dragging - its the parts where it drags when you feel like taking a serious break.

The characters are fine. The depth of Vasu's character is pretty good and you can simply relate to him and his ambition.

The most important angle to the story is its linkage to the epic Mahabharata. It's very satisfying the way it has been linked. The only issue here is that if you have no knowledge or poor recollection (like in my case) of Mahabharata then you will find it a bit difficult to read this book. However no harm there, Google always come to aid for forgetful people like me, LOL!

What I disliked about the book are two things - to start with cover. Cover is the image of the book and author has done a poor job in it. Just by looking at cover one would feel it is a poor monotonous book - which is tottally wrong. Author should definitely get it remade so that it can do justice to the content of the book. And secondly, it needs proof-reading. Errors in pages is bit disappointing and off-putting to some.

Overall, it is a pretty decent book, bit lengthy but good. I am sure you will enjoy reading it.

Lots of Love

Book: Undelivered Letters - Leaves you with a feeling of 'incompleteness'

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Title:  Undelivered Letters

Author: J Alchem

Publisher: Kindle

Pages: 160

Price: Rs. 49

My Rating: 3/5

Blurb:

Aron, a postman with Marioson Postal Service, found an abandoned bag. It had a few letters that were supposed to be delivered - 20 years ago. He had a choice, either to deliver them now, or abandon them forever. He chooses the former.

What were these letters all about?

Who wrote them?

Who are the recipients?

Do these letters still carry a value, after 20 years?

Review:

Undelivered letters is a lovely tale of Aron who missed out on delivering 9 letters 20 years ago. While clearing out his home to move he and his wife Sara discover the blunder he did back then.

His wife, who suffers from longing of her long lost father, is his motivation to hunt down the recipients of each letter and deliver it to them now

The story now revolves around 3 people - one man who is falsely accused of immolating his wife; one innocent thief who wants to avenge is father's death and one daughter who lost her father to a mountaineering expedition.

Each of the story is very touching and is a gripping tale however they seem like 'touched and gone'. After every story I felt like so many questions stayed open. Like why did Elizabeth didn't jump out of the door while she closed it on her husband's face? Why was she sick? Why couldn't her father save his husband? How did Carl helped the estranged boy? What is the significance of 'Shakesphere's cafe'? How did Adam die? What happened to Kara's mom? and so on...

I have read 'Highway man' from the author and also 'Road not traveled' and both are very good books. I loved them, however, with this, I am a bit disappointed. Not with the writing style or lack of emotions, but the way it has been rushed and gives an incomplete feeling.

I hope author will look into filling more gaps in the story and provide more answers to his readers.

My overall rating to the book - 3/5

Lots of love

Mege Giveaway

Hello everyone, We are here again with more thrill and enthusiasm. Here we present once more, Mega Giveaway We invite all book lovers out there to participate in this giveaway and make this event a success. Rules: 1. The participant must be a resident of India. 2. The participant must share this post. 3. The participant can apply for 3 books maximum, not more than that. 4. The participant will have to comment in the comment box of the Facebook post. 5. You will have comment on book's cover and expectations from the book. Best comments will be given prizes. 5. Multiple entries are not allowed. 6. The winners will be selected by the authors themselves.

1. My Mother: A Tribute of a Yearning Son by Subhrajyoti Parida

Blurb- 

Mother-a tribute of a yearning son- is a book based on true events spanning nearly a month, from the day the first symptom showed up in the author's mother till her last breath. The book narrates the several tests conducted, including biopsy, on his mother to diagnose her health condition as precisely as possible, and how the Doctors went ahead with a major surgical procedure called as 'Whipple's Technique'. The book further portrays how the post-surgery recovery did n't happen as expected and how the author's mother was then shifted to ICU, only to lead to gradual deterioration of her health. The doctor finally confirms a rare type of cancer called as 'Ampullary Carcinoma' due to malignant tumors in her Common Bile Duct (CBD). Inspite of putting up a brave and stiff fight against the cancer, she ultimately breathed her last on 18th February, 2016. This book does n't showcase only the tough battle of an ailing mother against the 'crawling crab', but also the unshakable determination of the Doctor to save his patient and not the least, the perseverance and the resilience of each and every family member to hold on to the faintest of hope till the end. The author has also given a detailed account of the mourning ritual followed in the part of India to which his family belonged. The poetry section of the book has numerous poems dedicated to the author's late Mother and all the mothers, both in human society and in all her forms.

2. Coming Back Home by Anuradha Prasad

Blurb- "Arpita is on top of the world! After all she was the fresh face of Ponds India and had snubbed the casting couch of Bollywood to land a Leading role in the small screen's most popular channel. Life never looked more beautiful! Riku is a small town man with handsome looks and big-time Bollywood dreams. He has no ethics and is raring to make it at any cost! Unable to bag big movies as a main lead he ends up accepting a romantic role opposite Arpita on small screen. Betrayed by her own innocence, she finds herself abandoned by her dream man and cannot fathom which is more painful? Whether her failed relationship or her vanishing career! Riku makes it to the dizzying heights of stardom after leaving her. Beaten and broken Arpita has to make it again to even exist in a ruthless industry that only celebrates success. It is a savage ordeal even to have a roof over her head and two square meals! What will happen to her now? Will god punish her forever for making one wrong choice? Will she die in poverty alone? Or fulfill the dreams that she had set out for? One person must trust her to give her a chance. One opportunity must appear to raise her again! Coming Back Home - will carry you through a roller - coaster ride, yet keep you well grounded for inspiration."

3. Tagged  by M Kaarthika Santosh

Blurb- Astute, nimble witted, strong-willed and handsome SaiPrabhu falls head over heels for the gorgeous Preethi Kapoor. What should have been a cakewalk for this girls' heartthrob turns to be a bed of thorns, because the catch is, Sai and Preethi have never met! How Sai approaches the love of his life strategically, despite being a stranger to her is revealed in an interesting and gripping narration filled with lots of twists and turns. Is it even possible in your wildest dreams to impress and woo a girl who neither knows anything about you nor has anything in common with you? Moreover, how to handle these girls who are always beyond guys' understanding? And the ultimate question... Will Sai win the girl who stole his heart?

4. The Mystic of Twin Flame Relationship: Reincarnation of Souls by Manjit Sargam Chawla 

Blurb- We encounter many soul mates whether Karmic, Companion mates in our reincarnated life from the time even before we take birth. These are our soul mates. They will help us to reunite with our twin flame-the mirror reflection of our soul-and intensify an unconditional divine love more powerful and profound than we can't imagine. Soul Mates & Twin Flames reveal the ultimate secret to discover our soul mate and our twin flame. But the mirror soul of our soul if met in this life span put the highest impact on our lives and mold us for good, make our soul spiritual awakened and we learn the true meaning of unconditional divine love. Twin Flames and numerous advanced souls are presently re-uniting across the planet to complete their soul's purpose of ONENESS at this reincarnation on Earthy plane. Humanity has long been trapped by the forces of illusion and hatred that have brought about much suffering and pain. The increasing numbers of souls awaken to their true purpose; to reconnect to their spiritual Formless almighty universe and to serve their fellow beings. Twin Flame soul relationship bear soul tearing and very painful term cycle consists of union, separation, crisis, runner chaser Phase, reunion and many more. If they are successful to raise their vibrational frequency then, they will transit to a higher dimension and will be spiritually Awakened.

5. The Colours of Passion: Unravelling Dark Secrets Behind the Limelight by Sourabh Mukherjee 

Blurb- Within days of her fairy-tale wedding with Manav Chauhan, the dashing young entrepreneur, Hiya Sen, the reigning queen of Tollywood, is brutally raped and murdered by three men. As ACP Agni Mitra investigates into the high-profile murder, he meets Neha Awasthi, with whom Manav broke his engagement to marry Hiya, Neha’s father Deepak Awasthi, who was eyeing business benefits through the alliance, Mayank Kapoor, an alcoholic model, and Rituja Bose, the diva who had reigned over Tollywood over the past decade. When two more murders connected with the case make headlines, it’s time for Agni to find answers to perplexing questions and unveil shocking truths. The Colours of Passion breezes through Kolkata’s glamorous world of industrialists, movie stars, models and fashion designers laced with drug addiction and illicit liaisons, with a heart-wrenching tragedy at its core.

6. Principles of Success by Roopleen Prasad

Blurb- Principles of Success Made Easy - 14 easy steps to climb the ladder of success is the culmination of my onerous efforts of writing something simple yet relevant. It is a pragmatic account of the fundamental principles of achieving success by self-help and is the distilled essence of my years of research and understanding of the dynamics of success. This practical manual serves as a step-by-step guide to climb the ladder of success. It gives both an in-depth view and a time-tested approach to succeed and chronicles 14 golden principles of achieving success. The principles are wide-ranging and apply to success in any sphere of life. My own life has been transformed by the principles enshrined in this book. Therefore, I recommend this book to anyone who wants to be successful in life and seeks happiness. Principles of Success Made Easy - 14 easy steps to climb the ladder of success would prove to be not only a guidebook for success but also a reservoir and storehouse of strength and motivation. I am sure all my readers would be able to relate to this book, which has been carefully tailored just for them. They would be tempted to read this self-help manual over and over again in order to assimilate its contents and incorporate the principles in their lives. After all, as is said, 'a good book becomes a part of you'.

7. The Fictitious Drea, by Ravish T Ram

Blurb- From the bustling, busy life of a youngster in a metropolitan city, Rak wakes up one day to a different world altogether, where he is an inmate in a sanatorium – a place where the lines between sanity are insanity are blurred, and where he is forced to question what sanity is after all. He has to experience every facet of life in this new dream-like world into which he walks in as a mental patient and journeys through as a husband, a friend and a lover, while taking up roles of a servant, a soldier, a prisoner, a fugitive and a leader of a crumbling kingdom. Through this journey, Rak is forced to question everything he knows and believes, but in the end, is everything worth the trouble? Is what he experiences and learns even real or is there an even bigger lesson in the picture?

8. HARAPPA 1 - Lure of Soma by Shankar Kashyap 

Blurb- It is in this context that the lives and trials and tribulations of people living in the Indus valley during the middle of third millennium BCE are tackled in this book. I have used existing archaeological evidence along with known historical evidence in writing this book. Rigveda talks about several conflicts among the descendants of the emperor Bharata and the Avestan scriptures talk about the conflicts between the Aryans and the Dasyus. There have always been fierce debates about who exactly these Aryans were and the Daevas mentioned in the Avestan scriptures. I have used some poetic license to accommodate the dates and times of various individuals and events to suit the story telling. The book tries to portray the life of ordinary people during the period of Harappans, while trying to tell the tale of the priestly kings, Magi, Rishis and Sages of the great Indus Valley Civilisation during the middle of third millennium BCE. This is the story of our hero, Upaas, a trainee physician from Harappa. It is a story of a young man growing up, falling in love, getting involved in adventures and finally fighting for the city he loves most - Harappa. The story shows the human elements of people around him. He faces friendship, love, hate, jealousy, treachery and deceit in day to day life. There is generous sprinkling of magic and sorcery. As the country of Ariana, west of Hindu Kush dries up, the Avestansfacing with near extinction take up arms against their neighbours to obtain the precious Soma. The tactics used include deceit, sorcery and finally a war between the Meluhhans and Avestans The Soma plant has been the centrepiece of several hymns in the Vedic scriptures. It is a plant still not accurately recognized. The Vedic people revered it as a God, drank the extract from the stalk of the plant, used the plant for medicinal purposes and it is supposed to have magical properties. There are hymns composed to the Soma within the Vedas.

9. Come Back to Leave Me... Again by Sohil Ashvin Shah

Blurb- "Why does the love always seem beautiful in romantic movies and novels, but not in real life? Why should lovers not be in any relationship after they break up? Why do ex-lovers always try to deal with damages instead of staying together? If you want answers to the questions, this book is for you."              

10. Half A Shadow by Anurag Shourie

Blurb-  Three deaths - a beautiful bride, a young businessman, and a famous doctor. Crime arises from its protracted slumber in Udaipur, and the City of Lakes finally sheds its veil of tranquility. Trapped in the heart of the mayhem, is Dr. Aditya Deshmukh, a quintessential loser. In order to redeem himself and wrench his soul free of the guilt of a 'murder most foul,' he has to find the missing links between Abraham and Sarasvati, Abhimanyu and Sumitra, Yasser Arafat and Vladimir Putin. The body count continues to rise as Aditya gropes in the darkness. Hunted by an enemy he can't see, devoured by a love he can't consummate, and guided by a friend he can't trust, he is caught up in a race against time where he can't afford to be the runner-up.

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Words Watch #8

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Book: Principles of Success - Take Charge of Your Life

#BookReviews

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Title:  Principles of Success 

Author: Roopleen

Publisher: Macmillan Publisher

Pages: 160

Price: Rs. 199

My Rating: 3.5/5

Blurb:

Principles of Success Made Easy - 14 easy steps to climb the ladder of success is the culmination of my onerous efforts of writing something simple yet relevant. It is a pragmatic account of the fundamental principles of achieving success by self-help and is the distilled essence of my years of research and understanding of the dynamics of success. This practical manual serves as a step-by-step guide to climb the ladder of success. It gives both an in-depth view and a time-tested approach to succeed and chronicles 14 golden principles of achieving success. The principles are wide-ranging and apply to success in any sphere of life. My own life has been transformed by the principles enshrined in this book. Therefore, I recommend this book to anyone who wants to be successful in life and seeks happiness. Principles of Success Made Easy - 14 easy steps to climb the ladder of success would prove to be not only a guidebook for success but also a reservoir and storehouse of strength and motivation. I am sure all my readers would be able to relate to this book, which has been carefully tailored just for them. They would be tempted to read this self-help manual over and over again in order to assimilate its contents and incorporate the principles in their lives. After all, as is said, 'a good book becomes a part of you'.

Review:

A step by step guide to take charge of your own life. 

The book is divided in 14 chapters and Roopleen has done a wonderful job in describing each and every aspect of each one in detail. They are beautifully written and they are even divided in sub-sections which makes them more comprehensible.

14 steps mentioned in the book are:

1. Draft the Blueprint of Your Life
2. Believe in Yourself
3. Build Yourself Up
4. Let Confidence Be Your Hallmark
5. Never Give Up
6. Visualizations and Positive Affirmations
7. The Tripod of Success- Hard Work, Perseverance and Discipline
8. Identify Your Achilles’ Heel
9. Skills you Need to Master
10. Get Tough With Stress
11. Organize Yourself- Declutter Your Life
12. Acknowledge and Celebrate Your Success
13. Be a Winner
14. The X-Factor

What I really liked about the book is the flow and the quotes used. Each quote is valid and true in real life. They motivate you to do something good in life.

Example - 

"Its not who you are holds you back; Its who you think you are not" - Anonymous

"The tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goals; The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach" - Benjamin Mays

The book also has important tips in the end of each chapter, which helps reader take important notes.

I really like the cover, it is apt and communicates the motive of the book. 

What, as per me, is lacking is examples and narration. For someone who is well experienced in their field and work, the book will act as a guide. However for younger generation, who need more guidance and support, some relevant examples would have been helpful.

My overall rating to the book is 3.5/5

It is a decent read. Do give it a try.

Lots of Love

Trying to be Healthy

#ApneTareekeSeHealthy

Staying Healthy and Staying Fit are the two most important things in life. If your body doesn't fuction properly, then there is no use of all the money you earn. You will only spend it later on heavy treatments.

I, for one, is not a diet person. I can't diet and I cannot fast -much to my mum-in-law's distress. Anyways, though I don't fancy eating loads of junk, I still prefer eating a lot! So, what should I do? Is my usual question... and only recently I have found the answer -and it is jolly good and healthy.

I have started following a certain schedule and much to my surprise, I can see some (though not drastic) improvements in my body.

Below is the list:

1. I am eating every two hours - yes I am... and I am soooo happy! I eat whatever I want and what my heart desires. I am trying to cut down sugar but I am not yet there. Doing this boosts metabolism
2. My each meal comprise of something that fills me enough for two hours for example some dal-chawal, dal-roti, peanuts, handful of dry fruits and etc.
3. I eat an apple first thing in the morning (post brushing of course)
4. Apple usually increases my hunger so after thirty minutes or so, (I give some time for apple to digest) I eat my full lunch
5. I have started eating daily vitamins (I have some severe deficiencies and adding them give boost to my health)
6. I don't eat anything sweet with any meal. Any sweet item is eaten empty stomach and as a meal alone
7. I would like to skip dinners but I am too foody to stop eating dinner. But I do try to eat as early as possible
8. I drink one tall glass of milk - no sugar
9. I eat desi items and try to avoid processed and junk food
10. And, I work-out, though hardly five minutes only. These five minutes are rigorous and just make all my joints move
11. And I have not cut down on Oils. Instead I have introduced multiple types of oils for example, Sunflower, Mustard, Ghee, Groundnut oils. They build on my taste buds and don't let my body adapt to one oil alone

All above sound very difficult to follow but the thing is, once you are determined, they come in naturally. My husband doesn't follow all of the above, but still he lost a few kgs, because he is forced to do a few at least.

Maybe you too can give it a try and maybe it will help you a bit. I feel that I am #ApneTareekeSeHealthy, how about you?

You can watch below video to be inspired.

I am joining Saffola #ApneTareekeSeHealthy initiative and sharing my ways of being healthy in association with BlogAdda.

Lots of Love

Grandparent's Day Celebration

#GrandparentsDay  #LoveJatao

Today, September 10th, is the Grandparents day. It is not celebrated well in India but many other countries do. Maybe we should too start celebrating it with full joy, after all, our loving Grandparents also need one day when we can pamper them wholeheartedly.

Unfortunately I don't have my grandparents with me. I lost them all, both maternal and paternal when I was very young. I remember their glimpses but nothing more. And when I see other people cherishing the love showered by their grandparents, I feel a deep void. However this void is kind of filling now, all thanks to my lovely son. Our parents i.e. his grandparents just love and cherish him like a prince, so much more than we do. I don't think that we as his parents could pamper him this much any time. LOL!

So, I would be celebrating this grandparents day not with my grandparents, but my son's. And I am sure it's going to be a blast.

To start with, I have already bought matching T-shirts for them. They all will be dressed alike, yes even grandma has to wear a t-shirt today, she has no excuses what so ever. I will lend her one of my jeggings to go with the t-shirt -she is going to rock the show. 

And my husband has already ordered a custom cake for tonight. Choco-vanilla cake with beautiful words written on top - 'Happy Dadu-Dadi Day'.

We will cut the cake and head out... my in-laws are pure vegetarian. They don't even consume Onion and Garlic. So, I have already placed a custom food order in a five-star restaurant where chef is going to prepare a few delicacies without them. - Yes, we have to place a custom order because no chef prepares food without Onion and Garlic.

Post our dinner, we will come back to desi mithai, my father-in-law just loves them. And we will end our day with a photo shoot.

Our son is very small as of now, not even a year old, so I don't know what gift should be given on this occasion. But my plan is to get a wonderful picture of the trio in matching shirts and get it framed. I don't think anything could be better... 

So yes, this is my plan for tonight. And I hope everyone enjoys it. How do you plan to celebrate? 

Also do check out LoveJatao for more creative ideas in celebrating Grandparents Day and don't forget to watch this awesome video by Parachute Advansed

I look forward to hear from you how would you celebrate Grandparents Day. Do share a selfie with your grandparents on Sept. 10, 2017 on Twitter or Facebook with #LoveJatao & @blogadda to win a goodie from Parachute Advansed.

Lots of Love

Book - Living with Merlin: Beautiful, Serene and Tearful

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Title:  Living with Merlin: Coping with grief , living life 

Author: Anita Bakshi

Publisher: Partridge publication

Pages: 230

Price: Rs. 399

My Rating: 4.75/5

Blurb:

The loss of a loved one can leave one helpless and broken. 

Unhappy and lost what does one do to make life meaningful again ? Following the initial disbelief sets in a chain of anger and sorrow , insecurity and pain. I have made an attempt to take one day at a time to cope and to go on . Faith helps and so do some stories . I can only hope that my story can help someone deal with a loss far greater than words can describe.

Review:

Some books can make your worst fears come alive... Afraid to say that 'Living with Merlin' is one of those books. Based on true story of author's life, it is a tale of coping with grief and living life again.

When you lose that one person, around whom your life revolves, what will you do? The thought itself is dreadful and very unfortunately author had to endure it. Most people would consider ending the meaningless life that is left behind, but our author didn't do it. Instead she mustered all courage and took 'one day, one second at a time' and lived on.

While reading the book it feels like you are there. The emotions are so beautifully and serenely articulated that you just cannot help yourself but find your cheeks moistening. I started it slow but finished more that 80% of book in one sitting last night -and drank more than two liters of water to dissolve that lump in my throat that was pinching me again and again.

What I liked about the book is the connection it shows between author and her dear late husband. And how she adopts a lovely puppy -Merlin- and tries to fill her void. 

The author says 'she wrote this book as a coping mechanism and she didn't believe that people will read it.' To answer her I would just like to say that 'it's great that you wrote this book and it helped you cope up -it will help many people who suffer through similar fate. And as for readers, people who consider relationships as important, and see meaning in life, they would definitely read it.'

The only down point is the price, it is marked very high in comparison to India's novel market, but what can we say, we can never put right price tag on such emotions.

My rating is 4.75/5 

I strongly recommend the book to everyone.

Lots of Love

Pathshala Funwala: English English

#PathshalaFunwala #English

Although our mother-tongue is not English, in my case it is Hindi, but English plays a rather crucial role in our lives. People judge us based on our fluency and accent. And they rate our knowledge and level with the usage of big words. The more you mouth bigger words, the better your English is -no matter if they understand you or not. Yes, this is the current mentality of India and I have faced similar situation.

My mother tells me that she fought our elders to place me and my sister in an English-medium school. She didn't want us to face similar issues she faced when she was growing up. For the record, my mother is a successful gynecologist and she states that lack of proper English caused many hurdles for her. So, yes, she got us in the best English medium school Agra city had to offer. However, the biggest problem was, despite being an English medium, no one spoke in English in our school -not even English teacher. The system failed her and though I knew better English in comparison to other kids in my neighborhood, I failed her. Well, the system failed her. I was too little to understand the importance back then, so I didn't put any efforts in learning good English. I could read and write but my fluency was zero. Problems with us Indians is that, we think in Hindi or our mother-tongue, translate in our minds and blurt English words. And during this translation, we lose our vocabulary, grammar and everything else. I realized this problem when I started giving interviews for colleges.

Even the worst colleges gave preference to fluency in English. Sadly I am not of any any reserved category, so I had to face the harsh reality. Despite passing with flying colors, I failed to get admission in two colleges -it depressed me and gave me a sense of reality. The interview of third college was two months later and it was my preferred college -closer to home and with good placements. I knew my chances were very slim because there were only twenty seats in 'General category' and students from all over India applied to this college. I lost all hopes! How can I get in this college when others wont take me? At this time my mom came to my rescue. She explained me what I had informed her -I failed because of my fluency, so I need to work on it. 

I didn't know what to do, so I found the best available option. I started reading. In a span of two months I read more than fifty English books and two complete -page to page English newspapers daily. And without even knowing the magic happened!

In the interview, as I started answering words came automatically. I didn't even realize. After ten odd minutes I felt a sudden jolt -I still remember that I had abruptly stopped mid-sentence because I had realized that the words coming out of my mouth were in English and they was flawless. Interviewer had asked - 'is everything alright?' and I had smiled, more to myself, and continued.

Yes, I had gotten the admission that day and it was the best day of my new life. I never ignored my English post that.

I am sure, just like me there are many kids out there who want to learn good English and be proud, just like I am. And Nihar Shanti Amla has taken a wonderful initiative of helping children take first step. They even have a toll free number 8055667788 which provides all necessary details. 

I am blogging about Pathshala Funwala by Nihar Shanti Amla Oil in association with BlogAdda

Love and Cheers

Book: The revenge of Gandhi's followers - A Story that Motivates

#BookReviews

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Title:  The revenge of Gandhi's followers (LEADER OF MILLIONS Book 1

Author: B P Senapati, Durgesh Nandini Das

Publisher: Blackeyes publication

Pages: 188

Price: Rs. 58 (Kindle Edition)

My Rating: 3.75/5

Blurb:

Nobody is going to remember your mark, people only remember your work. 

Without innovation mark is meaningless, without creativity knowledge has no value, without vision and goal a man is nothing more than a dead body . 

Only human can innovative things, discover something, write a book, and create marvelous paintings. By a business idea can give employment to thousands of employee. Try to create or innovative something, if you get success then it's great. If you become a failure then what's the big deal? 

It's thought of Vijay, he was a man with different thought, he had every symptom of a great man, still he lived with his mediocre dreams to get a job and then marry his childhood sweetheart. After few years of job experience wanted to establish his own business like millions of other, but fate had some different plans. Our corrupt system forced him to enter into the dirty game of politics. He gained power to avenge his antagonists, but being a Gandhian, his strategy was something unusual . . . his revenge wasn't ordinary . . .

Review:

As I came across this title, my first thought was - politics or what? Is it based on Gandhi's life or is it the revenge of Gandhi's murder... however it is none. Though my expectations were different but I was definitely not disappointed with what I read.

Revenge of Gandhi's followers is a thriller that has strong elements of romance to it. It is one of those books that force you to think about the world we live in and motivates you to do something to make it a good place. 

The story revolves around key five characters, Rakesh, Vijay, Priya, Ishita and Rashmi. Rakesh is the narrator of the story and this book is his narration of lives of all five friends, however, it is primarily dedicated to Vijay. Vijay is the key character, who after a brutal incidence decides to clean the system by taking the plunge into it.

His ambition takes him to politics and he takes India on a new route. I don't want to spill the beans here, but he built a rather ambitious system... If it truly happens, well, no one can stop India.

The narration of the plot is very good and engrossing. While reading you can relate to everything that is happening. The characters are well-built too -especially of Vijay's. He is a true hero of the nation.

Overall, I liked the book and would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a good romance tale with motivation.

Hope you enjoy reading it too.

Lots of Love