Tuesday, 15 March 2016

The Rise of Hastinapur by Sharath Komarraju: A Book Review


The Rise of Hastinapur by Sharath Komarraju is the second book in his mythological series. The first book was The Winds of Hastinapur. This book is the extension of three major ladies who sacrificed and suffered alot. They are Amba, Kunti and Gandhari.



Cover- The cover of the book is fantastic as it has bluish black colour scheme. It also has a picture of a lady who is blind folded and this persona reminds us of Gandhari.

Title- The title is appropriate as this book marks the Rise of Hastinapur through various marriage alliances. Thus, The Rise of Hastinapur is a captivating title.

Setting- Well, The main setting is in Hastinapur followed by descriptions of other kingdoms like Salva, Panchal, Gandhar and many more. 

Theme- The novellas talk about the struggle of Amba, Kunti and Gandhari in different spheres but all were related to Hastinapur. Sharath beautifully delineates their pain, injustices, sacrifices and many more. We have read Mahabharat through the eyes of man but nobody has read it through the eyes of a woman. Well, the themes make Sharath a feminist novelist.

Characterisation- Sharath has very well portrayed his characters especially, those of Amba, Kunti and Gandhari. The pain Amba goes through on being rejected makes her lament or shed fresh tears. But the recarnation into Shikhandani makes it intriguing. Then the way Kunti does a mistake and regret about it.There is also a side story where she saves her brother Vasudev and his wife Devaki. Furthermore, Gandhari's wedding with a blind man Dhritrashtra and her dilemma is fantastically depicted.

Style- The descriptions are enthralling while the other features are good. The book is divided into three parts or novellas which talks about Amba, Kunti and Gandhari. 

Others Reviews- https://udayology.wordpress.com/2015/11/01/the-rise-of-hastinapur-sharath-komarraju-book-review/
https://www.tell-a-tale.com/book-review-the-rise-of-hastinapur-by-sharath-komarraju/
http://www.lifeofleo.in/2015/12/book-review-rise-of-hastinapur.html

Availability- 
Flipkart- http://fkrt.it/Ww9OTNNNNN
Amazon- http://www.amazon.in/The-Rise-Hastinapur-Sharath-Komarraju/dp/9351773760
Goodreads- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27215600-the-rise-of-hastinapur

About The Author

Sharath Komarraju is an author of fiction and nonfiction based in Bangalore, India. Once a software engineer, now he writes full-time, and on lazy days he watches cricket and talks to his wife (often at the same time). He runs a busy blog on his website which keeps him on his toes pretty much all of his waking hours.

Also read : http://reviewswithsur.blogspot.in/2016/01/winds-of-hastinapur-at-glance.html?m=1

Monday, 14 March 2016

We Need a Revolution by Sachin Garg

We Need a Revolution is the latest novel by the most loved author, Sachin Garg. This novel is not so Sachin types. He has taken up a very sensitive issue in his novel and taught us many lessons through his writing. His style and technique of writing takes away the hearts of the readers. Now I shall discuss about the book concept wise.


Cover: The colour of the book is yellow and it is an appealing cover with tinge of cartoon art.

Title: The title of the book is thought provoking and forces us to ponder over like what would be the subject matter and gives us many generalisations to make whether it is about women empowerment or any other subject. But when one starts reading the book, all those notions comes to an end. WE NEED A REVOLUTION is the most suited title.

Setting: Most of the setting takes place in an island Andamans and Nicobar, Port Blair to be precise and some of it is in Delhi. The vivid descriptions about the setting makes it enthralling.

Plot: Sachin has constructed a gripping plot which arises curiosity in reader's mind and his thirst is quenched only after completing the novel. The story is of Shubhodeep Shyamchaudhary, a wanderer, reaches Andamans, where he faces a challenge of saving the innocent tribal people who are maltreated by the servants of government. 

Theme: The main theme is of injustice towards a tribe named Jarawa where these people are not accepted in the society and they live in a reserve area. Even there also they are tortured and this made them prey of bad eyes.

The other theme is of friendship and relationships. Shubhrodeep, Jenny, Faraaz, Navya and  Samar are friends in situation. The way they handle the things is impeccable. All have different roles to play. The relationship of Samar and Navya is seen as a roller coaster ride.

Characterisation: Sachin has beautifully picturised his characters. All the characters compliment each other and are related psychologically. I felt Shubhrodeep's character delineation is a masterpiece. Even the antagonist is artistically crafted and it might have been an uphill task for the author to show such character.

Style: The author has used vivid imagery in his work. At times he gets factual while at times he gets poetic. He has used variety of sentences and the descriptions are amazing. The late introduction of protagonist analysis could be seen. It also lead to psychological level. The flashback technique is impressive along with third person narrative. The chapter names intrigue the readers. 

Surprise Package: Shubhro's 180 days theory was a surprise package. According to this theory, he tends to change places and live for only 180 days there, that's why when he was arrested, all assumed that he had left.

Negative Moment:  I felt Lalwani could have done something else instead of getting and the concept of translation of Geeta sounded absurd.

Others Reviews: http://bookreviewsandauthors.blogspot.in/2016/02/book-review-we-need-revolution-by.html
http://news.statetimes.in/sachin-gargs-book-need-revolution-released/

Availability: http://www.amazon.in/We-Need-Revolution-Sachin-Garg/dp/9381841861/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1457982793&sr=1-1&keywords=garg+sachin

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:- 
Number one bestselling author Sachin Garg is also an entrepreneur and a popular speaker. He likes to travel and write about he sees. He envisions documenting India in as much completeness as one lifetime allows.

Tuesday, 8 March 2016

Short Review of Ganga Bharani's 60 Writing Prompts and Plots

Book Details
Name:60 Writing Prompts and Plots
Author: Ganga Bharani Vasudevan
Edition: Kindle Edition
Availability: Amazon.in, Kindle

Review at a glance


Ganga wrote a book which was not so her types. I have read her suspense novel and I never thought that she would come up with an amazing concept. This is an e- book that is easily accessible and is cheaper in price. The book contains prompts of all sort of genres be it mystery, suspense, thriller,romance, erotica and many more. I feel this book worth reading and has uniqueness in it. It is way too different than those cheesy lovey dovey plots. 

The best part is, even a non author can use these prompts to develop a story. Furthermore, it enhances our creative skills and it is a very good exercise for the authors who are suffering from writer's block. There are 60 prompts and plots which have been beautifully explained with sensible examples. I would congratulate the author for coming up from her shell and trying this type which proves out to be a success according to me.

About the Author




Tuesday, 1 March 2016

Book Review: Hey Dad Meet My Mom by Sandeep Sharma,Leepi Agrawal

Hey Dad Meet My Mom is an interesting novel by an Agra based boy, Sandeep Sharma and Ahmadavadi Chokri, Leepi Agrawal. The introduction of our authors is really intriguing so as the story. The way they have used this Psychoanalytical Approach in their work is splendid. This is not everyone's cup of tea and they both have made this tea with a well knit conceptual thought which is much appreciated. 


Cover- The cover of the book has a color scheme of purple and tinge grey white which makes it attractive. The background picture of a boy and a couple further grabs the attention of the readers.

Title- The title in itself an answer to what would be there in the novel.The whole story revolves around this concept, Hey Dad! Meet My MOM...

Atmosphere- The story is set at two different places, Delhi and Ahmedabad. Presumably both the places are the homelands of two authors and it is obvious that they have mentioned about that. Moreover, one can easily make out that the Delhi part is written by Sandeep and the latter is written by Leepi( as per assumptions). Both have done relatively, a very good job in their descriptions of the places. 

Plot- This novel is a story within a story which has a main plot followed by the subplot. Puneet and Myra are the protagonists of the main plot whereas Roshni and Puneet are the actors of the sub plot. It also has another subplot that involves Puneet's relationship with his unborn child Rishi. All the plots merge with the main plot making it a well knit  and strongly constructed plot.

Theme- There are varied range of themes.The main theme is the psychoanalysis which deals with a condition where a person seems to be in coma and is able to connect to her loved one in the form of dreams or hallucinations.The novel showcase the love relationships between Puneet and Myra and then in the later half at the time of flashbacks, Puneet and Roshni's relationship is delineated where Roshni is none other than the girl who happens to appear in Puneet's dreams.

The other theme is father- son relationship. Although, Rishi is a persona not reality, yet Puneet builds up a strong bond with him which is hard to believe for the readers. Well, its all the game of authors to play with their characters' mind.

Next is theme of friendship between Puneet and Maya. Maya understands him very well and acts as a catalyst in his life. They share everything, starting from happiness to sorrows.

Characterization- Both the authors have done a tremendous job in playing with the minds of their characters be it Myra, Puneet, Roshni or Rishi. All are powerful in their own way. Even the parents of Roshni and Puneet have a significant role to play in the story. To be honest, they are concerned parents whose worries overpowers the love of their children and they end up becoming the villains for the two lovers Roshni and Puneet.

Style- The structure of the novel is simple, lucid, condensed and has pithiness in it. There are variety of sentences like simple, compound and complex. The descriptions are artistic and the use of poetic language at places makes it attractive. Authors have used first and third person narratives which doesn't bore the readers. The use of psychoanalysis approach makes the novel stand out.

Editing- The editing was not up to the mark. There were minute errors which can be easily worked upon.

Other Reviews- https://theverdictsout.wordpress.com/2015/02/06/book-review-of-hey-dad-meet-my-mom-by-sandeep-sharma-leepi-agrawal/

https://nehalilalwani.wordpress.com/2015/06/23/book-review-hey-dad-meet-my-mom-by-sandeep-sharma-leepi-agarwal/

http://aayeshashewholives.blogspot.in/2015/02/book-review-hey-dad-meet-my-mom.html

http://musings-over-nothing.blogspot.in/2016/01/book-review-hey-dad-meet-my-mom.html

Availability of the book- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23911468-hey-dad-meet-my-mom


http://www.amazon.in/Hey-Dad-Meet-My-Mom/dp/8192960986/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423195032&sr=8-1&keywords=Hey+Dad!+Meet+My+Mom


http://www.flipkart.com/hey-dad-meet-my-mom-english/p/itme2stfnz85wjqz?pid=9788192960982&otracker=from-search&srno=t_1&query=Hey+Dad!+Meet+My+Mom&ref=0bfa0c40-4e35-4909-a0c8-0b682b295591

About the Authors

Sandeep Sharma (21), a dreamer from Agra, the city of love and the Taj Mahal, is currently in his final year pursuing B. Tech (Civil Engineering) from JSS Academy of Technical Education, Noida. He is very passionate about writing and has been writing short stories for a personal blog since 5 years. He has also co-founded ‘The Author’s Blog’ which is a kind of a platform which tries to bridge the gap between authors and readers. He is an avid reader and loves to review books on his blog. He has been previously associated with many anthologies as a contributing author. He loves to spend most of his time with his parents. According to him, “Parents always have so much to teach, it’s just a matter of your learning desire and time.” He can be contacted through: E-Mail: sandeeplochansharma@yahoo.in
Facebook:www.facebook.com/sandeeplochansharma

Leepi Agrawal is a final year student and a gold medalist for her academic excellence in Masters of Computer Applications at Indus University, Ahmedabad. She has won the TechFest in April 2014 at college and state Level. It is said that books are a person’s best friend, so Leepi started spending her time with this special friend who then led her to write stories and poems at an early age. The Times of India gave wings to her writing by publishing her works in their esteemed newspaper. She is quite obsessed with writing, wires and machines and subsequently her obsession have turned into her passion and profession.








Sunday, 28 February 2016

A Special Encounter with Nikhil Kushwaha

About the Author

Nikhil Kushwaha, an engineer, poet and a novelist, has already entertained his readers in his first book Six Teen Mistakes. A Ranchi boy, schooling from Bishops School and Kendriya Vidyalaya, is a graduate from NIST Berhampur, as an electrical engineer. Being author by chance and a full time author now, he says that it is not necessary to have experience, degree or talent to be an author, but whats required, is a story, passion and some patience. Believing in realism, his novels are based on what he witnesses around the people he knows, the things he has experienced and a story he wants the world to tell.

Well, I had a special Encounter with this amazing author and we talked about his book Heart of Bullets which has created a great buzz from last few months.Here it goes :

1. When did writing happened to you?

Well, I am not sure, maybe when I thought I’ll be forgetting those moments which made my past beautiful.

2. Is Heart of Bullets your first book? If no, please mention the books released before?


Heart of Bullets is my third book after Six Teen Mistakes (2014) & The Waning Moon (2015).

3. Why you chose the theme Patriotism for your Novel?

Serving a state in any form is the kind honor and nobility that can’t be achieved by any other means. There awakes a braveness and struggle at times when the rest of the nation is asleep.

Not everyone has the courage to fight and die but there’s a little bit of will inside every Indian. Being a writer, all I can do is share the story of glory, pride and sacrifice and that’s what I’ve done in my book. Maybe my book can raise a hero.

4. What all research work you did while writing this piece?

Research is a must for every book as literature shapes the character. There is a friend of me in Para Forces who gave me the details I needed.

5. Do you want to credit anyone for the success of this book?
Well yes, to everyone who read my book.

6. What all hardships you went through in this process of writing? Did that discourage you or motivate you?

Hardships, yes. From the thought process to drafting to getting published to marketing…. Well, who knows hardship better than an author!!

I’m happy that my book is being liked by most of the readers and that’s a great motivation.


7. Are you planning to write more? When can we expect your other works?

I know I won’t stop writing, even though I want to. I’m already working in my next project and hope to get it publish before this year ends.

8. What is your message to the young writers like you?

To young writers like me, I just wanna say that there are wolves out there to rip your goals. Research before trusting and choose your publisher accordingly.


Tuesday, 9 February 2016

Book Review of 30 Days of Advent Colouring Journal

As I mentioned in my previous post that next post would be the book review, so here I am with the book review of Marilynn Dawson's spiritual book, 30 Days of Advent Colouring Journal. Well, this book is far different from all the books I have read till now. When she sent me the e-book I read it, thought about it and it filled me lots of positivity and good vibes. The concept of the book is enthralling and I completely admire it. Since, I was to review it so  I read it quick but I will suggest my readers to go through it slowly and it would be beneficial if you follow the guidelines and complete it in 30 Days as the title itself says its a 30 days Colouring Journal. This will surely give you some values and enlighten you about the things you don't know about Jesus and his life.

Cover- The cover of the book is appealing and from that only one starts to feel activated.



Title- The title is direct to the point and it delineates that it is a guide book.

Theme- This book has no plot since its a non- fiction. The theme is Spirituality ofcourse and keeps us pumped up till we complete it. It is like a coursebook which anyone can read as there is no particular age limit to read it. It has some interesting facts about the life of Jesus. It further talks about Jesse Tree which highlights the lineage of Jesus Christ and provides the biblical foundation of Jesus the Messiah.

Structure- The language has brevity in it and the author has kept it it simple as it is for all age groups. At the end of every Day, there are questions and space is provided to write the answers. Additionally, the figures are made which one can colour it and it serves the title of Colouring.

Additional Information- It is customary in many families and Churches to celebrate the season called Advent every December. This is a time of waiting, of expecting, of anticipation, and of preparation as we get ready for the big day! “30 Days of Advent Colouring Journal” not only offers a unique way to celebrate Advent with your family, it also incorporates another treasured past-time among various denominations and family groups: The Jesse Tree. The Jesse Tree introduces . . . the lives of various people who are featured in Jesus' earthly family tree. Images to be coloured on each day are taken from The Jesse Tree and in some way represent the person or subject being covered on that day. However, we aren't just reading and merely colouring our way through the Christmas season! Each day bears Scripture, thoughts, and a question to ponder. Opposite each colouring page, space is reserved for devotional thoughts as they come to you or a member of your family as you progress through the Christmas season. May this Advent colouring journal bless you and yours this Christmas!

Availability of the book- http://www.amazon.com/30-Days-Advent-Colouring-Journal/dp/1928160115

Reviews on this book- http://www.amazon.com/30-Days-Advent-Colouring-Journal/dp/1928160115
https://www.createspace.com/5906459

Other Details of Book- 

Publication Date:
Nov 30 2015
ISBN/EAN13:
1928160115 / 9781928160113
Page Count:
82
Binding Type:
US Trade Paper
Trim Size:
7" x 10"
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White
Related Categories:
Religion / Christian Life / Devotional

About the Author

Marilynn Dawson is the author of "Becoming the Bride of Christ: A Personal Journey", "Mom's Little Black Book: Godly Advice for the High School Graduate", "Practical Thoughts on Becoming an Author", "Dressed for Eternity", "A Year in Prayer With Jesus","Pumpkin Pie From the Ground Up! (Well, sort of!)", and "The Poor Man's Budget" her latest book released through Songdove Books, her own Imprint.

Marilynn grew up in a solid Christian home, coming to Christ at the age of 7. She has been actively involved in Church life since age 10, including activities such as joining her Mom and sister in singing special numbers, choir, teaching Sunday School, leading Sunday School open session, planning Sunday School lessons, and more. Marilynn attended both public and private schools growing up. She attended North Island Community College on Vancouver Island and Trend College in Kelowna, obtaining certificates in receptionist work and Comptia A+ computer repair.


Throughout her life, Marilynn has written poetry and published in the American Poetry Anthology(two issues). She has written numerous unpublished articles on end-time eschatology, written unpublished short stories, word studies and more.

Marilynn lives with her two grown children, cat and gerbil, in Kelowna BC Canada. Her day job sees her fix computers and engage in multimedia for her church. In the evenings and on weekends she's a soundtech doing various events through the year from funerals to workshops to concerts and weddings. Marilynn has sung alto or tenor in various choirs and praise teams over the years.

Marilynn can be contacted via her author page on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Marilynn.Dawson.Author or by email: author@fa-ct.com 


P.S. : You can read her interview by clicking on the previous blog post!!
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Monday, 8 February 2016

An Interactive Session with Marilynn Dawson

I have noticed that these days we focus on Indian Book Reviews and interviews only and half of the lot doesn't even know what is happening in other countries, leave countries, we are not even bothered about authors of other states or cities so  I thought of bringing up an interview from a Canada based author, Marilynn Dawson.  

About the Author



Marilynn grew up in a solid Christian home, coming to Christ at the age of 7. She has been actively involved in Church life since age 10, including activities such as joining her Mom and sister in singing special numbers, choir, teaching Sunday School, leading Sunday School open session, planning Sunday School lessons, and more. Marilynn attended both public and private schools growing up. She attended North Island Community College on Vancouver Island and Trend College in Kelowna, obtaining certificates in receptionist work and Comptia A+ computer repair.

Throughout her life, Marilynn has written poetry and published a few of them in the American Poetry Anthology(two issues). She currently does freelance work for a technical blog in Alberta. She's also written numerous unpublished articles on end-time eschatology and the news, written unpublished short stories, word studies and more.

Marilynn lives with her two teenagers, cat and gerbils, in Kelowna BC Canada. Her day job sees her fix computers, program cash registers, and engage in multimedia for her church. In the evenings and on weekends she's a soundtech helping with various events through the year from funerals to workshops to concerts and weddings. Marilynn sings in the choir, holding down the tenor section, and sang on her church's praise teams for several years as an alto or tenor substitute.

Marilynn can be contacted via her author page on Facebook at:https://www.facebook.com/Marilynn.Daw... or by email: author@fa-ct.com 

 You can read free samples of her work on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Marilynn.Dawson.Author?ref=hl

Her sporadic blog: http://songdove.fa-ct.com/wordpress-mu/songdovemusings/

During the interview I came to know about her amazing views about life and spiritualism since I read her book 30 Days of Advent Colouring Journal. I was moved by her thoughts and  I would like to share with my readers here :



1. When did writing happened to you?
I fell in love with creative writing as a young child in elementary school. In my teen years, I began doing personal devotional writing. Poetry got me from my teen years into my mid- 20's when I got several poems published in the American Poetry Anthology over the course of two years. But it wasn't till 2008 when the thought of putting something into print became possible.


2. Why you chose spiritual subject to write on when other people write about romance,horror and thriller?
I write about my faith in Jesus Christ. Romances, horrors, thrillers are fine as far as fiction goes, and those themes even play into the kinds of fiction many Christian authors write as well, but they don't interest me. The story I am telling is a real one, not a fictional one.


3. How much spiritual are you?
I gave my life to Christ when I was seven years of age, was baptized in water at age 12 and received my prayer language that year as well. I began teaching Sunday School at age 14. Christianity to me is not a religion, but a relationship with the only Deity who gave His life to save mine. Following His precepts is a way of life, not something I “do”.


4. What was the research work behind writing this book?
This book is a result of having researched various iterations of both the Jesse Tree, and the Advent season of celebration. After comparing various versions, I settled on one expression of Advent, and two expressions of the Jesse Tree, and combined them for this book.


5. What all obstacles you faced while writing this book?
One obstacle I faced was the fact that not everything is in the same order for the various presentations I was looking at. I had to pick my own order. Another obstacle was the graphics themselves. Trying to ensure they were similar styles wasn't easy and there are different styles in the book as a result. Trying to ensure they were colourable wasn't easy either and some images required modifications to ensure people would enjoy colouring them. A third obstacle was where some of the Scripture readings began and ended. I adjusted them a few times throughout the book because I preferred that certain passages begin and end differently.


6. Are all your books about spiritualism or some other genres?
All but two of my books come out of my Christian faith walk. The two that are different are each in different genres. One is a recipe for Pumpkin Pie that I use every Fall. The other is teaching others about the tools and methods that allowed me to become a published author.


7. Enlighten us about your other published books?
My 8 book series, “Becoming the Bride of Christ: A Personal Journey” shares my personal story of God's healing and restoration following divorce and becoming a single mother. The seventh book in the series is a Leader's Guide so people can go through my story in a group if they with. The eighth book is a study journal giving more space for personal thoughts as a person travels through the series.


“Mom's Little Black Book: Godly Advice for the High School Graduate” was originally just a grad gift for my two teenagers back in 2013, but I made it available for sale when an editor asked to order it for her own graduating daughter. I've since sold over 40 of these books. This book is filled with tidbits of practical advice on the right-hand page, and Scripture verses on the left. It also contains charts, note pages, calendar sheets and budget samples to help the young adult get started on the right track.


“Dressed for Eternity” is an interesting book delving into the various forms of raiment that God gives His Bride in the Scriptures. It goes from Aaron's Breastplate to the New Jerusalem, three food items and priestly garments to discussing modesty at the end of the book.


“A Year in Prayer With Jesus” seeks to help believers who are struggling with prayer, learn to use The Lord's Prayer in their daily prayer life. The companion book released in Fall of 2015, “One Year Prayer Journal”, gives more room for notes and thoughts as the person goes through all 365 days in the book.


“The Poor Man's Budget: a Five Week Course – Learning to live within one's means” has an instructor's manual, student workbook, and three month journal all designed to help people identify needs versus wants, assess where their funds are going, and figure out the best way to manage a monthly budget for their income level.


“Practical Thoughts on Becoming an Author”, the first e-book-only publication I put out, takes the reader through the tools and methods I used to get into the world of self-publishing. It now has two e-courses based off it, one for paperback preparation and the other for e- book preparation. These arrive in your inbox once a day. They sell for $15 each.


“Pumpkin Pie From the Ground Up! (Well, sort of!)” is my second e-book-only publication f featuring the recipe and methods my daughter and I use every Fall to make our own healthy pumpkin pies. It has various tongue-in-cheek moments throughout the book.






“30 Days of Advent Colouring Journal” takes a family through both Advent and the Jesse Tree for the days starting from the last Sunday in November, to Christmas Day. Each day has a page with Scripture readings, thoughts and an image to colour, and a page for thoughts to be written down throughout the season.


8. Are you planning to write in future?
Yes I am. I don't have any thoughts on what will be written next, but I don't plan to remain silent for long.


9. Is there any genre which you haven't written but wish to write?
I would like to get my children's poetic stories turned into illustrated cardboard books, but that will have to wait till income is big enough to hire an illustrator. I know a few illustrators as well. So that's on my genre wish list.


10. Your message for the audience?
Thanks so much for taking the time to read about my book, and for reading this interview. I pray that my books will minister to you, or to those you love and care about.


Blogger's Note: You can know more about Marilynn Dawson by following these links: 
https://www.youtube.com/user/songdovemd
http://songdove.fa-ct.com/wordpress-mu/songdovemusings/

Book Review will be posted in the next post..


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