Book Review: Minced Bits by Maneevak

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Author's Ink Publications (2017)
• Language: English

My Review: 

Precision is the order of the day. Brevity is a trait to be revered. Succinct descriptions and crisp endings are attractive to a reader pressed for time.
Haikus are all the rage.
It is the era of nano tales and micro tales and flash fiction.

And with that point in mind, as the book blurb says too, "In this fast paced world where no one seems to have time to read a book with a precious tale, here's an anthology of micro tales for all types of readers. In a few words these tales will feed your soul in the modern way.", the book acts like a Social media page on paper: A Terribly Tiny Tale, or a Scribbled Stories.

A lot of the micro tales have been laced with that wit that makes it endearing to the reader. For instance, the book begins and ends with these tales, respectively:

My mind suffered from indigestion, writing was the only antacid available for me. And thus began my pen, spilling ink...

and

And my pen pauses, the indigestion I talked about is cured. 

It is this sort of attention to words and thoughtful messages that make such a book worth reading. There are many tales that have a surprising twist, leaving the reader emotionally evoked.
That said, there are an equal number of stories that are predictable too. There's an equal number of witticisms that seem forced as there are the ones that appear fluid.

The best micro-tales are the ones that end in a cliffhanger. But even the ones with a natural conclusion are sweet and palatable.

She told everybody, except me, that she loved me 

I told everybody except her that I loved her.

Both spent sleepless nights thinking about each other,

Until a cupid helped us.

What makes this a good read, is the fact that after an overdose of this genre on social media, it was surprisingly refreshing to read this on paper.

Book Review: Take One More Chance by Shriya Garg

About the book:

Title: Take One More Chance

Paperback, First, 426 pages
Published January 2011 by Mahaveer Publishers

Genre: Fiction

Rating: 4/5

Blurb: When Naina is set the daunting task of finding her Mr Right, her siblings and best friend offer to help. But after sending every man she meets to the hospital, she finds herself falling for the one she cannot stand. This is the intriguing and hilarious love story of Naina Kashyap and her arch enemy.

About the author

The author bio is from Juggernaut, the app where I read this book! They are  a mobile-first publishing company started by Chiki Sarkar and Durga Raghunath, aiming to give authors and books a physical as well as a digital platform. 

My Review:

This one was a couple-hours long read. And a thorough entertainer nevertheless.
While the plot was a giveaway right from the blurb, it was interesting to see how the plot panned out.


There is an uncanny pleasure (sadistic?) I derive from stories that revolve around finding THE ONE. Any story around this theme inexplicably cracks me up, and there's no dearth of humor in them either. The world has been very dynamic and the approach to relationships has undergone a huge change, but a section Indian parents have not moved even a bit from their concerns. And that's nothing short of hilarious. Because it is so painfully real to life, there's some fun involved in casually reading these tales. The plots are a treat always, in that they are always interspersed with jokes, amateurish frustration and healthy banter. The protagonists Naina and Aditya were endearing right from the start, and the other characters were just as pivotal as they were a good company.
There was a slight need of lubricants in the scene that linked the plot to the opening lines, rest was all a thorough joyride.

Bonus: I loved reading it on the Juggernaut app, which is super-comfortable and convenient.

Links to the book:

Source of the review copy: Juggernaut app

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Book Review: The Summer That Melted Everything

About the book:

Title: The Summer That Melted Everything

Hardcover, 320 pages

Expected publication: July 26th 2016 by St. Martin's Press

Genre: Literary Fiction, tinge of Magic Realism

Rating: 4.5/5

Blurb: Fielding Bliss has never forgotten the summer of 1984: the year a heat wave scorched Breathed, Ohio. The year he became friends with the devil.

Sal seems to appear out of nowhere - a bruised and tattered thirteen-year-old boy claiming to be the devil himself answering an invitation. Fielding Bliss, the son of a local prosecutor, brings him home where he's welcomed into the Bliss family, assuming he's a runaway from a nearby farm town.

When word spreads that the devil has come to Breathed, not everyone is happy to welcome this self-proclaimed fallen angel. Murmurs follow him and tensions rise, along with the temperatures as an unbearable heat wave rolls into town right along with him. As strange accidents start to occur, riled by the feverish heat, some in the town start to believe that Sal is exactly who he claims to be. While the Bliss family wrestles with their own personal demons, a fanatic drives the town to the brink of a catastrophe that will change this sleepy Ohio backwater forever.

About the author

Tiffany McDaniel is an Ohio native whose writing is inspired by the rolling hills and buckeye woods of the land she knows. She is also a poet, playwright, screenwriter, and artist. The Summer that Melted Everything is her debut novel. 

Find the author here: 

My Review:

Rarely do you come across a book that makes you excited about it, right from the title. The title reeked of a metaphoric significance which is when I took an uncanny yet immediate liking to it.
So the story is unlike anything I've read before.

I was obviously searching for metaphors throughout, and wasn't disappointed. The metaphors existed in the very structure of the characters, places, setting, and elements. The town, for instance is called Breathed (pronounced Breath from "He breathed" plus +ed)
The novel says about the place, "I once heard someone refer to Breathed as the scar of the paradise we lost. So it was in many ways, a place with a perfect wound just below the surface"
And the metaphoric characteristics do not just end there, the entire narration is replete with metaphors much to my sheer delight.

The story, I have to admit is quite different from what one might expect in the first, innocent instance. Different, as in, not a slight difference in tone, or language, but a major departure from the expected cliched plots. It is refreshing and new, and the new-ness takes one with surprise, because the imagination applied by McDaniel is active, pleasing and engaging.
Since the language is full of metaphors and words and phrases which aren't slang, it becomes difficult at first to draw a hold on the book. But once you're 30 pages into it, it becomes a test of patience not knowing what happens next.
And to an avid reader, nothing sounds better than quotable quotes, and this one is flooded with those.
Before picking it up, you may evaluate it, but it is worth a read!

Links to the book:

Book Trailer:

Quotes from the book:

"It's a waste of time to live better when you have got no one to care for and no one to care for you"

"It's a miraculous thing, how a ship floats. Always a tragedy when it sinks"

"He knew the resilience of a seed, and the vulnerabilities of it also"

“The heat came with the devil. It was the summer of 1984, and while the devil had been invited, the heat had not. It should've been expected, though. Heat is, after all, the devil's name, and when's the last time you left home without yours?” 

“A foolish mistake, it is, to expect the beast, because sometimes, sometimes, it is the flower's turn to own the name.” 

To track my reading journey as I fangirl about books, among other things, follow me here:

    

Source of the review copy: NetGalley

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Book Review: Destiny Of Shattered Dreams by Nilesh Rathod

About the book:

Title: Destiny of Shattered Dreams

Paperback, First Edition, 254 pages
Published May 20th 2016 by Rupa Publications

Genre: Fiction (Corporate Thriller)

Rating: 4/5

Blurb: An insider’s view into what goes on behind the glittering facade of corporate stardom, DESTINY of SHATTERED DREAMS is a fast-paced
tale of a brilliant young man’s meteoric rise. It is also a moving portrayal of the fallibility of love.

Ambition, passion
and raw courage are Atul Malhotra’s key aides to realizing his dreams as he learns the art of gambling for high stakes. What follows is a game of treachery, infidelity and murder.

The book lays bare the sordid corporate-politico nexus that compels this once middle-class boy to deftly learn the ropes and negotiate a world where dirty deals and power plays can make or break lives, where one wrong choice could be fatal.

A tale of yachts and hidden Swiss accounts, sordid affairs of lust, intrigue and exhilarating highs, Nilesh Rathod’s Destiny of Shattered Dreams is also the story of innocence forever lost.

About the author

Nilesh Rathod is a businessperson, writer and poet. Co-founder of Ensemble Infrastructure India Limited, Nilesh’s company currently employs over 2000 people.

Destiny of Shattered Dreams is his debut novel. Nilesh is currently working on his second novel. He lives in Mumbai, you may email him at nilesh@nileshrathod.in or visit his webpage http://www.nileshrathod.in You may also follow him on twitter @authornilesh or at http://facebook.com/authornilesh

Find the author here: 

Email:

Social media:

      

My Review:

Plot:
I will begin by telling how this book is built on its strong plot. The entire book, with all its life-like characters, is standing on its racy and flawless plot.
The themes and issues it touches are the the corporate debauchery, political vile, moral turpitude, emotional depravity which has become so characteristic of an unfettered ambition now a days.
The plot open where Atul malhotra, our protagonist has been jailed for his crimes. It also reminded me of The Bet by Anton Chekov. Of course, the plot is in a different setting, with contemporary jargons and engagements.
Rathod carefully weaves the story, giving it a realistic setting, turns, twists and end. Which is what makes him a master story-teller. He has set out his characters in the corporate arena, and unfolded the story in a very clever fashion.
It starts out with the celebrated rise of a start-up and then,, its maligning by political influence and force, not to mention blood. All of this ends up in court, with everyone getting what they deserve.

Characters:
Atul, the protagonist is a risky character. Risky, because there isn't really anything to like about him and with the story revolving around him practically, it is difficult not to react to his presence.
Example of the consequences of talent gone greedy, risk gone awry and ambition gone haywire, his life, both in its personal and professional aspects is a lesson in the making.

His partners: Rakesh, Qazi, Prem were all predictable, on the other hand. They were those typical partners who complete each other, bringing their own expertise to the table

Roshni and Aarti were the romantic interests of Atul, the former his now-estranged wife and the latter could be termed easily the reason for estrangement. The matrimonial tangent has been messy for this mess, and rest assured, he will be spending the rest of his live atoning his sins.

Book-aesthetics: 

Brownie points to the book for the infusion of snippets of poetry within the pages. Those were a welcome respite in the plot, and were certainly good ones.
The cover page is more symbolic, and does give away the corporate feel of the plot.

Links to the book: Amazon | Kindle| Flipkart | Uread  | Goodreads | 

Source of the review copy: I thank the author for providing me with a review copy in return for an honest review. 

To get your book reviewed, read my review policy here. And then contact me here.

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Book Review: The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy by Sam Maggs

About the book:

Fanfic, cosplay, cons, books, memes, podcasts, vlogs, OTPs and RPGs and MMOs and more—it’s never been a better time to be a girl geek. The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy is the ultimate handbook for ladies living the nerdy life, a fun and feminist take on the often male-dominated world of geekdom. With delightful illustrations and an unabashed love for all the in(ternet)s and outs of geek culture, this book is packed with tips, playthroughs, and cheat codes for everything from starting an online fan community to planning a convention visit to supporting fellow female geeks in the wild.

About the author:

Named "Awesome Geek Feminist of 2013," she is also an Associate Editor for The Mary Sue; she talks pop culture on TV and Cineplex movie screens; and her writing has appeared everywhere from the Internet, to books, to national newspapers. she mostly loves YA lit, Pacific Rim, BioWare games, Carol Danvers, and Jeff Goldblum.

My Review:

This book humors me, loves me, hugs me, befriends me and empowers me.

THis book reveres the devotion of fangirls. True to its title, it is an essential handbook fot fangirls the world over. It celebrates geek personas of all types, and serves as a sort of induction into the fangirl community. We obsess over things, in mortifying magnitude. It could be a sitcom, a book, a video game, etc etc

The book is divided into five parts. And the best way to talk about it is by reviewing each part.

1. One of us

Think if it as the ultimate fandom welcome. With all her nerdness and geekiness and all the coolness of this nerdness, Maggs throws a biggg welcome. I'm already excited.

2. It's good to be geek.

Let the celebrations begin. To be a geek is awesome. All of us who have been there know the feeling. After the initial hiccups of our journey, the feeling od being a nerd is so empowering, exhilarating and liberating. I don't have words for it. Sam does, so you'd do a better job reading this book. 

Still, I'll go ahead with a customary review: one part of this section covers the kinds of fandoms we have. Potterheads, GOT fans obviously, it is an inclusive and not exhaustive list which mentions YA book nerds, Star Warriors, Batgirls and so on. 

Then, the icing on the cake is the fangirl lingo. You have no idea how handy that is. When in your transition phase, you are left dumbfounded by the fandom jargons. Consider this. They are my OTP. *squeeeees* Too many feels. I ship them. 

The struggle to finally figure these and much more is real, and this section just solves it for you. Isn't that comforting? 

Another amusing section guides you on the process of converting friends into fangirls. I have some experience in this field too and I can say the writer has nailed it.

3. Fandom intensifies: Geek girls online

Don't you just love that you can read my blog. Or scroll through my instafeed. Or like my facebook page and have a surge of feels whenever I post quotes and fanart from our favourite novels/TV shows/series? 

Don't you just love that you can read stories on fanfic communities and be beta readers to a future bestselling author? 

Or the way we can connect to authors, tag them, tweet to them, maybe even have a retweet. 

The only downside is the grumpy trolls. Maggs got your back there too, buddy.

4. How to survive fandom conventions

Now I don't have much to say here. I'm in India and back here the only convention is ComicCon.  I'll survive it anyway. 

With fandom merchandise. Posters. Mugs. Tees. Stationery. Bookmarks. Bookclubs.

5. Aim to misbehave: Geek Girl Feminism

This be my favourite part. It was such a welcome surprise and so refreshing to read. 

The best of both worlds. Fun and some serious thoughts. Looooved it. 

Another thing to watch out for: Interviews. The author has interviewed fandom-my personalities. And asked them three questions about the meaning of fangirl and their own experiences in this domain.

This book serves its purpose best for the uninitiated and for those pros who love to read about themselves.

Links:

ARC Provided by NetGalley

Book Review: Propositions by Tania Joyce

About the book:

No strings attached ... or so she thought.
Following years of sacrifice and struggle, Jessica Mason now co-owns a successful marketing
agency in Sydney. All Jessica wants to do is focus on growing her business and maintain the
lifestyle she's worked so hard to achieve. But everything changes when her agency wins a
major contract for the opening of the new Somers Hotel and she has to take on the account.
Nate Somers is a workaholic trying to please his retiring father. When he meets captivating,
go-getting Jessica, the prospect of a short-term love affair sounds like a proposition he'd be
crazy to decline.
But when Jessica spends a weekend away at her favorite vineyard retreat, she runs into Troy
Smith, the ex-boyfriend who left her broken and vulnerable years ago. Things don't go to
plan when the well-kept secrets from her past are revealed and Troy starts weaving his way
back into her life.
With her business at stake and hearts at risk, Jessica's future is destined to change. Who will
end up making Jessica a proposition she simply cannot refuse?


About the author:
Tania Joyce is an Australian author of Erotic, Contemporary and New Adult romance novels. Her
stories thread romance, drama and passion into beautiful locations ranging from the dazzling lights of
Sydney Harbour or the glitter of New York, to the rural countryside of the Hunter Valley or Darling
Downs.
She’s widely travelled, has a diverse background in the corporate world and has a love for shopping,
shoes and Shiraz. She’s rarely seen without glitter, sparkle and stilettos. Her quirk is she collects key
rings everywhere she goes and often has an intriguing tale about each one.

Picture credits:  www.BurtonPhotography.com.au

Tania draws on all her real-life experiences and combines them with her very vivid dreams to form the foundation of her novels. She likes to write about strong-minded, career-oriented heroes and heroines that go through drama-filled hell, have steamy encounters and risk everything as they endeavor to find their happy-ever-after.
She grew up loving books like Anne of Green Gables, reading the classics like Pride and Prejudice,
and getting lost in the world of fantasy, like The Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan, before
finding her home in the romance genre.
Only unearthing the desire to write after having children, Tania now shuffles the hours in her day
between part-time work, full-time family life and never-finding-enough-time to write. One day she
hopes to find balance! She lives in Queensland with her husband and two boys. When she’s not
writing, she enjoys camping, hot yoga, and the company of friends and family – especially if it’s over a glass of wine!
Life motto: If in doubt – add more glitter! (Kylie Minogue, 2011)


My Review:

It’s just another client. Just another event. Clear the head. That’s it. Let’s go.
If only it was that easy. Welcome to the not-so-simple lives of our endearingly stubborn yet professionally ambitious, and emotionally damaged characters: Jessica and Nate. 

To have a female protagonist who is not a weak female, and one who accords just as much importance and priority to her work as her male counterparts, is such a refreshing change. For it is not often that books written in the erotica category cater to women readers while keeping their respect and professional life intact. 
It could have turned out to be just another Fifty Shades parody had it not been for Joyce's creative twist of characters and tale. Thankfully, the twists were convincing and imaginable. Both our hero and heroine share commonalities in the past: Nate is divorced, which happened because he apparently married a pest who was after his wealth, Jessica's past is even more complicated with a string of flings. So much so, that at a point, even she remarks, "I will have two kids with three fathers". She says it is insane, and oh, how right she is. 
I'll have o admit though, the book was very similar to FSOG trilogy when it comes to the crucial points. But, the narrative is fresh, which gives the book brownie points. It is a simple read and can be finished in a day, it so glues you too!
No mysteries, but there is a sense of tension which breaks at points which most suit the reader. 
The best part to look out for in the book are the business meeting. They are amusing, hilarious, professional, utmost business-like, and yet bring the edgy angle into the plot. 
The ending is the best part. The woman is not a timid human being who will give in to the man's will. She refuses to let go of her will and ambitions, after all it was this ambition and common passion towards their professions that brought the couple together!
And again, the narration is so good!

Even if you aren't a regular reader of this genre. this book might just strike as a recommendation. 


Links:

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Spotlight: Fraudster by RV Raman

Title:  Fraudster

Author: R V Raman

Category: Fiction

 Publisher: Hachette

Date: 2014

Price: Rs. 250

Pages: 272

ISBN: 9350098008

Fraudster : The Story of Corporate India’s Black Sheep:

Fraudster is a suspense thriller from R. V. Raman set in the world of corporate finance.

Summary of the Book

Some people will do anything to silence anyone they think are obstacles. They won’t stop at anything, not even murder. In this thrilling novel, a young banker deposes before a commission investigating large-scale financial fraud. She is found dead the very next day. Meanwhile, a leader of corporate India falls to his death from his South Bombay flat. In a multinational accounting firm, the high-security server room is hacked. The hackers want more than just company secrets. Illegal finance, high-profile crimes and brutal manipulation combine in this tale of greed, treachery and corruption amidst corporate India’s worst members.

About R. V. Raman

R. V. Raman is an Indian writer and the former head of KPMG's Consulting Practice and the co-head of their Risk Advisory Services. He was also partnered with A.T. Kearney and Arthur Andersen, and boasts an experience of over three decades and covering four continents. Currently a faculty member at the Indian Institute of Management, Trichy, he teaches Business Strategy. He is based in Chennai and this is his first book.

Copies Available at all online stores:

1.      Flipkart: 

2.      Amazon:  

3.      Infibeam: 

Know More Inside Stories, Connect with The Author:

Twitter: @RvRaman_

Read the book? Write a review on Goodreads:

Book Review: The Devil's Gate by Deepak Kripal

About the book:

SIDELINED BY MAN, ANIMALS TURNED TO DEMONS. Plundered by humans of their habitats, animals take a drastic step when they decide to send a team of a cat named as Katy and a dog named as Dug, to an invisible island known, as the Island of 'Five Hundred Graves'. The island becomes visible only for a short time on the night of the full moon. Legend has it that the island is inhabited by the demons. Katy and Dug are supposed to negotiate a deal with the demons, convincing them to allow the animals inhabit the island. Majority of the animal community believe that tinkering with the other world could bring their wrath to the animals. The team is sent to the island nevertheless. But can a deal with the dead be materialized? Are there really demons on the island? Is there any conspiracy involved? Will Katy and Dug be able to negotiate, or will survival remain their only question in the deadly island?

About the Author:

Deepak Kripal, 29 years, was born in the God country, Uttarakhand. He is a doctor by profession and a writer by passion. He completed his MBBS and internship from Kanpur in 2009 and currently lives in New Delhi. He believes in dreams and tries to live one day at a time. A known name in the blogosphere, he loves to blog, and to interact with people with varied interests

Book Trailer:

My Review:

Supreme imagination just transcended all limits. The whole idea of fiction just acquired a whole new dimension. This is helluva unique piece of fiction, and considering the story and plot, it is so refreshingly different from most of the contemporary novels. 

The unraveling mystery, the tricky plot, the unpredictable story line, these are just a part of the treat that the novel is. Faintly reminiscent of Orwell's Animal Farm, this story is sure to exceed your expectations and beyond. 

One, it keeps you hooked till the end, and even in the end it keeps you on tenterhooks. 

the story traces the journey of a cat and a dog, who overcome their initial hostility towards each other, and are later joined by an owl, and then a couple other creatures. The theme has an eerie feel to it, and the descriptions have the precision of classics. The book is not just peppered with witty dialogues and monologues but rather these are the stuff the novel is made of. Katy's initial hostility is so real and well-crafted and manifests in her interactions, that is something that makes you begin the novel, its continued presence in the plot makes it interesting and then it keeps you engrossed.

This is perhaps the best way to give the message, and the author has done a commendable job of bringing some insightful discussions to the table, in a way that is simultaneously thought-provoking and humorous.

Depending upon how long you savour each detail, it finishes in reasonable time, all the more reason to read it by seizing a few moments from your busy day. 

The book is replete with instances of brave exhibition of leadership qualities, or team work for the larger cause. 

Then, if you are a fiction lover, it has everything you might crave for. If you are a fan of reality, it shows reality too, in a way that it gets imprinted in your mind as you read, in the most satirical way possible.

I believe that the expressions used, and the meticulous descriptions made, add to the beauty of it all, and it is so balanced that the author carefully keeps a hold on both the story as well as the expression, never once going overboard with either. Although the climax seems a bit forced, it manages to convince you somehow.

Overall, it reeks of intelligent and clear plot, and emanates humour in the most hilarious and endearing manner. 

Best Lines: 

Death isn't the worst thing that can happen to you. It is hopelessness

Dying for the world is better than dying with the world.

You have to lose an emotion to gain a perspective.

My Judgement:

If you get skeptical about the theme of the book, or are suspicious of the writing because of the debut or for that matter, the calm dull cover, or maybe the seemingly kiddish perspective, please don't : mark my words, go ahead and buy it, there's no way you are gonna regret this! This is much more sensible a novel than many of those we have out there.

Find the book here: