Book Review: Chestnuts by Gilbert Ohanian

About the book:

s there a bully in your life that you don't know how to deal with? I had one too. It prompted me to write 'Chestnuts: A True Story About Being Bullied, ' a book outlining practical strategies for defending against bullies and resolving the conflict and aggression that often plagues victims of bullying. Inside these pages, I will take you through my own harrowing journey with bullies - from boarding school beat-ups, to violent attacks from crazed skinheads on the streets of London, to bullies in public school in America. In each chapter a reflection of my personal story will show you what I did wrong, and how you can actually defend yourself in this modern day and age. Find out: * How bullying is perceived by bullies, victims, parents and teachers * What goes on in the mind of a bully, and what you can do about it * How authority figures often make bullying even worse * The steps you can take to defend yourself, find help and heal from the trauma In 'Chestnuts: A True Story About Being Bullied, ' you will find out how to deal with psychological, emotional and physical bullying - and even what to do when one of your teachers is being a bully. Get this book now, and empower yourself to stand against the tyranny that oppresses you!

Paperback, 156 pages

Published August 2nd 2014 by CreateSpace

About the author:

Gilbert Ohanian was born in Iran and educated in England.  He loved nearly everything about England, but his experience as a school boy there was marred by persistent bullying.  He was born with a hearing impairment, and as a polite, book-loving child he was seen as an easy mark by bullies.

My Review:

The author, through the act of recounting his own experiences as a child, bring all aspects of bullying to the forefront. He extensively talks about the evil of bullying and the irreparable damage it has the potential to cause. 

Well, first and foremost, I think that this kind of awareness and knowledge is very crucial for the kinds of environments that we are living in, given the increasingly aggressive behaviour of ids these days and their reluctance to comply with rules.

Cyber-bullying, verbal abuse have become so pervasive with the changing situations, and it has never been more difficult to penetrate a child's mind. This in turn makes this evil hard to conquer and counter. That said, we have other prevalent forms of bullying, say, at workplace.

This is one issue that has a gigantic bearing on one's emotional well-being, and yet remains ignored over other things. 

It is the responsibility of each one of us to curb this menace: we all either have been, or are, or might be in the future: a bully, his entourage the victim or a spectator to bullying. The onus of its elimination lies on each one of us: and who can be better to start this awareness but a victim himself?

The author recounts his own traumatic experiences, and one can say that even if the kind of bullying we witnessed wasn't this harsh, it certainly had all its ill-effects even in the milder manifestations.

Now, this book's take on the issue is quite comprehensive, with a peek into the minds of both the bully and the survivor, as well as the spectators. And, personally, I opine, that reading this book is anyday better than reading some  gossip magazine. 

Since, the book covers all stages, possibilities, parties and scenarios of bullying, it might get repetitive, but then for a non-fiction book with a lesson, I don't think it can get any better.

Chestnuts has a symbolic meaning, and Gilbert Ohanian has traced his experiences to suit the chapters.

The points raised are very crucial: Do the penal provisions set down by authorities prove worth the pain or do these just increase the excitement of the work if the bully escapes unscathed? How does one find out the intensity of bullying in a situation? We see, even the authority figures are in a fix. And this is bad news, because these bullies becomes serious offenders when they grow up(sadists, barbaric law-offenders)

The best part of the book is that it attempts to provide directors and guidelines for instance for the parents to gauge the symptoms in their ward, or for the victim to handle the situation to nip it in the bud. There are so many more facets of it: more often than not, it starts off as something harmless. 

However, this story is a work-in-progress, and I think this endeavour is best effective when we have follow-up discussions on the same.

Judgement:

The world is not as safe as it used to be. And, this has come in just at the right time. Everyone must read this for the larger good.

I thank the author for sending me a review copy in exchange of an honest review.

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Author Spotlight and interview: Priya Narayanan

Priya has two published children’s books to her credit. Her first book for 5-8 year olds titled ‘The 

Moon wants to be Spotless White’ was released in May 2013 by Leadstart Publishing and has 

been received well by readers and reviewers alike. Her second book, ‘When Grandma Climbed 

the Magic Ladder’ was recently released in the e-book format, with the paperback expected to 

release later this year. Priya is currently working on a couple of ideas for picture books as well 

as a book for tweens.
(Our review here.)

Author website:

http://www.priyanarayanan.com/

Today she joins us for an interview. Read on, and you are sure to find her poetic. personally, I love the stance she takes on different things, and well, we love children's authors because they bring words to life at an age when we need them the most!

Here we go!

Interview: 

Ques: What incited you into authoring a children's book?

PN: Well, I’m basically a poet at heart and writing poetry is an impulsive and ongoing thing for me. 

And then, I also write short stories when I find something interesting to write about. So when I 

became a mother, I instinctively started conjuring a variety of stories for my kids – stories that 

were rooted in the cultural and geographical context of our country, but just as fantastic as 

your Enid Blytons or Hans Christian Andersons. 

The thing is, even though writing for Indian children has picked up in the last decade with a 

number of dedicated publishers doing a wonderful job, the first books that jump out at you at 

any bookstore are Western publications. You’ll find a Ruskin Bond or Sudha Murthy or Anushka 

Ravishankar book nestled comfortably in the rear racks, while the front row is stacked with 

Barbie, Dora, Geronimo Stilton and the Wimpy Kid. And while I’m not against them at all, I feel 

that children here could do with more stories that they can identify with, stories that have 

Indian protagonists doing some fantastic or even crazy stuff! 

So, coming back to your question, the thought of contributing in a small way to the pool of fun-

filled but meaningful stories with an Indian context was what egged me to write for children. 

And to be sure, I found it a whole new ball game! It was exciting to step into the mind space of 

little children and start to think like them.

Ques: The story is very subtle and simple with minimal characters, endearing ones at that. How did you go about the plot etching and character-sketching?

PN: When writing for children of the 5-8 year age group, it is important to keep the plot simple and 

characters to a minimum so that the readers don’t get confused. At the same time, the characters should be strong enough to leave a lasting impression. When I first had my story idea, I was clear about two things. One, that the story would be set in small-town India, because there is an irresistible charm associated with a quaint little town flanked by a river on one side and hills on the other that I hoped to reveal to my urban readers and two, the protagonist would be a girl, because – why not? After that, things kind of just flowed. I spent a lot of time getting the ‘voice’ of the characters right, specially the Moon’s. I wanted him to be the one to add the necessary humour to the story, while Dhobi kaka would add the mature bit. As for Mitu, I wanted my readers to identify with her; so I kept her as real as possible in her moments of wonder, dilemma, gaiety, fright and other emotional ups and downs as she encounters various twists in her adventure. 

Ques: Moon has long been a subject of children's fondness with its  being called the chanda mama, yet it hardly found a place as a character. Your book brings a different side of Moon, and features it as the protagonist. What is your take on this?

PN: That’s true. Even in the best of children’s books, the moon is just the moon. Children’s books 

are filled with animals, trees, toys, vehicles and even maps and backpacks that talk! But never the Moon, even though it’s the one thing that all children are enamoured by in the night sky. However, that never was the case with me. Growing up, I’ve imagined the moon to be so many things – a giant idly, secret door to a parallel universe, a giant’s mouth and what not. So when I was discussing the Moon with my five year old in that vein, I thought -what could be more exciting than having the Moon talk to you? 

And I continue to push the limits of my imagination even now. For instance, in my second book – When Grandma Climbed the Magic Ladder, I’ve come up with a completely different explanation to what the dark spots on the moon are . . .it’s really fun to see things in a different light. Finally, truth be told, I do have a special corner for the Moon in my heart –and he somehow finds himself in every story I write, be it for children or adults!

Ques: Inculcating the habit of reading among children in this age of reliance on devices that have invaded even childhood, your views, observations and endeavour?

PN: Well, there are two sides to your question. The first is inculcating the habit of reading, for which 

I feel we shouldn't restrict the medium –be it an e-book or printed book. This is because the moment you put that kind of restriction, a child will stop reading! So as far as children are ‘reading’ a book and not ‘watching’ an animated version of the book, I think e-books are just fine. And they offer variety for children who get bored too soon, allowing them to switch between the digital and print books. 

To answer the second part about the invasion of devices in our lives, frankly, I don’t think that 

can be stopped now. Technology is a double-edged sword, and it is up to parents to regulate 

how much their children use these devices. As for me, I believe everything in moderation is just 

fine. That said, there is a certain charm to print books that can be touched, smelt and toyed 

around with, that an e-book does not offer. Picture books come in various materials – cloth, 

plastic, paper, hard board- and with a play of textures, smells and sounds . . . infants and 

toddlers cannot get these important experiences through e-books. 

So parents should aim to use digital media as tools to complement print books rather than use them in isolation, and help children value and love print books rather than be wary of them. In my opinion, e-books should ideally be introduced when a child is already reading chapter books. That way, since they’re at an age when they can appreciate the pros and cons of things, they can decide for themselves the medium that best suits their sensibilities.

Get to know more here:

Book Review: Surrogate Author

About the book:

Who is Authdas? I wondered how difficult it is for a woman to be a surrogate mother irrespective of the objective. Writing few books have taught – true Devdas are authors. If authors’ adopt similar concept of surrogacy than book can evolve. We have many examples to quote, Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan and others that symbolise the surrogacy of continue doing movie irrespective of critics, and box office result. Authdas is Author das!  Authdas (booklorn -book sick) as Devdas (lovelorn -love sick), whose love is to write a novel, ‘Paro.’ Authdas needs some inspiration to write Paro and if that inspiration was Chandramukhi, how the story would be?

My review:

A writer can certainly be Devdas. And a book, his creation, his art, can certainly be Paro. It is a delightful concept. A great imagination in this plot has been a source of hope. But alas marred by grammatical and other language related drawbacks,  reader fails to relish it. It is a potentially humorous plot, and improvisations by the right person equipped with correct knowledge can do so much good for the book.

The intention with which it has been written is evidently noble, what with the introduction telling us to respect authors, because no author 'gets up one morning and says, 'Let me write a bad novel.'

The analogies and comparisons and similes drawn between the relationship of an author with his book and that of the story of Devdas-Paro-Chandramukhi, were interesting only as long as one could endure the lack of any substantial plot. which is perhaps, in the absence of grammatical accuracy was only aggravated.

One part I liked was where the writer mourns when self-publishing houses screw my life with no editing, proofreading and price it high..." this monologue made me empathize with authors though.

Author Spotlight and Interview: Saurabh Garg

Saurabh Garg has authored a murder-mystery with a twist. It has Bollywood, it has pets, it has police at work, it has an investigative journalist, it has life, it has strife. This is how we review it:

A lot of thought, research and plotting has gone into scripting this masterpiece. Honestly, coming from a debut author, this is an expert writing.

(Read full review here)

Interview

Congratulations on getting published. So, tell our readers about that moment of epiphany when you realized that you are going to write this book?

Thank you!

There was no epiphany per se. But, there was this inkling that I had for almost ten years that I want to write a book. And rather than just one blinding flash of lightening striking my head from up above, a lot of things came together to make this book possible.

One was my hectic job. Even though it was as exciting as they come, it was sapping. Two was this short story that I had written that I thought I could extend into a book. Three was this friend who told me that he's starting a business and needs my help. Four was my then-girlfriend who was in Mumbai and wanted me to move to Mumbai. Five was the eternal question, "if not now, then when!"

So these things came together, conspired (as Coelho would say) and made me work on the book!


It has been an observation that everything in the book was quite thoroughly researched: the descriptions of Mumbai, the details about legal system so on and so forth. How tedious was this part?

Very!

But most it was done using two tools - Google and Wikipedia. And it took a lot of time and effort to do so. Plus a lot of bandwidth and coffee. Good to see that people are appreciating it.

Even though it was tedious, I enjoyed it. Probably because I am very curious as an individual. The research for book helped me feed my curiosity.

For my next book, I am currently reading about Navrasa - the nine emotions. And I am reading the Geeta. And about the Bombay of the 70s! Let's see what comes out of this concoction.


How difficult was the writing process? And what was the most exciting part- etching the plot, sketching the characters or proofreading it?

Proofreading. Definitely.

Because while I was sketching the characters, I was, sort of, playing God. I could give all sorts of shades and hues to the characters. I could create good, evil, interesting, boring, funny, drab and all other sort of people. I know there are a lot of things that I can't do in real life. But I could get my characters to do those.

Talking of the plot, t I don't really work on a plot per se. I start with a theme. I work on characters. I think about locations. And then I throw them all together in a blender. And then I let fate decide the outcome. I could get lucky with things and get a pot boiler that everyone wants to read. Or may be get something that even I would be ashamed to put my name to. I work hard and then hope like hell that I get lucky.

Proofreading is boring because you know the story. You can't make changes. You can't add things. You can't twist the story again. You can't play God. All you can do is find your mistakes and cringe over those. You can spot inconsistencies and whine about those. And the mistakes, the typos, the inconsistencies don't seem to end ever. Even after 8943 revisions!


Was there any instance in the novel where you made the story an outlet for your repressed feelings: good or bad?

Haha :) Tough question. You expect me to be honest with this one?

Few things did come from my real experiences. Most characters are inspired by real people - just that I don't really know more of them. For example, Nishant Kapoor is loosely inspired on one of the leading actors of the yesteryears. Rujuta is inspired by a friend's girlfriend. Prakash's bald head is inspired by mine. So on and so forth.

The story, the plot however is original. As they say, correlation to any person dead or alive is purely coincidental.


This one is an off-beat question: Rujuta and Prakash both had a personal story of their own, but the stories were left incomplete. Why the cliffhanger? We get it that the end of the story doesn't mean the end of their lives, but leaving your readers pondering about these facts, you seem to have acquired the status of John Green already!
Jokes apart, will characters from the book ever make a comeback and reprise their role for a sequel of sorts?

Thanks for mentioning John Green and me in the same line. You made my day!

And yeah, a sequel, a reprise may happen. But the characters have to get a case worthy of their time and attention.

I am toying with the idea because a lot of people who've read the book have told me that they want to read more about the characters. So, along with Navrasa, Mumbai in the 70s, I may throw in characters from #tnks back in the blender. Let's see how the story writes itself.


 How does it feel in the post-published phase? where do plan to go from here: probably experimenting with genres or churning more racy reads?

Despite the cliché, trust me, life is still the same. No one has sent me love letters. Or hate mails for that matter. I dont get stopped to ask for autographs. That million-dollar movie deal is still a distant dream. I haven't been invited to give motivational talks. My mother can't remember the name of my first book. #sgMS hasn't responded to my rather public proposal. I haven't been sued by anyone for throwing mud at their legacy.

So, life is still the same.

However a lot of good things have happened. People seem to have liked the book. Lot more than what I had expected. Most readers have been tolerant of typos and grammatical errors. Some have sent letters and I have made few new friends. So, life has been good.

In terms of writing, I am trying to convert the book in to a screenplay. A friend recommended that I write a love story - only because it sells! I may give it a shot. You think I must?

Apart from that I am working on my next. Hope to release it in Nov of 2015. But then, I cant really predict the future. Lets see what's in store in 2015. I am really looking forward to it.

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Author Interview: RV Raman

Interview

Question: Congratulations on your first book. While it is not unusual for corporate insiders to pen down the novels, revealing the murky insides of the corporate world, what in particular, inspired you to write this novel?

Author: The corporate world is a fertile ground for stories – both inspirational and fictional. It has a fascinating interplay of every emotion one can think of, and every kind of conflict. Fiction, after all, is about emotive conflict. I saw an untapped potential for crime fiction there, and decided to give it a go.

Question:  Has it been your deliberate attempt to expose and uncover the vicious and dark side of the corporate India, what with the elements of scams, treachery, corruption and crime intertwined together in a plot that leaves the reader flabbergasted?

Author: Not at all. I set my novel in the corporate world simply because that is the world I know best.
Fraudster in entirely fiction, where I have taken great care to ensure that none of the characters or organisations reflect any real counterparts. I do not believe anything has been exposed or uncovered in the novel. None of the events in the book would be new to bankers, corporate executives or the finance profession.
Corporate India is no more vicious or dark than any other field of human endeavour – films, sports, politics, fine arts, the fourth estate – take your pick. But crime fiction, by its very nature, focuses on the dark side of humanity. 95% of the people in corporate India are good, honest folk who are busy making a living and building a better tomorrow for their children.

Question:  How handy has your experience in the sector been?
Author: Very handy. I do not believe Fraudster could have been written without experience in the sector. Take the presentation Sanjay & Subbu make to Visht, for instance. It is grounded in a bank’s credit appraisal and risk management processes. Similarly, the modus operandi of the real estate scam is based on reality. A retired Senior Vice President of a large corporate group was telling me last week that 10x, even 20x, overvaluation of real estate is not unheard of. Nor are fires that destroy factories.

Question: Should the readers expect more of crime fiction with settings in the corporate world from you?

Author: I would like to write more. The next one is set in the Indian stock market, and should be very relatable to the common reader – more people dabble in shares than in corporate finance.

Question: Have / would you write any other genre of books?

Author: I also write epic fantasy that is not related to Indian mythology. It is set 25 million years ago when the continents were adrift; before the Indian subcontinent rammed into Asia and raised the Himalayas. It is called the Shinmah Series written under the nom de plume of Kevan Dinn.

Question: Who is your favourite author and book?

Author: Can’t name just one. In crime fiction, I’d include all Sherlock Holmes and Poirot stories, And Then There Were None, The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, Sphere and Congo. In SFF, it’s Lord of the Rings and Asimov’s entire Robot/Foundation Series. And in humour, it’s almost any Wodehouse (I am partial to Blandings Castle novels).

7. What are the most motivational/inspiring lines for you?

Author: Hmm … I wish I knew.

“This interview is a part of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program and Blog Tours.  To get free books log on to thereaderscosmos.blogspot.com“

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:

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Know More Inside Stories, Connect with The Author:

Twitter: @RvRaman_

Read the book? Write a review on Goodreads:

Book Review: Whole in the Clouds

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Hidden in the pages of Whole in the Clouds you will find the ticket to a fantastical new world, complete with trees that sprout children, shy unicorns, elves who move at dizzying speeds, inchworms who wear spectacles and a pudgy little girl who is magically transformed into an ethereal beauty.

An unhappy orphan, Cora Catlin is a misfit at best, an outcast at worst. She feels out of place in her life, as if everything is backwards and part of her is missing. But her long, tormented hours in hum-drum Harborville take a decided turn upwards when she encounters an elfin stranger who tells of a mystical world that awaits her atop the clouds. As Cora travels to her new home by way of a magical elevator to the heavens, she finds herself and her companion physically transformed. As if an entirely new body wasn’t enough to get used to, royal parentage, talking pegasus’, a raging war and an alluring love interest who just happens to be the son of her father’s greatest enemy await Cora as well. Exploring this new land alongside her devoted dog Motley, Cora will unearth wonders and secrets beyond her wildest imaginings. She will discover the meaning of true friendship, love and what it means to finally feel whole—Whole in the Clouds.


Author

http://www.twitter.com/K_Kibbee
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7797928.Kristine_Kibbee
https://www.facebook.com/Wholeintheclouds?ref=br_tf


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Kristine Kibbee is a Pacific Northwest native with a love of language, nature, and animals. Kristine’s passion for creative writing began in her early youth and led her to Washington State University, where she earned a degree with a concentration in professional writing. Kristine has since had works published in The Vancougar, The Salal Review, S/tick Literary Review, and she is a featured columnist in the nationally syndicated magazine, Just Frenchies.

From the small town of Castle Rock, Washington, nestled among 22 acres of towering fir trees, Kristine relishes time spent outdoors with her two French bulldogs and one husband. She dreams of making the everyday world more magical with her fantasy novels.

Whole in the Clouds is her first middle grade novel


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My Review:

Without any circumlocution, I will get straight to the point of review. As a young adult, this book let me relive my childhood fantasies: replete with all elements of magic and fantasy. Infact at a point I anticipated a feature of unicorns and Will-o'-the-wisp, well, I am kidding. Right there, I knew I am loving the novel, it was such a great escape.
For the first two chapters I thought I might just be reading another drag story of how a misfit teen battles with bullying and retreats into self-contemplation. But the turn that the story took was a welcome change.

Clouden, of all things, deserves a special mention. The place is a fragment of my childhood imagination, and reading the story gave me an inexplicable pleasure. A tickling tinge.

but when all is said and done, (and read) I believe that the plot somehow lacks the dramatic panache that such a novel demands. So, for instance, when Cora Catlin leaves home, a letter as a farewell seems highly inadequate. Similarly, she accepts everything very easily. Not that she is naive or credulous, but in a way that this is what she expected. Frankly, that bogged down even my enthusiasm regarding the plot. Which makes me question: if this book is not for adults, is it entirely for kids? I still doubt that too.

Also, I have scratched my brain a lot, but couldn't fit in the title convincingly with the book.

Still, I'd say that the book's best part is the descriptio of Clouden, and oh! what would I not give to live in those magical places again?

Disclaimer: Thanks to Goodreads and Amazon for the book cover, about the book, and author information.