Amidst The Tides Lies a Beautiful Island by Mangala Nagarajan (Book Review- 4.25*)!!!

   

   I am done reading the 3rd book yesterday itself. This is what happens when I get submerged into the world of books. No one can bring me out of it then. :-) And fortunately, the last book that I read yesterday which got completed around 2 AM was the shortest of all 3 that I read and also the best among them. This is the first book of the authoress and is self-published by the Partridge Publishers that is a sub-part of Penguin Publication. The name of the book is "Amidst The Tides Lies a Beautiful Island" and the debutante authoress of the book is Mangala Nagarajan". As it is said, some things look beautiful and perfect when they are kept short and sweet. This is what I can say about this book. Authoress has made it sure that her story gets conveyed to the readers in the most beautiful manner as possible. Some authors write a long book in a quest that readers will spend more time with them but this is a very long approach if your story does not need a lengthy narration. For this, I would like to bow in front of Mrs. Mangala.

           The writing style of the author is poetic. Every sentence is written with such a wonderful composition of words that you feel you are reading a poem. Even when the story is depressing, author hasn't written as something that can be called a book on Women Empowerment or the book that kept on pleading the reader to respect the women who go through these issues. The story was kept normal in spite of it being a depressing tale of many women. The way authoress has covered different scenarios without making the book look confusing is what makes this book readable. While reading, you can imagine each and every character because of the beauty with which the author has described each of them in the initial pages and even later on, while the story is on. 

           Right from the cover page to the last page of the book, you find a serene feeling to be attached with this book. You want it to keep on going and never end. The problem in which Megha gets stuck in the book makes us empathize with her. Her situation when she has to look after both- mother and younger sister is something which author has written very beautifully. A relationship between a mother and a daughter and even between sisters is portrayed beautifully. Also the relationship between an old servant and the master is described beautifully making you love the characters of Muthu and Nirmala no less. The way Vasundhara is displayed in the book, each one of us will find our mother in her or want our mother to be like her. This book isn't a non-living entity, friends, but its a living being with which I spent my last evening and this book is surely going to stay in my heart for a long time.

            The scenario when Megha tells a truth to her younger sister with all the fear of the world and finds her younger sister giving her strength is the most beautiful part of the story. When Bharathi meets her mother, that's another part which I'll remember for a long time. The last chapter of the book is the most beautiful thing and I just didn't want this book to end so early. Now, I want to read Mangala mam again and again. She is one author who needs promotion and attention otherwise we will lose a great author present between us. I will give this book 4.25/5 stars easily without any doubt. And I will recommend all the book readers to purchase this book and read as soon as possible because there can be nothing as delightful as this. This book was a level up than Preeti Shenoy's work as the genre in which she writes and this book is similar. Now you can estimate the power in the writing and story of this book. Go get it. :-)

 Thanks.

 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!

A Wild Rose by Uzma Jafri (Book Review- Coming Soon)!!!

     This is the second time when I would be reviewing a book even before its release. :-) Last time I did it with Sudeep Nagarkar's latest book and it ended at No. 7 in the Bestseller's List in its 1st week itself. No I am not taking the credit but I'm telling how happy it feels to see a book doing good which I reviewed before anyone else. :-) This time, I am done reading the unedited version of Uzma Jafri's debut novel that's ready to be released on 15th September, 2013. It's up on Pre-order currently and doing very well. Recently, Mahesh Bhatt sent a review of it to the authoress which she published on her site. The name of Uzma Jafri's first novel is "A WILD ROSE" which also has the tagline "Love Blossoms...Until The Thorns Prick". The cover page of the book is very intense that itself proves that the story is not so fine and it has some rough moments attached to it. 

About the Author

Though she belongs to an affluent Muslim family, Uzma Jafri has been brought  up  in  the  most cosmopolitan way. A commerce graduate from Delhi University with a keen interest and active participation in public speaking helped her to chisel a career in the media world. A television Anchor by profession, she glows as a human being due to the unconditional support and love of her husband and child.  

                

'A Wild Rose' is her debut humble attempt. Being a feminist at heart and in her actions, Uzma wrote this woman-centred fiction so that she could share her views with her readers. She is also a patron of the Non Profit ‘Serve Humanity Foundation, NGO’ which solely aims at serving humanity irrespective of colour, religion and culture.  

SYNOPSIS:-

Ritu Anand. Vivacious television anchor envied by many, makes the biggest mistake of her life. A man is at the center of it all. Who is he? And why is he after her?

Ritu Anand is a strikingly beautiful and wealthy divorcee, all of 25 years. None but her parents and best friend in life, Sumbul, know the truth of her divorce. Her career too, had gone to dust thanks to her failed marriage and traumatic ill-health. To the rest of the world, Ritu maintains a façade of still being married. In an effort to piece her life together again, she goes back to being an anchorperson after 3 long years… 

And a very important part of this new life becomes the enigmatic Anshuman Sinha.  Not very tall and with an average physique, deep hazel eyes and sharp intense features, Anshuman is dangerous and irresistible – he is the very picture of 'Ritu's Man'. The devastatingly dashing ‘casanova’ soon has the ‘love starved- Ritu’ eating from the palm of his hand and dreaming of a picture perfect life with him.

The gullible Ritu is soon weaving the tapestry of a picture perfect life, of a happily ever after with her lover. But there is her hidden past to deal with. What was the truth behind her sordid marriage? And coming to the present, what did she know about Anshuman at all?

Will this new life be the chance Ritu was hoping for? Or is this some deep, dark hell?

Has she fallen from the pan straight into the fire?

Is love blooming or have the sinister thorns torn the petals to shreds?

Watch the bookshelves for this fascinating book, a look at a different side to love. After all, are there really any guarantees in love for a happy life ever after?

The lyrical Urdu poetry of greats such as Ghalib and Momin adds an ethereal passion to the heartfelt prose of Uzma Jafri. A truly spellbinding book, a truly impassioned effort. 

   

    

 Thanks.

 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!

English Bites! by Manish Gupta (Book Review- 3.9*)!!!

          Recently, we celebrated Teacher's Day with full enthusiasm and respect for everyone from whom we got to learn something in life, about life or that helped us improve in life. From last two weeks, I am reading a book "English Bites". I have finally finished it now. You can not say that I was stuck on it knowing my reading speed but this book was certainly not meant for reading in least number of hours but to explore every page of it by taking as much time as possible. On the day of Teachers, I remembered the author of this book- Mr. Manish Gupta because the way his book has been helping me from last two weeks in developing my vocabulary and English is phenomenal. All of my regular readers already know that I learn 2 new words daily and keep on revising the words that are being noted down earlier. Though I have stopped using them on my Blog due to request from some readers who are Freshers in this language and read mine to start with the basics. Hence, you can know how useful and productive this book is to me. :-)

            "English Bites!" also has the tagline of "My Fullproof English Learning Formula" where Fullproof is being rounded off by a red circle. :-) Manish Gupta is a debutant and with this book, I am sure he is going to be followed by many fans who were waiting for an easy book that can improve their English. When someone like me who continuously work upon his English found this book to be a fresh way of teaching the language, you can predict how much useful it would be to someone who has not yet put an effort in learning the language. Picking up a Wren and Martin's grammar or Norman Lewis book may be a boring task for people but picking up a commercial novel with a debutant author being published by India's biggest publisher, Penguin, is the most interesting way of promoting the book in the genre. And the great thing is that the author claims guarantee that it's a useful book for anyone who is preparing for GRE/GMAT/CAT/XAT and similar competitive exams. He also claims that after the book is finished, 1000 words will easily be a part of our vocabulary. Yes, even I have noted down many words in my diary in last two weeks. 

     

      Author talks about his life in the book. About how he came from a vernacular background, how he changes his city, how he gets a friend, how they together start working in development of their language, how his grades start falling down, how then he faces interviews, gets job etc. With it, he keeps on talking about the only focus of his life- to improve his English. And that's something very unique about thsi book. Then, when you read any literary book, the writer and the publisher knows that a reader will be unable to understand at least 2-3 words every page but still they don't provide with an easy way to look for the meaning of those words. Manish Gupta has given a very good idea to all the future authors and the current ones too. On the page itself, he gives the meaning of all the difficult words which helps you in not picking up a dictionary or keeping it with you while reading this book. You don't even have to go to the last pages of the book to see the meaning in the glossary. It's on the same page itself. What more can you demand from a book?

           Manish Gupta's writing style is quite professional. I just found this as a limitation that might make a reader feel this book as boring. Little humour, sarcasm and satire could have worked in the favour of the book but author has kept it too professional and formal. Another thing, he kept it totally focused on learning the language, he should have included some other facts about his life too and could have talked about it in an interesting manner. With it, he could have continued making us learn new words. Another limitation that I feel is- the length of the book. It could have been short while a sequel could have been planned. But the pages of the book has also increased as the meanings of the words are given on each page so lets minus this drawback. Else, I would say that everyone who feels that he does not have a good vocabulary or even a basic foundation, can surely pick up this book. Author has written with too many examples. He has given too many facts that we don't know about the language that we use daily. He has talked about grammar without letting us know that he's teaching us the same. The trivia that he has mentioned every now and then in the book is the most interesting part of it. I just can't define in my words even after reading this book full of vocabulary that how helpful this book can be. :-) If you miss it, don't ever again complain that Indian authors are ruining the language as this new gentleman is here for us, for our good. :-)

Synopsis:

English Bites! My Fullproof English Learning Formula is the story of a man who goes from being tongue-tied in school to becoming a smoothtalking banker. Through a series of hilarious personal adventures and misadventures, Manish Gupta provides easy solutions to problems faced by language learners. So, whether youre a vernacular speaker, a GRE/ GMAT/CAT/XAT aspirant or just a language nut, English Bites! will expand your vocabulary and improve your verbal ability. It may even help you love the English language a little more! ? Add over 1000 new words to your vocabulary and figure out easy and effective ways to expand your word bank. ? Combine etymology, mnemonics, jokes and anecdotes to better your understanding of the English language. ? Differentiate between similar sounding words and learn to use them right. ? Improve your general knowledge with trivia that spans brand names, automobiles, fine dining, love, money, banks, science and B-school jargon.

About the Author:

Manish Gupta is a banking professional. When not crunching numbers he is busy engaging with and examining the vagaries and idiosyncrasies of the English language. He also likes trivia, travelling, adventure sports, delving into human psychology, and giving professorial discourses to colleagues, family and friends, and practically anyone who can give him a patient hearing. An engineering graduate from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh and an MBA from XLRI, Jamshedpur, he lives in Mumbai with his wife Deepali, a medical professional, and daughters Tamanna and Prakriti.

Thanks.

 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!