LitFestX- Global Literature Platform- 23rd Oct to 1st Nov!!!

        4 days have already past but I would like to inform all of you about this magical Literature Fest which is currently taking place named- LitFestX. It is a new age global literature platform. 

 

           LitFestx brings to you an entirely Virtual, Social & Interactive Literary Festival!

           Your favourite authors, writers, thought leaders your way! On mobile, tab, pc.

        LitFestx is an initiative by LEAPVAULT!- The same group which also initiated India's first ever Non-fiction Fest. 

           I am personally promoting this literature fest because I have only associated myself with their Non-fiction fest which I found something unique and new. Similarly, LitFestX is the first initiative which is helping the readers hear their favorite authors speak on Youtube, Google Hangout rather than physically traveling somewhere to do the same. They can also ask questions during the live event and hear their author answering to their query. The good thing as of now is that because it's happening for the first time, not many people are participating which can help you in getting the answer of your question from your favorite celebrity very easily. 

            The fest shall go on till 1st November and until then, there are many more sessions with many more incredible personalities. 

              To follow the schedule and sessions--> CLICK HERE to access the official website of the Festival.

            My best wishes to Kumaar Bagrodia! 

 Thanks!

 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!! 

Manhattan Malhotras by K.N. Mystique (Book Review-4.25*/5) !!!

      I am just done reading another e-book of this year- Manhattan Malhotras written by K. N. Mystique. The book is released only in the digital format so you won't be able to purchase it's paperback version though it deserves to be put across the shelves in all the bookstores of India. As a debutante, Mystique have definitely impressed his readers with the kind of story he have chosen to tell in his first book itself. Though the book's basic characters are those who are almost in their teenage but still the kind of situations, scenarios and conditions they are facing makes this book a worthy read even for the good grown-up adults. And I would also recommend this book to the parents specifically. The author should be surely complimented of beautifully weaving the magic in this book which very carefully talks about the various problems that a teenager has to face because of their parents unintentionally.     

           Mystique's writing style is very simple and the sentence formations are also very short and crisp. Any beginner would love this book as his first because of the simplicity with which the author tells his story. To keep the story short, author have not described the conversations with the expressions of the characters and have directly mentioned the sentences only. Initially, I felt that it's a bad idea but later on, I found it deserving because over-description would have only added pages to the book rather than anything potential which would have improved the story line. 

             The best part of the books have been its characters- I do not have words to tell how amazingly author have portrayed that you find yourself attached with each one of them. The extremely good work is done with the main characters- Neha, Naisha, Tara, Raynaa, Aarav, Rohan etc. Because of the characterization, this book is whatever it is because a book becomes memorable only with good characters otherwise it's just another story to read and forget. 

           The climax is little filmy as everything starts settling down for each one of them but still, it makes the whole odyssey of reading this book much better. Coming to the drawbacks, the first one that I would like to point out is the alignment. The whole book is published without proper justification which makes the whole experience of reading little irritable. Coming to the story, I wished if author could have started the book little better than it is so that the effect could have been felt right from the first page itself because the story starts getting better only after 30-50 pages. Rest, it's a book which is worth reading and I give it 4.25* out of 5. GO FOR IT!

 Thanks.

 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!! 

Anything to Look Hot by Jas Kohli (Book Review-3.5*/5) !!!

         It had been a long time since I read a book published by Srishti Publication, one of the publishing houses which taught me to read books, before I picked up "Anything to look hot" yesterday night. The book is written by the debutante- Jas Kohli who has tagged this book as "Candid Confessions of a Plastic Surgeon". The cover page is interesting and makes you pick it up once to check out what it is really about even in case you are not interesting in buying any book on that particular day. The book is definitely different and reading about the life of someone about whom we haven't read much and very few of us have any acquaintances with any plastic surgeon has been a very fresh air between all the love stories and character-based tales.    

          Jas Kohli have written the book in a simple language and in the same flow without ranging the intensity with the scenes. As a plastic surgeon himself, he knew more than anybody else and therefore, you will feel that you are reading 60% autobiography and 40% fiction. It has been magnificent that author have kept the story based on the clinic life of the doctor itself and still manages to make his reader complete the whole book without getting bored. The characters are also developed beautifully and you can relate with each one of them. I just felt that author didn't describe many scenes which were worth a wonderful read and he have confined many good scenes in just few sentences. Also, I didn't find the conversations interesting. Whenever author tells a story, it's impressive but whenever he shares the conversation between the characters, you find it forced and boring. 

            Initially, it is hard to pick up with the pace of the book as the whole concept is little new for a reader but after 30-40 pages, the story becomes interesting and you want to know the role of medical surgeons in our medical system. Author shares many insights and also becomes philosophical at times to explain the work of these professionals. He also doesn't shy in telling that often plastic surgeons fall for their beautiful patients even after being married and ruin their family life. He also discusses how actors and actresses sometimes throw tantrums while sometimes stay over-friendly as they do not want to reveal that they have been under knives and scissors. Also many myths regarding the surgery has been cleared through the simple story that author have chosen as the medium to clear the air.

             Coming to the drawbacks- I felt the author could have made this book more happening and humorous as the theme allowed it easily but author chose to keep it too serious. As I have mentioned above, the conversations are powerless and few good scenes at which reader feels that he is about to read a sensational stuff, it gets over within a paragraph itself. Author could have easily turned this book into a thriller. It had the capacity. And I felt it little underwhelming as Nandini, wife of protagonist, is almost sidelined after the marriage as she has been one of the interesting characters of this book, you wish to read more about her. Even the daughter isn't discussed much. That's all. I give this book 3.5 (3 for the book and 0.5 for the new concept) stars out of 5 and it's definitely readable. Go For It! It's something new. 

 Thanks.

 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!! 

Playing It My Way by Sachin Tendulkar/Boria Mazumdar (Book Review- 4*/5) !!!

         To read Sachin Tendulkar's autobiography, I had switched off all my online activities, Whatsapp and every source of entertainment and disturbance. I wanted to read the book in silence and feel the emotions of the man whom we often refer as GOD because of the good and great qualities he possesses. It took me 4 evenings to complete this book and every day during office hours, I used to think of what he would have written about the match he played in so-and-so series. And the same evening, I used to read it and enjoy the details shared by Sachin. After completing his book some 2 hours ago, I have cried like anything reading about how he described his life post-announcement of retirement, his last two test matches and his reaction to everybody's love and respect towards him. But I didn't start writing it immediately after my emotional outburst because I wanted to review it just like any other book and not as one of my favorites even before I started reading it. :-)   

             Playing It My Way- the title itself tells us that Sachin must have written all about how he felt the Cricket should be played. And he describes it in the same manner. The book is also co-authored by Boria Mazumdar, whom I met in an event named "Salaam Sachin" where he told me about the book in process and I couldn't believe him. The book is written in the simplest language for the Indian authors. Nothing have been done to impress the Englishmen out there sitting to thrash anything done by Living Indian Legends. Sachin have mostly talked about how his life on the field and ground was. And it is quite expected from the guy who have never been in controversies that he'll not disclose anything just like that to get extra points. 

             He have discussed some controversial issues but made it sure that he does not hurt anyone. If you have missed out Sachin's innings and started following him after his career was already 12-15 years old or more, this book is definitely for you because it describes how Sachin started scoring initial centuries and how it became a habit for him in almost every series that India played in. After every chapter, the scorecards of important matches are shared through which you get an idea along with which players Sachin was a part of the team during that particular time. Sachin's respect and realization of his wife's contribution in his career can be easily deciphered in the way he mentions her in the book. Also as a father, he discusses how he has not been involved in his children's growth. Over all, it's all about what Sachin feels about his game and the important matches that India won and lost. 

             Coming to the drawbacks of the book- When you pick up an autobiography of someone like Sachin, you expect to read about the instances of his life with which we are not familiar with. Sachin have strictly created a boundary and talked with us only about the parts that we already knew about him through watching the matches, listening to him in interviews or reading media stories about him. There was actually nothing new in this book to know about Sachin if you have been following him and his Cricket. Similarly, I feel that the scorecards could have been added in the end of the book rather than serving as interruption between the chapters. Also, Sachin does not talk about some big events of how the middle-class boy felt when he experienced some extravagant and epic moments. That could have made the reading experience of this book more memorable than it was. 

            In the end, I would say that the best part for me was the discussion of how the man felt after announcing his retirement and how certain people made him feel special about his long career. I give this book 4 stars out of 5 and I wish I had given it 5 out of 5 but because this autobiography sounded like a Sports column describing every match that Sachin played in, I had to restrict myself from giving it the perfect rating. 

 Thanks.

 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!! 

Arise, Awake by Rashmi Bansal (Book Review- 4.75*/5) !!!

     

    Few authors are such that even when you have not read any of their work, they are your favorites just because you hear so much about their amazing work that you start liking and recommending them. Somewhat similar kind of scene I have with authoress, Rashmi Bansal. She was actually the first writer I met personally at the launch of her 2nd book, Connect the Dots. After that, I have met her 4 times in various events. I have read 3 of her books but had to leave them in between because of some urgent work co-incidentally each time. But the kind of affect those real stories of entrepreneurship made on me has been very impact-ful. Finally, I have read and completed reading her latest book – Arise, Awake.

         Arise, Awake comes with the tagline- “The Inspiring stories of 10 young entrepreneurs who graduated from college into a business of their own”. The book consist of 10 stories in which students got an idea while studying of starting some unique business and they didn’t wait but started building blocks by blocks and finally became successful as an entrepreneur. They not only touched 6 digits profit but even 7 and 8 digits in some cases. Each story is unique and the examples searched by the authoress to be featured in the book are incredible. Except one story, almost every story hit me and made me realize that there are certain things I do with very less amount of money or for almost free out of which I can create some small business and later on turn it into a big one like all these gutsy heroes. If the book has made this thought enter in the mind of its reader, it has become successful in its idea. And all the credit goes to the author for this.

         The way Rashmi Bansal describes these people and their stories is really very amazing. You will feel as if you are having conversation with the real people in live. After completing the book, you will feel as if you were in a conference where all these people have spoken just in front of you. In the books based on the similar idea, often author do not discuss that real angle which brought profit to the proprietor or businessman but it’s incredible to see the chemistry between the author and these new entrepreneurs where we get to read that exact formula or approach with changed things for them. This is what makes Rashmi Bansal’s books the most popular in the genre and favourite of everyone who have an idea but are waiting because of lack of knowledge of how to proceed ahead. If you are in college and wanting to own a business rather than working for someone else, do purchase Arise, Awake. This book is waiting for you. I give this book project 4.75 stars out of 5. 

 Thanks.

 ABHILASH RUHELA – VEERU!!!