Love, life and all that jazz... by Ahmed Faiyaz !!!

            So, I have completed "Love, Life and all that jazz.." by Ahmed Faiyaz. This is the second time when I took a week to complete a book. Damn to my college and this MCA CET which has come as an obstacle in between. But, I may say that it is wonderful to read good book by taking lot of days rather than completing it in 3-4 hours. At least you remain with those characters and a very good story for many days. :-) This is the debut novel of Ahmed Faiyaz. This is what Ahmed says about himself "I am a management consultant by profession and work for the Health Authority of the Government of Dubai in a Strategic Planning and Execution role. I have in my previous roles worked for Strategy Consulting firms in Dubai and India. I completed my graduation in 2006 from the SIBM. It is there that I first realised that my love for the written world was not limited to reading books. I began my stint with writing and became the editor of a fortnightly business journal for management students called ‘Forthright’. I am also a qualified CA(my biggest battle till date) and began my career with KPMG in Bangalore before I left my job to pursue an MBA degree."

              Coming to the STORY (I am not writing it in my words as the synopsis of the book is itself true, so I am just pasting it here), Tania, an interior decorator in Bombay, is in love with Sameer but finds it difficult to manage her long distance relationship with Sameer ever since he moved to the UK to pursue an MBA degree. After five years of togetherness will their love last or will Tania walk into the willing arms of her business partner, Ankur? Sameer is torn between his ambition to spread his wings and begin his career in the UK and his difficult long distance relationship with Tania whom he is committed to. Does he choose love and family or his career? Or does a life-altering event change his decision? Vikram is fun loving, charming and affluent. While he is looking for meaning in life and what he wants to do, he supports and encourages his girlfriend Naina to achieve her dreams of becoming a successful model. 

            Can they survive the pressure that comes with her growing popularity and the demands of her glamorous career? Or does destiny have something else in store for Vikram? While Tanveer is hardworking and ambitious, he is also terribly insecure of himself and of what life has to offer. He deals with a demanding job and a difficult boss and the pressure of financially supporting his family solely rests on his shoulders. Amidst all the gloom, Tanaz, the daughter of his Parsi landlady is the one ray of sunshine. The two are in love but will Tanveer's conservative family accept a girl who does not belong to the same religion? Will Tanveer make his own decisions in life or will his insecurity and subservience to a traditional outlook alter his life in ways he never imagined? This is the journey of life in a new India where these friends support each other and evolve through their experiences and missteps in Love, Life and all that Jazz...

           Coming to the REVIEW, Ahmed Faiyaz has used a very standard language to convey the story of these various couples. I liked his way of narration. I liked his way of revealing each character and their current problems and also going through their background. He has almost given justice to each and every character of the book. Book is lengthy but it is worth reading. You can't miss a single sentence. He has written the story of these friends from college who have passed out in 2003. And the story goes on till 2008. So, you can understand that the book consists of many aspects of one's journey from being a college pass-out to a matured person in the dominating society and expecting people all around you. 

            The story of the book revolves around all the characters and each of them has different story. You keep relating yourself to every character in some or the other way and you end up crying after every 20-30 pages periodically. Some moments in the book are really touchy and palpable and BEAUTIFUL. The moment when Sameer leaves for London is emotional. The scene where Tanveer tells his Islamic parents about his affair with a Parsi girl, Tanaz is so true and real. The depression of Tanveer after that is perfectly narrated. It touches you. Sameer's return to Mumbai because of a bad news shivers me. When Tanveer and Tanaz tells Tanaz's mother about a good news, her reaction to it again makes you cry. And then, the beautiful moments in this book never ends. They are uncountable. :-) 

            I will recommend all of you to get 2 copies of this book. Keep one with yourself and give the another copy to your loved one. This book is not about Love affairs. It is about many aspects one sees in life. I am in love with this book. Definitely, a 4.25 out of 5 to this book. Go and get it. 

This review is a part of the http://blog.blogadda.com/2011/05/04/indian-bloggers-book-reviews" target="_blank">Book Reviews Program at  http://www.blogadda.com">BlogAdda.com

         Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU

If It's Not Forever It's Not Love by Durjoy Datta & Nikita Singh !!!

       Almost a month since I have posted a Book Review. I stopped it due to college works. But I read Durjoy Datta/Nikita Singh's "If It's Not Forever It's Not Love" today as I just wanted to read Durjoy Datta as soon as possible in any case. I know I don't like him sometimes because of excessive sex he uses in his books but still I buy and read him. :-) If you ask me how the book is doing, let me tell you that it is being ranked No.8 by Hindustan Times in today's edition itself. Durjoy Datta has already published 5 bestsellers. He has an average fan base of 1,50,000 readers which is quite huge if compared to other fiction writers (who have joined the league in last 5 years). Coming to Nikita Singh, she has two bestsellers in her name. She is quite young to publish book but still she has managed to write 3 books. :-) I should learn something from her and complete my first novel soon. :-) So, both the writers are quite fledged and settled in their field. They are no newcomers and hence, expectations are always high whenever you pick such authors. :-)


            Coming to the story, Deb(Durjoy Datta's favorite character) escapes death in the Delhi High Court's bomb blast that took place in 2011. But he visits the same place after few days of the incident. He finds a burnt diary. First, he thinks that he should leave it there as personal diaries are not meant to be read by others but then he thinks, the owner is no more and he could have been at the place of the diary owner; and hence he should know him and his story. He takes the diary with him. He starts reading it and he finds the boy and his love story interesting and very lovely. Now, he wants to let his girlfriend know that her boyfriend is no more and tell all what he thought about her. Deb's girlfriend-Avantika, friend- Shrey and Shrey's girlfriend- Tiya joins him on his journey of revealing all the pages and meeting all the characters mentioned in the diary. What happens throughout the journey, how these 4 adventure freaks gets connected to the story of the diary is what this book is all about. 

           Coming to the Review, Durjoy Datta is trademarked for the excessive sex elements in his book. I once thrashed his book in a review for the excessive sex and no-story. But his last book- You were my crush took away 3.5 stars from me because it had only story and no sex. I thought that Durjoy has found a new way of progressing a story. Coming to Nikita Singh, I haven't read her 1st book. But I read her 2nd book and it had excessive sex just as DD's book has. I acted like a miser and gave just 2.5 stars. 1 week ago, I said this to her that I am expecting less sex from her in her books and more story, but she replied to me that she has no interest in dealing with my criticism for her until I improve my grammar. She said it in an arrogance. I was shocked. A writer is being asked by her reader(who is known for his book reviews) to eliminate the part which readers are complaining about and the writer retaliates to it aggressively rather than saying "I will improve". And let me tell you, Miss Nikita Singh, even your grammar sucks. You haven't written something incredible yet. Ok? Nikita Singh is already out of my expectations now. No more buying her books. Enough. A writer who can't respect the readers is not a Writer for me. So, coming to the point, DD and NS, both has showed their talent in writing Sex in this book once again. Excessive use of sex has again made this book just another book of DD and NS.


            First, I would like to clap for Grapevine Publishers for printing this book in milky white pages with good font. Otherwise, now-a-days, publishers are using old-brown pages and the same boring fonts which kills half an interest of reading a book. Coming to the story and its narration, the initial pages where the trauma of Deb is described gives you a feel that something very fresh is coming in upcoming pages. The story of the diary begins in the same way as other love stories is being written now-a-days. The funny statements are used throughout the book which makes the book interesting. Some PJs are also included which wins. :-) Deb and Avantika's love story described in the book is what happens after both of them comes together. :-) And this is why, DD is our favorite writer. He always uses a different style to show the love saga of Deb and Avantika. The consequences of getting addicted to drugs/alcohols is perfectly drafted in the book. That's the best parts for me. I will remember the book for it. In particular, 202nd page made me jump off my bed. :-) 


           Now, drawbacks- I just want to ask Durjoy Datta that what does he wants to convey through Deb-Avantika's love saga in every book? That they had sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex and they died having sex one day? I am expecting something like YOU WERE MY CRUSH from you, buddy. Please try something different. Please. There is no use of publishing 6 books in 3 years. Take your time to write a book but write something new. Even the Sex scenarios between Shrey and Tiya fucked my brain. Then, Deb goes under a trauma because he sees how people dies and cries in front of him and thus he shows an attachment with the diary he finds at the spot. Later, at a place, he calls it a fucking diary. With something which changed your life, you will never call it fucking, even when you are too irritated at time. In the end, the book is just as the movie- Bodyguard was. Every exciting element is kept for the last 50 pages. Else, the first 180 pages is just another story. I rate the book 2.5 out of 5. 


  Thanks.


 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU

In Course of True Love! ...I am left with nothing! by SANJEEV RANJAN !!!

           So, I have finished 5th book on the 8th day of this new year- 2012. :-) I think I will complete my target of reading 50 books in 2012 in the first 6 months itself. :-) I am loving the speed. :-) So, this time I read "In Course of True Love" by Sanjeev Ranjan. The book has 209 pages. Its a typical Shrishti publication's book. Sanjeev Ranjan is just 21 years old. He is still in his last semester of Engineering. As per the love story which I have read in his debut novel, I think its his real love story with 10% of fiction in it. Sanjeev Ranjan is quite a cool guy and therefore he has written a very simple love story with 5% of complications in it. If it would have been someone like me or Durjoy Datta, it would have had only twists. :-) He has been into this Indian literature thing from a long time and hence he is fond of writing very much and he knows how to maintain it in future too. This boy of 21 years old have released his first book on 2nd January 2012 and I think I am the First Reviewer of this book as I have been for many Indian authors. :-) 

           Coming to the STORY of In Course Of True Love, its the story of the protagonist- Arush and his girlfriend- Aachankya. Arush scores 90% in his 10th std and his parents are unhappy with his result as they expected more. (Facepalm) He decides to shift to Bokaro for his Junior college studies as he may get nice education there. He moves there with his friends who scored above 85% but still less according to them. Again a Facepalm. :-) Finally, he gets admission in a college and he get acquainted into a coaching class too. On the very first day, a girl named Aachankya starts asking him his name, native and other things and giggles with her friends. He thinks that why are these girls talking to him. But, then, even he starts talking and one day he gets a proposal from Aachankya. He is surprised that a girl who is being liked by so many boys has proposed him. Finally, he accepts after a lot of confusion and then, a typical junior college love story begins. Get the book to know what happened in the end. 





            Coming to the REVIEW, Sanjeev Ranjan has written this book specifically for an age-class. The easy language used in the book shows that he has targeted college crowd as his readers and according to me, the college guys who have been reading love stories will like this book as it is a typical Indian love story. But a reader who has read a lot of varieties will find this book too simple. I found it quite simple. Sanjeev Ranjan has used some very good words and sentences in the book. He is new in this field of literature and hence I am excusing him for writing a simple love story this time, but, in his 2nd novel, I want him to write something exclusive. For a first time readers and for the teenage-love-story fans, this book is a perfect choice. The cover page of the book is too beautiful and I would recommend the author to keep the same cover page even when he gets a Bestseller tag.


            The story of the book is very simple. It has a twist in the end but throughout the story you get to read the love sagas of these two teenagers. You will get to read the telephonic conversations between the two, excitement of the boy as everything is a new experience to him- holding the hand, kissing the girl, reading a love letter etc etc etc. All the college guys who are interested in love stories can go for this book. Even the school guys who have never read a love story as their parents would have found them vulgar can also pick this one as it is a very decent love story. 


            Coming to the drawback- Lack of twists, Lack of humour and Lack of description. Sanjeev Ranjan could have made this book more suspenseful than a normal love story. But, initially when I picked up this book, I didn't expected much as he is just 21 years old and I wanted to see what he has attempted. He needs to put little more effort into writing and I believe that he will be up with a very good story in his next book. I have found this book Average. All the first time readers and school/college crowds can go for it. You may get into the habit of reading after reading this one. :-) 


            Thanks.


ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU