Book Review: The Story of Us

Book: The Story of Us
Author: Megha Rao
Publisher: Juggernaut
Format: eBook (Read in Juggernaut App)
Genre: Fiction | Romance
Pages: 242
Price: 120 INR

Blurb: 

All Harsh has to find his lost love is a diary she has left behind and a few mysterious letters. When he does succeed in his mission, the truth is almost too difficult to bear.

My Rating:

Plot: 4/5
Narration: 4.5/5
Writing Style: 4.5/5
Character Sketch: 4.5/5

My Review:

Intense, heartbreaking and touching!

"The Story of Us" is the 1st book that I read on Juggernaut App. First of all, I am really impressed with the Juggernaut App. It is so easy to read a book on the App. You can easily highlight the quotes and sections that you like while reading. You can also interact with the author directly from the App.

Now coming back to the book, after a long time, I have read a beautiful story on Unrequited Love. The author has painted the pain of an unrequited lover with the most intense emotions. There are certain dialogues in the book that totally tugged at the strings of my heart.

The story begins with Raksha, the protagonist of the book who notices Harsh in London. Raksha moved away from Harsh to London after they had a break up. She was shocked to find Harsh, but soon she gets to know that Harsh has come to London because he was looking for Haritha's diary, which was with Raksha.

As the story progresses, we get to know that Haritha is missing. Harsh tries his best to find her along with Raksha. The only clues they have are some letters that Haritha keeps sending and her old diary.

The story moves between past and present as Raksha narrates about her relationship with Harsh which was a bumpy ride. One day it was good and the other day it was stormy with shouting and crying. We get to know that Haritha was Harsh's first love. After they broke up due to Haritha's conservative parents, Harsh started dating plenty of girls. He was unable to love any other girl because his feelings for Haritha did not change. He went into a relationship with Raksha because she was the most beautiful girl in his college.

Although Raksha loved Harsha truly, all he gave her in return was an abusive and tormenting relationship. After some point of time, Raksha moved away from Harsh. However, when Harsh asked for her help in finding Haritha, she could not say no because she was still madly in love with him.

Finally, when Raksha and Harsh finds Haritha, both of their lives completely change. To know why and how they finally find Haritha, you have to read the book.

Here are some lines of the book that I really liked:

With or without him, I was going to be unhappy. Seven years had passed, and I was still stuck in the same boat with no wind in my sails.

We were made to fall apart. And then fall back together again. That was how we were portrayed. The mismatched couple.

If you can love him, you can also love someone else. All it shows is that you are capable of love. He's not the one. And he's proved it a million times. Move on or it'll only ruin you.

I'd been drowning, but where had he gone after promising me that he wouldn't let me drown?

The best thing about this book is the way the author had given life to the three characters. You can actually feel for the characters. I also liked the way the book ended, in a very realistic manner. It was not a forced happy ending. The narration is great and the book is very fast paced. I completed it in a day.

For me, it is a 4.5 out of 5 because of the author's brilliant portrayal of heartbreak and pain. Highly recommended! 

You can buy the book from the Juggernaut App which is available in both Android and iPhone.

I got a review copy from the publisher for an honest review. The opinions are my own. 

Book Review: Panorama (A collection of short stories)

Book: Panorama ( A collection of short stories)

Author: Shilpi Chaklanobis

Publisher: Notion Press

Genre: Fiction | Relationships

Pages: 134

Price: 150 INR

Blurb:

A turbulent relationship between a mother and a daughter takes a sudden turn when the daughter stumbles across a past that she never knew.....

The golden period of a professor’s life is tainted by questions about his purpose until one night gives him all the answers he needs........

Desperate times test us all but when hunger drives a girl to do the unthinkable, her life changes forever..........

Woven around the lives of the people around us – the shy girl on the metro, your domestic help, your neighbors and perhaps even you – this collection of short stories will take you on a bittersweet journey that explores the spectrum that is part of any human relationship and all the complexity and chaos that secretly dwell within the homes and hearts of India.

Often laced with an element of introspection, the stories are sure to change the way you see the world around you… 

My Rating

Plot: 3.5/5

Narration: 4.5/5

Writing Style: 4/5

My Review

Panorama is a wonderful collection of 15 short stories penned by Shilpi Chaklanobis. The stories are about people we see around us every day. The author has captured human emotions like vulnerability, anxiety, love, fear and hope in a perfect way. 

The first story of the book "Wok" is a beautiful story of a mother-daughter relationship where the mother who works as a domestic help gives the excuse of not having a wok to her little daughter as she cannot afford to make potato curry every day. This story captures the innocence of a little girl who is oblivious to the difficult circumstances of her life and the love of a mother who is trying hard to protect her daughter from facing the harsh realities of life.

The second story "Peanut" moved me to tears. If you ever had a pet, this story will make you extremely emotional. 

The third story "The Thirst" is about how love can blind us from seeing the dangerous intentions of the people we love the most. It is about a daughter who thirsted for her mother's love all her life. 

Each and every story of the collection is rich in emotions. The way the author has delicately captured the nuances of human emotions are praiseworthy. One of the stories of the book "The Second Tsunami" shows how hunger can overpower love at times. Realistic and extremely hard hitting, this story made me think for hours after reading it.

In the story "The Example", we see how the success of a student made a retired professor believe in the success of his career. 

The only constant in life is change. When you see your best friend and soul sister completely changed in the flow of time, it can break your heart, especially if you have held on to the memories of your bond. The story "Meeting" is about one such meeting of two best friends after more than two decades. 

In the story "Before It's too late", the author beautifully shows the importance of living in the present moment. Here are some lines from the story:

In the process of winning the race of life, he had forgotten the basic rule of living. You have to catch the spring before it's too late. You cannot expect the freshness and aroma from a flower after it has dried. A dried flower ceases to spread fragrance.

I savored each and every story of this collection. The plot of the stories might be simple and ordinary, but the narration is definitely extraordinary. Panorama captures the various slices of life and leaves the reader with an array of thoughts. 

I would like to congratulate the author for doing a great job in Panorama. For me, it is a 4 out of 5.

Recommended to anyone who loves reading stories on human emotions and relationships.

6 Degrees-Game of Blogs (Video Review)

Book: 6 Degrees- Game of Blogs

Author: Team Bylines | Team Potliwale Baba| Team Tete-a-Ten

Initiative by BlogAdda.com

Publisher: Leadstart Publishing

Pages: 422

Price: 349 INR

Blurb: "As part of their #CelebrateBlogging initiative, BlogAdda.com, ran the first edition of Game of Blogs in September 2014. Five characters and their descriptions were provided. The objective was to write a fictional story revolving around these characters. Bloggers came together as teams and after three rounds filled with its own set of twists and turns, three stories made it to the end. The three stories in this book are a fascinating example of how one set of characters can have interesting lives with completely different dimensions. is a result of how collaboration can truly breed creativity in the modern day world of connected living."

Here is the video review of the book where I talk about the 3 stories ~ The Awakening, Entangled Lives and Missing: A Journey Within written by the 3 winning teams. 

Celebrating International Author's Day, 2016!

Sometimes, I think what my life would have been if my mother had not introduced me to books when I was a child. I remember how I was upset after a fight with my friends and complained to my mom that no one is talking to me at school. That was the moment when my mom introduced me to the enchanting world of books, saying that they would always be with me in every place and situation.

So true! Books, the most loyal, available and wise companion that a human being can ever get. I cannot even think of spending a day without reading a book.

When I am travelling, you can always find me with a book in my hand. I love travel books that add fuel to my wanderlust spirit and makes me dream of all the beautiful places in the world.

When I am going through a rough time and totally unable to figure out things in my life, books provide me the perfect escape to a fictitious world. I often read thrillers and romantic mysteries when I need an escape.

When I seek solace and motivation, it is again a few special books that can do the magic for me. During those times, I find comfort in those books that I have already read earlier and loved. Books of Paulo Coelho and Robin Sharma always provide me that comfort and inspiration.

Books are such beautiful things that you can also find a friend in the author or the protagonist whom you haven't met in your life. They can perfectly heal your wounds if you only allow them to. I remember that last year in July, I was lost and broken. That was the time I started reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. It is the true story of author Elizabeth Gilbert, who was lost, broken and dejected at the age of 30. So she embarked on a journey of self-discovery. She started her trip with Italy where she learned the Italian language, then traveled to an ashram in India to find God and finally landed in Bali, Indonesia to find the true meaning of her life.

I read the book for two months and when I finished it, I felt healed and rejuvenated. I found a friend in Elizabeth Gilbert as I could relate so much to her emotions. I also gained a lot of wisdom from the book.

Books let you understand love, pain, heartbreaks, friendships, bonding, faith and spirituality in a deeper way. They assure you that you are not alone in this. They make you understand people and life better. Every time I read poems of Rabindranath Tagore, Rumi, Pablo Neruda and Gulzar, I gather some new meaning to the dimensions of life.

There are many people who haven't discovered the pleasure of reading and therefore, they don't read. I feel really lucky to have discovered this pleasure at a very early age.

Books give a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.

Happy International Author's Day to all the wonderful authors out there! You make our lives beautiful and make me feel blessed to be an author in this lifetime.

For the International Author's Day Giveaway, I am giving away 3 e-copies of my Poetry Book "The Heart Listens to No One". 

You need to participate in the simple Rafflecopter giveaway. The names of the winners will be announced on 19th July here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here's an excerpt from one of the poems in the book.

This wonderful event is hosted by Debdatta Dasgupta Sahay

Book Review: The Devil and the Deadly Peace

Book: The Devil and the Deadly Peace (Tales of Khaga #1)

Author: Sindhura Chamala

Publisher: Kiwi Books

Genre: Fiction| Fantasy/Thriller

Price: 249 INR

Pages: 195

Blurb: PEACE OR DEATH?

The two great nations of Khaga are on the verge of a bloody war. The survival of Jalika, a neutral kingdom in trade with both, is in jeopardy.

After calling the Devil to his kingdom, the king of Jalika has passed away in the dead of the night. His death, a mere week before the Peace Events when officials from the two nations were to come together to sign a treaty that will exempt Jalika from the war, has set many wheels in motion.

As Jalika prepares for the Peace Events under the new leadership of the prince and his wife, all forces converge under the Devil's watchful eyes. Will the seventh day rise on Jalika bearing peace or death? 

My Rating:

Plot: 4/5

Narration: 3.5/5

Writing Style: 3.5/5

Character Sketch: 4/5

My Review:

The Devil and the Deadly Peace is a captivating thriller set in a fictional land called Khaga. The events of the place take place in the kingdom called Jalika. Just a week before the Peace Treaty would be signed by the two nations of Khaga, the king of Jalika passed away, unnaturally. The Devil understands that someone has conspired against the entire kingdom of Jalika and that the king has been murdered.

The story revolves around finding the murderer of the king and uncovering the conspiracy taking place in the kingdom of Jalika for years. The Devil joins hands with the Brotherhood and embarks on a journey to uncover the secrets lying buried in the corners of the palace.

As we read the book, several questions will be on our mind:

Who is the Devil? Why did the king call her? What is her relationship with the king?

Who can kill the king?

Who wants to destroy Jalika? 

Is it someone from the royal family or any outsider who has hatched the entire plan?

Just to know the answers to all the questions, readers would keep turning pages of the book. And the climax won't disappoint at all. 

The plot of the book is cleverly drawn and it has elements of suspense that will keep the reader on his toes. The narration could have been crisp and more interesting. The pace of the book is initially slow, but after you have managed to read half of the book, the pace increases, making you want to rush towards the climax to uncover the conspiracy along with the Devil.

The book is very well edited and I couldn't find a single editing error. The writing style is good, especially when you consider that it is the debut book of the author.

There are many characters in the book, but some characters will definitely stay with the readers. The Devil's character is perfectly sketched. Her curiosity and intelligence amuses you and at the same time, you would keep thinking who she actually is. The characters of the Prince and the Prince's wife is also well sketched. Another character that will stay with the readers is Little Brother.

One major drawback of the book is that it doesn't have a map of the fictional place, Khaga. Therefore, the readers would have a problem locating the places of Khaga in their minds. 

I would like to rate the book 3.75/5 due to the plot and the interesting character of the Devil.

Recommended to people who love reading thrillers set in a fictional place.

Book Review: Wreath and Other Stories

Book: Wreath and Other Stories

Author: Sangeeta Mahapatra

Publisher: Notion Press

Genre: Fiction| Horror/Suspense

Price: 250 INR

Pages: 215

Blurb: What is it that we fear? An evil presence around us, watching and waiting for a small slip, or the realisation that the malevolence is within us and has already made its move? 

Wreath and Other Stories will take you into a world that is slightly off its hinges- a bizarre, eerie realm. In short, a world much like our own, if only we would notice it. 

A dangerous obsession of an artist, a broken childhood promise, a birthday gift gone horribly wrong, a soldier trapped in a nightmare, a warning from beyond the grave, a writer's new lease of life in a "suicide central", a patient's struggle with insanity, a terrible crime in an idyllic artists' town, a man's record of his last moments, a bride haunted by her past... 

With grey characters, a creeping sense of dread, and a twist at the end, it will ensure that you go to bed satisfied, having had your fill of a world of wickedness and terror... until that world engulfs you in your dreams. 

This book will enthral lovers of horror and suspense.

My Rating:

Plot: 5/5

Narration: 5/5

Writing Style: 5/5

My review:

Let me first make an honest confession. I loved reading this book. The stories bewitched me, thrilled me and took me to a different world.

Now coming back to the review, "Wreath and Other Stories" is a collection of 10 short stories based on the theme of horror and suspense. The cover of the book definitely attracted me and so I applied for reviewing it on Writers Melon, but I was not expecting to have a great reading experience. I had read quite a few anthologies (based on horror and suspense) in the recent past and didn't enjoy them. 

The first story of this book "Red Moon" is about a broken childhood promise. After I completed reading it, I got totally hooked to the book. The best thing about the stories of this book is that you cannot guess the ending accurately. The author manages to surprise the readers 10 times in the book.

You are introduced to a character or a beautiful place in the starting of each story. You are then pulled into the world created by the author and then at the end of the story, you are surprised and shocked by the revelation.

Each story is very different from the other one. The author has experimented so much with the plots. She has woven a story based on a remarkable case of past life regression that enchants you totally. You also get to read a story about an artist's obsession on an advanced actroid. The writing is powerful and witty. The author has used different types of writing style in the book.

For example, in the story "Tick tock", she has used first person narration because it was necessary for the readers to understand a person's struggle with insanity. In the story "Deja vu", she has used third person narration so that the readers can empathize with all the characters in the story. 

I enjoyed reading all the stories, but my favorites from this collection are "Deja vu", "Red Moon" and "Malevolent". I couldn't find any such drawback in the book. So I would like to rate it 5 out of 5 especially for the author's storytelling skills and at the same time congratulate Sangeeta Mahapatra for writing this book. 

If you love reading tales of horror and suspense, then this is the perfect book for you. Get ready to be enthralled and bewitched by the ten tales.

'I received a free copy from Writersmelon in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.' 

Book Review: Chasing Illusions

Book: Chasing Illusions

Author: Utakarsh Jayant

Publisher: Frog Books

Price: 185 INR

Pages: 239

Blurb: This is the story of an honest, but befuddled young man's growth in the hazy real-estate sector of Delhi. Set against the backdrop of the rapidly changing social and economic scenario in villages of the National Capital Region during the early 2000's, it relates to his struggle under the omnipresent shadow of corruption, deceit, and swindling at various levels of politics and society in developing India. It speaks of his ultimate metamorphosis into an unscrupulous, cheating, and bullying goon, blind to right or wrong.

My Rating: 

Plot: 3.5/5
Narration: 2.5/5
Writing Style: 3/5
Character Sketch: 2.5/5

My Review:

Chasing Illusions is the story of the metamorphosis of an honest, confused young guy into a corrupted man who is blind to right or wrong. The blurb gives away the plot of the story and also its ending to some extent. Therefore, when you are reading the book, the only thing that you would like to experience is the process of the protagonist's metamorphosis. In this department, the author has done a good job. However, a fast faced narration could have made the journey of Ajay read much more interesting.

The narration of the book is clumsy and therefore, it is tough to finish the book in a few sittings. Despite being a bookworm, I found it difficult to get along with the slow and clumsy pace of the book. It took me quite a few days to complete reading the book.

Coming to the plot, the protagonist of the book, Ajay starts his career by working under Ramu Kaka, who is a corrupted man. He doesn't realize at first that he is being involved in various sorts of illegal activities by Ramu Kaka, but when the police arrests them, the picture becomes clear to Ajay. 

He goes into a trauma for days and then begins his new real estate business with his best friend at Gurgaon sector 129. The rest of the story is about how he becomes corrupted and greedy to climb the ladder of success, without any judgement of right or wrong.

The plot is different and quite realistic. Therefore, it won't be wrong to say that the story had a lot of potential. A powerful narration and better character sketch could have done full justice to the plot. First of all, the book had many characters, so it was necessary to make the characters strong so that they stay in the mind of the readers. 

Apart from Ajay, the other characters fail to make a significant mark. Even the scenes of Ajay and his wife Vidhi lack the warmth and chemistry. The bond between the two characters could have been shown in a better way.

Lastly, the book had numerous typos and editing errors that affected my reading. However, due to the different and realistic plot by a debut author, I would rate Chasing Illusions a 3 out of 5.

Buy the book here: