Book Review: Five Petals by Chinmayee Gayatree Sahu

Book: Five Petals
Author: Chinmayee Gayatree Sahu
Genre: Fiction | Short Stories
Format: PDF
Pages: 31

Five Stories of Five different flavors for a perfect monsoon read!

'Five Petals' by Chinmayee Gayatree Sahu is a collection of 5 short stories that will intrigue and entertain you till the last page. I loved the unique name and the vibrant cover of the book. 

The book begins with "Life: A Roller coaster ride" that at first, seems to be a college romance but turns out to be a story that says a lot about the unpredictable nature of life. The story illustrates what true love and friendship is. 

The next story "Quarantined with Family" is relevant and interesting. It talks about how we often take our family for granted while chasing our goals and ambitions. 

The third story "Dream or Nightmare" is a perfect read for thriller and mystery lovers. I loved the way the author has sketched the story with enough twists and turns to keep the reader on his/her toes. The revelation left me speechless. 

The fourth story, "Neetu and Aja" is a sweet and touching story of a granddaughter and grandfather. This story will make you nostalgic about your grandparents. The letter at the end of the story was very moving.

The author concludes the book with a romantic story of a resilient couple in their mid fifties "Beyond Borders" that will warm your hearts and make you believe in the power of true love. 

I enjoyed savoring all the five petals on a beautiful monsoon evening with a cup of tea. The strength of the author lies in her skillful characterization and gripping narration. In every story, there was at least one character that stayed with me after I finished reading the book. All the five stories are very different from each other and that shows the author's versatility. 

I would highly recommend the book to readers who love reading romance, drama and thrillers. You can easily finish the book in one sitting. So grab a cup of tea or coffee and savor the five petals (stories) this monsoon. 

You can download your free copy of the book here: https://www.theblogchatter.com/download/five-petals-by-chinmayee-gayatree-sahu/

(Free for a very limited time)

Book Review: Syra's Secret

Book: Syra's Secret

Author: Revathi Raj Iyer

Publisher: Become Shakespeare

Genre: Short Stories

Pages: 193

Price: 249 INR

Thrilling and thought-provoking!

Syra's Secret is a collection of 14 diverse short stories. Some of them are thrilling, whereas some others are philosophical and thought-provoking. Reading the subtitle of the book "Expect the unexpected", I envisioned each story to be a thriller. However, that is not the case with Syra's Secret as there are many stories that do not thrill you, but rather take you on a contemplation mode. 

Detailed analysis

The book starts with "Girl from Siliguri" which is the best story of the collection in my opinion. Right from the first line, the story grips you and keeps you wonder about the mystery. Nothing is as it seems. It is only in the last two paragraphs that you can connect the dots. 

The second story, "Syra's Secret" is another well-crafted story on the theme of online dating. Just like the earlier story, the author uses the first paragraph to grab the reader's interest. I completely enjoyed reading Syra's Secret as it depicts the bitter reality of internet dating, along with thrilling readers. 

The third story, "Charmi" is written in a clever way. You need to keep on reading in order to peel the layers and understand the plot. Centered on the protagonist Charmi, it is a compelling story about courage and justice.

The next two stories "Messenger" and "Mango Tree" do not try to thrill. In an endearing tone, they try to make the reader think about the choices of life. 

"Anonymous Caller" is another story that kept me on my toes. Viren gets calls from a mysterious woman claiming to be his wife. No one can track the mysterious caller. I enjoyed guessing who the caller can be along with the protagonist. 

The story "Village Hotel" will compel readers to think about karma and destiny. Beautifully written, it is another of my favorites from the collection. "Turmoil" is another thriller that perplexes the readers until one reaches the climax. 

Final Words 

I enjoyed the stories that were thrilling more than the ones that were contemplative. I loved the author's style of writing where she hooks you to the story from the very first line. As you turn the pages, you are given one piece of the puzzle. It was a delight reading the stories filled with suspense and mystery I am going with 4 stars. Recommended to everyone who loves reading short stories with a punch of thrill. 

Grab a copy of the book now!

Book Review: Love Sutra: Secret to Happily Ever After

Book: Love Sutra: Secret to Happily Ever After

Author: Urvashi Pahwa

Genre: Fiction | Short stories

Format: Kindle Edition

Pages: 170

Price: 65 INR

A unique book on modern day relationships!

Love Sutra: Secret to Happily Ever After by Urvashi Pahwa is a collection of 5 short stories on relationships. What makes the book stand out from other short story collections is that the author has given solutions for problems that frequently occur in relationships.

In a unique manner, the author has diagnosed the cause of the problem and prescribed some easy solutions in reference to each story. The solutions are simple and effective. The problems that the author has talked about in the five stories are common problems in a relationship such as boredom, depression, diminishing self-worth, oppressed opinions, excessive suspicion, excessive display of love and affection, loneliness, etc. 

All the 5 stories are well narrated. These are very real stories that anyone can relate to. The first story, "Cassanova's Lover" is about a girl who unknowingly falls in love with a Cassanova and gets heartbroken and later gets repeatedly blackmailed. The second story "The Rich Wife" is about a married couple where the wife feels lonely because the husband is a workaholic. The third story "Love Birds" is about a young couple who battles with insecurity and the need for personal space. The fourth story "Miss Belligerent" is a story that shows the importance of a supportive life partner. Love is not enough for a marriage to work; it also requires understanding, respect, trust, and support. The last story "Mr. Always Right" is about a dominating husband who never cares to listen to what his wife wants. 

Love Sutra: Secret to Happily Ever After is a quick and light read. It can be seen as a self-help book for people who are in relationships. However, the book doesn't sound preachy or didactic. I believe that young couples can learn a few things by reading this book. I am going with 4 stars. 

Book Review: ABCs of Horror

Book: ABCs of Horror

Author: Anmol Rawat

Publisher: Self-published

Genre: Fiction|Horror

Pages: 150

Price: 49 INR

Blurb:

You have been warned: This book is cursed.

ABCs of Horror is a collection of ghastly tales that binds different forms of terrors together in a riveting narrative, which feels as real as the entity sitting right behind you when you are home alone, getting freaked out by even a gust of air.

There is a dreadful treasure here for every reader: haunted houses, rise of the Devil, paranormal sightings, Voodoo, and much more. The author has put together promising stories for every alphabet that are guaranteed to scare you out of your wits and question the presence of the supernatural.

Pick up the book as the night crawls by for feeling those chills creeping up your skin and your heart beating out of your chest.

My Review:

ABCs of Horror is a collection of 26 short stories on horror. The author has written these stories during the A-Z blogging challenge in the month of April and therefore, there are 26 chapters on the 26 alphabets. 

Writing 26 different short stories on horror is definitely a challenging task and the author has brilliantly succeeded in it because all the stories are different from each other. Not for a second, the stories seemed repetitive or bland. All the stories have some shocking twist at the end, which kept me on my toes. I couldn't predict the ending in most of the stories.

In this collection, Anmol has written stories not only on ghosts and evil spirits but also on Voodoo practice, the rise of the devil, black magic, witchcraft, mutation and monsters. I read 2-3 stories per day so that I could savor them one at a time. My favorites from this collection are "Circle of Life", "In lieu of", "Killer Doll", "Planchette", "Sinister" and "Yours Forever".

In "Yours Forever", we can see how the effect of black magic stays even after death. The ending of this story gave me goosebumps. "Killer Doll" was scary. The way the author has narrated the incidents gave me chills while reading the story. I remember after reading this story, I was looking at my soft toys with suspicion. 

"Planchette" is another gem of this collection. The ending is absolutely shocking. "Circle of Life" and "Sinister" had the horror element ingrained from the very beginning. "In lieu of" is another favorite from this collection. It starts as a simple story about a married couple who have shifted to a new house, but the ending will surely startle you.

The narration of the book is fast paced and the writing style is praiseworthy. Readers can easily visualize the setting while reading the stories. Special mention to Pikakshi Manchanda for the crisp editing that made the book a fabulous reading experience. 

I also liked the way the author has finished the book. The last story "Zapped In" is about a bunch of friends who get a book, the first page of which it is written, "The Book Is Cursed". A very clever way to end the book, must say!

I am going with 4.5 and would recommend this book to everyone who loves thrillers and horrors. Trust me, you will love the reading experience. Read it on your Kindle at night and thank me later.  

Book Review: The Rude Tenderness Of Our Hearts

Book: The Rude Tenderness of Our Hearts

Author: Saket Suryesh

Publisher: Partridge India

Genre: Fiction | Short Stories

Pages: 110

Price: 350

Blurb:

Smith studying art at Yale, with a bright future ahead of him. He is not a man of half-measures. What happens when he falls in love? And who does he fall in love with? How much love is too much love? Surprise yourself with Love in Yale.Shiva is a man in mourning, an asocial man, even if great. What will a father do whose daughter falls in love with an ascetic and a warrior? How would she win in love if not by losing herself? Read to find how the story of Shiva and Shailputri ends. Sarthak is a modern man, with a modern family, trapped in the modern world. This day has seen him coming out as an undisputed winner in corporate warfare. He is rushing to meet those he loves- his wife, his daughter. What happens then? Will time bring solace or will he be Betrayed by Time? A soldier is beheaded on India- Pakistan border. His headless body comes back. Will his soul find its salvation in the patriotic reception he gets as a martyr, having served his country? He is an Indian soldier, he could belong to any country. Where is the resolution to the people who die in such conflicts? Are they great men destined for divinity or are they human, all too human, like me and you? Discover a different perspective of territorial conflicts in The Death of Soldier. These and three other stories are placed in different time, different worlds, with nothing but one common thread that runs across them, connecting them is a human heart beating across the book. Surrender to the magic of human heart.

My Rating:

Plot: 3/5

Writing Style: 4/5

My Review:

"The Rude Tenderness Of Our Hearts" is a collection of 7 short stories, each of which has a profound sadness and an air of melancholy concealed in its bosom. I really liked the choice of the title of the book and how it perfectly matches with the stories in the book.

The first story "Love in Yale" is a story of an artist's love for his creation. This story has thrill, longing and sadness in equal proportions. I loved the way the author has narrated the story, describing each and every emotion of the characters in a subtle yet beautiful way. This is one of my favorite stories of this collection. I found the plot unique and the writing unadulterated. 

The next story "Betrayed by Time" is a story of a person who has always been busy with his work, thereby neglecting his family. And just when he decides to rectify his mistake, he is betrayed by time. I have read stories on this theme recently, therefore the plot did not sound very unique to me. 

The third story "Shiv and Shailputri" is a mythological story about the timeless love of Shiv and Parvati. I liked the way the author has sketched the characters of Shiv and Shailputri. This is another favorite story of mine from this collection. The divine and pure love of Shailputri for Shiv is a delight to read. 

"A bloody broken moon" is a heartbreaking story of the helplessness of a poor father. "What Honour" is the story of honor killing which is equally heartbreaking to read. The author poignantly talks about the 2 social issues that are prevalent in our country. 

"A Sad Christmas" is another heart wrenching story on poverty. The last story of the book is "The Death of a Soldier" which is one of my favorite stories of this collection. This story makes us realize how we seldom acknowledge the sacrifices of the soldiers. Inspired from real incidents, this is a sad story of a soldier who gets beheaded while protecting his country. 

Here are some quotes from the book that I liked: 

"In love, we conquer by first surrendering the self"

"Time is so cruel, only love can make it bearable."

"Some nights are very heavy on human soul. Once we live through them, we can look back at them and laugh at our silliness." 

All the stories begin with a few poetic lines from famous poems that enhances the reading experience. The writing style of the author manages to touch the heart, Although I found the plot of some stories very simple, what I liked about every story was the narration. 

However, the turn off for me was the editing mistakes and typos in some stories that affected my reading pace. Typos like leave in place of leaf, by in place of my could not be overlooked. 

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves reading short stories that deal with human emotions. For me, it is a 3.5 out of 5.