The Tiger Throne: Kalki’s Ponniyin Selvan Retold by Preetha Rajah Kannan- Book Review

 Name of the Book: The Tiger Throne-Kalki’s Ponniyin Selvan Retold

Author of the book: Preetha Rajah Kannan

Genre: Historical fiction

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Preetha Rajah Kannan has written five books on Indian mythology, edited a translation of the Telugu Navagraha Purana and contributed to several newspapers and magazines. A homemaker and mother to two sons, she lives in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. 

She is like neighbour and homemaker next door, excited about setting up the golu next week. But the difference is that at 53, Preetha Rajah Kannan has not one but 54 stories sold in a book and that seems to have opened the gates for her in the literary world.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Tiger Throne-Kalki’s Ponniyin Selvan Retold is a historical novel set around 970 C.E. This book is a compact version of the Kalki's  2000 odd pages novel which was brilliantly written. It is about the Chola king and queens and princes and princesses and their friends and enemies. It has everything that one would expect in a historical novel from dashing warriors, beautiful princesses, secret passages, dark dungeons, sorcerers, spies, vengeance, romance and too many surprising revelations.

un PARENTING - Sharing Awkward Truths with Curious Kids By Reema Ahmad - Book Review

Name of the Book: un PARENTING- Sharing Awkward Truths with Curious Kids

Author of the Book:  Reema Ahmad

Genre: Non-Fiction

ABOUT THE BOOK

UnParenting is a great answer to every time you’ve ever wondered, “Is it just me, or is being a parent is actually challenging in today's time? Reema winningly leads us through the world of modern parenthood with both depth and breadth, in a voice that is insightful, relatable, and genuinely searching. Structuring her book, author weaves in her own experiences, her learnings and the story of people known to her, who have experienced difficult parenting and highlights what's changed and what hasn't to great effect. Reema split through many misconceptions of parenting with a great honesty. In her book, she has challenged the present notion of parenting competencies and hold on to a notion that parenting is not just about taking care of the child but being aware that we are bringing life on this earth and not just any commodity. 

By sharing her own examples, she has touched upon many issues which every parent by default faces in their lives while dealing with their children but are tend to keep under the hat for reasons only known to them, be it sex, consent, sexual abuse, trauma, divorce, bullying or body acceptance. Her tips on how to treat a child as an equal, being honest and speak your mind, empathizing with differences are very insightful and can help many parents. 

The book is very high at it's emotional quotient , that will navigate you through the murky world of emotions, self awareness, empathy and being grateful. 

MAYA - I BOW TO THEE, YOU CANNOT BE OVERCOME By Acharya Prashant - Book Review

Name of the Book: MAYA- I BOW TO THEE, YOU CANNOT BE OVERCOME

Author of the Book: Acharya Prashant

Genre: Non-Fiction

ABOUT THE BOOK

The book "Maya" is an assemblage of question answer sessions that Vedanta philosopher and teacher, Acharya Prashant has been having with diverse audience over a decade. As these audience come from various background the standard and depth of each session is enormous. Every chapter of this book is substantially based on these interactions. According to the author, readers would understand that "Maya " is the most scientific term and can be explained more explicitly. Authors explanation is deeply spiritual yet not confined by any tradition. 

According to the disclaimer given my him, the responses given by a teacher are customized and you might find some contradicting responses, the reason being, as seekers come from varied background and experiences, there cannot be one time solution for any problem. 

The book is divided into three parts, in first part "So Real She Looks" has 11 chapters, wherein author has explained who and what  Maya is. In the second part " She Conceal, She Reveals" has 12 chapters, here author reveals and give better understanding of Maya and in the last and third part "Only She Can Lead You Into Realty", has 14 chapters, wherein author talks about how to deal with Maya. Despite this demarcation every chapter is interrelated and as you read through, you will have better understanding of self. 

Ladies Tailor by Priya Hajela - Book Review

 

Name of the book : Ladies Tailor 

Author of the book: Priya Hajela

Genre: Fiction

ABOUT THE BOOK

With the partition of India in it's backdrop, the book "Ladies Tailor" talks about refugees who have witnessed and faced dreadful massacres but with their sheer perseverance made it to a better future. It is a story of one such refugee, 'Gurdev' who was a true patriot and believed in making big with fair means. People had to take some tough life decisions during that time that could have changed accepted patterns and relationships for life time. Separated from his family due to differences in ideology forced him to move away from them and migrated to India to build a new family of his own. But to his misfortune he could not hold them for too long. His wife fled away with his kids living him baffled and alone. That's when he engrossed himself in something constructive that could divert his mind from the agony he was going through. The story is full of uncertainties, adventures, suspense and hope that makes this story interesting and gripping and not to forget a bit of romance too.

Very soon 'Gurdev' founds his true passion and got into a clothing business with two of other refugees who shared the same passion. He also met someone special who was not just selfless but aroused certain feeling which he did not experience even when he was married. As they were majorly into "Khadi", an affordable hand woven fabric "Made in India" they realized they need to bring variety and their clothes lack the very important embellishment that can make their outfit stand out. And, the best people who can do this were two orphaned boys who lived in Lahore.

The Curveball by Colby Sharma - BookReview

Name Of The Book: The Curveball

Name Of The Author: Colby Sharma

Genre: Fiction

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Colby Sharma LLB., is a law graduate from the University of Liverpool, an entrepreneur and an international traveller dedicated to making the world a brighter place. This is his first novel.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Curveball by Colby Sharma is a thorough and thought-provoking page-turner. This book takes a seeker on a journey of self-discovery, not only by providing helpful strategies that encourages curiosity and introspection, but by also taking reader's hand and walking step by step through the journey of the main character. It is an extremely engaging book which gives reader a hope that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. The narrative brings out an interesting parallel between a game of baseball and the adversity one faces in their lives. Adversity is part of life that can make or break you, the choice is yours. The protagonist faces many adversities but instead of succumbing to that he has discovered his true self. It is a motivational read which guides you towards the solution that inspires you to take up challenges in life. The book talks about many life lessons that people have forgotten and need to be reminded. 

Author also manifests the importance of having a coach (in this book it's Spooky) in life who neither teaches you nor helps you but reminds you of an ability you already possess that can make your life worth living for. One of the best lesson he describes from game of baseball that is my personal favorite is- 

"Baseball is life. Its full of curveballs. Full of challenges. Every pitch is adversity. Everyone is threat. An obstacle. But look all of these adversities an an opportunity".

Kakori- The Train Robbery that Shook the British Raj By Prachi Garg - Book Review

Name of the book: Kakori- The Train Robbery that Shook the British Raj

Author of the book:  Prachi Garg

Genre: Historical Non-Fiction

The Kakori train robbery was a conspiracy weaved against the British Empire to help Indian freedom fighters achieve freedom as soon as possible. Ram Prasad Bismil ideated that the political dacoities must take place. He believed that the money belonging to the British government will help them purchase weaponry which will help them further on their way to freedom.

Navrang India

ABOUT THE BOOK

11 Best Indian Original Web Series To Watch - Web Series Review

Binge watching gained more popularity when the world was hit with corona virus pandemic. That was the time when we watched everything as a family. There are pros and cons of binge watching but it has definitely done more good to the OTT platform and people like us who look for different ways to spend more time with the loved ones. The act of bingeing content fosters a sense of community around a show, something that experts call it as "shared culture space". The common ground allows viewers to discuss and enjoy the show even with the people you can call it  "strangers".

So here I am with the list of series which are my personal favorites. 

The Family Man

Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video

Genre: Political Thriller

The Story of The Family Man is inspired by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's horrendous assassination by LTTE militants. The script gives you the glimpse of real life events and all the twist and turns makes it really thrilling and keep the viewers at the edge of their seat. The director have managed to create a gripping sequel which is not just fast paced but humorous too. 

Kota Factory

Streaming on: Netflix

Genre: Comedy Drama

Kota Factory is one of my favorite series. It showcases the life of young IIT aspirants who lend up in Kota, a hub of coaching

Princess & Prejudice (Devgarh Royals Book 2) by Alisha Kay - BookReview

Name of the book: Princess & Prejudice (Devgarh Royals Book 2)

Author of the book: Alisha Kay

Genre: Romantic Comedy / Fiction

Romance novel should have three basic ingredients to be successful, strong characters, compelling love story and steamy love scenes. And I must say despite being a new author, Alisha Kay has successfully managed to add all these three ingredients in right amount in her book "Princess and Prejudice."

ABOUT THE BOOK

"Women are meant to be loved, not to be understood." - Oscar Wilde

This quote sums up the whole story!

It's this simple law, which every writer knows, of taking two opposites and putting them in a room together. It's a yin yang situation that we don't often notice in our decisions but the author has tapped the right note. 

Princess and Prejudice is a royal romantic comedy Book 2 of the Devgrah Royals series. The protagonist Yuvrajkumari Jayshree Singh , princess of Devgrah and Dr. Aryan Sharma are known to each other from their childhood, as Dr. Aryan's sister Nivy  and Jessie (Jayshree) were besties.

Jessie and Aryan are always at loggerhead but deeply in love. They do not want to accept their feelings for each other. Is it due to his prejudice or her pride?, is readers to see. Through out the book you will witness misunderstandings and insecurities but when Aryan's sister engaged to Jessie's brother, they are forced to put all of them behind and that's when the love bloomed to its peak. The romance is passionate and flammable and same goes with their cat and dog fight. There is much good natured banter which I think readers will thoroughly enjoy as I did. 

Like any other love story there are antagonist who tries their best to create rift between the leads but towards the end everything get sorted. 

Though this book is second in the series but can be read as stand alone. 

The MAGIC MINDSET - How To Find Your Happy Place By Preeti Shenoy - Book Review

Name of the book: The MAGIC MINDSET - HOW TO FIND YOUR HAPPY PLACE

Author of the book: Preeti Shenoy

Genre: Self Help / Non-Fiction

BLURB

While positivity is about looking at the bright side of things, the magic mindset embraces and accept that it is not always possible to do so. Sometimes things get so bleak that our mind refuses to accept that there can be a silver lining. In this book, Preeti Shenoy gives you a set of principles for every area of life, designed to help us shift our perspective from hopelessness to hope, from despondency to joy, from cynicism to belief- a belief that change is coming and things are not as bad as it seem. Perfect reading for the difficult times that we are living in. The Magic mindset is full of tips, suggestions, fun exercises and practical advice on career, family, health, relationships, finances, social media, and more. It also includes inspiring stories and anecdotes from Preeti's own life. A cornerstone for all those who want to change their outlook. The Magic Mindset helps us build a purposeful and joyful life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Preeti Shenoy, among the highest selling authors in India, is on the Forbes longlist of the most influential celebrities in India. Her books include When Love Came Calling, Wake Up Life is Calling,  Life Is What You Make it, The Rule Breaker, A Hundred Little Flames, It's All in the Planets, Why We Love The Way We Do, The Secret Wish List, The One You Cannot Have and many others. Her work has been translated into many Indian languages. Preeti is also a motivational speaker, and has given talks at many premier educational institutions and corporate organizations like KPMG, ISRO, Infosys and Accenture, among others. An avid fitness enthusiast, she is also an artist specializing in portraiture and illustrated journaling.

Zero Day by S. Hussain Zaidi (India's No.1 Crime Writer) - Book Review

Cybercrime is a relatively new concern for law enforcement officials and for us as a layman. As the number of computer owners connected to the internet increases, so too does the opportunity for cyber crime. This book has fast moving narrative that reveals how being interconnected we all are through the internet can be a boon and a bane at the same time. 

Name of the book: Zero Day

Author of the book: S. Hussain Zaidi

Genre: Crime Thriller Fiction

BLURB

Mumbai is in a state of chaos, and all traffic signals across the entire city have stopped working.

Shahnaz Ali Mirza, head of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, receives an anonymous email claiming it to be a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. He quickly puts together a crack team that includes his protege, IG Cybercrime Vikrant Singh, and gets to work trawling the dark web for more information on this mystery attack. However, a move to bring forward the hacker backfires, leading to a second, deadlier attack on Mumbai’s lifeline, the railway system.

It is their first brush with cyberterrorism: a zero-day vulnerability in the Indian government’s system that could bring the country to its knees. Racing against time and investigating a case unlike any other, Mirza and Vikrant face the most dangerous mission of their lives in Zero Day.

5 Non-Fiction Books That You Should Not Miss In 2022 - Book Review

 " A non-fiction writer is a story teller who has taken an oath to tell the truth" - Russel Freedman

There was a time when I used to read only fiction as it used to take me to the imaginative world where I could just get lost and forget about all the stress I have in my real life. But after becoming a trainer and a coach I feel reading non- fiction books enlightens me with the specific idea of subjectivity. It also provides me with the knowledge in specific subjects which are my niche and helps me in learning new things with the supported facts. 

Today I am sharing five Non-Fiction books that have inspired me and helped me to be a better person but most importantly a better trainer.

Spy Stories : Inside the Secret World of the R.A.W and the I.S.I. by Cathy Scott-Clark Adrain Levy

Indo-Pak relationship is well known to all of us. Despite sharing linguistic, cultural, geographic and economic link we have a complex relationships due to number of historical and political events. But how many of us know the role of RAW and ISI. Spy stories has brought the focus back on the horrifying espionage between India and Pakistan. After reading this book you will know the working of bitter rivals Raw and ISI and the history behind them since 1960 to the present day.

Unfinished: A Memoir by Priyanka Chopra Jonas

HARSHA: The fearless warrior of Thanesar by Rajat Pillai - Book Review

NAME OF THE BOOK: HARSHA: The fearless warrior of Thanesar

NAME OF THE AUTHOR: Rajat Pillai

GENRE: Historical period fiction

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rajat Pillai is a Mumbai based software technology architect whose first book Chandragupta was a national bestseller. It was translated into regional languages and the movie rights were acquired by a global production house. He has ventured into different genres with novels like Dead Woman Writing and Yoddha, which have garnered critical acclaims from national media.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The book "Harsha " is about the ruler who was benevolent, energetic, just and active in the administration and prosperity of his empire. After the death of King Prabhakarvardhan and Queen Yasomati of Thanesar, Harsha and his brother had to face unpredictable challenges and animosity. There were series of tragic incidents happened after the death of their parents that had shaped Harsha's personality forever. And the most tragic was Rajvashri, his sister's abduction. At a tender age of 17, Harshvardhan was crowned as the king, who went on to become one of the greatest kings of India with an empire covering most of north India. The biggest challenge faced by him was, to rescue his sister from unfriendly lands and found himself stranded amidst political turmoil, unknown enemies, uncharted regions and altering ego. But despite less experience, his intelligence and self motivation made him the most popular King, whose reign was called as the golden period in Indian history. Harsha's reign was a period of prosperity, benevolence to all the regions, promotion of arts and welfare for the common man. 

An Insightful Session by Meghna Pant, Kiran Manral & Kanchana Banerjee on Relatability in Fiction #BlogchatterWritFest

A sign of good book is when characters make you feel intense emotions and the reason you are turning pages is because you are feeling things. 

The best tips come from people who have been there and done that. Blogchatter Writfest brings us some immensely successful and talented authors who have published number of books and are inspiring budding writers and authors. Today I am sharing an insightful session conducted by Blogchatter WritFest with Meghana Pant, Kiran Manral & Kanchana Banerjee which was moderated by our own Harshita Nanda.

When asked how does an author make a strong social issue the focus of the book, without making it moralistic or preachy?

All the author unanimously agreed that whether the character is a noble-hearted man or a thieving anti-hero , if you want your readers to invest in their journeys, you have to make your character look relatable. And what makes a character relatable, their humanity, the reader should be able to empathize with your characters. Some times you might have to add some humor, romance or thriller in the story to make it light and interesting. Meghna Pant added saying that women centric books that are focusing on any social cause still needs more acceptability and requires correct portrayal of their personality by giving narratives that takes feminism forward. 

" Women are neither Becharies, nor Krantikaries they are just normal Naaries" very well articulated by (in Hindi) - Meghna Pant.

Do author gets self indulgent in terms of plot twisting or language and how to avoid that and be more relatable?

According to Kanchana Banerjee, clarity while writing is the key. Writers do soak in all they see around. It is difficult to keep yourself aloof from the society and it does reflect in your writing but sometime you need to be little cautious and restrain yourself from being too self indulgent. Know your vision for your story and adhere to it with discipline. It is fine to play around for a while but don't get sidetracked from what's best for your story. Keep your writing crisp and powerful as possible.

Season 6 of BlogchatterWritFest: Connecting Readers with Authors #BlogchatterWritFest

Blochatter's Writfest has gained immense popularity and is back with an impressive line-up of exemplary authors with their revolutionary ideas. It is an online interactive space that brings together authors and readers. The participants, the readers and the followers can catch them live on Facebook. These live sessions will give readers an opportunity not just to listen to these phenomenal authors but can interact with them by asking questions which will be answered on the spot.

Books have been recognized as men's best friend in every corner of the world and literature is being celebrated for the kind of effect it has on our culture. Therefore I think Blogchatter's Writfest is a beautiful initiative and celebration of an art form that not just touches everyone's life but makes it worth living for.

Blogchatter's Tagline "Lets Talk About You" says a lot about their beliefs. So this platform does every thing to uplift the community and society as a whole. As you all know multinational giant Amazon has decided to saw off its Indian publishing arm, Westland Books. Blogchatter has taken a commendable initiative to buy these books from the stores and give them as giveaways. 

Why Should you attend Blogchatter's WritFest

• Meet your favorite authors
• Learn about new authors
• Promote and encourage reading
• Connect with like minded people
• Learn new skills
• A way to improve your writing
• Can be part of book launch 
• Act as a workshop for budding authors

What is in there for you

Achieving Meaningful Success- Unleash the Power of me! by Dr Vivek Mansingh - Book Review

Books have a power to transform lives or at least some part of lives. And when it comes to Self-Help books it does transform lives and also enriches life way beyond expectations. The book which I am reviewing today is one such book that will put the reader on a path where they can read, practice the strategies learned, and will be able to make improvements in their lives without having to ask others for help.

Name of the book: Achieving Meaningful Success- Unleash the Power of me!

Author of the book: Dr Vivek Mansingh with Rachna Thakurdas

Genre: Self-Help/ Motivational & Spirituality

ABOUT THE BOOK

The book "Achieving Meaningful Success"- Unleash the Power of me! by Dr Vivek Mansingh is a master piece of mentorship through all phases of life. Author has rightly said life doesn't come with an instruction manual but this book is an amazing instruction manual for life. The author aim is to mentor millions of people through this book. Most of the self help books focuses on achieving goals and to be successful. But this book talks about achieving multidimensional and balanced life goals by accomplishing meaningful success. Author has defined meaningful success as something that is holistic. Focusing only on professional goals and neglecting personal life results in unhappy people. Therefore Andrew Carnegie rightly said "if you want to be happy , set goals that command your thoughts, liberate your energy and inspire your hopes." This books comes as a handy guide which gives step by step instructions to achieve meaningful success.

5 Fiction Books That You Should Not Miss in 2022 - Book Review

Albert Camus ones said that " fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth", and with these words he perfectly encapsulated the power of the novel. Reading fiction broadens your horizon of imagination and creativity. I personally feel fiction helps me to understand other people's perspective and allows me to see the bigger picture not just about the characters in the book but in real life too. So here are five fiction books which I think you should read and explore, the world which you never saw until you read.

 Inseparable : A never before published Novel By Simone de Beauvoir

Thirty-five years after the iconic French philosopher's death, her unpublished novel was finally released to the world. It is a vibrant exploration of female will and friendship in world that is still, too often, intent on constraining both. It is a story of two friends Sylvie and Andree having contrasting beliefs and values, and looked at the world differently. While Sylvie was more independent, Andree was fully trapped in societal obligations. Despite their different nature they stood by each other. According to the author, real love can be found in our willingness to bargain regardless of the outcome and only when we know and accept its pleasure, with or without it's guarantee of Paradise, can we be truly free. The great feminist writer who was rebellious recounts her teenage crush for another girl in "Inseparable", is a passionate love and tragic story which can be called as her autobiography. The story is about her personal battle against the conventional expectation of the society, couldn't be published during her lifetime siting it to be too intimate, but saw the light 34 years after her death.

The Man Who Lives Underground by Richard Wright and Malcolm Wright

Success Vitamins for a Positive Mind by Napoleon Hill and Judith Williamson - Book Review

Name Of The Book: Success Vitamins for a Positive Mind

Author: Napoleon Hill and Judith Williamson

Genre: Self Help 

Recently I have come across this beautiful book "Success Vitamins for a Positive Mind" by Dr. Napoleon Hill. This book has over 700 success proverbs which is ideal for all those people who aspires to become successful in this complicated world. This book has proved to be my positive mantra during this pandemic and helped me in achieving things which otherwise looked impossible.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Success Vitamin is like a daily dose of insight in how to be a achiever in this fast growing world. This book has a power to conditioned your mind for positive outcome. It can contribute in healing person's financial, mental, physical, spiritual, social and emotional state, not just for a day but for a life time. The book assist in directing your thoughts towards positive outcome  and that leads to positive behavior. These short saying are sometimes called as auto-suggestions or self-hypnosis, but regardless of the name the result is that, when read or repeated out loud with enthusiasm they can actually modify your behaviour. These success vitamins can act as a missing ingredient that can lead to success. Each saying is a "truism", some which must have forgotten over a period of time, overlooked or covered up for the sake of convenience. So when you will read them you might feel, you already know it but at the same time you will detect the eternal wisdom of the saying.

Young Blood -Ten Terrifying College Tales by Chandrima Das - Book Review

Book Name: Young Blood

Author Name: Chandrima Das

Genre: Horror/ Thriller

Colleges and universities always strive for exceptional academics, outstanding athletics and impressive faculties and many more. In India we have colleges with rich history but as they say with rich past comes spooky legends, ghost stories, and horrific tales that point to the paranormal. The book Young Blood will give you sneak peak into all of these and much more.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chandrima Das has a B. Tech in Computer Science from NIT Durgapur and an MBA from IIM Calcutta, where she was awarded the OPJEMS and Aditya Birla scholarship. After a decade-long career in management consulting that spanned all the way from Wall Street, New York , to rural Bihar, she followed her passion for writing full-time. Her digital debut, The Talking Dead was a bestseller in the horror category. She's performed live at storytelling events with Tall Tales and Kommune, and was published in The Best of Tall Tales. Chandrima was born in Shillong, grew up in Guwahati, and is presently based in Mumbai.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Some colleges are said to be built on ancient burials sites, others were apparently seen some tragic and unexplained deaths. It is quite scary to know that so many colleges are supposedly haunted. Taking in everything from haunted building, to not so friendly wraith are as varied as they are chilling. Young Blood is a collection of ten such spooky and spine-tingling stories that are shared by the people who have encountered them. All the stories happen in well-reputed national institutions from IITs to NITs to other academic centers spread all our India, be it  Hyderabad, Pune, Delhi, Shillong, Shimla and Manipal.