Book Review

Review of Breaking Philosophy by Nishitha Bujal
Book Reviews

Breaking Philosophy by Nishitha Bujala

Breaking Philosophy Publication: Notion Press  Page Count: 323 Review: Poor little rich girl Sophie seems to have it all but in reality is one lonely child who yearns for a normal life.  This motherless girl who is the daughter of the mayor of the town finds solace in her books and her cat, Smelly. The sudden death of her father finds Sophie in a turmoil when kidnapped and confronted by a secret government organization; the CSES that claims that her dedicated father was a spy and a traitor. Filo Hardy, the daughter of an Indian father and Irish mother is left to fend for herself and her younger brother Sebastian who is her life.  Constantly singled out for being different, she finds an unlikely friend in the handsome Phil and a loving mentor in Indigo, who helps her get a job in his Yoga class at the Cen Tournament Training Academy. However, when Sebastian is detected with cancer, a visibly shattered Filo finds herself reluctantly accepting a fatal offer by the CSES. After all, it’s a question of life and death for Seb. The two young girls who are thrust together in an unknown environment find friendship, love, and support in each other. Faced with the humongous task to lead a team of 20 volunteers, Filo and Sophie discover their inner strength when forced to confront their common enemy. One so wily that this is definitely going to be a fight straight to the finish. Do I recommend it? Breaking Philosophy is an interesting book with a Game of Thrones meets Indian mystique feel. The young Author Nishitha manages to keep the whole taut roller coaster ride going right till the very end. The numerous characters and intriguing premises all add to the interesting mix with an additional romantic track for the two main protagonists- Sophie and Filo. Plenty of ups and downs in this book that keep you engage d till the very end. Rating:  5/5 stars .   .   .   .   . Don’t miss out: Music Men Also, do let us know in the comments if you want us to review a book or recommend some specific books. To get our bookish updates straight to your Instagram feed, give us a follow at @booxoul.

Review of Music Man Volume 1: Badoga by Pankaj Saini
Book Reviews

Music Men Volume 1: Badoga by Pankaj Saini

Music Men Volume 1: Badoga Publication: Notion Press Page Count: 298 Review: Fantasy Fiction As a child, though I enjoyed my comics and onscreen superheroes from He-Man, SpiderMan, SuperMan, Mandrake, Chacha Choudhari, Flash Gordon, Phantom et al; I soon outgrew them moving on to other stuff. Needless to say, when I opened up this one to discover it was a fantasy novel of a superhero named BADOGA, I wasn’t really keen on it. However, I’m so glad that I persisted in reading it. The first book in the Music Men Series introduces us to the Superhero BADOGA. Sartaj, an engineer from Haryana who shows streaks of violence during his teens, moves to Bangalore along with his best buddy, Vishal in a bid to stay out of trouble despite his doting rich dad’s protests. The boys strike up a friendship with Bangalore babe, Ranjana and soon the trio are inseparable. The story builds up further with other situations and characters being introduced until finally, Sartaj transforms into BADOGA, the reluctant vigilante. Question is can he really take on the burden of responsibility after realizing his childhood dream? As they say, be careful what you wish for. Do I recommend it? Pankaj Saini has managed to get to me with the build-up of his slightly flawed yet lovable protagonists Sartaj, Vishal, and Ranjana. I thoroughly enjoyed the back story of our superhero. The music and song lyrics add a nice touch. A promising novel that left me asking for more. I can’t wait to read about the next adventure. Taking inspiration from Clark Kent, Peter Parker, Bruce Wayne, etc. Pankaj Saini’s introduction of our very own desi geek Sartaj aka BADOGA does manage to impress. Behold another Superhero is born. This one has a million questions and doubts about his existence at that. Rating: 5/5 stars .   .   .   .   . So, that was our review of Pankaj Saini’s Music Men: Badoga. Love reading Fantasy Fiction? Then, don’t forget to read this: The Conspiracy Unknown What are your favorite fantasy fiction reads? Do let us know in the comments below!

Review of The Patriot’s Legacy: Forbidden Treasure by Apurva Bhuta
Book Reviews

The Patriots Legacy: Forbidden Treasure by Apurva Bhuta

The Patriots Legacy: Forbidden Treasure Publication: The Write Place Page Count: 302 Genre: Historical Fiction A fabulous treasure is amassed by the Rulers of the Kingdom of Allegiance. However as the kings succumb to greed and corruption, the secret group of Patriots is born. Over the centuries the bloodline of Patriots ensures that their secrets are successfully passed on through the subsequent generations. A motley group of seven youngsters from all over the world is brought together at the Convention Centre at Geneva where they meet the enigmatic Priscilla.  Identified as the Young Patriots, they are mobilized to be sent on a treasure hunting quest. The quest that will take them all over the world facing the most incredible situations that challenge their very limits. All this and more for a breathtaking sum of money. The Young Patriots pool in their resources and intellect in a bid to achieve the ultimate treasure. Hey, this could be their adventure of a lifetime. Of course, they have Priscilla and her secret organization helping them every step of the way. What they hadn’t factored in is the greed of the greatest Mafia lord of all time. Zuraan will stop at absolutely nothing to get his hands on the ultimate treasure. He waits to strike when the time is right. Will the Young Patriots survive in this cat and mouse game or have they taken on way more than they can chew?  Is all the wealth in the world worth playing with and even losing their life? Can they really outplay Zuraan in this game of life and death and truly getaway? Read and find out for yourself. Do I recommend it? An interesting book about a bunch of super-intelligent youngsters on a treasure quest. Forced to learn on the job, they track clues in the most amazing ways. Just as I started off wondering how the random 7 scattered all over the globe got together for this treasure hunt, Bhuta managed to pull me back and give insight about the background of the Young Patriots. It turned out to be quite an interesting and informative read with glimpses of the seven new wonders of the world. I’m sure it will be quite a Hit with the Target Audience- Teens and Young adults.  Rating: 4/5 stars .   .   .   .   . Love reading historical fiction? Then, here’s a book you shouldn’t miss: Traveller Inceptio Do let us know your favorite historical fiction reads in the comments below 🙂

Review of Finding Our She compass by Helen Owens
Book Reviews

Finding Our She-compass by Helen & Jo Owens

15 Life Lessons for Women Voyaging Toward Restoration, Reconstruction, and Renewal I am a fictional novel reader who avoids motivational, self-help books all the time. In fact, this is my first self-help book reading experience and reason is my own hair. After my pregnancy, my hair texture got changed from wavy to frizzy curls. Though it seems a petty issue it still bothers me. Most of the time I am in the same bun hairstyle. So, while my visit to the trichology center, I saw someone who was literally half bald. I didn’t talk to her but I wondered if with only texture change, I am so conscious then how she must be feeling and that is how I started reading the famous book “Finding Our She-Compass: 15 Life Lessons For Women Voyaging toward Restoration, Reconstruction, and Renewal”. Love is the compass of life As per my understanding, this is a motivational story cum self-help book. It’s about Author Helen Owens who is a hair-restoration professional who helps people who had lost their hair in special circumstances. Helen is giving us insight into her own life and career experiences which includes a few of her client’s stories. These stories reflect all-important relationships of our life like family, love and friends and all issues with these relationships like heartbreak, over self-analysis and trust. ‘I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship’ – Louisa May Alcott While reading this book many times, I have recognized that there is some part of me in those troubled women’s life or another way around. Helen teaches us many lessons like embracing self-power, self-priority; ignoring own negativity; avoiding toxic relationships and many more. This book is worthy of all your time and energy as stories are not only relatable and inspiring but also interesting. As a reader, you don’t get bored or feel bloated with over motivation lessons. Subtly this book changes somethings within us. I can confidently recommend this book to all age groups from 16 to 60. Also, this book is not only for women; anyone can read as there is plenty of takeaways. I would like to rate this inspiring book 4 out of 5. .   .   .   .   . Love reading self-help? Then, don’t miss this: Finding your G-spot in Life Also, do let us know in the comments, what’s your favorite self-help book? Happy Reading 🙂

Review of Unknown Trail by Vinayak Jawalkar
Book Reviews

An Unknown Trail by Vinayak Jawalkar

Title: An Unknown Trail Publication: Goya Publishing Page Count: 105 Genre: Spiritual Fiction The story starts off with the graduation of two unlikely friends Aditya and Sameer.  Aditya is the clueless drifter while Sameer the fitness freak seems to have a firm goal with his life all mapped out ahead for him. As it happens in life, both go their separate ways of getting busy with their respective careers and families. Five years later, a sudden encounter in the rain, has the two buddies reconnecting.  On a whim, they plan to take off on an impromptu trip to disconnect and regroup. They decide to embark on this journey of self-discovery by trekking to the Himalayas. The different people and situations that they face leave an indelible impression on each of them as they return transformed after their trip; each having found what they didn’t even know they were really searching for. Do I recommend it? A simple straightforward book by Vinayak Jawalkar who seems to have taken inspiration from his own experiences while penning this story adding a personal touch. Though there don’t seem to be any really intriguing or heart-touching moments as Vinayak drifts ahead while adding moments of mystique and spirituality, it does manage to capture the simplicity, kindness, and chivalry of the villagers. At times ‘An Unknown Trail‘ reads like a literal regional translation which was unfortunate and the typos add to the whole jarring effect.       Rating: 2/5 stars .   .   .   .   . Don’t miss: I married a Sanyasi  Also, if you’re on Instagram, then you can get bookish updates straight to your feed just by following us at @booxoul. Happy Reading 🙂  

Review of Supercop of Aryavrat by Mithilesh Kumar
Book Reviews

Supercop of Aryavrat by MIthilesh Kumar

I’ve been a huge fan of mythological fiction ever since I came across this genre. They have some deep meaning and they engrave different possibilities of all kinds. They make me want to explore all the nuances involved so that I can learn about ancient people, epics, wars, and cultures. This book is a retelling of Mahabharata as narrated by Lord Krishna himself. The symbolization of Vishnu in the form of a narrator marks a very good beginning to the book. And the author has justified the things thoroughly with the help of witty writing style along with contemporary storytelling. The writing style incorporated is very good along with a nonchalant flow of narrative that makes it quite compelling and easy to finish it quickly. Also, the presentation of each minor detail in a vague manner makes the pace quite good. Mithilesh’s ‘Supercop of Aryavrat’ felt like an autobiography, told by the Lord himself as he reminisces the various instruments and instances of his past life. The greatest testimonial proof and embodiment is the great war of Mahabharata. The insurmountable level of the scale of this war spans over the whole world itself. No wonder it’s been called the greatest battle of all time, the greatest of epics. The only drawback I felt was the inconsistency of the facts written here. I felt the writer modified & used them as per his own whim without paying many deeds to the actual reality of what happened exactly in the past. So I felt the overall portrayal was a tad bit biased. Additionally, Lord Krishna and other great warriors have been portrayed a bit sexually in the form of perverted beings which kind of irked me and it kind of irked me. Do I recommend this book? Overall, it was quite an interesting read and can be read once. My Rating: 3/5 stars .   .   .   .   . Love reading mythology books? Then, also read: God Chronicles- Of Swarga Also, do let us know in the comments below about your favorite mythology book. Happy Reading 🙂

Review of the book Walks Through Life: Stories by Santhosh K. Komaraju
Book Reviews

Walks Through Life: Stories by Santhosh K. Komaraju

I am the kind of person who is a habitual fictional novel reader. Normally many of us prefer lengthy novels that walk with us like a friend. For a change, I came across a book or better way to say compilation of a few short stories of Author Santhosh and it was a delight reading it. It reminded me of Sunday Newspaper short stories which give us some insight into people’s journey through tough times and their life stories. Pages: 136 Publishing House: Notion Press ‘Walks Through Life’ is a collection of 9 stories. I can’t classify them as short stories as each story is 20-30 pages long. Santhosh has ensured that every story has its own era and morals. There are many characters about whom I still think as if they are my long-lost friends. These stories take us to different phases of life as if every story is defining a new emotion. The stories were so poignant that I was swept off in the wave of the melange of emotions showcased throughout my reading. Few imperfect characters are helping the story to become perfect. I am mentioning all 9 titles as they are the first to witness the unique creation of Author Santosh Komaraju. The Hidden Kingship Divine Ax Blessing From a Curse A Letter From the Well Beyond the Bar Of Humanity Rise Of Motherhood Two Misjudgments King Of All A Gold Message For young readers, this book is a good start to their reading journey. As the debutant author Komaraju mentioned, somewhere these stories hint about Hindu mythology beliefs. Author Santosh believes that mythology stories not only describe historical events but also they teach us valuable lessons somewhere. Narration is like a descriptive and creative journey to ride on. Compelling, smooth and very intricately woven. But while reading, I sometimes felt that a few stories or a particular few segments were unnecessarily written or a bit stretched. Overall, this was a book, I enjoyed reading a lot. ‘Walks Through Life’ is a book, I’d like people to read it at least once. I would like to rate this imaginative creation, 4 out of 5 stars. I will be looking forward to the next book by Author Santosh Komaraju. .   .   .   .   . Love reading Short Stories? Also, read: Kaleidoscope of Love Or explore more of short story gems like ‘Walks through Life’, here. And hey, do let us know in the comments below if you have any recommendations. Happy Reading 🙂  

Review of An Extreme Love of Coffee by Harish Bhat
Book Reviews

An Extreme Love of Coffee by Harish Bhat

I never thought that a tea aficionado like me would write a review of a book with a pen in one hand, a cup of hot coffee in another. Yeah, I’m a tea enthusiast, through and through, and an occasional coffee drinker. I am one of those people who believes that good things happen only to those who have a cup of hot tea in one hand and a good book in another. But this time, my idea shattered into a million pieces, as I embarked on a treasure hunt in the Coffee lands, unknowing what I’m going to bring back from my adventure. I am still reeling in the throes of reading this magical coffeelicious book ‘An Extreme Love of Coffee’ written by Harish Bhat. It’s still hard to imagine how the Custodian Guardian of the Tata Sons Group and the Chairman of Tata Coffee LTD. can overwhelm readers with their very first fiction book, an adventurous coffee travelogue. An Extreme Love of Coffee’ is a uniquely conceptualized India’s first Coffee Book with a heady mix of adventure, travel, a bit of soft romance scattered here and there and no doubt loaded with loads and loads of Coffee. At the beginning of the book, I couldn’t get in touch with the plot for two reasons I think: first, it was a little slow (obviously, it needed time to take shape), and second, I couldn’t figure out the’ Heads and Tails’ of where the story was taking me (needs patience, baby). But after 30 or so pages, I stumbled down in the wonderland of delicious coffee and beautiful places. I was totally lost in the story, with only the aroma of roasted to perfection coffee Beans guiding me to my destination. I applaud Mr. Bhat heartily, the master-storyteller, for penning a story, for I could never have dreamed before that a tale could be spun around coffee in such delicious words and woven intricately into a book. I was enamored with the writing style, so sensuous and delectable. I could feel the genuine love and passion in every word he wrote. Published by Penguin Publishers, this novel ranges across the beautiful places where Coffee is worshipped and can be found in every nook and cranny. The descriptions of weather, landscapes, and coffee were done passionately and in loving detail. Reading the novel, was like sitting on my comfy chair, tucked under the warm and soft quilt in long winter nights at my Nani’s place and filling my lungs with the smell of the nutty aroma of walnuts, mild but deliciously bitter coffee. On this journey to discover coffee and treasure hunt, the characters of the book became my best buddies. Slowly but certainly between Rahul and Neha, I could literally feel the electricity of growing love. I could also feel the happiness of my Coffee Ghost found in the company of those two. So many characters flitted in and out of the story, each with their own little tale to tell. What an incredible experience reading this book has been. I miss my old friends already. I could go on and on about how amazing the book ‘An Extreme Love of Coffee’ is, but I got to stop somewhere, so to give you chance to check out the book for yourself. I say, go on, do read this potently heady Coffee book. Especially in this chilly season. Also, don’t forget your coffee while reading this book, or you will definitely going to regret it. My Rating: 5/5 stars .   .   .   .   . What do you love more? Chai or Coffee? Do tell us in the comments below and also, you can follow us on Instagram @booxoul and get book reviews & recommendations straight to your feed. Happy Reading 🙂

Review of the Book Rose's Bent Stem by Nomita Khanna
Book Reviews

Rose’s Bent Stem by Nomita Khanna

This year has been really good in regards to reading good books, compared to last year. I got to read some of the finest books by Indian writers, which is to be quite rare. Nomita Khanna’s book ‘Rose’s Bent Stem’ is one of those books that kept me hooked throughout. In fact, it turned out to be a completely well-executed surprise for me. Why a surprise, you ask me? Well, for one, I had thought it to be an average love story kind of book, but rather it turned out to be a psychological thriller. My favorite genre, you see… So imagine my delight when the book started taking shape in front of my eyes. I was in complete awe of her writing style. Intricate and executed well. The writing and the narrative of the book blew my mind off the walls. It was gripping, heart racing, a complete thrilling drama that gave me a jolt of shock so strong that I was rendered speechless. Furthermore, it was smooth as a flowing river and eerie as the nursery rhymes used in the book, which gave goosebumps. I could literally feel my hair standing on end. Moreover, loved the language used in the book, fresh, easy and free-flowing. I was lost in the story that was a maze of twists and turns so intense that at the end of the story, one had to remind herself to breathe deep and have a cup of hot tea. Though at some places, I thought it was stretched a bit long, and that kind of was off-putting, otherwise no bother. It is an amazing job done by Nomita. Penning a real-life story, that could have gone either way. It was a risk she dared to take. As I reckon writing a psychological story needs lots of details taken care of. The book is very vividly written in a diary form. Very graphically detailed. Ergo, not everybody’s cup of tea. I highly recommend this book to all who like Crime/Thrillers. This book has earned a 4 on 5 stars for its gripping story and strong plotline. .   .   .   .   . Love reading suspense thriller, then definitely check this book out and also, visit more of our suspense thriller book reviews and recommendations. Happy Reading 🙂