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Book Review

Book Reviews

The Camphor of Night by Samir Satam

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It’s been quite a while since I last read a poetry book that managed to strike chords in my heart. Little did I know that this short book of merely 118 pages will have such a devastating yet lingering effect on my mind, heart & soul. Words seem to fall short in describing my emotions at this moment. All transcendental feelings seem to perish when I think about writing a review for The Camphor of Night. This is a very good poetry book of hardly 118 pages. So considering the size, it took me a little over an hour to finish it. Now let me get down to the facts which will help me justify my point accordingly. The cover has been designed very well. The backdrop looks very good, it’s simple yet vivid. The dark and white theme along with the rider and trees enhances the overall picturesque presented here. It looks attractive and pleasant to the eyes. One of the very reasons why I picked this book up. The title is another important aspect that captivated me. It’s apt and sounds interesting. It gets justified with the content over the passage of time. From the very first page where the author leaves a note for the readers under the headline, ‘ode to an unfinished coin‘ to the ending page describing art as a loved child of restlessness and insanity. Samir Satam has a very unique, lucid and vivid approach to things. Let it be short notes, messages or poems throughout the poet. This fact gets accomplished effectively. It also gets accompanied by the sheer tenacity of the poems which are capable of capturing the underlying emotions lying dormant within our heart. The figure of speech and rhyming has been incorporated well in some of the poems in the book. Though I felt this compilation could’ve been added at many other places of the book as well. Nevertheless, it was a really good read. It’s been ages since I read such a fine piece of art. Overall, The Camphor of Night is a lovely read. My Rating: 4/5 stars .   .   .   .   . Also read: A poem that will fill you up with the nostalgia of your first time in Mumbai Do you guys love poetry? If yes, then I’m sure that you’re going to love this book and our section of poetry in Booxoul’s bookshelf, check them out here. Also, do let us know your favorite poetry book in the comments below!

Book Reviews

A thriller to keep you on your toes – The Correctors by Rahul Vishnoi

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2019 was a good year of reading. I’ve discovered a lot of great authors, and some of them are Indian authors. One such author, which I have recently discovered, is Rahul Vishnoi, a professional dentist and an amazing hobby writer. ‘The Correctors‘ is his second book. What an amazing book this has been! ‘The Correctors‘ is a story that has kept me on my toes from the beginning to the end. It’s spread across three genres: Suspense Thriller Comedy The story revolves around the most eccentric characters, such as the Bride, The Correctors, Ayan Bakshi, the protagonist Saayan Bakshi, and so on. The characters were so eccentric that they left a huge impression on me, and they shadowed my thoughts long after I read the book. No matter how you try, you just can’t turn off their strong personality. The style and narrative of the writer fascinated me mightily. Moreover, every nook and cranny of the narratives is polished to perfection, spell-bindingly gripping and smooth as butter. This pushed me to read on the run for hours to the limit. The beginning shocked me, Thenceforth, I was invested in the story. It was a maze of sudden twists and turns full of laughter and unpredictability, jolting me out of my senses. But the climax was shocking. What an ending author gave to this book. Though I have an inkling, that there might be a book 2 in the future, seeing how it ended. Furthermore, the language impressed me. Neither simple nor hard hard to understand. One can see clearly the command of English the author has in the book. Rahul’s book ‘The Correctors‘ has earned 5 on 5, for its high entertainment quotient and writing style. I recommend this book to every reader, who don’t mind reading graphically detailed suicide and torture scenes.⁣ What an incredible journey this has been. Reading this book. .   .   .   .   . Love reading thrillers? Then, don’t forget to check out our Thriller section. Also, do let us know your favorite thriller book in the comments below! Happy Reading 🙂

Book Reviews

The Mind Game By Devika Das

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Publication:  Blue Rose Publishers Page Count:  203 Review: Another Non-fiction book by this Author. Which I really enjoyed reading, because of its fast pace, non-repetitive and to the point writing style. Devika’s The Mind Game is a fairly straightforward Self-Help book on mastering emotions to achieve success. It is divided into 6 main sections that deal with the following: Emotions and their Management Understanding Behavior of People Recommends Simple Living Staying Happy despite the Circumstances Anger Management Promotes a Good Work Environment Do I recommend ‘The Mind Game’? I’m absolutely not a fan of Self-Help books. In fact, I tend to gravitate towards Fiction rather than Non-fiction.  Ergo, I had my doubts about this book too… as I have for countless self-help books. Needless to say, against my better judgement I started with this book. In the beginning, my mind kept wandering every now and then while reading, but after like 30 pages in, I kind of started enjoying the book. To be frank, I did not discover any great epiphany or find any major information that would transform my life, but then again, I guess it’s nice to be reminded of the small ways in which you can get back on track in case you need a reassuring hand. Probably those looking for a simply written book that gives basic insights might find this one useful. I loved the simplistic way of writing of the author. It was what kept me hooked to the book. Also, the points in the book were relayed in a simple manner. Overall, it is a good read. Readers who like to read Self-Help will surely love this book.   My Rating: 3.5/5 stars .   .   .   .   . About the Author Devika Das is simply described as a Passionate Writer, Theatre Artist, and Poet. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and on her website. .   .   .   .   . Also, read: Finding your G-Spot in Life Do you guys love self-help? If yes, then do let us know your favorite self-help book in the comments below!

Book Reviews

A Wonder Book For Girls and Boys: A Retelling of Greek Myths by Nathaniel Hawthorne

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Publication: Rupa Publications Page Count: 208 What do I think of this retelling of Greek Myths? A Wonder Book For Girls and Boys is essentially an Anthology of short stories based on Greek Myths. It features the well-known Greek characters of Medusa, King Midas, Pandora, Hercules, Pegasus etc. Nathaniel has very cleverly woven these myths into lovely stories adding his own special touch. As they are written as a narration by the 18-year-old Eustace Bright to the children of Tanglewood, he can get away with poetic license or rather what I would call the mythological license. Do I recommend it? Somehow, felt quite appropriate to read this book on the occasion of Children’s Day. It was like being transported straight back to my childhood Gulmohar Days. I thoroughly enjoyed this bit of a blast from the past and immediately recommended it to my Kid who is currently enjoying it. Now need I say more? It’s a 5 out of 5 stars read. .   .   .   .   . About the Author Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, and is known as one of the best fiction writers of America.  He was a master of prose style, especially of allegorical and symbolic tales, and this is clearly reflected in the characters he crafted and the psychological depths he imbued them with.  In his sketches, tales and romances, Hawthorne drew especially upon the history of colonial New England, and Salem during the time of his early American ancestors.  However, as a struggling writer during his lifetime, he had to resort to working as a customs officer in Boston and serving as the US consul in Liverpool, Lancashire.  He is known best for The Scarlet Letter (1850) and The House of the Seven Gables (1851). .   .   .   .   . Loved the review? Then, don’t forget to share it with friends who love books and trust me when I say, to everyone who shares this post, may your crush marry you someday.

Book Reviews

Feni Daze By Mathew Vincent Menacherry

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Publication: Vanguard Press Page Count: 346 Review Set in Goa, ‘Feni Daze‘ by Mathew Vincent Menacherry is a story of an ex-soldier Victor Gabriel, an aspiring writer meets up with his former girlfriend, the gorgeous and rich Ana at the latter’s behest in a final bid to reconnect. What follows is about their brief stay in Goa complete with a constant Feni guzzling Victor who seems to have a knack of rubbing off people the wrong way or maybe he just can’t get over the whole macho soldier persona. There’s a constant back and forth between the past and present as Mathew pieces together the complex character and justifies the behavior of his main protagonist. Plenty of intricate situations and characters add layers and layers to the whole back story. Do I recommend it? ‘Feni Daze‘ is a decent book that reads like a Hindi masala film with our Hero-the drunk with a golden heart, beating up the baddies as he goes about rescuing damsels in distress. Add to that his totally smitten, poor little rich girl, Heroine who ensures Daddy dearest takes care of any real messes that our Hero might get into. All in all, not bad and the title clearly says it all.      Rating I have rated it 3/5 stars. .   .   .   .   . If you loved this review of Mathew Vincent Menacherry’s ‘Feni Daze’, then get your copy of it on Amazon by clicking here and if you want us to review or recommend a specific book, then do let us know in the comments below or DM us on Instagram at @booxoul.

Book Reviews

Walking with my Soul by Jasbeer Singh

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Publication: Amazon Page Count: 46 Review As you all know by now that poetry is one of my most favourite genres. I love reading poetry books because life feels incomplete without poems. A solace I seek every time I am down. So, whenever I get a chance to read or review Poetry books, I pounce on them with both the hands. The reaction I had, when I got a chance to review this book was beyond rejoicing. Walking with my Soul by Jasbeer Singh’s a very nice poetry book, barely 46 pages long. So considering the size, it just took me almost no time to finish it. Furthermore, I like books that are compact in size because they give it a very lucid sense. Now, we’re going to get on with the book. Cover has been very well designed. It looks attractive It looks attractive and pleasurable to the eyes. It’s one of the many reasons why I picked up this book. The title is apt and it sounds interesting. It is justified on the basis of the content provided within. I loved the musings that accompanied many of the poems throughout the novel. The musings gave a general impression of what poetry is to arrive next. It really felt good while glancing through them. The combination of poems & musings on every page was totally new to me. They complimented each other as I progressed further in the book. I loved this concept and had a pleasant experience while reading it. However, I felt editing was needed. A thorough editing would’ve done the job. Also, rhyming & figure of speech needed considerable work to be done. Without a figure of speech, poetry seemed bland. Though the effort put into this book was evident, however, I still felt it could’ve been much better. The concept was good. Overall, a good read – neither too shabby nor too great! Rating I have rated it 3/5 stars. .   .   .   .   . About the Author Jasbeer Singh Born in Chithi singh pora, Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir and bought up in Jammu. Currently working as a software professional. Although he grew up with a dream of becoming a doctor, destiny landed him in the IT field. Traveling to different places and knowing different cultures always amused him. Reading and Writing poetry makes him what we call alive. His debut book is ‘Walking with My Soul‘ a sum up of some poetry and story mix up. Inspired to write more books especially storybooks. A dream to touch many hearts along the globe. Follow Jasbeer Singh on Instagram @iamjasbeersingh .   .   .   .   . If you loved the review, then get your copy of it on Amazon by clicking here and if you want us to review or recommend a book, then do let us know in the comments below or on Instagram @booxoul.

Book Reviews

The Rage Within by Chandrayan Gupta

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Publication: Notion Press Page Count: 222 Review One of the Radha Bose Series of Detective Novels by Chandrayan Gupta. Private detective Radha Bose and her associate Aditya Gokhale go about the mundane business of tracking people; usually, disgruntled couples trying to get evidence against their cheating partners in a bid to sue them for divorce. Just as Radha has been contemplating shutting down the Agency, octogenarian Mandira Kapoor steps into their office to get them to take on the 17-year-old cold case of her grand-daughter Sakshi. Allegedly Sakshi was kidnapped only for the burnt body to be delivered at their doorstep the next day, despite her ransom demand being fulfilled. On her last limbs, the old lady desperately wants Radha to help give her closure. As Radha and Aditya go about the case, they connect with retired Chief Inspector Vikram Rathore who soon joins forces with them to find the culprits behind the tragedy. In the bargain, they seem to stumble on way more than they had bargained for as the skeletons come tumbling out of the closet. Can the depressed, complicated detective Duo put aside their own demons and fears as they go about the business of helping out the old lady? Read and find out for yourself as Chandrayan weaves a web so sinister that it leaves you stunned by the end. Do I recommend it? This detective novel was quite a roller coaster ride with so many unexpected twists and turns that I was left reeling after the complex ride. Gupta has managed to lace in so many surprises and shocks that you really want to take up the next one in the series immediately. Rating This one deserves a 5/5. .   .   .   .   . About the Author Chandrayan Gupta A young law student and author. Possessed of an insatiable need to read and write, he published his well-received debut crime fiction novel Birth of a Duo at the age of 19. He is currently pursuing a law degree in Kolkatta and spends almost all of his free time working on his Radha Bose series of detective novels. Follow Chandrayan on Twitter @ChandrayanGupta. .   .   .   .   . If you loved the review, then get your copy of it on Amazon by clicking here and if you want us to review or recommend a book, then do let us know in the comments below or on Instagram @booxoul.

Book Reviews

N for Nourish by Pooja Makhija

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N for Nourish The moment I picked this book up, I was certain that life would not be the same after reading this book and oh boy! Was I wrong? It was amazing to know how so much of the wealth of information can be contained in such a tiny book. If you think Pooja’s ‘N for Nourish’ is a children’s book, then you are mistaken. It is a hands-on encyclopedia for our daily nourishment. It manages the rudiments or rather it gets to the fundamentals of nourishment and our dietary habits. Also, read: You won’t ever ask for the salad after reading this! ‘N for Nourish‘ is not what you call a ground-breaking book. No, It isn’t. However, it does make you realize, what you are eating or rather not eating. Moreover how you are abusing your body and mind with your eating habits. This book is full of fun facts and amazing pictures. Each brief chapter tells you about Nutrition, food to eat and when to eat, Activities, etc., with a short explanation. It takes a gander at the fundamental parts of eating – the amount to eat, and when to eat. This book is a reminder to healthy, which we may have forgotten in our fast lifestyle. And that is why we need a book like this to keep reminding us from time to time, about what we should eat and how. A must-read for people who want to know more about food and its implications and how it changes lives. The writing style of the author is simple yet the effect it has on you incredible. Since reading this book, I have brought about many minor and major changes in my otherwise toxic lifestyle. This book ‘N for Nourish’ is a must-read for everyone, regardless of their age. It has earned a 5 out 5 stars for everything this book contains. .   .   .   .   . I hope you liked this review of ‘N for Nourish‘ by Pooka Makhija and I hope you’ve already shared it on your social media feeds or on WhatsApp. So, just to let you know, we are on Instagram too and by following us, you can get bookish posts directly on your feed. If interested, visit our Instagram profile at @booxoul. Happy Reading! Also, try reading 5 insane (but true) things about Chole Bhature.

Book Reviews

God Chronicles: Of Swarga by Ranjit More

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Indian mythology believes that after death there is either SWARGA or NARKA, so we all wonder what SWARGA will be like…is it the same as earth or something beyond our imagination. How gods we worship live in Swarga? Do they have conflicts or it is all just tranquil? The Author, Ranjit More in God Chronicles takes us to the mythology world of Swarga where Indra is ruling with one absolute rule that no one should cross Line of safety. Crossing a mysterious line of safety leads to a penalty as death or ex-communication. But why? Does this rule is for the safety of goods or own convenience?. All of sudden Kratu – general supreme of Swarga, faces betrayal by king Indra. From one of the powerful of Swarga, lover of apsara-Menaka suddenly Kratu becomes nobody. All he is left is to find the truth of ‘Line of safety‘ or die mercilessly in Swarga politics. Somehow if he is unable to find the truth, then Swarga might end with the lower world. Will he be able to find the truth or fate has stored something else for him? My favorite character in ‘God Chronicles‘ will be Kratu for obvious reasons. The story revolves around him and the reader experiences his character growing from a loyal employee to a survivor of Swarga politics, a merciless fighter. But I would have appreciated if his personal life and love interest could have been elaborated little more to get invested with his character in depth. The latter half of the book becomes a little tedious as connecting with ancient names and characters becomes difficult. Also, I felt that it was a bit stretched. For this mysterious mythology novel, I will rate 3 out of 5 stars as it has a different concept. .   .   .   .   . I hope you like my review of ‘God chronicles‘ by Ranjit More and well, if you really did, then please share it na. Also, do let me know in the comments if you want me to review some specific book or write a book recommendation list and I, for sure will try to do that. Happy Reading 🙂      

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