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Au Contraire, Mademoiselle by Indrani Mirajkar

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Au Contraire, Mademoiselle by Indrani Mirajkar When I had done reading the book, the first thought that came to my mind was ‘WOW’, how am I going to review such a book. Where there was no stronger character than the protagonist Rani, she single-handedly overpowered the whole book. Various thoughts were racing through my mind. And I am not even sure, in which genre does this book fall in. Blurb The story is merely an allegory to the protagonist’s battle with life in an attempt to establish her own unique sense of being and existing in the world as we know it! The world is a mere observer to the protagonist’s valiant attempts at conquering herself even as it judges and is forced to participate, albeit reluctantly. As the lotus tries to bloom in the quagmire of life, the world decides to call it a ‘#lousylotus’ for daring to bloom… It’s the story of Rani, who is a loner at heart. She joins a Law College in a not so famous place where people are stereotyped and discriminated, depending on their status. But Rani doesn’t give a hoot of what people think of her. Yes, She is not your everyday girl, she is different, very different indeed. She will do, whatever she wants to do regardless of what people think of her. Over the year she becomes an intimidating lawyer, and that also on her own terms. I don’t know if I liked the story or not! I know, I am sounding a bit confused, and believe me I am. For starters, Rani, the protagonist is too strong and lacks certain emotions for my liking. The plot revolves around Rani; it focuses on Rani at all points of time. Every now and then a few characters are introduced to support the story. The story, though, could have been better, but drags a lot during Rani’s court cases, which kind of went overboard for me. The climax kind of blew me off! I was really shook and wanted more from the Author. The story was left in a big cliffhanger. Long after finishing the book, I kept asking myself, ‘Why did Rani do this? What was the sane reason? Well, I hope the author writes a sequel to this book explaining what happened to Rani? And Why did Rani took this dastardly step?’. For me, it’s a 3 out of 5 stars read. You can get your copy of ‘Au Contraire, Mademoiselle‘ by Indrani Mirajkar on Amazon or Flipkart.

The Carpet Weaver by Nemat Sadat
Book Reviews

The Carpet Weaver by Nemat Sadat

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When you read a book and that book leaves a lasting impression on you and that in a way changes your perception towards life is what I call a ‘Book to keep on your shelf forever and Nemat Sadat’s book ‘The Carpet Weaver’ is one such book. This book brought forth my emotions in torrent. I was struck by the brilliance of the narrative. Despite the book being Nemat’s debut, I was left awestruck with an appreciation for his writing style, its pace, and its creative profundity. Book Blurb: Afghanistan, 1977. Kanishka Nurzada, the son of a leading carpet seller, falls in love with his friend Maihan, with whom he shares his first kiss at the age of sixteen. Their romance must be kept secret in a nation where the death penalty is meted out to those deemed to be Kuni, a derogatory term for gay men. And when war comes to Afghanistan, it brings even greater challenges-and danger-for the two lovers. From the cultural melting pot of Kabul to the horrors of an internment camp in Pakistan, Kanishka’s arduous journey finally takes him to the USA in the desperate search for a place to call home and the fervent hope of reuniting with his beloved Maihan. But destiny seems to have different plans in store for him. Intimate and powerful, The Carpet Weaver is a sweeping tale of a young gay man’s struggle to come of age and find love in the face of brutal persecution. Review Set in 1970s Afghanistan, ‘The Carpet Weaver’ is a coming-out story of Kanishka, amidst this pours political disarray. This is also a story of love that is a transgression, even in the high society of Afghanistan, where girls and boys mix freely yet homosexuality is frowned upon. This coming of age story is divided into three parts. Three important life-changing twists in Kanishka’s life, which as the story gradually progresses, so progresses the years, and we along with the protagonist escape the once peaceful land of Afghanistan to the refugee camps in the far off ranges of the Baluchistan in Pakistan and then to the US ‘Promised Land of America’, where he slowly starts to rebuild his life. This gut-wrenching book will take you to the places, you’d never want to visit. The pain and emotions throughout the book are as vivid as reality. But also this book is a lesson unto itself. However heartbreaking it may be, one has to stand for himself. I was equally elated – for Kanshka stood for what he was and, heartbroken – because he had to leave his family. This book reminded me so much of Khaled Hosseini’s ‘The Kite Runner‘. Both in their own way stirred us and showed us the stark reality of humanity. This heartwrenching story has earned a 5 out of 5 stars for the author’s sheer empathetic penmanship and the characters that were as alive as any of us. I say, read this fast-paced book, which will compel you to search for the answers, for this book raised many questions. .   .   .   .   . I so so recommend this book to everyone reading this review and for those who have already read this book, I would love to know your opinion of it in the comments below. Happy Reading 🙂

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
Romance, Book Reviews, Fiction

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

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During stormy stretches of September, now and then I like to read a good slow-burn romance book. And who doesn’t love to read the slow-burning romance in such a delightful climate? Everybody, right! Along these lines, I as of late picked ‘The Bride Test by Helen Hoang. This wonderful and sensuous read and it had taken me in its thrall. Helen had captivated me with The Kiss Quotient. It was one of my topmost loved at that time, thus clearly the desires were high for this book. Brace yourself for what I’m about to tell you, this book literally blew my lid off my top. It was better than ‘The Kiss Quotient‘ from various perspectives. A little about the book: Khai cherishes accounting and loves to keep his house and backyard messed up, just to disturb the hellfire out of his neighbours. He is also Autistic, has sensory issues and feels as though he can never demonstrate the “right” feelings or state the “right” things. Esme Tran has a little daughter and to meet ends together, she works as a maid in a Vietnamese Inn. She stumbles upon Khai’s mom, and she convinces Esme to go to America and charm Khai to wed her. She concurs in the expectation of making her girl’s future secure, and better her family’s conditions. Moreover, she is planning to discover her dad there. (He is an American Businessman). So, Esme and Khai live respectively for three months. She is attempting to woe him, and he endeavouring to repel her charm. Be that as it may, all through this she is discreet about her little girl with Khai and his Mother. The entire story has a cutesy charm. What do I think? Though a bit predictable like any other romance novel, Helen’s ‘Bride Test‘ did not disappoint me at all. In fact, it was charming, cutesy and bewitching to say the least. The narrative of the story is well detailed and thought of well. Every aspect of the book, from the characters to the written language is well structured. The best thing about the narrative is that it gives you a happy, glowing feeling well after you have read the book. And all that, in my opinion, is what makes a book a good read I was in love with all the characters, the moment they popped up in the story. Khai became my favourite with all his vulnerability and the beauty of his heart. Especially, I loved him more for his respect towards Esme and women in general. And Esme with her feminine charm and innocence won my heart. After quite a long time, I read something that made me cry, laugh and gooey at some time. ‘The Bride Test‘ is a 5 out of 5 stars read and I recommend it to all. Btw, what’s your favourite romance book? Do let us know in the comments below. Happy Reading 🙂

Book Reviews

This book is going to sweep you off your feet!

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A Man from Mandu by Manoj V Jain “So be careful in what you choose, in what you commit, and in your relationships with your studies, your work, your parents, your lovers, and friends. Commitment and responsibility come with freedom, ropes are binding us all, and you have to know which ones to untie and which ones to keep.” This is simply the Era where Spiritual Guru advances as Brands. What’s more, there is no deficiency in profound messages flooding our internet based life. Keeping this as the topic of the book A Man from Mandu’s author Manoj Jain gives his readers a fascinating story of Avishkar Baba, AKA #SadhuOfStories’ in his most recent novel. I have heard quite good praises for Manoj V Jain’s books, yet this is the first occasion when I read one of his books, and I should state, I was really dazzled with his varied way to deal with a storyline. He is one of the rare sorts of people who know how to interest and enchant his readers. What’s more, I was captivated by the minute I began reading the book. From the absolute first page, this book is going to give you a lot to contemplate over. The story is told through the perspective of Tarini, who is almost 40 years old and clueless about her career and life. A bet with her closest friend gives her what she looking for. A challenge. All she has to do is use her marketing skills to create a Brand Guru Avishkar Baba. Avishkar Baba, a new age guru who is gradually gaining popularity. Slowly, his band of devotees duplicates. And he meets them twice a month and keeps them mesmerized with his abstract stories. But the question is who precisely is Avishkar Baba, and what is his game? Is it safe to say that he is a conman, a storyteller or is he the real Guru? I was aghast after reading about how a Guru is rebranded and marketed. And how these Social Media help them grow. What I really liked about the book was its narration. It had a ‘magical realism’ quality. I was captivated by the story throughout. And the language used in the book is crisp, clear and easy to understand. The concept and the storyline of the book are quite unique. It has quite a few backstories, which are weaved smoothly into one story. This fast-paced book is going to sweep you off your feet. A must recommend for every fiction lover. For me, it’s a 4 out of 5 stars read. You can buy this book on Amazon or Flipkart.

Sidereal Destiny by Vaishnavi Sanoj
Book Reviews

Sidereal Destiny | A Book Review

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Sidereal Destiny by Vaishnavi Sanoj What if every move of your life is being governed by the distant stars and moon? A destiny governed by each word of an astrologer. Blurb Two couples, Arpitha – Aarush and Anand – Rashmi has no bounds. The only thing dividing getting them together is a thin boundary of caste, religion, social status, and Arpitha and Anand’s mother. A mother, who does not take a step without consulting star’s chart. Chaos reigns in these two couples’ life. But will they escape their fate drawn their chart? or they will fight their destiny against all odds? Review A true storyteller knows how to keep its readers hooked and in this case, Vaishnavi is a master in storytelling. Author Vaishnavi has given utmost importance to the plot. The twists and turns never fail to shake its readers from the very edge of the seat. The concept of the story is taken out of our everyday lives yet the way the story is told is simply astounding. Though the beginning of the story is slow but as you near the third chapter, the story takes the pace and hooks you to each word. I really enjoyed the narrative. It is so smooth, it enthralls you to keep reading till late at night. It is a very light read and yet potent. The author gives us something to think about throughout the story. A lot of thought is given to the characterization. Each character has a distinct personality. And some characters leave their imprints on you. However, there is a good balance of everything: characters, their emotions and the emotions in between. Do I recommend this book? Vaishnavi’s Sidereal Destiny is a perfect light read. Fast-paced and very enthralling. The written simplicity bowls over its readers and earns a 5 out of 5 stars. You can get your copy of ‘Sidereal Destiny‘ on Amazon. Also, read: The Patriots Legacy

Challenges of the Gods by C. Hofsetz - A nerve wrenching sci-fi
Sci-Fi, Book Reviews

Challenges of the Gods by C. Hofsetz – A nerve wrenching sci-fi

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Like me, do you wonder sometimes that the world we see around us is not real? Maybe it’s just our perception that makes this world what it is. Or maybe it’s our mind which is playing games with us? Or wait is it something else!! Like a superpower, sitting somewhere and making us do things which we are doing right now!! God!! Yes, maybe he is the one pulling the strings & makes us all dance to his tune. If you also had similar questions and Deja vu of an alternate life, this is the book for you. Opening Lines: The first thing that comes to mind is that the afterlife is overrated. Page Count: 374 pages Publisher: Wild Rose Press Publication Date: January 7th, 2019 In Challenges of the Gods, Author C Hofsetz may not answer all the questions we have, but definitely gives us a glimpse of the world/concept that we claim to have dreamt of many times. He also gives us a new perspective about the almighty God. What if God is not meant to do the right thing always!! What if he is a bad guy? What if he also makes mistakes and then tries to correct it like us humans?? Mike, the lead character, assigned randomly by the god to correct their mistake, is a perfectly funny and equally sarcastic guy all girls dream for. Whenever he makes an entry, he lit up the pages of the novel and cracks me up. When his love betrays him in the story, I am sure every girl reading this book will wish if only once she could be part of the story to meet him. But the entry of Jane will surely crash all their hopes. Mike & Jane’s compatibility is just perfect. Other characters also play their role well and never leaves you wondering why the hell they are in the story. Mike’s journey to complete his mission i.e.to destroy the alternate world is described so well by the author that you are compelled to turn the pages one after another. The language and flow of the story are smooth too. However, Mike’s soliloquy sometimes becomes quite lengthy & hence boring. Though the plot of this sci-fi is really good, it could have been short. Who doesn’t like a short gripping read after all? So, with an overall rating of 4/5 stars, I will suggest you grab a copy of this nerve wrenching sci-fi and start your new year by taking a step close to the future. Happy new year guys!! C Hofsetz Born: Brazil Website: https://hofsetz.com/ After working for several years as a professor in Brazil, C. Hofsetz moved to the United States and changed careers. Currently, he is a Software Engineer by day and a writer by night. Software engineering and computers have been his passion since he was a teenager, but he’s been reading novels for longer than writing code. One day, he couldn’t help it anymore. He wrote the first chapter of a book. How bad could it be? But things escalated quickly. The next thing he knew, he was writing yet another chapter, and then the next. He tried to hide it, but his family knew he was up to something. When they figured out what he was doing, it was too late—he accidentally had written a whole book. The result of this journey is the Challenges of The Gods, a story about a fantastic world of gods meddling with humans. .   .   .   .   . Love reading Sci-Fi? Recommend some books in the comments below and HAPPY READING 🙂

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