Book Review: The Secret Wishlist by Preeti Shenoy

Is it true that true love really still exist or is it just a cliche? Can a single kiss really change your life? 

The book unfolds the hidden secrets of Diksha, when she was at sixteen. Like any other girl of her age, Disha, finds her life revolving around school, boys and endless hours of fun with her best friend. However, all this changed one day, which put her to misery for the major part of her life.The novel starts with the present-day Diksha, who is 34 years old, the protagonist of the story. The book revolves around the character and with flashbacks she starts to tell her tale when she was around sixteen.

It starts with an innocent crush explodes into something far beyond her control. And, now after eighteen year, she finds herself at the crossroads of life. Urged by a twist of events, she makes a wish list. But, do you think this wishlist can help her getting her life back? Will she fall into the place to commit illegitimate things for the sake of her wish list? Or will she be thrown into the life of misery forever? Find out the answers by reading the novel by Preeti Shenoy, who has once again brought out an extraordinary story that tugs at the heartstrings, with insight and astuteness, as she explores the frail and fragile matters of the heart.The Secret Wish List is an enchanting, interesting, a racy tale about following your heart, hounding your dreams and the valuing the friendship in your life. 

My Take:

I personally like Preeti’s work for the fact that she is a great storyteller. She has a potential to create a magical story out of a mediocre plot and to some extent she has proved it. The plot itself is not much to talk about; as it is another emotionally inclined story of an abused housewife whose married life takes a toll on her and finally one fine day she stands up for herself and break the shackles that tied her, which breaks her free from stifling marriage. The first half of the novel seems to be repetitive and looks like it is just another emotional story like other books.

However, the second half of the novel that picks up broken pieces of the plot and delivers a collision. Preeti’s easy and straightforward narration along with her consideration to little details create a graphic representation. The characters are well-etched out and again and has delivered minute details about the behavior of the character, which has been carefully thought of. For example: In the initial pages of the book when Diksha joins a Bharatanatyam class, even though she wants to learn Bollywood dancing, yields to her mother’s decision. The character of Diksha has been shown as subservient and submissive. This detailed attention to the characters is the signature of Preeti’s writing style.

The novel is written in a flowing manner with simple and easy language, except for a few editing glitches that does mar the book otherwise.

A warm, heart-touching anecdote about a woman who tries to break free from her abusive husband and find her own calling. The novel is an enjoyable read! The book is available at lelobooks, an online bookstore in India.

Read this book? Now, what are you waiting for? Go and write down your wish list, you never know, how it can change your life.

Book Review- The Emperor’s Riddle By Satyarth Nayak

The Indian Fiction has struggled for over the years in the process of taking its position in the society and this substantial literature, incorporated with the genres like a thriller and mystery, which in turn has finally given a ray of hope to the Indian literature.

After devouring  the author Satyarth Nayak’s debut novel, you will get to imagine and realize how bright does the future lies for our young author and the Indian readers. As soon as you will open the book, you will be provided with the recommendations from Amish Tripathi, which will raise your expectations from the book. And, my dear friends, the book will not be a disappointment at all!

The novel by Satyarth Nayak, The Emperor’s Riddle has an intricately woven plot, which keeps shambling between uncovering a mystery with its roots buried somewhere in the past and the forgotten corridor of history of Buddhist epoch. The books like this often run the risk of being just another having one of those western plots, which is a revision work for the Indian audience. This is the point where Satyarth manages to catch the unawares completely. The book has all in it like history, mystery, sci-fi and philosophy, which is seamlessly intertwined into a plot, this is one book you will find hard to put down until you reach its climax.

The plot of the novel with its commencement will start tingling your imagination tingling. When in the story, the historian Ram Mathur is murdered under stimulating circumstances, his daughter Priya joins forces with the renowned mysterious author Om Patnaik to ravel the evidences in the form of riddles that Ram Mathur has dotted over different eras of history. Together, they set on the course of history with the dark forces together with shattering at their heels. They find the circumstances more complicated than they anticipated, Priya and Om are up against a historic wing that has taken a perpetual oath to look after the secret, no matter what it takes.

Start Nayak is a Delhi based writer, scriptwriter & journalist and has been honored in English Literature from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. His debut novel clearly reflects his interest and understanding in mystery. With much success and applause, which his first novel has already earned for him, I personally can hardly wait for more from our very own Indian Dan Brown.

The book is available at Lelobooks, an online bookstore in India. So, in order to get this literary gem by our very own Dan Brown, order now and get your book at your doorstep.

For more updates, stay tuned with Lelobooks, an authentic online bookstore in Gurgaon.

Book Review: Right Here Right Now by Nikita Singh

Right Here Right Now, penned by Nikita Singh is a tale of a seventeen year old girl, Kalindi, suffering from memory loss after a dreadful accident. The novel begins with a story of the protagonist, Kalindi, where in the scene, she wakes up and finds herself in the hospital. She turned completely in a state of shock, but to add to her shock, she found that she even has forgotten her name. As you will turn the pages, you will find her adjusting with the present and preparing herself for the future.

Will she be able to recall her past? We she be adjusted in her present? Will she be able to know about the cause of her accident? Will she be able to lead a normal life? Read the book and find all your answers.

“Reinventing yourself is harder when you don’t remember who you were. Kalindi doesn’t know what happened to her and—worse—she doesn’t know who she is. She enters her own life as if for the first time. Feeling like an invader, she meets her parents, friends and boyfriend. Everybody says her life was perfect, but she’s having a hard time accepting who she was, and the kind of person she wanted to be. She’s also got boards to pass—but she doesn’t remember anything she learned! And the recurrent nightmares don’t make it any easier.”

The good

The author, Nikita Singh has been in the profession, for many years now and has penned many books previously. However, the challenge with the book is its theme as the author has only written fictional romances in the past and this book, there is a change for the readers, which is however interesting with its name itself, let alone the story and its theme. She has very cautiously portrayed the protagonist, showing her dedication towards the work, which is really a commendable as the story rests on the shoulders of Kalindi. The story reveals the helplessness and misery with such a strength as will touch your heart. The book revolves around the main characters, yet the other characters have been well defined in the novel, giving them their own space.

 The book is indeed a page turner and the language used in it is quite smooth and will grip you till the end of its suspense. The dialogues in the book are relatable and humorous.

The bad

The theme of the book is undoubtedly very interesting but as you will turn the pages, you will start losing your zest to read as it all about a teenage drama. The book has been covered with more of the love life of the protagonist rather than her routine life and background. There was so much scope to explore the life of the protagonist, which the author missed in her writing. Then, there are some editing mistakes, which grabbed my eyes as it interrupted flow of reading.

The book is definitely a good weekend read, but will not linger in your mind for too long. If you are feeling like reading something light and breezy, then go for it, it will serve you well.

The book is available at lelobooks, an online bookstore inIndia, so just grab this weekend read and have a delightful holiday. You can indulge in online book shopping, which will give you a favor of getting your book delivered at your doorstep. Hurry now and place your order.

Book Review: #Girlboss By Sophia Amoruso

Just released two days back on May 6, the day I just got a first look at the cover. The cover of this novel has the author, Sophia Amorusi on it, the founder and chief executive officer of Nasty Gal, who is seen standing defiantly against a pale pink background, hands on hips, in a severe black dress that plunges below her rib cage.

The novel is #GIRLBOSS is deeply personal, yet universal. The novel is all stuffed with brazen wake-up calls 'You are not a special snowflake'), astuteness and candid annotations ('Failure is Your Invention'), and a profusion of behind-the scenes stories from Nasty Gal's meteoric rise, #GIRLBOSS captures a lot of space. The novel reveals the proven fact that in order to be successful, it is not necessary that the rank of your college need to be the best  or you passed out from a popular high school, rather success is about trusting your instincts and following your gut, knowing which rules to follow and which to break. Sounds pretty compelling! 

The author, Sophia Amoruso is an iconoclast within the society (and world of CEOs in general) along with her mix of insubordination and smart business sense, which made her organization shine out in the realm of the e-commerce.

The hashtag mentioned in the title suggests an appalling marketing scheme (“Millennial-speak? Perfect, you’re promoted!”), but among the profusion of leadership books which has facets like paunchy old men in power suits, #Girlboss strikes at shining out.

The book reveals the story of Sophia Amoruso, covering both her professional as well as personal life from where she lands up to the current position in her life. The author in this book has declared what to do and what to do when in the professional environment.

The organization of Sophia had earned the revenue of around $100 million in the year 2013, a ton of money considering that no one older than 35 or male seems to have heard of it. Amoruso’s only 30 years old, and her personal story is a big part of the brand.

The book reveals about the author’s personal life taking her point that she never went to college and indulged in a few unskilled jobs before starting Nasty Gal as a vintage clothing EBay (EBAY) store in 2006. Further, she took the name from an album by huff singer Betty Davis, whom she called as the “patron saint of badass women.” By 2010, Amoruso gave up vintage and took her business to what it is today, a trendy shopping site aimed at women who like to show a little (a lot of) skin.

The aim of penning down #Girlboss is to empower those slightly seditious twentysomethings paying $100 for Nasty Gal crop tops and sheer-paneled attires. In the words of Amoruso, #Girlboss as “someone who’s in charge of her own life. She gets what she wants because she works for it.” She has also mentioned that the book “will not teach you how to get rich quick, break into the fashion industry, or start a business. It is not a feminist manifesto nor a memoir.” Instead, it will instruct you how to “project yourself into an awesome life where you can do whatever you want.”

Amoruso’s sexy attire fits with the aesthetic of Nasty Gal, a popular online merchant selling clothes, shoes, and accessories to a crowd of young women who call themselves, unironically, as nasty gals.

Sophia, in the book has also given some advice which should be considered  as during interviews, don’t dress “like you’re headed to a nightclub instead of a job interview,” i.e., don’t wear anything from Nasty Gal, as well as interstitial first-person chapters by other #Girlbosses, such as the Man Repeller fashion blogger Leandra Medine and Refinery29 Editor-in-Chief Christene Barberich.

Amoruso is like any other modern girl who is chatty, confident  and confessional, which makes it clear why young women admire her. This is a delightful treat for the modern day women as it will take you into the life of a successful company, whose boss is pretty and has a Porsche and nice clothes. She relates to every modest woman out there, admitting to constantly feeling overwhelmed and uncertain in business situations. She writes “I felt like a fraud for a long time”. “As if there was no way in hell I was qualified.”

The author leaves a message for the girls to work hard and make your dreams come true. Don’t let men tread heavily all over you. Mothers out there, it is a must-buy for your growing 21st century daughters. So, just grab #Girlboss for your daughter and then try to keep her away from Nasty Gal. Available at lelobooks, one of the best online store in India. 

Calcutta Chromosome: In The Dark Lanes of Calcutta through the eyes of Amitav Ghosh

Amitav Ghosh is a renowned name and has been included in many literary conversations. However, with my staunch nature of sticking up with my favorite authors and not experimenting with other author’s reading and only recently I learnt to unwind my sensibilities and susceptibility so much so to venture out for new writings and there I got intrigued by the legendary and literary works of Amitav Ghosh.

Amitav Ghosh’s third novel, “ Calcutta Chromosome was published in the year 1996 which stands to be as one of his attempts to write some over science fiction thriller which is comprised of multiple timelines. Hyped as a novel of of vehemence, hallucination & innovation, Calcutta Chromosome is an exceptional novel as any other book by Amitav Ghosh.

“Every city has its secrets, but Calcutta, whose vocation is excess, has so many that it is more secret than any other…”

Sometime in life it happens when silence seems to be deafening, for that matter, I would like to add that who knows about the things that lay behind the shut mouths. The novel is all about inexplicable and the mystifying depths of things, which acts as a backdrop of life in the novel while playing their roles, respectively.The novel is an intriguing mix of religion, myth, science, history, mystery and lots more. Ghosh loves to experiment and the best part is that his readers are aware of it.

Everytime writer comes up with something new through his books, which tells about his outlook towards life which is altogether very refreshing and intriguing.

The Calcutta Chromosome is an alternative interpretation of 19th century-malaria-research, which paved way to question the unknown and celebrated history. The novel revolves around Ronald Ross’ discovery that malaria is transmitted by anopheles mosquitoes. Murugan is a fan and expert of Ross, who actually acts as a valuable hero of the story and endeavors to find out the meanings behind the silence and tries to find out the ‘Calcutta Chromosome’.

To summarize the story is futile; it takes away from the rich intensity of the book and simplifies it to a sad extent.The book might come across as slightly complex in its winding paths down the roads of a ‘hidden’ history. But the style is simple and promises to keep your attention under firm control. Ghosh plays about with the concept of linear time; the takes his reader from contemporary US to the 90’s India and back, and from there to the Victorian Calcutta. The book also incorporates people from different parts of the world. They have nothing to do with each other; they have no similarities that would draw them close in the normal scheme of things. But the world they live in is riddled with (almost unrealistic) coincidences.And once they are in it, they can’t escape.

The characters seem to be pawns in the hands of a secret network of people you would never deduce of being involved in scientific apprehensiveness. It might perplex you, might feel you leaving unfinished and distressed, might even magnify you, but it will unquestionably make an impact that will not leave you at peace.

Read this book and discover, what lies behind the curtains of silence. The book is an attempt to make the realities that we easily accept in our daily lives as you can only turn to Gosh for fetching your answers.

Book Review: Unreal Elections

In the season of elections, let the politics be exposed. However, it is not only the candid view of the influences of the party over the chief body of government or of the coal distributions, which have already emerged along with a no-holds-barred account of the unbelievable functioning of Indian politicians and parties, a powerful substance that will leave you thinking and staggering.

Here in the book, the author has revealed a clearer picture of how Narendra Modi emerged as the hope of the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial notion along with his real heroes and how Rahul Gandhi’s role as a stellar in Indian politics, since the 1970s.

The book is a satire on the activities of the political leaders and members and has also given an emphasis on the actions of the wannabe political leaders, out of their anxiety. Like what forced to keep Arvind Kejrival wearing winter wear even when the weather hots up, why Mamata Banerjee cannot put up with fast food, especially with mayonnaise, what Amit Shah achieved on his emergence on "Koffee With Karan" and who the masked, Batman-like vigilante at the very summit of influence really is... All in a manner to leave you dumbfound with waves of enticing and irrepressible hilarity.

"Unreal Elections" is the pet project of the dubious pair of engineers-cum-MBAs-turned-superlatively and revolutionary humorous bloggers, C.S. Krishna and Karthik Laxman, who run "The UnRealTimes.com'.

The duo has hardheartedly done a satire on the proclivities and objectives of the political leaders of India and for that matter, the duo has raised a wide srange of other aspects of Indian society, as they draw in IPL-like spectacles, KBC-type game shows, with the cricket-inspired methods and caricatures of all-known TV personalities to deliver the eventual send-up of Indian politics as well as mass pop culture.

Political satire is not a new term to the subcontinent's ethos. In the past also, there have been many satirical shows and books about the Indian politics as to stir the grounds of the political system in India. Hari Shankar Parsai and Manohar Shyam Joshi, whose "Netaji Kahin" was adapted to the small screen as "Kakkaji Kahin", while writers such as Namita Gokhale and Anuja Chauhan have also brushed in by "Priya: In Incredible Indyaa" and "The Battle for Bittora" respectively.

Then, there have been some in which caricatures of political leaders used to be employed, however, these kind of shows are found across the border in Pakistan. The shows such as  "Hasb-e-Haal", "Hum Sab Umeed Se Hai" and the incomparable "Khabar Naak", which goes to the heights to make satire upon the corrupted political leaders.

One of the satirical shows, which is hosted by columnist Aftaab Iqbal, its sees the gifted Mir Mohammad Ali make strange pragmatic - but humorous - depiction of leaders like Imran Khan, Pervez Musharraf, Rehman Malik, Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif, Asaf Ali Zardari, and even Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

Both Krishna and Laxman have carried it sportingly, taking it to a dark aftertaste. Once the amusement falls down, there is the disturbing thought - overstated without a doubt, but find out how close is the reality to this depiction?

Place your online order of books at lelobooks, leading online bookstore in India and find out the realities of the political leaders. Order now!