Read The Fault In Our Stars? Now, watch the movie!

Was your weekend ‘washed out’ by the sweat in this scorching summer… or did you spend it sobbing in a dark movie theatre, hiding from everyone? The Fault In Our Stars, perhaps the most popular novel last amongst youths. The novel came out in the year 2013 and is accredited with multiple awards, which is now running in the theaters near you. If you like the book and want to see the characters in real as you might have imagined them while reading, but now it is a chance to visualize them with your naked eyes, so just make a plan for this movie and have a lovely weekend. Watch and compare the novel with the movie and see that if it met upto your expectations…also drop us a line about your review about it at www.blog.lelobooks.com

Do you like watching movies adapted from the books that you have cherished or you find it frustrating? “Why did they change THAT? It was the most important line in the book!” Do you think Hollywood has started targeting a safe audience for adaptations – i.e. fans of the book and gratifying them without even bothering much about the folks who haven’t read the books? For example, in the mind of a filmmaker there has always been an inch of doubt that if the audience have read a book or not in order to find his target market and the ones who are non readers could make sense of the movies. If you are the one who like to read and even like the adaptations of the novel..then just tell us here your favorite novels and adaptations, so that we can bring more review and tell you something about them which you have not noticed as yet.

Done With Men’ by Shuchi Singh Kalra

“It was permanent, that tattoo. The tattoo that said ‘Done With Men’. And it hurt! What on earth was I thinking? My habit of thinking out loud was bad enough, but tattooing my thoughts onto myself? This wasn’t happening to me.”

Done with Men is a peculiar, eccentric and fun-to-read story by an Indian author, Shuchi Singh Kalra. It graphs an episode in the life of Kay, a self- declared loser in relationships. She has portrayed the couples like Romeo and Juliet, putting together along with our very own Krishna and Rukmani. Further, she has written about the couples next door that we encounter at different points in the world around us including our friends, neighbors or colleagues.

 The book is about a romantic story of Kairavi (Kay) and Vivian, where the former is the female lead, who has ‘done with men’ after a series of terrible relationships. Shuchi Singh Kalra conveys to the very Indian, yet Mills & Boon-ish story which serves the readers as a good distraction element. The plus point of the book is that it isn’t long and by just reading 98 pages, you will find that you have been served with an appetizer to a seasoned reader.

The author of the book has focused on one incident in her heroine’s life, however, has not filled pages with unnecessary details. Though the story is a bit predictable like boy meets girl, mutual attraction occurs between them, there are a couple of obstacles in their happiness, happy ending.

Kalra’s style of writing is simple and pithy, which compelled me to read till the last sentence of the last page. There isn’t any incorporation of fancy words or supercilious sentiments for our Kay; as she lives out a fast-paced in Mumbai with her best friend Baani, makes bad relationship choices over and over again and drinks to her heart’s content and even gets a tattoo. 

What’s appealing about her, is that she’s like any other city-bred girl of this generation at the end of the day. The same insecurities, same emotional roller coasters and is very easy to relate to, even if her so called perfect love story is a bit beyond your reach!

The final verdict

 If you’re looking for a fast-paced and unusual read, Kay and her antics might entertain you. The book is available at lelobooks, an online bookstore in India and if you order today, you will get special discount. So hurry now!

Review: Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus by John Gray

The much talked about book, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus by John Gray has certainly its share of fame for being a groundbreaking guide to the opposite sex and relationships.

You can’t live with them and, believe me, neither you can’t think of living without them. Since decades, interacting with the opposite sex has always been a great task, which is done in order to make an impression upon, which is the dude the ultimate wish for most of us…right? But, have you ever wondered about the ‘how’ part of the process. We have often been blaming it on our destiny and thereafter think of some better future with someone better, having a positive approach towards life, which is highly appreciated.

Is it really that failed relationships are destined to be so?Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus attempts to reduce the differences between both sexes by explaining why these differences arose.

The book begins with a simple story where Martians, the men are happily living on the planet Mars, and the Venusians, the women on the planet Venus. Problems between both the sexes begin to crop up when both of them start meeting each other and fail to become conscious the basic differences that exist between them as a result of belonging to different planets.

In the book the author, Dr. Gray has elucidated things in a very realistic manner; the book is peppered with examples of different couples and their conflicting habits and reactions. What surprised me was the fact that the author, who is a man, could understand a woman’s mind so well. I liked the chapters ‘Men are like rubber bands’ and ‘Women are like waves’ because at a distance from relationship advice, these chapters delve into our general characteristics as humans,so look out for a treat for the singles here! The chapter, which I did not like was ‘How to communicate different feelings’ where the author teaches us to write a love letter. I personally did not like the idea of stereotyping love letters, but it may work as a relief for people who don’t know to express their emotions in writing.

This novel could have easily become a sexist one, but the author managed to not take sides, and explain the positives and negatives of both genders.The not behind the novel was not to eulogize the positives and remove the negatives, but to accept and understand the negatives and underlines the positives of a person.

The bad thing about the book is that it is too long and the first hundred pages of the book can be summarized in two lines! Apart from that the book is all good, and it is a must read, especially for the people who are in relationships.Singles can also go for it too as nobody knows what happens next?

The book is available at lelobooks, an online bookstore in India. So just get ready to find your soul mate after reading this intellectual read.

The celebrated books of 2014 to read this summer

Excited about summer vacations? But stumbling upon what to read as I can understand that for an avid reader, it sometimes becomes challenging to decide and pick out the perfect book. The easiest way is to read the synopsis of the book, mentioned at its back and take an idea for finding out your perfect read. If you are still confused about where to start looking let me give you a solution to your problem. Check out at the list of lelobooks.com for top 2 books to read this summer.

How to get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia

Penned by Mohsin Hamid, “How to get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia” is a release of 2014 only and has been published by Penguin Books. As I have already read the author’s previous works like The Reluctant Fundamentalist, which came out to be as the best selling book, although the movie did not give justice to the book. So, here is the Man Booker prize nominee, Mohsin Hamid’s newest book about a young boy hampered by poverty, who rises to become the ultimate symbol of the contemporary South Asian city. The book is incorporated with interesting facts along with that it also contains an eyebrow raising fact that it has been written in the format of business self-help books, which will help you in achieving success and reaching at the top from the scratch.

The Martian

The Martian is a book by Andy Weir has been published Random House this year itself. The back page of the book describes it as Apollo 13 meets Cast Away in this captivating comprehensive, luminously imaginative man-v/s-nature survival suspenseful story and has been given a backdrop of the surface of Mars. Actually, this description made me want to read this novel right away. A team of astronauts are on Mars, collecting samples to carry it back to earth when one of the members is separated from the rest, thanks to a Martian sandstorm. While he is presumed dead, the team leaves back to Earth, only to find out that he is in fact alive. Find out that will he survive till his rescue mission reaches Mars or not. The story has been convincingly narrated and leaves a good impact upon the readers and seems that this book will be adapted as a movie sometime in future.

The above mentioned books are available at lelobooks, an online bookstore in India. So make your summers delighted with some entertaining reads hurry and place your order to get the books at your doorstep. Indulge in fun filled online book shopping and avail attractive discounts along with checking out new books by various authors and publishers.

Books that enlighten the soul...

Words are amazing and very effective as these can change the world and within you.it can be instructive, entertaining or even revolutionary; and are so powerful that these can make you laugh, cry, cheer and at the same time arouse anger in you. Books can redefine the world by inspiring you and changing the meaning of your life. As I combed through hundreds of books  I have compiled some of the inspirational books that will land you in the state of peace and hope. Here you will rediscover the old inspiring gems and I hope you enjoy reading this list as I enjoyed putting it together.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

The book is about the habit that we all need to possess in order to be rich and successful. The book will help you to be a better person in your life, the only thing you need to have is the learning approach; as through this book Steven Covey will preach you with his road map for living and developing better habits.

Best quote: "Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny."

Think and Grow Rich

The book is highly influential as in this book, it has shown that Napoleon Hill interviewed "40 millionaires" to discover and bring out the common thought processes and behaviors that had led these millionaires to achieve success. The book is well researched and the study and survey of Napoleon Hill has mentioned the habits of millionaires as the "best practices", which stand to be revolutionary in a world where it was largely assumed that great wealth resulted from a combination of voracity and destiny.

Best quote: "All the breaks you need in life wait within your imagination. Imagination is the workshop of your mind, capable of turning mind energy into accomplishment and wealth."

Awaken the Giant Within

The author Anthony Robbins is distinguished from the other inspirational and motivational writers in two ways, as the author treats and considers training the mind and body as a technological challenge rather than moral urgency. The other thing which makes him different from the other writers is that he somehow manages to be both an inspirational role model and the most annoying guy on the planet.

Best quote: "If you can't, you must. If you must, you can."

So, just buy the inspirational books and get motivated in life to reach at the heights of success. Books available at lelobooks, an online bookstore in India, and get your books at the doorstep through online book shopping.

Happy days are here again…

We experience the days, when we feel low, disturbed, frustrated and out of energy and avoiding the problem can affect you in all the areas of your life. So, I am offering you a great help with some books that will make you feel better. You can call me a bibliophile, if you must as actually, books make me smile and rises a ray of hope inside of me, giving me enlightenment. I love getting lost in the world of tales through an intricate expedition, connecting with the characters on an emotional level and forgetting about my real life tensions. Yet, some books are deliberately written in order to make the readers happy, which inspires us to take the initiative about making our lives as cheerful as possible, despite of all tensions, rendering us positive outlook towards life. Here below I have mentioned some of my picks, which I found really interesting, leaving back a smile on my face with hopes in my heart.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

The book has actually a theme which will take the readers to observe and read the combination of hard work, opportunity, and seizing the moment. Instead of celebrating prodigies, which has mentioned to be the theme of the book, the book has no such element  all in all, the book will inspire you to work harder, if not anything.

Candide by Voltaire

This book is from the genre of political satire and will truly entertain you and even compel you to read it twice as well. The book is chock-a-block with the contents of political satire, telling the realities of the period around 1759, but the book reads as if it is having the culture of the present  the books shows that in various ways, people of every era are pretty much same.

The Hogfather by Terry Pratchett

The book counts as a fantasy book and will take you to the period of Hogfather, who is similar to Santa. Some readers will start believing it while there would be some who won’t.Anything that undermines superstition has to be viewed with some caution. 

Just read this excerpt from the book by lelobooks and get ready to grab one and read it out:

Death: Yes. As practice, you have to start out learning to believe the little lies.

Susan: So we can believe the big ones?

Death: Yes. Justice, mercy, duty. That sort of thing.

Susan: They’re not the same at all.

Death: You think so? Then take the universe and grind it down to the finest powder, and sieve it through the finest sieve, and then show me one atom of justice, one molecule of mercy. And yet, you try to act as if there is some ideal order in the world. As if there is some, some rightness in the universe, by which it may be judged.

The above mentioned books are from different genre, but each one has a specialty of its own, which will make you to read each one of it. Available at lelobooks, best online bookstore in India. So what are you waiting for? Bring back your smile with these enticing books and by buying books online you can also avail attractive discounts which will be yet another factor for the smile on your face.

Novels, that will scare you to death

When it comes to literary horror, there is nothing like a perfect story that can increase your heartbeat and pump your blood. If you love being terrified and dumbstruck; and want to explore the places that hold traces of evil and have become the houses of mysteries, hiding secrets in their wall. If you wish to venture into this horror world, then just read out the three spooky and horrifying excerpts of lelobooks, which will surely be a real treat for the horror addicts. Get your hands on at these three horror flicks which will strike fear in your hearts, even with the jaded imaginations, created in your mind after reading and discover which of these will make you lights on while sleeping.

At The Mountains of Madness: And Other Tales of Terror by H P Lovecraft

This is a short story book of ghosts, filled with voodoo supernatural and baffling deaths. H P Lovecraft has employed different horror-writing strategies, in order to connect the terror with reality in the most appropriate and real manner. At the Mountains of Madness: And Other Tales of Terror is about bizarre remnants of unidentified mortals, who have been found in an excavation after millions of years and the discovery lead to terrifying terror in the book. Along with this, you will be provided with three more stories by H P Lovecraft in this very thrilling collection.

Carrie by Stephen King

Carrie is an American horror novel and has been penned by Stephen King. The book is about Carrie, the protagonist of the novel, who is a shy high school girl and uses her recently discovered telekinetic powers to take payback those who teased her in the past and continue to do. King has commented that this work of fiction has been engraved in order to create a certain type of pain and horror in the heart of the reader. With its unique theme, the book stands among those which have been banned very soon after its release in United States schools. Much of the part, in this book has been written in an epistolary structure and newspaper clippings, magazine articles, letters, and excerpts from books only.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus is a novel which has been penned by Mary Shelley about a scientist who created life and was himself horrified by what he had created out of his imagination. Shelley started writing this story when she was just eighteen-years-old and got it published when turned twenty-one. The first edition was published anonymously in London in 1818 and with the second edition, Shelley’s name came into limelight after being published in France in the year 1823. Frankenstein is infused with elements of the gothic and romantic genre and is also considered as one of the earliest examples of science fiction.

The above 3 books have been written a long ago, but are still gaining new audiences. And, now when you have a list of the best horror novels ever, why not go over to some of the authentic bookstores or you can also browse online bookstores like lelobooks. So, just add a few more books to your list of the best horror novels. Share it with us in the comments!

Modi’s first book launch after becoming Prime Minister

Getting India Back on Track has been just released on 8 June, 2014 by none other than our new Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. The book is about the action agenda for bringing  the reformation in the country. The book has been edited by Bibek Debroy, Ashley J. Tellis and Reece Trevor at his 7 Race Course Road (RCR) residence. Published by Carnegie Endowment For International Peace, the foreword of the book has been penned by Ratan N Tata, containing various insightful essays by renowned academicians and public policy experts.

Just about two weeks after becoming India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi launched the book Getting India Back on Track: An Action Agenda for Reform at 7 Race Course Road.The book has elements, which has led India to have fallen far and fast from the runaway growth rates it enjoyed in the first decade of the twenty-first century. In addition, it says that in order to reverse the trend, New Delhi must seriously reflect on its policy choices across a wide range of issue areas.

Getting India Back on Track broadly corresponds with the Indian elections that were held in 2014 to encourage a public debate about the agenda that the next government is ought to pursue in order to return the country to a conduit of soaring growth and development. It summons some of the most talented and skillful analysts of India to suggest strategies and guidelines in every main sector of the Indian economy. These seventeen brief and focused memoranda, which offers policymakers and the general public alike a clear blueprint for India’s future.

The book has fairly answers about certain questions like how to return the country to a path of high, sustained growth and international success by the accomplished scholars. On the occasion, the minister for finance, corporate affairs, and defense,  Arun Jaitley said "I am going to read every part of this book. It will help us to do our job better. The book is well- timed and the title is apt."

Mittal states, “The election of Narendra Modi shows the importance of getting India back to the high growth levels we enjoyed at the beginning of this century”. “This book is a unique collection of ideas for how to do that from some of India’s foremost experts.”

 “India is a very important power in the world and an increasingly influential player on the global stage,” said Carnegie President Jessica T. Mathews, who was present at the event. He further says, “I am delighted and honored that Prime Minister Modi agreed to launch this book. We are looking forward to opening a Carnegie center in New Delhi soon so that we can contribute our scholars’ ideas and analysis to India’s rich intellectual landscape.” 

“Bibek Debroy and Ashley J. Tellis have brought together an impressive group of experts who provide a clear road map to move India forward in 2014. Anyone invested in the country’s success should read this book.”

–Arun Shourie, formerly India’s minister of disinvestment and minister of communications and information technology

“Focusing on a range of key issues, Getting India Back on Track has captured the scale and complexity of as well as the need for resetting India’s policies at the national and state levels. This excellent volume will be a very valuable resource to key policy framers and decision makers in India’s new government.”

–Naresh Chandra, former cabinet secretary and former Indian Ambassador to the United States
“It is rare to find a group of experts as accomplished and diverse as those represented in Getting India Back on Track. Their work builds a strong foundation for a real dialogue about India’s future at a time when a generational change in India’s leadership will set the course for decades to come. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace should be complimented for undertaking such a worthwhile project.”

–Frank Wisner, former U.S. Ambassador to India and former under secretary of defense for Policy.

To get this book at its first arrival in bookstores, order now at lelobooks, a leading online bookstore in India and avail attractive discounts over the new arrivals.

Book Review: Few things left unsaid by Sudeep Nagarkar

The best selling author, Sudeep Nagarkar has made a remarkable impact in the industry by penning down this great hit and the author has really impressed me with his writing style. The novel is a story of two collegians- Aditya and Riya, who meet through common friends and with time, they fall in love with each other.

Sudeep Nagarkar in the novel has portrayed the annihilation that can be caused by irresponsible and muddled attitude through the protagonist of the book, Aditya. After being in a relationship with each other, but then misunderstanding, which is a part of a relationship, lead them to having a break up. With lots more twists and turns in the story, the couple het back together again. However, the life brings some changes in their lives, which keep the readers bound to the story about its climax, which is unpredictable.

Playing a safe game, Sudeep has covered the 40% of the book with short sentences. In fact, the writer has penned some intimate stuff I such a way that it does not give an appeal of vulgarity, but only add a sense of romanticism in it.

As everyone is writing love-breakup-love-breakup-and-finally-love, don't get angry with Sudeep when you see that the protagonist is breaking up with his girlfriend. He has broke them off at a very strange moment. The second half of the book impressed me much, as the author here showed his talent in a better way.

The best parts in the book are the birthday celebration of Aditya is one epic part of this book. Adi's mother's reflection in the story is shown in a wonderful way. The confession part of the book where Riya pours her heart shows the potential of Sudeep Nagarkar.

The drawbacks of the book, which turned me off with the story - When Adi starts talking to Riya, he picks up cheesy lines, but later on when he gets her, he directly starts showing fondness for her body. The insecurity of Sudeep with the language is clearly visible initially, which may distract you in the initial part of the book. Love is described too much in the book, which, if would have been edited and kept shorter, the look of the story would be . The Epilogue plays a very bad part in the book. If you want to read the book with good mood, then go buy but do not read the epilogue and can be satisfied with its sequel which is coming up in some time.

Reviews :
Writing about lost love. Rapidly climbing in the bestseller list - Hindustan Times.
Break up brings out an Author in Sudeep,Hats off - Maharashtra Times.
Simple and very touching love story - Yuva Magazine.

Sudeep and his love! This book connects so well for reading in trains, buses or in breaks. Its Hot!!! - RJ Jeeturaaj, Radio Mirchi, Mumbai.

Get this book from lelobooks, an online bookstore in India and avail heavy discounts on your favorite books.

Everything about FIFA World Cup

The book will reveal you with the things that you wanted to know about the Fifa World Cup, but did not ask, thus the author Novy Kapadia, takes a reader on an inclusive tour of the previous 19.  This external guide which has arrived ahead of the 20th FIFA World Cup.

The book tells the insider story of  FIFA and how much it is liked by the people from all across the globe. It is estimated that around 909.6 million people watched some portions of the 2010 football World Cup final on their television systems. “Additional out-of-home viewers,” a television audience statement created for FIFA said, “are likely to have pushed the total reach to over one billion.” KantarSport, the media-research company that authored the document, also exposed that coverage of the championship contest held in all “reached over 3.2 billion people around the world – 46.4 per cent of the global population.”

The football world cup is such a sporting event, which I unsurpassed by all other sports. From the shantytowns of Accra to idyllic cafés in the Alps, people are obsessive by the same passion and excitement for the tournament. It has been declared that on June 12, the blinds will go up on an additional edition of football’s merry quadrennial jamboree and this time it is in Brazil, a country not so much a support of the sport as a cathedral.

In The Football Fanatic’s Essential Guide has come out in advance prior to the 20th FIFA World Cup, as Novy Kapadia makes an attempt to enable the reader to embark on a complete expedition of the previous 19. A popular football announcer on Indian television, Kapadia commences with the origins of the tournament, leading to the twisting way through the years; from Uruguay 1930, when four European teams grudgingly travelled by sea to remote Montevideo, past the heat of Mexico 1970 and a fascinating Brazil side’s intensity 12 summers later, to the first African World Cup in 2010.

On the way, there is plenty of  drama and deception, not the least of which is supplied by India’s withdrawal from the 1950 edition. Kapadia writes some engaging and interesting points about the journey in FIFA at some length, and grieves over the so called “missed opportunity”.  The footballers of India declined the invitation only due to the fact that they preferred to play barefoot – conflicting to FIFA’s rules of wearing shoes – is a misapprehension, he bickers. He pens down “The apprehension that Indian players would have been out of depth because they had to wear football boots is exaggerated. It has just become a self-perpetuating myth”. In reality, there are quite a million factors which have contributed to the decision, as Kapadia believes, with India let slip a chance to turn into a top international side.

For all its delight and splendor, the World Cup is no stranger to on-field hostility and a number of its scuffles – the Battle of Santiago, the Battle of Berne, the Battle of Nuremberg – find a citation in the book. Other matters of disagreement have also been touched in the book  – Diego Maradona’s positive ephedrine test and ban, West Germany’s genial, mutually beneficial 1-0 win over Austria (the ‘Disgrace of Gijon’ they called it), and Geoff Hurst’s goal in 1966.

The author has contributed to the society  with the reference material with everything, including dates, outcomes and fallouts, location and setting and detail on significant games from every World Cup.

Trivia and numbers also make it to a special section to indulge the anorak – long tables on penalties, yellow-cards, referees, attendances, goals scored or conceded, games won or lost.

Brazil 2014 is on the verge to get a chapter of its own at the end, with the groups previewed and the fixtures scheduled. The setting and climax of this World Cup is appearing like a long one; yet much fun is predicted out of it.

For more update about FIFA World Cup stay tuned with Lelobooks!

The non-intellectual book reviews

Here, I have come up with a completely different view while reviewing books as today I will not be peeling out the layers and pointing out the peculiarities and technicalities, as today I am just giving my reviews as a layman view over the three picks from the books which grabbed my eyes. Giving   my reviews without understanding the complexities and staring at the distance marvelling at the writer’s genius and their own. Here below, I am discussing the three books from my recent reads which includes Saltwater by Shrey and The Last Word by Hanif Qureshi.

Saltwater by Shrey

I picked Saltwater because it was written by one of my favorite authors of Metro Reads. Now, that would be a straight lie, as I picked it up because the author had sold the German rights of the book for a considerable advance and I wanted to see what the fuss was all about. The book was so good and I loved it for its elitist story which a lot of rich, debauched kids would identify with, along with that it has elements that can even make you enjoy the story even as an outsider. In a way that you would enjoy reading American Psycho, wanting to be there, screwed up. The best part of the book is that it will leave in the world of Rishi, the protagonist of the novel.

 The Last Word by Hanif Qureshi

 Yet another pick from my favorites, actually I got fantasized by its cover and got curious about the works of the writer who got famous for losing his wealth in some scam. There, there is one more reason that I had already heard this name, actually I have already read the writer’s earlier work, The Buddha of Suburbia, but could not finish it. The Last word is a story of an author who had fiddled away all his money. In reality, the young writer has actually commissioned to pen down the story of his very own life. What follows in the book is the love and hate relationship of the two writers, which sometimes infuses an additional interest and enthusiasm in the novel. The novel closed down on such a note that a part of me was wanting some more to read about it.   

 The books are available at lelobooks, an online bookstore in India, from where you can get your books delivered at your home through online book shopping and can avail some attractive discounts.

Once upon a time in Mumbai with Bal Thakerey

Discover the life of Bal Thakerey and Shiv Sena with the novel Samrat by Sujata Anandan

The author reveals the life of one of the strongest political party in Maharastra, Shiv Sena, which has been formed by Bal Thakerey. Referred as Hindu Hriday Samraat by his adherents and followers, Thackeray has been involved in a variety of controversies and conflicts. The book  is comprised of anecdotes and there is no pulling of punches as the book, Samrat explores and unravels the life and times of Bal Thackeray.

The book is an endeavor to bring to the readers a unique insight into how a relatively hesitant man from the working classes was shaped by his state of affairs - and certain vested interests - into becoming a demagogue with the kind of success and following, that we may either dream of or replicate in the future. Thackeray, in his political career has not only replaced the name of the city better known as the city of dreams, changing it from Bombay to Mumbai, but also has quite altered the character and fabric of the city, even though he was not at all driven by ideology, which otherwise might have seemed to the outsiders, but by his own practicality and personal interests. Vir Sanghvi states in the preface, 'The book is an attempt to understand the milieu that Thackeray operated in and to capture the essence of his style amidst the shifting stands and the politics of pragmatism'.

The author of the book has revealed the life of Bal Thakerey, showcasing his struggles in life with all ups and downs. Thackeray started his career as a cartoonist with the English daily The Free Press Journal and soon left the job and established his own weekly Marmik. Then, he directed his career as an advocate and started working against the growing influence of non-Marathis in Mumbai, he created a wave in Maharashtra’s politics. 

Sujata, though brought into the occupation of journalism with force, but today she has fun and enjoys doing the job. She is a political reporter and writes about the politicians and currently works as the political editor of the Mumbai edition ins Hindustan Times.

The author has perfectly done her job by utilizing her journalism skills by sneaking a peek into the life of the brand name of Maharashtra, Bal Thakerey, the founder of Shiv Sena. Explore the life of Bal Thakerey and his party which is ruling in Maharashtra since a while and dig into the political paths of Mumbai along with its dominant party.

The books is available at Lelobooks, an online bookstore in India and avail attractive discounts by indulging in online Book shopping. Hurry now and get your book at your doorstep.

Book review: Anti – Social Network by Piyush Jhaa

Piyush Jha has come up again with his third novel  "Anti Social Network ", after Mumbaistan: 3 Explosive Crime Thrillers and Compass Box Killer and all his three books have been published by Rupa Publications. The book, Anti – Social Network: An Inspector Virkar Crime Thriller once again features inspector Virkar, who is now a popular protagonist amongst readers of crime-thrillers. This yet another product by Rupa Publications is an action cum crime thriller. The book enigmatic and while reading you will never encounter a dull moment in its narration and the book has been dedicated to his wife Priynka for tenderly pushing him along. 

 Blurb:

“The book describes the situation when college students across Mumbai are assassinated and slaughtered one after another in ghastly ways, Inspector Virkar from the Crime Branch is called in to take the hold of the situation. While the inspector investigates, he comes across and bumps into a callous bunch of young hooligans, who are techno-savvy wrongdoers and use social networking sites along with the Internet for blackmailing and sextortion. Read this book to solve the mystery of how these two cases linked? Find out who is the mastermind behind these murders?

As the case grows cloudy with various things that surrounds the situation, the computer-challenged Virkar discovers himself out of his profundity, hounding the killer who in the book has always seemed to be one step ahead, and a group that soon trains its highlights on him. The inspector races against the time to publicly blow the whistle on the gang as to expose the culprit and to find the slaughterer prior to ruining his reputation forever. Covered with suspense and layered with grit, Anti-Social Network brings to you Inspector Virkar’s hard-hitting case yet.”

The cover page says that this is an Inspector Virkar crime thriller.It says that it is a Mumbaistan series.This sets the pace of the book. The novel is a fast paced thriller which can be read in just one go! A fulsome  paisa vasool at just  the price of Rs.195  

Piyush Jha is an acclaimed film director and ad filmmaker. A student political leader at the university, he pursued a career in advertising management later acquiring an MBA degree. Later, he switched tracks, first to make commercials for some of the country’s largest brands, and then write and direct feature films. His films include Chalo America, King of Bollywood and Sikandar. He lives in his beloved Mumbai, where he can often be found walking the streets that inspire his stories.

To get more reviews of the latest releases stay tuned with lelobooks, an online bookstore in India and avail attractive discounts by indulging in online book shopping! Hurry now and get your book at the doorstep.

Little commands that will take your business to heights

These days, every trade company is opening up its website to reach out to the global audience and increase its sales turnover. It is deemed to be as one of the best marketing devices for any kind of business. It boosts the visibility of your product and brings you more and more clients for your products and services. However, in order to maximize the advantage of your business website, there are quite a few things that are important and need to be considered.

First of all, it is of the prime importance that a  business website should give a look of a professional one, which includes its design which and that also needs to be a professional one in order to leave a good impact on the customers. Apart from this, there are various important factors that need to be incorporated in a website in order to make it a successful business website.

Graphics – A website needs to be visually attractive and in order to fetch in more and more customers to your website, one needs to consider the graphics of a website. Graphics plays a major role in providing a strong visual appeal to any website. The text on the website should readable, color contrasts and combinations, eminence images, quality, etc. all these things come under graphics.

Functionality – The functionality of a website is also of great importance as if it shows runtime error, if it faces such a situation then it is a big no for every business organization. Such websites lose audience reliability and thus decreases the chance of becoming successful and gaining reputation in the global world. Thus, it is very imperative that the website should be error free and at the same time it should be user friendly as well.

Search Engine Optimization – A good website is one which supports all the features website of search engine optimization and works according to the search engines as to make its visibility in theses search engines. As if a website is highly appreciated by the search engines, it automatically increases the chances of being successful and for that, a website should be designed keeping in mind all the rules of SEO.

Content – It is aptly said that Content is King as it plays a great role in attracting more and more traffic towards a website. The content on the website help in providing knowledge about the organization and its products and services. However, you should keep in mind that content should be relevant and informative as it will interest the user and make him understand about your organization and its services. It should be well written, understandable, and rich with keywords.

Branding – Branding gives your business a distinct identity and increases the sales traffic to your website. It stimulates competition in the market and will help you to bring your organization to the limelight. Branding is one of the major aspects for having a good website design and contributes the most to the success of any business website.

Follow the above tips and guidelines as this will ensure success for your business website. So just make your website professional and increase your sales with increased traffic. You can also take some help from  reference books on SEO penned by SEO experts. Books available at lelobooks, an online bookstore in India by indulging in online book shopping and avail attractive discounts. Hurry now!

Go Driver-less with the Google Car

Again, Google has come up with its new yet incredible invention, not only take your command but also considers your safe. Yes, it’s a car, A GOOGLE CAR! It is a latest version of Google’s, which has come out with the Self-Driving System. You have heard it absolutely right. It’s a self drive car, which will give you the comfort of enjoying the side view of the car, no matter you re at the right seat or the left one.

The car drives itself! It has no gas system! It has no pedal system! The car is without brake and steering wheel! While demonstrating its driver-less technology for several years by retrofitting Toyotas, Lexuses and other cars with cameras and sensors, Google for the very first time, the company has unveiled a prototype of its own, a cute looking petite car which gives a resemblance to that of somewhere between a VW Beetle and a golf cart.

It has been reported by Google that this model of the car can detect objects up to 200 yards away from all the directions and adjusts its speed in accordance with that along with that it turns and exert a pull on brakes also. The cars' speed for now has been capped at 25 mph, allowing engineers to minimize the risk of crashes during testing Inside, the spartan cars have few dashboard controls, no glove box and no stereo.

"We've designed for learning, not a luxury, so we're light on creature comforts," Google said. "But we'll have two seats (with seatbelts), a space for passengers' belongings, buttons to start and stop, and a screen that shows the route -- and that's about it." 

It may seem like a silly thing to point out, but even though Google’s self-driving cars have racked up 700,000 miles of testing, they don’t actually drive independently. The company said the cars can handle most situations (well, when they are loaded with a map of the roads and it’s not snowing), but every time they are sent out on the road they are carefully monitored by two Google employees who are ready to take control at any moment.

It also has newer and better sensors that give it the ability to see what’s going on up to a distance of two football fields. For example, on the most current version of the retrofitted self-driving Lexus, a mounted laser has about a 12-degree field of view that it uses to essentially zoom in on details of points of interest. On the prototype car, the lasers have a full 360-degree views. “It’s going from looking just in front, like a flashlight, to a lantern all around the car,” said self-driving car project director Chris Urmson.

This novel car by Google has no human safety net, yet. It’s exclusively driven by computers. To head off any concerns of malfunctioning robots plunging you towards looming doom, Google has made the car look cute and cuddly from the outset. Because of the condensed, encircling frame of the prototype with built-in sensor mounts, Google says the car has practically no blind spots.

Google wants these cars to hit on the road, ASAP. The company plans to start testing them in Mountain View, Calif., later this summer, Urmson said. He hopes to build at least 100 prototypes over the next two years, and get them into the hands of volunteer drivers — or non drivers, as it were — as soon as the system is estimated to be safe.

Undoubtedly, the future of this car is amazing, as making the lives lot more easier with easy drive.Stay tuned with lelobooks, an online bookstore in India and get the most happening news from around the world.

Book Review: The Country is Going to the Dogs by Anurag Mathur

The Country is Going to the Dogs, penned by Anurag Mathur is a thriller novel, which accounts the life and change of a septuagenarian and his wild journey in the underbelly of Delhi.  The Indian society has a notion about women and their sexuality, which has been aptly represented in the book through a story of a seventy four year old man who turns sleuth when the sex siren of sin city, Miss Fifoo goes missing.

The author of 'The Inscrutable Americans' has spent three years in the United States, yet again he has come up with an idea which browses the enlightening divergence sandwiched between the two communities, which, in accordance with his perspective  is the "conflict between our conservative, traditional upbringing and the new India." Mathur has been mainly inspired by P.G.Wodehouse and the literary works of Joseph Heller.

In the  book, the author has put his opinion and which is the reality of the present day through various comments in the book that has been remarked by the seventy four year old man, Radhey Radhey Kumar, who, while gazing at the All Saints Women’s College girls just across the road of his office says ‘chee, chee, chee’. He utters glancing at the young female species in their contemporary clothes. 

His boring life takes a 180 degree change with the disappearance of Miss Fifoo.

Mathur's novelties are joke intended and the hilarity is ingeniously integrated though it and tends to elongate a bit at the end where you leave caring about Miss Fifoo and go missing and just want to meet head-on with the protagonist, Radhey with his double-standard sopinion and his unremitting ethical policing. Radhey feels aghast with women wearing tight clothes, but is an immoral man himself reflecting the prevalent and common outlook of Indian men at some level in their life. The author affirms, "We tend to look at women as either sisters or Sita. For any woman outside that, there is a predatory kind of barely disguised passion."

The author states his comments on being asked if he looks towards the Indian society as if it can ever progress towards moderation and in the book the author has subtly given a hint in his novel, he says, "We're being dragged into liberalism by the forces of modernity. Films, television, the Internet, the media in general, travel, industrialization, increasing affluence and the spread of education, are changing us in ways we can barely comprehend, much less control. There are repeated violent backlashes, but the changes are irresistible and irreversible. There are too many modern people today. India will cope."

He avers that he has drawn motivation for the characters "partly from reality and mostly from imagination. When I meet people, I often ask the question, 'How would this person behaves in a different situation'. It's not unique to me; it's a writer's disease."

 As a result, the novel manages to emphasize fascinating characters ranging from the poetic pimp who's an English honors graduate to the ingenious journalist Anwar who gets things done promptly. However, Radhey Radhey's character could have been brought out better by demonstrating his renovation rather than his biased thinking solely. By stepping out of his comfort zone and interrelating with a different stratum of the society.

Get this book from lelobooks, an online bookstore in India and clear the cloud of backwardness and discrimination in the modern India. Indulge in online book shopping and avail attractive discounts.

Book Review: Meeting Shiva by Tiziana Stupia.

The book is  a spiritual memoir and in the book, it has been described in the most succinct way. It is a spiritual autobiography. The author, Tiziana Stupia has written in it how she got enlightenment by telling her personal state of growth and redemption and has been incorporated with a beautiful and inspiring approach. However, it’s a little different from the genre of books as spiritual autobiography as it will not meet up to your expectations if you are looking forward to it with some spiritually inclined tale. Here in the book, the author has penned a profoundly feet-of-clay story about real emotions, real turmoil and the on-going quest for healing. The writer has written about her story without introducing you with mystic gurus and instead of that, in the book there has been mentioned about the honesty and courageous degree.

 

The author is in her mid thirties and is on the verge of an adventurous overland trip through the Himalayas and embarks upon a tour in order to search her Tantric soul mate. However, even after eight months, this search of her does not meet, while wandering through the lands of   Tibet, Nepal, Pakistan and India, then finally she decides to go back home. Through the book, Tiziana has developed emotional intimacy for her to the readers and with her profound story I am deeply touched. As before, her departure for returning back to her place, she sets out on a final mountainous trip, where she meets Rudra, exactly the man of her dreams and for whom she has been waiting for all her life.  But, let me tell you that this guy, Rudra is  a celibate Hindu monk who lives in an ascetic ashram with strict rules in the secluded Himalayas. The two get drawn into an intense, romantic relationship that soon spirals out of control as Tiziana is drawn into a past long forgotten that ultimately leads her through pain and misery to healing and transformation.

 

 The book, Meeting Shiva explores the dynamic between our spiritual lives and our love lives, by stating the story of what happened during the author’s brief, intense and clearly destined affair with a priest. This was a relationship that uncovered her soul to the core and sharing this transformation of one’ life is really a commendable thing. It is only by telling factual stories of our love experiences that we can start to triumph over the venomous and ambiguous myths and stories that our culture holds about what love is and how it works. Those fairy story beliefs so often set us up to fail.

If you are tired of self-help books and want to know about how to fix your love life and heal your soul, try this one as it will show and answer you some very good questions. An influential, provoking read, I personally like the book very much and highly recommend you to read and challenging yourself to find the same levels of poignant honesty.

Available at lelobooks, an online bookstore in India. So just indulge in some fun-filled online book shopping thing and win attractive discounts.

FIFA 2014 Calling: This time it’s Brazil

"2014 World Cup" readdresses here. The 20^th FIFA World Cup is here, which has been scheduled ins June in Brazil, this year. It is an international men’s football tournament is held after every four years, since it has been initiated. The tournament is going to start from 12 June and will continue till 13 July 2014 in Brazil, making it Brazil to be privileged for hosting FIFA for the second time, the previous being in 1950.

 

In fact, Brazil has been elected as host nation in 2007 after the international football federation, FIFA. The preparations and sections in order to, qualify  for the FIFA world cup team starts much before, as for the FIFA World Cup 2014, the qualification matches between the national teams of 31  countries started in the year 2011 itself to participate with the host nation Brazil in the final tournament.

All told, there will be 64 matches that are to be played in twelve selected cities across the nation in June and will be initiated with a group stage. According to the survey,  it is for the first time at a World Cup Finals, the matches will use goal-line technology.

The location and delegation of the venues for the final tournament that has to be held in June this year was decided on March 3, 2011, provided with the distribution of 31 names of the cities across the entire Brazil which went through the qualification process. The qualification draw for the 2014 World Cup was organized at the Marina da Glória in Rio de Janeiro and was scheduled on 30 July 2011. Being titled as the host nation in 2007, Brazil eventually topped the list and thus was qualified for the tournament.

 

Here below are the names of the countries which got qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2014, the final tournament.

AFC (4)

 Australia, Iran,  Japan,  South Korea

CAF (5)

 Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast,  Nigeria

CONCACAF (4)

 Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, United States

CONMEBOL (6)

 Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Uruguay

UEFA (13)

 Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland.

2014 FIFA World Cup

The total prize money on offer for the winner of the tournament of FIFA is US$576 million (including payments of US$70 million to domestic clubs), which is a 37 percent increase from the amount paid in the 2010 tournament. Once at the tournament declared its winner, the prize money will be distributed as follows:

US$8 million – To each team eliminated at the group stage (16 teams)

US$9 million – To each team eliminated in the round of 16 (8 teams)

US$14 million – To each team eliminated in the quarterfinals (4 teams)

US$20 million – Fourth placed team

US$22 million – Third placed team

US$25 million – Runner up

US$35 million – Winner

Moreover, the game will come with live commentaries in various languages, including English, French, German, Italian and Spanish, making it look real and authentic. 

Make yourself free for June and July this summer or else you will miss this big tournament which happens to be held after every 4 years. So stay tuned with lelobooks, best online bookstore inIndia and update yourself with FIFA World Cup. A delightful treat for the football aficionados!