BOOK REVIEW: WHAT MINA DID BY GEETA MENON

TITLE: WHAT MINA DID 
AUTHOR: GEETA MENON 
PUBLISHER: RUPA PUBLICATIONS 

SYNOPSIS: 

A single betrayal can cost you everything... 1998. Twenty-two-year-old Mina is moving to the US from Bangalore to begin a new life with her husband. Then there’s a horrific murder and her life is turned upside down. Mina’s best friend Neelu helps her out of the abyss.
Mina gradually leaves her past behind and settles into a new life in the US. Years later, she is forced to return to India and is confronted by the demons from her past. In her fragile mental state, she is unable to support Neelu in her time of need. Their friendship hits rock bottom. Mina goes back to the US and faces further hurdles, this time on the work front. She tries to make amends with Neelu, but their friendship ends with Neelu accusing Mina of something unimaginable related to the murder.
Something, that deep down, Mina knows is true... Will Mina redeem herself? Will the people she loves forgive her for what she did? Alternating between flashbacks and the present day, What Mina Did explores how one betrayal can have catastrophic consequences, while delving into the complex bonds that link mothers and daughters, and best friends.

OVERVIEW/ MY OPINION 



What mina did by geeta menon is a  thriller novel that revolves around the life of Mina an Indian residing in America  who has a pretty dark and a mysterious past and is also suffering from PTSD. The story claims to dive into meena's life and tie up all the loose ends of suspense in this story. 

This book was a fairly average read for me. 
The concept behind it was really unique and fresh, but it's execution wasn't upto the mark. 

The writing style was good and descriptive. 
The author describes all the scenes/ places in the story pretty intricately. 

The language was easy going and lucid. 

The narration was blunt, this was the major reason why I found it difficult to get through this book. 

The cover and the title are appropriately chosen  keeping in mind the interest and curiosity of a reader. 

The storyline was diverse, but it turned out to be very bland,considering the summary of the book it didn't do complete justice to the content inside. I was intrigued by the blurb but It dint live upto my expectations. 

The plot was strong in the beginning, but it lost its strength in the between. 
The emotions of each character is crafted beautifully and presented perfectly. 

Lastly the characters were very well developed.  I could connect with the protagonist mina very well, I like the way he character developed throughout the story.

Overall, this was an average read for me. 


MY RATING: 3/5🌟


Special thanks to the author for sending across  a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I WAS GIVEN A COPY OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.  VIEWS EXPRESSED HEREIN ARE OF MY OWN.  NO PART OF THIS REVIEW/ PICTURE SHALL BE COPIED/ USED FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF IT'S OWNER 

BOOK REVIEW: TO NADDIYAA BY KAVYA

TITLE: TO NADDIYAA 
AUTHOR: KAVYA SHARMA 
PUBLISHERS : STORY MIRROR


SYNOPSIS: 

To naddyaa by kavya sharma is beautiful collection of bittersweet letters written by her husband Durjoy,who is the eyes of the society is an abnormal man. After spending years in a mental asylum Naadiyas son who has lived the life of an orphan has now comes to take her home. But what happened all these years that she was separated from her son? How did she land up into the mental asylum? Pick this book up to find out. 



OVERVIEW/ MY OPINION:

I had a really wonderful experience with this book.  Firstly the concept around which it revolves is that of the unspoken feelings and words that Durjoy wanted to speak to her about but failed to do so because of his own personal reasons. The concept behind it was really nice and its executed well.

The writing style was excellent amazing.  
The narration too was done quite well which played a major role in keeping me glued to this book. 
The language used was easy going and lucid yet her words truly tore my heart apart!

I found it quite unlikely of such a young & a debut author to have such a flow in her writing style and words.
Hence it was quite hard to believe that its her debut novel. 

The cover and the title are appropriately chosen  keeping in mind the interest and curiosity of a reader. 

The storyline was beautiful and captivating.

The plot was fresh but it actually turned weak at some point of time.  The reason being that there are a couple of aspects of the story that aren't explained well, firstly I would have liked it of the reason of Naadiyas arrival in the mental asylum was more elaborate, I wasn't statisfied with the way that part of the story was explained. 
Secondly If the story could have  focused a  more on Imman(naadiyas son's) childhood, it would be a whole new different reading experience for me! I felt this aspect of the story left out.
Lastly, If the actual cause of death of certain characters could be mentioned, it would have truly been a plus point for this book. 

The characters were very well developed. I could connect with the protagonist very well. 
I liked how the author has crafted the emotions of each character. 
I clearly don't know if I should love the characters or hate them because I have a love hate relationship with them, well I can't discuss the reasons because for that you need to read the book in order to avoid spoilers and it of course depends on ones own perception. 

This book touches upon some very important social topics such as the topic of abnormality, sexual abuse, etc.

The theme of this book revolves around Love, trust, betrayal, bondings and so on.

Overall, this was a very interesting and an emotional read. Definitely recommended!


MY RATING: 4/5🌟

Purchase this book HERE


I WAS GIVEN A COPY OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.  VIEWS EXPRESSED HEREIN ARE OF MY OWN. THE CONTENT herein is owned by the blogger. No part / image of this review shall be copied/ used for any other purpose without the permission of it's owner. 

BOOK REVIEW: I DIN'T EXPECT TO BE EXPECTING BY RICHA MUKHERJEE

Are you looking out for a really fresh and a hilarious read? Well then this post is for you.

Hello everyone, thank you so much for giving this post your time.  I'm back today with another book review Entitled I DIN'T EXPECT TO BE EXPECTING BY RICHA MUKHERJEE

GENRE: CONTEMPORARY
PUBLISHER: BLACK INK BOOKS- HARPERCOLLINS INDIA
LENGTH: 325


SYNOPSIS:

I dint expect to be expecting by richa Mukherjee Is a contemporary novel featuring the life of Tara, a 31 year old successful women married to Abhi the love of her life.
She has the world at her feet,along with her supportive friends a set of wonderful parents and in laws. She's enjoying her life by attending all the possible Saturday night parties, travelling the world ,
spending time with her friends and her husband and a lot more!  But he life takes a turn when something unexpected happens she finds out that she's pregnant! Hence begins her  hilarious and uncomfortable journey with some amazing people around her!



OVERVIEW/ MY OPINION

I had a really wonderful time reading this book.

Firstly the concept around which it revolves is very unique and is executed very well.

The writing style was excellent, the story is written in the form of diary entries right from page 1.
The best part of her writing style was the way he managed to push in the protagonists Humour and sarcasm between some serious conversations as well as serious scenarios.

She narrates the story in from Tara's perspective using a simple and unsophisticated language. The narration played a major role in keeping me glued to this book.

The cover and the title are pretty innovative and hilarious they match with the content inside .

The storyline was beautiful and captivating, the author perfectly portrayed Tara's struggles in various situations.
The plot was fresh and strong enough to keep me gripped to the core .

This book is slow paced read,  it takes about 45-50pages for the actual story to start, but the author’s writing style, narration and imagination make it all worth the wait.

The characters were very well developed.  I could connect with Tara very well. I loved the other supporting characters as well especially her doting husband Abhi, who is definitely someone every girl will fangirl upon after reading this book.   I loved her supportive friends, unique and entertaining family members and in laws and especially Her maid RADHA! This woman was the most savage and sarcastic person I came across in this story!

I liked the way Tara and Abhis character developed in the course of the story from the carefree youngsters I'd say to a  mature couple.

Throughout the entire book I found myself laughing so much again, because of Taras character.

The only part wherein this book disappointed me a bit was when it took a slow pace in the between towards the end I found it to be a bit overstretched.

Lastly, the climax was something that was so heartwarming!  I really want this book to have a sequel to see Tara and abhi then as an amazing set of parents!

Overall, this was a very interesting and a fantastic read. Definitely recommended.

My Rating: 4.5/5🌟


INCASE YOU WISH TO GIVE THIS BOOK A TRY. YOU MAY DO SO  HERE



I WAS GIVEN A COPY OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.  VIEWS EXPRESSED HEREIN ARE OF MY OWN.  THE CONTENT HEREIN IS OWNED BY THE BLOGGER. NO PART/ IMAGE OF THIS REVIEW SHALL BE COPIED/ USED FOR OTHER PURPOSE WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF IT'S OWNER. 

BOOK REVIEW: YOUR DESTINATION HAS ARRIVED

Book Title : YOUR DESTINATION HAS ARRIVED
PUBLISHER: NOTION PRESS
AUTHOR: BARRY CHEEMA
GENRE: CONTEMPORARY/ FANTASY

SYNOPSIS:


Your destination has arrived is a contemporary novel featuring the life of Bruno a k9 police dog who in his new birth has been awarded a human life due to his act of bravery which saved the life of many people. But this human body of his is actually of the terrorist. How will he be a live with it? Pick this book up to find out.


OVERVIEW/ MY OPINION:

I had a really good time reading this book.
Firstly the concept around which it revolves is very unique and is executed very well.

The cover and the title are appropriately chosen keeping in mind the interest and curiosity of a reader.

The writing style was good.  The language was easy going and lucid.  The narration too was done quite well which played a major role in keeping me glued to this book.

The storyline was beautiful and captivating.
The plot was fresh and strong enough to keep me gripped to the core while reading this book.  I truly appreciate the way the author has crafted the story, right from the beginning till the end, the character of Bruno undergoes several realistic changes and developments.

There are many times when I cried and laughed while reading this book.

The characters were very well developed.  The emotions of each character is crafted beautifully and presented perfectly.

The only part wherein this book disappointed me a bit was when it took a slow pace in the between.

Lastly the climax was something that was so unpredictable, heart-wrenching yet heartwarming!

Overall, this was a very interesting and a fantastic read. Definitely recommended.

My Rating: 4/5🌟

BOOK REVIEW- SCEPTERS OF EMPYREA- A JOURNEY TO THE ANDROMEDA GALAXY BY VIGNESH RAVICHANDRAN

TITLE: SCEPTERS OF EMPYREA- A JOURNEY TO THE ANDROMEDA GALAXY 
AUTHOR: VIGNESH RAVICHANDRAN 
LENGTH: 393
PUBLISHERS: NOVEL NUGGETS 
GENRE: FANTASY/ ASTROLOGY/ FICTION/ HISTORICAL 

SYNOPSIS: 

Scepters of empyrea - a journey to the andromeda Galaxy is a fantasy novel by Vignesh Ravichandran.

The story starts off with Archeologist Hannah exploring the Pyramids of Egypt in search of ancient antiquities and treasures in order to bring them before the Worl and to safeguard it.But as she explores these Pyramids a Finds many secret gateways that lead her to various mysterious places and stories, She finds a stroll Written by King Pharaoh that opens up the portal of a whole new world to her & her team, Pharaoh talks about his and his courtiers journey to the Andromeda Galaxy which is lead by Empreyo a person from that Galaxy who comes down to assist the people in his kingdom. But the happiness of the Andromeda Galaxy is short lived With the death of Its rulers. Will the happiness and harm of this Kingdom every return? Will they get their deserve Heirs? Pick this book up for an action packed and adventurous read!




OVERVIEW/ MY OPINION:  

I had a fairly good time reading this book.
Firstly the concept around which it revolves is very unique and diverse.  It's executed very well.

The writing style was good but it could have been better because during the initial stages of the story the world building takes time & I found it difficult to visualise the scenes before my eyes.

The language was easy going and lucid.
The narration too was done quite well, it kept me gripped while reading this book, though this book is huge I wasn't struggling to finish this book.

The theme of this book revolves around various concepts such as Love, trust, determination, bravery and betrayal.

The storyline was beautiful, unique and captivating.
The plot was fresh and strong enough as I said to keep me gripped.
This a very slow paced read.

So one has to be really patient while reading this book.
The cover and the title are appropriately chosen keeping in mind the interest and curiosity of a reader.

Now that I've spoken about the basic details of this book, I'll be talking about the part that I loved and the parts that required developments.

So firstly I really appreciate the author’s imagination.  He has honestly taken his creativity and imagination to a whole new level & has expanded the horizons of his creativity!

There are many places in which the author proves it for eg. There is a scene in this book wherein Hannah realises that theres something different in that part of a pyramid and it turns out to be that the Pyramids are guarded by Invisible razor blades, there are invisible axes that are guarding the ancient treasure, a place that seems like a waterfall is actually magnesium based! The wars scenes, adventures, weapons, cultures of every species is described vividly and intricately.

Secondly this book is full of illustrations, that enhanced my reading experience. There are many maps as well.

Thirdly this story has a blend of fantasy, fiction,history,astrology and a lot more! But I feel that its blending required minor improvements.
The characters were very well developed.  There are ermaids, apes, dragons, falcons, phoenix, snakes , hybrids and a lot more!

Now the time lapse is where this book required lots of improvements, it was pretty confusing the story starts in the contemporary period, shifts in the BC period and then again in the contemporary period without a strong base.

Secondly, as Hannah reads the letter the story starts unfolding initially the feel of the letter is kept alive but it gradually looses its hold, so the author should have paid attention to that.
The unexpected twists and turns really keep the reader gripped and engaged while reading the book.

Lastly, the climax was something that was so unpredictable but yet so acceptable!


THIS BOOK'S COVER IS BASED ON THE INTERNATIONAL EDITION. IF PURCHASED FROM INDIAN STORES YOU'LL RECEIVE A
DIFFERENT COVER EDITION.


MY RATING: 3.5/5

WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK?
YES!



GIVE THIS BOOK A TRY: HERE

I WAS SENT A COPY OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.  VIEWS EXPRESSED HEREIN ARE OF MY OWN. NO PART OF THIS REVIEW SHALL BE COPIED/ USED FOR OTHER PURPOSE WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF IT'S OWNER 

BOOK REVIEW: 150 BRILLIANT IDEAS TO KEEP YOUNG MINDS FIT & FINE BY NEERA MAINI SRIVASTAV

SUMMARY:


In a world with increasing stress, lifestyle imbalance, new age challenges and health hazards, 'wellness' is the new God everyone's seeking. While adults have infinite choices and options to course-correct paths, the young adults, though have increasing incidences of mental and physical health challenges, have little or almost no aids to holistic health and wellness. With increasing juvenile obesity and depression hitting the teens, there is a dire need to address the same. The book is based on addressing just that in a contemporary, light-hearted fashion. Split into 3 sections: Mind, Body and Spirit, the book offers truths in each category that seed the idea of wellness in a fun and engaging way. What better than a ready reckoner for young adults to get by their highly stressful daily lives in a more meaningful, healthier and stimulating manner. A companion of sorts, the book aims at delivering well-being to the troubled young souls. “The reason why this book is close to my heart is because as a Life Skills Coach, I work extensively with teens as well as tweens. Doing so requires an understanding of their Mind, Body, Spirit. This is the area in which this wonderful book serves an important purpose. It offers an integrated, holistic approach to every aspect of young peoples' Wellness issues. Neera is an author whom I admire greatly. This exhaustive book is a much- needed compendium of critical information. I have no doubt it will meet huge success.” - Ms Neelam Kumar (Life Skills Coach and Author)








OVERVIEW:

150 brilliant ideas is a simple yet promising non fiction book that I read recently.
This book was a fairly average read for me.
The book revolves around various concepts such as  diet, exercise, confidence,self care, and much more.
The topics are explained in a short,crisp and easy way.
The illustrations enhanced my reading experience.
There are many things/ topics that I agreed with in this book but there were quiet a few that I dint agree with for various & obvious reasons.
The writing style was good. The language was easy going and lucid.
The narration was good but it could have been better.
The title is chosen appropriately but the cover required minor improvements .
It's a fairly quick & easy read which can be read even by beginers.
I'm not a fan of non fiction books, but this one was different!
Overall, a good,easy and a quick read.
MY RATING: 3.5/5🌟


Give it a try HERE

BOOK REVIEW: SAURABH BY NIRMAL ARODA

TITLE : SAURABH 
AUTHOR: NIRMAL ARODA 
GENRE: POETRY
LANGUAGE: HINDI
PUBLISHER: ARTSON PUBLICATION HOUSE 
YouTube video review link :  https://youtu.be/oVMWNTPvFcQ

SUMMARY:

चित्त मिला कोरे काग़ज़ सा, रेखांकित किए चित्र मनभाए जगे प्रेम ज्योति सबके मन में, सबको मनभावन नये अर्थ मिल जाएँ। यही प्रभुकृपा का प्रसाद शिरोधार्य होगा। सरस्वती माँ की अपार कृपा से शब्द, भाव-अनुभाव और विचारों की भावगूंज सुमन ‘सौरभ’ बन पाई है। मानव मन बड़ा भावुक और संवेदनशील होता है। समाज की संवेदनशील स्थिति और अपनी मनःस्थिति या भाव तीव्रता ही अनुभव बनते हैं। वही आचरण, व्यवहार, विचार, दर्शन और संस्कृति को प्रभावित करते हैं। जब समाज का सत्य असत्य, कोमल कठोर, नैतिक या अनैतिक संस्कारहीन परिवर्तन सुखदायक या पीड़ादायक होता है तो वह मौन या मुखरित हुए बिना नहीं रहता। हर घटना या भावों की गूँज उद्वेलित होकर रेखांकित होती है। कुछ ऐसी ही प्रतिक्रियाएं लेखिका श्रीमती निर्मल अरोड़ा के जीवन की जरावस्था में ‘सौरभ’ कविताओं में उभर कर सकारात्मक सांस्कृतिक चेतना के रुप में प्रतिबिम्बित हुई हैं। भौतिक भव्यता के साथ आत्मिक सांस्कृतिक सार्थक परम्पराओं के मूल्यों की भव्य दिव्यता को जागृत करने का भावात्मक प्रयास ही "सौरभ" है। लेखिका की अभिलाषा है कि "सौरभ" की संवेदनशीलता से काव्य प्रेमी देश गौरव का स्वर बनेंगे |


OVERVIEW:   Are you looking out for books that are written in a vernacular yet a simple language? Well then this post is for you.

Today's book review is Entitled SAURABH BY NIRMAL ARODA

This book consists of poems that are written in the hindi language. 

For each poem the author takes into consideration various and simple elements of life and nature.

The author has a good flow in her writing style, i loved her choice of words that enhanced my reading experience.

The language was a little sophisticated and at times hard to understand, I must say that the author has made a good use of vocabulary in her poems.

She narrates the poems in a beautiful way.

The cover and the title are appropriately chosen.

I would like it if the length of the poems would b a lil short n easy to understand.

Some poems are developed amazingly whike some required improvements.

Some of the poems compel you to have an inner reflection of ourselves.

Overall, this was a very interesting and a pleasant poetic read.

I would  not recommend it for beginners as the language is a bit difficult to understand.

MY RATING: 4/5 🌟

Special thanks to artson publication house for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Purchase the book: Here



I  received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  Views expressed herein are of my own.  No part of this review shall be copied/ used for other purpose without the permission of it's owner  (content and image hold a copyright)