Killing Time in Delhi - Book Review

Killing Time in Delhi by Ravi Shankar Etteth
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Killing Time in Delhi by Ravi Shankar Etteth lives is set in Lutyens Delhi. The characters are a murky lot, each overloaded with the eccentric characteristics. Charlie Seth's mistress dies of a cocaine overdose and with her death all troubles begin for Charlie.

The trouble with Killing Time in Delhi is that it lives in its own world. It doesn't bother much about finding a connect with the reader. Characters come and go, leaving readers confused. The same is true of the events in the book. Though the reviewers are praising the novel for its pace, I found the pace to be slow. Unnecessary descriptions using complex sentences and words out of vogue have a repelling effect on the reader.

So it is up to you whether to kill your time in reading Killing Time in Delhi or not.

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The Light Catcher - Book Review

The Light Catcher by Sameer Chopra by Sameer Chopra
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sameer Chopra crafts interesting characters in his debut novel The Light Catcher. We have read about the cut throat competition in the corporate world earlier. What makes The Light Catcher different from other books is it brilliant characterization. So we have Purab the protagonist who finds soon that the corporate world is not his cup of tea.

On the contrary his love interest Rati is born for the corporate life, she takes to it like fish takes to water. The attraction between these two is the masterstroke of the writer. It keeps you glued to the story, eager to know what happens next.

The writing is sharp and crisp. The events in the life of the protagonist are easy to relate to. We feel for the protagonist and that I think is the success of the author. There are very few books that succeed in painting realistic picture of the things and The Light Catcher is definitely one of them. Don't miss this one.

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Don't be harsh on yourself

Years come and go. But 2018 was a very important year in my life. My mantra for the year was not to be harsh on myself. I reaped the benefits of this attitude.

Maintaining a daily journal has been a part of many of my new year resolutions. My cupboard is full of diaries, with a few entries for the month of January. All the following months were blank. In latter years I used those diaries, but just as notebooks. I wrote besides the years which were now a part of the past. At the beginning of the 2018 I again resolved to maintain a journal. But this time there was a change in my attitude. Here is an entry from my journal dated 9^th January 2018.

Another year, another diary. Like you all I have many diaries of the years gone by, meticulously written for some days and then the pages were all blank. I utilized those pages after a few years, only as pages of a notebook and not a diary.

But this time around there is change in my outlook. I am relaxed. I am composed. I am not going to be harsh on myself. It is alright if I don’t write for a few days. It is fine if what I write is crap and doesn’t sell. I like the way I am. Believe me this has lifted tonnes off weight (of expectations and self pity) from my chest.

With this attitude I maintained the journal. I didn’t write everyday. There are many pages blank in the diary. But still I wrote far more than what I had written in all these years. I received an acceptance from myself. It sounds so weird but it is true. We don’t accept ourselves the way we are. We keep on finding our own faults and demeaning ourselves.

Here is another entry from my diary

6^th February 2018

So much of protocol, rules of behaviour and etiquettes taught to me by my parents and teachers, some times directly, some times indirectly. I followed them scrupulously. But today I realize the burly pressure and tension that it built within me. In retrospect I feel that I should have been more flexible, for these etiquettes are for us and not the other way round.

You can do your best while staying relaxed. Moreover no matter how much you go by the book, there is no guarantee that the to her person will be pleased by your behaviour. There is no assurance that the outcomes will be as expected by you either. So what’s the point in being steadfast with regard to anything? Why not stay relaxed and do your best.

Hence forth no worrying about manners and etiquettes.

When I stopped exerting unwanted mental pressure on myself a wonderful thing happened. Things started falling place on their own. I became more productive. My relationships, including the one which I have with myself, improved. I became relaxed. Hope that you too stop being harsh on yourself.

The Sameness in a Consistent Change - Book Review

The Sameness in a Consistent Change by Sujay Malik
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Sameness in a Consistent Change is a book by Sujay Malik. I had read the earlier book of the author which was a collection of short stories. The number of pages, the name of the book gives a general impression that this too is a collection of short stories. But actually it is a single story.

This is the story of a young chap Ramanuj who sees his father die for want of resources. At the same time Pallavi, the daughter of a politician's secretary, gets proper treatment at the cost of Ramanuj's father. The story deals with their emotions, their feelings and their regrets.

The writing is good, but the wafer thin storyline could have been developed into a more interesting story. Nevertheless, this is one time read for sure.

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Peshwa II - Book Review

Ram Sivasankaran's first installment of Peshwa held tremendous promise. The second installment 

was awaited for Mastani was to arrive in it. I must say that Peshwa II doesn't disappoint for sure.

Ram does an excellent job of weaving parallels which go well with the main track. The writing is clean and tidy. The length could have been curtailed a bit. Yet no complaints. Writing a book of this grandeur is no child's play. Mastani comes across as a woman with a spine and not a courtesan.

 The book gives you the satisfaction of reading both a historical thriller and romance. The book is highly recommended.  

Nine - Book Review

Emperor Ashoka has left his secrets with a coterie on nine who have passed them on from one generation to another. Those esoteric secrets are closely guarded by a small group even today. Sweta Samota dexterously weaves the magical world of Nine. Ila is the Robert Langdon of this mystery novel where codes are to be deciphered for the powerful. There are sudden disappearances of the scientists and Ila is wanted by the Intelligence too. The plot is nothing new, yet the book is a page turner. It is sumptuous thriller for sure. And then there is a love story too. The writing is sharp. You feel for the characters and can't simply wait to know what happens next. But there are multiple layers and numerous characters both from the past and the present that add to the richness of the narrative. The narrative is fast paced which is a must for any thriller. Sweta brings out myriad emotions amidst this otherwise mystery novel. She needs to be congratulated for brilliantly marrying romance to mystery. If you enjoy thrillers go for it. You wont repent reading this one. 

Distress to De-stress - Book Review

'Our childhoods were so carefree. Even toddlers today speak of being stressed.' I heard my friend say. No one can deny that young and old, rich and poor all are feeling stress of today's competitive world. Stress cannot be eliminated but it can be well managed. Distress to De-stress is a book by Vikas Kakwani which will help you in managing stress.

The author discusses the causes of stress. He very aptly states the role of individual, family, friends, schools in building stress. He doesn't stop by simply discussing causes of stress. He introduces quick, effective solutions by which you can manage your stress. He explains Japanese techniques like Kanban to reduce stress. One two ka four rule for meetings is going to be very effective when put in actual use. In order to reduce stress, he asks to delete your facebook account and whatsapp by asking why do you need them in the first place. I don't know how many of us will follow this tip.

To sum up this book will help you reduce stress in all walks of your life be it finances, relationships or work. Highly recommended. You wont repent reading this one.