Sat Varshe Sakt Majuri...? सात वर्षे सक्तमजुरी Book Review

 

Dr. Sherali Shaikh's Marathi book titled 'Sat Varshe Sakt Majuri...?' is an interesting read for sure. This autobiographical book primarily focuses on the seven years which he spent in the hinterlands of Nandurbar.

The book begins with the authors transfer to a remote location posting, and his attempts, albeit unsucessful, in getting it changed. Reluctantly he joins the posting. The challenges are multiple. The transport options are limited. There is no separate residential facility. The staff huddles up in the godown like structure of the health centre. Electricity is unheard of. The dialect which most of the staff and all the patients speak is Greek and Latin for the author.  Yet, he overcomes all these challenges and becomes a sought after surgeon in the district. Through out the book the author tries to analyse whether this remote posting was a blessing or a punishment.

A class one gazetted posting appears to be a plump position for the world. But the picture isn't rosy. The author is denied a rented house for his religion. There is constant uncertainty coupled with a regret of having made a wrong choice of becoming a medical officer. The author has been very honest in wording all these human emotions.

He describes how he completed his education in adverse circumstances. He says that the adolescent age is very challenging for every person, no matter if he is good at studies or not. I feel this is the kind of sensitivity required for dealing with persons of this age group.  I wish more was written about this part of his life, particularly how he acquired a command over the English language.

The author was selected to be a part of the medical team to be deputed to Haj to treat the Indian pilgrims. This forms the most interesting part of the book, and is a treat to read.

We all know that the full form of M.B.B.S is Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery. But how many M.B.B.S doctors we know conduct surgeries? The book underlines this dearth of surgeons in the rural parts of the country. Rather it tells us that there are qualified surgeons but for some unknown reasons they do not conduct surgeries. I wish the author had described in short the procedure of surgery. It would have helped in knowing how at times thirty surgeries were carried out in a day. Also, he should have told as to how there is so much of awareness about family planning in the most underdeveloped parts of the state.

What I liked about the book is that the author comes across as a simple person and not a superhero. As a result neither he, nor his book is error free. I did not like the way he has glorified drinking and eating gutka. Mere reference to these habits is one thing and glorifying them is another. At one place he even refers to drinking as national programme. Also he laughs at the trans person who in a very dignified way comes to say him off. This is cruel and insensitive. Not at all expected from a member of medical fraternity.  

Yet, the book is an interesting read. It is enjoyable, and at the same time throws light on the system, something which doesn't always happen. The book is highly recommended.

Murder at the Kolkota Lanes - Book Review

 

If you are fan of murder mysteries like me, you will definitely like Asimava Roy Chaudhary’s Murder at the Kolkota Lanes.

 

Nita Saha ASP of Lake view police station is assigned the investigation of murder of business tycoon Arjun Mishra. As the investigation unfolds, a series of murders surface.

Nita has a hard time, reaching the culprits. There are several tense moments in the novel, where a chill runs down your spine. This I believe is the success of the author.

 

The book contains all the ingredients of a block-buster thriller. Nita’s back story is also interesting. All the characters in the novel are shaped very well. The backdrop of Kolkota makes the book scenic. I really loved meandering through the lanes of Kolkota. It certainly gives another dimension to the book.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Buy this book. You will certainly not regret buying it.

Tears of My Motherland - Book Review

 

Tears of My Motherland is an emotional read. It strikes a chord with every reader and takes them into a hitherto unknown journey. That is what makes the book unique.

 After the untimely demise of Subhash Chandra Bose, Indians living in South East Asia were in a fix. Their hero, the one who fought for the freedom of their motherland was gone. They were in a fix. They didn’t know what to do. But who can escape the daily struggles of life? When you are a migrant you are in constant search of better life. In fact, that is the very reason why you migrate from your motherland and step into unknown territories. It is against this backdrop that Tears of My Motherland  is set.  This topic has never made its way into the mainstream books and media. The author needs to be congratulated for the same.

 The author has won half of the battle by choosing such a unique concept. With characters that are easy to relate he wins the second half too. You feel for the characters, and that is the success of the author. The author keeps us glued up to the end and makes us introspect. The language is simple, yet riveting. The flow, the characterization is up to the mark.

 I loved this book. I feel every Indian, every migrant and person interested in understanding the psyche of migrant diaspora should read this book. Highly recommended!

 

Hats & Hoots and Humiliation - Book Review

Hats & Hoods and Humiliation is an interesting book written by a child prodigy named Hiranya Verma. My first reaction after reading the book was impossible, a ten year old child cannot write such a book that offers a plethora of practical insights into dealing with daily problems.

Given the age of the author, the book concentrates on the issues faced by young children and even adolescents. The book offers practical advice on how to handle bullies, crushes and heart breaks.  The ten years old author is a highly matured person. She says, ‘Someone wants to ruin your day, but don’t let them. Simply laugh. But don’t bottle up your feelings either. Remember, the balance between your emotions.’ She offers relationship advice too.  She offers solutions to most of the problems. She reaffirms that your joy is not dependent on what others feel about you. At the same time she emphasizes the importance of apology and confession.

I have been living on this planet for thirty-six years, and obviously, I am senior to the author by many decades. Yet, let me candidly admit that I have learnt a lot from this child author.

The book is extremely well written. It is edited professionally and has an attractive layout. Buy this book, it will cost you less than a coffee, but enrich you by many bounds.

Editing Bootcamp - Book Review

Editing Bootcamp by Dola Basu Singh  is a book of great help for newbie authors. The book explains the various types of editing – developmental editing, line editing, copy editing and proof reading.

Though the book is titled Editing Bootcamp the book deals with various stages of creative writing. It explains the common structure formats of creative writing. The book also explains the various point of views from which a book can be written. The book also gives insights on crafting of characters and plot. Setting, conflict and dialogues also find explanation in the book.

If you are a new writer, I am sure this book is a must have for you. The book is simple and error free. Honestly speaking I was looking for errors. Afterall this is a must for a book on editing. But I couldn’t found a single error. That speaks volumes about the book.

Beneath the Eyes - Book Review

Beneath the Eyes is a suspense thriller penned by Upender Reddy. This is a sci-fi horror novel. It starts with a scientific invention and in the second half steps into the horror territory.

What I liked about the book is that all the characters are nicely sketched. Ditto for the setting. The author with his words builds a spooky world, where your heart skips a beat and a chill runs down the spine. The story idea is cent percent original and full marks to the author for coming with such a novel concept.

What I didn't like about the book was use of language and poor editing. Unnecessary descriptions should have been avoided and another round of editing was required for the book.

In spite of its drawbacks I loved the book. It is certainly a thriller not to be missed. Read this book during lockdown period. You will certainly have a great time.

Time Guard : Awakening - Book Review

If you love suspense thrillers like me, then Time Guard : Awakening is the book that you shouldn't miss.

The protagonist Swati receives a set of envelopes. Each envelop is marked with date and time when it is to be opened. The envelopes open a new world for Swati.

The book is a unique combination of science fiction and fantasy. I loved the way the author brings on board everything – India mythology, science and socio-political scenario. What I liked is the way the author has adroitly weaved all this together to give us a blockbuster.

The success of any thriller depends on its pace and the Time Guard succeeds on this count as well. It is extremely well written and is fast paced. I am sure once you start reading it, you will be so intrigued that you wont put the book down until you have completed it. The characters are well sketched and real to life.

This is the first book in the series. I am so impressed from the first installment that I cannot wait for the next book in the series to come. Just buy this book, you will enjoy it.

Random Subterranean Mosaic: 2012 – 2018 Book Review

Sabarna Roy is a magician. He so adroitly weaves his thoughts into poems, stories, plays and novels. He is a literary genius. I have read his earlier work and was deeply impressed. That is the reason why I bought his latest book Random Subterranean Mosaic: 2012 – 2018.

This book is a collection of his poems, stories, conversations and opinions. This is a thought provocative read for sure. The author makes you ponder over the things, which you otherwise would have ignored. He analyses a given situation from multiple perspectives and that is what makes this book an interesting read.

The author writes about the places which he has visited, the food he has experienced and the persons he has met. Of all the part, I loved the sections about his travels the most.

This certainly is not a book to be missed. I am sure you will enjoy being in the Sabarna Roy's world for sure.

Frosted Glass - Book Review

Sabarna Roy's Frosted Glass is a collection a story cycle comprising of fourteen stories and a poem cycle comprising of twenty-one poems.

The stories are set in Calcutta and are deeply engaging. They revolve around a variety of subjects – man-woman relationships, conflict with long-held morals and ethics, migration from villages to cities, class inequality and even environmental degradation. The stories are fast moving. With the well engraved characters, sharp dialogues, the author lays bare the deep rooted human psyche. Rahul is the common character in all the stories. He has so many shades to his character that I totally agree with the author when he says that Rahul is many persons rolled into one.

All the stories are wonderfully written. Yet, I liked the Act of Revenge the Most. I have read the previous work of the author. He is one of the few authors whose works I eagerly look forward to. Believe me when I say that Sabarna Roy never disappoints. Buy this book, you will repent not reading it. 

Winter Poems - Book Review

Having read earlier works of Sabarna Roy I must confess that I have become his fan. Here is an author who aptly knows how to carve out unforgettable characters by apt use of words. So when I came across Winter Poems by him, I immediately lapped it up.

Poetry is like a painting you convey so many things with just a few strokes. Sabarna creates the atmosphere of winter through his poems. There are festivities and there is mourning. In a single season, the poet summarizes the philosophy of life – its celebration and its futility.

I really liked the book for the varied themes it tries to touch upon in a few words. This book is a piece of great literature. Certainly, not to be missed.

Pentacles - Book Review

The opening story in Sabarna Roy's Pentacles – A New Life is an enriching read. The complex characters, the vivid descriptions, the lyrical writing and the deep rooted emotions – everything deserves an applause.

I really liked the way the author brings the protagonist face to face with the daughter of the man for whom his mother left his father. This I feel was the USP of the story. It is shocking, interesting and makes the story even more gripping.

The author with his adept use of words keeps you hooked from the first line. The metaphors he uses are original and apt. Here are the opening lines of the story.

Loneliness is like smoke. It starts from a definite point

and ends up everywhere indefinitely. It eats up the soul,

actually chews it to miniscule shreds, from inside and out.

The author's writing style reminded me of the great Malayalam writer K R Meera. This dark, deep story shatters all your long-held beliefs. The author makes you believe that given the circumstances no person is wrong in his or her place. I believe Sabarna Roy deserves a place in the galaxy of writers like K R Meera. I hope he gets his due soon.

There are poems in this collection as well. However the story outshines and overshadows them. Sabarna is a writer of great calibre. Read his writings for sure or you will miss on something valuable.

Abyss - Book Review

I am really impressed with Sabarna Roy's play Abyss. Well etched characters, quirky dialogues and conflict that is introduced early, make this play highly entertaining.

A business martinet, who doesn't approve of her only child's lover, warring cousins and a faithful employee who seems to have changed sides, Abyss has every essential of a good play. The story is believable with characters that are easy to relate to. This being a play, it was important that every character should exhibit its traits through dialogues, and the author highly succeeds on this front.

This is a murder mystery and the author does a wonderful job of camouflaging the true murderer. He weaves compelling circumstances which make you look at every character with suspicion. This is his success as a playright.

I am dying to see this play being enacted on the stage. I am sure it will run full houses. I also look forward to read and watch other plays by Sabarna Roy.

Stories of Us - Book Review

Bobby Sachdeva’s Stories of Us is a collection of stories that are overtly ordinary, but are embedded with deep, underlying thoughts. The stories are weaved around our day to day settings. The characters are easy to relate. At many junctures, you feel this is exactly the way I had thought when I came across such a situation. This is the success of the author. The protagonists of the stories are from various walks of life. That helps us understand different perspectives and enriches us.

Bobby choses to refrain from jargons and uses a simple but lucid language in his stories. This makes reading easy for children and for those who shy away from books for lack of vocabulary. There is a cinematic touch in his narration. You can see things, hear sounds and of course feel the emotions.

All the stories are thought provoking. They will make you think, question and ponder, a rare streak in recent writings.

This book is highly entertaining as well as thought provoking. A must read for all age groups. 

Your Story Your World Flags of Asia - Book Review

Remembering flags of the various countries is a challenge to every child. Your Story Your World Flags of Asia, is one such rare books which will help to remember the countries, their flags and their characteristics. Author Neha Jain Kale devices memory chains through stories, which will help the children, remember the flags with their colours and designs.

Your Story Your World is a concept book. It fills the void which has been missing for a long time. It uses the memory chain techniques to help your child remember the countries and their flags. The memory chains are simple. They use mental imagery, create symbolic characters. The stories are written to represent a country. Obviously, they will stay back in memory. The stories are creative, easy to comprehend and are entertaining. There are characters and situations in the stories which the children will find interesting. They will be drawn to it. Though I am an adult, I really enjoyed the stories. What is impressive is that they weave images in your mind which are difficult to forget. The result you remember the flag with all the details. The book is full of interesting nuggets. I found the book amusing.

Children are inquisitive by nature. As adults it is our solemn duty not only satiate that curiosity but also help the child to develop himself. Books like this one, will surely go a long way in shaping your child. If you have a young child at home. This is the book you should must have. The author has clearly revealed that the other parts of the series are soon to follow. I am eagerly waiting for the next part of the book.

About the author

Neha Jain Kale, a former journalist, is an avid story-collector as well as teller. She brings with her a great passion for storytelling and a decade of professional writing experience. She likes to create an unbelievable world through her characters. She uses her mental imagery to turn forgettable information into something that’s much more likely to stick in her child’s mind. Her imagination knows no bounds when she meets new people. She often likes to pull elements from classic tales and invent tales of her own. Her storytelling sessions are thoroughly enjoyed by her children and she can’t wait to share her stories with children alike.

Stem Cell Banking - Book Review

Stem Cell Banking : All You Should Know About by MITCH SHAH
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In recent years anxious parents have been paying hefty packages for stem cell preservation. But what is stem cell banking? Are there are risks involved in it? Is it really important? There are so many questions for which a lay person has no answers.

In his book Stem Cell Banking, Mitch Shah has attempted to answer these questions. Given the dearth of books on this topic, I congratulate him for writing a book on this topic.

The language is simple and easy to understand. The author simplifies the complex medical concepts. This is a short book and every expecting parent should read it before taking the stem cell banking route.

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More Unfairy Tales - Book Review

More Unfairy Tales by T.F. Carthick
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had absolutely loved Carthick's Unfairy Tales. So when I came across second installment of fairy tales retelling by him named More Unfairy Tales, I simply lapped it.

In this book Carthick choses to retell five all time classics - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Beauty and the Beast, Red Riding Hood Rapunzel, The Shoemaker and the elves.

Having chosen the classics which are permanently etched in our minds, Carthick gives them his personal touch and renarrates them – this time from the point of view of the antagonist. Fairy tales are always about victory of the good over the evil. But the evil too has its own perspective, its own philosophy. This makes the book damn interesting.

The writing is lucid. The language is sharp as razor and filled with wit. Every story keeps you hooked to the end, makes you think, rather rethink and that I think is the success of the author.

Such books are rarely written by Indian authors. Though we have retold the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana umpteen times, we have not touched the fairy tales. Hence, I feel that this book is to be embraced with hands wide open. This book is highly recommended. It will make you laugh, cry and think. Isn't it a good reason to buy the book.

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Lights! Scalpel! Romance! - Book Review

LIGHTS! SCALPEL! ROMANCE! by Jas Kohli
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What drew me to Lights! Scalpel! Romance! was its attractive cover. The book didn't disappoint either. This is the story of Dr. Nipun and Dr. Nistha. They have joined the Nirog Hospital. They are pursuing their Master of Surgery course under the guidance of Dr. Ujwal who is considered God of surgery.

Hospitals have serious atmosphere. That is how we have seen them in books, films and real life. But in Lights! Scalpel! Romance! the author makes us wear comic lenses and the hospital incidents come out to be humorous. This is the USP of the book.

The book is extremely well written. It makes you laugh. The characters are so well written that you feel for them. This is the success of the writing prowess of the author. Read this one. It will definitely bring a smile on your face in today's trite world.

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Shhh! Don't Talk About Mental Health : Why Being Quiet is No Longer an Option - Book Review

Shhh! Don't Talk About Mental Health by Arjun Gupta
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In India there is stigma around mental illness. That is why book like Shhh! Don't Talk About Mental Health : Why Being Quiet is No Longer an Option must be given a warm welcome.

The book is written from the perspective of Yashasvi who is depressed and about to end his life. The book is not just his story. It is a primer on mental health issues, the mental health service providers. It also deals with the role of the government and the society on this issue.

The book hooks you right from the first page and you will not stop reading until you have finished reading the entire book. The language is simple and lucid. I really liked the way the author has discussed complex topics relating to mental health in simple, easy to understand language. The book is a well researched work and every human should read it. Mental health issues are on the rise. Reading this book will help you discern the same at the right time. This book is the need of the hour.

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Who Killed Liberal Islam - Book Review

Who Killed Liberal Islam? by Hasan Suroor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There is a misconception that you can't be a liberal and a Muslim at the same time. The book Who Killed Liberal Islam by Hasan Surror takes this question head-on. In doing so it examines the Islam practised in India and abroad. It discusses the causes of decline of liberal Islam in India.

The following lines from the book will serve as eye openers.
'Sharia is the biggest obstacle to change,' according to historian S. Irfan Habib. This despite the fact that the Quran is only one of its four sources along with Qiyas (human reasoning), Ijma (consensus) and Sunnah (sayings of the Prophet), most of which were written some 200 years after the Prophet's death and many having no authenticity. A number of practices justified in the name of Sharia, have no Quranic sanctions.

Today when the patriotism of every Indian Muslim is put to test, the following observations of the author are timely.
It is often forgotten or wilfully overlooked that a majority of Muslims chose to stay back in India in a massive thumbs-down to the idea of a Muslim homeland. We are the inheritors of their values. Faced with a choice between an exclusionist Muslim nationalism on one hand, and inclusive secularism on the other, they had no doubt what was the right thing to do.

The author says that India has a long history of liberal Muslim reformers who were also deeply religious and often used religion to sell their reforms. He cites the examples of Sir Syed Ahmed, Zakir Husain and Abul Kalam Azad.

This is a book of great scholarly work. It is a well researched commentary replete with real life examples. Every person should read this book for this book is a small attempt to bring peace in today's strained world.

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Dark Destiny - Book Review

Dark Destiny is the debut novel of Kamal Kant, and in spite of being a first timer I must say that he has done a great job.

This is a thriller and hooks you to the story within the first few pages of the book. You are eager to know what happens next. There are ample twists and turns to leave thriller fans satiated. The characters are well etched. The narrative swings between present and past.

The premise used by the author is fresh. This is the story of a man Aditya whose American dream has utterly failed. He has had a heart break and one fine day he is arrested for treason, murder and drug trafficking. This is something I have never read before. Hence, I liked this book even more.

Overall, Dark Destiny emerges as a winner on all counts. Go for it. You wont be disappointed.