Book Review – Yama by Kevin Missal

Book Name: Yama

Author: Kevin Missal

Publisher: Half Baked Beans

Price: Rs. 175

Blurb:

A violent saint... A man who claims he is Yama, is punishing sinners by killing them according to the twenty eight hells described in the Bhagavat Gita.

Who is he? What does he want? Is he a vigilante or a psychopath?

A delusional hero... Iravan Rajpoot, an Ex- Black Cat Commando with a dark past is receiving letters with names and time limits. It's no sooner that he learns about the intended victims than they die within the mentioned time frame.

An ambitious reporter... Swati Kaushik, a widow and a woman who can do anything for success, must team up with Iravan to stop the God of Death and Justice.

Story in a nutshell:

Iravan is a private detective. He is very experienced with his work and that is the reason why he is considered as one of the best investigators. His nephew, Vardhan works as an assistant to him. Vardhan is the mastermind. He is a hacker.

A fine day, Iravan receives a call from Mr. Gagan that Mrs. Galgotia would visit him. Mrs. Galgotia's visit is in regards to her missing husband. The same day, Iravan receives a letter, an unusual one. Mr. Galgotia is the person who is mentioned in the letter. What does it mean? The next day, Mr. Galgotia is found murdered. Was the letter a clue to save him? Who killed Mr. Galgotia and why?

Iravan receives another mysterious letter few days later. Is this the second clue? Does Iravan manage to save him? Vardhaan finds some information regarding this mysterious killer. Iravan receives a phone call from the killer himself who calls himself Yama. Yama talks in riddles to Iravam and gives him a hint about his further actions. Iravan's job is to unmask this Yama. He thinks Yama to be Roshan Yadav, a maneater who has fled from the jail. He talks to Swati Kaushik, a journalist. It was she who had discovered the bodies. The strange fact is that the victim's kidneys are missing.

A series of killings occur. Iravan and Vardhaan save some people from Yama. During the last kill, Iravan ends up in helping Yama instead of saving the victim. What made Iravan help him? Who is Yama and what is his story? Does Iravan unmask him at yhe end?

Review:

The plot seems to be well researched and thoughtfully crafted. This story not only focuses on crime that is being committed but also on depression, father-child relationship, realisations of life, love and friendship. I must say Yama is all-in-one package. The progress of the story is moderate and it enhances the reading experience. The narration is lucid. There have been many occurances where i found new words (added to my vocabulary). Since the story is a crime-thriller, many characters are involved. Character sketching has been done well.

Likes:

• The suspense aspect has been maintained until the very last page.
• Yama wishes to bring a change in the society (reminded me of Gabbar is back movie) and not just be famous. We need more people like Yama.

Dislikes:

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• The chapters are very short and more in number. It would have been better had they been long and less in number. No issues are caused with this arrangement either.
• There have been mentions of organ trading. No closure to it has been given.
• The story misses that emotional touch (Iravan and his relationship with his family)

I rate:

Cover: 3/5

Story: 3/5

My overall rating for Yama is 3.5/5 stars.

You can book your copies here!

Book Review- Love Forever @ Rajpath by Kalpana Mishra

Book Name: Love Forever @ Rajpath

Authoress: Kalpana Mishra

Publisher: Srishti Publishers and Distributors

Price: Rs. 195

Blurb:

True love can blossom anywhere, in a government set-up too, and can be permanent as the job itself.

Shalini, a government employee, strongly feels that there is no point in getting married and joining the brigade of abused wives. Till she is swept off her feet by Kartik, a dynamic colleague from Bihar.

Just when her faith in the system of love and marriage is rekindled and at its peak, Kartik goes missing. Her search for him reveals some dark secrets about Zabaria Shaadi still existing in Bihar, where eligible boys are abducted or forced for marriage.

A love story at its core, Love Forever @ Rajpath highlights the predicaments of a girl on the verge of losing her most precious relationship. It also reflects the inner turmoil of a young boy sand-wiched between age-old traditions and his own liberated opinions.

Will Shalini be able to save her relationship? Will Kartik acknowledge her efforts or will he abandon her for the sake of his family?

Story in a nutshell:

Shalini is a young girl aged 25 who has recently joined her government job. Kartik too, is a new joinee. Kartik and Shalini are introduced to each other during their induction classes. Kartik is already flattered with Shalini and her ways. Few incidents happen and days later, he realizes that he genuinely likes her.

During the same time, the new recruits are supposed to attend a course and clear the exam. Shalini is having second thoughts as she is the only girl in the entire batch of 12 students. After some persuasion from her parents and colleagues, Shalini gives in. The classes turn out to be fun. Shalini and Kartik’s friendship grows stronger.

An educational tour is organized wherein Shalini realizes her love for Kartik. Will she confess her love to him? Will their love story have a happy end? The blurb says that Kartik goes missing. Where does he go? What will Shalini do?

Review:

I was searching for some light read when this book knocked at my door. The prologue is terrific, I must say. It grew curiosity within me and I decided that I was going to finish it that day itself. I finished reading the book in 5 hours. This book is a good read. The story doesn’t have many twists and turns. It seems to be written from heart and that is why I can tag it to be a delightful read. I did not know about Zabaria Shaadi. So in a way, this book spoke to me about it. The characters are well crafted. Shalini and Kartik seem to be there for real. They are simple people like you and me. And I feel, it is the reason why the readers will feel connected to them. The narration is simple and frank.

Author has presented a simple love story in the most innocently matured way. Love Forever @ Rajpath is a good read for all romance lovers.

Likes:

• The manner in which Shalini’s parents support her is enviable.
• I liked the way Shalini handles all difficult situations in a mature way.
• The way in which Dheeraj helped Kartik and Shalini is really cute. (I love him for that.)

Dislikes:

• The story (prologue) opened up with a bang. But the further chapters failed to create that magic.

I rate:

Cover: 3/5

Story: 2.5/5

Overall, Love Forever @ Rajpath gets 3/5 stars rating from me.

Buy your copies here!

Book Review : Dead Meat by Ankush Saikia

Book Name : Dead Meat
Author : Ankush Saikia
Publisher : Penguin Books
Price : Rs. 399

Blurb :

A body recovered from a tandoor oven.
A young accountant missing with a suitcase full of cash.
A city in the heady grip of T20 fever.
Private eye, Arjun Arora works the streets of Delhi dealing with the shady underbelly of the capital city. Hired to track down a missing person, Arjun stumbles upon a gruesome murder where the suspects seem to be linked to something larger and more sinister.

Part noir thriller and part detective story, Dead Meat introduces us to an unforgettable character – Arjun Arora, a man with a bad marriage, a drinking habit and a troubled past – who takes us on a dark and dangerous journey through the grime of today’s urban India.

Read my full review here!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars.

Buy your copies from Amazon.

Book Review – I Will Meet You There by Esha Pandey

Book Name: I Will Meet You There
Authoress: Esha Pandey
Publisher: Lifi Publications Pvt. Ltd.
Price: Rs. 200

Blurb:
A young girl is swept off her feet by a dashing Army officer. A newly-wed has a tempestuous affair with her brother-in-law. A couple once separated finds each other again on a beautiful island while the other battles against all the odds to commit to each other. Desperate teenager falls in love with a handsome stranger across the balcony. A pregnant young wife travels throughout the rickety roads to cheer up her beloved husband. A handsome politician falls in love with a journalist while a pianist is shocked at the blunt proposal by the girl of his dreams.
Laced with romance, passion, excitement and obsession, I Will Meet You There is a beautiful collection of love stories. It echoes the loving and longing of human heart.

Read my review here!

Rating: 3/5 stars.

You can buy your copies here!

Book Review- Logically Stupid, That’s Love by Shikha

Book Name: Logically Stupid, That’s Love

Authoress: Shikha

Publisher: Srishti Publishers and Distributors

Price: Rs. 250

Blurb:

Kartik: Yes, I want to be successful, and that’s not crime. Trust me, I too would have wanted the same as Ms. Stupid, but I can’t toss away my hard-work of years for a girl. We would have had a beautiful love story had she not been my boss’ daughter.

Sahana: I know he’s ambitious and doesn’t know his heart well. But I’m sure one day Mr. Logical will come my way of thinking, and we’ll have a beautiful life together thereafter.

He flirted with her for five days; she waited for him for five years, only to be shattered irrevocably one day. Logic seems to be winning the battle, until destiny refuses to move on and adamantly brings them face to face again.

In life’s moments of struggle and comfort, the heart and mind must join hands to combat.

A love story dedicated to the generation that never values what comes easy. Wish a few logics were a little less stupid. But nevertheless…

Logically Stupid, That’s Love!

Story in a nutshell:

Sahana is the only daughter of one of the business man in Mumbai. She has been pampered throughout 20 years of her life. She gets all hysterical when her parents announce to her that they have chosen a guy for her marriage and that they want her to see him. She flees away from the place to escape the mess her parents had created for her.

Enter Kartik, a young boy of 24. He has been recruited by Sahana’s father, Ajit. He is in Mumbai to set his career on the right track. Mr. Ajit suggests Kartik to take a tour before joining his company. Kartik choses Goa and then commences his road trip.

Life is going on fine for Kartik and then he realizes the presence of another individual in his car at the entrance of his hotel. That another person is no one else but Sahana. Kartik had already seen her once in Mumbai and this was the second time. He has a crush on her. Sahana is financially broke and finds Kartik to be a safe company. Does Kartik’s crush take form of friendship? Yes. It does. Kartik and Sahana spend awesome time in each other’s company and return to Delhi. At the Delhi Railway station, Kartik receives one of the greatest shocks of his life. He learns that Sahana is his boss, Ajit’s daughter. What does Kartik do then? Do Kartik and Sahana meet again? Has Kartik fallen in love with her or is she the only one stupid in this situation? What has destiny written in store for them?

My Take:

I had been waiting for quite a long time for the delivery of this book and when I finally received it, my mother spoilt the show. She started reading it and hence, here I am late with the review.

The story begins in a filmy way and ends up in being a mature read. The narration has been done in 3^rd person narrative and is easily connectable. The witty dialogues have been Shikha Madam’s patent and she does it again. It’s really fun to read the conversations. Take a bag. Add some innocence, humor, wit, intelligence, jealousy, anger, possessiveness. The result that you get is the dialogues from Shikha Madam’s book. The flow of the story has been great. The reader will never feel lost anywhere. The chapters create curiosity and the reader will surely finish this book in one seating. Like HFTMSFH, This book too is unputdownable. Sahana and Kartik are truly adorable. I found little bits of me in them.

Logically Stupid, That’s Love taught me a few lessons.

• There is nothing right or wrong in love. Love is a neutral.
• Once the moment is gone, it’s gone for forever. It will never come back again. So grab it and make the most of it.
• Love shapes you as a better individual. If not then it’s not true.
• Heart always rules over brain. No matter how much you try to run away from heart matters, you will end up in being a slave to your heart.

Likes:

• Characters
• Sahana and Kartik Coversations.

Dislikes:

• I found the story quite filmy.

Logically Stupid, That’s Love depicts modern relationships; those relationships where heart has a miniscule role to play; those relationships which are decided based on job status and financial situation. This book is for all ‘Stupid Sahana’s out there who are struggling to get their partner’s time and attention. Don’t give up. Make him realize your importance. This book is also for those ‘Logical Kartik’s. You won’t find another Sahana like from the book who would wait for you for five years. Hence, treasure your girl, pamper her and make her feel special. And most importantly, acknowledge your feelings.

I rate:

Cover: 2.5/5

Story: 4/5

I rate Logically Stupid, That’s Love with 4 stars.

Buy this awesome book here!

The Last Hug

Image: Google

“Can you hug me?” I asked him.

“Sure.” He said and hugged me.

I felt the ache reaching my heart. Somewhere, in the deepest corners, laid the fact that I shouldn’t see him anymore. My heart was telling my brain that it had won the war. I was sad that I would never get a chance to be enveloped by those arms. I would surely miss his scent. I would miss his hold over my hands at every step of my life. I would miss his touch. I was scared I would miss me.

“Go home now.” He said while kissing me on my forehead. I was sure to miss those kisses.

I smiled and moved towards the gate of my apartment.

“Don’t I get a ‘bye’?” He asked.

I felt the rush of emotions in my heart. How was I supposed to tell him that it was our last date? How was I supposed to tell him that I wouldn’t see him anymore? How was I supposed to tell him that ‘it’ was all over for me?

“’Byes’ seem like farewell to me. I wish to see you soon, someday in future.” I said without looking at him.

“You and your weird talks. I love you.” He said and went away. I wiped that tear on my cheek.

Review- Musings of Desire by Amit Radha Krishna Nigam

Book Name: Musings of Desire

Poet: Amit Radha Krishna Nigam

Publisher: Partridge Publishing

Price: Rs. 450

Review:

This poetry collection is divided into 12 sections.

NOT Sonnets

A sonnet is a poem of fourteen lines using any number of formal rhyme schemes in English typically having ten syllables per line. The poet has presented 4 such ‘NOT Sonnets’ each being unique in itself.

Musings of Desire

The next set of poems is named as Musings of Desire. They are just the way the title suggests. Each poem is rich in emotions. These poems will surely make you travel those places which you haven’t visited for years and neither had plans of visiting. This collection will surely remind you of the person you cannot have.

By the docks

There are always certain places, certain things (like in your city- may be some fort, garden etc.) which reminds you of people. In this section, the poet talks to us about such places/ things where the relationships have suffered or blossomed. Again, a wonderful set of poems which will kindle your heart with emotions.

Our world

This set of poems typically describes the world we are currently living in. it talks about poverty, progress (good and bad), relationship issues and many more topics. The poems are realistic and that is the beauty of this section.

From the Book of Poetry

This section consists of 7 poems – all related to poems and poetry. The poems talk the heart of the poet.

 From the Book of Krishna and other verses

This section of the book can be rightly called as the ‘spiritual’ section. The poems and verses are about Lord Krishna, Prahlad and Sudama. These poems will instill your belief in God. A good read!

Untitled

A collection of poems which deals with ego and indifferences to death. It’s a collection from hobbies to dreams, from music to songs. These poems reflect various moods that a person can go through. Again, an incredible collection.

My Heart Cries Today

This section comprises of poems of sadness, grief, sorrow and loss. These touching poems will surely make you shed a drop of tear. (This collection is short one. More poems would have made it better.)

Musings on Obituaries

Death is the ultimate destination. These poems have been written on varied topics- like farmer’s suicide, terrorist attacks. This section has heart-wrenching poems.

The Nature of Seekers

This section contains 3 thought-provoking write-ups.

From The Notebook

The poems from this section are basically ‘notes to self’. The poet talks to himself, advices himself through these poems. A good collection!

Some SONGS and VERSES

A beautiful collection of songs and verses. I won’t get into much details cause these songs and verses should be felt by heart not just read.

I rate:

Cover: 2.5/5

My overall rating for Musings of Desire is 3.8/5 stars.

You can buy this awesome poem collection here.

Book Review - Leaving Home With Half A Fridge by Arathi Menon

Book Name: Leaving Home With Half A Fridge

Author: Arathi Menon

Publisher: Pan Macmillan India

Blurb:

What happens when you realize you have kissed the wrong frog? Do you stop kissing, find another frog or learn to live without one?

Leaving Home With Half A Fridge is a heart-warming tale on one woman’s journey – about how she handled the dissolution of her marriage and her subsequent life as a singleton. The book follows the breakdown of the marriage, her decision to get a divorce, the trauma of doing so, depression and finally overcoming it all to become a stronger, happier person.

Written with much wit, wisdom and warmth, here is a memoir which anybody who has loved and lost will relate to.

Read my review here!