Title: Edible Weeds and Naturally Growing Plants in Auroville
Author: Nina Sengupta
Paperback: 44 pages
Publisher: SAIIER (2015)
Stars: ****/5
Buy On: Auroville.com

Note: Thanks Nina Sengupta and SAIIER for offering me this book to read and review 🙂

With all the talk going on about colouring books and their benefits for adults, I just had to get one for myself, so when I came across Nina’s book I jumped at it. It also helped that it’s topic was of interest to me.

Published by SAIIER or Sri Aurobindo International Institute of Educational Research the ‘Edible Weeds and Naturally Growing Plants in Auroville’ by Nina Sengupta is my first taste of an adult colouring book. (The book though states on the cover that it’s a collection of botanical drawings both for adults and young.)

The cover is made of rich red textured paper that feels good and holds well when handing the book. The front cover has a simple illustration that stands out for its ease on the eye and yet it’s whiteness immediately invites you to colour in. The back cover lists some of the benefits of colouring books and gives an introduction to why Sengupta put together this book. It also states that this is likely to be the first colouring book from India.

The size of a large note book ‘Edible Weeds and Naturally Growing Plants in Auroville’ has 22 pages that include 40 drawings to colour in. The drawing pages are smooth and a pristine white that helps in showing off colours as they are. The book is hand-bound neatly and that adds a certain character to the book. It also helps the book open and spread well for colouring.

The theme of this book which is part one in a tri-series is edible weeds and plants around around Auroville. The illustrations are botanical drawings drawn to scale with the scales included in the images. The botanical name and various other common names are listed at the bottom of each page. Sengupta says she has been slightly partial to lesser known plants in her choosing for this book; I agree for there were just a couple that I knew but that leaves a lot of new ones to learn about. 🙂

Instructions for use listed at the beginning of the book talks about the plants, their details, scales, uses, etc. There is some colouring help given but I’d have liked to know more about painting mediums that could have been used. The paper seems thick though and the kind you could use water colours on but I’ve only used colour pencils until now. No idea what would happen with alcohol based markers. The coloured insert included with the book at the end gives visual cues if you want to see what the actual colours are, it also gives more details about the plant and it’s uses.

The drawings are well laid out one on each page with a lot of white space around. There is also a mix of the easy and the intricate in each drawing that makes for some challenge but isn’t daunting. As a collection of edible weeds this isn’t just a colouring book but also resource to be kept handy for garden enthusiasts.

Since this book is at it’s core a colouring book and it’s my first colouring book, I was very interested to see how the relaxation bit would pan out. As a study and to make the book a collectible for me, I decided to ask friends to colour a page each. I talked with them as they coloured about their choices of colour, method and how they felt.

I’ve gotten three friends until now to sit down and colour a page each. Interestingly all three choose to ignore the colour insert and used colours of their own choice. Two out of three were parents with some recent experience of colouring but even the single one who hadn’t coloured in ages tried out colour combinations and shading. And each one of them attested to the fun they had and the relaxation they felt after they were done. I coloured in one page myself and can now vouch for all those feelings too. 🙂

In summary, ‘Edible Weeds and Naturally Growing Plants in Auroville’ by Nina Sengupta is a worthy buy, not only for the hours of fun and relaxation you’ll get while colouring but also for the knowledge and resources given in the book for future reference. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

Click here to buy a copy of Nina Sengupta’s Edible Weeds and Naturally Growing Plants in Auroville.

Note: Since this was the first time ever that I was reviewing a colouring book, I sought inspiration and guidance through Google and found Lucy’s blog which was so helpful. If you like colouring books please do check out Colouring In The Midst of Madness for more reviews and insight into how Lucy uses colouring books and craft to help her cope with her severe anxiety disorder.

My Interview with Nina Sengupta

In the interview Nina talks about her book, her journey from an idea to being published, her love for weeds, and more.

 
Title: The Girl and the Clockwork Conspiracy
Author: Nikki McCormack
Paperback: 213 pages
Publisher: Elysium Books (September 14th 2015)
Genre: Young Adult, Steampunk, Fantasy
Read: eBook
Stars: ****/5
Buy On: Amazon India | Amazon US

Summary:

(Goodreads)

Maeko hasn’t been long away from the gritty London streets and she’s already learning that her new “civilized” life comes with its own challenges. She has to dress proper, eat proper and be a proper lady. She can’t even talk to a boy without a chaperone. She’s got proper coming out of her ears. If not for her feline companion Macak, she might go mad.

Her one hope for some freedom and excitement comes when the moody detective, Em, asks her to be an apprentice. But that apprenticeship comes with a price. She must agree to spy on Macak’s owner, Lucian, the wealthy businessman and inventor whose life she saved.

Everything changes when Lucian’s brother dies in an explosion while visiting Lucian’s home in the heart of London. The Literati–a powerful group vying for political control of London–say it was murder and Maeko is on their suspect list. With Macak at her side, she must turn once more to her allies, Chaff and Ash. They will have to brave city streets torn by rebellion and conspiracy to find the truth.

My Review:

Note: Thanks Nikki McCormack and YA Bound Book Tours for offering me this book to read and review 🙂

Cover: Provokes Curiosity…

Paper and font: Easy on the eyes!

Readability, language: Easy on the Mind.

Why did I choose this book: I’ve been coming across the term steam-punk a lot these days but had not read a book in that genre. I jumped at the chance when this book came up.

This is book 2 of the Clockwork Enterprises series and continues from where book 1 left-off. This isn’t a stand alone. The story continues as Maeko tries to extricate herself (but only manages to get involved deeper) from the events unfolding as various factions fight for power and balance in the city of London.

The title ‘The Girl and The Clockwork Conspiracy’ is appropriate and explains itself as the story unfolds. It is also a good follow-up to the first book’s title and connected well to the series title. The cover is well made and is what first got me curious about the book. The blurb also captured my interest.

I felt the plot was new and unique but then this is the first ever steampunk book I’ve read. The plot seems well laid out, with various levels explored in the book, politics, personal, societal,… the conflicts in each of these clear and distinct in the book. McCormack has built in many twists and sub-plots but each of them adds to the story.

The story is set in Victorian London in the 1800’s and as I read the book in my head I relived the urchins of Dickens and the prettily dressed ladies of Heyer as they walked down the streets of London along-side coaches and hansoms. McCormack has done a good job of describing the places, lifestyle and people of the era.

The main character of the book is Maeko, a street rat with oriental ancestry and a penchant for trouble. I found myself associating with Maeko so much that mid-book onwards I found myself rooting for her. She comes across as the endearing smart-ass. Then there is Chaff who I can’t help but have the hots for and the scenes between Maeko and Chaff, well let’s just say… Steamy! To add to this triangle is Ash, the cute boy next door. There are also a bunch of other characters who help the story along.

In book one somehow I didn’t connect much with the story or the characters, for that matter I had trouble finishing the book but in book two the characters grew on me and I started to enjoy the story. McCormack’s writing seems to get better as the books roll along and at the end of this book I found myself wishing I could read part 3 right away.

The story gets tighter in book 2, the characters more defined and the pace and build-up stronger. That said I did feel the climax came out of the blue, almost as if McCormack wanted to end the book and just jumped into the climax scene. I also felt the story didn’t close neatly, there was too much left out for book 3.

Over all I enjoyed The Girl and The Clockwork Conspiracy and would definitely recommend it if you are into Steampunk and Romance. The books 1 & 2 don’t have any explicit scenes but there is enough I think to classify it Upper YA and above. There is also promise of more steamy scenes in future books.

I for one, I’m definitely looking forward to book 3. 😉

Buy On: Amazon India | Amazon US

About the Author:

 
 
Nikki started writing her first novel at the age of 12. She lives in the magnificent Pacific Northwest tending to her husband and three cats suffering varying stages of neurosis. She feeds her imagination by sitting on the ocean in her kayak gazing out across the never-ending water or hanging from a rope in a cave, embraced by darkness and the sound of dripping water. Nikki finds peace through practicing iaido or shooting her longbow.
 

Author Links:
Website │ Goodreads │ Twitter │ Facebook

Title: Palm’s foster home for peculiar stories
Author: C G Salamander
Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Jellyfish Publications (April 2nd 2015)
Genre: Fiction, Short-stories
Read: Paperback
Stars: ****/5
Buy On: Amazon India | FlipKart

Summary:

(Goodreads)

NIGEL THE LAST BRIT IN INDIA

There is chaos and pandemonium in the streets of Madras, and it is up to Nigel (an officer of the Imperial Police) to restore order to the city… only he hasn’t quite learned about India’s Independence. Yet.

GAYATRI AND THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY VEGETABLES

When the newest and most successful religion (Cabbagism) threatens to bring about the destruction of the world, it is up to a melancholic zombie and a collection of rowdy farm animals to save the earth.

ALIENS, DINOSAURS, PORCUPINES

A porcupine, after setting out on a journey away from home, falls in love with an armadillo.

My Review:

Note: Thanks C G Salamander for offering me this book to read and review 🙂

Cover: Fascinatingly Peculiar

Paper and font: Ebony on Ivory with a lovely smell!

Readability, language: Relatively easy but with definite presence of big words

Why did I choose this book: After reading the blurb, I just couldn’t say no, my curiosity got the better of me!

A collection of short stories in three parts with some stories tying in with others to make a grander plot. These are stories about Nigel, the Brit who has forgotten that the British left, a chicken who teams up with zombies to fight Cabbagism and the love story of a porcupine and an armadillo. Any more would give the stories away.:)

The title ‘Palm’s foster home for peculiar stories’ I realised as I read the book was bang on, for these are peculiar stories indeed! The cover immediately caught my eye (it played a big role in my saying yes), I like the colours used and texture of the cover adds to the experience. The blurb is short but captivating.

Do you see the texture?

The book is split into three parts with part 1 and 2 having a plot to the collection of stories. Part 3 felt like just a collection of stories with no common thread. The plots are unique and mind-boggling, and I was left mind-fucked (for want of a better word) at the end of each part. Salamander’s imagination is something else.

Part 1 is set in Madras, a little after Independence and Part 2 culminates at Eden Garden’s Kolkata. Salamander uses his backdrops well and they help the story along and add to it. The end of part 2 felt like I was there at Eden Garden’s.

The collection has a plethora of characters, all fantastical and fascinating. Sometimes the characters appeared in such quick succession that I’d get a bit confused and but by the end of each collection I kind figured them out. Salamander does’t forget or lose any or his characters, they all get accounted for.

The story structure in part 1 and 2 are complex, like a little jigsaw, only this one is in 3D and it is only at the end that it all comes into focus. I took really long to read this book, one reason was life but the other was the complexity. I had to go back quite a few times to pick up threads I lost. Maybe reading the book in one sitting would have helped, maybe.

Salamander through the book moves between persons in speech. The author has a good hold over english language and makes you have to reach out for a dictionary quite a few times. I missed my Kindle Dictionary feature so much as I read this book. But that said he also spins words and puns well to create images you see as you read. I enjoyed his writing style, more so because there was a definite Terry Pratchett feel to his writing.

A good book if you are looking for ‘mindful reading’, this isn’t a ‘leave your brains at home’ book. A enjoyed the first two parts, (my favourite being Nigel the Last Brit) and recommend you give this book a read!

Buy On: Amazon India | FlipKart

About the Author:

 
C. G. Salamander is a fiction writer and a story teller, his short stories and comics have been published in various short story anthologies and journals. Palms Foster Home for Peculiar Stories is his first book.

Author Links:
Website │ Goodreads │ Twitter │ Facebook

Q & A with C. G. Salamander

After reading your book I understand the peculiar stories bit of your title and your love for puns. But why did you choose ‘Palm’s’ foster home? I missed that. 😀

C. G. S: The meaning behind ‘Palm’s Foster Home’ is double fold: when I was small I used to scribble down stories on my hand during class, and I ended up loosing a lot of my characters this way (the ink would disappear by the time I got home). So I guess I imagined my palm as a sort of asylum where all my stories continue to live. The second reason is because of this show called ‘Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends’ that used to play on Cartoon Network — this was a show that really resonated with me, and naming my book ‘Palm’s Foster Home for Peculiar Stories’ just felt right. But you’re right though, there’s nothing in then book to hint this out.

In part 1 and 2 there is a thread running through the stories. They all connect. I couldn’t find any connect in part 3. Did I miss something?

C. G. S: You’re right once again, Part 1 and 2 have an overall arc, while part 3 is actually a collection of standalone stories. You didn’t miss anything.

What inspired these stories? How long have you been creating this collection? Which authors inspired you?

C. G. S: To be completely frank, I’m not entirely sure what inspired these stories. It took me about 4 to 6 months to write all the stories in this collection, and about 2 mounts to tweak and fiddle with them. As for the authors that inspired me, well the list is endless, but the ones that deserve special mentions are Margaret Atwood who taught me how to wrap things up neatly; Salman Rushdie for introducing me to colloquialisms and Indainspeak, and of course Terry Pratchett who taught me everything else.

Which is your favourite story/character in the book? Which story did you enjoy writing the most?

C. G. S: My favourite story is ‘The Fertile Octogenarian’ (which incidentally most people aren’t too fond of.)
My favourite characters are Gayatri, Mary Beth, and the Disciple Bob — if I had to pick one, I’d say Mary Beth (Gayatri being a close second).
And the story that I enjoyed writing the most is definitely ‘Nigel the Last Brit in India’. I enjoyed myself far too much with that story.

Would you tell us a little about your last name – Salamander? What does C G stand for? Why did you choose it? Maybe a little something no one yet knows about you?

C. G. S: The reason I chose C G Salamander as my pen name is because the Latin or scientific name for a Chinese Giant Salamander (that’s what the C G Stands for) is Andrias Davidianus, which is extremely close to my real name (50 points if you guess it; hint: it’s not Rumpelstiltskin).

Something that no one knows about me? Hmmm… I’m actually super into writing bad poetry.

My neighbour’s curtains are brownish yellow
He really is a gruesome fellow,
He uses them to wipe his mouth
His neck, his stomach, and parts down south.

Title: 10 Love Stories – An Indiblogger Selection
Author: Various
Paperback: 184 pages
Publisher: Harper Vantage (28 July 2015)
Genre: Romance, Short Stories
Read: eBook
Stars: ***/5
Buy On: Amazon India | Amazon US

Summary:

(Goodreads)

A brief fling between ex-flames ends up all in a jumble. A Chinese dentist who swears by his crocs strikes up a rare friendship with a quiet photographer. On a cold winter’s day, amidst the romantic grandeur of old Delhi, something is brewing between two strangers brought together by their parents. This IndiBlogger-HarperCollins collaboration is a collection of the ten best love stories selected by some of contemporary India’s finest writers and editors from a list of over 500 entries. These stories are a window to how a new generation of young men and women negotiate matters of love and life in the age of Whatsapp and Facebook. The peppy-dynamic prose within these pages radiates a youthful vitality that perfectly captures its unabashedly urban and modish characters.

My Review:

Cover: Simple and Pleasing

Paper and font: Ebony & Ivory

Readability, language: Easy on the eye and mind

Why did I choose this book: Somewhere deep down all blogger hope to someday write a book, so when a few get a chance to do that I’d like to show my support.

This is a collection of short love stories as diverse as it gets, from WhatsApp to dental clinics, this is a coming together of a variety of writing styles, storytellers and stories.

The title is bang on in terms of description as a collection of 10 Love stories created by Indiblogger. The cover is simple and pleasing with limited colours and basic illustrations. The blurb doesn’t say much about the stories, rather it talks more about the Indiblogger-HarperCollins collaboration.

The book is edited and formatted well, and the reading experience is good with a comfortable font and feel-good paper. The layout of the stories and their order also make of pleasant reading.

A collection of short stories this book doesn’t have a specific plot, setting or characters but rather a wide selection as the stories move from arranged marriages to love on WhatsApp, from Mumbai to Kolkata and from dentists to air force pilots.

All the stories were engaging and enjoyable but three stories stood out for me as my favourites. Crystal Cacophony by Jenny Sarto, At The End of The Parade by Nilanjana Bose and Speechlessly In Love by Varsha Dutta.

Crystal Cacophony is the story of Ahaana and the innocence of love, it’s purity and naiveté. It is also about the little joys and big heartbreaks of love. My favourite part of the story was the good-natured banter between Ahaana and her brother Pavan.

At The End of The Parade is about a mature love, one that transcends age and time. A love that bypasses tradition and logic, it’s weird and yet it makes you smile. I was drawn to the heroine Pallavi as I watched her stand up for what she was wanted and fight with a resilience that made me want to pat her back with an atta girl.

Speechlessly in Love is the story of Ananya and Aakash, their diverse motivations for marriage and the finding of love. A quite simple love that lies in the small little things. I enjoyed the writing of Dutta; she kept me hooked as the story looped to start and end with insipid tea.

I enjoyed the book and would recommend you read it. It’s suitable for all ages. And of course in reading, buying and sharing this book you’d be supporting fellow bloggers. 🙂

Buy On: Amazon India | Amazon US

The Authors:

JENNY SARTO – “Crystal Cacophony”

DEEPIKA ASTHANA – “Delhi Times”

NATASHA GAYARI – “For Love of the Written Word”

MEENA BHATNAGAR – “Love? Bah! Humbug”

KOBITA BANERJEE – “Mind The Gap”

NILANJANA BOSE – “At the End of the Parade”

PARMITA BORAH – “The Transitional Boyfriend”

SUMMERITA RHAYNE – “Right or Wrong”

VARSHA DUTTA – “Speechlessly in Love”

PALAK KAPADIA – “WhatsApp-ening to Me?”

 
Title: It’s a Wonderful Death
Author: Sarah J. Schmitt
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Sky Pony Press (October 6th 2015)
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary
Read: eBook
Stars: ****/5
Buy On: Amazon India | Amazon US

Summary:

(Goodreads)

Seventeen-year-old RJ always gets what she wants. So when her soul is accidentally collected by a distracted Grim Reaper, somebody in the afterlife better figure out a way to send her back from the dead or heads will roll. But in her quest for mortality, she becomes a pawn in a power struggle between an overzealous archangel and Death Himself. The tribunal presents her with two options: she can remain in the lobby, where souls wait to be processed, until her original lifeline expires, or she can replay three moments in her life in an effort to make choices that will result in a future deemed worthy of being saved. It sounds like a no-brainer. She’ll take a walk down memory lane. How hard can changing her future be?

But with each changing moment, RJ’s life begins to unravel, until this self-proclaimed queen bee is a social pariah. She begins to wonder if walking among the living is worth it if she has to spend the next sixty years as an outcast. Too quickly, RJ finds herself back in limbo, her time on Earth once again up for debate.

RJ is a snarky, unapologetic, almost unredeemable, very real girl. Her story is funny and moving, and teens will easily connect with her plight. Prepare to meet the Grim Reaper, who’s cuter than you’d expect; Hawaiian shirt–wearing Death Himself; Saint Peter (who likes to play Cornhole); and Al, the handler for the three-headed hound that guards the gates of Hell. This cast of characters accompanies RJ through her time in the afterlife and will do their best to gently shove her in the right direction.

My Review:

Note: Thanks Sarah J. Schmitt and YA Bound Book Tours for offering me this book to read and review 🙂

Cover: Eye-catchy

Paper and font: Easy on the eyes!

Readability, language: Simple and easy.

Why did I choose this book: The title got me interested and once I’d read the blurb, I just had to read this book.

RJ dies accidentally, not by accident but rather due to the cunning gypsy who uses her to avoid dying. But it isn’t RJ’s turn so she raises hell up there. The powers that be give her 3 tests to prove she deserves to go back. Being the dudette RJ thinks the tests will be child’s play but each test changes her life completely, and she isn’t the dude any more.

The title had me intrigued and curious at the start and by the end of the book the title made perfect sense. The blurb piqued my interest and got me wanting to read the book. As for the cover, I really liked it, its simple and somber and yet resonates.

I haven’t read something like this ever before and found it fascinating. Yet at the core this isn’t an entirely new idea but rather an interesting approach to the old idea that every little change in the past makes a entire new future.

Set for the most part in the afterlife or rather in the lobby of the afterlife, Schmitt has done a good job of describing the place and the people. There is enough similarly to the conventional idea of heaven & hell to make it easy to recognise and yet it was different enough to pique my interest.

It’s a Wonderful Death has two fascinating sets of characters. One is a human set of characters who reminded me of school – it’s politics and group dynamics. The other I couldn’t help but laugh at as Schmitt describes Death Himself dressed in Hawaiian shorts, Saint Peter who likes to play odd games with Al the only one who can handle the three-headed dog who guards hells gate and so on.

RJ is the main character and at the start I sympathised with her, then as I got to know her I started to dislike her only to start liking her again as the story progressed. Schmitt does a good job of building the readers relationship with RJ so that at one point I found myself rooting for RJ and almost crying for her.

The story is well paced with a climax I just didn’t see coming and didn’t like, yet it seemed the most appropriate ending. There aren’t too many subplots and the story sticks together well with no loose ends left behind.

Narrated by RJ, It’s a Wonderful Death is written in simple language that did not require me to reach out for the dictionary for any of the words. Listening and seeing the tale unfold though RJ’s eyes helped in understanding her better and gasping her point of view as Schmitt explored the life of a teenage girl.

I enjoyed reading It’s a Wonderful Death and would recommend it for anyone over the age of 14-15. Even if you are in your 30’s like me, this book will be entertaining and will transport you back to school (well, some what). 🙂

Buy On: Amazon India | Amazon US

About the Author:

 
Sarah J. Schmitt is a K-8 school librarian and Youth Service Professional for Teens at a public library who, in addition to planning a variety of events, enjoys opening up the world of books to reluctant readers. She has a Masters of Science in Higher Education Administration and Student Affairs from Indiana University Sarah lives outside of Indianapolis with her husband, two kidlets and a cat who might actually be a secret agent. IT’S A WONDERFUL DEATH, is her debut novel.

Author Links:
Website │ Goodreads │ Twitter │ Facebook

 
Title: The Big Indian Wedding
Author: Sakshi Salve
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Rupa Publications (7 October 2015)
Genre: Society & Culture
Read: Paperback
Stars: **/5
Buy On: Amazon India | Amazon US

Summary:

(Goodreads)

the big indian wedding presents the largerthanlife, sometimes outlandish, generally madding, and always highoctane world of indian marriage ceremonies!

dip in to discover of the zany, overthetop, and thus far undisclosed stories associated with the wellheeled indian’s courtship and nuptial dance. from inebriated first dates over bottles of dom pérignon; to inspired proposals in exotic locations; to the entrance of the bigticket wedding planner to, finally, the giant wedding itself, preluded by shopping sprees, bachelorettes, sangeets and mehndis, and culminating in the mother of them all, the ‘saat phere’ this book is the ultimate compendium to the indian marriage tamasha.

written by someone who has keenly observed and enthusiastically participated in weddings and has almost been roped into one herself and peppered with witty observations, merry quizzes, and a whacky proposal manual (bollywoodstyle), this book is a satirical account of the excesses of modernday indian weddings, and a sobering comment on the simplicity of the past.

My Review:

Note: Thanks Sakshi Salve and Weber Shandwick (publicist?) for offering me this book to read and review 🙂

Cover: Eye-sore

Paper and font: Ebony and Ivory

Readability, language: Easy on eye and mind

Why did I choose this book: The premise of the book had looked promising.

This is a book about the weddings of the Elite of India – the rich and the fancy. It covers how weddings have changed with time, the various functions, the costs, behind the scenes and more.

The Big Indian Wedding is an appropriate title for this book. The cover is an illustration by Ankit Parikh who has other illustrations in the book too. No offence to the illustrator (I have no degree in art) but I really didn’t like the cover. It looks cheap and tacky. The blurb is OK except for the largish para on the virtues of the author!

The book starts with the proposal and runs along all the functions and parties in-between before ending at the wedding. Salve covers so many “do’s” at big-shot weddings that you start wondering what they don’t do. Each event is given its due attention and is detailed in terms of the partying involved. (The partying animals seem to have no clue about the why and how of the events.)

Salve compares the earlier generation’s modus operandi with the current gen’s as she describes each event. This is all fine except a lot of times it felt like she was comparing the upper class with the Upper than that class. For example she talks about the Bahu with cooking skills. Which super rich family ever looked at a Bahu’s culinary skills!?

The book is set in no one place as Salve takes us on a wedding locale tour from Goa to the Greek Islands. She talks about the travels and destinations of choice for the Indian rich as they go about out-doing each other in spending money and finding excuses to party in the run up to the wedding.

The Big Indian Wedding is about the rich and elite of India. This isn’t the upper class, rather the Upper upper class, the boys who can buy all the toys and Salve’s descriptions of their shallowness and materialism are bang on.

Written in second person, Salve holds a constant but boring pace. After a while of reading I started to wish the pages would fly by fast, but they moved along only at a tormenting pace. The language is simple but very clichéd and the text is filled with cheesy dialogues that didn’t make me laugh. And a lot of those were in Indian languages.

There are many pages of illustrations by Ankit Parikh that break the book up into 4 sections. I enjoyed perusing some of them while others I felt were just taking up space.

That said the book did have it’s moments (though rare and in-between) when Salve’s sarcasm shone through.

I didn’t enjoy the book at all and now I wonder what even got me interested. I had hoped for a funny hilarious book on rich Indian weddings but the book turned out poor in that department. At the end, Salve puts in a little epilogue about how she is jesting in the book, but I thought the book it self was a jest. Avoidable at best, unless you move in Salve’s circles, then please get a copy for display!

Buy On: Amazon India | Amazon US

About the Author:

 
Born and raised in New Delhi, India, Sakshi is the daughter of Harish and Meenakshi Salve and mentee of Suhel Seth. During her free time, Sakshi can be found in her personal library which is home to over “25,000 titles”. And when not writing, she is mostly in the kitchen baking cupcakes, or playing with her two loveable dogs, Rio and Caolila.

*** Please Scroll Down For Giveaway ***

 
Title: The Magic of Friendship
Author: Subhash Kommuru
Paperback: 42 pages
Publisher: Kommuru Books (August 25th 2014)
Genre: Childrens Books
Read: eBook
Stars: *****/5
Buy On: Amazon India | Amazon US

Summary: (Goodreads)

A flock of migrating geese stumble upon Tadoba, the land of the fierce tiger Babbar who does not tolerate anyone in his area. Will Babbar show any mercy? Can he change? Will the geese make it to safety?

This is a story about change — a transformation that comes with the magic of friendship. Personality may not change, but nature can surely change. This story will shows the value of friendship and how that can change a person, particularly one who is lonely and never really had the gift of laughter.

My Review:

Note: Thanks Subhash Kommuru for offering me your book to read and review 🙂

Cover: Simple and colourful.

Paper and font: Large and easy.

Readability, language: Simple language.

Why did I choose this book: I have read, enjoyed and reviewed another Children’s book by Subhash Kommuru – Chatur and hence was interested in ‘The Magic of Friendship’.

I don’t usually review Children’s Books and I’m most probably not the best judge of them since I don’t have children of my own. However, though it’s been years since I’ve been a child, children’s books still transport me to my childhood. It is from this forever child that the review comes. 🙂

The Magic of Friendship is the story of two friends who find each other and in doing so find happiness. The tale shows how the most unlikely of people can become the best of friends, how friendship is not limited by type, gender, caste or creed.

The title ‘The Magic of Friendship’ is an appropriate title for the story. The cover is colourful and the imagery goes with the title.

The plot is a simple one about the bridge of friendship and yet it has a lot of depth and learnings to take away. There are multiple morals to the story but the message is put across gently and subtly, so as to get the child to think and reflect.

The tale unfolds in Tadoba, a forest in India which has some tiger presence but beyond being a name to a place, the setting does not add to the story in any way. That leaves the story as something that can happen universally and not only in the ‘Magic Forest’ or maybe children today don’t believe in Magic Forests anymore.

Kommuru has chosen his main characters well. The friendship of a tiger and donkey is so unreal that you want to believe in it. It also makes for an excellent example of opposites can attract and be friends. The author has sketched out and introduced the characters well so they feel familiar and real.

The story is narrated well with simple language and a constant pace. The story also has a lot of sounds build in to make it a good bedtime story. The illustrations of Arul Anugragh Ross, add to the story and give it a vibrance that I think will interest children.

If you have kids aged 10 and below, I would recommend ‘The Magic of Friendship’, especially if your read them bedtime stories.

About the Author:

Though originally from India, Subhash currently resides in the US with this wife, Sujata and their two sons. Website – Kommuru Books.

Buy On: Amazon India | Amazon US

Q & A with Subhash Kommuru

Q. Where did your inspiration for The Magic of Friendship come from?

Subhash: Freya Ji, Thank you for giving me the opportunity to connect with your avid readers and subscribers. Also thanks for giving “The Magic of Friendship” a chance and reviewing this story. The Magic of Friendship is a very special story while the title says it all, the story actually hits on quite a few other aspects of kids life like sharing, caring for others, relationship and most importantly it hits on topic of bullying. While bullying is a complex subject to address “The Magic of friendship” successfully covers one angle of that very complex aspect. In fact outlets like Pacific Book Review and Midwest Book Review spoke very highly of this two topic of Friendship and Bully were smoothly handled in this book.

When you read the story in whole you will find simplicity, fun and entertainment but as the story resonates in kids mind they start to demonstrate different levels of understanding and engage with the story.

I am a father first so I write all the stories for my son and then package it up to cater to all the kids. So all my stories are inspired by him.

Q. Why did you chose to pair the tiger with a donkey? Why not another animal?

Subhash: We read or see movies where certain animals go unnatural and do something different. For instance a snail faster than a racing car, a turtle riding a bicycle. I myself don’t understand why do stories have to limit themselves and make a character do something it’s not designed to do. When you look in the wild, there are different animals that exhibit different strengths. The Magic of friendship incorporates a tiger and a donkey and use them for their strengths rather than create a mouse which roars and rules over the forest or a shark that is scared of everything. Don’t get me wrong thought, I am all for imagination and fascination.

And by using donkey and tiger to their strengths and bringing them together there is an unusual pair that is created. In fact the Hindi edition of “The Magic of friendship” is under the title “Anokhi Dosti”.

Q. Does your choice of animals and names have a reason or story behind it?

Subhash: This is an interesting take to the question just before this, opens up a writers mind to present a different angle, so thank you for putting it so eloquently. In addition to using animals to their strengths, Tigers cause needs attention very badly. There are quite a few initiatives to work on their numbers. The lead character in my story “Babbar” is portayed as lonely and angry, I think those are two emotions that go hand in hand with their current state as well.

A donkey as an animal, in our culture is taken for granted, so in my story “Hasmukh”, the Donkey builds on that casual nature and then makes that character strong and exhibits its strengths which goes from being laughed at, to entertaining.

While those are two main characters in the story, every name in the story has real meaning to them like the younger of the geese is named “Chotu”, which in Hindi means the young one. So while you enjoy the story itself the characters with their names will bring sense of satisfaction.

Q. Why did you chose the forest of Tadoba for your setting?

Subhash: Tadoba is one of the most dense forest and is a real tiger reserve. In fact it’s part of India’s “Project tiger” which works towards conservation of tiger and its mission is to protect tigers from extinction. I grew up in Chandrapur which is home to Tadoba forest.

Q. You have written more than one book, where do your stories come from?

Subhash: One of the things that I as a father always dreaded was reading some meaningless stories to my son over and over again. That mostly happens when you read books which are just for kids and also those books sell them short. The Magic of friendship is catered with grown-ups in mind and also to challenge kids engagement and imagination. Only a parent can create such stories. You see we always talk about taking time out from our busy lives for kids. Most of us successfully do that, our attention and focus is always family. I feel that with changing times and hectic schedules we make extra effort to achieve this very goal and I don’t beleive that anyone dreads this, because at the end of the day family brings happiness. If you constantly do that then there is a story in you that can be told to kids. Trust me the best story for a kid is the one that you tell them. Does not matter Panchatantra, Jakata tales, British literature or also any of our titles, they just need your involvement.

Our books will certainly give you lots of room where you can fill gaps and encourage participation. Like letting out a tiger’s roar, making donkey sounds, act out funny scenes. And if that’s not enough these books like will also encourage you to talk to kids about festivals, celebrations and family values while reading our stories.

If parents take it upon themselves and not just trust TV/Movies, then we can deliver clean and meaningful content and drive out some of the shameful contents from the market, where they influence our kids with slangs and foul words to make them look cool and catchy.

While you engage with your kids, nephews, nieces, grand kids, students or anyone please do read books to them and I wish that you decide to present “The Magic of friendship”. Remember while they need to be smart in Math, Science, History and everything out there, but the most important thing for them is to be happy and that can be done with stories.

Giveaway:

 
This giveaway is open to all. To participate please follow instructions in the Rafflecopter widget below. There are three options and each option will get you one entry into the draw. The Twitter and Facebook options can be done everyday to increase chances of winning. 🙂

The winner will receive a Kindle copy of the book from Subhash Kommuru. (Only a Kindle copy can be provided, you can use the Amazon Kindle Cloud reader if you do not have a Kindle.)

Note: If you are a Kindle Unlimited subscriber the book is available to read in the program.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

All The Best for…

Title: The Seven Steps to Closure
Author: Donna Joy Usher
Paperback: 410 pages
Publisher: Lush Publications(May 12th 2012)
Genre: Fiction, Chick-Lit, Romance, Contemporary
Read: eBook
Stars: ***/5
Buy On: Amazon.in

Summary: (Goodreads)

Tara Babcock awakes the morning after her 30th birthday with a hangover that could kill an elephant – and the knowledge she is still no closer to achieving closure on her marriage breakup. Things go from bad to worse when she discovers that, not only is her ex-husband engaged to her cousin – Tash, the woman he left her for – but that Jake is also running for Lord Mayor of Sydney.

Desperate to leave the destructive relationship behind and with nothing to lose, she decides- with encouragement from her three best friends – to follow the dubious advice from a magazine article, Closure in Seven Easy Steps.

The Seven Steps to Closure follows Tara on her sometimes disastrous- always hilarious – path to achieve the seemingly impossible.
 

My Review:

Note: Yay! This is the first book I’ve borrowed through the Kindle Unlimited program. 🙂

Cover: Cutesy!

Paper and font: Easy on the eyes…

Readability, language: Simple and easy…

Why did I choose this book: The cover and the blurb caught my attention while I was hunting for a light and easy read.

Tara who has been dumped by her husband was taking the dump real hard. After months of mopping her friends jump in to save her with an article from Cosmo – Closure in Seven Easy Steps. And there starts Tara’s journey to attain closure and find herself.

The Seven Steps to Closure is an appropriate title for the tale that follows with a sweet cover that also seems to fit in. However after I finished reading the book I didn’t feel the same way about the cover. The blurb is engaging and got me interested in the book.

The plot isn’t new, it’s similar to other closure stories like P.S. I Love You and such. But it feels different. Tara’s troubles are clear right from the start and the book revolves around her as she works out a way to get over her ex-husband.

Set in present day Sydney and India, the Sydney bits felt real but I can’t really tell since I’ve never been there. The India bits though real were very touristy – the image most foreign tourists paint of India – romantic, thieving, lecherous… That said the image fit in perfectly with the character of Tara. Usher includes Mumbai with it’s 26/11 attack before she moves to Rajasthan with Udaipur being the heart of the action.

The story revolves around Tara but her family and friends are an integral part of the story. There’s Lily Tara’s sister who is delivering her sixth (yes you read me right) baby, her mother Beth who is constantly rescuing and rehoming deranged animals, Nat who falls in love with the office cleaner, Elaine who carries her dog in her purse everywhere she goes, and Dinah who finally find herself to find out she is lesbian. The package of characters make for a good read.

It took me a while to warm up to the story; I read over 30% before I started to feel the interest. But after that I enjoyed it. There were no loose ends and unneeded subplots. It’s a rather straight forward story that gains momentum as it nears the climax. The climax though left me wanting action, it felt too decent (for want of a better word). It would have been nice to have a few punches thrown in. The end though is a sweet surprise and a nice twist to the happily-ever-after ending.

The Seven Steps to Closure is written is first person, which is the reason I think it took quite a while for me to associate the word Tara with the narrator. The language is simple and easy, it makes for fast reading but the pace of the book is slow at the start and starts to pick up only towards mid-point in the book. The book attempts to be humorous but I found very few instances when I laughed.

I enjoyed The Seven Steps to Closure. There were a couple of times in the beginning when I almost gave up, but I am glad read to the end. Usher’s writing has promise and I look forward to her other books. A good read if you can stick it through the first half.
This book has sex in it so – above 16-18 only.
 
Buy On: Amazon.in

About the Author:

 

Donna Joy Usher is a dentist who writes to ‘escape the seriousness of my day job’. She lives in Australia with her husband and two miniature schnauzers, Chloe and Xena. Apart from writing she loves to paddle board, walk on the beach and sip chai lattes at the local cafe. She blogs at donnajoyusher.com.
 

Love Muffin and Chai Latte by Anya Wylde

 

Title: Love Muffin and Chai Latte
Author: Anya Wylde
Paperback: 199 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (July 24th 2015)
Genre: Fiction
Read: Paperback
Stars: *****/5
Buy On: Amazon

Summary: (Goodreads)

Tabby believes she has found the one in Chris. Chris appears to think the same for he pops the question, and soon Tabby finds herself engaged.

Tabby thinks her biggest problem is picking out the wedding dress and refining the dinner menu. Chris begs to differ. He thinks her biggest problem is convincing his wealthy grandfather that she is perfect for the family or he risks losing a big fat inheritance.

Convincing his grandfather turns out to be more complicated than she anticipates. For one, he wants her to seek the blessings of his spiritual adviser. The trouble is . . . his adviser lives in India.

So, for the sake of love, Tabby journeys into the heart of India and battles monkeys, crooks, Delhi belly and the advisor himself in order to win over Chris’s family.

But while she is trying to make sense of an exotic new world, she begins to wonders why her heart beats madly for a man who is not her fiancé but his very handsome cousin….
 

My Review:

Note: Thanks Anya Wylde for offering me your book to read and review 🙂

Cover: Quirky & Eye-catchy!

Paper and font: Well formatted.

Readability, language: Easy on the eye and mind.

Why did I choose this book: I love Wylde’s style of writing and find myself constantly waiting for her next book. 🙂

Tabitha Lee Timmons lands up in India in a rather convoluted fashion, then proceeds into more convolutions typical of a large Indian family and if all that isn’t enough, she finally falls in love with a man, who is many things along with being an Indian Celebrity but is not her fiancé.

The title caught my eye and left me wondering what the book would be all about. The blurb made it all sound ‘definitely worth a read’ but still left the mystery of the title unsolved (you need to finish the book to get the pieces to drop). The cover is different yet similar to Wylde’s previous covers, contemporary, easy and enticing on the eye, simple and colourful.

The story of the foreigner girl coming to India, discovering herself, falling in love with India and a boy must have been told if not countless times, at least a couple of times before, but never this way. Wylde’s sense of humour and writing style make all the difference.

Set in North India, Wylde has done her research well and the set and character are true to life. Being Indian, I was amazed at Wylde’s understanding of India, it’s culture, people, land, customs and more. There is even a Chappalwale Baba in the story! Kudos Ms. Wylde on getting India bang on.

The characters in Love Muffin and Chai Latte are endearing and almost believable. I say almost because I know they are unreal yet some part of me hopes they became real. Tabby is a heart warming mixture of American, British and Indian quirks. Dev is truly the tall dark and handsome hero I have always dreamed of. Maya the quintessential Indian best friend. And Daarji’s family reminded me of my own family, only we don’t have the millions. ;D

I’ve read all on Anya Wylde’s books and know her writing style well, yet Love Muffin and Chai Latte took me by surprise. Her signature sense of humour is still right there just dialled up to our world today. The pace is good and Wylde does not leave any loose ends dangling. She kept me constantly wanted to read more, all the way to the end as she unveiled twists and little surprises along the way.

If you are wondering what to read, think no more and just pick up Love Muffin and Chai Latte. I promise it will not disappoint, that is as long as you have a sense of humour. 🙂

About the Author:

Anya Wylde lives in Ireland along with her husband and a fat French poodle (now on a diet). She can cook a mean curry, and her idea of exercise is occasionally stretching her toes. She holds a degree in English literature and adores reading and writing. She blogs at anyawylde.blogspot.in.

Buy On: Amazon
 

Q & A with Anya Wylde

Until now you have written Historical Romances. What inspired you to write a contemporary romance?

Anya: I never liked the idea of being boxed into a particular genre. The moment you start putting reins on your imagination, you stop being creative. I write what I feel like and I really wanted to write a contemporary romance novel. It was a risk but I think it helped me grow as an author. I learned a lot.

Love Muffin and Chai Latte surprised me first with Indian characters and then the setting in India. Why did you choose an Indian angle for the book?

Anya: I chose to set the book in India because I wanted Tabby to grow emotionally and spiritually. And India teaches you a lot in a very short time. I don’t know anyone who has been to India and not been affected by the experience in some way. They either can’t handle it or fall in love so madly with the country that they are changed forever.

Your understanding of India and being Indian is so true. How did you go about gleaning this knowledge?

Anya: A part of my life has been spent in India. Although, I admit I never truly felt at home in the country and could see it from an outsider’s perspective. I suppose that’s the reason I wrote the book from Tabby’s point of view rather than Maya’s.

Who was your inspiration behind the characters of Dev, Maya and Daarji?

Anya: I think all of us know a Daaji in our lives. Someone who is desperately fighting his pride in his old age.
As for Dev … I fell in love with my husband because he is the kindest man I know. Dev is kind, so I guess my husband was my inspiration.
Maya was a difficult character to write. She has so many facets that at times I didn’t know who she was or what she was going to do next. I sort of made her up as I went along.

Did you travel through North India to understand the setting of your book? What is your most memorable memory from your time in India?

Anya: I have lived in Delhi and I visited Amritsar briefly some years ago. Other than that I don’t really know Punjab. A few people very kindly helped me with the details.
As for the most memorable moment … I adore Mumbai with its smelly beaches, crazy traffic, gorgeous food and the humblest and the most wonderful people. Every moment that I have spent in Mumbai has been memorable. The city sneaks into your heart like no other place in the world.