Title: Romi and Gang
Author: Tushar Raheja
Paperback: 236 pages
Publisher: Pirates Publishers(May 1st 2013)
Genre: Childrens Books
Read: Paperback
Stars: **/5
Buy On: FlipKart | Amazon
Summary: (Goodreads)

Unruly and reckless, thirteen-year-old Romi is the hero of his universe. His great affinity for adventure and the unknown is shared by his gang – the rascal Sukhi, the deadpan Sunny, the naïve Golu and his blood brother, Kim.

When legendary Kim disappears from Mauji, it is left to the four to conquer the maidan with cricket and the world with their wits. Of course, they must prepare for responsibility in between and, one day, go after Kim.

My Review:

Thanks to the Pirates for offering me this book to read and review 🙂

Cover: Eye-catchy!

Paper and font: So-so.

Readability, language: Easy language but it could have been more readable.

Why did I choose this book: It’s been ages since I read a children’s book.

Romi and Gang is a story of four school friends and the game of cricket. Each child dreams of being a Sachin Tendulkar, Viv Richards, or some other famous cricketer but life doesn’t play out that simply. Like a game of cricket, life throws a lot of googlies at the boys in the town of Mauji. Playing cricket on the maiden the boys dream of bringing back the lost pride of their school by winning the Eagle – a inter-school cricket trophy. How it all pans out and what happens in the crucial match is the story.

The cover illustration is an eye-catchy picture of children running that reminded me of some children’s books I’d read ages ago and the title reaffirms that. The blurb, well, I wouldn’t say it’s well done but neither is it bad, lets just say it’s so-so.

The plot of ‘Romi and Gang’ was new to me since I’ve not read a lot of cricket based books however the story does have more to it that cricket. There are a lot of sub-plots as Romi and his friends Sukhi, Sunny and Golu face challenges through the school year both at home and school. Then there is Kim, a character much talked about but never seen. Raheja has a lot of sub-plots in the story but I’m not sure if all of them were necessary.

Set in the small town of Mauji, Raheja has done a good job of describing the town. In my minds eye I could see the boys race down the market street knocking in to people and things as they raced against each other. It was also easy to imagine the maidan and the forest that eats up balls as they played cricket.

‘Romi and Gang’ has a fair number of characters if you include the families and teachers of the boys too. The story however largely revolves round Romi and his friends. The boys are easy to associate with as I sure knew a few boys like them as a kid. Romi is a typical 13 year old with his confused emotions and thoughts. Sukhi, Sunny and Golu are so like the friends we all have, quirky and wonderful. Then there is Kim, the boy all the boys look up to and who Romi considers a blood brother. A lot is spoken about him and his prowess, and I was looking forward to him making an entry but, he doesn’t. 🙁

‘Romi and Gang’ has a good story however I wasn’t happy with the way it is written. Raheja went all over the place without warning and jumped places and situations at random, leaving me all confused with most of the story. It was only towards the end, when the cricket match was looming that I could make sense of the story and that part of it was good. There are also a few loose ends in the story, Kim for one. I know I’ve been repeating myself but if you have a character that is talked about through the book, you should either give him entry or close the loop. I don’t have Romi stuck so much in my head as I have Kim.

The book also has illustrations which I liked, a good artist (Biswajit Das) but I found at least one illustration wrong. In one scene Romi tackles a tantric and pins his neck down with his legs. In my head I could so see this that the illustration of Romi holding the tantric with his hands at the throat made me go back and reread the text. The illustration felt so wrong. A little more attention to detail would have been nice.

Over all the story is a good one but I’m not sure if it’s clear and simple enough for children. Or maybe I didn’t see it’s simplicity and clarity because I’m not a kid. Either ways the language used and the topic chosen will definitely work for boys. What’s with the cricket craze in boys/men? There are other sports you know which are just as much fun.

If you have a son or are buying a book for a boy, ‘Romi and Gang’ might be worth a shot.

About the Author:
Tushar’s website is under-construction and his Facebook page says “When you read something like – TR is a bestselling author, mathematician, guitarist, musician, photographer, blah and more blah – be reminded that the tareef may just be written by him.” So if you want to know more about him, you better ask him. All I do know is that Romi and Gang was earlier published by Roli Books in 2011 under the title ‘Run Romi Run’ and that Tushar Raheja has also written another work of fiction, titled ‘Anything for You Ma’am’. 😀

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Title: The Homing Pigeons
Author: Sid Bahri
Paperback: 328 pages
Publisher: Srishti Publishers (April 10th 2013)
Genre: Romance
Read: Paperback
Stars: ***/5
Buy On: Amazon | FlipKart
Summary: (Goodreads)

In the middle of the catastrophic 2008 recession, Aditya, a jobless, penniless man meets an attractive stranger in a bar, little does he know that his life will change forever…..
When Radhika, a young, rich widow, marries off her stepdaughter, little does she know that the freedom that she has yearned for is not exactly how she had envisioned it…..
They say Homing Pigeons always come back to their mate, no matter where you leave them on the face of this earth. Homing Pigeons is the story of love between these two unsuspecting characters as it is of lust, greed, separations, prejudices and crumbling spines.

My Review:

This book review is a part of “The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program”. To get free books log on to thereaderscosmos.blogspot.com.

Cover: Easy on the eyes.

Paper and font: Smell-worthy Ivory and Ebony 🙂

Readability, language: Easy on the mind.

Why did I choose this book: The premise sounded interesting.

This is the love story of Radhika and Aditya who meet as children and part, to meet again and part again, and then meet again and live happily ever after. Simply put that’s it. But the story also delves into the lives, situations and emotions of Aditya and Radhika as they cross paths through their lives. Aditya’s who has a successful career in banking, loses his job and is down in the dumps until his life takes a sharp turn, when forced into a sticky spot, he becomes a gigolo. Radhika marries twice for love but not the man she loves and has it all but still feels empty. A rich single woman again, she has nothing to do with her time and life until she discovers herself.

The cover is pleasing to the eye with soothing colours that hint at coming darkness and the blurb is vague yet catches interest and made me want to read the book. The title at first glance seemed appropriate for a book about two people drawn to each other constantly though life however after reading ‘The Homing Pigeons’ I felt Radhika and Aditya were different, unlike pigeons they weren’t trying to get together, life brought them together.

The plot is the old simple one about lovers who are separated by circumstances in life and how they finally come together in the end to live happily ever after. However Bahri adds a lot more to the story as he delves into the lives of Aditya and Radhika exploring the stigmas and tribulations of being a gigolo in India, the life of rich women in high society and the emptyness of being a young rich widow.

Set in present-day Delhi all Bahri said was believable for me from the little I’ve seen of Delhi and all the stories that I’ve heard over time. The picture he drew of Delhi’s various shades and colours wasn’t very different from what I had seen and imagined and I found myself identifying with a lot of characters.

Radhika and Aditya are the main characters and they are strong however I felt Aditya was made more of an impact. Radhika I felt for and associated with but she lacked punch, there was that something missing. Bahri also has a few other supporting characters who play their roles well but none of them are really memorable.

The story is told by present-day Aditya and Radhika as they reminisce their history in little bits until it all falls together at the end. Bahri doesn’t leave any loose ends in his story and plugs all the niggling gaps by the end. This is a story where within the first few pages you know just how the two protagonists will meet in the end and yet you read on to see how the cards will play out. The story is interesting but I do wish Bahri had written a shorter book and got to the point quicker.

All said and done ‘The Homing Pigeons’ is a book worth reading at least once. Though I’d recommend it for adults only considering the subjects it explores.

About the Author:
Born in Gauhati, Assam in 1978, Siddartha Bahri spent most of his childhood and youth in Chandigarh and Delhi. Starting out as a tele-calling executive he grew to become a General Manager before quitting the corporate world and settling down in the hills of Kumaon. He currently lives in Majkhali with his wife. ‘The Homing Pigeons’ is Sid Bahri’s first book. You can connect with Sid on his website www.sidbahri.com.

Buy On: Amazon | FlipKart

Title: Rising of a Dead Moon
Author: Paul Haston
Paperback: 238 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace independent Publishing Platform (October 9th 2012)
Genre: Historical Fiction
Read: e-book
Stars: ****/5
Buy On: Amazon
Summary: (Goodreads)

An Indian girl is forced into an arranged marriage then widowed. She escapes a widow’s burning and flees to Africa to find the father who has abandoned her.

Set against a backdrop of 19th century Indian Indenture, the shipment of Indians to work on white-owned sugar plantations in Natal, Paul Haston’s critically acclaimed novel is a story of hope and tragic drama.

My Review:

Thanks Paul for offering me your book to read and review 🙂

Cover: A cover that makes you think of the classics!

Paper and font: Font and layout was good.

Readability, language: : Reads easy!

Why did I choose this book: I’d never read the story of an Indian slave in Africa before.

Usha, a young Indian girl becomes a widow at a very young age. Unwanted by everyone, even her mother she get packed off to Vrindavan, the city of widows. Dejected and rejected she decides to go in search of her father who went to Africa when she was a little girl. However life doesn’t get better for her, she escapes the Indian sigma of widows only to become an Indian slave in Africa.

As I read the book the aptness of the title become clear as Haston explores the darkness in Usha’s life. The new moon or day of the dead moon brings darkness and is an evil omen in Zulu lore. The cover is simple with the silhouette of a woman looking out into the fields. I would have preferred to see more of the image as half the image is hidden behind parchment that carries the title and authors name.

I’ve read a few books about African slaves in America but this was the first book I’ve read about Indian slaves in Africa. The plot is well laid out with the initial set-up of Usha’s life in India as a child, a young bride and a widow. Haston then moves on to Africa along with Usha, as she becomes an indentured slave on a cane plantation. In her dark world James Rothwell brings a glimmer of hope, however he has his own demons to fight both in Africa and England.

Set in three countries during the Victorian era, Haston draws a detailed picture of India, Africa and England during those times. The people and culture of those times are described well and I found myself amazed at how a non-Indian got India, its people and its customs so right.

The main protagonist is Usha but James also plays a strong role to counter the feminine. Usha is the average Indian widow who decides to defy the sati tradition and live her life. She has a lot of sorrow in her life and the dark cloud never seems to go away. But through out the cloud has a silver lining, keeping her moving forward in hope. James is a victim of circumstances but also the man who takes the easy path. However he has strong principles and values that hold him in good stead but don’t always lead him to happiness.
‘Rising of a Dead Moon’ also has a host of supporting characters who add to the story and make it richer.

The story is structured well starting out in India before travelling to Africa, then England and back to Africa to complete the circle. Haston ties up all the loose ends in the story and gives it an unconventional end that leaves you with just the right questions to take away to mull over your hot cocoa.

Like I said before the insight into India by someone non-Indian amazed me. Haston’s research on Africa and India and their cultures shows in the book. A well written book with a good pace, the ‘Rising of a Dead Moon’ makes for good reading. I’m definitely looking forward to Haston’s next book.

Since there are a lot of dark undercurrents in the book, I wouldn’t recommend this book for kids. If you’re not a kid and like historical cultural unconventional romance, ‘Rising of a Dead Moon’ is a book to read. Don’t miss it! 🙂

About the Author:
Paul Haston now lives with his family on the west coast of Canada but he is originally from England. Other than ‘Rising of a Dead Moon’, he has also written another novel ‘Blood and Doves’ along with several short stories and screenplays. He is currently working on his next novel ‘Shadow of the Tiger’. He can be found on his Facebook page for his novel Rising of a Dead Moon.

Buy On: Amazon

Title: Once Upon a Prince
Author: Rachel Hauck
Paperback: 305 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (May 7th 2013)
Genre: Christian Romance
Read: e-book
Stars: **/5
Buy On: FlipKart | Amazon
Summary: (Goodreads)

Susanna Truitt never dreamed of a great romance or being treated like a princess—just to marry the man she has loved for twelve years. But life isn’t going according to plan. When her high-school-sweetheart-turned-Marine-officer breaks up instead of proposing, Susanna scrambles to rebuild her life.

The last thing Prince Nathaniel expects to find on his American holiday to St. Simon’s Island is the queen of his heart. A prince has duties, and his family’s tense political situation has chosen his bride for him. When Prince Nathaniel comes to Susanna’s aid under the fabled Lover’s Oak, he is blindsided by love.

Their lives are worlds apart. He’s a royal prince. She’s a ordinary girl. But everything changes when Susanna receives an invitation to Nathaniel’s coronation.

My Review:

Thanks to Book Sneeze for offering me this book to read and review 🙂

Cover: Could have been much better.

Paper and font: Layout and font was good.

Readability, language: : Simple LONG read.

Why did I choose this book: A prince charming story had sounded appealing.

After being in a relationship for 12 years, Suzanna finds herself heart-broken and single. In the spirit of freedom she quits her firm and becomes an independent landscape architect, giving herself up to God’s will. And then she meets her prince charming, Nathaniel, who turns out to be a real prince. The prince soon becomes King of Brighton Kingdom but there are laws and entrails that they must overcome to be together.

The cover is very Mills and Boonsy and could have been much better. Every time I see covers with women in gowns on them, especially with theirs heads chopped off I wonder what the cover designer was thinking. How does a gown justify the story or is it just that gowns stamp the book as romance? The cover has no connection with the title ‘Once Upon a Prince’. An image of a prince, with or without the bride would have been way better.

Inspired by Kate and William’s story, ‘Once Upon a Prince’ is the story of a commoner marrying royalty. To this mix Hauck adds the twist of a law prohibiting royalty from marrying foreigners, an entail that will decide the future of another Kingdom and a scheming wannabe Duchess. as plots go, this is a good one.

Set on St. Simmons Island in America and Brighton Kingdom somewhere in Europe, Hauck has done a good job of describing the places and people. I could see most scenes in my minds eye as I read the book and could associate with the characters and their situations.

Susanna and Nathaniel are supported by a full set of quirky characters. Avery, Susanna’s sister is a burst of energy and sunshine. Stephen, Nathaniel’s brother wants to convert the throne room into a bowling alley. Then there’s Aurora, who lives in a tent and appears out of nowhere to make prophecies. Expect for Susanna and Nathaniel who made me want to whack my head a few times, all the other characters were fun.

The story follows a clear three act structure and is split into three parts. Technically Hauck’s book is sound except of the loose end of Lady Genevieve, who is build up as a wonderfully cunning and evil person but is forgotten in the happily ever after end.

Though technical soundness may make for a good text book, it does not necessarily make for a good novel. ‘Once Upon a Prince’ at 305 pages is just too long and a lot of times I wished Hauck would just get on with it. Susanna and Nathaniel had one too many preachy sermony conversations and for a romance they prayed more than they kissed. Actually come to think of it, every time they were together in the book they prayed, the kiss came only after the proposal at the end.

The plot and storyline are good but the book could have been crisper with more unchaste romance 🙂 If you are someone who likes royal romances that are long, slow and chaste, ‘Once Upon a Prince’ is for you. Considering the chastity of the book, it’s a book for almost all ages. 😀

About the Author:
Rachel Hauck is a RITA Finalist and Carol Award winner recently chosen by Family Fiction readers as one of the top five romance authors in CBA. She has written more than 15 novels. Rachel lives in central Florida with her husband and writes from her ivory tower (her 14th-floor office painted ivory!). Read more about Rachel Hauck at www.rachelhauck.com.

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Photo Credit: Brad Flickinger on Flickr

Even though I have an iPad the one type of book I hadn’t read until now was of the interactive kind, so when Pankaj Gupta got in touch with me to review his interactive Blue Jackal series based on tales from the Panchatantra I jumped at it, even though the books are for children.

Since it’s my first interactive book I wasn’t sure about what to expect or even what parameters to gauge by. I figured I’d give the stories a spin at bedtime and see what I felt about some aspects of it. Over a couple of nights I took a look at two stories/apps –

1. The Blue Jackal

2. The Blue Jackal in America

Languages

‘The Blue Jackal’ had multiple language and voice options. I could choose between English Male, English Female, French Female and Hindi Female. I enjoyed trying out the different options and listening to the story in Hindi.
I really liked the idea of the same story in multiple languages as it has the dual benefit of reaching out to a larger audience and getting children to listen and learn more than one language.

‘The Blue Jackal in America’ however had only one option for narration – English Female.

Story

The story of ‘The Blue Jackal’ is the old tale of how the jackal became the blue king. The story is told well and even has a moral at the end.

‘The Blue Jackal in America’ starts where the previous book ends – the animals get caught and are shipped to a circus in America. This story is longer with an introduction to classic American landmarks, a plot hatched to escape the circus and a sub-plot from the Panchatantra to inspire the animals to escape.

Over all this is also a well told story with a moral at the end that children will enjoy. However I did not like some messages in the story. America is repeated talked about as the land of the free, the land that everyone aspires to be in, etc. Considering the brain drain we are already facing, this isn’t the message I’d want children to take away from the story at that vulnerable age.

Characters

The first book has some common characters from the forest apart from the jackal – the lion, the hare, the tortoise, the elephant, the mouse, the bear, the monkey, the snake and the giraffe. Though there are quite a few of them, they don’t have much to contribute except play the supporting roles in the story.

However in book two some of them come back to play more substantial roles. There is the lion, the rooster, the monkey, the parrot, the elephant, the deer, the mouse, the tortoise and the hare who this time round add to the story. The jackal along with the other animals set the stage for a good plot and variety in characteristics.

Music, Sound

Both books have a lot of music and sounds that children will enjoy, but Book Two definitely has more than the first. I found myself clicking on the characters and all over the screen constantly trying to find new dialogues and sounds that were built in.

The dialogues, music and sounds add to the story and make it entertaining even in repeated reads. I think children will enjoy revisiting the stories over time.

Animation

There is also a lot of animation but just like with music there is more animation in Book Two than One. It took me a while to figure out that there were interactive elements in Book One, but once I did, I had to click on everyone of them. And ‘The Blue Jackal in America’ kept me busy for quiet a while with the amount of animation it had. Kids are sure to like the bit where you shake down a Christmas tree and redecorate it.

My Thoughts –

‘ + + + ‘

On the whole the stories were engaging and fun. The working of the apps was quite intuitive and easy to figure out. Children of all ages will enjoy them but younger children will enjoy them repeatedly.
Each story seems to end with a connection to the next, so I’m looking forward to the next story in the Blue Jackal series where I think the animals will visit France.

‘ – – – ‘

There were a few things I felt were missing in the books like there was no pause button in either book to stall the narration, so I had to go back a page to restart the narration if I missed something. I would have also liked a button to repeat the narration on each page.
The Blue Jackal had a counter showing how many interactive elements there were on each page so they were easier to find. However The Blue Jackal in America did not have a displayed counter, so I had to click on absolutely everything on the page to make sure I didn’t miss out. That said, the narrator did give instructions to animations on some pages.
I also would have preferred to have more language options than just English in book Two.
Lastly the apps did hang on me a few times and that needs some looking into.

Going by what I saw in the first story and the next, I think the team at Five Axioms Inc. is learning and getting better at the stories and apps. The Blue Jackal series is definitely something for parents and kids to look forward to.

Have you read an interactive book before? Reviewed one? Do you have any suggestions for me?

Title: Penelope
Author: Anya Wylde
Paperback: 302 pages
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. (January 13th 2013)
Genre: Regency Romance
Read: e-book
Stars: ****/5
Buy On: Amazon
Summary: (Goodreads)

Leaving behind the rural charms of Finnshire, Miss Penelope Fairweather arrives in London with hope in her heart and a dream in her eye. The dowager, no less, has invited her for a season in London, where she will attempt to catch a husband.

Thus begins our heroine’s tale as she attempts to tackle the London season with all her rustic finesse. Unfortunately, her rustic finesse turns out to be as delicate as a fat bear trying to rip apart a honeycomb infested with buzzing bees.

What follows is a series of misadventures, love affairs, moonlit balls, fancy clothes, fake moustaches, highwaymen, sneering beauties, pickpockets, and the wrath of a devilishly handsome duke.

My Review:

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

Cover: Makes you want to pick it up!

Paper and font: The font and layout is good.

Readability, language: : Easy Read!

Why did I choose this book: Look at the cover, how could I not 😀

Penelope who has a knack for saying and doing the most idiotic things at the most inappropriate of times is invited by the dowager at Blackthorne to London for a season, where she hopes to catch a husband. The idiosyncrasies start right from her arrival when she arrives dripping wet with her pet goat Lady Bathsheba in tow to the surprise of the Blackthorne Household.
The rest of the story is a hilarious tale of Penelope’s season as she learns London society-etiquette and goes about finding a husband.

When Anya got in touch with me for a review of ‘Penelope’ it was the cover that first caught my eye. With a pink background, a dainty girl and a 4 line introduction to Penelope, it was just so Julia Quinn and P G Wodehouse that I had read it.
And the cover was balanced well with a blurb that completed and sealed my interest in the book.

The plot of ‘Penelope’ is the age old one of a simple naive girl finding her prince charming. However Anya tells it in a refreshing way and I laughed my way through the book as Penelope puts her foot in her mouth and puts herself in a spot repeatedly while prince charming is right there under her nose.

Set in Regency London Penelope’s rustic charms of rural Finnshire stand out and make for a good comparison with the big city, it’s society and it’s people. London with all its rules and stipulations still has its quirks and moments.

Anya has created a set of memorable characters with endearing quirks that I’m going to remember for a while. There’s Sir Henry Woodville with his fixation for moustaches that goes so far as to require a supply of fake moustaches. Lady Bathsheba the goat who adds to every situation with full gusto. Jimmy the Falcon who is a poet, a highwayman, a deer stealer and a burglar of some note. And not to leave out Miss Penelope Winifred Rose Spebbington Fairweather who is at the root of it all!

Along with Penelope we get introduced to a lot of new characters and plots as she makes her way through London Society looking for a husband. However Anya neatly ties up all the loose ends and wraps the story up well with the couple living happily ever after and making lots of babies 🙂

‘Penelope’ reminded me and left me longing to revisit Wodehouse. There’s clear influence of P G Wodehouse in Anya’s writing and though no one can touch the master, Anya has done a good job and written an enjoyable regency romance with a good sense of humour and comic timing.

If you’re someone who enjoys Humourous Regency Romance, this is a book for you. A great read to curl up with on a rainy afternoon. And don’t forget the hot coco 🙂

About the Author:
Anya Wylde lives in Ireland along with her husband and a fat French poodle who’s now on a diet she says. She can cook a mean curry, and her idea of exercise is occasionally stretching her toes. Anya Wylde can be reached through her Facebook Page.

Buy On: Amazon

Title: Jacob Hills
Author: Ismita Tandon Dhankher
Paperback: 259 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins (May 2013)
Genre: Murder Mystery
Read: Paperback
Stars: ***/5
Buy On: FlipKart
Summary: (Goodreads)

It’s just another evening at the Tiller’s Club.

Near the bar, Capt. Rana, the Young Officer undergoing training at the War College stands among his course mates, consciously avoiding his pregnant, Muslim wife, Heena. Rumour has it she had forced him to marry her because of the baby.
Saryu, village belle turned modern babe, drink in hand, chats up a YO. Her husband, Maj. Vikram Singh, shoots angry glances at her. She isn’t bothered; the question is, who will she go home with tonight?
Pam and Gary, the flamboyant Sikh couple, chat merrily with the senior officers, charming as ever. Who’d ever guess that they lead the infamous Key Club, an underground swinger couples’ club.
And in one corner stands the Anglo-Indian wife of Maj. George Chandy, Eva, who finds herself at the heart of a murder mystery when a woman’s bleeding body is discovered at the old church under the black cross. The murdered woman’s body is covered with cigarette burns. A six-year-old girl’s wrist is similarly marked. Another little girl shows signs of severe abuse.

Jacob Hills: an army station that houses the War College where young officers receive training. A world of army officers and genteel conversation, of smart men and graceful women. Set in the 1980s – in an India that was at the cusp of tradition and Westernized modernity – this is the story of the ugliness that lies beneath the garb ofJacob Hills’s beauty and sophistication. An ugliness the Chandys find themselves confronted with. Will they uncover the truth behind the woman’s murder? Will their love survive Jacob Hills?

My Review:

Thanks Ismita for offering me your book to read and review 🙂

Cover: Bright, eye-catchy and a bit gaudy!

Paper and font: Smell-worthy!

Readability, language: : Easy on the eyes!

Why did I choose this book: Army life has always fascinated me but I’ve never read a book about it.

A woman is found murdered with cigarette burns on her body in Jacob Hills. Eva, who has moved here with her husband Maj. George Chandy, finds that Jacob Hills is not what it seems, the army station has a lot of undercurrents with much happening under the surface.
As Eva tries to solve the murder of the woman she found bleeding in the church, she uncovers some dark secrets of the residents – abnormalities in the ordered life of an army station.

Filled with the colours of sunset in the hills the cover is bright, eye catchy and a bit gaudy, but the name made me stop and relook at the book. The blurb is a good snapshot of what to expect and supports the title with a clear pointer to the army station at Jacob Hills.

People and the TV had created this image in my mind of an army station. A place filled with class, finesse and style. Jacob Hills was an insight into what happens behind the glossy veneer of army life. The infallible men are just as human and crass as everyone else.
The story is about a lot of things – a young couple, an abusive man, wife swapping, sexual favours and more. Eva who is a new army wife finds her way around in the army life of Jacob Hills discovering well hidden secrets. Ismita has woven a good plot that kept me reading right to the end.

The book is set in 1980’s India, a time when things were changing and there was a lot of tussle between the old and new schools of thought. Ismita explores the conflicts and emotions of people during that time.
Though there isn’t much place description in Jacob Hills except where needed. It gets balanced by the in-depth descriptions of people and society in the 80’s.

Jacob Hills has quite a few characters telling the story and it took me a while to figure out and remember who was talking and who was who. Though seeing the story through a characters eyes was insightful, I would have preferred fewer characters narrating. It did confuse me.

The story starts out with murder that is followed by instances of abuse, scandal and suicide. There were a lot incidents that I felt would tie up to the main crime but they worked out into different sub-plots in the last part of the book. Though there were no loose ends and each thread was neatly tied up, I was a bit disappointed. The murderer did not make an appearance until the end and Ishmita took me on a wild goose chase though the book. There should have been more of the main murder I think, and less distraction and dilution with irrelevant seperate incidents.

The story is interesting and written well. It seems clear from the story that Ismita has an army background and knows the life well, else she has done her research 🙂

Jacob Hills is an easy read, though I felt it was more of an insight into army station life than a murder mystery. That said, it is still a book worth reading, and you should check it out.

About the Author:
There isn’t much known about Ismita, but here’s what I found out. Ismita had studied in Sophia College, Ajmer before doing her MBA and working with the foreigh exchange division of Thomas Cook for a short time. She now writes books and poetry full-time. Other than Jacob Hills, Ismita has also written a romatic thriller ‘Love on the Rocks’ in 2011. She blogs her poetry at www.lesserknownpoet.com.

Buy On: FlipKart

Title: Chanakya’s Chant
Author: Ashwin Sanghi
Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Westland Ltd. (January 1st 2010)
Genre: Historical Fiction
Read: Paperback
Stars: ***/5
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Summary: (Goodreads)
The year is 340 BC. A hunted, haunted Brahmin youth vows revenge for the gruesome murder of his beloved father. Cold, calculating, cruel and armed with a complete absence of accepted morals, he becomes the most powerful political strategist in Bharat and succeeds in uniting a ragged country against the invasion of the army of that demigod, Alexander the Great. Pitting the weak edges of both forces against each other, he pulls off a wicked and astonishing victory and succeeds in installing Chandragupta on the throne of the mighty Mauryan empire.

History knows him as the brilliant strategist Chanakya. Satisfied—and a little bored—by his success as a kingmaker, through the simple summoning of his gifted mind, he recedes into the shadows to write his Arthashastra, the ‘science of wealth’. But history, which exults in repeating itself, revives Chanakya two and a half millennia later, in the avatar of Gangasagar Mishra, a Brahmin teacher in smalltown India who becomes puppeteer to a host of ambitious individuals—including a certain slumchild who grows up into a beautiful and powerful woman.

Modern India happens to be just as riven as ancient Bharat by class hatred, corruption and divisive politics and this landscape is Gangasagar’s feasting ground. Can this wily pandit—who preys on greed, venality and sexual deviance—bring about another miracle of a united India? Will Chanakya’s chant work again?

My Review:

Cover: Eye-catchy!

Paper and font: Easy on the hands and eyes.

Readability, language: Easy read…

Why did I choose this book: Because of Chanakya.

In 340 BC Chanakya sets out to take revenge for his fathers death. In a revenge that spans years he thwarts Alexander, unites Kingdoms and puts Chandragupta Maurya on the throne. Having accomplished his revenge and dream he steps back to write his Arthashastra.
Ages later Gangasagar Mishra stumbles upon a chant written by Chanakya. Possessing qualities like Chanakya, he sets out to play the game of political intrigue with the objective of making his chosen disciple the Prime Minister on India.

Considering the book is about a cursed chant discovered, that is connected to Chanakya the title is quite appropriate. A copper tinted cover with a mix of ancient and modern coins is eye catchy and the blurb makes you want to read the book.

Chanakya is a known name, almost everyone has either studied about him in school or watched a story on TV. The one thing Chanakya is known for is his cunning. He is the Indian equivalent of Merlin, scheming and plotting until he put Chandragupta Maurya on the throne.
Sanghi retells the story of Chanakya with a twist – Gangasagar Mishra, the modern day Chanakya. He switches between Chanakya’s time and the present day as he draws political parallels. The plot is interesting and for a political noob like me it was an insight into what transpires behind the curtain.

The book is set in present day India and Chanakya’s time around 340 BC; both have been described well. It was a trip down memory lane re-imagining places I’d read about first in school – Takshila University, Pataliputra, Magadha, Paurus, Alexander… How I wish I could have studied at Takshila.
In the present day the story travels from small town Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh to Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi on a journey that makes a small time party a national political power.

Mainly revolving around Chanakya in old times and Gangasagar in present day, the story has a host of other characters supporting the plot. Both the protagonists go about using the people around them to achieve their goals, losing sight of the people themselves most times. Chanakya uses Suvasini, the woman he loves without remorse in furthering his grand plans. Gangasagar gets his disciple Chandini shot when he thinks it would benefit their political career.
The cunning and witty Chanakya may have been the best at the political game but he was also a cold calculating man with very few emotional attachments. Chanakya’s Chant is an insight into the man Chanakya was, and not just the political strategist.

Sanghi maintains a good pace and ties up the story well. There are of course a lot of plots and sub-plots, and sometimes you get muddled about characters but it all fits in at the end. Considering that it’s two stories running parallel, there was a lot happening and sometimes I lost track of things. But it could also just be the naive political me who missed the nuances.

When I first came across the book, I thought it was about Chanakya, so I was disappointed to find Chanakya sharing page space with Gangasagar. That said, I don’t have any other complaints about the book.

This was the first book of Ashwin Sanghi’s that I read, and it set the benchmark for his work. No wonder then that The Rozabal Line, his first book was hugely disappointing and The Krishna Key, his third was a redemption as it looks like Sanghi is getting better with each book.

Unlike The Rozabal Line and The Krishna Key, Chanakya’s Chant is a political thriller and if that’s your thing, you’ll enjoy this book.

About the Author:
Ashwin Sanghi is an entrepreneur by day, novelist by night and has all the usual qualifications of an Indian businessman. ‘The Rozabal Line’ was originally self-published in 2007 under his anagram-pseudonym—Shawn Haigins. In 2008 Westland published the book in India under his own name. Ashwin lives in Mumbai with his wife, Anushika, and his eight-year old son, Raghuvir. His website is www.ashwinsanghi.com.

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Title: Scammed: Confessions of a Confused Accountant
Author: Anonymous
Paperback: 182 pages
Publisher: Grey Oak/Westland India (2011)
Genre: Accounting Fiction
Read: Paperback
Stars: ***/5
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Summary: (Goodreads)
Life is miserable for Hitesh Shah, despite his coveted job in a top accounting firm. Labelled a nerd by colleagues, ignored by women and rebuked by parents, Hitesh cannot resist when offered a lucrative job as the CEO of an off shoot of the failing automobile company, Supreme Motors. So what if the owner Venugopal Reddy, a sleazy businessman with political connections, actually wants Hitesh to fix the company to save his skin? Hitesh’s drive and quest for success helps turn the Company’s fortunes around; he is seen a rising corporate star, he begins dating a model and is pampered by parents.

Championed as the poster boy of emerging India, Hitesh’s fairy tale ends quickly. As his cursed luck would have it, he is soon on the run from the law – allegedly as the perpetrator of a financial scam and accused of defrauding thousands of investors! With his back against the wall, and growing public and media opinion against him, will Hitesh come out of the mess he finds himself in?

My Review:

Cover: So-so!

Paper and font: Smell-Worthy! Would have preferred a bigger font though.

Readability, language: Oh boss, It’s easy yaar!

Why did I choose this book: An anonymous author got me wondering about what was hidden in the book.

A depressed Hitesh who is at a dead-end at work gets a lucrative job offer. He gets to be CEO and set-up a company. But in trying to solve one problem he takes on a host of them. He gets money, car, house and status at a huge price. Caught in a scandal not of his creation, Hitesh is on the run to save his life.

Considering that this is the story of Hitesh who is an accountant who unknowingly is involved in a scam, the title is appropriate. The cover is very ordinary, nothing that makes the book stand out. The blurb though does spark an interest and expectation of action in the book.

I haven’t read a lot of accounting based books so this was a new sector for me. The intelligence and audacity behind scams astounded me. This book was a learning in White Collar crime in India. The plot is well laid out and the perpetrators are known, what’s unknown is how Hitesh will get out of the pickle.

Set in Hyderabad and Vizag the book is full of ‘boss’ and ‘yaar’ to a point where it started to irritate me. But yes, the author is authentic to the places and people in Andhra today. And in a country currently passing through a phase of scams, the story is believable.

The characters in Scammed are quite well chalked out. I don’t know if it was the intention of the author but I came to detest Hitesh. Initially I thought he was naive but you soon realise he’s plain dumb. He gets used by two girls, abused by his parents, walked over by his boss, scammed by his new bosses and in all of this he doesn’t learn. And yet in the end he gets a second chance and the girl. He’s the poor victim!

Like almost all big scams, even this one has a lot of facets and levels to the scam. They are all introduced, matured and tied up in the end by the author. I don’t have any complaints of the story, though the love bits were a bit ‘katcha’, not well written and as I read it I was thinking, is this for real.

The climax wasn’t so bad but the end was disappointing. Why do authors have to write an ‘After __ Years’ at the end.

The language of the book is good except for exceptional mistakes like the lead characters name changing from Hitesh to Aditya suddenly at one place in the book. The dialogues are realistic and you can almost hear the character say it, but if ‘boss’ and ‘yaar’ is actually used so much, I’m glad I don’t live in Hyderabad, I’d go nuts.

After reading the book I’m wondering why the author chose to stay anonymous. There’s definitely nothing in the book to give him or her reason to hide. Looks like the “Anonymous’ is just a sales gimmick.

A good book to read if you have an interest in politics and finance, and love the words ‘boss’ and ‘yaar’.

About the Author:
A little investigation led me to find that the Anonymous author was Ahmed Faiyaz. A BookChums interview said, he was known as “a Chartered Accountant and Management Consultant by accident, a civil servant by day and a writer by night. A voracious reader and a lover of cinema. And of course the Managing Director, Grey Oak Publishers.”. You can follow his blog at simplyfiction.wordpress.com

Special Note: Thanks to my friend and fellow blogger Vidya for lending me this book. Head over to Vidya’s blog to read her review of Scammed.

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