Canvas of Dreams

Book Title: Canvas of Dreams

Author: Jaya Siva Murty

Genres: Fiction

Rating: 3

Riya seems to have lost everything—the man she loves to another woman, her husband to death and her soul to fear.
An unexpected meeting with her first love, Ryan, stirs up long repressed feelings but also allows her to move out of the long shadow of the past. Unburdened, she feels free to pursue her dream of opening an art gallery and the handsome and intriguing artist Rehaan. But memories of her marriage refuse to fade away and then suddenly, Ryan shows up in her life again. Now, Riya must find the courage to reconcile her past and present.
For Riya, life is a canvas of dreams. Can she distinguish between reality and fantasy?

Review

Canvas of Dreams is the story of Riya and the men in her life. Who stays, who stirs her up, what happens to her passion for Art unfolds with a lucid narration. For a debutant Author, the overall quality is commendable.The idea of using dreams to bring out the latent thoughts of Riya is interesting. I loved that the story was painted on the canvas of Art. I enjoyed understanding the kind of work a Curator does. 
On the flip side, Ryan's side of story remained hazy till the end. At the end, I particularly wondered about the point of view of Sia's daughter(I don't want to elaborate and be a spoiler). Though I liked this book, I reserved myself from giving an extra star because the book is not a racy or page-turner kind. I liked this book in the sense that the things that would have gone wrong didn't go wrong like flaws in the plot, unanswered questions, inconsistent characters or predictable flow of events.  Still, there are times when that is all you need. A breezy story and a cup of coffee. And Canvas of Dreams fits the bill.

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She Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

Book Title: She Loves Me, He Loves Me Not
Author: Zeenat Mahal
Genres: Fiction
Rating: 4

Zoella has been in love with Fardeen Malik, her best friend’s gorgeous older brother, since she was ten, but he’s always seen her as a ‘good girl’—not his type—and he can barely remember her name. Besides, he’s engaged to a gorgeous leggy socialite, someone from the same rarefied social strata as the imposing Malik family. In short, Zoella has no chance with him.

Until a brutal accident leaves Fardeen scarred and disfigured, that is. Suddenly bereft of a fiancée, Fardeen is bitterly caustic, a shell of the man he used to be, a beast that has broken out of the fairy tale world he once lived in. And a twist of fate lands him his very own beauty—Zoella.
This man, however, is a far cry from the Fardeen of her dreams. Stripped of her illusions, Zoella creates her own twist in the fairy tale, beating him at his own game.
Zeenat Mahal explores themes of love, longing and arranged marriages in this modern, unusual interpretation of the old-age fairy tale

Review

Though Romance isn't a genre I would normally pick, this book has questioned my notions(had there been any). I might not yet be ready for a book oozing with love but a big nod to a fairy tale with a generous topping of Romance. 'She loves me, He loves me not' might be a modern interpretation of a Fairy tale, yet Zoella and Fardeen aren't fantastical beings. They are true to life characters saying and doing things impulsively. Zeenat Mahal takes us on an emotional roller coaster ride with Zoella making us dream, stumble, hope, fret and despair. Along the way, the perspective shifts from Zoella's to Fardeen's. I liked the way how smoothly I changed positions and started empathizing with Fardeen hoping Zoella will forgive his words and deeds. The dialogues were witty and enjoyable, with a hint of humour. The Romance was subtle and alluring.

The Many Lives of Ruby Iyer

Book Title: The Many lives of Ruby Iyer
Author: Laxmi Hariharan
Genres: Fiction
Rating: 3

A YA action-thriller, with strong dystopian undertones and a kickass protagonist, taking you on a white knuckle ride through a disintegrating Bombay City.
When her best friend is kidnapped, Ruby will stop at nothing to rescue him.

Criminals run the streets of Bombay. Jam-packed with the worst degenerates. The city is a shell of the pride and joy it used to be.

Ruby knows something must be done, but it isn’t until her best friend is kidnapped by the despotic Dr. Braganza that she knows that she and she alone must save city, save her best friend, save the world from total destruction.

Armed only with with Vikram, a cop-turned-rogue they are about to embark on a road they may never return from.

If you’re looking for fast-paced books like Hunger Games or dystopia fiction like Angelfall, the Ruby Iyer series is perfect for you.

Review

The many lives of Ruby Iyer is a Young Adult thriller about a headstrong teenager desperate to rescue her friend thus uncovering the plot behind a falling city. She gets groped, pushed to death, transformed, manipulated and drawn into circumstances. Readinf through the first few chapers, the more she wanted to stay strong just for the heck of it and the more she tried to suppress her physical and emotional weariness, there was one thing I wanted to do. Give her a tight slap! Annoyingly, she is the protagonist and am right there, inside her head. I had to contain myself and get used to her. But as I completed the book and put it aside, it occurred to me that the way I felt about Ruby was indeed the Author's brilliance! I mean, to think of it, a girl on the cusp of teenage and adulthood from a dysfunctional family, fending for herself in a melting pot called Bombay, how else would you expect her to react?!