Soul Warrior

Book Title: Soul Warrior

Author: Falguni Kothari

Genres: Fiction

Rating: 4

Twisted myths. Discretion advised.
Fight fate, or succumb to destiny?
In the dark Age of Kali, the Soul Warrior alone stands guard over the Human Realm, protecting its denizens from evil-willed asuras or demons. When a trick of fate appoints him guru to a motley crew of godlings, he agrees to train them as demon hunters against his better judgment. Suddenly, Lord Karna is not only battling the usual asuras with sinister agendas, but also rebellious students and a fault-ridden past.
Spanning the cosmic realms of mythic India, here is a tale of a band of supernatural warriors who come together over a singular purpose: the salvation of Karna’s secret child

Review 

Mythology in modern setting. It might look like everyone is writing a Mythological novel these days still can you ever have enough of it? Not if you are a Mythological fan! I started reading Soul warrior and realized in the first few pages, that irrespective of the times I have watched/read Karna's dying moments in Kurukshetra War, I can still feel the emotional overflow thanks to the Author. So, the story begins where Mahabharatha almost ends and a lot later in time.

Saved In Srilanka

Book Title: Saved In Srilanka
Author: Devika Fernando
Genres: Fiction
Rating: 4

It sure feels that way when Sri Lankan tour guide Sepalika meets Daniel. The mysterious tourist from Ireland steals his way into her heart and makes her question everything her life is built upon. Instant attraction turns to love – but does he feel the same? And what about the secret she’s hiding from him?

Follow the two on their quest for a happy ending amid the beauty and wonders of the tropical island paradise of Sri Lanka.

Review

What do you get when Facts meet Romance? You get Saved in Srilanka! I mean, Sepalika gets saved :) And you get to bask in the romance between Sepalika and Daniel. Sepalika, the tourist guide struggling to contain her free spirits within the confinement demanded by the situation. Daniel, the historic buff on tour to Srilanka. When the two of them come together, they are unable to resist falling in love. Sepalika is 'tied' while Daniel is hurt from a past relationship. Who makes or breaks the relationship is what ensues.

The Mystery of the missing Iguana

Book Title: The Mystery of the missing Iguana
Author: Ruchira Khanna
Genres: Kids
Rating: 4

Alex and his pet chimpanzee Angelo are the young detectives of their neighborhood. When a friend's pet Iguana goes missing, Alex and Angelo immediately take on the case, and the sneaky reptilian leads them on an exciting chase. How will alex and Angelo use their sleuthing skills to solve this mystery?

Review

Meet Alex & his pet chimp, Angelo and watch them in action solving the case of a missing Iguana. What a delightful little story! I absolutely love to introduce new things to my toddler through books and this book made me think, mystery? Why not? Infact, what fun! 

Lemon Girl

Book Title: Lemon Girl

Author: Jyoti Arora

Genres: Fiction

Rating: 4

'It's all your fault.'Mere words these are. "But words can possess a shadow invincible enough to rob even a soul of its eternity."
In a society that finds it easier to mark sins of a victim than the culprit, Nirvi is a young girl punishing herself for the faults she did not do and avenging her hurts by defeating her own truth.She is scared of her future, and ashamed of her past. She is failing herself, and knows it. She has had a long line of boyfriends, and hated them all. She detests the guy she is living with, runs away from the one she loves , and seduces the one who can never love her. When Arsh first sees Nirvi, she's a free and frank girl in whose eyes sparkle the lemony zest of life. The next time he sees her, she is a voiceless doll draped in clothes that cover her body less and shroud her soul more. And Arsh can't rest till he finds out what made Nirvi give up her own real self.Nirvi knows she is dragging herself on a path from which there can be no recovery. Can her spirit survive the treacherous downfall? Or is the pull of fear and push of desperation just too strong to withstand for a girl who believes she has "nowhere else to go" but down.
"When it's time for you to fall in love, even a lemon can become the cause of it," says Arsh.But can love survive, when even the self love dies?Can love survive when respect is no more?Does true love have the power to revive a dying soul?
Find out in the pages of this brilliantly woven, intense, heart-warming and thought-provoking saga of RISING IN LOVE...

Review

Lemon girl - It is not often that we come across a book title with a cute little reasoning behind the name. If I were to flatter the Author, I would say that this title is something I really liked only next to the Magnum Opus 'Ponniyin Selvan'(a Tamil Historic Fiction written in the 1950s. The culprit behind my reservations against giving 5 star to books I like).

13 Steps to Bloody Good Luck

Book Title: 13 Steps to Bloody Good Luck
Author: Ashwin Sanghi
Genres: Non Fiction
Rating: 4

The journey of life isn’t exactly easy… Some people make it through hard work and talent. Some fall by the wayside. And some people are just plain lucky. They are blessed with Bloody Good Luck!
But is it possible to attract good luck? Can we train ourselves to be lucky? Apparently it seems that Dame Luck isn’t that fickle. She is well within our reach. In his first non-fiction foray, bestselling author Ashwin Sanghi explores that critical, much-longed for element called luck.
Through entertaining and informative anecdotes, narrations of personal experiences and vignettes of homespun wisdom, Ashwin gives us a whole new insight into how people can work towards being lucky.

Review

I have been meaning to read Ashwin Sanghi for a long time but never managed to. So, 13 steps to bloody good luck, the author's first attempt at non-fiction is my first read by him. That said, the writing style doesn't pose itself as a subject for review. It is neither impressive nor dull. The concept is agreeable and makes you think. Basically, the author argues that luck isn't a factor that cannot be controlled. He proposes that one can increase their good luck by changing their Attitude and/or approach towards 13 factors. As with any other self help book, I was excited to find out how much I could agree to the contents and to what extent I can benefit from it.

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.

Ganges Boy

Ganges Boy by Archana Prasanna

Nice things first - The story telling is neat. Archana is really good at convincing the reader with exactly the right amount of details. Like, I never had any bothering questions in my mind about Kabir's parents or about the reason behind Sanskruti's death(which is revealed later) or about Kabir parting with Arundhati.Certain portions like when Kabir is orphaned melts my heart. This book is not a page turner but I feel the urge to get back to the book especially after the grandfather enters the scene.

Oleander girl

Oleander Girl by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

My rating:  4 out of 5 star

Oleander girl is the second book am reading, by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, after Palace of illusions. And am thoroughly convinced what an excellent story teller she is.

Love's Labor

Love's Labour

Andy Paula

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I enjoyed reading this book at one go and later wondered what kept me glued when the story is such a simple, typical one. It's definitely the author's storytelling skills. The blossoming of love between Sathya and Piali, the way they take it forward and their families stance are realistic and never appear cliched. A couple of conversations between Sathya and Piali are actually cute. I would have loved to read more of their sweet nothings :-) And this novella definitely 'captures the very essence of being South Asian', as Indireads claims itself to be. On the flip side, I felt the book ended a little abrupt.

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Zeus(Olympians #1)

Zeus(Olympians #1) by George O'connor

My Rating : 4 out of 5 star

This is my first venture into Greek Mythology and there couldn't have been a better book to start with. Mainly because it is a graphic novel and the size of the book is not intimidating. Though I think it is too concise to contain a story of this proportion. Having read this book, I get a vague idea of greek myth but I can't recollect most names. There is a whole bunch of gods of various sizes and shapes crammed into a single panel! 

But, as I said, this is an excellent starting point. Had I picked up a big regular book, chances are I would have shunned the idea of reading greek mythology any further. But this book, with its recommendations for young readers and adults , has succeeded in convincing me to read more. 

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For One More Day

For One More Day by Mitch Albom

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book doesn't need a review. One could only share the experience of reading it. Its a quick read and a good one too. Just pick it up and enjoy!

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Eat, Pray, Love

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia. This book almost made to my all time favorite. Almost! You will know why by the end of this review.Elizabeth Gilbert starts off this memoir of hers with her Divorce and a break-up. Kudos to the author for not making it a blame game or look like a peek into the private lives of a couple in disagreement. Just at the time when I start feeling depressed myself with the author's situation, she moves on to do better things, thankfully, like travelling to Italy. She is so good with the written word that she convinces us that travelling to Italy just to learn Italian, simply out of love for the language, is the next logical step for her to take.

The Woman Who Thought She Was a Planet and other stories

The Woman Who Thought She Was a Planet and other stories by Vandana Singh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As a first time reader of Sci-fi genre, this collection of short stories was a great start for me - particularly as the stories are set in India. In addition, this seemed to be a wise choice after a failed attempt at reading 'The Hitchhiker's guide to Galaxy'(not that I did not enjoy the book but because I held an omnibus edition and found it overwhelmingly big to read :-( ). All stories with the exception of one(Three tales from Sky river - which I did not understand how it fits in this book) left me in awe at the imagination of the author.

Prince of Ayodhya

Prince of Ayodhya by Ashok K. Banker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Though I have grown up hearing stories from Ramayana, I have never attempted to read Ramayana in any form. From that perspective, Ashok K.Banker's retelling is a great start. Although am not sure how much width and depth of the epic AKB's series covers, the narration is captivating, characters are well defined and the writing style is apt for the time period the story is set in. Reading a book with 500+ pages is not an easy task. Not only has the author succeeded in this, but also he has left me looking forward to reading the other volumes as well.

Nevertheless, this book is a good read for anyone wanting to read Ramayana for the first time or otherwise.

A note to self:  Read Ramayana by other author(s) after completing this series and update this review.

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Night Train at Deoli: And Other Stories

Night Train at Deoli: And Other Stories by Ruskin Bond

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Collection of 30 Heart warming stories. Crisp narration, vivid descriptions, simple characters - accomplishing all this in a short story tells the reader what a seasoned writer Ruskin Bond is.

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