Goodbye 2012....Welcome 2013!!!

Its the last day of the year....there is something about this "last day of the year" feeling that is totally not explainable. People get all emotional, make up resolutions and get into an all party mood to ring in the new year with great gusto.

What I don't get is if we have to set a resolution why not do it any day of the year or if we have to party why not party on any day and enjoy just as much as we do on new years eve...we always need a reason for change and sometimes not, right? I am not killing the new year spirit here but just emphasizing how great this feeling of new year's eve is!!!!

I am down with bad cold and a headache that just doesn't want to leave me but I am not going to let it kill my excitement for my party tonight. I am at work and have my meds and cough syrup right on my table next to the warm soothing lemon tea. I am making all efforts to feel alright so that I can enjoy myself. Really its just the feeling that is not letting me succumb and keeping me going through the day.

There is indeed this feeling on 31st December where I am sure all would sit and think about the year gone by and are engrossed in planning or wondering what the coming year has in store for us. There are many things we have learnt from life and there are many things we are yet to learn.Personally I have had a splendid year....truly enjoyed it be it good times or bad. Cause I know good or bad....it will pass, all we have to do is hold on to ourselves and be strong.

I cant wait for January 2013 to begin as I have a short trip planned to one of the loveliest place on earth...Goa!!!

So here is wishing you all a very Happy New Year!!! Let bygones be bygones and bring in the new year with new hope and luck for everything you do!





Let the party begin!!!!

Book Review : The Bankster by Ravi Subramanian

This is the long overdue review of The Bankster by Ravi Subramanian which I received from blogadda as a part of their Book Review Programme. Struggling with many assignments at hand I have finally managed to come back to my loving blog and get this review published. This is the first of Ravi Subramanian that I have read although this is the fifth of the five Finance related books he has written and now I know why Wall street Journal has labeled him as the John Grisham of Banking!

Book Summary:

Bestselling author Ravi Subramanian, a master storyteller of financial crime and winner of the Golden Quill Readers Choice Award, returns with his most gripping thriller yet.

Bankers build their careers on trust, or so everyone thinks, till a series of murders threaten to destroy the reputation that the Greater Boston Global Bank (GB2) has built over the years. Who is behind these killings, and what is their motive?

When Karan Panjabi, press reporter and ex-banker, digs deeper, he realizes that he has stumbled upon a global conspiracy with far reaching ramifications a secret that could not only destroy the bank but also cast a shadow on the entire nation. With only thirty-six hours at his disposal, he must fight the clock and trust no one if he is to stay alive and uncover the truth.

About the Author:

Ravi Subramanian an alumnus of IIM Bangalore, has spent two decades working his way up the ladder of power in the amazingly exciting and adrenaline-pumping world of global banks in India. It is but natural that his stories are set against the backdrop of the financial services industry. He lives in Mumbai with his wife Dharini and daughter Anusha. In 2008, he won the Golden Quill Readers Choice award for his debut novel, If God was a Banker. 

My Review:

As this was the first time I was reading one of Subramanian’s books I was pleasantly surprised as not only the story is gripping but the characterization is also too good. There are three parallel plots running together, as you read each chapter, your mind swings from here to there and back again. It is a complete page turner, which keeps you hooked to it.

The book opens with a man who lands up at Angola and strikes a deal to exchanges weapons for the world famous blood diamonds of Africa. The plot shifts to a family in Kerala, where the head of the family is accused for a crime that he has not committed. The person is concerned about a social cause till some opportunists get involved with the whole thing and things take an ugly turn. A parallel plot runs in Mumbai at the GB2 bank, where their key employees get mysteriously murdered one after another.

Overall, The Bankster is an interesting read. The language is quite simple and does not have complicated banking terminology, which makes it easy to understand and follow. There is not a dull moment in the book. A totally unexpected twist as to who the real culprit is!  I would definitely recommend the book to all readers who love fast moving thriller plots.

I would rate this book a 3.5/5.

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com . Participate now to get free books!

Book Review : Of Love & Lovers

Book Summary :

A rocky relationship with an NRI coupled with a tragic, personal loss has made Samantha somewhat cynical in matters of the heart. Shipra and Vikas are aware of the consequences of their love.Will their relationship stand the test of time?

Aditya has to choose between his love and his familys expectations of him. Is he capable of making the right choice? Spanning across Toronto and Mumbai, the lives of these four intersect dramatically when Samantha comes to India on an exchange program.

Will the power of love assert itself or will it bow down under the weight of the obstacles in its path?

My review :

Just as the title goes the book is about love and lovers. Samantha who comes to Mumbai on an exchange program and more so ever to try and find closure from the haunting fact of her sisters mysterious death in Mumbai. She goes through a heartbreak which is nursed by the undying spirit of Mumbai and the loving embrace of her new friends Shipra and Vikas. She tries to find answers to true love and she finds them in her friends love story and through her own love story. 

This is the author Pamela Sinha Mathur's first book. The language is easy and the story well written. It is okay for a one time light read. 

Book Review: The Krishna Key

Title : The Krishna Key
Author : Ashwin Sanghi
Published : by Westland Ltd
Pages : 464
Price : Rs. 250/-

Book Summary : 

Five thousand years ago, there came to earth a magical being called Krishna, who brought about innumerable miracles for the good of mankind. Humanity despaired of its fate if the Blue God were to die but was reassured that he would return in a fresh avatar when needed in the eventual Dark Age—the Kaliyug. 

In modern times, a poor little rich boy grows up believing that he is that final avatar. 

Only, he is a serial killer. 

In this heart-stopping tale, the arrival of a murderer who executes his gruesome and brilliantly thought-out schemes in the name of God is the first clue to a sinister conspiracy to expose an ancient secret—Krishna’s priceless legacy to mankind. 

Historian Ravi Mohan Saini must breathlessly dash from the submerged remains of Dwarka and the mysterious lingam of Somnath to the icy heights of Mount Kailash, in a quest to discover the cryptic location of Krishna’s most prized possession. From the sand-washed ruins of Kalibangan to a Vrindavan temple destroyed by Aurangzeb, Saini must also delve into antiquity to prevent a gross miscarriage of justice. Ashwin Sanghi brings you yet another exhaustively researched whopper of a plot, while providing an incredible alternative interpretation of the Vedic Age that will be relished by conspiracy buffs and thriller-addicts alike. 

My Review :

The first thing I would like to emphasize here is that the book will seem so much like a Dan Brown work but nevertheless it is excellently written making me want to grab the earlier two books written by Ashwin Sanghi. The Krishna Key starts as a thriller and murder mystery and progresses towards a more philosophical end. There is a lot of hardwork and research that has been put into bringing this book together. It’s a marvelous fast paced book that keeps you glued to it. The Krishna key is a very different kind of book, with two differrent but similar stories running parallel to each other and at times are interconnected to each other as well. Some people who love action or excitement filled ending may find the ending of this one not that impressive. Every chapter starts with a paragraph of Krishna's life, which was very helpful for a person like me who doesn't know much about Krishna. There are a few printing mistakes which could have been avoided. The author could have worked a bit more towards character development in order to help the reader put a face on each name that appeared. The story takes so many twists and turns and you really need to be focused so as to not lose the grip so ensure you have ample of time with very less disturbances or breaks. The use of pictures and images, enhances the reading experience at the same time indulges you into the story. But it is one in all a good read and recommended as well. For people who are into ancient history and love thrills and knowledgeable books this is highly recommended. My rating would be a 3.5 on 5 for this one. 

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!

Book Review : Confessionally Yours

Confessionally Yours by Jhoomur Bose is an excellent read. It is a story of Polly who deals with a Hitler like boss who piles on loads of work on her and thinks she is incapable of writing any good article, she deals with the most annoying Mother In Law (I felt like jumping in the book and hitting her, I tell u) who comes visiting and stays on like glue stuck on ur bottom, nor can u move nor can you sit there all your life, she deals with her husband who gets back with his ex-girlfriend, she deals with a friend who finds her very tame and it gets you wondering if she really is a friend......

I had no clue how this book would be and had picked it up on impulse but now I don't regret it. I was glued to the book to know what happens next and next and next before I knew I had finished reading and it left me thinking... The author has wonderfully created characters in this intense feminine story with a little humor a little sarcasm and a little bit of reality.

The way the story shapes up, from Polly being a pushover to a strong person if very interesting. This book stands out as a good one time read. 

Book Review : The Day I Stopped Drinking Milk

The Day I Stopped Drinking Milk....by Sudha Murthy, I was so excited to see the book on my library shelf...picked it up and rushed home to start on it straight away....for those who dont know I love all of Sudha Murthy's books and her writing. It is a pleasure reading her simple yet meaningful stories.

This book has stories from her real life experience and one can learn lessons from it too....most of her stories are such. The book is a collection of 23 short stories, the title being one of the stories.

I really cant pick a favourite one cause all of them are lovely. The way Sudha Murthy writes all of her stories are so interesting and this one is a real treat with life lessons and incidents where we all would feel that we have come across similar situations. In today's fast moving world where Morales and Values take a backseat this book kind of tones you down and helps you looks at life in a different yet meaningful way.

Highly recommended without doubt....suitable for all age :)

Book Review : In the Sea there are Crocodiles

In the Sea there are Crocodiles by Fabia Geda is a true story of an Afghan boy, Enaiatollah Akbari's journey in search of safety....in search of home. Fabio Geda is an Italian novelist who works with children in difficulties. He writes for several Italian magazines and newspapers, and teaches creative writing in the most famous Italian school of storytelling (Scuola Holden, in Turin). This is his first book to be translated into English.

When Enaiatollah's village in Afghanistan falls prey to Taliban rule, his mother in desperate attempt to save him from being a slave or worst be killed takes him away across the border into Pakistan but leaves him there all alone to fend for himself after giving him an advice : don't use drugs or weapons, don't cheat, don't steal. 

From here begins Enaiat's heartbreaking journey of pain and torture filled with traffickers, hunger, border patrols, freezing, drowning, casualties, dangerous circumstances where he could almost get killed. He journeys through Iran, Turkey and Greece before he seeks political asylum in Italy at the age of fifteen.

This impressive account will keep you wanting to know more about Enaiat's life. I was quite amazed by the strong determination of the boy to keep moving on and finding safe ground. He was a small boy when his mother left him and at that age to be so smart enough and take life turning decisions is something hard to believe...but it did happen and that what makes this book a great read. An incredible uplifting story which makes you believe that where there is a will there is a way. Highly recommended.