Book Review : Soulmates, By Chance by Heenashree Khandelwal

I received this book as a giveaway at Goodreads.com. When I received the book and read the back cover blurb I was hoping this was not one of the books with a typical love story and surprisingly it was not!

Wow....this one is quite a page turner...a different story for a change and with lots of twists and turns.

Soulmates, by chance is the story of Rakshit and Avani. Rakshit who belongs to a rich family and was a spoilt brat before he left for the US after an incident which he didnt know would haunt him for life. Avani is the sweet, studious and straight forward girl who wants to study and support her family but her mother wants her to get married and settle down.

Eventually Rakshit happens to come to India for a project and one look at Avani at a party and he falls head over heels in love with her. He does get married to her but Avani gets to know about his past and things are not too good between them.

The rest of the story is how Rakshit tries to prove himself innocent. The story was a page turner but there are some parts that I would really not agree upon. Apart from the fact that even after knowing Rakshit's past Avani quite easily forgives him and a few grammatical errors here and there, the book was good. For a first book Heenashree has done a good job.  

I would rate the book 3.5/5. 

Book Review : House of cards by Sudha Murty

Sudha Murty comes out with her next book called House of Cards. Thankfully I got to lay my hands on a copy and as always its was a good read. Sudha Murty is known for her simple yet strong stories that gets you thinking and keeps you wanting to read some more. The language she uses is so simple and her stories so good that you can actually relate to them.

House of cards is the story of Mridula, a simple and sweet girl who is full of life and enthusiasm. She is intelligent and an honest girl who believes in doing the right thing always. She stays with her parents and her brother in Aladahalli a small village in North Karnataka. Where all want to be a doctor or an engineer, Mridula chooses to be a teacher. 

Sanjay, a doctor, is the son of Ratnamma, a money lender in T Narasipura, works in KEM Hospital Mumbai under Dr Chandra. Sanjay meets Mridula at a marriage celebration in her village and falls in love with her. Sanjay proposes marriage and Mridula informs her parents of the same. They get married and move to Bangalore. Sanjay goes on to complete his post-graduation and Mridula joins a government school as a teacher. After getting frustrated in a Government job, Sanjay moves into private practice. 

Though Mridula and Sanjay move up in status and wealth they eventually drift apart after twenty five years from each other in thoughts, words and deeds. Mridula being an honest person expects the same from her husband too but she is shocked when she comes to know that he has been hiding something from her and having his own secrets. 

This is a very well written book and the story is about how dishonesty can hamper a relation. Sudha Murty brings us the story of a common person, someone we can relate to and that is what makes her books so special. I have always loved her work and this one is definitely a good read.

Book Review: Faceless by Tapan Ghosh

Book Summary :

"Dildo in a bin!??Who put it in?"??Embarrassed about mistaking a vibrator for a bomb, Khush and his anti-terror squad go about looking for the owner of the pleasure tool. Khush and Shom have been friends since childhood. In their forties now, they love to swing to latino beats in Mumbai's nightclubs. Shom, the reticent one, is very different from the flamboyant Khush. Everything changes when Shom meets Raima. Their sensual yet spiritual love is separated by age, wealth and background. Shom throws caution to the wind and meets life head on, choosing honesty over hypocrisy. It's a Love Story emerging in the contemporary world of wealth, lust and power, like the freshness of the lotus flowering in stagnant waters. Raima, a victim of circumstance, is exposed to the world very early in life and as such she is tough, sharp and street smart. She is the soul of the book. Faceless is the story of love and passion so powerful, so pure, that we live it with Shom and Raima.

My Review :

The cover of this book and the first line on the summary above quite attracted me to pick up the book for a read. There are many characters involved in this book but the story revolves around Shom and Raima and about how they fall in love with each other. Extra marital affair, sex, shemales....the author has tried to cover as many topics as he could in this fast paced book. It keeps you engrossed to know what happens next. I also failed to connect on the part where the author tries to portray Khush and Shom as members of a bomb squad team...successful businessmen...rich...own a Land Yatch...have a good stock of drugs stacked up on the yatch....really??? The plot looks refreshing at the start but somewhere in between the rhythm breaks and never catches back. The book should be read with no expectations and a cleared out mind.

This is good just for a quick breezy read while you dont have anything good at hand to read. Since its a page turner for the wrong or the right reasons I would rate this as a 2/5. 

Book Review: Ask me no questions & Spicy bites of biryani

This is a book review post for 2 books that I read recently....finally I get to post it :)

1. As me no questions by Marina Budhos :

This is a story of Nadira a Bangladeshi living with her family in New York city with expired visas living with a dream of being permanent citizens of the Unites States. But after the 9/11 incident everything changes for them, being a muslim means you are the next  suspected terrorist. Every muslim men from certain middle eastern countries are required to register with the US government providing valid ID documents. This leads Nadira and her family to drive down to the Canadian border to seek asylum where their documents are checked and her father has been detained by the US government and not allowed to enter Canada. Nadira's mother stays back at the shelter house to be present at the trails her father goes through and Nadira along with her sister Aisha return to the country and stay with their aunt and uncle acting and continuing their life as normal. 

Thus beings the tryst of getting their father out of jail and getting their documents in place. Nadira's sister Aisha is a brilliant student and has been nominated to be her high school valedictorian. But she slowly falls apart where she completely breaks down and Nadira who is always considered the fat and lazy girl decides to do something about the situation and try and put her family back together. 

This is a very well written novel describing immigration issues of hard working innocent people who struggle to give the best to their family with a constant fear of being an illegal. A very strong book that I would recommend to all.

2. Spicy Bites of Biryani: Because Life Needs a Little Masala by Ashwina Garg

In this book the story revolves around Sanjay, Aditi, Mayank and Jayashree....Sanjay a US returned millionaire who is looking to marry and settle down, Aditi who is a commitment phobic who keeps having flings and dumping guys with different reasons and Mayank and Jayashree the perfect couple dealing with their not so perfect family and project deadlines at work.

The characters are very well defined and makes the story line even more stronger. 

This is a well written fiction different from the usual casual college romances that are doing the rounds. Its mature, witty and humorous too. The book gets interesting once Sanjay and Aditi start seeing each other. This is Ashwina's debut novel and its a pretty good one at that. Anyone looking for a light read can definitely pick this one. Lets see if we get a second one from the author. It is surely a change from the same old romance novels that we get to read from the budding authors. 

My blog My blog...I have missed you so much

I hope I finally end up publishing this post....it has been happening in the recent past where I have started typing out a post and then saving it for later and then it just ends up as an addition to the long list of drafts ....aaarghhh...I just hate that!!!

Ok yesterday morning I almost dragged myself to work, I dont know why but lately I have sort of been low on energy...not that I am a power puff girl but yeah I just wasn't finding anything interesting at all. But when I walked to my work desk I noticed that my florist had placed some beautiful flowers on my desk and in an instant my mood was so much better that I could sing a song and do a slow motion dance.....No, I didnt do that of course else my boss would have sent me home citing mental reasons....(grinnnn)

Here is a pic of my work desk....look how beautiful they are.....

And today when I walked in....oh my god....just look at the picture below....the flowers had bloomed and they looked even more prettier. i had no idea those flowers would bloom...I am every 5 seconds looking at them and feeling so calm and nice. And its friday....that day of the week employees wait for just like the parched earth waits for that drop of rain.... :-)

Here have a look.....

I am so glad finally I am posting this....and have a nice weekend friends...until next time this is chirpy Avina signing off....

Book Review : The Secret Wishlist by Preeti Shenoy

Book Summary :

Does true love really exist or is it just a cliche? Can a single kiss really change your life? 

At sixteen, Diksha like any girl her age, finds her life revolving around school, boys and endless hours of fun with her best friend. But one day, all that changes. 

What starts as an innocent crush explodes into something far beyond her control. Eighteen years later, she finds herself at the crossroads of life. Urged by a twist of events, a wish list is born. But can a wish list help her piece back her life together? Will she succumb to the tangled mess of an extramarital relationship? Once again, Preeti Shenoy brings an extraordinary story that tugs at the heartstrings, with insight and wisdom, as she explores the delicate matters of the heart. 

The Secret Wish List is a captivating, engrossing, racy tale about following your heart, chasing your dreams and the meaning of friendship. 

My Review :

An ardent fan of Preeti's work I was delighted to find a copy of this book at my library and jumped to grab it before it was gone. The Secret Wishlist is Preeti Shenoy's fourth book and was a delight to read.

It is about a girl called Diksha who when a teenager was caught kissing her boyfriend and that one incident changed her entire life with her parents taking control of her life and getting her married off at an early age and a boy of their choice. She started living a normal life with no complaints until she was made to realize by her close cousin that she is nothing but a maid to her husband and her son. She is not living her life for herself but for her family. 

Certain events happen which gets Diksha to prepare a wishlist....things that she would want to do. And from there on her life changes completely where even without her knowledge she ignorantly completes each wish written on her list. 

There is a change in the writing style from what I have seen or read in Preeti's previous books. But nevertheless the story is good and I was turning pages to know what next what next and before I knew I had finished the book in just one day! Preeti sells dreams through her books....her stories....dreams that involve alot of love, life and above all hope. Through her stories there is one message I have always derived.....never lose hope! 

Every woman and for that matter every man should read this book. The women cause we at times let people take us for granted and also there needs to be some self searching to be done. Some women get so engrossed in their mundane house-office work they forget what it is to actually live. And all the men so that before they start considering their wife to be just a "housewife" realize that she too is a human who has her own dreams and life.

The Secret Wishlist is a good read and I would rate it a 4 on 5. 

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!!!!