Book Review: Temple Classroom & Other Stories by Puja Roy | Short Stories

Book Review

Temple Classroom & Other Stories by Puja Roy

Temple Classroom & Other Stories by Puja Roy

Author: Puja Roy

ISBN: 978-8194182634

Genre: Short Stories

Length: 117 Pages

Publisher:  Rubric Publishing (19 September 2019)

My Ratings: 🌟🌟🌟

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/358g09g

About the author: 

A Comparative Literature graduate from Jadavpur University and a Diploma in Film Studies, Puja is also the founder of the digital book club The Book Buzz'. She holds a Master's degree in Advertising and Public Relations and is currently employed with an education foundation that works for children from the underprivileged sections of the society. An avid reader and a translator, Puja loves to research on history, cinema, art and culture.

Puja Roy

Instagram: @roy.puja03

Twitter: @ROYaltyPuja
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/puja.roy.900

REVIEW

Temple Classroom & Other Stories is the collection of sixteen distinct stories, which have nothing specific in common and are addressing a variety of subjects. Talking about the writing style, the foreword is written by Koral Dasgupta and it was so wonderful that my expectations became very high for the book. After reading the stories I can say the overall experience was a bit disappointing. I'll expand on that later. Some stories are set in villages and some in cities like Vadodara and Mumbai.

Well, the positive side of the book. I felt that these three stories were unique and brilliant. 'The Root', 'Silver Anklets' and 'The Tea Story'. These all stories elaborate on the feelings of characters very well and shows how these characters are struggling in their own mind. It literally shows the change of perspective in the end and how these characters develop, be it a very little change. I loved them. These characters. Emotions and feelings surrounding them. Other than these, there is a story about a girl who wishes to bring quality education to her village where girls are not allowed to study after certain age. There is an inspiring story of a housewife who finds her true calling and has to go against her family, for the better. One story talks about the acid attack and another story about child sexual abuse and another about an underprivileged child who has to go through so much in life at an early age. This 'Phulo' story has a unique lesson in it.

Some of them are inspiring but mostly these stories are ordinary. Let me clear this first, what I mean by ordinary is, we all have come across these stories (most of them) in various forms, in news, social media, I mean these stories are found everywhere. Also if these weren't extraordinary (tales of struggle, fulfilling dreams, lasting hope and courage and more) then it wouldn't have made to these pages. Considering that, I didn't find anything new in these stories. Stories lacked of emotions and the perspective that could have narrated the stories better, although the characters were well defined. Another thing that I didn't like was the purpose of these stories. Fine, some are inspiring and others are addressing the issues we're struggling through but other than that I found few of them very idle. And the endings were unsatisfactory.

This collection might not be one of the best, but I really appreciate the efforts put in this work and talking about these issues. As Suzanne says and I repeat every now and then, 'The least we can do is call it what it is and talk about it.'

Happy Reading!

========================

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Will see you in the next post. Till then buh-bye. Take Care. Peace. ☮

Author Interview with Mukhpreet Khurana | Author of Unlocked Silences and EASE | Poet | Motivational Speaker

Author Interview

Mukhpreet Khurana

Author of Unlocked Silences and EASE

Poet and Motivational Speaker

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Hey Readers' Fam, we are back with another Author Interview. This time we will be having a conversation with Humanitarian, Poet, Motivational Speaker and author of 'Unlocked Silences' 2018 and 'EASE' 2019, most welcome Mukhpreet Khurana.

If you don't know about 'EASE: A poetic journey within' book, then check out my review of EASE here.

About the author:

Mukhpreet finds his meditation in poetry. He is a believer and practitioner of humanity and gratitude. He is a motivational speaker and is a budding entrepreneur alongside being a poet. You won’t be surprised to see him sitting with a cup of coffee, a journal, a laptop and some poetry to brew. He feasts on conversations, and is an empathetic listener.

He is spiritual, is spontaneous in wit and in humour. He is a mentor for budding writers, is an extrovert and is a networking bee. He believes all positive is not negative for a reason and all negative is not positive for a reason, too. He has a thing for handwritten letters and he makes sure to write out a bunch of them every month.

He already has a book published titled Unlocked Silences to his name. The book takes a poetic trip down the lanes of self-love and self-awareness.

"It all starts here, in me just as it does in you." -Mukhpreet Khurana

Connect with the author:
Instagram: @mukhpreetkhurana

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/mukhpreetsinghkhurana/

Twitter: @khuranajee

Order your copy of EASE here: https://amzn.to/34y3xLE

Now Mukhpreet Khurana will discuss the importance of self-awareness and being comfortable in our own skin. He will share some challenges of being a motivational speaker. And we will know more about him and how he finds meditation in poetry. All that in the most motivating and comforting voice of Mukhpreet.

So grab a cup of tea/coffee and dive right in...

Q: When did you start writing? And how does it help you?

A: I started writing back in 2015. Writing came to me out of nowhere, you can say it put an end to all the chaos I had within. Writing has always been beyond pen and paper. Writing to me is meditation, it is a way for me to find myself, introspect with myself and give a part of myself to my readers.

Q: Any poet you look up to, for inspiration?

A: There is no specific poet I look up to. To me, inspiration is every single second I breathe, every single second I love and live through times both good and bad alike. Nature has always inspired me, so has humanity, so has every single journey, its destination and gratitude in greater good alike.

Q: Why you chose to address subjects like self-love and self-awareness?

A: I believe it is essential to address self-love, self-awareness and every single fragment of the individuals we are. I believe it all starts within, all the acknowledge, the acceptance and gratitude in being the way we are.

Q: How important it is for one to accept oneself the way they are and be comfortable in their own skin?

A: It is very important for us to accept ourselves the way we are, to be comfortable in our skin with our imperfections, our insecurities, our ambitions, our strength, our perseverance and willingness to be better and do better alike. It is for us to know ourselves and have the willingness to know every single day, every single moment before we ache to know everyone and everything around.

Q: Where does your second book ‘EASE’ stands in your life/heart?

A: Ease occupies a very important part in my life. Writing has given me treasures of gratitude and has given me the willingness to put myself in words and be a part of lives of every single person who reads, acknowledges and finds home in my writing. Ease has allowed me to expand my horizon by working with some of the best writers and art curators I have known. We exist to coexist, and Ease has given me that treasure in its true sense of being. Ease is so much more than a book. It is a part of me, wholly, selflessly, magnificently.

Q: How did your first book ‘Unlocked Silences’ impact your life?

A: Unlocked Silences was a dream come true. I always wanted to be a published writer since the day I started writing. Unlocked Silences opened the doors to the world for me, a world where poetry and the likes of self-love met in the same infinity.

Unlocked Silences triggered it all in me, from the day I signed the contract with the publishers to the day I held the very first copy in my hand and to this day as I walk down memory lane, it was and it is one of the few treasures I could ask for.

Q: What has been the biggest challenge being a motivational speaker?

A: I think for me the only challenge being a motivational speaker is that it is never enough. There are endless aspects of life that need to be addressed, countless people to talk to, to listen to, to accept for who they are, to be accepted the way I am; It is an endless cycle, it sure is challenging at the macro level, but that is what keeps me going. A new day, a new beginning.

Q: Name some activities you perform on a daily/weekly basis apart from writing.

A: For me, alongside work, fitness and networking play a vital role in adding value to my day or my week.

I do my best to stay regular with work, with working out and networking with people on and off social media. We exist to coexist, that is the beauty of networking or communicating

Alongside the usual, I have a thing for being spontaneous. I go with the flow to break the monotony every now and then, as well.

Q: What is your ultimate career dream?

A: I dream to be there for as many people as I possibly can, talk and listen to as many as I possibly can, as well.

To me, a dream is adding purpose and productivity to my life by adding the same to others.

Q: A random fact that nobody knows about you.

A: I fumble between sentences sometimes when I am in a rush to complete them or when I am anxious. It sure was one of the few reasons I started writing, telling myself if I cannot speak well, I might as well write and communicate. I worked on it and I can proudly say I am a lot better. I believe we work on ourselves for the right and the wrong reasons. It is all about the ones we choose.

Q: One message you would like to convey to the audience.

A: Life is too short and too long at the same time. It is a constant cycle of what was, what is and what shall be. It is all about who you were, who you are and who you choose to be.

You are the change, you CAN be the change.

There is so much more to us, and the moment we remind ourselves of the same, that is when we regain control.

You have all been my foundation, the very reason I write, I ache to be with you through my writing.

I thank you, I bow in gratitude before you.

Awesome!! Thank you so much for this wonderful interview, Mukhpreet. We are grateful to have you here between us.

Hello readers, I hope you know now that working out is as important for health as self-love. I hope you came to know the power of poetry and the journey of Mukhpreet from Unlocked Silences to Ease. And again, in the most motivating and comforting voice.

Show some love!!

Order your copy of EASE here: https://amzn.to/34y3xLE

Instagram: @mukhpreetkhurana

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/mukhpreetsinghkhurana/

Twitter: @khuranajee

==================================

Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Don't forget to subscribe. Don't forget to subscribe for more content. Thank you so much for reading!

Will see you in the next post. Till then buh-bye. Take Care. Peace. ☮

Book Review: EASE: A poetic journey within by Mukhpreet Khurana | Poetry & Prose

Book Review

EASE: A poetic journey within by Mukhpreet Khurana

EASE by Mukhpreet Khurana

Author: Mukhpreet Singh Khurana

ISBN: 978-9389530254

Genre: Poetry and Prose

Length: 207 Pages

Publisher:  White Falcon Publishing (11 October 2019)

My Ratings: 5/5

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/34y3xLE

About the author:

Mukhpreet finds his meditation in poetry. He is a believer and practitioner of humanity and gratitude. He is a motivational speaker and is a budding entrepreneur alongside being a poet. You won’t be surprised to see him sitting with a cup of coffee, a journal, a laptop and some poetry to brew. He feasts on conversations, and is an empathetic listener.

He is spiritual, is spontaneous in wit and in humour. He is a mentor for budding writers, is an extrovert and is a networking bee. He believes all positive is not negative for a reason and all negative is not positive for a reason, too. He has a thing for handwritten letters and he makes sure to write out a bunch of them every month.

He already has a book published titled Unlocked Silences to his name. The book takes a poetic trip down the lanes of self-love and self-awareness.

Mukhpreet Singh Khurana

Follow him on Instagram: @mukhpreetkhurana
Like his Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/mukhpreetsinghkhurana/
Follow him on Twitter: @khuranajee

REVIEW

EASE by Mukhpreet Khurana is actually beyond what its title suggests. The book is a collection of poetry and prose, which mainly focuses on self-love, self-healing, gratitude and more; we will discuss that later. There are some poetries written in collaboration with different writers. The book also contains a few sketches/arts.

Moving on to the language, it is really simple enough to comprehend the hidden meaning behind them all. About the writing style, I would emphasize more on the author’s voice. The voice is like the heart of this book; it literally puts you at ease. The way and the style in which the writer has communicated his thoughts with such calmness and with the help of real examples and beautiful yet non-deceptive analogies. The book will make you feel comfortable, heartwarming, it will pamper you and at times it will guide you on the right path also.

Now, the content of the book. A poetic journey within. You will be able to deal with outside effectively only if you are aware of your insides. EASE is all about that last bit. As I mentioned a few subjects above, there are many more things addressed here by the author Mukhpreet Khurana. I will talk about a few from them. Not to generalize but it is as real as you are, anxiety, hesitancies, broken heart and being introvert. These poetries will take away all your worries and show you the path to acceptance, the first step of healing. Author has also addressed modern problems like acceptance of our own decisions and choices, respecting them, privacy and judgmental eyes surrounding you. The author has portrayed the ways of nature with a hint of spirituality. As it says, will acknowledge your worries, appreciate your efforts and will make you love yourself. You will learn to forgive and set yourself free.

Let’s move to my favorites. Calm, I hear you, I wonder, Artificial, Sometimes, We shall, A dream, Newer and Breathes in you. I loved them. ‘Calm’, this was one of those poetries which make you start believing in them and the author. You will know that whatever comes ahead would be for your good. ‘I wonder’ portrays this time, where being busy is glorified, how we humans are chasing money and not taking time for ourselves. ‘Newer’ talks about the comfort zone, which convinced me of the author’s perspective.

After reading this book, I assure you that, it is meant for you all, the readers, no matter what age you are. Truly it is written with love, it will pamper you, appreciate you and at times will guide you right. Sorry for repeating that numerous times but I loved it. Highly recommended!

Happy Reading!

========================

Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Don't forget to subscribe. Don't forget to subscribe for more content. Thank you so much for reading!

Will see you in the next post. Till then buh-bye. Take Care. Peace. ☮

Author Interview with Rajesh Konsam | Author of Bittersweet | Debut Novel

Author Interview With

Rajesh Konsam

Author of Bittersweet - Debut Novel

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Hey Readers' Fam, we are back with another Author Interview. This time we will be having a conversation with the author of  'Bittersweet', most welcome Rajesh Konsam.

If you don't know about 'Bittersweet' book, then check out my review of Bittersweet here.

About the author:

Rajesh Konsam is a young software engineer and writer. A geek at heart, he loves programming and feel-good novels in equal measure. When not writing poems, he ticks travel destinations off his bucket list. Although Rajesh hails from Manipur, he works in Chennai after completing his B.E. in Coimbatore.

Bittersweet is Rajesh’s debut novel, and he is working on his next. Rajesh tweets as @RajeshKonsam, runs a feed on Instagram as @rajeshkonsam, and responds well to feedback at rajeshkonsam@live.com. More at rajeshkonsam.com

Follow him on Instagram: @rajeshkonsam

Reach out to his Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRajeshKonsam/

Twitter Handle: @RajeshKonsam

Order your copy of Bittersweet here: https://amzn.to/30GvVce

Before we start, there are two options for you. You can either enjoy the video of the interview or read it here on the blog. Thanks to the author for recording the answers in the camera for you all readers! (Video is available with subtitles)

Let's Start!

Q: Why you chose this musical theme for your book?

A: I wanted to write a story about young millennials who come together and share their creative ideas, help each other out during their formative period and be emotionally available during your failures. Also, I'm a huge music fan and my brother is a musician, so yeah!

Q: The protagonist had many flaws yet your readers connected with the character and found very relatable, so what was the idea behind that character?

A: The protagonist here possesses the mindset of a lot of disturbed young millennials from our generation. So I decided to leave him that way. I think, he is more or less younger version of me. I remember having the same set of thoughts when I was younger and I remember this quote from my favorite authors, Anthony Doerr. A real diamond is never perfect.

Q: How important it is to follow passion according to you?

A: I think it's very important whether it's your daytime job or whether it's your secondary or tertiary passion. Passion is what keeps driving a life. Passion is important to make your reality better than your dreams. I wake up every morning knowing that I have so many things to look forward in life and they makes me happy.

Q: How is it being a writer in India and how was your experience publishing your debut novel?

A: I think it's a good time to be a writer in India. If you look around there are so many stories that need to be talk, there's a lot of culture and a lot of diversity. Yeah. I love being a writer in India. Coming to the second part of your question, how was your experience publishing your debut novel? I think it has been rather a very long journey for me. It was depressing in the beginning, a lot of publishers rejected me. But then again I met this wonderful literary agent Suhail Mathur from The Book Bakers literary agency. He helped me find a couple of publishers out of which Vishwakarma Publications came to my life and it has been an uphill journey ever since.

Q: What steps are you following for improving your language?

A: I must say, if you want to improve your language, you need to follow very good authors. In my case, I love reading books from Booker Prize shortlisted or Pulitzer Prize shortlisted authors, they write very well. But since I'm a contemporary fiction novelist, I love reading magazines, magazine interviews, I also watch Talk shows, they are very interesting and they help you improve your language.

Q: How’s been your journey so far as an author?

A: I think it has been a very good learning experience. I met a lot of new people, I met a lot of readers, I've learned a lot in just one month and the book is surprisingly doing well. I think I have to thank all my readers, I have to thank my publisher, I have to thank my literary agent, thank you so much. I'm starting to enjoy my success.

Q: You favorite book, author and genre and why?

A: I wish I could name any other book but my favorite book is Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. It's my favorite because there's very good character development in the book, I felt for the male lead, I could feel his pain and anguish throughout the book and it's one of the best examples of the good characterizations. Secondly my favorite author, I like Paulo Coelho who wrote 11 minutes, the kind of satisfaction I got when I read 11 minutes that I don't get from a lot of writers. And my favorite genre is modern classic because it has an artistic touch to it and is still set in familiar world.

Q: The most cliché romance plot you’ve ever read.

A: I once read about this novel where in, protagonist ends up in a mental hospital because he broke up with his girlfriend. I think its fine but then again the execution was very bad. And no, I didn't like it.

Q: 3 reasons why people should read your book ‘Bittersweet’?

A: Number 1: The thorough research done for the book. When you read the book, you'll see.
Number 2: Cultural diversity. There are characters from Kerala, characters from South India and Indo-Portuguese female lead and minor characters from the North-East.
And Number 3: There are a few surprises in the book.

Q: Three secrets about the book which readers don’t know yet.

A: Number 1: The book was written when I was a college student. I did my engineering in Coimbatore and that's when I completed the first draft of the book. It took some time for the book to get published.
Number 2: The Mumbai which you find in Bittersweet is an entirely fictional one. I have never been to Mumbai but I plan on visiting Mumbai soon.
Number 3: I maintain a colored chart for every book I write and in Bittersweet I used different colors to track flow of different characters and I did this primarily for shadow some of the characters and to help them throughout different chapters. I don't want some of my characters to go missing from chapters and that's why I used character chart using different colors. I think that's all. Thank You!

Thank you so much for being here Rajesh! We all wish you the best!

Show some love!!

Order your copy of Bittersweet here: https://amzn.to/30GvVce

Instagram: @rajeshkonsam

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRajeshKonsam/

Twitter: @RajeshKonsam

==================================

Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Don't forget to subscribe. Don't forget to subscribe for more content. Thank you so much for reading!

Will see you in the next post. Till then buh-bye. Take Care. Peace. ☮