Book Review: Love Tennis by Jitender Kumar

Book Review

Love Tennis by Jitender Kumar

Love Tennis by Jitender Kumar

Author: Jitender Kumar

ISBN: 978-9353472160

Genre: Romance Fiction

Length: 136 Pages

Publisher: Blue Rose Publishers (7 March 2019)

My Ratings: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/2SkkoMW

About the author:

Jitender Kumar, also called “Musafir” by his near and dear ones was born and brought up in Delhi but his roots were back in Bihar. He completed his graduation in Political Science from Delhi University and has in-depth experience of being a personality developer and tennis coach. His immense experience in the field of retail made him a strong observer. Although, he loves to write contents like poems, “Love-Tennis” is his first attempt at writing a fiction piece.

He lives in Ahmedabad and looks forward to your valuable feedback for “Love-Tennis”.

Jitender Kumar (Musafir)

Follow him on Instagram: @musafirr

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

Twitter Handle: @jkmusafir
Email: jk.musafir@gmail.com

REVIEW

Narration

Love Tennis is a short romance book with a pinch of passion. The story is narrated in the first-person point of view. The main character Jatin is narrating his story. The book is written in a very simple style that anyone can read it. The beginners who are not comfortable with English much also can read this book. The author has made it very much relatable and easy-going. And all the tennis match scenes are something to savour.

Location and Setting

Love Tennis set in Delhi and the time period is of the 2000s. That time period and the teenage lives in Delhi, influence the story. The book brings nostalgia with it that you cannot hold back your own memories from school and college. There are few locations especially school and Delhi University colleges gives you the back-to-college/school vibes and those silly struggles we’ve gone through.

Theme

Love Tennis is a Romance Fiction and portrays love between these two main characters. Jatin is from lower-middle-class family and Priya is as rich. But that is not a problem for them, there is something else. Well, the author has done very good job in portraying the romance and not the typical drama between two families. Again sports play a significant part in the story. And for romance lovers, there are meetings and dates.

Plot

The plot is something that I didn’t like as I expected more from the story. Indeed, there are conflicts and I liked reading them but was still wasn’t triggering. The plot and story solely focused on this couple of characters. Though I enjoyed reading because it was relatable and its writing style. The characters lack the depth but it’s a short book so that is fine. And the connections between characters are good and well carried out. 

"Love never loses on you, it's you who does that."

My Views

All in all, it was a really entertaining and very easy read. There is a lot the author has conveyed through the book. There were lots of Bollywood references which I loved. It made me reflect on my memories that were warming. I reminisced the times when I used to wait for the calls on the wired telephone. It was very light and easy flowing read and I just enjoyed this short book full of relatable experiences and a bunch of excitements of school and college life.

Happy Reading!

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Book Review: Chloe's Crusade! by Donnalyn Vojta (The Teddy bear Chronicles #2)

Book Review

Chloe's Crusade! by Donnalyn Vojta

(The Teddy Bear Chronicles Book #2)

Chloe's Crusade!

Author: Donnalyn Vojta

ISBN: 978-0999241059

Genre: Crime, Thriller & Suspense

Length: 394 Pages

Publisher: New Traditions Publishing (20th June 2018)

My Ratings: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/2XCOLPQ (Kindle)
Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/2YCD90B (Paperback)

About the author:

"I have a B.A. (cum laude) from North Central College in Naperville, IL with a major in Humanities (Philosophy emphasis) and a minor in Literature. I also have a Juris Doctorate degree from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago, IL. I practiced law as a litigation and real estate transactions attorney for over 13 years, but then quit that career to do something that makes me happy.

Thus, here I am writing novels. I love it! As far as my accomplishments in the publishing arena, I have a traditional publisher, and both of the first volumes of my unique thriller series have launched. Volumes I and II have been met with wonderful ratings and reviews which, I must say, warms my heart. Volume I is entitled HOPE IN PARIS!, and Volume II is entitled CHLOE'S CRUSADE! When I am not writing, I am working as a private academic tutor to students ages 4 and up."

Donnalyn Vojta

Follow her on Instagram: @suspense_author

Check out her Website: https://www.donnalynvojta.com/

Twitter Handle: @DonnalynVojta

REVIEW

Narration

Chloe’s Crusade! is second in the series, The Teddy Bear Chronicles. As the first book Hope in Paris! was extraordinary, I expected so much from this sequel and guess what! Author has done astounding job writing such an epic suspense thriller. The narration in Chloe’s Crusade! was so much enhanced than in the previous book. This book introduced two new Teddy Bears, Rocco Bear and Tiny Bear. There is more humor, more suspense, more action and more fun! The writing style is as it was in previous one but seems improved with different languages and narration style of Rocco Bear.

Location and Setting

This time the story set in Paris and Venezuela, where New York plays a little part. Most of the suspense and thrill occurs in Venezuela. The Fair Bear stays at Sidney and Kelly’s home on Paris countryside while the Love Bear stays with Tori at Richard and Tori’s House in Paris. Tiny Bear hangs from Chloe’s belt loop as her key chain. Chloe’s in Caracas, Venezuela on her new FBI mission─ drug trafficking operation as a Special Agent. Sleepy Time Bear is at orphanage as before with Ms. Keller. Rocco Bear is with Alessos in New York, who are suspected to be involved in drug trafficking.

As always (I mean previous installment) Donnalyn Vojta has created a great setting. Chloe’s Crusade! is all about the investigation and that thrill of dealing with mafias. The locations included the hangar bays, makeshift FBI office, Tori’s and Kelly’s home, théâtre du châtelet and Alesso’s home in New York as well as Venezuela. And these all added their values of suspense in the book.

Theme

Chloe’s Crusade! is literally a fine piece of Crime, Thriller & Suspense. Tori and Richard has got married with two kids they adopted from orphanage, Bea and C. These kids also play a significant part in the book and again the author, Donnalyn Vojta made these characters even more adorable. Tori and Kelly’s mom realized her mistakes and they’re begin to develop a good relationship with the help of professional counselor. Kelly marries to detective Sidney. Chloe contacts Richard and Sidney asking help for her drug trafficking operation and the plot just blows mind now and then with enrapturing writing style.

Plot

The plot drives through internal and external conflicts of almost every character. Each character is struggling through something, be it mental, physical or emotional struggle. They are conflicted by some external tragedies like this FBI operation, stalker and love triangle. The plot is really fabulous and I am amused that it holds you till the very last word of the book! Such honorable work by Donnalyn Vojta.

My Views

First things first, the narration and writing style is just phenomenal with different and distinct voices, like of Rocco Bear and Charlie. The characters are powerful with their unique strengths and weaknesses. Opening and ending are as entertaining and thrilling as the whole book is.

Now I think that this is one of those underrated books which has to be recognized and deserves all the attention in the world.

Happy Reading!

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

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Book Review: Ringo and the Yogi by Prasun Roy | Children's Literature

Book Review

Ringo and the Yogi by Prasun Roy

Ringo and the Yogi by Prasun Roy

Author: Prasun Roy

ISBN: 978-9387022621

Genre: Children’s Literature and Fiction

Length: 184 Pages

Publisher: Srishti Publishers & Distributors (10th June 2019)

My Ratings: 4.5/5

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/2Je3uwT

About the author:

Prasun Roy lives with his family in Kolkata and writes stories in genres of adventure, mystery, thrill and young adult fiction. He is the Director of his family-owned business of pharmaceutical manufacturing and marketing. Professionally trained in western classical piano, he is also an active blogger.

Prasun Roy

Follow him on Instagram: @prasun.author.2018

Check out his Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/prasun.roy.581

Twitter Handle: @PrasunRoy1981

REVIEW

Narration

Ringo and the Yogi is a fictional story mainly for children between ages 6 to 12. The story is narrated in the third-person point of view. The story follows a kid named Ringo, who has just turned ten. Ringo and the Yogi mostly contain exposition and there are fewer dialogues and conversations comparatively. Considering the age group, the writing style is great and expositions are very well written that it emotionally connects with you. There are all sorts of experiences we face in our childhood and make us reminisce those memories.

Location and Setting

Ringo lives in Kolkata and is a member of Bharat Scouts and Guides, a boys scout group, in which he would be able to experience adventurous activities like trekking, skating, nature studies and so on after he has turned ten. Ringo gets selected for a ten-day long expedition to a trekking camp at Joshimath, Uttarakhand. So, the book contains all the expositions about the beauty of those hills and Mother Nature. The author Prasun Roy has mentioned every detail about the camp and about trekking.

Theme

Ringo and the Yogi is a children’s literature and fiction book. At first, Ringo is yearning for his parents to spend time with him. His father’s job and the timings don’t allow him to do so. His mother always working at household, doesn’t realize that she’s spending much time with her son. As being parents they love Ringo and when he goes far away for trekking and alone for the first time, they realize it. Whereas Ringo meets his best friend Sambhu, the Yogi. Yogi says he is a hundred years old and carries a lot of stories and experiences with him. Ringo listens to his stories of bravery, Mother Nature and the wrath of God. Also when Ringo was feeling alone, he consoles Ringo and teaches some great life lessons which are worth reading.

Plot

The story begins with Ringo’s birthday and we get to know much about Ringo and his family and friends and what he is suffering from. Later, as he has turned ten, gets selected for the ten days long expedition to trekking camp, where the Yogi resolves his all confusions and leads him towards self-confidence and shows him a direction to follow. Also, there is a big message about Mother Nature and the calamities we are facing, that how we continue to bleed Mother Nature even after facing such wrath of God. Yogi’s character is very very interesting and I loved his character personally. A sudden and unpredicted cloudburst in Uttarakhand causes devastating floods and landslides. At this time to rescue his campmates, Ringo takes a brave step and try to reach the nearby army camp which is two valleys ahead of their base camp with the help of Yogi, but it is an impossible task. So, you will need to read the book to know what happens.

"The path to success and victory needs to be walked alone; only at the end you would find the company of your loved ones to cheer over your triumph."

My Views

The book contains illustrations also that is great for a children’s book like this. The Yogi became my favorite character and his lessons are really worth applying in real life. The book holds a great message about climate change and now at this point in time, we know how things will turn out if we continue to harm Mother Nature. The exposition is the very essence of the book as it directly connects with you without the need for dialogues. In the end, I would say that you need to read this and recite to young kids or children and it will definitely make a positive difference.

Happy Reading!

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

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Book Review: Ashok and the Nine Unknown by Anshul Dupare | Dhiraj Sindhi

Book Review

Ashok and the Nine Unknown by Anshul Dupare

Ashok and the Nine Unknown by Anshul Dupare

Author: Anshul Dupare

ISBN: 978-9353047641

Genre: Historical Fiction (Fantasy)

Length:  224 Pages

Publisher: RupaPublications India (20 November 2018)

My Ratings: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/30PLT4Y

About the author:

Anshul Dupare likes to explore novel ideas and unexplored avenues through his writing. Originally from Nagpur, he was brought up in Madhya Pradesh and has spent most of his life in different parts of India.

An alumnus of Sainik School, Rewa and Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT), creative writing has been his hobby for a long time and he also writes poetry. He is an avid traveller, a voracious reader and is fond of chess and basketball.

He currently resides in Dallas, USA.

Anshul Dupare

Follow him on Instagram: @anshuldupare

Check out his Goodreads Page: Anshul Dupare

Twitter Handle: @anshul_dupare

REVIEW

Narration

Ashok and the Nine Unknown is the first of a two-part series which is based on Ashoka the Great, an Indian emperor of Maurya dynasty, who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from 268 to 232 BC. The story is narrated in third-person point of view. The writing style is mostly descriptive and thus, poetic in nature. It captivated me from the very first chapter and with each chapter, having something to reveal, kept me to the edge. The narration follows two main characters, Ashok and Amartya. So, the story switches between two of them. 

Location and Setting

The story begins with the post-war scene of Kalinga War, which he conquered and defeated Kalinga (Modern Odisha). Then, he finds himself responsible for devastating countless lives and for the first time meets Amartya, a Kalingan warrior. Then, to achieve peace of mind, Ashok travels all over India (Bharat), visits famous dhamas, converts from Hindu to Buddhism. It all takes place between 261 BC and 239 BC and moves further to the end of the first book (231 BC). Major events of this book take place in Kalinga, Patliputra (Empire’s Capital, Present Day- Patna), and Mayong (Also known as the land of Black Magic in Assam). The story reflected Indian archeology, Indian culture and its heritage, be it arts of medicine or great rivers. 

Theme

Ashok and the Nine Unknown is a work of Historical Fiction. The author has researched well, Ashok’s kingship and all the facts and myths related to it. The author Anshul Dupare carried out them well to put the tales altogether and created this masterpiece. There are battles, magic, black magic, mysteries, more cultures other than Indian, brutality, love and only one king to be considered responsible for all that happens. There is one more important aspect to the story, Nine Unknowns. Ashok secretively forms this group to preserve the knowledge and to prevent further destruction. The story doesn’t ever slow down for a bit, because there is happening a lot, page after page.

Plot

First, characters. Amartya plays a very important role in the story and Vatsal is his brother and only family member alive. As a proud and freedom-loving Kalingan, Amartya stands against Ashok, who, now feel remorse for what he has done and seems to be changed. Amartya, in search of a purpose for his life, travels to Mayong. Ashok, with the help of Radhagupta (Chief Minister) gathers Nine Unknowns. Characters are well crafted and their arcs are really interesting. As the story progresses, mysteries are discovered. As they all are moving towards uncovering the secrets, they are unaware of the danger of shadows looming over Ashok and the Nine Unknowns. Following the conflicts, many deaths prevail. Eventually, the characters who survive, find their motivation. As I said before, author Anshul Dupare has brought many cultures together other than Indian. All the characters meet to conclude the first book. The ending brings greater mysteries along with it. Characters get new purposes for their lives. And I am already looking forward to the second and the final of ASHOK duology.

'Until the power of love overcomes the love of power, there can be no peace.'

My Views

There is mention of Kunala, one of Ashok's son but never mentioned any of his queens. Haha... That's not my concern. JK. 😂

First of all, I never expected it to be this magical. Bringing together these Timaeus and Critias, Egyptian Mythology, Chinese Mythological creatures, the great Indian Empire and powerful enough characters to lead this fictional exemplar that I’ve ever read regarding History of India and Indian Mythology. The book depicts that one’s arrogance and ego can destroy humanity. And there would be much more I couldn’t extract, the greater meaning, maybe one of you can do that. With those brutal fights, there is love too. Vatsal and Karnika (One of the Nine Unknowns) fill that desired portion of love/romance in the book. I would recommend this book to every fiction, fantasy, history lover. Now, I am already anticipating the other half after this unforeseen experience.

Thank you Bookgeniepr for this review copy!! Happy Reading!

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

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Book Review: Rewind and play by Tarun Gautam

Book Review

Rewind and Play by Tarun Gautam

Rewind and Play by Tarun Gautam

Author: Tarun Gautam

ISBN: 978-8193642474

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Length: 166 Pages

Publisher: TreeShade Books (16 February 2019)

My Ratings: 3.5/5

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/2QSb2HP

About the author:

Tarun Gautam or TeeGee is a free thinker and a writer with a soul. When not penning books, he is the Regional Sales Head for a leading banking technology firm and has travelled to over 20 countries. He believes experiencing varying cultures of countries such as Latvia and South Africa have given him a unique world-view.

Tarun Gautam

An engineer and an executive MBA from IIM Lucknow, Tarun played a key role in the formative years of two consulting start-ups. Tarun is also a keen golfer and yoga enthusiast.

Follow him on Instagram: @tarungautam4777
Check out his Goodreads Page: Tarun Gautam

Twitter Handle: @tg4777

REVIEW

Narration

Rewind and Play: Hostel diaries of a frustrated B.Tech is, as the title suggests─ collection of hostel memories. The story begins with Raghav Diwan accepting the award for ‘most innovative consumer product of the year’. The story is narrated in the third-person point of view. Later, Raghav Diwan meets his batch mates from the hostel in evening get-together and the story kicks off. They all start reciting their best memories from their graduation days. So, each chapter is the third person narration of those stories, making it a sort of collection of different short stories with even different characters. The language is simple but there are many grammatical errors as well.

Time, Location and Setting

Being contemporary fiction, Rewind and Play sets in current time but the most part of the book is flashback which set in the late ’90s and most of the events happening around their hostel. The story starts and ends with one main character, Raghav Diwan but he cannot be called a protagonist because there are lot other characters and have their fair share in the stories, or maybe more than Raghav (if neglected opening and ending). Of course, we would follow his character to see what changes the get-together brings to him, would it be any helpful? As being B.Tech hostel diaries, it gives that back-to-college vibes. Competitions, events, exams and projects are happening. And like many other college books or specifically movies, there is ragging and conflicts.

Theme

As I mentioned before, Rewind and Play is a contemporary fiction based on engineering-hostel life in India. First of all Tarun Gautam describes Raghav’s life in America, who then faces some consequences at his work. However, the main essence of the book is the life of an engineering student. Which author has depicted very well using these short stories. Harpreet, Venky, Aadil, Nafisa, Francis are his former batch mates and are in the US only so they all meet for an evening get-together. It wasn’t predictable at all as there is not anything to look forward other than what happens with Raghav Diwan after get-together. 

Plot

Talking about the plot, there are 14 out of 19 chapters which are the stories from their college days. First, there is a flashback of their childhood, portraying how they grew to be engineers. Nafisa is the only girl in their group but she is brilliant enough to not give up on her dreams. Harpreet is that techie guy having coding skills. These are the stories of their triumphs, from conquering their ragging task to acing inter-college competitions. With each story, there is a learning lesson for their lifetime. That makes it a worthy read that provides with unique and memorable experiences. Though the end is satisfying and meaningful.

'The Universe tries to reveal its plan for you. If you get what it is, don't mess with it.'

My Views

Finally. I loved the element of politics in inter-college competitions. Also, corporate politics. At some points, it was really funny that I couldn’t control my laugh. There are lots of references used by the author here and there. The stories were all worth it, but opening and ending seemed quite disconnected to the stories being told. But that is my opinion. I’m sure anyone who has been through engineering, like me, would love to read this book. It is evocative to relive your college memories and it sometimes moves you.

Thank you Bookgeniepr for this review copy!! Happy Reading!

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

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Book Review : Done With Her... by Chirasree Bose | Dhiraj Sindhi

Book Review

Done With Her... by Chirasree Bose

A revelation that stabs at your subconscious

Done with Her... by Chirasree Bose

Author: Chirasree Bose

ISBN: 978-9388855518

Genre: Crime-Thriller & Mystery

Length: 73 Pages (Kindle Edition)

Publisher: Evincepub Publishing (2019 Paperback Edition)

My Ratings: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/317Opnk

About the author:

Being an indoor person, Chirasree loves to read, write, and paint. If she's not doing either of the three, you'd find her observing people and reading into their emotions. That's where she gets her story ideas from. With her debut novel 'Done With Her...', she intends to ignite diverse emotions in the readers' minds. She believes in making a difference through her writing. This novel is her baby step towards that goal.

Chirasree Bose

Follow him on Instagram: @chirasreebose_author

Check out her Website: https://sreeblogs.com/

Twitter Handle: @Chirasree2819

REVIEW

Done With Her… is a crime thriller debut novel by Chirasree Bose. It is a short length novel with page count of 73 pages. The story is narrated in first-person point of view by two main characters. Some chapters are narrated by Spreeha and others by Avesh. They both are working for the same company where Spreeha has recently joined.

In the first few chapters I struggled to understand what is going on and who is narrating the story, it was complex because of the mysterious narration. Although the writing style is really up to the mark, reaching the level of the crime-thriller genre. The whole story is divided into very small chapters and the most interesting thing about the book is chapter titles. Each and every chapter succeed to hook the reader craving for another one. I finished it in a very single sitting. The language used is not very tough and beginners will relish it if they like crime-thrillers.

The story takes place after Spreeha joins the same company as Avesh and Vrijen. Avesh and Vrijen are friends from the same village. The secrets start to unveil as they meet their college friend, Dheeraj. Then the plot gets intensified as the events unfold. Characters are well crafted, even with this short length the story is character driven. You’d want to know what these characters are up to. However, for me, it was much predictable. Also, the chapters narrated by Avesh are well written despite male-point-of-view, in fact she nailed it.

Love takes over your heart, whereas lust owns your mind.

There is much more apart from crime and mystery. The author talks about love and lust. Also, Chirasree Bose has a message to convey to her readers which adds more value to Done With Her… Love has no definition, no limits and no rules whatsoever. There is enough hatred on earth already, let love spread its wings.

All in all, I enjoyed reading it and not a single sentence was boring. And the end was ever satisfying. I would recommend it to everyone out there, quick and thrilling read.

Thank you Soulful Quote for this review copy!! Happy Reading!

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

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Book Review: 23:59:59 - The Journey of Survival in the B-Schools of India by Sadashiv Pradhan | Dhiraj Sindhi

Book Review

23:59:59

The Journey of Survival in the B-Schools of India
by Sadashiv Pradhan

23:59:59 The Journey of Survival in the B-Schools of India

Author: Sadashiv Pradhan

ISBN: 978-9388427456

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Length:  236 Pages

Publisher: Blue Rose Publishers (22nd October 2018)

My Ratings: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/2MdTBTt

About the author:

Sadashiv Pradhan has completed his MBA from XLRI, Jamshedpur. He is currently working in Star India Pvt. Ltd. He is a passionate writer and prolific storyteller. He started writing 23:59:59 when he was in XLRI, where he believed that there is a story to be told- the story behind the curtains of otherwise glamorous B-school culture, which every graduate goes through but hardly anyone speaks about. The story of survival in the B-schools of India.

Follow him on Instagram: @storytellersada

Check out his Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Sadashiv-Pradhan

Twitter Handle: @storytellersada

REVIEW

Narration

23:59:59 – The Journey of Survival in the B-Schools of India is a commendable work done by an MBA degree holder, Sadashiv Pradhan. Describing in one sentence, the book depicts the life of B-School students throughout their two years course of MBA, irrespective of whether they are having specific purpose behind it or not. The story is narrated in third person point of view and mainly focuses on the protagonist Jay who, at the beginning least cared about pursuing MBA. The writing style is the most basic one, hence easy to understand even if there are professional terms, most of them are explained for readers. The author has provided point of views of other characters like what they are thinking at the instance, which is very helpful.

Setting

23:59:59 – The Journey of Survival in the B-Schools of India sets in the top B-School of India. Almost everything revolves around this B-School campus and its hostel. Where the students with different mindset and their discrete motives gathers. Apart from Jay there are these important characters who leads the story because one cannot survive B-School without friends. Abhimanyu and Ishaan are his friends and have an answer to the question ‘Why MBA?’ Shalini, who is from the same city as Jay, becomes his friend when they both get admission in this top B-School. They all get to know each other quickly and form their group named 23:59:59 for assignments and academics, and eventually their friendship grows with time.

Theme

The sole essence of this Contemporary Fiction 23:59:59 is the B-School. As the title suggests it provides you ‘behind the scenes’ of this B-School culture. First things first, the cover is just awesome. The word cloud built that forms 23:59:59, contains everything that is discussed in the book. The topics it mainly covers are, Money or Passion? Ethical and Unethical, Politics, Placements, The so called CULTURE and the ultimate question ‘Why MBA?’ These all are elaborated from different perspectives of diverse characters with different mentality. The hard work they put into the tasks just to survive the B-School. The legacy they’re carrying forward just for the sake of so called culture. The things students do for adding CV points and ultimately getting high paying job.

Plot and My Views

The plot is driven by all sorts of activities in between first day and the last day in the B-School of Jay and his friends. At first Abhimanyu disposes his thoughts and philosophy towards the B-School culture and multiple times he gets to realize that he was wrong. Each page of this book is filled with motivation. Their adventures starts as they do assignments together and then, presentations, case competitions, etc. Everyone in the group have their own talent and apart from that Jay and Ishaan follow their passion as well in this chaos of being placed by top companies. Which will lead to the conclusion. One of the main topic discussed is the structure of the B-School, how it all works and how students get placed. There are failures too and how characters survived and made it to the other side. The importance of networking and connections is shown but the author also depicted that no one can defeat hard work and determination. There are meaningful conversations about what is right and what is wrong where most of the students don’t even know why they are pursuing MBA. At the end, all got whatever they wanted from this top B-School but now, they have more important decisions to make. Finally, the author kept it open-ended, that reader could perceive it accordingly based on their life experiences and capabilities. Because, the fact being, no decision is right or wrong.

I liked everything from cover to the end of the book. Those punches of laughter once in a while between the hectic days for characters. That ‘ch*iya hai saala’ phrase at the end of all chapters which are named as the time when it occurred. Multiple days without sleep and food. Encouraging friends and endless debates. There is so much more that it won’t be enough ever.

23:59:59 – The Journey of Survival in the B-Schools of India is truly a journey that gives a current scenario of B-Schools and the struggles of student surviving there. I would recommend it to every student in India whether they are pursuing MBA or not. I think it can be very helpful for students who wants to pursue MBA. And to all others for it will show you how difficult choices can be for a student after graduation.

Happy Reading!

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

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

Book Review: Bestseller by Ahmed Faiyaz | Dhiraj Sindhi

Book Review

Bestseller

by

Ahmed Faiyaz

Bestseller by Ahmed Faiyaz

Author: Ahmed Faiyaz

ISBN: 978-9353332648

Genre: Contemporary-Comedy Fiction

Length: 190 Pages

Publisher: Rupa Publications India (3^rd November 2018)

My Ratings: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/2v4psKN

About the author:

Ahmed Faiyaz grew up in Bangalore and now lives in Dubai.

He’s a strategist by profession, with a number of years in management consulting behind him. He’s a book and film addict, and a passionate writer. His first book, Love, Life & All That Jazz…, published in April 2010, remains a popular bestseller across major cities. His stories are also featured in the National Bestseller, Urban Shots.

Ahmed Faiyaz

Grey Oak has recently released Another Chance, his second full-length novel, and is slated to release Down the Road, an anthology of 30 short stories he has co-edited, in April 2011. He is a founding member of Grey Oak Publishers and Grey Oak Foundation.

Follow him on Instagram: @ahmedfaiyazofficial

Check out his website: http://www.ahmedfaiyaz.in/

Twitter Handle: @ahmedfaiyaz

REVIEW

Summary

Bestseller is the story of Akshay Mathur, an editor who is in India for a year to help shore up the value of an Indian publisher, Kalim. Akshay is told to do so by his friend when he loses his editorial job in UK. The book is written in first person narrative and is narrated by the protagonist Akshay. Writing style is painless and straight forward. The book is divided into chapters, which are the important days of Akshay’s one year stay in India. Not to forget, it is a brilliant work portraying the current scenario of Indian publishing industry in a very fun way.

Time Period and Location

Bestseller is a contemporary book set in Mumbai, commercial capital of India. Kalim’s office is the place where most events happen in the book. This publishing house in the book represents behind the scenes of publishing world for India. As the location is Mumbai, Bollywood closes in very swiftly and gets inseparable from this particular publisher. As soon as that happens, the story revolves around media, page3 culture and controversies.

Theme

Bestseller is a Contemporary-Comedy Fiction work which follows Akshay Mathur through his journey in Kalim, where he meets a bunch of other characters (mostly insane writers). A lot of characters. Author’s writing style itself made it so funny. After almost every dialogue, there are thoughts of protagonist which are so witty and full of sarcasm. That serves you with live commentator who makes hilarious come-backs now and then. Note to yourself while reading this book that it is a comedy and try not to connect it with any real incidents and celebrities. There are few pages dedicated to politics also. The book is full with strategies for business of books and dealing with rivals. As with any other contemporary books, there is office romance but we will discuss more about that later.

Plot and My Views

Bestseller is the ever fast pacing book I’ve read in 2019. Let me introduce some of the characters. Zorah is a daughter of Akshay’s former boss. Zorah joins the Kalim publishing team and guess what happens? No spoilers! The plot is all about publishing five bestsellers within the year while Akshay is at Kalim, if he fails to do so, then they will have to wrap Kalim forever. For doing that Akshay meets very diverse and miscellaneous writers. Roshan Khan, a narcissistic Bollywood actor who wants to reinforce his career. Sudhir, an unprofessional IT geek. Anya Malik, a writer returning back to publishing world after two years. Tarun, an inappropriate boss. And a politician, a college student, a pair of non-fiction writers, a children’s writer, a reviewer and a lot many characters. All have the same purpose of being a #1 bestseller, but this only leads to the fun only. Isn’t it great? Roshan and Sudhir are funniest of them. Their style of approaching their editor and making things worst. Each chapter is packed with comedy sequences. The protagonist unnecessarily falls into the pothole named page3 for which he didn’t ask for and I couldn’t help laughing at that. Good or bad, the books get published, some leading to trouble and failure too, but Akshay is smart enough to get over these reckless writers.

This short book carries a lot with it, reality and truth about the publishing business, all types of writers and so much more. And it all Ahmed Faiyaz covered in just one-ninety pages. That'swhy I would still give it a 5 stars rating. If there is anything negative I would like to point, that is lack of description. It is good that there is no unnecessary description and is written to the point, but when it needed, like for portraying love and romance, the author missed it. Also, there is no depth to the characters, except being funny. Not all though.

Except for that one thing, I loved it. When some serious moments close in, the author gives a reason to laugh out loud. I literally squawked and screamed and laughed at such moments. Characters themselves are funny. I read this book in two sittings and wow, it is really a very fast paced, so it becomes a very light read. Ahmed Faiyaz has done a really great job.

Coming to the conclusion, if you relate to books and publishing in any way, then you have to read this. It provides you insights and reality check of the publishing world, where every writer is thriving to be on a bestseller list. With a touch of humor. Even if you are looking for a light read for your journey or want to read a comedy then here you go. I loved it really and it is filled with so much knowledge too. Thanks to Ahmed Faiyaz for writing such funny characters, Sudhir and Roshan.

Happy laughing!

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