Cold Cock-Mukul Ranjan

Book: Cold Cock
Author: Mukul Ranjan
Publisher: Evincepub Publishing

Do you think show business is competitive?

Cold Cock by Mukul Ranjan is set in the world of television channels where Ashwin, a software engineer, comes to the unpredictable reality when he joins a fledgling Bhojpuri channel, Birha, but Mynah, a supervising producer in the channel is like a designer label. Birha’s office has quirky and eccentric people leading the organisation. One flip flop after another, conflicting ideas of leadership, ego hassles, cat fights, leg pulling amongst the various employees puts a. Question mark about Birha’s launch. This office is a heaven for bumbling idiots. People are hired here not just for their talents but for their extraneous abilities too. A hilarious story spiked by some unusual dramatic moments keep unfolding. What happens when all this comes together?

The premise of the book is interesting as Mukul puts a series of situations that make you feel a variety of emotions. The storytelling is easygoing and linear, and the overall impression is that of a set of a complex plot. Mukul has used the technicalities of starting a new channel, combined with the complexities of an office romance and the corporate competition. A good aspect of the book is that the book has a graph that goes up and down, keeping the interest in the story alive. Another interesting aspect is that the author has used a lot of elements that use most of the characters and provide a nice flavor to the story. The thing that didn’t work for me in the book was that some of the scenes in the book seemed to miss a link and the situations seemed to haphazardly happen, and a few of them felt unrealistic.

Coming to the characters, the story is focused on the life of Ashwin and how he copes with the things unfolding in front of him. His character is nicely sketched, and I loved how his actions drive the plot. Mynah’s character is something I would have loved to see explored a bit more, and her mood swings were something I would have liked a background on.

Overall, a book is a nice read, but a second round of edits could have been helpful. The book scores a 3.75/5 for me.

Grab a copy of the book on Amazon here.

The Disappearing Act-Catherine Steadman

Book: The Disappearing Act
Author: Catherine Steadman
Publisher: Simon and Schuster India

What is a person you met some time ago didn’t exist?

The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman is the story of Mia Eliot who has travelled from London to LA for pilot season. This is her big chance to make it as an actor in Hollywood, and she is ready to do whatever it takes. At an audition she meets Emily, and what starts as a simple favour takes a dark turn when Emily goes missing and Mia is the last person to see her. Then a woman turns up, claiming to be Emily, but she is nothing like Mia remembers. Why would someone pretend to be Emily? Starting to question her own sanity, she goes on a desperate and dangerous search for answers, knowing something is very, very wrong.

The story is meticulously planned and as we go through the story, the plot starts setting itself up. The strength of the book lies in the powerful storytelling and the time it takes to set up the premise. The author takes the various scenes as the book comes alive almost like a movie. The events in the book are logical and structured nicely, and none of the scenes feels forced or out of context. Another thing I liked about the book is the simple and linear method Catherine adopts to tell us the story. The pace is comfortable, and the language is easy to understand. The climax is wonderfully planned, and the entire story builds up to the climax. The one thing that didn’t work for me was a bit in the middle when the situation seemed to drag along for a bit.

The book is powered by a nice set of characters and Catherine creates a set of powerful characters that help you connect to them and understand their pain, fear and motivation to do what they did. The character descriptions are powerful and are quite apt to the setting in which the story plays out. What stood out for me was that Mia is the character in focus for most part of the story and yet it does not overwhelm you at any point in time.

Overall, a wonderful story that enthralls you and makes you yearn for more. The book scores a 4.25/5 for me.

Grab a copy of the book here.

Under the Mistletoe and Other Stories-Manali Desai

Book: Under the Mistletoe and Other Stories
Author: Manali Desai
Publisher: Self Published

What is your favourite Christmas story?

Under the Mistletoe and Other Stories by Manali Desai is a collection of short stories and poetry focused on the theme of Christmas and New Year. Diana is all set to welcome her loved ones for Christmas. An unexpected (and uninvited!) guest shows up at her door, spoiling her festive mood. All her attempts to thwart Dylan’s intrusion go in vain as he keeps dropping in, again and again, insisting that she join his family for Christmas Eve dinner. Samantha is visiting her native, Benakatti, after many years. Even though it’s Christmas time, it's not a happy occasion in the family. As friends and family drop in for a visit, Samantha recalls the many winter breaks she spent in this village as a child. An unexpected guest shows up one day, bringing forth a cherished memory they had made on a foggy winter day many years ago. These and  other stories encompass this festive special anthology. These are stories of hope, love, healing, new beginnings, acceptance, and everything that the holidays represent.

The book has an interesting selection of stories that carefully revolve and are focused on the theme of Christmas. Each of the story reads in a nice flow and as you go through the stories, the common thread becomes stronger. The stories are well written, and the plot is wonderfully crafted. The storytelling is interesting, specially when you look at the spectrum of the stories which encompass multiple themes. Another interesting aspect of the book is the wave of emotions that run through you as you experience the stories of the characters.

Not just the storytelling, but the characters are crafted in detail, and while these being short stories, the focus on the characters helps the storytelling elevate to a higher level. Having an international set of characters is something that we experience in her books for the first time. Another thing that sets the characters apart is the fact that they are individuals, and no two characters are similar.

If I had to choose one of the dozen, I would recommend “At The Stroke of Midnight” for the layers of sub plots, and for the wonderful twist that makes you smile and believe in fate, love, and life, all over again.

Overall, UTMoS is a collection of stories I would recommend if you are in a mood for a feel-good story and are looking to read something that makes you feel warm and cheerful. The book scores a 4.63/5 for me.

Get your copy of the book here on Amazon.

 

Life in a Snippet-Anjali Hinger

Book: Life in a Snippet
Author: Anjali Hinger
Publisher: Half Baked Beans

Do you like reading nanotales?

Life in a Snippet by Anjali Hinger is a collection of carefully framed nanotales on the most simple yet complex wonder called life. This book comprises miniscule stories of love and betrayal, of happiness and sorrow, of friends and strangers, of smooth sails and tough times, of hope and despair, of breakups and moving on, of family and solitude, of woes and little joys, and of the quirky and the conventional.

The book consists of 150 nanotales, and each of them has a different flavour than the one before it. The tales are expressive and the emotion that the author wanted to convey comes out quite clearly. The tales span across themes from love to relationships and everything in between. The words are powerful and the narration is interesting with a twist in some of the nanotales coming as a surprise. The collection is nicely curated and keep the reader turning the pages as they get engrossed into Anjali’s narrative. The language is easy to understand, and the author’s focus on story rather than flowery language is commendable.

The overall emotions that jump out are positive, and I would definitely recommend it. The book scores a 4.63/5 for me.

Get a copy of the book here.

Anecdotes of a White-Collared Slave-Aashish Gupta

Book: Anecdotes of a White-Collared Slave
Author: Aashish Gupta
Publisher: Vishwakarma Publications

Do you have a story about your workplace that you would like to narrate?

Anecdotes of a White Collared Slave by Aashish Gupta is a satirical story set in a KPO where our protagonist throws light on the shadow that lies under the shiny exterior of the corporate world. A journey of every white-collared employee, the book focuses on the ups and downs of a corporate setup, and how people develop various coping mechanisms to deal with it.

The storytelling in the book is interesting and the author has used the tool of satire to its fullest extent. Using the setup of a KPO, he takes his time as he sets the background of the office and the environment. The events are well described, and I liked the way he treated the whole plot of the story. The chapters are nicely divided and the way the story unfolds keeps the reader hooked. The language of the book is simple and easy to understand. The climax was something I didn’t expect and the way it was crafted is quite commendable.

The characters in the book are detailed and fit well into the plot of the story. The character of Atmaramani was something that really liked, especially the way his story is explored. Another interesting aspect of the story is the individuality of each of the character and the quirks that each of them bring to the table. Aashish has managed to keep the focus on each of the aspects of the corporate life through the characters he has painted.

Overall, the book is an interesting read and if you are a part of the corporate world, you would enjoy reading it. The book scores a 4.13/5 for me.

Grab a copy of the book here. 

The Everyday Hero Manifesto-Robin Sharma

Book: The Everyday Hero Manifesto
Author: Robin Sharma
Publisher: Jaico Books

Do you think doing small changes in your life daily would leave to bigger impacts?

In The Everyday Hero Manifesto, Robin Sharma makes his transformational system available to anyone who is ready for undefeatable positivity, monumental productivity, deep spiritual freedom and a life of helping others.  Part memoir of a life richly lived, part instruction manual for virtuoso-grade performance, and part handbook for spiritual freedom in an age of high-velocity change, The Everyday Hero Manifesto will completely transform your life. Forever.

The book is an excellent read for anyone who wishes to implement positive changes in their life. The book is divided into chapters, each of which is dedicated to a specific topic that Robin wants to put forth. Using various tools and techniques, he explains how change can be implemented in one’s life slowly and steadily. He also provides various examples to show how taking a step can mean a difference between life altering outcomes. The interesting fact to note is that he uses his own life as an example to elucidate the point he is trying to make.

The good thing about the book is that while falling in the genre of self-help, it is not at all preachy and it reads like a story unfolding in front of one’s eyes. Using visual tools to show his techniques, the reader us able to connect and it helps to understand and paint a picture of the concept he is showcasing. The chapters are crisp, and to-the-point which keep the interest active throughout the book.

My recommendation is to savour this book rather than a marathon read because the concepts are quite useful and make sure to check out the additional resources that the author provides throughout the book.

The EHM scores a 4.63/5 for me.

Thank you Writersmelon for the review copy.

Get your copy of the book here on Amazon India.

Let's Kill All the Lawyers-Tim Howard

Book: Let's Kill All the Lawyers
Author: Tim Howard
Publisher: Brown Dog Books

Do you think that decisions that seem wrong in hindsight should be challenged in a court of law?

Let’s Kill All the Lawyers by Tim Howard id the story of a doctor and a lawyer, who are both stressed by their work, and by personal demons. Thrown together by chance, but each needing the skills and guidance of the other. Each is challenged and threatened by the law, and the impersonal way it arbitrates on fault, responsibility, and guilt. This story explores what it is like to be a good doctor whose professional competence is challenged, and how his lawyer does her best for him. It explores the way life and death decisions are made in hospitals, and how these have a consequence not only for patients, but also for those who must make those decisions. And how, in making them, the main players can be torn apart or drawn together.

The plot of the story is interesting in the fact that both primary characters are intricately linked and the way their mutual need for each other is explored is quite brilliant. Being a medico-legal story, the author has focused on both aspects equally and through the story has laid emphasis on the issues that are plaguing the NHS. Another interesting aspect of the storytelling is the linear plot that does not focus on building up thrill, rather than focusing on the characters’ emotions. The climax of the story is well plotted and brings a nice end to the entire story.

The character sketches are very well done, and we see the events unfold from the view of both, the lawyer and the doctor so a nice analysis is at play throughout the plot. The characters have nice depths and the way their personal life is used to narrate the story is interesting. The one thing I would have wanted improved is to have the name of the person mentioned at the beginning of the change of viewpoints, or some marker because it did become confusing at some points.

Overall, a wonderful story I would recommend to people who love reading this genre. The book scores a 4.13/5 for me.

This book review is a part of the blog tour by Literally PR!

Get a copy of the book here.

Young Blood: Ten Terrifying College Tales-Chandrima Das

Book: Young Blood: Ten Terrifying College Tales
Author: Chandrima Das
Publisher: HarperCollins India

Do you have a horror story related to your college?

From strange sightings to urban legends, from haunted buildings to not-so-friendly ghosts, colleges in India have their fair share of spine-tingling tales, be it Kasturba Medical College in Manipal, St. Bede's College in Shimla or Delhi University. Young Blood by Chandrima Das is a collection of ten tales that reimagine college urban legends and true first-person accounts, that promises to terrify even die-hard fans of horror. From institutions like IIT Kharagpur, to KMC Manipal, there isn’t a location that the author has skipped!

Young Blood is a unique collection of stories that sits in the genre of horror, but isn’t limited to sound effects and other typical signatures of a horror story. Each of the story subtly builds up to the crescendo that is the climax and the spine-chilling part of the story. The USP of each of the story is how each of them is drawn from the local legends and the myths propagated through the years. The stories are relatable because either we have been a part of some of the institutions or have visited a place to hear haunted stories about nearby places. While the book focuses on 10 stories and locations, the focus on details is critical and Chandrima nails the devil of the details perfectly. Another interesting aspect of the collection is that they are spread across geographically, thus increasing the relatability. The author has used simple language and focused on the plot. Not just building up a feeling of terror, the stories also carry social messages and I admire the way she has mixed them up.

The characters have been well sketched and are an integral part of the plot of the story. Using a diverse set of characters, the descriptions are vivid and despite being short stories, the limited length does not become a hindrance in helping the reader connecting with the characters. While each of the 10 stories was wonderful, my picks out of the lot would be Challenge Accepted, The Benefits of Doubt & Ghost of a Chance.

I would recommend the book to lovers of horror and to anyone who loves to read well-written short stories. The book scores a 4.94/5 for me.

Get a copy of the book on Amazon India here.