Of Closets and Skeletons and Other Crime Stories-Kaivalya Ramnath

Book: Of Closets and Skeletons and Other Crime Stories
Author: Kaivalya Ramnath
Publisher: Cinnamon Teal Publishing

Can you think of a crime being almost perfect?

Of Closets and Skeletons and Other Crime Stories by Kaivalya Ramnath is a collection of 8 crime shorts, concerned with the why, rather than the who, of crime. From writing crime to being part of one, an author discovers what it takes to commit the perfect crime; A witness to a crime flees the scene, only to be forced to confront her personal demons. A lawyer sets out to discover who's been poisoning her, A coming-of-age story that quickly takes a sinister turn, A hostile takeover is the least of the problems facing this family-run pharma business and other stories.

The book might be a collection of 8 shorts, but it reads like a full-length novel. Each of the 8 stories are well crafted and have enough thrill to keep your grey cells churning. The main thing that stands about the book is that the stories are fast paced, yet Kaivalya manages to keep the plot crisp and steady through out the narration. Another interesting aspect about the stories is the fact that there is no sense of good or bad, or a hero and villain, and the book wades into the grey area and leaves it to the reader to decide what they wish to make out of it based on the facts. The stories have no other common threads apart from the fact that they are related to crime, and each one has a unique crime that the author explores, which talks quite a bit about her understanding of the human emotion, because deep down, all the stories boil down to the fact that humans are emotional creatures. The climax is something that blew my mind, 8 times over, and for that I am truly happy to pick up the book. The climax is never something that you would expect, in each of the stories, and that is what makes this book a worthwhile read.

Coming to the characters, the 8 stories have 8 sets of characters, and Kaivalya manages to explore and detail each of the primary characters in detail, so much so, that you start connecting with them and understanding their motives of doing what they do. The character sketches are nicely done and do complete justice to the plot, and specially to the type of the stories that the author decided to put in the book.

Overall, a definite recommendation from me if you love a nicely baked crime thriller. The book scores a 4.81/5 from me.

A copy of the book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

Get your copy of the book on Amazon India.

Getting to Neutral-Trevor Moawad with Andy Staples

Book: Getting to Neutral
Author: Trevor Moawad with Andy Staples
Publisher: HarperCollins India

Do you think that gearing down to neutral is easy?

The most trusted mental coach in sports, Trevor Moawad revolutionized competition with his concept of neutral thinking: a performance strategy using a judgment-free approach to coolly assess situations in high-pressure moments. But in late 2019, Trevor discovered his method works far beyond the playing field when he was faced with his biggest challenge: cancer. In the following months, as the pandemic went into full swing, Trevor was in and out of the hospital for treatments. With the world and his life in chaos, he relied on neutral thinking to help him stay calm, collected, and sane. Filled with personal anecdotes and insights drawn from interviews with some of the world’s best athletes, coaches, and leaders, Getting to Neutral teaches readers how to apply neutral thinking to everyday life—from living through a global crisis to a health emergency, from a big game to an important meeting, and everything in between.

The book is a wonderful study into the power of the human psyche. Trevor’s idea of getting neutral when faced with a difficult situation is quite inspiring, specially on light of his personal struggles. Trevor uses various examples to exhibit how being neutral, rather than positive or negative in a situation can actually help you focus and realign. The book is written in a simple language and the tone is quite powerful, one that makes you think about the things that Trevor proposes. Another that is interesting is that Trevor takes up various personalities as cases to put his point forth and from Navy SEALS to sport stars, we see how important the idea of marginal improvement is and how it can lead to major changes in one’s life for the better. The primary message of the book is to think critically and to take emotion out of the decision-making process so as to make decisions that are smarter as well as lead to a change in one’s life.

This is a book that I would certainly recommend if you are looking to improve upon yourself and to help you make smart decisions. The book scores a 4.25/5 for me.

A copy of the book was provided to me in exchange of an honest review.

Get a copy of the book on Amazon India or your local bookstore!

Sahyadri Adventure (Anirudh’s Dream)-Deepak Dalal

Book: Sahyadri Adventure (Anirudh’s Dream)
Author: Deepak Dalal
Publisher: Penguin India

Have you experienced trekking in the Sahyadris?

Sahyadri Adventure (Anirudh’s Dream) takes the reader on a journey to the Sahyadris in the first part of this riveting tale where history meets adventure in one of the most beautiful locales of India. Once upon a time, there were fields in the city of Mumbai. Panthers roamed the forests of Malabar Hill and the occasional tiger could still be spotted, swimming the harbor or prowling the fringes of the city. The sea flooded the channels that separated the seven islands of the city. And on one of the islands stood a Fort, guarded by cannons that bristled from black ramparts. Vikram, Aditya and their friends Anirudh and Chitra no idea of the existence of this Fort. But in a cave, on a windswept mountain in the Sahyadris, Anirudh has a dream. He dreams of a boy named Irfan who once lived in this Fort. He dreams of a city long lost and a friendship both transformative and life-affirming.

When you read the blurb of the book, it sets an expectation of a story of a group of young adults on a trek to the Sahyadris and the events that take place on that trip, however this is a story that goes beyond. Written in two distinct parts, the present and the past, the trek is just a small part of the story. The story is primarily focused on friendship and the power of true human relationships. In both the timelines, we see that family, friendship and human connections have been emphasized upon, and in fact they form a critical part of the story. What I liked about the book is that the primary idea of the plot builds up page by page, and this is what keeps the reader hooked. Another aspect that I loved is the detailing and the word picture that the author paints as he describes various events and places as we journey. The language of the book is quite good, and while there might be some bit of complexity for the young readers, it would also be a good learning opportunity for them. The dream sequences are nicely planned and as we flit from one scene to another, there is almost a stage like feeling of seeing the curtains drop on one act. Since the story continues in the second book, I would hold on to my analysis of the climax, but the cliffhanger where this book ends is certainly provoking me to pick up the next one immediately.

Coming to the characters, Deepak has created the characters of the book with utmost precision, giving detailed individualistic characters to each one of the people we meet in the book. Be it Vikram, Anirudh or even Smita Dongre, each of them gets their time on stage and leave a mark on the reader. I loved how the author builds in contrasting phobias in Anirudh and Vikram, and how they help each other overcome them through the course of the story. Another character I am looking for in the second part is that of Salim and how his story fits into the narrative that we went through in this book.

Overall, this is a book I would highly recommend if you like reading a well penned young adult story. The book scores a 4.81/5 for me.

I was provided a copy of the book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Get a copy of the book on Amazon India or your local bookstore!

Shaman in the City-Vikas Trivedi & Smita Agarwal

Book: Shaman in the City
Author: Vikas Trivedi & Smita Agarwal
Publisher: Leadstart Publishing

Do you think events of the past an impact on our future?

Shaman in the City by Vikas Trivedi & Smita Agarwal tells us the story of something that goes wrong with a brilliant automobile engineer living in London, on the verge of his project breakthrough. When a family emergency forces Vivaan to visit back to India, he must face his own past, riddled with guilt. Though, that guilt is not the only secret he carries like a burden. Vivaan is also blessed with the power to foretell the future and sense the past - of any object or person by merely a touch. Vivaan makes some interesting friends on his trip to India, leaving his special project in the trust of his friend and colleague - Mahira. Soon, he will learn, that an ominous past is chasing him and a strangely familiar face of a woman in his visions is pointing him towards something - that would throw open heinous secrets of life & death, and liberate Vivaan from his past.

The first thing that strikes you is the length of the book. It is a small read, but the overall impression is that of a well-rounded story. The plot is quite interesting as it intertwines a small aspect of the otherworldly with that of an international thriller that spans countries. The story begins on a nice note and as you initially wonder the reason about that part of the story, the reason comes to light after a short while and that is quite impressive. Another interesting aspect of the story is the focus on the details about the vehicles and that shows the level of detail that the authors went into to craft the story. However, not everything is rosy about the book. The book moves too fast with respect of the content, causing the readers’ interest to waver and wane. Another thing that could have been improved is that while the first part of the book is detailed, the complex second half is a bit rushed and leaves quite a few loose ends.

Coming to the characters, I liked how the character of Vivaan is designed. The focus is on his love for automobiles and his zeal for them. His special ability could have been a nice touch, but while we see it on and off, and is a critical part of the story, I would have loved to see a bit of a backstory about it and how it came into being. The antagonist was another interesting character and I liked how it pans out in the end. Mahira’s character was a nice study and if the authors decide to come up with a sequel, I would love to see a bit more of Mahira and her story,

Overall, this is a nice book and a quick read. The book scores a 4/5 for me.

A copy of the book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

Grab a copy of the book on Amazon India or your local bookstore!

Andaman-Ratnadip Acharya

Book: Andaman
Author: Ratnadip Acharya
Publisher: Aksora Publications

Have you visited the Cellular Jail in the Andaman?

Andaman by Ratnadip Acharya starts in 1912 CE when a priest is embroiled in the whirlwind of swadeshi movements and is incarcerated in the infamous Cellular Jail, Port Blair where he witnesses the unbridled tortures that the jail authorities unleash on the political prisoners. He hatches up a plan to escape from the prison and leaves some symbols on the walls of his cell that might help someone understand his story one day. Cut to 2004 CE, in Great Nicobar Island, a small boy survives the tsunami and is ‘Andaman’ and is prophesied to fulfil a noble task that only he could do. Years later, the wheels of events bring him to a cell in the Cellular Jail where he was surprised to discover certain strange symbols on the walls that he had seen before. As his exploration starts from the jail to the deepest jungle of Andaman, the home of the Jarawas, many deeply-buried secrets start getting uncovered, embracing him in a century-old chain of events; a long saga of trust, betrayal, and retribution where he also had a role to play.

The plot of the book is quite interesting as it takes true events and weaves a fictional tale around the events that take place in the early 1900s. The story focusses on the plight of the prisoners and how it affects their psyche. The book goes into detail of how the days pass by and how David Barclay uses various contraptions and strategies to torture the prisoners. The storytelling is interesting, but the extent of detailing is a bit too much which goes against the interesting plot. In the parallel timeline of the present time, I liked the part that we see Andaman exploring and retracing steps to come to a point where the two timelines coincide. Another good thing about the book is that the intent behind the story is to generate interest about the events of the Freedom Struggle, specially related to the Cellular Jail and the tribulations people faced when locked up there. The use of symbols and allegories is an interesting touch as well. The book is well researched and the use of the local Jarawa language to put across the point is quite good. The downside is that there are grammar issues in the book which impact the overall reading experience.

Coming to the characters, I liked how the author creates the character of Satish Chandra Acharjee and the detailing that went into setting him up was quite interesting. The same is true for Andaman and I liked how Ratnadip uses the timelines to set up the present-day plot, right down to the Covid-19 Pandemic in 2020. The character detailing for the other characters is rich in a similar fashion and the special focus on the Jarawa tribe is quite commendable.

Overall, I liked the plot and the focus of the author on the events and the zeal to bring them to the fore. The book scores a 4.06/5 for me.

I was provided a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.

Get a copy of the book on Amazon India or your local bookstore!

Forever Yours-Shilpa Suraj, Alisha Kay & Andaleeb Wajid

Book: Forever Yours
Author: Shilpa Suraj, Alisha Kay & Andaleeb Wajid
Publisher: Amazon Kindle

Can hate transform into love?

Forever Yours is a novel written in 3 parts. Set in the background of a pretend engagement which ends in a very real combined bachelor/bachelorette weekend in Goa, three couples find their lives going from chaotic to disastrous. Hatefully Yours by Alisha Kay is the quintessential enemies to lovers story with a very interesting twist. Sinfully Yours by Shilpa Suraj is the story of a one-night stand turning into nights that they hope never end. Deceitfully Yours by Andaleeb Wajid is the story of what happens when a fake relationship starts to feel very, very real. Three love stories, three oddball couples, one epic weekend in Goa. Will they find their heart’s twisted path or focus on the brain’s straight-but-boring one? Will they gamble on their happily-ever-after or choose to leave Goa as they came, single and not ready to mingle?

The concept of 3 people writing a connected story is quite an interesting one as we get to see how the storytelling changes when the authors change. The idea of 3 connected parallel stories set in the same location is quite interesting, and while the three of them are fairly independent, they have threads connecting each other which adds a nice touch to the compiled novel. Each of the three stories is nicely told, and the basic premise is quite same, though each of them maintains a distinct flavor of its own as well. In case of Hatefully Yours, we see two people who never see eye to eye fall head over heels, in Sinfully Yours we see two people, who probably would not have gotten together fall in love, and in Deceitfully Yours, we see a romance that started out as a way to get out of sticky situations. The three romance stories are heartwarming as well as steamy and make for a wonderful read. With a climax that would please even the die-hard romantics, three times over, and then some more, this book is definitely one to read.

Coming to the characters, I loved how the characters have been crafted intricately and they way their character flaws become a critical part of the plot. Right from Aditi and Manan in Hatefully Yours, to Sid and Dani in Sinfully Yours; and Sanjana and Karthik in Deceitfully Yours, we see how history plays a crucial part in their interactions with each other. Another interesting aspect of the characters is that while not much is told about them before or after the weekend, yet the details are just enough to create a picture of them as the authors would have liked them to be like.

Overall, this is a book I would definitely recommend if you like reading a well written romance story. The book scores a 4.81/5 for me.

Get a copy on Amazon India here.

Candy Floss-Bhavya Kirti

Book: Candy Floss
Author: Bhavya Kirti
Publisher: Rupa Publications

Do you like abstract poetry?

Candy Floss by Bhavya Kirti explores family, media, the rise and ebb of juvenile emotions and most significantly, the subtle realization of feminine identity in an urban setting. The text is an insight into the mind of a waning adolescent, constructed in modern free verse, indicating the influence of Arvind Krishna Mehrotra, Robert Frost, Wendy Cope, Ranjit Hoskoté, William Carlos Williams and Carol Ann Duffy. Candy Floss is lined with optimism and mischief, deliberately leaving a train of uncertainty in opinion and identifiable confusion as the writer matures, while discarding a trail of unanswered questions and unresolved angst. However, the writer looks at her world as it is and pompously grieves for it.

The book is a collection of abstract poems that span various themes. Bhavya explores topics such as family, love and even emotions. The poems are written in free verse and there is no standard rhyme scheme that connects the poems. Reading this book was sort of a roller coaster ride as I liked some of the poems, and some of them just did not work out for me. The themes that the poet explores are varied and I would have preferred if there was a common thread that connected the poems. Another aspect that could have been improved is that some of the verses are just prose written as poetry and that did not work out for me.

Overall, if you like reading free verse and poetry, this could be a nice read for you. The book scores a 3.75/5 for me.

This review is in collaboration with Rupa Publications, and a copy of the book was provided to me in exchange of an honest review.

Get a copy of the book on Amazon here.

Children of the Hidden Land-Mandira Shah

Book: Children of the Hidden Land
Author: Mandira Shah
Publisher: Speaking Tiger

What do you look for in a good YA book?

Children of the Hidden Land by Mandira Shah is the story of fifteen-year-old April, who lives in Imphal valley and has grown up learning to save herself from tear-gas shells and hearing stories about children disappearing. But when her best friend Henthoiba goes missing, she is determined to find him. April finds an unlikely ally in Shalini Gupta, her new schoolmate and the daughter of an army man recently posted in Imphal. With no real leads except for a bag with some of Henthoiba’s belongings and sharp deduction and combat skills, the two set out to find him. As they get sucked into the investigation, they stumble upon a dangerous, unknown world—where children disappear and are trafficked and trained to be soldiers. Unflinching, tender and action-packed, Children of the Hidden Land is a story about two girls who overcome their prejudices to question their existing ideas about nation, friendship and ambition. Above all, it is a story of hope and courage.

This book was something quite different from what I had expected from the blurb. I had expected more of a YA spy thriller, whilst it turned out to be much more than that. The book explores the troubles faced by people in the northeast, especially with the security forces being present and the troubles with the locals. Mandira has taken the local geopolitical situation and woven it into this narrative where everyone is a suspect and seems innocent, all at the same time. The plot is quite engaging, and the storytelling is riveting. The plot moves at a comfortable pace, and I loved how the author has used the context to identify with the issues that are actually present on the ground. The descriptions are quite vivid and specially like the way the story began. The climax is equally interesting, and I liked the way the author brings the story to a close.

Coming to the characters, I was impressed with the fact that the author decided to pair up Shalini and April, two characters who could have been more different. Mandira uses this unique pairing to drive the plot forward and uses it to highlight the very issue that has become a part of the life in Manipur. Another interesting aspect of the characters is that the difference between the good and the bad is quite hazy and this is the gray area that Mandira explores.

Overall, this is an interesting book that I would recommend for anyone who likes to read a well written YA story. The book scores a 4.63/5 for me.

This review is in collaboration with Speaking Tiger, and a copy of the book was provided to me in exchange of an honest review.

Get a copy of the book on Amazon India or your local bookstore!