Book Review:- Blaze A son’s trial by fire by Niddhi Poddar & Sushil Poddar

Author:- Niddhi Poddar & Sushil Poddar

Publisher :- Rupa publication

Genre:- Based on true story

Blurb:-

Can a disease, more importantly, cancer, be a potent tool of self-evolution for both, the person who suffers from it, and his/her caregivers, especially parents? The value of good health is realized when it no more remains with us. The journey to salvage the lost friend can still offer myriad opportunities of redemption and self-discovery. It is up to us how we decide to tread this formidable path leading to self-actualization.

Time has made us realize that it is not fair to stereotype a person suffering from cancer from the point of view of cure or recovery. Many a time, such stereotyping comes from our own society, and sometimes, ironically, from the medical fraternity, for its inability to go beyond a point, after which you feel you are condemned and vegetative. All these negativities passively entrap the patients and their parents in the viciousness of the disease where they die many times before the actual death. This is the worst form of cancer which has plagued our mindset.

In the case of Divyansh Atman, the authors’ son, it was not so. Divyansh was the embodiment of courage and self-determination in the face of adversities. His life journey shows us how the path of opportunities can still be paved in the middle of adversities. He lived a big and a meaningful life that made a huge impact on the lives of people around him.

Cancer can bring in self-evolution, both for the sufferer and his caregivers

My view of the book:-

Blaze by Niddhi Poddar and Sushil Poddar is a book based on true events.

The story is about a boy named Divyansh Aatman who is the protagonist of the story and the story is based on his struggles in life and how he faced it all.

The story is dictated by his mother who is also a very strong character and portrays both motherly emotions as well emotions of a fighter.

Divyansh always suffered from a long dued illness since his childhood and lost all his boyish charms because of the treatments he had to go through.His mother was always worried about him and that’s why they even had to keep on changing thier home for his treatments.

In the story his mother describes everything from when he was first diagnosed with cancer, visiting different places for his treatment and what hopeless answers they got wherever they went. She has described every single bit of the journey and it was really heart breaking for me to go through all this till the end as I myself went through all this when my father was suffering from cancer.

I felt so much connected to the story as I have faced similar experience in my life. The story is very raw and there are so many powerful emotions in the story.

I would say hats off to the mother that she had such courage to write everything in a story and go through all this again. I have faced this 9 years ago but still don’t have the courage to recall all that pain again.

This story has really powerful characters which show us that along with emotions, strength to go through all this pain is also required to fight such battles of life.

It shows that how a disease can break you and make you at the very same time.

I would recommend this book to each and every individual.

I think this book is not supposed to be reviewed as I feel I don’t have the right to review somebody else’s struggles and their life. I would just say that, while reading this I really felt proud for the mother who had the courage to write this amazing piece.

Thank you rupa publication for giving me an opportunity to review this book 🙏

Book Review:- Mila by Mark Stephen Levy

Author:- Mark Stephen Levy

Publisher :- White Falcon Publishing

Genre:- Fiction/comedy

Blurb:-

When Matt was a young boy, his mystically powered grandfather granted him three wishes, and applied the first wish for a dog. Being a bored-in-life accountant, he was ready for another dog and acquires a Shih Tzu puppy he names Mila. He often tells her he wishes she were human on how fun it would be to have conversations. One night in a dream, his grandfather appears reminding Matt he has two more wishes. In the morning, lying next to Matt is Mila who has transformed into a woman, and gains national attention for her unbelievable baseball skills.

My view of the book:-

Mila by Mark Stephen is a story about a bored-in-life accountant who adopts a shih tzu puppy and names it Mila.

As soon as Matt brings Mila home it quickly becomes the most important part of his life. He was very happy after getting her that everyday he knew that when he would go back home from work she would be there waiting for him and would love him unconditionally.

Matt was so happy with Mila that he would ignore everybody else just to spend more time with her. He would talk to her and would tell her everything. Sometimes he wished if she were a human and how amazing it would be that when he talks to her she would be able to reply.

One night Matt had a dream where he See’s his grandfather who used to be a magician. He reminds Matt about the three wishes he granted him during childhood. One of those wishes was Mila , now he had two more wishes left. When the dream ends Matt shouts “Mila I wish you were a Human”.

Next day when Matt wakes up and calls Mila, a woman answers and tells him she is Mila she converted to a Human being because of his wish. Matt becomes really shocked but he decides to help her and teach her everything.

Mila became a woman and started gaining fame because of her baseball skills but she still acted like a dog because after all she was a dog. Matt was a little frustrated as to help her out with everything he had to skip work on a daily basis, had to take her here and there and listen stuff because of her.

One night when Matt fell asleep , his grandfather again comes in his dream and reminds him about his third wish and tells him to use it wisely. But Matt does something very unintelligible. The next day when the house help comes she becomes really shocked when she See’s both Mila and Matt have turned into dogs and they run out of the house. This is how the story ends.

The writing style of the story is really good and it would keep you glued to the book. Considering the length of the book, it still has a good story depicted in less than 200 pages. I loved the story as it included a dog and I am a dog lover myself. I never thought a book about dog could turnout to be like this. Really enjoyed reading it.

Overall it was a nice story and kinda funny I would say. I would totally recommend this to all the dog lovers out there and to others as well because this is a good book to read and have a little fun.

Rating:-

Book Review:- Why does a man rape by Jasbir Singh

Author:- Jasbir Singh

Publisher:- Invincible publisher

Genre:- Non-fiction

Blurb:-

“We are living in the society where women are worshipped as Goddesses and other side, they are getting raped in every minute.”Rape cases are increasing every minute in India and it has become a critical issue in our society. Human service providers are being asked to address themselves to this serious social problem. Everyone is finding the root causes behind this heinous crime which is somewhere related to our history but nobody wants to discuss the history as it shows the rapes of women in India and some dark truths which can hurt the sentiments of many people. This book provides a basic framework for understanding the developmental histories, the lifestyles and the motivations of the men who rape.
This work is purely based on the research. This book is a 360 degrees analysis of the rape epidemic in our country. It is written in a nontechnical and highly readable style and should be read by anyone who is concerned with issues of rape. This book is a must read for anyone whose work brings him to contact with a rapist, sexual offender or a victim. Once there was love, now only is pain,
I’ll never have that innocence, ever again.
He took it from me, my childhood,
he took away, all that was good.

My view of the book :-

Why does a man rape by Jasbir Singh is a non-fiction book that acknowledges the most important issue in the indian society.

The book discusses everything from past to present that’s been wrong and should be corrected for the betterment of our society.

This book explains various reasons involved in this crime. It shows that rape doesn’t only mean women being attacked by unknown men. This crime can be in any form like:- marital rape, rape on a date or by a friend or by any relative etc.

The book also contains confessions from the culprits as well as the victims.

The main idea of the book is to impart knowledge and education to stop such crimes in our society. It gives us a detailed insight on this crime which would help us in forming a image that what kind of a mindset can lead to such henious crimes and how we can stop it.

I would recommend each and every individual to read this book because this piece of knowledge is very much necessary in our society.

Rating:-

Book Review:- In loving memory by Daniel Paul Singh

Author:- Daniel Paul Singh

Publisher:- Kalamos literary services Ltd

Genre:- Romantic thriller

Blurb:-

Dhruv is the popular dashing guy in Nisha’s office. His impulsive antics irk her, but also attract her. From the day Dhruv enters her life, she starts getting anonymous threatening late night calls and scary nightmares that seem too real. Who is this Dhruv? What’s his connection with the strange happenings in her life? Can she trust him?

Nivas is a guy you wouldn’t notice in a crowd. Rimi is a chatterbox and the polar opposite. Naturally, Nivas is drawn towards her and gains the courage to propose to her, desiring more of her. Things turn ugly from then on between the two.

As the stories of the two couples converge at an unexpected turn of events – Kevin, the best detective in town, ends up with a peculiar case. Everything about the case is confusing, contradictory and downright clumsy! A cat-and-mouse game ensues with everyone’s life at stake.

Every story has one ending, will this one too?

My view of the book:-

In loving memory by Daniel Paul singh is a romantic thriller. Which has two different stories that combine into one.

The two stories can be seen as the chapter from each story is placed one after the other. The main characters are Dhruv, Nisha, Nivas, Rimi and Kevin.

The story of Nisha and Dhruv has a corporate background whereas the story of Nivas and Rimi has a background of past events and childhood story. Kevin is introduced later in the book when the two stories combine as one.

The writing style is really good and I loved the way in which the author has left a sense of suspense in the end of each chapter , which would keep you glued to the book. I would say that its a page Turner.

The story has a good outline and the part where the two stories combine is up to the trend of new romantic thrillers. But I think there is need for character development as the characters are very well placed in the story but a better character outline can make it more exciting. The story seems a bit unrealistic at some points but as a whole it’s quite good.

Overall, I think the book has a good combination of genres, the way it goes from romance to thriller is really nice. This story has a past and present kind of a concept which is very interesting. The best part of this book according to me is the alternative ending which is the most unique thing about this book, I think would be loved by each and every reader. I do recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading romantic thrillers .

Rating :-

Book Review:- When the wildflowers bloom by Rupa Bhullar

Author:- Rupa Bhullar

Publisher:- Rupa publications

Genre:- Women’s fiction/inspirational fiction

Blurb:-

Don’t try to predict life, try to explore it instead. Even the roughest, most crooked trails can sometimes lead to magnificent places.
After suffering public humiliation at the hands of her husband on what would have otherwise been a memorable evening, Tara Grewal, a homemaker and mother of two, finds herself thrust onto a crossroads. She cannot readily go back to the life she once knew, nor can she move forward without a career or life skills to sustain her.
As she transitions from questioning her choices to surrendering to the flow of life, an unfamiliar journey leads her to her grandmother’s village in Punjab. Amid the simple joys of rural life, and heart-wrenching struggles of daily survival, Tara unknowingly kindles a spark of hope. A hope that eventually lights her own fire.
As she casts off the reins of the predictable and embraces change, Tara unravels her fears and motivations, reaffirming her belief in what she knew to be true—about people, about life, about relationships, and most importantly, about love. In her challenges, she finds her strength. In her escape, she finds her home.
Poignant, insightful, and deeply relatable, When the Wildflowers Bloom weaves together the complexities of human emotions and societal norms with beauty, sensitivity, and unfailing optimism.

My view of the book:-

When the wildflowers bloom by Rupa Bhullar is a book that focuses on topics like- issues faced by women in our society, mental health and women empowerment.

In this book we are introduced to a character named Tara who is travelling to her childhood farmhouse which is in Amritsar. Here can see some beautiful nostalgic description that she remember on her way there. After the introduction phase the story slowly unravels to the main idea.

Through her childhood story we can learn that Tara was a cheerful and confident person but how her life changed after she got married to a guy named Tej. We come to know that Tara is back at her home because she was ill-treated by her husband in front of people and her family couldn’t handle it so they took her back with them.

When she goes back to her farmhouse, along with the reliving her memories from childhood she is served with the story of her maid’s life which is just as miserable as hers. After knowing this she thinks a lot and decides to take a step for herself and do the right thing and in doing so her grandfather ( Dev Beeja) supports her and motivates her a lot. He helps her to cheer up and live her life by her own rules.

Personally, I feel that the writing style is quite good. The Indian background, tradition and use of hindi and punjabi words that the story has adapted makes it seem very realistic and would help you to connect with the story. You can also relive your childhood through all the nostalgic parts which was kind of my personal favorite.

The story is a good representation if women empowerment and it is related to latest trends which raise different topics of importance like issues faced by women in our society and they fight it through means of books, movies and tv series.

Overall, I think this a good book for anyone wanting to read a women’s fiction with a powerful main character.

Rating:-

Book Review:- The littlest dinosaur finds a home by Bryce Raffles & Steven Kothlow

Authors:- Bryce Raffle & Steven Kothlow

Illustrator:- Tessa Verplancke

Publisher:- Grimmer& Grimmer books

Genre:- Children’s book

Blurb:-

The Littlest Dinosaur is off on a new adventure. It’s time for bed, and the newborn dino has nowhere to lay down his sleepy head. Luckily, he’s got Ty The Tyrannosaur to show him the meaning of family and help him find a place to call home.

My view of the book:-

The littlest dinosaur finds a home by Bryce Raffle and Steven Kothlow is a children’s book which depicts important lessons of life for children through story of dinosaurs.

In this book the dinosaurs are portrayed just like humans living in their homes, having a family and celebrating birthday etc. This is good way to paint a story for children to relate it with their own lives.

In this story there is a little dinosaur who is celebrating his birthday with his friend Ty (the tyrannosaur). After the party is over everyone starts leaving for their home but the little dinosaur had no place to go, he is not even aware about what a home means. His friend the Tyrannosaur takes him to his home and makes him me his Mom. The little dinosaur has no idea what is a family but soon he learns about everything and he also finds a home for himself.

The writing style is really good for children to understand and the illustrations are really cute and funny that children can enjoy looking at while learning something good. At such a tender age visual aids really help children to learn in a better way. This picture book along with a meaningful story proves to be an amazing learning material for kids.

This story will help children to learn about the importance of family and a home to go to. It will tell children that home is a place where we’re all special and cared about. It’s not just a building but a feeling, a feeling of being safe and surrounded by people who love you. It also teaches children the importance of friendship and how helping other in need can make you happy as well.

I think this book is a really good learning material for children, where they can learn about the basic morals of life through story of fun and cute characters. I totally recommend this book for children to read and learn something good.

Rating:-

*Special thanks to RRbooktours for this review copy*

Book Review:- Faith and the Beloved by Kochery C Shibu

Author:- Kochery C Shibu

Publisher:- Mishan design point

Genre:- Crime Fiction

Blurb:-

Naithy Cherozil is a rich and successful business woman from Mumbai who marries the young and handsome model Tony D’Souza after the death of her spouse. Little does she know that the ideal sex slave of her husband is the sleeper cell of a terror outfit. Events in her life take unforeseen turns as the male Mata Hari is activated.Prem Rollands is a ‘Kalari’ exponent and a brilliant student whose world revolves around his brother Arun. Things go awry when the police kill Arun under mysterious circumstances. Prem kills the inspector in retribution and is on the run. He is on the lookout to find the dark secrets leading to Arun’s death. Prem must avenge those who have plotted to kill his brother.Eighteen year old Alice Cherozil knows more about computers and mystery games than a girl of her age. Her life falls apart when her mother is hospitalised and in a coma. She is playing the ultimate mystery game of her life as the web of secrets surrounding two precious diamonds and her stepfather threaten to destroy her family. She overcomes the moral dilemma to kill her stepfather. Alice must outwit the underworld and stay ahead of all to save her mother’s life or the guilt of her failure will haunt her forever.As the lives of Naithy, Prem and Alice cross each other they must retain their faith and protect their beloved ones, even at the cost of their own lives.

My view of the book:-

Faith and the beloved by Kochery C Shibu is a crime fiction novel.

This book has three main characters- Alice, Naithy and Prem. Naithy and Alice are mother- daughter whereas Prem is a separate character.

The plot of the story starts with Alice who had killed her step father and stollen diamonds from his locker her mother Naithy is in coma. Prem on the other hand is boy from a small town whose family has a very bad image of murders and robberies. He has an elder brother named Arun, who is also involved in illegal activities. Arun gets killed by the police and Prem seeks revenge for his brother’s death. These two stories combine as both families connect to underworld and stealing of diamonds.

The story is good at portraying the plot of betrayal and revenge, but love and lust are portrayed in a very bad manner. There are so many sexual scenes in this book and crime against women is taken in a very easy and casual way. The main characters are involved in such stuff which makes the plot a bit bad as there are no heroes in this story but only criminals with dark minds.

Personally, I found the writing style to be okayish. The first two introductions of Alice and Prem where good but had too little information about the characters, whereas the introduction of Naithy was way too long with too much unnecessary information. Also, there are some grammatical and sentence formation errors.

The story builds suspense but still there is too much information which results in lack of the part of a crime fiction to keep a reader gripped to the story plus there is no pace to the story as well. Sometimes its very suspenseful other time you only get a bunch of information to bore you.

Overall, I would say it’s a good try in the genre of crime fiction, but there is way too much crime in this book to be taken in at a time. I would rate this book with an ‘A’ or ’18+’ due to all the sexual scenes and description it contains which I think is added without any reason and connection to the story. If you are interested in reading books with a very dark plot you can give this one a shot.

Rating:-

Book Review:- Lose Fat, Get Fittr by Jitendra Chouksey

Author:- Jitendra Chouksey

Publisher:- Rupa publication

Genre:- Self-help

Blurb:-

Have you been struggling to stay fit your entire life? Tried every fad diet, supplement and health tip, only to lose both money and sanity? Tired of fitness lies and quick fixes and want a solution that actually works? Then, this book is for you!

There are three types of people: First, those who stay fit and healthy; second, those who want to but have realized it’s easier said than done; and third, those who eat all they want, for you live only once. This book is for people across all these categories.

The biggest threat to a fitter world is not lifestyle ailments such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but online fitness and well-being ‘influencers’ who spread misinformation and myths about what you should eat and how you should exercise. Some say carbs are the enemy while others blame fats. Others will tell you that cardio is the best exercise for losing weight. They promote everything from fad diets to supplements and they make it appear so difficult that being healthy and getting fit seems like an impossible dream.

The solution is actually quite easy! Eat only as much as your body needs and stay physically active. Yes, it’s that simple!

Renowned fitness entrepreneur Jitendra Chouksey (better known as JC) brings to you a system of nutrition and exercise that is:

• Easy to understand and follow

• Based on the latest scientific research

He has helped more than 2,00,000 people lose fat, look good and get into the best shape of their lives! You’ll find many of these stories and much more in this book. Welcome to a new life of health and fitness where ‘diet’ is no longer a four-letter word!

My view of the book:-

Lose fat, Get fittr by Jitendra Chouksey is a self-help book based on the topic:- fitness and general well being.

If you’re looking to start a new training program this book will tell you “why” and “what” you need to do.

One might think that how can a book help you in getting fitter, but this book contains everything one needs to start their fitness journey and become healthy. This book will tell you the step-by-step process of getting fitter.

Fitness is not about having a toned and muscled up body it’s about overall mental , physical and emotional well being.

This book has different sections first it will tell you about the mechanism of human body, then the nutrition you require on a daily basis, how can you prepare your own diet plan, Exercise and training section that would help you to choose right type of exercise required for your body, it will help you in preparing your own workout plan and what kind of supplements you need.

The best thing that I liked about this book is that it solves all the fitness myths that have been going around since ages. This book will help you to break all these fitness myths that cause lack of motivation.

The author’s personal experience and the examples he shares would provide you the right motivation to work towards your fitness goal.

I myself I am no fitness enthusiast or health coach but being a “common man”, the one who had tried a lot of fitness plans, diets and gym training. I would say that this book is a perfect guide for someone willing to start their journey towards a fit and healthy lifestyle.

Rating:-

Book Review:- Table no 10 by S P Mukherjee

Author:- S P Mukherjee

Publisher:- The write place

Genre:- Fiction

Blurb:-

Peculiar is not familiar yet created out of familiar situations, environments, and people… Table No. 10 is a collection os many such peculiar situations faced by simple people due to their own perceptions and prejudices. More often than not we thik we are in control, but there is an invisible force in the form of destiny, and at times a paranormal force that controls our lives. From the crowded lanes of Manhattan where a mute girl named Lakshmi finds her voice, to a crowded yet haunted Iranian cade where three errant souls, Swamu, Jaroo and Tony, are looking for liberation, to a harmless children’s gang fight in Afghanistan that turns bloody, Table No. 10 is a collection of 18 such peculiar situations in the lives of 18 simple persons across the universe.

My view of the book:-

Table no 10 is a collection of stories which are very different from what we hear in daily life. The stories have a realistic feel of people from around the world with not so simple life which is the point that makes these stories peculiar.

The stories have a very different way of presenting the paranormal activities like a haunted cafe which is almost unknown to people. The stories show paranormal activities just the way we see death approaching people in movies like final destination.

Each story will give you a different feel, you can either be extremely sad or extremely shocked after reading these.

As we turn the pages and the stories change you’ll be totally surprised by the new set of characters and the plot of the story. These stories are unpredictably awesome.

The writing style is really good the stories have a hold on them that will keep you attached to the book for hours till you finish it.

The character and plot development are beautifully designed by the author which will keep you engaged and engrossed in reading.

Overall, the book is a fantastic collection of 18 stories and would be definitely loved by the fans of haunted stories.

Rating:-

The Grass looks greener on the other side of the fence

Heard this before?

If yes then you already know which grass is greener and if no then let’s find out.

So why this topic right now huh?

Well just like the wedding season it’s the admission season for 12th pass outs like me and at this time the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence.

So in this harvest season we all are trying to make our grasses look greener than others and we are putting a lot of hard work but still the grass looks greener on the other side. Why so?

Because actually we don’t really care about what we are growing instead we are more interested in knowing what the other person is doing to make their grass look greener.

Nowadays when the results and allocation of seats have started coming up this feeling is becoming strong.

Recently I asked my friends that which college they got admission in and they are like “pehele tu bata phir mai” this clearly means that you should first confirm that the other person’s grass is greener than mine or I have a better shade.

And when we get better than others we try to tell them what they can do to make theirs better even though from inside we actually don’t want that to happen.

The trend is like “Mera kuch ho na ho dusre ka toh bikul nai hona chahiye”.

In this competition of watching what the other person has got we are completely ignoring our own progress.

It’s not the time for comparison, it’s the time when we should focus on what we are growing. Our grass might not look greener than others but that doesn’t mean we haven’t put any efforts in growing it and that doesn’t even mean the other person has got it easily.

We all are doing the best we can and in the end we all are going to procure the best.

If the grass looks greener on the other side, Stop staring, stop comparing and stop complaining and start watering the grass you are standing on.

Best of luck 😊