Project : Sleepless Dream

Project : Sleepless Dream is a name interesting enough to draw one’s attention, so when I got a chance to provide an honest review in exchange of an advance reading copy I couldn’t resist.

Written in the epistolary format ( I’m a sucker for those) it was a fairly short and brilliant book following Dr. Norlin and the bio weapon he was hired to make. A young researcher fresh out of college, Norlin’s diary entries are proof of the battle his conscience fought with his need to excel while the government forced him to work on a human implantable nuclear bomb.

The book reminded me of Frankenstein and that is a huge compliment, coming from me. I absolutely loved Shelley’s writing style and this read was a modern version of the dilemmas presented in Frankenstein – what is the price of creating something so brilliant, unthinkable and destructive? The philosophical questions raised presented right along with crisp scientific facts left me in awe. The wonderful footnotes ( I feel this book is meant to be read in an e-book format, ok? ) and the story within a story adding dimensions to the dystopian world made for a fantastic read.

If you’re a sci-fi fan and enjoy reading about insightful geniuses who have zero foresight, then go ahead and read this book.

It is now available on Amazon. Also, a very happy release day !

Book : Project: Sleepless Dreams by C.G. Jones
Rating : 5/5
Genre : Science Fiction
Number of Pages : 180+

The Extra in Ordinary by Ashutosh Marathe

The book is a collection of stories from lives of ordinary people that are, perhaps, way more than an ordinary story to be forgotten. In fact, one might even call them extraordinary.

I absolutely loved the writing style. It was conversational even though the stories themselves were reminiscence of the author’s life. Divided into three sections, the books makes you feel happy, serious and inspired at different points.

Now, there were things I wished I could change ( the first being a better editor because though the language was sound, there were typos that could have been avoided). But overall, it was a very beautiful piece of literature.

The book felt like a warm hug and a plate of pakoras on a rainy day. How, you may ask – but I’ve got no explanation to give. You’ve got to read the book fo understand. I often found myself sharing this super short stories with my grandpa and my parents over evening tea and they proved to be a great conversation starter with my pados wali aunty.

If you’re into short stories, this is a great book. If you’re an Indian, this is a must read for your coffee table.

Get yourself a copy now : https://amzn.to/2UmgyYU

The Real Crisis by J Krishnamurti

“Through the transient seek the eternal. There is no path to it, for
it is the ever-present.”

There’s absolutely nothing to dislike about this book.

J Krishnamurti has been one of the greatest philosophers of his time and this book simply restates the fact. A collection of one of his most profound and impactful quotes, each page makes you think and reflect on your actions.

There are points I don’t hundred percent agree with – but that’s my thing to deal with. The way he states facts leaves lasting impressions.

The key point of the book is that we humans are inviting, are the reason of the real crisis.

Here are my key takeaways after reading this :

1. Always be on the lookout for truth. Truth is what matters.
2. Violence is never the right way.
3. Killing an ant just for the fun of it is as sick as killing a human for the fun of it.
4. Do not hesitate from straying off the well trodden path. Make a difference.
5. Introspect. What ever you are doing – does it matter? Why? Why not?

Kudos to this compilation! A book to have on your shelf.

Book : The Real Crisis by J Krishnamurti
Number of pages : 41

Our Love Story – A Book Review

I’ve been reading a lot of romance this month, some good and others terrible. This one was one of the good ones and I’m so glad I read it.⠀
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Veronica is tired of failing in the B-town, of being sexually harrassed and of letting down her single mother and siblings. She is about to call it quits, to commit suicide, when Aditya Bakshi walks into her life. He saves her, makes her a star. They fall in love and everything is perfect when something terrible happens. Aditya had his secret and now it is out. ⠀
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This book was tragic, real and very beautiful. It was not your average Mills and Boon or one of those steamy romances. This was a slow burn, it was a story of sacrifice and chastity. Very different from what I usually read. ⠀
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The characters were very well developed. Veronica and Aditya had layers and so did their family members. I suspect that one of the last pages had a cameo appearance of one of the protagonists from the author’s previous work but I cannot be sure ( this was the first of his works that I read).⠀
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The language was easy to read and engaging. The events were stretched over a decade and it they unfurled effortlessly. I loved how the ‘villain’ also had a human side to him. ⠀
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This is perfect to be read in a cosy blanket – an easy, heart touching yet breezy read. ⠀
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Book : Our Love Story by Rohit Sharma⠀
Genre : Romance

Rating : 4/5

Get off your high horse!

3 reasons why you MUST pick up Get Off Your High Horse by Cynthia Terelst : ⠀
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1. It is a romance with heat. It has all the elements of a cosy winter read. It is a must have, a must read! I mean, it has lines like ‘Sebastian may be a conceited royal, but he sure could ride, whether his butt was in the saddle or not. I smiled, thinking about what Amanda would often say: ‘Frankie, that man has an arse anyone would be happy to grab’. As much as I hated to admit it, she was right. And it was just as good to look at. ‘
2. The title and the cover is super inviting and if that’s not enough, read it because I’m asking you to!
3. Crown Prince and an Australian farmgirl. What could they possibly have in common? Certainly not privilege, status or money. But there is a spark. Although, it’s hard to determine if it’s borne of interest or contempt. Could Frankie and Sebastian possibly have a future together?

Blurb

When two opposites collide will their differences ignite a spark?
Frankie and Sebastian live totally different lives. Lives that are entwined through polo, the sport of kings. How entangled will they become?
Australian farmgirl, Frankie, has no interest in high society or the rich, arrogant riders she has to deal with, especially Sebastian. Her heart may be softening to his kindness and love of horses, but her brain won’t be convinced. She’s looking forward to her summer break on the farm, away from him……until her parents invite Sebastian to stay.
Sebastian never felt comfortable in his role as the Crown Prince of Oleander. He’d rather spend his days working with horses, playing polo and being with Frankie, whose fiery spirit has set his heart aflame.
But pressure from his mother, the Queen, to return to his royal duties is mounting. Everything he desires is in danger of being ripped away.
Can Sebastian convince Frankie that his hopes and dreams aren’t so different from hers, or is he destined to return to a life he doesn’t want, alone?

This is a standalone romance with medium heat.

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Buy Link

US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089Y1NDN9
UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B089Y1NDN9
Aust – https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B089Y1NDN9
Can – https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B089Y1NDN9

Author Bio

Cynthia Terelst is a project officer by day and a writer by night. She is a contemporary romance writer who likes to share a little bit of history, some Australian scenery and a whole lotta love. Cynthia does not shy away from difficult topics, as she feels that they should not be ignored.
She lives in Queensland, Australia, where the sun shines at least 283 days a year.

Get off your High Horse comes out on 31st December. And looks like I’m gonna start the year with this one! ⠀
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Why Not Me? A Book Review

“Give time the time to heal you.”⠀

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Based on a true story – the author’s story – this book has won many hearts! ⠀

The story
Anubhav met Zoya on Facebook. And he fell in love with her. It might sound weird – falling for someone without even meeting them, but we’ve all been there! Anubhav waited for Zoya to fall for him. He was patient and so in love. For four years, first as a friend and then as a boyfriend, he was there for her. But a happily ever after is not how this story ends. ⠀

Takeaways and Opinion
The characters were real, the story penned down in beautifully. There was nothing remarkable or ‘mind blowing’ about the story line and I guess that is what makes this so relatable. Each one of us have Anubhavs and Zoyas hidden within and we’ve been there, felt that. This book will unlock a box of memories you never realised you had. ⠀
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While it resonates with millions of us, this book is not our everyday tragedy. It ends on a positive note, imparting hope and lessons and paving a way forward. The book ends with a list of realizations and learnings that might cut short years of difficulty for a fresh broken heart. ⠀
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Pain can only be eased by time, but this book is a tool that’ll help catalyse the process. This book is proof you’re not alone. ⠀
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Book : Why Not Me? by Anubhav Agrawal⠀

Rating : 4/5

Number of Pages : 200⠀
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Buy your copy on Amazon now : ⠀
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https://www.amazon.in/finds/post/photo/amzn1.spark.v2.spark.48144b07-1f0b-45cc-be01-488a46aeabdd?tag=aiponsite-21&linkCode=ic7&feedType=WOMEN_FASHION&ref=fioa_shr_txt
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Kintsugi by Anukriti Upadhyay

I had finished reading it a few days ago but I couldn’t bring myself to write a just review!⠀

What is Kintsugi?
Kintsugi, the art of mending broken pottery with gold and other precious metals. It is a reminder to the world that ‘broken things are beautiful too’. And this book is a personification ( or bookification) of this very word. ⠀

The Story
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Haruko, Leela, Meena, Hajime, Prakash, Yuri- all starkly different characters. Some never met each other and yet impact each other’s lives in multiple ways. ⠀
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Set partly in Jaipur, partly in Japan, the book takes us through the lives of the aforementioned characters. They’re broken, devastated, shunned by life and yet they grow. Some heal and make life prettier, some decide to stoop lower. And each action is a lesson for the reader.⠀

Takeaways and opinions
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The book was definitely more ‘character-driven’ than it was plot driven, and I love that! Conservative barriers were talked about in depth. Girls not being allowed to undertake the family trade, marriages being arranged between mere babies, exploring one’s sexuality are all topics spoken about in a beautiful way.⠀

The women and men were extremely well written, the customs and mindsets of the characters portrayed justly in every action and word of theirs. It wasn’t a mere coincidence that Leela’s mother was never named while Prakash’s response to Haruko was an ingrained Prejudice of sorts ( you’d know what I mean if you’ve read the book).

The author moulded a perfect story around strong characters, mending their lives with gold, holding them up to make the story worth telling and re-telling. The book was perfect.⠀
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Buy it now : https://www.amazon.in/shop/booksfoodnmore?ref=inf_own_booksfoodnmore

Beyond – A Book Review

Beyond by M.C. Winkkle⠀
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#review : 4 / 5⠀
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Genre : Sci – fi⠀
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It was a Young Adult Fic, so I’ll review it in that capacity. ⠀
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This was the story of Stella, a strange young girl betrayed by people, the government, her parents and nature. Living amidst the war ( a war between humans and aliens ), she soon finds out that she has the ability to stop it at all – or does she?⠀
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Usually, such ‘chosen one’ stories revolve around the protagonist. But I loved how this wasn’t the case here. Stella was relatable ( even though she cried black ) because she was stuck in a situation that wasn’t even of her making. The actions of the people around constantly made her choose between things she never should have to! ⠀
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All in all, the story line was great. For a science fiction, this definitely held my attention ( I don’t enjoy sci fi usually ). The author switched between perspectives and I loved the story of Abigail and The Commander. I kinda loved The Commander ( I have no idea why). Adding him to my list of fictional crushes ( the first alien to be on the list – ha! ). ⠀
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The aliens were intriguing, and very similar to brown families. Trust me on that one, give it a read and you’d know what I mean.⠀
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The writing style was a bit raw and at times I felt it could have flown better. Sometimes characters lacked depth and for me ( a classic lover) it was a bit of a bummer. But then that added to the fast-paced, thrilling nature of the story. So, not complaining.⠀
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I am excited to read the sequel(s). Can’t wait to see what Stella goes through next! Recommeding this to all YA Fic lovers.⠀

I’d like to thank the author for an advance reading copy in exchange of an honest review.

The book releases worldwide on 10 September, 2020. Don’t forget to get a pretty copy for yourselves! For more information, click here.
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Afsane by Ameya Bondre

Book Review : 4/5

Genre : Short Stories

Afsane is collection of beautiful short stories. Each story unveils human emotions that we experience in life ( or we might) but never stop to take in. Hope, heart break, hidden meanings in deep silences, friendship, dreams and so much more are touched upon with each story.

Plot wise, it’s ‘feelings’ that the author has kept in the crux of each story. A sun ray of hope before filing for divorce, the tumult of anxiety when adopting a baby, the moroseness when attending an ex’s marriage, the effort required to move on after a partner’s death are a few of the themes the author talks about.

For me, the book was a winner. It did exactly what it set out to. Each character was well crafted, the stories were beautiful and the best part was that the book was error free. The language was beautiful. The book was merely 190 and odd pages long, but I wished it wouldn’t end so soon.

A Regular Date by far was my favourite story and I really wouldn’t want to spoil it for you. So, go ahead, pick this beauty up!

Ps : The paperback quality was amazing. Rich paper, great font. No mistakes and a meaningful cover.

Faith and the Beloved by Kochery C Shibu

𝕎𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤 𝕓𝕖𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕪 𝕪𝕠𝕦, 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕞𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕟 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕟 𝕓𝕖𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕪𝕒𝕝 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕤𝕥.⠀

Kochery C Shibu is back with another thriller. I had to pick this up after reading Men and Dreams. Faith and the Beloved is an action packed book that focuses on Prem, Naithy and Alice, each dealing with their own issues. ⠀
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There is so much happening in the book at all times! There is a mystery and a twist around every chapter and it makes the book unputdownable. ⠀
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I love the author’s writing style. He changes perspective rapidly, reminds me of James Patterson and how he used to be my favorite! The element of surprise is always there in the story. I especially loved Alice’s character – a witty teen who loves to play video games and ace life games at the same time! The amount of research that shows in the book appeals to me. ⠀
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The book starts out slow and raw, and it speeds up gradually. Towards the end, the pages seem to turn themselves! ⠀
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I loved the book, it was a wholesome thriller based in India. ⠀
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I totally recommend it to all thriller fans.⠀