30 March 2022

#BookReview A Vintage Tale by Malvika Mishra


About The Book

Set in the early and mid-nineteenth century this tale provides a perfect backdrop for a classic Victorian Romance only in this case the settings are not in London or in the English countryside but in British India and the stakes are high.

Amrita, and her chance encounter with a stranger, who came from the world yonder, took her on an incredible journey into the past. Her story was also about the very people who immortalized love through moving epitaphs.

My Thoughts

The story is about our protagonist Amrita, and her search for the true meaning of love. The story depicts love in its most vulnerable form.

This is historical fiction and one of the most important things in Historical Fiction is to describe the period accurately. The author is very much successful in this aspect. Without giving any spoiler, I can surely say that she painted an accurate picture of both the period with her words, and the reader can actually have a figurine of the period.

In one particular paragraph, the author narrates the part of a very painful experience in Amrita’s life and that is s brilliantly explained, I was actually in that room viewing Amrita in her most vulnerable time.

Our protagonist Amrita is a well-painted picture with various shades of color, who dares to question her choices, has the courage to be vulnerable, and most importantly, has the mightiness to look for answers instead of giving up.

The book cover is very accurately giving the vibe of the story, A Vintage love story.

Book Links

Amazon India | Amazon USA

About the Author

Malvika Mishra completed a Fiction Writing workshop at the Princeton Adult School in 2016. She had been invested in writing her debut novel for the last four and a half years. Meanwhile, she has been published online on prestigious writing platforms like Juggernaut and Readomania. Her collection of short stories called “Tales From Kashi” is available on Amazon. 

As a writer Malvika blends in modern sensibilities with traditional storytelling formats, thus exploring literary fiction with a fresh perspective. 

Author on the Web

WebsiteInstagram| Facebook 

Ruin of the Scarred (Sting of Love #1) by Medha Nagur #RuinOfTheScarred @NagurMedha

 




Bidisha, a 17-year-old braveheart, has lived all her life in hiding since she is the daughter of the most wanted woman in Bishnupur. In the calm of the British Raj, Bidisha embarks on the quest to free her mother from the false accusation. But for that, she needs to challenge the royals who dare not stand against the British.
And when she enters the palace, she encounters the power-hungry Yuvaraja Trinabh and his twisted mother, the Rani Maa. Rani Maa despises her dutiful but meek step-son Yuvaraja Prabir and his hound Debesh Das, a Yodha who is his master’s protector. And so, she assigns Bidisha a job to spy.
But hearts entwine, and love meddles their path in the most unpredictable and adventurous ways.
Furthermore, things become dicey when Bidisha slits off her lover’s thumb, the Yuvaraja himself. Her dream to live free becomes a farfetched nightmare as her hiding in the jungle is not an option anymore.
When the deadly romance and the moral complexity are only a superficial part of the deep-rooted dark conspiracy, will Bidisha survive her sinking ground?
Will she emerge a warrior, save her own heart and win her love?
Or, will she succumb to the royal politics, lose her mother and lose herself too?

Book Links:
Goodreads * Amazon.in * Amazon.com

Read an Excerpt from Ruin of the Scarred


‘Don’t be under the impression that you are an exception because you saved my life,’ Rani Durga Moni Devi continued. ‘Didn’t I tell you yesterday that you need to be at least clean if not anything else? But look at you.’

Bidisha’s forehead scrunched even as she fisted her hands part in disappointment in herself and part in anger towards the man who was responsible for her current state. Bidisha looked at the man before her in annoyance. Her anger amplified when he gave her a smug smile even as the queen continued her tirade. 

Nobody had ever spoken to her like that. Though Bidisha had encountered rude men and women, she had always taught them a lesson if they crossed the line she had drawn. Bidisha was already having a one-on-one combat with Rani Durga Moni Devi in her mind and was mincing the queen with her sword in her world. She smiled at her thoughts, hiding her face when, in their imaginary battle, Rani Maa fell carrying her huge body weight. 

Suddenly, a pair of legs appeared before her and she knew instantly that it was none other than the mysterious man. Bidisha lifted her head.  

‘Did he see me smiling? This is not good. I should have been more careful before mocking the queen.’

The man took her in from top to bottom, then stretched a hand and moved her out of his way. He then walked out of Rani Maa’s chamber as if nothing had happened. The huge man in black was not only mysterious and rude but was also indecent, she concluded. 

Bidisha felt a flash of irritation and she glared at his retreating form. Her first mission, she thought, would be to dig out all the information she could about that man, once she got into the palace. 



About the Author:
Medha Nagur is anything but a stereotypical homemaker, at home full time but with a pen all the time!
A freelance blogger by profession in her past life, she was on her maternity break when she started writing fiction. Medha considers herself a chronic creative aficionado who loves painting and writing.
Once a lecturer in Science College, where she gave lectures in Computer Science soon after her Masters, was fascinated by the blog world and realized her love for the words and took up writing full time.
She is also at her creative best when it comes to cooking innovative dishes to cater to the needs of her 11-year-old son, 4-year-old daughter, and not to mention her epicure husband. Get a glimpse of her culinary art on Instagram.
A music lover who likes to hit the floor on Zumba numbers is also a fashion enthusiast (like any woman on this planet!).
She wants to be in the womb of nature when it comes to holidays, embracing its warmth, which she believes is a gift to mankind.
All in all, she is born to collect laughs and make a relentless commitment to love so that she can enjoy life in abundance.

Medha on the Web:
Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Amazon







23 March 2022

#BookReview The Rozabal Line by Mr. Ashwin Sanghi


 About The Book

The Rozabal Line written by Mr. Ashwin Sanghi is a theological thriller fiction book. The main storyline showcases a cult of visionaries who believe that Jesus escaped #crucifixion and lived somewhere in #Kashmir, #India.

The main characters are the story are an American priest, Father Vincent Morgan, who receives visions of Jesus' crucifixion simultaneously getting dreams of the life he might have lived in the past. A lady finds a box in the library in the place where Mahabharata books were supposed to be kept. And a Hindu astrologer spots approaching conjunction of the stars and nods to himself in the grim realization of the end of the world.

My Thoughts

I am a sucker for thrillers, be it #books, #movies, or TV shows. However, I am not such a big fan of theological fiction.

I have heard a lot about how good Mr. Ashwin Sanghi writes, therefore picked up this book. The storyline is very strong, with a lot of references, which makes it easier to understand. It is very much evident that Mr. Sanghi did a lot of research for this book, and in this perspective, it is a tight-knit book.

The main issue of the book is, there are too, too many characters. There are times it seems like more character and less story. That’s makes it unnecessarily complex and super confusing.

If one can ignore this, it is definitely an engaging read.

Book Links

Amazon India | Amazon USA

About the Author

Ashwin Sanghi ranks among India’s highest-selling English fiction authors. He has written several bestsellers (The Rozabal Line, Chanakya’s Chant, The Krishna Key, The Sialkot Saga, Keepers of the Kalachakra) and two New York Times bestselling crime thrillers with James Patterson, Private India, and Private Delhi. 

He has also co-authored several non-fiction titles in the 13 Steps series on Luck, Wealth, Marks, Health, and Parenting. 

Ashwin has been included by Forbes India in their Celebrity 100. He is a winner of the Crossword Popular Choice Award 2012, Atta Galatta Popular Choice Award 2018, WBR Iconic Achievers Award 2018, and the Lit-O-Fest Literature Legend Award 2018. 

Author on the Web

Website | Email | Instagram| Facebook | Twitter 



16 March 2022

#BookLove Wise and Otherwise by Sudha Murthy

About The Book

A man dumps his aged father in an old-age home after declaring him to be a homeless stranger, a tribal chief in the Sahyadri hills teaches the author that there is humility in receiving too, and a sick woman remembers to thank her benefactor even from her deathbed. These are just some of the poignant and eye-opening stories about people from all over the country that Sudha Murty recounts in this book. From incredible examples of generosity to the meanest acts one can expect from men and women, she records everything with wry humor and directness that touches the heart.

My Thoughts

Personally, I love essay books that depict various aspects of life. These are called “Chutki Lekha” in Bengali and are my absolute favorite. One of my favorite books is Bhorbela Parke by Sunil Gangopadhyay is belongs to the same genre.

I just love wise and otherwise. I don’t know how to describe my love for the book. Every essay is a gem. This book will always be one of my favorite book.

Every essay in this book is a gem, it is literally impossible to choose a favorite. I read this book every now and then, it is like my comfort book.

Even if you are not a reader, give this book a try, you won't be disappointed. 

Book Links

Amazon India | Amazon USA

About the Author

Sudha Murty was born in 1950 in Shiggaon in north Karnataka. She did her MTech in computer science and is now the chairperson of the Infosys Foundation. A prolific writer in English and Kannada, she has written novels, technical books, travelogues, collections of short stories and non-fiction pieces and four books for children.

Her books have been translated into all the major Indian languages and have sold over four lakh copies around the country. She was the recipient of the R.K. Narayan Award for Literature and the Padma Shri in 2006 and the Attimabbe Award from the government of Karnataka for excellence in Kannada literature in 2011.

Author on the Web

Wikipedia| Instagram



09 March 2022

#BookReview Paperback Dream by Rahul Saini


About The Book

Paperback Dreams by Rahul Saini is a fictional story revolving around three new-generation writers.

The story moves parallel between three writers.

Jeet Oberoi: He is a well-established and national bestselling author. He doesn’t hold any regard for work ethics and doesn’t mind some unethical means to get published, what he had already done to get published for the first time.

Rohit Sehdev: He is a writer of one national bestselling book and waiting to publish his second book.

Karun Mukherjee: He is an ambitious school kid, waiting to publish his debut novel. He appears to be a nerd. The backbone of his thinking processes us that money and fame can win the world, any girl.

My Thoughts

When I first came across the book, read the book blurb, the concept seems really interesting and new. Initial chapters are well written and the story moves at a fast pace. I got hooked on the book. However, as I reached the middle of the book, somehow it fell apart. I lost interest to read. Yet I have continued and end up being extremely disappointed. The ending of the book is really abrupt.

The characters are extremely one-dimensional. The book doesn't give any insight into their motivations and feelings. Somehow I managed to like Rohit’s character as he seems more human to me compared to the other characters.

Also, the writing style is too simple. If you are looking for quick and easy fiction, one might enjoy this.

Book Links

Amazon India | Amazon USA

About the Author

Rahul Saini is the bestselling author of three hugely popular novels: Those Small Lil Things, Just Like in the Movies, and The Orange Hangover. Formerly an architect, he has a keen interest in photography, filmmaking, and fine arts. 

From the small Punjabi town of Jalandhar he is a high-spirited young man who spends much of his time traveling, mostly in parts of Himachal Pradesh. He loves to spend time with his family and friends. 

Currently, he serves as a visiting faculty member for an art and design program at a prestigious university in India. He takes an active interest in the wellness of his students.

Author on the Web

Website | Email | Instagram| Facebook | Twitter 



06 March 2022

Vice & Virtue by Justin M. Kiska

 

Vice & Virtue by Justin M. Kiska Banner

Vice & Virtue

by Justin M. Kiska

February 14 – March 11, 2022 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Vice & Virtue by Justin M. Kiska

Parker City, 1984…

Three years after the Spring Strangler case rocked the historic Western Maryland city nestled at the foot of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, life has returned to normal for Detective Ben Winters and his partner, Tommy Mason. With a new chief now leading the department and the city slowly crawling out of its economic distress, everything seems to be moving in the right direction.

Until one sweltering summer day, a killer begins targeting police officers. Ben and Tommy find themselves once again leading an investigation the likes of which Parker City has never seen. The detectives quickly come to realize that until the shooter is found, everyone wearing a badge is in danger. To complicate matters even further, when a recently unearthed skeleton mysteriously connects to the string of police homicides, Ben and Tommy begin to think their current case may be tied to events twenty years earlier.

But how could a skeleton buried two decades ago hold the key to solving their current case?

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery
Published by: Level Best Books
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Number of Pages: 288
ISBN: 978-1-68512-069-6
Series:Parker City Mysteries, #2 || Each book is a stand alone novel.
Purchase Links: Amazon | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

Tall and athletic, Tommy Mason always reminded Ben of Tom Selleck’s Magnum P.I. character from television. Tommy always had that whole ruggedly handsome thing going for him. Mixed with a little bit of a “bad boy” vibe and he drove the women wild.

Next to Ben’s clean-cut, buttoned-down appearance, their pairing caused many to do a doubletake. At first glance, they appeared to be complete opposites. But as one got to know them, they were very much alike. Each brought out the best in the other and at the end of the day, it was all about getting the job done. Sure, each had his own style, but that’s what made them such a formidable team.

Tommy’s apparent willingness to skirt the rules was always offset by Ben’s ability to find ways to use the rules to their benefit. Just as Ben’s refusal to play the internal politics game allowed Tommy to use his charm to keep too many feathers from getting ruffled amongst the powers-that-be. They each knew the other’s strengths and weaknesses and how to adapt them to their own, which is why they’d been so impressive in getting the PCPD’s Detective Squad off the ground.

“What are you doing here?” Ben asked, more than a little surprised to see his partner.

“Shirley from Dispatch called me. She thought I’d be interested,” Tommy explained. “And before you say anything about what I’m wearing, I just want to remind you, it is our day off, so I didn’t think I needed to get dressed up to come to a potential crime scene. Especially when we don’t actually know this is a crime scene yet.”

He was referring to the fact he had on a T-shirt and comfortable pair of jeans, as opposed to the full suit and tie Ben was wearing.

“Besides, now you don’t have to worry about getting your fancy suit muddy. I have no problems getting down there in the dirt,” Tommy smiled, pointing at the fresh mud stains on his knees. With that, he knelt back down to take another look at the exposed skeletal remains under the floorboards.

“So, tell me. What do we have?” Ben asked, crouching next to Tommy so he could get a better look.

“You can see there’s a pretty big cavity here under this part of the floor,” Tommy pointed out. “It’s got to be a good ten by ten area where the ground has been eaten away, even though it’s not too deep, less than a foot in some places. It’s definitely because of water…there’s a lot of mud down there. As the earth under the floor eroded, it uncovered the skeleton. Partway, at least. Of course, no one could see what was happening under here until our friend Mr. Haggarty had the unfortunate experience of stepping on a board that was rotted through and it snapped, sending him falling through the floor. You can see where he landed in the mud.

“And right there,” Tommy pointed, “you see the skull and top portion of the skeleton sticking out of the ground.”

“You came face-to-face with that thing, man?” Tommy looked over at the construction worker who was leaning against the wall. “Not a good way to start the day.”

“Yeah. You’re telling me,” Haggarty answered.

Turning back to the skeleton, Tommy said, “I’m no expert, but that hole in the skull right there…see it, it looks like it could be a GSW from a pretty heavy caliber gun.”

Leaning down and twisting his head so he could try and get a better look at the skull, Ben saw the hole and wondered if his partner was right. Finding a skeleton buried under the floor was one thing. Finding a skeleton buried under the floor with a bullet hole in its skull was something else. It took everything to a different level.

Standing and stretching their legs, Tommy said, “When Shirley first called me, I thought this was going to have been some kind of prank. Some kids snuck into the site on a dare and left a skeleton for the crew to find.”

“You thought kids somehow buried a skeleton under this building in the hopes someone would fall through the floor and find it?” Ben asked, raising an eyebrow. “Not to mention having to figure out how to bury the thing under the floor?”

“In my defense,” Tommy started, raising a finger and shaking it at his partner, “I didn’t know the skeleton was buried under the warehouse. I just knew they’d found a skeleton at the warehouse.”

The first thing that needed to happen was to get the skeleton out of the ground. That would be up to the crime scene techs. Even though he could easily reach in and pull the skull out to get a better look, Ben didn’t want to disturb anything more than it already had been when Lance Haggarty crashed through the floor. Thankfully, he hadn’t actually landed on the skull itself.

“So much for our day off,” Ben said, looking at his watch, wondering where the crime scene guys were.

***

Excerpt from Vice & Virtue by Justin M. Kiska. Copyright 2022 by Justin M. Kiska. Reproduced with permission from Justin M. Kiska. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Justin M. Kiska

When not sitting in his library devising new and clever ways to kill people (for his mysteries), Justin can usually be found at The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre, outside of Washington, DC, where he is one of the owners and producers. In addition to writing the Parker City Mysteries Series, he is also the mastermind behind Marquee Mysteries, a series of interactive mystery events he has been writing and producing for over fifteen years. Justin and his wife, Jessica, live along Lake Linganore outside of Frederick, Maryland.

Catch Up With Our Author:
JustinKiska.com
Goodreads
BookBub - @JMKiska
Twitter - @JustinKiska
Facebook - @JMKiska

 

 

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!

 

 

 

 

 

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03 March 2022

Rudrabaan (Cursed Elements) by Nitya Neelakantan - @BookReviewTours @YoganushasanamN

 



A cafĂ© owner who is haughty and entitled. An event planner who is earnest and acquiescent. A curse that was cast an eternity ago…


Shruthakeerthi Urs aka. Shruti is the client from hell. Jaideep Rai is the hot new event planner who bring out the shrew in Shruti. Tempers fly and egos clash even as they attempt to work together on an event.
Fate brings them face to face again when they both sign up for the same Jungle Challenge adventure, traversing the mountains and forests of the Western Ghats of India. Forced to work together they snarl and spar at every given chance, refusing to admit that they may be hankering for something amorous with the other…a simmering undercurrent of passion!
And what happens when one of them is cursed? Can they put aside their differences and come together to break a curse that has sounded the death knell for generations of one of their families? Amidst surprise revelations, mystic mendicants, and repressed memories, can the two work out the pieces of the puzzle that can break the curse?
Will Shruti and Jaideep survive this epic adventure and find love, or will they remain ships passing in the night…
Rudrabaan is an adventure filled story peppered with magical realism and hued with some regular hate to love drama.

Book Links:
Goodreads * Amazon.in * Amazon.com


Read an Excerpt from Rudrabaan


Jaideep was now definitely staring at the two of them. How does Bobby do this? How does he just win people over? Jaideep was feeling confused and irritated. If it wasn’t for the fact that Bobby was his best friend and that he was gay, Jaideep might have just ripped his limbs apart for hugging Shruti. He wanted to be in Bobby’s place right now, smelling her hair and gently kissing her forehead as she leaned in. He pictured himself pushing his fingers into her curly knots and bringing her head closer to his chest. 
Thwack! Prashant’s broad hand landed on Jaideep’s back. ‘Let’s go, buddy. Did you not hear your name?’
Participants were now divided into two groups and given logs of wood and thick ropes. They had to make rafts that would take them across the stream. Lunch was being served on the other side of the stream. Eager to have lunch, the teams put their backs into making the rafts. 
Shruti and Jaideep sat on opposite sides of the raft as they were part of the same group. About a meter from the bank, the ropes of their raft began to come undone, and the logs of wood separated, toppling the team into water. The other team who had reached the bank began laughing as they stepped into the water to pull people out. 
‘It’s all your fault. If you didn’t know how to tie ropes you should have left it to the experts,’ Shruti shouted at Jaideep. 
‘Like you are an expert on everything?’, he retorted as he looked at her wet cotton shirt. It was clinging to her skin and the water had made it see-through. Jaideep was looking at the clear outline of a yellow bra as he spoke.   
‘I wasn’t talking about myself. But if you took the time to pull your head out of your ass, you would know that!’ she said and stomped away, water dripping from her clothes as she walked onto the bank of the stream. 
The rest of the group had already gone ahead to where lunch was being served and didn’t notice the exchange of words between them.  
Jaideep grabbed Shruti’s arm and pulled her close. They looked at each other with daggers in their eyes but kindred embers in their souls. He wanted to bite her lower lip as he glared at her, his eyes lingering a second longer than intended on her luscious lips and moving furtively down her neck.
He tore his eyes away from her and forced himself to look away as he said, ‘What is your problem? Why do you hate me? I am just trying to have a decent, hard-earned holiday. Please!’
Shruti wrestled her arm out of his grasp. She tried hard not to focus on why her body was melting in response to his touch,  like a smitten kitten and she said, ‘Don’t you dare touch me again. I don’t know you enough to hate you. You are not that important to me. Please enjoy your holiday and stay the hell away from me!’
Shruti walked away huffing, but her body seemed to be yearning for that fervour she felt a few seconds ago when Jaideep had clutched her wrist. She had been so afraid that he would feel her pulse quicken and hear how loudly her heart thumped inside her chest when he touched her. 
Neither of them saw that a flaming arrow had landed right next to the riverbank that they had stepped onto. The flames flickered and the arrow disappeared once again. 


About the Author:

Nitya Neelakantan is a writer and yoga teacher from Bangalore. She has three paperback novels that are awaiting publication with Rupa Publications and Readomania. 
Nitya graduated with a degree in Hotel Management before moving into the learning space as a technical trainer and then a soft skills trainer. Her writing and yoga journey began simultaneously as she hung up her corporate boots in exchange for more time with her two and four-legged family. 
When not teaching or reading, Nitya enjoys travelling with her husband, son, and two fluffy dog-babies.  She is an amateur blogger who is also passionate about composting, slow fashion, and conscious living.



Keep in touch with Nitya:




02 March 2022

#BookThought The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

About The Book

The Alchemist depicts the journey of a shepherd boy, Santiago. He desires to #travel in search of a worldly treasure. His quest will lead him to riches far different—and far more satisfying—than he ever imagined.

Santiago's journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, of recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, most importantly, to follow our dreams.

My Thoughts

For some strange reason, I didn’t like the book at all. I read it three times, just to make sure my disliking is validated. There is something about the book which just makes me so uncomfortable.

The book perches love at first sight, which I personally don’t believe at all, I don’t believe in destiny, at least not to the extent the book put forward.

Overall, this is not my type of book.

Book Links

Amazon India | Amazon USA

About the Author

Paulo Coelho was born in Brazil and has become one of the most widely read authors in the world today. Renowned for his best-loved work 'The Alchemist', he has sold over 65 million books worldwide and has been translated into 60 languages. The recipient of numerous prestigious awards, he is a storyteller with the power to inspire nations and change people's lives.

Author on the Web

WebsiteInstagram| Facebook | Twitter