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December 18, 2014

Review of Five Point someone by Chetan Bhagat


 I loved three Idiots and I looved Rancho in it.It is among Amir Khan's best works.


I thought it was one of the best written, the most hilarious movies of all times. I was mentally applauding the scriptwriter for having such a brilliant brain( Maybe , even a little jealous). So, imagine my surprise when I heard that it was based on a book by an author named  Chetan Bhagat. And I was Like " who".



Then I had to read Five point Someone. I bought Five Point Someone and finished it in one sitting. It had a simple minimalistic style, no ornate language and a very beautiful heroine who just happened to be the Professor's daughter. But, the book was disapointing in a sense because I read it after seeing "3 Idiots". The film maybe took 10 % from the book, that's all.


Click to But this Bestseller


Set in IIT, in the early 90's, Five Point Someone portrays the lives of the protagonist Hari and his two friends Ryan and Alok. It explores the darker side of IIT, one in which students having worked for years to make it into the institute - struggle to maintain their grades, keep their friends and have some kind of life outside studies.


But that aside. The book is well written and well edited. I didn't like the cover but I loved the characters. They are very Three- dimensional and it is very easy to imagine them. The language is fluid and as he takes on the roller coaster ride through IIT. We experience each moment, each joy, each sorrow as if it's our friends being hurt and fictional characters of a book.

In a short it had all I wanted in a summer read. 

Also I loved the fact that the ending and the relationship between our lead pairs were realistic. I even sympathised with the poor professor, the dad of the heroine. And me being student, you should know it's really hard. 
There was another major factor which made Hari, the lead, so much more likeable. It was the fact that a chapter was allowed for Ryan and Alok to tell us about Hari, which gives us a glimpse into his past and tells us in few precise sentences. Why he is the way, he is.

On the whole I found it to be a very enjoyable read , a light one. Chetan Bhagat books aren't expensive so you should definitely give it a try.

Rating : 3.8 / 5

 He is an Indian author, columnist, screenwriter and speaker. Bhagat is the author of bestselling novels. Bhagat writes op-ed columns for popular English and Hindi newspapers, including The Times of India and Dainik Bhaskar focusing on youth, career  and issue based on national developement. In 2008,  The New York Time cited Bhagat as "the biggest selling English language novelist in India’s history
                                                                                   Amazon Page : Chetan Bhagat


December 14, 2014

Super Sunday-Super Covers #3

It's Sunday and that means it's time for finding that super special cover that makes us glance at that book a second to long. This time that book is " The Secret Wish List " by Preeti Shenoy. Ever since I read " Life is what you make of it" by her. I've been a huge fan of her and this book cover is so cute, I wanted to feature it here.

Click to Buy this Beautiful book



The Secret Wish List revolves around the life of the protagonist Diksha at the time when she was in her teens and a striking disparity in her life 18 years later. At the tender age of 16, Diksha is like just another typical teenager juggling with school, boys, gossip and fun with her best friend until one day when everything changes. An innocent teenage crush invites a string of irreversible events that change her life forever. 18 years later, Diksha who once was a happy-go-lucky and carefree teenager is now a woman with entirely opposite traits. Married to a successful professional and a mother to a young boy, she is a bored housewife wearing the mask of being happily married. An unexpected incident opens up avenues for Diksha to give her life a second chance. and thus, she creates a secret wish list in the hope to fulfill her desires. Will she be able to brave through this journey while dealing with the complexity of an extramarital affair? Will she be able to succeed in the quest for rediscovering herself? The Secret Wish List is about the journey of a woman towards getting her happy life back. It is about her dreams and aspirations and the quest for finding out whether true love exists or not. 

And here is my review of "Life is what you make of it" by Preeti Shenoy 


 About the Author



From the acclaimed author of 34 Bubblegums And Candies, Preeti Shenoy is among the top authors in India. She has a myriad of interests ranging from yoga, photography and sociology and currently resides in Bangalore. In the 2013 edition of Forbes, her name was mentioned in the 100 most influential celebrities of India. She has also written for Reader's Digest and has had articles of her published in various newspapers and magazines, including The Times of India.
Her website : www.preetishenoy.com
Her Amazon page : Preeti Shenoy Books


Which book would you like to see featured here. Please give your suggestions below.


December 10, 2014

Review of Life is What You Make of It by Preeti Shenoy

This book was gifted to me by my friend and I am forever grateful to her for that.  It was the first time I had heard of the author and since the cover was quite beautiful, I decided to give it a try( shallow , I know). I am so glad I did. It is a life story but more than that it shows us how beautiful life is despite the severe setbacks that often get's thrown our way.

Click to Buy

Ankita Sharma has the world in her palms. She is young, smart and heads turn at every corner she walks by. Born into a conservative middle class household - this defines the chronicle of her life. Set in a time when Doordarshan was the prime source of entertainment and writing love letters was the general fad, every youngster dreams of the thrills of college life. And so, her admission into an MBA institute in Mumbai follows. Ankita's story begins here, from her life as a college student. Life seems all sunshine and flowers until a drastic turn leaves her staring at a disturbing path, only because of her own misdoing. Jump to six months later. The sun glistens on a sombre building. Magnetized in view, the words - “Mental Institute”. Who is the face staring out of the window?
What if destiny twisted your journey? What if it dragged you to a place that houses your worst fears? Would you stand and fight or would you run? Set in the late eighties, across two cities, Life is What You Make It is a compelling account of growing up, determination, faith and how an unconquerable spirit can overcome the punches destiny throws at you. At its core, it is a love story that makes us question our identity and the concept of sanity. Published on the first day of 2011, Life is What You Make It by Preeti Shenoy is available in paperback .
The book is motivational but more than that it encloses a very beautiful story. I loved the book and after reading it My heart was poutpourri of emotions.

Ankitha's journey from the beginning to the very end is well narrated and paced. The twists and turns spectacular. The ending was very unexpected  (in a good way) and i liked the way the author tied up the loose ends.. It was almost like following the bread crumbs that lead to final destination.

So, if you ever have time, please please give this book a try. It is really cheap. I would pay so thrice it's original price to read this book.

I will rate it now.....

RATING : 5/5

I THINK THIS IS MY FIRST EVER FULL-STAR RATING. SO,KUDOS TO THE AUTHOR.

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That's it for today have a happy day.........


 About the Author



From the acclaimed author of 34 Bubblegums And Candies, Preeti Shenoy is among the top authors in India. She has a myriad of interests ranging from yoga, photography and sociology and currently resides in Bangalore. In the 2013 edition of Forbes, her name was mentioned in the 100 most influential celebrities of India. She has also written for Reader's Digest and has had articles of her published in various newspapers and magazines, including The Times of India.
Her website : www.preetishenoy.com
Her Amazon page : Preeti Shenoy Books

December 08, 2014

The List of Indian Author Chetan Bhagat Books

With the release of Half-Girlfriend , which had created buzz even before releasing, he has once again achieved that top position among the leading Indian writers in English.

So, below is a list of his works . The list is given according to the date of release.

                                               1. Five Point Someone (2004)

Click to Buy the book which inspired the movie '3 Idiots'

Set in IIT, in the early 90's, Five Point Someone portrays the lives of the protagonist Hari and his two friends Ryan and Alok. It explores the darker side of IIT, one in which students having worked for years to make it into the institute - struggle to maintain their grades, keep their friends and have some kind of life outside studies.


 2.One Night @ the Call Centre (2005)  

Click to Buy this story of call centre, broken heart and a divine intervention

Press 1 for technical support. 
Press 2 for broken hearts.
Press 3 if your life has totally crashed. . . . 

Six friends work nights at a call center in India, providing technical support for a major U.S. appliance corporation. Skilled in patience–and accent management–they help American consumers keep their lives running. Yet behind the headsets, everybody’s heart is on the line. 

Shyam (Sam to his callers) has lost his self-confidence after being dumped by the girl who just so happens to be sitting next to him. Priyanka’s domineering mother has arranged for her daughter’s upscale marriage to an Indian man in Seattle. Esha longs to be a model but discovers it’s a horizontal romp to the runway. Lost, dissatisfied Vroom has high ideals, but compromises them by talking on the phone to idiots each night. Traditional Radhika has just found out that her husband is sleeping with his secretary. And Military Uncle (nobody knows his real name) sits alone working the online chat. 

They all try to make it through their shifts–and maintain their sanity–under the eagle eye of a boss whose ego rivals his incompetence. But tonight is no ordinary night. Tonight is Thanksgiving in America: Appliances are going haywire, and the phones are ringing off their hooks. Then one call, from one very special caller, changes everything.

Chetan Bhagat’s delicious romantic comedy takes us inside the world of the international call center, where cultural cross-wires come together with perfect pathos, hilarity, and spice.

3.The Three Mistakes Of My Life(2008)

                   Click to Buy The Story which got adapted into the hit movie 'Kai Po Che'

The 3 Mistakes of My Life is set in the later part of the year 2000 and tells the tale of three friends, as they embark on a journey to find success in life and in their careers. Govind, a young boy who lives in Ahmedabad, has always cherished a dream of starting his own business. He has two friends, named Ish and Omi, who are very dear to him. With the intent of including them in his business, he decides to open his own cricket shop.
The 3 Mistakes of My Life highlights Govind's desire to make money and make it big in his career. However, his friend Ish has rather different motives. Instead of his own career, he wishes to mentor a gifted batsman named Ali. Omi, on the other hand, knows just how restricted his own capabilities are, which is why his main goal is to be with his friends in whatever they're doing.
However, will these three friends manage to make it big in a city like Ahmedabad? How will they deal with issues such as love, failure and misfortune, as they crop up along the way? This story aims to deal with these thought-provoking questions.

                                                         4. 2 States(2009)
Click to Buy the book which got adapted into the hit movie of the same name

2 States is a semi-autobiographical novel written by Chetan Bhagat. This book depicts the common quarrels of couples who come from differing social backgrounds in India and the story being semi-autobiographical makes it all the more relatable.
2 States: The Story Of My Marriage is an entertaining account of a boy and girl who are madly in love but can't get married without their parents' blessings. After spotting Ananya at the IIM Ahmedabad mess fighting with a worker, Krish attempts to befriend her in the hopes of winning her favor. They eventually become a couple and dream of tying the knot, but the task of battling with their parents looms in front of them. They have to overcome their fear of rejection and come up with effective ideas which would result in a happy married life.
Love marriages in India are still a touchy subject in most families and the story draws inspiration from this mentality. How they decide to conquer the hearts of their parents and make their marriage materialize into something more than a dream is something that will keep readers enthralled.

                                                5.Revolution 2020 (2011)

Click to Buy this 'Revolutionary' Book

A tale of dreams, ambitions and unrequited love, Revolution 2020: Love. Ambition. Corruption. explores the lives of three friends from Varanasi, while also painting a stark picture of the country's corrupt political landscape.
Gopal and Raghav are friends who hail from different backgrounds, but share a common hunger for success and realizing their dreams in life. Gopal, whose family has been mired in a never-ending property dispute, yearns to break out and amass wealth, while Raghav harbors dreams of disrupting the political milieu with his ideas of revolutionary change. Their lives take a surprising turn when they fall in love with a mutual friend, Aarti-a move that adds a new layer of complexity to their existing relationship. Aarti, meanwhile, is torn between her feelings for the defiant Raghav and ambitious Gopal. The plot thickens as Gopal gives in to the corrupt system that Raghav is trying to fight to fuel his thirst for riches. Will the volatile situation turn the friends against each other? Will Raghav be successful in his quest for rapid social change? And more importantly, will their closely entwined love lives alter their future forever? in Chetan Bhagat's signature style, Revolution 2020: Love. Ambition. Corruption. charges forward to answer all these questions.

                                      6.What Young India Wants(2012)
Click to Buy And Know What 'Young India' Wants

One of India's bestselling authors brings you another interesting and thought-provoking book called What Young India Wants. The future of any nation lies in the hands of the youth of the country and this book explores the problems faced by them. Patriotism is almost unheard of from the youth of today and this book looks into the reasons as to why we have reached this state of affairs.
What Young India Wants looks into some of the crucial questions asked by young people in India. The book takes you through the reasons for the high suicide rate among students, the extent to which corruption has infiltrated the governing systems of the country and whether democracy is truly being fulfilled in the nation.
The book details a critical analysis of the complicated problems faced by India in the 21st century. It also presents possible solutions and invites you to engage with the issues discussed, allowing you to see the problem from its various dimensions.
                            7.Half Girlfriend(2014)

Click To Buy This Latest work from Chetan Bhagat

Once upon a time, there was a Bihari boy called Madhav. He fell in love with girl called Riya. Madhav didn't speak English well. Riya did. Madhav wanted a relationship. Riya didn't. Riya just wanted friendship. Madhav didn't. Riya suggested a compromise. She agreed to be his half-girlfriend. From the author of the blockbuster novels Five Point Someone, One Night @ the Call Center, The 3 Mistakes of My Life, 2 States and Revolution 2020 comes a simple and beautiful love story that will touch your heart and inspire you to chase your dreams.



Among his works the most notable were " 5 Point Someone" , "2 States" , "Revolution 2020".
 He is an Indian author, columnist, screenwriter and speaker. Bhagat is the author of bestselling novels. Bhagat writes op-ed columns for popular English and Hindi newspapers, including The Times of India and Dainik Bhaskar focusing on youth, career  and issue based on national developement. In 2008,  The New York Time cited Bhagat as "the biggest selling English language novelist in India’s history
Amazon Page : Chetan Bhaga
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August 21, 2014

Review of The White tiger by Aravind adiga


Book : The White Tiger
Author : Aravind Adiga
Genre : Contemporary


The white tiger was a smashing debut from Indian author Aravind Adiga. and the year it debuted, it won the prestigious man booker prize( 2008-the fortieth Man Booker prize). Cool right!

I first saw this book in the hands of my friend while in school.I managed to read 20 pages or so before the bell rang and had to immediately  return the book. But not before making a decision to search,find and read it.

But unfortunately like all good decisions, I couldn't follow it through.Whenever I used visit the library in hopes of finding this book( I visited three of them), my hopes always got shattered. Someone would have already taken it before me. In the end I gave up and turned my attention to other books.



Two weeks ago I  college started and on my first visit to the library I found the book that has been giving me the slip  for two years--The White Tiger.

So this is the review I have been waiting to write for two years.( Thanks for staying with me through all that rambling).

If you are a foreigner i'm sure you will love this book. It provides a rather fresh perspective of writing about  the poor in India. This novel is coming together of people from various castes, regions and ideologies and is held together by the memories of the protagonist Balram Halwai.

But if you are Indian you won't necessarily agree with the way Balram ascends to power.And even though you know all the facts in the book to be true, something , something I don't know what ! Feels like undigested food in the stomach.

It maybe the lackluster of action (not suspense) , I love some action in stories because that's in almost all the books I read.

That being said however i admit that I Love the book. The story was a little slow paced for my taste but I loved the characters-so three dimensional, the plot-linear yet twisted and the setting-dark.

The story is of Balram halwai, who is from the caste of halwai-sweet makers,his ascension to the business worlds of Bangalore and his life in between which forms the crux of the story. And all this is written in the form of long( very long) emails to the Chinese premier who is scheduled to visit  India soon.

RATING : 4.5/5

Indian Readers can click on this links to buy :

AMAZON



Others can buy from :

AMAZON


I reduced 0.5 because the pace is a little slow for me.But I think you might give it a five.Why don't you read it and tell me. I would love to hear your thoughts.

P.s : one of my favourite comments from Balram is about the sacred river Ganga. Sacred or not...Facts are Facts.