Notionpress – Confessions of a Readaholic http://readingbooks.blog Book Reviews | IAuhor nterviews | EST 2013 Thu, 22 Nov 2018 11:11:42 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.1 https://i1.wp.com/readingbooks.blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/final_logo_18-3.png?fit=32%2C32 Notionpress – Confessions of a Readaholic http://readingbooks.blog 32 32 142810393 BOOK REVIEW: Unforeseen by Chandan Sen Gupta http://readingbooks.blog/2018/10/09/book-review-unforeseen-by-chandan-sen-gupta/ http://readingbooks.blog/2018/10/09/book-review-unforeseen-by-chandan-sen-gupta/#comments Mon, 08 Oct 2018 18:31:19 +0000 http://readingbooks.blog/?p=5800 Cleverly woven plots are often a delight for me to read. There are many factors why I like these type of plots and think that the writers who construct them are some of the most skillful in their work. I can start with that these type of plots engage me as a reader like me, I am a very demanding reader, for a longer period of time, or until I run out of pages to read. Mostly, to experience this, the genre of the thriller is often one can rely upon. Chandan Sen Gupta’s latest book, Unforeseen is a great example. When I started reading Unforeseen, it sounded like an ordinary thriller plot which starts with a young Pakistani teacher […]

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]]> Unforeseen by Chandan Sen Gupta
Published by Notionpress on 23/03/2018
Genres: Fiction, Thriller
Pages: 340
Format: ARC, eBook
Goodreads
four-stars

Cleverly woven plots are often a delight for me to read. There are many factors why I like these type of plots and think that the writers who construct them are some of the most skillful in their work. I can start with that these type of plots engage me as a reader like me, I am a very demanding reader, for a longer period of time, or until I run out of pages to read. Mostly, to experience this, the genre of the thriller is often one can rely upon. Chandan Sen Gupta’s latest book, Unforeseen is a great example.

When I started reading Unforeseen, it sounded like an ordinary thriller plot which starts with a young Pakistani teacher who comes to India with his family to save his ten-year-old daughter and to spend his life savings for her surgery. Little did he know of the path that lay ahead and that it will turn into a nightmare for him and his family. He gots implicated for a murder in a hotel in Delhi. To prove his innocence and to expose the men behind the crime he trails out not only against time, but being in a foreign rival country he chased by both the police and his own accusers.

When I finished reading this book, I realized who in-depth the plot has been explored and how the emotions of an innocent guy are explored. The way the plot is organized and exposed in the book, it was enough to keep me on the edge of my seat at times. The theme of political indulgence and the side-effects of it in the life of a common man is explored at a very higher level.

With a well-constructed plot, I often expect the characterization should be up to the mark. Well, the protagonist does fit the plot but I did feel some of the side characters could have been given more time. This book is written in a third person narrative voice which again is the main factor to drive the reader to reach the end without leaving the book in the middle because it is well used.

4 out of 5!

four-stars

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]]> http://readingbooks.blog/2018/10/09/book-review-unforeseen-by-chandan-sen-gupta/feed/ 1 5800 BOOK REVIEW: The Last Attractor of Chaos by Abhinav Singh http://readingbooks.blog/2018/08/30/book-review-the-last-attractor-of-chaos-by-abhinav-singh/ http://readingbooks.blog/2018/08/30/book-review-the-last-attractor-of-chaos-by-abhinav-singh/#respond Wed, 29 Aug 2018 18:31:19 +0000 http://readingbooks.blog/?p=5734 If you get a chance to read a Spy novel written by an Indian writer you to read it. It is a like once in a blue moon material that gets out in the market. The plot starts with a married couple. Ashwin Rathore is killed in a well-planned murder that gets wrong. The murderer was after his wife Shruti Rathore who is a retired R&AW agent. This is just a start of this thrilling storyline as the wife gets arrested by the Intelligence Bureau on the charge of stealing a strategic weapon and killing her associate. Unaware of her wife’s past, and after his death Ashwin meets a strange consciousness appearing in the form of a guide in his […]

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]]> The Last Attractor of Chaos by Abhinav Singh
Published by Notionpress on 04/2018
Genres: Fiction, Mystery
Pages: 332
Format: eBook
Goodreads
five-stars

If you get a chance to read a Spy novel written by an Indian writer you to read it. It is a like once in a blue moon material that gets out in the market.

The plot starts with a married couple. Ashwin Rathore is killed in a well-planned murder that gets wrong. The murderer was after his wife Shruti Rathore who is a retired R&AW agent. This is just a start of this thrilling storyline as the wife gets arrested by the Intelligence Bureau on the charge of stealing a strategic weapon and killing her associate. Unaware of her wife’s past, and after his death Ashwin meets a strange consciousness appearing in the form of a guide in his afterlife. Both of them try to save Shruti’s life as Ashwin himself tries to fight a dilemma of protecting his wife or choosing what is right to do.

The plot covers an interesting theme and there is a lot from a philosophical point of view on the death and afterlife. I was surprised by this as I expected it to be a traditional spy novel. However, the inclusion of this law of nature as the primary theme of the novel did make things interesting. With glimpses of mysterious nature of characters, this novel has a good pace, and the setting of the novel which includes an Intelligence Agency of India is something altogether new out there for the reader to pick this up.

The characterization is bold but more significant within the plot. They are like a molecule in the shell of the storyline and without it, they won’t exist. The use of sob plot was not much of an intriguing point from me but I think it copes well in the end. The writing style is crisp and lucid. It does help to turn the page at a faster rate. There are many twists and turns that made not to put down this book. A glimpse of realism is there which is what Indian readers are after these days.

Overall, this book is recommended for the sole reason that there aren’t many Spy novels written in India or by Indian writers. Another point that I can add is that this book is highly entertaining due to the way it reaches the climax of the story.

5 out of 5!

five-stars

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]]> http://readingbooks.blog/2018/08/30/book-review-the-last-attractor-of-chaos-by-abhinav-singh/feed/ 0 5734 BOOK REVIEW: Flaming Forties by Giri Sharma http://readingbooks.blog/2018/07/24/book-review-flaming-forties-by-giri-sharma/ http://readingbooks.blog/2018/07/24/book-review-flaming-forties-by-giri-sharma/#comments Mon, 23 Jul 2018 18:31:58 +0000 http://readingbooks.blog/?p=5673 Giri Sharma’s latest novella Flaming Forties: A Journey Which Changed Their Lives has a lively theme with all the modern elements one can think of. The book is based in Mumbai, India, where four childhood friends dwell together on a journey. The story of these four friends is an interesting reflection of life. The plot starts with the journey to Manali and Shimla from Mumbai. All of the friends are in their forties and happily married or recently widowed. They are meeting after a long time and haven’t been in contact for 28 years. The plot covers two themes simultaneously and succeeds in doing so. These two themes, friendship, and marriage are rarely seen together in one book. The storyline […]

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]]> Flaming Forties by Giri Sharma
Published by Notionpress on 16/10/2017
Genres: Fiction, Travel
Pages: 80
Format: eBook
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
three-stars

Giri Sharma’s latest novella Flaming Forties: A Journey Which Changed Their Lives has a lively theme with all the modern elements one can think of. The book is based in Mumbai, India, where four childhood friends dwell together on a journey. The story of these four friends is an interesting reflection of life.

The plot starts with the journey to Manali and Shimla from Mumbai. All of the friends are in their forties and happily married or recently widowed. They are meeting after a long time and haven’t been in contact for 28 years. The plot covers two themes simultaneously and succeeds in doing so. These two themes, friendship, and marriage are rarely seen together in one book. The storyline is eventful with some twists in between.

The characterization in the novel is above par and I think since the length of the novella is only 80 pages, there isn’t enough time given for the characters to mature to the highest possible extent. Third person narrative voice is used in this novella to describe the events. It is written with simplicity. A better editing or a little expansion of the plot could have done better though. This book did feel too short to read. The themes, the thing I most adore about this book could have then been reflected more in depth but that might not be the intention of the author.

Nonetheless, if you are looking to read something short and crisp, something that you can read in one sitting, this is for you. I will be looking forward to more and a bigger (in length) work from Giri Sharma, the author.

3 out of 5!

The book is available on various platforms:


Amazon.in (print edition) :

https://goo.gl/oTmRLC
FLIPCART ( print edition) : https://goo.gl/ppPxrh
Kindle (e-book) : https://goo.gl/ekBYt2
Google play (e-book) :https://goo.gl/XAqFBf
Apple i-Books- ( e book ) : https://goo.gl/NZMhEv
USA- Amazon Kindle: https://goo.gl/mXb3w
UK- Amazon Kindle: https://goo.gl/Mqdhda

three-stars

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]]> http://readingbooks.blog/2018/07/24/book-review-flaming-forties-by-giri-sharma/feed/ 4 5673 BOOK REVIEW: Origami Birds by Tanya Jain http://readingbooks.blog/2018/03/06/book-review-origami-birds-tanya-jain/ http://readingbooks.blog/2018/03/06/book-review-origami-birds-tanya-jain/#comments Mon, 05 Mar 2018 18:31:12 +0000 http://readingbooks.blog/?p=5417 Origami Birds is a collection of forty-four poems written by Tanya Jain. In order to reach a reader’s heart these poems do cover a lot of topics that some of them might be considered sensitive but then I guess poetry is a way of expressing one’s feelings and a way for those who read them to share those expressions and feel a warmth in their heart too. It works both ways.   The title of this collection is rightly justified. When I received, I was curious about it and found a satisfactory verse that introduced me to it at the start:   Some birds are free, Some birds are caged. This origami bird is molded from a page. Set her […]

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]]> Origami Birds by Tanya Jain
Published by Notionpress on 13/09/2017
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 100
Format: eBook
Goodreads
four-stars
Origami Birds is a collection of forty-four poems written by Tanya Jain. In order to reach a reader’s heart these poems do cover a lot of topics that some of them might be considered sensitive but then I guess poetry is a way of expressing one’s feelings and a way for those who read them to share those expressions and feel a warmth in their heart too. It works both ways.
 
The title of this collection is rightly justified. When I received, I was curious about it and found a satisfactory verse that introduced me to it at the start:
 
Some birds are free,
Some birds are caged.
This origami bird is
molded from a page.
Set her free,
Or let her be.

Some of her verses are short some have a good length but I did not find anyone that might not justify its length. The poet here has a clear and a unique way to express her thoughts. The rhyming of phrases did not ever once feel that they are going out of the way nor they are strictly rhyming.
 
Some of my favorite poems from the book that truly shows Tanya as a poet and touched me are Priceless, Marriage, Strange Love Affair, Wheels of Time and Overlaps.
 
Some of them might seem an expression of darkness but it, either way, shows her vulnerability that allowed her to express her feelings in a complete manner. It is good to be vulnerable at times, both for women and men, it shows the true side of self and the insecurities we run away or hide them as skeletons in our closet.
 
The whole collection is mere 100 pages and is enjoyable. I do recommend you to get a cup of coffee or tea, and read bit by bit for as a reader to observe what the poet wants to say through her verses. Poetry does help to saturate the thoughts of a chaotic mind.
 
4 out of 5!
four-stars

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]]> http://readingbooks.blog/2018/03/06/book-review-origami-birds-tanya-jain/feed/ 2 5417 BOOK REVIEW: The Book of My Life by Abhishek Vincent http://readingbooks.blog/2018/02/22/book-review-book-life-abhishek-vincent/ http://readingbooks.blog/2018/02/22/book-review-book-life-abhishek-vincent/#respond Wed, 21 Feb 2018 18:31:50 +0000 https://amandeepmittal.wordpress.com/?p=4795 Abhishek Vincent’s debut The Book of My Life: A True Love journey was released in late 2017. Full of emotions, and deciphering feelings page by page both of the character and the reader, it is a book not to be missed if you are a fan of romance fiction or like to read good heartwarming stories. The plot uniquely starts at a railway where the author of the book stumbles upon a diary left behind a traveler. He discovers a tale of a young man in search of love. Starting from his middle school days, where he thought he found his first love along with happiness and continuing the journey after three more similar scenarios until he finally gets what he […]

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]]> The Book of My Life by Abhishek Vincent
Published by Notionpress Genres: Fiction
Pages: 238
Format: eBook
three-stars

Abhishek Vincent’s debut The Book of My Life: A True Love journey was released in late 2017. Full of emotions, and deciphering feelings page by page both of the character and the reader, it is a book not to be missed if you are a fan of romance fiction or like to read good heartwarming stories.

The plot uniquely starts at a railway where the author of the book stumbles upon a diary left behind a traveler. He discovers a tale of a young man in search of love. Starting from his middle school days, where he thought he found his first love along with happiness and continuing the journey after three more similar scenarios until he finally gets what he seeks. The ups and downs of his love lives and an incident that turns him empty inside with no hope left to be ever loved by someone again. But the “love” hasn’t given up on him.

The storyline is full of interesting incidents. The stories are aligned in a timely manner in the protagonist’s life. There four subplots that completes the major plot and the narrative voice following these plots is smooth and is written in first person voice. Even though I felt that the repetition of elements used in earlier subplots in this book, with quite similar incidents happening with the author. This does constitute a dragging element but just when I started to think more about it, the author pull of the curtains and introduces the climax in one of the subplots. That changes everything from a reader’s perspective.

The characterization is not that vast in proportion to the length of the novel. The main cast if deeply explored and I think this where the masterful efforts of the author of this book come into the picture.  The way he develops and displays characters, to drive the plot forward, is an effort to appreciate. It is a well-written novel that happens to satisfy its own niche.

3 out of 5

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three-stars

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]]> http://readingbooks.blog/2018/02/22/book-review-book-life-abhishek-vincent/feed/ 0 4795 BOOK REVIEW: Murderous Greed by Arun Nair http://readingbooks.blog/2018/02/06/book-review-murderous-greed-by-arun-nair/ http://readingbooks.blog/2018/02/06/book-review-murderous-greed-by-arun-nair/#respond Mon, 05 Feb 2018 18:31:05 +0000 https://amandeepmittal.wordpress.com/?p=4808 Crime Fiction is one of my favourites genre to read. I can read books falling under this genre in no time. In my reading years, after reading both classics and contemporary crime fiction novels, I have concluded that a good crime fiction is written with variant in its narrative pace. Not only it keeps the reader driving forward, continue the guess work, but it eliminates the possibility of having dragging components in between. Murderous Greed by Arun K is an excellent example of that. The plot is set in town of Avadi, Tamil Nadu where two tragic occasions have happened on one morning. In the first one a woman falls victim to chain snatching and gives away her life in […]

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]]> Murderous Greed by Arun K. Nair
Published by Notionpress on 2017
Genres: Mystery, Fiction
Pages: 203
Format: Paperback
Goodreads
four-stars

Crime Fiction is one of my favourites genre to read. I can read books falling under this genre in no time. In my reading years, after reading both classics and contemporary crime fiction novels, I have concluded that a good crime fiction is written with variant in its narrative pace. Not only it keeps the reader driving forward, continue the guess work, but it eliminates the possibility of having dragging components in between. Murderous Greed by Arun K is an excellent example of that.


The plot is set in town of Avadi, Tamil Nadu where two tragic occasions have happened on one morning. In the first one a woman falls victim to chain snatching and gives away her life in the process. In the second case, a young business man falls short of his life and his shot at least twice, reported by the witness. A police officer is on the roll and has a deadline to match to complete these cases. But more over he suspects are these two cases interwind somehow? Follow Satyajit, the contemporary detective inspector, as he attempts to uncover these dubious questions.

The storyline has an average start as it takes time to build up the whole situation and the life around the characters involved. I always, when introducing a detective, or protagonist in mystery or crime fiction novels, a writer should spend some amount of time in the process of building up the surreal reality. It is always a good sign, or a good start in my opinion and is an essential step in crime fiction genre. The author of this book does that. The narrative voice uses third person element gracefully.

The characterisation of this novel is interesting because these characters play bigger role. The character of protagonist gets the reader’s attention from the start and does take enough time to develop and it feels his character might fall flat in the first half of the novel. Believe me, things get a lot more interesting in the second half, as soon as your half way through this novel. The pace of this book is smooth at times but picks speed when it has too. This novel does not classify as a complete thriller until the climax but in my opinion it does not have too. There are strong vibes from the start that mystery included is going to be larger than life kind of thing.

As a reader, to fulfil the challenge of solving the mystery is a bit difficult int this novel. I am sure, many might do but I could not. The reason being the well use of red-herring element by the author. A master display of that. I am surprised by the conclusion and found it a delight at the same time.

Pick this one up if you have taste for crime fiction or mystery. There is a sequel coming this year.

4 out of 5

Check out my NEW Book for Bloggers and Book Bloggers

four-stars

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]]> http://readingbooks.blog/2018/02/06/book-review-murderous-greed-by-arun-nair/feed/ 0 4808