How To Travel Full Time by Colin Wright
Published by Asymmetrical Press on 06/11/2011
Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Business
Pages: 125
Format: eBook
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Travel is unexpected and uncomfortable and often the opposite of what you were expecting. #BookQuote #BookBlogging
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Published 7 years ago, How To Travel Full Time by Colin Wright still relevant today. It is not a complete how-to book but rather more of Colin’s philosophy on what makes him want to travel the world and earn to cover costs of travel or save money. Colin started traveling full time in 2009. Along with that, he was blogging and has already published a few ebooks but the main motivation that was that on his blog, he would ask his readers to vote for the country which they’d like him to move to. Sounds crazy, right?

The type of person who excels at long-term travel embraces these situations and sees them as opportunities. They’ll do what needs to be done, whether that means pulling new plans from thin air, hopping on another train, or finding…
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How To Travel Full Time is a pragmatic approach to kickstart your own journey. It is straightforward. The book clearly targets a mindset. Colin Wright has clearly stated in the book that traveling full time is not about reaching out to tourist places but is about getting lost intentionally. Learn about the new cultures, language or food, and provide a value wherever you go. The author of this book talks about common sense that I see few full-time travelers over YouTube and on their blogs still do not get, even in 2018 when there is so much content, advice, suggestion and resources to become one while you work your ass off.

To a person lacking dreams and causes and imagination, money is just another expensive bottle of liquor or VIP seat at the club; borrowed dreams from generations of advertising. #BookQuote #BookBlogging
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Colin is one of the first few digital nomads I would say. He has written a lot of books and is an advocate for minimalism. He offers how most people think traveling will turn in to a journey of nirvana and they will find a new self. If that is the mindset you want to set off, you are completely wrong. You will face problems with no conscious confidence and boldness. It is going to be uncomfortable. That is why I said, the main ideology behind this book is to observe and understand a mindset that you can merge along with your current one.

The idea most people have about travel is wrong. It’s not going to solve your problems. You aren’t going to go on vacation and become a person reborn. #BookQuote #BookBlogging
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Interesting read, the context is still relevant. It is inspiring because it makes me want pursue a similar journey. The writing style is simple but there are some glimpses that Colin Wright can be a good storyteller. Even though the book is around 125 pages, there is a lot to think about.

4 out of 5

Visit Colin on his website. If you’d like to read the book, you can buy it for $1 from here.

My notes and highlights from Colin’s Book are available to Read on Goodreads.

The post #BookReview: How To Travel Full Time by Colin Wright appeared first on Confessions of a Readaholic.

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

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!

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A Place Called Schugara by Joe English
on 20/03/2017
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 554
Format: eBook
Goodreads

Sometimes, when reading a book I often feel the characters it consists are the backbone. I do not know if you have encountered this feeling but I have. The storyline can be flawless but there is a lot that depends on the characters. These characters do not just fill up the pages but they tend to create their own illustration in our minds. For this kind of book, I do believe a writer needs to have a seamless ability to develop such characters and give them air to breathe in between the pages. A Place called Schugara by Joe English is one of that type of book.

The storyline is intriguing as it is based in Caribbean islands. It consists of three main characters: a factory owner from Ohio, an insurance investigator from New York and a bookseller from Chicago. Their fate is tied up together on a little island in the Caribbean. Each of them, offering a variety of background and have their own justification for reaching out on the island. One is after the materialistic missing treasure and another arrives to search for a missing person. Each of them discovers a different experience that is rightly justified by the overall novel. The plot covers all these different characters with a gap in between the timeline of their arrival. The main highlight of the plot is that each character brings on a subplot that adds to the major picture and from time it is unpredictable which is how a reader like is motivated to keep reading it.

The characterisation apart from the main cast is well organized and developed. Every character has its own role to play. The author uses dialogue formation well to switch between the different acts but also uses first-person narrative voice with Chicago bookseller. On reading it, I could say there are different styles of narration mixed to enhance the distinct voices of different characters. This is intriguing. The pace of the novel is steady and helps in moving with the plot. The book is 550 pages long so it also gives a lot of time for the main cast to develop to its fullest and at the same time for the reader to cope with them.

Apart from that, there are different themes that the author tries to address in this book. Themes such as drug wars and the scandal related to a Church clergy are the two highlights. The climax of the novel unfolds in more of a classic Russian literature style. Yes, I am referring to the likes of Dostoyevsky and Chekhov. The book is the result of a highly creative energy put in as the effort. I took my time to read it but I can say it was worth it.

5 out of 5! Recommended.

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Inkredia: The Luwan of Brida by Sarang Mahajan
Series: Inkredia #1
Published by Gloryburg on 28/05/2017
Genres: Fiction, Fantasy
Pages: 436
Format: eBook
Goodreads

Inkredia: Luwan of Brida is the first book in the series of four. Written by Sarang Mahajan, it is a fast-paced fantasy novel. Written in the fashion of tell-tale fantasy, this book takes the reader on an adventure that has knights, magic, mystery, and questions that need to be answered.

From start to finish, the plot revolves around the two characters of both siblings. One is a seventeen-year-old Luwan and his sister Meg who live in the mountain village of Brida. Both of them are orphans since there is a little reference for their father or any other relative. The book cover might not seem an attractive one but believe as I started reading it, I could not keep my hands off it. The storyline unfolds at an interesting point. Luwan is facing a penalty, probably one that includes his death as he fails to pay the tax for the first time. He makes a daring choice to flee from the village along with his sister in a world that is full of danger.

His embarkment of the journey nearly gets them killed. Evil assassins called Ghork Riders are chasing him. He possesses a mysterious book given by his mother that is magical in nature. In the form of riddles, the magical book guides Luwan outside of his village where he comes across a drunkard name Kiliarn who is a merchant by profession. Now, I can tell you all about Kiliarn in this review since I found him the most likable character in this book, but I do not want to spoil anything for you. All I can say this, Kiliarn agrees to take responsibility to travel with them to The City in exchange for some silver coins. It is a thrilling adventure until the destination arrives.

The plot is well constructed and organized. There is so much suspense that surrounds these characters which makes it hard to keep an eye off them. A reader who is fond of traditional fantasies will be indulged in this book. Another thing I want to mention that both the storyline and Sarang’s creation of the world of its own seems closer to Tolkien’s Lord of The Rings rather than modern fantasy writers.

There are not many characters revealed in this edition. The character of Kiliarn is my favorite so far. I am sure, I can expect more interesting characters like this in the rest of this series. The author has taken the time to introduce us to the main cast as well as let few others develop along the adventure. Written in third person narrative style, the overall writing style is just amazing and professional.

This book, even though is a start in the series of Inkredia, seems to have a strong foundation established. I managed to finish this book in two sittings. I will definitely be looking out for the next part. Fantasy lovers and fans of Lord of the Rings check this out. I am sure you won’t be disappointed. Highly recommended!

5 out of 5!

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Do you write book reviews? Do you post them on Goodreads.com apart from your own book blog or Amazon account? If yes, then you must read this article.

Goodreads.com is such an amazing IMDB + Social Media for books. I have been using it for 7 years now. The interface might not be the most dynamic and user-friendly but I think it is a great platform to meet with like-minded people who read books. Finding new books through reviews and connecting with authors are other perks of using it.

Recently, a platform for authors and readers alike called BookSirens.com launched an amazing tool that analyzes your reviewer’s profile on Goodreads.com. They did mine, and the results are more interesting than I expected.

A bit about Booksirens.com?

There are many platforms out there I have seen for Book bloggers where they can get free ebooks. In return, they have to provide a review of the book assigned or interested. Many such platforms run an emailing list that you can subscribe too and then your inbox will get full of it book review requests. Then there are platforms such as Netgalley.com where you have to browse for books and send in a request you like to read.

BookSirens tries to follow the model of the first one however they would not spam your inbox. Its working is different and supports many bestseller and indie authors at the same time. They have a directory of book bloggers around the world in different genres and interests. Their listing of Book bloggers is public and free to use for the authors and do have paid option for connecting with hundreds of readers.

Analyzing a Book Reviewer’s Profile: The Right Way

BookSirens is not a typical marketing tool where authors pay to lure reviewers. It is similar to Netgalley in terms of getting only the interested readers for a specific book. They recently launched a tool where it reviews each and every data from your Goodreads.com profile and displays it in a more statistical and detailed manner. The type of data they are using already made public by Goodreads so do not worry about being snooped.

They invited me to try their tool and first I thought Goodreads already provide stats for every book read in my profile. What are they trying to do differently? What is their goal? With these questions, I politely gave in. The result was amazing.

It analyses these results on the basis of what you have read so far. I am Top 20% in Reading Diversity. 

Not only that, it checks your reading taste and what you prefer most to read. This is classified in two sections, Primary and Secondary.

Looks like I should read more Fiction! With that, it tells you about the topics, themes and characters you include in your reviews.

But one of the most amazing analysis for me in the overall was this. It is called the Early Adopter vs. Late Adopter. I have never seen anything like this before on Goodreads and find it useful to concentrate on which books in my TBR currently.

Lastly, along with others that I have missed out in this post, there are other useful patterns.

I think this is a very helpful analysis of one’s profile. If you take your reviewer’s profile or book blogging seriously than I do think you should join BookSirens.com.

You can check my complete profile here!  

DISCLAIMER:

In no way I am getting compensate for writing this article. I am not trying to promote anything related to BookSirens.com or Goodreads.com. All I am trying to do is spread out the word for fellow book bloggers who can use this tool for their own benefits. All the stats shared here are based on Goodreads.com and their public API.

Special Thanks to Mr. Dhruv Garg for telling me about BookSirens.com.

The post How to Analyze the Profile of a #BookReviewer? appeared first on Confessions of a Readaholic.

The Book of M by Peng Shepherd
Published by William Morrow on 05/06/2018
Genres: Fiction, Dystopia
Pages: 492
Format: eBook
Goodreads

When I came across Peng Shepherd’s debut work, I was foremost attracted by the mysteriousness of the cover of her book. There is no drug that can give you that much high than a book’s beautifully designed cover on which you set your skeptical eyes.

Imagine if you lose your shadow today, somehow. How will you respond to that? What will be your reaction? Will you overreact? Will you have thought that you have lost something close to you? The storyline of this dystopian novel toys with the idea of human beings losing shadow due to some vibe. This doesn’t sound creepy and weird at all, does it?

After losing the shadow, an individual’s memory starts to fade. For some, it takes weeks to be completely reborn in their mind for some, it happens overnight. I found this concept fascinating and dark enough if you think about it. The storyline revolves around multiple characters majorly Max and Ory, a wife and her husband who are trying to escape the Forgetting disease. Yes, they have the name for it. Heights of creativity! This Forgetting disease is spreading out like the plague and wiping the memory of all those who are affected. Until one day, Max’s shadow disappears.

Knowing that she will forget everything, Max runs away Ory refuses to give up on her and tries everything in his possession to find her before her memory completely disappears. The adventure starts and a series of events unfold. The history of the disease Forgetting is told to us, about its origin, whom it affected first and how it is related to elephants. Ory’s attempt to find Max is another adventure in itself that runs parallel to the background of the theme.

There’s a difference between when the mind forgets and the heart does. #BookReview The Book of M (Peng Shepherd
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Written from multiple POVs the book shows feelings and emotions of a being so intense that it gave me goosebumps in between. The overall theme of the book makes it interesting to dwell but the characterization is the core of this book. Everything revolves around them. The start, the ending and even the MAJOR climax in the book.

The writing style is mesmerizing and surreal. The genre of dystopia is well displayed here. The organization of the novel along with ever-changing narration is perfect. Various perceptions make it more thrilling and chilling at the same time. There are twists and turns that caught me off the guard and I am sure, on reading it, you will experience them too.

I read this book in two sittings in one day. I could not keep my hands off it. It is gripping, surreal and a delight for fantasy/urban fantasy/dystopian audience. The reason I am giving it 4 stars is that it could have been more mysterious. Sounded like Mad Max in the end.

4 out of 5!

The post BOOK REVIEW: The Book of M by Peng Shepherd appeared first on Confessions of a Readaholic.

Anon by Bhavani Iyer
Published by Fingerprint! Publishing on 31/05/2018
Genres: Fiction, Historical, Literary
Pages: 312
Format: Paperback
Goodreads

Bhavani Iyer is a screenwriter for many Hindi films and television shows, so when I received this book, I knew I would not be disappointed. Anon is her debut work published earlier this year. The storyline is based in Calcutta of 1960s-70s where Jazz clubs are still lively.

The storyline revolves around two personalities, who are different by a vast amount of surroundings between them yet, they found each other become friends. One is a son of a wealthy landowner and another is born into a fisherman’s family. One is a genius vagabond, another is an ambitious dreamer. However, both of them share a common passion. They both are aspiring writers and have their own share of struggles.

Their friendship is however not only based on the common passion they share. It is actually the different personalities, like two opposing forces attracting each other. It is their story, where one gets the chance to live and other to die.

The narrative style third person and is used very well. The charm of this book is in its characterization. Apart from the two main protagonists of our novel, the characters are lively and cope well with their own roles or the amount of time they are given to appear. The development of the two protagonists can be observed throughout the novel. The writing style is excellent and engrossing. It is because of the manner it is written that as a reader I could observe the emotions that change with time inside a human mind. Crushing memories from past, nostalgic ones from the childhood, this book is full of them.

4 out of 5!

The post BOOK REVIEW: Anon by Bhavani Iyer appeared first on Confessions of a Readaholic.

Infin-Eight: Eight Principles for Infinite Professional Success by Prajeet Budhale
Published by Fingerprint! Publishing on 01/05/2018
Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Entrepreneurship, Self Help
Pages: 224
Format: Paperback
Goodreads

The post BOOK REVIEW: Infin-Eight by Prajeet Budhale appeared first on Confessions of a Readaholic.

Blurb

Pyjama Profit is a guide for millennials to get started with a self-sustained online freelance practice, while developing their skills needed to succeed. The book talks about in-demand online skills and the different paths one can take to become an expert in these fields. A stable income from freelancing in college was the bedrock that had allowed the authors to explore their ambitions further and get to where they are today. In the process, they’ve worked with many of their own batch mates, colleagues and friends to help them set up highly successful freelance careers.
The author duo decided to detail their story of what worked for them and how anyone in the country could thrive without being tied down to a full-time job. The authors feel the timing of the book is perfect because of the growing freelance economy and growing aspirations among millennials to find a job they love and not just something that pays their bills.

You can check more information about the book on Amazon.in.

Are you on Instagram?

It has been close to 6 months and I am getting hang of Instagram and use it as a bookstagram .

If you are on Instagram and like to share about each other’s books, leave your handler or link below in the comment and I will follow you.

The post Mini Book Haul Wednesday appeared first on Confessions of a Readaholic.

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

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

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