Book review: The bestseller she wrote

Title: The bestseller she wrote

Author: Ravi Subramanian
Publisher: Westland
Price: ₹ 295/-

Binding: Paperback  
Pages: 391

Language: English 

The title holds the essence of the whole story and very accurately presented. The book starts on a very light note and for first couple of pages you may feel like It is going to be the same usual romantic story. But once the plot is set and the characters have been introduced to you is when the fun starts.

A renowned author and banker in National Bank by profession Aditya who has all the good looks and charms to impress his readers as well as the others coming in contact with him. He is called as a speaker back to his management institute, Indian Institute Of Management -Bengaluru where he gets in an argument with a student Shreya who is the second lead of the book. Shreya is enthusiastic, intelligent, voracious reader and next in line for Chairman’s gold medal in her institute. Their argument leads them to contact each other later on and then starts a story which ends up changing Aditya’s life. 

There is a steady build up in the story. The plot is weaved with utmost care. The characters are introduced quite well. The history and present being narrated with the introduction of the character gives you quite a nice knowledge about him/her. The main leads Aditya and Shreya grab the spotlight in the story and at times it shifts to Aditya’s wife Maya. Maya is currently teaching twelfth graders in DAIS and also taking up social initiatives there. Sanjay who is Aditya’s friend, Diana a co-worker come competitor of Aditya’s, Sunaina who is best-friend of Shreya are the other prominent characters who are present throughout.

Some pages later we find Aditya spots Shreya at his book event organised by EasyLib in Bengaluru where she informs that she had let go her first day of campus placements to be in his event. The game starts and Aditya is impressed. The rendezvous starts once she gets placed at National Bank because of Aditya. As the summary says from that point starts the “combustible cocktail of love, betrayal and redemption”.

The adulterous relationship of Aditya with Shreya rains havoc on his married life. Shreya still wants Aditya in her life and her first book to be the best. At the end it is very aptly defined that the one book written by Shreya is a bestseller and the only one she writes. 

At some points one may feel there is an overdose of brand names, place names, writer names and celebrity names. But all in all it has that conviction which will make you read it till the end. The thriller as it is opens up at the ending. Grab a copy as soon as possible. And do read to find out Does Maya give him a second chance after the revelation? Does Aditya’s life change for good or for bad? Does betrayal costs everyone and everything in Aditya’s life?

Thank you Blogadda for another beautiful book and that too an author signed copy.

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books! 

Book Review:Ramayana - The Game of Life : The Shattered Dreams

 

Title:

Ramayana - The Game of Life : The Shattered Dreams

Author: Shubha Vilas

 

Publisher: Jaico Publishing House

 

First edition (23 January 2015)

Binding:Paperback

 

Pages:404 

Language:English

I am happy to be chosen by blogadda to review this book. Yet again a first of a kind read by me. I don’t read mythology. This being my first book in that genre I took a keen interest in it. The book’s summary was as follows:

Now, in Shattered Dreams, Shubha Vilas narrates the riveting drama of Rama’s exile. Through tales of Rama’s unwavering and enigmatic persona, the book teaches us how to handle reversals positively; through Bharata’s actions, it teaches us to handle temptation; and through Sita’s courage, to explore beyond our comfort zone. This complicated family drama provides deep insights on how human relationships work and how they fail.

With Valmiki’s Ramayana as its guiding light, Shattered Dreams deftly entwines poetic beauty from the Kamba Ramayana and Ramacharitramanas, as well as folk philosophy from the Loka Pramana tales, to demonstrate how the ancient epic holds immediate relevance to modern life. Experience the ancient saga of the Ramayana like never before.

This book is the second book in the series after Rise of the Sun Prince, one which I have not read.  Almost everyone has heard the story and most of us have read it or watched Ramayana on television. But this book turned out to be innovative and introspective.

Shattered Dreams describes the time when Dasharatha wanted to crown Rama as king of Ayodhya. Unfolding the journey of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana leaving Chitrakoot for Dandakaranya forest. Kaikeyi chooses to redeem her two boons and Bharata pays for his mother's sinful behaviour in this captivating story. The opening chapters also takes one to journey of past. The past when the Ikshvaku dynasty had a King named Nemi, who later on named Dashratha. How a person got transformed from Dasagriva to Ravana. How Ravana got encounter with the god of death - Yama himself. The author has put down Raavan’s thought pretty well inside the book.

I assumed it would be the same as witnessed earlier but I found out something more. A thorough research has been done to pen down this book. It is filled with tales and anecdotes which are probably not heard or unknown to us. Like Jayanta's shameful act and Manthara's reason for revenge were not known to me.

It provides deep insights on how human relationships work out and how they might also fail. Like the relationship between a father and son, two brothers, husband and wife, mother and son are all explained very well.  It speaks of values and virtues that if followed can make us a better human being.

The emotions and character description inside the story was wonderfully done. It was as if a old story being read out in a new way. Shubha Vilas did total justice while describing the scenarios right from the beginning till the end. The narration done is seamless.The language is simple and easy to read through. The additional footnote feature was a new thing for me so I enjoyed that as well. The virtues followed by Rama and his honesty were evident throughout the book. The only thing that I did not find quite to my liking is that it is slow paced.

I would say it is good to read it at least once. And I would rate it 3 out of 5.

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!