*Book Review : 31 Miles: Can We Ever Win Against Ourselves? by Vinita Bakshi

Name of the Book: 31 Miles: Can We Ever Win Against Ourselves?

Author: Vinita Bakshi

Publisher: Rupa Publications India

About the Author: Vinita Bakshi is an-award winning sociologist and social entrepreneur. She is an alumunus of prestigious Delhi School of Economics.
She has founded a non-profit organization-AAMBRA Foundation, with a vision towards women empowerment and skill development. She is the chief architect and brain behind, She Speaks, a triennial seminar series dealing with the issues faced by the contemporary South Asian women. She is also the founder of AMBROTSAVE, an annual cultural festival which brings to the fore not only Literature but also the visual and performing arts, crafts, cuisines, weaves and many waning traditions of India. She is currently serving as Director of National Institute of Jewelry (NIJ), Delhi.
Vinita has a passion for literature and writes fiction and non-fiction, bilingually in English and Hindi. She has also published papers on gender on feminism. (Via Amazon)

Blurb: Mansa has the perfect family life—a husband, two daughters and a big house. But she feels that something is missing. Her frustration with being just a homemaker intensifies. After shifting to a major city, she decides to take the reins of her life in her own hands, she decides to step out and seek a career. While enjoying the new-found freedom and confidence, she completely immerses herself in her work and her new life. Till one fateful day when she finds herself embroiled in a passionate affair—with an online lover. And then everything falls apart!
31 Miles is the story of a woman who finds her own worth after marriage and works towards self-emancipation. Will she give it all up for the elusive mirage created by the stranger? What turn will her life take next? (Via Amazon)

Verdict: As the blurb clearly states, the story is about Mansa who is happily settled in her life with a perfect family. She has everything that someone wants but still she misses something in her life. After taking hold of her life and career in her hands she is overwhelmed with the exposure of outside world and the pleasure of earning on her own, until the day she found herself passionately involved with an online lover. She is stuck between her perfect family and the passion she feels for a man she hasn’t met. What happens in her life? Will he give up her family, her perfect life and kids for an online lover? Or will she keep on suppressing her passion and live her life with her husband and daughters? Let’s find out.!

Positives:                                     

1) Good story line.

2) Amazing cover.

3) The characters have been described to their true self.

Negatives:

1)   There are some times where the discussions of life and relationships feel stretched and repeated.

2)   Once Madhulika’s name has been replaced by Malvika.

3)   Few editing mistakes which if corrected could make reading more interesting.

To sum up with the review the mid portion does seem to be repetitive with philosophies of love and life but once that is over the story will keep you hooked as it moves further into Mansa’s life. The end will shake off whatever the reader feels about the story and will wait to know more about Mansa and her life. The downsides of the story are the editing mistakes and the repetitive narration of life and love that Mansa has in her mind. It’s still worth reading for I am surely waiting for the next part to come.

Ratings: 3 OUT OF 5.

Book Details:

Title: 31 Miles: Can We Ever Win Against Ourselves?

Publisher: Rupa Publications India

Author: Vinita Bakshi

Edition: Paperback

Language: English

ISBN-13: 978-8129142290

No. of Pages: 234

Price:  207 Rs

Purchase Link:   Click Here

©Heena Ahuja

2^nd January, 2017


*This book has been provided to the reviewer by the author.

*Book Review : Love Bi the Way by Bhaavna Arora

Name of the Book: Love Bi the Way

Author: Bhaavna Arora

Publisher: Penguin Random House India Private Limited

About the Author: Bhaavna Arora is the bestselling author of the Deliberate Sinner and Mistress of Honour. Before her foray into writing, she was heading a business school as a director; she also trains students and professionals on leadership. She holds two management degrees and a Ph.D. in Leadership from Pittsford University.

A fourth-generation army kid, Bhaavna is a true patriot. She enjoys reading, travelling, swimming, horse riding and playing sports and has a fancy for big bikes and cars.  (Via Amazon)

Blurb: Rihana is a painter who is trying to find inspiration in love. Zara is a businesswoman trying to make a niche for her company in a male-dominated world. Rihana is fire, Zara is ice; Rihana is openly sensual, while Zara is more cautious with her heart—they are opposites that attract. They are different people bound together by their house—‘Cupid’—and their pet golden retriever, Tiger.

As both of them navigate their fulfilling careers and try to leave behind troubled pasts, they find solace in each other. But Tiger’s not the only male in their lives. Rihana finds herself a string of sexy men, while Zara emerges out of her shell and meets an actual prince who sweeps her off her feet. But can these relationships last? And what road will they take when love happens bi the way? (Via Amazon)

Verdict: As the blurb states that the story revolves around Rihana and Zara who’re painter and businesswoman respectively. Both of them are totally opposite in nature and the way they hold their heart too. They are bound together by their bond they share along with their house and their pet. Both of them are running away from their disturbing pasts and trying to live in present to find peace and freedom in their own aspects. Will they be able to achieve what they want? As the blurb says Rihana finds a string of sexy men but will she be able to find her true one? On the other hand Zara finally is able to come out of her cautious shell and meets an actual prince but will this last forever? Or will love find a way in some other way, with someone else? The journey of growth and confidence of these women is brilliantly detailed in this book. So let’s find out the answers to the questions the blurb has raised.

Positives:                   

1) The book cover is good and apt to the theme and essence of the book.

2) The language used throughout is quite simple along with quite new words for readers to understand and learn too.

3) The characters in the book are perfectly described.

4) The story revolves equally around the lives of both the characters.

To sum up with the review it’s a good story line with detailed preview of the lives of both the main characters. There are some happy and some sad moments. There are some great moments too in the book. It does leave a message for everyone out there who judges the lives and love of others who aren’t living life in the societies defined way. It’s worth reading.

Ratings: 4 OUT OF 5.

Book Details:

Title: Love Bi the Way

Publisher: Penguin Random House India Private Limited

Author: Bhaavna Arora

Edition: Paperback

Language: English

ISBN-13: 978-0143425298

ISBN-10: 0143425293

No. of Pages: 248

Price:  139 Rs

Purchase Link: Click Here

©Heena Ahuja

18^th September, 2016

*This book has been provided to the reviewer by Tushti.

*Book Review : Betwixt Twists and Turns: A Potpourri of Short Stories by Mona Mohanty

Name of the Book: Betwixt Twists and Turns: A Potpourri of Short Stories

Author: Mona Mohanty

Publisher: Partridge India

Blurb: Dragonflies are said to be harbingers of rain, but they may be much more for one unsuspecting woman. A household dog finds a reprieve when Grandma comes to stay. A young man stops by an ATM at night and finds himself encountering robbers-and a young woman who may not be what she seems. In Betwixt Twists and Turns, author Mona Mohanty presents a series of short stories born from random thoughts that popped up out of nowhere, overheard bits of conversation, parables of family lore, and anecdotes from friends. These tales come from a variety of viewpoints-an older woman who receives an unexpected telegram, a businessman who encounters what might be a ghost, and various animals sharing their impressions of human life. These stories vividly capture the routine of existence-but with a surprising twist. This collection of short stories set in India features tales with unexpected outcomes from a wide range of perspectives, both human and animal. (Via Amazon)

Verdict: As the blurb states Betwixt Twists and Turns is a short story compilation book which carries varied short stories inspired from the daily life or from the conversations with friends and family. These stories revolve around all forms of life – human and animal, their emotions and impressions of life. Their situations and how they react to such circumstances that happen all of a sudden in their life. As the name suggests, these stories carry a tinge of twist and turn in their existence. Will the author successfully take off the twist and turns in the stories? Or will that fail to hold readers curiosity and greed to complete the book in one single read? Let’s find out!

Positives:                   

1) The book cover is good.

2) The language used throughout is quite simple for readers to understand and there are quite few new words one can learn too.

3) The pictures used before each short story is a nice idea.

4) The short stories are literally very short and for a change it feels good to read them and some of them can give you goose bumps by their turns in the end.  

5) The paper quality of the book is quite good too.

Negatives:

1)   There was one word missing in a sentence in a story. (that’s all I could find out)

2)   The book is quite over priced as compared to the number of pages and the fact that it’s a short story compilation.

To sum up the review it’s a great book to read and relax one’s mind from the hustle bustle of daily life chores. It certainly perks up one’s mood and creates excitement to find out what other stories hold in them for the readers. The twists and turns are great in some of the stories. Some will like the real shortness of the stories while others won’t but you will definitely like the stories itself. All in all it’s a good read.

Ratings: 4 OUT OF 5.

Book Details:

Title: Betwixt Twists and Turns: A Potpourri of Short Stories

Publisher: Partridge India

Author: Mona Mohanty

Edition: Paperback

Language: English

ISBN-13: 978-1482874174

ISBN-10: 1482874172

No. of Pages: 122

Price:  299 Rs

Purchase Link:   Click Here!

©Heena Ahuja

24^th August, 2016

*The book copy has been given to the reviewer by Tushti.

*Book Review : Heart of Bullets by Nikhil Kushwaha

Name of the Book: Heart of Bullets

Author: Nikhil Kushwaha

Publisher: Petals Publishers

About the Author: Founder of Perx Studio, a complete photography solution, and a professional photographer himself, Nikhil Kushwaha has already touched hearts of many through his previous works, ‘Six Teen Mistakes’ published in 2014 and ‘The Waning Moon’ published in 2015. Born and raised in beautiful city Ranchi, he graduated in 2013 as an Electrical & Electronics Engineer from NIST, Odisha and after working for some time, he left his job to change his dreams into reality. Get to know more about him: www.nikhilkushwaha.com, www.perxstudio.com Or write to him: me.nikhilkushwaha.91@gmail.com. (Via Flipkart)

Blurb: 'The only way to get close to those glittering stars in heaven is, to look at a soldier with stars on his shoulders' Every time, they're around, the thing that we see is the bravery awards, medals, the pride, but what we can't see is their heart that lies inside the iron chest, some untold stories, sacrifices, and the hardship they've been through. Every soldier has a story that is unique and extra ordinary. A tale of brotherhood & heroism, a tale of love & betrayal, 'Heart of Bullets', is about two best friends, Arpan & Sam, and the untold story of their friendship, untold story of their love, Shradha, but what happens when Sam gets hit by the enemy - across the border? What will Arpan do to save his friend? Will love prevail over friendship of lifetime? There is a decision to be made, is the life without love, and friends, better than dying to save the one we love the most? (Via Amazon)

Verdict: As the blurb states that the story revolves around Arpan and Sam who are best friends since when they did not even know the real meaning of friendship. It’s about the ups and downs they face together in their life and how and if their friendship prevails and stands against the test of time. It’s about the love of their life and how they deal with tough situations and what choices they make. It’s about what choice Arpan makes when his only best friend Sam is hit by the enemy and whether or not will he be selfish or not. Let’s find out the rollercoaster journey of these three people.

Positives:                   

1) Good story line.

2) Good cover.

3) Some of the poems were beautifully written; I especially liked the lullaby poem, the poem written for Zafar, the poem written for mothers in twenty-third chapter and the last poem written as a note from the author.

4) I really liked Shradha’s character and I loved Sam’s character.

   
Negatives:

1)   There are many editing hinges, almost every few pages, which makes it tough for the reader to built interest and can often not please them. There are shortcuts used for the words and as & and for or as / which should have been avoided.

2)   There are certain events in life that happened between Sam and Shradha which wasn’t told to Arpan in the entire book but he still seemed to narrate those events.

3)   Certain facts that had been stated earlier got changed when repeated the next time.

4)   The book has a little bit of too much poems and some philosophies which can make the reading boring and not interesting. It could have been better if those things had been kept in minimum.

To sum up with the review it’s a good story line and the attempt made by the author is good too. Had it not been for the editing mistakes and shortcuts used I would have liked it even more. The story line and the ending has the ability to leave you teary eyed. The friendship and love have been narrated well in the book. All in all it’s a good read.

Ratings: 3 OUT OF 5.

Book Details:

Title: Heart of Bullets

Publisher: Petals Publishers

Author: Nikhil Kushwaha

Edition: Paperback

Language: English

ISBN-13: 978-9385440120

ISBN-10: 9385440128

No. of Pages: 296

Price:  75 Rs

Purchase Here

©Heena Ahuja

31^st May, 2016

*The book copy has been given to the reviewer by Naaz.