7 Secrets of the Goddess by Devdutt Pattanaik - Book Review

Lakshmi massages Vishnu’s feet. Is this male domination?

Kali stands on Shiva’s chest. Is this female domination?

Shiva is half a woman. Is this gender quality? Why then is Shakti never half a man?

Taken literally, stories, symbols and rituals of Hindu mythology have much to say about gender relationships. Taken symbolically, they reveal many more things about humanity and nature. Which is the correct reading?

The fourth title in the bestselling ‘7 Secrets’ series focuses on the Goddess, and respected mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik tries to unravel the secrets locked within her stories, symbols and rituals.

I have been a history and mythology buff for as long as I can remember and I thank my grandfather for making me one. It started off long long back with me listening to stories from him every night before going to sleep of powerful Gods and Goddesses and that fascination with mythology never left. It was a friend of mine who introduced me to Devdutt Pattanaik's books a couple of years ago and the first one I read was 'Devi' and I was smitten. Devdutt Pattanaik is an Indian physician turned leadership consultant, mythologist and author whose works focus largely on the areas of myth, mythology, and also management. What I love about his books is the simple style of storytelling which is backed up by solid research and facts. It is not religious propaganda in any way but a conscious effort to unravel the secrets behind each story, ritual and tradition that we've grown up listening and following.  This is the latest book in his 7 secrets series and the author takes us on a tour of the stories, myths and beliefs associated with seven Goddesses - Gaia, Durga, Kali, Gauri, Lakshmi, Saraswati and Vitthai.

Play With Me by Ananth - Book Review

• Publisher: Penguin House
• Price: Rs. 250/- (I got this book for review from the publisher)

Once in a very blue moon, you are confronted with astonishing beauty ... Sid is a successful photographer in a boutique ad agency. He is single and has everything he wants – a great job, great colleagues and a hassle- free life. But if there is one thing that has eluded him – it is love. Until the gorgeous, free-spirited Cara walks into his life. Se*ually obsessed, the two begin a charged affair that disrupts all his notions of love and transforms the way Sid thinks about erotic pleasure. But then something strange happens – Sid finds himself falling in love with another woman.

Land of The Seven Rivers by Sanjeev Sanyal - Book Review

Author and economist Sanjeev Sanyal in the introduction to his book, Land of the Seven Rivers writes about the extraordinary transformation that India is undergoing - of mobile phones, satellite tv, urban reconstruction, economic boom (really??now??) and other rapid changes. From the present, he then takes the readers through a journey to the country's past and looks back at her captivating history.

Sanyal's new book takes a different approach to history. "A lot has already been written about wars, battles and dynasty" he says, as he explores the changing, shifting and transforming geography of India. " Just as geography affects history, history too affects geography." In the author's words " the book is about changes in India's natural and human landscape, about ancient trade routes and cultural linkages, the rise and fall of cities, about dead rivers and the legends that keep them alive".

Traversing remote mountain passes, visiting ancient archaeological sites, crossing rivers in shaky boats and immersing himself in old records and manuscripts, the author considers questions about Indian history that we rarely ask. Why do Indians call their country Bharat? How did the British build the railways across the sub-continent? Why was the world's highest mountain named after George Everest? His questions are seemingly simple but raise many questions in the reader's mind. 

What I liked about the book is the way Sanyal has tried to answer the questions by infusing wit, logic, facts and intelligence. Because of the style of writing, the book does not turn out to be an encyclopedia but a truly enjoyable, thought provoking and gripping read. 

Whether you are a history buff or not, the Land of the Seven Rivers is bound to fascinate and raise many questions regarding a country steeped in tradition, culture and legends. It is a book worth reading, if only, as the author says in his dedication, to know where you came from. He certainly helped me understand and appreciate my roots better.  

P.S - Book sent for review. Opinion 100% mine. 

Salvation of a Saint by Keigo Higashino - Book Review

There was a time when I used to finish thrillers and whodunits in a few hours, lapping up the story eagerly like a hungry cat finishing off a bowl of milk. Remember countless nights when I've stayed awake reading a book to find out what happens in the end. Unfortunately, with time came in the pressure of work, night-shifts and all that enthusiasm somehow got lost. Earlier, a book used to take me max a day to finish. Now I need at least 4-5 days. An exception was however made in the case of the book that I'm talking about today - Salvation of a Saint by the Japanese author Keigo Higashino, also known as the Japanese Steig Larsson!. This one I finished in two days. Super by my current standard!

Salvation of a Saint is my first Keigo Higashino book and pardon my ignorance, I did not really hear about him till I saw the book at blogadda.com. The story intrigued me and I went ahead and applied for a chance to read and review it. I was chosen and here I am with the review..

I'm obviously not going to reveal the plot but here's a synopsis of what the book is all about....When a man is discovered dead by poisoning in his empty home his beautiful wife, Ayane, immediately falls under suspicion. All clues point to Ayane being the logical suspect, but how could she have committed the crime when she was hundreds of miles away? While Tokyo police detective Kusanagi tries to unpick a seemingly unrelated sequence of events he finds himself falling for Ayane. As his judgement becomes dangerously clouded his assistant must call on an old friend for help; it will take a genius to unravel the most spectacular web of deceit they have ever faced... 

Salvation of a Saint is Higashino's second novel. The first one introduced Tokyo police detective Shunpei Kusanagi and his occasional consultant, Detective Galileo, both of whom are integral characters in this book as well. I expected the book to be another 'whodunit' but it's actually  'howdunit' that is the central question. How did they get away without leaving any evidence is the question that Detective Kusanagi and his team are out to find.

The book is a gripping read, though at times the pace slows down slightly. I like how Higashino provides insights into Japanese life and there is also a touching romance angle in the middle of investigating a crime. What I found difficult initially was to get acquainted with the principal characters and remember their names. But got a hang of the Japanese after a few chapters.  I would have liked the book to have been more fast paced and have more twists and turns, but overall I would say its a pretty good thriller. Very well written and extremely well translated. Recommended!

Price - Rs 350

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

Spicy Bites of Biryani by Ashwina Garg - Book Review

Studied hard? Got the perfect job? Found the perfect mate? And Still Screwed up your life? Is it possible to do everything right in your life and still not be happy? Meet Sanjay, Aditi, Mayank and Jayshree. 

Sanjay is a US-returned software millionaire determined to have an arranged marriage after selling his company and breaking up with his two-timing girlfriends. 

Aditi is a commitment-phobic writer who cant figure out what her next book is about but has perfected the art of break-ups. Manyank and Jayshree are the perfect couple. If only they weren't dealing with rude relatives, killing deadlines, procreation pressures and those ultimate romance-killers... monotony and boredom!

This light-hearted story traces the lives of these four successful, thirty-something friends who all come to the same conclusion... 

The hardest thing about having the perfect life is keeping it that way!

And that is the synopsis of debutant author Ashwina Garg's novel, Spicy Bites of Biryani..Because Life needs a Little Masala. The book is a short, light and breezy read about the complexities of love, relationships and marriage in today's day and age. Even though this is the author's first book, it's written quite well and she has managed to capture the attention of the reader throughout. 

The characters are well etched out and can be related to easily. Out of the four, my favorite has to be Aditi. I totally relate to her immature, fun-loving , marriage phobic character and the romantic angle with Sanjay is very sweet. Quite a few 'awww' moments between them specially the marriage proposal. And I also loved the climax. Unpredictable and added the right amount of 'masala'.

I will not say that the book is without any flaw. The sub-plots have not been paid much attention to and they are actually quite boring. On the other hand, too much attention has been paid to the number of Aditi's ex-boyfriends to bring out her whimsical and marriage phobic character. The author could have done without mentioning that repeatedly throughout the book. Care should also have been taken to fix grammatical errors and typos. However,  despite these flaws, the book is a nice read mainly because of the easy pace and straightforward language, interesting characters, witty one liners and conversations and good narration. You will like it even more if you are from Hyderabad. The author's love for the city is evident in her passionate description of it and as a reader, I loved reading about it. 

Price - Rs 150

About the Author :

Ashwina Garg studied accountancy and lives in Hyderabad. She enjoys following the stock market and giving classes in Continental cooking. She has worked as a German translator and a technical writer. 

P.S - Book sent for review. 

Book Review - Arranged Love by Parul Mittal

If you are an Indian and specially if you are a girl, then there is one question on which you must have had countless debates on or pondered over many times. And that question is Arranged or Love Marriage? Which one is the best? The book Arranged Love centers around this question.

The plot revolves around Suhaani, an Indian born, America educated girl who is forced to return to India once she loses her job due to recession. Suhaani grudgingly leaves behind an independent life and a hunk of a boyfriend, Jay in America and moves to her parent's house in India. Her father meanwhile has already selected a boy for her from his guitar class. Suhaani doesn’t know how to tell her Internet savvy dad and Farmville addict mom that she’s not interested in an arranged match, especially to an IITian. She decides to dislike the ‘arranged’ guy. Except that he’s not too thrilled either and has not accepted her friendship invite on Facebook! Even when they end up working together, Suhaani decides she is not falling for this guy! But before she can turn him down, he rejects her! Whether Suhaani has finally found her ‘match’ and whether the IITian is ‘the guy’ is what Arranged Love deals with. The supporting cast of the book include among others, the ditzy best friend Neha and the smart, single and successful elder cousin, Tanu.

The book is from the Chicklit genre, meant to be a light read and targeted towards the younger female generation. Not sure if men will like it very much but I really enjoyed the book because the plot even though very simple, has been executed very well. I loved Parul's style of writing, the banter and innuendo. Suhaani's dillemma is one that can be identified with easily and the characters are all very real. Even though the end is quite predictable, the means to get to the end has been very well penned down and that's what makes it such an entertaining and enjoyable read. Will make for a good watch too on the silver screen.....good script alert KJO!

Read it if you are looking for a fun, racy, romantic, not cheesy and a light and breezy read. Highly Recommended!

About the Author 

Parul Mittal (maiden name Parul Agarwal) is the author of a national bestseller novel “Heartbreaks & Dreams! – The Girls @ IIT”. Arranged Love is her second novel and promises to be a humorous and fun light read.

Apart from reading and writing fiction, the author loves listening to old Hindi music, cannot resist jiving to dance beats, loves to party with friends, and has a keen interest in staying fit.

She did her BTech. in Electrical Engineering from IIT Delhi in 1995, followed by Masters in Computer Science from UMich, Ann Arbor. After twelve years in the corporate world (Hughes, IBM Research and Nextag), she is currently running an e-venture called RivoKids. RivoKids offer parents smart ideas to raise bright happy kids and free online memory books to capture fun parenting moments.

Born and brought up in Delhi, she did her schooling at Lady Irwin School, New Delhi and Navrachna School, Baroda. She is married to Alok Mittal and has two daughters - Smiti and Muskaan.

You can join her Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/parulmittalbooks or email her at parulmittal@gmail.com.

Book Review - Wrong Means Right End by Varsha Dixit

Have you noticed how in all romantic novels, the leading characters are so similar? The woman is strong and feisty and hates the man at first. The man is rich, rude, insensitive, drop-dead gorgeous, does not realise he is in love with the woman yet physically attracted and at the end both of them confess their love towards each other and they live happily ever after. In Varsha Dixit's latest book, Wrong Means Right End, a sequel to her debut novel Right Fit Wrong Shoe, the two main characters Sneha and Nikhil are no different. Here's a summary of the new book..

“After a failed marriage, Sneha, a single working mom, has no time, or inclination, for love. She resists every matchmaking attempt made by the overzealous Nandini, married to industrialist Aditya. But then the past intrudes in the form of the gorgeous and rich, Nikhil, who brings along Gayatri to break-up her ex-fiance, Aditya’s marriage. Sneha enlists Nikhil' s help to salvage the situation. But how does she even talk to a man who clearly loathes her? As Nikhil and Sneha try to grapple with their egos and combustible chemistry, love blossoms.

While the plot is not something new, the characters and the situations make this book quite a pleasant read. The characters are very real and one can easily identify with them, specially the BFFs Sneha and Nandini. I loved how the author showed the bond between the two friends and it definitely reminded me of mine. The sub-plots, though a tad 'filmy' provide enough meat to make it a page turner. There is liberal use of slang throughout the book but not that one would find offensive or jarring. However, I would have liked the author to have used a different term of endearment for Nandini by Sneha though. This one is well...slightly over the top!. The men in the story are quite intriguing and by the end of the book, I was already in love with the leading man Nikhil (good looking, charming, super rich and devoted to his lady love...what else does a woman want!). 

While the book tends to get a bit slow in the middle, it builds up quite well to the climax. I quite liked it for its real characters, endearing story line and the many heartening moments. To know more...read Wrong Means Right End (Rs 140)..

Here's what the author Varsha Dixit has to say about the book and herself.

What was your inspiration behind writing Wrong Means Right End?

Wrong Means Right End being a sequel got it’s inspiration from the love and cult like following the protagonists of its prequel Right Fit Wrong Shoe; Nandini Sharma, Aditya Sarin and Sneha Gupta garnered. Very early on while writing Right Fit Wrong Shoe, I had perceived it as the first part of a trilogy encompassing the story of three women, three friends in different times and places in their lives.

How did you come up with the storyline?

The plot for Wrong Means Right End came after I mentally put the protagonists through the grind and thought of situations that would really push their backs against the wall.

Who's your favorite character in the book? 

Sneha Gupta and Nikhil Chandel are currently my favourite characters. I am simply smitten by the sizzling chemistry they share with each other.

Is there any character that you identify with?

From my works, the only thing that I can identify with is the close friendship that Sneha Gupta and Nandini Sharma share. I have been blessed to enjoy such close camaraderie with a few of my own women friends.

What is it that attracts you to writing about romance? 

Writing romance was never a chosen path or the decided genre for me. In fact my stories always have a main plot and then various plots that give the story layers and make it hopefully more than just another love story.

Once I start writing, the characters simply forge their own path. I’m not sure if this happens with other authors but how I imagined a scene is very different from how it comes across after I’m done penning it. In fact that’s why I often say for myself that I think deep but write light.

What are you working on now?

Currently I’m on a short break from writing and spending some quality time with family. Maybe around December I will start penning the last part of this love trilogy – the Right and Wrong series- or the sequel to Xcess Baggage or maybe something completely new. Keep them guessing! J

Any message to your readers and aspiring writers?

To all my readers I would say a very sincere and heartfelt thank you for making my books the success that they have become. Also would like to inform all my Wrong Means Right End readers that as I could not come to India because of personal reasons for the book launch, I will be personally calling you all the entire month of November. If you wish to talk to me please email me your numbers at varsha@varshadixit.com. For minors please have me call on your parent’s number.

For aspiring writers I have three words Patience, Practice and Perseverance or simply read my blog series ‘You are not born a writer you become one!’ on my website www.varshadixit.com. Read it and email me your questions related to writing fiction and I would love to help you in any way that I can. Don’t let go of your dreams. The best!

P.S - Book provided by P.R. Review is 100% mine

Book Review : The Bankster by Ravi Subramanian

I know all of you by now are aware of my addiction for makeup. Today I'll share with you one more addiction of mine and that is reading, specially if its a thriller, a detective story or a crime fiction. I've stayed awake so many nights just coz I couldn't put down a book. Unfortunately, with the increase in work pressure and limited free time, my reading habit had taken a back seat till I decided to do something about it. I went and enrolled for the Blogadda book review program and the first book that I got to review was The Bankster by Ravi Subramanian.

About the Author :

Ravi Subramanian is the award winning author of four bestselling books : 

If God was a Banker (2007), I Bought the Monks Ferrari (2007), Devil in Pinstripes (2009) and The Incredible Banker (2011). Ravi’s maiden fiction venture, If God Was a Banker was published in 2007, establishing itself as a National Bestseller. The book has sold over 200,000 copies and has been widely appreciated by readers across genres and age groups. The book also won the prestigious Golden Quill Award for Readers Choice in the year 2008. 

About the Book : Synopsis

Bankers build their careers on trust, or so everyone thinks, till a series of murders threaten to destroy the reputation that the Greater Boston Global Bank (GB2) has built over the years. Who is behind these killings, and what is their motive? 

When Karan Panjabi, press reporter and ex-banker, digs deeper, he realizes that he has stumbled upon a global conspiracy with far reaching ramifications—a secret that could not only destroy the bank but also cast a shadow on the entire nation. With only thirty-six hours at his disposal, he must fight the clock and trust no one if he is to stay alive and uncover the truth.

My Review : 

I had heard of the Banker series by Ravi Subramanian but never really got around to reading them but after finishing this book, I'm definitely getting its predecessors. Ravi, also called the John Grisham of Banking has whipped up a gripping tale of lies, deceit and treachery which kept me hooked on to the tale from start to finish. The book is based in three parts of the world, Angola, Kerala and Mumbai and through all the happenings, we get to see the real picture of the banking world. The author has managed to create quite a compelling and intricate plot interspersed with three parallel plots. What I liked was that, despite having all these plots, he successfully manages to hold on to the reader's attention without making it complex or giving away too much. Throughout the book, I was trying to guess who the main culprit could be and the end was definitely an unexpected twist.  From murder to politics to racketeering to money laundering, this book has all the 'masala' that's needed to keep one engrossed. The writing style is quite fluid and simple and despite the use of a lot of banking jargon, he simplifies them for the 'ignorant' readers (like me!).

What I did not like were some punctuation and grammatical errors and the use of hindi words and sentences. I would have preferred if the author stuck to using English throughout. 

Overall, a very interesting read and I recommend it to all lovers of thrillers. If you have'nt read it yet, go get a copy. Oh and did I mention that I got a signed copy :))

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com . Participate now to get free books!