Stepping Stones Taking Towards the Goal

Book : Stepping Stones Taking Towards the Goal
Author : Lubhna Dongre
Pages : 344
Price : 290/-
Publication : Notion Press

Book is written by a 16-year-old Author Lubna Dongre, who was 12 when the first thought of writing came into her mind. At 14 years old, she was successful in deciding that this is it. This is what she wanna do, to write for people. To motivate them, while she herself got motivated in writing the Book.

The book starts with recognition and praise for Lubhna from various known people. In whole book covers 10 Main topics, and author make sure to cover them line by line and with subtopics. In the book author talks about how a normal teenager she was, & had this idea of writing this book came to her in 12 at midnight.

She has covered the topics in P’s.
> Potential
Covering all about an individual. Before we start doing anything big, we have to start by thinking about ourself and evaluate what we want to do in life.
> Purpose
This cover’s the reason WHY am I doing this. What will I leave to this society once I am gone? what is purpose of me being here in this world?
> Programming
This one is the one I concerned the most ‘self-help’ related topic. This covers with the mentality of us for doing something. The positive or negative impact our purpose will make in the society and to us. How learning always affect what we do in life. And Learning here only doesn’t mean the education we take up on, it’s the self learning, experience that we go through that teaches us.
> Progress
After we have learnt how to program our mind towards our purpose with our potential, we need to keep looking at the progress we are making. Dream something, and make it happen. The progress should not be of selfish type, someone’s progress always affect others around. So be considerate when making progress, it’s not just you but the society should progress too.
> Plan
Planning is what we need to do make an actual progress. So make some ground rules to the road ahead, how you gonna manage the time for all the activities you gonna do in life, the resources and energy are equally important while planning
> Problems
It happens major time, that when we are on a path we are faced with problems. Before we learn to step on those stones and make our way towards our destination, these are the pebbles that make our walk more difficult. But don’t be afraid of it, keep walking towards the end and see the LIGHT.
> Persistence
We should have the passion, persistence and consistently keep moving towards the path. Problems will come, but we have to keep moving and never give up until the very end. Be persistent to what we have already started.
> Power
> Performance
> Pleasure/Peace
All these three chapter are about the power we put in to keep the persistence and reach out goal. How our performance gratitude to others who helped us in this journey. And in the end we all are forced to ask ourselves ‘what will be the last thing you do before dying? ‘

I would like to say, for an age this small I wasn’t even sure what I wanted to have for dinner. No clear path was defined when I was a teenager. Author Lubhna has surely made me realize that age doesn’t matter, if a person thinks he can do it. They can do it, everything else turns to be a Stepping Stones when we are clear about our destination.

The language used is good, and we can have many quotes take out from this book. How Author included her story leading herself to write this book is commendable. The thing that didn’t worked out for me was the length of book, its 344 pages big book. But around 150 pages are all about the author and influenced people emails, appreciations. They helped the author to write this book, so for sure they hold a very special place in author’s heart. But as a reader they were like starring in start and end of a movie. I have to be honest about this, the end emails I just skimmed over them.

Overall: 2.5/5

I would like to thanks Author for providing me the book in return of an honest feedback.
Read this book as part of femmeMarchFest, dedicated to read only women writers in March 2018.

A Word Thrice Uttered

Book : A Word Thrice Uttered
Author : Parveen Talha
Pages : 192
Price : 290/-
Publication : Niyogi Books

The collection of short stories, with a roller coaster of emotions.

Another amazing short story book, and the more I read short stories the move I am driven towards them. Due to their short length, giving out so much in the book. And I am totally impressed by the Author Parveen Talha, her backdrop of Lucknow for stories are so perfect and are believable. Book is an anthology for 16 heart melting stories.

The cover is totally relatable and is in many ways does justice to the stories

It is so difficult to choose a favorite, when each story covers such different emotions and give an eye on societies issues.

So I will be giving a line or two on each story

Stories

Thanks for Ditching Me
Is story of a girl, who doesn’t lose hope and waste time after getting ditched by the man who she loved. She make a successful life of herself, even after such a heart-break at a tender age.
What will she say when she sees the man after many years ?

Amma! Come back…
is story of a boy Ratan, whose mother sacrifices their relationship to give him a good future. While boy lives with his maternal aunt, he is down the line treated as inferior and worker at home. Will he ever return to his mother from this ?

A String of Bela Flowers
Is story of lovers who couldn’t travel in together but reach their destination at the very end.
What is the significance of flowers in this story ?

Centipede
shows how cities move ahead to cope up with generations. The traditions are changed as per the generation they are done in.

A Word Thrice Uttered
is story of a Kausar, who kept on struggling with her life. Since she was born, with a stepmother, she got married to a person who was less in status, and then a disabled son.
She took all the house cruelty done by her new husband and his sister just because she feared the word ‘Talaq’.
Will she forever remain in this unsatisfied marriage ?

Rustam
Sona And Tiger
These both stories capture not just human emotions, but the emotions the pet animal have towards their owners aka family or each other.
Who is Rustam ?
Who is Sona ?
and Who is Tiger ?

Gangaji is not far, Bappa…
is heartfelt story of a boy who is born in a poor family, and has to take responsibility of family in very early age. Even though the story’s title is dedicated to the love of Ram khilawan towards her grandmother (daddi). He want’s to fulfil her last wish.
The story touches the social issue of child labour and its disadvantages
What was Ram Khilawan’s Grandmothers last wish ?
Was he able to fulfil it ?

Let Me Have A Love Affair
the story revolves around Prashant, a movie buff, married when he was in class 10th, wanted to make an adventure like Hero’s in movie do. And so he did.
The story tittle and majorly revolves around the love and affair. But subtexting it I think it also covers the social ill for child marriages.

Trail And Punishment
Is a story that will leave you in such a positive state, that there are actually good people and every person gets what they deserve. There may be a delay and the trail period may be bigger but at the end they get Punishment.
Another story that dealt with child labor and human trafficking.

Where Did The Delicacies Come From
story of a family, who went from being rich to poor. The story is about Amma (Gausia’s Amma) who believed in Allah with all her heart, and her love for children. They all saw a miracle happen together.

Virginity lost…so what
is a story that is mostly based on present setup. Where we as human’s have entered a generation where loosing virginity isn’t a big deal
*For me believing in this kind of story is a bit difficult. Because I know how society still has an EYE on girl, if she comes home late at night, or share a home with male partner without marriage.
But here is to hoping that this taboo goes out of fashion, and women are treated same in case of Virgin – Non Virgin Men.

The Magic Wand
is a story that makes you believe in magic and how a person can make you feel just being present in the same room.
*I clearly remember this one made me smile at the way till the end. Because I could see something similar, something very similar to my life.*

Real Sacrifice
is story of a boy, who loved his pet Moti. A baby goat which his parents brought in home for sacrificing on bakreed in a year.
How he manages to speak up in front of his parents, and grandmother for not sacrificing the goat Moti.
What sacrifice did he had to make for this?

Panditayin
is story of a hindu women, who works as a servant to Nawab’s. And how the time takes turn, and her rightful owners get killed by his own family. Panditayin gives a promise to dying Begum Sahiba to protect the child born to her.
How Panditayin takes up the task to bring up the child on her own, while working in other people home.
Will hasan ever know about his story?
Will a hindu lady will do a justice to bring up a muslim man?

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
is story of Atique, a man who started his own business from scratch and was betrayed by a company who took goods from him.
This story brings out different dark sides of our society, like How big companies exploit small business for their profit.

Writing

Author Parveen Talha has capture Lucknow and it’s people so beautifully on paper. I loved each aspect of Lucknow that was set to imagine.
The depth of characters in such short stories are so difficult, yet applaud to the Author that she did it so aptly.
The language used is well versed, and the pace of stories are good. Except some, which I felt were bored in the middle having too much information.

Final Note :

YOU SHOULD READ THIS. THIS IS NOT JUST A NOVEL, THIS IS WHOLE OF LUCKNOW AND PEOPLE IN THEM. I Stronnnnnnnnnglyy want people to read this, and come face to face with the evil of society that the books talk about.

You can buy the book (ALREADY) : HERE

 Rating: 5/5

**I would like to thanks Niyogi Books for providing me the book in return of an honest review.**

 

Letters to My Ex

Book : Letters to My Ex
Author : Nikita Singh
Pages : 138
Price : 135/-
Publication : HarperCollins India

Story

Story revolves around Nidhi and Abhay who are in love with each other since five long years. They can’t think about anyone else other than themselves. And the sudden announcement of their engagement and involvement of their parents. Put’s Nidhi in a disturbed place, where she can’t find what and why is this happening. Until the very end on the day of engagement, she runs off without giving any reasons to Abhay.
This is where the Letter’s comes in. Nidhi starts writing letters. Letters that are kept with her, but she write it for Abhay and herself to understand why this happened.
Then the emails starts.
Will Nidhi and Abhay ever be together again ?
Will Nidhi realize the reason she left Abhay ?
Who is Simran ?

 

Writing

This was probably my first reading in terms of letter/emails structure. I quiet liked it. The narration was easy, but sometime got me confused from whose eyes are we looking into the scene.
The first half of book, where Nidhi just wrote a LOT about her feelings and fears and her apprehensions why she left from engagement was the most things I could relate. Being a person who keeps a personal diary for big things, the letters made much more sense than the other scenes.
The book has a okaish kind of pace, and end is just KNEW THIS WAS COMING. And while I applied for this book, I thought it will be different that other love stories, but umm *spoiler* it’s not.

 

Things that worked out for me :

> Being a female writer, Nikita has made sure to bring that emotional and sensitive touch in Letters by Nidhi
> Pages from 63-74 , are PURE BLISS. That conversation shows how deeply they knew each other.
> Loved the cover, how those letters are wrapped in and kept with flowers. LOVED IT.

Things that didn’t worked for me :

> The narration sometimes confused me, like from whose point of view am I seeing/reading this?
> I wish the book was Big, so that there could have been more characteristics attached to the characters.
> After first half, I guess I knew what the end was. And it’s kinda disappointment because it turns out to be same Lovy dovy story.

Words that touched

My head is foggy, my heart is sore, it hurts everywhere, all the time.

And then,today, my autopilot took me to you, and I was jolted back to reality. After the initial shock of coming face to face with you. When my eyes met yours, and we stopped dead in our tracks. All my thoughts halted. The entire world came to a pause. It was just your eyes holding mine. There was no sound, no movement, no air. And then I was flooded with feelings all at once.

That’s the problem with following a gut feeling, instead of your brain, or reason. Because these gut feelings can abandon you at any given moment and switch sides.

You were my anchor in the little storms I seem to face constantly in my life. You grounded me when I was all over the place….
I wish you were here.

Final Note :

If you are looking for a light, romantic novel. This novel is for you.
If you like to see how people feel for each other, when they are not together. This novel is for you.

 Cover: 4/5
Title: 3.5/5
Blurb: 3/5
Theme: 3/5
Story: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
Overall: 3.2/5

**Book was provided by Writersmelon, in return of an honest review.**

Murder on the Orient Express

Book : Murder on the Orient Express
Author : Agatha Christie
Pages : 274
Price : 299/-
Publication : HarperCollins Publishers

My first ever Agatha Christie’s !! and WHAT A BOOK. Convincing my broken wallet, I need to read/own more of AC’s work.
One down, 44 to go for Hercule Poirot series.

Story (can’t write this without spoilers)

A train with 22 passengers, each different from one another. Yet they become part of an investigation, when one of the passengers is found murdered in his compartment.
Hercule Poirot takes matter in hand, and starts with investigation. Making assumptions and getting clues as he moved forward with the investigation. Interviewing each passenger and train staff for knowledge of any unknown or known clue.

12 wounds, surely means murder.
But Who Did It ?
Everyone has a strong alibi.
Was it someone from the Train ?
Or Someone from outside did this ?

Writing

As my first Agatha Christie’s novel, I enjoyed the writing style. I now know, why she is the best-selling author of all time.
I feel great, when reading crime/mystery novel I am so much involved it in that I continue to make guess who did it. And this was no different, the book started in a different place all together. And I kept wondering when is the Orient Express coming in limelight. And the way it came in, and the pace book took was good enough even though it sometimes got bored. As I can feel the time characters took to open up.

For writers writing a book on one single character sometimes is different, yet here it is Agatha amazingly playing with 16-17 characters and that too pretty well. Every character had its uniqueness to them, and most of all our Investigator Hercule stole the show always. His mannerism and his way of deducting absolute absurd(well I thought them absurd at that time) until all made the sense.

I loved how their were pretty funny dialogues in starting like

‘Ugly as sin, but she makes herself felt. You agree?’

‘If you will forgive me for being personal- I do not like your face, M. Ratchett’

Not that it was completely fool-proof, I still have some doubts like, why did Poirot ever thought that the murdered couldn’t go out from window ? I mean he can go up the roof of train right ? Not that he will stay there, but for making fool of someone, a murderer can do that right ?
Also there were some absolutely ABSURD deductions by him, I mean how he said a person was THAT person just by fluke ? You might say he was a SUPER GOOD Detective, but then it’s hard to believe that his absurdest deductions made a strong case and investigation forward.

Final Note :

From very few books, that I haven’t seen movies of before hand. Murder On The Orient Express is one of them, and I am eagerly waiting to see the movie now. Having the book of movie cover gives a clue who is who, still I want to make sure who is who. Also Johnny Deep as a victim, well that definitely is a MUST TO SEE ❤

Rating a writer like Agatha Christie is not my cup of tea, as she is the BEST.
Yet for this one, I will like to

Overall: 4/5

**I won the book in a contest by HarperCollins Publishers, when movie was about to release.**
Read this as part of #femmeMarchFest, in March 2018 where we devoted our reading to Female writers only.

This was my entry for the contest.

Why So Twisted

Book : Why So Twisted?: It’s Not Always About The First Impressions!
Author : Vinayak Nadakarni
Pages : 160
Price : 175/-
Publication : Notion Press

Short stories that cover all emotions !!

Since last year, I am getting a hang of reading short stories. And because of authors like Vinayak Nadkarni I appreciate them, as they say a LOT in just short.
This book consists of 12 short stories, each different from other one and leaves you in a different state of mind and feelings.
The author has made sure, that the language is lucid and easy to understand. But the stories are added with a different twist every time. There are suspense or twist added to most of the stories, and I loved enjoying this as a thriller or major suspense comes out in that end. The narration is simple yet it has the effect to keep the reader on edge till the end comes.

The cover is unique, and it intrigued me that those unique elements will be used in the stories. Some stories had those unique elements that the cover is made of, alas some were missing. I wished if everything the cover had been in the book.

My Favorites

I liked quiet a few stories, Flirting which was author’s first story and was published in 2012 by Penguin India.
Another favorite is A Repechage Love story which shows how people can go to extend for loving someone *loving first love*
Diwali bonus, takes you in mind of people of a family when a bonus comes.

The Results, gave me goosebumps. The story of every student, who has to go under pressure of performing good in exams. Made me cry.

My most favorite is A Second Date, it kept me wishing a happy ending to this, be a happy end. It’s story about two people who get arranged for a marriage, but instead they play an interesting game and let the fate decide the end.

Final Note :

If you are looking for a short read, or want to get out of reading slump this one is perfect. As this is fast paced, and have many emotions with each story. Go Grab It, if you don’t like reading short stories, this one can be the first one you will love.

Cover: 4/5
Title: 4/5
Blurb: 4/5
Theme: 4/5
Characters: 3.5/5
Overall: 4/5

I would like to thanks Author for providing me the book in return of an honest feedback.

INSIDE BURNING – LOOKING FOR WONDERLAND

While Celebrity fans, are raging over a celebrity got convicted for doing something illegal, we forget that there are OTHER THINGS WE NEED TO RAGE ABOUT.

My heart wants to go in deep down a hole, and I wish I could find a wonderland.
A wonderland, where there are no humans. Because humanity has surely left the planet.

Raping an eight year, several times, in a sacred place. That’s definitely a SATAN‘s doing.
A father, telling his son and his friends to do this deed.
A Father?

Just please remind me, how Fathers are supposed to be ?
They need to protect us, when evil is there.
They need to guide us, to correct direction.
And they need to feed us good thoughts, to keep the humanity going.

But as we move forward yearly, we are definitely leaving behind humanity.
Humanity that has died not so sudden death, but a forced death.
Where humans see each other different and can do anything on the name of RELIGION.
Where GIRLS(CHILDREN/YOUTH/MARRIED) all are treated and used for MEN’s PLEASURE.

Do you know how big is eight year old child ? A third or fourth grader. How can people have ill thoughts for such age.
Why Women(irrespective of age) have to go under all these in the name of society, religion.

My boiling heart gives the road to my tears, I cry, I cry out loud.
May my tears are the acid to such people, who think doing this was for a GOOD CAUSE.
I pray to Goddess Durga, to reborn on earth and show these evil’s their right place.
They belong to HELL, and that’s where they should remain.

All I did after hearing this bitter truth, was praying and repeatedly reciting Durga Kavach(Durga’s Armour).
To protect all those girls,not just from such people. But also protect to them from such thoughts.

My aggression is raging a lot today, and I just want to slit out the neck of people who justify this. And who still say shit like, a girl needs to PROPERLY DRESS.
BULL SHIT!!
COVER YOUR EYES, IT’S MY BODY I WILL WEAR WHAT I FEEL COMFORTABLE IN.

And I have told this earlier also and I will say again, if I got a chance to redo ONE of natural things the world, I will definitely be Turning Human back to Money. At least then we can expect the female generation a safer environment. A Disrupted Mind

---

The above rage is for Asifa, an eight year old child.

According to the investigators, Asifa was confined in a local temple for several days and given sedatives that kept her unconscious. The charge sheet alleges that she was “raped for days, tortured and then finally murdered”. She was strangled to death and then hit on the head twice with a stone.

Read full article http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-43722714

VANYA – Collection of stories and poems

Book : VANYA
Author : Multiple Authors
Pages : 66
Price : 199/-
Publication : Artson Publishing House

Compilation of poetry & stories on theme grace, courage and strength of women.

Poetry are not very easy to read and understand. Some are simple, some are deep.
This book contains both in equal mixture.

The book is contains words from 23 writers who understand a woman in their own ways. Yet all the poetry and story can show case one common thing, the Courage woman has shown.

Poems

There are 21 poems by multiple writers. And I being one of them, are so amazed how we all think so differently and all have a unique way of writing. But the theme of book is not lost in any of the poem.
Apart from my own poems (2 poems are written by me), some of my favorites are (Rhapsody of a woman, a journey from childhood to adulthood, and SHE)

Poems having simple language, but the effects go in deep.

Stories

There are 9 stories in total written by multiple writers. While some stories gave me chills, because I was terrified when I read ‘The Night Not Less Than A Nightmare’ . It is the very first story, and I had to take time off after this one. Woman go under so much and we are thought to keep silent and be patient MORE.
Another story to mention is ‘The Men Of A Woman’, as the name suggest the story revolves around a lady and men in her life. A husband, a son, after marriage they are her life.
Last but not the least, ‘Colour’ showed how easily colour in a women’s life can be taken away. It’s sad that society and emotions of a woman never give justice to her life. And that’s exactly what is shown in this story.

Stories are written in a way, that show struggle of a woman in everyday life. The sacrifice, the fear, the little things that bring her happiness, all are spread across wonderfully in these 9 stories.

Final Note :

If you haven’t read any poetry, this one is perfect to start with. As it is simple, but it also has depth. If you like mini-short stories, well this one has 9 🙂
Go Grab it. 23 Author (including me) will be grateful to you.

Link To Buy : VANYA

 Overall: 5/5

Huge Thank to Artson Publishing House for trusting these budding authors, 
and giving them chance in this amazing collection.

This book was read for a readathon #femmeMarchFest

Journey Through Darkness

Book : Journey Through Darkness
Author : Salloni Mehta
Pages : 240
Price : 299/-
Publication : Notion Press

A lyrical.

Story

It’s a story about Sazel, a girl with single parent. Her mother Ibona after her husband’s death, open a bakery and take care of her daughter. Ibona who loved to sing, had always wanted to be a singer when she sees her daughter Sazel to be more talented that her she makes sure to put the seed of Singer opportunity into Sazel’s mind.

Sazel all grown up, with dreams of becoming a singer. Mother Daughter moved to Cechern, a bigger town for bigger opportunities. Sazel breaks into the music world by, performing lead role in a musical by Melody Mist. The show became the biggest hit for Melody Mist, and Sazel became the star performer. Her life was going on highway when she met Rofised, a freshly recruit performed with him in an Act.

Ibona, Sazel’s mother don’t like the likeness of her daughter with a Junior artist and tells her to beware of which road she is taking.

Things don’t turn out good with Sazel’s musical journey and she asks her mother to return to her home town Merville.

What were the reasons Sazel came back ?
What about her singing career?
Will she ever sing again ?

Writing

The book is a lyrical, that means you can expect the song’s in between the story. The songs make the story more interesting, as we get a feel to sing them in our own tunes. The book is writen in simple language, and author has tried to give characters a good amount of space for their developement.
In starting only, I had a feeling that Ibona and Sazel gave me a vibe of Rapunzel and Gothel(step mother).
There are parts that were too much elaborated, and at times I felt like the story was stretched as it included more and more characters.
Also the end, it just happened. A sense of hope was shown in end, but I thought it was rather abrupt how the book ended.

 

Things that worked out for me :

> Being my first lyrical, I enjoyed reading it.
> There are definitely many one/two liners that I enjoyed reading.
> The cover is amazingly done.

Things that didn’t worked for me :

> Certain parts were stretched too much.
> Character building in whole book is given very much importance, that didn’t worked for me after a time.
> Being a lyrical, there were many parts where the novel without lyrical touch looked boring.
> There should have been MORE grievance shown for a certain misshapen. It was just ignored on completely. I didn’t like this 😦

Words that touched

; she slept with a vivid imagination of her mother’s depiction, not as a vision, but as an image that meant ‘Life’.

Understand me, and my conflicts.

Mysterious changes within me
Cause an inexplicable melancholy,
Something is certainly missing,
Something is certainly awry,
I wonder what it could be.

This is not love, Keltra. This is attachment, the cause of bonding. Love sets you free, I have felt love, pure unadulterated love. And I have felt it with another woman. All we have been attraction and attachment. And I don’t blame you. Most people mistake it for love. But you haven’t felt pure love yet, Keltra. It is uplifting. It is freeing. It is expansive. It is an awakening.

Set yourself free! Release the grips of attachment and liberate yourself from the bondage of misery.

 

Final Note :

You can definitely give it a try, if you are looking for your first lyrical read.

 

Cover: 3.5/5
Title: 3.5/5
Blurb: 3/5
Theme: 3.5/5
Story: 3.5/5
Characters: 2.5/5
Overall: 3.2/5

**Book was provided by author, in return of an honest review.**