Book Review: 9 to 5 Cubicle Tales

'9 to 5 Cubicle Tales' is a chronological account of a boy who endures some testing times in his childhood, then graduates, gets into an Information Technology firm and his life experiences with colleagues & friends, frequent challenges faced and how he copes with each in this tech field. The author, Harish Rijhwani, has 20+ years’ experience in IT and it goes without saying that this book could be inspired by his own IT projects, colleagues and experiences. But you know, if I get a chance to ask him, he will admit the characters are fictitious and any resemblance to someone is purely coincidental.

Judging a book by its cover - The book cover is exquisite and very detailed albeit appearing simple and clean! The reader will understand the nuances only after reading the book. A lot of what is mentioned in the book is shown here. From the various locations that matter to IT professionals, travel, to the currency, the deadlines, errors in the code, Uno cards, the ladder of success (or failure, whichever way we look at it), love, savings, home, coffee, books and many more are depicted. Each of this aspect of an IT professionals’ life finds a place in the book!

Who should read this book - IT professionals, if it wasn’t that obvious from the title! Students planning to pursue and IT career will also find this insightful.

What's the story like – The book follows the life of a boy-turned-man, Hridaan Rajdev, who experiences a tumultuous childhood of loss of a family member, then moving to a different city with relatively less relatives (see what I did there?). The story, said from Hridaan’s first-person account, moves quickly from his childhood to his college life to starting his professional life. This is where the story opens up and expands on the numerous work-related experiences, some of which are hidden right on the cover page. How Hridaan grows from a talented newcomer to a seasoned professional in an industry that gives you a lot but also takes a lot from you making you wonder if the journey’s worth it (personal opinion: it is).

How's the writing - The book is divided into 51 chapters, each covering a specific aspect of the life of Hridaan. The author has used simple and easy to understand words to narrate the story, the surroundings, the character traits of people involved and the protagonist's notions and feelings. This makes it a breeze for a casual reader (by that, I refer to someone who's not always seeking a book to read every day). The life-arc from a student to a fresher in IT to an experienced pro to onsite opportunities is also linear and we, as readers, aren't required to 'read-between-the-lines', which is a breath of fresh air in today's convoluted and non-linear storytelling era. Description of locations, unique personalities in Mumbai and the words used to describe sounds are also well done. 'League of extraordinary gentlemen' as auto-rickshaw drivers and BEST bus-driver as someone who aspired to be a pilot took the cake!

So, what do I think – It’s a breezy read from start to finish. If you are IT professional, you will relate to mini-stories in the book and enjoy the overall premise for sure. If you are looking for a book with writing that's easy to understand and one that doesn't force you to reach out for the dictionary app, this is it. It’s been quite a while since I have gotten hold of a book that doesn't have sub-plots, characters with varying shades of gray, twists, thrills in the plot and a story that takes the reader on a socially relevant roller-coaster ride. However, there was one aspect of the writing that I couldn’t quite get used to. When a scene is being played out in your mind while you are reading the book, that scene somewhat abruptly ends and a new scene begins without a proper segway - as in a journal. I am not sure if this was a conscious decision made by the author. It took me some time to get used to this writing technique. It wasn't a deal-breaker for me though, just an observation. Personally, I enjoyed the bits where Hridaan had to sit through aptitude tests & more importantly, group discussions as it was identical to what I went through during my time. Group discussions being a 'fish market' is exactly how I would categorize the experience (with all due respect to fish markets). 

My Rating: 4/5

PS: Is it just me or did you also feel that you were 'literally' part of this story? If you know, you know.

Book Review: Private India

Private India is a mythological murder mystery co-written by James Patterson (an acclaimed author specializing in investigation based novels) and Ashwin Sanghi (who’s currently the best mythological thriller writer in India). This book is the 8th part of the “Private” series written by James Patterson. All his novels are location specific. James Patterson’s location based entry strategy is to co-write a book with a top author of the respective country. This way, he adds his fast paced novel writing with the localized flavor of the country introduced by his co-author. And this book is no different in that context.

Judging a book by its cover – 

Who should read this book – 

1. Thriller Addicts
2. Readers who love the Murder centered "Whodunit plots”
3. Have a thing or two for mythological novels? This is for you!

What's the story like – A murder happened in the hustle bustle city of Mumbai. An Indian entity of the world renowned investigation agency, by the name “Private India”, had been entrusted with the task. Another murder happened within hours and interesting props were kept at the murder site. Before Santosh Wagh, head of Private India, gets to terms with the 2nd occurrence, a 3rd incident happens within a day’s time. The connecting link between the murders – all are women strangulated with a yellow scarf and a seemingly unconnected props are left behind. Once the whodunit chase begins, we are introduced to a don and a Godman and the story gets murkier. There’s a bigger motive at stake and Santosh Wagh has to put up a fight to protect what’s left of his own. The end is predictable given the way the reader is led to the climax.

How's the writing – Clean and simple. This book is a definite page turner for two reasons – one, story is gripping and two, the font is bigger (Oops!). In all seriousness, I felt the plot and various other sub-plots were worth the read. The characters are well defined and have justifiable reasons behind the decisions / actions. Grammatically there are errors which you don’t expect from a great writer like Ashwin Sanghi. Or were those a touch of creative innovation, am not sure. Even if it were, it didn’t feel like one. The book also changes from a 3rd person narrative to a 1st person narrative of the murderer which makes the reading experience a little bit more interesting and gives a glimpse of what the murderer is thinking / doing at that point in time.

So, what do I think – A seemingly unconnected string of murders happening with no apparent motive of stealing or revenge and a world famous investigation agency trying to make sense of it and to connect the dots between the murders – who wouldn’t want to turn the pages? This book ensures you are reading this right to the end without a break! If at all anything, there are two negatives – random grammatical errors and a rather expected climax with some dots unconnected in the end. 

Ashwin Sanghi has proved yet again that he is the best at Mythological thrillers in India. The expectation has only risen. I haven’t read any of James Patterson’s novels but I think that needs to change.

My Rating: 3.5 / 5

PS: This review is part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda. A special thanks to the BlogAdda team for selecting me for the review process.

Book Review: The Yogic Manager

“The Yogic Manager” by Avinash Sharrma is presented as a business novel with a story in sync with the Mahabharata. It’s about a consulting firm and the way decisions are made with only some stakeholders to benefit vis-à-vis the way all stakeholders benefit. From the author’s own interpretation, “the story is the medium by which several new frameworks, business models and management principles are explained.

Judging a book by its cover –

Who should read this book –

1. Corporates and Professionals

2.  Readers with a special inclination towards the Vedas and Mahabharata

What’s the story like - The Yogic Manager is about a consulting firm called Characterra Consulting. This firm is led by a certain Raja Sahamkar. The protagonist in this book is Arjun Atmanand who is a special talent in the firm. He rises from the grass-root level right up to being a partner in the firm. Arjun considers Raja as his guru. During one of the proposal to the client, Arjun chalks out 4 different solutions along with their benefits and risks. The 4^th option is the most profitable but harms the environment. He himself is against the 4^th option but is forced to include by Raja who is sure that this option will be selected. Meanwhile, Arjun is also asked by Raja to fire 15 employees with a sure-shot reward of being the partner in the firm. Arjun reluctantly agrees and fires them. On the day of the client presentation, he miraculously meets a Yogi who takes him to historic places and events and teaches him various aspects of the Vedas and Bhagwad Geeta. These are then applied by Arjun in his corporate career which results in short term loss but long term gain.

How’s the writing – The author has ensured the flair needed to adhere to professionals is maintained throughout. He knows his target audience and is catering specifically to them. Also, there’s no denying that the author has done his research and is extremely passionate on this topic. The concepts and jargons are used in between which the corporate world is well versed with and use them in day-to-day discussions / meetings. The book also contains a lot of ‘gyaan’ and addresses two techniques that are as different as chalk and cheese. And the arguments are also thought provoking. One involves success by any means and is covered in discussions between the Raja and Arjun. Some of the discussions involve identifying donkeys from horses in a team and how to treat them differently. It also treads the thick line between leading and managing with various examples in history that will make you feel inclined towards this technique. Then there’s the other side of the spectrum – Yogic Management and how it relates to corporate life of today.

So, what do I feel - There are a lot of takeaways from this book and can be immediately applied in daily work life. This book is the bridge and transition from an informative and trusted worker to a knowledge worker. If you are looking for a book that’s purely a novel, I suggest you skip this book since this book is approx. 25% novel and 75% knowledge. I personally was expecting more of a novel based on the book briefing. No regrets though. If you are looking for a book that can make you think, go for it.  

My Rating – 4 / 5

Book Review: Where the Rainbow ends

Where the Rainbow ends by Anurag Anand is a story of a certain guy, Rahul, who is in search of a lady named Avantika in Delhi where coincidentally, his ex-wife resides. Sounds exciting already? Well, it certainly is. But hold thy breath! That's not how the story unfolds. Its even better than that. This book is about how that guy tracks down Avantika and the reasons for her sudden disappearance, someone who has become an integral part of his family and how does his ex-wife feature in all this - positively / negatively / neutral.

Judging a book by its cover -

Who should read this book -

1. Youth - with a story spanning across academia, corporate life, marriage and beyond

2. Readers with a special corner for relationships and mystery

What's the story like - Rahul Singh, on his way from Delhi to Mumbai, met an air-hostess named Avantika in a manner that can only be described as uncomfortable. Coincidentally, they met again, this time in Mumbai. Myra, Rahuls daughter, and Avantika immediately hit it off well and quickly Avantika became an integral part of their lives even supporting them through thick and thin. One fine day, she disappeared. Rahul starts searching for her and that's when we are given a flashback of Rahuls life, his ex-wife Shalini, how they met, got married, Myra's birth and eventually, their painful divorce. Shalini left their life, Avantika entered. Now Rahul has a task to find Avantika, amidst Myra's deteriorating health issue. He finds help in his school friend and current ACP of Delhi. How Rahul finds Avantika and how his problems are eventually solved forms the climax of the story. Anything more will be a spoiler.

How's the writing - One of a kind especially coming from an Indian author! This is one of those rare books where its hard to find an error. Kudos. I personally enjoyed reading the book and with every page, my admiration towards the author increased. His writing is clear and simple. The message is crisply conveyed and the story moves at a constant pace fluctuating between the present and the past of the protagonist. The climax is a little surprising. And for the lazy readers out there, the page number is also a 'turn-on' of sorts - only 200! With every book I read, I feel there's any emerging trend to not only write a novel that caters to the reading audience but also to cater to the movie production houses as a prospective script of a new movie. This book is no different in that sense.

So, what do I think - Well worth your money and time. If you are part of the target audience mentioned above, you will hardly regret spending your time reading this book. It has the right amount of humor, more twists at every turn when you feel you know how it's going to end, relationships between a couple before and after marriage and a mystery element (revealed towards the end). My verdict - a definite one-time read.

My Rating: 4/5

Book Review: My Beloved's MBA plans.

My Beloved's MBA plans is a series of short stories of people from different backgrounds with a common dream - to pursue MBA. Its written by Disha Chhabra who has personally interviewed the people and their families. The book describes the hurdles those people went through before pursuing their dream (MBA).

Judging a book by its cover -

Who should read this book -

1. Aspiring MBA graduates, especially those who are working currently
2. Mid life crisis regarding your career, this book can inspire you.

What's the story like - Following are some of the situations mentioned in this book: A husband, who has a decent job and lives with his wife and 4 month old twins, decides to give MBA a try. A recently divorced lady decides to do executive MBA primarily to divert her focus and in the process meets a guy with whom she decides to spend the rest of her life with. A man leaves his family business to concentrate on his career. A lady's only commitment before marrying was that she will stay with her husband and will not try to look elsewhere for job / higher studies, decides to get herself registered for executive MBA. And so on.. 

How's the writing - The author has adopted the interview mode to convey the story. The story starts with a brief introduction of the people, their hurdle to pursue MBA and how they achieved it. Then you have a descriptive account of the story. Author has ensured that none of the story goes into dragging mode. So much so that each story is not more than 6-7 pages. Also, I get a feeling that the book was rushed into publishing without proper proof-reading. This could be the difference between one of the best book on the shelf and as 'also-published' one.

So, what do I think - The book is an interesting read and will truly cater to and inspire people it targets. The issues mentioned are the ones because of which many executives decide not to get back to academics and enhance their skill. It covers family issues, joint family issues, pregnancy, divorce, love life, leaving lucrative jobs, high paying jobs etc. Since the book caters to a select few (considering the super set of reading audience), not many will prefer to grab this book. Author will do well if she promotes the book more using the executive MBA programmes platform, which I believe she's already doing.

My Rating: 2.5 / 5

Book Review: Silver is for Secrets

Silver is for Secrets is the 3rd part of the series "Blue is for Nightmares". Its a supernatural  series of books revolving around the main protagonist Stacey and her nightmares. She has a knack of foreseeing future (usually the unfortunate events) and tries her level best to prevent the event from happening. This book is about her experiences with her friends and a stranger named Clara while taking a summer break.

Judging a book by its cover -

 

Who should read this book -

1. Supernatural / Mystery book lovers
2. Readers with a special corner for thrillers
3. If you haven't read the previous 2 parts of this series, you can still read this as not much is carried forward from previous two. And the aspects that are carried forward, you will get a gist of the same in the first few pages of this book.

Whats the story like - Stacey, with 5 of her friends, decide to relax post their school days. They rent out a beach cottage. All her friends are related to each other in some ways. This is how Stacey describes the relationship - "Chad and I are exes. Chad is dating Drea. I am dating Jacob. We're all vacationing under one roof". Despite the apparent confusion, they are apparently all at ease and have moved on. Stacey has a mystic power. She can predict the future (always negative events like death) of a person by simply feeling the other person (like a handshake, the vibrations, aura etc). Her nightmares help her in decoding the ways and means the danger will happen. The same power is also with Jacob, Stacey's boyfriend. The friends encounter an unknown girl, named Clara, and Stacey immediately comes to know that Clara's life is in danger. She decides to help despite Clara's flirting nature. Drea and Amber, though hate Clara, decides to support Stacey in her pursuit to protect Clara. Meanwhile, Jacob is hiding secrets from Stacey. Is it to help her or is it against her? How will Stacey help Clara? Or is there something more to the mystery? - forms the rest of the story.

Hows the writing - Simple, clear and a single person account of events that happen. The author has woven a wonderful story which leads us to a point where we start doubting certain people and the climax literally caught me off-guard! The characters are sufficiently described and all are different from others. They are shown as somewhat immature and is understandable since they are in their teens. Their sub-stories also gel well with the overall story-line. It will take the reader sometime to realize if the story is actually moving ahead or if it's one of Stacey's dream. The nightmarish events are described wonderfully by the author. The story manages to divert the reader till the climax. Personally, I loved the climax and the way was written.

So, What do I think - Must grab a copy! If you are part of the target audience mentioned above, then its a must read for you. I see no reason why you will regret reading this book. I am now eager to read the other part of the series (by the way, there are 5 of them).. Gosh! Too much on the pending item's list now.

My Rating: 3.5 / 5

Book Review: The Paperback Badshah

The Paperback Badshah : The comical journey of a 100 Rupee author (by author Abhay Nagarajan) is a funny rendition of an aspiring Indian author to fulfill his dream of publishing a book. Its about his journey and the mistakes he makes, his misadventures and the lessons learnt. Its about facing roadblocks with regards to his dream of being a writer, creative challenges, publishing, marketing, promotions, feedback from readers etc.

Judging a book by its cover -

Who should read this book -

1. Readers preferring a time-pass, weekend read
2. Budding Indian soon-to-be authors - If you wish to publish a book, you might want to read this for tips

What's the story like - The book is about a young Financial advisor Raghu who is not interested in the corporate life. He finds it difficult to achieve his ever increasing monthly sales target. At the same time, he is also working on his first book titled "The Paperback Badshah". Unfortunately, the pressure he faces in his corporate life is not allowing him to focus on writing his book. He then takes a bold decision, bold in Indian scenario, of quitting his corporate life. As expected, he comes under immense scrutiny from his family and other supposedly successful relatives. However, he stands his ground and spends the next few months working on the book amidst attending creative writing classes and meeting friends / like minded writers and strangers. The book describes in detail his journey from being a weekend writer to being a published one and the challenges he faces on the way. Mind you, its a fun read so everything is described in a light-hearted manner.

How's the writing - Creative is the first word that comes to my mind. The author has used creativity in his story-telling and his descriptions of almost every situation is somewhat different compared to other masala books. Some might feel that the author's creativity falls down to PJ levels - and I agree to an extent. As it is, there's a thin line between creativity and PJ. The author has structured the book based on various stages of book writing and publishing. Being a book published by Indian author, its bound to be error-prone. All I can say, its not as much as you would find in other books. However, I strongly feel, we are yet to take "proof reading" as an integral part of writing the book. The book also touches upon the Indian scenario of masala authors becoming more successful by writing masala stories while the literary ones find it difficult to sell books in India.

So, what do I think - One time read. A time-pass read. I personally don't think there's anything out of the ordinary in this book. If you want to spend 4-5 hours of your weekend and don't know how, this could be one of my suggestions. Also, if you want to be a writer, it will give you an insight on how to write a book and the various steps after writing the draft version like seeking publishers, rejections etc.

My Rating: 3/5

Book Review: The Guardians of Karma

"The Guardians of Karma" is a complex yet relishing blend of mythology and science fiction from an era where inhabitants on Earth were technologically and spiritually more advanced than what we are today. Many "myths" we thought were myths are supported with proper scientific explanation. Every marvel mentioned in the book is explained scientifically in detail to portray a picture of realism even in pre-historic times.

Judging a book by its cover - Unique combination of mythology and technology is clearly depicted in the book cover. You can see an advanced military machinery targeting what seems to be an ancient yet developed place.

Who should read this book - 
1. Mythology book readers
2. Science fiction book lovers

3. Readers who admire / get a kick by experiencing a well researched subject

What's the story like - The book starts with two Bheeshma monks (Acharya Parashu and Hara) on a secret mission. They come across a damsel in distress (Dev Lok princess - Uma) and rescue her from the clutches of Vetals (robots dumped after unsuccessful experimentation from Daityan empire). After reaching Dev Lok, they soon realize the bigger picture and a bigger problem - rising sea levels disrupting the life in Dev Lok and Daityan Empire. Dev Lok is relatively better off as they have used technologies that support nature. Daityan, meanwhile, have gone all out to utilize technology to satisfy their material needs and hence are now suffering. The only way for Daityans to come out of this crisis is by declaring war against Dev Lok and claiming new fertile land to survive. Daityan know they have a better chance of winning since they are technologically advanced compared to Dev Lok. The only people who can help Dev Lok against Daityans are the two Bheesma monks, especially Hara, who are in a mission of their own. Will Hara succeed in fulfilling his karma? If yes, then how? What other complications await him and the impending war between Dev Lok and Daityans form the crux of the story.

How's the writing - The book has two parallels - the story and queries related to spirituality - both in equal measure. Also, the author has described cities like Amaravati and Atalantpuri in complete detail that we literally start visualizing the fictional cities. Spirituality is also described in detail. Various means of achieving karma, identifying karma are explained through Acharya Parashu. Readers looking for spiritual enlightenment will find this book far satisfying as it attempts to answer the questions we have been chasing all along. However, readers more concerned about the story-line will prefer to skip some paragraphs / pages simply to concentrate on the story at hand. Mythological books require a lot of research and the author has done complete justice in this department. The first half of the book was almost error-free, though I can't say the same about the second half. The treacherous plan of a Daityan leader, Mahishasur, could have been the turning point in the book. To my utter surprise, this angle was completely ignored in the climax.

So, what do I think - This book was a definite page turner for me. I personally enjoy mythological books that include science as part of their novel - something that Indian authors should explore more. The audience of this book is not restricted to youth but can also target readers with 30-45 age group as they can relate to mythology more than youths. Youths meanwhile can focus more on the scientific / technology marvels described here.

My Rating: 3.5 / 5

Book Review: Ohh! Gods are Online..

"A magical tale of real gods, corrupt men and virtual worlds" is how the co-authors decided to describe the book. And they are dead right about it. In the acknowledgement section, the reader is introduced to two co-authors Rashma N. Kalsie and George Nixon who have never met. This makes the book all the more intriguing. Also, the cover page shows Gods with latest gizmos and you know you are in for a different ride! So, we have Gods, humans, technology, creativity and a little spirituality all mixed together in one book.

Target Audience:

1. Readers who admire creative novels

2. Indians, since the plot revolves mainly around India

Plot: The book starts with the life of Chris (new name of Christ). He lives in England near the sea shore. He is managing a new heaven which is full of chips and fish. There's Nick, the devil too. Feeling lonely, he finds a new man-made marvel - Facebook. Fascinated by it, he creates a profile and starts searching for fellow Gods. He meets Buddy Roy (new name of Buddha) and him, he finds Krishna. Krishna is working in a pantry inside a hospital. Krishna and Chris starts chatting about the new phase of life they are in and the troubles faced by humanity which wasn't predicted when God made humans. Gods marvel at the technological advancements man has made but pity the same humans for the kind of life they are living. In between, there are storied of a Tsunami in Japan and a creative way of who caused it and how gods came to salvage the situation.

Writing: The book starts a little slowly since the co-author's have to lay the foundation of the plot. It takes a while for the reader to realize what's happening in the plot, why are God's on Earth, why they have taken different forms, what's the difference between heaven and hell, how devil works etc. Mind you, all this is a work of fiction. God's are shown in their typical way. They have their strength's, their own beliefs an different ways to support their followers. Unlike what's happening in today's world, God's are shown to respect other God's followers too! A different way to perceive spirituality indeed.

All in all, I feel this book is a very bold attempt at inducing creativity by having Gods working with the gizmo's and technological advancements like Facebook. It will be creative for some. For others, it will be taking the concept of "art" too far. Remember, we are in India and most of us don't expect others to doubt our religious beliefs. Be that as it may, I am sure the book will sell because of its creativity (in plot and cover page) and the anxiety factor. 

My Rating: 3 / 5 (considering the broader audience)

Book Review: Romi and Gang

"Romi and Gang", as the name suggests is about a group of friends and their life and situations they face together. It's a story about their school and everything that's a part of school - including Cricket. The books starts with the prestigious season ball is hit out of the park and argument over who will compensate for it! If you had anything to do with Cricket in your childhood, you will know what I am talking about. Even the book cover shows a group of boys with their bags on their shoulders running towards what can definitely not be termed as a School. Its a life after school that matters!

Target Audience:

1. Cricket crazy fans as there are umpteen cricketing terms you can relate to

2. Readers whose life revolved around cricket especially during childhood

Plot: During your childhood, have you ever hit a cricket ball so hard that it flew out of the ground and your own team-mates, instead of applauding you, start criticizing you because you lost the only ball the team had! Have you ever enrolled a new member in your cricket team by asking him to buy a ball as a "goodwill" gesture? Have you ever got up in the morning just to run towards the 'maidan' to play cricket? Have you ever got up late in the night (say at 02:00am) just to see India - West Indies test match? You will find all this and more in this book! The story is about 4 friends (Romi, Sunny, Sukhi and Golu) and their life in school, on the cricket ground and around each other. Life moves around cricket for them. This book is about how they react to things changing in the school, how to win the next match and the likes.

Writing: The book is a series of events happening - some related and some not so related. A memoir of sorts. It can be classified as a diary written by a young boy about four friends and their childhood. For this, I must commend the author who has described feelings that only a child will go through. I personally went back to my childhood while reading this book and co-related those cricketing days and days of friendship that revolved around Cricket! This is the main reason why it took me long to read this book which, based on the size, should have been completed within 3-4 hours. Also, the cricket commentary in the book is nicely written. You can feel that you are actually present and watching the match. The things that I would think while batting were almost identical to what the protagonists went through. So much for co-relations! Special mention about the sketches in the book - awesome.

I would strongly recommend this book to those cricket fanatics to relive their childhood days again and maybe think of how life changed with responsibilities. However, if you don't fall in the target audience I mentioned above, you can give this book a miss as you will not be able to understand the nuances of cricketing terms.

My Rating: 3.5 / 5 (considering the broader reading audience)

Book Review: Complete / Convenient

First things first. Ketan Bhagat is actually Chetan Bhagat's brother! Secondly, their writing is as same Chalk and Cheese. So this is not a "same type of book" from people with the same surname. I am not so sure I understood why the book is titled "Complete / Convenient". it could be a rhetoric question asking the readers if they prefer a complete life (in home country with extended family, true friends and a stable job) or a convenient life (including living in different parts of the world and experiencing different / difficult situations). The tag-line "there is more to men than bromance" points in that direction too. The book cover is divided into two parts - one Indian and the other Australian.

Target Audience:

1. Information Technology folks - for you will know what it means to stay at onsite.

2. Punjabis - If you are a Punjabi, you'll love it for sure. This book is all about them and their lifestyles written in a humorous way. 

Plot: The reader is introduced to Kabir, the central character in the plot. He is in love with Myra and hangs out with Ramesh and Tejas. He works in Satyamev, an IT company headed by a certain Raju (co-relations anyone?). Kabir is one the outstanding performers in the sales team. He is immediately called to Australia for deputation. Ecstatic as he is, he unknowingly / indirectly informs Myra about being together. Myra understands this as a marriage offer. And there you go! Before Kabir leaves for Australia, he marries Myra and takes her along with him. That's when the novel really starts. From searching for apartments, friends, places to hang out, friends / colleagues to hang out with, new account for Kabir, everything starts with a mess. But everything finds a way too. Kabir and Myra realize that love before marriage was a lot easier, living in India with family was much better and so on. The internal fight between career growth and family forms the rest of the story.

Writing: Author has adopted a simple way of narrating the story. The writing is simple too. There are regular comparisons between living in India and overseas, their pluses and minuses. So, people who want to relocate can easily finalize their decision after reading this book! Even the people planning to relocate overseas can go through the different arguments you will eventually face. After reading the entire book, I thought the story could have been accommodated in about 275-300 pages. The author has explained every situation / surrounding in so much depth that the reader might feel off-track in between. That's the only minus point of the book. And yes, Ketan has a different writing style with less masala than Chetan.

Overall, the Bhagat family lived up to their reputation of publishing a gem of a debut novel. This one is as good as Five Point Someone. Now the challenge is to upheld the same quality in Ketan's next novels, if he is planning to.

My Rating: 4/5

Book Review: When Strangers Meet..

"When Strangers Meet" by K. Hari Kumar is a story of three characters from different strata of society who meet in a resting room of a metro station and life takes them towards a different direction from the one they were already charting for themselves. All this and more is aptly described in the cover page. The cover page is catchy - no doubt - and will be one of the key reasons towards the sale of the book. But the cover page and the information provided in the back page reveals a lot more than is needed (I feel). It encapsulates the story along with the climax (if you read between the lines). Maybe, the author wants the reader to know a lot more and then start reading the story.

Target Audience:

1. Readers who like light hearted, bollywoodish novels

2. Readers who want to read a different type of narrating style
3. Maths haters anyone? You might just enjoy this..

Plot: The reader is introduced to a boy, Jai, who's least interested in Maths and would do anything to get away from the subject. His dad is a Mathematics professor who wants his son to be like him. It reaches a stage where Jai could not take more pressure and decided to run away from his home in search of his dreams. You are also introduced to Hussain, who's a devout Muslim, runs a tea stall and believes in doing good for the people but is finding it difficult to make ends meet. He wins a lottery and is on his way to the lottery office. Hussain and Jai meet in the resting room of a Metro station since there's an accident that took place which ensures that their respective plans are delayed by a few hours. A stranger approaches Jai and immediately strikes up a conversation. Jai, initially hesitant to listen and be a part of the conversation, suddenly starts liking it as the story is very similar to his present life. "Amazing things happen when strangers meet" - is what the author claims. The book validates his claim.

Writing: If I tell you that that author has written a 3rd person account of two characters in the book, I'll be right. If I tell you that the author has written a 1st person account of the third character in the book, I'll be right again. This way of writing makes it a fun read. Also, all the three protagonists are important to the plot. And their plots are interconnected as both Hussain and Jai learn a lot from the stranger and in-turn learn a lot from each other. The author has ensured that the plots are closely knit. By and large, the book seemed to be error free. But there are some sections with multiple spelling and grammatical errors. It feels like the proof reader did not completely read the book and instead concentrated on some sections and ignored the rest.

Overall, the book is a light-hearted and fun read. Simple and straightforward story with an interesting twist in the end. Read it, enjoy it, cherish it..

My Rating: 3 / 5

Book Review: The Secrets of the Dark

"The Secrets of the Dark" is the first part of a series called "The Saga of Agni" and it deals with exactly what the title suggests - to decipher the secrets of the dark. It's a fantasy thriller where you will be introduced to new lands, there are kings, guardians, super powers, theories et al. One look at the book cover will reveal a lot more about the book and it's story. You see a lot of hooded people and an image of one hooded person guarding what seems to be a globe with the following written in blood red color - ".. the debt of blood is never repaid". Anything more will be a spoiler alert.

Target Audience:

1. Fantasy Fiction lovers

2. Readers who get a kick exploring mythical lands.

Plot: The book depicts the mystical lands of Gaya. This land is divided into two parts - the land of the rising sun and the land of the setting sun. There's a defined prophesy / prediction that is bound to happen - a destroyer will be born from a royal family who will be responsible for the destruction of mankind. The onus is on the seven guardians of Gaya to protect mankind from the destroyer. One king decides to save his child Agni from the guardians by sending his child from the land of the setting sun to the land of the rising sun. He grows up as a ward with the son of the king of Himadri, Prince Yani, and Vrish, the son of Briksha who brought Agni to Himadri. Then a catastrophic incident happens that forces Agni and Vrish to search for the 'whodunit'. This search unearth many deep and dark secrets (and hence the name "The Secrets of the Dark"). Though there are other sub-plots too in this book, it essentially concentrates on Agni and his journey to find the culprit.

Writing: If you need one reason to read this book, I suggest this is it. Author has a peculiar way of writing and grabbing readers attention. Not only that, he ensures you are engrossed in reading and simultaneously visualizing the scene. To write a book as this, you need to describe the place with utmost clarity and he has done a wonderful job at that. There are some grammatical / spelling errors in the book especially when something big is going to happen in terms of action / emotion / twist which, if you are highly engrossed, can easily be ignored. Also, the ending can be a little dubious. One way to look at it will be to understand that the ending will continue in part 2 of the series.

Since this is the first part of the series, his future book will solely depend on the success of this book. Quite a risk, but will be highly rewarded too. Indian authors are waking up to explore different types of writing and the readers are ready to explore reading the same. Watch out for more such books in the near future, if not already!

Overall, "The Secrets of the Dark" is a fantastic debut novel from Arka Chakrabarti. At the personal level, I shy away from the mystical books as it involves too much of imagination, recollecting different names and places in the novel and thereby more time to complete the book. But I will now start changing my ways. When is the 2nd book coming, Arka?

My Rating: 3.5 / 5

Book Review: The Homing Pigeons

"The Homing Pigeons" is a love story of two people meeting, leaving, meeting, leaving and eventually meeting again! Much like the 'homing pigeons' who are known to return to their own place irrespective of the location they are currently in. Metaphorically, the two protagonist in this book, Aditya and Radhika, go through the same motions till they meet (again). Although the title is apt for such a story, the cover page, isn't. It simply depicts pigeons flying in random directions without a destination. I would have preferred a more creative cover page. But, as they say, never judge a book by its cover!

Target Audience:

1. Youngsters looking to read relationship based novels

2. Corporates affected by recession (not that this book gives an option, but you will enjoy for sure)
3. Readers who enjoy non-linear / parallel narration.

Plot: "The Homing Pigeons" is about the stories of Aditya and Radhika - 2 stories running parallel. You meet a guy named Aditya who works as a 'gigolo' to satisfy his 'clients'. You then meet a woman named Radhika who is not sad when she loses her husband but is instead happy to own his materialistic possessions! But all's not bad with the protagonists and their life. Situations made them go that route. And those situations are described in the book. Aditya is actually a promising youngster who loses his job due to recession and lives with his working wife. He met a woman, Divya, in a bar and that meeting changed his life for the better (in terms of money) and worse (in terms of career decisions). Radhika is a small town girl whose parents gave her away to foster parents, who in turn, returned her back to real parents. How the twain meet - forms the crux of the story.

Writing: The narration is non linear. You get too know a part of Aditya's life followed by Radhika's life. Initially, they are as different as chalk and cheese. Your instinct (and the book title) reminds you that their stories will meet at one point. But that's not the point here. It's how smoothly the stories meet that makes this book worth reading. However, I felt the end could've been made a little melodramatic. Also, the stories are moving between the past and present. The writing is simple and easy to understand (a common trait by Indian authors to increase their target audience). People who know me, know that I have a thing or two for witty one-liners. Here's one from the book that's apt - "This response is as dumb as Microsoft Office help; it gives  you the most logical answer that makes no sense"

Relevance in today's times: Recession is relevant, even in today's times - ask those who are still struggling to get back in the career race. Relationships, or the fall of it, is also equally relevant. "The Homing Pigeons" captures the various reasons for the fall of relationships, (regrettable) decision made based on situations and its repercussions. The author has smartly involved two of the most sensitive issues (recession and relations) and churned out a book that's pleasant to say the least.

Overall, based on the story and parallel narration with past and present running together, this book is a worthy page turner. It's a wonderful and promising start from the author Sid Bahri. Narration is truly the differentiating factor here and is, in itself, worthy of a buy. 

My Rating: 3 / 5

Book Review: "Tantra" by Adi

When I first heard about this book, I was completely taken in by the thought of reading a fantasy (can also be interpreted as horror) thriller. And after reading this book, I can safely say that I have no regrets! Now-a-days, a lot of emphasis is given to the book covers that reveal a lot about the book. Here, the scene of the book cover depicts a night time scene, a lady with blood stained weapons in both hands waiting for the opportune moment to attack, someone overseeing the event and a closer representation of moon (Chandra - in Hindi). It reveals a lot - yet conceals a lot too. The anxiety increases and you will have the urge to know more. My case was no different! 

Target Audience:

1. Thriller fanatics

2. Readers who love supernatural books / movies

Plot: Anu is a recognized Vampire slayer in New York. Due to some personal loss (described in the book) she shifts base from New York to Delhi. She starts adapting to life in Delhi, which includes the behavior / lifestyle pattern of vampires in Delhi, her aunt's constant husband hunting for Anu, her late night adventures etc. She soon realizes that Delhi is a lot different than New York in terms of the vamps you find back home. There's a hierarchy to adhere to, laws that apply to vampires and law abiding guardians too. And then at the root of it all, there's a Tantric, who uses black magic (Tantra - in Hindi) to have supreme power over all. Vampires are like slaves to him. Anu, along with  a local guardian (Amit), tries to decipher the events and decides to fight the evil that will empower Delhi forever. Do they succeed? And how? - forms the crux of the novel. Oh, and by the way, there are prospective Indian grooms lurking around too..

Writing: First and foremost, I respect an author who does his research. Adi is one of them. India has a lot of hidden secrets / mysteries that begs to be explored. And when an author presents some of them through his / her novel, you have to admire them. Explanations are provided in this book for different tantra's, chants, astras, rituals. It makes you feel if Tantra is actually a black magic or has some scientific explanation to it. For people who believe in it, this book provides more to digest and for people who don't believe in it, it's a fantasy book for you. Either ways, you benefit. Author has kept the language simple to cater to a larger reading audience.

Relevance in today's times: I must admit I am not a big fan of vampire books / movies. But this book ensured it had my attention for hours till I read it completely. The thought of a female protagonist was exciting (very much in sync with with thoughtful entertainment has become in critically acclaimed and successful Indian movies). Post the success of Twilight series, I am compelled to believe there will be many book and movies on this genre. The author has hit the nail on the head by releasing this book early (early mover advantage).

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and feels like it has a movie adaptation value to it. I, for one,  won't be surprised if a movie is made with this novel. Just a word of caution though - if you are not into supernatural fantasy stuff, you may chose to give this book a pass. For the rest, this is a must-read!

My Rating: 3.5 / 5

PS: This review is part of the Biggest Book Reviews Program for Indian Bloggers at BlogAdda. A special thanks to the BlogAdda team for selecting me for the review process.

Book Review: Spicy Bites of Biryani

"Spicy Bites of Biryani" because life needs a little masala is a book about relationships - serious enough to get married to actually being married types. Its written by a debut author - Ashwina Garg. This books depicts the life of people getting into relationships and how their life changes thereafter. Its also points out reasons why people avoid getting into serious and long term relationships. All this is shown through different characters who are important to the plot. One look at the cover page and you will know what I am talking about. A couple sitting near a beach, with greenery around, car parked nearby, discussing what we can safely assume to be an open ended one (typical of a relationship). 

Target Audience:

1. Indian audience - as some conversations in the book are in Hindi

2. Readers who love novels based on relationships

3. Readers who prefer a straight forward book without too many twists and turns and a start-to-end read.

Plot: This book is all about relationships. One guy comes back from the United States after selling his company and a relationship to Hyderabad in search of a wife and has intentions to settle down. There's a couple in Hyderabad who are his friends. Husband wants to start a family (Read: be a father), but the wife is not sure if she can cope with added pressure. They have a common friend who is a writer and prefers to have meaningless relationships rather than getting married. The guy from the US is Sanjay and the writer is Aditi. This book is about how they meet, become friends, gets into a relationship (with major differences, like marriage, aside) and moves on. Sounds simple right? Now let's include Sanjay's ex from the US and Aditi's exes too. And you have 225 pages of a book worth exploring. Now you are thinking! 

Writing: The writing is simple and easy to understand - something you expect from a debut author from India. Since the reader contingent is growing everyday in India, it makes sense to cater to most of them. The author has focused more on Aditi's character making her the central to the plot. There are characters developing around her. The climax is somewhat unexpected though. I understand the author's intention to spring a surprise and end it in a way the story is forever remembered by  the reader, but the way it ended somehow didn't fit the complete storyline. This is just my opinion. Most of the readers might feel otherwise.There are some grammatical errors (relatively much less) and some typos too. However, if you are deeply involved in the plot, there are chances you will miss / ignore them.

Relevance in today's times: Since its a take on relationships, its relevant (and will always be). "Spicy Bites of Biryani" shows a way in which committed people interact and make decisions. Include the culture diversity and you have the right masala that will make the Biryani yummy!

Overall, it's a fun book and if you have 3-4 hours of free time, that you can read it at one go. No regrets, go for it.

My Rating: 3 / 5

Book Review: In the Sea There Are Crocodiles

"In the Sea There Are Crocodiles" is a true story of Enaiatollah Akbari. Enaiatollah Akbari is a young boy aged 10 (his own assumption when the story began) who was made to travel from one country to the other for various needs known to mankind - a home, a place to work and earn money, to eat and survive every day. There are moments of happiness and sadness in his virtual biography - I call it virtual because the author himself has stated that the book is not entirely his story. It's part truth and part fiction. The narration is so full of innocence that you will actually feel you are part of the story! This is easily one of the best books I have read!  

Target Audience:

1. Lovers of international fiction books, although there is more truth in the book than fiction!
2. Readers who love exploring different countries and their distinct cultures (however good / bad)
3. Readers who want to know the true life of Refugees - written in a very innocent way.

Plot: Consider a situation - Before going to sleep, a mother tells a child not to do drugs, not to use weapons and not to cheat. The child accepts and peacefully sleeps only to wake up and realize that the mother has left him.. for good! Thus starts the life of a refugee. And when a book starts with such a story, you are instantly attracted to it. There's no looking back. Young Enaiatollah Akbari starts living life on his own, making his own mistakes, trusting people he don't know - since he doesn't have any other option. Life takes him from his country Afghanistan to Pakistan, to Iran and so on till Italy. All in search of work, acceptance, to stand his own in this sea of crocodiles!

Writing: This book is written from a youngster's perspective. Its written in a narration format, as the young Enaiatollah Akbari describes his life story to the author Fabio Geda which includes travelling across countries in Asia and Middle-East, how people treat him and how he survived. It depicts how a young boy thinks, talks and understands what's happening in the world around him.

Here is an excerpt that will drive my point:

"Should I try and get it from him? I should point out that I was a lot smaller than them and there were more of them than me and they all looked  quite tough and not to be trusted. If I'd thrown myself on their leader, I'm ready to bet I would have ended up with broker bones and all my merchandise in their boxes. And what would it be like to tell osta sahib that everything had been stolen from me on the very first day? So, not out of fear, but rather because I'm the kind of person who thinks before doing something important, I had almost decided that it was better to lose a packet of chewing gum than my teeth.."

I genuinely loved the narration - the innocence of a young child clearly comes out of it!

Relevance in today's times: Being a citizen of a country that recognizes you and treats you like one of them is still unbearable and less than what the citizens expect from their country. Now imagine the life of a young refugee, who doesn't even have a country to call his own. As fellow human beings, we don't even know how to treat our own forms. This point is highlighted very clearly in this book. However, there are positives too - like the people who still help and support strangers with the best that they can provide without expecting anything back. 

If you have the will to fight and survive in this sea of human crocodiles (who are by far more dangerous than their animal counter-parts), chances are that you will end up getting what you want! I strongly recommend this book.

My Rating: 4.5 / 5

PS: This book review is part of Book Review Program at FlipItAll.com. The original review can be found here.

Book Review: "RIP" by Mukul Deva

First things first. RIP, here, doesn't stand for what it popularly means. RIP stands for Resurgent Indian Patriots. The first thing you observe when you get hold of this book is that a lot is revealed in the cover page itself. There's a shadow of a guy who, we can safely assume, is a commando with a gun. There's a syringe on top with a bullet representing an "I" in RIP. All this with a backdrop of either an explosion or the "Sun". Lots explained from the cover! Interestingly, the author's name (Mukul Deva) seems more prominent than the book's name. This could be a conscious effort by the author and the publishers (Westland Ltd.) for promotional purposes or maybe just the way I look at it. But it sure has an impact!

Target Audience:

1. Readers who love Military thrillers

2. Young Indians, especially those who yearn for change!

3. Readers who love to cross the line between reality and fiction - you guys will enjoy this book!

Plot: The book starts with introducing some members of the K-Team in a wedding party involving the daughter of a businessman wind the son of a politician in Delhi. It's called the K-team as it involves ex-military personnel whose names start with K - Colonel named Krishna Athawale, Majors Karan Singh, Kevin David, Kashif Nadeem, Kamlesh Saikia & Kulwant Singh. Their intention in the party is to kill a pot-bellied politician who is protected with bodyguards. And they actually do it without even the bodyguards and by-standers knowing! Similar incidents happen in cities like Chennai and Pune. Astonishing right? And that's how the plot remains throughout the book. Now when you do something against the powerful people, there are repercussions right? Government appoints teams to track down the K-team and as a result, civilians, involving the family members of the K-team, are killed in this cross-fire. All the K-team wants is to have an effective and transparent governance of our country. Do they achieve it in the end / at what cost? - is explained in the rest of the book.

Writing: The author has smartly named the characters based on different religion to point out the fact that this is not a religious group. The author claims that the book is an art of fiction and events / personalities have been fictitiously used (which means, the events might be true but is still considered fictional - smart again!). As you read through the book, you will be able to clearly recognize the event and the person involved in real life. There's a airplane hijacking incident, an arms-scam incident, scams involving fodder, technology (that's still very much happening today). Also, the author has not shied away from using abusive language. Now, I am not sure if it's part of the military dialect, but even if it is, the frequency of using such words should have been controlled for the larger benefit of the reading audience.

Relevance in today's times: If at all there's a time in India for this book to be relevant, it's now! It's highly relevant in today's scenario. The book depicts the plight of our country as it exists today and offers an alternate (and in my opinion, a bold and somewhat unrealistic - given that we are a democracy) solution to solve them. The author Mukul Deva himself conveys the same about this book:

"This book was born out of an extreme sense of anger and shame. Anger at the appalling, naked greed so shamelessly displayed by the Indian Political class. And shame that they happen to be fellow-Indians"

Overall, this book is a worthy page turner. The precision involved in "correcting the wrongs" in the society is amazingly described. There are different ways in which you will enjoy this book. You can enjoy this book as a thriller. You can enjoy it for it's striking co-relation with the real India.

Buy hey, take the story and the solutions with a pinch of salt.

My Rating: 4 / 5.

PS: This review is part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda. A special thanks to the BlogAdda team for selecting me for the review process.

Book Review: 14 Hours: An insider's account of the 26/11 Taj attack

26th November 2008. The day Mumbaikars stood still - wherever they were, inside the terror attacked hotels, at home glued to the TV sets, on phone convincing their loved ones of their existence, in awe, in shock, in grief. You name it, we expressed all the emotions that's not remotely related to happiness. It was a black letter day in the life of every Indian. We were attacked by a terrorist outfit. Our media ensured we were updated of every single bullet shot and its repercussions. Everything from a 3rd person's perspective. What if I tell you there's a book out there that gives you a 1st person account of what happened in the Taj Mahal Hotel on that dreadful day? That's exactly where this book comes in. Does it live up to the readers expectation? Read on to find out..

Target Audience:

1. All Indians living anywhere in the world.

2. As the book suggests, readers who are interested to know what happened inside the Taj Mahal Hotel. It's the curiosity factor that the author is banking on. 

Plot: Unlike most of my book reviews, this one will be different. In the sense that the plot is actually known to everyone. It's not a plot actually, its a real life story. The book gives a timely account of what happened at what time inside the Taj - what was happening before it all started, how it started, how was it initially perceived, how the guests (customers) were controlled and transported to a relatively safer place each time, the bullet shots and its targets, panic et al. The author mentions his state of mind when people were being evacuated and he, instead of choosing the easier route of getting away from the scene of terror, decided to hang on till everyone is safe.

Writing: Before I analyze the writing style, let me give you a brief backdrop of the author in 2008. Understand that Ankur Sharma was a management trainee in 2008. He was a student in early 2008 who landed a job at Taj in mid-2008 and was few months into the job in November. And this reflects in his writing. There are some light and humorous incidents in the book. In other words, this is not actually a minute by minute account of happenings inside the Taj, but a minute by minute account of happenings of Ankur Sharma - what he saw around him, what happened to him and people around him. The book is written in a structured manner as it should be, considering it depicts a real life incident. There are many silly errors (spelling as well as grammatical) in the book which could have been eliminated. 

The cover page of the book contains an image of the dreadful act and the topic signifies that the book will be hard-hitting. However, the book is a toned-down version with moments of humor and light-hearted conversations between author and other staff members. There's a part of you that will feel deceived while reading this book. But then, maybe, its the reader's fault. We are taught not to judge a book by it's cover, right?

Relevance in today's times: The incident cannot be ignored under any circumstances. Especially when Ajmal Kasab was hanged on 21st November 2012 (almost 4 years after the incident) and the masterminds are still free and protected. This book serves as a reminder of the incident. It's a nice initiative by the author as it helps us Indians (with a short memory) to relive the dreadful days that went by and question the government authorities why justice has been delayed.

My Rating: 2.5 / 5

PS: This review is part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda. A special thanks to the BlogAdda team for selecting me for the review process.

Book Review: Once upon the tracks of Mumbai

"Once upon the tracks of Mumbai" is a Mumbai based story written by debutant author Rishi Vohra. It depicts the life of a certain strong yet autistic Babloo and the incidents that happen to him. They say a first impression means a lot to attract the audience and that's what Rishi Vohra has done with the cover page. You see a couple which makes it obvious that it's a love story. You see the title written as if it's a Mumbai station. And then there's a train. No points for guessing the different elements involved in this novel. Adequate information, I must admit.

Target Audience:

1. Mumbaikars.

2. Readers in awe of Mumbai local trains (Imagine reading this book inside Mumbai's lifeline!).

3. Readers who seek freshness in the novel, which you are assured to get from a debut author.

Plot: The story is about an Autistic person named 'Babloo', his life and his daily struggles (or the lack of it, in some cases). Though the central character is Babloo, there are other parallel tracks too involving other characters like a career driven Vandana, a negative character in Sikander and Babloo's brother Raghu. Our protagonist is slow in understanding what others are talking about and the situations that happen around him. People, including his own family, ignore him. Vandana seems to be the only person interested to talk to Babloo. And logically, Babloo is attracted towards her. Enter Sikander in one story and Raghu in a parallel story. There's love, there's betrayal, there's family ignorance, family pressure et al in this beautiful city of Mumbai as depicted in the book. Babloo is constantly searching for his purpose in life. Enter RAIL MAN. How, why, what happens next forms the crux of the story. Revealing anything more will be spoiling the suspense.

Writing: One must give credit to Rishi Vohra for making a mark with his debut novel. He is surely one of the authors to watch out for in the near future - assuming he continues writing books. The first few chapters set the tone and describes Babloo's character and the area of Bandra in greater detail. For some, it may be a let-down. Some will wonder and appreciate the amount of research carried out by the author. The language used is simple and will be understood by most readers. The story is written in such a way that you feel you are actually visualizing it in front of you. In other words, there is a possibility of this book to be converted into a Bollywood movie. And based on the current trend, I am sure I am not far from the truth!

Relevance in today's times: The book has lot of stuff that explains the way people react and think when surrounded by a situation. It looks at autistic personalities. It looks at how the world around you perceives you despite what you actually are. A lot of incidents and characters resembles real life popular characters and the author has smartly ensured real names are not included. There's a certain Bollywood superstar, certain political factions, a real life stone pelting incident injuring a girl in the train. People in Mumbai and to an extent, all Indians will be able to identify the real people behind the reel name! 

Overall, "Once upon the tracks of Mumbai" gave me a refreshing new novel and to an extent, made me realize (once again) that Mumbai is a lot more than Bollywood and city of dreams!

My Rating: 3.5 / 5

To know more about the author and the book, you can visit the author's website.