Who Told Men Not To Cry - Book Review

Book: Who Told Men Not To Cry?

Author: Azar

ISBN: 9781630414306

Pages: 249 

Ratings: 2/5

Price: 150

Something from the book:

It gave me the happiness

It gave me the pain

When a book starts with wrong grammar, you know for sure it is going to be a disaster and same was the condition of ‘Who told men not to cry?’, by Azar. The story is of a boy with adjustment issues. Raj the protagonist of the book belongs to a middle class family and is termed unlucky from the very start because the day he was born, his father suffered a loss in business. The book then moves on to his school life where for Raj the whole world revolves around his friends, teachers and ‘his girl’ aka Keerthi his love interest.

 He was a topper and was loved by all till class tenth but life took a turn (like it does for everyone) when he had to shift to high school. That is when his real struggle started as he had to face the consequences of not being a topper – no more the apple of his teachers’ eyes, no more genuine and trust worthy friends and no more ‘his girl’. Raj then works hard and tries to overcome his adjustment issues in order to sustain the pressures of High School but one of his biggest concerns is if he will get ‘his girl’ back.

Pros –

1.   Funny moments and light jokes in the book keep you going to some extent.

2.  The end – For a book with a very week plot to end in a funny satisfying end, it is a big thing. I liked the quirky poem in the end.

Cons –

1.   Grammar – A full length novel that starts with – “My son, it’s again you are going to be late to your college,” shouted my mom as I was busy singing in my bathroom. – gives you the picture of the book and takes the rating of 5 straight down to 3. (Sorry I am a Grammar Nazi)

2.  Raj’s Character sketching – Why does Raj call his friends mothers mom? And how does a flirtatious guy become teachers’ favourite by literally being cheesy and flirting with them? Also Raj hardly ever talks about his own family; his friends’ families have been given more importance in the book than his own mother and sister.

3.  My Girl! – Keerthi is her name. I found myself saying this God knows how many times in the 3 hours I took to finish the book. The author addresses his girlfriend as my girl almost everywhere. It gave the book very non – bookish feeling.

The story seems like ranting of a teenage boy and the storyline is not something an avid reader would enjoy. This book is the debut of the 20 year old author, Azar; and for his age it is a decent work but as a book or story it is a big failure.  Unfortunately the book needs a hell lot of editing and serious revision in case of grammar. Except for the end – atleast it was realistic, tragic yet funny, I personally didn’t enjoy the book much. Might be a onetime read for many but I wouldn’t pick the book again. 

P.S.- This book was given to me by BlackBuck Publications for review and the review is completely my own view about the book.

Of Course, We are Best Friends : Book Review

Book: Of Course, We are Best Friends!

Author: Sonia Bansal

ISBN: 9781630412920

Pages: 200 

Ratings: 3/5

Price: 140

Something from the book:

A bond so strong

A longing so necessary

A feeling so precious

Here is one of the biggest advantages of travelling for almost 4 hours a day – You can finish a book! Yes recently I have finished 2 such books and this is the first of the two. ‘Of Course, We are Best Friends!’ by Sonia Bansal is a short and sweet tale of friendship and love. The story revolves around the protagonists Aditi and Aditya who are classmates in school. Even at the young age, and with absolutely no idea about the depth of the emotion named love, Aditya falls for Aditi. Aditi being, the free spirited girl, though naïve in her thoughts is more rational than Aditya and feels young love is nothing more than infatuation. Soon they become best buddies and are the target of every Tom Dick and Harry in their friend circle. Teasing, helping, making random jokes slowly pulls them towards each other and very soon they start dating each other.

Their love blossoms in school against all rationalities but fails with the first real challenge they have to face - long distance relationship in college. They meet after some years but the awkwardness of past haunts them. Aditya being more involved than Aditi, fights with every inch of his will to let go of the weirdness and in the end the friends do make a decision, saving their friendship from the dark clouds of immature love.

Pros:

1.   Point of views – The author gives you the point of view of both the protagonist throughout the story. The way the story is written is refreshing and keeps you going.

2.  Narration – Simple and effective, just like reading your regular day to day diary. Something light like every tired book person would want after a hectic day.

Cons:

1.   Nothing new – We hear these things, we know these things, and Durjoy Dutta and Chetan Bhagat have made sure we read these things too. There is nothing to take away from the story, nor does it leave you with a long lasting feel good effect.

2.  Editting – It is very important for a book to be free of grammatical errors and spelling mistakes cause if the reader is like me, it breaks the flow and gets irritating.

Over all it is a onetime read for sure, but that is all it is. It is a book you would pick to refresh yourself. When I got this book to review from the publishers, I thought it would be the same as any random teenage love story book these days and wasn’t wrong; but having said that it was a refreshing read thanks to the narration and the point of view writing style. To let go of the heavy life and hold a mirror at simplicities, that we seem to have forgotten these days, teenagers included. I would give the book a 3 on 5 rating and would really want the author to try some new and different genre because she sure shows the flair of storytelling in this book. The book manages to break the illusion that a girl and a boy can always be good friends but in a very conventional way. I would have enjoyed it more, had the story explored unconventional track to explore the emotions. For people who love chick flicks and teenage romance, this book is surely something you will enjoy.

P.S.- This book was given to me by BlackBuck Publications for review and the review is completely my own view about the book.

A Passionaate Gospel of True Love : Book Review

Book: A Passionaate Gospel of True Love

Author: Poonaam Uppal
ISBN: 9788192105

Pages: 1084 

Ratings: 3/5
Price: 595

Something from the book:
"I would wash your path with my tears of plea
My eyes are fixed on the road that brings you to me
Beholding the ocean of love in your eyes"

Shrouded by myths and reality, A Passionaate Gospel of True Love by Poonaam Uppal, is the journey of an ambitious Indian girl Moh Lal. The story moves through the corridors of glamour and desire as Moh has her mind set on becoming an internationally acclaimed Fashion Designer. And destiny lets her wallow in her yearnings too, until one day when not only it deceives her desire but changes her course all together. Moh gets a premonition, a sign from Goddess Durga that she would meet her ancient lover in 1997 and that sets her on the path of finding her true love.

The story takes you National to International and back and makes you her unseen companion through her journey which is donned by Deja vu, divine interferences, premonitions, idiosyncratic occurrences and past birth revelations. The journey makes her a believer of love, beyond the sexual and artificial meaning people have accepted for the word these days. And also leads her to misty terrains of Himalayas for a cryptic secret waiting to be unveiled.

Pros :

1.   Narration – The flow is such that it makes you feel you are reading a diary and keeps you intrigued about the next incident always.

2.  Descriptions – If one thing every reader would cherish in this book (whether the book is of his/her type or not), it is descriptions. They were intricate, vivid and literally pen painted every page of the book in front of you.

3.  The Himalayan and Khajuraho sections – Can’t reveal much here, but I really liked these bits and yes the book has pictures too!

Cons :

1.   Autobiography – Fact that it was an autobiography kept me distracted for a very long time. And I have to be frank and accept; only when I started reading it as a random novel did I enjoy tits and bits of it.

2.  Love Messiah – Moh to Messaih, the story I still can’t digest. Kama Sutra and Love the holiest of the religions! I don’t really believe any god would preach religion. They or their messiah preached principles and way of life and people segregated them in religions. If Moh really was dragooned by her destiny set by Ma Durga , Love can’t be the religion.

3.  Over exaggerated events. – Sorry, again it is a read to know more con, but I found that ruining the flow.
4. Grammar and Punctuation - The book is some serious need of revision where grammar and punctuation are considered. Repetitions and random sentences going on and on. For a 1084 page book, these factors do matter. It gets annoying!

The book is apparently the autobiography of the author, but I went on reading is as some fantasy novel and it had many sections where I felt the situations and happenings were gonzo incidents. And my review too is totally for the book as a novel and not an autobiography.  Nevertheless the flow of the book is such that it feels like you are reading someone’s diary and surely by the end of it, it leaves you with a new thought about love; a more mature and to be pondered upon thought. I would give this book a 3 star on 5 because I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions else would have been a 2.5 for the content. Even though the story felt dragged it did make a sense and most of the points were tied up. It was a onetime read for me, given the fact that I don’t usually enjoy books related to romance and love. But for all the lovers out there, who knows this might be your kind of book.

P.S. This book was given to me for review by @share_books . The review is completely my own view and is unbiased. I do not intend to hurt anyone's feelings with my views but review is purely for the benefit of my readers.

Lost

Wisp of darkness looms around,

Stealing the dusk off the ground;

While lost in reminiscence of the day past by

She gazes aimlessly at the starless sky.

Fiddling with her old rusty locket,

Stretched she lies, on a verdant bed.

Alone she was from the very start

But least she wanted to be this world’s part.

The descant of people fading leaves her pondering deep,

While a surging familiar loneliness takes her by a sweep.

Yes: she walks, smiles and talks just like she always did,

But little by little, piece by piece she only faced defeats.

Strong and bold, but hollowing so;

Tranquility lost with every blatant blow.

Innocence of spirit to grow and fuse

But virtue lost in this disdain deluge.

All she wanted - to be one of them

A pawn she remained in this wicked game.

A dam of endurance now broken all,

Floods the smile of this porcelain doll.

She braces herself for a sleepless night

And witnesses the fading silver light;

Again she rides high on her daily lies

Orphan she was always, but now she cries.

-Vaisakhi Mishra

P.S. - Picture Courtesy - Google Baba

Waqt

Waqt ki chaadar par

Aazmaaish ki silvate na ho

To woh waqt bhi fizul ho jata hai

Bikhre palon mein

Gar khwaish ke chheetein na ho

Toh who pal ek dhundla saya hojata hai

Katra Katra

Jo haq na ho humse rubaru

Woh haq bhi humse chup kar hume daga de jata hai

Dil mein daba ho koi ehsaas

Jo waqt rehte bayan na ho

Toh woh ehsaas bhi khud se beparwah ho jata hai

Har lamha thehere pani ke tarah

Hai dikhata humara aks hume

Par na rahe hume ilm yeh

Toh waqt jhonke ki tarah sab khatam kar jata hai

-Vaisakhi Mishra