Book Review : The Gods are not dead

Book Review : The Gods are not dead

Title - The Gods are not dead
Author - Abhaidev
Genre - non fiction
Pages - 281
Format - kindle

I picked up this book due to its eye catchy title and intriguing blurb. The book starts with prologue 'I am God' which has informed about God a lot. The story revolves around the protagonist Shaurya. His life was normal but after getting special superpower he became uneasy. He didn't understand how to use these powers for the well being of people. But when he met with Megha, a mysterious woman she gave him the direction to control and use his powers.

Grab the book and delve into the amazing journey of Shaurya.

The cover of the book is aptly designed. The concept of the book is interesting, engaging and different. It is a perfect blend of spirituality, philosophy, science, superpowers and thrill. The author has amazingly woven all this under one story.
Language used is simple and lucid. Characters are well developed. The flow of the book is well paced. Hats off to the author for such a great book which has told about the reality of life.

Overall, a different and interesting read.

Rating - 4.8/5

I recommend this book to all.

Thanks for reading.

Author Interview : Sourabh Thakur

Author Interview : Sourabh Thakur

Hello everyone,
Today I am going to introduce you to the author of 'Aham'

Let's start!

1) First of all introduce yourself to the readers.

I am Saurabh, a filmmaker by profession. I run a production house called Wingfoot Productions in Noida. I am originally from Bihar, but have travelled and stayed in many cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Delhi, mostly for studies and work. I never really thought about being an author, but then about 5-6 years back, I came up with an idea and thought it could work well as a book, and so, Aham came into being. 

2) What is 'The Aham Trilogy' about? 

Aham is a fantasy fiction series which is set in a world that is hidden from humans. It deals with past wrongs, the drive the avenge them and the shaky moral grounds that we stand on in the times of war. 

3) What prompted you to write about this genre of spirits,  demons and humans?

I have always been a huge fan of fantasy fiction ever since I read Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien and have always wanted to be a part of such worlds. Originally, the idea for Aham started as a fan fiction for A song of Ice and Fire, but I realized that I had enough material for an entirely new world and that's how Aham came into being. 

4) Describe your book in one line. 

A tale of revenge, redemption and assimilation. 

5) What is your writing process like? 

There a lot of times that I had heard in the past that writing does not need a process, but I strongly believe that there needs to be one. Personally, I always start at the end. I always think of the climax first, and then build the story backwards from there. The one thing that I always adhere to while writing (whether books or scripts) is that I need to have the entire story structure in place. Before I start writing anything, I need to know the sequence of events and motivations. And I think it is because of that that I have nor experienced the writer's block as yet! 

6) What do you like to do when you're not writing? 

If I am not writing or working, I am mostly watching a movie or a series or reading a book. Apart from that, my dog Sansa takes up most of my time! I do like cooking also at times, but mostly I am just lazy and find it the most difficult task to get up from the couch! 

7) What does your family think of your writing? 

They have been extremely supportive and encouraging. Not just my parents and my sister, but even my extended family has been very enthusiastic about having a writer in their midst! It kind of feels special! In fact, my cousin Animesh gave me one of the best feedback that I have received so far (though it may be a little biased considering he's my cousin). He said that Aham does to fantasy what Scorsese did to gangster films, that is move the story along without getting bogged down under atmosphere building.

8) What's your reaction towards negative feedback? 

Negative feedback can be in many forms, but if it is a constructive one, I always treasure it. That is the only way of knowing what to improve upon. But if there is negative feedback that comes from someplace else, I just forget it! 

9) What are your future plans? How soon can your readers expect your next book? 

My future plans include a shift to Mumbai soon, and a venture into films and web series hopefully! The manuscript for my next is ready actually, and it is undergoing the editing as of now. It's an attempt at horror, and I hope that it has come out well! 

10) What advice do you have for writers and readers?

Considering that Aham is my debut book, I really don't think I am in much of a position to give out advice! But a general advice to everyone would be to explore more. You never know when you might discover something that becomes your next passion! 

Thanks for reading.

Author Interview : Apoorva Anand Srivastva

Author Interview : Apoorva Anand
                                   Srivastva

Hello everyone,
Today I am going to introduce you to the author of 'The Better You'

Let's start!

1) Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? 

I'm a management consulting professional who graduated from college about 3 years back. I'm also an artist and a food enthusiast and needless to say, have art (@purplestein.store) and food (@survivalgourmet) blogs on Instagram :) 

2) When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? 

While I've been writing poems ever since childhood, professional writing happened only after college when I started to pen down my everyday thoughts into words - something that I was doing in the pursuit of giving meaning to them. 

3) When did you start writing?

Poems since childhood, book writing post college.

4)What is 'The Better You' about? 

‘The Better You’ details my learnings from facing the ‘real world’. It captures a wide range of human emotions and experiences, ranging from everyday courage, compassion and managing relations to mindfulness, self-love and self-awareness. 

5) What motivated you to write the book of this genre?

My parents have always taught me that as long as we are on this planet, we must always strive to provide meaningful contributions to the world. I always try to live by this value and for me, this book is a medium to bring about change (hopefully) in the lives of people who read it.

6) Explain your book in one line. 

"Life lessons beyond textbooks"

7) What's the best experience you've gained through writing? 

     a) Our entire life is transient - every moment passes away and every person comes and goes (some stay longer, some don't) 

     b) Self-reliance can take you to places. Lack of it won't even get you out of your bed

     c) Denial is the biggest roadblock against change

     d) Everything we want to achieve can be worked upon by watching one less TV show each day! 

8) How do you handle negative feedback? 

I see feedbacks (both positive and negative) as exciting avenues that can enable me to be a better version of myself. 

For this reason, I take note of positive feedback and label that as my 'strength' so that I know that this skill/point can be leveraged sometime in the future as needed. Similarly, I also take note of negative feedback (which I like to call 'constructive feedback') and see what change in my actions can help me convert this development opportunity into a strength.

9) Who is your favorite Indian and foreign author? 

I wouldn't say that I have a particular favorite - I'm the kind of person who loves to know about a lot of different ideas from a lot of different perspectives. :)

10) How soon can your readers expect your next book?

I've already started working on the next book, perhaps a year or so.

 
11) Any message to all aspiring authors?

I'd summarise the message, in a poem from my book:

In the long, dark tunnel,

would I have to travel…

…and when I set sail,

it’ll all be behind.

 

And I wouldn’t even know,

where is the other end;

or even worse, if there is any?

 

So is it even worth,

to embark on this journey?

 

But if I never try, would I ever know!

Thanks for reading.

Author Interview : Jayamadhure S

Author Interview : Jayamadhure S

Hello everyone,
Today I am going to introduce you to the author of 'Meraki'

Let's start!

MDT -Can you tell something about yourself to our readers?

JAYA - I am a final year engineering student who was born and brought up in Bangalore.
Writing, for me started off as an escape, my way of untangling the thoughts that were in my head.
But I realised, the more words that I put on paper, the happier I became.
So, eventually I started writing a lot more and am currently an Elite writer at Thesilenttalks with an audience base of over 260K. As my audience grew in number, so did my passion for writing
I started to participate in various intercollegiate fests held across the state. After several wins at the IIMB lit fest 2020, Kalanjali MVIT and Udbhav MSRIT, I have now published my first book, Meraki – My affair with words.

MDT - Please tell us about your book.

JAYA - “Meraki – My affair with words” is a world of diverse emotions that each one of us would have experienced at some point in our lives. It is a collection of relatable stories that will remind you of your past and make you hopeful for the future. There is a story in here for everyone.

MDT- As this is your first book, where’d you get the idea to do a collection of short stories instead of a full-length novel?

JAYA - In a fast-paced world like ours, I realised that majority of us don’t have the time to sit through an entire novel. Most people I know aren’t avid readers but do enjoy the occasional glance at short stories and social media blogs in between the busy hours. Meraki gives you that sweet escape. Every story that I’ve written has been influenced by some part of my life - big or small. I wanted to treasure all the stories that I’ve lived and loved in a space that was mine and share it with the world. So, whether it is a broken heart, or butterflies in your stomach, there is a story in here for you.

MDT - What does the title mean?

JAYA - The Greek word Meraki is used to describe the art of doing something with all your soul and putting a part of yourself into the work that you do.  Every story in this book captures that very essence.

MDT-What inspired you to write this book?

JAYA - I found my inspiration for Meraki in the nights that I cried myself to sleep, moments where I couldn’t stop smiling, and the days I wish I could relive. I wanted to describe the roller coaster of emotions that we experience and breathe life into the stories that are waiting to happen.

MDT -What is your favourite childhood book?

JAYA -The power of five series by Anthony Horowitz was my all-time favourite. I must’ve read these five books at least six to seven times.

MDT- Does your family support your writing?

JAYA - I am extremely grateful to my family who have always inspired me to be a better version of myself. Amma was the reason I got into Poetry in the first place. Both my parents are extremely supportive, and I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

MDT -Do you google yourself?

JAYA - I did google myself when the book came out. It was very exciting.

MDT -Your favourite authors?

JAYA - I grew up reading Anthony Horowitz and Cecelia Ahern. They introduced me to two completely different worlds of fiction, horror and romance, and I found myself falling in love with both.

MDT - Any message to you readers?

JAYA - Fall in love with yourself because everything will look different when you decide to live your life on your own terms.

Thanks for reading.

Author Interview : Charu Aganpal

Author Interview : Charu Aganpal

Hello everyone,
Today I am going to introduce you to the author of 'Budding Thoughts'

Let's start!

1)Can you tell me a little bit about yourself ?
My name is Charu Aganpal born and brought up in Delhi. A psychologist by profession and writer by passion. I believe in the mantra that no hill is tough to climb so see you at the top.

2)When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer ?
Well, I used to be fascinated reading quotes and writer’s name along with it in my school days and that’s where I realized that may be one day I would want someone to go through my writings and be inspired to walk on the same path.

3)When did you start writing ?
I started to write in my school days, I initially started to write quotes, then poetry and finally tried my hand on writing short stories on life.

4)What is budding thought about ?
Budding Thoughts is a book on short tales if life. It is an amalgamation of different rushes of emotions like happiness, pain, ecstasy etc which teaches us to embrace them all. Above all this book will revive your faith in humanity.

5)What motivated you to write this book ?
Things that motivated to write this book are : firstly, to inspire people with my words , to make my identity visible and to spread a deep message about humanity.

6)Are all the stories in this book of same genre or different ?
The stories in the book put light on different emotions in a deep way be it happiness, pain, sadness, ecstasy, all are well highlighted in the book and the readers can connect to it naturally.

7)What is the best experience you’ve gained through writing ?
The best experience I believe any writer can gain through writing is putting forth one’s deep emotions on a piece of paper and giving it a life and a soul in a way that one can connect and identify  to all the characters .

8)How do you handle negative feedbacks ?
Well, I believe everybody has an opinion, so positive feedbacks are icing on cake , whereas negative feedbacks makes you understand where you can improve in your writing, until and unless they really mean to  convey the genuine improvements that are needed and not the hate messages or the trolling per say.

9)Who is  your favorite Indian and foreign author?
My all time favorite authors are : Robin Sharma (A Canadian author of Indian origin )for hois inspiring writings  and Paulo Coehlo for his super mesmerizing novels.

10)What are your future plans ?
Future plans are to do more justice to my career as a psychologist, grow further in my field of writing and successfully get on the path of self growth spreading love and humanity.

11)How soon can your readers except your next book ?
Hopefully, in a span of few months as my next book is on collection of poems and I believe with God’s grace I will present  my second book to my readers real soon.

12)Any message to all aspiring authors ?
Don’t calculate your writing, as emotions if calculated like mathematics  will loose it’s essence and purity, just pour your heart out on a piece of paper and the world will have an add on to the list of great writers. Wish all you aspiring writers Goodluck.

Thanks for reading.

Book Review : My Happily Ever After

Book Review : My Happily Ever After

Title - My Happily Ever After
Author - Sanjay Sharma
Publisher - Srishti
Genre - romance/fiction
Pages - 180
Format - Paperback
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Plot - The story revolves around the protagonist Keshav, a small town guy who lands up in Delhi for his engineering degree in a well known college. There he meets Aditi and is stumped by her beauty and heavenly voice. They bond over their dreams and passion as Keshav wants to be an author whereas Aditi wants to be a singer.
But just when things are going great between the two, a turning point pulls them apart. While she leaves him to pursue her dreams, he plunges into depression and anxiety.
Grab this book to read a heartwarming tale of friendship  dreams, and love which will motivate you to live the life of your dreams.
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Review -
1) The cover of the book could have been better and the title of the book is apt to the content.
2) The plot of the story is unique and motivational. It is a perfect blend of friendship,humour, love,drama,struggle with lots of hope, courage and motivation. All the emotions are very well narrated by the author.
3) This book totally depicts today's life of younger generation. It also highlights some social issues like depression, anxiety etc.
4) The language used by the author is simple and lucid. The writing style of the author is impressive.
5) The characters are very well developed and described by the author especially of Keshav and Aditi.
6) This book teaches us that life is not only about love but also the discovery of oneself.
7) The flow of the book is well paced. It is twist and turns which keeps the readers hooked till the end.
8) Overall, a motivational love story with a strong message to the youth.
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Rating - 4.8/5
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I highly recommend this book to all romance lovers out there.

About the author -

Sanjay Sharma teaches in an engineering college and lives in Ghaziabad. Reading and writing has been his life-long passion, and he loves to write motivational and inspirational stories. He has a keen interest in understanding human behavior, and is a creative thinker fascinated by spirituality.

Thanks for reading.

Book Review : Live,Love and Laugh

Book Review : Live ,Love and Laugh

You yourself is the creator of your destiny.
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Title - Live, Love and Laugh
Author - Manjit Sargam Chawla
Publisher - Srishti Publishers
Genre - self help/non fiction
Pages - 170
Format - Paperback
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'Live,Love and Laugh' is a motivational self help book which helps us to unlock the key to some of the best gifts life has to offer which our mind holds. This book is a coming together of the practice of yoga, along with the practice of the law of attraction, making it a spell-binding read.
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Review :

1) The cover of the book is simple yet eye catchy and the title of the book is totally appropriate.
2) The book is divided into 13 chapters. Title of each chapter is totally apt to the content. Every chapter begins with a quote of different author and explains different topics with examples.
3) The content is rich and the way  of articulation is just brilliant which motivates the readers.
4) The teachings of the authors in this book is an absolute blessing and one can reanalyse their way of dealing with difficult situations.
5) This book has the power to expand the positivity and tells us the importance of yoga.
6) Through this book the author has given the message to live your life to the fullest by manifesting all your dreams and desires,to love unconditionally, fearlessly without any expectations and laugh every day without any limitations.
7) The flow of the book is well paced. Overall, a soulful read.
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Rating - 4.75/5
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I highly recommend this book to all.
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About the author -

While Manjit Sargam Chawla works for a nationalized bank, her passion lies in motivational speaking and corporate training. Yogi Amrit Raj, on the other hand, is an award winning Ayurvedic doctor and a certified Yoga trainer. Together, they have put together thoughts for a livelier, happier life in the form of this book.

Thanks for reading.

Book Review : The Timeless Turns (Time Maidens Book 2)

Book Review : The Timeless Turns (Time Maidens Book 2)

Title - The Timeless Turns (Time Maidens
            Book 2)
Author - Kavya Janani. U
Genre - Fiction
Pages - 47
Format - Kindle

Plot - Melanie Porter’s alarm clock is a magical object. It plays a different tune each day, telling her how her day would turn out to be. One fine day, it plays a strange sound - an ambulance’s siren amidst rush-hour traffic. What follows is a journey that Melanie would always cherish for the rest of her life.

Scarlette Heatherwood is a woman mourning over probably-unrequited love. Engaged to a man she does not love, and living a life she did not expect, Scarlette believes she is stuck in time, until the future calls, suddenly altering her life beyond recognition.

How are these two women connected to each other? What is the secret that holds them together?
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Review -

1) The cover and the title of the book totally justifies the content of the story.
2) The plot of the story is interesting and adventurous. It is a perfect blend of love, fantasy, magic and drama.
3) All the incidents and the journey has been narrated beautifully.
4) I liked the concept of time travel. We all have time travelled in our thoughts once in a while.
5) The language used by the author is simple, lucid and conversational.
6) Hats off to the author for her imagination on the meeting of Scarlette with her reincarnation Melanie.
7) The flow of the book is well paced which keeps the readers hooked till the end .
8) Overall, a short,quick and nice read.
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Rating - 5/5
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I recommend this book to all specially who love reading time travel fantasy.

Thanks for reading.

Not Worth Living For

Book Review : Not Worth Living For

Title - Not Worth Living For
Author - Shreyan Laha
Publisher - Bigfoot publications
Genre - sci fi thriller/fiction
Pages - 172
Format - paperback

Plot - The story revolves around our protagonists Ishita Singh, a student of St. Pierce's college, Mumbai who was living a pretty normal life with her friends and Shweta, who wakes up all of a sudden in the unknown planet of Isthenope.
Underlying the lives of the two completely different worlds, there lies a dark secret.
Will they every come to know about the secret? Or will it be so chilling that it won't be worth living for? Grab the book to find out.

Review -
1) The cover and the title of the book could have been better.
2) The plot of the story is unique and interesting. It is a perfect blend of sci fi, mystery and thriller with a tinge of romance. This book talks about social issues like stalking, rape and honour killing which is very well narrated by the author.
3) The language used by the author is simple and lucid.
4) Hats off to the author for his superb imagination and research work.
5) The writing style is commendable.
6) The author has set up three scenes simultaneously in India, Russia and another planet : Isthenope which he managed very well.
7) The story is focused mainly on events rather than characters.
8) Editing part of the book is quiet weak though.
9)The flow of the book is well paced and engaging making the readers wait for the sequel. 10)Overall, a refreshing read.

Rating - 4/5

I recommend this book to all sci fi and thriller lovers out there.

About the author -
Shreyan Laha is currently a management trainee in Samunnati Financial Intermediation and Services. He has been an alumnus of Xavier School of Rural Management. He hails from Jamshedpur has two novels, 'The Adventures Beyond Existence ' and 'Never Shaun's, and half a dozen short stories to his credit. He has been the winner of Rajiv Gandhi Youth Literary Award, 2014 and apart from writing,Shreyan loves watching football and learning foreign languages.

Thanks for reading.

Book Review : I AM M - M - M - Mumbai

Book Review : I Am M -M - Mumbai

Title - I Am M - M - Mumbai
Author - Rishi Vohra
Publisher - Vishwakarma publication
Genre - fiction
Pages - 190
Format - paperback

Plot - The story revolves around an intelligent and good looking young man, Rudra. Whereever he goes, he faces ridicule and humiliation because of his stammering problem. His passion is to become a successful actor in Bollywood but due to his low self confidence he works as an assistant director. Then he meets Richa,a beautiful wedding planner and love gives him a ray of hope .But heartbreak devastates him and he goes into depression. Now, his only way up is to conquer his fear and insecurity once and for all speak.
Will his dream come true? Grab the book to find out.

Review -

1) The cover of the book is attractive and the title of the book totally justifies the content.
2) The plot of the story is inspirational and predictable. It is a perfect blend of entertainment, action, romance just like a Bollywood movie. In this book, love,friendship,heartbreak,dreams,failure,heartbreak is very well narrated by the author.
3) Through this book, the author highlights the struggle and reality one has to face in Bollywood industry .
4) The language is simple and lucid. Hindi and technical words related to movie making are also used.
5) All the characters have been given equal importance. I liked the character of Rudra which is very much inspiring.
6) The flow of the book is well paced and engaging.
7) Overall, an inspiring read.

Rating - 4.3/5

I recommend this book to all especially Bollywood lovers.

About the author -

Rishi Vohra took to writing while he was pursuing his MBA in Sustainability at San Francisco State University, after an extensive career in the Hindi Film Industry. Since then, he has published two novels - Once Upon The Tracks of Mumbai and HiFi in Bollywood and a short story. I am M - M - Mumbai is his third Novel.

Thanks for reading.