Random Access Memories

Random Access Memories 

Author : Deepak Kaul

Publisher : Self Published

Pages : 105

Version : Kindle

Price : 150/-

Rating : 4/5 Stars

Buy : Amazon India

Blurb :

A collection of short stories

Review :

This is Deepak Kaul at his best,pointed,witty, captivating a complex world in few pages. This book is a mixture of genre suspense, fantasy, comedy, sci-fi,  crime etc. The book give me all the feels. Each story is so much meaning packed as densely as possible into every bit of text. The language of the book is simple and easy to understand. I highly suggest this compilation for everyone. 

The Assassinations

The Assassinations 

A Novel Of 1984

Author : Vikram Kapur

Publisher : Speaking Tiger

Pages : 211

Price : 299/- INR

Format : Paperback 

Buy: Amazon India

Rating : 5/5 stars

Blurb : 

To Deepa, Prem gave no hint of the churning inside him. In front of her he affected a cheery demeanour, indulging her in her plans for their honeymoon, which she kept revising. It was a welcome escape from the mayhem surrounding him. There were occasions where the pretence got to him and a voice rose inside, urging him to tell her everything. He silenced it. Deepa was a Hindu and would never understand.

Until then, he had never thought of her as different.

Prem Kohli, the handsome, ambitious son of a Sikh refugee, has the world at his feet. A glittering career lies ahead, and he has just got engaged to his college girlfriend, Deepa, overcoming her parents' reservations about Hindus and Sikhs intermarrying. But, while Deepa remains occupied with their marriage plans, the Indian Army enters the Golden Temple. Prem cannot contain his rising anger at the desecration of the shrine and at the people around him who shrug it off as 'teaching a lesson' to the Sikhs. He begins growing out his hair and beard, and visiting the gurudwara regularly, where he learns about the militancy in Punjab. Matters come to a head a few months later, when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is assassinated and anti-Sikh riots break out all over Delhi, as Prem is caught up in a vortex of violence and hate that threatens to engulf all of their lives.

In The Assassinations, Vikram Kapur writes with sensitivity about a topic that still holds painful memories, skilfully telling the story of how ordinary lives are distorted by the forces of history. At the same time, he masterfully evokes the New Delhi of the 1980s, with its wide, leafy roads masking the precariousness of its Punjabi middle class. This memorable book captures the turbulence of those times, while chronicling the ways in which continuing to live means coming to terms with many kinds of deaths.

Review : 

This is very well researched and well written book concerning  the days following the Indira Gandhi Assassination. Merely just 211 pages, this book has the power to move its reader. I could not stop thinking about the book. Evoked strong emotions in me. The book revolves around Prem and Deepa, the two people in love and planning their life together. Prem is a Sikh boy whereas deepa is a Hindu. Their life plunge after the Assassination of Indira Gandhi by Sikh body guard.  The language of the book is simple. Cover of the book compel you to pick it up. Excellent  book about a very significant  time in history. Highly recommended.

Mohini

Mohini

the Enchantress 

Author : Anuja Chandramouli

Publisher : Rupa Publications 

Pages : 226

Price : 295 INR

Format : Paperback 

Buy : Amazon/Flipkart 

Rating : 5/5 Stars

Blurb : 

Elusive as a fragment of a beloved dream, she slipped in and out of the consciousness of the fortunate ones who had been either arbitrarily chosen or were part of the intricate cosmic design. These willingly allowed themselves to be bedevilled, consumed by a passion that would not be denied, existing only to serve her will, content to be moulded to suit the purposes of the most enchanting creature in all of creation – Mohini.

Distilled from the essence of Vishnu, Mohini, the Enchantress is a part of him and yet she revels in the autonomy and extraordinary powers of beauty, magic and enchantment that are hers to wield. Vivid and ephemeral, she is beloved and desired by all in existence. But she is elusive as the fragment of a forgotten dream, a tantalizing temptress, traipsing her way across the topsy – turvy realms of fable and myth. Her meandering path will see her in the thick of things as the Devas and Asuras churn the ocean of milk to get their hands on the nectar of immortality, blunder into a love triangle that will spark a bloody war, fulfil the last wish of a dead hero, melt into the arms of Mahadeva, the only one capable of enchanting the enchantress and become the mother of Shastha, who will serve as a beacon of hope for all who are considered oddities by a spiteful society that recognizes only two genders amongst the vast multitudes... 

Set against the tumult and intrigue of a celestial quest for immortality, Anuja Chandramouli brings the extraordinary saga of Mohini to vivid life. Balancing delicately on the tightrope between mythology and reality, she takes the reader on a dizzying ride through the shifting sands of time, gender, love, and desire, deftly intertwining the threads of the past and the present, blurring the lines between fact and fiction while spinning a deliciously entertaining yarn for the ages.

Review :

Fast paced, gripping and wonderfully written, this novel makes a great read. The author Anuja Chandramouli has maintained the flow, the amount of excitement, drama, action and most importantly the story line. Fantastically written and wonderfully woven with facts and myths. The description  of few places and sequences are beyond any readers imagination.  The language  of the book is simple and easy to understand.  The cover of the book is very beautiful  and apt to the content of the book. Finally, I want to say that this book is very satisfying  and contended.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 

Veikk A30 V2 Graphic Tablet

Veikk A30 V2 GraphicTablet

Incredible !! Value for money

Well ! What to tell about this excellent drawing tablet. A must for every home and office. 

A good device, hard to find at this price range. Work on almost all platform i.e windows , android and iOS . Performance is good. The stylus(Pen)  work smoothly, great advantage of stylus is that it does not need battery. Pen is battery free. Drawing was generally  very easy on this tablet. Tablet surface is adequate. Tablet driver is easily available  online. Tablet can be use across multiple devices and that too without hiccups. An excellent device for novice and well as professional  digital art maker. 

TABLET IS SIMPLY FLAWLESS

For seamless experience go for VEIKK A30 V2 GRAPHICTABLET

Madhuleena

Madhuleena

Author : Dr.Govind Sharma

Publisher : Notion Press

Pages : 144

Price : 160 INR

Format : Paperback

Buy : Amazon India

Rating :5/5

Blurb : 

Set in the fictional town of Rajapur, this is a unique unputdownable read.

The more desperate the situation in life, the more one wants an escape into fantasy. Call it a desire of the moth for the star, or the longing of a tormented soul for the drop of honey. Aakash, a bank theft accused, is so smitten by the ravishing beauty of Madhuleena that he forgets that he has to run away from the law. Meanwhile, the police officials get over-worked investigating the complaints that some rich and influential persons are honey-trapped by young and ambitious girls.

Review :

What an unexpected  GEM this story turned out to be. Absolutely loved the plot of this story. This book was so well written, it was easy to read and flowed from start to finish. I will be reading everything by this author ( Dr. Govind Sharma). It is completely different to anything  else I have read. I was totally captivated by all the  characters. Aakash Lal is a wonderful character, really well developed with real issues and emotions. The book cover is apt to the story. The story was not deviated  at any point of time. A wonderful book with a great plot and fair share of twists and turn.

Brilliant!! Recommended

Second Chance

Second Chance

Author : Kavita Bhatnagar

Publisher: Sterling Publishers 

Pages : 175

Price : 300/- INR

Format : Paperback

Buy : Amazon India

Rating : 5/5

Blurb : 

She was only 26, pretty, intelligent, earning well and – divorced. Ragini had been on cloud nine once her marriage was fixed and certain that she was going to get all the love she had dreamed of – her marriage would be perfect and she would really live happily ever after.But soon the marriage turned abusive and Ragini walked out of the bitter, hurtful existence – shaken, but determined to create a new life for herself. This is the story of Ragini’s quest for love and companionship. Her efforts make her interact with different suitors and take her on a roller coaster emotional ride. Ragini’s travails to marry again show myriad hues where deceit and pretence come face-to-face with hope and aspiration. Will life give her a second chance?
Dr. Kavita Bhatnagar, an Indian Revenue Service officer, belongs to Ajmer. She holds a doctorate in Political Economy and has worked for over two decades in various positions in the department and has represented the country both at the World Customs Organization and the World Trade Organization. An avid observer of life and her interest in reading and writing led her to pen 'Second Chance''.

Review : 

This was a heartwarming,  sentimental second chance story that will surely tug all your heartstrings 

I have always held a soft spot for second chance romance. There is just something so sweet, so sentimental  about them that I can't help but root for these kind of romance to happen. Of course our central character or you can say heroine has to get through a world full of pain first. The author Kavita Bhatnagar has done a great job here. The story flowed well and characters were believable. Overall, this book was a sweet, delightful read about facing your past, moving forward with life and finding a second chance at love. I enjoyed this and totally recommend  it if you are looking for a quick contemporary read.

Firekeepers Of Jwalapuram

Firekeepers Of Jwalapuram

( The Kishkindha Chronicles- 2)

Author : Vamsee Juluri

Publishers : Westland books

Pages : 315

Price : 450 INR

Format : Hardcopy

Buy : Amazon India

Rating : 4/5 Stars

Blurb :

Ancient Kishkindha. A few years have passed since Hanuman and his people defeated the savage race of beings that threatened to invade their country. But there is no calm in the land—volcanic ash and toxic rain are causing havoc everywhere. So, Hanuman, Princess Vaishnavi and the rishis set out to lead Kishkindhans to the safety of the cave-temples.

Meanwhile, in Kishkindha, empress Riksharaja, Hanuman’s aunt, torments her son Sugreeva, blaming him for abandoning his brother Vali to usurp the throne. There’s also a refugee crisis looming, with thousands of villagers streaming into the rock city every day as plants and trees die across the kingdom. It is a situation that Riksharaja decides to exploit for her own devious ends.

With their land under siege from within and without, and their way of life threatened again, how will Kishkindha survive?

A compelling sequel to Saraswati’s Intelligence, Vamsee Juluri’s reimagined prehistorical world holds up a mirror to modern society, pressing upon us questions that are startlingly relevant today.

Review :

The book start wonderfully with captivating  narrative. This book is exceptional! Author Vamsi Juluri created a masterpiece. The characters are all real.The characters are beautifully woven. The central characters go through many hardship and face emotional  turnmoil but their outlook towards life is something  to learn from.The book was well in pace with the first book of the series. An upgrade from the last book. It is one of the those books that you want to finish in one read because it is impossible to putdown. The book is well presented  and researched book. Overall a great book through and through!

Happy reading.