Reviews & Musings

P.S: This letter has been written for a contest held on Rugs of Life . Sending some smiles your way too!

Introduction ISIN: 978-81-8400-634-6 Genre: Romance/ Fiction Publishers: Random House India Price: Rs. 175/- ( I received the book for review from the publisher) Love happens when you least expect it… Sameer is a Steve Jobs fan, a consultant at an investment bank, and a confused soul looking for love. As he moves cities to study and work, he falls in and out of love,but fails to find the one person who belongs with him. In comes Shagun, whom he marries. But he leaves the very next day for Switzerland…to start a dream Job. In the meantime, Shagun starts reading his diary! What does she find in there? Will this spell the end of their marriage? With Sameer not around to defend himself,what is the future of their relationship? Just the Way You Are is a humorous, heart-warming story about one man’s quest for true love. Behind The book Source:  Google Images

Today at Behind the book we have Olivier Lafont a very well known face for all of us as the " price-tag " star in the much acclaimed movie 3 Idiots.  To give a brief about him to the uniundated, Olivier Lafont is a French writer and actor and lives in Mumbai, India. He has previously been published in South Africa. He has written many feature film screenplays. His first film opened at the Toronto Film Festival and won numerous awards worldwide. Lafont is a regular columnist with Man’s World magazine.He is also a well-known face in India due to his acting work, having appeared in Indian films such as 3 Idiots and Guzaarish, Hollywood films Bollywood Hero and Baby Sellers, as well as over seventy television commercials. Lafont graduated from Colgate University in the USA with academic distinction. Connect with the author here ~  Twitter   | Face Book Page  Buy the book here ~ Amazon   | Flipkart    What not we all know...

Introduction ISIN: 9780143423638 Genre: Fiction Publishers: Penguin Books India Price: Rs. 250/- ( I received the book for review from the author ) In Mumbai, driven to its knees by a merciless blizzard, Saam the watchmender is cornered into an intolerable position. As Shiva's only earthly demigod child, it falls upon him to stop his indomitable father. Bred to war, son of destruction, Saam rides with six extraordinary companions into the horror of a crumbling world to face Shiva. He is forced to join hands with Ara, his half-brother he can never fully trust and take with him his own mortal beloved, Maya, on this desperate attempt to stop the End of Days. But his path is littered with death, danger and betrayal. Interweaving mythology, epic adventure and vintage heroism, this enthralling novel will change the way you see gods, heroes and demons. Behind The book Source: Google Images

Introduction ISIN: 978-81-291-2369-5 Genre: Non-Fiction/ Self help Publishers: Rupa Publications Price: Rs. 250/- ( I got this book from the author for a review) In any business, it’s the entrepreneur where the proverbial ‘buck’ stops.Yes, it’s a cliché, but that is what it boils down to. When things go wrong, it’s your responsibility; when they go well, you get to enjoy the benefits. Ashutosh Garg was a high-flying corporate honcho who decided to quit and pursue his dream of becoming an entrepreneur. But just having a dream is not enough, he discovered; one needs to be resourceful, pragmatic, weigh the pros and cons and, most of all, have the will to keep going in the face of all odds. In The Buck Stops Here, Garg compresses the key learnings and experiences from building Guardian Pharmacy, India’s second largest chain of wellness, health and beauty stores. He reveals the realities of running one’s own business and dispels some myths along the way. Learn how to sourc...

Introduction ISIN: 9789382447924 Genre: Non-Fiction/ Self help Publishers: Notion Press Price: Rs. 375/- We are all connected on a divine journey… a journey meant for spiritual growth and evolution! Are you curious about your existence in this physical plane? Have you experienced unresolvable conflicts in your life and thought where it all came from? Do you believe that your journey is beyond this life? Do you know that your mind has the knowledge of all your existences and it has the power to resolve the blocks? And the help always comes from beyond; all you need to do is ‘ASK’! It’s on this divine journey that you will meet Bandana and Arjun. They take you through an eternal journey of love and life, and Aadyot would teach you the little lessons of life. If you have faced internal battles of rejection, confidence issues, abuse, depression, voids, emotional and physical blockages, this book is an internal journey for your mind. Your mind will experience em...

Source: Google Images Do you remember the heroine who quivered at every smoldering look the brooding, impossibly rich hero leveled at her? The under-confident, sometimes mousy, heroine with a heart of gold? The hero who could never love or never be tamed until aforementioned lady with the heart of gold enters his life. They were the vibrant core of all the romance novels I devoured for years. Timeless, evocative and memorable, the stories exuded charm and innocence.

One Tuesday afternoon, a round table conference and a room full of enthusiasts is what was The Patient Solidarity Day celebration all about.   

Introduction ISIN: 978-812-9135445 Genre: Fiction Publishers: Rupa Publications Price: Rs. 195/- (I got this book from the author for review) Zoey Verma, Third Ranker from the Bottom and Virtually-Unemployable, has managed to land a job! Management trainee and first-time employee in the fridge-manufacturing giant J & K Ltd, Zoey is clueless about where her life is headed. She has barely managed to pass out of B-school when fate pushes her into another whirlpool. And, a look at her own fridge will confirm that she has no fascination for them. The tall, thin, frizzy-haired Zoey enters J & K shaky-legged. And, when her scary boss Wimpeater sends her to the company's seedy Delhi branch to map all the consumer durable outlets in the city, her life goes into overdrive.  Chances of it stabilizing seem slimmer by the day as she dodges gaalis from the Delhi boss, Chhota Don and fends off lecherous looks from distributor Shady Singh, all the while evading her clingy...

Introduction ISIN: 978-81-8400-572-1 Genre: Fiction Publishers : Random house India Price: Rs. 299/- (I got this book from the publisher for review) Neelam’s hysterectomy at thirty hastens her into a sexless middle age and changes her relationship with her husband Ari. Their marriage remains stagnant until an unexpected telegram announces the visit of Ari’s ex-girlfriend Esha. By coincidence, their college professor Mahanam also arrives at their doorstep bearing an uncanny resemblance to Ari’s daughter. Events conspire to send all of them on a trip to Ajanta and Ellora where ancient stories spark memories of lost love and betrayal. Both deeply philosophical and playfully dramatic, The Fifth Man is a bittersweet meditation on middle-age desire.  Behind The book Source: Google Images

Cover Reveal: MATCHES MADE IN HEAVEN Romantic Short Stories by Sundari Venkatraman Sneak Peak Swayamwar on TV reality show; Dating Clubs; Matchmaking websites; parents setting up their children with one another; friends getting married and more – there are many ways that couples get together for hopefully a “Happily Ever After” experience. MATCHES MADE IN HEAVEN explores the various premises in the form of short stories that one can relate to in everyday life. There is even one based on Gods falling in love. Shh! I am not going to say anything further. It’s for you to find out. And there are thirteen of them. While many insist that “13” is an unlucky number, I am quite fascinated by it. I absolutely believe that it’s a lucky number for me. That’s why I decided to publish this anthology with 13 romantic stories.  About the author Sundari Venkatraman has authored four novels and a short story anthology till now, Matches Made In Heaven (anthol...

When an author writes a book, he must remember that it speaks volumes about him. Talking about one such book, Love, job or country, its author Rohit Agarwal has done a brilliant job in ensuring this. You can read my review on the same HERE. Rohit Agarwal is a Marketing Professional, who works in the mid-management level in a Textile company based in Ahmedabad.His work experience of about 15 years is based mainly in Ahmedabad. He has travelled extensively within India and abroad in the line of duty. He is excited and moved with stories, as he is an avid reader. This is his debut book. He resides in Ahmedabad with his two kids and wife.

Introduction ISIN: 978-81-8400-519-6 Genre: Memoir Publishers: Random house India Price: Rs. 399/- (I got this book from the publisher for review) As a young girl in Bangalore, Gayathri was surrounded by the fragrance of jasmine and flickering oil lamps, her family protected by Hindu gods and goddesses. But as she grew older, demons came forth from the dark corners of her idyllic kingdom--with the scariest creatures lurking within her. The daughter of a respected Brahmin family, Gayathri began to feel different. "I can hardly eat, sleep, or think straight. The only thing I can do is cry unending tears." Her parents insisted it was all in her head. Because traditional Indian culture had no concept of depression as an illness, no doctor could diagnose and no medicine could heal her mysterious malady. This memoir traces Gayathri's courageous battle with the depression that consumed her from adolescence through marriage and a move to the United States....

Introduction ISIN: 978-0-143-42359-1 Genre: Non-fiction Publishers: Penguin India Price: Rs. 299/- ( I got this book from Penguin for review ) Mumbai has produced many dons—but perhaps none so colourful as Abu Salem. The flamboyant ex-aide of Dawood Ibrahim is best known for his involvement in the Mumbai blasts of 1993 and for the murder of music composer Gulshan Kumar. But he became equally famous for his relationship with actress Monica Bedi and his close connection to Bollywood, leading to a number of attempted murders of the film industry’s biggest names. Now comes the ultimate telling of his life from the writer who knows the Mumbai underworld better than anyone else. Gripping, full of unknown details and first-hand accounts, My Name is Abu Salem is another unputdownable book from Hussain Zaidi. Behind The book Source: Google Images

Introduction ISIN: 978-93-8061-979-8 Genre: Travelogue (Anthology) Publishers: Good Times Books Pvt Ltd Price: Rs. 250/- (I got this book from Blog Adda for review) Interested in funny, heart-warming, and inspiring real life travel stories? You will love reading Railonama. It is an anthology inspired by travel on the Indian Railways. The book contains stories from authors: Ajay Mankotia, Ambika Jindal, Anindita Deo, Anupama Sharma, Asiem Sanyal, Atul Sharma, Bala Parthasarathy, Chandrashekhr B. Kulkarni, Diane Caldwell, Dilshad Sanyal, Dr K.C. Jindal, Dr Roshan Radhakrishnan, Elayne Clift, Francois Juneau, Frank Joussen, Ganesh V, K.H.D. Karr, Ken Haigh, Kshitij Bisen, Lalita Bhatia, Malini Mathi Vathanan, Mary McCormack, Michael Clifton, Monali Ghatge, Nikhil Narayanan, Pradeep Chaswal, Raminder Rayar, Renuka Vishwanathan, Rohit Khanduri, Savita Mudgal, Shailender Arya, Sharada Balasubramanian, Sheela Jaywant, Sheila Kumar, Sijeesh V Balakrishnan, Snigdha Khurana, Su...

Introduction ISIN: 978-93-5106-659-0 Genre: Fiction / Comedy/ Romance / Chick Lit Publishers: Harlequin Price: Rs. 250/- (I got this book from the author for review) Maya Kapoor swaps the snowy mountains for the glittering ocean." Maya Kapoor arrived in Mumbai with a glamorous dream, quite literally. Maya wants to be a serious fashion writer for the high-end fashion magazine, Glamorous but luck is not in her favor. Instead, she lands a job with a local fashion magazine, Style. Maya hates everything about it but for now this is all she has. Despite all the odds, Maya is excited about living an independent, fashionable life in the city of dreams. At twenty-five, love has eluded Maya. But when she bumps into the dashing photographer, Aryan Malik, she falls head over heels for his gorgeous smile and charming manner. But Maya seems to be stuck in a rut - her credit card bills are sky-high, her melodramatic mother can't stop ranting, the boss is unbearably cruel,...

Introduction  ISIN: 978-93-84226-47-3 Genre: Fiction Publishers: Leadstart Price: Rs. 175/- ( I got this book from the author for review) Avinash and Chetan live in different domains, while one is an ambitious marketing professional; another is a hard-core spy out to serve his country. Avinash is struggling to retain the new job he has joined. Chetan has recently shifted from Colombo to Ahmedabad, as station head of R & AW. Destiny bring them together when Tamanna, the love interest of Avinash, leads him to an unthinkable terrorist plot emanating from a Pakistan based Jihadi group.The Story moves across the Indian subcontinent , from Pakistan to Bangladesh and Nepal to Sri lanka uncovering a deadly terrorist plot which can put Indian union in danger. It has to be seen if Chetan is able to stop the terrorists before they strike and if Avinash is vindicated in his trust in Tamanna. Behind The book Source: Google Images

  Today we have author Leigh Ranes at Behind the Book talking about her debut novel We're all mad here.  You can read my review here of the same . It is always interesting to hear them talk about all that came together to make this book THE book. Born and raised just outside of New York City, Leigh Raines is the youngest of 5 wild siblings. As a kid they all made fun of her for staying up late to read under her covers with a flashlight. Her love of reading also turned into a love of writing and Leigh enrolled at Lehigh University where she earned a BA in Journalism. Today she uses that degree to review TV shows for work. She also used her 4 years there to help inspire some of her debut novel " We're All Mad Here ."Leigh spends most of her time writing, watching her shows, draining the battery on her Kindle, babysitting her nieces and nephews, and cuddling with her French bulldog puppy. Now instead of using a flashlight when it's bedtime, she ...

Introduction ISIN: 978-93-84030-30-8 Genre: Non-fiction / Cinema Publishers: Westland ltd Price: Rs. 250/- ( I got this book from Writer’s Melon for review ) Some like Farah Khan and Zoya Akhtar had sterling antecedents but it took a tough childhood and intermittent assignments on film sets to win the box office with Om Shanti Om and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, while Ashutosh Gowarikar auditioned for folk dances and failed with his debut film, Lagaan created cinematic history and Anurag Basu had to first dance as a background extra and later overcome cancer to witness Barfi win hearts and awards. These and other hitherto unfamiliar stories of directors belonging to the "100 crore club" like Rohit Shetty and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, the adventurous Kabir Khan and the maverick, Mahesh Bhatt take us through the unusual lives of 15 filmmakers of extraordinary films. Sonia Golani achieves the incredible by sitting each director down to candidly discuss the hype arou...

NOW AVAILABLE:  The Many Lives of Ruby Iyer   by Amazon bestselling author Laxmi Hariharan!  This is a character-driven YA thriller with an awesome female protagonist, and she's set to take Bombay by storm, even if it means putting her life in the balance. Preorder  The Many Lives of Ruby Iyer on Amazon . Add The Many Lives of Ruby Iyer  to your Goodreads TBR pile . Read The Ruby Iyer Diaries , the Ruby Iyer prelude, on Wattpad .

Today's Whispering Wednesday word is LOVE. With age, the definition of love also keeps changing for us, what is important is that the people remain the same. We might love them for different reasons every day, but we must keep loving them.

Today at Behind The Book we have Ms. Shilpa Suraj the Mills & Boon author who has made her debut this year with not one but two romance novels that touch your heart. You can read their reviews here : Rescued by Love | The Girl He left behind . Shilpa was a year and a half when she was first introduced to the world of books. Her mother would park her with a picture book on the floor of the kitchen while she finished her cooking for the day. While it’s no longer the kitchen floor, you can still find her tucked away in a cozy nook somewhere with her nose buried in a book. While books in all genres interest her, it was romance that captured her heart. While racing through every romantic fiction book she could beg, borrow or buy, her over active imagination started to work overtime and weave its own stories. Years in the corporate world followed by a stint of entrepreneurship crystallized her belief that all she really wanted to do was give life to the stories bubbling insi...

Introduction ISIN: 978-93-84030-44-5 Genre: Self-Help Publishers: Westland ltd Price: Rs. 350/- ( I got this book from Writer’s Melon for review ) In early 2008, the author AVIS Viswanathan and Vaani his soul-mate, friend, wife and business partner were staring at a bankruptcy of their Firm. A series of business decisions had literally brought them to the brink of penury, This book is their story, it captures learnings from this excruciatingly painful, Life-changing, phase that they are still going through. It also explores the nature and continuum of Life. There is no beginning to the story, There is no end either, There are simply experiences, of hopelessness, of fear, of insolvency, of pennilessness and also of faith, patience, love, companionship, abundance and soul, of integrity and of leading a principled Life, despite temptations to take the easy way out of painful or messy situations. This book has been written to share how AVIS and his family have learned t...

Introduction ISIN: 978-1-846-55740-8 Genre: Crime/ Thriller Publishers: Random House Price: Rs.445 /- (I got this book from the publisher for review) The author of the internationally best-selling Harry Hole series now gives us an electrifying stand-alone novel set amid Oslo's hierarchy of corruption, from which one very unusual young man is about to propel himself into a mission of brutal revenge. Sonny Lofthus, in his early thirties, has been in prison for the last dozen years: serving time for crimes he didn't commit. In exchange, he gets an uninterrupted supply of heroin—and the unexpected stream of fellow prisoners seeking out his uncanny abilities to soothe and absolve. His addiction started when his father committed suicide rather than be exposed as a corrupt cop, and now Sonny is the center of a vortex of corruption: prison staff, police, lawyers, a desperate priest—all of them focused on keeping him stoned and jailed, and all of them under the thumb of...

Today's Whispering Wednesday Word  is Respect

Introduction ISIN: 978-93-5106-495-4 Genre: Fiction / Romance Publishers: Harlequin India Pvt Ltd Price: Rs. 150/- (I got this book from author for review) He rescued her, only to become her hostage! When Naina Ahuja is kidnapped as hostage days before her father, a Supreme Court Chief Justice, must sentence a terrorist, the stakes are very high. Lt. Colonel Arjun Rathore and his team are the only ones who can be trusted with the mission of saving her.  During their arduous trek back through the hostile terrain of Ladakh, Arjun and Naina spend days in danger of losing their lives and their hearts.  Back in safety, the real world and its very real problems threaten - as do their own perceptions of the differences between them. They must separate but will life rescue their love? Behind The book Source: Google Images

Introduction ISIN: 9781941541098 Genre: Fiction / Young Adult Publishers: French press Bookworks Price: (I got this book as ARC from the publisher) Jade Thompson had the kind of adolescence you would find in a Norman Rockwell painting. But at 19-years-old when her seemingly normal life is flipped on its head, she's forced to take a closer look at the relationships in her life and the decisions she has made. It feels as if she has fallen down a rabbit hole. As she returns to college and stumbles through her new reality, she finds herself more than a little lost. With the help of her three closest friends, we spend the year with Jade through her ups and downs where she discovers everyone is a little bit mad in the world. Behind The book Source: Google Images

Introduction ISIN : 978-93-5106-494-7 Genre: Romance Publishers: Harlequin India Pvt Ltd Price: Rs. 150/- (I got this book from the author for review) Can he win her back? Romantic fiction editor Sia Sharma knows that life is not about happily ever after. The only guy she had loved had left her six years back. Suddenly Ryan Mathur is back in town as a hot shot entrepreneur. His advertising firm has been hired to create the marketing campaign for Sia’s publishing company, but Ryan has only one thing on his mind: to win back the only woman he ever loved. But feisty Sia has other plans and is determined to make him pay. The harder Ryan tries to win her over, the further Sia strays. Ryan seems to be everywhere she goes, and her bestselling romance author, the sultry Nisha Malik, joins the fray to pursue Ryan. It’s not long before Sia realizes she still has feelings for him. Will Sia let Ryan back into her life again? And will Ryan ever win back the girl he left ...

Introduction ISBN: 978-0-224-10199-8 Genre: Fiction Publishers: Random House Price: Rs. 599/- (I got this book from the publisher for review ) Fiona Maye is a leading High Court judge, presiding over cases in the family court. She is renowned for her fierce intelligence, exactitude and sensitivity. But her professional success belies private sorrow and domestic strife. There is the lingering regret of her childlessness, and now, her marriage of thirty years is in crisis. At the same time, she is called on to try an urgent case: for religious reasons, a beautiful seventeen-year-old boy, Adam, is refusing the medical treatment that could save his life, and his devout parents share his wishes. Time is running out. Should the secular court overrule sincerely held faith? In the course of reaching a decision Fiona visits Adam in hospital – an encounter which stirs long-buried feelings in her and powerful new emotions in the boy. Her judgment has momentous consequences for them...

Today we have Ms. Swati Sharma , the author of the soon to be released Fashionably Yours with us for a conversation as she takes us behind the book and lets us have a sneak peek as to what goes on behind an author's mind as they write what we call as masterpieces. You can connect with her on Facebook .

Today's Whispering Wednesday Word  is Amuse.  Life amuses me all the times, sometimes literally and sometimes rhetorically. What else would you say when someone who herself is full of flaws deems it appropriate to find flaws with every single soul she meets; surprisingly enough even with few people who have been gracious enough to ignore her faults and love her unconditionally. Yet she manages to find faults with them, hurt them, ridicule them to an extent in public that they suddenly begin to distance themselves from her. And all she has to say is some more flaws in them because of this. Just because someone is not the way you want them to be, doesn’t mean they aren’t a best version of their own selves!