Book Review: Lost in Pattaya by Kishore Modak

Introduction

• ISIN: 9789381841228
• Genre: Fiction/ Drama
• Publishers: Grapevine India Publishers
• Price: Rs. 150/- (I got this book for review from the publisher)

It is every dad’s nightmare – his little girl goes missing.

For Palash, the sorrow compounds from the incessant replaying of the critical minutes when his ‘Daddy-eye’ faltered, distracted by his own weakness, substance abuse. The loss and the ensuing search sends him spiraling into a divorce and the loss of a steady corporate job. Scouring for his little girl in the brothels of Pattaya he is ensnared in the web of mafia that runs the sex trade of Thailand. When he eventually finds her, will he be able to build back a wasted lifetime, or, is it too late for rescue, for him and his child?

Behind The book

Source: Google Images

About the author

Kishore Modak’s pursuits of education and corporate life aremoulded in large part by what most young Indians yearn after. Education took him first to NIT-K and then to IIM-Ahmedabad. In the IT industry, he has pursued a career in Marketing with IBM, Intel, INSEAD and Dell.

The writing and its inevitability, comes about from the experiences and the people that have enriched his times. The emergent tales, they had to find a vent in the writing, relieving pressure, helping him remain intact; because unwritten they will turn into thought cancers.

Me thinks

The blurb itself makes this book a truly read worthy. That is what made me apply to the contest held by the publishers. And finally I won the book.

The book begins on the note where the father loses his daughter in the red light area of Pattaya a living nightmare for any parent. The narration is so powerful I was held onto it till I finally finished it in few hours staying up the whole night to just know what, why, when and how.After finishing the book I felt as if I was back from a trip to Pattaya via Bangkok. Yes it was that excellently narrated that I travelled through those lanes of that city. This book is a perfect thriller set in a city which as enticing as scary it is.

The author has served a perfect mishmash of emotions, lust, love, greed, desire and feelings making it an un-put-downable read. The main character Palash is so very well articulated that you actually grow fond of him by the book ends. The best part about this book is it talks about a person who are not perfect, who make mistakes and that’s what makes them more relatable.

The cover page is very intriguing adding to the beauty of the story the book holds. A fabulous piece of fiction I would surely like to recommend to one and all for its impeccable narrative and pacy story line

Foodie Verdict

This book is like éclairs pastry - crunchy, goey, delicious, tempting and unstoppable.

Source: Google.Images

Book Review: Desiccated Land by David Lepeska

ISBN: 978-9395481205 Genre: Non-fiction Publisher: Vishwakarma Publications Bringing together his experiences as a journalist and a keen observer, David Lepeska writes a raw and gut-wrenching book on Kashmir. Part memoir, part travelogue, and part reportage, Desiccated Land is a page-turner. The book starts by tracing the history of the region along with his own history, as a student who was dimly aware of the history of Kashmir and the turmoil it has been causing for centuries between India and Pakistan. Lepenska takes us to Nilamata Purana ( likely written in the 7th century ) which tells us the story leading to the birth of this region. He also shares an alternate possibility of the word being derived from a lake ‘Mira’ named after Vedic Sage Kashyapa. His first visit to Kashmir closely followed by his second (and much longer) visit as a journalist working for the Kashmir Observer after the 9/11 attacks, make for an interesting read. Lepeska had questions, a lot of them. An

From there to here to where

From this blog in 2011 to Barnes and Noble website, my reviewing journey has been full of surprises. I am working on an essay tracing it and realized that I started reviewing books in 2001 (Yes! I am old) for a small library next to my house. Needless to add, my payment was in the books. The library owner also happened to be the first person who taught me how to write a book review and what to focus on. And that is where I learned why reviews matter. Cut to 2016 when my book review was taught in a Literary Criticism class held by British Library. A relative happened to attend that class and the news spread like wildfire in the family. That is the moment when my family knew this much more than just a hobby.

Book Review: Never Mind Yaar by K Mathur

Introduction · ISBN - 978-0-473-17480-4 · Genre: Fiction · Publishers: Southpac Publishers · Price: Rs. 350/- ( I got this book from Blog Adda for a review ) The title is an attitude - our tendency to feel defeated by the scale and nature of certain problems. Rather than meet them head on, we circumvent them with a sigh and a consoling “never mind, yaar”. When long time friends Binaifer Desai and Louella D’Costa meet Shalini Dayal at Gyan Shakti College, a true friendship that transcends cultural and religious backgrounds is born. Louella is a Christian, Binaifer, a Parsi and Shalini, a Hindu. The novel’s main plotline surrounds Shalini who has fallen for an impetuous student activist, Bhagu. Where does his desire to help the less fortunate lead him? The challenges are many - Shalini’s tradition bound family, the couple’s youth and inexperience and the travails of life in Mumbai, a city the girls love but know, is fraug

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