Game of Life – Book Review

This is written as part of BlogChatter Book Review program.

The book was sent to me by the author under this program for the review.

Book name – Game of Life
Author – Arpan Ghosh
Genre – Young Adult, Romance

Link for purchase> Click Here The Blurb and few abouts author as found in the link.

Blurb:
Suhani , a brave beauty who took pitfalls at almost every step in life finally finds a soothing corner in form of love.
Nonetheless she could never really know who he is until someone decides to take advantage of their innocent bond and the only good thing about Suhani’s life gets into jeopardy.
Will she ever discover who her true love really was? Or would she have to live with a void for all her life?

About the author:
Arpan Ghosh is one of those writers who have the need of writing just as much oxygen. This time, he comes with an all new romantic tale. He’s fond of travelling and believes writing is a way of expression for the language of not only mind, but hearts too!

This book is a very short read and can be finished in a single sitting. A very good companion while travelling or while waiting somewhere.

As the blurb says, the story is about the love-life of a girl Suhani in her teen years. How she falls in and out of love and why, are the main plot along with the friendship she makes on the way. The story deals with breakup as much as love.

I appreciated the fact that she moves on with her life, despite the setbacks and demoivating family background, though it made me wonder how a girl from such a simple background could decide to go for an internship to USA just like that.

The second half of the story moves intriguingly and feels much better than the early stages of her life. And the first half seems to be very rushed, much like an extended prologue. 

The language and style of the book could use a good upgrade. But you eventually get used to it and the emotions are conveyed through.

For people in the age group of late teens, and those who are not so immersed in literary world, this would be a very interesting read and If you are looking for a light read this might be your choice.

The author deserves an appreciation for his story-telling skills and I believe he tells them even better in person.

Silver Hair Sins – Book Review

This is written as part of BlogChatter Book Review program.

The book was sent to me by the author under this program for the review.

Book name – Silver Hair Sins
Author – Saumick Paul
Publisher – The Write Place
Genre – Fiction, Visual story telling

The Blurb along with purchase link > Click Here

The story is set in future. Where the world is being completely taken over by technology, and even each individual’s thinking is being controlled by the tech and the team behind it.

The world as we know, is supposed to be changed by enormous leaps. Though is it for the better?

The story is set around characters which are doing something, yet declared as the role models of the future, with an entirely different backstory.

And thus the next generation sees the rape committed to the pioneer, Meera, as the ultimate form of sacrifice, when subjected to it voluntarily. And they also take up only the popularised and shallow versions of the ancient scriptures, which are completely ridiculous as the base idea was totally lost during the transition.

The story is supposed to redeem itself by showing that the idea behind the tech, resets the balance once in awhile. This part includes some good acronyms for Adam, Eve and Eden and also brings out the concept of Dasavatharam and / or the base fight of good over evil, where good wins eventually, but evil is never ever dead in the complete sense.

By reading the gist, the story might seem to be all in all on good note, but I’m afraid that, the narration doesn’t let you think so, while reading it.

I appreciate the effectiveness of the writer in making the reader captivating. Because for someone who isn’t new to dystopian novel, some sequences of the story makes me revolted. Guess there lies the success of a dystopian writer.

The part which gains my appreciation is for the effort put behind the pictures and also the video trailer. The main feature of the book is visual story telling, which in common terms mean, half the book is for photographs, which are supposed to improve the impact of story telling.

But my personal opinion is the pictures didn’t speak to me, despite being a wonderful work, as much as the pictures in Jonathan Livingston Seagull or the Little Prince.

If you are into exploring dystopian worlds you might try this and appreciate it better than me!

Review of “A Case of Connections”

I received the book through “Blogchatter Book Review Program“

Book Name: A Case of Connections
Author Name: Sayan Battacharya
Publisher: White Falcon Publishing
Link to Buy: Amazon

About the Book:
The story of three individuals, spanning different eras, different geography, and different political and societal conditions, connected by some memories and a Brief-Case full of papers. In other words, individual stories of grandfather, uncle, and grandson.

This book is split into three parts.

Part 1 – Why and what are all the events that led the grandson to chase the story of his grandfather Satyen.

Part 2 – What happened to the grandfather, Satyen, that made him so far away from his family. This also covers a very vivid glimpse into the conditions existing during the period of second world war, in India as well as London, and also how it affects the family.

Part 3 – The story of uncle / son of Satyen, shows insights into the life of Satyen as a father. Also explains how the connections are packed together inside a case.

Thus, we get insights into the lifestyle of those three person’s period. Even if the story is said in three perspectives, it is actually the story of Satyen.

In part 1, as a grandfather and a relative living so far away, geographically, yet so close in the heart’s of his family. This is conveyed through Satyen’s brother’s grandson. And through his interactions with grand parents and other relative’s memory of him.

In the next part, Satyen, as an individual who has aspirations beyond the routine life, how he follows through them, the struggles and dilemma he faces before few decisions and how they impact his life and to what extent are delivered from his perspective.

In the final part, Satyen as a father is explained by his son. Also this part explains what made this story plausible.

Though this make it seem like a common story, the content makes the book special as it gives the reader an insight into history, without the monotonous nature of school books, but in the most effective way, by explaining with individual family’s impact from world politics.

The lucid writing style makes it an easy read. Though it took me some time to grasp what the terms of relationship meant, (I presumed many) the content makes it easier to understand the relationship. Kindly note that this is a personal issue as I’m not familiar with the author’s native language.

Overall the book is a good read, and a great find for those who like to learn history.

Rating – 4/5

Do we need BookReviews?

Today I am deviating from my theme – nostalgia, apologies, if you were expecting it!

A recent conversation with a friend lead to the topic, why book reviews are important and here is my personal, non-researched view on that question.

I’ve been reading books for years and still haven’t bothered with reviews until the past few years.

It was when I started picking books myself rather than read what’s recommended by dear and near. When I started exploring the plethora of categories and titles, I was literally confused on what would suit me and what wouldn’t.

So, I started searching for the title in Wikipedia, to get a gist of what is awaiting in the content. But that wasn’t a helping, when I started picking up books that aren’t very famous. And thus I stumbled upon Goodreads.

Until, I was part of publishing a book, I didn’t realise the impact of reviews completely.

Now my perspective of reviews are much different than what I started with..

I feel the reviews are important because of these points.

• It conveys the emotion of reader.
• Helps a new reader to pick a book more often than a book without reviews.
• Constructive criticism helps the author improve their writing.
• And honest positive review is to the author, what the sound of first clap to a live performer is.

There are few downfalls as well to book reviews.

• Reviews by amateur/immature readers, doesn’t give an objective review.
• Also, when the reader is not familiar even with popular books of the same genre, they couldn’t identify the inspiration/theft of ideas from other sources. (And it’s really disheartening to read huge praises being misdirected)
• Paid reviews – it’s true that it’s very very hard to get genuine reviews for new books by persons, yet to become famous. But considering an author famous, only based on paid reviews is totally unfair.

So I do believe that avid readers must come forward to write honest reviews and create a trusted platform for new authors and help the growth of genuine creativity.

And Blogchatter’s platform to bring them together is a right move in that direction. The details of the program are here.