Amina Thajudeen Fiction, Indian Authors, Quotes, Self-Help, Uncategorized

“April is lush” by Aditya Tiwari

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You tell them

that you are fine,

but these are

just your

little lilac lies

-April is lush (Adithya Tiwari)

April is lush is a collection of poems written by Aditya Tiwari. The first impression of this book is its cover and title. There is nothing graphic about the cover. But somehow I liked it a lot. The tinge of red merged with black yellow, green and grey colors is the expression of the author’s poetry. This somehow gives us a hint of a rainbow without opening the book. The seasons of human life, from a pupa to a beautiful butterfly or the different emotions one has throughout their life. The definition of the rainbow is limitless. The title is also apt for a poetry collection which describes very fragile emotions of human life.

I’m truly proud that I read this book in the pride month. LGBTQIA+ community has been sidelined in literature too as well as in other fields. Their voice s important as much as ours. That’s how we can merge them to us. Being a queer writer, Aditya’s pen bleeds the emotions of utmost difficult phase in human life. The emotions are raw and thus makes it most desirable. The power he attained from broken and healing throughout the phases of his metamorphosis has been strengthened his literary senses too. This has been evident from the small poems he wrote.

The poetry collection also includes poems on love, loss, heartbreak, trauma, woman and self-worth other than LGBTQIA+ thoughts. The flow of poems is what I admired most about this book. The phase of love and loss is always a favorite subject for poets. Its because it is the truest of all emotions one has. But the specialty of Adithya’s poems is he tried explored the phase of grief much more than others. The poems on trauma and loss have tons of difference. The small differences in our thoughts and emotions during the phase of loss is essayed beautifully in these small poems. This makes the poetry long-lasting in the thoughts of readers even after turning the last page.

The language used in poems is simple making even a beginner understand what it is meant. This is a must-read for every poetry enthusiasts.

Rating: 4/5

Buy paperback here
Buy Kindle edition here
Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, Indian Authors, Thriller

The Red Line by Tanmay Dubey

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Book title: The Red Line

Author: Tanmay Dubey

Language: English

The Red Line by Tanmay Dubey is a thriller story inspired by true events. The story starts with the sudden demise of  Rakesh Kumar at Red line metro station in Delhi. At first, everything seems to be normal about death. But an honest police officer Hanumant became suspicious about the death of his superior officer and starts investigating. The story becomes more curious and twisted when Hanumant finds out that all the fellow passengers in the train are either murdered or attacked. Who is behind all these dreadful crimes. The rest of the story is the journey of Hanumant to unveil the mystery behind all these murders.

From the cover to the last page it is a thriller genre book. The suspicious title and splash of red color in the cover is too good. If you closely look at the cover, you can see all the plot-making factors in the cover. The cover design is apt for this book.

For a 300+ pages book, there should be a gripping tale to make the reader stick. And here it is. The story has every element consciously embedded to create curiosity. You can’t help to think constantly that “what happens next?” every time you turn a page over.

The plot twists were unpredictable. I think that twists were the core of this story. The author has cleverly placed them at appropriate sections. Another highlight of the book is its take on the life of an honest police officer. The author attempted to show to the readers that what are the sacrifices a police officer has to do for keeping his moral and ethical values. The braveness of the protagonist is commendable. He gives first priority to his ethics let alone his family. His sacrifice has to be mentioned.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Highly recommended for the readers. This story will not disappoint you.

Rating: 4/5

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, Indian Authors, Poems

Knots by Deblina Bhattacharya

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Title: Knots

Author: Deblina Bhattacharya

Format: Kindle Edition

Language: English

Blurb

“These knots that do bind
Make thee one of a kind”

Knots is a collection of poetry and prose about love and heartbreak, tragedy and grief, survival and loss. It’s a journey through the numerous knots that we tie in life, and the ones we tangle and untangle with. It explores the realities of mental illness & suicide, social taboos & violence against women, pain & darkness, self love & healing in all its naked glory. The rhythm of Knots resonates directly with the poet’s heart, conveying to the readers that there is a way to untangle every knot in life, but sometimes, some of these knots are what we are made of.

My review

“Knots” is a collection of short poems written by Deblina Bhattacharya. The poems travel through a wide range of topics. The poems are arranged in 7 main sections such as heartbreak, love, fantasia, darkness, pain, lost and healing. I found a smooth flow of words throughout the book. The author starts her writing from heartbreak. The words are much intense at this point. This intensity gets diluted as the pages turns. In the second section, she remembers the various acts of love she experienced in her life. Every reader can relate to one or two poems here. The poems are much realistic in this section. In the Fantasia section, the true creativity of the author emerges. The expression of the magic of an imaginative world is very good. In the next two sections, that is darkness and pain, one can feel the darkness which is engulfing life. In the next section lost, I found a ray of hope. The hope emerges in the route of lost. The healing section is a perfect end for this emotionally high journey. I really loved the poems in the last section. It is really is the healing of a wounded soul.

The poems are written in a simple and lucid language. The arrangement of poems is commendable. Each section in the collection is starting with a  thoughtful quote relevant to the respective topic. This may leave you in thoughts for a few seconds. After you turn the last page, this book will surely give some serious insights into our life. Recommended for all poetry lovers.

Rating: 4/5

Amina Thajudeen Author Interview, Fiction, Indian Authors

Author Interview: Riddhi Pranay Wagle

A conversation with Riddhi Pranay Waghle, author of To petrichor, published by Bluerose Publishers

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  1. Tell us about yourself.

Ans. I am the girl you see sitting in a park with a notebook and pen, the kind of person you see walking alongside an elderly couple, secretly admiring them, or the one who keeps short notes in the restaurants I visit, for someone who’d come to clean my table after I leave. I have been the happy-go-lucky person since my childhood, yet I grew up believing that books make better friends. I find poetry, my safe place, my home. I am pursuing English Literature currently, and with all my passion. Besides, I wish to make people read more poetry, because verses don’t lie, and lately; we’ve stopped Living and just started Surviving. I find solace in verses, and soul in fiction. I sincerely feel that words have more power, if directed correctly.

  1. If not being an author, what was your dream in life?

Ans. My impulsive trait has taught me to be versatile. I studied Science up to class 10, Commerce in Senior Secondary, and Currently, I am going with Arts. Since I like trying new things, there is no One Dream I could’ve turned into reality, if I wasn’t an Author. But I would have gone with Travel Journalism to satisfy my Wanderlust. This is on my list, for the time being. I had started writing since a very young age, since the days I had newly turned a teenager. When kids my age would wander around with their friends on their bicycles, I would hawk fiction to tuck my mind and conscious in them. My love for books is irreversible. It can be said, I haven’t really known anything else apart from Reading and Writing.

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  1. Who do you attribute your success to?

Ans. I was the student in the class, who would never get up on herself to take a stand, or even answer a question, even if I had practiced it a ten times in my notebook, and was confident about it. Everything was running fine, until I wrote my first poem. It was class 8, and I straight went to my English teacher Mr. Rajendra Singh Aluna, who not only appreciated me for that piece of verse, but also encouraged me to write more and interact more. The seed had germinated, and it brought confidence, light, hope and positivity as it grew. My paths were now clearer than before, my ship was ready to sail.

Secondly, it is my family, my home. Not only I learnt the basics of my Native language, but the basics of Life; to give, to forgive, and to achieve. I know, my parents live their life in installments, that we (I and my sister) bring to them as we walk each step towards our dreams, to conquer life. They have wholly shaped me to be a better version of myself till the day I die. Their enormous support is the reason why everything that I have achieved, was marked. So this, is for them. For making me a good human being first, and to let me design my life in my own way, to make things the way I want, to keep me in the limelight.

  1. Any message you would like to give to your readers?

Ans. ‘To Petrichor’ is a creation solely from the Heart. Each word, each verse has been felt with a lot of Gravity not only to be written, but also to make others feel the same depth as they read it. I feel readers are as important as writers, but being a good critique as you read, is more than important when it comes to a path full of writers. Find art, is also an art, which starts when you read good, and you read more.

The book I present to you, is a rollercoaster ride from 9pm to 3am, from 4:30 pm to 10:30 pm. It has perspectives, it has sentiments, it shows both, male and female perspectives, but in the end; it isn’t what I felt once, it is what we all feel every day. It is when we call take up our call and answer the universe. It is when we all, randomly find ourselves sitting and smiling, and that; is exactly when we react to the signs sent by the Universe. I sincerely hope, you find yourself in the pages of this book, that you find yourself smiling randomly as you recall one of the verses that you most connected to.

 

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, Thriller

Yes, I Met Maruti by Daxesh Trivedi

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Book Title: Yes, I Met Maruti

Author: Daxesh Trivedi

Publisher: Blue Rose Publishers

Language: English

Blurb: Its a story of Jay Jani from Vadodara, who firmly believes in the power of imagination. During his graduation at the ms University of Vadodara, he falls in love with beautiful Preeti Chauhan. Things become interesting & surprising when Maruti, the God arrived in his dream, Jay asked Maruti that he wants to become a very famous & successful person, Maruti said yes but I will take something in return from you & Maruti disappeared. Jay started his MBA study in Rajkot, where he met gorgeous Deepika. Suddenly zoom tv announced a storytelling competition, where the winner will get an opportunity to work as an assistant director with the living legend Shyam Benegal sir. Jay participates in it. To find what actually happened with Jay Jani, read the entire book.

My Review

“Yes, I Met Maruti” is a story written inside a story. The first thing I noticed is the unique name of the book. Second is the cover and blurb. These things are perfectly designed to create curiosity about the story. The blurb itself makes every reader to immediately starts reading to find out what happened for Jay at the end.

As a reader, I always interested to find out new styles used in the storytelling. In this sense, the narration used in this story is quite good and innovated.
The story is essentially based on a wish most of us have, to meet God once and demand something important in our life. This may be the shortcut to happiness. But nothing comes easy and everything has its own prize. What will be that prize? This paves source for wildest imagination and became the backbone of the whole story.

I found this story as quite unique and I’m giving 4 stars for that “power of imagination” alone. Though the book contains numerous typographical mistakes, it narrates a good story amidst them. This clearly shows the potential of the author.

Overall this is a good read with a strong message at the end.

Rating: 4/5

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, Indian Authors, Motivational Quotes, Poems

A Cynic’s Shadow by Yash Singhania

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Blurb: Have you ever seen
A smiling man cry?

Of course you have.
You are crying on the inside too..

A Cynic’s Shadow, is a collection of poems that explore the ailments of a melancholic man, whose enticing screams are beautiful when inked.

My Review

Amidst the sea of fog

I  saw the sun resurrect.
So weak and wan
Then so full of light and power.
Vaporizing the darkness,
Illuminating the sea of fog.
Raising our hopes
And opening our eyes.
Illuminating some dreams and
burning some.
Ending some cold nights
And birthing some bright days.

                             -Yash Singhania (A Cynic’s Shadow)

A Cynic’s Shadow by Yash Singhania is a compilation of 64 poems accompanied by beautiful illustrations that are projecting the meaning of each word in it. As said in the book, this writer’ words tend to seep in the readers subconscious, painting fantasies. Fantasies one can’t get enough of.

These poems are penned down when the author was on a voyage of the solitude of self-realization, partly lost and partly in immense pain. Finding light in a road which seems to be dark and being alone throughout the journey is more than enough to light up the creativity of one’s own self. As said by the author in the preface, he convinced his orthodox family into believing that he was destined for better things than CA. So altogether these poems represent his journey of chasing dreams and to remind everyone that, the hope still exists. When you skim through these lines you can feel the pain of a trapped man who was searching for a way out in his own mind.

The illustrations accompanied by each poem are a marvelous piece of art. Once gaze into its meaning, you can’t look away for minutes. These poems are surrounded by emotions rather than the deep meaning. When I progressed reading these pages, I felt like reading a diary rather than a piece of literature.

The title and cover were deep and represent one’s own journey to the inner self. If you are a poetry lover you can taste this one too.

Rating: 4/5

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, Indian Authors

An Unmatched Couple’s Misfit Relationship by Biswajit Mishra

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Title: An Unmatched Couple’s Misfit Relationship

Author: Biswajit Mishra

Pages: 260 pages

Blurb: All the time she hoped and dreamed of a better tomorrow in her life in a span of six years. Her experiences both good and bad; the man, the mind and the moral… where, repeatedly she failed, woke up and then moved on.
Paayesha, solely grows with the time, experiences multiple affairs, extensively pulling out her inner persona to face the reality, and finally, she leads by conquering her insight while finding the literal tranquility, and reflects a moral… “Accept what it comes and dare to face, not always that comes what we expect.”
Even she went deep through the life to realize, “the time, the reality and the present are the factual ingredients for the life, rest everything virtual, an unseen mirage…!”

She realized four men in a span of five years. While in the search of the fifth man on her sixth year, what she expects, and finally accepts..? Is that a fortuitous Paayesha finally impounded felicitous?

It would be a favorite stuff in a single gulp, for anyone, whoever had experienced a break-up at least once in a lifetime.

My review

“Once loved, once married, once in extramarital; Paayesha didn’t drown. Still, she hopes to excel, even if in the deep ocean, she learned to live with the third side of the coin.”

-Biswajit Mishra (An Unmatched Couple’s Misfit Relationship)

An Unmatched Couple’s Misfit Relationship: Experience a love, never experiment a Break-up by Biswajit Mishra is an interesting tale of Paayesha when she sails through a course of life’s ups and down. Two things surprised me when I started reading this book. First one is it has a female lead because how often you came across a female lead in romance fiction particularly in Indian literature? Surprisingly the author has quite beautifully portrayed the female lead’s emotions, thoughts, and her decisions.

The second thing is this is not a predictable romantic story as I thought of, because at the end you never get that beautiful fairytale ending as we’ve seen in a lot of Bollywood movies. As a female lead, the growth of Paayesha’s character over the pages is so satisfying. The story of Paayesha’s love and breakups started right from college. Paayesha’s first love Abhishek abandoned her because he didn’t have the courage to confront his mother about his relationship. Once Payeesha came out from her depression, she slowly started moving ahead with her job and career and eventually get married to a guy whom her parents arranged for. She eventually realized he is impotent and moved out. In her office, she found solace from her friend Rishav who was like a breeze in a desert to her. But Rishav too wasn’t really good for her. But Rishav has a secret that he was hiding from her for a long time. He actually asks her one thing back for all the support and comfort he has given for her. What will be it? How she will manage this situation? The main crux of the story revolves around this thread.

I absolutely loved the way of writing of the author. The beauty of writing is the one main thing which made me hold to this book until the end. The diary entries of Rishav’s are absolutely straight from the heart. The emotions are conveyed through the words. This quality solely makes this book a good read. This is a fast-paced story which doesn’t give too much time on unimportant characters. I really liked this fast-paced method of storytelling, because it really helped the story from being monotonous and dragged at certain points.

The portrayal of depression and true heart-breaks are my favorite parts from the narrative perspective. Because it is an unlikely subject in romance fiction and it truly decided the author’s ability to convey emotions. The author has portrayed the female lead from a fragile young girl to a career focused- strong women. Truly her journey to womanhood is very heart-touching. The story also pays attention to the orthodox society which we all are lives in. The strong messages like this are inevitable to change the perspectives of society in things like marriage, life, and divorce.

Altogether it is a refreshing story which offers a handful of new thoughts before you close the last page.

Rating: 4/5

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, Indian Authors, Indian Mythology

The Peshwa: War of the Deceivers by Ram Sivasankaran

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The Peshwa: War of the Deceivers
Ram Sivasankaran
Westland Publications
2018. Pages – 474.

Blurb: Seven years have passed since Peshwa Bajirao Bhat annihilated the Nizam’s armies at Fort Mandu. The two forces have been engaged in attacks and skirmishes ever since. Acting on the advice of his right-hand man, the mysterious Anaamik Dabhade, the Peshwa now sets about laying a trap to truly ensnare the Mughals, and break their might.

The Empire, of course, has methods of its own. And Nizam Ul Mulk is itching for an opportunity to exact revenge of the formidable Bajirao. With assassins, saboteurs and criminals infiltrating the Maratha lands, the Mughal Empire scores as many victories in the night as the Peshwa does during the day.

Meanwhile, in the far reaches of the country, set ablaze by the never-ending conflict between these major powers, a Sikh warlord, a Rajput king and a Bundela princess find themselves increasingly tangled up in the endgame that will determine the very course of history. It is a battle of wits and skill, and the greatest deceiver of them all will prevail.

My Review

The Peshwa: War of the Deceivers by Ram Sivasankaran is the second part of the Peshwa series. This is the story of lust for power and cunning inside politics to achieve them. The plot mainly focuses on the character and leadership quality of Peshwa. Also, there is some hint of his famous love story with Mastani in this book, but the story is clearly written to talk about Peshwa, who was he really.

I always loved historical fiction because they are always the perfect blend of creativity and history. This book also never disappoints me. The book is comparatively thick because the author has narrated the story in-depth through these pages. These kinds of large books need a compelling narrative and unputdownable story to successfully lead the reader through these pages. In my opinion, this kind of beautiful narrative alone can drive the story. The blurb itself is written to generate the curiosity and we can expect an action-packed thriller. The war scenes were described so perfectly that a reader can imagine whole drama as if they were watching a movie.

The internal conflicts bother the nation’s integrity rather than any invasions. Any story on the background of lust for power is filled with revenge. This story also has a fierce flow of revenge throughout the pages.

Another highlight of the story is character built-up. Strong characters can only drive the story forward. Here, the characters are created to perfectly blend with the storyline. Each and every character is unique and attention-grabbing. Again the beauty of powerful writing skill.

The illustrations in between the pages completed the creation of the fictional historical world where the story is based.

The story has a perfect climax. A climax which fills the heart of every reader. That’s why I call it a masterpiece.

In a nutshell, it was an enthralling experience to read The Peshwa.

Rating:4/5

 

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, Thriller

Day of Reckoning by Jack Higgins

 

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Higgins’s novels of honor, bravery, and irresistible intrigue delight millions of readers every year, but few of his books pack the sheer narrative power of Day of Reckoning.

Journalist Katherine Johnson made the mistake of getting too close to the secrets of international crime boss Jack Fox — but Fox made the mistake of killing her. Katherine’s ex-husband is Blake Johnson, head of the clandestine White House department known as The Basement, and with the President’s permission, the former FBI agent is about to take revenge. Wherever the money trail leads — New York, England, Ireland, the Middle East — Johnson and his Irish colleague, Sean Dillon, plan to hit Fox where it hurts the most, by cutting his illegal businesses to shreds, until Fox stands defenseless before his enemies.

But Fox did not become powerful by letting his enemies get that close. If Johnson and Dillon want to take him on, they will have to face his own brand of revenge. And it is a revenge every bit as deadly as their own.

Day of Reckoning is brilliant suspense — the master working truly at the height of his powers.

Mini Review

Jack Higgins is a master craftsman of crime thrillers. But often his many plot-lines are found to be repeating. This book is also a creative crime thriller with a suspense twist. The climax has a very good twist and the action-packed narrative makes this book a good entertainment. The backbone of this story is strong characters. Since this is a character-driven book, he made the plot so. Overall it is a good weekend read.

Rating; 4/5

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, Indian Authors

Ladies Coupé by Anita Nair

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Title: Ladies Coupé

Author: Anita Nair

Paperback: 228 pages

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd (22 June 2015)

Language: English

Synopsis

The story of a woman’s search for strength and independence.

Meet Akhilandeshwari, Akhila for short: forty-five and single, an income-tax clerk, and a woman who has never been allowed to live her own life – always the daughter, the sister, the aunt, the provider.

Until the day she gets herself a one-way ticket to the seaside town of Kanyakumari, gloriously alone for the first time in her life and determined to break free of all that her conservative Tamil brahmin life has bound her to.

In the intimate atmosphere of the ladies coupé which she shares with five other women, Akhila gets to know her fellow travellers:

Janaki, pampered wife and confused mother;

Margaret Shanti, a chemistry teacher married to the poetry of elements and an insensitive tyrant too self-absorbed to recognize her needs;

Prabha Devi, the perfect daughter and wife, transformed for life by a glimpse of a swimming pool;

Fourteen-year-old Sheela, with her ability to perceive what others cannot;

And Marikolanthu, whose innocence was destroyed by one night of lust.

As she listens to the women’s stories, Akhila is drawn into the most private moments of their lives, seeking in them a solution to the question that has been with her all her life: Can a woman stay single and be happy, or does a woman need a man to feel complete?

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