Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fantacy, Fiction, Indian Authors

Binge and Nothingness by Juan Kaius| Book review

51h19J7t1eLTitle: Binge and Nothingness

Author: Juan Kaius

Pages:75

Blurb

If you are suffering from an existential crisis, do not read this book!

This is the story of Juan, a 25 year old boy, who after binging the joy out of everything, food, drugs, and entertainment, realizes that the only way left to fill the void is to fall into it. Thus, he embarks on one final journey – to jump off the top of a hill and end his life on a ‘high’ note. By doing this, he intends to set an example for his peers, all depressed and directionless individuals, who can follow him and attain the truest form of freedom. But does fate have one last absurd joke to play on him?

Set in McLeodganj, a mystical sanctuary of Tibetan Buddhism, this is a satirical take on our generation’s futile search for the meaning of life.

My review

Binge and Nothingness narrates a story of a 25-year-old young man who is suffering from an existential crisis. He is always in search of his life’s purpose. He has tried everything to extract pleasure. His search hits a dead end and he decides to give up his life. He is ready to embrace death for reaching a new “high”. He decides to jump off from a cliff at Triund, Dharamkot. But what if life has some other plans, waiting for him?

I really loved this story because of its uniqueness. I never ever came across a story like this before. The existential crisis of the new generation is embedded very carefully in the storyline. The explanation of this unique philosophy often drifted me from reading. The thoughts of Juan kept me thinking about those concepts much deeper. His views resonate with the present world very accurately. The observations of author in all the things mentioned in the story such as drugs, meditation, spirituality, life, greed, and lust is hundred percent correct. This alone glued me to the story until the end.

Honestly speaking, I have come across very few books that have the power to leave me astonished after reading. This is one of those rare books. The story is penned down very beautifully. The pinch of sarcasm till the very last page is something deserves a huge applause.

Rating:5/5

Purchase here: Amazon.in

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, Indian Authors

Salswabhavi Uthaman by John Philipose|Book review

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Title: Salswabhavi Uthaman

Author: John Philipose

Language: Malayalam

Pages:169

About The Book

“Salswabhavi Uthaman – the deceptive title itself throws light into the characteristic of the protagonist and the plot in the novel. In Malayalam the name ‘Uthaman’ means an ideal man. This novel realistically exposes a false construct – Uthaman and the mutuality of such constructs and the societies. The novel reiterates that in a conducive environment evil flourishes like weeds in fertile soil. Uthaman is actually a silent villain, who exploited the weak and vulnerable ones and their emotions with knack of a wolf, but meets a tragic end, probably a deserving a fate.”

My review

Salswabhavi Uthaman by John Philipose is a short novel with an apt touch of humor. The title itself is capable to generate a curiosity around the main character, Uthaman. At the beginning itself, we could see that he met an accident and bedridden for a few days. But when I turn the pages, I realized that what makes him bedridden. The author presented this part of the story much humorously. The life of Uthaman is slowly unraveled and we get to know that who was he always.

He is not a hero. He is a villain who wears a mask and exploits the vulnerable. Through the loopholes of politics, he achieved what he wants. The important feature of this story is that the author is telling the whole story through Uthaman’s perspective. Uthaman justifies all his deeds perfectly. Sometimes he points to age-old societal norms, sometimes he uses his own familial connections to justify his deeds. But this accident was an eye-opener for him. How it happened and why it happened is another humorous part. But at last, he realizes his own mistakes but he has to pay for what he had done.

In the end, just like the floods, his sins purify him. The miseries made him think again, what is valuable and what not. This is also a lesson for everyone. The author has narrated an important thought through this satirical storyline.

Rating:4/5

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Indian Authors, Memoirs, Motivational Quotes, non-fiction, Self-Help

Jobless in Jumeirah by Rohit Bhagat| Book review

 

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Title: Jobless in Jumeirah

Author: Rohit Bhagat

Pages:159

Jobless in Jumeirah by Rohit Bhagat is a much closer to the real-life portrayal of a job-seeker. Just like as mentioned in the cover page, this is a lyrical tribute to the job-seeking fables in the glittering sands of Dubai. The middle-east is the age-old haven for every man in the world. People migrate and sweat in this sand to give colors to their dreams. Just like the protagonist in the book, many are working and living their life in this land of glittering sands.

We all know how painstaking is the process of getting hired for a fresh out graduate. After months of sleepless and restless efforts, one gets hold of a job. But what will happen if we lost our only source of income, that precious job suddenly in a day? We have to go all around this painful process once again.

This is the realistic tale of that pain. Someone who has been living in all comforts all his life, this is a new challenge. A challenge where success only matters. The process of acclimatizing to the reality is a very slow process. This challenge will drain our mental and physical health. We will learn the value of friendships, professional relationships, and faith on the way. Most importantly we can analyze and explore the unknown emotions of our own self.

The portrayal of job hunting and rejection is so much realistic in this book. The author has penned down every emotions and phases that can possibly occur over the course of job hunting. The book is truly a lyrical treat because of the choice of words.

It is structured as a memoir with small poems in between. Overall it is good short read expressing pure human emotions very accurately.

Rating:4/5

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Indian Authors, Self-Help, Thriller

Rape Trial by Bidisha Ghosal

Rape- a word which carries a lot of weight, emotions and pain. Over the years, rape and rape stories become a common headline in the media. They lost news value, because they became a consistent column in newspapers. Our patriarchal society judge this unforgivable crime as a mere deed. Over the years there has been many voices which came out to demand justice to the victims. But unfortunately many struggles end up in vain.

The victim, a more accurate word is a ‘survivor’, has to live the rest of her life in pain and disgust because of this societal attitude. The society will never stand with the victim. So this story has to be told over and over again until it is heard by everyone.

Rahul Satyabhagi is a wealthy businessman who exploits the judicial loopholes and escapes after committing a grave crime, raping Avni Rambha. Will he able to stand behind a thin veil all the time?

The emotions which a survivor goes through in different stages of life cannot be expressed through words. Because it is that much intense and complex. The author has done a sincere attempt to portray these struggles. Justice can be denied if you have influence and wealth. But the justice will be served at last. The author ends it in a positive note hugging hope.

Rating:4/5

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, Indian Authors, non-fiction, Uncategorized

Daughters of The Brothel: Stories from Delhi’s Red-light District

Title: Daughters of The Brothel: Stories from Delhi’s Red-light District

Author: Deepak Yadav

Publisher: Bigfoot Publications Pvt. Ltd

Pages: 224

Few words

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“My nath utrai (Taking off the nose ring) was performed when I was twelve or thirteen. The initial days were tough but now it gives me pleasure. I have inherited the art of making love from my grandmother.”
-Roopal, a sex worker from the Bedia community in brothel number 56.

Nath Utrai ceremony is nothing but the auction of the girl by the highest bidder near Bharatpur in Rajasthan.

“Everyone believes that all hijras are castrated, but this is not true. We call it nirvana. Castration is usually optional. It cannot be forced upon a hijra.”
-Sharmila, a eunuch from the streets of Varanasi

The narrator spends a considerable amount of time in G.B. Road, the famous red-light district in New Delhi during his stint with an NGO. He records the narratives of the sex workers of brothel number 56, insights of their daily lives, local lingos, quarrels, and the ins and outs of their business with an honest stoicism that does not dilute the terrible pathos of their lives.

Through this voyage within the walls of pleasurable cells, the writer learns that the G.B. road is an inexorable web…but only because the women trapped in it believe it to be so.

Review

From the title itself, it is evident that this is not a book for everyone. This is not a story of romance and love. These are the real-life stories of a lesser-known section, often termed as taboos of the polished society we live in.


The author gives insights into the daily lives of sex workers, prostitutes, and transgenders of the G. B road, the infamous red-light district of Delhi. These are not just stories. The author has written this as a mix of conversation and his own thoughts. The writing style is captivating.


Every account is unique. We can either read this book for leisure or for gaining knowledge. Knowledge about the hard life of girls, how they are treated at home and how they end up here and there bitter experiences. You can’t close this book without a heavy heart.

Rating:4/5

Buy here: Amazon

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Indian Authors, non-fiction, Self-Help

“Jaiva krishi pattikkals Samyojitha krishi nallathinu Nalla krishi naleykku” by Dr. A M Ranjith

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Title: Jaiva krishi pattikals, Samyojitha krishi nallthinu,Nalla krishi naleykku

Author: Dr. A M Ranjith

Language: Malayalam

Pages: 81

Blurb

“The common perception of anything branded “organic” being truly so, is not always true. The belief that the presently followed organic agriculture practices are pesticide-free is also turning out to be a farce. There are many outlets that simply put a label organic on their products, to sell them at a higher price. None of us have ever asked whether they have been properly certified as organic. A recent study has shown that most of the so-called ‘organic’ products had an equal amount of insecticide residues as in their non-organic counterparts.
However, organic culture is still being practiced. An international example of organic agriculture are the practices followed in Cuba. In India, it would be Sikkim. The author explains with ground realities of Cuban agriculture and that of Sikkim, why going blindly organic is not a panacea for our problems. The future of agriculture that benefits both the farmer and the consumer is Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The action plan to reach this goal is explained in the book.
The next step in quality food production is Good Agricultural Practices or GAP. The third chapter of this book is a guideline on how GAP can be practiced. This book is a must-read for the “organic extremist” to understand the facts as they are. This book is an ideal reference for the toiling farmer on producing a healthy crop while maintaining productivity and sustainability with profit.”

My review

The book was written by Dr. A. M. Ranjith details the agricultural practices which are prevailing in Kerala. He explains how the organic culture and farming is not a feasible solution at industrial scale in Kerala. He advocates a new method incorporating Integrated pest management (IPM). This could be considered as a reference text in this subject. He covered every process in IPM and presented in a lucid manner to help every farmer. He also includes a chapter about Good agricultural practices (GAP) and how they’re revolutionizing the agricultural sector in the US. Adopting GAP to our farming lands might be the game-changer for farmers in Kerala. A must-read for every farmer.

“ജൈവ കൃഷി -പറ്റിക്കൽസ്, സംയോജിത കൃഷി -നല്ലതിന്, നല്ല കൃഷി -നാളേയ്ക്ക് “-മണ്ണിൽ പൊന്ന് വിളയിക്കുന്നവന് ചില നല്ല പാഠങ്ങൾ……. ഡോ. എ. എം. രഞ്ജിത്ത്. …………………………………………………………………
കൃഷി എന്നത് മനുഷ്യന് മാറ്റി നിർത്താനാകാത്ത സാമ്പത്തികവും സാമൂഹികവുമായിട്ടുള്ള മേഖല തന്നെയാണ്. ഇന്ത്യയുടെ സാമ്പത്തികാവസ്ഥ ഇന്നും കൃഷിയിൽ നിന്നുള്ള വരുമാനത്തെ ആശ്രയിച്ചു തന്നെയാണ് നിൽക്കുന്നത്. ഡോ. എ. എം. രഞ്ജിത്ത് രചിച്ച ഈ പുസ്തകം പക്ഷെ വ്യാവസായികാടിസ്ഥാനത്തിൽ കൃഷി ചെയ്യുന്നവർക്ക് വേണ്ടിയുള്ളതാണ്. ഒരു ഹോബിയായിട്ടോ നേരംപോക്ക് ആയിട്ടോ കൃഷി ചെയ്യുന്നവർക്ക് വേണ്ടിയുള്ളതല്ല എന്ന് രചയിതാവ് തന്നെ ആദ്യത്തെ പേജുകളിൽ പറഞ്ഞു വെക്കുന്നുണ്ട്. എന്നിരുന്നാലും ജൈവവൈവിധ്യത്തെയും കൃഷിയെയും കുറിച്ച് കൂടുതൽ അറിയാൻ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നവർക്ക് നല്ലൊരു വഴികാട്ടി തന്നെയാണ് ഈ പുസ്തകം. പ്രധാനമായും മൂന്നു ഭാഗങ്ങൾ ആയി തിരിക്കുന്നുണ്ട് ഈ പുസ്തകം. ആദ്യത്തെ ഭാഗം ജൈവ കൃഷി, സംയോജിത കൃഷി, നല്ല കൃഷി എന്നിവയെ കുറിച്ചുള്ള ആമുഖമാണ്. ജൈവ കൃഷിയുടെ ഉത്ഭവവും ക്യൂബ മോഡൽ കൃഷി, സിക്കിം മോഡൽ കൃഷി എന്നിവയെക്കുറിച്ചും ഇതിൽ പറയുന്നു. ജൈവ കൃഷി എന്തുകൊണ്ട് വ്യാവസായികാടിസ്ഥാനത്തിൽ നല്ലതല്ല എന്നു സമർഥിക്കുകയാണിവിടെ. സംയോജിത കൃഷിയിലെ ഏറ്റവും പ്രധാനപ്പെട്ട സംയോജിത കീട നിയന്ത്രണം (Integrated Pest Management )നെ കുറിച്ച് അതിനു ശേഷം പറയുന്നുണ്ട്. ഷഡ്പദങ്ങളെ എങ്ങനെ ഇതിലൂടെ നിയന്ത്രിക്കാം എന്നതിന് ഒരു റഫറൻസ് പുസ്തകമാണ് ഇത്. രണ്ടാമത്തെ ഭാഗത്തിൽ ലതാഗൃഹങ്ങളിലെ (green house)ലെ IPM നെ കുറിച്ച് വിശദീകരിക്കുന്നു. ഏറ്റവും അവസാനം നല്ല കൃഷിമുറകളെ (Good agricultural practices, GAP)കുറിച്ചും വിശദീകരിക്കുന്നു. കൃഷി വിഷയങ്ങളിൽ താല്പര്യമുള്ള എല്ലാവര്ക്കും മനസ്സിലാകുന്ന രീതിയിൽ സരസമായി കാര്യങ്ങൾ അവതരിപ്പിക്കുന്നുണ്ട്. ഇപ്പോൾ ഇന്ത്യയിലും കേരളത്തിലുമുള്ള കൃഷിരീതികളിൽ നിന്ന് ഭാവിയിൽ എന്തൊക്കെ മാറ്റങ്ങൾ വരുത്തിയാൽ മാറുന്ന ലോകത്തു കൃഷിക്കാരന് പിടിച്ചു നിൽക്കാൻ കഴിയും എന്നുള്ള ഉൾക്കാഴ്ച നൽകുവാൻ ഈ പുസ്തകത്തിന് സാധിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്.

Rating:4/5

 

 

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Indian Authors, Motivational Quotes, non-fiction, Self-Help

Garage to The Globe

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Few words: Garage to The Globe is a unique story of an exemplary venture that started five decades ago from the humblest of the beginnings. The book serves as an inspiration to every budding entrepreneur by defying the common belief that big businesses can only be fueled by fat investor cheques. The Entrepreneur turned author, Mr. Ravinder Nath Khanna has revealed 51 simple success mantras which he calls his ‘Tools of the Took-Kit’. The simple language of the book without the heavy sermons and preachy lessons allow it to be easy to understand and implement in every reader’s life

My Review: To those who are aspiring entrepreneurs or budding entrepreneurs, this book will be a guiding light for you. Mr. Ravinder Nath Khanna is possibly the first graduate from IIT Kharagpur. He immersed himself in building a company amidst so many difficulties. He narrated his whole journey through this book. The cover itself inspires people with ‘Make in India’ emblem. Every reader can learn something from his journey. I felt that he included all his wisdom in this book. The book also includes many pictures from his childhood to adulthood and success on the front and last pages. This makes it an even more interesting read.

 

 

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, Indian Authors

The Things We Do for Love by Raunak Agarwal

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Book title: The Things we do for Love

Author: Raunak Agarwal

Language: English

Blurb

Love is not just about being in a relationship, it’s much more than that…

What would you do if you were caught up in a love triangle, but without the love? What if this love that you keep seeking, never really left?

Rudra, who thinks that he has started developing feelings for Ruhani, is aghast when she chooses her best friend over him – simply because her best friend is jealous. Set out on a task to bring Ruhani to her senses, he decides to go all in for the only girl in his life.

But, when things go too far, and he finally gets a choice, will Rudra continue to be Ruhani’s savior? Or will he find his own happy ending?

Narrated by Rudra, The Things We Do for Love, first of a two-part romance, dramatizes his quest for companionship.

My review

“The things we do for love” by Raunak Agarwal is a typical love story presented with a unique and improvised narration. The story is not offering anything new at all apart from the cliffhanger introduced at the end, particularly because this is a two-part novel. But I’m greatly impressed with the unique narration of the story. The author juggled words and the timeline of the story. The entire story is told from the point of view of Rudra, the protagonist. This gives the author the flexibility he needs to change the story to past, present, and future abruptly. When I first encountered this change of timeline, it was quite difficult to understand, but soon this became an interesting feature of the entire story. Apart from this, I liked the choice of words in the entire story. The author gives a feel of poetic touch from beginning to end. The occasional quotes included in the story are also very good. Basically, the author is trying to differentiate the two important bonds in everyone’s life, love and friendship. We may even get confused about one over others. If we join them together, it may work or maybe not, depending entirely on individuals.

Altogether it is a good romance read. You can pick it without any expectations and read without any hassles.

Rating: 3.4/5

 

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

Queen of Hearts by P.G. Van

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  • Title: Queen of Hearts
  • Author: P.G. Van
  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • Print Length: 223 pages
  • Buy now: Amazon

Blurb

Waking up in a strange place and not remembering anything, not even her name, she remembers him, not as her husband as she is told, but something about him seems familiar!

Why does her mind remember only him and nothing else?

In an unexpected change of circumstances, he has to bring her home as his wife. She becomes vital for him to close a deal, and he needs to make her believe she is his wife until the contract is finalized on his dream project.

What happens when the temporary set-up starts to seem real for him?

When she realizes what he had done, will he still be able to hold on to her?

My review

“Queen of Hearts: An Indian billionaire romance” by P.G Van is a typical romance story with the pinch of suspense throughout. From the title of the book, it is evident that, the story will be something filled with cheesy and steamy romance. But the blurb truly excites me to dive right into the book. It is because they’ve given a good blurb with a hint of suspense. I really liked it. The strength of this story is it is woven on the strong plot. The plot is somewhat seen in typical Bollywood films but I felt this plot is strong. The characters are framed well for a romance story. The usual anti-hero image at the beginning for the protagonist. His character changes to a good one because of the influence of female lead so and so. Every romance novel is filled with a turn and twist towards the end of the story and here also no escape from that. But overall, this novel gives a good reading experience. Altogether it is an easy to read and recommended for all romance lovers.

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

The Last Avatar (Age of Kalki #1) by Vishwas Mudagal

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  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: HarperCollins India
  • Language: English
  • Buy here: Amazon

Blurb

In the not-so-distant future, India has fallen, and the world is on the brink of an apocalyptic war. An attack by the terrorist group Invisible Hand has brutally eliminated the Indian Prime Minister and the union cabinet. As a national emergency is declared, chaos, destruction and terror reign supreme. From the ashes of this falling world, rises an unconventional hero – a vigilante known only as Kalki. Backed by a secret society called The Rudras, Kalki, along with Nushen, the Chinese superhuman spy, must do the impossible to save his country, and the world. But who is Kalki? A flesh and blood crusader with a mysterious past? Or the Messiah the world has been waiting for? The future of human survival depends on a single man. Will he become the living God prophesied as the last avatar of Lord Vishnu, or will he fade away as an outlaw?

My take

Kalki is a topic which is overused over time by many prominent writers in India. Still, it is a good subject to let your imagination build on. Mainly because of the mythological and modern background of the character. That’s why this topic never goes off the style.

First things first. Iwas really intrigued by the cover of the book at first sight. The depiction of Kalki with the touch of Lord Hanuman wielding a mysterious but seemingly powerful weapon. The curiosity built by the cover alone deserves an honorable mention.

Coming to the story, this one has everything for every kind of readers. I was absolutely fascinated by the plot and sub-plots in the story. The subplots are the main highlight. Because the author has woven many stories in a single string and connected them well to build an absolutely massive plot. This plot holds together every character in the story. This is also a well-built foundation for his upcoming books in this series.

The world is on the edge of an apocalyptic war. An attack by the terrorist group Invisible Hand in the Indian parliament has eliminated the Prime Minister, Union ministry and cabinet. The national emergency is declared and the subsequent chaos paved the way for destruction and terror. From this total terror, an unconventional hero has risen who is know as The Kalki. The protagonist Kalki, who has a double life as Neel who leads the Astra Group which manufactures most modern technological types of equipment. He is backed by a secret society known as Rudras.

What is the intention of this terrorist group led by Master Zar and what is his hidden motive to attack Indian parliament in one go? Who is Kalki and what is his intention behind saving the world? Who is the secret society known as Rudras and are they have some hidden agenda?

There are many more questions are arising from each page of the story. Every page creates suspense. There are too many different characters and the imaginary world which the author bought to the reader is absolutely magical. This suspense along with twists and addressing the geopolitical situation of India and China, the author never leaves any stones unturned.

The protagonist has no flaws. He has superhuman strength and abilities makes him the reincarnation of God. But I felt the character of the villain is slightly underdeveloped. The strength of the villain has a huge part in making a hero.

Altogether, it is a very good story and worth your time. Every mythological-historical fiction reader ought to try this book.

Rating:4/5