anthology – The Ultimate Reviewer

41eSkQeJqaL

Title: A Lot Like Love & Other Short Stories

Author: Nidra Naik

Pages:218

Publisher: Become Shakespeare

Rating: 4/5

Blurb

From America, New Delhi, Balasore, Cuttack and even at the barren land of Nabarangpur; unearth sagas of demands, indecisiveness, struggle, intensity, love and longing! A Lot Like Love & Other Short Stories reveals the human side of survival called Hope; hope on which every living being thrives, hope, which at times is also lost.
Stories travelling the test of time, characters infusing a blood of fire, this book brings to the readers, how deep and passionate life’s purpose can be, how in an insipid land of imagination, can connect with the most fertile of hearts.
Love adorns life!

My review

This is a collection of six short stories written by Nidra Naik. The stories are:

(1) A Lot Like Love

(2) Second Chance

(3) The Bestseller

(4) The Visit

(5) The Black Idol

(6) What Was Not Said

I always liked short stories more than novels. Because it is a true test of authors storytelling capabilities. The short stories become perfect only if you crafted them well. From beginning to end the story should have every element of a novel but in limited words. Overall in this book, the author has done a very commendable job.

The first story itself is a roller coaster ride of emotions and at the end, you will be heart-broken. The impact of that heartbreak is enough to make me a feeling that I don’t want to read the rest of them. But somehow I ended up finishing it in two days. This effect is purely dedicated to the author’s capability of crafting and storytelling. In less than 45 pages, she gives a story that you will remember a lifetime.

Every story is different and the characters in all stories do not have any similarities. It’s like you have to jump from one plot to another even after a highly emotional journey offered in each story. I really liked how the author incorporated her Odia cultural heritage in the stories. They are like adding spices in a dish to make them more enjoyable.

Among stories, I personally liked ‘Bestseller’ most. Purnendu who is a small town girl but she dreams to be a best seller author one day. Her struggling in many difficult circumstances was heart-breaking. In the end, only a few tears are left.

I often amazed by the freshness of the plot each story have. The characters are portrayed as very livelily along with a good plot.

I often like the black and white cover in books. Because it is the expression of the black and white side of human lives. But for this, it will be better if they choose some other cover design.

I liked this structure of the book very much because you can read this book in small leisure intervals. This is a must-read for every short-story lovers.

41R2Dl28ZAL._SX311_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

Title: Unlocked Silences

Author: Mukhpreet Khurana

Publishers: Notion press

Blurb: Unlocked Silences is a collection of abstracts, poems and excerpts written on tissue papers over a couple of years. It is a dive deep into the circles of emotion, empathy, acceptance, healing and insights into a different perspective towards life. In the voice of a budding adolescent, the book cascades into day-to day-shortcomings, carved into poetry and at the same time, embraces you in silence and stillness of thought. The book is an attempt to connect with the reader, to reflect upon them, unbiased and together and embrace a new beginning. With simplified use of grammar and vocabulary, this book seeks nothing but the companionship of all. With this debut book, the author aims to connect to one and to all in the message and purpose of existence, the aid of spirituality and an ode to a beautiful journey called life.

My Review

71b4iFdw28L

“…Take the fall, for once and for all…

Know that you need nothing,

You need no one;

Lay in peace, sometimes

Lay in endless pain,

Celebrate every gain, dear one,

Thank every effort that went in vain….

I remember my flaws by a dominating perfection,

I remember life as a journey to be celebrated…”

-The journey (Unlocked Silences) Mukhpreet Khurana

Unlocked Silences is a collection of poems, abstracts, and excerpts by Mukhpreet Khurana. I can’t start this review without praising the cover. It is unique and beautiful. Black and white combination is one of my favorite because it basically represents the tantrums of our own minds. A book should be like that, bringing whiteness in the darkness. This color combination makes perfect sense with the title.

Every writer has struggled with their creativity. The unanswered questions and turmoil of emotions will be the cause to sprout creativity. So this is the breaking of silences. But this is not a mere breaking, it is unlocking. The author may have thought that this is an unlocking of his thoughts and he has to spread them in this world. Like that, this collection contains his thoughts ranging from healing, motivation, positivity to embracing fears.

This is actually like a rollercoaster ride, sometimes high, sometimes low. I think this is purely a reflection of the human mind including all our lives. All the lines are written with a meaning to reinstate belief in oneself and the rest will follow.

These deeper ideas are expressed through simple and smooth language but yet succeeded in producing an influence on one’s own mind. This book offers a path of healing, from hatred to peace.

Somehow, some lines are seem to be repeated, but it is aligned with the flow, so it never bothers the reader much. I felt this is like a walk of all the ill-emotions in our mind which keeps inner peace away, to the wisdom of our own mind.
I think this is a book for everyone because it is a collection of thought-provoking, light, and easy lines written to address one’s inner-self.

Rating 4/5

I received a copy of this book through the BOOK GENIE REVIEW PROGRAM