Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Quotes, Self-Help

The Leader’s Book of Inspiration: Quotes and Insights for Today’s Leaders by Michael Elliott|Book review

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Title: The Leader’s Book of Inspiration: Quotes and Insights for Today’s Leaders
Author: Michael Elliott
Pages: 170
Blurb
The Leader’s Book of Inspiration is a work of extraordinary insights for self-driven go-getters. Whether you are an entrepreneur, illustrator, writer, executive, or pastor, a leader needs a book s/he can lean on for inspiration. This is that book. Drawing from the greatest kings, authors, artists, poets, philosophers, and religious minds of all time, and amassing over 300 lessons for the 21st-century leader, this refreshing collection of quotes delivers a wealth of eternal knowledge, that is sure to stand the test of time. The Leader’s Book of Inspiration is an essential addition to any personal library. There is everything to gain by igniting the imagination through profound words of inspiration. This book will be your spark.
My review
Life is all about goals and dreams. It is a quest for our own purpose. We have the freedom to uses our limited years of life for our own good or for doing good to others. Not all can manifest their own destiny. When we fail, we seek guidance. Those who have walked the same path before are the best mentors to choose from. This is why we rely on motivation to supplement our endeavors. But extrinsic motivation is always something short-lived. Intrinsic motivation only emerges from our own inner self. What we can do for this is to fall back to the knowledge from great visionaries and leaders to build strong morale.

This book is a great collection of quotes from almost all the visionaries who have ever walked on the earth. The insights range from poets to Kings, authors to philosophers. I must say it is a great addition to my personal book collection because it serves as a constant source of motivation. The author has divided this book into nine parts, each one discusses the insights from a particular group of leaders. This composition helps to read and accept things that best suits each one of us.

Rating:5/5
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, Fiction, Indian Authors, Indian Mythology

Ashok and the Nine Unknown by Anshul Dupare

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Title – Ashok and the Nine unknown
Author – Anshul Dupare
Publisher – Rupa publishing
Genre – history/fiction
Pages – 224
Format – paperback

Ashok and the Nine unknown written by Anshul Dupare is a novel coming under the historical fiction genre. The beauty of historical fiction is they never lost the charm. Writing a story on the backdrop of a historical event defines the quality of a writer. Here the mystery of nine unknown is crafted on the life and rule of Ashoka.

The title and cover are beautifully designed to create mystery at the very first moment you hear about. I was curious to find out what really is the nine unknown. That drives me to read the story in a single stretch. The book is designed to be compact and that is another quality I liked most about this book.

Ashok, the King of Kings became devastated due to the aftermath of the Kalinga war. The death and destruction of war change him. He wants to rebuild everything and he decides to venture on a new path. The king then assembled nine prodigies from different fields to prevent him from wrongdoings and help him to restore peace and humanity in the country. This is the background and the challenges build on it in the rest of the story.

The language varies from simple to complex throughout the story. The author built the protagonist, Ashok very strong in the story. The character development was good throughout the plot. From beginning to end, this is a well-narrated story. The author keeps alive the mystery through the plot and subplots. That makes this book more enjoyable. Altogether, it is a good historical fiction which any reader can enjoy without any complications.

Rating: 4/5

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Motivational Quotes, non-fiction, Science Fiction, Self-Help

“Where Will Man Take Us?: The bold story of the man technology is creating” by Atul Jalan

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  • Title: Where Will Man Take Us?: The bold story of the man technology is creating
  • Author: Atul Jalan
  • Paperback: 272 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Portfolio

There are not so many books that I love to re-read or gift others. But this book is above all praises….

As evident from the title, this is a non-fiction work. The brilliant yellow cover of the book is perfect for this category book.

I can guarantee you, this is a 100 percent money worth and time worth read you can find.

The narration skills of the author are mind-blowing. From prologue itself, he ignites the interest and energy that a reader needs to complete this 300+ page book. The curiosity he made in the prologue itself points out the craft of the author. This is one of the best prologues I have ever come across in non-fiction category.

Usually, non-fiction books are subject-centric. They are purchased and read purely for academic purpose. But this book is clearly an innovation in this category. The presentation of each and every topic is fascinating.

The book is divided into 5 sections mainly. In the first section which is named as the ‘Drivers of change’, the author talks about 6 subjects ranging from Alan Turing to Genetics. It is a perfect introduction of technology from its past to the future. It gives a clear idea about the future technologies. In the second section, he talks about everything in societal life ranges from matchmaking and democracy to Artificial intelligence. The power of data is explained elaborately and it is something that everyone has to be educated. The third part is all about the magic of math. For me, the fourth section was most enjoyable because it deals with astrophysics and extraterrestrial life. The author has tried to answer some of the great mysteries of all the time. The fifth and last section is all about the future. The predictions and future technologies are elaborated here. The book is concluded perfectly. It has a beginning and an end.

A reader has to spend some considerable amount of time to complete this book but each and every minute will be worth it. If you are a person who has the slightest interest in science, then this is a treasure for you.

Honestly, I don’t know how to rate this book. The effort and knowledge that has been poured through these 300+ pages worth no less than a 5-star rating.

Rating:5/5

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, Indian Authors, Memoirs

A Lot Like Love & Other Short Stories by Nidra Naik

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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.

 

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