Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, Thriller

Winston Churchill’s Renegade Spy by Steve Haberman | Review

Mid-1940, the darkest of the nights for Britain during WWII. Adolf Hitler’s unstoppable military has conquered most of Europe, including France, only twenty miles from the English coast. It is now set to conquer the island-nation itself. Plotting to aid this onslaught, a German spy lurks somewhere within Winston Churchill’s government.

​Such is the dire news an emissary of the prime minister secretly brings to disgraced Churchill bodyguard, Jonas Shaw, an ex-New York City detective, along with a plea: help discover the agent before the Nazis invade. Shaw has faced many challenges in his eventful life, but none as dangerous and fateful as this one, helping save Western civilization. First in a series.

Title: Winston Churchill’s Renegade Spy

Author: Steve Haberman

Pages: 265

My review

Winston Churchill’s Renegade Spy is a blend of action, politics, mystery, and conspiracy, all set in the background of WWII. Britain is on the verge of invasion and the prime minister suspects the presence of a German Spy within his government. Jonas Shaw, who was previously worked as Churchill’s bodyguard is bought back to find out the identity of this spy. This is his journey through conspiracy filled ditches of politics where greed is a prestigious possession. As he dives deep into this, the plot slowly unwinds. His suspicion changes with the introduction of new characters and twists. With the time running out, this grueling investigation is taking a toll on everyone’s life.

This is undoubtedly a well-written story. The deceptive nature of humans and how it frames the face of a generation is the crux of this story. The author transports us back to the exact scenario of WWII from the first page. The fear and misery bought by an imminent invasion is convincingly portrayed in the story. The economical and social challenges and how it has affected the lives of civilians are also mentioned. Although this is a very fast-paced thriller, the author has tactically introduced a vivid portrait of the war-wrecked society inside it.

A must-read for every thriller lovers.

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fantacy, supernatural

Wild Hearts (Mermaids of Cornwall Book 1): A heartwarming romance set in Cornwall by Amaya Hart|Review

A lonely cottage sits peacefully by a secluded beach. Serenaded by the sea, and the beauty of the surrounding hillside. Home to two sisters – Olivia and Rosie – with mystical abilities.One day, the unconscious body of a man washes up on the beach. Rosie discovers, while tending to him, that there is more to him than meets the eye.The interjection of this stranger in the sisters’ lives leads them down a road latent with discovery. Not only of their shocking identities. But also of love.Olivia took a step forward. A tentative one. Then more steps followed.

“Oly”, Rosie warned, refusing to follow her sister.

The closer Olivia got, the more the unknown form grew into clarity, until she was staring at a young man, faced down in the sand, wet, and naked, with the waves lapping at his feet.He was still. Lost to the clinginess of the sand in which he lay, or any feeling at all, except for that of oblivion.

“Go get some clothing, Rosie.” Olivia called.Rosie was hesitant. She didn’t want to leave her sister behind with a stranger, even though he appeared dead.

“Rosie.” Olivia called again. And she ran off. In no time, she returned with a huge towel, which she flung towards Olivia. Olivia picked it up, spread it open, and draped it over the lower half of the man’s body. Then she turned him over, slowly, covering him up in the process.Olivia then noticed movement, the quiet up-and-down of the man’s chest. It was so faint, she hadn’t noticed it at first. He was alive. Olivia felt the cold flush of relief. And she didn’t know why.Like as if a veil lifted off her eyes, the young man became more prominent, his beauty coming into focus. He had a swimmer’s body, lean, strong toned muscles, long dark lashes, shoulder-length black hair glossy with wetness…Then Olivia saw other things. A trail of red running down his forehead. Cuts, like little lips, all over his arms.

“Everything okay?” Rosie called out.

“Go get the doctor, Rosie.” Olivia replied.

“Is he…”

“Just get the doctor.” Olivia said, cutting her off.

Rosie turned, and sprinted towards the cottage. Soon, a brown truck pulled out the backyard, and took the dirt track leading to the village some miles away.

Title: Wild Hearts (Mermaids of Cornwall Book 1): A heartwarming romance set in Cornwall

Author: Amaya Hart

Pages: 124

My review

Wild Hearts is a perfect blend of mystery and romance. The slowly unwinding mystery builds curiosity from the beginning itself. It has a perfect beginning. The author structured this book without losing the suspense. The characters and plot are introduced right away without any introduction or background narration. Their past is slowly introduced at specific points. The mystery is looming at every corner of their cottage in that secluded beach. Many questions are left unanswered at the end. The mystery is yet to resolve. This way the author sets a plot for the other books in the series.

This story has the potential to go above and beyond our imagination. The characters have the depth to carry the story. What I really liked about the plot is the strength of sisterhood. The bond between Olivia and Rosie is very special. They are not only connected with blood but also through mystery. By introducing a stranger to their peaceful life, the author has disrupted their routines. This will let them to explore the unknown. Their journey to finding themselves only began now.

A must-read for all romance lovers.

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

“The Potter and the Clay: Hard pressed on every side but not destroyed” by Ellis Lucas|Review

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Title: The Potter and the Clay: Hard pressed on every side but not destroyed

Author: Ellis Lucas

Pages: 198

“The Potter and the Clay” is an autobiographical book written by Ellis Lucas who turned his life all around through his faith in Jesus. This is a powerful testimony of a man who went through every hardship one can felt in a lifetime and managed to find the light at the end of the tunnel.

This is not a typical motivation book you might see in the market. The story he is telling through these pages is real. We can literally feel the pain that he was gone through. He was at the utmost point of despair. At the endpoint of his life, he found the love of Jesus. This reinvention gave him a rejuvenated and renovated path of life.

This testimony is not only inspiring but also compelling us to believe in God. He assures that we will reborn on the day, we let Jesus come into our life. Such a peaceful yet powerful narration of the life!

This is a captivating read indeed. The words are connected through emotions. The chapters are flowing through his life events without any flaws.

A must-read.

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, 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, Memoirs, Self-Help

Zero Not Out by Vamshi Krishna

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Blurb

Varun Krishna, hailing from a middle-class family, works hard to realize his dream of getting into one of the top IITs. During his four years of college, he would go on to make friends and mentors for life. He would also meet his first love Nitya Iyer during his first year in college.Due to some unfortunate turn of events, he had to part ways with her as soon as he finishes college because of which he would go on a self-destruction mode. How life takes him forward from such a miserable state to building a startup aimed at curbing suicides forms the rest of the story. Riding high on emotions while emphasizing the role of family during crisis time, the novel illustrates the theme of how a father is looked up to as a real hero by his son.

About the Author

Vamshi Krishna spends most of his time writing – code or stories. He says he is a software engineer by chance and a writer by choice. Apart from writing, he reads a lot about cricket, love, women, and stories of failures. He is also a fitness enthusiast and a huge fan of MS Dhoni.He says his 4 year journey at IIT-BHU is the best time of his life. He strongly believes that every student, for at least a couple of years in his early 20s should experience hostel life.’Nobody dies a virgin, life fucks everyone’ is the motto he believes in.’Zero Not Out’ is his debut fiction novel and prior to this, he authored a coding related book. This novel is inspired by his real-life incidents (and accidents).

My review

A nice story which is written in the backdrop of College life. The author presents Varun, the protagonist who struggles through career choices, love, heartbreak and recovery. This story ends with a positive note. Actually, the positivity and fight back start when Varun goes through the heartbreak. How he fought back and realizing the true purpose of his life is the core of this story. When we accept ourselves, every other thing will fall into its deserved place.

 

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Thriller

ENDURER A Rape Story by Kapil Raj

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“The deepest cuts are given by the people who are nearest to you. Why? Because they can.”

Book title: Endure A rape story

Author: Kapil Raj

Publisher: Write India Publishers

Language: English

Blurb: Life was a fun fed roller coaster: New found love, drugs, cat-fights, patch ups, crushes, night hangouts, and unplanned trips. Like any girl, not in the wildest dream, Palak could imagine that after attending a Rave Party, she will wake up to the horror of finding herself raped.

In traumatic conditions and struggle between sanity and hallucinations, she is compelled by the circumstances to leave her world. Already fighting a war within, her stances takes a toll witnessing horrifying tales of women and girls. Little did she knew that this catastrophe was not enough for one lifetime, and a storm – was just cooling its heels.

Will she be able to carve her path while facing the rapists, her tyrant father, appearances of her passed away mother? Should Palak let her life to be decided by people, society, and taboos? Would justice return her life or revenge lend her peace?

A heart-rending story of a girl, whose beliefs and honor has been battered, stands up to make choices, rediscovering the meaning of life.

My review

A really insightful and gripping tale. A story that has to be told over and over. The biggest power a pen is it holds the capability to bring untold or so-called untouchable stories to the common readers. The author has taken an applaudable initiative to write a very realistic story that we all are heard through mainstream media but refused to discuss openly.

The story follows Palak, a girl who loves to enjoy life. Her life is normal and she goes with all teenage fancies. But her life suddenly takes a twist when she wakes up to the horror of finding herself raped.  Easy to say but a hard or hardest to experience. At this point, we will think that the rest of the story will be around her survival and justice. But really the story speaks more volume than that. This story gives an insight into the life of rape victims and how their life and life of people around them changed after a single incident.

The characters in this story are written quite beautifully. Story with a strong female lead is the type of books I enjoy most. A change of perspective is essential in an ever-changing society. The female characters in this story also convey a positive message and the author has written this story on victims perspective. This will give an overall view of how the society around a single human being changed after an overnight incident. The success of every story lies at one point, whether it will leave you in an emotionally disturbed state or not. This story will make every reader, change their perspective to such incidents.

As an entertainment point of view, I really enjoyed this book. A good story with charismatic writing skill is enough to enjoy this book.

Rating:4.5/5