Book Review: Butterfly by Julie O'yang

Butterfly

Format: Kindle

• ASIN: B006P2OBMK

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services

Author: Julie O'yang

My Rating: 

This is the one of the few books I have read of non- Indian contemporary authors in recent times, and it was a good decision to pick it up. And I must admit one thing, the difference in the writing is so very evident. If one were to read an Indian and a non-Indian book, s/he could very well recognise it without even knowing if the author is Indian or not. Authored by the gracious looking and talented Julie O' yang, this book flows like poetry. It reminds you of silken sheets, sumptuous wine and things that soothe your nerves, like Beethoven and yet, you are more than aware of your surroundings.

Such is the beauty of this novel. I was introduced to it over a Kindle version and it is the first time I used it. Thanks to the Kindle App in my Android phone! I read it over a period of twelve nights. And I almost had to drag myself to sleep. It is the kind of book that requires you to hold the character's hand and walk with them..at different stages and with different characters. So by the time you snap out of it, you realize you are a changed person. You can almost feel the difference in you, like you have moved on, and that like a butterfly, your journey is meant to go on, from one place to the other. The book is a tragic, yet an enduring account of a Chinese woman- about her journey through forbidden love, loss of her child, rejection and humiliation of the society. All this with the background of The Second World War- The Sino-Japanese War when Manchuria is occupied by the Japanese. So, reading this book became even more delightful as I could feel the cultural interventions and intermingling going on. The constraints, the frictions have been beautifully structured in the book by Julie. Love, Lust, Anger, Pain and Hope would stain your eyes time and again, as you experience them along with the character every now and then. This is the kind of book that you read from cover to cover and when you are done, it changes you. Transforms you.From Cover to Cover.

I highly recommend this book to every artist- be it a painter, a writer, a scribbler, sculptor. Anyone who knows art, the art that transcends beyond words, horizons and boundaries. I did not find a single spelling error in the book. It feels good to know that such books are still made. And there are just about enough readers to enjoy them. The rest shall fade down soon. But this one book, has a long long way to go. Thumbs up!

You can know more about the book, here

Facebook-  https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-zoo-of-butterflies/227301127325864

Website-  http://www.julieoyang.com/

Grab your Kindle copy from Amazon now!

When Shopping Becomes Zapping!

Shopping in the recent times has experienced a huge impetus with the concept of online shopping changing the way, people Shop. Contrary to what most economists of the recession era believe, people have Not stopped Buying. In fact the last four years has seen an exhilarating boom in online shopping and marketing sectors that has led to a lot of international dotcoms to sit-up and take notice of the Indian online market. Possibly, that explains why sites have planned prospective projects keeping in mind the Indian Shopper.
Not only in terms of the global economic sphere, but even India itself has become a witness to the plethora of online "web-shops" (if I can call them so) that have sprung up. While it has definitely made the life of a net-izen  very comfortable, the cyber show is a completely off game at times. India is already quite notorious for it's professionalism. The online shopper is at a far greater risk of either getting the wrong product or a huge shipping price.

Being an Internet savvy person, I  am always on the lookout for websites that offer good deals on gadgets and books. A friend of mine referred this site to me, called ZAPstore.com. This website in his words, is "Unique". In ways more than one. Let me explain, how. First, I believe every website be it for any purpose, has to have a visual presence. Something that would grab a surfer's attention. The colors, the theme, and the content.

Some key features that really seemed ahead of the "Race" for me were:

- In contrast to other online retail websites, this one has a Grey-black Charcoal theme, with colourful icons and clear texts with heads placed in order, one below the other. Such a neat pattern, attracts the eye.

- Unlike other retailers, it does not boast about selling "everything". They are very clear about the things they offer- mostly electronics such as Mobiles, Tablets, Cameras, Music Players and other accessories. So, a surfer would know exactly what he is looking for in the website and find it very easily and quickly.

- Most of these online retailers talk of providing their customers with the best Deals and prices. With Zap, here is the catch. They have two forms of sale. First is the Insta Purchase wherein a customer can avail the particular item at the market price. The second method, is Called Zapping the price or bidding, wherein the user can "zap" or bid for an item. Similar bids would be placed on that particular item after which, the product can be bought for the lowest price!

http://zapstore.com/index.php

Oh did I also mention Free shipping? Unlike other websites which have a minimum ceiling to avail free shipping. And the overall customer reviews and feedbacks also reflect how satisfied they are with Zapstore.

A new venture, this online portal seems to be abuzz with a huge potential to lift online retailing to newer zeniths. I have a big problem with flashy websites and this one simply soothes the eyes! No flashy ads or weird pop-ups, one can with much ease place their orders. This itself reflects a sense of commitment and efficient customer servicing. They also have a registered address and telephone numbers that are open all day and night, keeping in mind the nocturnal creatures some of us are! 

I am very much impressed by this site and I have a feeling that it will soon expand its arenas and yet, remain constrict and disciplined in terms of the variety, quality and content of their portal. The "Zap it" feature is an exclusive feature of this site and is a great form of bargaining for a shopper such as me.An innovation indeed,  I suggest all my readers to surely have a look at this site and judge for your own selves!

And in case you have any problems in logging in or browsing through, they have a dedicated page for that, and that too through their unique flowcharts. These flowcharts remind me of how Computers at school were so much fun due to these flowcharts! Here is the page link: Zap-How

Hey, do not forget to give in your feedback here too! I would love to know if you agree or disagree! 

Till then, keep looking for the good things that life has to offer!

Cheers!

P.S.

It's the time to Zap!  : )

Website: http://zapstore.com/index.php
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ZapStore.India 
Twitter:  www.twitter.com/zap_store

Book Review: My love Never Faked by Nikhil Mahajan

My Love Never Faked


Format: Paperback
Pages: 182
Publication: Srishti Publishers and Distributors
ISBN: 9789380349220
Genre: Romance
Price: Rs.100




My Ratings:3 out of 5












"My Love Never Faked, trust me I still love you"

The title itself sounds like some Bollywood Masala Flick.
This is one book that will reflect typical Bollywood mists around you as you go on to read about how Abhay, a young, fun-loving guy who treads on notorious paths to ultimately find himself in a lot of trouble. The author, Nikhil seems to be well versed with the trends that follow with the youth. Therefore, the tale is spun around a college background, involving a loose-headed guy, Abhay who has a girlfriend named Priya but he chooses to find his muse in Ellenor, a girl he met in an online escort website.


Things further digress as he has a fight with Priya and that leads to him getting closer to Ellenor, even though he loves Priya. Matters of the heart often get complicated with the presence of more than one partner. This is what happens with Abhay too. He goes through a bad phase, having fought with his best friends, his girlfriend- the only people whom he loved.


There are two features about this book that really caught me. First, it is an out-and-out "Just For Fun" kinda book, but made strictly for the young people. He is sure of not writing a piece of authentic literature. So you won't find difficult looking words, or out of the box content. But writing in a simple neat format, needs appreciation too, considering it is his first attempt at writing. The other thing is the way he has framed his story. Unlike most of the books that I have read recently, his book ends in an open-ended manner. In the sense, it does not have a clichéd ending wherein the lovers unite and the the last page ends with a "..and they happily lived together" tag.


All this said, the spellings and certain grammatical errors are sadly, quite hard to miss. They make the reading  bit difficult. I really hope that Shrishti Publications would live up to its name and edit the second edition of the book before releasing it. Nonetheless, this first attempt by a promising author, Nikhil Mahajan is appreciated. And to add to that, his good looks might just find him a place in the Big Bad world of Bollywood too! Lets wish him luck for that too!

Grab a copy from Flipkart



Grab a copy from Infibeam

Nikhil Mahajan

Nikhil Mahajan hails from Jammu. He is not just a writer. He designs websites, writes for online magazines and loves travelling within the contours of India. He has also authored a second book titled, As Long As I Love You

You can get in touch with him here:

His Website: http://nikhilmahajan.com/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/MyLoveNeverFaked

Book Review: Silent Moments of Melancholy by Amol Redij

Silent Moments Of Melancholy


Publisher: Alethia Publishing
ISBN: 97881920433
Format: Paperback
Price: Rs.145
Pages: 100
Genre: Poetry

My Rating:  3 out of 5






Hello friends!

Today I am reviewing an anthology called, Silent Moments of Melancholy by Amol Redij.

His first attempt, and a beautiful one indeed. I have always believed that writing Poetry is much more difficult than writing a novel, though I do agree that the two are entirely different things.
Poetry requires lesser words, deeper connotations and a nerve to twitch and bend words into your flow.
The title itself, Silent Moments of Melancholy, makes a picturesque appeal to my thoughts. The book cover shows a man walking into a path, that leads to a foggy entree and a tree, somewhere ahead, calling him to rest and ponder for a while.


The best part about this book is that it offers you a world inside our world that is otherwise rushing in angst! This world of his, is silent, introspecting and ecstatic. It offers you a refuge to rest and breathe. Also interesting is the Variety of themes he dwells into- from war scenes, to love and different moods- tire, happy, ache, disgust, anger, anxiety and salvage.


There are some pieces I loved. Cursed shows the ache of a love lost, beautiful and soothing, yet painful. A Scorned, Torn Paper is a muse, even I love! And he does fair justice to it! Lost Kingdom is the place where the poet seeks his love and is now lost in this real world.. The best pick would be  Lessons from an Old Man, which is a preaching for life, to the readers using subtle examples from the life of the old man. 


The only thing that I felt missing was, the inter-connections. The poems placed one after the other create dis-junctions for my reading.Maybe if they were placed according to themes or muses, then it would have been better.
But like I always say, these are suggestions rather than criticisms. One major botheration was the placing of punctuation marks. I hope the second edition would keep those away. 
All in all, a good attempt, I would say. Usage of nice comprehensive words and yet, the messages come out clearly with a certain suppleness that subtly warms the heart. 

Amol Redij

Amol is a creative person by birth and an IT Professional by chance, currently employed with India’s top IT company. His love for literature and more so with poetry began in early childhood, though he is equally at ease with Mathematics and laws in Physics. 

Amol’s passion to write has been ascending ever since. Amol has scripted skits during his school & college days and has lately scripted a full length Marathi play. He has also finishing his first novel, which is on final stages of first edit.

With a team of talented writers, Amol manages a blog at www.kahihi.in


He can be contacted here: https://www.facebook.com/SMOM.BOOK

Flipkart offers the book at a great discounted price! Grab a copy here, Now!

I would have Loved..

I would have loved to play some more,

but the rope has reached it's end

The story I know for sure,

won't follow me through the bend.

I would have loved to sleep watching the stars

and wake up to your musk fragrance

But I must be that far

To see you breathe, and give life a second chance.

I would have loved to hold your hand

and be the little girl you love,

and not the daughter after whom you ran

when she was carried to the Heavens above!

I would have loved to be your wife

and be the mother to your children

A few more drops of life,

Would have fulfilled the dreams we'd woven.

I would have loved to hang on,

a little more than what I could

But no, do not stop, sing me our song

as I sleep unto a place where I belong.

The Secret Letters of the Monk who Sold his Ferrari by Robin Sharma

The Secret Letters of the Monk who Sold his Ferrari


Format: Paperback
Published by Jaico Books
Language: English
ISBN: 9788184952926
Pages: 223
Price: Rs.250
Genre: Self-Help




My Ratings






The Secret Letters of the Monk who Sold his Ferrari



When you first hear the title, it reminds you of Robin Sharma's earlier book, The Monk who Sold his Ferrari. There is something so captivating about Robin Sharma's style of writing that a reader is flummoxed as well as relaxed, curious yet observant.


Unlike any other books I have read so far, it does not hide anything, contrary to the word "Secret" in the title. There is no sense of camouflaging the story into words, as Robin takes us through  Jonathan Landry's quest to find all the Talismans as told to him by Julian Mantle, a monk and his cousin. It is when he undergoes this journey that Jonathan realizes how insufficiently lived his life actually is. How, his problems- be it in his professional or personal lives,were due to his own decisions. He chose to be unhappy; he chose to live a life, giving more importance to his profession that made him go far off from his family, his wife and his kid. Hitherto, he had been cursing his destiny, his work, God and everyone else but him.


Yes, as you may have guessed much earlier, this is a Self-Help book. It aims to help you lead a better life and make you a stronger, sensible person when you reach the last page of this book. Through Jonathan's journeys and reading of each Talisman, we are made to believe in the power that Life brings to us.The possibilities, the serenity and the beauty of life is undeterred by the rush, the tensions that come along. But we tend to focus so much on the negatives and the precautions that we forget to Live. Instead of living our lives, we start to Fear it.




Robin Sharma in that sense, helps us introspect and realize by taking us through each Talisman and makes us realize the innate deeper meanings it kept for us to lead a better life.But what is so specific and unique about Sharma is that he does not point down these "Secrets" of Life but rather helps us Live it and Learn it.
I have always believed that when we finish a book, we take  a part of it within us. And these parts are mostly Felt, not Spelled. That is what struck me, the most while reading The Secret Letters..




Though I felt at times, that the book was stretching a bit at some places. Another thing that disappointed me was that I found four grammatical errors in the book. It really bothered me, as a reader because it is somehow not expected from Robin Sharma or the publishing house, Jaico. Nonetheless, there were some beautiful moments in the book, and it served its purpose well with me. I am more learned, and hopefully wiser.


P.S.
Do take the talismans seriously. And then only read forward. Do write back and let me know if you feel the same way I do or not! :)
And in case you want to buy a copy online, here is the link! Did I mention, Discounted Prices too?

 Robin Sharma is the globally celebrated author of 11 international bestselling books on leadership including The Leader Who Had No Title, the phenomenal #1 blockbuster that is inspiring a movement around the idea that “Now, anyone - in any organization - can show Leadership”. His work has been published in over 60 countries and in nearly 70 languages, making him one of the most widely read authors in the world. He shot to fame with The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, which has topped international bestseller lists and sold millions of copies.

Happy Propose Day!

Wishing all my readers a very Happy Propose Day! 


I would say, talk to yourself this day! Even if you cannot go tell your loved one, (though you must try to!) confess about your love to your own self! And that will give you the courage and motivation to tell him/her!


And just for me, go hug your parents today and tell them how much you love them and how much they mean  to you! :)


Here is an incident, from the lives of our favorite characters, Mishti and Karan.. What are they upto, today!
;)

Mishti- You see the stars up there?
The ones that twinkle, in rendezvous with our heartbeats..


Karan looks up at the stars, glistening in the dusky sky above us.


- (With a sly smile) Miss.Poet, what are you up to now! *winks* at her.


Mishti smiles.


- I do not think I can point out to a moment and say that This was that moment, but, I did fall in love with you. No, this isn't a proposal. I would not promise to be your wife, or the mother of your children. But I want you to know today, this moment for the rest of our lives that if there is someone who I have deeply loved, with all that I have in me, it is You. And it shall only be you. 


- If I told you that you would be my wife and a naughty mom for my kids, what would you say?


- Not again! Are you trying to Propose to me, Karan?


- Errm, no, just asking! Would you say Yes? He looks intently at her.


She looks down at him with stars in her eyes and cheeks flushed with crimson love, they kiss. 

Who knows what tomorrow holds, but for today..now this moment, I am his and he is mine.
And that is all that matters.
And that is all that matters!

Happy Rose Day!

Wishing all my wonderful readers a very very Happy Rose Day!

The petals, unfurl

one by one, cleavages revealing

yet hiding, innate thoughts

while you look hard into them,

my eyes, won't be tout ensemble.

Red luminous alleys,

bulbous in their act

of telling secrets, like stains

on a frosty wine glass

my lips are sealed by the breeze.

It is better that you are not around

better to not have your shadow by my side,

than to see you into her arms,

and fall deep into her lust,

Happy bleeding thorns my friend, 

It is Rose Day today.

Book Review- Faceless by Tapan Ghosh

Name: Faceless-The only way out

Author: Tapan Ghosh

Price: Rs.145

Publisher: Leadstart Publishing

ISBN Number: 978-93-81115-98-5

Just when I had thought Indian writing to be synonymous with Falling in and out of Love like a fish in an aquarium, I tasted difference in the air. Thanks to, Tapan Ghosh's book Faceless-The Only Way Out.
Well, no!
If you are guessing this does not have Love! It does. What is life devoid of Love after all! :) And to write a story in India and sell it, Love, Sex and Satire need to be part of the manuscript! Tapan's book stands out because of it's innocence on one hand and maturity at the other. Innocence about Life-how one is unsure about Life's twists and turns and yet, how just one moment of sheer contentment makes us assured of what we want in our lives. Maturity about how to deal with the turbulence our passions cause in our otherwise, planned lives.




An Introduction


Meet, two best friends, Khush and Shom (Unique names that instantly arises curiosity about the personalities of the two characters) who live and die for each other. What binds them together is not only, their ever-lasting brotherhood and friendship but also the fact that they are in their Forties, married and are businessmen. Life takes a turn when Shom meets Raima and they fall in love with each other. But love isn't easy- as many a hundred philosophers have told written and contemplated about! So, their relationship goes through hardships- What happens ultimately? Does Love win over Life? Is it actually about winning over or rather, the coagulation of the two and the symmetry this mingling causes that make Life, worthwhile? Raima finds a best friend in Seema who is in her mid-twenties and studies Architecture, just as Raima.




The good thing about Faceless, is that it is Tapan's first attempt. In that sense, the freshness which is often termed as "naivety" of the New-born author, brings out a crisp love story with a novel angle, hitherto unexplored. Each character has been given a clear cut space-with a background that at the end, streams and merges into the climax.


The not-so-good aspect about Faceless would be the monotonous tone of the book, which makes me wonder if it would look better as a film. The romance, is sadly over-stretched and the reader would find it over the board. The climax is reached at a sudden juncture and wrapped up in a haste. While the rest of the scenes take their own time to ripen. Probably the pace of the book had to be kept in mind.


But all in all, considering it has been his first attempt at writing, I see great potential in his writing algorithm!
And I wish Tapan great luck with his future endeavors!
I give a 3 out of 5 for this book.

Tapan is an engineer by profession but an adventurous man at heart who has lived life on his terms.
His book ‘Faceless’ is his first foray outside the field of Science and Technology. His honest style draws extensively from people and places he knows and is familiar with. You can reach him through the following ways!

Website: www.TapanGhosh.in

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/FacelessbyTapanGhosh

Before buying the book, have a glimpse of the book by reading a chapter here!

http://www.tapanghosh.in/books_about_india.html

And then order at Flipkart for exclusive discounts, various payment modes including Cash on Delivery and quick delivery options!