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bookschharming's reviews
478 reviews
Kaveri by Vaishnav Shravan
4.0
Kaveri by Vaishnav Shravan is a short story of a girl. The plot based on a village in Karnataka where Kaveri lives with her family. She is eighteen years old. Her mother Karuli is a homemaker. Her father Aadeshwar is a painter. They are very poor and struggle to fulfill their day to day needs.
Kaveri is an intelligent and bright kid. She wants to learn and help others. But her mother Karuli never allowed her to do any of this things not because of their financial situation but because of Padmja, their neighbor. Padmja is a very mean woman who manipulates Karuli love towards her daughter. In Padmja's influence, Kaveri never goes to school. Even Karuli never allowed her daughter to play outside.
There is another character in this story Sahasra. She is the only teacher in their village who homeschool Kaveri. With the help of Sahasra Kaveri completed her schooling. She is generous and kind. But things changed fastly now Kaveri wants to go college and Sahasra leaving the village with her family.
"We are like a dried leaf hanging on a branch of a tree. When you snap and fall from the tree, you should glide where you want to go or the wind would blow you somewhere else."
Kaveri's father took a very hard decision. He fought for her so that Kaveri got a chance to change her destiny. He understands that he must not let his wife's love hinder Kaveri's dreams. She sends Kaveri to Tamilnadu with Sahasra for further studies. Karuli was very upset. But Kaveri and her father were determined.
In Tamilnadu, Kaveri lives with Sahasra and her husband Prabhav. They don't have any child. So they treat Kaveri as their own child. For Kaveri, it's a very different experience. She never saw things which she saw now. She only read all of this in books. She opts for Charity Management course. For the first time in her life, she makes friends.
The seed of charity was sown deep into her mind when she read the biography of Mother Teressa. She understood the situation of poor people. But her mother creates a cage around her. It makes her more desperate to go out and explore her passion to help people. She always wanted a place where she can reach her full potential and create her own destiny.
In NGO she finds that place. By helping others she can live her dreams. Time has passed. Kaveri achieves all she wants. She has a job in the NGO. She makes her parents proud. Karuli's mentality changed with time. I really like that Kaveri's character grows over time. Not only Kaveri but Sahasra also get what she always wanted.
"I believe I have two mothers. A mother who gave birth to me, and a mother who gave birth to my destiny." - Kaveri
This story touches my heart. The language is simple. The narration is perfect. There is not even a single moment when I confused or bored while reading. It's a quick read. The author describes everything very well. Every emotion feels natural. I really like the human aspect of this story. Every person has problems but few can focus on a solution instead of a problem. It's a heart whelming story. I recommend it to all.
Kaveri is an intelligent and bright kid. She wants to learn and help others. But her mother Karuli never allowed her to do any of this things not because of their financial situation but because of Padmja, their neighbor. Padmja is a very mean woman who manipulates Karuli love towards her daughter. In Padmja's influence, Kaveri never goes to school. Even Karuli never allowed her daughter to play outside.
There is another character in this story Sahasra. She is the only teacher in their village who homeschool Kaveri. With the help of Sahasra Kaveri completed her schooling. She is generous and kind. But things changed fastly now Kaveri wants to go college and Sahasra leaving the village with her family.
"We are like a dried leaf hanging on a branch of a tree. When you snap and fall from the tree, you should glide where you want to go or the wind would blow you somewhere else."
Kaveri's father took a very hard decision. He fought for her so that Kaveri got a chance to change her destiny. He understands that he must not let his wife's love hinder Kaveri's dreams. She sends Kaveri to Tamilnadu with Sahasra for further studies. Karuli was very upset. But Kaveri and her father were determined.
In Tamilnadu, Kaveri lives with Sahasra and her husband Prabhav. They don't have any child. So they treat Kaveri as their own child. For Kaveri, it's a very different experience. She never saw things which she saw now. She only read all of this in books. She opts for Charity Management course. For the first time in her life, she makes friends.
The seed of charity was sown deep into her mind when she read the biography of Mother Teressa. She understood the situation of poor people. But her mother creates a cage around her. It makes her more desperate to go out and explore her passion to help people. She always wanted a place where she can reach her full potential and create her own destiny.
In NGO she finds that place. By helping others she can live her dreams. Time has passed. Kaveri achieves all she wants. She has a job in the NGO. She makes her parents proud. Karuli's mentality changed with time. I really like that Kaveri's character grows over time. Not only Kaveri but Sahasra also get what she always wanted.
"I believe I have two mothers. A mother who gave birth to me, and a mother who gave birth to my destiny." - Kaveri
This story touches my heart. The language is simple. The narration is perfect. There is not even a single moment when I confused or bored while reading. It's a quick read. The author describes everything very well. Every emotion feels natural. I really like the human aspect of this story. Every person has problems but few can focus on a solution instead of a problem. It's a heart whelming story. I recommend it to all.
Life is the Flower, Love is the Honey by Surabhi Sharma
2.0
The theme of the story is about unfulfilled dreams. The main characters were Shubh and Monica. Shubh is passionate about photography. His sole purpose was to capture nature in his pictures and relive those moments. Monica was a dreamer. She loved the colors. She learns very early that she wants to become a painter.
Shubh is an ideal son. He gave up on his dream of photography because his parents don't want him to pursue it as a career. He moved to Delhi for a job where he met Monica in her first painting exhibition. They both felt an instant connection when they first met. Shubh was impressed by Monica's painting. Shubh's green eyes remind Monica her long-lost lover, Aman. There is one more character Zuni, Monica's best friend. She is the most annoying friend one can ever ask for. A friend who always interfere in Monica's life for her own good or maybe it's just the way she is.
"We spend a greater part of our life in pleasing people. They are the people who are interested in finding faults. They never care about you. So don't listen to them. You are not born to please others."
Shubh's character reminds me a lot of people. Why? Because in India, it is very common that parents manipulate their children. They don't give their kids the freedom to choose their own career. Even some parents are so dominating that they took every decision on behalf of their children. If anyone doesn't do things according to their wish then that person has become Blacksheep of the family. They think you don't respect them. I feel so bad for the character of Shubh. He always taught to submit his wish and dreams for the sake of his parents and society.
Monica was taught to embrace failures and build her own destiny. Her parents always support her. For Monica, failures mean she was trying and not sitting and daydreaming. She was guided by her parents to take challenges and find her own path. She inspired others through her paintings. But her inspiration was her ex Aman. The story revolves around Shubh and Monica where they both help each other and find happiness.
The story is fast-paced. I have so many problems with the technical things like Aman's eye color was green so as Shubh's. In India, it's next to impossible and if it's possible then how can someone meet the two boys in her life with the same green eyes. The author's imagination power is very strong but I can't digest it. Everything is happening so fast. In 10 days they come closer, Monica's ex Aman comes from nowhere.
"Love is an open sky and as deep as the ocean. Love doesn't tie you; Love gives you wings."
The author portrays Monica's character badly. She feels guilty about whatever happened between her and Aman. She believes that Aman is the reason behind her success. It's not an era of Romeo & Juliet where someone cries for 3 years over a relationship that lasts only for a month.
It's an author debut book. But there is a space for a lot of improvement. The characters connect with you because it's a problem of every second Indian. The ideal son who never raise a voice & a forlorn girl who always cry over her ex no matter how douche he was. The grammatical error was noticeable in every chapter. But few lines and paragraphs touch my heart because it inspires me. I recommend this to only who wants a quick read and something to inspire about.
PS - Thanks for providing a free copy of your book in exchange for an honest review.
Read more -
https://bookscharming.blogspot.com/2018/08/book-review-life-is-flower-love-is.html
Shubh is an ideal son. He gave up on his dream of photography because his parents don't want him to pursue it as a career. He moved to Delhi for a job where he met Monica in her first painting exhibition. They both felt an instant connection when they first met. Shubh was impressed by Monica's painting. Shubh's green eyes remind Monica her long-lost lover, Aman. There is one more character Zuni, Monica's best friend. She is the most annoying friend one can ever ask for. A friend who always interfere in Monica's life for her own good or maybe it's just the way she is.
"We spend a greater part of our life in pleasing people. They are the people who are interested in finding faults. They never care about you. So don't listen to them. You are not born to please others."
Shubh's character reminds me a lot of people. Why? Because in India, it is very common that parents manipulate their children. They don't give their kids the freedom to choose their own career. Even some parents are so dominating that they took every decision on behalf of their children. If anyone doesn't do things according to their wish then that person has become Blacksheep of the family. They think you don't respect them. I feel so bad for the character of Shubh. He always taught to submit his wish and dreams for the sake of his parents and society.
Monica was taught to embrace failures and build her own destiny. Her parents always support her. For Monica, failures mean she was trying and not sitting and daydreaming. She was guided by her parents to take challenges and find her own path. She inspired others through her paintings. But her inspiration was her ex Aman. The story revolves around Shubh and Monica where they both help each other and find happiness.
The story is fast-paced. I have so many problems with the technical things like Aman's eye color was green so as Shubh's. In India, it's next to impossible and if it's possible then how can someone meet the two boys in her life with the same green eyes. The author's imagination power is very strong but I can't digest it. Everything is happening so fast. In 10 days they come closer, Monica's ex Aman comes from nowhere.
"Love is an open sky and as deep as the ocean. Love doesn't tie you; Love gives you wings."
The author portrays Monica's character badly. She feels guilty about whatever happened between her and Aman. She believes that Aman is the reason behind her success. It's not an era of Romeo & Juliet where someone cries for 3 years over a relationship that lasts only for a month.
It's an author debut book. But there is a space for a lot of improvement. The characters connect with you because it's a problem of every second Indian. The ideal son who never raise a voice & a forlorn girl who always cry over her ex no matter how douche he was. The grammatical error was noticeable in every chapter. But few lines and paragraphs touch my heart because it inspires me. I recommend this to only who wants a quick read and something to inspire about.
PS - Thanks for providing a free copy of your book in exchange for an honest review.
Read more -
https://bookscharming.blogspot.com/2018/08/book-review-life-is-flower-love-is.html
All Rights Reserved for You by Sudeep Nagarkar
2.0
Another book by Sudeep Nagarkar, well this book is based on authors real-life love story. The story whirl around Aditya and Jasmine's long-distance relationship. Aditya is a writer whereas Jasmine is not much into reading. They have nothing familiar - Aditya, a Marathi guy living in Mumbai and Jasmine comes from a Punjabi family from Delhi.
It was all started with a friend request on Facebook. How will they become friends their late night chats, endless gossips and the way they met for the first time. Every relationship requires effort but a long distance relationship requires extra effort. There is love, fight, friendship, broken dreams, disappointments, betrayal and many more feelings. One can easily relate with Aditya or Jasmine or with their friends who support them even though they grapple with their own set of problems. They have insecurities but the way they overcome is well written. How a family can affect their relationship or when they want each other but unable to reach; having a conversation through Skype, Whatsapp and Facebook messenger become their daily routine and sometimes when you can't see the expression of someone it leads to misunderstanding and then an endless fight is the main plot.
A misfortune happens to Aditya and his hopes of recovery began to diminish. Negative thoughts started clouding his judgment and he started to believe that Jasmine deserved someone better than him. But the way Jasmine encouraged him and shows confidence in him made him realize that forever is not a lie and their love is strong enough to overcome any and all wrangle was my favorite part from this book.
The struggle of life and the battles to freely express ourselves had changed us all and the same thing happened to the characters of this book. This story is not less than a Bollywood movie but one can easily relate to the storyline. If you want to read a tender love story with a happy ending then this book is certainly for you.
It was all started with a friend request on Facebook. How will they become friends their late night chats, endless gossips and the way they met for the first time. Every relationship requires effort but a long distance relationship requires extra effort. There is love, fight, friendship, broken dreams, disappointments, betrayal and many more feelings. One can easily relate with Aditya or Jasmine or with their friends who support them even though they grapple with their own set of problems. They have insecurities but the way they overcome is well written. How a family can affect their relationship or when they want each other but unable to reach; having a conversation through Skype, Whatsapp and Facebook messenger become their daily routine and sometimes when you can't see the expression of someone it leads to misunderstanding and then an endless fight is the main plot.
A misfortune happens to Aditya and his hopes of recovery began to diminish. Negative thoughts started clouding his judgment and he started to believe that Jasmine deserved someone better than him. But the way Jasmine encouraged him and shows confidence in him made him realize that forever is not a lie and their love is strong enough to overcome any and all wrangle was my favorite part from this book.
The struggle of life and the battles to freely express ourselves had changed us all and the same thing happened to the characters of this book. This story is not less than a Bollywood movie but one can easily relate to the storyline. If you want to read a tender love story with a happy ending then this book is certainly for you.
From Destitute to Plenitude: Breaking Through Barriers of Poverty by Helene Louiesa Mynhardt
4.0
From Destitute to Plenitude is the second book of Louiesa Mynhardt in her trilogy. The first book Memoirs of a play-white told readers about the childhood days of the author, her relationship with her mother, and their struggles. It also includes racism and apartheid regime of South Africa. This book continues with her story along the living conditions of South Africa.
Read full review -Books Charming
Read full review -Books Charming
The All Seeing Digital Eyes: A Guide to Privacy, Security & Literacy! by Neville J. Kattakayam
4.0
The all-seeing digital eyes is a debut book of Neville J Kattakayam. This book gives an insight into the internet threats and how to avoid it. The title and cover of the book go perfectly with the content.
Read full review - Blog
Actual Rating - 4.5 stars
Read full review - Blog
Actual Rating - 4.5 stars
Mrs Funnybones by Twinkle Khanna
4.0
Read the full review here - Blog
Actual Rating - 4.5 stars
From the book - "Why do women have longer lifespans?
Is it because we express ourselves all the time, thus reducing stress?
Or are the men just trying to die earlier to escape the incessant chatter?"
"Mom says she hates festivals, wants to drink beer, ride her yellow scooter, and run over random people who burst crackers."
Actual Rating - 4.5 stars
From the book - "Why do women have longer lifespans?
Is it because we express ourselves all the time, thus reducing stress?
Or are the men just trying to die earlier to escape the incessant chatter?"
"Mom says she hates festivals, wants to drink beer, ride her yellow scooter, and run over random people who burst crackers."
In the Eye of the Beholder by Jeffrey Archer
2.0
This is my first read of Jeffrey Archer. This piece of his work disappoints me. The story is fast-paced but not entertaining. I feel like the core part of the story, the emotions, and the depth of character is missing. The language is simple and plain. I recommend this to newbies. I guess it is best suited to short story lovers.
Read the full review here - Blog
Read the full review here - Blog
Decoding Life post 8/11 by Indranil Roy
4.0
Decoding Life Post 8/11 is the second book of Indranil Roy. The plot of the book based on Demonetization. The settings placed on Howrah, West Bengal. The title is alluring. The cover page gives you an understanding of time and money stuck with each other but, it could have been better.
The main character of this story is Arjun, an accountant. Nisha worked in a hospital as a nurse and ex-love interest of Arjun. Sunny, a misunderstood person by society and his own family. He fell into drug addiction. The story revolves around them. The author describes that how demonetization added fuel into their miserable conditions.
Arjun was Sunny's neighbor, but they share a special bond of brotherhood with each other. Sunny's father hated him because of his effeminacy. Nisha held Sunny responsible for her pain. They all suffered from their own problems, but destiny brings them all together. Arjun lost his parents in an accident, and soon he started losing all his loved ones.
There are few side characters as well which played a dominant role in the story. Indranil Roy describes how common people wait in a long queue where the wealthy ones use back-door for their filthy business. He also questions on social issues like HIV/AIDS. The way hospitals rob in the name of treatment is clearly seen in this story. The way people lost their temper when the Indian government banned 500 and 1000 rupees notes.
There are few spelling mistakes and punctuation errors. But they didn't break the flow of reading. I felt that Sunny's character is overshadowed by Arjun's.
The language is simple and easily understandable. The characters grow with the story and narration is well ordered. Indranil Roy did a commendable job in this book. One can feel the connection with characters and rage towards society. The story is fast-paced and gripping. Every instance is described neatly.
The story goes dark as the truth reveals. The characters go through an emotional dilemma. But they have each other back. Arjun and Nisha's love story touches the heart. The sacrifices they made for love and family is ill-timed but, they left with no other options. The fear of losing someone will make you things which you can never imagine. Apart from love and pain, this story is also about revenge. Revenge from those who destroy Arjun's life.
Overall, it's a good piece of work. I recommend it to everyone.
Read more - Blog
The main character of this story is Arjun, an accountant. Nisha worked in a hospital as a nurse and ex-love interest of Arjun. Sunny, a misunderstood person by society and his own family. He fell into drug addiction. The story revolves around them. The author describes that how demonetization added fuel into their miserable conditions.
Arjun was Sunny's neighbor, but they share a special bond of brotherhood with each other. Sunny's father hated him because of his effeminacy. Nisha held Sunny responsible for her pain. They all suffered from their own problems, but destiny brings them all together. Arjun lost his parents in an accident, and soon he started losing all his loved ones.
There are few side characters as well which played a dominant role in the story. Indranil Roy describes how common people wait in a long queue where the wealthy ones use back-door for their filthy business. He also questions on social issues like HIV/AIDS. The way hospitals rob in the name of treatment is clearly seen in this story. The way people lost their temper when the Indian government banned 500 and 1000 rupees notes.
There are few spelling mistakes and punctuation errors. But they didn't break the flow of reading. I felt that Sunny's character is overshadowed by Arjun's.
The language is simple and easily understandable. The characters grow with the story and narration is well ordered. Indranil Roy did a commendable job in this book. One can feel the connection with characters and rage towards society. The story is fast-paced and gripping. Every instance is described neatly.
The story goes dark as the truth reveals. The characters go through an emotional dilemma. But they have each other back. Arjun and Nisha's love story touches the heart. The sacrifices they made for love and family is ill-timed but, they left with no other options. The fear of losing someone will make you things which you can never imagine. Apart from love and pain, this story is also about revenge. Revenge from those who destroy Arjun's life.
Overall, it's a good piece of work. I recommend it to everyone.
Read more - Blog