This Can't be happening (Book Review)

Book details

Title – It can’t be happening

Author – Dr.Neha Singh  

Genre – Fiction

Publisher – White Falcon Publishing  

No of pages – 188

Plot

Its simple story about a simple girl called Lavanya who is studying biotechnology. A common girl who has friends for life and one of her close pals, Shreya understands her feelings so well and always take good care of her. Lavanya have ambitions and dreams just like any other girl. When all her days are ordinary, someone special comes in her way called Siddhartha introduced by her best friend. Unaware of the fact that whatever she had shared with her friend would soon become reality.

The story related to any common girl. The story is about varied human emotions. Will Lavanya finally get love of her life? Will she be able to fulfill all her dreams and keep parents happy? Will this leading lady of the story write success story of her life or end up bruised and battered?

To know full story, buy the copy of it from Amazon or Flipkart.com

Review

Lavanya is an everyday character who sees, live and feel emotions just like any other girl of her age. Her ambitions, her passion towards her work; her unconditional love and respect for her parents and her hopes of getting love lurks somewhere in her heart even though she denies that she doesn’t believe in love.

She is a typical girl with a story of nobody and yet everybody’s. She also has secrets that come with certain sequences. Yes, it is a love story with different angle and I would recommend this copy due to two reasons. One reason is because of author’s writing style which is extremely simple to understand. Another reason is to read your own story through the words of an author.

Author’s attempt is highly appreciated; however, some chapters have lose strands here and there. 

What I liked?

The best part of the novel is the number of poems inserted in between the story. The poems are nicely written and they give extreme relief when one needed to take breathe. 

Book Cover

The book cover isn’t enticing enough but the title does the justice to the story. 

The moral of the story

Read if you think you’re a girl next-door type! 

My rating

3.5/5

About the author

This can't be happening, a novel is written by Dr Neha Singh inspired by her time as a research scholar in Panjab University, Chandigarh

My Father is a Hero (Book Review)

 

Book details

Title – My Father is a Hero

Author – Nishant Kaushik  

Genre – Fiction

Publisher – Srishti Publishers & Distributors

No of pages – 199

Main characters – Vaibhav Kulkarni, Nisha Kulkarni, Nisha’s friend Bali, Vaibhav’s friend Bhandari  

The plot

Vaibhav Kulkarni is a single father to his 10 year old daughter Nisha. Vaibhav sacrifices his own dreams in order to raise his daughter in a best possible manner. Even though belonging to middle class he tries his best to give his child everything. Nisha, a well-mannered, obedient child as well as academically brilliant student is liked by all. 

When everything seems going well in their simple life, Nisha suddenly loses her interest in everything including studies and music classes. Day by day things start worsening and one day Nisha punches her fellow student, surprising everyone including her father. Vaibhav’s world goes upside down when Nisha’s estrange behavior concerns him badly. To bring his daughter’s smile back, Vaibhav goes out of his way. 

In last few chapters, Vaibhav succeeds in his plan to make his daughter happy but how the title “My father is a hero” justifies the story; you may order a copy from Amazon or Infibeam

Review

The author Nishant Kaushik’s simple writing has certainly painted middle class life impeccably on the blank paper. The twist in the story is that this time it’s not a mother but the father becomes a hero of a child. 

Any family man could easily connect to Vaibhav Kulkarni’s character where he tries hard to make his family or world happy. In Vaibhav’s case, it’s his daughter that he sacrifices many dreams from time to time in order to fulfill her wish. Be it her education or birthday celebration, he makes it a point that she isn’t disappointed. He teaches Nisha to find small joy even in smallest things. Though Vaibhav is a soft-spoken person but he ensures that his child doesn’t go out of control in terms of discipline and manners. He is an ideal middle class father and it proves in many instances. 

The best part of this novel is that author has portrayed middle class life, their ambitions and conveys small joys of life as the greatest pleasures of life.

You’ll enjoy reading this novel mainly because of its simple writing style and easy connect to self as if it is you in the story. 

Book Cover

The book cover is quite boring though it matches to the title of the novel. However, it isn’t pleasant to eyes.

Interesting Sentences

I liked the vocabulary and the author’s choice of words. Some sentences that made me to note are:

• “Akola had left little to add to Vaibhav’s fortune, besides a bag of memories.”

• “That was settled, then. Vaibhav would freshly file an application for Some Courage.”

• “Irony died a gruesome death that very moment.”

The moral of the story

Everyone’s father is a hero in some or other way.  

My Rating: 3.5/5

It’s one time read since it is not a compelling story but is worth reading to realize the worth of your father’s sacrifices. 

About the author

Nishant Kaushik is the author of four bestselling novels. He lives in Australia with his wife and son. You can follow him on Twitter @nofreecopies or he is reachable at nkaushik@gmail.com

  

Quick Tip

“As a practicing writer, you should always make note of vocabulary, choice of words and fine sentences.”

 

Untold story soon to be told! (Story Writing Tips)

I am sure you’ll agree that we all have one untold story within us but we shy away. It’s because ifs and buts stop us to share a great story even though there are many willing to listen. Story writing is a rich art and everyone wants to excel in it. However, if the foundation is lost, you may lose a strong ground to hold your audience.  Recently I had a chance to attend one of the workshops held at Tata Literature Live and take home valuable tips about story writing. 

Here are the bits and pieces from the Story Design: Create Your Own Tales workshop by Michael Burns:

To start with a story writing, understand what is a story? 

According to me, a story is about untold experiences and unexpressed feelings. The story can have mystery, suspense, purpose and many more. It can start with tragedy and can end with happy ending or it can start on a happy note but can have sad ending. Among everything but story is a story. As a good storyteller, you shouldn’t stop yourself from expressing or telling your own story to others. In fact, to excel in the art of storytelling, you should challenge yourself to become a one great storyteller. 

Catch floating ideas

Start with a single sentence or you might have lots of ideas floating in your mind. Note down all those ideas on the paper. A great story starts with one single sentence. According to Michael Burns, the facilitator at Story Design: Create Your Own Tales workshop – start your story with a single sentence. A sentence could be a memory, desire, or general observation.

For example:

And suddenly the lights flickered.

The blue sky soon turned into pink as if resembling to the color of her polka dot skirt.

A story is made of:

Story is simply not made of anything but a combination of classic elements that shapes your story. Story writing is a process that involves exposition, climax and resolution. To make it simple for you they mean:

·         Exposition - formula – It talks about Who – What – Where – When

·         Genre - The good story should have genre like sci-fi, fantasy, romance etc.

·         Action - The story is incomplete without action. An action in a story indicates about the feelings and reactions involved. It also indicates cause and the effects as the story progresses.  

·         Climax – Your story should reach to the climax. The climax is nothing but the inevitability of the situations portrayed or expressed in your story.  

·         Resolution – Think about your audience because no story can be left without giving resolution. There is a point when your story gets complicated; at that time the lead character tries his or her best to bring the situation back in normal. This phenomenon is usually divided into two: Open resolution and Close resolution. We human beings are tend to like close resolution as we like happy endings or at least we look for satisfying resolution. As a good storyteller, you should choose close resolution suitable to your story or it could be a combination of both to spice up your story.

In conclusion, story is a combination of mixed feelings caught between situations that we cannot escape from and at the same time, we use stories to get survive ourselves in the time of crisis. Don’t you agree? 

I hope, you’ll find these basic tips to write a great story & you’ll challenge yourself to write a story. After all, our soul lies in words. Words can be read by others once we are gone. So write your story now!

The Peshwa: The Lion & the Stallion (Book Review)

The Peshwa: The Lion & the Stallion

Book details

Title – The Peshwa: The Lion & The Stallion

Author – Ram Sivasankaran

Genre – Historical Fiction

Publisher – Westland Ltd.  

No of pages – 338

Main characters – Balaji Bajirao Bhat, Bajirao Bhat, Nizam-Ul-Mulk,Malhar Rao Holkar & Ranoji Scindia, Kashibai, Maharaj Shahu

Other characters – Nizam’s son Rahim, Bangash, Ala, Maharaj Shahu’s loyal messenger Mankar

Plot

It’s time to go back in 18^th Century and turn some pages of history. The story about the dominant Mughal Rule and the rising of young Peshwa Bajirao Bhat revolves around the golden time of history. The peace of Maratha power is threatened by the Mughal invasion as well as the internal rebellion. Unfortunately, Balaji Vishwanath Bhat, Peshwa of the Confederacy, surrenders his life to terminal illness but he ensures that he instills the same warrior skills in his son, Bajirao Bhat before he dies. Now it is the do-or-die situation for Bajirao Bhat to regain the glory and peace among Maratha Empire. After the death of his father will he be able to serve justice to huge Maratha Empire? Will he rise and shine just like his father? Will he defy & threaten the existence of Nizam-Ul-Mulk? Will he live up to the title of Peshwa?

For these questions, you must dig deeper in The Peshwa: The Lion & the Stallion.

Review

It’s a beautiful historical fiction neatly woven with smart words and vocabulary. As we all know the great historical figure Bajirao, the Peshwa, whose name has always been referred with Mastani. However, this time author has shed light on the golden history of Maratha rulers instead of taking the same old route of love story. He has moved us from focusing on Peshwa’s love interest to his rising as a Peshwa, his struggles and more. Again, the author outsmarts all of us as he introduces the Princess of Bundelkhand, Mastani in the last chapter of novel keeping our interest intact and enticed.

Writing style

History has been a boring subject for many of us but writers within you, will certainly enjoy this novel. The writing of The Peshwa: The Lion & the Stallion is very intriguing. Each chapter is beautifully written as the story progresses we can actually imagine what would have been the life in that era. The author has done his homework well as apt vocabulary does the justice to the era of 18^th century. Each chapter stirs your visualization.

What’s new?

The title of the each chapter is extremely appropriate. For instance the titles like A serpent in the Eagle’s Next, Chameleon and Heroes & Villains conveys as the chapter unfolds. Below are some of the interesting sentences from novel The Peshwa: The Lion & the Stallion

Interesting Sentences

• Multitudes of saffron banners of the Confederacy fluttered against the pink evening sky.

• As family, we must live to support each other through storm & gale, through fire & smoke.

• Time flowed like hardened butter.

The moral of the story

Old is always gold!

My rating: 5/5

I strongly recommend to all the readers out there. Keep aside the old saga of Bajirao-Mastani & refresh yourself with this historical fiction. 

About the author

The author Ram Sivasankaran, was born in Madras, India, but has spent most of his life abroad – largely in the Middle East and the United States of America.

Ram makes his debut with a historical novel, The Peshwa (The Lion & the Stallion), portrays timeless character, Bajirao Bhat, Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy.

To know more about the author, visit https://twitter.com/ramsivasankaran

You can order a copy of this novel from Amazon or Flipkart.

“I received a free copy from WritersMelon in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.”