RABINDRA JAYANTI

।শুভ রবীন্দ্র জয়ন্তী।

(SUBHO RABINDRA JAYANTI)

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The writings of Gurudev or Rabindranath Tagore had been introduced to me quite early as a kid, in the form of his Rabindra Sangeet and collection of poems for children. The "Gitobitan" and the "Gitanjali" are parts of almost every Bengali household and rightly so. Since childhood his work was interesting to me, whether in the form of delightful stories like "Kabuliwalah" or touching songs like "purano shei diner kotha", but as I grew up and discovered more of him myself, read his novels and other stories, my admiration just kept growing. The range of topics that his work covers are astonishing and leaves you wondering how a man could write so much magic in one life. The winner of a Nobel prize for literature, his contribution to the subject is boundless and deserves to be remembered for many more generations ahead. Hope in our effort towards modernisation, we do not leave behind the legacy of such great Indian writers and lift the standard of current Indian literature to where it was once upon a time.❤

WHY BOOKS ARE YOUR BESTFRIEND!

"With freedom, books, flowers and the moon, who couldn't be happy?" -Oscar Wilde.

Reading is the hobby that lets you grow alongside relaxation and allows you to have different, new and delightful experiences sitting at home with a cosy blanket and a hot coffee cup. It could be travelling through the worlds of Narnia and the wizarding world of Hogwarts or just entering the life story of two lovers, but whatever may your choice be, a good book is sure to leave an impact or a lingering feeling of satisfaction and closure. I feel that one who says that he doesn't like reading has just not found the perfect book, and I've seen friends holding on to that one special book that converts them from 'book-virgins' to complete bibliophiles! for me, when I was a little kid, my uncle had gifted me a set of children books, and well I was convinced nothing could be a better time-traveller than books, also thanks to the fact that I wasn't born in this Instagram-generation. I read everything from Nancy Drew and Enid Blyton books to hiding from the librarian and borrowing adult Cambridge books from my school library b'coz they were just so well written and this love for books never stopped increasing ever since. I just wanna request all my readers, to help your friends find that one special book, that might change their lives or at least help them find an escape when they are tired of running in this cruel real world.
#HappyReading

A RANT ON INDIAN BESTSELLERS.

RANT ABOUT BESTSELLERS.

Recently, the books that have been making it to the top of bestselling lists of the country for weeks and the conditions of publishing in India is something that I've been meaning to talk about. First off, I am in no way targetting some authors or judging anybody for liking their books so please read the entire thing before coming at me.

Great literature has been a part of Indian culture for centuries but recently there seems to be little difference between Bollywood and the publishing industry of the country as both are selling brainless content to the audience in the name of 'entertainment' and earning huge amount of money which is apparently the only thing that matters. 
This country has such variety of talent and ability to produce writers whose work could probably change the current scenario for Indian literature in the world but only if cheesy teen romance novels stop making it to the #1 place for not weeks but months! Who doesn't like reading a good heart-warming love story, but that isn't even what we are offered in Indian romance novels. All we need is two good looking protagonists in college who fall for each other, have 2-3 sex scenes then some tragedy befalls them which gets resolved within 200 pages and they live happily ever after or one of them probably dies to force some emotions out of the readers. Sounds like a cheesy Bollywood movie? Well, that's what you'll find at the top of every Indian best selling list since the last few years. 

As a result of this, publishing houses ignore writers that come with manuscripts that have potential because that isn't in line with what 'works' in India. How long has it been since any of us read a non-fiction book? Nowadays reading Chetan Bhagat books seem like they are written just so a movie can be made on them where Arjun Kapoor is running across half NY to find Shraddha in a city of thousands. And within 3 days that book sells more copies than any others with great content.
We belong to a country where writers like Tagore and many others were born. So what happened to the rich quality of lit. today? Please ask yourself this ques. before you buy your next book.

BESTSELLER. (Book review)

NAME: BESTSELLER.

AUTHOR: Ahmed Faiyaz.

GENRE: Fiction, contemporary, drama-comedy.

PUBLISHER: Rupa Publications.

PAGES: 196
RATE: 3.5/5


This book has a very interesting and amusing story to tell, and was especially fascinating to me, because I have always wondered about the inside view of the publishing world, and the writer does a great job of portraying the dirty side of the publishing 'game' and how money and power play a huge role here as in any other industry (all the while being hilarious!)
The main aspects that work for this book are, the narration and the characters. The story is about a London-based failed writer Akshay Mathur who's sent to India to revive a doomed publishing house run by Mr. Kalim by any possible means. For most part of the book, I really couldn't root for this guy but I liked the idea of a not-so-perfect protagonist who felt real. I couldn't forgive him for a few things he did and felt he was quite a hypocrite. But he does get some much needed development by the end of the book, and puts his heart into bettering the publishing house, which makes it easier for the reader to appreciate his efforts. 
My favourite character in this book though was Zorah Kalim, the daughter of Mr. Kalim who really is as feisty as her name! She was a breath of fresh air into how female characters (mainly Muslim women) are portrayed, & I enjoyed reading about her. The girl lost her mother quite early, had an estranged relation with her dad and must have had to deal with quite a lot to emerge out that confident. Honestly I thought she was far too good for Akshay and I just want to request the author to maybe write a spin-off about her story before and after meeting Akshay!
The other characters like the superstar 'Roshan Khan' is hilarious as this self-obsessed actor who thinks he can act, Anya Malik is quite a go-getter too and I love how her sexual preference was written in an understatement and not made a huge deal about. All the other characters worked for me as well. 
The book is fast paced and the continuous peeks into what goes on in Akshay's mind made it a really fun read.
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Though this book wasn't everything I wanted it to be, and I wasn't quite convinced about a few plot points like the issue with the Minister, yet I found this to be absorbing, entertaining & will recommend it to anyone looking for a light, intelligent read. 

HOT LOVE INFERNO. (Book review)

NAME: HOT LOVE INFERNO❤

BOOK SERIES: PROPHECY ALLOCATION SERIES

AUTHOR: NICKY BLUE

GENRE: DARK COMEDY, FANTASY 

PAGES: 171

RATE: 4/5

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The story of this dark comic fantasy book is narrated by a dog, a basset hound, called Keith. Sold yet? Also it is a talking dog that has super powers of time travelling through any dimensions of the multi-verse and is also the savior in this story. Got your attention I am sure!
So the story is about Barry who lives with his mother Molly and is a trained ninja, in the disguise of a gardener. His father and sister went missing a while ago, and the police could find no trace of them but Barry was sure this wasn't a normal missing case. When Barry is out on a movie date with his mother's friend Merril's niece Joanne, three huge and ruthless Samurai attack the theatre and cause havoc there looking for Barry. Though he escapes, they kidnap Jo and keep her in an illegal sex toy factory, Barry now has 3 days to find and save her before she dies due to lack of medication for her seizures. His mother also believed these events were somehow connected to his father and sister's sudden missing.
Thus start a series of crazy and also hilarious events and how Keith, the basset hound enters this story makes it a great fun read. The samurai also hint towards some prophecy that they want to know more about which gets Barry confused. I do not want to give away anymore in this review as that would completely destroy the mystery and thrill of reading the book. So get it on kindle as soon as possible! 
The ending seemed like the book would have a next part and I am pretty excited!
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The book has great and interesting characters with crazy situations and ninjas, samurai, a talking dog with special powers, a fearsome fairy-ish creature, and a lot more, which definitely makes it an exciting read. Would recommend it if you are fantasy story fans or into dark comedy!

THE CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE. (Book Review)

NAME: The Children Of Blood and Bone.
AUTHOR: Tomi Adeyemi.
SERIES: Legacy of Orisha.

PUBLISHER: Henry Holt and Company.
PAGES: 525
GENRE: Fantasy.
RATE: 4.5/5

Well this was one book I was extremely excited to receive from a book box subscription, and as expected it did not disappoint at all!
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The story is about a Maji (or diviner) girl Zélie, her Kosidan brother Tzain, and the prince and princess of Odisha, Amara and Inan. All of these characters are young, vibrant and debutante writer Tomi Adeyemi presents them beautifully, taking you into the journey of their lives, and describes the contrasts and differences in their conditions in such realistic and emotional manner, that you get attached to each of them and she does not let you lose interest or connection with them throughout, even though it is quite a long story.

Coming to the plot, I won't get into the details because I'm afraid I might give away too much but the story-line is basically about a clan with great magical powers, which gets stripped off its magic and thus gets dominated and even enslaved by the normal or magic-less people who were earlier terrified of them. Zélie is a girl born with the magical powers of her mother and by help of the princess, she revitalizes her magic. Therefore, they set in a journey to free the magical people of Odisha while facing opposition from prince Inan who despises magic immensely. The forbidden romance between the leads though is kinda cliched, but yet is sizzling for sure. The plot keeps you engaged and for a debut fantasy novel, the writer has done a marvelous job.
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I loved the novel greatly and can't wait to watch the film which is probably being made already.(I hope they do justice to the book!)
I would also recommend this book to the readers who aren't afraid of a lengthier read, as this deserves your time for sure!❤

(Books like these make long boring flights easier and even fun!)

UNTIL LOVE SETS US APART. (Book Review)

NAME: Until Love Sets Us Apart, to love with love.
AUTHOR: Aditya Nighhot
PUBLISHER: Finger Print
GENRE: Romance
PAGES: 230
RATE: 3.5/5
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This is a beautiful, heart-warming college romance story of a very regular young couple, Rohit and Aisha, and their friends, Alok, Kriti and Neha, who happen to be MBBS students, that takes a dark turn that you would wish a love story never takes. The book starts with a very interesting crime sequence that instantly hooks you to the story and the narrative is quite impressive for this being the writer's debut commercial book.

I have never been a fan of Romance novels especially from Indian authors, but this is a book I did enjoy and would like to recommend to new readers as well as those who prefer romances, not just because it is well written and has a good story, but also because it comes with a very important message and highlights a major social issue in India.
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Also, another point I appreciated about the writing is that the conversations between the inspector and ACP were mostly happening in Marathi and then translated into English, which made them much more real.(It really irritates me to read the dialogues between even two illiterate people happening in fluent English in most novels!).

Talking about the story,  Rohit is a good looking, happy-go-lucky and commitment-phobic boy who is aimless and distracted, whereas Aisha is a focused,  intelligent and very beautiful girl, which makes them quite opposite to each other. This could have been a cheesy and cliched love story about opposites attracting and Bollywood-style love developing between the two, but what makes it different and thought provoking is the tragedy which befalls this almost perfect romance, which wrecks not only their's but the worlds of all the people around them. Honestly, I was expecting this incident to happen but what I appreciated is the way the writer handled the situation and did not make it unbelievable or the solution too simple. Even though I had anticipated it, I was still extremely moved and felt the pain of the characters with them.
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SPOILERS! (If you are interested in the story so far, I suggest you read the book first and then come back to this section of the review.)
So a beautiful and genuine relationship develops between Aisha and Rohit, and they love each other so much that even Rohit, who feared being committed, changed completely and the two were soon to be married . They brought out the best in each other. All the friends were enjoying their college life to the full and even Alok and Kriti fell in love with each other. At the end of five years of their medical course, when it seemed like nothing could go wrong, Aisha and Neha were out for a girls' night at a club, Aisha was raped and assaulted by three men very gruesomely and with such brutality that it led to her death, Neha tried her best to fight them and save her but of course was overpowered by them and would have met the same fate if people had not gathered on time. Aisha called Rohit for help which made him and Alok come to the club as soon as possible but they were too late, on seeing them the rapists stabbed Aisha before running away and she soon died. From Neha they found out that one of the rapists was Ajay, the son of a very powerful and rich man, and they filed a case against him. Cutting it short, the court proceedings took place and the three criminals got away by bribing the witnesses and threatening Neha of an acid attack if she gave a statement against them. This made Rohit go mad with revenge, and as the writer said, everything is fair in love and war, and this was love with war! So taking matters into his own hand, he decides to murder the three monsters himself in the same way that they had tortured and killed Aisha, and the investigation of these murders is how the book starts. The writer also made sure that he cleared the fact that he didn't approve of the way Rohit had taken justice into his own hands and was merely telling a story.
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Well to conclude, I loved the way the writer presented the book without making it only a cheesy love story and the fact that it is somewhat based on real events makes it disturbing as well as a better experience. It made me think about and question our justice system and laws, as I have after every rape case in the news that takes more than 5 years to get the guilty a deserved punishment. Although India has changed and enforced strict laws against rapes, the process of execution has a long way to go.

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HAPPY READING!

AND THEN THERE WERE NONE. (Book review)

NAME-  And Then There Were None.
AUTHOR-  Agatha Christie.
ORIGINAL TITLE-  Ten little Niggers/Indians.
PUBLISHER-  Collins Crime Club.
GENRE-  Dectective/ Murder Mystery.
PAGES-  272
RATE-  5/5
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“When the sea goes down, there will come from the mainland boats and men. And they will find ten dead bodies and an unsolved problem on Soldier Island."

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This is probably one of the most intense crime novels ever and an almost unsolvable mystery. This was the most difficult book that Agatha Christie wrote and once you read it, you would realize why.
The premise, (spoilers) I am sure you know, is this: ten people end up cut off from the world on a tiny island. One of them is the culprit or the mastermind behind this genius killing, and people keep dying as in the nursery rhyme of 'Ten little soldiers'. Every person on the island has a secret and is guilty of a murder. It's the kind of murder where law is helpless. Nothing can be proven. This is why they found themselves on that island, at the mercy of a 'Jigsaw' madman who decided to take the law into his own hands with the belief that justice must be done.

This is a story where the mystery just doesn't let you put the book down. The intricacies with which the crimes are committed exactly according to the poem is dangerously dazzling. And One of the biggest question that it leaves us with is- "Who has the right to decide what justice is? And who gets to decide what the right punishment is?"
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Brilliantly written by Agatha Christie, this is a read i would recommend anyone who wants to begin with mystery novels or is already a fan of detective stories!
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Happy reading!

MAYBE ESTHER (Book review)

NAME: Maybe Esther.
AUTHOR: Katja Petrowskaja.
PUBLISHER: Harper Collins.
PAGES: 272
GENRE: Autobiography/ Biography(family history).
RATE: 4/5

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To be honest, when I received this book from a book box subscription, I was a bit unsure if I would like it, as its definitely not my genre.
But this is such an intelligent and different read; and research into family history can seldom be this exciting as well as emotional. Katja Petrowskaja takes you to a journey in search of her place in past and present, from Google searches, strange encounters and coincidences to archives, anecdotes and jokes. This is an unforgettable and unique work of literature that tells you a haunting story in the twentieth-century Europe about the writer's grandfather, great granduncle, and especially her great grandmother, Rosa- whose name may or may not have been Esther, and who was killed by a Nazi outside her house...
This book will keep you hooked to the story which is filled with incidences, illustrations and memoirs from the family members that help to stay connected with them, even though a more personal touch through their own records like journals or writings etc, instead of it being completely the author's version of their lives would have been more relatable and emotionally connecting, but this is definitely a treasured read and the positives are quite abundant and good enough to cover these limitations.
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I would highly recommend this book if you are looking for a read out of the box, or a great modern piece of literature.
Happy Reading! 

ELEVEN MINUTES❤ (Book review)

NAME: Eleven Minutes.
AUTHOR: Paulo Coelho
PAGES: 320
RATE: 3.5/5
ORIGINAL TITLE: Onze Minutos.


Paulo Coelho has always been one of my favorite writers and I always trust his books to serve me something different each time. But Eleven Minutes is a novel that caught me off-guard. The plot is harsh and shocking, dealing with subjects from prostitution to crimes like people trafficking. Maria, the protagonist who's a beautiful but virgin heroine from Brazilian back-country, is tricked into going to Geneva as a 'dancer' and there, she falls down to prostitution.
The surprise is that in the sex industry, Maria learns to save her 'soul' and uncovers the core truths of humanity. Due to her charge of 1000 Swiss francs for the '11 minutes', she ends up quite rich as well as wise after a year and thus retires.
She then sets on a journey towards enlightenment after reading a book by a Brazilian sage and faces a dilemma in the form of two customers and has completely distinct and special experiences with both of them.
At the end, we are left wondering whether the lady should be compared to the blessed Virgin Mother Mary, or Mary Magdalen, the whore- or even worse, a little bit of both?♥

To conclude, this is one of the most emotionally rich Paulo Coelho books and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Do not go for it if you're looking for an easy-breezy read. Would highly recommend it if you are looking for something heavier and even darker though!