My Book Reviews

Category: Books

This category contains any posts in references to books I have read, reviewed or want to read.

  • Mrs Funnybones by Twinkle Khanna

    Mrs Funnybones by Twinkle Khanna

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    Mrs Funnybones by Twinkle Khanna

    Release: August 18, 2015
    Format: Paperback
    Publisher: Penguin Books India
    Source: Amazon
    Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle

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    Good morning, it’s 6 a.m. and I am wide awake because the man of the house has decided that he needs to perform a series of complex manoeuvres that involve him balancing on his left elbow.

    When I fell asleep last night, there was a baby lying next to me. Her smelly diaper is still wedged on my head. But aside from this rather damp clue, I can’t seem to find her anywhere. I could ask my mother-in-law if she has seen the baby. But she may just tell me that I need to fast on alternate Mondays, and God will deliver the baby back to me

    Full of wit and delicious observations, Mrs Funnybones captures the life of the modern Indian woman. It is a woman who organizes dinner each evening, even as she goes to work all day. And she who runs her own life but has to listen to her Mummyji. A Mummy who worries about her weight and the state of the country. Based on Twinkle Khanna’s super-hit column, Mrs Funnybones marks the debut of one of our funniest, most original voices.

    About the Author:

    “Twinkle Khanna, aka Mrs Funnybones, crafts satirical stories and funny fables when she is not running a design business. And not  selling candles or running in circles around her small but rather odd family. She narrowly escaped a gruesome tragedy when Bollywood tried to bludgeon her brain to the size of a pea. But she ducked at the right moment and escaped miraculously unharmed.

    She is a popular columnist and is a regular contributor to The Times of India and DNA After Hrs. Currently, she is in the process of creating lame jokes like, ‘Why do all Hindu boys worship their mother? Because their religion tells them to worship the cow.’ She firmly believes that nothing in life is sacred except laughter.”

    Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram 

    Mrs Funnybones Review:

    This was a fairly quick read and I managed to finish it in one sitting. A few readers out there cribbed that this book is just a collection of published posts from her column. But  I had never read her columns before so all these narratives were new to me. I enjoyed her style of writing, and I think she does have a good sense of humor in a sarcastic way. There are some instances which genuinely made me laugh out loud, like when her son says he can make anyone pregnant, . Or  when they are travelling in the plane and smell dirty diapers, or when she talks about her weight issues.

    Having said that, I feel Twinkle tries too hard to be funny at times. While there are some witty moments here and there, I felt like a lot of the anecdotes were put in to fill the pages. Maybe the humor is not my cup of tea, but I was rolling my eyes while reading past some of her stories, like how clichéd she makes Germans sound. And  how she makes most of the Indian come across as illiterate fools  for fun.

    Also, there is also no consistency towards the tone of the book,. While  one chapter is a quirky tale, but the following chapter talks about death and suicide.  And other one  does  a flashback to her college days. If I had read her columns prior to reading this book, I would have given this a lower rating, for randomly throwing stories from your column, and publishing it.

    Overall, the book is worth only 2.5 stars for its content. However  I have to give an additional star for the cute illustrations scattered across all the chapters. Kudos to the illustrator for nicely animating this book.

     

  • It’s All in the Planets by Preeti Shenoy

    It’s All in the Planets by Preeti Shenoy

    It's All in the Planets 

    It’s All in the Planets by Preeti Shenoy

    Release: September 15, 2016
    Format: Paperback
    Publisher: Westland
    Source:  Amzon
    Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible

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    Meet Aniket, Twenty-seven, techie, Mr. Average. His best friend is Subbu, a nerd who breathes, thinks and lives code. Aniket cannot believe his luck when he starts dating Trish – a stunning, sexy model, who is totally out of his league. But Trish has a list of things she wants him to work on, beginning with his pot belly and his geekiness.

    Then there’s Nidhi, thirty-two, who has quit her corporate job to follow her passion. Her engagement is with Manoj, Mr.Perfect – except for one aspect.

    Aniket and Nidhi meet on a train, a chance encounter, and she agrees to become his ‘relationship coach’. It’s a decision that sets into motion a chain of events that will have a profound impact on the lives of all involved.

    One man, two women, and the trap called Destiny.Some things, they say, are all in the planets.

    About the Author:

    Preeti Shenoy, among the top five highest selling authors in India, is also on the Forbes longlist of the most influential celebrities in India.. Her work has seen translations in many languages. She is India’s most loved author, on life and relationships.

    India Today has named her as being unique for being the only woman in the best-selling league. Brands Academy awarded  her the ‘Indian of the Year’ award for 2017   for her contribution to Literature. She has also received the Academia award for Business Excellence by the New Delhi Institute of Management. Preeti has given talks in many premier educational institutions such as IITs and IIMs and corporate organisations like KPMG, Infosys and Accenture. She is also an artist specialising in portraiture and illustrated journalling.

    Various magazines have published her short stories and poetry such as Conde Nast and Verve.  BBC World, Cosmopolitan, The Hindu, Verve, Times of India and many more have featured her  publication.

    She has a very popular blog and also wrote a weekly column in The Financial Chronicle for many years. She has a massive online following. Her other interests are travel, photography and yoga. Her books include A Hundred Little Flames, It’s All In The Planets, Why We Love The Way We Do, The Secret Wish List, The One You Cannot Have and many others.

    Website | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads | Facebook

    It’s All in the Planets Review:

    “When it comes to relationships, how many of us are certain? How can we be sure of the person we are marrying? So many things can change. The person we marry might change, we might change. There are no guarantees in life, more so in relationships and there is always some uncertainty. And yet, we all want to get married. We want a happily-ever-after. We see relationships around us breaking up all the time. And we say, ‘No, but we are different. That won’t happen to us.’ Isn’t it strange?”

    This is the first book I read of Preeti Shenoy, and I love her style of writing. The story is simple yet compelling; the characters are charming; and there are some surprise twists and turns that makes the book hard to put down.  Each chapter is written from the point of view of Aniket or Nidhi, the two main leads, so it was interesting to read how the same situation is interpreted from both their perspective.

    The main protagonists, Nidhi and Aniket, are sweet, quirky and down to earth that we can relate to. Even the supporting characters like their parents, Trish, Manoj, Subbu and Darshita are fun to read. In fact, I thought Trish was a very interesting and complex character, and would have loved to have some chapters from her perspective as well to see why she behaved that way. Even though this is considered as romance fiction, there is actually not much romance in it, as most of the book is about the strong friendship developed between Aniket and Nidhi (that doesn’t involve any romance), which is what made this such an enjoyable read. The author also provides some interesting tidbits on relationships such as life-mates vs. soul-mates, compromises etc. through Nidhi’s blog entries, and overlays the story-line with her thoughts on the fates and destiny.

    Overall, this is a fun, easy read that manages to touch on human emotions, and I loved it!

  • The Women in the Walls by Amy Lukavics

    The Women in the Walls by Amy Lukavics

    The Women in the Walls

    The Women in the Walls by Amy Lukavics
    Released: September 27, 2016
    Format: Hardcover
    Publisher: Harlequin Teen
    Source: Amazon
    Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle,

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    Lucy Acosta’s mother died when she was three. Growing up in a Victorian mansion in the middle of the woods with her cold, distant father, she explored the dark hallways of the estate with her cousin, Margaret. They’re inseparable—a family.

    But her aunt Penelope, the only mother she ever knew about, tragically disappears while walking in the woods surrounding their estate. Then Lucy finds herself devastated and alone. Margaret has been spending a lot of time in the attic. She claims she can hear her dead mother’s voice whispering from the walls. Her father shuts her out emotionally . So Lucy watches helplessly as her cousin’s sanity slowly unravels. But when she begins hearing voices herself, Lucy finds herself confronting an ancient and deadly legacy that has marked the women in her family for generations.

    About the Author:

    Ever since she was little, horror books and movies intrigued Amy. She grew up in a small mountain town in Arizona, and  sustained herself on a steady diet of Goosebumps, Fear Street, and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books before discovering Stephen King in her mother’s bookshelf.

    Amy lives with her husband, their two precious squidlings, and an old gentleman cat by the name of Frodo. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys cooking, crafting, and playing games across many platforms.

    Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

    The Women in the Walls Review:

    The story writing is good for most of the part. And I enjoyed the steady pacing of the storyline that had me engrossed throughout. There are some cleverly designed plot twists , but some of these twists had gruesome details that made me cringe. While I didn’t have any issues with the grisly details, the only part of the writing that I found puzzling was the consistency in the setting. In some parts of the book, it felt like the story is taking place a long time ago, but then in some scenes, the characters curse foul language and use the internet etc. which I thought didn’t fit well with the setup.

    The depiction of characters are good , and I enjoyed the conflict between Lucy and Margaret. In fact, I liked Margaret’s character more than Lucy, as she seemed truly psychotic and on the edge, and I had no idea what she would do to Lucy. I also enjoyed Vanessa’s character, and wished that she was involved more in the book. While I didn’t have any issues with Lucy as such, I thought the girl was whiny and suicidal and not that strong to be the main character in the book.

    There was disappointment towards the end of the book, mainly because all the revelations provided were not very clear. Also, the pacing seemed rushed, and the author didn’t provide closure to the storyline. It was as  though Amy Lukavics got tired of writing towards the end, and just wanted to finish it somehow. Considering the good narration of the story  for most of the book, I wish it had ended with the same consistency and a better explanation for the events.

    Overall, this was a pretty good book to read, but one that is easily forgettable.

  • Master of the Game by Sidney Sheldon

    Master of the Game by Sidney Sheldon

    Master of the Game

    Master of the Game by Sidney Sheldon

    Release:  August 1982
    Format: Hardcover
    Publisher: William Morrow &amp.Co
    Source:  Amzon
    Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible

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    Kate Blackwell, the enigma behind Kruger-Brent Ltd is celebrating her ninetieth birthday with her dysfunctional family. She starts to recall the scandals, blackmails, murders and ghosts from her past. Flashback to four generations of the McGregor/Blackwell saga, that begins with Jamie McGregor’s entry into South Africa as a diamond prospector. The story unfolds the feud with Salomon Van Der Merwe on the quest for attaining diamonds. And also ,how he raises to power in South Africa with the help of his friend Banda.

    The storyline then continues with Kate Blackwell, Jamie’s daughter who loves the power of Kruger-Brent. And she manipulates David Blackwell, Brad Rogers, and her own son Tony to doing what she thinks is best for the company.  She does this even at the cost of  demolishing their dreams and desires. However, she is no match for her granddaughter Eve Blackwell, whose main aim is to plot devious ways of eliminating her twin sister Alexandra to get complete control of the empire.

    About the Author:

    Best known today for his exciting blockbuster novels, Sidney Sheldon is the author of The Best Laid Plans, Nothing Lasts Forever, The Stars Shine Down, The Doomsday Conspiracy, Memories of Midnight. Also in the list are The Sands of Time, Windmills of the Gods, If Tomorrow Comes, Master of the Game, Rage of Angels, Bloodline. Other popular ones are A Stranger in the Mirror, and The Other Side of Midnight. Almost all have been number-one international bestsellers.  New York Times   acclaimed his first book, The Naked Face, as “the best first mystery of the year” and  he received an Edgar Award. Most of his novels have become major feature films or TV miniseries, and there are more than 275 million copies of his books in print throughout the world.

    Before he became a novelist, Sidney Sheldon had already won a Tony Award for Broadway’s Redhead and an Academy Award for The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer. He has written the screenplays for twenty-three motion pictures, including Easter Parade (with Judy Garland) and Annie Get Your Gun. In addition, he penned six other Broadway hits and created three long-running television series. Thes include  Hart to Hart and I Dream of Jeannie, which he also produced.  As a writer ,he  has delighted millions with his award-winning plays, movies, novels, and television shows. Sidney Sheldon reigns as one of the most popular storytellers of all time.

     Amazon | Goodreads

    Master of the Game Review:

    This was the very first adult fiction book and  I absolutely loved it! This book is truly a page turner and you won’t be able to put it down once you start. The writing is simple, and the pacing of the storylines sweeps you off your feet from the get go. This book literally has everything! You want action and adventure, you get daredevil escapades of guys beating sharks, dodging land-mines and floating across deadly reefs. How about Revenge, Romance, Blackmail, murders, lust, greed, deceit, and betrayal with exotic locations of South Africa and Europe?

    The characters are larger than life ,but well written and makes the reader love or hate them. I felt bad for Tony, and how he loses control when he finds himself trapped in the web of lies. I despised Eve’s character, and kept thinking how low she would go to partner with someone who abused her. However, she was great fun to read her compared to Alexandra, who seemed to be a complete bore. As much as I detested Kate at times, she was by far my favorite in the book. Honestly, I couldn’t help but root for her when she determinedly keeps searching for the next heir to the throne. It was surprising how raunchy some of the subject matter was, considering that this book is in the early 80s. The character of George Miller just made my jaw drop and go WTF.

    Most of Sidney Sheldon’s works from the 80s are over the top, soap opera styled novels. However,  they all keeps the reader hooked, and he truly is a “Master of the Game” in writing this one. Overall, MOTG is captivating read, and has motivated me to pick up the next one in the series “Mistress of the Game”.

  • The Awakening by L.J. Smith

    The Awakening by L.J. Smith

    The Awakening

    The Awakening (The Vampire Diaries #1) by L.J. Smith

    Release: March 1st 1999
    Format: Ebook
    Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
    Source: Amazon
    Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon,  B&N

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    A DEADLY LOVE TRIANGLE

    Elena: in effect, the golden girl, the leader, the one who can have any boy she wants.

    Stefan: in effect, brooding and mysterious, he seems to be the only one who can resist Elena, even as he struggles to protect her from the horrors that haunt his past.

    Damon: in effect ,sexy, dangerous, and driven by an urge for revenge against Stefan, the brother who betrayed him. Determined to have Elena, he’d kill to possess her.

    Collected here in one volume for the first time, volumes one and two of The Vampire Diaries, the tale of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them.

    About the Author:

    L. J. Smith has written over two dozen books for young adults, including The Vampire Diaries, now a hit TV show. She has also written the bestselling Night World series and The Forbidden Game, as well as the #1 New York Timesbestselling Dark Visions. She loves to walk the trails and beaches in Point Reyes, California, daydreaming about her latest book.

    Website | Goodreads

    The Awakening by L.J. Smith Review:

    I have seen a few TV show episodes and thought I would get my hands on the book series. Usually, the books are supposed to be better than their adaptations. However, this book has nothing to do with the TV show, other than the fact that the characters share the same names.

    The one thing that annoyed me about this book was Elena’s character. It’s hard rooting for her when she comes off as this arrogant girl who must have anything and anyone. She dumps Matt when she is not interested in him and then asks him to help her get Stefan, showing complete disregard for his feelings. Then, her friends Meredith and Bonnie make a blood pact with her in the cemetery to ensure that Stefan becomes hers (who does that?). When she is titled Homecoming queen (that she feels was her entitlement), Elena does a complete 360 and goes with a guy she doesn’t even like to make out with him at the cemetery!

    Similarly, Stefan comes off as the typical blooding wealthy vampire who doesn’t talk that much, which is very cliché. Damon, on the other hand, is slightly better but makes an appearance only towards the end. I found their flashbacks more interesting than the actual story-line, but that fizzles towards the climax. Bonnie is one character that stood out because she was this quirky psychic that spiced up the scenes, but sadly she is hardly mentioned in the book.

    The writing is sub-par, as there is no consistency in the storytelling or the characterization.  It somewhat becomes exciting only towards the end, where Damon makes an appearance. I will continue reading the series to find out what happens. However, this book was somewhat below average as a standalone review.