Stilettos In The Newsroom By Rashmi Kumar

• Book: Stilettos In The Newsroom
• Author: Rashmi Kumar 
• Publishing House: Rupa Publications
• Category: Fiction
• Rating: 3.5/5

Story-in-Short:

 

Get a peek into the life of a reporter and find out what really happens inside a newsroom. Radhika has just landed herself a new job at the newsroom and it is time for her to get a taste of life with the press. She soon gets her first story, makes her first mistakes and is struggling to stay sane as she tries to meet her hectic deadlines. Also, find out how Radhika makes time for her love life in the midst of her busy schedule. The book is perfect for those who want some light-hearted entertainment on lazy weekend afternoons.

In my view: 

 

Newsroom -  a place where several stories delve in throughout the day. But can the newsroom have its own tale to tell? Well, apart from deadlines to accomplish, scratching head while editing and running in and out in search for stories, newsrooms have numerous stories, which take root and grow in. Author and Journalist Rashmi Kumar’s book Stilettos in the Newsroom is all about this! 

Radhika Kanetkar is the protagonist of the story, a journalist, a newbie to be precise, who walks into the office of the newspaper, where she gets her first job, without even the slightest knowledge of the things which happen, apart from news-related work. And, if you are wondering this book targets the scam stories and those related to public outcry, then you are totally wrong. 

Stilettos in the Newsroom targets a whole another segment – the love, fights and triumphs that keep unfolding inside, amidst the constant work and tight schedule. The arrogance and jealousy that build up gradually, the pressures people put over one, the consequences of making a blooper and the varying relationships amongst everyone. 

The book offers a comical story, with an entertaining and intriguing writing style. The pun, the funny moments that the author shares and writes about, takes a reader away from the stress and strain of life to another world of entertaining things. Best are the rules of journalism, at the end of every chapter, stating what the protagonist learns for that particular instance. The book begins fascinatingly, drawing and holding the attention, but it, as a whole, lacks a lot many things. 

The book has got no concrete story, as such, and though it has been written, to me it was more like reading anecdotes from someone’s diary. Then, there are too many characters, and the pace at which the author has penned it down, it becomes difficult to relate, at times. Ironical to the initial pages, where it holds readers, the story, slowly loses its charm and enters the area of monotony, though the chuckle and snigger in the story continues. The climax is too swift and abrupt. The biggest drawback of the book, I feel, is its cover, which is girly and it becomes difficult for males to read it while travelling, and carry it along, though the story has few male characters. 

But over-all, the book has an entertaining narration, something that will leave you chuckling for a while. 

Note: Review copy of the book was sent by the author 

•  You can avail the book via: Amazon, Flipkart, Shimply, Rediff, Crossword,  

Birth of the Bastard Prince by Anurag Anand.

• Book: Birth of the Bastard Prince - The Legend of Amrapali. 
• Author: Anurag Anand. 
• Publication House: Rupa Publications.
• Category: Fiction.
• Rating: 4.5/5 

Story-in-Short:

Legendary courtesan Amrapali's life story is as enigmatic and extraordinary as her beauty and grace.Found abandoned under a mango tree as an infant, the twists and turns of fate led her to become theNagarvadhu, the most sought-after yet morally reviled courtesan of the kingdom.

Weaving together facts with fiction, written with a contemporary flavour, Birth of the Bastard Prince isan enchanting exploration of Amrapali's life as a courtesan and a mother, and her spiritual awakeningin the Buddhist order.

of Vaishali.In Birth of the Bastard Prince, the sequel to the riveting The Legend of Amrapali, Anurag Anand exploresAmrapali's eventful life as the Nagarvadhu. He describes in thrilling detail the war between Vaishali andMagadha, in which Amrapali played a crucial role; traces her love affair with Bimbisara, the emperorof Magadha, and the birth of their son Vimala Kondanna; reveals the palace intrigues and conspiraciesthat led to Amrapali's tribulations; and finally explains how Amrapali found the solace and happinessshe so desired.

In my view:

Author Anurag Anand has come up with a sequel of The Legend of Amrapali – Birth of the Bastard Prince. And in this sequel, he has pursued the story of the legendary Amrapali. 

Amrapali stabilizes her life after taking revenge on Manudeva – a wicked Vajji ruler. Becoming the Nagarvadhu of Vaishali, she begins to enjoy her life. She now occupies a vital position and is respected for her might and influence. Amrapali, at every step, has her dear friend Prabha standing firmly by her side. 

No sooner does her pleasurable life begin than she falls in love with Bindusen, an enigmatic trader. On the other hand, Prabha too, falls for a man. She gets attracted towards Suraj Mal who is liberalized by Amrapali from the hold of King Udit of Ukkacala. Slowly, life becomes blissful for the two pals.While these two enjoy their lives, King Bimbisara of Magadha plans to seize Vaishali alongwith his son Ajatshatru. And this plan forms the further and major part of the story. But hey, I am not going to reveal it as you need find it out from the book yourself. 

The book gets readers a cleverly written tale, with enough of twists and turns to hook-up their attention. 

The cover page of the book is slightly gloomy but for a historical story as this, it is quite suitable. The undoubtedly catchy title will persuade readers to purchase the book. The blurb is informative enough and after going through it, readers will definitely develop interest in the story. The narrative is extremely good and well-written. Besides, the author has used simple and comprehensible language to avoid intricacies.

The author has been kind enough to all those like me, who haven’t read the previous book, by briefly mentioning the previous story in the prologue. I still found it difficult to connect with the story in the initial stage, but trust me, things get explicit enough as the story proceeds ahead. I am glad that the author has come out with such a unique story, miles away from those typically tedious stories.  

Summing –up the review, I would say that it is a mesmerizing historical anecdote which one shouldn’t overlook. And yes, I am recommending this to all my dear readers. 

Considering everything, I would rate the book with 4.5/5.  I thank Anurag Anand for writing up this wonderful tale and I am looking forward to read more from him. 

NOTE: A review copy of the book was provided by the author. 

• The Birth of the Bastard Prince is available in leading bookstores. 
• You can also avail a copy online via: Amazon, Infibeam, Flipkart, Uread, Rediff.

Secrets and Second Chances by Anita Shirodkar.

• Book: Secrets and Second Chances.
• Author: Anita Shirodkar.
• Publication House: Rupa Publications.
• Category: Fiction.
• Rating: 4.25/5

Story-in-Short:

Nandita Dharkar shifts to Mumbai from Delhi, seeking new possibilities and explanations about her mother’s past. A beautiful and talented architect, she enjoys her newfound freedom and makes friends quickly. She joins a large and famous architecture firm, and falls in love with Aryan Rai, a rich and suave hotelier. However, she discovers that the heart is a fickle thing when her best friend Aditya Arora suddenly appears at her doorstep. Adding to her troubles is her mother’s jewellery box and the strange letter inside it. Who wrote that letter and what secrets lie in her mother’s past? These revelations may either break Nandita or lead her to find healing through forgiveness.

In my view:

Some secrets can be kept hidden for a long time while some pop out too quickly. Often in journey of life we never come to know about many secrets of people around us or related to us. History has had several instances where in some secrets prevailed to remain secrets while some others left people puzzled. Here I am done reading Secrets and Second Chances by Anita Shirodkar. 

The book begins by Nandita Dharkar’s search for a perfect apartment for living in Mumbai. Nandita Dharkar who arrives in Mumbai from Delhi has to join a known architectural company. She finally finds herself attached to a flat and purchases it. Soon, Nandita accustoms herself to the Mumbai lifestyle and she befriends with people in the city. Apart from office related work, she attends parties with newly made friends and enjoys her life to the fullest. 

Soon, she comes around hotelier Aryan Rai and enjoys his company. His dashing figure and handsome looks attracts her and she madly falls in love with him. While Nandita is in Mumbai,her close friend from Delhi, Aditya arrives in Mumbai and resides in Nandita’s flat. Nandita and Aditya share a good and enjoyable time in Mumbai. But, of late, Nandita experiences some change. Change in feelings, change in thoughts and outlook.  

Meanwhile, she also finds a secret letter addressed to her mother and steps ahead to find about it. But what happens next? 

To know more about the further and interesting occurrences in Nandita Dharkar’s life, one needs to grab the copy of the book and discover the story fully!

The novel gets readers an interesting story of an energetic girl for whom, both life and work are equally important. It is a pleasant story containing twists and turns to an extent. It’s a story that entertains and amuses a reader.

Over-all: The cover of the book depicts a cool, relaxed woman and an envelope sealed with latex. Turquoise blue in the background glows the composure and boosts a reader’s spirit. The story moves at an easy pace. The plots and dialogues in the story are gripping. It is majorly rich in narration apart from a few places where it tends to fall slightly loose.  Apart from this, the story is completely attractive and alluring with no other drawbacks.

Considering everything, I would rate the book with 4.25/5. Congratulations to author Anita Shirodkar and hope she comes up with more interesting stories! 

NOTE: A reviewers copy was provided by the author. 

•  Secrets and Second Chances is available in leading bookstores.
• You can also get it online via: Flipkart, Amazon, Infibeam, Uread, HomeShop18. 

Anti-Social Network – an Inspector Virkar Crime Thriller. I By Piyush Jha.

• Book: Anti-Social Network - an Inspector Virkar Crime Thriller.
  
• Author: Piyush Jha.
• Publication House:  Rupa Publications
• Category: Fiction.
• Rating: 4.85/5

Story-in-Short: 

When college students across Mumbai are murdered one after another in gruesome ways, Inspector Virkar from the Crime Branch is called in. As Virkar investigates, he stumbles upon a ruthless gang of young, tech-savy miscreants who use social networking sites and the Internet for blackmail and sextortion. But how are these two cases linked? And who is the mastermind behind these killings? 

As the case grows murkier, the computer-challenged Virkar finds himself greatly out of his depth, chasing a killer who always seems to be one step ahead, and a group that soon trains its sights on him. He must race against time to unmask the gang and to find the murderer before his reputation is ruined forever. 

Thick with suspense and layered with grit, Anti-Social Network brings to you Inspector Virkar’s toughest case yet.

In My View:

Here’s my review on author Piyush Jha’s third novel. Looking at the cover page itself, a reader can explicitly guess that it is a crime thriller. The story begins with Inspector Virkar who gets a tip for Usman, a teacher-turned-police informer-turned-extortionist who is out of arrest. Immediately after getting information about him, Inspector Virkar lays a trap to catch hold of him but he somehow evades arrest due to miscommunication between the police officials. 

At the same time, murders are reported from different locations of Mumbai. Bodies of students with missing body parts are found. These victims have links with one another and Inspector Virkar tries to establish that link. While investigating the case, he spots Usman and follows to arrest him. Following Usman, takes Virkar to a college in South Mumbai where he had to actually go for an inquiry. Usman is finally arrested but this brings Inspector Virkar in touch with Counsellor Naina and one of her patient Richard. Both of them play a major role in the story till the end. 

In the course of the whole investigation of the murder spree, Inspector Virkar comes across several shocking facts, tips, learns about a network and after a lot of hard work finally cracks the case by bursting the whole anti-social network. A reader assumes something else till the time they reach second last chapter. But the last chapter brings the actual mastermind into limelight and that really leaves a reader surprised and shocked. 

A readers interest multiples as the story develops. In the course of reading it, the story creates a quest in reader’s minds to know what finally happens. And this quest makes a reader stick to the book till the end! The book is one of the best crime thrillers, I have read so-far. 

Over-all: The cover of the book is fabulous and attractive enough to catch a reader’s attention. Title of the book is undoubtedly good. The story has an interesting beginning and ending. Even the narration of the story is perfect so it doesn’t fall loose anywhere. None of the part is exaggerated or lengthened. So, boredom never generates while reading the book. 

Speaking about the drawbacks, I found none. 

Thus, I would love to rate the book with 4.85/5. You write really well Piyush sir. Waiting to read more books from you! 

NOTE: A reviewers copy of the book was sent by the author and the publication house. I would like to thank Piyush sir and Rupa Publication House for the book. 

• The book is available in all the leading bookstores. 

• You can also get it online:   Amazon, Flipkart, Homeshop 18, Uread, Infibeam, Bookadda, Rediff Books.