Thursday, November 30, 2017

Review: Tell Tale: Short Stories

Tell Tale: Short Stories Tell Tale: Short Stories by Jeffrey Archer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Has O.Henry written all over it.



"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunes are all in confederacy against him."


Jeffrey Archer is known for his strikingly unexpected endings. His stories consist of a beginning, a middle and an end. Not necessarily in the same order.

A collage of 13 intriguing and intelligent plots, Tell Tale reminds the reader to come out of the box. Twists and turns keep you fueled up. Specially the 100-word stories. (Not 99, not 101, exactly 100*)

Elegantly knitted, well-presented, quick-reads, smooth flow of writing. With a blend of real life inspired stories and fiction, the stories leave you guessing.

Who Killed the Mayor?, A Wasted Hour, A Gentleman and a Scholar, A Good Toss to Lose are some of my favorites.

The Harvard professor is painted with some dedication!

For me, the The Road to Damascus took the cherry fair and square.

The story View of Auvers-Sur-Oise is a tricky one to judge and comes in close second with the crispness of The Car Park Attendant.

Finally, the writer leaves you with the first 4 chapters of his next book, Heads You Win releasing on November 2018.

For Archer fans, this gonna be smooth. For outsiders, you would need time accustoming to the snap endings, blitzkrieg awkwardness and unconventional character portrayal.

A mark of a classic twist is that there is a background rising symphony playing in your mind.

Four stars for the ten years it took to come back to short stories.



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Sunday, April 9, 2017

Review: Harry the Dirty Dog

Harry the Dirty Dog Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Pleasing little illustrations that woo your adult self to read it over and over again.



Harry, the dog, is not so fond of bathing and shoots away to the city for an adventure.
Well, as the name suggests, he gets dirty from the coal engines, the dusts and the smoke.

Gene Zion packs a good tale of the dog who faces rejection by his owners as they fail to recognize his changed guise. Is that a black dog with white spot or a white dog with black spots?

How will Harry ever get them to know!

This short story never goes old with time. Made superb by the illustrator's dexterity with the pen.



The pictures are perennially etched to the word adorable in our psyche.

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Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Review: Mi Mamá es un Sillón

Mi Mamá es un Sillón Mi Mamá es un Sillón by Linda Gutierrez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Endearing



Having recently picked up Spanish in my early 20s, I decided to give this one a go.

Read this over before going to bed and I must say that I am delighted beyond sleep. Nothing can stop me from calling my mom and telling her the translations of it in Hindi.

The illustrations are cute and funny - not to mention dead accurate.

Mom is compared to a superhero because she can do it all. A superpower that does not wear a cape.
She is also an artist that she can mix all those colors up to make you look cute.

The best of the lines : Mi mamá es un pulpo, porque puede hacer varias tareas al mismo tiempo.



Read this one. Cuteness to the brim!


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Review: Aqson Level I

Aqson Level I Aqson Level I by Sreejib
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Truth is, THIS IS THE BEST FANTASY BOOK I HAVE ENCOUNTERED THIS YEAR.


Fantasy at its pinnacle!
I want to recommend this book to everyone!

There were so many "I-didn't-see-that-coming" moments!!

Being a true fan of Greek Mythology, I salute the author's imagination for putting it up with India's current politics scenarios and making an engaging, delightful and thrilling ride!

Concept is incredibly unique and refreshing, something you will not see occasionally.

India's Prime Minister's seat is in bait for Team Lucifer and Team God that they have to gain in 30 years.

Now, how a game can be played for that long? My questions were the same and it was answered with full satisfaction.
Not at one point in the book did I feel anything out of place. Each and every character befriends you. You see their journey, their insecurities, feel their power and why they need to win and only win!

I appreciated everything about how some students from nowhere, made their name in Indian Student Politics.

The part when Yuvrani visits the mind of her fellow mates!
Well, that was something I bet you would not have read such a thing before.

The language is sharp, inspiring and to the point. The moment you read the first few paragraphs, the book starts captivating you, leaving you no option but to complete it, right then, right there.

Soon you face the dilemma of whose side to choose?

Should it be Yuvrani, who has already won your heart and mind since the beginning of the book, being smart and aware of her powers, quality and that she can move mountains or will it be Toya, who is timid, talented yet refuses to accept her identity or not both of them?

Do you really have a choice of not taking sides?
What are you to do then?

The ending leaves you with many questions unanswered, with an eagerness of waiting for its second part to publish, that shows the level of thought put up in writing this heartwarming book.

This is a book that India needed!

The best thing you'll like about Aqson Level I is the title of the chapters! (Read the book, Come back to this line and tell me you didn't smile!)
I'm in loss of adjectives to describe the awesomeness of Aqson Level I.

When Toya decides to write someday about his friends, about how things turned up for her, it got me emotional.

Kudos to the writer for such an amazing book!

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Review: The Tales of Beedle the Bard

The Tales of Beedle the Bard The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A sense of completion.


"The fairy tales of the wizarding world for the muggle readers."

The tales are what the children of the wizards and witches have grown up reading. I loved the connection this book establishes with the main frame of the story. The tale of three brothers and death no doubt was heard and was fabulous.

What made the book immersing was the moral giving stories that fills the young magical mind with the essence of good and bad. The teachings and controversies drawn from the interpretations are no different than the muggle world.

Books are banned, content is censored! Humor laden analogy is a JKR signature.
My favorite part has to be the message scribbled by Dumbledore himself at the end of every story.

The hopping pot instills you with the ideology that you must help others if you can. The message is loud and clear - face the consequences should you go immoral.

Laced with emotions and selfless love are the stories of three women who seek redemption.

Though,Babbity Rabbity takes the cake with her wit smacked aura.

Verdict : Future schedule - reading this to my children pretending ourselves to be James and Lily Potter.

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Friday, March 31, 2017

Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two by John Tiffany
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



The time never turned.

The tears never dried, the emotion did not wane.


Picking this one up, I tried to conjure up a spell that could get my mind unblemished of all the that I have hear of it. The goods and the very goods.

The smoke fills up my head and I am drifting across time. Almost ten years since I finished the last of the Harry Potter books.

And a decade and around 500 world class reads later I come to this conclusion - Nothing beats Harry Potter.

The heartbeat isn't missed. It all appears like JKR never took a break. Infact, we never took a break. This decade without any Potter books coming out did not happen.

She picks up the grace where she left off. And how.

The story shivers page by page -changing in mood, the character emancipate and friendships are tested. The son is cursed, not by the darkest of the evils, but by leaving in the shadow. In the shadow of being the progeny of The Boy Who Lived.

Many have died to save Harry Potter. How many more will die? Are the sacrifices of Dobby, Dumbledore, Lily, Snape, James - not enough?

The vacuum of Harry and his unexceptional whirlpool in the entire wizarding world as we know?

We all live to forget.

Those who don't, are doomed.


Time has been interfered and it threatens to overthrow the present down to the very shreds. And the dark lord returns.

Armed with a blitzkreig writing and a heart melting father son bond - the cursed child hits the Potterhead hard.

Apt as it for the characters of the book, Dumbledore you are more than right about the entire Harry Potter universe.

The ones that love us,

never truly leave us.




Yes, Always.

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Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Review: The Other Side of Him

The Other Side of Him The Other Side of Him by Alice Rene
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Alice Rene!

This. Is. A. Masterpiece!



I absolutely adored this book!

Set in the middle of 20th century, The Other Side of Him unfolds the story of Claire who dreams about having a perfect life.

Claire, a young, ambitious, enthusiastic and passionate girl, wants to study medicine and have an independent career.

Her German mother's life's only goal is to marry her daughter into the riches.

Greg, a handsome, prosperous, charming takes Claire on a blind date and since then they know they are in love with each other.
Claire has met with the man of her dreams. Her life has become a fairy tale.

Until she encounters with the deadly secrets of Greg. She found it too late!

She breaks up with Greg and continues to work at the hospital as a case worker.

But she is not going to have an easy way out.

Kicked out from the place she worked devotedly for, she hunts for a suitable job with her shining bright degrees and ends up working in a pub.

Her determination takes her to places and finally she is living euphoric.

But with Greg just around the corner, will she get a life of her dreams?



A book about obsession and what excessive love can do! With a historical background!

Exceptionally beautiful narration made my heart skip a few beats. Characters are well-researched and their spicy lives kept it interesting. Dialogues are perfect and keeps you entertained.

It's fantastic to see Claire's mother convincing Claire to marry someone in half English- half German.

With The Other Side of Him, Alice Rene has proved that she very well deserves to be in the list of talented and skilled literary giants.

The fact that this book was inspired from true events, increased the zeal in me.

This kind of book I'm certain you'd had not read anywhere.

In the arena of Historical Fiction, I recommend it highly!!!!
Anyone who wants to read a haunting and obsessive romance from World War 2 era, Get This One!



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Review: This Was a Man

This Was a Man This Was a Man by Jeffrey Archer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

And Jeffrey Archer does it again!

“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

Giving anything away of its synopsis would be an injustice to others. So I'll only talk about what I felt throughout the book.



Well, to start with, This Was Fabulous.

Yes. FABULOUS.

Since the first few words to the ending, it was a roller coaster ride.

There was no stopping to the adventurous expedition I had with the last series by Jeffrey Archer.

What I found extremely striking about the author's writing was that he first gets his readers surrounded with the thoughts of only his characters and one by one, he asks you to choose your comrade among them.

Whether you are selecting them or they are choosing you is still a matter to be pondered upon.

There is always a bit to say about the way the writer accumulates everything in the climax. Beautiful thing was that even if you might have been thinking about some other endings, you will finally be satisfied with the author's perspective. Atleast I was.

In presenting the various features of the characters, the author is impeccable.

All of them are likable in their own way. As one goes on reading the series, chapters after chapter, he sees himself getting dissolved in the flawless fabrication weaved by the author.

Slowly and carefully, he unfolds the story before you.

This series would be definitely my suggestion to anyone I meet.

I'm yet to get out of the shocks and thrills I had when I came across the twisting secrets and exciting events.

One thing is for certain : Jeffrey never disheartens his readers.

The way he carries the readers' attention cannot be matched.

My advice to the readers who have never read anything of Jeffrey would be to read the first parts of this series before this one and your favorite thriller/drama writer would be decided then and there.

Verdict : I felt short of adjectives for this one. What else can I say!



View all my reviews

Review: This Was a Man

This Was a Man This Was a Man by Jeffrey Archer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

And Jeffrey Archer does it again!

“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

Giving anything away of its synopsis would be an injustice to others. So I'll only talk about what I felt throughout the book.



Well, to start with, This Was Fabulous.

Yes. FABULOUS.

Since the first few words to the ending, it was a roller coaster ride.

There was no stopping to the adventurous expedition I had with the last series by Jeffrey Archer.

What I found extremely striking about the author's writing was that he first gets his readers surrounded with the thoughts of only his characters and one by one, he asks you to choose your comrade among them.

Whether you are selecting them or they are choosing you is still a matter to be pondered upon.

There is always a bit to say about the way the writer accumulates everything in the climax. Beautiful thing was that even if you might have been thinking about some other endings, you will finally be satisfied with the author's perspective. Atleast I was.

In presenting the various features of the characters, the author is impeccable.

All of them are likable in their own way. As one goes on reading the series, chapters after chapter, he sees himself getting dissolved in the flawless fabrication weaved by the author.

Slowly and carefully, he unfolds the story before you.

This series would be definitely my suggestion to anyone I meet.

I'm yet to get out of the shocks and thrills I had when I came across the twisting secrets and exciting events.

One thing is for certain : Archer never disheartens his readers.

The way he carries the readers' attention cannot be matched.

My advice to the readers who have never read anything of Jeffrey would be to read the first parts of this series before this one and your favorite thriller/drama writer would be decided then and there.

Verdict : I felt short of adjectives for this one. What else can I say!



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Monday, January 9, 2017

Review: Knowing Women

Knowing Women Knowing Women by James Lawless
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Knowing Women by James Lawless is an addiction! I'm serious!

A perfect kind of genre I was looking for!



Laurence J Benbo, a graphic designer by profession, a protagonist who would stay with you for the rest of your life, is someone you should definitely be involved with.

His reserved mannerism when it comes to women, is to leave you enticed. He is alone, cheated and betrayed by his previous girlfriend and trying to get over her.

But Time changes and it changes very quickly.


For him, it all began when he saw an interesting girl smiling at him. His curiosity got over him and he figured out that this girl is a lap dancer and learning English.

He makes his innocent moves. (The way he works is adorable!) and he interacts with her.

One day, he wins a lottery. All of a sudden, his jealous brother and his family knocks at his doors.
Later, they blackmail him severely to hand over the money to them. For that, they could go to any extent.

A story of betrayal, greed and morality over the edge of loneliness and grief.




You will not realize when and how you yourself were in the skin of Laurence J Benbo, being the melancholic him, the cheerful and hopeful him.

There is no way one can prevent themselves from falling for these characters.
The elegant and refined writing style won my mind over and over.

If you're wondering which genre this book falls under!

It's Accessible Literary Fiction, there you go!

The author's work is commendable and thought provoking. I remember when I was reading The Avenue, I was left contemplating about various notions in my head.

Same thing happened while I was reading this one.

My favorite scene was when Jadwiga, the Russian lap dancer says that she wants to change her yob.
Laurence corrects her that it's not yob, it's job!

I was cracking at this. Who would not?

This shows that the dialog and characters' portrayal has been done superbly. They make you stick to it completely.

The author's interview at the starting, not only provided nourishment to the story but also held my attention amply. I was musing to myself, 'Why in the world didn't I read this before!'

The author demonstrates his writing abilities in most cheerful, poised, tasteful, pensive and glittering manner. At the same time and with a different perspective, the story is sorrowful.

The blurb leaves you hanging in the middle.

As I was reading the story, I would again go to the back of the cover, read the blurb again and think to myself ' Now, this part has happened, this is the next!' and until that point arrives, I would hold my breath, when it will pass, my amusement would keep repeating this process.

Clearly, the book is to touch the skies and go beyond it. You have my high recommendation for this one!

To end an year with a book like Knowing Women, was a terrific step.

Verdict : James Lawless is a Rockstar!

Try not becoming his fan after reading this book, you will certainly fail to do so.




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Books!

Archit's best books

Riding
Harables: Short Stories 1
Keeping The Promises
The Trip
She: Ekla Cholo Re
Aqson Level I
The Dying Dance
The Arrival
No Safe Zone
The Yorkshire Biryani
How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You
Scarlet Nights
The BNO
Yama's Lieutenant
Monkeys, Motorcycles, and Misadventures
Coinman: An Untold Conspiracy
Mr Bean In Town
Ines' Words
Diary of a Minecraft Alex #2
Diary of a Minecraft Alex #1


Archit Ojha's favorite books »