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Author Archives: thereviewauthor

tinytale #43 ‘Break Free’

18 Wednesday Apr 2018

Posted by thereviewauthor in Author's Ink

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#tinytales

I wake up at the dawn hearing birds chirping. They were calling everyone to come outside and witness the beauty the nature laid in front of you.

The sun rises in the east. Again. And will set in the west. Again. What’s new about this day? Why are the birds sounding so excited?

The birds spreading their wings were flying scaling heights some known and some new.

I wonder. Do they fear to fall? What does the free bird mean? I see the birds’ caged in an iron cage flapping their wings frantically trying to break free. Caged birds have no freedom and probably no meaning of life.

What is the meaning of my life? A caged bird or a bird flying in an open sky. I want to scale new sky, touch the new heights but feels I couldn’t. I am a caged bird who wants to break free.

Restless Waters of Ichhamati

15 Sunday Apr 2018

Posted by thereviewauthor in Fiction

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contemporary, History

image003 (1)Author – Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay

Translator – Rimli Bhattacharya

Rating – 5/5 stars

Number of Pages – 370

Publisher – Rupa Publications

It is a privilege to read a book so well written and acquaint with the time we have left behind. A time more than one-fifty years before. I do not know many Bengali writers and thankful to Rupa publications and Rimli Bhattacharya for bringing this translation of Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay to us. This is my first book by the author and I absolutely loved it. This is a great read. One you will love to fall in love with. This book is a gem.

This is a story of a small town near the banks of river Ichhamati in Bengal. This small town remained secluded and unaffected by the struggle of rest of India and carried on with its lives and people. The story tells the lives of the period and struggle and oppression of the farmers on Indigo plantation.

The book has many stories. All the stories are well sorted and do not create confusion. The story runs at an easy pace. There are many, not one lovable character. I like the way the author explored every character and give space.

The translation is simply brilliant. I have read translated versions of the books before and this one stands out and one of the best. Rimli has done a great job without killing the soul that is the Bengali connection of the story. The style remained the same.

If you are someone like to read a good book and not in a hurry to complete a goal of a certain number of books in a limited period, then take my words, and pick this book. You will not regret. Read it on a comforting pace, do not haste. This book will be best when read at a comfortable pace.

Have a happy reading!

Bio

Rimli Bhattacharya trained in Comparative Literature and works on literature, performance history, and the arts. Her translations from Bengali to English include the autobiographies of Binodini Dasi My Story & My Life as an Actress (1998), Rabindranath Tagore’s Four Chapters (Char Addhyay) and two other novels of Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay.

Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay was born in Ghoshpara-Muratipur village in Bengal on 12 September 1894. His ancestral home was in Barakpur (formerly in Jessore District) on the banks of the river Ichhamati. He moved to Calcutta for higher studies.

Bibhutibhushan spent his time writing and traveling intensively, particularly in the forests of Bihar, participating in literary meets and conferences, until his sudden death in Ghatshila on 1 November 1950. Besides numerous unpublished manuscripts, his oeuvre comprises seventeen novels, seven diaries-travelogue, and over two hundred short stories. He was posthumously awarded the Rabindra Puruskar in 1951 for Ichhamati, his last novel.

Order your Copy Here: Amazon

‘I received a copy from Publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.’

Letters to My Ex

03 Tuesday Apr 2018

Posted by thereviewauthor in Fiction

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contemporary, Romance

38558568Author – Nikita Singh

Rating – 3/5 stars

Number of Pages – 141

Publisher – Harper Collins Publisher India

Many times it happens, the things left unsaid. Letters to My Ex is a story of things left unsaid and unspoken words and trying to discover what it was and how it affected their relationship and bring them to a crossroad.

They visited again and rewind the time they spent together in the café, on the streets hand in hand and conversations they had over the phone calls and still few things they afraid to say to each other. Why did that happen? We discover it in the book.

The plot is great, in fact, unique which makes it different. I was more intrigue in the story just because of the plot. The storyline is good that is in the form of letters but could have been better. I am not completely impressed how the story runs through the pages. This is not her best work.

The thing I like about the story is the way protagonist Nidhi bared it all in the letters she writes to her ex. She said it all and opened her heart to Abhay to read it like a book. Nidhi knew what she wants from life and Abhay and not afraid to say it and take the plunge. The character of Nidhi is a strong girl.

The author sketched the characters beautifully. The characters are sorted and the author knew where to take the story. It is a short book which hardly takes few hours. Looking for a new plot story. Give it a try.

A story of love and togetherness. A story of heartbreaks and hopes. A story of unfulfilled promises.

Author Bio

Nikita Singh is the bestselling author of ten novels, including Every Time It Rains and Like a Love Song. She is also a contributing writer to The Backbenchers series and the editor of two collections of short stories, 25 Strokes of Kindness and The Turning Point.

Born in Patna and raised in Indore, Nikita worked in the book publishing industry in New Delhi for a few years before moving to New York for her MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) at The New School.

Nikita lives in Manhattan, where she does digital content and marketing for a solar energy company. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram (@singh_nikita) or on Facebook.

Order your Copy Here: Amazon

‘I received a copy from Writersmelon in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.’

The Boy

29 Thursday Mar 2018

Posted by thereviewauthor in Fiction

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

short stories

38521313Author – Nrupal Das

Rating – 3/5 stars

Number of Pages – 14

The boy is a story of a family. That family is ours. That boy could be you.

The story of a boy who went to play his usual tennis ball cricket in a nearby field. Nothing was unusual that day. Until in the evening when the boy does not return and a friend tells her mom that the boy never went to play that day.

A frantic search begins with the neighbors and the boy’s friends pulling in all their resources. Does the boy return? Where did he go? Where was he taken? What happens at the end?

The boy is an interesting story of a small boy loves his parents and happy in his small world around his parents, school, friends, and cricket. We were all like this at that tender age when nothing was a lie and every word seems true.

The start is good. You get totally into the story. I eagerly waited for the story to unfold. The story carries the innocence. It is relatable and emotional. I like the plot of the story which is great.

The boy is a perfect companion for your coffee break. A short story of a boy that speaks to you and he too likes a happily ever after family stories.

Would you like to meet him? Pick a copy.

Order your Copy Here: Amazon

 ‘I received a copy from Author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.’

tinytale #42 ‘Sky is the Limit’

19 Monday Mar 2018

Posted by thereviewauthor in Author's Ink

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#tinytales

She came flying down sits on a tall tree looking for something. She flies from one branch to another sits under the cover of leaves to rest for a while, to catch her breath.

She chirps calling her friends to join in the fun. She drank, bathe and danced in the water having her time and flies again.

She does not stop at one place, going from one place to another looks like in a hurry, like someone is waiting for her, like she is keen to meet someone, like she wants to reach somewhere soon, very soon. And she flies again in the open sky with no boundaries and no limits.

The sky is the limit for her and no one can stop her till she stops herself, only to start again. She trusts on her wings.

Do you?

When the Chief fell in Love

14 Wednesday Mar 2018

Posted by thereviewauthor in Fiction

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Political, Romance

38209311Author – Tuhin A. Sinha

Rating – 3.5/5 stars

Number of Pages – 248

Publisher – Fingerprint Publishers

This is a story of two souls crossing paths again and again by fate and fell in love accidentally. Will destiny bring them together never to part them? This is a story of Vihaan Shastri and Zaira Bhat. Vihaan, a young and dynamic boy seeing his future in politics lost his heart to Zaira. Zaira never able to fall in love again lost her heart to Vihaan.

The love affair begins in 1990 to not end ever. It is a story of eternal love and what it takes to love someone eternally. Loving someone more than your life and losing them, again and again, seeing her go away from your hands when it was so near to get hold and stop. A love story tangled in political aspirations and dreams.

The story constitutes some real events supporting the plot and pushes the story further such as India’s counter strike in 2016. The two leaps in the story are interesting to watch shaping their lives but did not change their feelings for each other. It is interesting to see the development of the story flowing smoothly through time and travel.

The plot is interesting with intriguing storyline settled in the backdrop of Kashmir and its troubled fortune. The story raises many questions and the protagonist as a young politician has ambitious plans to bring peace in the valley and to their people who deserve more than an unsettled life surrounded by the blooded fate of Kashmir. It also tells how a politician should be.

The poems are good and leave you wanting more of them. A simple story of love and its complications. A story that does not end on the last page of the book and goes beyond.

Author Bio

Tuhin A. Sinha is a best-selling author and politician.

Tuhin is acknowledged among the most prolific Indian writers with a maverick knack of experimenting with new genres. His first book came in 2006, That Thing Called Love and this is his tenth book in eleven and half years now.

Tuhin has also been a screenwriter of several popular TV shows, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, being one of them, which he co-writes in 2011-12.

At present, Tuhin is involved as a special initiative advisor to Shri Nitin Gadkari for his ministries, with a special focus on designing newer communication strategies for Road Safety and Namami Gange. He is also a prominent face on prime-time debates on national television, representing the BJP.

Order your Copy Here: Amazon

‘I received a copy from Writersmelon in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.’

Nautanki Diaries

10 Saturday Mar 2018

Posted by thereviewauthor in Non-Fiction

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Diary, Humour, memoir, Sports, Travel, travelogue, True Accounts

image016 (1).jpgAuthor – Dominic Franks

Rating – 5/5 stars

Number of Pages – 272

Publisher – Rupa Publications

Nautanki Diaries is a journey of dream and endurance author dreamed much before he actually had undertaken and hit the road in 2010. Inspired by his teacher who had gone on a similar yatra years ago. His experience helped him to stay put and push his limits to the edge of breaking down.

He explored his country from journey begins from Bengaluru to New Delhi to reach in time for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The author takes you on a journey of twenty-two days on a cycle describing the India he found reckon with conversations he has along the way.

Nautanki Diaries is a love story of a man and his ‘doodhwalla’ bicycle. Nautanki has her own tantrum and she is the best travel partner and a companion one would think of. She worthy to be trusted and takes good care of her rider not creating much ruckus when treated with love and care; regular service and oiling of her parts.

The time I started the book, I fell in love with Nautanki. She looks like the best companion Dominic can ever think he had. She is his travel partner and a girl-friend he trusted with his life.

The writing is at its best. One could not think of a better-written travelogue than this one. This is one of the best-written non-fiction travel diaries and I will like to read it again. It is a well-crafted smooth read with a quirky humor and candor. I like every inch of it and recommend to every reader wants to read something refreshingly new.

Author Bio

Dominic Franks graduated from Bangalore Medical College. His passion for sports led him to give up his career in medicine and join a premier sports channel. In September 2010, he decided to go on a cross-country bicycle journey from Bengaluru to New Delhi to witness the Commonwealth Games. It’s Not About the Cycle – winner of Best Adventure Film at the 2017 Toronto Beaches Film Festival – stars Nautanki, his bicycle, the central character of Nautanki Diaries.

Currently, he is working on producing his first documentary feature about human-animal relationships.

When not working to travel, or traveling on works, Franks holes up in Bengaluru where he lives, laughs and loves.

Order your Copy Here: Amazon

‘I received a copy from Publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.’

Cross Connection

06 Tuesday Mar 2018

Posted by thereviewauthor in Fiction

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Family and Relationship, Humour

38530841.jpgAuthor – Deepali Joshi Adhikary

Rating – 3/5 stars

Number of Pages – 41

Publisher – Amazon

Cross Connection is inspired by the life of the author. The marriage in India is a big festivity. It is not a union between two people but the two families. Cross Connection is the story of a two clan, religion, and culture comes under one roof when two people fell in love with each other and take a step forward, marriage.

It is a memoir of personal experience of author’s life, includes marriage, parenting and more. The story is written in a light mood with sweet and spicy encounters of her life. The story has a lot of scope in terms of narration. It is filled with quirky humor and challenges she faced in coming to terms with her new life in completely different culture. Deepali has been writing and contributing to publications and that reflects in her writing this book.

It is a light-hearted and quick read. An enjoyable, interesting and nicely written story of two cultures of rosogolla and puran poli.

Author Bio

Deepali Joshi Adhikary is an Indore based freelance writer and blogger. She blogs at Kolorpencil.com and contributes to various online publications. She also works with brands as a social influencer. Her writings portfolio spans across light-hearted humor to social issues, her parenting challenges and reviews of books.

An ex-banker, Deepali is also a corporate trainer and an educator. She has a keen interest in andragogy as well as pedagogy and loves to work with different age groups. When she is not writing or training, she likes to read and watch movies.

Connect with her on www.kolorpencil.com

FB: @deepali.joshi.1865

Twitter: @deepaliadhikary

Instagram: @strokesofkolorpencil

Order your Copy Here: Amazon

‘I received a copy from Author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.’

tinytale #41 ‘Third Eye’

02 Friday Mar 2018

Posted by thereviewauthor in Fiction

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

#tinytales

I saw the pain and I saw remorse.

I saw the smile and I saw celebration.

I saw the blue sky and I saw the rainbow.

I saw the rain and I smell petrichor.

I saw the world through the eyes of the people and I saw the people around the world. What I did not comprehend is what cause them deep pain and how all of a sudden their lips form a curve. What are these people who can smile in pain?

I thought I know them. I guess wrong. They are no ordinary. An ordinary human does not possess such great strength.

I need a third eye to peep into the hearts of the people to see the things my eyes could not if it means to dive deep to find a pearl.

Stories from Saratchandra

25 Sunday Feb 2018

Posted by thereviewauthor in Fiction

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Tags

short stories

image016.jpgAuthor – Saratchandra Chattopadhyay

Translation – Anindita Mukhopadhyay

Rating – 4/5 stars

Number of Pages – 195

Publisher – Rupa Publications

Saratchandra is one of the most prominent Bengali novelist and short story writers of twentieth-century India. He has a number of stories to his credit written in Bengali language and many of them adapted in movies and plays. This book brings some of his stories translated into English for the readers unknown to Bengali. Most of his work deals with the lifestyle, tragedy and struggle of the village people and the contemporary social practices that prevailed in Bengal of that time. The stories are as old as nearly hundred years.

The stories come from the everyday life of a common man and underprivileged and deprived class of the society. The stories come from rural India. The stories in this book prominently focused on the untouchability, exploitation of the poor by the rich class and the men in power.

This collection has twelve widely acclaimed short stories of the author. The stories ranged from childhood memories of notoriety, a teenage love story which breaks the barrier of the social caste system, a lonely mother, a helpless farmer and other stories showing the facets of society. The ambiance of stories is based on older Bengal of the early twentieth century.

The stories run at a slow pace and take time to build the character. Sometimes I felt the characters lost the track but it was only the time story formulate. They are written in the same manner the stories had written by other writers of that time. You need to be a little patient and read the story till the end to fell in the delight of his writing.

Translation of hard reality, casteism, presenting a vivid picture of rural Bengal.

Bio

Saratchandra Chattopadhyay (1876-1938) was one of the most prolific novelists and short story writers from Bengal in the early twentieth century. Among his novels, his most notable works include Baikunther Will, Pather Dabi, Devdas and Srikanta: stories such as ‘Mejdidi’ and ‘Mohesh’ rank among the most loved. Saratchandra’s powerful portrayals of human, economic and social distress, colonialism, middle-class lives and the rural world are still widely read, translated and have been adapted into films.

Anindita Mukhopadhyay teaches History at the University of Hyderabad and was formerly fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla. She completed her graduation from Presidency College, Calcutta University, Kolkata, her Masters and M.Phil. from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and her Doctoral dissertation from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. She has translated Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Sesher Kobita’ – The Last Poem (2007) and authored Behind the Mask: The Cultural Definition of the Legal Subject (2013).

Order your Copy Here: Amazon

‘I received a copy from Publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.’

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