I found Recovery with a Hole in my Soul - Anchal Duggal

Rating : 4.0

...realized how potentially strong emotions were in our case. It was not possessiveness but obsession for one another that knew no bounds. There were no rules put down but unknowingly, unsaid some conditions just sprouted on their own. And we were happy living with them, without complaint. 

I want you guys to know that I can rate a book very poorly and I won't care at ALL about what the author would say. But, this was a case in which I REALLY liked/loved this book. 

This is the story of a the author who becomes a widow at a very young age. She describes her journey from happiness to depression to recovery. The book is written beautifully. The romance in the book was written in a way that cannot be described in any way. I was indulged deeply while reading this story. Two plots are running parallel to each other in the story. odd chapters (Chapters 1,3,5,7...) describes her life before the death of her husband. Even chapters (chapter 2,4,6,8...) are the story of how devastated, Anchal got after the death of her Super-Loving husband. 

Odd chapters contain such kind of a story that you get lively and chirpy reading the romance. Even chapters are very touching and heart-felt. I am happy at the idea and brilliance of the author in writing her story in this format, because the plot doesn't sink and becomes dark. It portrays a mixture of happy and sad, one at a time. At one point - you are wiping your tears (My eyes were honestly moist), and at another, you want hug a pillow! However, you would feel that the child of the author is not told about, at regular intervals (Nah, not that big a problem). I would like to praise the author for her beautiful poetry inside the book at various points.

While the stories run, they finally mingle by the end of this book (AMAZING FOR A DEBUT BOOK). And all you are left with, once you have read the book, are the rays of hope and optimism in your heart.

CONCLUSION: This book is a MASTERPIECE. I want to tattoo its story onto my body and read it over and over again. It will remind you of CECELIA AHERN'S - P.S. I LOVE YOU. But, my verdict says that it is better. Finally, you would definitely want to read this book again (after completing it) through the odd chapters, since you know the ending in your heart.

The Poetry of a Common Indian Female - Virendra Desai

Rating : 3.0

*Note: A copy of this book was won by me in a giveaway

This book has a collection of 7 stories about 7 ordinary Indian women, who lived extraordinary lives.
Story 1: Domestic Violence
Story 2: Success
Story 3: Poverty
Story 4: Hard Work
Story 5: Helping the Poor
Story 6: Social Service
Story 7: Poverty

The stories were great. Although, the thing which irritates me, is the portrayal of the story. This book was the debut book of Virendra Narayan Desai, for which I may say, is the reason why the author's writing style was not very good. He has used sentences and even paragraphs in Hindi. However, he translated them to English and mentioned them in brackets. It would've been better if he initially chose to write them ... The author lacks story telling skills. Without them, the stories are not able to show their potential and, the stories could've spoken to the readers. The author attempts at humor at times (mostly not good).

I obviously expected a lot from this book, since its summary was very engaging and attractive. The cover brings a spark of feminism and equality (maybe patriotism for some). You read the book, and you are left with hope and optimism (as promised by the title). So, 3 stars because it is equal to "I liked it".

CONCLUSION: This book is not POETRY! If you'd like to try Non-Fiction, this is DEFINITELY for you. Don't keep your expectations high, and try to focus on the STORY, not the writing's flaws - you'll like it.

Under A Blood Moon (The Alex Hayden Chronicles Book 1) - Michael Andrews

Rating : 4.5

 *Note: A copy of this book was provided to me by the author in return for an HONEST review. 


 I want you guys to know that I can rate a book very poorly and I won't care at ALL about what the author would say. But, this was a case in which I REALLY liked/loved this book. 

This book is the first one in the Alex Hayden Chronicles . It is the story of a boy named Alexander/Alex Hayden, who is a vampire. He has a teenager's body but actually has lived more than a thousand years. He was about to kill himself near the beach, before the dawn, when Detective Harry enters into the story who recently lost his son and due to this, he has concern for Alex. Alex sensed the feeling of loss in the detective's soul, so decided to hang on for a while. Doing so, he got to know about the murders taking place in Blackpool (the area) in which corpses of headless women in their early twenties were being discovered frequently. Alex knows that this is not something to be easily ignored and requires his attention.

IMPORTANT: During a lunar eclipse, the moon turns red. It is thus, also called A BLOOD MOON.
I do not have any hesitation to say that this is my first ever Vampire book! However, I faced NO PROBLEM AT ALL! I got to know a lot about vampires, the people of their KIN, their abilities, their powers, their disabilities, witches, warlocks etc. The action is FAN-TAS-TIC! The characters are amazingly described and have important roles in the story. The scenes in the book are written so amazingly that you'll get to watch them come alive inside your head.

 By the time you finish the book about 70%, twists occur in the story for the ending to take place. You will get desperate to know, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT after each chapter. Some of you might even get goosebumps. Believe me, you definitely wouldn't want to read this book at night, like I did (till 3:00am). The epilogue was like a shock to me, and I got a bit scared (maybe the night time was the culprit!)...

 I have received the second book in the series in the paperback format. So, I'll review it soon.

  CONCLUSION: Even if you're not a fantasy or vampire book fan, you SHOULD read this book, because the setting of this book in a NORMAL state in England. You're going to love it, believe me. This book deserves your read!

Half Life - M. H. Rahman

Rating : 5.0
 + 

*Note: A copy of this book was provided to me by the author in return for an HONEST review.

I want you guys to know that I can rate a book very poorly and I won't care at ALL about what the author would say. But, this was a case in which I REALLY liked/loved this book. 

This book is the masterpiece (ironically, the DEBUT) of M. H. Rahman. In fact, this is NOT a book. This is a SUPER-HIT Hollywood movie with the story written by an Indian. How could you even think of this story, huh?! Did God come specially to your bedside, and whisper this plot to you? I was swimming inside this book when it surrounded me by the clouds of my imagination.

 ** NO SPOILERS ** This story is about a man named Parker Williamson, who gets nightmares of two kids drowning a ten month old baby in the swimming pool. He believes that this nightmare really occurred during his childhood, but his dad (Stanford Williamson) denies. Also, he desires to win back a palace which his uncle (George Williamson) seized allegedly.

  The first half of this book has BEAUTIFULLY-Written (not erotica) romance, which pulls you inside... You wouldn't want to stop until you finish reading. While reading it, I was sighing, I was awe-stuck and I changed positions! It cannot be described in words, how amazing the experience of reading this book was. When you are halfway through, your jaw would be lying on the floor! The last part of the book/the CLIMAX reveals all mysteries, but not all at once, because an appreciable part of them have been revealed previously and gradually.

 CONCLUSION: READ IT! Thank me later for suggesting it. ;)  

Vasu and the Matsya Temple - Rajeev Tanwar

Rating : 3.6

"A group of children have shown us what great things can be accomplished by simply having faith in oneself, and doing the right thing". 

In this book, Vasu is taken and takes you on a ride through the jungles, and enchanted oceans... Why does it seem that I've known this story a bit??

Oh yes! I watched this as a movie in my childhood! But, it is just slightly similar.

Anyways, the story begins as a Jungle mystery and leads to a kidnapping of the newborn son of archaeologist Shridhar Gupta, who found a locket during research in the jungles and gifted it to him. The story reveals fantasy when it introduces characters which are related to the characters. In just the second chapter, readers are introduced to the oceanic world ruled by Maharaja Siddhivarun , and it (Ch 2-6) seems dragged till you want to scratch your head off.... 

Readers would be totally mesmerized by the story as it would make them wonder about the world they are presently living in, towards its (maybe true) reality. The plot is full of fantasy which has been explained properly and somewhat scientifically. The story moves 11 years forward and Vasu is brought up as a normal boy (in the ordinary world - Bhoomi Author has smartly explained about the changes within these years SLOWLY, to us as well as Vasu.

Maharaja Siddhivarun gets ill because of the evil villain - Samraat Viraat Shatru & the king's evil wife - and he has forgotten everything... He slowly falls into a deep sleep, from which he needed to be woken up. The plot proclaims about a great war, which never happens. But is just a small fight. Many exciting twists and turns take place, which grasped my attention, nicely. However, few grammatical errors in the book irritated me (for which I can never forgive the author!). But, I have not taken it into account of my rating. 
The story lacks reality at times in the characters which are NORMAL CHILDREN! For example - a girl who can find directions with the help of meditation - SHE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THE FANTASY A FEW HOURS AGO! The characters (small orphan children) should have been shown a little older, because this is making the story seem for kids.

The ending is excellently portrayed and wins the heart. But, few mysteries remain. I expect them to be revealed in the forthcoming books in the series.

CONCLUSION: This book is the first book of the Asthamangala Adventures, but somewhat has a stand-alone plot. However, you'd be eagerly waiting for the next book. Someone who has never read fantasy would even fall for this book. For the people thinking that this is a Sanskrit-Mahabharata-type book: IT IS DEFINITELY NOT! It steals your thoughts away. I promise you that you wouldn NEVER get bored. Give this book a try, and you'll get addicted! ;)

*Note - A copy of this book was sent to me by the author in return for an HONEST review.

Paper Towns - John Green

Rating : 4.5

This book was a GREAT JOURNEY! I loved everything about this book although it was missing some good views of Margo. She disappeared before the readers could get a grasp of her. John Green brings out a book somewhat like Looking for Alaska . 

What I would suggest to everyone would be that - This book is written in 3 parts: The Strings, The Grass and The Vessel ; Read every part in one go . 
If you LOVED looking for alaska, you'd like Paper Towns too. It has some amazing quotes *John Green stuff*! I officially love John Green now! This book had a sad ending and some would find it emotional as well. I read this book because my classmate suggested it to me and also, they're making a movie! 

You should definitely read this book because 1) It is written by John Green 2) It is like Looking for Alaska 3) It has mystery which is described properly and is easy to understand 4) It uses the words like 'Deadpanned' , 'Nonchalantly' and 'Labyrinth' which proves that it is a book by John Green. 5) Romance is not too much ; it's a crush 6) Every part is written in a different Genre.

So, yeah, YOU HAVE TO READ IT! Okay?! 

Looking for Alaska - John Green

Rating : 5.0

This book was even better than The Fault In Our Stars. The way in which Miles Halter describes everyone and every situation was so beautiful. For Example, Alaska Young : "...the hottest girl in all of human history was standing before me in cut-off jeans and a peach tank top". The first half of the book was really happy, romantic, bit funny and cute. The second half was really serious. Although it felt really stretched, the second half became awesome by the end. I got a bit emotional by the time the first half ended. The story was soooo beautiful. The characters remind me of my school mates. I recommend it to everyone! John Green is the best! :') 

How to stop your grownup from making bad decisions (Nina the Philosopher, #1) - Judy Balan

Rating : 5.0
 + 

I don't know where to start! :) This book was an amazing journey in which I could relate so many things from my life being a teenager. The characters are realistic even though Nina has her own fantasies about them. 

The writing style and pattern, both are NEW in this boring world of cliches. If you are a teenager who wants more of an Indian teen book, Nina would be more than happy to amaze you. The illustrations are pretty funny but they are not too much in number which is a good thing for the book. This was a book I have been craving for such a book. 

This book is for TEENS and TWEENS too. By the end of the book, I was like - I want MORE! :P Nina, I can picture my shelf with your complete set of books when you write your blog (book). As for the title, you have to read the book in order to know the back story. 

Judy Balan is full of bright ideas and quite a lot of gags *as I understand from her writing*... This book was indeed like how a good story should be - Comedy, Family Drama, a teensy-weensy bit of Fantasy and it even had a climax! Happy Ending! I'm sure it will appeal to all the kids, teens and tweens in India.

My personal chat to her  -  "I read it. Yes. I READ IT! Amazing! Loved it! A blog? What an idea! :) You are REALLY very talented. It seems as if my Lord Jesus had a plan to make me read this book - 
1. Giveaway
2. Lungi Dance and other bollywood referrences...
3. Craving for a graphic book after Wimpy Kid and other non-graphic books.
4. Something that could appeal to me.
5. To make me feel as if there are others who think exactly LIKE and as MUCH as I do.
Do you watch How I Met Your Mother or The Middle? Because I heard of the Intervention and the banner of it there; the quote - When God closes a door, he opens a window...
And a compliment - You are the future Judy BLUME (I obviously would know who she is, yes?) "

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock - Matthew Quick

Rating : 2.0

** spoiler alert ** This book is BULLSHIT. I mean it. In the summary, it was clearly mentioned that the author reveals slowly why Leonard Peacock wants to kill Asher Beal. But, nothing until chapter 27 where he tells everything at once - "But first, I want to confess something..." !!! Ewwww! Crap! What a waste of time! 

I was so excited to read this book but it just crashed. I hate this BOOK. I regret reading it. But, 1 star for the writing idea of including reference numbers. I was about to ask my uncle to send this book to me from US since it was not available in my country. Then, I downloaded it from Torrent and sent it to my Kindle. Thank God! 

Worst Part - Leonard Peacock did not kill Asher Beal since he caught him jerking off and starting laughing (!!!), He didn't kill himself with the Paperweight and kept the promise and called Herr Silverman, Leonard fled from Silverman's house where he wanted to help him in the morning, came back home, ate pancakes and LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER. :( WORST BOOK EVER.

Tiger Eyes - Judy Blume

Rating : 4.0

This book is a short read but Judy Blume has taken her time to explain the complete scene of death of Davey's father to the readers. ;) Story - not very fabulous! :/ But still I can say I love it and read it again someday. (Could've been magical ) Davey! You're too silly! :') The plot shifts from darkness to mild light through the time she meets WOLF who helped her not even making her realize. *She called him Wolf and he called her Tiger* *_* contigo la vida es una buena aventura... Judy Blume = #TOOMUCHLOVE

Six Earlier Days (Every Day #0.5) - David Levithan

Rating : 3.0

This was a 47- page book and I can SOMEHOW say that I liked it. Although, David Levithan, shouldn't have written this book. Every Day itself was a masterpiece, and books like it are eternal and alone.

Every Day - David Levithan

Rating : 5.0

This book is really very unique. Authors like David Levithan are the jewels of our generation. I appreciate the amount and quality of the masterpiece he has created. Reading this book was indeed a moving process : Falling in love with a girl knowing that you will not be with her tomorrow or maybe ever. The ending should've been more elaborate...