Me & My Bookshelf !

The Mug of Melancholy is one of the books that was sent across for reviewing. What intrigued me was the mail from the publishers which said that the author has been writing since age 8 and the story line attached with the mail sounded something like Harry Potter novels.  The story line... Everything seems fine for Bhuvan until his 15th birthday! He has lost his mother when he was very young and it was his father who has brought him up. Things change on his 15th birthday when he overhears his dad and his neighbor -Aunt Neera talking about Bhuvan getting a proper training. Further Neera also cautions Anil,Bhuvan's father, that without proper training he is bound to end up killing himself!Bhuvan wants to know about the secret yet does not want to ask his dad about it. He gets a strange dream that night and wakes up a bit shaken.Things do not go well the next day at the library as well.He is killed yet he wakes up alive!Bhuvan finds it hard to understand if it ...

Books can be humorous, fictional, romantic,thriller and so on.But the one that I read today is created a different type of emotion in me.It left a thug in my mind. I am still revolving with the characters! I got this book - Gulabi by Pankaj Suneja for review... Before going on to the story here is what the author shares... The book is about experience of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is challenging disorder often characterized by abnormal social behavior and a significantly altered perception of reality. Its treatment largely depends on medications and psychosocial interventions but no single approach is widely considered effective for all patients. Through this book he offers the readers a glimpse into the multifaceted world of schizophrenia in the form of fictitious storyline revolving around two characters.. So  now you know what the story is all about. Yes, it revolves around two people - Monty and Virginia.And there is also this special character- Gulabi! T...

While I was reading the book - Ramayana - The game of Life - Rise of the sun prince , there was a small sneak peek into the next book -Ramayana- The Game of Life - Shattered Dreams. Just a few pages were enough to kindle my appetite for this book.I was overjoyed when the author sent me this  book for review. Shattered Dreams is the sequel to the Rise of the Sun Prince in the spiritual and motivational series Ramayana- The Game of Life. This book talks of the happenings after the wedding of Rama and Sita. The story is set after 12 years since the Royal Wedding. As the title suggests, it portrays the episodes that take place after Dasaratha decides to Crown Rama as the King.What were the circumstances that led Dasaratha to crown Rama in haste, what happens when the decision is made, the reaction it causes in various strata of the society including inside the palace walls, Rama's banishment and how everyone handles this is the gist of this part of the series. ...

Earlier this month I had signed up for 52 books in 52 weeks reading challenge . In the introductory post, I mentioned that I will be posting reviews categorically. The category that I have chosen for January is Mythology.... I have a soft spot for Mythology. It is interesting and fascinating at the same time! So when The Aryavarta Chronicles Book 3: Kurukshetra came along for review @ Blogadda, I signed up for it without hesitation. This book is the third in the series - The Aryavarta Chronicles by author - Krishna Udaysankar.    I must admit that I have not read the previous books in this series but I was sure it wouldn't matter that much.It is the well known story - Mahabaratha and the author did not leave the reader in mid air. The Dynasties of the Aryavarta and the cast of characters is clearly mentioned in first few pages. The Author's note starts with  a gathering of scholars in circa second millenium BCE where this story / epic was narrated to...

The New Year is here and once again I am signing up for the 52 Books in 52 Weeks- Reading Challenge 2015.More details here. This challenge has many mini challenges as well . Unlike last year, this year I am  diving in with a plan!I seem to be more efficient when there is a clear plan on what I need to do or what has to be done.So I have decided to do a theme a month.[Please note that this is the theme that I intent to follow and not the rule for the reading challenge]. Updated: I have the names of the books written beside the theme for which the reviews are posted in this blog. To read the reviews click on the genres in the header.... Classics Indian writers  - The Mug of Melancholy, Gulabi,From Where I See Collection of short stories Historical fiction Foodie read - Books with a culinary touch , not cook books Books that were turned into a movie Mega Books[More than 500 pages in length] Philosophy / Religion / Mythology - Kurukshetra , Ramayana Humor Rob...

Last month, before Diwali, I was browsing through the shelves of one of the famous stores in the mall. I chanced upon this book and wanted to pick up a copy as I found the book to have some interesting facts. But since it was past the billing time, I could not pick up a copy.But I was very lucky to receive this from Blogadda for review! This book authored by Devdutt Pattanaik, attempts in unlocking the secrets of our ancestors by bringing into light the meanings of the stories,symbols and rituals of the Goddess. There are seven chapters titled Gaia's secret[Greek Goddess] Kali's secret  Gauri's secret  Durga's secret  Lakshmi's secret  Saraswathi's secret  Vitthai's secret In each of these chapters, the author talks about the balance of male and female entities in the society. It flows through each society, through the Gods and Goddesses and through various cultures and countries. And with that the book talks of how the women wer...

When Blogadda sent me this book for review, I had very high expectations. I have already read and reviewed Ravi Subramanian's Bankster and it was a very thrilling and 'hard to put down' read.I expected nothing less from his current novel.As I started reading this book, I was convinced that the book would live up to my expectations. The story line starts with a prologue -the the meeting between the President of Master Card International and the CEO of Visa International.And this happens in  2009 in New York, where some important decisions are charted out. l story starts with the murder of Gillian Tan in Washington DC while on his way to meet the President who also happens to be his pal. From there the story travels to New Delhi,Mumbai, Goa,New York,Rio and back and forth between these places and more. The story revolves around the world of bitcoins, a relatively new term for many of us.It is a sort of digital currency that was founded in 2008 by Satoshi...