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'Oh Snap, I'm in JNU!' by Kev Nayak - Book Review

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It is not every day that a book comes, about a university that has fed people’s fantasy for as long as they remember. It is about a university that enjoys a near sacrosanct status, like an impenetrable fort, its students shrouded with a bizarre aura, painting them almost like mythological characters, placing them higher than lesser mortals. And then, this great book that reveals the ages-old old hidden secret - that the university is just like any other institutions, with its share of great philosophy, its glorious and not so glorious history, upside down geography, multi-hued social fabric, a melting pot of all Indian cultures etc. That its students are like any others, with their share of weaknesses and strengths. That this University too is not really different from other universities and colleges in India. The book also narrates in great detail about the temperament of the university, about its undying spirit, which does not kneel down, no matter what – the positivity ...
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When Opposites Meet by Sachin Garg: Book Review

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'When Opposites Meet' by Sachin Garg is a new romantic fiction, which also has comical ingredients in it. The book is about six people whose lives are interlinked. Ritwika Dua is in a wheelchair after she suffers from severe muscle atrophy. She has no one but her mother Indu and cousin Jayant. They live together.  Her teacher, Lokesh Nair discover and informs her that her muscle atrophy is due to a rare genetic disorder known as Lamin Gene Mutation. Ritwika then meets Chetan Jadhav, who is a national level athlete. He too has the same genetic disease but in his case, the muscles are well-developed. Gradually a strong bond develops between the two. Indu Dua, Riwitika's mother meets Professor Nair and falls in love with him. He too develops the same for her. Jayant was a very quiet young man, who was deeply shocked at his sudden demise of his parents. But his life take a turn for good when he meets Aditi Sharma, an extrovert and down-to-earth girl. She ai...
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Oh Shit Not Again: Book Review

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I  badly wish there was some scheme of negative rating as well just for stuff like this book. The book is utter rubbish.  I couldn't gather interest myself to read beyond the second page because the writing  style is worse than abysmal. You will rather feel  better with schoolchildren's compositions. I was genuinely afraid that I may end up forgetting whatever  I know of the English language! The horror begins with the title itself, and I could imagine from the little I subjected myself to - goes on and on until the book somehow mercifully ends. What kind of self-respecting publisher would even want to consider publishing this one, even with asbestos gloves on? Answer: No one. The publishers of this "National Best-Seller" advertise at the very front of the book that those who want to have their book published can email them and Voila! become a "top-selling" author themselves.  I don't really know what justification the publish...
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The Boy Who Loved: Book Review

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The very first reason to buy this book was to learn about the fascination, admiration and addiction that young people have for a contemporary novel. Durjoy Dutta is one of the well-known names (among youth) in India, I couldn't keep myself from reading.  Never in my wildest imagination did I ever think that such a run-of-the-mill book can become one of the bestsellers and finds a decent rating on Goodreads. How can you like, let alone love, a book if the story starts with the hero planning on to attempt suicide for no apparent reason and ends with, more or less, the same way. Like what? The main thing that kept me going through the book was the hope of being treated by an unexpected spectacular climax. The intention of the author was good. He tries to touch onto serious issues - suicide, depression, harassment, religion, etc. but fails miserably in putting it out through good fiction. But fiction or novel-writing is much more than the intention of the author. I...
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This Is Not Your Story: Book Review

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This is a story of determination, grit, desire, and self-discovery. The main characters in this novel   are Shaurya, who has dreams of going to Mumbai to become a filmmaker. Miraya, an interior designer travels to Jaipur for a fresh start of her life. Anubhav, an ambitious would-be entrepreneur and Kasturi, Shaurya's love interest and of course his neighbor. Shaurya plans to go to Mumbai but due to family pressure, he opts for Chartered Accountancy. Miraya had a broken marriage and wants to forget her past. She tries to focus on her work. Anubhav faces a misfortune of losing his parents and soon becomes alcoholic, which was a disgrace to his company. Shaurya's unfulfilled dream taunted his soul but he was unable to take a stand for his dream. Kasturi helps Shaurya and Miraya and then three of them then extend help to Anubhav. They all have their own share of problems except Kasturi and it was a bit confusing. They all share emotional connectedness with each other. E...
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The Patna Manual of Style: Book Review

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One of my friends gifted my the bookThe Patna Manual of Style by Siddharth. The title was intriguing. Blurb was not there to draw me into reading. Still I wanted to give the book a try.    I liked The Importer of Blondes, which is the first story of this short story book. The story had the perfect blend of dialogues, descriptions, tenor and ending. This raised great expectation for the rest of the stories. All the stories have the character of Hriday Thakur, a cosmopolitian Delhi literary elite, a story narrator, a copy-editor/writer struggling to fill his stomach on daily basis, and one has a liking for alcohol and women.  As I  continued reading, the well-narrated stories lost shines towards the ending. 'Death of a Proofreader ' held a  great expectation, but again the ending dissatisfied me. "Tipple Cake" was a good story. The title story will impact your heart. 'Goat-Getting' is another good story. 'The Changing of the Guard felt' ...
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