R.I.P by Mukul Deva

I am a day late in posting the review. I had received a free review copy from blogadda and was supposed to post the review within 7 days. Well, I had planned to post is yesterday but, sometimes life has something else in store for you. Well, as the saying goes better late than ever. RIP by Mukul Deva is a fast paced political thriller with elements of love and parenthood in it. As you read it, you realize that the author had drawn inspiration from India's present political, social and economic scenario. Here is the blurb from the book cover.

R.I.P. The Resurgent Indian Patriots. Self- appointed guardians of a nation seething with anger at the endless scams and scandals rocking its very foundation. Vigilantes who vow to stop corrupt politicians and colluding civil servants. Even if it means killing them. Colonel Krishna Athawale and his team of Special Forces officers rally to protect the country from the enemy within. They call themselves the K-Team. And no one is safe from their deadly intent. Hellbent on stopping them is Raghav Bhagat, rogue para commando, gun for hire and Krishna's bete noir. Caught in the crossfire is Vinod Bedi, Special Director CBI. Reena Bhagat, a glamorous news anchor, embittered by her husband's betrayal. And two young boys, Sachin and Azaan, torn apart by the loss of a parent. It doesn't get bigger.

K team has taken it in their hands to resolve the issues facing the nation. For that they carry out meticulously planned assassination of prominent people in power who are corrupt and are splurging common's man money on themselves. This is done to warn the government that unless they change their attitude, things are going to get real dirty.

The narration is fast and crisp and keeps you engaged pretty well. Explanation or various methods and techniques for assassination are provided where deemed necessary. As I read the novel it reminded me of Rang De Basanti and A Wednesday. These two acclaimed movies shows how common man fed up with corrupt politicians take it in their own hands to clean the system. While the movie had strong characters that were etched into your mind, RIP lacks that. I felt the author could have worked a bit more on the characters to make them more relatable. The passion to save the country which the characters felt didn't reflect in the writing.

 RIP has the elements of a masala Bollywood thriller. I would not be surprised if it adapted into one in times to come. Having said that, I should also mention that towards the end of the novel I could predict what is going to happen. Guess, I have seen too many Bollywood movies. Political thriller is not really a genre I read much. So, it was a welcome change for me. If you are looking for a quick read, surly give it a try. I will give it a generous 3/5.

This review is a part of the biggest Book Reviews Program. for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books! Thank you Blog adda for giving me the opportunity.

Thank you for stopping by. Cheers!

The Seeds Of War by Ashok K. Banker

Indian mythology or mythological fiction caught my fancy ever since I read a few books in this genre after a few recommendations from a blogger friend. Ashok Banker is a prominent name when it comes to Indian mythology. I have read a few books of the Ramayana series by the author and I thoroughly enjoyed them. That is why when I got an opportunity to review the author's book 'The Seeds of War', I literally jumped at the opportunity. This is the 2nd book of his Mahabharata series, the first one being 'The Forest of Stories'. I haven't read the first book but, I am going to get myself a copy soon. I generally read the books in a series in its chronological order but, here I let go the rule as I am somewhat familiar with the epic.

Synopsis:

The Seeds of War, Book Two in Ashok Banker's MBA series, introduces us to the elder protagonists of the epic, as well as some of the great loves and lusts, friendships and enmities, politics and self-sacrifice that will lay the seeds that will eventually fester and erupt into the mother of all wars. At first it may seem that the journey is the reward,with seemingly unrelated love stories, fantastical tales of exploits in the heavenly realms, divine pacts and demoniac trysts. But it soon becomes evident that all these form a tapestry revealing the grandeur and glamour of the Kuru Bharata race itself, the growing descendants of the original tribe that established perhaps the greatest and oldest human civilization ever known in recorded history. Their loves and enmities are epic, their stories astonishing, their personalities mercurial. Every page you turn reveals magical new thrills and wonders. As one larger-than-life personality after another strides onstage, the drama ratchets up to thriller level, the arrow swarms begin to fly and conflicts turn ugly as the author of the Ramayana Series once again proves himself the master of epics.

When you pick up a Ashok Banker book, be sure that, you would be transported into the wonderful world of mythology with great characters and stories. If you pick this book, do read the introduction part where the author tells us what to expect from the book. In the words of the author:

“This is not an epic fantasy. This is not a sci-fi rendition. It is not a futuristic version. If you are expecting any of these things, you’re going to be disappointed. This is simply the Mahabharata of Krishna Dweipayana Vyasa retold by one man. That man is me, of course."

Disappointment is far from what you will feel after having read this book. You will be left wanting for more. The novel takes us through story of Devayani, the daughter of Sukracharya, and Kacha, the son of Brihaspati and then moves on to the tale of Yayati. From there it moves to the life of Shantanu and Ganga, leading to the story of Devavrata, later known as Bhisma. All these stories are greatly interconnected and in due time, their correlation will reflect on the Great War - Mahabharata. Unlike the Ramayana series where the author had taken creative liberties in narrating the epic, here the author says, he has reminded true to the original Mahabharata by Vyasa.

The best thing about the author's work is his narration style. It keeps you glued, interested and riveted. The characters comes live and you can picture every scene in your mind. In short, you are transported to that era! There are many stories or parts of it that I was familiar with, but not a single time I felt a dull moment. That is the beauty of the epic but coupled with the author's narration, it was simply absorbing and very much worth reading.

If you the slightest interest in Indian mythology, you can't miss this one. I am really looking forward to the rest of the series.

This review is a part of the biggest Book Reviews Program. for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books! Thank you Blog adda for giving me the opportunity.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Books Update

I can't believe that already half of the first month of 2013 have passed by. It was only some time back, we were all set to welcome the new year and now already so many days of 2013 have passed and soon it will be time for the next month.

On the blogging front, I have been super lazy. I don't know why but, I feel I haven't had the time to sit down and blog about a new recipe or lie down with a book. I haven't even had the chance to round up my favorites for the year 2012, like the one I did last year. If I go on to make a list of things I wanted to do, but didn't, the list would be really long. Instead, I should start doing what I didn't. That would definitely help to shorten my to-do-list.

There are some books I read last year that I have not reviewed here yet.

First one is 'The Hunger Games' series by Suzanne Collins. I know by not writing about, I am not doing justice to the series. I was a great read. I was literally glued to the series till I had completed the last book. The first book of the series was the best of the series. I would write about it in detail soon, but for now a simple rating should do.

The Hunger Games - 5/5
Catching Fire- 4/5
Mocking-jay -3.5/5

Revolution 2020 by Chetan Bhagat - 2.5/5
I am not a Chetan Bhagat fan, but I have read all his books. I generally read them between serious reads. Revolution 2020 didn't entice me much. You can give it a miss..

Saraswati Park by Anjali Joseph - 1.5/5
This was simply not my kind of book. It was rather painstakingly slow and uninteresting. I left it unfinished.

I am keeping my reading list short this year and have only joined GoodReads challenge this year. My target it to read 36 books this year. Currently, I am reading Chanakya's Chant by Ashwin Sanghi. This month I also plan to read 'The Krishna Key by Ashwin Sanghi and Not a penny more, not a penny less by Jeffrey Archer.

What are your reading goals? Any books recommendations? Would love to hear. 
Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Khaman Dhokla ~ Savoury Steamed Spongy Chickpea Flour Cake

I absolutely love Khaman Dhokla. Most of the time I make it with ready to use Dhokla mix. They are really a great time saver. But there are times when I run out of these instant packs. It was one of those occasions when I decided to make it from scratch. I have tried a lot of different recipes and I have finally zeroed on this one. It is really a simple and quick recipe.

Khaman Dhokla is a Gujarati snack but it popular through out India. The best thing about it is steamed and hence, is healthy and low calorie. So, even if your new year resolution says to stay away from fast food, you can relish this quick snack.

Recipe Source: Shveta's Cooking Blog

Khaman Dhokla ~ Savoury Steamed Spongy Chickpea Flour Cake

1 cup chick pea flour
2 tbsp sun flower oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
11/2 tbsp sugar
About 1/2 cup water
1 tsp Eno fruit salt

For tempering

1 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
4-5 curry leaves
1-2 green chillies slit
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
2-3 tbsp water
2 tbsp sugar

For garnishing
Chopped coriander

Process:

1. In a large bowl add the chickpea flour, salt, sugar, oil and lemon juice. Stir and add water little by little to make a smooth thin batter (a little thinner than cake batter).
2. Place a large pan on heat. Add about a cup of water and a ring on which to place the pan for steaming Dhokla.
3. Grease a 8" sandwich cake tin with oil. Keep aside. Add Eno fruit salt to the batter and whisk lightly. The batter will increase in volume. Pour the batter in the prepared tin and place it in the pan of boiling water. Cover and steam for 12-15 minutes on medium heat. When done, a skewer inserted in the Dhokla will come out clean. Take it off heat and let it cool down.
4. Heat the oil for tempering. When hot, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. When it splutters add the green chili and red chili powder. Take it off gas. Set aside.
5. Mix water, sugar and lemon juice. Add it to the tempering mixture. Spoon it over the cooled Dhokla  Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves. Serve with green chutney, sweet dates and tamarind chutney or tomato ketchup! Enjoy!

Note: You can also add some sesame seeds to the tempering and fresh shredded coconut for garnishing. I skipped it as I didn't have it at hand.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Wordless Wednesday - Setting Sun!

Linking it to Wordless Wednesday