Metamorphing by Kunal Pancholi

I should have posted the review of this book months ago. But, as fate would have it, it got postponed indefinitely. I received this book as a review copy from the publishers and hence, I have been feeling guilty for not taking out the time to post the review here. Finally, I am penning down my thoughts about it and I am feeling good. 

The 'metamorphing' in the title of the book is essentially 'metamorphosing'. I guess the author used metamorphing' for sheer convenience. 

When I first had a look at the cover of the book - Metamorphing by Kunal Pancholi, I gave me a eerie feeling. The cover depicts a murder site and it says - The Hunt Begins. It had been a while since I read a murder mystery, so I was really looking forward to find out what this book had to offer. Before delving further deeper into the story in the book, I must share what the blurb of the book has to say.

28TH APRIL, 2000: Flight No. 9x4876 bound to Srinagar has crash landed into the Everest Base camp. Unconfirmed reports suggest that the flight mysteriously went off the radar for few minutes and missed its landing. All passengers are feared dead… except for three bodies that are yet to be recovered.

8TH DECEMBER, 2050:This, without doubt is the most gruesome murder in recent times. Early this morning, an unidentified woman was found mutilated at the western gates of the abandoned Victoria Terminus Station in Mumbai. Authorities report her head was … well … semi-decapitated and she was drained of all her blood. The shocking part - the crime scene was devoid of any signs of blood spatter…

ROHAN: I was shorter than the shortest girl in school; I had to be ahead in the game!
RUDRA: "Was I a private detective? What kind of sinister case am I getting into?"

"A thrilling tale about two men bound by an untraceable yet undeniable fate. One running away from his past, another unaware of his own."

 
If you think you have an inkling of what is happening in the book, then you are likely in for some surprise. As is evident there are two main characters of the story - Rohan and Rudra. The story is narrated in first person by these two characters in alternate chapters. That can get quite confusing if not done right, but in this book the author has done a commendable job in maintaining the clarity in the narration. The language used in the book is simple and easy to understand. The two narrations, although completely different seem to complement each other quite well and build the tempo in the story.

I would not want to reveal anything about the story than what is already revealed in the blurb, as that would definitely be a spoiler. I would not be surprised if the author came up with a sequel of the book in future.

This book is a good choice for reading in journeys - it will surely keep boredom at bay.

Once Smitten, Twice Shy, Thrice Lucky by Sandeep Kothapalli ~ A Book Review

Quoted from the blurb:

 

“A narrative that spans 16 years and four cities, Varun takes a trip down the memory lane and opens up his world to you, describing the intricacies of shouldering the burden of expectations his family has on him and yet coming up triumphant, the importance of having a friend’s shoulder to cry on when you are down and out and the perks of being a soldier’s son. 

Join the emotional sissy that he calls himself; in his roller coaster ride as he tries to unlock the eternal mystery that is LOVE. In a romantic relationship that has gone kaput, with two women who are as different as chalk and cheese, he finally meets the love of his life.

But do good things come the easy way?

Before that, he has to bear the gut wrenching blows of the henchmen of a local Corporator, physically assault a senior HR leader in his company, almost lose his life in Dharavi and then take on the might of a powerful landlord turned realtor – all though at different stages of his life.

True love is never a one-time event in one’s life. It can hit you in various forms. ‘Once smitten, twice shy, thrice lucky!’ is a story that tells you why Love is a perennial feeling, a mixed bag of myriad emotions no one can ever describe in the true sense.”

I received the book from the author in exchange for an unbiased review.

 

The title of the book and the blurb reveal quite a lot about the book. In that sense, it can be said that the story seem predictable. But, the way the story unfolds is where the charm of the book lies. You can safely assume that the author shares the story of his life where he falls in love 3 times and only the 3^rd time he meets the real love of his life. The book is quite bulky – it has to be- for the narration span over 16 years. That is quite a time to be covered in a single book. Plus there are 3 love stories, albeit 2 unsuccessful. 

The book is divided into three phases, each revolving around the 3 different phases in life. And love happens to him in all the three phases. There are a number of characters at play. I read the book quite slowly, so I found each one of them nicely sketched and depicted. It was as if, I could imagine everything in my mind. At times, it was monotonous – there were unimportant things explained in detail. Otherwise, there is a lot happening in the book, which keeps the readers engaged. Lahiri and Sasha were the two characters that stayed with me, even when I was done with the book. There was something inspiring about these two characters that made them special to me.

In the end, I realized that it is not just a love story; there are so many underlying themes which gel well that make the story entertaining and interesting to read. While you read this book, you are likely to take a few trips down the memory lane as there are quite a few things that most of us can relate to.

Thank you for stopping by. Cheers!

5 Soul Searching Short Stories by Shailesh J. Khatri - A Book Review

Quoted from the blurb -

“Five stories with five critical messages on life… Five situations with the protagonist making a decision that changes his life... Five circumstances that show you that life is never fair and yet… one needs to make the critical decision.

Amar, a promising stock analyst, gets the job of his dreams. However, circumstances lead to his failure. What does Amar do?

Uma is looking for the purpose of his life. He wants to give up the luxuries of life to find the truth. Does he eventually succeed?

Ravi loses his job one fine day and befriends those who tell him that the rich should sacrifice for the poor. He believes them. Does he benefit?

Vikas is shocked and annoyed when his parents decide to take him to their native village instead of Switzerland. What does he learn?

Pratap, a gold medalist in law, gets the job of his dreams in a well-known law firm. He faces a trying case. How does he respond?”

I received the book from BecomeShakespeare.com in exchange for an unbiased review.

When I first heard about this title, I expected that this book will be packed with 5 stories told in an extra-ordinary way. The word ‘soul-searching’ in the title of the book is what got my attention. Now, Lets find out if the book live up to my expectations?

Consisting of a bare 115 pages, this book 5 Soul-Searching Short Stories by Shailesh Khatri falls in the type of book that you can finish reading in a short reading session. The plots of the story are such that you can relate to it – they are picked from the everyday happenings in an ordinary man’s life. However, the way the stories are written and narrated doesn’t make the desired impact. There is something lacking in the narration which makes the stories easily forgettable.

All the stories start well and have the capacity to keep the reader’s engaged, but somewhere in between the narration falters. The plots are good, but depth in characterization is lacking. Another minus point was that the stories were quite predictable. So, the reader had nothing to look forward to at the end of a story.

I understand the author has put in a lot of effort in his maiden book. I hope my review will help him in doing away with these drawbacks in his next work.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Eggless Microwave Brownie in Just 3 Minutes | Brownie Recipes | Easy Dessert Ideas

Eggless Microwave Brownie #Recipe 

Eggless Microwave Brownie is my go-to dessert when I feel like indulging in a brownie but don't have the heart to bake a whole lot. A simple and easy brownie recipe for 2 that can be made in the microwave in just 3 minutes.

I am very much a brownie person – I prefer a brownie over a cake any day. There are several reasons for that – brownie is easier and hassle-free to bake. No matter how it turns out, you can always have it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.

I have tried several brownie recipes and you can find a few of them here too. But, the recipe I am sharing today here is different from all those I have already shared. This one is an instant brownie that you can make in your microwave in just about 3 minutes. Yes! You heard that right. With the measures given here, you make 2 serving. It will satiate your brownie craving without giving you the guilt of devouring down a whole batch of brownies! 

 This is a fuss-free recipe that needs only one mixing bowl, a strainer (optional), a whisk and of course 2 ramekins. If you have a friend over, you can make it less than 10 minutes and serve it.

Let’s hop to the recipe now.

Eggless Microwave Brownie

Ingredients:

2 tbsp maida or all-purpose flour

2 tbsp cocoa powder

3 tbsp powdered sugar

2 tbsp yoghurt

2 tbsp melted butter

1-2 tbsp water

2 tbsp chopped dark chocolate

Process:

Grease two microwave safe bowls or ramekins.

In a medium bowl, add shift all the dry ingredients. Made a hole in the centre and add the wet ingredients and mix to form the batter. Add the chopped chocolate. Stir.

Divide the batter equally in the two greased ramekins/bowls.

Microwave it on a high for 2 minutes. Take it out and let it stand for a minute. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. Enjoy!

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

The Bluest Marble by Vipin Kumar - A Book Review

Book: The Bluest Marble
Author: Vipin Kumar
Publisher: Become Shakespeare
Price: Rs. 199
Pages: 264
Genre: Fiction

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

The Bluest Marble by Vipin Kumar is an inspiring novel. It is the story of an ordinary young man who has simple goals in life, but life has other plans for him. As the story unravels the readers get to know about the various facets of his life and personality.

The protagonist of the story is Aditya. He has a good job, good friends, a great bike (he is passionate about it), loving and caring parents. But, as destiny would have slowly things slips away from him – he is fired from his job, his friends desert him and his parents begin to see him as a loser. Aditya doesn't feel there is anything in his life worth living for, so he decides to end his life. And thus begins a new chapter in his life.

Aditya lands up in a mental asylum where he is named as Ram Kumar 125 – a name given to patients suffering from amnesia. Well, Aditya is not amnesiac, but he pretends to be so that he doesn't have to go back to his old life. He makes friends with Rajesh – a software engineer and Jacky who is a Doctor in theoretical physics. Amidst the new surroundings, new home and new friends, Aditya experiences life like never before. He discovers himself, his inner self and his key to happiness. What happens to him in the mental asylum? How he survives there? How he finds the secret to happiness – the bluest marble? You have to read the book to know about the same.

The book is narrated in flashback; the protagonist is telling the story of his life to his girlfriend and would-be wife Jenny.

The first part of the novel dwells on the kind of life urban bachelors working away from home in big cities live. There are various incidents and situations to which readers can relate. The writing style is simple and clear. However, at some point I did feel the narration wavering. I didn't quite relate to the conversations he has with his bike and often found them somewhat creepy. The experiences of the protagonist when he landed up in the mental asylum were the most interesting and intriguing part of the novel. I loved the way he gradually fought with his fears and insecurities and took to life head on.

Overall, it was a great read and inspiring in many ways. One of the things that I would have wanted to read about more is about his friends – Rajesh and Jacky in the mental asylum. If the author ever thinks of writing a sequel to this book – I would love to read how his friends did in life and how Aditya’s life took shape.

Thank you for stopping by. Cheers!