Review- The Woman Who Saved My Life by Himanshu Goel

 The Woman Who Saved My Life on Goodreads

Release date: May 11th 2021

REVIEW: 

Having previously read Himanshu Goel’s A Rational Boy in Love, I was quite looking forward to reading more from the writer. I had found his A Rational Boy in Love to be simple yet profound and relatable yet otherworldly all at once. His latest, The Woman Who Saved My Life was just as lovely as his previous work- if not more, and that consistency itself is worth applauding.

Not an unique story by any means, The Woman Who Saved My Life is told in a manner that’s quite unique and intriguing. Using poetry to tell an entire story is quite a feat that the young writer has nailed brilliantly. This is the book that gives you a warm and cozy feeling. In spite of taking up the delicate topic of suicide, the book leaves you feeling content, with a ray of hope.

Within barely 150 pages that would take an average reader hardly an hour or so to finish the book, Himanshu Goel has managed to pack in emotions, nostalgia, dreams, love and hope in this lovely read. And all this with words that are not just easy to follow but absolutely astounding to read, The Woman Who Saved My Life is a great read.

Definitely a promising young writer, Himanshu Goel’s poetry has managed to find a place in my heart and hopefully the next that’s to come from him will be just as superb.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by Himanshu Goel in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

Review- The Panipuri Crimes by SB Akshobhya

 BOOK SUMMARY:

The young and driven Sagar Bansal leads a team of six on the path of a digital adventure. His plan is to put the humble cane-panipuri vendor, found in every other street in a metropolitan city, on a digital platform.
As they gear up to launch an app to sell panipuri, the cloud of risk looms large. All five entrepreneurs who earlier ventured into the business had died in road accidents. But all that is overlooked and forgotten in the excitement of the team reaching the verge of a VC funding.
Is the death of all five entrepreneurs a coincidence? Can Sagar and his team overcome the odds? Why are the ordinary vendors dying one after another like a pack of cards?
The Panipuri Crimes is a thrilling story weaving together the world of entrepreneurship and struggle, love and other demons, and the murky world of crime. 

Release date: April 12th 2021

Published by: Srishti Publishers and Distributors

Page numbers: 208

REVIEW: 

An interesting title for a murder mystery, The Panipuri Crimes combines two things that I’m not too fond of. It did sound like it would be a good read, as it’s the story of a bunch of young engineers who wish to put the panipuri we find on every street on a digital platform. The interesting fact is that everyone before them who had tried to do something similar was murdered under mysterious circumstances.

I found it difficult to relate to a bunch of things in The Panipuri Crimes, from the plot to the language to the characters. It took me a while to understand what was going on but barely a few pages to know who the person behind the crimes could be and still, I feel confused after reading the book which is why I don’t think I can explain exactly what I read. The language for me, was unnecessarily complicated. Had either the plot or the language been much simpler, I would have actually found the book to be engrossing. Coming to the characters, while each one stood out in their own way, I could not relate to any of them and I didn’t find them particularly interesting. There were too many of them and it lead to even more confusion, as if the plot’s confusion wasn’t enough.

I think the problem here is that I don’t have an engineering and corporate background so almost everything was a blur for me. As a reader, I want to know about things that I’m not aware of, not run away from them. Had everything in this book been broken down and portrayed in more relatable terms, I would have enjoyed it. I bet there are readers out there who will thoroughly enjoy this book, but it clearly didn’t do anything for me.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by Srishti Publishers and Distributors in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

Review- Ithalar Tea Party by Akshath Jaganmohan

  BOOK SUMMARY:

On 11 August 1950, Constable Selvam and the other policemen from the quaint little town of Ithalar in the Nilgiris, find the dead body of Anderson Quill, the owner of the English Ithalar Tea Estate.
The workers of the estate are acting mysteriously. They do not seem to care that their wages would be disturbed by the death of the unheired owner of the estate.
Selvam searches the history of the estate and finds the numerous enemies Anderson Quill had, making the case more difficult by the hour.
The killer, too, works tirelessly to give Selvam clues to get caught. Nobody knows why.
But the biggest mystery is yet to be revealed. Selvam hears one name which gives him the creeps, repeatedly. Velavan 

Release date: January 4th 2021

Published by: Readen Publishing

Page numbers: 240

REVIEW: 

Not super inclined towards picking up murder mysteries, the sole reason I decided to give Ithalar Tea Party a go is because it’s written by a 13 year old and because I hope that, somewhere, via The Readdicts, readers are able to know about this gem of a book.

I have no idea when was the last time I finished reading a book in a day. This book was truly unputdownable. I was hooked right from the first chapter and couldn’t wait at all to see what would happen next. Written in the simplest yet most detailed and meticulous manner that doesn’t get boring even once, this book is fast paced, action packed and truly engrossing.

When the owner of the Ithalar Tea Estate, Anderson Quill, is found dead in his house, inspector Selvam sets out on a mission to find the killer which ends up being one awesome adventure full of mystery and amazing storytelling.

Author Akshath Jaganmohan’s writing is so mature that it had me in awe throughout. Had I not known anything about him, I would never have guessed that it’s written by someone so young. The thorough background information and attention to detail is worth applauding and makes the book extremely interesting.

A tale that takes the reader back in time, keeps them on the edge of their seat, perfectly balances narratives from two different times simultaneously, has some pretty good and well developed characters, is easy to follow and packed with immaculate cultural and historical references, I would highly encourage you to pick up Ithalar Tea Party as it’s a super duper great read.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by Akshath Jaganmohan in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

Review- If I Hadn't Met You by Shalini Ranjan

  BOOK SUMMARY:

“I am Ambika. No one can hear me because…” there was a brief, hectic silence, “I am dead… have been dead for the past eighteen years.”
Dead! No. No way!
It was one thing to suspect it. It was completely another thing to hear it from her.
Beautiful and witty, Tisha Mathur finds her life turn upside down on her eighteenth birthday when she interrupts a havan intended to bring peace to the soul of Ambika. Now, awakened from a slumber of eighteen years, Ambika is back in the real world. And if Tisha wants her normal life back, she only needs to do two things-
1. Help Ambika find her wedding chain that she claims to have never taken apart.
2. Go on a date with Rudra Singh Shekhawat - who Ambika thinks looks like Dev Anand.
What starts as a simple hunt of a lost chain quickly catapults into a somersault as Tisha realizes that someone doesn’t want her asking questions about Ambika… and a horrifying discovery that Ambika might not have committed suicide as is the general belief.

Release date: March 24th 2021

Page numbers: 112

REVIEW: 

The sole reason why I decided to read author Shalini Ranjan’s If I Hadn’t Met You is because it’s a short story, and what an intriguing one it ended up being! The book starts with the untimely deaths of Ambika and her husband which lead to many questions that take a backseat because of a series of other events that are intertwined and interesting.

As someone who has read many books, I sometimes find it easy to figure out where a story is headed but with this, there was so much that I didn’t see coming. This had me on the edge of my seat throughout the course of this story that’s short but packed with action, romance and drama. The author’s writing was easy to follow and the language used is crisp yet simple so even young readers would be able to devour the book.

Starting on a mysterious note and ending on a satisfying one with heaps of engrossing stuff happening in between the two, If I Hadn’t Met You is a great read for when you’re in the mood for something fast paced, engrossing, creepy and fun. If you enjoy reading short stories, you won’t regret picking this one up!

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by Shalini Ranjan in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.