#JTWYAReadAlong Disussion Post #2

Hi, everyone! Today, I have for you the second discussion post of the Just The Way You Are read-along. If you missed out on the first one, you can check it out right here. I hope that all the participants are liking the book.

If you're done with part two of the book that's to be the topic of discussion today, you'll know that there's not much to discuss about this particular part of the book, which makes up the entire chapter eight. The only highlight of part two can possibly be the mother-son relationship portrayed there. It was all very filmy for me and I really do not see any reason that's convincing enough for me to understand why Sameer stopped talking to his mom. The obvious generation gap and upbringing differences didn't add up to much either. What I did like about this part is the pace of the book. Everything moved at lightning speed and that was really a positive because suddenly there was action. Something was happening, so that was great.

What are your thoughts on Sameer's relationship with his mother? Do you believe that any of the side was well justified? How would you feel about just stopping talking to your mother altogether?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, or you can even make your own post. If you have any questions, just ask! As for the author interaction this time, my question for Sanjeev is:

Does the mother-son relationship portrayed in your book have anything to do with your relation with your mother? What kind of relation do you share with your mother?

Thank you for stopping by, and happy reading! 

#JTWYAReadAlong Discussion Post #1

Hi, everyone! Welcome to the first ever discussion post for our Just The Way You Are read-along. 

As decided, this discussion post is based on the first part of the book, i.e., from page number one up until page number ninety four. Those of you who have read the book till there, do share your thoughts so far in the comments below and please feel free to answer all the questions I have come up with. Those of you who are yet to finish reading part one, beware of spoilers! And don't worry at all. You have until Friday, before we start the next discussion post. So take your time, read and share your thoughts as and when you like. 

Coming to the book, I have planned on dividing this discussion into three parts and those are: writing, character(s) and story. So without much ado, let's get started.

Writing: I quite like the simple writing style of author Sanjeev Ranjan. There were a few points like ridiculous typos and the mix of Hindi and English that annoyed me, but if I put that aside, I must say that the writing is easy to follow.

What are your thoughts on the writing? Is it a positive or a negative for you when there's a mix of Hindi and English, not just in writing, but perhaps in speech as well?

Character(s): For me, from the very start until the part till I'm done with, the main focus is Sameer. This is his story throughout. I admit that it was shocking to see him leave it all behind and go to Switzerland within a few hours of his marriage. While his need to fit in, groom himself just because his friend said so and befriend girls was a complete turn off for me, I liked that he still believes in being kind. When he was so against tradition, I didn't see why he had to submit to it in any case. Anyway, he seems pleasant as a person and that was nice. 

As for the family mentioned in the book, it was over the top like I've come to expect from Indian writers. The drama adds some fun and comic elements to the story. 

Are you liking Sameer? Are you hoping for some major character development with him or do you believe he will be the same throughout the length of the book?

An additional question, if you were married and your husband/ wife did what Sameer did and left for a job in a foreign country on the day of your marriage, how would you react?

Story: As far as the story is concerned, there was a mix of past and present which at times was confusing for me, as a reader. While the whole idea of Switzerland was oh so exciting, I would have loved to see more of that, but Sameer kept taking us back to his past. Not like I mind, and on top on that, I guess the past is anyway important to understand the present. One aspect of the story that I'm looking forward to the most is how Sameer meets his then girlfriend now wife Shagun (what a name), and I hope that story comes up soon.

Is the story engaging for you? Are you looking forward to what happens next? What are you expecting Shagun to find in Sameer's diary?

Please share your thoughts with me, guys! I am looking forward to you responses. I hope you liked this post just as much as I liked putting it up for you. If you have any questions regarding the book or the inspiration behind it or just anything really, don't forget to Facebook or tweet the author, and he will gladly answer you.

My question to Sanjeev is: If Just The Way You Are were to be made into a Bollywood movie, which actor and actress would you like to see play the role of Sameer and Shagun?

Thank you so much  for stopping by, and until the next post, happy reading!

Read-along Kick off- Just The Way You Are by Sanjeev Ranjan

Hi, everyone! I am excited to host a read-along for author Sanjeev Ranjan's Random House India release, Just The Way You Are. 

What's a read-along, you ask? Well, starting today July 15, until the end of the month, i.e., July 31, we'll read the book, have discussions about it, interact with the author and you are all invited to join us for the same. Purchase links for the books can be found later in the post. The whole point of a read-along is that we all read the book together! The book is systematically divided into three parts, so we'll have discussions posts up about each part on each of the three remaining Fridays of the month, save for this coming Friday. The first post goes up on Monday which gives you enough time to join us and get reading! 

Make sure you follow Sanjeev on Twitter; he has fun stuff going on there. 

Before we get to know the book and the author better, lert me introduce you to three lovely bloggers who will be participating in this event along with us. 

Aayesha @  In The Classroom of Life (Review)

Arti @ Metro Reader (Kick-off + Review)

Priyanka @ A Booklion's Hideaway (Promo Post)

By the way guys, Janhvi has already read the book and her review of the same can be read here.

GOODREADS SUMMARY OF THE BOOK: 

Love happens when you least expect it…

Sameer is a Steve Jobs fan, a consultant at an investment bank, and a confused soul looking for love. As he moves cities to study and work, he falls in and out of love,but fails to find the one person who belongs with him. In comes Shagun, whom he marries. But he leaves the very next day for Switzerland…to start a dream Job. In the meantime, Shagun starts reading his diary! What does she find in there?

Will this spell the end of their marriage? With Sameer not around to defend himself,what is the future of their relationship?

Just the Way You Are is a humorous, heart-warming story about one man’s quest for true love. 

BOOK LINKS: 

Goodreads / Amazon (IN) / Flipkart

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Sanjeev Ranjan is the bestselling author of "In Course of True Love!(2012)" and "It's No Longer A Dream! (2014)" 

An ardent lover of western classic and instrumental music, he enjoys reading. He has a keen interest in understanding human behavior and relationships.

"Just The Way You Are" is his third novel published by Random House India. 

Currently he resides in New Delhi.

AUTHOR LINKS: 

Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter 

Do join in the read-along, guys, and do help us spread the word about the same using the #JTWYAReadAlong hashtag. I look forward to reading the book with you guys, and do stop by our blog to share your thoughts with us. Do remember that all discussion posts will be linked in this post as well. 

Discussion Post #1
Discussion Post #2
Discussion Post #3

Thank you for stopping by, and happy reading! 

Read-long Kick-off: Left From Dhakeshwari by Kunal Sen

Hello! We are back again with another Read-along along with some of our fellow Indian book bloggers. 

This time, we'll be buddy reading Left From Dhakeshwari by author Kunal Sen. 

Our fellow hosts for this interesting read-along are- 

Ankita @ Booklok Coffee (Twitter- @Ankita 0112)

Fahima @ I Read, Ergo I Write (Twitter- @ireadergoiwrite)

Nimi @ The Readers Cosmos (Twitter- @thereaderscosmos)

Our read-along stops and schedule can be found in the fab banner below made by Ankita! 

As always, our convenient and simple schedule allows you to join us whenever you feel like it during the course of the read-along. 

BOOK LINKS:

Author Website / Goodreads / Book Trailer / Facebook /Flipkart / HomeShop18

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Goodreads Summary:

 'Left from Dhakeshwari' is a collection of nine interconnected stories dealing with lust and loneliness, death and obsession, memories and madness.

In the first story, 'We Were Writers', we meet a Bengali film actress, who after her brother’s suicide, returns to her small hometown and reflects upon the life she left behind; in ‘Bomb Church’, Aniruddha tries to piece together his mother’s identity after her mysterious departure; the only clues available in the existential whodunit being: a soap-box, a brown shoe and the statements of five witnesses; while the heartrending 'Salt Lake' recounts an unusual affair between a disfigured girl and a mime-artist with scars of his own. 

The other characters in this collection include a runaway teenage-girl, an agoraphobic writer, a masochistic cosmetic surgeon, a ghostess, identical twins and a manic-depressive housewife. And they are all in search, of a time and place they can call their own. That is perhaps why the title itself, denotes both a time and a place: a point of departure and the forbearer of journeys. 

In his first solo book, Kunal Sen infuses his women with souls of poetesses and a seductive melancholy and arms his men with child-like, romantic sadism. 'Left from Dhakeshwari' is written in a style that straddles between the tragic-dramatic and mildly surrealistic, but remains in the end a book about some remarkably original people and their depths and failings.

Nimi has made the book sound very promising to us and we look forward to reading it. We hope to see you at the read-along. Happy reading! 

Read-along Discussion Post #2- The Homing Pigeons... by Sid Bahri

Welcome to the week 2 discussion of The Homing Pigeons Read-along being conducted by Ankita @ Booklok Coffee, Nimi @ The Readers Cosmos along with Janhvi and I. Nimi already had a great first week discussion and you can recap it right here and Janhvi's and my responses to the same can be read here.
The week 2 discussion has happened over at Ankita's blog and she has done a fab job (no surprises there)! Her questions are challenging, thought provoking and quite difficult to answer which is always a nice thing. 
Ankita's The Homing Pigeons... Week 2 Discussion Post
You can still join us for the Read-along and follow our updates on Twitter using the hashtag #THPReadAlong. We've answers Ankita's questions below! 

Ankita's question: When Radhika told Abhinav that she isn't sure if she want to have a child and Abhinav declared that he wants a child. He demanded, he ordered. In general, is it right for one partner to pass a demand without taking his/her partner's wishes in account. When you are married, is it always a team then or it's you-against-me?

Janhvi : It was completely wrong and selfish of Abhinav to demand Radhika to have the baby when she was clearly unsure. From what I can see, having a baby is not an easy decision and it should be made when both the parents are ready. Marriage should be us against the world not you against me.

Sarika: From what I have seen and heard, it can go either way. One of my school teachers once said that if you're a dominating person, you'll be dominating wherever you go. The same goes for demanding as well, I guess. 

In my opinion, marriage, as an institution, is like any relationship- it has to work both ways. It is wrong for either spouse to demand anything without the other's consent. 

P.S: I love how Aditya calls Abhinav a mouse! 

Ankita's question: Radhika is worried to tell the truth about the baby to Abhinav, her husband. She is afraid that Abhinav will not understand that his wife had a past and forgive her and move on. If you were in a place where your partner told you about his/her past, what would you do? How would you react?

Janhvi: Past is the past. If whatever has happened will never affect the future I think I would be able to move on from it. But yes, complete honesty and full disclosure of the situation is required. Trust doesn't come easily to me but once I do, you have my loyalty for life. The same applies here.

Sarika: I know for a fact that when someone knows that they have complete trust in somebody else, they tell that person everything (good and bad) about their past that there is to know or that they want the other person to know, without the other person even asking for it. And it takes time to trust someone. 

I would much prefer if the person told me their past, but I would appreciate it even more if I'm told of it before marriage. All I'll try to do in such a situation is to try to understand it. 

Ankita's question: What is your most favorite scene or incident, something that touched your heart?

Janhvi: I loved the time when Radhika and Aditya spent together during the whole training. They fell in love with each other all over again here and it was beautiful to watch. Plus all the longing scenes filled with angst are tugging at my heart too.

Sarika: Pages 115 to 120 from Radhika's POV touched my heart. I love love love it. I have a post it note up there! 

Ankita's question: Likes and Dislikes from the story?

Janhvi: I'm liking everything about the book. I only wish Aditya and Radhika didn't have to endure so much in their lives. But I am really hoping that the happily ever after is worth all the obstacles they had to face in their path.

Sarika: I love this book. Its beautiful and I really don't know how to describe it's beauty, so you can just read my review to know how much I love it. But yes, the situation, like I've said before, for me, in the Indian context, is a lot to take in at once. 

Do grab the button from below! 

Thank you so much for stopping by, guys! Do stop by here on July 15 when Janhvi (and I, although there isn't anything I haven't already said) will wrap up the read-along. See ya and happy reading! 

Read-along Discussion Post #1- The Homing Pigeons... by Sid Bahri

As most of you know by now, Ankita @ Booklok Coffee, Nimi @ The Readers Cosmos and Janhvi and I are reading The Homing Pigeons... by Sid Bahri as part of The Homing Pigeons... Read-along. 

The first discussion post (of the first 105 pages of the book) is up on Nimi's blog. 

You can check it out right here. Below, we're answering all the nice questions posed by Nimi. 

Also, those of you who wish to join us right now can still do so. Just go to the main post for all the info you'll need and follow/ join us on Twitter using the hashtag #THPReadAlong. 

Nimi's question: "Why did Aditya do it? Will any person with a character do it?"

Janhvi: I think Aditya did it because he was desperate. He didn't have any real support system from his parents or his wife which led him to make the decisions he did. I liked that he felt guilty and didn't try to justify his actions after an extent. Everyone in life is made of shades of grey and I think Aditya just proves it right.

Sarika: Looking at Aditya's situation (employment and home), doing what he did was the last resort for him and he took it up. As for character, Aditya too had his doubts and tons of them. His brain wanted to do it but his heart was stopping him. 

The fact that he had to think so much before taking up prostitution in itself shows that he is a rational and respectful being who gave a thought to others' reactions to him and his new found job. 

Nimi's question: Is it right for the independent women of today like Divya to hire a male prostitute? (this was never a question that I had but since many readers posed it, I thought of addressing it in my style) 

Janhvi: I am a total believer in equal opportunities so yes, definitely. To each his own or in this case, her own.

Sarika: I think, yes. In today's context, yes, definitely yes. And besides, why not? 

Personally, I don't have a concrete opinion on it as of now, but from what I hear and read these days, it's definitely out there.  

Nimi's question: Why did Radhika marry a rich man she didn't love?

Janhvi: As we continue to see Radhika's point of view, it is obvious that she has had abandonment issues since childhood. I think that has made her look out for herself first, always. That is the only reason I can think of behind her marrying a rich man. She needed the comfort of knowing that she had stability.

Sarika: After all the love she never got, what Radhika did was quite sensible. Waiting for the right person to come along is alright, but how long can one wait and who is "right" anyway? 

So I think that what Radhika did was fine and I think she did it because she was just fed up of the games destiny and love were playing with her and the games which she lost miserably. 

Nimi's question: Likes and Dislikes from the story:

Janhvi: There is nothing that I'm disliking about the story. It is written beautifully and I'm enjoying losing myself in it. I am super curious to see how Aditya and Radhika's paths will intertwine. We're getting insight into the characters' pasts which is adding a ton of depth to them.

Sarika: I love love love the author's writing and the beautiful flow between past and present and back and forth concept. I have praised the writing a lot and I know that how much ever I praise it, it's not going to be enough. 

As for the story in itself  like I do with most Indian novels, I couldn't relate to it in the Indian context except for the beauty and hurt and everything about love in general. 

Do stop by Booklok Coffee on July 10 for Ankita's discussion post and then back here on July 15 for the final wrap up post. I hope you are all having a great time reading the book and liking it as well. See you all at the next discussion. Till then, happy reading! 

Read-along Kick-off: The Homing Pigeons... by Sid Bahri

We are back with another Read-along! 

This time, along with our dear fellow blogging buddies, Ankita @ Booklok Coffee and Nimi @ The Readers Cosmos, Janhvi and I will be reading The Homing Pigeons... by Sid Bahri, the most beautifully written Indian novel that I have read so far. 
Yes, I have already read the book but I am really looking forward to rereading it with these wonderful ladies. Also, the ever kind author Sid will be joining us as well! 

Below is all the info you need to know. 

My review of The Homing Pigeons...

ABOUT THE HOMING PIGEONS (GOODREADS SUMMARY):

In the middle of the catastrophic 2008 recession, Aditya, a jobless, penniless man meets an attractive stranger in a bar, little does he know that his life will change forever…..
When Radhika, a young, rich widow, marries off her stepdaughter, little does she know that the freedom that she has yearned for is not exactly how she had envisioned it…..
They say Homing Pigeons always come back to their mate, no matter where you leave them on the face of this earth. Homing Pigeons is the story of love between these two unsuspecting characters as it is of lust, greed, separations, prejudices and crumbling spines.

BOOK LINKS:

Official Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Flipkart / HomeShop18 / Infibeam 

ABOUT AUTHOR SID BAHRI:

I am this half bald man who is trying to make a living by writing books. I gave up a corporate career  to follow my passion of writing. I was equally insane when I moved to the hills of Ranikhet, giving up the comforts of a city and a job that paid very well. Yet, that is what I am - eccentric and happy.

For more info, you can check out our Author Interview with Sid Bahri. 

Website / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube 

MEET THE HOSTS: 

Take a look at our co-hosts! 

Ankita @ Booklok Coffee- We can safely say that Ankita is a good friend of ours. It feels like we know each other since ages. It's always nice chatting with A. Like us, Ankita too loves books and reading and mind you people, this fierce, smart and wonderful girl is going to save the world! 

Blog / Goodreads / Twitter

Nimi @ The Readers Cosmos- Nimi is who all Indian book lovers and bloggers as well as authors turn to for help. A sweet girl, Nimi introduces us to new books and is herself a big time reader and book lover. 

Blog / Goodreads / Twitter

Janhvi and Sarika @ The Readdicts- I don't have anything to say about myself, but I can tell you that Janhvi is my best friend, a brilliant girl and if you don't know her, well, you're simply missing out on knowing a beautiful soul. 

Since you are on our soil and since we're too lazy, you can get our links from the side bar. 

READ-ALONG SCHEDULE: 

The lovely banner below made by Ankita will give you the schedule of the Read-along. 

As you can see, the Read-along will take place from July 01 to July 15. The Homing Pigeons... has a total of around 315 pages and by the time we meet for a discussion, we'll be reading 100 pages, which roughly adds up to 20 pages per day and is very doable. This will also make it easier for other readers to join in anytime they feel like. And you can buy the book with the links provided above. 

Bloggers who will be participating, make sure you add the button in your blog side bar. It'll be really helpful. Here's the button:

We'll be using the hashtag #THPReadAlong on Twitter. 

ASK THE AUTHOR: 

This is the part where Sid will be joining us! 

The author has kindly said that he will answer readers' questions. You can shoot him a question on Facebook or Twitter (links above) or simply ask your questions in the blog post comments and we'll make sure your question reaches the author and is answered. Don't worry, we aren't going to threaten Sid! 

I'm sure the author himself will be super pleased to interact with y'all, so don't miss the opportunity to chat with a great author. 

THE END! 

Okay, that's about all I have for you, folks! I hope I've covered up everything. If you have any questions, feel free to ask any of us hosts and we'll try our best to answer you all. 

I hope to see you all at the discussions. Trust me, this is one book you don't want to miss reading. 

So yes, see you all soon, have a great time and happy reading! 

Immortals Of Meluha Read-along: Week 2

Welcome to our stop on the Immortals Of Meluha Read-along. 

Today is officially supposed to be Janhvi's day to post but because she was on holiday for a week, she has loads to catch up on and unfortunately, you are stuck with me. J will wrap up the post for us! 

As for the post today, I promise to keep you entertained and have fun and not bore you to death. Before we begin, you can catch up or recap the Immortals of Meluha: Week 1 Discussion that happened over at Ankita's blog, Booklok Coffee. 

Now, onto the discussion! 

Yes, I will honestly admit that I am finding it very difficult to "get" into Immortals Of Meluha by Amish Tripathi but I must also admit that the more I am reading, the more curious I am getting to know more and come to think of it, the book is interesting. 
I don't have any grand opinions on the book, so I'll just put down a a list of characters that have me intrigued and plot lines that have me on edge. 

The following discussion is based on chapters 8 to 15.

CHARACTERS:

SHIVA: Shiva, our protagonist, is truly a hero and I love his humble and kind nature. He is very sweet. Even though everyone is in awe of the Neelkanth, Shiva still remains grounded. Author Amish had said that one of the best things he likes about Shiva is the immense respect he has for women and it shows in the book. Also, the little snippet we got of the little Shiva was very interesting, touching and difficult to put into my mind. 

When reading about Shiva, I can't help but picture the Shiva that we've been shown as kids, which is the Shiva in the picture on the right. But for the movie adaptation of Immortals Of Meluha, they have picked Hrithik Roshan to play Shiva's role and I think Hrithik will do a fab job. 

SATI: I like Sati's character as shown by Amish. I was very eager to know what Sati had done to be deemed a Vikarma and I liked getting to know more about that. I like how Sati is fierce, strong and for her time and age, very brave and independent. 

BRAHASPATI: The whole conversation between Brahaspati and Shiva about the Somras and it's effects was good to read. I liked how Brahaspati was rational in his beliefs but still believed in miracles. The balance made it real. As he rightly says, "Sometimes one needs a little bit of faith when faced with a difficult situation. Rational answers don't always work. We also need a miracle. You can have scientific miracles too."

PARVATESHWAR: Parvateshwar is practical and smart. He is very protective of Sati, considers her as a daughter and looks after her. He seemed very arrogant and mean to me in the first few chapters but now I really admire his personality. 

PANDITJI: The Pandit of Mohan Ja Daro was a sage and his thoughts were worth a good consideration. His views on society and about flexibility and stability being the essentials of a successful society were what got me and I couldn't agree more. But yes, his views on Vikarma bothered me and even then, I liked his determination to strive for the good of the society. 

KING OF THE NAGAS: It's too early to have a concrete opinion on him. But when he ordered to save the drowning lady, I knew there was more to it. Maybe, just maybe that is why the second book is called The Secret Of The Nags. Only time will tell us, but I know for a fact that the Nagas will be good guys. 

QUESTIONS: What characters intrigued you or irritated you the most? 

Is there any particular character you are fond of or would like to get to know better? 

PLOT LINES:

SHIVA AND SATI ROMANCE: The chemistry between Sati and Shiva is very visible. It's obvious the two have feelings for each other. I just hope that Sati's dad's intentions of getting the two together don't spoil anything. I love reading about the dance sessions between the two. Even though Sati has to be very careful as a Vikarma, like Krittika says, I really wish she loosens up a bit. 

The picture on the left is a collage I made from a few pictures I came across online. They are from a mythological drama series called Devon Ke Dev Mahadev. Sati and Shiva look good, huh? 

SUDDHIKARNA: Yeah, this practice, just like with Shiva, is not sitting down well with me either. I want it banned. But I know it's not going to happen. 

AGNIPARIKSHA: Oh, I loved it when Sati takes on Tarak. Like I said, she is fierce. The Agnipariksha was action packed and go Sati! I loved that intimate moment Sati and Shiva shared at the end of it. 

ACTION: There was lot of action in this part of the book and there's going to be more for sure. For a change, I'm quite enjoying the action. 

GEOGRAPHY, HISTORY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE TEXTBOOK REFERENCES: Did you guys feel like you were sitting in your History class while reading about Mohan Ja Daro? I loved the little info we got about South India and the how the seven rivers came to make India the Land of the Seven rivers. Also, the references to Mesopotamia and Egypt took me back to my study of Athenian/ Greek/ Spartan political philosophy. 

THE SECRET OF THE NAGAS: I have said it before and I am saying it again, there is something about the Nagas and I really want to know what it is! 

QUESTIONS: What parts of the plot did you like most and what parts did you not like? 

Are you as eager to know more about the Nagas as I am? 

And the main question I have for you...
Are you liking the writing? 

Personally, I feel that Amish has tried to keep his writing as simple as possible in order to connect with all sorts of readers (in terms of age). There were many times when the writing made me think if this is really the 19th century. I would have loved to see a more so to say "literary" writing. It would have added authenticity and grandeur. 

Okay guys, that's all I have for you. No, wait! 

I have a last picture which is something that will interest Ankita! She spoke about the Natraj post in her discussion and I came across a pic where our Shiva himself is in the pose. This one's for you, Ankita!

Okay, now that's really all I got! I hope I didn't take up too much of your time or bore you'll to death with my post. Do let me all your thoughts in the comments below. 

Don't forget to stop by Kartik's blog, MeBookGeeko next Sunday for Week 3 Discussion and then back back here again for the final post. 

Hope you are enjoying the book and the Read-along!