Review- Olive Beans by Reeti Kalia

Olive Beans on Goodreads

 BOOK SUMMARY:

Olive Beans is a collection of short stories inspired by real-life events. The stories unfold in a café. Maya, the café owner narrates them with deep compassion as she accidentally stumbles upon them. The stories are heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time. They make a compelling narrative as they are nuanced with a range of emotions. The stories are sure to stir the reader and make it a one-sitting reading delight.

Release date: 2020

Published by: Evincepub Publishing

Page numbers: 150

REVIEW: 

Author Reeti Kalia's Olive Beans is a collection of short stories that center around the café of the same name as the book title and its lovely owner Maya who is an army wife. The main theme of the collection is love and how it creates the magical, purest bonds between people from literally all walks of life.

Olive Beans is packed with delightful stories about love lost and found and in some cases, just the feeling of love was enough to make the story stand out. Some of the stories were very heart-touching in the sense that they portrayed how each and very one of us has so much going on than what meets the eye. Some of the stories could have been longer with more details, but then it wouldn't be a short story, would it?

Every story ends with the recipe of a dessert mentioned in the story which was mouth-watering. Another aspect I really appreciated about this book is that for a lover of desserts but a non-baker like me, I was honestly quite impressed by the simplicity of the ingredients and methods of the deserts, which has me tempted to try making one or two on my own. 

Overall, Olive Beans does its work of keeping the reader engaged, curious and content with its crisp, well written, simple and precise stories which make this one a quick, interesting, entertaining and pleasing read, which is perfect for the weekend or for when you want to lose yourself in another world. I would not have picked this one on my own, so I'm thankful the author sent me a copy as this was a nice read.

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

Review- A Perfect Murder and Other Stories by S.R. Nair

A Perfect Murder and Other Stories on Goodreads

 BOOK SUMMARY:

A naïve man and a divorcee, a wronged woman’s fight for justice, a poor woman’s desire for an iPad, a charming young man plots to seduce a beautiful, blonde tourist, a staunchly orthodox immigrant’s struggle to assimilate in the U.S. … These are some of the captivating stories in this book which heralds a distinct voice and is a “seriously good read”.

Release date: August 17th 2016

Published by: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Page numbers: 170

REVIEW: 

Collections of short stories are irresistible because in one book itself, there are so many stories, with different plots and different themes, making them absolutely enjoyable to read. It's almost like having the world in your hands because of everything they cover up. Author S.R. Nair's collection of fourteen absolutely beautiful short stories titled A Perfect Murder and Other Stories is no exception. This collection is so good that it wouldn't have hurt to have a few more stories in there.

The stories in A Perfect Murder and Other Stories are so well-written and plotted that it kept me on the edge of my seat because I just wanted to know everything at once. To add to it, the author's writing is wonderful and simple, and I don't mean simple in a demeaning way. Simple is good because with short stories, authors just tend to complicate the writing which makes the stories incomprehensible. Contrary to that, however, the writing of this collection was so simple that it made the book as a whole and the reading process very smooth and neat, which I truly admire.

A perfect mix of various themes from NRIs to a typical Indian middle class family to homosexuality to bonding between Hindus and Muslims, the best part about this collection was that it focused more on people rather than on themes, and that made it very relatable and raw in a certain way. Every character was well developed and people from practically all spheres were covered up, especially in a country like India, where we have so many different people in general and that's what makes us so incredible; it was a pleasure to read every story. The subtle way in which the author portrays the mindset of people was meticulous.

Additionally, the book also covers up themes that are super important in today's day and age like feminism, homosexuality, politics and what not. Every theme was incorporated in the stories in an almost steamy way because it just flowed so smoothly and in a lovely manner. For someone who is unfamiliar with India, this read is the best way to get to know about the contemporary people in a fictitious way. I do not have enough good things to say about it, honestly.

Of the fourteen very beautiful and wonderful stories, some of the most amazing ones for me were: Salma's Fate, Seema, The Grandson, The Missing Wife, The Stolen Child, Seduced, Visa for America and The Lost Son. These stories were slightly more appealing to me than the others, but the most exceptional story that the author managed to write in barely three pages but that was packed with emotion is iPad, which was the best one. Having said that, the other stories were just as good, thoroughly enjoyable and an absolute pleasure to read. I highly, highly recommend this read.

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

Buy the book: AMAZON (IN)

Review- A Pizza My Heart by Jolene Haley

A Pizza My Heart on Goodreads

 BOOK SUMMARY:

Gooey cheese and warm pepperoni, with a side of kissing and murder.

A Pizza My Heart is a quirky and fun anthology that crosses all genres. Fifteen extraordinary authors have united to tell stories of mystery, mayhem, romance, danger, deceit…and pizza.

Sometimes spicy, sometimes cheesy, but always delicious, A Pizza My Heart invites you to explore life, happiness, and the pursuit of pizza.

Stories Include:

A Slice of Adventure by Maria Carvalho
Between Slices by Andy Grieser
Fresh, Hot, and Deadly by Rena Olsen 
KissingDancingPizzaMURDER by Darci Cole 
Kneadful Things by Jenna Lehne 
Love Pizza No. 9 by Vanessa Rodriguez
Madame Miraval’s Pizza Place by Kelly deVos
Password Is… by Jolene Haley
Pizza On the Brain by Emily Simon
Pizza Buddy by Brian LeTendre
Pizzamergency by Brett Jonas
Survival Pizza by Rebecca Waddell 
The Last Stop at the End of the World by Jamie Adams
The Pizza Guy by Jessi Shakarian
Where There’s Pizza by Jasmine Brown

Release date: February 9th 2017

Published by: Hocus Pocus & Co

Page numbers: 

REVIEW: 

A Pizza My Heart sounded like a delicious read and from what I could make out of the title, I took it to mean a fun take on "a piece" of my heart, which is why I assumed it would be a collection of short romance stories, which I had no problem with. But once I started reading the book and realised that every story had something to do with pizza, I was completely blown away because I want to have something to do with anything that involves pizza. It was so creative to see how the various authors of the anthology incorporated pizza in their stories that ranged from romances to thrillers to mysteries to science fictions and what not.

A collection of fourteen absolutely unique and very well-written stories, A Pizza My Heart is a fun read that will make you hungry with the lovely descriptions of pizza in every story. While there were some stories that I didn't quite understand, some of my absolutely favourites were: Fresh, Hot and Deadly, Kneadful Things, KissingDancingPizzaMURDER, Pizza on the Brain, Pizza Buddy: An Orchard Pointe Story, Where There's Pizza, The Pizza Guy and Love Pizza No. 9. Seeing as I thoroughly liked and had a great time reading a total of eight out of the fourteen stories, it's easy to say that this collection was very interesting, unique and fun which I really appreciated.

What I liked the most about this collection was the way the contributing authors minds worked. It was so nice to see such different takes on pizza when all I am able to come up with is just pizza because let's be honest, once there's a mention of pizza, it's difficult to give anything else a thought. So yes, in that way, the collection as a whole and every story individually is great and a pure delight to read. Besides, being a bunch of short stories, it's super easy and simple to read, which is the biggest advantage.

I would definitely highly recommend this read because it's a quirky and amusing collection.

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

Buy the book: AMAZON

Review- Secrets, Sins & Struggles by Kamini Kusum

Secrets, Sins & Struggles on Goodreads

 BOOK SUMMARY:

A collection of five tales,Secrets,Sins & Struggles is about the lives and loves of five women, tracing their long, eventful journeys that are anything but linear. 

Meet Pooja, a teenager forced into the flesh trade but determined to escape and get justice. Shrawani who dreams of becoming a bureaucrat despite all the trials life throws her way. Avni who is torn between her childhood friend and her brand-new boyfriend. Harsha who is trapped in a loveless arranged marriage while still being haunted by thoughts of her forsaken lover. Geshna who falls head over heels for a high school sweetheart only to find her own life shrinking to accommodate his. 

These stories are about the odds stacked against women in their path to love and success.They are also about hope that the next turn will lead to the happiness and success they all long for.

Release date: November 10th 2016

Published by: Zorba Books 

Page numbers: 224 

REVIEW: 

Author Kamini Kusum's Secrets, Sins & Struggles is a compilation of five contemporary short stories about women who face many hardships and even then manage to get up from it and live their life. Because every story is very different, here are reviews of each of them:

Brothel to Assembly- This was the best story of the entire collection. I only wish it featured at the very end instead of at the very beginning because while the other stories were super good, this one increased my expectations which weren't necessarily met. The story of a simple, intelligent and strong girl, Brothel to Assembly tells the very hard-hitting and sad but truly amazing and inspiring story of Pooja, who, as the title suggests, gets to the assembly from a brothel only because of her determination and courage. This story is honestly amazing.

Love, Corporate and Custody- This was a rather typically romantic story of Geshna who is madly in love with Nihal and will do whatever it takes- and that includes putting aside and shattering her own dreams and goals- to be with him and make him happy. I found this story to be interesting, yes, but when I got to the end of it, it seemed very mediocre in terms of the plot itself. For the life of me, I couldn't understand why Geshna needed a man like Nihal when she had the amazing and unending support of her doting and wonderful parents. Nonetheless, Love, Corporate and Custody was a nice, subtle and refreshing read after the first story which was a heavy read.

Madam Bureaucrat- Now I found Madam Bureaucrat to be very similar to Love, Corporate and Custody and that was slightly disappointing. Both are stories of girls who keep aside and even give up their dreams to please the man they think they love. I did, however, love reading about the glimpse this story gave me into the world of bureaucracy and the hardships people undergo to become an IAS officer; that part was informative and enjoyable to read about. Shrawani's character was admirable, yes, but for someone as smart as her, I was hoping she'd do more than just give into something so easily.

Sin- Coming to Sin, the fourth and second last story of the collection, it was a very filmy story which was nice all right, but for a contemporary women-centric collection, I didn't get why it focused so much on the very conventional role of a woman which really put me off. Besides, I couldn't manage to stand- let alone like- the main protagonist Harsha, whose character was really hard to accept. The highlight of this story was Snehil who was such a wonderful person with a heart of gold and clearly gave Harsha the treatment she didn't deserve. Quite an eye-opener to the reality of today probably, I couldn't stand Harsha which made this a very disappointing and okay read for me.

That Rave Party Night- This story was very informative and well-written and the plot was really good too. Again, I did have some problems with the characters, but I could definitely oversee it because this was just well made, which means the book ended on a good note. Avni was the main character in this story and what she went through was horrible but I admired how she stood up to herself and made sure justice was served. This was a good story.

All in all, Secrets, Sins & Struggles was a mix because it did start and end with two realistic, raw and extremely strong and inspiring stories. The stories in the middle were just about okay. I would definitely recommend this book because it has some really good stories and when you combine that with author Kamini Kusum's simple and smooth writing, it makes for a great collection to read over a nice, long weekend or for feminist research and to understand the condition and situation of women in India. 

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

Buy the book: AMAZON (IN) / FLIPKART

Review- These Circuses That Sweep Through the Landscapes by Tejaswini Apte-Rahm

These Circuses That Sweep Through the Landscapes on Goodreads

 BOOK SUMMARY:

A fanatical collector of beetles finds out too late where his passion has led him. A woman out on a shopping spree in a glitzy mall finds she can’t go home again. A servant girl experiences a cruel loss of innocence when she eats something that wasn’t meant for her. In the sweltering heat of Bombay, a schoolgirl finds the ground slipping beneath her feet except when she’s watching Star Trek. Four friends meet for drinks one evening, only to find that their friendship is not what it seems. And, in the extraordinary title story, a student who has worshipped his teacher for decades comes to a terrible realization about him. Meanwhile, his old mentor is planning a cunning legacy of his own.

Release date: December 10th 2016

Published by: Aleph Book Company

Page numbers: 168

REVIEW: 

If there's one thing that's absolutely flawless and meticulous about These Circuses That Sweep Through the Landscapes, it's the writing. Author Tejaswini Apte-Rahm's writing is so crisp, precise and completely amazing, that it made the book unputdownable. The writing reminded me so much of Meghna Pant, who is one of my favourite Indian writers, so that's commendable.

These Circuses That Sweep Through the Landscapes has a total of ten short stories, that are each different from the other and take up an interesting subject. So in one book itself, we go from Star Trek to the mall to Dean Martin to homosexuality to teacher-student and servent-master relationships and what not. As a collection, this was very interesting and versatile because there is something for every taste and there's to bound to be a story that will stay with the reader long after putting the book down.

Short stories can be tricky because they leave you wanting more and can end up being incomprehensible because not everything can be explained in a few pages. For me, this collection was an exact 50-50 split between stories I liked and those I didn't really get. Of the ten, five stories really stood out for me as they were relatable and very well made. They were: The Mall, The Girl Who Loved Dean Martin, The House on the Hill, Sandalwood and Mili; these were wonderful, but of them all, Sandalwood is the one that I liked the most.

Overall, These Circuses That Sweep Through the Landscapes is definitely worth a try because of the- and I repeat myself for the 100th time here- beautiful writing and the very detailed and precise story-telling. I would definitely recommend this book because there's something for everyone. Give it a go over the weekend or something because you're bound to have a good time exploring this one.

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

Buy the book: AMAZON (IN)

Review- All of Me by Jonali Karmakar

 BOOK SUMMARY:

All of Me is a collection of thirteen little stories that have been gleaned from real life as well as imagination. Exploring a range of genres, these throb with everything primal to human nature: fear, angst, joy, love, and longing. Some stories are designed to elicit smiles, chuckles, and maybe even a belly laugh or two whereas some are meant as a reality check. Universal in nature, each story provides a glimpse of what women empowerment or a lack thereof can mean in a person’s life.

From a small hamlet in India to the roads of Australia; from a mother’s betrayal to a daughter’s confession; from an extra marital affair to a same sex relationship learn for yourself the what, how and whys.

Originally written for anthologies and ezines, these stories have been revisited and updated for this new collection. 

Title: All of Me
Author: Jonali Karmakar

ASIN: B01G0P8JGK

Release date: May 29th 2016

Page numbers: 81

REVIEW: 

I'm always up for reading short stories, so when author Jonali Karmakar asked me if I wanted to read her collection, I was more than glad to give it a go. She has written many short stories as contributions to various anthologies, and All of Me is basically a compilation of all those stories. It's titled what it is titled because it has most of Jonali's short stories, and that is a great title with an adorable little background story, which I had to share.

Coming to the book, I feel that the collection is absolutely lovely. Every story is unique and mesmerising in its own way. Usually what happens with short story collections is that all the stories either never end satisfactorily or they seem to be the same. But luckily, none of this was true in the case of All of Me. Every story seemed like it was written by a different author, because aside from the plots, the writing was different and true to the voice and the theme every story was trying to convey.  The all ended really well, as well, but I do wish that some stories were slightly longer simply because I wanted to know more.

While I liked all of the stories, some of my most favourites are Confessions Of A Daughter, Finding Myself, Unbridled and Walks To Remember; all of which- now that I think of it- somehow end up focusing on the very core of feminism. But that's really not all that there is to this collection. There are stories about friendship, love, marriage, work, politics and what not. So it's a nice blend of a little bit of everything, which is enjoyable and refreshing.

It barely took me a few hours to finish this collection, which is a major advantage. So whether you read this while travelling or on a weekend or just whenever you get the time, you're bound to have a great time reading these wonderful stories that are beautifully written. Besides, you'll be sure to come across a story that speaks to you and talks of something of your interest. I suggest you pick this up and find out for yourself which that story is and just how nice this collection really is.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by author Jonali Karmakar in exchange for an honest review. We thank her.

Buy the book: AMAZON (IN)

About the author:

 Jonali Karmakar is a fiction writer with a Masters in English. Writing is not just her passion but her way of dealing with life. She loves being able to escape into the worlds she creates. Everything that she writes becomes a part of her and she wants her readers to know the woman behind those words. In addition to being an educator, she works as a content editor for a local news portal. She has been providing editing, proofreading and translation services for the past few years.

Jonali’s work has been published in several journals, anthologies and poetry collections both national and international. An avid reader, she loves flipping pages of anything and everything on the table and reviewing the same on her blog Eclectic Moods. She feels that reading and writing are the flip sides of the same coin. Writing is her way of communicating with the world. When she’s not writing or teaching she loves to experiment with her paintings.

She has quite a few accolades to her name.

Contact:

Email / Facebook / Instagram / Blog / Twitter / Goodreads

Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway- Doll Parts: Tales of Twisted Love by Azzurra Nox

Hi, everyone! I am excited to be part of the Doll Parts Blog Tour, hosted by YA Bound Book Tours. I have read and enjoyed the thrilling and spine-chilling stories by author Azzurra Nox. So without much ado, let's get on to the tour post in which you can read my review of the book. 

Goodreads Summary:

A haunting trio of short stories about love, obsession, and secrets. Each short story is titled after a song, The National's Apartment Story, Placebo's Scared of Girls, and Skunk Anansie's Post Orgasmic Chill.

Apartment Story
A lonely married woman nostalgically rekindles a friendship with a former lover and the apartment they shared. Dark secrets and mysteries surround the apartment building and its new tenants that delve deep into the woman's psyche and prove to be fatal.

Scared of Girls
A glamorous go-go dancer and a failing university student are bound by a dark secret that may change their fates forever.

Post Orgasmic Chill
The destinies of a cynical rock star, a groupie, an arrogant DJ, and naïve university student intertwine in a rainy London that serves as the backdrop to their tormented lives. Secrets and lies coincide in this dark tale of love gone wrong.

Hauntingly spare, beautiful, and twisted, Doll Parts is a disquieting and at times darkly morbid collection of short stories about normal people who suddenly discover their own dark possibilities. 

Add to Goodreads and buy from Amazon. 

REVIEW:

Short stories are my absolute favourites to read, but more often than not, they end up leaving me disappointed because I want more. Very few short stories have managed to impress me, and Doll Parts was definitely the finest and most meticulous collection of short stories that I have read. The book is composed of here thrilling and absolutely astounding stories; which I have reviewed separately. 

Apartment Story- 

This story blew me off completely. Although I hate admitting that I get scared, I love those chills I get when I am reading something absolutely creepy, and that's exactly how Apartment Story was. Throughout the length of the story, there was this eerie and mysterious feeling surrounding the protagonist's life. The story itself was creepy and nail-biting, I couldn't even begin to guess where it would head, but it took the most spine-chilling turn ever, and it was amazing in the scariest way possible. 

Scared of Girls- 

Scared of Girls was the most beautiful story of the collection. It is my most favourite of the three. This is the story that I'm going to take away from the collection as I know that it is going to stay with me forever and I want it to haunt me. I want it to consume me so much that it leaves me feeling numb, just like it did when I was reading it. I have no words to describe how amazing, astounding and astonishing this story is. It made me cry, and when a story does that, I am left speechless. I loved this beautiful story of scarred people. 

Post Orgasmic Chill- 

Post Orgasmic Chill wasn't as good as the first two stories, which was a shame because I was expecting it to be as amazing as its initial counterparts. Even then, this was a good story. This is one of those stories that had well developed and well written characters who were interconnected in the most intricate way possible. While I'm not the biggest fan as I've said before, Post Orgasmic Chill was definitely worth one read. 

Overall, author Azzurra Nox has compiled three truly beautiful and dangerous stories in one really spine-chilling and amazing collection. Doll Parts took my breadth away and has left its mark on me, especially Scared of Girls, which is really a painful and magical story. Post Orgasmic Chill was just about okay, but Apartment Story was scary as hell and truly mind-boggling. This is one emotional and enjoyable collection that is beautiful in a disturbing and twisted way. 

*A copy of Doll Parts by Azzurra Nox was provided by YA Bound Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. We thank them for the book. 

RATING: 

About the author: 

Born in Catania, Sicily, she has led a nomadic life since birth. She has lived in various European cities and Cuba, and currently resides in the Los Angeles area. Always an avid reader and writer from a young age, she loved entertaining her friends with ghost stories. She loves horror movies, cats, and a good rock show. She dislikes Mondays and chick-flicks. CUT HERE, her debut paranormal urban fantasy was inspired by a nightmare the writer had a few years ago. Some of her favourite authors include Anne Rice, Oscar Wilde, Chuck Palahniuk, and Isabella Santacroce.

AUTHOR LINKS: Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If the form doesn't load, go here.

Tour hosted by: 

YA Bound Book Tours

I'd like to thank YA Bound for this opportunity, Azzurra for writing such a beautiful book and thank you, readers, for stopping by! Happy reading! 

Review- Doll Parts: Tales of Twisted Love by Azzurra Nox

Goodreads Summary:

A haunting trio of short stories about love, obsession, and secrets. Each short story is titled after a song, The National's Apartment Story, Placebo's Scared of Girls, and Skunk Anansie's Post Orgasmic Chill.

Apartment Story
A lonely married woman nostalgically rekindles a friendship with a former lover and the apartment they shared. Dark secrets and mysteries surround the apartment building and its new tenants that delve deep into the woman's psyche and prove to be fatal.

Scared of Girls
A glamorous go-go dancer and a failing university student are bound by a dark secret that may change their fates forever.

Post Orgasmic Chill
The destinies of a cynical rock star, a groupie, an arrogant DJ, and naïve university student intertwine in a rainy London that serves as the backdrop to their tormented lives. Secrets and lies coincide in this dark tale of love gone wrong.

Hauntingly spare, beautiful, and twisted, Doll Parts is a disquieting and at times darkly morbid collection of short stories about normal people who suddenly discover their own dark possibilities. 

REVIEW:

Short stories are my absolute favourites to read, but more often than not, they end up leaving me disappointed because I want more. Very few short stories have managed to impress me, and Doll Parts was definitely the finest and most meticulous collection of short stories that I have read. The book is composed of here thrilling and absolutely astounding stories; which I have reviewed separately. 

Apartment Story- 

This story blew me off completely. Although I hate admitting that I get scared, I love those chills I get when I am reading something absolutely creepy, and that's exactly how Apartment Story was. Throughout the length of the story, there was this eerie and mysterious feeling surrounding the protagonist's life. The story itself was creepy and nail-biting, I couldn't even begin to guess where it would head, but it took the most spine-chilling turn ever, and it was amazing in the scariest way possible. 

Scared of Girls- 

Scared of Girls was the most beautiful story of the collection. It is my most favourite of the three. This is the story that I'm going to take away from the collection as I know that it is going to stay with me forever and I want it to haunt me. I want it to consume me so much that it leaves me feeling numb, just like it did when I was reading it. I have no words to describe how amazing, astounding and astonishing this story is. It made me cry, and when a story does that, I am left speechless. I loved this beautiful story of scarred people. 

Post Orgasmic Chill- 

Post Orgasmic Chill wasn't as good as the first two stories, which was a shame because I was expecting it to be as amazing as its initial counterparts. Even then, this was a good story. This is one of those stories that had well developed and well written characters who were interconnected in the most intricate way possible. While I'm not the biggest fan as I've said before, Post Orgasmic Chill was definitely worth one read. 

Overall, author Azzurra Nox has compiled three truly beautiful and dangerous stories in one really spine-chilling and amazing collection. Doll Parts took my breadth away and has left its mark on me, especially Scared of Girls, which is really a painful and magical story. Post Orgasmic Chill was just about okay, but Apartment Story was scary as hell and truly mind-boggling. This is one emotional and enjoyable collection that is beautiful in a disturbing and twisted way. 

*A copy of Doll Parts by Azzurra Nox was provided by YA Bound Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. We thank them for the book. 

RATING: 

Review- The Arithmetic of Breasts and Other Stories by Rochelle Potkar

Goodreads Summary:

Narain who lusts for Munika, hypnotized by her bosom in The Arithmetic of Breasts, and old Jaganlal who wants a favour from young Dia in The Room with a Sea-view.

Jackie who is in love with Nic in Sky Park, and the surgeon in Dr. Love who is changing much more than Sneha’s hairline, nose, lip and chin.

Shonali and Neel who are realizing that infidelity might not be such an easy thing in The Scent of a Conscience, and a woman who walks the tight rope between tradition and sexual exploitation in A place they call Scary.

And Sunil who meets the woman of his desires in What Men Want through an adult dating site.

Through these stories, Rochelle Potkar explores the intensely personal ‘unrelationship’ that exists alongside its conventional and socially articulate twin, the relationship.

REVIEW:

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of The Arithmetic of Breasts and Other Stories by Rochelle Potkar from the author in exchange for an honest review. We thank Rochelle for the book! 

Author Rochelle Potkar's The Arithmetic of Breasts and Other Stories is a very offbeat and interesting collection of short stories that focuses on a series of themes, but ends up being about sexual drives and desires mostly. When I first heard about the book, I assumed that the common theme in all the stories would be the female breast- which is what made it interesting for me, as I have worked on the subject before. It was only when I read the first story that I realised that The Arithmetic of Breasts is just the title of the first story. So while exploitation of the breast wasn't the focus of this collection, it still leans towards feminism, which works well enough for me. 

While some of the stories seemed every vague and sometimes incomprehensible to me, the others were absolute hits. Some of my most favourite being- The Arithmetic of Breasts, Dr. Love, The Scent of a Conscience and Our Lovers. These four out of a total of nine stories really struck a chord with me, not just because they ticked all the boxes of some great story-telling on the part of the author, but also because these stories had human emotions and feelings at their core, which made it very raw and real. Some were even uncanny and rather difficult to fathom just because of the intensity of them. But honestly, those are the stories I hunt for, so it was satisfying. 

Coming to author Rochelle Potkar's writing, it was very smooth and easy to follow. The language was really well thought of and developed, with as tiny a use of colloquial language as possible, which is again a hit. I can easily see Rochelle's writing next to the feminist giants of the literary world that I have grown to admire and appreciate. I feel that the author's stories and most importantly, her story-telling are both very powerful. Just the way every story was different from the other and was equally gripping at the same time is real work on the author's part. 

Overall, there were a few stories in The Arithmetic of Breasts and Other Stories that I don't really care about, but as mentioned before, there are four stories that really stood out for me and that I have carried with me outside of the book. This is a great collection of short stories that really makes sense, has the reader contemplate over common human urges and basically just keep the reader occupied and entertained as well. It's definitely worth a read, or two in case one loves a story so much that it calls for reread or to just read some stories again only to understand them better. 

RATING:

Review- Uff Ye Emotions-2 by Vinit. K. Bansal

Summary-

Like the lyrics of an old song, which keeps repeating themselves in our mind or a fever dormant in the blood or an importunate lover impossible to get rid of, the memories of love or 'love' itself keeps returning in our lives again and again at the oddest of times and the strangest of places.

Randomly, beautifully, haphazardly or passionately, love lives up again—for it has been waiting for you, waiting for this union, waiting to merge with YOU at last.
So, keeping the trend alive and after the roaring success of our novice, Uff Ye Emotions, we are back once again with Uff Ye Emotions-2.

With Love, comes many emotions—some of them being pain, betrayal, hatred, hope and friendship. We fall IN and OUT of love time and again, but we can never be tired of it—because it is one of the only few aspects of life we can’t keep ourselves away from, isn’t it?

Selected and edited by Vinit K. Bansal, this time again 11 touching stories from authors across the country, will be delighting the readers who swear by love stories. And for those who don’t read love stories much, come and discover why they are so engrossing.

Review-

Uff Ye Emotions-2 is comprised of eleven short stories. Each and every single short story has is own unique theme and its own unique take on love, passion and other such emotions. It was really nice to see a book cover so many facets of love and though I'm not a huge fan of short stories, I liked it.

The first short story, The Client was dark and real and a perfect start to the book. It is very difficult to get the proper depth of characters in short stories but the Client managed to do that. And while I cannot say that I liked the end, some love stories are best left incomplete.

There definitely were a few stories which were forgettable. I couldn't easily relate to or understand the situation in some of them. But each and every single author has made a really good effort. I did have my favorites though. I really loved The Woman Who Waited, The Client, NCERT of L_O_V_E and I'll be There. I think these stories really portrayed true love.

The book ends with the story Love and Sacrifices. It was a good effort but I did find it a bit unrealistic. But when you're reading fiction, you should expect it. As far as the writing is concerned, the book has several authors and I think each one has his or her own unique writing style. There is no requirement to read the book in a specific order or all at once, which is a good deal. I liked Uff Ye Emotions-2.

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

Review- The Great Short Stories by Guy de Maupassant

Goodreads Summary: 

GUY DE MAUPASSANT was a master of the short story. This collection reflects his remarkable diversity, with stories that vary in theme and tone, and range from tragedy and satire to comedy and farce. With a simplicity of style that masks complex philosophy, Maupassant can illuminate an entire code of values by means of a few telling details. He exposes the brutality of war and the hypocrisy it spawns, and depicts the petty limitations, the dissimulations and the vanities inherent at different levels of society. His stories are linked by a trenchant irony and by a preoccupation with the frailty of human nature and the futility of so many lives.

REVIEW:

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of The Great Short Stories by Guy de Maupassant from Jaico Publishing House in exchange for an honest review. We thank the publishing house for the book! 

There's this poster with a bio of Guy de Maupassant hanging in our classroom. With the many French books I've been reading, I thought I might as well give The Great Short Stories a try because short stories aren't that hard to read, although they can be hard to comprehend and this collection, to both, my disappointment and relief, is in English! I thought it was time I gave the author whose picture I keep looking at when I get bored in class, a try. 

The Great Short Stories is a very good collection of some fourteen short stories written by Guy de Maupassant and translated to English. These are predominantly war-themed stories, with take up a different subject line each time. Some stories tell these really beautiful and heartbreaking love stories, while others are brave and courageous stories of friendship, while some others take a look at what goes on in a family and the others take up the general lifestyle of the time gone by. 

I must admit that I didn't quite understand all the stories so my description of them above might be wrong. There were lots of errors I found in terms of translation (yay me, I can figure it out now) and editorial ones as well. The two stories I enjoyed the most were the first and the last stories, titled Mademoiselle Pearl and Useless Beauty respectively. For a time in which these stories are based, I liked how they focused on the situation of women. 

I wish I had understood all the stories in this collection better and maybe someday, when I am in the mood to reread them, I will. For now, I am proud of myself to have started this deep need that I feel to read works of old, famous and most noteworthy authors the world has seen, with a good short stories collection like this. 

RATING: