Review- Finding Juliet by Toffee

 Finding Juliet on Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Arjun is a sweet, simple guy who is so unlucky in love that he almost lets go of life. Enter his saviour Krish, who turns him into an irresistible flirt, making his life more colourful. But will he find true happiness or has he lost that opportunity?

Join Arjun as he tries to figure out women and discovers the meaning of love, lust and life.. all in his journey of Finding Juliet. 

Release date: December 2016

Published by: Srishti Publishers & Distributors 

Page numbers: 224 

REVIEW: 

Finding Juliet by Toffee started of really well, because I found myself relating to all the first crush and first love incidents of the male protagonist Arjun's story about his college days. Almost all those little things brought a smile to my face and I found myself enjoying the book, even though it's not something I'd ever even consider picking up otherwise. But I thought I'd give this book a try because I knew it would be a short, simple and sweet read, which it was, save for a few problems I had with it. 

It was towards the second half of the book where there's that whole have a girlfriend to flaunt and not seem a loser that started getting on my nerves. No matter how chill or sweet a book is, this is one thing I just cannot stand for the life of me. Another point that I didn't agree with was the make out and make up drama. Also, even when Arjun was smart enough to understand that a particular relation wasn't exactly good, he kept going on with it. But of all these, the worst was being proud of being in numerous relations at once and assuming how a woman's brain works, like, just stop!

Now that the positives and negatives are out of the way, let's talk about the story. An engineer by profession, Arjun joins the IT industry after his studies and lands a really good job, and apparently, also a very cool social life. Aside from the few times where he got on my nerves, Arjun was a really sweet and kind person. Although he did mess up majorly sometimes, his realisations and the fact that he learned from his mistakes made him a good person. Arjun also enjoys writing and contributes as lyricist to bands and movies. I would have loved to see some of Arjun's writing work in the book because I'm sure it would've added much more to the book.

Author Toffee's writing was really good; very simple and extremely easy to understand. All in all, although Finding Juliet seemed like a typical Bollywood movie, it was a good read that was enjoyable but there are some parts of it that I just cannot stand, no matter what. But it's definitely a good or- as they say, "time-pass"- read that gives a nice glimpse into the lives of techies.

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

Buy the book: AMAZON

Review- Colorful Notions by Mohit Goyal

 BOOK SUMMARY:

Would you give up your high-paying job and comfortable personal
life to drive ten thousand kilometers across india? Just for fun!
Three twenty-somethings dare to do just that! While the two boys take turns
to drive, the girl gives voice-over as they record their entire journey on a handy
cam.
Ab, Sasha and Unnati are ordinary youngsters, rendered special by the feat they
accomplish. As they recount their adventures, I crave to live their journey.
They look at each other with a glint in their eyes, as if refurbishing those
memories while narrating their spooky time at Bhangarh Fort, strange
escapades at Wagah Border and Sundarbans, car breakdowns, wild animals,
near-death experiences and highway robbers! It's nothing less than crazy.
I doubted if I'd ever have the gumption to create such experiences. So I did the
next best thing - I penned a book about them, and their roadtrip.
Colorful Notions is a journey of three young hearts on the Indian terrain and
into the inner recesses of their souls, giving a new perspective to relationships,
love and life. 

Release date: November 1st 2016

Published by: Srishti Publishers and Distributors

Page numbers: 200

REVIEW: 

Colorful Notions is a book about three friends who take an epic road trip and decide to cover some 25 destinations all over India. Abhay and Sashank have been the closest of friends since childhood and at the confusing age of 25, they decide to ditch real life and go on a road trip with Sashank's assistant RJ girlfriend, Unnati, who lends her singsong voice to the documentary/ film they decide to create on their journey.

Each character in the book was so different from the other, and that's exactly what made the book so real and smooth because as much as a road trip book is about travelling and exploring, it is also about each different character, their unique personality and their admirable individualism. And in the end, it's about how these differences bring people together and closer. While there were so many incidences that were dumb to put it bluntly, they all added value to the book because after all, road tripping is nothing but a learning experience. Nonetheless, it's difficult to overlook the sometimes extreme recklessness (coming from mature people) and the sometimes unnecessary and over drama that seemed very frequent in the book. 

Books about road trips are the most entertaining and emotional because they are both light and deep at the same time. Road tripping isn't just about getting in car, travelling unimaginable distances, trying out new food, meeting new people and having the time of one's life. It is all that, yes; but there's so much more to it, because it always ends up being a life-altering experience, and no matter what age one is, it almost always ends up being a very coming of age experience that is enlightening, refreshing and wise. This is what the book teaches and the message of connecting with oneself and others was lovely. 

Colourful Notions was a great read that has been nicely penned down by author Mohit Goyal, whose writing is simple and easy to understand. One of the greatest part is that each chapter is dedicated to one place and one incident which gives a nice and enough (in terms of quantity) glimpse into everything. It's very precise and not boring at all, which is exactly why this read is highly recommended.

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

Buy the book: AMAZON

Monthly Giveaway 2016 #12 (December)- Two Books by Srishti Publishers and Distributors

Hi, everyone! Another month just flew by, and it's hard to believe that it's the last month of 2016, and that also means that it's our lasy Monthly Giveaway for this year. Wow, this whole concept has been fun but tedious to host, but mostly fun. Janhvi and I really hope we're able to bring more to you all next year, as well. 

For now though, let's get on to what we have in store for our December! Here's what one lucky Indian reader stands the chance of winning: 

Both these books are published by Srishti Publishers and Distributors. 

As usual, rules are simple:

*The giveaway is open for residents of India only. 

*Enter by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.

*If the form doesn't load, click here.

*Once winners are picked, they will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond, or else we'll be compelled to pick another winner. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

That's it, guys! We hope you've had fun taking part in and winning our giveaways. We love to make you  smile, and thank you for your support. See you with more giveaways in 2017!

The Readdicts Monthly Giveaway 2016 #2 (February) *Featuring Srishti Quickies*

Hi everyone, welcome to our February giveaway, as part of our Monthly Giveaway 2016. If you missed the January giveaway, check it out here.

This time, we have collaborated with Srishti Publishers and Distributors and we are giving away four- yes. four- books and these books are all the books released by Srishti Publishers and Distributors under their Quickies line. 

Here's what you can win: 

   

This giveaway was planned at the perfect time, becasue Srishti has come up with the Quickies box-set which was launched at the World Book Fair in Delhi recently. That's also why Arup @ Srishti has very generously offered to give away a box-set of all the four Quickies to one lucky winner, which means that this giveaway will have two winners! 

You can find Sarika's reviews for the books at the following links: 

Dark Temptation: The Naughty Proposal!

10 Rules of F**G Around

Daring Daroga: Killer in the Shadows and Catch Me? No You Can't!

As always giveaway rules are simple: 

*The giveaway is open to residents of India only. 

*Enter by filling out the Rafflecopter form below. 
*If the form doesn't load, go here.

*Once winners are picked, they will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or new winners will be picked. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading! 

Also guys, our buddy KM over at Writer and Tales has started her own monthly giveaway, so make sure you check out her first giveaway. 

And of course, we'd like to thank Arup and Srishti for always supporting us. Don't forget to show them some love in the comments! 

(Mini) Reviews- Srishti Quickies by Amit Nangia

Daring Daroga: Killer in the Shadows! on Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

"Naam: Inspector Abhay Pandey, Uttar Pradesh Police, sheher Allahabad. If you read newspapers, naam toh suna hee hoga. 

Kaam: Maintaining public order, ordering the hawaldars, patrolling in my jeep and giving rides to women in need. 

Shauk: Haseeno ko bachaana, gundon aur politicians ki bajaana. Fir chhamiya party mein nachnagana. I like murder investigations the way I like my women - mysterious, complicated, and with a (killer) body.

A threat: Naina Sinha received a threatening phone call, followed by an attempt to kill her. I found Naina with a bloodstained knife at her house. Has she killed someone? 

A murder: An unidentified body is found in the public toilet with Naina's photograph and a huge sum of money. Was he out to kill her? 

A secret: There is a dark secret from her past that Naina is unable to remember. Does the secret hold the key to solving the case? As new secrets are unravelled, I begin to realize that everybody from her past has something to hide. This is much more than a simple murder case. Come, let's find the Killer in the Shadows!"

Release date: February 2015

Published by: Srishti Publishers and Distributors

Page numbers: 124

REVIEW:

Amit Nangia's Daring Daroga: Killer in the Shadows! is a Srishti Quickie which makes it so easy to read because the book is short and entertaining. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this mystery that revolves around the life of Naina, a girl who can't escape her past, mainly because she barely remembers it and inspector Abhay Pandey, a hot shot police officer who is good at whatever he does. This short story had everything from romance to action to comedy to politics and some Bollywood thrown in here and there. The latter had me annoyed sometimes, but the story was very good. Like I said, I wasn't expecting this to be such a good read, because sexism and objectification in books makes me cringe. And it did with this as well. But if I put that aside, Daring Daroga: Killer in the Shadows! was a thrilling and enjoyable read. Not much into mysteries, this one had me at the edge of my seat because I couldn't figure out who the killer was until the very end, and although as a whole, it was really mediocre, the journey was fun, and that's what matters anyway. 

*Note: This book was provided by Srishti Publishers and Distributors in exchange for an honest review. We thank them for the book. 

Buy the book: AMAZON / FLIPKART

Catch Me? No You Can't! on Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Raja Tiwari is freshly out of jail and not for stealing hearts and killing with his looks. Audacious, handsome and dangerously charming, he is looking for a new job when he meets the suave and beautiful Silky Sinha. To add the cherry on the cake, she takes him home.

Why would a hot girl take an ex-convict, a stranger home?
Did she want something from him? Did she want him?

Wouldn't the story be too simple that way? Enter ex-cop Thakur, unruly and wild. He has a job for Tiwari which would either make him filthy rich or land him behind bars again. His plan leads to a dramatic verdict, unforeseen consequences and a web of lies and deception.

Tiwari always has an angle to everything, but he would need something more to be a step ahead in this game - assuming his own allies don't end up killing him before the police get the chance.

The question is: How far is he willing to go?

Release date: April 10th 2015

Published by: Srishti Publishers and Distributors 

Page numbers: 108

REVIEW:

Catch Me? No You Can't! is another mystery/ thriller by Amit Nangia that is a quick read of about hundred pages. This is the story of Raja Tiwari, who is freshly out of jail and who helps a beautiful girl from a street goon and lands in a soup. Or so it seems. Tiwari's character was very well developed and portrayed. Although the book takes place over a couple of days alone, it was fun reading about his journey and how his rather smart ass mind works. There were so may times while reading the book when I asked myself exactly what was happening, and there were also times when the book seemed very rushed, but it all came really well together in the end and ended up being a very thrilling ride. Although the use of Hindi in Indian Writing in English annoys me, Amit Nangia's humour was on point and had me laughing hard. For a story that revolves around barely three characters, this book was very entertaining and gripping. Overall, Catch Me? No You Can't! was an entertaining read whose end was really good, unique and difficult to predict. 

*Note: This book was provided by Srishti Publishers and Distributors in exchange for an honest review. We thank them for the book. 

Buy the book: AMAZON / FLIPKART

Review- Love on 3 Wheels by Anurag Anand

Goodreads Summary:

What Happens When Love and Destiny Come to Loggerheads?
Love on 3 Wheels is a saga of love, lust, aspirations and trickery that unfolds over a period of three days, propelling those in its midst into an unmindful frenzy.
Sargam:
A young and ambitious girl misplaces a parcel purportedly containing a large amount of cash. This sets off a turn of events that are certain to leave their imprint on the lives of many.
Sharib Sheikh:
An auto rickshaw driver whose fault is that he fell in love with the wrong person at the wrong time.
Dr. Abhigyan Kukreti:
A prominent doctor who has more skeletons in his personal closet than a mid-size cemetery.
Ameena:
A simple village girl who, like Sharib, finds herself at the wrong end of love.
Junaid:
A swindler with his heart in the right place.

A Real Love Story that is bound to make your heart skip more than a beat! 

REVIEW:

Having previously read and thoroughly enjoyed Anurag Anand's Where the Rainbow Ends, I was really looking forward to reading Love on 3 Wheels, which turned out to be very interesting and enjoyable. 

The story of five very different people; in this book, we get into the heads of each of these characters from the point of view of the third person while at the same time, we follow the events that take place on December 28 and 29. The alternate character and story narration was well done. A narration like this can end up being confusing, but in Love on 3 Wheels, we get as much lead into the character as into the story itself, which was refreshing and riveting, because both were necessary to really understand everything. 

Speaking of the characters, we have Sargam, who is a decent and hardworking girl; Sharib, an auto driver who is very respectful; Abhigyan, doctor by profession who isn't what he appears to be; Ameena, who will do anything to get the man of her dreams fall for her like she has fallen for him; and finally Junaid, who will do anything- absolutely anything- for his mommy dearest. 

All the characters were developed and portrayed nicely. The best part was that each character was shown in such a way that it was both easy and difficult to both love and hate her/ him. Love on 3 Wheels interconnects the lives of these five characters in the most interesting way possible. Each of them is either at the right or wrong place at either the right or wrong time; it depends on perspective. 

Deep down, this book speaks about much more than just connecting threads. It takes up contemporary issues that makes one think if what happens with the characters is really what they deserve. It talks about karma and justice, making the story very meaningful. The only disappointment was what became of the character I was rooting for. While it did seem that some characters didn't get what they deserved, it all made sense nonetheless. 

Overall, hardly 160 pages long, Love on 3 Wheels is an entertaining, enjoyable and very interesting tale that intermingles the lives of five people and that was portrayed in a gripping way. 

*A copy of Anurag Anand's Love on 3 Wheels was provided by Srishti Publishers and Distributors in exchange for an honest review. We thank the publishing house and Anurag for the book! 

RATING: