Bookish

An Interview with the Creator of Hiblisk- Mr. Sumukh Naik

Janani Hariharan — Mon, 20 May 2013 01:00:07 +0000

Mr. Sumukh Naik is a debutante author, who has recently published the book ‘Age of Hiblisk’. Currently working as a HR professional, also holds a degree in Hotel Management from IHM, Goa. Here, we have a chat with him on various aspects of his book and writing!

1. Congratulations on the positive reviews about your book! How does it feel to be a published author, with people liking your writing?

It takes lots of efforts, sacrifices, patience to write a book and perhaps even more to successfully publish the same. Thus, every time when someone acknowledges the book, it really feels great.

2. What gave you the idea for the story of this book? Were there any incidents related to the same?

There are many factors that have helped in realization and materialization of this book. But, one of the most important factors can easily described by the old adage

‘The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.’ -William Ross Wallace

The book, aims at introducing noble concepts in the society and also to highlight the role of a woman, in building a society / civilisation. A woman holds the key, for the successful survival of a civilisation, but at times, they themselves neglect their potential. I want to bring to their attention this aspect, which has helped our ancient civilisation to survive and educate others around the world.

The book will enable you to look at the world from a different perspective, enrich you and at the same time keep you entertained!!

3. What do books mean to you? Records of knowledge, magical fantasy lands, or way to spread your message to people?

Definitely ‘Records of Knowledge’. They are like the guardians of not just history but also of idea, culture, thoughts, values and many more interesting concepts. They reflect the growth of a society and act as a mirror for the same. Books are the wonderful objects that help you to understand more about the world, educate you and help you in becoming a better person. They bestow upon you the most potent of all boons, the boon of knowledge. Books inspire & impress people. Books can influence the course of life of a reader and hence need to be taken seriously.

4. The tagline of your novel is ‘A story with a soul’. What are the ingredients you consider necessary for a story to appeal to the reader on an emotional level?

You have to be honest with your work. Words entertain but honesty appeals to the inner sanctum of a readers’ soul. The writer needs to be absolutely sure and responsible of what exactly he wants to communicate.

5. Could you describe to us the journey of writing this book? The parts you enjoyed the most, as well as the parts that were difficult?

It was a challenging journey but totally worth all the efforts taken. It took me 4.5 years to write and publish this book. I enjoyed the writing aspect. I also received prompt positive response from various publishing houses on my manuscript during my search for a publisher. But, it was the editing aspect of the book which acted as a huge learning curve for me. Cover design was another aspect which I enjoyed a lot.

6. ‘Age of Hiblisk’ is a fiction novel set in a mythological landscape with corresponding characters. Are you a fan of any other novels in this genre, like the Lord of the Rings trilogy or the Inheritance series?

I am a big fan of Lord of the Rings trilogy. It is a wonderful trilogy which inspires courage and hope.

7. Your writing speaks a lot about ‘the balance between good and evil in Mother Nature’. Could you spell it out for our audience in a few words?

The book is an attempt to help the readers see beyond the obvious. It will help them to widen their gaze and also understand what they see. The book, aims at introducing noble concepts in the society and the concept of balance between good and evil, only aids in putting forth to the readers few meaningful concepts.

8. Throughout the book, you’ve depicted most of the women as being quite powerful, sometimes more than men. How do you feel this balance of power has shifted in the present era?

A woman can only recognize her true self when she stops analyzing herself from others point of view and takes pains to understand herself in her own rights. External education and Internal education (knowledge of self ) is the key. It will install in her a sense of respect and give her the strength to fight for her dignity. A woman is the foundation on which a house, society, country & civilisation can stand and thrive. She holds the key for future. She can guide humanity to a glorious future.

Many of the ills that we see in our society are a direct product of disruption in this delicate balance between a man and a woman.

A woman needs to harness her dormant powers to shape their household, their society, their country and their civilisation.

She needs to understand that she is the glorious instrument of ‘Life’. A beautiful blessing bestowed upon her by Mother Nature herself.

I have tremendous faith in the power of a Woman. They can give the world an ideal to strive towards. In these trying times, a woman is the only beacon of hope.

9. Who would you choose as your favorite race from the ones in Hiblisk- the peaceful Kikokers, the scientific Vimanikars or the spiritually powerful Indravatikers? And why?

All are my favourite. It is impossible for me to actually pick one. All the races are mighty and powerful in their own right. Every race has a sound reason behind the lifestyle they lead. I feel, if the combination of lifestyle of these races is adapted, can lead to wonders.

10. Do you have a target audience that you write for? Is there any particular section of society that interests you?

It is very difficult to mark this book firmly under one particular genre. I feel the content of this book overflows into various genres. I wanted to write a book which can easily appeal to everyone, from a teenager to a person in his autumn years.

But, most importantly, I would really appreciate if more women would read my book. There are certain noble concepts specifically aimed at them.

11. You have mentioned in your blog, quite strongly, that you are against multitasking. Is there any specific reason why? How do you, then, manage to balance your writing and professional life?

I feel if you are not devoted 100% to the task at hand then you are cheating yourself and also the task you are working on. It is an extremely counterproductive mechanism. In my blog, I have stated that you need to be true to the task that you are performing at that moment. You need to be true to that moment.

While writing the book, I always ensured that I gave my 100% to it. At the same time while working, I always tried to remain focused at the job at hand. It is important to divide your time, energy and focus wisely so that you can enjoy and benefit by working on each task at hand.

12. And lastly, the ending of ‘The Age of Hiblisk’ hints at a sequel. Is there one in the offing?

It is very difficult for me to say anything at this point of time

Thank you for taking time out from your busy schedule, Mr. Naik. We hope to review many more of your books in the future!

The author has a blog with his regular musings, a Facebook page with updates on the book and a Twitter page where you can follow him.

An Interview with Sonora Jha

Sujata Garimella — Sat, 18 May 2013 01:00:03 +0000

Sonora Jha was born in India, where she had a successful career as a journalist in Mumbai and Bangalore before moving to Singapore and then the United States to earn a Ph.D. in Political Communication. She is now a professor of journalism and the Chair of the Department of Communication at Seattle University. Her first novel, Foreign, has sprung from her work as a journalist, an academic, and a creative writer. Sonora lives in Seattle.

Her debut book Foreign is a fictionalized account of the farmers’ suicides in contemporary India. It is set in Seattle and in Vidarbha, Maharashtra, with the two worlds tumbling together in a web of suicide, politics and betrayal.

In an exclusive interview with India Book Store, Sonora shares her trajectory from a journalist in India to a book author and professor of journalism in Seattle.

How long have you been writing?

Jha: I think I started liking to write a long time ago. My mother has a three-line essay I wrote in first grade in Dehra Dun, a town in India. It went like this – 'I have a horse. His name is Ned. Ned is a good horse.' I wish I could write such simple and attractive prose today. Brilliant stuff, that. But, seriously, I started wanting a career in writing when I was 18 and wrote a little essay that got published in The Times of India. I then went and studied journalism, got a job as a journalist, and wrote a whole lot of news and features in my career. As an academic researcher, I wrote and published social scientific research. I didn't think seriously of creative writing until recently, when I realized I had this story of the death of Indian farmers to tell in the most compelling way possible.

Seeing that writing attracted you from your early life, what made you choose Commerce for graduation?

Jha: I was 15 years old when I had to decide whether to get a bachelor’s degree in Arts, Commerce, or Science. This was the mid-80s. Commerce was seen to be the next big thing for India. All my friends were doing it. So, I signed up, too. One shouldn’t have to make such choices at 15! I didn’t really have the interest or aptitude for Commerce and I didn’t do well in my classes. But, no education is wasted. And, in my final year of my degree in Business Management, I landed up in a class called, quite simply, “English.” I couldn’t wait to attend that class. That’s how I knew that I wanted to write for a career.

Tell us something about your early career with as a journalist?

Jha: I started out with The Afternoon Despatch & Courier in Bombay and then went to The Times of India in Bangalore. I worked with the finest of Indian journalists and did stories on crime, social justice issues, education, investigative stories on the way people were being treated as the AIDS epidemic came to India, as well as on fashion, film, celebrity…everything. Somewhere down the line, I began to realize that while I was writing extensively on urban India, I knew little about rural India and wouldn’t feel comfortable as an Indian journalist without knowing about how the majority of its people lived. I quit my job at the Times and joined Actionaid India, a London-based development funding agency, so I could travel to rural development projects across the poorest parts of the country and write stories for a journal I edited, as well as for the national press. Then, the Times of India called me back to join them as Chief of Metropolitan Bureau and a special correspondent in Bangalore, which I did, with a new sensibility and renewed passion for making a difference.

Which are the articles/stories that you are most proud of in your career as a journalist?

Jha: There are stories that stand out because of the attention they received, and achievements that stand out because of their scale – such as helping triple the circulation of The Times of India in Bangalore in just one year because of civic, local, community-based journalism. But, the story that will stay with me as my biggest achievement personally is one I did for The Afternoon Despatch & Courier, in my first year as a reporter. I wrote about the low adoption rates of girl children and described the scene at an orphanage filled with girls because the boys had been chosen and taken. Readers wrote to the paper to say that it changed their thinking. And then, I got a hand-written letter in the mail from a couple that said that they had gone and adopted a baby girl because of my article. I remember standing my office in the middle of a busy day with tears flowing down my cheeks. To me, nothing can be a bigger impact than moving one human being to do one right thing.

You had already done your post-graduation in journalism in India. What made you move to Seattle and do a course in journalism again?

Jha: After 10 years in journalism in India and then in Singapore (where I went because my then husband got an excellent job), I had a number of questions about press freedoms and democracy. Some friends who were professors in America suggested I go for a Ph.D. in Political Communication (a combination of journalism and political science) at Louisiana State University, which had set up a Ph.D. program especially for mid-career journalists from across the world. I also had some personal reasons to move out of Singapore. So, I went. I always say that it was very unlikely that I would have left India to go to the United States. But I was not unhappy to leave Singapore to go to the U.S.

You have lived in three countries: India, Singapore and the US. What do you feel are the similarities and differences in the three countries?

Jha: In India, we have a free press and democracy and yet a staggering number of people go to bed hungry. In Singapore, you have no press freedom and a lot of state control, but few go to bed hungry. In the United States, you have it all…everything that is needed for human beings to live fulfilling lives…and yet, income disparity and the rates of poverty are disturbing, to say the least. What’s the best system of government and press? I’m still wading through that question. Personally, although my heart is rooted in India, I have found the United States – especially Seattle – to be the best home for me, as a single mother, a writer, and a professor.

The main protagonist in Foreign Katya Misra is an expat Indian, an academic and lives in Seattle. How much of this character is based on yourself?

Jha: The structure of that character is based on my structure. But none of the things that happen to her have happened to me. I was not an unwed mother, my child didn’t run away from home, I did not have problems of collegiality at the University where I teach, and I am not engaged to an American cop. I also do not think like her. I don’t have a disregard for India the way Katya does.

One of the reviews of Foreign says: Sonora Jha's heroine is American in India, Indian in America; single and a mother; in love but stubbornly independent; human and female — in other words, she is always foreign. Do you feel that you are “foreign” everywhere? Is there any place you feel rooted in?

Jha: Ah. I could write a whole book on this. Maybe I will. A student of mine, Lauren Padgett, who travelled with me to India, asked me, “Do you feel foreign here?” I said, “No, not really. I fell like I belong here as well as in the U.S.” But as I thought about it later, I realized that it is in the places and moments of being ‘foreign,’ that I discover the best things. I developed that into a lecture I was invited to give: ‘How to Stay Foreign in a Familiar World.’ I feel that ‘belonging,’ in some ways, limits our experiences. Staying foreign, staying uncertain, is far more enriching than the citizenship of certainty.

You went to Yatvatmal for research about the farmers’ suicides. Did you meet any individual/family on whom you based your story?

Jha: I met a number of families and combined their stories to build the stories of my characters. There was no individual family that I focused on.

Having written a book on the farmers’ suicides in Vidarbha, have you been following their stories?

Jha: Yes, I have. I started to write the book five years ago and I kept up with the news and made changes to my story as the situation grew dire. I stay in a state of disbelief and despair that things are only getting worse and the country – or world – is not seeing this as a form of genocide.

Most of Maharashtra is in the grip of a very serious famine situation – have you thought of revisiting Yavatmal?

Jha: Maharashtra is having the worst drought in four decades. I often think of the places I visited. I have thought of revisiting, but I feel that my job now is to tell the story and make sure that people read it and read other, similar stories about the crisis and then feel compelled to collectively do something about it. March in the streets the way they have marched for the victims of rape? That outrage has energized the country to demand policy changes. We can bring the same outrage to farmers’ suicides, too.

You have years of experience writing features and news stories. The suicides were both, news and features. Did you ever think of writing the stories as non-fiction instead of fiction? What made you choose the medium of fiction to tell this story?

Jha: When the farmers in Vidarbha were telling me their stories, there was something lyrical and folksy about their narration. It was just a strange sense that started to grow in me, that the way I told the story should reflect the way it was being told to me. I also started to feel that I wanted their story to have a larger reading audience, to get out into the whole world of readers. Combine this with the fact that I had always harboured a desire to write a novel, and there I was, coming back to Seattle and signing up to learn how to write fiction so I could tell the story in the most compelling way possible.

Do you see yourself ever returning to journalism or NGO work in India from academics in the States?

Jha: I never saw myself doing any of what I am doing today. If you had told me when I was 25 that I would one day be in the U.S., teaching journalism, I would have said, “No, thanks.” But I love it. So, anyway, although I don’t see myself doing that right now, who knows what happens next?

You had a session “How to stay foreign in a familiar world?”. The questions you addressed in that were: What are the big and small global questions we ask as we encounter "foreign" experiences in our lives? For instance, what does "happiness" mean in Seattle and what does it mean in Mumbai? How can we stand in solidarity with the people of the world? — A unique perspective on what home and happiness is for those of us making a life in places both foreign and familiar. Would you answer the same questions here?

Jha: Like I said earlier, I could write a whole book on these questions (and, actually, I AM writing that book). But at the heart of these questions is the fact that human beings in India, despite their poverty, are able to find a deep connection with happiness in the ways I feel many people in Seattle can’t, with all their wealth and opportunity. So, what does this say for human development? I feel that the drive for ‘happiness’ in a narrowly-defined way has gotten in the way of the drive for human dignity. I suspect that none of us can truly be ‘happy’ as long as other humans on the planet have basic health, food, and dignity. Somewhere, their lack will come and create a lack in our own lives. Our ‘home,’ then, is tidy when we have tidied up the imbalances across the globe. It’s not that hard to do, you know.

For more on Dr. Sonora Jha's thoughts on the intersections of press, politics, and the Internet, here are some of her scholarly, social scientific research publications. You can also reach out to her through her website -www.sonorajha.com

EXPLORING INTERNET INFLUENCE ON THE COVERAGE OF SOCIAL PROTEST: CONTENT ANALYSIS COMPARING PROTEST COVERAGE IN 1967 AND 1999

J&MC Quarterly/ Vol. 84, No. 1, Spring 2007

Why they wouldn't cite from sites: A study of journalists' perceptions of social movement web sites and the impact on their coverage of social protest

Journalism/ Vol. 9, No. 6, December 2008

Framed By Blogs: Toward a Theory of Frame Sponsorship and Reinforcement Through the Blogosphere

The Electronic Journal of Communication/Vol. 18, No. 1, November 2008

Who got to Talk about it: Sourcing and Attribution in Broadcast News Coverage of the First 24 Hours of the 9/11 Tragedy

Seattle Journal for Social Justice/Vol. 4, No. 1, Fall 2005

Review: The Homing Pigeons by Sid Bahri

Sujata Garimella — Thu, 16 May 2013 01:18:14 +0000

Author: Sid Bahri

Publisher: Srishti Publishers

Year: 2013

ISBN: 9380349912
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Click for latest prices

The Homing Pigeons by debutant author Sid Bahri narrates the lives of Aditya and Radhika. The protagonists are pretty ordinary people with small twists that lead them into extraordinary lives.

Bahri starts off their stories in the present. Aditya, based in Chandigarh, is a banker who has lost his job because of the global meltdown and recession of 2008. A year down the line, he is out of job, out of money and out of hope; living off his wife whom he cannot tolerate, existing at the bottom of a bottle. Radhika living in a dilapidated haveli in Lucknow is recently widowed. Her super-rich husband, with whom she had a completely loveless marriage, has just died and left her very well-off – with one last tie in form of her step-daughter. Once her step-daughter is married, both of them will finally be free of each other and be able to actually live their lives.

The story starts with Aditya and context and circumstances are established in the first two paragraphs. Within the first chapter the twist in his life is introduced and established. (Avoiding mentioning the twist so as to not put in a spoiler). Ditto Radhika. Both find themselves moving to Delhi – and the stage is set.

Aditya’s and Radhika’s past and present are nicely woven into the narrative and it moves easily between the time periods – straddling both their lives across almost 29 years. To his credit, Bahri segues the back-and-forth of the account (between characters and time zones) quite well because the reader doesn’t feel like they are jumping all around. He has used all the typical elements of every life – self-esteem issues, religion, emotional blackmail, loneliness, ennui – to justify the couple’s actions and decisions.

The author alternates chapters between the two. No chapter is longer than 3 to 5 pages which makes it easy to keep turning the pages. The story jogs at an even pace. There is no nail-biting drama or situation that compels you to read the next word or page. On the other hand, there is nothing that will make you want to drop off the book midway either. The book strictly sticks to being only a narrative of the events of Aditya’s and Radhika’s lives without attempting to explore the characters or track the changes and growth in them. There is no commentary on the people, circumstances or events that build the context of the story.

The real jarring note is struck with language and grammar. The editorial team has done an extremely poor job with this book and there are so many language and grammatical issues that they make you frequently stop and keep the book aside.

This is certainly not an Arundhati Roy – honestly, it is not even a Chetan Bhagat or Amish – but in the spate of all the Indian authors flooding the market, The Homing Pigeons is a slightly better read than many others trying to be Five Point Someone (though they use language peppered with four-letter words).

Review : Law of Averages by Kshitish Padhy

Shradha Shreejaya — Tue, 14 May 2013 01:00:37 +0000

Author: Kshitish Padhy
Publisher: Paper Clip Books
Year: 2012
ISBN: 9789332420052
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Click for latest prices

If the law of averages is to be believed then the author, Kshitish Padhy definitely defies it by getting a right hit with his very first novel itself. And he makes no qualms about being truly desi filmy – as seen in the book’s tagline, “a hilarious love story – filmy ishtyle”.

Set amidst the buzz of eccentric creativity of the world of comics, love at first sight and following-your-dreams mentality of the new-gen Indians, Law of Averages is a well narrated story of an average ‘boy next door’. Our guy knows what he is worth and decides to make it big, by choosing his heart’s desire with the aid his head’s wilful scheming, that leads to a lot of twists and turns in his life.

It all begins with a love at first sight situation which then leads to a very dramatic plot envisaged by the ‘hero’ to win his prospective father-in-law’s favour. Juggling deadlines at the office to launching a new comic series into the very competitive market; handling his father-in-law and best friend’s whims and fancies, the 'great Indian boy' proves himself to be of more mettle than James Bond or Batman!

No surprises at why the beautiful heroine is won over with such boyish charms, just like many others through the course, including Indian army jawans and a bunch of loose-headed terrorists! Wondering where those popped up from? Well that is Law of Averages for you – springing a fun-filled surprise every now and then just to keep you on your toes and breeze you through an adventure no less than a masala flick.

It is very delightful to have young Indian writers come up with themes so fresh and stories so well told, first-timer or not. In spite of the book requiring a certain finesse that much of the older generation of readers expect, it definitely does ‘connect’ with the reader on a very chaddi-buddy tone. Feeling lucky? Grab a copy this summer and prepare yourself to be ‘mollified’ with a guilty pleasure of filminess.

Mother’s Day Special: Mum’s the Word for our Authors!

Tanya Singh — Sun, 12 May 2013 01:00:21 +0000

As Oprah Winfrey rightly put it, Biology is the least of what makes you a mother. So for Mother's Day this year, IndiaBookStore asked several authors to share with our readers what makes their mothers special. And ta-daa! The response was truly phenomenol and deeply touching. IndiaBookStore thanks all the authors who took time out from their busy schedules and shared such tender thoughts with us.

So here's to the mothers – Happy Mother's Day!

Parul A Mittal, the author of "Arranged Love"

My mom had a flair for poetry. She would write small couplets in Hindi on my birthday cards. She was also good at debating and drama in her college days. I on the other hand, mostly studied during my college days at IIT. I was good at communicating and doing corporate presentations, but writing books for me happened purely by chance.

I had never planned to become a writer and even when I did decide to pen down my first book, I had no idea how it would be received. Believe me, it wasn't easy. But if there was one thing I was sure of, it was the desire to succeed and a drive to do something.

This drive, this aspiration, to do something and the confidence no matter what I can do it, is what my Mom ingrained in me. She never told me what to do, but she gave me the freedom and ability to make my decisions. Not surprisingly, my first book was dedicated and launched by my mother and father, who gave me the dreams to dream and wings to fly.

Parul A Mittal is the author of national bestsellers " Heartbreak & Dreams! – The Girls @IIT" and "Arranged Love" . Parul is also a mom to two lovely daughters – Smiti and Muskaan.

Virender Kapoor, the author of "The Rise & Rise of Jugaad"

I lost my mother when I was very young and by then I had not even thought of becoming an author. I think you value something you loved so much and you lost it for no fault of yours. Mother’s day therefore connects with me at a deep emotional level. At school I was one of those bright guys and every distinction or award that I got was appreciated by her immensely. Getting a good or an excellent..that is how it was those days…was something to be proud of and I would always share it first with my mother. Immediate reward was a choco bar or a small treat at a restaurant where both of us would enjoy a meal. By today’s standards these rewards were so tiny, but they were our moral boosters. That is what motivated me to work even harder. My mother never pushed me to work hard but her appreciation alone was enough for me, which made me self disciplined.

When I decided to write books, that self discipline of my childhood days came in very handy . People ask me as to how do I manage to run a management institute, conduct workshops and talk shows and also write books at a frantic pace. My answer is “ Self discipline and regimentation of mind”. My mother was largely responsible for this habit. "Whenever I have a book release I wish she was there to pat my back n give me a choco bar."

Mr. Vireder Kapoor is a prominent educationist, management practitioner, motivational speaker and a writer who addresses topics like motivation, leadership, success. IndiaBookStore had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Kapoor last year. To know more, you can visit his webpage.

Diptakirti Chaudhuri, the author of "Kitnay Aadmi Thay"

She taught me the lyrics as we sang along with a LP record of Shalimar. She took me to watch Yaarana straight after school. She still has bound volumes of Stardust from the 1970s. She preserves movie articles for me to read when I go home. At a time when Bollywood wasn’t cool, she was absolutely cool with me watching movies by the dozen. In fact, she told me the ones to watch.

Was she the reason I wrote a book on Bollywood trivia? Not really. Was she the one who made me fall in love with movies in the first place? Undoubtedly.

She's the biggest movie fan I know… aur khush kismati se woh meri maa hain.

IndiaBookStore and Diptakirtri, the Bollywood and Cricket triviamaster, go back a long, with his book "Cricket! All You Wanted To Know About The World Cup" being reviewed way back in early 2011 and then an interview with the man himself featured on IBS just last month. The Salesman by Day, Writer by Night also shared with us what went into scripting his recent success – Kitnay Aadmi Thay in an Authors' Exclusive.

Sumukh Naik, the author of "Age of Hiblisk"

One of the blessed aspects of being a writer is the potential to change lives across the globe. Mothers, help us realize and understand the value of this potential and guide us to be responsible with our craft. They are like the silent trees who with their very presence, bring innumerable blessings in our lives and in return ask for nothing. They guide every entity from their first breath. If humanity can learn to understand the love in the eyes of a mother when she looks at her child, then perhaps it can reach the goal it has been destined to. I wish every Mother – a very ‘HAPPY MOTHERS DAY’. May your divine blessings continue to sanctify and guide our every moment.

Sumukh Naik is a debut author and an HR professional. On the eve of International Women's Day, Sumukh's touching salutation to ''woman" deserves a special mention (be sure to catch it on his blog). Stay tuned into IndiaBookStore for a review of his debut novel – this month.

Jayanand Ukey, the author of "When The Signal Turns Red"

A mother is her child’s best friend. You may quarrel with her, argue with her, disagree with her, or at times even get angry with her but at the end of the day she’ll be the first to restore peace with you for she can never stay angry with her kids for long.

A mother gets worried about her child’s career. She thinks of making her child a doctor or an engineer or any other respectable profession she had dreamt of when she was a child but couldn’t fulfill it then probably because of ignorant unemployed village parents or the fact that she was a girl or some other hardships. Funny! we worship God Laxmi and don’t educate the laxmis of the society.

I fulfilled my mother’s wish when I became a computer engineer. I made her proud that day. However when ‘I used to write’ my mother didn’t understand the fact that why should I be concentrating more on writing when I was doing good in my IT profession. I once told her that I want to be a full time writer. At first she refuted the idea and was against it but then she understood me. She calmed down and told me to plan things properly, have a contingency plan – don’t give up your job in a hurry, financial stability is also important, once you have a good bank balance do what you want to do in life, I wish you to be happy whatever you do wherever you go. Bless you, she said.

Today she is no more but her memory nurtures me and guides to tread onto the path of self-fulfillment. Love you Mom…!

Jayanand Ukey is an IT professional with over a decade of experience in his field. That didn't stop him from writing three books, the first of which – When The Signal Turns Red - was published this year. To know more about the author, you can visit his website.

IndiaBookStore once again thanks all the authors for their lovely contribution!

Vidya Balan reviews : Unhooked by Munmun Ghosh

Vidya Balan — Fri, 10 May 2013 01:00:36 +0000

Author: Munmun Ghosh
Publisher: Mahaveer Publishers
Year: 2012
ISBN: 9788183520270
Click for latest prices

IndiaBookStore is proud to present to a review of Munmun Ghosh’s Unhooked, reviewed by none other than Vidya Balan! The following is how Vidya Balan told it to the author herself. We thank Munmun Ghosh for sharing this piece of exclusive quote.

"I loved UNHOOKED. The cover intrigued me, and once I started reading the book, I could not put it down. In a certain sense, I identified with the book, not just through my personal experiences, but with what I have watched of people around me, especially girls in the media and the metros, whom I interact with all the time. There’s so much pressure today on girls to have boyfriends. People look at you as if you are diseased if you don’t have one. And you are made to feel depressed on special days. I have gone through it too. There are no brownie points for knowing your mind and waiting for what you believe you deserve, waiting for your dreams, both personal and professional, to be realised. People almost look down upon you if you are a virgin after a certain age, which is upsetting. What’s the hurry? There’s a lifetime to have sex and if you can wait and have it with someone you really like you’d enjoy it so much more. I think the pressure to be a couple, to change one’s single status pushes so many people into wrong relationships. And that’s the reason so many relationships are breaking today.

I was single for a long time and was asked about it. I would say I enjoy being single. Also, maybe because I led a full professional life, I didn’t feel the pressure much. I have lots of single friends. One of my friends got married at 43 and lost her virginity, that’s how she chose it and while reading UNHOOKED, I felt as if I were reading her story. Also, if you want to have a romp every weekend, that too is fine. One must be free to choose."

Make sure you watch the video of Vidya Balan launching Unhooked and going gaga over the book. However, if you need more than a push from Vidya Balan herself, these excerpts from Unhooked are sure to get you hooked!

Excerpts from the book:

“The sharpness of a woman’s mind can sliver the male psyche. Hadn’t it, after all, been agreed long back that while men developed their minds and pursued the intellectual activities needed to run this world, women would round and polish their bodies and turn them over at nights into male hands for their physical gratification and later grow semen into babies inside their bodies?”

“The joy of recounting was infinitely greater than that of travelling.”

“Disappointment is so much easier to accept when it is private and not public.”

“You never price your solitude as much as when you escape from wrong company.”

“To confide one’s pain in another meant to be willing to deepen the bond with the other. It was a step towards attachment.”

“In the absence of love, you need distractions.”

“This was the last of the joys left to one at the end of a relationship, posing questions you were not brave enough to ask throughout. I could ask any question and get away with it now as I had nothing more to lose.”

About the Author:

With a First Class Masters' degree in English Literature from Mumbai University, Munmun Ghosh worked as a full-time journalist for a range of publications from Stardust and MOVIE magazines to The Daily, The Economic Times, Mid-Day, and indya.com before turning to creative writing. Her first book Hushed Voices was published in 2007. Unhooked is her second work of fiction. A compulsive dealer in words, she edits for a living, and writes articles and fiction to explore, understand, share, and make a difference. She also conducts workshops in writing skills. Singing is her favorite stress-buster, and the sitar a commitment she loves to keep.

Fifty Shades vs. Twilight

Janani Hariharan — Thu, 09 May 2013 01:00:26 +0000

The Fifty Shades trilogy certainly makes for a very interesting read, and that’s putting it mildly. When I was some 50 pages into the first book, I began to notice striking similarities to another popular series- the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. On checking this up online, I found that the 50 Shades series had indeed been inspired by Twilight; E. L. James had originally intended it to be fan fiction.

There are striking similarities. For one, both the lead male characters share controlling tendencies and tragic pasts, leading to their present behaviors. And again, the lady’s parents are separated with the dad being a cop/ex-soldier with an inability to express emotions. Bella Swan was widely criticized as being a character with low self-esteem, the character was found to be not quite believable by some. Ana Steele is seen to not think much of herself as well, her outstanding quality being her desire for independence. After a temporary break of the relationship, the hero deems himself incapable of ever hurting the girl again, because his nature won’t allow him to. Four on four, and that was just the tip of the iceberg.

In Meyer’s series, Carlisle was the omniscient doctor whom Edward relied on in every accident Bella-related. The same applies to Christian’s mother, Grace Trevelyan-Grey in the 50 Shades series.

James seems to have substituted the mysterious vampire way of life with BDSM and sexual sadism. Interestingly, both subjects used to be considered taboo and repulsive, sometimes even horrendous, by and large. After the publication of these books though, people have started viewing vampirism and alternate expressions of sexuality in a different way.

As you continue reading, the scenes become more and more alike, upto a point where they induce déjá vu. The scenes in Fifty Shades Freed where the couple is forced to confront the possibility of an unplanned baby repeats itself exactly on the same lines.

An interesting difference from Twilight lies in the introduction of the psychiatrist, Dr. John Flynn. Christian seems to count upon him in most emergencies, and he’s reported to be the only doctor who can help Christian with his childhood angst. I wonder how the original series would’ve gone had there been a vampire psychiatrist involved.

There are also slight changes with respect to the secondary characters- Mia seems to be modeled almost perfectly on Alice, while Elliot is quite obviously Emmett’s replacement. Elena could be called a Rosalie-like character, but the Jasper of Twilight seems missing. However, these are very minor differences and in no way do they alter the storyline significantly.

To the credit of the 50 Shades series, the sex scenes, which seem to be the main USP for the majority of readers, certainly manage to be graphic and palpable. Something I noticed was that, as the emotional relationship between the characters evolved, so did their sexual relationship. This definitely adds to the maturity quotient.

The series might not go down well with everyone, or keep you on the edge of your seat, especially if you’ve read the original series. In that case, reading the books might not be much of a deal, given that you already know exactly how the story is going to pan out. But hey, it’s worth a shot, and who knows? It might just be your cup of tea.

Review: Shadow Lines by Amitav Ghosh

Anand Sinha — Tue, 07 May 2013 01:00:52 +0000

Author: Amitav Ghosh
Publisher: Ravi Dayal Publishers
Year: 1988
ISBN: 8175300434
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Click for latest prices

When I look at a novel as small as Shadow Lines, I instantly pick it up and do not expect much out of it. But I was here talking about the likes of Shadow Lines, not exactly about Shadow Lines. Despite being a short novel, Shadow Lines has broad and intricate ideas and stories interwoven in it.

Ghosh has touched upon the issues of nationalism, relevance of cosmopolitan culture, feminism, identity crisis and immigration through his characters from across four generations. He has told the ways to live through memories and travel through imagination. He has told the ways to cross the limits of time and space through memory and imagination.

The unnamed narrator, who idolizes his now-dead uncle Tridib, is always in search of an identity. He follows what Tridib had taught him- to travel through memory and imagination. But his grandmother thinks Tridib is a time waster and wants her grandson to be away from even Tridib’s shadow. On the other hand, the grandmother also had her fantasies during the pre- independence days. The narrator always has a feeling for his London based NRI cousin Ila, who is herself not very sure of who she is: a British or an Indian. May always finds herself guilty for what had happened, until the end of the novel.

Through this pool of these character and many more, Ghosh has touched upon the omni- present question: What are these Lines? These lines divide people across space and time but still, people cannot see these lines. These lines are in ‘shadows’. Yet the attempts are always made by people like Tridib and the narrator to cross these lines through their imagination. But even how relevant this fantasy is? Can it bring some change to the real world?

Despite these highly intellectual questions, if people are thinking it to be a political novel and thinking of turning it down, it is a mistake on their part. The stories spanning across generations and continents are very engaging and interesting. When you reach the end of the novel, you realize the potential of the novel, and, of course, the genius of Amitav Ghosh who deservedly won the Sahitya Akadami Puraskar for the novel. As you start reading Shadow Lines, you simply will not be able to stop but will keep turning the pages until you reach the beautiful and thoughtful end of the novel.

Review: Neither here Nor there:Travels in Europe

Pooja Sharoff — Sun, 05 May 2013 01:08:37 +0000

Author: Bill Bryson
Publisher: Transworld Publishers
Year: 1991
ISBN: 9780552998062
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Click for latest prices

While tour companies and guides may offer highly informative knowledge about travel, Bill Bryson uses witty, stirring and insightful descriptions to transport the reader on a beautiful yet carefully tight-on-the-pocket journey across Europe in his second travel book – Neither here Nor there. Bryson retraces the places he visited as a student twenty years ago and illustrates an entertaining and engaging account about his backpacking trip coupled with interesting, if not funnily stereotypical, observations about the people and cultural aspects he encounters. The most distinguishing characteristic of this book is the individualistic interpretations and comments as a foreign tourist- there is hardly any attempt to converse with locals or extensive research carried out about each place.

His journey starts as a mistaken Brent Bjornson on a bus to Oslo with “seats surely designed by dwarfs seeking revenge” and eventually continues to the majestic Paris where pedestrian lights are suspiciously planned to kill foreign tourists, and the utterly disordered Rome where its people wrongly seem as if they could kill each other at any moment. He visits key cities in Europe, not necessarily in a structured fashion or with any rational thoughts. In fact, most of the decisions taken throughout the trip are spontaneous and exciting! Bryson depicts the simplest of grievances and situations in such a humorous manner, that a reader is consistently amused at Europeans being unintentionally hilarious.

Readers may find Bryson superficial, disparaging and offensive but the appealing element is his ability to portray people and places without a filter guarding them; and just remain plain straightforward and candid in his writing. He doesn’t hesitate to change his mind about places that didn’t live up to or exceeded his expectations while bestowing praise on the unlikeliest of locations. Furthermore, the reader can get exasperated with Bryson because he literally can whine about every hotel accommodation available. Until it dawns on the reader that this exactly what travelling is about! It isn’t only the striking scenery or the remarkable museums but the struggle of comfort, communication and choice which makes the travel complete.

Bryson does demonstrate an inability to come to terms with any food and culture that isn’t his own. However, trying to be too critical about the stereotypical American tourist that he seems to behave like would demean the essential nature of this book! It is meant to capture the essence of the peculiarities of travel and grant a giddy enjoyment of travelling to another country where you don’t know the language or understand the culture. Don’t take the book seriously, and you will enjoy it.

An Interview with Shubham Arora

Charu Sharma — Sat, 04 May 2013 01:00:06 +0000

An interview with Shubham Arora, a writer, an engineer and a true Punjabi at heart. People know Shubham Arora as an author of his first book – Love Chemistry released in 2011. With his second book released recently One Last Time, we came to know that he’s a huge fan of Technology and also likes to create short movies at his leisure time. One Last Time, a story that will drive you through the distance, love and chances.

IndiaBookStore is delighted to have an insightful conversation with him to know him even better as a person and a writer of two much-admired books.

‘Love Chemistry’ and ‘One Last Time’, two books on love, life and much more. Tell us about your take on the release of two books in the years gone by.
A- Actually, ‘Love Chemistry’ was never released. It was bumped onto me one day and I got to know then that my book was finally out in the market. ‘One Last Time’ had a formal launch in Delhi and it was pretty good. Since the launch, I have given my all to impress people by showing off both the books. Sadly, it hasn’t yielded the desired results so far.

One Last Time – What made you choose the title?
A- ‘Just one last time’- That’s a David Guetta song. I removed ‘just’ and that was it- the name of my book. On a serious note, the idea was suggested by a friend and it formed the essence of the story really well. So, I went ahead with it.

It is quite painful to see the characters quite accident prone in your second book. What was the thought behind with so many tragedies?
A- I guess we all are accident prone in our lives. It’s just that we define our definitions for tragedies differently. For some, suicide is a tragedy. For others, failing an exam is a tragedy. So, it is fair enough writing a book with some tragedies because it reflects the reality.

Ambala. New Delhi. New York. Do you have to travel often considering the places, events and characters involved in the storyline?
A- Out of the three places in the book, I have never been to New York and I have only been once to Ambala. But then it is not writing if done without imagination. You keep searching for sources when you are writing a book. Like for New York, I had to switch on my play station and play a couple of hours of Spiderman to get hold of the city. And yes, Google Street is always a savior. It is a disadvantage that I do not like travelling.

Paper Clip Publication’s note says you had two endings in your mind for ‘One Last Time’. Would you highlight us on the idea of picking up the desired ending?
A- Naman Kapur (Paper Clip publications) helped me with it. He fine tuned it a little; we asked a few people and decided on it. With things like these, you mostly go with your instincts.

Considering “Chemical Engineering is a complete super nerdy waste of time“- Do you see writing as a career?
A- I love writing. But to be taking it up as a career will require me to write continuously and under deadlines. I absolutely hate that. For the moment, I don’t think writing will take up my full time job. But you can never predict the future!

Other than just writing a story line for the book, do you agree that the role of publishers, editors and other essential components play a significant role in making its strong existence in the market and the readers?
A- Publications play a huge role. You have a good book but if it isn’t marketed and distributed well, it is all a failed process. With Paper Clip books, it was all a very satisfying experience. Once again, Naman was very instrumental in the entire process and guided me throughout being very fair and transparent.

Book Trailers are trending these days. Do you see yourself indulging into making short stories for your books in future?
A- I have already made a few experimental short films on some of my short stories. Filming something based on a novel will require huge efforts. I hope someday some director finds my books worth that effort.

What is the most challenging part of writing for you?
A- The beginning. And then to set yourself on a constant plot.

What are your plans on the next theme for your writing piece?
A- I am fiddling with a few ideas currently. Once I get the visualization, I’ll begin penning it down.

Thank you very much Mr. Arora for your generosity to take out some time from your work for IndiaBookStore and for all our readers. We wish you all the best for your next potential bestseller.

Shubham Arora can be contacted on shubhamarora@aol.in.
Facebook: https://facebook.com/arorashubham
Tweeting at: https://twitter.com/arorashubham