#Spotlight : Surge On Like A River by Bharathi Baskar & translated by V. Shyamala

 

Surge On Like a River

About The Book

Surge On Like a River is the English translation of the Tamil book titled ‘Nee Nadhi Pola Odikondiru’, originally written by Bharathy Bhaskar, a Chemical Engineer and an MBA, who is a banker by profession. She is also a popular columnist and speaker, and a household name in Tamil homes, thanks to the debates and shows she has spoken in.

The essays are written in a simple, engaging style, and filled with profound insights. These nuggets of wisdom primarily draw from the author’s life experiences and her empathetic observations of the people and situations around her.

This English translation by V. Shyamala captures the lively nature of the original, bringing it to a wider audience with the idea that the readers who do not know Tamil should not miss out on the wonderful collection.

Purchase Links

Amazon India | Amazon USA

Book Excerpt

Chapter 1

Home sweet home pours love but just drizzles appreciation!

Saro is my friend since school days. One evening, when I ran into her at Mount Road in Chennai, deciding to prolong our happy reunion, we proceeded to the Spencer Plaza to catch up. There, we met my boss, an American. 

He noticed me and said ‘Hi’. I responded in kind, and introduced my friend.

Immediately, he complimented Saro, saying, “Your dress is lovely.” She was wearing a magenta-coloured silk sari with a black border. The sole reason for this incident was that the sari was really beautiful, and Americans are usually generous with their compliments.

Even though quite some time had passed since we had met my boss, Saro was visibly uncomfortable. She was not her usual bubbly self, either.  Only after my continuous, repeated insistence and queries of “What happened, Saro?” did she reply.

“When your boss complimented me, I could not even say a simple thanks!”

“Yes. I noticed. You could have thanked him”

“The thing is, I have never been praised so I did not know how to respond…”

That night, it was a long time before I could fall asleep. Is there only ‘one’ Saro who has ‘never been praised?’ There are a thousand Saros, Kamalas , Fatimas, and Stellas amongst us, who yearn for  appreciation. 

Apparently, research shows that women’s chromosomal and genetic makeup craves appreciation and acknowledgment, more than men’s genetics do. Must probably be true.

“Darling… How does my new saree look?”

“Is it new… Superb!”

Did the husband even spare a glance at the saree, or did he say so as there was no other quicker way to end the conversation… God only knows!

“There is a difference in the rasam I made today… Did you not notice?”

“Really? For me it tastes the same, as usual.”

Following a new recipe suggested by a friend, boiling tomato and garlic along with lentils, mashing them all together, mixing with the tamarind extract, boiling it evenly before adding freshly crushed cumin and black pepper, and finally tempering with mustard seeds spluttered in ghee… all this effort only to hear ‘it tastes same as usual!’

A new hairstyle from a rare visit to a beauty parlour, a tastefully drawn peacock kolam, a special adai-avial tiffin made after poring over a different recipe from a book, a newly purchased green silk-cotton saree that had attracted at first sight, a reward gotten at the office… would any of this give us complete happiness, if not layered with praise from close family members?

Could the researchers who proved that ‘women’s chromosomes expect praise and appreciation’, not have also proven that ‘men’s chromosomes limit their ability to give out praise and compliments’? 

About the Author

Bharathi Baskar is a Tamil Orator who is popular for her humorous debate talk shows called Pattimandram.com, telecasted on Sun TV. She is also an anchor for the daily talk show called Vaanga Peasalam at 7.15 a.m from Monday to Wednesday on Sun TV. Bharathi Baskar is also a Senior Vice President at Citi Bank, Chenna

About the Translator

V.Shyamala is a cost accountant, a homemaker, and a writer. She loves to weave stories and is on a continuous quest to seek new and creative ways to teach children. When not writing, reading, or thinking up stories, Shyamala mentors CIMA students, strives to workout, loves tweaking South Indian heritage recipes, and translates Tamil words to English. She is also a member of AWIC (Association of Writers and Illustrators for Children) and volunteers at a local library twice a week.

Catch with Up V.Shyamala on Social Media

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#BookReview : Superstar Ki Maut by Ramkumar Singh

मुंबई की फ़िल्‍म इंडस्‍ट्री हमेशा एक पहेली की तरह है। हर कोई पर्दे के पीछे की कहानियाँ जानना चाहता है। यह उपन्‍यास ऐसी ही एक दिलचस्‍प कहानी कहता है, जहाँ एक सुपरस्‍टार मर गया है। उसकी भूमिका लंबे समय से तैयार हो रही है। हर साल बड़ी संख्‍या में युवा फ़िल्‍मी दुनिया का हिस्‍सा होने के लिए सपना देखते हैं लेकिन सच्‍चाई क्‍या है? क्‍या वहाँ सचमुच नए लोगों का स्‍वागत तहेदिल से किया जाता है। इस वक़्त पूरे देश में नेपोटिज्‍म की बहस चल रही है। यह उपन्‍यास दिखाता है कि उस शहर में नए रास्‍ते कैसे बनते हैं और उन पर चलने के ख़तरे और चुनौतियाँ क्‍या हैं? उपन्‍यास अपनी गद्य संरचना में ऐसा है कि एक बार पढ़ना शुरू करने पर पाठक उसके साथ बहने लगता है। उसे लगता है जैसे फ़िल्‍मी दुनिया के पर्दे के पीछे चल रही कहानी उसकी आँखों के सामने सजीव हो गई है।

जो किताबें अपने नाम में ही किताब के एक अहम वाकये को बता देती है वो हमेशा ही मुझे दिलचस्प लगती है। रामकुमार सिंह द्वारा लिखित "सुपरस्टार की मौत" भी इसी कैटेगरी में फिट बैठती है। किताब के शीर्षक को पढ़ के ही आपको इसके एक अहम भाग का पता चल जाएगा पर क्या पूरी किताब इसी बात तक सीमित है?

कहानी के नायक और नायिका उन असंख्य लोगों में से है जो सपनो की नगरी मुम्बई में कुछ बड़ा करने का अरमान लिए आते है। दोनो स्ट्रगल करते हुए एक दूसरे से मिलते है और अनायास ही अच्छे मित्र बन जाते है। लड़का चूंकि एक सफ़ल कहानीकार बनना चाहता है, वो एक वरिष्ठ परंतु तिरस्कृत लेखक की मदद लेता है और कुछ समय बाद "सुपरस्टार" को इसकी स्क्रिप्ट अच्छी भी लगती है। वही हमारी नायिका का स्ट्रगल का वक़्त चल ही रहा था कि एक विशिष्ट प्रकार के निर्देशक ने उन पर अपनी कृपा दृष्टि डाल दी। कैसे ये सभी किरदार एक साथ आते है, इसको जानने के लिए इस किताब को ज़रूर पढ़े..

कोई भी किताब सफ़ल तभी कहलाती है जब वो पाठक को बिना किसी ताम-झाम के समझ भी आये और उसका लुफ्त भी उठा सके। यह किताब मेरे लिए वही साबित हुई। लेखक हमे अनेक किरदारों से रूबरू करवाते है और उनका सटीक विवरण भी देते है, साथ ही बॉलीवुड की चमकीली दुनिया से भी हमारा वास्ता करवाते है पर उसी के साथ यह सीख भी देते है कि हर चमकने वाली चीज़ सोना नही होती। जो भी ये रिव्यु पढ़े वो ज़रूर इस किताब को उठाये।

 

#Spotlight : The Backyard Tales by Aniesha Brahma

                           

About The Book

The Backyard Tales is the story of the bond shared between 17-year-old Mia Basu Roy and her beloved cat, Pippo. She seems to understand him far too well for a human. And he seems to have another life that Mia begins to suspect. She follows her cat to their backyard and down a very dangerous road which leads her to witches, talking animals, and a story that’s much bigger than what she initially suspected. 

Read this story to discover all of Mia and Pippo’s secrets, be enchanted by magic, and get the answer to a question that has haunted us for ages: does a cat truly love their owner? 

Book Purchase Link

Amazon India | Amazon USA

Book Excerpt

Cats are inquisitive but hate to admit it. - Mason Cooley

Chapter Five: The Witch

Pippo had often heard his mini owner recall old times when she and her friend, Shekhar, had dared each other to go to their house’s backyard. She had laughed about the idea that it was probably haunted because she knew for a fact it couldn’t be. He knew otherwise now. Only, it wasn’t haunted by spooky spirits. It was haunted instead by a witch. The Witch all the animals seemed to be scared of.

“So the backyard, is haunted?” Pippo said in a breath, “Only by…her?”

“Has Brown and White finally answered my summons?” asked the Witch, now coming into focus.

She looked exactly like Pippo had seen in the television shows Mia would watch. She was clad from head to foot in black. Even her nails had been painted in black. Only, she was exceptionally pretty, almost as though her beauty was bewitching. And on her shoulder was perched, Mr.Crow.

“She means you, fluffy head,” said Brown, swatting Pippo lightly on the head.

“My name is PippoBasu Roy,” growled Pippo, angrily at Brown. He licked his left paw and rubbed the same against his ears.

“Oh, he’s a keeper,” hooted Brown, “Since when do cats have surnames?” “Enough!” thundered the Witch, “I will not have any of that in my courtroom.”

“Courtroom,” whispered Pippo in shock. Recovering a little he spat, “Who are you kidding, lady? This is my mini owner’s backyard.”

“Mini owner!” thundered the Witch, narrowing her eyes at the new member of her little animal kingdom, “Do you not know you belong to me now?”

“I belong to no one,” Pippo snarled at her, “If anything – mini owner belongs to me!”

“Indeed she does,” laughed the Witch, “Tell me, if I were to kill you now in cold blood, would she come and stop me?”

She inched nearer to Pippo, who stood his ground. He growled, baring his teeth, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

“Do you really think biting me is going to get you anywhere, you obnoxious ball of fur?” asked the Witch, “I am a witch, damn it.”

“Now,” said Pippo, not taking his eyes off her for a second, “Do you have a name, Miss Witch? Or should I just keep calling you Witch?”

“Oh, now he’s done it,” said Brown, hooting with laughter.

He got smacked on the head by White Little almost immediately, “Don’t laugh. Don’t you see how serious this could get?”

Author Bio

Young Adult and Children’s novelist, Aniesha Brahma, studied Comparative Literature. She started her career has as a social media manager in a publishing house. Currently works as a senior content writer in a digital media agency. When she is not working, she is dreaming up stories, conducting sessions for her popular YouTube Series, Chai & Chill, or planning how to get even more books and bookish content to readers via BUZZ Magazine. You can read more of her work at Aniesha’s Musings and drop a line at aniesha.brahma@gmail.com

Catch Up with Aniesha Brahma on Social Media

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#ReleaseDayBlitz : A Lifetime to Move On by Anupriya Chowdhary

~ Release Day ~

About the Book:

When Kumar finds out that his only daughter is in love, he has a tough time coming to terms with the fact that his Doll has grown up already. But his displeasure takes a different turn when he realizes who his daughter’s love interest is.

Sarika couldn’t have been happier at the news of her elder son having found the love of his life. She can't wait to see him happily married. But the revelation about the girl’s parents numbs her as much as it shocks her.

What is it in their past that Kumar and Sarika need to make peace with, so that their children can find their ‘Happily Ever After’.  Will they be able to do so?



Book Links:
Goodreads

Meet Sarika

Sarika believes that she has left her traumatic past and move on in the true sense. And why not?

She is successful, recognized and rewarded. Not only as a social entrepreneur but a loving wife and a doting mother to two sons.

She had really not foreseen that on his annual vacation to India, her elder son would drop a bomb albeit a pleasant one on them. And now she couldn’t wait to prepare for the Shagun for the girl who her son has chosen as the one for himself.

Only if she knew better. However ironical it sounded, but for her son to be happy, she had to clear a test herself. Was she prepared to face the past she had thought she had left far behind in her life?
His silence has angered her then. She had endured a lonely bitterness and worked her way through life. But had she moved on in the true sense? Probably not.  Was she ready to face her demons in person at this age?

The stakes are high. Her only hope is that her nemesis too understood the same. Could they finally patch up after 30 years?

About the Author:

Anupriya belongs to that generation of Idiots (the proud ones though), who did their engineering first and then decided on what they actually wanted to do. She completed her MBA in Human Resources and worked in the corporate world for 8 years, before taking a professional break. A mom by day and a reader/writer by night, Anupriya is a die-hard romantic. Yet she believes that love (in any relationship) is a part of life, not, the heart of life. And she aims to bring to the world, stories around this theme. She can be found in the dot com world at her blog www.mommytincture.com, which contains her ranting about her experiences in her various roles as a mother, daughter, wife and foremost a human being, all churned together. It is also her outlet to the world where she doles out loads of gyaan on self-improvement and relationship management.

Anupriya on the Web:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest

 

#BookBlitz : Ready For The World by Charmeljun Gallardo

About The Book Series

Ready For The World: Driver’s Education

Ready For The World: Driver’s Education follows the story of Brandon Delacruz, a fifteen-year-old Filipino American teenager trying to make his way through life during the late 1980s. What Brandon wants out of life is simple: a cool car, a chance to be one of the cool kids at school, and most of all, a cool girlfriend. But instead, all he has are his loving family and his lifelong friends, Josh and Ally, to help him get through the minefield of high school life. 

As he looks for ways to get the car and status, Brandon fails to realize that the girl he’s been searching for has been there all along. But before he and Ally can explore a new relationship, a tragedy occurs that changes their lives. And now Brandon will have to find a way to balance his deep friendship with the excitement, trepidation, and complexity that young love brings...all while trying to keep his grades up.

Ready For The World: Superstar

Things couldn’t be better for Brandon Delacruz. After a long and winding road, he finally has the girl of his dreams. To top it all off, he’s discovered his destiny. He’s going to write the next great novel. Not bad for someone who a few months shy of his sixteenth birthday.

But after a tumultuous start to the year, he finds himself stuck between two girls. On one side is Ally, his best friend since kindergarten who’s suddenly become more of a mystery. And on the other side is Rachel, a brilliant and strong-willed girl that isn’t afraid to speak her mind. As he sorts his feelings out, he’ll find that the world isn’t like the one he’s writing about in his book. Real-life is messy and perplexing, especially in high school. 

And Brandon will learn that life can offer true beauty and grace...and heartbreak.

Book Excerpt:

Excerpt from Ready For The World: Driver’s Education 

AND THERE IT WAS. THE BRASS RING THAT HELD THE KEY TO MY FREEDOM, INCHES FROM MY GRASP. I grabbed Dad‘s keychain out of his fingers and turned the key in the ignition. The engine rumbled to life underneath my sweaty grip. 

It was the summer of 1986 and I was the proud owner of a driver‘s permit from the great state of California. Back then, once you passed a driver‘s education class, you could get behind the wheel. But in my life, there was a more powerful governing body that controlled my ability to drive: my parents. 

“Make sure that you keep both hands in the ten and two positions at all times, “Dad said. 

“But how am I supposed to hold my beer if both of my hands are on the wheel? “ I asked with a smile. 

Dad seared a hole into my head with his stare. “Don‘t even joke about that. Do you understand me? “

“I was kidding! “

 “I don’t care. “ 

I caught Mom’s reflection in the rearview mirror. She stopped going over the grocery store receipt to give me one of her looks. Eyebrows arched. Head tilted down. Chin to the left. It was a look I knew all too well. It was the “don’t dig yourself any further into this hole“look. 

My parents were pretty easy going and fair, as parents go anyway. Mom and Dad were always cool with my friends, let me go out at night within reason, and even let me have a telephone in my room. They moved to the United States in 1964 and luckily for me, weren‘t like the “typical“Filipino parents. They didn‘t make me practice the piano eight hours a day, seven days a week. They didn‘t frown at an A-minus on my report card and ask, “Why isn‘t it an A-plus?“ And they didn‘t demand that I only study medicine or law in college. They merely suggested all those things. It was a slight twist on the Asian parenting handbook. 

When I pushed to get more time behind the wheel, I knew what to expect. There would be lectures about how to be super-duper safe on the road. I‘d hear how to be wary of the other drivers. But more than anything else, they stressed that I was not to be an idiot in any way, shape, or form. 

“Watch your speed! “ Dad said. “You‘re only supposed to go twenty-five around here!

“Around here were the suburbs of San Diego. I grew up in a home like a lot of other homes with a yard like many other yards. My neighborhood was like a lot of other neighborhoods. I graduated from Pence Junior High School this past June. I would attend Howard McMillan High School in a few days. It was a little more than a mile from our house. 

“Dad, you know I‘m allowed to drive to school by myself with a permit,“ I said. I kept my hands at ten and two in hopes he‘d notice. I don’t know if he did. But I did hear him grunt. 

“Why don‘t you ride your bike to school? “ Mom asked. “It‘s about the same distance from home.

“To a guy without his own car, a mile was the distance between San Diego and the moon. It was 5,280 feet of rugged terrain with steep hills and deep valleys. But to my parents, it was a short bike ride.

 “I read the DMV manual and it says I’m allowed to drive, “I said. 

“We know the laws, “Dad said. “But you‘re not driving until we think you‘re ready.“

 “But I‘ll be the only one in my class not driving to school.“

 “Then that makes you unique, “he said. “Be ready to make a right at the light. “

I couldn‘t believe it. My parents were oblivious to how ridiculous I’d look pulling up to school on a ten-speed bike. Or worse, they knew and didn‘t care. I slumped in my seat and jerked the wheel as I made the turn at the light.

Mom’s piercing scream rang in my ears. “BRANDON JACOB DELACRUZ! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? “ 

I shook my head a bit and looked around. Had I hit someone? I looked down at the dashboard and checked my speed. Was I going too fast? “What happened? “ I asked.

Purchase Links:

Ready For The World: Driver’s Education 

Amazon India | Amazon USA

Ready For The World: Superstar

Amazon India | Amazon USA

About the Author:

Charmeljun Gallardo is a former Radiologist and author. His first book is  Ready For The World young adult book series. He graduated from San Francisco State University with a Creative Writing degree in 1996. He is a writer, photography enthusiast, sports fan, movie geek, stroke survivor, and an adventurous foodie. He lives in San Diego, California with his wife and son. 

Catch up with Charmeljun Gallardo On:

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#BookBlitz : Gangs of Social Media by Vasimraja Bhavikatti

About The Book

'Gangs of Social Media' is a mirror of our present situation all over the world. Our lives are taken over by Social Media and we are a slave to our apps. And one of the most poisonous side effects of social media is Fake News. 

The story reveals how India’s one and only Forensic Cyber Psychologist, Professor Fabulous is summoned by the National Cyber Defense of India to hunt down the mastermind behind a cyber-attack on social media users who intentionally or unintentionally spread fake news. 

In a desperate race against time, Professor Fabulous encounters online scammers, cyber hacktivist gangs, paid trolls, Social Media business executives, Politicians, Cybersecurity Start-ups, and a forgotten victim of fake news before the mastermind reveals his motive behind the cyber-attack.

Will this be the end of fake news or the end of social media itself? 

Synopsys

Gangs of Social Media is a crime mystery thriller set-in present-day India. The story is of 12 hours when Mr. RAJPUT, Deputy National Cyber Defense Chief teams up with PROFESSOR FABLUOS who is India’s only Forensic Cyber Psychologist to hunt down the MASTERMIND of the worst cyber-attack of all time on SOCIAL MEDIA users who often indulge in spreading FAKE NEWS.

The story begins with three nameless youths in three metro cities of India, namely Bangalore, New Delhi, and Mumbai. All three of them heavily use WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter to do one and only one thing, to spread FAKE NEWS motivated by aimless emotion, blind political affiliation, and money. These three represent most social media users in India. 

But that day, all the social media users who have been spreading fake news with whatever intention and without any consequences will have to pay a heavy price. Ransomware (computer virus) disguised in the form of a WhatsApp message or Facebook post or as a tweet is circulated and as usual, without thinking of consequences, the users start sharing this message. The moment the users shares any fake news, their device either phone, tablet, or laptop, or computer will hang, and a message is displayed, demanding a ransom of Rs.1,00,000 to be paid within 12 hours as a consequence of sharing fake news. If users fail to pay the ransom, the devices will be destroyed and all the data on the device will be made public.

Professor Fabulous and Mr. Rajput have a bitter past, but they put their personal differences away to catch the culprit behind this cyber-attack. The story narration is sequential but keeps the reader guessing. The division of the book into 15 chapters with titles that almost foreshadow the narration that would happen in the chapter is marvelously and artistically done by the author.

Gangs of Social Media sounds dangerous but there is not much to be worried about as Professor Fabulous is fabulous at his job. But what happens at the end. Is the search over? Does Professor Fabulous get to the criminal? The book trades us through the process. It takes us from one person to the other. The end is what the reader must discover herself or himself. It’s the most surprising the realistic climax and leaves the reader with a few open-ended questions.

Book Purchase Links: Amazon India | Amazon USA

Some Interesting Quotes from the Book: 

"Fake news existed in the past and will continue to exist until human civilization exists, there is no escape from it… "- Professor Fabulous

"Three greatest inventions of the 21st century. The Smartphone, the Internet, and Social Media. The device, the medium, and the platform. The holy trinity of Fake news Empire." - Professor Fabulous

“The color of this shirt is blue…that is a fact, and nobody can dispute that. The color of this shirt is awesome!!! That is an opinion… it is highly subjective, biased, and customized to individual needs. The color of this shirt gives me superpowers… that is false or fake news...” 
- The prime suspect

About The Author: 

Vasimraja was born on 29th February 1984, in India.  He currently lives in San Francisco Bay Area, California USA. He started reading fiction novels at the age of eight after overhearing a story narration of Sherlock Holmes by his father. He grew up in different towns of Northern Karnataka State before his family relocated to Dharwad, the literature capital of Karnataka where he met celebrated playwright and author, Late Girish Karnad. He was greatly influenced by Karnad’s writing and personality.

Vasimraja works in the field of semiconductor engineering and has two patents on semiconductor memories. He is an avid reader of English, Kannada and Hindi literature.  He presents the most complex ideas in a very simple form, leaving a lasting impression on readers.

Catch up with Vasimraja Bhavikatti On:

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#BookBlitz : Made in China by Parinda Joshi

Print Length: 320 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins India

Publication Date: November 5, 2019

Language: English

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Dark Comedy

Raghu Mehta is a desperate man. His handicraft imports business has unexpectedly collapsed, cash is drying out quickly, his wife thinks he is a loser, and society considers him irrelevant. Meanwhile, his closest friends and family all seem to be running flourishing businesses and living luxurious lives in the diamond capital of India. 

A trip to China to scout a new business offers a glimmer of hope. But a far cry from the lucrative consumer goods he had in mind, Raghu gets sucked into the black-market trade in the back alleys of Beijing. Everything about this new opportunity goes against his god-fearing, vegetarian, middle-class mindset can he quash his natural instincts to make a success of it?

Darkly comical, Made in China is a soul-stirring and thrilling entrepreneurial journey of a man willing to do anything he can to make it big.

It would be great if you can add this book to your TBR

Grab Your Copy From

Amazon.com | Amazon.in | Amazon.co.uk

"Parinda Joshi is the author of 4 novels. Live From London (Rupa & Co.), Powerplay (Fingerprint!), Made In China (HarperCollins) and an upcoming one, also to be published HarperCollins). She’s also contributed to a short story anthology The Turning Point: Best Of Young Indian Writers (Wisdom Tree) and several online publications including GQ India and The South Asian Times (New York).

Parinda was born and raised in Ahmedabad and later immigrated to Los Angeles where she navigated the challenges of starting life from scratch in an unfamiliar milieu, enriching herself with an MS in computer science, testing her limits and redefining herself. She now resides in Silicon Valley where leads growth analytics for a startup in the fashion industry, is mother to her precocious mini-me, a lover of modern poetry, fitness enthusiast, an avid traveler and photographer and a humor junkie.

Her M.O. is best described by Maya Angelou’s quote: “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”

You can stalk her @

      

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