The Untold Tales: Love and Other Demons - Book Review

The Untold Tales: Love and Other Demons
By Paras
Review By Ila Garg

‘The Untold Tales: Love and Other Demons’ by Paras is an anthology of 13 short stories. Each story covers a different aspect—the highs and lows of relations are explicitly described. From the struggles in the life of a prostitute to the dynamics of a mother-son relationship, all are given space in the book.

Of Holding On and Letting Go!

And just like that, we feel broken,
When all we should do is surrender,
But we choose to feel shaken,
Lying still in emotions that are tender.

Kya Khoob Keh Gya Tha Wo...

Kya khoob keh gya tha wo,
Zamane se alag tha wo.
Aasaan toh kbhi tha hi nhi ye safar,
Magar ulajh gyi hai ab har dagar.

Kya khoob keh gya tha wo,
Meri zindagi ban gya tha wo.
Umaar bhar ka saath nhi bhi toh,
Kuch pal toh theher gya tha wo.

Kya khoob keh gya tha wo,
Meri rooh ko chu gya tha wo.
Hawayon mei khusboo sa,
Wo tha kuch pal ka bharosa.

Kya khoob keh gya tha wo,
Zamane se alag tha wo.
Kaaton bhari zindagi mei tha,
Wo mere daftar-e-gul sa.

© Ila Garg

One Enduring Lesson - Book Review

One Enduring Lesson
By Jamal Merchant
Review By Ila Garg

‘One Enduring Lesson’, a novel by Jamal Merchant is published by Rupa Publications. The cover at once makes it look like a book on positivity or life lessons. With a couple letting go a dupatta in air which forms a heart shape, the novel does hint on being a love story too.

Love Sutra: Secret to Happily Ever After - Book Review

Love Sutra: Secret to Happily Ever After
By Urvashi Pahwa
Review By Ila Garg

Love Sutra: Secret to Happily Ever After is a series of short stories by Urvashi Pahwa, published in a kindle format. The cover has a nice gold font for the title and combined with black, it looks really rich and exotic just like love is. There’s a heart shaped pendant reflecting love and of course the sutra—love ties. Overall, the cover has a royal feel to it. It looks impressive to me.

Razor-Sharp - Book Review

Razor-Sharp: 13 Short Stories
By Abhinav Kumar
Review By Ila Garg

Razor-Sharp is a collection of 13 short stories by Abhinav Kumar. The author himself has published it as a kindle version. The cover has a very simple feel to it. With the yellow backdrop and just the title and author’s name on it, not much can be inferred about the stories from the cover. But I like how the colour is bright and the cover is minimalist.

You Never Know - Book Review

You Never Know
By Akash Verma
Review By Ila Garg

You Never Know, a novel by Akash Verma, is published by Penguin Random House India. The cover is so apt; you will realise this after reading the book. With a backdrop of red—which is a colour of love, rage, fury, blood and hell. It’s tagline—sometimes love can drag you through hell—says a lot about the plot. With such an interesting cover, I was sure it would not disappoint me.

The Colours of Passion - Book Review

The Colours of Passion
By Sourabh Mukherjee
Review By Ila Garg

The Colours of Passion, a novel by Sourabh Mukherjee, is published by Readomania. The cover totally grabbed my attention. The amazing use of shades from red to orange to yellow is amazingly spectacular. The knife and blood drops further make it a captivating cover. The sub-title—Unveiling Dark Secrets behind the Limelight—further adds to the mysterious outlook of the plot.

In Conversation with Shilpi Chaklanobis!

Hi Shilpi Chaklanobis,

Hope this finds you in good spirits!

It’s a pleasure to take your interview today. So let’s start:

Shilpi Chaklanobis hails from the beautiful city of Kanpur and has spent the majority of her adult life in Delhi. By profession she is a Digital Marketer. The amalgamation of her years spent amongst the quiet, calm streets of a small city and the hustle and bustle of a metropolitan like Delhi has lent her a unique perspective towards life. She aims to translate her experiences and understanding of human relationships into stories that not only move people but also resonate with them. She believes that the beauty of a story lies within its ability to be interpreted by the reader in the way they desire as is evident from her writing. Apart from writing, she spends her time devouring books by the dozen. This is her second endeavour as a writer and her writing not only shows promise, but also has a sense of sensitivity that compels you to think about the lives you touch every day.

Here, she lets her readers know a little more about herself and her journey so far. Ladies and Gentlemen, I bring to you Ms. Shilpi Chaklanobis:

Love Has Many Faces - Book Review

Love Has Many Faces
By Lisa Morgan with Naula Giblin
Review By Ila Garg

Love Has Many Faces, a novel by Lisa Morgan, is published by herself. The cover has a subtle shade in the backdrop and shows a woman with her head lying low—maybe she is depressed, tired of struggling, crying, saddened, or a combination of all these emotions. The sub-title—Spectacular True Story of Love, Lies, the Ultimate betrayal and Escape to Freedom—further points out at its autobiographical nature.

Quarter Life Crisis - Book Review

Quarter Life Crisis
By Anshuk Attri
Review By Ila Garg

Quarter Life Crisis, a novel by Anshuk Attri, is published by Maple Press. The cover shows a couple in a cage and a couple talking under a tree. Interestingly, these two images are put in dialog bubbles. With an interesting title, which every teenager would connect with, and a cover so different, I am sure readers would be intrigued to flip through the pages.

The Wrong Turn - Book Review

The Wrong Turn
By Sanjay Chopra and Namita Roy Ghose
Review by Ila Garg

The Wrong Turn, a novel by Sanjay Chopra and Namita Roy Ghose, is published by Om Books International. The cover looks interesting with a couple in a jeep seeking some close moments. The subtitle – Love and Betrayal in the Time of Netaji – makes the plot look all the more intriguing. In fact, this line caught my attention more than the cover.

Teenage Diaries - Book Review

Teenage Diaries
By Saurabh Sharma
Review By Ila Garg

Teenage Diaries, a novel by Saurabh Sharma, is published by Leadstart Publishing Pvt. Ltd. The cover is a glimpse into the life of all teenagers; what they think and how they function. Thus, it is not only impressive but quite apt at the same time. The tagline – the days that were – gives it a tinge of nostalgia and at once, the readers will be reminded of their own days as a teenager.

Turning Back Time - Book Review

Turning Back Time
By Shravya Gunipudi
Review by Ila Garg

Turning Back Time, a novel by Shravya Gunipudi, is published by Gargi Publishers. The cover instantly takes you back to the olden days when villages were considered glorious; the times when India was the golden bird with agriculture being the major occupation. The women walking with pots filled with water on their head was a delightful sight back then. The cover thus, gives you a lot to delve on.

Vividity - Book Review

Vividity
By Neelam Mishra
Review By Ila Garg

Vividity, a collection of 6 short stories by Neelam Mishra is published by Rigi Publication. The cover has a backdrop of pinkish hues and looks surreal. There are vivid and colourful birds sitting together on a branch. The subtitle—Not Your Usual Short Story Collection—does kind of catches attention.

The First Trillionaire - Book Review

The First Trillionaire
By Sapna Jha (Translated by Alok Jha)
Review By Ila Garg

The First Trillionaire, a novel by Sapna Jha (translated by Alok Jha), is published by AuthorsUpFront Publishers. The cover is so apt which shows a girl with determined and ambitious eyes. The cover also has the new 2000 INR currency notes, which is what catches the most attention. With such an interesting cover, I was sure it would not disappoint me.

Life and the Grey Notes - Book Review

Life and the Grey Notes
By Mayank S. Sengar
Review By Ila Garg

Life and the Grey Notes, a novel by Mayank S. Sengar, is published by Zorba Books. The cover is very high on detailing. It’s a dark and complex cover, so can have variable opinions. Some readers might feel confused and put off while others, may feel intrigued. I tried to be neutral and saw a jeweller’s board peeping through a complex network of wires. Could not much understand what the author was trying to convey through a cover like this, but then maybe he wanted us to see life as it is—very complex; everything is right before our eyes and yet we fail to see everything!

Looped - Book Review

Looped
By Munmun Singh Nagpal
Review By Ila Garg

Looped, a novel by Munmun Singh Nagpal, is published by BeingShakespeare.com. The cover is very neat and eye-pleasing. The soothing tinge of blue forms the backdrop and gives a perception of a sky with clouds. A silhouette of a cat sitting on a branch of a tree adds to the mystic sense of the cover. Further, the red-brown leaves hint at autumn season.

Polite Pickup lines in Indian Pubs - Book Review

Polite Pickup lines in Indian Pubs: Scenario Based Conversations in Pubs
By Varun Mannava
Review By Ila Garg

Polite Pickup lines in Indian Pubs, a novel by Varun Mannava, is published by Notion Press. The cover shows a scene of a pub, loaded with alcohol bottles. The bar chairs and bar lights are added too to give the complete ambiance of a pub. A drink is being poured out right on the top of the cover.

From the Closet of the Heart - Book Review

From the Closet of the Heart
By Soniya Kapoor
Review By Ila Garg

From the Closet of the Heart, is a collection of letters and short stories compiled by Soniya Kapoor. It is published by Artson Publishing House. These letters and stories are laced with long lost letters and memories, thus, a lot of nostalgia. The cover shows two hands carrying the light in the form of a cracker, symbolizing how on Diwali, people light up their houses amidst the darkness. If I connect this with the book’s theme that would mean lighting up the darkest corners of our hearts and trying to see within to revive the lost and forgotten memories, and the deep seated emotions. The subtitle—A book of love, gratitude, remembrance and apologies—says it all.