The Death Story - Book Review

The Death Story
By Amay Saxena
Review By Ila Garg

The Death Story, a novel by Amay Saxena, is published by Partridge India. The cover uses a black backdrop with a ghostly looking man peeping from behind a pillar. The addition of the red colour gives it that spooky effect.

UNNS: The Captivation - Book Review

UNNS—The Captivation
By Sapan Saxena
Review By Ila Garg

UNNS—The Captivation, a novel by Sapan Saxena, is published by Inspire India Publishers. The cover uses a white backdrop with a couple walking under an umbrella in a lonely street full of street lights, which are adding to the romance. However, the blue rose is kind of intriguing!! Overall, a very clean cover.

Is It Maya? - Book Review

Is It Maya?
By Saikat Baksi
Review By Ila Garg

Is It Maya?, a novel by Saikat Baksi, is published by Frog Books. The cover represents a crime scene with blood indicating a murder or something. A vengeful looking girl on the cover further adds to the mystery. The sub title: Death in the corridor of love and glory… confirms that the story involves bloodshed, a murder most probably or a suicide. It totally intrigued me to flip through the pages quickly.

Another Tale of Two Cities - Book Review

Another Tale of Two Cities
By Ezhuth Aani
Review By Ila Garg

Another Tale of Two Cities, a novel by Ezhuth Aani, is published by Inspire India Publishers. The cover is designed in a reddish orange backdrop which gives it a fiery appeal. The visual here is of a town which is situated near a river bank (or so it seems as a shadow/reflection of the town is seen on the cover right below the original town). The title at once took me back to the Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens and I was intrigued.

Rendezvous with Bharat Madan! :)

Hi Bharat Madan,

Hope this finds you in good spirits!

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

Bharat Madan is an author, motivational speaker and a personality developer. He has been a meritorious student through his time at college and holds an MBA from Amity University. He received the prestigious Shree Baljit Shastri Award and Best All Round Student Award, the highest awards at his university. His journey as a writer began after he finished his education. His first piece of fiction, the story of a college boy over three years, was set aside in favour of his decision to make a debut with a more mature and conceptually unique novel.

As a motivational speaker, he has inspired thousands of students in reputed schools in Jaipur. Through his writing and speaking skills, Bharat endeavours to add value to the lives of students and make their personalities forces to be reckoned with. After pressing demands from his listeners, Bharat started a Youtube Channel called “Bharat Madan” to share his ideas through the digital platform. He derives inspiration from his mother who raised him single-handedly after he lost his father at a young age.

Here, he lets his readers know a little more about himself and his journey so far. Ladies and Gentlemen, I bring to you Bharat Madan:

Celebrate the season of gifting with IGP!

Hi lovelies,

Continuing the blog series on gifting options that I have recently come across, here's the third post. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below or drop me a mail at ilagarg.president@gmail.com

So this is an amazing website that I came across – IGP (Indian Gift Portal). Let's explore this a little.

Makes you smile!

They say that 'Never give up the things that make you smile.!'

And he says everything that is right!

And he says everything that is right.

I just keep on going wrong.

But trust me, please do.

I didn't do anything bad, since I met him.

Past haunts, and it ruined my present and future too.
He loved me more than anything, but not any more.
And I don't blame him for this change.
Am somehow dealing with this fact.
Hah! No more options! No more solutions!

I lose it all...

I cry, I smile, I rise, I fall,

And then slowly, I lose it all.

I feel sadness around me,

Engulfing me, I don't feel free.

A Mixed Experience at Playboy Cafe, CP!

Hello lovelies,

It was a dull afternoon of 27th Feb 2017, when I stepped in the Playboy Café. As I climbed upstairs to reach the entrance, I could see the amazing vibes that it had. The ambiance seemed welcoming. Soon, I found myself gelling up with a few other bloggers there.

A Promise...

I loved, I cared, I adhered,
And yes, I tried my best;
to make it work against all the odds.
But now I am all tired and lost.

Movie Review: The Ghazi Attack

The Ghazi Attack
Inspired by True Events
Director: Sankalp Reddy
Producer: Anvesh Reddy, Venkatramana Reddy, Prasad V Potluri,, NM Pasha, Jagan Mohan Vancha
Music: Krishna Kumar, better known by his stage name K
Writer: Azad Alam (Hindi dialogues)
Editing: A. Sreekar Prasad
Star Cast: Rana Daggubati, Atul Kulkarni, Kay Kay Menon, Taapsee Pannu, Rahul Singh, Satyadev Kancharana
Language: Hindi

Review By Ila Garg

The Ghazi Attack has been on my must-watch list since the day its trailers started pouring in. It is inspired by true events from the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971. I was amazed when I first heard about this war. This attack was classified and it happened before I was even born, but the valour shown by the navy moved me to the core.

Silent Night

Born to marry you...

I remember your eyes staring,
Right into mine, without blinking.
I remember the cute smile on your face,
It keeps me going through the lonely days.

A Love Letter!!

Hi there,

Today I am posting a letter I recently came across in a novel. Hope you like it because I loved it.


" Dearest Ankita,

Pardon my addressing you dearest, but right now that is how I feel towards you.

You have given my life a new direction and nothing has mattered so much to me till now. Swami Vivekananda had said, ' We are what our thoughts have made us. So take care what you think. Thoughts live. They travel far. ' Right now Ankita, my thoughts are centred only on you. I cannot think of anyone else but you. I have stayed up whole night thinking and re-thinking and I am swept away by the depth of my own emotions. I have tried not to act like this. I hate it, but cannot help it.

A Part Of Me!

With you by my side,
I took a deep stride.
With you gone now,
I don’t feel alive somehow.

The Rich Labourer - Book Review

The Rich Labourer 
By Parthajeet Sarma & Sibani Sarma 
Review By Ila Garg

The Rich Labourer, a novel by Parthajeet Sarma and co-authored by Sibani Sarma, is published by iDream. The cover shows the legs of a man walking up the stairs of ‘success’. The tag line: “A 3-Step Path to Finding Solutions: For People, Organisations and for Society” is explicit in itself and therefore, readers can easily guess what to expect inside this book.

Superwomen - Book Review

Superwomen: Inspiring stories of 20 women entrepreneurs
By Prachi Garg
Review By Ila Garg

Superwomen: Inspiring stories of 20 women entrepreneurs, a collection of inspirational stories about 20 women entrepreneurs by Prachi Garg, is published by Srishti Publishers. The cover shows a woman in a corporate attire, juggling with multiple tasks. Quite an apt cover to represent a working woman in modern times.

Agniputr - Book Review

Agniputr
By Vadhan
Review By Ila Garg

Agniputr, a novel by Vadhan, is published by Bloomsbury India. The cover shows a palace set on fire—giving the plot a historic appeal. The title and sub title (When Agni First Spoke) adds to the feel.

With more than two decades as a litigator and consultant for legislative compliance, Vadhan turned to writing a few years ago. He is a lawyer by training, an entrepreneur and dreamer. His first book, ‘Shatru’, part of the Kronikles series, is highly praised and critically reviewed to be one of the best fantasy novels in India. Vadhan is married with two children. He aspires to be a politician and a reformist one day. Vadhan lives in New Gurgaon, India, with his wife.

Figmented Reality - Book Review

Figmented Reality
By Zuko
Review By Ila Garg

Figmented Reality, a novel by Zuko, is published by Frog Books which is an imprint of Leadstart Publishing. The cover shows shadows—one of them being more prominent while the other is blurred some more—depicting reality and virtual reality perhaps.

Finding Juliet - Book Review

Finding Juliet
By Toffee (Taufeeq Ahmed)
Review By Ila Garg

Finding Juliet, a novel by Toffee (Taufeeq Ahmed), is published by Srishti Publishers & Distributors. The cover shows a handsome guy who seems to be a chocolate boy. He is popular with the girls and looks like a gen-Y guy with headphones around his neck.

In Conversation with Devika Das :)

Hi Devika Das,

Hope this finds you in good spirits!

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

Born in 1984, Devika has travelled across many Indian cities since she hails from the defence background. She began writing poems in 1997 and has continued her passion for writing until date. She believes ‘Work is Fun’; after switching several profiles in her professional journey, she is finally satisfied with the profile of Content Writing (currently has 3 years of relevant experience). She is currently working as a Senior Content Writer, a Theatre Artist/ Trained Salsa Dancer, and an Author.

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

The Dawn at Dusk - Book Review

The Dawn at Dusk
By Sandeep Nayyar
Review By Ila Garg

The Dawn at Dusk, a novel by Sandeep Nayyar, is published by Ocean Paperbacks, a division of Ocean Books Pvt. Ltd. The cover shows a warrior woman. The backdrop of a dusty ground looks like a battle field scene. Let’s see what the book is about because the cover is quite intriguing!

Celebrate the season of gifting with Neesh!

Hi lovelies,

Continuing the blog series on gifting options that I have recently come across, here's the second post. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below or drop me a mail at ilagarg.president@gmail.com

So this is an amazing perfume brand called - Neesh. Let's explore this brand a little.

“NEESH” has a wide range of fragrance products. The company ensures the use of natural ingredients in the products to stay wary of the harmful effects of chemicals. They offer a delightful aromatic experience through their products.

Celebrate the season of gifting with Giftease!

Hi lovelies,

The season of gifting is here, so I decided to do a blog series on gifting options that I have recently come across. This is the first post in the series. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below or drop me a mail at ilagarg.president@gmail.com

So this is an amazing website called - www.giftease.com (rightly named 'gift-ease' as it really eases the process of gifting).

While browsing through the wide range of options available, I did come across a lot of innovative gifts. The gourmet chocolates looked tempting, spread across the site. I finally picked 3 products to check if the quality is what they promise and be the secret santa to some near and dear ones. I received my parcel in about a week.

Black Sheep Caught in a Cobweb - Part 1 - Book Review

Black Sheep Caught in a Cobweb – Part 1
By Mirabelle Pereira
Review By Ila Garg

Black Sheep Caught in a Cobweb, a novel by Mirabelle Pereira, is published by Partridge India. It is clearly a book series as indicated by ‘Part 1’. The cover didn’t impress me much but it rightly depicted the title of the book.

I have heard of crazy families before, but families who actually catch the attention of law enforcement and airport authorities are rare! So I had to read it. However, what a pity! The author has described the incidents but the reasons. For the reasons, one has to wait for the part two of the series.
The blurb of the book indicated that a humourous tale awaits me.

A Walk in the Rain - Book Review

A Walk in the Rain
By Udai Yadla
Review By Ila Garg

A Walk in the Rain, a novel by Udai Yadla, is published by Kyron Publications. The cover is not an exceptional concept, but managed to interest me with the beach scene and the two lovers running across the beach with the umbrella thrown off on the shore.

Kashmir 90 - Book Review

Kashmir 90
By Vineet Mishra
Review By Ila Garg

Kashmir 90, a novel by Vineet Mishra, is published by Frog Books, an imprint of Leadstart Publishing Pvt Ltd. The cover was the first thing I loved about the book. The scenic beauty depicted on the cover reminds one at once, of the Dal Lake of Kashmir.

The Three Wise Monkeys - Book Review

The Three Wise Monkeys
By Jeet Gian
Review By Ila Garg

The Three Wise Monkeys is a novel by Jeet Gian. It is published by Leadstart Publishing Pvt. Ltd. The cover seems quite unusual with a pinch of evil and humour at first glance! The three wise monkeys remind us of Gandhiji but woah! after reading this book you will get a new perspective.

A Knotty Affair - Book Review

A Knotty Affair
By Dhaval Birajdar Jinadatt
Review By Ila Garg

A Knotty Affair, a novel by Dhaval Birajdar Jinadatt, is published by Leadstart Publishing Private Limited. The cover at first glance fails to appeal to general readers. However, if you look deeper, it symbolises an affair of sky and sea—the two extremes. The light blue of sky merging in the deep blue of the sea; indeed a thought provoking concept!

Adhira – Love: Lost and Found - Book Review

Adhira – Love: Lost and Found
By Aditti Gaur
Review By Ila Garg

Adhira – Love: Lost and Found, a novel by Aditti Gaur, is published by Author Paradise Publishers. The cover is love at first sight. The wintry snow is romantic and at the same time carries an air of separation. It’s beautiful, appealing and heart-wrenching.

Read the author interview here: Aditti Gaur

Colourful Notions: The Roadtrippers 1.0 - Book Review

Colourful Notions: The Roadtrippers 1.0
By Mohit Goyal
Review By Ila Garg

Colourful Notions: The Roadtrippers 1.0, a novel by Mohit Goyal, is published by Srishti Publishers and Distributers. The cover absolutely seems to make complete sense in accordance with the title. The long roadway and the car with three roadtrippers… must be a good read for all the travel enthusiasts out there. We will find out soon as we turn the pages! For starters, read my review on it.

Co-Wife - Book Review

Co-Wife

By Pradipta Panda

Review By Ila Garg

Co-Wife, a novel by Pradipta Panda, is published by Leadstart Publishing Pvt. Ltd. The cover is simple and at the same time it has a strange calling to it. Its simplicity is addictive. It’s clean and apt – the colours of the scarf shows the connection with the LGBT theme that the novel is based on. 

Confused Bastards - Book Review

Confused Bastards
By Manav Vigg
Review By Ila Garg

Confused Bastards, a novel by Manav Vigg, is published by Srishti Publishers and Distributors. The cover seems quite unusual at first glance! But if you look closely, you will realise how confusion always exists in our mind and thus the maze inside the brain form an apt cover for this book. I also loved the font used for ‘confused’ showing the caricatures of 3 guys—seems like a story of 3 men who happen to be confused.

Mixr: Discover and meet amazing people!

In a vision to connect people in the real-world scenarios, a start-up company called Palatable has released a new app called Mixr that gets groups/squads of friends together in a platonic friendly way.

Brand Factory Store #DontGetFooled

So the season of festivity is here! Everyone wants to look their best, pick up the best branded stuff and on seeing the prices, the heart does falter a bit. And what happens when you see your friend wearing the same dress and finding out that you got it for a higher price...! You end up feeling like a fool, don't you? But not anymore!

Octavius Green Tea—The Magical Cup of Health!

I was always found gymming or pampering myself in a spa before being stuck in a 9 to 5 job. It has been over a year now since that has stopped. But the fitness freak in me could not be at rest for long. So I switched to green tea as a regime a few months back. I have tried a lot of brands and flavours. Some were a bad experience, some were good, but few were to be continued…

Octavius Green Tea came as a delight at my doorsteps. When I removed the packaging and saw the yellow can, my heart skipped a beat. It was love at first sight. I was so amazed by just the packaging that my expectations with the flavour and aroma increased manifold.

myDaily Meal - Eating healthy!

Recently, I received a sample satchet by Four Foundations. The packing was so tastefully done that it caught my attention in a jiffy. So what was it? It was myDaily meal (Vanilla flavour).

myDaily Meal has been founded by Four Fountains De-stress Spa team. The co-founders are Anurag Kedia, Saurabh Garg and Sunil Rao.

The idea behind launching this amazing product was to stop you from skipping meals and eating junk food in your busy schedules. myDaily Meal is a Perfectly Engineered Meal Replacement Shake that provides exact nutrients including Proteins, Carbohydrates, Fats, Minerals, Vitamins and Fiber as required by your body in 1 meal. This gives perfect nutrition to your body within 1 min.

“We believe that this is the real food-tech. While most of the players have been working around logistics and delivery, myDaily Meal is working on the real scientific aspect of food to make sure that you get perfect nutrition anytime, anywhere in few seconds. In our busy lives we end up either skipping a meal or eating junk food due to lack of time at least 10-15 times in a month. This positions myDaily Meal as a perfect solution to this urban problem,” said Co-founder and Business Head Saurabh Garg, who is an IIT Bombay and IIM Ahmedabad Graduate with almost a decade of experience in healthcare with Four Fountains De-stress Spa.

Breaking Free - Book Review

Breaking Free
By Neha Nayak
Review By Ila Garg

Breaking Free, a novel by Neha Nayak, is published by Srishti Publishers and Distributors. The cover is so apt which depicts a girl behind the wooden boundary, as if a she is a captive. With such an interesting cover, I was sure it would not disappoint me.

Ashvamedha - Book Review

Ashvamedha
By Aparna Sinha
Review By Ila Garg

Ashvamedha, a novel by Aparna Sinha, is published by Srishti Publishers. The cover shows a horse from the chess board and a shadow of the real horse. The animal represents power and vigour, and resonates well with the subtitle of the book – The Game of Power.

Kids Around introduces DKNY in their Pre- Fall Collection'16

New Delhi, October 02, 2016: Kids Around India's first premium multi store kids brand store launches its new Pre Fall Collection this season. The Kids Around Store also introduces the new brand  DKNY in their collection. Now the brands have DKNY, Hugo Boss, Little Marc Jacobs, Carrement Beau, Billieblush, Karl Legerfeld Kids, Billy Bandit under the umbrella.

Rendezvous with Aparna Sinha :)

Hi Aparna Sinha,

Hope this finds you in good spirits!

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

1. Tell us something about yourself.

Aparna: Born and raised in city of Allahabad, by academician father (his book has won the national award) and writer mother; I was always a dreamer and always a story teller. After graduating, I did my MBA and became a marketing professional. The book happened when I was hit by chronic autoimmune disorder, which forced me to quit my job; while the world/society felt sorry for me for losing my perfect skin to a disease, which may or may not cure, I used the time to write the novel. I recuperated as the book finished. Even though my body still carries marks of that illness, but it doesn’t remind me of pain and sleepless nights; it has made me strong and I thank god for that!
Now, I am a mother of an 8 month old boy and I love every bit of motherhood.

Love Bi the Way - Book Review

Love Bi the Way
By Bhaavna Arora
Review By Ila Garg

Love Bi the Way, a novel by Bhaavna Arora, is published by Penguin Random House India Private Limited. The cover shows a woman’s partly bare back with a hand of a woman and a hand of a man embracing her, claiming her– quite an apt cover for the plot of Love Bi the Way. You will agree with me more as you go on reading this book that deals with bisexuality.

The Tantric Curse - Book Review

The Tantric Curse
By Anupama Garg
Review By Ila Garg

The Tantric Curse, a novel by Anupama Garg, is published by Rupa Publications. The cover shows two well-defined eyes and the fire symbol on the forehead is much noticeable. Next, I can see a white silhouette of the girl in the centre. Huge eyes amidst geometric patterns creates an hypnotising effect. The colour combination of red, black and white is appealing and at once, transverse you into the world of tantra.

I had recently interviewed the author Anupama Garg, immediately after reading the book. If you missed it, you can read it here.

Relationships: Wows, Vows and Woes!

Relationships are strength. Relationships are weakness. But whatever they may be, they are essentially indispensable. These days it is all the more necessary to keep nurturing these relationships every now and then. Be it a boyfriend-girlfriend relation or a husband-wife relation, fights, arguments, and whatnot are integral part of the bond.

It is also a typical notion that the guys in relationships are forgetful; they don’t remember dates and special occasions. But then the lady heart wants to be pampered on such occasions for she cares, understands and loves.

In Conversation With Anupama Garg :)

Anupama Garg is a post graduate in chemistry, and has received a Diploma in Business Management and completed law thereafter. She currently conducts programs under the name and style of “Life by Choice” with corporates, educational institutes, hospitals and organizations. The focal point of all the programs is self-awareness and self-cultivation leading to holistic wellness.

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

Bollywood Actress Zeenat Aman walked the ramp for Jewellery Designer Akassh K Aggarwal at India Runway Week

New Delhi, September 19, 2016: Bollywood diva Zeenat Aman dazzled the ramp as a showstopper for Jewellery Designer Akassh K Aggarwal. The Muse Room by Akassh K Aggarwal is a celebration of Being a Queen Beyond her Peers.

Anya's Lyric - Book Review

Anya’s Lyric
By Nikhil Kumar
Review By Ila Garg

Anya’s Lyric, a novel by Nikhil Kumar, is published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. The cover shows a shadow of a girl with a halo of light in the backdrop. Her hair is spread high representing the power of her thoughts and imagination. It totally intrigued me to flip through the pages quickly.

Go Organic, Stay Fit: Rahul Dev

The beautiful hotel, Park Plaza Faridabad is a unit of Sarovar Hotels Pvt. Ltd. It has a well-equipped spa, a swimming pool, and a gym to ensure a luxury stay. It recently celebrated the first anniversary of Breathe on 3rd September 2016, the gym chain introduced and led by Rahul Dev, which was graced by the actor himself.

Chit-Chat with Aditti Gaur :)

Hi Aditti Gaur,

Hope this finds you in good spirits!

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

1. I know it’s cliché, but tell us something about yourself.

Aditti: About myself! It’s always been a tricky question for me. But I’ll try to describe myself to you (laughs). I am a graduate who has an ample experience of working with a leading DTH brand for almost half a decade. Later, I quit that 9 to 5 corporate culture job, got married and moved to Gurgaon. I was born in Delhi but my complete up-bringing was done in Meerut (U.P.). Presently, I am living in Gurgaon with my husband and a 11-month old baby girl. Apart from that I am an introvert person, an observer, music and book lover and a live cartoon to my little kid.

The Rigveda Code - Book Review

The Rigveda Code
By Rashmi Chendvankar
Review By Ila Garg

The Rigveda Code, a novel by Rashmi Chendvankar, is published by Partridge India. The cover shows a picture of an archer and no wonder a reader who picks up this book will be instantly transported to the mythological era where Arjuna and the likes were creating history. So is this a book on mythology then? Let’s look at the author’s bio and blurb before we venture further.

Hygiene First with Pee Safe!

Hey lovelies,

Today I have a question for you all… Are you comfortable using public toilets or you tend to avoid them? If hygiene is your concern, there’s a solution for you: it’s called Pee Safe!

Recently, I received samples from the brand to test and say no to germs forever!

1ka3 Bundle of Joy - Website Review

Hi lovelies,

So today, I am gonna tell you about this awesome website that I recently came across. This works on the philosophy of ‘the more you buy, the less you pay’.

Yes, you heard it right. First, let me tell you how this site works. You can select any product from the wide range of quality stuff that is listed on the site. Once you choose your product, you can fill in your shipping details, choose whether to pay online or opt for COD and simply relax.

The site’s delivery is pretty fast. They deliver in 3-4 days of the order receipt. Also, the packaging is such that the products that reach you are not damaged in the process. Once you receive your parcel, open it with bated breaths because you are in for a surprise. Of course, a good one!

In your parcel, you will find the product that you ordered, packed very neatly. Along with that, there will be two freebies. Voila! And these two bonus products wouldn’t be trash, they will be useful and equally worth it. Your primary product (the one you ordered) can be a little expensive in comparison to the two freebies that you got but see you bought just one and got three! Isn’t it a delight?

So eventually the product that you bought wouldn’t feel so costly. This is therefore a cost-effective way of shopping as well. So what are you waiting for? Grab on the opportunity and #Karo1ka3