#Bookreview - मन मंथन (Man Manthan) by Dr. Amit Prakash - This One is for the Bookmarks! #BlogchatterEbook

Download for free here - http://bit.ly/2qprlSq

Poet - Dr. Amit Prakash

Pick up this book and bookmark it. This is not an instant dose of intelligent thoughts and poetry that are floating around on #socialmedia everywhere. It is a 8 course gourmet meal that needs savoring and revisiting from time to time.

About the author:

Dr. Amit Prakash is a doctor by profession but beyond the routine hours he is a poet and blogger. He blogs about poetry at doc2poet.wordpress.com and other nerdy issues at nerdyindian.blogspot.com (with little bit of overlapping). He is always keen to connect with like-minded folks and maintains active profiles on all social media platforms.

Book blurb:

This book is a collection of Hindi couplets, poems, haiku, etc (something for everyone) and each composition is a reflection of a virtuous moment from the author's life. This is not merely an anthology but a journey through the rainbow of the author's mind. If you love Hindi poetry, this one is for you

Review:

"Man Manthan" is one of the best collection of Hindi poetry that I have come across in recent years. It is a beautiful assortment of human emotions which seamlessly navigate through the poet's life and into the readers'. In that, it holds true to its title. In a very unique way, this is the Doctor's autobiography in poems. 

The book is divided into 8 subparts (आगाज़, अनुराग , वेदना , अंतर्दर्शन, तलाश, हाइकू, गूँज, ध्येय ), each of which touch upon a chapter in his life. The book starts with the beginning (आगाज़ ) whereupon the readers are introduced to a young and carefree student who has just uncovered his hidden talent of poetry and seems overjoyed by his self discovery. The poems in this section are bubbling with enthusiasm of adolescence. It then traverses to the section of eternal love (अनुराग) where we meet a young man falling in love. The section has some of the most beautiful Hindi couplets that I have read and it aptly concludes telling us that this is the start of a love story. First love, as it happens often in real life too, is followed by pain ( वेदना ). Even though the pain is real and relatable, there is hope which is evident in all of his poems. 

Not surprisingly, Amit then moves on my favorite section of the book, self-discovery ( अंतर्दर्शन). The emotional growth of the poet shows its first signs here. After being through the journey of falling in and losing out on love, the poet discovers the truths of life. These 4 lines summed the section for me:

गिर कर उठना तो याद रहता है, भूल जाते हैं जब लड़खड़ाकर कर संभल जाते हैं
दिल - ऐ - नादान मुस्कुरा ही लेता है, बस ख़ुशी के पैमाने बदल जाते हैं 

The following section, the search (तलाश), is the 'coming off age' for the poet. He has discovered a faithful ally in the journey of life and is ready to take on any challenges with maturity and a calm head. Who is the ally? The Pen. The poem "कौन हूँ मैं ?"(Who am I?) in this section is declaration of self confidence and acceptance of vulnerabilities at the same time. I considered this as the best piece in the entire book.

In the subsequent 3 sections of the book - haiku, echoes and goals ( हाइकू, गूँज, ध्येय ), the poet tries to push his own limits. He tries to take on subjects and genres which, in my opinion, do not fall into his comfort zone but he feels triumphant conquering them. The intentions here deserve applauding but the success would be subjective based on reader's choices. I believed these sections could have been separated from this book and either made into a separate book by themselves or included in another collection. They added 20-25 pages to the book which takes the focus away from the preceding sections.

The cover of this ebook deserves a special mention. It is beautifully designed and aligns perfectly with the underlying thought of the book. The complex emotions, genres and topics that are inside the book are perfectly depicted in the abstract design of the cover.

If I have not made it crystal clear by now, I will say it again, I highly recommend this book for those who appreciate the beauty of Hindi and the intelligence of the medium that is poetry.

Rating:

Content - 5/5

Layout and Formatting - 4/5

Cover - 4.5/ 5

Download this #ebook for #free on #blogchatter's website here - http://bit.ly/2qprlSq

#BookReview - Life And Times Of A Twenty Something by Reema D' Souza #BlogChatterEbook

Download For Free Here: http://bit.ly/2ruzKE7
Author: Reema D'Souza

Author Bio:

ReemaD'souza is a twenty something. She is  an engineer by the day and when the sun sets to make way for the night, she put on her thinking cap and her fingers itch to hit the keyboard and write.

When she is not writing, she likes to read. That is not all. Music gives her a high and she loves to sing and play the keyboard. She also loves sports. A dreamer that she is, she dreams of travelling the world and being a best selling author.

And yeah, she never says no to chocolates and ice creams!

Book Blurb:

But then you have those moments of pure bliss! Buying something for your parents with your hard earned money, being appreciated at work, excelling in a skill you never thought you had, realizing that you have friends who are real gems and are always there for you, and maybe finding the love of your life. Twenties may be a mess, but then when you look back they are a beautiful mess!
Alana is a twenty something too and there is a lot happening in her life. Read more about her journey in the book.

There is so much that happens in our twenties. Graduation, first job, first salary, staying away from home, dating, being broke, being bored with the job that you worked so hard to get, and relatives and neighbours sneakily trying to find a suitable bride/groom for you when you've no idea about what you want to do next in your life. You are a mess. You thought you'd have everything sorted; you had those dreams in your eyes when you graduated. But when you look at it you've nothing sorted, you don't know which way to turn and you constantly ask yourself "What am I doing?" Those dreams that you once wanted to turn into reality are still dreams.

Review:

Lifeand Times of a Twenty Something is a lyrical retreat in the soothing words of Reema D' Souza that you would like to enjoy with your earphones, iPod and a hot cup of tea on a weekend!

It is a semi - autobiographical account, written in first person, that makes the reading an intimate and personal experience. The author navigates through the routine - triumphs and struggles alike - of Alana with comfort and makes this 59 page long ebook a breeze to read through. =

I found ending every 'chapter' with a song very unique. She left her words at the perfect spot from where the songs drove 'it' home. The stories about interviews, college life, new jobs, financial independence (or the lack of it!), exes etc. are familiar but Reema's writing makes this a stroll down the memory lane.

The one thing that distracted me was the font of the ebook. It could have used a little more editing to make resonate with the overall idea of intimacy. The cover is standard too and could have been more colorful and be a reflection of the content in a better way.

Overall, I would recommend this ebook as a nice nostalgia read that would make you remember, and even reach out, to someone from 'a few years ago'.

Rating

Content - 4/5

Formatting - 3.5/5

Cover 3.5/5

Download the ebook for free on #blogchatter's website - http://bit.ly/2ruzKE7

"Coming Out" of An Author - #BlogchatterEBook #BlogChatterEbookCarnival

"I am neither the first, nor the last, and definitely not the only one, to have checked this off my bucket list, but I, for one, am here to stay !"

But, before I start, first things first...

"I take on the Baton of #BlogchatterEbookCarnival from Sneha Saikumar whose Ebook "Potpourri of Emotions & Moods" is also a part of the mix.

About Sneha's Ebook: "Every living creature goes through a roller coaster of emotions in their lifetime, some that lift up your mood, some that make you happy, some that makes you sulk and feel bad about yourself. From being affectionate to happy, from being in rage to simply feel nothing there is at least twenty six emotions that we human beings for sure experience. Potpourri of Emotions & Moods is one such book which makes you experience these emotions as you travel through the pages one by one. Experience emotions through stories and experiences and many more such surprises."

Fir Milenge - http://bit.ly/2rAoaXN

"Coming Out" of an Author

(A)

The best thing about writing is that it lets one be, free and fearless. It is expression without notions and prejudices as it does not fall in the defined realms and norms. It is an individual victory amongst the collective loss, that is this world.

While writing made me connect with a world of people, and took me to a deeper level of self awareness, there was still a group with which I was not open about this side of me -

my family !

I cannot pinpoint to a reason why, but in 8 years of blogging, I barely ever shared anything with them. May be subconsciously,  I liked to keep my author self cocooned to a separate entity from the being who was raised by my family.They knew I liked to write and I have a blog, but that was all of it. The only time I shared something that I wrote with them was when I gifted this poem to both my grandfathers in 2014. The launch of my Facebook page was the first time I had my family's attention to my writing. 

But the ebook release was a monumental shift in that relationship. I openly shared the launch across social media platforms and encouraged my close and extended family to read, download and share. My poems became the discussion point in my family and I received the praise and adulation like never before. Everybody, including my parents, and my in-laws, shared it proudly among their circles. Some of the reviews that I received catapulted me to Cloud 9! 

Stories like how my father sang Madhushala in his college's cultural fest and how my uncle regularly (yes, regularly) published Hindi stories in his school and college publications were discussed and it seemed "this creative gene" was in the system all along! Even suggestions to where should I submit my work were seriously given and noted. From a writer's perspective, it was quite literally, a blissful weekend.

It's out  now. Mathur saab ka beta is a writer, on the sides of being, whatever he does as his day job! It's relieving and rewarding.

This coming out, is the biggest contribution of my eBook to my life, thus far. 

(B)

Phew! I have a published #ebook now and, finally, I officially can call myself, published!

Writing for me became a passion, from just a hobby, for one and only one reason - that I found it the best mode of expression. What my pen could say, I couldn't have otherwise.

With the desire of expression, comes the need to increase the outreach. I have, and still do, desperately sought mediums and outlets to get my work out. In self analysis, I would give myself a B+ grade in that pursuit as the reasons (excuses?) of work and personal life got the better of me more than I would have liked. Regardless, I have carefully and intentionally tried to cultivate a path for me that finally leads to getting published, elevating that level in my mind as the pinnacle.

This #ebook is the biggest and the most successful attempt in my writing career towards seeing my work in a publication. This is a new reality and I am here to enjoy it and move only forward from here! 

I am neither the first, nor the last, and definitely not the only one, to have checked this off my bucket list, but I, for one, am here to stay !

UPDATE (June 10, 2017): The ebook is now listed on Goodreads. Please read and review here:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35378933

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"I pass on the Baton of Blogchatter Ebook Carnival to Bushra whose Ebook "A To Z Of Pregnancy" is also a part of the mix.

About Bushra's Ebook: " A to Z of Pregnancy is the Complete Guide to a healthy Pregnancy and Childbirth. After a lot of research, I found that the Pregnancy reads available are so heavy that readers believe to be learning medical books. My motto behind writing this book is to give you knowledge in entertaining, light way. This is the handy book that covers all topics of pregnancy. In this book, I've tried to transform all the information about pregnancy and childbirth in easy to understand language. I've tried my best to keep it very accurate, to the point and added interesting facts that will increase your interest and enthusiasm as your reading progress. I've tried my best to cover the important topics and hope this book will solve all your queries, myths, confusion and nervousness about the Pregnancy and the Child Birth. The book A to Z of Pregnancy is divided into five sections according to the different phases of pregnancy. I've included many questions that come to your mind while being pregnant and after pregnancy. This book is written from my experience that I've learned from my patients. Read now to know more about this book."

#GuestPost - The Story Behind "Cantilevered Tales" by Jayant Kriplani

The Story Behind Cantilevered Tales

Why Jayant Kripalani wrote this book?

Why did I start writing this set of short stories that became one long story? I don’t really know.

I was on way my back from somewhere by train and at Howrah Station a group of taxi drivers tried to extort a higher fare from me.  This was before the time of pre paid taxi booths.  Rather than shell out five times the fare I thought I’d take a bus. It was peak hour in the morning and though I did get a seat since the bus started from there, I hadn’t calculated the length of time I’d be sitting in the bus on the bridge. Forty five minutes of inching along later I heard a voice behind me say, “AitakiHaora Bridge na Laora Bridge?”

I knew exactly what he meant.

I knew then that I had the beginning of a story.

“Where are you getting off?” I turned around and asked.

“High Court,” he replied.

By now we had reached the East end of the bridge. It still looked like we’d be on the bus for another 45 minutes.

“Walk?” I asked him.

“Let’s,” he said.

And that as they say was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

His name was Khokon. He lived in Santragachhi. And because of that immortal first line, I called the protagonist of my story Khokon. In the book though, the line belongs to his colleague Ashutosh.

Some time later, I overheard a group of people talking about saving a water body from some unscrupulous builder. ArunLal the cricket player might have been a part of the group but I’m not sure.  I started keeping tabs on them. Not because I was interested in saving the environment or even that small little lake.

I am not a crusader. I hate getting involved with issues.

But if you live in Calcutta, even for a short while, trust me, you’ll get involved.

More power to the builder I thought after I first saw the lake if you can call brackish acres of sludge a lake.

What did interest me were the disparate lot of people, and some desperate ones among them, who were determined they were going to save a stagnant water body from becoming an office complex.Frankly in my opinion that lake had outlived its usefulness to be anything at all.

 I didn’t give a damn what happened to the lake.

But over a period of time I did start worrying about the people. And of course fell hopelessly in love with them. Their wellbeing and their good health became a matter of great concern to me especially since I saw the array of ‘villains’ lined up against them.

So rather than concentrate on Builder v Helpless Citizen – enough stories had been written about them, I concentrated on their stories and their histories.

This is their story or should I say these are their stories.  Some of the people are real; some of the people who come to their assistance are thinly disguised caricatures of people I admire; some are just people I met on buses and trams in my journeys across the bridge who wormed their way into the book.

 And that is how this book got wrote.

Book Blurb

 CANTILEVERED TALES IS A STORY ABOUT PEOPLE, THEIR QUIRKS AND WHY THEY BECOME WHO THEY BECOME. AND LOTS OF LAUGHTER!

I overheard a group of people talking about saving a water body from some unscrupulous builder and started keeping tabs on them. Not because I was interested in saving the environment or even that small little lake. What did interest me were the disparate lot of people, and some desperate ones among them, who were determined that they were going to save a stagnant water body, which in my opinion had outlived its usefulness as anything at all, from becoming an office complex.

 This is NOT a Builder v Helpless citizen epic. In fact that is the least important part of the book. This is about a group of inept people who you want to reach out and protect but you discover are more than capable of taking care of not just themselves, but of you too.

Author Bio

Jayant Kripalani is an Indian film, television and stage actor, writer and director. Known for his work in TV series like Khandaan, Mr Ya Mrs and Ji Mantriji, he graduated

from Jadavpur University with a degree in English Literature.

He has played character roles in movies like Heat and Dust, Rockford,

Jaane Tu. . .Ya Jaane Na, 3 Idiots and, most recently, Hawaizaade and The Hunger. He has directed and produced a number of films and is actively involved with theatre. He wrote the screenplay for Shyam Benegal’s film Well Done Abba.

He is the author of the heartwarming and nostalgic New Market Tales, set in the historic New Market area of Kolkata in the 1960s and 1970s. His recent foray into writing performance poetry has brought him acclaim in poetic circles around the country. When he is not in Calcutta, he is either fishing in Himachal, pfaffing in Bombay or being a beach bum in Goa.