Book Review : The Secret Wish List by Preeti Shenoy

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Book Summary

Does true love really exist or is it just a cliche? Can a single kiss really change your life?

At sixteen, Diksha like any girl her age, finds her life revolving around school, boys and endless hours of fun with her best friend. But one day, all that changes.

What starts as an innocent crush explodes into something far beyond her control. Eighteen years later, she finds herself at the crossroads of life. Urged by a twist of events, a wish list is born. But can a wish list help her piece back her life together? Will she succumb to the tangled mess of an extramarital relationship? Once again, Preeti Shenoy brings an extraordinary story that tugs at the heartstrings, with insight and wisdom, as she explores the delicate matters of the heart.

The Secret Wish List is a captivating, engrossing, racy tale about following your heart, chasing your dreams and the meaning of friendship.

About the Author

Preeti Shenoy is a bestselling author and artist. She has several academic qualifications, but believes life is the biggest teacher. She is an avid blogger, poet, nature lover and yoga buff. She loves playing basketball, travelling and spending time with her family and her dog. Preeti Shenoy is currently based in Bangalore, India. To know more about her go to preetishenoy.com 

Review

The Secret Wishlist by Preeti Shenoy is the story of Diksha – a daughter, a sister, a wife, a daughter-in-law, a mother – all this and much more but herself. She has gotten so used to this daily rut that she has forgotten to listen what her heart wants. This book is a story about her journey of finding her own self. An unexpected incident makes her realise the importance of living life the way she wants to and be happy. So is born a wishlist as she pushes her heart to tell her every wish .A chanced meeting with an old friend, makes her nostalgic. One thing leads to another and before she can realise she is striking out things on her wishlist at an eerie speed.

An engrossing tale of an Indian Women who as a young girl has ambitions and her own identity. Yet, she succumbs to parental pressures and ends up getting married to someone she doesn't look up. She has an independent house, a smart kid, high earning husband and supposedly everything that typical conservative Indian Parents would call for in a perfect Married life. But there's definitely more to life. An identity for oneself, a relationship with your better half that gives you space to breathe and be yourself, a friend in a husband. These are the traits Diksha never finds in her husband. A sequence of events that lead her to realizing what she wants our of life and that gives birth to her "Secret Wishlist".

There is a change in the writing style from what I have seen or read in Preeti's previous books. But nevertheless the story is good and I was turning pages to know what next what next and before I knew I had finished the book in just one day! Preeti sells dreams through her books....her stories....dreams that involve alot of love, life and above all hope. Through her stories there is one message I have always derived.....never lose hope! 

The book leaves you with a feel good factor and would definitely make a good story line for the silver screen. 



 


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Review: Sony Xperia Z

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If Samsung’s Galaxy range of smartphones are anything to go by, you don’t really need premium hardware or insane features to taste runaway Android smartphone success. All you need is smart pricing and billions of advertising dollars. Sony, much like HTC, tries to buck the trend with the Xperia Z that boasts premium design, top-of-the-line hardware specifications and some water resistance for added measure. A price tag of approximately Rs 39,000 doesn’t feel steep either, especially with its chief competitor – the HTC Butterfly – priced at Rs 46,000. But will it be enough for Sony to make people believe in the Japanese brand once again? It is about time we find out.


DESIGN


At a time when every phone looks alike with some kind of plastic body with rounded corners and curved back, the Xperia Z is a big departure. Like the iPhone 4/4S and the Nexus 4, the Xperia Z features a tempered glass back that looks premium and different. The black version looks better than the white one, but both variants stand out and won’t leave people guessing which phone you are holding. It is very much like the iPhone – it has a distinct persona of its own and screams trademark Sony (not Sony Ericsson) design language of straight lines.
The edges also have a lining of tempered glass and all ports are hidden with flaps that provide the much advertised water resistance. In fact, it took me a while to find out the micro USB charging port, which doesn’t have any marking, unlike other ports. The phone feels extremely solid and as expected it doesn’t creak or rattle when held in a tight grip.
While the combination of straight lines and flat back looks good, holding the phone is a different matter altogether. Despite shaving off the bezel, any phone with a 5-inch display is difficult to maneuver with one hand and in this case the lack of curvature doesn’t help. I found the edges to be a bit too sharp for my comfort, though the corners have been subtly rounded off. Apple can have an iPhone with a flat back solely because of its smaller footprint, which certainly isn’t the case with the Xperia Z. Ironically, it was Sony Ericsson that introduced the “human curvature” with its Xperia smartphones, something that probably got lost in translation somewhere.
Another gripe I have with the design is the placement of the speaker on the lower right edge, which ensures that it is muffled every time you hold the phone in your right hand. You just cannot miss covering the speaker with the fleshy part of the palm.

HARDWARE

 
Android smartphones in the last couple of years have entered a specification arms race with brands trying to strike a fine balance between having the latest and greatest specifications possible while forgetting about the user experience. That reflects in the marketing as well, which is focused on hardware specifications like processor, display size, internal memory and megapixels without really thinking about whether they would really make a difference in the user’s life.
That’s not to blame Sony for putting the best possible specifications on its flagship smartphone but somewhere they seem to have lost the message of why one needs top-notch hardware. Take the 5-inch full HD 1080p display with Bravia engine enhancement, for instance. The Xperia Z has the best display I have encountered on a smartphone when viewed front-on but the viewing angles are terrible – an issue that has plagued Xperia smartphones in the past and I hoped Sony would fix it by investing in better quality displays especially when it attempts a comeback. Despite having the Bravia Engine at work, I find the HTC Butterfly to have a better display. Considering that the display is what you’d end up interacting with all the time, this is bit of a let down.
Display aside, rest of the specs are top-of-the-line, especially the combination of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz combined with 2GB of RAM. It essentially chews and spits everything thrown at it with no lag. Some might find it an overkill but this firepower is required for some processor intensive tasks like HDR video recording among others.
Talking about the camera, the 13.1-megapixel camera churns out good shots provided you have optimum lighting condition. Daytime shots are comparable with any other high-end smartphone but it is the indoor and low-light shots that leave much to be desired. Photos taken outdoors at night and indoors in low-light are average at best, which can’t be compared with even the iPhone 5, forget the Lumia 920. If you were looking for a bigger proof that megapixel count isn’t everything, look no further. Image stabilization mostly worked and I even tried shooting video in HDR mode, which works in certain extreme conditions (shooting under direct sunlight, for instance). I believe this will soon become a common feature in most high-end smartphones.

SOFTWARE


The Xperia Z runs on Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2, which isn’t the latest version but that is par for the course. Sony has promised to update it to 4.2 soon and the company has been pretty prompt with its updates in the past. I like the fact that the UI on top of stock Android is minimal and that Sony has gone with onscreen navigation controls than having three buttons below the display.
There is a bit of bloatware in form of Sony’s own web apps apart from McAfee antivirus. Sony has said that the Xperia Z will come with some music store offering but my review unit didn’t have it.
Sony has also added a “Stamina Mode” as a software feature, which the company claims could potentially quadruple the battery performance of the phone. The feature essentially kills all background updates while the display is turned off and saves battery during standby mode. It is a nice addition for non-power users and it is customizable too to add apps to the whitelist that can access the Internet during that time.

PERFORMANCE


During my testing that lasted for a week I could barely pass through 15 hours with my heavy usage with two email ids, a Twitter account, about two hours of calls and about four hours of Internet usage. I had both 3G and Wi-Fi turned on and had switched off the Stamina Mode. With similar usage, the HTC Butterfly lasted me for slightly almost 22 hours. Having said that, switching on the stamina mode improves the performance drastically. The Xperia Z should easily see through a day of medium usage.
I did not experience any lag whatsoever and the phone essentially would take on any app or game currently available on Android Play Store with no difficulties. I did not face any problem with the call quality and neither did I face any call drops. It performs its job as a phone.

VERDICT


The Xperia Z is really a mixed bag kind of device. The design is pretty but has its own set of flaws. The camera has the highest resolution sensor available in the market on an Android smartphone today but its performance is average. The battery performs above par if you are willing to sacrifice being online at all times. The display has the highest pixel density on a smartphone (for now) but suffers from poor viewing angles.
The only thing that really works for the Xperia Z is its pricing but that is more about HTC failing to price the Butterfly sensibly. It is water resistant too but it remains to be seen whether that is a killer feature for which buyers would choose the Xperia Z.
And let’s not forget the elephant in the room – the Samsung Galaxy S IV, which will be unveiled on March 14 and should be available in India sometime in April, if the Galaxy S III roll-out from last year is taken as a precedence. Add to it the HTC One that is also getting launched in India in April and the Xperia Z starts looking a generation old already.


Photographs: Rohit Sharma 
First published in BGR.in
Written by Rajat Agrawal


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Samsung Galaxy S II Plus now available online for Rs 22,900, features a 4.3-inch screen, 8-megapixel camera and runs on Android Jelly Bean

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Back in January Samsung had announced the Galaxy S II Plus, but the South Korean company didn’t reveal when it would launch the device in India or at what price it would retail. Heck we also saw the device back at Samsung Forum which was held in Hyderabad, but at the time the company did not say it was launching the device in India. However, the device is now available with online retailers for Rs 22,900.
The Samsung Galaxy S II Plus sports a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus WVGA (800×480 pixels) display and is powered by a 1.2GHz Dual-core Broadcom BCM28155 processor and 1GB of RAM. Other features included in the phone are an 8-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front camera, 8GB of internal storage which can be expanded using a microSD card, connectivity options like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0 and a 1,650mAH battery. On the software side of things, the Galaxy S II Plus runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
Essentially, the Galaxy S II Plus is  just a refurbished version of the erstwhile Samsung Galaxy S II, which was Samsung’s flagship smartphone for 2011. While specs wise it remains more or less the same however, Samsung has replaced the mesh like back plastic cover with a more glossy hyper-glaze back finish that we have already seen in newer Samsung products.

-Sambit Satpathy


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4 advantages of distance learning MBA

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A distance MBA is becoming a popular choice among students and working professionals. For those of you who are considering taking up a MBA by distance learning, we list some of the advantages: 4 advantages of distance learning MBA 
Earn and learn
Flexibility is the biggest advantage of distance learning MBA course. This is true especially if you are a working professional. You can earn and learn at the same time which is impossible in a full time MBA course.

Save time and money
You save on time and money on commuting or shifting to another city when it comes to distance MBA. For instance, if you are from Delhi, you can pursue a distance learning course that is available in Pune.

Study at your own pace
Everyone has their own style of learning. Some students pick up things faster than others. So, you can study at a pace that is comfortable for you which is another plus point of distance learning MBA.

Accessibility
You can access the study material online whenever you want to as well as pick up any topic that you find it easier within the course material.

-Arti Vadnerkar


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Book Review : Because... Every Raindrop is a Hope

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Caught in the turmoil of an Underrated Love and an Overrated Infatuation, Raj, a young boy with larger than life dreams, from a small town of Kanpur, is at the cross road of life, where every road ahead leads to nothing but a Dead-end.
Through the grueling course of circumstances, he is subjected to the bitter tests of life, where he fails to justify his one decision of parting ways with Mahek.
But, when Mahek flashes out of his life, leaving him all alone, the guilt of not been forgiven by her, ruins his soul; and that frustration leads him into seclusion, devoid of even his best buddies Rohan and Rahul.
Failed love, broken friendship, a hurt ego and lost soul Raj is doomed to darkness. With no ray of hope ahead, just when Raj is about to give up on life, he come across a note, written to him by his favorite professor, "Never give up Raj Because Every Raindrop is a Hope" which brings Raj face to face with his own self.
Why Love that makes Life beautiful, turns into Satan? Why friendship one fine day loses all its meaning? Why on the crowded roads of Mumbai city, Raj finds himself walking all alone? Will Raj challenge Life and fight back with the sword of Hope or will he take the easy way out by succumbing to the arduous tests of time.
 

About the Author

Mansi Sharma Having a zeal to sail the vessel, till the river runs dry in the chase of her dreams; Mansi is a person who takes the challenges and surprises that life and destiny throws at her, with courage.
Nesting big dreams from her childhood in the Beautiful City of Chandigarh, post her Graduation in Physics (Hons.) from PU, she moved to Pune for her Masters. An MBA Graduate from SCIT, Pune, Mansi is presently working in one of the top Indian Telcos.
With a slice of painter, dash of an avid reader, a writer and an unexplored poet, she is an emotional and sensitive person.

Sankalp Kohli Born and brought up in Kanpur, Sankalp is an MBA Graduate from NMIMS, Mumbai. An entrepreneurial soul with an imprint of a perfectionist, he is a workaholic, who believes in turning every single moment of life into something constructive and fruitful. Being an avid reader since the beginning, he eventually began giving his thoughts and ideas, the wings of words in the form of blogs.
He is a person who holds his parents above all, especially his mother. All his dreams and aspirations are driven by his wish to make his parents feel proud.
Other bestsellers from General Press: A Lot Like Love, Love Happens only Once, The Girl I Last Loved.

Entry

The book starts with an awesome college life narration. The characters are Raj and Mahek, a real and finite couple. But under certain circumstances they had to face so many problems in their life, related to family, career and so on. 

Did they manage to be one? It is really a suspense thriller and one which you can taste in one complete go.  
  

Review: 

The cover of the book not gives a fairly good idea about the theme of the book. But it is sure that the cover makes you it in hand. A guy standing near a corner of the hill, thinking about something, probably his love. But this shows  the book is about love and somehow the story is linked to his/her fate. It is simple and to the point, which is good. 

In some other words, we can treat this as a self help book too. Once you read it completely, the way you were looking on to your life completely changes. The title itself relieve the story, Every raindrop is a hope and we must not be depressed in what we have done and what we are gonna face. Its true Ego can destroy our relation whether love or friendship. That's what happened to Raj. because of his Ego he lost friends as well as Love. Each chapter will teach you an important lesson.

Final Verdict: 

You would not feel bored. Read it if you're looking for a short read and don't want to spend your time too much. A light read, perfect for reading if you have to travel for an hour or two. Nothing too complicated to understand in language and plotting. 

Book details:

Title: Every Raindrop is a Hope
Author: Sankalp Kohli, Mansi Sharma
ISBN: 9789380914435
Genre: Romance/Love
Publishers: General Press
Price: Rs. 125
 


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My dream reflects our love - Nikhil Chandwani

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My dream reflects our love
Don’t know why this is happening
Fortune causes many things
You hugged me while I was sleeping
Conceding to a flash of sleep
I fell in…., into the deep
fraction of your ocean
Actions are in motion
My dream reflects our love
and I can’t wrestle my desire
thirst ignites a blazing fire
for the want of you near
you nourish my soul my dear
yet it’s all just insane
it’s flaw to blame
Longing the squashy caress
you feel with grace
your lips red and moist
kiss you I must for I have no other choice
My dream reflects our love
A life span or so it seems
and if this love is so imposing and grand
it ought to be the masterplan.
The hint from above.
My dream reflects our love

Nikhil Chandwani is a national best selling author, award winning poet and a public speaker associated with major organisations.


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The Leadership Conundrum - Bijoy Joseph

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Modi is upbeat and is demanding his pound of flesh from
the party by staking claim for the PM seat. Yes, he’s been
elected again with a decisive victory though not two
thirds majority this time and the media has over hyped
the case for Modi’s Delhi yathra. But our memory seem
to be short when it comes to elevating a successful CM .

Our late Jyothi Bosu ruled W.Bengal uninterupted for
nearly 23 yrs , won successive elections with huge
mandates . K Karunakaran, the leader was four time CM
of Kerala and the present Naveen Pathnaik of Odissha
is CM now for 10 yrs running . These are not small
achievements and yet was not tomtommed as deserving
national acclaim. In fact there have been very few CMs
who made it to the Prime Minister’s seat , if yes, they’ve
made only a brief stint , and were never trailblazing
or eventful . The country needs leaders who would be
wedded to that grand philosophy of unity in diversity .
Our rich religious traditions would really be a blessing
than a curse. When the western world looks to the East
for spiritual food let us truly keep the faith.

The moot point being the leadership issue this time ,
the one person who can put down the fears and bring
cheer to the masses. The mosaic of diverse cultures
and communities that is India, need to be addressed
for its varying needs. We cannot have a broad brush
treatment that will take everyone into one fold. In fact
the UPA regime has done a respectable job of taking
the inclusive agenda forward but for some recent
manoevering that has more to do with setting the
agenda straight for a global economic revival . The global
economic forces are eager to have that one plan serves
all solution, but is India ready for a uniform sweep. Coca
Cola would be the same everywhere but not people’s
race,religion,demographics including educational &
cultural requirements. Can all the hills be levelled off in
one stroke.

Our home grown leaders represent the wide spread
cultural creed that is the colour of diversity . We’ve got
adjusted to that coalition government that accomodates
rather than rejects. Let our masses be inclusive to a new
and stronger India as we face another election.

Jai Hind


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Take that bend as you coast along the highway of Life - Bijoy Joseph

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I hugged her and kissed her cheeks. Had to bend down though , but
she pleasantly turned her second cheek as tears welled her eyes .
It was a show of uninhibited love . I gave her a pleasant surprise
that morning, as I dropped in unannounced and carrying no gift to
symbolize the deep yearning for each other. All alone in that big
house she’s lost in thought as we sat down recalling earlier days. My
late mother who was her favorite niece, the time when I was a baby
and she’d rocked me to sleep . Draped in the traditional white munddu
& katcha , she always looked that true Syrian Christian Valiammachy ,
a dwindling minority in the erstwhile Travancore of Kerala. The house
wore a deserted look , not quite tidied up with a feeling of isolation.
She spends most of the time alone in the house except when she goes
to church on Sundays or those rare social visits to relations around.

Yes, she was all of 91 , dwindled in size and yet full of grace . The
somber smile did convey thanks to God for this meeting of two
hearts. The long years did bear her down and grown weak. But soon
after she regained her good self and warmed a homely lunch for
me. I couldn’t help but be around her in the kitchen tasting the real
grandmother’s recipes . A helping of kerala fat rice, thoran , made
of greens from her kitchen garden, my favorite red curry fish and two
spoonfuls of spiced buttermilk . While the food was on fire we even
found time to pluck some goodies from the back yard . She used her
specially crafted long stick with a hooked end , to bend down the
branch as I reached for those lovely red berries.

It was time to catch a bus to my destination, to attend a marriage for
which I’d initially set out . But along the way I decided to make this
halt and breathe in the spirit of togetherness and tender love . Here
I ‘ve learned a great lesson in life. That there are moments along
the journey that shouldn’t be missed . That’s even more enjoyable
than reaching our destination. Savor such moments with tender care.
Memories are treasures that none can steal, so etch these indelible
moments in your mind’s eye. I wish there was a third person to
engrave in print this accidental rendezvous. And I’ll always cherish
the quality time with my grand old aunt that was the icing on the cake .
While the wedding symbolized a grand celebration of pomp and glory
that was one of this world, the stopover was certainly out of the
world. We have to just slow down and take that bend as we coast
along the highway of life. Such pauses are uplifting and vital to the
soul . We need to listen to our heart not just our head, to be giving
in to the soulful music that resonates time and again in the hearts
of people around . Not so often comes such an occasion to quietly
celebrate in peace and quiet, God’s abiding grace that transcends age
and youthfulness.

-Bijoy Joseph


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Interview With Rohit Sharma - Author of Te Amo...I Love You

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Born in Amritsar, and brought up in Faridabad, Rohit Sharma is a Senior Software Engineer by profession. Working with one of the world's top MNCs, Rohit has successfully represented his organization in USA and England. Apart from being a Gold-Medalistin Engineering (Honors), and earning the title of the Hall of Fame of his college, Rohit successfully represented his college at various dancing and sketching competitions.

His debut intense romance fiction, Te Amo...I Love You began in 2009, after an extensive research on the Spanish culture, which enchanted him completely. After India, Spain is Rohit's favorite country, which can be easily attributed to his passion towards the Barcelona FC.  


In a candid conversation with Aman Jakhar, Rohit Sharma speaks about his life and experiences of journey of literature world.

Congrats Rohit, Your debut book “Te Amo… I Love You” is now approaching reader’s doorsteps. How are you feeling? Are you excited?
Honestly, I am very calm and composed. I know I should be excited, but I think the satisfaction which I am feeling, after a 3.5 year long wait, has overcome my excitement. I am happy, content, and feeling blessed by the response I am getting.

Tell us briefly about your book for our readers?
‘Te Amo… I LOVE YOU’ is a Romance-Thriller fiction. It is the story of Isabella and Aryan…story of their true love, story of their sacrifices, efforts and hope to always stay together. It is the story of honest friendships, ruthless animosity and beautiful bonding between parents and children.

When did you start writing? And, how long did it take you to complete writing the book?
I have been writing since my college days. I started writing with simple poems and songs, but I was never confident enough to share them with the public. It’s only when I started working on  my book, I gained some confidence about my writing. I started working on my book in August 2009.

What was the inspiration behind “Te Amo… I Love You? Love stories have become a favorite topic among the first time writers. What different are you going to offer to your readers?
There are two big reasons behind ‘Te Amo… I LOVE YOU’. 

1. My love for writing. 
2. My passion for Spain. I am big Barcelon FC fan, and my love for Barca eventually converted into my love for Spain. We all have some favorite countries, apart from our own motherland. Mine is Spain, and when I sat down to work on my book, I had only one thing in my mind – Spain. Rest just followed. 
Yes, Love stories have become a favorite topic of debut writers, but my novel is not a chiclit, with due respect to all chiclit writers. ‘Te Amo… I LOVE YOU’ is not my own love story. It is not a college romance. It is not a love breakup kind of a story. It is a matured love story, which tries to convey some strong messages. Moreover, it is based outside India, and highlights different cultures, makes it a lot different from other love stories. Hopefully, readers will feel the difference.

Tell us how much Rohit is smiliar to Aryan?

Those who know me have found similarities between Aryan and me. I always wanted to be a choreographer. I can sketch (a bit), and I can write. I have shown all these qualities in Aryan. And yes, to some extent, I too feel that the culture and ethics which I have shown in Aryan, matches with mine.

Are there any plans afoot to make a film out of the book?

The book has just released, and I, as a writer, have no idea about this. It will depend upon the success of my book. 


What are your promotion strategies for “Te Amo… I Love You”?
I have been promoting it for the last 6 months. I have my group and page on Facebook which is getting a good response. Apart from this, I am promoting it on other social networking sites. I am also doing offline marketing like flex-boards, leaflets, and events.

Can you share your experience with the publisher?

It is satisfying. Mahaveer publishers are very supportive and cooperative. 


Tell us in brief what kind of support you are getting from your parents, relatives and friends?
I think I am blessed to have some really good friends. They are supporting my book a lot, especially on social networking sites. My parents and relatives are happy, and supporting me in the marketing.

Apart from writing, what interests you most?
I love to read, dance, sketch, exercise, cook, drive… I am a man with many hobbies.

Are you working on your next book? Is it also based on romance?
I have finalized a script, after scrapping 6 synopses. I will start the research work from Jan 2013. Romance is an integral part of my writing, but I would love to try Crime Thiller or a Suspense Thriller.

What kind of books do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors?
Sidney Sheldon and Nicholas Sparks. I love to read Romance (not chiclits), Romance-Thrillers, Crime Thrillers and Suspense Thrillers.

Last but not least, any message or suggestions for readers of TheTeenMag?
Write good books, read good books, don’t run for quick fame, don’t run for any best seller tag, simply struggle hard to think and write a good story. Best wishes and love to all.

Thank you so much Rohit .Best wishes to you from TheTeenMag for a refulgent career ahead. May you win heart of millions of readers. 


-Aman Jakhar
(for The TeenMag)


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Hands On: Nokia Lumia 720

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I have been very critical of Windows Phone 8 smartphones, especially in the high-end segment where I believe they cannot compete with Android smartphones. Despite having great hardware, Nokia’s high-end Lumia smartphones leave much to be desired especially on the OS and UI front, which are essentially Microsoft problems. However, yesterday I played with the Lumia 720, which could possibly be the first Lumia smartphone that I’d actually want to buy. Read on for my first impressions.
 

The first thing you’d notice about the Lumia 720 is how sleek it is and how good it feels in the hand. I’m a big fan of Nokia’s new design language and the premium-feel materials Nokia is using for its smartphones. The Lumia 720 feels just right and with a thickness of 9mm it doesn’t come across as too flimsy or too thick as most Lumia smartphones tend to be. The rounded edges ensure a comfortable grip and I like Nokia’s color palette too.
The Lumia 720, in my books has lots going for it. I am already sold out on its design and Nokia has managed to price it realistically and has confirmed it will be available under Rs 20,000 when it is launched in India next month. This makes it a very good value for money smartphone, especially if it delivers on all the claims that Nokia is making. Some of the biggest deal makers for the Lumia 720 could be its 2,000mAh battery that is rated to provide up to 23.4 hours of calls on 2G or 13.4 hours of calls on 3G. Or its 6.7-megapixel camera with a relatively large 1/3.6″ sensor and f/1.9 arperture, which Nokia claims would provide great low-light performance. Then there is Nokia’s Music Store and Mix Radio offerings as well as its Maps and navigation software. Not to forget 8GB of internal storage apart from a microSD card slot.
I’m willing to sacrifice the Windows Phone app ecosystem and the few UI idiosyncrasies if the Lumia 720 actually performs as claimed. For a sub-Rs 20,000 smartphone, it offers a good bang for the buck on paper. Whether it does that in reality is something we will find out in our upcoming detailed review.

Originally published by Rajat Agarwal for BGR


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Choosing a right coaching centre

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Choosing a coaching centre is an important decision for all students. Before you spend money on a course, it is important to select a coaching centre that best suits your needs, time and budget. Here are three questions to ask yourself:

How far is the centre from my house?
Three questions to ask when choosing a coaching centreIt's important to make sure that your coaching centre is close to your home. Most coaching centres have multiple branches to ensure that students do not have to travel much to reach.

How qualified is the faculty?
The most important thing for you is to find out whether the faculty of the coaching class is good for you. So get to know about the faculty from the current and previous batches.

Tip: See if you can go for a demo lectures or get feedback from previous batches.


Is the study material easy to understand?
Every coaching institute or tuition class will provide you with basic study material. You need to decide if it is easy to understand. The type of study material will help you to judge the centre’s abilities.


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Ranbir Kapoor: My chemistry, physics and biology with Deepika Padukone are sizzling!

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While you wonder if the old flames between B-town’s ex-lovers Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone will reignite with their forthcoming movie Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Ranbir’s statement adds to your ever-growing curiosity

After looking absolutely delicious together in Siddharth Anand’s 2008 production Bachna Ae Haseeno, B-town’s famous ex-love birdies will be seen in Ayan Mukerji’s forthcoming romantic movie Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. So we asked Ranbir and Deepika how the experience of working together after more than four years was, considering that their equation has gone through a sea change since Bachna Ae Haseeno? “Oh there was no awkwardness at all. It is hard not to fall in love with Deepika. She is so lovely, hard working and passionate about her job. My chemistry, physics and biology with Deepika Padukone are sizzling in the film,” said Ranbir at the trailer launch of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.
Dippy too maintained that she loved working with the Barfi! star once again and learned a lot from him. “Ranbir is a talent. He can do something I don’t know if I can do. He stays calm even if the scene is very intense and difficult to shoot. He stays cool and never over prepares. He is quite spontaneous and working with talent like him was fun and a big learning experience, as always,” said Dippy.
We hope that the two stars sizzle yet again on the big screen. Do you think Ranbir-Deepika still make a hot pair?



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Book Review : When The Signal Turns Red - Jayanand Ukey

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Girish and Prajakta are in love. Very soon Girish will be joining the numero uno IT company of the country. He prepares himself by buying expensive clothes and other accessories he had always dreamed of. He and Prajakta have together planned to build on a good bank balance and then meet each others families to talk about marriage, probably after a year or two. Unexpectedly, the families get involved before Girish can join the IT company. Against all odds, the couple manages to convince their family and an engagement date is fixed. But destiny has other things in mind. A global catastrophe mars their plan which leads to the engagement getting annulled.
Will Girish find a way out of his predicament? Will he ultimately win Prajakta's hand or will he move on in life, learning to live without her?
 
About the Author: Jayanand Ukey

Jayanand Ukey works for an IT company and is also a freelance journalist and blogger. He has a computer engineering degree from VESIT, Mumbai University. In a career spanning a decade, he has kept his hobby alive by writing three books. This book is his first published work. Jayanand lives in Mumbai with his family.

Blurb:
 
A global ordeal
A couple in distress
The struggle to keep afloat
Prudent thinking in tumultuous times
 
Entry:

“A global ordeal, a couple in distress, a struggle to keep afloat, prudent thinking in tumultuous times”… well, that’s how the author begins the blurb at the back.

The plot revolves around Girish and Prajakta, who are in love and just out of college. Both of them have got placed in big IT companies and are looking to settle into their jobs before breaking the news to their parents. However, the parents come to know of their relationship somehow and both of them have to think on their feet to make the parents meet and convince them to agree to their marriage. When their life seems back on track, fate intervenes and they’re split. The story afterward looks at their struggle to make their love a success.
 
Review: 

The cover of the book gives a fairly good idea about the theme of the book. A couple along with an old man shows the book is about a couple in love and somehow the story is linked to his/her father. It is simple and to the point, which is good.

 
Girish, a 22 year old who has completed his graduation, is about to join a leading IT company, DCL. He is in love with his college mate, Prajakta, and they wish to get married after working for some years, but, the girl’s parents find out about Girish and the families fix their engagement. However, their plans are in turmoil as both have lost their jobs, owing to the recession and the Prajakta’s father breaks off the engagement.
It is quite a short story, with just 198 pages expressed in simple words, and thus, a person who is really fast at reading might finish reading the book in ninety minutes. However, speed being my inherent limitation, I took me two days to complete the book. I liked it how this was so unlike the other Indian love stories in Indian films, with both the lovers actually being qualified and their parents actually agreeing to their choice without much discussion. The plot was simple and straight forward, without many digressions or sub-plots and the characteristics of the two families were brought out well. Moreover, I liked how the author chose the financial crisis as the background and with the author himself being in the IT sector, he is someone who’d understand it best, the loss of jobs in the IT sector which started in 2008. My favourite part about the whole thing was that I was promised a light read, and it was delivered, with precision.
The book is about two freshly-out-of-the-college couples, Girish and Prajakta. Both are placed into the top IT companies and are now planning to take their college love to the next level. Now that they had their jobs in their hand, they plan to talk to their families about their love. But something unexpected happens, and their parents come to know about their hidden love. Against all odds, the parents agrees to get their children engaged, one week after their joining date of their job. However, just a week before, job offers of both, Girish and Prajakta are withdrawn due to the on-going economic recession. And subsequently, the engagement is called off.How the male protagonist leads the story to an happy ending by getting married to his love, is what this story is all about. 
Final Verdict: 
You would not feel bored, but you can't expect a mind-blowing time. Read it if you're looking for a short read and don't want to spend your time too much. A light read, perfect for reading if you have to travel for an hour or two. Nothing too complicated to understand in language and plotting.

Book details:
Title: When the Signal turns Red
Author: Jayanand Ukey
ISBN: 978-81-8046-085-2
Genre: Romance/Love
Publishers: Alchemy
Price: Rs. 175






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The Test of My Life: From Cricket to Cancer and Back - Yuvraj Singh

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About the Book: The Test of My Life: From Cricket to Cancer and Back

A personal account of Yuvraj Singh's journey through cancer with the 2011 World Cup victory in the background

'That day I cried like a baby not because I feared what cancer would do but because I didn't want the disease. I wanted my life to be normal, which it could not be.'


For the first time Yuvraj Singh tells the real story behind the 2011 World Cup when on-the-field triumph hid his increasingly puzzling health problems and worrying illnesses. In his debut book The Test of My Life, he reveals how-plagued with insomnia, coughing fits that left him vomiting blood, and an inability to eat-he made a deal with God. On the night before the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup final, Yuvraj prayed for the World Cup in return for anything God wanted.
In this book, he lays bare his fears, doubts, and the lows he experienced during chemotherapy-when he lost his energy, his appetite, and his hair-and his battle to find the will to survive. Poignant, personal, and moving-The Test of My Life is about cancer and cricket; but more
importantly, it is about the human will to fight adversity and triumph despite all odds.

 

About the Author: Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh is a popular Indian cricketer and youth icon. He has been a member of the Indian cricket team since the past twelve years. He was the vice captain of the ODI team from 2007 to 2008 and shot to fame when he hit six sixes in an over against England's Stuart Broad at the 2007 World Twenty20. He was named the Man of the Tournament in the 2011 Cricket World Cup.
In 2011, he was diagnosed with germ cell cancer in the cavity around the lungs and returned to India in April 2012 after undergoing treatment in the US. Following his recovery, Yuvraj launched his cancer charity YouWeCan to raise awareness and help people with the illness. The Test of My Life, his debut book, will be a candid and intimate account of his journey through cancer with the background of the 2011 World Cup triumph.
In 2012, Yuvraj was conferred with the Arjuna Award by President Pranab Mukherjee. He made his international comeback in a Twenty20 match in September that year against New Zealand shortly before the 2012 World Twenty20.
 

Reviews

'This is a story of a strong fightback in life. It is pure inspiration for all its readers.'Sachin Tendulkar

'My friend Pie Chucker is the stuff of legend on and off the field. His book The test of my life is about incomparable self belief against real-life odds. I am sure it will touch many hearts and motivate many people across the world to fight cancer and other battles in life with intent and honour.'Kevin Pietersen

'Even when he was facing some of the toughest days of his life, he kept his chin up and never allowed us to feel sad about him. He lived as a normal person, talked as a normal person and more importantly always sounded normal. This is a very rare quality.'Virat Kohli

'Yuvraj has shown immense courage and self belief while fighting the biggest battle of his life. He is a shining example of grit and positive attitude. And with his movement against cancer I think he will achieve much more outside the field of cricket than on the field. And when I say this I know he has achieved a lot on the field as well.'Rahul Dravid

'Hats off to him. He came out strong. His will to survive was way above any one of ours. He is a real-life Lion. He has won the battle of life.'Harbhajan Singh

'Yuvraj is an inspiration for each one of us. His zeal and determination to fight and overcome cancer and share his experiences through this book is highly commendable. I salute Yuvraj and his fighting spirit.'Saina Nehwal


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Book Review: Dozakhnama - Conversations in hell between Manto and Ghalib

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image“Manto Bhai, don’t you agree that you cannot try to write poetry? Poetry must come to you on its own. But we don’t know why it comes, or how. Do you know what I think? I think you cannot call someone a poet even if he has written a thousand ghazals, but if he can write even a single sher like a howl of pain, smeared with all the blood in his heart, then and only then can we call him a poet. Poetry isn’t a sermon delivered from a mosque after all; it is one’s final words from the edge of the ravine, face to face with death.” 
Given that it’s a time when there are more and more books that qualify as ‘quick weekend reads’, ‘breezy, one-time reads’, it is an indescribable feeling when one comes across a book like Dozakhnama: Conversations in Hell. Words cannot express the comfort this book provides - I wished that the book would never end. Meant for posterity, this is a book best consumed like a box of sweets you can nibble at everyday, and take joy from the fact that there’s still so much left to devour. 
The bonus: You’d want to take the journey all over again, just to experience those literary orgasms that came in paragraphs of sheer brilliance.
A translation of a Bengali novel by Rabisankar Bal, Dozakhnama is a story of the conversations a young writer unearths as he… sets out to translate Sadat Hasan Manto’s unpublished novel that one day, suddenly surfaces in Lucknow. 
But these are not ordinary conversations. 
They’re between… wait for it… Manto and Mirza Ghalib, two of the most enigmatic figures in literature, both of whom found fame posthumously and who continue to live on in public memory thanks to the power of their words.
Each chapter is like a monologue and all put together, the book is a conversation happening between their graves, through shared dreams. Pal (translated here flawlessly by the very talented Arunava Sinha) makes an ambitious attempt to pen the most imaginatively written biography of Manto and Ghalib, and lets it simmer in the frothy history of Indian culture. Does he succeed? Hell yeah! (no pun intended).
While Ghalib’s story captures a more ancient period in Indian history, Manto goes about sharing his life’s journey in a more modern era. The former’s frustrations and agony compound and give shape to his terrific ability for verse, while the latter’s account is those of his adventures as a struggler in the early days of India’s film industry, socializing with commercial sex workers in Bombay’s red light district. 
While neither of them try to outdo the other in the ‘my-story-is-sadder-than-yours’ routine, they incidentally show a shared passion for consuming liquor, gambling and women. There also appears to be a shared worldview about marriage being a tumultuous bed to sleep on, whereas the brothels provide opportunities aplenty for experiencing love and heart-break. (I personally had more sympathies with Ghalib’s condition than Manto’s.)
What also becomes clear, upon reading of this book, is a similar trajectory of their experience facing rejection constantly during their lifetime, and sweet redemption years after their death. 

Those who’ve read Manto and Ghalib’s works in depth may find the conversations in Dozakhnama a bit of a repetition of stories they already know, but for the others, this book is an incredibly kind and sorrowful jugalbandi of sorts, that catches two icons in a memorable conversation you’d like to listen to, again and again. Buy the book, and don’t lend it to anybody.


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Jolly LLB movie review: Boman Irani and Arshad Warsi present a befitting satire on the Indian judiciary

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Finally we get a courtroom peek that won’t make lawyers – real ones – look away in despair

For all those who are expecting a courtroom drama like that in Damini, where red-eyed Sunny Deol wouldn’t stop asking for that elusive taareek, Jolly LLB might be a tad disappointing. Of course, there’s always a next taareek (date) that the judge (Saurabh Shukla) diligently jots down, but heck, that happens in a real courtroom too. What’s absent is the sheer nautanki and over-the-top dramatisation that have been loyal companions of any Indian courtroom drama…till now. So now getting a taareek isn’t the end of the world, there’s no Gita for the proverbial kasam (swear) and the witness box is just a square-meter of raised wooden platform minus railings. Get that!
With all these warnings in place, here’s the plot – Jagdish Tyagi aka Jolly (Arshad Warsi) is an advocate from Meerut who lands in New Delhi and spells ‘appeal’ as ‘apple’ in the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) around which the story of Jolly LLB spins. The PIL demands further investigation into a case concerning advocate Rajpal’s (Boman Irani) big shot client who has been accused of killing six pavement dwellers in a hit-and-run case.
The case itself is an interesting one, with Boman playing the devil’s advocate and pulling every possible string to botch up the investigation process. Rings a bell, doesn’t it? Warsi, on the other side of the courtroom, keeps making things difficult for the senior counsel. We smiled.
Moving on, we have an excellent judge who burps, farts, grumbles about the tea gone cold and knows how to keep lawyers like Rajpal in check. And at times you are in awe at how this rotund judge sweet-talks the intimidating lawyer into submission. Smart fella, we say.
Subhash Kapoor has made a sincere effort to present a real courtroom to viewers. One with a flickering tubelight and a whirring fan that Rajpal thinks should be replaced with an air conditioner. And then there’s the outside of the courtroom, where the ‘chamber’ of a junior lawyer comprises a rickety table, stool and a stack of files under the open sky. And yeah, an alternate profession is a must as back-up for these strugglers who stand outside courtrooms to rope in clients just like a chaiwallah entices prospective customers on the railway platforms. Now that’s not very far from the harsh truth.
Into this hard-hitting satire and an interesting court case comes Sandhya aka Sandhu (Amrita Rao), who is Jolly’s girlfriend. And her job is to pop up for a song-and-dance sequence that makes us impatiently twiddle our thumbs while waiting for the running around the trees to get over so that we can get on with the case. You see, the legal story does get you hooked. But Sandhu is pretty persistent at times. Remember to treat those times as loo-breaks.
And then there are loopholes. Thankfully, they’re not the size of a black hole. Phew! Here’s one – the intelligent and foxy Rajpal does a shoddy job at ‘fixing’ his manipulations. Why? Isn’t he experienced enough by now to know how crucial such things are? Not very convincing, Mr Kapoor! Then there’s the whole fuss surrounding the advance notice that’s required before presenting a witness. Frankly, it isn’t that big a deal – with the judge’s permission, of course – as it’s shown out to be. But we let that pass for the want of a li’l drama in this courtroom.
The individual performances – Arshad Warsi’s acting skills are commendable. And finally it looks like B-town’s Circuit can manage serious emotions as well as comic ones. Boman Irani plays the role of an intimidating lawyer quite convincingly. And no, his role isn’t based on advocate Ram Jethmalani’s personality as suggested by rumour. Amrita Rao is bearable. And we love Saurabh Shukla.
So here’s a movie that we recommend you watch just to see how our reel life courtrooms are catching up with the real life ones. And trust us, you won’t be disappointed.
                                                                                                                                                        Rating: 3 out of 5 3 Star Rating   


Reviewed by Latika Payak


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