Book Review of 'DEAR STRANGER, I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL'

 

Book- Dear Stranger, I Know How You Feel

Author- Ashish Bagrecha

Pages-185

BLURB:

Dear Stranger,

I don’t know much about you, but I do know how you feel. You are feeling lost, lonely and misunderstood. You are tired of pain and suffering. Depression, anxiety and negativity chase you. You don’t know where to find hope and how to heal yourself. Trust me, I have been there myself, and I know it’s not easy.

So, I am writing these thirty letters and poems to you, to let you know that you are not alone, and that you are understood. You are still cared for.

I hope you will read one of these letters every day, and I promise you, together, we will get through this. Life is difficult, but not if we take it one day at a time. 

Trust the universe and never give up.

Love and Light,

A stranger who feels you

MY TAKE ON THIS BOOK:

‘Dear Stranger, I Know How You Feel’ is a self help book in which the author has written as many as thirty poems and letters dedicated to the people who need them. It starts with Day-1 and ends with Day-30.

When you start reading the book, you will know that the author wants you to read at least one letter a day (although I have read almost half in a  sitting). 

There are some poems that will touch your core and some letters that will make you wonder.

No matter if you are lost, no matter if you are defeated, no matter if you failed, no matter if you are left heartbroken, you will find light in your life again.

If you ask me which poem I loved the most in the book, it’s this one-

“maybe we will never meet

but we can still walk together

like parallel lines

to infinity and beyond”.

Some people just arrive uninvited in our life. When we least know about it. Some people leave us with a hope to meet somewhere someday under different circumstances. And that hope keeps us moving.

And that’s life… It keeps going no matter where you are, what you are!

You know, we all have chaos and constant whirlwind of our thoughts in our mind. Sometimes we sit in our room and allow that constant thought to overpower us. And to tell you the truth, this is where we should stop. Never let anything overpower you. Even if it’s your own thoughts.

There’s one more poem I loved from this book, it’s this one:

“you think

your dreams are dying

but here’s the truth

dreams never die.

they are simply leaving you

when they grow tired

they change homes.

they believe 

they deserve better 

because dreams love doers 

more than thinkers.”

Do you remember what it was like to dream? To believe with a wholehearted, burning passion that you dreamed would come to pass. Dreams. They were a part of your life as long as you can remember. When you were a child, you dreamed of floating amongst the stars, of walking on the moon, and of raindrops that danced as they fell. And as you grew, so did your dreams. Your dreams filled your head with ideas of what life would be like when you finally reached adulthood.

Life eventually catches up, and at some point, somewhere, you needed to be realistic.

And so, the skills you were taught as a child, to help break your future down into steps and stages, begin to slowly erode your dreams. Pretty soon, they are forgotten. They became stories of what you thought you would be when you grew up, and seem to be a distant memory.

This book tells us more about self- discovery, self appreciation and self-love. Also about dreams, love, hope and healing.

I have enjoyed reading this book and frankly, I won’t suggest you to read this. Because you yourself know what you should do. Everyone knows. This book is basically the written or printed form of your own thoughts. 

The author, ‘Ashish Bagrecha’  have written the book with a pure intension to help the people who are suffering. To help the people in healing. To give them a hope that everything will be fine one day. And I really appreciate the work done by the author in penning down the emotions.

P.S.- It is truly connected with reality of life. And I am sure you will be able to relate yourself as you go on reading this book.   

Overall Rating- 3/5

HOLD A LITTLE

 

Yet again,

Our eyes met

We didn’t talk, 

We didn’t nod.

It was just a few seconds 

that were enough 

to send a trigger 

‘you are in love’

Silence prevails

and I can’t hear a name,

when it’s you with whom 

I am there.

Every motion stops 

moving around, 

When you come walking by.

Yet again, 

I failed 

to express my feelings before you. 

I failed 

to let you know 

how much this heart wants you.

Listen to my eyes,

It’s screaming your name loud.

Talk to my heart,

And it will utter your name.

Hold my hand,

And it will hold you back.

YOU- ARE- SPECIAL

 

It wasn’t long time back since your smile captivated my heart,

your eyes wandering around searching for someone even I don’t know.

It’s easy to hide the smile that automatically curves up looking at you

but tough to remain normal in front of you.

I look at you when you are busy with your phone

and I notice the little dimple in your face

and sometimes the tense face that you make narrowing your eyes,

It is fun noticing you like that.

Perhaps may be that makes me feel happy.

 

Walking the road with you feels like an eternal joy.

Sometimes I walk behind you, to just smile about the time that I got to spend with you.

Sometimes, I walk along with you to notice how tall you are

and the difference between our heights.

I look at you sometimes, when you are walking and talking about something

and I smile feeling glad to have you beside me there.

It’s easy to think about you and even harder to get you out of this ‘mind’.

The sip of tea seems sweeter when it’s you sitting there with me.

Little moments spent are the memories I’ll cherish in the days to come.

 

Is it an illusion or a dream?

my sleep now takes me to an unknown land

where it thinks about you and just you.

My heart skips a beat whenever you call out my name

Little did I know that it would turn out this way

Where I would keep thinking about you anyway

Waiting to hear you, eager to see you

My hear flutters when it thinks about you.

Near or far, wherever you are,

Please be mine and I’ll be yours!

 

 

 

Book Review of 'And Then There Were None'

 BOOK- AND THEN THERE WERE NONE

AUTHOR- AGATHA CHRISTIE

PAGES-250

BLURB:
Ten strangers are invited to Soldier Island, an isolated rock off the Devon coast. Cut off from the mainland, with their generous host mysteriously absent, they are each accused of a terrible crime.

Then one of the party dies suddenly, and they realize there may be a murderer in their midst-  a murderer who might strike again… and again…

And all the time, copies of a macabre nursery rhyme hang in each room, a nursery rhyme with an omen of death for all ten of them.

MY TAKE ON THE BOOK:
This is the first time I have read Agatha Christie’s book and damn, it was so engrossing that I bet you on it. It is a book on Murder, thriller and crime and to my surprise I was fascinated by the way the murder occurred one after another. The book leaves a hint. And all you need is to catch hold of that particular hint.

The beginning of the book is confusing since the author introduced all the characters in one go (one after another). But, I assure you that once you get into it, you will have a clear picture of who is who.

Moving on to the title, as the title suggests, ‘And then there were none’ it actually means there were no one at the end. With the title on my mind, before reading this book, I knew it was about crime and murder (all of Agatha Christie’s books are about crime only) and the way the author crafted the story, it deserves a big applause.

The story begins with ten strangers being invited to Devon through letters by U.N.Owen, whom none of them actually knew (I wonder why they went there if they actually didn’t know the person who invited them?). The name of those ten strangers were-
Mr. Justice Wargrave, Vera Claythorne, Philip Lombard, Miss Emily Brent, General Mcarthur, Dr. Armstrong, Mr. Blore,  Martson, Mr. Rogers and Mrs. Rogers.

There was a comfortable replete silence when the gramophone interrupted into it. There was a gramophone recording which was played in the house after the dinner. Into that silence came the revelations that the voice made. Which was-

“Ladies and gentlemen! Silence please!
You are charged with the following indictments:
Edward George Armstrong, that you did upon the 14th day of March, 1925, cause the death of Louisa Mary Clees.
Emily Caroline Brent, that upon the 5th of November, 1931, you were responsible for the death of Beatrice Taylor.
William Henry Blore, that you brought about the death of James Stephen Landor on October 10th, 1928.
Vera Eliazabeth Claythorne, that on the 11th day of August 1935, you killed Cyril Odilvie Hamilton.
Philip Lombard, that upon a date in February 1932, you were guilty of the death of twenty-one men, members of an East African tribe.
John Gordon Macarthur, that on the 4th of January, 1917, you deliberately sent your wife’s lover, Arthur Richmond, to his death.
Anthony James Marston, that upon the 14th day of November last, you were guilty of John and Lucy Combes.
Thomas Rogers and Ethel Rogers, that on the 6th of May 1929, you brought about the death of Jennifer Brandy.
Lawrence John Wargrave, that upon the 10th day of June 1930 you were guilty of the murder of Edward Seton.”

The house turned into grave silence. Everyone became shocked to hear the revelation of their crime.
Although each one of them were pretending that they never committed any crime, deep inside them they knew that they were guilty.

To add more to it, two people died that night itself. The house was filled with terror and suspicion to who was doing that, and for what cause. Justice Wargrave being the modest and best in making decisions, being a judge who served for years in the court, took the charge of the situation and told everyone to keep themselves on guard and also to not trust anyone.

The whole story sums up in this nursery rhyme. (Though I liked the rhyme but something in it was creepy like just the way it sounds)
If you are clever enough you will know what I mean.

‘Ten little soldier boys went out to dine;
One choked his little self and then there were Nine.

Nine little soldier boys sat up very late;
One overslept himself and then there were Eight.

Eight little soldier boys travelling in Devon;
One said he’d stay there and then there were Seven.

Seven little soldier boys chopping up sticks;
One chopped himself in halves and then there were Six.

Six little soldier boys playing with a hive;
A bumble bee stung one and then there were Five.

Five little soldier boys going in for law;
One got in Chancery and then there were Four.

Four little soldier boys going out to sea;
A red herring swallowed one and then there were Three.

Three little soldier boys walking in the Zoo;
A big bear hugged one and then there were Two.

Two little soldier boys sitting in the sun;
One got frizzled up and then there was One.

One little soldier boy left all alone;
He went and hanged himself and then there were None.’

This rhyme is the exact way how the murderer plans the conviction. And it’s quite terrifying when you know what’s going to happen and then you have no control to stop it. (Imagine being one of them and facing the situations they are. Imagine watching your mates murdered one after another. Imagine yourself being the last one to survive. It’s terrific isn’t it?)

And there’s a strange thing that the strangers in the Island noticed. They had ten china clay soldiers in the middle of their dining table when they have reached the place and each time somebody died, one of the figures either disappeared or broke or happened to vanished elsewhere.

This book is just a total suspense. You won’t understand what’s happening. When you think one of them is a murderer, the next morning you find him dead. The moment you think everyone is doing well, someone starts feeling unwell. You actually can’t really predict anything. But you can make a vague guess at least (the thing I did. Although you might be wrong but there’s nothing wrong in making a guess right?)

It’s quite interesting to unveil the whole murder thing. To conceal who the mastermind was. What more can you think if the last person in the island dies? Who actually did all the murders when none of them were murderers?

When you reach the nearest end of the book, you will know who it is. Did you ever throw a bottle into a river or sea or anything thinking someday a person will find it and read your confession? (Actually I did once ( and I don’t think anyone ever got it. May be the paper inside it decomposed already, who knows if there was a leak in the bottle? I used to see that in movies and that’s where the idea came to me to throw my confession like that into water) this was the main revelation of the story.

The story comes to an end with the confession found enclosing in a bottle sealing it and casting into the waves. With this hitherto unsolved mystery of murder came to an end. The bottle was found by a Fishing Trawler who sent the document to the Scotland Yard.

The murderer planned a skilful and tactful way of laying out a trap for the 10 strangers who came to Soldier Island. The document was duly signed by Lawrence Wargrave, which marks that he was the one who convicted the murders in the island. And after going through the end of the story you will know that there weren’t just ten people in Soldier Island. It was eleven, who was the murderer. Along with it, what’s more interesting is that, the murderer killed himself after he threw the bottle with the message in the sea.

The mystery remained unsolved. But with the discovery of the message in the bottle, the unanswered and unsolved mystery got its answer.

This book is the perfect crime thriller if you are looking for one, just grasp it and start your journey with the ten strangers in an island.

Overall rating- 4.5/5

P.S.- What comes to your mind when you think of a book with the title, ‘And Then There Were None?’

Book Review Of 'PRICELESS PEARLS'

 

Book: Priceless Pearl - Beads of stringed verses

Author: Gitanjali Kapoor

Pages: 96

BLURB:

Priceless Pearls is the debut solo collection of Poems by Gitanjali Kapoor, a well-known writer by the pen name LaughingSoul. Every daughter is a reflection of her Mother and hopes to Mirror her virtues and beauty from the day she tries to fit in her sandals to applying her lipstick. Priceless Pearls is a book adorned with precious words and heartwarming verses from a daughter's perspective to the Woman she most admires in her life, her Mother.

 

MY TAKE ON THE BOOK:

‘Priceless Pearls’ is a collection of poems written by the author dedicated to her Mum.

The cover of the book is attractive and the title truly depicts the soul of the book which is a ‘Mother’. Why I am telling this? Because I feel that way.  

It is a book which comprises of the emotions and feelings a child has to be away from her Mum, being guarded and supported, and later on understanding what a Mother goes through in her life.

The book has beautiful poems adorned with the innocent emotions of a child.

I have enjoyed reading it and I am sure you too would love to read this book.

 

Among all of the poems, the one I liked the most is-

 

'MY RUEFUL APOLOGY'

I blamed my mother for the longest

For putting me in a boarding,

Little did I know she was doing her best,

putting her own desires at rest.

 

A working Mum protecting her daughter

from unseen disasters

She must've cried seeing her empty nest,

But all I did was blame her for my loneliness.

 

I don't remember thanking her enough,

when most of my unspoken dreams were also met.

 

I wish I was more responsive to her efforts,

 in not clipping my wings but making them strong,

Blaming our parents is so easy,

When it's our own thoughts

playing the wrong tune all along.

 

I wish I could give back even one percent,

of life's countless horizons

she sacrificed for my quest.

 

All I can say in return today,

Yes I'm blessed yes I'm blessed

for I have a mother who's the best.

 

  

P.S.- It will take half an hour to complete this book but the impact of the book will last for quite a while.

You should go and read this book if you haven’t yet.

 

Overall rating: 4/5

 

You can click on the following link to get the book:

https://www.amazon.in/Priceless-Pearls-Gitanjali-Kapoor-LaughingSoul/dp/9390040914

https://www.becomeshakespeare.com/product/priceless-pearls/

ESCAPE AND FLY

 

We tend to find an escape from the things we are into. Be it the problems we face, the situations life brings, or the state we are in.

We tend to fly when we are happy, cry when we are sad and get irritated when we are annoyed.

‘Escape and Fly’ is a book deliberating upon the life we live, the love we endure, the feelings we express, the failures we face, the success we achieve and more.

This book encompasses the journey of life and is an amalgamation of different phases of life, un-caging the feelings and words that we had within ourselves.

‘Escape and Fly’ is a collection of poetry with a different outlook on life and its course.

What is your escape? What are the things for which you want to detach yourself?

Read the book and take yourself with the flow of words.

You can click on the following links to get your copy -

Amazon.in:

https://www.amazon.in/Escape-Fly-Baishali-Deb/dp/9390266890

BecomeShakespeare:

https://www.becomeshakespeare.com/product/escape-and-fly/

Amazon.com:

https://www.amazon.com/Escape-Fly-Baishali.../dp/B08HVK6W7K

Google Play:

https://play.google.com/.../Baishali_Deb_Escape_and_Fly...

Smashword:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1042290

Amazon Kindle:

https://www.amazon.in/Escape-Fly-Baishali.../dp/B08HVK6W7K

Book Review of 'One Hundred Names'

 Book- One Hundred Names

Author- Cecelia Ahern

Pages- 471

BLURB:

As a journalist, she's spent the past few years chasing the big scoops- no matter the consequences. when she makes a terrible mistake, she finds herself mired in scandal, her career implodes and her personal relationships are tested to the limits.

Kitty's final chance lies with a list of names, left to her by her late mentor and boss, Constance. it becomes the most important assignment of her career: to write the story behind the one hundred names as a tribute. As she tracks down the people on list to work out what connects them, Kitty meets some extraordinary people.

Can these strangers' stories help her finally understand her own?

 

MY TAKE ON THE BOOK:

The book begins with Constance's death (she died of breast cancer). Constance ran the magazine 'ETCETERA' which was quite popular. 

What made the title of the book is perhaps a hundred names that were in the envelope Kitty got. Kitty was very close to Constance and that was the reason she wanted to take up the story for a tribute to Constance. But the fact what lies in it was not known to Kitty. 

Journalism is perhaps one of the most delicate professions where one wrong story can ruin your life. one wrong story can make your life hell (Why I am telling this is because there's something related to it when you read the book and that you will know when you read it) 

Among the one hundred names, Kitty interviewed six of them where she got to know the story of each one’s life, struggles, ambition, regrets and more.

Ambrose Nolan, a fascinating woman who dedicates her life to capturing the essence of beauty. she dedicates her life to celebrating butterflies; on her conservation site she helps to create new life but in her museum, she also celebrates the life of those that have been and gone.

Eva Wu, a woman who was given a Pandora's Box filled with hope at a time in her life when she felt like there was none, and because of that was blessed with the gift of bringing hope into other people's lives through her company 'Dedicated' she is more than a personal shopper. she gives the greatest gift of all- not what people think that they want, but gifts that people never even know they need at all until they receive them and realise they were incomplete without.

Jedrek Vysotski, a husband, father and a courageous man, who wanted to prove the world that he was able to achieve something, that he was worth something, that he could stand out from the crowd even when he felt the world was telling him he couldn't. Jedreka and his friend Achar successfully completed a task that will ensure they are in Guinness Worl Records, where it will be forever in print that they are men of extraordinary talent. and for Jedrek it's a proof that he is a man of worth.

Bridget Murphy (Birdie), a woman with unfinished business who turned eighty-five years old and collected a bet she'd made over sixty years ago with a man, with an entire town, who believed she would never live to see this day. she is one of the sweetest, gentlest and most inspiring woman Kitty have ever met and has shared a story of true survival, survival that has been rewarded not just financially but most importantly by being fruitful, by being surrounded by people who she loves and who love her and there is nothing boring about that. She at the age of eighteen made a bet and that bet paid off, and it's a lesson we can all learn from.

Mary-Rose Godfrey, carer and proposee, a girl who gives so much and for it receives a proposal at least once a week. (Sam is the guy. They have known each other since they were six, they were friends all through the school and they have been best friends since they were kids. But it has some twists in it and for that you have to read the book yourself. *wink) Mary-Rose's mother sadly suffered from a stroke that made one side of her body paralysed and that was how she was introduced to the sick she goes to the hospitals to do hair, make-up and sometimes nails and through this simple acts she is like a beacon of light to the people who ask for her. But what she doesn't know is that it's her and not what she does that lights up the room. its the conversation she brings, her mere presence has the ability to heal people. 

Archie Hamilton's beloved daughter, Rebecca, was murdered before her sixteenth birthday. Archie what most fathers would do, protected his daughter by seeking out the man who took her life, and took the law in his hands. For which he spent years in prison but emerged with an entirely new outlook on life.

The best part for me in the book was the trip on Birdie's eighty-fifth birthday (the most interesting part)

There are so many fascinating, amazing people out there with their stories to tell that they don't even know are interesting. The stories are endless and so are hope and prayers. 

   

P.S.- This book isn’t just a book. It’s a piece of work that has been marvellously structured and delivered. So, grab this book and read it when you have time.

Overall rating: 4/5 

 

you can get the book from the following link:

https://www.amazon.in/One-Hundred-Names-Cecelia-Ahern/dp/0007350481