** Thanks to the author for sharing a review copy of the book.** ** Thanks to our reviewer Sonal Pokharna for reviewing the book on behalf of #Literoma. ** “Musings of A Romantic” By Shankar N Kashyap is a collection of Romantic poetries. The cover and title of the book are so beautiful that it made me fall for this book instantly. It was the cover which convinced me to read it. When I started reading it, the thing to my surprise was the beautiful explanation of different forms of poetries like Sonnet, narrative, Haiku, limerick etc. Poet has done detailed analysis of all the types. Explanation of these types is simple and easy to understand. Poet has also given examples of all such types of poetries. The amazing thing is core of all the poems is Love.  Each poem spreads love everywhere. The vocabulary used is simple yet beautiful. Each poem has its own impact on readers mind. I just love the flow and arrangement of book. Everything is beautifully placed. It is best combi...

** Thanks to the author for sharing a review copy of the book.** ** Thanks to our reviewer Swapna Peri for reviewing the book on behalf of #Literoma. ** Book Title: Joy Maa Durga Author:Atul Chandra Sarkar Format: eBook & paperback About the book: The book is a  collection of 700 slokas about the story of Goddess Durga and her various qualities. Each chapter is dedicated to her incarnations that which generally are worshipped on the nine days of Navratri. My review: During the nine days of Navaratri it is a common practice to read the Devi Mahatmyam with all the stotras, kavacha, Devi and Devi sukta. The Devi Mahatyam is also known as Sri Durga Saptashati, Sri Chandi or Saptashati. Devi Mahatmyam’ literally means ‘Glory of the Goddess’ Durga. This book ' Joy Maa Durga ' is the collection of all the slokas that are present in Sri Durga Saptashati in the English language. The idea of re-writing the Sanskrit Slokas in the English script is for the people of this...

** Thanks to the author for sharing a review copy of the book.** ** Thanks to our reviewer Satabdi Mukherjee for reviewing the book on behalf of #Literoma. ** In today’s political climate, where senseless killings are taking place in the name of religion and nationality, Joy Maa Durga is like nectar for parched throats. The book is Atul Chandra Sarkar’s ambitious attempt at translating the shlokas of Durga Saptashati, composed by Sage Markandeya, into English. By and large, Sarkar has been successful in capturing the spiritual essence of the original work and not turning it into a dry translation. Several translations of Sri Durga Saptashati are available in the market, but Sarkar’s work stands apart because it targets the English-speaking crowd primarily. It isn’t another “just for your reference” translation—it is meant to be read and enjoyed as an independent work. A translation is never easy and to attempt one as challenging as Durga Saptashati is laudable. The original wor...

** Thanks to the author for sharing a review copy of the book.** ** Thanks to our reviewer Sourav Adhya for reviewing the book on behalf of #Literoma. ** The name Dr. Shankar Kashyap is not only famous as an orthopedic surgeon, but also a famous writer. So Reading his latest book "Musings of a Romantic" is something more than special. It is 2nd poetry book of him. First of all one thing I must say about the cover. The artist has painted the picture very nicely but it is not so prominent. The background colour makes the picture little bit hazy. But this drawback is coverd up by the phonetic touch of poetic language of Dr. Kashyap. The book subsumes of beautiful poems from multiple modus like Limmerick, Haiku, Narrative, Couplet, Ode, Eulogy, Villanelle, Kyrielle, Epigram, Monody, Ghazal etc. And each section of these modus is enriched with his research. This tremendous background research makes the book an exception in the field of poetry. If there were some sort of il...

** Thanks to the author for sharing a review copy of the book.** ** Thanks to our reviewer Kaushik Bose for reviewing the book on behalf of #Literoma. ** "Tum apni jeet ka jashn manao Hum to apni haar me khush hai Tum rishto ko ratno se tolte raho Hum parwardigar ke pyaar me khush hai.." Does that ring any bells at your heart? Well most of Dr. Manisha Yadava's verses from the book "Mere Khayal" left an enchanting effect in my heart and soul. Small and deep insights is what defines Manisha's poetry. Though not all the poems follow a symmetric meter but they convey genuine thoughts for sure. Only the English numbers did not appeal me, else I enjoyed her writing style very much. Cover is also okay, quite in line with the book title and its overall pitch. This being Manisha's first publishing attempt, these small gaps could easily be overlooked. Her poetic style is something which left me with an everlasting impact. I would rate it 4*/5*. Recomme...

** Thanks to the author for sharing a review copy of the book.** ** Thanks to our reviewer Kaushik Bose for reviewing the book on behalf of #Literoma. ** "Ekdin tumse mulaaqat ho Isi umeed pe jiye ja rahe hain Mohabbat bhari kuch baat ho Isi umeed pe jiye ja rahe hain" A few lines from Dr. Manisha Yadava's latest Hindi poetry collection "Dariya-e-Ehsaas". Oh what a fine reading. It took me just four nights to complete the entire book. The book title means 'River of Emotions' but I should say it'a an ocean of emotions and heart melting feelings of a true Indian lady. For me it is a 4*/5* book only because the book's cover does not reflect the depth of Dr. Manisha Yadava's poems. I highly recommend this book for any reader who wants to read free flowing Hindi verses. All the Literoma reviews are available at our page:- https://literomagroup.blogspot.com/

** Thanks to the author for sharing a review copy of the book.** ** Thanks to our reviewer Reetwika Banerjee for reviewing the book on behalf of #Literoma. ** Reading Dr. Shankar Kashyap's books is a privilege in first place. His writing has such a natural poetic touch. "Musings of a Romantic" is perhaps his 6th book (2nd poetry book) and having read and reviewed almost all his previous books, I am completely overwhelmed at his artistic vision. Coming to this book "Musings of a Romantic", it comprises of handful of poems from multiple genres including Limmerick, Haiku, Narrative, Couplet, Ode, Eulogy, Villanelle, Kyrielle, Epigram and what not! Honestly speaking the best thing which I like about Dr. Kashyap's writing is his thorough research on whatever topic he chooses. Be it ancient history, thriller or poetry, his writings exhibit tremendous amount of background work. And"Musings of a Romantic" is also not an exception. The book cover i...

** Thanks to the author for sharing a review copy of the book.** ** Thanks to our reviewer for reviewing the book on behalf of #Literoma. ** Not just the crisp and short poems, but also the book's cover say a lot about the poet's thoughts. She has a good control over the language which is evident from the apt choice of words and rhyming time. Most of the poems comprise of four to eight lines (except a few) and most of the poems come without any title. The book title is very apt with respect to the poetic feels captured within the covers. My personal favourite is no 20. Quoting a couplet from the poem, "Rakh kar kisi ke kandhe par sir So jaun befikre ki chadar odh kar Aur keh doon sabse mera rakib mere saath hain Ab mujhe kaahe ka dar.." Only recommendation, it is good to avoid English numbering for poem indexing. Simple poems without a title or number would better carry the feel than numbered in English. I would rate it 4*/5*. Recommended for readers o...

** Thanks to the author for sharing a review copy of the book.** ** Thanks to our reviewer for reviewing the book on behalf of #Literoma. ** The name of the book itself has such a lyrical impact ("Dariya-e-Ehsaas" in English means 'Emotions of a River'), that I could not help reading it till the end in a single shot. Such is the charm of its contents too. Some of my personal favourites are: Tanha Ishq, Masoom Aankhen, Stree and Insaniyat. I am a semi Hindi literate reader, one who understands and can speak Hindi fluently, but cannot read with ease. That's the second good thing about the book. All the poems are published in Hindi as well as English fonts so that any poetry lover like me can also taste the fragrance of Manisha's poetic charm. Overall, I will like to rate it 4*/5*, a must read for all who enjoy Hindi verses written in simple words. All the Literoma reviews are available at our page:- https://literomagroup.blogspot.com/

** Thanks to the author for sharing a review copy of the book.** ** Thanks to our reviewer Tee Kay for reviewing the book on behalf of #Literoma. ** "Mere Khayal" by Dr. Manisha Yadava is another wonder in itself. Having read her other book earlier, I found this one even more captivating. The verses, presentation, rhyming, meters, stanzas, choice of words - everything is so perfect. Small poetry appeal me more as it is more difficult for a poet to express bigger thoughts in thinner perimeter. And that is where Dr. Manisha excelled in the book "Mere Khayal". Most of her poems have a positivity in it which as a reader motivated me. I liked almost all of them but special mention should include 17, 21, 33, 45 and 68. "Waqt kam hain aur kaam zyada Karna hai abhi kuch naam zyada." I would rate it 4*/5*. I think I am now expecting more from her third book. Wish her all the best. All the Literoma reviews are available at our page:- https://literomag...

** Thanks to the author for sharing a review copy of the book.** ** Thanks to our reviewer Tee Kay for reviewing the book on behalf of #Literoma. ** "Dariya-e-Ehsaas" by Dr. Manisha Yadava is a heartmelting collection of Hindi poems, where every bit of it reflects her deep feelings and emotional density. Being an educated lady herself in poems like 'Woh ajnabee', 'Jashn-e-azaadi' and 'Mrityu', her strong feminist expressions find an escapade and only someone like Dr. Manisha could present a poetic passion like this. Can't help but quote Dr. Manisha from her poem 'Aurat', "Jo kal tak kisi ki maa behen thi Aaj achanak aurat ho gayi..." There are other poems too which touched me but her strength of writing is feminism and Dr. Manisha must continue expressing free verses more so that many male dominated women of our country will find empathy through her poems. I would rate it 4*/5* and recommend to all Hindi poetry lovers....

** Thanks to the author for sharing a review copy of the book.** ** Thanks to our reviewer Tee Kay for reviewing the book on behalf of #Literoma. ** I got to know about the book at the launch day in Kolkata and the very concept of it tempted me to read and review it. Translating Sage Markandeya's Chandipath from Sankrit to modern English was definitely a gigantic and daring task...but the author pulled out really well. I had read the original version long ago but re-reading it in English was a new journey for me. But in none of the segments I felt away from the essence of authenticity. Atul Sarkar ensured to capture the action packed mythological hymns with a touch of his uniqueness. The sketches were little different from the traditionally known Devi Durga and Maha Shakti forms we often come across in Bengal, author might have preferred the ones prevalent in Nava Ratri rituals in UP. The creative liberty for a fiction book is always in advantage of its creator. Overall, I w...

** Thanks to the author for sharing a review copy of the book.** ** Thanks to our reviewer Kaushik Bose for reviewing the book on behalf of #Literoma. ** Book format: Paperback & Kindle Type: Verse Language: English Genre: Mythological fiction (Illustrated) No of pages: 250+ Rishi Markandeya's original version of Durga Saptashati was always a very heavy read for me but at the same time I wanted to read it being a devotee of Durga Maa. Thanks to the author who helped me in reading and understanding the mythological excellence in a language which I understand. "Joy Maa Durga" by Atul Chandra Sarkar is a wonderful book, especially for modern readers like us, who are more versed in English than Sanskrit. Special appreciation for the illustrator who visualized the different forms of Shakti and depicted it on paper. I rate it 4*/5* and recommend it as a must read for all the devotees of Goddess Shakti. All the Literoma reviews are available at our page:- htt...

** Thanks to the author for sharing a review copy of the book.** ** Thanks to our reviewer for reviewing the book on behalf of Literoma. ** Type:Poetry Category: Spiritual (with illustrations) Pages: around 250 Format: Paperback & Kindle Right from the book title, transliteration standard, the interior illustrations, book cover image, page quality and print quality - the book left me engrossed in it's totality. After a very long time, I read a spiritual book of this quality. I must congratulate the author for gifting Indian mythology such a high standard masterpiece. I can see this book making to the bestseller list of 2019. Title 'Joy Maa Durga' the naming in itself creates an immediate impact on reader's mind. So is the cover image. The designer did a wonderful job in capturing the essence of Goddess Durga's Mahish Mardini depiction, though we see mostly ten hands of Durga in usual Bengali illustrations, but the cover depicts twelve hands. Similarl...

** Thanks to the author for gifting us a review copy of the book.** ** Thanks to our reviewer Suchi Shukla for reviewing the book on behalf of #Literoma. ** Book Name: Lady in Red: A Collection of Love poems Author: Shankar Kashyap Format: Kindle Edition Love as an emotion is so perennial that it requires no medium- no language to be expressed. All forms of living beings with any kind of life force in them understands the emotion called love. Expressing it no doubt varies from person to person and even from life to life. But one thing is certain- nothing- no one in this universe exists without love- of one or the other kind. As far as literature is concerned- people have written humongous amount of verse, prose in the glory of love- in all kinds of languages- in all times of human existence. There is such a variety in love-poetry all across the globe in structure, form and metre that it seems almost impossible to be acquainted with all kinds. But this impossible task has bee...

** Thanks to the author for sharing a review copy of the book.** ** Thanks to our reviewer Tee Kay for reviewing the book on behalf of #Literoma. ** Well now I can say I read Dr. Kashyap. Yes and I mean it. Having read and reviewed almost all of his books, I personally find this book "Musings of a Romantic" to be exceptionally good, if not the best of Dr. Kashyap. I thoroughly enjoyed his Harappa Trilogy and believed it to be his best creation so far. But now, I doubt my own thoughts. The amount of research that has gone behind crafting this poetry compendium is evidently gigantic and definitely deserves a big applaud from the entire English poetry admirer's fraternity. Right from book title, genre selection, conceptualization, choice of words & creations by eminent English poets this book presents every ingredient to be an international award winner. Only aspect which did not appeal me is the book cover. Not sure if it's the print quality or artistic insuf...

** Thanks to the author for sharing a review copy of the book.** ** Thanks to our reviewer Chitranshu Mandhar for reviewing the book on behalf of #Literoma. ** Genre: poetry / literature “Musings of a Romantic” is not just another poetry book or anthology. I would say it is the mini-encyclopaedia of poetry. I have read many books on poetry but this book stands out of all. Why? Because of the lucid explanation of different kinds of poetry. It’s unbelievable that an orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Shankar Kashyap, wrote this book and not someone who holds a PhD in English literature. The book begins with a brief introduction to the history of poetry and a few famous world renowned poetic works across the globe since the beginning of human civilization. There are over 200 forms of poetry, I was not aware this fact till I read this book, but the author has assimilated approximately 44 most popular forms which I believe not many people will be acquainted with. Every chapter of the book begin...

** Thanks to the author for sharing a review copy of the book.** ** Thanks to our reviewer Swapna Peri for reviewing the book on behalf of #Literoma. ** Genre: Poetry Pages: 208 Format: Paperback & Kindle Book Title: The title of the book ' Musings of a Romantic ' is soothing and loving Book Cover: The cover image of the book is a picture that is inspired from a painting of a couple in love during the Mughal period in India and the title written in the format of Urdu being translated into English i.e. with the dots on the head of the letters gives a classic feel. Inside the book: Inside the book, a reader can find an ala carte of poems that vary from Sonnet to Ballad, from Limerick poems to traditional Japanese Haiku poems and so on. My Review: This is the third book that I have read from the author, and I have to admit that I have fallen into the trap of this magical words web. The aesthetics maintained and covered in the book happen to be the very best ...

** Thanks to the author for sharing a review copy of the book.** ** Thanks to our reviewer Yuva Ranjini for reviewing the book on behalf of #Literoma. ** Genre: Poetry Pages: 208 Format: Paperback & Kindle When we pick a poetry book to read, it either composes of poems of an individual or combined verses of a group of poets. Musings of a Romantic is from an individual that starts with the explanation of various aspects of poetry structures and forms and about how it evolved over the ages, and its rhyming variety of poems and then comes up with Personal anthology of poems of different forms. This is indeed profound and very helpful to know about its history rather to delight in the poems alone. It covers of Persian, western, Japanese, Chinese and the folklores which was followed for the ages and centuries. Author’s motto is quite appreciable as he intended to clear the queer before presenting his variety of poems which what makes this book very appealing to captivate the ...

** Thanks to the author for sharing a review copy of the book.** ** Thanks to our reviewer Satabdi Mukherjee for reviewing the book on behalf of #Literoma. ** After composing beautiful pieces on love and longing in various poetic forms in Lady in Red, it was obvious that Shankar Kashyap would continue to amaze us with his eloquence. Musings of a Romantic features an exquisite collection of poems on love, humanity, and the river Sarasvati (the poet’s favourite river) and the book is structured to include some of the most common poetic forms used around the world. An informative introduction gives us a detailed history of poetry writing right from its oral beginnings. The poems are categorized on the basis of the poetic form used to compose them and several new forms have been employed—gnomic verse, sestina, palinode, kyrielle, monody, and rispetto, to name a few. Kashyap includes a brief description of each form to help acquaint readers with its intricacies. He also helps us unde...

** Thanks to the author for sharing a review copy of the book.** ** Thanks to our reviewer Raja Mondal for reviewing the book on behalf of #Literoma. ** Book: Golden Wings Author: Srijoy Mitra Publications: Literoma Format: Kindle/Paperback Genre: Fiction Pages: 263 "Golden Wings", a 75k+ word novel by a 23 year old boy, that says a lot about this book. I must congratulate Srijoy for his humongous efforts to neatly knit such a bulky novel. At his age, half of the generation would run after formal education, and come back frustrated after losing to the competition. Author's unconventional lifestyle must have taught him valuable lessons which made 'Golden Wings' a reality. Through the eyes of Anicetus (the narrator), readers can rediscover life. The youthful lens helped me to unveil so many unknown corners of a teenager, other sides of the globe and life changing thoughts. No fiction is flawless and so is this. But I must say, Srijoy has golden hands i...

** Thanks to the author for sharing a review copy of the book.** ** Thanks to our reviewer Chitranshu Mandhar for reviewing the book on behalf of #Literoma . ** Book format: Paperback & Kindle Type: Verse Language: English Genre: Spiritual No of pages: 230 What happens when religion meets the literature? Well, it gives birth to the finest work of the writer or possibly his magnum opus. “Joy Maa Durga” is a perfect example of such work. Poet Atul Chander Sarkar has done a wonderful job of translating the shlokas of Sage Markandeya’s “Durga Saptasati” in poetic structure. I can only fathom how much effort and energy he might have to put to do so. There are English translations available in the market but I have not come across any work that is purely in the form of poems. This volume stands apart from other translation I have read. This collection is 700 shlokas is more than just story of the battle, valour and power of incarnations ...