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Showing posts from November, 2019

Book Review by #LITEROMA :: "Reasons to Smile" by Yastika Jha

** Thanks to the author for gifting us a review copy of the book. ** ** Thanks to our reviewer TK Mukherjee for reviewing the book on behalf of Literoma. ** Format: Paperback & Kindle Genre: Novel Language: Indian English Category: Young Adult WOWs ------------- 1. The book is written by a teenager. Successfully completing a novella speaks a lot about the author's skills. 2. The title carries a positive vibe. 3. Cover is catchy and bright, goes well with the theme of the book. 4. Paper quality and fonts are well chosen for a young readership. 5. Length of the book is good for a quick reading, may be over an overnight train journey. 6. The plot is through the lens of a young girl which made it refreshing for a seasoned reader like me. 7. The end has a good potential for a sequel. BOOs ------------- 1. Nothing as such except some minor grammatical errors. Could be overlooked keeping in mind author's age. Overall, my rating of the book is 3.9*/5*. I wis

Book Review by #LITEROMA :: "Reasons to Smile" by Yastika Jha

** Thanks to the author for gifting us a review copy of the book. ** ** Thanks to our reviewer S Bando for reviewing the book on behalf of Literoma. ** Genre: Novella Language: English Target Readers: Young Adult Shelf type: Positive Read "Reasons to Smile" by Yastika Jha is the debut novella published by Literoma. The book is due for launch soon. The young author did a splendid job by capturing the story of a young team just like her acquaintances. Good to see the collaborative thoughts of a young mind. Wish all success for the book and Yastika as a budding author of India. My rating of the book is 4*/5*. All the Literoma reviews are available at our page:- https://literomagroup.blogspot.com/

Book Review by #LITEROMA :: "Reasons to Smile" by Yastika Jha

** Thanks to the author for gifting us a review copy of the book. ** ** Thanks to our reviewer Reetwika Banerjee for reviewing the book on behalf of Literoma. ** This is author's 1st book and is definitely a great read. Yastika is a student of 11th standard at a reputed school of Kolkata. Her grip over the foreign language speaks a lot about her upbringing and lessons received from parents and teachers respectively. I am not here to narrate the storyline but one thing which I liked the most is the book title. REASONS TO SMILE. What a positive outlook towards life! We, especially at adolescence, tend to portray romantic pessimism through our pens but this girl stood out of the mass by bringing out such a lively association of music lovers. Parents and teachers should keep the momentum going. My rating of the book is 4.6*/5*. All the Literoma reviews are available at our page:- https://literomagroup.blogspot.com/

Book Review by #LITEROMA :: "Reasons to Smile" by Yastika Jha

** Thanks to the author for gifting us a review copy of the book. ** ** Thanks to our reviewer Tee Kay for reviewing the book on behalf of Literoma. ** I loved the way the author has narrated the musical journey and reunion of a troop. In fact anyone can guess the core story from the colourful cover itself. And that's the success of the novella. Many of the characters could be easily related to the author's friends and may be herself(?). Dont want to spoil by talking more about the plot in a review. Let that be left open for her readers. In light of the plot, it also perhaps speaks a lot about the author's parental support which has led to the publication of such a wonderful effort. I wish Yastika and her parents all the best for the success of this book. The literary quality could have been slightly better but I must appreciate the efforts and thoughts exhibited by the junior writer. Wish to read more of her books in future. My rating of the book is 3.8*/5*.

Book Review by #LITEROMA :: "Reasons to Smile" by Yastika Jha

** Thanks to the author for gifting us a review copy of the book. ** ** Thanks to our reviewer Swarnali Dash for reviewing the book on behalf of Literoma. ** The book entails the story of a young music band through tender eyes of the author. Well, you must be thinking why I said "tender" eyes, yes because the author is just a 15-year old teenager, a brilliant student of DPS Kolkata. This is no wonder her first published book and she did a prolific job at her debut itself. The book cover is very captivating and conveys the feel of the book. Well chosen fonts to capture a student's narrative. No literary work is perfect and so is this. But we can easily overlook the gaps keeping in mind Yastika's age. Overall, would like to rate it as 4*/5*. It is a highly recommended book for all young readers. All the Literoma reviews are available at our page:- https://literomagroup.blogspot.com/

Book Review by #LITEROMA :: "Yes Sir I Killed My Dad!: A Sons Grief" by Anuj Tikku

** Thanks to the author for gifting us a Kindle copy of the book for review. ** ** Thanks to our reviewer for reviewing the book on behalf of Literoma. ** The book title tells a lot about its genre. Yes it is crime thriller but not one among those many in the lots. It starts with a poetic chapter and then carries itself as a prose till the end. The depiction is something which caught my attention. Also, a crime fiction (or a mix of non-fiction) written in first person of the convict is very rare as a practice and I must say Anuj did a good job. I will not like to say more about the plot as that will destroy the charm of reading for new readers. The book cover well captures the theme. The only disappointment is the book's presentation. Something is missing which kept me away from absorbing into the story. Might be the overall formatting? Author may hover to find out the reason better than me. So, i choose to leave it upto him to discover the missing link. Otherwise, a good

Book Review by #LITEROMA :: "Frosted Glass" by Sabarna Roy

** Thanks to the author for gifting us an ecopy of the book for review. ** ** Thanks to our reviewer for reviewing the book on behalf of Literoma. ** Mr. Sabarna Roy stands out as one of the best story tellers of modern day literature. The story lines brush modern day concepts like moral ethics, class inequality and urbanization. At times, you don’t enjoy reading what you see on a daily basis. But, this book is a welcome exception. The content of the book revolves around daily society and yet it leaves the readers with a content heart. There is not much of an area of improvement that can be suggested for this book. To put it in a nutshell, it’s one of those books which is bound to be loved by all type of readers alike and is suggested for all.            My overall rating of the book is 3.9*/5*. It is a very promising modern day story telling. All the Literoma reviews are available at our page:- https://literomagroup.blogspot.com/

Book Review by #LITEROMA :: "Frosted Glass" by Sabarna Roy

** Thanks to the author for gifting us an ecopy of the book for review. ** ** Thanks to our reviewer for reviewing the book on behalf of Literoma. ** Mr. Sabarna Roy has adopted a very unique story telling style in his book Frosted Glass. It’s a rare book where all the stories have the same central character - Rahul. Rahul has many layers to his character; it’s not just a single character but many characters rolled into one. The modern life has been very well depicted in this book. It’s one of those books which explores the sentiments pertaining to the modern society very well. The only point which could have been worked better in this book is avoidance of repetitive words done by the author. The elimination of the same would have bettered the reading experience. In spite of the same, this book is recommended for the readers for its signature style. Rahul, in my opinion, stands out. My rating of is 4*/5*. All the Literoma reviews are available at our page:- https://litero

Book Review by #LITEROMA :: "Frosted Glass" by Sabarna Roy

** Thanks to the author for gifting us an ecopy of the book for review. ** ** Thanks to our reviewer for reviewing the book on behalf of Literoma. ** Frosted Glass is a uniquely written work of literature. The book consists of fourteen stories and twenty one poems. The central character of all the stories had been named Rahul. Though the stories are not interrelated prima facie, having the same central character enriches the overall reading experience. An anthology combining stories and poems always brings freshness on the table - more so, when all of them are by the same author. A lovely read for those who love the city of Kolkata and those who want to explore the city of Kolkata. I’ll like to personally thanks the author Mr. Sabarna Roy for choosing Kolkata - the culture capital of Kolkata at the epicenter of his plots. My rating of "Frosted Glass" will be 4*/5*. All the Literoma reviews are available at our page:- https://literomagroup.blogspot.com/

Book Review by #LITEROMA :: "Winter Poems" by Sabarna Roy

** Thanks to the author for gifting us an ecopy of the book for review. ** ** Thanks to our reviewer for reviewing the book on behalf of Literoma. ** It’s exactly that time of the year in Kolkata which is being talked about in the book ‘Winter poems’ by the supremely talented writer Mr. Subarna Roy. For old readers like me the book gives us an opportunity to take a quick walk down the memory lane of Kolkata. However, the book promises to be equally appealing for the young generation too. It touches those sentiments of the city around which the lives of the people dwell. The book touches known facets of the unknown places of the city and unknown facets of the known places of the city overall making it a must read for poem lovers and non lovers alike. Overall verdict - 4*/5*. Winter Poems are Poems from Kolkata, penned for the world. All the Literoma reviews are available at our page:- https://literomagroup.blogspot.com/

Book Review by #LITEROMA :: "Winter Poems" by Sabarna Roy

** Thanks to the author for gifting us an ecopy of the book for review. ** ** Thanks to our reviewer for reviewing the book on behalf of Literoma. ** The two words which drive highest romanticism is perhaps - Winter and poems. Now, when these two words come side by side, they promise a lot. After going through the profile of Mr. Sabarna Roy who is an engineer by profession I had strong doubt how someone who mastered maths over the years will be able to master minds now. I’m happy to see that all my doubts had simply vanished in the midst of mystique winter mist in an extremely poetic way. The book allows everyone to understand the dynamics of Kolkata in a truly different way. The experience that you gather while reading the winter poems promises to stay with you across the seasons. So, whatever be the season, if you have a flair for good literature, grab a copy of the book and indulge yourself in poetry reading. Overall verdict - 4*/5*. Winter Poems is about one season; suitab

Book Review by #LITEROMA :: "Winter Poems" by Sabarna Roy

** Thanks to the author for gifting us an ecopy of the book for review. ** ** Thanks to our reviewer for reviewing the book on behalf of Literoma. ** Truly delighted to see a Bengali author taking the pain of depicting perhaps the coziest time of the city to the entire world. Bengal and poems go hand in hand since ages. But where Mr. Sabarna Roy stands out is in his homespun poem writing style. He selected a backdrop which is so typically bong; Yet, he drew a poetic picture on it which is so global. He selected ingredients which are so typically bong; Yet, he cooked a meal which is so global. Mr. Roy had really shown the class which he has an author had created for himself. I wish to read many more poems from the same author in the near future. Looking forward to his next work. My rating for Winter Poems is 3.7*/5*. All the Literoma reviews are available at our page:- https://literomagroup.blogspot.com/

Book Review by #LITEROMA :: "RANDOM SUBTERRANEAN MOSAIC: 2012 – 2018" by Sabarna Roy

** Thanks to the author for gifting us an ecopy of the book for review. ** ** Thanks to our reviewer for reviewing the book on behalf of Literoma. ** The book is written from an extremely contemporary point of view. The author successfully brings out a modern perspective of the very concept of modern perspective. Starting from how the write ups had been thought of to how the write ups had been arranged to how the author had presented the writings, it bears a signature style of his own. Personally speaking, I would rate this as one of his top two works considering the other four books he had authored in the past. Anyways, don’t want to bias the other readers too much by putting my own perspective here. Overall verdict - 4*/5*. My sincere advice to one and all will be to pick up a copy of this book to get rejuvenated and detoxified in the middle of a hectic city life.    All the Literoma reviews are available at our page:- https://literomagroup.blogspot.com/

Book Review by #LITEROMA :: "RANDOM SUBTERRANEAN MOSAIC: 2012 – 2018" by Sabarna Roy

** Thanks to the author for gifting us an ecopy of the book for review. ** ** Thanks to our reviewer for reviewing the book on behalf of Literoma. ** Whenever you see the word ‘random’ in the title of a book, you tend to expect an element of madness in the book and you start worrying about the last of method in the book. Surprisingly, Mr. Sabarna Roy the engineer turned author had maintained the balance between madness and method beautifully in this book. This is the fifth book written by the author and just like his last four books, the author comes up with a touch of freshness in this book too. The book is written with a personal touch but in no way the anecdotes or experiences are specific to a person. The writing of the author enters the personal space of the readers without creating any sense of single mindedness. Take some time out. Use any random flow to read the book but do give it a try. It’s simply worth that reading effort. My verdict - 4*/5*.            All the L

Book Review by #LITEROMA :: "RANDOM SUBTERRANEAN MOSAIC: 2012 – 2018" by Sabarna Roy

** Thanks to the author for gifting us an ecopy of the book for review. ** ** Thanks to our reviewer for reviewing the book on behalf of Literoma. ** Mr. Sabarna Roy is a gifted story teller and we, as readers are absolutely glad that he had decided to resume his writing stint after a hiatus. Perhaps the break he had given himself has allowed him to introspect himself so well that now he had become even a more powerful author.  The book gives you a feeling of reading diary literature without the chronological monotony of the same. So, congratulations to the writer for pulling off this novel piece of work. It’s a relatively volumous book. However, the content is written so crisply that you don’t feel any boredom while reading the book. The only point which could have been better is the title of the book - it’s a little complicated for the reader which may hamper the mass appeal of the book at least to some extent. My overall verdict of the book will be 3.5*/5*. A thought prov

Book Review by #LITEROMA :: "Abyss" by Sabarna Roy

** Thanks to the author for gifting us an ecopy of the book for review. ** ** Thanks to our reviewer for reviewing the book on behalf of Literoma. ** Abyss is a rare piece of literary work written by a rare piece of literary talent - Mr. Sabarna Roy. It’s a social thriller written in the form of a play. The quality of the conversations depicted in this particular work is simply superb. The same goes for the way the climax has been built. With these two basic components of a play in place, the story gets nicely set up throughout the pages. The most notable part of the book is how the balance has been maintained in both acts of the play. The only mood spoiler is the quality of the editing done. That’s something which could have been better. Having said that the play qualifies the test of novelty thanks to the writing skill of the writer. So, my sincere request to all the readers will be to give the book a shot. Abyss is an insanely thrilling play in my views. My rating -3.5*/5*.

Book Review by #LITEROMA :: "Abyss" by Sabarna Roy

** Thanks to the author for gifting us an ecopy of the book for review. ** ** Thanks to our reviewer for reviewing the book on behalf of Literoma. ** Writing a play is not a child’s play and Mr. Sabarna Roy pulled this one off brilliantly. Engineering a play built around thrill can only be attempted by a top-notch technocrat like Mr. Roy. This multi-talented author had proved why he is being considered as one of the best authors from present day India. Abyss - a play with extremely well built characters. In this particular play, all the critical characters had been built very consistently and what is more commendable is that all these characters can be related to quite easily. That’s perhaps one of the challenges the author negated brilliantly - you don’t get thrilled by a story which is built across characters whom you see on a daily basis. I like to rate it as 4.5*/5*. As a reader, just sit back and allow yourself to get drowned to the abyss. Happy reading. All the Literom

Book Review by #LITEROMA :: "Abyss" by Sabarna Roy

** Thanks to the author for gifting us an ecopy of the book for review. ** ** Thanks to our reviewer for reviewing the book on behalf of Literoma. ** Your journey as a reader of ‘Abyss’ starts much before you start the actual reading of the book. It starts with you reading the title of the book. The experience building goes to the next level when you look at the image on the cover page. Finally, the content of the book justifies the promise it makes and thrills you to the core. More often than not, you come across crime stories or novels attempted by writers of this genre. However, getting a chance to read a thriller play is not an every day opportunity. Author Mr. Sabarna Roy does that and he does that with supreme ease. Overall Abyss is a roller coaster ride from abyss to zenith. My rating - 4*/5*. I’ll wait for the next thriller from the same author who had already created a name for himself in the domain of poetry and fiction. All the Literoma reviews are available at ou

Book Review by #LITEROMA :: "Pentacles" by Sabarna Roy

** Thanks to the author for gifting us an ecopy of the book for review. ** ** Thanks to our reviewer for reviewing the book on behalf of Literoma. ** Pentacles is a collection of five spectacular works - one long story and four poems. I would rather like to call it 'Penta(specta)cles'. Keeping the demand of a modern day reader in mind, this kind of a book seems to be an ideal fit - A book which does not need too much of time to finish reading but leaves you with everlasting thoughts. By now, Mr. Roy has become a known name in Indian literature. Somehow, I, personally did not get a chance to go through his works and hence Pentacles is the first book authored by him that I read. Now, I know, why some of my friends are glued to his newer titles. I’ll simply be waiting to find time out to read his other books. My rating of Pentacles is 4*/5*. A highly suggested read for matured (do not read as adults) readers in my opinion. All the Literoma reviews are available at our p

Book Review by #LITEROMA :: "Pentacles" by Sabarna Roy

** Thanks to the author for gifting us an ecopy of the book for review. ** ** Thanks to our reviewer for reviewing the book on behalf of Literoma. ** In the first place, as a reader, when you pick up a book, the very thing that turns you on or off is the title of the book. If it turns you on, as the next step, you start reading the book with an ongoing question in your mind why is this particular book titled so? More often than not you end up getting the correct answer why a particular title gets its name from. However, how easily you arrive at that is defined by the penmanship of the author. Luckily, Pentacles is a book penned by a penman who seems to be having a very bright future in Indian literature - Mr. Sabarna Roy. Though it is a mixture of story and poetry, after reading this book, all I want to say is - thank you for presenting us with such a lovely read and good luck for your next book. My rating - 3.8*/5*. All the Literoma reviews are available at our page:- ht

Book Review by #LITEROMA :: "Pentacles" by Sabarna Roy

** Thanks to the author for gifting us an ecopy of the book for review. ** ** Thanks to our reviewer for reviewing the book on behalf of Literoma. ** Over the last ten years the concept of anthology has boomed in the Indian literature landscape. Not only in books, but also in films. However, you generally don’t see too many books where the mix of anthology is so varied like Sabarna's Pentacles. Pentacles is one of those books which brings much needed fresh perspective amalgamated with the perfect touch of emotions. It’s an anthology with one long story and four long story poems. In most of the cases, the writer fails to keep the same momentum going when he comes up with an anthology having multiple varieties. But Mr. Sabarna Roy, an engineer by degree did it elegantly in this particular book. My overall rating of the book is 4.1*/5*.Pentacles is a great read for any reader. More so, for a modern day reader who believes in power reading. All the Literoma reviews are ava