The Book Corner Vol. 4 – The Saga of Agni : Rise of the Grey Prince by Arka Chakrabarti Book Review

Swathy · October 16, 2015 · Leave a Comment

It has just been a week since I finished the first volume of the book – The Secrets of Dark. And, then I ordered the sequel from Amazon the same day. Unfortunately, Amazon took almost 3 days to deliver the book. Flipkart is way better, it delivers in just a day, at least the books! So, the wait was very eager.

But, once I got the book, I was a little surprised because it is just 200 pages. I had expected it to be at least 300-350. Anyways, the size is not important. First, let me take you through the story line.

The Saga of Agni : Rise of the Grey Prince by Arka Chakrabarti Book Review

The Story

I had underestimated the first part of the book. It has a lot of characters but while writing the review I was not very partial to anyone apart from the main characters of the story which is Agni and Vrish. So, let me expand it a bit more because the characters I left out in the first part have a major role in the second.

Agni and Vrish are the King Himadri’s wards and are brought up with his son Yani. After the climax of the first book, Agni and Vrish are joined by Maharishi Sidak who makes an appearance in the first book. The Maharishi guides Agni in his journey in the first part by answering one of his queries which brings him to where he is today. He is right now fleeing from Nisarga with a secret scroll – ‘The Twin Prophecies’ – to find out the answer which is the third prophecy which holds the truth.

My Skin Diary – September 2015

Swathy · October 12, 2015 · 2 Comments

If you remember, I had shared with you a huge haul right after my vacation. Once I got all the amazing products and my sunscreen back into my shelf, I decided it was time enough for me to start taking care of my skin again. Honestly, since I was so excited to get so many products, I literally used everything on the shelf once a day so you would literally find a barrage of products in the ‘products used’ section. And, I would strongly urge you not to follow my example.

My Skin Type

I have combination dry skin which keeps on changing its texture depending on the climate. Also, it is more dry these days as a result of age and negligence. But, then, I have been using alcohol based toner and still my face does not feel stretchy or anything. It is really difficult to make out what my skin type is. It behaves so differently all times. I do also need to use anti-aging skin care products for my skin I guess since I am entering my 30’s now.

My Skin Condition

My skin is, thankfully, quite co-operative and does not breakout at its convenience and my inconvenience. I have always taken very good care of my skin but since my wedding two years back, I have been a little careless with my grooming routine. I have not used sunscreen since two years and I can see the effects. My skin is dark and dull and patchy all over. Also, I have been gaining and losing weight, the effects of which are quite obvious on my skin. And, entering into 30’s is also definitely taking its toll. So, overall, I need to take good care of my skin.

The Book Corner Vol. 3 – The Recession Groom Book Review by Vani

Swathy · October 9, 2015 · Leave a Comment

As the title says, the book is based on the trials of a family to set up their son/brother/grandson with a female successfully in midst of which tragedy aka recession strikes. I always read the reviews of other readers before writing my own review of a book and when I checked out goodreads for this book’s review, I was astounded at how many raving reviews the book has! Let me see what I have to say about it now.

The Recession Groom Book Review by Vani

My Review

Let me skip telling you the story! It is just what it says.

Now, let me get over my grouches. I always hate Indian slangs which is a big deterrent for me to read Indian authors. The repeated invocation to Lord Shiva could have been just replaced with Oh God which is more common in the regular vocabulary of Indians.

Another huge issue I had was the name confusion. Parshuraman, the protagonist. I was confused till almost the middle of the book whether he hails from a South Indian family settled in Chandigarh or was actually a North Indian. I think it comes from being a South Indian. And, it turns out that the protagonist is a Punjabi! I wish the matrimonial description would also include ‘Punjabi’ word.

Parshuraman Joshi, 27, handsome, Hindu-Brahmin, IT Professional, settled in Canada, earns a high-figure salary.

should probably have been

Parshuraman Joshi, 27, handsome, Punjabi Brahmin, IT Professional, settled in Canada, earns a high-figure salary.

No racism intended here. I would rather like to be clear about my protagonist so as to visualize him clearly. The language is simple and good. The story flow is smooth and non-repetitive or huge on details. The protagonist is relate-able but the rest of the story not so much.