Book - Dune (40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

Book 1 in Dune Series

Author - Frank Herbert

Country - United States

Language - English

Publisher - Ace Books

Genre - Science Fiction

Published - October 2019 (Originally Published in 1965)

This book is a masterpiece in the Sci-Fi fantasy genre and since its publication, it has always found a place on the best books list and loved this book as well not only for the story but also the gorgeous 40th Anniversary version I got. The dust jacket is a work of beauty and the book is also wonderful. The story is set on a desert planet where our hero and his family are sent. And then it covers the story from there and recently an adaptation was released last year and was received very well but that only told half of the story and the sequel is already in the works. 

I enjoyed the story but the truth is that you need to read at least the first four books in the series to get the complete saga of the Dune Messiah and then there are further books as well. There is a total of 8 books in the series and then there are other books set in the world or about the books. I would try to read at least the first 4 books and maybe the further books as well. These are the books in the series:

Dune (1965)

Dune Messiah (1969)

Children of Dune (1976)

God of Emperor of Dune (1981)

Heretics of Dune (1984)

Chapterhouse Dune (1985)

Hunters of Dune (2006) by Brian Herbert & Kevin J Anderson

Sandworms of Dune (2007) by Brian Herbert & Kevin J Anderson

I bought the book because I loved the edition and always wanted to read that but beyond the cover and the illustrations at the start and the end the book doesn't have any other illustrations in the book but at least the page quality is very good. This is an example of a special edition where publishers actually paid attention to make sure that the book is actually a collector's item and it's a beauty to be featured in the bookcases of each book reader who loves the fantasy and Sci-Fi genre.

Review: I am Number Four

 

Book - I am Number Four

Book 1 in Lorien Legacies Series

Author - Pittacus Lore (James Frey and Jobie Hughes)

Country - United States

Language - English

Publisher - RazorBill (Imprint of Penguin Publishers)

Genre - Young Adult, Science Fiction

Published - August 2010

I am number Four is the first book in the Lorien Legacies series which has 7 books. This book was adapted into a movie in 2011 and that was just an average movie that killed the movie franchise for this book series. But let's come back to the book, the book is about a group of aliens who escaped to the earth after their planet is destroyed by a hostile group of aliens. Nine young kids along with guardians leave the planet and there is a charm placed on them which means that they can only be killed in order thus we start with the murder of number 3 and then we meet Number Four. After they landed on the earth all Nine groups moved in different directions and they tried to stay away. And that means that our protagonist leaving for another small town and assuming another identity this time they reach Paradise, Ohio, and assume the names John Smith and Henri Smith and pose as a Father-Son duo. 

Now let's talk about how I felt about the book. I had seen the movie when it was released and wanted to read this series for a long time and wanted to collect the entire series but alas could only collect the 5 out of 7 books I am missing books 5 and 6 in the series. But I had enough and finally started reading the book and I freaking loved the book. This book is very slow yet it was a book that I finished in just a few days and I quickly picked up the second part of the story and I am already 50+ pages in that as well. The book its time as John or Number Four discovers his past and his powers. John is now 15 years old and so he starts gaining some powers. And then the training begins as the hostile race that attacked their planet is also hunting them on the earth. Also as John is a teenager he is attending high school and there is his love interest Sarah and the antagonist Mark. Sarah and Mark used to date but have since broken up. I enjoyed my time reading this book and would recommend this book to all if you love reading fiction and YA books. I am myself love YA books and fiction books. 

My Rating for this book is 5 out of 5

or

***** out of *****

Amazon link for the book I am Number Four 

Review: A Corner of a Foreign Field: The Indian History of a British Sport

A Corner of a Foreign Field: The Indian History of a British Sport by Ramachandra GuhaMy rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was wow, this was awesome, this was little bit slow but that's for the par for a book on history. This book is wonderful and I didn't even know about it till I get to know about it, funny how things can be. This is a history of cricket in India and it gave so much unknown information that it was informative and eye-opening. I hate that we don't care about history, I hate it that Palwankar Baloo is still not a well known name and thankfully it's changing a bit and Baloo has some information available on net.

But this book's narrations goes before and after Baloo and tells us the beginnings and progress of game in India. Maybe because I am not a big reader of history or maybe I am not old enough and maybe because I am not from Mumbai but I had no idea about the most famous cricket tournament in India before independence, but I guess considering we don't focus on history as much as we should as Indians, it's not surprising.

Well at least it will be changing for me, for i know have read this book, read it slowly but surely and I already have lot of history books by Mr. Guha and other writers and hope to put my ignorance about history of India to a level where it's less ignorant but till then let's hope that more people get to know about this book and they also read after all almost everyone is a cricketer in India and that too All-Rounder.

So yes very big recommendations to pick this book if you love cricket, you would be surprised by the history of the sport in India and then just Keep on Reading .

View all my reviews

Book Review - Afterlight by Aditya Mewati

What it is - A new dystopian novel by Aditya Mewati, and it's probably the first dystopian novel by an Indian so kudos there.

Blurb from Goodreads - Despite being raised to hate her own existence, Sayra Green found love after she met Aaron and his family. They gave her hope in a world where everyone is segregated as worthy and unworthy. 

They made her feel safe in a dystopian era where beasts prowl the land, and there are only a few walls to keep them out. 

Now, after turning seventeen, Sayra commits an act which sets in motion an event that starts affecting many lives, and with things going from bad to worse, can she save the people who ones saved her?

Review - So this is the story of Sayra and Aaron who are living in a dystopian city where on turning 17 everyone has to go through mandatory DNA test and based on that 25% are selected as unworthy and they aren't allowed to breed. This is a fast read with multiple POV chapters. Like I said this is probably the first dystopian novel by an Indian and this made me so so happy. This was the first book which I finished in the year 2019 and it was my first review on Goodreads for the year. When you would start the book it will feel like a fantasy novel because of the limited facilities in the city the story is based in and then it turns into proper dystopian level. Only issues I found was that sometimes the event occured too quickly and the story would jump here and there. But still it's a very nice effort by Aditya. 

Final Ratings -      4 out of 5

                               **** out of *****

Book Review - Double Down by Jeff Kinney

Diary of a wimpy Kid - Double Down by Jeff Kinney

Double Down is 11th book in the very famous "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series. These are middle grade books with funny story told in the graphic format. Maybe while reviewing next part I would post pictures of few pages too. Now they may be middle grade books but I love them too, these books are funny and gets over very quickly. 

In the middle of the adventure

Book Synopsis:

The pressure's really piling up on Greg Heffley. His mom thinks video games are turning his brain to mush, so she wants her son to put down the controller and explore his "creative side".

As if that's not scary enough, Halloween is just around the corner and the frights are coming at Greg from every angle.


When he discovers a bag of gummy worms, it sparks an idea. Can Greg get his mom off his back by making a movie.... and will he become rich and famous in the progress? Or will doubling down on this path just double Greg's troubles?

The Review

Well like all the parts this book is also high on fun quotient and can be finished in just one quick sitting. Gregg again goes down the rabbit hole of issues and poor guy has to find ways to overcome his circumstances. 

This are fun stories and I read this one a long time ago, reviewing now because the 13th book was released this year and I should get in in few days and soon would be the time to review that.

This book is super fun and kids and adults both can enjoy this book equally. So pick these up and then just Keep on Reading.

Ratings is 5 of 5 stars

Flower Children - Book Review

"Flower Children" is second book by award winning author 'Maxine Swann'. This was first published as a short story in 1997 and it had won many prizes. It was based on author's own experience growing up.

Honestly I had never heard about Maxine as we don't get to hear about many smaller authors in India. I got her book second hand from a book fair. 

I read this book a long time ago in 2013. It's a nice little book and I think this is the best format to convey a story of growing children or it wouldn't be 230 pages but 2300 pages. All stories are good but the overall story suffer because apparently these short stories were written separately and then combined to make this book. All the stories never come together as one. Every other short story would change format from Third Person to First Person. I enjoyed the book but wasn't hooked to it due to these problems. But at the end of the day its a nice little book to pass your time. After all its only very short 230 pages

My final ratings is 3.5 out of 5 stars

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

To be a classic and to be reader who avoided almost all the classic books so far. hmm like all things come to pass slowly but surely I am also catching up on my classic books and oh look at me, two 19th century books completed in a row :) .

Coming to the actual reason I am writing this, well everybody and their grandkids know the story of March sisters and March family and it was a revelation for me. Well the reason I avoided the classics was because I thought that since the books are old their english would be old english and difficult to read but what do you know or what did I know?

The language even though the book is almost 150 years old the language is very easy and book was wonderful to read and listen to. Thanks for (Time for another shout out) TTS on my Moon+ eBook reader I was able to finish the book in two days and it was surely fun to read the book in a go and to go on the journey of life with March sisters.

I liked the book very much and understand now why this book is so revered and is considered a classic and thankfully this one was fun and I would ask you if you like me have avoided this classic for so long then avoid no more and read it and more classics and then Keep on Reading.

View all my reviews

The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad by Twinkle Khanna

This is the second book by Twinkle Khanna also known as Mrs. Funnybones in her weekly article in TOI and that was also the name of her first book which I have yet to read.

Now coming onto this book, it's a short stories collection consisting just 4 short stories. 3 of the short stories are fairly smaller if compared with the 4th one which is easily the size of a novella.

The title of the book is taken from the first story where in a young girl takes it upon herself to change the societal norms

Second Story tells the story of two old widowed sister out of whom the elder one embarks on a love affair with a fellow senior citizen.

Third story tells the story of Elena a free spirit who is unluckly is love and despite being married five times she is alone.

Forth and the final story is the biggest of all and like I said easily the size of a novella. This tells us story of Bablu who works to develop a cheaper alternative to the senatory napkins.

All the stories are simple and focusing on the human emotions also the movie Padman starring Akshay Kumar was based on the 4th story which itself is a fiction account of real person Arunachalam Muruganantham from Tamilnadu.

I finished the book in a single sitting and it was thoroughly enjoyble. Give it a chance as it's a easy read so enjoy the time and Keep on Reading.

My Final Rating for the Book:
4/5 or ****/*****

Two Graves by Zoe Kalo

Wow is all I can say after this short ride filled with classic music and Dante's Inferno and the madness borne of loss. The need for revenge and the mind lost to grief. I was given a review copy and I am glad that I was able to get it. It was surely a strange ride but what a ride.

As the story moves between two now and seven years ago and you know more and more about the story it grips you more and more. Though only a novella it shows that a novella can also hold your attention and if you spend less time on a book it doesn't make it bad.

This is the story of Angelica who is a violinist and is chasing someone to get her revenge and for what is cleared over the length of the novella. Thanks Zoe for the short and wonderful ride.

I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review and above is exactly that.

Sick of Being Healthy by Monisha K Gumber

This book was provided to my the publisher in exchange for an honest review

This book is a short and fun read in the mould of 'Wimpy Kid' series meaning there are pictures too with the words (Yay!). The book is about a 14 year old girl Tara who is slightly healthy so wants to lose weight and from there the fun begins. Teenage brings with itself another complications and all are present here in their full glory.

There are one sided loves, cyber affair, sex education and what not.

It was a fun read and like most fun and smallish reads I finished it in two sittings and that was also broken down due to office (Grrrr). The book is littered with good drawings and I must say that author is a good illustrator as well. Keep us the good work. This has the potential of becoming a series as well but let's see how the author proceeds further. 

I didn't think so when I started reading this book but ended up enjoying it much more so that amounts to 4 stars. Keep on reading then my dear friends.

So ratings - 4/5 or ****/*****

This book was provided to my the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Figmented Reality by Zuko

This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

What is addiction? How does it impact your life? Could you yourself stop your addiction? This and many more questions are not answered in this book. This is fiction and not an academic book. 

        This novel has the author as the protagonist but this is not his autobiography as promised by the blurb. This is the story of Sidharth who starts his story by listing two of his main addictions as per him.With this realization Sid goes to join an addicts anonymous group. He meets with his first love there who happens to be 16 years his senior. This book is about addiction and how it can wreck your life and how you can become dependent and lose sense of yourself and your own reality when stuck in your addiction.

        The author tries best, and most of the chapters start with a speech which the main character gives at the Addiction Group Meetings but they make the book kind of preachy and I honestly don't like self help books and the author tries but the character is a creep and he turns that way at the end of each little story arc.

        The story is not your normal story which is its USP but the small errors and the erratic flow of the story coupled with the above mentioned preachy voice kept me slightly far from the story. The story starts at the beginnings and then moves through the days and then like normal romance and then bizzarre land. 

           The book is nice and since it is short you would even be able to finish it in one go, now it may get better with repeated reading when you can find may be few hidden meaning or understand the characters better but for now once is enough for me. I wish the author all the best.

My Ratings for the book 3/5 i.e. ***/*****

This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Against Ambedkar, Against the World - Harsh Trivedi

I was given this book by the publisher in exchange on an honest review, this is that review:


Well the title should tell you something if not everything. It's the tale of a Brahmin boy Mayank with a North East Indian Girlfriend Baboi and two friends called Kamlesh and Shiv. Kamlesh being SC and Shiv being fellow Brahmin.

Even though the blurb promises an India of 2030 it's only present in very few pages that too towards the end, all the abuses and the revolutions happen during the first two parts of the book. It's fiction and the main character is openly against the entire reservation and talks in general about how easy reservation made it for the undeserving guys from SC/ST. 

I am also from SC but I have never used the quota because whatever I did it didn't matter there and I believe that the best reservation would not be on the basis of the caste but rather on the basis of financial situation. But let's leave my personal ideas and thought and come back to the book.

Mayank writes a book and it spirals into a huge controversy and which culminates in a bleak vision of future India. The book start and stays on a comedic path but towards the end moves towards something sad but totally valid as per the narrative. Very nice book and totally worth reading I liked it and finished it in few sittings.

I would advise everyone to read this at least for quick fun.

My rating for the book stands at 4/5 i.e. ****/*****

Against Ambedkar, Against the World - http://www.amazon.in/Against-Ambedkar-World-Harsh-Trivedi/dp/9352015819/

Fade to White - Shreya Dhanwanthary

I love how just like the name of the book the cover is also fading to white on the page. This book was definitely a differently told as compared to other stories. This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review, so here goes:

This is the story of three people, we have our un-named Heroine and her un-named Boyfriend and her un-named Best Friend. We find out more about all the characters one by one and we find out what makes them tick. The story unfolds slowly and we never know original names of our characters so it's like from the start our main characters want to disappear in the void, like the title but of course the title doesn't mean to disappear it means 'To find the perfect moment'.

We go through the light moments in the present and then the life story of all three characters one by one and then when we think that everything is good and all set, the tragedy strikes and we find ourselves covered in misery and sadness along with the characters on the pages. But as they discover that there's light after darkness and hope after dispair we also find happiness at the end of a sad tale.

This is also not a tale of simple people and simple lives it's a story of world changers and people who study in prestigious colleges and work in wonderful dream worthy places and still find the inspiration to move even further in life.

I love the fact that even Indian authors are now moving away from the beaten path of smaller novels and although this is little bit similar it's different enough to warrant praise in that department. Although it does get a little slower in the start and the middle and I also had little difficulty with the innovative idea of not divulging names throughout the books, most we get are nicknames.

You want an opinion? Do yourself a favor and do read this book, this is worth giving a shot and Shreya is talented enough to be given a chance to write more and more.

My Rating for the book is 4/5 in stars ****/*****

Fade to White - http://www.amazon.in/Fade-White-Shreya-Dhanwanthary/dp/9352015851/ 

Daughter of the Sun (Cult of the Cat series, Book 1) by Zoe Kalo

I received an eARC for review and this is what follows:

Daughter of the Sun is first book in a Fantasy Y/A series by Zoe Kalo. This book tells us the story of a 16 years old Orphan Trinity who is living in a convent who has some mystical powers but is mostly alone save for a best friend Brianna and they are inseparable.

One day Trinity discovers and she is not an orphan and that she has a grandmother who is alive and is super-rich. So it was like the fantasy fulfilled for every orphan but then Trinity finds some more information from her past and she is puzzled and soon she is taken to London and then to a small island near Istanbul called 'Island of the Cats' where there are more cats then the people and Trinity's family is the richest.

As soon as Trinity arrives to the island and meets her ill grandmother, her grandmother dies leaving her alone once again. Thus begins Trinity's struggle for learning more about herself and her family. It was fun reading as Trinity explored her powers along with us and learning a bit more about Egypt and egyptian Gods was fun too. Like I said I flew through the book and I would have finished it in one sitting if only I wasn't sleepy and I didn't have the office next day.

Amazing amazing first book of the series. Really liked it and loved and flew through the screens and would love to read the 2nd part too but who knows how long we would have to wait for that. Trinity and Slugger along with Ara were cool and not to give spoilers but I had realized Slugger's secret when I was around 40% through with the book (Self Pat on the back for me). Rick Riordan has spoiled it for everyone if you try to include gods in the present time but the egyptian angle worked great here. 

The book is fast paced with short chapters mostly and you are forced to read one chapter after other and soon you finish the book,

Uff the pains of a reader when I have to work to buy new books but then get less time due to the job to read those books.

My rating for the book is 5/5 or in stars *****/*****

So below is little bit more information about the book and the author:

Cult of the Cat series blurb

According to ancient Egyptian prophecy, three feline goddesses—Bastet, Sekhmet, and Mafdet—would one day be reborn as triplets during a solar eclipse.

But someone—or something—separated them at birth. Because if ever they were reunited, they would unleash a blistering power that could destroy the world. 

In an adventure where the past confronts the present, and blood, betrayal and secrets abound, the triplets face each other for the first time. And discover they’re the only force able to stop the evil god Apophis from enslaving humanity.

Daughter of the Sun, Book 1 - blurb

Sixteen-year-old Trinity was born during a solar eclipse and left at the doorsteps of a convent along with a torn piece of papyrus covered with ancient symbols. Raised by nuns in the English countryside, she leads a quiet life until she’s whisked away to the Island of Cats and a grandmother she never knew. 

But before they can get to know each other, her grandmother dies. All that Trinity has left is a mysterious eye-shaped ring. And a thousand grieving cats. As Trinity tries to solve the enigma of the torn papyrus, she discovers a world of bloody sacrifices and evil curses, and a prophecy that points to her and her new feline abilities. 

Unwilling to believe that any of the Egyptian gods could still be alive, Trinity turns to eighteen-year-old Seth and is instantly pulled into a vortex of sensations that forces her to confront her true self—and a horrifying destiny.

If you want you can order an e-copy from here

About the Author

A certified bookworm, Zoe Kalo has always been obsessed with books and reading. Reading led to writing—compulsively. No surprise that at 16, she wrote her first novel, which her classmates read and passed around secretly. The pleasure of writing and sharing her fantasy worlds has stayed with her, so now she wants to pass her stories to you with no secrecy—but with lots of mystery… 

A daughter of adventurous expats, she’s had the good fortune of living on 3 continents, learning 4 languages, and experiencing a multicultural life. Currently, she’s working on a Master’s degree in Comparative Literature, which she balances between writing, taking care of her clowder of cats, and searching for the perfect bottle of pinot noir.

Connect with Zoe Kalo on the web: www.ZoeKalo.com / Facebook / Twitter

This Review is a part of the Blogger Outreach Program by b00k r3vi3w Tours

Fluence - Stephen Oram

I was provided an e-Book ARC for review by the author:

What if there is no more any government and everything is handled by mega corporations and everything is not linked with your social media scores think Facebook made more creepy.

This and more is the premise of new Dystopian novel by author Stephen Oram, in this new world there is global appraisal now called Pay Day which changes people's lives by making their life better or worse. People are divided by stratas and colors White being dormant, Blue being lowest and Red being highest.

The next pay day is coming and we get to read about two very different individuals Amber who is young and ambitious and would stop at nothing to achieve her goals  and then there's Martin older and jaded and frustrated with years of struggles.

As the pay day comes closer people and the frenzy increases and this frightful story comes to a close. Frightful because this dystopian world can become real tomorrow. The characters and their frustrations and mentioned really well, I also loved the fluency with which author has set up a world which is advanced as well as frightening. The people would always stay the same no matter what time of the future you are in time stream, there would always be greed, pride and cheaters in our midst no matter how ideal you want to make your world. Another thing stays true no matter how generic your society the super rich would still be the  most powerful.

Something about the book ... a blurb

It’s the week before the annual Pay Day when strata positions are decided by the controlling corporations. The social media feed is frenetic with people trying to boost their influence rating while those above the strata and those who’ve opted out pursue their own manipulative goals.

Amber is ambitious. Martin is burnt out by years of struggling. She cheats to get what she wants while he barely clings on to what he has.

Set in a speculative near-future London, Fluence is a satirical story of aspiration and desperation and of power seen and unseen. It’s a story of control and consequence. It’s the story of the extremes to which Amber and Martin are prepared to go in these last ten thousand minutes before Pay Day.

Links

http://www.amazon.in/gp/product/1781323631

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1781323631/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fluence-stephen-oram/1122120647

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25790116-fluence

Something about the author

I write novels and flash fiction that are designed set off small firecrackers of thought to light the world slightly differently inside your head!

I've been a hippie-punk, a religious-squatter and a bureaucrat-anarchist; I thrive on contradictions and am a great believer in being slightly askew from the crowd. There are all sorts of ways of doing that - by being on the fringes of society, by travelling to other cultures or simply by being tipsy during the day. 

I write contemporary dystopian fiction set in a recognizable near-future. I love taking reality, nudging it out of kilter and seeing what happens.

Like each and every one of us, my perspective of the world has been affected by many people and experiences: as a teenager I was heavily influenced by the ethos of punk; in my early twenties I embraced the squatter scene and then joined a religious cult, briefly; I did some computer stuff in what became London’s silicon roundabout; and I’m now a civil servant with a gentle attraction to anarchism.

Contact Links:

http://stephenoram.net/

https://www.facebook.com/StephenOramAuthor

https://twitter.com/OramStephen

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8461328.Stephen_Oram

This Review is a part of the Blogger Outreach Program by b00k r3vi3w Tours

The Last of the Firedrakes - Farah Oomerbhoy

I received a free copy by b00k r3vi3w Tours for an honest review and I am thankful to them for introducing me to an awesome series.

Now starts the actual review for the book. "The Last of the FireDrakes" is first part of Avalonia Chronicles series by Farah Oomerbhoy, Avalonia being the fictional fantasy world Farah has created with such good care. I believe that there would at least be three books in this series because trilogies are most common but the world is so rich that we may have many more stories out of there.

With the advance praise out of the way, let me come to the story. This is the story about 16 years old Aurora and feel free to correct me but I believe this to be the first YA fantasy series to come out of India that too at more than 400 pages long.  I didn't know that Farah lived in India till I read about her, I was thinking she may be a british but then imagine my pleasant surprise when I read that she actually lives in India. 

As far as the story goes it is full of magic and all the species which we have read in fantasy literature so far, there are Fae, Mage, Demons, Dwarves and many more magical species and creatures. 

So coming back to the story Aurora is a 16 years old Orphan living with brother of her adoptive parents, who had died leaving her all alone. Her life is not at all good in her new home but then she starts dreaming a strange dream about her mother and probably her mother's killer and then she is kidnapped from our world and taken to a magical world through a portal and then her all new life begins.

And then the story moves sometimes reading like Harry Potter and other times like Lord of the rings and even Eragon. But still it all makes sense and most of all it's a fun read which actually make you want to turn the next page. The story moves and turns out Aurora is not a normal orphan but a very powerful being and also an heir to the throne of the country currently ruled by a tyrant who is her Half-Aunt who killed her own brother and Sister-in-law to grab the throne, who were Aurora's parents.

But before she could avenge her parents and claim her rightful kingdom she has to learn to use and control her powers and she has many amazing characters to help her through her journey Kalen, Black Wolf or Rafe, Grand Uncle Ferdinand, Aunt Serena, Penelope, Vivienne and through all these wonderful characters. Through education and funny moments we go through the life and times in Avalonia and now I can't wait for the next book in the series.

My ratings for this wonderful book is 5/5

Stars go ***** / ***** 

sorry to sound like a fanboy but honestly a fantasy star has arrived on literary scene from India.



About:

For Farah Oomerbhoy, writing is a passion and reading her solace. She is a firm believer in the fantastic and magical, and often dreams of living in Narnia, Neverland, or the Enchanted Forest.

When she was pregnant with her first child ten years ago, a story popped into her head she could not ignore. “I was at my grandmother’s house, and as I looked at the image of a beautiful forest with a castle in the distance on a tapestry hanging on the wall, I imagined myself being whisked away into another world,” she said. It was at that moment the world of Avalonia, with its powerful mages and fae and the evil Queen Morgana, was born. Farah Oomerbhoy’s debut novel, The Last of the Firedrakes, was released in the summer of 2015.

Farah lives with her husband and three children in their family home in Mumbai, India. She has a 

Master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Mumbai. Her first novel is The Last of the Firedrakes, Book 1 of the Avalonia Chronicles.

Links:

http://farahoomerbhoy.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14124424.Farah_Oomerbhoy
https://www.facebook.com/FarahOomerbhoyAuthor
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+FarahOomerbhoyAuthor/posts
https://www.instagram.com/farahoomerbhoyauthor/
https://in.pinterest.com/FarahOomerbhoy/
https://twitter.com/FarahOomerbhoy

Brief History of Time, A by Stephen Hawking

This is my attempt to try to complete my own A to Z April Challenge 2015. First post for letter 'B' BTW it's no long A-Z April Challenge it's now just A-Z challenge.

      Do you sometimes wonder, how did the universe start? Well with the help of internet almost  all of us know about the Big Bang ('The Big Bang Theory' anyone?). However when this book was first published in 1988 it was one of the first to present the ideas about the start of universe and time in front of general public.

     It this book Dr. Hawking tells us about the complex theories about the start and expansion of our universe and all the other stuff related to that. Though it's a small book it's full of wonderful information and little diagrams. The book not only touches on the latest discoveries but he learn about the human endeavor to know more about our universe from the earliest times to the modern geniuses such as Albert Einstein and more. 

         It's an important book and it was an instant best seller upon its launch in January 1988. As a student of science and an Internet freak I was already aware of many concepts talked about in this book but before the introduction of Internet to the general public books were the only mode of knowledge and this book does that with aplomb.

Dr. Stephen Hawking is a genius everyone and their grandparents know that but he is very funny as well. I loved every bit of this book and would advise everyone to gobble up this classic ASAP. My ratings for this book wouldn't be a surprise to anyone after all this praise.

My ratings 5/5 in stars *****/*****