Tag: Anthology

Book Review – The People Tree

On By itsmylife126In book review3 Comments

Book Title – The People Tree


Author – Beetashok Chatterjee

Publisher – Readomania


I have read stories by Beetashok Chatterjee in the past so I was looking forward to his new offering, ‘The People Tree’. And I am happy to say that this new anthology is as good as his debut one, ‘Driftwood – Stories washed Ashore’. While ‘Driftwood’ dealt with seamen and their experiences, both good and bad, ‘The People Tree’ deals with the common man and his ordinary and some times, extraordinary life.


The stories take you all over the world and across time spans in their quest to peep into their lives and take you along on an unforgettable journey. While doing all this, the author etches some remarkable characters.


While the 14 stories offer something to ponder over, there are a few which stand out. For me, these were, ‘Ground Zero’, ‘A day at the races’, ‘The Holy Trinity’, ‘The Vintage Car Rally’ and ‘Two Close for comfort’.


So what are you waiting for? Rest and resuscitate yourself under ‘The People Tree’.


YatindraTawde

Airavata – an anthology of short stories

On By itsmylife126In Book introductionLeave a comment

Show your love for Airavata, an anthology of short stories.

My story, ‘Little Gobu’, is a part of this anthology.

A effort by many and love by you all.

Yes,you heard it 🐘

Airavata is up and is available on #Kindle

Paperback will be available soon too..

A journey by 40+ authors, edited by @deeptisharma06 @preetismanaktala @shristeesingh
Foreword by SiddharthSatpathy

Published by @ukiyotopublishinghouse

In association with @pachydermtales

Grab your copy
It’s a first publishing project by @storieswithmayaakatha

Mayaakathawherestoriesdance

Mayaakatha, where Stories dance

A Book review : Tea with a drop of honey

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Book title : Tea with a drop of honey by The Hive

An anthology of short stories

Author – various

Tea with a drop of honey is an anthology of short stories by 28 different authors so you can be assured about the variety on offer. As is the wont for The Hive, this anthology gets a smashing foreword by Aparna Vedapuri Singh, Founder & CEO, Women’s Web.

The anthology opens with a beautiful love story, Not so Parsi Love, a story of love overcoming the religious divide.

Coming to my most favourite story in this anthology, The Heimlich Manoeuvre, I loved how the author has woven a humorous situation around the national lockdown.

Another story which stayed with me is My Big Fat Punjabi Divorce, a tale of a Punjabi family putting aside their petty differences and supporting their daughter/sister. I wouldn’t want to reveal more, do read the story…

To Sculpt a dream is a story which took me back in history and the setting is magical, with a profound message hidden in it.

  Cup of Tea for the Misfit Two beautifully weaves a fairy tale-like love story around the title of the book and was entertaining.

Much Ado about nothing is an audacious and hilarious prequel to a very famous love story,by the author and she succeeds in entertaining the readers.

Raz’on de Ser is a surefire tearjerker of a love story which tugs at the heartstrings.

Table number 9 is as philosophical as they come, with some great quotes. 

The Murphy Conundrum surprised me with a mixture of genres and leaves you with a feel good feeling at the end.

The other stories are entertaining too and you must read Tea with a drop of honey to know still more hidden gems.

Yatindra Tawde

A fallen leaf – a book review

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Book title – A fallen leaf

An anthology of short stories

Author – various

No. Of pages – 132

A Fallen leaf is a collection of 15 short stories by 15 different writers. True to its title, there are various aspects to each story but all dwelling upon myriad emotions. 

After a fall, whether it is a physical fall or an emotional one, it is the inherent nature of a human being to try and get up and move on. 

The anthology is a combination of stories of hope, of romance, of drama and some comic. Some stories connect with the reader instantly whereas some need time to savour them.

I will start with my favourite one; All for the blossoms by Em Kay which tells the story of a protagonist who spares his valuable time for the most important person in his life and how this gesture enriches both their lives.

A mosaic on the Garden floor by Sharanya Mishra is a story told from the point of view of a fallen maple leaf, as it flies from the life of one family to another, each facing it’s own challenges, some facing them with strength while some breaking down.

Two Pilgrims by Rham Dhel is a thought provoking story of two Pilgrims coming from opposite social background. Read it to savour it’s message of living in tune with nature, of becoming one with it.

Refugee by Kaushik Mujumdar is gut wrenching, highlighting the futility of war where no one is the winner.

Varied Moods, Varied Seasons by Sitharaam Jayakumar is a take on seasons where parallels are drawn with the human life which moves from good times to not so good times and the importance of maintaining sustainable relationships with near and dear ones.

The Mis(fit) by Saravjot Hansrao highlights the importance of having confidence in one’s own abilities irrespective of outward appearances when you are being subjected to body shaming.

Hope by Srikant Singha Ray is a story of overcoming one’s own fears.

The funeral by Nilutpal Gohain, contrary to its title is a comic take on a generally serious situation.

Behind the Bars by Kajal Kapur captures the fatalistic emotional state of life behind bars through the eyes of two inmates.

The other stories in this anthology  are good too and overall the anothology achieves what it set out to do.

The poems composed by Olinda Braganza to introduce each story are an added attraction in, ‘A fallen leaf, for the poetry enthusiasts.

Yatindra Tawde

Tales with a Twist – A book review

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Title – Tales with a Twist

An Anthology of short stories

Author – Varadharajan Ramesh

No. Of pages – 64

If you love stories with unexpected twists, look no further. Though this Anthology is the Author’s first published one, you can easily discern that he is no amateur.

There are 17 stories on varied subjects but each story succeeds in its own way, where the ending is quite unexpected though at the same time,  logical. In some of the stories, the twist made me curious to re-read the story and understand how the author has set it up for an unexpected ending. 

I won’t be reviewing each of the 17 stories but some, which made me go, ‘Oh, wow!’

It starts with a bang with ‘Repairing Cushions’ which brings a smile to your face when the reason for having this uncommon title becomes apparent at the end of the story.

‘Innocence’ says many things in so few words and certainly hits the nail on its head. A hard-hitting message there.

‘Dependent’ is a story of many families which shocks you with an unexpected ending.

Then I must mention my most favourite story in this Anthology, ‘The Troubles of Time Travel’ where two gentlemen argue and debate most seriously and scientifically on the possibility of Time Travel only to reveal the most mundane of reasons at the end. I loved the author’s thought process in constructing this story and his very obvious interest in time travel.

‘Good Ol’ Coop’ seems to be one story but when it ends it is a totally different one and gives a stark glimpse into what might happen if the usual human food supply dries up and the drastic solutions a man could think up, to survive.

‘Lonely’ is another story with a science background, this time on the loneliness of space.

‘Ultra’ captures the mindless violence indulged in by sports fans without any thought to the consequences.

All in all, an excellent read.

Yatindra Tawde

Featured

Coming soon…a Thriller anthology you will love

On By itsmylife126In Fiction5 Comments

#Project3 #TitleReveal #BookCoverReveal

Hi all, 

I am a contributing writer in this exciting venture by The Hive.

The Hive is a non-traditional publishing collective. The first anthology was Route 13: Highway to Hell, a horror anthology. 

The anthology experienced tremendous success. More than 200 copies were consumed by eager readers. It might seem like a small number, but it’s not. In the world of self-publishing, these are great numbers, especially for a brand new entity like The Hive. Route 13 topped the horror charts on Amazon new releases for a whopping 6 weeks in a row and remained in top 3 for more than 12.   

Now, The Hive launched #Project3. They invited submissions and nearly 50 entries were received.

All the entries were subjected to a stringent two-round selection process and SEVENTEEN stories were selected to be part of #Project3. I am elated that my story is a part of this exciting anthology.

#Project3 is ‘An Anthology to Thrill,’ and the seventeen stories are going to do exactly that – thrill you, the readers. It has stories about scorned lovers, devious criminals, supercops, sleuths, violence, blood, danger, suspense and, murder. You are going to enjoy this. 

Delighted and proud to present to you the title, cover and release date of #Project3. 

                        BLOOD RUNS COLD 

                    Book Release: 17/07/2020

Why July 17th? Well, it is a very significant day for crime and mystery. 

1. The Romanov family were murdered

2. Erle Stanley Gardner, author of Perry Mason, was born on that day

3. The 100-year war ended with the battle of Castille

4. July 17th is the Day of International Criminal Justice. 

I hope ‘Blood Runs Cold’ gets the same support and love which ‘Route 13: Highway to Hell.’ enjoyed. 

Enjoy!

Yatindra Tawde

Hawk’s Nest : An Introduction

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Book title : Hawk’s Nest

Author : Assorted, includes myself

Pages : 211

Hawk’s Nest is an anthology of brilliant short stories in various genres, brought to you by Room 9 : ArtoonsInn. 

This room is dedicated to inhouse publications by ArtoonsInn.

Something about ArtoonsInn –

ArtoonsInn is a virtual inn lead by its dynamic CEO, Mithru Rachamalla and his equally dedicated team. It is a platform for Artists of various kinds to gather under one roof.

The members of ArtoonsInn are called Artoons and I am proud to be one of them. In fact, I have been associated with ArtoonsInn right from their first event, a story writing competition.

About Hawk’s Nest –

It is an anthology of 16 stories of varied genres written by some of the leading writers of the inn. 

I am fortunate that one of my stories, Providential Encounter, was selected to grace the pages of Hawk’s Nest.

Providential Encounter is an emotional story of a lonely man in his old age struggling to come to terms with an decision taken in rage.

I hope you like it as well as all the other astounding stories of Hawk’s Nest.

Yatindra Tawde