BOOK REVIEW: AMONGST THE BELIEVERS

Title: AMONGST THE BELIEVERS

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Thriller

Page Count: 290

Author: Kochery C. Shibu

Publisher: Mishan Design Point Pvt Ltd

Publication Date: 2024

BOOK BLURB (as on book) :

Amongst the Believers, another masterpiece from the best-selling and award-winning author of “Men and Dreams in the Dhauladhar” and “Faith and the Beloved.” The novel is a saga of love, set against the backdrop of war-torn Afghanistan and Ukraine.

Nanda is an accused in a murder case, and the lives of his dear ones are in danger. He is given an option to join RAW on a mysterious mission and penetrate the elite society of Pakistan. A choice that forces him to create a family only to destroy it.

Khusru is a terrorist who has fallen out with his handlers, the ISI, and is on the run. Caught in the vicious gang wars of Karachi, he is to escort the warlord’s daughter Miriam to Bosnia. A journey that takes him to Iran, Armenia, and the prisons of Russia.

Rekha has choreographed her life in the captivity of a terrorist as a dance drama. Even after marriage and two children, her obsession with Khusru knows no bounds. She is kidnapped and ends up as a sex slave to the teenage terrorists in war-torn Afghanistan.

A ruse that led America to invade Iraq and a mysterious video of an Army officer directing the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks that could change the course of history are being chased by the ISI, Mossad, CIA, Russians, and the RAW. The lives of Nanda, Khusru, and Rekha are entangled in this international web of espionage.

A journey through the unknown, a saga of love, espionage, and suspense that will keep you riveted.

MY REVIEW:

I received the copy from the Author to review the book. I choose this kind of GENRE because it is a political action thriller.

The story involves the lives of three different people from different backgrounds with their own missions and the way they intertwined in an untangled web of politics and intelligence.

It is a gripping story that you keep turning the page until you get to know what happened next. Is Khusru successful in escorting the warlord's daughter? Does Rekha succeed in finding Khusru? How did she turn in sex slaves? Nanda, a murderer, is able to solve the case? Save the life of his family?

The characters are complex and multifaceted. The narration shows how this character deals with their fear and desire and struggles with moral dilemmas.

I like each character. Especially Khusru. I wonder how this normal teen becomes a terrorist. What kind of life they choose and how it ended. I want to say this terrorist also has a good heart, and I feel he is the HERO in this novel.

Rekha being a doctor, married with two kids, and her obsession with Khusru is weird and heart aching. But love is blind and have no end.

The minute details of the geopolitical scenario give a realistic touch to the story. The author's writing reflects his technical knowledge and army background as well as human emotions with complex backdrops.

I like the way each chapter ends with the beautiful quotes that resemble the whole saga.

Some of my favorite quotes are:

When you leave me in the grave, don't say goodbye; remember the grave is the only curtain for the paradise behind.

You've come to know the fortunate and the in auspicious stars, but you don't know whether you yourself are fortunate or lucky.

And ever has it been known that love knows not its own depth until the hours of separation.

At the end of my life, with just one breath left, if you come, I'll sit up and sing.

Believe in love's infinite journey, for it is your own, for you are love. Love is life.

DRAWBACKS :

The story is fast-paced. Some chapters are going at a speed that I find difficult to match with pace.

And some chapters are explained in such way that you can witnessed the exact scenario.

Where as in some places tiny description of each plot, excessive cultural description, unnecessary geographical details and frequent shifts of location make a loss of interest.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kochery C. Shibu, the bestselling and award-winning author of ‘Men and Dreams in the Dhauladhar’ and ‘Faith and the Beloved,’

He is a graduate of the prestigious National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla. He has served in the Indian Navy and commanded two warships.

Amongst the Believers’ , suspense thriller, is his third book. A passionate and committed writer, Shibu creates a magical world of fiction built around a well-researched background.

MY RATING

For Book Cover: 3/5

Rating: 4/5

Buy Books: here

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Amongst the Believers is a well-written, action-packed thriller novel with rich character development and an intriguing plot that captivates readers. Author Shibu's writing is proactive. Though the story is complex, like RAW, terrorism, and survival of each character, he made the story flow easily by using simple language. The book takes you into the dark world of intelligence. Dive in to this action packed thriller.

Related Reading: The book review of Silk Route Spy 

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This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.

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Question of the day 

Do you like to read action packed thriller?Have you read the book Amongst The Believer? 

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10 FAVOURITE BOOKS I READ IN 2024

This is a long post so grab your coffee and then read. I wanted to publish this post in January the first week but somehow it delayed. I guess reading is always easy, but documentation is quite tough. 

2024 is the year  where I achieved my reading goal. Reading makes me happy and actually it is a stress buster for me. I never keep any record so this time I decided to write my favourite books I read in 2024 which may be helpful for you too.

10 FAVOURITE BOOKS I READ IN 2024

1. POSITIVE PARENTING by REBECCA EANES: 

GENRE: Parenting 

RATING: 5/5

This is one of the best books I have ever read. Actually, I don't believe that books teach us about parenting. But I learned the psychology of children. It stresses more on how to behave with your partner and kids. Eanes shares her hard-won wisdom for overcoming limiting thought patterns and recognizing emotional triggers, as well as advice for connecting with kids at each stage, from infancy to adolescence. This is one of the books every parent reads who are struggling to connect with their kids.

2. NO DRAMA DISCIPLINE BY DR. DANIEL 

GENRE: Psychology/Parenting 

RATING: 4/5

No-Drama Discipline provides an effective, compassionate road map for dealing with tantrums, tensions, and tears—without causing a scene.

 I like the way the author uses everyday situations to show the parents how it can be handled. Moreover, it is emphasized on the child's brain. The kids behavior is dependent on the working of the child's brain. That is most insightful for me as a parent.

3) SITA: WARRIOR OF MITHILA—BY AMISH 

GENRE: Historical 

RATING: 4.5/5

This is the second book in the Ram Chandra Series. A sequel that takes you back. Thrilling adventure that chronicles the rise of an orphan who became the prime minister. And then, a goddess before the beginning.

Ramayan has a special place in my heart because of my father. He told me a different story that is not shown in any of the epics. And Amish did the same job. His writing style is so simple and intriguing. I always wonder, who is SITA? The great warrior and intelligent princess. Amish changed my whole perspective to see the SITA. 

4. HARRY POTTER 2 : SECRET OF CHAMBER BY J. K. ROWLING 

GENRE: Fantasy/Fiction 

RATING: 5/5

Harry Potter's summer has included the worst birthday ever, doomy warnings from a house-elf called Dobby, and rescue from the Dursleys by his friend Ron Weasley in a magical flying car! Back at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his second year, Harry hears strange whispers echo through empty corridors - and then the attacks start. Students are found as though turned to stone.

This book is more fascinating, especially the fight between Harry and the giant snake.

5. HARRY POTTER 3 (THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN by J. K. ROLLING) 

GENRE : Fantasy/Fiction 

RATING: 5/5

I love this book because finally he found his godfather. Harry and Hermione time travel, and Dumbledore's attempt to save the lives of innocent people is admirable. 

Some thrilling moments are like Harry's first ever Divination class, where Professor Trelawney sees an omen of death in Harry's tea leaves. But perhaps most terrifying of all are the Dementors patrolling the school grounds with their soul-sucking kiss. That is the most horrible thing I read. 

This book is for everyone. I will suggest first you read the book because your imagination works terrific and then watch the movie it will be more thrilling. 

6. BLUE UMBRELLA by RUSKIN BOND

GENRE: Fiction/Children 

RATING: 4.5/5

This is the first ever book I listened to on audiobook. I love the narrator and am so able to listen to it. Otherwise, my earlier attempt at the audiobook had failed. I put it on speaker so that my kids also enjoyed the book. 

The story of little Biniya and her village members. In exchange for her lucky leopard's claw pendant, Binya acquires a beautiful blue umbrella that makes her the envy of everyone in the village, especially Ram Bharosa, the shopkeeper. 

This story inspired children not to be greedy. Best book for adults as well as for children.

7. THE GREAT TRAIN JOURNEY By RUSKIN BOND: 

Genre: Fiction 

Rating: 4/5

I like these books because they are all about train journeys, which are my favorite. 

Ruskin BOND always loves to travel by train to admire the beauty of India's diverse landscape. The Great Train Journey is a story of a boy who travels from Dehradun to Delhi. The main highlight of the story is the people he meets during his journey. The collection of 14 short stories consists of comedy, thriller, and adventure.

8. FALLING IN LOVE BY RUSKIN BOND 

Genre: Romance

Rating: 3.5/5

It is a collection of short stories mainly concerned with Ruskin Bond's emotions. I like the book because some parts are real stories of Ruskin Bond's life. The story is easy to read—simple language and romantic. This book has other stories also, which are the part of other books of Ruskin Bond.

9. YOU ARE MY BEST FRIEND by AJAY PANDEY 

Genre: Non fiction 

Rating: 4.5/5 

Ajay is a sad person who did not find any interest in living a life after her wife's death. At his office mate's request, he was ready to attend therapy, where he met Bhawana... How she interacted with him and changed him is impressive. It is like you have a friend with whom you just sit and talk. But she was his best friend in every aspect. 

10. HER LAST WISH by AJAY PANDEY 

Genre : Non Fiction 

Rating: 4/5

Ajay's wife is HIV positive and is going to die in 6 months. Ajay tried every possible way to save her, and he also wanted to fulfill her wish. That wish she actually wrote when she was fully drunk. But still, how an introverted husband fulfills his wife's every wish, which was almost impossible for him. The story covers the perspective point of the husband, and it also has a point of view of closely connected people. All in all, I will say the story is filled with love, trust, emotions, and respect. 

Marathi Books Recommendation for toddlers 

Favourite Books for 7 to 10 years 

CONCLUSION : 

I was avid readers. Since my twins born I hardly got any time to read. Year 2024 where I decided to start my reading journey and yes, I achieved. I found two new genre and also two new platforms of reading - Audiobook and Kindle. But honestly I love to read physical book - to stay away from screen. 

Question of the day 

Do you set any reading goal for the year? Have you read any one book from the above list? 

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This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla

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FAVOURITE BOOKS FOR 7 TO 10 YEARS OLD

 

Hello, how are you doing? Enjoying monsoon? We enjoyed it. Sitting in a window, watching rain and reading our favourite books is our afternoon activities. 

We still used to read aloud. My daughter is old enough to read by herself. But sometimes she needs to read aloud or like to have a competition with mummy. And then we both decide to finish as fast as we can. We discuss with details what we both like and don't like. 

Honestly speaking I love to read children's books. In my childhood I didn't get these kinds of books to read. I was in a vernacular medium where our library was filled with Marathi literature and story books. Almost 70 % of the books are in Marathi and hence I didn't find any attraction towards reading. Now though I purchased books for my children but I am greedy for myself.😁

Kids wanted to read what mumma read. (Imitation mechanisms). This one is a plus point for me. In today's post I am sharing our favourite books for 7 to 10 years old.

THE HAWAII HEIST 

The first one is the Geronimo Stilton Series.

The first time I got this book from our bookseller and after reading I was addicted. My daughter was 7 years old and she also loved it. At the back of the book she found the series and asked me to buy it. We didn't find it at the school library and so we asked our bookseller to bring the series which we wanted. Finally we have 6 books in this series. 

About the Book  : 

Geronimo is an Italian mouse who is a journalist. He took a break and was  on holiday at Hawaii.  He and his teammates found someone wanting to steal the precious necklace. Did they resolve this case ? Did they catch the thief? Mysterious and funny at the same time. I love Geronimo. I guess all children love Geronimo.

Highlights of the books : 

▶️ The book is filled with colorful pictures.

▶️ Bold and colourful words (highlighted )which definitely increase your child vocabulary. 

▶️ Simple language and engaging scenes.

▶️ Filled with lots of fun.

THE GOPI DIARIES COMING HOME 

Sudha murty is our favourite granny. We have lots of books of her especially grandma's bag of stories our all time favorites. There is a series of three books in Gopi Diaries. Out of which this one is my daughter's favourite because of Gopi. She scared dogs and I think that is the reason she loves this book.

About the Book: 

Gopi is a dog adopted by the Murty Family. The Gopi diary is all about Gopi's thoughts -  what he thinks? How did he adjust with new family members? It is the voice of Gopi. He tells how he settled down with a new loving family. 

Highlights of the books: 

▶️ language is simple and engaging.

▶️ This book also has pictures which foster the imagination in children. 

▶️ Easy to understand.

DORK DAIRY DEAR DORK 

About the Book: 

Dork Diary is the diary of a girl in middle school. Nikki Maxwell is struggling in her school with a mean girl. She got a sudden interest in student journalism and joined schools newspaper staff. She goes through daily life struggles and finds difficulties in the student journalism journey. However she ended  up as a famous advice columnist who advised students queries. It is filled with lots of fun. 

Highlights of the book 

▶️ It is in diary format. 

▶️ It seems like a middle school girl writing her daily diary. 

▶️ It is filled with lots of doodles and sketches. 

▶️ It is full of fun and describes how girl's lives revolve around family and school. 

▶️ It teaches how she finds a solution to her problems.

A must read for every girl. My favourite.

THE MAGIC OF LOST TEMPLE 

This is another story book by Sudha Murtys. 

This story reminds me of my grandmother. Every word of the story resembles me. How we went to grandma for summer holidays and how she loves us. 

About the Book 

City girl Noony stays with grandmother during summer break. She was surprised to see the slow pace of village life. But she managed to get involved in lots of activities with her grandmother and friends. She learned cycling, papad making and also learned many things regarding plants. She loves to hear stories from her grandma. Noony heard various stories about the temple which existed in her grandmother's village. But nobody saw it because it was lost. It increases Noony curiosity. It is all about How Noony find it ? How was that journey? 

Highlights of the books:

▶️ Easy and simple language.

▶️ It creates imagination in children. 

▶️ Kids can actually see the magic of a lost temple. 

HARRY POTTER AND CHAMBER OF SECRET 

This one is our read aloud book. I used to read while my kids listen and do some art activities. You all know Harry Potter and the series. The magical wizard World is enchanting and filled with thrillers. 

About the Book: 

This is Harry Potter's second year at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. During this year all pupils get a message on the walls that the chamber of secrets is open and the monster will kill the student who is not from the wizard family. 

How Harry, Ron and Harmoni find the monster and solve this problem bravely.

Highlights of the Book

▶️ JK Rowling book is filled with all magic and wizardry elements.

▶️ Thrilling and engaging. We want to know what happened next? 

▶️ Once you take this book in hand you are bound to turn the page 

▶️ No, you are not going to learn any magic😁

DAIRY OF A WIMPY KIDS 

This one is our least favourite because it is filled with boys stuff (according to my daughter) but I liked it because of humor.

About the Book : 

Greg Heffley and his family lived in their grandmother's basement due to some financial loss. They were supposed to have a holiday tour but they couldn't afford it. The living conditions are boring according to Gerg. Even he can't play with his friends because they are on a trip to Europe. Finally they are  able to find the opportunity to leave their grandmother driveway and explore new places with their RV. This journey is filled with lots of fun and some thrilling experiences.

Highlights of the book : 

▶️ Humor of the book makes you laugh.

▶️ Kids can relate with Grey.

▶️ Filled with fun elements.

▶️ The book in diary form and filled with cartoons.

You can check out this kids book review too.

The tooth Fairy : 

Tractor 

Marathi Book Recommendation: 

This post is a part of #BlogchatterBlogHop 

Question of the day 

Which one is your kids favourite books? 

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MARTHI BOOKS RECOMMENDATION

आजच्या लेखात मी लहान मुलांसाठी मराठी पुस्तकांची माहिती देणार आहे. लहान मुले म्हणजे ६ महिनीच्या बाळापासून ते शिशु वर्गात जाणाऱ्या मुलाकरता ही पुस्तकं खूप उपयोगी आहेत. लेख पूर्ण वाचा आणि शेअर करा parents सोबत. 

आजकाल मुलांना मराठी वाचता येतं नाही. इंग्रजी भाषेत त्यांचं education होते त्यामुळे मराठी भाषेकडे दुर्लक्ष होते. खरेतर आपण parents English books लवकर घेतो आणि मराठी पुस्तके नाही घेत. तसेही लहान मुलांना मराठी पुस्तके आवडतील तसे उपलब्ध पण नाहीत. 

पण शोधले की सगळं मिळते. 

मला सुद्धा ही पुस्तके मिळायला वेळच लागला पण मला खूप आवडली. Especially माझ्या ट्वीन मुलींना सुद्धा. 

तसे हे पुस्तक 1 वर्षांपासूनचा मुलासाठी आहेत. पण तुम्ही लहान बाळाला सुद्धा वाचून दाखवू शकता. जर तुमची मुले शाळेत जातं असतील तर त्यांचासाठी पण खूपच Helpful होतील. जर तुमची मुलं मराठी वाचताना अडखळत असतील तर नक्की हि पुस्तके Helpful आहेत. 

Books : Children 

Gener : Non fiction 

Name : 

१ . बोबु आणि अंड 

२. बालाचा बेडूकमित्र 

३. भोपळ्याची बी 

४. लीला आणि फुलपाखरू 

५. नोना आणि सफरचंदाचे झाड 

Illustration by 

Kanchan Shine and @ Radhika tipnis

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THESE BOOKS 

यात लहान मुल आणि प्राणी आणि त्यांचा birth चित्रातून दाखवले आहेत. आर्ट illustration खूप छान आहे. मुलांना खुप सोप्या भाषेत सांगितलं आहे. 

उदाहरण: 

अंड्यातून कोंबडी कशी येते?

छोटया बी पासून सफरचंदाचे झाड कसे होते?

फुलपाखरं कसे तयार होते?

बी पासून मोठा भोपळा कसा तयार होतो आणि भोपळ्याने तानपुरा कसा बनवतात?

बेडकाची लाइफ सायकल तर खूपच छान आहे. 

Overall, the colourful picture, illustration and small sentences are the main attraction of this book. 

पुस्तक आतून कसे आहे हे इथे बघा. मला आणि माझ्या मुलींना खूपच आवडले आहे. तुम्हाला सुद्धा नक्की आवडेल. 

If you are looking for a Toddler/baby books in marathi then check out these collections.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THESE BOOKS 

Illustration is awesome. I am using these books for my babies when they were 12 months old. They still love it. Babies love to see the colourful picture and try to connect with pictures easily. 

For big child who are toddler or started kindergarten will also love it. With illustration kids will easily understand the life cycle of butterflies, frogs, and pumpkin. Small sentence make the story more attentive. If your child is learning marathi then also it will be good options. If you have baby or toddler then you must read aloud them. 

WHAT INSIDE THE BOOK 

Life cycle of Frog, Butterfly, pumpkin, apple , and cock. Everything in marathi. Check out the video here. 

Books are available on Amazon. 

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Book Review : A to Z common disease and Homeopathic Treatment - book by Dr. Surbhi Prapanna

We have fiction, nonfiction books, cookbooks, interior books at our home library. Do we have any medicinal books? I guess apart from the medical people, we do not have a habit to read such kinds of medical books because of the hard language. But this ‘A to Z of common disease and Their Homeopathic treatment’ book is exceptional of such things.

Cover of the book

The book cover has three pictures of common diseases and below are the medicine images. The book cover depicts the content of the book very well.

About the book

This is a complete handy guide of common disease and homeopathic treatment. The author has covered common and uncommon diseases with a brief explanation like causes, symptoms, and cure. It has a total of 26 chapters comprise of 26 types of disease. Each chapter has a detailed explanation that can be read by anyone. The book explains Dr. Surbhi's extensive search and hard work. She has covered a tiny part of each disease. If you are looking for any kind of symptoms of any disease you will get appropriate information in this book.

My take on this book:

a.    We have a tendency to search for each tiny thing on Google. Though we are taking any kind of treatment with the doctor we used to search tablets, symptoms, and cures on Google. If you have this book in your library you will stop using Google. Dr. Surbhi has covered the information which we always looking for. (Homeopathic only).

 

b.    Author has explained each disease and its symptoms in detail with appropriate images.

 

c. The language is used in this book is simple. The medical terms are used wherever required and can be understood.

 

d.      The A to Z common disease books covered every human being from baby to old age people. It has all common diseases like baby colic, hair fall, acidity, stomach ache and many more.

 

e.      This is a quite informative book where you can have medical information. After reading this book you will realize what steps we should take, which things we should avoid, and useful cure treatment.

 

f.        I will recommend every household should have this health-related book which is a handy medical guide.

 

About the Author:

Dr. Surbhi is a homeopathic therapist by profession, writer, blogger, mom of two adorable daughters, creative photographer, and nature lover. She wrote about parenting, health, DIY, cooking with kids, creative activities with kids, education, and many more on her blog. She won many awards for her writing. Her work had been published on various prestigious online platforms.

Her blog: surbhiprapanna.com

Details of the book :

Rating: 5/5

Book Name: A to Z Common Disease and Their Homeopathic Treatment.

Author: Dr. Surbhi Prappana

Genre: Health

Format: E-book

Pages: 141

Available: Free download

Link: AtoZof Common Diseases and their homeopathic treatment

I love this medical encyclopedia, especially of Homeopathy. I am not a big fan of Homeopathy but my knowledge regarding homeopathy is expanded after reading this book. I used to believe homeopathy treatment is a slow process and have a tiny pearl-like medicine. I am glad to know the information of new and the existing health problems like nosebleed, earache, etc and the treatment.  Download it as fast as possible.

There are many interesting free E-books on the blogger chatter Ebook Library. You can download it in PDF and read it. It is a treasure box for a book nerd.