I had been thinking about ordering from flipkart for a long time now after hearing raving reviews from friends and family about how quick the delivery is and you can get some real good discounts. So one fine day this week, ordered not one, not two but three books in a row online. The books being:
1. Life is what you make it by Preeti Shenoy
2. Chanakya's Chant by Ashwin Sanghi and last but not the least
3. Urban Shots - a collection of urban tales which also includes a story by a dear friend Prateek..:)
Have already finished reading the first one and Prateek's story in Urban Shots.
Before this book ordering and gobbling them down in a single sitting ....i was reading A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth. It is a THICK book and i had been wanting to read it for quite some time now. Finally when i started reading it, i realized that this is not the kind of book i would want to lay my hands on just before saying goodbye to yet another crazy hectic day...so the other day, i asked husband to take out some light read by any Indian author from our book box, taking advantage of the fact that he sleeps on the side of the bed which has books in its bed box; and hence has to dutifully abide by the rule of "ye tumhari side hai tum karoge..(switching off light, router, latching the room etc before sleeping fall in this category of chores....:D )"..:D
He came up with Advaita Kala's Almost Single, which i had already read and found really funny and interesting...
The next one which his hands collided with turned out to be "The Zoya Factor" by Anuja Chauhan. I quickly grabbed this one as i had read good reviews about it and had lately bought it from the Book Fair at Pragati Maidan.
The Zoya Factor is a WONDERFUL!! book...:)
It is a must read for anyone who enjoys fun, youthful reads by young Indian writers. A rom-com set in the backdrop of cricket world cup; the book is about this 27 years old girl Zoya who is born on 25th June 1983, the very moment India won its first and only world cup...:). The Indian cricket team realizes this as the "boys" win all the matches when this lucky charm breakfasts with them..and hence starts this roller coaster ride of Zoya who is taken along with the Indian cricket team to Australia so that India can bring home their next world cup in the captaincy of the oh so hot!!..Nikhil Khoda.
Yes, so it has cricket, a girl next door romancing the Indian skipper, the over the top and loud cricket crazy Karol Bagh family and not to mention a good peep into the world of advertising to which belongs the lucky lady.
How overnight The Zoya Factor becomes national news with all the Charu Sharmas and Harsh Bhogles dedicating a good part of their debates and commentaries around the lucky Indian factor, the ad agencies, her fraternity “well wishers” uksaoing her to do some Zoya Agarbatti ads..and last but not the least her proposed election tickets for a LS seat..:D
I loved the book for the sheer dosage of humor, crazily funny moments and yes the awsum off-on-off-on romance between Nikhil Khoda and Zoya Solanki..:) (it IS one of the best things in the book..;-))
The story maintains a perfect pace, I loved the character depiction of Zoya, a 27 years old with a heart of 17 years!!...an utterly confused, humble, funny young girl ….(the forgottogrowup types..;-)) The character makes you nod throughout..yeah..yeah..it does happen...it seems the author has actually looked inside the head of some ordinary, not that achiever, love lost girl to come out with the perfectly defined character Zoya..:)
Though I felt that the Indian skipper’s character has been depicted a bit too god to be believed kinds..but then it does it bit to add spice to the reading..:)
It’s a total paisa vasool, fun book, which I would strongly recommend to all the readers looking for something light hearted yet mature…:)
Price: INR 299
Overall Rating: 4/5
(Yes, from now on I will also end my book reviews (if this counts as one) with my rating of the book..;-)..(like those veteran bloggers) YAY!! It feels good..:))
7 people have something to say...:
First:
"Tumhari side hai tum hi karoge" wisdom: I will keep this golden rule in mind if/when I get married and will make sure that on my side of bed there are no curtains/windows/book box/night lamps/switches/refrigerator etc. I guess then it would have to be a plain wall. But, that would end the possibility of any escape from the claws of angry wife (God forbid :)).
Second:
Note to self: 1) Finish the books you started to read and take them to India to recycle them as well thought warm/kind hearted gift you younger sister.
2) Make sure you wrap them in glazed gift paper so she doesn't see through my evil plan.
3) Buy Prateek's book and Zoya factor. I have heard about Prateek's book on internet postings and would make a good read.
Third:
इतनी देर देर में पोस्ट क्यों लिखती हो? तुम्हारा ब्लाग सूखाग्रस्त क्षेत्र जैसा दिख रहा है जहां हमारे जैसे प्राणियों के चरने के लिये मुलायम हरी घास जैसी पोस्ट उपलब्ध नहीं हैं :)
Awesome.. I have not read Zoya will pick it up when I get the chance...
Btw how did you like the story?
hi deepti, after a long time read ur post n as always felt gr8..loved the "tumhari side hai n tum hi karoge thing" n felt i have ppl to give me company on the same thought:)
have read almost single n loved it..wid ur recommendation planning to read the zoya factor..thanks..keep going:)
take care
will go through this esp while on traveling...
@neeraj sir...hanji ab se regulary likhne ki koshish rahegi...:)
@prats..yo dude read the story, liked it very much and also commented on FB...:)
@priyanka di..he he..ya do read this one..its naaiceee...:)
@ dr anurag...ji 1 dum perect hai traveling ke liye to.,.:)
gud one!!!...well a suggestion...you should write often..for soules like me who are jaild at home for smetime who need sme funny thoughts to ponder on..
To read a work of fiction in familiar surroundings is not one usually gets a chance to do in life.
Here I have an opportunity to read a chapter of my life and how I grew up through an author who happens to be my best friend those years…A rarity in all ways …The book is a masterpiece of the surroundings I grew up .. I am thinking of giving this book to my girls when life’s decisions are thrust upon them …and say this is how it was and we still made it and you will it after all “Life is What you make it”
A very compelling title and a story that keeps you in touch with realities of conservative families in the late 80’s. The book also illustrates of how innocent our ambitions are how important they are at certain stages of life. It shows how one gets drawn into relationships that end in consequences beyond one’s control. The book captures circumstance in a real life yet things or actions least expected makes an impact .Finally everyone makes life the way they want it. It is only a matter of when!
The book is well written and keeps you engaged till end. It is set in a world where we had no modern gadgets and yet we nurtured log distance relationships and wrote letters.The world is so different yet ultimately “ Life is what you make it”
A great book and must buy!
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