Hilawi by Ritu Lalit | Popular Prakashan


Name Of the Book: Hilawi

Author:  Ritu Lalit

Publisher: Popular Prakashan

ISBN: 978-81-79917190

Number Of Pages: 164

Language: English

Price: INR 125.

The Blurb of the book Says:
When the chants rise up, Gigi or Gargi Tamang finds that she has to gravitate to the strange object that they seem to emanate from a disc made of a metal that no one can identify. Could the myths that we've heard from time immemorial, actually be true?

Yaduvir and Gargi Tamang, twins are nothing like each other; he, a mild-mannered and scholarly youth, and she, a feisty young woman, full of energy. A telephone call from India suddenly changes their lives. They find that they are the designated guardians and protectors of a strange shield that is both co-vetted and feared by their own clansmen. They are completely unprepared for the adventure they are rocked into, where no one around them seem to be who they are, where they are constantly on the sun and where they have been summoned for a task they cant even accept as true.

About the Author

Ritu Lalit spent the first few years of her life in the north east of India, where she would lie on the grass and stare at the skies, convinced that she did not belong to this planet. Since she was here, she tried her utmost to fit in, even learn math! But the desire to live in a dream world could not be suppressed, so now she writes fiction. In real life she lives in the NCR (National Capital Region) with her two sons, a daughter-in-law, three dogs and 20 fishes.


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Hilawi, ventures into a genre of mythological fantasy and suspense, which Ritu Lalit has penned down with aplomb. An enthralling tale of intrigue and suspense with the interwound mythological fantasy with present day penned down in beautiful words.
Fantasy, One of the most popular genres, also, One of the most difficult genres to write on with, The author with her strong and crisp writing has blended mythology with an entirely new tale that is set in the modern times which intertwines between the past and the present in a beautifully way.
The plot changes with a blink of an eye with its twists and turns, which you may feel as a roller-coaster ride. It totally engrosses the reader and one has to wear his / her thinking cap while reading the book.  Its fast paced which keeps you engaged with the book, this might be a turn off for some readers, but at the same time it adds up the points of the book.
Pretty decent quality of the book in terms of Cover design and printing which is offered at a reasonable price of INR 125
A Recommended book by Books Review Forum.


Comments received by other different Authors for Hilawi

"Mysticism, myths and fantasy intertwine in this wonderful tale that skillfully weaves in the past and the present. Ritu Lalit has created a fantastical world steeped in ancient legend, deceit, subterfuge in this briskly page turner, Hilawi"  --- Kiran Mantral, Author of "The Reluctant Detective"    

"A fast paced tale of fantasy, adventure and plenty of action, The narrative moves quickly taking the reader from sequence to sequence at breakneck speed, its both imaginative and engaging." --- Paul Sharma, Author of  "Bringing up Vasu" and "By The Water Cooler"

Plastic Independence | An Article by Rohit Shetty

Plastic Independence | An Article by Rohit Shetty
Published in Speak Out NewsPaper Issue # 42 |  12-18 August



Plastic Independence
- Rohit Shetty

Independence day, a feeling of total satisfaction is still elusive. Our finger tips are hyperactive from constant molestation of the remote, mobile phone and laptop, often at the same time. Sure, we celebrate Independence Day. You sported some buttons on Facebook, sent and received forwards, inescapably heard a few overplayed ‘patriotic songs’. And we are done till next year.
If you still are not sure about the difference between Independence Day and Republic Day, do not worry, I am sure you have company which runs in tunes of many thousands. But at least we lived through it, right? …all this from the comfort of our living rooms.
But mind you…we are not just ordinary citizens pulling our weights around (we may be heavier than farmers in Vidarbha). We are educated and concerned citizens. (Notice how the words educated and concerned often occur in the same sentence.)
What does the Independence Day mean to us in a time when market forces define all sentiments?
WHAT'S OUR TRUE COLOUR? We believe in making loud statements
It's that time of the year again. A time to buy yourself a plastic tricolour that little boys flash at you at every traffic signal and plant it on your car bonnet. It's Independence Day. And, of course, you wouldn't forget to catch the afternoon I-Day "patriotic blockbuster" — loaded with passionate lines on desh prem — on all the movie channels. And there's at least one local FM channel that's packing a Desh Prem Top Ten Countdown interspersed with memories of the freedom struggle. You wouldn't really expect an all-glam MTV to suddenly tune into a somber Independence Day mood either.

New meanings
Things have indeed come a long way since those days when Independence Day meant getting up early and turning up in school in white, starched clothes. They have moved far beyond even the "Thank God it's a holiday" framework. The market is now completely geared for the day — beginning from the little fellow selling two rupees plastic flags at the signal to expensive tricolour shirts, caps, sweets, biscuits... just about everything.
There are great bargains too — feeding to the short-lived public memory which has forgotten that freedom came at a big price! — coinciding with Independence Day celebrations.
One public relations executive, representing a popular music channel, spoke about how she was trying to "sell" an I-Day programme where the channel's anchors go about the length and breadth of various states trying to learn desi traditions such as wearing a sari and making chai. (It's a world that believes in wearing everything on the sleeve, you see.) You could handle this situation in two ways: dismiss it as a mere blabbering of someone who has got it all wrong or examine the interesting questions it raises.
How Indian are we today? We know history from textbooks, but how much do we really know about the people inhabiting the country? Is it because we tend to identify ourselves locally rather than nationally that the sense of a "nation" has always eluded us? And what significance does I-Day hold for us today?
Take a look at some of the cultural changes in the last few years and you might just understand how complex these questions really are. Let's take khadi, for instance. All the emotive appeal it had for a couple of generations faded when synthetic fabrics and denim invaded our consciousness. But khadi has made a cool come back, and is a big hit with the happening crowd, because it has scorched the ramps.
What really makes us Indian. "And I tend to identify myself more as a person hailing from my native village which has its own dialect and traditions rather than broadly as an `Indian'." How real can a pan-Indian identity be for those rooted in specific traditions?
"I-Day for me is not another holiday. I am strongly opposed to anybody who thinks it that way. It's the day that marks my freedom, a day that reminds me I must not forget the sacrifices that have been made by thousands of Indians,"
In the end I often ask myself that are we free / independent in real terms?






Hexagon by Ishan Lalit | Mahaveer Publishers

Name Of The Book: Hexagon

Author: Ishaan Lalit

Publisher: Mahaveer Publishers

ISBN: 978-81-83520-20-1

Launch: 25th June 2012

Number of Pages: 232

Price: INR 125

The Blurb of the book says: Hexagon is racy, fast moving and a thrilling tale about Rahul Oberoi, an art thief whose great achievement was that he had never been caught.All that changed when he along with his girlfriend and partner Ria are apprehended during a heist. They are then taken to a top secret underground government facility where Rahul's grandfather worked. In the middle of this facility is an ancient device made of stone, adorned with mysterious carvings. It is a gateway to six parallel dimensions and six different earths. They are then embroiled in a war waged by a violent race called the Moths and the fate of the six earths depends on the outcome of this war.

About The Author: Ishaan Lalit is a Gemmologist, Pilot and Adventurer from a multi-cultural background. He is an avid traveller and observer of human behaviour. He lives in Delhi NCR along with his family and his three dogs. His first book 'The Bracelet' got good reviews by HT City and Pioneer but he was not content with that, hence he is all set to redefine Indian Sci-Fi with Hexagon.

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A book you won't regret picking up from a book store. Be it a science fiction thriller, as those Hollywood movies, but a book from an Indian author, is an incredible work.“Hexagon” is about Rahul Oberoi and his girlfriend and partner in crime Ria. They both are art thieves and have so far managed to never be caught. However, their achievement is thwarted when they are caught.  From there they enter a new world thanks to an ancient device with mysterious carvings and end up being caught in a war. It is a war that involves the six different worlds that exist in the different dimensions. This war is being waged by a violent race called the Moths and the fate of the six earths depends on the outcome of this war.

Writing is brilliant but with a little sarcasm and almost innocent charm that causes you to be glued to it and lose all sense of time. From the fascinating other worldly creatures in The Bracelet to the violent wars of different universes in hexagon , Ishaan Lalit is clearly trying to give his readers a ride, keeping them on their toes while letting his imagination run amok.

Be it in any of the aspects right from the cover design and printing quality of the book to the content, Mahaveer Publishers and The author Ishan Lalit has worked on it, which is very evident when you will hold the book in your hands. A recommended book by Book Review Forum. 

Little LuckNow by Nitya Prakash | Paralance Publishers

Name Of The Book: Little LuckNow

Author: Nitya Prakash
Publisher: Parlance Publishers 
ISBN: 978-81-924809-0-9
Year Of Launch and date:  25th September 2011
Price: INR 99
The Blurb Of the book says:
Can a Kid actually fall in love and mean it? Anyone can be in love, it has nothing to do with your age. It is a feeling like sad and happy but love is just harder to find, when you love someone that's it you don't wait until you are an adult, You simply love them. Love is lot like living for kids. Anyone can fall in Love Right?
But, Can a kid die for his love an actually mean it?
About The Author: Nitya Prakash is a versatile personality-a writer, a banker, a management expert, an investment consultant, software engineer, motivational speaker, media man, all rolled in one. He was born and brought up in a city of Nawab-Lucknow. He is the bestselling Author of “Dear I Hate You”, & “In the name of love, R.I.P.”. He is a voracious reader and prolific writer and has been regularly in writing many youth awakening articles in the Times Of India and many other reputed magazines. Prakash has worked as an ‘International Trade Manager’ at ICICI bank and also as a ‘Program Officer’ in Microsave India. Little Lucknow is his third novel.

The Author started the book with the dedication to his mother with thee beautiful lines.

“Yeh joh sakht raston pe bhi aasan lagta hai,
Yeh joh mujh ko meri MAA ki duaaon ka asar lagta hai
Aek muddat hui meri Maa nai soyi
Meine bas ek baar kaha tha ki Maa mujhe darr lagta hai…”


Appreciated by many, Little LuckNow will take you back during your school times while reading it. I could very well connect to the character Kapil and could very well see the character Prerna right in front of me, with her cheeks turning pink in anger. This is the beauty of the writer portraying the character in such a way that you can easily visualise them right in front of you. Reading Little Lucknow brought back many memories both good and bad of my schooling days. How we used to convince our class teachers to take us to the nearby garden during our free lectures, also how we used to get drenched in mud and sweat while playing, not to forget the way in which we used to get punished by our teachers and also how we made our teachers proud by how we used to fare in our exams. 

The quality of the book in terms of printing is a real turn off. Though the cover is beautifully designed printing has not given justice to the cover as well as the internal pages. It is often said that a book sells because of its cover, it is also said that the don’t gauge a book by its cover. Though the above two statements contradict each other, but each of the above two statements are true in their grounds to a certain extent.
I personally will pick up the book from the stands as inquisitive as I’am but after turning some pages i will keep it back. this is without reading the book.
Now while reading this book i feel that the book could have been refined more in terms of editing and proofreading, which is also a turn off.

Keeping it simple in language is one of the best parts of the book not to forget the emotional ending. The climax of the book struck one of the deepest chords in my heart. An overall experience while reading this book was good enough, also would like to recommend this book and would rate it 4/5

“Emotionally spellbound after reading it. An Honest attempt by Nitya Prakash” rightly said by “Julia Fiona Roberts, Actor / Director”

This book is available on 
1. Amazon

Silent Voices by Rohit Shetty | Leadstart Publishing Pvt Ltd


As Posted on
http://www.bookrack.in/2011/11/silent-voices-by-rohit-shetty/
by Vibha Sharma
Name Of the Book: Silent Voices
Author: Rohit Shetty 
Publisher: Leadstart Publishing Pvt Ltd (Frog Books)
ISBN: 978-93-81115-24-4
Genre: Poetry 
Price: INR 50
The Blurb of the book says:
“How does it feel when you want to say something, express your feelings, but are unable to put them into words? Each one of us needs to express our emotions. While some people can do so with ease, voicing what they feel without any qualms, there are so many others who are hesitant, who cannot express their emotions vocally. For them, one form of expression is poetry. The poet prefers using this medium to express himself. Here is a collection of the unsaid feelings and thoughts of a person penned down in the form of poetry. Silent Voices will bring tears to your eyes, smiles on your face and gladness in you heart. Verses that will make you relate to these emotions and give you an outlet for emotional fulfilment… “

Rohit Shetty expresses himself through some beautiful verses on varied emotions that each human is uniquely blessed with. I would say, he has done it pretty neatly and some of the poems are able to stir some chords deep inside the heart, however, there are a few which just pass on without creating even a tiny ripple on the heart’s pond.
Poems address emotions covering a wide spectrum from – love and happiness to despair and sorrow of lost love or of unreciprocated sentiments, from love at first sight to the whole journey of love. A few of the poems which really drew me into his thoughts are the ones dedicated to – stirring longing of a caged spirit, hope and positivity, magic key of love which can open hardest of locks and can surmount even the most difficult hurdles, virtues of smiling face and what miracles this simple gesture can bring in and many such other verses.
Overall an interesting potpourri of assorted feelings, thoughts and emotions.
For a poet who has been writing since the age of 12 years, this is a great milestone and the readers must not skip the ‘Acknowledgements’ part at the end where he has summarised his journey of being a poet so far. It is encouraging to see how undying determination backed with consistent efforts lead an individual to success.
This book is available on 
3. Amazon

In An Interview with Swarupa Chavan Author of "To Err Is Human"

About the Author:

Born and brought up in Mumbai, Swarupa Chavan did her schooling from Mary Immaculate Girls High School and graduated from Jai Hind College. She is a Science graduate with majors in Physics. She pursued Computer Programming, Packaging Technology and MBA in Materials. She currently works as Deputy General Manager with a leading Agro Chemical Manufacturing Company.Reading has been her passion since childhood. She finally decided to give wings to her dream—writing a book. Her first novel, To Err is Human, tags her creativity on life for a young woman in Mumbai.


• How does it feel to hold your book in hand?

Swarupa: It is an awesome feeling. It is like a dream come true. To actually see my book being published is incredible and exciting and at the same time quite encouraging to know that my name is added in the field of literature in which renowned and distinguished authors have made a landmark with their amazing work.

• How did writing come into existence in your life?

Swarupa: I have always loved writing and used to write small articles for my school magazines.
Eventually I could not dedicate enough time to pursue this hobby and it was sent on the back seat. Guess the right time came when I actually penned my first novel.

• Being a debut author, what hardships you had to face while writing as well as getting your book published?

Swarupa: Although it might sound easy now, but the journey was not that smooth for me. Once I started writing I found it difficult to dedicate enough time for my book and writing being a creative work, when I did find the time I would experience mind blocks on several occasions, and the story just didn’t move ahead with the required speed. Finally when the novel was ready, finding a publisher posed a new challenge for me. Especially since I was new to this field. I sent my work to publishers and waited patiently for their response. It was indeed a stroke of good luck when Lead start acknowledged and appreciated my work. I was heartened to know that the renowned publisher found my book good enough to be published.

• How did you come up with the title of the book?

Swarupa: It all started off when I created the character of Malini who is a simple girl with big dreams who comes to Mumbai to fulfil them. Malini is compassionate, hilarious, sensitive, emotional… and not to forget she is a magnet for errors, attracting disasters all along. Malini takes the reader through all sorts of drama as she unfolds one hilarious incident after another. Yet we find ourselves relating to it at some point or the other. It allows us to catch a glimpse of her true self and realize that it is a normal human tendency to commit such errors. The title was apt for the character and storyline.

• Tell us something about yourself?

Swarupa: I was born and brought-up in Mumbai. A Science graduate with a specialization in Physics I completed Packaging Technology followed by an MBA in Materials. I now work with a leading Agro Chemical Manufacturing Company as a Deputy General Manager. I love travelling and exploring new places. A nature lover by heart I enjoy spending time amidst Mother Nature. I am a huge movie buff and love watching Bollywood movies.
I pursued my passion for writing and penned my debut novel ‘To Err is Human’. It is already getting popular among the young masses and have been reviewed as a promising upcoming young talent. My book review also appeared in The Hindu newspaper.

• What are your future plans? Do you plan to take up writing on full time basis?

Swarupa: I loved the experience of writing, it brought me immense joy and a sense of satisfaction. Yes I would continue to write though maybe not full time currently. It is too early for me to decide along these lines.

• What kind of reviews have you got for your book till now?

Swarupa: Well you would be aware of the cut throat competition in the literary world where every day there are so many new authors entering the field and publishing their work. And then there are the established and well known authors whose works are loved across the nation and worldwide. So getting myself and my work recognized is a tough job. I know I have to put in lots of hard work and keep writing good stuff to attract audience.
The response has been quite positive and encouraging till now and people have liked the plot which is quite simple yet it’s the reality with which they easily relate to. They loved the confused and clumsy Malini as against the stereo typed perfect heroine, who is human enough to make mistakes.

• Are you working on a second novel?

Swarupa: Yes I have started working on my second novel. I am currently plotting the story line and building the characters. I shall share the storyline with my readers very soon.

• Authors that you believe changed the literary scenario of India?

Swarupa: I can name a long string of them and they have all made a great contribution to Indian Literature. To name a few I think authors like Amitav Ghosh , Kiran Desai, Arundhati Roy , Salman Rushdie , Deepak Chopra, Robin Sharma , Chetan Bhagat have their own unique style and a great fan following.

• And finally, any advice or suggestion you would like to give to aspiring authors and readers?

Swarupa: I would say all aspiring authors should evolve with their own writing style and believe in it. It’s the originality with which the readers connect. As for readers I guess they should give the new authors a chance to express themselves. Willingness to accept new authors is highly encouraging.



To Err Is Human

Find out in this rib cracking funny escapade where every girl finds herself relating to Malini, living her life and dreaming her dreams. Her witty charm will keep the pages turning.

This book  is available on
1. Indiaplaza
2. Flipkart
3. Amazon