Making Wishes at Bay View

 I love you deeper than the ocean, higher than the sky, and longer than time.!

Making Wishes at Bay View is a story set out in Whitsborough Bay (an imaginary place!) Having been inspired by her own locality (Scarborough in the UK), the author created a new locality retaining the wonderful things of her own place and enhancing the not-so-beautiful things.

The first few chapters of the story revolve around the care home and its residents. And all the descriptions about the people and their bonding are so real and so heart-warming. 

It gave me a nostalgic hit of the time when I visited an old age home 4 years ago as a volunteer. I was pretty anxious back then as that was my first volunteering work. But talking to them and listening to their life stories made me extremely happy. 

Jumping into the story, Callie works in the care home (old age home), where she is friends with everyone, except with her boss (The She-Devil - that's how Callie calls her secretly). 

But Callie loves her job. She is a natural caregiver and always enjoys her time spent with the care home residents. Ruby is one among them and is very special for Callie. She is a lady full of energy and who has lived a complete, colorful life. But she is not her usual self lately and that bothers Callie. Nevertheless, Callie's life is content with a good job, a loving mother & brother, and a 45-year old boyfriend.
Yes, her boyfriend Tony is 45 years old! Double her age!

You think love is blind? 

Not in this case though. Callie is specifically drawn towards older men. (At least, that's her reasoning!)

Anyways, after a year-long relationship with Tony, some harsh realities come into the picture and that's the end of Callie & Tony! The end, which shattered some friendships, and the end, which bloomed some new relationships. This time, for good!

Never give up on a wish for a happy ever after.!

On the same side, Rhys is a gentleman. The one which many girls dream to have, but cannot have. Because men like him do not exist!
Nope, not even on Mars! 
But since he existed in this story, girls can still dream!
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Talking about dreams, I do get a lot of dreams almost every day. But never did I dream about that someone special. You think he is dreaming about me? 

God!! We are drifting away from the story. Let's focus!

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So, like Callie had an ex, Rhys also has one, with a child. Now along with understanding each other, they have to deal with their respective exes as well. Because, you know, most of the break-ups are not mutual. One or the other has to end it. And the after-effects will be terrible.

Amidst all these things, Callie cannot stop worrying about Ruby and tries to fix her up to bring back her old glory.!

'Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain!'

Christmas is approaching and Callie seems to have everything, but incompletely: Troublesome exes, missed friendships, Ruby's state of mind. Everything is out of order! But she never failed to work on all of these things. 

She tried to mend things with her best friend, put an end to the disturbing exes, and actually discovered the reason behind Ruby's untimely depressive actions.

But can she fix all of these? 

Read it to know it!!

Apparently, this book is a combination of 2 novellas from the same author.
(I had no idea about this until I finished reading. They are blended so well that I cannot even guess which part is what). 

The original series was planned with only 3 books. But before dwelling into the main story, the author and the publishers thought of giving an introduction. Hence this book. 

But instead of playing an introductory role, this story became a whole new book, ultimately making it a 4-book series. Because sometimes, the ideas pop up in such a way, that we cannot ignore them and have to just go with the flow.

So Jessica Redland did the same! And the result is beautiful.!

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I would suggest this book to all those...
who believes in genuine wishes that come true (obviously, they have to work on it first!)

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Happy Reading !!

Source: Amazon - Kindle Edition 

In Search of Heer

The whole world loves a lover.
The more impossible his quest for love seems to them, the more they love him for it.!

Heer and her Ranjha. I'm still unsure of where I heard about them, yet the names seem very familiar to me. And that's the only reason I picked this book, to find out their story.

When someone asks you about historic lovers, who will you name?
Let me guess...Romeo-Juliet? Laila-Majnu? Devadas-Parvati?
And why only these names? Because they have sacrificed their own lives for love. 

Their love story might have ended in a terrible way, but they still remained great lovers in the history of love. And apart from that one point that "they sacrificed their lives for love", I don't think most of us actually know why and how it happened. Agree?
But apparently, all the above great lovers have a similar story template, which goes like this: "Two lovers who could not live together because of umpteen number of reasons, choose to die together".

Now Heer and her Ranjha also come under the same category of "Great Lovers of History". And even their story follows a similar pattern. But this book retells their story, by adding some modern ingredients in multiple angles. 

In Search of Heer by Manjul Bajaj is one of the many versions of the Heer-Ranjha love story. And a dramatic story like this will never be only about two people. You will see through their love from many viewpoints, in which, most of the story is described by Heer and Ranjha, on how they feel about each other. And the other parts by a crow, a pigeon, and a goat as testimonials for their bond, which gives a distinct perspective to the story.

Heer, like her name suggests, is a gem of a girl. Her father raised her like a warrior. And she became one. She is not only beautiful and elegant but also most importantly, brave and bold. Being a chieftain's daughter, she is privileged to possess the extra-power which no other girl in the town has. But she always used it wisely to help others, who are in trouble. Never did she imagine that there comes a day when no one stands by her side.

Coming to Ranjha, he is the youngest kid in his family of 11 kids. Being cheated by the same family members after his beloved father's death, he did not care enough to stay any longer with them. He starts his journey in search of Heer to make her his bride. 

One meeting and that's it. Both of them knew that they are destined to be together and their match is made in heaven. But between heaven's wishes and earth's encounter with them, lies a huge unchartered terrain along which they have to make their own way cautiously, step by careful step.

And the huge unchartered terrain is this, which is common for any other love story - unacceptance from society, family pressures, secret meetings, so on and so forth.

Yet, if you ask me the one best thing that I liked about this book, I would say the portrayal of Heer's character. Her feministic attitude. Challenging the societal rules, not afraid to speak her mind. Everything about her is admirable.

But, how much ever strong she is.....

A woman is not a man, even if she is a warrior like Heer. She still bleeds each month. She cannot simply run away and live a life on the road. Her body's curse goes with her. She needs to be private in those days.
Even a temple or a mosque will not allow her in, because she is unclean. 

Don't you think it is unreasonable, that the maker should turn his back on the body he created, during those days?

Concluding, the story is not just about Heer and Ranjha's love. It also depicts what patriarchy can do to a society. If societal acceptance is one thing which both(Heer & Ranjha) never expected or never cared about, then how can they live in the same society? Or will they live at all??

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P.S:- I never liked a crow in my life as much as I liked its role in this book.😂
And I'm sure you will love it too.!

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Happy Reading !!

Source: Amazon - Kindle Edition

One Indian Girl

I have to tell you about this bad habit of mine...

I have this little person, this inner mini-me who keeps chattering about every situation or person around me. Sometimes, this mini-me overwhelms me so much I have to think hard to remember what just happened!

One Indian Girl from Chetan Bhagat is the one and only Indian book so far, which I re-read. And I liked it, even more, this time. Maybe I became a little thoughtful;)

The first time I read this, it was just a random pick. And I got excited soon after reading the prologue. I was in the office and my first project in my first company was ending soon and I had some free time. So I started reading at my desk and continued while I walked in the corridor, then in the cafeteria, and literally in every possible place. Finally, I completed it in a day! (or maybe in two days). 

And I'm sure! Whoever noticed me that day in my office, would have definitely thought about me as some weird creature. Because the only thing I did was to stare at my mobile!

Anyway, post that, I was not able to read any other book for at least a week. But instead, started thinking and dreaming. I don't remember what I was thinking but I do remember my state of mind. It was as if I achieved something just by reading this book, which is definitely silly! But the point is, it inspired me a lot. More than I can put it in words.

Coming to my second time reading, it was more of a 'you-need-this-right-now' kind of a pick. I am fed up with choosing my next read, out of umpteen number of choices that I have. And I am desperately searching for some motivation in my life for not-so-obvious reasons. So I need a book that inspires me and yet not a self-help one. And here it goes...my right pick!

On a side note, thanks for sparing me till here for my blah-blah! 

Jumping straight to the storyline...

Radhika is a nerd(more than me!), who only focused on studies and NOTHING else, ever since her childhood. As something which is expected from every nerd, she lands up in a high-paying job in New York soon after her MBA. Now, this is the start of her real life. She decides to enjoy her life and live it on her own terms. 

If it is too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true !!

And eventually, she gets into and comes out of two serious relationships, only to end up settling for an arranged marriage. Because, you know....irrespective of how much a girl earns or how much she achieves, marriage is the only thing which gives her parents, true satisfaction (At least for most of the Indian parents)

(Off-story)
No one asks a 25-year married woman, what she is doing or what did she achieve. But a question of whether she is married or not definitely pops up as soon as you see a 25-year successful woman. But again, no one to blame here. It's just the mindset that most of us adopted!

Anyway, back to the story, where are we?

Well, yaa..so it's a 5-day destination wedding in Goa with 200 guests. This was the first destination wedding in Radhika's family and I guess you can imagine the excitement among her relatives. 

Now, what happens when both her exes turn up at her wedding?
How will she react?
Or even bigger question......Who will she marry??

Read 'One Indian Girl', not only to know who this Indian girl is and who she finally marries, but also to get inspired just like me. 

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P.S:- Before you ask me, let me clearly tell you one thing. Inspiration is a relative word. Also, the book which inspired me might not inspire you and you might not even like it in the first place. So it's fine. Don't read any book with expectations. But give it a good try.

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Happy Reading !!

Source: Amazon - Kindle Edition

What If?

Life really is too short. What if I died tomorrow? 

There is so much I still want to do. I want to travel. To meet my soulmate. To find a job I don't hate and a home that I love.

What if? by Shari Low - Funniest book I've read so far !!

20 years ago, Shari Low published her first book "What if?", which was now reprinted as an updated version. You see, 20 years! It's a long back! So, when you feel something stupid is happening, you cannot argue things like - "Why can't she search online?!", "God, why can't she just ping and update" or "She should've exchanged numbers to keep in touch!!" Because you know, it's pre-internet era and an era where having a mobile phone with international calls is a luxury!

Coming to the story, Our pretty heroine, Carly Cooper just reached 30 and is now starting to experience mid-life crisis. Ask me why? 

One - She doesn't like her job but is just doing to pay her bills.
Two - She ridiculously dumped all her ex's, ending up with no one. 

The only soothing factor in her life right now is meeting her pals. They meet atleast once in a month and sometimes she catches up with her lovely young brothers too.

Now, in 1999, with just an year left for a new millenium to start, Carly wants to change the course of her life. "What if her Mr Right is one of her ex's?" is the question that disturbs her mind.

And that's it! As instinctive as she always is, Carly decides to revisit all her ex's in chronological order, right from the time when she lost her virginity at the age of 17. But not before discussing it with the girl gang and her two young brothers. Because they are the best! Either to support her or to laugh at her for the craziness. 

Carly is all set to start her journey. She has resigned her job, sold her flat and last but not the least - got all her credit cards ready, to pay for her travel expenses.

And by the way, she has dated 6 guys (ofcourse, not simultaneously) - all from different places. So, the only choice that she has right now to execute her plan is to start from where she ended. Because remember? It's a pre-internet era! 

She travels to each place to meet everyone starting with Nick, to Joe, then to Doug (with a stint with Mark), and to Tom, Phil and finally Sam - hoping she finds her soulmate in atleast one of them. 

She travels across London, Shanghai, Hong-kong, Ireland and feels glad that few of her girl friends accompanies her in few places. However, it isn't a cake-walk to find someone with just the name after almost 10-12 years. Malls have replaced shops, Hotels have replaced bars and many more changes have happened. But somehow, finally, Carly tracks all of them one by one only to get surprised in-return with some shocking revelations by each one of them!

So, will she ever be able to find the "one" and have a happily-ever-after life that she dreamt of? 

Or will she have to take up another ridiculous job to pay back to all the credit card companies before they get her arrested? 

Or What if she once again meets all of them at one place??...Many questions...Many confusions!

Read it to know it!!

On a side note, my guess is right about the "one"! He's been there right from the beginning. But you need imagination like mine to decipher it ;)

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P.S :- There are so many characters in this book, that I'm sure if you give a lot of gap between consecutive readings, you might definitely forget the names or even worse, the story itself!

P.P.S :- Though there are lot of names involved, most of them have significant importance in how the story evolves. So, its worth taking some effort to remember the names that you encounter, atleast till you finish the book.

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Happy Reading !!

Source: Amazon - Kindle Edition

A Second Chance

Relationships require openness, which means we have to let ourselves be vulnerable! But, make sure you are not letting anyone break you emotionally !!

A Second Chance by Sudeep Nagarkar is the story of a girl named Disha. It starts with her school time crush and ends with the love of her life. 

Disha is an introverted and very shy kind of a girl. Kajal is Disha's best friend and in a way, she is the only biggest strength for her in every situation. On the other hand, Raghav and Dhruv are best friends, Raghav being the flirtatious type and Dhruv being the sincere one. 

They all become friends, mainly because Disha has a crush on Raghav and the others want to help her. Meanwhile, Disha's grandmother, who is very close to her, dies. Disha takes a few days break from school only to return and realize that everyone parted their ways.

Fast forward to college, Disha and Kajal are still together. Thickest and strongest friends than before! Turns out, Raghav is also in the same college. Disha and Kajal tries to avoid him as much as possible, considering the fact that he being the reason for the entire fallout in school days. But, truth be told, the entire story which was portrayed back then in school days was not completely true. And though Disha is not the same shy girl as she was earlier, she is still hesitant to accept her deep feelings for Raghav !!

After clearing the misunderstandings, they once again become friends. This time, it did not stop with just friendship! Disha and Raghav soon became talk-of-the-college kind of couple. Disha is more than sure that her love life is back ! The love that she craved since school days. And the love that she did not find in her parents, who fight daily over petty things.

But...

Even before digesting the fact that she can also be loved by someone, Raghav leaves her due to some stupid commitmental anxiety issues. Disha is shattered. Actually traumatized!

You are allowed to breakdown, as long as you pick yourself back up and keep moving forward!!

Again fast forward to 2 years, Disha is working as a professor and is also busy with wedding preparations. Whose wedding you ask? Ofcourse not Disha's! It's Kajal's! 

By this time, Disha's parents are exhausted in search of a groom for Disha. And Disha is also tired of rejecting all the proposals for the fear of falling in the same love trap. But, she decided to give a serious shot for the next one. And turns out, its Dhruv this time. Considering the postive impression that Disha has on him, she is ready to go with the flow. 

(And did I mention that Dhruv had a crush on Disha? back in school days? I think you can imagine how happy Dhruv can be with this new alliance!)

Okay..So, Disha and Dhruv are happily married. And Disha is in cloud-nine with all the love that her husband and in-laws are showering on her.

Is this the happy ending which Disha always wanted?  

Why not?

Are there going to be any glitches because of their past mistakes?

Read it to know it!!

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P.S: Though I did not find the story-line super impressive, the writing style is simple and easy to understand. And this book shows that family and friends matter too, to stabilize the person, when they go through major setbacks in life.

So, until next time...

Happy Reading !!

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Source:  Amazon - Kindle Edition

The Girl with No Home

Straight to the story...

Jerusha has been abandoned by her mother at the age of 7. Her mother loved her father a lot and wants to live with him. But he himself is in a place, where she cannot afford to take Jerusha. She loved him a little too much that she decided to give up on Jerusha. And as a result, Jerusha is left with a guardian.

After few years of living here and there, Jerusha meets a man named Dan, a farmer and who is much older than Jerusha. She marries him and is all set to start a new life in a new place and in a new home. A home, which she can claim to be her place. And a home, which she can stay forever with her loving husband.

But life has thrown a new challenge at her. Jerusha is left alone in the same house just after 2 years of marriage. She cannot go anywhere else, because she never had a real home as such. So with no other choice left, Jerusha decided to stay back in the same house to live her life all alone once again !

As said, when there is a zig, there will always be a zag. I mean, if life throws challenges at you, just face it. Because it will also throw some cool stuff sooner or later.

And that is what happened in Jerusha's life too. After few days of being alone, she met a traveller named Joe. He was in search of some temporary work and a home to keep his daughter. 

Can you guess what's in store next ??

Jerusha and Joe fall for each other and gets married in a small ceremony with only few closest friends and neighbours. Their happiness has no bounds when they come to know that Jerusha is pregnant. Everything is so well and everyone are so happy. But here comes another zig. As much as Joe loves Jerusha, he also loves travelling, exploring and just hates settling in one place.

(And did I mention that he is a painter? May be I haven't !!)

Though Jerusha finds it difficult to accept, deep down, she knew that she cannot expect Joe to stick with her all his life. But she never expected that his departure would be this early. That too when she is carrying Joe's child. Nevertheless, Jerusha has no other choice left but to allow Joe to do what he wants to do.

And once again, Jerusha is left all alone. But this time, she has some hope that Joe might return to her. Whether he returns or not, only time and the pages in the book will decide. 

So start reading to find out.....

 - What happened to Jerusha's mother ?

 - Who is the guardian who took care of Jerusha ?

 - What happened to Dan (Jerusha's first husband) ?

- and finally, Will Joe comes back to Jerusha??

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P.S: One of the strange stories that I've read so far. I just found interesting to read the different culture that is showcased. But if you are looking for some fun read, this shouldn't be your pick.

Happy Reading !!

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Source: The Girl With No Home by Shiela Newberry

Hardcopy from 99bookscart.com

The Last Days of Summer

Summer for Kia is Rosewood. 

The traditions, the place, the ambience, the people, everything about Rosewood is so special for her. But why is she avoiding to visit Rosewood since two years? 

Now the time has come, where she no longer can give the same lame excuses to skip visiting Rosewood. Because - Nathaniel, Kia's grandfather and a famous writer, specially invited her to be a part of the grand garden party. Being Nathaniel's favourite grand daughter, how can she miss her own grandparents golden wedding? That too even after receiving a warm invitation from her favourite human being?

So, Kia is set to visit the beautiful Rosewood after 2 long years. The only thing she has to make sure to focus on is, attend the wedding and return immediately before anyone gets to know about her secret.

At Rosewood ----

Being back at home, everything looks the same for Kia. Dressing up for dinners, the cocktail parties, her father's delicious cooking and her grand father's spellbinding stories. But she hasn't expected the cold reception from her grand mother, complete avoidance by her sister and 'I-know-it-all' look from a stranger, Edward (Nathaniel's new assistant).

She realizes how badly she shattered every relationship. Especially with her sister, Ellie. While she is somehow trying to gel-in with the family after so long, there comes an emergency. She has to immediately start working on a project along with Edward.

Now, this project definetely cannot serve as a distraction for her. Because its a DO or DIE situation for her. As important it is to work on this project for Kia, it also comes with many complications involved in it. 

On one side, though her secret might not be out, there is clear scope that she might expose all the other family secrets which might further destroy the existing haphazard relationships of her family. And on the other side, working with Edward is not something that she is comfortable with - considering the fact that he knows more than enough of her secret.

With all these roadblocks involved, will Kia finally take up the prestigious project ? 

If YES, how can she do this to her family? Why is that project so important for her that she is ready to trade her family relations?

If NO, Does this mean, she is trying to save someone or something from being exposed? What help can it do to her or her family?

These last few days of Summer at Rosewood, has changed Kia's life forever. Ofcourse, it changed for good !!

Read it to know it !!

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P.S : It's an interesting plot with many things under one story. You can experience all the familial emotions that you need on a warm summer day.

Happy Reading !!

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Source - The Last Days of Summer by Sophie Pembroke - Hardcopy from 99bookscart.com