World of Books and Travel

This post was originally appeared on Author S Smith . You know that friend who’s always pleading harassing asking you to leave them a book review on Amazon? The one whose book you read? Possibly you even got the book for free? Okay, so ME for some of you. This is just a little tutorial/explanation of why it is so important and how to do it. One more encouragement to get you over there, leave the review, and drop the guilt. :) First of all, is one more review really important? YES! Unless the book has over 100 reviews, it’s important. And the author checks every day on occasion to see if there is a new review. And it really makes the author’s day to see a new review (unless it is 2 stars or less and then they feel kind of bummed). I. WHY REVIEWS ARE IMPORTANT 1) When a potential buyer goes to an author’s book’s Amazon page, Read the full post here .

"Wise and Otherwise" is a collection of short stories authored by Sudha Murthy. They were drawn from the real life of people whom she came across in her life. That must be the reason each one is believable and come alive before you as the story unfolds. In addition, the stories are gripping from the beginning, and make you turn the pages to know what happens next. (That is what I felt). Like her other books, this one also has a simple style. Though the stories are simple, they are powerful. Some of the stories make you think and some make you laugh. Though almost all the stories are good, some of them stand out in the crowd like An Old Man's Ageless Wisdom, A lesson in life from a beggar, and Think Positive, be Happy are some of them. The characters won't leave you there after finishing with it, but remain in your mind at least for a few days. Her ability to transform the simple life incidents of human value, which usually go unnoticed,into the eyes of the rea...

Whispering Paths is a new book just out in the online market. It is a collection of poems and 6 short stories, as her debut to the literary world, by Sneha Subramanian Kanta. I’ve just finished reading this amazing book which I got through flipkart, one of the popular online shops in India. I felt that her poems are ripe with meaning and fervor, and will touch your heart and soul. Sneha has experimented with different styles in the poems, as stated in her Preface, but I really enjoyed this style for a change. Some poems are long and some are short, but everything has a distinguished flavor. Like her poems, her short stories are also fascinating and touching, written from the heart. Once you start reading this book it is difficult to put down. All I can say is that Whispering Paths is an amazing book, that everyone would probably like to see in their bookshelf. Those who want to buy this it is available at flipkart, and here is the link. (Sorry, I think at present...

Read the new reviews for The Second Choice, at goodreads.com. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12374346-the-second-choice Also Booksonshelf interviewed me. You can see the featured interview with review here. http://booksonmyshelves.blogspot.in/2012/07/the-second-choice.html Where to buy this book (paperback) and ebook format? Check this link.

“Vanished” by Danielle Steel, one of the most popular authors in the world, is a suspense story. The story takes place in late 1930s. Marielle, a young girl of 18, meets a wealthy young man Charles, during her Grand Europe tour with her parents, and elopes with him. They get married and become proud parents of a little boy, and hoped to lead a happy and wonderful life. But destiny had something else in store for them, and they get separated due to extreme circumstances. Later, at twenty-four, Marielle meets Malcolm, a wealthy business man in New York, who was forty-nine and was not interested in knowing the darker side of her past, in spite of her repeated attempts to tell him. He was admired by all and married Marielle to beget children to inherit his abundance of wealth. For him, Marielle was an attractive, dignified and undemanding wife. As he wished, she gave birth to a cute little boy, and they were very happy in their own way. Being a faithful and devoted wif...

Book Review – The Diary of a Young Girl - By Anne Frank I wanted to read this book for quite some time. Then suddenly my daughter presented me with this book during her recent visit. Once I started reading it I found it difficult to keep it down. This remarkable book is a personal diary of a teenage girl, during her stay with her family in a hidden place in Amsterdam, during World War II. Anne Frank, a Jewish girl from a well to do family, who was merely 13 years old, when her family had to go and live in a secret place with their two teenage daughters, leaving everything behind. The life was filled with anxiety. Along with them, there were four more people, who joined them in the hidden place- Annie’s father’s business partner, his wife and their son Peter, and a dentist. Anne was presented with a diary on her 13th Birthday, which she named Kitty, and wrote everything that came to her mind without any hesitation, as if Kitty was her best trusted friend. Sh...