Book Review: God is a Gamer

Book Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ruba41fF1Ag

Author: Ravi Subramanian

Publisher: Penguin

Publisher : Penguin Books India


Genre : Thriller

Book Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ruba41fF1Ag

There is something about thrillers. They never fail to catch my attention. “God is a Gamer” was another one of those books that not just caught my attention but retained it till the very last word of the story. Well aware of Ravi Subramanian’s writing style, I knew that was going to be worth the read.  “God is a Gamer” is a racy thriller that trots around the globe and makes it impossible for its readers to put it down.

“God is a Gamer” is a simple and a straightforward thriller that is intelligently woven around bit coins. The story loops around some of the powerful ranks of India and the USA. From FBI to the White House and the President of America all make their presence felt within the plot, making this story one hell of a rollercoaster ride which holds your attention with bated breath. The dots are well connected in this story and one can hardly find any loose threads.

One noteworthy thing about this book was the way it explained about bit coins without making the digital currency look like a dry drab and a boring concept. Each of the 89 chapters spanned a maximum of 2-3pages making it an easy read. The plot spread across 310 pages described all its components of Banking, Gaming, Investigations and inquisition in a delectable manner with a full tilt pace.

The characters in the book are etched well. However, sometimes it feels like a crowded fanfare and becomes a little difficult to keep track of them all at times. Each character has an objective and all of them skirmish to get to their goals. While there is not much detailing done the plot cleverly unfolds making this a gripping story. In all honesty, I couldn’t find any loopholes or loose ends. However, there were times when I wanted to go back and read some parts back before I proceeded reading any further.

Towards the end of the book, the author has done a fantastic job of letting his readers know everything they want to know. While the dots are connected in a conventional manner, the climax still keeps up its abrasive pace. While the author has taken great care to keep the plot from losing its sheen, he has surely paid lesser attention to detailing his characters and the scenarios.

While the killer’s identity can only be guessed, one cannot for sure say who it is. Ravi Subramanian’s thriller is definitely a treat for all those who like thrillers. The book is also edited well, hence making it a neat read. God is a Gamer is definitely one of Ravi Subramanian’s best so far.

Ratings

What’s Hot: A gripping, fast paced story from start to end

What’s Not: Nothing really

Final Verdict: A good read for all those who enjoy thrillers

Rating : 4.5/5

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

Keeping your Tupperware in Good Shape!

 

Pic Credit: http://cmuscm.blogspot.in/2014/01/tupperware-products-that-simplify.html

My earliest memory of Tupperware products goes back to my school days. Those nicely coloured boxes surely looked better than the usual plastic tiffin boxes. While they didn’t have the catchy, flashy stickers on them, they still looked good and most importantly were good enough not to soil my notebooks and textbooks with the spilt stuff from the lunch box.

A lot of families have warmly and happily welcomed Tupperware in their kitchens and their lives. It would not be a wrong thing to say that quite a few of us have grown up with the Tupperware.  These products have not just been user friendly but have been easy to maintain too. 

Here are a few easy tips and tricks to increase the longevity of your Tupperware products.

1. Cooking in the Microwave 

a. Tupperware products are microwave safe and can be used to cook but only in the microwave. These are strictly not meant for use on a stove, grill or the conventional oven. 

b. While cooking make sure to use only wooden or plastic ladles and spoons to avoid scratches.

2. Reheating in the Microwave

a. The reheatable Tupperware products are exclusively meant to re-heat food and not cook.

b. Never reheat food in the microwave with the container covered.

c. Reheating sauces and curries can cause staining on the Tupperware. 

3. Cleaning Tupperware the right way

a. It is mandatory to wash containers and their lids in warm soapy water. This will ensure proper cleaning.  If the container has baked or sticky and oily food cooked in it, it can be soaked in hot soapy water, so that the food particles leave the container and do not leave stains.

b. Persistent stains can be taken care of by using a strong solution of detergent along with a scratch proof cleaner and scrubbing pad.

4. Storing  food in Tupperware

a. Avoid storing hot liquid in the Tupperware containers as it can damage the container. It is always recommended that liquids should be cooled before putting on the lid of the container.

b. While storing ensure that the container is kept upright so that the contents do not spill out. 

5. Storing Tupperware

a. After using and cleaning Tupperware products, cleaning them with a soft towel or a clean tissue and then keeping them in a drawer or shelf is a good practice. 

b. Containers and their lids can be kept separately when not in use. 

These are a few tips that will not just help you use your Tupperware well and effectively.

Book Review: Private India

Title: Private India
Author: Ashwin Sanghi and James Patterson
Publisher: Arrow Books
Genre: Mystery/ Thriller
Pages: 470

The authors and a crime mystery were the reason why I wanted to review this book. After a bout of love stories, a crime mystery was a welcome break. While the plot seemed intriguing and interesting, the thickness of the book made me wonder if I could finish reading it in the stipulated time. While the book was not gripping, it still piqued my curiosity and that’s exactly how I finished reading the book.

The story line talks about Private India, the Indian wing of Private Worldwide, an investigating agency owned and run by Jack Morgan. Santosh Wagh heads the Indian arm of Private India and is a character that keeps talking to himself in his head and needs booze to keep him going. Santosh’s team includes Mubeen, the forensic expert, Nisha Gandhe, the smart lady on board and the tech expert Hari. The other important character in the book is Rupesh, who definitely has an interesting part to keep the story afloat. Apart from these there was a generous sprinkle of other characters named Munna and Nimboo baba, which came across more like clichéd Bollywood characters.  Amidst all these characters is the Attorney General Nalin D’souza who shows off his sophistication and charisma on all the women he meets.

The story kicks off with the murder of a foreign national followed by more murders. The murderer fancies killing women by strangling them with a yellow garrote as he leaves clues in the form of props. The story takes you on a Mumbai darshan all along. Private India takes its job seriously of finding the person responsible for all the mayhem and amidst all this ends up foiling a terror attack.  In short, this was a sub-plot that was stashed along with the main story.  I didn’t really think that was necessary though.

While the main story is woven decently and keeps one guessing, the end felt like a damp squib. The story could have been better, mediocre use of English was another let down. Some extremely Bollywoodish style cheesy lines like "You bastard, what are you thinking? Why are you messing with my head?" was more than annoying.

The narrative was decent, but fell flat at a few points. The Mujahideen angle and the reference to the Criminal tribes seemed unnecessary and for a moment made me lose interest. However, the way the motive of the murderer was disclosed and the connection with the props seemed apt and well written. While the story took great trouble in portraying the issue of transgenders and transsexuals, it didn’t really do justice to it.

With 116 chapters and 460 pages, this book was a concoction of drama, suspense, some generous amounts of history and mythology which in the end made up a thriller which is worth reading once. 

Ratings:

What’s hot:

A powerful starting storyline which then takes its readers across Mumbai as more murders happen.

What’s not:

Two awesome authors co-authoring a book which falls slack at a lot of instances.

Final Verdict:

All in all a book, which will make a good Bollywood thriller.

Rating: 3/5

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

Chasing the Happy Clouds

Hill Top, Belgaum, Karnataka

Panhala, Maharashtra

Masai Plateau, Panhala, Maharashtra

Camp, Belgaum, Karnataka

The Sea and the sky, Goa

Western Ghats, Karnataka-Goa border

Coorg

30,000ft above the ground

Cochin, Kerala

Cherai Beach, Kerala

Review: Emotions Unplugged by Vishal Anand

The past two months for me had been an overdose of sugar coated love stories which had the same lyrics neatly and sometimes not so neatly wrapped in different tunes.  Not a big fan of romantic novels, I had still stepped on reading these books. Now, I wanted a break a big break!

This welcome break came in the form of Vishal Anand’s Emotions Unplugged.  A bunch of short stories neatly strung is what I’d call it. While the stories shed light on some of the common situations of today, it dealt with the same without being overdramatic and loud.

The book has 15 short stories tied delicately with the strings of emotions, each story displaying how emotions rule our lives. While most stories did tug the strings of my heart, others did fall short.  Nevertheless it was a great attempt by Vishal Anand. The soul stirring stories were narrated in a lucid manner which actually enhanced the effect of this light reading.

All in all, the book made for some light reading with every story bringing a neat smile on the face as it ended.  Good effort Vishal!

Ratings:

What’s hot: The description and emotions in some stories are extremely well written and hence add that extra element to the story.

What’s not:  Some stories had loose plots which resulted in loose ends.

Final Verdict: If you want to do some light reading than this is a book that will make you laugh, cry, giggle and smile.