God is a Gamer!

When Blogadda sent me this book for review, I had very high expectations. I have heard a lot of rave reviews about his books. I expected nothing less from his current novel. As I started reading this book, I was convinced that the book would live up to my expectations.
Touted as the world’s first bitcoin thriller, Ravi Subramanian’s novel God is a gamer is woven around the lives of a few politicians,bankers,crooks, gamers with ‘Bitcoin’ and an anonymous online market place for shady deals called cotton trail playing a crucial role in the story. The plot moves from Washington's congress to Delhi's finance ministry, the beaches of Goa to the corporate boardrooms of Mumbai.
Unlike his previous books, banking does not play a major role in this book, instead the book is high on online gaming on facebook and “Bitcoin” which is touted as the currency of the future. It is very clear from the book that the author has done extensive research on facebook games/online games, bitcoins etc.,After reading the book, many gamers will understand why they are stuck at a particular level in certain online games. I had never known so much went behind a gaming console.
There are so many twists and turns thrown along with many emotions like romance, revenge, greed that the pages turn by themselves. As one reads the book,the investigator in you comes to many conclusions only to be proven wrong in the climax. Another plus in the book is the narration divided into many small chapters and most of them end in cliffhangers which maintains the suspense and whets the appetite of the reader. Setting some small differences apart, this is a really good read and I recommend this to anyone who loves thriller!
This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books.

Signing Off,
Nirvaan

A pleasant visit!

It was probably one of the best starts to the day; a few hours spent with some great kids residing in the outskirts of the city. The first thought when I reached there was 'Not bad!' Not at all bad for what is supposed to be an NGO for 68 AIDS affected kids. To be frank, I never expected it to be such a well maintained place and with so many nice people to take care of these children. The kids dressed in bright yellow School uniforms and with a smile on their face were all so disciplined, it would put even the students from the bestest of the private schools to shame! (not exaggerating) 

At this point when I go back and think about them, surprisingly I don't feel sorry for them. In fact, when I think of my visit to them, my mind takes me to a world where there are thousands or maybe lakhs of Sushmitas and Karans starving and maybe just waiting for death to come to them, or maybe something even worse, something I cannot even think of! In fact these 68 are the very few lucky ones who have the privilege and opportunity to live a normal life, study in normal schools, watch movies, have proper nutrition throughout the day and maybe, a chance to stand on their own feet someday!

Not that that they were living a luxurious life and the caretakers were having no troubles meeting the expenses but then they were definitely not deprived of the essentials. They loved to dance and sing, celebrated their birthdays by cutting cakes, had computers to work on, watch movies, had a small playground for themselves, soft toys and moreover they had plenty of empathetic visitors who really wanted to help these kids and make their lives better. 

Surprisingly, some of these kids didn't even know the deadly disease they have received in legacy, and those who knew, probably didn't know how fatal it was, or maybe they had just learnt to deal with it.

Usually such visits are bound to take you to a state of despair and sadness, but for me it was more pleasing and reassuring and more about restoration of faith in humanity.

P.S.: For those who want to help these kids, please visit this. Desire Society. 

Signing Off,

Nirvaan

Book Review - Private India

Private India written by James Patterson and Ashwin Sanghi is the eighth book of the private series. But the best part is to read through this book you need not go through the previous ones. This book has nothing to do with the previous one. However, there is a prequel to this book, but then, even that book is not going to affect your reading in any way.The book will really be liked by those who love reading mystery novels and this one is really good. It can easily be converted into a motion picture soon. I pictured it in my mind as a movie only with so much of detail around everything. This is certainly a masterpiece by Ashwin Sanghi and a lot of research has been put by the writer into the crime world and ideas to do the crime & leaving small clues behind.Women are being killed in different parts of Mumbai and what make the murders more mysterious are the different props which are placed near the dead body. Apart from these props there is nothing left behind by the killer, not even a slightest clue to unveil his identity and then to crack the case, steps in Private India led by Santosh wagh, who himself is troubled by a haunting past. The biggest task in their hand was to find the meaning behind the random props and to find the pattern of murders. Busy with the ruthless murderer the member of Private India fails to see the dishonest one among them, who along with Indian mujahideen is planning to give a fatal blow to Mumbai.The story line is intriguing and racy. As a reader even I was forced to think about the common links between the murders. The character of Santosh wagh, the leader of Private India was mighty good. He was just a man with a brave heart and intelligent mind not a super detective or a hero. He was haunted by his past which came as a big shock as the story progressed. Nisha’s character was sharp and clever. She knew how to get her work done. At times her character was on a bitchy side. She was one of the most prominent characters of the book. Hari, the tech-sevy member was bang on. His character was very intriguing and was very integral part of the story. Every member of Private India was properly used and they all had their share of limelight. The character of Rupesh and Munna were also very good and impactful.There is nothing wrong with the book but if you read it critically then you may find that in the concluding part of the book some more explanation were required. No wonder because James Patterson is always in a hurry to finish one book and start the new one and then to finish it as soon as possible.The authors have yet again managed to pen down a novel which will force the reader to turn pages one after another or should I better say “The pages turns themselves.”The characters in the novel are slowly revealed and as what happens in murder mysteries, we think of everyone as a suspect. This novel arouses that kind of emotions in your mind and heart and instantly connects with it's readers to solve the crime themselves. I don't want to reveal the thing as it would be injustice to all the readers and lovers of the book. But it's definitely worth your time and money.
This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!Signing Off,Nirvaan

Modi to appear on Taarak Mehta, Kejriwal claims Vote bank politics

This article was published on Faking News 2.0.

Yes, I can.

Varanasi: In a bid to campaign for the upcoming elections, Narendra Modi has decided to make an appearance on the popular show ‘Taarak Mehta ka Oolta Chashma’ on Sab TV.

AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal in an interview with a leading news channel slammed Modi’s decision to appear on a show where the main protagonist is a Gujarati.

He was quoted saying, “Aapne wo programme dekha hai? Maine dekha hai, main IT officer reh chukka hu, pura chittha hai mere paas in show waalon ka, kaha se aata hai in k paas paisa show chalane ka? 1-1 episode k itne paise dete hai actors ko, jitney me mere Govt. wale flat ka rent ho jaye. Ye sab BJP waale bik gaye hai, upar se us episode me Modi sirf Jethalal k ghar kyu jaate hai? Humare musalmaan bhai aur sikh bhai bhi hai us show me, unk ghar kyu nahi?, Ye sab communal forces hai, desh ko….”

He was intervened by Punya Prasoon Bajpai in the midst, who was heard saying “bahut krantikaari ho jaega”.

Modi took a jibe and retorted in his usual lyrical intonation during his rally in Varanasi “Ye to janta ka pyaar hai humare liye, Shehzaade aur AK49 nahi samajh payenge, janta har samay humse jude rehna chahte hai, isiliye to hum in shows me ja rahe hai”.

Insider sources reveal that Modi is supposed to appear on shows like Khatron k Khiladi, CID among others. He will ride a lion in the ‘Khatron k khiladi’ episode which will be shot in Uttar Pradesh.

Sources reveal that The UPA team is also leaving no stone unturned and Rahul Gandhi is again making his agenda clear by making appearances in shows like Balika Vadhu, Pavitra Rishta, Uttaran and MTV Roadies, which clearly champion the cause of Women and Youth Empowerment. He will also make appearances in Beintehaa and Qubool Hai, however this decision did not go down well with the Samajwadi Party who asserted that this was clearly to woo the Muslim votebank and strengthen their secular image.

Meanwhile AAP leader Kejriwal, along with Ashutosh and Kumar Vishwas is trying to make an appearance in “Comedy Nights with Kapil” because it is the only show where he can be among the people and talk directly to them, however the producer of the show are not too keen to have him on the show. Party sources reveal that Ashutosh and Kumar Vishwas were planning to launch their own show “Comedy days with Kumar and Ashutosh”. With the parties like AAP and Congress copying BJP’s idea Meenakshi Lekhi quipped they are “Nakalchi Bandar”.

Sources close to BJP confirm that they are launching a daily 1 hour show by Narendra Modi on ‘Aastha’ and ‘Sanskaar’ channel from morning 9AM-10AM, which would be hosted by Ramdev Baba. It is likely to go on-air from next week, disclosed an aide.

Signing Off, 

Nirvaan

No Man's Land!

No Man's Land is a tale which might not be racy but nevertheless engrossing. So engrossing even John Abraham recommends it. In his words "This book has all the makings of a page-turner: an interesting setting, strongly-etched characters, thought-provoking writing, and a very compelling storyline". The IIM grad author definitely makes his Alma-mater proud with this fine work.

It progressively involves you in the story. What stands out in this tale is that this is a tale of common people like you and me, having all the shades. There’s no good guy or a bad guy. Each guy has different shades.

In the fast evolving civilization we live in, some generations have to go through sudden shifts because of unforeseen circumstances urbanization poses right on their face. Needless to say, one such swing has transformed a cluster of farmlands, 'Gurgaon', into a greedily sought after gold mine.

“No man’s land” has set the plot on this reality a generation is living through, and has successfully brought alive every character with the true shades of both good and bad, as they are bound to react to the real situations.

The story is spun around five main characters. Ramdev, a simple man with humble origins, who makes his living by selling paints. His son Agastya happens to nurture an extra-marital affair with his neighbour’s daughter ‘Sailja’, eight years older to him. And still he does not hesitate to marry him off to Shubhangi. As if these turmoils are not enough to complicate their lives, the third generation is introduced, ‘Pranay’ and ‘Karan’, the step-brothers.

If you are wondering, what is the land business, yes, the strong plot is driven over a dispute over a 50-acre land that Ramdev had purchased when it was hardly any penny’s worth. The way the protagonists are bring forth their real inside, you would be left biting teeth, as in – Could have I afford to act any different?

At occasions, it is very apparent that the novel has drawn inspiration from the epic “Mahabharata”. The characterization is so strong that you deep inside you will jump with joy and drown in sorrow, as everything falls into a ‘can be you and me’ situation. Ensnared in the drama, but when it’s about the climax, I wish it were kept the same materialistically real.

Nevertheless, the book is worth a dive. See if you can confront the shades of black in you, which even you might be hiding from yourself.

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

Signing Off
Nirvaan

E-books vs. print books!

This is a Guest Blog by Aisha Gupta.

What happened in the last two years is that e-books have incredibly (or maybe not) outsold print books, starting an actual revolution for what concerns the publishing industry and reading traditions. The popularity of e-books keeps growing and so does

Image courtesy of adamr / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

the number of sold e-readers.

The reasons why e-books sold more than traditional books are many: first of all,  their weight, which is basically null due to the fact that hundreds of e-books are contained in a single, incredibly light e-book reader or tablet. But also their price, which can be in some cases considerably lower. You can find  e-books for a really low price, many discounts or free downloads on sites like this one. But of course, you can spare some money even if you still prefer print books by buying second hand books. And you don't have to go to markets or books store, since you can find them even on the Internet (here an example of an Indian website with free classifieds). Also, font flexibility allows readers to enlarge what they’re reading, making it easier and more relaxing for the eye, besides choosing the font that stresses the eye less. Last but not least, from an ecological point of view, they save trees, reducing the amount of paper, even though they certainly use more energy to be produced.

But of course, they don’t come without cons. For obvious reasons, you have to charge them and they can run out of battery, where a book doesn’t have this problem, of course. Also, unlike paper, some screens are not that easy to read from and, in general, e-reading stresses the eyes more than a traditional reading.

Moreover, last but not least, there is a whole pro and cons list dedicated to the experience that an e-book can (not) offer in comparison with a traditional book. First of all, books come with a material presence, which can be felt underneath your fingertips, by flicking pages and so on. Also, you can truly own a book and you can land it, allowing you to build relations with people and to feel like the true owner of that copy, which can be charged with spiritual and emotional value, like every other object.

Love at first sight!

First day at job: A mixed bag of feelings excited, nervous with an instilled sense of pride, and very rightly so! After all Hari was the first guy from his district to join such a reputed firm. Having done his graduation from Gangadhar Institute of Technology, he landed up a job in Infosys along with 261 of his batch mates. He was posted in the Mysore campus for training and was spellbound by the kind of amenities available to them. He was slowly getting used to the corporate culture and gradually started trying to mix up with those coming from urban background, who however did not consider him as one of them. He successfully completed his training and in those three months he added about 700 friends on facebook and had changed his display pic about twenty times, if not more! (Well, we all know how addictive these social networking sites can be, so let's not blame poor Hari! Not to mention, he personally knew just about 50 of them) Anyways, he was finally in the city of dreams, Mumbai and unfortunately none of his friends were in his project or in his campus. Initial days were pretty relaxed which gave him time to roam about, explore the campus and check out the lasses in the adjoining BPO. Before he realized he started seeing (literally) a girl on a regular basis. He adjusted his breaks according to her and even started noticing her entry and exit times, and would even follow her up sometimes. Somehow he wasn't able to know the name of that lady and knowing how fickle the testosterone levels can be, he resorted to his new found passion, Facebook! He searched the BPO employees, checked out their friend list but to no avail. What he did after this was a bold step considering his background, but then that justified his action as well. He had heard of this confession pages from his room mate, a Delhi lad who was also his confidant, convinced him that he must resort to posting on that BPO's confession page and if she takes note she will certainly revert. Mustering all the courage he had to do the most adventurous thing in his life he opened the Confession page and posted.
"Does anyone know this girl who was wearing yellow top yesterday and and orange one day before. She's very fair, put's on eyeliner everyday, has cute dimples and is the cutest girl in the campus. She was wearing black jeans and usually ties her hair. I really wanna be friend with you. If you are reading please send me a frnd request and I shall accept it :)or if anybody else knows then plz let me know." (sic)
Feeling like a gladiator he went to sleep and hoped for a friend request as soon as would login next. However what he saw the next morning was just a comment and innumerable lol's!

Comment: Here is the girl. she works for Jabong.com:)

P.S: True Story!(with a tinge of masala)
Signing off
Nirvaan