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Vishal Shukla

@pseudo.writer_1901

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It always happens when a sale is there on Amazon and I try to apply some more card offers or vouchers to buy new books while the books already on my shelf are kept untouched 😂
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#instagram #fyp #poetry #reels #reelitfeelit taken in Delhi, India by @pseudo.writer_1901

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16 hours ago

Check out the snippets of my latest visit to @oxfordbookstores Gopal Das Bhawan, Connaught Place.

Wonderful place it was ❤️ Though I didn’t buy any books this time 🫠🤧

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novellover] taken in Connaught Place, New Delhi by @pseudo.writer_1901

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20

3 days ago

Description:
The Drowning by Nidhi Upadhyay is a psychological-crime-thriller rooted in beliefs and superstitions. The central plot involves Viji (Vijayalakshmi) who’s accused of k!ll!ng her best friend Neha’s son, in order to revive her dead twin daughters, through black magic. ASP Kanika, the investigating officer is another central character.

Insights:
In a word - Mind blowing! I enjoyed this one. The editing, pacing were great. Timeline shifts were seamless. The story overall was a great go. The spiritual, superstitious take in this one never feels dramatic or something anti-Hinduism. There are various references to the real religious and superstitious practices. Emotional undertones hit well in the second half. But the factor I loved the most was THE SUSPENSE and THE TWIST. And there are two different twists.
1. The Climax -
The suspense keeps you hooked throughout and your guess will turn out wrong at every instance.
2. The Epilogue -
This is the most interesting part of this entire book. And this twist is worth your venture through the chapters.

Personal Opinion:
Now, this is what I felt personally, our thoughts might not coincide. Story’s setup in 2000s, and black magic and superstitions were common notion then, and the treatment of a woman in her husband’s house has been a serious topic over the years. But through the book, it felt OVER SATURATED. Similar scene and setup in almost every chapter was personally unsettling for me. Also, one particular aspect I couldn’t get through, whether it was plot-hole or something… not sure. (No Spoilers)
Moreover, the central character Viji - I found horribly annoying through the first half. Cribbing and whining over almost everything. But in the second half, I was empathetic for the story behind her behaviour.

Recommendation Scale:- 5/5
I recommend you all to give this a try, for the suspense factor works fabulously amazing. And the Epilogue twist is truly unexpected.
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novellover] taken in Delhi, India by @pseudo.writer_1901

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3 days ago

Description:
I Hear You by Nidhi Upadhyay is a psychological-mystery-thriller with a blend of sci-fi, about Mahika conceiving her fourth child after three miscarriages, in order to fulfil her husband Shivam’s crusade to create a perfect baby.

Insights:
In a word - WOW! I absolutely loved this one. The story was not something ‘never read before’. But I definitely loved the idea of plot. The blend of science, psychology and religious symbols is beautifully executed. Narration shifts were seamless. Story was engaging, though I found the pacing slow. The most important aspect that I absolutely loved - EMOTIONS. The struggles Mahika bears to protect her unborn child, and her belief in her father, really welled up my heart. Also, Shivam… Speechless (No Spoilers!)

Personal Opinion:
I felt its vibes similar to ‘Stranger Things’ season 2 and 4. I found the conclusion a bit confusing. The final twist was quite predictable for me. A few aspects of the story had plot holes, or probably I couldn’t decipher them. As mentioned pacing slow, was probably because of editing decisions, as chapters were LENGTHY.

Recommendation Scale:- 5/5
I recommend everyone to give this a try. I honestly loved it and I believe you would love too. taken in Delhi, India by @pseudo.writer_1901

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7 days ago

In the two books that I’ve written, I’ve really wreaked havoc and ripped off my protagonists’ life, whenever they think their life won’t go harsh anymore.

However, this decision has always been deliberately taken, and it has nothing to do with my personal life. 😇

Though I’ve added a few tragic elements from my life. 🤧
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#instagram #fyp #poetry #reels #reelitfeelit taken in Delhi, India by @pseudo.writer_1901

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8 days ago

Last weekend, in fact every weekend in last few years has proven to be jam-packed for explorers from everywhere. That flops your plan expedition right?

But what if you don’t have to step out travel, all of the India, and Bhutan that too on a Royal Enfield?

Here are my three personal favourite travel memoirs, that made me feel alive and travel through whimsical destinations. And you should NOT skip these.

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novellover]

1. One Life To Ride by Ajit Harisinghani

My first book as an avid reader. This one is a no nonsense travel account of Ajit Harisinghani, a speech therapist, who first travels from Pune to Goa, and then Pune to Ladakh on his Royal Enfield Classic 500. He has beautifully encapsulated the riding experience, Indian highways’ conditions in early 2000s, along with his thought provoking encounters across the route, and some subtly hilarious moments.

2. The Living Road by Ajit Harisinghani

Another one by Mr. Harisinghani, but this time Pune to Bhutan on his Classic beastie. It all starts with Bhutan officials stating the reason behind high rankings of Bhutan in the happiness index.
He traverses through Maharashtra, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar to reach Bhutan. Along the way he comes across similar encounters as the previous journey. But this time he helps a young man, that turns out to be unexpectedly chucklesome in future.

3. Don’t Ask Any Old Bloke For Directions by P. G. Tenzing

Guys… This one is just fantastically amazing. I wasn’t ready for the dark humour P.G. Tenzing had invested in. A Sikkim based, Keralam Cadre IAS officer one day revs on his life long dream of travelling whole India on his Thunder Bird. Covering a distance of 25,300km, Tenzing’s journey starts in Kerala (his service cadre), and ends up in a remote village of Nepal.
However, while reading, I discovered he had passed away 16 years ago, after a long fight with cancer.
It really aches my heart whenever I revisit the book and the fact, how lively man he taken in Delhi, India by @pseudo.writer_1901

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9 days ago

What happens when you pick a new author, love their work and jump into their next with high hopes?
Here are some of my such experiences

I’ve shared mine. Do share yours ;)
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novellover]

The maestro of modern classic heartbreaks. I loved ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ and ‘The Kite Runner’ (one of my all time favourites). And I believed him to be my favourite author, and was eager to read ‘And The Mountains Echoed’. But when I finally read… It was disappointing. Unnecessary subplots and multiple POV narration snatched the very soul of Khaled Hosseini’s books, people crave for.

I went to a bookstore to buy ‘The House Without Winows’ and ‘The Pearl That Broke Its Shell’. However, they didn’t have both and I had to settle with ‘When The Moon Is Low’ and ‘Spilled Ink’.
I read ‘When The Moon Is Low’, and absolutely loved it. Though ending was disappointing. But rest of the book was so beautifully written around motherhood and struggles for survival.
But then I read ‘Spilled Ink’ with high hopes. And, it was atrociously dissatisfying. Bland emotions, and victim card justification made it an unbearable read.

I picked Zoulfa Katouh’s ‘As Long As The Lemon Trees Grow’ and I absolutely loved it. The story, the writing, the emotions. Everything top-notch. And I was so excited for her second book, ‘The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue’, that I pre-ordered it. But when I read it, again disappointment.
It was very similar to ‘Spilled Ink’ in terms of core theme, but by the end, it could spark some emotions. Overall average read. taken in Delhi, India by @pseudo.writer_1901

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13 days ago

Description:
That Night by Nidhi Upadhyay is a horror/mystery thriller story of four friends and Ouija game prank that turns grave serious and is buried feet beneath ground, only to be dug out after 20 years.

Insights:
So this mystery-thriller kept me hooked for ‘how it ends’ - paranormal or crime? And this aspect works and moves throughout the story. Pace and storytelling were decent, while narration shifts felt abrupt at some points. Horror and crime elements actually hook you in with a doze of perplexity. Personal storylines’ blending was commendable too.

Personal Opinion:
Now this is something personal, I felt about. The climax or the conclusion was dull and it didn’t work for me. It didn’t spark any emotions. Be it anger, horror, shock…nothing, because I felt the buildup for that conclusion was ambiguous and weak. In a nutshell, my patience didn’t borne sweet fruits at conclusion. Perhaps…I jumped in with too much expectations. One more thing, I personally didn’t find any shock factor, and guessing the culprit was easy, but again the intent and method was unknown.

Recommendation Scale:- 3/5
This was a good one time mystery thriller read with dull ending. But don’t jump in with High hopes.

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novellover] taken in Delhi, India by @pseudo.writer_1901

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14 days ago

Description:
Spilled Ink by Nadia Hashmi is a tender story of Yusuf and Yalda - Afghan siblings in US, struggling against ‘Religious Prejudice’, after a concert by Yusuf.

Insights:
I loved Nadia Hashmi’s previous work - ‘When The Moon Is Low’. Though the ending was disappointing. I dived into ‘Spilled Ink’ with hopes, but it was stupendously dull read for me. Vague storyline and storytelling. Writing was weak, yet crisp. It was emotionally bland. I didn’t feel anything for any characters. Many abrupt chops and cuts would make you feel like “wait! When did that happen?”

Personal Opinion:
I felt it similar to ‘The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue by Zoulfa Katouh’ as it also targets prejudice against Muslims (Islamophobia) and again as an artist and someone from that religion, she has every right to call out the racism against the innocent, because certain number of people do wrong in religion’s name. But it doesn’t fit well in any of the genres. No sense in storyline, no emotions, unnecessary drama and worst of all - ‘the victim card’. If you ever pick it by ‘mistake’, you’ll know why I called it a victim card.

Recommendation Scale:- 0.5/5
Pick it only if you’re a die hard fan of Nadia Hashmi

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novellover] taken in Delhi, India by @pseudo.writer_1901

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23 days ago

Reading while long train journeys is another level of peace 😌

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novellover] taken in Delhi, India by @pseudo.writer_1901

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24 days ago

Description:
Before The Coffee Gets Cold series by Toshikazu Kawaguchi is a fantasy tale of time travel through a cafe - Funiculi Funicula in Tokyo and Donna Donna in Hokkaido (Book 3). It encapsulates various characters travelling through time realm to meet beloved ones and know the future.
You must be seated on a specific chair to travel in time realm which is occupied by a ghost, and you must wait her to go toilet to occupy chair.

Personal Opinion:
The entire series is calm and comforting. It is full of emotions and has exactly what I love - no agenda or narrative push. Just sweet simple storytelling. I love how the author sheds light on the value of people in our lives and regrets we hold when they leave.
But by a point this series feels repetitive. Same things happening to almost everyone. But I loved it thoroughly. Repetitive factor wasn’t an issue for me.
Yet, I believe the author should conclude the series at worthy note and not make a beautiful story series a cash grab scheme.

Recommendation Scale:- ♾️/5
Just pick this series you’ll love it. It’s calm, coziness and emotions will make you feel worth every moment.

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novellover]

Toshikazu Kawaguchi is a Japanese author, playwright and director , best known for his global bestselling debut novel, and it’s series - Before The Coffee Gets Cold.

Book 1 - Before The Coffee Gets Cold

Introduces us to Funicula Funiculi in Tokyo owned by Nagare Tokita and Kei Tokita (wife) alongside waitress Kazu Tokita (Nagare’s cousin). We come across the peculiar rules of time travel for the first the time.

Characters travelling across time:
1. Fumiko travels to past to meet her boyfriend Goro.
2. Kohtake travels to past to meet her ill husband.
3. Yaeko travels back in time to meet her sister. Also, a teenager girl travels from future to present to meet Kei.
4. Kei travels in future to see her daughter.

Insights:
As the introductory to the series, this works perfect. It’s crisp, calm and compellin taken in Delhi, India by @pseudo.writer_1901

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25 days ago

Description:
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie is a murder-mystery thriller with a pinch of psychological twist. Story revolves around Ten people visiting an island named soldier Island, where one death in mysterious circumstances leads to the struggle of survival with fear, accusations and blatant actions.

Insights:
It was my first time in this genre and the author too. I think now - why didn’t I pick it earlier? It was fabulously amazing. The storytelling and the narration were incredibly intriguing. I finished this book in a day (almost) though I found the writing new and a little tough for me. It felt like solving a mystery as detective while having empathy for certain characters. Initially it felt like a supernatural conclusion’s awaiting, but… I loved when Agatha Christie turned the tables near end with a psychological twist.

Personal Opinion:
As I said the book was intriguing and narration was so riveting. Still, I could guess the culprit easily, and my doubt was true by the end. Though I was hooked in for the virtue and approach.

Recommendation Scale:- 5/5
Just hold some patience for the first 20-25 pages and book will not let you leave it.
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novellover] taken in Delhi, India by @pseudo.writer_1901

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a month ago