Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach: Book Review

This would be the last book in Nandhini's Book Review Blog for 2014. Quite an inspirational book to end the year with a positive note!

I am talking to you about a book that was first published in 1970, around 45 years ago. There is a stunning significance for mentioning about this old book on this blog, at the close of this year. 

Initially, the author had written four parts within the story. However, at the time of sending the manuscript to the publisher, he withheld the last part considering it unimportant for that time. In 2014, having re-discovered the fourth part from an old box of manuscripts (also a consequence of a nearly fatal plane crash in 2012), author Bach sent to the publishers the 45-year old treasure and thus 2014 found the age old book reissued as Jonathan Livingston Seagull: The Complete Edition that includes a 17-page part four of the story.

If You Were Me and Lived in … Peru by Carole P. Roman: Book Review

If You Were Me and Lived in … Peru  is one among the children's book series by author Carole.  This series intends to educate children about cultures of several countries. The collection is ideal for children of ages four to eight.

At least in the part of the world I live in, very little is known about this South American country Peru (Say Pir-roo). Not sure if my general knowledge was so bad all these years, but I have not heard the name of this city Lima (Say Lee-ma) before. However, the generation of my children would learn early about several countries and cultures around the world. Thanks to author Carole's children's book series! 

If You Were Me and Lived in … Greece by Carole P. Roman: Book Review

If You Were Me and Lived in … Greece  is one among the children's book series by author Carole.  This series intends to educate children about cultures of several countries. The collection is ideal for children of ages four to eight.

Fairy tales, bedtime stories, moral stories - well, your children must have heard enough of all these tales year after year. Why not introduce your little champs to something different and something interesting?! How about telling them how people in the other part of the globe live? Imagine how exciting it would be!

Death & Disappearances by Richard Smiraldi: Book Promo

About the Book

Death and Disappearances is a psychological thriller. Young, rich and promising novelist, Manhattanite, Montgomery Clark, “Mont.” has had one un-successful book, and an interesting marriage to Petula Beaujolais, a Parisian artist he met while attending Columbia University. They’d been married about two years when life as they know it began to unravel. Petula was unhappy because Mont didn’t take her career as an artist seriously. To make matters worse, Mont belongs to that elite class of first American families –to which Petula could not find acceptance. After a heated argument at a club function on Gramercy Park, Petula leaves their apartment at 2am in nothing but her sable coat and a pair of fuzzy pink slippers –never to be seen or heard from again. Did she go back to Paris to visit her twin sister at the asylum (Clarenton)? Where is she? Mont elicits the help of his friends Bea, and Peter. Bea discovers a cancerous lump on her throat and is advised by her psychic root worker to leave the country.

Fury From Hell by Rochelle Campbell: Book Promo

About the Book

Fury From Hell is a paranormal thriller about good vs. evil. Here, the good is in the form of Detective Jennifer Holden, a homocide cop that is haunted by her own personal demons of a murder she committed when she was just a teenager. The trauma she suffered at the hands of social agency after agency hardened Jennifer into a staunch atheist making her gun and her bank account the only things she truly believes in.

We meet Detective Holden, shortly before she begins working on her first solo murder case. The victim is Kyma Barnes who was brutally raped and killed. As Kyma’s soul leaves her body, a demon being called by a coven of dark witches at nearby Prospect Park, is drawn to the dying woman by her death throes.
Fury Abatu offers to avenge Kyma’s death. The price? The dying woman’s soul. Kyma gives it gladly to ensure the man who killed her pays dearly.

Releasing Soon: For a Brighter Bipolar Life by Guinnevere Clarke

About the Book

I wrote this book ´For a Brighter Bipolar Life´ for what I wished I knew from the very beginning of being diagnosed with type 1 bipolar disorder. When I first found out that I had bipolar, I tried to find out as much as I could about this type of mental illness since I knew nothing at all about it.


I wrote this book in the in the way I wanted to know in the beginning of this type journey. A lot of things that I wanted to know, I couldn’t find out anywhere. I just couldn’t seem to find what I was looking for. This book is what I was looking for before. This book is everything that I wanted to know. This is my blueprint now that I didn’t have before. I learned everything I know now from lessons learned along my way with this mental illness.

Seedlings: Fables from the Forest by C D Baker: Book Review

Seedlings is the story of the trees! If we were one among the trees, how would our lives been? Seedlings will take your children to an imaginative life of the trees. Trees eat, drink, sleep and share as much as we do. They interact and make friendship with their fellow trees as well. They age and learn values just like we do.

Author Baker has brought out the essence of life’s greatest virtues in the form of five beautifully written fables from the forest. Each story emphasizes one of these:

Thankfulness Forgiveness Humility Helpfulness Kindness

And each story highlights a Biblical verse!

Order of the Dimensions by Irene Helenowski: Book Review

Order of the Dimensions is a Science fiction plot happening at several cities in the Unites States. The main character, Jane Kremowski, is a research student at the Physics laboratory of Madison State University in Wisconsin. One of their new inventions, the black box, has the ability to transport people to other parallel lives – what the author refers to as Dimensions. The villain character misuses the ability of the black box to attain the highest power in the world. And the plot continues with constant trap – escape struggles with the villian, leading to the expected end.

The concept of time travel was too impressive. Especially, it’s not a kind of travel to another one time. The characters travel to several dimensions every now and then. And in each dimension, their lives are almost similar with a few differences in the life events.

By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept by Paulo Coelho: Book Review

Actually I wasn’t planning to buy another book within a short span but the 15% New year offer in Odyssey was irresistable. Probably a part of destiny’s tricks and magics? You see my third book of Mr.Coelho’s I can’t help writing this way ;) Am already a die-hard fan of his by now.

When two young lovers are reunited, they discover anew the truth of what lies in their hearts.  

This was the description I had read about this book before I had bought it. Well if you are not married yet and in particular still single, no wonder this subject shall allure you. And trust me this is a beautiful love story I’ve ever read!

The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield: Book Review

If you are in a search towards your personal growth, your own evolution, but not sure of where to start from, I suggest you start from a book shop – and get hold of The Celestine Prophecy. It is a fiction about a manuscript which has 9 ancient insights and hidden from public reading due to political reasons. The main character takes on a journey to investigate the manuscript whereabouts in order to prevent it from being destroyed by the bad men. And on his way, he comes across the 9 insights and their detailed understanding by several people at several places. No doubt, along with the hero, the readers too get involved in the insights. And to know exactly what we mean by the insights, one has to read the book.

To give a glimpse of the insights, I mention here 2 of my favourite points from the book.

Veronica Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho: Book Review

In a book discussion forum, I had seen strong recommendations to get a hold of this book. I did not look into the book reviews, just to keep the beans safe before spilling out. And now I’ve already turned the last page of the book and could not but write on the writing of this great writer!!!

I feel Paulo Coelho shouldn’t be included among the other commercial writers of fiction, self-help, psychology and the like. If you’ve read at least one book of his, you would agree with me that not everyone can perceive his messages exactly as how he has projected them. That’s why I guess I hear mixed comments on his books – boring to some, interesting to some, confusing to some, inspiring to some. It actually demands an understanding level in the reader too to see what Mr.Coelho has seen.

Master of the Game by Sidney Sheldon: Book Review

I’ve just put  this book down after turning over its last page. This is the first time  I’ve ever read a Sidney Sheldon and now I partly understand how some people become book-addicts!

Not exaggerating, it feels I’ve just come out of a strange fantasy world of manipulations to reality. Jamie, Margaret, Banda, Kate, David, Tony, Eve, Alexandra, George, John, Peter…….these characters are like known people in my real world now. I marvel  at what a book can do to its readers. And lo, what an author does to his readers!

Jamie - His vigour and sense of righteousnes! Except of what he did to Margaret. His character is all about how a man struggles to lift himself up in the ladder of success after being deceived so badly. I was too sad to have my dinner the day when I went through the pages of his premature death :( May be he should have learnt little of forgiveness.