Bangalore Calling - Brinda S. Narayan

                                                      

After a long time, I have come across a simple yet unique book from an Indian author that doesn’t talk about IIT’s or IIM's .It is unique in the way how 15 different stories has been created with a common backdrop-Callus, A call centre which attracts youngster with minimal qualification to meet their aspiration of quick money. Interesting part is that the book touches every possible character that a call centre can have from driver, agents, admin, housekeeping trainer to CEO .People working in Call centre will totally relate to

the story and people like us working for IT will relate to the system. It depicts how complex it is to adapt a different culture without loosing your own in a country like India where people come from different part with varied mother tongue, How to live a false identity as a call centre employee, How difficult it is to be polite with impolite customers, what it takes to train people for adapting such culture. How difficult it is to deal with the competition that comes because of similar kind of business running around. There is no wrongs and rights in the story it’s just the situation and different people in different kind of situation.

The beauty of the writing is though the characters are related the backdrop is same still you get to read 15 different stories which are interconnected yet different. The writing is simple and crisp yet well researched so as to match the business to the core .The book manages to keep us engaged Reader will never get bored saying same old story .It is a worthy read to get a feel of corporate culture and what it takes to be a part of it.

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Zoya Factor

"Zoya factor " a novel by Anuja Chauhan, is definitely a candidature for a a Bollywood masala movie and so it has been  been nailed down bynone other than Sharukh's Red Chillies . Spicy,sweet,enjoyable novel .Though at some places I must admit I skipped the match description :-P .Zoya is a young girl in the field of advertisement wherein her job takes her to meet the Indian cricket team. The common link between Zoya and cricket is that zoya was born on the same day when India had won the world cup.Going with the logic that every 3 minutes a child is born there will be many like Zoya born on that day .Viola! Zoya was born at exact precise moment when the last wicket was grounded off and victory had fallen in our lap. Don’t try to find any logic because there is none There is just superstition called as Zoya factor. Zoya's destiny brings her to the breakfast table of Indian cricket team before a match where she mentions that a year back they had a similar breakfast where the team had won the match.So ,Team never looses a match when Zoya shares the breakfast table and to top it all the person whom she kisses turns out to be man of the match ;-)

So from there starts the luck aka Zoya factor and Zoya is officially tied by cricket board to have breakfast with Indian team so as to help them win the world cup. During all this Zoya developes special feeling for the

Captain of Indian team Nikhil Khoda. He has been portrayed as a real tall dark handsome hero. Actually Dhoni to the core from brown toffee skin to boost add . Narration of Nikhil khoda's character is quite good for any female reader to fall for him. Among this love hate relation ship between zoya and nikhil. There are few characters which we can easily relate to our Indian cricket team heros .

will India will win the world cup or will Nikhil use zoya for winning the cup or Zoya factor will end just on the D-Day .Grab the book for answers to all this questions.Overall its a nice masala movie.A little overly priced.

Overall this books give you a peek to Glamour in advertising,Politics in cricket,Love hate relationship and cricket feaver in this country .

Its a good and recommended read .

I will rate it at 3.5/5 .

                                                                                

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Bad Behaviuor by Sheila O'Flanagan

                                                              

This is my first novel of Sheila O'Flanagan and I am happy to say that it did not disappoint me. It has a good story line that can be adapted for a masala movie. The best part was novel has been narrated in a very lucid manner. Incidents being described can be very well be related to our usual lives .How ambitions can get in the way of our life. How we mess up with our present life by clinging to the past.

Two best of friends Darcy and Nieve who have grown up together and share every moment of their life together .Both have a very contrasting character. Darcy is very good with numbers and since childhood she has maintained a low key profile so that her friend Nieve could get ahead easily .But she never thought that Nieve will sweep away her boy friend Aiden as well .Men will be Men if they have more than one option they will try to evaluate them against each other.Otherwsie what could be the reason that Aiden in spite of carrying a ring for Darcy did not give her the ring and finally jilted Darcy for Nieve.Their friendship falls apart and then they don’t talk for ten years. Both get into financial firm with a lot of aspirations. So what happens to Darcy? Does she find a new man? Will she be able to forget Aiden after all first love is hard to forget? In these 10 years they are un aware of happenings in each others life

and all of a sudden Darcy receives a marriage invitation from Nieve and Aiden. Why didn’t they get married for so long Will she go ?Will finally Aiden marry Nieve? Nieve has planned a big fat wedding for which she is banking on her stock optionsso will it turn out to be a good decision to bank on stock market which go from Bull to Bear any time. To get what is there in Darcy's and Nieve's life go grab this book. It is worth enjoying.

Rating : 4/5

Coming up next is   Palace of illusion by Chitra Banarjee Devakuruni,Above Average by Amithabha Bagchi and Battle for Bittora by Anuja Chauhan,Socialite evenings by Shobhaa De ...untill then Good Bye and take care!!

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Book Review -A Place Called Here -Cecelia Ahern

I always had a desire to start reading books and would normally envy every one who could pursue this habbit.Lately, have staretd reading books and so thought of posting reviews .I hope that I will be get better by time in posting reviews since this is just the start.

From the summary at back of the book I could infer that it would be some detective story which will unfold into an unpredictable ending.Somehow the ending did not meet my expectations. .Sandy Short is a girl who has just one goal in life i.e. to find  anything to every thing .I could relate to Sandy in one aspect ,since childhood I have also been very desperate in finding things if they get lost eihter it be socks ,pencils ,tooth brush to  school diary .I am unable to rest peacefully untill I do not trace the  missing things.Fortunately, I am not  haunted by this habbit  and so did not end up in starting a missing person agency as Sandy did .It all started with Sandy when her class mate Jenny-May Butler vanished.As a part of her professional assignment she gets in touch with Jack Ruttle  to find his missing brother Donal .When Sandy did not turn up for a scheduled meeting with Jack ,he desperately starts searching  for Sandy .To his surprise no body belieives him that Sandy has gone missing since this has been her usual behaviour   .Where did Sandy go ? What is the place like ?Could she find Jenny-May? Could Jack find Donal?How did Sandy get back home ? Answers to all this question lies in the book . The writing style of the author is good and simple for understanding but the story did not appeal to me a lot becuase of its predictable ending .The imagination is very good .The start of the story is good but in between the content could not keep me glued and inquisitive .I could very well predict the ending .For me it was an average read. I will rate it as 2.5/5 .


Next in queue is Review for Bad Behaviour By Sheila O'Flanagan

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