priyasdiary2020

Author : Gail Meath  Genre : Historical romance Ratings : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Jacqueline is young, relentless and always ready to do anything for her people and country. She inherits countship of Holland at a very young age after her father's death.  Despite the assembly's suggestions and demands for her to get married before she rules, she proved it she is no less than a man by leading her army to victory in the first instant itself.  Renard Borselen, Lord of Metz is a friend of Duke Philip, who holds a grudge on Jacqueline. Renard was impressed with her attitude and her love for the country when they met for the first time. He tries to help and protect her from the plots of Philip.  But Jacqueline can't trust in him blindly as he is from the enemy group. She has to let go of her feelings and become strong for her people. What will Jacqueline do? How long can she take up this fight alone?  It was an absolute delight reading this book. The author's writing skill...

Author : Vartika Upadhyay Genre : Poetry Ratings : ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 I have been reading a lot of poetry books these days and this is one if the finest books I have read so far in terms of poetry. Autumn is when days are shorter and nights (or precisely darkness) are longer. And it's when the leaves changes it's color from green to orange and brown before falling. Just like that even our emotions too changes a lot.  This book is a collection of 36 beautiful poems which speaks a lot about human emotions and the inner conflicts that we face every now and then. It contains poems about falling in love, betrayal, friendship, heartbreak, inner conflicts, self-doubt and so on from her own experiences.  The poems are divided into 3 parts with unique names 1. Kouyou ( leaves changing colors)  2. Rudeneja ( the way nature begins to feel like autumn)  3. Psithurism ( the sound of wind through the trees)  It has both short and lengthy poems each of which is accompanied by ...

Author : Praneeth Chandra Genre : Fiction Ratings : ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 The Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown had a great impact on everyone's lives. It also gave us a chance to spend quality time with our loved ones. But for those who stayed away from their loved ones because of the lockdown it was very heartbreaking and the most difficult time ever.  This is one such sweet love story of two people who are 9000 miles away yet their love bring them together.  Praneeth is an aspiring writer pursuing MBBS. Because of his break up with his girlfriend he became an introvert and keeps himself away from girls.  During lockdown he gets an unexpected message from a girl named Priya, whom he started liking after his breakup. Priya was from his neighbourhood and is pursuing MS in New York. With a initial hesitation they started chatting online and share each other's past which left deep effect on their lives and then it unfolds two puerile stories which makes the readers emotional ...

Author : Dr. Sathya Prakash Genre : Self-help Ratings : ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Mental health should be given equal or more importance than maintaining physical health. Its very crucial for you to attain success and happiness. But in today's world most of the people suffer from various mental disorders like anxiety, depression, sleeping disorders to name a few.  Dr. Satya Prakash, himself being a cognitive behavior therapist explains in his book the methods and benefits of Cognitive behavior therapy and gives us 8 simple tasks that we need to practice in order to manage our mental health.  Cognitive behavior therapy helps a person by changing his or her way of thinking or behaving. It deals with problems by breaking it into simple, manageable steps.  Dr. Satya Prakash gives us 8 such tasks where each task need to be accomplished in not less than a week, that will help people to address issues like anxiety, anger management, problem solving, decision making etc.  This book...

Author : Himanshu Goel Genre : Fiction  Ratings : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Another brilliant flash read by Himanshu Goel.This kindle ebook is just 26 pages which you can finish reading within 15 mins.  Rajiv Arora is a famous painter whose last painting was sold at 2 crore rupees in an auction.  But something is troubling him these days and he is unable to focus on  painting. Shockingly it's been 2 years since his last painting was sold and he has not painted a single thing after that.  Frustrated by his inability to paint he has confined himself to four walls of a farm house near Delhi.  Nobody from his family or friends knows where he is. He tried with great effort to prepare his next masterpiece but all his efforts are in vain.  One day his teacher,  Stanzin who taught him the core basics of painting came to visit him knowing he might need her help.  She took him along with her to Majuli, a river island in Assam to help him come out of his depr...

Author : Prathibha R. D. H Genre : paranormal crime thriller Ratings : ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 It is a paranormal crime fiction. Tia goes into depression after losing her mother and sister Rianna. Even at the presence of her big family and her friends who love her and always support her she feels very lonely.  She meets with an accident and after recovering she starts getting dreams of her mother and sister who always guide her into leading a happy life. Tia suspects her sister's death was not an accident and someone must have killed her. She starts investigating the case which was closed years ago It is very interesting to see how she sloves this mystery and whether or not she is able to solve it.  The author has done quite a lot of research for the book. The twists during the climax was just mind blowing. Last few pages were definitely the interesting part of the book. The pace of the story is really good throughout the book. The characters are very well developed and the narrati...

Author : Ankit Singh Genre : Poetry  Ratings : ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 A beautiful piece of work by a 20 year old. This book is a collection of poems and letters and its the author's debut book. The poems are an emotional roller coaster and every reader can relate to these poems as it feels so real.  In a world where a person is being humiliated or bullied at every point of his life, he/she feels very lonely and have no one to share their feelings and sometimes it leads to depression or something even worse.  If you are heartbroken or bullied by someone or if you ever felt ignored by your loved ones the author through his poems in this book focus on each of the emotions and try to heal your pain and give you na emotional support. This book has poem for every emotion, love, pain, heartbreak, ignorance, failure, mother-daughter relation, acceptance, rejection and much more.The book also has personal letters by the author which the readers could actually relate to.  The main...

Author : Murad Gnere : Short Stories Ratings : ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 This book is a collection of 8 short stories which contains so many different genres like romance, drama, horror, humour,thriller etc.  The title is very apt for the book as the Tea Stalls in India are considered the main gossip point where people talk about various topics like tell tales, anecdotes, neighbourhood ghost stories, share news etc.  Most of the stories in this book contains a horror touch with ghost stories but each chapter is really enjoyable. I liked the story Megha, a forgotten  love story very much. It shows how true love will remain strong even in your miseries and gives you hope for life.  The stories are narrated very well. The author has a knack of telling stories and if you are from a middle class family you can relate to all the stories in this book.  The cover photo and the title is very eye-catching and each story is unique and different. The language used is very simple a...

Author : M. C. Winkkle Genre : Sci-fi Ratings : ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 This story is set in near future where the aliens have invaded the earth and there is war going on between aliens and humans. The US govt is trying everything possible to stop the aliens.  Stella, a 15-year old girl is assumed to be involved with the aliens due to her super powers and is kept in a psychiatric hospital by the CIA for months. She somehow escapes from there and later learns about her true identity and about the relationship between her and aliens.  She realises she has the key to stop the war between aliens and humans but now she has to decide which side to take.  The plot and the pace of the story is really good. I liked the character of Stella. She is a strong headed girl who never gives up her struggle. The narration of the story is easy to grasp and very interesting. The story has romance and suspense and thrill factor which kept me hooked till the end and I actually enjoyed reading it....

Author : Mayur Kalbag Genre : Mythology, Fiction Ratings : ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Rudra who is unconscious on the Himalayas upon waking up finds no one around him. After walking for a while he sees a monk named Guruvarya meditating in a cave, who gives him hints about his past life.  From there begins the spiritual journey of Rudra on finding answers to the question who am I? And he did find his answers when performing a ritual underwater, about his past life and his true identity as Poorna.  After realising his past life, his spiritual awakening and his rebirth he sets out on a adventurous journey to find his Guru, who was waiting for him to return. The story thus follows Poorna's adventures.  It was a very unique read for me. The book is very lengthy but the concept and imagination of the author is beyond appreciation. The title very aptly suits the storyline.  Although it's a lengthy book you never feel bored and the story line, the adventures of Poorna along the way ...

Author : Divya Narain Upadhyaya Genre : Mythology, Fiction Ratings : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 We have all grown up listening to stories from puranas and epics, but in today's busy and modern life not many people are aware of these stories or rather not interested to read it, may be because of the modern lifestyle or due to the volume of these books.  I have always enjoyed reading these stories and it always gives an immense pleasure when you read it again and again and you never feel tired of it. This book gave me a chance to feel that excitement and fun and reminisce those stories again.  Our epics and puranas have a structure of frame tales i.e., story within a story and the author has very cleverly selected such parts of the stories which will keep the readers interested and excited till the end. And also it gives moral lessons to the readers and encourages them to dvelve more into the ocean of puranas and epics.  This book is a collection of 7 mythological shor...

Author : Neil D'Silva Genre : Mythology, Horror, Fiction Ratings : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 It's a story about a girl named Meenakshi, who is blessed with celestial beauty that even Godess could be jealous of and how she turns into Yakshini whenever any man would look at her with lustful eyes.  Meenakshi, a 15 year old, is the seventh girl child of her parents but she has grown more than her elder sisters which bothers her parents very much. Every man in the village and outside looks at her with lust and only at her body. She has a bloodthirsty demon living inside her named Yakshini. When a match came to her elder sister the groom-to-be Harikumar falls in love with Meenakshi. Is it love at first sight? Or is he just another man who has lust for her?  Whenever a man looks at her with evil or lustful eyes she turns into Yakshini and teach them a lesson. As Yakshini takes control of her life, Meenakshi is catapulted into violence and rage which even affects her husband.  But who ...

Author : Aanchal Jhamb Genre : Poetry Ratings : ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 "Abstract emotions" is a debut book by author Aanchal Jhamb which contains beautiful collection of poems in Hindi and English.  The author in her poems expresses the abstract emotions that we feel in our daily lives. It's a reflection of various emotions that we as humans experience.  The poems contains lot of emotions like happy, sad, love, success, failure, heartbreak, fear, women, dream, death, confidence, social barriers etc. Every person can relate to these poems in one or the other way.  Few poems helps us to introspect on how we struggled and what we learnt from it and how we persist in our life. Some poems motivates us and helps us understand the importance of human relationships.  I really loved the way the author has explained the poems and the little illustrations in each page is just cherry on the cake. The language is simple and lucid and even a beginner at poetry can read and...

Author : Cheryl Olsten Genre : Children's picture book Ratings : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 This is a story of a horse named Lafitte De Muze, who never stopped believing in himself.  Lafitte was born on a house farm called Bonneville in Belgium. His only wish was to become a prized show horse and meet the person who can love him and teach him. He loved running through the farm.  But he was shorter compared to his friends, who grew taller with longer legs. He was sad as nobody bought him at the sale just because he was shorter.  It did not affect his confidence for he believed in himself and hence with great determination he started practicing running and jumping at whatever he saw in front him. And gradually he could jump so high that it looked like he was flying along with stars.  On the other side Ella was a beautiful little girl, apple to her parents eyes was sent to her great Aunt Anastasia's house as her parents couldn't afford her education. She always wished to have ...

Author : Himanshu Goel Genre : Poetry Ratings : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Such a beautiful way to express the feeling called Love.  And since Love is an emotion felt by everyone in the universe you can actually relate to these poems especially if you are in love.  52 laws of Love by Himanshu goel is a collection of beautiful and heart soothing poems. It contains 52 short poems all of which are about just one thing , Love.  The poems are divided into three sections each part is about different phase of love and explained with a different and unique approach.  From falling in love, being in love, honeymoon phase, bitterness, betrayal, separation this book has a poem for each season of love.  Every poem is different than the other but each of the poem has only one theme, love and commitment.  Author feels that if there can be laws of universe written in maths then why can't laws of love can be written in poetry. I am impressed with the writing style of t...

Author : Adam Gaffen Genre : Sci-fi / LGBT Ratings : ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 This story is set in not-so-distant future. The United States has been broken up through various events and the main protagonists of the story Cassidy and Kendra navigate their way through the various nation-states that have come to replace it.  During her wedding Aiyana Cassidy called as Cass by her friends was attacked by the pastor . She is on the run with her boyfriend Derek and her best friend. Leaving her boyfriend behind, Cass and Kendra (Ken) go on a quest to stay alive.  Both Cass and Ken are brilliant and intelligent ladies with Ken having secrets of her own. The story revolves around these two characters as they run for their life from place to place trying to find out the mystery of the person who is tying to kill Cass and why.  Will they find out who is behind all this?  Will their friendship survive through this journey?  This is a 3 part series and it has everythin...

Author : Nidhi Kamra Genre : Children's picture book Ratings : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Sammy Jo is a toddler who has a habit of counting sheep in the air, until she drowses off. But this time something's not right. Sammy Jo's imaginery sheep have surrounded her bed and they are 20 in number. But she need only 10 to go to sleep.  The 10 pink striped sheep are accompanied by another 10 polka dotted sheep and overcrowd her bedside. They introduce themselves as her  neighbor Mary's sheep who has abandoned them. They are very upset as they have no where to go. Sammy decides to help them but her brother and parents don't need them as they count different things to go to sleep.  The sheep are creating havoc in her room jumping on her bed, tearing her books. She need to find a solution fast. Then an idea struck her. Sammy very cleverly asks the sheep to stand in pairs so that she can count them by two's and that would make 10 pairs of sheep which is the exact number Sammy n...

Author : Khayaal Patel Genre : Historical fiction/ mythology Ratings : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 This book is a unique and rare combo of history, mythology, suspense, thriller, mystery and fantasy. The story starts with the monkey warrior Valikesh entering Ravan's castle after the war between Ram and Ravan where he finds a gem that unleashes the evil.  Then the story shifts to early British rule where the Britishers want to make everyone as their slaves. Britishers want to conquer the Kingdom of Devangarh in Rajasthan ruled by Raja Ravindra Pratap Chauhan and try to negotiate with the King to maintain peace.  Raja Ravindra did not budge to their offers and decides to fight with the Britishers for the sake of retaining peace and freedom of his kingdom. But his sudden demise forces his son Rudra Pratap Chauhan to take over the responsibility of the Kingdom.  Rudra, suspecting his father's sudden death to be a murder starts investigating and through this he gets to know a lot of s...

Author : Jane H Wood Genre : Adventure / Fantasy Ratings : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 The grey wolves Mira and her mate Joel are awaiting the birth of their new pups, males Tke, Glyth and Kegg and female Skeena. Both Glyth and Kegg have different and unusual ears - which tilt and droop towards their eyes and has golden hairs. Joel was an alpha male who leads the wolf pack.  The wolf family goes through a lot if trouble including the life-threatening weather, illegal hunters and their own wolf pack who expel them when they refuse to allow both Kegg and Glyth to be killed because of their golden ears which they thought was the reason for the failure of spring return of their prey.  When their family is attacked by their own pack, Glyth is injured at his hop joint. Expelled by the pack, the homeless wolf family find themselves in a much dangerous situations and could only move slowly due to injured Glyth.  Edmund Rainer, a 15 year old boy, develops an extraordinary bonding with Keg...

Author : A H Butt Genre : Young Adult Ratings : ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 It repeats is a story of Andrea and Heath. Andrea is an introvert girl facing the bitter quarrel of her parents which leaves her worried all the time. At this point she meets her new neighbour Heath who is also on the same page as Andrea with his parents separation.  Eventually they both become best friends and lovers and Heath's mother and sister are accept Andrea with love. With her parents separation Andrea moves into Heath's house.  Later Heath got selected in an university and asks Andrea to shift with him which she wholeheartedly accepts. But the warning or advice that his mother gave her while leaving and is always on her mind.  While staying together away from their family their relationship starts to fall apart. One day something happened that changed their fate.  What actually happened?  How's their lives going to change after the incident?  The author very clearly shows the ill ef...