Book Reviews – Gyann Loaded

IKIGAI: The Japanese Secret to a long and happy Life

Posted on May 8, 2020 by gyannloaded

By Yati Hankar

Authored BY: HECTOR GARCIA and FRANCESC MIRALLES

As intriguing the title sounds and as pretty the book looks, I present you a book you can definitely judge by it’s cover.

During a lazy time like this, following the same eat-sleep routine where purpose of life might seem a little hazy now, here is a Japanese mantra to get you an answer to your never ending “i don’t know what to do with my life” frustration.

This book is based on a Japanese concept of living life that is IKIGAI which means ‘the happiness of always being busy.’ It is made from two Japanese words: ‘IKI’ meaning life and ‘KAI’ meaning the realization of hope and expectation and if simply put ‘a reason to jump out of bed each morning.’

The book comprises pieces about longevity and study of Okinawa island of Japan where maximum centenarians, 24.55 out of every 100, are found. What do they eat, drink, how do they exercise, how do they manage stress, how living in close community and social ties and relationship is having an impact on their well being and longetivity was surveyed.

The good read moments I have shared with this book have felt nothing but self investment. Usually non fiction books are not that interesting for many but this book directs you to find your personal IKIGAI, which means to find something you love, something you’re good at, to manifest something that the world needs.

Once you understand the meaning of IKIGAI, the book tries to explain the art of being young while growing old. Where everything is about finding your meaning of life the book also encourage the idea of being in flow that is to be completely immerse into the experience so that no other stuff can distract you. It definitely does not seems very subtle and easy to find your IKIGAI right away and so their are several tips from the locals of Okinawa about what habits should be encouraged to live a better life.

While concluding the book the author unfolds another Japanese technique called ‘WABI SABI,’ an idea of finding beauty in imperfection, according to this technique Japanese people find imperfection, incomplete and flaws beautiful.

Here flawed is preferred as it resembles to nature. Perceptually, I understood IKIGAI to be a passion which is in everyone, which gives meaning to our life and gives us the inspiration to be our best to the very end of life.

NOTE TO SELF by Connor Franta

Posted on May 8, 2020May 8, 2020 by gyannloaded

By Saakshi Sharma

‘Note to Self’ is a memoir by the YouTube sensation Connor Franta.

Instead of being a black and white word book, it’s full of colored pictures, connecting us with the greater, outer world of the author. It breaks the monotony and adds on to the aesthetic value of the book.

This book revolves around a variety of topics and seems like a little guide for teenagers and young adults. The author tries to make his point by using his own experiences and examples, thus keeping the whole story real instead of using hypothetical examples.

He touches a variety of topics through the book like self love, self acceptance, relationships- both with own self as well as with others. He also deals with some sensitive topics like dealing with depression and body image issues and very subtly reminds us all of the value of kindness.

In a world where everyone is obsessed with perfection and seeks happiness in being accepted in the society, this book teaches us that the only way to attain true happiness is by accepting one’s flaws and being okay with it and being a salad bowl instead of being a soup bowl. At times articles and at other times epiphanies, poems or quotes, this book is a new take on young adult non fiction which is not the norm is modern literature.

Book Reviews

“Your Dreams Are Mine Now”

Posted on April 30, 2020 by gyannloaded

By Srishti Bansal

For all the bibliophiles out there, Today I am going to review a super old book which was published in 2014. I recently ordered this book on Flipkart and after reading it, I thought this book is worth reviewing. The name of the book is “Your Dreams are Mine Now”, this book is a pure love story and is written by one of the most astounding writer Mr Ravinder Singh. He has many crowning achievements like “I too had a love story”, “Can love happen twice” , “Like it happened yesterday” , “Will you still love me?” etc. These are some phenomenal novels, where the characters revolve around the theme, that is Love. The novel Your Dreams are Mine Now is a powerful and poignant love story. It is a beautifully written teenage love story. Its a fictional story which draws insipiration from a real life incident Delhi’s Nirbhaya Rape Case that shook the whole nation to the core. This mishappening was a very inhumane and terrifying incident. Coming back to the story, the main characters of this book are Rupali Sinha and Arjun who recently took admission in Delhi University. They are totally poles apart and have come from totally different families. A scandal on campus brings them together and from here the love story begins. As you move on further the story becomes very depressing and the climax of the story is very heart rending. There are many beautiful parts in the novel like Rupali’s love confession and Arjun’s revert on it by simply yet passionately saying “Your dreams are mine now” which is the title of the book. The ending of the book is the most cruel part , which I feel should not be like this.

Overall the book is nice and worth the read. The language of the book is very explicit and lucid.

This novel got 3.7 rating out of 5 which is pretty good. Anyone who keens to read this book can easily buy it from Flipkart or Amazon.

Atlast I would like to extract one of my favourite qoute from this book :

“When dreams take shape, sleep runs away.”

Book Reviews

Oh Yes I’m Single! And so is my Girlfriend!

Posted on April 29, 2020 by gyannloaded

By Muskan Mehndiratta

About Author: Durjoy Dutta( born February 7, 1987) is an Indian author who writes romance fiction. He graduated from Delhi college of engineering and then went on to do PGDBM in marketing from Management Development Institute. He has co-founded Grapevine India publishers. He is the author of 6 runaway bestselling books. In 2009, he was recognized as a young achiever by the Times of India, he was also chosen as one of the two young achievers in the field of media and communications by whistling Woods International in 2011. In 2012, he was one of the recepients of the Teacher’s Achievement Awards, joining the likes of Ranbir kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Prahlad Kakkar among others. He has also spoken in various TEDx conferences in colleges across India. He was one of the highest selling Indian authors in the year 2011.

So I finished reading a very long story by Durjoy Datta and Neeti Rustagi. The name of the book is “Ohh Yes I am Single .. And so is my Girlfriend”. I have turned into a big fan of this guy after Chetan Bhagat. I am happy that people did justice to him and his book. He writes same kinds of love story every time but he changes the approach of narration which makes it different each time he writes.

OYIAS is about a boy who isn’t good looking in his school days but as soon as he steps out of school, there’s a slight make-over in the looks and it is when the series of girlfriends begins. The story is about how he falls in love with many girls. And he tries to find out which is the real love which he should continue for long and which to dump. At last, he ends with Manika. He has a friend Siddharth whose love stories are no less than his. A break up with Natasha breaks Durjoy’s hope for a good life ahead and he goes into depression. This is when Manika comes back in his life whom he dumped before starting the relationship with Natasha. Now, how Manika came back into his life, how she managed to come to live with Durjoy in spite of having a boyfriend she really loved, how she manages to bring Durjoy out of depression.

Durjoy Datta has amazed me once again. His narration skills are awesome. Very different from all others. He fixes the plot so perfectly that you can never doubt that its a fictional story and you’ll believe that its his true story. About this book, I am still doubtful whether its fiction or its a true story. And if its fiction, then I think I should learn from Durjoy how to connect a fictional story with the real life. I would suggest everyone of you to read all the books from Durjoy. But I have a problem with him. The title of his books has nothing to do with the matter in it. He keeps fancy title to attract youths but the story inside the cover page is totally different from the words inscribed on the Cover page. And this story is seriously very long. He could have made it short. It turns boring at places but still it wins in keeping you stick to it. I rate this book- 3.5/5.

Book Reviews, Reviews

IF I STAY

Posted on April 26, 2020 by gyannloaded

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By- Samyukta Narayanan

This is story about Mia, seventeen year old girl who gets into a car accident with her parents and her 10 year old brother. She survives the crash but is unconscious in the hospital and in critical condition. However, she is able to see and hear everything around her, even her own body.

The story revolves around her making the decision to stay and live or let go and die.
This story by Gayle Forman is told in a serious of flash backs where we get to see that Mia is a normal teenager, living in Oregon, with a bright although conflicted future ahead of her. She is a brilliant cellist with the prospect of going to Julliard, across country in New York, once she graduates.

She has a boyfriend, Adam, with a common passion for music, albeit opposite genres. In fact, if it weren’t for music they probably wouldn’t have got together, Mia starts noticing him stare at her while they practice. Her with cello, him with guitar. Adam’s future is also on the rise but in a very different direction. He is the lead singer/songwriter of a rock band on the verge fame.

If I Stay is a reminder of how short and innately sweet life is, and about how at the end of the day, or at the end of your life, the one thing you are always going to want to hold on to is the cherished memories of the people you love. The people who make life worthwhile.
Also, the writing of If I Stay by Gayle Forman is simply lovely.

Forman takes teenage love, teenage emotions, teenage dreams and writes about them in a way that is accessible to every age, and is still believable. The language is beautiful, the pacing perfect. The novel brings a reader through a vividly emotional description throughout Mia’s coma after the tragic incident of her family. Not only was the plot magnificent and original, the way that Forman captured a teenage girl’s struggles throughout family death and personal conflicts made Mia seem like such a realistic character with such genuine and heartbreaking emotions.

Forman’s diction really leapt off the page and will leave the reader in tears as the story progresses. I had particularly enjoyed the final scene in where Mia makes a concluding decision benefiting to herself, yet the emotional struggle of Adam asking her to stay had anchored Mia and brought her back to the reality.

Ultimately, this was a worthwhile read that kept me intrigued, as Forman’s character struggles really hits home for a teenage girl. I’ll strongly recommend y’all to read this novel.

Book Reviews

“Waiting For The Mahatma” by RK Narayan.

Posted on April 20, 2020April 20, 2020 by gyannloaded

By Muskan Mehndiratta

RK Narayan is best known for his work based on the quaint South Indian town of Malgudi. His novel, “Waiting for the Mahatma” which involve various types of people from a fictitious town called Malgudi, are a delight to read. “Waiting for the Mahatma” is another realistic novel set during the freedom struggle days. I was surprised by noting RK Narayan handling a romance genre in his novel. However after reading this novel, I am amazed how well he brings out the emotions in romance as well. This novel is a stunning representation of freedom struggle movement and its impact on the lives of numerous Indian people.
The novel is about a boy of age around twenty called Sriram. He lives with his grandmother in Malgudi. Sriram tries to explore the outside world himself to figure out what interests him the most. He is drawn towards a beautiful and patriotic girl called Bharati in a local festival. He tries to woo her and comes to know that she is working under Mahatma Gandhi for the freedom struggle. He somehow manages to sneak into the freedom struggle movement even though he has no clue initially what it is for. The story unfolds as the experience of a conservative guy entering social life and his romance with a bold and beautiful girl.

Sriram deserts his old grandmother and travels across different villages of rural India along with Bharati to spread the message of the Mahatma. His encounters with different set of people like the shopkeeper who sells foreign imported biscuits is amusing. Sriram comes in contact with a terrorist called Jagdish and the consequences of his associations with him have been realistically portrayed. At some point of time both Sriram and Bharati are destined to be shut in jail indefinitely. Whether Sriram could get the acceptance of Bharati to marry her and whether Mahatma approved their marriage are interestingly narrated.

The best aspect of this novel is the capture of the simplicity of the India and its citizen prior to gaining independence. The ongoing freedom struggle which alters the lives of different people like Sriram makes one feel about the numerous citizens who were forced to abandon their families for their country. The comedy of errors associated with the death of grandmother are thoroughly enjoyable. The novel also provides an insight into the minds of cunning people like Jagdish who manipulate and drag others into their troublesome ways. Having Mahatma and Netaji as characters in the story adds credibility to the story.

Though the backdrop of the story is freedom struggle, R K Narayan makes it relatively light through his impeccable narrative style. The caring grandmother and the shopkeeper Kanni are characters one can easily find in Indian villages even today. I enjoyed the novel as much as any other novel of R K Narayan. The manner in which he brings out the subtle emotions associated with romance is brilliant. I doubt whether any of the present Indian writers have the capacity to match Narayan. This novel is a must read for anyone who wants to delve into the lives of Indian citizen before independence.

Book Reviews

Everything is fu*ked: A book of HOPE by Mark Manson

Posted on April 11, 2020April 11, 2020 by gyannloaded

By Padma Dolma

New York times and International best selling author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fu*k, Mark Manson.

Title: Everything is Fu*ked. Author: Mark Manson published: 14 May 2019. Genre: Self help book. Publisher : Harper One

The hope is described as Nihilism in the book he writes that telling yourself important is a lie. Acknowledging and appreciating our existence must create the hope.

“Hope cares only about the problems that still need to be solved. Because the better the world gets, the more we have to lose. And the more we have to lose, the less we feel we have the hope for.”

To create hope in our self the either thinks we must have these three things

Sense of control (feeling like we’re in control of our lives)
Belief in the value of something (something worth striving for)
Community (being part of a community valuing what we also value)

Without these three Mark writes that to understand why we are suffering through such crisis of hope today, we need to understand the mechanics of hope, how to generate it and how to maintain it.

Than comes the ‘Sense of Control’, the author writes that the self control is an illusion.The war between the two brains, you must be thinking brain fight means IQ tests, but in the book Everything is fu*ked tells us the research of many physiologist, scientists on the behaviour of our brain. He describes the two brains ,feeling and thinking brain must act together to make the person as living as possible if either one is shut down the other one would overwhelmed the human actions and can isolate him from the rest of the world and he’d loss the importance of others presence in his life.

Our values the second necessary thing to generate hope. Author describes the values with the example of Issac Newton being a social freak and an absentminded kid who had stayed his entire life searching answers for his curiosities and never once understood the importance of being surrounded by loved ones he died as a loner and his discoveries remain hidden to the world, collecting dust.

The third necessary thing community. He has explained this necessity in the fourth chapter of the book where he writes about religion as a leverage to people who think they had failed their lives and living their lives wrongly without making their dreams come true. He writes that God’s value slowly shifts and becomes the preservation of the religion itself: not to lose what it has gained. And there the corruption starts. To maintain the status the people toss aside the movement, the revolution and the values that defined the religion, that becomes organizational level narcissism. He believes that the only thing that can ever truly destroy a dream is to have it come true.

He writes about Nietzsche who believes both beliefs of ardent nationalists and anti – Semites to be stupid and offensive and he strictly believed in the value of a person’s deeds, nothing else no system, no race, no nationality.

The book mostly talks about the hope being generated automatically by our feeling brain but making it look like that we think it’s the only support system to live your life but that’s a lie you tell yourself. Also tells the unbreakable desire of human being to be more happy to be more lively, all we need is to have inner peace and he tried to analyse this desire by giving examples.

This is a philosophical book to every reasons that has crushed your hopes and dreams and believes.

Book Reviews, Reviews

The Diary Of a Young Girl

Posted on April 3, 2020April 3, 2020 by gyannloaded

By Simran Kaur

Image Courtesy : Amazon.com

This book named, The Diary of a Young Girl is also known as , The Diary of Anne Frank . This is book is all about the diary of Anne Frank. This book is written by her on her own life as hiding from 1942 to 1944 during the German occupation of the Netherlands in World War 11. Anne Frank was a German born Dutch- Jewish diarist and the thing is this book is one of the World’s best known book.

During World War II, a girl (Jewish) named Anne Frank and her family were forced to hide in the Nazi occupied Netherlands. There was a shopkeeper there in Netherlands named Kraler. The shopkeeper hides two jewish families in his attics. Anne Frank had a habit of keeping a diary with her, about the everyday life of their family in Nazi’s Netherlands and the threat of Nazi’s as well.

This book is also written in Dutch language, not just dutch again this book is translated into 70 languages.More than 30 million of her diary has been sold and about in 60 countries this book has been published.

The Diary was retrieved by Miep Gies and he gave it to Anne’s father, as he was the only survivor after the war was over.

The important characters in the book were,
Anne Frank – a thirteen year old girl , and received a diary which would change the world. Mr. Frank – a man who will do anything to keep his family safe.
Mrs Frank – Wife of Mr. Frank.
Margot – Anne’s older sister.
Peter – son of Van Daan’s .
Mrs. Van Daan – Wife of Van Daan .
Mr. Van Daan – He helped Frank in hiding .
Mr. Dussel – a dentist.

If I talk about myself, I liked the character of Anne the most in the book , as she had a lot of courage.One can see her astonishing bravery. Her behaviour, the way she made it feel happy sometimes is just amazing .
Anne Frank’s writing style was easy to read. Her way of writing is basically proffessional and journalistic too. Her tone in the book feels like anger, irony and humor . Her writing style at the age of 13 was liked throughout the world after the war when she died.

People who love mysteries, people who has an interest in reading historical things related to war. It also contains some sad portions also, it’s heart- touching beautifully written book . I recommend everybody to read this book as it doesn’t contain any fictious story it’s truly based story.

Book Reviews, Reviews

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

Posted on April 2, 2020April 2, 2020 by gyannloaded

By Rahul Baghel

Recently, I’ve Finished reading a book titled ‘Then She Was Gone’ by Lisa Jewell.

The Book was nominated for the Best Mystery and Thriller novel at the Goodread’s yearly choice awards. Lisa Jewell was born in london in 1968. she started her First novel, Ralph’s party foe a bet in 1996. she finished it in 1997 and it was published by penguin books in May 1998. It went on to become the best selling debut novel of that year. she has since written further nine novel as is currently at work on her tenth.

The story is about a Missing girl called Ellie. We don’t learn much about her, the plot rather resolves around the cause of her missing and the effect it left on her environment. Lisa Jewell is an experienced writer and she knows how to tell an attention, grabbing story but I Must admit that the plot is quite predictable and wasn’t sure whether that was author intention or not. However, predictability didn’t repel me from the book, which is quite unusual. I simple wanted to see what happens next and if it could it any crazier and it gets.

Important characters in Book ‘Then she Was Gone’ – Laurel Mack, Ellie Mack, Paul Mack, Hanna Mack, Floyd Dunn, Poppy Dun, Sara-Jude Virtue, Noelle Donelly.

Much of the story resolves around grief, denial and hope mostly told from the POV of Ellie’s Mother, Laurel. We get to see the Manipulative and Exploitative side of human nature who are willing to do anything for personal gain, crushing everything and everyone who are standing on their own ways. In the game, nobody actually wins and the reckless, selfish, manipulative behavior effects more people than we can think of.

Although the story was built on some rather unbelievable set of events, with a lot of obvious patches for plot holes, which are not quite well explained. In this Novel, no blood, no violence, yet the reveal exposes how cheap human life is to some people but that doesn’t put you of or stop you from reading until the very last page. After all, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading mysteries, but be prepared to reveal a lot of information by yourself. The Ending was both satisfying and touching.