25 Strokes of Kindness Review: Pros, cons and Ratings

Source: Google Images

Book: 25 strokes of kindness

Genre: Fiction (anthology)

Authors: Several

Publisher: Grapevine India

Pages: 247

Price: Rs 125 (excluding discount)

Story 1

Title: Ouroboros

Author: Nanya Srivastava

Pros: Unpredictable story, satisfying climax

Cons: Average writing, some questions stay unanswered

Rating: 2.5 on 5

Story 2

Title: Is it kinder to give or receive?

Author: Asfiya Rahman

Pros: Fresh story, good writing

Cons: Nothing much. The climax may have been handled better

Rating: 3 on 5

Story 3

Title: A pack of Parle-G

Author: Himanshu Chhabra

Pros: Quite a beautifully imagined story, endearing characters, sharp observation of life by the author

Cons: Flawed structuring of a few sentences

Rating: 4 on 5

Story 4

Title: A ten dollar wedding

Author: ArashitaaSehrawat

Comments: This is a story more than just inspired by a classic short story. But since the author is a 17-year old, I would let it pass   : )

Story 5

Title: Please Hug Me

Author: Preeti Shenoy

Pros: Crisp narrative, subject of HIV

Cons: It’s more like a non-fictional memoir. More suited for a personal blog than for an anthology

Rating: 2 on 5

Story 6

Title: Pentimento

Author: Rafaa Dalvi

Pros: Emotional story exploring love between a man and a child, warm plot

Cons: Average narration, mediocre writing

Rating: 2.5 on 5

Story 7

Title: Fifteen Minutes

Author: Nikita Singh

Pros: The setting, the story, the humour

Cons: Nothing as such

Rating: 4 on 5

Story 8

Title: Savings of life and love

Author: Parul Tyagi

Pros: Brief, engaging and offbeat

Cons: Some mistakes in sentences

Rating: 3 on 5

Story 9

Title: Crossroads

Author: Renuka Vishwanathan

Pros: Writing, narration, clarity of events, humour

Cons: Nothing

Rating: 3.5 on 5

Story 10

Title: Court sentence

Author: Naman Kapur

Pros: Storyline

Cons: Ordinary climax, average writing

Rating: 3 on 5

Story 11

Title: A piece of contagious kindness

Author: Sakshi Budhia

Pros: Message in the story

Cons: Average writing and narration

Rating: 2.5 on 5

Story 12

Title: The lost girl

Author: Arushi Pathak

Pros: Moving story, warm and fresh

Cons: Nothing much

Rating: 3.5 on 5

Story 13

Title: Letters to Karka

Author: Pernasi Malhotra

Pros: Everything

Cons: Nothing

Rating: 4 on 5

Story 14

Title: The helping hand

Author: Ruchika Thukral

Pros: A court battle, nice arresting stuff. The climax adds another dimension and reveals the suitability of the title

Cons: Slightly confusing in the beginning, few unconvincing sub-plots

Rating: 3.5 on 5

Story 15

Title: The photograph

Author: Nikhil Khasnabish

Pros: A promising start, a thought-provoking climax

Cons: Uneven pace, patchy writing at places, abrupt end

Rating: 2.5 on 5

Story 16

Title: The Collateral Emotion

Author: Shomprakash Sinha Roy

Pros: Narration, vocabulary, quality of writing, freshness of story

Cons: Slightly disappointing climax

Rating: 4 on 5

Story 17

Title: The last one

Author: Ishita Das

Pros: Lots of emotions, good writing

Cons: Nothing as such

Rating: 3.5 on 5

Story 18

Title: Lessons of a father to his daughter

Authors: Paromita Bardoloi and Ricardo Vaz

Pros: A nice little story about goodness and how kindness gets repaid

Cons: Average writing

Rating: 2.5 on 5

Story 19

Title:Colours of Gratitude

Author: Kalyani Manojna

Pros: Simple story with a lot of heart, excellent writing and great language

Cons: Apparently nothing

Rating: 3.5 on 5

Story 20

Title: Reality Check

Author: Anjali Kirpalani

Pros: Engaging writing

Cons: Mediocre story, average narration

Rating: 2.5 on 5

Story 21

Title: A rare sight

Author: Namrata

Pros: Touching story, simple and uncomplicated with a warm end

Cons: Technical mistakes- like proofreading errors, minor mistakes of usage of words, like use of ‘off’ instead of ‘of’

Rating: 3 on 5

Story 22

Title: Six rupees

Author: Husna Advani

Pros: Crisp, arresting, a brilliant finish

Cons: a couple of grammatical errors

Rating: 4 on 5

Story 23

Title: Love Thy Neighbour

Author: Privy S

Pros: Original story, good climax

Cons: Mediocre narration and writing

Rating: 2.5 on 5

Story 24

Title: An act of kindness

Author: Sachin Garg

Pros: Good start, some quirky dialogues

Cons: Ending seemed hurried, lacked that ‘wow’ factor

Rating: 3 on 5

Story 25

Title: Santa for Christmas

Author: Drishti Dasgupta

Pros: Powerful touching story, even pacing, makes an impact

Cons: Nothing really

Rating: 3.5 on 5

~Ritesh Agarwal

Email: ritzy182000@gmail.com

In the bath tub with Maria- An erotic short story

I pulled off my T-shirt and stepped inside the bath. Maria was already sitting in the tub with her slender legs spread out luxuriously.  For a moment, I admired her grace from far. Then, as if by invitation, I lifted my sodden jeans, crossed over and got into the tub. Maria threw me a glance. It was one of those enigmatic looks for which I never seem to have an answer. I discerned a small curve in her lips, though I could not be sure if that was a smile.

The water felt warm. Or perhaps it was her skin. She inched closer. I peeled off her socks and undid her yellow top. It came off easily and she shuddered in the cold. I wanted to soap her but she wouldn't let me, at least not so early. I looked into her eyes. She looked into mine. I ran my fingers on the nape of her neck. She moaned in delicious pain. 

Sensing an opportunity, I poured warm water over her back. She quivered but relented.

My jeans felt heavy, now drenched in water. She dug her nails into my arms, responding to her natural instincts. Her skin felt soft against mine. Despite her killer charm, she was a lady of grace.

I picked the soap and gingerly rubbed it over her breast. She moaned, protested and loathed the sensation. But finally surrendered with a soft purr.

6 questions, 6 answers: An interview with Tikuli, author of ‘Collection of Chaos’

Blogger-turned-author Tikuli

Q1. Tell us something about your book ‘Collection of Chaos’? How would you introduce it to a potential reader?

Answer:

‘Collection of Chaos’ is a journey inside the poet's mind, her life and all that surrounds it. Each poem has emerged from the complex interactions of heart and mind, the struggles of daily life and a search for oneself beneath all the role playing. The book wasn't conceived as a whole but it's a patchwork quilt of poems.

It isn't just the product of disciplined hard work and learning with an open mind but also of great mentorship. They say that when the student is ready, the master appears and I have been blessed to find teachers who not only helped me evolve but also stood by me when everyone including myself had given up on me. They had a profound impact on me as a writer and as a person. Sometimes you need more than your own power to make things happen. This book could not have happened without the support, encouragement and friendship that made me trust those people implicitly.  An artistic evolution is a dream work and each dream work is a team work.

Q2. When was it that you found your call in writing?

Answer:

We are all story tellers. Sometimes we know it, sometimes we don't. Writing is a vital tool in healing, in connecting with oneself and others. I began serious writing some seven or eight years back when a friend on a social network group encouraged me to showcase some of my writing online. Until then I wove my stories and poems either in my mind or on pieces of paper. The exposure to internet opened up the world to me and allowed me to learn things I would otherwise have known little about. It was when I read and interacted with poets and writers from across the world that the urge to seriously write actually began to emerge. You may find it amusing that my actual apprenticeship began with these virtual people (who later became good friends). It is through them I found my calling. Blogging was an immense help in allowing me to connect with fellow writers and learn from their constructive comments. It has been five years since I started my blog and it has been a wonderful platform from which to offer my work to the readers. 

Q3. For a debut writer getting published is not usually easy. What kind of issues did you face?

Answer:

Yes, for a debut writer getting published is not easy but I have been fortunate. There are few people who are prepared to help you realize your potential and achieve one of your biggest dreams. I found a mentor who not just helped me break my mental barriers but also gave me the opportunity to publish them so you can all read them. I owe the existence of this book to James Goddard, my mentor, editor and publisher and also Kris Saknussemm who helped me take the first steps in learning and has been the wind beneath my wings. Nurturing is a tough job. It takes absolute selflessness, a lot of patient understanding and tough love. I found them all including a warm friendship in him.

Q4. If you could be one author (someone other than yourself, of course) who would you like to be?

Answer:

I don't think I would want to be any other author in particular. I would rather learn from reading a variety of authors and develop my own style.

Q5. You have got published earlier as well. Please familiarize your readers with your previous works.

Answer:

Yes, I have been published online and in print previously.

Some of my poems and stories have been part of the famed Chicken Soup For Indian Romantic Soul (Westland), Ripples- An anthology of short stories by Indian women writers, Posy of Poetry- A poetry anthology from Guntur national poetry festival.

Online my works have appeared in Le Zaporogue, Mnemosyne Literary Journal, The Enchanting Verses (issue-x), Trabadour21, The Smoking Book (Poets Wear Prada Press), MiCrow8, Bamboo Lounge, Ginger Chai etc. Some of my articles/poems have also appeared on websites related to gender issues like Women's Web.

Q6. Coming back to your book, what kind of reactions have you received from it? And what next?

Answer:

I've received a few positive initial responses and a mini review but it's still too early to say what the longer term reaction would be.  

[Readers’ reactions here - http://tikulicious.wordpress.com/2014/01/30/collection-of-chaos-my-poetry-book-and-first-mini-review/]

 What next ?

To continue evolving as a writer. A book of short stories perhaps. Let's see.

About Tikuli:

Brought up in Delhi in a family of  liberal educationists Tikuli is a mother of two sons. She is also a  blogger and author. Some of her short stories and poems have appeared in print and in online journals and literary magazines including Le Zaparougue, MiCROW 8, Trobadour 21, The Smoking Book (Poets Wears Prada Press, US), The Enchanting Verses Literary Review,  Mnemosyne Literary Journal, Women's Web. She blogs at tikulicious.wordpress.com.  Some of her print publications include  poems in Guntur National Poetry Festival Anthology and much acclaimed Chicken Soup For The Indian Romantic Soul. Her work has also been featured on websites related to gender issues and child sexual abuse.  She blog at tikulicious.wordpress.com

Please buy/check out her book here

3 reasons why to attend the Delhi Literature Festival 2014

Image source: Google

What: Delhi Literature Festival (2^nd edition)

When: 7^th-9^th February, 2014

Where: Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts, NewDelhi

Why the hullaballoo: Because, it’s a festival which celebrates books, authors and literature in general

Who should attend: Readers, book lovers, authors, budding authors, book-hoarders and You

What to expect: Stimulating, exciting, engaging and enlightening discussions and literary sessions on books (and writing) served with delicious dollops of humour

3 reasons why to attend the Delhi Literature Festival 2014:

Reason 1) To interact with published novelists, publishers and intellectual people from the literary world

Reason 2) To make friends. *Happiness is to find someone who loves the same books you love*

Reason 3) To get a direct peep into the path of getting published. If you aspire to pen your own book (anthology, novel, cookery book, parental book, et al), this festival will tell you all about the ups and downs of the journey

Star presence of the festival: Arvind Kejriwal (in an Interview with journalist Barkha Dutt) on 9^th February, Sunday, 7 pm.

Inside the heart of JK Rowling

Image source: kellieelmore.com

Trust JK Rowling to send millions into a tizzy every time she airs her thoughts on Harry Potter. Her legion of fans had jubilantly frenzied over her revelation of Dumbledore's sexual preferences a few years back. Now, once again, after a period of great calm, Rowling has brewed up the proverbial storm. So, when quizzed about the appropriateness of Ron and Hermione's relationship, the author gave away a piece of her heart as she disclosed how she linked up the two characters purely in pursuit of a personal ambition. She admitted that Ron and Hermione were the kind of couple whose marriage will easily run into a thick wall and will necessitate counselling.

Rowling sent another shockwave across her sea of followers as she articulated that in true literary sense, Harry (and not Ron) should have married Hermione. But she stuck to the Ron-Hermione pairing in the book since this is what she had envisioned at the beginning and her vision had less to do with a literary obligation but more to do with her own dire wish to get the two of them marry each other.

This perhaps gives us a peek into Rowling's heart, which must have undergone deep melancholy after her estrangement with her first husband. Though she did not admit it in explicit words as such, it does appear that she yearned for a happy fairytale ending for Ron; something she herself felt deprived of. It also goes to show how literary characters are often a partially-baked alter ego of their own creators. In fact, the writers are often as intriguing, if not more, as their most convoluted characters. Really, there is no better way of describing a writer...

~Ritesh Agarwal

55 word story: Something of me

Image source: Here

I observe Rosie on the sly.

 I have blue eyes, she has black. I have hooked nose, she has square. I am blonde, she is a brunette.

Completely like her father, not a wee bit like me.

And then she trips, hits the vase, knocks it over.

And I squeal delightedly,

 ‘Hey, there I am’