Book Review #2 : 'The Bankster' by Ravi Subramanian

• Title : The Bankster
• Author : Ravi Subramanian
• Genre : Thriller
• Length : 358 pages

~ Summary ~

In  Angola, a covert CIA agent is about to exchange weapons for blood diamonds.

In Kerala, an elderly man will do whatever it takes to fulfill a promise made to a dying son.

In Mumbai, an international bank is stunned by the mysterious deaths of its key employees.

It begins in Angola, as a man exchanges weapons for the infamous blood diamonds of Africa.

In Kerala, the head of a family is accused of a crime he says he didn't commit.

And in Mumbai, the GB2 Bank are losing their key employees in a row ..

~  Excerpt ~

"Why blame him? You are allowing yourself to be used. While I have nothing against the protest and I am with you in this cause, you got carried away by the fact that this was making you famous in your neighborhood. "

~  My Review ~

This is one of those books that you just CAN NOT put down once you start reading it!

There are three parallel plots running together, as you read each chapter, your mind darts from here to there and back again. It is a legit page turner, which keeps you hooked.

The background is banking but the author here, manages to not use terms which would completely confuse and put a reader off. All the banking terms used are explained, and not in dumbed down, just-so-you-understand-way.

Along the story, you feel bad about Arvind and Laila, and more so, with Arvind's father Krishna.
You realize how cosmetic appearances go a LONG way, and not always for the good. You read about the insecurity and I could actually see it playing in my head as Harshita started to fall apart. I almost wanted to claw Z's face. (in a non psychopath way though.maybe)

Wherever you go, from banks to corporate offices, there always are these basic problems that arise, and they will continue to arise, because yes, we have computers, and yes, we have brilliant advanced technology, but a human operates them at the end of the day.
Greed, lust, thirst for power, jealously, betrayal .. These are but basic human emotions!

When I read the withdrawal email (page 128) , I felt so bad for him.
It reminded me of those times when I was forced to apologize, when you're not really at fault, but you just HAVE to, and it is embarrassing and humiliating, but one's gotta do what one's gotta do eh?

There are moments when you are insulted, and then there are moments when you are just numb as you realize all you ever were, is a pawn. You try and plan this mega move, but you fail, miserably, and the way the author has depicted all of this, including the wife's dialogues as she tries to console and talk to her husband, I found it very realistic and beautiful.

One of the parts I liked the best, were related to the post mortem and the tides thing. It was right there in front of everyone, but they couldn't guess it. It was very probable, and it reminded me of Hermione in DH as she said that she wasn't super intelligent, just really precise and perspective.

Not for a moment during reading of the book can you guess the ending, as i starts falling apart piece by piece, I went all, "Really?! I never would have guessed that!"
Quite honestly, the culprits were a shock to me! One of them, I detested since the start, but the way they conducted it, it was quite an interesting read!
The best part about this book is that it isn't drab for a moment, there are so many things happening simultaneously that will scream for your attention.

~ Final Verdict ~

4/5

It is an exceptionally well woven book, and if you haven't read this book, DO IT NOW!
Because once you start reading this book, these 358 pages will literally fly by!

:D Collectible :D

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!

Pretty cute,no?

Wish you all a kickass weekend!

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Book Review #1 : "The Krishna Key" by Ashwin Sanghi

Hello people. This is the first book review done by me!

Title : "The Krishna Key"

Author : Ashwin Sanghi

Genre : Mythology, Indian Fiction, Thriller.

Price : Rs.250 (Westland Book Publications, Paperback)

Back Cover

"Five thousand years ago, there came to earth a magical being called Krishna, who brought about innumerable miracles for the good of mankind. Humanity despaired of its fate if the Blue God were to die but reassured that he would return in a fresh avatar when needed in the eventual Dark Age - the Kaliyug. In modern times, a poor little rich boy grows up believing that he is that final avatar. Only, he is a serial killer."

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For someone who hasn’t read a lot about and of Indian mythology, this book was not only a really interesting read but also an eye opener!

The extremely beautiful way the author Ashwin Sanghi has merged the past with the present, the way he has woven the whole story around something that had happened, at least on paper, is just enthralling! I particularly liked the starting paragraphs of each new chapter. The writing is simple, lucid, to the point and even though there is a lot of drama, it is interesting, not over the top.

This book sucks you in, it pulls you. You don’t want to put it down, or take breaks. You want to just sit in a chair and finish it RIGHT NOW! I loved loved LOVED the sharp twist it took. I hated it, but loved it at the same time.

“Priya had the habit of playing the devil’s advocate in order to analyse a point, even if she was in agreement with the hypothesis”  (Pages 11&12)

This is me. :D I do this a lot at times. Not because I want to trouble somebody or like it’s said, don’t believe or agree with the hypothesis, but I like to take the side which is, well not being taken up by someone else to put it simply!

The whole land reclamation concept that has been explained through pages 67 to 70, left me fascinated. Whether you believe it or choose not to, it still is amazing. Undeniably.

“The word omniscience means infinite knowledge. It starts with the sound of Om or Aum. The word omnipotent which means a person who has infinite powers also starts with Om.  The word “omnivorous” which implies the ability to absorb everything also has Om as the starting point. The word “omen” implying a predictive sign of a future event, also has Om in it. A trusted intermediary between parties, with the authority to award a verdict, is called an “ombudsman” – once again we have Om. Om is an expression of divinity and authority and that’s the reason why Aum is to be found even in the Christian Amen and the Islamic Amin.” (pages 161&162)

I knew Amen/Amin are similar but I never thought about it from the omnipotent/omnivorous angle. So I enjoyed reading this paragraph in particular!

The only mistake I found was the spelling error on page 95, of Mahatma Gandhi.

I met this aged uncle on the bus, who was about to get off but saw me reading this book and started talking about how fascinating it was! I was pleasantly surprised, half the bus was staring at the two of us. :P
Till the time we reached his stop, we were gushing about the twist and the facts and everything!

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Final Verdict : 3.7/5

The book is an excellent, engrossing read. The author has done tons, and that I literally mean tons, of research, there are 11 pages of just research acknowledgements. But why I loved this book is it does not tell you history, or just throw facts in your face, it is a story.  I am so tempted to leak out some things, I'm barely containing myself!

On the whole, it was really engaging, thoroughly and well researched and made me sigh when it ended.
But in my opinion, the build up was far more intense than the actual climax.
This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!

Wish you all a beautiful rest-of-the-Sunday-thing!

X

"Life Is Like A Bra Strap.. When You Put It Wrong"

Warning : Post contains mature language. 

(But if you are able to handle it, stick with this, coz I liked this paragraph!)

"The trouble with life is that it's like a bra strap when you put your bra on wrong. So there's one part of the bra that is all twisted and sticking out under your T-shirt, and then the part near your hook becomes tangled. Then, after you've struggled with it for a while, because you can't see so far down your back, and you have straightened it out, the bit near your chest is all funny. 

So if I've got my career sorted, my love life magically vanishes without so much as a goodbye. Then I've got my love life all perfect and I'm seeing us making fat, happy babies, and boom! my family is fighting, and so on. You get the picture."
- Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan.

Isn't this true? True to the point of irritation? Somehow some things in your life are always screwed up. And when they get better, some other thing falls apart.

It's like you're making a curry. You add sugar to improve sweetness' element, and now it needs chilli. You add chilli and the consistency is not right. WhatTheHell? :/

But sometimes, you just think all philosophical and shit :D, and try to focus on the things that ARE working out and remove the other things from your mind. For now.

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Makes sense? Doesn't? Hated it? TELL ME!

Twitter. 

Write to me at : itarin.fabregassoler@gmail.com

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By the way, I have coolsomelyfabulous plans for the blogoversary which is on the 1st of July. 

Insha Allah it'll work out well and y'all can then see it for yourselves. :D

I also have some leetal big-ish plans for this blog. Let's see!

College begins from tomorrow. All the luck in the world to all students, coz we all know, we need it!