The Southern Dictionary

This time I’m presenting you all a different book. Unlike the novels I have been reviewing in my blog since beginning, this is a dictionary which would be really handy if you are planning to detour in Southern US. Chelsea Falin, the author who is born and brought up in Southern US has again come out with a very interesting book “The Southern Dictionary” , a knowledgeable and informative read at the same time.

For a dictionary, it’s not so big and scary which may shoe off many readers from touching it. With less than 100 pages the author has skillfully concise all the essential words and phrases which is very often used all over Dixie. The content is well organized and the format is quite easy to understand and follow. Explanations are given with proper definitions and good examples. I found it really interesting even though I’m not an American.

 
I was so amused to know the meaning of new words like “Biggity”, “britches”, “buggy”, “cattywampus” and many others. If you have come across phrases such as “A Whistlin' Woman and a Crowin' Hen Never Comes to a Very Good End”, “Don't Let Your Mouth Overload Your Tail”, “Do Go On”, “Feathers Ruffled”, “Go to Bed with the Chickens”, “High On The Hog” and wonder what they really mean, it’s high time you refer this book. Personally I found the phrase “Gimme sugar” very cute and loving. The Southern Dictionary would be very helpful to understand he Southern American language, so why wait, go grab it!

You can purchase the book from following links.

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Less Than Humble Beginnings

I’m back again with another breathless read authored by Chelsea Falin. “Less than Humble Beginnings” is the first book of the many yet to come in the Growing Roots series and surely a book you all will love.

The protagonist is Willamina, a 15 year old girl who hates her name and preferred to be called as Willie. She was not blessed with a fairy tale like childhood, given the facts that her mother is an alcoholic and her father being unknown. But she survives, and makes sure to be a loving and a caring companion to her younger sister Babette in their lonely lives. Her miseries won’t leave her easily, her mother dies in a car accident and Willie and her sister were left to go and live with her maternal aunt whom she had no contacts for five years.  Although she is not happy with the things going on in her life, she really can’t complain, in fact there is nobody to complain but her own fate. She accepts this challenge in her life as she did with the previous ones, not that she was left with any other option. For Willie’s surprise she comes to know that her aunt Jennie is now a mother of five kids and realizes that now she is going to be one of seven. Fortunately the life is not so bad after all. The family welcomes her dearly and her life turns to get better with the time, meeting new friends and belonging to a proper family.

“Less Than Humble Beginnings” is a tale about a young girl coming of age who happens to face many challenges in her life which are not so common compared with her peers. Simple and lucid writing with a charm to tickle your senses and make you wonder “what’s next” with every line your eyes will swim through. It’s a light read with a smooth flow which will keep you engrossed. As in her previous novels, the author has succeeded in making this book too, a real page turn over by her skillful and lively narration and I didn't even realized reaching the very last page of it.

The story is populated with practical characters that are strange and unique in their own ways and also very friendly and caring the same time that you will fall in love with them and find it hard to part with. Just after finishing the story I started missing Willie and her gang of cousins and friends. It’s a book which you will never feel like putting down until the very end. I really look forward in reading the next books to come out in this series. The story not only makes you live in the sweet day today adventures of the teenagers but also discusses the grueling mishaps a child has to face due to drug addict, alcoholic and abusive parents. So, it carries a message for you all to think upon as well.

All in all I can call it’s a story which is “short and sweet”.  If you are a young adult, or anybody who loves to read about loving family bonds and friendship this is definitely a book you don’t want to miss!

You can purchase the book from the following links.

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Goodreads

Can Love Happen Twice?

Chubby Cheek’s Column celebrates her first birthday today! To make it special for her, I thought of reviewing this second book of the same author whose very debut novel, “I Too Had A Love Story” was reviewed as the very first post in our blog last year.

Memories are still vivid in me of that day when I first got hold of the book adorned with an autograph by the author in Bangalore. Although I was certain that this one would be as splendid as the previous, it took me this long to read it as I was waiting for the perfect moment in which I would be absolutely free to take in every bit of the story to my heart’s content.

“Can Love Happen Twice?” is the sequel for the ever so popular novel “I Too Had A Love Story”. Ravin who was still in utter despair after losing his girlfriend happens to visit to Belgium for an on-site project. While he tries to take this chance as a break or a change over in his life, the real change in his destiny comes in the form of beautiful Simar, whom he meets in Belgium and falls in love with. And the question lingers as the story moves ahead, is Ravin really lucky enough to experience the full form of love?

Even though the theme love and the narrator are same, the plot turns out to be quite different and unexpected from the first book. Most of the story was set in Belgium, which I believe is a rare and lovely experience. Also this time the readers are introduced to a girl much different from their favorite and ever loving Khushi.

The opening scene was a brilliant idea and the following three chapters were heart touching, thought provoking and nicely linked with the aftermath of the demise of Ravin’s beloved. The involvement of the three best friends brings in warmth and assurance to the story and needless to point out that it also depicts a good similarity with the previous book, as it started with a reunion of all of them together.

Personally, I didn’t like Simar’s character. Rather say I almost hated her! Obviously, all the credits go to the author for picking up the fine details from the commonly seen girly attitudes and behavior of modern girls and creating Simar’s character in such a natural way that I never felt I was reading a fiction.

On the other hand, Ravin seems to receive much love and sympathy from not only me but every other reader from the very beginning of the novel. Just as he was struggling to recover a severe mental trauma of losing his beloved, he was struck by the cupid again only to treat him with even a bigger blow. His fate is in the course of playing rather a cruel game with his life this time. I sighed and weeped for his great misfortune and the tears outnumbered the moments I was able to be happy for him in the earlier chapters of his love life.

The best thing about this book is the revelation it brings upon the readers and I’m thankful to the author for taking the opportunity to talk about the true but fragile hearts crushed amidst of selfishness. The book title questions whether love could happen twice, but the story questions the real place a pure love would have in these modern days regardless its first or second love. The words “love” and “commitment” has lost its real meaning. People have become heartless and love has become a mere excuse for time pass. Young people would propose another without much strong feelings that it would be quite easy to leave and move to another if a small dispute occurs between them. Love, family and commitment had been forgotten during the race to reach success and other selfish achievements. Hence, the story is not just to cry and laugh with but to think deeply about the message it carries and change one’s self in a way that they would never hurt another soul. The book is a reminder pure love and true feelings which would blossom only in a sensitive heart for another.

Regarding the story and the climax, of course the first book was quite heart touching and sincere to me. Still, considering the presentation of the story – the story set up, blending the past and the present, the flow of incidents and the addition of many remarkable and diverse set of characters all together makes this book out smarts all the other. Yet another masterpiece by our ever loving author Ravinder Singh! This is a truly sensational read which everyone who believes in love should never miss.