Book Review - Thin Line Of Consciousness
Book Review - The Brown Sunshine
This is an amazing thriller which has a lot of unexpected twists. Dr Anthony Biswas, the protagonist was a renowned Forensic Pathologist. His mom passes away when he was in 8th standard. He had few friends during his schooling days. One of them was Natasha. She liked Abhimanyu. However, Anthony back then, had a liking for Natasha. The other friends were Mayank/Arora/Abhimanyu/Megha/Ankur aka Helix. Then there is Sonia as well.
When he grows up, he meets Catherine K Jomy who was a software engineer.
Arora liked Megha & Vice Versa. Shivam also liked Megha.
Prakriti - twin sister of Shivam.
School life & present life. Arora passes away during their Darjeeling trip. Strangely no one seemed to remember Shivam or Prakriti. However, there was an audio recording that feebly had their voices.
“a few drops of tears escaped my wooden soul through my eyes” - what a powerful sentence/statement to narrate the situation.
Similarly, no one remembered Natasha too,
After 8 years, they meet and Helix introduces his gf Sanjana Puri who was doing Ph.D. in psychiatry in Bengaluru.
Do NOT Miss the below-mentioned chapters at any cost as they are vital to the story:
ARAK - Divine Drink of Immortality
Mysterious dark forces folding into reality
Folding reality - case 234, case 017-BC-962
Origins of the Divine Balance - The Shunya
The movie introduces a few interesting characters in the end and it also makes Dr Biswas introspect himself.
Who is Acharya/Bada Saheb?
Who is Rayne?
Who are we?
Book Review - When will you die?
Walnut Publications - to make your dreams come true
Book Review - Silver Lining : The Story of NephroPlus
This is a beautifully written book by Kamal Shah who despite being a non-medico had gone along with his couple of other non-medico friends to establish India's biggest dialysis service provider. Loved the way this book was written since it captured in detail the troubles faced by kidney patients since Kamal Shah himself was one. From being a healthy individual, life turns drastically after Kamal faces multiple complications because of which he has to forego his travel to the U.S. for higher studies. He also has to be on compulsory dialysis.
He gets treated in Hyderabad and Mumbai since in the late 90's and early 2000, these dialysis centres were not a improved lot.
There are a few aspects that the author highlights in this book.
One of them is about the Ministry of AYUSH where the author ponders as to what they actually do and their functions/powers. There is a list of doctors which the author has to interact with on various stages - as a Guest and also as the Co-Founder of NephroPlus.
Dr J CM Sastry, Dr Girish Narayan, Dr Dakshinamurthy, Dr Krishnan, Dr Mohan Raj, Dr Rama Raju, Dr Revathi, Dr Georgi Abraham, Dr V S Reddy, Dr P N Rao, Dr Sundar Sankaran, Jayaram Reddy(Technician, KIMS), Dr Somasekhar, Dr Gopal Kishen, Dr Brian Pereira, Dr Manoharan, Dr A K Bhalla, Dr Umesh Khanna, Dr Vivekanand Jha, Dr Rajasekhara Chakaravarthi, Dr Deepak Dewan, Dr Satish Chhabra, Dr Kavitha Gone among others.
As a Guest, the author has to go to these hospitals for treatment - Jaslok, Kamineni, KIMS, MMM, Care, Medwin etc.,
The author gets treated in various ways which also include PD(Peritoneal Analysis) and also recounts how he faces near death when the place he was staying was flooded with seawater since this happened during 2004 when Tsunami hits the shorelines of many Indian states.
Kamal also gets a kidney from his mother and contrary to the beliefs, he now had 3 kidneys in his body but things did not improve.
There are a few aspects I learned after reading this book which includes “Crash” after dialysis, cyclosporin, buttonhole needles, and how it helped the author to get treated with less pain. Then there is Preparing bicarb solution, priming, Cannulation & Dialysis among others.
He also goes on to express his displeasure on the nexus between Pharma Co sales reps & Dialysis technicians to make money. The author goes on to explain the concept of "Dialysis at Sea" which came as a boon for him enabling him to travel to the places he wanted to visit.
He ends Part 1 with Paulo Coelho's - “When you want something, all the universe conspires to help you achieve it”.
In Part 2, the author mentions how he was passionate about English Literature & Indian History. He also recounts the day 28th Aug 2009 during which he receives the first call from another Co-Founder Vikram Vuppala. After long discussions, they open their first dialysis center in MLA Colony - Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad
During the discussion, they decide to change the term Patient to “Guest”.
They even conduct Aashayein - an event for patients. This becomes a huge success. It also shows how they differed from their peers. They also wanted their dialysis center to have two access - Access and Affordability.
Now comes the difficult part - expansion. For this, the trio meets up with different VCs including Vani Kola of Kalaari Capital.
After a round of discussions, they end up with various investors in various tranches.
Series A - Bessemer Venture Partners(BVP) decides to invest.
Series B - International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Series C - Sea Link Capital
NPDA - NephroPlus Dialysis Academy
NANT - Nephrology Nurses Association
BONENT Certification program
As they expand, there were Partner Hospitals - Max Hospitals, Jehangir Hospitals
They also conduct the "Indian Dialysis Olympiad" which becomes a huge success.
When National Dialysis Service Programme in 2016 was announced by Shri. Arun Jaitley, it became a boon for the lower-income group as well. This book is a must read since it is apt in saying "Castles are not built overnight"
This book is available on Amazon

Author Iinterview - A Victor Adharsh of Mango Showers
1.What motivates you to write?
I am someone who firmly believes that fine expression and
comprehension are some things that define being human. As I try to grasp the
meaning of what it means to be human, I cannot help but give in to the urge to
express.
Ever since I was a child, I was brought up on stories. It was the
primary mode of keeping me engaged. It taught me new concepts and strengthened
my morale. As I grew older, the need to express grew stronger in me. The most
natural means for me to express was through stories. This made me want to
write. Through my stories, I express parts of me to the world. They include my
thoughts, ideas, discoveries and experiences. Also, writing helps me discover
newer parts of me that were hidden before. All this makes writing an inevitable
part of my existence.
2. How did you feel after publishing your books?
It is truly a liberating experience. A sense of satisfaction and
tranquillity ensue the process. I can tell myself I have freed a part of me, to
go forth into the society and inspire minds. It is not just about the final
result of having my book in my hands. It is about the transformation that
accompanies the process. It is said a man never crosses the same river twice as
it is not the same man and the same river. So is it with writing. After every
publication, it is never the same author and never the same story. So I feel
like a new person after publishing each book.
3. Who are some of your favourite novels and
authors?
J. R. R. Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings), C. W. Lewis (The
Chronicles of Narnia), Lew Wallace (Ben Hur: A Tale of Christ), J. K. Rowling
(Harry Potter Series).
I enjoy nearly all classic works by Authors like Charles Dickens, Agatha
Christie, Jerome. K. Jerome and G. K. Chesterton.
4. Is there a specific reason for naming your novel?
Yes. Mango showers is a colloquial term to describe the
occurrence of pre-monsoon rainfall. Sometimes, these rains
are referred to as ‘April rains’ or ‘Summer showers’. They help in the early
ripening of mangoes and are hence referred to as "Mango showers." These
rains normally occur from March to April. Their intensity can range from light
showers to heavy and persistent thunderstorms. They occur notably in Kerala, Karnataka and parts
of Tamil Nadu.
These rains are accompanied by a sudden change in the weather that
may seem rather dramatic. Interestingly, these changes then disappear soon
before anyone can fully appreciate the transformation brought by them.
The coming of Anna to Kudukkanghad is metaphorically
compared to Mango showers. Her coming brings out a complex interaction between
so many characters that spirals to a dramatic climax. But again, only to conclude
in a state of normalcy without conspicuous souvenirs. Her dynamic touches the
lives of so many people like mango showers, bringing out a sudden, yet short
lived dramatic change. The change is lasting and bears fruit, like the rain
causes the mangoes to ripen early, but the dynamic withdraws as the rains do
after their job is done.
5. Where do you write from? Do you have a fav spot?
I type into my laptop and mostly work while at home. As a person
with recognisable classic ideas, I prefer to work in my study. I like my own
personal desk and being surrounded by familiar things.
I love other spots like quiet libraries, under trees, on stone
benches in gardens and calm beaches. But such spots often overwhelm me with
inspiration that I would fail to put them down in words systematically. So I
collect clues in such spots and then work on them in my study.
6. What inspired you to write the books(in general)? Any
tales to tell…
I believe every person has something to tell the world. No matter
how remote or simple it may seem. And books are a great way to preserve such
tales across time. They allow the re-reading and re-interpretation of works by
various minds over time, revealing newer ideas after every read.
So, of the available options to pass on those tales that I wish to
tell, I would choose to write them into a book. This is why I write books.
7. What was your biggest learning experience throughout the writing process?
I would say, it was this: ‘There is always more than one way to
say something. And each different way to say something, has its unique
implications. Words are one of the most powerful things to exist. They can hurt
worse than anything, heal better than most things. They can convince and defame.
They can upbuild a society and also destroy one. All that matters is how
appropriately they are used.’
8. Looking back, what did you do right that helped you break
in as a writer?
I respected reviews and feedback. I took them seriously and was
committed to constantly improve my writing. I always sought novel methods to
portray ideas and never allowed monotony in my expression.
Every review can offer valuable insight. Considering that has gone
a long way in making my endeavours a success.
9. Any best piece of writing advice that you would like
to share with new or struggling writers?
As a writer it is one’s duty to be a voracious reader and truly
grasp the perspective of a reader. It is vital to remember that writing and
reading are two sides of the same coin.
At the same time one must be honest and confident about the ideas
being expressed. There is absolutely no need to hurry the mind and twist words.
Last but not the least, as a writer one must never be too lazy to
re-read the manuscript a few times, meticulously before finalising it. Overt
confidence in this juncture can be seriously counter-productive.
10. Something personal about you people may be surprised to
know?
Not really. I am often described as a transparent individual who
goes the way to make it easy for people around to understand him. If you get to
know me, you know me!
11. Any future books that you would like to discuss now?
Currently I have not settled upon one specific idea. So at this
point I have no credible points to discuss on this regard. But I can guarantee
that there will be more books. They would inevitably be human centred and duly
respect real-time human psychology.
12.What other profession excites you the most?
I am a medical student currently in my final year. Modern medicine
has always captivated me. I am deeply interested in pursuing Psychiatry for my
higher studies.
Besides, Theology and apologetics shall always play an important
role in my life. I shall channelise my growth professionally, in that domain as
well.
13.Any special mention about your reader (be it with
reviews/feedback or anything else)
None.
14.Do you write the story at a stretch, or you take your time to
complete it? If you take a longer time, wouldn’t you be forgetting the story?
How do you tackle it?
It took me around six months to complete the manuscript of ‘Mango
Showers’. Amidst my academic obligations, I try to make out time for writing. I
find it truly therapeutic.
I often prepare a rough sketch of the story line and also of the
characters, in my personal notes. I make sure to consult them each time I sit
to write. This is to ensure I am on the right track. This helps avoid mixing up
details or forgetting the story.
15.Traditional or Self-Publishing? Why?
Each has its own pros and cons. Traditional publishing involves
lesser financial involvement. But the role of a good literary agent in this
scenario cannot be possibly undermined. The results often tend to have a
greater potential in terms of better marketing opportunities and reader
accessibility. But most new authors find traditional publishing to be an
exceptionally lengthy process, with little power in their eager hands.
Self-publishing in a way can be seen as a short-cut that offers
more freedom and promises quicker results. But the burden of marketing and
sales would weigh heavier on the authors. In scenarios where the author may be
new to the field, this burden can drown the book from reaching a lot of
potential readers. The wide range of packages offered may seem confusing and
inexperienced authors may fall prey to exceptionally high financial packages in
hope of better results. But it would be wiser to remember that great results
cannot be guaranteed by the manner of publishing alone. If the book cannot
assure a tremendous potential, it might just not be worth the gamble.
16.How is the response so far for the book?
The statistics show a brisk pace in sales. The reviews so far are strong
and promising. We hope for the best.
Book Review - Mango Showers
This is a novel which is written really well by Victor Adarsh. I liked the style of his writing since he has captured even the tiniest of aspect in detail.
In the initial stages, I thought this is another novel with a usual ending, but I was proved wrong when I finished reading it. This story revolves around Anna who is the sister of Paulose. Paulose lived in Kudukkanghad, Kasargod and was serving as CFO in Timber Financing Co.
Their mom died after which Anna came searching for Paulose since her brother had left the house at any early age.
Paulose was employed by Unni Krishnan Nair. Raghavan Nair was Unni's brother.
Other important characters in the novel includes but not limited to:
George D’Crasta / Roshan D’Crasta - both families gets killed - one in accident / one in electric shock
Rev FR.John
Sulochana
Rosy - Helper
Dr Yasser Rahman - Psychiatrist
Dr Shafin Malik - Unnikrishnan acquaintance
Pankaja - nurse
Fr. Pratap D’Silva
Rev. Fr. Benedict Salvini - Italian priest
Fr. Gabrielle Amroth S.S.P., Vatican’s Chief Exorcist
Sr Valencia
DSP Shreekant
Cecilia D’Crasta - Surviving daughter of Roshan D’Crasta.
George D’Crasta
Anna sees a creature inside the house when no one was around or was it an hallucination? She was also allergic to a traditional ritual called "Theyyam".
This book is available on Amazon