Bitch Goddess for Dummies- Maya Sharma Sriram - A Guest Blog

Okay, so yes this is my book and I have  a guest blogger reviewing it for me.
Disclaimer:
I have to admit , however there is bound to be an insider bias even now . The blogger is related to me

Scene: Pizza hut.  My friends  and I are talking about my mom’s book.

Friend: So, what is your mom’s book about?

Me: It’s the story of a woman who is trying to undergo a transformation, and she embarking on a process of self discovery. It’s all about how important it is to be yourself and not try and be something you’re not. You know, accept yourself.

My friends: wow! It sounds beautiful.

Then:

What is it called?

(pause)

Me: …”Bitch Goddess for Dummies”?

That is basically how “bitch goddess” goes too, a little self-mocking, a little tongue-in-cheek, really fun and cute. The story is a pretty simple one-Mira Iyer wants to become a Bitch Goddess, but how will she? She’s a wimp, and a responsible, sensible one at that (oh, the horror). So she decides to transform herself. She starts with a makeover and then changes the way she behaves too. She learns from and tries to defeat the ideal Bitch Goddess- her bête noir, Sanya,  the perfect woman. But things threaten to go too far once she falls for smooth Rohan and later ends up having to face her past and estranged family. What will happen to Mira now, with her life like a dormant volcano, ready to erupt and engulf her in the heat?

The novel isn’t a very serious one, and is clearly for fun value. If you’re looking for literary intensity, look elsewhere. This book is written for all the girls (and guys) who just wanna have a good time. The narrative is fast paced, but a little too much so in the middle, where one would really like to have a bit of emphasis on character rather than action and story. The language is good and as far as I can see it has no spelling errors; the writing is good.

The author has managed to pick up the mood and style of a chick lit really well and gives it her own, slightly smoother edge. The comedy is tongue-in-cheek and light. The issues in the story more often than not are sartorial. Talking about the clothes, they’re all tasteful and really cool.  The novel doesn’t have any of the clichés that everyone finds in chick lit these days.  The best thing is that the story is not a romance, but the story of a woman who is discovering herself, with romance as a subplot. The women in the story are all very strong role models and none of the characters, male or female are stereotypes, they all have a unique dimension or perspective. The story more or less laughs at itself. The funny Bitch Goddess rules are the funnest part. This book is on a low-steamy sex scene and absolutely-no-mush diet. The  book invites laughter, so on a low-key day, go ahead and pick it up, it’s the perfect recipe and has been proven to keep you riveted till the last page.   

Vishaka Sriram

The Lover's Dictionary - David Levithan

I thought I would capture this reading experience as it occurs. An experiment to see if the quality of retelling changes or suffers.


What made me pick this book up - (other than the obligatory recommendations and reviews.)

 When you are always searching for the next book to read while your mind still on the one you just finished, 'newness' always excites. This one caught me with it's form. And the for a logophile like me, that's double delight. So  I am eagerly waiting to  devour it.

So now I am a little into the book. It is breathtaking  what he has done with words, with the meanings of the words he has chosen to tell his story with, the way he so beautifully tacks them on to 'love' , 'desire', 'togetherness 'and 'heartache.' All this while keeping the story going.

I was supposed to record as I read, but I have returned after the complete read. because

devour (v)
I ended up gorging on this book, completely, quickly and yet, many times came back to

savour (v)
many sentences and paragraphs - like this one - " and every now and then, when everything else is air and liquid, desire solidifies, and the body is the magnet that draws its weight."

Gamut (n)
I was amazed at how simply , lucidly and elegantly Levithan covered the whole range, from hesitancy to desire to love to heartbreak

Urban ( adj)
of an urban , contemporary relationship

Superlative ( adj)
One of the best love stories that I have read in a long time.
 Verdict ( n)
A book that is clever funny, poignant and brilliantly written, and finely plotted to. Keeps you involved at several levels- in the choice of his words, in his narrative style, in the plot and in the emotional connect.

Read. Please. You'll thank me for it
Maya

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