Book of Shadows By Alexandra Sokoloff

Every time I pick up a book by Alexandra Sokoloff, I know I'm in for a good treat. I was not disappointed with this her last supernatural thriller: Book of Shadows kept me reading late into the night and I ended up gobbling it in two days.

The story begins with a horrible ritualistic murder: a teenaged girl is found in a garbage dump, strange markings on her chest, her head and hand missing. Detective Garret and his partner are called into the case. Not too long after that they have a strong suspect, a Goth band member who seems to have been dating the victim. As evidence mounts and all points to the young musician, Garret is able to make an arrest. But things get complicated when Tanith Cabarrus, a beautiful woman who not only claims to be a psychic but also a witch shows up at Garret's office and tells him the murderer is still at large and getting ready to kill again. It is her belief that the killer is a Satan worshipper with the intention to summon a powerful demon... and that the final killing will take place on Halloween, only a few weeks away.

Garret feels incredibly attracted to Tanith, but, a sceptic by nature, he refuses to believe in what he can only describe as mumbo jumbo. As the case progresses, however, he begins to doubt the nature of reality and eventually must put all of what he's ever believed in to the test.

Is Tanith correct? Is the killer still at large-or is she trying to manipulate the investigation for her own purposes? Is there, in fact, a supernatural aspect to this case, or does it only looks that way?

I kept asking myself this last question over and over as I kept turning the pages. Just when you're certain there's something supernatural, something else happens that makes you wonder: is it-or isn't it? I love how the author teases the reader in this way.

Alexandra Sokoloff has penned another page turner. The protagonist is a sympathetic cop with a sceptic nature and a dark Catholic upbringing, making him a perfect character for the story. The pace is quick, the dialogue sharp and natural. Sokoloff doesn't waste time with long description or narration. Action and dialogue dominate this story, so if you're looking for a fast suspenseful read, this is the book for you. I also found all of the myth fascinating. Book of Shadows combines the excitement of a supernatural thriller, the chills of a horror novel, and the mystery of a crime story. Add to that a sprinkle of romance and how can you go wrong?

Beep You! You Beep Hole - The Black Book of Indian Cuss & Slurs

Book Review - After a long time, I laughed with my mouth wide open and thanks to this ‘no-nonsense’ but ‘just for fun’ book, interestingly titled ‘Beep You! You Beep Hole’ by Smarak Swain, an ex IIT Kharagpur graduate. Surprisingly, this book touches upon something we’ve known for ages but never bothered to sit down and make sense out of it. And, by the way, this book is an output of lots of research and I give the author the due credit he deserves. You and I have just don’t have the right to discard this innovative piece of experiment.

One wrong word at the wrong place, wrong time, to the wrong person, could bring down things tumbling upon us. Such is the power of cusswords and slurs in our lives. And more we know about the evolution of these words, lower are the chances of us getting royally screwed. In essence, this book presents the reader with a new perspective: of understanding human and social behavior through cusswords and swearwords. Mostly featured around all the words that we’re aware of and have used in our lives, this book goes to the extent of explaining each word from its origin.

Most interesting part of this book are its chapters; ranging from ‘Teri Maa Ki’ to ‘Maals and Items’ to racism – Brown Indians and Chinky Indians. The author takes extra effort to differentiate between good and bad language by explaining the importance it has in our lives. There are some sexist words and most of us have no clue about it. These words mean different when used by different sexes - man and woman. And my favourite part of the book is the part that teaches its readers how to control the use of cusswords in public. The little things that we can do to avoid using these words that’ll make us look like total dicks, oh sorry, fools :)

Priced at 100, I believe this book definitely deserves a read not for the fact that it’s funny. Well, yes and no but more importantly you should read this because it gives you a new perspective to look at taboo words. Secondly, this book can be a great topic for discussion or discourse over a cup of cutting chai. If you are addicted to swearing and it affects the way people see you, you need to read this book. Even if you’re not addicted to swearing however I feel you may at some point in your life, so you better read this book. For a change, you may as well read a book that’s different and funnier than other fiction books out there. So, read this book and let me know what you have to say about it. Happy swearing! Maniacal laugh :)