prettypaperback1's reviews
222 reviews

Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, The Little Book of Lykke, Lagom: The Swedish Art of Balanced Living by Francesc Miralles, Linnea Dunne, Meik Wiking, Héctor García Puigcerver

Go to review page

2.0

It is a short book packed with the essence of Ikigai. This word is nearly impossible to translate. It simply means finding a reason to get out of bed every day. One night, I was diving into this book called ikigai, which promises to tell you the Japanese secret to a long and happy life. I didn't buy this book because of the picturesque cover page or it is well recommended. I got this book because it promises the secret of a happy life. (That is what I needed more) This short book is packed with the essence of ikigai. This book gives an insight into the Japanese culture where ethics matter more than the final result.

MOAI Japanese are connected with local group & community so an individual feels social security and avoid pangs of sadness. Japanese prefer between their kith and kin to avert loneliness.

Mens Sana in corpore Sano A healthy mind in a healthy body. Maintaining an active adaptable mind in a healthy body is one of the key factors of staying young.


Hara Hachi bu Filling your bellies with only 80% of food avoiding custard post-lunch.


STEVE JOBS was a big fan of Japan, He was inspired by the simplicity and quality of Japanese porcelain in kyto. Engineers ( sony) philosophy ( zen) cuisine (sushi) was his favourite. he loved the amiable nature and work ethics of Japan.

If I talk about the book, the book has the essence of ikigai. But overall it just the facts which everyone already knew beforehand.

Okinawa has a really old age group. Waking up early is healthy. Being sedentary can lead you to hypertension, walking is healthy, But what?

There was nothing new in this book to offer.

There is no secret to a happy and healthy life. the book emphasises on living and finding a purpose, the purpose that let you out of your bed every morning. Anyways the title of the book is entirely misleading, there is no secret hidden inside. Later the book goes into the great dept of yoga, which was not required.

If you talk about the positive side of the book, it was a bit refreshing and I learned a new work IKIGAI. Lego therapy & micro therapy was a new concept that popped in.





the Japanese secret of staying slim and trim is

tofu, sweet potatoes, fish (3 times a week) and vegetables (11 ounces a day)
WALK TO WORK (pg 137 You don't need to go to the gym for an hour every day or run the marathon. As Japanese centenarians show us, all you need is to add moments to your day)
Eating in small plate makes food appear more
Filling only 80% of the belly
being sedentary can lead to hypertension so it is advisable to walk in-between.
Replace junk food with fruits. Fruits such as citrus strawberries and apricots they are an excellent source of vitamin.
Grain such as oats & wheat gives energy
Olive oil is good for the skin
A glass of red wine a day is healthy as it is antioxidant
Refined sugar, processed baked goods and cow milk should be eliminated



Cupid Is Complicated by Namita Bajaj Sonthalia

Go to review page

3.0

Cupid is complicated is basically a college romance of the modern era. We find naman and dhwani sharing glances to falling in love where we as readers fall in love.
This book is that type which reminds you of your first kiss, and hug you had in college. As life and book both are not simple as it looks.
A Singapore trip change the entire equation and readers just cant stop exploring what the book hold for them.
This book is a great way to set a new expectation and height to see love. They eventually find happiness even if it was not with each other.
Subtle Echoes by Tehmeena Salam

Go to review page

4.0

Book Classification Poetry and Open letter
Book Pages 138/-

Book star 4/5

Book price 199

Well, I would like to thank the author first for sending me a review copy of this beautiful book. Her poems are heart touching.

generally, I read Nonfiction book (autobiography, self-help) but it was good to take a break and switch a little to fiction or poetry to make my mind calm. this book exactly did that. These two-verse actually made me smile and cry at the same time. These three verses are my favorite of all.

He pulled out a ring,

"Will you be the Monica,

To this Chandler Bing?"

She sobbed with a yes,

"So, didn’t I propose with finesse"

They laughed and hugged,

Conversed whole night,

Until their faces,

Shone with broad daylight.



AND



I looked in the mirror,

Again at that same reflection,

This time with a little more affection,

And I saw that I was perfect with my imperfections.



AND

Society denies them right,

And uplifts the already uplifted,

While the poor struggle to educate,

Their forehead furrows are never lifted.

Being bias over status exists,

And the rich remain privileged and gifted.

Won't you look for a fair-skinned partner?

Yet you protest- 'black lives matter',

Bullying people for color,

The idea of apartheid survives in scatters,

Racism still exists in the hood,

Fairness creams are exemplary to this flatter.



Favorite letters-

A letter to the society who rejected me
a letter to the one trying to let go
A letter to my teen self
My review, You will enjoy this amazing book and relate to it. It is a collection of poems as well as open letters to various people (second mother, society, second love) The poem is well written in not so complicated language so it is beginner-friendly too.
Love Alive by Rijuta Gupta

Go to review page

3.0

Book Pages 212

Book star 3/5

Love Alive is the story of a woman Udita, happily married to Nipun & mother to twin daughters, The twist arrives in their life when Ankit, the father of twins demands a kidney from any of the twin daughters. The story revolves around the main character of this book that is Udita, The story is set in the past when Udita used to be an LLM student and was madly in love with a guy name Ankit. Ankit on the other hand was an unpredictable guy who does what he does and keeps himself buckle up for any new adventure. Later in life, Udita fell in love with Nipun, her friend.

As a genre, it does not completely lie in the romantic genre but more in the Drama genre. The book is divided into different parts

Part1. Genesis of love

Part2. Their lives

Part3. Love in and Love out

The story is full of twists and turn but the end was quite predictable. As a reader, I did not relate to the main Character Udita much, she was pretty confused as well as a little selfish but overall it was a delightful read.

This Book is in beginner-friendly language with a lot of spice aka masala to read in every chapter. I feel this book could be made into a Bollywood movie.
JAMBUDVIPA: The Drift of Bodhidharma by Arpit Kumar Pandey

Go to review page

4.0

Book classification- Fiction

Book star 4.5/5

Book page 320



Jambudivipa is an excellent historical book ravel with mystery and philosophy. After a really long time, I came across a book that was too good to put down where author vocabulary is the cherry on the cake. Each person from this story was relatable especially Vasantsena. I have related to this book much more than any other book dropping it in the must-read category.



Set in the ancient land of India, It is a story of warrior prince Yashodhamman of Mallis, ruler of Ujjani. The detailed narrative of the various kingdoms. This book ravels the mystery and philosophy at a very slow pace. The bright description of nature, following kingdoms, incidence, etc makes it a very detailed read but if you enjoy history, fiction, and mystery with a little bit of philosophy then this book is your bae
JAMBUDVIPA-The drift of Bodhidharma by Arpit Bharat

Go to review page

5.0

Book classification- Fiction

Book star 4.5/5

Book page 320



Jambudivipa is an excellent historical book ravel with mystery and philosophy. After a really long time, I came across a book that was too good to put down where author vocabulary is the cherry on the cake. Each person from this story was relatable especially Vasantsena. I have related to this book much more than any other book dropping it in the must-read category.



Set in the ancient land of India, It is a story of warrior prince Yashodhamman of Mallis, ruler of Ujjani. The detailed narrative of the various kingdoms. This book ravels the mystery and philosophy at a very slow pace. The bright description of nature, following kingdoms, incidence, etc makes it a very detailed read but if you enjoy history, fiction, and mystery with a little bit of philosophy then this book is your bae
In Search of Lost Home by Zubair Arif Shah, Mansi Narula Kashyap

Go to review page

3.0

Book Classification ( fiction)
Book pages 145
Book Cost (kindle) 170
Book Star 3/5

The story takes you to Srinagar, Kashmir where a young boy name Salik has his own ambition from life and spends it with Fatima gets caught in some misfortunate incident and labeled as a terrorist. The incident forces him to leave Kashmir in the hope that he will return soon and everything will be normal. He worked odd jobs to survive, During this time he unravels the mystery. This book is a mix of philosophy and fiction, It is also Beginner-friendly written in a simple and smooth language.

Although with a lot of controversial topics written the author remains to be unbiased and made no political remark that was highly commendable. This book for me was a story of hope written from the perspective of two lovers. It was a story of love and hope to me.
Coffee Table Stories by Nikhil Harihar Tayade

Go to review page

3.0

Book Classification - Fiction ( Short Stories)

Book pages- 100

Book cost- {kindle} 49

Book Star 3.5/5

Coffee table stories is a book collection of short stories, all the stories are written so beautifully and have a moral lesson at the end. I will surely give this book as a gift to my cousin's brother who has just turned 14. It has around 10 short stories in general, among them, my favorite is Lucky Stone, The Last Payment, Doctor Couple, Emotions are not for sale, and Past Blemish.

This book is written in beginner-friendly language as well as the stories touch you emotionally. The short stories are written is great for the beginner, for someone who has just started reading, or for someone who is already an avid reader and looking for a little break.

This book is a light read for me hardly 100 pages short but I enjoyed it a lot. I read one story every day for the last 10 days and I have enjoyed it a lot.

(Description of my Favourite story from this book)

A guy looking for a bank loan for quite a long time filled all the major requirements but at the end was short of 4.5 Lack of rs. Earlier when he was in college he overheard his parents talking about 1 lack rs, he desperately wanted a bike during those time to flaunt among his friends, his father refused that he won't buy him a bike because he doesn't have money right now but he will always be his side whenever he needs him. That time that guy was furious and didn't talk for months to his dad. On his graduation day he got to know his father passed away, he regretted that he didn't say sorry to him at all but today when he needed 4.5 lack rs urgently for his home loan his dad provided him, how? in case you are wondering, his dad put those 1 lack rs in mutual funds in his name for his future.

maybe that's how parents are, unlimited love and support that no one could provide. My mom always says when you will have your own kid you will understand.

On that note. Hope you enjoy reading this book.
Petit à Petit: Little by Little by Ambica Uppal

Go to review page

4.0

Don’t grow thorns

Just because you couldn’t grow flowers.

Don’t freeze just because you couldn’t melt.

There’s more than what meets the eyes

That can be touched and felt.

~More colors than black and white



Petit a petit by Ambika Uppal is an extremely beautiful poetry book, this book came to me as a review copy and I am so glad I took it. This book has been written in an eloquent manner speaking about dreaming big as well as living your life.

Let me dance to the rhythm I choose,

Let me write my own lyrics to the tune.

Give me the gift of freedom as I give it to you,

Let my spirit be fragrant of my own perfume!

Petit a petit is a poetry book that talks about self-love and self-care, living your life in a moment where you make days count rather than just counting your days. Her writing style is highly commendable where each and every line holds and deep and acute meaning hidden well in every line. This poetry book tells a lot about freedom, self-love, and healing and glorifying yourself, Poetry is best to read to uplift yourself and your mindset, breaking the barriers as well as rooting for the best version of yourself.

This book is subdivided into these major category that is

1. Petit a petit

2. The magic that you hold within

3. Look within

4. Bloom

5. Dream on

This book is written in a beginner-friendly way, I adore Ambika Uppal's writing style as well as her expression which she has beautifully narrated on this piece of paper. I like to read poetry that makes me a better version of myself, motivates as well as empowers me and I think she did her job very well. I recommend this read to anyone who wants to try poetry. Happy reading.
One & A Half Love Story by Vishal Anand

Go to review page

3.0

One and a half love story is my first read of 2021 and to be very honest with you guys I did not regret it. I was sent this review copy by the Kharidobecho team and it was an amazing light read lest I got a break from the non-fiction.
Book Classification- Fiction (Romance)

Book pages 203

Book cost 159
The three main characters in this story are Viraj, Nimisha, and Shriya. Viraj is an old-school gentleman who believed love could only happen once to a person. Viraj fell head over heels for Nimisha on the very first day of college but Nimisha never liked him because she was focused on her studies as well as her career.

As life moves on Nimisha move to Pune for her job and Viraj joins a startup in Banglore, he was doing great in his career. his colleague Shriya fell for him but Viraj just considered her a friend.

One day out of nowhere Nimisha calls Viraj up and asks to meet him. why? will Viraj ship with Shriya who loves him deeply or will he choose to be with Nimisha, his first love.

I totally adore this sweet love story written by Vishal Anand. It was a light read and overall a fun Saturday night read.