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12 Precious Anecdotes from Life
This book is a unique collection of 12 short stories that are of the contemporary fiction genre written in a first person narrative identifying one lead character in each storyline.
These short stories gently address the readers about the following valuable themes -
1. Some adventure, precious moments of tender love, care and togetherness that is more valuable than all the materialism in the world.
2. Living a blessed life filled with positive thoughts, compassion and insights.
3. Uplifting, thought provoking and unique lessons from life.
4. Serving as inspiration, rejuvenating family life.
5. Highlighting the values and virtues of being true to oneself, honesty and sincerity in discovering and following one's true goals and ideals.
These short stories gently address the readers about the following valuable themes -
1. Some adventure, precious moments of tender love, care and togetherness that is more valuable than all the materialism in the world.
2. Living a blessed life filled with positive thoughts, compassion and insights.
3. Uplifting, thought provoking and unique lessons from life.
4. Serving as inspiration, rejuvenating family life.
5. Highlighting the values and virtues of being true to oneself, honesty and sincerity in discovering and following one's true goals and ideals.
52 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 30, 2012
5 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 14, 2012
Author Payal Roy’s inspirational work, 12 PRECIOUS ANECDOTES FROM LIFE, is one of those books which made me reflect about how life really is filled with jewels and precious moments which, sometimes, we do not anticipate, or fully appreciate, but occur so that we can learn, and grow, from the experience. It is a book which contains 12 different life events, as witnessed by author, and narrator Anita Maher, detailing how the lives of Anita’s close friends and acquaintances were enriched from their life-changing experiences.
The anecdotes are written with flair and flow well, and, while similar in their intent, each tell a different narrative. It is a book with a slow build, meaning that it does not contain flashy or melodramatic scenes; rather, it focuses upon the small moments in the lives of its characters, and conveys how they find meaning from their individual experiences. I enjoyed all of the anecdotes, and do not want to single out any one in particular, as they were all very good. This is a thoughtful, coherent, well-written book which you will remember long after reading it.
The anecdotes are written with flair and flow well, and, while similar in their intent, each tell a different narrative. It is a book with a slow build, meaning that it does not contain flashy or melodramatic scenes; rather, it focuses upon the small moments in the lives of its characters, and conveys how they find meaning from their individual experiences. I enjoyed all of the anecdotes, and do not want to single out any one in particular, as they were all very good. This is a thoughtful, coherent, well-written book which you will remember long after reading it.
May 3, 2015
I honestly feel like I should write two reviews for this book, one a critical analysis on the book itself and the second a personal examination of my own response to it. The two are quite different. Just as the title suggests it is a collection of short stories, each containing an important lesson to help the reader lead a more fulfilled and meaningful life. Who can argue with the idea that it is important to value your friends and family above money, or to stop and appreciate small moments of bliss? I have no qualms with what the book set out to do and, honestly, even accomplishes. I didn't even have any real qualms with the writing, though it was painfully straightforward and repetitive at times. What it was that made my skin crawl was simply that I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate being preached at and that is exactly what each one of these stories felt like to me. Something like having my mother trying to tell me, a 35 year old woman, how best to live my life. While acknowledging the message, I'm inclined to reject the messenger based the emotional aversion it engenders and it's hard to rationalise myself past that.
This makes rating the book a little difficult. Should I treat that star rating above as a simple representation of my own personal opinion of the book or as a more impartial indication of the books worth to readers as a whole? Because, certainly, if you are the type of reader who enjoys sitting in Sunday School pondering the moral lessons implicit in the Book of Paul (or any other religious text) you would really like this book. I am not that person. I didn't enjoy it, but I'm not ready to say it isn't a good book.
I know it sounds like I am startling the fence on this one, but I am rather trying to impart two messages in one review. I didn't like it, but please don't take that as a general denunciation of the book. It and I were simply a poor match.
This makes rating the book a little difficult. Should I treat that star rating above as a simple representation of my own personal opinion of the book or as a more impartial indication of the books worth to readers as a whole? Because, certainly, if you are the type of reader who enjoys sitting in Sunday School pondering the moral lessons implicit in the Book of Paul (or any other religious text) you would really like this book. I am not that person. I didn't enjoy it, but I'm not ready to say it isn't a good book.
I know it sounds like I am startling the fence on this one, but I am rather trying to impart two messages in one review. I didn't like it, but please don't take that as a general denunciation of the book. It and I were simply a poor match.
June 29, 2012
The twelve stories in this novella are very short and with that, character and plot development is formulaic and simple. The main focus of this novella is to convey nuggets of wisdom to enrich your life and make you think about what is really important. The stimulating messages range over friendship, family, pets, and self-worth; providing insight into the common pitfalls of our workaholic, profit-driven society. This is a simple book with few pretensions, and inspiring words for jaded individuals.
July 17, 2012
Lessons for life
I'm loving the lessons for life concept behind this collection of short stories. I'm finding the situations and the characters to be very believable. We could all use the traits that are presented like patience is a virtue and money isn't everything. I will say it is rather thought provoking and there are some lessons I could apply.
I'm loving the lessons for life concept behind this collection of short stories. I'm finding the situations and the characters to be very believable. We could all use the traits that are presented like patience is a virtue and money isn't everything. I will say it is rather thought provoking and there are some lessons I could apply.
April 25, 2018
The author, Payal Roy, has written twelve short stories called 12 Precious Anecdotes From Life. All are written by 'Anita', who explains this has come about because her friends know she likes to write and believe their story is worth telling and possibly reading about. They are. They describe anger, greed, brutality, selfishness and the unexplainable. But then Anita goes on to tell about how the twelve people turned the tables and brought about right action. I loved this book and found it uplifting.
July 12, 2012
Cherish the small things in life.
Live every day to its fullest.
Do not go without noticing the less fortunate people around you.
Do not take small events for granted, it isn’t only the big things that can change your life.
These little phrases are all a part of the message Payal puts forth in this book. 12 Precious Anecdotes from Life is a story told from the point of view of Anita Maher. Every segment provides a life changing story told by someone who has come into her life. From struggles of greed and gambling, to learning to appreciate nature and its beauty, Payal covers many topics that people go through in their everyday life and struggles that are very much present in our world. This aspect of the story is quite intriguing.
Although the plot itself was intriguing, there are a few points I would like to make that made it a little difficult for me to read. Every reader is different, though. That’s the beauty of books.
I found that in certain places, ten dollar words were used when a one dollar word would work just as well if not better. The saying less is more applies here. It made the sentences run a bit dry in places. The use of a larger vocabulary felt as though it was a bit forced to give the book more of a formal tone. Which brings me to my next point:
The conversations between Anita and her friends felt very formal to me. Almost as if she was always on a job interview. While this may vary from reader to reader, I am not used to reading dialogue in that way, and it took a bit of getting used to.
I also felt as if more time was spent developing the message itself rather than the story line. In some spots it felt as if the story was pushed a certain way in order to make it go along with the lesson. The messages, though, were very clear and thought provoking, which is a major point for many people.
Although the story was told from Anita’s point of view, it seemed to me as if most of the segments were one large story telling piece from the person that segment is about. It seemed like Anita didn’t need to be a character throughout the whole thing. The only time her story line was really present was during the story about the puppies and also the homeless man. She could have been given her own segment, because I feel like her story needs to be told, and maybe at the end it could have been expressed that they were all entangled through the common factor of Anita.
Overall, I think this was a book for people who are very interested in Philosophy of life, which doesn’t necessarily catch my attention, but for those who enjoy the subject would enjoy this novel.
I give this book a 2.5/5 Stars. Philosophy readers, grab a copy. It just isn’t my thing.
Live every day to its fullest.
Do not go without noticing the less fortunate people around you.
Do not take small events for granted, it isn’t only the big things that can change your life.
These little phrases are all a part of the message Payal puts forth in this book. 12 Precious Anecdotes from Life is a story told from the point of view of Anita Maher. Every segment provides a life changing story told by someone who has come into her life. From struggles of greed and gambling, to learning to appreciate nature and its beauty, Payal covers many topics that people go through in their everyday life and struggles that are very much present in our world. This aspect of the story is quite intriguing.
Although the plot itself was intriguing, there are a few points I would like to make that made it a little difficult for me to read. Every reader is different, though. That’s the beauty of books.
I found that in certain places, ten dollar words were used when a one dollar word would work just as well if not better. The saying less is more applies here. It made the sentences run a bit dry in places. The use of a larger vocabulary felt as though it was a bit forced to give the book more of a formal tone. Which brings me to my next point:
The conversations between Anita and her friends felt very formal to me. Almost as if she was always on a job interview. While this may vary from reader to reader, I am not used to reading dialogue in that way, and it took a bit of getting used to.
I also felt as if more time was spent developing the message itself rather than the story line. In some spots it felt as if the story was pushed a certain way in order to make it go along with the lesson. The messages, though, were very clear and thought provoking, which is a major point for many people.
Although the story was told from Anita’s point of view, it seemed to me as if most of the segments were one large story telling piece from the person that segment is about. It seemed like Anita didn’t need to be a character throughout the whole thing. The only time her story line was really present was during the story about the puppies and also the homeless man. She could have been given her own segment, because I feel like her story needs to be told, and maybe at the end it could have been expressed that they were all entangled through the common factor of Anita.
Overall, I think this was a book for people who are very interested in Philosophy of life, which doesn’t necessarily catch my attention, but for those who enjoy the subject would enjoy this novel.
I give this book a 2.5/5 Stars. Philosophy readers, grab a copy. It just isn’t my thing.
August 24, 2012
Did I enjoy this book: I'm sad to say that I did not really enjoy this book. It was not a book that I had to keep reading...I only finished it because I agreed to review the book.
The twelve short stories are all connected to one another by the characters in them. All of the stories have worthwhile messages behind them that make the reader think and evaluate their own experiences. The first story, Share and Have Some Chocolates, is about taking the time to savor and relax. Money Can't Buy Everything is like the title, money isn't everything, you need to hang on to what matters. To Be Human(e) is about being aware of those around you and to help those that are less fortunate that yourself. The sixth story, To Be Alive, tells the reader to live life because it is too short and unpredictable. Treat Others the Way You Want to Be Treated is just as the title suggests and it also reminded me of that television show, Undercover Boss.
However, with that being said, the problem I had with this book was mainly the language that was used. The conversations between the characters felt forced and almost too proper for an everyday conversation. There were also a lot of typos and misuse of words. For example, an "at" when it should have been "to" or "in" when it should have been "on." These things made it harder to read the book smoothly. This should have been a quick, easy read but it took a long time to get through the stories.
Would I recommend it: I don't think that I would recommend this book.
Will I read it again: I will not.
http://everyfreechancebookreviews.blo...
The twelve short stories are all connected to one another by the characters in them. All of the stories have worthwhile messages behind them that make the reader think and evaluate their own experiences. The first story, Share and Have Some Chocolates, is about taking the time to savor and relax. Money Can't Buy Everything is like the title, money isn't everything, you need to hang on to what matters. To Be Human(e) is about being aware of those around you and to help those that are less fortunate that yourself. The sixth story, To Be Alive, tells the reader to live life because it is too short and unpredictable. Treat Others the Way You Want to Be Treated is just as the title suggests and it also reminded me of that television show, Undercover Boss.
However, with that being said, the problem I had with this book was mainly the language that was used. The conversations between the characters felt forced and almost too proper for an everyday conversation. There were also a lot of typos and misuse of words. For example, an "at" when it should have been "to" or "in" when it should have been "on." These things made it harder to read the book smoothly. This should have been a quick, easy read but it took a long time to get through the stories.
Would I recommend it: I don't think that I would recommend this book.
Will I read it again: I will not.
http://everyfreechancebookreviews.blo...
December 11, 2015
In 12 Precious Anecdotes From Life, Payal pens several stories which invites us to make timely reflections of our own quality of life. The stories are easy to read and written in a unique personal voice which makes them relatable. We are reminded to be cautious of pursuing senseless materialism that eats away at our souls and comforted with the hope that life often gives us second chances to redeem ourselves. The book also draws us to appreciate the beauty of seemingly trivial day-to-day actions and illustrates the essence of what it means to be human and experience a full range of emotions. More importantly, it highlights which emotions are worth holding on to for our own wellbeing. The stories extend beyond the human realm to our connection with the animal kingdom and are an endearing representation of the bigger circle of life and energy flow that many of us have lost touch with due to the quick pace of the highly individualized and atomized structure of modern living. This read will ignite your senses of what it means to appreciate life.
February 11, 2013
A nice collection of stories that send a message by example not unlike the parables told by Jesus. This is not a religious book but you can easliy apply the lessons to everyday life and they can inspire you. Thought prevoking and easy to read.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews