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The Blue Moon Day: Five Men's Magical Discovery enroute Life
Things were never the same for five ordinary individuals who got struck at cross roads and there was no way they can run back. They had no other choice but to take a plunge into their deepest fear and leave the rest to destiny. Their characters was tested out of their comfort zone and it witnessed abstruse results; a PhD scholar fights to win a pizza making contest and a tennis prodigy running for his life in a war torn , bloodied Island. Extreme circumstances and their consequences made these ordinary individuals extraordinary . Was the test imposed on them by someone? Or did they invite it on themselves. The Blue Moon Day is that Once in a Blue Moon day story which questions an individual’s priorities, ridicules the worldly routines and finally redefines happiness.
243 pages, Paperback
First published June 4, 2018
11 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
About the author
Santhosh Sivaraj
12 books17 followersI believe in seeing with the mind , writing with the heart and living through others. This way I believe in living more life per life.
I believe in writing things simple and not simply. No matter what, every word ever written will resonate differently for different people based on their intelligence & imagination. My words are no exception.
I remember and quote the following words written by Author Ruskin Bond in one of his introduction.
Ruskin Bond
People often ask me why my style is so simple. It is, in fact, deceptively simple,
for no two sentences are really alike. It is clarity that I am striving to attain, not
simplicity.
‘When you talk you sound quite complicated,’ said a friend. And I had to explain
that I’ve spent forty years trying to simplify my style and clarify my thoughts!
Of course some people want literature to be difficult. And there are writers who
like to make their readers toil and sweat. They hope to be taken more seriously that
way. I have always tried to achieve a prose that is easy and conversational. And those
who think this is simple should try it for themselves.
I believe in writing things simple and not simply. No matter what, every word ever written will resonate differently for different people based on their intelligence & imagination. My words are no exception.
I remember and quote the following words written by Author Ruskin Bond in one of his introduction.
Ruskin Bond
People often ask me why my style is so simple. It is, in fact, deceptively simple,
for no two sentences are really alike. It is clarity that I am striving to attain, not
simplicity.
‘When you talk you sound quite complicated,’ said a friend. And I had to explain
that I’ve spent forty years trying to simplify my style and clarify my thoughts!
Of course some people want literature to be difficult. And there are writers who
like to make their readers toil and sweat. They hope to be taken more seriously that
way. I have always tried to achieve a prose that is easy and conversational. And those
who think this is simple should try it for themselves.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 274 reviews
March 8, 2020
The Blue moon day is the author's debut book. It's a story about five different individuals Abi, Deepak, Vivi, Sankaran, and Prabha. They were lost in their lives. Each individual has own story and struggles. Abi wants a good job. Deepak wants his love Priya. Vivi is hanging between job and family. Sankaran who is living in an old age home wants his family. Prabha wants to live a healthy life. They all go through a dark face in their life until a ray of hope comes and change their lives completely.
The author describes each of their story in separate sections. Each story is divergent than others but the teaching and end are the same. We all know that one person who brings positivity in our life. In this story, an old man helps these five people to achieve their happiness. He gives purpose to living. He is kind of Santa Claus who knows what you want and what is stopping you from finding it. One can easily connect with characters.
I really like the concept of Zero mind theory. In this theory, a person can do all the work which he/she didn't do in ages without giving any single thought. I applied this theory to my life and I must say I am very impressed by the results.
"There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way."
The author's writing is simple and easily understandable. There are a few errors in the book. He did a good job but still, there is a long way to go. The author said - "Just as writing fast is a talent, Reading slowly is also a virtue. I would recommend that you read this book slowly, to gain the most from the experience." But it's a quick read. I complete this book in 2 days. So it's your choice you want to read it slow or fast but it's a must-read. It does not extend unwantedly and good for newcomers too.
Read more here - https://www.bookscharming.com
The author describes each of their story in separate sections. Each story is divergent than others but the teaching and end are the same. We all know that one person who brings positivity in our life. In this story, an old man helps these five people to achieve their happiness. He gives purpose to living. He is kind of Santa Claus who knows what you want and what is stopping you from finding it. One can easily connect with characters.
I really like the concept of Zero mind theory. In this theory, a person can do all the work which he/she didn't do in ages without giving any single thought. I applied this theory to my life and I must say I am very impressed by the results.
"There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way."
The author's writing is simple and easily understandable. There are a few errors in the book. He did a good job but still, there is a long way to go. The author said - "Just as writing fast is a talent, Reading slowly is also a virtue. I would recommend that you read this book slowly, to gain the most from the experience." But it's a quick read. I complete this book in 2 days. So it's your choice you want to read it slow or fast but it's a must-read. It does not extend unwantedly and good for newcomers too.
Read more here - https://www.bookscharming.com
June 18, 2018
To start the short review here on Goodreads, let me tell the readers that it is undoubtedly an awesome book!!! The title by Santhosh kept me hooked for the weekend and I am still living in those war zone of Prabhakaran and waiting to see someone like Mr Pillai in my real life. Sankaran character moved me to tears. I must say that it was a noble attempt to move that story in the form of letters. Certainly, a delight having got such a title and I will recommend this to all my readers (who read my reviews).
August 6, 2018
The Blue Moon Day
Author - Santhosh Sivaraj
Publishers - Invincible Publishers
Publication date - 9 Jun 2018
Genre - Fiction
Page Count - 222 ( Paperback )
Source - Review copy sent by the Author
mybookishvibes rates - ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
My Review:
The book 'The Blue Moon Day' contains about five stories of five different Men each sharing one common aspect, their dreams and in search of their purpose in life.
"The purpose of life is happiness and everything else is an illusion."
1. The Pizza Engineer: The story portraying an Engineer, Abhibav, who's very smart and talented but always has insecurities on his weight and figure and trying all his might to get a job fit for his qualifications. And then he comes across with Mr. Pillai, who he thinks is interviewing him, but soon enough finds himself competing for the biggest pizzamaking competition that he cannot lose at any cost to prove his worth for any job.
2. The Messenger: The story of Deepak who's been struggling to keep his married life stable and carrying on with work and family. But when crisis hits hard he tries hard, he finds himself in the lonely path and becomes addicted to alcohol and smoking.
3. Not Today: It is the story of a workaholic man, Vivian, who doesn't believe in spontaneity and works hard to gain control yet somehow fails to give importance to the most necessary meaning of life, of living.
4. The Storyteller: This story is of an old man,Sankaran and his friend Anustap, as they try to find true happiness in the last days of their lives.
5. The Heaven: It's a very emotional story of a young guy who's such big dreams of becoming a star in sports and helping her mother through hard times and how his life suddenly takes one dangerous turn as he finds out about his sickness and vows to go to an island at the time of war to meet the best physician. And there his true journey starts as he finds the true meaning of life and living.
My Thoughts:
The Cover: What I loved most was this beautiful cover of the book, so beautifully andmagical with dark blue and the moon at its center, which according to the author had been a huge motivation in his life.
The Story: Each story was different, yet somehow they had some resemblance between them, and all the five characters and their lives showcasing their efforts and struggles and how one single person, The Old Man (Dr. Raj/Mr. Pillai/Aju/The Old Lunatic/Anustap), who tries to help them coming as in different names and helping them in their paths as they began to lose hope in those difficulties of life. My favorite stories were of The Storyteller and The Pizza Engineer. While all the others equally motivated, simple yet so alluring in their meanings and reasonings. As the author tries to state all the life problems from different male's perspectives, each one so beautiful and heart-felt, his imagination and ideas reflect upon every part of these stories.
The Characters: I simply loved all the characters and their motivating life journey in the book.And how beautifully the author put all this together, as a man helping in another five men's life in the journey of finding true solace, their peace and destiny of their life.
The Narration: The narrative partwas simple and so beautifully descriptive with the words carrying so many powers of motivation and true life lessons.
Final Verdict and Ratings:
I really enjoyed and loved this book. It was truly inspiring and the author did an amazing job playing with the creative ideas which was clearly seen in the book. While there were some problems with the words and phrases, it certainly proved itself to be one great read. I give it 4 magical stars for all its beauty and the journey that continues forever with this book. And for spreading happiness.
"Let no force stop you from achieving victory, and when you achieve it,
You realize that it is your Blue Moon Day."
[ Thanks so much to the author for providing me with the book in exchange of a honest review ]
Author - Santhosh Sivaraj
Publishers - Invincible Publishers
Publication date - 9 Jun 2018
Genre - Fiction
Page Count - 222 ( Paperback )
Source - Review copy sent by the Author
mybookishvibes rates - ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
My Review:
The book 'The Blue Moon Day' contains about five stories of five different Men each sharing one common aspect, their dreams and in search of their purpose in life.
"The purpose of life is happiness and everything else is an illusion."
1. The Pizza Engineer: The story portraying an Engineer, Abhibav, who's very smart and talented but always has insecurities on his weight and figure and trying all his might to get a job fit for his qualifications. And then he comes across with Mr. Pillai, who he thinks is interviewing him, but soon enough finds himself competing for the biggest pizzamaking competition that he cannot lose at any cost to prove his worth for any job.
2. The Messenger: The story of Deepak who's been struggling to keep his married life stable and carrying on with work and family. But when crisis hits hard he tries hard, he finds himself in the lonely path and becomes addicted to alcohol and smoking.
3. Not Today: It is the story of a workaholic man, Vivian, who doesn't believe in spontaneity and works hard to gain control yet somehow fails to give importance to the most necessary meaning of life, of living.
4. The Storyteller: This story is of an old man,Sankaran and his friend Anustap, as they try to find true happiness in the last days of their lives.
5. The Heaven: It's a very emotional story of a young guy who's such big dreams of becoming a star in sports and helping her mother through hard times and how his life suddenly takes one dangerous turn as he finds out about his sickness and vows to go to an island at the time of war to meet the best physician. And there his true journey starts as he finds the true meaning of life and living.
My Thoughts:
The Cover: What I loved most was this beautiful cover of the book, so beautifully andmagical with dark blue and the moon at its center, which according to the author had been a huge motivation in his life.
The Story: Each story was different, yet somehow they had some resemblance between them, and all the five characters and their lives showcasing their efforts and struggles and how one single person, The Old Man (Dr. Raj/Mr. Pillai/Aju/The Old Lunatic/Anustap), who tries to help them coming as in different names and helping them in their paths as they began to lose hope in those difficulties of life. My favorite stories were of The Storyteller and The Pizza Engineer. While all the others equally motivated, simple yet so alluring in their meanings and reasonings. As the author tries to state all the life problems from different male's perspectives, each one so beautiful and heart-felt, his imagination and ideas reflect upon every part of these stories.
The Characters: I simply loved all the characters and their motivating life journey in the book.And how beautifully the author put all this together, as a man helping in another five men's life in the journey of finding true solace, their peace and destiny of their life.
The Narration: The narrative partwas simple and so beautifully descriptive with the words carrying so many powers of motivation and true life lessons.
Final Verdict and Ratings:
I really enjoyed and loved this book. It was truly inspiring and the author did an amazing job playing with the creative ideas which was clearly seen in the book. While there were some problems with the words and phrases, it certainly proved itself to be one great read. I give it 4 magical stars for all its beauty and the journey that continues forever with this book. And for spreading happiness.
"Let no force stop you from achieving victory, and when you achieve it,
You realize that it is your Blue Moon Day."
[ Thanks so much to the author for providing me with the book in exchange of a honest review ]
November 29, 2018
"Life is what happens when you're busy making your excuses."
The above lines perfectly sum up the book for me.
Five different men with different lives have two things in common : first is the lack of purpose and second the one man who comes to rescue them all.
In today's world, it has been difficult to enjoy the small pleasures life throws at us. A relaxing career, understanding spouse, loving family, helpful neighbors and comforting friends is everything one continues to look for and if you are not paying close attention, things can get rough.
A helping hand is all one requires in that case. For these men who almost lost their tracks, one guiding soul stood by their side. Purpose and Love can win you everything.
Life can be pretty hard sometimes but there's no reason to think it is going to be the same. Not everyday is sunny, not everyday is filled with sorrow. Normal people have ups and down en route life and if you found your purpose, you will only encounter ups and more ups.
That's what I learned from this book.
Lucid writing style, clear vision in writing the book made me like it even more. The author was right is urging the readers to read is as slowly as possible because here and there one can find himself in the characters, making the book relatable in many levels.
Recommended to anyone who is going through a tough phase. This one can be the light.
The above lines perfectly sum up the book for me.
Five different men with different lives have two things in common : first is the lack of purpose and second the one man who comes to rescue them all.
In today's world, it has been difficult to enjoy the small pleasures life throws at us. A relaxing career, understanding spouse, loving family, helpful neighbors and comforting friends is everything one continues to look for and if you are not paying close attention, things can get rough.
A helping hand is all one requires in that case. For these men who almost lost their tracks, one guiding soul stood by their side. Purpose and Love can win you everything.
Life can be pretty hard sometimes but there's no reason to think it is going to be the same. Not everyday is sunny, not everyday is filled with sorrow. Normal people have ups and down en route life and if you found your purpose, you will only encounter ups and more ups.
That's what I learned from this book.
Lucid writing style, clear vision in writing the book made me like it even more. The author was right is urging the readers to read is as slowly as possible because here and there one can find himself in the characters, making the book relatable in many levels.
Recommended to anyone who is going through a tough phase. This one can be the light.
June 20, 2018
Although I wanted to speak about the entire book, the storyteller episode just occupies my entire mind as I write this. I read the particular story for a couple of times and yet it made me hooked to it every time. In fact every time it enabled me to find new meanings to the words. What can readers as more than this? The words look simple but I am sure it means different to people of different ages. It is a well-researched book just without footnotes as it is a fiction. This does not belong to the new age category of a fiction book and it is unique and memorable. For an inspirational classic.
June 18, 2018
Once in a blue moon, we bump into books we can't appreciate enough for their simplicity and the delight of reading them gives our soul. The Blue Moon Day encompasses the stories of five men who are en route to discover their purpose in life. Each story strikes a different chord of heart and you would be actually transported into the land where the whole thing is taking place.
The whole book revolves religiously around one central theme - the blue moon day, a rare event that takes place in our life due to the sheer serendipity. That one day is the one where we learn about ourselves, where we realize that we hold the power to mold our life, where we come to know that it is we who are the creators as well as destroyers of our destiny. In all its true essence, the mind possesses an immense power to influence our actions. If we could direct it the way we want, if we become its masters then the life would simply pan out to be the way we desire.
The youth will relate easily to The Pizza Engineer Abi who is crazily chasing his academic excellence and awaits success but is clueless about his true passion. A mysterious man shows him the way to it. The letter was truly touching. Not Today highlights the reckless pursuit of money we indulge in that we fail to take notice of little pleasures surrounding our lives. It is only difficulties that break our trance and we attain the much-needed clarity in our lives. The Storyteller finds his protagonist recounting his past, trying to level up with his present when he meets the face which brings a new ray of hope in his life. It brought back the freshness of handwritten letters which were used to be prime mode of communication before we got digital. The Heaven makes us look at the agony of a person who is despaired to find about his fatal illness and the terrifying sight of a war-torn island. The description of the end when the protagonist is taken to the heaven is amazing! I didn't like The Messenger though.
The stories have been intricately woven with the right combination of words and emotions. The characters will feel real and you'll find yourself in their place. I especially liked the concept of Zero Hour that has been mentioned in the book. It is really effective and easy to practice yet difficult to master. The lucidity of expressions coupled with sound narration is enough to engage the readers. Not to forget, the cover is very good. It's a pleasure to behold such ethereal book covers. Overall, the book is a good treat!
If you are in search of a fictional book which could keep you engaged for a few hours, you can go for this one. For the newbies out there, it is a wonderful work to start with. Looking forward to reading more from the author.
The whole book revolves religiously around one central theme - the blue moon day, a rare event that takes place in our life due to the sheer serendipity. That one day is the one where we learn about ourselves, where we realize that we hold the power to mold our life, where we come to know that it is we who are the creators as well as destroyers of our destiny. In all its true essence, the mind possesses an immense power to influence our actions. If we could direct it the way we want, if we become its masters then the life would simply pan out to be the way we desire.
The youth will relate easily to The Pizza Engineer Abi who is crazily chasing his academic excellence and awaits success but is clueless about his true passion. A mysterious man shows him the way to it. The letter was truly touching. Not Today highlights the reckless pursuit of money we indulge in that we fail to take notice of little pleasures surrounding our lives. It is only difficulties that break our trance and we attain the much-needed clarity in our lives. The Storyteller finds his protagonist recounting his past, trying to level up with his present when he meets the face which brings a new ray of hope in his life. It brought back the freshness of handwritten letters which were used to be prime mode of communication before we got digital. The Heaven makes us look at the agony of a person who is despaired to find about his fatal illness and the terrifying sight of a war-torn island. The description of the end when the protagonist is taken to the heaven is amazing! I didn't like The Messenger though.
The stories have been intricately woven with the right combination of words and emotions. The characters will feel real and you'll find yourself in their place. I especially liked the concept of Zero Hour that has been mentioned in the book. It is really effective and easy to practice yet difficult to master. The lucidity of expressions coupled with sound narration is enough to engage the readers. Not to forget, the cover is very good. It's a pleasure to behold such ethereal book covers. Overall, the book is a good treat!
If you are in search of a fictional book which could keep you engaged for a few hours, you can go for this one. For the newbies out there, it is a wonderful work to start with. Looking forward to reading more from the author.
October 1, 2018
The author sent me a copy of his book for review, and I thank him for that. First of all, I would like to say that the cover is beautiful and appealing. Loved it. Now, coming on to the book, the preface was intriguing and made me want to read more.
From the beginning itself, I liked the author’s style of narration, probably because it is similar to mine—scene by scene in the third person limited POV. The plot construction and characterization were also decent. I could feel for the characters.
However, one thing did annoy me throughout the book—the overuse of exclamation marks in dialogues. That gave a very amateurish feel to the book. Also, I did find a few grammatical errors here and there, but they were not very distracting. However, I did notice many more punctuation errors (especially missing punctuation) which the author should have been more careful about. The language is simple and fluent throughout, but perhaps a bit too simple for my liking—no better than the language we use on social media. There was no beauty in the writing—I never felt like re-reading even one sentence. But I must admit that there was a certain fluidity in the narration, which I liked.
I liked how the inspiration is supplied to the reader via the old, wise man—it was very believable. I also liked the ending of most of the stories, which intrigued me enough to continue reading as I thought there would be something special in the ending. However, two stories disappointed me—’Not Today’ and ‘The Heaven’. ‘Not Today’ was too dramatic and unrealistic (like a Hindi movie) and I didn’t understand the whole point of ‘The Heaven’ and the weird, unsatisfying ending. Also, I was really looking forward to the ending of the book, where I hoped to find something special, but unfortunately, it was a bit too bland for my liking. It couldn’t meet my lofty expectations.
However, despite the various little issues I mentioned above, this is a good book. Several quotes are inspiring, and they seldom seem preachy or forced. A few stories are heart-touching (especially ‘The Messenger’ and ‘The Storyteller’). The language, despite its blandness, is suitable for an inspirational fiction of this kind, and the narration is good throughout. I enjoyed reading the book, and if the ending would have been more satisfying, I would have perhaps given it even 4 stars.
But for now, I give it 3.45 stars. Good luck to the author for his future works.
From the beginning itself, I liked the author’s style of narration, probably because it is similar to mine—scene by scene in the third person limited POV. The plot construction and characterization were also decent. I could feel for the characters.
However, one thing did annoy me throughout the book—the overuse of exclamation marks in dialogues. That gave a very amateurish feel to the book. Also, I did find a few grammatical errors here and there, but they were not very distracting. However, I did notice many more punctuation errors (especially missing punctuation) which the author should have been more careful about. The language is simple and fluent throughout, but perhaps a bit too simple for my liking—no better than the language we use on social media. There was no beauty in the writing—I never felt like re-reading even one sentence. But I must admit that there was a certain fluidity in the narration, which I liked.
I liked how the inspiration is supplied to the reader via the old, wise man—it was very believable. I also liked the ending of most of the stories, which intrigued me enough to continue reading as I thought there would be something special in the ending. However, two stories disappointed me—’Not Today’ and ‘The Heaven’. ‘Not Today’ was too dramatic and unrealistic (like a Hindi movie) and I didn’t understand the whole point of ‘The Heaven’ and the weird, unsatisfying ending. Also, I was really looking forward to the ending of the book, where I hoped to find something special, but unfortunately, it was a bit too bland for my liking. It couldn’t meet my lofty expectations.
However, despite the various little issues I mentioned above, this is a good book. Several quotes are inspiring, and they seldom seem preachy or forced. A few stories are heart-touching (especially ‘The Messenger’ and ‘The Storyteller’). The language, despite its blandness, is suitable for an inspirational fiction of this kind, and the narration is good throughout. I enjoyed reading the book, and if the ending would have been more satisfying, I would have perhaps given it even 4 stars.
But for now, I give it 3.45 stars. Good luck to the author for his future works.
July 17, 2018
Rating: 3.5
Thanks to the author for review copy!
Okay, so let me start off by saying that this is one of those rare books that you stumble upon, and end up loving it! I don't read many books in this genre, but I had seen this book around and decided to give it a try.
This book is about the journey of five men, who are stuck at a point from where they don't know how to get ahead, and are constantly thinking of ways to make their life more meaningful.
What I really love about this book is how it gives you hope and encourages you to do things out of your comfort zone, and keeping it real.
I was hooked onto the story right from the beginning. It's all about the perspective, and your lookout on life and relationships. We all have different inspirations, and we all use different methods to face our problems, but in the end, it's all about living a happy, meaningful life.
The story is written in a manner which will make you think about your life and what you're doing with it. It's not a self help book, but you sure will learn a lot from the journey of these men.
The book is written in a very simple manner, in fact too simple. Because the story is very powerful, and it would've turned out even better if the writing wasn't so monotonous. That's the only point I thought needed to be worked on, because other than that, I absolutely love the message this book is trying to convey.
It was such a great experience, reading this book. I would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a simple, meaningful read, because I assure you, the story like this will stay with you for a very long time.
Thanks to the author for review copy!
Okay, so let me start off by saying that this is one of those rare books that you stumble upon, and end up loving it! I don't read many books in this genre, but I had seen this book around and decided to give it a try.
This book is about the journey of five men, who are stuck at a point from where they don't know how to get ahead, and are constantly thinking of ways to make their life more meaningful.
What I really love about this book is how it gives you hope and encourages you to do things out of your comfort zone, and keeping it real.
I was hooked onto the story right from the beginning. It's all about the perspective, and your lookout on life and relationships. We all have different inspirations, and we all use different methods to face our problems, but in the end, it's all about living a happy, meaningful life.
The story is written in a manner which will make you think about your life and what you're doing with it. It's not a self help book, but you sure will learn a lot from the journey of these men.
The book is written in a very simple manner, in fact too simple. Because the story is very powerful, and it would've turned out even better if the writing wasn't so monotonous. That's the only point I thought needed to be worked on, because other than that, I absolutely love the message this book is trying to convey.
It was such a great experience, reading this book. I would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a simple, meaningful read, because I assure you, the story like this will stay with you for a very long time.
June 25, 2021
Five individuals stuck at cross roads in their lives get helped by an old man in one way or the other. This not only brings them out of the tough phase of their life but also changes their outlook towards life for better.
The Blue Moon Day is that Once in a Blue Moon Day story which questions an individual's priorities, ridicules the worldly routines and finally redefines happiness.
The Blue Moon day is a fictional tale filled with many lessons that you would expect to find in a self-help book. It is not only engaging to read but it can also be truly enlightening at certain points. The first story The Pizza Engineer is the simplest of all and my favourite from the book.
The Blue Moon Day is unique in the way it integrates life lessons into these fictional tales. It is gripping and all the stories had a nice plot. The second story, The Messenger really surprised me with it's end. The end of the book introduced the old man who helped all the characters to the readers. It was an excellent book.
The Blue Moon Day is that Once in a Blue Moon Day story which questions an individual's priorities, ridicules the worldly routines and finally redefines happiness.
The Blue Moon day is a fictional tale filled with many lessons that you would expect to find in a self-help book. It is not only engaging to read but it can also be truly enlightening at certain points. The first story The Pizza Engineer is the simplest of all and my favourite from the book.
The Blue Moon Day is unique in the way it integrates life lessons into these fictional tales. It is gripping and all the stories had a nice plot. The second story, The Messenger really surprised me with it's end. The end of the book introduced the old man who helped all the characters to the readers. It was an excellent book.
June 26, 2018
The Blue moon day by Santosh Sivaraj
The book consist of five stories of five individuals, their difficulties in life, twists and turns of life and facing their deepest fear. Inspirational stories, nice writing style and concept. Holds your attention till last. Loved it!!
The book consist of five stories of five individuals, their difficulties in life, twists and turns of life and facing their deepest fear. Inspirational stories, nice writing style and concept. Holds your attention till last. Loved it!!
June 19, 2018
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The Blue Moon Day Book Review: Where Is Yours? #BookReview
The Blue Moon Day: Five Men's Magical Enroute Life by Santhosh Sivaraj is about the other side of life what we live as. It is something like showing the gap between how we spend our lives and how well we can spend. The gap is huge. But the effort you need to fill that gap is very less. It is only the need of courage to accept the ground reality and go for a change. The book, in fact, shows you a mirror in which you see your image but in an altogether different perspective. A perspective that is lying somewhere within you and carrying a huge amount of positivity. Something that most of the time we ignore or tend to ignore. This book shows you the sweeter side of pain and the darker side of happiness.
The Blue Moon Day: Five Men's Magical Enroute Life by Santhosh Sivaraj teaches how to come out of false shades of happiness and live a truthful, meaningful, and mindful life. It is not a book of preachings. Neither is it a self- help book. But still, there is a lot of learning that flows automatically while turning the pages. The author has a phenomenally impressive way of storytelling. Right from the first page it grabs your attention and takes engagement to a different level. A level where you stay an intact part of each of the five stories. As if you are witnessing each story. Like the things are happening in front of you. It seems as if the author has seen various aspects of life and death very closely. The writing style has a great level of maturity and engagement.
Each of the stories of The Blue Moon Day flows in a natural manner. These 5 different stories have a different protagonist but there is a common connection among each of the five protagonists. You will definitely find these characters quite close to your heart. One or the other story, in fact, might bring tears. The super protagonist brings a huge transformation in each of the protagonists in a very convincing manner. Each story is simple but has a deep meaning. It might become a life changer for a few. A must read for all and a must have to be a part of your personal collection of good books. This is a book that you can read as many times and every time it promises to give you a new meaning of life and a small change in your outlook towards life and people in your life.
As the author of The Blue Moon Day says the stories are a result of real-life characters he encountered during his journey of life. Who knows which story matches some part of your life or someone’s who is in your close proximity. The matter of the fact is to find this golden day of your life in your own style. Grab the book and I am sure you will be happy to get something precious in it.
The Blue Moon Day Book Review: Where Is Yours? #BookReview
The Blue Moon Day: Five Men's Magical Enroute Life by Santhosh Sivaraj is about the other side of life what we live as. It is something like showing the gap between how we spend our lives and how well we can spend. The gap is huge. But the effort you need to fill that gap is very less. It is only the need of courage to accept the ground reality and go for a change. The book, in fact, shows you a mirror in which you see your image but in an altogether different perspective. A perspective that is lying somewhere within you and carrying a huge amount of positivity. Something that most of the time we ignore or tend to ignore. This book shows you the sweeter side of pain and the darker side of happiness.
The Blue Moon Day: Five Men's Magical Enroute Life by Santhosh Sivaraj teaches how to come out of false shades of happiness and live a truthful, meaningful, and mindful life. It is not a book of preachings. Neither is it a self- help book. But still, there is a lot of learning that flows automatically while turning the pages. The author has a phenomenally impressive way of storytelling. Right from the first page it grabs your attention and takes engagement to a different level. A level where you stay an intact part of each of the five stories. As if you are witnessing each story. Like the things are happening in front of you. It seems as if the author has seen various aspects of life and death very closely. The writing style has a great level of maturity and engagement.
Each of the stories of The Blue Moon Day flows in a natural manner. These 5 different stories have a different protagonist but there is a common connection among each of the five protagonists. You will definitely find these characters quite close to your heart. One or the other story, in fact, might bring tears. The super protagonist brings a huge transformation in each of the protagonists in a very convincing manner. Each story is simple but has a deep meaning. It might become a life changer for a few. A must read for all and a must have to be a part of your personal collection of good books. This is a book that you can read as many times and every time it promises to give you a new meaning of life and a small change in your outlook towards life and people in your life.
As the author of The Blue Moon Day says the stories are a result of real-life characters he encountered during his journey of life. Who knows which story matches some part of your life or someone’s who is in your close proximity. The matter of the fact is to find this golden day of your life in your own style. Grab the book and I am sure you will be happy to get something precious in it.
July 4, 2018
3.5 stars
The Blue Moon Day by Santhosh Sivaraj is a collection of five stories revolving around people who are facing some difficulty in their lives. An event occurs in each story that challenges the characters and their lives are changed forever.
I loved how the stories had very unique plots and they were also very different from each other. All the characters were very interesting people. The first story follows Abhinav who is a Ph.D. scholar but is put through an unusual test to score a job. He has to win a pizza-making contest. I liked the message behind this story but I think it could have been executed better. I liked the concept of the zero mind theory which is mentioned in this story. There is an old man in all stories that assists the protagonists. There is also a mysterious element in the book. My favorite story was “The Storyteller”.
Even though this is a fictional book, it can be easily considered as a self-help or spiritual book. Through the stories and the characters, the author highlights how we are stuck in a rat race, how we don’t try to improve ourselves and how we don’t stop and reflect.
I did not like the humor in the book which was present in the second story. Also, some of the events in the book were too dramatic but I guess that was necessary for the stories to deliver their message.
The book is written simply and well. However, I did not like how the dialogues were written. There were too many unnecessary exclamation points that got very annoying. The profanities were written like this- F@#$ which I thought was not required. There were a lot of ways in which the writing could have been better, especially in the first two stories and it would have only added to the positive points about the book.
This book is indeed quite inspiring and heartwarming. It teaches us how good it can feel to help others and to also help ourselves. It tells us what are the important things in life and how we should rethink our priorities.
I recommend this book to those who want to read something different and inspiring.
Thanks to the author for the review opportunity!
The Blue Moon Day by Santhosh Sivaraj is a collection of five stories revolving around people who are facing some difficulty in their lives. An event occurs in each story that challenges the characters and their lives are changed forever.
I loved how the stories had very unique plots and they were also very different from each other. All the characters were very interesting people. The first story follows Abhinav who is a Ph.D. scholar but is put through an unusual test to score a job. He has to win a pizza-making contest. I liked the message behind this story but I think it could have been executed better. I liked the concept of the zero mind theory which is mentioned in this story. There is an old man in all stories that assists the protagonists. There is also a mysterious element in the book. My favorite story was “The Storyteller”.
Even though this is a fictional book, it can be easily considered as a self-help or spiritual book. Through the stories and the characters, the author highlights how we are stuck in a rat race, how we don’t try to improve ourselves and how we don’t stop and reflect.
I did not like the humor in the book which was present in the second story. Also, some of the events in the book were too dramatic but I guess that was necessary for the stories to deliver their message.
The book is written simply and well. However, I did not like how the dialogues were written. There were too many unnecessary exclamation points that got very annoying. The profanities were written like this- F@#$ which I thought was not required. There were a lot of ways in which the writing could have been better, especially in the first two stories and it would have only added to the positive points about the book.
This book is indeed quite inspiring and heartwarming. It teaches us how good it can feel to help others and to also help ourselves. It tells us what are the important things in life and how we should rethink our priorities.
I recommend this book to those who want to read something different and inspiring.
Thanks to the author for the review opportunity!
June 19, 2018
The first thing that pulled my attention was the book cover which was beautiful. It symbolized a man sculpting himself on a blue moon. This very clearly summarises the book title and the characters in the stories. True to the title, the plot of every story was unique ranging from a jobless fat youngster, a troubled couple after marriage, a workaholic family man, a depressed retired postman and terminally ill young tennis champion. There was no overlap of emotions, writing style in each story and every story was a fresh start to look at life. I can’t thank enough for the author for writing this book. These are the books the world today needs to spread positivity rather than trying to glorify teenage romance and English literature. This book can be read by all and this says it all.
October 7, 2018
We all go through terrible phases in life.. when nothing seems right and there seems to be no easy way out of it. We often give up in such cases.. sometimes we are just stuck in the race of life and do not even realize that we are losing our lives in the process. I do not know which is sadder..
Wouldn’t it be amazing if somebody pulled you right out of it? Not in the easy way though.. In this book, five men from different spheres of life find their calling.. having faced extremities and wringing themselves to the point of no return.. to the point where to survive is the only option.
The format of “The Blue Moon Day” is quite interesting. Five short stories come together in the end with a short chapter that concludes it beautifully. All the stories were touching in their own ways but my heart lies with the last two.. “The Storyteller” and “The Heaven”. The letters in “The Storyteller” deserve a special mention. One of the stories in the book felt a little weak, but only in comparison.
The language is easy and fast-flowing but the content isn’t light. The author requests that the book be read slowly so that each story may be imbibed properly. So, I feel it is totally up to the readers to go in the pace that is comfortable for them.
Most of us aren’t lucky enough to meet such a person who will magically show us the right direction and give meaning to our lives. However, if we look closely, we may find that little push or motivation to get us going.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if somebody pulled you right out of it? Not in the easy way though.. In this book, five men from different spheres of life find their calling.. having faced extremities and wringing themselves to the point of no return.. to the point where to survive is the only option.
The format of “The Blue Moon Day” is quite interesting. Five short stories come together in the end with a short chapter that concludes it beautifully. All the stories were touching in their own ways but my heart lies with the last two.. “The Storyteller” and “The Heaven”. The letters in “The Storyteller” deserve a special mention. One of the stories in the book felt a little weak, but only in comparison.
The language is easy and fast-flowing but the content isn’t light. The author requests that the book be read slowly so that each story may be imbibed properly. So, I feel it is totally up to the readers to go in the pace that is comfortable for them.
Most of us aren’t lucky enough to meet such a person who will magically show us the right direction and give meaning to our lives. However, if we look closely, we may find that little push or motivation to get us going.
July 19, 2018
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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"The purpose of life is happiness and everything else is an illusion."
- Santhosh Sivaraj, The Blue Moon Day
Once in a blue moon, extraordinary events take place. This book talks of those once in a blue moon type of circumstances. A collection of five different stories that in some way or the other, take the lost protagonist of each story to a life of happiness and meaning.
When I started reading this book, I found out that it is a collection of five short stories ending with an epilogue kind of something on the blue moon day. Naturally, I got excited to know more. I checked the index to see the name of each story, and found them to be the following:
1. The Pizza Engineer
2. The Messenger
3. Not Today
4. The Storyteller
5. The Heaven
6. The Blue Moon Day
Out of these, I loved the first three but didn't find the last two that appealing. Of course, I have my reasons for the same, each of which will be disclosed here:
1. The Pizza Engineer: This was perhaps my favorite short story out of all of them. I really liked the idea behind it, and enjoyed watching Mr. Pillai sort of torture Abi into understanding the true meaning of life, and of the kind of life he is leading. Although yeah, I sort of hated the idea that he couldn't meet the head of the company and get a job himself, I still liked that he learnt a great thing out of life—how to remain happy. And well, cook! *laughs*
2. The Messenger: This was another good story that taught us why we should value our relations, and why we should value what we have and trust the ones we love. I mean, if one reached the depth of this book, one will notice how this story taught us that nothing is for granted. And that sometimes, people do things for our own good. However, one thing that I noticed with this one was how seriously wrong the timeline was. I mean, they will marry AFTER college. They will talk of separation AFTER marrying. They will talk of getting back together AFTER separating. Yet, instead of later, every time I saw an "ago" written there. So maybe that should be noted.
3. Not Today: Not Today was another short story that showed me that I shouldn't take what I have for granted. I shouldn't run after a tomorrow that might or might not arrive. Because after all, who has seen what will happen tomorrow. It is better to enjoy today and relish in what we have. This story helped me understand the importance of family and all.
4. The Storyteller: I didn't particularly like this one. I mean, I liked the story and everything, about how this old man takes a life for himself with the help of his granddaughter and even forms a relation with his son and daughter-in-law. I loved all this. But I was particularly bored in the last few pages where the letters were exchanged. (Although yeah, that's from where I knew of this man's granddaughter.) It was just that, whoever this man Anustup be, it appeared to me that he could right every wrong. I guess so much positivity in a human did not go well with me.
5. The Heaven: This was perhaps the most weird one that I found. Not on the past where this guy plays tennis and is about to become a sensation. Not even when he is diagnosed with tumor. Not also when he goes to meet a particular doctor in a strange island that is filled with war. Or maybe that was it. I'm not sure. But there was something about this one that I didn't particularly like, so I will refrain from making my comments here.
6. The Blue Moon Day: The Epilogue: In contrast to how I liked the first three stories, the epilogue was a little upsetting. After everything that this old man did for them, it seemed weird that he would suddenly disappear like that without informing anyone. I mean, even his employees did not know that. Or maybe he isn't really dead? Well, that's for you to guess when you read the book!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"The purpose of life is happiness and everything else is an illusion."
- Santhosh Sivaraj, The Blue Moon Day
Once in a blue moon, extraordinary events take place. This book talks of those once in a blue moon type of circumstances. A collection of five different stories that in some way or the other, take the lost protagonist of each story to a life of happiness and meaning.
When I started reading this book, I found out that it is a collection of five short stories ending with an epilogue kind of something on the blue moon day. Naturally, I got excited to know more. I checked the index to see the name of each story, and found them to be the following:
1. The Pizza Engineer
2. The Messenger
3. Not Today
4. The Storyteller
5. The Heaven
6. The Blue Moon Day
Out of these, I loved the first three but didn't find the last two that appealing. Of course, I have my reasons for the same, each of which will be disclosed here:
1. The Pizza Engineer: This was perhaps my favorite short story out of all of them. I really liked the idea behind it, and enjoyed watching Mr. Pillai sort of torture Abi into understanding the true meaning of life, and of the kind of life he is leading. Although yeah, I sort of hated the idea that he couldn't meet the head of the company and get a job himself, I still liked that he learnt a great thing out of life—how to remain happy. And well, cook! *laughs*
2. The Messenger: This was another good story that taught us why we should value our relations, and why we should value what we have and trust the ones we love. I mean, if one reached the depth of this book, one will notice how this story taught us that nothing is for granted. And that sometimes, people do things for our own good. However, one thing that I noticed with this one was how seriously wrong the timeline was. I mean, they will marry AFTER college. They will talk of separation AFTER marrying. They will talk of getting back together AFTER separating. Yet, instead of later, every time I saw an "ago" written there. So maybe that should be noted.
3. Not Today: Not Today was another short story that showed me that I shouldn't take what I have for granted. I shouldn't run after a tomorrow that might or might not arrive. Because after all, who has seen what will happen tomorrow. It is better to enjoy today and relish in what we have. This story helped me understand the importance of family and all.
4. The Storyteller: I didn't particularly like this one. I mean, I liked the story and everything, about how this old man takes a life for himself with the help of his granddaughter and even forms a relation with his son and daughter-in-law. I loved all this. But I was particularly bored in the last few pages where the letters were exchanged. (Although yeah, that's from where I knew of this man's granddaughter.) It was just that, whoever this man Anustup be, it appeared to me that he could right every wrong. I guess so much positivity in a human did not go well with me.
5. The Heaven: This was perhaps the most weird one that I found. Not on the past where this guy plays tennis and is about to become a sensation. Not even when he is diagnosed with tumor. Not also when he goes to meet a particular doctor in a strange island that is filled with war. Or maybe that was it. I'm not sure. But there was something about this one that I didn't particularly like, so I will refrain from making my comments here.
6. The Blue Moon Day: The Epilogue: In contrast to how I liked the first three stories, the epilogue was a little upsetting. After everything that this old man did for them, it seemed weird that he would suddenly disappear like that without informing anyone. I mean, even his employees did not know that. Or maybe he isn't really dead? Well, that's for you to guess when you read the book!
August 29, 2018
original rating - 3.5/5
review will be up shortly.
review will be up shortly.
June 10, 2018
The book is really amazing. The language used is simple, the stories are beautifully weaved in a mix of narration and conversation. The reader will find himself/herself completely immersed in it within no time; it's very engaging.
As far as the stories are concerned, they are short and crisp but the messages they give away are thought provoking. In a very subtle way, the writer tried to emphasize the importance of setting one's priorities right which make them happy in truest sense. Things that make them who they are, the authentic person at heart. The dreams they have been wanting to work on but somehow compromised or gave up coz of circumstances, limiting beliefs or too much focus on negative emotions. One should and must always listen to their heart and work on their souls calling which will not only give them the happiness they are seeking but also will give positivity to the surrounding people to work on themselves.
Lastly, the blue moon day is about the second chances life gives us occasionally to make things right. Life has its own way of getting it's lessons across with its twists and turns and ultimately it's up to us how we choose to look at these changes and act upon them, in a way focussing more on finding solutions rather than worrying about the problems. And whatever happens in life with us, it happens for a reason for a greater good and people we come across in the journey of life don't happen to come by chance. They come for a reason as well. This world is small and all are connected someway or the other.
As one of the quotes said, "There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way", our happy and positive thoughts bring in more happiness and positivity in our lives. So think positive, act positive and be positive.
As far as the stories are concerned, they are short and crisp but the messages they give away are thought provoking. In a very subtle way, the writer tried to emphasize the importance of setting one's priorities right which make them happy in truest sense. Things that make them who they are, the authentic person at heart. The dreams they have been wanting to work on but somehow compromised or gave up coz of circumstances, limiting beliefs or too much focus on negative emotions. One should and must always listen to their heart and work on their souls calling which will not only give them the happiness they are seeking but also will give positivity to the surrounding people to work on themselves.
Lastly, the blue moon day is about the second chances life gives us occasionally to make things right. Life has its own way of getting it's lessons across with its twists and turns and ultimately it's up to us how we choose to look at these changes and act upon them, in a way focussing more on finding solutions rather than worrying about the problems. And whatever happens in life with us, it happens for a reason for a greater good and people we come across in the journey of life don't happen to come by chance. They come for a reason as well. This world is small and all are connected someway or the other.
As one of the quotes said, "There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way", our happy and positive thoughts bring in more happiness and positivity in our lives. So think positive, act positive and be positive.
June 19, 2018
I found philosophy in every page but thankfully it was said through the character and the characters with their situations adopted beautifully to engage in this philosophy. This book initially I thought would fall into the category of the chicken soup series but it did not. This book although have five stories, it has a central bonding which takes it to the climax in the final chapter. Author may come up with a second book in this line as there is a lot of scope for it but seeing his writing I want him to come up with a single story for a change.
June 10, 2018
Before starting with the review I would like to thank the author for providing me with a free copy of the book for review.I am really grateful for this.
Talking about the book, it is a compilation of five stories of five different men who are dealing with their own set of issues, struggling with life and on the verge of giving up and how an old man largely impacts their life teaching them the way to live and to give life a second chance through unique ways.
The stories are short but gives some big moral lessons and also teaches to have a positive outlook towards life.The situations shown are mostly extreme but still as a reader one can relate to the stories to a good degree as we all face similar issues in life (maybe in smaller doses).
The book was simple and an easy read with smooth flow.I won't say that it tells you anything new, it tells us what we already know but the way the stories have been fomed and that idea is presented through it is beautiful.
Some major issues I found while reading this book was that the language and words used are too simple lacking quality and depth.Also the book needs some serious editing because there are considerable instances of grammatical errors, redundancy of words and also using a wrong word. Such instances creates a serious barrier in reading a book and also kinda kills the mood.
But overall I would say it was a good book especially not forgetting the fact that it is the first one from the author.The best thing is that nowhere does this book seem boring and unnecessarily stretched also gives a positive message.I would strongly recommend this to all the beginners.
Finally, a big congratulations to the author for his very first book and hope to see more of your improvised and successful works in future :)
Talking about the book, it is a compilation of five stories of five different men who are dealing with their own set of issues, struggling with life and on the verge of giving up and how an old man largely impacts their life teaching them the way to live and to give life a second chance through unique ways.
The stories are short but gives some big moral lessons and also teaches to have a positive outlook towards life.The situations shown are mostly extreme but still as a reader one can relate to the stories to a good degree as we all face similar issues in life (maybe in smaller doses).
The book was simple and an easy read with smooth flow.I won't say that it tells you anything new, it tells us what we already know but the way the stories have been fomed and that idea is presented through it is beautiful.
Some major issues I found while reading this book was that the language and words used are too simple lacking quality and depth.Also the book needs some serious editing because there are considerable instances of grammatical errors, redundancy of words and also using a wrong word. Such instances creates a serious barrier in reading a book and also kinda kills the mood.
But overall I would say it was a good book especially not forgetting the fact that it is the first one from the author.The best thing is that nowhere does this book seem boring and unnecessarily stretched also gives a positive message.I would strongly recommend this to all the beginners.
Finally, a big congratulations to the author for his very first book and hope to see more of your improvised and successful works in future :)
July 14, 2018

By Santhosh Shivaraj
Total pages -213
Genre - Fiction
Publishing house - Invicible
About the author:
Santhosh Shivaraj is a banker based out of Chennai who has worn many hats in my life - sailor , teacher , trainer and entrepreneur . He considers the journey of life to be the destination in itself and that pushes him to seek newer avenues in life .
About the book:
The book is consist of five short stories - the Pizza Engineer , The Messenger , Not today ,The storyteller , The Heaven
The pizza Engineer :
This is story of a highly qualified man who struggles to fit in a job . Then he met Mr. Pillai who asked him to win a Pizza making competition to have a job .
The Messenger
This is about a young man who is poor to Handel his relationships with his mother and wife . Even as an employee he failed . Soon he got into smoking and alcoholism .
No Today :This is a story of another young man who fear the future
The storyteller :This is the story of two men . They were tired of their lives . They became helping hands to each other and try to make their lives better within 90 days . And stayed connected with letters .
The Heaven
This is a story of a journey of a patient in search of his Physician .
What I really love about the book:
1.The cover is perfect for the title .
2. Easy reading and perfect for a beginner .
3. The way the author has penned every charecter is admirable .
4. The author has painted charecter of every generation with a perfect touch .
What I don\'t like :
One thing I don't like is the Dialogues . It would be better if it had been kept minimal .
I would love to give it 4/5
I want to thanks the author for giving me a chance to review this book
By Santhosh Shivaraj
Total pages -213
Genre - Fiction
Publishing house - Invicible
About the author:
Santhosh Shivaraj is a banker based out of Chennai who has worn many hats in my life - sailor , teacher , trainer and entrepreneur . He considers the journey of life to be the destination in itself and that pushes him to seek newer avenues in life .
About the book:
The book is consist of five short stories - the Pizza Engineer , The Messenger , Not today ,The storyteller , The Heaven
The pizza Engineer :
This is story of a highly qualified man who struggles to fit in a job . Then he met Mr. Pillai who asked him to win a Pizza making competition to have a job .
The Messenger
This is about a young man who is poor to Handel his relationships with his mother and wife . Even as an employee he failed . Soon he got into smoking and alcoholism .
No Today :This is a story of another young man who fear the future
The storyteller :This is the story of two men . They were tired of their lives . They became helping hands to each other and try to make their lives better within 90 days . And stayed connected with letters .
The Heaven
This is a story of a journey of a patient in search of his Physician .
What I really love about the book:
1.The cover is perfect for the title .
2. Easy reading and perfect for a beginner .
3. The way the author has penned every charecter is admirable .
4. The author has painted charecter of every generation with a perfect touch .
What I don\'t like :
One thing I don't like is the Dialogues . It would be better if it had been kept minimal .
I would love to give it 4/5
I want to thanks the author for giving me a chance to review this book
June 26, 2018
The language is simple and neat. Characters quite realistic. Really commendable stuff from a debut author. Easily among one of the best Indian fiction novels that I have read so far this year.
That being said, I have given it a three star bcoz of the following reasons:
1. Lack of ambience creation in the scenes
2. A bit extra quick pace
All in all, well done Sivaraj. Thanks for the hard copy. It'll be a part of my mini-library now.
Wishing you all the best for your future literary ventures.
Disclaimer: I have reviewed an author signed copy of the book. I tried, however, not to bias my reading experience basis this kind gesture.
That being said, I have given it a three star bcoz of the following reasons:
1. Lack of ambience creation in the scenes
2. A bit extra quick pace
All in all, well done Sivaraj. Thanks for the hard copy. It'll be a part of my mini-library now.
Wishing you all the best for your future literary ventures.
Disclaimer: I have reviewed an author signed copy of the book. I tried, however, not to bias my reading experience basis this kind gesture.
July 13, 2018
The synopsis saying “individuals were tested away from their comfort zone” was what triggered me to read this book and it was a worth read.
The book is divided into five stories which seem unrelated at first but as I continued I found them all related with one “Old Man”. These stories all tell stories about five complete different characters and having different problems yet if you look into these stories deeply you will find these characters among your friends, neighbors, relatives and most of all in yourself. The laziness of the first story character, the love from college days from the second one, too much into work from third, disappointment in fourth and fear in the fifth story is something we can relate in our lives.
Each of these stories are special in their own way yet my personal favourite were the first which is about an unemployed, lazy PhD holder and the fourth of a lonely old man. Each and every story holds some charm in it and quotes in this book are countless and are so meaningful and full of reality that I had to pen them down into my personal collection.
The first story was, as I wrote above, is about a PhD scholar and it tells about the struggle and tries. Trying new things and thinking out of the box.
Education is a way to know things and passion comes from creating things, with or without knowledge. Study you before you study anything. You run with masses, you will end up running all your life. Stop and introspect.
The fourth was about an old man who have recently lost his wife and his son have cut him off as his father doesn’t approve him marrying a girl of different religion. But when he fails to end his life he meets another old man and they start life with new hope.
I thought of comparing fire to joy but instead of extinguishing it I wanted to increase it. The thought that came to my mind was that first of all, the fire of joy must be found - it can be even a little spark. The spark must be communicated to other activities of life. Secondly, there must be more oxygen and fuel by involving more people in the joy and finally this fire must be left to spread all around without any disturbance of guilt or fear.
Though the story and characters helds their ground, I found the language too simple. The style was not professional and sometimes the author used Hindi phrases in English which made the sentence awkward and unpleasant.
The title makes sense in the very end of the book and it was beautiful. The cover and character of the “Old Man” was my favourite for entire book and I’d love to recommend this book to all kind of readers.
The book is divided into five stories which seem unrelated at first but as I continued I found them all related with one “Old Man”. These stories all tell stories about five complete different characters and having different problems yet if you look into these stories deeply you will find these characters among your friends, neighbors, relatives and most of all in yourself. The laziness of the first story character, the love from college days from the second one, too much into work from third, disappointment in fourth and fear in the fifth story is something we can relate in our lives.
Each of these stories are special in their own way yet my personal favourite were the first which is about an unemployed, lazy PhD holder and the fourth of a lonely old man. Each and every story holds some charm in it and quotes in this book are countless and are so meaningful and full of reality that I had to pen them down into my personal collection.
The first story was, as I wrote above, is about a PhD scholar and it tells about the struggle and tries. Trying new things and thinking out of the box.
Education is a way to know things and passion comes from creating things, with or without knowledge. Study you before you study anything. You run with masses, you will end up running all your life. Stop and introspect.
The fourth was about an old man who have recently lost his wife and his son have cut him off as his father doesn’t approve him marrying a girl of different religion. But when he fails to end his life he meets another old man and they start life with new hope.
I thought of comparing fire to joy but instead of extinguishing it I wanted to increase it. The thought that came to my mind was that first of all, the fire of joy must be found - it can be even a little spark. The spark must be communicated to other activities of life. Secondly, there must be more oxygen and fuel by involving more people in the joy and finally this fire must be left to spread all around without any disturbance of guilt or fear.
Though the story and characters helds their ground, I found the language too simple. The style was not professional and sometimes the author used Hindi phrases in English which made the sentence awkward and unpleasant.
The title makes sense in the very end of the book and it was beautiful. The cover and character of the “Old Man” was my favourite for entire book and I’d love to recommend this book to all kind of readers.
July 22, 2018
Detail Review: https://bodhisattwapalreview.blogspot...
REVIEW: "Sometimes when you lose your way, you find YOURSELF."
-Mandy Hale, The Single Woman: Life
The book basically consists five stories of five lost and broken soul and how their life changed and they found themselves.
As my reviews are always spoiler free, I will not tell you anything more about the story line.
So let's discuss about the five stories in brief.
The first story, and absolutely one of my favorite is about a young man who has all the degrees but no job. And the author made magic with it. He jointed all the loops of the story at the end with a mind-blowing twist. The story building, the pizza competition.....omg! So good... It can be treated as a brilliant short story also.
The second story is basically a love story. The character building and the friendship shown there was really enjoyable. I find it little weak than the first one but still very good.
In the third story we found a loyal to boss office man who had almost forgotten to care about his family. The story took huge twist and the survival story was not only beautiful but also heart melting.
And then came the fourth which is probably the best. The story can bring smile on your face even in worst situation. Even you can buy this book only for this single story. I am so mesmerized that I can't say anything about it but believe me it's just magic, magic & magic.
The fifth is little more dramatic and could be better type but still enjoyable as the author made a horrible world there which worth reading.
And atlast the author masterfully mixed this five story with that magical link which I will not tell you.
In one word, it is a phenomenal book.
You will never believe that it was the author's debut. His writing style, character building, mood setup was so so good. His storytelling was inimitable. His perspective of seeing the world was really magnificent. He covered all type of humans, every age, every profession, and it is not easy at all. He showed his brilliant knowledge on multiple subjects. You can connect with all the stories. He is really a magician and I want to look forward for his next book.
Beside enjoyable, the book is deep to. As the author said there that man starts competition before birth as sperm, and this rat race continues and he loses himself and dies with no scratch. This book makes you think. So please rise and follow your dreams and of course buy this magical book because this is a must read.
Overall Rating: 5/5
REVIEW: "Sometimes when you lose your way, you find YOURSELF."
-Mandy Hale, The Single Woman: Life
The book basically consists five stories of five lost and broken soul and how their life changed and they found themselves.
As my reviews are always spoiler free, I will not tell you anything more about the story line.
So let's discuss about the five stories in brief.
The first story, and absolutely one of my favorite is about a young man who has all the degrees but no job. And the author made magic with it. He jointed all the loops of the story at the end with a mind-blowing twist. The story building, the pizza competition.....omg! So good... It can be treated as a brilliant short story also.
The second story is basically a love story. The character building and the friendship shown there was really enjoyable. I find it little weak than the first one but still very good.
In the third story we found a loyal to boss office man who had almost forgotten to care about his family. The story took huge twist and the survival story was not only beautiful but also heart melting.
And then came the fourth which is probably the best. The story can bring smile on your face even in worst situation. Even you can buy this book only for this single story. I am so mesmerized that I can't say anything about it but believe me it's just magic, magic & magic.
The fifth is little more dramatic and could be better type but still enjoyable as the author made a horrible world there which worth reading.
And atlast the author masterfully mixed this five story with that magical link which I will not tell you.
In one word, it is a phenomenal book.
You will never believe that it was the author's debut. His writing style, character building, mood setup was so so good. His storytelling was inimitable. His perspective of seeing the world was really magnificent. He covered all type of humans, every age, every profession, and it is not easy at all. He showed his brilliant knowledge on multiple subjects. You can connect with all the stories. He is really a magician and I want to look forward for his next book.
Beside enjoyable, the book is deep to. As the author said there that man starts competition before birth as sperm, and this rat race continues and he loses himself and dies with no scratch. This book makes you think. So please rise and follow your dreams and of course buy this magical book because this is a must read.
Overall Rating: 5/5
July 17, 2018
As published on
The Reading Owl
Time or Life as we know it is very limited. But instead of living this short span to it’s fullest, we are busy prioritizing material things. Then life happens and our well-laid plans are washed away. At such moments, we look up, in search of some inspiration/motivation to lead us back on the right path.
Stories with a lesson:
I am not a huge fan of self-help books because I believe in learning practically. I was, therefore, skeptical about picking up ‘The Blue Moon Day’. But it turned out way far different from what I expected. In fact, it gives examples of five people who are jolted into awareness by their own experience, albeit with someone’s help. It felt like reading Panchatantra where life’s lessons are wrapped in stories and served to the reader.
All stages of life:
The five stories, as I see it, represent five stages of human life. Each has its own challenges and setbacks. Linked by a common, guiding old man, the five protagonists learn what to do with the second chance that life gives them. Prabha is a young, compassionate boy who is taken unawares by the tragedies of war. Abhi is a lost man in his late twenties looking for one chance to prove himself. Deepak is struggling with a new marriage and alcohol abuse. Vivi has everything one can ask for but his priorities have been created under peer pressure. Sankaran is an old man who has lost the will to live and means to do it.
My favorite:
My favorite story was perhaps that of Abhi, maybe because I am in that stage of life where I can relate to it. We are all looking for that direction, that passion, that can define us. The phrase that “You have to try all possible things at all possible times in all possible ways” to identify your passion should be the mantra of youth today. Rather, we seek solace in social media or virtual reality.
Writing:
Coming to the language, I liked Santhosh’s storytelling skills. However, after reading Deepak’s story, I feel that some work is required in his dialogue writing. The storyline here was good but it lacked structure and it got confusing after a time. More focus on editing can improve this and improve the reading experience.
Twists and sudden turn of events made it a richer read. I liked how all of a sudden the seemingly simple and content life of the protagonists take a turn for the worse. I’ll not give more details of the stories to prevent spoilers.
Recommendations:
Anyone can read and learn from this book. To straighten our priorities and give time & attention to what is important is something we should all start doing. We are all so busy picturing the perfect sunset that we miss to enjoy it. This book serves as a perfect reminder to change that.
Disclaimer: Thank you bookpreneur and the author for a review copy. However, all views are my own.
Time or Life as we know it is very limited. But instead of living this short span to it’s fullest, we are busy prioritizing material things. Then life happens and our well-laid plans are washed away. At such moments, we look up, in search of some inspiration/motivation to lead us back on the right path.
Stories with a lesson:
I am not a huge fan of self-help books because I believe in learning practically. I was, therefore, skeptical about picking up ‘The Blue Moon Day’. But it turned out way far different from what I expected. In fact, it gives examples of five people who are jolted into awareness by their own experience, albeit with someone’s help. It felt like reading Panchatantra where life’s lessons are wrapped in stories and served to the reader.
All stages of life:
The five stories, as I see it, represent five stages of human life. Each has its own challenges and setbacks. Linked by a common, guiding old man, the five protagonists learn what to do with the second chance that life gives them. Prabha is a young, compassionate boy who is taken unawares by the tragedies of war. Abhi is a lost man in his late twenties looking for one chance to prove himself. Deepak is struggling with a new marriage and alcohol abuse. Vivi has everything one can ask for but his priorities have been created under peer pressure. Sankaran is an old man who has lost the will to live and means to do it.
My favorite:
My favorite story was perhaps that of Abhi, maybe because I am in that stage of life where I can relate to it. We are all looking for that direction, that passion, that can define us. The phrase that “You have to try all possible things at all possible times in all possible ways” to identify your passion should be the mantra of youth today. Rather, we seek solace in social media or virtual reality.
Writing:
Coming to the language, I liked Santhosh’s storytelling skills. However, after reading Deepak’s story, I feel that some work is required in his dialogue writing. The storyline here was good but it lacked structure and it got confusing after a time. More focus on editing can improve this and improve the reading experience.
Twists and sudden turn of events made it a richer read. I liked how all of a sudden the seemingly simple and content life of the protagonists take a turn for the worse. I’ll not give more details of the stories to prevent spoilers.
Recommendations:
Anyone can read and learn from this book. To straighten our priorities and give time & attention to what is important is something we should all start doing. We are all so busy picturing the perfect sunset that we miss to enjoy it. This book serves as a perfect reminder to change that.
Disclaimer: Thank you bookpreneur and the author for a review copy. However, all views are my own.
June 19, 2018
I remember a statement from this book where Mr.Pillai says, don’t aim for the worldly benchmarks but try to create a different benchmark. This book is definitely that unique bench mark I must say. There is a bollywood type love story as well in the story called messenger but even it ends beautifully unlike a regular romance story. My favouritte has been the Pizza engineer as I could relate it to the character of Abi very much. I simply wanted to continue reading that story; it was full of heart, fun and finally a special climax. Sankaran story was an eye opener to me and respect to my family has grown bounds after I read that story. This book is not for passing the time but to passing the life beautifully.
June 27, 2018
Everyone wants to be happy. But what is true happiness only a few knows. Even if they know they chase other things. We want happiness but we do things which are not related to it. There are many self help books and it is one of them. This is in fictional format though.
The message is given through five stories. Sankaran goes to an old age home but his true calling is stories. Vivi is trapped in a job and then he is physically trapped. Abi (Abhinav) is ashamed because of his fat and he kept on studying. His real calling was food. Deepak and Priya marry and then grow apart. Prabha has a terminal disease. A mysterious Stanger comes in their lives and teach them how to find true happiness.
The book has some beautiful messages like:
1. Once the body starts to feel the emotions, it starts to dictate life decisions.
2. Ordinary people in extraordinary situations reveal their true selves.
3. Do the right things at right time and do only your things.
The book is divided in 6 parts so can be read in parts. Book has some inspiring life lessons. But the pace is slow and the situations seemed forced. That is understandable because the book is for giving out a message and the stories are fabricated like that. Thus, the stories are artificial and doesn’t seem to flow. 3/ 5 stars.
The message is given through five stories. Sankaran goes to an old age home but his true calling is stories. Vivi is trapped in a job and then he is physically trapped. Abi (Abhinav) is ashamed because of his fat and he kept on studying. His real calling was food. Deepak and Priya marry and then grow apart. Prabha has a terminal disease. A mysterious Stanger comes in their lives and teach them how to find true happiness.
The book has some beautiful messages like:
1. Once the body starts to feel the emotions, it starts to dictate life decisions.
2. Ordinary people in extraordinary situations reveal their true selves.
3. Do the right things at right time and do only your things.
The book is divided in 6 parts so can be read in parts. Book has some inspiring life lessons. But the pace is slow and the situations seemed forced. That is understandable because the book is for giving out a message and the stories are fabricated like that. Thus, the stories are artificial and doesn’t seem to flow. 3/ 5 stars.
July 23, 2018
My rating: 3.5
The Blue Moon is a collection of 5 stories, all of which have a message to give. It is a sort of fictional self-help book that deals with real life issues and how you can change your perspective towards them to end up with a solution.
The stories revolve around:
- A fresher in search of a job in his field but with a different passion in his heart, confronted by the head of the company he's interviewing at;
- A man who is facing troubles in his marriage and love life and who refuses to see through the truth, guided by his best friend through messages;
- A guy who finds himself praying for his life on a family trip that he was willingly mixing up with work, saved by a mad-man;
- An old man living alone after his wife passed away and no connection with his son, ends up at an old age home but refuses to live his remaining life there, is guided by a fellow old man full of life through the exchange of letters;
- A young bright fellow down with a terminal disease goes beyond limits to save himself but ends up saving others' life and getting his conscience cleared by a stranger who happens to have all the answers...
Finally, all 5 are brought together and so is the link amongst them.
These 5 stories, as different as they are, have a common link. That stranger.
These stories look to me as the journey of a person from being immature to being responsible, balancing life through many obstacles, finding the will to live even when you don't want to, and ending up accepting life over death even in the face of death!
I really liked this book. It flowed really well. Author has great potential.
The Blue Moon is a collection of 5 stories, all of which have a message to give. It is a sort of fictional self-help book that deals with real life issues and how you can change your perspective towards them to end up with a solution.
The stories revolve around:
- A fresher in search of a job in his field but with a different passion in his heart, confronted by the head of the company he's interviewing at;
- A man who is facing troubles in his marriage and love life and who refuses to see through the truth, guided by his best friend through messages;
- A guy who finds himself praying for his life on a family trip that he was willingly mixing up with work, saved by a mad-man;
- An old man living alone after his wife passed away and no connection with his son, ends up at an old age home but refuses to live his remaining life there, is guided by a fellow old man full of life through the exchange of letters;
- A young bright fellow down with a terminal disease goes beyond limits to save himself but ends up saving others' life and getting his conscience cleared by a stranger who happens to have all the answers...
Finally, all 5 are brought together and so is the link amongst them.
These 5 stories, as different as they are, have a common link. That stranger.
These stories look to me as the journey of a person from being immature to being responsible, balancing life through many obstacles, finding the will to live even when you don't want to, and ending up accepting life over death even in the face of death!
I really liked this book. It flowed really well. Author has great potential.
June 19, 2018
Book Name (with subtitle): The Blue Moon Day (Five Men’s Magical Discovery En route Life)
Author Name: Santhosh Sivaraj
Format: Paperback
No of Pages: 213
Publisher: Invincible Publishers (2nd Ed. 2018)
Blurb: The blurb portion of the book is written compactly with highlighting the core section of the book. It can surely make the reader turn the pages of the book to know what it contains. So, the blurb is good and neat I can say.
Cover: The front cover of the book one of the most eye catching cover I have ever come across so far. Actually, its specialty is its simple touch. The bright semi image of a blue moon and the dark shadowed figure in front of it- the contrast snatches the show indeed. It is completely justifying the title of the book. So, it is a perfect work by the cover designer I must say.
Title: The title of the book is not only catchy & unique in the sense, but it exactly suits the substance of the book. It is thought triggering actually, because I was wondering what is being referred here as ‘blue moon day’, and how it evolves an entire story from this. But after completing the book, I can say that the titular reference is being given at the extreme and of the book and I consider it appropriate as well.
Language & narration: The language of the book is lucid and simple enough to comprehend for any kind of reader. The plain flowing simple yet captivating narrating style of the events in each story made this book a gripping and interesting fast read I must say. Visualizing narration is one of the positive points of the book.
Plot: The plot is inspired by the experiences, learning & lessons of life from the motivational journeys of 5 real life characters. The attractive point is all the journeys got interconnected by a reason (person actually) and thus held the significance of the book. With the potentially healthy imagination of the author, 5 sub plots have made the base content compact and impactful indeed. Especially, author has opted for describing the most important lessons of life the simplest and most realistic way possible. Kudos for coming up with this idea.
Characterization: The most strong point or strength of the book is undoubtedly crystal clear characterization. Not only the protagonists of the 5 different stories, but each & every character correlated with them (major or minor) have been portrayed aptly and all of them are justified to their respective roles till the very end of the book. Simple portrayal of the characters made the book easy connectable for the readers as well. Let’s get familiar with the names of the characters mentioned in the book- Abhinav Sharma aka Abi, Rishi, Mr. Pillai, Mr. Joe Fernandez, Mrs. Jayanti Mohan, Ajay aka Aju, Deepak, Priya, Siddharth aka Sid, Anshul, Rao, Usha, Vivian John aka Vivi, Ravi, Jenny, Danny, Rachael, Andy, *Jennifer, Amar, S.Sankaran, Vinod, Khadija, Anustup, Dia, Chitra, Prabhakaran, Shivi, Malar, Kalyani, Dr. Velan, Isai Chelvi, Dr. Ezhil, Dr. Jose, Dr. Raj Purniman.
Theme: Self help, motivational, inspirational, personal development, optimism.
Story in a nutshell: The story is starts from a ‘Preface’ where we can see that a sailor (the author himself) in a ship accidentally reached the verge of his life while examining a strange kind of smoke & then fire, but finally, in a miraculous way (or we can use ‘fortunately’) he managed to escape from that situation somehow. Thus the birth of this book has taken place and it is a worthy one I must say.
So here the thing is, this book contains 5 different journeys of people from different background and different situation, with no connection (primarily) among themselves. Each one has a different story to tell, but the most common thing about them is each one has lost their way of living life in a way or the other. Be the reason laziness or lack of inspiration, or fear of getting out from comfort zone, or living an unhealthy life, or forgotten the moral values in rat race of profession- be it any, but each one of them was going through the situation they were not supposed to belong.
Abhinav Sharma aka Abi was a highly educated, talented, meritorious, fat person of 29 years, and he was a PhD topper. But these high degrees did cost him some valuable years, and after getting satisfied that he is qualified enough, he started to search for suitable job according to his potential (degree) and was facing tough luck again and again. Finally he was left with only one option. Fate made him face such situation where the only way to get his preferable job is to win a “Pizza making competition”!!! Yes, you heard me right. His search for career was solely depending on his culinary skills and that too, when he knew nothing about preparing a Pizza! What will happen in the competition? Will be able to make it to the end? Even if he wins, what kind of job role he will get? Or…he will have to face the hard side of the luck again?
Deepak loved Priya unconditionally. Priya carried the same feelings for Deepak. Whenever there was any issue raised in Deepak’s mind, his best friend Ajay was there for him to guide him. After getting married, differences were coming up in front between the family members of the two. Unfortunate events happened in Deepak’s life, and Deepak blamed Priya for that and Priya left him. Now Deepak has lost all the support of his closed ones (including Aju). What happened when solitude captured Deepak’s heart? Will he ever be able to get out of this? Or will end up by meeting the ultimate cruel side of fate?
Vivian John aka Vivi was a workaholic man. From his habits, he sometimes can be called as ‘maniac’. He always planned for tomorrow and hardly enjoyed his present day with his family. With making more money and secure future, he had no time to spend with his family. Finally he managed to go on a vacation somehow. But little did he know what was awaiting him in this trip. This vacation turned a nightmare to him when his only son was flowing away from him and finally he ended up in a locked room with ferocious tribes, and a point came when he had only few hours to live! What will happen after that? What is awaiting Vivi’s destiny? Will it be the end of everything?
S.Sankaran was an old man, living alone with limited savings left, after the demise of his beloved wife. His Son was living a separated life with his own family and was not in contact since a long time. To spend the rest of his life, he opted for enrolling himself in an old age home. But he failed to cope up with the situation there and lost all his hope and decided to put an end to his life. What will happen to him? Leaving the mortal body in alone with regret and pain- is these are waiting for him at the end? Or destiny has some other plans for him?
Prabhakaran aka Prabha was a young boy with highly potential talent in him. He was passionate about tennis. But struggle was his regular companion since his childhood, when he even didn’t have sufficient foods to eat after the unfortunate demise of his father. His talent in Tennis captured the reporter Shivi’s attention and she left no stone unturned in bringing that poor but talented boy in front of everyone. Finally Prabha was playing the most important match of his life. But…destiny played its cards and there came a point when Prabha was diagnosed with a last stage brain tumor, and just two months of lifespan to spare. What happened after that? Was there any other way out for that poor boy to dodge death? Or a talented will have to face the dead end and meet his destiny at such a tender age, leaving all his dreams?
To know all these answers and to know the entire stories in details and to know ultimately what is the blues moon day signified about, all you have to do is grab your copy now and witness this life changing journey at once.
My Verdict: Author Santosh Sivaraj has done a great job by penning down this magical journey under a single shed that can transform lives of many (surely it will). The deep & compact plot has been well developed with mixing all kind of major lessons of life in these 6 chapters and of course each and every emotion are transparent here inside the characters. Through the experiences of 5 ordinary people author has put front what life is all about and what is the significance of it. How do deal with the difficulties in life and how to move forward is discussed here. Author has showed the path of living life and making oneself better than yesterday. Love, friendship, family, relationship, pain, anger, solitude, jealousy, maturity, innocence, sheer humor, care, concern, ambition, dreams, success, failure, learning, joy, grief, helplessness, panic, loss, and ultimately… happiness… - all thread of emotions have been portrayed here in these 6 chapters entirely. The valuable lessons we can get from this book are- how minds work, what human tendency is, knowing own value, ability, worth, to think differently to be different, never give up mentality, complications of relationship, and to keep patience at the moment of anger, as it can cost us heavy in comparison, love unconditionally with no expectations, one cannot be good at everything at the same time, to live life in present day, to live each moment what we have now before it turns into a memory, to happy all the time, to be positive, to be optimistic, to love family, to make time for them, to prioritize things in life, to give own self proper break, to have determinations, to be confident, to win over fear, to get out of comfort zone, not to pity own self, to give life every chance to surprise you, to be happy even at minimum resources, to create happy memories, to chase dreams, to content own self with positivity, realization after death, and to make other’s life fill with immense happiness.
All the things I mentioned above are mentioned clearly for the readers to change their mindset for the better. “The Storyteller” will be my most favorite journey I have ever lived through any book; I mean it. We all need a Dr. Raj Purniman in our life.. I wish…I so wish…
I will be looking forward from now on towards the future work of the same author.
Drawbacks: Drawbacks in the sense, I have not found many, except a few minor typo errors and name of one of the characters got interchanged by another name and that can be corrected easily. So, it is not that big issue. Only one thing to say that though initially the “f” words or commonly used minor slangs are written in codes, but later, I noticed that those similar types of words are written directly. I am not saying that it is a drawback, just I am not that much comfortable with this type of words. Rest everything are fine with this book.
Recommendation: I would definitely love to recommend this brilliant piece of work to each and every avid reader out there. I want this book to reach as many people as possible, because I believe, that every person should go through this book at least once. It will definitely change their mindset and way of view for better. This book is a worthy read. Thank you.
Rating (Overall): 5/5 Stars.
Author Name: Santhosh Sivaraj
Format: Paperback
No of Pages: 213
Publisher: Invincible Publishers (2nd Ed. 2018)
Blurb: The blurb portion of the book is written compactly with highlighting the core section of the book. It can surely make the reader turn the pages of the book to know what it contains. So, the blurb is good and neat I can say.
Cover: The front cover of the book one of the most eye catching cover I have ever come across so far. Actually, its specialty is its simple touch. The bright semi image of a blue moon and the dark shadowed figure in front of it- the contrast snatches the show indeed. It is completely justifying the title of the book. So, it is a perfect work by the cover designer I must say.
Title: The title of the book is not only catchy & unique in the sense, but it exactly suits the substance of the book. It is thought triggering actually, because I was wondering what is being referred here as ‘blue moon day’, and how it evolves an entire story from this. But after completing the book, I can say that the titular reference is being given at the extreme and of the book and I consider it appropriate as well.
Language & narration: The language of the book is lucid and simple enough to comprehend for any kind of reader. The plain flowing simple yet captivating narrating style of the events in each story made this book a gripping and interesting fast read I must say. Visualizing narration is one of the positive points of the book.
Plot: The plot is inspired by the experiences, learning & lessons of life from the motivational journeys of 5 real life characters. The attractive point is all the journeys got interconnected by a reason (person actually) and thus held the significance of the book. With the potentially healthy imagination of the author, 5 sub plots have made the base content compact and impactful indeed. Especially, author has opted for describing the most important lessons of life the simplest and most realistic way possible. Kudos for coming up with this idea.
Characterization: The most strong point or strength of the book is undoubtedly crystal clear characterization. Not only the protagonists of the 5 different stories, but each & every character correlated with them (major or minor) have been portrayed aptly and all of them are justified to their respective roles till the very end of the book. Simple portrayal of the characters made the book easy connectable for the readers as well. Let’s get familiar with the names of the characters mentioned in the book- Abhinav Sharma aka Abi, Rishi, Mr. Pillai, Mr. Joe Fernandez, Mrs. Jayanti Mohan, Ajay aka Aju, Deepak, Priya, Siddharth aka Sid, Anshul, Rao, Usha, Vivian John aka Vivi, Ravi, Jenny, Danny, Rachael, Andy, *Jennifer, Amar, S.Sankaran, Vinod, Khadija, Anustup, Dia, Chitra, Prabhakaran, Shivi, Malar, Kalyani, Dr. Velan, Isai Chelvi, Dr. Ezhil, Dr. Jose, Dr. Raj Purniman.
Theme: Self help, motivational, inspirational, personal development, optimism.
Story in a nutshell: The story is starts from a ‘Preface’ where we can see that a sailor (the author himself) in a ship accidentally reached the verge of his life while examining a strange kind of smoke & then fire, but finally, in a miraculous way (or we can use ‘fortunately’) he managed to escape from that situation somehow. Thus the birth of this book has taken place and it is a worthy one I must say.
So here the thing is, this book contains 5 different journeys of people from different background and different situation, with no connection (primarily) among themselves. Each one has a different story to tell, but the most common thing about them is each one has lost their way of living life in a way or the other. Be the reason laziness or lack of inspiration, or fear of getting out from comfort zone, or living an unhealthy life, or forgotten the moral values in rat race of profession- be it any, but each one of them was going through the situation they were not supposed to belong.
Abhinav Sharma aka Abi was a highly educated, talented, meritorious, fat person of 29 years, and he was a PhD topper. But these high degrees did cost him some valuable years, and after getting satisfied that he is qualified enough, he started to search for suitable job according to his potential (degree) and was facing tough luck again and again. Finally he was left with only one option. Fate made him face such situation where the only way to get his preferable job is to win a “Pizza making competition”!!! Yes, you heard me right. His search for career was solely depending on his culinary skills and that too, when he knew nothing about preparing a Pizza! What will happen in the competition? Will be able to make it to the end? Even if he wins, what kind of job role he will get? Or…he will have to face the hard side of the luck again?
Deepak loved Priya unconditionally. Priya carried the same feelings for Deepak. Whenever there was any issue raised in Deepak’s mind, his best friend Ajay was there for him to guide him. After getting married, differences were coming up in front between the family members of the two. Unfortunate events happened in Deepak’s life, and Deepak blamed Priya for that and Priya left him. Now Deepak has lost all the support of his closed ones (including Aju). What happened when solitude captured Deepak’s heart? Will he ever be able to get out of this? Or will end up by meeting the ultimate cruel side of fate?
Vivian John aka Vivi was a workaholic man. From his habits, he sometimes can be called as ‘maniac’. He always planned for tomorrow and hardly enjoyed his present day with his family. With making more money and secure future, he had no time to spend with his family. Finally he managed to go on a vacation somehow. But little did he know what was awaiting him in this trip. This vacation turned a nightmare to him when his only son was flowing away from him and finally he ended up in a locked room with ferocious tribes, and a point came when he had only few hours to live! What will happen after that? What is awaiting Vivi’s destiny? Will it be the end of everything?
S.Sankaran was an old man, living alone with limited savings left, after the demise of his beloved wife. His Son was living a separated life with his own family and was not in contact since a long time. To spend the rest of his life, he opted for enrolling himself in an old age home. But he failed to cope up with the situation there and lost all his hope and decided to put an end to his life. What will happen to him? Leaving the mortal body in alone with regret and pain- is these are waiting for him at the end? Or destiny has some other plans for him?
Prabhakaran aka Prabha was a young boy with highly potential talent in him. He was passionate about tennis. But struggle was his regular companion since his childhood, when he even didn’t have sufficient foods to eat after the unfortunate demise of his father. His talent in Tennis captured the reporter Shivi’s attention and she left no stone unturned in bringing that poor but talented boy in front of everyone. Finally Prabha was playing the most important match of his life. But…destiny played its cards and there came a point when Prabha was diagnosed with a last stage brain tumor, and just two months of lifespan to spare. What happened after that? Was there any other way out for that poor boy to dodge death? Or a talented will have to face the dead end and meet his destiny at such a tender age, leaving all his dreams?
To know all these answers and to know the entire stories in details and to know ultimately what is the blues moon day signified about, all you have to do is grab your copy now and witness this life changing journey at once.
My Verdict: Author Santosh Sivaraj has done a great job by penning down this magical journey under a single shed that can transform lives of many (surely it will). The deep & compact plot has been well developed with mixing all kind of major lessons of life in these 6 chapters and of course each and every emotion are transparent here inside the characters. Through the experiences of 5 ordinary people author has put front what life is all about and what is the significance of it. How do deal with the difficulties in life and how to move forward is discussed here. Author has showed the path of living life and making oneself better than yesterday. Love, friendship, family, relationship, pain, anger, solitude, jealousy, maturity, innocence, sheer humor, care, concern, ambition, dreams, success, failure, learning, joy, grief, helplessness, panic, loss, and ultimately… happiness… - all thread of emotions have been portrayed here in these 6 chapters entirely. The valuable lessons we can get from this book are- how minds work, what human tendency is, knowing own value, ability, worth, to think differently to be different, never give up mentality, complications of relationship, and to keep patience at the moment of anger, as it can cost us heavy in comparison, love unconditionally with no expectations, one cannot be good at everything at the same time, to live life in present day, to live each moment what we have now before it turns into a memory, to happy all the time, to be positive, to be optimistic, to love family, to make time for them, to prioritize things in life, to give own self proper break, to have determinations, to be confident, to win over fear, to get out of comfort zone, not to pity own self, to give life every chance to surprise you, to be happy even at minimum resources, to create happy memories, to chase dreams, to content own self with positivity, realization after death, and to make other’s life fill with immense happiness.
All the things I mentioned above are mentioned clearly for the readers to change their mindset for the better. “The Storyteller” will be my most favorite journey I have ever lived through any book; I mean it. We all need a Dr. Raj Purniman in our life.. I wish…I so wish…
I will be looking forward from now on towards the future work of the same author.
Drawbacks: Drawbacks in the sense, I have not found many, except a few minor typo errors and name of one of the characters got interchanged by another name and that can be corrected easily. So, it is not that big issue. Only one thing to say that though initially the “f” words or commonly used minor slangs are written in codes, but later, I noticed that those similar types of words are written directly. I am not saying that it is a drawback, just I am not that much comfortable with this type of words. Rest everything are fine with this book.
Recommendation: I would definitely love to recommend this brilliant piece of work to each and every avid reader out there. I want this book to reach as many people as possible, because I believe, that every person should go through this book at least once. It will definitely change their mindset and way of view for better. This book is a worthy read. Thank you.
Rating (Overall): 5/5 Stars.
May 29, 2018
Firstly, thanks a lot to the writer for providing me a free copy, I'm really glad and grateful for that.
Now about the book, it is five stories with characters from different life stages, belonging to different fields of occupation, stuck in their own problems, finding something that we all look for, peace and happiness at heart which deserts them completely, until a stranger decides to visit their lives, gets attached to them in a way, and then finally calls them to meet him.
The stories seemed all realistic and hence one could kind of relate with at least some or the other things up to some extent. The characters were nicely developed to add some depth to it, though a bit more work on that part would have did good. One thing I felt it lacked most was the language, it was so flat, like an ordinary person were narrating a story to some friend of his. The writing needs to be worked upon a lot, as I believe it really adds depth to the experience of reading. As the writer said and I quote "Just as writing fast is a talent, Reading slowly is also a virtue. I would recommend that you read this book slowly, to gain the most from the experience., to which I totally agree, and with it I feel, the language, the story-telling should be in such a way that after reading a particular sentence, reader would herself wait and ponder for a moment about what it just said, and then it feels like something hit you, and it goes deep.
I completed it in a couple of days, it never felt boring or dragged.
Being the first one from the writer, I want to say, hearty congratulations, you have done a great job. Obviously there is a big scope of improvement, and I wish to see the improved you in future.
Now about the book, it is five stories with characters from different life stages, belonging to different fields of occupation, stuck in their own problems, finding something that we all look for, peace and happiness at heart which deserts them completely, until a stranger decides to visit their lives, gets attached to them in a way, and then finally calls them to meet him.
The stories seemed all realistic and hence one could kind of relate with at least some or the other things up to some extent. The characters were nicely developed to add some depth to it, though a bit more work on that part would have did good. One thing I felt it lacked most was the language, it was so flat, like an ordinary person were narrating a story to some friend of his. The writing needs to be worked upon a lot, as I believe it really adds depth to the experience of reading. As the writer said and I quote "Just as writing fast is a talent, Reading slowly is also a virtue. I would recommend that you read this book slowly, to gain the most from the experience., to which I totally agree, and with it I feel, the language, the story-telling should be in such a way that after reading a particular sentence, reader would herself wait and ponder for a moment about what it just said, and then it feels like something hit you, and it goes deep.
I completed it in a couple of days, it never felt boring or dragged.
Being the first one from the writer, I want to say, hearty congratulations, you have done a great job. Obviously there is a big scope of improvement, and I wish to see the improved you in future.
August 3, 2018
The Blue Moon Day by Santhosh Sivaraj
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I have always loved self help books. I would say this is a fictional self help book which has a lot to take from. I really loved reading it.
The book consists of 5 different stories of 5 different people. They are lost, they do not know the purpose of their life. The fast pace of their lives, keeping up with the competition, the urge of earning more and more has made them participants of the rat race.
A mysterious old man helps them find their own ways and teaches them the real meaning of life and happiness.
Right from the beautiful cover, the title of the book to the way the stories are narrated, I loved it all. At the end of the book, I was left questioning my own journey.
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I have always loved self help books. I would say this is a fictional self help book which has a lot to take from. I really loved reading it.
The book consists of 5 different stories of 5 different people. They are lost, they do not know the purpose of their life. The fast pace of their lives, keeping up with the competition, the urge of earning more and more has made them participants of the rat race.
A mysterious old man helps them find their own ways and teaches them the real meaning of life and happiness.
Right from the beautiful cover, the title of the book to the way the stories are narrated, I loved it all. At the end of the book, I was left questioning my own journey.
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