Author: Ruchita Mathur

  • Conversation skills for Business and Life: How to talk to anyone by Leil Lowndes (92 little tricks for big success in a relationship)

    Conversation skills for Business and Life: How to talk to anyone by Leil Lowndes (92 little tricks for big success in a relationship)

    85 % of one’s success in life is directly due to communication skills. We fail because we don’t know how to handle our relationship. This book tells us how to do that.

    Did you ever wonder how people always throw good parties or how people always talk about someone’s party. Well it is because people have worked hard at what they do. It has taken them years to get here

    Here are some tips for business :

    Sales parroting 

    If you are selling cars and hear someone say I am not sure this car is right for me. Repeat to him Not sure for you. They will say not right for my personality which is sporty. So now you know that you have to show the person a sporty car.

    The above is just one point

    Another point in sales is this. Try to copy not only your customer class but the class of your product as well. Are you selling handmade suits Put a little decorum?If selling sweatsuits try to wear something a little sporty. Customer is buying your experience and hence you are part of the product they are buying.

    When in sales use their words, not yours. In case you are selling a car to a young mother and she is worried because she has a baby. Instead of saying child protection lock say No baby can open the window because of the driver’s control lock.

    Now let us talk about life in general :

    First impressions are important. Here are a few tips.

    Anything we say is fine when we enter a room but dont complain when you enter. Otherwise, they will think that you only complain and won’t stick around. Say what  at a nice dress they are wearing. May be

    Whatzit technique :

    Say wear a pair of old fashioned glasses around your neck. People will come to you asking why you are wearing that? You can say that it reminds you of your grandfather. In this way, the conversation can get started. You can choose any other thing to attract others to you.

    Whatzat technique :

    When you are at a party ask the party-giver to make introductions. Or ask the party-giver about some facts of other. Anything to become an ice breaker.

    Eavesdrop technique :

    This does not mean to wiretap or the like. Just stand near a group of people. Wait for a word that you can use to break into the group. Say something like  I could not help but hear you all. They might be taken back but only for a moment and get over it fast.

    When you are asked where you are from? Don’t just say Delhi or New york. They might ask you what is the latest mugging scene in New york. Or if you say Delhi they might ask you something related to politics. Learn some facts that people will find interesting from your home town.

    Suppose you want to ask someone what their job is. Then dont say what do you do? Say how do you spend your day. It is more polite and everyone asks what do you do. It is common.

    Also, you learn more if you ask things about the other person. That way they too will be happy and remember you.

    When going to a party read the latest news that way people will be attracted to you.

    When in a conversion think about how your professional life will benefit others. Say if you are a hairdresser. You might know of new styles of hair. Mention that to a lady saying that so and so hair style personality

    Lookup a few words in a thesaurus saying how much you have enjoyed a party. Everyone says  the food was so tasty. That way you will be verbally elite if you look up a few words. 

    Many times you have to know which words to use .Dont say do you work at a drugstore ? Say are you a Pharmacist. Dont say day care worker say child care worker. If you see someone in a wheelchair dont say a handicap person. Say a person with a disability. This will show that you respect people and make people feel close to you.

    When you are going to another of which you donot know anything but a book about that country . This way you will know about the taboo of that country.

    There are 92 techniques in this book. All cannot be discussed. But if you go through the book, one technique by technique you will learn a lot.

    You will have to practise what tricks you have learnt . If you practise daily it will become a habit .

    Your habit create your character

    Your character is your density

    May success be your destiny

    The above words were taken from the book How to talk to anyone by Leil Lowndes

    Desidiya 3D 7 Color Changing Moon Night Rechargeable Lamp with Stand Night lamp for Bedroom Lights for Adults and Kids Home Room Beautiful Indoor Lighting – 15CM

    This will look great on your table

  • 25 Minute Mediterranean Diet Cookbook by Kendall Madron . A review about how people in Mediterranean region have better lifestyle and healthy heart.

    All humans these days want good health. They follow gurus of health. One diet after the other. Yet their health didnot improve. Seeing all this I came to the conclusion that Mediterranean Diet. The Mediterranean people have a much better lifestyle than most people in the world.

    I found this book and after reading it I was convinced that this diet was the best. So let me tell you what I learned in this book.

    What is the Mediterranean diet?

    Simply put this diet is eaten by people who live in countries that border the  Mediterranean sea. Eating styles vary here but a few common factors are there. It is noticed that fewer deaths occur due to a heart attack. Extensive research was done. The reason was simple. A traditional diet which included Herb, nuts , vegetables and whole grains was the reason. Saturated and trans fats are not eaten. This is common sense but I guess common sense is not common.

    Olive Oil

     This is liquid fat got from olives. This is a traditional tree crop of the Meditteranean. This is used for frying food or used for salads. This is found to reduce t.otal cholesterol and has low-density lipoprotein.

    Red Wine 

    Red wine in small quantity is good. It it is recommended that people  should have red wine since it is good for the heart.

    Since it is seen that people of Mediterranean region have good health, It is time to switch to this lifestyle.

    Some of the countries include Italy Greece and the rest.

    New England journal of medicine has published.

    1. The food of the Mediterranean is more wholesome and nutritious.

    2. They use olive oil.

    3. You will not find saturated fats or sugar in their diet.

    Changes that happen with a Mediterranean diet

    1. Lower Blood sugar levels which are ideal for Diabetic type II

    2. It Strengths muscles and bones. The bones of the elderly are strong.

    3. It will help you to reduce the risk of developing cancerous cells.

    4. Less chances of neurological diseases.

    5. Helps fights inflammation.

    6. It helps produce dopamine. This is a  molecule that plays important role in cells. This helps in leading to a feeling of wellness.

     7. Eating antioxidants reduce the effects of brain shrinkage in old age.

    8. Lose weight.

    9. You will feel fuller for a long time time. The reason being you will be eating more protein.

    Healthy eating: high angle view of a group of food with high levels of Omega-3 fat. The composition includes salmon, sardines, avocado, extra virgin olive oil, and various nuts and seeds like pumpkin seeds, chis seeds, pecan, almonds, pistachio, walnuts and hazelnuts.

    Useful tips :

    Replacing saturated and hydrated fats with olive oil is the major difference in the diet. we spend so much money on beauty parlours and gyms. Why not spend it on olive oil and see the difference. 

    Meditterance diet includes avocados and olives which is good for the heart.

    In case you are on-vegetation fish is also an important ingredient in diet

    There is a quick guide on major food stuffs.

    It is important to read labels on everything.In this way you will know goes on in the food you eat.

    Don’t be tense about making changes in your diet. It will take only a few days to get used to eating these new things.

    Now the about the mouth-watering recipes

    There are many main dishes;

    Beans 

    Whole wheat penne with shrimp and Broccoli

    Pestomstuffed shells

    For breakfast

    Omelets, Breads and Cereals

    Spicy Hummus in toasted pita Loaves

    Honey whole wheat bread

    Lavosh ( Bread left in the oven until it is golden brown)

    Next are Soups and salads

    Tomato soup

    Chunky Fish chowder with saffron

    Brown rice salad

    Farro  Salad

    Creamy salmon soup

    Fresh chicken broth

    Sweets

     Are made in a healthy way 

    Green beans and peppers mix

    Mashed Parsnips and carrots

    Creamy Sweet potatoes mix

    Snacks 

    Spiced almonds

    In case your kids don’t like almonds they will like these.

    Arabic style spiced roasted chickpeas

    Banana buttermilk pancakes

    In the end, a 30-day meal plan is given. Breakfast, lunch and dinner plans are given. Try out this diet. I am some of you have tired some diets and not found any improvement in your health.

    Advice on eating out.

    Just because you eat out does not mean that you do not follow the diet

    1. When you take a seat have water. When you drink water chances are you wont overeat.

    2. Avoid breadbaskets.

    3. Skip the appetizer.

    4. For the main course choose chicken or meat dish. It would be better to have vegetation.

    5. Try not to eat dishes with sauce. These sauces have sugar.

    6. Try and have fruits for dessert.

    7. Restaurant portions are large so leave some food on the plate.

    8. Enjoy a glass of red wine.

    There are many things you might not know in these diets. But believe me, this diet will help you in the long. Try it. In case you don’t find a difference in your health, You can always change back to your old diet.

    The photo of the food was taken from unsplash and the photo of bottle of olive oil was taken from amazon.

  • Selling To Win By Richard Denny

    Richard Denny was from the United Kingdom. He was sought after for motivational speaking. A foundation is open where training is given in this field. You can call him a millionaire maker. Your business I believe will grow if you follow his advice. In his own words and  I quote

    “Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow – onwards and upwards”

     Among other things, you will learn

    Close a sale

    Find a new customer 

    Beat the competition

    Build a positive attitude

    After Reading his book I feel we all can sell . What is the difference between a salesperson that can sell and one that cannot sell. It is the attitude. The right attitude is that you will win.

    I think our attitude is influenced by our childhood and the company we keep. This is what I have learned from this book. The thing to do in order to sell is to improve yourself.

    How to use this book

    You will find many useful things in this book. It is not possible to remember all of them. In school or college, we used to use highlighter pens. You can still use that for marking ideas that you like.

    Keep on rereading the chapters that you like.

    There are more sales cassettes that you can listen to in your car.

    Desire to do something;

    It is all about how badly you want to do something .like I wanted to self-publish a book. So I did it. My desire was so strong that no matter what I faced I made sure I tackled it.

    Many people leave school but later on in life, they see a career that they can do. But they don’t have the qualification for it. So they go back to their place of learning. Such is the desire to do something. How strong is your desire? Do you want to sell so badly that you will do anything to sell the product?

    If you want to sell this has to be done. If you are busy during the weekday you can do this during the weekend. Plan your goal and give it your best say 3 months. Don’t make the goal very high or too difficult to achieve.If you set up a goal too high make sure to break it up. Don’t just have deadlines but write it in front of your bed so that you see it the first thing in the morning. So say how many units you want to sell. 

    Planning

    It is important to plan. Say you are selling shoes. Plan in which part of India you want to sell first . Say you want to sell in Delhi rather than Agra and so on. Also look at what companies sell the most in each city and plan to go there. For example, rainy shoes are needed so go before the rains to sell .

    Believe in yourself and you can do wonders.

    Remove the word impossible from your dictionary. For others to believe in you, you have to believe in yourself. Chapter 3 is the most important chapter in the book. Read this once in three months so as not to forget. But more importantly, practice what you have read. After all, practice makes perfect.

    Donot fear change 

    Change does not mean it will be for the worst. Don’t do things how they have always been done.If you have a plan to sell that has not been tried before do try it. You never know it might be a success.

    Build your confidence

    In order to sell you have to build your confidence . Here are some pointers on what to do.

    Try not to make excuses. if you do not succeed at something. Do not say I am old or things like that. Say I can still do it despite failure.

    How do you see yourself? Look at yourself in the mirror. Do you see a successful person? If you do so will others. Feel proud of yourself.

    Improve your appearance. This is true of women. Women feel better if they go to a hairdresser before a party . If you feel this will boost your confidence then do it. For men get a dinner jacket if going out. I am sure you will know of so many such examples.

    Are you an enthusiastic person?If you are excited about something you will end up doing that thing better.. Were you not better at Maths in school because you were excited about Maths?

    Linked to all this is being negative.

    As a professional, you must take care of attitude. Negativity is a curse in anything. People might say negative things about you . Listen from one ear and remove it from the other. There are three negative things that you have to take care of criticizing, condemning, and complaining. Make sure you don’t fall into the trap of these .

    Many people thrive on other peoples’ misery. So don’t listen to them.

    Also look at what kind of company you have. Are your results a drawback because of them?

    The chapter called The Principles of professionalism is excellent. Even if you think you are professional this chapter will tell you you are not.

    A few basic guidelines to make written communication better are given in the chapter on letter writing. Things like Avoid jargon Make your letters easy to read and many more tips are given.

    What should your body language be? What kind of chairs do you have for your visitors? If a client comes to your office these things are important.

    The last chapter is the most important. Donot quit, it is called. Everybody in marketing has its ups and downs. Look at your downside and try to improve.

    In the end, I would like to end by these words by saying something that Henry Ford had Said in 1922:

    “Selling is a profession and must have recognized professional ethics. professional spirit seeks professional integrity from pride, not compulsion. The professional spirit detects its own violations and penaltises them.

    The quote of Henry Ford and other quotes are being taken from the book selling to win

    By Richard Denny. His other books are :

    Speak for yourself 

    Succeed for yourself 

    Motivate to win.

  • Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

    Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

    I got interested in this novel having heard so much about it. Though not such a big fan of classic novel I had heard that this novel had action in it. So I picked it up. Many reviews give scene by scene summary. But I donot believe in that. The reading of the novel is always better.

    This novel is a historical romance. The setting is in Scotland and the year is 1751 .The story starts with David Balfour. His father leaves him a letter after he dies, saying to go to see his uncle. When he tries to find uncle house everyone gives him a wired look. He reaches his uncle house and his uncle tricks him.

    His uncle on the pretext of a business deal sells him into slavery. He travels on a boat which is shipwrecked and he makes friend with Allan. Alan is a classic rogue, with some fighting skill, a gift of gab, and a gambling problem. Thus there is an adventure. There also is a political and historical background.

    The writing is simple. But at times the writing is difficult because of the style of writing. It is written in lowland Scott a Germanic language that evolved from English.

    A central theme of the novel is the concept of justice. And adventure Stevenson was living in England when writing this novel. He had a physical illness and felt homesick. Being from Scotland many of his characters are Scottish. We also see how David is developed into an adult.

    David is the protagonist. Of the novel. He is young and inexperienced .The novel was targeted towards young boys. So young boys understood David very well. He meets Alan Breck . It is because of him that David comes to know what the real world holds. Due to this he is able to outdo his uncle and get his inheritance. Also he is more mature.

    Alan Breck is a person who is offended very quickly but forgives as fast. He is very loyal to his clan which is good thing. He believes that the Scottish strauts should be the true kings of England. He does not change during the course of the novel. He is only there to teach David about the world and guide him.

    He teaches David how to survival.in the world. Clan politics.is also taught to David. David is a wig and protestant. While Alan is catholic. In find this character interesting. Another character is Ebenezer Balfour. I would say he is a villa.   He is greedy. He decides to have David his nephew killed or kidnapped.

    Theme of the novel:

    It seems the central theme of the novel is friendship.

    There is friendship between David and Alan despite the fact that both are different. At the core is the fact that David is protestant and Alan is cathioc.This friendship is the important part in the whole novel.

    For some reason David feels loyalty to Alan. David remains with Allan when the latter loses their money/. Such is the sense of loyalty in David.

    In chapter 24 the friendship reaches its clixam.Other than the fact Alan has lost his money Alan keeping on talking against the Whig. You see David is a Whig.

    Another theme

    David does not understand the people of highland. He knows right and left from his religious teacher Mr. Campbell. He does not rely on himself as so much on religion.

    Both highlander like Alan have values like David. But they have important difference also. David believes that in any conflict find the guilty person and punish him. Alan does not believe in this. Thus David would be willing to agree that Campbell should be punished for his crimes.

    Stevson has given us and sight into highlander and their behavior. That is one reason I liked this novel.

    But the thing is that Jacobite and Whig come too often in this novel. I myself was confused at first. So let explain this. The Whigs have been loyal to the monarch. Whigs were protestant.

    The jacobite as a party were formed after the revolution of 1680s.They were catholic and hence fell out of place with the English government. The murder of Campbell is the central event in the novel.

    Coming to inheritance the eldest son always inheritances the property. The main theme would be that David comes to take charge of his estate while his uncle tries that David cannot do this.  

    There are some symbols that are worthy to be notted.There is a silver button that Alan has given to David. The importantance of this button is this. Whenever David shows this to anyone Alan instructions were found out.

    Background of Robert Louis stenson

    He was born and brought up in Edinburgh. But most of his life bronchial trouble. This did not stop him from writing.

    His novels were

    Strange case of Dry Jekyll and Mr Hyde

    Treasure Island

    Short story collection

    New Arabian nights

    Tales and Fantasies

    Non fiction

    Familiar studies of men and books

    On the choice of a profession

    The day after tomorrow

    In case you are studying this in school you can see the movie adaptations.

  • Animal farm by George Orwell

    Kindle : 78.27

    Paperback : 163.00

    George was called Eric Arthur Blair. His other books include Burmese Days ,Why i write and many more.

    After reading this book I felt like I was reading about Communism. Basically, the story is about animals taking over a farm run by humans. The animals are not fed well and have to do lots of work.

    The book starts with Major a White Boar giving a lecture to animals about how life is a misery for the animals.He further says that the misery is due to only humans. The reason being that they use animal products and do not produce their own.

    It is declared by the animals that whoever walks on two legs is their enemy. The meeting ends by signing “Beasts of England “ The Major dies but animals are inspired by the Major.

    Soon enough there is a coup against Mr Jones and other farmers, and the animals take over. Henceforth there are reading and writing classes. Everything is so organized. There were committees like the re-education committee.Napoleon a pig becomes the leader.

    Seven commandments are written. Does it mean that Orwell is introducing religion since there are 10 commandments in the bible.? “ All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others “.is one commandment.

    But as time goes on it is clear that all animals are not equal. Life becomes harder for the animals. A wind mill is broken and Snowball is accused of  sabotaging it. Also the animals starve .

    Tactics were used to remove animals that came in the way of running the farm. Snowball was one such pig and was removed.

    Meanwhile the pigs start to install radio and telephone in the animal farm. Also there is news paper in the farm. It looks like a normal society to me.

     The farm was not called Manor farm but an animal farm. The farm was declared a republic. Hence it was decided to have a president. But will the animals manage to run the farm on their own or will they end up fighting and destroying their freedom ?

    After a few years the Humans are invited to the farm to drink. Also the farm is again called Manor farm.

    Orwell was trying to show in the novel about Russian conditions under the communists regime 

    In 1917 Tsar was overthrown by the communist. It is in this context that the book was written. In communism everyone is equal. Everyone works but everyone benefits equally. Joseph Stalin was the leader of communist Russia in 1920s.

    But it became known that this communism was not working. There was not enough food for everyone. People were starving.

    But Stalin and other leaders could not do anything. They kept on reminding people how bad the conditions were under Tsar rule.

    Thought the novel was not for children. But the conditions Russiacan be explained well by reading this novels. Mostly Animals are used in the novel.

    One of the most common technique used in Russia and Animal farm is this.How to manipulate peopleso that they begin to doubt themselves.

    Another technique is that the masses are kept ignorant of whatever is happening. This is how people can be manipulated. This again shown in animal farm.Also so called “fake news” is there at the farm. No one knows the truth and everyone is confused.

    The pigs undo the “all are equal motto”. They think that they are better off and look down upon other animals.

    In this manner, we can see how Animal farm is compared with Russia during communism.

    The book is under 100 pages.

    I like the details about how exactly the farm is organized.

    Paperback

    George was called Eric Arthur Blair. His other books include Burmese Days, Why I write, and many more.

    After reading this book I felt like I was reading about Communism. Basically, the story is about animals taking over a farm run by humans. The animals are not fed well and have to do lots of work.

    The book starts with Major a White Boar giving a lecture to animals about how life is a misery for the animals.He further says that the misery is due to only humans. The reason being that they use animal products and do not produce their own.

    It is declared by the animals that whoever walks on two legs is their enemy. The meeting ends by singing “Beasts of England “ The Major dies but animals are inspired by the Major.

    Soon enough there is a coup against Mr. Jones and other farmers, and the animals take over. Henceforth there are reading and writing classes. Everything is so organized. There were committees like the re-education committee. Napoleon a pig becomes the leader.

    Seven commandments are written. Does it mean that Orwell is introducing religion since there are 10 commandments in the bible.? “ All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others “.is one commandment.

    But as time goes on it is clear that all animals are not equal. Life becomes harder for the animals. A windmill is broken and Snowball another leader is accused of sabotaging it. Also, the animals starve.

    Tactics were used to remove animals that came in the way of running the farm. Snowball was one such pig and was removed.

    Meanwhile, the pigs start to install radio and telephone in the animal farm. Also, there is a newspaper on the farm. It looks like a normal society to me.

     The farm was not called Manor farm but an animal farm. The farm was declared a republic. Hence it was decided to have a president. But will the animals manage to run the farm on their own or will they end up fighting and destroying their freedom?

    After a few years, the Humans are invited to the farm to drink. Also, the farm is again called Manor farm.

    Orwell was trying to show in the novel about Russian conditions under the communists’ regime 

    In 1917 Tsar was overthrown by the communist. It is in this context that the book was written. In communism everyone is equal. Everyone works but everyone benefits equally. Joseph Stalin was the leader of communist Russia in the 1920s.

    But it became known that this communism was not working. There was not enough food for everyone. People were starving.

    But Stalin and other leaders could not do anything. They kept on reminding people how bad the conditions were under Tsar rule.

    Thought the novel was not for children. But the conditions in Russia can be explained well by reading this novel. Mostly Animals are used in the novel.

    One of the most common technique used in Russia and Animal farm is this. How to manipulate people so that they begin to doubt themselves.

    Another technique is that the masses are kept ignorant of whatever is happening. This is how people can be manipulated. This is again shown in animal farm. Also so-called “fake news” is there at the farm. No one knows the truth and everyone is confused.

    The pigs undo the “all are equal motto”. They think that they are better off and look down upon other animals.

    In this manner, we can see how Animal farm is compared with Russia during communism.

    The book is under 100 pages.

    I like the details about how exactly the farm is organized.

  • Meditation and its methods by Swami Vivekananda

    Meditation and its methods by Swami Vivekananda

    Kindle : 34.22 rs

    Paperback : 174 rs

    Swami Vivekananda as most people know was a Hindu. He introduced the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and yoga to western world. But few know about his book on mediation.

    Mediation according to yoga. 

    Mediation is the power to resist things. Nature introduce us to a beautiful smell .I tell myself don’t smell it and the nose does not. When you mediate you can change all this .It is an attempt to change all this.

    Change to getting freedom will come.

    This about that change .Changing anything is difficult.

    The mind is a strange thing .It keeps on wandering away here and there. It might wander off to places where you have been .This will be stopped by the power of mediation. If we can control the mind we can control anything.

    Before any meditation  methods it is important to know where to mediate. Otherwise it is no use to meditate.

    These ideas will work since they have worked for me. Try to follow these ideas as closely as

    you can.

    The environment to mediate

    • Try to have a separate room for mediation
    • Try to place flowers in that room .It will enhance your meditation.
    • Also do not meditate when  you feel  lazy or ill.

    • If you want to burn incense in the morning and evening you can
    • Try not to have anger in that room 

    All these things will help in the mediation

    Whenever you are miserable or your mind is distributed, enter this room and you will be calm.

    Time for mediation

    Try to practice at least twice every day .Best times are towards morning and evening. These are times of calmness.

    Now if you are ready now repeat and i quote “ Let all beings be happy , let all beings be peacefully let all beings be blissful. Do this to the north, south, east and west. When you continue to do this you will feel better.i tired this for a few days and saw it made me feel better.If you believe in god than pray.

    Next look at your body and see how healthy it is.

    Another example of mediation

    Look at your heart, Think there is Space in your heart. In the middle of that space think that there is a flame that is burning .Inside this flame there is another flame.and that is your soul. Meditate on that. I know this is confusing when you read it for the first time. But keep on practicing it and you will understand it better.

    There is another method of meditation :

    First sit in the position that you can sit in for a long time. All the currents that are working pass along the spine. The spine is not intended to support the weight of the body. So the posture must be such that the weight is not on the spine.

    In the end I would say meditation is a means of controlling your mind . Practice meditation for months to benefit from it. Remain cheerful and yes patience is the greatest virtue that man  can have. You will see great transformation through meditation.

    This book has lots of meditation methods. Try all and see which works for you.

    The photo of a person doing meditation is taken from Dreamtime.com

  • Over My Dead Body By Jeffery Archer

    Over My Dead Body By Jeffery Archer

    Kindle Edition : 278 rs

    Paper back : 293 rs

    This is one of the many books by Jeffery Archer. The other being Only Time will tell, As the crow files and many more.

    The character is William Warwick. Archer has written more novels with this character in them.

    The setting is on a cruise ship at first. We see William James and wife Beth on the ship Pligirm Line.

    This is a luxury ship. There is a battle for power at the heart of a wealthy dynasty.

    James Angus is the deputy chairman of the ship. James asks William to tell him how to take advantage of the family. I wonder why ?

    Fraser Buchana is the new chairman of the ship. He is friends with Miles Faulkner and Christina. Faulkner is believed to have died. His funeral also took place. Miles is a thief. Meanwhile, Miles is trying to escape from the police who knows that he is not dead. It is a game of cat and mouse between William and Miles

    One fine morning Fraser and the rest are having breakfast . All of a sudden Fraser it seems has heart attack and dies. But William thinks it is murder.  and tries to tell James who is sitting where at the table that morning. He is trying to solve the murder. There is a cat and mouse plot between William and Fraser.

    In London, the Metropolitan Police set up a new Unsolved Murders Unit—a cold case squad—to catch the criminals nobody else can. longtime undercover DI Ross Hogan, whom retiring Cmdr. Hawksby is grooming as William’s second, develops an altogether more personal reason for going after Faulkner and, at long last, begins to litter the path he blazes to his quarry with the bodies of his agents.

    But Archery has sub-plots in ll his novels. As usual writing is excellent . Archery has not le down his fans in this book.

    Jeffrey Archer is one of the world’s most famous authors, having sold over 275 million copies of his books in a ninety-seven countries. He is also a former member of Britain’s House of Lords.

    
    
  • Fitness habits : Breaking the barriers to fitness  by  Amaresh Ojha and Subhra Moitra

    Pages :192

    Price : Paperback :156

    : Kindle :119.77

    I am not into fitness . But I picked this book up because of a friend. I used to  see her join the gym and then quit. She is a close friend . This happened too many times.So i thought let me read this book and help her.

    This book was written after the authors had researched  more then 100 fitness centres across India.The research involved engagement Enrollment patterns and things like that. With so much research behind them, how could they go wrong.

    Why do people do fitness for a while and then leave it ?

    • No passion
    • No motivation
    • Setting unrealistic goals

    If your body makes you feel better would you not want to continue to do the fitness regime.

    What I got from this book.

    1.It takes time to adopt a habit .

    2.Find out what helps you stay motivated.

    3. How to maintain a habit.

    If you agree to the above then this is the book for you.

    There is an exercise in this book which will help you understand your relationship with fitness.

    This is important, otherwise how will you know if you have any relationship with fitness.

    There are eight secrets in the book that will help you form fitness habits.

    Secret no 1

    Awareness

    In order to build a exercise regime you have to know your present state of health. How healthy are you ? You might think you are healthy just because you go for a walk. Once you do realize that you are unhealthy you yourself will want to make fitness a habit. Again there is a small activity that will help you understand your fitness level .

    Secret 2

    Find your why

    You will want to find out why you want to be fit. Is it because everyone around you is trying to be fit? You should want to be fit because you want it not because everyone is trying. Makes sense doesn’t it ?There is a small activity that will help you discover your why.

    Secret 3

    Go slow but go forward

    In case you want to start on a fitness routine, go slow. In case you try to do a lot of exercise or train a lot you will find it boring. Also your body will get used to any fitness regime in a slow manner. Your body might tear itself out if you do too many things all at once with your body.

    Consistency is important in forming any habit .So do exercise daily according to your regime.There is an exercise to maintain this consistency.

    Secret 4

    Anything will be interesting when you add an element of fun in it. Try not to make fitness a struggle . Try music while exercising .For example Zumba uses music. The tempo of people doing Zumba is high when doing it with music. Try doing something in a group but remember to go at your own pace.

    Try doing various exercises and change it daily . That way it  does not become dull and boring.It will be just a sweat secession but something you will look forward to when you wake up.

    Secret 5

    Planning before performance

    If you plan anything it is likely that you will finish it. With a plan in place you will perform the routine. So plan but keep chaining the plan so as not to make it boring.Plan  would include keeping water and the like.Do you have a plan ?

    Secret 6

    Declutter your Cue

    Wondering what is cue ?

    Simply put  cue is the trigger that initiates a behaviour and says that if we do certain things we will get a reward.

    For example if you eat your pre  workout meal and miss on it due to reaching home late then decide if you want to eat the meal or go for a workout. I know all these things sound complained but Rome was not built in a day . Even your habits will take time to build.

    Secret 7 

    Prepare your environment

    If You need to take a bottle to the gym, do it. If you need to take a small towel then do that. In this manner you are comfortable in your environment. This will help you form a habit.

    Secret 8

    Evaluate your progress

    Whenever you start anything new you will have to see how well you are doing.

    If you are not doing well you will want to have a strategy .

    The best part about this book is that he has given small activities which I feel that will benefit people.

    The image of people doing exercise was taken from vector stock.

  • Every cloud by Connie Chappell

    Every cloud by Connie Chappell

    This is Connie 8th book. She has written mystery and family-based dramas. She loves outdoor activities like golf, walking and more.

    I still have not understood why the novel is called every cloud.

    This book is family drama genre. It talks about four siblings and their lives. Jillian, Gus Betsy and Demetri. Their childhood home is called Moorings.

    Jillian has had many affairs and losing every man she dates. Also, there have been fire incidents in her life. She decides to come home.

    Demetri is a priest who has nightmares. His superior says it has to do with his childhood. He decides to come home. He texts Gus NEED SAM.No sam is not a person. It means summer at moorings. New Zealand is where he lives. 

    Betsy is married and is bossy. She has been having trouble with her in-laws. Her mother in law does not invite her to her home. So she comes to mooring saying she has come to finish her PhD.

     Gus is the person who manages the mooring. He also looks after his father’s business. There was a friendship between Gus and Moorings. Gus had once told his mother that he wanted to live at mooring.

    Then there are sitings of coyotes. Gus and Betsy decide to investigate. 

    The four siblings all have issues in the present context. They come home to try and solve them.

    Artemus Deconcini their father has a huge business. Both of their parents go to a board meeting once a year. After Camilla dies Artemus marries a second wife called Kora. Kora and Gus were the same age when kora was married. 

    This book focus on life complications. Also, there are silver linings.

    Writing is simple to understand.

    Connie Chappell is a bestselling and award-winning author in both literary fiction and the Wrenn Grayson Mystery series. Her books are standalone novels and can be read in any order. She’s a lifelong resident of Springfield, Ohio. When she’s not writing, family and friends find her outdoors, where her home is nestled close to a woodland. During the winter months, she longs to see honeybees hovering over her flowerbeds again. Make contact with Chappell through her website, conniechappell.com

    Editorial Reviews

    Review

    “Chappell is a gifted storyteller.” 

    -The American Reporter

    “This author’s writing sweeps readers into a thrilling world.” 

    -South Florida Sun-Sentinel

    “The plot is engaging and paced with great skill.” 

    -Readers’ Favorites (5 stars)

    “Chappell’s love of words shines through.” 

    -The Times of Chicago

    “Chappell brings her characters to life with the brushstrokes of her prolific imagination.”

    -Myrtle Brooks, author of Songs I Heard the City Sing.

    #drama#writerblock

    Editoral reviews and about connie are from the amazon website

  • The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

    The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

    The sign reads 

    Opens at nightfall 

    Closes at dawn

    What could this be ? A shop . No. It is a night circus.

    The circus has black and white striped canvas tent.  It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, 

    The book is about illusion. At the same time it is a magical fantasy. The scene opens with a girl being left at the circus. Her name is Celia. She is being trained in Magic. It is narrative in nature.

    Plot is straight forward. There are two magicians Both the magicians fall in love with each other .But.they are meant to be competing against one another,The young magicians are called Celia and Marco. 

     Many people used to join the circus which was a refuge for people with unique abilities. The setting is London.

    Hector trains his daughter Celia. The man in the gray suit chooses an orphan. He is called Marco Alisdar. The duel is between the two magicians. Celia is a kind hearted soul .After Hector dies she gets an envelope”Your Move”. Hmm . Wonder what that is .

    There are other characters also .Frederick Thiessen is sen as the maker of clocks. Later on he becomes entwined with the circus.Isobel Martin is another character who is a fortune teller for the circus.

    Meanwhile theatrical impresario Chandresh Christophe Lefevre has a new idea.she thinks a traveling circus which will tour around the world, is better off than a stationary circus. There are acrobats ,a contortionist who can fold herself into a small glass box, and Celia, an illusionist . Animals are also involved.  

    Writing is gorgeous.  It is written in second person. The  book is unique. The description of the tents are worth a mention.  The imagination is good. When I read this novel it is like a dream. There is romance which will swipe you off your feet. .In the bookt the years keep on shifting from back and forth.. The book will cast a spell over you. The book is narrative in nature.

    The kindle edition is 269 rs.

    Erin Morgenstern has written two fantasy novels. The other is the starless sea, was published in 2019.won the annualLocal award for best novel. She is a 2012 recipient of an Alex Award. Her second book,The Starless Sea , was published in 2019.

    If you are looking for fantasy this is the book.

    #fantasy#Romance#illusion