Gugulu the Little Bear dares

 An Amazing Children's story

Summary

Go on a wild adventure with Gugulu, the sloth bear, as he takes on a
journey deep inside the western ghats of India.

Gugulu's parents won't allow him to go to school alone. But he can't
wait to explore the forest on his own. So one day, he runs ahead of
his parents. And before he knows it, he ends up in a river filled with
danger - first a roaring leopard, then a gang of gaurs, but soon he
shrinks in fear. 

Will naughty Gugulu be able to reunite with his parents?

Gugulu, The Little Bear Dares, is a quirky, funny, beautifully
illustrated story about new experiences and courageously facing
challenges when encountered

My Review

What an amazing beautiful children's story. And again I really liked
the layout and the way the author deepened out the characters.

I enjoyed it very much.

At the end there is a summary of all the characters Gugulu the bear
met during his trip.

I recommend this book to all parents who want to read for their children
or to children, who start reading.

Of course, I give a 5 star rating to Gugulu the little bear dares. 

The Author

Srividhya is an entrepreneur and writer. She always had a passion for
storytelling and started to write when she was eleven.

​Her early success came when one of her dramas got selected by the
‘All India Radio’. 

She spent years reading and writing stories, giving her characters
a bright sparkle!

​She is a chartered accountant and spent 15 years in corporate jobs.
Later, she founded and managed a fashion e-commerce company.

More about this splendid author, check last author in the picture
blog post on this link. 

Author in the picture post : Srividhya Lakshmanan

Welcome on the “Mycrazylifewithbooks” blog Srividhya Lakshmanan !
I read several books of you and I always was pleasantly surprised by the
atmosphere and the lesson that each story contained. So, these were
the main reasons, I invited you to take part of the Author in the picture
blogpost. Off we go with these questions: 

1/ Can you tell the readers more about you?

I am an indie author. I have published picture books and short stories
for children. Before venturing into the book space, I used to run a fashion
e-commerce company. I spent several years in the corporate world.

2/ How did you start writing children's and young adults' books?

I started to write as early as eleven. The local radio selected one of the
stories during my high school days. Still, the idea of publishing books
came only two years ago at my daughter's insistence. I published a few
short stories that received excellent reviews in the early days. The
feedback encouraged me to publish more books.

3/ How were you as a kid?

I spent the best part of my childhood in smaller towns and the
countryside, so I was always with friends, exploring nature and playing
in the outdoors. Loads of free time and zero screen time! I believe
that a lot of my creative side was nurtured predominantly in those times. 

4/ Which book/series inspired you?

I have many books, but I will keep the list short considering the time -
Roald Dahl's BFG, the Indian mythology series by Anant Pai,
Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne, Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer.
My most preferred genre is children's picture books. I never a miss a
chance to read one.

5/ How do you chose your stories/ topics?

The ideas for my stories come from everyday conversations with people.
For instance, the idea for my newest picture book, 'Gugulu, The Little
Bear Dares', came from a family trip to the Western Ghats of India.
The previous book, 'Do they all Sleep?' came from a bedtime
conversation with my child. She is my first soundboard. She is a
voracious reader, so I start to develop an idea only after she approves.

6/ Can you tell us a bit more about your writing routine? 

I don't follow a strict routine, but I always carry a small notebook
for my story ideas. I try to write at least three days a week. In addition,
I try to keep up with my writing habit by participating in time-bound
story writing competitions. I believe these competitions also
help me improve my skill.

7/Are you proud receiving a good review or an award?

A good review obviously makes me super happy. I love to read it again
and again. 

And, of course, awards are significant too. It reassures my efforts and
belief in the books. I was elated when my first book got shortlisted
for the Wishing Shelf Awards.

8/ Are you nervous before the release of a new book? 

I am super nervous before a book release. As an indie author, you
must wear multiple hats and spend several months preparing for the
release. If the readers don't accept the book, all the effort goes wasted.

I have a new release scheduled for the 29th of April 2022,
and I am already sweating!

9/ Do you have plans to write other children / young adults' books,
or books in another genre?

Yes, I am working on my next book that will release mostly next year mid.
The book will be again a picture book.

10/ What are your wishes for the (nearby) future? 

While I am happy in the indie space, I would also like to try out the
traditional publishing side. I am working on a few picture book
manuscripts. I hope something clicks soon.

Thank you

Thank you very much for answering these questions. If you want to know
more about Srividhya Lakshmanan, please check her social media.

Social Media

Website: www.andbooks.in

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19581544.Srividhya_Lakshmanan

Instagram: https://instagram.com/andbooksin

Twitter: https://twitter.com/andbooks3

Amazon: http://author.to/srividhyalakshmanan

1914: NaMo or MoNa : Why is 2019 not 2014?

 This is an interesting reading!

My review

The book was intersting for me because I hardly know nothing about 

the politics of India's past, present and future.

As India will become (or is) an economical power to count with it's a 

must read for every one who wants to know more about this wonderful

country.

The author did his research very well, although it sometimes became a 

bit dry but writing about politics never is easy and perhaps it was a bit 

from a one side view. 

Thus I recommend this book to people who are interested in history
and the political situation of India.

I give a five star rating for this interesting -  and for me unknown 

matter- story. 

The author

His parents thought he was studying business administration in the USA.
He was actually studying journalism.

When he was a consultant for the Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital in Pune,
he told Rajshree Birla and Kumar Mangalam Birla their offices would
be in the Basement of the Hospital.

As an entrepreneur, Amit has been India’s No.1 Healthcare Consultant,
India’s No.1 Retail Consultant, and India’s No.1 Residential Real Estate
Consultant, apart from excelling in several other sectors.

As a Retail Consultant, he wrote prolifically for various retail publications.
For one article, he interviewed several industry leaders, including Kishore
Biyani, considered the father of modern retail in India. Little did poor
Mr. Biyani know that Amit would lambast him in the article. The next time
they ran into each other, Mr. Biyani told Amit that - being a fellow Marwari
- he should have been less critical of him.

World Book Day 2022

The original idea of World Book Day was conceived in 1922 by Spanish
writer Vicente Clavel Andrés as a way to honour the author
Miguel de Cervantes. It was first celebrated on 7 October 1926,
Cervantes' birthday, before being moved
to his death date, 23 April, in 1930.

An accident Don Quixote - Cervantes

source picture: Wikipedia

The celebration continued to enjoy great popularity in Spain, especially
in Catalonia, where it coincides with the Diada de Sant Jordi, the patron
saint of Catalonia. The Diada usually involves the exchange of gifts
between loved ones and, since the 1931 Book Fair in Barcelona,
the gifts are a book and a rose.

In 1995, UNESCO decided that the World Book and Copyright Day
would be celebrated on 23 April, as the date is also the anniversary of
the death of William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, as well
as that of the birth or death of several other prominent authors.

Source picture: Wikipedia

Spain

In Spain, Book Day began to be celebrated since 1926 every October 7,
the date that Miguel de Cervantes was believed to have been born. But,
it was considered more appropriate to celebrate this day in a more pleasant
season for walking and browsing the books in the open-air.

Spring was much better than fall. So in 1930 King Alfonso XIII
approved the change of celebration of the Book Day on April 23,
the supposed date of the death of Cervantes.

United Kingdom and Ireland

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, World Book Day is a charity event
in March, held annually on the first Thursday and coinciding with the
release of special editions.

The annual celebration on 23 April is World Book Night, an event
organized by independent charity The Reading Agency.

a special book shop in Porto, Portugal

United States

In Kensington, Maryland, the International Day of the Book is celebrated
with a street festival on the Sunday closest to 26 April.

India

World Book Day is also celebrated in India on 23rd April every year.
It is commemorated in many parts of India to encourage & aware of
people for reading & publishing books.

Happy World Book Day!

Enjoy Reading!

Advantages of reading books

Recently, I discovered a very interesting article about the advantages
of reading books. 

For me the main reason of reading books (and reviewing) is to learn
new things, to get new insights and for making my English better,
because my native language is Dutch. Or doing some armchair travelling
with the memoirs. It just makes me happy 😊

It was a bit quiet on this blog, due to some other busy things but
hopefully I can pick up the thread again and talk nice blog posts/reviews/
author in the picture posts or about other things.

👉 Thank you very much for your support and if you have any - book related -
ideas, feel free to let me know.

Meanwhile, find the article on next link: 10 Great Advantages of Reading Boooks

Keep on reading!

The picture was taken by me in the Museum Plantin Moretus in 2021 in
Antwerpen, Belgium. 

On Golden Land

 A beautiful story 

Summary

Seven lifelong friends from California meet along their journey to
adulthood and fall into committed relationships. Andrea and Paul meet
after university growing marijuana in the Golden Triangle. 

Together they decide to retire, live communally in New Mexico, and
grow marijuana and ginger. They are joined by an eighth member along
the way to become four couples. They build a homestead, complete with
four houses, a greenhouse, yoga studio, and cutting shed. Relationships
are tried and tested by external pressures, which threaten to destroy their
communal life. Children and grandchildren come and go to create a
dynamic unit. Will their lifestyle turn into a hippy pipedream or a
happy ending?

My Review

I really enjoyed reading On Golden Land due to the well written story

and the characters, which were pointed out very good. The story was
clear and it captivated me from start to finish. I also liked the layout of
the cover. 

I recommend the book to 18+ readers due to some scenes in the book,
but a fantastic read.

Of course I give a 5 star rating to On Golden Land and I hope more 
books will follow! 

The author

Naomi  P  Lane  was  born  in  England but  grew  up  in  the  suburbs 
of Vancouver Canada. She’s married to awonderful man named
Chris and they have two very nice adult children andone very
spoiled rescue cat. She was a French Immersion and Special Education 
teacher  for  thirty  years.  

Now,recently  retired,  she  devotes  most  ofher time to writing.
She enjoys nature walks,  yoga,  playing  guitar,  listen into  world 
music,  and  collaborating  with  several  writers’  groups.  

She also has a weekly blog called The Friday Blog, which you can
follow at:naomiplane.com where all her social media links can be found.

The book

The book contains 213 pages and is published on June 19th. 2021.

Booktasters

I want to thank Booktasters for providing me a free copy and to get this
excellent reading chance! 

The Sand Fiddlers

The Sand Fiddlers

A Rogue Green Beret's Escape From the
Memories of Vietnam

Alex Driscoll, a US Army Special Forces combat veteran, seeks solitude on an isolated
section of beach while awaiting a discharge forced upon him due to an unauthorized
eighteen-month mission to avenge the torture and butchering of his teammates at the hands
of a Viet Cong death squad. A mysterious blonde-haired woman shows up unexpectedly
and ruins his plans for seclusion. Suspecting she is either a war protestor or sent by
the Criminal Investigation Division of the Army’s Military Police, he tries to keep her
distant. His suspicion dissipates when she reveals her lack of modesty and disclosure
of childhood sexual abuse, retaliation, and possibly murder in a past as dark as his own.
She claims she only seeks answers about the demons possessing a former friend who
didn’t return from the same jungle. The strangers are drawn closer throughout the day
and night, only for him to discover the circumstances of the former friend aren’t what
they seemed. Torn between reality and fantasy, his realization that he has fallen in love
may have come too late to save the developing romance.

My Review

I enjoyed this book from the first page and I really wanted to know the end.

It's a brief and wonderful read.  The cover fascinated me as well as the
fluent writing style and the characters.

I recommend this book to all people who like to read about military history
stories.

Without no doubt, I give a five star rating for this book. 

The Book

Published in September 2021.

It contains 94 pages. 

About a book

  a special book

My Review

It's a special and wonderful tale about the search for true love. It's written in short
verses and in clear chapters and the story intrigued me a lot.

I would recommend this to all who want to read about the search for love in verse
form. 

That's why I want to give a 4 star rating for this special book.

The Author

Isaac Ainsworth was born on December 21 of 1985. He holds an engineering degree
and is currently employed by a utility company. He is a man of many talents and
has discovered his writing potential very early in his life. He is an author of a
number of unpublished books (novels, short stories, etc).

Booktasters

Thank you very much Booktasters for providing me a free copy in return of my 
honest review. Thank you for this wonderful and special reading.