Reviews
The inspiration for this page comes from the fact that it has been said that to be a good writer, one has to have read at least 1000 books. Likewise, to be a good storyteller, it is perhaps necessary to read 1000 stories. I would like to go further than just reading – I think that reading a story alone is not enough. One has to analyse it, review it and be able to critically appraise a story. This, then, will be the aim of this column but with an emphasis on all manner of storytelling. With that in mind, certain things need to be pointed out:
- As this website caters for storytellers, this column will feature all manner of storytelling.
- We accept reviews written by other storytellers as well. Please note that we do not pay for reviews.
- There is no specific genre of stories reviewed here.
If you’d still like us to publish a review you’ve written, please send an email to editor @ howtotellagreatstory.com
Thursday, 20 September 2012 07:40
If Life is a Game, These Are the Rules by Dr. Chérie Carter-Scott
Written by Aneeta Sundararaj
If Life is a Game, These are the RulesTen Rules for Being Human as introduced in Chicken Soup for the SoulFormat: PaperbackAuthor: Chérie Carter-Scott, PhDISBN No: 0-7679-0388-9 If I were to ask you, “Are you on you path to success?” what would your answer be? Would you even know where or what ‘success’ is? These were the very questions I had to ask myself several years ago and I did not have a ‘reference’ book to read to help. Then, I was given a copy of If Life is a Game, These are the Rules Ten Rule for Being Human…
Published in
Reviews
Wednesday, 19 September 2012 21:18
The Discovery of India by Jawaharlal Nehru
Written by Aneeta Sundararaj
The Discovery of IndiaCentenary EditionFormat: PaperbackAuthor: Jawaharlal NehruPublishers: Oxford University PressISBN No: 0 19 562359 2 When one reads a book, there must be a purpose to this exercise – be it for entertainment, pleasure, knowledge or just to ‘past time’. In reading The Discovery of India one is given the chance of experiencing all of these at once. In conjunction with the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund in New Delhi, Oxford proudly announced the reissue of Glimpses of World History and The Discovery of India. Together, these two famous works by Jawaharlal Nehru, showed that he was one of modern…
Published in
Reviews
Thursday, 15 November 2018 00:06
Don’t Sell Me, Tell Me by Greg Koorhan
Written by Aneeta Sundararaj
Title: Don’t Sell Me, Tell MeAuthor: Greg KoorhanPaperback: 156 pagesPublisher: Crossbow Studio; 1 edition (July 7, 2016)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 9780692748275ISBN-13: 978-0692748275ASIN: 069274827X This nifty book is full of useful information that will be a blessing for all storytellers. For those who are beginners in storytelling, you’ll not make the mistakes that veteran storytellers make. For veteran storytellers, you’ll understand why your stories written for a business setting aren’t converting to sales and how to correct such mistakes. It is, essentially, an important guide for those who need to learn how to market their products more effectively. Let’s analyse this book a…
Published in
Reviews
Friday, 21 September 2012 18:04
FBI: The Fit Body Initiative by Steve Halls
Written by Aneeta Sundararaj
FBI: The Fit Body InitiativeSteve HallsPaperback: 184 pagesPublisher: Bookshaker (November 17, 2005)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 1905430086ISBN-13: 978-1905430086 The title of this book, for me, was immediately arresting. I would hazard a guess that I am not the first person to wonder what on earth the ‘FBI’ has to do with being healthy. However, upon closer analysis, it becomes obvious that ‘FBI’ is short for “Fit Body Initiative’. In the title alone, this book has achieved the aim of catching a reader’s attention. Furthermore, the ominous colour, black, for the background of the cover design with the words in ochre adds to the…
Published in
Reviews
Tuesday, 04 September 2012 07:15
Focus Your Dreams, Control Your Money and Ignite Your Life by Rajen Devadason
Written by Aneeta Sundararaj
Focus Your Dreams, Control Your Money and Ignite Your LifeFormat: e-courseAuthor: Rajen DevadasonPrice: Free Today, there are so many people who talk and talk and talk about investing and financial planning; but when it boils down to it, they really do not know the nuts and bolts of it. Rajen Devadason, however, is different. Rajen presents ideas that are so simple and easy to comprehend; they make complete sense and are told in such easy English that a ‘non-financial’ person, like me, would understand immediately. No doubt, his credibility is enhanced simply because he has had to experience the emotional…
Published in
Reviews
Thursday, 20 September 2012 20:25
Liliane: Resurrection of the Daughter by Ntozake Shange
Written by Aneeta Sundararaj
Liliane: Resurrection of the Daughter [Paperback]Ntozake ShangePaperback: 288 pagesPublisher: St. Martin’s Griffin; First Edition edition (October 11, 2011)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 0312644108ISBN-13: 978-0312644109 “I travel a lot,” Liliane tells us early on. “I look at men and take some home or leave the country, borders have never intimidated me. My passport is in order and I carry letters of credit, perfume, four fancy dresses and six nightgowns. I always sleep naked alone at least once a week. I pray and say hail marys by some window at dusk. It’s always best for me to deal with the sacred when I’m naked. For…
Published in
Reviews
Latest Posts
-
Sakshi
Written by Aneeta SundararajI have been in a state of ‘emotional unwell-being’ for seven years. There, I’ve said it. Why? Well, after my father died, I believed that if I reached out with love to ‘good friends’, counsellors, suitors, and relatives, there could be pockets of joy to offset my grief and loneliness,…
-
The Creative Industry Needs to Look at Things Differently Post Budget 2022
Written by Aneeta SundararajOn 29 October 2021, the Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz tabled Budget 2022 in the Malaysian parliament. RM50 million has been allocated for the arts and culture industry. This comes after a year and a half after the entire industry came to an absolute standstill. With…
-
‘The Covid Positives’ – life lessons learnt from the pandemic by Phanindra Ivatury
Written by Aneeta SundararajAfter a long drawn battle with the biggest catastrophe in our living memory, global humanity is finally getting to see some quintessential ray of light at the end of the treacherous tunnel in the form of COVID-19 vaccines, currently being rolled out to all parts of the globe. A ‘COVID-19…
-
Chaos of Whole Books
Written by Aneeta SundararajIs it possible to read several books at once? Aneeta Sundararaj finds out.When I was a child, my cousin used to boast that he could read four storybooks at a time. As an adult, when he invested in an e-Reader, he continued to boast that he could…
-
Writing for You? Or for Me?
Written by Aneeta SundararajWriting for You? Or for Me? ‘You must always write with your reader in mind.’ This was one of the first pieces of advice that I received when I began my writing career. Honestly, I found this extremely hard to do because more often than not, I couldn’t picture my…