Journal Entry 1 by okyrhoe from Athens, Attica Greece on Sunday, August 16, 2009

From Penguin.com:
"Bollywood is no place for a vulnerable, small-town girl like Aasha Rani. But that doesn't stop her mother from pushing her into a world of exploitation and bedroom casting calls. Aasha has no choice but to thrive-despite the vicious circles of starlets, pimps, and celebrities who want to see her meet her end.
But the day she meets Bollywood's leading man, everything she's worked so hard for is jeopardized. Because she may be falling for Akshay Arora-and there's no room for love in a business where it's the stranger under your sheets holding the key to your success. With her innocence stolen and nowhere else to turn, Aasha knows her downfall could come as quickly as her rise to fame. And letting herself love might just be the most fatal career move of her life..."

"Shobhaa De, perhaps better known here as the Maharani of Muck or the Princess of Porn, is India's most commercially successful English-language author." -- The Nation 

Journal Entry 2 by okyrhoe from Athens, Attica Greece on Sunday, August 16, 2009

This is a light read, lots of action, fastpaced and with just about the right amount of sex & four-letter words this side of acceptability.
The protagonist, Aasha Rani, is the Indian film industry's hottest star, the "sweetheart of millions." To get to the top, well, she had to make her way past a scheming mother, an absent father, an ungrateful sister, plenty of double-crossing lovers (including one who resembles the author!), and the ubiquitous demands of the casting couch.
Fame and fortune isn't enough, as Aasha yearns for love, and she is willing to give whatever it takes to reach this elusive goal.
It wasn't until late in the book that it became evident the plot's time frame is set in the early or mid 80's. If the reality of Bollywood was as corrupt as it's described here, imagine what it's like today....
At times the plot's credulity is a stretch, but anyone who's into with Bollywood films won't mind this at all! Despite this Aasha is a complex 3-dimensional character, whose personality evolves and transforms according to the circumstances, even if those events are sometimes coincidental.
Shobhaa De's more serious side:
- Her column in the Times of India.
- Her blog. 

Journal Entry 3 by okyrhoe from Athens, Attica Greece on Monday, August 17, 2009

Journal Entry 4 by okyrhoe at By Post, By Post -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, September 03, 2009

Released 2 yrs ago (9/3/2009 UTC) at By Post, By Post -- Controlled Releases

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The bookring has started. Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 5 by annenz from Greymouth, West Coast New Zealand on Saturday, September 12, 2009

Thanks, arrived today! Am off to start reading:) 

Journal Entry 6 by annenz from Greymouth, West Coast New Zealand on Wednesday, September 23, 2009

This is a book I would never have bought myself so am glad to have been part of this bookring!
A very light read and must admit i quite enjoyed it, thanks:)
Now sending on to Tinina67. 

Journal Entry 7 by Tinina67 from Seissan, Midi-Pyrénées France on Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Arrived safe and sound. On top of my TBR stack.
And thank you Annenz for the beautiful bookmark! 

Journal Entry 8 by Tinina67 from Seissan, Midi-Pyrénées France on Monday, October 05, 2009

It wasn't bad, but I didn't like the main character and that always spoils a book for me. She seemed so shallow - one minute totally in love with one guy and in the next in bed with another. ;-)

Thanks for including me.
It is on its way to Europe. 

Journal Entry 9 by penelopewanders from Hasliberg, Bern / Berne Switzerland on Monday, October 12, 2009

Arrived safely here in the Alps today. I have a long train trip next week and another ring in front of this - I think I'll take this along and post it from France.. Thanks so much for sending, looks like fun. 

Journal Entry 10 by penelopewanders from Hasliberg, Bern / Berne Switzerland on Monday, October 26, 2009

SPOILER??
Well, although I generally enjoyed this book, I found it a bit irritating that it seems there really were no redeeming characters, from the heroine on down - no friendship, no love, no partnership, no business association that somehow made all the rest worth while. Every relationship in the book, including the one with her own daughter, was somehow flawed or tainted. No man, no woman is worthy of trust, and even the heroine is incapable of sticking to any sort of principle, as distasteful as many of her encounters with men seem to be to her. I do wish there had been a glossary of sorts. I thought the writing was pretty good, and I read it gladly, but the end effect is quite disheartening, I found.
Thank you though, for the ring. I'm glad to have read. I've PMed the next and hope to be able to post from Paris where I've read it. 

Journal Entry 11 by penelopewanders from Hasliberg, Bern / Berne Switzerland on Monday, October 26, 2009

I accidentally entered my "SPOILER??" comments twice, and now it seems impossible to delete it, despite what appears to be a delete option. So I'm at least changing the entry so it's not the same thing twice. 

Journal Entry 12 by penelopewanders at -Paris 14e, Ile-de-France France on Saturday, October 31, 2009

Released 2 yrs ago (10/31/2009 UTC) at -Paris 14e, Ile-de-France France

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

This ring is now on its way to Portugal via the French economy book post, so it may travel in a leisurely style. Enjoy! (and thanks for making this one available)