35 bubblegums and candies

I always wanted to attend a book launch. It’s just one of those things, you know. You see it so often in movies and all, but you never expect to actually be able to go for one.

Well, I’m really glad that when I did go for one finally, it was Preeti’s “34 Bubblegums and Candies”. Preeti of course, is no stranger to most of us in the virtual world ( come to think of it, I think that applies just as much in the real world too ! ). Her blog is hugely popular and in person too she is a bundle of infectious joy. After so many requests from so many people, finally, she did put her heart into it and release her first book this month, based primarily on articles from her blog.

Watching her interact with the audience at her book launch, sign autographs or answer our questions, you’d never guess that this was a first time author. There is a confidence in her that speaks a lot in itself ; she can afford to be confident too, because this really is a great book for everyone. There is just so much in these 146 pages on offer for you... you can see her hubby being pitted against John Cena ( and winning without lifting a finger ) or you can sit back and reflect on the truth behind human ‘Radiators and Drains’. You can watch how plain words can move you in ‘My Special Friend’ ( it’s been my favourite from her before, and it still holds that place today ) or just admire the random acts of ‘The Stranger’. Oh ya, or you could conversely just learn the perils of doing favours to impress two women as 2 caretakers found out in ‘Sly Stallone does not open so easily.’

You see, each story gives you the chance to sit back and think. About the various opportunities life really offers us if we actually bother to notice them. And I think that’s where the book wins. Moreover, being blogposts, they’re satisfyingly short for the ‘I’m too busy’ man, funny enough for the ‘I hate serious stuff’ teen and thought provoking enough for the ‘I’m transcendental’ dude.
This book is definitely worth a read, especially for those cynics out there who sneer dismissively at the term blogger. If you want proof of what talent exists in the virtual world, look no further. Jack Canfield is gonna have some sleepless nights if Preeti goes global.

Oh, and by the way, that’s not a typo in the title. There really are 35 stories in the book – the thing is the 35th story is only just beginning. It’s the tale of a young woman , an artist and a writer, just a mother of two, who’s now taken her first steps to becoming a famous author... here’s wishing her the success we know she’s capable of.