What is your latest read?

[Querida]

Last impressive books i read was "Sacred Games" by Vikram Chandra and "The Opium Clerk" by Kunal Basu

Now plowing through Nabakov's "Lolita" steeped in literacy but also at time overwhelming

[P_R]

Last impressive books i read was "Sacred Games" by Vikram Chandra and "The Opium Clerk" by Kunal Basu Hi Q, long time no see. How about a review of Sacred Games ?

[Querida]

Hi Prabhu, yes it has been awhile, hope all is well with you :)

Well I was debating with myself of whether it was because I knew it was an indian author that I thought this book read like a movie...i was amazed how the shorter " location" scenes that were interspersed through the narrative were actually more of an exciting read than the ongoing narrative. I don't know if you or any other hubber has read this work so i'm afraid to pinpoint examples i don't want to ruin it. Overall it's a long but intriguing saga, one which the author seems to consistently keep one glued to details and switching voices, though sometimes the plot comes off as corny (or maybe that's just me) the author ties loose ends and leaves some deliciously untied...

[crazy]

Finished reading : The world according to Garp- John Irving :)

[pavalamani pragasam]

Finished reading Michael Crichton's 'Next'. A very intelligent novel raising very pertinent questions about modern trends in science & research.

I liked his fictitious half-chimp, Dave & the talking African grey parrot, Gerard!

He has a very casual way of writing opening windows into the social life of America- sickening scenes & practices, I find them! He weaves many opinions & information & thought-provoking posers into his narration as he takes up the various threads with such ease & clarity.

Here are some excerpts that caught my attention:

Columbia University researchers now claim to have found a sociability gene. What's next? The shyness gene? The reclusive gene? The monastic gene? How about the get-off-my-back gene?
In truth, researchers are taking adavantage of the public's lack of knowledge about how genes actually operate. No single gene controls any behavioral trait. Unfortunately, the public doesn't know that. they think there's a gene for eye colour, for height, and for hair curliness, so why not one for sociability? Geneticists will not speak out. They all sit on the boards of private companies, and are in a race to identify genes they can patent for their own profit.
Will they ever stop? Evidently not.

* * * *
How many addicts are there in this country? Christ, we got more than a million in prisons. So how many are on the streets? Twenty million? Thirty million? ..That would be like, eight or ten percent of the population...I'd bet ten percent of the American population is addicted to drugs, when you include alcohol.

* * * *

The only trouble is, nobody in this country wants to think of themselves as joiners or civilizers. Just the opposite - we're all rugged individualists. We're all rebels. We're antiestablishment. We stand out, we strike out, we do our own thing, go our own way. The herd of independent minds, somebody called it.

* * * *

..You know the public has no sympathy for these biotech companies. Public opinion polls run ninety-two percent against them. They're perceived as unscrupulous scumbags indifferent to human life. GM crops, trashing the environment. Patenting genes, grabbing up our common heritage while no one is looking. Charging thousands of dollars for drugs that cost pennies. Pretending they do research when they really don't; they just buy other people's work. Pretending they have high research costs when they spend most of their money on advertising. And then lying in the advertising.

[crazy]

Finished reading : The Road by Cormac McCarthy.

[gaddeswarup]

"In an Antique Land", "The Glass Palace" by Amitav Ghosh. Both readable and the first seemed to be a new genre (to me). It is one of the few books that I read in one sitting.

[crazy]

"The curious incident of the dog in the night time" by Mark Haddon :?

[pavalamani pragasam]

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[crazy]

puriyalaye

[pavalamani pragasam]

The font or the text?

[crazy]

the font, amma !
its okie...i shall read it on sureka :? :)

[pavalamani pragasam]

Finished reading Robin Cook's 'Crisis'. Not as impressive as some other novels by him. But the drama in the second half maintained a tempo & continued to be thrilling till the end. A suspense is cryptically solved in the end leaving it to the reader's intelligence to elaborate.

[crazy]

Finished reading, The fourth hand by John Irving and Cities of the plain by Cormac Mccarthy

[Querida]

i just read " Dancing with the Two-Headed Tigress" by Tina Biswas, I thought it would be a light fun read, though at times there were included some really nice, pithy lucid observations that made the author moreso than the characters intriguing. The characters themselves seemed to be too unfeeling and trite, thought this is what their personality are like, it seems sad that the characters do not grow per se as they forget and move on. The mother character especially in being described as a strong personality has been degraded in the feeling department. The daughter on the whole does not learn from her mistakes truly nor does her lover do so either...they both rather just escape to each other again. The ending felt like an attempt to make a smooth circle yet it rather seemed like the ends were just bunched up and crammed into a fitting ball shape.

[Querida]

"In an Antique Land", "The Glass Palace" by Amitav Ghosh. Both readable and the first seemed to be a new genre (to me). It is one of the few books that I read in one sitting.

"The Glass Palace" is one of my favourite novels, I also liked his "Calcutta Chromosome" which albeit hestitating at first,because it seemed like a sci-fi kind of book, turned out to be entrancing. I liked lesser so his latest novel "The Hungry Tide". Could you perhaps tell me a little of "In an Antique Land" please?

[chevy]

Finished Mother by Maxim Gorky... Read my review on the book at http://paradigmscrawl.blog.co.uk

[crazy]

The witch of Portobello - Paulo Coelho

classic Coelho :thumbsup:

[c4ramesh]

The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by carl sagan actually finished it a month ago....

[crazy]

A Widow for one year - John Irving :)

[podalangai]

Are you specialising in John Irving, Vaasi? :)
(I like his books too, particularly "A prayer for Owen Meany")

Currently reading: The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa

[crazy]

podalai anna, yes :)
Iam trying to read all his books ,,,i still have 2 or 3 books of him...

A prayer for owen meany .....i LOVE it :) thanks to my english/ religion teacher who recommended that to me :notworthy:

[crazy]

Finished reading: A son of the circus - John Irving

an unusual Irving book :? checked many times on the internet to make sure, that it was really written by Irving :)

[chevy]

currently reading : THE GOAL by eliyahu goldratt

[crazy]

Finished reading : A milluion littlep pieces - James Frey

[crazy]

Finished reading: A thousand splendid suns- khaled hosseini

Very beautiful book :(

[Madh@va]

A Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan. I did not like it as much as The Kitchen God's Wife.

[crazy]

Finished reading: One hundred years of solitude (by Gabriel Marques) wonder why its among the best book/ novels ever written :oops:

[podalangai]

Finished reading : A million little pieces - James Frey

Finished reading: A thousand splendid suns- khaled hosseini

Finished reading: One hundred years of solitude (by Gabriel Marques)
Idhu enna countdown-pola poyindirukku? :P
Have you read "Tigers on the tenth day"?

[crazy]

anna :rotfl: :thumbsup:
no, havnt read it yet, interesting, recommendable?


Finished reading: A passage to India -E M Foster (such a waste of time) :banghead:

[crazy]

Finished reading: A house for Mr Biswas - V S Naipaul

A very interesting book. Very well written :clap: Very first time reading about Indians in Trinidad.


also Finished reading: Like the flowing river - by my fav author Paulo Coelho :notworthy:

"The person who doesnt honour the earth which his ancestors are buried will be cursed for all eternity"

"God always reveals itself in the simple things"

Not just his thoughts and reflection, but also inspiring :clap: :clap:

(have no books to read, library closed :cry2: )

[Wibha]

danielle steel

THe Kiss :fatigue: gosh she's so boring :banghead: 100 pagesla mudika vendiya kathaiyai izhuthu izhuthu :x :banghead:
know's the art of complicating a small and easy plot :x :hammer:

[podalangai]

Finished: Salt and Saffron by Kamila Shamsie. A nice little book. :)

[crazy]

Finished reading: The road to Jerusalem by Jan Guillou :thumbsup:

[podalangai]

anna :rotfl: :thumbsup:
no, havnt read it yet, interesting, recommendable?

I liked it and thought it was worth reading - at any rate, it gave me some insights into another society. :)

[crazy]

[tscii:050b33bad5]

anna :rotfl: :thumbsup:
no, havnt read it yet, interesting, recommendable?

I liked it and thought it was worth reading - at any rate, it gave me some insights into another society. :)

okie...shall read it :)

oops...yaar anna, author? klarer ikke å finne på deichmanske :) [/tscii:050b33bad5]

[podalangai]

Zakaria Tamer. :)

[podalangai]

Finished rereading Sunlight on a broken column by Attia Hosain.

[crazy]

Finished reading: The Knight Templar - Jan Guillou :clap:


podalai anna, unable to find his books in deichmanske, nasjonalbiblioteket and blindern :( :oops:

[podalangai]

podalai anna, unable to find his books in deichmanske, nasjonalbiblioteket and blindern :( :oops:
Do you mean Zakaria Tamer? According to the online catalogue for Deichmanske, they have two books by him - Den hvite duen and Hjem. But not Tigers on the tenth day. Maybe that collection hasn't been translated into Norwegian.

[crazy]

andha putthahangalai naanum paartten anna, aana tiger on the tenth day kaanom.. :(

[crazy]

Finished reading: The kingdom at the end of the road by Jan Guillou :clap: :thumbsup: very well written, one among the best book i have read so far :P

[crazy]

Finished reading: Slaughterhouse 5 or the Children Crusade:A duty dance with Death by Kurt Vonnegut :P

also finished reading: The Valkyries by my fav author Paulo Coelho :clap:

"And each man kills the things he loves,
by all let this be heard,
some do it with a bitter look,
some with a flattering word,
the coward does it with a kiss,
the brave man with a sword "

[crazy]

Finished reading: The joy luck club by Amy Tan ...beautiful book :clap: :clap: very well written :P

also Finished reading: The heritage of Arn by Jan Guillou :)

[Madh@va]

I'm currently reading The Fountainhead. :notworthy: Ayn Rand.

[thilak4life]

Somehow, I find it hard to get through the first few pages of AR's books. :( (Although, they are well written. )

[rajasaranam]

Somehow, I find it hard to get through the first few pages of AR's books. :( (Although, they are well written. )

thank that you are not able to do that! Else you will find yourself in a delusional state after reading her books from which its hard to get out. :)

[thilak4life]

RS, Thats what people say. But I've been put off by her than being eluded by her whimsical ideologies. I don't regret reading "Fountainhead", I reserve my differences (which are aplenty). But once you go through first few pages of "Atlas Shrugged". You don't want to go through her "dragging" write-ups, coz' you know you'll be fazed by those rhetorics.

[rajasaranam]

t4l,

Haan those rhetorics :evil: but when I was around 17/18 i was fascinated by them for sure :oops: Definitely Dragging if i think of them now :x

[pavalamani pragasam]

Finished reading Robin Cook's 'Critical'.( More interesting than his 'Crisis'.) Very fast-paced, action drama with nail-biting suspense. The crimes dealt with sent a shiver down my spine! :shaking:
My next book is Ayn Rand's 'Fountainhead'! The posts in the exclusive thread for the novel has highly raised my expectations! Even before I was aware of that thread I came across a raving review about it in another site kindling my curiosity to a great extent. I asked my dil to get the book for me. The voluminous novel, the small,packed print made me keep it in reserve- to take when I am starved for something to read which I am particularly not at present. Sort of busy times at homefront. Those were young years when I burnt midnight oil to complete a volume!!! Now a game of infinite patience or scrabble in the computer & browsing seem more pleasing! Besides the English daily & a couple of vernacular weeklies I am becoming lazy to read!!! :(

[thilak4life]

My next book is Ayn Rand's 'Fountainhead'! The posts in the exclusive thread for the novel has highly raised my expectations! Even before I was aware of that thread I came across a raving review about it in another site kindling my curiosity to a great extent. I asked my dil to get the book for me. The voluminous novel, the small,packed print made me keep it in reserve- to take when I am starved for something to read which I am particularly not at present. Sort of busy times at homefront. Those were young years when I burnt midnight oil to complete a volume!!! Now a game of infinite patience or scrabble in the computer & browsing seem more pleasing! Besides the English daily & a couple of vernacular weeklies I am becoming lazy to read!!! :(

Tell you what, this is true for almost everyone here. :(

Worst part has to be reading ebooks! Ebooks could be effective, but it has no "life"! It's worse when you're pushed to browse parallely, or listen to music while reading it.. :)

[crazy]

Finished reading The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Worth reading :notworthy:

Excellent :clap: :thumbsup:

[thilak4life]

Finished reading The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Worth reading :notworthy:

Excellent :clap: :thumbsup:
Someday, I want to read Dostoevsky

[crazy]

:)

[crazy]

Finished reading A spot og bother by Mark Haddon.
Didnt find it interesting at all :banghead:

[hattori_hanzo]

just finished Robert Ludlum's 'The Matlock Paper'.
It was fast paced book but predictable and cliched. This is the first Ludlum novel I read.
Planning to rent 'Crisis' by Robin Cook. Pavalamani, is it worth a read? I have read some of Cook's old books like Coma, Fever, Harmful Intent & Mindbend. Crisis sumaaravavadhu irukka?

[pavalamani pragasam]

After reading all the contradicting posts about Ayn Rand's novel, 'The Fountainhead' my curiosity was greatly aroused. Only yesterday I started reading it with trepidation. Now about 60 pages into it I find all my misgivings unfounded! I am liking it! A strong hand writing with confidence. Powerful use of language. Nothing shocking or upsetting as I feared! A book published years before I was born means it is a period novel. It is a pity I can't take more time to read in my present busy schedule!

[crazy]

Finished reading: Crime and punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

and The book thief by Markus Zusak :clap: :clap: :clap: a very beautiful book...first time reading a book where the story been told from the point of view of Death :thumbsup:

"I am haunted by Humans" :clap:

[Sinthiya]

Five People You Meet in Heaven :thumbsup:...simple yet, thought-provoking and emotional!

Now reading Blink (power of thinking without thinking) :roll:...let's see what this offers...

[crazy]

[tscii:e2f22ac2f0]
Five People You Meet in Heaven :thumbsup:...simple yet, thought-provoking and emotional!

:clap:

Finished reading: Love in the time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez :?

A Vison of Pearls by Morten Revill :thumbsup:

and
The diary of a superflous man by Ivan Turgenev :clap: :thumbsup:

[/tscii:e2f22ac2f0]

[crazy]

Finished reading: Bury me standing -The gypsies and their journey by Isabel Fonseca :notworthy:

Excellently written :clap: :thumbsup:

[Sanguine Sridhar]

Are you afraid of Dark? - Sidney Sheldon

[always]

Are you afraid of Dark? - Sidney Sheldon

The only Sidney Sheldon novel I hated and regret reading :( It was so predictable. The novel was over-hyped for nothing :(

[Sanguine Sridhar]

Are you afraid of Dark? - Sidney Sheldon

The only Sidney Sheldon novel I hated and regret reading :( It was so predictable. The novel was over-hyped for nothing :(

Thats true! It was boring. I skipped some pages in between [irritating flashback & boring conversations btw those ladies].

[Roshan]

Are you afraid of Dark? - Sidney Sheldon

The only Sidney Sheldon novel I hated and regret reading :( It was so predictable. The novel was over-hyped for nothing :(

Thats true! It was boring. I skipped some pages in between [irritating flashback & boring conversations btw those ladies].

True and same here but it was good that I could learn about the 'weather control mechanisms' to some extent. I in fact ended up doing a desk research on the same after reading this novel.

[pavalamani pragasam]

A little more than half of 'fountainhead' is over! I read an average of 15 pages a day! The shocks have come in! The triangle! All that grand conception of the make-up of genius is alright! But I am a critic first and last! A social critic, wrongly labelled as moral police!!! It is very nauseating- the western culture, the sickening lifestyles reagding sexlives of people! Sex & marriage are 2 different things, totally unrelated unlike in our world. The heroine goes & gets married to the second hero in the evening, goes to the hero, her lover the same night for sex, returns to the husband next day to be his official wife, lying cold in the bed, the husband asking who was his rival & she calmly giving his name....do I swallow more than I can swallow? I have serious problem with digesting this western attitude to casual sex, anywhere, any place with any one. The net result is I regard the westerners as aliens, strangers to our habits, concepts & beliefs. A compulsory aloofness I have to cultivate to retain my sanity & peace of mind!!!

[crazy]

But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain;
The best-laid schemes o' mice an 'men
Gang aft agley,
An'lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!


Finished Reading: Of mice and men - by John Steinbeck :cry:

[podalangai]

Finished reading: The book thief

A beautiful book :)
I don't have much time to read nowadays :(

[hattori_hanzo]

'Blaze' by Stephen King

Very different from his other novels. An extremely dull story told in a not-so-boring way, with some humour thrown in between. I was a little disappointed as I expected a better ending....neither a must-read nor an avoidable book.

'Spider's Web' by Agatha Christie

One of her worst books. I have never read a christie book with so many missing links. It is a book written based on her play, im told. The characters are half-baked, investigation lame and the ending is :-(
Very boring read!

[Sinthiya]

Reading 'An Equal Music' by Vikram Seth...

[Menaka]

But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain;
The best-laid schemes o' mice an 'men
Gang aft agley,
An'lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!


Finished Reading: Of mice and men - by John Steinbeck :cry:

It was written during great depression and that's why such an ending. Really depressing. You should try watching the movie.

[crazy]

movie oh ..never heard :) thanks !

[Sinthiya]

in high school we dissected the novel Of Mice & Men...very sad read...

i also want to read Pigman by Paul Zindel, i have heard of this, as some of my friends read this for their classes...:roll:...

[P_R]

Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mother_Tongue_(book))

Have been reading in parts for a long time.

A thoroughly enjoyable read about the English language, history and its growth as the global language.

[crazy]

The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai


:sigh2:

[sarna_blr]

A for Apple
B for Ball
C for Cat
D for Donkey.... :boo:

[pavalamani pragasam]

nalla thuvakkam! A journey of many miles is taken with a single step! :D kOchchukka koodaathu- 'saraswathi sabatham' cinemaalla oomai Sivaji 'ammaaa'-nnu solli paappaaru, aduththa nodi vaayilirunthu kavithai mazai kottum! We are not unprepared for surprises! AND we will not be shocked but immensely pleased when it happens! Do not forget to remember what I say now! :D

[crazy]

PP amma :thumbsup: :P

[sarna_blr]

PP ammaa :bow:

[Wibha]

The great Gatsby.

Wow. I enjoyed reading although it had lots of information to interpret.

[crazy]

The Secret- Rhonda Byrne

[chevy]

Anita Nair's Ladies Coupe

[podalangai]

Just finished: The Yacoubian Building by Alaa el-Aswany.

[Sanguine Sridhar]

The Sands of Time - Sidney Sheldon

[HBK]

Nightmare in Pink - my favorite of Travis McGee series by John D McDonald

[Sid_316]

Kite Runner-Great Book! Recommended to all

[crazy]

The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevesky

The idiot is indeed an idiot, cant possibly imagine a person like him - at the peak of simple mindedness :banghead: Almost all characters in this book are annoying :x but still the book is :thumbsup:

[...] in our country, if a man goes over to catholicism, he unfailingily becomes a Jesuit, and one of the most clandestine sort, at that; if he becomes an atheist, he will at once begin to demand the eradication of belief in God by coercion, that is by the sword! Why is that, why such instant frenzy?...[...]

[Sid_316]

Fear and loathing in las vegas - Hunter .S.Thompson

[crazy]

Finished reading: Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco :) an ok book !

[crazy]

Finished reading The grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck :clap:

[podalangai]

Just finished: The Stone Raft by Jose Saramago :shock: :clap: :notworthy:

[shambhavi]

i read a thousand splendid suns by khaled hosseini, the book was moving:)
i have just started we need to talk about kevin by lionel shriver

[Querida]

read a kite runner finally and worth mention is divakaruni's "palace of illusions" for anyone who wants an amateur/reader-friendly version of the mahabharat...written from the perspective of panchaali...

[crazy]

Finished reading: Death souls and The govt. Inspector by Gogol :P

[pavalamani pragasam]

The laptop that has gone for servicing shows no sign of returning! :( So many days away from the virtual world for a confirmed net addict is too bad.
As the saying goes an idle mind is the devil's workshop! Very aptly my idle hours have been spent in reading 2 novels with an odd connection to the proverb!
I finished reading Alistair Maclean's 'The Satan Bug' and Dan Brown's 'Angels and Demons'! :lol:
The first one was a fast-paced, nail-biting, on-the-edge-of-the-chair action thriller! The bio weapon theme! SCARY! This is my first book by this author. I like his sarcastic humour.
About the second: I have to agree with my 1st dil that this is more interesting than his Davinci Code. But was there a dull anticlimax? Why did I feel the tempo slowed towards the end of a fast action thriller?
Whatever be my opinions about Roman Catholic church I cannot help sharing some of its concerns about scientific progress. Many of the accusations against science cant be ignored or taken lightly.
Some food for thought for an idle mind!

[Querida]

Finally got my hands on "Ten Thousand Splendid Suns" but oh what a disappointment...after the heart-wrenching crises dealt with in "Kite Runner" this second work by Khaled Hosseini...seems almost too formulaic....and the coincidence last time was surprisingly...this time you don't expect it but still there was no hope for the violence-laden plot if that character were not to re-appear...the flawed and tragic characters are not etched as deeply as the ones before..atleast there is an optimistic perspective maintained about Afghanistan's future...

[crazy]

A fine balance - Rohinton Mistry :clap:

sweeping story ...

[Wibha]

Catch 22- masterpiece :thumbsup: :clap:

My Name is Asher Lev- totally enjoyed it :clap:

[crazy]

Cathedral of the sea by Ildefonso Falcones :)

[chevy]

Finally got my hands on "Ten Thousand Splendid Suns" but oh what a disappointment...after the heart-wrenching crises dealt with in "Kite Runner" this second work by Khaled Hosseini...seems almost too formulaic....and the coincidence last time was surprisingly...this time you don't expect it but still there was no hope for the violence-laden plot if that character were not to re-appear...the flawed and tragic characters are not etched as deeply as the ones before..atleast there is an optimistic perspective maintained about Afghanistan's future... I saw the book sometime and promised myself I'd read it soon after some forthcoming academic commitments. I have a long list of things to do and books to read :(


I heard Kite runner is the better of the two.

[chevy]

Catch 22- masterpiece :thumbsup: :clap:

My Name is Asher Lev- totally enjoyed it :clap: You read the whole book :) :) ? [/b]

[Wibha]

Catch 22- masterpiece :thumbsup: :clap:

My Name is Asher Lev- totally enjoyed it :clap: You read the whole book :) :) ? [/b]

yes chev :)

as i was reading sparknotes,i knew i was missing something so just started reading it. damn it's too good. will read it again for sure :)

[Querida]

Read the "Alchemist" am not one for inspirational books...but this one had some really good passages...that will stay with me for a very long time...what makes it more attractive is...slim, straightforward,read....can finish in a day easily...and even beginners can read....just goes to show true wisdom can just be plain....of course ending is always a let-down with such books....but overall do read it if you have the chance!!!!!

The last inspirational book I read was "Siddharth" by Herman Hesse...amazingly beautiful language...every like like poetry...like you are in a warm trance the whole time....

[podalangai]

My Name is Asher Lev- totally enjoyed it :clap:
At last - someone else who likes Chaim Potok!

I strongly recommend /Book of Lights/ and /In the Beginning/
(and all his other books as well :P)

[Sinthiya]

Read the "Alchemist" am not one for inspirational books...but this one had some really good passages...that will stay with me for a very long time...what makes it more attractive is...slim, straightforward,read....can finish in a day easily...and even beginners can read....just goes to show true wisdom can just be plain....of course ending is always a let-down with such books....but overall do read it if you have the chance!!!!!

The last inspirational book I read was "Siddharth" by Herman Hesse...amazingly beautiful language...every like like poetry...like you are in a warm trance the whole time....
Reading 'The Witch of Portobello'...easy read and of course, inspirational...story of a woman told by different ppl in her life...

I had seen 'Siddhartha' at the book store recently and wanted to get it....next time :)....

[crazy]

Finished Reading: The Day Lasts More Than a Hundred Years by Chinghiz Aitmatov :)

[shambhavi]

i love chaim potok am wondering if his books are available as e-books? and has anyone read the sequel to my name is asher lev and where its available?
btw i am reading the book "we need to talk about kevin " by lionel shriver.
seems nice... as of now

[podalangai]

i love chaim potok am wondering if his books are available as e-books? and has anyone read the sequel to my name is asher lev and where its available?
I've not seen e-texts anywhere, unfortunately. The sequel you're thinking of is "The Gift of Asher Lev". A beautiful book. It's one of his last novels, and as such is much more philosophical than his early work (and even when compared with books like "A Book of Lights").

As for getting hold of it... I bought my copy at Strand Bookstores in Mumbai around fifteen years ago. I don't know where it would be available in India today, but bookshops like Landmark will usually order any book for you if you give them the details. In the West, it's easily available from Amazon.

[crazy]

Finished reading: The Enchantress of Florence by Rushdie

boring :sigh2:

[Querida]

Finished reading: The Enchantress of Florence by Rushdie

boring :sigh2:

thanx for telling me, i was wondering whether to read it or not...i read "moor's last sigh" which was odd but interesting....but really wasn't as bowled over as others were with "midnight's children"

[podalangai]

I have mixed feelings about Midnight's Children, as I do about Shalimar - I understand why Rushdie felt the need to write them both, and they're perfectly decent books, but they're not amongst my favourites. My wife also convinced me to read The Ground beneath her feet and The Moor's last sigh. Both were OK, but I didn't really like them that much.

The one Rushdie story I really liked was Haroun and the sea of stories. :clap:

[complicateur]

Kahlil Gibran's - The Prophet. Wish I had read it earlier than I did - life's truisms condensed.

[Sinthiya]

The Passion of Tasha Darsky...story of a famous violinist's journey from a child to a passionate violinist to a loving mother...

[crazy]

Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard - Kiran Desai
very funy book :clap:


Midnight's Children- Rushdie :?

[Sinthiya]

The Valkyries...Paulo Coelho

[Querida]

[tscii:c2b26e068a]
The Valkyries...Paulo Coelho

I'm always wary of inspirational literature...especially when people say things like "it changed my life profoundly!"

I have read his most acclaimed "The Alchemist" short read, it felt like a long forward that you get in your mail...with quotes very well placed...I found some parts worth noting down and the rest was just simple language used to tell a well philosophical tale....:

A Sample:

“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity.”

My most favourite part is actually what comes before the story even begins...a captivating prologue which shares another "lesser known" version of The Story of Narcissus...

[/tscii:c2b26e068a]

[Wibha]

Have Any of you read

Kamala Markandaya's- Nectar in a Sieve?

[Wibha]

Kite Runner

[Sanguine Sridhar]

Windmills of the Gods - With which I have completed all works by Sheldon except his autobiography.

[Wibha]

Windmills of the Gods - With which I have completed all works by Sheldon except his autobiography.

Which one do you like and think is the best?

Piano Lesson- not great :(
Awakening- :sigh2:

[Sinthiya]

The Boy in Striped Pyjamas...I couldn't sleep for some time after reading this book...:(...will catch the movie...

Reading Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks

[Wibha]

The Boy in Striped Pyjamas...I couldn't sleep for some time after reading this book...:(...will catch the movie...



I wanna read the book :(

[Sinthiya]

really good...so innocent...:(

[Wibha]

really good...so innocent...:(

:)

[killua]

I usually avoid this thread, gives me the chills, people downing books faster than I can eat 5 meals a day.



Podalangai said


I have mixed feelings about Midnight's Children, as I do about Shalimar - I understand why Rushdie felt the need to write them both, and they're perfectly decent books, but they're not amongst my favourites. My wife also convinced me to read The Ground beneath her feet and The Moor's last sigh. Both were OK, but I didn't really like them that much.

I agree with you.
I am surprised you could read past 13 pages of rushdie's 4 books. or was it the love for your wife that made you go through that.
i felt his writing to be fancy for the sake of being different & honestly insipid & phlegmatic (to use his style), however in my opinion it does have some benefit for people suffering from insomnia.








[tscii:cfa310684d]
The Valkyries...Paulo Coelho

I'm always wary of inspirational literature...especially when people say things like "it changed my life profoundly!"

I have read his most acclaimed "The Alchemist" short read, it felt like a long forward that you get in your mail...with quotes very well placed...I found some parts worth noting down and the rest was just simple language used to tell a well philosophical tale....:

A Sample:

“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity.”

My most favourite part is actually what comes before the story even begins...a captivating prologue which shares another "lesser known" version of The Story of Narcissus...

[/tscii:cfa310684d]


Along the same lines; I started Hitler's autobiography, after I heard one of my friends say "my dad stopped reading Mein Kampf because he was scared of changing completely, the writing was so powerful"
I was quite disappointed & after the first 100 odd pages, decided my opportunity cost was much higher than reading his ramblings. although i love watching his speeches, it makes for a better performance that i don't understand german!

[thilak4life]

I usually avoid this thread, gives me the chills, people downing books faster than I can eat 5 meals a day.


Along the same lines; I started Hitler's autobiography, after I heard one of my friends say "my dad stopped reading Mein Kampf because he was scared of changing completely, the writing was so powerful"
I was quite disappointed & after the first 100 odd pages, decided my opportunity cost was much higher than reading his ramblings. although i love watching his speeches, it makes for a better performance that i don't understand german!

:lol:

[P_R]

i felt his writing to be fancy for the sake of being different :lol2:

I'm always wary of inspirational literature...especially when people say things like "it changed my life profoundly!" Wary of change, are we ?

"All art is superbly sterile" said Oscar Wilde. For me, Wilde saying that is a paradox.

Your friend should have persisted with learning the German languages, then he may have been able to provide insights into the Fuhrerian mind.

[P_R]

i felt his writing to be fancy for the sake of being different :lol2:

I'm always wary of inspirational literature...especially when people say things like "it changed my life profoundly!" Wary of change, are we ?

"All art is superbly sterile" said Oscar Wilde. For me, Wilde saying that is a paradox.

Your friend should have persisted with learning the German languages, then he may have been able to provide insights into the Fuhrerian mind.

[killua]

Hi PR,

The wild guy you refer to always avoided saying things in black or white & seemed like he was stuck on the wrong end of things, like he couldn't make up his mind.

a little correction: "I'm always wary of inspirational literature....." were Q's thoughts.


Hows this for friends and german(s)!
a friend of mine has a german GF & he insists on calling her Eva Bronte' & makes her call him Mein Furher!, not sure if goes ahead with the salute though.

[P_R]

a little correction: "I'm always wary of inspirational literature....." were Q's thoughts. We are what we quote.

a friend of mine has a german GF & he insists on calling her Eva Bronte' & makes her call him Mein Furher!, not sure if goes ahead with the salute though.He may like this game (http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=RCn7Xk_6sb8).

[Vivasaayi]

Five point someone - racy

[Wibha]

Ironweed- Wouldn't say the best novel, but was good. Worth the time. :)

[killua]

a little correction: "I'm always wary of inspirational literature....." were Q's thoughts. We are what we quote.

& i guess we identify with the person we quote wouldn't be too far off?

God forbid someone should quote the Furher!

[Raikkonen]

The Last Night of Summer by Erskine Caldwell.. Abrupt ending aside, that was actually fine. A bit painful in the middle with the rape/murder.

[Wibha]

Uncle Tom's Cabin- Not the best one ever but was worth the read and a little depressing :(

[Wibha]

Frankenstein- Seriously, I don't know how it is classified as a great novel.

[crazy]

Dear Gabriel - Halfdan Freihow :bow:


Brida - Paulo Coelho ....typical Coelho book, interesting as usual :)

[complicateur]

The Clicking of Cuthbert and other stories - after repeated quotes from fellow hubber PR. Glad I did it. Am inclined to record a few thoughts for the Wodehouse thread.

[P_R]

Great ! Recordunga...

[Plum]

Compli, recordunga. Clicking of cuthbert is a ruthless satire by wodehouse I think of the english cognoscenti - their predilection to show off quoting russian authors etc.
I realise that to enjoy wodehouse you must buy into his conceits. I doubt for instance that he reveres golf as much as his writing shows - it is a line of humour established and he goes along with his own conceits.

Remember that this series has the father of a girl , impressed by the suitor, promises him that he will get his wife to agree by loudly opposing the match. Cliched humour perhaps but the reason I quote this now is that va moorthy does a similar thing in kdk. Another instance in that movie.of gopu channeling pgw.

[Plum]

Re-acquainted self with childhood favourite R.K.Narayanan - an omnibus containing Guide, Waiting for Mahatma, World of Nagaraj and Dark Room. Guide, I read as a 12 year old and just took in the ambience - it does reveal some deft characterisation and story-telling now. Also, while the present is in third person, the past is in first person. Noticed this only in current reading - not sure if the technique is original or intentional but it does turn out to be a fascinating read because of that..

Waiting for Mahatma and w
World of Nagaraj, incredibly, are mere compilations of the state of mind of the protagonist in the present - even as he goes through his life after we are introduced to Nagaraj, we continue to see him rambling about random past events and states of mind - more fodder for the anecdotal evidence theory.Very cosy, comfy, eventless novel - nothing really happens yet he captures several vignettes of a freshly-independent south indian small town. Claustrophobically refusing to go beyond the confines of Kabir Street and Sarayu river steps, it is definitwely a tribute to the writer's engaging skills.
Waiting for Mahatma, on the other hand, is linear but still is a series of thoughts of Sriram.
But Dark Room was the best - amazing capture of a little- educated dependent housewife and her efforts to get independent of her cheating husband. The cute golu sequences - only rkn possible.

Still waiting to read english teacher and painter of signs - I was forbidden as a child to reas the latter presumably for adult content.

[Plum]

before that, circle of reason by amitav ghosh, easily the best indian english writer, the seths,roys and rushdies be damned

[crazy]

Family matters by Rohinton Mistry :)

[pavalamani pragasam]

Dan Brown's Digital Fortress! Fantastic! Enjoyed reading it. The thrill sustained till the last sentence! :2thumbsup:

[podalangai]

I'm currently trying my hand at reading Heinrich Boll in German - I like reading works in the original if I can. This is my second try, and it's going much better than the first - it's hard work, but rewarding. I've just finished a collection of short stories, and I'm now reading Haus ohne Huter.

[Querida]

reading Amitav Ghosh's "Sea of Poppies"...just the glossary or should i say "Chrystomathy" was mind-opening :)

Was very disappointed with Neil Bissoondath's latest work "The Soul of All Great Designs"...he was the last author whom I expected to fall back on such basic stereotypes of an Immigrant Indian.

# The Worlds Within Her
# The Unyielding Clamour of the Night
# A Casual Brutality
# The Innocence of Age

were all engrossing and fully rounded works...

[Wibha]

A Thousand Splendid Suns- Amazing. Loved everything and it was as good as Kite Runner. :clap:

[Querida]

A Thousand Splendid Suns- Amazing. Loved everything and it was as good as Kite Runner. :clap:

Really? IMHO I felt that he was more focused on creating a bigger phenom than Kite Runner that he went overboard...I still feel Kite Runner is his best work :)

[crazy]

A Thousand Splendid Suns- Amazing. Loved everything and it was as good as Kite Runner. :clap:

Really? IMHO I felt that he was more focused on creating a bigger phenom than Kite Runner that he went overboard...I still feel Kite Runner is his best work :)

:exactly:

[Wibha]

Kite Runner was AMAZING, but I liked this one too :) The rules of the Taliban was more detailed in this than the kite runner and that was the part which made me like Thousand Splendid Suns.

His novels are really intense.

[chevy]

I just finished The Apprentice by Tess G.

A thriller, page turner, and made me sleepless,scared of the dark and scared off my own shadow for a while.

A compelling read. I recommend.

[rangan_08]

Savoured a few from " 201 Short Stories" by Anton Chekov. Ward No.6 was a classic.

[crazy]

The lost symbol - Dan Brown

[chevy]

Dan Brown's Digital Fortress! Fantastic! Enjoyed reading it. The thrill sustained till the last sentence! :2thumbsup: yeah!! Amazing. Dan Brown always impresses me from page one to last.

[chevy]

I'm currently trying my hand at reading Heinrich Boll in German - I like reading works in the original if I can. This is my second try, and it's going much better than the first - it's hard work, but rewarding. I've just finished a collection of short stories, and I'm now reading Haus ohne Huter. wow

[chevy]

The lost symbol - Dan Brown Have the mobile book copy. Haven't finished. So far, it's great.

[chevy]

A Thousand Splendid Suns- Amazing. Loved everything and it was as good as Kite Runner. :clap:

Really? IMHO I felt that he was more focused on creating a bigger phenom than Kite Runner that he went overboard...I still feel Kite Runner is his best work :) I haven't read Kite runner, but I liked thousand splendid suns..... :)

[chevy]

reading Amitav Ghosh's "Sea of Poppies"...just the glossary or should i say "Chrystomathy" was mind-opening :)

Was very disappointed with Neil Bissoondath's latest work "The Soul of All Great Designs"...he was the last author whom I expected to fall back on such basic stereotypes of an Immigrant Indian.

# The Worlds Within Her
# The Unyielding Clamour of the Night
# A Casual Brutality
# The Innocence of Age

were all engrossing and fully rounded works... Oh, I find most of the Booker Prize winning/nominated books to be boring. Sea of Poppies- have a copy and slept after the first few pages. Still not read.

[NOV]

I am reading Sidney Sheldon's :roll: Mistress of the Game.
Not bad.. but still nothing like the original author 8-)

[Plum]

The Clicking of Cuthbert and other stories - after repeated quotes from fellow hubber PR. Glad I did it. Am inclined to record a few thoughts for the Wodehouse thread.

compli, konjam record-aradhu..

[P_R]

Kamaan ! :clap:
In fact podhuvA literature paththiyE rikaard paNNura aLavu sarakku irukku andha kadhaila

[Raikkonen]

Death of WCW (http://www.amazon.com/Death-WCW-WrestleCrap-Figure-Present/dp/1550226614)

:2thumbsup:

highly recommended for all wrestling fans..

my Australian uni recommended this book for the accounts subject in 2005. :lol: The the book contains all the important details of "how not to run a business".

[rangan_08]

Reading the following books, simultaneously :

1) A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. Actually, I bought this book from a library say about 15 or 18 years back and later discontinued reading it due to personal reasons. Recently, this book was quoted in a blog which prompted me to buy it, which I did subsequently. Finished reading about 60%

2) Stiff Upper Lip Jeeves :D .

[Plum]

I just used the word "thoo" elsewhere and it triggered memories of PGW.
In C of C, one of the stories ( I guess the titular one) has a Russian Author visiting the neighbourhood book society, a heinous front for chick-wooing nerds shutting out golf-playing sons of the soil. The unfriendly neighbourhood drops Russian author names to impress the visitor, and it all turns upside down for him when the latter turns out to be a narcisstic golf lover!

The way PGW builds it up and the dialogue!
"Nastikoff no good - I spit at Nastikoff"
"Sovietski not good - I spit at Sovietski!"
"Nobody any good except (self) and Wodehouse"!

I thought that was a cool self reference by PGW without looking like a cheap plug. For cheap self references, watch Karan Johar movies.

[tanthya]

HI Chevy , Pragasam ,

Digital Fortress ...,Not Bad ! The usual DB Fare ....having gone through a couple of his books ,I am finding that his plot lines are almost always the same ..A thrilling ,stupendous ,Unthinkable object/document..etc ,gets caught in the wrong hands ,A chase across various places generously sprinkled with lot of red Herring's and finally the denouement with the culprit turning out to be someone close to you 8-) ...am getting rather bored of his books ... :evil:

The Lost symbol is lying on the shelf looking "Lost"...Have not worked up enough enthusiasm for it..


Just Finished reading "Night Fall" by Isaac Asimov ...Quite engrossing

[Raikkonen]

The World's Worst 20 Crimes.

Good. Loved the stories of Gacy and Hillside Strangler.

//they missed out on Lindbergh Jr and The Granny Killer. Very interesting (true) stories.

[chevy]

HI Chevy , Pragasam ,

Digital Fortress ...,Not Bad ! The usual DB Fare ....having gone through a couple of his books ,I am finding that his plot lines are almost always the same ..A thrilling ,stupendous ,Unthinkable object/document..etc ,gets caught in the wrong hands ,A chase across various places generously sprinkled with lot of red Herring's and finally the denouement with the culprit turning out to be someone close to you 8-) ...am getting rather bored of his books ... :evil:

The Lost symbol is lying on the shelf looking "Lost"...Have not worked up enough enthusiasm for it..


Just Finished reading "Night Fall" by Isaac Asimov ...Quite engrossing

Tanthya! Do we know each other?

[chevy]

The World's Worst 20 Crimes.

Good. Loved the stories of Gacy and Hillside Strangler.

//they missed out on Lindbergh Jr and The Granny Killer. Very interesting (true) stories.

Now thats funny..I just got a book on worst crimes. Not sure if it's the same...:S:s

[tanthya]

Tanthya! Do we know each other?


Err ! I don't Think So ... :?


Why do you ask ?

[P_R]

Family - Ties that Bind...and Gag - Erma Bombeck
Nice breezy read

[tanthya]

Have you read "Lost Symbol "? ...what is your take on it ?


personally for me ,it fell flat at least "Deception POint " was better..


am reding [re-reading :D ] Rising Sun ....I am beginning to like this book....



Tanthya

[r2tchasi]

Back to classics. :D I'm reading Emma by Jane Austen.

[rangan_08]

[tscii:a7ca451c06]Few days back finished reading Stephen King’s “ Rose Madder “. Good one. If you are a person looking for something weird, crazy, paranormal with right dosage of horror and thrill, then King is the man you can count on.

During my college days I have read Cujo, Christine, Different Seasons & Gerald’s Game and after really a long gap I read RM and I completely enjoyed it. I feel that, King’s novel is always a good choice especially, to overcome the hangover after reading something thought provoking or a heavy subject. That doesn’t mean that his works are less in standard, but it helps you to take a break, really.

Rose Madder, like any other King’s novel makes very interesting reading. Right from the beginning till the end, he has got complete control over what he is doing. You can find his remarkable signature in the chapters where Rosie jumps into the picture and enters a different world. His strength lies in making the craziest and abnormal situations utterly believable through his excellent narrative skills and gifted story telling abilities. There are just 2 main characters (King’s style, again) but still, right from the beginning he maintains the pace and makes it a sure page turner. Particularly the last few gripping and riveting chapters before the climax will keep you hooked for sure.

Most of his stories takes place in Maine, which is his home town but RM is an exception.

Good one to read in the thrill and horror genre.
[/tscii:a7ca451c06]

[19thmay]

Chetan Bhagat's "the 3 mistakes of my life" - Very brave and excellent writing. Cricket, Friendship, Love, Religion extremism - Perfect mix! Author was quite bold at many instances

X: I came to see the match. I saw the Australians play and thought maybe we could find a brand ambassador

Y: Why Australian? Why don't you take an Indian?

A totally irrelevant question, but it hinted at his growing belief is us.

X: Can't afford the Indian team. The good players are too expensive. The bad ones, well, tell me, will you buy a bat endorsed by Ajit Agarkar?



:lol:

[NOV]

The Jester by James Patterson & Andrew Gross

Altho not a fan of crusaders history, I found the book thrilling and unputdownable. Enough twists and turns and underdog baiting to keep one entrenched to the book. :)

[P_R]

Reading Richard Gordon's 'Doctor At large'. Quite funny. Not in the Wodehouse league but quite good.


Alcohol had a confusing effect on Mike Kelly. After trying to buy a drink at St.Peter's hospital for Stone and Stricture under the impression that it was the Strand Palace Hotel, he demonstrated his belief that the Royal Opera House was a gentlemen's convenience. :lol:

[19thmay]

Chetan Bhagat's One night at the call center.

[littlemaster1982]

Sridhar,

Did you like it?

[19thmay]

His writing style :thumbsup: I enjoyed the novel till before the last few pages. Bollywood-a mind-la vachukitu climax ellam ezhudhura maadhri iruku. Nevertheless very nice to read! :)

[littlemaster1982]

IMO, this is his worst novel out of his four. It was good till the "God" part. I felt the final chapter totally ruined the story. He is cliched, but I like his one liners.

[19thmay]

IMO, this is his worst novel out of his four. It was good till the "God" part. I felt the final chapter totally ruined the story. He is cliched, but I like his one liners.

2 States innum padikkala. But I have to agree that ON@CC is the worst among the three. Having said that I am ok with this novel till last few chapters.

Btw I asked this question somewhere in this forum :roll:

3 idiots is a copy of five point someone? Naan innum 3 idiots paakala.

[littlemaster1982]

3 idiots is a copy of five point someone? Naan innum 3 idiots paakala.

It's not a copy. The makers of the film bought the rights and modified the story a lot.Ryan was made as main character and other two were reduced to sidekicks. I felt the book was much better than the film.

And, 2 states is ok, if you manage to ignore CB's jabs at Tamilians in the name of humor.

[19thmay]

And, 2 states is ok, if you manage to ignore CB's jabs at Tamilians in the name of humor.

Finished! I liked it. From the perspective of a NI this is jagajam IMO. Though some items are very much exaggerated I enjoyed his writing style and quick wits! :thumbsup:

Though the narrator name was Krish it was actually Hari of 5 Point someone. Hari was sarcastic and biased, actually the same tempo was maintained here.

All his novel has same pattern. Friendship, love and love making, sarcasm, bollywood climax etc.. all female characters are bold, modern and narattors are mostly self-centered and smart.

[P_R]

Parrot and Olivier in America - Peter Carrey

Apparently inspired by the life of Alexis de Tocqueville.

Olivier de Garmont is a scion of one of the nobles of France who has fallen out of favour with the new regieme in France that came back after the revolution. Olivier is sent - for his safety and well being - to the new land America, under the pretext of studying the penitentiaries and the 'new system' of democracy coming up there.

The young Olivier is accompanied by an English servant John Larrit (who goes by the nickname Parrot). Parrot, aspired to be a great engraving artist and life has slipped through his fingers and even in his fifties he finds himself still a 'mere' servant.

Their strange and tumultous relationship between the aristocract and his servant, keeps morphing as the travel to new land, negotiate the new culture ad their uncertain futures.

Each chapter alternates the first person narrative - from Olivier to Parrot and back. Exceedingly well written and made enjoyable with the subdued humour that is there throughout the book.

[19thmay]

Tushar Raheja's Anything for you maa'm another IIT'an love story, its good but lost its pace as it reaches the climax or badly written. Writer is a big fan of R.K.Narayan which is visible in this novel. :thumbsup: Worth reading.

[Querida]

Have been making my way through Margaret Atwood's books
I remember distinctly being disturbed with my first foray into her books
the first being the title "Edible Woman" being enough to weird me out
the second being "Handmaid's Tale" which was a compulsory read for grade 12 English
I was scandalized and obviously not mature enough to appreciate her literature then
and though HT is still not my fave of her works ("Surfacing" is)
she is indeed deserving of all the praise heaped on her and
the profuse gushing she creates in English Lit. Circles

Most of her books have mysterious/suspenseful plots and even sci-fi
which again surprises me because mysteries/sci-fi are usually what I steer clear of
but the sheer poetical lines and original perspective are what keep my captivated

IMHO
"Surfacing"> "Alias Grace" > "Robber Bride"

as of right now delving through "The Blind Assassin" and even thinking of giving HT a re-read..

[Querida]

"The Blind Assassin" was a very engrossing and engaging read...there are many instances in which Atwood's descriptions on even everyday events are worthy of repetitive musing...


small humble examples: "The trace of brown cloud in the brilliant sky, like ice cream smudged on chrome."

"'I look back over what I've written and I know it's wrong, not because of what I've set down, but because of what I've omitted … You want the truth, of course. You want me to put two and two together. But two and two doesn't necessarily get you the truth. Two and two equals a voice outside the window. Two and two equals the wind. The living bird is not its labelled bones' "

it is indeed in way challenging to keep in mind the metafictional threads that take place: Iris's memoir, Laura's novel, Alex's sci-fi storytelling, news articles, puzzling at times not knowing why some detail has been emphasized, but with close attention most is revealed...

Quoted Summary: "Iris tells the story of her youth from the vantage point of old age. Most of her life has been governed by a single event - the death of her sister, which happened whilst they were still young women: 'Ten days after the war ended, my sister Laura drove a car off a bridge.' Two years later, Iris published her sister's novel, The Blind Assassin."

[19thmay]

Sidin Vadukut's "DORK" - very boring! Apparently Landmark kept this book in the fast selling books shelf and so I bought this, a great mistake indeed.

[NOV]

I am finally reading The Lost Symbol - yet another cannot putitdown novel!

[19thmay]

Khaled Hosseini's, "The Kite Runner". Incredible, a classic and must read. :noteworthy:

The story touches friendship, backstabbing, social inequality, Shorawi, Russians, Talibans, US, Pakistan etc... As I finished reading this novel I came to know that Osama was killed, jinx? :) Khaled was so casual and superb narration. Undoubtedly for the past few days, he took me to Afghanistan, Pakistan and US.

Between how was the movie? Has anyone saw that?

[AravindMano]

My favourite too, 19thmay. I haven't watched the film entirely, but whatever I saw was bad that I didn't make it a point to watch. You should also try his 'A thousand splendid suns', have heard very good things about it.

[Querida]

My favourite too, 19thmay. I haven't watched the film entirely, but whatever I saw was bad that I didn't make it a point to watch. You should also try his 'A thousand splendid suns', have heard very good things about it.

Actually having read "A Thousand Splendid Suns" I feel he was trying so hard to be different but still get the same punch and starkness as his first masterful novel...was in parts very disappointing for me.

[19thmay]

Ok thanks Aravind. Its in my queue.

[Wibha]

The movie is pretty good too. But the emotions come out only while reading the book.Que agree with you, "The Thousand Splendid Suns" was a disappointment. It was pretty touchy too but nowhere close to "The Kite Runner"

[AravindMano]

Querida / Wibha - Haven't read ATSS, just heard from people about that. I am planning to read it next month.

[satissh_r]

I'm currently reading "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", it has been that good so far that I hope to finish it in a couple of days. Has anyone else here read it? How are the authors other 2 books?

[Querida]

I'm currently reading "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", it has been that good so far that I hope to finish it in a couple of days. Has anyone else here read it? How are the authors other 2 books?

I have this book, but have yet to read it, those who have read them are die-hard fans now (and keep telling me to read it AND scramble to find the his other books)...

[Querida]

I'm always on the look out for South Asian Fiction,

Two books that really impressed were Manju Kapur's "The Immigrant" an intellectual and insightful look into the process of immigration, culture shock, westernization, feminism and relationships...

Indu Sunderesan's "Shadow Princess" about Shah Jahan's daughters, mostly his eldest daughter Jahanara. A captivating, detail-rich, personal view of the history of this Mogul family and what happens after Mumtaz Mahal's death, not totally centered on the Taj Mahal as you would think.
Am looking forward to reading her "Feast of Roses" and "The Twenthieth Wife" both of which focus on Jahangir's wife (Shah Jahan's stepmother), these three books are framed as the Taj Mahal Trilogy.

I enjoyed her other book "Splendour of Silence" but her forte is certainly historical fiction.

[satissh_r]

I have this book, but have yet to read it, those who have read them are die-hard fans now (and keep telling me to read it AND scramble to find the his other books)...

Done reading the book and I liked it mostly, it was crass and obscene in some parts and that is one reason I wont recommend it to everyone. If you don't mind reading stuff like that and like mysteries, then it is a must read :)

[baroque]

BLACK ORCHIDS.....REX STOUT, a Nero Wolfe mystery.

333

Two novels.

1.BLACK ORCHIDS.
There is a murder in a flower show.
Wolfe is obsessed with black orchids and Archie was made to go to the show everyday and at the final day, they went together.
On that final day of the show, there was a murder.
Now Nero wolfe & Co going to solve the case. At the end, Nero wolfe got the possession of the black orchids as a fee,he was longing.

2.CORDIALLY INVITED TO MEET DEATH.

Bess Huddleston is a snobbish party planner for wealthy folks.
Someone is sending nasty anonymous letters and she needs Nero Wolfe's help to stop the nonsense before it turns ugly and ruined her professionally.

Funny Archie and Nero wolfe is cranky and entertaining ... you will like it.

Good and Easy read.

vinatha.

[baroque]

I wanna post the very recent thriller, I read.
CHECK IT OUT... LOVE IT.
JOHN VERDON - THINK OF A NUMB3r........Imaginative and Creepy read.


332

Dave Gurney is a retired NYPD investigator lives a calm life with his wife Madeleine.
He received a letter from a friend for help.
Over the years Madeleine was pushed aside while he concentrated his work. You will relate to the husband and wife, smart and intelligent people, the man is imperfect and hardworking.
The time they move away from the job & crimes, focus to improve their relationship, this letter arrives asking for help.
Old college friend is getting a series of cryptic letters, asking him to pick a number when he opens the second one, he will find the exact number.
How is it possible?
How could anyone know what he would have picked?
the tone of the letters are frightening.
investigation starts .
the investigation team now have a mysterious killer with a uncanny way of disappearing fast.
Very detailed description of crime scenes with interesting psychological aspect of solving the crime.
taunting thrills, flash backs, clever killer, the investigator and his marital issues ,detailed relationships, good supporting characters,beautiful descriptions of surroundings, their living and upstate New York. LOVELY
Awesome read, will cherish my future revisiting trip(read) to the magnificent thriller.

Vinatha.

[baroque]

Astonishing DAY FOR NIGHT by FREDERICK REIKEN


Fascinating novel about how different kinds of people are connected.

Narrated as first person narration.

These narrations takes different forms like letters, diaries, briefing by FBI etc...

In this separate stories, different person narrates their stories.

Some of the characters come and join in few other stories in this novel.

All those characters in these multiple plots play a larger role for the novel to come together at the end.

Bustling with characters like the lady doctor Beverly who escaped from Soviet occupied Poland with her parents, Tim guitarist in 20s and his singer lover Dee, her parents aunt Julia, Vet Vicky , Dillon, Dee's brother, Miriam-Beverly's friend , Jennifer- Beverly's daughter to FBI Sachs.

Stories occur in different places like Tampa, Utah ,New Jersey, Israel , topics touched upon from childhood friendship, multiple personalities, mysterious 500 Jewish intellectuals killed by Nazis to FBI wanted fugitive lady ( healer also).


In the first story...YESTERDAY'S DAY
Our narrator Beverly, a doctor, grew up in Poland moved to USA goes to Tampa with his boyfriend and his son.
The went to have fun swimming with sea cows(manatees) which is popular in that destination.
Tim a young man who plays guitar in a music group along with his singer girl friend is their guide at the water front.
End of the story, Beverly and Tim connected well in different circumstance (the portion that talks about Tim and Beverly's trip to see manatees swim at night, moonlight glowing at the water front
to relax the troubled mind of Beverly)... magical, I loved the images.

Now the novel moves to the second story...CLOSE YOU ARE narrated by Tim who goes to Salt Lake city with his singer friend Dee also called Gwendine whose brother Dillon is in Como after a motorcycle accident.

The third story MONSTER narrated by the FBI Sachs who questioned Tim and Dee while they
stayed at their motel when they visited Salt lake city.
Case is regarding a woman traveled , sitting next to their seats in the plane to Salt Lake city.
FBI has been searching for this woman for a long long time.
Only few folks are allowed to visit Dillon. This woman is one of the persons in the list.

The fourth story ALL ALONG THE RUINS is a diary of 4 Beverly's letters narrated by Jennifer, daughter of our doctor Beverly
{Beverly escaped from eastern Poland with her mom and years later, she has been sending out letter enquiring some European agencies for info about her father} and some of her high school stuff and her emotional talk about Story of five hundred Jewish men killed by Nazis.

Novel continues with narrations of a Neuroscientist, childhood friend of Beverly - Miriam, aunt Doris- fled from Poland.

Though I was fascinated by the chapters of FBI fugitive & healer Katherine Clay Goldman and Como reawakening chapter (LITTLE WOLF) (mmm... need to get back to this chapter and concentrate better).

later portions of Jewish/ Israel parts of the novel glued me.

SHADOW told by Miriam is very touching. Miriam-Beverly's childhood days, their closeness, letter exchanges, Beverly's dreams and her letters to Miriam about them, years later their get together, renewed correspondence, talks about stalking shadows dreams and their understanding, Beverly's thoughts on her father(one of the hundred Jewish men), her attempts to find out about his fate are very emotional.
Beautiful trust worthy friendship between them.

WHETHER

the astonishing miraculous tale of Vet Vicky( MANY COLORS)Vicky's move to Dead sea basin, her motorcycle trip to Hai-Bar nature reserve with Dillon(Como boy), Israel, Makhtesh Ramon crater - beautiful writing , their trips around the valley, marine animals, nice conversations, their stay together the awful tragedy that put Dillon in Como and pregnant Vicky's days of desolation.. to return of Dillon from Como awakening - All's Well Ends Well!

OR

profoundly moving...ANCIENT FOREST by Doris, Miriam's aunt, Holocaust survivor recalling the horrible incidents at Auschwitz(Nazi camp), Nazi solders didn't want to kill her at once when she sang a Jewish song, wanted to wait for a satisfying way to kill her.

or

Armon, Israeli soldier's reunion with Beverly and his narration to his unborn child

wow!

I sucked into the Jewish/ Israel parts deeply. HYPNOTIC portions indeed.

(Now I wanna revisit EXODUS to sob my heart out about Jewish persecution and their painful sacrifices for the cause of their people
or O Jerusalem historical struggle for Jerusalem when British left)


DAY FOR NIGHT by FREDERICK REIKEN is an impressive work about how various people are connected.

Loved the writing style with philosophical quotes.

331

Glad that sparkling blue waterfront front cover art of this novel caught my attention, when I visited the library.


Vinatha.

[baroque]

Absorbing police investigations after a murder at 212

yup... police procedural mystery.

Tina Brooks, 911 dispatcher received a call about a shooting inside the apartment at Lafayette.

Now our detective Ellie Hatcher and her partner J.J.Rogan on the job at the crime scene with her NYPD police troop.

The owner of the penthouse Sam Sparks is a real estate Mogul.

Robo, his bodyguard is the man murdered in owner's bedroom.

Although Sam Sparks is not a suspect, he is very rude and uncooperative with Ellie during the investigation.

Judge Bandon seems to show favoritism to Sam Sparks.
Why?
Why does the Judge shows extra interest and try to protect?

The arrogant real estate businessman and the judge are in agreement.

The second case..

Megan Gunther is a NYU student shares her apartment with Heather.
Megan Gunther finds an anonymous online threat post directing at her in NYU message board.

Someone is watching her schedules.
They also know where she lives.
They are following her.

MEGAN GUNTHER, SOMEONE IS WATCHING.
They have posted this message at NYU message board.

She informs her parents and they are very worried.
Megan complains the threat to the police.
Due to anonymity, the police couldn't do anything.
Alarming threats eventually takes away the life of Megan Gunther.
Yeah...she is murdered brutally and her roommate Heather was wounded in their apartment.

Third case..

A real estate woman lives a dangerous double life also killed.
When Ellie and her partner investigate, they found a phone number, a single link between this woman and Megan's apartment.
What about Heather?
Is that phone call to Megan or Heather?
When the police tries to check on Heather at the hospital, She is missing...



Is there a connection between these two cases , the phone number to the Celebrity mogul's bodyguard murder?

Novel is very thrilling with the police business and the investigations.

The parts that show the personal side of Ellie and her relationships are entertaining too.

Our detective Ellie's casual romances, (no big commitment yet) with assistant district attorney Mr.Max Donovan.
Her nice friendly relationship with her partner Rogan. Rogan is bubbly and lively.
My favorite part ...... carefree brother Jess Hatcher and sensible , controlled, earnest sister Ellie, their conversations.... are enjoyable.

212, A NOVEL BY ALAFAIR BURKE IS GOOD AND A GRATIFYING READ FOR ME.
343
Vinatha.

[baroque]

FASCINATING CRIME NOVEL SET IN COOL FINLAND FOR MY COUPLE OF HOT SUMMER DAYS.

Very leisurely paced, first person narration by our series hero Kari Vaara.

LUCIFER'S TEARS by James Thompson - Second in Inspector Kari Vaara's series, after the SNOW ANGELS.

Inspector Kari vaara got a transfer after a successful job of solving Sufia Elmi murder case.
He has moved to Helsinki with his American wife Kate.
Kate is pregnant with their baby girl.
Already she had a miscarriage with the first pregnancy. Twin boys.
In fact this relocation to Helsinki is her idea, her wishes.
Kari agreed to move for her wishes in spite of his bad memories of his failed first marriage and some incidents in professional front at the city of Helsinki from his earlier stay. Kari Vaara adores his wife Kate.

As a new person in the Homicide department, Helsinki, Kari Vaara works in graveyard shifts along with his young, inexperienced, enthusiastic partner Milo Nieminen.

Kari Vaara is working on couple of cases this time.

Rein Saar called the murder himself.

He claims an unknown attacker struck him behind.

When he wakes up from unconsciousness, he is in his bed beside his lover-Iisa Filippov and finds her beaten to death, covered in her blood.

Iisa is a married woman, having an affair with Rein Saar for couple of years behind her hubby's back.

As Kari and Milo investigate about her hubby Ivan Filippo, they found out he is a good friend of Jyri Ivalo
the national chief of police.

The chief of police and Ivan Filippo suggest that Kari charges the lover Rein Saar and be done with the case.

Kari is annoyed and more determined to find out more about this case.

When they visited Mr.Ivan Flippov at his office, his secretary Linda looks like the dead woman Iisa Flippov.
Couple of places like restaurants, Kari ran into them cozy and too friendly.
Kari is curious and disturbed.

Earlier to these incidents, the chief of police brought another case for Kari to work.

Arvind Lahtinen, age 90 is a Finnish War hero.
Germany is demanding extradition of him, saying that he did war crimes, associated with Nazis in executing the inmates.
There is a personal connection to Kari in this case.
His Ukki(grandpa)served with Arvid Lahtinen.

Now his wife Kate is pregnant, her brother John and sister Mary are visiting from USA .

Kate raised them after their mother's illness, her drunkard father is useless.

Kate is meeting them after some years. Mary dropped out of her college, married a doctor.
John is in academia.
During that time, Kate moved to Finland on job, met Kari Vaara, married him .

anyway...
Now, John & Mary are here to be with their sister during her family's important time.
They plan to stay with them to help with child birth and couple of more months after that.

(in-laws criticism on his city, country, cultural habits...they get under inspector's skin(you are not alone...Inspectorji,
we have all been there and tolerate now and then...
in- laws judging you! anxiety heightened situations due to those ignorant Janta))

Though Kari is not comfortable with the idea of them staying longer , he tries to put a happy face and manages to understand them.

Novel thoroughly talks about Kari's life in professional front, his personal life, Kari-his elder brother Jari relationship, relatives staying with him, their interactions, his migraine headaches, sleep problems, mood swings, therapy sessions , his flaws, his wife Kate's childhood hardships and experiences.

I admire this writer.

Outlandish Finland in his stories is gorgeous.

In Lucifer's tears , the authors' beautiful descriptions on culture of Finland,Food and Drinking habit, life styles of Helsinki, traditional wood fire sauna - a FINNISH tradition, its icy, rainy winter days, Finland's part in World War II and history are captivating.

Exactly I expected after the SNOW ANGELS, his first novel.

LOVE IT. LOVE IT. LOVE IT.

Vinatha

[baroque]

Lucy Jarrett grew up in upstate New york.

She is a hydrologist , has worked in various countries like SriLanka, Indonesia and now searching for a job after moved to Japan with her boyfriend Yoshi.

Her widowed mother and her brother continue to live in the FINGER LAKE REGION of the upstate New york.

One day , during her late teens, Lucy spoke to her father when she arrived home late from her date, her boy friend Keegan Fall.
Dad asked her to come to a fishing trip with him, since they never get to do anymore, now she has grown up a lot.
But Lucy refused.
The next day, her father was pulled from the Lake, dead.

THE LAKE OF DREAMS flows wonderfully between the past and present.

356

Now Lucy is with her present boy friend near the sea of Japan.
She got an e-mail from her mom.
Her mother is injured.
Lucy decides to visit home after a very long time.

When she arrives home, it is hit by bad economy.
There is a plan to develop marshlands.
Old family business is involved in the development.

Her mom decides to sell their house too.
Her father loved the marshes and the lake.
After her grandpa passed away, grandma gave her dad the lake house and the acreage in which they made a good life.

Lush descriptions of family history, heritage,local areas, her nostalgia, family's lock business-DREAM MASTER HARDWARE & LOCKS, about Dad & uncle Art- bickering brothers, their greed and disgrace are beautiful.

The past history parts are mesmerizing.

Elegant writing style.
Descriptions Descriptions Descriptions...very poetic.
Author Kim Edwards captured the pensive mood.

One morning, Lucy finds a stack of old papers and pamphlets hidden in her home. She found them in cupola, stuffed away in a window seat.
Soon she finds some truths about her family's past history.

Lucy's feeling towards her old boyfriend, her mom's new relationship, her brother and his pregnant wife, his new job with their uncle ART, mysterious death of her dad, her discovery of a family member that they never knew, her obsession with her long lost aunt & her daughter Iris, her old boy friend Keegan's GLASSWORKS STUDIO- glass art works...novel's layers are interesting.

THE LAKE OF DREAMS is a terrific read.

Unhurried, slow pace of the novel is very relaxing.

vinatha.

[baroque]

From Ace Atkins, author of Nick Travers series, featuring Quinn Colson a good guy fights the bad at rugged Mississippi in THE RANGER is an exciting series for me to look forward.

Quinn Colson returning home after serving US army in Afghanistan to his home town
Jericho, Mississippi.

He has come to attend his uncle's funeral.

His uncle is town's highly respected Sheriff, has allegedly taken his own life.

For Quinn, it is very hard to accept his uncle's suicide.

A woman deputy officer Lilli Virgil, happened to be Quinn's old school mate also thinks her boss is murdered

It's been half decade + he visited his home town.

Things are awful in his town now.

The town is corrupted with bad politicians and meths dealers.

Mean violence, burglary , corruption, feuds and grief is the sorry state.

His uncle owes the local developer Johnny stagg some loans.

Johnny stagg claims he owns his uncle's land .

Now Quinn fights back to acquire his family property. He doesn't want to agree to the money offer.(even his representative retired Judge Balton thinks it is a good deal..??? mmm)

Quinn reached out to county's respected newspaper columnist to find more about the crooked developer Johnny Stagg.

And for the personal side of Quinn, there are past relationships - his old girl friend is married to his best friend who is a doctor now, a friend lost his one hand in Iraq war helps him in this clean-up, his screwed sister Caddy is a lap dancer at Dixie Belles' where Quinn followed the guys carried meths and money, they might have killed his dear Uncle Hamp, covetous preacher , Jesus loving, Elvis worshiping mom raising his little nephew(Caddy's son) , the topic of teen pregnancy with the character Lena and her dangerous search for his boy friend, the book is hard to put down.

crisp conversations between the characters.

Rough Mississippi scenery make THE RANGER a furious thriller.

357

Vinatha.

[kid-glove]

Mentioned this in Footie thread, but I'd reiterate that 'Inverting the pyramid' is the best book written on Football ever. Jonathan Wilson is a brilliant writer. Great thinker. Profound reader of the game.

[baroque]

whimsically comical read.....FIRE ME BY LIBBY MALIN

362

Anne works for THE BURNHAM GROUP.
She finds a new job in California.
She is eager to make changes in her life.
She decides to quit her current job.
The day she went to work to resign, her boss Mitch announces, the company decides to let go one person.
He also let them know that person will be rewarded with good severance package.
Immediately our heroine Anne changes her mind.
Instead of quitting, she works hard to get fired.
she sabotages her work.
It is a funny chick lit, happens in a single work day.
Ken is a graphic design personal at her office.
He has a crush on our Anne.
He even sketched her photo.
He wanted to ask Anne out but over heard her conversation with her boyfriend Rob.
Ken Montgomery has a policy..DON'T POACH.....nice guy.
As Anne works hard to sabotage her job, Ken tries to cover up her mistakes.
He thinks that Anne is making mistakes under pressure! CUTE.
Couple of her colleagues also want to get themselves fired.
very imaginative plot and witty dialogues.
There is very little romance in the novel. It is all about who gets fired and the crazy, underhand acts of Anne and couple of her colleagues.
It is signed for film already.
Author's website states...
WONDERFUL IDEA for a light, pleasant movie.
Vinatha.

[roosevelt92]

Now I have read Godan written by Mr. M.P Chand.

[baroque]

Short, Evocative and Eloquent read...FIRE IN THE BLOOD.....IRENE NEMIROVSKY

FIRE IN THE BLOOD.....IRENE NEMIROVSKY


Beautiful story in a village at France by Irene Nemirovsky, a French novelist died at the Nazi camp during World War II.


An elderly person Silvio narrates the story.

He was a reckless youth.

Silvio ran around the world bought horses in Canada, sold cocoa beans on Pacific Coast, made money.

Now, he has settled calmly in a small French farming community.

He enjoys the solitude and simple pleasures of life in his old age.

The story is about two women.

Colette - newly married to a miller Jean Dorin, niece of Silvio.
Gullible Jean fell into the water at night, caught in the reeds and died.

Brigitte, adopted and raised by his cousin's half-sister, married an elderly farmer. She is in love with a handsome lad Marc Ohnet. Characters are vivid.

Story carries nuances about society, life’s joy & tears, commune’s gossips, youth, passion, infidelity, delirious love, deceit, lust, regrets and family secrets.

Gorgeous French countryside settings. vivid descriptions on communes of France.

Silvio's contemplation and his story narration is intricate and simple.


Very short novel , around 129 pages... very evocative



372


vinatha.

[baroque]

I love historical fiction.

Megan Chance is an amazing author.

CITY OF ASH in the social set up of Seattle, WA during 1880.


389


It is about two independent and strong women.

Geneva(Ginny) is a heiress to Stratford Mining fascinated by arts, paintings, poetry and culture, married to a rogue Nathan Langley.

She brings scandal and shame to her family by posing nude to an artist.

Her rich father banishes her family to Seattle, WA.

Seattle is no match to Chicago, it is backward, Ginny finds her life boring and lonely.

The society aware of her Chicago scandal is unfriendly to her.

Ginny is in loveless marriage and a prisoner in her own home.

Beatrice is an actress with full of potential looking for spectacular opportunities and recognitions.

Then there is a charming, talented playwright Mr. Dewitt.
He charms both the women. Bea is in love with him.

Scheming and ambitious Nathan has earned Ginny's father's trust over the yrs.
Nathan is a scumbag, uses both of them.

Ginny and Beatrice narrate the story alternatively.
At the end the plot come together.

Then the famous Seattle fire.... the tragedy brings the girls closer, the rest of the story is about how both the girls over come their jealousy, work together to fight against Nathan and his roguish plans.

Well developed Characters , love triangles, underhanded schemes, erotic sexy scenes and mesmerizing plot.


Spellbinding. (except that F word usage, did they use the vulgar word in those days ?????? )


Megan chance has been my favorite author, I love her earlier works.

http://www.meganchance.com/

VINATHA.

[baroque]

SOBBING, EMOTIVE MURDER MYSTERY

SISTER by ROSAMUND LUPTON

390


English woman Beatrice works in New York lives with her boy friend Todd.

Beatrice's younger sister Tess has disappeared, her mom calls Beatrice.

Beatrice hops into an airplane, arrives at London to find out more about what happened.

Novel is narrated by Beatrice as a letter to her missing pregnant younger sister eventually found dead.

Very gripping and emotional novel.

Two sisters are very close. Beatrice is always protective of her sister Tess.

The letter(format of the novel) is very emotive. I am choked with sadness while reading the intimate beautiful letter of Bee to Tess.:cry2:

Tess involved with a married man and was pregnant.

Cystic fibrosis is in her family. Their brother had cystic fibrosis and died.

Tess finds out her unborn baby has cystic fibrosis and is participating in an medical trial.

The novel talks about their relationship with their mom, some scientific facts on cystic fibrosis.

Emotions run high with the novel. Very powerful murder mystery. Felt very heavy for the past two nights. I was sobbing in some places of the novel:cry2:

http://www.rosamundlupton.com/books/us

I will follow his next novel.

Vinatha.

[Annasanna]

A computer program (called computer program) - a string of symbols describing the calculations in accordance with valid rules, called a programming lingua franca [1]. The program is normally executed sooner than a computer (recompense model, displays the net page), then undeviatingly - if it is expressed in a vernacular understandable in behalf of the machinery or indirectly - if it is interpreted by means of another program (the interpreter). The program can be a organization of instructions that describe the modifications of the apparatus but it can also describe the result in another in the capacity of (eg, lambda calculus).
<a href="http://jobworld.com.pl/ftp/widnows.7.service.pack.html">Windows 7</a>
The formal spirit of the count method in the shape of individual language understandable to the rise rules is called when the program expressed in machine-readable (that is, past the numbers, and more exact ones and zeros) is called machine principles or binary grow (executable).

Computer programs can be classified according to their applications. So honourable aside narcotic addict applications, operating systems, video games, compilers, and others. Programs embedded backwards the ruse is referred to as firmware.

[baroque]

Finally I picked up my favorite novel from the library. :-D

Linda Castillo featuring Police Cheif Kate Burkholder, book - (3) BREAKING SILENCE
is everything I expected, so far.

http://www.lindacastillo.com/

It will work as a stand alone novel too.

Series set in PAINTER'S CREEK,OHIO.

It is Amish community.

Amish folks are private, separate, hardworking and love simple living.

The Slabaugh family is a typical Amish family.

Their children found their mom and dad along with their uncle found dead in the manure pit out at the farm.

Initially it was believed as methane gas accident but regular autopsy changed the case.

They discovered one of the victim hit at the head before death.

Is the murder related to the series of hate crimes(someone is killing livestock, burning buggy, frightening the horse, possibly using molotov cocktail etc..some scary awful incidents going on.) against the Amish community in recent times?

Kate knows the Amish community very well. She is born and raised Amish.
Now, she left the Amish life.

Though Kate has been working as a cop for a long time, She feels for the children.

She empathize with them. Especially the little one moves her too much. It's a heart break for her to ask them questions about the incident.

Author writes simple, crisp narration of the kids looks, their Amish life styles etc.. Nice to read.

Kate needs to settle the kids with loving family/caregivers. Amish community always generous and take care of their own.

Children have an uncle who is not Amish anymore. He is forbidden from the family.

She needs to get the co-operation of the Amish community for the case, they should not be looking at her as outsider, who left the community, don't belong with them anymore. Anyway... Kate is determined to see justice done.

Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation arrives to help.

Agent John Tomasetti is sent to help.

Kate and John have worked well during previous cases.

He is excited to work with her in this new case. He is eager to see her. It's been some months he hasn't seen her from their previous work.

John is fond of Chief of police.

Earlier, Kate & John were drawn to each other due to their troubled pasts.

His relationship with Kate saved not only his career but his personal life.

Kate is also happy about their relationship. John is her friend. She has a fling with him.

This book is more about Kate's emotions. It states about Kate's recall about her Amish upbringing, her brothers & sisters..she misses them due to her own evasion now .She thinks about her innocent, happy Amish little girl life and then how it all changed by 15 , she was on her way to damnation.

Kate is strong but has her own troubles. Kate and John both have their own flaws. John is getting his life back together.

Like the characters very much.

I like Kate and John together. Kate is excited to see John at her work place. KATE-JOHN 'S ROMANCE ,their relationship is getting serious this time. :happydance:


Fantastic plot, nice characters, terrific crime novel with twists, turns and wonderful writing as always.

I have finished only 3/4 novel....need to wait for tonight to finish...

Love the novel, thrilling twists and Kate & John's romance, personal lives are combined into the crime novel wonderfully... Neat, intelligible writing.

395




Finished tonight.

Wow,

shocking...
Appearances are deceptive

Secrets and lying of dysfunctional family......What an unexpected end!


pacey and intense end chapters....FANTASTIC.


Hope to see the series grow.

Vinatha.

[Querida]

"The Unbearable Lightness of Being" - Milan Kundera
my first attempt at reading philosophical fiction
heavy with meaning, it felt like wading through layers of narrative and character and how they connect and illustrate the postulates stated by Kundera
morose, political, yet inspiring...
helps to read further analyses after reading it and makes you appreciate the author's talent that much more

[baroque]

400


I Picked up BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP BY S.J.WATSON from the library.

BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP......is about a lady- Christine, who wakes up next to a middle aged man in his(or their?) house doesn't know and remember how she got there.

The man- Ben tells her that he is her hubby and she is suffering from amnesia. She forgotten most of what happened in her life, she keeps a journal to manage day to day life. Ben loves her very much and cares for her at home.

When Ben goes to work after giving her schedule of the day, she got a call.

The man on the phone claims that he is her Doctor. Dr.Nash says that she is making progress with him.
He is helping her from Amnesia and keeping their meetings secret. Her journal says 'Don't tell Ben'. He tells her that it is her decision not to tell Ben yet, wanting to wait until they make progress.

This is how Christine tries to figure out her life. Awful.

Chirstine's journal forms most of the book, as we read more & more into her journal, it's a disturbing feeling.

Can she trust Ben?

Confused and terrified world of Christine Lucas is very engrossing . (I kind of guessed the end. So I was not frightened or anxious when reading those end chapters.)

Good read indeed.

http://www.facebook.com/beforeigotosleep


Wow, It's going to be a movie.

amnesia movie!

Inception fame Christopher Nolan's earlier movie MEMENTO is on a man suffering from short term memory loss. Thriller.

I remember my husband was watching it on NETFLIX :)

http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Memento/60020435

I love amnesia movies, from Kamal's moondram pirai to recent Ghajini(inspired from Memento)
Vinatha.

[baroque]

Author of THINK OF A NUMBER - JOHN VERDON is back with his intelligent, flawed, retired detective Dave Gurney.


SHUT YOUR EYES TIGHT.......JOHN VERDON....HEFTY NOVEL is a good read.

I was eagerly expecting the second installment to visit upstate Newyork with our ace detective Gurney along with his wife Madeleine.

Author did a fine job of integrating their personal life in his earlier Creepy novel.

Madeleine is intelligent, enjoys nature, wants to live a quite life after enduring some difficult times during Dave's cop yrs.

Madeleine is not happy when her hubby was contacted by his former colleague Jack Hartwick.

A wealthy, prominent lady wants to hire Dave Gurney as a consultant.

Her beautiful, young daughter who marries celebrity psychiatrist (more than twice her age)was murdered at her wedding reception in a horrific manner.

Missing mexican gardener is presumed murderer.

She wants Dave Gurney to take a look at the cold blooded murder case that has taken the state police several months with no progress.

In spite of his wife's disappointment, our Dave Gurney gets involved in the case.

It is a big book... around 509 pages but I enjoyed the good multilayered mystery and the complex police procedural with several criminal elements.


I took a week to finish the novel. I was not in a hurry.:) ( I do other things too :smile:)

I enjoyed the author's simple narration (told mostly through Gurney's eyes),

his detailed offering of Dave Gurney's thoughts and his restless nature (his preoccupation of whether to fertilize the asparagus plants..),

deep Madeleine who speaks volumes with her warm smiles while passing by Dave when he is busy without uttering words, their marital dysfunction.

JOHN VERDON writes beautiful descriptions.

Chapter - 15 BLACK & WHITE , is my favorite - Gurney's mulling over his love for solving crime even in retirement, Madeleine's disappointment with his workaholic temperament, their troubled relationship and tension in their marriage, coyotes incident etc.. I love it.


eerie book is a good read. I am glad.

407


:ty:

[satissh_r]

The Immortals of Meluha + Secret of the Nagas - A fantasy on Indian mythology, Amish Tripathi builds on common facts and myths to form a brilliant story(Da Vinci ode could well have been his inspiration). I loved the Secret of Nagas the best of the two books and I recommend it for people who like history based fiction

[baroque]

I was reserving SARA PEKKANEN's chick lit for the holidays while traveling in the plane.

Interesting read with some emotional moments.

Sara Pekkanen's previous book THE OPPOSITE OF ME is a good one.

love the story about intricate complexity of marriage, life, love and forgiveness.

SKIPPING A BEAT is funny, emotional and I connected with the characters well. very heart-felt.

Sara Pekkanen's writing is pleasing. Passages on Julia's thoughts about their life, her passion , how she found solace in opera are wholehearted. I liked it very much. enjoyed reading it.

author's web site.

http://www.sarahpekkanen.com/

from her web site

Skipping a Beat

http://www.sarahpekkanen.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/cover-skipping-a-beat175px.jpgWhat would you do if your husband wanted to rewrite the rules of your relationship?

Julia Dunhill, a thirty-something party planner, seems to have it all: Married to her high school sweetheart and living in a gorgeous home in Washington D.C., she imagines her future unfolding very much as it has for the past few years, since she and her husband Michael successfully launched their companies. There will be dinner parties to attend, operas to dress up for, and weddings and benefits to organize for her growing list of clients. There will be shopping sprees with her best friend, Isabelle, and inevitably those last five pounds to shed. In her darker moments, she worries that her marriage has dissolved from a true partnership into a façade, but she convinces herself it’s due to the intensity of their careers and fast-paced lifestyle.
So as she arranges the molten chocolate cupcakes for the annual Opera benefit, how can she know that her carefully-constructed world is about to fall apart? That her husband will stand up from the head of the table in his company’s boardroom, open his mouth to speak, and crash to the carpeted floor… all in the amount of time it will take her to walk across a ballroom floor just a few miles away. Four minutes and eight seconds after his cardiac arrest, a portable defibrillator jump-starts Michael’s heart. But in those lost minutes he becomes a different man, with an altered perspective on the rarified life they’ve been living and a determination to regain the true intimacy they once shared. Now it is up to Julia to decide — is it worth upending her comfortable world to try to find her way back to the husband she once adored, or should she walk away from this new Michael, who truthfully became a stranger to her long before his change of heart?


I revisited விக்ரமனின் வந்தியத்தேவன் வாள் too, while traveling .
எத்தனை தடவை படிச்சு இருப்பேன் இந்த life ல ...love it .
Glad I grew up reading கல்கி, விக்ரமன் , நா. பார்த்தசாரதி etc .

Charming holiday reads for me.

:ty:


HAPPY ONAM TO YOU ALL!

Vinatha.

[akashgangaa]

i just happened to stumble on these books .....and after a long time i am back to reading......this time it is 'the immortals of Meluha" by Amish.

A good mix of mythology and referential history and a probable connection with the reality. Amish's next book "the secret of the Nagas" is waiting !

[akashgangaa]

hey dude when is he releasing the third one ?

[satissh_r]

i just happened to stumble on these books .....and after a long time i am back to reading......this time it is 'the immortals of Meluha" by Amish.

A good mix of mythology and referential history and a probable connection with the reality. Amish's next book "the secret of the Nagas" is waiting !

I enjoyed Secret of Nagas much more so I think you'll love it too.. As with The Immortals of Meluha he ends this book in a way that you wouldn't want to wait :) Read his twitter a few days back, he said he will start writing "The oath of the Vayuputhras" by October so am not sure when we can expect it.

Enjoy reading!!

[baroque]

thank you so much.

Wow, mythology. இந்திரா சௌந்தரராஜன்'ச சிவமயம் ..mythological thriller is a good read

http://www.facebook.com/authoramish

I am searching in my local library or buying them.

http://shivatrilogy.com/index3.html

I enjoy mythology touch,
mmm....

South Asian authors.....

I love historical fiction works.

INDU SUNDARESAN'S fictions on Moghal empire.

THE FEAST OF ROSES, THE TWENTIETH WIFE.

SHADOW PRINCESS is a fine work. It can stand alone as a novel too. But don't miss the earlier ones.

http://www.indusundaresan.com/

Fascinating reads :clap:

Her emotional short stories IN THE CONVENT OF LITTLER FLOWERS has complex characters with intricate relationships, beautiful settings, fantastic writing.

Haunting read.


Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's ONE AMAZING THING

is a collection of stories of several characters.
each a unique story.

AUTHOR'S WEBSITE.

http://www.chitradivakaruni.com/

http://www.chitradivakaruni.com/books/one_amazing_thing

Vinatha.

[satissh_r]

I enjoy mythology touch,
mmm....

South Asian authors.....

I love historical fiction works.

Vinatha.

I must warn you of one thing though, the book is written in a contemporary style.. And thanks for those book suggestions :) Will check them out sometime

[Querida]

INDU SUNDARESAN'S fictions on Moghal empire.

THE FEAST OF ROSES, THE TWENTIETH WIFE.

SHADOW PRINCESS is a fine work. It can stand alone as a novel too. But don't miss the earlier ones.

Fascinating reads :clap:

Agreed!!! I throughly enjoyed "Shadow Princess" the richness in description, the poignant imagery, and intrigue what tremendous skill she has!!!

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Have read many of her works...was quite impressed with her "Palace of Illusions"

[baroque]

yeah... Indu sundaresan's work is gorgeous.

PALACE OF ILLUSION , Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's hindu mythology is beautifully written in a nice historical setting.

thanks, Q.

Sure satissh_r, noted your reply.
I wanna try shiva triology.

vinatha.

[baroque]

Alafair Burke is a good author, I love her works.

Long Gone by Alafair Burke, finally I was able to get it from my library.

suspenseful novel.

Alice Humphrey, daughter of a famous film maker, very privileged woman , wanna stand on her own, lands on a fine job as a manager in an art gallery after a struggle from layoff.

Unfortunately, her dream job place changed her life.
The day she arrived to work, Drew Campbell, who hired her was found dead on the floor(Gallery owner wants to be anonymous). Now she is in the middle of police investigation. She learned the man is not Drew, she was framed.

There are couple of sub plots, a missing girl and a man wants to find the killer of his sister, their stories are weaved alternatively, eventually come together with the story involves Alice.

Alice and her friend, their conversations are my favorite part. Alice's on and off relationship with her boy friend, her conversation with her famous dad about the case....,relationships are wonderfully written. Very interesting.

superb thriller from a fine author

http://alafairburke.com/books/long-gone/

Vinatha.

[baroque]

Anatomy of a Disappearance by HISHAM MATAR.

" {Hisham} Matar is beginning to do for the Arab experience what the likes of Salman Rushdie have done for the sub-continent."
- THE TIMES(London)



505


http://www.facebook.com/pages/Anatomy-of-a-Disappearance/190111377696775



oh.. I love the writing.

Very emotional. Simple writing . Experience the calmness in the prose.:musicsmile:
Short novel , around 224 pages depicts longing and desperation. Felt very heavy at times.

Anatomy of a Disappearance is his 2nd novel.(IN THE COUNTRY OF MEN--Don't miss his first novel.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/In-the-Country-of-Men/112671862080083 )


Nuri is a young boy who lost his mom for elusive sadness and died.

Now Nuri finds himself in a grief state with his very detached father.

They share a quite, permissive relationship. But he loves him very much.

While Nuri and his father holidaying in Magna Marina hotel, he meets a young , beautiful lady Mona.

He is mesmerized by her. He develops pubescent attraction and lust for her.

Sametime his father too develops an attraction for her, he marries her.

Eventhough Mona is his step-mom now, Nuri's attraction for her didn't diminish.

He doesn't see anything motherly about Mona.

anyway... it is a moving tale of a young boy, tension relationship with his father & step mom( I felt his obsession with Mona little too much for his age :roll:, Mona is not helping the situation, giving mixed signals, confusing the kid with troubled adolescence) and his family drama.

Novel takes a mysterious turn now.

Nuri's father is a world traveler and political activist who is kidnapped while having an affair with a Swiss woman.

Nuri and Mona realize how little they know about his father.

Matar writes in a very calm manner. Very controlled and interesting.

Novel is based on author's own experience.

Matar's father was abducted while they lived at Cairo after fleeing their country. His father opposed Gaddafi regime.

Vinatha.

[anisha_astrologer]

i have just finished reading khaleed hoseini's a thousand splendid suns. it is a good story, though sometimes i feel that the writer has compromised with a few characters. but all in all the story is an eye opener about women's condition in Afghanistan.

[r2tchasi]

Glad to see the thread alive. :-D
My current read is Kafka on the Shore. I have new found respect for cats, nowadays!

[baroque]

khaleed hoseini's earlier classic THE KITE RUNNER they took as a movie.

Remember the Bond film QUANTUM OF SOLACE, same guy's movie.

[baroque]

Victorian romance mystery
DEANNA RAYBOURN 's LADY JULIA series is very attractive.

You love spending time with Lady Julia and her siblings, very beautiful time period, interesting, peculiar characters, captivating mystery and romance too.

Though the author writes in detail for you to understand the characters, nice updates to catch up with them, it will be helpful for you to read from the book 1 of the series.


Very entertaining series in a Victorian period. You love it.


http://deannaraybourn.com/series.html

vinatha.

[baroque]

Magnificent historical fiction with the back drop of India.
Check out
THE SANDALWOOD TREE by ELLE NEWMARK.

Stunning work set during the turbulent Partition time (1947)

(Evie & Martin with their son, Martin's withdrawal after his return from the world war 2, his combat fatigue, Evie's loneliness and her struggles to save her crumbling marriage, his reluctant to confide in Evie, Evie as a wonderful mom, her love for her son)

And

The historical Sepoy Rebellion (1857).

(Evie found some letters hidden behind the bricks in the wall of her bungalow that depict the life of two Victorian women, Felicity & Adela, lived in the house, 90 years before Evie's family. From the sound of the letters, Felicity lived in this bungalow, Adela had written from England. Adela was a lesbian in a time when lesbianism was disapproved, Adela’s great love for Felicity, Felicity’s love for India)

Amazing job by the author on India's poverty and its beauty. Sights and smells of India, Evie's perspective on India, portrayal of Simla, vivid imagery on glittering bazar, clothing, temples, food, heat, crowds, colonial buildings, houses, very captivating story on love, longing, forgiveness, hidden letters, the secrets. Interesting glimpse of two important, unrest, bloodshed periods in Indian history.

Author’s website.
http://www.ellenewmark.com/book.php

The novel starts with the quote

“Death steals everything but our stories…..”

594

The author passed away after the book got published. What an accidental quote! :(


http://web.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jul/01/final-plot-twist-for-local-novelist/?ap

Terrific work!
Pick it up, if you can….. Relish it.

Vinatha.

[19thmay]

Chetan Bhagat's Revolution 2020 - Slightly better than ON@CC worst than the other three novels. Chetanji please change your pattern, its boring boss. Why that story tellers in your novels are always mediocre, self centered guys? Gopal and Aarti characters are very much inconsistent. Hope you come up with a different and better theme next time with a neat and unique presentation.

[AravindMano]

Glad to see the thread alive. :-D
My current read is Kafka on the Shore. I have new found respect for cats, nowadays!

Ah, seriously. Such delight they were in that book.

[baroque]

Chetan Bhagat's Revolution 2020 - Slightly better than ON@CC worst than the other three novels. Chetanji please change your pattern, its boring boss. Why that story tellers in your novels are always mediocre, self centered guys? Gopal and Aarti characters are very much inconsistent. Hope you come up with a different and better theme next time with a neat and unique presentation.


mmm....

Have you read THRITY UMRIGAR?

http://www.umrigar.com/

She is a good author.

She expresses in a beautiful way. The Weight of Heaven, if you haven't, please try to read.

Irresistible novel set in rural India.

Her website posts a new novel by Jan 2012. :)

vinatha.

[kubrick]

1st Two books of the SHIVA TRILOGY: Immortals of Meluha & The Secret of the Nagas.

If you are a fan of Hindu Mythology and/or Tamil Cinema then you will completely enjoy this set. I certainly need such books bc everytime I finish a book which is intense the next one has to be a pure entertainer. Whenever I fail to do this a gap between books fall. So for me this one was fantastic. Couple of my friends who are Hindu Mythology enthusiasts found it very insightful too. Though it is predictable the way it is paced makes you keep going.

[ajaybaskar]

Revolution 2020

Kinda liked it..

[Sid_316]

http://covers.openlibrary.org/w/id/475456-L.jpg

Good one :thumbsup:

[baroque]

I read some amazing books for the past week.

The sound of Language by AMULYA MALLADI is a sweet, simple, emotional, hopeful and positive novel.

It's about an Afghan woman's horrible experiences (the author will not make you cry... don't worry), her new life and experiences in Denmark where she immigrates.

She learns to speak Danish, started to work with a Danish man who is a bee keeper.

Experiences of language barriers, prejudices, marvelous friendship between Gunnar and Raihana, detailed and fascinating honey making job routines, Afghan people's culture and their life as refugees in a European nation is wonderful to read.

Sweet novel from AMULYA MALLADI.

You fall in love with Raihana and Gunnar, their friendship.

http://www.amulyamalladi.com/

************************************************** *****


http://petergeye.com/

SAFE FROM THE SEA - PETER GEYE

poetic novel set in the landscape of northern Minnesota.

Very atmospheric and aesthetic writing about father & son's story, their family bond, story of shipwreck on The Great Lakes, Noah(son)'s relationship with his wife Natalie, their infertility issues, vivid details about the surroundings. BEAUTIFUL WORK .

Peter Geye steals my heart with his evocative writing.:musicsmile:

vinatha.

[baroque]

Novel about passion, love, abuse, romance, abandonment, resentment, search, longing, hot sex scenes, glamour, fashion, a journalist's investigation and more.. All end well in SINS OF THE MOTHER by TARA HYLAND.

http://www.tarahyland.com/


Description from the book

From the poverty of postwar England and Ireland to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood's golden age, a beautiful, sweeping family drama that illustrates the bonds between a mother and daughter can never be broken.

744

I love it.

Novel is about Franny , a fun loving, free spirited girl from a small, farm community, Ireland. (Country cork-1946).

She just wants to escape from the poverty of her home .
She passionately in love with Sean-a laborer works in her father's land.
Sean is a free spirit, unconcerned by social conventions.
He likes to travel, goes around wherever there is work.
When Sean discovers she is pregnant with his child, he abandons her.
Franny runs away from her parent's place, gives birth to a little girl Cara.
Initial years, Franny got the support from a good hearted Annie for boarding in the city-London, raising Cara with her children.
Franny works as a nightclub performer.
Franny is talented and beautiful, she dreams of working in Hollywood.
Does she get a good break?
What will she do with her little girl Cara?
Does Franny ever return to her parents?

I absolutely love this novel.

Novel offers a wide range of settings and atmospheres.
I love Franny during her teen years, later I hated her for her choices to pursue her dream job.
Relationships are wonderfully portrayed in this historical fiction with a beautiful glimpse into golden era of Hollywood.
Franny becomes successful in her show biz, marries millionaire Maximillian Stanhope. She wants to tell him about Cara but couldn't find a right time.

Franny's daughter Cara is a strong little girl endures all the troubles life thrown at her, turned into a successful journalist who just wants to know about her mother's fate.

When Franny decides to leave Cara with her mom at her small farm cottage, Cara hated her life with grumpy granny.
She longs for her mother's return and hopes someday, her mom will come and get her.
But all she gets are empty promises from her mom.
When granny died, the authorities take her to an orphanage, her life gets miserable and she escapes from the place.
She eventually finds her way back to Annie from her childhood days.
Cara becomes a journalist. When she learns about her mom's tragic death, she wants to know more.
As she investigates, she finds the hidden truth.

SIZZLING WORK INDEED.
vinatha.

[19thmay]

God of small things - Brilliance - the characters, analogies, presentation, description - wow! :clap: :clap:

Hypocrisy, backstabbing, love, caste, religion, molesting child etc.. were expressed so well without any compromise.
Half of the story was said in a view point of kids, certain sequence were truly mind blowing. A.Roy took 4 years to complete this novel. A classic and must read if you did not.

[anisha_astrologer]

just finished reading 'The Palace of Illusions' and 'A Thousand Splendid Suns'. these are two splendid books and incidentally both are women centric.

[anisha_astrologer]

I starsted reading it. no doubt about Orwell's genius but i a have not been able to finish the book. felt it a little slow. may be i'll pick it up some time later. need some motivation.

[Shakthiprabha]

mein kampf.

lived with his highness.....

[pavalamani pragasam]

Finished reading The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown last night. Loved it tremendously. This is the 3rd novel I read by this author- the 1st being Davinci Code & the 2nd Angels and Demons.. I like this better! Amazing narrative skills, lucid style of continuing different threads of the story with cinematic thrill ans sustained suspense. I never expected Zacary could be.....let me not break the suspense for those who have not read it yet!
I was very impressed by the Masonic and Noetic ideas described- can relate my own inclinations to them. Happy to see the connection -commonness- in all ancient beliefs and practices. Got educated about the magical squares and a lot more interesting matters of science and spirituality. Strangely surprised to read the importance of number 33. Recalled our family tradition in olden days to gift Rs.6 to a newborn baby: 'aaRu aaRaay perugum' was the belief. The number 6 is supposed to have the magical, auspicious potential to grow as a flowing fertile river.
Washington city's history and its architecture were eye-openers to me who has learnt only the purely political history of America in my school syllabus which included a separate paper on American history. I verified with my kids who have visited the capital/Capitol about its ancient architecture model!
A great author to read and get enlightened by! Shall try to read his other works also.

[baroque]

I read regularly.

I stopped posting the titles last couple of months.:-D

Thought I post few Young adult reads I enjoyed as much as my son while helping him for his comprehension for the past month. (world war 2, Japanese invasion, Burma, India's history etc...all coming!):)

4 titles from my son's reading list !:)



SMALL ACTS OF AMAZING COURAGE-GLORIA WHELAN

The back drop of India's struggle to Independence & a young girl with strong personality, passion and awareness make this short novel a delightful read.

Story set in India, during World War.
Young English girl Rosalind grew up in India unlike other British families who sent their children back to England while they were stationed in India on duty.

Rosalind spent lot of time with her Indian friend Isha, picked up Hindi, was roaming around the Bazaar, though her father hated her habits.

Her father insisted on her English behaviors, wanted her not to hang around with local janta. He really wanted to send her back to England, but her mom begged to keep her with them, they already lost their son.

Of course eventually, her father made the decision to send her back to England.

Her friend Isha was married to an older man who was supporting Gandhi movement.

She also met a young man in her mom's lady's club, Max Nelson who was serving under her father. He was interested in Indian freedom & his mom ran an orphanage.

Rosalind was very intrigued by his talks on Gandhi and freedom movements.

Thus the story of Rosalind developed in SMALL ACTS OF AMAZING COURAGE by the author.

Then she was sent to England to live with her aunts.
Rest of the story was about how she helped her oppressed aunt’s wish to see India.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++

WATERSHIP DOWN – RICHARD ADAMS

It is a classic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watership_Down

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++

ELEPHANT RUN – ROLAND SMITH

It is a historical adventure set in Burma during their Japanese invasion. Pace is fantastic .

I have seen him reading Roland smith’s novels with great interest always.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++


1119


1120


ஒரு மாறுதலுக்கு அவன்கிட்டே இருந்து titles போட்டேன்!

Adults will love them too!:-D

vinatha.

[NOV]

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0vWvO8znN5w/TzB04gHrM4I/AAAAAAAACaY/QfIh_0k-Yx4/s1600/12155648.jpg

Memories of a middle aged man of his first girlfriend and his best friend, Adrian.
Why did his GF's mother bequeath him 500 pounds and Adrian's diary?

A compulsive read :thumbsup:

[Roshan]

Chinaman - the legend of Pradeep Mathew by Shehan Karunatilaka. Fantabulous !! :clap:

Happy that the book won the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature in 2011. Well deserving !

Thanks to Prabhu for recommending :)

[pavalamani pragasam]

Liked very much "காலா...அருகே வாடா''- a short story by Krishna Davinci published in the last issue of the weekly, Ananda Vikatan. Packed with very correct facts and information. An eye-opener to many on many matters! With positive message about healthcare methods available to us.