Maximum City. Bombay lost & found

I didn't know it was shortlisted for Pulitzer! I didn't like it! I couldn't even read beyond the first chapter. It is one of those NRI trying to find his / her roots and hating everything about the country but rediscovers patriotism anyways type of book. And the author rambles all along!

Very Blah i found it

The Magic Mountain

One should never attempt to read a classic by borrowing from a library. It is too expensive. I realised I couldn't finish it on time so I returned it. I am going to buy this book.

Nightfall

I am not big on Sci-fi / disaster awaits the world kind of books, but this I liked. The story of a planet with no nightfall is fascinating. But the fear they feel about it something I couldn't relate to. Particularly the part about stars. I mean how can you be scared of the? Go crazy at the sight of those sparklers in the sky?

The book has 3 parts, one - leading up to the night fall - brilliant! two - nightfall itself - Fascinating! three - was post nightfall, I didn't enjoy that so much. It felt very cliche. I suppose in 1990 it wasn't so but with so many paranoid hollywood films...

But overall I liked it.

The world's best street and yard games

This was a joy read. Did you know there are nine types of Tag? And that the simple game of elastic we played as children might have its origins in China?

Some old and lotsa new games. I am trying to get hold of the copy for keepsakes :)

Err....The tailor in vogue Fashion designing

This book is part of the learn all about series Published by Tiny Tot, Delhi . I got curious about it and the only book available was on fashion designing so I got it. Bad choice! It is written very badly. The illustrations are in Black and white and illegible. And if you are not already into fashion designing you'll not know what the author is talking about!

Only thing I got out of it is that I know the different kind of cottons there is.

Interestingly the series includes topics such as "Ayurveda, Diarroea, Aromatherapy, Hypertension and Graphology for general readers"

I can't wait!

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

I sometimes forget that Douglas Adams wrote books other than Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy. This was a great reminder.

This is no light reading. If you are not clued in you lose the plot very easily.

Like the author describes " A thumping good detective-ghost-horror-who dunnit-time travel-romantic-musical-comedy epic" it is :D

Must read

Indigo

The collection is simply brilliant. This is the first time ever I have read all the short stories in one book at one go.

Extremely quirky, macabre with humour. I was reminded of Roald Dahl but I like Ray's style better.

Taste of Bengal all along. Just the names of the characters evoke that sense in you.

22 stories in all. Fantastic read.

Only no women in the stories. Some three women appear as wives of the main characters and have nothing much to do. Very curious.

I could almost smell the rain!

I wanna do this chasing the monsoon.

Manto, selected stories

An excellent translation by Aatish Taseer.

The magic of Manto is captured so beautifully.

The Great Indian Novel

I was never a big fan of Shashi Tharoor's columns in The Hindu. Though I thought he was very good looking :P But then when he stood for elections in the last general elections, there was so much hoopla around him that I got curious. I decided I should read one of his books before I decide I don't like his writing at all. And so I picked The great Indian Novel. I had absolutely no idea what the book was about, hadn't even read a blurb! Imagine my surprise when I realise that the book is satire on Indian politics written the Mahabharatha way. Maha = Great, Bharatha = Indian Novel...get it?

Anyways the book is a bit difficult to read and my state of affairs doessn't permit me to think too much while reading so I am totally losing on the satire end. I read 30 pages and all i figured out was Bhishma = Gandhi (Gandhiji is Gangaji) But I like what I have read so far. The pun (for I can't think of any other word) we like. I don't think anyone can write a book like this now (this was written 2 decates ago) and get away with it. There would be too many protests and the book might be banned.

But no time for the rest so I will come back to it when I have time.

The Fire Thief

People at Landmark kept trying to sell me this book when I was looking for The Book Thief. They thought I had the title wrong and I thought this book was some random thing that they were trying to sell. When I came across this book while browsing the library I thought I should try it.

It is hilarious! A super take on greek gods :)

The Comfort of Saturdays

I like the pace at which the book goes. There is a bit of sleuthing in there but it isn't at breakneck speed. Not the book if you want to solve a mystery. That isn't the primary aim of the book.

I think I liked this book because I related to Isabel, the main character at so many levels. On top of it Saturday is my favourite day so.

It was surely comforting. Something I needed right after The Cleft :)

The Cleft

This is my first Doris Lessing book, even though she has been on my reading list for a long time now.

It took me a while to get through the book. It is a bit difficult. Reading a difficult book with a two-month-old on hand isn't the smartest thing to do. But at least it was a girl baby :) If you want an explanation for the statement, read the book. Wiki has a rather flimsy plot summary here, if you are too lazy. But I won't suggest it.

The book tells us what we already know about the gender differences, in a very interesting manner. But the reinforcement is quite forceful. It left me despondent. I am quite an optimist; to the extent that I do believe that men and women will be on the same page in life at some point. If not in my lifetime, sometime in the future.

But The Cleft kinda shattered my hopes.

I suddenly realised something. I probably knew it all along but never had put it in words. See women have evolved, most men haven't. They've just replaced hunting games with car racing or WWE matches. So naturally there are bound to be differences. Big differences. But nothing can be done. Not as yet.

Quite a depressing thought huh?

So to get over that I've got myself some light reading.

And so I have a name

Bibliophile

1. A lover of books.
2. A collector of books.

One more definition: a person who loves or collects books, esp. as examples of fine or unusual printing, binding, or the like.

First of the Shopaholic series

My first book in many months. Easy to read, fun, no thinking kinda books are most welcome at this stage in my life. And this book is nothing but that :)

And surprisingly I actually liked the book!

Yet again one is left feeling one should really write a book. But then, about what is the only question :)

Fatherhood - Bill Cosby

A must for anyone who wants to be a parent. And if you are already a parent it gives you something to laugh about. Hilarious!

My rating 4 on 5

The Thama stories - Kamala Laxman

This is a bunch of stories about the adventures of Thama, the little elephant. The characters have names like Gumchikki, Anilu and Hebbavoo. Delightful :D

Gone with the wind - Margaret Mitchell

How I loved this book! Despite being a hundred years old in every sense. I loved it. I haven't watched the film. I try not to watch the films before reading a book. And this one was worth the wait. The mega book took me two weeks to finish but well :)

I am astonished at the time warp we are in after reading the book. Take the ideas in the book like how women are expected behave to get a man. It hasn't changed since the 1800s! The fact about pregnancy being too delicate a subject to even discuss with your husband let alone be seen in public. My god it still happens! The fact that Scarlett can do math quicker than her husband offends him so much. And I know such show of intelligence isn't acceptable even today! We have moved to internet era from quills, hemlines may have risen but somethings have remained the same! Incredible!!!!

I was also pleasantly surprised at how Scarlett's character was created. She's not your average damsel in distress beauty. She had gumption. She had thoughts that weren't "respectable." She went after what she wanted single mindedly. And she was still the heroine. Where we have such women now in literray or celluloid? In real life such women have to masquerade as damsels in distress to save their sanity if anything!

As for Rhett Butler. I would've loved to meet a man like that.

The American civil war details however didn't register entirely. For I do not have enough context or background info for it. The fact that my knowledge of American Geography is non-exstent didn't help the matters. I will have to some research on this one.

My rating 5 on 5

Things I didn't read from my reading list

Jane Austen's Emma and Herman Melville's Moby Dick proved to too hard to read! I am probably too old for Emma. I was getting mighty irritated with Emma's pre-occupations in life! Even after plodding 100 pages I couldn't move ahead. Moby Dick was well didn't even take off.

I hope to go back to them some time in life...

a purple sea - Ambai

How beautifully she writes! Although this is the translation of Ambai's (C S Lakshmi) original in Tamil, How beautifully she writes? This is the proof of the fact that I can't do reviews especially books. I don't know enough words to do that!

My rating 5 0n 5

Although this isn't the best book to pick up to cheer yourselves.

Alice's adventures in Wonderland

What can I say? I had not read the full version. And Tis was such a joy! This birthday present I like :)

The Da Vinci Cod

No that isn't a spelling mistake the book is really called so. It has the tagline A fish Parody. Even the author's name is a parody - Don Brine (Real name Adam Roberts). The book goes to painful extents to disprove everything the original book The Da Vinci Code but the pun and PJs in it are entertaining. Hilarious at places. I am very very tempted to spill the spoilers but will desist :)

One thing though, Don Brine suggests that this parody be made into a film and have the gorgeous George Clooney play the lead role. I'd say they should remake the original itself with Clooney. As much as I like Tom Hanks he wasn't convincing in the role of Robert Langdon or was it Robert Donglan? I can't remember now :)

My rating 3.5 on 5

Just when I thought I was almost up to date on my reading list!

Here's the list from BBC of top 100 books (or some such thing) that I found on Facebook. And they believe most people would have read only 6 from this list. I am certainly better off than that. But still got to do a lot of catching up. I have read only 21 of them! The X mark next to the book denotes that. and "movie" in the bracket means that I haven't read the book but seen the film. Sigh...

Anyways I know what to look for next time I hit the library.

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen-(movie)
2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien-
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4. Harry Potter series - JK Rowling -x
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee -x
6. The Bible -
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte -x
8. 1984 - George Orwell - x
9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens- (movie)
11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott- x
12. Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller-
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare - ( partial)
15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien -
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger- x
19. The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy -
25. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams- x
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll- x
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame -
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy - x
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis -
34. Emma - Jane Austen
35. Persuasion - Jane Austen
36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - x
38. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres - (movie)
39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - x
40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne -
41. Animal Farm - George Orwell-
42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown- x
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez - x
44. A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving
45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding-
50. Atonement - Ian McEwan-
51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel -
52. Dune - Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen -
55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth - x
56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens-
58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon - x
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez - x
61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov -
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas-
66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding - (movie)
69. Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie -
70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville -
71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens - x
72. Dracula - Bram Stoker -
73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson (partial)
75. Ulysses - James Joyce -
76. The Inferno - Dante
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal - Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession - AS Byatt -
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens -
82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry-
87. Charlotte’s Web - EB White -
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom -
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - x
90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton -
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery - x
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94. Watership Down - Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas - x
98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare -
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl- x
100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo -

Kitchen Confidential - Adventures in the culinary underbelly

If I didn't like Anthony Bourdain before, now I love him! This book just proves that one need not use big eloquent words for the book to work, Honesty will do. And AB makes it work very well.

Also I have given up the long cherished dream of opening a restaurant. I knew it was hard but didn't realise how hard!

This book is guidebook for chefs, eye opener for lay people who know nothing about restaurant business and to me it was simply inspirational!

I loved the book!

My rating 4.5 on 5 (I could give it 5 but just being stingy like the math teacher from school)

Nancy drew - A race against time

Just for the record!

Considering 2 of the 4 books I got from library were a bad choice, this one was a saviour.

A midsummer night's gene

A classic case of never judge the book by the cover! The blurb on the back cover was very funny, the book was not. To give myself credit I did try very hard. Read more than 50 pages and didn't see the humour promised in the back cover. Considering this is a sci-fi parody (based on Shakespeare's midsummer night's dream if you haven't already guessed by the title) that I was reading right after Douglas Adams, made things only worse. I gave up! I am going to be wary of author Andrew Harman from now onwards, that is for sure!

Rumpole and the Angel of Death

This was recommended by Varali. Usually I like her choice so I picked up the book. But then I had forgotten her penchant for English humour! It is too subtle for me. So I didn't really complete this compilation of short stories by John Mortimer.

Too bad. I like Woodhouse better than this guy is the only consolation for me!

Life, the Universe and Everything

What can I say? It was brilliantly Humourous. Just what was the man on to come up with stuff like this? The bizarre names he comes up with for characters itself is a subject of study. And in this book he converts Cricket into a intra galaxy war of "Krikkit" simply awesome!

I bought this book, an omnibus with six of his books in 2005. Despite my urge to finish of the series, I have been savouring one book at a time. It is simply is more fun this way.

No rating n all, I simply love this book :)

An example for the usage for the phrase "pustakada badanekaayi"

It is not a very literary post but interesting nevertheless one thinks...Quoted here is none other Uppi aka Upendra from Sandalwood. Roughly translated it means Love is nothing but bogus :) I wonder how come most such statements are found on the back of the Bangalore autos?

The ugliness of the Indian Male and other propositions

Needless to say the title prompted me to pick up the book. Mukul Kesavan is a professor of history with a penchant for cinema and he is humourous too. The book is a collection of his essays on topics ranging cinema, documentary and how chennai might as well be another country.

Although I expected the entire book to be about the title, the array of topics wasn't disappointing in any way.

I only differed with his views on the choice of subjects for documentaries. It makes a very ineresting read.

My rating 3 on 5

City of Djinns - William Darlymple

What a revelation this book was! This is my first WD Book and I wasn't disappointed.

I was impressed with the kind of history he managed to rake up. So many things I didn't know about Delhi. Honestly I am not a big fan of the city and the book didn't change that either but a lot of it's attitude and behaviour was put in perspective. I was a bit intrigued that the book largely covered only the Mughal era and no sign of any Hindu rulers anywhere. Then during the course of the book I realised the Mughals came in to Delhi in the early 13th century and held on till 18th, that is the british rule. He briefly delves into the Mahabharath period (in the BC he says) towards the end. I have always wondered about Mahabharatha whether it is fact or fiction err mythology may be the right word. WD kind of points that it might be a fact that has been embellished over the centuries and is in the current form of grandeur and divinity. I was very impressed with WD's deligence through out the book. And made me wonder why I never researched anything this determinedly...

There were times when I got bored of the royal ways of life but the book always draws you back into it.

My rating 4 on 5

Nancy drew - The treasure in the royal tower

Yeah yeah yeah I am a bit old for this. But it is the only teenage fetish I have held on to :)

It is a quick read, gives my gray cells something to solve :)

Can't rate them though. It is purely for fun.

The best 125 Meatless Pasta Dishes

I love cook books! I only try about 2.5 of them from every book but I still love reading them. Looking at the yummy pictures, imagining the taste of the spices and aromas. And sometimes if I really like it make them too.

My latest fetish being Italian food and since very little meat is part of my diet I thought this book would be interesting. The edition I picked up had no pictures so I was very disappointed. I like to to know how the food turns out or rather how it is supposed to turn out. But it made a very interesting read nevertheless because it talks about the basics of pasta making. Right from the different kinds of pastas, sauces, the equipment. Some of the cheese based recipes sounded delicious. I have it written down. Hopefully I will try them sometime soon.

My rating 3 on 5 (mostly cos of no pics)

The Bridges of Madison County

Oh what a lovely romantic novel written by Robert James Waller! It is a heartwarming at the same time heart wrenching story. Yes, I am a sucker for romance but not the M&B kinds. It is the story of Francesca Johnson a "happily" married farmer's wife and this lovely long haired National Geographic photographer Robert Kincaid who comes to photograph the bridges of Madison county and the romance that ensues. This book was later made into a film starring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep. I have only seen the wild cowboy films of Eastwood I wonder how he'd fit into this almost too good to be true character of Robert Kincaid. I know there are a lot of women like Francesca Johnson. I know quite a few of them myself.

The books is presented as if it is based on true story but I found later that it isn't. They shouldn't confuse us romantic suckers like this!

My rating 4 on 5

The Millionaire Mind

Apparently the author Thomas J Stanley has been studying millionaires since the 70s. That is his specialty. He studies them, understands them and tells the rest of the world about it and he's a millionaire because of that. Quite cool eh?

The book details about millionaire lifestyle not just in terms their business ideas (which is what one reads about most of the time) but the nitty gritty of the millionaire lifestyle including whether their children go to public schools or private schools, whether they use coupons to buy groceries or what kind of grades they got as students. It was very fascinating.

After reading this book I do know that I am a long way from being a millionaire but I do have the makings of one :) Don't believe me? Well take this list for starters. The millionaires weren't all ace students. They did not have huge family estates or funds to back them up. They are very particular about spending money. They are not stingy but careful. Although I still have to work on the last aspect the others I am there. I just need a killer idea that'll fetch me money and I will be there :)

The book is very american in context so one needs to do a lot of cross referencing and a lot of times facts are repeated over and over again. This might be so to drive a point home but it gets boring.

My rating 2.75 on 5

Purple Hibiscus

I read this book almost a month ago but kept putting off writing about it. I picked up this book simply on whim and loved it a lot. It is a story that talks about the life of oppression this little girl Kambili lives every day with her mother and her brother. Her "papa" is this religious fanatic, an angel to the world outside and a terror at home. But the book never blames but merely states and records incidents. She tastes freedom for the first time when she goes to live with her aunt away from her father. Life is never the same after that for her or her family. The Nigerian turmoil is also well recorded through the book.

Considering this Chimamanda's first book I am very inspired :) It took me just a day and half to finish the book. You cannot put it down. Though it ends on a positive note, it is a grim tale nevertheless.

My rating 3.5 on 5

Yoga for pregnancy

The book is authored by Dr Shamantakamani Narendra, Dr R Nagarathna, Dr H R Nagendra. A handy book for anyone who wants to understand how the human body works when it comes to reproduction (don't let your mind wander people it is written very scientifically and accurately) and of course the fitness through pregnancy. Although one would still require a well trained practitioner for guidance to follow all the suggestions in the book.

The CEO of the Sofa

A book I picked up on a whim. It is funny but the context is very American and hence made no sense to me! The author, - P J O'Rourke rambles on literally through out!

My Forbidden Face

I am reading more books than I can review them. I am doing quick recap here so that I don't forget them.

My forbidden face Growing up under the Taliban, a young woman's story - Latifa. The book sent shivers down my spine. What will I do If I get caught in something like this? Latifas only 16 when Taliban took over the country, she lived with the ridiculous decrees! I mean they banned any man from selling women's under garments and women were not allowed to step out of the house or work in anyway. what the hell was that? How can any religion preach something like that?

The Taliban are apparently taught in the "Deobandi" school of thought. And Deobandi the author says "is an orthodox strain of Islam that preaches purification from all foreign influence and is an exteremley narrow reading of the Koranic message." But what was shocking to me was the fact that this school of thought orginated in UP, India in the 19th century and was "upheld by the British who wanted a religious power that could provide a counter-force to Hinduism is"!

I am still coming to terms with this discovery. Reading the book has suddenly made me aware of the opportunities I am letting go off. I mean women like Latifa didn't have them, how can I waste them?

Social novelsuu naanuu

Last 4 days have been a marathon reading session for me. The fact that it is Kannada I am reading and that none of these books are more than 200 pages long ensured that I finished 4 books in as many days.

But that is not to say I had fun. I didn't like most of the books I read. Off the four, 3 were "social novels" by their own admission. But they turned out to be literary versions of the daily soaps I avoid watching!

"aparichitaru" or strangers by C N Mukta was the most annoying of the lot. In the introduction the author says that "at one point it was believed that education and economic independence was the way out for women. But today, despite that women are being trampled on" Very interesting right? But the following 180 pages were a sob story to the hilt. The protagonist (can we call her that if all she does is be a doormat, willingly at that, through out?) Manasa is this very dedicated doctor with big dreams of serving people. She falls for this guy Anant who goes against his parents' will to get married to her. But his parents never give in and alienate him completely from their lives. This gets him resentful against Manasa and starts harassing her.

That is not it, the fellow takes to alcohol, gambling and women in full public view. All this while blaming his wife that if she spent more time with her he wouldn't look else where. A point of view Manasa's 2 obnoxious children also share. The two children demand things left, right and centre from the mother but will not be nice to her. Through it all Manasa is patience personified. There are moments when she shows some spunk and decides to walk out of this "family" but things like daughter's marriage and her post natal care stop her from doing so. She decides to stay back and sort things for the husband even after she finds out that he was married to someone else all along and has a daughter of marraigable age. Her excuse this time? The poor girl needs to be settled, she's not at fault! But after her step daughter is married off thankfully Manasa takes off to serve at some oldage home. The story ends with that.

I am not terribly optimistic when it comes to gender equality in the near future. But this level of pessimism put me into depression. I spoke to other women who have read this book and their take on this was stunning! Here are a few.

"Women should not be / cannot be too ambitious. Their place at home is more important and she cannot jeopardise it"

"Men will look else where if they don't get everything they need or want from home"

"This is the proof that women can never be equal to men"

"She decided to leave the husband and children after all her duties were finished. She didn't run half way. Young women these days can learn something from this."

What can I say to this? This book was written in 1994. Much time has passed since, have the books changed with times? or are they sticking to the safe territory? Also doesn't this kind of writing alienate the other gender completely? Novels and soaps are only for women eh? I am looking for more recent books by the same author or others to see if and how things have changed.

The other reviews to follow are "dharitri" by Dr Arathi Venkatesh, "hrudaya milana" by Usha Navaratnaram and "hantaki I love you" by Ravi Belagere.