Mr.Monk and the Blue Flu

I picked this book from a "throw away" organized by a moving neighbour. Since I can't stand books being ignored I picked (rather grabbed) this book and it was totally worth it! A very light and fun read. Based on the popular TV series "Monk" this book is written by Lee Goldberg who penned the screen plays for the TV series.

Adrian Monk is an ex-cop and since the death of his wife suffers from an OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) syndrome. He loves nothing better than order and balance in the universe to the extent that he slices his pizza using a compass to measure exact portions! He carries his own cutlery to restaurants and even washes the dishes (his own and the restaurant's dirty dishes) after his meals there. He can't bear to see a speck of dust anywhere and thinks that the duster and the mop are the best inventions of all time and his way of de-stressing is to clean the house and any ones house at that! At time he is even unable to control the urge to set things right at a crime scene. It is this very characteristic that makes him look at angles and clues that other detectives miss out while investigating homicides and solves cases in record time. The San Francisco police department engages him as their consultant to close out on important cases.

Monk is aided by his very efficient and loyal assistant Natalie Teeger who rightfully describes her job as a baby sitter. She is always there to hand him moist wipes when he needs to clean up after touching a messy desk at a crime scene, hand him his mineral water when he needs it and chauffeur him around the city while he investigates his cases. She tries to make him look sane to the rest of the world.

All these details are humorously narrated by Natalie in this book where Monk takes over as the acting captain of the SFPD when the entire police force goes on sick leaves also known as the Blue Flu so that the mayor of the city can understand their needs for decent salaries and medical insurance. In India we would call that a strike! The mayor hires Monk as the acting captain and also assigns to him a team of equally twisted detectives - a conspiracy nut, an officer with anger management issues and a really old detective who forgets his name every few hours! How this team led by Monk, solve 2 high profile cases dealing with serial killers forms the rest of the book!

If you want to laugh a lot, give this book a go - you won't be disappointed

Book Challenge 2009!

Yes! I finally did it - completed the book reading challenge. We had to read 20 books in the year 2009... I know I know for some of you this is nothing! You can read 20 books in 20 minutes but then for people like myself it took some discipline though I do read quite a bit. And I am also happy I didn't really cheat - I didn't read books like "Tales of Beedle the Bard" and similar 20 page books for this challenge! I am thrilled about finishing this for the year - I may have not lost my 5 pounds but I did complete the book challenge! I found some friends on the blogosphere thanks to this challenge. Here are the details of the books I completed this year with the links for my take on the books

1. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
2. The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory
3. The Rozabal Line by Shawn Haigins a.k.a Ashwin Sanghi
4. Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett
5. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
6. Princess by Jean Sasson
7. Catcher in the Rye by J.D Saligner
8. One Night at the Call Center by Chetan Bhagat
9. Ghost Stories of Pennsylvania by Dan Asfar
10. Alice in Wonderland and Through the looking glass by Lewis Caroll
11. The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
12. A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire
13. Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett
14. Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett
15. Son of Witch by Gregory Maguire
16. Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett
17. Life, Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams
18. The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde
19. 20000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
20. The Restaurant at the end of the Universe by Douglas Adams

The White Tiger

I know I was a bit late in the game when it came to this book however I picked up this book with great expectations considering it had win a booker prize and stuff! At the end of it have mixed feelings about the book.

First I appreciate the fact that an Indian author like Aravind Adiga was able to command an international prize and people around the world have been able to appreciate his writing abilities. But then why is that people around the world seem to usually appreciate books that show India in a poor light? Or do the authors deliberately write books like this to expose their talents to an otherwise unappreciative international audience?

I don't feel like reviewing this book at all - it has been done by millions around the world already! I am just peeved about the fact that this book describes India and Indians in a very poor light and books like these will ever change the view of what the world thinks of us! It just pits Indians against Indians and the world will continue to think that they can boss over us! India and its mindset is slowly changing - it is a slow process but it is happening and I think we should stop writing best sellers that show us in a poor light! However the book is gutsy and I guess the author was ready to take the flake from what people like me would say. Pick it up if you like thrashing India and fellow Indians or you think India will never change or if you are just interested in a black humor literature! You will either love this book or will hate it..

The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory

Betrothed at the age of three to the crown Prince of England, Arthur Tudor to strengthen the ties between emerging power England and the super power of Europe -Spain, Catalina of Spain (Queen Katherine of England in the future) was always destined to be Queen. With powerful parents in King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabelle of Castille, Catalina grew up in the midst of a holy war to establish Christianity as the supreme religion of the world and drive away the so called heretic religion of Islam (as it was known in the early 15th century) from the face of the earth. Her journey from a young girl from Spain to the most powerful and beloved Queen that England ever had, is riddled with hardships, intrigue, love and the biggest lie of them all.

At the age of 16 after a grand marriage to Arthur and exploring her new life with her young and brave husband destined to be the next King, Catalina finds herself widowed in a new country and clueless as to what her future maybe. The foundation of her dreams and future which was built upon her destiny to become the Queen of England is shattered as she is caught in a political war between her parents the most powerful and feared monarchs of Europe and her equally cunning and savvy father in law king Henry of England. She soon discovers that she is nothing more that a pawn in the struggle for power and she cannot trust her own parents to rescue her from a savage land to fulfill her destiny to be Queen. Refusing to be controlled like a puppet and having her dreams and future destroyed by those who have no personal interest in and based on her promise to her beloved husband Arthur on his deathbed, she tells the biggest lie of them all and takes control of her own destiny - the lie about the truth of her marriage with Prince Arthur.

After a great struggle she finds herself engaged to Arthur's younger brother Harry (a.k.a Henry the VIII) the next future King. She faces the Kings formidable grandmother and puts all those who shamed her in her place and takes her place as the Queen of England. However this journey is not smooth sailing as she strives to be a good queen along side a king who is just a young boy who was not really destined to be the king, cannot stand to have anything go wrong and is vain and selfish to his needs and desires. Slowly but surely she starts running the country with her knowledge acquired over her lifetime with great parents and her husband comes to depend on her to guide him in making England a powerful country!She comes into her own right when she commands the English army to their greatest victory of all times - against the Scots!

The book very beautifully explores her life from a being a young innocent girl transforming to a regal Queen. The emotional turmoil in her mind and her faith in God is shaken a lot but she never gives up. She also learns that her parents were wrong about just driving people and nations that follow Islam and other religions to establish Christianity as the ultimate faith and begins to understand that success lies in driving away the evil and bad that lies in the world and not a particular religion. Her travails as her women as her honor is questioned and put to the ultimate test when her husband tries to nullify their marriage citing Kathrines inability to have sons, to take on a younger queen after more than 3 decades of marriage is very beautifully etched out.

The book started out slowly and I was wondering if it would be as good as the racy "The Other Boleyn Girl". But I was not disappointed, the book gradually picked up pace and kept me glued after a certain point to know what comes next. The beauty of 15th century Spain and savage England is beautifully described. The contrasts between the old English court commanded by her father-in-law to the young court captained by her young husband is also brought out well. The political pulse of the time, the ambitions of the Kings and their willingness to sacrifice anything or anyone to fulfill their own agenda is quite shocking, not to mention how women were given no place in those times where the Queen job was to give birth to the next male heir without which she means nothing. It is pretty ironic that in spite of Harry's obsession for a son, England finally ended up being ruled by women starting from his daughters with his Queen Katherine. Queen Mary and till today is still being ruled by an English Queen! In fact some of its golden years was when it was ruled by Queen Elizabeth again one of Harry's daughters and step sister to Queen Mary, who was cast aside by the great king when she was young. Does that tell you something? Well I think women have powers that even they are not aware of and if only we could channel these powers in a good way rather than idling in gossip or frivolous activities we would make grand strides in every way!

If you enjoy historical fiction, love hearing about medieval England and Tudor history, this book is definitely a must read.

The Rozabal Line

I finished this book at least 4 weeks ago and.....here goes I have mixed feelings about this book. It explores the possibility that Jesus did not die on the cross and once he escaped how he travelled around the world and even came to India. In fact it goes on to state that Jesus lived in India and died there and his tomb exists in Kashmir. All this and more are meshed with the story of a political religious war between the roman catholic church, the free masons and the Islamic war groups. The main protagonists though from different parts of the world are all linked to each other by their actions from their previous births! If this was too much for you to digest the book doesn't stop here...the various religious groups try to plot their terror attacks in a such a way that the final one ends on December 12 2012! Gosh!

The reason I wanted to read this book as it was a historical fiction by an Indian writer! Ashwin Sanghi who actually used his pen name Shawn Haigins for the first few editions! I feel he has a long way to go when compares with historical fiction experts like Dan Brown or Phillipa Gregory. Honestly if this same book were written by Dan Brown it would have been a guaranteed page turner! However this book is rich in its research but its keeps zooming between the present, past and future so quickly that it makes the reader dizzy! I didn't even feel like doing a review about this book because the book is chock full of information and its crazy to remember all that stuff. The book tries to answer the million dollar question..did Jesus really die on the cross? Did his blood line continue? If so what happened to that generation? How different is Islam and Christianity? Does one feed of the other? If you happen to read the book let me know what you thought about it.

Lords and Ladies

Read this book and am feeling too lazy to do a review :-) I wanted to track it here for my reading challenge....Anyways I loved it, like most other Terry Pratchett books..am glad I have his collection!In a nut shell, this book was an extremely funny take on Shakespeare's "A mid-summer nights dream". If you are interested in the Terry Pratchett books, check out my others posts for reviews on books by this author.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

I was waiting for this book and thanks to a good friend I received a free copy of it! I am not going to spend too much time reviewing Dan Browns latest - if you have read his previous books this book is not much different. The pace of the book, the narration and story line is almost similar. Just that this time the author moved the wild goose chase from beautiful and historical Europe to architecturally marvelous Washington D.C. The book was pretty interesting, however the last 30-40 pages just dragged and I just wanted to close the book as I found myself yawning - it was a case of too much information and moving in and out of buildings! If you like thrillers filled with a lot of history this book will be enjoyable almost towards the end!

Princess

The first book in the "Princess" trilogy, Princess gives the rest of the world a privy to the life of Saudi Arabian women - royals and non-royals alike. For the rest of the world, Saudi Arabian royal princesses live a privileged life with no dearth of money or luxury. Little do we know that their lives are controlled by the whims and fancies of the men who surround them. Women are treated worse than animals, denied education, married off to men fit to be their grandfathers, divorced if diagnosed with an illness or if their husbands are bored of them and even killed to protect the family honor! The book was described as a "look into an air conditioned nightmare" by the New York times review.

The book describes the various events in the life of Princess Sultana the 7th daughter of a Saudi Royal Family of Al Saud. From a tender age she finds out that her father would never love her or her sisters and that their brother would have preference over everyone in all matters including food and lifestyle! They were just the "unwanted daughters" who had to abide their time until they could get married to serve their duty as a woman by being an obedient wife and giving birth to plenty of children hopefully male. Most marriages were arranged as strategic business alliances or partnerships and it was and probably still is common for a girl as young as 15 to be married to a man as old as 62! Observing how her mother and the rest of the women are treated Sultana learns to rebel and fight for what is her right in male dominated world where the verses of the Koran are twisted to suit men and men alone.

The events in the book have been based on the stories of a actual princess who requested the author that her story and issues that affect the women of Saudi Arabia be published. She hoped that this would be the beginning of bringing some change to the laws and ways of her land. Of course the name of the princess and others in her life has been changed to ensure the safety of the princess. The book is very gripping and most of the women around the world (if not all) will definitely be grateful to have the access to education and a certain amount of independence. I do not want to come across as someone thrashing Saudi Arabia as I am sure it has changed compared to what it was 20 years (which was the timeline for Sultanas stories though women are still not allowed to drive and a women was arrested as early as March 2009 for driving!

The book was very gripping and I didn't want to put it down until I finished it. We Indian women may celebrate the fact that we were not born in a place like Saudi Arabia but we still have a long way to go when it comes to establishing our place in the society. Certain incidents described in the book like female infanticide, domestic violence and mobbing of women by religious groups bring to memory the various incidents that keep happening through out India almost every day. The day has not yet come when a women can roam freely at night on Indian roads without the fear of being attacked, robbed or killed! It just makes me feel we are in a slightly less cruel version of a Saudi Arabian country. This book is a must read for all women.

The Catcher in the Rye

Most folks that I know have have read this book when they were in school or college..many of them who studied outside of India read this book as a part of their school curriculum. But then again, I don't think any Indian school (even today) would allow this interesting book as a part of the school curriculum due to what the Indian education board may regard as bad language and other crude references. Even in the west the book was once on the list of banned books before it was hailed a classic owing to the strong language contained in it.

This book published in the 1950's is like a monologue of a 17 year old school student who gets expelled from school. Apparently he has been expelled from many schools in the past and this one is no different. He flunks every subject other than English one of his favorites. Earlier on in the book it is established that he is a good writer and his brother is also a very famous writer who writes screen plays for Hollywood movies. This book talks about the mixed feelings that goes on in his mind about the people around him and the world in general. It is a potpourri of thoughts that go on in the mind of a rebellious teenager presented very coherently by the author J D Salinger.

Many chapters in this book made me realize that that many of us feel the same way about a lot of issues like the main protagonist, Holden Caulfield. Holden feels that world is full of "phonies" and people only act a certain way to be perceived as cool. Men use each other to get what they want and if people are friendly it is not because they genuinely care but because they need something out of the other person. One of the chapters in the book talks about a movie which only has happy endings. Even the Doberman in the movie has a cute litter of puppies which run around the table around the other happy characters when the movie ends. This chapter reminded me so much about our very own Rajshri film productions where nothing ever seems to go wrong! Its a perfect way of representing how the world in general loves to avoid that brutal truths of so that they have something "nice" to cling on to and move on.

The relationship that Holden shares with his 10 year old sister Phoebe (whom he refers to as old phoebe) is beautifully etched out. He is able to connect with her and have better conversations with her than any of the other adults in his life. The monologue spans across 2 days of his life in New York City bringing out the grey areas and life in the city earlier in the century in a very subtle way. Holden cannot seem to figure out what he wants to do with his life - all he knows is that he does not want to be a phony. He does not want to be a lawyer just to make a lots of money as he feels that a lawyer should help save people lives and he does not to want to become a writer either as he feels that most writers end up becoming prey to fame and fortune thus giving up their true talent and creativity. Everyone becomes a phony....During one of his conversations with little phoebe he confesses to her that he visualises himself as standing over a cliff overlooking a huge field of rye where little kids play and every time a child gets too near to the cliff he makes that he catches the kid and makes sure that child moves away avoiding a fall that could hurt them. He feels that the only thing he would like to do is protect these little kids. This piece of text was a perfect analogy to protecting young, innocent minds from the cruel ways and bad beings of the word. All that he would like to be is a "Catcher in the Rye".

The relationship that he shared with his late younger brother Allie runs like an invisible thread throughout the book. When Holden feels lonely he speaks to his brother Allie as he finds a lot of solace in thinking about the child with a pure heart. Holden plans to run away to establish a simple life for himself far away from his current world but changes his mind when he understands that Phoebe does not want him to leave her alone. She even packs her little suitcase to join him!The book ends on a note Holden still trying to figure out what he wants to along with help from a psychiatrist. However he is no longer alone and is surrounded by the people who he regards in high esteem - his older brother DB and sister Phoebe.

Good book if you are a serious reader. I felt that I could not have appreciated this book had I read it in school or college but enjoyed it now!

One Night @ The Call Center

I know I am a bit late on the list of readers who have read this book, nevertheless I was finally able to get my hands on this one. The book by Chetan Bhagat is extremely realistic and describes the emotions and confusions that engulfs most Indian youth today as we weave ourselves within the webs of ambition, greed, money and false facades. Everyday thousands of young Indians sit in swanky (sometimes not so swanky) air conditioned offices behind computer terminals taking calls from around the world helping out (and taking abuses) from the good citizens of the Americas and Europe. What exactly drives these men and women working at the call centers to stick to their jobs and do the same thing every day in spite of the fact that it makes some of them unhappy?

This book has it all - a bad boss, an underachiever, a journalist who compromised on his dreams to make some money, a wannabe model who finds it hard to climb up the ladder of the big bad fashion world, a traditional girl stuck with a monster-in-law and a cheating husband and the girl who can't seem to be able to shake off her domineering mother. The pages of the book take us through the hours of a night in their lives and how one phone call changes everything for them.

Most of the present day generation of Indians aged 23 and above will be able to identify themselves with almost all the characters in this book. We may not need to work in a call center to appreciate and sympathesize what the characters go through - its enough even if you work at a software firm! We all struggle to become team leads and project managers just like our main protagonist Shyam. We all have had or still have bosses who tell us we can never be good enough. At some point of time we all feel that we have become a rat while trying to survive the rat race and most of us stuck serving "goras" with lesser iq's all for a few dollars and to keep up with the image of what our society expects to be. Some people are lucky and deal with this well and find their true calling while other are still in limbo wondering what their next move should be or if they should make the next move at all.

For those belonging to the later category, this book will definitely inspire you to take risks and try doing something that you have always wanted to do. At least it made me feel that I should get over me fears and failures and move on. God helps those who help themselves. The book definitely drives the point that bad bosses need to be stood up to and it is extremely important for an individual to hold on to his / her self confidence because once we loose that, it will be struggle to gain it back!

However it bugs me a bit that an author who could pen a wonderful book like this one, is settled in Hongkong and works for a huge investment company. Doesn't that imply that he is also addicted to the world of dollars and comfort? Why would he not settle down in the India he claims he loves and be a better role model for folks like myself and others? Seems that his book only serves to inspire and advice others...

Have any of you read this book? What are your thoughts?

Verdict – Must Read

Rating: *****

Ghost Stories of Pennsylvania

I was thrilled to find this 200+ page book at a part of free give aways from my neighbour who is moving out. The book is a collection of actual events and sightings and gives teh reade a peek into a world of haunted houses, inns,theatres, cabins and even paintings. All stories have been narrated in a manner that makes you look around you to check if someone is watching you. The book also unravels the rich history of Pennsylvania making it an appealing read to historical buffs!Definitely a good book that would be the perfect choice for the month of Halloween!

Alice In Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass

Okay! When I saw this book at the store I was surprised - It was actually some 300 pages long! I recall reading this book when I was in school with colorful pictures of Alice sticking out of the little house of the white rabbit and some playing cards painting white roses red and it was about 15 pages tops! Obviously I couldn't resist a detailed novel of the adventures of Alice and the classic book seemed to call out to me. I read it quite patiently... it was pretty interesting at first but half way down the book I couldn't help but thinking Alice was just an annoying little girl.. She reminds me of the likes Miss Goody two shoes and of someone who always seems to act like she thinks beyond her age that its annoying. Well the book with its other fanciful characters like the mad hatter and the hare, the grinning Cheshire cat and the Queen of Hearts did make up more than enough. I could not fathom what kids could learn from this story..however it will feed their imagination. The second part of the book "Through the looking glass" was not as interesting as the first one...or maybe its just me...adults may fall asleep while reading how Alice was trying to move across a chessboard to join the Queen and be "Queen" for a day!

I am waiting for the movie to be released - It will be definitely worth it watching Johnny Depp (Oh yeah!) as the mad hatter and Helena Bohem Carter as the Queen of hearts. The teaser trailer is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiPR6kA4_iU

As for the book, buy it for your kids and read it to them at night, but just make sure you don't fall asleep instead of the other way around!

The Palace of Illusions

Born from the fire, it was prophesied that princess Draupadi would leave her mark on history. She would be the reason for one of the biggest wars in the history of Bharath which would wipe out the third age of man. We all know the story of the Mahabharatha and how an insult to one women and her subsequent thirst for revenge wiped out an entire clan of more than 100 brothers and others who supported them. But how many of us have actually stopped to think what went through Draupadi's mind during all these moments and events that altered history?

In a world dominated by men, in a world where the role of the wife was just about taking care of her husband and family and their needs, we are given the opportunity to take a look into the mind of the women who changed it all and in the process set the ball rolling for generations to follow. Having said this, I found that I could relate myself a lot to the character of Draupadi - her need to be independent and not really give up her personality traits no matter what....

Some factors stand out throughout the book like its spine; Like how hate and revenge fuel Draupadi's fire to bring down those who insulted her and took away everything from her. It seems as if she has realized that her husbands cannot really help her cope with her loss and she makes the best use of their talents to get back rightfully what belongs to them - the kingdom of Hastinapur and also quench her thirst by destroying those who treated her like some kind of vermin.

Another interesting factor that made its presence felt throughout the book was the "Palace of Illusions" the beautiful palace that was built specially for the Pandavas and Draupadi by the asura Maya. The palace unable to exist without its rightful owners and disintegrates to when Duryodhan tries to claim it. Though this pleases Draupadi, the thought loosing of the only place she calls home, the only place where she was truly herself and found a sense of peace and belonging helps in keeping her hatred for the Kauravas fresh and ultimately destroying them.

Moving on to the colorful characters and what motivates their actions: Apart from Draupadis emotional turmoil, we have the Pandavas agreeing to battle to put an end to the ruling of their bad natured cousin Duryodan and to avenge their wife. Duryodan who all his life always worried about loosing Hastinapur one day to its rightful owners and was obsessed with the need to cheat his cousins out of their rights. His father Dirdhirashta who suffered from an inferiority complex all his life owing to his blindness and could never get over the fact that his better brother Pandu was made King over him and ruled until he was cursed!

And the women Kunti and Gandhari - the former a passive aggressive character making sure that her sons were brought up with the sole aim of claiming back what was theirs. A special mention should be made between the bond that was shared between Kunti and Draupadi - that of a mother in law and daughter in law. It seems that they hated each others guts and character - no different from most MILs and DILs in the world! I found this ironically funny! And Gandhari, if only the blindfolded queen Gandhari taught her sons to share, the whole debacle could have been averted in the first place.

Karna who only wanted to belong but could never find peace while he lived, with Bheeshma the patriarch who was torn between duty and what was right! Topping these characters and more is the dashing and amazing 'Kirshna' whose magic is felt throughout. The special bond that he shares with Draupadi(she feels that they were drawn to each other because of their dark skin), the way he uses his wits and charms to pacify even those who curse him and how he never forsakes his believers makes me a much bigger fan of his than I ever was.

The book just doesn't stop with how the war was won and the happily ever afters! It goes ahead and describes how the Pandavas had to get over the grief of their loved ones killed in battle, coming to terms with their loss, picking up the pieces of a war ravaged kingdom and shaping it back to prosperity and their final journey - their march to death. Even here they are joined by their faithful wife Draupadi - she joins them on a journey that women never make. What can I say other than the fact I totally get her! I mean I always seem to do things that others don't want to do or try and later take the back lash for it and even ignore it! So you see we are all crazy in good way!

Seems I could go on and on about the book and how it has inspired me to read the actual Mahabharatha! Do check out this book - its worth all the bucks you would pay for it!

Lost and Found!

It seems that right from the day I created this blog it has been jinxed. I published and took down the first article I ever wrote regarding my frustrations at the work place because many of my friends felt that I shouldn't express my issues with work as freely! This was way back in 2007 or 08 (I don't even remember!) Towards the end of last year I started blogging again about whatever I felt like and was pretty determined to carry on. Well 8 months have passed this year when I try and try to be regular and I just seem to be terrible at keeping up pace with the blogging world! Seems those that I met on the blogosphere might have probably have forgotten me...anyways here is my attempt at this again and for the last time I hope to keep it up.

It seems fitting that I write about (not in detail though) what made me give up all my blogs these last few months! Not wanting to sound too depressed all I can think of are the words 'a few personal road blocks!'Seems that my run of meeting weirdos is not quite over. Somehow I never seem to tire out of the fact that the person in front of me may not always be who he or she actually claims to be. Even when I know this I make the grave mistake of trusting said person and temporarily messing up my life in the process. Maybe its just "Maya", the goddess who temporarily blinds our minds to something which results in our brains not functioning as they should be! Well..it is always easy to blame it on someone and in my case its "Maya"! (Note to self: I should write about this more in the future)


It was during this time that I spent my days reading the book "A Lion Among Men" by Gregory McGuire. I really enjoyed reading the authors first two books "Wicked" and "Son of Witch" but turning the pages of this book seemed like a never ending chore! Like I wasn't depressed and stressed enough! What promised to be a very interesting read took me about 4 months to finish it! Here is the write up that made me pick up the book in the first place!Why should I alone suffer??? If any of you think you may be interested please yourself!Maybe I am still not ready for books like this one!

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


Anyways I was totally put off of reading books as this one had tired me so much! Another 2 months went by before I picked up my next book!By now I am totally behind on my 20in2009 challenge!Soul searching and in a desperate need for laughter I turned to my favorite author who has never let me down till date - Terry Pratchett! In continuation of Equal Rites and Wyrd Sisters I picked up the third book of his 'witches' series titled 'Witches Abroad'! This book actually did the trick - I escaped into a world of funnies where fairly tales were challenged! Cinderella I mean Emberella did not want to marry the prince (who was actually a frog by night), Count Dracula was killed by a cat looking for his dinner and little red riding hood did not make it to her grandmother's to find her eaten by the big bad wolf. The poor misunderstood creature was just really confused and had no intention of killing anyone and all this was coupled with a magic wand that turned everything to pumpkins! Stringing all these tales together were my favorite witches Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick! Gosh I have missed reading! Be sure to check this one out.

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



After a good laugh I have started reading something a little more serious called "The Palace of Illusions" tale strung from the important events from "The Mahabharatha" narrated by none other than Draupadi herself. I shall post a review of this book when I 'm done with it. Finally I think I am back on my blogs and I hope I stay.. I have some great ideas for my other blogs and plan to implement them at the latest! I was lost in the midst of my mundane life and it seems like I found myself here again!

To my blogosphere friends, do leave your comments - it would make me feel at home again! Until later....

Wyrd Sisters

After ages here I am again.....I wanted to return to my blogs and I couldn't think of a better way than a book review. I managed to read this book (at last!!!) The past months have been crazy in may different ways and somehow most of them relate to work related stress and this book gave me a lot of comic relief during those days.

The second of the 'Witches' series of the Terry Pratchett books, Wyrd sisters is a tale of three crazy witches Nanny Ogg, Granny Weatherwax and Magrat Garlick working together to help return the rightful heir to the throne of the kingdom of Lancre. They are aided by the kings fool, a creepy cat with an even creepier gaze called Meebo (who happens to be the pet of Nanny Ogg) and of course the ghost of the original king of Lancre who was murdered by the duke for the throne of Lancre. The long lost prince however is is no mood to be the king; he wants to become an actor! What happens next? Does the unhappy kingdom get its rightful king? Does Magrat Garlick the youngest of the three witches become queen? The book with its share of crazies is a laughathon and is definitely worth a lot of reads.

Son of Witch

Title: Son of Witch

Author: Gregory McGuire

Series: The Wicked Years

The second book in the Wicked series is a tale of a young boys search to know himself and what he discovers at the end of the journey. Liir is abandoned in the company of Nanny and Chistery the monkey after Elphaba's unfortunate death. Lonely and confused, Liir arms himself with the cape and broom of Elphaba and sets out with Dorothy, the scarecrow, the cowardly lion and the tin man to the Emerald City hoping to find his probable half sister Nor. This journey takes Liir through the prisons of Emerald City and a quest that ends up with him taking up Elphaba's cause which was to ensure that the Animals had their rights and that Quadling country would be free. In the process he learns to navigate the broom, destroys the Wizards most destructive weapons and finds the answer to the question that has been troubling him all his life. Was Elphaba, the wicked witch of the west actually his mother?

I found the book to be very intense even though its story lines deceives readers, giving them an idea that this is probably a humorous book. The same goes for all books in the Wicked series. The book is rich with language and definitely made me learn a lot of new words. The sincerity of Liir's search for his half sister and the path o finding himself was very endearing. A good read, if you don't mind serious and intense books.

I am definitely going to read the third book in the series which is "A Lion among Men"

Equal Rites

Title: Equal Rites
Author: Terry Pratchett
Series: Discworld series
Genre: Science Fiction, Humor

Summary: The first book in the witches’ series of the Discworld novels. This book is one to tickle your funny bones. The book follows the journey of one girl to attend wizard school at a time when women were not allowed into the university. Esk, an 8th daughter of an 8th son is erroneously made the heir of a wizard before his death. Apparently the dying wizard thought that she was a boy! Granny Weatherwax the formidable witch of the village “Bad Ass” (yes that is correct!) helps her to become a witch and a wizard! The novel is about the battle between the sexes and is filled with plenty of humor, a mysterious staff and adventures that keep you turning the pages.

My favorite character was definitely Granny Weatherwax. An extremely confident and intelligent witch who gets things done her way and fixes most people by just staring at them!

I wonder if JKR could have possibly borrowed a lot of ideas from these books which were published in the late eighties. The book has references to the school of wizardry called the Unseen university with its mysterious cellars, library full of live books, gargoyles on building columns that move away when it rains so that they can avoid getting wet, wizards dueling etc.,! Seems Hogwarts was just a richer version of the “Unseen University” so called because it is not visible to the normal human eye. There are also references to plants that scream when uprooted which was JKRs version of mandrakes and much more. I simply enjoyed the book and would definitely read it again in the future.

Close on the heels of the women in India trying to beat down the Rama Sena and other stupid groups with pink lingerie and more, I thought that it was perfect timing that I chose to read this book!

Verdict – Buy and Read. Definitely one for your personal library.

Finished: 16th February 2009
Rating: *****

Life, Universe and Everything

Title – Life, Universe and Everything
Author – Douglas Adams
Series – Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
Genre – Science Fiction, Humor

Summary: Once again, the book was a journey through space and time that made me loose my way around the pages every now and then. This book is no exception to the usual crazy humor that is a consistent throughout the series. Arthur tries hard to find the meaning of Life, Universe and Everything and in the process saves the Universe twice and rescues the ashes. By ashes I refer to the ashes from burning the cricket stumps of England and the cricket series for winning back the same. Being one of the keys to destroy the universe the ashes are stolen by the alien robots from Krikkit so that they can destroy the universe. There is also a lot of insight about the planet Krikkit, which was probably the source for Cricket and the usual weird characters that range from a talking, flopping mattress, a floating couch landing in the middle of Lord’s and and a floating party! Does Arthur find what he is looking for? What is the meaning of life? Is it really the number 42?Find out all this and more while reading this book!

Verdict –Borrow and Read
Finished: 6th February 2009

The Canterville Ghost

Title - The Canterville Ghost
Author – Oscar Wilde
Genre - Mystery, Humor, Classics

Summary: Though I have heard the name of Oscar Wilde, I have never read any of his works before. I happened to come across ‘The Canterville Ghost’ while browsing for books at the local ‘Borders’ and couldn’t give it a pass. The story was amazingly humorous – just the way I like my books! The main protagonist of this endearing tale is the ghost of Sir Simon who haunts an old English country house called Canterville Chase. An American family, the Otis’s move into the house without paying much heed to the warnings of the owner who insists that the house has been haunted for many years and the residents have died due to fear after paranormal encounters. But the ghost is no match for the Otis’s whose twins chase the ghost at every encounter, play dirty tricks on the unsuspecting ghost and even manage to scare it while the lady and man of the house go to the extent of offering the ghost some oil for its rusted chains and medicine for its cough! The ghost feels insulted on not being able to scare the family away and enters a state of depression. This is when the daughter of the house, Virginia steps in to help poor Sir Simon to actually move over to the other world.

The book tickles your funny bones and towards the end of the tale, it also manages to tug your heart strings. It makes you roll with laughter trying to imagine a ghost that’s been played upon by humans and actually avoiding them because it is scared. I am pretty sure that this book has found its way into the reading list of many school and college curriculum's. Well, as for me I am definitely going to read more books from Mr. Wilde.

Verdict – Must Read and Enjoy!

Finished: 29'th Jan 2009
Rating: *****

20000 Leagues Under the Sea

Title - 20000 Leagues Under the Sea

Author - Jules Verne

Genre - Classic Literature, Science Fiction

A truly classical novel! Set in the mid 19th century this compilation by Jules Verne introduces the readers to an amazing new way of life below the sea. The word 'leagues' in the title denotes the distance that that the protagonists of this novel travel under the sea. The novel is a celebration of courage, loyalty, friendship and sheer brilliance of the mind. Following a chase of a mysterious sea monster Professor Pierre Aronnoax, a French doctor and scientist, his Flemish assistant, brilliant and loyal Conseil and master harpooner and Canadian national Ned Land, accidentally find themselves on board the Nautilus an amazing submarine, a mobile home in the oceans, a window to Gods creations beneath the surface of the land and created with the sole purpose of roaming the oceans.

Manned by the mysterious and brilliant scientist and engineer, Captain Nemo, they travel the seas starting at the Pacific Ocean stopping at the South Pole - a place where no man had gone before at that time and continue their journey to the North again. Their underwater adventures take them through the Red seas where Captain Nemo takes the professor on a tour of the lost city of Atlantis. A legendary city, once the toast of many a poet, philosopher and author, the professor is awed to discover that the city really did exist and is currently buried under the sea thanks to the volcano eruptions that destroyed the city in a day. I particularly found the conversation between Captain Nemo and the professor about the antiques and proof that one could find lodged in the sand if an excavation was carried out at the estuary at the end of the Red sea. Per Captain Nemo's opinion, one would probably find proof regarding the Pharaoh and his way of life as that was the same spot where on the beckoning of Moses the sea closed upon the Pharaoh and his army, as they chased the Israelis who sought to escape his tyranny.

Another interesting tit bit was the fact about the "remora" or sucker fish that attach themselves to the base of traveling ships and sometimes cause the entire vessel to come to a standstill. Found abundantly in the Mediterranean sea, the fish have said to have found their own place in history when an entire school of them brought to a halt the ships of Marc Anthony causing victory to the troops of Augustus CaesarThere are also accounts of the Nautilus floating through the Ganges river during which our protagonists have a vision of floating corpses, hunting on the water jungles of Crespo, fighting nasty killer sharks , exploring the forests of New Guinea and coming face to face with the papuan savages, oyster hunting in the Sri Lankan waters complete with glimpsing at an Oyster with a pear the size of a coconut.

The book also has some humor content every now and then as seen in the dialogues when Conseil captures a beautiful and magnificent drunk cockatoo drunk on the nectar from the fruits of a cashew nut tree. These are often coupled with comments from Ned Land about missing land, normal people and food and his enthusiastic search for normal food at every occasion to satisfy his gourmet cravings and never giving up plotting an escape from the Nautilus.

The mystery of the origins of Captain Nemo and his purpose for living under the sea is kept indiscreet throughout the book. One understands that his companions and himself are victims of the various political oppressions of the time. Having lost their homes and hearths, they choose to avoid the rest of the world and literally go “down under” to fight their battles against the oppressors and their nations. This includes destroying trade ships that travel across the seas and funding national wars by using the treasures collected from the oceans. The brilliant, dynamic and commanding demeanor that makes the captain is elucidated throughout the novel. Though portrayed as cold and emotionless, the man that he was before he became Captain Nemo peeks every now and then.

The novel ends with a very dramatic and edge of the seat battle with a giant squid, loosing another man from the Nautilus to the sea which sends the captain into a mode of depression. Our 3 prisoners finally plot their escape which coincides with a whirlpool entwining the Nautilus. The professor, Conseil and Ned land on the shores of Norway but the fate of the Nautilus, its inmates and its captain is left as a mystery. Did they survive? Did the Nautilus get caught in the whirlpool by accident or was it steered there on purpose by the captain? We will never know the answers to these questions but the memories of the ocean and its wonders from the imaginative mind of Jules Verne will definitely be etched in the minds of the readers for a long time,

The novel would be a delight to ichthyologists, marine biologists and physicists. For someone like me it was a journey through a new and an amazing world – a world where I walked on the sea floors, a world that was lighted by thousands of jelly fish during my strolls, a world where sharks and whales swam past me, and a world that I can visit anytime I choose to.

Verdict – Buy, add to your collection, read and pass on the wonders to the next generation!

Finished - 15-Jan-09

Rating - *****