Book Review: The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith

Superb follow up to a slightly boring and long 'A Cuckoo's Calling'. The plot is tighter and fast paced and you cannot keep the book down until you've finished. Must read.

Rating : 4/5

Book Review: The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman

The second installment in the His Dark Materials trilogy, the book continues Lyra's adventures to find the truth about Dust and her father.  An excellent sequel to 'Northern Lights'. Wish they had made a better movie though. Must read if you love science fiction+ fantasy genre.

Rating: 4/5

Book Review: The Dark Half by Stephen King

Intriguing, engaging  yet predictable plot. There is a certain pattern to Stephen King's writing which gets a tad bit monotonous if you read too many of his books. A good read if you want pass time during long travels.

Rating : 3/5

Book Review: The Shining by Stephen King

One cannot compare this particular book with the movie. Both superb pieces of unique storytelling. Had watched the movie long back and wanted to read the book, mainly to see how different was it. Loved the movie. Loved the book even more. Go read if you haven't already.

Rating: 5/5

Book Review: My Quest For The Yeti: Confronting the Himalayas' Deepest Mystery by Reinhold Messner

 

A very interesting account of famed explorer and mountaineer Reinhold Messner's quest to unravel the mystery of the Yeti amidst the China / Tibet turmoil.  A must read!

Rating: 4/5

Book Review: The Alienist by Caleb Carr

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Unput-downable historical fiction set in 1886 New York. Enough said. Go read!

Rating: 5/5

Book Review: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

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At first I was skeptical about how this book would turn out. There is a mish mash of characters that take some time to understand. But by the time you get to know the characters, you fall in love with them and the author whose imagination creates a mesmerizing alternative world full of love, betrayal and adventure. An absolute must read. 

Rating : 5/5

Book Review: The Last Policeman by Ben H Winters

A great premise - how would a policeman solve  a case if the world was ending in 6 months? Yet another dystopian dark future story with  a brilliant beginning. Unfortunately, the story lacks depth and is irregular in writing. The book hurriedly finishes with a hint into a larger question to be answered by the subsequent sequels. Not a very compelling read.

Rating: 2/5

Book Review: Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill

Great plot and premise. A chilling beginning, the book slowly fizzles out. It will probably make a great movie but towards the end , is a tedious read.

Rating: 3/5

Book Review: The Pallace of Ilusions by Chitra Divakaruni

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The only book that I finished in a day. Mahabharat told from Draupadi's perspective forms the premise of this book. It challenges your current perception of all that you know of Mahabharat and its key players. Must read!

Rating: 4/5

Book Review: Salvation of a Saint by Keigo Higashino

 

Poor plot, boring premise. A disappointing second novel from the 'Devotion of Suspect X' author. Not worth your time.

Rating: 1/5

Book Review: Labor Day by Joyce Maynard

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Beautiful story about the relationship of a divorced woman and her child with an escaped convict who comes to live in her own house. The book explores themes such as loneliness, love, desire to escape and how life turns out to be much unlike one's imagination. The movie apparently did not fare that well. But the book is a great read. 

Rating: 3.5/5

Book Review : Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

image source: Goodreads

 

A poignant account of the execution of the last person in Iceland. This true story is written from the perspective of Agnes Magnúsdóttir and explores her view of the events and perception of the society around during her final days. A must read.  Rumor has it that a movie is in the pipeline with Jennifer Lawrence playing the lead. Cannot wait for the movie to come out!

Rating: 4/5

Musings...

Back after along hiatus.  A lot happened - got married, moved cities, read loads of books, stayed in a pool villa and on the path of making new discoveries- and I guess its time to get this blog on track.