I seem to lack imagination at the moment. Bear with me, as I sift through my thoughts.

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

Image Source: Wikipedia

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.

Book Review: Wicked - The Life & Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire

One of my favorite books growing up was The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum which chronicles the adventures of a young girl Dorothy& her dog Toto who get swept into the Land of Oz via a cyclone. There she helps the people of Emerald City by defeating the Wicked Witch of the West and subsequently returning home. A children's book, it is a simple tale of good triumphing over evil.

Gregory Maguire flips the story's perspective - asking the readers to view the tale from the Witch's side. What makes the Witch so Wicked? Where did she come from? Why was she "evil" ? He then weaves a thoroughly engaging, enjoyable story about the Wicked Witch of the West - her beginning, her life and the circumstances that shape her to be "Wicked" and her ultimate encounter with Dorothy
Not a children's book, Gregory Maguire masterfully inserts pertinent questions about how does one define good and evil. He transforms the world of OZ into bustling, caste-driven, religion bound  society - one that shapes & creates the 'Wicked Witch". By the end of the book, you will be viewing the original classic in new light and will be forced to ask yourself - "Was the green witch really wicked?"

A definite must read, especially if you've read the original classic as a child. 

The Anti-Office Syndrome

Monday Blues? Hate the work-week? Keep looking forward to the day ending even before it’s started? Day dreaming of earning money off a hillside café? You are suffering from “the Anti-office syndrome”

Let’s face it. For us middle class folks in the late 20’s, we would be looking at trying to make a living at least for the next 20 more years. Some of us will quit the corporate sham and start up something of their own – while a majority of us will continue with the drudgery for most of our adult life.

There is no escaping it. But what we don’t realize is a lot of the so-called drudgery that we call work is often brought upon us ourselves. We’re constantly measuring ourselves with standards set by others that eventually lead to the demise of the optimism that we had when we started working as freshers.

So here’s a ready (WIP) reckoner for all of us – one that reminds us daily wage earners that there is more to life, than an occasional work-day blues

1.      Don’t compare. One of the biggest mistakes that we make is making comparisons with other peers/superiors, anyone. What we tend to forget is that whatever it is that working for them does not mean that it would work for us too. Let others be. Focus on yourself and your work – figure out ways of doing it better in context of your own abilities. Comparing your salary, appraisal status, etc only disturbs you and you alone. It does not affect the other person you are trying so hard to bring down.

2.       Stay away from office politics. Often, most of the so-called office politics are created by us, stemming from the above stated point. However tempting it may seem, the more embroiled you get in it, the worse your work-day blues become.  Remember, the guy who’s doing well and is respected most is the one who focuses only on his work

3.       Respect. Everyone. At every position. It does not matter the number of experience you have or don’t have. Everyone working around deserves the same kind of respect that you demand for yourself

4.       Appreciate. It’s OK if it wasn't your idea that got through. Learn from the one that did and appreciate it’s owner. One pat on the back is not going to make you a loser.

5.       It’s not personal. Its just work. A part of your life. Not your whole life. Have other hobbies that help you take your mind off work. Help you detach and unwind. Constantly fretting over how to get into your boss’s good books is not going to land you that promotion. Similarly, not every comment made, every feedback given is aimed at you personally. Always remember to keep it within the realms of your professional life

6.       Have your priorities cleared. What is it that you are working for? What personal/ professional objectives do you want to achieve from your current role/profile, etc? having a clear objective will help you focus better and allow you to slide through the tough times at work. Because at the end of the day, what you do will matter, rest everything else will become incidental

These are just some ways of keeping the work blues at bay. What are some ways you stay focused on work?

Book Review: Northern Lights by Philip Pullman

Accidentally discovered this book while vacationing in the hills. A fantasy that puts scientific knowledge and application on the forefront, the book is a must-read for fantasy lovers. Don’t judge the book by the badly made movie – The Golden Compass. The book, fist in the trilogy of “His Dark Materials” is an enjoyable read. Without giving out much on the plot – the book is about a young feisty girl Lyra and how she embarks on a journey to save her friend, eventually leading up to her discovering a whole new world. 

Will definitely give the book a 4/5 for plot, character and eventual climax that builds the foundations for the second book.

Give it a read.

Book Review: The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino

Loved reading this book. Quite an unexpected thriller. My first Japanese fiction.

Quick summary - a single mother kills her exploitative ex-husband and gets the unexpected help from her infatuated neighbor (who is a math teacher). All of this happens in the first few chapters of the book. What happens next is how they try and cover the murder leading the police on a wild goose chase.
While on the surface, the book is a thriller with an excellent plot, it loses out on narrative because of shoddy translation. The book reads like a teen novel and the characters lose their depth and appear much amateurish than the author may have intended it to be.

All in all, a 7/10 and a must read for all thriller fans! Have already bought Keigo Higoshino's Salvation of Saint, which is next on my reading list

Love After Love

The time will come
when, with elation,
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror,
and each will smile at the other's welcome,


and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you


all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,


the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

             - Derek Walcott