tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80098101235547878162024-03-05T04:31:20.898-08:00Books for meNow that i could read......vbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815931257531886393noreply@blogger.comBlogger242125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009810123554787816.post-34798488020254569452017-02-23T03:17:00.000-08:002017-02-23T03:23:04.012-08:00Book Review:Seriously...I'm Kidding by Ellen Degeneres'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Title: Seriously....I'm Kidding<br />
Author: Ellen Degeneres'<br />
Pages:256<br />
Genre:Non-fiction, memoir<br />
Version: Audiobook<br />
Source: library<br />
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<b>Summary:</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">Sometimes the greatest things are the most embarrassing." Ellen Degeneres' winning, upbeat candor has made her show one of the most popular, resilient and honored daytime shows on the air. (To date, it has won no fewer than 31 Emmys.) </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Seriously... I'm Kidding</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">, Degeneres' first book in eight years, brings us up to date about the life of a kindhearted woman who bowed out of </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">American Idol</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;"> because she didn't want to be mean. Lively; hilarious; often sweetly poignant.</span><br />
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<b>Review:</b><br />
Is there a book you read for a heart laugh? For me this is one such book.I usually love a paper version over the digital version when I like a book but with this one is best enjoyed if you could listen to her voice.This book is not the usual celebrity memoir but her take on many different topic ranging from organizing, honesty, bucket list, having a dream, her talk show, making a pros and cons list, time management,environment, having a pet, losing focus. On a personal note she talks about the time she came out, instances of her moments with her wife, her decision of not having a baby hosting Emmys and not to give up easily, though they are described on a lighteernote with a sense of humor. Like her show the book is happy and positive just like her show.On a final note she says that life is all about balance , the good and the bad ,the highs and the lows .The thing everyone should realize is that key to happiness is by being happy by yourself and for yourself because sometimes you might lose it all so unless you are your reason to be happy ,there would always be something or someone to throw sadness on you.The audiobook has extra bites that you would miss on a print.<br />
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The book would never disappoint if you are her fan because her super fun spirit just brightens up the whole mood like magic.For me this book like a therapy on a not so great day.<br />
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vbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815931257531886393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009810123554787816.post-66286006289682546562016-11-20T18:03:00.003-08:002016-11-20T18:03:27.113-08:00Sunday Post -When books find you<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The Sunday post is a weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/">Kimba the caffeinated book reviewer.</a> Its almost close to two years that I have participated in a Sunday post. Btw getting married and moving across the globe too many wonderful things happen to me. With flurries in the air officially sets of the white world ahead of us.I enjoyed my first fall and have been in awe.<br />
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Do you believe in books choosing its reader rather than vice versa; well I know thinking about it sounds weird but at least in my case that has happened or lets say the dreamer in me believes so. That's how I have ended up venturing into different genres, just I like yesterday I ended up with A serpents's tooth as a result of some confusion and not because I had requested it .Though it is like picking a random from a long series I have come to like it starting from its cover.I have to return this book tomorrow to avoid further confusions this a short tale of a book choosing the reader.<br />
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I'm not sticking to any particular genre off late just reading anything interesting and it starts from its cover.Now that I am in this beautiful country I am also reading more on American history.</div>
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Here wishing you all a great week ahead with Thanksgiving by the weekend.</div>
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These are my blog news</div>
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<a href="http://booksformee.blogspot.in/2016/11/book-review-guns-germs-and-steel-by.html">Guns germs and steel</a></div>
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<a href="http://booksformee.blogspot.in/2016/11/book-review-yuge-by-gb-trudeau.html">Yuge</a></div>
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<a href="http://booksformee.blogspot.com/2016/11/book-review-when-breath-becomes-air-by.html">When breath becomes air</a></div>
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<a href="http://booksformee.blogspot.com/2016/11/book-review-nimona-by-noella-stevenson.html">Nimona</a></div>
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<a href="http://booksformee.blogspot.com/2016/11/scrpt-book-review-harry-potter-and.html">Harry Potter and the cursed child</a></div>
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<a href="http://booksformee.blogspot.com/2016/11/book-review-strangeness-in-my-mind-by.html">Strangeness in my mind</a></div>
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<a href="http://booksformee.blogspot.com/2016/11/book-review-ms-marvel-vol1-no-normal-by.html">Ms. Marvel vol1:No normal</a></div>
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And my favorite things from last week</div>
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Week started with supermoon</div>
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Enjoying my egg nog</div>
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India demonitized Rs 1000 and Rs 500.making them a memory</div>
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vbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815931257531886393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009810123554787816.post-24342826041642952112016-11-18T19:24:00.001-08:002016-11-18T19:24:18.061-08:00Book Review: Guns, germs and Steel by Jared Diamond<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title: Guns, germs and steel</b><br />
Author: Jared Diamond<br />
Publisher:<br />
Price: $26<br />
ASIN: B004JLTPTI<br />
Listening length: 16 hrs 20 minutes<br />
Genre: Non-fiction<br />
Version: Audiobook<br />
Source: Library<br />
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<b>Review:</b><br />
You need to read the book with an open mind because it has a different take on history .Agriculture according to him was the deciding factor with farmer power and had it not been so then Africa with its diverse population head start by their early civilization would have dominated the world but on the other hand it did not give them any edge over European colonization while Africans were still hunters and gatherers they were controlled by these giants with the help of modern discoveries and lifestyle. He uses the same logic to prove his point on what happened with the native Indian being overthrown by the immigrant Americans such similar comparisons are drawn across the globe from Eurasia to Australia then back to Indonesia ..<br />
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Describing all these he draw parallel with his own childhood working in a farm for an elderly man at Montana who had inhabited the land of native Americans land.the authors acquaintance with Levie a native American who otherwise sober and well mannered on an unfortunate moment cursed him to go back to his white land on the ship he came .This incident gave him a different perspective on the native Americans according to whom the white farmers had robbed them from their own land making them an outsider in their own place, while his school history taught him about the heroic wars his ancestors waged upon the land to make it their home while all of this on the other hand took away their heritage, warriors and a beautiful life.<br />
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The evolution of human from being hunters and gatherers to produce their own food and managing their own life stock., Authors emphasis that its foundation of moderns days guns germs and steel didn't depend on the geographical variation in food production but that in turn gave few population an advantage over other.In other words availability of more consumable calories at their disposal meant that they could feed more number of people by going one step further by finding out the limited number of vegetation and learning to grow their cattle that could be consumed. learning to cultivate his land man first found a way to get his needed energy at his arms length , was another big step towards Organising military coup which in turn gave them an upper hand over the tribe of hunters and gatherers that were always in a smaller number.All this domestication of animals and vegetation Prmoted denser population Which led in the invention of more sophisticated instruments to get on with their farming harnessing their animal force with instruments such as plough letting them live even on the uphills away from the riverside..This also gave away to smaller birth intervals in the settled population multiplying their number very fast.They also learnt the art of storing surplus food slowly paving way to political societies in terms of chiefdom and kingdom while most of the energy of the hunters and gatherers was consumed for their search for food.. He also brings out the direct and indirect results agriculture brought about in the society in building various classes in the form of priests, artists which laid the building blocks for the military conquests with horse and big mammals being used for transport.<br />
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Then he moves on to the importance of germs that according to him came from animals that after mutation and evolution became infectious diseases like smallpox , measles and flu to the human being resulting in epidemic killing many. Germs thus acquired from the animals evolved to cause severe damage to humans became an indispensable part in the civilization for the later years to come.following food surplus and energy in these denser area also gave these kingdoms to widen their horizon and paved way for further technological innovations..<br />
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Food production didn't kick start in the major ecologically fertile land such as the pacific area of the united states at the beginning while it was on the seemingly sparsely fertile lands of Iran, China , Mexico things began hence author gives another point that the modern civilization didn't really start off as per the geographically superior land.He further asks questions on how independently certain places food production started while certain areas needed assistance from the outside world. Those answers might never be clear to us as the history is about the people who won and not by the ones who lose.<br />
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Author follows the slow evolution about the food production from the olden days to the production of nuts and cereals making up for a balanced diet that we now follow. Being a person with life science background I developed a even more liking to the whole facts on why only certain crops were domesticated that too in certain areas while some were not. he analysis the fertile crescent for their ability to cultivate certain crops over other..<br />
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He also emphasis the importance of open mind for adoption of innovation played an important role for the ultimate success of certain societies over others which he links to their earlier ability to domesticate certain wild vegetation to add on to their necessary energy.<br />
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Animals that could be domesticated according to author are all similar quoting Tolstoys principle about marriage that is for a successful domestication which were few Eurasian terrestrial small animals those animals have to domesticable. He refuses to acknowledge elephants to be a part of this group as according to him they are just tamed and not domesticated yet. Though humans might have tried many species they could only domesticate few as only they had certain qualities for being domesticated. Even though certain Indian prince had a stable of 1000 of cheetah it was just not possible to domesticate as later biologists found that cheetah do not mate in cage nor female ovulate under watchful eyes.So is the case of African wild buffaloes and Rhinoceros that's too wild and large to control.So are Zebras that go wild when they go old and do not give up their grip on bite hence making then unsuitable for domesticating.<br />
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He compares how animals live just as humans living in herd with their own hierarchy to submission to each other forming a leader and their own ranks in the herd. Social animals that can be put together imprints on humans and making it easy for them to be domesticated.Some animals like dogs are instinctively submissive while cats are not.<br />
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Ecologically suitable for food production The book takes an interesting take on how agriculture shaped the world that we see now.The book is thought provoking in terms of geography, flora fauna and the successive life that molded the course of mankind. The book is for anyone who love to know about the human history beyond just war and king.<br />
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vbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815931257531886393noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009810123554787816.post-40213653156647233282016-11-18T11:03:00.000-08:002016-11-18T11:03:22.507-08:00Book Review: Yuge by G.B Trudeau<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title: Yuge</b><br />
Author:G.B Trudeau<br />
Publisher:Andrews McMeel Publishing<br />
ISBN: 9781449481339<br />
Price: $14.99<br />
Pages:110<br />
Genre:Comic<br />
Version:Paperback<br />
Source:Library<br />
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Now that Trump is the president -elect for the good or bad this book comes bit as a distressed humour. The book comes a premonition to his 30 years of work.Usually the comics go a step ahead exaggerating things but what we have been witnessing over the years this only makes the point clearly.The book starts from 1987 till 2016.<br />
It all begins with this<br />
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When he keeps bragging about the quality of his ship, </div>
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About his general attitude</div>
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His business dealing </div>
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On the way he treats his employee</div>
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Hos does he name his business ventures</div>
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On putting his name on everything</div>
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On the beauty pageants he owns</div>
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From his apprentice days</div>
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His hair fix.This one was particularly hilarious</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"> If you thought of being a president well</span></div>
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And when he announces his candidacy</div>
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His point on how he would make things great</div>
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Then more</div>
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The book is sharp,brilliant amusing all a the same time.</div>
vbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815931257531886393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009810123554787816.post-62493715005958366302016-11-17T14:44:00.000-08:002016-11-17T14:44:06.696-08:00Book Review: When breath becomes air by Paul Kalanithi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title: When breath becomes air</b><br />
Author: Paul Kalanithi<br />
Publisher: Random house Audio<br />
Price: $19.84<br />
ISBN:9781524708146<br />
Listening time:5 hrs 35 mins<br />
Version :Audiobook<br />
Genre:Memoir<br />
Source: Library<br />
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<b>Summary:</b><br />
from goodreads<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">At the age of thirty-six, on the verge of completing a decade’s worth of training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. One day he was a doctor making a living treating the dying, and the next he was a patient struggling to live. Just like that, the future he and his wife had imagined evaporated. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">When Breath Becomes Air,</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> which features a Foreword by Dr. Abraham Verghese and an Epilogue by Kalanithi’s wife, Lucy, chronicles Kalanithi’s transformation from a naïve medical student “possessed,” as he wrote, “by the question of what, given that all organisms die, makes a virtuous and meaningful life” into a young neurosurgeon at Stanford, guiding patients toward a deeper understanding of death and illness, and finally into a patient and a new father to a baby girl, confronting his own mortality.</span><br />
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<b>Review:</b><br />
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The book is a difficult book to review just like "The last lecture and Being mortal".The author at 36 after a decade being a student has finally reached at his prime of his career as a neurosurgeon .When he thought that he had it all he loses it all to lung cancer.<br />
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The memoir begins with him being almost certain for having cancer even before the diagnosis were made.<br />
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Then the book moves back to his childhood with where his immigrant parents always who pushed him and his siblings to succeed in life. His diverse degrees in history and philosophy , English literature, human biology and finally MD from Yale to become a neurosurgeon shoes varied interest . Kalanithi had great love for literature and its sad that his debut book became his final.With all his interesting degrees he always wonder where did all this intersect. From literature to medicine we see how his thought process changes to become more matured and practical at the same time..He marriage to Lucy and his life as a surgeon slowly gets to us as we know that all this beautiful life is set to crumble in next few pages ahead. How would a father feel when he knows that he would never get to know his baby girl.<br />
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During the last days he tries to find meaning of life introspecting and meditating about it which also becomes part of this book. Kalanithi and Lucy make all the decision with the support his family and friends starting with chemo and a visit to sperm bank for their future.As a couple they had decided to start a family at the end of his residency and its so disheartening to learn the painful truth that we make so many plans in life such wonderful colourful future that might be lost in a second and everything just loses its meaning but that is kalanithi tries to emphasis that even at the face of death one shouldn't lose hope.Their daughter Cady was born eight months before Kalanithi's demise.<br />
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There is an epilogue by Lucy speaking about his husband at his deathbed his take on life even though he was losing his battle to cancer each day.That was a real heart breaker.No one in the world should ever put in a stage where they have to prepare themselves for the lose of their loved ones yet death is an inevitable part of our life.<br />
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The book is a very sad read yet it emphasis on the beauty of life that each of us behold.</div>
vbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815931257531886393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009810123554787816.post-16965766402219667652016-11-17T12:54:00.004-08:002016-11-17T12:54:55.954-08:00Book Review: Nimona by Noella Stevenson<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title: Nimona</b><br />
Author: Noella Stevenson<br />
Publisher: Harper Teen<br />
Pages: 272<br />
Price: $9.14<br />
ISBN:9780062278227<br />
Genre:Graphic novel<br />
version:Paperback<br />
Source: Library<br />
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<b>Summary:</b><br />
<b>from goodreads</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are.</span><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Review:</b><br />
Ballister Blackheart becomes the villain in a kingdom after losing his arm in the knight training. Nimona gate crashes into his life to be his assistant and she is shapeshifter and can change into anything living. Nimona speedily learns that her boss is not really a villain but a guy with principles she happily tries to help him to expose Goldenloin hero and the system of law enforcement that has been doing all shadowy things. As the story progresses Blackheart learns the past of Nimona who as a kid has endured a lot.How they work together to achieve the goal is the rest of the heart warming funny book.<br />
<br />
I loved the way modern day science was used throughout the book .The contrast between Blackheart and Nimona are painted so well,while Nimona is shrewd and sharp ,Blackheart though very intelligent is a guy of immense moral value and driven by social obligation to the people of the kingdom. The book is a complete package of good, bad, science magic and lot of humour. The dialogs were outright , slapstick humorous that I was laughing aloud more than once.. Nimona is a star brave, brilliant, funny, happy that you love everything about her. Best part is that you can read it over and over.</div>
vbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815931257531886393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009810123554787816.post-25972578631078248142016-11-16T18:57:00.001-08:002016-11-17T14:45:07.208-08:00Script book review: Harry Potter and the cursed child by Jack Thorne and John Tiffany<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title: Harry Potter and the cursed child </b><br />
Author : Jack Thorne and John Tiffany<br />
ASIN: B01BMJWU4Q<br />
File size: 1416KB<br />
Genre: Fantasy<br />
Price: $ 14<br />
Version: Kindle<br />
Source: Personal<br />
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Summary:<br />
from goodreads<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<br />
Review<br />
<br />
For anyone who missed Rowling's tweet about this latest release being a script book might have been disappointed , with its less magic and not exactly in the league with HP series. I read it driven by the curiosity of a Potter fan and because I could not see the play in London.<br />
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Cursed Child takes of from where the deathly hallows , the final book of the HP series ended that is nineteen years after the battle of Hogwarts where harry Potter with the help of his friends defeated Lord Voldemort bringing peace to the magical world. Harry who is now settled into his job as an auror at the ministry of magic with his wife Ginny and three children and his friends Hermione and Ron also becoming a couple..All seem to go great except for one trouble, his not so great rapport with second son Albus. Albus confesses his fear at the platform 93/4 being sorted to Slytherian , even though Harry tries to convince him that it doesn't matter ,Albus quickly becomes an outsider when his fear of being sorted into Slytherian comes true.<br />
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As the story unfolds from the train with Rose (Hermione's daughter) and Scorpius (Draco Malfoy's son) coming together how I wished to see a trio friendship just like that of Harry ,Hermione and Ron's , but we quickly realise that this novel is more about the characters than the magic itself as we are left with Albus and Scorpious both living a life under a heavy lingering shadow of their fathers. Albus who is unable to live upto the legend like expectation of his father and Scorpious who is suspected of being Voldemort's son. How they together fight their darkness to find their inner lights forms the core of the book..<br />
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The book moves on the stark contrast of fatherhood both Harry and Malfoy had. For Harry it was the total absence of his father while Malfoy it was presence of the absolutely wrong one which defined each them..Now that they themselvesbecame fathers all this is driving them into a world of spiral confusions..Though Harry and Albus share a lot of qualities the very same prevents them from bonding even when Ginny helps Harry to mend the bridge urges him to let their son know how specifically he is loved but Albus need more than all that to find his own identity in his world full of trouble. Scorpious is the smart one among the duo reminding us of Hermione many a times..Scorpious world is also broken into million pieces wih the death of his mother and gossips of his parental lineage.<br />
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The novel does has its Rowling magic with Triwizard contest, Ministry of magic yet it doesn't hold upto the level of magic in the other books and I definitely missed the owls but I do understand the limitations of them to be being used in the play. The book has the time turner that takes us back and forth to the past and present with Albus and Scorpious actions commanding over thefuture they might have to live in. Though the time turner was a winning point in the 3rd book ,in this one they just dragged it too far ..The book has stayed honest to original Rowling theme of victory of truth over darkness I couldn't help but miss the Rowling's brainwave troughout. All this being said this book did provide me with a wonderful memory down the lane to my school days when I read my first book ..My favorites were the first four in the series of 7..<br />
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If you are a hard potter fan do read it , knowing that the book in a play style that would help to start with even if you are not a fan the book is worth for an entertaining read..</div>
vbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815931257531886393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009810123554787816.post-64494032846946994272016-11-16T17:44:00.000-08:002016-11-16T17:44:00.964-08:00Book Review: Strangeness in my mind by Orhan Pamuk<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIvy-gwvxsWNoBfF2ydHMLo4Y4mpce8xmXfN3Rwe5urN8WaU3IQqjtPcQ9l9y9OxeOQS6B8KBPjj1Gq8bi0vyqFyMKlxvnR8lMi2FIKZuXBBuiP7ezL1M7imrHSNeI0_iFMriHs4s39dg/s1600/24997390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIvy-gwvxsWNoBfF2ydHMLo4Y4mpce8xmXfN3Rwe5urN8WaU3IQqjtPcQ9l9y9OxeOQS6B8KBPjj1Gq8bi0vyqFyMKlxvnR8lMi2FIKZuXBBuiP7ezL1M7imrHSNeI0_iFMriHs4s39dg/s200/24997390.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
<b>Title: Strangeness in my mind</b><br />
Author: Orhan Pamuk<br />
Pages: 624<br />
Publisher: Knopf<br />
ISBN: 9780307700292<br />
Price: $ 19<br />
Genre: Fiction/ Turkish literature<br />
Source: Library<br />
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<br />
Summary<br />
from goodreads<br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">A Strangeness In My Mind</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> is a novel Orhan Pamuk has worked on for six years. It is the story of boza seller Mevlut, the woman to whom he wrote three years' worth of love letters, and their life in Istanbul.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">In the four decades between 1969 and 2012, Mevlut works a number of different jobs on the streets of Istanbul, from selling yoghurt and cooked rice, to guarding a car park. He observes many different kinds of people thronging the streets, he watches most of the city get demolished and re-built, and he sees migrants from Anatolia making a fortune; at the same time, he witnesses all of the transformative moments, political clashes, and military coups that shape the country. He always wonders what it is that separates him from everyone else - the source of that strangeness in his mind. But he never stops selling boza during winter evenings and trying to understand who his beloved really is.</span><br />
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Review<br />
<br />
I read great deal about this novel as Pamuk took six years to complete it..This book has become one of my favorites of Pamuks work. .<br />
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The protagonist is Mevlut Karatas who as a kid moves from his village to the city with his father in the 60s with dreams and longs for a better life for love , respect and abundance but with successive failure in schooling, business and politics , he ends up as a poor boza vendor, there are plenty of other small jobs he holds like selling yogurt, ice cream, chicken on street, being a waiter at a cafe plus working at a electric shop, but its his bozo job at night that impressed me the most as it is when the streets come alive..Later on he falls in love with a woman with beautiful eyes and there are exchange of love letters over three years only to elope with her older sister with few mixups..still he accepts his fate as a gift and they live happy though they remain poor..Yet through all the ordeals of his life he remains innocent to his state of mind and I loved the character even more.<br />
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One of the best parts of the novel is Pamuk's love for Istanbul that you see through all characters of the novel mostly Mevut's extended family..Just like in his other books, image of Istanbul's image comes alive through his words like a poem.The description is rich that makes you smell the heavenly Bozo and wow it taste so perfect.As we learn about bozo's popularity from the days Ottoman empire and its losing demand and being replaced by a more modern drink raki, Pamuk underlines how the old life was slowly disappearing to the modern day and still when the very few do get a bozo from Mevlut just for sake of old days, Pamuk holds us all tight with the grip of nostalgia.<br />
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The different of point of views of all the characters gives us a comprehensive take on socio-economic and legislation of Turkey moving the story ahead too.The vibrant city of Istanbul surrounds the reader in all its plenty. I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said that you could see the streets through the novel so precise are the details.His love for his doesn't blind him though. He points out the inequality of women in the society, their lack of education that does bad for the society than good..<br />
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The book also takes an interesting cut on the changes of yesterdays tradition that confronts the present and a hope for the future. Pamuk is a master of loss and memories and if you have read his other works you would know what I mean.This is a very long read but for a lover of classics I even felt that I could go on even more that's the extend of my love for this book , definetely one of my favourites of all time.</div>
vbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815931257531886393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009810123554787816.post-82579592084414813942016-11-16T13:40:00.001-08:002016-11-16T13:40:26.711-08:00Book Review: Ms Marvel , Vol:1, No Normal by G.Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphone<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Title:Ms Marvel, No Normal<br />
Author:G.Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphone<br />
ISBN:9780785190219<br />
Pages: 120<br />
Genre:Comic<br />
Source: Library<br />
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<br />
<br />
Summary<br />
from goodreads<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City — until she's suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! When Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them, as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to bear? Kamala has no idea, either. But she's comin' for you, Jersey! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
Review:<br />
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After reading Persepolis a graphic novel I thought of giving a shot at comics and what better way than starting with girl power. Ms Marvel, I found it as a short and an entertaining read. It is about Kamala Khan teenage muslim immigrant in the United states, precisely New Jersey. Like any Marvel superhero, she has her humble beginnings. Kamala Khan has her life with conservative muslim parents and her older brother who dropped out of his Engineering course , who is now substituting with prayer. Very early in the story she acquires her superpower when hit by Terrigan mist, and then on Kamala has trouble coming into terms with. The story is also about an immigrant family which is struggling with keeping up their conservative family and religious values in a brand new world, and the family vs the superhero stunt that she has to balance every single day.<br />
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This Kamala khan is a very lovable character to any teenage girl who is in awe for the marvel superheroes .Almost all the time she is stuck in between the culture difference that she is trying to balance with her life she has outside her home.She is smart and so full of life with her own set of friends and teenage troubles.<br />
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In all the superhero stories its the strength of the antagonist that makes the superhero a success, in that way the antagonist in this novel was underdeveloped and little explained. But in today's world how being an outsider or an odd person in a group could make you feel left out is depicted well..Making one uncomfortable in ones own skin has been brought out with all wits., Though most superhero starts somewhere in that way kamala being a muslim makes it special..<br />
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Its a real entertainer where she takes her baby steps in becoming a superhero, in other words this book is a introducto.ry version of the next series.Though I have read them all this was my personal favourite.<br />
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At this point I have to tell you that I have never really been a great comic fan even as a kid,yet I found this quite entertaining and engaging.The comic as such is vibrant and colourful, Adrian Alphonse has done an amazing job in bringing kamala Khan alive through the art. Kamala's witty remarks at her religious class and her excuses to parents for being late and of course brother troubles are all very delightful. I don't know how technically sound the muslim character has been painted, I liked it for the diversity the story offers. Her everyday struggle to keep up with her superhero duties and her duty as a devoted daughter takes a toll on her yet she manages them narrowly missing being caught.<br />
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Even if you aren't a comic fan I would definitely ask you to give it a try for you'll definitely enjoy </div>
vbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815931257531886393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009810123554787816.post-79722611668380779542016-06-27T18:02:00.000-07:002016-06-27T18:02:45.866-07:00Book review:Cleopatra a life by Stacy Shiff<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title: Cleopatra a life </b><br />
Author: Stacy Schiff<br />
Publisher: Payback book<br />
Price: Rs 1402<br />
Pages:432<br />
ISBN:978-0316001946<br />
Genre: Biography memoir/ Egypt / historic fiction<br />
Source: Personal<br />
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This was a book reviewed by an amazing blogger Brian on his <a href="http://briansbabblingbooks.blogspot.com/">blog</a> .I loved it and went for it but it took me so long to write about it.<br />
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Cleopatra is perhaps the most intriguing personality in the human history. She has always been like a dream larger than life with greatest things of all humanly possibly around her even greatest of all her tragedies.Though innumerable books have been written about her till date, surprisingly nobody really knew what she looked like though praises of her beauty and talent had been sung far and wide.What sets this apart from others is that Cleopatra is dissected through the eyes of people around her.Its like going around monument and watching how it is than going on to of it to see things from there.<br />
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Born nothing less than a celestial being with all abundance , to sustain her throne went onto marry her siblings followed by rivalry and war murder and so on.Though Egypt was a small state because of its immense wealth it was always a great point of interest and<br />
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When Caesar and Cleopatra met it was just a rendezvous of two great personality but two great civilizations as well. Their coming together was of two intelligent, astute, charismatic personality like the two sides of a coin which build a mighty empire that later became an inspiration for Shakespeare's work in the coming ages.Though all that projected her grey side for her own bad. Caesar was both impressed and inspired by her and her ruling, that he himself incorporated some of them back home. On the other hand Anthony''s and Cleopatra's paramount rational duties towards their own kingdom acted synergistic for each other with similar love for art and theater made them come together.<br />
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Cleopatra's life always had an ebb and rise , she inherited an empire on the fall went on to loss it, regain them, then again went on to the the edge of losing it then again built a solid vast empire and in the end lost all of it.<br />
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She was sharp, shrewd, aggressive and very adventurous person.All this makes it even more special because she only lived for about forty years .All her actions were politically motivated even when she led Anthony into his own grave finally ending her life eventually..<br />
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Schiff beautifully paints an image of Cleopatra that's too raw and real and the vantage she created in quite striking, you are set at a point from where you can watch all the events unfold before you like being seated in an amphitheater, starting from her grand childhood, education that includes art of speech and mastering different languages that shaped her, her controversial marriages, her actions to build her empire..She was a strong woman shouldering all important events in history upon her . Schiff instead of stereotyping her as an immoral with all the love affairs but brought before us the circumstances or hypothesis that led her to do it..For Schiff Cleopatra is more of a progressive, powerful and an audacious leader, and her life is nothing short of dazzling. Doing her own things in her own way for her country's good inviting wrath to an otherwise classical world . Romans and Egyptians saw women in a different light.For Romans women were for creating heirs while Cleopatra moved to Jerusalem to cut a deal while she was heavily pregnant. Schiff sums it up with the following-<br />
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<i>"Can anything good be done of a woman who slept with two most powerful men of her time? Possibility, not but not in an age when Roman controlled the narrative . Cleopatra stood at one of the most dangerous intersection in history: that of women and power . Clever women , Euripides had warned hundreds of earlier , were dangerous." </i><br />
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Schiff's profound way of depicting Cleopatra makes her endearing legend the kind of power whom we would admire. Perhaps if Cleopatra had won her final battle we might have known her very differently as the history is written by the winners.<br />
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This historical delicacy is a treat that you would want read over and over again.</div>
vbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815931257531886393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009810123554787816.post-42419745435759931072016-06-26T13:26:00.000-07:002016-06-26T13:26:11.924-07:00Book review: Girl before a mirror by Lisa Palmer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title: Girl before a mirror</b><br />
Author: Lisa Palmer<br />
Publisher:William Morrow/Harpercollins<br />
Price: $14.99<br />
Page:384<br />
ISBN:9780062297242<br />
Genre: Women's fiction/Contemporary/<br />
Source: Library<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Before-Mirror-Liza-Palmer/dp/0062297244?ie=UTF8&creativeASIN=0062297244&linkCode=w00&linkId=87ce0e122f615e9458a82cec9367d766&ref_=as_sl_pc_qf_sp_asin_til&tag=bookformeback-20">Buy girl before a mirror from amazon</a><br />
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Before I begin let me share some happy news with all you guys, its is been a while that I have posted her.. The one posted was pretty much in my drafts for long so to be honest this is my first post in a while .In between I got married (i know i know) moved across the globe (wow) , now that I'm pretty much settled in the new place and found my groove , I thought I should start again.Plus library is just few blocks away dada... so here at my new home Im building my new Kindle library and books borrowed from library.<br />
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This book I picked firstly for its title, opened a random page and read these quote<br />
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<i>"It's hard being woman. Especially being everyone's idea of what being a woman should be.What we want it is to be okay to be just you. All of you. And to know that that's not only good enough, but downright heroic."</i><br />
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Some words you see !<br />
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But I was sort of a let down when the book opened up to a 40th birthday celebration of the protagonist Anna Wyatt whose being divorced is emphasized plus the fact that she is not very happy with her career her introduction also paves way to our understanding that these are just beginning of her twisted life and after few pages one being her lonely childhood next her alcoholic brother .<br />
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She decides to get control of her life and build a fulfilling career for which she gives her heart and soul in reviving Luminex shower gel with a new client . Starting up she is assigned with a new young , beautiful and talented colleague Sasha. Anna realizes that her young colleague is beautiful and when you almost think that there would more drama author quickly establishes depth into Anna's character which was very stimulating to keep reading. Anna is intelligent, resourceful, supportive of her younger counterpart, funny in her own way with a very positive outlook in general.I also loved how Palmer projects other female character as well with not much drama very satisfying characters who don't go overboard.<br />
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Anna is introduced to a self help book- Be the heroine, find your hero.Though not swept way by romantic novel initially unlike Sasha through the course she starts to consider its claim..The plot where Anna meets her prince charming Anna , Lincoln a British financial consultant whom she meets at the hotel during her convention sounds like a page from princess diaries, but you don't really complain as Palmer establishes her characters who openly disapprove romantic novel only outside while loving them every bit inside and even dreaming about it. Ending is very predictable still you enjoy it.<br />
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Though not a big fan of romantic novel I do like a change here and there.This is the kind of book you wouldn't rave about still enjoy on a relaxing day with too many interesting quotes about life, some of which are<br />
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<i>"I want to be happy and not feel guilty about it.I want to be accepted regardless of what I look like, what I do for a living, my marital status, whether I have kids. I want Purpose, Contentment. to matter, freedom..I want to be. Just be."</i></div>
vbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815931257531886393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009810123554787816.post-88634231122851678472016-05-26T14:33:00.001-07:002016-05-26T14:33:06.223-07:00Book Review:The Guernsey and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Title: The Guernsey and Potato Peel Pie Society<br />
Author: Mary Ann Shaffer ,Annie Barrows<br />
Publisher: Bloomsbury<br />
Price: Rs 250<br />
Page: 248<br />
ISBN:1408810283<br />
Genre: Historic fiction<br />
Rating: 5 on 5<br />
Source: Library<br />
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<b>Summary:</b><br />
It is 1946 end of WWR II, Julie Aston decides to take a break from her otherwise war related columns and articles but then is not finding a subject to write a book, she receives a letter from Dawsey Adams of Guernsey , their love of reading and books leads them to write often, he reveals about The Guernsey and Potato Pie society...Further letters lets Juliet see through the extraordinary lives of people in the island that changes Juliet for good...<br />
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<b>Review:</b><br />
Julie Aston is out of ideas, she has no cue to built a story,she receives a letter from Dawsey Adams a resident of Guernsey , an island on the English Channel between France and Britain..He is a pig farmer who has a book by Charles lamb once owned by Juliet, he writes to her , their common interest and love for books and reading leads to exchange of letters , thus developing a constant correspondence...She discovers that he is a member of Guernsey and potato Peel Pie Society, she is intrigued by it, her curiosity gets over her she sets on to learn the history of the society..It was born to keep a pig roast party a secret from the Germans...<br />
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She gets her idea to write she learns more about the people and the lives before and after the German invasion... Children were departed to England as soon as the invasion, the island was largely isolated as people started to flee and there was a concentration camp set in the island for the slave laborer..She takes a step further to know other members of the society and slowly starts to paint a full picture of the state of affairs during the German occupation...She also learns about Elizebeth McKenna the founder of the society..She starts to write all this in her column...<br />
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Written in letter format, the style is astounding, Julia's growing love for the people in Guernsey, their tradition, culture and lives grows into the reader too...You can't help but love Elizebeth, she is courageous and heroic..Shaffer has brilliantly portrayed all about the second world war, and the heroic aspect of Elizebeth is picture perfect...She is a wow factor of the book..In spite of this amusing name of the society, it deals with some serious issues, it helps people to cope up with the hard times of the war through reading and interaction with other members of the society..Every member's recollection of how it helped them to get over it and move on was amazing..There are people who get different ideas reading books and the discussions were too beautiful....The book also explores Juliet's life and her friends who help her whenever need arise...<br />
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The novel also explores the importance of love, care and affection during the hard times...The book is not just about the misery and the dark period of the war, but how one can overcome all of it by sheer force of love , understanding and helping each other..In spite of reading the horrendous times of the war , the later part of novel part highlights moving on with charm, hence the distressing feeling melts way as the book closes,this made me to love the novel even more....The book club help them to come alive, at times they are caught while returning home during curfew, still nobody miss the sessions and discussions.. Shortly after war Dawsey develops a love for Lamb's work and that is how he writes to Juliet...All in all its an amazing book on WWR II and overcoming obstacles..Its sad that Marry Ann Shaffer did not live to see the success of the book, this book was completed by her niece Annie Barrows...It is also sad that we didn't get to read more of her work...</div>
vbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815931257531886393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009810123554787816.post-41558053551738765472015-10-10T07:19:00.000-07:002015-10-10T07:19:10.572-07:00Book Review:Best kept secret by Amy Hatvany<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Title: Best kept secret<br />
Author:Amy Hatvay<br />
Publisher: Washingnton square press<br />
Pages:330<br />
Genre: Woman's fiction<br />
Rating: 5 out of 5<br />
Source: online<br />
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<b>Summary</b><br />
Cadence was not into more than a glass of wine till she got divorced from her cheating husband ..Just to relax and for a deep sleep it all started with one glass then she couldn't get sleep without one full bottle and then it just went on...From a happily married life with a lovely son she had a perfect life until her divorce lead to reach out for alcohol to cope up with her sinking career and life all together..Predictably the bottle took control over her and she lost everything around even her son the only hope of her life..This novel is about a long struggle of Candence getting over her addiction and finding a new life..<br />
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<b>Review</b><br />
Reading the back cover I was convinced that this would be an emotional read for me, my only question was how far..Quite amazingly the book held me enchanted...Alcoholism was the only thing that made me skeptical about the book but as I read through all doubts just evaporated... Just divorced, now a single parent of a pre-school son, Candence resorted on two glass of wine for a deep sleep each night..Slowly and steadily this habit expands onto one bottle and by a year she turns out be a fully alcoholic, yea I know its nothing to be proud of or to be boasted but well that's what happened to Candence...She ended up there with all her senses loud and wide still I couldn't help from sympathizing with her..Predictably she takes grave steps that further risks her to the edge..She now has no friends she can identify with..Her son who was her life is taken away by her ex-husband..Her life is all messed up from there on her path to recovery begins., alcoholism to sobriety she makes it through her ebbing confidence that she somehow pushes high...Her strive to stay in touch with life after divorce, her inabilty to find a job after being a stay home mother,her sinking career graph as a freelance writer, are vividly portrayed by Hatvany....Hatvany makes Candence's character likeable, in spite of her flaws..Yes, she isn't anything closer to perfection, she makes dumb mistakes. succumbs to alcoholism when she knew right away that would end up losing her beloved son, yet she did it all but that happens to many..Candence recovery is driven by one determined thought., that is her son, I really felt bad when her sister put Candence in hospital..She is all alone and no one to hold on or lean to., well life can in deed could go through rough water...All the perfect description of alcholism made me search more for Amy Hatvany's profile and interviews and there she was admitting to be on the path of recovery from alcoholism....One trouble with alcoholics is that., apart from their own life, they also disrupt the lives of people around who care and love them...During her initial stages of recovery, she feels at peace at home all alone., somehow she feels she feels good without her son to mess up things around....To deal with a infidel husband itself toils up a wife emotionally and then when you venture upon alcohol just to shake off the sinking mood which starts to control you is definitely not a great way to deal with things...One of my friends said that.,this book has helped her see alcohol addicts in a new light, now I can see why!!!!Its sad that like Candence., alcoholics are judged , but its also important to make way for them to recover with a helping hand and with some assuring words that they eagerly look out... The novel is not just fabulous but quiet thought provoking too...The honest take on alcoholism and recovery just took my heart away..This book makes me want to read her other works too...</div>
vbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815931257531886393noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009810123554787816.post-71891610100484174752015-03-11T09:10:00.001-07:002015-03-11T09:11:50.355-07:00Book review:The bone people by Keri Hulme<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title:The bone people</b><br />
Author: Keri Hulme<br />
Publisher: Penguin books<br />
Pages: 553<br />
Price: Rs 930<br />
ISBN:0143116452<br />
Genre: Fiction<br />
Rating: 4 out of 5<br />
Source: Personal<br />
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<b>Summary</b><br />
Kelwin Holmes is a painter and a loner, convinced that "to care for anything is to invite disaster"..Her isolation is disrupted one day when a six year old mute boy ,Simmon, breaks into her house..The sole survivor of a mysterious shipwreck, Simon has been adopted by Maori factory worker Joe who eventually loses his wife and his other son to flue...Joe is horribly brutal towards the boy..The novel reveals each character's thoughts and feelings as they struggle with the desire to connect and the fear of attachment...<br />
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<b>Review</b><br />
I haven't often come across disturbing characters at a single go, but this one is so alluringly haunting , I had taken for granted that only memoir could be like this..Get the help of index in the book or else anything in Maori language and its culture would just go over the head..I found the dialogues and thoughts of characters to be very confusing, many times I kept wondering what and where and how things were moving ahead..But that is Hulme's style, even through the strange confusions you don't really want to put down the book..Then slowly I started to like this book then slowly it ebbed away and towards the end I didn't know if I really liked it or not..I have not come across many writers who develop such contagiously disturbing characters...Hulme puts the readers right into Joe's mind that you get the psychotic vibe on his physical abuse towards Simmon his mute son...The characters seem strange yet interesting.. Kerewin an artist with her self imposed exile living in a tower by the sea..Simon has his memory completely washed out and being mute is unable to express a thing, yet his expressions are poetically put forward to the readers...Joe is held by grief of losing his wife and son finds , to get away from it , he gets it undone on Simon who is all troubled son..In spite of his love he consistently abuses his son...I also liked the way Maori culture and myth were intertwined into the story, giving insights on New Zealand's local life and people....Violence and self annihilation somehow becomes the core of the novel...Joe almost beats Simmon to death when Simon grabs a piece of glass to attack Joe both end up in hospital alive..Kerewin, Simmon and Joe share a muddled up relationship yet they care for each other..I also loved the way Hulme had created a situation by which the relationship is forced upon them, yet they take it and live by it....I also liked the way Simmon's character was used to highlight and develop the characters of Kerewin and Joe and their internal struggle for identity and choice of life and living....Simmon at times had my sympathy., losing his family he only had Kerewin and Joe to be something close to a family....Simmon quite aggressive he beats up older children breaks up window of neighbours even when he was in a good mood, the mind of a troubled mute boy just striked in me...Even when Kerewin comes to Simmon's rescue by suggesting an alternative in dealing with him to Joe, she eventually gives up when her own treasured things are taken carelessly away by Simmon and her window broken...Though Kerewin's loneliness and lack of family and happiness are fulfilled to an extend through Joe and Simmon, still she is resolute to come in terms of the absence of it through her life and art....Hulme's use of tenses again was a bit confusing...Reading the novel was vexatious to an extend still I marveled at the Hulme..She leaves many question unanswered, and the climax is left undone.,to take it positively or negatively is up to ones's own ..Though in my personal opinion I don't see a place where these three souls would fit in together, yet human behaviour is so complex and unfathomable at times that anything could happen....I wouldn't recommend it to someone who wants to sit and relax with a book...</div>
vbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815931257531886393noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009810123554787816.post-70330764950215589432015-03-10T01:43:00.001-07:002015-03-10T01:43:45.741-07:00Book Review: The blood of flowers by Anita Ammirezvani<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title:The blood of flowers</b><br />
Author: Anita Ammirezvani<br />
Publisher: Headline Book publishing<br />
Price: Rs 325<br />
Page: 464<br />
ISBN:0755341422<br />
Genre:Fiction/ folktale<br />
Rating: 4 out of 5<br />
Source: Personal<br />
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<b>Summary:</b><br />
Set in seventeenth-century Iran, THE BLOOD OF FLOWERS is the powerful and haunting story of a young girl's journey from innocence to adulthood. A village girl's dreams of marriage end on the death of her father. Cast on the mercy of relatives in fabled Isfahan, she and her mother are reduced to servitude until she reveals a talent for designing carpets – an invaluable skill. Hope is short-lived, for a disastrous, headstrong act results in the girl's disgrace. Caught between forces she can barely comprehend, she faces a life lived at the whim of others – unless she is prepared to risk everything and choose a future based on her own strength and will.<br />
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<b>Review:</b><br />
It is a saga of the protagonist whose name remains undisclosed through the end..Her struggle to make a mark in life in spite of the adversities bestowed upon her by fate...Set in during seventeenth century Persia the story swirls around the her life of the narrator who loses her father at the very beginning of the novel...Losing the bread winner of the family, it goes down to the days of inadequacy of even the basic need for life..Thus her mother seeks the help of Gostaham her husband's step brother for help.. Though he takes them home their plight and tale never improves, they work all day like servants and have to deal with Goshtaham's wife who is eccentric....Gostaham is a talented carpet artist who works for Shah..Gostaham discovers the narrator's skill for the work and readily takes her under his wings and trains her well...But then fate plays its nasty games, earning the wrath of her uncle when she ruins an expensive carpet..Her life take a full turn and comes to where she started off all over again with no one to lean on...All she is left with a choice of <i>Sigheh</i>, a contractual marriage which would last for three months with an option of extension if the husbands desires..Her mother also forces her into it so that she would be paid bringing home some money for the household which she could use to buy raw materials for her work...She would be required to visit her husband when he expresses his desire..But the problem with this marriage is that after the period of three months she would be an outcast in the society....Such that she has very less options left at her disposal to get on with life...<br />
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Being that said the novel goes beyond the difficulties of the narrator, it explores the art of carpet weaving,the exquisite details of the design and the hard work that goes behind the work, at the same time it also puts forth the life of a girl in a turmoil when she has no father figure in life in a male dominated society..The narrator has great dreams for her future, she aspires to own a company of her own with people working for her...She is a free thinker and a determined lady, even when the future looks and dazzles bleakness...Through the narrator's mother we also get a glimpse of the folklore of Persia through many stories she recounts to her daughter....<br />
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All in all it was a very different read for me , had there been more details of the way of life their routine,ritual and everyday practices it would have created a whole lot of different mood for the reader....Though the melancholy is set right from the beginning, I was beyond irritated when she made took idiot steps inviting troubles to herself adding upon the existing ones, yet I liked her along the way as she grows up from a child into a woman wading through difficult water..Her mother though initially was such a sweetheart but her sudden change of colour somehow put me off.. Goshtaham is portrayed as a man of complete calm and love who helps the narrator throughly...Goshtaham's wife adds to the villainy part well...I would recommend this book to historic buffs though I will not promise great reading, but something different...</div>
vbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815931257531886393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009810123554787816.post-91105801831247239752015-03-08T06:48:00.000-07:002015-03-08T06:48:42.929-07:00Book Review: This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title: This Lullaby</b><br />
Author: Sarah Dessen<br />
Publisher:Speak<br />
Pages:345<br />
Price:Rs 576<br />
ISBN:9780142501559<br />
Genre: Young adult Romance<br />
Rating: 4 out of 5<br />
Source: Personal<br />
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This review is been in my draft for the past two years..So I read this young adult romantic fling for fun and to complete the review.....Remy is all busy organizing things for a marriage apparently it happens to be her mother's, her fourth since her marriage with her father..Remy has another strong dig not knowing her father, except that he wrote a song "this Lullaby'" for her..She never knew him which takes away the faith and familial warmth a child needs early in life..Hence she is all cynical and skeptical about love but that doesn't mean that she remains single, she does has her share of boy friends ,but there is a rule she religiously hold onto., that she breaks up before things get emotional or before getting hurt...Oh yea she has another rule to live by, never to get involved with a musician..She sticks to it until she meets Dexter a perfect complement to Remy... He is a dreamer, musician, an optimistic and above all true believer in love...<br />
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Now what happens when two such people meet?? Predictably love blossoms when opposite poles attract, much to the dismay to Remy.. She wants Dexter to be just a summer fling, while Dexter's persistence takes things ahead, while everyone is stunned including Remy..Things move smoothly until Dexter overhears about Remy stand on Dexter , that is just another guy in her life..Oops that just hurt isn't!!!Dexter is disheartened and starts drift away from her much to her surprise and irritation..Will Remy come out of her shell of pessimism and hold on to the love that Dexter has been extending..Will she find love and life all over again??<br />
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To me Remy's character carried certain charm..She was not the bad term to the extend she thought..She is a tough and strong girl..Of course she has her issues, she has a bad habit of smoking which she quits, she also overcomes her urge to hard core partying and drinking..She always gets her way out of whatever she wants.. While Remy's mother's multiple marriage developed cynicism in her, Dexter had just the opposite effect, he became a hard core romantic growing up with different step fathers..Remy's best friends and Dexter's band mates were real people who stood by them when things went tough...The Remy-Dexter moments were charmingly done and I loved Dessen for that..She kept it light all through like a gentle breeze which caress gently yet strong..<br />
This book is again for a light hearted read, go for it you sure will enjoy the go..</div>
vbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815931257531886393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009810123554787816.post-75519860299812746762015-03-06T03:35:00.000-08:002015-03-06T03:35:58.941-08:00Book Review : Hunger by Knut Hamson<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong>Title:Hunger</strong><br />
Author:Knut Hamson<br />
Pages:250<br />
Rating: 4 out of 5<br />
Source: Online<br />
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<strong>Summary(from flipkart)</strong><br />
A true classic of modern literature that has been described as ?one of the most disturbing novels in existence” (<i>Time Out</i>), Hunger is the story of a Norwegian artist who wanders the streets, struggling on the edge of starvation. As hunger overtakes him, he slides inexorably into paranoia and despair. The descent into madness is recounted by the unnamed narrator in increasingly urgent and disjointed prose, as he loses his grip on reality.<br />
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<strong>Review</strong><br />
A quick note before I get to the book..I wanted to read <em>"Growth of the soil"</em> by Knut that earned him Nobel Prize in 1920, but since I found Hunger before finding the other one I gave in to it..<br />
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Hunger is about an unsuccessful anonymous writer (lets call him hero) who is trying hard to meet his end meet through his writing skill..He goes around without food for days together, yet he is too proud to ask for help..He is a contrasting figure of psychological pride and survival...One day we find him annoyed by an old lady begging for food and soon we see him going to the extend of selling his vest in exchange of money giving away more than half of the share to her, while keeping smaller portions for himself when he himself hadn't had food...Next instant he thinks that the supreme power is against him and life very harsh and the very next moment we see him switch back to high spirits..<br />
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Our hero is quite strange in his own terms, he is impoverished yet has no complains, he wanders through the streets, has no money for food and carries a clear conscience.. In an exceptional circumstance he steals food which leaves him deeply hurt so the next time when he has money he gives away all the vendor just to free himself from guilt..Above all he is too proud of himself, he doesn't ask for a ticket even when he has been with no food three or four days in row..He is seen through starving most of his days worse unemployed too...He amuses himself by various tales around and keeps on going planning his work in the coming days...Finally he decides to leave all this sufferings for good and start a new life.. Does he succeed?? Read it to find out..<br />
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I took my own time to get a hang about the story and when I got it I got my pace quite well..The novel is simple, easy to follow and a good read...The hero loves the things around him,the way they are he doesn't feel low about himself or the situations yet he is not sure about that many times..<br />
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I was so surprised to hear his name as a link between Dostoevsky and Kafka, even with a Nobel prize to his credit he seemed largely invisible among readers... in short this book would be a different read, as there are no plot to take the novel forward but only events that makes our hero's day and night...There is nothing remarkable about our hero yet his goodness stays throughout untouched by harsh situations of life... </div>
vbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815931257531886393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009810123554787816.post-31011952962585592342015-03-04T01:38:00.000-08:002015-03-04T01:39:16.638-08:00Book Review: Born under a million shadow by Andrea Busfield<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title: Born under a million shadow</b><br />
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Author: Andrea Bursfield</div>
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Publisher: Transworld</div>
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Price: Rs 738</div>
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Pages: 384</div>
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ISBN:9780552775632</div>
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Genre: Historic fiction</div>
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Rating: 4.5 out of 5</div>
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Source: Personal</div>
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<b>Summary:</b></div>
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<b>From backcover:</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Taliban have disappeared from Kabul's streets, but the long shadows of their brutal regime remain. In his short life eleven-year-old Fawad has known more grief than most: his father and brother have been killed, his sister has been abducted, and Fawad and his mother, Mariya, must rely on the charity of family to eke out a hand-to-mouth existence.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Then Mariya finds a position as housekeeper for a charismatic western woman, Georgie, and Fawad dares to hope for an end to their struggle. He soon discovers that his beloved Georgie is caught up in a dangerous love affair with the powerful Afghan warlord Haji Khan, a legendary name on the streets of Kabul. At first resentful of Haji Khan's presence, Fawad learns that love can move a man to act in surprising ways, and an overwhelming act of generosity persuades him of the warlord's good intentions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But even a man as influential as Haji Khan can't protect Fawad from the next tragedy to blight his young life, a tragedy so devastating that it threatens to destroy the one thing Fawad thought he could never lose: his love for his country.</span></div>
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<b>Review:</b></div>
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Afghanistan being in much trouble for many years has been a topic of journalist turned writers, for fiction and non-fiction alike and all of them have a shared shade of melancholy drawn all through it..<br />
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Fawad (do read the epilogue of why author chose this name) eleven year old boy has lost all in his family except his mother by the atrocities of Taliban reign.. Living on charity of his relatives his life revolves into hand to mouth state in a shattered home..Still he grows up into an intelligent, strong, brave boy with a fling of optimism with dreams and hopes for a better tomorrow..Meanwhile his mother Mariya is offered a job as a housekeeper at Georgie's house..Along Georgie we are introduced to two other friends James an engineer and May an engineer with whom Georgie shares her house..Then on the story kick starts with Fawad developing a big time crush on Georgie who is intelligent, well read and caring..To Fawad's utter dismay Georgie is involved with Haji Khan an Afghan warlord...He can only watch helplessly as the relation blossom...But soon things threaten to fall apart...</div>
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I loved the way Busfiled handled the plot ,the characters are so lovable, she has made it her point to make all the characters memorable just as that of the protagonist's, from Jamilla to Spandi -Fawad's playmates to James , May all stay deep in....Fawad who is introduced as a young boy,with nothing around to hold on to, his journey to being a young man with all the internal conflicts that of love , hate, distress and loss are portrayed well that you can't help but wish him well..Haji Khan epitomizes the darker part of the Taliban regime...The relation of Haji and Georgie goes through without much drama and fan fare giving the right picture with right dimension to the reader...All along the novel Bursfield's love for the country its culture and people pumps up...The human spirit at the hands of hard times and pressure, kinship , love and zeal to lead along are all portrayed without being preached..Bursfield has stayed away from making any political statements yet her stand comes clear and vivid through various situations Fawad comes face to face...Fawad comes to learn many things from alcohol to sex through the three foreigners..For him they a window to the world outside his.. Even through the hard times Fawd keeps his wit and humour alive..I loved the way Fawad played the role of matchmaker for his mother and the blind shopkeeper was a real treat to read along...<br />
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I loved the book for the beauty of the language and the style to portray a distressed life that could be changed by way of perception..<br />
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vbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815931257531886393noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009810123554787816.post-85633259361355409192014-03-26T04:02:00.004-07:002014-03-26T04:33:46.144-07:00Book Review: Amphigorey by Edward Gorey<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title: Amphigorey</b><br />
Author: Edward Gorey<br />
Publisher: Turnaround publisher service<br />
Pages: 189<br />
Price: Rs 1241<br />
ISBN: 9780399504338<br />
Genre: Art / fiction/ satire<br />
Rating: 4 out of 5<br />
Source: Borrowed<br />
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<b>Summary (from good reads)</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">The title of this deliciously creepy collection of Gorey's work stems from the word </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">amphigory</em></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">, meaning a nonsense verse or composition. As always, Gorey's painstakingly cross-hatched pen and ink drawings are perfectly suited to his oddball verse and prose. The first book of 15</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">.</span></span></span></div>
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<b>Review</b><br />
Amphigorey is the first among the series of book of three.I happened to read this book in strange circumstances just like the bizarre collection of stories that set a classic example for social satire..There are fifteen short stories in this book and each one a unique in its own way..Gorey's illustration is something that one would find it quite different from any of the books one usually reads..I read the stories at random and though unique some of them where not my cup of tea .....<br />
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What would you do with ghastly, grim, sullen and somber circumstances and events?? Tone it down so much that they start tosound amusingly witty..I think anyone but Gorey could do this kind of work with these stories..<br />
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There are kids such that in that of <i>"The Grashlycrumb Tinies" </i>who die at unusual circumstance that is amusing ..But then can you believe that? well that is Gorey for you.. Gorey has created an era that is strangely funny , creatures are strange and quite fantastic at that as in "<i>The Doubtful guest", </i>it is a story of an animal visiting a family much to the irritation and dismay of the family, worse part it doesn't talk while dropping their precious belonging to the pond stealing towel and so on, the family is never able to get rid of it even after 17 years, while the animal doesn't show any sign of leaving in near future either..The Unstrung harp is another interesting hypnagogic conversations in an authors head, his creativity that roots in and branches out as tales..The mental pressure when an author is unable to pen down his thoughts his frustrations and creating a masterpiece and trashing them all are depicted in an unusual way ...<br />
<i>"The hapless child" </i>was one story that in spite of its melancholy aura, could be for a normal read. Its about Charlotte Sophia whose father, Colonel dies on duty, mother too dies of ill- health, she is sent to a boarding school where the teachers are cruel, her fellow mates bizarre to the extend that they tear off her doll's limb, to escape all this she runs away only to come face to face with thugs who are even worse but then some good news comes her way towards the end..<i>"The curious Sofa" </i> was my least favourite among all..<br />
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Overall the book is for an off-beat read which would treat you with a very different reading experience..The language is old school hence may not be that reader friendly, still it is worth a try..<br />
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<b>The illustrations</b></div>
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vbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815931257531886393noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009810123554787816.post-91120393838667799512014-03-24T04:51:00.001-07:002014-03-24T04:51:15.641-07:00Book Review: The Captain's daughter by Alexander Pushkin <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title: The Captain's daughter</b><br />
Author: Alexander Pushkin<br />
Pages: 154<br />
Genre: Historic fiction/ classic<br />
Price: Rs 514<br />
Source: Online<br />
Rating: 4.5 out of 5<br />
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Reading a classic is always a treat to mind and heart and the Russian classics are my favourite ..I have always been in awe of the beauty of its prose..<br />
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The captain's daughter is a historical novel set during Pughachev's rebellion in 18th century..At the early age of 17 the protagonist Pyotr Andreyich Grinyov is sent to military service in Orenburg by his father..Having lost way he is caught in an unknown atmosphere in a fix until rescued by a puzzling stranger..<br />
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At Orenburg, he is assigned to serve at the Fort Belogorsky under Captain Ivan Mironov, there he befriends Shvabrin a fellow officer..Love soon takes up the scene as Pyotr falls head over heels in love with Masha, The Captain's daughter.But the twist is when Shvabrin also has an eye on Masha who has turned his proposal down..The love triangle goes through several ups and down until the fortress is attacked by Yemelyan Pughachev who imposes himself as the murdered Emperor Peter III...As Captain Mironov refuses for allegiance he is hanged while his wife is murdered..When it is the turn of Pyotr his life is spared as it is revealed that Pughachev to be the mystifying rescuer from the past..Though they develop a fond relationship Pyotr declines to serve Pughachev, by sheer sincerity he is let to go back to Orenburg.<br />
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The fort is left under Shvabrin who predictably takes advantage of the situation to force Masha to marry him..Pyotr ushers to stop the marriage only to be captured by Pughachev's troops..Pyotr explains the situation frees Masha and sets off to Captain's estate, en route they are blocked by army...Pyotr decides to stay back with the army while Masha continues her journey to her fathers's estate..The War continues fiercely resulting in Pughachev's death..Once again Pyotr is captured for having friendly relation with Pughachev and labelled as a traitor..During interrogation Shvabrin testifies against Pyotr and Pyotr doesn't defend himself for defending himself would bring Masha to court..Pyotr receives death penalty and once again luck favors him as his life is spared but remains a prisoner...More drama follows..Would masha ever come to know about Pyotr's plight or will they go on to live estranged till end ..Do read the wonderfully crafted Pushkin's work to know more..<br />
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Innocent Pyotr's character matched up with his honesty and sincerity above all his passion for life and love wins the reader's heart right from the very beginning..His life is always tested with cruelty of war..Through the novella Pushkin makes an exhaustive depiction and personal researched analysis of the outbalance of Russian lives..The novella portrays the lives of different societal hierarchy their clashes and struggle for justice<br />
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The novella is classic in every term be it political criticism, romantic nobility, observation common life..All in all it was a captive read also in terms of language and style of writing...Though the end was bit dramatic I don't deny myself to be partial in liking it thoroughly...</div>
vbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815931257531886393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009810123554787816.post-32954420529682561442014-02-14T23:30:00.002-08:002014-02-14T23:30:21.155-08:00Book Review: Done with men by Suchi Singh Kalra<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title: Done with Men</b><br />
Author: Suchi Singh Kalra<br />
Publisher: Indireads<br />
Pages: 159<br />
Price: Rs 175<br />
Genre: Chic-lit?romance<br />
Source: Publisher<br />
Rating: 3.8 out of 5<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GO3H88Y?tag=bookformeback-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=B00GO3H88Y&adid=00YHK3N3KJYQA1F3SGF5">Buy Done with men from amazon.com</a><br />
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<b>Summary (from Blurb)</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Travel journo, Kairavi Krishna (Kay) has had it with men. After a series of disasters (losers, philanderers, leeches, mama's boys and possessive psychos), she is all too tempted to walk out on the prospect of ever finding love. Accompanied by her best friend and flat-mate Baani, she sets off for Goa, hoping to get away from her miserable love life and vowing to stay clear of the male species. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Goa however, has a host of surprises in store for her. Ricky, her pesky ex-boyfriend, is busy painting the town red with his hot new girlfriend. Now what is poor Kay to do other than overdose on vodka, smoke pot, get an outrageous tattoo and fall off the hotel balcony? She wakes up in the hospital to the tender ministrations of Dr.Vivian D'Mello--young, suave and handsome as hell. Will Kay stick to her guns or will she fall for his ridiculously sexy charms? And what's up with the mixed signals he's giving out?</span></span><br />
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<b>Review</b><br />
I wanted to revamp my blogging with an easy breezy and light read hence entered Kairavi Krishna or Kay<b> </b>who has messed up her life with a dedicated consistency..All thanks to her love life, yet her job as a travel journo and her super caring and lovable BFF Baani sort of keep things going and of course there is a thought bubble that pops up at all times giving Kay a different perspective 24X7..Oh yea how can we miss Kay's way with sheer stupidity that sort of lands her into troubles and that's the way the story unfolds., Kay's great fall from the balco after an alleged lesbian encounter , disastrous tattoo which reads "DONE WITH MEN"..Predictably Kay is not at all done with men as she meets the attractive, handsome ortho Dr Vivian D'Mello in her funny lingerie with broken bones, bruised face and unconscious On the contrary the doctor is too good to be ignored and carries a aura around him but did I miss telling you that Kay is still coming in terms with her life and the spoiled New year bash at the sun burn festival Goa that she and Baani had intelligently tied up , work and pleasure..<br />
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Things are really slipping away as she faces her as her ex (philanderer) is all cuddled up with a new girl and now she can't stop herself falling for the charismatic Dr Vivian, but wait is she wrong when she sees the same vibes reverberating from him at every encounter? But the who is the attractive girl who seem to share a great bond with Dr Vivian..Guess what ??Baani seems to be breaking up with her love while she was all set to marry her long time boyfriend and to top it up her boss seem to be love struck with a girl with whom she had a close miss of a lesbian encounter..How can Kay handle it all at one shot when things are falling apart? Will her thought bubble come to her rescue? well read on.<br />
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You should definitely read if you are looking for an easy, breezy and fun read with no deep thoughts..Kalra's writing is smooth and easy.The slang is handled well..She has captured the true spirit a girl in 20s..We see the protagonist and her BFF at polar ends, Kay is all messed up while Baani is clear with every step she takes, yet the bond and the friendship they share is amazing..The chemistry between Kay and Dr.Vivian though not new, the story on the whole makes it for a good read.. Kay's all new experience of love and her self discovery of love and romance will flint a smile both at her stupidity and the warmth she is yet to acknowledge..</div>
vbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815931257531886393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009810123554787816.post-87788377960490259562013-09-24T04:50:00.001-07:002013-09-24T04:50:33.059-07:00Book Review:The Road to Serfdom by F.A Hayek<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title: The Road to Serfdom</b><br />
Author: F.A Hayek<br />
Publisher: 9780415255431<br />
Pages: 272<br />
Price: Routledge<br />
Genre: Non-fiction<br />
Source: Library<br />
Rating: 4 out of 5<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0226320618/ref=as_li_tf_til?tag=bookformeback-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0226320618&adid=05NHKQ0BN61QE1A9C4XD">Buy The road to serfdom from amazon.com</a><br />
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<b>Summary:</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; word-spacing: 2px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Addressing economics, fascism, history, socialism and the Holocaust, Hayek unwraps the trappings of socialist ideology. The Road to Serfdom remains one of the all-time classics of twentieth-century intellectual though</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: arial, tahoma, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; word-spacing: 2px;">t.</span><br />
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<b>Review:</b><br />
Hayek the professor in him has tried to put together his intellectual thoughts on the roots of the problem that European world suffered in WWII and how from the mistake of pasts through war they are given a chance to start over all over again in a better way...Yet they (U.S and Europe) are not willing to learn from their past mistake and built a better future..I skipped the introduction my Milton Friedman and I may not have any excuse to that..<br />
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This book is sort of a warning on how socialism can lead to autocracy..Published in 1940's the book is most sought for its theories and ideologies..His main focus is on how economic intervention to better a situation can finally lead to further intervention and finally resulting in autocracy for they replace the existing market and hence the whole bearings rest upon a few individuals, hence onto their freedom and thoughts and not the democracy..He attempts to elaborate on how the act to do good can calculatingly do bad..For example in a socialist society an individual assumes that he has the choice to make but then his choices depends on the current scenario of the market which in itself has limited scope.Planning that goes over in the market actually takes away the freedom with which they can work on with..The book is divided into 15 chapters..each chapter explains different angles of the same problem of the market and governing authorities...<br />
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He starts with the current state of affairs though it dates back very close to 70 years ..he explains through narcissism , how the whole world has feared Hitler and how all the country put their effort, resource and energy to overcome the tyranny..Every country trying in its own way to explain the current situation that existed then and there by trying come into terms which eventually failed unless all put their effort in a unified thoughts for a solid solution but there after and the big chaos of war, the schemes that supposedly put for development issues , brought the whole situation under single solid domain of autocracy..Even when people were warned by the evil of socialism people fail to notice the change and their lose of freedom..People are bombarded with the false hope of totalitarianism that they fail to see...They fail to realize that they are losing their basic rights to freedom..<br />
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According to Hayek Socialism that is figured as a way to total freedom by diluting the disparity among the difference in income across hierarchy prevailing in society is not what it seems to be..For this he quotes France as an example that fell as a pray and eventually most European countries saw the upcoming danger of the free world in the name of Socialism and its dangers...In other words Socialism sprouted to Fascism in a from the palette..Mussolini who started off as a socialist went on to be fascist..There are always competition among fascists and socialism as according to Hayek they are all fighting for the same position..<br />
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Hayek has tried to clear the doubts and the confusion that socialism evokes..As socialism is seen as an epitome of security and equality,..But as socialism works its way to abolish privatization and an individual holding the supreme but distribution of the benefit and profit among the group can bring about planning system that will in turn have control over everything which is the confusion that the socialist attitude can bring about but in turn they all try to control people to serve their own purpose...<br />
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The confusion is when common good and general welfare is a variable constant and such that there would be a set of people who might get together with same thoughts and they form into a group of free thinking people while they supposedly think that they are the ones who can think for common good and their thoughts as a representation of the common wave while many a times this may not be the case..<br />
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The impairment arises when these set of people start to make rules and all are bound to live within the limits of these law tagged in the label of freedom of choice when actually one is forced to choose among the choices...He quotes Nazi government for this who at the outset projected themselves to be a representation of mass and took a stand on many things in the name e of bringing out change for betterment to the very people who were later opppressed..<br />
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According to Hayek any planned economy is nothing about autocracy, a tyranny in a more sophisticated order that steals away the freedom of people...Even when it comes to the choice of job the freedom to choose are limited to the positions available in the market that the government provides, controlling them the way they want ., all in the name of socialism and common good with better planning and fiscal security...<br />
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In a planned economy competition is created in the market creating a disparity among people who can afford distinguishing from the people who can't afford...This leaves with just one choice to the poor of becoming rich there by entitling themselves a chance to afford..The leaders are the one who decide the incomes and their outcome, leaving behind the very good motto of common good far behind ... they also fail in the most important fact of freedom of people by controlling them indirectly...<br />
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Even security is relatively controlled to minimum standard of living where a particular income can guarantee only a certain kind lifestyle while a slight fluctuation in the market would in turn reflect in the same...A person makes a choice of his way of life based on the income, hence highly paid jobs becomes lucrative while lowly paid makes a job unattractive..<br />
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The problem occurs when socialism take the state of oppression with many to follow and being oppressed by a leader or a group of leaders.. The group that follows has no independent judgments or thoughts to oppose the oppressor..The situation goes to the extend that even people start to think the way their leader wants them to creating a complete harmony in a convincing way..<br />
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According to Hayek, be it fascism or narcissism they all took their roots from socialism out of Marxist theory.. He quote how Sombart switched their stand from Marxist theory to the socialist ground while Plenge points out the problems of individual freedom in socialism..<br />
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While people are still surprised on how narcissism came into being in Germany, but as per Hayek it was quite predictable as German opposition to British liberalism was the reason for the German state of affair..<br />
However, the complication started when the current generation oppose market hence indirectly pave way for the individuals or the governing authority to take over that leads to further suppression..Further planning shifts the hands on labor in a different way at the outset while the core remains all the same...<br />
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As we cannot achieve international peace for serving one country's economic end sacrificing their fellow countrymen and not coming into terms for common good .. Hence we will never let anything bring a positive solution for the common good..<br />
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My favourite quote is "<i>The coming of socialism was to be the leap from the realm of necessity to the realm of freedom"..</i>(page 25)<br />
Hayek's language may not be easily understood but once your onto it things become clear to the extend that you start nodding to his way of expressions..<br />
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According to me socialist way of society gives us with a way to pursue a path away from labor work or non-economically productive way life, living a life of ones passion on arts, science and education itself while in times of scarcity the very same members might be the cause of disability and much of chaos..Many a times lack of incentives itself might contribute for unwanted competition that itself make the situation quite unstable with low standard of living and poor health...While I might be naive at pointing out the only advantage of capitalism as the least governmental interference while the very same advantage could act as a dagger with the situation being unchecked leading to a much of impairment of the people at the working class..Hayek theories has been much sought for for its own good and deeper thoughts while to me his thoughts were like the philosophy that people come up with their own version of interpretation..</div>
vbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815931257531886393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009810123554787816.post-37554726185010425882013-09-21T22:14:00.002-07:002013-09-21T22:14:53.854-07:00Book Review: Garlic and Sapphires:The secret life of a critic in disguise by Ruth Reichl<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title: Garlic and Sapphires:The secret life of a critic in disguise</b><br />
Author: Ruth Reichl<br />
Publisher: Penguin<br />
Pages: 352<br />
Price: Rs 1106<br />
ISBN: 9780143036616<br />
Genre:Non-fiction/Memoir<br />
Rating: 4 out of 5<br />
Source: Borrowed<br />
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<b>Summary:</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; word-spacing: 2px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Ruth Reichl, world-renowned food critic and former editor in chief of Gourmet magazine, knows a thing or two about food. She also knows that as the most important food critic in the country, you need to be anonymous when reviewing some of the most high-profile establishments in the biggest restaurant town in the world—a charge she took very seriously, taking on the guise of a series of eccentric personalities. In Garlic and Sapphires, Reichl reveals the comic absurdity, artifice, and excellence to be found in the sumptuously appointed stages of the epicurean world and gives us—along with some of her favorite recipes and reviews—her remarkable reflections on how one’s outer appearance can influence one’s inner character, expectations, and appetites, not to mention the quality of service one receives.</span></span><br />
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<b>Review:</b><br />
Books on food plus memoir are always fun to read..I chose this book particularly because it said that Ruth Reichel author of the book made dinning at the Asian inspired cuisine cool, so I just wanted to know more about this powerful author bit more..<br />
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<i>"With great power comes great responsibilities" </i>that is a famous quote from Spider man -I.This is a similar situation that Reichel faced as being a food critic for the New York Times..The book is her reminiscence of her six years tenure at the Times. Starts with her interview and how she landed on the hot seat..Being in the hot chair of a popular office means she is bound to me known, hence she feared she would fail in her duty with a honest opinion as she would be bestowed with lavish treats and luxurious care when compared to a normal customer, so she decides to get help from Claudia , her mother's friend who retired acting coach and then on starts a fun, entertaining story of Reichel in her new avatar...Claudia, Reichel with the help of professional makeup artists start to work on with different characters from her dress to wig to make up to make the disguise more authentic for Reichel..She superbly gets into the act of different people with unique accent, voice and modulations....She acquired everything needed for the character to come alive and they were very different from Reichel itself..<br />
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Through all we see different aspects of Reichel's life, her son's excitement on every getup, her husband's opinion and family's support highlighting the point how friends and family's support go on a long to run in making of a success story...Her disguise includes Molly, Betty, Brenda,Miriam, Chloe..These characters ranges from teacher, to blonde, to hippie, to divorced old lady..At times she gets into the sexiest clothes that lands on with over-weighed attention to the extend of being asked on for date in a different restaurant that she has to review anyways, while for other character she gets into over-sized Armani suits with three skirts to add puffiness, fake wrinkles to brows and very different wigs for each person she becomes, I really was wonderfully how she might have looked in the hippie costume..She goes to the extend of getting credit cards on the fake names..Of course she gets to restaurants in her own self and feels the change in the treatment..Describing all about the disguises she has not left out with her review on restaurants and food..Her whole experience be it novelist or nonfiction they are total fun and entertaining.. There are few fun recipes too..<br />
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Her reviews has gone to extend of shattering the reputation of one of the supposedly best restaurants that abuses common people while pampering the celebrities,while few lesser knows have had their limelight through her...<br />
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Her description about food makes you feel as though you are sitting right beside her and make you wish to grab a quick bite from her plate..She just enjoys her food that makes her description amazing..Her description about food restaurant are very elaborate just like her costumes..She focuses on the ethnic food joints that are inexpensive with good eating experience...<br />
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The book also make you see food in a whole different perspective if you are among those who are too busy while you eat..She makes you to savor the moment of delicacy enjoying to deeper extend...She has described about her coworkers though the names have been changed you never know the extend of truth as her afterword says that many instances have been exaggerated and few being skimmed so the fact remains bit in between I guess...I felt Reichel is too good as a writer even as she describes her doorman's reaction at her various costumes to her personal conversation with her husband who keeps her down to earth are revealing and enlightening at the very same time very engaging..<br />
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There is never a dull moment in the book even when you feel certain incidents for instance hell list of people waiting to call seem bit over the top..I would say just grab a copy and plunge into total fun...</div>
vbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815931257531886393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009810123554787816.post-75053075059188535722013-09-19T03:41:00.000-07:002013-09-19T21:53:05.222-07:00Harry Potter series<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title:Harry Potter Series</b></div>
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<b>Author:</b>J.K Rowling</div>
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<b>Genre: </b>Popular fiction</div>
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<b>Source: </b>Personal</div>
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<b>Rating:</b> 4.5/5 for first three books</div>
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4 for fourth 3.5 for 5th, 6th and 7th.</div>
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I started off as a hard core lover of harry potter series, my relationship with Rowling series began with the first book of course way back in my school days, I got to read the first book in my 7th grade...Though I was out of the fantasy tale somehow the magic caught up with me and I was completely addicted to it..Harry and his entire enchanted world was something that I always wanted to live in..Don't you all as kids wished a dash of magic everywhere around us be it in the name getting rid of usual homework or a quick <br />
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spell so mom would forget to feed you with a glass of milk (i hated milk), time travel machine to get you to endless holidays and the list is endless.. Harry potter had it all.. Its just not about the magic but there is a deep message of friendship and trust and celebration of the whole spirit of childhood with the right mix of intellect and brilliance through Hermione, funtime with Ron, mischeivous brilliance of Fred and George, above all Harry Potter who kept all together through thick and thin..<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCLsOsigBgBOpWRAgIQvb5ZUBw6YbGa-7EVbIwVE0YvQ6wqX9p8Waz2MNr6RKm2piqq2fxyIgwis8cxertHZIVBwiSC8fursY8NXXlMMCa9T_PCE6InI_JMyhVZFW1dqNfICJeT9ggjIk/s1600/chamber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCLsOsigBgBOpWRAgIQvb5ZUBw6YbGa-7EVbIwVE0YvQ6wqX9p8Waz2MNr6RKm2piqq2fxyIgwis8cxertHZIVBwiSC8fursY8NXXlMMCa9T_PCE6InI_JMyhVZFW1dqNfICJeT9ggjIk/s200/chamber.jpg" width="137" /></a>Bottomline of the novel is a battle of good vs evil that progresses through years in Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizadry...It all starts when Harry on his eleventh birthday discovers that he is a wizard though the letter of of acceptance from the school personally delivered by Gigantic Hagrid with a pack of birthday cake. Brought up in the household of Aunt Petunia with no love and care , he is pleasantly surprised with the revelation, and deeply happy for the change. At Hogwarts he is introduced to the world of magic filled with witches and wizardry he is pleased with the world that becomes his life and learns more about his parents , he also discovers that he is a natural at Quidditch that he has inherited from his father and above all he learns about Lord Voldemort whose mere name everybody is scared and it is he who has left a scar on his forehead killing his parents, who died trying to save him..Harry finds friendship through Ron and Hermione who stick with him till the end..He slowly finds love, friendship (which is the important theme of the story), the book <b>'HP and t</b><b>he Sorcerer's Stone'</b> starts with the trio saving the philosopher's stone from professor Quirell's who in turn is trying to help Lord Voldemort's back to life..The mere touch of Harry burn Quirell..<br />
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Second book <b>'HP and t</b><b>he Chambers of Secret'</b> they save Ron's sister Ginny (who reads a chapter from a diary that opens a gate for a monster from 'The chamber of secrets' in Hogwarts )..Harry also happens to destroy one of Voldemort's soul (horcrux) and killing the monster in the chamber.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ijzElXnB2e6STuec01CPOdIW8xD0Rp-521yy0UxnZ63XRBkiuv9hfHcQHliWCj1LJZ0C_8EcCdqOeJX0qDrWMIrid6ChMhrKqWRmytfQ9hxK2d9WU992sVxP6mFXmQkgG-DIjb1vTBg/s1600/prisoner+of+azkaban.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ijzElXnB2e6STuec01CPOdIW8xD0Rp-521yy0UxnZ63XRBkiuv9hfHcQHliWCj1LJZ0C_8EcCdqOeJX0qDrWMIrid6ChMhrKqWRmytfQ9hxK2d9WU992sVxP6mFXmQkgG-DIjb1vTBg/s200/prisoner+of+azkaban.jpg" width="133" /></a>Following is the next book <b>'HP and the prisoner of</b><b> Azkaban'</b> ...In the third year of Hogwarts, Harry and his friends come across Remus Lupin one of the wonderful defense against dark arts teacher, apparently Lupin also happens to be one Harry's parents closest friends, this is the year where we are introduced to Rowling's dreadful creatures called the Dementors who guard the prison where the wizardry criminals are held captive , these Dementors can suck the happiness and any trace of peace from human upon close contact..Harry finds about about his godfather Sirius Black who has been alleged for betraying his parents, the trio with the help of time travelling machine help Black escape from Azkaban , fight against Dementors yet again proving that Harry is indeed destined for greatness..<br />
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After the third book, I found my interest in Harry dwindling ..Though the first four books were released in my school days, I got to read Goblet of fire only in my college days..<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4A7Mt8N_tYK7nxudMFSmZd6Vbw8CknPFrGoAXzYd4Vk3zayXsAGB9rV_34FupRoZPlv_q0u63toaFN_GjNu7lWQWF80wEtVAUlPDMf-7t9QJ9wg5sOl4S5BXyh4gYmVEFEWRaB4RYSg/s1600/goblet+of+fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4A7Mt8N_tYK7nxudMFSmZd6Vbw8CknPFrGoAXzYd4Vk3zayXsAGB9rV_34FupRoZPlv_q0u63toaFN_GjNu7lWQWF80wEtVAUlPDMf-7t9QJ9wg5sOl4S5BXyh4gYmVEFEWRaB4RYSg/s200/goblet+of+fire.jpg" width="127" /></a>In the fourth book <b>'HP and t</b><b>he Goblet of fire' </b>and the fourth year of Hogwarts, Hogwarts is hosting a Tri-wazard contest which is like an inter school competition is open only to the senior students .In this, we get to see many witches, professors from other magic schools as well, of course what fun without Harry into the contest but then he is not eligible to enter still someone make sure that he enters and gets to the final stage of the competition.. The tournament cup is a portkey( transportation object for wizard that transports them to predetermined upon touch) he and Cedric Diggory (fellow contestant) are transported to cemetery and come face to face with Voldemort..Voldemort takes Harry's blood and restores his life, in close seconds Cedric dies but Harry survives..All this happens through one of Voldemort's supporter who impersonates as Professor Moody ..<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzNs-EgutceYwU7Tk1MqEw7tVTa6APxIL1pSdJyrHnDbEuTaI_Lk3VsOz21p783_rBsXAbJJcXZQim8CoIOfdlB4arOEhE6yYbsZvm1ALV2YxYUp-I3U7K_dnWGEZh2NoIYVY6uliQfJ4/s1600/order.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzNs-EgutceYwU7Tk1MqEw7tVTa6APxIL1pSdJyrHnDbEuTaI_Lk3VsOz21p783_rBsXAbJJcXZQim8CoIOfdlB4arOEhE6yYbsZvm1ALV2YxYUp-I3U7K_dnWGEZh2NoIYVY6uliQfJ4/s200/order.jpg" width="146" /></a>Fifth book <b>'HP and t</b><b>he Order of Phoenix'</b> witnesses a lot of activities as the Ministry of Magic intervenes on the school's activities, Prof Dolores Umbridge takes on the charge as the defense against dark arts teacher and becomes the high inquisitor of the school, outraged by the syllabus Harry with his friends start 'Dumbledore's army', Harry learns about Order of Phoenix a secret society that is set up by witch working hard to keep the world of magic away from Voldemort..Harry is taught Occlumency , a magical defense of mind from external mind reading and control from Prof Snape and he is having trouble concentrating.. Harry again with his friends fight against Voldemort's supports in the Ministry of Magic who are trying to get their hands of the glass sphere of prophecy..There is a strong fight against the teenagers and the dark witches in the dual the order of phoenix join them and during the fight Sirius Black is killed ..The prophecy state that Harry has a superior power that Voldemort doesn't possess and that either Harry destroy Voldemort or be killed by him..This year he also learns why Harry has to return to Privet Drive to his Aunt Petunia for every miserable summer holidays..<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3kuqBubJtL20w5FQnPrqAGcDdu9ZFtQgWhisrFzXWMZE92MH4FqfXknbi0MZmnkAB57Zg3nebiynD4oxHHmAjpm1Ztli-lRusYkbEc_b-r3IUkKu0QgJlTbHwUb9McZ3J5DK7ily4Ow/s1600/half+blood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3kuqBubJtL20w5FQnPrqAGcDdu9ZFtQgWhisrFzXWMZE92MH4FqfXknbi0MZmnkAB57Zg3nebiynD4oxHHmAjpm1Ztli-lRusYkbEc_b-r3IUkKu0QgJlTbHwUb9McZ3J5DK7ily4Ow/s200/half+blood.jpg" width="129" /></a>Fifth Book <b>'HP and t</b><b>he Half-blood Prince'</b> Harry gets his hands on a book signed by an enigmatic half blood prince filled with many annotations, potions and many entries.. This is this book we see many social activities ..Harry's attraction for Cho fades and he starts dating Ginny while Ron and Hermione's love also blossoms.. Harry learns from Dumbledore that Voldemort's soul is split into many Horcruxe which has been hidden in many places..Together they start the search of them travelling through Voldemort's past life..Harry has to find and destroy them to completely kill Voldemort...Professor Snape finally attains the post of being the defense against dark arts teacher , at the end of the book we see Snape killing Professor Dumbledore, the reason is revealed only upon the the death of professor Snape...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQraR4N_CxUIVFmMyeBpzcZatPr1CFMbkmuSUigQjaFqoTom5yewJXabQriqfl2wC-2GuGa8uMZDAkkz59ZMU_o6Z4u4suENaVcS7sXhZGDKfR12HdoUUpfz5XOFeitH5efdHcZxEZAMU/s1600/deathly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQraR4N_CxUIVFmMyeBpzcZatPr1CFMbkmuSUigQjaFqoTom5yewJXabQriqfl2wC-2GuGa8uMZDAkkz59ZMU_o6Z4u4suENaVcS7sXhZGDKfR12HdoUUpfz5XOFeitH5efdHcZxEZAMU/s200/deathly.jpg" width="138" /></a>In the final and the seventh book, <b>'HP and the Deathly Hallows'</b>, the battle in open, Voldemort regains power and takes over The Ministry of Magic, Harry and his friends drop out of Hogwarts in the quest for Horcruxe .. Harry unravel the complicated personality of Professor Snape and the past of Prof Dumbledore.. Harry masters occlumency.. Harry learns through Snape's memory that Harry happens to be one of the horcruxes hence lets himself be striked by Voldemort making Voldemort belive that he has finally killed Harry.. As all the horcruxes are destroyed in the final battle, tit finally comes down to Harry vs Voldemort and to the prophecy that <i>"Neither can live while the other survives"</i>. The battle is deadly and we see lot of blood shed and deaths, Elder wand recognizes Harry as its true masters and refuses to kill Harry rebounding ..The same killing curse kills Voldemort who tried to kill Harry years ago bringing an end to the finale of the Harry Potter series..<br />
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As always with famous series, Harry Potter too has been adapted to movie, I have problem with a movie adapted from book as they lack details..Though I enjoyed the first two to some extend from the third onards I could not enjoy..<br />
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The book is the torch bearer of loyalty, bravery, courage under pressure, above all the zeal to believe in oneself. It underlines the point that in the fight between the good vs evil ,at the end its all about the good and not the evil..We witness many death, few are heart wrenching starting the list starts with Sirius Black, Albus Dumbledore, Dobby, Hedwig, Moody, Lupin, Tonk, one of the twin brothers Fred Weasely..<br />
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Being said that to me the most complicated characters was that of Severus Snape. His detestation to harry right from the beginning of the series is only mutual ,this worsens through the consecutive series... Though he is bitter and cold to everything around him, he is brilliant in what he does, working as a teacher for potion, his eyes are always onto the post of defense against dark arts still he is a real master at potions too. His true character and true loyalty is known only after this death through his memories..<br />
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And my favourite character is that of Hermione she is smart, annoyingly brilliant with know it all air, quick witted and a true friend when in need..<br />
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I liked the Rowling's fictional spells, and few words such as pensive (a storage gadget for memories), parsel tongue (language to communicate with snakes), Floo powder(powder that wizard use for travelling) there are many more that were quite interesting ..The magic world itself is under the control of Ministry of magic with various departments under it, there are magical enforcement squad, a specially trained witches to keep the criminals on check, event courts and Prison of Azkaban to keep the crime under check..They live under strict rule that the world of wizard should remain unseen to humans( muggles) at all cost..At the household of a witch, there are house elves (small creature that works as servant at wizard house with at most loyalty undergoing deep neglect) who help out with everyday activity..The world with Hogsmede(magical village) Quidditch matches made the series a thing of wonder often adding feathers to my thoughts and imagination..We watch the shy kids' amazing transformation into matured, daredevil kind of people in league of legends fighting against evil, with their own fear and doubt yet overcoming them all..<br />
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vbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815931257531886393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009810123554787816.post-55840489556467882622013-09-09T23:01:00.002-07:002013-09-09T23:01:43.546-07:00Book Review: One flew over cuckoo's nest by Ken Kesey<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title:One flew over the cuckoo's nest</b><br />
Author: Ken Kesey<br />
Publisher: Penguin modern classics<br />
Page: 320<br />
Price: Rs 350<br />
Genre:Fiction<br />
Source: Online<br />
Rating: 4 out of 5<br />
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<b>Summary:</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; word-spacing: 2px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Tyrannical Nurse Ratched rules her ward in an Oregon State mental hospital with a strict and unbending routine, unopposed by her patients, who remain cowed by mind-numbing medication and the threat of electric shock therapy. But her regime is disrupted by the arrival of McMurphy – the swaggering, fun-loving trickster with a devilish grin who resolves to oppose her rules on behalf of his fellow inmates. His struggle is seen through the eyes of Chief Bromden, a seemingly mute half-Indian patient who understands McMurphy's heroic attempt to do battle with the powers that keep them imprisoned. Ken Kesey's extraordinary first novel is an exuberant, ribald and devastatingly honest portrayal of the boundaries between sanity and madness.</span></span><br />
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<b>Review:</b><br />
Set in a mental asylum , One flew over cuckoo's nest somehow transcends a message that it is fun to be crazy.. The story moves through the eyes of Chief Bromden a schizophrenic pretending to be deaf and dumb so that he goes unnoticed by others.The somber mood swifts off as Randle McMurphy is admitted as the new inmate Mc Murphy chooses a life in hospital to that of the hard labor at the farm , he has many good and not so good things to his credit, he is a breeze of fun, breaking rules is his favourite pass time, he is also allegedly accused of raping a juvenile..McMurphy befriends other inmates just like that , he even get intimate with many, he lights up the whole environment by means of gambling and many other activities, in short he becomes a ball of energy ..Though one may not agree with his actions, nonetheless all are entertaining..<br />
Of course things doesn't go on in this jolly spirit especially when the whole hospital is supposedly under the strict regime of Ratched the chief nurse who runs the hospital with iron fist..I happily and instantly disliked her..Many a times Mc Murphy pushes his way playing around with Ratched.. But the problem is Mc Murphy can get into serious trouble as Ratched can get him lobotomized which is her extreme end of action towards patients..The problem is no matter Mc Murphy tries his way, the fact would be that he is a patient and Ratched being the nurse gives her the upper hand over any situation and force him or any patient for that matter to go through any kind of medication in the name of therapy..Ratched does manages to keep McMurphy on check for few days...When Ratched almost thinks that everything is under her control things go hayward ..<br />
Mc Murphy ways are bit off track, for example he carries cards that has sexual positions in place of kings, queen and jacks, he even smuggles wine and finally get prostitutes into the hospital premises...He helps Billy (another inmate) with prostitutes company...This doesn;t go unnoticed by Ratched but what follows was something none could imagine, Ratched itimitade Billy and he commits suicide, accuses Mc Murphy for his actions..Then on there is a situation of conflicts between Ratched and Mc Murphy finally one day Mc Murphy is taken to lobotomy ward and gets back to the ward in a vegetative state..Bromden unable to bear to watch him in this state kills him and relives him off the agony..Brombden escapes the hospital hikes a ride and set a new path towards his freedom...<br />
Though McMurphy tries to breathe an air of happiness into the lives of inmates at the hospital , on a closer watch the book is a mix of gender bias and racial discrimination ..This might because of the era the tale was set in..Even when you don't agree with Ratched, there are instance when McMurphy works hard to prove that Ratched is just a woman..<br />
On a positive note, the novel explores the fine line between insanity and sanity and how people can be easily pushed to a state of so called of insanity by the surrounding and how seclusion can only aggravate the situation than help.<br />
Kessey highlights on the liberation of mind invariably of the situations. Kessey has succeeds in creating an image of hospital , ward, nurse and inmates just like one is watching a movie... I read somewhere that Kessey underwent an electroshock just to get the feel so that he could write about it better, now call that going extra mile on what you do...</div>
vbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815931257531886393noreply@blogger.com1