Ritesh has
306 books
(18 selected)
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| # | cover | title | author | isbn | isbn13 | asin | num pages | avg rating | num ratings | date pub | date pub (ed.) | rating | my rating | review | notes | recommender | comments | votes | read count | date started | date read |
date
|
date purchased | owned | purchase location | condition | format | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0615598919
| 9780615598918
| 3.91
| 44
| Jan 03, 2012
| Feb 09, 2012
|
Posted here: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com/ I loved the idea behind the series and was really excited to get to read this book. I can say that the st...more Posted here: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com/ I loved the idea behind the series and was really excited to get to read this book. I can say that the story definitely does not disappoint. The story runs along in two timelines, as all the characters in the present day are reincarnates from 1870 who knew each other back then and were somehow intimately connected. They were all part of a society of “super-humans” who had certain abilities which made them special. Each of the characters seems to have retained their special abilities in the present day. In the beginning, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by the two roles played by each character, past and present, but it became easier to follow as the story continued. The author has done a wonderful job of delineating and describing each timeline beautifully. The historic timeline is quite suitably described, which I consider a big achievement, as any discrepancy here would throw the reader off the story. I have not read any Victorian era dramas and so, have no idea about that world, but the world which the author describes here, just seems perfect. There are elements of steam punk in this book as technology from the past is brought out wonderfully. The magic in the book may be quite familiar to a lot of readers. Telepaths, telekinetics and pyrokinetics all make an appearance and seem to be a big part of the series. I expect them to make a continued appearance in all the remaining books in the series. With such a vast array of super-human characters, I expected a lot of action sequences and I was not disappointed. The action is fast paced and at times, breath-taking. I just loved it as magic and action intertwined in a beautiful symphony! The book is quite short, and I consider it to be a novella rather than a full blown novel. Would it have been better to extend the book, and reduce the series from six books to just three? I think so. I definitely think this book was missing some much needed background on both the past and present characters. A little more information for readers to go on and really get into the mystery would have been nice. However, the author has left enough hints to be able to guess the direction the series is taking. In fact, I see a much, much bigger story unfolding as the series continues. This, atleast for now, will keep my anticipation levels high for the next book in the series. The book works as it is right now, but I would have liked for the story to continue rather than wait a few months for the next instalment. After the amount of time it has taken longer series like Harry Potter and Inheritance Cycle, not to even mention Game of Thrones to complete, I have become really wary of long series. It may so happen that a number of readers may get tired of waiting and lose interest. Maybe, the author will look at this and consider changing the format? Besides this aspect, I have to say that I love this introduction and am looking forward to getting the next book in my hands!(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Feb 23, 2012
| Feb 25, 2012
|
Mar 05, 2012
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 9781466053
| 3.78
| 240
| Feb 14, 2012
| Feb 15, 2012
|
Posted on: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com/ Spoiler Warning: If you’ve not read the first book, 'Water', you may be seeing some spoilers. You been fore...more Posted on: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com/ Spoiler Warning: If you’ve not read the first book, 'Water', you may be seeing some spoilers. You been forewarned! Air is the second book in the Akasha series and is a more than worthy follow-up to Water. The book starts off with Kaitlin’s pregnancy having progressed along. Also, Micah and the others are in hot pursuit of Shawn to shut down his rogue organisation. With no one other than Susan knowing about the pregnancy, Kaitlyn gets sent on the missions as well. These missions are action packed and extremely interesting, but they are just the prologue to what is coming next. As the book progresses and both Shawn and Micah come to know of Kaitlyn’s pregnancy, they are left dumbfounded not knowing whose baby it is. I just loved the scene where this happens. I could literally see the looks on their faces. This is the talent of Terra. She can bring the characters to life, living and breathing right before us. Kaitlyn now gets left behind with Alex to do research on Shawn’s whereabouts and support the team remotely while the others keep looking for Shawn. With idle time, we know what Kaitlyn will be upto, getting in trouble of course! I’ll try to not give out spoilers, but during her research, she stumbles on a way to learn about her powers and to control all the other elements. There is an extremely unique way in which this is accomplished. No way could I have imagined this! But this is also the place where the story slows down quite a bit. Both Kaitlyn and Alex spend a lot of time (and a lot of words) researching, learning and preparing for the showdown with Shawn. But, Air is not perfect, like Water was. I generally expect the first book in a fantasy series to be big on character development. But Terra has taken an unusual route, and it is the second book where we see how Kaitlyn develops her powers as a Gaia. This is what made the first book big on action, but I knew the character development was coming. But still, the sudden drop in pace due to this left me a bit underwhelmed. This is the small gripe I have with the book. The pacing of the book was a bit too slow for me. I had to get through quite a bit if the book to really get to the action. I think Water created some unrealistic expectations with its edge-of-the-seat action throughout. Now, I can totally understand having to develop a character in fantasy books, showing us just how the person became who she is. But, certain parts felt dragged out, and could have been pruned a bit. This is definitely not something which will deter me from loving this instalment of the series. Why? Because the action in the final part left me breathless. It was a culmination of EPIC proportions. That part of the book more than redeemed the slowness of the build-up. I can’t just give the ending away, but I am really tempted to. Oh well, maybe just one line. We know that battle lines had been drawn. This book ends with one instalment of that on-going battle between Shawn and the Seven. So, here’s the final word. This is one of the best new fantasy series I have read. You would be missing out on an awesome experience if my small rant stops you from reading the series. I am sure that all this preparation will tie into the series and will seem necessary when the next book comes out. So go ahead, dive into both the books in the series, you will definitely not regret it.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Feb 11, 2012
| Feb 14, 2012
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Feb 16, 2012
| ebook
| ||||||||||||||||
| 1463510829
| 9781463510824
| 4.37
| 84
| Nov 28, 2011
| 2011
|
I really did not know what I was getting into when I picked up this book to read. The only thing I knew was that it is absolutely and completely outsi...more
I really did not know what I was getting into when I picked up this book to read. The only thing I knew was that it is absolutely and completely outside the genres I generally read. Why did I pick it up then? For one, I have been trying to expand my reading by getting into completely different genres. You will most likely see me reviewing a chicklit soon! Also, I imagined this to be a ‘superhero book’ and I just couldn’t pass up that opportunity. So, here’s what I found out through this experiment. I can read genres other than fantasy / scifi / mystery and like them. Also, I found that this book which is suitable for 9-12 year olds to be very interesting. And lastly, this IS a book about superheroes, but not in the traditional “flying, super strength and crime fighting” sense. Nate is a normal 10-yearold. He has all the problems which every kid that age faces. He does not like sports and is always picked last for everything. His sister, Abby takes pleasure in torturing him at every opportunity. He tries to run away from his mother’s horrible cooking, but rarely succeeds. His mother insists on making his Halloween costumes even though she can’t sew. His dad is quite cool, but he keeps reminiscing about his childhood and boring the kids with oft-repeated stories. And finally, there is the bane of his life, his classmate Lisa Crane who he just can’t stand. So what does he do to escape from all these problems? Nate has a passion for drawing and gets lost in the world he creates and draws as cartoons. In fact he keeps getting into trouble as this results in him daydreaming in school, at home, with friends and even while playing games. His stories, which are inspired by life around him, feature him as the hero routinely saving the world from destruction or helping the President in finding a spy. I really liked the fact that in each chapter, we find Nate going on another adventure in this world which he creates. I think this will keep the young readers interested, as they move from one adventure to the next. This also allows the book to be read in parts and helps in kids not getting bored with the story. The author has done a wonderful job of tying these discrete adventures into a wonderful story. All the characters in the book fit perfectly in their roles and no one seems out of place or forced. Although the story is about a normal family with normal issues, the story moves through at a fast pace and does not drag anywhere. This, I think should be necessary for all MG books. Any place where the story lets up even a little bit can result in kids losing interest and not wanting to push through those sections. With kids reading less every day, a book which can keep them hooked throughout should definitely garner interest from parents. Finally, I’d like to say that I loved the ending. While reading the book, I was hoping that the ending does not fizzle out. The author definitely did not let me down on that count. When the time comes and real life calls Nate to action, does he step up to the plate and deliver? Can he be a real life hero and actually save the day? Will he be able to step out of his imaginary world, into the real one and do the right thing? I won’t give the ending away, and I’d ask you to read the book to find out. All I will tell you is, I loved the ending where two enemies finally seem to become friends, if only for a little while.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Jan 31, 2012
| Feb 2012
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Jan 31, 2012
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| B005PY2U8Q
| 3.37
| 575
| Jan 01, 2011
| Sep 26, 2011
|
**spoiler alert** Water is the first book in the Akasha series by Terra Harmony and it is a huge… massive… humungous first book! Well, you now know th...more
**spoiler alert** Water is the first book in the Akasha series by Terra Harmony and it is a huge… massive… humungous first book! Well, you now know the direction in which this review is headed. The action in the book starts right on the first page, with the protagonist, Kaitlyn caught in an avalanche. She is rescued by the Seven, but finds herself captive in an unknown location. She is soon given the reason of her abduction and that is where the book turns from a mystery to an eco-fantasy. Kaitin is a Gaia or ‘Mother of the Earth’ with powers over all four basic elements of nature, water, air, earth and fire. She soon realises that escape is impossible and reluctantly starts her training to become ‘the Gaia’. A romance is thrown in the mix, as Kaitlyn starts falling for her trainer and a whirlwind relationship begins. The Seven is an organisation which is trying to save the environment and takes it on itself, the responsibility to train the next Gaia. There is a mystery surrounding them and I can’t make up my mind yet, whether they will be the good guys or will turn rogue in the next books. They want to save the earth, but their actions seem to put them in the extremist category, what with the abducting and killing people. To what lengths will they go to achieve their mission? I don’t know and I’ll reserve my judgement till I know more. Coming back from this digression, Kaitlyn is soon sent on her first mission, along with her team. The mission is you every day ‘save the environment’ kind of mission. Everything seems to be going along smoothly, when BAM! The biggest twist in the plot. I did not see this coming and was beginning to imagine the book being only about environmental do-goodness. I can’t give out a spoiler here, but I am really tempted! All I can say is, Kaitlyn has to find an inner strength to get through what comes for her next. This is the part which had my stomach in turns. But I still could not stop reading. I wanted to know what happened and how Kaitlyn would get out of the mess of epic proportions she found herself in. Initially, I found Kaitlyn to be someone who took too many risks, without really thinking about the consequences. Right from the start she seemed to have an inner strength, but it seemed misdirected. As the book progressed, I began to see her as someone who fought for herself and her beliefs. She has got some of the best dialogues in the books and her comebacks are awesome at times, and fall flat at others. This made her really adorable. All the other characters are really well developed as well. I have to say that I wanted to know more about Micah’s history, his back story. I hope there is much more of that in the books to come. Shawn’s character was terrifically developed. We can feel a pure hatred for him right till the end, when we get a little back-story, and begin to have doubts. However, I cannot see him as anything but the bad guy in the series. There are a couple of very steamy scenes in the book. There are also a couple of scenes which involve non-consensual sex which a very subtle way of saying that there are scenes where the protagonist is r*ped. But, I have to commend to author for describing these scenes in a way which did not turn this book into a pseudo-erotic romp. The description is just enough to get the impact of the act though. There were parts which had me cringing and afraid to continue reading. I think this shows that the author succeeded in getting the ‘image’ she was trying to portray, across. Consider this my disclaimer! If you can handle it, stay away!! This may be an eco-fantasy, but the author, for most part, refrains from preaching to us on how to help the environment. The awareness about the environment she tries to create comes through as being intricately woven into the story. Just the way I like it! I was somehow disappointed by the ending and it all happened too abruptly for me. I wanted some more action! And … the author has chosen the ‘worst’ moment to end the book. It is a cliff-hanger which will leave readers waiting in anticipation for the next book. All I can say is, get the next book out faster!(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Jan 14, 2012
| Jan 16, 2012
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Jan 14, 2012
| Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||||
| B005H5GFNE
| unknown
| 4.16
| 98
| Aug 12, 2011
| unknown
|
The story of Noah Zarc is set in a future post-apocalyptic world where a cataclysm has rendered earth uninhabitable and killed off all plant and anima...more
The story of Noah Zarc is set in a future post-apocalyptic world where a cataclysm has rendered earth uninhabitable and killed off all plant and animal life. Mankind, being ingenious and highly adaptable, survive by moving to Mars and Venus. The Zarcs have been given the mission to travel back in time and bring back a male and female of each of the lost species to re-populate earth with the lost animals. This is of course a direct reference to the bible story of ‘Noah’s Arc’. The Noah family consists of the three children Sam, Noah and Hamilton and their parents. On one of their sorties to rescue an extinct species in the ice age, the parents encounter their arch-enemy Haon, who captures Mrs Zarc and leaves father Noah stranded in the past. As the three kids rush to rescue their father, their ship gets damaged and they have to live for a few days in the ice age. There, Noah becomes friends with a girl named Adina who stows away in their ship on their return. There is a budding romance here between the two friends which has however not been fully developed. The rest of the story revolves around saving their mother from Haon’s clutches and stopping him from destroying all they have worked for over the years. Noah is a paraplegic who I found to be a bit immature but extremely brave. He does not wallow in his disability and the technology of this future world helps him take care of himself. He is also a very accomplished pilot and his flight sequences are extremely well dramatized. He is somewhat socially awkward and struggles to find the right words while talking with Adina when he first meets her. All the other characters are quite likable as well. Hamilton, the brainiac of the family develops and maintains all the technology around and Sam takes care of all the animals in the absence of their parents. Adina is quite amazing, maybe a bit too amazing for my liking. Even though she is from the ice age, over 11,000 years in the past, she has no trouble accepting and understanding all the technology she is bombarded with. This was the only thing I found unbelievable in the entire story. I loved all the technology used to develop the story further. I am not a sucker for ‘correct’ scientific application in fiction and I tend to give authors a lot of leeway with their use of technology. Being set a thousand years ahead of our time, I can believe that a lot of technology used here could be developed by them. This includes the generous use of time travel through the story. Then there is Noah’s ‘wheelchair’ which can tackle all sorts of terrain and suits which can help a paraplegic walk. Also included here are machines operated through commands relayed through thought and suits which can fly and bear the harsh climates on other planets. The biggest one of course is the Arc itself. It may seem unnatural that the Arc can hold all the numerous creatures along with the extensive environments needed to maintain them in the dimensions of a few hundred square kilometres which are given by the author. Can you imagine having a ‘sea’ big enough to house giant whales and a savannah to house elephants as well as lots of other species in this small area? Well, I would not argue with the author on this as it does not hamper the story in any way and I know this is fiction after all. But, this is one area which could definitely trip science aficionados. The story does touch on a number of issues which could merit a serious discussion even today. Firstly, there is the way in which current human development is going on and the exploitation of natural resources for this purpose. Will this lead to the deterioration of the environment to such an extent that human existence could be threatened? The debate whether humans and other species have equal right to earth’s resources and should we look to save species from extinction (or even bring them back) is also prevalent throughout the story. One thing I liked here was the politics of this ’evolved’ future world. Man does not evolve enough to solve all their problems and people are still dissatisfied with the politicians and there is still favouritism in the world. The story of Noah Zarc, although set in a science fiction world is really a thriller, and I can say that the action never stops! Devoid of any major fight sequences, it still does not lack action. Some of the flight sequences are edge-of-the-seat affairs, as Noah is seen trying either to follow someone or at other times, run away from people following him. The story also has a number of twists and you really don’t know the intentions of the bad guy until quite late in the story. There are a couple of big twists in the story which really define the direction the story takes. These, of course I will not discuss and let you find out about them by yourself. I did have a problem digesting the fact that people in the ice age would be so intelligent and willing to accept such alien technology. Also the fact that Adina, who is from the ice age, can actually understand time travel seems a bit too far-fetched. Such ready acceptance of the technology without really being completely awed (and somewhat frightened) by it did not go down too well with me. I think the author scrimped on words here, and some, maybe a lot more description of how Adina felt could have made things better. Finally, I believe the author leaves the story at a place where it can be carried forward by a sequel and I can see one coming out. Overall, I just loved the story as well as the characters and hope to see it continue soon! (less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| not set
| Dec 02, 2011
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Jan 14, 2012
| Kindle Edition
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| B006NPVTH4
| 4.42
| 19
| Dec 19, 2011
| Dec 18, 2011
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**spoiler alert** Posted at: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com/ Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest revi...more **spoiler alert** Posted at: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com/ Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Let me start this review by saying that I would have given this book a definite 4 stars. The why three stars, you ask? I’ll get to that as the review progresses. But to clarify, the story and the book were definitely four stars. There were a few parts of the book I did not agree with or could not believe and so, I had to deduct the one star for that. What were they? That too shall be revealed in due course. With that being said, let’s get to the review. The story begins with a flashback to 1918 and the great train robbery of the entire Russian gold reserve during the revolution. It revolves around Jade Snow a reporter who begins to look into this disappearance and ends up in Russia. This is where her adventure begins. Jade finds herself in the middle of a tug-of-war between the royalists and the current government for control. In the middle of all this drama, she finds her soulmate Alexei, and a hot romance ensues. I however, did not like the fact that Jade jumps into bed with Alexei immediately, without a second thought to the loving husband and her daughter waiting for her back home. As both sides try to recruit her and make her a part of the conflict, Jade has to pick a side and this is where the situation gets dangerous. She now becomes a Russian spy and a double agent. As she races to find the gold, she gets into and out of a lot of trouble and does lose friends along the way. There are a lot of twists and turns as she tries to get all the clues together to get to the gold. After all these twists, I did feel that in the end, the mystery of finding the gold was solved too quickly and it ended up being somewhat underwhelming. This however, did not impact the adventure one bit and it continued right on. I loved the ending of the book. It clearly resolved all the issues I had. The conflict for Jade having to choose between two loves of her life was resolved quite nicely and the author was actually able to end the book on a somewhat pleasant note and without too much continuing heartbreak, while at the same time provide us a glimpse of what would be coming next. For this I would have to commend the author, as it was really nicely done. So, here’s the problem I have. I generally tend to ignore grammatical and spelling errors in most books, but upto a certain extent. However, there were some errors here where I had to go back and read the lines a couple of times to make sense of what was intended. These errors basically broke the flow of the story for me. That is something that really takes away from the pleasure of reading the book. For this, I have to deduct a star from my rating of the book. A better edited book would have been a pleasure to read as I loved the idea behind story. I, in fact loved the writing style of the author. I hope she can read this and get the book edited again, maybe bring out another “edition”. Overall, I’ll say that I quite liked the book. The story was very engaging and the characters clearly stood out for me. It could have been told without all the ‘paranormal’ in it and I would have enjoyed it more. I do believe that the tarot cards were a completely unnecessary distraction and I could have done without souls talking to each other too. I clearly have no idea why the author included these in the book as they do not add anything to the story-line. If I judge the story without any of this, it is a terrifically written thriller. I would love to read the next book in the Jade Snow series. The author does hint at the next book being set up somewhere in Asia and I can’t wait, especially as it will practically be in my backyard!(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Jan 10, 2012
| Jan 12, 2012
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Jan 10, 2012
| Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||||
| 4.56
| 18
| Nov 19, 2011
| Nov 21, 2011
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Posted on: Ritesh Kala's Book Reviews I have to confess that I have read the second book in the series without reading the first one. This actually doe...more Posted on: Ritesh Kala's Book Reviews I have to confess that I have read the second book in the series without reading the first one. This actually does not hamper my reading too much, but I do have to imagine parts of the backstory which I would have known from the first book. So, I do not really know the kind of relationship which Tom and Lorena have, or the organisation he has gotten involved with. It is actually nice to explore and find out these things for myself. This also means that I might unknowingly give out spoilers to the first book, you have been forewarned. Tom Crayder, the protagonist of this series, is not a hero. He loves to talk and think about things such as planes, girls, sex and guns, basically all the things which would interest every guy. He is a normal guy, just like me, with all the normal problems, when life thrusts into a situation where he has to be heroic. In this book, Tom is not on a mission for the organisation, but on one of his own. His wife Jenny unknowingly gets into trouble with the mafia, and it is upto Tom and his team to save her. All the characters from the first book appear to make a comeback, and he has Lorena at his side during the entire book. I loved the characters of the book. Each of them has their problems and none of them are clear-cut nice guys, but you end up loving them either ways. They are all friends you would like to have around in times of trouble, the kinds who would have your back no matter what. Personally, I liked Tiny the best. He is like a cute giant kid and I couldn’t help but love him. He is has an innocence to him, that is difficult to ignore. I also liked the kickass Lorena who is witty and sarcastic as well as extremely well-trained. Definitely not someone you’d want to mess with. The author is able to provide comic relief in all the right places to release just enough tension out of a situation which would have me gasping for air if it were to last any longer. But after a point the one-liners and witty comebacks became a bit too much. I would love to see the relationship that Tom and Lorena have, to progress to a stage where they are just comfortable with each other and are not out to prove anything. I can totally see that happening as the series progresses. I could do with a little less of these in the upcoming books. Also, I felt that some of the flying sequences were extended a bit too much and could have been shorter. But these are minor shortcomings in an excellent book. I have to say that the book’s fast pace, continuous action and wonderful characters had me breezing through the book. I actually was able to almost finish reading it in one sitting. This is not something that I can say about too many books. This is a double edged sword, as the author has now set expectations to a very high level for all his next books. I hope he can live upto this and provide the same level of entertainment in the upcoming books. This is a gold mine that the author has hit. There are countless books in the series which can be written. I am sure he’ll have enough ideas to saturate even the die-hard fans of the series. But we are a long, long way away from that happening. Right now, I am just waiting for the next book in the series to come out!(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Dec 27, 2011
| Dec 28, 2011
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Dec 27, 2011
| ebook
| |||||||||||||||||
| unknown
| 4.00
| 23
| Jul 16, 2011
| 2013
|
‘The World among Us’ at first glance seems to be seeped in mythology and urban fantasy. There is the entire gamut of Greek Gods here, right from Gaia...more
‘The World among Us’ at first glance seems to be seeped in mythology and urban fantasy. There is the entire gamut of Greek Gods here, right from Gaia going all the way ‘down’ to Hades. They all play their traditional roles as well. Besides the horde of Greek Gods, there are the usual urban fantasy characters consisting of werewolves, vampires and wizards. When such a cast of characters is assembled, it is obvious that a war will be brewing and who better than Hades, the God of the underworld to start it in his attempts to take over and rule the world? This all, of course has no bearing upon the wonderful story which the author has created. It is a time tested formula of two people who can never be together, but yet fall in love. Complicating their relationship is their families who are ready to go to war. Hades is bent on world domination and to set his plan rolling, he puts his only son and heir, Damien in a position, where he has to kill his one true love Selene. Selene being a Goddess is reincarnated and Damien realizing his mistake leaves his father’s side and his twisted plans behind. He vows to protect Selene from his father and switches sides in the coming war. Being a demon, he is now shunned by Hell and is distrusted by the Gods. Caught in the middle, we can see him treading a fine line as the creatures of Hell try to lure him, but his love for Selene holds him back. Much of the remaining book is dedicated to Selene growing up and we see little glimpses of the plans afoot to start the war between the good and evil sides. All the Gods in the story are wonderfully adapted to the modern world. They are portrayed as being almost human, who use cell phones to communicate (albeit ones which can cross the boundaries of the mortal world and make calls to ‘heaven and hell’). They also live in the mortal world at times and are seen having relationships with mortals. They have all the fallibilities of humans even though they have some superpowers. They have emotions like love and hate, jealousy and pride and can be injured and killed. They are quick to judge and quicker to react. They have wants and desires and they are willing to work towards making them come true. Even the urban fantasy characters are adapted to this ‘divine’ tale. The vampires are demons from hell, while the Gods look to create werewolves to fight them. The wizards are the only humans playing a role in the story. I was quite disappointed at the place at which the story in this book ended. The book feels like one long prologue to the actual story. There are huge indications of the coming war between good and evil right from the first page. However, we never get to it till the end. In this book, just the ‘warning shots’ have been fired and the book ends right before an actual war is declared, and that just seems wrong. I would have the author to commit to the war in this book, rather than leaving it to the reader’s imagination and asking them to wait for the next book to find out how and when it all starts. This by far is my biggest gripe against the book, one which takes it away from a five star read. It is like hanging the proverbial fruit right before us, but keeping it just out of reach. I can understand the need to set up a series with the backstory and help readers understand the ‘why, when and what’ to give depth to the series, but devoting the entire first book to this resulted in it ending in a frustrating note for me. I am sure the remaining book(s) will continue this wonderful story, and for that I give it four stars.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| Dec 25, 2011
| Dec 26, 2011
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Dec 25, 2011
| ebook
| ||||||||||||||||
| 9781466189300
| unknown
| 4.67
| 9
| Jul 03, 2011
| Jul 04, 2011
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Posted here: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com/ Kiwi’s gang is back in full force! Vickie has again created a huge fun filled adventure for us to follow,...more Posted here: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com/ Kiwi’s gang is back in full force! Vickie has again created a huge fun filled adventure for us to follow, and I loved every bit of it. All the characters of the previous story are back with a few new characters. The list of new characters includes Kiwi’s mother Moogie who seems to be quite influential in Cat City and a giant mouse named Whiskers (I run away when I see a tiny mouse, I don’t know what I’d do if I saw a giant one!). As anyone who has read the first book in this series knows that the kids named Amy and James have a cat named Kiwi, who is find of ‘magical’ and can covert these kids into kittens and take them to Cat City. After they return from their first trip to Cat City, the kids find it a little difficult to adjust back to their human selves and retain some of the habits they picked up in Cat City. This provides us with a few laughs. The adventure begins when Kiwi teaches the kids to talk to all the other animals. This new found skill helps them talk to the bees and find out what is wrong with the flowers around their house. Here they meet the ‘worrying bee’ who worries about everything. The real adventure begins when they return to Cat City and soon find that some ‘Magic’ is missing. The adventure takes a serious turn when Cat City comes under attack, aided by some of the missing Magic. James’ pet hamster, Hammy also makes an appearance and plays a role in the story. Important values of friendship and forgiveness are really well depicted and kids can learn a few valuable insights about how true friends should really behave. The story takes a number of twists and turns to reach a gripping conclusion as any further attack on Cat City is finally averted. I will not go any further to avoid giving out too many details of the story. You’ll have to read it yourself to find out what happens there! Unlike the first book, this book is not entirely based in Cat City. The team moves back and forth between the human world, Cat City and ‘other worlds’. So the setting of the story is a bit different, but the readers do get to explore other new worlds and meet new animals. There is a third book in the series, which has already come out, and I can’t wait to get to it. I also hope that the series continues to produce such magical tales for a long, long time. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Dec 23, 2011
| Dec 24, 2011
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Dec 23, 2011
| Kindle Edition
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| 0615524990
| 9780615524993
| 4.16
| 98
| Aug 12, 2011
| Aug 13, 2011
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Posted here: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com/ The story of Noah Zarc is set in a future post-apocalyptic world where a cataclysm has rendered earth uni...more Posted here: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com/ The story of Noah Zarc is set in a future post-apocalyptic world where a cataclysm has rendered earth uninhabitable and killed off all plant and animal life. Mankind, being ingenious and highly adaptable, survive by moving to Mars and Venus. The Zarcs have been given the mission to travel back in time and bring back a male and female of each of the lost species to re-populate earth with the lost animals. This is of course a direct reference to the bible story of ‘Noah’s Arc’. The Noah family consists of the three children Sam, Noah and Hamilton and their parents. On one of their sorties to rescue an extinct species in the ice age, the parents encounter their arch-enemy Haon, who captures Mrs Zarc and leaves father Noah stranded in the past. As the three kids rush to rescue their father, their ship gets damaged and they have to live for a few days in the ice age. There, Noah becomes friends with a girl named Adina who stows away in their ship on their return. There is a budding romance here between the two friends which has however not been fully developed. The rest of the story revolves around saving their mother from Haon’s clutches and stopping him from destroying all they have worked for over the years. Noah is a paraplegic who I found to be a bit immature but extremely brave. He does not wallow in his disability and the technology of this future world helps him take care of himself. He is also a very accomplished pilot and his flight sequences are extremely well dramatized. He is somewhat socially awkward and struggles to find the right words while talking with Adina when he first meets her. All the other characters are quite likable as well. Hamilton, the brainiac of the family develops and maintains all the technology around and Sam takes care of all the animals in the absence of their parents. Adina is quite amazing, maybe a bit too amazing for my liking. Even though she is from the ice age, over 11,000 years in the past, she has no trouble accepting and understanding all the technology she is bombarded with. This was the only thing I found unbelievable in the entire story. I loved all the technology used to develop the story further. I am not a sucker for ‘correct’ scientific application in fiction and I tend to give authors a lot of leeway with their use of technology. Being set a thousand years ahead of our time, I can believe that a lot of technology used here could be developed by them. This includes the generous use of time travel through the story. Then there is Noah’s ‘wheelchair’ which can tackle all sorts of terrain and suits which can help a paraplegic walk. Also included here are machines operated through commands relayed through thought and suits which can fly and bear the harsh climates on other planets. The biggest one of course is the Arc itself. It may seem unnatural that the Arc can hold all the numerous creatures along with the extensive environments needed to maintain them in the dimensions of a few hundred square kilometres which are given by the author. Can you imagine having a ‘sea’ big enough to house giant whales and a savannah to house elephants as well as lots of other species in this small area? Well, I would not argue with the author on this as it does not hamper the story in any way and I know this is fiction after all. But, this is one area which could definitely trip science aficionados. The story does touch on a number of issues which could merit a serious discussion even today. Firstly, there is the way in which current human development is going on and the exploitation of natural resources for this purpose. Will this lead to the deterioration of the environment to such an extent that human existence could be threatened? The debate whether humans and other species have equal right to earth’s resources and should we look to save species from extinction (or even bring them back) is also prevalent throughout the story. One thing I liked here was the politics of this ’evolved’ future world. Man does not evolve enough to solve all their problems and people are still dissatisfied with the politicians and there is still favouritism in the world. The story of Noah Zarc, although set in a science fiction world is really a thriller, and I can say that the action never stops! Devoid of any major fight sequences, it still does not lack action. Some of the flight sequences are edge-of-the-seat affairs, as Noah is seen trying either to follow someone or at other times, run away from people following him. The story also has a number of twists and you really don’t know the intentions of the bad guy until quite late in the story. There are a couple of big twists in the story which really define the direction the story takes. These, of course I will not discuss and let you find out about them by yourself. I did have a problem digesting the fact that people in the ice age would be so intelligent and willing to accept such alien technology. Also the fact that Adina, who is from the ice age, can actually understand time travel seems a bit too far-fetched. Such ready acceptance of the technology without really being completely awed (and somewhat frightened) by it did not go down too well with me. I think the author scrimped on words here, and some, maybe a lot more description of how Adina felt could have made things better. Finally, I believe the author leaves the story at a place where it can be carried forward by a sequel and I can see one coming out. Overall, I just loved the story as well as the characters and hope to see it continue soon! (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Dec 22, 2011
| Dec 23, 2011
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Dec 22, 2011
| Kindle Edition
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| 9780473191634
| 3.98
| 225
| Aug 21, 2011
| Oct 21, 2011
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Posted here: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com/ Set in a world where the Biblical prophecy of the Rapture has come true, the story follows the protagonis...more Posted here: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com/ Set in a world where the Biblical prophecy of the Rapture has come true, the story follows the protagonist Sam. Sam is half-demon and-half human, having characteristics of both. He is stronger and faster than most humans, heals faster and is difficult to hurt. He of course has horns protruding from his head, which makes interacting with people a little difficult. Like a demon, he is burned by contact with anything holy and cannot venture near a church. But, he has all the emotions of a human. He is awkward and shy, gets angry and ashamed and feels loyalty and love. Sam’s entire world revolves around Hikari, his mentor and father-figure and his daughter Aimi. Sam is mainly confined to their house and only steps outside in the dark, or when he is wearing a cap or a hood to cover his horns. Sam has been trained as a warrior right from a very young age and is extremely proficient in using various weapons as well as hand-to-hand combat aided by his inhuman strength and speed. He is portrayed as fumbling his way through almost everything else. He has difficulty expressing himself and is positively disastrous in his interactions with others his age. Sam is in love with Aimi, and she is the only person with whom he interacts somewhat freely. This love story develops throughout the book, and I suspect it will have much larger role to play in later ones. His true destiny and the reason behind this training only come to light, when he learns about the rapture and the role he will have to play once it happens. As the story went on, I developed a liking for this ‘demon-child’, and his pain in knowing that he would lose all the he held dear in the rapture really seeps through the writing. We begin to feel sorry for him as we realise that he is expected to endanger his life for not for the people he loves but for people who have constantly feared him, ignored him and hated him for what he is, without knowing who he really is. The post-rapture world created by the author is filled with natural disasters such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, fire raining from the sky, ash pouring down continuously and infestations of innumerable demons from hell. The descriptions by the author are really vivid, and you can clearly see the morose world where one can only think of survival. In this world Sam sets out to meet his destiny to protect the innocents who have not been taken up to heaven. Sam’s strong character shines through in this world as he willingly puts himself in danger a number of times in order to save every innocent person he comes across, so much so that he is willing to follow the demons into hell to protect a friend. The number and diverse nature of the demons in the book made it really interesting. They were described well and there characteristics clearly defined. Sam sets out to find and fight his ultimate enemy, the leader from hell. Along the way he gets help from a number of people. A couple of teenage companions also join him in this fight. He finds divine help along the way and is guided by an angel to the right path. I have to say that the author is a master at describing Sam’s fight moves with his swords. It is easy to get into monotonous repetitions, but I never felt that happening anywhere in the book. The fight sequences have been terrifically choreographed and I just loved getting immersed in them. Another thing I really loved about the book was the alternating description of current events which we read with bated breath and the flash backs to the past where we found out how Sam ended up in the current state. The book is amazingly fast-paced and action-packed and I did not once feel the story slowing down. I should note a couple of points which could trip up readers. Firstly, this book draws substantial parts of the story-line from the Bible. At a number of places, the sentiments of a number of people, who ignore the fictional and fantastical nature of the story, could be hurt, especially atheists and people of other religions. Try and remember that this is a fictional account and is not a philosophical statement (atleast I think it is so). In fact, initially I was feeling offended at a number of places, but as the story continued and I came to accept that this is foremost a fantasy book, I started feeling comfortable with the story and was able to really get into it and start cheering for the characters, even if one of them was half-demon. Another point of contention is the long and numerous battle scenes. Although vividly described, the detail can get overwhelming. Following all the action can get tedious and getting through the longer scenes can get boring, especially for those who do not like action sequences. Don’t get me wrong, I just loved these parts in all their detail. Personally, I would not have wanted it to be any other way. But I can see a number of people being put off by these. You have been forewarned! Overall, I give the book four stars and want to see how the story develops in the rest of the books. I would love to see all the characters coming back and of course, for the GOOD side to win. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Dec 07, 2011
| Dec 10, 2011
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Dec 07, 2011
| Mass Market Paperback
| ||||||||||||||||
| B006999LQA
| 3.31
| 26
| Nov 02, 2011
| unknown
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Posted here: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com Bleedover is a novel which has elements of both fantasy and science fiction, just the way I like it! Let m...more Posted here: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com Bleedover is a novel which has elements of both fantasy and science fiction, just the way I like it! Let me start by talking a bit about the concept of ‘Bleedover’ which the author has created. All kinds of art such as books, movies as well as company logos are starting to get altered unexplainably. For example, the text of published books is altered, or new scenes get added to movies. The book’s protagonists find a way to harness this Bleedover and end up bringing the fictional world into reality. Once this fact is accepted, the book becomes a fast paced suspense thriller. Both the main characters subscribe to different views of what Bleedover is, how and for what it should be harnessed. Both of them live completely different lives. Dr Harriet Sterling is a tenured college professor who lives in her basement office, while Corbil Lyell is the head of a large conglomerate. This is a story about each trying to prove their worldview and their methodologies right. Their ‘war’ ends up hurting a number of people who are caught in the middle, with people ending up dead. The stark difference in attitudes of Dr Sterling and Corbin Lyell is beautifully portrayed. Dr Sterling plays by the rules mostly and is unwilling to hurt anyone in the process of proving her point. On the other end of the spectrum, Corbin Lyell is ready to do anything to prove himself right, including murders. He is so obsessed with beating Dr Sterling, that he ignores all risks and ends up paying dearly for it in the end. As the story continues, there clashes become more intensive and the use of fictional characters in these fights was quite entertaining. It is something every boy has thought and argued about, who would win a fight between Superman and Spiderman, Fantastic Four and X-Men (Sorry, but these questions are NOT addressed in this book). I would have given this book five stars if it was just a suspense thriller with some elements of science or fantasy. The writing is excellent for most parts, and the story is well constructed and fast paced, the way all thrillers should be. The relationship of both the main characters was developed in detail, clearly describing the history which leads them to be at loggerheads with each other. I also thought the emotions of each person came out very well (which many science fiction novels lack). The place where I found the story lacking was in the explanation of the concept of Bleedover. It remained unclear for large parts of the book, and how it went from the alterations of media works to the physical manifestation was not well brought out. This being the central idea on which the book is based, it was inexcusable. Also, I got somewhat lost in the pseudo-science as most of the science fiction parts were created rather than being based on scientific fact. I understand that the author had to develop a whole new language for the science stream he created, but here as well, better explanations would have made the story more enjoyable. Overall, I would rate this book a solid four. However, people who cannot enjoy science fiction should stay away as they will not find this to be light reading, and would end up referencing Wikipedia repeatedly.(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Dec 04, 2011
| Dec 07, 2011
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Dec 04, 2011
| Kindle Edition
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| B005KLVNFA
| 3.80
| 138
| Aug 31, 2011
| Aug 31, 2011
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Posted here: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com Draykon is a story which revolves around a girl named Llandry. She is portrayed as being extremely sociall...more Posted here: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com Draykon is a story which revolves around a girl named Llandry. She is portrayed as being extremely socially awkward to the extent that she starts having panic attacks when she is among anything resembling a gathering. Llandry is a jewellery maker and is relatively unknown until she stumbles across a new stone which she calls Istore. This stone makes here instantly famous as the stone captures the imagination of the world and becomes the most sought after piece of jewellery after Eva is seen wearing it. Eva, who is the other main character in the book, is a woman of high social standing and is a high positioned ‘government official’. She is in many ways the exact opposite of Llandry. She is charming and beautiful and knows just the right thing to say at the right moment. The story is set in a fantasy world. This world is not like ours, where night follows day. The world is divided into Daylands and Darklands, which perpetually lie in light or darkness. This is just one of the intriguing aspects of the world. There are a number of amazing creatures throughout the book. Each of these creatures has been created beautifully and this portrayal really brings them to life. Although the author has been inspired by real world animals, she has enhanced or modified their abilities enough to create an array of creatures which is quite impressive. Oh, another thing is that some people here have wings and can fly. How cool is that! As the book continues, it starts becoming apparent that Istore is much more than a simple popular gem. The story takes a mysterious turn when people who have Istore jewellery, start turning up dead. This is where Eva steps in to investigate and is pulled into the fantastical world which comes up next. The point at which the true nature of the ‘stone’ is revealed, the story turns into an all-out fantasy novel. The novel ends with a cliff-hanger with a number of questions left unanswered, the answers to which, I suppose will be revealed in later books. I did have trouble initially following the structure of the world and was expecting a map to make things clearer, but none was forthcoming. However, as the story progressed, things started to clear up, and I realised that a map would have been quite difficult to make, considering the twists the story goes through. I really liked the story-telling style of the author and the two different story-arcs run smoothly along till almost then end when they collide magnificently and culminate in a crescendo. Now, all I can do is wait for the next instalment in the story. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Nov 30, 2011
| Dec 03, 2011
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Nov 30, 2011
| Kindle Edition
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| 160043102X
| 9781600431029
| 3.60
| 110
| Jul 30, 2011
| Jul 30, 2011
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Posted here: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com/ When I picked up this book after looking at the description, I thought that it would be a run-of-the-mill...more Posted here: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com/ When I picked up this book after looking at the description, I thought that it would be a run-of-the-mill dystopian novel. Boy was I wrong! There were parts of the book which had me going, “What? That did not just happen! This is impossible.” There are some hard-to-believe segments in the book if you are expecting a normal story grounded in reality. But once you accept the fact that this is mainly a science fiction / fantasy novel, things start to get very interesting. This novel is set in a dystopian world where a pandemic is raging. All over the world, cancer has gripped people and is progressing at an alarmingly fast rate with no traditional treatments working against it. In this situation, a new business which helps suffering people die in peace has sprung up. The protagonist, Olivya's home has been converted into a hospice, catering to such patients. Olivya is portrayed as a teenage girl who wants to maintain a semblance of normalcy in this messed-up world. She is quite stubborn and independent, does not listen to anyone most of the times, and is hugely confident in herself and her abilities. Her ‘colourful’ language had me laughing at times. Her deceased Japanese father had trained her in martial arts, and she does have skills with a nagamaki. But above all, her defining characteristic is that she can see other people’s auras, which enables her to see how a person is feeling, what emotions are welling up inside of him. Her love interest is Mikah, a kindred. Kindred are supposed to be descendants of a demon, and tend to not mingle with regular humans. They each have certain abilities which no normal human would have. Mikah’s ability is that he is a powerful telempath who can alter a person’s emotions. His love for Olivya comes out on many occasions as he disregards his elders to meet her, and attempts to protect her on numerous occasions as they both face immense danger throughout the book. The book is littered with mythical creatures, all of which have been beautifully woven into the story. The authors come up with a unique explanation for their existence in our world, making them extremely real and weaving them into the history of the planet rather than the stories in which they have, till now belonged. There are a lot of other strong characters in the book, whose allegiance is always under doubt. There is no way of knowing who the bad guy really is, until the very last page of the book. Let’s start with the Neo-Twins, Kaiman and Ash, who are ‘bad guys’ personified, mocking Mikah and pushing him to make mistakes. It is quite easy to hate them. Then there is Mrs Wright-Ono, Olivya's mother, who is extremely strict, but her love comes through in all the rules and boundaries she sets. She does try to raise Olivya well, but keeps running headlong into walls of resistance from her. Chanagrai, Mikah’s father figure is extremely wise because of the millennia of experience he has (that’s right, millennia!). Prime is the leader of the kindred and we do not know much about him for large parts of the book, other than that he is a ‘monster’ and is feared by Mikah. And last, the largest character of the book, Lylobriel. He is the ‘alien’ in the book, but is extremely humane. Lylobriel and Morfexio (the other alien) are the perfect example of what friends should be like. Of course, any more description would be considered a spoiler. I will not be going into any description of the story, as it would give away too much of the fun in the book. So, NO SPOILERS. I’ll just let you know that this story is spread over millennia of the earth’s history. Be ready to be introduced with mythical creatures, aliens, mystics and all the other wonderful science fiction characters. Even with this parade of characters, none of them will feel out of place, or unnecessarily included. Well, we’re coming to the end of my review and you still don’t know what the story is about? That means I have achieved my aim! But know this, the story is about how all the characters join together to defeat the pandemic and return earth to normalcy. The twists and turns in this book really made my head spin, and story kept moving into unthinkable directions. These unexpected changes kept me hooked and there is not a single part, where I could say that I had anticipated the authors’ moves beforehand. This according to me is a huge compliment and testament to the authors’ wild and uninhibited imaginations, as most stories tend to run along fairly regular lines and end up in ways that everyone expects. As the story progressed, I kept increasing the number of stars I would give it, and the mega-finale finally pushed this book into five-star category.(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Nov 22, 2011
| Nov 25, 2011
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Nov 21, 2011
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 1118004574
| 9781118004579
| 3.80
| 291
| Jan 01, 2011
| Mar 08, 2011
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Posted here: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com I have been reading John’s newsletter for over 5 years now, and have rarely been disappointed with it, or...more Posted here: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com I have been reading John’s newsletter for over 5 years now, and have rarely been disappointed with it, or disagreed with his ideas about where the US and world economy are headed. So when I saw this book, I picked it up expecting the same in-depth analysis and succinct conclusions. Let me start by saying that I am completely on board with their basic premise of the book – ‘It is the end of the line for debt fueled economic expansion. Western governments will run into the limits of their ability to borrow money at today's low rates. This will result in the Endgame, where all the debt will finally unravel’. The endgame has come about due to the unchecked rise in private sector debt over the last 60+ years. After the crisis, governments have stepped in and have increased public debt at rates never seen before except during a war. I fully agree with the conclusions reached by the authors and their analysis of the problems being faced by all the large and small, developed and developing economies of the world. Also, I like the fact that these is a small section where they present us with ideas of what to invest in, based on our views about which direction the world economy will take. I do have to say that I was a bit disappointed with this book, and for the first half had no idea why I was continuing to read it. It felt like attending an introductory economics class all over again. Page after page talked about the basic economic relationships, without almost any reference to the crisis at hand. I really believe that too much space has been devoted to explaining these concepts, and I could have done with a lot less of it. However, after reading the whole book, I realise that I might not be the target audience for this. As John says, “When we started writing this book, we purposefully set out to write so simply that even a politician could understand the nature of our problems.” The first section of the book also felt like a repetition for us, the newsletter readers as we have read most of these thoughts earlier before. Also, John posted extracts from the book as part of the newsletter, so I had to skip over entire chapters, breaking the continuation which should persist throughout the book. Throughout the book we hear from a really large number of experts about why the crisis happened and how it will further unfold. For example, an entire chapter is dedicated to the findings of Reinhart and Rogoff in their book ‘This Time is Different’. It is assumed that these are self-explanatory and John refrains from giving any significant amount of explanations or interpreting what these experts are saying for the layman (considering that he is trying to make this easy for everyone). The second section of the book is much more interesting, where John talks about the problems facing the world, and I’d say that he does not hold back at all. He speaks the unspeakable, something which no politician wants to even contemplate, let alone talk about. It comes out clearly that the developed world is now left with bad or worse choices. There is no way for them to not do anything and muddle through, the markets will not let that happen for long. The book talks about three options these countries have to make things ‘better’: 1. Default on the debts 2. Devalue the currency and hurt foreign bond holders 3. Inflate the debt away None of these options are without their costs, and countries choosing either will have to go through a lot of pain. Regardless of what the policymakers do, we are looking at a decade of slow growth, high unemployment, more frequent recessions and rising taxes. The authors go around the world and clearly present the problems facing various nations and possible solutions which the politicians will need to pursue in order to make things better over the long term. In the USA, the balance sheets of businesses and individuals have been badly damaged and will require efforts to repair. The government has been running huge deficits to somehow boost economic growth, without much success. Over the medium term, the government needs to have a credible plan for reducing deficits and reforming Social Security and Medicare. Europe is plagued by very large imbalances, where Germany exports to other countries in the EU and runs a current account surplus and other countries are net importers and have deficits. This needs to be corrected, but none of the countries are willing to make adjustments. The reduced interest rates after joining the EU provided economies such as Greece, Italy and Spain to borrow indiscriminately and increase consumption and government expenditures. A number of countries will not be able to get out from under their pile of debt without defaulting in some form. UK, with its heavy reliance on the financial sector was badly hit in the crisis. They have had to step in and nationalize a number of banks. They have however started moving in the right direction as the government pulls back fiscal stimulus, and the Bank of England running a massive QE program. This has resulted in higher than average inflation, and will reduce the debt burden for individuals and businesses. Japan’s huge deficits have been funded internally through the large savings of individuals. This is now coming to an end with the population aging and drawing down their assets. With this, Japan will have to look elsewhere for its funding requirements, which means a rise in interest rates and a major debt and currency crisis. Australia has had a huge real estate run up with no significant reduction in prices during the crisis. This has left it quite vulnerable. Their economy has been supported by the ties to China’s commodity imports. However, as China looks to cool down its economy, it could have significant impact on Australia. For emerging markets, the flood of liquidity will prove difficult to handle, as the excess liquidity looks for returns globally. This will lead to significant bubbles in asset markets in these economies if the governments do not look to restrict such inflows in some manner. Also, as everyone looks to devalue their currencies, the developing economies with currency pegs will be under immense pressure to let their currencies rise or accumulate huge amounts pf foreign exchange reserves. The second section redeemed the book for me, and I would have been happy to have that as a separate book. I give this book, four stars for its clear and simple explanations of all the issues facing the world economy today. I deducted the one star for the extended economics ‘tutorial’ at the start of the book. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Nov 15, 2011
| Nov 19, 2011
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Nov 15, 2011
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0713999829
| 9780713999822
| unknown
| 3.57
| 3,281
| Sep 17, 2007
| unknown
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Posted here: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com Alan Greenspan, as the head of the Federal Reserve, has been in an enviable position to witness the econom...more Posted here: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com Alan Greenspan, as the head of the Federal Reserve, has been in an enviable position to witness the economic movements of the USA and the rest of the world. The book is divided into two parts, the first one is a chronological biography, and the second one is his views on the challenges facing the USA and the rest of the world. I was a bit disappointed with the publishing date of the book (it was published in 2007), as it was before the big global recession. I would have loved to read his views on the downturn, its causes, and his defence against the role he played in creating it, as a number of people have insinuated. Also a result of having been published earlier, there are a number of views he expresses, with which I now do not agree. He might have changed his views, had he witnessed the huge problems created in the USA. Some of the views and beliefs expressed in the book with which I disagree include: 1. The current account deficit of the USA may not matter much. 2. Hedge funds should not be regulated as they play an important role in stabilizing markets. 3. Banks can regulate themselves much better than regulators can. 4. Bank employees care for the shareholders, and so limit risk taking. 5. Credit derivatives and mortgage backed securities make markets more efficient and better. 6. Belief that regulation should restricted as much as possible. 7. Belief that bubbles should not be popped. 8. Belief that taking out home-equity loans was beneficial to the economy, and ignoring the risk of defaults. 9. His endorsement for CDS as a way to redistribute risk, but ignoring their use as speculative instruments. 10. Ignoring the risk of increased inter-linkages of financial institutions. Overall, the biographical section is very interesting, as it provides an insider view on the politics and policy-making of various US governments. The second section is a bit more general, where he outlines the problems, but refrains from clearly outlining workable solutions which could be implemented in order to overcome these problems. I found this book to be a quick read, and would recommend it to anyone interested in understanding the workings of the federal reserve and the US government from a practical viewpoint. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Nov 05, 2011
| Nov 11, 2011
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Nov 05, 2011
| |||||||||||||||
| 1453749721
| 9781453749722
| 3.50
| 24
| Sep 08, 2011
| Sep 20, 2011
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Posted here: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com The short introduction to this book got me intrigued enough to get myself a copy and start reading it. And...more Posted here: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com The short introduction to this book got me intrigued enough to get myself a copy and start reading it. And I have to say that I could hardly put it down. The author is able to weave a story which kept me wanting to know what would happen at the next turn. There is not a single dull moment in the book, and the story moves along at a fast pace. This book has all the elements that a good fantasy series should. It has an unlikely hero, upon whom the responsibility to save the world has been thrust. He gets a number of companions to help him on his quest. He also gets a guide to teach him and ready him for his final showdown. And finally, there is the bad guy with an all-encompassing power who seems invincible. The various scenes in the book have been so well described that it feels as if you are a part of the book. The author’s amazing imagination comes to the fore in the multitude of creatures throughout the book. They have been terrifically described and you can practically see them in front of you. The pictures of these creatures throughout the book come in handy as well. Each of the characters in the book has been created beautifully, with their own unique characteristics. Andrew, the central character of the books, really grows through the book. He is initially not sure of his gifts, but as the story progresses, he becomes more confident, but not before making a few blunders. I can see him progressing to become the courageous leader that his quest is surely to demand. Ivory is portrayed as being very inquisitive, which gets her in trouble a number of times. She keeps wandering off and has to be rescued resulting in the story taking a number of side tracks. This however gives Andrew a chance to get in touch with his gifts, to understand and develop them. Ivory also seems to be attracted to Andrew and I see their relationship getting deeper in future books. Rhapsody is Andrew’s guide and teacher and provides Andrew the confidence to use his gifts. He is the mature adult in the group of boys and keeps them in line most of the times. Lancedon is a price who has been banished from his kingdom. He is very brave, but has a soft side to him as well. I believe that he will have a much larger role to play in the remaining books of the series. As far as criticisms go, I was a bit disappointed, as the group’s journey to find the Fallen begins right at the end of the book. This does not give us a chance to understand him and his powers a bit better. Overall, I loved the book and I can’t wait for the next book to come, and for the adventure to continue. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Nov 04, 2011
| Nov 14, 2011
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Nov 04, 2011
| Paperback
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| 0439023483
| 9780439023481
| 4.44
| 1,578,397
| Sep 14, 2008
| Sep 14, 2008
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Posted here: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com Before I started reading Hunger Games, I had read some reviews going gaga over the book, but I was still n...more Posted here: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com Before I started reading Hunger Games, I had read some reviews going gaga over the book, but I was still not ready for it. The basic story premise goes something like this: Set in a post-apocalyptic future, America is now divided into 12 districts ruled with an iron hand by the Capitol. The 12 districts each supplies the Capitol with different products such as coal, agricultural goods, etc. Years ago, there had been a rebellion by the districts against the Capitol which had been quashed mercilessly and utterly by the Capitol. As a reminder of the power the Capitol holds over the destinies of the districts, every year the Capitol chooses 2 children from each district, between the ages of 12 and 18, to fight in the ‘Hunger Games’, a fight to the death. The winner is treated as a hero uplifted from the poverty that hounds everyone else in the districts. The event is of course televised, with compulsory viewing by the people in the districts. The inhumanity of this comes out when the protagonist, Katniss Everdeen’s younger sister, with no survival skills is chosen for the Games. Long story short, Katniss volunteers to take her place and enters the Games. The way in which Katniss and Peta are readied for the Games, they seem like lambs being fattened before they are sacrificed at the altar. Though well-meaning, the team provided to them comes across as being immune to the horrors of the Games. They can only see the glory this could get them. Not to be overly critical, they do help both Katniss and Peta get into a position to win the Games. Each character has been perfectly created and moulded. Katniss comes across as a hugely determined girl, who is extremely competent for the task for which she has been chosen. Her training in hunting and survival skills holds her in good stead during the Games. Her unwavering need to get back to her family, who she believes would not survive without her, keeps her focused on winning the Games. I found the moral tug-of-war going on in her head to have She does come across as brutal and manipulative in the way she uses Peta’s love for her to win support from sponsors during the games. Peta Mellark, who is the other contestant chosen for the Games from Katniss’ district, has been in love with her throughout his life. This is initially used as a tactic to garner sponsors for them by their mentor, but it really comes across during the games, where he sacrifices himself on a number of occasions to save Katniss’ life. Katniss and Peta seem to be on opposite ends of the emotional spectrum. Katniss is brutal while Peta Is lovable, Katniss is competent, while Peta seems to stumble along, Katniss is driven by the love for her family while Peta is driven by her love for Katniss. Haymitch is the team’s mentor who initially comes across as a highly incompetent drunk. He however, has a big role to play in the team’s winning the Games. Gale is Katniss’ best friend and hunting partner. They have a relationship where they can tell each other anything, and there seems to be a connection between him and Katniss. This gets sidelined due to the publicised love story of Peta and Katniss. This is a story that touches on so many of the social aspects that everyone seems to just glide over and brings them into the spotlight. Each part of the book is a subtle reference to the ills in our society today. The description of the districts gives us the stark difference between the haves and have-not in the world today. While people in the Capitol, without realising it, have too much of everything, those in the districts barely subsist from one day to the next. The broadcasting of the Games seems like a direct reference to the excess of reality shows on television today, and how they seem to pull in viewers and get them addicted to even the grossest and meanest of images. Katniss and her friend Gale are afraid of talking ill about the Capitol in their district and have to go into the jungle to vent their anger. This alludes to the growing Big Brother attitude of governments today, where everyone and everything seems to be tracked. There is a section of the story, where people in the Capitol regurgitate whatever they have eaten, so that they can stuff themselves some more. Not being satisfied ever, no matter what you have seems to be the mantra of today’s materialistic world with ne end to ‘the want for more’ in sight. Although the build up to the Games seems to stretch out a bit, the Games are fast paced with not a single dull moment. I found myself holding my breath on a number of occasions to see what would happen next. The killings are not unnecessarily brutal, and the blood and gore which is there in the book seems necessary to get the message across. The description of scenes is beautiful and left me imagining them as happening right before my eyes. The book had a hold it had on me and I could not stop reading it, once the actual Games started. The story, though brutal left me rooting for the underdog and when, towards the end Katniss defies the Capitol, I was cheering for the humiliation this caused the Capitol. It has gotten me thinking of the direction our world is heading and whether it is something I endorse or oppose. For this I give the book 5 stars. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Sep 24, 2011
| Sep 29, 2011
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Oct 19, 2011
| Hardcover
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