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My Books Hit List 2014
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One every 2 months - Recommended to me by more than 3 people
- Atlas Shrugged
- A Passage to India
- The Name of the Rose
- The Alchemist
- Shutter Island
- The Difficulty of Being Good
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Book 1: The Castle of Crossed Destinies
My Rating: 3/5
Review:This is a book, which if it was a movie would be an art movie, if painting, would be a picasso! Defintely a class apart, but found myself slightly less adequate to understand the aha moments of the story.
It is not exactly a book, but a storyteller's experiment to 'get it out of his system' - to tell multiple stories generated from tarot cards including that of the author's story. And so we have a castle and later a tavern where people can communicate only through tarots and each want to share their story. Stories are abrupt, extrapolated and sometimes you struggle to make sense of what is happening.
The end montage of Shakespeare tragedies is sheer genius which had me wishing I had read them. The 12 stories in on tarot arrangement and much more in the second show there are many stories to be told. The next time you interpret a tarot, you might find a story yourself!
In his own words, this is a product of the author's obsession in his experiment. Tough read.
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My Rating: 4/5
Review: The Alchemist - Managed to get past the inertia of "Everyone is reading it" mode and found a book with a soul.
Must read once for everyone in search of a destination. Feel good.
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My Rating: 3/5
Review: The story that changed the perception of South East Asians in Wall street - Somewhere you sense it is too hyped up. The big names such as Mckinsey, Goldman and Galleon might hold the attention along with the foregone assumption of greed.
For the book as a researched work - the challenge of chronology has been handled decently well. Some of the back stories are ill timed and break the narrative. As a reader you get the image of someone who wants to say 20 sub-stories and leaves the main story hanging.
Unfortunately neither of the two central characters or the many side characters are interesting enough for the reader to empathize or hate. The reconstruction from so many narratives leaves the author's interpretations for the reader to hold to.
Disclaimer: I might be guilty of reading it with so many breaks
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My Rating: 4/5
Review: This novella is one quirky quick read! Demanding less than an hour (54 pages) the book is more a printed blog that absorbs you written in the lighter vein.
The premise is conversations with a playful coffee-addicted smart-ass death who likes 'her' coffee with a smiley on top. Enough to get you hooked on (not to mention 54 pages only!). The protagonist sounds off every cliche about death, life, time, love that makes it to quotation books only to be cut off in the way only a sarcastic woman can cut you off.
The narrative never tries to get all serious and a lot of fun duels and quotes in the small package. The reader grins a little, carelessly wonder if there is some philosophy and then laugh the thought off as the narrative bullshits the philosophy! Intelligent read. A smart-ass about the author section as well.
Read it to grab a few smiles while on your way to office in a crowded train/bus.
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My Rating: 2/5
My Review: A slice of life collection of 25 short stories. Especially if it's a life of some character that goes through the motions of living amidst struggle and hardship.
To be honest, the short story structure is unconventional and the line that leaves an impact (if any) could be anywhere in the story. Some of the stories are warm, some disconcerting.
In a sense the book is like life - a mix of good, bad and ordinary. The rating is a reflection of what it did to me as a reader
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My Rating: 5/5
Review: Julian Barnes is not trying to be a masterchef, nor is he dismissive of cookbooks as a genre. Yes, he goes into a rant from time to time (that has you laughing), but don't we all? The Pedant in the Kitchen is one hilarious read!This is probably the only book in this genre and Barnes has got it spot on.
"Cooking is the transformation of uncertainty(the recipe) into certainty (the dish) via fuss" - And so Barnes launches into demystifying the fuss, through anecdotes and impeccable British Wit. Asks important questions on every cook's(who doesn't want to kill the guests) mind - critiquing the cookbooks for good measures. Doesn't hold back or generalize - declares love for Pomaine and ask you to chug Mr.B out the window!
Barnes also touches upon the social aspects of cooking for guests and mentions "She for whom the Pedant Cooks" several times. paints a picture of a helpless author who is taken to cooking cos he loves the uncertainty.
Warning: Don't read the book while drinking Hot coffee
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My Rating: 4/5
Review: Dennis Lehane's Shutter Island was written a movie script disguised as a book. And sometimes it is not so bad.
Having seen the movie, knowing the twists and turns - reading the book was more of piecing the various clues along the way. And Lehane has managed to have a chilling, original plot that plays with the human mind. The narrative is crisp and the dreams chilling. Several passages can give you goosebumps.
Characters other than Teddy are fuzzy by design and appropriate for this genre.
Wish I had read the book first to enjoy the complete experience!
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My Rating: 4/5
Review: The Cuckoo's Calling is a good old fashioned whodunnit mystery that keeps the reader guessing. Told from the perspective of the Private Detective who gets facts and information along with the reader through interviews, it takes the reader along without springing surprises.
Coroman Strike has his flaws - a struggling detective with personal life in shambles with a celebrity calling card. Robin as his temp secretary who likes the adventure is smart and may even be the better brains. The main characters are likable possibly because they are normal. Slightly got reminded of Paul Drake.
The story maybe had too much of 'devil's luck', but on the whole palatable. Narrating via interviews was a good ploy but had the side effect of slowing it down a bit. The ending was bit of a stretch much like Scooby Doo where you could almost imagine "And I would have gotten away if not for.."
And yes, one could understand the need for the pseudonym. Doesn't matter. Good read overall.
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My Rating: 4/5
Review: This is an experimental brainchild of someone who writes mysteries for a living. This is Agatha Christie's attempt to write an unsolvable mystery.
10 murders on an island that enacts a nursery rhyme. Everyone with secrets to hide and Killer among them. Closed room mystery with a difference - Suspects and victims are the same. Message in a bottle confession.
Thrilling quick read. No wonder it is in the list of 100 best mysteries of all times.
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My Rating: 3/5
Review: The devotion of Suspect X is an easy book to read. The focus is much less on murder than the cat and mice chase between 2 geniuses and the heart wrenching emotions. In a sense, the mystery is somehow only the backdrop to a story of devotion that is sad.
It is unfair to the author that when you are able to predict the 'twist' mid way, you don't consider it a good mystery. But yes, it might reassure one that they are indeed on track with a maths and physics genius.
A different read. Maybe too much drama competing with soap operas.
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My Rating: 4/5
Review: The Sceptical Partiot can be categorized a history book if you are the type to categorize Rap as classical music. This well researched book is one fast, quirky and interesting read for every one of us Internet Indians.
Taking up the most famous "India Facts" from forwards/whatsapp msgs sent around Independence day to revive patriotism, the author investigates the annals of history. Sidin also manages to fit in his trademark humor in this non-fiction.
As to the content, the skepticism surrounding facts including invention of zero and plastic surgery are explored across centuries and manuscripts. Can't help but feel some point of view judgement of author finds it's way into the presentation. Not to mention anecdotes from the author's personal life, some of which serve as mere breaks from narratives (welcome of course). You can disagree, debate or do your own research, but you cannot claim lack of effort from the author.
Few chapters maybe a tad slow and lesser of the showmanship of the first 3 chapters. The last few chapters on why this book and the relevance of History, sure touch a chord with the sleeping patriot. The author has much more depth to writing and definitely better at presenting palatable non-fiction (at least compared to his fiction)
Brave effort by the entire team
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My Rating: 3/5
Review: An unconventional book by Julian Barnes that has handled the 'victory' of capitalism over socialism and communism from the other side. Not a light read, but the book true to it's name might sting at the fundamentals of the ideologies.
The last dictator of a communist country is up for trial in the face of democracy. And he decides to make his stand, not to fight but to hold on to his beliefs. Barnes gives such depth to the character that the reader starts to appreciate the biases of the character.
It is a scary book which quite subtly touches upon the truth - that the winner of a battle will go all out to trivialize and slander the defeated to gain acceptance.
Small book but some pages are really boring for an afternoon read!
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My Rating: 3/5
Review: I started reading this book as a story, then midway started reading it as philosophy. This book by Herman Hesse is very simply written, as a journey of exploration, a search for the self. One can see many portions of one's life through these pages.
Suffused with spiritual references and yet forgiving you if you had no idea of the relevance. Siddartha as the determined arrogant youth to Siddartha the wise, the transition is not obvious.
I finished this book, was stunned for a few minutes, before I chuckled at the irony of the philosophy conveyed through books. Also left with the thought of how much we owe foreign authors for researching our scriptures and making it palatable
Girish wrote: "Mixed bag so far! Book 1: The Castle of Crossed Destinies
My Rating: 3/5
Review:This is a book, which if it was a movie would be an art movie, if painting, would be a picasso! Defint..."
Italo Calvino isn't that easy to read and to understand. His is also an experimental literature. Till now I have read only If on a winter's night a traveler but in the future I want to read more by him. I have often underrated Italian authors but there are a lot that are worth to be read.
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Book 1: The Castle of Crossed Destinies
My Rating: 3/5
Review:This is a book, which if it was a movie would be an art movie, if painting, would be a ..."
Very True! I read If on Winter's last year as part of Group Reads and loved it. Calvino hasn't written much that doesn't demand complete attention from a reader to understand I think.
Good for the reading experience, bad for reader time I guess :)
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Thanks Smitha. Been borrowing my ToReads from your 'Already read, done and dusted' for quite some time now :)
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My Rating: 2/5
Review: According to me People read autobiography to get inspired. And people write Autobiography when they have achieved a point where they feel their life is worth discussing (or after a resounding success when all's well). Carlos Ghosn's Shift unfortunately didn't check both boxes for me.
The book seemed like a lot like a boasting COO's "How I always knew it would succeed" narrative. It preaches a lot more than engages the reader.I'm not sure how much of it is attributed to my knowledge that Ghosn failed miserably after the revival.
Book for B-school aspirants maybe
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My Rating: 4/5
Review: I grew up on Perry Mason's legal antics but never ventured into Gardner's pseudonym series of Cool and Lam. So when Amazon put out the Murder Room series for Kindle and offered A.A.Fair's books for free, I tried it and glad I did!
You Can Die Laughing is a book with so many twists that it takes you a while to even figure out what the deal is. Unconventional first person narrative (much like a Noir) by Donald Lam of Cool and Lam Detective agency makes for a fun read. A quick read that keeps you glued to the pages.
Bertha Cool as the tough boss and Lam as the genius make for a good team. The story is complex and confusing as it unfolds, but in the end gives that Aha moment that comes from an intelligent mystery.
It's not a whodunnit but more of a whathappened!
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My Rating: 2/5
Review: When it is classified in the Genre of "Realistic fiction" and is one of the most adapted script for movies/soaps I should have known what to expect - a script worthy of an Indian mega serial.
Thanks to the name, the book kind of made me lose interest with it midway and had to trudge through to not leave a book midway.
Pip as the adolescent protagonist is confused, arrogant and tries to be likable. Estelle as the feminine mystique and Miss Havishm as the eccentric lady leave more mark than Magwitch, Joe and Biddy.
Nothing wrong with the book I guess - Just not my taste :)
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My Rating: 4/5
Review: Mahabharata - the most told story finds a new voice and new perspective that is both possible and non-mythological.
Suyodhana is a thinker who questions the norms of the society (otherwise dharma) and the portrayal is one that makes him endearing. Karna as the Suta who goes on to become the king of Anga and Suyodhana's friend is noble. Side characters that miss out coverage in the original like that of Aswathama and Ekalavya have been given significance.
In an effort to tell the other side, the author has decided to make the Pandavas and his supporters scheming villains. Does the story really need any villain, I'm not sure.
Easy writing. Great attempt!
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My Rating: 3/5
Review: Pulp fiction with a display of acrobatics of a deductive (detective) mind.
Donald Lam is more than just solving a case when he is playing people, taking a pro-bono case without the knowledge of his partner B.Cool.
2 missing person cases land at Cool and Lam both with riders - one officially signed. Both the cases cross path at homicide and all of a sudden Lam is working the press, the police and his partner to solve the puzzle.
A quick read.
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My Rating: 5/5
Review: This book is a typical Heller in its absolute atypical writing style! Heller brews a powerful concoction of a humor, wit, family, sentiment, tragedy, politics, deception and outright crazy!
This tale is about Washington DC, the Jewish Experience, Family ties, Aspirations and somewhere about Henry Kissinger. Bruce Gold is the protagonist - a jewish professor/author, in a high position with the Govt (though not sure what), part of a big family that he doesn't understand and constantly in wonderment about his Jewish experience.
The book can make you laugh so hard with it's political satire and take on Government. The parts with his family is a mix of sorrow, tenderness and surprisingly funny. His research for his books on his Jewish Experience and Henry Kissinger are factual and revealing.
The plot is easier to follow than the other two Heller books I've read. Plus the way Heller jumps on you and talks to you directly out of the book was an awesome move!
Note: Can't help but feel the
must have been inspired from this!
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My Rating: 4/5
Review: Rebecca could have been 2 books. Both brilliant separately mind you- one a psychological thriller and the other a mystery. Together - it is still a genius of a book except with a not so smooth gear change. Reading it today, for the social values of that time, it must have been a complete bomb!
The protagonist/narrator Mrs.De Winter whose name we never come to know is completely overshadowed by the persona of a character not physically present in the book but is there in it's every page! She dreams and daydreams which chills your bones waiting for the nightmare to begin. Her identity requires validation even if from her pet dog.
Maxim as the haunted husband plays the grim 'hero' - a millionaire, whose circle involves compulsory gossip mongers or indifferent social butterflies. The way he is viewed in 'both the books' is shown different and the author kind of convinces you he is a bit of both.
Rebecca as the rebel ex-wife exudes from every page through thoughts, actions and deeds! She is scary, overbearing and the constant shadow over the new bride. Bold characterization that makes you root against her.
Manderly the house is the biggest role in the book with a character of it's own with secrets and moods. It is as big as Rebecca and so makes you move over to the other 'camp'.
A very clever book that is unapologetic about the grimness of the story.
Nice reviews, Girish :) If you already don't know, The Devotion Of Suspect X is being made into Drishyam, a film in Malayalam and Telugu. I haven't read the book yet, but the movies turned to good. And Kamal Hassan is acting in it there. If you don't hate movies, you can give it a try when it releases :) Thanks :) :)
Girish wrote: "Book 17: Ajaya: Roll of the DiceMy Rating: 4/5
Anand Neelakantan should be releasing 'Rise of Kali', the second (and last) part of the Ajaya series soon.
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If you already don't know, The Devotion Of Suspect X is being made into Drishyam, a film in Malayalam and Telugu. I haven't read the book yet, but the movies turned to good..."
I've watched Drishyam. It is loosely based on Devotion of Suspect X. The movie was good, the book more grim i think.
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Suspect X was an enjoyable book, but for the revelation in the last few pages which made me dislike the professor.
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Suspect X was an enjoyable book, but for the revelation in the last few pages which made me dislike the professor."
Suspect X was very intense. there was no mystery, just the game. Looking for a few such less intense books Col :D
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My Rating: 3/5
Review: Six Suspects is more of a drama than a mystery. And therein lies it's undoing. Six different stories with their respective twists and turns converge at a point where they merge only to have different threads hanging out.
Some of the stories are so long drawn, it is unpalatable. The author's Q&A worked because it was a logical extension while here they seem force fitted. And the climax not so clever.
Overall, with comparable books written before, this book is an average read.
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My Rating: 4/5
Hailey's Strong Medicine gives you his strongest heroine - Celia who rises to top and keeps swinging in the big bad world of pharmaceuticals. The book is rich on research, which you would come to expect when Hailey handles a subject. The other characters like Andrew and Sam are supporting characters and they remain that way.
The book has touched multiple facets of corporate including Glass Ceiling, Politics, Advertising, Environmental groups and Animal rights. The parts concerning Peat Smith and Yovenne seems long and unrelated to the flow.
As a portrayal of the industry as it exists, this is a thoroughly readable book!
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My Rating: 2/5
This quick pulp fiction might qualify as a train-journey read with a shallow mystery that just keeps developing. A mystery hooks you only as long as you believe you have all the facts and characters. This book introduces new characters, new story lines and developments till upto 80% of the book.
I still can't digest the goodreads summary of the book that should almost be categorized as a spoiler
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My Rating: 4/5
Arthur Hailey's Overload lives up to it's name. Packed with plots (and snippets) ranging from Power Crisis, OPEC cartel, environmental arguments, Plain terrorism to questions on faith, adultery and sex organs - this book is still a racy read.
Nim, the protagonist is larger than life when compared to Hailey's characters in most books. He heroically saves lives, manages to get all the women (with no effort at all) and is the thread that holds the Public Utility company and it's future. Some parts could not be justified entirely and you start wondering if Hailey just wants to experiment writing a new genre!
A lot of pages are dedicated to preachy arguments which seem prophetic. But given the time frame this would have come out, it was way ahead of time trying to explain the compromise between nature and development. Extremely well researched and a fulfilling read!
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My Rating: 3/5
This could easily have passed as an book of research papers on the works of Gustave Flaubert. But that would be too easy and Julian Barnes would not have it that way!
This deeply researched book is a cross between Biography and a Love letter narrated by an unreliable narrator who is overcoming his own grief, and wants to talk to the reader. A meta thread of how in books one seeks an explanation while in life one doesn't makes the author explore how to write a book as a slice of life - without explanations.
It is a homage to Flaubert whose life is not narrated from milestone to milestone but in various perspectives of books. For me, Flaubert could have been a piece of fiction and I wouldn't know. And yet, he is there in every sentence and you feel you are able to understand him for who he was - without judgement.As an art lover he explores modernism and presents Flaubert without romanticizing the protagonist.
The writing style is brilliant as usual and prose quote-worthy. Definitely a masterpiece, but not for everyone!
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My Rating: 4/5
Michael Crichton is THE author for research. In this attempt he had tried to blur historical research with fiction and what we get is a fast paced story that is read like a research paper!
Based on Beowulf, the book is the journal account of Ibn Fadlan (real), courtier from Mesopotamian civilization who joins a group of Vikings on a dangerous mission. The anthropological observations of customs and practices, culture shock slowly unravels into a tale of adventure like LOTR and Hobbit.
The footnotes (sometimes running for pages) supplement the narrative with trivia and 'show-off' research - which the author requests the reader to deem as fiction!
This is a fast read - but not really an enriching one for a reader who has grown accustomed to Crichton.
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Thanks. True! Hailey has the knack of taking an industry and spinning a story of the day-to-day life. so anybody could be the hero..
The most different Hailey is Detective which is more a crime novel
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The Pathologist features in Final Diagnosis. Detective was more biblical murders etc..
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My Rating: 3/5
This rainbow collection of short stories/reflections is something the authors can be proud of. Potluck is the outcome of the critique group - people from different backgrounds who came together for a course in Creative writing and started to work on their shared passion.
26 unconventional short stories/reflections of varying lengths ranging from one side to 30 pages give the reader a casatta of words. There is no common thread between the stories and the moods of the story are more a reflection of the author. This is a double edged sword for a reader who is not prepared for the genre.
My Top 3 contrasting Picks of the Book would be:
1. The Peas, the Peck and the Pickles
2. Bridges
3. Ma's Waiting
Short stories are an acquired taste for someone who is on the lookout for the big books. I found it as a filler between books, sometimes parking this knowing fully well there is no hurry to finish the book
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My Rating: 2/5
Almost on a quest to complete all the Perry Mason titles (and not finding them), picked this one up just before boarding a train!
I must admit, found it a bit of let down considering it was too easy and too much of a long shot. Also a little less theatrical in general.
Some interesting legal aspects such as gambling wins from embezzled money and time of death monitoring were the plus.
Except for the fact it was a quick read, not a very convincing Mason novel.
PS: Picked up a Master Mind India edition and found it ridden with typos and repeated paragraphs that were jarring. Looks like they have forgotten to edit this book.
Indian Readers
Books mentioned in this topic
The Krishna Key (other topics)The Siege: The Attack on the Taj Mumbai (other topics)
Playing It My Way: My Autobiography (other topics)
The Glass Palace (other topics)
Fever (other topics)
More...
1. One every 2 months - Favorite Experimental Authors - 6 books by 2 authors [Julian Barnes and Italo Calvino]
- Cosmicomics
- The Castle of Crossed Destinies
- The Porcupine
- Flaubert's Parrot
- Invisible Cities
- The Pedant in the Kitchen