Indian Readers discussion
READING PROGRESS 2016
>
Rebecca's Rampage Part 2
Mod
My Rating 4/5
A pure historical fiction that dealt with the Nazis in France and was loosely based on a true story. I love these sort of books where there is a s..."
LOL. At least he helped someone.
Mod
My Rating 4/5
An Agatha Christie which had a taste of Woodehouse at least in the initial chapters where the heroine Anne made me chuckle with her witty co..."
didn't like this one much
The Beach HouseMy Rating 3/5
Would have given a 4 star if the romance had been downplayed a little. It was a plot on which a number of books have been written to date. A difficult mother daughter relationship. But the extra zing was the snippets of information about the turtle called Loggerheads preceding each chapter. The turtles come to nest and lay eggs on the beaches every year and the life of the main characters revolve around these. The main characters the mother Lovie and the daughter Caretta or Cara were believably portrayed. It can be called a chik lit albeit a serious chik lit.
Delhi Is Not FarMy Rating 3/5
This was my first Ruskin Bond though I startedRain in the Mountains: Notes from the Himalayas first after a few pages I wanted to read a fiction by the author and jumped to the bandwagon of BR.
The story is in the form of ramblings in first person about a town and the people there. Though this was fiction I got the feeling that it was more or less autobiographical as it seemed the same person talking as in Notes from the Himalayas. There is nothing much in the name of a plot but the visual effects of his words are awesome. The reader starts seeing all the places the fields the shops and the people Suraj Kamla and the others as if you were watching a movie. Will try some other works of his after a gap.
Letter from a StrangerMy Rating 2/5
I listened to it. And to begin I hated the romance, Ive never read such tasteless romance before in my life. You could actually see me grimacing while going through it. I plodded on only because it was a recommendation from my sister in law who promised me that the end would be rewarding. And it was! The 2 stars are only for Gabri The grandmother and her story. As for Justine the heroine better things left unsaid. The book requires a lot of editing too as the same information is repeated by different characters.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyMy Rating 4/5
Hilarious! I had stayed away from this book as I am not much of a fan of Sci fi. Then the hype around it prompted me to give it a try. And I realized that there is no need at all to understand the science part of it . And to think it was concieved in 1979. I would classify it as a satire and it has so many quotable quotes especially why whales consider themselves superior to humans. Enjoyed it and was forever reading out passages to my hubby.
Mod
Mod
Girish wrote: "you can confidently quote from the book and seem all intellectual :p":p I loved it.
The Hungry TideMy Rating 4/5
I think I was not able to do justice to this book as I was distracted during its reading especially in the last parts. But there were things that clung to me - the beauty and wildness of the Sunderbans( One day I will definitely go there) the Dolphins and the Tigers. The dolphins and the tigers were also characters and so much was new to me regarding them. I loved the way the story unfolded with the schoolmaster's memoir along with Piya's adventure . And Fokir!!!! What a character. Will read more of Amitav Ghosh in the coming years.
Cards on the TableMy Rating 4/5.
Enjoyed the read . The typical Poirot with more emphasis on psychology rather than evidence.
Mod
Magic for MarigoldMy Rating 4/5
I love Montgomery's heroines who are ordinary females who get angry, are jealous , make a mess of things and then get up from where they have fallen , flick off the mud and move forward with their heads up , They are always creatures who live in a dreamland and as I think most of us readers are so it is easy enough to identify with them. I loved Marigiold and her friends and enemies. Typical Montgomery.
The Rosie ProjectMy Rating 4/5.
It was IMO a bit of too much logic and reasoning by Don in the beginning but as the story progressed I was thoroughly enjoying it and was rooting for Don and Rosie to get together. Cute.
Big Stone GapMy Rating 3/5
Well I finished it but thought that the heroine her actions and thoughts were rather silly. There were times when I wanted to say Oh come on girl.. Get on.... Actually what did she want from life? I have no idea nor do I think does Ave the heroine. No will not read the next of the series.
An Unwilling AccompliceMy Rating 2/5.
A total disappointment after the huge expectations after reading A Duty To The Dead. The mystery was flimsy, there were too much soldiers and too much confusion all around. And not all the questions were answered.
The Charm BraceletMy Rating 3/5
A would have been 4 starrer had it not been for the cliche ending. I loved the setting, the heroine and most of all The Charm Bracelet. Liked the concept ....And the underplayed romance.
Mod
TiganaMy Rating 5/5
Oh ! I love the roll of this word on my tongue. And What an idea! To wipe off all memories of a land must be the utmost cruelty.. Dianora affected me so much that I had to take a break whenever she came into action. And Brandin a villain and Hero at the same time. I found all characters to be realistic though I did not love all of them especially Catriana. Sometimes fantasy seems more real than reality.
A real rampage! All your updates on my page! :)) Keep 'em coming
Village Schooli
My Rating 4/5
A real cosy read curtailing the life of a village school teacher. Her experiences with students and the countryside make up the story. I have only one complaint. There were too much of miss and mrs used confusing the characters . But will read the next one in the series.
J and Em this was a long pending update. A few more to go.
The Housekeeper and the ProfessorMy Rating 4/5
An unusual book. unusual characters unusual plot . Of all the things Mathematics is the hero here or rather a Professor who loves maths and whose lyrical ways of presenting the subject makes one fall in love with maths too. And that is coming from someone like me who hates Maths. I loved the way he talked about numbers with a loving caress and there were many things new to me the amicable numbers the twin numbers .
The story does not follow the usual plot line of a beginning a middle and an end it- just flows and is the story of a housekeeper and her son who find meaning in life after meeting with the professor and well learning and loving Maths.
Our memories are very important to us aren't they? Strange that 2 books I have read recently deal with the loss of memory albeit in different ways (Tigana). Without our memories those which we relish and those which we despise where would we be?
The Uncommon ReaderMy Rating 3/5
A nice short read . The Queen becomes addicted to books and the country or rather the palace is not happy with it. And there is a sentence that Reading is not doing and that The Queen is ultimately a doer. So.....comes the twist in the end.
Mod
The Perfume CollectorMy Rating 4/5
My type of historical fiction. A realistic heroine, the alternating of past and present and a property that links the past to the present all ingredients of a historical fiction. The trick lies in weaving the property which is the Perfume here artistically into the character's lives such that a story of mystery and suspense is born. That has been done beautifully here. It was not all very sweet and soft -the heroines had their flaws and downfalls and moments of heartbreak and revenge. All in all an enjoyable story.
Am currently reading The Never-Open Desert Diner as part of a BR with Jaya and Aparna. 10% through and the landscape appears lonely and grim. But there are hopes of sunshine yet..Also started The Firm on Audio which is again very serious. Reading Young Men in Spats a story a week with Em and Manju. Finished the first story and it was rather flat. Will add some other light read to counter the heavy ones, haven't decided which.
Em wrote: "Why have you added an s to the title? :D :P"Saw it late thought of leaving it there for the pun , then changed my mind.
Rebecca wrote: "The Housekeeper and the ProfessorMy Rating 4/5
An unusual book. unusual characters unusual plot . Of all the things Mathematics is the hero here or rather a Professor who loves ma..."
Great review Buddy... :)
Mod
Great reviews and nice choices.
Gorab wrote: "Whoa! What just happened here. Floodgates opened up!Great reviews and nice choices."
Thanks Gorab. Actually they were read over a period of last few months. Just posted the updates now.
Aparna wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "The Housekeeper and the ProfessorMy Rating 4/5
An unusual book. unusual characters unusual plot . Of all the things Mathematics is the hero here or rather a Profes..."
Thanks Aparna.
Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary SocietyMy Rating 4/5
A decent book though there is nothing great about it. Though it has a catchy and seemingly cosy title and it is cosy, at places it adresses uncomfortable topics like racial apartheid and even Homosexuality. And the prejudices of the Southerners to Northerners would put the caste discrimination in India to shame.
Letters from SkyeMy Rating 3/5
The only reason I gave 3 stars is because it was an epistolary novel. It started out beautifully but midway I just got fed up of the perfect love. It had all the ingredients I usually crave for- bookish references, a poem, and to top that it was a Historical Fiction. But it touched a topic which I felt tasted sour. (view spoiler).
The Never-Open Desert DinerMy Rating 3/5
The only reason I started on this one was because Jaya recommended it and the only reason I finished it was because Em did a BR with me. This was a starkly grim book. It had things way far from the fluff I usually read. One thing that strikes you as soon as you start reading and stays with you long after you have finished it is the loneliness. The loneliness of Ben the protagonist and the loneliness of the windy sandy desert. It is so well written that you can imagine that sort of loneliness and what it must be to be that lonely.
Ben gets obsessed by a strange woman who plays cello in the desert. The woman and the cello complicates his lonely life and that is the gist of the story.
Reading this book made me realize many facts 1] That I usually read books where the protagonist is a female and so this very manly voice was different.
2] I am not as prudish as I believed myself to be and can stomach some unpleasantness
These were revelations in my reading life and I am glad that I read this book. I will not say that I loved it but yes it was beautifully written and I was affected by the characters.
Mod
Yes, I too end up mostly reading books with female protagonist or those written by females. The manliness of this book (if I may call it so) was apparent from page 1.
If books have gender, this one for sure is a Male. :)
Em wrote: "Rebecca, nice review.Yes, I too end up mostly reading books with female protagonist or those written by females. The manliness of this book (if I may call it so) was apparent from page 1.
If books..."
Yes a Macho book : p
The Blue UmbrellaMy Rating 2/5
Cute but nothing great. Was my second Ruskin Bond and can't say I am impressed.
കുന്നോളമുണ്ടല്ലോ ഭൂതകാലക്കുളിർ Kunnolamundallo BhoothakalakkulirMy Rating 3/5
Had great expectations but was sorry to see that except for the first two chapters others fell way short of those. A collection of memories of the authors life as a girl , a young woman it will strike a chord for anyone born in the seventies. But as I said the language and the presentation could have been better.....
The House at RivertonMy Rating 5/5
I do not know how Kate Morton's heroines do this to me. They pull me into their stories, wring my heart out and leave me with the feeling If only.... After I finished this beautiful paparback with a beautiful cover I felt so empty and wistful... I narrated the story in a nutshell to my husband hardly noticing the wide eyed look of the 9year old ( my son} sitting beside him. Later I find the little guy staring at the book cover and turning over the pages asking me in wonderment Is this the place all of that happened? Did it really happen? And I laugh at myself ... Yes it had appeared so real... Hannah, Emmeline and most of all Grace...my ! She sure was the central clue in that puzzle.....
Will read another Kate Morton next year....
84, Charing Cross RoadMy Rating 3/5
Short and sweet. A quirky American author writes to a British second hand book shop and forges a beautiful friendship with the employees of the same. Helen the author's quirky sense of humour and the polite British replies were a treat to read. Epistolary is one of my favourite genres and this was a good nonfiction read .
Mod
Wow, Rebecca, a budding reader...he may even read it on the sly.
Envy you- my husband will never listen to fiction, he will just go to sleep :P
Good going buddy...nice reviews..:)I m almost 80% done with riverton...loving it...
we can start house on strand after that..will get the book this weekend...
Em wrote: "had heard great things about the blue umbrella! have to read and find out now.Wow, Rebecca, a budding reader...he may even read it on the sly.
Envy you- my husband will never listen to fiction, h..."
Actually he has become an expert at nodding and acting as if he is listening intently from years of practise.....my hubby ie
Aparna wrote: "Good going buddy...nice reviews..:)I m almost 80% done with riverton...loving it...
we can start house on strand after that..will get the book this weekend..."
Yay! Aparna... waiting for you to finish it....
Mod
Angry Housewives Eating Bon BonsMy Rating 4/5
The story of four women bonding over a book club and their lives spanning the sixties to the nineties. Enjoyed it immensely.. Their bikerings, their fights and ultimately their friendship ...enjoyed all. Also there were numerous references to books which made it more enjoyable. I loved all the four women Merrit, Faith, Audrey and Kari their completely different personalities and how they could help each other exactly because of this..Recommending it to all women who understand and value their girlfriends.. Only one peeve (view spoiler)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-TimeMy Rating 4/5
A brilliant read. An overwhelming read. I went into it thinking it a story of an autistic teenager trying to solve the murder mystery of a dog. It turned out to be much more than that. I had tears in my eyes while reading certain parts. Kudos to the author for bringing out the thought process of an autistic child. And this child taught me many things - about death, our universe and about God. I should say he has more logic than us mere mortals. Because the first half was so extremely unexpectedly good I wanted more from the author in the second part but it fell a notch below my expectations. But a very very good read. Will read more or all of Mark Haddon in the coming years.
Mod
I too loved it.
Yes, second part was a bit disappointing.
His Spot of Bother too is very good.... but not in the same league.
Another book (forgot the title) was not that interesting and I left it within first few pages.
Indian Readers
Books mentioned in this topic
What Alice Forgot (other topics)Cocktails for Three (other topics)
Susanna's Seven Husbands (other topics)
Bury Your Dead (other topics)
A Trick of the Light (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa (other topics)Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa (other topics)
Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa (other topics)
John Grisham (other topics)
Kate Morton (other topics)
More...
My Rating 4/5
A pure historical fiction that dealt with the Nazis in France and was loosely based on a true story. I love these sort of books where there is a s..."
Hahaha well said! This looks very interesting, adding it. And as an erstwhile student of history, we were made to see both side of the Nazi regime, but any story based in that period never gets old (for me), so il thank him for that, at the very least :D