Sri's Sonorous Slumbers

[Parikhit]

That a whole lot of challenges for this year!! My only resolution is to not buy any books this year and finish all that I have been gathering over the years. :D

[Srividya]

Parikhit wrote: "That a whole lot of challenges for this year!! My only resolution is to not buy any books this year and finish all that I have been gathering over the years. :D"

Hahahaha!! All challenges aren't year long ones. In fact, most of them are take your own time, which actually means 'you are never going to finish it' ones! :D

Oh that has been my resolution for god knows how many years, and like most resolutions, it has been broken several times. Good luck to you though! :)

[Srividya]

Jaya wrote: "Srividya wrote: "Deborah Harkness is coming out with a new book in her All Souls Trilogy this year. Do you know what it means? Oh yes, it means a re-read of the first three books! No, it isn't beca..."

:D

[Srividya]

my post

COMPLETED

Historical Landmarks of West Virginia
1st Quarter 2018
Date: 01/01/18 - 03/31/18
Books read: 10/10


✔ 1. Andrews Methodist Espiscopal Church:
☀Read a book with a church building shown on the cover, OR a book with a mother as part of the story.
The Woman in the Window - A.J. Finn - 1/22/18 - ****

✔ 2. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Martinsburg Shops:
☀Read a book with a character or author named Albert or John, OR a book with a railroad track or train (or partial train) shown on the cover, OR a book where some sort of strike occurs in the workplace.
Can't Take My Eyes Off of You - Bella Andre - 3/10/18 - ****

✔ 3. The Greenbrier:
☀Read a book in which a luxury hotel or palace is mentioned, OR a book whose total page count contains the number 0, 1, 7, or 9.
Stories of Your Life and Others (340 pages) - Ted Chiang - 2/24/18 - ****

✔ 4. Grave Creek Mound:
☀Read a book from your TBR found between position #62 and 240, OR a book with something pertaining to a grave found on the cover (gravesite, headstone, etc).
Dead Beat (#202 on TBR)- Jim Butcher - 3/31/18 - ****

✔ 5. Old Main, Bethany College:
☀Read a book with a gothic type building shown on the cover, OR a book tagged "gothic" on the book's main page, or a book published prior to 1960.
Parthiban Kanavu (published in 1942) - Kalki - 2/10/18 - *****

✔ 6. Traveller's Rest:
☀Read a book set in England or New York City, OR a series book #6, #5 or #9.
Lake Silence - Anne Bishop - 3/9/18 - ****

✔ ✔ 7. Wheeling Suspension Bridge:
☀Read a book set during the American Civil War or a book in which a war takes place, OR a book with a bridge or partial bridge shown on the cover.
Vanthargal Vendrargal - Madhan - 2/11/18 - ****

✔ 8. Weston Hospital:
☀Read a book in which a hospital is mentioned or is part of the story, OR a book published between 1864 and 1994.
Year One - Nora Roberts - 2/20/18 - ***

✔ 9. Alexander Wade House:
☀Read a book with a character who is a teacher of some kind or is someone who works in the educational field, OR a book in which the first letter of each title word can be found in ALEXANDERWADEHOUSE.
Marked in Flesh - Anne Bishop - 3/18/18 - *****

✔ 10. Clover Site:
☀Read a book with a Native American character or a book written by a Native American author, OR a book published in 1992.
Letter from New York: BBC Woman's Hour Broadcasts - Helene Hanff - 2/18/18 - ****

[Srividya]

my post

COMPLETED

West Virginia Spell Challenge
1st Qtr Spell, 2018
Date: 01/01/18 - 03/31/18
Books read: 21/21

Word: Old Main, Bethany College

✔ O - The Oxford Murders - Guillermo Martínez - 3/29/18 - ★★
✔ L - Last Chance to See - Douglas Adams - 2/4/18 - ★★★★★
✔ D - A Discovery of Witches - Deborah Harkness - 3/4/18 - ★★★★★

✔ M - Marked in Flesh - Anne Bishop - 3/18/18 - ★★★★★
✔ A - All the Ugly and Wonderful Things - Bryn Greenwood - 2/22/18 - ★★★★
✔ I - In the Café of Lost Youth - Patrick Modiano - 3/3/18 - ★★★★★
✔ N - Norse Mythology - Neil Gaiman - 1/23/18 - ★★★★★

✔ B - Breakfast of Champions - Kurt Vonnegut - 2/5/18 - ★★★★
✔ E - Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine - Gail Honeyman - 1/13/18 - ★★★★★
✔ T - True History of the Kelly Gang - Peter Carey - 1/25/18 - ★★★
✔ H - High Tide - Jill Sanders - 3/16/18 - ★★
✔ A - Aesthetics: A Beginner's Guide - Charles Taliaferro - 3/2/18 - ★★★★
✔ N - Now That I've Found You - Bella Andre - 3/9/18 - ★★★★
✔ Y - Year One - Nora Roberts - 2/20/18 - ★★★

✔ C - This Cradle Won't Fall - Dixie Lynn Dwyer - 2/15/18 - ★
✔ O - Original Sin: A Cultural History - Alan Jacobs - 3/1/18 - ★★★★
✔ L - Letters to the Lady Upstairs - Marcel Proust - 2/17/18 - ★★★★★
✔ L - Letter from New York: BBC Woman's Hour Broadcasts - Helene Hanff - 2/18/18 - ★★★★
✔ E - Etched in Bone - Anne Bishop - 3/18/18 - ★★★★★
✔ G - The Good Soldier - Ford Maddox Ford 3/5/18 - ★★★★★
✔ E - The Encyclopedia of the Dead - Daniel Kiš - 3/22/18 - ★★★★

[Ahtims]

Wow.
Shall keep an eye on these challenges . I love voyeurism when it is book lists being read.

[Srividya]

Had joined these earlier but hadn't listed it here. More are coming..Lol.. am dead for sure! :D

Hopefully I can read some for each.

[Srividya]

my post

WRC: 18X18 Challenge
Date: 01/01/18 - 12/31/18
75/324 Completed

The Sound of Silence - Simon and Garfunkel (Audiobooks)

✔ 1. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
✔ 2. The Woman in The Window
✔ 3. Norse Mythology
✔ 4. Parthiban Kanavu
✔ 5. Year One
✔ 6. Vanthargal Vendrargal
✔ 7. Lincoln in the Bardo - George Saunders - 4/22/18 - ★★★★★
✔ 8. The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World - Stephen Brusatte - 5/6/18 - ★★★★
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Haven't Met you Yet - Michael Buble (New 2 U Authors)

✔ 1. All the Ugly and Wonderful Things
✔ 2. True History of the Kelly Gang
✔ 3. The Encyclopedia of the Dead
✔ 4. Dragon Slippers - Jessica Day George - 4/4/18 - ★★★
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Strangers in the Night - Frank Sinatra (New Releases 2018)

✔ 1. Lake Silence - Anne Bishop - 3/9/18 - ★★★★
✔ 2. The Only Story - Julian Barnes - 4/30/18 - ★★★★
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The Irish Rover - The Dubliners (Irish Adventures)

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[Srividya]

WRC: 18X18 Challenge Contd. 2

What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong (Fantasy)

✔ 1. Blood Song
✔ 2. The Eye of the World
✔ 3. Dead Beat
4. Promise of Blood
5. The Elven
6. Dreamer's Pool
7. The Black Prism
8. The Thousand Names
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We've Only Just Begun - Carpenters (First in the Series)

✔ 1. Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith - 4/21/18 - ★★★★★
✔ 2. Breathless in Love
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The Windmills of Your Mind - Noel Harrison (Huge/Never ending Series)

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The Pink Panther Theme Song Original (Mystery/Suspense/Thriller)

✔ 1. The Oxford Murders - 3/29/18 - ***
2. All that Remains (#1705 on TBR)
3. The Empty Chair (#595 on TBR)
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Love Story - Andy Williams (Romance)

✔ 1. All I ever need is you
✔ 2. Now that I've Found You
✔ 3. Since I fell for you
✔ 4. The Best is Yet to Come
✔ 5. Can't Take my Eyes off You
✔ 6. You Do Something to Me
✔ 7. This Cradle Won't Fall
✔ 8. Reckless in Love
✔ 9. Fearless in Love
✔ 10. Irresistible in Love
✔ 11. Maid For Love
✔ 12. Last Resort
✔ 13. Someday Beach
✔ 14. Rip Current
✔ 15. In too Deep
✔ 16. Swept Away
✔ 17. High Tide
✔ 18. The Magician Murders

[Srividya]

WRC 18x18 Challenge Contd. 3


All Alone Am I - Brenda Lee (Standalones)

✔ 1. In the Cafe of Lost Youth
✔ 2. The Good Soldier
✔ 3. Last Evenings on Earth
✔ 4. Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage - 5/27/18 - ★★★★★
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How Deep Is Your Love - Bee Gees (Tomes/Big Books >500 pages)

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Yesterday Once More - Carpenters (Historical Fiction)

✔ 1. Just one damned thing after another
✔ 2. A Symphony of echoes
3. A Second Chance
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I'd Love you to Want Me - Lobo (Classics)

✔ 1. The Brothers Karamazov
✔ 2. The House of Dead
✔ 3. Dead Souls - Nikolai Gogol - 4/20/18 - ★★★★★
✔ 4. Eugene Onegin: A Novel in Verse - Alexander Pushkin - 5/13/18 - ★★★★
5. The Odyssey
6. The Idiot
7. Age of Innocence
8. Hadji Murad
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Welcome to my World - Jim Reeves (Non Fiction)

✔ 1. Original Sin
✔ 2. Aesthetics
✔ 3. Last Chance to See
✔ 4. The Templars
✔ 5. Classical Philosophy - 5/15/18 - ★★★★★
✔ 6. Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche - 5/29/18 - ★★★★
✔ 7. The Unwomanly Face of War: An Oral History of Women in World War II - Svetlana Alexievich - 5/31/18 - ★★★★★
✔ 8. The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story - Douglas Preston - 6/3/18 - ★★★
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[Srividya]

WRC 18x18 Challenge Contd. 4

Please Release Me - Engelbert Humperdinck (Long pending TBR books - Owned)

✔ 1. If on a winter's night a traveler
✔ 2. The Terracotta Army
3. The Museum of Innocence
4. The Rings of Saturn
5. From the Holy Mountain
6. In Xanadu
7. 11/22/63
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I'll Never Find Another You - The Seekers (Favourite Authors)

✔ 1. Breakfast of Champions
✔ 2. Letter from New York: BBC Woman's Hour Broadcasts - Helene Hanff - 2/18/18 - ★★★★
✔ 3. Stories of your Life and Others
✔ 4. A Discovery of Witches
✔ 5. Written in Red
✔ 6. Murder of Crows
✔ 7. Vision in Silver
✔ 8. Marked in Flesh
✔ 9. Etched in Bone
✔ 10. The Obsession - 5/2/18 - ★★★★
✔ 11. Fantasy Lover
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Right Here Waiting - Richard Marx (Kindle Owned)

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Take me Home, Country Roads - John Denver (Indian Reads)

✔ 1. 2002 Lesser Known Tales From The Mahabharata: Volume 1
✔ 2. 2002 Lesser Known Tales From The Mahabharata: Volume 2
✔ 3. 2002 Lesser Known Tales From The Mahabharata: Volume 3
✔ 4. 2002 Lesser Known Tales From The Mahabharata: Volume 4
✔ 5. 2002 Lesser Known Tales From The Mahabharata: Volume 5
✔ 6. 2002 Lesser Known Tales From The Mahabharata: Volume 6
✔ 7. 2002 Lesser Known Tales From The Mahabharata: Volume 7
✔ 8. 2002 Lesser Known Tales From The Mahabharata: Volume 8
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[Girish, The Good cop]

my mind pictures Sri firing an aircraft machine gun with shell casings flying in all direction ;D

[Srividya]

Girish wrote: "my mind pictures Sri firing an aircraft machine gun with shell casings flying in all direction ;D"

ROFL!!!! :D :D

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

more challenges! O_O

[Srividya]

Manju wrote: "more challenges! O_O"

*Lips are sealed* :P

[Srividya]

February News Continued

I am starved and have been deprived the whole of last year and that is perhaps the only reason why I went and signed up for a whole lot of challenges this year. While some are those that have no deadlines, some do, and it is these with deadlines where I have gone crazy.

The 18x18 challenge is a challenge that the group, Wacky Reading Challenges, does each year. And the challenge is based on the year. As this is 2018, it is 18x18, last year was 17x17 and so on. This challenge is an interesting one where you have to (if you want) choose different subjects/topics/genres/just about anything that you want to read on and read a certain number of books for each subject/topic selected. The challenge has different levels. The final level, Level 5, which I have signed up for, means that I have to choose 18 topics/genres and read 18 books for each topic. This means reading a ridiculous amount of books. Truth be told, I have always failed to complete this one as it is challenging myself beyond what I am capable of. However, I choose this level to see if I can complete it one day.

So this year, I have chosen easier subjects/topics/genres to read (at least I hope it is easy) and have to read what I already have planned to read, at least to a great extent. Here's hoping I do justice to this one this year.

February till now has been a slow reading month for me, largely because of the books I have chosen to read. Each of these books, whether small or large in size, aren't books that you can finish in one swallow, merely because of the enormous amount of 'thought-food' that they provide. Therefore, am plodding around slowly while hoping that I can definitely finish them by the end of this month.

One of my main reads for this month is Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, which is part of my 12+4 reading challenge for this year. I had actually started reading this book last year but, while waiting for some of those with whom I was reading the book to catch up, I had lost momentum and had deferred it for a later date. Dostoevsky is one of my favourite authors and any book or story written by him is a treat for me. This is his last book and it definitely shows how much the master storyteller has grown in his writing and his understanding of human character and their foibles. I won't really write much now as I am still assimilating my thoughts for a review, which I hope I can write once I am done with the book. Despite not being a thriller in the modern sense of the word, this book is a page turner and has me hooked onto it and doesn't really let go. The fact that I am doing it in audio and the fact that it is nearly 800 pages in length are reasons why the reading progress is slow and my February reads so abysmal in terms of numbers. However, I am not really sad about it as this month would see me finish this beautiful book, which by itself is an achievement.

Doing a book the audio way means that you would need to recharge your mobile's battery and also give your ears some relief from the constant hearing. Also, since I am listening to the Librivox version which is done by various readers, there are a few that are really irritating and after which I need a break, if only to clear my mind of the irritation caused by the way they read and spoil what is a beautiful story and exquisite prose.

Such irritations and much needed breaks are filled with reading smaller books. One of the books that I am reading currently in bits and pieces is Ted Chiang's Stories of your Life and Others. Now this is a book that needs to be read slowly and with complete concentration. The surface of each story seems simple and yet the message within requires a lot of thought (at least for me). I am about 60% into this book and I have to say that I haven't read anything like this before. I had loved the author's The Merchant and The Alchemist gate as well as his Lifecycle of Software Objects (I hope I got both titles right) a lot, and was expecting something along those lines. What I got instead was something more than those two, both in terms of beauty as well as in terms of complexity. This makes the book fun as well as sheer torture and I am never sure which one is winning at any given point in time. Nevertheless, it is a masterpiece and every time I reach the end of the story, everything suddenly makes sense and leaves me in complete awe and respect for this wonderful author. I sincerely hope to finish this one today.

[Ahtims]

baap reh.
Reading this post has stressed me out. You are a glutton foe literary punishment 😐

[Srividya]

Contd...

As mentioned much earlier, this month is also seeing me read A Discovery of Witches, which is definitely delightful. Being back in the world of Matthew and Diana and the wonderful tidbits of history is a treat that I have been looking forward to for a long time, almost immediately after I finished reading the trilogy for the first time last year. However, sadly, the Brothers don't allow me to concentrate on this as I would want to. Good news is that I am almost done with the Brothers and ergo I can drown in Matthew and Diana's world soon.

As if my current reading list of books weren't enough, I added another one to it, a fantasy this time and by a new author, at least new to me. Am currently reading John Gwynne's Malice, which is pretty interesting, although it is too soon to say anything more than that about this book as I am only 40 pages in. The initial chapters, the plot and the writing, remind me of Steven Erikson and Robin Hobb and with both being favourites of mine, it gives me much hope that I would love this series as well. Ah well, only time will tell. ;)

[Srividya]

Contd..

Last evening while I was idly surfing GR and then Amazon, I came across a gem of book that was published in 2013 and which was a surprise publication (as I read it) to all concerned. This was a book that contained letters written by Marcel Proust to his neighbour, a lady who lived above him in the same building when he was living in Paris. These letters were essentially hastily scribbled notes that were chiefly written to her to complain about the noise that came from her home and filtered into Proust's home thereby creating a problem for him when he was resting or writing. However, these letters are much more than mere complaints. They are full of references to those times, their mutual acquaintances, poetry, theatre, Proust's mammoth work and much more. The book also contains photographs of the original letters written by him. The book is a gem for those who want to read Proust or have already read him or simply love epistolary as a genre, for they give great insight into the man and the writer that Proust was.

I was mighty pleased to find this one and devoured it immediately, laughing and becoming sentimental with Proust as the years passed and he wrote. The beauty of these letters and this exchange is the fact that Proust and the lady, despite being neighbours, had never met during their lifetime. Quirky and informative, this book is a must read for all, even if you don't want to read Proust.

[Srividya]

Syl wrote: "baap reh.
Reading this post has stressed me out. You are a glutton foe literary punishment 😐"

ROFL!!!

[Srividya]

I wonder what my next two posts will do to you! :P

[Parikhit]

The Brothers Karamazov is a masterpiece. We have discussed in lengths about this book here often. You will surely love it :)

[Ahtims]

Looking at the length haven't read it. ( in a mall in Mangalore- so don't want to faint in front of strangers)

[Srividya]

Parikhit wrote: "The Brothers Karamazov is a masterpiece. We have discussed in lengths about this book here often. You will surely love it :)"

Oh yes, it is a masterpiece indeed. Am loving it already and I know it is going to become another favourite of mine. :)

[Srividya]

Syl wrote: "Looking at the length haven't read it. ( in a mall in Mangalore- so don't want to faint in front of strangers)"

ROFL! I wouldn't wish that for you either. ;)

[Ahtims]

Proust... hmm
haven't read him... but will read his letters

[dely]

Can you add a link to Proust's letters? Is it also on GR? I'm interested if there is an Italian translation.

edit: is it this? Letters to His Neighbor

another edit: I have some problems too with a noisy neighbor and maybe reading Proust can help. But I won't write letters to my neighbor.

[Srividya]

dely wrote: "Can you add a link to Proust's letters? Is it also on GR? I'm interested if there is an Italian translation.

edit: is it this? Letters to His Neighbor"

The linking feature wasn't working this morning which is why I couldn't do it at that point in time.

But yes, it is that one. It is also called Letters to the Lady Upstairs

[dely]

Fine, thanks! I added it to my wishlist.

[Srividya]

Epistolary seems to be ruling this weekend for me. Just finished another one by Helene Hanff called Letter from New York: BBC Woman's Hour Broadcasts. What was originally five minute broadcasts on radio that happened every month for nearly five years was later transcribed into this delightful book. Full of funny as well as poignant excerpts of her life in New York and life in New York in general, this book is something one shouldn't miss reading, especially if you loved her 84, Charring Cross Road.

This marks my 11th book read for this year.

[Srividya]

dely wrote: "Fine, thanks! I added it to my wishlist."

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. :)

[Srividya]

Short Stories

The past week has seen me read one heavy (I call it that even if others don't) book after another. The two epistolaries of yesterday did relieve the mood a little but I craved for something light, something that will make me laugh and will make me want to get back to the philosophical discussions of the Brothers Karamazov and other similar and perhaps more difficult subjects that were being talked about in Ted Chiang's book. With this in mind, I decided to listen to some Tamil short stories and what fun it was.

Bakkiyam Ramasamy is a renowned Tamil writer who has written various short stories, serialised novels and plays. It was three of his shorts that I read or rather listened to this afternoon and was laughing all the way. The stories were situated around two characters, Appusamy and his wife Seeta paati, both being senior citizens and having quite diverse personalities, the day to day clashes as well as some of their interactions in special situations definitely called for one or more laughs and lightened up my mood. The three stories were less than 40 pages each and were about 15 mins on the audio max but left a mark on my mind that is way more than anything else did today.

I listened to the dramatised version of these stories narrated and acted by Kathadi Ramamurthy, one of the legends of Tamil drama, especially its comedy ones. This was a treat indeed as I am a huge fan of this man and his acting, dialogue delivery and comic timing. Having enjoyed all his dramas (as we used to call it) since I was a four/five year old, this one brought back all those wonderful memories.

[Jaya]

I am doing a lot of bangla stories and folklores like this, as i cant read the text. Am SO glad you are into the audiobook league now ;)

[Srividya]

Jaya wrote: "I am doing a lot of bangla stories and folklores like this, as i cant read the text. Am SO glad you are into the audiobook league now ;)"

Yay! Twinnies for life!! :D

Yes, am sooo glad to have found audiobooks. Btw, am still waiting for your reccos on that! ;)

[Jaya]

Dune! Dune!! Dune!!!
you are already reading Collapsing empire)
If you can get hold of Stella Riley's Mésalliance
Bear & the Nightingale
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner..... for starters ;)

[Srividya]

Jaya wrote: "Dune! Dune!! Dune!!!
you are already reading Collapsing empire)
If you can get hold of Stella Riley's Mésalliance
Bear & the Nightingale
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner..... for starters ;)"

Starring all these! :D

[Em*Greedy* (Iniya)]

My god,,,, This is full of challenges sri..!!!!! All the best for all your challenges :-D :-D

Can't believe I missed this thread till now..!!!

[Srividya]

Thanks Ini! :D

[Srividya]

And we are in March

Where did February go? And what happened to my updates for those days of February that went past so fast that I didn't realise that it was March already! ;)

Ah well, just this morning I finished a wonderful book that was narrated by an unreliable narrator, had the narrative timelines going off into the past and coming back into the present at the turn of a page, nothing linear about it and worse it dealt with a topic that should have ideally made me cry hoarse with anger - adultery -- and yet fascinatingly, The Good Soldier for all its faults or maybe because of it, is one of the best reads that I have read this year. It isn't a 'nice' read, it isn't an 'easy' read and by nice and easy I mean more in terms of morals and judgements that we as readers (especially me) tend to have about books, writing and most of all the characters. And yet, it was the most beautiful read and it was nicer than nice, easier than easy and yet it was difficult and not so nice as well. Puzzled? Well, I am too, which is why I am still pondering on it and will hopefully get to a review some time soon.

Anyway, my point for bringing in this read wasn't just to acknowledge the fact that I was reading and have been doing so despite making no updates here. It is basically to announce that there will be jumps in this update timeline as well... from present to recent past to the distant past, as and when the mood strikes for me to talk about a book that I have read and digested.

[Girish, The Good cop]

Srividya wrote: "And we are in March

Where did February go? And what happened to my updates for those days of February that went past so fast that I didn't realise that it was March already! ;)

Ah well, just this..."

We will treat this thread as that of an unreliable narrator? Sure, why not! We all are in a way..
And lol, the book review was almost Crazy Mohan level! :P

[Srividya]

Girish wrote: "Srividya wrote: "And we are in March

Where did February go? And what happened to my updates for those days of February that went past so fast that I didn't realise that it was March already! ;)

A..."

Hahahaha!! And BFF, thank you for that compliment!! Crazy Mohan rocks!! :D :P

[Srividya]

The Heart of February

Well, if this makes you feel like you know what my post will be about, don't feel that way because it isn't. Nope, I am not going to talk about romance or even the 14th or even anything remotely concerned with the middle of the month or middle of a read or anything. This is just so named because I am a lazy soul and I didn't know what to title this post and this was the first title that came to mind! Well.. I told you, I was going to be an unreliable narrator, so if you find gems in this one, it is all yours! ;)

Coming back to some 'sense' after that 'non-sense', (hopefully), let me just try to scan my thoughts and remember what I read in February and what were the hits and which were the ones I definitely did not miss when I closed the last page.

Aaand a screening of my shelf this year shows that I have definitely emerged as a reader of sorts, given that the whole of last year and January of this year wasn't really a reading year/month for me.

Well, I have read a variety of genres, which definitely makes me happy and I have kept some of the promises that I made to myself in the beginning of the year, which again makes me feel proud. But alas, more of that later. Here, I shall talk about the heart - did I say that? Really? I don't think this is me writing anymore ....or is it?

The heart of a reader is such an organ that it definitely beats the strongest in the month of February. No, oh please, don't keep thinking in terms of cliches. I don't mean romance here but pacing of reads. So, at least my heart beats the fastest during this month. When it is January, you are all upbeat to start the New Year with a bang and end up reading a lot, at least most people do. But then you have a few like me for whom January has been a difficult reading month. Their reads are nothing to write home about and this time I am not just talking about numbers but also quality; again this is extremely personal, an introspection if you would like to call it.

And so February arrives before you know it and you are found wondering where January disappeared and what happened to all those reads that you had planned! I know, I know, with me it is the case every month but February is special because this is where I decide how to pace myself. And don't worry, my decisions are always wrong but nevertheless the decision does what it does to my reading.

So this February, like all other Februaries (is that right?), I worked myself into a panic and in this panic, read, a lot (?), like a maniac (?)...Not sure if those phrases are applicable but I did read and read indiscriminately, which can be seen from my reads. One will argue that all of us do read indiscriminately to a great extent and it is indeed pleasurable to do so. And I would agree to that but what makes my reading special is the fact that I would read a book written by an author that I have read before and not liked. In fact, I would read not one but several books on the same line by the same author as if I was under a spell and once those books are done, I will come out of it and say to myself 'What in the world was that in aid of?'

And this happened to me this year and in February. Usually, I take care to ensure that it doesn't happen but ah well, it isn't something that can be helped. The author in question is one Sharath Komarraju and the books in question are his Lesser Known Tales from the Mahabharata.

I had previously read his 51 Lesser Known Tales from the Mahabharata and it didn't go really that well with me. Although I do respect the author for his determination to bring before the readers all the lesser known tales of the epic, I felt that most of those were known tales and some weren't from the Mahabharata arc.

Anyway, I forgot all about that read. This year a book, 2002 Lesser Known Tales from the Mahabharata; Vol. 1, captured my attention when I was browsing KU for books. Now, my memory is so weak that I didn't remember anything from my previous experience. The author's name was a vague memory but I couldn't be sure whether I had read him or not. So, I got the first book and started reading the preface. And lo behold, he mentions the other book in its preface and I rush to my GR to see what was my review on it. I read my review and read his preface and somehow decided to give him another chance. He sounded really sincere in it and I think I have to give him marks for that. He is truly a lover of the Mahabharata and definitely wants more and more people to read it and relish the pleasure of that epic.

His first book wasn't that good but it wasn't bad either. Some stories were new, some weren't; but that wasn't a bad thing. picked up the second volume, which was quite similar to the previous one but I wasn't disappointed. I quickly went to the 3rd, then 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and his as of now last volume 8th. Each book was about 130-150 pages in length and they all had short stories, so they were an easy read.

As a reader, as a lover of the epic, as someone who is constantly looking for something nice and new to read about it, I have to say that the later volumes disappointed me thoroughly. The same problem as I had with the original 51 Lesser known tales was repeated here - Well known tales and some tales not from the arc itself. Now, here I was in a dilemma as the author has relied on one of the best known translations of the original Mahabharata to curate these tales, which (the original translation, I mean), I haven't read fully. So, I don't know whether these exist as he says in the original Mahabharata or they don't. The initial volumes did match a little (Oh yes, I did try matching them) but it isn't possible for anyone to analyse these books from bits and pieces of the original, so I stopped and let the author enthrall me with his version and stories.

What honestly bugged me beyond a point was not the veracity of the stories or even the debate between lesser and well known ones, although the latter is a strong point against these books for those who know the epic well; it was the writing. I felt that as the books got written, they weren't edited properly, the language was repetitive at times and the language felt like it was a literal translation or something just weird. It simply didn't connect with me personally. It might with others but it just didn't with me. Despite that, like an addict craving for more cocaine even when he knows he shouldn't, I craved these books and read them like a mad woman and was left with an increase of 8 books for my yearly challenge but with a huge sense of disappointment otherwise. Today, if you ask me about any of my other reads, I might be able to give you something in terms of the plot or maybe my feelings or even reasons why I hated it or loved it. With these books, I can give you nothing! They were so forgettable that once I finished the last page, it simply flew out of my mind. Out of sight, out of mind -- Very disappointed!

[Srividya]

Contd...

Not all my February reads were like the one above. Some were true gems and others some old favourites while still others have been put in the reserve category or the 'to be decided later' category.

1. One of the first books that I finished after finishing Hanff's epistolary was the first book from a series that is my all time favourite. The book itself, Fantasy lover, wasn't that great but I loved it. I do love my cheesy romances, so sue me! lol Anyway, this book needs to be read before reading the absolute first book of the series, which hopefully my friends will decide to read soon, else I may just go ahead and read it as it is, as I already mentioned, a favourite series and I want to read the other books in the series that I haven't read. And like anyone with 'Series OCD', I need to start from the first book all over again... sigh....

2. From Fantasy Lover, I went onto read a book written by my favourite author, yes, Nora Roberts. This is the first book of her new trilogy called Chronicles of the One. The book titled Year One is a book that I would love to put in the 'to be decided later' category. Don't get me wrong, it isn't that I didn't love it, I did. But somehow I am not able to decide whether this new venture into a new genre mix is the right decision that Ms. Roberts has made, at least with respect to me and my theories of how her writing should be...lol. I am no expert but there are certain things that I would definitely say is Ms. Roberts' expertise and one of them is magic. and the other is Ireland or Irish stuff. She does them really well. In this book, she tries to mix dystopian/apocalyptic with magic and I am not sure if the mix is fitting well. The book reads fairly well and I was doing the audio book (Go me!) and I found it really captivating. She builds a really nice world in the beginning, she does get in magic or the feel of magic in the absolute initial pages in the way she would do her other prologues, she brings in an apocalypse that is quite interesting, the end of the world stuff isn't routine and yet isn't that different but nevertheless quite interesting. What makes me want to pause for a decision is perhaps the pace of the story. I feel she has moved really fast in this one and has brought in too many things/elements that left me feeling rushed. She also doesn't really explain the need for things to move this fast. And she also does a GRRM, which I feel is totally unnecessary. But then, I am not the writer so I don't know if it was necessary or not. As a reader, while I didn't shed tears, I was quite taken aback at the need for it and honestly felt it to be without any purpose. Anyway, this is just the first book and maybe she tells us the reasons or the reasons flow quickly in the next one.. I don't know. I will definitely wait and read.. but looking at the speed of this one, I don't think the next one will be a slower thing.. and I can't decide whether I like that idea or don't. All in all, I will call this a 'to be decided after reading the second book' deal. And since it is Ms. Roberts' writing, I might just have to read the last one as well...

Incidentally, I think Ms. Roberts should have gone in for a longer series with this one. I don't know, maybe 4-5 books... not sure if it has that potential but at least it wouldn't have been this fast paced or rushed....

3. My next read was a very difficult read and I think if I hadn't done it the audio way with me speeding it up by 1.8x I wouldn't have finished it. All the Ugly and Wonderful Things is definitely a book that shows you all that is ugly and wonderful in the world we live in. The book has a lot of negatives to it, a difficult plot line; multiple POVs with no reason for most of them; a taboo love; and not so likeable characters (at least not much); this book had everything against it. And yet, I kind of loved it. I loved the writing, which was truly sensitive; I loved that it celebrated 'pure and sincere love' more than anything else; and finally, I did love Wavy and Kellen in my own way even when I didn't want (would attribute this to the writer's strength for sure).

Call me a hypocrite if you will for I wouldn't want Kellen or anyone else for that matter near my daughter. But the story of Kellen and Wavy was something truly unique to their circumstances. And even though there was a constant hum of 'he is nothing but a paedophile', I could look beyond that hum into the beauty that was the relationship between Wavy and Kellen. And this is why I said, I can be called a hypocrite. For while I could see the beauty here, I don't think it is something that I can condone at all. For Wavy, Kellen was the first person who cared; and it was the same for Kellen. The fact that he cared for as a father would, a brother would, some family member would made it seem less tainted than it would have otherwise. It is ugly and yet this seemed wonderful. I don't know what more to say on this. It is a difficult book and one that left me with many a sad thought thereafter.

4. To divert my mind from such serious observations and introspections, I turned to science fiction. Having read and loved his, The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate and The Lifecycle of Software Objects; I think Ted Chiang and his Stories of Your Life and Others was a superb read which truly elevated my spirits and brought me one with my soul (in a manner of speaking). While this is a book that bears many a re-read simply by virtue of the vastness of topics it covers and the abysmal lack of my knowledge regarding those; this was a book that resonated very strongly with me and my quest for learning. I will not attempt to even sum up my thoughts regarding this one because I won't be able to do justice to the book. This goes on my definite re-read list and perhaps one day I can and will review it.

[Srividya]

And we are in March contd...

That last post has me all caught up. I mean that's what I read for February...nothing much just some duds with some good ones. A lot of duds with a few good ones thrown in for luck!

March beginning saw me read more than the previous months. Looking at my list, I have finished 6 books and it is just the 5th of March. So, yay me!

Details of each book will come later as I think I have written too much already... as usual!! I know BFF, I know....

Books read till now in March

1. Original Sin: A Cultural History

2. Aesthetics: A Beginner's Guide

3. In the Café of Lost Youth

4. All I Ever Need Is You

5. A Discovery of Witches

6. The Good Soldier


Planned reads/reads already started/some pending since January

1. The Brothers Karamazov (Need to finish this soon... Uncle D I am sorry)

2. The Elven - A German Fantasy (translated)

3. Dreamer's Pool (Need to finish this soon as well ... Manu I am sorry)

4. Saakshi - New one this month

5. Sivagamiyin Sabatham -- Lagging behind my BR buddies

6. The Collapsing Empire - Need to finish this soon... J I am sorry

7. Blood Song

8. Malice

9. The Last Mughal -- put on hold for now.. I can't take any more shame...

10. The Bodhran Makers - Need to finish this soon... And am not apologising to myself for this! :P

[Girish, The Good cop]

Srividya wrote: " as usual!! I know BFF, I know....."

Merci :P

(Note: not with a 'y')

[Srividya]

Girish wrote: "Srividya wrote: " as usual!! I know BFF, I know....."

Merci :P

(Note: not with a 'y')"

Hahahaha! You needn't ever use it with a 'y', at least not with me! :P

[Srividya]

my post

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Quarterly Challenge
March 15, 2018 through June 14th, 2018
Level:
Books read:

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is full of interesting characters. It’s easy to love them all, or love to hate when talking about the Evil Queen. The only ones we get to see working though are the Dwarfs, down in their mines they dig and dig finding diamonds and rubies. But there are so many beautiful gems they could be mining, not to mention the metals we use for setting those gems into our favorite jewelry.

Instructions and Levels
(view spoiler)[You need to preselect a level for this challenge, but are free to move to a higher level if your reading time allows. When using the cover/color option, more than 50% of the cover needs to be the color or colors for the book to qualify for that category. There is no minimum page count for this challenge. Rereads and audiobooks are allowed. The bonus can be added to any level and you can read just one or all five bonus categories.

Levels:
Peasant - Read any 5 books.
Bar Wench - Read any 10 books.
Merchant's Wife - Read any 15 books.
Lady in Waiting - Read any 20 books.
Princess - Read any 25 books.
Queen - Read all 35 books! (hide spoiler)]

Characters:

❤ Snow White - Read a book with a pure-hearted character.

✔ ❤ Evil Queen - Read a book with an evil character or a step-parent, evil or not. In Too Deep - Jill Sanders - 3/16/18 - ★★

❤ The Huntsman - Read a book with an outdoorsy character.

❤ The Prince - Read a book with nobility.

❤ Bashful - Read a book with a wallflower character.

❤ Doc - Read a book with a smart character, a nerd or a geek.

❤ Dopey - Read a book with a goofy character.

❤ Grumpy - Read a book with a character who needs to smile more, you know the type.

❤ Happy - Read a book with a cheerful character.

❤ Sleepy - Read a book with an overworked character.

❤ Sneezy - Read a book where an illness or disability is part of the story.

Precious Gems:

❤ Diamond - Read a book with a white cover or a wedding/engagement in the story.

❤ Ruby - Read a book with a red cover or one with friends to lovers story.

❤ Sapphire - Read a book with a blue cover or one that makes you smile.

❤ Emerald - Read a book with a green cover or one with family as part of the story.

Semi-Precious Gems:

❤ Alexandrite - Read a book with a light source on the cover or a PNR.

❤ Amethyst - Read a book with a purple cover or one with a character who gives or gets advice.

❤ Apatite - Read a book with at least two of blue, green or gold on the cover or a book with phone, text or email communication between the MCs.

✔ ❤ Aquamarine - Read a book with water on the cover or a military character. - -Swept Away -Jill Sanders - 3/16/18 - ★★

❤ Black Onyx - Read a book with a black cover or a Romantic Suspense.

❤ Blue Topaz - Read a book with a light blue cover or a character who has to face their fears.

❤ Citrine - Read a book with a yellow/orange cover or a wealthy character.

❤ Garnet - Read a book with a deep red cover or one with travel in the story.

❤ Jade - Read a book with trees or plants on the cover or a character who works outside.

❤ Lapis Lazuli - Read a book with sky on the cover or one set in a hospital or with a medical professional.

❤ Moonstone - Read a book with the moon on the cover or a historical romance.

❤ Opal - Read a book with at least five colors on the cover or a fiery romance.

❤ Peridot - Read a book with a lime green cover or with a character trying to get out of some kind of nightmare.

❤ Rose Quartz - Read a book with pink on the cover or a character who was hurt in the past.

❤ Spinel - Read a book with a child on the cover or in the story or a book you want to relax with.

❤ Tanzanite - Read a book with a purple or dark blue cover or a book with pregnancy (fear of, surprise, current, past or future) as part of the story.

❤ Tiger's Eye - Read a book with a brown cover or a book with a practical character.

❤ Tourmaline - Read a book with at least three colors on the cover or a sports story.

❤ Turquoise - Read a book with a blue/green cover or one with friends in the story.

❤ Zircon - Read a book with earth tones on the cover or one with a famous character.

Bonus: Precious Metals

❤ Gold - Gold on cover, in the title or in the text of the book.

❤ Silver - Silver on cover, in the title or in the text of the book.

❤ Platinum - Platinum, or other metal, on cover, in the title or in the text of the book.

❤ Copper - Copper on cover, in the title or in text of the book.

❤ Iron - Something made out of metal on the cover. Iron in the title or text of the book.

You may update your original post as you go along, but please repost upon completion of the challenge. It aids in acknowledgement of your achievement and everyone loves to see what you read!

[Srividya]

March reads

March has been a really interesting month till now and a curious one as well. My reading mojo is somewhat back and I am really happy about that. However, it is a strange mojo and I don't know what to feel about the strangeness. Confused?

Ah well, this month saw me reading more in terms of numbers, which is okay; more romances, which is okay again; but it made me reread the same book twice in two days, which is crazy.. well, I did know I was crazy but didn't realise I could be this crazy. lol

One thing upfront - I didn't read the books that I had planned on finishing this month.. nothing new but I wish for once I could say that I did finish something that I had planned.. ah well, another day perhaps.

1. Bella Andre - March saw me come up to date with a romance series that I totally love. Bella Andre and her Sullivans series is my comfort read, one where I can find peace and solace. And am glad that this month I have read all the books that Ms. Andre has written till now and am now waiting eagerly and impatiently for the next one.

March also saw me read another series by Ms. Andre, which I enjoyed just as much as I did the Sullivans.

2. Jill Sanders - Am not really fond of her writing but I thought I should give her another chance and went ahead and read a contemporary romance series of hers. Finished the whole series, a set of 6 books, and all of them were meh... It didn't resonate with me at all.

3. Anne Bishop - Her sixth book in The Others series released this month and I had to read it. Once that was done, in a single sitting, I tried my best to control my need to reread the other books in the series, and I succeeded in doing that for a whole week. However, last weekend, I succumbed to my desire and reread the other five books. Now, if I had just reread them it would be okay, but I had to go and read it all over again once I finished them. So, in short, in a span of four days, I finished those 5 books twice.. *silence is best*

4. Daniel Kis: I literally stumbled upon this author and his book while searching for something else. I bought his The Encyclopedia of the Dead on a whim, a few months back, and was dying to read it. And read it, I did. It is a small book. only 192 pages but it packs a punch that will put all tomes to shame. This book is a collection of short stories, chiefly revolving around the topic of death and the dead and is peppered with religion, philosophy, society, morals and much more making it a treatise on the subject without boring you at all. Facts combined with myths ad legends make the whole experience truly wonderful.

5. Sujatha - A tamil author and one whose works I have been meaning to read since a very long time. Quite accidentally, I stumbled upon an english translation of his book on Kindle and got it. Started reading it and realised that I had made the biggest mistake ever of reading it in translation. Nevertheless, I pursued and completed it. THe book, Nylon Rope, didn't resonate with me at all and I am not sure that it would have, even if I had read it in Tamil. However, am not giving up on the author and will read more and then decide whether I am as ensnared as the others or not.

[dely]

What about The Brothers Karamazov? I hope you will finish it! I wasn't able to put it down while reading it.

[Srividya]

dely wrote: "What about The Brothers Karamazov? I hope you will finish it! I wasn't able to put it down while reading it."

I hope I finish it too. It is really funny, I don't put it down and then I feel I should just savour it and think about what I have read and then I don't pick it up immediately.. sigh...

I should have finished it the first time I started it and not waited for anyone else.. that waiting has cost me a year now..