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[Leena]

i finished Giovanni's Room. Finished with Vassem Khan's midnight at Malabar House and Jenny Frame's Unexoected. Unexpected matched t its name completely : A lesbian family romance.Vaseem Khan, as usual, has angered me, and I'm trying to cool down before blasting him on my review.

[Leena]

Need to finish A Rising Man and Carmilla.

[Verse]

I'm reading the songbof Achilles currently

[Laila]

I'm about to finish the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo and then start Babel

[Leena]

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/book...

This is a great curated list of historical mysteries. Im going crazy just perusing this list and figuring out my next read. Enjoy!!

[Parvez]

I started reading The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. Even though I had it in my to read list, I started to read it mainly because I was bored and had nothing else to do. It has been only a few days since I started and I am almost at the half mark. I think it will be a memorable read.

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

Leena wrote: "i finished Giovanni's Room. Finished with Vassem Khan's midnight at Malabar House and Jenny Frame's Unexoected. Unexpected matched t its name completely : A lesbian family romance.Vaseem Khan, as u..."

That's lot of books.😄

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

Laila wrote: "I'm about to finish the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo and then start Babel"

How did you like Evelyn Hugo?

[Leena]

em, yup lot's. I'm currently reading The Last Lie I told by Riley Sager. the problem with his books are that they follow a certain pattern.
I finished Keri Beevis M for Murder and what a great start to a series.A quick, nail-biting read. I definitely recommend it.

[Savita]

I am reading Thomas Hardy 's Wessex Tales and have finished the first story of a total of six tales ... .... . It's a sad reflection of unreasonable human behavior and the predictable and unpredictable consequences thereof . ☆☆Beware Spoilers (view spoiler)[ A 30 + mother of three children , bored with her down to earth and practical husband , finds herself falling wildly in love with a young poet whom she has never met . She desperately contrives to effect a meeting with the young man , and when she fails to do so , falls to blaming God for not helping her due to sheer jealousy !!!! What folly is this ?! An infatuation that makes her clean forget all her responsibilities and ties ! What about the poor children ? What about the poor, basically blameless husband ? It's disturbing to read how such wild , uncontrolled and unreasonable behavior of one spouse can devastate and shipwreck the whole family . Perhaps the presence of a joint family ( not neccessarily all staying together , but being sufficiently close to each other to be healthily bonded ) would be a good deterrent to such irresponsible and offensive behavior ? The presence of elders in the family is bound to have a stabilizing influence on the younger generation .
I cannot call this kind of emotion real and true love . Real love proceeds with a responsibility , and cares for the rights and feelings for others . This foolish behavior is nothing but a destructive infatuation . 🤔 (hide spoiler)] ☆☆
Looking forward to reading the second story of a master storyteller .

[Austin]

Savita wrote: "I am reading Thomas Hardy 's Wessex Tales and have finished the first story of a total of six tales ... .... . It's a sad reflection of unreasonable human behavior and the predicta..."

Hmmm. (view spoiler)[ It's similar to the news I read two days back. A married Indian woman living with her two children (aged 13 and 5) and husband fell in love with a Pakistani man 5 years younger to her on FB. She left her children and husband behind, went to Pakistan and married her illicit lover. She didn't think about how her children and husband would suffer. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Savita]

Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "I am reading Thomas Hardy 's Wessex Tales and have finished the first story of a total of six tales ... .... . It's a sad reflection of unreasonable human behavior an..."

Oh yes , I saw this on television ( Aaj Tak ) . Really disgusting ! ☆☆Beware Spoilers (view spoiler)[ It's easy to justify a wrong action by putting the blame on the spouse - I don't get along with him , or he's too prosaic etc etc But can you also justify leaving the poor innocent children whom you brought into the world , and jolly well are responsible for ? (hide spoiler)] ☆☆
They say God's punishment comes slowly but surely , and by that time ( may even be in a subsequent lifetime ) the crime / wrong doing may not be obvious . And in our supreme ignorance and arrogance , we lash out at Heaven for our apparently unexplained suffering . If only human beings paid closer attention to what is known world wide : As you have sown , so shall reap ; karma - jo hei karta , woh hei bharta 🤔 There's so much horrific suffering in the world everywhere and there is so much evil and in this world everywhere . Wish we were all better tuned to the relation between Crime and Divine Retribution 🤔 🌑➡️✝️☪️🕉 ➡️ 🏨 / ♿

[Savita]

Savita wrote: "Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "I am reading Thomas Hardy 's Wessex Tales and have finished the first story of a total of six tales ... .... . It's a sad reflection of unreasonable hu..."

Austin , with reference to As you have sown , so you shall reap / jaisi karni , waisi bharni mentioned above , you may like to see a very entertaining movie Thank God , starring Siddhartha Malhotra and Ajay Devgun . 👌 Heaven is strict but not unkind . A long time is given to a wrong doer ( time for true repentance ) before Divine retribution catches up . Then again Heaven may be kind , but not to a fault 🤔 . There's a time limit given for true repentance . Fair enough ⚖ .

[Savita]

I have finished the second story of the book Wessex Tales by Thomas Hardy - The Three Strangers . The story was very enjoyable and emotion stirring . I liked the end too . ☆☆Beware Spoilers (view spoiler)[ The second stranger may have been a wrong doer , but considering the circumstances , the small crime was pardonable - the difference between harsh and stern judgment , and kinder and flexible justice 🤔 . I am glad the author chose the latter . (hide spoiler)] ☆☆
The ambience the author weaves is truly stupendous , as I've seen before in The Mayor of Casterbridge . One just forgets the present surroundings and goes into another world with rustic people and beautiful landscapes .
This was another 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ read .
Now onto the third story .

[Austin]

Savita wrote: "I have finished the second story of the book Wessex Tales by Thomas Hardy - The Three Strangers . The story was very enjoyable and emotion stirring . I liked the end too . ☆☆Bewar..."

How is the language, is it difficult?

[Austin]

Savita wrote: "Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "I am reading Thomas Hardy 's Wessex Tales and have finished the first story of a total of six tales ... .... . It's a sad reflection of unreasonable hu..."

Sometimes I think people who suffer more than what is considered normal, are being punished for what did they did in their previous birth, if there was one.

[Austin]

Savita wrote: "Savita wrote: "Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "I am reading Thomas Hardy 's Wessex Tales and have finished the first story of a total of six tales ... .... . It's a sad reflection of ..."

I will check it out. Thank you for your enlightening words.

[Savita]

Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "I have finished the second story of the book Wessex Tales by Thomas Hardy - The Three Strangers . The story was very enjoyable and emotion stirring . I liked the end ..."

No , it's quite straightforward but interspersed with some difficult words here and there . You can more or less figure out the meaning of the difficult words from the context , without having to consult a dictionary . You can enjoy the story without mental strain and labor . I dislike having to read and reread a paragraph so as to get some insight into what exactly the author is trying to tell you . It takes away the fun of reading and makes it an unpleasant task .
T . Hardy has useful things to tell about this world of ours - the different kinds of human beings , and the different kinds of circumstances we can find ourselves. He tells us all this through the stories rather than by preaching .

[Savita]

Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "I am reading Thomas Hardy 's Wessex Tales and have finished the first story of a total of six tales ... .... . It's a sad reflection of ..."

Yes , absolutely ! It makes good sense . Actually , Austin, Christianity teaches about ' As you have sown , so you shall reap ' , but does not , I believe , mention rebirth . Whatever moral debt has to be paid , whatever retribution is to come , it all happens in this lifetime itself , after which we go either to Heaven 💫🕯💫 or Hell 🌑🔥🌑 . But Buddhism and Hinduism believe in repeated rebirths , freedom from which can be attained through our good karmas ,
leading to an elusive Salvation 💫🕯💫 ( entry permit , at last , into Heaven , God's immortal Home ) .

[Savita]

Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "Savita wrote: "Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "I am reading Thomas Hardy 's Wessex Tales and have finished the first story of a total of six tales ... .... . It's a sad..."

Thanks , Austin ! Actually , in Thank God there is one more message : ☆☆Beware Spoilers (view spoiler)[ If the path of true repentance is taken , we may be surprised , one day , to find that Heaven itself has stopped to lend us a helping hand in our difficult struggles 💫😳💫 . (hide spoiler)] ☆☆ It was all convincingly and pleasantly presented .

[Austin]

Savita wrote: "Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "I have finished the second story of the book Wessex Tales by Thomas Hardy - The Three Strangers . The story was very enjoyable and emotion stirring . I..."

Me too, I mostly figure out the meaning of difficult words through context. I only refer to a lexicon when a word I can't figure out on my own is often used in a book. I reread sentences sometimes but rereading paragraphs, not much.

[Austin]

Savita wrote: "Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "Savita wrote: "Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "I am reading Thomas Hardy 's Wessex Tales and have finished the first story of a total of six tales ... ....."

I see that Thank God is a recent movie! I surmised that this must be an old movie.

[Savita]

Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "Savita wrote: "Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "I am reading Thomas Hardy 's Wessex Tales and have finished the first story of a total of s..."

Yes , I think so , Ajay Devgun is middle aged and Siddharth Malhotra is young .

[Austin]

Savita wrote: "Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "Savita wrote: "Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "I am reading Thomas Hardy 's Wessex Tales and have finished the first story ..."

I am not very familiar with all the all actors, Savita. I watch Hindi movies only sometimes. I googled them and I realised that I have seen them many times before without memorising their names!

[Austin]

Savita wrote: "Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "I am reading Thomas Hardy 's Wessex Tales and have finished the first story of a total of six tales ... .... . It's a sad..."

Yeah, in Christianity there is no belief in a cycle of re-births. For those who haven't truly repented for their sins during their earthly lives, they go to purgatory and stay there for many years, maybe even decades. The duration depends on the kind of sins they have committed. Once they have completed their term, they are purified and sanctified, and proceed to heaven. Almost everyone goes to purgatory, even saints. Very few go directly to heaven. Those who have committed unpardonable sins, go to hell. There's no purgatory for them. Mind you, since I am Catholic, I wrote from a Catholic Christianity point of view. The Protestants don't believe in Purgatory. They have only belief in heaven and hell. While the Orthodox Christians , I don't know much about them. They are few in India, except in Kerala. They are more in Eastern European countries including Russia, Egypt, Ethiopia etc. Their beliefs are more in common with Catholicism than with Protestantism.

[Austin]

Savita wrote: "Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "I am reading Thomas Hardy 's Wessex Tales and have finished the first story of a total of six tales ... .... . It's a sad..."

So in Hinduism and Buddhism, after death, people go to either heaven or hell for some time and are then reborn on earth? and the cycle is repeated?

[Savita]

Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "Savita wrote: "Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "I am reading Thomas Hardy 's Wessex Tales and have finished t..."

No problem , Austin !

[Savita]

Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "I am reading Thomas Hardy 's Wessex Tales and have finished the first story of a total of six tales ... ....."

Yes , it makes sense 🤔 .
Almost everyone goes to the purgatory , even saints . Very few go directly to Heaven . . The Upanishads also say the same , only substituting ' earthly recycling ' for the purgatory . The Upanishads say : To get Salvation is as difficult as it is to cross over the razor's edge . The razor's edge thus symbolizes the powerful earthly temptations like uncontrolled greed for wealth , addictions , licentious behavior etc over which we human beings stumble, slip and generally succumb ☹ .

[Savita]

Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "Austin wrote: "Savita wrote: "I am reading Thomas Hardy 's Wessex Tales and have finished the first story of a total of six tales ... ....."

Oh no , not at all ! As explained in message 1484 , if your karmas ( deeds ) have been good in this earthly cycle ( you've NOT succumbed to the temptations mentioned in message 1484 , and you are selfless , caring for the sufferings of this struggling humanity , you are very likely to get elusive Salvation 💫🕯💫 ( visa permit to enter Heaven forever ) . If , however , you did succumb to the above mentioned temptations , have been cruel and selfish , then Heaven will give you a time period to show true repentance . The wheels of Divine Justice roll slowly but surely . If you still fail to show repentance , then you will either be reborn on earth ( once more or multiple times , depending on your further behavior ) and suffer Divine retribution, Some very evil souls are not given even this chance of repentance ( earthly recycles ) , but have to proceed directly to Hell , and I suppose that's where they stay ? 🌑🔥🌑

[Savita]

I have finished the third tale by Thomas Hardy - The withered arm . It's written in an interesting manner - but , it's morbidly interesting ! There's an unexpected twist towards the end , just when things were moving towards the climax , but the end itself is rather placid and tame , rather morose 😒 . A good read , nothing less than 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ .

[Savita]

Progressing to the fourth tale by Thomas Hardy with heightened expectations - what else can you expect from a great story teller like Thomas Hardy ?

[Savita]

Finished the fourth story of Wessex Tales - Fellow Townsmen . It's remarkable how in a matter of minutes or hours life can change completely, dramatically, ruthlessly ! ☆☆Beware Spoilers (view spoiler)[ A happy household can get violently uprooted. Where love and security had bloomed , dismal suffocation and sorrow move in 🤔 ! (hide spoiler)] ☆☆
There's a curious to and fro movement of the emotional pendulum in this story . And at the end there's a huge disturbed sigh from the distracted reader . ☆☆Beware Spoilers (view spoiler)[ Elusive, capricious and tantalizing happiness always just beyond the grasp of the hand ! (hide spoiler)] ☆☆ Why should it have to be like this for some unfortunate human beings ? Karma ( deeds ) ? 🤔 . As you have sown , so you shall reap ?

[Prosenjit]

Obsessed with Harry Bosch!!

[Austin]

Prosenjit wrote: "Obsessed with Harry Bosch!!"

Noted! Almost all the books are rated above 4 stars. I didn't expect anyone else to challenge John Grisham who is one of my favourite authors.

[Savita]

What's the theme of Harry Bosch books ?

[Austin]

Savita wrote: "What's the theme of Harry Bosch books ?"

I think they are legal thrillers. May sound like a dull and drab genre at first to the uninitiated, but they are really good.

[Prosenjit]

Harry Bosch is a LAPD detective. He investigates murder mysteries. There are over 20+ books by Michael Connelly which are almost all well rated on Goodreads.- I am on the 5th book, all rated at 5.

There is a TV series on the books called "Bosch" which is great too with 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes

[Savita]

Thanks Austin and Prosenjit ! I think I will try out a Harry Bosch . I have read Perry Mason , Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie .

[Prosenjit]

Savita wrote: "Thanks Austin and Prosenjit ! I think I will try out a Harry Bosch . I have read Perry Mason , Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie ."


I am a big fan of Perry Mason, Holmes, and Poirot/Marple as well. You will enjoy Bosch as well!! I am on the 8th book in the series now!!

[Austin]

Savita wrote: "Thanks Austin and Prosenjit ! I think I will try out a Harry Bosch . I have read Perry Mason , Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie ."

I have read all of them - Perry Mason, Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie.

[Prosenjit]

I am also planning to read David Baldacci'sthriller books....just started on a Will Robbie book in parallel.

[Austin]

Prosenjit wrote: "I am also planning to read David Baldacci'sthriller books....just started on a Will Robbie book in parallel."

I haven't read any of his books but heard good things about his books.

[Prosenjit]

Austin wrote: "Prosenjit wrote: "I am also planning to read David Baldacci'sthriller books....just started on a Will Robbie book in parallel."

I haven't read any of his books but heard good things about his books."

Same here Austin, starting on his Will Robbie series, plan to check out his Camel Club series as well

[Savita]

@ Prosenjit and Austin : 👍

[Savita]

Finished the fifth tale of T.Hardy 's Wessex Tales ... The Interloper at the Knap . It was an interesting story ..... a rapid succession of curious and unexpected events, and a curious play of fate . ☆☆Beware Spoilers (view spoiler)[ One unwise decision and ... Ah ! ... an opportunity of a lifetime passes you by !! Fate played a rather hard hand , I must say ! 🤔 . (hide spoiler)] ☆☆ 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ for this one .

[Anulekha]

I am currently reading The Blue Castle and मेरी प्रिय कहानियाँ Meri Priya Kahaniyaan , and thoroughly enjoying both.

[Austin]

Anulekha wrote: "I am currently reading The Blue Castle and मेरी प्रिय कहानियाँ Meri Priya Kahaniyaan , and thoroughly enjoying both."

You are reading The Blue Castle too!

[Savita]

Anulekha wrote: "I am currently reading The Blue Castle and मेरी प्रिय कहानियाँ Meri Priya Kahaniyaan , and thoroughly enjoying both."

Oh ,I see - Amrita Pritam . Must be good . I have never read her novels .

[Prosenjit]

The Innocent was great, so read all the 5 books in David Baldacci's Will Robie series. The first three books were rated 5, however the last 2 dropped to 3 ratings. Overall- a staisfying thriller series!

Now planning to read the The Camel Club series of 5 books by the same author

[Savita]

Austin wrote: "Anulekha wrote: "I am currently reading The Blue Castle and मेरी प्रिय कहानियाँ Meri Priya Kahaniyaan , and thoroughly enjoying both."

You are reading The Blue Castle ..."

Yes , Anulekha is also part of The Blue Castle buddy read , in another group.
It's an enjoyable book ( so far ) . I have read upto chapter 11 . The heroine is quite like Rebecca 's narrator - very diffident and self effacing .