Indian Readers discussion
Archive
>
Makrand's Reading Bench - 2020
date
newest »
newest »
message 101:
by
Gorab, TheGunman
(new)
Jul 02, 2020 11:55AM
Mod
reply
|
flag
I found this amazing book Art Matters during our July August readathons. It's an Art book about Arts :DSplendid designs by Chris Riddell & content by Neil Gaiman makes it special. However, the message is quite motivating and in general interest of procuring and preserving Art! Lovely book, motivator in times when you struggle to get going. Loved it!
Finished reading The Underground Railroad and was hugely disappointed by the overall structure and plot of the book. Yet another 'classic' failure for me.Here's the Review
I had taken up The Rosie Project as a part of July-August challenge and loved it !! It's a happy book for me! No fuss to the head, a light humour read. Especially with Don's character, no need for another source of entertainment.Willing to pick up the next two books from the same series.
Here's the Review
I've started with Something Fresh by the legendary PG Wodehouse. This is the first of my PGW & about 10% in it.
I find subtle humor here and there with characters building up steadily. I smell a plot too! Let's see how it goes!
The last two books I read were Death Note, Vol. 11: Kindred Spirit and Death Note, Vol. 12: Finis due to lack of time and a sense of urgency and with that I finished Death Note. I want to cry a river now but that's not my style but I feel really sad that the series is over!Throughout the series, Tsugumi Ohba managed to keep readers entertained with mother load full of twists and surprises & now it's quite sad that it's all over!
I'd be more than glad to receive recommendations of something like The Death Note
Mod
Hai na ekdam epic :D
Which was your fav character?
Plz pass on the recos you receive.
Tokyo Ghoul comes up as a reco by most who love DN.
Yeah finis ;'(Very enjoyable.
I liked Near's character more than the original L. Yep will shoot the reco's your way.
Tokyo Ghoul,you say? Let me check it out. By the way I think I had already recommended you this however if not, Bokko is another manga that sounds equally promising.
Since I wanted to read more humour books this year, I didn't want to miss out on the highly popular PG Wodehouse'es books, which led me to finish Something Fresh. I liked the comic style of writing, perhaps this has to be the oldest book ever published in my reading list - 1915 !!It was a decent read, however I think this might not be the best of PGW, Planning to read more of his this year.
Here's the Review
Started with a paperback- Twelve Red Herrings It's really been a looong time since I last read a Jeffrey Archer book! Hoping for some good stories :D
Posting reviews of each of the twelve herrings from Twelve Red Herrings :Trial & Error - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
I sincerely loved this fast-paced-no-bullshit mystery! From the first page, it kept me captivated and compelled me to turn page after page till I reached the end.
Loved the sense of urgency of the narrator in form of Richard & even excellent characterization of Hackett.
This reminded me a lot of The Shawshank Redemption even though it's not exactly similar.
Cheap at half the price - ⭐⭐⭐
This was a much shorter story as compared to the first one and had less urgency to it, rather it was of a comic nature. Barring the deception element, nothing else was common in the two stories.
Dougie Mortimer's Right arm - ⭐⭐
Bob starts hunting for giving something remarkable on his farewell for which he'd be remembered and that's when he finds Dougie Mortimer's right arm.
Another story of deception however it fails to live up to the expectations one has after such an intriguing title. Although it ends well and in a rushed manner, JA does a fine job of conveying a message with it. Not the best of the lot.
(view spoiler)
Do Not Pass Go - ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
A refugee finds himself in the country from which he had fled and thus on an execution trial.
This is another gem in the collection, in par with the excellence achieved in Trial and Error. Absolutely sensational and a probable favourite amongst most readers. Deceit, mysterious and fast pace turner. Wish it had more length to it.
Chunnel Vision - ⭐⭐
This story seems like a cruel joke in itself. A published Author meets his friend for a dinner that goes wrong. The friend recites a story he has come up with and is planning to write a book on it. First, the plot of the friend's story was too stupid and secondly, it seemed highly impossible (view spoiler) The deception comes at the very last paragraph as in all of the above stories.
Shoeshine Boy - ⭐⭐⭐
Amidst all the suspense, this one has to be the most comic of all. 'The' Lord Mountbatten decides to visit the Islands over which over protagonist - Ted Barker is given responsibility of governing. Unfortunately, the governor is in a much worse plight to handle this event and thus causes a funny game of hiding this condition. The ending could have been much better. (view spoiler)
You'll Never Live to Regret it - ⭐⭐⭐
This story is about an Insurance con carried out by David and Pat. Although it was quite gripping and the deception element was fair too, the ending seemed quite hurried. (view spoiler)
Never stop on the Motorway - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The second most favourite story of all, after a dull start, it gains so much momentum and adrenaline rush that the reader is sure to be captivated by it turning pages after pages. Appropriate under Thriller genre, Diana leaves her office to meet her friend Daniel when someone seems to be following her car and come what may, she's unable to lose her stalker.
Not for Sale - ⭐⭐
An artist finally gets a break when her paintings are appreciated by a very famous personality who is set to launch her art in his Gallery! Again, the story seems well formed however, the deception point doesn't really hit the reader like it should and so does the closing line. (view spoiler)
Timeo Danaos ... - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This story is an ultimate deception at so many places that I almost lost count. ALL the characters in the book get cheated either by false promises, fake stories, unreal vendors! Also, this is the most comic of all stories! Arnold Bacon decides to take his wife on a vacation on a Liner to Greece, while his better half has better plans - Buying a Dinner set! It's a fun read and fits the bill of herrings scattered all across the story. (view spoiler)
An Eye for an Eye - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Almost on the similar lines of the most amazing story in the book - Trial and Error, this story is true page turner with a murder mystery in it however here the plot is what happens before the trail. This is yet another perfectly plotted story which delivers the blow in the end.
One Man's Meat ... - ⭐⭐⭐
This is one of kind and hence placed at the end of the book since this story leaves you hanging in the end only to provide you with 4 endings to choose from - Rare, burnt, Overdone and A` Point. While a reader can choose to read all of them (in that order specified) or just one to move on.
While Rare and A` Point are better versions of the story, Burnt and Overdone are equally negative aspects.
Loved the concept and the way JA manipulated certain characters or assigns same dialogues to other character depending on the ending type.
I finally managed to finish the rest of the Bokko series that I had commenced last year. As boldly and strategically it had started, sadly it couldn't live up to it's own reputation but nevertheless was a decent read.Another beautiful book i managed to finish was The Plague This was a hidden gem and quite profound. Funny thing about the book is, I wasn't liking the book very much and when it ended i never realised that i was actually enjoying it! Here's the Review
Mod
Gorab wrote: "good to have you back Mak :)"Yeah, thank you mate. Things are worse but now i've learned to live within the trenches :P
I had been eyeing Warcross for close to two years and i finally was able to pick and read it.Unfortunately it turned out to be an absolute bummer. That's how a book punishes you probably when you chose to ignore it for 2 years :P
Book with plot holes upto a point where things get silly is a real upset to me. Although imagining visually it had lots of potential.
Read Review here
Vijayan wrote: "Not a regular free E-Book Book Name
The Language Of Growth
Proven ways to raise your life to the next level.
I have been working on this book for a long time keeping in mind not to waste my ..."
Hello Vijayan,
Kindly note that this is a reading journal/log.
There's a dedicated thread for book promotions already in place and therefore this comment is not appreciated.
Good luck with your book promotions anyway
Jyoti wrote: "whoever joins this thread, can share their reading progress? I am new to this."Yeah correct. However, this particular discussion would reflect My reading progress. Feel free to create another discussion within Reading log 2020 and you can post your logs in there
Welcome to the group and Happy Reading
It took a MONTH for me to finish The Kite Runner and nothing but a dreadful work schedule is up for blame :( Trying to be back on track nowAgain, this is one of the books which I knew but wouldn't pick no reason whatsoever and I regretted not doing so while I was a good 30-40 pages within the book. Quite a unique plot and a very lovable book. Glad I read this one.
Here's the book Review
Just when i was thinking It's been some time i picked up a Gaiman book, our generous book reading legends voted for The Ocean at the End of the Lane along with Locke & Key, Volume 1: Welcome to Lovecraft.L&K is again a TV series that I liked which is adapted from the comic books. Excited to start this after Ocean at the End of the Lane
Finished The Ocean at the End of the Lane a couple days back which made it the third Gaiman of the year and no points for guessing, it made me happy :)What seemed like an okay 3 star escalated to 4 and a half once I finished reading it. Once again Gaiman showcased his ingeniousness by writing something like this!
Read the review here
Since Locke & Key, Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft was also recommended to me and I had loved watching the book adaptation on TV, I am quite interested in this comic series!
If I somehow finish this comic series, it would be the 3rd Comic of the year :D
Locke & Key, Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft didn't disappoint me at all. What troubled me was the fact that I found the book after watching the series. Had it not happened in that order, i would have loved reading this comic book more! Nevertheless, would move to the next volume soon.Almost never do I pick a book impulsively, however I started reading What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions - It is exactly what the title promises. Some of the answers are really good. At 30% now, hoping it gets better
Mod
Thanks for Locke and Key. I am new to it, so will explore book first :)
Gorab wrote: "i remember liking a few good questions and answers from What If. I think it was BOTM on Indian readers somewhere in 2016.Thanks for Locke and Key. I am new to it, so will explore book first :)"
Yeah he's tried to add a hilarious touch to it. Doesn't work in all the questions but okay so far.
Regarding Locke & Key, It's really good that you haven't watched the Tv series yet. I think you'll love the book !
Jyoti wrote: "Got intrigued when I read your review and looked it up on Kindle. Turns out Locke & Key, Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft is available for kindle unlimited. So I'll be reading it. :D"Hey Jyoti!
Glad that I could help you pick that book. Do read it, waiting to hear your review of the book :D
Managed to complete What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions and even though it was quite hilarious at times, the book lost it's pace and feel-good factor too soon.Loved some answers quite a lot but the rest of the book didn't click much.
Here's the Review
Makrand you can also read books written by Kavita Kane and Asura by Anand Neelkhanth... these are mythological fiction books... Christopher C Doyle also is a very good author
Mod
I love the xkcd series. So the book was a bit of let down, but it was a good time pass read.
Priyanka wrote: "Makrand you can also read books written by Kavita Kane and Asura by Anand Neelkhanth... these are mythological fiction books... Christopher C Doyle also is a very good author"
Excellent recommendations Priyanka!
I checked Asura: Tale Of The Vanquished and instantly liked the blurb.
Checked books by Kavita Kane and Christopher C Doyle too!
Thanks a lot :) I'll pick these as a part of my 2021 Indian reads
Girish wrote: "Makrand wrote: "Managed to complete What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions and even though it was quite hilarious at times, the book lost it's pace and..."Exactly!
His illustrations were bang on!
I wasn't aware of xkcd before and I looked up while reading & i enjoyed them a lot
As you felt too, the book was okay and with a huge knowledge base, which I wasn't ready to tap into ;)
As the year is coming to an end, with just one month left, I've exhausted my planned reading list and hence impulsively picking up books now.I have started reading Tuck Everlasting and it's really enjoyable. Sometimes, for a few books you wonder why it took you so long to pick it up and start reading. Feels that way for this book.
Tuck Everlasting was such a lovely and marvellous book! I wish i would have known about this book in my childhood days.Sweet, Innocent and with a beautiful message, I am quite elated that I didn't miss this one.
Moving on to the next impulsive pick. As has been since the last 2 years, I've been trying to read atleast one Blake Crouch book. Dark Matter & Recursion done and this year I've picked up Pines
Blake's dramatic writing is highly entertaining however, I can't help but notice plot holes and character holes in this book. Wading ahead to see how it turns out.
Pines was definitely not the best of Blake Crouch. Dark Matter supersedes all other books of his. The entertainment was there but the plot turned out to be too brittle.Here's my review for Pines.
I've picked a book called The Visible Filth. I think this was recommended to me by a colleague of mine and since it was a Horror novella, I thought this might be a good time for it. With just 10% in the book, it's quite interesting and puts the reader right in the scene. Hoping this turns out well. The reviews are fantastic
I was expecting so much more from The Visible Filth and it turned out to be a bummer! Arrgh! Why can't a man get a decent horror to read??Fortunately it was a Novella so not much time spent however can't keep the sour taste.
Will find something better to read.
Meanwhile, here's the review
I had been procrastinating The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie and hence had picked this up. Although I liked the book, it wasn't as good as And Then There Were None or even Evil Under the Sun which i happened to read this year. I've picked Chess Story by Stefan Zweig now. This is again something that I wanted to read since a long time. He was a very popular German author in his time and probably even now and that reflects in this novella too!
It was fun reading Chess Story ! The symbolic battle and Mr. B's past was quite intriguing. Here'e the review for the same.I picked and finished reading the 45th book of the year 2020. Locke & Key, Vol. 3: Crown of Shadows. It was an amazing comic volume!! Truly enjoyable. Here's the Review
What a remarkable year it has been for me!!Firstly, I happened to surpass my last years reading target of 40 by 5 more books even after deadly work hours.
Secondly, now this is a first, I read almost everything that I had planned to read at the start of the year and THIS very reading journal proved to be very helpful.
Thankful to the mods for giving us this space :D
Of the 45 books that I read, there were :
12482 - Pages,
5- Indian Books,
5 - Non-Fictions,
2- Manga/Graphics SERIES finished,
4 - Neil Gaiman's <3,
22 - 5 & 4 Star Rated books
Thank for stopping by fellas. See you in 2021.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indian Readers
Books mentioned in this topic
Chess Story (other topics)Locke & Key, Vol. 3: Crown of Shadows (other topics)
Locke & Key, Vol. 3: Crown of Shadows (other topics)
Evil Under the Sun (other topics)
The Mysterious Affair at Styles (other topics)
More...
