Reading progress 2010

[Ahtims]

I am trying to maintain a list of books I read this year along with a small synopsis, and why I liked or disliked the particular book.
I tried to do it in a diary last year, but miserably failed as I kept on misplacing it;atleast I wont misplace my laptop/desktop and even if I do so, laptop may be easier to find.
So here I go
1. Seaglass - Anita Shreve - 4/5 - a very good read. I recommend it for those who want their characters who get into their skin and toy with them day and night. Incidently I loved her other book (Fortune's Rocks) too.
2. The secret life of Laszlo: Count Dracula - Roderick Anscombe -2/5 - the start was promising, but half way through when he started sucking blood from umpteen females, I lost interest. It is a deep psychological study of the mind of Dracula. I have kept it on hold as I get depressed and uneasy on reading it. Will suit me when I am in a darker frame of mind.

[Ahtims]

3. The Puzzle Bark Tree-Stephanie Gertler
A mystery which was never a mystery. The end was apparent in the beginning itself. Somehow I could fathom the moves without much inaccuracy. Didnot enjoy it as much as I thought.

[Ahtims]

4.Naughty Neighbour - Janet Evanovich -2/5
I usually love chicklit like shopaholic series and Bridget Jones. But this was disgusting. I am off chicklit for sometime because of this book.

[Ahtims]

5.

4/5
This book was awesome. I am a sucker for psycho thrillers and this really hooked me from the beginning. This my first book by this author and I will be on the look out for her other books. But the details are gruesome and I spent a restless night after starting the book late in the night and finishing about half of it in the next couple of hours. Blessedly, today is Sunday, so I could finish it off without further suspense.

[Muddle head]

No one updating this list?? Not even you, Smitha?

[Muddle head]

The ones i read this year are
1) The Last Song- nicholas sparks
2) Confessions of a Shopaholic#1 - Sophie Kinsella
3) (Un)settled - Notes from a Shifting life - Kamini Karlekar
4) Romance with Chaos - Nishanth Kaushik
5) The Immortals of Meluha - Amish
6) Twilight Saga (4 book) - Stephenie Meyer
7) Stilettos in the newsroom - Rashmi Kumar
8) Anything for u Ma'm - Tushar Raheja
9) Thanks for the Memories - Cecilia Ahern
10) Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
11) Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver
12) Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
13) The Clocks - Agatha Christie
14) At Bertram's Hotel - Agatha Christie
15) Gang leader for a day - Sudhir Venkatesh
16) P.S. I love you - Cecilia Ahern
17) Slumdog Millionaire - Vikas Swarup
18) Two states - the story of my marriage - CB
19) The Prestige - Cristopher Preist

[Ahtims]

Sorry, I switched over to reading progress list on Chicks on Lit as it was much more active and as of now I am updating my list there. So far, I have completed some 60 plus books this year ( not as much as I would like to, but I am limited by the fact that I get only a couple of hours reading time a day due to other obligations)

[Muddle head]

Couple of hours per day is a lot of luxury that most of us couldn't afford here

[Ramakrishnan]

60 books by Sep? ~7.5 books a month.... wow - that's a LOT!!!

i feel delighted if i finish 2 books a month..smile...

[Muddle head]

20) Siddhartha - Herman Hesse

[Ahtims]

Ramakrishnan wrote: "60 books by Sep? ~7.5 books a month.... wow - that's a LOT!!!

i feel delighted if i finish 2 books a month..smile..."

thanks, but I am flabbergast when I see the group 144 books in 2010.

[Ahtims]

70. Vendor of sweets - R K Narayan 4/5
I just love R K Narayan. He was the first Indian English author I got acquainted with and I am crazy about all his books. The Vendor of Sweets is no exception to his sweet and poignant writings. I just love reading about old India and the associated Indian mentality. I wish he had written lots and lots more of books.

[Muddle head]

21) Silence of the Lambs - Thomas Harris

This is one book that has been adapted well on screen too, i've seen the movie first and then read the book. Found it quite a thriller, though nothing of literary value in there. One thing where the book stands out is the way we get an insight into Lecter's mind. The way he smells out Clarice is chilling to say the least.

[Muddle head]

22)The Red Dragon-Thomas Harris

I loved this much acclaimed prequel to the silence of the lambs . Much more than the silence of the lambs. The 'psycho analysis' (not sure if its the right term) of Graham and Mr. D was superb. The plot can be distinctly divided into two halves, while the first is interesting for its thriller quotient, the second has a sense of redemption abt it. To those who think that it's just a pure psycho novel, i'd say it isn't. it has to be read to be understood, that is all i can say. The only part i didn't like is a few pages before the second half starts, i sort of felt the story is losing it's grip and is dragging a bit, and that's when the redemption started and made it even more intriguing. I became a sucker for Harris's narrative style too..

[Ahtims]

I think there is a third book by Harris featuring Lecter. I had read all three a decade back, so am fuzzy about the details. I just remembered that Lector caused me a few sleepless and nightmarish nights

[Muddle head]

he had two more books Hannibal and Hannibal Rising

While Hannibal is the sequel to silence of the lambs, hannibal rising deals with the birth and making of hannibal, its a prequel to the entire series. I've watched the movie of Hannibal rising

[Ramakrishnan]

i have seen all the hannibal lceter movies and enjoyed them. Have not read the books; should check it out sometime; usually books are lot better than movie versions

[Ramakrishnan]

Smitha wrote: "Ramakrishnan wrote: "60 books by Sep? ~7.5 books a month.... wow - that's a LOT!!!

i feel delighted if i finish 2 books a month..smile..."

thanks, but I am flabbergast when I see the group 14..."

i think i got inspired by you... i finished 2 books in last 3 days... "The Professional" by Subroto Bagchi - amazing book and "Smiling Charlie" By Max Brand - a pathetic bore

[Ahtims]

Thanks. Yes, books are always better than movies. Maybe because you can live through books, become one with the charecters and you have a more indepth knowledge of how and why things happen. Whereas in movies, you are just an outsider who gets a brief peep

[Muddle head]

@Ramakrishnan, in the movies the screen time of Anthony Hopkins is very less. But still he did his best for the role.
But in the book, the thought process gives u a lot of insight into Lecter. The only movie you'd be disgusted abt Lecter is the Hannibal rising i guess, that too only towards the end, else Lecter was always more of a positive character, killing only the psychos and leaving out the good guys unless they try to catch him :-)

[Ahtims]

71. -4.5/5
One of the best books I have ever read. It was so sad, so thought-provoking, so everything. It awakened all my maternal instincts. I felt for each and every person. The aftermath of this book is still there - I am hyperventillating, a bit depressed - I just feel like protecting my child from all he has to undergo in the shark-infested seas of education. I hope all parents, teachers and kids read this book.

[Ramakrishnan]

Just finished reading "the lord of the rings". I had expected it to either love it or hate it...but surprisingly my reaction was "ok ok types"

For a change i found the movie to be a LOT better than the book

Now i am re-reading Aghora Part2: Kundalini and another book on serail killers

[Muddle head]

:-( I did like the LOTR book, though i liked the movie too. Did u find it voluminous? I though the story required that detail....

wats dat another book on serial killers, currently i've become a huge fan of Mr.Lecter

[Ahtims]

try Tess Gerritsen medical thrillers - starting with 'the Surgeon". But it has some gory details

[Ahtims]

72. -3/5
I am unable to classify this book into a category - closest is 'southern living', which I am unaccustomed to,as an Indian. A so-so read. I found it a bit dragging in places. Most characters were predictable. There was nothing much memorable.It didnot have any strong character which I could empathize with, or relate to. Almost everyone sounded either self absorbed or selfish.
I feel I would forget the story and characters within a couple of months time.

[Ramakrishnan]

LOTR - yeah it was a bit too long

Serial Killers - well it is a kind of documentary/research on lots of serial killers - spread across the world, over different time periods, their cruelties, their styles/preferences, etc. Long time ago i read the world-famous-brutal-murderers (Pustak Mahal had this hugely popular world-famous series)...reminds me of that



Aditya wrote: ":-( I did like the LOTR book, though i liked the movie too. Did u find it voluminous? I though the story required that detail....

wats dat another book on serial killers, currently i've become a h..."

[Muddle head]

Thanks Smitha and Ramakrishnan, actually my interest is more in the mind-matters of Hannibal than the gory details of his exploits. The 'why' of his kills intrigue me more than the 'how'. His immaculate manners, his smiling demeanor, his ability to be at ease with an ordinary way of living and make ends meet just like any other human being, all make me wonder if Hannibal can really be classified as an 'insane' serial killer. I wish Harris had written another piece on Hannibal that bridges the gap between 'Hannibal rising' and the 'Red Dragon'

[Muddle head]

23) Hannibal - 3/5
Am sure this is an interesting book, but i didn't read it properly. Was working in office overnight for 2 days and kept reading this book in bits and pieces and lost essence of it. I feel the author has lost the plot towards the end, also learnt the ending in the movie is quite different from that of the novel. I somehow think that Harris had the script of hannibal rising in his mind much before he wrote this novel. This one looked more like a precursor to hannibal rising and hence didn't serve any other purpose

[Ahtims]

Aditya wrote: "Thanks Smitha and Ramakrishnan, actually my interest is more in the mind-matters of Hannibal than the gory details of his exploits. The 'why' of his kills intrigue me more than the 'how'. His immac..."

then Tess Gerritsen is not for you. It deals more with the murder scene rather than psychology of the killer. In her books, we just know that there is this killer who likes to do gross things, but we are not told why. The killer's mind is a closed door to us.

[Ram]

My reading this year has been:

1) Giants of Science: Philip Cane & Samuel Nisenson 5/5
2) Sad Cypress: Agatha Christhie: 5/5
3) Hand me a fig Leaf: James Hadley Chase; 5/5
4) Cat O' Nine Lives: Jeffrey Archer: 5/5
5) A better India, A better world: narayana murthy: 5/5
6) Long Distance Race: Tom Alter: 1/5
7) Time stops at Shamli: Ruskin Bond: 5/5
8) Rendezvouz with Rama: ARthur Clarke: 5/5
9) The Chamber: John Grisham: 5/5
10) Nectar in a Sieve: Kamala Markandaya; 5/5
11) Cover her Face: P.D. James: 5/5
12) Sun after Dark; pico iyer: 4/5
13) The Negotiator; Frederick Forsyth: 5/5
14) The Seven Dials Mystery: Agatha Christhie: 5/5
15) A breath of Fresh Air: Amulya Malladi: 1/5
16) Two States: Chetan Bhagat: 5/5
17) Blake's Classic True Crime Compendium 1; Drew McKenzie & John Lightfoot: 5/5
18) Kitchen Confidential: Anthony Bourdain: 3/5
19) don't lose your mind; lose your weight: Rujuta diwekar: 3/5
20) More deadly than the Male: James Hadley Chase; 5/5
21) The Undomestic Goddess: Sophie Kinsella; 5/5
22) The cradle will fall: mary higgins clark: 2/5
23) Chicken Soup for the Runners Soul: 5/5

Disappointed with Amulya Malladi
Exhilarated with Sophie Kinsella & chetan bhagat

[Ahtims]

what to do when one feels like reading 4 or 5 books at a time? I have started on 'the rector's wife' - close psychological study of a failing marriage, 'house rules'- heartbreaking story of a young boy with autism, 'Kkrishna's konfessions'-pure Indian masala novel (like B grade movies), but quite fast paced, and have started on 'the rise of Hannibal' and Richard Gordon's 'Doctor' book. This always happens with me. Am I greedy or what? Plus I have this habit of downloading books from the net, which I know I will never finish reading this life time. I feel I am going overboard with my book addiction.

[Muddle head]

:-) sounds like me..

i've started HMS Ulysses, Life lessons for young professionals, In Search Of a Future and Ulysses (James Joyce) all in parallel. And u know wat, before i completed any of them, i started reading the hannibal series and completed 3 from the series!!! These books look at me sadly, every morning and every night from my bed-side, just like my wife :-)

[Ahtims]

yes. I just shove my long-forgotten half-read books out of sight, when I strike upon something which is just waiting to be finished. Junk books are much easier to finish than those with substances, though reading something which enriches me gives me satisfaction, which junk never can.

[Muddle head]

For a while, i thought that was Gautham and was about to ask what are those 'books with substance' that he is reading ;-) and what is that so called Junk!

[Muddle head]

As for going overboard, i have this 'overboard-indicator' at my office called BOSS who starts shouting once my tasks are getting delayed, until then it means everything is under control!!!

[Ahtims]

Gautham had come inbetween and logged in without my knowledge, so I started typing without realizing that I have assumed his identity, realized it only when I saw his photo and quickly deleted the comment

[Ahtims]

73. -4.5/5
It was amazing - one of the best books I've ever read this year. I couldnot but help sympathizing and empathizing with Jacob, Theo and their mother. I really wanted to get into the book and comfort the family. This book opened my eye towards my many faults as a mother - the things I take for granted in my child, the way I scold or admonish him for petty mischiefs. I promise myself to be much more understanding and sympathetic towards my son and fervently hope that I remember my promise. I would just recommend this book to all and sundry. You need not be a parent, or a relative of a kid with Aspergers to read this book. It has lessons in plenty for all of us.

[Muddle head]

Great going Smitha!

I've started on a translated version of Homer's Odyssey by E.V.Rieu Picked it from the road side for Rs 30. The boook was once in a dilapitated condition, but was now neatly taped and bound together. And i even found some insightful notes by the previous reader too, with meanings written down to certain difficult words etc.

Been through a quarter of the book already, hoping to finish today.

BTW, this becomes the 5th that i have STARTED reading simultaneously :-(

[Ahtims]

I have never been able to complete Odyssey, though I have the ebook version of it and am planning to attempt it soon. I enjoyed the movie starring Brad Pitt, though.

[Muddle head]

The movie TROY (or the novel Illiad) is the prequel to the novel Odyssey i guess. Odyssey is about the journey home after the war..

[Ahtims]

Oh. I never knew. Thanks. I feel like attempting Illiad now. It is the ebook I have, I think. Not Odyssey.

[Muddle head]

The one u have is the original poem that Homer wrote or is it a translated version made into a novel?

[Ahtims]

it is the translated one - translated into english prose by Andrew Lang. I downloaded it from Project Gutenberg

[Ahtims]

74. -3/5
This is a re-read. I had read it nearly 15 years back and was much impressed with it. I found it really scary. But this time neither Lecter, nor Jame Gumb impressed me as much. Maybe I was much more impressionable and easier to scare at a younger age.

[Ramakrishnan]

Smitha wrote: "it is the translated one - translated into english prose by Andrew Lang. I downloaded it from Project Gutenberg"

I have read the book/story version of Iliad... was quite interesting (i was inspired after watching TROY)

i also have a poem version of the odyssey; never got the courage to try reading that :-(

[Ahtims]

its really tough for me, especially as I don't know much about Greek mythology other than the well-known tales of Achilles and Hercules

[Muddle head]

I was confused a bit here and looked up the WIKI too and this is what i found out:
my misconception: The entire Trojan war and the journey back home (of the Greek army) was a piece of fiction written by Homer in a poetic form
Wiki: It's all a part of the Greek mythology. And the story is just retold by Homer adding his own imagination a bit.

[Ahtims]

75. -3/5
I loved reading this book, but at the end am confused regarding the facts. The central point of the story is suicide of 2 girls - well seperated in time. But who they were or why exactly they committed suicide is a mystery (or atleast to me). This is my first book by Ishiguro, and I enjoyed the different prose and the peeks I could get of Japanse culture and their way of thinking.

[Ramakrishnan]

Aditya wrote: "I was confused a bit here and looked up the WIKI too and this is what i found out:
my misconception: The entire Trojan war and the journey back home (of the Greek army) was a piece of fiction writt..."
Wiki is just people like u and me sharing their views; its hardly scientific or reliable

Yes the Iliad and Odyseey are mythologies - meaning its a mix of fact and fiction.... think of it this way - do you consider the Ramayana as story/fiction or history or something in between?


by the way, i guess you must be aware - Homer is not even the first to "recite" these stories; apparently the stories were told by word-of-mouth for few hundred years before Homer kind of consolidated everything into one long version that we have access to now..

[Ahtims]

Incidently, I find that being active in good reads has adversely affected my reading time. Earlier I used to read at any opportunity I get, during my lunch break, at night, during meals and even while waiting for my husband after work. Nowadays my afternoon and night reads have become virtually non-existent as I have developed an addiction to the net. I am thinking of rationing my time at the net (easier said than done)