1Q84 Review

There are very few intriguing books solely because of their title and for me ‘1Q84’ by Haruki Murakami definitely lies under such category.  I've been meaning to read something of Murakami's for quite a while and maybe this wait was necessary, for me at least, to understand the writing and plot better.

Before I begin, here’s the book cover summary.

The year is 1984. Aomame sits in a taxi on the expressway in Tokyo.
Her work is not the kind which can be discussed in public but she is in a hurry to carry out an assignment and, with the traffic at a standstill, the driver proposes a solution. She agrees, but as a result of her actions starts to feel increasingly detached from the real world. She has been on a top-secret mission, and her next job will lead her to encounter the apparently superhuman founder of a religious cult.

Meanwhile, Tengo is leading a nondescript life but wishes to become a writer. He inadvertently becomes involved in a strange affair surrounding a literary prize to which a mysterious seventeen-year-old girl has submitted her remarkable first novel. It seems to be based on her own experiences and moves readers in unusual ways. Can her story really be true?

Both Aomame and Tengo notice that the world has grown strange; both realise that they are indispensable to each other. While their stories influence one another, at times by accident and at times intentionally, the two come closer and closer to intertwining.

Em and the Big Hoom Book Review

Even though one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, ‘Em and the Big Hoom’, by Jerry Pinto definitely makes you question your resolve against doing so. The purple cover with the image of Em’s head, the dark edges and the gray paper, mimic a vintage look ensuring the cover artist and designer high praise.

To begin with, here’s the back cover book summary.

In a one-bedroom-hall-kitchen in Mahim, Bombay, through the last decades of the twentieth century, lived four love-battered Mendeses: mother, father, son and daughter. Between Em, the mother, driven frequently to hospital after her failed suicide attempts, and The Big Hoom, the father, trying to hold things together as best he could, they tried to be a family.

Essentially, ‘Em and the Big Hoom’ is a semi-autobiographical account from the view point of a son, living in a one BHK flat in Mahim, about his mentally unhealthy mother Imelda (Em), her illness – the causes, symptoms and in turn, its effect on the lives of the whole family, Augustine (Big Hoom), Susan, their daughter and of course Jerry, although he remains unnamed throughout the novel.

And the Mountains Echoed Book Review

Khaled Hosseini, the author known for his unforgettable bestseller ‘The Kite Runner’ and the splendid tale of ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’, returned after a hiatus of six years, to render a tale of humanity, love and sacrifice in another heartbreaking narrative although not as emotionally brutal as his previous works.

To begin with, here’s the back cover book summary.

Afghanistan, 1952. Abdullah and his sister Pari live with their father and stepmother in the small village of Shadbagh. Their father, Saboor, is constantly in search of work and they struggle together through poverty and brutal winters. To Adbullah, Pari, as beautiful and sweet-natured as the fairy for which she was named, is everything. More like a parent than a brother, Abdullah will do anything for her, even trading his only pair of shoes for a feather for her treasured collection. Each night they sleep together in their cot, their skulls touching, their limbs tangled.

One day the siblings journey across the desert to Kabul with their father. Pari and Abdullah have no sense of the fate that awaits them there, for the event which unfolds will tear their lives apart; sometimes a finger must be cut to save the hand.

Crossing generations and continents, moving from Kabul, to Paris, to San Francisco, to the Greek island of Tinos, with profound wisdom, depth, insight and compassion, Khaled Hosseini writes about the bonds that define us and shape our lives, the ways that we help our loved ones in need, how the choices we make resonate through history, and how we are often surprised by the people closest to us.

The Krishna Key : A Review

As part of the initiative of Blogadda.com Book Review Program, I have become the proud owner of the book, The Krishna Key by Ashwin Sanghi. The rule after receiving the book is to write a review about it within a week of acceptance. So, needless to say, I started reading it as soon as I got it out of the delivery packaging.

To start with I’ll post the book cover summary. I mean, what’s better to give you an idea about the book than the original summary which was published for this purpose only, right?

Five thousand years ago, there came to earth a magical being called Krishna, who brought about innumerable miracles for the good of mankind. Humanity despaired of its fate if the Blue God were to die but was reassured that he would return in a fresh avatar when needed in the eventual Dark Age—the Kaliyug.

In modern times, a poor little rich boy grows up believing that he is that final avatar.

Only, he is a serial killer.

In this heart-stopping tale, the arrival of a murderer who executes his gruesome and brilliantly thought-out schemes in the name of God is the first clue to a sinister conspiracy to expose an ancient secret—Krishna’s priceless legacy to mankind.

Historian Ravi Mohan Saini must breathlessly dash from the submerged remains of Dwarka and the mysterious lingam of Somnath to the icy heights of Mount Kailash, in a quest to discover the cryptic location of Krishna’s most prized possession. From the sand-washed ruins of Kalibangan to a Vrindavan temple destroyed by Aurangzeb, Saini must also delve into antiquity to prevent a gross miscarriage of justice.

Darkly Dreaming Dexter : My Review

I was really sceptical about reading this book because like a lot of people, even I had seen the show before I knew about the original Dexter Series. But I was surprised how much I liked this book and what an addictive character Dexter is.

In a way I am glad I watched the show before because it gave me an opportunity to judge the performance of Michael C. Hall and I am glad to say that I have a new found respect for the actor. His performance in the show is simply remarkable.

Although that might have something to do with the fact that I really like Michael C. Hall and his face and voice were very much in my head the whole time, instead of the character as described by the author Jeff Lindsay.

To start with I want to post the book cover summary. What better to give you an idea about the book than the original summary which was published for this purpose only, right?

Meet Dexter, a polite wolf in sheep’s clothing . . . a monster who cringes at the site of blood . . . a serial killer whose one golden rule makes him immensely likable: he only kills bad people.

Dexter Morgan isn’t exactly the kind of man you’d bring home to Mom. Though he’s playful and has a wonderfully ironic sense of humour, Dexter’s one character flaw (his proclivity for murder) can be off-putting. But at heart Dexter is the perfect gentleman, supportive of his sister, Deb, a Miami cop, and interested only in doing away with people who really deserve his special visit. Dex is quite good-looking but totally indifferent to (and, frankly, a bit puzzled by) the attentions paid to him by women. Despite the fact that he can’t stand the sight of blood, he works as a blood-spatter analyst for the Miami police department, a job that allows him to keep tabs on the latest crimes and keep an eye open for his next quarry.

Dexter’s well-organized life is suddenly disrupted when a second, much more visible serial killer appears in Miami. Dex is intrigued, even delighted, by the fact that the other killer appears to have a style reminiscent of his own. Yet he can’t help but feel that the mysterious new arrival is not merely invading his turf, but reaching out to him as well. This new killer seems to be doing more than copying Dexter—he seems to be saying, “Come out and play.” Dexter’s secret life makes for a lonely existence . . . even a lovable monster can be intrigued by the prospect of finding a friend.

Fifty Shades of Erotica?

Recently the trilogy Fifty Shades, by the British author E. L. James, topped the New York Times Bestseller’s List. It set the record as the fastest-selling paperback of all time, surpassing the Harry Potter series.

The books tell the tale of a dominant-submissive affair between a manipulative millionaire Christian Grey and a college graduate, Anastasia Steele. It is notable for its explicitly erotic scenes which include elements of sexual practices involving bondage/discipline, dominance/submission, sadism/masochism (BDSM).  

At first, when I heard about it, I got curious about all the attention it was receiving. It’s not like there aren’t any “erotic” or sex scenes in other books! Take Jeffrey Archer for instance, I think in each one of his books you’ll find a pretty steamy passage.

The Fountainhead: A modern classic by Ayn Rand

So for today’s blog entry I have decided to write about my favorite book. It’s a book that I have read at least 6 times since I first read in eleventh. Every time I read it, something new comes forward, about me, about the people around me, about the society that we live in.

A friend had suggested this book to me, and I am really, really glad that she did. If there has been book that makes you think, really think, then this is it.

Well, firstly I want to post the book cover summary. What better to give you an idea about the book than the original summary which was published for this purpose only, right?

This instant classic is the story of an intransigent young architect, his violent love affair with a beautiful woman who struggles to defeat him.

The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand’s controversial novel, tell the story of the desperate battle wages by architect Howard Roark, whose integrity was as unyielding as granite … of 

Dominique Francon, the exquisitely beautiful woman who loved Roark passionately, but married his worst enemy … of the fantastic denunciation unleashed by an enraged society against a great creator.

Its theme is one of the most challenging ideas ever presented in a work of fiction – that man’s ego is the fountainhead of human progress.
It contains Ayn Rand’s daringly original literary vision with the seeds of her groundbreaking philosophy, objectivism.