Book Review: Grow Up Messy - Middle Grade Book

I won't say I don't read children's books. If I chance upon a good children's fiction I dive right into it, simply because I find them richer in imagination.

Growing Up Messy is a heart warming story which reminded me parts of my childhood having born and brought up in a 2nd tier city of Bengal. Misry's escapades during afternoon hours truly made me connect with her. How many afternoons I must have spent doing the same! How much patience my mother would have shown to tolerate my disobedience.

Right from the character Misry to the descriptions of the world around her and the innocent naughty acts that Misry aka Messy got into reminded me of Tagore's short stories as well.

I think it fits a much wider range of readers apart from middle grade. It can be a good read for mothers because it captures psychology of children and I personally feel it also sets standards for the modern parent. Things like not over indulging your child, making your kid realise the difference between want and need. The very busy parents of today who have high purchasing ability sometimes forget that indulgence is not always the answer. A story like this can be a gentle reminder to them while they read it out as a bedtime story for the young ones.

Book Review: Raven Song (4/5 stars)

Time travel, magic, teleportation, super powers all mixed together in Ashcroft's book makes it an action packed novel. I was in a mind to give it a 3 because I was not sure if I liked the idea of so many strong elements being poured in one story but then I couldn't keep the book down so it defies the usual. (The usual for me is reading two to three books at the same time. The usual for me is to drop reading a book completely because the plot is not interesting). Yes! I am a plot lead reader and they have to be built up and concluded in an interesting way. Ashcroft is good at that.

What helped was the author's descriptive style of writing so the intense scenes almost pop up as visuals in my mind. Almost felt like I am reading a sci-fi movie script at times. Just when you think you understand how the story will now proceed an unpredictable situation happens.

It's a good one for readers looking to tease their brains with some out of the box imagination. Certainly a good read for scifi and magic lovers too. People who love to think and read of the impossible and unusual.

But there are too many questions unanswered, and too much curiosity to know what happens next. So I am definitely looking forward to the sequel. 

Book Review: In Other Words by Jhumpa Lahiri

This is my fastest read in a very long time. Every time I picked up this book in the last 3 days I couldn't set it down. I am now a bigger fan of Jhumpa Lahiri (JL) the non-fiction writer than Lahiri, the fiction writer. Its by chance that I came across this book just after my visit to Italy, when I was finding my sudden love for the art and life in that country a little bit ridiculous. How can one be in awe of Italian art and life when there was so much to take in within India. But thats another discussion. It just helps me believe I am not as insane as I sometimes believe myself to be. After all, Italy had the same impact on JL as me.

In Other Words is a must read for all. Its for the ones who are still trying to find themselves or better worded, still trying to find their best selves. The ones who are testing their limits, the ones who are struggling with their imperfections. JL has put a lot of restless doers to rest by saying, "Imperfection inspires invention, imagination, creativity." She is courageous beyond words to take on the challenge to learn a foreign language to the extent that she can write a book. She challenged herself to be in the state of a 2-3 year old kid again, forcing herself to learn how to communicate in Italian just like a kid starts reading and writing his mother tongue. She has embraced that the greatest lesson in life is the process of learning itself and that's why she hasn't stopped at her achievements in the English literature scene.

Challenging the status quo is the only definitive way of growing and In Other Words is Jhumpa Lahiri's way of showing how fearless you need to be to live up to your full potential.

Book Review: To Kill a Mockingbird

Finally a book that I can call as my best read. Its a masterpiece given that I read the 50th anniversary edition and still find it as or rather more interesting than any recent fiction work. A book has perhaps hardly been written so well that readers could identify or get hooked to it after 50 years sitting so far away from America. I can think of a number of reasons for this but mostly my resonance comes due to the beautiful innocent relationship shared between Scout and Jem, a rare read revolving around sibling love. The setting of small town Maycomb and childhood being spent in greenery and summer time games and fun also plays a part. What is however a shame that bias and differentiation among citizens still remains as reality 50 years later based on race, colour or monetary status in different parts of our world.
To sum it up this is one book that I am sure I will read again! Heard a sequel is coming soon, hope to get a copy in hand, how I wish there were more works written by Harper Lee.

Book Review: Nobody can love you more; Life in Delhi's red light district

Nobody Can Love You More: Life in Delhi's Red Light District by Mayank Soofi

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A well-written book in almost a documentary format which the author says in the book was his purpose; has captured the life in GB Road well, right from the sex workers, to the kotha owners and even the shop owners in the area.

It is perhaps known and now I understood well after reading this and Memoirs of a Geisha that stories of these red light areas are pretty much the same at the basic level. Poverty forcing women to take up a profession that no woman can enjoy and some forced into the situation by thugs. These stories increase awareness about a section of the society that is looked down upon yet are victims and not criminals.

A character in Soofi's book, says that the so called gentlemanly society which looks down upon the red light district doesn't understand the contribution of these women in ensuring less rape incidents. I am glad that this point was brought up. The current situation of the country in terms of women's safety however, makes me doubt if any red light area can ever control any animalistic natured beast, which gets sadistic pleasure in victimizing unsuspecting innocent girls/women.

Mayank Soofi wrote this book after years of visiting GB Road and I am curious to know if he still continues it as a habit, for search of more stories?



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India Grows at Night: Book Review

India Grows At Night: A Liberal Case for A Strong State by Gurcharan Das
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

After reading Gurucharan Das' last release 'The Difficulty of being Good', I picked up 'India grows at Night' with much expectations. Das seems to be stuck with his last book too, having made dharma the central theme of this book as well.

On the brighter side it is a book that can be read to get oneself updated about the current political and economic situation of India. Das has filled his book with data about India's political environment right from Independence with references to even Mahabharata. So, if you think you have pieces of the Indian political puzzle missing in your memory this will be a quick brush.

Such an extensive data has perhaps made this not such an interesting read because the author has gone all over the place and it is difficult to stitch the whole story together. Most of the solutions and analysis given in the book are rather obvious ones that even we naive readers have registered at different times in our minds.

It is nice to have books like these released in India given the current state of the nation, to serve as a reminder, that this is not a sleeping country. But, all in all I was expecting a better analysis and a more compact read from Gurcharan Das.

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Wise Enough to be Foolish: Book Review

Wise Enough to be Foolish by Gauri Jayaram
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A book that keeps you hooked with a story which in parts will make a lot of us identify with it, right till the end. Even though I am not into light reading and prefer non-fiction or fiction very close to reality this is one of those books that I truly enjoyed or rather couldn't put down till I reached the end. As you read Gauri's life story you keep wondering where does she get all the strength to make all the choices that she makes and still keep her head high. Ofcourse that makes me question if she has revealed all her dark times in life to the fullest extent. I assume no and imagine that being as open as she has been is probably a lot for being in India. The biggest proof of how she has lead her life is in being able to write this book without hiding that its her true story. Every man and woman in India probably needs to take a small little inspiration from her life and seed it in theirs. Leading life by the heart and not the brain which forces us to conform and compare, listening to your heart doesn't come easy and Gauri has definitely achieved, what is challenging.

A delight to read and a recommended read for any one who likes to follow their heart and everyone who want to but cannot gather enough courage to defy the society and follow their instincts.

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Book Review: City of Djinns

City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi by William Dalrymple
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

William Dalrymple is a gem of a writer, is my conclusion after reading his second book, City of Djinns. His dedication to the subject and the effort put in each book through research is remarkable. It is remarkable because even a common Indian like me didn't fail to gain new insights about the capital of my own country. There are few non-fictions which make me feel deeply attached to the story-teller/telling. Dalrymple beautifully makes transitions between the story of his personal experience and the nation's history which makes you cling to the book.

There are these small hidden facts and thoughts which bedazzle the reader. One such case for me was the fact highlighted by a character who was interviewed by the author. "Whoever has built a new city in Delhi has always lost it:the Pandava brethren, Prithviraj Chauhan, Feroz Shah Tughluk, Shah Jehan. They built new cities and they lost them." British were no exception.What is notable for most seizes across the world, stands true for India as well, that all conquests and rulers have gone through the bell-curve. Dalrymple spends majority of his time investigating and remembering the period after Delhi became susceptible to invasions. A large portion of the book delves into the Mughal and the British conquest of India. The reader who is aware of the Indian history will get curious about India before the foreign raids and that Dalrymple says is not so documented except the holy books which are still in the hearts and the minds of modern India, Mahabharata and within it Bhagvad Gita. I wish he had uncovered more of the pre-conquest period as I realize India as generally said was not under foreign rule only for 200 years. India had been susceptible to foreign conquest and rule since 1192, the time when the last Hindu ruler was vacated from modern India's capital.

With this, my curiosity to read more of Dalrymple is retained as another book of his, Nine Lives waits in my shelf.

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Book Review: From the Holy Mountain

From the Holy Mountain: A Journey among the Christians of the Middle East by William Dalrymple
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

William Dalrymple is a brilliant and sincere author, who puts in a lot of effort to research before he writes a book and that is very evident in From the Holy Mountain.

The book itself is a treasure with great insight into Middle East and Arab. Dalrymple makes his journey through what was known as the Byzantine empire. Some may think this book to be prejudiced towards religion but this serves as an excellent history and travel book as well.

The amount of knowledge that I have gained about the history of three predominant sections - Christains, Muslims and Jews through this book is immense. I knew about Jerusalem being the main center for both Christians and Jews but never knew that Christainity is actually a religion which took birth and developed there as well. Today when we talk about Christian nations we mostly think of US, Europe, who would have thought that it all originated in Arab nations which are viewed as Muslim nations.

It's a pity that most of the religions in the world are influenced by each other and have similarities between each other yet we are increasingly getting separated by religion even in this modern world. None of the religions are at peace with each other. There are constant wars to destroy each others' heritage rather than develop our own. The real victims are those whose lives got caught forever in such war. There are people in places like Beirut who have been seeing violence right from birth and are still witnessing them at an old age. What a life it is where you live constantly in the fear of death rather than living life itself.

Completely impressed by Dalrymple's writing and researching style I have now picked up another book of his "City of Djinns" as a near future read.

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Persepolis

The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first serious graphic novel that I have read, Tintin, Asterix wouldn't fall in the category of serious, I am guessing. It's very engaging, far greater than probably a non-graphic novel essentially because the characters are already personified and you don't have to struggle about putting a face to the character.
The novel itself gives a true reflection of a common person's life in Iran, through the years of struggle that the entire country went through and the escape that most people with financial back-up would have made.The later part of the novel where Marjane feels lost between Iranian and European culture can be well understood and I wish I could know what happened to her after her return to Europe.

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The Art of Choosing - A Book Review

I picked up this book called "The Art of Choosing" by Sheena Iyenger hoping to get greater insight into the minds of the consumers I much yearn to address as a marketeer. I wanted to understand if I could influence the choices of buyers. Well, the book has gone far more deeper than just about the choice of a consumer & dealt with the entire psychology of every choice that we make in life. It has brought forward the fact that much as we think that choices are made by us, we also are eventually made by them. What we choose to accept eventually turns around and shapes our lives and that choice is influenced by factors like culture, society, multitude of choices etc.