The Reader's Paradise

Some spring cleaning

2010-07-11T14:03:00.001+05:30

There is scurried activity at home, as Mummy and Amu go about preparing to host a dinner for some friends later today.
I, however have not been part of any scurried activity. I have spent most of the morning lazing around reading the Sunday morning newspaper at leisure, lying down staring at the ceiling and watching highlights of a cricket match on TV (I have no idea why sports channels show highlights of such inconsequential matches - NZ scored 163 and SA chase it down for the loss of 6 wkts in 43 overs).

This time though, nobody asked me to do any chores and this induced some guilt which led me to the long pending task of cleaning up the book shelf.

The return on investment of time spent is this -
1) I get to show that I have done some work
2) I get to pick out books to give my friend, who is collecting books for kids at her school in Kashmir

As I was lining up books by authors and height order I came across some really old Archie, Flintstones, 'Diamond Comics' comic books, along with the usual fare of Gokulam, Chandamama, Thak Thak and Champak's.
Lovely to see these after so many years.

I also came across the wonderfully written 'Original Script' of our away day play "Chronicles of the Dark Knightie" :P which was a joy to see and read through, though I still know it by heart.

Despite having loads of books, I only came up with a handful of books that I thought I could give away. So there goes the false notion I had, that I was one of those for whom letting go was super easy. Siiiigh.

However, if you can get your hands on any books that you think will be a good read for school kids, then get in touch with me now!

Till then I am going back to my lazing about *grin*.

I TOO HAD A LOVE STORY

2010-03-16T22:26:00.002+05:30

A book by ravinder singh,26 years old,a software engineer hailing from burla,orissa...this book clearly relates to the reality magically.
it asks us a question which people normally dont even think about.
DO LOVE STORIES EVER DIE???
Although in this 21st century love may start differently..rather completely diffrently...but may end in a way no one may ever even dream of..and when it ends..it shatters all.feel the pain of love and then seperation,in
I TOO HAD A LOVE STORY.

Pygmy- Chuck Palahniuk

2009-07-18T20:53:00.003+05:30

'Begins here first account of operative me, agent number 67 on arrival mid-western American airport greater _______ area. Flight ____. Date ______. Priority mission top success to complete. Code name. Operation Havoc. Fellow operatives already pass immigrant control, through secure doors and to embrace own other host family people. Operative Tibor, agent 23; operative Magda, agent 36; operative Ling, agent 19. All violate United States secure port of entry having success. Each now embedded among middle-income corrupt American family, all other homes, other schools, and neighbours of same city. By not after next today, strategy of web of operatives to be established'

Agent Number 67- Dispatch First, Pygmy

What's the story? The diminutive 13-year-old agent of a totalitarian homeland is sent to the United States to enact Operation Havoc, the sole aim of which is to destabilise the most powerful country in the world. Along with his fellow operatives, he masquerades as a foreign exchange student and moves in with a typical nuclear family, learning more about American life as he goes. Trying not to be seduced by the lifestyle he abhors, Agent 67 (nicknamed Pygmy) dispatches reports back to his homeland and begins to plan something terrible.

How does it read? From the outset, I should say that Palahniuk employs broken "Engrish" throughout the novel to reflect Pygmy's speech. It's a clever technique that might take some getting used to- I read the book a chapter (or "dispatch") at a time for a few days before devouring the rest in two sittings. As for the rest, all the hallmarks of Palahniuk's writing are there- the man is unflinchingly blunt in his writing. I'm sure he's a well-rounded human being so I can't suggest he thinks nothing of the anal rape of a middle-school bully by our hero as he chants Communist mantras. Somehow Palahniuk's writing has always been able to get under the skin of his readers, providing a remarkably visceral and cerebral reading experience every time you pick up one of his books- I'm thinking of course of the famously faint-inducing "Guts" in his short story anthology, Haunted.

The story zips along once you adjust to reading Pygmy's brand of Engrish, but you may come to realise that while the central concept is more or less unique, there are more than a couple of undercurrents that echo Palahniuk's most successful work, Fight Club. The attitudes to consumerism continue, but here it's specifically focused on the land of the free and the home of the brave. I'm actually wondering how this has fared in America, because even though Pygmy's opinions on the States are inflated and distorted by his totalitarian origins for comedy effect, the book is fairly anti-American. It centres around a terrorist as a protagonist and throws out harrowing statistics about 5% of the world's population (Americans) consuming 75% of the world's wealth. Quotes from political and historical figures are employed to great effect, and I was amused to see those attributed Adolf Hitler crediting him as a "renowned huckster", but they're there to move the plot forward as well as amuse, a balancing act that Palahniuk achieves well.

Pygmy isn't Chuck Palahniuk's best work. Nonetheless, it's definitely an enjoyable read, if a little difficult to decipher at first. Nevertheless, Palahniuk continues to prove himself to be a master of the craft, and I eagerly look forward to his next works.

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Next time: The Dark Tower Volume I- The Gunslinger, by Stephen King

A SHORT COMMENT ON SYDNEY SHELDON'S-BLOODLINE

2009-06-22T18:34:00.002+05:30

the book is again a thriller,full of suspense which keeps us rooted till the last page..it consists of the hit sheldon formula...suspense,drama and sex in the accurate proportions.
its about a soul heir to a billion worth pharmaceutical company...a young girl called elizabeth roffe.. and the only daughter to sam roffe.. the current owner of the company..as rhys williams..a help to sam roffe...most trusted..really efficient man finds out about sam roffes death due to a fall during mountain climbing..he sends out a notice to all the board members and stock holders of the company..that is..all the roffes..as its a privately owned company..no stock goes out of the family tree...untill sam dies and the whole company management starts to tumble down...with this everyone at the board presses elizabeth to make the company public by selling the privately owned stocks...some out of pure neccesity of money..some out of greed..but who goes beyond the lines to ensure another death...elizabeths...to make the company go public??who is desperate enough for money to kill again???find out for yourself...HAPPY READING.!!!!

Special Needs Autism Recommended Booklist

2009-05-01T10:01:00.006+05:30

Best Books on Special Needs Children
April is Autism Awareness Month. When I graduated with my BS in pyschology and special education, these book list was part of my inspiration. Here is my recommended reading list for special needs educators, parents and caregivers. My copies are dog-earred and torn. And I treasure them like Croesus's gold. Great for those interested in helping special needs adults and children!
Click for full review...

Medieval Mystery: A Vein of Deceit-Susanna Gregory

2009-05-01T09:54:00.003+05:30

Book Review: A Vein of Deceit by Susanna Gregory
If you read nothing else but the back of a cereal box this summer, I insist that you read Susanna Gregory's newest Matthew Bartholomew and Brother Michael book, A Vein of Deceit. Medieval murder mystery at its best!
Read entire review...

Handle with Care

2009-04-20T06:07:00.000+05:30

Willow O'Keefe is born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta. It's also known as brittle bone disease. In other words, she can break a number of bones through her lifetime. It's a disability in that she is short statured, has to use a wheelchair and suffers innumerable breaks. It's like taking two steps forwards and one step back. On the other hand, she is extremely smart for a 6 year old. She has the vocabulary of an adult and absorbs information like a sponge. She is funny and witty. She is loveable.

Her mother however, decides one day to lodge a wrongful birth suit. There are a couple of problems with this:

1) she has to say that she would have aborted Willow had she known about the disability in advance

2) the doctor she is suing is her best friend.

Throughout this turmoil, relationships are affected. Willow's parents are divided over the suit and their relationship is in turmoil. Willow's older sister, Amelia, aged 13, is neglected. And she takes to extreme measures to make herself feel better.

And what about Willow? How does she take the fact that her mother would have gotten rid of her had she known she would break?

The book is presented to us through the voices of some characters, each of them talking to Willow. They include Charlotte (mother), Sean (father), Amelia, Piper (the doctor) and Marin (Charlotte's attorney). We don't hear Willow's voice in first person unlike everyone else.

This has a shade of 'My Sister's Keeper' and the ending is just as emotional (although I didn't sob...only cried).

There is no winner in this legal case because either way, something or the other is lost.

Something that cannot be repaired.

It also questions a lot of issues:

Abortion of an 'imperfect' foetus

Disabilities --- how many parents will decide what is 'too disabled' and therefore abort a child? Will there be a time when someone may choose to abort if they know their child is not going to be a supermodel or a genius?

Ethical issues in medicine

How do siblings of disabled individuals cope when everything revolves around the other child? What about support systems for them?

It asks all these questions and a whole lot more.

This book, in my opinion, is a must-read.

It's Jodi Picoult at her best. Once again.

Until next time,

Cheers!!!

We need to talk about Kevin

2009-03-05T15:29:00.004+05:30

This is a book about a high-school murder by a teenager.

Sounds familiar? Well, it's actually quite different.

'We need to talk about Kevin' is written in the form of letters from a wife to her absent husband. Their son is in jail serving time for killing seven of his classmates, a teacher and a cafeteria worker.

The book is from Eva's point of view starting from the time of his birth to the actual incident. Eva tries to find out what went wrong. Was it the fact that she never wanted to have Kevin in the first place? Or was he just born with a mean evil streak? Or did he somehow learn this? Or was this all just to get his mother's attention?

The book asks the biggest question --- the nature v/s nurture debate.

It also makes you question Kevin's motives. It makes you wonder about him --- he's such a dark character. Why did he do it? He was never bullied. Was he just born this way? It makes you question what is required of parents. It makes you question whether Eva's point of view is the actual truth.

It doesn't answer all of these.

However, it does have a sense of emptiness and leaves a void.

The book is good and well written. However, I would like to caution anyone who is feeling a bit low --- this book will make you depressed. I felt very empty and depressed after reading it.

On that note,

Until next time,

Cheers!!!

Airman- Eoin Colfer

2009-02-14T20:19:00.004+05:30

Conor Broekhart was born to fly, or more accurately, he was born flying. Though Broekhart's legend is littered with fantastical stories, the tale of his first flight in the summer of 1878 would be the most difficult to believe, had there not been thousands of witnesses.

- Prologue, Airman.

Airman is the story of Conor Broekhart, a young man born on the Saltee Islands near Ireland in a time of great discovery. From his dramatic birth on a hot-air balloon called Le Soleil, Conor is obsessed with flight, and the innovation of the late 19th century could just make his dream a reality. As he gets older, Conor is taught under a great swordsman and scientist, Victor Vigny, and begins to realise his dreams of building a device or machine capable of flight. However, his idyllic life is shattered by the assassination of Great Saltee's monarch, Nicholas, and he is caught in the crossfire of an age-old feud between two families- the Trudeaus and the Bonvilains. Conor is framed for Nicholas' murder and sent to the prison on the neighbouring island of Little Saltee by Marshall Bonvilain, who assumes power over Great Saltee. Soldiering through his incarceration, Conor awaits the day he will fly away from Little Saltee, clear his name and ultimately have his revenge.

The book is penned by Eoin Colfer, the celebrated author who writes the Artemis Fowl series. He was inspired by the idea that the smaller of the Saltee Islands, (which do indeed exist, even if this book gives a more fantastical view of their history) would be a perfect prison, and by a frightening sky-diving experience. The two combined puts Conor in prison on Little Saltee and it's around this point that the story seems remarkably like a children's equivalent of Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo. Such a comparison is by no means a bad thing, because the story is quirky and original enough to avoid being cast as a rip-off of the literary classic, and it's infused with Colfer's compelling prose and versatile characters. Getting away from the revenge element of the story, Conor mostly longs to be free. At a point early in his incarceration, Conor is persuaded to accept what has been done to him by his very own Abbé Faria in the form of his cellmate, an old blind musician called Linus Wynter. It's from here that Conor really becomes a character you root for, and who you care about. If before you felt bad that his childhood had been so cruelly snatched away by Bonvilain, you now root for him in his dreams of a second chance at life and plans to escape Little Saltee by means of his flying machine.

Colfer's prose is as nuanced as ever, and filled with the same gleeful humour that characterises the Artemis Fowl books. Marshal Bonvilain's evil is, as with Colfer's other villain characters, simply for the sake of being mean, and you just have to laugh at some parts of his own demented inner monologue. By the same token, Conor is just as flawed a hero as other protagonists of Colfer's works- without the criminal inclinations of Artemis or Meg from The Wish List, Conor is still willing to consort with and occasionally abet criminals in order to achieve his goal of escaping. Conor is not some great big hero by nature, and although he has all the skill and physical prowess to rectify the depreciating situation on Great Saltee, his past isn't necessarily something he wants to regain after a few years in prison. It's this manner of characterisation that persuades me Colfer will get along just fine writing about one Arthur Dent in And Another Thing...- his sequel to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy "trilogy"- which is released later this year.

To conclude, Airman is a terrific action-adventure novel with a fine balance between the historical liberties taken, (the Saltees didn't necessarily have a royal family) and the realism of human nature to entertain both children and adults. I'd recommend it particularly to other fans of Colfer's work- while it's not his best, it's certainly something you'll enjoy. You will believe a boy can fly.

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Next time: The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies Never Made by David Hughes

Watchmen- Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons

2009-02-07T18:30:00.007+05:30

'The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood and when the trains finally scab over, all the vermin will drown. The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout "Save us!" And I'll look down, and whisper "No."'

- Rorschach, Chapter 1, Watchmen

First time posting here, so you may well feel I'm someone who doesn't quite know what they're doing reviewing books, so went for the "safer" option of reviewing a comic book. Anyone who does wanna be snooty about it, I refer you to the fact that Watchmen was the only graphic novel to appear on Time's 2005 list of "the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present", and I assure you that I'll be reviewing prose in any future posts. If you're still unconvinced, I enjoy a challenge.

Watchmen is a story set in an alternate 1985- Richard Nixon is still President, at the beginning of his fifth term in office, and tensions with Russia are at boiling point as the Cold War intesifies. The only thing holding back nuclear war is the presence of super-being Dr. Manhattan, who ended the Vietnam war in a brutal show of American military power and has the ability to manipulate objects at an atomic level. This is all merely the backdrop for a conspiracy theory surrounding other costumed heroes, now outlawed by an act of Congress. When one of their number, Eddie Blake (alias The Comedian) is murdered, a morally rigid and sociopathic vigilante called Rorschach begins his investigation and uncovers something much more disturbing than he initially suspected. A plan that will bring the world to the brink of destruction and end millions of lives...

One of the many much-acclaimed aspects of Watchmen is that it confronts the conventions of superhero stories and turns them on their head. Parallels can be drawn between characters here and the characters that have become hugely valuable properties. Dr. Manhattan is essentially a Superman who doesn't care about humanity- his passive attitude to all that is going on and his own admission that everyone is a puppet and that he is the only one who "can see the strings" summates him as a character left cold by his ascent to godhood. Another character, Dan Dreiberg (alias Nite Owl) is the closest approximation we have to Batman, but Dan is out-of-shape, past his best and in the apex of a mid-life crisis- more like an impotent Clark Kent. Counterpointing this is his mutual attraction to Laurie Juspeczyk, (alias Silk Spectre) a much younger woman whom he is unable to sexually satisfy without the later stimulus of resuming costumed hero work. These characters are in the course of the first six chapters fully sympathetic and fleshed out, springing off the page and surpassing the traditional comic book story.

Two characters who go beyond the DC Comics parallels though are Rorschach, whose disturbing past has given him a sense of absolute morality and utter resistance to compromise of any kind, and Adrian Veidt, a genius former hero obsessed by the life of Alexander the Great and dedicated to matching or surpassing his achievements. These two represt a conflict in morality that proves integral to the story's climax. Rorschach looks on life in black and white without any shades of grey, much like the inkblots of his namesake, whereas Veidt sees nothing but shades of grey, and is very much forward thinking and takes his ideas to the logical extreme. To simplify, Rorschach is uber-right and Veidt is uber-left. Dr. Manhattan's absence is a key plot point that begins the global sense of impending catastrophe that looms over most of the novel, and it's fitting because it gives Veidt the upper hand in this dynamic. Rorschach wants judgement to be taken out of the hands of ordinary fallible people and dishes out retribution how he deems fit, and with Dr. Manhattan missing, being as he is the closest thing to God, fate seems to be in Adrian's favour.

The fact that I can write two paragraphs on the characters and their dynamics should prove that Watchmen is far more than just a comic book adventure. Across nine panels a page and around four hundred pages, the plot is complex, intricate and full of twists and turns, flashbacks and foreshadowing. Any prose version would have twice as many pages if it comprised the same amount of detail and plot, and this is one of the many reasons it's taken so long to arrive on the big-screen, as it finally will in March- it's considered by many to be unadaptable. Dave Gibbons' art perfectly compliments Alan Moore's writing, yet leaving enough to be inferred or imagined by the reader to qualify this as a story as opposed to a picture book. In turning the superhero conventions on their head, Moore has created a world where nothing is sacred and presents a scenario in which it's unclear whether or not heroes make the world a better place. Instead they inspire fear and paranoia in those they seek to protect, and ultimately this leads to catastrophe.

Watchmen is a story of morality, to be taken seriously regardless of what you think of the comic book/graphic novel medium, because it's truly a masterpiece. Whether the aforementioned film adaptation can match this remains to be seen, but nevertheless, the book remains one of the best pieces of literature of the last century.

---------------------------------
Thanks for inviting me to contribute- sorry it took so long to do a review. If people don't totally abhor this one, I might alternate between reviewing a graphic novel and a prose novel each time.

Next time: Airman- Eoin Colfer

My Sister's Keeper

2009-01-04T09:22:00.003+05:30

This is my first time contributing here and I thank Tushar for the invite. I read a lot of books when I have the time and I've reviewed a few on my own blog. I decided as my very first post, to review a book that I already have on my blog. So here goes.

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult has got to be one of the most powerful books I've ever read.

No other book has made me sob like this one.

No other book has made me smile like this one.

No other book has felt so real (in spite of it being fiction)

No other book has made me experience the wide gamut of emtions that I did whilst reading the book.

So what is it about the book that makes it so special?

Well, for me personally, the style of the book was awesome to start of with. Almost every character is presented in first person. How does Picoult do that? She lets each character have a say and have their voice heard in each chapter. Then of course, the story itself is a heart-wrenching one.

The book is about a family...a family with 3 children and one of whom (the middle child) has cancer. The third child was conceived to be a donor for the girl with cancer. She doesn't have a say in the matter until 12 years on, she is frustrated. She has had to forego more things than just donate a bone marrow or blood. She has had to put her life on hold for her sister. And she has had enough. She goes to see a lawyer to get the rights to her own body. And all hell breaks loose when the family finds out. Is there a right answer? I don't know. The mother is livid; the father torn. The daughter that has cancer does not have an opinion in the book i.e. she is the only character whose point of view is not presented to us. The older brother could not care less. The book takes us through all of their thoughts, their feelings, their emotions. The reader manages to empathise with each and every character (which is saying something...) I don't want to give away the ending in case you haven't read the book...but it is possibly one of the most unexpected endings.

The book makes you ask the biggest question: Would I do this for someone I loved?

The answer: I don't know.
I would donate if I had a choice.
But would I like to if I wasn't given one? If I was forced to without being asked? If I were made to feel guilty for not wanting to?

Like I said, if I were in Annie's place, I don't know what I'd do.

What would you do?

New Year Wishes

2009-01-01T09:01:00.004+05:30

Dear Friends,
I write you all to wish you a very Happy New year and to talk some things about The Reader's Paradise.

It was in June 2008 that I started this blog and since they have been quite many ups and downs. Scounderal with malcious intentions have tried hard to malign my name through this blog and there has been also the support of so many avid readers who have seen to the fact that the mission for which the blog was created lives on.

We also had several initiatives for the blog to be a more interesting place to blog in.
One was the introduction of the Reader's Paradise member's badges, which got a good response. Some other like the tags related to books back fired though.

Not deterred by any setbacks, I am confident to recreate this blog in 2009 and hence, to achieve this purpose I role down the list of the new team managing your blog.
Tushar Mangl - Chief Administrator - The overall management and functioning of the blog.

Aashi Joshi - Mentor Administrator - Her guidance and views are of utmost importance as we wish to draw a lot from her vast experiences.

Akansha Aggarwal - Administrator - Members and Memberships

It will be within her authority, to induct new members or discard the memberships of the others, along with managing any disputes or doubts any member has with the blog or otherwise.

Alvia - Administrator - Creative Affairs

I wish she finally comes up with the best template for this blog :-)
Till date her services to this blog has no parallel and I know there can be no one as great as Our creative admin.

Ritwik Sauntra - Administrator - Content and Technical Aspects

All that's technical on this blog and the management of contents will be from now on Ritwik's domain.

Ielphil Raven - Administrator - Youth Affairs.

His role will include drawing up young blood into this blog.

Let's see how this new emergence of The Reader's Paradise works out.

Wishing you all and your families a very very prosperous and a very happy new Year

Tushar Mangl
Chief Administrator
The Reader's Paradise

Code to Zero

2008-12-29T15:28:00.002+05:30

Code to Zero is a wonderful book by Ken follet. Certainly a nice read. With lot of action, suspense, betrayal and all. This is a combination of everything. Though the story is based around the CIA spy work and the story time is during the early days of cold war, it has almost all the necessities to grab a reader's attention.
And till the end, we will feel the thrill of a real spy story. Though it's a fiction work, there are striking resemblances with the real world.

'Who Moved My Cheese?'

2008-12-22T16:20:00.003+05:30

This is my first time writing (blogging) here. I would like to thank Tushar for inviting me to this library.

The ever famous book 'Who Moved My Cheese?' by Dr. Spencer Johnson is a favorite of mine. Instead of telling how to be successful with real life boring stories, Dr. Johnson crafts a wonder full story dealing with four imaginary characters depicted in the story -the mice Sniff and scurry and little people Hem and Haw- who are intended to represent the simple and the complex parts of ourselves. It is story about change that takes place in one's life where four amusing characters look for cheese. Cheese being the metaphor for what we want to have in life whether it is a job or relationship, money, house, freedom, health spiritual peace or even an activity like jogging etc. In the story the 4 characters are searching for cheese. They go in the maze everyday to search for it. One day they find it at cheese station C. They get excited. But we see that the 2 little people get accustomed to it. Instead of their regular routine they reach at the station late. On the other hand the mice are always quick. One day Sniff and Scurry arrive at Cheese Station C to find no cheese left but they are not surprised. Noticing the cheese supply decreasing, they have mentally prepared for it, but inevitable task of finding more cheese before hand. Leaving Cheese Station C behind, they begin their hunt for new cheese together. Later that day, Hem and Haw arrive at Cheese Station C only to find the same thing, no cheese. They get shocked on seeing this. They were bewildered and horrified. They had never imagined it to happen Angered and annoyed, Hem demands "who moved my cheese?"...They don’t get adjusted to the change. They keep on wondering the cause for it but are not ready to find new cheese. Meanwhile, Sniff and Scurry have found"Cheese Station N", a new supply of cheese. Back at Cheese Station C, Hem and Haw, affected by their lack of cheese, blame each other for this loss. Hoping to change, Haw again proposes a search for new cheese He realizes that they must go into the maze and look for new cheese. Hem disagrees with him. He was comforted in his old routine and did not want to change. Haw goes out and looks for cheese. It takes him time to get used to the surroundings. He writes many quotations on the wall so that Hem ponders on them and if he comes into the maze some day he could find him. One-day haw finds the cheese at cheese station And we are left to wonder if his friend did too.

A lovely story that will surely enrich one's life. It is short and sweet and has a lovely message.

The site of the book is http://www.whomovedmycheese.com/ (what else would it be called?)

I also blog at Poshin's World. Please do drop by.

I'd like to wish all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year.

Jane Eyre

2008-12-20T15:48:00.001+05:30

Such is providence. It shockingly surprises me that I should pursue another one of the Bronte sisters for the sake of a pleasurable read, and Jane Eyre is not only that.

Charlotte Bronte, the eldest of the Bronte sisters has glorified up the whole text through her undying feminist perspectives and brilliant phrasing. The beginning of Jane Eyre may seem rather hazy and mundane, but as the multidimensional story progresses, readers cant afford to place it down, even if it is for a mediocre cause of curiosity. The book, portrays the sketchy life a young girl Jane who in her early years is ostracized from her aunt's family, but is forced to be plagued by them, for none share the blood of her her ancestors than them. The aunt feels that Jane is a cumbersome, contemptuous, boorish, rude and selfish brat who speaks like a grown lady.

Though it seems like a cliched plot, Bronte denies any opportunity for the reader to predict what can transpire. The intricately, or rather gruesomely detailed human experiences are definitely worth the read, and the spark of an emotional surge for a loved one, just cannot fail to capture hearts with the best part of interest. The heart-breaks, the laughs, the separation, the mighty and sudden reunion, fall in place like a tale ever so intense in depicting realism in literature.

Jane Eyre is a classic that people praise and still read, contradicting most classics which only get praised.

Tales of Beedle the Bard- JK Rowling

2008-11-25T19:08:00.002+05:30

New J.K. Rowling Book: The Tales of Beedle the Bard
Fans of Harry Potter, don't despair, JK Rowlings new book The Tales of Beedle the Bard, goes on sale December 4, 2008. You can pre-order your copy of Beedle online or in stores to save money and reserve your copy.
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The God of small things

2008-11-25T14:32:00.004+05:30

"The God of small things" by Arundhati Roy - winner of the Booker prize of 1997 is a sad tale narrated hilariously.

The story is woven around a pair of twins Estha and Rahel and their divorced mother who live with their maternal grandparents in the town of Ayemenem. It starts with them being 31 years of age and narrates different phases of their lives as kids, as grown ups, but basically deals with the tragedies they had to face during their childhood at the age of 7.

Since the twins are aged 7, their conversation, their thoughts are funny for an adult, but they are witty and mature for the children of their age. It depicts how the tragedies that happened during their childhood have impacted their adulthood and made them complete strangers to each other because of their separation at that time..

The relevance of the title- "The God of small things" is the person who is the centre of the tragedy and who the twins and their mother love to death.

It is a sad tale, doesn't have a happy ending so I dint Love the book. But it is worth a read.

My Rating- **** n half.

Poetry Around the World

2008-11-21T05:08:00.002+05:30

Childrens' Poetry Around the World
Poetry is the color of music, the rhyme of the rainbow, and the rhythm of life. Poetry is ambrosia and nectar, the food of the gods, nourishment for the soul. Here are some collections of poetry which you can celebrate with a child.
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The Discovery of Perry Mason

2008-11-08T00:01:00.003+05:30

Friday 7.11.08
I read a comment on this blog in which fellow blogger vedang suggested a fiction character called Perry Mason.
Now, Mystery happens to be my fav genre and i have read innumerable books and authors and never heard or read about Erle Stanley Gardner the creator of this character we are talking about.
But from past month or so I have been hearing a lot about this author.
And to my great surprise when i was browsing through my fav bookstore;s shelves in the afternoon, for the first time in years i saw a huge stack of the Perry Mason's series.
Impulisvely i picked it up, and as of now i have finished reading the case of negligent nymph.
Its been a very very intresting dicovery for me.
I feel, a purpose of creating this blog is now being accomplished atleast for me.
Just few weeks ago, i bought and read, the count of Monte Cristo as i had read about it, on this blog.
Aneesh had written a very encouraging about the book, and although i dont enjoy reading classics much, I tried it and it was a good experience.
And now, thanks to Vedang and Akansha [who at first mentioned Perry Mason] I found one more very important aspect of crime novels.
The voting on this blog cleary suggests that few months along the line this blog will have to be shut down, but somehow i am glad some knowledge has indeed been gained.
Afterall that was my purpose

A girl like me- Swati Kaushal

2008-11-07T19:04:00.005+05:30

"A girl like me" by Swati Kaushal is a first person narration of the story of a young girl- Anisha Rai or Ani and her journey of transformation from a stubborn, aimless, young girl to a mature and understanding girl.

The story starts from the point when she arrives at Delhi airport with her mom who has to join an advertising agency as the hot- shot creative director. She has been born and raised in Minnesota- America, and now, 2 years after the demise of her father's, her mother has decided to move back to India. Anisha, who has been vivacious, sporty, intelligent- turns into a 'nothing matters' person, as she is deeply moved by her father's demise.

As the story advances, Anisha feels ignored by her mom because of her busy-ness with her job and the less time she spends with her and she turns into a rebel. And finally by the end, she understands her mom's point of view how she had to give everything up for the sake of providing her daughter with everythign she deserved.

The tale tell us how this American born girl, faces problems of culture shock and education system difference nd also othe teenage problems.

All in all, this book is a light read, and can be easily related with a normal Indian teenager.

My rating- *** n half

RIP - Michael Crichton

2008-11-07T10:10:00.001+05:30

Michael Crichton, genius author and director, passed away day before yesterday. This post is in his memory.

I am a huge fan of Crichton's work. My introduction to Crichton was The Andromeda Strain, a book that was gifted to me sometime in school. I was much too young to enjoy it at the time, and after a few pages, I put it back in the shelf and forgot all about it. During my 11th or 12th grade, I got my hands on Congo. When I was done with it, I went back and dug up The Andromeda Strain. That was it. I was hooked.

In those days, my principal complaint against authors was that each wrote around set plot lines. Robin Cook and John Grisham were so boring after some time! I found Michael Crichton to be refreshingly different! (Now I know better, Crichton writes around the idea of the collapse of a "perfect" system, at least in most cases.) Slowly and steadily I gobbled up his entire works. These were some of the earliest books I bought for myself. In fact, today I own every single fiction novel of his except for Congo (People, this is a hint. Gift it to me and make me happy)

Of all of his books, I have a clear favorite. It is The Great Train Robbery. The story is set in Victorian England and loosely based on the Great Gold Robbery of 1855. This book completely enthralled me, I have read it countless times. I don't have a clear second favorite among Crichton's books, because they are all so good, but a few notable mentions would be Rising Sun (a murder occurs during a business meeting, and Japanese and American culture clashes thereafter, technology: some awesome evidence tampering), Timeline (historians traveling to the Middle ages, technology: Quantum Physics), Sphere (alien craft discovered at the bottom of the ocean, technology: psychology, discussions of interaction with aliens), Prey (a swarm of artificially created nanobots evolves out of control and starts attacking humans, technology: nanotechnology, intelligence in distributed systems, Lamarckian Evolution), Eaters of the Dead (set in the 10th century, about a Muslim who travels with the Vikings on their adventures, technology: eaters_of_the_dead! What else do you want!) and of course Jurassic Park (dinosaurs coming back to life in a supposedly controlled environment, technology: genetics, chaos theory)

Crichton has often been criticized that he wrote with a film adaptation in mind. Indeed, at least 11 of his books have been made into films. Even so, Crichton is a real joy to read (especially if you're geeky or into sci-fi) and I would recommend him to all book lovers.

Cross-posted on my personal blog

The World is Flat

2008-11-06T09:50:00.003+05:30

The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman is one of the books that are intended to describe exactly how deeply globalisation runs. I finished this book a few weeks back but before shooting off a review, I wanted to wait and watch the latest impact, namely the financial crisis that is trickling down from the US to India and will soon assume the form of a gushing stream before the holes can be checked. Confused? Well, read on.

The author has done extensive research and has based the book on the situation around 2004-05(of course, that was the present then) when the Indian IT sector was going boom boom and the Indian markets were singing Kadam Kadam Badaye jaa and even people who had never invested in stocks all their life were religiously following CNBC and Zee Business and Stock Today and so on and so forth…

The book has been divided into three sections, first where Thomas explains how the world got flat, second where he talks about US and the flat world and third where he talks about the developing countries and the flat world. The author quotes Nilekan, CEO, Infosys as saying ‘The playing field is being levelled’, meaning the world is a completely flat place, thanks to the internet and the connectivity it has provided India with. Thomas talks about all the outsourcing of jobs that have been given to the Indians, primarily IT jobs and mostly for the computer engineers, working at salaries that can be called meagre compared to what the US engineers demand. It initially started with the Y2K movement when all computers had to be reset to accept dates from the twenty first century because they were not originally built to accept those. India with its sheer ready work force at low costs and high connectivity bagged the opportunity. The offshoring movement led to a similar prosperity in China when big US companies looking to cut costs shifted factories, workhouses and manufacturing units to China.

Thomas talks about the success achieved by some of the companies like Wal-Mart, FedEx UPS, Google and TiVo and the role played by the flat world behind their achievements. The way Wal Mart succeeds in providing low cost, high quality products would’ve been absolutely impossible in a world not so flat.

Thomas says In the flat world, one person's economic liberation could be another's unemployment. What has been beneficial for the Indians has been harmful for Americans as they claim their rights to these jobs. I highlight it here because it has been an important issue in the just concluded US elections where Obama has expressed a clear desire to curb outsourcing at the cost of Americans, which is I think bad news for us at present but might actually be able to pave a new path of progress for us after the current financial crisis has been dealt with. Your views on the issue are more than just welcome.

Thomas further provides what he believes are rules for survival and growth in a flat world. He also touches upon the issue of terrorism and its impact on a flat world, how it could prove to be a lot more harmful. He concludes by calling upon the Americans to dream because America has always been a land where dreams come true.

Overall, the book makes a very good read for someone aiming to understand the global position, the global economy and a global coexistence. But the recent happenings may make some of the issues irrelevant for the present world because I think; the world is seeing a totally different side to globalisation today. Where I may not be an expert in economics, I do realise that I don’t need rocket science to recognise the fact that the global crisis does not carry a tag of Made in India, and yet the profound effect that we’ve seen could be just the beginning of the darker side to a flatter world. Thomas stated that people thought the slow down in the late 90s when the IT bubble bust was the end of globalisation whereas it proved to be just the beginning, what remains to be seen is whether this is the end or just another obstacle.

I would appreciate it very very much if somebody who’s more of an expert than I am (actually, I am a newbie) could comment on what they think the present situation holds in store for the future of what seems to be a little disturbed flat world.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

2008-11-05T21:39:00.003+05:30

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's this book was a really good one. It's all detective stories and good one too. Though there are a few boring ones, most of the stories are really interesting with a good way of mysteries. I cannot say mystery that cannot be solved, we may be able to guess what's going on. But, he was able to devise these stories brilliantly. Each one is entirely different one from the other. A good read, if you like detective stories.

10 Best Magazines

2008-10-31T01:01:00.002+05:30

Best Magazines to Subscribe To
Magazines subscriptions do not contribute to green living. Many aren't worth reading, let alone buying. However, some magazines are far superior to others; these are those magazines.
View more »

The Only Alien On The Planet

2008-10-25T12:03:00.003+05:30

True to my word, here comes a book review.

The Only Alien On The Planet authored by Kristen Randle is my favourite book. Period.

This is one book that I totally connect with. It's such a beautiful story that seems to go right to your heart. It's woven around a 16 year-old girl Ginny Christianson whose family decides to move to a new place all of a sudden. She loves her family comprising of three brothers and her parents but Ginny feels totally alienated in the new environment, the new place, new school and new house. She misses her brother Paul who's left for college, she misses being with her parents when they're busy setting up their new office, she misses her old life. But then she's soon friends with Hally and her neighbour Caulder Pretiger. And she also meets someone who seems even more of an alien, Smitty Tibbs, the guy who's got the best brains, and is really charming, but the guy who doesn't talk, who doesn't react, who doesn't interact, who is bullied by other students until Caulder stops them, and who just seems like he's in an altogether different world.

The story goes on about how Caulder and Ginny befriend Smitty, the truth about what lies behind Smitty's indifference and strange behaviour, how it is unraveled and how they end up as a big happy family together.

This book had lied with me for about 4 years before I read it. My brother had brought it for me when I was in 5th standard(around 10 years old), but at that time I had been completely into Enid Blyton and Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys and I didn't really like the starting and I had just left it! I picked it up once again when I was in 9th and after I read it, I just fell in love with it. Every time I read it, I like it even more. I would strongly recommend evrybody to read it atleast once in their lifetime.

Real Men Don't Eat Quiche- Bruce Feirstein

2008-10-21T23:42:00.005+05:30

Real Men Don't Eat Quiche
Real Men Don't Eat Quiche, Bruce Feirstein, 1982. Hilarious, quixotic look at men and their foibles. Forefather of 'Women are from Venus; Men are From Mars' and the Dave Barry type comics!
View more »

Polls

2008-10-15T11:30:00.001+05:30

Some polls that recently concluded on the blog.
Here are the results and my analysis.Your interpretations are awaited.
1) Which is the best good over evil fantasy book acc to you???

Total Votes - 42

The Lord of the Rings 13 (30%)

The Harry Potter series 18 (42%)

None of the above 11 (26%)

___________
* I haven't read the lord of the rings books.Though have watched the movies.
* I had expected the harry potter series to get the most number of votes, but seeing the narrow margin, i doubt whether it is really the best one.
* Around 26 % voters said, none of the above.Any ideas anyone, which are the other series of good over evil as popular as harry potter ones or the LOR series???

2)Which is your favorite mode of reading???

Paper books 35 (87%)

e-books 5 (12%)

Total votes : 40
________________________
* Again as expected paper books score over e-books.Paper books have a distinct charm i feel.
* Although now i reflect the implications and effects on environment, these paper books have.
* I personally cant read e-books, though i am publishing one.
__________________________________________________
3) The Best Book review in the month of AUgust was written by :-
Total Votes - 9

Tshhar Mangal [The three Mistakes of my life 3 (33%)

Aneesh[The Prodigal Daughter] 1 (11%)

Judith[ Water for elephants] 0 (0%)

Yetty[Saturnin] 3 (33%)

Ielphil Raven [ Wuthering Heights] 1 (11%)

Marilisa [ Clever timeless tales to outwit the bully] 1 (11%)

_____________________________________
* Thank you all the 3 people who voted for my post
* Just 9 people voting disappoints,very much.
* I never voted, but i think my personal favorite would have been Ielphil's post.
______________________

4 ) Are the administrators of this blog,putting up a cohesive and constructive effort???
Yes,i am sure abut it 7 (70%)

No,either they should be changed,or there attitude be improved 3 (30%)

Votes : 10
_____________
* Well, a very interesting outcome of the poll i must say.
* As of now, there is just one administrator on this blog, that is me.
* I would be leaving the management of this blog soon. A poll is in process to choose a better administrator.
_________________________________
5) Which is the best phase of life for enjoying reading

Childhood 8 (40%)

Teenage 11 (55%)

Young adults 4 (20%)

Middle Age 4 (20%)

Old Age 4 (20%)

Votes : 20
_________________
* I liked this Poll
* Still i didn't vote, i was confused.
* Anyone willing to elaborate on the results of this poll???
______________________
Write in your analysis on these polls.
Its the Birthday of our blog member Pankhuri today. Wishing her a very very happy birthdayy.
Jai Shri Ram !!!

SYNOPSIS OF ADITYA THAKUR

2008-10-13T19:41:00.001+05:30

Aditya Thakur is a collection of events and happenings in the life of a young man Aditya Thakur. The narrative style of the novel is different in the sense that every chapter has a different facet of Aditya’s life. A plain, simple concept highlighting strong human emotions and relationships.

For More Read here

Spouse

2008-10-06T18:46:00.003+05:30

Shobha De's first book that I have read. Sorry to say, couldn't complete it. Tips and tricks in marriage. How married couple should be. These kinds of things are mentioned in this book. It's a book about marriage from her perspective. How things work out between couples, what are the do's and don'ts in a marriage. Well, anyone preparing to get married may benefit from this.

Friends in Small places

2008-09-30T20:49:00.000+05:30

This book was an enjoyable read. I like to read about real people and real experiences and if one can put it all together in an interesting way, there is a good book. So, that is exactly Ruskin Bond's friends in small places. is an Indian author of British descent. 'N it's all about his life experiences in India. This book is arranged in various small chapters some of which is extracted from his other books. Conclusion? Good book, if you like real stories

A Prisoner of Birth

2008-09-29T16:43:00.002+05:30

A Prisoner of Birth is the latest belted out by Jeffrey Archer. After reading books like Not a penny more Not a penny less and Kane and Abel,(Actually I've read all his books) this book disappointed me a little because it looked like it was the modern Count of Monte Cristo(Alexandre Dumas). Archer has himself stated that A Prisoner of Birth has been inspired from The Count of Monte Cristo, but since I had enjoyed the latter, I also liked the former, albeit in a somewhat different manner.

The story starts with that of a happy young man Danny Cartwright,who is getting engaged to his long-time lover Beth and also becomes the head of the garage in which he works, and which is owned by his betrothed's father. To celebrate the occasion, the trio comprising of the young couple and Beth's brother Bernie, also Danny's best friend go to a pub. But things go awry and they get engaged in a brawl with four other men in the same bar, who call themselves The Musketeers. In the process, one of the Musketeers kills Bernie and in an attempt to save him, Danny gets injured and covered in blood. The only witness to what truly happened is only Beth, whose alimony doesn't count in the court and the barman, who is paid to keep his mouth shut. As a result, Danny is sent to prison for 22 yrs.

His cellmates are Nicholas Morceiff and Big Al, and the story goes on about how he spends his time in jail, Beth's visits, a failed reappeal, his growing friendship with Nick and how he learns all that Nick has to teach him, for instance to read and write and how to conduct himself. Just a few days before Nick's release, he gets killed by another prisonmate, who kills him mistakenly as Danny Cartwright due to their close resemblance. So Danny replaces Nick and gets out of prison, and first sorts out Nick's family problems as his uncle tries to take over the property and estate left to him by his grandfather. Also the way he avenges the injustice rendered to him by the Musketeers with the help of his lawyer Alex forms the further narration of the book.

The book is definitely well written and if this is the modern Count of Monte Cristo, I'm certain there can't have been a better one. So I'd recommend reading it atleast once, on a free evening with a cuppa tea/coffee in one hand and the book in other, not that I read it that way :-)

A Book Review: Cheaper by the Dozen

2008-09-29T16:13:00.002+05:30

Reading was a habit inculcated in me from a very young age. Not only were my parents encouraging, but my sister was an avid reader herself, and she introduced me to some of the most wonderful books. On my 14th birthday, she gave me a book called Cheaper by the Dozen. It had a picture of some kids in a buggy on the front, and the following summary on the back :

'The reason why Dad had so many children - there were twelve of them - was that he was convinced anything he and Mother teamed up on was sure to be a success...'

I took it up the next day, and was hooked in under five minutes. Since then, I have read this book countless times. And even though I know the entire narrative now, I still split my sides at the outrageously funny incidents outlined here.

Dad, Frank Bunker Gilbreth and Mother, Lillian Moller Gilbreth raised twelve children over seventeen years before Dad passed away in 1924. Both Dad and Mother were pioneers of time and motion study, and they believed that any process that works in a factory should work in the house and vice-versa.The Gilbreth home was a picture of efficiency and regimentation, with charts to monitor brushing of teeth, taking baths, height, weight and with each older child being in charge of a younger child. Dad was a born teacher, and the book tells us of many of his innovative and interesting teaching techniques. Dad would frequently use the line: 'Do my Irishmen come cheaper by the dozen?' (Hence the Title). Dad had the knack of looking at a person and guessing his nationality. He would then substitute the appropriate nationality into his question.
Each incident brings to light new sides of Dad and Mother. Dad was the planner, the motion-study expert, and Mother was the psychologist, the one who settled all the fights. Dad was a natural teacher and Mother was a natural story teller. The book is dedicated:

'To DAD, who only reared twelve children, and To MOTHER, who reared twelve only children'.

Cheaper by the Dozen is an enchanting window into childhood, a story of order in terrific chaos, often transporting us back to our own childhood, and often making us wish that we too were a part of this big rambling family. Personally, this is easily among the Top 5 books I have ever read. I find myself laughing along with it, and a feeling on contentment steals over me. I strongly recommend this book to all book-lovers, to all parents, and to anyone who wants a good laugh and some cheering up! Cheaper by the Dozen was followed up by 'Belles on Their Toes', which continued the Gilbreth family saga. This is what I'm gifting myself on my birthday this year. So many years after I first read Cheaper by the Dozen, I'm eagerly awaiting another round of Gilbreth family fun!

Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox

2008-09-27T17:01:00.002+05:30

Released on 6th August, this is the sixth and the latest in the Artemis Fowl series by the Irish author Eoin (pronounced as ‘Owen’) Colfer. Artemis Fowl is an extremely bright child with criminal intentions, who takes his father’s place as a criminal mastermind after he goes missing. Artemis goes through a series of adventures, and in the process finds friends in the Underworld magical creatures, even though initially it was his trickery that made the normally reclusive creatures come out in front of ‘Mud Men’ such as Artemis.The much awaited The Time Paradox picks up from where The Lost Colony left off.

Artemis, after his time travel, is of fourteen years of age, when he should be actually seventeen. Artemis’ mother is dying and to cure her, he decides to take help from his fairy friends, but he realises that the cure to his mother’s disease lies not in the present, but in his own past. The plot revolves around Artemis Fowl and his fairy friend Holly Short, who together set out on a time travel, to secure the key to the cure by defeating the younger Artemis. But they end up meeting and fighting an old, or rather old in the present and new in the past, enemy.The book is as engrossing as all his previous ones and Eoin does a terrific job with the book. This is the most intense book so far in the series.

But one thing that we would’ve loved to have seen more of is Butler, Artemis’ full-time bodyguard. Mulch Diggums is as sti(n)cky as ever, and Foaly, the brainy centaur is as bright as ever. But we miss Foaly for a large part of the story. It is Artemis and Holly who are on their own, with nobody but Mulch Diggums to help them.It is dangerous, yet engrossing; fantastic, yet gripping. On the whole, it is a must read for all sci-fi fans, though I feel it would be better to start right from the beginning of the series.

French Lover

2008-09-25T20:23:00.002+05:30

French Lover is a novel by Taslima Nazrin. It's the first time that I am reading a novel by a feminist. Well, to be frank, the novel, although not boring, is nothing but ravings against male domination. Some of the situations mentioned in the novel is hard to believe. To popularize the novel, enough sex is there, with good description.
It's a nice experience to read about the views of different people.

One night @ call center - review

2008-09-21T23:55:00.002+05:30

This story is written by Chetan Bhagat.Its a famous novel written by him after five point some one which was an award winning novel.This story depicts a night of 6 call centre employees who end up meeting god in a tragic incident where they are on the verge of death.They recieve a phone call from god and it all begins there.The story showcasts various intimacy between Shyam and Priyanka and Vrooms crush on Esha, the short modern girl.This is a must read book,so every one do read it

Snapshots from Hell: The Making of an MBA

2008-09-19T16:34:00.002+05:30

This book by Peter Robinson is a really enjoyable read. It's all about the author's experience as an MBA student in one of the best business schools. All the tight schedule he had went through, the difficulty in understanding the classes, He was able to depict it beautifully. Right from the first page to the last, the book is an interesting, funny experience.

Books World In the Web World

2008-09-18T20:11:00.000+05:30

۩ सर्व शकितमते परमात्मने श्री रामाय नमः۩

Three Blogs, with one theme in common...Books
1) A striped Armchair -
*This Blog by eva is overflowing with voluminous amount of information about books and reading.
*Also you can find information and knowledge about various Reading challenges going on at the moment or had happened in the past.
* The Blog roll is another plus point.Browse as many book blogs, as you can whenever you have spare time.
________________________
2) Book Trout -
* This One is A blog for a bookstore named Old Saratoga Books near New York
* This blog owned and authored By Rachel
* Nice Source of knowledge .
_________________________
3) Back to Books
* A blog by a Voracious Reader Nicola From Canada
* Extensive knowledge on books and reading challenges.
* But seems to be well managed and easy to browse
________________
Do comment in your views Regarding these blogs

Jai Shri Ram !!!

An Essay on Fantasy Books

2008-09-16T08:21:00.002+05:30

Are Fantasy Books Good for Kids?
Fantasy literature has been called unBiblical, immoral, unethical, addictive and dangerous. Is fantasy literature safe for children? Is it healthy? Does fantasy literature have any benefits for children. Read on and decide for yourself.
View more »

G. Durrell - "Rosy is my relative"

2008-09-14T01:06:00.005+05:30

My next article for this blog is about G. Durrell's book "Rosy is my relative". The head hero of his story is young man, perhaps 25 years old, whose life bores him. It changed at a time when his uncle died - after which he inherits an exotic property, the elephant.
Story is based on funny events - birthday's party of lord's daughter, deterioration of hunting etc.
If you want good titter, read this book, it's super.

2008-09-09T10:13:00.004+05:30

I know how Ielfphil feels about the end of Wuthering Heights. You rush home clutching the book. You throw yourself into a cozy chair and gobble down your book as fast as you can. In two to four hours or so, all the intrigue is over. No more suspense, no more anticipation. Only a curious sense of depression. You want to scream at the cosmos, 'what do you mean that's it? It's all over?!'

And if the author has had the audacity to Die, like dumb Emily Bronte (very thoughtless and uncivilized of her I always thought!) what is the poor reader to do?

Do I know the feeling?! When I was 12 (in 1976), I finished the last of the Little Women books, Jo's Boys. That was Lousia May Alcott's final chapter in the March family. As she said, 'Let the curtain close.' That was it. All these people that I knew better than I knew my own neighbors, gone. Done. Like they had never existed.

It was horrible; like mass genocide. I was depressed for days. Nothing mattered. Oh yeah, sure I could reread the books. But I would never learn anything new about the family. I had fallen in love with two of the characters, Emil and what's his name. I was keeping an eye on three budding romances. Questions unanswered. Love unrequited. Lives in the balance. And Louisa May Alcott says she done. Fine. Thank you very much. It was very painful.

Just like when you lose a pet. Everyone suggests you find a new one. Hah! Like that will ever happen! Fat chance of finding anything half so good, I thought. Nothing would ever replace the March family for me.

I haven't written an article yet to help poor Ielfphil, but I will. I know the Bronte genre. Here's a guide to help those who are mourning the loss of Harry Potter, however.

Grieving Over End of Harry Potter Series? Take Comfort in These Great Reads
You think now, that you'll never love another as you did Harry Potter. And that may be true. But take some solace in the arms of these great works of fantasy literature while you grieve the end of Harry.
View more »

Polling Station

2008-09-03T00:20:00.000+05:30

۩ सर्व शकितमते परमात्मने श्री रामाय नमः۩
We conducted a lot of polls whose results i wish to formally compile here
1)
Who should be crowned blog member of the month of July???

Pankhuri Aggarwal 2 (11%)

The Hobbit 1 (5%)
Tshhar Mangal 11 (64%)

Stephen 2 (11%)
Ankeita Bharadwaj 0 (0%)
Alvia 0 (0%)
Aashi Joshi 1 (5%)

Votes : 17
Poll closed
_________________________
I believe people voted for quantity rather then Quality.
Nevertheless thank you everyone...
______________
2)your all time favorite classic
kidnapped 4 (12%)

wuthering heights 4 (12%)

The diary of a young girl-Anne frank 8 (24%)

count of monte cristo. 6 (18%)

little women 7 (21%)

oliver twist 4 (12%)

Votes: 33
Poll closed
____________________
*I voted for the diary of Anne Frank
* Thanks to Alexis And Roxy for helping me with the making of the poll
* I am not much into classics, so better analysis will be done by some other member of the blog
___________________
DO vote for an IMportant Poll on EnlightenMent
Jai Shri Ram!!!

Wuthering Heights

2008-08-28T20:20:00.007+05:30

I have recently undergone the painful procedures of separation from the world of a brilliant book, and, even though I wish that the intense tale would continue for a period of eternity, it is lamentable that the raw and passionate story should end at all. Wuthering Heights is a book of many perspectives : of the worst human nature with the most intensely feeling ones, and the dispassionate, crude human form. This, Emily Bronte has brought forth, fulfilling the authors very own purpose of her short tragic life, her death deeply mourned.

Starting with the dark struggles of Heathcliff and Catherine's love for him, the book takes a melancholic and sad hue to it, following then yet another unhealthy obsession and ending with a hopeful one. Along with the gray setting of the sky's constant plummet, the atmosphere created never fails to perturb the reader. A classic fit to be described under Gothic fiction.

Reader's Guide to Authors Like Agatha Christie

2008-08-28T07:58:00.004+05:30

A Guide to Similar Authors for Agatha Christie Fans
Do you love Dame Agatha Christie's vintage murder mysteries and whodunnits? Need more Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Tommy and Tuppence, Harley Quinn? Here are 10 mystery authors whose work compares to Agatha Christie.
View more »

The Indian Media And the Book world

2008-08-27T00:10:00.001+05:30

۩ सर्व शकितमते परमात्मने श्री रामाय नमः۩

____
The way Indian electronic news media is growing perhaps the whole world knows about it. We have dozens of 24 hours news channels churning out breaking news one after another[which ultimately leads to a desire in the viewer's mind to break his television set.]*Sigh*

But the point i want to raise is the way these people treat books and books news.You have Astrology shows,babas and gurus and an overdose of crime news,bollywood gossips, but books,
where are the books on these channels?
There is just one show, of half an hour duration, Just books on ndtv profit, a business news channel.Though its hosted by a senior journalist,SUnil Sethi, i don't approve of it much,but then its the only show.What a shame i say.You show us celebrity gossip and crime and astrology the whole day,
but never a proper information on books.The small snippets we see, are of celebrity authors or when a celebrity is present on a book launch.Then also its all about the celebrity concerned, and seldom the book.
India happens to be a large market for books.Many books are published every month, in several languages across the nation.We have a great pool of upcoming writing talent.I feel news media should focus a bit here too.
Or At least they can learn a lesson or two from the print media.Be it any national newspaper we always expect a page a week at least in all the major papers.Even magazines, news or otherwise regularly update us on books,or information related to books.
I agree every news organization has its prerogative what to show or what not to show, and they are good judges of that, but Books and books related information for the book enthuisiasts should be covered not only for the book lovers,but for the masses to inspire them, to empower them with knowledge
________
Jai Shri Ram!!!

A Walk To Remember

2008-08-22T21:50:00.001+05:30

It was a pleasant Sunday evening and after practising a few RC passages (CAT beckons me), I felt the need to greet Lord Hanuman, residing just a few metres away from my house and it had been a long time since we met. I generally don’t visit temples wishing for things to happen because I believe, God understands my needs, recognizes my capabilities and bestows me with things I truly deserve. But when something really nice happens in life, I make it a point to thank Him in person for being with me and this visit was no different as He had blessed me with a lucrative offer from Tech Mahindra.

On leaving the temple, I embarked on a walk which today, I feel is the most cherished and best reminisced. Even before leaving home, I had decided to take a walk in my locality (one of the evergreen places in Chennai – Ashok Nagar) and so pocketed my mp3 player. Music freshen my thoughts, I imbibe in me the enthusiasm to enjoy brought back memories. If ever I could experience an indeterminate sense of joy erasing all worries troubling my mind and dispelling unwanted feelings stemming from my heart (at least for a while), this should be the first instance. As I start with the next paragraph, my finger nerves are ordered by the heart to key in the correct words to make sure no feeling is minced and my mind is instructed to make sure emotions are best expressed. This’s accomplished if I succeed in making you take a trip down your memory lane once you finish reading this write-up.

I left the temple, switched on my mp3 player, started off with Pehla Nasha (Jo Jeeta Woh Hi Sikander) and the walk began on a feel-good note. I walked a few metres and looked up to see a dark sky with no stars above me but as I looked down, I could visualize footsteps of a 7 year old boy carrying his violin on one hand and holding his cousin with the other hand. I halted for a while just hoping if I could listen to any conversation between them.You may wonder if that was hallucination ? Yes, I did hallucinate but I just hope I could re-live the past. That 7 yr old boy still lives in me and I love him more than anybody else because that child was me, 13 yrs back. Everytime I cross the temple, I breathe memories of the days I did no harm, got no anger, never bad-mouthed people and above all, was adorned by almost all in my family. As I think deeper, I’m reminded of the days when as a kid, I played cricket with my cousin and my neighbours on sunny afternoons outside the temple. But I’m best reminded of the evenings when I carried that stringed instrument cursing all Gods for having invented it. I was cajoled by my parents to attend violin classes but I detested complying with their cajolery at the expense of playing cricket.

As I proceeded a few more yards, to my right, I gazed at an old building with a board outside ‘St.Mary’s School’. That intent look touched my nostalgic nerve and I wondered if I could knock at the gate to meet the Big Miss ( The headmistress of this school is referred as ‘Big Miss’ and she resides just behind the school ). This was the first school I ever attended as a 3 yr old and I’m reminiscent of the days I attended school with no books but a snack box and a water-bottle shouldering me. I turned right and there, at the crossroads is the apartment where two of my friends live. When I think of them, I’m reminded of those sunny afternoons when we, as children, danced for the song 'Muqabula Muqabula' on the cycle rickshaw after one of those exams. As I leisurely walked a little further and looked up, I was unable to view the sky as I was sauntering on a road with trees on either side (those are rare sights in modern Chennai but that’s Ashok Nagar for you) and at that street beginning was the house where the then Principal of my school Mrs. Lakshmi Subramanian once lived. It brought back horrendous memories of days when my mom threatened to take me to her if I fail to eat green vegetables (even today, I hate green vegetables). As I passed by her house, I found my mom’s words only amusing and laughed at my innocence. The road that leads from her house, I would say, is one of the best stretches in Chennai and if I were given the task of naming roads, I would call it ‘The Joggers’ Paradise’. This stretch is semi-circular shaped and it's one of those few roads where one gets to breathe fresh oxygen 24X7 and seldom disturbed by jarring horns of vehicles - Tranquility at its best. I ambled a little further to find the office of my local Cable TV operator. One of the happiest moments in my childhood was when my dad gave the nod for a cable TV connection at home. If I’m right, it was the summer of 1998 when I went through those anxious moments - seconds took minutes to pass and minutes looked hours. I pedalled my way from home to that office atleast 10-15 times that day just to make sure the connection was done at the earliest.

As I finished walking the semi-circular stretch, I entered one of Chennai’s well-maintained broader roads, the 11th Avenue Road .This best exemplifies the term ‘arterial road’ and despite the continous buzz of vehicular traffic, pedestrians are given enough space to walk and one doesn’t find sand gushing onto the face. And there situated is the Madras Corporation Library. One look at it, I rewind myself ten years back when my friend and I were barred from entering just because we were wearing shorts despite the fact that we were just 10 yrs old. Direct opposite to that library is a narrow street housing many apartments and one of them is ‘Gokul Flats’ where my childhood friend once lived. Incidents there, best substantiate my childhood innocence and exuberance. That was the apartment outside which I played cricket in the evenings and the flat A-1 was where I played video games with a 4th standard social text book beside me. In the name of joint study, I used to go to my friend's place and play video games till my eyes got weary of the rays being emitted from that 12’ TV set. It was also that apartment terrace where we once studied computer science together only to fail miserably in a class test. It was such a nice feeling to think of those days and just one look at that apartment sufficed for those thoughts to flash across my mind. I was so much moved on retrospection. Yes !!! Those were fun-filled days.

As I came back home, I felt Happiness is best realised when one finds things once done, amusing. Also I felt something had dented my heart and got a feeling of having dropped something very precious on the way. I exclaimed to myself ‘How about continuing with the walk for another half-hour atleast ?’ - To regain the lost possession

What I missed, was the happiness I had acquired during the walk. Although past incidents are sure to remain etched in my memory, they’re best felt and acknowledged when I actually take a walk and revisit. It's indeed a special feeling when trees on Joggers' Paradise smile at me by a flutter of their branches everytime I pass by. It was certainly A Walk To Remember.

Is my task accomplished ? Did I succeed in making you take a trip down your memory lane ?

New Gal On The Block

2008-08-20T07:57:00.002+05:30

Hi guys. I was invited to this blog as a contributor. Am truly honoure. *bows*. Even so i'm not sure i'm really up to the task. Will try to get this blog more readers and would like to be introduced to the blog administrators :) thanks again.

The bookizie Talks-7

2008-08-20T00:24:00.002+05:30

۩ सर्व शकितमते परमात्मने श्री रामाय नमः۩

1)Poll -
Your Favorite Work From Dan Brown
And the results are :-
Votes : 41

Digital Fortress 7 (17%)

Angels & Demons 18 (43%)

Deception Point 3 (7%)

The Da Vinci Code 13 (31%)
My Comments
*I voted for the first option
*I personally wont rate angels and demons as the best work of Dan brown.
*I never could make out how that book is supposed to be the prequel of The Da vinci Code.
Reader's comments and analysis Awaited.

2) The Reader's paradise best write up contest - The contest was a dud.
* Not even single entry was received,although the response to the announcement of the contest was good.
* I feel very guilty and embarrassed.I think its high time,we choose a better blog administrator.
* I also feel let down by many members who had assured full support.

3) ANother Poll -
The reader's had to chose one option among 8 given.Lets see the results.

Romance fiction - 9 (24%)

Murder/crime fiction 10 (27%)

Non-fiction 6 (16%)

Classics 4 (10%)

comic/graphic books 1 (2%)

epics 0 (0%)

Drama 2 (5%)

Satire 5 (13%)

Total Votes -37

My Comments
* I voted for Murder/crime fiction.
* Epics got zero vote.I wonder why.
*Do write in whether u liked this poll or not.
It took me a lot of time to prepare these options.

4)Blog members
* Blog Member Sheetal Madaan has been removed from the blog.

Many new members from across different regions have joined our blog.I welcome them all
and thank them for there participation.
*Phoenix tears
*Phish
*Dash
*Yetty
*Just Smile
*Miranda
*Marilisa
*Judith
*Undesirable No.1

*Aashi Joshi would be the new co- administrator of the blog.

5)Poll Again
Lets check which is the most popular book by Chetan Bhagat

Total votes -35

Five Point Someone - What not to do at IIT - 19 (54%)

One Night @ the Call Center 4 (11%)

The Three Mistakes of My Life 5 (14%)

None of the above/he writes crap 7 (20%)

* I cant recall which option i voted for.
* Certainly i agree Five point was a much better book then the other two
* None of the above got more votes than other two books.Thats interesting.
Someone should write a post on it.

6)Books world in the web world
Paulo Coelho's blog
Well most of us would be familiar with the very famous author's paulo coelho's blog.
* The link is very widely publicized by a blogger, Aart Hilal. I wonder why?
*The template and content of the blog are cool.
* A routine read for Paulo's Fans.Not a very great effort i feel.
______________
Thats it for this edition of the Bookizie talks.
Keep reading
Keep Writing
__
Jai Shri Ram!!!

A Pleasant Cozy in the Historic Style

2008-08-17T21:16:00.002+05:30

The Death of Riley (a Molly Murphy mystery)
Author: Rhys Bowen
Published by: St. Martin's Minotaur, December 2003

I'd started reading Rhys Bowen's Evan Evans series some years ago, but I rather tired of them after reading only two. On a whim I picked up this book just to try something new. It's certainly pleasant to read and better than the average cozy I've seen on the shelves.

The protagonist, Molly Murphy, is an Irish immigrant to New York city in 1901. She hasn't much money (a common theme in cozy mysteries) but she won't last in the very few jobs available to young women at the time (i.e., charwoman, servant, factory worker) and she has no references to become a governess, but she's got a strong personality and an independent mind (also a common theme) and decides she'll go to work for a private detective. A few weeks later, the private detective (Riley) is dead and she goes on the hunt for his killer.

While this series indulges in a lot of the common elements for stories of its kind (the strong woman who is nearly penniless, of exceptional character, reasonably pretty, very much misunderstood, has a lovely beau who is unreachable in one way or another, etc., etc.) it diverges from the common in that the story makes use of documented historical facts and events and therefore gives us a glimpse of the period and the people.

I found it to be a pleasant diversion. It was well written and well-paced, always keeping my attention. I found the ending to be a bit abrupt, but it leaves the door open for future stories (this is only the 2nd book in a series of 6 so far). I might pick up the next one in the series now, at least while I await something the next in the Dalziel & Pascoe series from Reginald Hill.

Clever Timeless Tales to Outwit the Bully

2008-08-15T03:10:00.003+05:30

Bullying: 10 Books for Home and School
Ten witty and ingenious books for kids and adults to address the problem of bullying at home and school. Read as bullied underdogs take on their persecutors in proactive, bully-busting ways.
View more »

Water for Elephants: A Novel

2008-08-14T04:16:00.002+05:30

Author: Sara Gruen
Publisher: Algonquin Books, April 2007

This book was recommended to me by a friend who said she started reading it one weekend and then couldn't put it down. After having it around my house for several months, I finally picked it up last weekend and finished in the same time period. I won't say I was as engrossed in the story as my friend was; my reason was that I had a sinus infection and couldn't sleep. Still, it was a good book to curl up with, whether ill or well.

Water for Elephants is ostensibly the story of a young man, Jacob, who in 1931 finds his world in ruins. He is a student of veterinary medicine at Cornell University. Just before he is due to sit his final exams he learns that both of his parents were killed in an automobile accident. At the reading of the will he learns that his parents had mortgaged the house in order to pay for his education and that, because his father had no other money set aside, the bank was repossessing the house and its contents. Then his girlfriend dumps him because he has no money and no prospects. When Jacob returns to school to sit his final exams, his mind goes utterly blank with the shock of the recent events and he writes nothing. He leaves the exam room, he leaves the campus, he leaves everything behind him and just walks. Eventually he walks toward some railroad tracks (because these will lead to a town), and then jumps aboard a train in the night. It turns out to be a circus train, and thus Jacob is caught up in a world unlike any he'd ever known.

The story is told in remembrance. The elder Jacob, who narrates, is in his early 90s and living in a nursing home. He is, essentially, alone: His wife is dead, his children sometimes visit. Even his children are in their 60s.

But this is not a sad story. True enough, Jacob has trials and triumphs both in the circus of the past and the nursing home of the present. Ultimately, all comes out well, and I was happy to go along with him on the ride.

This is also something of a coming-of-age tale since Jacob is only in his early 20s when he joins the circus. He is still a virgin and he has a lot to learn about people and, indeed, just holding down a job. But Jacob is an apt pupil and ultimately his adherence to his ethics are what help him to succeed.

Z. Jirotka - Saturnin

2008-08-14T01:04:00.004+05:30

I was invited to write for this blog. It pleased me, but my English is by that time very simple and troubled. Admin of this blog pledged me, that my errors correct. Thank you for your pardon.
My first point on this blog is about Czech author Zdeněk Jirotka and his book Saturnin. Who likes satire and English humor, it will book relish. Young man enlistes special domestic. Saturnin, domestic, early starts live of young man change and so brings his into humor situations, which do not match with his previous live.
Who knows English writer P. G. Wodehouse and to be liked his style, it will cheerful.
Saturnin was translated to English, Spanish and Italian.

medieval mystery by marilisa

2008-08-13T20:15:00.005+05:30

Hello, and thank you for inviting me to join this blog. I will 44 in 5 days and I have been reading since I was an infant (my parents and grand parents read to me as a baby). My husband and I have always gone to libraries for our dates. I have continued this tradition with our four kids who are all voracious readers. I have countless favorites.

About 12 years ago, I developed a passion for medieval mystery. I read the entire Cadfael (12th century monk and herbalist)by Ellis Peters. These are meticulously researched scientifically and historically; they are also epic human interest stories. You're reading sound research in a palatable form; like the spoonful of sugar to get the medicine down!

More recently I discovered Susannah Gregory Matthew Bartholomew series (14th century physician, trained in the east, whose practices are considered almost heretical by his contemporaries at Cambridge University.

Lastly I have great respect for Connie Willis whose books border on fantasy, of the time-traveling flavor. Domesday Book, To Say Nothing of the Dog and Lincoln's Dreams are my favorite.

Book Memories Meme

2008-08-13T00:05:00.006+05:30

۩ सर्व शकितमते परमात्मने श्री रामाय नमः۩
Recently I completed 21 years Of living on this earth.S0 after due research i got one tag related to it on sms book reviews.

20 Years Ago: (age 1)
I don't recall reading anything so young.

10 Years Ago: (age 11)
Lot of fairy tale books.Short story books.Had fun reading them again and again.

5 Years Ago: (age 16)
Loads of Agatha Christies,Sidney Sheldon and few Harry Potter books.Was a turning point in my reading life.

3 Years ago: (age 18)

More Agatha Christies, Sheldon's, macleans,arthur Hailey's, Jeffery Archers etc etc.Have read a lot many author's books.

Last Year: (age 20)
Lot of unknown books.Lot of mills&Boons and other romantic stuff.This was a genre i had not touched much so another experiment.

This Month: (age 24)
An Agatha Christie book sent as a gift from a friend and Blink.

3 Favorite Reading Locations:
My Bedroom,the front balcony of my house and the terrace

3 Reading habits:
Reading With TV on
A book mark never to be used again
Covering and cataloging self owned books

3 Things that distract me:
Telephone
Television
Family people

3 Characters I’d love to be:

Howard Roark
Hercule Poirot
Captain Mallory

3 Characters I despise:
none i can think of at the moment

3 Favorite Book Beverages:
Tea
Coffee
Squashes

3 Favorite bookmarks:
Tags from clothes

Old special bookmarks

A bookmark sent as a gift by a friend

3 Dead Writers I’d love to meet:
Agatha Christie

Sydney Sheldon

Ayn Rand

3 Alive Writers I’d love to meet:
L.K. Advani

Danielle Steel

Khushwant Singh

___________

Passed to whoever is reading it

____

Jai SHri Ram!!!

The Bookizie Talks - 6

2008-08-12T08:19:00.002+05:30

۩ सर्व शकितमते परमात्मने श्री रामाय नमः۩
1)Members
Pratima has left the blog

d sinner has joined the blog
Aneesh has joined the blog
THank you for joining in.Hope you will have a great time here.
2)POll
We recently conducted a poll on the blog
and asked a question
How many books Have you read In the first half of 2008?
The response was ok
we got around 19 votes and here is the result.
0-10 14 (73%)

11-20 4 (21%)

21-30 1 (5%)

31-40 0 (0%)
41 and above 0 (0%)
________
I wish to make 3 comments here
*I had voted for the 3rd option.21-30 one.
*SIx months and just 10 books seems less i feel.One should read more.
*A request to members to analyze the poll results and offer comments please.
_______________________________________________
3)The Poll -
THe Best Book review on this blog, IN the Month of June was....
1)Shopoholic and baby [Pankhuri Aggarwal] - 2 (14%)

2)TheChameleon's shadow [Ielphil Raven] - 0 (0%)

3)The Kite Runner [Jan] 10 (71%)

4)THe Fountainhead [Tshhar Mangal] 2 (14%)

5)P.S. i Love you [The Hobbit] 2 (14%)

6)Ancient Promises [ Reeti] 1 (7%)

7)The Opposite of love [Richa] 0 (0%)

Votes : 14
Poll closed
_____________
*I never voted on this one because my name was mentioned.
*I think Jan deserves a very big congratulations from all of us for a wonderful blog review.
*Richa and Ielphil and all the rest of us did a fine job but I think this was a poll between who was better then the best.I am very satisfied with the 2 votes my review got.Thank you to all who voted for me and my post.
_________
Jai Shri Ram!!!

The Prodigal Daughter

2008-08-11T21:59:00.003+05:30

Genre: Fiction
Age Factor: 16 and Above

This is a novel by Jeffrey Archer. It is interesting for almost half. But when the same type of incidents come over and over, it's a bit boring. it's all about a girls dream to become the president and her life from the time she's born till she finally becomes the president. Ofcourse, Archer has written in a beautiful way depicting the real incidents of the time including the World War II. Lot of detailed description of political processes and stuff like that.

If you ask my opinion, I won't recommend the book 'coz I felt the story dragging and I skipped a lot at the end to complete reading it.

Just another suggestion...

2008-08-10T23:11:00.002+05:30

Hi everybody...I just wanted to give a suggestion to all the book lovers. Everyone knows that all the book lovers read a lot of books but sometimes we skip some days due to some circumstances. Some people don't read books even for weeks.

I wanted to say that one should read everyday to build themselves up not physically but mentally:P Even if you don't want to read please read one page because that helps us a lot.

I am posting here after a very long time that is because all the members here are very active and post very frequently but i am not that type. It takes a lot of time for me to think and put it in words. But now that i have realized one thing and it is my responsibility to share with you guys all the important things.

So everyone concentrate deeply on my suggestion. Just read one or two pages everyday and they will give you a lifetime advantage.

Take care

Tag!

2008-08-06T18:43:00.003+05:30

This is something that I've had to do under duress, so here it is :)

The Books You’ve Been Planning To Read For Ages: That usually doesn't happen. But there's a book on Classical Renaissance Tradition that I'm dying to read. There's also another one about the Naxalite movement by this revolutionary called Ajitha

The Books You’ve Been Hunting For Years Without Success: There was this one kiddy book called "The lucky coin". I didn't read it, but it was onee of those pop-up books that I saw at a bookstore. I've been looking for it ever since,but I've been unlucky.

The Books Dealing with Something You’re Working on at the Moment: The Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh deals with the Opium trade.It's very interesting and Historical Fiction really interests me. The other book that is very good is the Enchantress of Florence.It ties up history,literature,art and etymology,all in one book.
The Books You Want To Own So They’ll Be Handy Just In Case: Any book that I'd want to read for a second time. I even photocopy rare books that I can't find in a bookstore

The Books You Could Put Aside Maybe To Read This Summer: Summer's gone. I read a lot of travelogues this summer,though.

The Books You Need To Go With Other Books On Your Shelves: Everything I can lay my hands on.Any reading material. I'd love to own the Mad Magazines and Punch.

The Books That Fill You With Sudden, Inexplicable Curiosity, Not Easily Justified: Psychological Thrillers,Romances,Graphic Novels.

The Books That If You Had More Than One Life You Would Certainly Also Read But Unfortunately Your Days Are Numbered: I think this is a baseless question.
Books Read Long Ago That It’s Now Time To Reread:All the Blytons.

Just another Meme

2008-08-06T00:00:00.002+05:30

This one i picked up from Work in progress.Its around 3 am here, and as i am having some apricots[ I love the smell of apricots] I will do a meme to pass it on to members.

The Books You’ve Been Planning To Read For Ages: The Holy Gita.Cant think of any other.Yes Mein kempf is lying half read since ages too.

The Books You’ve Been Hunting For Years Without Success: I will say P.G woodhouse ones. Its not that i don't find them i just didn't try harder.Aashi had asked me to read them.

The Books Dealing with Something You’re Working on at the Moment: Every book i read, teaches me something about life.Life is something i am working on at the moment.

The Books You Want To Own So They’ll Be Handy Just In Case: Some books on Vastu, zodiacs,astrology etc.I generally don't use dictionaries a lot, still i have one my dad used years ago and my sis used in her engineering days.

The Books You Could Put Aside Maybe To Read This Summer: There are many,i buy 3-4 together so they are lying there.

The Books You Need To Go With Other Books On Your Shelves: Ya ya very good question.See, i need the full series of books written by Enid Blyton,especially the famous five one. Agatha Christie, Sidney Sheldon etc etc.And AListair Maclean i forgot.

The Books That Fill You With Sudden, Inexplicable Curiosity, Not Easily Justified: Murder mysteries.Crime. Such books.You getting the picture na?

The Books That If You Had More Than One Life You Would Certainly Also Read But Unfortunately Your Days Are Numbered: See, i don't answer difficult questions, especially those which involve my brains, but Avril is singing on my speakers so i will answer it.Huh.Classics.Those classics you know, the hardcore English language classics.The merchant of Venice, kinds. Unabridged. I will read if you give me another life.But i don't want another life.Give it to someone who needs it :P

Books Read Long Ago That It’s Now Time To Reread: I Never read a book again, which i have once read.No re reading for me.

_____________________________________________

So everyone on the blog has to do this.Special note should be taken by Aashi, Reeti and Mystique wanderer for whom this is compulsory :-)

____________________________________

Jai Sri Ram !!!

The Count of Monte Cristo

2008-08-04T22:17:00.002+05:30

Genre: Adventure

Age Factor: 16 and Above

This one is considered to be a classic by Alexandre Dumas. I tried some books which are considered to be classics and never liked anyone. Some was just horrible to complete or too boring. But, I should say this one is really interesting. Good story and narration. You won't regret after reading it.
Although lot of french names and characters appears all of a sudden, the way the story goes is interesting. After reading it, you'll be in a confusion whether to go with the main character or not!!

..Happy Budday Tushar..!!!!!

2008-08-03T18:52:00.001+05:30

As we observe your birthday now,
Your cake and gifts don't matter much.
These common things aren't really you,
Ribbons, paper hats and such. We celebrate a person who
Brings happiness to everyone,
Someone who gives more than she gets,
And fills our lives with joy and fun. So Happy Birthday, and many more!
We hope you make it to a hundred and two,
Because we cannot even dream
What life would be like without you.

I on behalf of each and every member of Readers paradise wish Tushar a very very happy birthday..may god bless you till the core Tushar..and also he blesses us by letting us exist under your precious and value able friendship umbrella...Thanks for being with us..thanks for being you...we love you all..!!!!!

The Three Mistakes Of My life

2008-08-03T00:47:00.000+05:30

AKhilesh Last Tuesday Loaned me his copy of the latest novel by Chetan Bhagat, The 3 mistakes of my life.Wednesday Afternoon i started reading it and it was over by my evening walk time.

Genre - Fiction

Age Factor- 16 and above.

The book - Much Much better then his last book, the call center one.The story evolves around the guy Govind Patel and his two friends ish and omi and a business plan mooted by Govind to accommodate his and his friend's future.
The book has been written for the mass audience, so ofcourse the story, the pricing all go tandem with it.Not a very high class or polished product but an ok, timepass read.
Chetan Bhagat deserves appreciation for touching on sensitive issues like Ayodhya,earthquake,
The 2002 riots but i think the liberal use of the word fuck could have been avoided.Also
I failed to understand the point that in 2000 when cellphone had just begun to gain popularity in the common homes of people, a girl from a financially and socially conservative family,has a personal phone and she is just 17.Also the idea of long sms chats.Anyways my opinion thats all.

Gifting ideas
As i wrote earlier its well priced [95 rupees only] and written for the masses.So that makes it a good

A thought to share
Books support us in our solitude and keep us from being a burden to ourselves. ~Jeremy Collier

Jai Shri Ram !!!

The Readie Read tag

2008-07-30T00:00:00.005+05:30

"If you've read this and you have a blog, you're it - don't shirk." I read this line at the bottom of a post at bookey wookey and decided to go for it.
Not because i will manage some very cool answers, because many blog members can cook out something great out of it. This weird name u saw on the title, was coined by your very own Mr. Mangal.Please don't try to kill me for that, i couldn't find any better name hehe.

1. Do you remember learning to read? How old were you? Good question.I don't know the answer.I went to school in the year 1991. Maybe around that time.Or perhaps later.Thanks for the question i will definitely ask mom dad tomorrow.

2. What do you find most challenging to read? Good ques again. Non-fiction.Especially autobiographies and religious text. Fiction can be read faster,uses minimum brain and is more comfy.It takes months to finish a non-fiction.Huhhhh!!!!

3. What are your library habits? We don't have any proper libraries here. In school, we could only use libraries in lunch breaks. So no habits.Still i remember, if i would issue a book, it would be fiction and i would be back to the library within next 2 days.

4. Have your library habits changed since you were younger? Library questions again.I miss a library near my home.

5. How has blogging changed your reading life? No and yes. I mean these people are so sweet, they recommend me so many good books. And i don't heed to their advice. Anyways it has increased my knowledge regarding several authors and books, about whom i never knew anything.Now i am more aware reader, and to boast about my reading habits i have to read more books which is sooo bad Sob*Sob :P

6. What percentage of your books do you get from new book stores, second hand book stores, the library, online exchange sites, online retailers, other? Now this is a very good question.I try to experiment.I look for new bookstores, since i am one of those money conscious and one who has huge appetite for books, i keep on looking for good offers basically value based shopping.SO i buy most of my books these days from second hand booksellers.Cheap books in good condition, and i can buy in bulk.Then if i really find something exciting i go for bookstores for first hand books.I know many good online retailing sites, but i am not that much into online shopping.I need to feel the book.I will run a hand around it and tell you how good it is.

7. How often do you read a book and not review it on your blog? What are your reasons for not blogging about a book? Ok, i am being honest. I often don't blog about books i have read due to sheer lazynesss.Now stop laughing at me, and jump to the next question :-)

8. What are your pet peeves about the way people treat books?I don't say anything usually.But i always want to say this.don't treat them as some neglected commodities in your house."Vidya ka apmaan nai karna chahiye"[ We shouldn't disrespect knowledge]

9. Do you ever read for pleasure at work? Of course, reading is the biggest stress buster

10. When you give people books as gifts, how do you decide what to give them?
Simple.I know what kind of person my friend or relative is.And i judge for myself which book that person should read plus my budget.For example, a guy of my age , who is interested in doing business can be gifted a book by warren Buffet, or by Richard branson if i want a cheaper option.
So its easy, for me, money and person matter.Only.

____________
Jai SHri Ram !!!

THe Bookizie Talks - 5

2008-07-25T14:59:00.015+05:30

 ۩ सर्व शकितमते परमात्मने श्री रामाय नमः۩
Hullo, everyone. Presenting the 5th edition of The Bookizie Talks.

1)Blog Administrator
Blog member Stephen, will also now shoulder administrative responsibilities.

2) Polls
On 15th July,the date of the poll, "The Best from EnId BlYtOn was" , ended.Lets check the results.The Votes we got = 20.The Breakup of the votes and percentages along with the options have been mentioned below.
___________________________________________________
The Famous Five series

11 (55%)

The Noddy books

0 (0%)
The Secret Seven series

0 (0%)
The Malory Towers series

4 (20%)

The Naughtiest Girl series

4 (20%)

The St. Clare's series

1 (5%)
____________________________
I would like to request members, for a detailed analysis on this poll.
And ya, I had voted for famous five. Which option did you choose???

3)Farewell/ Welcome
Nikita left the blog.

Those who joined the Blog are
* Christopher
* Deepak
*Rajesh
* Asbah Alaena
*Arjun
*Sandeep Balan
* Divita
Welcome, and thanks a bunch for joining us.

4) Notice
The google search bar, that has been placed under the title,was put up for the convenience of readers, so that they may search for books or authors,mentioned on this blog, with ease.However,this google search bar is linked to my adsense account.If any member has any objection,please do contact me.
The purpose, for this search bar is not to earn some private money for myself, but for mere convenience of readers.
Do voice in your opinions.

5)Blog Contest
There is a short story writing competition being held on the blog Writer's Lounge.
Do participate and do win the competition.
For details you can contact our blog administrator Stephen or check this link.
All information, rules, guidelines etc have been mentioned there.

A not so silly and bookish meme

2008-07-23T00:00:00.006+05:30

Found this on Bookeywookey.

1. Hardcover or paperback, and why?

Both have their merits and demerits.I am a voracious reader.My heart has room for both.Hardcovers look nice in my large collection of books.Reading a hardcover book is a special experience in itself.

Paperbacks on the other hand, are much cheaper, easy to carry around, and are very ideal for bedtime reading.

SO i would prefer both.

2. If I were to own a book shop I would call it… hmmm I want to have my own large format retail chain.So the bookshop will named accordingly.Na, i am not revealing the details.But yes, the bookstore will have well read staff, and large number of unconventional books.Bestsellers and over hyped books will take a backseat for change.

3. My favorite quote from a book (mention the title) is…

This one is a good question and a dammm easy one. The quote is right up here on the wall of my bedroom. It reads
"I swear By my life And my love of it That i will never live for the sake of another man Nor ask another man to live for mine "
Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged.
The person who understands the true meaning of these lines and adopts them as his/her Life motto, their life is made.My 100% guarantee.

4. The author (alive or diseased) I would love to have lunch with would be ….

Can I have lunches instead of a single lunch? Anyways, Agatha Christie,Sidney Sheldon,Alistair Mac lean, Danielle Steel, Ken Follet, and Enid Blyton...etc etc.

5. If I was going to a deserted island and could only bring one book, except from the SAS survival guide, it would be… Geeta. I don't read it.Maybe if i take there,i will be forced to read it.And thats what i want.I want to read Geeta.

6. I would love someone to invent a bookish gadget that… That helps me to read faster and faster.God There must be crores of books published till date. And already i have wasted 20 years and 10 months. SO less time, So much to read. Sob*Sob

7. The smell of an old book reminds me of…. My childhood. My Teenage. All those memories of sneakingly reading books, when they were prohibited.And also my collection of books and my dreams associated with them.

8. If I could be the lead character in a book (mention the title), it would be….

Tough Ques, Easy Answer. The first name that crossed my mind was Howard Roark the lead character in the book The FountainHead. Thats the only one that crosses my mind.

9. The most overestimated book of all times is…. Five point someone by Chetan Bhagat.

And the Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling. I know the potter series are good, but the way its so over hyped and over talked about ,its sickening at time.

10. I hate it when a book…. is over hyped and too much hooplah is created for no particular reasons. And the books ultimately comes out as a mediocre product.Also, if the end is not proper.Generally i don't hate anything, so nothing to hate about especially in books.

All the people whose Names Start with the Alphabet "A" have to do this meme.
Rest can do if they wish to.
___________________
Jai Sri Ram !!!

Rampant Corruption in India-who is responsible?

2008-07-20T22:11:00.006+05:30

An obnoxious hindrance en route to India’s economic development is Corruption. It’s indeed disappointing to witness this monstrous practice all over the country for which, the country’s retarded progress bears the brunt. Indian Citizens’ incredulous attitude to culpability and annoying recriminations have severely retarded the country’s economic growth over the years. Any strong building must have a well-built foundation and likewise, for every process to prosper, things must be hassle-free at the grass-root level. The latter is what is alarming, and the citizens have, at the grass root level, been very supportive of this devil ‘Corruption’ ever since its unfortunate inception. When I say grass root level, I really mean and it starts right from a child’s admission to nursery school where parents are forced to shell out a lump some under a dignified term ‘donation’. To see a middle class population donate money to financially rich convent schools should be an indication of a very high standard of living prevailing in the country, but do the Indian middle class really lead a luxurious life ? The instigation that sets up at nursery continues and intensifies when the student takes up a professional course at an age, he/she should be exercising franchise to decide the country’s political prospects. Another atrocious act of corruption rampant is the unpleasant relationship most citizens, in the form of motorists, share with the traffic policemen. The former seldom comply with the rules and regulations and the latest, overrule of the ‘compulsory wear of helmet’ has made traffic policemen work over-time for their perks. This situation is much worse in Regional Transport Offices where citizens, over the years, have been encouraging this offense thereby making bribery, a customary practice.

What citizens basically lack is moral discipline to conform to guidelines, and instead, they carry out horrendous acts as alternatives, unaware of the deadly repercussion. Corruption reaches its zenith at the time of elections when the electorates, especially in rural areas are wooed by the MLAs and MPs in waiting, to vote in favor of them. The Election Commissioners, also in a way, citizens, turn mere spectators on most occasions, failing to unshackle this illegitimate transfer of money and their credibility is certainly questionable. The sitting MLAs and MPs turn the tables on citizens after assuming office and the latter are forced to be at the mercy of the former for the provision of basic amenities. The crux of the above statement is the citizens’ reprehensible exercise of the Universal Adult Franchise, thanks to their indefinite greed for money unaware of the fact that politicians are craving for more monetary gains when power fall into their hands. Here, the gaffe on the part of indulgent citizens, is twofold – apart from accepting bribe, they promote the same at the highest level. Five years hence, the politicians’ atrocities move into oblivion in the eyes of the electorate and the process continues to be a vicious circle. Though corruption is perceived by officials in almost all fields, the root-cause for its conspicuous perpetuity has been the country's own citizens. Categorically, the youth of today, lenient toward corruption, thereby become the Police officers, Councillors, MLAs and MPs of tomorrow. Indulgence in corruption despite knowing the recklessness is like hitting one’s forehead at cornerstone, sighted miles ahead of approach. The next generation of well-disciplined citizens holding moral values is the forlorn hope for a developed India.

Let's strive to work towards this dream... Jai Hind!!!!

P.S: Visit my blog. I'm planning to write a story set in a high school milieu for the next month phased into 4 parts or maybe 8 parts...depends... So visit my blog and vote for the same

..hurry up..!!!!

2008-07-20T15:06:00.002+05:30

Only 10 days are left for the Readers Paradise Best Write-up competition to end which was on the topic:
“We shouldn't teach great books; we should teach a love of reading.”
-B.F.Skinner

Everyone taking part is requested to submit the entries(links or the write-ups itself) as soon as possible..

Anyone still unaware of this competition..or the guidelines..can read them below:

** The Contest is open to anyone and everyone who wishes to participate.No age bar or anything.

**The Contest was officially declared started on 20Th June, and the participants can submit the links,[wherever they have written their write up] not later then 30Th July.

**The topic is the famous quote by B.F.Skinner
“We shouldn't teach great books; we should teach a love of reading.”

** You can write the write up in any form, Paragraph, essay, article , you have full flexibility here.

**However,as much we value your freedom of expression, please don't exceed your write up to more then 600 words.Any write up , more then 600 words wont be taken up for polling.

**The winner will be chosen by public polling on the reader's paradise. If there are more then 10 participants, there will be step voting, or more then one voting process will be involved.

I would again request everyone taking part to please post their entries as soon as possible,and the ones who want to write are requested to write their articles as soon as possible (last date being 30Th July)..no formality is to be done (like giving your name or anything for the competition however we would surely appreciate if you inform us)

Hurry up..!!!..The Winner's badge/certificate is waiting for you...
Thank you..

It Happened In India

2008-07-19T14:13:00.005+05:30

The First time i saw this book, was at the Big bazaar, located in EDM mall, east Delhi.There was
this whole rack of It happened in India, and it seemed like, they were distributing some publicity material.For those who are not aware, of this book,
This is an autobiography of Kishore Biyani, the man who founded retail chains, Pantaloons and Big Bazaar, Malls like central, and now has has woven a great success story in the form of Future Group.
Dipayan Baishya has co-authored the book, and there are inputs from various people known to Kishore.

Genre - Autobiography

Age Factor - Most Suitable for Young Adults.

The Book - Its not a very well written book if you judge it by technical standards.Its not even a perfect autobiography.But to an Indian, especially the young adults this book can be very very inspiring.How despite his failures in some fields this man rised up,
his thoughts and thinkings are very inspiring.Also, since he started off as a middle class person,we all can relate to him very well. Just like an uncle in the colony who made a lot of money recently.SO a must read.Very inspiring book.

Gifting Ideas - A good book to gift your friend/relative. Costs just 95 rupees.The brand big bazaar and pantaloons have created lot of buzzz and curiosity and that adds to the suitability of the gift.The language is simple enough for not so voracious readers.

A thought to share -
"I often derive a peculiar satisfaction in conversing with the ancient and modern dead, - who yet live and speak excellently in their works. My neighbors think me often alone, - and yet at such times I am in company with more than five hundred mutes - each of whom, at my pleasure, communicates his ideas to me by dumb signs - quite as intelligently as any person living can do by uttering of words. " ~Laurence Sterne
______
Jai SHree Ram !!!

Short Book Meme

2008-07-16T00:00:00.005+05:30

26th June,Thursday,12.30 am
This one is from SMS book reviews

1. Total number of Books I Own - Between 200-300. Last time i had counted it had reached somewhere 250 mark i think.

2. The Last Book I Bought - 1)Pride of place - Nicola Thorne
2) A slave to kiss - Anastasia Dubois
3)Crosswinds - Shirley S. Rohde
4) Kim - Rudyard Kipling

3. The Last Book I Read - Playing for keeps by Brooke Hastings

4. Five Books That Mean A lot To Me - 5??? Each and everyone in my collection means a lot to me.No partiality.

5. Tag 5 people - Shreya Aggarwal,Sanyukta,Sahefa,Susan,sheetal.
_________
Rest,anyone else who wishes to do this short and crisp tag,go ahead, we would love to hear your answers.
_______
Jai Sri Ram !!!

knock knock

2008-07-15T14:13:00.003+05:30

tsshar askd:Miss Hobbit should answer one question...
So miss Hobbit, tell us, Is The harry potter series written by J.k. Rowling getting over exaggerated publicity???
Or is it really worth all the attention it is getting,or has got in the past.

i think the harry potter book series deserves all the publicity it gets......not because its the best written book in the world but because it has made many children read books for a change.....(not me, i startd reading much before tht)......i have a friend who read harry potter because of the hype surrounding it nd then she discovered tht she actually likes reading........so she is now reading other books too......however if you ask me about the harry potter movies i would say tht ya those movies are heavily overrated....they are just lame imitations, riding on the waves of the popularity of the book......so bottomline.....harry potter books arent overly publicized........

my knock is at Aashi's door ( btw hi....long time...)......according to you who are 5 of the hottest hunks in hollywood or bollywood?????......the reason also is necessary........

..happy birthday Alvia..!!!

2008-07-13T17:19:00.002+05:30

heyy..
Some things are left undone, some words are left unsaid, some feelings are left unexpressed, but someone as nice as you Alvia,could never be left unwished, I wish Alvia a very very very happy birthday..on behalf of the members of the readers paradise...may you have many many more special birthdays to come ahead..lets hope..you celebrate all with us..may god bless you..and you achieve whatever you desire in your life..

Knocked by Pankhuri

2008-07-13T16:53:00.002+05:30

Pankhuri knocked my door and asked me a question....
"He is requested to list his favorite book along with a small review of that book..and his experience with that book.."
No one particular favorite book i have,there have been many memorable and enjoyable reads.
Inscrutable Americans i will mention here...I had written a post on it.You can check the link.
Now My turn to ask a question...

Miss Hobbit should answer one question...
So miss Hobbit, tell us, Is The harry potter series written by J.k. Rowling getting over exaggerated publicity???
Or is it really worth all the attention it is getting,or has got in the past.

Answer the question, and ask another one to some other member of the blog.

Keep Writing
Keep Reading
Jai Sri Ram!!!

..knock knock..

2008-07-13T13:36:00.003+05:30

I now change the question and i knock at Tushar's door...
He is requested to list his favorite book along with a small review of that book..and his experience with that book..

yippeee..!!

2008-07-12T20:29:00.002+05:30

Everyone must be aware of the Readers Paradise Write-up Competition..whose entries will soon be closed on 30th of July..so hurry up...!!!!
This is the badge that will be awarded to the winner of this competition which will be selected by polling as it was decided...this badge (one may take it as a certificate too) can be pasted on the winners blog...
the participants are requested to submit their entries as soon as possible..!!!
thanks..!!!

INDIAN NOVELS TAG

2008-07-11T22:35:00.004+05:30

INDIAN NOVELS TAG.....
well i created this tag coz i ashamed of the pitiful number of Indian books i have read........i hope some of you are sailing in the same boat too........
#bold and italicize the ones you have read.....
# italicize the ones you wish to read.....

Feluda- Satyajit Ray
Q & A- Vikas Swarup
The Namesake- Jhumpa Lahiri
The Inheritance of Loss- Kiran Desai
Any book by Swami Vivekananda
A Suitable Boy- Vikram Seth
Two Lives- Vikram Seth
Sacred Games- Vikram Chandra
Almost an Ambassador- Rajit Dogra
Maximum City - Suketu Mehta
Five Point Someone- Chetan Bhagat
Three Mistakes of my Life- Chetan Bhagat
One Night at the Call Center- Chetan Bhagat
Mowgli- Ruskin Bond
The Zigzag Way-Anita Desai
My Experiments with Truth- Mahatma Gandhi
The God of Small Thing-Arundhati Roy
How I Taught my Grandmother to Read and other stories-Sudha Murthy
Malgudi Days-R.K. Narayan
Ramayana-Rajagopalachari
The Train to Pakistan-Khushwant Singh
Selective Memory-Shobhaa De
A Fine Balance-Rohinton Mistry
A House for Mr. Biswas- V.S. Naipaul
The Last Song of Dusk- Siddhant Sanghvi
Once upon a Time Zone- Neelesh Mishra
Wise and Otherwise- Sudha Murthy
The Last Mughal- William Darymple

well i may have may have missed quite a few book........please forgive my lack of knowledge........

The Bookizie Talks-4

2008-07-10T13:00:00.003+05:30

I am back with the 4th part of the bookizie talks [After a cold response to the first three one hehe]
Point one -
New Innovations
For the convenience of readers and members, who aren't able to come on the blog very regularly or those who wish to stay updated...
Can subscribe the blog feeds through the new feature Subscribe added at the Right hand side.

A great Thanks to Alvia for the badges.Those who still haven't got one for their blogs,contact me or alvia.

Point -2
A request.
I would like to request to all members, that a blog member had approached me, citing reasons why she was uncomfortable with the tags and games being played here.Reflecting on her point, i realized,further, i am adding one tag per week.And we are, 32 members. Just realize the volume of posts we will create here.
Better Idea is, do your tags on your personal blogs, those who have one.
This will also clear your dilemma, whom to pass on the tag.On your blog, also you can share your results with your other friends too.This will further strengthen our mission to spread awareness regarding books.
The Links that should be created, i think authors are well aware of.
Those who wish to start a tag, here can do it anytime.One should dish out the best of the book tags for us to relish.
Those who don't have a personal/other blogs, can always find comfort on this blog.No worries on that front.

POint - 3
Best feedback of the week.

The Best feedback for this blog was written by Mr Bharat Iyer
"I hate to be blunt, actually that's a lie. I love it. Your book blog reeks like a steaming, ten foot mound of dogshit.You have pathetic taste in books. You read Mills & Boons for god's sake."
To read the full text of the comment check here...

Point-4
Members
Miss espera has left the blog.I on behalf of all of us at the reader's paradise,would like to wish her all the best for her future blogging ventures.Lets hope, she keeps in touch.

Sahil Bajaj too has left the blog.

The Solitary writer has joined our blog.I welcome him, and thank him for joining in.

MysoulMythoughts has joined us too.Welcome Ma'am , thank you for joining us.

POint-5
De-cluttering the blog.
A massive exercise is being carried out to get rid of some flab on the blog.
* Only 5 latest updated personal blogs of members will be shown on the right hand side.The full list shall be hidden.
* All the posts relating to members will be posted in the new label bulletin board.
The labels,meet the members,member birthdays,the bulletin board,the mission will be merged in this label.
* I wont be writing any more birthday wishes,posts.If any other member wishes to volunteer,kindly allot your post to the label bulletin board.
* The label Wild Iris's Quill has been merged with the label tags.
*Instead of creating labels by author names, lets have labels with author's nationality if possible.
We have labels like, Indian Authors, British Authors, American Authors.I have done some work regarding it,on my write ups.
*The Reader's Paradise Best write up contest is facing drought.If members wish to cancel it, please inform me, instead of embarrassing me later.
*The Administrators feel that the post by blog member Max is not related with books.
We all request him, to remove it.
*The following post is being considered for deletion.Nidhi has been approached for permission.
Since she hasn't replied,i will have to rely on your opinions.Do drop them in the comment box.
Hap happ Happp Happppyyy Birthday Nidhi
*Page element Blog archives deleted.You can easily navigate through labels instead of archives.Still inform us, if you liked the archives idea better.
Point-6 Blog Administrators.
For all your concerns feedbacks,and better functioning of the blog i have constituted a team of 5 blog administrators.They Include, Alvia,Pankhuri,Ielphil Raven,Jan and Myself, Tshhar Mangal.
However,since her efforts for the blog were humiliated on her face,Pankhuri has expressed her wish to be relieved of administrative duties.I have asked her to stay on till we find a suitable replacement.Anyone interested???
Any Recommendations???
______________________________________________
Jai Sri Ram !!!

Indian Captive

2008-07-10T10:47:00.002+05:30

I have decided to write about a book called the Indian captives written by Lios Lenski.I read this book few months ago during my leisure and I should say that it is one of the few books which really impressed and inspired me.Lios Lenski once again proved that she was the master in writing stories and it can be seen from the popularity of her book"The Strawberry girl" published in mid 1930's.The Indian Captives is related to the life of Mary Jemison also called as Molly and her struggle with the Seneca Red Indian tribes.Mary was a young girl(aged 15 yrs when she was captured)captured by Seneca Indians from her family’s farm in eastern Pennsylvania. After a long journey by foot with her kidnappers, Molly is sold to two sisters, Shining Star and Squirrel Woman, as a replacement for their brother who was killed in battle. The two women begin to introduce Seneca life to Molly, but she is broken-hearted in her new situation, and attempts to run away.

The two women begin to introduce Seneca life to Molly, but she is broken-hearted in her new situation, and attempts to run away. After a journey to Fort Duquesne in which Molly is almost reclaimed by the white settlers, Molly is taken on another long journey, this time to a Seneca village on the Genesee River. Molly is depressed and in ill health, so a kind Seneca woman named Earth Woman nurses her back to health and gives her hope for her future with the Senecas. Gradually Molly becomes friends with many of the Seneca and grows accustomed to their ways. After about two years with the Seneca, Molly learns that her family is dead, and she must make a choice to stay with the Indians or return to the world of white men. She chooses to stay with the Seneca, who have shown her much love and kindness, and whose ways she has grown to understand and respect.I really liked this story much as I was a bit emotional when I read the last part,where she expects her family to take her back .But unfotunately ,the seneca indians kill them when they captured Molly.Their culture used to be like they capture a white when any one in their community is killed or die so that the new captive will be a replacement for the person who died.I would like to appreciate the imagination of the author.She has done a perfect job here.Mary was captured by the seneca Indians in 1777.

About Writer:
Lois Lenski was born in 1893 in Springfield, Ohio, to a Lutheran minister and his wife.Though Lenski’s father wished for his daughter to become a teacher, Lenski instead moved to New York City to study art and soon began to make a living with her illustrations. In 1921, she married Arthur Covey, one of her former teachers. Lenski decided to write her own stories and illustrate them after several publishing companies told her that although they liked her drawings, they did not have suitable books for her to illustrate. In her long career, Lenski wrote and illustrated more than ninety books, including Strawberry Girl, a Newberry Medal winner, and Phebe
Fairchild: Her Book and Indian Captive, both of which were Newberry Honor books.Lenski died in 1974 at the age of eighty.

Top 100 Novels (according to someone)

2008-07-09T00:00:00.006+05:30

Wednesday 25th June,4.02 Pm
Got this from Bookeywookey.Its more interesting then the ones we did before.But its also very tedious.100 books My God!!!
Anyways not a very bad idea to introspect our reading habits.
I would Like to Humbly request the members who have a personal blog to do this tag in their personal domain...THis way they can enjoy this tag more,by sharing it with their good friends too.However don't forget to comment here,and inform us all, so that we can create links.
For the rest, you can do this on this blog itself.
* Bold the ones you’ve read, or are reading ... [Ted at bookeywookey had colored them yellow,we going to use this one.
* Blue means I particularly enjoyed it,
* Red means I did not enjoy it)
* Italicize the ones you want to read
* Leave blank the ones that you neither want to read nor don’t want to read
* ~~Strike~~ the ones you have no desire to read
* If you are reading this, tag, you’re it!

1. The DaVinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21 The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984(Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. The Bible
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According to Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice and Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

__________________________________________
Phewww!!! I think this was the one i had seen on jabberwocky also. Anyways here comes out my report card.
Read only 15 out of 100 books SOb*Sob*
This is cheatinggg. They never mentioned Christie or Sheldon or mac lean .... :P
Anyways, lets see how many beat my score.
I colored 5 titles as blue. Not bad. 5 out of 15
None was colored as red. Very good thing. My choice of books i never regret.good good.
I italicized every book i haven't ever read.Means i want to read every damm book on this damm planet???
____________________
Members,readers, now your turn.Let us see how much well read you are.I am particularly interested in answers of The Hobbit,Alexis and Roxy and Wild Iris. I have a hunch that they may have read about 50 out of these 100 books. Lets see, anyways rest of you reading this also have to do this.
Its a bit tiring in the start,but it gets cool soon.
________
Jai Sri Ram!!!
_______________________
July,12,2008
The hobbit has accomplished this tag....Refer to this link to check her reply.

LITRATURE AND ITS ASPECTS

2008-07-07T21:02:00.002+05:30

hello friends...i have decided to contribute to this blog..but in a different way.i would like to introduce to you all readers and book addicts actually as to what the term "litratrature" means...i take it as a pleasure since i am myself a litrature student.thus the matter has been compiled by me with the help of my notes and the discussions we had in our english classes.but since it happens to be really a wide discussion...i will post the whole of it in parts....so happy reading all my dear readers

we approach the world,that is all reality external to ourselves, from two sides-the objective and the subjective.at every momoent of our lives we are concious of two seperate ways of world around us;for the sum of the sensations which make man a sentient being is derived in part from the presence of material existences,animate or inanimate-that is,from actual contact with so much of the world as at any given moment impinges upon his senses-and in part of the mental images ever passing and repassing through his mind,which are sometimes connected with these material existences and sometimes entirely disassociated with them.thus we hve two outlooks upon the world.from both we look upon realities;but while the former shows these realities in their objective aspect, the latter shows us them in their subjective aspect.
if we reflect a moment we must feel that the outlook upon the world which we get through our mind alone,that is, through the images or notions of external existences which we can call up at will by memory and lesson,or by both of these acting and reacting upon each other,is by far the wider.as i write the outlook upon the world which i get through the immediate action of my senses is confined to the for walls of the room in which i sit,and to such glimpses of buildings, trees, and passers by as i chance to see through the open window.but if i turn my mind away from these objects and reflect, my thoughts can range at will over the objects and existences of every country and every age-in fact,over so much of the world as is known to me by my own experience or by that of others.for in this subjective outlook I am no longer confined to my own immediate sensations but I can draw upon my past sensations,and-what is more important still-upon the sensations of other men-men of every age and every race whose thoughts and experience have been recorded in buildings,in works of art,in custom and specially in the written accounts of their opinions or of their actions which have been preserved in books or manuscripts.and of all these secondary sources of sensations,the last, which we can gather up in the term litrature,is by far the most effective and far-reaching.all art reproduces external reality in its mental aspect;but the arts-except poetry,which is the highest form of litrature-employ representations of the objectives aspect of the reality to assist in the presentation of this mental aspect.but litrature with the soul exception of the element of the musical sound,does not need assistance;for litrature-as litrature-is considered solely with the subjective outlook upon the world.
In order to make my meaning plain I will take a simple instance-let us say a battle- and I will try to point out the difference in the manner in which the painter and the historian respectively bring such an event before the mind.i have on my wall a painting in which the painter,representing the objective outlook,shows me the field of battle as i should have seen it if I had been present at a critical moment,and if I had been placed in a convenient position for seeing what was going on.he shows me the solid masses of men,the flash of steel and the dashes of bright colour,the clouds of smoke,the commander and his staff,with other prominent figures or groups of figures and the prostrate bodies of the dead and wounded upon the ground.if I look carefully at his picture he will give me some precise details,such as the color and form of the various uniforms and the disposition of the various armies,as seen from this point of view and its particular movement;but all these details are only such as can be perceived by the eyes.when I turn away from the picture, I sum up what I have learnt by saying:”now I know what the battle would have been like,if I had been there”.then I turn to my bookshelves and take down a volume of histore which contains an account of the same battle.as I read I find that the historian tells me quiet a different class of facts.in the first place he is concerned with the subjective aspect of the event, and therefore his outlook is not confined to a single point of view or to a single moment of time.it covers the whole range of factswhich together make up the significance of this battle as an event.he tells me the place where it happened,the number and nationality of the combatants,the result,immediate and remote,of the conflict,the names of the respective generals,their plans and the skill which they showed in putting these plans into action-all these and many other details.
Litrature then is ,in the widest sense, the record of the impressions made by external realities of every kind upon graet men,and the reflections which these men have made upon them.the subject matter of litrature covers the whole range of human life and activity,as well as every known manifestation of physical nature.for not only are actual events and the doings and sayings of actual persons reproduced in it,but the rules deduced from the observations of the conditions of mans life are included in its records.similarly it presents to us not merely what individual men found to interest them in particular countries in a particular epoch,but also the general laws which have been gradually formulated by long continued observations of the processes of nature.and so litrature plays a very important part in the life of man.it is the greatest of the secondary sources of sensation,and it makes an immense contribution to the sum total of facts-the joint result of the experience of the individual and the race-which gives to each one of us this subjective outlook upon the world at large.

ANKEITA BHARADWAJ

Attentions Members!

2008-07-07T13:51:00.009+05:30

Well Finally i m Posting After way too Long defeatin My Terrible Opponent Namely laziness :D

Nywayz Cut D Crap!

A Big Welcome 2 d New Members..Hope Yu Guyz hav A Gr8 Tym Around!:)

Well The Point 2 B Noticed is dat the Long Awaited Member Badges r fynally Ready..Lemme Explain it Better!

We Hav Created Badge Images For the Identification oF Every Individual Member of Ds Blog! We've made few sets Of Patterns such dat U Could Choose a Badge that would suit Ur Personal Blog's Template..I ve Here Listed Below the thumbnail views of d available badges..All Yu Got 2 do is 2 Comment over Ds Post regardin "Which Badge u want and Ur email id!" Tushar would Mail u D Requested badge such dat Yu Could display Dem in Ur Personal Blogs!

And additionaly we hav badges even 4 Reader's Paradise readers nd d group Blogs associated vth it! So Respective people can ask der badges too!

If hav Any doubts r queries over ds Post..Plz Comment Over!

Dats all 4 now...hope 2 catch up soon..C Ya!

~~Alvia~~

A Short Intro ...

2008-07-05T21:34:00.003+05:30

Hello friends ,I am Stephen from Mumbai.Thank you Tushar for accepting me as part of the Readers Paradise.I am happy to be here.I am a Final year Computer Engineering student from Mumbai .I have maintained a blog in this blogville and I write it under the name "The Solitary Writer".I love reading and writing books and thats the reason why I maintained a blog in this virtual world inspite of being a Computer Engineer.I am glad to be a part of this reader's community and I would like to offer my best here.I would give my reviews regarding certain books that I have read .Its great being here

Peace!!

Greatest Love Story Meme

2008-07-04T23:48:00.002+05:30

Ok tush here goes....

Legend:
I’ve read it
I want to read it
I’ve seen the movie*
I’m indifferent
I have it on DVD
I want to marry the leading man/lady!

The list:
1 Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë, 1847
2 Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen, 1813 *
3 Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare, 1597 *
4 Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë, 1847 *
5 Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell, 1936
6 The English Patient, Michael Ondaatje, 1992
7 Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier, 1938
8 Doctor Zhivago, Boris Pasternak, 1957
9 Lady Chatterley’s Lover, DH Lawrence, 1928
10 Far from The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy, 1874
11 My Fair Lady, Alan Jay Lerner, 1956 [By this name,there was a swing in appu ghar i think]
12 The African Queen, CS Forester, 1935
13 The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald 1925
14 Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen, 1811
15 The Way We Were, Arthur Laurents, 1972
16 War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy, 1865
17 Frenchman’s Creek, Daphne du Maurier, 1942
18 Persuasion, Jane Austen, 1818
19 Take a Girl Like You, Kingsley Amis, 1960
20 Daniel Deronda, George Eliot, 1876
21 Maurice, E.M. Forester, 1971 (posth.)
22 The Good Solider: A Tale of Passion, Ford Madox Ford, 1915
23The Goldbug Variations, Richard Powers,1991
24. The Trumpet major - Thomas hardy
25. Love story - Erich Segal (didnt personally like it...left me cold really but then its supposed 2 b a classic)
Add one title of your own to the bottom of the list.

The Bookizie Tag

2008-07-04T23:27:00.003+05:30

Nice game :)

RULES:
*Bold the titles you've read
*Italicize the ones you want to read
*Leave blank the ones that you aren't interested in.
* Add any 5 titles of your choice in this list,before you pass on the tag.

New Rule: Rate the books you have read from '*' (1) to '* * * * *' (5).

Agatha Christie - Sad Cypress
Ayn rand - The fountainhead
Ayn rand - Atlas shrugged
Anurag Mathur - The inscrutable Americans * * * * *....(psst...can i give s'more)
Arthur Hailey- Hotel
Alistair maclean - The guns of navarone
Anne frank- The diary of a young girl * * * * 1/2
Danielle Steel - Full circle * * *
Enid Blyton - the famous five series * * * * (loved them as a kid..still do)
Jeffery Archer - Not a penny more and not a penny less * * *
Jackie collins - Hollywood wives * *
James Hadley Chase - An ear to the ground
Ken follet - A place called freedom
Mario Puzo - the Godfather * * (honestly didnt find it such a big deal)
Micheal Crichton - Airframe
Mills and boons (all pretty much the same) * 1/2
Paulo Coelho - The Alchemist * * *
Robert Ludlum - Trevayne
Sidney Sheldon - The sands of time * *
Suketu Mehta - The maximum city
Thomas Hardy - Far from the madding crowd * * *
Shrimad Bhagavad Gita
Dan Brown - The deception point * (Blergh... :P)
Emily Bronte- Wuthering heights * * *
Eric Segal - The Class
Mulk raj Anand - Coolie
R.K. Narayan - The English teacher * * *
J.k. Rowling - The Potter series * * * * *
Sidney Sheldon - A stranger in the mirror * * *
Agatha Christie - Curtain [ Poirot's last case ]
Bookworm's (aka jan) Recco.....
Chetan Bhagat - The Three Mistakes of My Life
Anita Desai - The Village By The Sea
Chetan Bhagat - Five Point Someone * * *
Paulo Coelho - Brida
Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird * * * *
Sidney Sheldon - If tomorrow comes (aka Tracy Whitney) * * * *
Agatha Christie - And then there were none * * * *
PG Wodehouse series - includes Psmith, Blandings castle, Jeeves etc * * * * *
The five people you meet in heaven (sry cnt remembr the author) * * * *
Thomas Hardy - Mayor of Casterbridge * * * * 1/2

And the tag goes to....Everybody who hasn't done it yet.

How about a little intro time...

2008-07-03T19:25:00.005+05:30

hey guys!!

am so glad to join this group of book lovers... :).. please give me a lil intro to all my fellow book fanatics

firstly tush thanks a ton for that wonderful intro...although u seem to have risen me 2 a pedestal that i dont deserve... rather i should say your the one who has been deligently been writing stuff with a perseverance i can only dream of...

anyways just wanted to say that i am sorry for joining in but not contributing any time sooner than this thats cos currently i am survivng without the basic technologies like the telephone and the comp... and the only sneaky way i can manage writing is thru my dads lappy so here i am...

anyways i have nonetheless been doing a little bit of reading these days (read i am collegeless and jobless too **sigh**)

but back to wat i was saying...so snce i'v had time in my hands... my eyes have done a little bit of exercise ...amongst the many others i would love to talk to you guys about ... the following is a little article cum that writer/philosopher Coelho has written.. i just about read it this morning...so i thot id share it with you...

The story of the Pencil
by Paulo Coelho

A boy was watching is grandmother write a letter.
At one point, he asked:
'Are you writing a story about what we've done? Is it a story about me?'
His grandmother stopped writing her letter and said to her grandson:
'I am writing about you, actually, but more important than the words is the pencil I'm using. I hope you will be like this pencil when you grow up.'
Intrigued, the boy looked at the pencil. It didn't seem very special.
'but it's just like any other pencil i've ever seen!'
'that depends on how you look at things. it has five qualities which, if you manage to hang on to them, will make you a person who is always at peace with the world.
'first quality: you are capable of great things, but you must never forget that there is a hand guiding your steps - this is your inner self!! you are the only one who has control! - This can be your religion if need be i.e. God/Buddha etc.'
'second quality: now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpener. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards, he's much sharper. So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they will make you a better person.
'third quality: the pencil always allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes. This means that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the road to justice.
'fourth quality: what really matters in a pencil is not its woodeon exterior, but the graphite inside. so always pay attention to what is happening inside you.
'finally, the pencil's fifth quality: it always leaves a mark. In just the same way, you should know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be conscious of that and in your every day action.'

Greatest Love Story Meme

2008-07-02T00:00:00.005+05:30

Wednesday,25th June,2008,2.26 pm
Borrowed From bookywookey.We have done a similar one before.But this one is worth a try too.I had created the previous one,so any anomalies there have been ironed out here.

Legend:

I’ve read it
I want to read it
I’ve seen the movie*
I’m indifferent
I have it on DVD
I want to marry the leading man/lady!

The list:

1 Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë, 1847

2 Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen, 1813

3 Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare, 1597

4 Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë, 1847

5 Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell, 1936

6 The English Patient, Michael Ondaatje, 1992

7 Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier, 1938

8 Doctor Zhivago, Boris Pasternak, 1957

9 Lady Chatterley’s Lover, DH Lawrence, 1928

10 Far from The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy, 1874

11 My Fair Lady, Alan Jay Lerner, 1956 [By this name,there was a swing in appu ghar i think]

12 The African Queen, CS Forester, 1935

13 The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald 1925

14 Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen, 1811

15 The Way We Were, Arthur Laurents, 1972

16 War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy, 1865

17 Frenchman’s Creek, Daphne du Maurier, 1942

18 Persuasion, Jane Austen, 1818

19 Take a Girl Like You, Kingsley Amis, 1960

20 Daniel Deronda, George Eliot, 1876

21 Maurice, E.M. Forester, 1971 (posth.)

22 The Good Solider: A Tale of Passion, Ford Madox Ford, 1915

23The Goldbug Variations, Richard Powers,1991

if you're reading, you're it. Add one title of your own to the bottom of the list.
ok Here is number
24. The Trumpet major - Thomas hardy [ sorry cant think of any other name at the moment]

OMG!!! i was already feeling miserable before starting this,and just see the results.
I have only read 2 books out of 23 in that list.
The worst thing is, i haven't seen any movie out of the 23
The best part is, i don't want to marry any of the leading lady hehehe.
______
Members,ex-members,readers,writers, its for you all.Try it.
Special notice to all the females on this blog.Its compulsory for them, but optional for the males :P
Note :- As per suggestions by a member.I would like to request all the members who have a personal blog, to do the tag on their blogs and inform us here,so that we may check it.Rest of them can do this on this blog only
_____
Jai Sri Ram!!!

Welcome/ goodbye

2008-06-30T18:03:00.003+05:30

Friends, 2 new members have joined us, and one unfortunately has left our blog.

First i would like to introduce Shalzzz,a very good friend of mine, and also of our blog member Pankhuri. SHe is a dipiste and also blogs at Enlightenment.Welcome friend, thanks for joining.

Wild Iris left our blog. Among other reasons, she told me, one was that she has to take care of four other blogs, and so she wont be able to devote much time here.
I have been an admirer of her writing skills and her knowledge of English literature, and on behalf of everyone of us here at the reader's paradise i would like to wish her all the very best for her future blogging ventures.
We will miss the Wild iris Quill [The label will be removed soon] and hope that she will visit our blog at times and give her valuable comments.

God Plays funny games, especially on me lol.
SO while one potter fan leaves the blog, another joins instantly[Too much potttteerrr mania]

Aashi Joshi, My fav poet, My mentor, has joined our blog.A post graduate In journalism, Aashi is one of those kinds of people who can chatter non stop about books, especially Mr potter ones.
She also blogs at Dreamland, My stories, thinking youth and simply me.
Welcome to the blog aashi, now you are here, i feel comfortable running this blog.Thank you.

_________________________________________
Mr Anuj. Remember him???
Ya the guy who created an uproar here few days ago i guess.
Many members inquire to me what had really happened. I had written 2 consecutive posts on that guy, if you are very much bothered, go ahead read this link and this one. We all have a right to information.
Please yourself.
________________________________________________________

The Bookizie Tag

2008-06-28T18:17:00.004+05:30

I had planned to do this tag a long time ago, but somehow it just got missed. After reading Tshhar's last post, I finally set my banana fingers to work....

My somewhat rusted memory informs me that I'd read some of these books very long ago. The titles are just vaguely familiar. And in some cases, like the Agatha Christie ones, I usually just read the pages at the beginning and the end. So that qualifies as scanning. NOT reading.

One more thing. I dunno if I'm allowed to do this, but I've added one more rule to this tag. I apologize for the adulteration.....

RULES:
*Bold the titles you've read
*Italicize the ones you want to read
*Leave blank the ones that you aren't interested in.
* Add any 5 titles of your choice in this list,before you pass on the tag.

New Rule: Rate the books you have read from '*' (1) to '* * * * *' (5).

Agatha Christie - Sad Cypress * * * *
Ayn rand - The fountainhead
Ayn rand - Atlas shrugged
Anurag Mathur - The inscrutable Americans
Arthur Hailey- Hotel
Alistair maclean - The guns of navarone
Anne frank- The diary of a young girl * * * * 1/2
Danielle Steel - Full circle
Enid Blyton - the famous five series * * *
Jeffery Archer - Not a penny more and not a penny less
Jackie collins - Hollywood wives
James Hadley Chase - An ear to the ground
Ken follet - A place called freedom
Mario Puzo - the Godfather
Micheal Crichton - Airframe
Mills and boons (only two books after being okayed by my cousin. So don't u scream at me!!) * * *
Paulo Coelho - The Alchemist * * * *
Robert Ludlum - Trevayne
Sidney Sheldon - The sands of time
Suketu Mehta - The maximum city
Thomas Hardy - Far from the madding crowd
Shrimad Bhagavad Gita
Dan Brown - The deception point
Emily Bronte- Wuthering heights * * *
Eric Segal - The Class
Mulk raj Anand - Coolie
R.K. Narayan - The English teacher * * * *
J.k. Rowling - The Potter series * * 1/2 (I'm taking revenge. How dare she kill Voldy???)
Sidney Sheldon - A stranger in the mirror
Agatha Christie - Curtain [ Poirot's last case ] [and my first Christie novel]* * * 1/2

Bookworm's (aka jan) Recco.....

Chetan Bhagat - The Three Mistakes of My Life * * * 1/2

Anita Desai - The Village By The Sea * * 1/2

Chetan Bhagat - Five Point Someone * (:P)

Paulo Coelho - Brida * * *

Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird * * * *

And the tag goes to....

Everybody who hasn't done it yet.

The Bookizie Talks -3

2008-06-28T00:00:00.009+05:30

The third edition of the bookizie talks is before your eyes,with tidbits about the reader's paradise and the books world in general.Just Crisp Random Talks.

1) Book world in Web world -
There is a book called Anne of Green gables.My knowledge about the book is very limited,infact all i know about the book i have read on fellow blogger nidhi's and our blog member Wild iris's blogs. In the blog world however there seems to be a vast awareness on this particular book.
Blogging Anne of Green Gables, is celebrating a book read of this book,commemorate the 100th year of its publication.Readers who have read this book,or wish to read it in future should check out this group blog of approx 20 people,it has started operations from June1st this year.Also,if you interested,you can mail those people and participate in the blog.What i liked the most about this blog was that they have put up pictures of book covers of various editions of the book published since 1908. And now i am also feeling like reading the book, and reading the blog all over again.
2) A book to think about - [Sourced from wikipedia]
Rigveda, is a series of 10 books and is believed to be one of the oldest texts written in India.Great isn't it?

3) New innovations on the blog - Now members facing writer's block or those looking for some fun on the blog, can look forward to some interesting tags or memes, which will appear on this blog every Wednesday.You can do these tags on your personal blogs, or on this blog itself,but be sure to spread the word about them and encourage people to participate in those memes.
*The game series Knock Knock is lying dormant for few weeks now,it seems.Any member who wishes to volunteer to continue it, click this link here.

4)The Bookizie Tag - I had tagged fellow blog memebrs and readers to do a tag.Based on it, i have tried to formulate some data as to who is the one who has read maximum of those 30 books i had mentioned.
Pankhuri has read 3 out of 30.SHe plans to read 8 more.
Wild Iris bolded 7 book titles . She will read 3 more probably.
Kash has read 6 books. She also would like to only read 3 more books.
Shaista has read the same number of books as Pankhuri.She wants to read 2 more.
The leader of the pack was the hobbit.She has read 10 out of 30 books mentioned.
Anyways,this is no parameter to judge someone's reading habits,i was just classifying some information. Also,two more similar tags to this one,will be present before you in much better and improvised avtaars.Keep watching the tag space.

5) The Most coveted Member- I write this, with deep sense of gratitude, and thanks about Alvia our blog member,a founder member, and co-administrator of our blog, for whose efforts i cant find any words for appreciation. I remember , our blog was facing some tough times, and she distanced herself, not because she had something against someone, but just because she believed in our strengths and the spirit of this blog. She was totally indifferent to what people spoke. SHe being the creative supervisor of the blog since its inception,was asked by me to step down,still her devotion for our cause didn't stop her to think about its betterment.The Image banner you see instead of the Blog Title and Description, is her creation. She worked really hard on several images until we choose this newspaper one.
Last we talked, i had discussed with her making some badges for readers and members of this blog. So that we may pin them up on our personal blogs.
I wonder what this blog would have been with her help.

6) New members
I would like to Welcome two new members on our blog.
The Perfect Priestess is a very good blogger friend of mine. Her fav book happens to be the Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. She has completed her graduation and is currently doing her Masters. She also blogs at Everything is Illusion and Voyaging through the blogosphere, a group blog. Welcome to The Reader's Paradise ma'am.

Mystique Wanderer blogs at various blogspots created by him. I invited him to learn about his philosophies and views about books and reading.I am glad he joined.The Half a dozen blogs he created are The Hr Viewpoint, DHande main no mandaa,thoughts as poems, Stories i wanted to tell and the Elephant's tail. Thank you for joining Sir, hope you have a great time here.
_____________________
Jai Sri Ram !!!

THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE

2008-06-27T14:38:00.005+05:30

wELL...hey all da ppl....aamm..dis post is bout dis book OPPOSITE OF LOVE....by JULIE BAXBAUM(spl chk ...)...aaamm dis book PERSONALLY i didnt like...well its was her 1st book....attempt is good..but then i duunnoo somehow its alll MIXED...no order...she hopes from one situation to anodur....

here she talks bout EMILY ...a LAWYER..initally it starts vid her brkup news spreadin everywhere n to every1...n dn HER gettin upset n all...bcoz it was 2 yr realtion..n she brks up be4 ANDREW....the guy asks her to marry him.....n dn she is made to realize dt she is NOT READY FOR AN ANDREW by her best frnd whoz name i hv forgotten....ha ha....ya so....dn she gts her grandfadur n RUTH(GRNDPA'S NEIGHBOUR) in picture...her grnddad after her mom is da man ...relative i mean ...who meannsss a loooooot to her....idol ....n wt not....he gts ill....as in he is old now....n dn strts to forget all da things ...n is admitted in da hospi.....der is RUTH...her neighbour who guides EMILY bout all wt hppns in her life n to quite an extent EMILY follows it....
EMILY'S DAD....idiioottt basicalllyy....POLITICIAN u know...so pretends to be wt he is not....very busy no tym fo family as well...so EMILY kinda hates him a lot....n nva do dy share a realtion of father n daughter....n he does nt even turn up to see his dad in hospi...da old man i wrote above.....well her father turned lyk dis AFTER d death OF HIS WIFEY...EMILY'S mom....

its basicalllly her life n how she deals vid it...it basically is bout ANDREW ...revolves rnd dt...GTTIN MORE CHARACTERS to fill PAGES....

REST UPTO U ...I HVNT READ DA WHOLE OFFFFF IT....JUST 188 PAGES N i gv up......hope u dont feel da same for her FIRST odurwise she might not write ne more.....

SHopping books in delhi-1

2008-06-26T17:29:00.003+05:30

Once, few years ago,i was going to Noida,with my cousin, my sis and mom. As it happens very regularly In Delhi,
you meet heavy traffic en route and have to navigate through many red lights.
The special thing i saw this time, was that the goodies sold by poor people had changed in past years.Now there were little kids,selling pirated books and not same beggars or women selling some weird car accessories or food items.
I remember in the midst of hot,long drive i found this very intriguing. here were some illiterate kids selling John Grisham,archers,dan brown's books.Even Shoba De. They knew each title and author well.The quoted high prices signaling that they were ready for bargaining.And if you don't find the book of your choice,pat comes the reply..."Woh doosre ladke ke paas hai,abhi laata hun"
[Its with the other guy,i will just get it.]
As someone who spreads awareness about books,who motivates people to read good books,wants to create a library one day and also is a wannabe author I don't generally recommend pirated books.But that sunny afternoon i reflected and i still remember that these children are so smart, they are illiterate and they are selling me books of authors whose name they wouldn't have heard in their entire life.They are not above 16 even.If we buy some of these books from them, wouldn't it be of some help to them???
But if we buy these books aren't we encouraging piracy????
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Here is somewhat similar article if you wish to browse through.
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In Delhi you can also get pirated books from
near Gaffar Market
JD Block Market,Pitampura [after 7 usually]
Basant Lok market [ I think thats the actual name of what we fondly call The priya's market or place.]
These are the places where i have browsed and seen pirated books being sold.
A friend informed me that in Brahmaputra enclave market also such books are sold,though i never been there.
Connaught place market and surrounding areas have lot of people sitting on the floor,and selling books and posters.One such location was where Nirula's The old one,the famous ice cream parlor used to be situated.It was a corner shop and had people sitting on floor on both sides near the shop, selling loads of books and posters.Made Ice cream eating affair more fun then ever.For those who never been to Delhi, C.P. as it is fondly called,has one of the largest clusters of bookstores in Delhi.
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I am not advocating buying of pirated books, just passing on some information. DO write in if you can share some more knowledge with us.
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Jai Sri Ram !!!

My small little shopping trip

2008-06-25T22:09:00.002+05:30

A friend of mine called me up in the evening and informed that there were some good offers on a bookstore in Sarabha nagar, near my House.Apparently the shop owner was selling some books 25 rupees per piece. At around 8 o' clock finishing my other work,i set off to the bookstore, to find sackfuls of second hand books lying in one corner of the bookstore,starting price was 25 rupees as my friend had said.But there were mostly romance and classics.ALso for teenagers there was the sweet valley twin series.
I picked up 6 books, out of which finally i dropped two crime related ones and bought these 4:
Just see because i dont know anything about them [Thats the way i shop for books.Pure instinct.]
1)Pride of place - Nicola Thorne
2) A slave to kiss - Anastasia Dubois
3)Crosswinds - Shirley S. Rohde
4) Kim - Rudyard Kipling

The funniest part was,mom opened up my shopping bag,she rarely does that,but mom dad were sitting,talking and she opened up. The book on the top was A slave to kiss [DOnt even try to imagine the Bookcover lol]
If you have any clue about any of the books do temme.
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Jai Sri Ram !!!

Book Quiz

2008-06-25T02:11:00.003+05:30

This one has been borrowed from Sms Book reviews.

Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror? hmmm,I will go with fantasy.Although crime and mystery rock.

Hardback or Trade Paperback or Mass Market Paperback?
I am not aware of detailed differences between trade and mass market paperbacks.I like reading hardbacks, but paperbacks are cheaper and pocket friendly.

Amazon or Brick and Mortar? No ideas sorry.

Barnes & Noble or Borders?No Ideas again

Hitchhiker or Discworld?
Hitchhiker, I have done a lot of it.I cant stand loud musics in discs and i don't drink or smoke,so no work for me there.

Bookmark or Dog ear? Bookmarks.dog ears is such a bad and foolish idea,you spoiling the book man.

Asimov’s Science Fiction or Fantasy & Science Fiction? English literature students help me please.i couldn't make anything of the question still i stay away from science fiction.

Alphabetize by author, Alphabetize by title, or random? I Alphabetize by author, its more easy that way, to classify and sort.

Keep, Throw Away or Sell?
Keep.I Intend to create the largest library on this earth.Donations anyone?

Keep dust-jacket or toss it? Keep it.

Short story or novel? Novel.i am not very comfortable reading short stories.

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket? I have never read or heard about Lemony Snicket.Literature students, and friends,help your ignorant friend plz.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
When tired,mostly and at times when there is acute paucity of time, chapter breaks.Both do for me.

"It was a dark and stormy night" or "Once upon a time? hehe,very good question.hmmm,I will go for once upon a time i think.[hehe Seems thats the effect reading too much of romantic novels has on you :D]

Buy or Borrow? Buy.Not many good avenues here to borrow from.

Buying choice: Book Reviews, Recommendation or Browse? Browse.I don't care for reviews much and not many people recommend to me.SO mostly its Browsing.

Lewis or Tolkien? Was this quiz specifically designed for Literature students and Book nerds?

Collection (short stories by the same author) or Anthology (short stories by different authors? I dont really Enjoy reading short stories.

Tidy ending or Cliffhanger? Tidy one.And a proper one.Ending is so very important i tell you.

Morning reading, Afternoon reading or Nighttime reading? Depends on when I am free.Mostly its Morning,you know,after 12 a.m. upto 2-3 sumtimes 4 am.Then Sometimes i read in nighttime too.Very less in afternoon.

Standalone or Series? Series bind you out.I read one potter book, and i had to read all of them.I still feel bad about not completing the famous five series.
Standalones are better and less addictive too :-)

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard? Coolie by Mulk Raj Anand.not many people have heard about this outstanding book.

Top 5 favorite genre books of all time? Sorry i couldn't comprehend the question well.
One was the miss marple series,by Agatha christie,The Mr Hercule Poirot by Agatha Christie Again.The navarone series My Alistair Maclean.The Famous five series,The HArdy Boys ya 5 done adventure and crime genre.

Favorite genre series? Mystery and Crime.Hercule poirot by Agatha Christie

Currently Reading?Just finished Playing for keeps[ 10 minutes ago].
Reading half a dozen books.Blink,the geeta and the youth today,The far morning,mein kamph, Rich dad poor dad [Ohh i dislike non-fiction,so much of it lying unread]
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I know i was not very good at this one still All the members,readers and patrons of the blog should try this one,Once.Its fun,and provokes the grey cells.
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Jai Sri Ram !!!

Review of Not a penny more Not a penny less

2008-06-24T02:02:00.000+05:30

Sunday, November 05, 2006 10:20 AM [My first ever attempt to write book review,failed badly,still read on till i write a better one for the same book]

Well the book is a excelllent piece of writing by jeffery archer,considering this was his fist novel,I culdnt believe that this book is written by an amateur writer.The plot is very good,the concept excellently concieved.The usuall story line of fraud and revenge,served with humour,thrills and even romance.All the ingredients to make a good pacey book are there .......................................
This book is a must read .

Shopping Books In New Delhi

2008-06-23T22:34:00.003+05:30

As a little kid,almost all my shopping was done from Delhi, and not in Ludhiana.Clothes,games,toys and books,all were purchased from those shops in the central and southern belt of Delhi.
Here are some vague memories of the childhood long gone by and then,coming out of teenage,i once again scoured the streets of the Capital for books not having the faintest idea I would be recalling all of it one day.
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Our House in Delhi was located in Greater Kailash Area. SO the G.k. market, was a place we would get most of our storybooks from.Mom dad bought from there,story books,loads of creativity books,
origami kinds,since my sister is a couple of years elder to me,she used to get most of those books,
to be passed on to me one day. One of the series of books, i recall we used to be very excited was
the bournvita quiz contest books.In those days Bournvita quiz contest was a very popular quiz show,and those people used to bring out books i cant recall but maybe there were 10 of them or more.SO whenever we used to visit the place,we used to check if any new edition of the book has come out.
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This was the little me,whose mom dad used to buy him books,and that too from Delhi.315 kilometres from home.As i grew up,the teenage was passed by in studies and all crap.But as i was leaving my teens,once again,Delhi it seems called me.Now i could buy books on my own.I get pocket money from parents.Why not research a bit?
SOme excerpts from my adventures of shopping in Delhi,to come soon,
Watch this space :-)
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Jai Sri Ram !!!

The Reader's Paradise best write up contest/Welcome Saurabh&Richa

2008-06-23T17:53:00.004+05:30

The Reader's paradise Best Write-Up Contest

Many readers asked me to spell out the rules and general instructions of this contest in more details,so here i am doing the needful.

* The Contest is open to anyone and everyone who wishes to participate.No age bar or anything.

*The Contest was officially declared started on 20th June, and the participants can submit the links,[wherever they have written their write up] not later then 30th July.

* The topic is the famous quote by B.F.Skinner
“We shouldn't teach great books; we should teach a love of reading.”

* You can write the write up in any form, Paragraph, essay, article , you have full flexibility here.

*However,as much we value your freedom of expression, please don't exceed your write up to more then 600 words.Any write up , more then 600 words wont be taken up for polling.

*The winner will be chosen by public polling on the reader's paradise. If there are more then 10 participants, there will be step voting, or more then one voting process will be involved.

*For any further doubts or queries,Kindly contact me.There will be more Notifications in the coming future,specially about the kind of reward to be given please keep a tab on The reader's paradise.

Thank you!!!
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In the past few days,2 very good friends of mine,have joined our blog to take up the tally of members to 28.

Saurabh Bhandari and i went to the same school.He is a good friend,he isn't new to blogging,all my blogging activities have a motivator behind them,Saurabh is the name.He made me jump into the blogging world.I am thankfull to him,for joining this blog.Welcome man.Hope you have a great time here.

Richa Singh, a very close online friend of mine,has finally decided to start blogging,and blogging on the reader's paradise.She has a very rich experience of books,and now we also will have access of her immense knowledge.Thank you and welcome aboard Richa.
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Members and readers,if anyone of you know people who are book freaks and can contribute to this blog,please spread the word.we are always open to meeting like minded people.
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Jai Sri Ram!!!

Coolie By Mulk raj Anand

2008-06-23T01:54:00.002+05:30

Monday, May 05, 2008 12:11 AM

As a kid, I loved going to the factory, watching dad work so hard, to convert that metal strip into pliers and tools of various shapes and sizes. Also, there would be this authoritative feel, me, the chotte bauji, to many workers working there.

Once, i found this opportunity to peek into the dusty store room. Here i found a big polythene bag, filled with books. My first reaction was, Wowww dad also reads books sneakingly like me hehehe
but when i peeped inside, the books were in bad condition, till date, years later, stink of oil and dust. Apparently dad in his unmarried days read a lot, and since he used to visit factory since his school days, the books were kept and forgotten there. And now i am the proud owner of that legacy. I introduce to the readers, Coolie By Mulk raj Anand.

Genre - Fiction

Age elegibilty
This book can be read by anyone, above 12 years of age. Though i would say, you should be at least be 16 to understand the real depth of this wonderfully written book

The review
Well, we all think that coolie is someone who carries luggage at the railway station. Here the word coolie is refered to a laborer, a daily wager. A poor boy, his journey and the times he faces is beautifully expressed and laced with apt emotions, that moves you, your soul and some emotional beings may even cry in the end.I wont tell u much about the story of munno that is set up in the pre independence era. A book every Indian Adult should read

Gifting ideas
Well, though this book is an awesome piece of writing, Dont gift it casually. Especially on wedding anniversaries. your friend is about to get 18 or 16 then this gift is quite suitable.Especially if you find this hardbound edition that i have, published by Kutub.
This book will be liked by both males and females.

DO read this one. Its a must.

Happy Reading!!!

The Sugar Cup [Stolen Moments]

2008-06-22T23:07:00.002+05:30

This book i had purchased a day prior to mom dad 's wedding anniversary.Its a short contemporary romance Novella The Sugar cup written by Annie Sims for the stolen moments series or romantic books.
Genre - Romance fiction

Age Factor - Suitable for all ages 17 years and above

The book
A very short and sweet tale of romance.Just 92 pages and over.The romance happens between Liz and her attractive neighbor Jace.But the relationship is sweetened and soured by a mysterious inheritance,a mysterious dog and a very mysterious Sugar cup.
A nice book.

Gifting Ideas
Not a very popular book.I don't even have any ideas how much it costs,though i browsed over the net,and found the price tag to be 1$ only.If you find it,well, not a bad token gift for your gal friends.

A thought to share
A room without books is like a body without a soul.

Cicero (106 BC - 43 BC), (Attributed)

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Jai Sri Ram!!!

Books are friends

2008-06-22T13:57:00.002+05:30

Many people don't realize the importance of the books. They think that reading extra books is the wastage of time but they don't know that what is value of books in our life even if they are not related to us.

I myself thought the same thing but now that i have developed the habit of reading books i have felt a big change in the style of my writing. I don't need the thesaurus any more because i now know how to use one word in a place of other word.

If you find difficult find the books of your age then visit Shelfari and all your problems will be solved.

Happy reading:D

Practical vastushastra

2008-06-22T01:48:00.000+05:30

Thursday, May 08, 2008 12:00 AM [Transplanted from my musings]

Vastu in sanskrit means dwelling. In modern times, i see a lot of unhappiness around us. I learnt vastu from various sources, newspapers, magazines,books, even talked to experts. I feel, following the principals of vastu shastra one can infuse positive energy in his/her house and bring about a wave of happiness in life. Today i am going to tell you something about Practical vastushastra

a book written by Acharya Satyanand and published by Diamond pocket books.

Age criteria
This book is suitable for all age groups, 13 years and above. Especially for the middle aged people, who are interested in building up their homes.

Review
In this very brief book, about 174 pages, Satyanand jie has precisely described various aspects of vastu. There isn't over explanation of anything. The language is very simple, and easy to understand. Not at all technical, if you feel uncomfortable with that. Apparently this book was published first in hindi and bengali then smt jayashri translated it in English. There are drawings and examples, making things easier to understand. A good book, if you just want to know the basics of vastu.

Gifting ideas
Although this seems to be an ideal gift, because its not very pricey, costs around 150 rupees approx, don't gift it randomly to anyone. Its a good gift for people with creative intrests or if your friend or family member has chosen engineering, architecture, or interior designs as career option. Also, those people, who want to build up their dream house, or are planning to build one will like this gift of yours.

Go ahead and buy a copy for your personal collection if you like to have some knowledge on this subject. Knowledge after all never goes waste.
And comment in here, about your views on this book
Happy reading!!!
Happy blogging!!!

Comments

Sahefa said...: Feelz like a great book.
Will definitely find n read it bt in after examz:(; Thursday, May 08, 2008 6:18:00 PM

Shamrock Nurse [M&B]

2008-06-22T01:12:00.003+05:30

I have been pending to write about this wonderful book,from a long time now.Today it seems i am going to finish off this mission.The book i am talking about is Shamrock nurse, written by Elspeth O' Brein for the Doctor Nurse Romance Series of Mills and boons. I bought this book alongwith Spanish Disco, on June 1st this year.

Genre - Romance Fiction

Age Factor - Suitable for readers above the age of 16

The book
When you see on the cover that this book is a part of the doctor nurse romance,you get the idea of what kind of story it is.This nurse Nuala has developed a soft spot for a surgeon who is loosing his eyesight and she has been deputed to look after her.The 189 page book is a nice soft light read.A good one to wind up and relax on the weekend after an exhaustive week.
Its going to be very difficult to find a copy of this book [I have got the 1983 first issue of this book] But if you can lay your hands on it,do read it.

Gifting Ideas
Again,very difficult to locate this book.If you can find it its a good gift go ahead.Its not a heavy overdose of romance still don't think about gifting it to your male friends.

A Thought to Share
“The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.”
Oscar wilde
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Jai Sri Ram!!!

Minette Walters - The Chameleon's Shadow

2008-06-21T20:41:00.003+05:30

A true-to-the-story psychological thriller, this book can disturb perhaps the most impassioned of the hearts. The book is interspersed with realistic reports and highly professional psychological and law related articles, all intertwined with the story. The story follows Charles Acland, an ex-military Lieutenant who suffers from serious head injuries, causing an unfriendly change of attitude, a huge loss of memory and permanent facial disfigurement. Unable to deal with his past, and discontent with his present, his ego builds - causing him to turn sternly contemptuous, and if not, crudely gruff.

Caught in the wrong places at the wrong time, Acland finds himself as a suspect for the most happening murder, the means of which are only endured by an iron stomach. Suddenly despising women, he even rejects his own mother at times and aims rude remarks at the female nurses. But, in the end, he takes a woman's help, with nothing but pure respect.

A vividly described book, with insight into male psychology and a relevant example of a crime novel, Minette Walters proves herself to be one of the best crime writers of today.

Ielfphil Raven.