Nisha!!

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster My rating: 5 of 5 stars I opened this book, simply because I felt like reading something with a lot of pictures. Is this a kids' book? Says who? What a surprise! What an amazing, thought-provoking book with a lot of meaningful messages! What intelligent word play! This is simply one of the best books I have read in a very long time. All the time I spent enjoying 'Alice in Wonderland', thinking that it was simply irreplaceable, and here is a chef-d'oeuvre by Norton Juster that simply surpasses all levels of imagination and intellect! Marvelously brilliant! The subtraction stew is undoubtedly an unforgettable invention proudly patented in the name of Juster.   “So many things are possible as long as you don't know they're impossible.” I wish someone had recommended this book to me much earlier. View all my reviews

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini My rating: 5 of 5 stars Thank you Khaled Hosseini, for delivering such an amazing piece of Afghan History. I feel extremely honored to have read this book. Thanks to my friend Vidya for recommending this author to me. I am completely spell-bound. I have lived through three generations of Afghanistan, seen poetry, Koran, war, death, rape, torture, lost my leg, murder, love, friendship, loss, and best of all hope... The way the characters shape themselves over the pages is amazing. What would one not do in the name of love? For the love that is shamelessly denied, for a love that comes seeking from the most unexpected crevices? Anything for Love! In a land shrouded in warfare and injustice against women, there are two things that live on - Love and Hope.. Thank you Khaled for taking me through such a marvelous experience, the feel of which is simply beyond words!! View all my reviews

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins My rating: 2 of 5 stars Read this book out of curiosity to find out what made it so famous. The point is, I still don't understand why.. Some books make you feel that America is filled with scientists, geniuses, spies or detectives. This one gives you an impression that the USA is replete with scary psychopaths, liars, drunkards, murderers, womanizers and cheats. The thought that I actually went through this book makes me puke. Damn it. One single event goes back and forth, back and forth, through the eyes of an alcoholic woman, and the problem is, she is such a heavy drunkard that all her memories are blurred. Where is the point in going back and forth, and back and forth on something: 1. which never happened or 2. she just doesn't remember completely. A total waste of precious time.. My precious. Our precious. They stole it from us. Paula Hawkins. View all my reviews

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery My rating: 4 of 5 stars An interesting read, where a talkative unwanted girl becomes indispensable. The ending was quite predictable though. View all my reviews

The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy My rating: 2 of 5 stars That was one ridiculous piece of compilation of horrors and sorrows from across India - mainly focusing on Kashmir. What is the correlation between the title and the novel? There seems to be no 'happiness' anywhere, leave alone 'utmost happiness'! Is this a compilation of related newspaper articles, or Ms. Arundhati, did you really sit with this book for 20 odd years? If so, your efforts are undoubtedly counterproductive. I enjoyed most part of the book, however, I did not feel good at the end of it.. What I enjoyed most: the bold ridicule of Indian leaders - 1. Atal Bihari Vajpayee - Lisping Poet Prime Minister 2. Manmohan Singh 3. Narendra Modi - Gujarat ka Lalla 4. Anna Hazare 5. Kiran Bedi 6. Aamir Khan 'The Ministry of Utmost Happiness' will make a good study of contemporary Indian history, that apart, nothing more impressed me. When the story started off with the transgende

சுடாதே...: Sudadhe... by Maheshwaran Jothi My rating: 2 of 5 stars I volunteered to read this book and received it as a free copy, in exchange for an honest review. A typical mystery.. Three people get going in three different directions, and magically come together at the end.... But something is lacking.... The character development of the book was good but inadequate. All the characters were very interesting and entertaining. Sudadhe.. was an interesting page-turner. However, the ending let me down. I found the personality of the protagonist too haughty, and the investigation was not satisfactorily logical. View all my reviews

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy My rating: 5 of 5 stars I cannot believe that I shelved this book a year back - finding pickles a rather boring way to start a book. Now, I wish I could give you more than five stars. This first novel by Arundhati Roy is a marvel. I found the repetitive unannounced flash-backs and flash-forwards way too annoying. That apart, everything else was awesome! The portrayal of classes, untouchables, the ground reality, searching for love in the most unlikely and unconventional places - name it, and this book had it all. I was very eager to find out who the God of Small Things was, and the revelation was beautiful - "To love by night the man her children loved by day." Thank you for such a wonderful read Ms. Arundhati Roy. Life is not a bed of roses, but it is amply fed by thorns, thorns that stick to you no matter what, thorns you can never get rid of. What a poignant tale! Lovely. View all my reviews

Walden by Henry David Thoreau My rating: 4 of 5 stars The first time I bumped on Walden was when it was mentioned in passing in "The Perks of Being a Wallflower". I had dutifully added it to my 'To-Read' list and most conveniently forgotten, until it re-surfaced in the most unlikely place- "Dead Poet's Society" "I went to the Woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out the marrow of life! To put to rout all that was not life. and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." The quote overwhelmed me. It was then that I realized that procrastination just wasn't admissible anymore. It had to be now. And thus, I picked the book. Oh Mr. Thoreau! Your work was more annoying than enlightening. Through this book, I wanted to revel in the joys of solitude. Well, I did get it, added with too many sermons, as if I were a devotee of God listening to you from the pew. What I loved about the book : The

The Stranger by Albert Camus My rating: 1 of 5 stars I came across this book while reading 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower'. Being an introvert myself, having enjoyed the book tremendously, and I thought 'The Stranger' (enjoyed by Charlie in 'the Perks.. ') would be great. Unfortunately, I am terribly let down, and here's vivid picture of the protagonist: 1. The Stranger has washed his hands off his mother, she is in an old age home. 2. He goes there when he is informed that she has passed away. He does not want to even see her dead body. He does not feel sad, or does not have any emotions, then why go at all boss? 3. The next day, he watches a humorous movie, goes for swimming, and indulges in sexual intercourse. 4. He hangs out with a woman, and frequently has sexual intercourse with her, but is not bothered to think of her as his future wife. Its more like, he is trying to use her for his sexual needs. 5. The only person with whom he has any emotiona

Black Order by James Rollins My rating: 5 of 5 stars Once I was a die-hard fan of Agatha Christie, until I read a series of bad books, and then I stopped reading Agatha. Then came Sidney Sheldon. I fell in love with his works until I met Rage of Angels, Master of the Game, The Best Laid Plans, and worst of all - The Doomsday Conspiracy. My third attempt is James Rollins. I have successfully read two of his masterpieces. This is my third book. I found the book a little slow moving in the beginning, but did not lack in content. The story flows through Himalayas, Netherlands and finally finishes in South Africa. It was definitely not nail-biting, but very informative and interesting - these are what I always expect when I read a James Rollins, and he just doesn't disappoint me in that front - be it the historical or the scientific content. I also appreciate the fact that Rollins does not waste any of the important characters he creates. All characters are carried forward into the

A Telephonic Conversation by Mark Twain My rating: 5 of 5 stars I initially gave this story 2 stars, and I was about to blast at Twain for producing such a dumb-witted work. Then I sat back and thought, 'Dumb-witted' is never Twain. Mark Twain was just eaves-dropping on a conversation and reproducing it. So, what went wrong? Me.. I didn't know how to enjoy the story! I went back to the story again, and imagined myself as Twain, eavesdropping on some middle-aged lady's conversation, with adequate and appropriate intonations. That was the magic! I didn't imagine well last time.. Well done Twain! Good job eavesdropping :)

The Pawn by Skye Warren My rating: 4 of 5 stars This was supposed to have gone into my DNF titles long ago, when I could not read beyond a point - because I do not enjoy erotica. However, some part of the thriller in the book, forced me to pull it out again after more than a month. I finished the remaining part of 'The Pawn' in one sitting. Filled with Chess moves, Greek Mythology, Lust, Deceit and caution, this book keeps the reader wanting for more once it is done - it makes one want to read the second part without much ado! The insecurities of the protagonist are elegantly portrayed, and the mind-games of her enemy/ lover (not sure) are admirable. The only reason I deprived the book of a star, was because, I don't enjoy sex. If I had loved erotica, may be it would have been 5 stars. Bingo!! View all my reviews

The i’Mpossible Project: Changing Minds, Breaking Stigma, Achieving the Impossible by Joshua Rivedal My rating: 5 of 5 stars   "Telling someone with anxiety to just calm down is like telling someone with epilepsy to just stop having a seizure" The book is a very encouraging read for anyone who wants to cope through mental issues. Well, lets not restrain ourselves to just that - it book is for absolutely anyone who wants to gain self-confidence, its for anyone who feels shunned by the society, its for absolutely everyone! I wish to thank the author for giving me a copy of his work in exchange for a review. View all my reviews

Library of the Dead by Glenn Cooper My rating: 1 of 5 stars Triggering point of Thriller : Random deaths Link : All the deceased receive post-cards with coffin image Extent of thrill : 3 stars Ingeniousness of mystery involved: 4 star Character of the protagonist: 0 star (a complete womanizer deserves a negative rating) Credibility of Historical Information : 0 star Literary Specifics: 0 star (Too many swear words to count) Anything admirable: 0 star (Nothing Specific) The cause of deaths becomes quite obvious towards the middle of the book, and hence, the ending doesn't quite surprise you. I specifically disgusted the way women were treated in the book, especially the ones in Vectis. View all my reviews

Anywhere But Here: A Short Horror Story by Jordon Greene My rating: 3 of 5 stars I would like to thank the author for sharing his short story "Anywhere But Here" in exchange for an honest review. The first half of the book was a little slow paced. I wasn't able to connect much with the hallucinations of Taren Evans. But, when there is a murder in his neighborhood I get interested. Finally, I am getting the thrill I expect. The hallucinations get real over the second half, and I am able to feel the blood racing. I am excited and expecting more, when suddenly the book comes to an end. There are a couple of unanswered questions, which makes the book feel incomplete. For a moment I thought may be Taren is the murderer who does it through sleep walking. But however, in one of the passages, Dr. Gillespie states that his body was immobile during the sleep study. So Evans being the murderer is ruled out. Neither are the murderers revealed nor is Taren's hallucination cure

Bedtime for Buzzy by T.J. Hackworth My rating: 5 of 5 stars The book is excellently illustrated, and calls for little children to sleep.. The story follows four characters - the Moon Man, Captain Pirate, the Giant Dinosaur and the Courageous Explorer to induce Buzzy to sleep. However, its the explorer who finally succeeds, encouraging Buzzy to sleep, so that he can search for the City of Gold in his dreams. View all my reviews

Lie of the Tiger by John    Martin My rating: 5 of 5 stars I would like to thank the author- John Martin, for offering me a free ARC, in exchange for an honest review. I really loved the book. The plot was very interesting, thrilling and undoubtedly hilarious. Paddy, a Professor, has landed a job of taking care of the Windy Mountain Tasmanian Tiger Museum in exchange for "no salary". The museum is desperately in need of a show-stealer to get the it running, while there are few who will stop at nothing to see the it shutdown for good. But why? What do they gain by closing it? To make things worse, the entry fees to the museum is increased to nineteen dollars. Definitely no one would pay that much to visit it. Oodles and Wish-wash go out of the way to ensure its sustenance. Paddy is not whom he claims to be. Billy is not as dead as he is supposed to be. The savings scheme for the last man standing needs a special mention. That was an interesting idea. As the story revolves

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman My rating: 5 of 5 stars That was a truly creepy read! Excellent imagination by the author! Bravo, I loved it. Thanks to the fact that the author has mentioned that the wallpaper thing is a fragment of her own 'writer's imagination', and not something she had personally undergone. So far so good.. The narrator, is kept inside a room, to recuperate from illness. Every thing is completely prescribed by her husband who is himself a alienist (an old-fashioned name for psychiatrist). The greater the time the narrator spends opposite the yellow wallpaper in her room, the more she starts 'seeing' things.. a lady in the wallpaper, she comes out of the wallpaper and roams around the room, the road, in daylight and moonlight, at times there are many women coming out.. The narrator resolves to tear down the wallpaper, she wants to bring down the lady, when finally she realizes that the lady in the wallpaper is herself! An ama

Map of Bones by James Rollins My rating: 4 of 5 stars OOOh!! If I can finish reading this book, I can finish almost about any book!! When I started, I least believed I would get this far. Now, this is what is called a feat :) Thought of abandoning it at 5%, then convinced myself that I had liked Sandstorm (which I read at least 9 years back), so, in one last effort, I continued reading the book. I am finally through after several unsuccessful attempts to abandon it. Well, I am not sure if there was anything interesting or original about the plot of the book.Everything I read made me feel, "Oh, I've definitely read a similar plot in some Dan Brown". The plot was not a thriller - but towards the end it was barbaric and brutal. It certainly did not send my blood racing. In most of the places, I did not even understand what they were searching for, or what was going on. The Dragon Court / The Guild wants to kill them, but almost never kills them.They are able to kill an e

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is the best revenge novel anyone can lay hands on. I read this book as a kid, in school, long, long ago (as an abridged version) - and devoured the original several times ever since. To make a long thing short - Edmond Dantès is a young man, with a girlfriend, to whom he is to be married shortly, and an admirable sailor who has newly been named Captain of the ship. Life could not be more perfect!! Then, on the day of his wedding, he is arrested on charges of being a Bonapartist agent - and locked away in the treacherous Chateau d'If without any further investigation or explanation. Days turn into months, months into years, Dantes loses sanity gradually, when Abe Faria comes to his rescue. Both of them plot an escape from the prison. He further demystifies the cause of Dante's tragedy. How the protagonist escapes the clutches of the prison, and avenges all the many people who conspired to do away with

The Clockwork Alice by DeAnna Knippling My rating: 3 of 5 stars I would like to thank the author for sharing this book, in exchange for an honest review. The beginning was very interesting and beautiful. I really loved it. I thought this was the most befitting sequel to the original masterpiece. But, as time went, I lost track of which Alice was which ( as there were two Alices), and lost all interest in continuing further. And unfortunately, I did not finish reading the book. View all my reviews

Lily Torrence by Fred Andersen My rating: 4 of 5 stars First of all, I would like to thank the author, Fred Andersen, for sharing his book in exchange for an honest review. The character 'Deborah Boynton' in the book is said to be based on 'Barbara Stanwyck', who was an American actress, model and dancer. Though titled 'Lily Torrence', she is not the main protagonist. The story-line follows Lily's aspiration to make her way into Hollywood, the help offered by Deb, with a touch on homosexuality and prostitution. Max Beckerman is a German Jew, who managed to escape the tyranny of Hitler, and is making a living as a well-known and powerful movie Director. He, however, is a pawn in the hands of a more powerful Marty Nuco - a pimp, who can make or break, not only anybody's career, but also, just about anybody's life. Lyman Wilbur - writer of detective novels, and creator of Archer Daniel, fails to create an impression. I am sure, the book would have d

A Woman's Work is Never Done by Hayley Camille My rating: 2 of 5 stars Shelf Misfit: I got a free copy of this book at Instafreebie, in exchange for an honest review. Having been categorized under Thriller > Crime, I expected Thriller / Crime, and I got it. What I did not sign up for was "Rajinikanth style fantasy". The protagonist, Betty (with copious application of re lipstick), resembles the "Chandramukhi" Rajini who can read others minds. She is behind a group of guys who are transporting drugs. Thug! Chud! Hit! in any direction, every direction - again typically Rajini.... A little flashback follows, and then, all of a sudden, its not just the first chapter that gets over, but the entire book itself!! For a moment, I thought the author had given this single chapter for free-reading, to inspire the readers to purchase the complete book. However I was disinclined to do it. Only on further browsing did I actually realize that the entire book comprised o

Safe by Andrew C. Broderick My rating: 3 of 5 stars Got this book "Safe" from the Author Andrew C. Broderick in return for an honest review, an here I am. This story is something of a cross between 'Wall-E', 'Escape Plan', 'I, Robot' and 'Divergent', with the events unfolding in dystopia. Jason is a third-generation dweller in the Pod, a safe (Safe from what is however unknown), self-sufficient dwelling. He lives with his mother, and has his eyes on Julia. He is a gardener at the Pod, where telescopes are strictly forbidden. There are several floors, all well-connected by lifts. This is somewhere in the middle of a sea/ocean. Everyone on-board is informed that there are no-humans outside the Pod, and it is utterly unsafe outside. One day, gazing through his telescope (the author fails to mention where he procured the lenses from), Jason identifies humans on a piece of land. As is characteristic of all heros, driven by the desire for adventu

Three Weeks Dead by Rebecca  Bradley My rating: 2 of 5 stars I got this book as a free copy from the author, in exchange for an honest review. This is my first book by the author. The book was boring. This was supposed to be a thriller!! And, when its a thriller, I expect an adrenaline rush, which was absolutely missing. Though the title says DI Hannah Robbins, the main detective in the book was Sally, a new recruit. Jason works for a SHIRO - a software company creating software to protect ATM money. Someone has stolen Jason's wife from her grave, and threatening to feed it to the stray dogs, unless he accepts to steal the software and hand it over to them. Jason accomplishes this, but is caught red-handed by the police. As the police investigation starts, Jason starts getting renewed threats to handover the copied software, with both the police and the antagonist offering him new mobiles all the time. Well, the revelation of the miscreant is no surprise, as it becomes quite ob

The Silent Reporter by Thomas Fincham My rating: 5 of 5 stars Hyder Ali is a temp reporter at the Daily Times newspaper. He lives with his mother and brother, Akbar. He consistently suffers from inferiority complex in comparison to his brother, who is a doctor. Hyder's university professor Eric Freeland is found dead by hanging and is declared as a suicide. Detective Nolan (an alcoholic) has lost his wife in a car crash. Amanda - an accountant at the prestigious TriGate Management Group, is dead due to a malfunctioning break. Hyder and Freeland's daughter get together to dig up the Professor's death as they are sure he is not the suicidal type. Though they are initially not able to convince Nolan (the investigator in this case), he realizes this while following the trail of the prescribed half-empty anti-depressant bottle, found in Freeland's room after his death. With the mentioned address misleading, the suicide note not convincingly emotional, and identifyin

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson My rating: 5 of 5 stars An amazing read and an eye-opener.. Fact is stranger than fiction!! View all my reviews

The Image in the Mirror by Dorothy L. Sayers My rating: 5 of 5 stars Very interesting read of a medical condition called "Situs inversus"- an autosomal recessive genetic condition found in identical twins. Well.. That was a very interesting thriller, a conclusion i least expected to hit upon :) View all my reviews

Why I Am An Atheist: An Autobiographical Discourse by Bhagat Singh My rating: 5 of 5 stars Of course, any logical human beings thinking put out in words!! Wow!! Bhagath Singh is my hero, and to know that he was so well read and well informed, made me love him even more.. Inquilab Zindabad!!! View all my reviews

The Doomsday Conspiracy by Sidney Sheldon My rating: 3 of 5 stars "The Doomsday Conspiracy" by Sidney Sheldon is the eight book by the author, that i happen to read, and the worst by far. Though it was written before 'Da Vinci Code' or 'Angels and Demons', I happened to read them the other way round and that was the biggest blunder. Dan Brown claims this book as his inspiration for writing thriller fiction. the plot of almost similar to these - one man on the run for his life - wherever he turns, its death. Finally he wins.. There are a number of characters that are not well used in the book. I expected something realistic as the other Sheldon books, but this one let me down - as it dealt with a UFO and aliens - not until i reached the writer's note.. There, Sheldon had made an elaborate description, on the UFO sightings and enlisted the scientists and astrophysicists who had been killed in the quest - the US government is making every possible effort

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath My rating: 5 of 5 stars I felt the book as a whole was a little boring. But there are a few things that were really close to my heart.. Given the fact that she lived in the mid 1900s, I feel amazed at her way of looking at things: "I tried to imagine what it would be like if Constantin were my husband. It would mean getting up at seven and cooking him eggs and bacon and toast and coffee and dawdling about in my nightgown and curlers after he'd left for work to wash up the dirty plates and make the bed, and then when he came home after a lively, fascinating day he'd expect a big dinner, and I'd spend the evening washing up even more dirty plates till I fell into bed, utterly exhausted. This seemed a dreary and wasted life for a girl with fifteen years of straight A's, but I knew that's what marriage was like, because cook and clean and wash was just what Buddy Willard's mother did from morning till night, and she was the wife

The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky My rating: 4 of 5 stars the casual things that one feels at school, beautifully expressed.. View all my reviews

Amber in the World of Shades by J.K. Riya My rating: 5 of 5 stars The author JK Riya (inspired by the architect of the boy with the lightning bolt scar) has created different worlds with different dimensions, having their own distinctive features. The protagonist Amber, is taken into a dark world through an exotic ring she purchases, where she takes the readers along. Welcome to the World of the Shades!! Will Amber survive in this world? Who has wanted her desperately here? Its Vossler (doesn’t it sound something like Voldemort?). He would do anything to enslave her. But why? In the meantime, Amber finds new friends in the dark World of Shades – Gina and Lavina. But their powers are no match to Vossler’s. Why is Gina trying to help her escape the Shady Land, risking her very life? Can they win? Will Amber get back to her own land, or will she become an eternal slave to Vossler? Sit back and read this exciting fantasy. Guess the remaining worlds are yet to be explored, and I am wait

The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai My rating: 5 of 5 stars Good book, i would have whole-heartedly given 5 stars, if the author had told about the fate of all the pivotal characters, like Mutt, Gyan and Father Booty - all of them back under one roof would have been a happy ending.. View all my reviews

Ice by John Hemmings My rating: 2 of 5 stars I read the first book, and thought it was pretty good for a first time writer... the second is preposterous.. and quite straightforward.. didn't give much of an adrenaline rush as the first... Kane has such jobless contacts, who are waiting to run errands for him!! I am doubtful if i will read the other Kane books.. View all my reviews

Nikola Tesla: Imagination and the Man That Invented the 20th Century by Sean Patrick My rating: 4 of 5 stars The content about Tesla was all too good, and inspiring. But i felt the beginning and end chapter spoke too much about imagination in a very abstract manner, which was a very tough page turner for me.. On the whole, the concise life of Tesla in a nutshell was an interesting read. View all my reviews

Run Girl by Eva Hudson My rating: 2 of 5 stars Very boring.. The first half of the book goes in telling Ingrid why she is the best person for the job (that doesn't convince me though). Then suddenly she finds a lead, where she is duped (its a setup).. there is again another lead, which turns out to be correct this time, but finally (this part really pissed me off). the girl knows Ingrid has come to catch her (How did she find that out?), and she starts running away from her.. giving lead time for Ingrid to follow.. she is finally caught and handed over to her grandmother.. How much more dumber can that get!!! Truly disappointing read!! View all my reviews

Carlini in the World of Shades by J.K. Riya My rating: 5 of 5 stars After Amber, now its Carlini's turn to go back home... The fantasy novella takes the reader through some gripping fast-paced action to the end.. Apart form the love story that is highly predictable, the book is magical.. Another revelation is that, not everyone who is in the World of Shades is cursed by Vossler. Carlini is there to save the Zuiver Stone (stolen mysteriously by the villain, and safeguarded in the World of Shades). Apart from her, there are a few others who are also there on a mission... "Amber in the World of Shades" portrayed Carlini as a self-sufficient flawless character meant to be feared and respected.. Conversely, the second book shows some of the protagonist's glaring blunders so that her sweetheart Stafan can fill in the gaps.. PS: The author graciously offered me a review copy. View all my reviews

The Calcutta Chromosome: A Novel of Fevers, Delirium & Discovery by Amitav Ghosh My rating: 2 of 5 stars Clearly one of the worst books written by one of my favourite authors!! totally disappointing book of fantasy.. View all my reviews

The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh My rating: 3 of 5 stars I read the book as I loved Amitav's writing style, but, somehow this book failed me.. The writing style was amazing as always, the story was fast paced, but it left a void on finishing the book. I didn't feel great.. It was just another book.. Had the author touched on Indian history i might have enjoyed it better View all my reviews

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak My rating: 5 of 5 stars When I read all the reviews, I told myself, "Of course I won't cry. I don't fall for emotional stuff.. " And then I cried, uncontrollably, over the last few pages, for 10-15 mins approximately. Wonderful book.. Well written. Can I give it only 5 stars?? View all my reviews

The Best Laid Plans by Sidney Sheldon My rating: 3 of 5 stars Not good enough for Sheldon!! Twist is not believable. No, it didn't work at all... These were not the best laid plans!! Disappointing Sidney! View all my reviews

Rage of Angels by Sidney Sheldon My rating: 3 of 5 stars Now what was the goal of this book??? Phew.. Another disappointment from Sheldon!! Some court cases were brilliant, that apart, there was nothing noteworthy i'd rather say View all my reviews

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón My rating: 5 of 5 stars Never heard of this book or author before. Picked it because it had a very good rating. A fast paced amazing thrilling page turner, that blows your mind.. but, later when i sat back and think over, i guess, i found a lot of loop holes :( Everyone seems to madly and unconditionally love a writer, whose books don't even sell. There is only one villain, apart from whom, everybody else would even die for the protagonist. Miquel Moliner - a man who is living only for his friend. He has no other ambitions in his life. he spends lavishly on Julian until he becomes a beggar, and then, when life is all he has in his hands, he gives up that too for Carax. Does anyone like that truly exist? Nuria Monfort - a lady who ardently loves Julian Carax. Miquel loves her, knowing very well that her heart belongs to Carax. Penélope Aldaya - Julian's ladylove, for whose sake, he ruins his won life, especially after her death. Da

Amber in the World of Shades - A Short Story by J.K. Riya My rating: 5 of 5 stars A prequel to the novella: "Amber in the World of Shades", this book gives us a glimpse into the learning phases of Amber in the World of Shades, and introduces us to Carlini, the white mage.. View all my reviews

Where Angels Fear to Tread by E.M. Forster My rating: 5 of 5 stars I picked this book because it was very short - 148 pages precisely. Wonderful read!! Such a different subject dealt with interestingly in a book written in, as old as 1905!! Words fail me.. Lilia, a widow dares to marry another man against the wishes of the first in-laws, but unfortunately dies in child-birth. However, Ms. Abbott's point for choosing Gino over Philip is quite unacceptable. I beg to differ with her opinion. Miss Abbott claims that Gino makes decisions on his own, while Philip simply follows the biddings of his mother, though he possesses strong opinions. Nowhere in the book is Gino shown to have strong decision-making power- he follows whatever Lilia says, or, at times his friend. I do not find proof to substantiate the lady's claim, and I deeply wish, she might have done better to fall for Mr. Herriton. Overall, an engaging read, in a hitherto untouched genre! Kudos to EM Foster! :) View a

My rating: 5 of 5 stars It was less of a sequel than is expected of a sequel.. Well, the first half of the book was very boring. I could not bring myself to read much. I had put away the book so often, that i was very sure that I wouldn't finish it. But, the second half of the book took me by storm. The story of characters introduced in the first book : "Sea of Poppies", was mostly lost - but for Neel, and a little bit of Paulette. I felt totally let down. To find a new protagonist in Bahram Moddie was totally unacceptable. Hovever, as the pages rolled by, I became more forgiving, seemlessly entering into the world of Canton and the Thirteen Hong Street - Ah Neel/ Anil Kumar Munshi and Robin Chinnery. The arrogence of the Englishmen was eloquently expressed. The author's descriptive and literary skills have not let me down either. A compelled finish: The last chapter forcibly introduces Kesri to provide a premise for the third book. But for a few glari

My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is my first book by the controversial feminist poet. Wow!! Such a small masterpiece! Finished reading in less than two hours. This book has the pain and agony that every woman undergoes in life. A true magnum opus, though the translation was way too shabby.. "In the instinct of no-creature-of-Nature the birth of a female is considered undesirable. Only humans consider it strange." I was able to connect with almost every bit of emotion shared in the book. Its a poetry of everything I ever wished to express as a woman! Pain and words i wanted to express for long, anger that i wanted to vent out is finally bundled up in this one little book of Bangla poetry.. Glad to have met my alter ego in Taslima. View all my reviews

My rating: 2 of 5 stars Yeah seriously. I gave it only 2 stars.. Too much. too much of war details than I could digest.. The Chinese topology, being unknown to me, added to the problem of understanding the flow of the strategy. Every time i tried to close this book, one thing that reminded me was that "Sea of Poppies" was amazing, and I had to finish this at any rate. I think I should have stopped with the Sea of Poppies itself The comedy Gumasta Baboo Nob Kissin, who appears to be a fool in general has performed a pivotal role in re-uniting Raju and Neel - there are no words to praise the extent to which he goes to achieve this no trifling feat . Bloody Bastard Malum Zikri - you deserved a whore, not Paulette, definitely not her. The hero-like person venerated in the First Book was completely lost to a fully-grown deceitful womanizer!! Mrs. Burnham - Having seen Reid in and out, having faced his treachery at the end, why did you choose to offer him Paulette?

A funny book.. A pretty good amateurish work. Not much of sleuth work. I got this as a freebie - in exchange for an honest review. Well this is all I could say.  Carrie has a long way to go as a writer. This is definitely a good start.  This was a very quick read.  PS: The last part of Chapter 17 was repeated. Please look into this.