Nisha!!

Fire on the Mountain by Anita Desai My rating: 5 of 5 stars Hail the Indian Walden, everything I yearned for from Thoreau, I received in abundance from Anita. Nature is so beautifully and tenderly expressed. The ending was something I least expected. This is my first book by the author. Her sense of humor is particularly noteworthy. It's sad that no one recommended any of her books to me. Reading the book made me fall in love with the description, made me want to go and live in Carignano, in Kasali for ever and ever. I am an Nanda Kaul. I somehow saw every bit of her in me - the desperation and longing for nature, beauty and solitude - away from a super mean society. For all the humor and fun, the book had such a tragic ending reflecting the stark realities of life, the realities a male chauvinistic society shamelessly inflicts on her better half. Anything shy of 5 stars to this masterpiece is a shame on me. View all my reviews

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson My rating: 2 of 5 stars Well baby, you simply ain't my kinda book. I completed 20% of the book, and don't wanna give a fuck about it anymore. Frankly speaking, I am not a person who is too much into non-fiction - particularly self-help/philosophy of all genres. In the 20% that I read, I found the author's thoughts similar to "Aruvi" movie dialog and ideas of Gautama Buddha, along with a dozen 'fucks' lavishly sprinkled across every page. He also emphasizes that we choose our pain in life - our life is what we are willing to toil for. Now, excuse me, who doesn't know this? Given that I am a person who is quite interested in Buddhist teachings (to a little extent), I find Buddhist tenets a far better thing to sleep over, than this book. Fuck you Mark, and I am not sorry. On seeing other reviews, I am just too glad to find that a lot of other people w...

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson My rating: 5 of 5 stars Wow! This was an absolutely amazing, wonderful read. Books like this make one wonder, how time truly flies. I wish I could give a billion stars to this book. Tyson is an absolutely witty writer, and I wish to explore more of this writings. Some of the book's content, I already knew, much of it was unknown, or maybe I'd read it sometime and forgotten all about it - well, it just doesn't matter. This book made me feel like a Buddha under a Bodhi tree - in a complete state of utmost bliss. Thank you Tyson for this great work. View all my reviews

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini My rating: 3 of 5 stars This is my second book by the author, the first being, "A Thousand Splendid Suns". I found the Kite Runner well-written with references to events, characters and memories - back and forth. The true hero of the book is Hassan, and to some extent Rahim Khan too. I find the remaining characters seriously lacking in personality - particularly the protagonist. The thought the Afghans once rejoiced the arrival of the Taliban, and that their land was once battered by Russia was quite an interesting revelation. Other details of Afgan history mentioned in this book is already known - either through news or through the other book. So nothing much there. The same issue of Hazara vs Pushtan is again highlighted in this book, as in "A Thousand Splendid Suns". The latter half of the book lacks a lot -there seems to be no definite theme after the death of Hassan It appears that the story flows because it has to. It was...

Animal Farm by George Orwell My rating: 5 of 5 stars "One of the stupidest books I have read in a long time. I really can't get to accept that so many people have given a 5 star to it. The best I can give it is single. Many friends recommended this book to me, so I didn't, for one moment, stop to think that it might let me down. A foolish Englishman, diligently serving under 'Her Excellency's Crown' day and night, decides to dip his pen in ink, make fun of Karl Marx, and the Russian Revolution (when he himself is in a far more deplorable state of affairs). As a person who has a lot of respect for ideas that have changed people's lives, I find it deeply insulting on my intellect to even finish reading this book. Wonder why people would want to read such a work of fiction, leave alone recommend it. Orwell is nothing short of a coward, who makes fun of Russian Revolution, when the British are worthy of far more mockery. "சுட்டும் விரலால் எதிரியை காட்ட...