Random Thoughts

This week also saw me reading less than I had wanted to. A lot was happening around me and the week was one wherein I couldn't do everything I set out to...  However, the good news is that I finished reading Heads You Win and did speed reading of another book too. Here's a quick round-up: Heads You Win – Jeffrey Archer So, this was a typical story by Archer - the underdog making it big in life against all odds. If I remember correctly, all his protagonists are ordinary people who rise above others and become extraordinary. What makes Heads You Win is the parallel narrative, which he seems to handle quite easily. The same character with different lives in two different countries. After reading Archer's short stories, which by the way I rate higher than his novels, I am not surprised he can tell the two stories convincingly. If he had to come up with a few more versions, I am sure he would have done that with much elan. It was nice to follow Alex and S...

So, this week I literally read very little. All I can say is I have read a few more pages of the Ivory Throne and started reading a book on procrastination (which is halfway through) and finally started reading Heads You Win by Jeffrey Archer. I enjoyed reading all of them and I hope to write a better review of these books next week.  Although this was one of those weeks where I couldn't get enough reading done, I can't say I am hugely disappointed. On the contrary, I am at peace with myself - I knew a slump will occur sometime. Especially when I read non-fiction and on days when I am really busy with work, I knew reading would take a back seat. However, I don't intend to leave it there and so, this is not a failure or disappointment. The main thing to remember is that like life, reading is also a journey - sometimes up, sometimes down. The key is not to remain stationary or think it is a lost cause. So, in that sense, this week has been a learning experience too. ...

February  Week #1   The first week of February saw me reading a little less than I would have loved to. Yet, I read a couple of books and continued my tryst with the Ivory Throne. Tell Tale – Jeffrey Archer I had taken this book on loan from the library and loved reading it. I enjoy reading Archer because his writing is easy and enjoyable. Yet it stands out from the ordinary because of the way he treats every storyline/subject. I enjoyed almost every book I read and Tell Tale was no different. I particularly enjoyed the 100 word short stories and the three different scenarios he presented in the story – a holiday of a lifetime. ‘A Road to Damascus’ was a profound story and so was the ‘A Good Toss to Lose’. The way Archer portrays the characters in the story is wonderful and one can picture them in one’s mind. ‘A Gentleman and a Scholar’ made a unique read and ‘Who killed the mayor’ was intriguing, to say the least. The beauty of Archer’s writing is the clarity ...

Books I read in 2020 Review of Week 4 ending on 29/1/2020 This week saw me reading lesser than the past two weeks. The Ivory Throne - Chronicles of the House of Travancore – Manu S Pillai I had heard great reviews of the book from many corners. It was on my wish list for a long time but could manage to find a copy only now. I knew it was going to be a long read because reading non-fiction is always time-consuming for me.   I have managed to read only about 20% of the book in the past week because of the nature of the topics. I absolutely loved reading the history of Travancore, of which, I must confess, my knowledge is very poor. The book helped me understand the Kerala society of the earlier times better and I hope that by the time I finish the book, I will be better informed. The author has taken a lot of effort to research and validate his writings and it shows in the writing. As far as I know, I don’t think there are many books on Kerala history...

Review of Week 3 ending on 22/1/2020 Week 1 review can be found here Week 2 review can be found here Ok, so I finished the book, Scion of Ikshvaku this week. The feeling is mixed. As mentioned earlier, I liked the premise of the novel, but can’t say I was too thrilled to read. One of the things I felt was that the author was superimposing the events of the present into the narrative. Especially the killing of Roshni after cruel gang rape led by a minor and the accused being spared by law because he was a minor alludes to the infamous rape case that happened in Delhi a few years ago. Also, mentioning of Vyomkesh (undoubtedly referring to Byomkesh Bakshi, the famous fictional detective created by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay) also was so unnecessary. It didn’t add to the narrative, I thought. Although the book, much like the Shiva trilogy, we can see reference to actual places of today. And yet, the very concept of India was much different then as compared to what it was i...

Find the previous post here Review of Week 2 ending on 15/1/2020  1.      Jim Corbett Omnibus – Jim Corbett – Ok, so the omnibus included some of the stories I had already read, such as the Maneaters of Kumaon. Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading the book as much as I had enjoyed reading the stories for the first time. I absolutely loved the chapter on Robin, the author’s dog. [ I had, a long time ago, fantasised myself as a forest explorer and used to wear my father’s old discarded raincoat (with two big pockets) and search for clues in the thick bushes around my home. I had my revolver (fashioned out of old newspapers), currencies (leaves of a wild plant), old canvas shoes from the previous year of school, a discarded Click-III camera hanging on my shoulder to add to the effects. I remember carrying the ‘pazhampori’ made by my mom as emergency snack in those pockets while I carried on my role of explorer. A dog to follow me and track the beasts of the j...

Preface: This year, I am making a conscious effort to read more. I love reading - right from children's book to serious books (although history and non fiction makes my reading a bit slow paced). Even though I like reading both English and Malayalam (can read in Hindi too - might read Munshi Premchand one of these days), I have difficulty in accessing Malayalam books here. So, most of my reading is and will be English books. But I am reading a bit of Malayalam via blogs and FB posts and also some books I could download on Kindle.   On that note, let me get on to the  Review of Week one ended on 08/1/2020 Here, I hope to keep a record of the books I read this year. My target, although I am not very sure it is achievable, is 100 books this year. I have started in the earnest and seems to be on the right track because today is just 8 th of Jan 2020 and I have already read close to five books. So, without much ado, let me make a quick note of the same. Sp...