5 Enjoyable Reads of 2011

I am not too picky when it comes to books, I'm just a tad bit partial when it comes to light fiction and something that is easy to read and is enjoyable. Listed below are the top 5 books I loved reading

1.  Losing My Virginity and Other Dumb Ideas by Madhuri Banerjee- A simple coming of age story of a 30 year old lady who finds love at unlikeliest of people, the struggle to stay afloat and the discover of self. Simple and lucid the book was a treat to read.
2. The Zoya Factor byAnuja Chauhan- Its about how a girl and her so called luck affected Team India and a country which strongly believes in superstitions and on the backdrop is the mad frenzy of a nation obsessed with winning the World Cup. Funny and enjoyable really worth a buy.
3. The Dork series by Siddin Vadukut- About a quirky genius called Robin "Einstein" Varghese and the travels and tales of his life from a crazy but 'his' perspective.
4. The time of my life by Cecelia Adhern-  its a simple yet endearing story about the protagonist learning to come to terms with her Life and going past her obstacles to finally live life. It's a beautiful read to say the least and the best part is it teaches a lesson or two without being preachy.
5. Calcutta Exile by Bunny Suraiya- Bunny Suraiya's 'Calcutta Exile' evokes a bygone era of one of the most vibrant cities called Calcutta. Tracing the lives of one Anglo-Indian family in Calcutta of the 1950s, the Ryans, it paints a closely observed picture of a fast-vanishing culture. 

Other titles that I have read is In(eligible) Bachelors, Half a face by Nonda Chatterjee, Eat Pray and Love, You were my crush untill you said you loved me, No deadlines for love, Campus Cola, The Thorn Birds and scores of other titles which I am now finding it hard to recall.

Do suggest something good to read for me.

Happy Reading!!

Anything Else But Love- Ankita Chadha- Review

In the publishing industry a lot of things happen, including the fact that a good editor writes your back cover for you and paints a rosy picture which ultimately sells your book to a reader. Here lies the problem, like many readers I read the blurb about the book and found it to be a good read so ordered it. After 304 pages of utter torture i finally managed to end it. The book seems to mock everything filmy and ends up being an over the top, theatrical drama in print. Usually a good story keeps me hooked but this surely was a torture as i could barely manage to end it. The editing is very sloppy and the English is horrendous "She THROWED the teddies" "I wanted to Say to you" it seemed to have been written keep in mind the market where often film makers adopt books into movies and this was no better!! Characters are half baked and is made to do things just for prolonging a sense of excitement which had long since gone and the male characters and situations seem like an extension of a female persona. Moreover the places mentioned remain as lousy backdrop or a mere prop which shows the lack of research.

End verdict

You may have a story to tell but may not be a good story teller
You may know English but you may not be a good writer!!

A total waste of money not worth 175 bucks... the publication should pull up their socks because in chick lit genre they have to maintain the high standards set by Penguin and Rupa Publications... so attention to language usage, grammatical errors and errors in phrases and expression can be a reputation killer.

Losing my virginity and other dumb ideas- Madhuri Banerjee

Before I talk about how I simply loved this book and the extent I went just to finish it; I think its important to tell how I managed to stumble upon this phenomenon called Madhuri Banerjee. I found a stray link on a friend's Facebook account to CNN IBN blog and soon I was not just reading Chastity Belt written by Madhuri Banerjee but I started fanatically reading whatever I could written by her. I read her articles for CNN blog, i fished our her blog and read up all her previous posts but the revelation happened when I came across Chapter 21 of her maiden book on Rediff.com. I did read her Two To A Tango (a short story written by her) before and liked the way she handled the entire story line but something about this one abstract chapter tugged at my heart and I knew I had to read it any how and soon. After frantically searching for her book "Losing My Virginity and Other Dumb Ideas" and being unable to locate it in any of Delhi's small bookstores, I was frustrated but not ready to give up. It was then that I did the unthinkable! It is very unlike me to reach out to anyone telling them how they have managed to move me, let alone a celebrity. But I did because I knew I could, and my joy knew no bounds when Madhuri herself replied. My desire to read her was now at its peak and I was even ready to overcome my innate fear of using the internet to buy anything but then I did what most book lovers do, I ordered her book off Flipkart and a fan was born, flipkart got one more loyal customer and Madhuri well... got herself something who is totally in awe of her. I simply lover her honest, forthcoming and very endearing ways, she is someone you can relate to, her charming ways makes you wish you were a little like her; confident, sauve and very intellectual.


Right: Madhuri Banerjee author of Losing My Virginity and Other Dumb Ideas

On reading the 21st chapter of the book I knew I wanted to know more. I was hooked and I knew I would have to find ways to get my hands on it. But then when I read that it was about a 30 year old virgin waiting to lose her virginity I felt "O my God! this book is going to be like TOI's lifestyle articles that talks about sex and other related stuff in a know all manner trying to impose a very western school of thought on a very Indian mindset!" I couldnt have been farther from the truth. My reasons for loving the book are many, mostly personal. I could identify myself with the protagonist where she values her virginity not because she didnt find anyone to lose it to but she wanted to make love to someone she was truly in love with. Isnt it how we all feel somehow? Isnt it how all are friends who have done "It" make those who havent feel, trying to impress upon us the need to devirginize us? I found myself in Kaveri in so many things, being in a relationship knowing it will never work but not having it in them to walk because love seemed to bind us in shackles. Funny how love drives us to do things, things which others dont understand. Despite several warnings we refuse to see reality and we do only when we are prepared to do it. Aditi, Kaveri's best friend reminded me so much of my best friend Vaidu and the role she plays in my life! Yes the book moved me to tears, it resonated with my very being but most importantly the book showed me the way I was looking for in all the books I have picked up in the recent past.

This post is not just to rant about how the book has managed to move me. But it is also about how well the book is written. Yes there are patches when my attension wavered to be honest and there were parts I didnt think was relevant but then mostly the book is probably a handbook for very urban girl. It contains a little bit of all of us, the usual paranoia about our weight, dilemma about what to wear, apprehension about being fat and not being attractive enough for the men. The constant struggle with love, losing ourselves in the man whom we consider to be the Great Love who ends up battering your soul and leaves you to pick up the broken pieces. The book talks about the desires of a lady in love, anguished having to share her man with his wife in a vulnerable yet endearing sort of a way. For once you wont term Kaveri as a slut or the Other Woman, you will empathize with her situation, you will understand that her reasons for being with a married man was just love and nothing else. Kaveri's character evolves as the book proceeds and with it the heart and soul of the reader gets purged. We are all allowed a mistake or two in life but what matters is learning from them and doing the right thing. Kaveri managed to find herself and her self respect, and she realizes what she did, she did it for the reasons she felt was right and that is what made this book so endearing.

Priced at a modest Rs 150/- the book is a delightful read. After Colleen McCullough's The Thorn Birds, which had a major impact on my psyche ever since I read the book at 13; Losing My Virginity and Other Dumb Ideas managed to move me once again. Loved reading the book will be an understatement. Unlike other chick lit or books belonging to the genre of popular fiction this book stands tall for being unique, and it has something for everyone. A must read if you are an avid reader. I can hardly wait for Madhuri Banerjee's second book, if the first book was this good I wonder what the next in the offering would be like...

THE SECRET

Jeya had adviced me to read this book which he claimed was phenomenal. then i read about it being a best seller somewhere and i took the plunge and read it and i must say its really a revelation. if you liked paulo choelho's alchemist like i absolutely loved it then SECRET by Rhonda Brynes is just the book for you. no overdose of philosophy just the lucid language ans direct approach proves to be quite a healing process..... its a must read and a best seller worldwide. there are certain pathways in life which if we adopt can change our approach to it and open newwer avenues, and the secret of these pathways lies in us, and that is exactly what Rhonda Brynes does.

It has been passed down through the ages, highly coveted, hidden,lost,stolen and bought for vast sums of money.this centuries-old Secret has been understood by most prominent people in history: Plato, Galileo, Beethoven, Edison, Carnegie, Einstein-along with the other inventors, theologians,scientists and great thinkers. now the SECRET is being revealed to the world.

"As you learn THE SECRET, you will come to know how you can have,be, or do anything you want. you will come to know who you really aare. you will know the true magnificence that await you in life."

One night @ the call centre

This is Chetan Bhagat's second novel, the first one being 'Five Point Someone' a novel based on IIT-ans but this one is a treat for all those like me who thinks this is yet another trashy novel,just good enough to read while travelling.in a weird way it made an impact on me.my friend says that Cheten Bhagat was asked about the characters of this novel and he replied that the six characters are representatives of 6 different traits in our personality.

There is Shaym Mehra, the aspiring team leader who was convinced by his colleagues and girl friend of being an under performer, then there is Priyanka his now ex girl friend who has acquired what is considered as a 'prize catch' by her mom [an ever dominating character]Vroom the automobile fanatic,Radhika who works to help her husband run the family, a prototype of an unsuspecting and loyal wife who works to please the mother-in law only to be harassed by her while her husband is busy having a fling with a younger lady.then there is military uncle,a grumpy old man who is thrown out of his son's life due to this own interfering nature.Esha is the aspiring model who has to sleep with a nerd for an assignment only to be informed that she was an inch shorter than the height required.

and what brings them together??well a call centre job that pays or their pubbing,pizza and lifestyle in Gurgoan.and why should you read it?well if it is not a good read then it will definitely boost your belief on yourself.

In winter 2004, the writer met a young girl on a night train journey.to pass the time she offered to tell a story.however,she had a condition:that he make it into his second book.he hesitated,but asked what the story was about. the girl told him it was about 6 call centre employees,set in one night when they recieved a call from GOD.

The Tiger By The River

Ravi Shankar Etheth

One of the modern delhi's more blessed inhabitants and direct descendant of the last king of panayur in kerela,swati sharma makes a pilgrimage back to the palace of his birth to scatter his wife's ashes in the sacred waters of Papanasini river.

there he is reunited with antara,a childhood companion and now caretaker of the crumbling ghost filled palace and that was his home.as they talk,sharing memories and exchanging secrets, thousands of miles away,Vel-a cousin of swati sharma never knew he had-sets out on a quest for the truth about his family that will take him from America to Berlin and ultimately to Panayur.and so begins an extraordinary journey. one that will elad both swati adn vel back through the cruel and bloody, vibrant and myth filled history of the kings of panayur to the legend that lies at its heart-the legend of the tiger by the river....

rich, seductive, sometimes erotic , this spell bounding novel full of mystery,magic and wonder is the debut of a singular new literary voice.

a thousand splendid suns

An extract from the back cover of the book by Khaled Houseini.

Mariam is only 15 when she is sent to Kabul to marry the troubled and bitter asheed,who is thirty years her senior.nearly two decades later, in a climate of growing unrest, tragedy strikes 15 yr old Laila, who must leave her home and join Mariam's unhappy household.Laila and Mariam are to find consolation in each other, their friendship to grow as deep as the bond between sisters, as strong as the ties between mother and daughter.

With the passing time comes Taliban rule over Afghanisthan and the streets of Kabul loud with the sound of gunfire and bombs, life a desperate struggle against starvation, brutality and fear, the women's endurance tested beyond their worst imaginings.yet love can move a person to act in unexpected ways, lead them to overcome the most daunting obstacles with a startling heroism. in the end it is love that triumphs over death and destruction.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is an unforgettable portrait of a wounded country and a deeply moving story of a family and friendship. it is a beautiful, heart wrenching story of an unforgiving time and an unlikely bond and an indestructible love.

Many Lives,Many Masters

While in Delhi i was reading this book called "Many lives,Many masters" by Dr Brian Weiss and here is an extract from the back cover for i found the information befitting the book.its a good read, hope you get time to read it as well.

Psychiatrist Dr Brian Weiss has been working with Catherine,a young patient, for 19 months.Catherine was suffering from recurring nightmares and chronic anxiety attacks.when his traditional methods of therapy failed,Dr Weiss turned to hypnosis and was astonished and skeptical when Catherine began recalling pasty-life traumas which seemed to hold the key to her problems. Dr Weiss's skepticism was eroded when Catherine began to channel messages from the 'space in between', which contained remarkable revelations about his own life.acting as a channel for information from highly evolved spirit entities called Masters,Catherine revealed many secrets of life and death. This fascinating case dramatically altered the lives of Catherine and Dr Weiss and provides important information on the mysteries of the mind,the continuation of life after death and the influence of our past life experiences on our present behavior. I just loved this line-

" there is a reason for everything.perhaps the moment that an event occurs we have neither the insight nor the foresight to comprehend the reason, but with time and patience it will come to light."

harry potter and the deahtly hallows

Harry Potter and the deathly hallows is the last book of the series...for those who are reading this and fearing that i may spill the beans can heave a sigh of relief!for i am about to do no such thing..this is by far the most interesting book after my favorite:goblet of fire.the tension mounts with each page that you read,its almost heart breaking....i am simply loving this book..a few more chapters to go and i have been reading non-stop all night yesterday despite the fact that i was dog tired and today i ll miss 2 classes to finish it...but finish i will....

i was introduced to the world of Harry Hotter by this uncle of mine...who then made it his habit to gift me books....i will probably be indebted to him all my life for initiating me into Harry Potter books when i was in class 6...its been7 years since,my uncle has left for the heavenly abode but my love for harry potter and Hogwarts have not faded...almost at the threshold of being 20....i find the enthusiasm still in me to read and to and take my fill of this magical world...i remember sobbing copiously when Serius black died....even more when Dumbledore died...then wishing for the hundredth time Ron and Hermione actually became a couple...laughed hilariously at Fred and George's jokes...it was all so real to me...away from studies..friends...troubles and this mortal life...where pictures are static and chocolates don't change their taste....i love Harry Potter....a simple boy with the burden of the world upon his shoulder....i could identify the sorrow and grief that he went through...now that i am all grown up and i know that such world really doesn't exist and its all a fiction but somewhere i would like to believe...that Harry lived..to vanquish the evil....every time evil will show its deadly fangs a Harry will be born to save mankind....it actually feels terrible that there will be no more of Harry Potter and his magical world and that this is The End.....but Harry shall be mortal....his magic shall live on for generations to come....our kids shall grow up to love Harry too and someday i hope i will be gifting my collection of the Harry Potter to my kids....but then thats not until for a decade.....but the presence of Harry Potter will be missed....and J k Rowling shall remain an all time favorite children's book writer of all times....thank you Miss Rowling for the gift of Harry Potter

Potter Mania

Harry potter has become a household name and an essential in every growing up child…however it would be extremely unfair to limit the magic of Harry Potter and his friends to Hogwarts and to a specific generation of people…Harry Potter has fans from toddlers to the aged…growing up just isn’t the same without the magic of Harry touching our lives…away from books, exams and loads of pressure J k Rowling has weaved a world of magic for us. Cocooned in its splendor…unnoticed by us Harry Potter has come to life and become a part and parcel of our life… Ron and Hermione have become our friends too…we have accompanied them on their adventures…shared their happiness and their sorrow… We have cheered when Gryffindor has won the house cup and winced when Harry fell off the broom during the quidditch match…what makes harry more life like is… that his life despite being magical has tons of reality check thrown in… losing his parents and then finding his god father and then losing him… finding a mentor and guide in professor Dumbledore and a mother in Mrs. Weasley …..

With each book of Harry potter our affair with Potter continues and grows in magnitude… we have evolved with Harry as he enters into Hogwarts for the first time and then he graduates into his final year in the final book…we are so engrossed into this non muggle world that a simple fiction has lead to several speculation as to who is the love interest of Harry… will Ron and Hermione end up together? Is Dumbledore really dead? Is Snape a death eater? Will Harry die? The last book is nearing release…Rowling has promised an end to Harry potter series but will viewers have enough of Harry there lies the question…whatever maybe the fate of Harry potter. Whether he wins the duel with the dark lord Voldemort or whether he falls to his fate saving humanity is yet unknown but Harry potter has been made immortal not on in literary history but also in our lives… like classics..

kartography-kamila shamsie

i have been reading Kamila Shamsie' Kartography in my spare time these days and i must say it is darn exciting, especially because its written on a backdrop of Karachi,an unknown place an unknown time. Set in the Eighties and Nineties in one of Pakistan's largest cities, it is a tale of friendship, love, betrayal and anguish. Karachi is just as important to the story as the two main characters, Raheen and Karim. For those who lived through those years in Karachi, the novel serves as a bittersweet reminder of a difficult time in a beloved city.

Thirteen years old, Raheen and Karim, are best friends who’ve been together since birth. Their winter holidays have just started and their plans of spending their days roaming the city with two other close friends, Zia and Sonia, are being spoiled by their parents. Nervous about the safety of their children as the ethnic violence escalates, the parents are planning to send them away for the holidays.

what is refreshing is the idiosyncrasies which is so similar to Indian value system and culture...one would automatically assume that since situated in Karachi its a story of violence,a very conservative picture that mirrored the society...but one is pleasantly surprised that its a wonderful image of a refine,modern and extremely well educated society...a picture of a society very similar to the one's we live in..dispelling a lot of misconceptions that we have of an unknown land...

As the years pass, some unpleasant truths are revealed and the four friends are forced to face bigger issues in each of their lives. As children, Raheen and Karim could read each other's thoughts and complete each other's sentences. But as they reach their early twenties, events from their parents’ past put them at odds with each other and their lifelong friendship at risk.

With the parallel story of Yasmin, Zafar, Maheen and Ali who are the parents of Raheen and Karim, the author touches on another dark period from Pakistan's history. The four parents have known each other since their college days when they lived through the civil war which resulted in the creation of an independent Bangladesh in 1971. That year has haunting memories for the four parents. It is also the year in which the parents swapped partners yet managed to keep their friendship alive. Raheen struggles to untangle her parents' past which is colliding with her own world.

The novel which starts out at slow pace soon becomes difficult to put down. Kartography is a coming of age story of four friends. Shamsie’s characters are vividly portrayed. Each is very different from the other. Though mainly a story about Raheen and Karim, Zia and Sonia are every bit as intriguing. The flashbacks to the parents' college days are revealing of another time and mind set. Karachi is portrayed as a complex city, lively and dangerous. One thing is for sure, as a native, Kamila Shamsie is in love with her city and manages to invoke in the reader a longing to experience the vibrant life there.