Into the moon garden by Shveta Thakrar

"Into the moon garden” by Shveta Thakrar- A modern fable! 

This book was published by Audible in 2023 and runs for 4 hours 18 minutes. This is a Novella.

Rashmi is a microbiologist who is on the verge of making a breakthrough on cure for dementia. She has an analytical mind but she also has a poetic fascination for Moon. Her Mummy has told stories of Moon Garden in detail to little Rashmi and that is where fascination comes from. She still mourns her mother and doesn't let anyone into that space, not even her famous film star boyfriend Darsh. Kaplan Joshi, a poet, whose first book "The Moon Garden" was published only 50 copies, has disappeared.

Is the Moon garden real? What's in there? Can Rashmi go there? Can anyone accompany her? What will she discover there?

Rashmi reaches the mythical moon garden and although she and Darsh are on the verge of a breakup, Darsh tags along. Moon Garden is where Rashmi wants to get her dead mother back. Can she? Is that what she wants?

The book is not a typical novel. It's a story in a different plane where reality merges with myth. It's a fascinating story. It's not only about getting her mother back magically but it's a story of self realization.

The moon garden is designed like a video game where the player has to pass a test to reach the next level.

The book is interspersed with stories from Greek, Hindu, Aztec, Norse, Egyptian, Chinese, Polynesian, Nigerian, Shinto, Mayan mythologies, all of them regarding moon concluding with the moral of the story.

Why did I read this book? The title. 

What I didn't like? Similarities with video game.

What did I like? The story. 

Recommend reading.

Three days to live by James Patterson

 "Three days to live" by James Patterson - 3 stories. 

This book was published by Penguin (Cornerstone) in 2023 and has 448 pages.  

3 days to live

Samantha Bell was recruited by Quinton for CIA in her teens. Now, in her late twenties, she has retired. Kevin Drexel has sold his shareholding in his company to his partner, Bill. They have married and are on honeymoon to Germany. An unknown nerve agent kills Kevin and causes hospitalization of Samantha. Doctors tell her that she has three days to live. Samantha needs to find out who is behind this.

The story has a good buildup. Things start to get interesting and then suddenly, the story reaches the climax. It's so sudden that the anticipation of what Samantha can do in 3 days suddenly dies.

Women and children first

Chase, ex special forces, runs a security consulting firm that has a staff of two. He himself and his daughter. His wife is a lawyer in Avalon communications. With her connections, he lands a contract with Avalon. A series of deliberate accidents happen with Avalon facilities and Chase gets a ransom call. Owner of Avalon, Gillian, refuses to believe him and fires him. The random caller forces him to shoot his wife.

This is a good story. The offs are stacked against Chase. The story starts with Chase shooting his wife and then takes us back. Although the story is interesting, the downfall comes a little too easily. For a plot of such proportions, the downfall is not complex enough.

The housekeepers

Masha Poplov is an illegal Russian immigrant and works as cleaner at the house of Dr. Elizabeth Parks, a surgeon who runs a facility for terminally ill. Dr. Parks is divorced and has a son in rehab. Marsha's cousin Sofie is also an illegal immigrant and lives with her sons. 

The story is thoroughly confusing. Readers don't understand where it's going. First it appears like it's about data leak, then it is about Masha - the thief, then it's about illegal immigration, then about housebreaking and finally about philanthropy. Probably even the authors didn't know what they wanted to write. I wonder how this story made it into a published book.

Why I read this book? Was available in hand.

What did I like? 2nd story.  

What didn’t like? Third story.

Not worth reading just for one story.

Countdown by James Patterson & Brendan Dubois

"Countdown" by James Patterson & Brendan Dubois-Lady protagonist thriller!

This book is published by Century in 2023 and it has 480 pages. 

Emy Cornwall has joined CIA to avoid dishonorable discharge from army when she killed several Mexican drug cartel members to save her husband and daughter. She is on a mission in Lebanon in collaboration with British special services when she realizes that the British team has another secret mission planned without CIA knowledge. Amy bring Amy joints in uninvited and against orders. A terror plot is in the offing.

Why does Amy join? Why does she go against the others? What is the terror plot? Who is the mastermind?

Apparently a Saudi businessman, bastard child of a prince, Rishad Hussein, is going to be killed. He is an American asset.

The story takes us from Lebenon to France to England to America. MI6 and CIA are at loggerheads. Amy and Jeremy become persona non grata. It's up to them to stop the terrorists. Count down begins.

The terror plot appears to be too complicated. There are too many variables for the success of it. Author has realized it and shows the villain thinking that he will use a simple and direct plot next time.

The story is a typical thriller. However, author introduces a twist at the end to make it interesting. The story also ends at a turn where a sequel is imminent. But the author has stopped at such a point where several possibilities open up for the sequel. He can use the same villain, same protagonists, a different villain, new protagonist etc. This basically tells us that the author is undecided about how he wants to take the story forwarded.

Why did I read this book? James Paterson. 

What I didn't like? Deaths of Tom and Denise.

What did I like? The twist.

It's an OK read.

Tress of the emerald sea by Brandon Sanderson

"Tress of the emerald sea" by Brandon Sanderson - A new world! 

This book is published by Gollancz in 2023 and has 384 pages. This is Book1 of the Secret Projects.

Tress (a name she got due to her unruly hair) lives in an island made up of a single rock on a planet with 12 moons. She's a window washer. The island is ruled by The Duke and Tress loves Charlie, Duke's son. Not happy with this Union, Duke sends his son into midnight sea in the area of a wicked sorceress. The sorceress kidnaps him. Tress decides to rescue him.

What can a window washer do? Does she even know where midnight sea is? Who does she encounter? What does she learn? Does she get her love back? Will the journey change her?

It is interesting to choose a setting of another planet for the story. It gives the author a lot of latitude and lets his imagination run wild. So we have a sea without water. It's filled with deadly spores that explode when they come in contact with water. Salt and silver suppresses the spores. Waves in the sea come from natural air vents at the bottom. There are 12 moons and twelve seas. There's a dragon and a talking mouse. Etc. Author creates a new world.

The setting is exotic. However, despite the exotic setting, author has chosen to keep the things very simple. So Tress is fond of collecting cups. She is a window washer. Things are not said out loud, they are implied. She doesn't mind when she isn't treated well. She has a hidden talent that she discovers.

The story starts on her island in emerald sea and takes us on a boat ride through crimson sea, midnight sea and back to emerald sea. Majority of the story happens on the ship. The pirate ship has interesting crew. An evil lady captain. A mute man. A lady who is searching her father from one port to another. A vampire doctor. A stupid cabin boy. This stupid fellow is also the narrator of the story.

It's an interesting yet simple story. But it's not the end. This is just the first book of the series. Tress will continue her adventures.

Why did I read this book? It was available in hand.

What did I like? Authors imagination.

What I didn't like? Missed opportunity to make certain scenes more interesting.

Recommend reading.

Nano by Robin Cook

 "Nano" by Robin Cook -  Medical thriller continues! 

This book is published by Pan Macmillan India in 2019 and has 440 pages. This is Book 2 of Pia Grazdani series. 

After completing medical school, instead of doing internship, Pia has joined a research laboratory called Nano in Boulder - Colorado, doing research in Nano Technology. She finds a Chinese runner with cardiac arrest in the woods, she takes him to the hospital but her boss and a heavy security detail arrives and whisks-off the runner. Pia begins to get suspicious and she can't stop, when something bugs her, until she gets to the bottom of it.

Why is the runner sick? What is the Chinese connection? What is Nano doing? What is the real deal behind it?

Pia has a troubled childhood in foster care despite having a gangster father. She has no friends and can't love anyone. She is very intelligent and gorgeous. George Wilson, her friend from medical school, loves her. He is also her closest friend. Paul Coldwell is Head of ER at Colorado memorial hospital. He and Pia develop friendship. Paul is the only one ready to help Pia in her investigation. Zachary Berman is Owner of Nano. He is attracted to Pia and can't digest her refusal. Mariel Spallak is Pia's boss and head scientist. 

Well, as the title suggests, this story is about nano technology. It's about unauthorized human trials. What nanotechnology can do is limitless and has minimal oversight.

The story is not very interesting but you also don't lose interest. There are twists and turns. The Chinese connection is ominous.

Why did I read this book? First book was good.

What I didn't like? Sorry not very interesting. 

What did I like? Use of Nanotechnology.

Simply lies by David Baldacci

 "Simply lies" by David Baldacci - Thriller with a difference !

This book is published by Macmillan in 2023 and has 432 pages.

Mickey Gibson, an ex cop, is now working for a company called Private Eye, mainly sleuthing online. After her divorce, she has to look after her two kids (Darby, Tommy) and work from home. One day she gets a phone call from a new lady from her office asking her to visit a property. Here, she finds a dead body of Daniel Pottinger. It turns out that the lady, who called, didn't work for her company and doesn't exist. Then starts a series of phone calls with a mysterious lady, Clarice.

Why does Clarice get Mickey involved in this? Who is Pottinger? Who killed him? Who is Clarice? What is her motive?

Clarice is a con artist and a proficient blackmailer. She is manipulative, beautiful and adept at disguise. She can weave a web of lies like no other. She is also meticulous and insecure. Mickey is sharp, relentless, patient and doesn't give up. She gets involved in the mess of Clarice against good advise of her ex-cop Dad. She has to wade through the lies to get to the bottom of the mystery. The only way to ensure the security of her family is to solve this mystery.

It's an elaborate plot with several characters and their back stories. Author uses the disguises and technology to execute the jobs effectively. The story doesn't let you get bored. Something keeps happening. Although it appears to be a run of the mill thriller, it's a thriller with a difference. There is no espionage or government agency that protagonists work for or against. There is little action. Both protagonists are females.

Character of Clarice undergoes a transformation midway into the story. This transformation appears a little abrupt. Author should have created background to ease her into the transformation. There is a death at the end and that too appears unnecessary because although brief, the dead character had a lot of potential. 

Book ends with a definite hint of a sequel. Will it come? Let's wait and watch.

Why did I read this book? Author. 

What I didn't like? As explained above. 

What did I like? Character of Clarice, before transformation.

Recommend reading. 

I wish I could tell her by Ajay K. Pandey

 "I wish I could tell her by Ajay K. Pandey - Black is not ugly!

This book is published by Shrishti publishers and distributors in 2022 and has 208 pages.

Vasu and Radhika are best friends from their childhood. Radhika is fair, Vasu is dark. Vasu loves Radhika, but Radhika considers him to be her best friend.

Can Vasu express his love to Radhika? Can Radhika see him as her life partner? What role will Kavya, Vasu's elder sister, play? How hurtful will it be? Will there be happy ending?

Radhika is fair, beautiful, likable, compassionate. She has never discriminated towards Vasu, has always stood by his side, never demanded anything of him and has always sought him to support her. Vasu is dark, average looking, not dashing, not outspoken but has a golden heart. He can't accumulate courage to express his love and has inferiority complex due to his dark complexion. Kavya is Vasu's elder sister and his guide in his one sided love story. She too is dark and is rejected by several boys when searching a groom for her. She understands Vasu's pain and tries to help him to the best of her ability. Sanju is Radhika's friend from college. He is tall, fair, handsome and likable.

Well, it's a love story, although one sided. There are a lot of emotions. So, it goes through emotional rollercoaster. But the author has steered away from melodrama. That makes it realistic and relatable. The author also makes an appearance in the book as a character and portrays himself as a humble author. It's not a large book, so the reader remains interested.

This book addresses a very important social issue. Darkness! In India darkness is equated to ugliness and fairness to beauty. I know several dark persons who are beautiful but don't get their due because of their color. This also instills inferiority complex in dark persons. Credit to author for taking up the subject.

My favorite sentence from this book:

"Patience is not the ability to wait. It’s how you behave while you wait."

Why did I read this book? Hadn't read a love story for a while.

What did I like? Flow.

What I didn't like? Umm..... 

Recommend reading.