The monogram murders by Sophie Hannah

"The monogram murders" by Sophie Hannah. This book is published by HarperCollins in 2014 and has 384 pages. This is the first time some one other than Agatha Christie has written Hercule Poirot mystery.

Poirot has taken a vacation, but stays in London anonymously and shares an apartment with Inspector Edward Catchpool. Three murders are discovered in Hotel Bloxham. Richard Negus, Ida Gransburry, Harriet Sipple are murdered exactly in same fashion. Each dead body has a monogrammed cuff link in its mouth. A note is left on the hotel counter that says 'May they never rest in peace'.

Prime murder suspect is Nancy Ducane, a famous portrait painter. Poirot and Catchpull start the investigation and it takes them into the past and in a village.

Who is the murderer? Is this a revenge? Will Catchpool find the murderer or will it be Poirot? How many love affairs are there? Can the readers guess the murderer?

It's a classic whodunit. There are a number of suspects. Everyone seems to be innocent. No body seems to have a solid motive. Clues are strategically placed all over the book. Largely speaking Sophie Hanna has written the book in Agatha Christie style, thus the readers do not feel alienated.

However since this is a Hercule Poirot mystery, one can not but compare finer details of author's writing to that of the original author, Agatha Christie. All Agatha books are immaculately organized and are very orderly. This book appears a bit scattered or in slight disarray. It's minute, but noticeable. Hercule Poirot is politeness personified in Agatha novels. Here he appears to be a bit harsh. It is not clear why Catchpool refuses to see what the readers can see easily. He is shown to be thick. A bit overdone. Is it done only to show him in contrast to Poirot? If so it should have been done more subtly.

I would have preferred if the book was a bit shorter. Then it would have been more enjoyable. All in all, Sophie Hannah was a good choice to write Agatha Christi novel.

It's a  good book. Recommend reading if you are an Agatha Christie fan.

My kind of girl by Buddhadev Bose

"My kind of girl" by Buddhadev Bose, translated from Bengali by Arunava Sinha. This book is published by Random House India in 2009 and has 128 pages. This book was originally published in 1951. It's a novella.

Four middle aged Bengali strangers (all male) meet in the waiting room of Tundla station, 25 km from Agra, where they have pass the night. A powerfully built Contractor, a bureaucrat, a doctor and a writer on holiday. They see a newly married couple lost in each other, deeply in love. Since there is no train till the next morning, they decide that each one will tell a story about a girl in his life.

Three of the four stories are of what would be conventionally termed as unsuccessful love. Unsuccessful because it did not end in a marriage. But was the love unsuccessful? Not really. Love was there. The feeling and satisfaction was there. So love was successful.

All the stories are about common people. Love that they experienced was made up of a number of small things and incidents. It is the small things that matter. Love in this book is very subtle and delicate. Readers are drawn into the stories. They don't want the book to end.

Though this is a translation of original Bengali book, the lyricism in the narration is preserved. The tender feelings and delicacy remains unadulterated. Nothing seems to be lost in translation. Full marks to the translator. If the translation is so good, how good will be the original? Alas! I don't know Bengali.

Although the book was written in 1951 you enjoy reading it immensely. Love is an emotion that is not bound by time and timing, it's eternal.

An excellent book. A must read.

Shabdanche dhan (शब्दांचं धन) by Maruti Chitampalli (मारुती चितमपल्ली)

"Shabdanche dhan (शब्दांचं धन)" a Marathi book by Maruti Chitampalli (मारुती चितमपल्ली). This (third) edition of the book is published by Sahitya Prasar Kendra (साहित्य प्रसार केंद्र) in 2011 and has 184 pages.

Maruti Chitampalli worked as a forest officer and has written extensively about wild life, flora & fauna and Nature. His specialization is birds.

This non fiction book is a collection of 20 articles. Each of these article was previously published in either newspaper or Diwali magazine (दिवाळीअंक) between 1977 and 1990.

Most of these articles are about a famous personality in the world of literature and/or art. Author has come in contact with some of these personalities in relation with literature or wildlife and author has learned something from each of them. Some are friends of author, some are aquitances, he has met some of them only a few times or even once and he has never met some of them. Each of the personality is nature lover and had some relation to wildlife and birds.

Some of these personalities are Writer Vyankatesh Madgulkar (व्यंकटेश तथा तात्या माडगुळकर), Painter Almelkar (चित्रकार आलमेलकर), Principal Narhar Kurundkar (प्रचार्य नरहर कुरुंदकर), Bird scientist Dr. Saleem Ali (डॉ. सलीम अली), Writer G.A. Kulkarni (जी.ए. कुळकर्णी), Common men like Sumantbhai (सुमंतभाई) and his wife (भाभीजी) and a security guard, Greek thinker Aristotle (अँरिस्टॉटल), Western writers Joy Adamson (जॉय अँडमसन) & Jane Gudal (जेन गुडाल), Saint Samartha Ramdas (समर्थ रामदास), Editor Umakant Thomre (उमाकांत ठोमरे), Writer Jaywant Dalvi (जयवंत दळवी), Japanese writer Sei Shōnagon (सी शॉनगॉन), Ancient Indian writer Hansadev (हंसदेव) and
J. Krishnamurthy (जे कृष्णमुर्ती).

The ones I liked most were Sei Shōnagonche The Pillow Book (सी शॉनगॉनचे दि पिलो बुक) where the author appears in his dream and they discuss her writing. I was amazed by Nisargapremi Samartha Ramdas (निसर्गप्रेमी समर्थ रामदास) who has enlisted about 300 plants (वनस्पती) in one composition (श्लोक) while segregating them by type in each stanza. Hansadevache mrugapakshishastra (हंसदेवाचं मृगपक्षीशास्त्र) was a very informative article introducing readers to a scientific book written by Hansadev, a few hundred years ago, about animals & birds, their classification and behavioral patterns.

Author has covered personalities from various geographical areas (India, Japan, USA, UK) and time period (Contemporary, 50-100 years ago, 300 years ago, 700 years ago, 1000 years ago). Though most of them are writers there are editors, painters and common men as well.

Some of the articles are very interesting and some are not so good. Some articles have a hint of boastfulness, but author has tried to be polite even in that.

Not a must read, but you can read it for a change.

Assassin's breach by O Nicholas Cicero

"Assassin's breach" by O Nicholas Cicero. This book is published by This Street Creations in 2014 and has 274 pages. This is the  series opener (first book) of  Augustus Peña series.

Before becoming a political appointee, Augustus Peña worked for National intelligence cover operations (NICO), a super secret clandestine state (USA) organization. When he starts to write fiction that resembles his work, he has to be silenced. NICO issues an order to kill Augustus and his family.

Can Augustus save his wife Jennifer and their toddler son? Will he revert to his old ways? Will he kill? Can one man fight an organization? Will he get help?

I chose to read this book because plot of this book appeared interesting. The book starts on interesting note. Middle section of the book is decent, but then it starts losing the stream. Author is not able to sustain the flow and keep up the tempo. The end is abrupt, unbelievably naive, strange and an anti climax.

Sometimes the seasoned agents of secret world do comical mistakes. Be it the inability of assassin to understand the message or the 'zero sum event' order by NICO boss, inability of the assassin to kill a toddler from 2 ft or international operatives going to a place where there are cameras to check result of lottery tickets. These things are not keeping in line with the story. Hard to tell if it is by mistake or design.

Character of Augustus Peña also appears under developed. Character of NICO boss panics like a novice and Augustus's wife fights like a professional. Too many contradictions.

Will I read the sequel of this book? I think not. Recommend to avoid this one too.

God is a gamer by Ravi Subramanian

"God is a gamer" by Ravi Subramanian. This book is published by Penguin in 2014 and has 310 pages. This is Ravi's sixth book.

Many stories run in parallel. An influential US senator is assassinated. Credit cards of New York bank are compromised. BPO processing the outsourcing of card transactions is hacked. An internet website selling narcotics is investigated, but no one knows where it is operated from. Bitcoins is used as currency. President of New York bank India operations commits suicide. FBI and CBI start investigations. An online game goes viral on Facebook.

Are these seemingly unrelated incidents actually related? What is the Bitcoin angle? How is the bank involved? Why is US President interested?

Ravi is a master of banking thrillers. Here he has woven a thriller around Bitcoins with banking as background. Since Bitcoins is a virtual and unregulated currency, it's use for  illegal transactions is used as the central theme. Author has a knack of story telling.

Peculiarity of this book is that author has used the persons and companies in real life in this book. Obama, Facebook, Bitcoins, Sony etc appear in the story. Instead of his favorite Great Boston bank, it's the New York bank this time in the book.

Since too many stories run in parallel, readers have to be attentive. Names and incidents have to be remembered till they converge. But readers do it naturally as the story arrests them. Readers are on the edge of the chair as mystery unravels.

However there are some loose ends which are not closed properly. Example: Why was Swami killed and who killed him? Why was cataract of Sarawate introduced at all? How can Satoshi not share profits with other founders? Who killed the hooker? Why Cotton Trail 2.0 was promoted anonymously?

Ravi has tried to maintain the suspense till the end and has introduced a shocking twist at the end, but I was able to guess the culprit. Special mention should also go to good cover design.

An excellent book. A must read.

The extraordinary journey of a fakir who got trapped in an IKEA wardrobe by Domain Puērtolas

"The extraordinary journey of a fakir who got trapped in an IKEA wardrobe" by Domain Puērtolas translated from French by Sam Taylor. This book is published by Random House in 2014 and has 256 pages.

This story is an outrageous idea. An innocent Indian called Ajatashtru Oghash Rathod, who lives by playing conjurer, magician, trickster and small time con man; travels to IKEA Paris to purchase a bed of nails. He has only one fake 100 Euro note, printed on one side. His fate takes him on a whirlwind tour around the world. This book is a hilarious recounting of his experiences on this crazy tour (India - France - England - Spain - Italy - Libya - France).

Will he get the bed of nails? Why does he travel to so many countries? Where does he finally land? Who does he meet?

Author has an easy writing style. Although the book does not make you laugh, it brings smiles to your lips. This hilarious tapestry is also studded with emotions and has a border of benevolence. I thought that author had predetermined that he will take the fair on a whirlwind tour. Sometimes it appears that the change of country was not really necessary.

Another book with a very long name. It appears long names are in fashion. This book is an ideal feedstock for a slapstick comedy movie. I also found similarities in writing style of the author and that of Jonas Jonasson.

Since this is a book about an Indian, it was expected that author has studied India and Indians properly. However authors knowledge of India appears shallow, resulting in contradictions and errors. Author had used the word fakir as a conjurer or a jester rather than its religious connotations. The reason for making a trip to IKEA, Paris also appears weak.

It's a fun book. Read it, enjoy it, forget it.

Our moon has blood clots by Rahul Pandita

"Our moon has blood clots : The exodus of Kashmiri Pandits" by Rahul Pandita. This book is published by Random House India in 2013 and has 272 pages.

This is the  story of Kashmiri Pandits who were subjected to religious persecution, harassed, abused, raped, killed and made to flee. Thus they became refugees in their own country. They were completely ignored by the political leaders, media and their countrymen making them nobody's people.

The uncertain atmosphere in which they have lived for centuries. The hostility they faced. The way they were singled out. The way they were treated like secondary citizens in their own country. It's shocking.

Authors grand parents had to migrate from Baramulla to Kashmir in 1947 when Pakistani tribesmen attacked. Authors family had to migrate to Jammu in 1990, when Pakistan sponsored terrorism targeted Pandits. Government, local administration, law enforcement and army failed to provide protection to Pandits. Readers who have always lived in efficiently or inefficiently governed states can not imagine complete breakdown of administration, unwillingness of people in power to intervene and inability of the Governor to enforce orders  to protect citizens. Pandits fled from Kashmir to Jammu and settled there. Initially they were welcome but later they were harassed by people from their religion and termed as outsiders. This eventually lead to another migration to Delhi.

It is shocking that in hundreds of cases of Pandit killings, not a single person was convicted. Also what is surprising is that there are no incidents of Pandits resisting, retaliating or fighting back. They simply accepted their fate and submitted meekly.

Although this book is about the plight of Kashmiri Pandits, their religious persecution and unspeakable torture that they were subjected to, the author is fair in stating that during the rule of Dogra dynasty, Muslim subjects were treated roughly. Author also narrates a few incidents of Muslim neighbors helping Pandits, but they are far too less.

Rahul's return to his home in Srinagar, which is not his home anymore, his nostalgia and his emotional attachment to the house are captured concisely but beautifully.

Author could have been provocative in his language and thoughts. But he has narrated the book matter of factly. The emotion that is most prominent is sadness and impotent rage towards administration and rest of the country for not helping the Pandits in their hour of need. Authors longing for HIS Kashmir is the central theme.

It's an eye opener. Recommend reading.

Tanzeem by Mukul Deva

"Tanzeem" by Mukul Deva. This book is published by HarperCollins in 2011 and has 364 pages. This is the fourth and final book of 'Lashkar' series.

Previous book ended with the death of Tanaz and then Iqbal going away to take revenge. This book starts with an anticlimax that Iqbal turns to Force 22 and decides to go to Pakistan and kill Ameer-ul-Momineem. He has no plan. Force 22 tries to discourage him to no avail. Finally Force 22 inserts him in Pakistan.

He enters the organization of Ameer-ul-Momineem and learns of a mega plot. A meeting of the Tanzeem of Amirs of six continents. Iqbal has to save the world.

What is the identity of Ameer-ul-Momineem? Can Iqbal kill Ameer-ul-Momineem? What is the objective of Tanzeem? Is ISI involved? Will Iqbal be caught? Can he get a word out to Force 22? Can he save the world?  

Mukul Deva is a master story teller. Most of the story happens deep inside Pakistan. Mukul has explained Pakistan in detail. Readers believe that this is how Pakistan must be. Iqbal's journey through terrorist organization is narrated in detail. Author has used real life incidents like terrorist attack on Indian embassy in Kabul in the story and blended it with fiction deftly.

The only complaint is that author has spent more than half of the book to come to the real plot of Tanzeem. This has left Tanzeem and the mega plot starving for page space. Moreover the end comes very fast and readers are deprived of enjoying the climax.

Although book ends implying that Iqbal dies while saving the world, author has left a small window so that there can be a sequel to this book. Readers love Iqbal, his courage, his patriotism and his adventures.

A good book. Read if you have read the first three.

Karna's wife by Kavita Kane

"Karna's wife : The outcast's queen" debut novel of Kavita Kane. This book is published by Rupa Publications India in Aug 2013 and has 295 pages.

Uruvi princess of Pukeya & daughter of King Vahusha and Queen Shubra was a beautiful, brilliant, kind, brutally frank, lively and tempestuous lady. She fell in love with Karna at first sight. When her Swayamwar was due she declared her intention to marry him. Obviously there was a lot of resistance from her parents to marry a low cast and be at the receiving end of insults and ignominy of the society. Moreover Karna was already married and had 6-7 sons. Despite all the attempts to convince her otherwise, she had her way and married Karna to become his second wife (His first wife was Vrushali).

Karna is a classic case of a capable, kind and brave person yearning for recognition. Uruvi understands this, worships Karna for what he is, is indignant about the injustice meted out to him, wants his well but is unable to save him from clutches of Duryodhan and his definition of 'right'.

Uruvi can not believe that Karna can stoop so low during Draupadi's disrobing (वस्त्रहरण) and wants to leave Karna. Author has given an interesting angle to the tale at this juncture that Draupadi and Kunti try to persuade Uruvi not to leave Karna. Her father eventually succeeds in convincing her but can not make her go back to him. This section (her father's speech) is a master piece of wisdom and full marks to the author for putting up such a convincing argument. Another master piece is Uruvi's spirited berating of Bhishma Pitamah for allowing unspeakable and unpardonable things to happen under his watch and not trying to stop them from happening.

It was very brave of Uruvi to marry Karna for love. She knew that he will always be considered inferior due to his parentage and will always be insulted. She being his wife will have the receive same treatment and would be additionally hated by Khsatriyas for choosing a low cast over them. Her anger and sorrow know no bound after Karna's despicable behavior at Wastraharan.

Interestingly, author has emphasized that Karna new the outcome of impending war and his inevitable death since the Draupadi vastraharan fiasco. Uruvi loves him, wishes him well but can not change his destiny.

Mahabharata is full of larger than life characters. It is very difficult to establish an unknown character in the same story and  and that too a central character, in the melee of such personalities. Author has mostly succeeded in this attempt.

I don't know if the character of Uruvi existed in Mahabharata or its a fictional character created by Kavita. As I remember Karna's second wife was Supriya.

A good book. Recommend reading.

Gone girl by Gilian Flynn

"Gone girl" by Gilian Flynn. This book is published by Crown Publishing Group in Apr 2014 and has 422 pages.

Nick Dunn & Emmie are married and then laid off during recession. They relocate to Missouri from New York to be close to Nick's parents. Nick opens a bar with his twin sister by borrowing money from Emmie and Emmie becomes a home maker. On their 5th anniversary Emmie disappears.

There is evidence of scuffle and blood loss. Police start investigation. A number of credit cards are taken on Nick's name and overdrawn. Nick is suspected of killing his wife.

Is Emmie alive? Is she kidnapped? Did he kill her? Is Nick guilty? Will he be arrested? Where is the gone girl?

The book tells us how husband and wife look differently at the same thing or incident. How they can not read each others expectations and feel miserable because the spouse does not behave the way they expect.

Narration is somewhat drab. There are two to three major twists in the tale that keeps reader interested. Character of Emmie is an enigma. Her intelligence, planning and ability to get what she wants by whichever means is amazing. Character of Nick is of an easy going husband. It's intriguing.

The story is centered around Emmie's disappearance and what really happened. Characters like Go (Margo, Nick's twin sister), Boney, Andy, Daisy etc play their part but it is essentially the story of two protagonists.

The end of book was an anti climax. Readers are baffled as to why Nick does what he does. It appeared like the 'sudden death' of the story. If length of this book was shorter, it would have become more effective and interesting.

I understand that this book is being made into a motion picture.

Not a must read.

Delhi stopover by Tulika Mehrotra

Completed "Delhi stopover" debut novel of Tulika Mehrotra. This book is published by Penguin Metro Reads in 2012 and has 393 pages.

Lila, an American of Indian origin, is a struggling actress in USA playing inconsequential roles. She is frustrated because her career is going nowhere and because her fiancee does not respect her profession. She decides to break her engagement and heads for India for a much needed vacation.

She accompanies her cousin for assisting to dress up models for a fashion show and ends up being a last minute replacement model. Fate draws her in the Delhi fashion world although she is not thin or anorexic. In a matter of days she becomes a professional model doing advertisements.

Will she remain in India? Will she remain a model or become an actress? Will she reunite with her fiancé?

The artificial world of fashion. Free use of booze, drugs and sex. The dirty and cut throat competition. Uncertainties and insecurities. One sided contracts. Abilities to make or break careers. All these facts about fashion world make the book colorful.

Tulika has written OK for a first timer. She has used the backdrop of fashion industry for the story. However what has happened is that the fashion industry has taken over the story and the story has taken a back seat. It may be either because the story is weak or the author has not taken enough efforts to develop it.

After about half way mark, the story goes into tailspin. Author seems to have lost control. Many illogical things happen. Readers are confused as to what is author is trying to convey. Author has found it very difficult to try to converge and close the story.

Lila's character comes out as shallow girl who does not know what she wants. Even the readers are not sure what is happening between her and Arman. Romantic angle with Dev remains an open point. It remains unexplained why her cousin mourns death of her father so much?

I took me six months to complete reading this book and could complete it only through sheer determination, otherwise I would have abandoned it.

AVOID.

Valay (वलय) by Va. Pu. Kale (व. पु. काळे)

"Valay (वलय)" by Va. Pu. Kale (व. पु. काळे). This edition of the book is published by  Mehta Publishing House in 2012 (First publication 1966) and has 146 pages. This is a collection of twelve short stories. Interestingly author has dedicated this book to the production of song 'Mera kuch saman (मेरा कुछ सामान)' from film 'Ijazat (इजाज़त)'.

'Swapnawedi (स्वप्नवेडी)' is about a young girl who travels by train in Mumbai for her job. 'Nar Madi (नरमादी)' is a incredible love story of a husband towards his wife. 'Vishwas (विश्वास)' is a story of a person who can not stand unfaithful behavior but has tremendous empathy. 'Sukh vikne ahe (सुख विकणे आहे)' tells us about a person trying to sell happiness and loses everything in the process. 'Ardhyawar virle geet (अर्ध्यावर विरले गीत)' is a story of a husband who does not consummate his marriage till his wife is cured of ill health. 'Laat (लाट)' is a story of a lady who loves, adores and worships an actor selflessly. 'Shekhar wargat basla ahe (शेखर वर्गात बसला आहे)' shows us how guilty conscious can change everything. 'Dishabhul (दिशाभूल)' talks about issues created by money in a friendship. 'Piun vij mi, phule phulawli (पिऊन वीज मी, फुले फुलवली)' is about a lady who refuses to be defeated by impending death.

Three of the stories have female protagonist who turns out to have lost her mind. Five stories have or are related to death. But all the stories are eventually about human emotions.

The thoughts of the characters take various motions. Sometimes they are in simple harmonic motion, some times in a zigzag, sometimes like waves, sometimes like ripples and sometimes like a mud slide. Author has written very well.

What do I think is the central theme of the book? I think it is the uniqueness within the normal. Although all characters are normal human beings, thay have a steak of uniqueness that makes them stand apart from the crowd.

This book was written in 1966. Almost 50 years ago. However the stories have not become irrelevant with time. Except the sums of money, which seem paltry today, the stories could have happened in today's world.

A good book. Recommend reading.

Raanmitra (रानमित्र)" by Padmashree Dr. Prakash Amte (डॉ. प्रकाश आमटे)

"Raanmitra (रानमित्र)", a Marathi book by Padmashree Dr. Prakash Amte (डॉ. प्रकाश आमटे). This book is published by Samakalin Prakashan  (समकालीन प्रकाशन) in 2013 and has 117 pages.

Dr. Prakash Amte, based in Hemalkasa (हेमलकसा), is well known for his social work for the upliftment of Aadivasis (आदिवासी) of eastern Maharashtra. His work for improving the hygiene, quality of life and education of the of native tribes is unparalleled. However he is also known for his love of wild animals. He runs an orphanage for younglings of wild animals. This book is about his experiences with these animals, how it started and his observations. The book also contains lot of photos of these animals.

Author has very tender feelings towards these animals. Most of them were either brought to Hemalkasa as baby orphans or were born in the orphanage. He and his colleagues have raised them with great love and affection and the animals have reciprocated. He talks about his first guests -monkeys (माकड) and has dedicated a chapter each for leopards (बिबट्या), lion (सिंह), bears(अस्वल), snakes (सर्प) and a chapter for crocodiles (मगर), foxes (कोल्हे), wolves (लांडगे), hyenas (तरस) etc.

All these animals were raised like their own children rather than pets. Sometimes they have even injured him, but not with the intention to harm but as their way of demonstrating their love. The only feeling that author has for the animals is empathy and love. The book is sprinkled with photographs of animals. The paper quality used for this book is also superior, probably with the intention of making it a collectors item.

Author has also busted a number of myths in the book. Bears like rice with milk. They are possessive. A lion and a leopard share a female leopard for mating. Swallowing tobacco kills snakes (poisonous as well as non poisonous) within minutes. Python never swallows any animal alive, it swallows after killing. Crocodile is not cruel and does not drag man in water and swallow. Fox never eats animal killed by someone else. The book is informative and entertaining at the same time. Success of the book is that, readers feel urge of visiting Hemalkasa.

What could have been better? Photo quality. It is not professional quality. It should have been better. The photos should have been annotated or atleast titled. It would have been easier to correlate to relevant text easily.

The length of book is just right. Shorter and it would have looked like pamphlet or booklet. Any longer and it would have appeared stretched.

A good book. Recommend reading.

Back in time by Andaleeb Wajid

"Back in time" by Andaleeb Wajid. This book is published by Bloomsbury India in 2014 and has 162 pages. This is the second book of Tamanna trilogy. (I had posted a review of first book 'No time for goodbyes' last month).

Tamanna is back in past using a sepia photograph and meets Manoj in Madras. The camera which also doubles up as time machine is stolen. A cousin of ajji's husband, nicknamed 'dragon amma' by Manoj, is scheming to kick ajji and her daughters out of their house. Tamanna is in a life threatening road accident in 1983.

Can she go back to present? Will Manoj accompany her? Why does a sepia photograph cause her time travel? Does any one else know the secret of time travel?

Andaleeb has kept it simple and straight. Love story and time travel is a potent combination. Author has handled both deftly without compromising one for other or letting one overpower other.

If you have read first book, you can not resist reading this one and can't wait for the third one. The story moves on and readers are hooked. There are hilarious, dramatic and emotional situations in past and Tamanna responds to them with the experience of present.

This is a small book but it packs the punch. End of the book is again interesting and readers are sure to see another time travel in next book, but this time it will be to the future, not past.

A very good book. Must read if you have read the first one.

Sidney Sheldon's "Chasing tomorrow" by Tilly Bagshawe

Sidney Sheldon's "Chasing tomorrow" by Tilly Bagshawe. This book is published by Harper in Oct 2014 and has 496 pages. Sidney Sheldon's 'If tomorrow comes' introduced readers to Tracey Whitney, the lovely and lovable rogue. Tilly Bagshawe has now written a sequel that picks up from where the previous book left.

This book starts with marriage of Tracy and Jeff, former competitors and later partners in crime, who have pulled up numerous heists and con jobs together. They retire from their careers and decide to go straight. Jeff wants to pursue his hobby of working as curator of museum. Tracy wants to become a mother and also misses the heists and con jobs.

A crater comes up between Jeff and Tracy. They are estranged. Tracy finds a reason to live. She chooses a life of anonymity. But Daniel Cooper, her ex nemesis and Jeff come back in her life indirectly.

Will Tracy come out of retirement? Will she confront Jeff? Will Daniel be able to avenge himself? What is the reason of Tracy's new life?

The story takes place in America and Europe. Tracy and Jeff have become legend. Interpol is looking for them, but can not find any evidence to arrest them for years. Surprising, isn't it?

Tracy as a mother is completely different from Tracy the thief. Tilly had tried to write like Sidney Sheldon, but can not imitate him. Start and middle portion of book is good. Buildup to the climax is good. The climax actually, is in reality, an anti climax. A wasted buildup.

I read this book because it was a sequel of 'If tomorrow comes'. Although it's not a wow book, I was not disappointed either except for the end. You must have read the original otherwise you will not get the references in this book.

An OK book. Read if you have time. If you have not read the original, give it miss.

Look who's back by Timur Vermes

"Look who's back", debut novel of Timur Vermes, translated from German by Jamie Bulloch. This book is published by Maclehose press Quercus in Apr 2014 and has 352 pages.

This is a fiction with fantastical theme, an outrageous idea. What's the idea? Hitler wakes up ..... in 2011, in Berlin. He finds his country changed completely. Nobody recognizes or salutes him. Everyone thinks that he is an actor impersonating Hitler.

Hitler realizes that he woke up after more than 60 years and realizes that destiny has chosen him over everyone else because he is the only one capable of bringing the revolution single handedly. He keeps behaving like Hitler and other keep thinking that he is deliberately taking the impersonation to the limit. He is offered a TV show. Hitler takes it as an opportunity to mobilize support for the revolution that he is destined to bring. His first telecast goes viral on YouTube. The TV channel creates Hitler's webpage. That attracts millions of hits. He becomes a celebrity, loved and hated at the same time. Some see his racial insinuations as humor, some find it in poor taste, some are outraged and some are enamored.

Can Hitler bring another revolution? Will people take him seriously? Why did he come back?

The book is narrated by Adolf Hitler in first person. Author has depicted him as a self centered and pompous chap who thinks for the good of Volk, but HE decides what is good. Hitler's amusement at volk picking up the crap of their dogs, internet, computer, modern language etc is humorous.

When a man wakes up after more than half a century without knowing it, he is expected to be in denial mode for a longer duration and is expected not to accept reality easily. In this book Hitler comes out of denial mode and accepts reality within minutes of waking up. A bit strange! Author has also not explained why and how he wakes up after more than 60 years.

The book has flashes of brilliance. Hitler's interpretation of modern day world, behavior and reactions of modern people is too good. However some of the parts are boring like the one when Hitler surfs the TV channels or visits national party headquarters. The book becomes uninteresting on a number of occasions.

While reading this book I was always curious of how author would end it. When I reached the end, it appeared incomplete. The book should have been shorter by about 50-100 pages. Then it would have become more effective. A fantastic idea not executed equally well.

An OK book. Read it for a change.

The Kite runner by Khaled Hosseini

"The Kite runner" debut novel of Khaled Hosseini. This edition of the book is published by Bloomsbury Publishing in 2013 and has 352 pages. Khaled Hosseini Is an Afghan-born American novelist and physician. This is his debut novel and he has written two more after this

This is the story of Aamir, a motherless child born in 1964-65, to a wealthy father. They live in Kabul, Afghanistan. Ali and his son Hasan are Hazara's and are their servants. Hasan is also a close friend and confidant of Amir. Amir is also close to Ibrahim Khan, business partner of his father. One day there is a kite tournament and timid Amir unexpectedly wins it. Hasan is a kite runner and he runs the last kite Amir cuts for him. But something terrible happens and they do not remain friends anymore.

After Russian occupation, Amir and his father flee to America and start a new life. Ibrahim Khan calls Amir to meet him one last time in Pakistan after 15 years. A secret is revealed.

What marked the end of their friendship? Is Amir repentant? Does he marry? What career does he choose? Who had betrayed whom? Can he reunite with Hasan? What was the secret? Will there be a redemption?

Character of Amir is the most important character. His refusal to acknowledge Hasan as friend when confronted, his possessiveness about Hasan, his repentance about not standing by him in his hour of need, his anger at his own cowardice, his attempts to forget everything, his return to his roots and his attempt at redemption is all captured beautifully.

Khaled's description of war ravaged Afghanistan, the destruction it has caused, the resultant loss of business, loss of jobs, consequent poverty and level to which human beings stoop when defeated by hunger melts your heart but it is also objective at the same time. Readers start thinking 'what have the poor Afghans done to deserve this treatment'. When economy, way of living and life comes to a standstill, hollowness occupies all the spaces. There is no future, no destiny and no hope.

Afghanistan before and after war and the difference of life is depicted powerfully. The period in America is relatively slow and less interesting. Hearts of the readers goes out for Sohrab and they wish him well.

Why Amir's father leaves Hasan behind, why Hasan's letters never reach Amir and why there is little to no control on Afghanistan Pakistan border remains unanswered. I was surprised to find that there are a lot of words common in Hindi, Urdu and Farsi.

A very good book. A must read.

Scandal Point by Fahad Samar

"Scandal Point" debut novel by Fahad Samar. This book is published by HarperCollins publishers India in 2013 and has 289 pages. Fahad is a filmmaker. He has directed TV shows like BPL Oye! , Superhit Muqabla and The Poppudam Show.

Kapil Kumar, is a yesteryear superstar, well known for his brash language, his penchant for bedding his female co-stars and his ego. He decides to launch his handsome and attractive son, Ricky Kumar, as a hero in Bollywood film that he will right, produce and direct. It would be a remake of his super hit film. Gautam Goyal, is a handsome, arrogant and drug addict son of billionaire NRI Mr. Goyal, who owns a chain of Indian restaurants. He comes to Mumbai for detoxification. Paths of Ricky and Gautam cross. Not once, not twice but many times.

Ricky hates Gautam. Why? What happens to the movie? What about rehabilitation? Who are Sheena and Meneka? How does Bollywood, business and politics interact? Where will the story go?

This is a tale of film industry. An industry that is vengeful, slutty, partial, ruthless and extravagant. All the masala ingredients are present in this book. It has affairs, sex, oneupmanship, corruption, film making, hidden agenda, sibling rivalry, drug scandal and revenge. It is a web of deceit, lies, lack of trust and scandals. All the characters are entangled in this web.

The story is scattered all over the place. Although it has all the ingredients what is missing is order. It appears that everything is thrown in together without the unified and homogeneous effect. Author has tried to put too many spices in the pot pourri hoping that the recipe will come out trumps, but none of the spices has had the desired effect resulting in a confused taste. In the end Fahad outdid himself in making it unbelievably scandalous in an attempt to bring the story to conclusion and close the loop.

Fahad should have chosen a smaller canvas to make the novel more effective. He knows how to  captivate audience should have kept it up through out the book. Many incidents are taken from real life of the film personalities and knowledgeable readers can recognize the origin.

It is more of a nude rendition of film industry than a tasteful and artistic portrait. What is the significance of 'Scandal Point'? It's only the name of a pub where the story starts. More appropriate name for the book would have been 'Scandal'.

An OK book. Read if scandals interest you.

The eye of heaven by Clive Cussler & Russell Blake

"The eye of heaven" by Clive Cussler & Russell Blake. This book is published by Putnam adult in Sep 2014 and has 400 pages.

Treasure hunters Sam & Remy Fargo are back with their sixth adventure. They are helping Spanish government retrieve goods from a sunken ship when Janus Benedict and his brother Reginald try to steal them. Fargo's foil the attempt. Janus takes it personally and starts shadowing them.

A Viking ship is found in Northern part of Canada. But Vikings had never reached American shore! There is an earthquake in Mexico, that unearths subterranean tunnels and vaults. Fargo's find a clue of a hidden tomb of Quetzalcoatl (not the Mesoamerican deity but the famous Toltec ruler). It is said that he was buried with a treasure including an emerald of the size of human heart called 'The eye of heaven'. Very little is known about Quetzalcoatl as Toltec civilization predated Aztec civilization. Moreover Spanish conquistadores twisted the history to suit them. Fargo's bring in Laslo from Laos & rehabilitate him, to help deciphering the manuscript that they illegally photographed from Cuba.

Can the Fargo's find the tomb? Do they find 'The eye of heaven'? Can they loose the tail attached by Janus? Can Janus get hold of the emerald? Does he get his revenge? Is Kendra a traitor? What does Reginald do to prove himself? What is the Viking connection? Did Vikings reach America?

The story is full of action. It contains sunken ship and treasure, ancient clues, thrill, gun fight, loss of life, traitors, drug cartel connection & treasure hunt. There are tombs, hidden chambers and maps to treasure. In short all the Cussler ingredients are present. The story has too many things to remember.

Character of Kendra is newly introduced and she is shown to have adopted to managing Fargo logistics and research on the fly. A little too far fetched. The ease with which Laslo solves the riddles and deciphers the clues also appears too easy. Sam and Remy are shown taking meals & drinks tens of times in the book, the story would not have altered without them.

The story takes place in America, Laos, Cuba and Mexico. Reader is taken on a whirlwind tour and is not allowed to think. Probably this is why the reader has no time to get bored, although they should have occasionally. Authors have also created a seed for the next adventure. This is a typical Cussler potboiler. Nothing great, nothing bad.

Read it if you are a Cussler fan.

The unknown soldier by Gerald Seymour

"The unknown soldier" by Gerald Seymour. This book is published by Penguin group USA in 2006 and has 400 pages.

This is a very complex story. Caleb, who servives shootout by American soldiers, is arrested in Afghanistan and sent to Guantanamo bay. He assumes the identity of  the Taxi driver, in whose cab he was riding at the time of shootout. He convinces that he was arrested by mistake and is released. But he is not a taxi driver. He is a soldier of 55th brigade of Taliban.

He is transported to Rub-al-khali (The empty quarter), where the terrorists are regrouping, by a small camel caravan. After he is released, Americans realize their mistake and the hunt begins. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), electronic and human intelligence and investigations begin.

Who is Caleb? Why is he so dangerous that Americans don't leave any stone unturned? Why is he so important that Taliban spares no effort for his safety and is ready to sacrifice men to save him?

The story has numerous characters. Dr. Bartholomew (Bart), who is a coward,   Edward Wroughton (Eddie) who is a bully intelligence operative, Lizzy and Marty who operate the UAV, Jed who has interrogated Caleb, Beth who is a professor in Saudi Arabia and has fallen in love with unknown stranger, Rashid the guide in Rub-al-khali etc..

The depiction of arid dessert of Rub-al-khali gives you goose bumps. The dessert can kill anyone and can be ruthless and brutal. Lack of water is accompanied by quick sands. The effort America takes to track the terrorists is amazing.

The story is slow. Although the description of dessert is good, the rest is mediocre. It's a big book and long story. Author just about manages to keep the reader interested. This was my first book of Gerald Seymour and I have not become his fan.

Beating of Eddy is surprising and unexplained. Why Caleb goes towards part of terrorism is also not entirely clear. Character of Bart is very complex and appears to be wasted unnecessarily.

Give it a miss.

The Pianist by Wladyslaw Szpilman

"The Pianist" by Wladyslaw Szpilman. This book is published by Picador USA in 2000 and has 224 pages.

Wladyslaw Szpilman Worked as a Pianist on radio in Warsaw, Poland. This story is of the time when Hitler's Germany invaded Poland, the days of brutality and holocaust.

Occupying German forces forced the Jews, including the author to stay in ghetto, within Warsaw, for almost two years but his memory of the time is like a flash as if it happened in a single day. He can not identify the incidents date wise or in chronological order. Hence this section of the book is in the form of memoir but not written chronologically.

The story shows how the rights of Jews were first infringed, then restricted. How all the Jews were confined to a Ghetto within Warsaw - Poland. How Jews were sent to labor camps. How they were left to die. They took days to remove corpses that were left on pavements wrapped in paper (Their precious cloths taken off). Half a million people lived in ghetto that was for a hundred thousand.

Author lost all his loved ones. His father, mother, brother Henryk, sisters Regina & Halina were killed in has chamber. He did not even see their corpses. A number of his friends and acquaintances were brutally murdered.

Author lived under Nazi rule in Ghetto for about two years. Then he managed to escape from ghetto and lived in Warsaw in hiding for another four years. He was helped by non Jew Polish friends, other kind hearted Poles and even a German officer called Captain Wilm Hosenfeld. He came within a whisker of death a number of times and survived miraculously every time. It's a heart wrenching description.

Atrocities of German Gestapo: Shooting, labor camp, gas chamber, asking people to run and then chasing them in vehicle and shooting them down, throwing men from balconies to ground, killing for not saluting, for not getting out of the way and even for no reason at all. It is a story of horrendous killings and senseless waste of life. It shows naked picture of inhumane behavior of Nazi's.

The Jews lived in an atmosphere of constant fear and terror. Not knowing if they will be alive the next day and having seen the deaths of their near and dear ones. A huge uncertainty hung over them and they did not know whether to consider themselves lucky for being alive or unlucky for not having escaped suffering through death.

This memoire was written by the author. His daughter found it and published it. Although author was at the receiving end of gross injustice, his narration is unusually factual and dry. There is no emotion of revenge or hate. It appears as if he reached the limit of his sufferings. After the war was over he went on to compose a number of tunes for the radio and movies.

This book also contains extracts from diary of Captain Wilm Hosenfeld. This adds depth to the book. Length of this book is ideal. Longer and it would have been an overdose, shorter and it would have been curtailed.

A good book. If you have a strong heart, read it.

No time for goodbyes by Andaleeb Wajid

"No time for goodbyes" by Andaleeb Wajid. This book is published by Bloomsbury India in 2014 and has 205 pages.

It's 2012. Tamanna, a sixteen year old, is bored out of her bones. She goes to the attic and finds an old sepia Polaroid photograph of her young mother, her two sisters and an unknown youth. While she is looking at it, she is sucked into it and time travels to 1982, 30 years back to her grandmother's house when the photo was taken.

Here her mother and aunts are of her age. She is mistaken for the pen pal of Manoj, the youth in photo. It's a different world for her. It's the same city, Bangalore, but looks very different and beautiful. Her mother and aunts seem to have a crush on Manoj. Tamanna tells Manoj how she came in 1982. It becomes clear that the time machine is the camera of Manoj's grandfather had assembled. But no one knows what triggered time travel. Grandfather does not know how to send her back. Inevitably Tamanna and Manoj are first attracted and then fall in love. Both know that this is not correct, it won't workout, but can't help it.

Can Tamanna go back to the present? Can she stay away from Manoj? Is her mother helps of her? Why Manoj is not there in 2012? Will she travel back to 1980s? Will they unite?

Andaleeb had used two tried and tested formulae. One of time travel and another of love, but she has used them to put together a very good story. Time travel is not new for fiction readers but reading it in Indian context was a novelty.

Andaleeb has shown the emotions of teen aged girl very well. First love, infatuation, emotional upheaval and change of time period to top it up and you have a heady mix. Old time Bangalore is described in detail on the backdrop of today's Bangalore. Bangloreits would like it. The reactions and wonderment of today's teen to the good old days 30 years ago is depicted very well. Although it's about time travel it's essentially a love story.

The language used in 1982 sounds more like year 2000, much modern for the times. This appears to be the only drawback.

The end of story could have been anything and it would have still made some readers unhappy. Author has chosen to end the story very beautifully. Rather than giving answer, she has left it for the readers to decide and ended on a beautiful turn. Full marks for the end.

After completing this book I came to know that this is first book of the trilogy. Second book is already published. Looking forward to read it.

A very good book. Must read.

Ayushyache dhade giravtana (आयुष्याचे धडे गिरवताना) by Sudha Murthy (सुधा मुर्ती)

"Ayushyache dhade giravtana (आयुष्याचे धडे गिरवताना)" by Sudha Murthy (सुधा मुर्ती). The book is translated in Marathi by Leena Sohoni (लीना सोहोनी). This book is published by Mehta Publishing House in 2013 and has 156 pages.

This book is a collection of 23 short stories like most of Sudha's books. Most of the stories have come from her own experiences while working for Infosys foundation and has her as one of the characters. All the stories are about common people that we encounter in our daily lives as well as some special ones. Most of the stories are from Karnataka.

Rahmanchi awwa (रहमानची अव्वा) has a lady who raises two children with two different religions, Upawas (उपवास) depicts the importance of milk for a poor person and how the moneyed are insensitive to it, Gunasutre (गुणसूत्रे) shows that honesty and loyalty is not passed down through chromosomes, Teen jalashay (तीन जलाशय) tells us stories of extraordinary contribution by ordinary people to solve the problem of water in their town, Chikatgunda(चिकटगुंडा) is the story of a person who talks too much, Bhootabarobar watni (भुताबरोबर वाटणी) is an incredible story of poet Bharvi, Shraddha (श्राद्ध) tells us about clash of feelings and tradition, Ayushyache dhade (आयुष्याचे धडे) are lessons learnt by author from small incidents, Tumhi mala wicharayla have hote (तुम्ही विचारायला हवे होते) shows need of a person to establish his importance and how author goes round it.

The stories I liked most are Gunasutre (गुणसूत्रे), Teen jalashay (तीन जलाशय), Tumhi mala wicharayla have hote (तुम्ही विचारायला हवे होते).

Some people behave, the way they do, due to their situation and some despite their situation. It's amazing to know the depth of human beings. Sudha's power of observation must be acknowledged. Many such incidents in our lives go unnoticed but for Sudha, they form a story.

It's a good book. Recommend reading.

The Calcutta chromosome by Amitav Ghosh

"The Calcutta chromosome" by Amitav Ghosh. This edition of the book is published by Harper Perennial in 2001 and has 320 pages.

The book starts in some undetermined time in the future. Antar's computer stumbles across a half burned identity card. It belongs to Murugan, an employee who disappeared in 1990s in Calcutta. Murugan was self proclaimed expert on Ronald Ross, who discovered how malaria is transferred from mosquito to humans, in India, during British Raj.

Murugan has a conspiracy theory that a secret group in India nudged Ross in a particular direction very intelligently. This group was headed by two people, Mangala and Laakhan. Wagner-Jauregg had showed that artificially induced malaria often cured, or already mitigated, syphilitic paresis. Mangala used this property of malaria for something else. Something much more advanced for any scientist of the time or much more advanced for any scientist, even today. She exploited it for cross over of personality traits from malaria donor to recipient. The personality trait will be in an item that is different, non standard & unique; dubbed as Calcutta chromosome. This chromosome is not symmetrically paired and not transmitted from generation to generation because it only exists in brain. This process can allow person to change bodies and gain virtual immortality.

Is Murugan right or is he hallucinating? Is he a meticulous person with monumental self belief or is he a crack pot? Does Calcutta chromosome exist? What does Antar do? Are Mangala and Laakhan real or are they figment of Murugan's imagination?

The story takes place in USA and India. It's a science fiction set in history and in future, however most of the story happens in 1990s.

Murugan is the central character. He is a typical genius who is not recognized by his contemporaries because he is ahead of his time. Urmila, Sonali, Romen all play their part in helping or guiding Murugan towards the discovery.

Author has been able to create the mystique atmosphere. The book is very interesting in the beginning but the same level of interest is not maintained till the end. The end, which should take the story to crescendo, seems abrupt. I thought that author could have made the last section of the book more interesting. Sometimes author has chosen to keep things complicated rather than simplifying them for the readers.

You have to read the book carefully and with attention so as not to miss important tid-bit. At the end it remains unclear why Antar, who is nearing retirement, is chosen as torch bearer rather than another young man.

An OK book. Read if you have time.

Time of attack by Marc Cameron

"Time of attack", by Marc Cameron. This book is published by Pinnacle in Jan 2014 and has 448 pages. This is the 4th book of Jericho Quinn series.

Jericho Quinn is attending a wedding of his colleagues. His ex wife (Kimi), daughter, girl friend (Veronica Garcia) and best buddy (Jacque Tbido) are all present. A young Japanese girl tries to kill his daughter. His daughter moves at the last moment and his ex wife is shot in the leg, resulting in leg amputation. Emico Miyagi, Jericho's martial arts teacher, tells him story of her past and tells him that the girl who shot him is her daughter and arranges fake passport. He leaves for Japan.

A Pakistani terrorist procures a deadly plague virus from North Korea and unleashes it on America. A Japanese pharma company has developed vaccine for the plague. Governer of Oregon state and Speaker of Senate are working for terrorists.

Why did they shoot at Jericho's daughter and not him? What does he find in Japan? What kind of plague is it? Who is behind the Japanese pharma company? Are these two things related? Can Jericho Quinn find answers and save the world?

The story is fast paced. It takes place in USA and Japan. Emico Miyagi's character aquires a different dimension in this book. She blossoms into a main character from assisting character (in previous books) and provides vital skills and information to the hero. The book also tells us a lot about Japan and Japanese culture. It also shows the importance and significance of tatoo in Japan. This book too, like previous three books, has characteristic motorcycle chases.

Last 10% of the book is too fast to keep track. It is so fast that it appears to be wrapped in a hurry. However the book ends at a very interesting and tantalizing turn of events. The readers would feel the urge to wait for the next book in the series and know what happens next.

You can read this book even if you have not read the previous three books as there is very little reference to the past books.

An OK book. Read if you have time.

Half a rupee stories by Gulzar

"Half a rupee stories" by Gulzar. Translated from Urdu to English by Sunjoy Shekhar. This book is published by Penguin in 2013 and has 232 pages.

This book consists of 25 stories. The stories are divided into eight sections and each section has a theme. First section has stories about cine personalities, second is for stories from slums and footpath. One section is for stories about Indo-Pak border. One section is for Naxalite movement. Another section is for miscellaneous stories.  And so on....

'Dusk' and 'The adjustment' are old age love stories, 'Ghugu and Jamuni' is the love story of a bird, 'Kuldeep Nayyar & Pirsahib' is mystique, 'LoC' depicts futility of war, 'The stench' gives slum dwellers perspective on redevelopment, 'The charioteer' shows how change of surrounding makes a king out of a lowly man, 'The search' provides a Kashmiri angle of the story of terrorism.

In the story titled half a rupee, bhau tells Chandu that he counts everything in athanni (Half rupee) because common man like us eats half plate, half night sleep, half laughing, half crying and half living.

Of all these stories I liked 'Ghugu and Jamuni', 'Pickpocket', 'Sahir & Jadu' the most.

I felt that some of the stories were too short. Since they were too short they did not create the intended impact. In some, author appeares to have left a lot unsaid and to readers imagination; deliberately.

The stories cover wide range of emotions, wide range of strata of the people and various cities. However the common theme is human emotions. Gulzar's ability to see the story in the most unlikely places, where a common man can not see it, is amazing. The stories intrigue you, make you wonder, laugh and pity. It is a light book that makes you think and introspect.

When I first read the title of this book it felt strange. After reading the book I realized that 'Half a rupee' is title of one of the stories and the book takes name after it.

A good book. Recommend reading.

Parshudhari Parshuram (परशुधारी परशुराम) by Sudhakar Shukla (सुधाकर शुक्ल)

"Parshudhari Parshuram (परशुधारी परशुराम)", a Marathi book by Sudhakar Shukla (सुधाकर शुक्ल). This book is published by Mehta Publishing House in Aug 2008 and has 264 pages.

The book is narrated in first person by Parshuram. It starts with the story of his grandfather Ruchik to his parents Jamadagni (जमदग्नी), a sage with legendary temper, and Renuka (रेणुका). Then it comes to the story of Parshuram.

He considered himself Brahmin (ब्राह्मण) by birth who is also a Kshatriya (क्षत्रीय). He learns brahmavidya from his father and shastravidya from Sage Kashyap. He conducts strict meditation and obtains Shivadhanushya from Lord Shiva, Vaishnav dhanushya from his grand father Ruchik and Parshu (परशु) from Lord Ganapati. This Parshu gives him the name Parshuram.

His life goal is to salvage the populace from oppressive kings. If that calls for war, so be it. If he has to kill the kings to achieve his goal, so be it. War and killings were not considered job of a Brahmin in those days. A Brahmin carrying weapons was a curious sight in those days. It is said that Parshuram got the earth rid of all Kshatriyas, 21 times. This book, however, is exponent of the theory that he got rid of bad Kshatriya kings and not all Kshatriyas. The first big war he fought was with Sahastrarjun (सहस्त्रार्जुन), a very bad and oppressive king, and all his ally kings. The second big war was against Vimalasur (विमलासूर), a demon who made life difficult for everyone.

His second life goal was to create a new land by asking the sea to retract, invite all kind of people to relocate there, build important temples and make a heaven out of the barren land. This land is present day Kokan.

Finally the meeting of two legends; Ram and Parshuram, takes place. This meeting is the devine signal to Parshuram that his work on Earth is coming towards end and there is someone else to fight the bad guys.

Parshuram is a very interesting character. He is Brahmin by birth and Kshatriya at heart. Forgiving, austerity and non violence are characteristics of Brahmin and war, violence and opulence are characterized in a Kshatriya. There is a constant dual between these two personalities within Parshuram. On one hand he wants to follow path of non violence and on other hand he can not accept the reign of unjust kings. Various sages, including his father and his guru, try to contain his anger and rage so that he doesn't go too far in his revenge and harm or kill the innocent.

Although the story of Parshuram is fascinating, author has chosen to narrate it blandly. Either he has missed the opportunity to make the narration interesting or he has done so deliberately. Thus the book just manages to keep you interested but you have a feeling that it could have been better.

The narration is decent. Some of the events are wrapped up too quickly and others are stretched. Author has used the word haslo (laughed), more than 100 times in this book, in the form of मी हसलो or तो हसला or ते हसले.

All in all a good book due to the fascinating story. If you  are interested in Parshuram, read it.

Pocket full of Rye by Agatha Christie

"Pocket full of Rye" by Agatha Christie. This edition of the book is published by HarperCollins in 2012 and has 128 pages. This is a Miss Marple mystery.

Rex Fortescue is a successful businessman. He knows how to exploit things by less than legal means without breaking the law. One day he comes to the office, drinks tea and dies. Police are called and it is quickly established that the reason of death is by poison called Taxine but it was not given through his tea. Mr. Fortesque's pocket is full of cereal Rye.

He is survived by his beautiful second wife, Adel, 30 years younger and having affair with a young man, Two sons Lans & Percy and a daughter. Lans has been estranged after attempting money swindle, years ago. He lives in East Africa and returns after hearing the news. Percy is the obedient son helping his father in business. Daughter wants to marry a man with socialist leanings and the union is disproved by Rex. The household consists of wives of the two sons, sister of Rex's first wife, Mary Dove the house keeper, Mr. Crump the valet, Mrs crump the cook and Gladice the young servant girl.

Inspector Niel starts investigation. There are more murders. Mrs. Adel Fortesque is killed in her study after taking tea. This time the poison is potassium cyanide. The servant girl Gladice is found dead, strangled. Then enters Miss Marple.

Who called Miss Marple? Will Inspector Niel accept her presence? What is the mystery of Rye? Who put the black birds in the pie instead of veal? Are there any more murders? Whodunit?

The story is small and crispy. Miss Marple enters after half way. Everyone seems to have a motive. Most of them seem to have an alibi for atleast one of the three murders. Who is it?

Agatha has delivered another murder mystery nonchalantly. You do not lose interest in the story and keep trying to find the murderer. Miss Marple eventually find the murderer for us, but she gets a vital help that readers don't. Readers think that Miss Maple had an undue advantage over them.

The reference and significance of nursery rhyme 'Sing a song of sixpence...' is used intelligently, though this was not the only time she has used the idea.

A good book. Read if you liked the review.

The business by Iain Banks

"The business" by Iain Banks. This book is published by Lyly Brown Book Group in 2000 and has 400 pages.

Kate Telman is a Level 3 executive (Level 1 being highest) in an organization known simply as 'The Business'. The Business is a multinational empire with many interests and stakes. It works in background hence not many are aware of it's existence. But it is more powerful than many countries.

The Business now wants a seat in UN. They are making a show of purchasing a country (clandestinely) called Fenoa Oa. However their real target is a Himalayan kingdom country called Thulahn. The ruler of this country is Prince Suvinder Dzung, a British educated gentleman.

The Business wants to send Kate to Thun, capital of Thulan, as the ambassador-cum-advisor. Few days before her departure, someone removes random teeth of her subordinate before he was to travel to Japan to strike a deal. She is suspicious about an electronic chip making factory where The Business has invested. Suvinder asks her to marry him upon reaching Thun.

What is this all? Can The Business acquire Thulan? Will Kate accept Suvinder's proposal? What is the meaning of removal of teeth?

The writing style is decent but the pace is jerky. Character of Kate is the soul of the story. It is not clear what message author is trying to give.

The fictitious country Thulan seems to be modeled on the combination of Nepal and Bhutan, Bhutan being more prominent. Thulanese simple life, free from technology and material means is depicted beautifully.

Start of the book is interesting. Middle section is pleasant but bland and does not do justice to thriller. Reader starts wondering if the genre is really thriller. The end also seems to be under developed.

AVOID.

Nur Jahan's daughter by Tanushree Podder

"Nur Jahan's daughter" by Tanushree Podder. This book is published by Rupa in 2005 and has 360 pages.

Mehrunnisa was the waiting lady of queen Bilquees Begum. She was beautiful, intelligent, witty, an artist and ambitious. Prince Salim was in love with her but his father Akbar arranged her marriage with his loyal soldier Sher Afghan. They were married for 13 years and had a daughter, Ladli Bano. When Salim became king and took the title of Jahangir, he engineered the assassination of Sher Afghan and braught Mehrunnisa to his harem. There she prospered as fashion designer. Jahangir wanted to marry Meherunnisa, but she kept him at bay for 4 years and then married him on her own conditions.

Ladli was nature loving simple kid. She did not like the atmosphere of harem and shallow ladies in it. She hated Jahangir, the murderer of her father and adored her mother for refusing to marry Jahangir. She was heart broken when her mother finally agreed to the marriage. Her lack of self assurance and over sensitive nature did not help either. She was a simple girl unfit for royal harem.

Nur Jahan, a title given by Jahangir to Mehrunnisa after marriage,  was a fashion designer, creative in planning gardens and architecture, excellent marksman and an able and ruthless ruler. She ruled the empire by proxy because Jahangir was deeply in love with her, acknowledged that she was better than him and because he was busy in appraising paintings, writing memoir, drinking & smoking. Nur Jahan's philosophy is summarized in one sentence in the book "You can do whatever you want, provided you want it enough".

Ladli adores and worships her mother but could not decide if she loved her for what she was or hated her for marrying the killer of her father and then killing Ladli's lover, leaving no stone unearthed to make Ladli an empress; trampling her emotions.

Every one knows Nur Jahan but no one knows Ladli. She always lived under the shadow of her illustrious mother and went unnoticed. No one paid attention to her wishes, what she liked, what she wanted. She was like a beautiful bird in a golden cage. Despite her ambitious mother trying to shape her life, she remained loyal to her till end.

Narration is interesting. The book provides glimpses of Mughal period for readers. Atmosphere of harem is created very well. The splurging of wealth by Mughal's while common man did not have food to eat causes revulsion. Character of Ladli is a classic character of the child of larger than life personality. She was a mousy daughter of illustrious mother. The book ends with death if Mehrunnisa and remaining life of Ladli is covered in epilogue.

Reader is amazed by Nur Jahan and feels sorry for Ladli. Reader is also intrigued how Ladli could love her mother after what had happened. This is the success of the book.

While reading the book, reader is more interested in Nur Jahan than Ladli. The book  is more about Nur Jahan than her daughter, Ladli. This I believe is the shortcoming of this book.

A very good book. If you are interested in Mughal period, you will like this novel.

The legend of Amrapali by Anurag Anand

"The legend of Amrapali", by Anurag Anand. This book is published by Shrishti publishers and has about 213 pages.

Everyone knows the story of Amrapali, the legendary courtesan, of Vaishali, famous for her ethereal beauty and divine dancing. I remember watching an old Hindi film on her many years ago.

The story starts with Amrapali's patents finding a nascent baby girl in mango grove. The king of Vajji, where they resided, is not decided by birth but was elected (It was the first democracy in the world) and ruled from Vaishali. Amrapali is famous for her beauty and dancing skills. King Manudev likes her and wants to marry her. Her father rejects the proposal and plans to marry her to her childhood sweetheart Pushp kumar.

But the king arrests Pushp. When he tries to flee, he is killed. Talking refugee of an ancient law, he declares Amrapali as the nagarvadhu (Courtesan) of Vaishali. Being a nagarvadhu, now Amrapali has to entertain all the rich men in town. Her father commits suicide. Her friend Prabha accompanies her till end.

Will King Manudeva have her? Does Amrapali likes being the object of desire of everyone? Does she remember the loved ones? Does she want revenge?

Amrapali, the courtesan (nagarvadhu - नगरवधू), is well known. Tales of her beauty and dancing skills are passed down from generation to generation. Her generosity and the work that she did for the society are also known. However nobody knows her as a human being, as a girl and a woman.

The story becomes very interesting towards the end of the book. She was not only beautiful and excellent dancer but she was also just and was an expert in kootaniti (कूटनिती). The story of how she saved her motherland and Prabha and how she took her revenge is fascinating.

Author has spent too many pages for the story before she becomes Naharvadhu, hence that part is slow, but then the story picks up. Although Amrapali was a courtesan author has refrained from describing her adventures in the world of sex and has preferred to concentrate on her dancing skills.

The book is slow initially and I took a break of more than a month before resuming to read. This speaks volumes about the book. The cover has a photograph of Mallika Sarabhai as Amrapali. It's fabulous.

Author could have and should have made the story more interesting. But he choose not to.

You will like the book if you are interested in Amrapali's story.

How I braved Anu aunty and co-founded a million dollar company by Varun Agarwal

"How I braved Anu aunty and co-founded a million dollar company" debut novel of Varun Agarwal. The book is published by Rupa in 2012 and has 249 pages.

Author confesses at the beginning that he is not a writer and that he is influenced by Bollywood and book may sound melodramatic. Author also states that this is a true story of his life with some dramatization.

Varun has completed his engineering with neither good nor bad score. All his friends have  got a job and started earning. There are two pressures on Varun to take up a job. First is peer pressure and second is aunty pressure, more specifically Anu aunty pressure.

Anu aunty is a typical and symbolic bossy aunty who has a habit of poking her nose in the matter of others, especially that of children of her kitty party friends and constantly comparing one with other. She also has a habit of paying special attention to the so called 'under achievers' and trying to choose their destiny for them.

This Anu aunty wants Varun to take up a job whereas Varun has a brilliant business idea and doesn't want to serve someone else.

Will Anu aunty prevail? What will she do? Up to what extent will she go? Does she influence Varun's mother? Can Varun start a business and be successful in it? What other obstacles does he face?

The book has captured the nerve of Bangalore (Bengluru), where the story takes place. The IT professionals, pub culture, booze and girls become integral part of the book.

Varun has written well. The book doesn't seem melodramatic. It gives us the story of today's young dynamic and entrepreneurial generation and shows us how social media can be exploited to garner business opportunities. It also tells us to be pioneer and original in what you do. It also advises us not to be bogged down by Anu aunties who want you to take up a job rather than become an entrepreneur.

Although this is seemingly a light hearted book, author gives numerous anecdotes for the wannabe entrepreneurs. Most of them are generic in nature applicable for any business but some are specific to his chosen business. He also tells us how to exploit the social media to market your e-commerce company. The only regret while reading the book was that author has not written elaborately about his struggles and how he sailed through mentally. His love story is also left incomplete.

The cover design of the book is different and makes it stand out. It's also very relevant. This is a book with a long name. Looks like long names are in fashion now a days.

I had purchased this book months ago but had not read it, as I was not sure how it would be. Entertaining or boring. It turned out to be the former.

A good book. Recommend reading.