Paper towns by John Green

"Paper towns" by John Green. This book is published by Bloomsbury publishing in 2014 and has 320 pages. It's a young adult novel. Film adaptation of this book will be released soon.

Quentin Jacobsen 'Q' spends a crazy night with his childhood one sided love, Margo Roth Spiegelman, driving around the town and playing mischief with the enemies. Next day she disappears leaving behind cryptic clues for Q. He & his friends Ben and Radar are on the trail.

Where is Margo? Is this her first disappearance? Why did she disappear? Why did she leave clues? Why did she chose Q? What are paper towns?

This is a book written for young adults, starring young adults. Obviously it contains areas of interest for teenagers and has teen age craziness like breaking into someone's house, wearing nothing under the graduation robe, exploring abandoned buildings, love, lust, hate etc.

Q is a typical shy, non punctual, intelligent boy who loves his childhood sweetheart without ever telling her. Margo is an enigmatic personality. Everything she does is WOW. She is the ultimate of everything. Ben is a typical joker and Radar is the nerd. Characterization is good.

Author has used puns liberally to create humor. This makes book more readable. Paper town refers to pseudo vision in particular and falseness in general. Credit also to author for avoiding the temptation of a happy ending but rather ending the novel realistically and with hope.

John has written a book that will keep young readers interested and not so young readers entertained.

If you are a teenager, read it.

Scion of Ikshvaku by Amish

"Scion of Ikshvaku" by Amish. This book is published by Westland Ltd on 21st Jun 2015 and has 354 pages. This is Book 1 of the Ram Chandra series.

Book 1 starts with Sita haran (सीता हरण) and then takes us to the past in flashback from before Ram's birth, his upbringing, his marriage, his exile (वनवास) and again ends at Sita haran (सीता हरण).

Amish has retained some concepts from Shiva triology like Naga (men born with physical deformity), Vayuputra (a tribe left behind by Rudra, the last Mahadev), Mahadev and Vishnu being positions not persons and their specific roles.

He has introduced some new concepts that counter the popular story e.g. Ram was hated by Ayodhyans, Sita was elder than Ram, Ram piercing eye of rotating fish looking into its reflection to win Sita etc. Author has also introduced interesting concepts of Masculine and Feminine societies.

Although he has tried to be consistent with Shiva trilogy there are some discrepancies e.g. Parshuram is a bandit warrior in Shiva trilogy but in this book he is the sixth Vishnu.

The map of Sapt Sindhu provided in the book is not very legible, should have been more legible. The cover says it's Book 1, not clear if it is a trilogy or more. The publicity for this book was very effective. I had ordered the book order release, received it the day after it was released and read it in 4 days.

The book is logically written. Author has tried to explain things realistically rather than taking refuge in magic or Godly wonders. Author has intelligently used modern day issues and philosophies with camouflage to explain conflicts of that era.

However this book doesn't have ground breaking and ingenious ideas and concepts like Shiva trilogy. It appears that Shiva trilogy and author's attempt to be consistent with it has put constraints on the artistic expression and creativity in this book. Or may be I expected too much after Shiva trilogy!

This book is not in the league of Meluha. But it's a good book.

The Mark of the Assassin" by Daniel Silva

"The Mark of the Assassin" by Daniel Silva. This book is published by Signet in 2003 and has 528 pages.

A known Palestinian terrorist shoots down an American civilian airliner. 200 dead. The terrorist is also found dead, shot 3 times in the face. Michael from CIA is on the case. He has previously encountered an assassin who shoots his victims 3 times in the face. It's the mark of this assassin.

Who is behind the attack on airliner? Who is the assassin? Why does he have a mark? Can Michael catch him?

It's a classic tale of a high profile CIA operative and world's best assassin. Here both are hunting for each other. Author has also introduced a personal angle in the story that makes it more appealing.

Elaborate plot by the wealthy & powerful to become wealthier and more powerful, use of terrorists and assassins to achieve the goal, misleading, deception, campaign financing, espionage, love; the story contains everything.

Daniel has written a good story. It has a crisp pace. Doesn't slow down. Nails you to the book. Characterization is good. The book ends where the next book will start. It's not over yet, wait for the sequel.

Recommend reading.

The Stranger by Harlan Coben

"The Stranger" by Harlan Coben. This book is published by Orion in Mar 2015 and has 400 pages.

A stranger meets Adam, a lawyer, & tells him that his wife of more than 15 years faked a pregnancy and then a miscarriage two years ago. Adam's world turns upside down. The Stranger meets Haidi and tells her that her college going daughter works as a call girl. A stranger tells a father that his sportsman soon is on drugs. Two murders take place.

Who is The Stranger? Is he telling the truth? Why is he doing it? What are his intentions? Are they good? Is there more than meets the eyes.

It's the story of major upheavals in the lives of people when the stranger reveals the secret of their loved ones. Harlan has delivered a good story. Business in secrets is an interesting concept. He has paired it with vigilante aspect and added murder, embezzlement, fraud, prostitution & blackmail to spice it up.

It's not a story with uniform pace but it has enough in it to bind the reader to the book. The reason for murders seems a bit weak and author has also tried to justify murderers actions, but other than that it is a readable book .

What happens to Chris & Kimberly is left for the readers to guess. The book becomes very violent towards the end with five more murders. The book cover is boring.

Good book. Recommend reading.

Rangandhala (रंगांधळा) by Ratnakar Matkari (रत्नाकर मतकरी)

"Rangandhala (रंगांधळा)" a Marathi (मराठी) book by Ratnakar Matkari (रत्नाकर मतकरी). This book is published by  Mehta Publishing House in 2012 (first edition 1977) and has 196 pages. I read the book through Grantha Tumchya Dari (ग्रंथ तुमच्या दारी) scheme of Kusumagraj Pratishthan (कुसुमाग्रज प्रतिष्ठान). This book is a collection of 15 mystery and enigmatic stories.

'Rangandhala (रंगांधळा)' is a story of a painter assumed and taken over by colors (रंग) and his muse. 'Waras (वारस)' is the story of a villa (वाडा) that shows a ghost only to it's inheritor. In 'Pulawarcha Manus (पुलावरचा माणुस)' a man sees another man on the bridge of his ancestral home. Who is he? In 'Baki rahilela kalokh (बाकी राहिलेला काळोख)' a man has a strange repetitive dream of cheating on his wife. His wife has a similar dream. Then there is a murder. Who's it? 'Chikhal (चिखल)' is the story of Ketki who fares to love a servant. She is convinced that her father has killed him and dumped in the marshland (चिखल). Has he? 'Hatmoje (हातमोजे)' is the story of gloves purported to belong to a killer. They want blood and make a murderer out of the wearer. 'Head-study (हेड-स्टडी)' is the story of an artist who specializes in making head statues and his friends psychiatrist. Both do head study.
'Ti don mule (ती दोन मुलं)' is a story of two cute, poor and dirty kids who land in the house of an agent who sells children for being? Or did they?

In 'Talyakathchi hirwal (तळ्याकाठची हिरवळ)' a middle aged, well to do, man starts an affair with a girl half his age and meets her on the lawn at the lake. Who's she? 'Zumbar (झुंबर)' is the story of hate remaining years after the death of a couple. 'Mhatarichi tarun mulgi (म्हातारीची तरूण मुलगी)' is the story of three Casanova friends and a Jakhin (जाखीण). In 'Interview (इंटरव्ह्यू)' Jagannath goes for an interview. But the condition of contract is very tough. 'Washikaran (वशीकरण)' is the story of a verbally challenged girl and what she does to get a young man fall in love with her.
In 'Jalmate (जळमटं)' we meet two old ghosts, their urge to love a child and their feelings.
'Tada geleli kach (तडा गेलेली काच)' shows us the world of a physically fit young man and his not so fit mind.

Ratnakar Matkari is known for his excellent enigmatic stories. He is one of the pioneers of such stories in Marathi literature.

The presence of unknown & the inexplicable has always fascinated human mind. These stories provide a glimpse into this unknown world. These stories are not gross, gory or vulgar, they are classy. They have a literary value.

Almost all the stories are good, however Waras, Mhatarichi tarun mulgi, Washikaran & Jalmate were especially good. A number of stories either have an undercurrent, intention or overt sex in them. A number of stories have ghosts (भुतं, पिशाच्च, जाखीण) or such creatures in them. Some stories also have mental illness. Almost all the stories use the shock technique and unexpected endings. As the book progresses, you start expecting the unexpected.

This book is a masterpiece of the genre. A must read if you are not against the genre.

The Striker by Clive Cussler

"The Striker" by Clive Cussler with Justin Scott. This book is published by Penguin in 2014 and has 384 pages. This is a Isaac Bell mystery, but it's a prequel. This is Isaac Bell's first individual case in year 1902.

There is an accident of a train carrying coal out of the mine. Isaac Bell, disguised as a miner, tries to unsuccessfully stop it. Someone has sabotaged the train. Someone tries to incite a mob to kill Isaac and others. Someone is trying to pitch the miners against mine owners. It's not just the saboteur at work, it's a provocateur.

Can Isaac Bell crack his first independent case? Can he convince his boss Joseph Van Dorn that there is a provocateur?

Isaac Bell mysteries are period mysteries. They revolve around locomotives (rail and road). Coal and mining are essential ingredients in this book. Creating trouble between miners and owners, letting coal production come to stand still and buying mines cheap is an elaborate plot. However this plot had similarities with plot of his previous book 'The wrecker'.

The provocateur has the advantage of knowing the Van Dorns and monitoring their movements but Isaac Bell is disadvantaged as he does not know the identity and motivation of the provocateur (Well! That's why the game's on, isn't it?).

It's a classic case of a protégé gone bad, in this case it's the first protégé of Joseph Van Dorn. As you may have guessed he is pursued by latest protégé, Isaac Bell.

As usual Cussler has created atmosphere of  old time very convincingly and easily. Readers are transported in 1902 (a different world all together) and feel at home. There is also a time leap of 10 years in epilogue.

Narration is fast, dynamic and exciting. There is a right mix of action and emotion. The story has deception, sabotage, romance, chases, fights and detective work. In short all ingredients that make the book enjoyable are present.

Read it, it's different.

And death came calling by Mukul Deva

"And death came calling" by Mukul Deva. This book is published by HarperCollins publishers in 2014 and has 299 pages.

Ajit and Ashwin co-own a firm that provides solutions for smart homes. Ajit witnesses death of one of their clients through one of the camera installed to watch the main frame in this clients office. Ashwin notices that this client was transacting with his swiss bank account and steals his money. He wants to do it again. And again.

Can he do it? Can he keep it from Ajit? Who is the beautiful nurse Shilpa? Can he find another victim? How does the death come calling?

The story is tech intensive with cameras, sensors, bypasses, controls and software used liberally. It revolves around obsession of the rich for smart home where you can control the locks, lighting, temperature, fire suppression system, safes and security devices remotely.

Narration is decent. Story is mostly narrated by Ashwin in first person. Pace of the story is not uniform. Too many factors and players have induced a few lose ends like what happens to Shilpa? Why does the police wait till all damage is done? What is the angle of Dr. Batra? Etc.

Although the story is plausible it lacks the finess and finishing that are hallmarks of Mukul Deva. Readers do not sit on the edge of the chair. Suspense is not tantalizing.

The death indeed comes calling with almost everyone dying. Although the book is not bad, it's not in the league of other Mukul Deva books.

Read if you have time.

Amrita by Usha Rajgopalan

"Amrita" by Usha Rajgopalan. This book is published by Rupa & Co. in 2004 and has 333 pages.

Gauri visits Raghu, who is her biological father (but he does not know it). Raghu's daughter, Amrita (a mentally retarded girl), has died on the day of her younger sister Maya's marriage. Gauri talks to Raghu's wife, Raghu and Maya.

What does she talk with them? Do they open up to her? Does she tell Raghu that he is her father? How was Amrita? How did Amrita die?

It's a story that is told through the memory of three main characters. It's the story of Amrita, the mentally retarded.

The story is slow. Narration is semi interesting. Just about manages to keep you interested. Though you feel it could have been better.

The mystery of Amrita's death is what keeps you reading. It's revealed at the very end. However it was possible to guess how it happened. I would have preferred if the book was a bit shorter. The book did not stand up to my expectations after reading the synopsis on the back cover.

Give it a miss.

Sakshidar (साक्षीदार) by Madhav Pitke (माधव पिटके)

"Sakshidar (साक्षीदार)", a Marathi book, by Madhav Pitke (माधव पिटके). This book is published by Utkarsha Prakashan (उत्कर्ष प्रकाशन) in 2012 and has 116 pages.

This is a collection of five short stories. They are titled 'Mobadla (मोबदला)', 'Sadsadvivekbuddhi (सद्सद् विवेकबुद्धी)', 'Sanman (सन्मान)', 'Lakudfodyachi goshta (लाकुडफोड्याची गोष्ट)', 'Sakshidar (साक्षीदार)'

The stories put forth the plight of freedom fighters (स्वातंत्र्य सैनिक) who fought for the independence of India but we're largely overlooked by the government and public. The central theme of the book is communicated in the introduction thereby reviewers like me do not have to try to find a central theme.

There is a common trait in these freedom fighters. Each of them had thrown himself in freedom struggle, they had ignored there families for that, they are idealistic (ध्येयवादी), they refused pension from government for being a freedom fighter, they refused to enter politics after independence, as a result they are in a bad financial shape, wife died due to some malady and lack of good medication, their children could not obtain good education due to lack of funds and keep blaming them for thinking about country before family.

It is evident from the writing that the writer is a novice. There are a number of repetitions like unveiling ceremony of a statue or monument, name of protagonist freedom fighter etc. This was avoidable. Writing style is very simple and uncomplicated (बाळबोध). Even school children should be able to understand it. It's a small book printed in large font, so easy to read for elderly people as well.

It's a book on a different topic. Read it for a change.