Am yet to finish the third n final part of this Inheritance Trilogy. The first two books have been a good read. Whats enjoyable about such fantasy novels is that they are pure imagination :) This one is nothing compared to Harry Potter series off course, which was like AWESOME :D but still has been a wonderful read.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
A Missed Flight..
No, that is not any book’s name. Instead it is just a mundane experience which I thought of penning down. It so happened that after a 3 month tryst in US I was on my way back to Pune, India.
The journey began on the morning of 30th of November. After exchanging warm hugs & goodbyes with frens on that cold morning I headed for the airport. One of my frens saw me off & that eased of my journey blues to some extent. Then began the long wait, first couple of hours, then 3..5..7 hours at that Milwaukee terminal for my first flight to Newark. This flight just kept getting delayed cuz of the weather conditions. And I could see the weather from the terminal windows. It kept snowing & a tempest followed. I knew I had missed my connecting flight from Newark to Mumbai due to this delay but still I was hoping against hope that it might also have got delayed, haha :)
The journey began on the morning of 30th of November. After exchanging warm hugs & goodbyes with frens on that cold morning I headed for the airport. One of my frens saw me off & that eased of my journey blues to some extent. Then began the long wait, first couple of hours, then 3..5..7 hours at that Milwaukee terminal for my first flight to Newark. This flight just kept getting delayed cuz of the weather conditions. And I could see the weather from the terminal windows. It kept snowing & a tempest followed. I knew I had missed my connecting flight from Newark to Mumbai due to this delay but still I was hoping against hope that it might also have got delayed, haha :)
Monday, September 29, 2008
The Human Factor...Graham Green
This has been my first book by this author. Came to know about this author from some books community on net so thought will give it a try.
The protagonist in this book is a double agent, now that is something which becomes clear half way through the book. The story is a simple one in which he is passing on secrets & the people in this department are looking for the person who is leaking information. And this person is mostly concerned about is wife & kid. However after commiting the final information leak he has to escape to another country & now is waiting for his family to join him etc etc.
There is not much of suspense in the story considering that it supposingly a "spy" novel, but somehow the way the author has written it, makes a good read. I enjoyed reading the book even though it seems a very simple story. And so I have picked up another book "Brighton Rock" by same author :)
The protagonist in this book is a double agent, now that is something which becomes clear half way through the book. The story is a simple one in which he is passing on secrets & the people in this department are looking for the person who is leaking information. And this person is mostly concerned about is wife & kid. However after commiting the final information leak he has to escape to another country & now is waiting for his family to join him etc etc.
There is not much of suspense in the story considering that it supposingly a "spy" novel, but somehow the way the author has written it, makes a good read. I enjoyed reading the book even though it seems a very simple story. And so I have picked up another book "Brighton Rock" by same author :)
Friday, September 19, 2008
The Gambler...Fyodor Dostoevsky
This is my second book by this author. Actually I had heard a lot about this author that he is amazing this n that. But I just couldn't understand anything that was written in this particular book . I mean neither the story was great in itself, nor it had any humor, or suspense, or anything for that matter. I just kept reading it thinking that maybe I will understand what the author is trying to convey through this book , but I couldn't get anything really except that gambling is addictive :D
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Its not about the bike - Lance Armstrong
In this semi autobiographical book, Lance Armstrong writes about his career as a racing cyclist, his fight against cancer & his beating the disease winning the tour de France. It is really amazing to read about such people who in spite of all the odds just DO IT.
The book starts with some background about his childhood & how eventually he took up sports, won triathlon & then started with cycling as a professional. His mother had always been supportive. It just took him few years and loads of training & practice to earn name n fame in it. He was at the peak of his success when cancer hit him & he realized for the first time that he is human and vincible.
The book starts with some background about his childhood & how eventually he took up sports, won triathlon & then started with cycling as a professional. His mother had always been supportive. It just took him few years and loads of training & practice to earn name n fame in it. He was at the peak of his success when cancer hit him & he realized for the first time that he is human and vincible.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Grass is greener on the other side...
There is this short story in "To cut a long story short" by Jeffery Archer which I though I'll put down here. Its about how the grass is always greener on the other side for nearly everyone be it rich or poor. It started with the thoughts of a tramp who used to sleep at the side of a bank. Though he was fine & not miserable with his condition, he thought how lucky the door keeper of the bank was etc etc. Then it proceeds to the thought process going on in the door keepers mind, who was thinking how lucky the person sitting inside at the reception was, who didn't have to stand whole day long & do a mind less job. Then story moves on to the thought process to that persons mind who was thinking how lucky some officer was who had just gone past him. That officer was thinking about his own monetary problems & kid problem. This officer then eyed his senior as lucky who in turn was brooding over his family problems. This officer also eyed his senior who also had his own problems n so on. Finally even the CEO of the bank had just mailed his resignation to the board as he could not continue having made some major mistakes in corporate decision making. And finally while this CEO was leaving the bank after resigning, he looks at the tramp & thinks how lucky this tramp was, doesnt have to deal with all this & that he would be so happy to switch places with that tramp.
Thus the circle completes. Each one finding the grass greener on the other side...It was really nicely written :)
Thus the circle completes. Each one finding the grass greener on the other side...It was really nicely written :)
Thursday, July 24, 2008
The Devil wears Prada
..by Lauren Weisberger
Amazing novel. Really enjoyed reading it. Its a story of a young graduate Andrea who wants to be a writer in "The New Yorker" but to start with her career, joins as an assistant to the editor in chief of a fashion magazine "The Runway". As was impressed upon her one year as assistant to Miranda could lead her to any promotion within the same magazine or any other magazine as Miranda was quite influential. So she starts with quite a zeal with her new job but soon realizes its gonna be a tough year ahead cuz Miranda is an extremely tough boss to work with.
So the story goes on with how trivial her boss's demands would be at times & how difficult it would get for Andrea to manage. And eventually the job takes up so much of Andrea's time that she is unable to meet her parents regularly or make up with any other personal commitments. Her boyfriend seems quite understanding initially but then he too starts loosing his patience with her. So she keeps feeling guilty at times but then she feels its just a matter of one year & after a year, all will fall into place.
Amazing novel. Really enjoyed reading it. Its a story of a young graduate Andrea who wants to be a writer in "The New Yorker" but to start with her career, joins as an assistant to the editor in chief of a fashion magazine "The Runway". As was impressed upon her one year as assistant to Miranda could lead her to any promotion within the same magazine or any other magazine as Miranda was quite influential. So she starts with quite a zeal with her new job but soon realizes its gonna be a tough year ahead cuz Miranda is an extremely tough boss to work with.
So the story goes on with how trivial her boss's demands would be at times & how difficult it would get for Andrea to manage. And eventually the job takes up so much of Andrea's time that she is unable to meet her parents regularly or make up with any other personal commitments. Her boyfriend seems quite understanding initially but then he too starts loosing his patience with her. So she keeps feeling guilty at times but then she feels its just a matter of one year & after a year, all will fall into place.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
In Spite of the Gods..
..The Strange rise of Modern India...by Edward Luce.
I read this book during my travel to Udhampur this vacation. I haven't read many books on India & this is one of the very few I have read. It seemed interesting to me, but it affected my mood as well. And considering the events that coincided with my reading this book, Jammu (including Udhampur) was experiencing bandh & disturbances due to fight over religion again. I don’t want to delve into whom I think was right or wrong in this case of Amarnath Shrine board Land issue.
The book touches most of the aspects of India, its government, politics, bureaucracy, culture, people, problems, progress, militancy, riots etcetera. I really boiled over the stupidity & greed of people. How can the nation progress when its people are so stupid to understand the futility of fighting & killing over trivial issues, when its people are so greedy & corrupt. Why can’t people live & let live. I mean I can’t even imagine the kind of hatred required for a human being to torture another fellow human being who hasn’t even done any harm to him!
I read this book during my travel to Udhampur this vacation. I haven't read many books on India & this is one of the very few I have read. It seemed interesting to me, but it affected my mood as well. And considering the events that coincided with my reading this book, Jammu (including Udhampur) was experiencing bandh & disturbances due to fight over religion again. I don’t want to delve into whom I think was right or wrong in this case of Amarnath Shrine board Land issue.
The book touches most of the aspects of India, its government, politics, bureaucracy, culture, people, problems, progress, militancy, riots etcetera. I really boiled over the stupidity & greed of people. How can the nation progress when its people are so stupid to understand the futility of fighting & killing over trivial issues, when its people are so greedy & corrupt. Why can’t people live & let live. I mean I can’t even imagine the kind of hatred required for a human being to torture another fellow human being who hasn’t even done any harm to him!
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Salt And Sawdust
Short stories & Table talk ..by R K Narayan
This is a short book with a couple of short stories...n few even more shorter stories..termed as table talk. The table talk is mostly narrated in first person, at times are satire on the political system & some are nice incidents of some good people & good deeds. Overall light read, not very interesting for me even though there is wit & humor in it.
This is a short book with a couple of short stories...n few even more shorter stories..termed as table talk. The table talk is mostly narrated in first person, at times are satire on the political system & some are nice incidents of some good people & good deeds. Overall light read, not very interesting for me even though there is wit & humor in it.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Some efficiency...!
The other day I was watching Beijing's preparation for Olympics in NatGeo. Four years back after winning the competition to host next Olympics, they started a huge architectural development. They developed the stadiums [Bird nest, Water cube]. They also built the biggest airport terminal in the world called The Dragon [along with the railway network connecting the airport to rest of Beijing]. All this they built using latest technologies & considering all factors from security from natural forces to convenience etc. What really impressed me is the efficiency with which they took up such a huge development & finished it on time. I couldn't help comparing it with the rate with which development is going on in Pune where I stay, they haven't been able to finish renovating a single road since last one year!!
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