A House for Happy Mothers - Review

I had read Amulya Malladi's The mango season when I was in the US. I loved her work then and picked this kindle version when it was available for free. But this novel is not what I had expected from her.

The concept was something new, surrogacy in India and the premise of the novel was set good. But then the ugly side of the exploitation takes shape and it was kind of depressing to read on. I frankly don't understand the title of the novel when all the surrogate mothers are stressed that they would never see the baby again. I kept reading the novel because I am 29 weeks pregnant and thought something would be alike. There is nothing happy in the house for those mothers. Though the house portrayed here was kind of okay, the author does mention that others are cramped and dilapidated.

The life of Priya, the donor mother, is not as emotional as the Indian mother. Her life is very comfortably revolving around her husband, her friends, his friends and the parties their friends throw where everyone goes around judging each other. Sometimes she comes off as shallow. The backdrop though a valid one could have been more sensitive. The author does revive the emotional bonding between the american couple through the way they get over their misunderstandings, miscarriage and everything in between.

The novel however ends abruptly. They give each other hope (the surrogate mother and the client) and they are never going to be in contact with each other. The author substantiates each other's decision because they each get something in return to look forward to. This was how the surrogate and the donor mother cope with their decisions to hire or become a surrogate mother against their conscience. The ending could have been more concrete so that it could have tied all the characters together.

Because of Winn-Dixie - Review

The beautiful thing about a children's novel is that we get to see the world that beholds the eyes of a kid. It somehow masquerades the harsh truth and gives a coping mechanism. I believe it is called the moral of the story. Not all stories have a moral and yet they beautifully teach kids to handle the emotions and their own little world through the characters.

One thing a children's novel needs is a beautiful character sketch, be it with with flaws or their strengths. It gives a take-away or a memento that is going to be etched in the memory of the kid forever. Someone they can relate to. So it is apt that many of us would remember India Opal for the way she transformed and touched the lives of everyone around her, be it the dog Winn-Dixie to the musician Otis. But she is graceful enough to think that it all happened because of Winn-Dixie (And hence the title).

The valuable lesson for the kids and the adults alike is to love one another without being judgemental. When there is a fear of losing someone or a emptiness around you, the book summaries it beautifully:

"There ain’t no way you can hold on to something that wants to go, you understand? You can only love what you got while you got it."

A very simple yet realistic story that is deliberately spun around friendship, hope, sorrow and many more human emotions tied together beautifully by a dog.

Everyone has a story - review

Boy meets girl story with an atmosphere set for romance. But the story fails miserably because the plot was not strong. The story did not get me hooked even after a couple of of chapters and I should have known to close it. I don't know how the amazon best seller tag was attached to this nonsense. The story stops making any sense after a while. Even the supporting characters have a better past and strong character build, but the main two protagonists are not built solid.

The character of Vivaan is not at all steady. He yearns for Meera and when he is back he never declares his love. The author just lengthens the plot unnecessarily with added drama. It could have been handled better. Well one can guess the need for Vivaan to travel or 'escape' as the author puts it. It is no suspense that he is running away from his past, and that alone does not qualify for his mysterious persona. Seriously, I don't understand how Meera thinks she can get a good novel out of Vivaan just because he said he wanted to travel.

And Vivaan had to travel thousands of miles to get some serious 'gyan'. And that too foreigners would open up to him like he were some old friend and offer him advice. That is not how it works in the reality. When we are strangers we are just acquaintance at the best and not some one dearly. Healing of Meera (from the heart break) was the understatement of the year. She mops around all the time and one miraculous night she heals. She goes around and grooms herself. The author could have been more elaborate with this. Speaking of healing, when Meera was in the ICU, I don't know how her parents never visit her. Or even her closest relations. It was bizarre but again the characters were not etched solid.

The only consolation so far from this novel is the philosophical and romantic lines written beautifully and briefly.

Masala Toast

What makes a good English breakfast? French Toast of course.  But the Desi version should be called Masala toast.  Here I have eggs and bread in common.  That's it.  So should I be comparing both.  Maybe not, but it is the best and easy Sunday breakfast if you are really lazy!  I have here a very basic version with very limited ingredients (or creativity) but really the choices are endless.  You can add red chilli powder, cumin powder, chillies, garlic, mint, coriander leaves and so on.  Well it depends on your taste buds and the heat you can handle.  So without further ado lets get into the recipe and enjoy it with all the Masala and heat on a nice and slow November morning.

Ingredients

• Eggs - 6
• Bread slices - 8
• Onion - 2 medium sized, Finely chopped
• Turmeric pwd - 1/4 tsp
• Pepper pwd - 1 tsp
• Garam Masala pwd - 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Oil or Butter to toast the bread

Method

• In a mixing bowl, add the turmeric pwd, pepper pwd, garam masala pwd, salt and 1/4 tsp water and mix everything well.  The turmeric will not mix well with the egg if water is not added.
• Now break the eggs and whisk them together with the spices till they are well combined.
• In a pan or tawa, add 2 tsp oil and saute the onions till they are translucent.  Add this to the egg mixture

 

• Heat the pan or tawa again and add some butter or oil to toast the bread.  Dip a bread slice into the egg mixture and slide it onto the pan or tawa.  Keep the flame on low as the egg cooks faster and will burn otherwise.  When one side becomes golden brown turn it to the other side.  When both sides are cooked and golden, remove to a plate
• Cook all the bread slices in the same manner.  Depending on the pan or Tawa size you can cook 2-3 in a batch.  Remember to mix the mixture every time otherwise the onions will settle in the bottom.
• Serve hot with Ketchup or chutney or any dip of your choice.

Before we visit the Goddess

This is the third book I am reading of this author.  This book is as good as her first two books (One Amazing thing, Palace of Illusions).  Being a Bengali author this novel too revolves around a Bengali family with three generation of mothers.  Their hardship, though melodramatic, is the very epitome of the novel.  One mother's resolve will shape the life of the next mother.  It is wonderful that the author has portrayed every mother with their own weakness, battles and regrets that seeps through to the next generation. 

The story set in India, quickly marches forward to the life in America.  Each character has a say through their chapters and we try to understand the many shades which substantiate their actions.  The mother-daughter bond forged in this novel, is very down to earth practical.  Though every daughter or mother loves each other and are the cause of their existence, not everyone has a smooth relationship.  The plight of an estranged daughter is caught very well. 

From start to finish the author does not keep the chapters in any order of events which whet our interest as to how the end will be tied together.  The author has chosen Point of views that are told either in monologues or narrations.  But since the story was gripping enough I did not account if a particular character has been given a particular style of narration.  The characterisation of Sabithri was very strong and Tara's and Bela's were a bit flat compared to hers.  Though there were a lot of
travel between times, the author captures our imagination very apt to the era.  She paints a picture carefully including every small detail.  All in all a very beautiful book capturing the importance of blood relations and the inheritance of talent.

A man called Ove

Everyone has to die some day and this book just focuses on the one who had to stand the death of his beloved.  Ove is portrayed as a bitter and grumpy old man.  The author starts his narration with Ove and continues to introduce more characters without names but from the point of view of Ove.  As Ove learns each one’s name, so do we.  As he reminisces his past, we learn more names of the characters in his black and white life. 

This is mainly a love story that is partly delightful and partly heart wrenching.  To soothe the heart aches, the author keeps shuttling between the past and the present.  Though we get stricken at some points, we slowly heal (along with Ove) through the happenings in the present.  So many light-hearted moments around a man, whom I suspect has ASD, is a pleasure to read.  But it was also heart wrenching when he was left to himself time and again.  It was like watching, helplessly, as a child tries to shape itself with the right principles.  On the whole the author has managed to sculpt the character of Ove with such details that it is hard to hate him even when he is grumpy.

For a life so short, the kindness keeps pouring out of their lives.  This makes it inspirational and uplifting to follow in their footsteps.  After all, Ove made Lemonades when life threw lemons at him.

I was getting more and more attached with the character towards the end.  During the end though we know the inevitable does happen, the author does not disappoint us.  The story comes a full circle and we know that we can close the book with a feeling of content.

My favorite quote from the book: 

“He was a man of black and white.  

And she was color. All the color he had.”

“Death is a strange thing. People live their whole lives as if it does not exist, and yet it’s often one of the great motivations for living. Some of us, in time, become so conscious of it that we live harder, more obstinately, with more fury. Some need its constant presence to even be aware of its antithesis. Others become so preoccupied with it that they go into the waiting room long before it has announced its arrival. We fear it, yet most of us fear more than anything that it may take someone other than ourselves. For the greatest fear of death is always that it will pass us by. And leave us there alone."

The Queen Of Jasmine Country

Andal the saint poet, who lived to tell the world of a devotion so high but which can be attainted through pure love.  Her verses are very popular in the Tamil culture that the month Margazhi sounds synonymous with Andal.  Though the verses are very popular, we do not know a very clear picture of her life.  Through folklore and hearsay, we know that she was the adopted daughter of Saint Periyazhwar and she was the avatar of Bhu-devi.

The author has made a novel around the life of this saint, using her imagination and entwining it with events that are well known facts.  It really was a fresh take on Kodhai’s life.  She was christened as Andal much later, in her early life she was Kodhai.  She paints a picture that is truly human with a myriad of emotions ranging from lust to disappointment.  I do know a few verses of Andal’s “Thirupavai” and I always thought of how selfless the goddess was when she prays for the world’s benefit.  But here the author has entirely twisted the idea and made it as a yearning of a teenage girl. 

The book travels through some important ancient scriptures like the Kurunthogai, Thirupavai, Nachiyar Thirumozhi and many more.  Though I could recognise the English translation of the verses, I regret that I do not know the whole verse by-heart in Tamil.  Now when I prostrate before Andal I doubt if I will search for the teenage girl Kodhai, whose love for the lord grows quickly and erotically in each and every verse.  I had always been in awe of her love for the God, how she takes Him to be her husband, lives for Him, yearns for Him, finally attains Him.  This book only makes it easier for us to understand (though only through imagination) why and how she loves Him and cannot fathom anyone else in His place.

The author’s prose is rich and the whole novel is a monologue.  Though this is her debut novel she manages to pack an intense story in about 140 pages.  Her expressions, emotions and even the very atmosphere of the story is doused in every word with a rich vocabulary she has carefully chosen.  The author has peppered the whole novel with settings synonymous to the Tamil culture, be it the Tamil names of the characters, the millets used in diets instead of rice or the many flowers which are native to Tamil Nadu.  She makes this imaginary story her base for the events of the Pavai nombu, which beautifully says why and what made Kodai to pen those verses.  She draws a picture of the ancient Tamil Nadu with the rules for each strata of the society.  Also, a detailed account of the harvest festival Pongal is mentioned here.  Many Tamil words are literally given in English without a translation.  It made me relish the story with a native feel though I know for many it would limit their experience.  The author has mentioned about a mother for our protagonist but I would like to get to know her more.  Many a times I read and re-read the same lines a couple of times.  This is a novel you would not want to rush with.

Though the author has altered many happenings in her novel, she does give a detailed account of how the original story was told.  She also gives references to how and what made her depict a particular scene in the book.  The avatar and life of Andal has been very controversial and in recent times it had made way for heated arguments and rows.  But although the author has tried to shed a new light, that is imaginary, in the life of Kodai, she will still be known as the virtuous one who will heed to all our needs.

Panther's Moon - Book Review

This book by Ruskin Bond is a collection of 10 short stories for children, some of which have appeared in few books also.  Mr. Bond, being a resident of Mussorie, is known to write stories that capture the picturesque beauty of the hills or the plains.  This book which deals mainly with the animals covers the flora and fauna, along with other rare breeds of animals in great detail.

The tone of Narration varies according to the story.  Sometimes it’s a monologue and sometimes a narration.  However, it is, the story telling is impeccable, even if it’s in an animal’s point of view.  Indeed, his serene, picture perfect hill town surroundings are vividly described in each chapter.

As usual a mundane day is turned into the most eventful day in the stories.  His words bring forth an visual that is appalling and nerve racking as the story unfolds explaining the events that will mark the day.  It was also his narration that shows us just how impossible and hard the life of people living in the hills is.  One interesting thing to be noted is how the author has taken a keen interest on every animal and bird around him, noticing the tiniest detail and tying it in the story he builds around the animal.

The author through his stories showcases that both animals and humans must keep to their boundaries.  Any other way is only disturbing the nature’s balance.  And all the stories underline and educate the readers of this importance.  The author narrates the hunting of the prey by ferocious predators as if he had been on a hunting expedition himself.  The whole incident keeps us mesmerised with bated breath to know if the prey was safe or not.

I especially like the chapter of “A crow for all seasons”.  It was really funny and the way the author chooses to tell his story is fresh and imaginative.  Then there was “Eyes of the cat”, which I had to read it again to check if I indeed caught the crux.  I wouldn’t say it as paranormal but it definitely was vindictive and vendetta.  This will make a good read for the middle grade kids.

You and Me, Always

This book by Jill Mansell is the second book I am reading by this author.  The first book had not impressed me at the first go, but when I picked up the book again (purely due to boredom) it did impress me.  So, this time I went ahead and read this book, You and me always.

It has all elements of a feel-good contemporary, romantic chick-lit.  Main highlight of the book is the chemistry between Dan and Lily.  Though it was nerve-racking sometimes, it also got me smiling at some of the shenanigans both were up against each other.  This is a book that showcases not just one, but three love stories revolving around the three protagonists.  There were several romantic moments like a bouquet for a romantic fool like me.  The story was funny and intriguing and sensitive all at the same time.  The whole set of Stanton Langley was like a warm sunny morning in Winter.  The author has vividly drawn a picturesque town aptly becoming the romantic setting.  Moreover she makes even a parking lot seem like a romantic place.

All set for a promising romance novel and throw in a handsome movie star, you wonder if this novel will get made into a movie (I mean in real life).  The author has managed to pin some thrilling moments pivotal to the story.  But the result of these twist and turns, though predictable, also makes us flip pages in bated breath.

The only downside was that the pages or rather the chapters could have been cut short.  But I like how the author has included chapters to have a concrete ending though she could have cut short a couple of chapters.  You can curl up and spend your holidays with this book and when you finish you will have a warm feeling of content like after watching a good romance flick.

What Maya saw

This novel is a Young Adult read belonging to the Fantasy-mystery genre.  The first thought is that this novel runs parallel to DaVinci code.  Though I cannot compare both the books, the latter being more like a master piece, this novel fares well with the famous city with history, clues hunting, treasure seeking and all.  I wish I could have seen those famous spots mentioned in the book, for all the glory and history and the fine details to architecture.  But it does not matter, because the story kept me engrossed. 

I normally keep off the horror genre and picked this book innocently, knowing Shabnam Minwalla as a Children’s author.  The paranormal activities were a bit provocative and disturbing.  But I think it was just me. (I was a bit jumpy as I was reading this novel when I was alone.  Also, I don’t think this is hard core horror with spine chilling gore).  The bits where a strong friendship blooms between the girls with a lot of girl talks made a refreshing break from the pursuit.

The author made me follow the story in shoes of Maya and I was often guessing if I could spot the real mystery (or the culprit) till the very end.  Right from the first chapter it was totally engaging.  The chapters were short and racy as this is aimed at Young Adults.  But I would recommend it to teens around 16+.  Being an alumnus of St. Xavier’s college, she gives a detailed account of an ancient college to make us feel the environment around it.  The author was a journalist and has made painstaking efforts to include the city in the clue hunting.  I really admire her knowledge of the city and her meticulous efforts for tying its history into this story.

Happy Birthday! and other stories

Happy birthday is a book of 13 short stories.  Each story gives us a glimpse of the present and delves into the past explaining the current situation.  The cover illustration was a bunch of balloons and my first impression was that they would be happy moments of life.  But life is life and mostly the stories cover an array of emotions with glimpses of happiness.  Majority of them are set in India and America.  Mainly one can see the selfish, cut throat nature of our society that pushes us to go above and beyond to protect ourselves. 

Do I need an intelligence to read this book.  Probably! because after every short I had to take a break to let it sink it and relate to what the author was trying to say.  I had to have some kind of emotional intelligence to understand the message which is written subtly under the many shades of each characters.  She does not come forth and draw a line, in black and white for us to understand.  After Ashes story was much more than I thought it would be.  The lemon and chilli story with episodes of life around India and America touched my heart.  It could have been anyone's story.  But I had to choke back a sob.  Sometimes I too fear of the future.  Every time I reminiscence I think of a different meaning.  The same character who was an protagonist of the story suddenly turns antagonist and I was too overwhelmed then to understand such workings of the human mind. 

The author is a journalist.  So her characters are very structured and I think the characters could have been etched from her personal and some professional experiences too.  But all together the stories are being told with such audacity that we would think it is happening around us, perhaps to a neighbour or a person showcased in media.  Some were open ended stories.  I know they are shorts and only a glimpse of the story would be given, but somehow I cannot help pondering how it would have gone, positive or negative!  The author has already won many accolades for her novel One and a half wife and I am really psyched to read it one day.

SuperZero

Hate exams? Hate studying past your bedtime to pass your exams?  Then think how life for a superhero must be for he has to prove his worth to pass his exams.  You think its easy-peasy? Maybe but not for our Super Zero.  Though his parents are convinced he has super powers, that is not the case with Super Zero at class.  His assessment mainly consists of Morphing, X-Ray vision, Flying and all those super human stuff.  But still he cannot accomplish even a single thing.  Rare things happen and we (even he does not) do not understand what triggers it.  So does he really have super powers? 

The narration is funny and intriguing.  Any child who has watched Marvel characters, would understand what is expected and how Super Zero keeps failing.  Its just like any ordinary school, where the pressure to perform keeps building on.  Its all about an underdog becoming a superhero and in the process the author assures the kids its not tough if you have confidence and can rise above your shortcomings.  Her flair for humour keeps us in peals and giggles all the way to the end.  Throw in an adorable but monstrous dog and a kind but deaf grandpa, the story becomes even more hilarious.  And how she has selected to educate the kids on spelling is another notable point.  This book is funny and the short chapters will keep them tuned.  The author "gets" the way a kid thinks and has given a good account of their angry, self empathy, surprises and every other emotion apt to the situation.  Even the acknowledgements section, especially about the illustrator, was written creatively. I recommend this to the middle grade readers.

Petta - Movie Review

The Rajini magic does it again.  Well I wanted to watch this movie for the director, Karthik Subburaj, an national award winner.  He has proved again commercially with the Superstar grandeur with all perfect firecrackers to attract the general (Rajini) audience.

But what helped to keep hooked was the story line.  I don't know how a school boy looking director can make such a racy story line in all his movies.  As expected the story had a lot of twists and turns.  And it keeps coming all the way till the climax.

The whole starring was, in general, a bunch of accomplished and acclaimed actors.  The big labels were Rajni, Vijay Sethupathi and Nawazuddin Siddique.  I was piqued when I saw the name Nawazuddin and he has been given a real challenging character.  His duel in Tamil and Hindi was something to watch.  So was Vijay Sethupathi.  Listening to him speak those Hindi words in the local slang with utter ease put him in place with the character.  However I must say that his role was underplayed.  He could have been used to his full potential.

Then there is Bobby Simha and Sasikumar.  Though I am not sure of Sasi kumar, Bobby Simha too was under utilized.  The Jigarthanda actor was I must say a bit rusted though he has proved his worth in the right places.  The other actor who was quite an underdog in the beginning has travelled throughout this film is Sananth Reddy.  I do not know his name and had to google a bit.  I have seen his performance in Demonty colony and I think Jil Jung Juk.  Overall a big starrer with so many famous faces like Simran, Y.G Mahendran, Megha Akash.  I am pretty sure many would have accepted just for the Rajini starrer as their roles were not so big.

We were about 5 minutes late for the movie and I missed the title card and the electric atmosphere of Rajini's name card.  The second half was even racy as it was fully the revenge taking mechanisms with all the twist and plots evolving the story and keeps up surprised till the last minute.  The songs were totally up to speed and had quite catchy tunes.  Then there is the Baasha tune which reminds me of Rajini when he was truly a God and when not one of his film didn't do well in box office.  But even after around 25 years he still has that quick and stylish  demeanour which hasn't worn off in all these years.  It somehow matches the theme of one man army where our brain doesn't complain that hes too old to perform those fight scenes all by himself.  Well, it was worth the money as all the 3.5 hours in the theatre went up as per Einstein's law of Relativity.

Girls of India: A Chola Adventure

Another book from my kid's school library.  I had not known about this series beforehand so I was curious to read the story.  The author, Anu Kumar, has won Commonwealth prize for her children's books.  This book is a historical novel laced with mystery.  The author has made a good attempt to elaborate the ways of the kings (their lineage, their royal courts and proceedings, the wars fought, the kingdoms ruled, well you get the idea!) through this novel. 

The Chola kingdom is very famous in the Southern parts of India and this story is played during the rule of Rajaraja cholan who is a very popular name in history.  It reminds me of our epic Mahabharata as this kingdom too has its enemies near and far and the battle to throne is constant.  Though the story is lined with imagination, it would not be difficult for any student to understand the lineage of the Chola kings if they would read this story once. 

The story follows through the life of a young girl Raji and her parents.  The plot was handled good and can get the kid's attention hooked as to they try to solve who had done what.  But from an adult's point of view, it was easily predictable as we had been told the same story time and again starting with our epics.  It was interesting to know about the Borobudur islands in Indonesia which plays a vital role in the story.  The author has given a very flowing narration throwing in so many nuances that bring the grandeur of the palace and the kingdom itself.  Since the story is all set in Tamil Nadu I was happy to see Tamil scripts.  While the script read, “நான் மீண்டும் பார்க்க முடியாது”, the translation was just the opposite, "I will see you again".  A very trivial mistake, but it makes you wonder which is right when the story has not fully evolved.  Well for the reader's sake, the translation is correct.

Also it is said Raji's father works on a stone sculpture at first and then it is mentioned as a brass sculpture later.  I had to rewind the pages to check if I got it wrong.  But I think the author had changed it to brass owing to its weight.  I know this is a children's novel and a young mind may or may not overlook these facts.  Altogether it was a good read and would recommend to the middle grade readers.

Can love happen twice

This novel is considered the sequel to "I too had a love story" novel.  The author has given a disclaimer that it might or might not be a true story, meaning it is fiction.  When the first one was totally based on his life this one is all his imagination.  Meaning its his creativity in full focus and I am sorry to say I was not at all thrilled at the plot of the story. 

When the author has given himself this honest lover boy image, he totally kills Simar's by portraying her as Horny, immature and whiny.  Well, we can accept the fact that he is healing after his first loss, but I think he should also be more mature and understand that his partner will not or rather does not like being married to him.  I think it would be have been more realistic if he would have walked away from this relationship.

I am from the South India and I do understand Hindi.  But I imagine how the author would explain those sentences to a foreigner, if at all they pick this book. (This is from the house of Penguin publishers!).  I think his loss of words for a better translation or his idea to capture the essence of the situation better, would have forced him keep a lot of sentences in Hindi itself.

The climax was not neat.  It felt forced and abrupt.  Suddenly Simar has a change of heart, because she heard the story from a different point of view.  Well, it can happen.  But still it was not complete more like an open ending.  The author could have taken a chapter or two to handle that situation more better.  Just the fact that this book is fiction was a big turn off to me because I wanted to see if he was doing good or if he had moved on.  In contrast to the previous novel, this novel was unrealistic, mostly erotic and right down pathetic.  Had I not bought this ages ago as a bundle I would not have read this sequel.  I also would not recommend it to anyone.

I too had a love story

This is a love story like any other.  A love story only the arranged marriage types would understand, with the restrictions that our Indian culture has.  The first phase of the book covers mostly the introductions and the bubbly romances.  So many parts were relatable as the author has just penned down what has happened in his life.  The late night calls, the cheerful singsong voices, the nick names that remain rightful only to you.  It was like reliving those courting days.  Lost in love and to live the rest of the life with the one we have started loving. 

The second phase delves deeper into the closeness of the relationships not just of the love birds but of the entire family.  I sometimes had skipped and skimmed parts of these as I can understand and predict those emotions.  The Last part of this phase just hits you.  I bought this book way back some 5 or 6 years earlier.  Back then this book was a best seller and I wanted to read it.  I did not know it belonged to the tragic genre.  I was choked and out of breath at a few places wishing and hoping along with the author.  Some times its a curse when the beloved departs and we die everyday with memories that just cannot be erased.

Though the author has registered these tragic moments only in the last 50 pages or so, still it is heart wrenching.  The only hope and a kindle to read the second novel is to find out if he has gotten settled and how his life is.  With the brief summary of the second novel, I am expecting it to be as good as the first one.

There is no pretension or in any way make believe as the story is straight out of the life of the author.  The language and the flow is very much delightful.  Honestly I was a little reluctant when I started with the first page of the novel, but I was hooked instantly and read through it in a breeze.  I would recommend it if you are into those tragic love stories like Nicholas Sparks novels.

Pretty Woman

I picked up this book after the Goodreads recommendations.  The summary was gripping like all the chicklit stories and I have a weakness for chicklits.  Its uplifting and inspiring with a lots of romance.  I wanted to read about the weight loss regime and the happy life after that.  But I was quite disappointed.

Rosie is a wealthy girl who had inherited her parents mansions, has a house keeper and doting friend.  She is described as some one with weight problems.  She is a size 14.  I am size 14 and I don't have 9 rolls of fat.  And I certainly don't feel sorry in anyway.  Life happens.  She bought herself a husband and I don't know why she cannot kick him out of her life a lot before.  Suddenly it happens.  I mean he has this repulsive attitude towards her always and she suddenly grows a spine one day.

The character development of Rosie could have been a little better.  Then there is Jack and he is wealthy too.  Just Rosie doesn't know about it (duh!).  There is a spark between them and I would want to experience more of it, like Nora Roberts or Harlequin Books.  This is a Romance novel isn't it?  There are no stolen glances, electric touches, just bland. 

And what about the health regime.  I was a fool looking to be inspired.  This lady has a housekeeper, a personal trainer, has won a lottery ticket, has kicked her wretched husband and yet whines and complaints about life.  I am not sure what makes a blessed person.  After a few months of training she participates in the triathlon and she wins (rolling my eyes).  She competes against a navy SEAL and WON!! (Did I miss something?).  Maybe the author got inspired watching some Bollywood crap.

Then there is Kent, her ex husband.  He goes from being this bad womaniser to a good person.  I don't know what the author was thinking about this character.  It is not developed properly.  Suddenly he turns around and has a halo above his head.  I mean people do change but there is no background for such an important change.  Its like how Tom Cruise says in Jerry McGuire movie, "I ate some bad pizza, went to bed and grew a conscience."

I am an Indian, however I have stayed in the States.  I know the floral arrangements are a big deal there.  There are florist who are very popular for their flowers and arrangements.  But I hadn't heard about these weed decorations.  Agreed there are few here and there in the internet but I am not sure if that would make a very lucrative and thriving business as described.  I have no idea.  I mean why can't one walk around pick some and do the arrangements themselves? Why spend a $50 on 40 cents worth piece.  It boggles my mind.  Any way moving on..

There is this eerie.. I'm sorry, magical part about the tree.  Its haunted with Jack's wife spirit.   But the tree and Rosie are best friends.  I don't know why the author has thrown in a dash of paranormal.  It doesn't sit well with the story and there is no role for the tree other than confront Kent.

Well the bottom line is I wasted 300 rupees.  I wouldn't recommend it to any one.  This is my first and probably the last of Fern Michael's book.

Three Thousand Stitches

When I was in college, I came across an article as an email forward which was written by a little known lady named Sudha Murty.  Actually it was about her life in a kind of a short essay.  It was quite refreshing and inspiring.  About 2 decades back, when internet or even computer was quite a luxury, this email was spreading fast.  Then I had understood she is the wife of Narayana Murty and Infosys is their brainchild.  I was quite smitten towards her.

This book, three thousand stitches is another book registering her encounters in life.  The titular story where she changes the lives of Devadasis is the most remarkable feat.  I can only imagine the threats and pressures that would have come their way.  It is no small step and she didn't buckle under pressure. 

The way she handles these subjects is like a grandmother or mother or even a elder neighbour recounting her days and you listen with keen and rapt attention.  I still wonder how she manages to put down all her remarkable achievements and still not come across as boastful.  It is something to learn from her.  In three handfuls story she writes about Kashi weaving through past and present.  She gives detailed account of the city and manages to make it interesting.  Such an eminent personality and yet she manages to give up shopping. I wonder if I ever will be able to give up such a thing.  I must say that everyone in her family has had an eventful life or she is very good at narrating mundane details in an interesting manner.  As with all her books she has included stories about her father and grandchildren.

This book gives a glimpse of the philanthropic works of the Infosys foundation.  The best one indeed is the funding for the women in distress in the middle east countries.  It was heart wrenching to read their stories, but it sadly it is the reality.  The last chapter about alcoholism was enlightening and scary at the same time.  How a innocent peg can drown a life is truly shocking.  Today social drinking is very common and to read about some real life encounters got me worried about the future of the next generation.

Most of them were warm stories down her memory lane but some were triggers to ponder on the social evils.  Weaving through her past and present she manages to create a book that is easy to relate and something to ponder on.