The Book of Tomorrow

Book Title : The Book of Tomorrow

Author : Cecelia Ahern

Genre : Young Adult

ISBN : 9780007361625

Pages : 320

Binding : Paperback

Plot :

Tamara Goodwin has always got everything she's ever wanted. Born into a family of wealth, she grew up in a mansion with its own private beach, a wardrobe full of designer clothes and all that a girl could ever wish for. She's always lived in the here and now, never giving a second thought to tomorrow. But then suddenly her dad is gone and life for Tamara and her mother changes forever. Left with a mountain of debt, they have no choice but to sell everything they own and move to the country. Nestled next to Kilsaney Castle, their gatehouse is a world away from Tamara's childhood. With her mother shut away with grief, and her aunt busy tending to her, Tamara is lonely and bored and longs to return to Dublin. When a travelling library passes through Kilsaney Demesne, Tamara is intrigued. Her eyes rest on a mysterious large leather bound tome locked with a gold clasp and padlock. What she discovers within the pages takes her breath away and shakes her world to its' core.

My Rating : ☆☆☆☆

Review :

The protagonist is a teenage girl who thinks her life, as she knows it, is shattered with the death of her father. But a bigger secret awaits her - a secret that tells her that she had been living one big lie of a life. 

The plot is interesting with the different elements and twists that have been put in here. (Spoiler alert) :

▪ Not only the girl has been lied to - the mother is unaware of the complete truth as well.

▪ The book of tomorrow is the most interesting concept with the book telling the future which is in your hands to change or let it happen as is mentioned.

▪ Then there is a 'Jane Eyre' situation with a lunatic setting fire to the castle but the lunatic is not really a lunatic and is basically an ambitious jealous person.

The story has all the drama you would need and it is a gripping fast paced book. It surely has scary parts to it - castle ruins, graveyard, constant feeling of being watched. The narration style is wonderful as well.

Even with the spoilers, the book is worth reading - for there is lot more in the book, that the spoilers don't cover - like the :

▪ Actual Secret 

▪ Back Story of the Lunatic

And various other elements, which I don't want to mention for they would truly spoil the read for you. Read on for a light but a very interesting read - you won't be left disappointed. 

Happy Reading! 

The Gods Themselves

Book Title : The Gods Themselves

Author : Issac Asimov

Genre : Science Fiction

ISBN : 9780553288100

Pages : 293

Binding : Paperback

Plot :

In the twenty second century Earth obtains limitless, free energy from a source science little understands : an exchange between Earth and a parallel universe, using a process devised by the aliens. But even free energy has a price. The transference process itself will eventually lead to the destruction of Earth's Sun - and of Earth itself.

Only a few know the terrifying truth - an outcast Earth scientist, a rebellious alien inhabitant of a dying planet, a lunar born human intuitionist who senses the imminent annihilation of the Sun. They know the truth - but who will listen? They have foreseen the cost of abundant energy - but who will believe? These few beings, human and alien hold the key to Earth's survival.

My Rating : ☆☆☆☆

Review :

The Gods Themselves was gifted to me by my husband on my birthday this July after he had introduced me to Issac Asimov at the start of this year. And like all the books I have read so far, this one didn't disappoint either. 

The book is written in three parts. The first part - against stupidity, builds up the background for the whole story - it starts with a discovery, goes on to the invention and ending with the ill effect the invention will have in the future. But the problem is, no one is willing to hear the truth of the disaster hidden behind the invention. The first part was a complete page turner. 

The second part - the gods themselves, deals with the para men and their universe. This part of the book is most interesting. The way he has described the aliens and their lives is amazing. I totally loved the concept of their early stages and their evolution - sort of made me feel like the concept of yin and yang but with the need of a binder to come together. The last few pages where the whole evolution process is explained is extremely well written and the end is quiet unexpected. 

Third and last part - contend in vain is the concluding part which provides a solution to the problem presented in first part. On the whole, this part has been most disappointing. I was hoping for some more alien human interactions or at least some mention of the alien community. Furthermore, the solution provided though practical and feasible, is completely unrelated to original invention. So it seemed like the last part was complete cut off from the whole book except some small mentions. 

Overall an interesting read and a fast paced book for you to pick up. 

Happy Reading! 

The Mahabharata Quest

Book Title : The Mahabharata Quest
Author : Christopher C. Doyle
ISBN : 9789384030599
Genre : Fiction
Rating : ☆☆☆

When I reviewed the Mahabharata Secret, I had already been reading this book and because I felt this book deserved only 2 stars, I decided to give that book 3 stars instead of 2 stars. I felt this book deserved 2 star because of the lack of originality - the author seemed to be going the Dan Brown's (Robert Langdon) way - if this was the case, then the first novel still deserved 3 stars because it was first in the series (somehow I feel this is only fair to give 1st book a greater rating). But upon reading it, I felt it was 3 star worthy.

Unlike the first book, this is a multiple books series with next part of the series coming out in Jan / Feb 2016 (tentatively).

In the beginning, the book developed some hope in the reader for it to be a great read. But soon it turned into an Indianised version of Robert Langdon series and I had made up my mind to give this book 2 stars. 

But reading further, the plot catches up with you and gets you super interested. Furthermore, unlike its predecessor, the book had that one quality which is the most important characteristic of a Mythological fiction - it is to explain supernatural with logics of science.

But of course, some parts are a bit too much even for a good fiction - like they say for bollywood movies, that it can defy all logic and anything can happen; I got the same feeling in some parts of book.

And the book has left many questions unanswered, answers to which the author promises in following books of the series. Like in its predecessor, this book also isn't much about Mahabharata except for the myth of "sagarmanthan" in it, again using the title to lure readers. 

Another fast paced novel with a promise of a good story. Read it, if you like, but I won't go to the extent of saying that the series is must read till I have read the whole series - the first book doesn't deliver enough to warrant the success of whole series. Of course, I will be reading the whole series, because I want the answers - but for now, you can put aside the book, if you have something else to read.

Happy Reading! 

The Mahabharata Secret

Book Title : The Mahabharata Secret
Author : Christopher C. Doyle
ISBN : 9789383202317
Genre : Fiction
Rating : ☆☆☆

Okay, I was torn between giving it a rating of 3 stars or 4 stars. Let me first tell you why I gave it 3 stars - the whole plot is taken from Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code (I will come back to the book in a moment) which means there is no originality. But then again I wanted to add one more star because being an Indian and reading up lot of mythology and Mythological fiction lately, I was a bit partial since it dealt with Indian mythology and it's secrets. But then, I had to be true to myself and to all who will read this review - thus finally decided to give it the rating it deserved.

If we leave aside the fact that the plot has been copied and then Indianised, it is an interesting read.It has the twists and turns required, it has the thrill and it's fun to read about how the clues were solved. But majorly, you remain hooked to the book and continue reading to the end is to find out what the great secret was.

Having said that, it is only fair to say that in places the story was quiet predictable. But at this point one more thing deserves a mention here - the end! The climax at the end is worth reading the book for (saying anything more about the climax will make this review a spoiler).

Furthermore, the Mahabharata twist turned out to be nothing much - it was all about the fictional Vimaan Parva. Maybe it was only used as a ruse to lure Indian readers.

Overall its a fast paced book and the narration style is good. Anyways, if you are a Dan Brown fan or have read the Da Vinci Code, you might not want to read it - because you really won't be missing out on anything if you don't read it. As for me, I am a sucker for reading - which explains why I have picked up the next book in the series after being disappointed with this one to some extent. 

Happy Reading! 

Three Men On The Bummel

Book Title : Three Men On The Bummel
Author : Jerome K. Jerome
ISBN : 9788182523487
Genre : Comic Novel
Rating : ☆☆☆

So, apparently this book is a sequel to Three Men in a Boat, which I haven't read beyond a chapter in School's English literature book. Also the book is supposedly much better than its predecessor.

The book is regarded as a comic masterpiece - so did I find it funny - well I loved the humour in there; but that's where my liking for the book ends.

I'm sure, the author has an amazing fan following - but somehow this piece of classic didn't strike a chord with me. Like I said, beyond the humour nothing appealed to me.

On the onset it felt like the book will be about an amazing adventure trip and it seemed very promising. It started off real well with descriptions of adventures the trio faced. But then it became more and more about the stories they have heard and about the anecdotes (some of which were really hilarious - I won't take that away from it) that their trip was sort of lost in between it. Further there was no clear distinction between the parts which described the trio's adventures and parts which were anecdotes - which at times gets confusing.

If I was to rate the book on humour alone, I would have rated it a 4 or a 4.5 but on the whole, the book sort of disappointed me.Would I pick the book again, definitely not! And that for me is a deciding factor. Well as they say - to each his own. So for me, the book didn't make it.

Happy Reading!

Room

Book Title : Room
Author : Emma Donoghue
ISBN : 9780330519021
Genre : Novel
Rating : ☆☆☆☆☆

A book I picked out of my mother in law's shelf - what intrigued me was the synopsis at the back cover - "Jack is five. He lives in a single, locked room with his Ma."

This two line synopsis was the shortest and most powerful one I had read till now.

This book is narrated by the male protagonist Jack, who we know from the synopsis, is a five year old kid - thus the grammar is imperfect, as it should be for a five year old - this simple fact, being taken care of by the author, lends a kind of sincerity to the narration.

Apart from the synopsis, when I started reading the book, what attracted me most was the description of mother and son's day to day life - being a new mother to a lovely boy, it gave me numerous ideas on how to raise my kid so that he is smart and how to keep him busy with interesting games on those rainy days.

But then, as we delve deeper into the novel, the horror of the situation sets in - it gets scarier when you realize, the reason for their confinement is a psychopath - who had strange inhuman ways of punishing them - it's totally unnerving!

But then, thankfully there's an escape - which is like halfway in the book. And then you might wonder, what would make the rest of the book??? But then, the troubles continue - for the mother has to once again get accustomed to living in the society and the kid, who knew no world beyond 11 feet square room and has talked to none except his mom, has to learn how to survive in this 'outside' world. 

With most of the book, drawing a melancholy, the end - to be most precise, the last couple of paragraphs, are actually happy paragraphs. They give the book 'a happy ending' where they are finally able to bid adieu to the room and hopefully the bad memories associated with the room. 

It's a fast paced novel, except for in the middle where it gets a bit of a drag only till there is another twist to pull you right back into the story. It's a disturbing novel, but one that would touch your heart like no other - it's not exactly your holiday read, but this book definitely deserves to be read. Jack deserves a chance to let his story be known...

Happy Reading! 

Scion of Ikshvaku

 Book Title : Scion of Ikshvaku  (Ram Chandra Series I)

Author : Amish Tripathi

ISBN : 9789385152146

Genre : Fiction

Rating : ☆☆☆☆

Having read the Shiva Trilogy by the same author, I had high hopes from his next series and he has more or less hit the mark - even if it ain't a bull's eye, it is in the vicinity.

If you have read his previous books, you would know that he is one author who human-ises the gods and retells the stories from our mythology making them more believable. This series is based on Ramayana. 

There are no complaints with regards to his writing style - for that is what sets him apart. And so far, the story has been really captivating  (when it took 2 months to complete 3 books (woes of parenthood - finding 'me time' with a 2 month old) - it took me about a week to finish this book) - so I can safely say, it's a page turner.

As far as the plot goes, of course it's an adaptation of the Ramayana - so you cannot find any fault with it.

Having said all that, I still had to take a star away from the book is because there seem to be some gaps in the story - these gaps aren't the 'in your face' variety but they linger in the background if you have read Shiva Trilogy - since the author has definitely tried to bring a connection in both the series with things like nagas or maika system.

But then, this could only be my personal interpretation and you as a reader might not find any fault with the story. And even though I mention these gaps and take a star away, I would still urge you to read the book for even if you leave mythology aside, it's a fun story to read and you won't be left disappointed.

Happy Reading!!!

Nemesis

Book Title: Nemesis

Author: Isaac Asimov

ISBN: 9780553286281

Genre: Science Fiction

Rating: ****.5/5

Okay, Isaac Asimov is truly my new found love. Since the husband got me and made me read Nightfall, I had been asking him to get me more Asimov books. And what does the husband do, he orders 8 books for me - whole of foundation series and Nemesis - as a valentines day gift. besides other things... could I have wished for a better husband (definitely not!).

So coming down to the book, Nemesis is about this new planet that is about to hit the Earth, our earth as we know it today. And there are these settlements of human beings, that have settled outside of the planet Earth, still in the solar system and with such advanced technologies. Saying, anything beyond this - would be saying too much about the story.

And if this doesn't interest you and you want much more than just science in your science fiction, then trust me, this book still wont let you down - yes there is science, which is the dominant part of the story - but here is drama, there is politics, there is hatred and there are secrets.

The best part of the whole story is, we aren't talking about such technology and such life as in centuries from now - we are talking next decade and a decade after that. We are talking 2020's. And this best part is the worst part of the story too - because if you are anything like me, and tend to feel you are a part of the story as you read on - once you finish the book, you would be left day dreaming about what the next decade has in store for you. Would you able to witness that technology in your life, would you part of such settlements as mentioned in the story. But then - nothing so far, and its 2015 mind you, suggests anything that such a time would come and you are left disappointed at the end, because its not gonna be, at least not in your lifetime or not till you are young enough to enjoy that...

I have given it a rating of 4 and half stars out of 5, the only reason being, the story drags a bit in some areas, some parts of the book and then you just end up glancing through those pages and move on. But otherwise halfway through the novel, it becomes un-putdownable - the proof of that - I have my exams from Monday, its Saturday today, about 5:15 in the evening and here I am writing this review after finishing the book about half an hour ago.

So go ahead, pick up the book and read on for this is a book by an amazing author and this is an amazing book.

Happy Reading!

AIRFRAME

Book Title : Airframe - There's Danger In The Skies

Author : Michael Crichton

ISBN Code : 9780099556312

Genre : Fiction

Okay, before heading to the book review, something a little about this book which has got nothing to do with the story whatsoever... So, the other day, we had gone to crossword and were browsing through the books, I wanted to read another of Isaac Asimov's books so we headed to the science fiction corner of the book store. Unfortunately, they were out of stock of Asimov books and as I write this review, they probably would be restocking their shelves with Asimov books as they were due in today.

Moving on, not finding Isaac Asimov books, I went in search of my fall back author - Michael Crichton, who having written books like Jurassic Park or Prey (which is about nanotechnology) or Next (which is about cross breeding and DNA and what not) was still listed under fiction and not science fiction - this disappointed me - and husband confirmed - after all such books, he is still not a Sci-Fi author! Jeez!!

Even the tag along the bar-code at the back of the cover says FICTION! Well, so now I have to move all his books from Science Fiction to Fiction - but I still love the way he writes and still love the books he writes and this is how we come to the review of this book.

So being an architect - I have zero knowledge of aerodynamics and stuff like that... ZILCH! But reading a book by Michael, it wont matter what your background was - because the way he writes is with so much detail and precision that you actually understand what he is talking about. I am being bold here by saying, that he really researches the matter before he writes about it - which is why, with zero background, you can still understand his books - because his research is seen in the way he writes.

I would like to quote Express here "A deftly-woven tale of corporate skulduggery, media deceit and sleuthing" - there is everything in this book - there's the technical details, there's mystery, there's drama and as the plane in this story undergoes pitch oscillations, so do you - when at one point you are scared of your next flight travel and then you end up marveling the technology they are built with and then you shudder with fear, thinking how a million things can go wrong and they do but then again how a very well trained pilot or an auto pilot can take care of things that happen so easily.

With this book, you will embark upon a journey of ups and downs through the travel but end up with fond memories of a remarkable trip.

Like I have always believed and have been proven time and again with his various books, you can never go wrong with a Michael Crichton book - so what are you waiting for - go ahead and pick it up!

Happy Reading!

Something Happened On The Way To Heaven

Book Title : Something Happened On The Way To Heaven - 20 Inspiring Real Life Stories

Edited By : Sudha Murty

Genre : Non-fiction / Anthology

ISBN Code : 9780143423928

My Rating : *****

The first book I read by the author was Wise and Otherwise and I was instantly hooked to her books and her writing. I definitely cannot claim that I have read all her works, indeed I have read only a few. But I do love reading her every chance I get. So as soon as I knew, her new book was in the market, I knew I had to buy this one.

Though on further reading about the book, I came to know that it wasn't a book truly authored by her. She just happened to select the stories that came her way through a competition organized by Penguin Books, edited them and compiled them into this book.

Reading this book was a pure pleasure - you read one story and you felt this is the best inspiring story you could ever come across but that feeling only lasted till you finished reading the next one. Each story has been completely different from others in the collection, truly inspiring and it would either leave you heart filled with gladness, love, gratitude or it could leave you with goosebumps all over. Or maybe with a feeling, that cannot be described in words.

We have all felt disappointment at some stage of our lives or other, but these stories will help you restore your faith in yourself, in God and all things that happen - for you come out only stronger after having lived through each dark phase of your life.

This book is a must read for all. I hope you pick up the book and find inspiration in its pages that makes you stronger, restores your faith in all things possible and help you move forward.

Happy Reading!

On Women - Selected Writings

Book Title : On Women (-selected writings-)

Author : Khushwant Singh with Humra Quraishi 

Genre : Anthology 

I S.N Code : 9788129124920

Having heard so much about Mr. Khushwant Singh and his writings - I had great expectations of this book - which covers his selected writings.

Having said that, it is with saddened heart that I am writing this review - as I was truly disappointed - for most of the book was nothing but his experiences with various women - like mentioned in the book summary.

Some of these excerpts seem to have ended abruptly with lot being left unsaid - like in the chapter he talks about Amrita Sher-Gil. Such chapters were a huge disappointment.

But then again - some writings managed to stir feelings inside you - which only a good author manages to do - like the one titled 'The Venus of Churchgate'.

There are still chapters like Indira Gandhi or Mother Teresa - that give us insight into the lives and natures of such significant ladies of the gone days!

And then there is this one chapter dedicated to Phoolan Devi - which was a great read because having her being portrayed as the villain always - it was refreshing to read her side of the story - that told the untold tale.of this lady - why she was the way she was...

So yes, there are some ladies worth reading about in the book - yes the chapters dedicated to them have been beautifully written  - yes they are truly entertaining - but, yes but - most didn't quiet reach the.mark.

If I had to rate the book on a scale of 5 - I would say, for me it was a 3.5 something book.

If you do pick up the book - I hope it proves ba better read for you...

Happy Reading! 

Nightfall

Book Title : Nightfall

Author : Isaac Asimov with Robert Silverberg 

Genre : Science Fiction 

ISBN: 9780553290998

The year 2015 started with a decent enough novel - a suggestion by my husband. Normally I used to read Sci-Fi by Michael Crichton, but Isaac proceeded to be a good author with captivating writing skills. 

The book is written in 3 parts - twilight, nightfall and daybreak. The first part is for building up the base of the whole novel and it does do a pretty good job at it - with three different scenarios playing up - excavations, a theme park ride and astronomical research and observations. The only let down was that - if you really put down your mind to the story - you can guess where it is headed and how things would happen more or less. 

The second part goes on to describe the actual events that take place when the night fall occurs - if you have already guessed what's going to happen - you just might end up flipping through it. Good part is - they have kept it short - it doesn't become a drag.

The last part, daybreak - is all about what happened with the main characters during the nightfall and what's happening to the world post nightfall. The buildup at the beginning of this part is amazing - having guessed the previous part - you might think there is nothing more but this part is all about the 'more' or 'what happens afterwards' and since you can't guess the end- your interest in the story returns manifold. But after such a beautiful buildup - the book ended up in a fizz and I was left thinking - that's it? That's the end? ?

True, that the end disappointed me - but reading Isaac was refreshing. The writing in itself is interesting and has created a desire in me to read other books by Asimov.

I would still say, it was a good start to 2015.

Happy Reading!