A Lifetime of Journeys Through Books

From the moment I learned to read, books have been my steadfast companions. What began with simple cartoon strips in newspapers and colorful storybooks soon blossomed into a lifelong passion for literature—spanning grand novels and insightful non-fiction. Reading has never been just a pastime for me; it has been an immersive journey, allowing my mind to create entire worlds of its own. Through the pages of books, I have traveled to unknown lands, encountered countless characters, and lived a thousand lives—all without ever leaving my room.  

Books, to me, are more than just ink and paper; they are like people. Some have broken my heart, while others have tested my patience. Some have moved me to tears, made me laugh uncontrollably, or sent shivers down my spine. And yes, a few have even betrayed my trust, leaving me questioning everything I thought I knew.  

But why do I read? Many assume that reading is merely a form of entertainment or a hobby to pass the time. For me, however, books are lived experiences—stories that allow me to understand emotions, cultures, and perspectives I may never encounter in my own life. They offer a glimpse into diverse worlds, introducing me to people of different ethnicities, languages, and lifestyles.  

For instance, I may never cross paths with someone who struggles with social anxiety. Yet, through books, I have come to understand their world. While they might experience emotions as deeply as anyone else, their heightened sensitivity to their surroundings can make it difficult for them to express their thoughts. Books have taught me to perceive the unspoken—to recognize emotions that words often fail to convey.  

Fantasy novels have expanded my imagination, showing me that words have the power to create entire universes. On the other hand, literature grounded in reality has shaped my perspective, making me more empathetic and less judgmental.  

Through historical fiction, I have walked through centuries of human civilization, witnessing the hopes and fears of those who lived before me. Through memoirs, I have stepped into the shoes of people whose realities are vastly different from mine, yet whose emotions feel strikingly familiar.

I still find immense joy in reading children's novels, and they never fail to remind me of life's simple yet profound pleasures—love, kindness, innocence, and the beauty of sharing. These stories, though often crafted for young minds, hold timeless wisdom that resonates across all ages. They transport me back to a world where friendships are pure, dreams are limitless, and even the smallest gestures carry great meaning. In a fast-paced world filled with complexities, children's books serve as a gentle reminder that sometimes, the simplest values are the most important ones.

Books have not just been a source of knowledge or escape; they have shaped the way I see the world. They have taught me patience, broadened my understanding, and made me a better observer of life itself. With every book I read, I add another layer to my perception, another story to my soul.

Faith Through My Lens

My belief in God has changed and continues to evolve over the years, shaped by my experiences, the people I meet, the books I read, and the things I see. As a child, my prayers were simple and transactional—I prayed for good marks or to get out of a difficult situation. I believed that if I prayed sincerely, things would change. But over time, I realized that my prayers had no direct effect on the outcomes I wished for. This led me to conclude that last-minute prayers do not create miracles.

As I grew older, my prayers became simpler. Whenever I was in a temple or during a pooja at home, I found myself saying just one sentence: 'May all be well.' After that, my mind would go blank. I do not believe in rituals or specific forms of prayer, nor do I adhere to any religion in a strict sense. Yet, I continue to follow the practices of my family—not out of faith, but out of habit.

I am often conflicted by many religious practices. I do not fast, nor do I engage in transactional prayers. I do not believe that God expects anything in return for devotion. More importantly, I do not fully understand what God is. Why do we need to please God? If God is all-powerful, why does good and bad exist? If God is testing us, does that mean He lacks control over what we do? The idea of a God who punishes and rewards like a teacher grading an exam seems at odds with the concept of a supreme, all-knowing being.

Instead of a deity with human-like emotions, I believe in a supreme force or a law of nature that governs involuntary cycles of life. I have never experienced divine intervention that punished my wrongdoings or rewarded my good deeds. But I do see a larger rhythm to life, an order beyond human understanding. Perhaps that is what I perceive as God—a force that moves, not with expectation or judgment, but simply as it is.

Growing up with Tamil traditions, I have often observed practices like 'venduthal' and 'nerthi kadan,' where people make vows to God and fulfill them upon their wishes being granted. I have never understood the idea of negotiating with the divine. If God is all-knowing, why would He require offerings or fulfilled vows? I wonder if these practices arise more from human emotions of gratitude and fear rather than any divine expectation. They seem to be a way for people to seek control over uncertainty, a reassurance that their faith is being acknowledged.

Similarly, Tamil customs include elaborate temple visits, processions, and rituals that are deeply woven into cultural identity. While I participate in them, I do so as an observer rather than a true believer. I appreciate the sense of community and continuity these traditions bring, yet I remain uncertain about their spiritual significance. If faith is meant to be personal, why does it often feel like an obligation to follow inherited customs? Perhaps faith is less about structured belief and more about finding peace in whatever form resonates with us individually.

So, I no longer seek miracles in grand gestures; I see the divine in the simplest things. In doing so, I realize that my journey of understanding God is ongoing—fluid, changing, and deeply personal.

Why is there a WAR?

I finally watched Schindler's list last week. It was on my list of to-watch for quite sometime. Like many of us in the recent times, my patience for watching a 3-hour long movie has gone for a toss. So I had put it on hold for sometime now.

To those who have no idea on the movie, it is set in the Nazi-occupied Poland during WWII where the Jews are looted off their home and valuables and quarantined as herds and how a German tries to rescue them.

Half an hour into the movie I was overwhelmed with the feeling of ineptitude and rage. This is not entirely new to me. Yes, I have been introduced to gruesome realities of the WWII. But it always creates this vortex of thoughts that cannot be put into words. 

There are many other fictional books that I have read set in the WWII world. Everytime I start reading such books or watch movies, I dread the events that are to follow. I can hardly say I understood what the Jews went through. I am trying to put myself in that period, in their shoes. They do not have a house, don't know if they will live another day or will see their family again. It has been 80 years since the war has happened but the effect that it creates on the generations that are present now and yet to come is never-ending. It gives a mental trauma just by hearing or reading some of the narrations. 

In 2014, I read the 'The Boy in Striped Pyjamas' and the climax is deeply etched into my mind. The entire book is from a little boy's perspective who befriends a Jew boy in the concentration camp separated by a wire fence from his new house. I literally shuddered at the climax. 

I have witnessed two major wars between 2 countries - the U.S. war on Afghanistan post 09/11 and the most recent Ukraine war. Lives lost, properties damaged and destroyed. I do not understand why wars should happen. I cannot fathom a sane reason to destroy the livelihoods of fellow humans. 

Ultimately I can only think of two reasons that cannot be justified at any point. Either it is greed or fear. Greed for resources and power or Fear of losing  War has been a form of survival of the fittest from the period of cavemen. To find the alpha of the group and then find places for establishing their civilization. Gradually when the human beings became civilized creatures, one would expect the war would go extinct. But the warfare has become more sophisticated and technologically advanced and without doubt, more dangerous than ever before.

There is no answer as to why war is necessary or even if it is necessary. Everyone might put forth the point that we must be ready for war to keep the peace. Yes, I agree. But will there be an end to 'he started, I reverted' argument. Time only can answer.

Potterhead Reminisces - Part 2

So continuing on the HP journey...

First ever theatre experience:

The first ever theatre experience was a bit baffling. The movie was the Half Blood Prince. When the movie released I was in Gandhinagar for my job training period. A couple of my friends and I had finished the training by 6.00 pm and rushed to the theatre for the 6:30pm show. Surprisingly there was no rush and we were the only people in the theatre. Apparently, it was a weekday. Only when the movie started I realized that it was the Hindi version. Oh! you should have seen me cringe for every spell that was translated to Hindi. 

But I was more pissed off by the entire movie than the language. For all non HP people, this book actually gives us glimpses of Voldemort's life i.e. the villain before he started scaring his world. Disappointingly the movie only had very essential portions the directors thought that would support the narration of the movie. I strongly object. Had they been included, maybe Voldemort would have more screen presence. The protagonist and antagonist would have been balanced. The flashbacks in the movie were only means to the end. I found the movie didn't do justice to the book.

Characters I like:

Harry, Ron and Hermione - Being the prime characters, I don't think these 3 need an explanation as to why I like them. Fun fact: Every time I read the book I pronounced Hermione as 'her-me-yon' but actually it was pronounced 'Her-my-oh-nee'.

Dobby - not pleasant to the eyes but a very sweet character. U might find him first revolting and annoying but you start liking him as time goes. My friends used to tease me that Dobby is my boyfriend. His loyalty can be heartwarming and always stands by what is correct. He is such a free-spirited creature.

Luna Lovegood- She is so peculiar and also sweet. Misjudged person at the first and people warm up to her later. 

Weasley Twins - The funniest, intelligent and mischievous duo. What's not to like in them. They are like the tiny rays of light when the story is travelling in the dark tunnel. 

Snape - This character was thoroughly a surprise. He can be the most annoying and infuriating person at times. Hated in all the 6 books and then one book changed everything. I even mourned when the actor who played Snape, Alan Rickman passed away. 

Characters I don't like:

Umbridge - She is the epitome of hypocrisy and cruelty. Of course we are supposed to hate her. Her character was written as such. I don't hate Voldemort as much as I hate her. 

Ginny, Trelawney - I don't know why I don't like these two characters. I never got to like them till the end.

Book set:

In 2016, I had an entire set of Harry Potter books. A gift from my husband. You should have seen me smiling from ear to ear. The fulfilment we feel when we get what we wished for, however small it might be can be soul satisfying. Don't get me wrong.. the book set is not a small gift.

Why people like Harry Potter:

I have a theory on why people like Harry Potter. It is a common good vs evil story with generous portions of fantasy elements in it. But this is not just a children's book. Children are always kept away from things that are scary like hatred, death, cruelty, loss etc. But these things are most of the time are part and parcel of our life. This book series touches the subjects about making choices in life while adulting and facing harsh realities of life. I am in my mid-30s now. My ideas and leanings towards different subjects have changed through time. But I can still resonate with many things in the book. I am not able to ignore the book as just a children's book. 

My husband's take on HP

My husband thinks Voldemort is the best wizard and Harry won because he is just lucky. Hubby admires him for his attitude, power and style and the story was biased too much towards Harry. Also being a fantasy novel,  no logic required for the final results. I contradict that though it is fantasy you cant leave gaping plot holes. Everything can be explained. I accept that Harry had help from friends, teachers and well wishers. The victory was not his alone. He is not as equally powerful as Voldemort. Nor was Neville. He could have taken the evil path of revenge for his parent's death and become more powerful and evil than Voldemort. Essentially Harry and Voldemort are similar by many ways. But it was Harry's conscious choices that speaks loads. Like in spiderman, with great power comes great responsibilities and Voldemort was reckless with his power.

I think I have maundered on enough on Harry Potter.

Until we meet again, Ciao!!! 

Potterhead Reminisces - Part 1

2022 started off with Harry Potter's 20th Anniversary Video in Amazon Prime. All who barely even know me, will know I am a Potterhead through and through. Damn, I was a Potterhead even before I read the books or watched the movies. It took me back to the time I was introduced to Harry Potter.

How it all started:

I was made aware of such a fantasy world when I was in my higher secondary. I was glued to the TV screen when glimpses of the first movie premiere was announced. 

The visuals were enticing for I have not seen any children's movie with CG like that. The previous movie which I think came close to my admiration was Jurassic Park. 

So I wanted get introduced to this world before watching the movie. I couldn't easily get my hands on the copy of the book. Buying a new one was an expensive affair. There was this classmate in school who had read the books. She started telling me the story during one of the free hours. Just as she started 'There was a boy called Harry Potter and when he was a baby he was attacked by a bad man called Voldemort' the bell rang. After this I couldn't get hold of her and that was the end for the narration of the remaining story.

I am not sure if it was HBO or any other TV channel. There was no subtitles when it was telecasted. So I had to watch with what little English I was able to follow in the movies. The enunciation was not as good as the cartoon network which was the only English channel I used to watch. Till the end of my school, I did not get any chance to read the books. 

My first ever Harry Potter book:

In my first year of my college when I found a battered copy of the first book in a second hand book shop, I didn't think twice. I was a very proud owner of my first HP book. I dived into this new world of imaginary creatures, things, spells, witches, wizards and whatnot. I lent the book to one of my friends and that was the last I saw of that book.

My Harry Potter Journey:

My reading order was chaotic. Of the first 6 books, I went from 1 to 3 to 6 and then came back to 2, 4 and 5. Many things were puzzling because of this disorderliness. But nothing stopped me from ploughing through the books. After watching the movies in television, I realized that the movies were really good. But the books were MINDBLOWING. The detailing were impressed me. You are introduced to new concepts of this wizarding world  in every book. But my favorite among all the books are Half Blood Prince and the Deathly Hallows.

When the Deathly Hallows released I was in my college final year and me with some of my classmates were anxious about the climax of the series. The ultimate question was - will Harry Potter live in the end? Funnily the pirated version of the book was doing its rounds - one the original and another a fake. In one Harry Potter dies and in another he lives. We didn't know which is which. Like the fools we were, mourning for his death. 

By then I had read all the books using the mantra beg, borrow or steal (It means the pirated ebook version) and the Death Hallows was the only book left. I completed all the books by the time I started working.

So how did I like the movies?

My first theatre experience, favorite characters and buying the book-set, more on my next post....

Summer Frolics

Me and summer season don't see eye to eye. Being in a southern part of subtropical country, sun is always included in your life package. Being an adult, we don't have summer holidays like the children. Now, the only redeeming feature of summer seems to be the food , or seasonal fruits to be precise. Decades earlier, there was a time when I was not taunted by the heat. I still remember my childhood days when I spent most of the days in my Aunt's house. When summer started after the annual exams, my cousin and I would sit down and plan what to do in the holidays. We did not go for any vacations. So we had to make do with whatever was available in and around the house.

First things first, old school books need to be packed away for old paper guy. We were cocky enough to think that we would pass our exams.

Saving money is something I have observed and admired from my cousin. He was very meticulous with money. Our ability to earn money was playing cards. We used to play cards every night with the aunt's family. 25 paise to Rs.1 for each game was the bet per head. So if either us wins we can get upto Rs.6 a day. The next day we would invest half the earnings in the game. We had our finance thinking caps on at that age.

The second best thing I admired about my cousin was how he kept his things neatly and he never lost a thing. All his old pens would be held in a box. We would soak all our fountain pens, wash them, dry them, categorize them and kept them ready for the next academic year.

Chithrai thiruvizha in our hometown is quite a famous festival.  We went out for Azhagar festival with the neighbors family and get squeezed in the crowds. But we were never bothered.

The exhibition in the tamukkam grounds was another highlight of summer. I am not a fan of the rides. I tried to get into the girls club and the kids club. My elder cousin was in college. She, her neighbour friends and I would spend time in all the artificial jewellery and accessories stalls. Trying out all the girly stuffs like different bindis, chains, earrings, clips, bands and on and on. In the kids quota, the younger cousin and I would go hunting games or playthings. Buying the bubble water was a feat for us. Then comes the food. Chilli bajji, big appalam, popcorn and cotton candy are the best.

That was a time when the only one ice cream brand I was aware was Arun Ice creams and it was not affordable or available nearby. We had to go in search of ice cream parlour to have one. The ice cream sold in cycles was our savior. I still remember the flavours. Rose milk, tutti fruiti, cola, mango, orange. All within Rs.5. 

One movie per summer in the theatres was allowed. We did not have multiplex or air conditioned halls. Neither did we have to buy expensive snacks at the counters. We were allowed to take snacks inside. So we would load our bags with all kind of snacks. Still we would get our cone ice creams at the theatres. It was challenge to finish the ice cream before it melts and the wafer falls off. It was kind of fun.

During the 1999 Cricket World Cup, we used to stock all snacks and beverages. Rasna was the famous household drink for summer. We used to mix many bottles of Rasna store them in the fridge. I still remember the Britannia campaign to win ticket to see world cup in person. I think, they gave out booklets for returning biscuit wrappers. Also there were Pepsi cricket cards in blue colour. 

Along with these we had Hindi tuitions for private exams. That was the only boring and low point of the day. We didn't have air conditioning at home during the period but it was the coolest times of all.

My Year in Books 2020: Not so satisfying!

When I started planning for the reading list 2021, I panicked and my choices of challenges were all over the place. Should I pick easy ones or the most challenging one or the convenient ones? So many questions. I also prepared Quirkysoul Reading Challenge 2021 which was tough considering I had read prompts from many reading challenges. 

Speaking of reading challenges, I took up 50 books as total target and by end of 2020 I was mid-way in my 46th book of the year. So 45 was my count for 2020. I did not have any cheat books to reach my target.

I am a bit disappointed with my reading. Out of 5 reading challenges I took up I was able to complete only one. Like I said in my previous post I bit more than I could chew this year. Below are the challenges I picked for 2020.

In the list below the green-coloured cells are completed prompts whereas orange depicts the one I could not complete.

A-Z Challenge:

A-Z Mini:

Popsugar Advanced Challenge:

Quirkysoul Reading Challenge:

There are few other books I read that do not fall in any challenge except Goodreads Reading Challenge.

Many prompts have some books repeated. Funnily I did not complete the prompts that I curated.

The top 3 books for me in 2020 are

1. Becoming by Michelle Obama: I felt this book did not pretend to be some noble person. It was simple, honest and inspiring.

2. Wings of Fire by APJ Abdul Kalam: Many technical terms of the book flew right over my head but  the book can give you positivity like the man, Kalam sir, himself. Oddly, when I was reading the book I could hear his voice narrate his journey. Another 

3. 3 books share the third place. The Thirteenth Tale - Diane Setterfield, The Silent Patient - Alex Michaelides, The Giver of Stars - Jojo Moyes: Each of them are different from each other but were certainly goodread.

Normal People by Sally Rooney was a bit disappointing for me as I expected too much due to the hype.

I am surprised that non-fiction(not a fan!) genre has topped by best book list. May be I should explore more in this category. I do have a tome for 2021 - The most suggested 'Sapiens' it is. Let us see how impressive it is going to be. Also last year I picked up some unknown authors and I did like many of those.

I have pledged to read 45 books this year and I am very cautious in creating my list of books. Also I am trying to clear the ever-growing TBR. Popsugar Advanced Challenge 2021 is going to help me do that.

More about these later.

C U Soon!

Bookish Thoughts : Getting ready for 2021!!

Yes, it is that time of the year. I am huffing and puffing with all my reading challenges. I think I bit more than I could chew. Whatever might be the issues with the past challenges, I always keep looking forward for new year challenges - Searching for prompts and preparing my own list of reading challenge.

Last year I had prepared my own list of Reading Challenge and here is what I read for 2021 Quirkysoul Reading Challenge.

1. A book that revolves around another book/bookstore/library -  I loved this one. Yeah yeah!! I know I prepared it but this was my most favorite prompt. Of course it is. I selected 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff. It was a lovely book. It was the easiest to read as it was an epistolary.

2. A book authored by a Man Booker Prize Recipient -  I started with 'Girl,Woman, Other' by Bernardine Evaristo but could not complete it on time.

3. Any book by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam - An inspiring prompt. 'Wings of Fire' can lift your confidence to a different level. Also it can humble you by many folds.

4. A book that revolves around any US President (Fiction/Non-Fiction) - I chose the fictional version. Had this prompt been for this year I would have had many options. I read The President Is Missing - James Patterson Bill Clinton' 

5. A book set in Japan - The idea behind this prompt was defeated by the pandemic situation. Olympics in Japan was postponed but I still followed the prompt to complete. Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, Ginny Tapley Takemori was a peculiar book and most recommended. It was a nice one and easy read.

Now for 2021 I have come up with 6 prompts. Unlike the previous year I have not thought many of them with logic.

I have taken up a few other challenges I am planning to clear my TBR shelf as much as possible.

My year in reading for 2020 will be up in my next post.

Hopes and prayers for nice new books to be published and to receive many books as gift in 2021.

Until then,

Happy Reading.

SPB - The soulstirrer

Truly 2020 has been terrible. The death of this legend took time to sink. I was in complete denial of SPB's passing away. I am one among the crores and crores of fans who have found refuge in voice for different situations in life. The name SPB has been synonymous to music for me. Music has been a great aid in my life and SPB has borne the major contribution in that.

I think I have taken his singing for granted. Now that I know his voice will not be heard in any new songs I feel the grief that encloses me. The next 4 days of the news, I was tearing up every time I have been hearing his songs.

SPB has been a familiar voice to me since my childhood. Especially the pathos genre. Even though I didn't know the meaning of lyrics, the songs could evoke the sadness in a five-year old me. 

I have also enjoyed his acting too in many of his movies especially in Manadhil Urudhi Vendum, Kadhalan, Keladi Kanmani, Ullasam.

I just wonder what I like about his singing. The foremost - the clarity of his pronunciation. Be it any language, his words were crystal clear. The next feature I love about his songs is the effortlessness. He makes us believe that his songs are not difficult to sing. Though only trained singers can do justice in recreating his songs. Also, the emotions he imbibes while singing can 

I have not seen him in person though I would have loved to have had an opportunity. He seemed like a very nice person - someone who enjoys life, respects others, taking things easy in life, humble. From what I see from anecdotes his friends and acquaintances quote, he was liked and loved beyond his music, for the human being he was. 

SPB sir's demise has created an incomprehensible void in my life and many other fans.

May his soul rest in peace!

Once again we are at that point of the year where we reflect on our actions so far and plan for the future. Yes, 2020 is almost here and it is a leap year. Hurrah!! More time to read.

I think I was too ambitious and had planned to read about 60 books including the Popsugar regular challenge. By the end of January I was lagging behind the schedule. My reading took a hit when I had to juggle reading with some other. There was a slump for about four months. By August I was way behind to recover. Still I tried to complete as much as possible and ended the year with 43 books. Out of the 40 books in Popsugar regular challenge, I finished 26 of the criteria. 65% completion rate is not so bad after all!!

Below is the list of prompts I completed

I went beyond my favourite genre and took chances on new authors due to some overwhelming reviews. There were many surprises and a few disappointments. My top 5 books in no particular order for the year would be

1. The Man Called Ove

2. The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society

3. The Book Thief

4. The Help

5. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

Eat, Pray, Love and Where'd You Go, Bernadette were disappointing in-spite of the raving reviews I read. I wish I could have read Becoming by Michelle Obama. It is still in my TBR (the ever-growing list). 

Please find the list of all the books I took up for 2019 in the link below

https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/14655913

This Year was comparatively short in numbers but that's okay. I have attempted some books which I normally would not pick up at all and I found some gems. 

What's next? This year I have created my own reading challenge and you can find the details here. In 2020 I am going to attempt the Popsugar advanced reading challenge. It has 10 prompts only, so I think I can do it. I have lined up the books already and aiming for 35 in total. Also I am going to include Tamil books in them. Hoping for a good reading year. 

As usual, I pledge to be regular on updating the blog. 

Happy Reading Folks!!

Bookish Thoughts : Whats up with my reading!!

After a very long hiatus, I have picked up the pace in my reading challenge and need not mention I am falling behind. I am picking up the bits and pieces and running still. Lets see how 2019 ends for me.

In the meantime, I had a thought.

2020 is around the corner and I am gearing up for new reading challenge. I thought why not create a list of my own with 2020 in mind. Hence the Quirkysoul Reading Challenge.

Being a debut list, this is a very short one and a trial of how I am faring. 

Why the 5?

I couldn't resist my bookish bias hence the first & second challenge.

The year 2020 reminds me of the Missile Man of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Sir and his vision for India in 2020 leading to the 3rd challenge.

The US Presidential Elections is being held in 2020 and I am borrowing the theme in challenge no.4.

Japan is hosting the Olympics this time and hence the honorary challenge no.5.

This might not be a difficult list or even a childsplay. Babysteps people.

If I am successful this time, I am planning to create more lists/reading challenges.

Jump right in if you think you can do it. 

Will be back with a detailed post on how I did in 2019 and the books I am planning for 2020.

Until then,

Toodles.

Book Review: Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine

Author: Gail Honeyman
Genre: Contemporary
Type: Fiction

This book is something I am glad I picked up for the Popsugar prompt 25 – A debut novel. It is not usually a genre or premise I would usually read. But I chose it through recommendations.

Eleanor Oliphant is an adult who is generally considered a social misfit. She lives alone, has a job and there is a routine for everything in her life. She doesn’t socialise. Her mother is the only person in her life she speaks to regularly. One day, she sees a musician at his band performance whom she decides is her soul mate and plans to meet him, fall in love and get married to him. Also she is introduced to a colleague, Raymond who is friendly and doesn’t see the flaws in Eleanor. The remaining story tells why Eleanor is the way she is and did her plan to covet the musician work.

The entire book is single character centric and we see a character arc in Eleanor that happens by the people she meets. You don’t see a sudden twist and turn until you know her back story. I did feel a hint of mockery on all the questions on the norms, decorum and code we follow on social behaviour. Sometimes we don’t ask questions where we need to and hide behind etiquette.

The character does grow on you as you read. Eleanor is sometimes aware of her shortcomings but she doesn’t let that bother her.

The read is a smooth ride with the ebbs and flows of laughs and grief. It can be heart-warming and heartbreaking at the same time.

This one definitely goes into my list of good reads for the year.

Verdict: Highly recommended in contemporary fiction with odd characters are odd and a warm story.

Book Review: Where'd You Go, Bernadette

Author: Maria Semple
Genre: Humour
Type: Fiction

I had selected this book for my Popsugar reading prompt 16- A book with a question in the title. I am still not sure how I feel about this book. I will try my best to put it into words.

The whole title is a little misleading. I was expecting some search expedition for a missing person from the start. But it comes almost at the end.

Bernadette is an opinionated mother of a 15 year old, Bee. She hates her neighbourhood and does most of her work through an outsourced personal assistant. Her husband is a Microsoft employee and is almost absent physically and emotionally. Bernadette has gone through so many issues like a big hit on her career as an architect, issues with her pregnancy and Bee’s health problems. When her daily life gives her grief, Bernadette disappears. Bee, who is very close to her mom, decides to find her. The remaining story says if she finds her mom or not.

The storytelling is done through a series of letters, notes and emails and a few narrations from Bee. So it makes the reading quick and easy. It is hilarious at a few scenes. But I wouldn’t say it is a laugh out loud humour. There is a whole lot of satire and sarcasm on the suburban culture of private schools, mommy clubs and Microsoft culture. But the world and characters in which the satire is played on is too shallow. I did feel sorry for Bernadette once all the reasons for her anguishes are explained.I couldn’t care any less about her neighbours. I couldn’t pine for anyone here. That is one downside about this book.

Verdict: At the end of the book, all I felt was uncertainty. I am still a bit confused if this is satire or humour.

Book Review: Behind Closed Doors

Author: B. A. Paris
Genre: Thriller
Type: Fiction

I picked this book for their reviews and rating from different sources. The author is new to me so I started with an open mind.

The story is a about a couple Jack and Grace Angel who seem to be the perfect couple to their friends. Jack is a domestic violence lawyer and has an amazing track record. Grace who used to be a fruit supply buyer for a big department store, quit her job after marrying Jack. Grace’s sister Millie has Down’s syndrome and is attending special needs school. The couple have great looks, a cute story about their courting, amazing holidays and a gorgeous home. The cherry on the top is Grace’s cooking which their friends applaud at the dinner parties. But with all the happy couple show going on, there are some deep secrets turning their life to a sham.

The story goes back and forth between Grace’s past and present. The author does not beat around the bush and there is no suspense about the dark secrets. You are immediately introduced to 2 different worlds.  Though there was potential for dark content I am grateful that there were no rambling psycho thoughts on display. There are no vivid and graphic descriptions of the cruelty, but you do fear for the person. Sometimes you feel so helpless that it makes you want to find a way to end the horror. The story keeps flowing uninterrupted and you come to the end without realising it.

In terms of character design, I think all major characters were well defined. I see the flaws on the decisions Grace makes but you can only know how your mind works if you are in that situation . Millie is observant and clever and my favourite in the novel. If it wasn't for her I don't know how the story would have proceeded.

Once I finished I thought it fit the Popsugar prompt 4: A book you think should be turned into a movie. If not a movie I think this could make a pretty good mini web series. I also think this book has a potential for a sequel.

Verdict: An engaging and exciting psychological thriller. Must read and highly recommended of the genre.

Book Review: Master of the Game

Author: Sidney Sheldon
Genre: Thriller
Type: Fiction

This book was chosen as part of Popsugar prompt 35: A book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter. Sidney Sheldon is one of the primary authors that I had read when I moved on to thrillers from Enid Blyton’s works and Nancy Drew and I was never disappointed with any of his novels.

The novel starts with Kate Blackwell where on her ninetieth birthday she recollects the past events of her life and history of the conglomerate she owns Kruger-Brent Ltd. The story mostly happens in South Africa when diamond mining was a booming industry , describes how her father started the company from the scratch and showcases the hunger for power, riches, revenge, passion, betrayal, manipulation spanning across four generations.

You might find yourself pining for a character and the next second hating the same person making the character more humane. In most of Sheldon’s novels we can find strong-willed female characters. One such person is Kate though I am not going to debate on if she is good or evil. Every generation has 1 or 2 central characters and the writing does not make us feel the length of the book.

The novel never slows at any point. It is entertaining, ruthless and unputdownable.

Languages and Me

Being in a country with people speaking many languages, I have encountered a few hurdles with languages and here are some incidents with how strange it can be in our country.

Case 1:

I was raised in Bangalore until I was 10 and I never attended proper tuition of my mother tongue, Tamil, in school. My parents chose Hindi as second language for me in school as it would be easy for me to if we were to move to another state in the future.

I slowly learned the Tamil alphabet from my mom, newspapers and TV. I started reading and was able to read sentences without much effort. But I didn’t have the practice of writing. Even now I can write Tamil quickly. When we moved to Tamilnadu, for a couple of years I had a school which had an option selecting second language as Hindi. But in 7^th standard I changed school which had Tamil as mandatory language along with Hindi. That's when I started having problems. I had no knowledge of grammar of the language. I had to cope up with the meager knowledge I had. The first monthly test results came and my answer sheet were fully marked in red. It was not just the grammar or spelling mistake. But I had been writing the script incorrectly. Or to be more accurate I was writing in an obsolete script, thanks to the newspapers I was using for my reading practice.

Now for a little history. Periyar, a prominent and famous politician and social activist of Tamilnadu, had proposed changes in the format of some syllables of Tamil during 1950s. It was something like this.

                    

The latter syllables were brought into effect and were been used ever since. 40 years later I had been using the former pattern in my exams, courtesy of the newspapers. It never occurred to me that none of my textbooks had the letters that I was familiar with. Maybe I thought that you can write it in either way. God only knows what went in my mind at that time. (I still don’t know why the newspapers had been using the obsolete script) Much to my teacher’s bafflement, during the paper disctribution he asked me where I learnt from my Tamil from. After that I had to unlearn and learn again the letters. My Tamil teacher was patient enough to tolerate the mistakes I made in Tamil and he is one of my favourite teachers from my school days.

Case 2:

Me and my husband moved to Hyderabad a couple of years before. My husband can speak Telugu well whereas I have just started learning the language. I can understand most of it but can’t reply immediately if someone speaks to me. The house we moved to recently is owned by a Malayali couple and they have been living in Hyderabad for more than 20 years. 

Malayalam and Tamil are very close to each other and share most words. So it is logical for us to speak to the landlady in Tamil and them to us in Malayalam. But since my husband started off in Telugu to the landlady they continue to converse in Telugu. I assume her husband is not that fluent in Telugu as he never speaks in Telugu. Though I understand most part, I stand as a mere spectator to these conversations.

It’s funny how a third language is chosen to communicate when both the parties know much similar language as each other.

Book Review: To All The Boys I've Loved Before

Author: Jenny Han
Genre: YA, Romance
Type: Fiction

This is the first book of a trilogy and I liked the lighthearted read. I chose this book for Popsugar prompt 29 - A book with 'love' in the title.

The story revolves around a 16 year old Lara Jean. In order to let go of her crushes and move on, she has a habit of writing letters to her crushes expressing all her thoughts. But these letters are for her eyes only and are not intended to be posted ever. One of her crush is her sister’s ex-boyfriend Josh who is also a childhood friend and neighbour. Lara Jean’s world turned upside down when her elder sister leaves for college and Lara has to be the mother of the house. To make things matter worse, all of her letters get mysteriously posted. How does Lara Jean confronts the mayhem after that is the crux of the story.

Lara Jean is a shy girl and shares most of her private time with her family only. She has a deep relationship with her elder sister Margot who seems to be the most efficient and responsible person of the family. And it makes sense why Lara Jean looks upto Margot for approval. It is also nice to have an understanding dad like Dr. Covey. I am simply amused by Kitty’s character. She is a kid but as the story goes, I feel she is sensible enough to be Lara Jean’s elder.

The drama between Lara Jean and Peter is cute and as the story moves along we get the sense of where this goes.

The writing and the plot is simple and quick to read. Both the book and movie are equally good. I hope the other two books are as engaging as this one.

Verdict: This is a sweet, lighthearted, contemporary fluff but adorable nonetheless. Recommended for YA romance fans.

Book Review: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Author: Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
Genre: Historical Fiction
Type: Fiction

It has been so long that I have read books that made me feel so grateful for the life we have.I am always hesitant to pick historical fiction as most of them deal with the war and its consequences. It had raving reviews and was highly recommended in a book forum. I was happy to read this book for the Popsugar prompt 21–A book by two female authors.

Set in the post-war period of WW II, this is an epistolary historical novel. Juliet Ashton, a writer comes to know about a queer little book society called the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society in Guernsey. Yes, the name is a mouthful. She is dating Mark who covets her for her hand in marriage. After learning how this society came into being during the German occupation, Juliet falls in love with the land and the people. She discovers more about them and understands how little she knew about the Channel Islands. She goes to Guernsey to collect material for her next book based on this society. How Juliet brings change in the life of the people of Guernsey and vice versa forms the remaining story.

It took me time to know who is who in the book. But once I was set, there was no stopping. With every letter curiosity keeps building up. Not many books probe into the minds of book lovers and their obsessions. I am not a person who picks on the quotes I liked. But with this book I was marking down quotes that resonated with me. It is always nice to read about people’s experiences about how books have touched their lives and turned it around.

The book recollects the gruesome and depressive period of the war but the author has managed to lace it with humour. I found it was easy this way to comprehend the incidents of the war.

The book is divided into 2 sections: Part 1 was fast-moving. I felt part 2 was a bit stagnant at places. I loved the array of characters, their back stories and peculiar connections to books. I loved Juliet and Elizabeth the best.

I also watched the movie but I liked the book better. What else can you expect from a book worm? The modifications on the story-line and the characters did not sit well with me.

Verdict: I am quite happy with myself that I decided to read this book and this definitely goes into my list of forever favourites. I think most fiction book lovers would love this historical fiction.

Book Review: A Cry in the Night

Author: Mary Higgins Clark
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Type:  Fiction

I find Mary Higgins Clark’s works quite engaging and I need not say this is a suspense thriller and set in the 1980’s.

The plot starts with Jenny, a divorcee and a mother of 2 kids, who works in an art gallery. Her ex-husband Kevin is a struggling actor and often leeches off on Jenny for money. She meets Erich the painting artist during his art exhibition and he sweeps her off her feet with his charm and warmth. Within a month they get married and she moves from New York to his mansion in Minnesota. He is rich and has people working for him to cater to his every whim. Jenny slowly realizes that Erich is a perfectionist and very possessive. Slowly her life turns into a nightmare when weird incidents begins happening. At one point, Jenny feels she is entrapped in the mansion. Does she escape her nightmare and the answers to why strange events keep happening.

The author takes her time to set the premise before the creepy events unfold. At one point the book feels like a horror story. The pace is quick and there are so many unsolved questions which are answered at the end. There are several other characters attributing to suspicious circumstances and make us shift our doubts to every other person. The final reveal is a good one.

The primary point by which Erich is besotted by Jenny is that she is almost a replica of his dead mother Caroline. Jenny realizes that she and Caroline have more than physical similarities. But one question that bothers me is how does any woman, let alone a mother of two, decide to marry a person she knows only for a month and knows basically nothing of his life. I even thought that Jenny has some psychological issues. Also, she invariably tolerates Erich’s annoying acts and felt maybe she should not be this naïve.

Verdict: Overall the book an engaging easy read and is a mix of romance, thriller and horror. It keeps you hooked till the end.

Book Review: A Stranger in the House

Author: Shari Lapena

Genre: Mystery, Crime, Thriller

Type: Fiction

I picked this book as I liked the previous book 'The couple next door' by the same author. 

The plot is about a murder that drags a couple Tom and Karen into it. The wife Karen gets in an accident in a troublesome neighbourhood right around the same time when a murder takes place very close to accident spot. As a result of the injury, Karen doesn't remember anything from the day of the accident. Evidence makes the detectives suspect that Karen was at the murder scene. Adding fuel to the fire is the over-indulgent neighbour Brigid who has nothing but to watch the couple from across the street but seems to be the close friend of Karen. The couple become paranoid when the detectives start drilling with questions.The whole story revolves around who, what and how. Any further details would be a spoiler. So I am curtailing myself there.

The characters are very few. Karen is secretive, smart and is guarded in her thoughts and actions whereas Brigid is manipulative and nosy. I was a bit disappointed with Tom's character. For a person who's wife is in a grave circumstance of being charged for a murder, he is so indecisive and meek. I felt most of the time he was rolling in self-pity and was immature. The plot started off interestingly but after a few chapters the story fell flat. There was too much of redundant question of 'what happened that night' passing though everyone's mind. I felt a few pages could have been reduced to avoid the redundancy. The author maintains the 'whodunnit' suspense throughout which makes us keep going. 

I did not expect the double twist at the end. The hint of a subtle cliffhanger is good and maybe there could be a sequel. I The premise was promising but writing was not as good as I expected. In fact, a few places were predictable which is a bummer for mystery genre.

Verdict: I would recommend it as a one-time read if you don't want a serious or intelligent mystery story.