After a loooongg time!!

Its been a roller coaster ride these last few months leaving me with no time and a huge writer's block. I'm sitting on my new sofa (yes, we have finally shifted into our new home.. again.. and also have a sofa!! You can know the happiness it gives me only if you have lived without a sofa for 2 years!) and wondering where did the last four months dissapear! I have been so busy these last few months, redecorating, setting up the house (atleast 2 times), reading and spending some time with my family that it feels as if I blinked and missed almost half the year!

Now, as December rushes past and I look back on 2011, I realize that has been a very eventful year in our lives. It has given us moments of immense happiness (purchasing our first home) and pain (losing my father-in-law). The year has made us grow up and face reality in more ways than one. 

In terms of my reading, this has been a year where I have read about the most diverse subjects, experimented with different authors and tried to step out of my comfort zone of Chicklit and Romance. Some of the new authors I read this year, like Christopher Moore, have earned a place in my favourites shelf and some books and authors which I had on auto-buy, like Johanna Lindsey have been moved to the 'maybe they're not that great' category.

This is the first year since I started reading where I have actually kept track of all the books I have read, thanks to Goodreads, and realised that I do read an avereage of around 100 books a year. (Awesome na!!) I have still not managed to read any Shakespeare, though that is where the impetus to start this blog and enter reading challenges came from (I tried, I swear!). Well, there are still 15 days left before 2011 ends... (maybe I will atleast listen to an audio book)

To wrap it up, the list of all the books i read during the year, and their ratings,



























They can all be found on my Goodreads shelf (What! You thought I was actually going to write down 110 names and give ratings!!! LOL)


If I can't get myself to write another post ( Out of sheer laziness of course!) then wish you all a Happy New Year and see you in 2012!

Repost - 2011 South Asian Challenge

I had posted in April about entering the South Asian Challenge, this is an update:

There are six levels,

South Asian Encounter - 1 book

South Asian Wanderer - 3 books

South Asian Explorer - 5 books

South Asian Adventurer - 7 books

South Asian Hero/Heroine - 10 books

South Asian Guru - Over 10 books (you can set your own goal)

I'm aiming for South Asian Heroine - 10 books

My potential list of books,

1. I'm not Twenty Four...I've been Nineteen for Five Years - Sachin Garg - Read
2. Single in the City - Sushmita Bose - Read 
3. Tales from Firozsha Baag - Rohinton Mistry - Read 
4. Chanakya's Chant - Ashwin Sanghi - Read  
5. The Diary of a Social Butterfly - Moni Mohsin - Read  
6. Balloonists - Rajorshi Chakraborti 
7. The Mistress of Spices - Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni - Read
8. Secret of the Nagas - Amit Tripathi - Read
9. Sea of Poppies - Amitav Ghosh - Read
10. Revolution 2020 -Chetan Bhagat - Read

Oh ya! I forgot, my friend Aparna has asked me to review the Kaam Kahani series.. might have to read that! Will update soon!

BLOG AWARD

I have recieved an award for my blog!! It is for people who have less than 200 followers!

Thank you Jeanz :) (to check out her blog, click here)

 

These are the rules:

1. Thank the giver and link back to their blog:

Thanks Jeanz for giving me award and your link is up above :)

2. Leave your top 5 picks for the award and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog:

                1. Aparna @ A Bangalore Girl in Mumbai

                2. Demetra Brodsky @ WHY I YA 

               3. Freelancer @ A Lot of Pages

               4. Heather @ nightly reading

               5. Alyssa @ The Book Blog Experience

3. Copy and paste the award to your blog if I picked you.

4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to the other bloggers.

5. Most of all: support each other and have lots of fun!

Review: Impetuous

Book Details:

Author: Lori Foster

Publisher: Harlequin

Book Summary:  Grade school teacher Carlie McDaniels trades in her frumpiness for the look of an exotic harem girl, at least for one costume party. So long, spinsterhood--and hello, tall, dark and handsome Tyler Ramsey....

Even after the best night of their lives, Tyler hasn't guessed the identity of his harem hottie...and Carlie plans on keeping him in the dark. After all, a gorgeous guy like Tyler would never fall for his smart-talking best friend. And Carlie's not sure she wants to know what would happen if he ever unveiled the naked truth!

My Review: This is Lori Forster's first book, originally published in 1996 and reissued in a new hot avatar in 2009 by Harlequin. I read this as a part of an event on Goodreads, where we were to read one book by Lori Foster in August. I don't know why I always end up (unknowingly) picking up the author's first/second attempt. This book had a new looking cover, and turns out.. it was old wine in new bottle! 

Anyways, back to the story, the book is about Carlie (I kept thinking of her as Charlie :) ) and Tyler. She is a school marm, who has been hurt in the past and has gone through a bad divorce. He is a yuppie lawyer, who is apparently a Casanova. The book starts with Carlie's BFF Brenda coaxing her to wear a harem costume to her costume party. She comes in the costume, wig and mask.. he (dressed as a pirate) sees her and its lust at first sight! They end up having a very hot encounter in the pool house after which she disappears.

After this, the book is all downhill. Carlie comes across as a bitter and mean person. She is also a wimp! There were times in the book when i felt like shaking her and telling her to stop behaving like a loser and start living. The author has given undue importance to facts like, a) Carlie dresses in dowdy clothes to avoid male attention; b) Carlie has gone through a bitter divorce; c) Carlie dresses in dowdy clothes to avoid male attention; d) Tyler had a troubled childhood; e) Carlie had a troubled childhood; f) Carlie dresses in dowdy clothes to avoid male attention after her divorce... you get the point.

Tyler is OK I guess, just don't understand what he sees in the woman. This is clearly a older Harlequin romance, evident by the amazingly verbose dialogue and use if PG rated words in most of the book. the sex scenes were obviously updated as they were hot, but just didn't fit with the rest of the book.I have read Lori Foster before, but don't recall her as being so bad. Well, I might just pick up one of her newer books to find out for sure.

As an aside, while seeing her page on Goodreads, I just read that her latest blog is about " Should authors update books before they're reissued?" .Yes, Lori, you certainly should.

I rate this book as a 1.5/5 as it was an OK romance, just a little lacking in well-written characters. I read it as a part of my 100+ books in 2011 challenge, 100 E-books challenge and of course as part of the Lori Foster event on Goodreads.

Rating: 1.5/5

Review: Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone & Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets

I am a huge Harry Potter fan, and I believe that the series, is one of the finest books written. J.K Rowling has written the series so well that you can see it and feel it as you read. It  is one of the highest compliments paid to what is essentially a Children's/ YA book, that people from all age-groups are able to enjoy reading it.

The release of the final installment in the Harry Potter Movies (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), led to HBO airing thhe entire series (1-6) again. This made me want to read the entire series again, as I had read it as the books were released and didn't particularly take my time with them (I remember reading it like a starved man faced with a feast.. I literally devoured each book as it came!).

Anyways, like I do with most series, I have started reading them in installments, rather than at a stretch, and read through the first two books, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets again. I found that I still like the series as much as I thought, though this time, my mental movie reel showed Daniel Radcliffe and the rest of the movie cast as different characters, as opposed to letting my imagination fill in the gaps. I suppose this is what happens when you see the movie version of any book, your imagination becomes limited by that of the director's. Good in my case that  Chris Columbus has a great imagination and manages to be true to the book most of the times.

Harry's adventures are fascinating and the change in character's mindset is also great, you can see them evolve with every book in the series. As an adult reading the book, I am struck by the "Save the World" mindset and the main character's strong dislike for anyone with shades of black. This brings to mind the fact that probably, as children, we tend to have very set boundries between black and white which shift as we grow up and become more cynical.

All in all, it it a great series and reccommended to all. For me, it creates a nostaligia of my childhood reading days, when I got lost in my fantasy world of books. Have any of you read the series? What to you think of this? Also, speaking as adults, which is your favourite childhood book, The one you re-visit time and again, dreaming of simpler days. Mine's Tom Sawyer, what is yours?

And.. I'm Back!

Its been soo long since I updated my blog. Most of you must have already forgotten about me. In the last month, we purchased our first house (Yippiiieee) and have been busy getting settled in. We are also being very brave and having some renovations done right away, as we stay here, so things are a little chaotic to say the least! 

So, currently, we are living out of a suitcase, in one room, with a house-full of stuff boxed and stacked across our parent's and relatives houses (finding clothes every morning itself is a huge chore!). Anyways, after a few weeks, I have finally come to terms with the chaos and have decided to get back to my blogging and reviews.

The good news is that I have kept up with my reading (no television, you see), but the bad news is that I have almost forgotten the details of most of the books. So, will only be posting reviews of the recent ones.

Hope to find time to post more often now!

Long Time No See!

It has been a very long time since I have updated my blog! This was mainly due to lack of time and energy between my work, home and other responsibilities. Plus, we have been running around finalizing the purchase of our new home! It has been a huge achievemnt for us leaving us with almost no time.. anyways.. will try to write more and update with photos of my new home soon!

Review: The Duke (Knight Miscellany #1)

Book Details:




Author: Gaelen Foley

Publisher: Ivy Books

Book Summary: Driven to uncover the truth about the mysterious death of his ladylove, the Duke of Hawkscliffe will go to any lengths to unmask a murderer. Even if it means jeopardizing his reputation by engaging in a scandalous affair with London's most provocative courtesan - the desirable but aloof Belinda Hamilton.

Bel has used her intelligence and wit to charm the city's titled gentlemen, while struggling to put the pieces of her life back together. She needs a protector, so she accepts Hawk's invitation to become his mistress in name only. He asks nothing of her body, but seeks her help in snaring the same man who shattered her virtue. Together they tempt the unforgiving wrath of society - until their risky charade turns into a dangerous attraction, and Bel must make a devastating decision that could ruin her last chance at love...

Review: The first instalment of the Knight Miscellany series, and my first read by Gaelen Foley. I got exactly what I expected out of the book, a nice textbook historical romance. Though it was a little different from the others out there in terms of the maturity of the characters. I did not find Robert, the Duke of Hawkscliffe or Belinda very immature and impractical or even impossible to imagine. It was a believable story (well other than the revenge part, but we can excuse that in the name of romance!) with believable characters. Belinda, is a proper miss who is the unfortunate target of an overzealous admirer, whereas the Duke is a good guy (a paragon really) with a strong white knight complex. They meet when she decides to become a courtesan and he decides to take her help in avenging his lady love. So smoothly does she go from being a naive little virgin to the most sought after courtesan with all their glamour and shine, that you almost feel like there was a Cinderella type fairy godmother who swished her wand and made all the bad (good actually in this case) thoughts go away. So a woman who is afraid of sex, almost invites it at every turn, strange... Anyways, as the story progresses, they fall in love and then he has to decide between honour and social standing or LOVE! Needless to say, he chooses love and they live happily ever after!

All in all it was a likeable story, but at times I found myself wondering what was so great about it to put it on many Best Historical Romance lists. The heroine was a little confused, she wants sex, she doesn’t want sex, she likes being a courtesan, she doesn’t like it... also, it was strange to see that she did not miss being respectable at all... she keeps going on about how liberating and empowering it is to become a courtesan, and then just gives it up. I liked the way that the author kept bringing colour to the times they were in by emphasising how people would be called names and judged immediately on their behaviour. It was interesting to know that society is still the same.. 

I rate it 3/5, mainly because it was like a historical version of Pretty Woman, one of my all time fav movies! What more do you want??

Rating: 3/5

Review: I Kissed A Zombie and I Liked It

Book Details:


Author: Adam Selzer
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Book Description:
 Algonquin “Ali” Rhodes, the high school newspaper’s music critic, meets an intriguing singer, Doug, while reviewing a gig. He’s a weird-looking guy—goth, but he seems sincere about it, like maybe he was into it back before it was cool. She introduces herself after the set, asking if he lives in Cornersville, and he replies, in his slow, quiet murmur, “Well, I don’t really live there, exactly. . . .”

When Ali and Doug start dating, Ali is falling so hard she doesn’t notice a few odd signs: he never changes clothes, his head is a funny shape, and he says practically nothing out loud. Finally Marie, the school paper’s fashion editor, points out the obvious: Doug isn’t just a really sincere goth. He’s a zombie. Horrified that her feelings could have allowed her to overlook such a flaw, Ali breaks up with Doug, but learns that zombies are awfully hard to get rid of—at the same time she learns that vampires, a group as tightly-knit as the mafia, don’t think much of music critics who make fun of vampires in reviews. . . .

My Review: Actually, I didn't like it!

God! this book was sooo bad, or maybe I am too old for this vampire, zombie paranomal book craze (that is a sad thought, but I liked Twilight fine...). The book is based in a post-Twilight world where vampires and zombies and other paranormal beings have 'come out of the closet' so to speak and roam freely amongst humans. Not surprisingly they are also the object of teen fantasy and obsession. It is almost a satirical take on Twilight, but falls short of actual satire and humor.

The book centers around Ali, one of the most irritating girls I have read about. She assumes a snobbish air and goes on and on about her great taste in music (running to '50s blues and jazz) and how the new-age music is shit (reminds me of my mom and her obsession with the Indian singer Mukesh) and hew girls liking vamps are also dumb.. blah blah blah. To top it off someone made her the official music critic for the high school newspaper. As we read through Ali's snide comments about music, zombies, vamps, girls, etc. we get very annoyed and just as we are about to fling the book away, she gets attracted to a Zombie, Doug, (I actually felt mean enough to say.. how the mighty have fallen). Of course she does not realize that he is a zombie unless asked to a paranormal party by one of the 'dumb girls' (she thinks he is sick and has the goth look by makeup!! DUH!). She, then crazy in her love for her zombie boyfriend even considers converting herself... well, the book ends as predictably as a Bollywood movie, with Doug sacrificing his existence for her.

I rate it a 1/5 for the absolute blah factor. I realise I am not the ideal age group to read this, but the plot was so thin that any self respecting teen or pre-teen will also reject this one. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. I read this as part of my 100+ books a year and the 100 e-boks a year challenge.

Rating: 1/5 

Review: The Charlemagne Pursuit

Book Details:



Author: Steve Berry
Publisher: Ballantine Books

Book Description: As a child, former Justice Department agent Cotton Malone was told his father died in a submarine disaster in the North Atlantic, but now he wants the full story and asks his ex-boss, Stephanie Nelle, to secure the military files. What he learns stuns him; His father was on a secret nuclear vessel lost on a highly classified mission beneath the ice shelves of Antarctica. But Malone isn't the only one after the truth.

Twin sisters Dorothea Lindauer and Christl Falk are fighting for the fortune their mother has promised to whichever of them discovers what really became of their father who died on the same submarine that Malone's father captained. The sisters know something Malone doesn't. Inspired by strange clues discovered in Charlemagne's tomb, the Nazis explored Antarctica before the Americans, as long ago as 1938.

Now Malone discovers that cryptic journals penned in the language of heaven, inscrutable conundrums posed by an ancient historian, and the ill-fated voyage of his father are all tied to a revelation of immense consequence for humankind. In an effort to ensure that this explosive information never rises to the surface, Langford Ramsey, an ambitious navy admiral, has begun a brutal game of treachery, blackmail, and assassination.

As Malone embarks on a dangerous quest with the sisters, one that leads them from an ancient German cathedral to a snowy French citadel to the unforgiving ice of Antarctica, he will finally confront the shocking truth of his father's death and the distinct possibility of his own.

My Review: Well, the description kinda says it all.. that is exactly how the book goes. (note to self: read description before starting the book) Anyways, the entire Cotton Malone series was moving towards Cotton's quest for finding out what happened to his father. This book is all about that. It was standard Steve Berry fare, very old sites, very obvious clues and women after Cotton, first to get laid and then to kill him, (Cotton... there is a pattern here.. maybe you should think about it).

Well, however predictable Steve Berry's books are, the research which goes behind them is awesome and the plot is superb. The whole concept of an ancient civilization is given with  scientific backing and makes you think that this must really be true. I like reading about ancient mysteries, so I quite enjoyed the book. Have any of you read any Steve Berry book before? Tell me your opinions.

Rating: 3/5

Review: Anyone But You

Book Details:


Author: Jennifer Cruise
Publisher: Harlequin

Book Description: For Nina Askew, turning forty means freedom--from the ex-husband, freedom from their stuffy suburban home, freedom to focus on what she wants for a change. And what she wants is something her ex always vetoed--a puppy. A bouncy, adorable puppy.

Instead she gets…Fred.

Overweight, middle-aged, a bit smelly and obviously depressed, Fred is light-years from perky. But he does manage to put Nina in the path of Alex Moore, her gorgeous, younger-by-a-decade neighbor.

Alex seems perfect--he's a sexy, seemingly sane, surprisingly single E.R. doctor--but the age gap convinces Nina that anyone but Alex would be better relationship material. But with every silver-haired stiff she dates, the more she suspects it's the young, dog-loving doc she wants to sit and stay!


My Review:
Well, its a Harlequin romance... by definition they are sweet, breezy and light. This book lived up to its expectation and was a quick read. I wanted to read something sweet after reading Steve Berry's Carlemagne Pursuit and before starting with In Spite of the Gods (that's the next one!). So, I decided to read Jenny Cruise's first novel. Alex was really sweet, but kinda dense for a doc and Nina was a 40 year old with a huge age complex! but in the end.. its happily ever after with lots of sizzle.

I would recommend this for a Sunday afternoon when you just want to read something nice.

If any of you have read this book, let me know your thoughts.

Rating 3/5

Review: The Black Lyon

The Black Lyon by Jude Deveraux
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

This was one of the most boring books I have read. It was so bad that I had to abandon it. Normally, I really like Jude Deveraux books, but this was a disaster. It just kept going on and on. I should have known it was going to be dumb when the name of the key protagonist were  Lyon and Lyonene! with such names, I felt that the moment they met each other, they should have realised that they were meant to be together. Alas, that was not to be so, they predictibly fight, enter into ego issues and fall prey to silly insecurities. It was tedious. I kept wishing it would get over after this "twist" but no.. there was always a few hundred pages remaining. I finally gave up halfway when she gets convinced (again) that he does not love her..

I would not recommend this to anyone! I give it 1/5


View all my reviews

Books, Life n More: Why You Should Stay away from Indiaplaza!!!!

Books, Life n More: Why You Should Stay away from Indiaplaza!!!!: "Time & again I have shared the history of how I fell in love with reading in this blog & have also written about how a small time hobby be..."

Review: Kiss an Angel

Book Details:


Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Publisher: Avon

Book Description: Wedding Day

Pretty, flighty Daisy Devreaux can either go to jail or marry the mystery man her father has chosen for her. Arranged marriages don't happen in the modern world, so how did the irrepressible Daisy find herself in this fix?

Alex Markov, as humorless as he is deadly handsome, has no intention of playing the loving bridegroom to a spoiled little feather-head with champagne tastes. He drags Daisy from her uptown life to a broken down traveling circus and sets out to tame her to his ways.

But this man without a soul has met his match in a woman who's nothing but heart. Before long, passion will send them flying sky high without a safety net... risking it all in search of a love that will last forever.
 
My Review: 
I absolutely loved this one! It reminded me of Enid Blyton's Circus series and of the times when I dreamt of running away to join the circus! Daisy is an absolute darling and is cute and fierce at the same time. Alexi is the alpha male who can't help falling in love with her. It was a sweet old-fashioned romance, the kind we read in M&Bs from the 80s and early 90s, but I really really liked it.
 
Like all of SEP's books, this one was filled with LOL moments and great drama :). I would reccommend this to anyone wanting a light spot of romance.

Rating: 4/5

Review: What Happens in London (Bevelstoke#2)

Book Details:


Author: Julia Quinn
Publisher:Hachette Group

Book Description: Rumors and Gossip . . . The lifeblood of London

When Olivia Bevelstoke is told that her new neighbor may have killed his fiance, she doesn't believe it for a second, but, still, how can she help spying on him, just to be sure? So she stakes out a spot near her bedroom window, cleverly concealed by curtains, watches, and waits . . . and discovers a most intriguing man, who is definitely up to something.

Sir Harry Valentine works for the boring branch of the War Office, translating documents vital to national security. He's not a spy, but he's had all the training, and when a gorgeous blonde begins to watch him from her window, he is instantly suspicious. But just when he decides that she's nothing more than an annoyingly nosy debutante, he discovers that she might be engaged to a foreign prince, who might be plotting against England. And when Harry is roped into spying on Olivia, he discovers that he might be falling for her himself...

Book Review: It looks like my week to read light and fluffy romances. All tempted by the Royal Wedding tamasha, I was craving to read a historical romace, preferable one with a Prince :). So, I decided to read the second in the Bevelstoke Series. I had liked The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever and was waiting to read Olivia's story. I'm happy to say, Julia Quinn doesn't dissapoint. The story is absolutely delightful. The hero, Harry Valentine!! Olivia is a sassy miss, who also happens to be a great beauty.

I loved the potraying of Harry as a reluctant spy and the irony of Olivia spying on a spy! I also liked the fact that none of the characters were commitment phobic and scared of falling in love. Both of them readily declare their feelings for each other. I loved the character of Sebastian Grey and his love for the awful Ms. Butterworth book.. Also, I got my wish to read about a Price through Alexi, the Russian Price, who was awful in a very funny way.

All in all it is a great read and I can't wait to read the last installment of the series. I rate the book 4/5 for awesome dialogues and LOL moments. I would reccommend it to everyone. I read it as part of the 2011 E-Books Reading Challenge, 100+ Books a Year Challenge, the Historical Romance Challenge and Historical Fiction Challenge


Rating: 4/5

Review: It Had To Be You (Chicago Stars #1)

Book Details:


Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillps
Publisher: Avon

Book Details: The Windy City isn't quite ready for Phoebe Somerville -- the outrageous, curvaceous New York knockout who has just inherited the Chicago Stars football team. And Phoebe is definitely not prepared for the Stars' head coach Dan Celebow, a sexist jock taskmaster with a one-track mind. Celebow is everything Phoebe abhors. And the sexy new boss is everything Dan despises -- a meddling bimbo who doesn't know a pigskin from a pitcher's mound.

So why is he drawn to the shameless sexpot like a heat-seeking missile? And why does the coach's good ol' boy charm leave cosmopolitan Phoebe feeling awkward, tongue-tied....and ready to fight?

The sexy, heartwarming, and hilarious "prequel" to Susan Elizabeth Phillip's This Heart of Mine -- her sensational bestsellng blockbuster -- It Had To Be You is an enchanting story of two stubborn people who believe in playing for keeps.

My Review: This book came like a breath of fresh air at a time when I was getting bored with most of my TBR and nothing was looking very interesting. I have always liked SEP and her books are generally light fluffy romances. The first few pages were not that great and I got dissapointed thinking this was another one which I was going to put down half way, but then, the story started getting to me.

Dan is absolutely delicious and so is Pheobe. The story is nothing new, a misunderstood heroine who is actually a nerd under her bimbo appearance and a contemproray alpha male into sports. But the characters were amazing and well written, I even liked all the jocks. SEP went to the trouble of giving each and every character, no matter how small a distinct personality which helps you to relate to them. There was a usual scene where the Alpha male is in stress when his lady love's life is thereatened, but i loved the fact that SEP lets Pheobe rescue herself (go girl!).

I rate this book a 4/5 cause of its LOL moments and great characters. I would reccommend it to everyone for times when you want something light and sweet to read. I read it as a part of my  2011 E-Books Reading Challenge, 100+ Books a Year Challenge and 1^st in a Series Challenge 

Rating: 4/5

Review: I'm Not Twenty-Four, I've Been Nineteen For Four Years

Book Details:



Author: Sachin Garg
Publisher: Srishti Publishers


Description: I'm not 24.. is story of Saumya, Malappa & Shubhro which should have been a love triangle but wasn't. The three of them,coming from different worlds, are thrown into a fourth world called Karnataka. But it is not virgin beaches or exotic dancers that await them. They are to be welcomed by blood, riots, violet bosses and cut limbs. Will Saumya survive her job in the middle of nowhere? Will Malappa s superiority help him survive or become the cause of his downfall? Will Shubhro prove that a heart of gold can survive through Marijuana smoke and Beer rich blood?


My Review: This coming of age story centers around Saumya, a MDI graduate, who because of her unfortunate unisex name has been given a job in a steel factory in the middle of nowhere. The story is narrated by Saumya and tells us about what happens to her after she leaves the safe confines of college and goes out to the big bad world. It tells us of the experiences of a typical Delhiite who is sent to live in a very small town. The story is also supported by characters like Amit, a nerd who happens to get placed in the same company as Saumya, Malappa, a cool dude who works in the steel factory and Shubro, a nomad with whom Saumya falls in love. 


This is Sachin Garg's second book, his first being 'A Sunny Shady Life' which I have not yet read. Sachin is yet another MBA grad who has discovered his literary powers and has decided to pen down stories revolving around life in colleges. I'm not twenty four...., is a good story and fast paced but, I thought that Sachin did not sound natural writing from the female protagonists' perspective. Saumya is depicted as a man's idea of a typical girl, who is only interested in fashion, dates and her girly pals. Her idea of preparing for a new job is to shop for the highest available stilletoes and tight formal pants. In short, it seems that Sachin has seen Legally Blonde one too many times and decided that all girls are just like Elle Woods! However, he gets points for the fact that he has tried to turn the character around and shows her coming of age as towards the end when she moves towards more important things in life. 


The characters are well-etched, Saumya is the Indian version of a dumb blonde ( however, she manages to land a cushy job with a hefty pay package... a little strange), Malappa is depicted as a rebel, who is so smart, he gives an infereriority complex to his boss, but is unfortunately killed in the latter part of the book( He at times almost gives off gay vibes towards Shubro). Shubro is the nomad who does not stay in any one place for more than 90 days and is soaked in marijuana and alcohol, however, is actually on a mission to improve lives. He is the best character in the book, complex and well-etched, which proves my point that Sachin writes better in a male voice. He is depicted as Saumya's one true love, who leaves her afterwards. However, he leaves a way for her to find him and understand him better.


All in all it is an OK read, something light to read between heavy stuff. I love the cover though! I rate it a 2.5/5.   I read it as a part of my 2011 South Asian Challenge, 100+ Reading Challenge, 2011.


Rating: 2.5/5 

One More Challenge!!

I know that almost half the year has gone by.. but this was one challenge I was looking for.. This year seems the golden year for Indian Authors and I have loads of books by New Authors on my TBR pile and this challenge just seems to blend in...

So, here goes..

2011 South Asian Challenge

The challenge is simple.. we are just required to read books about South Asia or by South Asian authors. For the uninitiated.. South Asia consists of (at least for this challenge), India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and the Maldives.

My potential list of books

1. I'm not nineteen, I'm not twenty four...I've been nineteen for five years.. by Sachin Garg -  Read
2. Single in the City - Sushmita Bose - Read
3. Tales from Firozsha Baag - Rohinton Mistry - Read
4. Chanakya's Chant - Ashwin Sanghi
5. The Diary of a Social Butterfly - Moni Mohsin
6. Balloonists - Rajorshi Chakraborti
7. The All Bengali Crime Detectives - Suparna Chatterjee

will keep adding..

Review: Tales from Firozsha Baag

Book Details:


Author: Rohinton Mistry
Publisher: Penguin Books (1989)

Good Reads Intro: In these eleven intersecting stories, Rohinton Mistry opens our eyes and our hearts to the rich, complex patterns of life inside this Bombay apartment building. The occupants - from Jaakaylee, the ghost-seer, through Najamai, the only owner of a refrigerator in Firozsha Baag, to Rustomji the Curmudgeon and Kersi, the young boy whose life threads through the book - all express the tensions between the past and the present, between the old world and the new.

My Review: This is my first Rohniton Mistry books, and I must say, it was very good. The book is a collection of short stories about occupants living in a Parsi apartment complex (baag) in Bombay. Being a Mumbaiite and having seen the Parsi community at close quarters in school, I could relate to the book. Mistry weaves a compelling story through each of the excerpts, pulling us into the lives of Kersi, Najmai, Nariman Hansotia, Jehangir and the others. Each of the story is based upon an individual occupant or family of the building, but the other characters weave in and out of them.

I'm not much of a fan of short stories, but I really liked the fact that Mistry limited himself to a certain number of characters maintaining a sense of community while giving us a glimpse into each of their lives. The book is a good depiction of Mumbai life in the '80s, especially if you were a child then. Through stories like The Squatter and Swimming Lessons, it also highlights on the experiences of immigrants and their lives. 

I rate the book a 4/5 for the really good writing style and the fact that it took me back to the time when I was a child and things were much simpler. I would recommend it to anyone. I read this as part of the 100+ Reading Challenge 2011.

Rating: 4/5

Teaser Tuesdays (April 19)

 Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:


•Grab your current read


•Open to a random page


•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page


•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

Here's my Teaser for A Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde:

 
Lady Stutfield. [To Lord Alfred.] How very, very charming those gold-tipped cigarettes of your are, Lord Alfred.
 
Lord Alfred They are awfully expensive. I can only afford them when I'm in debt
 
A Woman of No Importance - pg. 13 - Project Gutenberg Etext
 
Have read some part of the play, and it is hilarious. Hope you enjoy my teaser, will post the review soon!

Review: Captive Bride

Book Details:






Author: Johanna Lindsey


Publisher: Avon (1977)


Book Summary: Under the desert stars of an Egyptian night, beautiful Christina Wakefield is overcome not with romance, but with terror--as she is kidnapped by an unknown abductor and held prisoner in his secret encampment! Enslaved by a man she thinks she hates, Christina is eventually awakened--in body and soul--by the passion of a man who wants her desperately.


My Review: A fresh look at an old favourite


My love of Historical Romance started with Johanna Lindsey books. I remember hot afternoons when I used to read her novels, especially the Malory series, at one go. Now, after many years, I decided to re-visit some of her books. I picked up Captive Bride as it was her first book and I could not remember reading it before. 30-40 pages into the book, I realised that, sadly, I had. Looking from a more mature perspective, and having an experience of reading a few hundred historical romances under my belt, I found myself not really liking Ms. Lindsey’s writing. This being her first book, you can clearly see how she has also matured through the years.


The book is a typical bodice-ripper, where the hero is an Alpha Male (obviously) and the heroine is wishy-washy and falls in love with him despite being kidnapped and threatened with physical abuse. He is an Englishman, who is also a Sheik, (it surprises me how many Englishmen end up as Sheiks in bodice-rippers) and gives the impression of being a spoiled brat, (I want her and I want her now... doesn’t matter if she does not want me). She seems the epitome of perfect woman, brave, beautiful, intelligent and has men all over falling at her feet. There is nothing new in the plot and the book is full of clichés.


Overall, I did not like the book as much as I had before. However, I rate it a 2/5 for old times’ sake. I read this as a part of my 100+ Books in a Year Challenge, Historical Romance Challenge, Historical Fiction Challenge and 2011 E-Books Reading Challenge.


Rating: 2/5

Review: The Case of the Baited Hook (Perry Mason#16)

Book Details:



Author: Erle Stanley Gardner

Book Summary: Who was that masked woman? That's the question plaguing the perpetually inquiring mind of Perry Mason. No one loves a good mystery more than Mason--but being asked to represent a client who's concealing her identity, not to mention the particulars of her case, has given even the legendary legal eagle a case of ruffled feathers.

My Review:
After an extended spell of reading romance, classics and business books, I decided that I was long overdue to read a Mystery from my TBR list. Having always loved Perry Mason mysteries for their fast pace and awesome courtroom scene, a Perry Mason book was an obvious choice. The book is a typical whodunit and has all the characters present in any Mason book, Paul Drake, Della Street, Gertie, Hamilton Burger and Lt. Tragg. The book revolves about the fact that Mason is baited in the start of the book by a $10,000 retainer to represent an unknown client and as a result makes certain mistakes. He then tries to undo the mistake and help various clients through the book. Unfortunately, there is no courtroom scene (my fav part in any Mason book) but the methods employed by Mason to solve the mystery and to “smoke” out his client are top class.

I rate it a 4/5. The lack of courtoom scenes in the book was a disappointment, which is the only reason why this gets a 4 instead of a 4.5. However, as any Perry Mason book, it is always a keeper and can be revisited on any rainy day. I read this as part of my 100+ Books in a Year Challenge and E-book Challenge.

Rating: 4/5

Celebrating India's Win - Part II

Yes.. now my celebration begins.. :) :) :) My books were delivered and are ready to be read. I now face the eternal problem of sooo much to read and so little time... anyways.. I plan to get cracking and start reading and hopefully writing my reviews. I have chosen books which are mainly by new Indian authors. The book which I like the most will be featured in a Giveaway on my blog!

So here goes to a summer of Books, Books and more Books :) :)

Review: Stephanie Plum Series

This was supposed to be a combined review of Hot Six and Seven Up, which are books 6 & 7 of the Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich, but it is actually a review of the Stephanie Plum Series upto book 7 (which is all I have read so far).

I happened to come across the Stephanie Plum series around a year ago on a best books ever list. Before that, I had read parts of the Full series by Janet Evanovich and liked it immensely. So, being a fan of series and really liking the way Janet Evanovich writes, I decided to start with the Stephanie Plum books. The first book, One For The Money, amazingly well written, with delightful characters so well-drawn out that you could almost hear them speak next to you, had me completely hooked.

Stephanie, the main protagonist of the series is a ditzy, sometimes brave Bounty Hunter who is confused about everything in life except the importance of shoes :). You love reading about her and her escapades as a Bounty Hunter/Bailbondsman and all the other characters which appear around her. I confess to falling in love with Joe Morelli, her sometime boyfriend and even Ranger, her sometime Bounty Hunter partner and mentor who is way too hot! In every series, she encounters some easy and some difficult FTAs (failure to appear) which she needs to apprehend. As the story progresses, so does her skills as a bounty hunter and her relationship with Joe and Ranger.

The additional characters, Rex, Lula, Connie, Grandma Mazur, Stephanie's parents, Grandma Bella, Vinnie are also staples of every story and you connect to each and every one of them. The books are filled with LOL moments and some fantastic fiction. It gives you Stephanie's skewed version of reality, where she thinks it is just a part of her job to get shot at and to blow up cars!

I have to keep myself from reading the entire series at one go and actually take the time to savor each book like the treat it is!!  I rate the entire series a 5/5 and reccommend everyone to read it!

Rating: 5/5

And THAT's How It's Done!!!

Woooohoooo.. We won the World Cup!!! This is the first time in my lifetime that India has got the ICC Cricket World Cup home! (the last time was just a few months before I was born!)

Sitting this morning amidst the remains of yesterday's match party, all I can do is grin.. this has been one of the finest moments of India's cricketing history. The picture of the team carrying Sachin on their shoulders and Virat Kohli's dialogue about how Sachin has carried them for so many matches and the least they can do is carry him in this one will stay in my memory forever.

As I sit here writing this post, I realise that I don't care about all the match-fixing SMSs which came yesterday, all the talk or even the pending 'Breaking News' on news channels which is bound to come up  that the World Cup was fixed. It just doesn't matter! We WON!! And how.. India showed the Lankan's just how it's done, calmly, coolly, beggining with a whimper and ending with a big huge BANG!!

GO INDIA GO!!! WE LOVE YOU!!

Pictures of the Post-Win Celebration:

Celebrating India's Win!!!!

So yesterday was the BIG match between India and Pakistan. We all know, it doesn't matter if it was not the finals, it was INDIA vs PAKISTAN!!! The build -up to the match was such that most of us feared for the life of the Indian team if they (God Forbid!) dared, yes DARED, to lose to Pak. Offices were closed for half day, roads and trains so deserted that it almost seemed as a curfew, but no one cared.


India Won! Thank God! and the Indian patriotism, always in abundance during India/Pak cricket matches, was in full demonstration. The roads were filled with the celebrating public, enthusiastically waving the Tricolor, bursting crackers and in general enjoying the triumph over the Pakis. Well, even though I am not a huge fan of cricket, the enthusiasm around me was such that even I couldn't keep away from the screen. So, I saw the match and participated in the madness, cheering and celebrating with all the rest.

Now, after spending a tiring day yesterday riding the emotional roller coaster, (we're gonna win... no we're NOT gonna win.... Damn! We will def win! ... No ways man, they are playing too good! Damn Ashish Nehra!! ... Nehra is the man!! WE WON!!!... Phew!!) I decided to take the celebration one step further and have ordered a load of books, something I have not done in quite some time now. :) :) :) So, I'm looking forward to receiving my new books and you guys can look forward to reading the reviews when I get around to writing them.

Here's to India winning the Finals!! YAYY!!! INDIA! INDIA!!!

Review: Vision in White, (Bride Quartet #1)

Book Details:

Author: Nora Roberts

Publisher: Berkley Trade (2009)

Book Summary: Wedding photographer Mackensie "Mac" Elliot is most at home behind the camera, but her focus is shattered moments before an important wedding rehearsal when she bumps into the bride-to-be's brother...an encounter that has them both seeing stars.

A stable, safe English teacher, Carter Maguire is definitely not Mac's type. But a casual fling might be just what she needs to take her mind off bridezillas. Of course, casual flings can turn into something more when you least expect it. And Mac will have to turn to her three best friends-and business partners-to see her way to her own happy ending.

My Review:

Hmmm... well where should I start?? Well let’s start with the good points. The novel has the signature Nora Roberts fluid writing style. The story flows effortlessly and you can almost imagine going to the Brown Mansion to book your own wedding. The characters are well defined and each have their own quirks, I’m sure I will grow to love all of them as I read on further in the series. It also combines two things definitely designed to snag the interest of women worldwide, Weddings and Romance! The book is about four women running a wedding planning business, each having their own niche, Mac with the photography, Emma with the flowers, Laurel with the baking and Parker with the management of the events. They seem to effortlessly work together without any glitches and magically get the events together. How I wish I had someone like that during my wedding which was utter chaos... well, that is a story for some other time.. Anyways, the book has the standard Nora Roberts good and decent guys, good friends, and strong family connections.

Now for the other side, the book was very very predictable and formulaic. The characters created by Nora from the last few (many actually) series are so similar to each other, it is becoming like an Ekta Kapoor soap! You enjoy it, but there is nothing new to recommend it. There is the predictable part where one character is commitment phobic, in most series, it usually alternates between the guy and the girl, with the series ending with both the hero and heroine not wanting to be in love but not being able to help themselves. The fact that four women go into business, best friends who just happen to have diverse careers but totally matching interests (the Dream trilogy, the Key trilogy, the Garden trilogy to some extent and many others) is oft repeated by her. It is unnatural how the women never seem to fight... Ms. Roberts, even the best of friends, siblings and lovers have frequent fights. That is what keeps the relationships fresh! Also, there is the predictable sob story of one character having a dysfunctional family, in this case Mac who has an irritating dependent mother for whom she acts as a convenient doormat. The chemistry between the two main characters was sadly lacking and I am not a great fan of Beta heroes, especially geeks, who Ms. Roberts seems to favour a lot. There was also a lot of unnecessary detail about photography and wedding planning, almost as if the author is enthusiastic to show us her homework. I knew from the first book itself who is going to be linked to whom in the rest of the series and what problems they are going to have!

All in all, it was a quick easy read, the kind you want to read between two intense books. I rate it 3/5 and am currently reading the second instalment of the series. Will post my review on it soon. I read this as a part of my 100+ Books in a Year Challenge and 1^st in a Series Challenge, and E-Book Reading Challenge

Rating: 3/5

One Challange Down..

Challenges – 1st in a Series Challenge

Proud to say, i have finished this challenge!  Not got around to writing all the reviews, but here's the list of books..

1st In a Series Reading Challenge 2011: Level Series Lover: Read 6 books that are the first in any series 

1) The Lost Duke of Wyndham – Dukes of Wyndham #1 – Julia Quinn

2) The Return of Rafe MacKade – MacKade Brothers #1 – Nora Roberts

3) Outlander - Diana Gabaldon
4) Vision in White - Bride Quartet #1 - Nora Roberts

5) The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever - Bevelstoke #1 - Julia Quinn

6) The Shop on Blossom Street - Blossom Street #1 - Debbie Macomber

6 / 6 (100.00%)

Going on a Holiday!!

Hey... after a very very very long time (almost a year!) I am off on a holiday.. will visit Malaysia and Singapore.. so no reviews for sometime..
Will write about the place, post lots of pics and write about my holiday reading when i'm back!

Ciao!

Jane Austen

The time has come for me to admit to a shameful secret... for a fan of historical romance novels, I have never read Jane Austen (gasp!).... I know I know it is absolutely shameful and the historical romance reader community will insist on returning my membership if there was any.. but I never did...

I have decided to remedy this awful oversight and start reading the goddess of romance...

on the side I have included a poll to help me pick the best novel to start with.. please do give your vote...

Proud Moment!

As I sit here on my darling little netbook writing this post, my dear elder sister, Purva, is taking her first baby steps in the blogging world and writing her first blog post! This is an extremely proud moment for me as I feel in some small way, I join a long list of friends who encouraged her to write her own blog.

I realise that it is not a great accomplishment to give our silly opinions to the world, but in a small way, it gives us bloggers an awesome sense of freedom to be able to express ourselves on (virtual) paper... even if no one is reading :) :)

So welcome Purva, and hope you continue to blog and have fun!!

Below is my list of people who I would like to see blogging sometime soon,

1) My husband K, he says he is not articulate enough, I say you are just lazy
2) A friend, Meenu, she is an amazing artist and her blog will be sooooo interesting to see
3) My friend Harsh, it will be a universal helpline blog where you can get help and advise on anything in the world as he gets amazing pleasure from helping others
4) Another friend, Pinank, it will be a dhamaal blog, but he may never do it :(

And many many others..

Now you must be thinking, 'she wants her entire circle of family and friends to join her in the blogging world (probably to generate some traffic on her blog :())'. Well, that's not the case, (maybe the part about traffic..), there are some people i would not want blogging like,

My very good friend Suku, if she starts a blog, it will soon turn into a full-fledged social networking site, forcing popular ones like facebook to go out of business in India! they will come after me!!!
Another friend, Vinesh, no idea what nonsense he will write :) and as one of my best friends, i will be forced to read it !!!!
My MOTHER!!, though i must say after seeing her master the Internet and facebook and YouTube, she is the one most likely to start blogging... if she does, I shall be named the chief problem solver and will have to translate the entire process for her in Gujju!!!!

Well, jokes apart, I take this opportunity to welcome Purva to blogging.. please do visit her blog http://purvasblog.blogspot.com/

Review: The Time Traveler’s Wife

A friend of mine recently pointed out that I have been remiss about updating my blog. :( She’s correct... but I between office and home and various odds and ends, I barely get time to read, let alone review. But, that is not an excuse, so here I am with another review of a book I recently read, The Time Traveller’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger. This book, first published in 2003, has been on the must-read shelf of many readers and is lauded as one of the better fictions of the decade. So, backed by great reviews, I decided to read it.


Let me state right away that I expected the book to be one of those awesome reads which keep you up at night (not had one of those in quite some time!). Boy was I disappointed! The book just went on and on and on... I read it for 3 ½ days... which for me is very long to read 546 pages... It was like a four hour movie which you have to watch when you just want to know how its gonna end. I kept looking at the counter on my Sony Reader waiting for it to end.  This is not to say that the book is absolutely boring, but, it was just longer and slower than I expected.

The story is about Henry DeTamble, who due to some genetic defect becomes a time-traveller. Now this is not time travel in his thoughts... but an actual wake up in a new place at a different decade type time traveller. He meets this girl Clare on one of his jaunts, she is six and he is 36 and they get married when she is 20 and he is 28 (this is actually a part of the book’s description... but it’s just so catchy!). Oh ya, by the way, he can’t take anything with him on his travels, not even clothes.

Well, while the first few chapters give you a feeling of reading this awesome new idea, 546 pages of the same thing get boring. The book is written in from Henry and Clare’s perspectives, describing the situations from their point of view. Surprisingly, their tone is exactly the same... you keep checking the heading to see who is describing the event! There is no difference in emotions and feeling between the two characters. Each story or situation begins with the date and the age of the characters during that time. This was very annoying to me as a reader as I can never remember things like what age is the character supposed to be right now! Plus, this story maps Henry and Clare’s entire life, which made it even more confusing. I spent the first few chapters going back and forth and trying to understand how Henry could be 8 and 28 at the same time!

Anyways, once I figured out the time travel part, the story became a drag. Major annoying points were, the overly detailed references to paper making, opera, punk rock, food and art followed by references to sex, sex and more sex... Now don’t get me wrong, anyone reading my blog knows I enjoy a well written steamy bedroom scene, but this was just not cool, or should I say hot! Towards the end of it, I kept imagining a middle aged man having sex with a woman with a very sagging body (she has had 6 miscarriages, what else will her body be???). This was extremely off putting! Also, the character, despite his tendency to disappear for days, missing important work events and running around naked between the stacks manages to keep his job at the Newberry Library throughout his life! How I wish I had bosses like that. Plus, if he has cheated and won the lottery already, why does he need to work as a librarian and keep getting caught in embarrassing situations?

Also, the author manages to squeeze in the regular clichés, Clare is the poor little rich girl who has a show piece of a house but a depressed mother and a rebellious sister, Henry has an alcoholic dad and a mom who died in a car crash in front of his eyes, Clare had the German Nanny and the Black cook who calls her Miz Abshire, Henry has a Korean landlady who plays Bingo and speaks broken English. There, they are equal... And, as a couple they have a Polish friend, who calls everyone comrade, chain smokes (even during sex) and talks about anarchy and rebellion and is in love with Clare.... Yawn....

To sum up my long review for this long book, the book is strictly O.K. I would rate it 2.5/5 mainly because of the good idea. The author could have made the idea into much much more. There is a film made on the same book, I’ll see if I can get my hands on a DVD and compare it to the book. Hope it is not as slow as the book.

This was read as part of my 100+ Books in a Year Challenge and E-Book Reading Challenge 

Rating: 2.5/5

Book Details:




Author: Audrey Niffenegger

Publisher: Vermilion (2004)

Book Summary: This extraordinary, magical novel is the story of Clare and Henry who have known each other since Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six, and were married when Clare was twenty-two and Henry thirty. Impossible but true, because Henry is one of the first people diagnosed with Chrono-Displacement Disorder: periodically his genetic clock resets and he finds himself pulled suddenly into his past or future. His disappearances are spontaneous and his experiences are alternately harrowing and amusing. The Time Traveler's Wife depicts the effects of time travel on Henry and Clare's passionate love for each other with grace and humour. Their struggle to lead normal lives in the face of a force they can neither prevent nor control is intensely moving and entirely unforgettable.

Review: Mr. Cavendish, I Presume

Book Details:






Author: Julia Quinn


Publisher: Harpercollins


Book Summary:


In this follow-up to "The Lost Duke of Wyndham," Thomas Cavendish's world is rocked by the arrival of a long-lost cousin, who may or may not be the true Duke of Wyndham. Original.


Amelia Willoughby has been engaged to the Duke of Wyndham for as long as she can remember. Literally. A mere six months old when the contracts were signed, she has spent the rest of her life waiting. And waiting. And waiting . . . for Thomas Cavendish, the oh-so-lofty duke, to "finally" get around to marrying her. But as she watches him from afar, she has a sneaking suspicion that he never thinks about her at all . . .


It's true. He doesn't. Thomas rather likes "having" a fiancée--all the better to keep the husband-hunters at bay--and he "does" intend to marry her . . . eventually. But just when he begins to realize that his bride might be something more than convenient, Thomas's world is rocked by the arrival of his long-lost cousin, who may or may not be the true Duke of Wyndham. And if Thomas is not the duke, then he's not engaged to Amelia. Which is the cruelest joke of all, because this arrogant and illustrious duke has made the mistake of falling in love . . . with his own fiancée


Review: This is the second book of the Duke of Wyndhams series and it is narrated from the point of view of Thomas, the first (original) duke of Wyndham. In my previous review, I had said that I was looking forward to reading this one. Well, it didn’t quite meet my expectations. I usually like to have a gap between reading books in series and I must say that I am thankful I did that for this one. If I had read it back to back, I would have found it terribly boring. The problem with the book is that it is just a different perspective to the same story, it does not take the story forward. It feels nice to have one or two same scenes explained from another perspective, not a whole book! It is like reading a book after you have seen the movie, you already know everything!


The hero does not live up to the promise of the last book, in the first book he seemed mysterious and interesting but, in this one he seems bland and slightly boring. For a Duke, he does not seem very powerful or interesting. The story suffers from a microscopic vision as it focuses only on one aspect, more importantly, one week or so in the life of the characters. This does not really bring the characters to life. Amelia, the heroine is shown to have transformed from a girl who does what she is told, to one who discovers that she also has an opinion. But, why now? What was she doing all these years? Also, Thomas is very predictable, the poor little rich boy, who had everything, but was missing the most important thing, freedom! Well dude, or should I say duke, who stopped you from doing exactly as you pleased??


All in all it was OK. Read it if like me you feel that you cannot leave a series halfway.


I rate it 3/5, mainly because in essence I ended up reading practically the entire book again. I read this as a part of my 100 e-books Challenge, Historical Romance Challenge, Historical Fiction Challenge and 100+ Books in a Year Challenge. 


Rating: 3/5

Challenges - The Highlander Reading Challenge

Completely forgot that I had joined this one! Here Goes...

The Highlander Reading Challenge 2011 - Read 20 Highlander Novels for the year 2011
Hope I can read all 20!!

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

Challenges - Wilde Challenge

I just can't resist this one... after reading one play, I find that I'm hooked!
So here goes.. one more CHALLENGE!

Wilde Challenge - WILDE CARD - read any two works by Oscar Wilde

I'll aim at the WILFULLY WILDE  level

1) The Importance of Being Earnest
2)

1 / 2 (50.00%)

Review: The Importance of Being Earnest – A Trivial Comedy for Serious People

Book Details:




Author: Oscar Wilde

Book Summary: Oscar Wilde's brilliant play makes fun of the English upper classes with light-hearted satire and dazzling humour. It is 1890's England and two young gentlemen are being somewhat limited with the truth. To inject some excitement into their lives, Mr Worthing invents a brother, Earnest, as an excuse to leave his dull country life behind him to pursue the object of his desire, the ravishing Gwendolyn. While across town Algernon Montecrieff decides to take the name Earnest, when visiting Worthing's young ward Cecily. The real fun and confusion begins when the two end up together and their deceptions are in danger of being revealed.

My Review:

This is the first of Oscar Wilde’s plays that I have read and i must say that he is brilliant! His writing is eminently quotable and he brings a sharp satire to life. Reading classics such as this makes us realize the shortcomings of today’s authors. The play has a plot of mistaken identity, but is filled with witty dialogue and laugh-out-loud moments. The sardonic humour is vastly evident with lines such as “In married life, three is company, and two is none.” and “To lose one parent, Mr Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”

The author touches on all the themes important to the English upper class at the time, love, romance, marriage, class divide, education and vanity. It can also be easily related to the current Indian society and makes you think that despite all the advancements around us, people in essence, have not changed much.

I rate it a 5/5. This is going on my shelf as a keeper and I’m sure that I will revisit it many many times in the future! I read this as part of my 100+ Books in a Year Challenge and Historical Fiction Challenge and my endeavour to expand my reading horizons beyond romance.

Rating: 5/5