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!

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: 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: 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%)

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%)

Challenges – The 2011 E-Book Reading Challenge

The 2011 E-Book Reading Challenge: Level Fanatical: Read 75 e-books

  

1) The Lost Duke of Wyndham – Julia Quinn,

2) Rebellious Desire – Julie Garwood

3) The Return of Rafe MacKade – Nora Roberts

4) Impetuous Innocent – Stephanie Laurens

5) The Importance of Being Earnest – Oscar Wilde

6) A Dog’s Tale – Mark Twain

7) When Someone Loves You – Susan Johnson

8) The Pride of Jared MacKade –Nora Roberts

9) Outlander - Diana Gabaldon

10) Double Standards - Judith McNaught

11) The Perfect Neighbour (MacGregors #11) - Nora Roberts

12) Mr Cavendish, I Presume - Julia Quinn

13)

14)

15)

16)

17)

18)

19)

20)

21)

22)

23)

24)

25)

8 / 75 (10.67%)

Challenges - Historical Fiction Challenge 2011

Historical Fiction Challenge 2011: Level Serious Bookaholism: 20 Historical Fiction Books

1)The Lost Duke of Wyndham – Julia Quinn,

2) Rebellious Desire – Julie Garwood

3) 

Impetuous Innocent – Stephanie Laurens

4) 

The Importance of Being Earnest – Oscar Wilde

5) A Dog’s Tale – Mark Twain

6) When Someone Loves You – Susan Johnson

6 / 20 (30.00%)

Challenges - The Historical Romance Challenge

The Historical Romance Challenge: Read and Review 12 Historical Romances (there is also a giveaway)

1)The Lost Duke of Wyndham – Julia Quinn

2)Rebellious Desire – Julie Garwood

3)Impetuous Innocent – Stephanie Laurens

4)When Someone Loves You – Susan Johnson

5)

6)

7)

8)

9)

10)

11)

12)

4 / 6 (66.67%)

Challenges – The Shakespeare Reading Challenge 2011

The Shakespeare Reading Challenge: Puck Level: Read 4 plays over the year, 1 of which may be replaced by a performance

1)

2)

3)

4)

0 / 4 (0.00%)

Challenges – The 100+ Reading Challenge 2011

The 100+ Reading Challenge 2011: To read 100 or more books in 2011

 

1) The Lost Duke of Wyndham – Julia Quinn

2) Rebellious Desire – Julie Garwood

3) The Return of Rafe MacKade – Nora Roberts

4)Impetuous Innocent – Stephanie Laurens

5)The Tipping Point – Malcolm Gladwell

6) The Importance of Being Earnest – Oscar Wilde

7) A Dog’s Tale – Mark Twain

8) When Someone Loves You – Susan Johnson

9) The Pride of Jared MacKade –Nora Roberts

10) 

11)

12)

13)

14)

15)

16)

17)

18)

19)

20)

9 / 100 (9.00%)

Challenges

This post is a round-up of the reading challenges I have decided to particpate in this year. I have signed up for six challenges (so far.. trying really hard not to over commit). I think of this as a super easy New Year's Reading Resolution This post is a round-up of all the challenges and to help me keep track of my goals. Most of these challenges tie-in well with my goal to read and review at least 100 books in this year. I have also gone for challenges which will help me broaden my reading horizons (as mentioned in the previous post).

My Challenges for 2011 are, (click on the images to go to the sign-up pages)

The 100+ Reading Challenge 2011: To read 100 or more books in 2011

 

The Shakespeare Reading Challenge: Puck Level: Read 4 plays over the year, 1 of which may be replaced by a performance

The 2011 E-Book Reading Challenge: Level Fanatical: Read 75 e-books

 

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

The Historical Romance Challenge: Read and Review 12 Historical Romances (there is also a giveaway)

Historical Fiction Challenge 2011: Level Serious Bookaholism: 20 Historical Fiction Books

Lets hope I have not gone overboard with them and can finish some :)

Wish Me Luck!