The Journey Home by Radhanath Swami

 Many years ago, I had read the sequel but had not thought too much about reading the prequel after futile attempts of getting hold of it. Couple of weeks ago, was browsing through the online catalog of library, and came across this book finally. This book comprises of the author's arduous journey from US to India by land (mostly), and then his travels within India itself while he meets with so many accomplished yogis and gurus. Like the movie Forrest Gump where Tom Hanks meets most of US Presidents, the author of this book has met most of the Indian Gurus like Srila Prabhupada, JD Krishnamurthy, Neem Karoli Baba, etc.. Even celebrities like Mother Teresa. It is a fascinating read about his travels and travails, the way he meditated in caves and river banks, his near-death experiences, and the spiritual learning he gained from everyone he met. Definitely worth the read. May Hare Krishna bless you!

A Man of Means by PG Wodehouse

The last Wodehouse I had read was at the end of 2021! There was a time when I used to read his books back to back, and the only reason not doing now is because there is so few of his books left for me to read and those are the ones which I am unable to get my hands on. This is my 72nd Wodehouse novel! 

Coming to the novel itself, it is a collection of short stories. The first two chapters are really handsome, and you want to read more and more. But then third tale onwards, it becomes stereotype. Pretty much same tale but setting is different. Even the humor starts to get dry. But Wodehouse is blessed with linguistic flair which can still make it a page-turner. A small book.

Asterix & Obelix All At Sea

To my surprise, I had not read this book! I am now subscribing all of Asterix's books to my daughter and re-living my childhood days by re-reading some of her books (however, the blog posts are only for the ones which I had not read). This book's a ripper, had to stifle my laugh at many places! The story is pretty complicated with mutineers, pirates, Caesar's galley, Roman's galley, etc. but Uderzo and Goscinny have outclassed themselves. And I guess this is the only book where Obelix drinks the magic potion - now who would want to miss out reading such an improbable event...!

Asterix and the Actress

Maybe after 30 years, read an Asterix book that I had not read before! In fact, I thought I had read all in the series only to find out that this one book was not in my list of books that I had read. Thoroughly enjoyed, like any other Asterix book, although had a hard time the first pew pages of the book. Introduced Asterix to my daughter and hence it made way back to my life! Uderzo and Goscinny are fabulous!

Many Lives, Many Masters by Dr. Brian Weiss

Starts off with aplomb, then gets boring, but all along it is insightful. It has very specific facts listed since this is a True Story about a patient telling how we are all same souls in different bodies, taking rebirth after rebirth, and learning along the way. Definitely a book to read once as a story but many times the messages from the Masters.

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

Considering this novel was written in the 1700s, it is fantastic. Much like the 20000 Leagues, this book has intricate details of different parts of the world and it is a wonder how folks of that era visited so many places just by ship and yet could make such wonderful journals. Added to the geographical details, is the fascinating novel itself where a man is cast away on an island and how he makes a life for himself literally from scratch. Not to mention, the loyalty of Friday, his servant after he saved his life miraculously. The literary language used is unique and fresh to read. At times, it gets boring but one can skip through those parts. Some sections suddenly become very religious and it seems rightly so, since the cast away kind of surrenders to the Will of the Almighty. Understandably some people might have gone through those situations in real-life, and this book provides the details of the hardships faced. It is a good read indeed.

Ella Diaries: Friendship SOS by Meredith Costain (Illustration - Danielle McDonald)

This one was being read by my daughter and I started flipping through it but then got gripped by it! The illustrations, the graphics, the font, the language, the deliberate spelling mistakes, the tale itself is all FANTABULOUSLY FABULOUS (to use the book's lingo!). It truly is one of a kind and a perfect book for pre-teen girls. The illustrations definitely deserve a separate shout-out, and the author has done wonders putting herself in the shoes of a young girl on her adventure in a cruise ship.

What the Heck do I do with My Life? by Ravi Venkatesan

My manager gifted me this book, making it the second occurrence (previously, one of my Infosys managers had gifted me Autobiography of a Yogi). The book is very well-written, honest, straight-from-the-heart talk. Ravi is an excellent orator, a man of clear thoughts, so his points are all well-worded. The book cites humongous number of other books, shows, videos, interactions with several famous (and even next-door-neighbor/vendor personalities) which shows the length and breadth of his knowledge. He also seems to be like any of us who try to do well in school, try o get good grades, keep parents & bosses happy, etc.. But then he starts telling that is not all that matters because you need to be happy too, by doing what you like instead of constantly making others happy. This is just one such quotation but there are several more in the book, which is all worth giving a thought. Definitely recommend reading this book. 

Srimad Bhagavad Gita (Swami Chinmayananda Publication)

Well, finally I read the Gita! At age 43!! The most sacred Hindu scripture. Although, I was approached a lot by ISKCON folks to buy and read, I chose Swami Chinmayananda's publication since it seemed to give more of an unbiased commentary (vs ISKCON's which is more 'Krishna, Krishna'!). Coming to the content itself, its mesmerizing at times and at other times it is neutral and very abstract. One has to read and re-read to get the gist. Coming to the publication, it is very user-friendly. More of a pocketbook-ish, very clean and nice English and good font, good transliteration and translation. No lengthy explanations, commentaries, just the words as-is from Lord Krishna. Definitely should be read once to understand aspects of Life as defined by Lord Himself! Below are some of the important verses that I noted down as I was reading (it felt like I was studying, like in college days when I was noting down from text books!):

Chapter 2

• Verse 22: Moving from one body to other like casting off worn out clothes
• Verse 47: Karmanye Vaadhikarasthe Let not the fruit of action be the motive for working.
• Verse 62-65: Object > Attachment > desire > anger > delusion > memory loss > discrimination destruction > perish. Hence self-control to achieve peace > destroy of pain > steady mind.

Chapter 3

• Verse 14: Sacrifice born of action leads to rain which leads to food which leads to Beings. 

Chapter 4

• Verse 7: Yada yada hi Dharmasya Whenever there is rise in unrighteousness then I manifest myself.

Chapter 5

• Verse 27: Shut out external contacts and fix gaze between eyebrows, equalizing outgoing and incoming breath.

Chapter 6

• Verse 6-8: Self is friend or foe based on what is conquered. Self-controlled, balanced in cold/heat, pleasure/pain, stone/gold, unshaken > nirvikalpa samadhi.
• Verse 29-30: When mind is harmonized by yoga, he sees Self in all and all in Self, same everywhere, Me everywhere and everything in Me.
• Verse 33-47: Mind is uncontrollable but by practice and dispassion. But with right intent, if still fails in controlling mind, then what? Fear not, will be reborn in pure and wealthy house or with wise yogis and then will strive even more. He who merges in Me, worships Me is the most devout.

Chapter 7

• Verse 7-10: I am sapidity (in water), light (in moon & Sun), Om, sound, sweet fragrance, brilliance (in fire), splendour, etc.

Chapter 8

• Verse 5-15: At the time of leaving body, if he remembers Me alone, he attains My being. If thinking of something else, then will attain that Being. Hence remember me at all times. At time of death, with unshaken mind full of devotion, fix breath between two eyebrows to reach Me & utter 'Om'. No rebirth for those.
• Verse 23-26: If one dies during daytime, bright fortnight, northern solstice > no rebirth.

Chapter 9

• Verse 16-28: I am father, mother, sacrifice, offering, mantra, butter, fire, oblation, purifiers, goal, supporter, Lord, witness, abode, friend, foundation, seed, Sun, Rain, death, Vedas, etc. Those who worship Me, come to Me. Whoever offers Me with devotion anything (even a leaf), I will accept. Whatever you do, eat, sacrifice, charity, do it as an offering to me (Krishnarpanamasthu), then you will be free from bondage.

Chapter 10

• Verse 20-39: I am the Beginning, End, middle, I am Vishnu, Sun, Moon, Sama Veda (among Vedas), Mind, Intelligence, Sankara, Kubera (Wealth Lord), Fire, Meru mountain, Ocean (among lakes), Om (among wrds), Himalayas, Asvattha tree, Airavatha, King, thunderbolt, Vasuki (among serpents), Yama, Lion (among animals), Wind, shark (among fishes), Ganges, Victory, Vyasa, silence, seed of all beings, etc. There is no end to My divine glories. Anything that is glorious, prosperous, powerful, then it is a manifestation of My splendour.

Chapter 11: Vishwa Roopa Darshan

Chapter 12

• Verse 8-20: Fix your mind on Me. If unable, then practice yoga. If unable, then perform actions for Me. If unable, take refuge in Me, renounce fruits of all actions. Knowledge better than practice. Meditation better than Knowledge. Renunciation of fruit of actions better than Meditation. Peace follows renunciation. He who hates no creature, compassionate, balanced in pain/pleasure, cold/heat, censure/praise, steady in meditation, dedicated to Me, he by whom world is not agitated & who cannot be agitated by the world, who is freed from joy, envy, fear, anxiety, wants, is pure, unconcerned, nor rejoices nor grieves, nor desires, homeless, silent, faith regarding Me as supreme goal - they follow immortal dharma are dear to Me.

Chapter 13

• Verse 11-15: Distaste for society of me; With hands, feet, eyes, heads, mouths, ears everywhere, He exists in the world, enveloping all; Unattached, yet supporting all; devoid of qualities yet experiencer, Shining by functions of all senses yet without senses.
• Verse 21-31: Effect & Cause are due to Prakriti and pleasure & pain are caused due to Purusha who is seated in prakriti. Attachment to qualities is cause of birth in good/evil wombs. Some behold Self in self by self, others by yoga of knowledge and others by karma yoga, others by worship. A being is born from the union between field an knower of field. He who sees that all actions are performed by prakriti alone and Self is actionless, he who sees same Lord in everyone, everywhere dwelling, as nesting in the 'One' and spreading from That One alone, then he becomes Brahman.

Chapter 14

• Verse 5-18: Sathvam (Purity), Rajas (Passion), Tamas (Inertia) are gunas (qualities) bind embodied one. Sathvam is luminous and healthy, attaches to happiness. Rajas is source of attachment, binds to action. Tamas is born of ignorance, binds to heedlessness. If at death, sattva is predominant, then he attains worlds of knowers of the highest. If rajas is predominant, then he is born among those attached to action; Tamas - born in womb of senseless. Fruit of good action is pure, rajas is pain and tamas is ignorance. Those abiding sattva go up, rajas dwell in the middle and tamasikas go down. 

Chapter 15

• Verse 14: Becoming fire (Vaisvanara), I abide in beings and associated with prana and apana, digest food.

Chapter 16

• Verse 13-24: "This is mine, this wealth is also mine in future. That enemy is slain by me, I am Lord, I am enjoyer, I am perfect and happy. I am rich, I will give alms & money" - they are all deluded. These egoistic, haughty are hurled into demons wombs. The three gates of hell are lust, anger and greed - one should abandon these. A man who is liberated from these will go to supreme goal. Let scriptures be your authority in determining what ought and ought not to be done. 

Chapter 17

• Verse 8-10: Foods which increase life, purity, strength, health, joy are savoury, substantial and agreeable. Bitter, sour, salines, hot, pungent, burning are rajasika and produces pain, grief and desire. Stale, tasteless, putrid and rotten are tamasik food.

Chapter 18

• Verse 36-45: Poison at first but nectar in end - this pleasure is sattvika. Pleasure which arises from sense organs contact which seems like nectar at first and poison in the end is rajasika. Pleasure arising from sleep is tamasika. Brahman's nature is serenity, austerity, purity, forgiveness, uprightness, knowledge, etc. Kshatriya's is prowess, firmess, dexterity, lordliness and sudra's is agriculture, cattle-rearing, trade. Each devoted to their duty, man attains perfection. Better is each one's duty than duty of another well performed. 
• Verse 55-56: By devotion he knows Me, then he forthwith enters into Me. During all actions, take refuge in Me.
• Verse 65-70: Be devoted to Me, sacrifice for Me, bow down to Me, you will surely come to Me. Take refuge in Me and I will liberate from all sins. He who studies & hears this sacred dialogue of ours (Bhagavad Gita), that Man shall attain happy worlds and is liberated since its akin to worshipping Me. 

Himalayan Lust (Q&A between Sadhguru & Seekers during Himalayan sojourn)

Started off very powerfully but it ended up being another book of general Q&A between Sadhguru and Seekers. I assumed the book to be tangentially attached to Himalayas and although it is so, it is only to certain extent. Of course, nothing can be taken away from the potent of those Q&A in itself - those are powerful in it's own realm, as with all conversations with Sadhguru. So, definitely worth a read.

I Came Upon a Lighthouse by Shantanu Naidu

 A very clean and neat memoir of Shantanu Naidu's interactions with Mr Ratan Tata. The book is beautifully crafted with nice, colourful illustrations and the choice of language is of the purest. It never gets boring or disinteresting. Although not a biography of Mr Ratan Tata, the book puts him under great spotlight and showcases portions of his life which the general public would not be made easily aware. It is almost as if Shantanu's purpose in life was just to put forth the great Mr Ratan Tata under spotlight albeit in a very different way. And that, is something Shantanu has accomplished very well indeed!! 

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma

Robin Sharma has done a phenomenal work of bringing Spirituality to the masses via a simple fable. If he had written the book just as paragraphs and teachings with a title as "How to be Young & Happy Forever", the takers would have been very less, yours truly included. By making it as a dialog between two buddies, by adding catchy phrases like Monk and Ferrari, by creating a tale out of nowhere - he has packaged it all so superbly and subtly that one hardly gets the feeling that it is a non fiction book which is fictionalized! And even in the fiction, he has nicely crafted the listener's character as every "normal" human being on Earth being "busy with work" and "building a retirement fund" (as he puts it so well) and being a critic. The dialog is simple and natural, the tale progresses very fluidly. A great read. In fact a book that should not just be read but principles mentioned need to be practiced. I could relate a lot of the principles mentioned to great many sages's teachings as well.

Tales of St. Austin by P G Wodehouse

 Apparently this was Wodehouse's first collection of short stories. Written more than a century ago, wow. As I had expected, not much of humor (like many of his first few years of books) when compared to his latter more, matured books. But the form, the style, the underlying humor all is very evident of what was due from Wodehouse later on! Most of the short stories are based on either cricket or football held in the St. Austin's educational institution, and there are 3-4 tales which are just like documentary without any fiction based characters or dialog. 

For a big fan of Wodehouse like me, I had to read this book but for those who are starting off with Wodehouse, this is not meant for them since they will miss it entirely. This is my 71st book that I have read of his! And the last Wodehouse book I had read was 5 years ago!

Death by Sadhguru

This one's a must-read for, as Sadhguru says, everyone who dies! There are so many intricate details about how life ebbs out of the body, embodies vs disembodied beings, natural vs unnatural death, rituals for the dead, Sadhuguru's own lifetimes, details about karma, etc. that this book is not just a must-read but a must-own.  

Sadhguru, More Than a Life by Arundhathi Subramaniam

 I don't remember the last time when I read a book in under 3 days! To confess, I hadn't planned on reading this book, and it was wife's choice and she liked it a lot. I happened to glance hither and thither inside and found random pages riveting. So decided then and there that I too will read it. Although there was no reason to hasten and finish the book early, I still went all in and read it before the library due date. But then, this I felt is a book - like all of Sadhguru's - to own, not borrow. While the author seems to be extremely literate and has used many words which needs a layman to open dictionary to understand the meaning, there are instances when the choice of words and the language is just perfect and ideal to explain the intricate parts - for not everything is logical when it comes to the mystic's world. Added to this, one can sense the author's outpouring (as well as its esteemed suppression) of the grudged-ness for Sadhguru and all that he is. Overall, a beautiful narration. But more importantly - Sadhguru's life story is even more fascinating and this combination makes this book "unputdownable"!!

The Sea of Adventure by Enid Blyton

Thanks to my daughter, read an Enid Blyton book after almost 3 decades! The Adventure series always captivated me as a young boy and I wanted to see if the flame was still alive even after 3 decades but no, the book didn't seem the same! But I must appreciate the author's ingenious way of writing to capture young children's imagination and the sense of adventure which is most common only at that age! 

Body The Greatest Gadget / Mind Is Your Business by Sadhguru

 A two-books-in-one edition, with the Body book from one side and the Mind book from the other side. An eye-opener of sorts, as is with most Sadhguru's books & talks, speaking of which, this book is more of a Q&A - Questions from seekers and Answers from Sadhguru, compiled in such a way that all Body related Q&A is in the Body book and all Mind related Q&A is in the Mind book. Gives a great perspective of how to treat the body and mind so as to attain the Ultimate. Definitely worth a read - hardly 200 pages.

Life and Death in One Breath by Sadhguru

A very insightful book about death and thereafter. It is a compilation of question and answers from Sadhuguru's discourses. Opens up dimensions about life that one has no clue about. Well worth a read. A short 160-odd page book.

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

OMG. What a book. What characterization. What dialog. This one is superlative in all respects. I had heard about this book (& Atlas Shrugged) all my life but kept postponing reading it only because it was voluminous. But when I was reading the novel, I wanted more and more of it & in fact, was actually dismayed that it came to an end. Howard Roark - The Man! A Hero depicted in a way like how a Hero should be depicted - like Russell Crowe in Gladiator. You just cant get enough of him. And Dominique - his cohort-of-sorts. The novel, at times, one feels is just a tale set in an introductory manner for the author's actual message which lies in characterizations and how the society has succumbed to the powers of what Ayn mentions as 'The Second-Hand Man' (which apparently was the original thought-out title of this book). Her philosophy of Objectivism is thought provoking. This one's a must-read & I will go further to state this book's a must-own!

Inner Engineering: A Yogi's Guide to Joy by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

To be fair to the book, it needs to be read first before undergoing the course of Inner Engineering offered by Sadhguru's Isha Foundation. In my case, I underwent the course first and then read the book and hence some parts of the book seemed repeated (as I had already watched the corresponding videos). In any case, a beautifully written prose with extreme fluidity and it is as if Sadhguru is talking and not as if you are reading a book. Some parts of the book are extremely invaluable like when he talks about the chakras, the Kundalini, rebirth, karma, etc. Definitely worth a read and a book to own.

The Journey Within by Radhanath Swami

Well, I had this very good friend of mine who pinged me on FB messenger one day asking me to buy this book because she is a great fan of Radhanath Swami, and also because the prequel The Journey Home was exceptional. I mentioned that I will only read it after reading the prequel but the prequel seemed very elusive: I couldnt find it anywhere - not even in libraries. So, this friend ended up gifting this book to me. At about the same time, I heard about this Swami from my colleague's wife. Added to this, my wife was watching some videos of Gaur Gopal Das who is a direct disciple of Radhanath Swami. So, all of a sudden, the stars were aligned for me to get acquainted by this Swami who happens to be a native of Chicago! 

Coming to the book - it is a very interesting read. Some of the passages are mind-blowing while some of them are not so much. I liked the part about how the 'I' is the owner-passenger, the 'charioteer' is the mind and the 'chariot' is the body - and how the chariot goes where the charioteer takes but not where the owner wants to, unless instructed/practiced. Well, read the book to understand it - and many more such concepts - better!

Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen

Well, a real dark book about mental patients in mental hospital. Sometimes the prose is really interesting - giving views about the sane mind talking to and about the insane mind. Other times, it is real gross, like how she wants to know if she really has bones or not! Glad it is a short book. Not a great read but it is very different. Something like Lolita.

Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell (with Patrick Robinson)

When I started reading the book, somehow I didn't like the tone of it. It seemed like it was extremely amateurish. So much so that I almost felt like stopping reading the whole book because I just couldn't handle the way it was written. So I moved forward a few pages and the BUDS training notes began. I am very familiar with it having read so many other books of similar genre. Here are the narration was better. Then story became very interested when the battle ensued. It became a thriller suddenly when Marcus became the lone survivor but yet hunted by hundred or so Taliban fighters in the middle of Afghanistan. I remember reading Sidney Sheldon's The Doomsday Conspiracy when the Hunter becomes the Hunted and this was a true story of the hunter becoming the hunted. I liked the fiction itself so much - and this being a true story piqued my interest even more. The battle scenes are extremely well portrayed, the escape is good too. Thank god for the Lokhay and the little Afghan village and villagers who saved Marcus and who let the world know what happened out there - otherwise it would have been buried along with him in the Hindu Kush mountain range. It truly is a remarkable story of survival against all odds - and is even miraculous what all he went through. It was as of God had made him a messiah of sorts to live through death and narrate his story. I pity those who died during that Operation Redwing as well as those who came to rescue the SOS callers. The narration of the book ended in the same note as how it began - amateurish, but the story more than makes up for it. Definitely worth the read. Now, waiting to watch the movie!

Very Good, Jeeves by P G Wodehouse

My 70th Wodehouse book! A classic Jeeves and Wooster short stories collection - complete with Aunt Dahlia and cook Anatole and friend Tuppy and the Wickhams, etc. set in serene London country houses. Some of the tales are now almost predictable, and the language - although as good as it can be - doesn't cause mirth, maybe because I have read so many of them now. Still, it is fun to read. Some of the scenes were real Laugh Out Louds! Reading this book, just like any other Wodehouse book, is time well spent!

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

A powerful yet witty novel about author's dismantled life due to divorce and how she re-constructed herself from suicidal depths to extreme happiness by indulging herself in eating in Italy, praying at an Ashram in India and finding loving in Indonesia. This book is all about these three - divided very cleverly in equal parts using 108 as a base number Italy was really boring for me since Italian and food (Italian or otherwise) are not my greatest topics but India and Indonesia were very interesting since she narrates a lot about Yoga, meditation, finding balance, spirituality, etc. A fairy-tale except more so since it is a true story - and thankfully for us readers, the story of a gifted writer who has jotted it all superbly. Considering the spiritual quotient in this book, it looks like she was destined for all of this - her divorce, her experiences, her being an author, her writing this book, etc. - so that the message can be spread across the World about Spirituality and how to find peace. The humor is good, the writing style is excellent and the connections and interconnections within the book are all very well written. Movie is so-so but book is a definitely a must-read...nah, a must-own book. 

Midnights with the Mystic: A Little Guide to Freedom and Bliss by Cheryl Simone

Very fluid, well-written book that quickly moves through the author's life story in very few chapters which is more like a prologue. And then the crux of the book starts - which is essentially same as what the title indicates. Sadhguru's insights to life, human, being, love, yoga, chakras, reincarnation is just mind-blowing and at times, even jaw-dropping. Stories of his life, his family, his guru, his previous lives are all astounding. A small and short book but extremely powerful. Only sad thing about is that it leaves the reader asking for more. In any case, it is definitely a must-read.

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

An excellent novel - just as it is. But the fact that this novel was written in mid-1800s with such amazing details on almost every latitude and longitude of earth, on various things that are in the ocean - both animals and plants, on technical details of submarine and ships, of south pole and of so many things - now, that is absolutely mind-blowing. The narrative is so strong that one almost feels that author really did see (maybe he did) and did all the things that is penned in the book - and it contains adventures in all parts of the world, all continents! Extremely powerful book, and at times, too technical in nature - especially the plants and animal species. Definitely worth a read.

Welcome to Mars: Making a Home on the Red Planet by Buzz Aldrin and Marianne J. Dyson

I had just heard about rockets being sent to Mars and exploring life beyond Earth but chanced upon this book (at kids section) and it had a wealth of information on the what, why, how, where and even when regarding converting Mars to Earth-like planet. To put it simply, it was mind-blowing. In the process, came to know so many things - including simple things like why gas cylinders are round! This Buzz is awesome - especially when trying to make kids understand in simplistic way - like how Earth is like the long hand of the clock and Mars is like the short hand, and using that logic to chart out the path for blast-off. And learnt about Aldrin Mars Cycler - which is like a taxi ride to Mars! This 80-odd page book made me learn more about outer space than an entire course I had taken on satellite communications during Engineering days!!

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

A very girly book. Reading this kind after a really long time. Still, it is pretty neat and quite well-written. The story weaves through the past and the present in a seamless manner. Even though the book seems to be just a hike on the trail, it doesn't get boring. There is quite a many adventure to keep the reader occupied, and wanting to know what happens next. 

Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston

An excellent narrative from Aron about his climbs, his life, his incident at Blue John Canyon and the life after. Although the main theme is just about how his hand got stuck under the boulder, the story weaves between his past and the current happenings in a smooth enough manner to not bore the audience. Plus, there are some transcendental experiences, punch-liners which almost makes this book a must-own. Some parts of the narration are too technical (the movie helps in such cases) but still thoroughly enjoyed. 

American Sniper by Chris Kyle

A very different, open-hearted narrative by Chris Kyle on his life in general and as a SEAL in specific. Its different because I have not read this kind of a narrative for a very long time. The literary style & editing is beautiful; it comes very close to making you feel he is really talking to you. The italics, the choice of words are just right at the right places. And also the wit. Humor sparkles throughout the book. Although it does not cause laughter, it surely gives a smile. It also has some dark truth about couple of lives who lost their lives and reader really feels for them. The whole book is full of short paragraphs depicting numerous incidents of his life. Sometimes there is no connection between the incidents but yet it doesn't bore. His wife's narration throughout the book adds depth to the story, and a wife's perspective of having a SEAL as a husband. Greatly enjoyed the read.

Playing It My Way by Sachin Tendulkar

A nice fluid record of Sachin Tendulkar's life as a cricketer. It is remarkable how clearly he remembers each and every innings of all the matches he played. Including some ball-by-ball analysis of specific overs. Truly, what a man & what a cricketer! It gives some nice funny insight to his life other than cricket too, at times, during his tours across the globe. The book itself is very simple and easy-going. A good read. Enjoyed reading it thoroughly.

It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health by Robie Harris

A truly remarkable book - everything about what is given in the title itself. Surprisingly, even at my age of 35, there were things in the book that I didn't know and hence was a learning experience! It is a must-read must-own book for early teenagers. Very witty, very frank and very simple.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

An unbelievable (true) story of Louie Zamperini - who almost became the fastest one mile runner, shook hands with Adolf Hitler, air-fought successfully against Japan, got stranded on a raft (with Phil) in the middle of Pacific Ocean for almost 2 months (during which time he was declared dead), saw the doldrums, became POW in Japan, got beaten up almost unto death for almost 2 years with next-to-nothing food, got released and then outlived every other person who thought he was initially dead, and even went on to run in Japan when he was almost a nonagenarian. 

The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz

An unbelievable story of men who escaped Communist Russian prison camp in SIberia and walked over 4000 miles across the Gobi desert and Himalayas to reach British India. Circa 1939-1942, the story itself has enough power and drive to keep it moving without any literary assistance needed as such, and yet it is a very clean and easy narrative. These are the kind of stories that I used to read as Alistair MacLean's fictional novels - and here I am reading equally nail-biting true-stories! 

12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup

Circa 1841. A grim and poignant narrative of the author on how he got kidnapped, suffered as a slave for 12 years, faced all the inhumanities as a slave and thankfully escaped the clutches of fiefdom. It is heartening to read about all the whip-lashes, the hard-labor and other sad things that black folks had to undergo at that time of the century.

The Devil In The White City by Erik Larson

Got this novel by chance when office was being relocated from one location to other. And it turned out to be a good book which created a story out of history. Circa 1890s when Chicago hosted The World's Fair. What went behind the scenes is excellently researched and put forth by the author in the most professional way possible, and added the story of psychopathic Mr Holmes' deeds as well. Its a fascinating read, especially to know how the Fair changed America and even the world, in a way, considering how Ferris Wheel got its birth in the Fair and that a Disney worked in the Fair, thus giving way to Mr Walt Disney opening up Disney amusement parks across the world. Also liked what Holmes had to say about his ability which went something on the lines of "I cannot stop myself from killing people just as how a poet cannot control himself from writing poems." And, this narrative starts from the moment of Titanic sinking. So, for me who had just completed A Night to Remember, this seemed a logical continuation!

Philomena by Martin Sixsmith

A beautiful book, written in pure and simple English language. Although named after the mother who lost her child, this book is all about the child. It covers pretty much his entire life from birth to death. It is unbelievable investigative work done by Martin and beautifully brought into life in the 400 odd pages as a page-turning novel, full with conversations, confessions and tragedy. Such a sad state of affairs. One wonders how folks who were supposedly so close to God themselves became villains and performed acts so inhuman and ungodly back in those days. 

A Night To Remember by Walter Lord

A very short 170-odd page non-fiction true-story novel about the sinking of RMS Titanic. It starts right when the ship hits the ice-berg and takes the reader through the next 10 harrowing hours that follow. At the end, it gives more facts about the ship in it's entirety and the many 'If-only...'s that could have saved the 1500+ lives. A very, simple write-up yet very thorough in it's research and observations. 

Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally

As mentioned in The Pianist, the facts depicted in the novel itself is as powerful as it can get and the literature need not be really looked into. However, the book could have been written much more fluidly. At times, it gets hard to read through quickly. But, for the author's sake, one cannot imagine how else it can be written when so many folks' tales need to be intertwined at the same point in time. Excellently crafted, putting all true events together. Maybe it is the facts itself are so hard to digest that it makes reading difficult - with so many strange sounding cities, places, names, etc. Definitely, worth a read.

Catching the Wolf of Wall Street

Not as good as the prequel but has as many good stories and written just as well as it's sibling. This novel though quite fills in all the gaps of the first one (like how was Stratton Oakmont started, how Jordan got into Wall Street, etc.). The movie has taken inputs from both of these books to fully depict the story of Jordan. Still, a page-turner no doubt!

The Wolf of Wall Street

Wow! What a book! Unbelievable true stories of Jordan Belfort. I remember reading so many novels in a James Bond style which made sense in just as a fictitious manner but never in true-life style and yet, Jordan lived that life style. His humorous wit, and the way he explains everything with a beautiful narration makes the book a compulsive page-turner. Absolutely loved it! I am now reading the sequel Catching the Wolf of Wall Street without a day's gap! This reminded me of how I saw the movies The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy (which I saw one after the other immediately).

No Easy Day

An autobiography by a SEAL. But more than that, this book gives first-hand account of Operation Neptune Spear which killed Osama Bin Laden. Most of the book gives details on the author's journey on SEAL (and related) deployments. How training occurs, how adventurous deployments are, how lucky and unlucky folks some folks are during deployments, how much gear they carry, etc. The write-up is not all that great but the story itself is catchy. However, it gets gripping when the tale of the Operation Neptune Spear starts. Complete with 3D pics and minute by minute account of what each team did on that night in Abbottabad, the book culminates with exactly what it started off with: the essence and necessity of training and experience of all the combat assaults. It is a great service to the public that one of the team members in the Operation decided to write this story (however difficult it might have been to keep it as secretive as possible) otherwise the details would never have been known.

The Pianist by Wladyslaw Szpilman

Another holocaust novel. Well, the events logged itself is as powerful as any story can be. So, one need not bother about how the story is written as long as the bare facts are represented. It is a pure miracle how the author has depicted how he survived the debacle of an entire city (Warsaw) within 5 years. He seemed to have escaped death in every way possible. At times, it goes to such an extent that the read becomes monotonous - the very fact of a person escaping death! However, the movie seemed better.

Rain by Somerset Maugham

A collection of short stories. True to Somerset's style, each story is a great write-up and builds up lot of steam, but in each instance the ending kind of fizzes out. Nevertheless, very entertaining.

Bringing Down The House

Had seen the movie 21 long time ago. But got this idea that the book might give more understanding on how to beat Blackjack. It certainly did. But it also showed the ugly side of Vegas. The book in fact showed more of Vegas than about Blackjack, but then that is what the guys from MIT experienced which was what depicted in the book. All in all, a fantastic thriller and much more fascinating because it all really happened!!

The Motorcycle Diaries

A memoir by Ernesto Guevara about his motorcycle ride across Latin America with his friend. Did not really like this novel due to many reasons. Although it is a true story, it was difficult to comprehend there were so many helping hands allowing them to freely stay over for the night, give them food, even money. Secondly, the writing didn't seem very catchy either. There was this one line where he mentions 'I miss Alberto Granado' but there is no mention of what really happened to Alberto. Till the previous para, Alberto was right there! Also, they travel so many cities, and without a proper map in the book, it is difficult to imagine where in Latin America they really were....

Night by Elie Wiesel

Well, The Holocaust itself is a very powerful theme. So any writing on this theme is touching. Elie gives a personal account of the disaster that he endured at Nazi concentration camps, along with his father. There is not much to be said about the writing style or the narration of the book. But the story has enough wheels to keep it constantly moving and making the readers want more.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

A biography on Chris McCandless. A very poignant and moving story of a young man who lived the 'free' life to the fullest for two years, experienced and enjoyed ultimate freedom until the freedom itself trapped him to his own unfortunate demise. 

A lot of people were 'for' Chris and a lot were 'against' after the story got published, but it is hard - after knowing so much about this boy - to be 'against'. Chris clearly had the earmarks of becoming a great man in his lifetime in whatever he chose to do, even if he had lived for decades. Instead his 'natural' life just spanned for 2 decades and even with such short span of time, he touched so many lives - those whom he met during his hiking and those who just read about him like me.

The novel itself I felt could have been written in a better sequence. Jon has a unique style of writing which I am not very fond of - although I must admit that it is a style of its own. Since his profession is one that of a reporter, he tends to write about the last scene first and then veers the story to how it all unfolded - much like many of the articles that we see in newspapers. I saw the similar style even in Into Thin Air. I would have rather preferred if the novel had started where the story started and ended where the story ended. But the story itself has so much depth in it, that it is a definite must-read in whatever style it is written.

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

A chilling recollection of Mt Everest expedition that went horribly wrong in May 1996. Explicitly detailed, honestly poignant and almost makes every reader, even the non-climbers, as if they are climbing the Everest. A definite must-read.

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

A very poignant novel about a student and a professor, and an unofficial last thesis about Life. A very simple, nice and short read, filled with many aphorisms. A true story of 14 Tuesdays in 1995.

The Small Bachelor by P G Wodehouse

A corker of a novel. Apparently a novel that even the author is fond of too, mainly because of the way he finished most of the novel in one sitting. Wodehouse has it all in this intricate plot - a necklace, a thief, a cop, a commanding man, a few petites, a commanding woman and the works. It is as good as it ever gets in any good Wodehouse novel. At times, the plot gets so thick that it is difficult to follow what is happening at a given point of time, especially due to so many characters being at so many different places. Thoroughly enjoyed!

Head of Kay's by P G Wodehouse

This novel seems to have been written by Wodehouse very early in his author-hood. There is hardly any humor and in some remote places, there is forced humor which does not give any laughter. It is just a collection of events that occur in the school house. It is more like a diary from a student in one of the British schools. Can easily be avoided.

Miracle in the Andes by Nando Parrado

When I was searching for true stories, I came across the novel 'Alive' which informed about a flight crash in Andes mountains and how some of them survived the rough ordeal. However this book was not available in the library and instead I found this book 'Miracle in the Andes' written by a survivor Nando Parrado himself. This added more emotion to the novel, coming directly from the "horse's mouth", so to speak. The last time I had read about a plane crash in an extremely cold environment was in Alistair MacLean's Night Without End - about 2 decades ago. But unlike the novel, this was real stuff and it was extremely mind-chilling. Nando's narration is superb and fluid. He easily explains the pre, during and post tales of the crash. His explanation of the cold and the vertical climb of the snow-covered wall-like mountain with bare hands and no protection is awe-inspiring. One wonders 'Is it even possible?' His narration of how close he was to death and how forcefully the huge void of the slope behind him beckoned him to nothingness is beautifully detailed. One can fathom Nando's character just by reading this novel. He has also written pages and pages about each character in the flight. I am surprised how unaware I was of this incident. Apparently this was a sensational news in 1972 when the survivors of the crash were rescued. A definite must-read. However I am not sure now if I have to read Alive now or not, which is apparently more detailed.

102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers By Kevin Flynn, Jim Dwyer

A minute-by-minute description of 9/11 spanning across 300 odd pages. The 102 minutes is the duration of time between when the first tower was hit and when the last tower fell. There are many things to know about what happened in that short span of time and there are many things that fascinate the reader - like how many had that day as the last working day, how many got into the elevator at the nick of time and were saved, how people had got down and were advised to go back to office only to see the oncoming second flight and thereby death, how some of them were so lucky and determined to live, how ironically people who volunteered to rescue died while the rescued escaped their own deaths, etc. Some of the stories are extremely moving and inspiring. Although a must-read book, it lacked some of the punch which a book with a story like this can deliver.

The Terminal Man by Michael Crichton

A 1970s novel about mind control. A very predictable storyline, especially because the names given to each part in the novel give out much of what comes next. Still, it is a very good narrative considering how the author delves on intricacies of the medical profession as well as gives intricate details on surgical procedures. There is a powerful piece about education and mind control that I liked very much - it made me remember the same author's Airframe about how car accidents cause more deaths than air accidents.

Three Men and a Maid By P G Wodehouse

A corker of a novel. It has got the full humor effect of Wodehouse by way of sea-side romance, attempted kidnap to woo the girl, couple of break-ups, added misunderstandings again to woo the girl, etc.. Only thing I did not like was the ending since it seemed too forceful. 

Noting down one of the best sentences in this novel:

Bream Mortimer was tall and thin. He had small, bright eyes and a sharply curving nose. He looked much more like a parrot than most parrots do. It gave strangers a momentary shock of surprise when they saw Bream Mortimer in restaurants eating roast beef. They had the feeling that he would have preferred sun-flower seeds.

LOL!!

Wednesdays Are Pretty Normal by Michael Kelley

A true story about a father narrating his two-year-old's cancer story. But considering father [author] is also a priest, the whole novel is like a pravachana - a gospel - like a Sunday Church seminar on Bible. There are many stories from Bible told in the novel which gives value if you are a Christian reader. As such the story itself moves slowly and is very poignant but the novel has more emphasis on Bible and religious faith. 

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

Felt like reading pure fiction, after a long time. So, searched for a Booker prize winner (had liked 1997 winner God of Small Things and 2002 winner Life of Pi tremendously) and came across this 2012 winner. 

It started off well, then in one single page, it moved about 5 decades! Then, it got boring but always had some punchline statements. Julian has portrayed old age really well, with its associated thoughts and memories. Then, just as the novel came to an end, it picked up momentum and finally ended on the last page with a thrilling effect that made me re-read the novel once more!! Definitely deserved the award! Good narration, good story, good language, good characterization.

The Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner & Quincy Troupe

After having seen the movie, I was keen on reading the novel. As it turned out, the novel is very different compared to the movie. The movie could be just 30% of the novel. The story of what Chris Gardner’s mother has gone through is mind-blowing. The story of his life alone is stunning. Sometimes it seems he screwed up big time and hence he struggled so much to get to where he is. Other times, it seems like this is more of a pursuit of money and wealth, starting from the very first scene in which he wants the Ferrari badly. Either way, it is a riveting biography. A very good read.

The Prince and Betty by P G Wodehouse

A very different Wodehouse novel. It seemed more like a Hardy Boys book since there were many scenes of adventure and literal street fighting and gun-wielding gangs. And then there were typical Wodehousian romance scenes and wonderful English speaking characters. And the story is long and winding and complicated – across Europe and US. Just goes to show how skilled Wodehouse was – he could write any action story, any sports story (there are scenes of boxing rounds intricately explained), any romance story and any comic story. Worth a read, for the sake of uniqueness in Wodehouse spectrum.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

There are books in which every single sentence is important and is somehow related to the overall plot of the book, like in Agatha Christie's novels, Alistair MacLean's novels. And there are novels like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in which many sentences are neither important nor related, and is as unrelated as it could ever be. It is just - as somebody has rightly reviewed - whimsical insanity. A total timepass read. Not hilarious but definitely comic. If Wodehouse had come across Douglas, he would have said 'Just goes to show that it makes all kinds of people to make this world'.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

I remember my college mate talking about this book way back in 2000. I remember his making a comment on how a home can be a liability instead of an asset. I was not sure if I wanted to read this book. But when I came across this book in the library, I thought why not.
But very soon I realized that it is a book not to be borrowed and read from the library. It is a book meant to be bought. It has may wise gems which needs constant reading and referring - like Dialogues with the Guru and Autobiography of a yogi. It is not a great book (there are many sentences which keep repeating and it kinda becomes monotonous at times, but it is not boring), but definitely a book that needs reading, and a book that honestly inspires you to become rich.
Sometimes, when I read the book, I felt I was already following what the author wants the reader to do to become rich, sometimes I felt I was like the author's educated (poor) dad.
There are lots of things to learn in this book, and lots of things that make you think and re-think.
Definitely, a must-read.

Indiscretions of Archie by P G Wodehouse

My first Wodehouse novel read on a mobile phone. Not a very comfortable feeling, but anything to read a Wodehouse novel if I can't get hold of it on the book format. Coming to the novel itself, it is a different kind of a novel - a blend of both short stories and a novel clubbed into one. In the sense, the entire novel is categorized into short stories (read bloomers) of Archie while the novel itself revolves around Archie's relationships with his wife, father-in-law, friends, etc. A top-notch in Wodehouse class with a supreme touch of English and humor. A definite must-read.

The Indispensable Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson

This book contains all strips from The Revenge of the Baby-Sat and Scientific Progress Goes "Boink". Notable are the stories in which Calvin tries to finish his homework and instead grows bigger and bigger & his scientific device going Boink!! A hilarious read!
Unfortunately for me, though, this is my final C&H book...there is no other C&H novel left for me to read.
:-(

Calvin and Hobbes Sunday Pages 1985 - 1995 by Bill Watterson

This is a must-read for all C&H fans. This has about 50 odd pages. The left side pages are some of the actual drawings which Bill Watterson drew and the right side pages are the same drawings in color [color chosen by Bill himself] that got published on the Sunday pages between 1985 and 1995. It also has a preview by Bill and each page has Bill's thoughts on the strip and the different challenges he had to surmount. In most cases, his challenges were drawing the strip in a panel that fit into books and papers - so that even if some of the panels were thrown away, the essence of the strip remained. This shows the ingenuity of Bill Watterson - not only is the comic strip great in conversation, humor and drawings but also in behind-the-scenes work like panel design and color combinations. Even though I had read many strips before, reading it again with Bill's thoughts penned gave it a different thought dimension and further impressed me. This also has C&H last strip drawn by Bill on 12/31/1995.

Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson

A book named Calvin and Hobbes on Calvin and Hobbes! As always, very entertaining & refreshing.

Weirdos from Another Planet by Bill Watterson

Another Calvin and Hobbes gem. Again, in black and white, though. Below (rough) excerpt suffices to an extent:

Calvin to Susie: "Can I borrow your black crayon?"
Susie: "Ok, but dont break it and dont peel off the side paper. Also draw on all sides so that the end remains pointy."
Calvin: "Geez, why dont you get an insurance on it!"

:-)

The Revenge of the Baby-Sat by Bill Watterson

Another Calvin and Hobbes gem! The episode of Susie Derkins being sent to Principal's office because of Calvin's pranks is hilarious. Would have been better if print was in color.

The Days Are Just Packed by Bill Watterson

Brilliant! The 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm Calvin meeting 7:30 pm Calvin sequence was absolutely hilarious. A must-read.

Yukon Ho by Bill Watterson

Colored edition would have made it better. But the dialog between Calvin and Hobbes is worth the read anyways.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

A child's book. Maybe it would have been interesting if I had read it when I was a kid. But now, reading it on my Android only because it came with the phone, didn't enjoy as much although it is true that novel is written just the way dreams occur.

Lazy Sunday Book by Bill Watterson

Beautiful. Ingenious art and dialog. Color adds further color to the comic. Each page contains 6-8 panels and it is one complete story. So, one small story per page. A must-read!

Something Under The Bed Is Drooling by Bill Watterson

A black and white comic book. Hence not so captivating. But very insightful and humorous, as always. Foreword in the book says it all. 

Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat by Bill Watterson

A treasure. A pleasure. As always, Calvin and Hobbes makes life so enjoyable!

There's Treasure Everywhere by Bill Watterson

A Calvin and Hobbes must-read. I almost re-read each comic strip to completely enjoy the artistic ingeniuty and the matter-of-facts-of-life of Bill Watterson.

Doctor Sally by P G Wodehouse

Not at all interesting. A very thin story line about a man wooing a woman that goes on for about 130 pages. Avoidable. But nice and crisp English, as always.

Its a Magical World by Bill Watterson

A Calvin and Hobbes book. Wonderful, as usual. Can't help reading each comic strip twice to fully enjoy the humor!

The Swoop and other stories by P G Wodehouse

A rare collection of Wodehouse - perhaps written during his early literature years. Not as great as his later ones. Very light and laugh-less humor. Did not like it as much as I liked his others.

The Cobra by Frederick Forsyth

Sequel-of-sorts to Avenger. Mainly because same main characters used in The Avenger re-appear in The Cobra. Excellent story-telling again. In-depth coverage of cocaine. How it is manufactured, how it is exported, how it is imported, how payments are made, who are the major players and how vast its tentacles are spread. And of course, how it makes Bill and Buffet look like paupers. Like most of Forsyth's novels (including The Day of the Jackal which I first read), the first half of the novel is all about preparation. Second half is striking and finishing. Perfect use of BAMS technology and what it can achieve. As always, although fiction, Forsyth gives insight on what is occurring in the world, and what technologies and laws can be used to make it a better place.

A Few Quick Ones by P G Wodehouse

Collection of short stories featuring Oofy, Bingo, Freddie, Wooster including few golf stories. Pleasant read.

The Heart of a Goof by P G Wodehouse

Only Wodehouse can combine mild romance and humor with golf. Wonderful short stories - all revolving around golf.

The Old Reliable by P G Wodehouse

Set in Hollywood and with new set of characters. But underlying themes being Wodehousian Constant: Romance, Burglary, Butler, etc. Enchanting read.

The Butler Did It by P G Wodehouse

Based on a slight deviation of Tontine principle, the novel revolves around couple of about-to-be married folks, set in country side of London and, of course, beautiful English and unique set of characters. Extremely funny, wonderful set of twists and turns and a page-turner. Must-read.

Spring Fever by P G Wodehouse

New characters but similar surroundings and schemes - romance in old-world castles, with important-seeming butlers buttling around, etc. Excellent English, of course, and a jugful of humor.

Uncle Dynamite by P G Wodehouse

Jovial as usual. Enough twists and turns with romance popping on and off, impostors, policemen, robbery, etc to make it a page turner. And of course the English language. Must-read.

No Nudes Is Good Nudes by P G Wodehouse

Absolutely topper! Even the title is apt. Blandings Castle, Uncle Threepwood, Lord Emsworth and his pig, Duke of Dunstable, Beach, a couple of romantic hearts and of course 'The Reclining Nude' - a perfect composition of an excellent novel. Add "Wodehouse at his best" and this book is unputdownable.

The Meaning of Life

This book by Bradley Trevor Greive contains less than 120 pages and has one sentence per page. Yes, just one sentence per page. Rest of the page is covered with animal pictures which is why I took the book for my daughter. But as it turned out, this is a book for adults. When I started reading it by chance, I could not put it down till I read the whole thing. It is a page-turner and hard-hitting. The message is wittily put across in less than 10 mins of reading the book.

Lord Emsworth and Others by P G Wodehouse

Rib tickling short stories. Thoroughly enjoyable. Some golf stories too. Only Wodehouse can combine golf with funny love entanglements.

Young Men in Spats by P G Wodehouse

Short story collection involving many of Wodehouse's brightest and funniest heroes. Comical read.

Laughing Gas by P G Wodehouse

A different kind of a novel by Wodehouse. Sci-fi-ish soul-switching incident that happens, as Wodehouse says in 'Fourth Dimension' leads to a laugh riot. Extremely comic page-turner! A must-read.

Just Us Girls by Moka / Sunscreen Books

For lack of any other book, I read my wife's choice of 'Just us girls'. Being father of a daughter (she is less than one now!), it was interesting to know what my daughter will go through a decade later! A good read, actually.
Rating: 2

Blandings Castle and Elsewhere by P G Wodehouse

A collection of short stories of Blandings Castle, Mr Mulliner and Bobbie Wickham. Enjoyable. A snippet (the start of the novel) reproduced below - the English, the setting, the light humor - all wodeshousian Classic!

Lord Emsworth had his eye to a powerful telescope and Beach, the butler, was beside him.
"Beach," said Lord Emsworth.
"M'lord?"
"I've been swindled. This dashed thing doesn't work."
"Your lordship cannot see clearly?"
"I can't see at all, dash it. It's all black."
The butler was an observant man.
"Perhaps if I were to remove the cap at the extremity of the instrument, m'lord, more satisfactory results might be obtained."
"Eh? Cap? is there a cap? So there is. Take it off, Beach."
"Very good, m'lord."
"Ah!" There was satisfaction in Lord Emsworth's voice. "Yes, that's better. That's capital. Beach, I can see a cow."
"Indeed, m'lord?"
"Down in the water-meadows. Remarkable. Might be two yards away."

Playing for Pizza by John Grisham

After a long time, I wanted to experience Grisham's legal battles in the court but when I chose this book off the shelf, little did I know that this was nothing to do with legal eagles. It was all about NFL and super bowl in Italy. Half the book is like a tourist guide to Italy and half the book is like a sports magazine on American Football. Totally time pass novel - not something I wanted to read.

The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens (abridged)

Time pass. Good to read to get a feeling of the old world charm. It is a collection of adventures of Mr Pickwick and his friends. They go from one city to the other, make friends, attend weddings, have some adventures and move on. Total time pass.

French Leave by P G Wodehouse

Not set in rural England. No Ukridge, no Lord Emsworth, no Wooster, no Psmith, no Uncle Galahad. New set of characters, new location (Roville and St Rocque in France) and new plot although the misunderstandings, lovers tiff, etc is in abundance. Enjoyable. My 50th Wodehouse read.

Thank You, Jeeves by P G Wodehouse

Absolutely topper. There is something about Jeeves and Wooster novels that brings the best out of Wodehouse. A must-read. Cannot help but give an extract of one of the hilarious passages from the novel:

There was a knock at the door and in floated Jeeves.
'Excuse me, sir', he said, shimmering towards old Stoker and presenting an envelope on a salver. 'A seaman from your yacht has just brought this cablegram, which arrived shortly after your departure this morning from the yacht. The captain of the vessel, fancying that it might be of an urgent nature, instructed him to convey it to this house. I took it from him at the back door and hastened hither with it in order to deliver it to you personally.'
The way he put it made the whole thing seem like one of those great epics you read about. You followed the procedure step by step, and the interest and drama worked up to the big moment. Old Stoker, however, instead of being thrilled, seemed somewhat in the impatient side.
'What you mean is, there's a cable for me.'
'Yes, sir.'
'Then why not say so, damn it, instead of making a song about it. Do you think you're singing in opera, or something? Gimme.'

Money in the Bank by P G Wodehouse

Wonderful! Again the Wodehousian formula: romance, missing diamonds, beautiful girl engaged but not liking the adventurous spirit of her Boy Handsome but bowled over the Master Orator, set in a country house, few scenes of attempt-to-burgle and getting caught in the cupboard, etc. Never fails to bore the reader.

The Mating Season by P G Wodehouse

Topper! Its always a pleasure to read the conversation between Jeeves and Wooster and this novel has lots of it. Set in a country hall, Wooster finds himself in the midst of four couples' tiffs and his name being changed to Fink-Nottle! Full of entertainment!

Quick Service by P G Wodehouse

A complete new set of characters and a new location but similar plot (romance in country, burgling of portrait, etc) and similar set of characters (an out and out optimist spreading sweet and lightness, a pessimist with a digestive problem, a subtle valet, a guy who doesn't believe in marriage but finds himself engaged to the most beautiful and sweet girl, etc). A wholesome entertainer.

Service with a Smile by P G Wodehouse

Lord Emsworth and the pig Empress; Emsworth's sister Lady Constance; Emsworth's secretary Lavendar Briggs; Finally, Lord Ickenham in Blandings Castle. A sure-fire recipe for a great comedy! Unavoidable.

Much Obliged, Jeeves by P G Wodehouse

Wodehouse at his usual best. Similar plot - robbery, false accusations, entanglements, engagements being broken off, set in a country and the Junior Ganymede club book.

The Coming of Bill by P G Wodehouse

Boring! One of the rare Wodehouse books that bored me. There were no entanglements, misunderstandings, burglary but a plain story. Good English of course but lacking punch in story. Realized that Wodehouse's first few books (written during 1900s) are not as funny as those written post 1950s. Definitely a book that can be avoided.

Wings of Fire by D A P J Abdul Kalam with Arun Tiwari

A nice read. Very inspiring too. Gave me a lot of food for thought.

Summer Moonshine by P G Wodehouse

Once again, a topper! Set in a country house situated 40 miles from London, the story intertwines between marital-engagements, mansion-selling-deals, "plasterers", deliberate lies, misunderstandings, post-swim-no-clothes-scenes etc to create one helluva comedy. A must-read.

The Luck of the Bodkins by P G Wodehouse

Simply fantabulous! Absolutely hilarious! Most of the story is on board a ship on the way from London to New York on the Atlantic Ocean. As usual, a number of engagements, entanglements, misunderstandings and feudal spirit - all narrated in superb English. A must-read.

Letter from Peking

Another Pearl S Buck novel. Another China based story. But this time, more entwined with Vermont, USA. One gets the feeling that Pearl is narrating her own story. Maybe. Maybe not. It gets slightly boring at times, the way the main character portrays her love story as the greatest of all love stories, while actually it is not a dream romance as it should have been. Only good thing is that it is a very small novel.
Rating: Average

Chicken Soup for the Expectant Mother's Soul

I had not heard about the Chicken Soup series until recently. It is a collection of stories written by people like you and me. Some are humorous, some are inspiring, some are plain and some are plain boring! But it is definitely worth a read - for expectant mothers and expectant fathers alike.
Rating: Good
Note: Book available online too

The Good Earth by Pearl S Buck

Pulitzer winner. Beautifully written. Complete story of a Chinese illiterate farmer, starting from the day he gets a wife to the day he has tens of grand children. Also revolves around many seasons of famine and flood, of neighbours and uncles and aunts and thieves and slaves and Lords. And, of course, the good earth.
Rating: Good

The Essential Calvin and Hobbes

Some strips are repeated but, still, a book not to be missed! Calvin time is fun time!

2 States: The story of my marriage by Chetan Bhagat

I was told this book has one really laughable statement in every page. I was told right. Chetan's witticism is all through the novel and makes this book unstoppable although it has a typical bollywood storyline of boy loves girl and parents disagree. Extremely well written in very simple English and the one-line punch-liners spread across the book are what makes this novel a must-read.

Dilbert: The Joy of Work by Scott Adams

I generally don't like Dilbert comics. But I like the way Scott Adams writes (blogs). So read this book. It was not all that good but it was indeed weirdly funny. A stark truth about corporate culture and its dry humor.

The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book

Author Bill Watterson explains in this book the various behind-the-scenes of CnH including the first CnH comic strip and how he experimented with various panels, colors, stories outside of the normal CnH such as the tyrannosaurus, etc. It is extremely hilarious and a must read.

Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons

My first Calvin and Hobbes book although I was reading comic strips. Extremely hilarious and a must-read. Although cover story is about monster snow goons, it has a plethora of stories ranging across different seasons.

The Little Warrior by P G Wodehouse

A nice story of a young English damsel who loses all her wealth due to a care-free uncle and hence ends up in a Broadway chorus (opera). Very good characterization and a clean read.

Rating: 2

The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum

Perhaps because I had already seen the movie. Perhaps because I had very high expectations. The book seemed to be a bit of a bore, compared to the action pack movie. The ending too was not satisfying. Perhaps I would have different opinion if I had read the novel first.
Rating: 2.5

Bill The Conqueror by P G Wodehouse

An explicit Wodehousian novel - full of twists and turns and romance and broken engagements, some fights, etc. Damn funny!

The World of Mr Mulliner by P G Wodehouse

As Wodehouse himself says, he is worried about how heavy the book is going to be. He also says he has made the short stories as funny as possible. On both counts, he is true. It is very heavy (622 pages - 42 short stories) and it is extremely funny. Definitely worth reading!

Bertie Wooster Sees It Through by P G Wodehouse

:-)

What a novel! Typical setting in Brinkley Manor, of lost necklaces, of engagements, of policemen, and of course of Jeeves' brilliance! Sprinkled with beautiful English! Awesome read!

Angel Cake by P G Wodehouse

A very nice light hearted novel about how Barmy gets money and loses it all and earns it all back again. Of course, a touch of romance and friendship. Wodehouse at his best.

America, I like you by P G Wodehouse

This is not completely but almost an autobiography of Wodehouse. He did not want to write a conventional autobiography and hence he has added some humorous instances but it isnt really humorous.

Mostly Sally aka Adventures of Sally by P G Wodehouse

Its a nice long story. One of the longest novels I had ever read of Wodehouse. Although did not feel bored, I felt it could have been condensed. Also it was not altogether as funny as his other novels. And hardly any complications and interconnected entaglements.

Mike and Psmith by P G Wodehouse

A beautiful novel about school and cricket. Enjoyed it thoroughly. It reminded me of Blyton's St Clare's and Malory Towers.

Plum Pie by P G Wodehouse

A collection of short stories. The last story of 'Life with Freddie' is the longest and the best...

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Very nice book. Really enjoyed it. Made me go back to my schoolhood days. Awesome linguistic accent used and nice adventures.

Peril At End House by Agatha Christie

Very nice plot. Puts off the reader, and even Poirot for most part. In fact, one gets the feeling that Poirot has indeed lost the case as a life is lost even after Poirot is on the case. A number of twists and turns makes this book a page turner.

The Mysterious Affair At Styles by Agatha Christie

Poirot's first case. Book by Agatha Christie. A nice read. Pretty interesting. Much much better than that Miss Marple I had just read. In fact, I had to really muster up courage to read another Christie book after Nemesis!

Nemesis by Agatha Christie

An ok-dokey novel. Story is good but I somehow dont like Christie's narration. Perhaps its more so in this novel because main character is Miss Marple who is too old and every other sentence talks about her having to take rest, about having to stroll in the garden and such lot. Readable once when there is no other novel to be read...

Avenger by Frederick Forsyth

Excellent story-telling. Liked especially the names of each chapter. The previous Forsyth novel which I had read (Dogs of War) had disappointed me but this one tops the chart. There is a story behind each character and each story is fascinating. Details of many post-Second-World-War wars of the world are covered in this novel, like the Bosnian war, the Afghanistan war, the Vietnam war, etc. The Tunnel Rats concept during the Vietnam war is mind-chilling. The concept of being the 'avenger' is good. And like a counter-balance, 'Lesser good over bigger evil' also is good. But I felt the ending was more of an anti-climax. The heretofore powerful villain suddenly seemed extremely vulnerable in the end. But, very significantly, the novel ends on 9/10/2001, a day before World Trade Center was hit by terrorists.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

If it were two boys in The Kite Runner, it is two women in A Thousand Splendid Suns. It is again set in Afghanistan, the writing continues to be good and emotionally deep. Too many disappointments, too many sad things happen, but there is always a silver lining lurking. But then I guess thats the reality in Afghanistan, with each and every Afghan over the last so many decades. Worth a read, but rather felt it is stretched to an extent.

The R Document by Irving Wallace

Reminded me of Hardy Boys! Very amateurish but, after a long time, enjoyed reading a fast paced novel. A good read, and a very good subject to write a novel. Rather unique.

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

Dubious and weird it seems but at times it also seems to have some stuff in it. Its nothing but Shankaracharya's Adwaitha Philosophy. All about how everything is in one's mind and how anyone can get anything that they want just by focusing on the item or object of desire and asking for it from the Universe, and believing it and really feeling it as if received. Yeah, I know! Its more of a documentary of comments from various people than just notes from Rhonda. Not really a must read.

The Dogs of War by Frederick Forsyth

I didnt like it. Started well and is a meticulous book, as in any Forsyth novel, but ending was an anti-climax, with nothing great happening than expected. All through the book, more emphasis lay on managing the money that the mercenary was given and the thing about Spanish Harlem was amateurish. Long ago when I read the Day of Jackal and Negotiator and Devil's Alternative, Forsyth was right up there at the top. Or is it that the writing has always been this way and my way of looking at normal fiction has changed...?

Oct 2008

Five Point Someone

by Chetan Bhagat

The Dogs of War

by Frederick Forsyth

Review of books read recently:

1) Life of Pi: A must read. Fascinating imagination. Amazing narration. Although the story is just a simple tale of a cast away boy in the middle of Pacific Ocean.

2) Five Point Someone: An awesome novel of what not to do in IIT! Extremely hilarious and real cool way of looking at life.

Sept 2008 - II

Life of Pi

by Yann Martel

Review of previous read book:

Swami and Friends: A refreshing read! Written through the eyes of a small boy, it portrays innocence in actions and thoughts.

Sept 2008 - I

The Inscrutable Americans

by Anurag Mathur

Swami and Friends

by R K Narayan

Review of books read recently:

1) Big Money: An amazing novel with humorously romantic entanglements in the midst of money-minded businessmen-cum-rowdies!

2) The inscrutable Americans: An Indian villager goes to USA for higher studies and finds Americans really inscrutable. Author Anurag Mathur has brought about all distinct American characteristics that makes Indians in US wonder.

Aug 2008

The Clicking of Cuthbert

by P G Wodehouse

Big Money

by P G Wodehouse

Review of books read recently:

1) The inimitable Jeeves: A novel of short stories yet a novel in itself, especially made by the deliberate attempt to refer to the concluded short stories. A nice book with Jeeves’ smartness portrayed in each short story.

2) The clicking of Cuthbert: Short stories with golf as the main theme. And of course, sprinkled with a touch of romance and humour. A non-golfer can learn a lot about golf reading this book without actually getting bored! Only Wodehouse could write like this…

Jul 2008 - II

Jeeves in the offing

by P G Wodehouse

The inimitable Jeeves

by P G Wodehouse

Review of books read recently:

1) Ring for Jeeves: A novel that has Jeeves but no Bertram Wooster. Set in a dilapidated castle with new characters but the usual romantic entanglements!

2) Jeeves in the offing: A novel that has less of Jeeves and more of Wooster but then Jeeves is the one who scores more points, as usual, in Brinkley Court. Jovial references to Bertie’s prep school days as one of the principle characters is Bertie’s prep school principal!

Jul 2008 - I

Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves

by P G Wodehouse

Ring for Jeeves

by P G Wodehouse

Reviews of books read recently:

1) Full Moon: A Blandings Castle story. Tipton seeing Bill's gorilla-like face every now and then, and thinking it to be an apparition brought about by too much drink is the best part in the novel.

2) Heavy Weather: One of the best books ever. Extremely hilarious. Rather prolongated but thoroughly enjoyable. Sequel to Summer Lightning (aka Fish Preferred). A Blandings Castle story.

3) Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves: Sequel to The Code of the Woosters. Runs on similar lines and humorous, as always. A Totleigh Towers story.

Jun 2008

Full Moon

by P G Wodehouse

Heavy Weather

by P G Wodehouse

Review of previous book: Feynman's book is Must Read.

May 2008

Surely you're joking, Mr Feynman!

by Richard P. Feynman

2008 till date

Galahad at Blandings - P G Wodehouse
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
Catcher in the rye - J D Salinger
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
The Code of the Woosters - P G Wodehouse

2007

Autobiography of a Yogi - Paramahansa Yogananda
Illusions - Richard Bach
Hercule Poirot's Christmas - Agatha Christie
Murder in Mesopotamia - Agatha Christie
Are you afraid of the dark - Sidney Sheldon
Cat o' nine tales - Jeffrey Archer
Contagion - Robin Cook
The Veteran - Frederick Forsyth
The Great Short Stories - Guy De Maupassant
Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie
The five people you meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom
The Last Juror - John Grisham
Lajja - Taslima Nasrin
Dialogues with the Guru - Sri Chandrashekhara Bharati Swaminah
The Namesake - Jhumpa Lahiri
Whiteout - Ken Follett

2006

A prison diary - Jeffrey Archer
Sunset at Blandings - P G Wodehouse
Toxin - Robin Cook
Joy in the morning - P G Wodehouse
The Man from St Petersburg - Ken Follett
Biffen's Millions - P G Wodehouse
Rage of Angels - Sidney Sheldon
Fish Preferred - P G Wodehouse
Icon - Frederick Forsyth
The Girl in Blue - P G Wodehouse
The Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank
The Purloined Paperweight - P G Wodehouse
The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy
Eggs, Bean and Crumpet - P G Wodehouse
Cocktail Time - P G Wodehouse
Sein Language - Seinfeld

2005

The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
Jane of the Chalet School - Elinor Brent-Dyer
The Little Nugget - P G Wodehouse
The Cat Nappers - P G Wodehouse
Bachelors Anonymous - P G Wodehouse
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Agatha Christie
To kill a mockingbird - Harper Lee
The plot that thickened - P G Wodehouse
Postern of Fate - Agatha Christie
The DaVinci Code - Dan Brown
Do butlers burgle banks - P G Wodehouse

2004

Uneasy Money - P G Wodehouse
Five go to Demon's Rocks - Enid Blyton
Love Story - Erich Segal
The Complete Yes Minister - Anthony Jay and Jonathyn Lynn
A Place Called Freedom - Ken Follett
Psmith in the City - P G Wodehouse
The Scarlatti Inheritance - Robert Ludlum
Out of my mind - Richard Bach
Lush - Peter Benchley
Third Girl - Agatha Christie
The Hades Factor - Robert Ludlum

2003

The Firm - John Grisham
The Rainmaker - John Grisham
The Runaway Jury - John Grisham
On Wings of Eagle - Ken Follett
The Talisman Ring - Georgette Heyer
The Second Lady - Irving Wallace
Piccadilly Jim - P G Wodehouse
Something New - P G Wodehouse
The Summons - John Grisham
Psmith Journalist - P G Wodehouse
The Godfather - Mario Puzo

2002

The Fist of God - Frederick Forsyth
No comebacks - Frederick Forsyth
The Razo's Edge - Somerset Maugham
Air Frame - Michael Crichton
Mutation - Robin Cook
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
Gone with the wind - Margaret Mitchell
The Sands of Time - Sidney Sheldon
The Key to Rebecca - Ken Follett

2001

The Sittaford Mystery - Agatha Christie
Tell Me Your Dreams - Sidney Sheldon
Vector - Robin Cook
The Best Laid Plans - Sidney Sheldon
The Sky Is Falling - Sidney Sheldon
The Secret Ways - Alistair MacLean
The Fourth Protocol - Frederick Forsyth
The Other Side of Midnight - Sidney Sheldon
The Guns of Navarone - Alistair MacLean
Bear Island - Alistair MacLean
Memories of Midnight - Sidney Sheldon
Triple - Ken Follett
To cut a long story short - Jeffrey Archer

2000 and before...

Order of books read not tracked....