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.