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.