2 states.

Well, if you are a Chetan Bhagat fan then you should continue reading this. And if you’re not… Then you should consider becoming one seriously (and still continue reading this! ).

He is one guy who has redefined the meaning of “reading books” to an average Indian guy. There are a lot of other people who write really good books and win accolades for it, like Aravind Adiga, Arundhati Roy, Kiran Desai etc… What makes Chetan Bhagat special is not his highly refined language or his exceptional story writing skills.
He is one person who me and you can relate with. He has given Indian literature a new meaning. He’s not here to ape the west or anybody else. And he is one person, who more than anyone else represents the true Indian urban!

2 states is his 4th book and is almost as good as his magnum opus five point someone. I didn’t quite like his other two books, one night at a call center and the three mistakes of my life. It is about the story of his marriage… I honestly feel he should stick to writing comedy, that’s his forte. He should stick to writing that and the kind of readers he’s acquired like to read comedy.

As he claims, in India, love is not about just 2 people falling in love, it’s a lot more than that. It’s a very intriguing plot, especially for one who is in love and probably with a person of some other community.

What is so spectacular about the book is his amazing usage of language, on one hand it may not be like a Shakespearean work but it is probably what we use everyday. The language, the masala and of course Chetan’s crisp wit just makes the book thoroughly enjoyable. Some of his sentences just drip with sarcasm and makes you really laugh!

A light book to read, very entertaining and a somewhat feel good sort of book. Chetan get’s a thumbs up for it! Way to go! And make sure you pick up a copy for 95 bucks (something I really liked! ) and encourage an Indian to write more Indian stories.

Books!

I think all my creativity urges happen only during the exam time! Much to the displeasure of my mother I’ve been reading a lot of bools these days!

I read two books and I’m reading the third, The 2 books I finished were by Sudha Murthy.

One was Dollar Bahu, It’s fiction, but almost scarily true! It’s about a mother who dreams about her sons going to the USA. It’s all about “America” for her. One of her sons goes to the USA, whereas the other is a banker in Bangalore itself. Both of them get married, the one India to a well cultured woman and the other to a rather rich and bold sort of a woman. The book deals with how the mother-in-law shows prejudices towards the “dollar bahu” and how her perspectives change when she visits the USA.

It’s a very close to home story and gives an insight into how the situation is in a majority of the middle class homes. Even today a mother is very proud to say that her son is in the USA.

I recommend this book. It’s a small and concise story and gets over pretty quick!

The other book How I taught my grandmother to read and other stories. This book is a collection of short stories based on Sudha Murthy’s experiences. It’s interesting to read the experiences of a person who has had so much exposure and seen people from many walks of life. A well written book. Though a lot of people seem to think it’s more like a moral science text book!

This book is also worth a read I feel, give it a try!

The third book, that I’m currently reading is Wings of FIre . The autobiography of Dr. A. P. J Abdul Kalam. By far it has been a very warm and touching book, and I’ve heard great reviews of this book too…

Tell me how it is, if you’ve read it.

K-Harry Potter and the deathly hallows!

Why have I added a “K” to the title? That’s only because certain parts of the book seem very Ekta Kapoor/Karan Johar inspired! Jokes apart…If you’ve been a big Potter fan so far I’m sure you will not be disappointed.Actually the book was simply terrrific… Well there’s no point in me using every positive adjective in my dictionary.I’m sure you’ll agree if you read the book!
The 7th book mania started long back when we (i.e Rashmi, I and Sneha!) would go online and look up every rumor that has been posted on various sites or would talk hours on end and discuss various theories of Harry’s future.He had almost become a part of our lives. You may call us immature but such is the magic (in every sense of the term!) that J.K.rowling creates.

 

The book released on 21st and one big hype and hoopla was created about it! We were all hell bent upon reading the book and not let anyone spoil it for us. As planned Rashmi and I would read it together (half in her house and half in mine!) and when Siddharth-my cousin! (bless his soul!) called me and told me that the book had come…I was ecstatic with glee!!!

I rushed to collect the book and ran to Rashmi’s house… There it was finally… the moment of truth and as I read the first page I realised there was so much I knew yet so little! We read on…occassionally changing positions to give our necks some relief!(it’s not easy to read the book together!) and every now and then gasp and stop to discuss what had just happened!

Well my mother seriously thought we were possessed (we read the latter part in my house and the gasps were louder!!)It was like a journey and if you’ve been a fan of Harry Potter to the extent that we were then you would’ve probably guessed most of it! Except the new twists that were introduced in this book. I’m not giving hints because the pleasure you get out of reading the book is immense and is worth the wait!
All I can tell you is that the book ends on a happy note (almost escapist!) If I could put it in Rowling’s words…”all is well”!!!

books galore

My recent reads include:
Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist is a superb read. A fable about following your dreams. Even if the dream involves going to Egypt to find a treasure! however far fetched if you want to fulfill your dream then (I’m quoting) the entire universe conspires to make you successful in your venture.
The plot is overshadowed by the very strong message that the book reveals… If you get your hands on this book… Do read it.
Another book I read off late was Anita Desai’s (mother of Kiran Desai) A Village By The Sea.
a lot less popular compared to the Alchemist and starkly different by all means, if I may add…
This is a tale of a family from a very remote village. The father’s a drunkard… mother, very ill and five children and how they struggle to make ends meet.
How they get out of very grave problems and find happiness in whatever little they have reminds us that hope is a very important part of our lives.
The poor children didnt lose hope despite their very bad condition only to survive.
This is also certainly worth a read!