Almost there

To think that we will do a lot by the end of an year, is a general and often a common method of fooling ourselves.
Most of us do not really care enough to do it.
I wanted to finish 8 books, no less!
I managed two though - which is a good thing.

1. The Reading Group
2. The Devotion of Suspect X

So much is pending, just as my other resolutions for the year 2015. 

December is here

And so is my deadline. But what can I say? I have not even finished fifty percent of the planned books.

This December I ought to finish at least 8 books! Whew, just writing down that number makes me feel dizzy. I want to touch the not-so-magical number 30, but it is better than my impossible goal of 50.

I am planning to start the 3 books in series (not sure they are connected, so cannot really say if it is a trilogy) from Keigo Higashino

1. The Devotion of Suspect X
2. The Salvation of a Saint
3. Malice: A Mystery

The reason for me to pick this up is that I have not read any book from a Japanese author and more importantly, I was told these are quick reads. The biggest reason - mystery genre.

I also plan to finish the pending ones from November:

4. The Elephant's Journey - Jose Saramago
5. A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian - Marina Lewycka
6. Deaf Sentence - David Lodge
7. Harvest - Jim Crace
8. Yet to decide (one of the library books that will soon arrive) - Decided - The Reading Group

It is November

And I am yet to update.

I finished four books or may be five, I cannot remember the fifth one, although I have been feeling that I have read something and I cannot remember.
This has nothing to do with the quality of the book - more with my memory, or the lack of it. It doesn't feel good, this not remembering.

Career of Evil - Robert Galbraith. The third of the series, I was eagerly looking forward to this book. It disappointed me a bit. The other two were slightly distinct in their characterization. I was confused by the villains in here. They all seemed very similar to each other - and I had to keep going back to figure out who the writer was talking about.
But overall, I like the main characters - Cormoron Strike and Robin. I enjoyed their changing emotions towards each other. They are worth rooting for, from the first book.

The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood. A very very good book. I was haunted by the theme of the book - of human relationships, love, and betrayals - long after the book was over. Although it is lauded for the story within the story within the story, I did feel some parts were really just an extension that could have stayed short. The science fiction felt out of place. The characterizations were brilliant. It is essentially Iris (Chase) Griffen's life story and an extremely well told story.

The Edible Woman - Margaret Atwood. There is a strong feminist angle in the way the story is narrated. It may not sound ground-breaking for today's reader, but considering the time period when it was written, I feel it did depict a lot of societal changes that the West was facing during 60's. I enjoyed it in parts.

Incidents in the Rue Laugier - Anita Brookner. This is a sad sad story of a man and a woman who are compelled to marry each other without the equation of love to hold them. The story is told by a third character, the daughter of the duo. It is a slow moving story, but extremely well written in many parts. The insights to the human thinking, and the emotions exhibited under stress, is simply wonderful. However, as a reader, I want to be uplifted by a story - an end where there has to be some hope somewhere. It is not always the case and should not be, but yet, parts of the story hit home hard.

It's been a while

Though I did not complete all the books for July, I did end up reading other books that I had not planned. For example, I liked Cuckoo's calling so I ended up reading the second book in this series 'Silkworm'. I also read 'Moral Disorder' by Atwood. Initially it was slow, but boy does it enchant you? I was so impressed, I ended up requesting two more books from the library of the same author.
I also read Chuck Palahniuk's novel, 'Haunted, a novel of stories'. Extremely weird and in parts brilliant.
I read a non-fiction after a long long time! Called 'Always Eat Left Handed: 15 Surprisingly Simple Secrets Of Success' by Rohit Bhargava, it was a decent one-time read that one may end up dipping into, once a while.

So September now, I have to finish some books that have been long pending:
1. The Elephant's Journey - Jose Saramago
2. The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood
3. A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian - Marina Lewycka

I am going to keep the list short so that I can pack in any unplanned book in-between and feel good about it later.

Reading List - July

It is wrong to start a new list when the previous month's list is still pending. But how else will one motivate self to go ahead? It is a bit like preparing for the exams. If you are stuck in chapter 1 of subject X, leave it and move to chapter 6 of subject Y. At least that is what I would do. And go back later to tackle X.

So same goes for the list for July:
1. The Cuckoo's Calling - Robert Galbraith
2. Moral Disorder - Margaret Atwood
3. Deaf Sentence - David Lodge (So that I can return this book to Sash ASAP)
4. Hearts in Atlantis - Stephen King
5. The Elephant's Journey - Jose Saramago
6. Harvest - Jim Crace

I am already done with Hearts in Atlantis and The Cuckoo's calling. Although this wasnt planned for June, I completed them in June, so adding them on to July. Yay.. I am done with two already. I have started Harvest. I will also start the Deaf Sentence soon. 

Reading List - June

Lists are done to feel good and later, to feel bad.

But never mind these 'isms'
I managed to cross off 3 titles from my May List, which was a huge surprise for me too.
Here comes the June list:

1. Deaf Sentence - David Lodge
2. Wasp Factory - Ian Banks (have to have to finish it)
3. Where the mountain meets the moon - Grace Lin

Revival - Stephen King

More and more I am convinced that no one can write like King - not even Shakespeare. Yes, taking it to extreme, but I stick by it.
I love my Oldies, but King is simply, the Best.
I cannot think of a better name when it comes to building a canvass that is rich, complex, believable and yet so smooth that you cannot stop once you start reading. His characters, always flawed, yet there is so much about them that we root for. I love his background settings, it makes me feel as if I was there in all those small towns bang in the middle of America.
Many people think that his narration is sometimes too long, too winded. I vehemently disagree. What else will give us the feel of a place, a period, of people and their lives, if not the descriptive passages? Not once was I bored.
Coming back to Revival - classic Stephen King (if you can call it that), especially when it comes to creating the eerie, almost surreal situations. It is not horror, it is literature.
Loved the story, the characters, the family members (how distinct) and especially the pastor, Charles Jacobs and the hero Jamie Morton. The end was unexpected; the horror factor was not really strong though. But who really cares?

A must read for all fans of King. And an absolutely, totally must read for people who are not. 

The Spinning Heart - Donal Ryan

With Ireland as backdrop, it is easy to see why the setting is bleak. However, the writing is  quite good.

It could be a new style of narration, I am not sure, but there were too many perspectives, too many characters. The disadvantage of a story told by too many people is that you cant really leave it mid-way to pick it up later. You tend to forget some of them and it would be paragraphs and paragraphs of story that you are trying to make sense of.

Another difficulty I had was to figure out the period it was set in. People migrating to Australia and racial prejudice against foreigners made me think it was seventies only to be told of people checking on Facebook profiles in between. So, I couldn't really place the story as to when it all happened. 

So, that's two names crossed off my May Reading List. I am wading back to my familiar territory so next it will be Stephen King's Revival. 

High Fidelity - Nick Hornby

I just could not read this book.

There was really not much I could relate to - the hero or the other characters or even the music scene. I am sure it is because of the cultural differences, and because so much is about music I don't know, but a great book is supposed to transcend all such barriers and just touch the emotions that is universal amongst humanity. 

This, certainly is no great book. I could be one of those people who are on the other end of the enjoyment spectrum, but yes, sad to say this was a highly tedious, annoying reading experience. 

Too much of effort.. for nothing.

I can't categorize it as completed. 

Reading List - May

Books that I was supposed to have finished in March are still pending. Well, not all, but some yes.

I am pushing three books of April month to May and so, now May will have to bear the additional burden of three books. It is too ambitious to read six, but no harm in trying, considering I am already reading a couple of them before May begins

So here it goes:

1. Wasp Factory - Ian Banks
2. On the Road - Jack Kerouac
3. Revival - Stephen King
4. High Fidelity - Nick Hornby
5. The Spinning Heart - Donal Ryan
6. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon - Grace Lin

Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chobsky

A coming of age kind of a story of a damaged young boy, Perks of Being a Wallflower is very engaging.

Charlie is a fifteen year old boy (who turns sixteen during the course of the novel) who has to go through the process of growing up which, he doesn't seem to enjoy or understand much. He has wonderful set of friends and a normal family, although he himself is a bit hysterical. We do get to know the reason behind why he is the way he is, in the end, but I felt it didn't flow as smoothly as the rest of the story did.
The style of writing is something probably of a sixteen year old American boy, although I wouldn't know for sure.
An easy read, and very well written. 

3. a.m. - Nick Pirog

A novella that was freely available on Kindle, '3.a.m.' is a fast paced story by Nick Pirog. I had never heard of the writer, but then there are millions of them, aren't they? And we can only know a handful.
The story was very interesting, a bit on the dramatic side with a need for a slight suspension of disbelief. Of course, there were loopholes, and there were situations where it all looked too pat, too hollywood ish, but still.. I enjoyed the story. :)
I am willing to try out other stories of his, with the hope that he gets better with the next one.
A definitely worth one-time read.

The Radiance of Ashes - Cyrus Mistry

The premise of an unambitious (ridden with procrastination and self-doubt) and lazy protagonist whose aim is to become a writer, and what happens to him when life happens to him, is too good to be passed on without reading.

I was not disappointed. A well written book where the story flows smoothly (although it might disappoint a lot of people who want twists after every two pages, or those who crave for suspense that builds to explode in the last twenty pages) giving insights on the protagonist's life - his inability to do anything conventional, his delusions and failures; the Parsi community and its intricacies; life in Bombay and, a tiny peek into the murky world of the slums in Bombay.

The thing with the book is that it doesn't really go too deep into anything broader - for example, the slums and the life around it, the people inhabiting them, they are all just a brush stroke, so it felt a bit facile. The aim probably was to use them to push the story further. May be it is a good thing. I am not sure though. Some of the really small sub-plots ran dry without an apparent end (the server/cleaner boy Shiva in Kanara hotel). Which again is quite subtly done, but nevertheless, it is left hanging.

What it does well is to delve into the mind of Jingo, his feelings, his ideas of happiness, love and society. One can relate to many of the emotions that he goes through and there lies the success of the book.

Overall a good book. The story runs well, most of the characters are fleshed out clearly and the language does not falter. I always enjoy a good Indian English writing because there is so much that we can relate to, not just the characters.

Stars in the sky

Why is it that the urge to write is scarce?
Everyday I tell myself I should continue the story I have left behind.
Every time I am scared to pursue it.
I must have read loads of articles on writer's block (I kid myself), laziness (spot on), feeling of helplessness, self-pity, and god knows what other emotions that I beat myself up with and yet, they seem to have no impact whatsoever on me.
I feel good while I read them, because I hope secretly that I would find a solution at the end of the article. But the anticipation is short lived since I already know what the proposed solutions are and how I despise them. I also know that if I had used the same amount of time in writing, instead of searching for easy answers... Anyway.
Can I promise myself? I don't know, I am like a drug-addict, promising to stay clean, but getting back to them in the next moment. Only, in reverse.
Ugh..

Reading List - March

1. Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky

2. Revival - Stephen King

3. The Wasp Factory - Ian Banks

4. The Radiance of Ashes - Cyrus Mistry

The Razor's Edge - W Somerset Maugham

What a wonderful book!

Very very different way of  narration, where the writer actually is a character in the book and is telling us that he is writing this novel to narrate us some interesting incidents that occurred in his lifetime and introduce us to characters who were people known to him.

Of course, it is fictional - the people, the setting and the whole story. Yet, it was so wonderful to go along with him on this journey.

Very highly recommended.  

Goldfinch - Donna Tartt

At ~800 pages, Goldfinch is a HUGE book, by most standards.

Despite the size, the story was so engrossing that one doesn't really worry about the length. The story is narrated in first person by the protagonist, starting when he was young boy of thirteen and ends when he is in his late twenties. Theo Decker is from a dysfunctional family, just suspended from his school and is highly worried about what his mom might do about that, when they go to a museum to see an exhibition. He loses his mother to a bomb explosion in the museum and is forced to flee with a precious 17th century painting. The story meanders along with Theo, moving from New York to Las Vegas, following his teenage years of drug abuse and alcoholism and close bonding with his friend Boris. His return to New York to become an art dealer, a chance happening due to Welty, the old man with whom he had spent the final few minutes in the Museum, and his near obsessive love towards Pippa, the grand daughter of Welty, all merge together to become a melancholic yet, beautiful story. The theme of grief, loss and the yearning for love runs through out the story.

Only in the last few pages, did it drag a bit - it seemed as though the author was indulgent.

Glad to say, I enjoyed the book thoroughly. 

A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole

As usual, I could not read one of the two library books - Narcopolis is meant to be returned to the library without completing. I started off with it, but I just couldn't push myself to go on. It could not sustain my interest. I could be dead wrong and may be I should have started this book earlier, but it is okay. I am not really feeling terrible about it.

A Confederacy of Dunces - no doubt brilliantly funny, I found it a tad too long. I know people will be horrified when they hear this, but it is long. And, yes, preconceived notions about the book (too much hype around it) usually ruins the joy. And, I kept expecting to be dazzled from page one. It did not happen and I guess its more my fault than the book's.

Reading List for February

1. Perks of Being a Wallflower
2. Goldfinch
3. The Razor's Edge
4. The Lowland

Duma Key - Stephen King

Finished Duma Key.

It is probably too early to write anything about it, because it is too fresh and it usually takes time for me to think about in a more detached way than an involved reader. However.

However, I still want to write about it. The brilliance of the writing is too bright to ignore. Time and again, Stephen King proves he is the best. Not just in invoking the most basic emotion in humans - fear. But also, in inspiring awe at the way he 'paints' a picture of the whole story with such startling clarity.

The story involves around Edgar Freemantle, a building contractor who goes through a near-fatal accident to realize that his world has turned upside down. His marriage is in shambles, he is under the spell of uncontrollable anger and, he is almost given up on his life. But for his daughters and his supportive psychiatrist and physiotherapist, he would have.
On the advice of his doctor he moves to Duma Key to forget, heal and begin a new life. He takes up sketching and painting as a 'hedge against the night'. What comes out of his talent threatens to change his life and the lives of his loved ones, not in a very positive way. A darker force is in play who is bent on unleashing destruction around him. With a help of a set of unlikely friends made on the island, he has to fight with every bit of mental and moral strength to counter the evil.

The characters are so well defined and explored, it feels more like a literary novel than horror., Wireman, the friend who stays all along, is a personality that stays in the mind for long and so is Elizabeth, the almost-ancient woman who owns Duma Key. Ilse, Edgar's daughter is so likable that you will be rooting for her till the end. The story builds slowly, but at no point did I feel bored or wanted to skip a page. Stephen King has that effect on readers. Fear builds up slowly as well. It reaches a crescendo just short of 200 pages to the end.

Having said that, the end is not nearly as scary as I feared. May be because my brain was protecting my mind against it - by imagining the whole end in a slightly 'Pirates of the Caribbean' kind of manner.

I loved the book.

Rosehead - Ksenia Anske

My first book of 2015 - Rosehead by Ksenia Anske.

An unusual choice, because the author was unknown, the genre is not my regular and, to top it, it was an e-book. BUT, but...
It was a FREE book. Because, she is a writer who gives her books books away for free. Not that she is not keen on being a professional and make it her livelihood (writing, I mean), yet she gives it for free. A phenomenon that I had never heard of. It was very interesting. I was curious.

I downloaded her book and after much procrastination, I began the book. Frankly, I  didn't have much expectations out of the book, not because she is a bad writer, but simply because she was an unknown entity. One thing my friend Sash recently told me and that has stuck with me is that never waste your time reading bad books, because there are sooo many incredible books out there and even if we keep our standards very high, this lifetime may not be enough to read them all. So, with slight apprehension I had started the book.
I loved it.

The book is about Lilith, a 12 year old girl who is visiting her grandfather's estate in Germany, with her parents and her talking dog, Panther. Weird things happen during their stay, starting with a horrid stench of the rose garden and her strong belief that the garden eats people. She is out to solve this mystery and save people who have gathered for a memorial service of her grandmother.

I wont say its a great book, but it is a good book. It is a curious mixture of mystery, humour and fantasy. I loved Lilith, her dad and her pet Panther. Lilith is witty, sarcastic and vulnerable at the same time. She a cute, albeit isolated little girl. Her interactions with her friend Ed were sweet - the little tween's romance was just right in its taste. The writing is good and keeps you going till the end, although in the end, it is a bit a drag. I would assume that because the author loved the characters so much that she simply didn't feel like ending the story. I can totally understand that. It was fun reading the book. Based on this I will definitely read more of her work.

----------------------------------------

I am seventy five percent through with my second book, Duma Key by Stephen King. I can read it only in the mornings, it is too scary to read in the nights. With my imagination, I might not survive the upcoming nights if I tried reading post 8 pm.
I am simultaneously beginning the Confederacy of Dunces.

Reading List for January

1. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
2. Duma Key - Stephen King
3. Rosehead - Ksenia Anske
4. The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky
5. Narcopolis - Jeet Thayil

I am late, I have already lost a week, but better late than never, eh? Starting with the Conferderacy of Dunces. Looking forward to it.

2015

One year is gone in a whoosh and I didn't realize how!

Many changes and many misses - personal, professional and in my booklife as well..

My booklife was to have been full of journeys - mostly missed, in retrospect, but, I managed to read 12 books in 2014.

Made new friends thanks to books, who share more of them via online and exchange tips and suggestions.  Made writing friends as well thanks to books.

2015 should be more about being realistic - at least my online astrologer says so, if so then so be it.

More realistic - may be that'd help. Whatever. My lofty plans always peter out to become ultra-realistic, even to the extent of being bare bones.

So, I will stick to lofty  :D