10 books that left an impression on me

Tags

books, just me, reading

This is going around as a tag in FB and atleast two people have tagged me on this. And I can avoid any tags but I usually don’t avoid the book tags 🙂 But when I sat down to type this in my FB status, I felt that it probably I want to store this information somewhere. Somewhere I can go back to it later. Thought of a FB note but then it stuck me my why not the blog

So here it is 10 books that left an impression on me

1. Little Women by Lousia May Alcott : Jo March I love her she is passionate, she is outspoken what is about her that one doesn’t love. I first read this book when I was in college and I think I have read it 10 times after that. Its one of the books I hate to part with even if someone wants to borrow it for a couple of days
2. Pallace of illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni : The fact that the story of the great mahabharta has been told from the point of view of the most important woman of that tale, And I feel the book is deep and moving. There are many layers and a lot of grasp in the book. Also it really was the starting of,my love affair with Hindu mythology reading
3. The Room by Emma Donoghue : It made me sleepless for days, Jack lingered in my mind for months and I think it told me a lot about being a mom. Read my review here
4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak : I cried, I laughed and the book made me think. It made me think and it stayed with me for long after
5. We need to talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver : I still shudder when I think of this book. If you haven’t read it, do it now
6. Midnights Children by Salman Rushdie : Its one of my favorite books of all time. My quest to know more about partition, more about my folks who have suffered through it
7. Hitchhickers Guide to Galaxy by Douglas Adams : The answer to life’s most important question and a towel 
8. One Cuckoo flew over the nest by Ken Kesey : Read it first way back in school, I don’t think I understood much of it but it still left an impact. I have read it many times post that and I think have learnt many a life lessons from it 
9. Any Rand (Atlas Shrugged, FountainHead) : I was in college, I worshipped those books at that time
10. Swami and his friends by R.K. Narayan : There is certain warmth and happiness around those books.

There are many many more books which have left an impression on me but here I chose the first 10 that came to my mind

So I tag anyone and everyone who reads this post and reads books 😉

Do a blog post or leave in comments what are the books that left an impression on you

 

 

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Raising a Reader : Some Parenting Thoughts

Tags

books, how to get kids to read, Ojas, parenting, parenting thoughts, raising a reader, reading

There are some sights that warm your heart like when you finish a call and see your child buried in a book you know you have done something right 🙂 Fortunately for me its a sight that I get to witness very often, Aren’t pictures like this very heartwarming. They give me hope that reading is not going to die a slow death to ipads and the likes. They give me hope that books are going to be alive and the kids of the next generation will still know the pleasures like smell of a book

People often look at O and tell me you must be lucky, he loves books so much, these days kids hardly read all they want is an iPad. Though I agree that touchwood I have been lucky but this luck has come its share of hardwork.

Reading is a habit I wasn’t introduced to as a child. I mean neither my mom or dad are into reading big time and while growing up reading meant course books. However that changed somewhere when one of my uncles introduced me to Famous Five and there hasn’t been any looking back ever since. So whenever I used to think about my child there was one thing clear in my head, love of reading is something I want to pass down to child… Love of reading is something I want to introduce to him as early as possible and something I was keen to cultivate in him. So here are just a few things I did and think should generally to encourage reading in your child

Give him a headstart : The first thing I ever bought for him was a book, yeah might sound funny but its true. We started reading to him as soon as we could settle down with the initial euphoria and madness of becoming parents. Did he understand, most likely not but kids have memory and that made him comfortable with books. Fabric books, books with textures and board books are perfect for kids.. By the time he was 5 months, he would often lie like this and play with his favorite fabric book

Take time to read to him : As they grow older, take time to read to him EVERYDAY… Make a schedule, a time of the day which is dedicated to reading.. May be bed time? In our house time before bed time is reading time. We started with reading one book to him when he was small, slowly the number of books increased (he asked for it) and we would read four books to him. Now we read two books to him, he reads two himself and then sleeps

Let them choose the books : From as early as one year, O had preference on what books he likes, encourage them to select what books they want to read to. Read those books everytime they want. It might get boring to you as they will want the same book over and over again but trust me they will eventually get done with it and move on to another. The thing is the they can only assimilate little and also familiarity is a big thing at that age and hence they want to read it over and over again

Nothing like a good library : Reading can be an expensive habit (ask me ask me) also there is nothing like a charm of a library. Introduce your child to a library early in life. There are kids libraries in town like Hippocampus, as well as bigger libraries like Easy Lib have kids section. Take him, let me explore, let him spend time in the company of books. Let him learn to relish them

Make it a part of the family time : At our house, you can often find all three of us immersed in our respective books sitting next to each other. Make it a habit to read together, when the child is younger give them picture books and let me just browse through it. Start with smaller time durations even 5 minutes is good and slowly increase as the concentration span of your kids increases and he goes from seeing pictures to reading himself. Switch off that TV and open books for the family time and you can thank me later 😉

and last but not the least – the biggest way kids learn is by example, so pick up that book yourself too 🙂

My life in books | Post 29

Tags

books, fun, NaBloPoMo, tag

Once in a while you see a meme which is begging to be picked up (and mostly its something to do with books I tell u 🙂 ) and one such is this at Chandu’s, the girl next door’s and Iya’s

The idea is to answer questions with names of books you’ve read.

So here is my life in book titles 😀

In School I was: Five point someone

People Might be surprised I’m:  Queen of Dreams

I will never be: Little Women

My Fantasy job is: No 1 Ladies Detective Agency

At the end of a long day I need: Love on the rocks

I Hate It When: (people have) Great Expectations

Wish I Had: The Palace of Illusions

My Family Reunions Are: Catch -22

At A Party You’d Find Me: The Pleasure Seekers

I’ve Never Been To: The magic faraway tree

A Happy Day Includes:  Highway on my plate

Motto I Live By:  A Fine Balance

On My Bucket List: Around the world in 80 days

In My Next Life, I Want To: Mistress of Spices

Books I have been reading | Post 23

Tags

books, NaBloPoMo, review

Its been long I have updated the page I keep for the books I read, reviews have been slow on the blog too for reasons I dont seem to understand. So I thought may be listing the books I have read in the past month or so with short reviews might be a good idea. Will do detailed reviews for some of them soon but as of now here is the list

Jaane bhi Do Yaroon By Jai Arjun Singh : I love love love the movie Jaane bhi do yaroon, its right up in my most favourite Hindi movies, have watched it N number of times and I think its cult work of Hindi Cinema so when I first heard of this book I knew I had to read it and to top it all Jai’s blog is one of the few first blogs I started reading ever. The book brings back to the satirical comedy that Jaane bhi do yaaron was. In his own signature style and imagination that can only be Jai’s, he takes us through the making of the book, what was the thoughts of the legendary Kundan Shah when he thought of the movie and what brilliant actors like Naseer and Ravi Vaswani bring to the film. It makes you aware of what Jaane Bhi Do yaroon wanted to achieve even if one has missed the dark humour in the movie which frankly the initial few times I did. If you like the movie I would highly recommend the book. It made me want to see the movie all over again with the perspective Jai showed.

Rating – 3.5/5

The F-Word – I have already done a review here

Women and the weight loss tamasha by Rujuta Diwekar – I have read the first book by Rujuta when it came and I loved it for the simple and sensible advice to weight loss and the effort towards the size 0 figure. And I felt the same way when it came to this book, she makes it feel so logical so common sense business that you one wonders why is that we follow such simple things in life? drink enough water, dont give up on anything completely, understand your body all this and much more. In this book she deals with weight loss as well as other problems we women have and how to be healthy through them, PMS, pregnancy, menopause. And everything she says makes sense. My only wish with her books is that she gets someone with a better command over language write it for her because God knows she is terrible in that department 😛

Rating 5/5 for the tips 1/5 for the language and editing

Highway on my Plate by Rocky Singh and Mayur Sharma – Now I don’t there is anyone who would have not seen the show HOMP, I love the show and I love the way Rocky and Mayur bring balance to the show, one vegetarian the other cringes his nose when it comes to eating veg food, I love the energy they bring to the show. I love the fact that they do try and find lesser know eatries and showcase them and they love traveling too, what is their not to love though I know purists will cringe at my choice and the fact that I love them but somehow they remind me of me, the foodie in true sense. They love to eat not just eat gourmet. In this book they take you through the country and the highway eateries. Thought typically all of them are not really on highways. It takes you the through the lesser known cuisines of the east, takes the south indian food beyond idly dosa and the punjabi food beyond beyond tandoori chicken. I loved the book though I hate to admit that book lacked the punch of the show, the book has its own mistakes but I would still say its a book to read and to keep forever in your traveling back if u like to explore the city you are visiting.

Rating 3.5/5

Chankaya’s Chant – here is my review. Read the book now if u haven’t already 🙂

The 4 hour body by Timothy Ferris- this is a book about fitness, life and food. very interesting read detailed review coming up soon

To be continued in the next post………..

These are a few of my favorite things

Tags

books, fun, movies, music, tag

I have been having a bit of a writers block… inspite of having so much to write can get to write anything so when I saw this on Preeti’s blog I thought may be it will break it 🙂

So here are the rules

1.The tag has three parts..Movies,Music, Books/ Authors.

2.Write a movie, book and author with each alphabet of your first name. The book, movie or song should be one that you really liked. If you say why it  matters to you, it would be great! We will all discover new songs, movies and books this way.

3.Tag as many people as there are letters in your name. (if your name has 4  letters, you have to tag 4 people and so on)

4.Mention that the tag originated here and link back to this post 🙂

5.Copy paste these rules 🙂

My Name – everyone knows Monika….

Movies

Meet the Parents – I just love the movie and its one of those movies I can see over and over again

Omkara – I think one of the best adaption of a book ever. Vishal Bhardwaj is a star and I think every one in that movie acted just brilliantly

Notting Hill – Its a totally awwww inducing movie isn’t it?

Ishqiya – So clearly see a Vishal Bhardwaj fan here… 🙂 I think this was the first movie in which I thought its possible that anyone can over shadow Naseer but both Vidya and Arshad did… and what songs love them

Kings Speech – Saw it recently and I think it was lovely

A Beautiful Life – The movie (as well as the book) moved me even motivated me… lovely

Music

Michael Jackson – there was none like him, there will be none like him 🙂

O P Nayyar the music director who used to weave magic

N…. yes yes I am talking about my hubby I love it when he sings… 🙂 go awww now

Iktara – goonja sa hai koi iktara… a song which I have loved for the longest time ever…..

Killing me softly with his song…. Struming my pain with his fingers , Singing my life with his words,  killing me softy with his song,  telling my whole life with his words killing me softly with his song… how romantic and Roberta Flack absolutely rocked this mushy number

Asha Bhosle – I love her love the verstality and some how I have always loved her more than Lata

Books

Mahabharata – I dont think there is a book like that anywhere else… Palace of Illusions is my favorite book, I am reading Jaya next and now I am on a mission to read it every version and adaptation of that possible 🙂

One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest – A book I can read any number of times

Namesake by Jhumpa Lahri – I think this was the first book I read of hers and quite liked it

Interpreter of Maldies…. I actually didnt like it too much but cant think of anything else right now 🙂

Kite Runner – A story which touched me deep and left a mark forever

Amitav Gosh – My most favorite India Author, what story he weaves by the way when is the second one his trilogy come, the one next to Sea of Poppies?

I loved doing this, the names I have mentioned might or might not be my most favorite I just wrote what came to my mind without thinking much 🙂

And anyone who wants to do this please take it up

Day 26 : Buddhas in a Row

Tags

books, budhha, crossword, nokia x6, photography, project 365

What a lovely design for sequels… isnt it?

Day 22 : Happiness is

Tags

books, Canon SX200 IS, chai, photography, project 365

Getting a book you have been wanting to lay your hands on in mail early morning and devouring it with a cup of chai and home baked cookies…

The day will be spent trying to finish the book and review will follow soon 😀

Books that I have read

Tags

books, tag

Uma tagged me with this one on FB and I did it there and later I saw Ritu and Prats doing it on the blog and I thought why not… so here it is 🙂

Have you read more than 6 of these books? The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books listed here.

Instructions: Copy this into your NOTES. Bold those books you’ve read in their entirety, italicize the ones you started but didn’t finish or read an excerpt. Tag other book nerds. Tag me as well so I can see your responses!

1. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien
3. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
4. Harry Potter series – JK Rowling
5. To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
6. The Bible
7. Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
8. Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations – Charles Dickens

11. Little Women – Louisa M Alcott

12. Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy

13. Catch 22 – Joseph Heller

14. Complete Works of Shakespeare

15. Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier

16. The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien

17. Birdsong – Sebastian Faulk

18. Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger

19. The Time Traveler’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger

20.  Middlemarch – George Eliot

21. Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell

22. The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald

23. Bleak House – Charles Dickens

24. War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy

25. The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams

26. Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

27. Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck

28. Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll

29. The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame

30. Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy

31. David Copperfield – Charles Dickens

32. Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis

33. Emma -Jane Austen

34. Persuasion – Jane Austen

35. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe – CS Lewis

36. The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini

37. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Bernieres

38. Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden

39. Winnie the Pooh – A.A. Milne

40. Animal Farm – George Orwell

41. The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown

42. One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

43. A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving

44. The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins

45. Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery

46. Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy

47. The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood

48. Lord of the Flies – William Golding

49. Atonement – Ian McEwan

50. Life of Pi – Yann Martel

51. Dune – Frank Herbert

52. Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons

53. Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen

54. A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth – CURRENTLY READING

55. The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon

56. A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens

57. Brave New World – Aldous Huxley

58. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon

59. Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

60. Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck

61. Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov

62. The Secret History – Donna Tartt

63. The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold

64. Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas

65. On The Road – Jack Kerouac

66. Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy

67. Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding

68. Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie

69. Moby Dick – Herman Melville

70. Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens

71. Dracula – Bram Stoker

72. The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett

73. Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson

74. Ulysses – James Joyce

75. The Inferno – Dante

76. Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome

77. Germinal – Emile Zola

78. Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray

79. Possession – AS Byatt

80. A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens

81. Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell

82. The Color Purple – Alice Walker

83. The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro

84. Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert

85. A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry

86. Charlotte’s Web – E.B. White

87. The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom

88. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

89. The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton

90. Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad

91. The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery

92. The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks

93. Watership Down – Richard Adams

94. A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole

95. A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute

96. The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas

97. Hamlet – William Shakespeare

99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl

100. Les Miserables – Victor Hugo

And that makes it 48, must do better? but does BBC seriously believe that a average person has read only 6????

Anyone who loves to read please consider yourself tag, leave a note in my comments and would love to read urs

And on a aside Sin-A-Mon is hosting its first ever event… Microwave Savory Snacks, so folsk please to see and participate

By The Water Cooler

Tags

book review, books, by the water cooler, chicklit, indian authors, parul sharma

I was mighty excited when the book arrived and I laid my hand on it 4 days ago… for one Parul is a dear friend and two I had enjoyed her previous book Bringing up Vasu throughly

Though unfortunately the book had to wait two days before I could pick it up, I was in a middle of another very interesting book Keep the Change (but that is another post my dear), so it was yesterday morning I started reading the book and I was up till about 3 in the night finishing the book (Parul if I am groggy today and hit someone while driving u are to be blamed :P)

It’s essentially a book about two friends Tanya and Mini who join a new company together and get a rude shock on their day 1 of work when they come to know that the person who hired them is fired because the CEO is a jerk and calls him all kinds of name… And thus starts the journey of madness… while Mini has to deal with an evil boss along with the evil CEO, get the project completed, Tanya is forgotten about and made to sit near tha cafe where she plans out her dream wedding

The book is funny really funny and there were times when I was laughing out loud, ofcourse the characters seem very exaggerated, in 10 yrs of working I have good bosses and bad bosses but the boss in this novel makes the worst boss I have ever had look like an angel 😛

Loved the wedding planning in the book and how planning her own wedding changes things for a lifetime for Tanya… Loved how Mini took the challenge of two evil bosses and deal with it… There is the one scene in the book where she blasts someone and goes and tells herself post that

Corporate bitches are not born overnight

ROFL how true, actually the book had me itching to go back to the corporate world yes yes even after evil bosses 😀

The only complaint I have with the book is the a little over animated and exaggerated characters but I think thats parul’s style of writing I guess. I had the same complaint with Bringing Up Vasu too..

But on the whole a totally fun read

Last words : a chicklit yes, a chicklit I loved about office politics, love and wedding planning… what is not there to love 🙂 go grab your copy now

Rating 3.5/5

Book By the Water Cooler

Authors Parul Sharma

Price Rs 250/- (available for Rs 203/-  on flipkart, oh no now its available at only 188 )

 

Its all about books

Tags

books, tags

When I read this tag at Shilpa’s I knew I had to do it…. love books, love tags and I havent done one for so long now, but I was confused which one to do the original one or her version. I finally decided to take the best from both and do it 😀

1. Favorite childhood book? Anything by Enid Blyton. I used to love her than, love her now.
2. What are you reading right now? I just finished reading Ripples, yes yes the one in which our friends Ritu and Tiku are authors and I am also rereading Shantaram
3. Bad book habit? – Reading curled up in bed, the book at a very wrong angle and losing the bookmark in the quilt everytime and hence dogmarking the pages
4. Do you have an e-reader? – Nope tried a friend’s kindle, loved the convience and the goodness it does to the enviroment but I think I love my paper and holding it and aaah the smell of a book
5. Do you prefer to read one book at a time or several at once? Oh I am always reading multiple books at one time, but mostly because one of them is non fiction slow read kinds, the kind which requires lot of concentration which I cant have always… and also because like Meira I am too lazy to move between room’s to get books, so I keep one everywhere 😉
6. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog? Yes I think it has broadened it… I know of many authors now which I didnt know before… the reviews always help
7. Least favorite book you read this year (so far)?Karl, Aaj aur Kal by Cyrus… the book was blah
8. Favorite book you’ve read this year? The Ramayana Series by Ashok K Banker… loved it and also Three Cups of Tea.
9. How often do you read out of your comfort zone? Not very often but I am not too stubborn on that
10. What is your reading comfort zone? Fiction, Indian fiction, Comedies, Chicklits, Woman Tales
11. Can you read on the bus? Bus I can read anywhere… I have actually read sitting on a bike too 😉
12. Favorite place to read? the bed curled up mostly but if u ask me where would I love to read it – either on a beach chair, a beer in hand and a guy doing foot massage 😉 or sitting in a porch of a old small cottage tucked away in hills sipping hot hot ginger tea
13. What is your policy on book lending? I hate to lend books (mostly because people dont bother to return them) and incase I do – No dog-earing, no writing and marking and yes PLEASE RETURN THEM 🙂
14. Do you ever dog-ear books? See my bad habits… I hate doing it though… and N reads only that way so we are constantly fighting
15. Do you ever write in the margins of your books? No.
16. Not even with text books? Havent read a text book in like ages… but I think I never wrote in them
17. What is your favorite language to read in? Sadly english is the only language I can read in, I mean I can read hindi but have never ever read hindi literature 😦
18. What makes you love a book? Story, pace, characters, detailing, humor, editing, language
19. What will inspire you to recommend a book? A good crisp story well written and well edited
20. Favorite genre? Indian Literature its on its peak right now .
21. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?) – Science fiction
22. Favorite biography? Three Cups of Tea – does it qualify as one?
23. Have you ever read a self-help book?What do you know, I have! Some of them can be good fun if they don’t take themselves too seriously. If Eat, Pray, Love (Elizabeth Gilbert) can be classified as one, it’s the best example of how they should be done. That was the answer that adarklife gave and I think its very well said. I have indeed read self help books comeon lets accept it who hasnt? but now I stay far away from them
24. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)? Three Cups of Tea and The Ramayan Series
25. Favorite reading snack? I usually dont eat when I read my book can get dirty u see… unless I have to eat lunch/dinner and I just cant keep the book down
26. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience – I think many but most recently DORK, I dont think the book was bad but the whole blog world was talking only about it when it came and when I read it I was well disaapointed
27. How often do you agree with critics about a book? The only review I trust these days are my blog pals 🙂
28. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews? Oh I am so bad at it… I usually just ingore them if they are bad
29. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose? I would love to read urdu… some great literature is written in that language and yeah bengali too and pardes main I think french
30. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read? My Name is Red – i dont know why but I just couldnt understand the book
    
31. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin? Not sure
    
32. Favorite Poet? Not a poetry person at all
33. Favorite fictional character? Sherlok Holmes love him… there would be many but he somehow always tops the list
34. Favorite fictional villain? Ravaan, Ok I hope I dont began a debate here by saying this… fictional or not I think there is a lot to learn from him… what a character he is
35. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation? Chicklits…
36. The longest I’ve gone without reading – Cant recall a long enough break to mention here… As far as I remember I have been reading something or the other… sometimes slow sometimes fast but always been reading
37. Name a book that you could/would not finish– The Alchemy of Desire by Tarun Tejpal… dont know why but the book refused to draw myself in it, Have tried 3 times to finish it.
38. What distracts you easily when you’re reading? Aaah my brat 🙂
39. Favorite film adaptation of a novel? Godfather – I think by far the best book adaptation… I like Julie and Julia too and closer to home Omkara… I think Vishal Bhardwaj rocked the Othello
40. Most disappointing film adaptation? Bride and Prejudice, Aisha… sigh the list is way too long
41. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time? I think once I have spent 7K at a single visit but usually I try and keep it below 2K
42. How often do you skim a book before reading it? Always… a book is always bought or picked up after reading a random page
43. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through? I very very rarely leave the book halfway… even if it is horrible I have a problem leaving it
44. Do you like to keep your books organized? Yes
45. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them? Always keep, my mom tells me to make a book rack which spans an entire wall 🙂
46. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding? Papillon its lying on my bedside and I am wanting to read it but everyone says its depressing so I keep putting it off and yeah Suitable Boy I know I must read it but the thickness of the book sigh makes me run away from it everytime I look at it
47. Name a book that made you angry – A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini actually even the kite runner, they are so depressing that they make u angry with the whole world… though I love them both
48. A book you didn’t expect to like but did? Ramayana by Ashok K Banker, yeah no kidding the book I have been going ga ga about, I was very apprehensive that will like mainly because I thought Ramayana is comparitevely boring and too preachy
49. A book that you expected to like but didn’t? The French Lover, I have read almost all Taslima’s books and I loved them… Lajja is in one of my fav books. So had picked up this book but great expectations but it failed all of them
    
50. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading? Calvin and Hobbes and Sophie Kinesella

And that brings us to the end of the original tag and now starts Shilpa’s version

Books I love or “the ones I can read again and again and again and…..”

• Pallace of Illusions : I love that book, the fact that the story of the great mahabharta has been told from the point of view of the most important lady of that tale, And I feel the book is deep and moving. There are a lot of layers and a lot of grasp in the book. I have read it twice and both the times there have been many things learned and I am sure I will read it again too
  

• The Little Woman : Jo March I love her she is passionate, she is outspoken what is about her that one doesnt love. I first read this book when I was in college and I think I have read it 10 times after that. Its one of the books I hate to part with even if someone wants to borrow it for a couple of days

• The Ramayan Series by Ashok K Banker: I finished reading the sixth and the final book in this series a couple of weeks back and already the first one is back on bedtable… I think this is one series that I would keep going back to all my life. There are so many of life’s fundas in the book explained in such simple ways. I loved the way Banker has brought the book to the people who would love to read it but cant really go and read it in the old format and also I love the fact that how really he hasnt treated Rama as all godly

• One flew over the cuckoo’s Nest : I think this is one of the first books I put it up n favoruties list.. Read it first way back in school, I dont think I understood much of it than but there are many times I have gone back to the book post that. Brilliant brilliant read.

• Catch – 22 : A book that hits the fact that war can never be good home with a bang and a book I think everyone should read. Its often that I pick it up and open any page and read it for some 10 minutes and keep it aside.

There are many many many more books I love but I think I will stop here for two reasons – I have spent way too much time on this post 😉 and its way too long and also I should leave some for you my dear book loving friends 😀

But before closing I must mention Midnight Children here, I love that book and I think if there is any book which deserves booker of booker its it… Though I don’t think I will ever reread it, its too depressing for that but I love it

Books I love to hate:

• Here I will stay with Shilpa, I love to hate the twilight series, I dont know why I read them like a crazy girl… Everything in the series is against what I stand for, female lead with no wish other than to please the man she loves thats it but I read it and I love to hate it… its like ekta kapoor serials if u ask me u love to hate them but still can’t fully ignore them

Books that left me underwhelmed:

• The White Tiger : I think this one tops everyone’s lists 🙂 the book stirred nothing in me.I thought it was just a very very bad potrayral of that poor driver

• Beatrice and Vigilby Yann Martel : What was this book all about? what did he want to potray in this book? so much voilence against animals? left me totally clueless

And if I dont tag my fellow book lovers in this tag it wont be justice right 🙂 so here it goes

• Smitha from books life and more
• Smitha the other one 😉
• Swaram
• Ritu
• Prats
• Poonam
• IHM
• Vishesh
• Starry
• and any one else who wants to do this tag

Will link u guys soon in the meanwhile please pick it up if u see it