Review: The Racketeer

The Racketeer by John Grisham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Rounding off the year with another book in the "Read" shelf from my once-one-of-the-favourite authors who is fast falling off my favourite lists.

I picked up this e-book with great hopes of getting a good courtroom drama, what with the blurb mentioning about a Supreme Court judge being murdered and the protagonist being a lawyer behind bars (the author has introduced a black lawyer as a protagonist). However, my hopes were dashed as I progressed through the book. The plot is about how a lawyer unravels the mystery behind the killing of a Supreme Court judge and his escapades from the FBI and the judicial system. The motive and the plot was surprisingly good but there was a lot to be desired in the way the story has been narrated.

No more Grisham for me for quite some time now. I am almost done with him at least for the next few months unless I come across a really good one. Folks, by the way, you can recommend to me if you come across any of his books published after circa 2016, which are good reads.

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Review: Krishna's Secret

Krishna's Secret by Devdutt Pattanaik
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Short read about the traits and characteristics of Krishna. Lots of photographs of paintings and sculptures depicting Krishna. Nothing new to learn about Krishna if you know the story of Mahabharata and Krishna's tales.

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Review: Justice Redeemed

Justice Redeemed by Scott Pratt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Absolutely rivetting and engaging, this book was a roller coaster ride. Scott Pratt knows how to engage his readers and keep them hooked. Discovered another alternative to John Grisham in addition to Victor Methos.

The plot is about our protagonist Darren Street who is charged with a murder he did not commit and ultimately lands up in prison for life, courtesy Ben Clancy, a scheming lawyer who is hell -bent on destroying Darren Street. Darren now needs to find the real murderer. How is he gonna do it from prison ? The plot unravels beautifully but the climax is predictable. The time spent by Darren inside the jail is very interesting to read. The courtroom drama is a bit of a downer as compared to Grisham's plots, but nevertheless the book is a page turner. I loved it.

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Review: McNally's Trial

McNally's Trial by Lawrence Sanders
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The book was not so good. This is the second or the third Sanders book which I have read all of them are mediocre. In this case, the author has used sarcastic humour which is supposed to entertain the readers. While the idea was novel, the cheeky one-liners in almost every sentence was irritating and getting on my nerves. For e.g., the father is described as paterfamilias, Hizzonner, pater, His Majesty, sir etc....c'mon whats wrong in describing him as a plain old simple father ? A weak plot did not help matters and I wanted to stop reading but kept on going given the self-confessed bibliophile I am. After the first 100 pages, the whole plot became a bit predictable and continued to drag. One more Sanders book on the shelf. I hope it will not be so disappointing.

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Review: Yama’s Lieutenant and the Stone Witch

Yama’s Lieutenant and the Stone Witch by Anuja Chandramouli
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second instalment of Agni Prakash and his adventures. In the first book, we saw Agni Prakash battling Naganara the necromancer along with his friends Minothi and Dharami. In this book too, they help him to overcome Nayima the stone witch who is unleashing terror on humanity. He is approached by Mara the agrami or the leader of the kimkaras to find the samayakalas (Vela, Pari and Vasana) keepers of time, to unwind and reverse the time to avoid humanity being decimated by Nayima. There is also a brief appearance by Naganara, his old adversary from the first book, who has changed for the good. All in all a very interesting read.

I liked it better than the first book. The writer has a good command over the language and the prose flows naturally. I have not come across another fantasy novel in the Indian context and the author has exploited this genre superbly. Readers better read her first book to get a hang of her language and more importantly, to familiarise with the characters, almost all of them are present in the sequel.

Thank you Anuja for providing me with a copy in exchange for a review.


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Review: The Kind Worth Killing

The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was recommended to me and the blurb seemed interesting. However it was sometime before I could my hands on this.

This was one of the best thrillers I have read in a long long time. Peter Swanson has concocted a gripping thriller which will keep you hooked. The first 100 pages was a drag and then the story starts getting wild and interesting. From 150th page onward it becomes a roller coaster ride throughout. You get surprised after every few pages. There are four main characters and all of them are evil. Needless to say, it becomes interesting as the author delves into each character and their backgrounds.

Truly vile and evil ! Hats off to the author ! Go for it without reading the reviews. You will enjoy it more.

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Review: An Invisible Client

An Invisible Client by Victor Methos
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Came across this book on Amazon deals and bought it for the heck of it, being a sucker for thrillers, especially legal ones. I don't regret it a bit. This was a fantastic book. A law firm takes on a pharmaceutical giant over wrongful death of a child. The lawyer with a one-point goal of being rich and working for money, starts turning over a new leaf when he gets emotionally attached to the victim, a 12 year old boy, risking his career and law firm in the process.

The book grips you from the start and is a definite page turner with a simple but stunning climax. The author being a lawyer himself, brings his experience and expertise in the book which makes it interesting.

Have read similar plots in Grisham's earlier novels. Ever since Grisham has ventured into non-legal stories, I feel a void in this genre. Victor Methos fills the gap. Will check out other Methos books soon.

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Review: Undelivered Letters

Undelivered Letters by J. Alchem
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Another book (rather, booklet - considering the short reading duration ) by J. Alchem. The story is about a postman who forgets to deliver some letters one day. He finds it twenty years later at home lying forgotten in a corner and is filled with remorse on failing to do his duty. He decides to deliver the forgotten letters with predictable consequences. The book focuses on three stories with the feel-good factor and happy endings.

Book is an easy read and the prose flows beautifully. However the plot is tepid and not stimulating enough. The best thing is the author has found a niche format, not too long and not too short. Not too many have tried this before, I suppose. Hopefully, he should exploit this format and maybe come out with newer genres.

PS:- Free copy in exchange for a review.

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Review: Best Kept Secret

Best Kept Secret by Jeffrey Archer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The third instalment of the Clifton Chronicles. As usual, the author churns out a thrilling series with new characters added. The third book is more about the life of Sebastian Clifton. It seems like somewhat like a replay of Harry Clifton's childhood. Enter Harry's old foe Alex Fisher who tries to Barringtons' company along with Giles' wife (a new character), almost jeopardising the political career of Giles. Enter Don Pedro (another new character), who plays with the life of Sebastian.

The books in this series always ends with a nail biting suspense which spills over to the next book in the series and you are bound to pick up the next book.

Will take a break here before picking up #4 !!

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Review: Ford County

Ford County by John Grisham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A collection of seven short stories, I bought it with high expectations. Didn't live up to it. The first one "Blood Drive" is about three people volunteering to go to the city to donate blood to one of the residents of Ford County. This is a funny account of their misadventures. "Fetching Raymond" is about a family of three, a mother and her two sons, visiting their third son in prison. This is somewhat a tragic story including "Michael'sRoom". "Fish Files" is about a down and out lawyer prospecting for a fortune by cheating his clients. It was kind of boring. I liked "Casino" & "Quiet Haven" but the last one "Funny Boy" simply takes the cake. It is a beautiful story about how a young white man dying of AIDS ends up in a black township near Clanton and is looked after by a black lady after being abandoned by his family.

The protagonist is not the character in the stories but Ford county itself. Its residents are depicted as racists, bigots, misogynists, petty thieves, creepy crooked lawyers and gold-diggers. I think this is the first book of its kind where the author has delved into short stoy format. But I liked Archer's stories more than Grisham's. Happy reading for folks interested in reading short stories ! Nothing great about it. Maybe for Grisham fans only.

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Review: Disclosure

Disclosure by Michael Crichton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The first time I saw the movie based on the book, it was fabulous. Normally i try to avoid books based on movies if I have already seen the movie. So i gave up many opportunities to buy this book. Finally I couldn't resist when I saw a bargain on this one and I bought it since it was almost 15 years since i watched the movie. I was not disappointed at all. The movie might have taken liberties with the plot subtly but it was not so obvious.

The plot is about our protagonist who is sexually harassed by his female boss and how he unravels the plot with the help of a female attorney. The subject of sexual harassment is equally relevant today. It might have been a novel thing 20 years back and to bring out a book on the subject where the harasser is a woman, is definitely commendable at that time. According to the author, it was based on a true incident.

The plot is wonderful and the climax is equally rivetting with its twists and turns. I couldn't put down the book. Real edge-of-the seat thriller.

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Review: Excise

Excise by Danielle Girard
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A giveaway from Netgalley. I liked the book. At places I found it tedious and the plot drags. The killings do not tie in. There is another subplot of the medical examiner's (our heroine) husband in jail and due for release. The protagonist fears he would come after her for his revenge and suspects his involvement in the murders. This thread also is incomplete. The climax is good and the twist in the story is great. However, the book lacks in building up the suspense and the excitement of reading it for the what-happens-next moment is missing.


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Review: Yama's Lieutenant

Yama's Lieutenant by Anuja Chandramouli
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Note - Free copy from the author in exchange of a review. Thank you Anuja Chandramouli for the copy. I was intrigued by the title so I agreed to review this.

The book is a fantastically written (pun intended). It deals with a young lad Agni Prakash, a human being, who is anointed as Yama's lieutenant to fight the evil forces out to conquer the three worlds i.e. heaven, hell and earth with the help of a kritya, a divine woman with magical powers. Agni Prakash is heartbroken over his twin sister Varu's death and brooding over his sense of loss. One fine day, he is recruited by a goddess Taravarsha to save the three worlds from Naganara, a necromancer.

The plot flits between the mythical and the real world, weaving an interesting story of Agni Prakash and his travails in battling with the arakshas who have escaped the nether world and wreaking havoc on the earthlings. There is also another thread with a backstory of Yama in the form of a book written by Varu before her death. So little is known about Yama, the lord of death and the netherworld. This is like an eye-opener.

This was my first book in the fantasy genre by an Indian author. I am not a keen fan of books on fantasy, however I was not disappointed. Published by Random House India, you can expect a top-notch quality product, no less. After a long time, I have reviewed a book which is tightly edited and the language is absolutely superb. The author has a mastery over the language with a wide repertoire in vocabulary. The prose flows beautifully. However, I found the first hundred pages
a bit of a drag with so many multiple characters flitting in and out that I almost lost track of the plot. However, Varu's book on Yama and his emergence as the lord of the netherworld kept me hooked.

Overall, I liked it and for those interested in fantasy / mythology, go grab it !


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Review: Devil's Light

Devil's Light by Richard North Patterson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The plot is about a missing nuclear warhead,threats by Al-Qaeda to annihilate USA on the 9/11 anniversary, chaos, mayhem and search for the bomb in the Middle-East. The plot is thin but interspersed with the political history of Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan which makes it interesting. However, at those points, the book drags a bit and the reader tends to get disinterested. The book grips when you follow the bomb on its journey to its destination.

To sum up the book, a cat and mouse game to avert human tragedy of catastrophic proportions.

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Review: Breakout Nations: In Pursuit of the Next Economic Miracles

Breakout Nations: In Pursuit of the Next Economic Miracles by Ruchir Sharma
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Published in 2012, I picked up the book five years late. This is an extremely well-researched book, giving a general background and in-depth analysis of developing or under-developed economies of the world. Ruchir Sharma is a wealth manager and the chief of one of the biggest fund houses in the world. He has given a first hand account of the economic situation prevalent in select list of countries which he thinks will emerge as winners or losers in the long run over the next decade.

Each chapter is about a country and he delves deep into the problems or the plus points of the economy of each of these. The language is easy to understand without too many economic jargons and any layman would be able to soak in the facts provided. It is also interspersed with some trivia which makes it interesting to read. For e.g., how many of you know that Saudi Arabia imports refined petroleum or diesel as it does not have refining capacity to refine its oil produce although it is the largest exporter of crude oil. Or local glass manufacturers in the Gulf region have to import sand, a key raw material for making glass, although the countries are surrounded by sand all around. Apparently, the sand quality is too poor to manufacture glass so they have to import high quality sand from other countries.

If ever there is a sequel (probably he should write a sequel maybe in 2020), I would certainly pick it up to see if his research has borne fruit.

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Review: Amritsar: Mrs. Gandhi's Last Battle

Amritsar: Mrs. Gandhi's Last Battle by Mark Tully
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had always wondered about the reasons for Army's action in Operation Blue Star. This is a wonderful book detailing the history behind the storming of Golden Temple complex by the Army which also was a major cause for a rise in extremism in Punjab.

It chronicles the events leading to the decision of the Congress government to direct the Army to enter the temple to flush out Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his band of terrorists. It was a blot on the government and the most bitter consequence was the assassination of Indira Gandhi. It details the roles played by Akali Dal, Congress government, the Indian Army, Harcharan Singh Longowal, Zail Singh, Gurcharan Singh Tohra and significantly of Bhindranwale and his rise to notoriety.

Mark Tully and Satish Jacob, who used to work for BBC, has narrated a first hand account of the events leading up to one of the darkest moment in Indian history and it is truly commendable. The only minor irritant in the kindle version was the spellcheck errors which crept in. Being seasoned writers and journalists, the book would have been definitely edited thoroughly. So it might have been inadvertently crept in the electronic version. This can be a reference book for history buffs and people who are keen to learn about Operation Blue Star.

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Review: The Lion's Game

The Lion's Game by Nelson DeMille
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked the book however, to be honest, I had high expectations from it which did not live up to it. The book is about two FBI agents on the trail of a Libyan terrorist, who is on a plot to avenge the 1986 bombing of Libya, massacring Americans along the way.

The book is interesting at places where it plots the terrorist's movements and at places it becomes a drag. However, the highlight of the narrative is the dry humour and the one-liners the author uses liberally in this story.

Strictly for DeMille fans only ! This was my first.

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Review: The Sins of the Father

The Sins of the Father by Jeffrey Archer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It would be injustice to give this book less than stars. Continuing with the Clifton family saga, the book gets more interesting with the second volume. More twists and turns with a liberal sprinkling of adventure, this is a delightful story from Archer, the master story-teller. I finished this in a marathon reading session over two days flat, my shortest time yet in a long while. It was so engrossing that you constantly want to know what happens in the next page.

Can't wait to get my hands on the third volume.

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Review: The Point of a Gun

The Point of a Gun by Steven W. Kohlhagen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The plot is about a mole in the top echelons of USA's national security team, one of the five teams reporting to the President, who conducts extra-judicial killings of terrorists and anti-social elements posing a threat to the national security, a la vigilante style along with a team. The whole book is about finding out who the secret spy is and the motive behind the killings. The climax is predictable and more than half-way through the book, the identity becomes almost apparent.

The plot is decent although it becomes a bit of a drag at places when the characters keep on guessing about the unknown mole in their midst. The instances where the vigilantes embark on their missions (which is a bit too many) is interesting. However, I felt that number of these missions could have been curtailed and the length of the book could have been reduced. At some places, I felt it could have been edited better.

Cannot say that this is one of the best thrillers read.

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Review: The Diamond Magnates

The Diamond Magnates by Brian Roberts
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I had to stop midway through the book in a really long time. This was not what I expected. The title of the book conjures up images of diamond barons (De Beers, Oppenheimers et al) and their detailed history as to how they came to establish billion dollar businesses. But here the author gives a detailed history of early diamond merchants namely three of them J B Robinson, Cecil Rhodes and Barney Barnato (nope, never heard of them) who were prominent South African figures in the late 1800s and early 1900s and how they had established their businesses through sheer hard work and determination. While the author's research efforts are definitely good, I am really not interested if the content and expectations do not match.

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Review: A Blind Eye

A Blind Eye by Jane Gorman
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

A very mediocre book which I did not enjoy at all. There was no real plot to speak of. After about 150 pages, I was so bored that I wanted to stop midway. Finally managed to complete this. The plot is about an American officer who is sent on a goodwill mission to Poland. He gets involved in the investigation of murder of a woman who happens to be his cousin's daughter.

The drab setting does not help garner interest. The plot is very superficial with absolutely no thrill element although marketed as a thriller. Avoidable.

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Review: The Golden Tap: The Inside Story of Hyper Funded Indian Startups

The Golden Tap: The Inside Story of Hyper Funded Indian Startups by Kashyap Deorah
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a phenomenal book on the start-up ecosystem in the country. The author is an entrepreneur and tech geek who has summed up his personal experiences into a book.

It is more about his experiences in starting internet-based companies and selling these off to corporates at a profit. However, he has described the world of internet e-commerce companies, private equities and venture capital funds accurately. In-depth research matters in a non-fiction book and you have loads of it in this book for which I need to credit the author, some with exact dates. The footnotes in the book were really helpful. Lots of name-droppings in the books that you actually feel awed by the fact that the author has had the good fortune to meet and be friends with some of the biggest names in the e-commerce industry.

However, the drawback is that, throughout the book, one gets the feeling which we all secretly abhorred that millionaires and successful entrepreneurs are all product of IITs, IIMs, Stanford, Yale et al and there is there is no place for commoners or people with average education from second-tiered institutions. It also pays a tribute to IIT Bombay and its hallowed precincts, the author and most of the people featured in it being its alumni.

It was interesting to read how the author's Indian friends / mentors missed the bus in investing (how someone missed out investing in Facebook during its early days of incubation), rivalry between Snapdeal, Amazon & Flipkart and the detailed investment figures.

However the title needs to be tweaked a bit with the word "Inside" being removed since it appears to be misnomer. There is no inside scoop about the industry or some of the founders of hot internet companies which I expected. Considering that the author had access to people who are considered stars in this corporate world, he could have dwelt some more "gyan" on the more well-known companies and its origins, successes and failures. But still a very interesting read for someone who is curious about the start-up ecosystem and how it works.

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Review: Stateline

Stateline by Dave Stanton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A fine book to read if you have nothing in hand and would like something easy in hand.

The plot is about a private eye hired to investigate the murder of the son of a rich businessman and how the entire county sheriff's department is involved in murky dealings with the mafia or the mob. However the motive or the lack of it disappointed me. The fast narrative and action makes up for the lacklustre climax.

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Review: A Game of Thrones

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was my first fantasy fiction and to say that this was stupendous and magnificent would be an understatement. The story flowed like a river. The imagination and the creativity of the author is commendable. I loved the slight twist of common words which we use everyday which the author has used in the book ("Ser" for sir, "name day" for birthday, "Maester" for master and such others) to give it a medieval touch. The book has a wide array of characters and each of the character stays unless he or she dies. There is never a dull moment and you want to go on turning the page and never keep the book down. I took about 45 days to finish this tome and now I have a GOT hangover . I think it will stay for a couple of days more.

The story is about a king who dies leaving the kingdom to be reigned by his closest confidante and friend called the Hand of the Sword who is the lord of Winterfell. The kingdom is then usurped by the king's son in connivance with his mother who executes the lord. There are plots and sub-plots with multiple twists and turns. The characters are etched so beautifully, that you feel for each of them for the travails they go through. Believe it or not, there are even ferocious direwolves and you will love them for their unshakeable loyalty ! I loved the characters of Eddard, Robb Stark, Ser Jorah Mormont, Jon Snow and Arya Stark. But Tyrion Lannister takes the cake. The dwarf with the meatiest role. You will just love him for his go-to-hell kind of attitude. The whole book feels like beautiful painting painstakingly drawn by the author. No wonder this got made into a TV series.

Still 5 more to go on my shelf in this series !! I am totally impressed.

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Review: The Highway Man

The Highway Man by J. Alchem
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Two and a half stars for the book (if you can call it that) and half a star extra for the first story.

Got a copy in exchange for a review, courtesy Sidra Ahmad and the author.

The book is a collection of three short stories with a common theme - love. The first story "Catherine" was very good and the end was unpredictable. I liked the way the character of Dr. Rusenvelt was etched even better than the protagonist Nicholas Seium.

The second story, "Sidza", was the most boring one, with actually no story to talk about. It was actually supposed to be an emotional one with love oozing throughout the story. Maybe fans of romantic stories might like it. It was too mushy for my liking.

The third story is "Highway Man" which again could have turned out to be decent one had the author dwelt on main story than the relationship between father and son. He could have dwelt more on the backstory of the character Jihan but somehow the plot falls flat. But still it is a decent story to read.

The book is a light read and short, can be finished in about 45-60 minutes. More apt for readers of romance.

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Review: Guilty Minds

Guilty Minds by Joseph Finder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a first Finder for me. I am not disappointed at all. The story is fast and kind of edge-of-the-seat thriller. Nick Heller is hired by a high profile power broker / attorney to investigate charges on a liaison between a Supreme Court judge and a call girl and prove wrong the allegations levelled by a gossip website Slander Sheet. Later the call girl is found dead and the twists begin ending with an unpredictable climax.

I loved the character of Nick Heller and Mandy Seeger. The writing is good and the story just flows. Commendable writing skills which keeps the reader engaged throughout. As in all feel-good stories and novels, the hero manages to escape death by a whisker each time. It was a good book and I enjoyed reading this.

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Review: Blemishing the Odds

Blemishing the Odds by Harish Penumarthi
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is not a story. The book starts with a prologue where a father narrates his school days to his kids. This is more like a memoir rather than a story. Everyone can relate to this book. However, there are a lot of shortcomings which I noticed while reading the book. Firstly, this could have been edited. It looked as if the book was published without a thorough editing job. Secondly, a story has to be engaging enough to keep the reader hooked and make them want to know what happens next. Here, the book fails miserably. Cuss words, first kiss, coming of age experiences, experiments with cigarettes and alcohol are all fine as it is given at that age. But where is the story ?

Coming to the story, Raghav meets Trisha in the 8th grade. He is a lazy and incompetent guy while Trisha is the exact opposite. Opposites attract. Spending 3 years together, circumstances change. Duffer boy becomes smart and hardworking. Passes school with flying colours. Both separate and they meet again. Lots of tomfoolery between them in those 3 years. That sums up the story.

There is a reference to surfing the internet by Raghav somewhere in the book. If you think a bit, Raghav is actually narrating his story to his kids who are 18 and 14 years of age. So he must be at least 45 given that he has two kids. It would have been at least 30 years back when he was in school, which may be circa 1987, if not earlier. India did not have the internet at that point of time..at least it was not accessible to kids. Another irritating thing which I came across was the word"awesome". It was used at least about 50 times in the entire 170 page book. Moreover, which Indian dad will narrate his love life and first crush in school to his kids just because they are pestering him ?

Bad editing or no editing spoils the book. The author has tried to delve deep into his four main characters, Raghav, Trisha, Dad and Mom but that's about it.

The climax is awful and unbelievable. One fine day, Raghav is suddenly sent to Mumbai to study and the day he lands he meets his lady love. That ends the story (sorry, there never was a story !). The one good thing I liked was how the author drew up the Indian parents' mentality of constantly pushing their child to study which is prevalent throughout.

Now comes the epilogue. Raghav's kids ask him to complete the story. He tells them that he will some other time. Is there a sequel to the book ?

The author being a debutante, I wish him success for future.

PS: - I thank the author who gave me the book for an honest review.


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Review: Prayers For Rain

Prayers For Rain by Dennis Lehane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow !! This is one hell of joyride. I loved this thriller of a book, with the right pacing, the writing style and a nail-biting unpredictable climax. This was my first Lehane and absolutely loved the style. His writing is fluid and easy on the mind with sarcastic humour thrown in. Way to write a thriller.

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The Pillars of the Earth


- Ken Follet


This was a magnificent book . Took me over a month to complete. Woww!

Set in the 12th century, the story is about how Prior Philip goes about building an imposing cathedral through wars, famine and other miseries in town of Kingsbridge. The seed of thought for the cathedral is planted by a gifted architect (called master builder in those days) Tom Builder to escape his misery and follow-up on a dream of building the most beautiful cathedral.

The story is about how the characters encounter various obstacles thrown in by their rivals and main villains, Lord William Shiring and Bishop Waleran Bigod in order to exact revenge in their quest for power and wealth, to bring a halt to his dreams in building the most beautiful and biggest cathedral in the world.

There are multiple characters and each have been beautifully etched out in the book. The plot is fast-paced and a page turner. There is never a dull moment and you always want to know what happens next. There are grotesque scenes rape, violence and mutilation. The author knows how to captivate the reader and keep him / her on tenterhooks. Although it cannot be termed as historical fiction, it comes close to that. I still cannot rate it 5-star. There was something missing in the book, although I could not figure out what.

No, i am not taking out "World Without End" off the shelf right now. Need a break with some short reads.

Yes, it is can be made into an Indianised movie version of the TV series with a sprinkling of songs and dance considering the story and plot. Wonder if any producer or studio would be interested !

The Emperor of All Maladies
- Siddhartha Mukherjee



"Cancer changes your life" a patient wrote after her mastectomy. "It alters your habits...Everything becomes magnified."







This statement is so terrifying that it always rings in your subconscious mind while reading this book. The book is beautifully written and an epic tome on cancer. Full marks to Siddhartha Mukherjee for his detailed analysis and extensive research on the disease. Each chapter starts with quotes by people associated with the disease and about half-way down the book, you realise that it is not a book but a work of art painstakingly brought to life by Siddhartha. A gamut of emotions overwhelm you while reading this book. You feel sad when you read that people who have strived to fight cancer and find a cure themselves died of the disease (ironic isn't it ?). You will be horrified to learn that mastectomies (or for that matter, surgeries) were performed on patients without anaesthesia in the 18th century. You will feel the unbearable and mind-numbing pain of patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. You feel happy when patients are cured and do not relapse . You feel a sense of despondency and helplessness when doctors break the news of diagnosis of the disease to their patients, especially so, when it has reached a stage beyond cure. You feel gloomy for patients clamouring for a ray of hope to find a cure.

Folks, it would be apt if you read on kindle. There are medical terms / jargons used which might require a dictionary / wiki to refer to. The book is a heavy read. It took me two months to finish this. It has been a wonderful journey!!

The Girl on the Train

- Paula Hawkins

This is an utterly boring and much over hyped book. I am giving it 2 stars just because the climax is good. I picked up the book purely out of curiosity and the hype it created. The first 100 pages are a drag and by the time you read through, you are in an alcoholic daze just like the main character Rachel. The setting is dark and gloomy and you feel like throwing the book out of the window. The next 100 pages becomes a bit interesting. By the time you reach 250th page (if you have not thrown out the book by then), you know who the killer is. The last 65 pages you want to know how and why he killed her. The only saving grace is, the book is short and only 315 pages. Phew what a collosal waste of time and bit of money !


Verdict - Avoidable !! Dare you to complete if you have already started reading !

Fear: The Last Days of Robert Mugabe

 - Peter Godwin





Till I bought this book, my knowledge of Zimbabwe was limited to the fact that it had a national cricket team, one among the twelve cricket playing nations in the world. A legacy left by the British as it did to other colonial nations. The moment I started reading the book, it was so depressing that many a time I wanted to quit reading it midway. This is a horrible account of the reign of terror unleashed by Robert Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe.


This a first hand account of the human rights violations, rapes, tortures, beatings and executions unleashed by Mugabe supporters and partymen on their own people who opposes his rule or the opposition party members thus tightening his grip on the country and its economy. I never thought such horrors were prevalent in the country. The author travels all over Zimbabwe and puts his observations into writing talking to the people most of them Mugabe's rivals or opposition party members. The only grouse was that the entire 350 pages were devoted to the horrors and tortures inflicted on the people most of them descriptive which makes you cringe. Would have liked if the author also delved a little more into the life of Mugabe. Also the book ended abruptly which left a lot more questions to be answered.




Warning: Please do not read this if you are faint hearted owing to the tortures depicted in minute detail.

The Devotion of Suspect X 

- Keigo Higashino



What a fantastic book ! Brilliant plot narration by the author. One of the best books in the thriller genre I have read so far. It is about a murder and how the protagonist helps the culprit cover up the crime recreating the crime scene (not disclosing the details here). The climax is absolutely surprising and it definitely keeps the reader on tenterhooks.

I wonder if the Hindi / Malayalam movie "Drishyam" was inspired by this book.

Enjoyed this immensely !!