Truth is stranger than fiction

The memorial weekend was here. As runners, my hubby Amit and I decided to start the Saturday by running the armed forces half marathon organized by the armed forces at Concord. I had run this one last year and it was a beautiful course that took us through the naval weapons station. This was usually closed for civilians.  Concord was an hour and a half away from Santa Clara where we lived. So, we decided to pick up the bib the next day before the race even if it meant waking up at 3:00 am. It was better than driving 3 hours back and forth the previous day. We reached Todos Santos Plaza by 5:15 am and collected our bibs. Having more than an hour to spare, we walked around inside the park, smiling at fellow runners and scanning the area with interest. The downtown was quaint with plenty of eating options. The vibe was friendly and warm which made up for the cold morning air.  We assembled near the start line and listened to the national anthem being sung. The crowd...

                                                    Title: Memoirs of an imaginary friend Author: Matthew Dicks Genre: Fiction There was probably a phase in our lives when we all had that imaginary friend-the one who only existed in our fantastical world.  Budo is that imaginary friend of Max who has been alive for more than 5 years. Probably that’s the longest existence as far as imaginary friends were concerned. Max is different from other children. Diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, he is socially awkward and is the victim of the class bully. Budo loves Max unconditionally and tries to save Max from trouble most of the time. However, one fine day when Max is kidnapped by the school teacher, Budo just watches helplessly. Will he be able to save Max by connecting with the human world even at the cost of sacrificing...

Title: Grit, Gravel and Gear Author: Dhruv Bogra Genre: Memoir 15000 km, 10 countries, 400 days and a solo ride. In 2016, Dhruv Bogra decides to embark on this unconventional voyage on his touring bicycle named quest from the Arctic to the Andes.  Facing extreme weather conditions, Dhruv describes his hardships and struggles which are accompanied with a sense of joy and freedom. He narrates about his his tryst with nature in its purest form while camping outdoors and coming face to face with bears, wolves, raccoons and elks. Simultaneously he also encounters fellow cyclists, tourists, homeless and experiences some kind heartwarming gestures from people enroute.  It is often said that a book has the ability to take the readers to exotic locales just by sitting in one place. 'Grit Gravel and gear' is one such read. The author is vivid in his descriptions as he goes on to describe the history and culture of every place that he lands in. Be it Alaska, California...

Title : The island of sea women  Author: Lisa See Genre: Historical Fiction  I had read the author's earlier book titled 'The tea girl of hummingbird lane' and was quite impressed with the narrative. The island of sea women was equally impressive if not more.  This book explores the story of 2 women from different backgrounds who work together in their village’s female diving collective. Mi-ja is the daughter of a Japanese collaborator who lives with her uncle and aunt in the Korean island of Jeju. Young-Sook is born into the Haenyeo clan who are primarily divers. They develop a close bond over several incidents that occur during the dives.  Set in the time of 1930s and 1940s, the book traverses through political situations like Japanese colonization, World war 2 and the Korean War.  It showcases the severe impact of war on several lives. This includes indiscriminate killings and unsafe conditions for women especially.  Despite t...

When I woke up at 3:15 am on the day of the Big Sur race, my part of the world was still and dark. On another side of the world, London city was bustling with energy with the London marathon where Eluid Kipchoge was competing. While getting ready for my race, I was simultaneously tracking the elites. I drove down to the Marriot from where I was supposed to board the shuttle bus that would take the 21 miler participants to the start point at St Andrew park.  Before boarding the bus, I saw that Kipchoge had won the London marathon and clocked a terrific timing of 2:02:37. What a performance, I thought, my energy levels instantly spiking up as it always does when I watch sports or my favorite athlete winning. The 45-minute bus ride wasn’t so tiring as I engaged with a fellow runner seated next to me. When we reached the starting point at 5:30 am, I still had an hour to go before my race began at 6:30 am. It was cold and runners were huddled together on the ground. Some were sipp...