Truth is stranger than fiction

Book Review Title: Sula Author: Toni Morrison Genre: Fiction  Set in Ohio in a fictional town called Medallion, Sula traces the story of 2 Black women in the community of Bottom, where black people primarily dwell. Nel and Sula hail from the same community but different backgrounds. Despite their differences, they form a strong friendship. Sula leaves town and returns to Medallion after a decade. Her comeback is viewed as an ill omen by the community. The story goes on to describe the course of events, strained relations and confrontations. Simultaneously, there exists a parallel narrative of a character named Shadrack, who returns from World war I and is suffering from PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder).  Sula is spread over a span of generations and written in a chronological order from 1919-1965. The beauty of Toni Morrison's writing lies in its complexity and the layers that she brings to the characters and the plot. The tone is conversational and has a no holds ba...

On the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, had an opportunity to read the story of his birth and also relive the Amar Chitra Katha days.  This story talks about how Parvathi created a human form from turmeric paste. When she inserted life into it, it turned out to be a boy. Much to Lord Shiva’s indignation, the boy refused to let him enter Parvathi’s chambers. A war erupts and a fierce battle is fought between the heavenly deities and the little boy.  What happens later commemorates the significance of Lord Ganesha and his status in the world today. It’s always delightful to dive into the world of mythology. The pictures and texts display the creativity of the comic that we all love dearly. Not to mention, it brings back fond memories.  Happy Ganesh Chaturthi everyone.  -- 

Book Review Title: Things not made Author: Michael Sellars Genre: Horror Things not Made is an interesting story about how a spiked drink results in an outlandish adventure.  Holly is a bookworm who finds her drink spiked on a night out.  She gets separated from her best friend Melanie and finds herself steering away from reality. Pursued by a strange man with a green hood, she ends up in a  strange world infested with a bed of eels and tentacles. Melanie goes in search of Holly. Will she rescue her friend in time? The narration alters between the points of view of Holly and Melanie.   The writing is exemplary with a good amount of engaging dialogues. The author manages to capture several scents, taste and sights along with several references to classic literature. The Haunting of Hill House and The Turn of the Screw are mentioned several times.  The story delves into the history of their friendship back in high school where Holly had been subject...

The class of 83 chronicles the journey of the 83 batch of the Police training school in Nasik which produced some powerful encounter specialists.  This is set around the time when Mumbai was infested with the deadly underworld gangsters. Senior Police inspector Pradeep Sharma vows to clean up the city from the mafia and bring back law and order.  The book further delves into the world of  high octane shooting encounters, car chases, drug mafia and informants. It also highlights the unforgettable  26/11 episode.  The class of 83 is a gripping narrative of a renowned officer who along with success also faced his downfall and eventually bounced back to glory. It showcases rivalry, jealousy, fair weathered friendships and how success always comes at a price. Themes of power, fear and revenge are touched upon here.  The class of 83 is informative, well researched and gives an insight into the world of crime.  It’s bound to be enjoyed by those who possess a ...

Enid Blyton! The name just brings a smile to my face along with a wave of nostalgia. I am instantly transported to my childhood days just like how her stories transported me to a magical world of pixies, fairies, brownies and elves.  After I got over my phase of those picture books and Grimm Brothers Fairy Tales, I was introduced to books by Enid Blyton when I turned seven. I still remember my first book that I read. It was titled Mr Pink Whistle's party. I skimmed through the pages and was soon immersed in a world where a nice man comes and sets things right for children. I was hooked.  From there on, I was introduced to the Five Findouter and Dog series. Staring with The mystery of the burnt cottage, the series of 15 books introduced me to 5 smart children, an adorable dog, a pesky policeman, some disguises and chuckles. My favorite being The Mystery of the Missing Man. After which  I feasted on Famous Five and Secret Seven.  Then came the magical world of the Fara...

Being a book lover, it is always a pleasure to meet the personalities behind great works. Yesterday was one such evening which gave me the privilege of meeting a couple of authors whose books I had read recently and even reviewed them for a website I work for. Crossword bookstore had scheduled a book reading session by Amish Tripathi of his latest bestseller of the Shiva Trilogy series titled 'The Secret of the Nagas'- a sequel to his first book 'The Immortals of Meluha'. The event was supposed to commence by 6:30 pm. Anticipating the Mumbai traffic woes, I left a little early and managed to reach there a good thirty minutes before. Seating myself in the second row, I held the book in my hand and looked around the store. Couple of people in charge were running around making some last moment arrangement. A camera man walked in and clicked a few pictures of the dais assigned to the guest in honour. All on a sudden he turned to me and notified me of the Author's arriva...

It was thrilling to receive a mail from Crossword Bookstore which stated the book launch event of Jeffrey Archer's new release called 'Only time will tell.' My excitement knew no bounds as I looked forward to spending the Sunday evening with this renowned Author. His books took me back to my naive adolescent years where I had transgressed from Enid Blyton's faraway tree tales and had moved on to a mature form of literature. The first book I read was 'Not a penny more, not a penny less'. His language was exquisite and powerful. No doubt it helped me improve my proficiency in the foreign language as I went on to read his Kane and Able. It made a great impact on me. So did his 'As a crow flies, A prisoner of Birth' and his short story collections. Sunday arrived and the store was half crowded with his diehard fans eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Author. At half past seven, he graced us with his presence. He threw a broad smile at the crowd which was fo...

I fondly recollect those good old days of summer vacation especially. Free from school burden, the lazy hours were spent dutifully flipping the pages of the all time favourite Amar Chitra Katha. The tales of the God and Demi Gods indeed ignited a mystical feeling within us. As children, mythology never failed to fascinate us. Probably this was what helped in inculcating the right values as we grew into big swans, ready to face the world. Morals from these tales were imbibed in our subconscious minds which helped us in crossing the hurdles in life. Philosophical quotes derived from these stories inspired us to take things in our stride. These Comic books undoubtedly influenced our thoughts and ideas to a large extent. It is sad to know that the Author of these works-Anant Pai who is fondly known as Uncle Pai is no more with us. He will be missed and may his soul rest in peace. Amen. RIP Uncle Pai.

Reading not only rejuvenates the mind but also transports you into a different world on a temporary basis. At times the literary characters appear real that one tends to get involved in the same only to realize how much time has flown. These characters can create a sense of sympathy, like or dislike among the readers depending on their attributes. Different books give a varied perspective but nevertheless not without a learning experience from its work of fiction. Keeping a track of books I've been reading off late. Not only does it calm my mind but also helps me forget my worries for a while. The Palace of Illusions -Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni: It brings back the Mahabharath from Draupadi's characters which made me look at this Indian epic in different light. One hundred shades of white-Preethi Nair: A complex story which exhibits a rather disturbing truth concealed to protect ones loved ones until its thrown back on to the same after years have passed. Nothing seems real as...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=275e1ac2-bf92-49b2-983e-7e9dda5214f0 Books are indeed mans best friends as they say. Reading is a means of either getting away from reality or plunging into the same in a different manner. While some prove to passing clouds, there are a few which tend to reign on your mind causing a downpour of thought processes and a hurricane in your cognitive space. There are a few which make you cry, laugh or think. Nevertheless they tend to leave lasting impressions which changes ones perspective of themselves or the world. The below are a few ones which have had that impact on me but may not necessarily apply to the rest. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - This book by John Boyne was made into a movie which released last year. The book depicts a poignant tale of friendship across barriers set in the background of the dreadful holocaust. A tale of innocence weaved into horrors and an appalling depiction which makes one wonder ...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=f117b2e3-4a90-4d1e-aee7-2fde4dea4251 One quick glance at the title is enough to suffice curiosity within the prospective readers. Perhaps it’s the catchy headline that instantly grabs the attention with utmost interest enough to flap through the pages. Varon B K Sharma’s write up on the same is a work of fiction interspersed with events pertaining to real life scenarios and occurrences. The book deals with a common disease prevailing in many parts of the world and has confined millions into its sphere of fear. And it’s the same dastardly syndrome which has enticed the innocent and not so innocent into its jaws of death. Terrorism is that illness which seems to have no cure as one hears of such heinous instances across the world. The globe has witnessed several horrors in the form of brutal wars, the appalling holocaust and other catastrophes which make all the five senses bleed with horror. Yet this remains to be...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=d5c9b517-d415-403f-a282-7b8a26f7bca8 Some diseases are a temporary block to ones course of life which act as heavy flakes of snow amidst the mountain passes disrupting an enthusiastic traveler. There are others which shatter ones life killing each living moment reducing them to nothing but ashes and dust eventually. While there are some which propel one to live with it till the end with a veil of remaining unaffected. Yet their ‘soul’ stirring moment occurs only when their purpose is fulfilled ultimately irrespective of the minutes/years that tick away. Love in the time of cholera which is based on the novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is a love triangular story intertwined between three interesting characters. What may seem like just another romance drama depicts several connotations and meanings in depth conveyed in a poignant manner. The film begins with the accidental death of the aged Doctor Juvenal Urbino ( Be...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=b02380fe-6892-42bd-88d9-e75c61e68a1f A quick flash of lightning can often lead to a downpour of events characterized with deception and also to the destruction of several lives. Sometimes it even robs one out of their clear insight to an extent leaving them blinded by their first impressions forever. Such blemished thoughts lead to the imprisonment of their souls by a painful past in turn enticing the present and future of those affected by their marred thinking. The literary piece of ‘Atonement’ by Ian McEvan is the story of one such instance which takes the readers into the lives of an upper class English family and their journey into a quest which remained unfulfilled. The book starts off with the thirteen year old Briony who is immersed in her word of words which is depicted in her play called ‘trials of Arabella’. Her quick mind which portrayed the talent of a young budding writer proved to be her own downfal...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=a5277d09-04e7-42cb-8a6c-84106329ba64 There are many in this world who would do anything to get just that one chance to make amends for their past misgivings. Yet very few get this golden opportunity while the majority is saddled with that nostalgic remorse and regret. Mitch Albom’s new edition titled “For one more day” takes one through a wistful journey which encounters a strange and enigmatic tryst with the ghost of the past. The story unfolds the main character Charley Benetto (Chick) whose life is in ruins. Being unwanted at his own daughter’ wedding was the last straw of having lost everything and he is ready to give up his life. As he takes a midnight ride to his hometown, he encounters his dead mother much to his amazement and everything seemed as normal as ever. Instances from his life are brought to light with a quick flashback through the book. Being with his mother for that one day makes him realize the...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=8409608d-977a-4a28-a738-810ebc9629ef All endings are also beginnings. We just don’t know it at that time.” This book depicts the above saying. Eddie felt it was the end of everything when he lost his life at the Ruby Pier while he was trying to save a girl. As he lands in heaven, surprises go beyond what he would have imagined. The five people he met in heaven taught him the lessons of life after he faced death, ironically. There are some individuals whom you meet in life’s uncertain journey. It’s amazing to note what you learn from such beings irrespective of the time spent with them. The strange aspects of destiny take you through that phase of existence, unknown to the mortal and imbibe such teachings during your sole (soul) existence. This brings about a renowned realization of how learning is indeed a continuous process even after you leave the world behind you. It has taught me that no matter what, there is...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=4a229780-a7e5-4095-884e-a94faa098671 Sidney Sheldon has been one of the popular authors who has created a rage in the world of books. His bestsellers took the readers on a flight from reality. A trip to the figment of his imagination delighted several book lovers. A novelist whose write-ups were most sought after by all, especially the women segment. It is a sad plight to hear that this 89 year old writer breathe his last on Tuesday. This mishap occurred due to complications from Pneumonia at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. May his soul rest in peace. His fans will always remember him for his wonderful works. A tribute to this revered distinguished man. This well renowned author was indeed a master of the game in his field. He had the ability to grip the reader by his novels. He has invoked the memories of midnight with the saying” Tell me your dreams ." His belief in the Sky is falling had bro...