The Girl who played with Fire

By Steig Larsson
I first came across this series online when I saw a book club trying to get members to read the first of the series. I was curious and got an audio copy of the book from a friend, which I read. It was a bit strange to be reading a book while listening to it, but I had a lot of long car journeys at that time and it made perfect sense.
The second in the series was interesting and had you guessing till the end. Steig Larsson really has come up with the most unpredictable heroine. I really liked the book and can't wait to start the third one.
I'd bought the book for my brother - he's on the first one.
In 2008, Steig Larsson had become the 2nd best selling author in the world after Khaled Hosseini. However, he never lived to see what a sensation his books had become, because at 50 he passed away of a heart attack. Some conspiracy theories have been raised surrounding his death, but nothing concrete has emerged to suggest that it was deliberate or not natural.
I read somewhere online that at 15 Steig Larsson had witnessed a rape, and hadn't helped. However since then he abhorred all violence against women.
Awesome storyline. Kudos to the imagination.
Which is limitless...

Luka and the Fire of Life by Salman Rushdie

I can't imagine why there have been no entries since July. It's not that I haven't been reading - it's just that I have been totally wrapped up in law school and the job and working and....
Well I finally finished the book though - that too in Paris!!
An odd thing though. You will never imagine where I read Haroun and the Sea of Stories?
Paris!
That was almost 10 years ago when I came across it lying at the residence of the Auntie's house who I was staying at. I read it and loved it.
The second book - written for his son Milan, is a good yarn. It keeps you interested, and there are a number of interesting things to think about.
Whether it's an amazing book, etc etc etc.... I would say no.
My hubby got it for my bday by the way. I'd wanted to read it so he bought it for me. Though I wish I'd gotten the Finkler Question instead now.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Hmmmmmmm.............

Well I just finished this book - ebook in fact. One of the advantages of the Internet age I think.

Good book. Good story. Good plot.

It'll keep you enthralled and you'll want to read the other two in the trilogy.

I'm glad that it was my book for the month. In fact, I had to resist all urges to watch the movie.

And I'm glad I did. :)

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

Based on the short but brave life of Chris McCandless, this book takes you into the mind of a different kind of rebel. Born in a privileged family, he strove to break away from and live life on his own terms. He goes into the wild, upto Alaska to prove that he can live on his own, without any human contact.

While one has to admire his endeavour, I must say that the mountains and the wild are not to be trifled with. You really need to be well prepared - physically and mentally with some basic skills in survival.

Chris wasn't prepared. Towards the end, I really wished he has been prepared. He seemed like a really nice person.

Jon Krakauer wrote a really nice book. And I'm glad that 20% of its profits are going towards charity.

The Hummingbird's Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea

Set in Mexico, this book tells the story of Teresita Urrea, a young woman who becomes the Saint of Cabora. The story is long and documents her life from birth to her revelation as a saint and her meeting with God. Her father, who discovers of her existence much later, changes from a womanizer to a devout dad, all in the span of the novel.
"Every moment of your life, every instant, looks like this. Do you see? You are always in a universe of choices. Any moment of your life can go in any direction you choose." - Huila, her nurse and longtime companion in the novel.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

I finished this book up in the mountains of Jammu, at Patnitop, which is one of the highest points till you reach the Kashmir Valley.

It is very complex, and some parts I do not understand, owing largely to cultural differences. It's a book about life, about the communist regime in Czechloslovakia, about Tomas and Teresa's love, about Tomas's infidelities, about Sabina and her life, about Franz and how he lived and died. It makes you think about your own life as well.

If you think you are carrying a burden, life becomes heavy. What about when life is light? The title itself is a beautiful way to show what the book is about.

I think that you should read it for yourself. I am only just beginning to understand it. Kundera is truly a gifted writer.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

I started this novel yesterday and I finished it today. I must have been reading for six hours continuously before I fell asleep. And then when I got up this morning I finished the last 50 pages.

Sometimes you read good books, and sometimes bad books. This novel is a good one. It keeps your interest from the start. It turns what is a sad brutal crime into an account of how to live. The novel also ends on that note - "I wish you all a long and happy life".

Recently in Lodhi Gardens I overheard a discourse on what one wants from life. In the answers given, a lady stated, that all one wants from life is to be happy. The last line of the novel adds to this, saying that we should all have a long life as well. A brief life, no matter how well lived, is still a brief life. That's why in India, when you see the body of an old person being taken to the cremation ground, there will be balloons attached - to signify that the person lived a long and happy life.

It is well written. Even though I can't understand why the mother did what she did. Why the father said that he'll let her be herself. There seems to be this underlying thought in the novel that if you're a housewife, you really aren't yourself. Ofcourse, things did fall apart after Susie was killed.

I seriously recommend this novel for all those looking for a novel to read.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

I have to confess, I've never read a Bronte. This was my first.

I fell in love with Heathcliff. I know, I'm the typical damsel in distress type of babe. A tall, dark, handsome, moody and possessive guy comes along like Heathcliff and I'm totally in love.

It was his fierce passion more than anything that defined him and his love for Catherine. There is one line -

Oh bollocks. Who gives a damn.... It's a great novel and one should read it if one hasn't!!

Brilliantly written!!