The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

 Author: Douglas Adams

Genre: Science fiction, Humor, classics

Rating: 3/5

Verdict: It's not you, It's me kind of a book. The satire and dry humor was a bit much for me but still liked it overall.

I must have heard the name of this book at least a few hundred times in my life so far. This was also my first sci-fi book and I must say I didn't quite enjoy it even though this is a cult/classic that people have always raved about. It is a hilarious story of the adventures of Arthur Dent a human on earth and Ford - an alien hitchhiker as they journey through galaxies. I didn't think the book was hilarious and the dry humor was very hard to understand in many places. The plot was ok but I just didn't get it in many places and there were far too many characters to keep track of. 

I'm not sure what else to say of this book. I didn't have the patience to read it after a point and almost wanted to end it but I just powered through finishing it just to say I've read it. Thankfully it was a short book and I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either, 

Book Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Author: Ransom Riggs
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy, Mystery
Rating: 3/5
Verdict: A novel that starts out interesting and bizarre, but a tad too long and disappointing when it ends!

Synopsis:
A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of curious photographs.
A horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

This is my second YA novel in a row. I found the start to be quite intriguing and creepy/bizarre exactly how it was supposed to be. I really loved the plot - that there are special species in the human race, the "peculiars" who have strange abilities including time travel. The pictures throughout the book were super cool and the visual effects added to the charming storyline. It was great until the point when Jacob goes to Wales to dig up his grandfather's past. After that, the story was all over the place during the second half. There were really no twists and turns nor any suspenses except for the one with Dr.Golan. I took a really long time to get through the second half of the book and I found myself struggling to stay interested. I was happy to just finish the book.

It wasn't as spine chilling nor was there anything related to horror. It was just bizarre at best but fails to live up to its expectations. But this was my first peek into the world of fantasy, I think I will give a few more books in this genre a shot before deciding if its my cup of tea! 

Book Review: Climbing the stairs

Author: Padma Venkatraman
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Cultural, War,
Rating: 3.5/5
Verdict: A wonderful YA novel about Indian freedom struggle and brings Chennai right to your living room!

I have to admit, I am a sucker for Indian authors and stories that are set in South India. I just love novels that talk about places and the customs that I grew up with. I hope that bias doesn't cloud my review here, I've tried to be honest :)

Climbing the stairs is the story of a 15 year old girl, Vidya living in Bombay around the time of WWII. She has a loving family and dreams of going to college which her parents approve of. Her life turns upside down when a tragedy strikes their family and they are forced to live in her grandfather's house as a joint-family with her aunts, uncles and their families. Vidya and her mother are ill-treated by everyone in the house, but they don't have a choice to go elsewhere. Vidya finds solace in the form of books in the upstairs library in the house. As days go by, she gets to know Raman, a young man who lives in the house who treats her as an equal and encourages her dreams. Just as Vidya finds comfort, her brother makes a shocking decision to join the British in the WWII. How Vidya deals with the consequences of the decisions of the men in her life forms the rest of the story.

I really enjoyed the book because it spans through an entire year with various Hindu festivals and the customs and rituals. The first part of the book is set in Mumbai and the second part in Chennai. The description of both these places were absolutely wonderful and brought back so many memories of Chennai, especially. I could relate really well to it and I think that is one reason I have given this a 3.5 because I feel not everyone can relate to the Brahmin customs/rituals. The parts about Vidya's father's freedom struggle and what happens to him is heartbreaking and painful. I also liked the fact that Raman's character was not sketched as this perfect man and how Padma has rather portrayed him as a man who makes mistakes like everyone else and accepts it too at the end. Would have loved to know more about Vidya's brother, father and Raman - all the men in her life!

A wonderful story about the determination and strength of a young girl who wants to pursue her dreams beyond what her cultural traditions and society would allow!

Book Review: Madhorubhagan (One part woman)

Author: Perumal Murugan
Genre: Fiction, Cultural
Rating: 4/5
Verdict: A powerful book which captures the taunts aimed at the childless by the society.

About the author:

There was a huge controversy surrounding this book last year, and the author Perumal Murugan decided to quit writing after the controversy broke. His Facebook page said:

"Perumal Murugan, the writer is dead. As he is no God, he is not going to resurrect himself. He has no faith in rebirth. As an ordinary teacher, he will live as P Murugan. Leave him alone."

While I am not sure why there was a huge deal made about it 4 years after the book was published, I read this book to show my support to the community of authors and freedom of speech. The controversy and the book is about a ritual that was practiced in Tiruchengode, Namakkal district a century ago. As per the ritual, a woman could go with any man on the night of the festival and a child born out of this relation is treated as a child or a gift from God. In the novel a couple is childless for 12 years and the wife and the entire family (with the exception of her husband) wants her to take part in the ritual. It is the sexual permissiveness that was protested against.

Now about the book - 

Kali and Ponna live in the Tiruchengodu area enjoy and a happy and fulfilling marriage but are childless. They yearn for a child and are subjected to open attacks, heated arguments, cruel taunts and the society pinpointing their barrenness at every possible juncture. They are deeply hurt by this and recede to their own shell after a while.  One night when both their mothers construe a plan together, Ponna is curious to know what it might be and it is at this moment the ritual and the details about it are revealed. The entire family is in support of Ponna going to the 15th day of the chariot festival, while Kali is opposed to it. Ponna after going through 12 years of insults and insinuations is ready to oblige if Kali agrees to it, but Kali is shocked when he hears her readiness. What happens after that and the emotions and turmoil they undergo on the 15th day of the festival forms the rest of the story.

Perumal Murugan has pained quite a picture with his description of the lives of people in a certain time period. I read the book in Tamil and really enjoyed the local dialect throughout the book. 

I was expecting more about the Arthanareeshwarar temple and the chariot festival itself when the pages moved to the 15th day but he focused more on Ponna and Kali's feelings which may have been the right thing to do to think more about it. While some may think of Ponna's acceptance and the final few chapters of the book as her new found liberation and happiness, I cannot come to terms with her decision, even though it was to procreate. While Kali vehemently disagrees to his family's plans of his second marriage because he thinks Ponna would be wounded by it and Ponna has expressed the same multiple times, I didn't see any such feelings from Ponna about how her decision would make Kali feel. I could not accept the fact that her childlessness has overwhelmed her to such an extent. I could perfectly understand Kali's pain and anger when he comes home on the night of the the festival and find the entire family has gone to the festival. The last few scenes in the book were bizarre and when you close the book you are left with so many questions and wanting to know more about these traditions/rituals! A very poignant read and we need more bold authors like Perumal Murugan. I wish he gets back to writing soon.

Book Review: Gone Girl

Author: Gillian Flynn
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Rating: 4/5
Verdict: A brilliant narration that does not fizz out

I hadn't really forayed into thrillers before 'Gone Girl'. I have heard of too many plots starting well but fizzing out at the end and is utterly disappointing. I am glad my introduction to this genre was through this book. I couldn't have picked a better one to read. After hearing so much about the film and the reviews, I decided to pick this up, mostly because I wanted to read it before I watched the movie.

Synopsis:
On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?  

The plot starts kind of slow, with the initial part of the book building up the characters and it almost sounds like a romantic novel. Then comes the start of the twist and it starts to get interesting after this. I really liked the way of narration - alternating between Nick and Amy, Amy - through the pages of her diary.  I somehow liked Amy's narration more than Nick's, it had a lot of humor and sarcasm intertwined. By the time you get to the part where Nick is the prime suspect, things start to unfold rather quickly and this is where the book becomes un-put-down-able. I liked the way Gillian handles subtle hints/leads in some chapters sprinkled throughout the entire plot which becomes very important evidence/clues later on - Amy's fear of blood and needles for an example. By the time you reach the tail end of the book, you can't help but wonder who is the lesser of the two evils. I cannot imagine living with someone who is so vile like Amy, but Nick is an equally selfish prick too.
What is good and what is bad/evil? - This question is still haunting me a good 12 hours after I finished reading the book. The answer is "There is really no line, its grey".

The final few chapters of the book are chilling and the closing lines will haunt you for a very long time. 

Book Review: Me Before You

Author: Jojo Moyes
Genre: Fiction, Romance
Rating: 4/5
Verdict: A tear-jerker with a bittersweet ending. Totally loved it.

I don't think I have mentioned before that red is my favorite color and there is something about anything red that I am immediately attracted to it. I am a sucker for all things romantic and the goodreads blurb along with the cover of the book was totally enough for me to start reading this book. But, boy was I mistaken - The cover gives an impression that it is an out-and-out romantic story, but the romance is only a very small part of the story. It is all about emotions, pain, life and deals with a fairly controversial issue.

The story revolves around a 35-year old wealthy, angry and miserable man - Will Traynor whose once adventure-seeking life has been constrained to four walls now after an accident that left him a quadriplegic and a young woman Louisa Clark, who lost her job at a cafe and has taken up the job of being Will's caretaker out of desperation to support her family. Predictably, Will and Louisa gradually get along and become friends, and I was expecting Jojo to lead us to a different storyline that would be apt for any romantic story. But, here is where the plot begins to take a twist and all that follows is a painful, emotional and heart wrenching series of events. The ending was totally unpredictable for me, up until the last page, I kept hoping the ending wasn't what it was going to be, as naive as that may sound.

Of all the characters, I totally admired and could relate with Will and his behavior towards anyone he encountered. The story opens with a glipmse of what Will's life was before the accident and there are incidents all through the story about his life before. After all that, I could totally understand his anger, misery and acid remarks to anyone trying to cheer him up or help him. Although I kept hoping for a happy ending, I did like the way the story ended and I wouldn't change a thing about it. On the other hand, Louisa's character didn't click quite well for me and seemed a bit unrealistic. But, who cares when the story is as emotional as it was and how Will pushes Lou to broaden her territory and spread her wings and fly! Some of the quotes will stay with me forever:

"You only get one life. It's actually your duty to live it as fully as possible.” 

"Push yourself. Don't Settle. Just live well. Just LIVE.” 

Will's final letter to Louisa was the last straw for me. I broke down after that and wept like a baby. 
Will and Jojo - I will always hate you for that!

A story that will keep you turning pages until the very last word. I bet you cannot put this book down. Hats off to Jojo for dealing with an extremely difficult and disturbing topic with great poise and balance. I cannot forget this book. 

Book Review: Family Life

Author: Akhil Sharma
Genre: Cultural, India, Immigration
Rating: 1.5/5
Verdict: A depressing, dark story with a seemingly rushed ending. Don't bother reading this.

I have heard about Akhil Sharma in a few of the Asian authors list and his books have always been on my to-read pile. This was a pretty short book and there was no reason for me not to pick it up from the library. Even though I finished this book in a few hours straight, it was a pretty depressing story for the most part and leading nowhere.

The book is about an Indian family of four (father, mother and two sons) that immigrated to the US in the 70's in search of a better life and how tragedy strikes and their lives change in a matter of 3 minutes when their elder son becomes brain dead after an unfortunate pool accident. The story is narrated by the younger son and we learn about the father's alcohol problems and how he feels that his mother hates him and spends all her time with the elder son caring for him. Until this point, Akhil completely lured me into the story and I just kept turning pages to find out where he led the readers to next. But, it was at this point in the story that it started becoming very repetitive, long-winded and boring. I continued to read in the hopes of the story going somewhere, but it never changed gears. It lacked depth and never left an impact on me. I am glad it was a short book and I just finished it. I am sure I would have abandoned if it was a tad longer. I do not even want to get started about the ending which seemed completely abrupt, rushed and meaningless. I do not expect a happy-ending or a redemption for every book I read, but at the very least there should be a message. I cannot help but compare this with the other books with the same theme - Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala and Take this man by Brando Skyhorse. Both narrated brilliantly and left a huge impact and the message at the end was very clear.

A very ordinary lifeless book with repetitive prose. I just don't get the hype about this book. I don't think I will pick up any more of Akhil Sharma's books after being burnt by this one.  I would definitely warn you to stay away from reading this. 

Book Review: If today be sweet

Author: Thrity Umrigar
Genre: Multi-Cultural, Fiction
Rating: 2.5/5
Verdict: A slow-moving and predictable read.

Goodreads blurb:

"Tehmina Sethna's beloved husband has died this past year and she is visiting her son, Sorab, in his suburban Ohio home. Now Tehmina is being asked to choose between her old, familiar life in India and a new one in Ohio with her son, his American wife, and their child. She must decide whether to leave the comforting landscape of her native India for the strange rituals of life in a new country...."

The blurb was enough for me to pick up this book at the library, the reason being the dilemma that the main character, Tehmina in this story is faced with is the one question that has been haunting me for years now - To choose between living in the US or to go back to India for good. Where do I belong? Where should I raise my kid(s)? Will I be happy whichever path I choose? What if I don't?
I am sure anyone who is an immigrant in the United States or any foreign land have been haunted by these very set of questions at least once in their life. As of today, I have been unable to choose between the two. But, I just know that I have to make that decision before its too late. So, I was quite intrigued to find out what path Tehmina chose and her reasons for doing it in the hope that someday it will help me make my decision when I arrive at the crossroads. I also loved Thrity's "The Space between us" - It was a perfect portrayal of the divide between the rich and the poor and it was dangerously close to reality. I was held captive by the book right from page 1.

I started reading this book with high expectations for the above mentioned reasons. The book is about an elderly Parsi woman, Tehmina who has recently lost her husband, Rustom and is visiting her son Sohrab, daughter-in-law, Suzanne and grandson, Cavas aka Cookie living in Ohio.  Sohrab is the only child to Tehmina and Rustom and he has asked her to relocate to the United States and live with them. Tehmina is in a quandary. The story revolves around the challenges, dilemmas and the struggles of an old widow who has lived all her life in India and is faced with so many changes to accept and compromise upon if she were to move to the United States. We get to see the life in the US through the eyes of a sixty five year old woman and the cultural differences faced by older people whose children live in the US. This part of the book, I felt was very well captured. I see it often in my own life whenever my parents visit US, they are unable to come to terms with certain things being done the way they are here even if it has been their tenth visit. They have learnt to accept it and live by it when they are here, but, nevertheless, will never be completely happy with it. Its hard for me to understand that sometimes, given how easily me and my husband have adapted and adjusted to the life here. But, I suppose it gets harder as you age. There is constant comparison on life here versus life in India throughout the book and how things are done in a better way in India. Crossing the roads without fear, not having to wear seat-belts to name a few. I felt this part was a bit judgmental and cliched, but again, well portrayed and is very much the reality.

I also really liked the portrayal of the relationship between Tehmina and Suzanne. There is friction, unpleasantness and a few bitter incidents between the two, but how they get past beyond all of that and still manage to co-exist in the same house without any major disruptions was very well written. Tehmina is not the typically portrayed Indian mother-in-law who is possessive of her son, constantly complains about her daughter-in-law, nor feels the need to be dominating. She is an independent, courageous and resilient woman who loves and adores her son and grand-son and cannot imagine a life without being near her loved ones.  When we get to the incident which is a turning point in helping Tehmina decide, it feels too dramatic, unrealistic and forced. It never made an impact on me and I could never understand the reasoning of introducing the incident about the two boys and the depth of it. So was the part about Rustom talking to her and the book/poems he reads to her. This was very disappointing and I would have rather enjoyed reading more about Tehmina's relationship with some of her friends/family back in India.

As I moved towards the end of the book, it became predictable. Tehmina decides to choose to live with Sohrab in the US. But why? Wasn't that what the book was supposed to be about? I felt that question was never answered or even if it was it wasn't quite impactful. May be, it goes to say - live with your loved ones, the place doesn't matter? - I don't know. I expected this book to be an emotional roller coster, all about love, relationships, heartfelt conversations and much more. But, it fell far short of my expectations. I would give it a miss.

Book Review: Cutting teeth

Author: Julia Fierro
Genre: Family, fiction, Chick-lit
Rating: 4/5
Verdict: A perfect portrayal of the complexities, dilemmas and vulnerabilities of early mid-life and the challenges of modern-day parenting. Highly recommended albeit the slightly over-dramatized characters.

Note: I received an Advanced Review Copy (ARC) of this book from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads:
One of the most anticipated debut novels of 2014, Cutting Teeth takes place one late-summer weekend as a group of thirty-something couples gather at a shabby beach house on Long Island, their young children in tow. They include Nicole, the neurotic hostess terrified by internet rumors that something big and bad is going to happen in New York City that week; stay-at-home dad Rip, grappling with the reality that his careerist wife will likely deny him a second child, forcing him to disrupt the life he loves; Allie, one half of a two-mom family, and an ambitious artist, facing her ambivalence toward family life; Tiffany, comfortable with her amazing body but not so comfortable in the upper-middle class world the other characters were born into; and Leigh, a blue blood secretly facing financial ruin and dependent on Tenzin, the magical Tibetan nanny everyone else covets. These tensions build, burn, and collide over the course of the weekend, culminating in a scene in which the ultimate rule of the group is broken. 

I was looking to alternate my travel reads with something light and easy to read, since the travel-writing books tend to get a bit boring at times and I am glad I received this book at the right time. 
First off, I'd like to mention that, if you are a parent there is more chance you can totally relate to many of the characters/parents and incidents in the story. Julia does a great job of focusing on almost all of the pitfalls of modern-day parenting and the conversations that happen inevitably when parents meet, ranging from nannies, to the best private schools to organic-vs-non-organic food debates. At the outset, it might seem like you are introduced to a lot of characters and makes you think its going to be hard to keep track of what everyone is up to, but Julia makes it a point to juggle their stories around perfectly and the transition between each chapter is seamless.

Cutting teeth is about a group of upper-middle class Brooklyn parents who are joined together as part of their children's playgroup.  Each character is portrayed as a high-drama and a super complex one with each having a unique issue of their own, the children included. Nicole - the super obsessive and paranoia mom who turns to her secret stash of marijuana to prevent her from going insane. Leigh - the former debutante who has a high needs child, Chase and often seeks the help of her Tibetian nanny, Tenzin, who is referred to as the "Tibetian Mary Poppins" to calm Chase down. Rip - The stay-at-home daddy, the only man in the playgroup, often calls himself "mommy" who is desperate to have another child to feel necessary and wanted. Tiffany - the know-it-all mommy who has a 4 year old diva, and is desperate to prove she is not white-trash. The pregnant lesbian mom - Susanna with her twin boys and her partner, Allie.

For the most part, the novel seems to chronicle the frustrations of the parents that have them trapped in a terrible emotional quagmire. The story gives us an honest peek into the lives of these complicated characters and their interactions. As a reader, we get to witness the secrets, the troubles and the desperation that pushes people to act a certain way which we normally don't get to witness in day-to-day life as an outsider. Despite all this, they are still loving parents who want nothing but the best for their kids. Although I could not relate to their lifestyle and the problems these parents face, I could empathize with most of them and often found myself vigorously nodding my head along while reading their conversations. 

Cutting teeth is an absolute no-nonsense book about a bunch of parents who could very well be the parents and people we meet in our day-to-day lives minus the pleasantries and the superficial smiles that entails our discussions. It is brutally honest, it is straight and portrays the ultimate harsh truths about parenting and the challenges associated with it. Julia is a terrific writer and has shaped each character's personality well that it remains their "tagline" or something that comes to your mind first when you think of them after finishing the book. I can't pick any one character as my favorite since you are bound to dislike all of them at various points in time throughout the story.  My only gripe being the fact that almost all the characters were over-dramatized and the ending was rather abrupt and rushed.

Cutting teeth is a perfect juicy beach read, you will find yourself rapidly turning pages anxious to find out where the story leads you. I can absolutely see it becoming the hit of the summer. 

Book Review: The sun also rises

Author: Ernest Hemingway
Genre: Fiction, Travel
Rating: 2/5
Verdict: A dull story with a bunch of incidents just strung together. A disappointing read.

 April and May are travel-writing genre in my book club and this is my first of the lot I have planned to read for the next couple of months in the travel-writing series. I have always had pretty strong emotions about bull fighting in Spain and that was the single reason for me to pick up this book. I had pretty high expectations given Ernest Hemingway's reputation. Despite the raving reviews about this book, I found it really boring and disappointing when I finished it.

The first part starts with an introduction to the various characters, and is narrated by Jake Barnes, a writer for newspaper and an expatriate living in Paris. The story is set right after when World War I ends and we learn that Jake is made impotent from the war. He copes with his life through fine dining, heavy drinking and excessive partying in Paris.  Then we get introduced to various other characters, Robert Cohn, a friend of Jake, who is a Jewish writer and an amateur boxer and Brett Ashley, who loves Jake and he loves her too, but they both know that the relationship cant get anywhere due to Jake's impotency. Brett is engaged and soon to be married to Mike Campbell. Then there is a Bill, who is another friend of Jake's, a rather minor character in the book who joins them on the trip from Paris to Pamplona. I found the first part pretty dull and boring and the description about all the characters was lacking depth. There was too much information on things I thought were unnecessary which distracted me from absorbing and concentrating on the plot. It was very distracting to say the least. 

In the second part, all five of them decide to go to watch the Fiesta (bull fights) in Pamplona, stopping over for a fishing trip in between. We get to know more about Brett (Lady Ashley) in this part. She is described as a femme fatale and a promiscuous woman, who openly sleeps with several other men. She is in love with Jake Barnes and brushes him off because he is impotent. When she is pursued by Robert Cohn, she goes to San Sebastian with him even though she is engaged to Mike.During the fiesta, she runs off with a 19 year old bull fighter Pedro Romero. She seduces every man to fall in love with her and somehow it totally damages her character rather than portraying the liberated woman of the 1920's.

I must admit that as much I was disappointed by the first part, I did enjoy the third part very much. The description of fishing trip and the fiesta season was wonderful. Hemingway's detailed description of the settings around the fishing and his portrayal of the remote town was simply awesome and when the story moves to Pamplona, only he could have written so beautifully about the fiesta for something as horrific as the bull fighting. The climax was much better and well-written in comparison to the other parts.

I think the story perfectly portrays the weakness of the characters and how leading a life filled with just aimless drinking, too much partying and jaunting around can be quite harmful. But, overall, the book fell pretty flat for me. I could never connect with any of the characters at any point in time during the entire plot. It was definitely not gripping nor appealing. May be its just me, but the book fell much short of its expectations.

Book Review: Oleander Girl

Author: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Genre: Literary Fiction, Cultural Fiction
Rating: 4/5
Verdict: A thrilling novel about finding one's true identity with a bit of suspense and romance. Read it!

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni has become one of my favorite authors of Indian origin in the recent times. Ever since I read her Palace of Illusions, I have started following her and her books in detail. I really loved Palace of Illusions and Sister of my heart, both for Chitra's style of writing and the way she handles the plot.

Oleander girl is the story a young Bengali woman, Korobi (Bengali for the oleander flowers) who lives with her maternal grandparents after being orphaned at birth. She is the apple of the Roys (her grandparents) eye and lives a fairy tale life in Kolkata, soon to be engaged to the love of her life, Rajat. The story begins with Korobi waking up from a dream involving her mother on the day she is getting engaged to Rajat. Korobi is disturbed by the dream and feels strongly that there is a message behind it. In a series of incidents that follow, Korobi's grandfather dies and she learns about a shocking family secret about her parents from her grandmother that throws her completely on to a different path and she sets off to find her true identity. What follows is a gripping tale about race, identity, tradition, heritage and class.

The first half of the story is set in Kolkata, revolving around Bimal Roy, the stern grandfather of Korobi, her grandmother Sarojini and Rajat, her fiance, while the latter half is in USA, where Korobi travels to learn more about the family secret. Like in all of the other novels by Chitra, the female characters in the book are very strong and admirable - Korobi meek and subdued at first but she stands out when she sets her heart on traveling out of the country to find out her own identity, Sarojini - her grandmother who has pretty much always stood by her husband's words and secrets, even though she knew it would bring a lot of pain when they come to light, Jayashree Bose - Rajat's mother who runs the Bose's business and is a wonderful mother. Kudos to Chitra for showing the depth of each character, not just the lead ones. I could almost feel the anger on Korobi's grandfather for his silence and stealth actions all though the years and the helplessness of Rajat when he sees Korobi off at the airport and waits for her calls all night long for days together. Korobi and Rajat's love was also very well portrayed and the strength and maturity of it was pretty evident all throughout the story.

The first few chapters seemed to move really slowly, but once Korobi lands in the US, the plot becomes absolutely gripping. Warning - It becomes a real page-turner at this point and you will not be able to put the book down until you are done. I have always felt Chitra's books were easy to read and follow and although the story here was narrated by multiple characters, it all integrated seamlessly and that gives the plot an additional interesting touch. There are subtle messages sprinkled here and there all through out the story which I loved reading and one of my favorite quotes was: "Never choose something because its easier". One more thing I was really interested to find out when I started reading the book was, why the name "Oleander girl". I got my answer towards the end: "Because the oleander was beautiful - but also tough. It knew how to protect itself from predators".

Near the end of the book, K

Near the end of the book, K

Near the end of the book, K

Near the end of the book, Korobi learns the meaning behind her name: “Because the oleander was beautiful—but also tough. It knew how to protect itself from predators. Anu wanted that toughness for you because she didn’t have enough of it in herself.” - See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Oleander-Girl/Chitra-Banerjee-Divakaruni/9781451695656/reading_group_guide#sthash.WxqaYKht.dpuf

Near the end of the book, Korobi learns the meaning behind her name: “Because the oleander was beautiful—but also tough. It knew how to protect itself from predators. Anu wanted that toughness for you because she didn’t have enough of it in herself.” - See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Oleander-Girl/Chitra-Banerjee-Divakaruni/9781451695656/reading_group_guide#sthash.WxqaYKht.dpuf

Near the end of the book, Korobi learns the meaning behind her name: “Because the oleander was beautiful—but also tough. It knew how to protect itself from predators. Anu wanted that toughness for you because she didn’t have enough of it in herself.” - See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Oleander-Girl/Chitra-Banerjee-Divakaruni/9781451695656/reading_group_guide#sthash.WxqaYKht.dpuf

Near the end of the book, Korobi learns the meaning behind her name: “Because the oleander was beautiful—but also tough. It knew how to protect itself from predators. Anu wanted that toughness for you because she didn’t have enough of it in herself.” - See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Oleander-Girl/Chitra-Banerjee-Divakaruni/9781451695656/reading_group_guide#sthash.WxqaYKht.dpuf

In a lot of places, it did feel like a typical Bollywood movie as the story progressed and a bit cinematic and melodramatic, but I must say I really enjoyed reading it and it took me all of 5 hours to wrap up the book when I got to the part when Korobi leaves to the US, I was turning pages as fast I could. This is my second favorite of the books I've read of Chitra's, Palace of Illusions still takes the cake. Oleander girl is a close second.

Book Review: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Authors: Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Verdict: A classy novel set during WWII and a real page-turner. Read it right away!

From the website of Annie Barrows: (www.anniebarrows.com)
 January, 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she's never met, Dawsey Adams, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name in a book?
     As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of Dawsey and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—a book club born as a spur-of-the- moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts an outstanding cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

This book is as charming as the title is. I really like books and stories set during the World War 2 and that by itself was enough for me to pick up this book. Its divided into two parts - the first part where Juliet is in London corresponding with all the members of the Guernsey Literary club and the second part when she actually lands in Guernsey. The book had me by the neck right when the second part began until the very end. The epistolary format of a novel is new to me where a story is told through a series of letters. When I first looked through the pages in the book, I thought of it as a jumbled, fragmented collection of letters in some random order, but I was completely wrong. This ended up being a real page-turner and left me wanting to know more and more and what is going to happen next at the end of each letter. It was heart-breaking to learn about the German Occupation of the Channel Islands and the atrocities inflicted by the Nazis on the people of the Island during WWII, especially on women. But it is also a hopeful novel on how people can come together during times of hardships and bounce back from painful pasts. The unique name of the club and how it came into existence was very interesting to read and no wonder you are left thinking about how a potato peel pie actually tastes!

The writing is really classy and each character born out of this novel feels so real. I felt like I was literally living in Guernsey and I had developed a real affection for all the characters by the end of the story even though this is the first time I am reading about Guernsey. I felt comforted and satisfied at the happy ending after all reading about all the pain and suffering brought by the war. I love this novel as much as I love all the members of the Guernsey Literary club, Amelia, Dawsey, Eben and Ibola - to mention a few. The epistolary format gives it a completely personal touch and the writing paints quite a picture about the island, the people and the potato peel pie society that you almost dont want to come back to real life after the story ends. The telegrams in big block letters scattered in many places across the novel perfectly conveyed the urgency of the messages and I really enjoyed those bits. Oh and when the book ends, you cant help but think about the lost art of letter writing and how much you are left longing for it in this completely-digital age.