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: Little Beach Street Bakery

Author: Jenny Colgan
Genre: Chick-lit
Rating: 4/5
Verdict: A warm and enjoyable read which will make you want to live by the sea and eat lots of bread.

Ever since I read Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe, I've become a huge fan of Jenny Colgan's writing, so needless to say, I had been waiting to read this book. A huge thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for sending me an advanced review copy of this book.

Blurb:
Polly Waterford is recovering from a toxic relationship. Unable to afford their flat, she has to move miles away from everyone, to a sleepy little seaside resort in Cornwall, where she lives alone above an abandoned shop.  
And so Polly takes out her frustrations on her favourite hobby: making bread. But what was previously a weekend diversion suddenly becomes far more important as she pours her emotions into kneading and pounding the dough, and each loaf becomes better and better. With nuts and seeds, olives and chorizo, with local honey (courtesy of local bee keeper, Huckle), and with reserves of determination and creativity Polly never knew she had, she bakes and bakes and bakes . . .
And people start to hear about it. 
Sometimes, bread really is life . . . And Polly is about to reclaim hers.

First things first - The cover of the book is adorable, much like all of Jenny's other books. It matches the storyline perfectly and there is something really warm about the cover that it puts you in such a good mood the moment you look at it. The story begins with Polly Waterford and her boyfriend's business failing and declaring bankruptcy, their flat is for sale and their relationship is at its end. Polly struggles to find a place to live and moves to the small sea-side town of Mt. Polbearne. She is forced to live in a place above an old abandoned shop because that is the only one she can afford in her current state. She gradually begins to warm-up to the new place - living close to the sea, the fishermen around town and the local beekeeper. She finds solace in baking bread and spreading the joy and comfort of her baking among all the people and it helps her make friends. The rest of the story is about how Polly uses her skills at baking in starting a new life for herself in Mt. Polbearne, with some super-sweet romance along the way.

I must admit that I was not held captive after reading the first two chapters unlike what I had expected. May be because, the lowest times of the story were all contained in the first two chapters and the story opens up with a failing business and relationship. I put the book away and got back to it after a few days. Once I got to the part where the story moves to Mt.Polbearne, I really started enjoying the book. One of my dreams is to live by the beach/sea-side and this was a perfect story in that sense, it made me long for the day when I can just open my windows and there is nothing to look at but the waves splashing against the shore. I could totally picture the cozy and beautiful town of Mt. Polbearne from Jenny's descriptive writing. Her description of the different breads sounds sinfully delicious and totally leaves you mouth-watering much like in all of her other books. Only she could have made me want to get some flour and start kneading the dough.

I admired Polly's character all through out - the no-nonsense woman, cool as a cucumber during life's toughest times and always looking forward to moving on to something better in life rather than sitting around and sulking. Her stubbornness when Huckle asks her to move in with him in Savannah and her determination and courage with which she tackles the landlord lady totally made me cheer for her at every step along the way. Though at first, I couldn't feel any chemistry between her and Huckle, as I turned the pages, I was looking forward to their romance and the spark between them.

The other characters that stand out are Huckle, Mrs. Manse, Tarnie and Reuben. I was disturbed for quite sometime learning about Mrs. Manse's past, and the image of her standing on the edge of the sea at nights waiting for her loved ones still haunts me. I really liked both Tarnie and Huckle's characters, Jenny's description of both the men is lovely so much so that you almost drool over them ;) The conversations between Reuben and Polly's best friend Kerensa are really hilarious and had me in splits.

Oh! how can I forget the cutest character of all - Neil the puffin - An adorable sea bird and Polly's best friend when she was all alone during her initial days at Mt. Polbearne. He sure is everyone's sweetheart! The puffin and the Polly-Huckle romance are two of my most favorite picks from the story.

One thing that I loved in both Meet me at the Cupcake Cafe and this novel is about how an important event happens that makes everyone comes together and support each other during tough times! It always brightens up my day knowing and thinking of all the people who are out there looking out for me. It leaves me with a warm and fuzzy feeling to be blessed and associated with so many good people.

I loved this book and I am sure any Jenny Colgan fan will not be disappointed with this book. This is a perfect spring read with a very simple and sweet story line. It will leave you feeling extremely comforted and satisfied when you finish the book. I highly recommend it.

March 21, 2014 - World Poetry day

Today is World Poetry Day. Like I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I hadn't really explored the genre, but I'm a convert now. I love poetry and will continue to read it at every opportunity I have. Today is world poetry day and I couldn't have found a better day to dedicate this post to my father.

On this day, I fondly recall those days of my childhood when I used to come home after enrolling in a poetry or essay or oratory competition at school and didn't have to worry a zilch of how I would prepare for the contest and all I had do was tell my father! I used to constantly nag him until he sat down and wrote it down for me. He pulls my leg even today recalling those incidents after so many years about how I won't let him sleep until my task was done. His passion for poetry is really contagious that in the process of memorizing his poems/words for my contests, I have many a times felt inspired and re-energized by them. Poems are a great source of energy for me during tough times and nothing else gives me peace of mind. Here's two of my father's favorite English and Tamizh poems:

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
By Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep. 

_______________________________________________________________________________

மனதி லுறுதி வேண்டும்.
வாக்கினி லேயினிமை வேண்டும்;
நினைவு நல்லது வேண்டும்,
நெருங்கின பொருள் கைப்பட வேண்டும்;
கனவு மெய்ப்பட வேண்டும்,
கைவசமாவது விரைவில் வேண்டும்;
தனமும் இன்பமும் வேண்டும்,
தரணியிலே பெருமை வேண்டும்
கண் திறந்திட வேண்டும்,
காரியத்தி லுறுதி வேண்டும்.
பெண் விடுதலை வேண்டும்.
பெரிய கடவுள் காக்க வேண்டும்;
மண்பயனுற வேண்டும்,
வாகனமிங்கு தென்பட வேண்டும்.
உண்மை நின்றிட வேண்டும்.
ஓம் ஓம் ஓம் ஓம்.

   
    - Mahakavi Subrahmanya Bharathiyar

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.

Where the sidewalk ends

Book: Where the sidewalk ends
Author and Illustrator: Shel Silverstein
Genre: Poetry

An adorable collection of poems and drawings that is funny, thought-provoking, silly, cute, naughty and so much more. Shel Silverstein is a master when it comes to writing poetry for kids and this one is sure to win the heart of any kid. This is a perfect book for kids that let their imagination run wild, and Shel's illustrations add so much meaning to the words. The pictures themselves are so funny and cute! You'll get to meet an acrobat, a boy turning into a TV, a girl who eats a whale, holidays, a snowman, a boy trying to sell his little sister and a crocodile who goes to a dentist - all with a subtle message at the end of every poem.

  
(Drawing for Jimmy jet and his TV set)

It is a collection of poems even the adults will enjoy and has something for all of us to learn and laugh about. When I started reading the whole poetry genre, I wasn't quite sure I'd like it. But when I read the first few poems in this book, I was taken back to my childhood days and the carefree life of a kid! The poems bring back a lot of memories and the naughty pranks that we have all gone through. I wish I read this book when I was a child. My 3-year old daughter enjoyed quite a few of the poems and all the drawings cracked her up totally. Some of her favorite poems include "Jimmy jet and his TV set", "Warning", "Ourchestra", "Snowman" and "Hug-o-War". There are all kinds of poems, some of them are very reassuring, some are just plain silly and some send a message across in a very nice way. To put it short, this is a perfect package for every age, sure to lift you up even on the gloomiest of days! I loved reading every single poem and can't wait to read it with my daughter when she grows up. If you have kids, take this opportunity to get them this book and read-along, rest assured the reading session will turn into a total gigglefest. There is no limit to a child's imagination and Shel's drawings and poems takes them to the perfect place where the sidewalk ends and the street begins. This is one to buy for sure and savor for sure! Don't miss it!

Book Review: Meet me at the cupcake cafe

Author: Jenny Colgan
Genre: Chick-lit
Rating: 4/5
Verdict: A light, fun and lovely read!

After reading a couple of dark and serious novels about immigrants, I was looking to pick-up something that was really light-weight and fun. I came across this book on a couple of book review blogs and given my huge addiction to all things-cupcakes, I just had to pick this up and I'm glad I did.

From goodreads:
 "Come and meet Issy Randall, proud owner of The Cupcake Cafe. Issy Randall can bake. No, more than that - Issy can create stunning, mouth-wateringly divine cakes. After a childhood spent in her beloved Grampa Joe's bakery, she has undoubtedly inherited his talent. When she's made redundant from her safe but dull City job, Issy decides to seize the moment. Armed with recipes from Grampa, and with her best friends and local bank manager fighting her corner, The Cupcake Cafe opens its doors. But Issy has absolutely no idea what she's let herself in for. It will take all her courage - and confectionery - to avert disaster"

This is a wonderful story about a woman finding the courage to follow her dreams, keeping faith and pursuing her passion in life while developing wonderful friendships and finding true happiness and love along the way! The central character Issy Randall grows up with her grandfather, who is a baker. After getting laid off from her job at a real-estate agency and being ditched by her boss-boyfriend on the same day, she decides to use the redundancy money from her lost-job and the time off to pursue her dream - running her own bakery. This is a huge step for Issy and the rest of the story is about how she uses her skills and talent to transform her life and in the process finds a network of supporters and friends who all come forward to help her become successful in her venture. The recipes found in this book sound absolutely delicious and mouth-watering. Each chapter starts with a recipe for a cake/pastry and beware - by the time you finish reading the book, you will be left craving for some thin-as-air fluffy cupcakes with lip-smackingly yummy buttercream icing. 

All of the supporting characters in the book were really endearing and lovable. Jenny makes it a point explain much detail about each of them that in the end, you want all of them to succeed in their lives. All of the characters leave a special mark and touch your heart and bring a smile to your face when you think about each one of them. Be it Helena, Issy's best friend, or Pearl who helps Issy in starting her cupcake cafe, or Caroline who was deserted by her husband. The strength with which all of the women stuck together in running the business during times of crisis and support each other was very heart-warming. I really enjoyed the romance and the spark between Issy and Austin, the cute banker guy. Al though the story is very predictable, nevertheless, it doesn't stop you from turning the pages to know what is Issy's next move. Even the death of Grampa Joe was really well-handled by Jenny and not as emotional as I thought it would be. As I turned to the last page, I really wanted to step inside the cupcake cafe and have a nice long chat with all of the women in the book over a nice cup of coffee and some of Issy's adorable cupcakes. 

This is a really feel-good book and if you are a chick-lit fan, I strongly recommend this. Its a delightful read best enjoyed munching on some yummy treats!