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: Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

Author: Amy Chua
Genre: Non-fiction, Parenting
Rating: 2.5/5
Verdict: Too strong to handle and incredibly boring. If you must read, borrow it, don't buy.

I had heard a lot about this book and the wave it was creating among parents. I have a special admiration for people who have been successful in academics and who are Ivy league graduates and the likes. Honestly, that was one of the reasons I wanted to read this book to see how one mother drives her children towards success with the Chinese parenting style, which I have heard is pretty close to the Indian parenting style. I was looking forward to read about the approaches she took, how to cultivate the habits of working hard, perseverance, resilience and take aways like these that I can apply to my own parenting. 

Here are some things Amy Chua, a Chinese mother of two (Sophia and Lulu) would never allow her daughters to do: 
- have a playdate 
- be in a school play 
- complain about not being in a school play 
- not be the #1 student in every subject except gym and drama 
- play any instrument other than the piano or violin 
- not play the piano or violin 


The list above pretty much also sums up how I grew up. I was allowed to be in a school play only until 8th grade, I did not participate in any sports nor after-school activities which didn't involve learning/reading. 

Up until then, I was hooked to the book and I was looking forward to the methods of Chinese way of learning/academics. But, oh my! When I got to the part where Amy threatens her younger daughter, Lulu for not playing the violin and constantly abuses her, I felt so sorry for Lulu for having to deal with a maniac mother.  The Indian parenting style totally pales in comparison with how Amy does it - I am careful not to generalize the Chinese parenting style because I believe not all Chinese mothers are so hard on their kids. I felt like Amy just used the Chinese parenting model as an excuse for her insane behavior and parenting. I am sorry to state this - But I can't help but wonder if her kids even love her after all that she put them through just for them to be "successful" in life. She constantly says throughout the book that all she does is for her kids' sake but I do not believe that a zilch - Rather, it is the contrary.  It it for her own bloated ego so she can boast about her kids to others and derive a sadistic pleasure out of that!

After the first few chapters, I found the book incredibly boring and it pretty much seems like the book completely revolves around Sophia's piano and Lulu's violin. At some point, I was like - "Ok, I get it. Sophia is great at playing the piano and Lulu at violin. Now what?!". I may be undermining the accomplishments of the girls here, but seriously, it was just about how Amy drives them 4 hours back and forth to practice every weekend, how she would tie them down every single day for practice and all that page after page. And what was the part about Amy's sister about? It stands out like a sore thumb. I was shocked to see Amy's husband being a silent spectator to all the harassment she inflicted on her daughters.

All I can say, after reading the book is I would never even imagine putting my kids through like what Amy did. I am a stickler for routines and a very strict mother, but this book was way too strong. There is a difference between being tough and abuse. Amy totally falls into the latter category. The only good thing about this book was that, it made me introspect my own parenting so far and how not to parent the way Amy did even inadvertently. There I said it. 

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: I've Got Your Number

Author: Sophie Kinsella
Genre: Chick-lit, Romance
Rating: 3.5/5
Verdict: A light-hearted, warm and fun read with a few dragged parts. Go for it for some mindless chick-lit fun!

Ok, I have to admit it - This is my first of Sophie Kinsella's books! I've never read her famous Shopaholic series which everyone's always raved about. I must admit that off late I have been totally sucked me into the world of headstrong women, romance, humor and the "happily ever-after" stories with twists and turns and a perfect happy ending. This book was sent to me by my Secret Santa for the holidays. The book cover is so appealing in itself and given Sophie Kinsella's popularity,  I couldn't wait to read this book.

WARNING: Spoilers ahead!

The story begins with Poppy Wyatt, a physiotherapist living in London. Up until now, Poppy's had the perfect life, which is anybody's envy - A good job, a genius fiancé, Magnus with whom she will walking down the aisle in a few days and the wedding preparations in full swing. Poppy's dreams come crashing down when she loses "the" heirloom engagement ring in a hotel fire drill one day. As Murphy's law would have it, her mobile phone gets stolen on the same day, rendering anybody's attempts to contact her regarding the ring useless. After all the trauma, lady luck begins to smile at her when she finds an abandoned phone in a trash bin and begins to use it as her cell phone until she finds the engagement ring. 

Poppy finds out that the phone belongs to a business consultant Sam Roxton's PA who's disposed the phone in the bin after quitting her job. Sam and Poppy begin talking, while Sam learns that she's using the phone and isn't quite pleased with it. Poppy manages to convince Sam that she will return the phone as soon as she finds her ring and promises to forward all the texts/messages and emails to Sam until then. Having access to someone's phone, messages and inbox could be very personal and soon Poppy begins to know and learn all about Sam's daily life and begins to form an opinion about him. This is when things get very interesting and the book holds you captive. What follows is a series of interesting text exchanges between the two, some twists when Poppy fills in the role of Sam's personal assistant and how technology brings two strangers closer and even get them married ;)

What I liked...

I absolutely loved Sam Roxton and his personality. He was my favorite of all the characters in the book. Sam's intelligence, tight-lipped nature, his stoic, calm demeanor and sense of humor was quite a turn-on and leaves you with a "my kinda guy" feel. It was quite contrasting Poppy's - who is a nervous wreck, people pleaser and a chatterbox. The text exchanges between the two was fun to read and made me smile a lot of times. I loved how Sophie developed the intimacy between the two - the slow progression from strangers to acquaintances to friends to something more - All this without spending much time together, in physical proximity. The chemistry between Poppy and Sam was electric and I was so rooting for them towards the end. And the moment I read:

“Lover? I don't know. I don't know if she loves me. I don't know if I love her. All I can say is, she's the one I think about. All the time. She's the voice I want to hear. She's the face I hope to see.” 

I was floored right then and couldn't wait for the two of them to get together.

What I didn't like quite very much...

A few parts of the book felt very unrealistic when Poppy responds to Sam's emails signing up for a trip to Alaska, a charity run among the others. I mean, who in their right mind would do that?! Some parts also felt dragged towards the end and I was beginning to get a tad bored. The whole thing about Magnus cheating on Poppy and Sam's undefined relationship with Willow felt like a justification for Poppy-Sam's romance. Not that I am complaining about the romance, but those two incidents definitely made it feel like they were forced to make the plot work out.

Barring the lengthiness of the novel and a few unrealistic parts, I quite enjoyed this book. The romance was adorable and the text exchanges was so funny and very entertaining and kept me hooked till the end. A perfect indulgence for a cozy afternoon with a hot cup of tea! Pick it up and you will not regret it! I've become a fan of Kinsella and I sure am going to pick up the Shopaholic series very soon!

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: Take This Man

Author: Brando Skyhorse
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 5/5
Verdict: An unforgettable, poignant memoir. Full five stars from me! Read it right away.

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

I stumbled upon this book in one of the book blogs listed as one of the most anticipated reads of 2014 and I had marked it on my to-read list a while back. I usually read the synopsis before starting on any book, but for this one, I didn't and I am glad I didn't. After finishing the book, I went back and read the blurb. I don't think it would have made an impact on me as much because this book is so much more than what is contained in those few words that attempt to describe it.

"Dysfunctional" childhood doesn't even begin to explain what it means to be abandoned by your own father at a tender age of three and growing up with a tough grandmother, a delusional mother, and five stepfathers. That is just too bizarre to even comprehend it, but Brando Skyhorse has actually lived this life for real. A Mexican-American by birth, his mother Maria decides to reinvent herself and Brando as a Native American and renames herself as Running Deer Skyhorse. She lies to young Brando about his father's identity and heritage (he was told his father was an incarcerated Native activist named Paul Skyhorse). This marks the beginning of the pattern of Maria trying to find a suitable father figure and brings home one man after another who all just come and go at their own will. A man is brought home without room for any questions, Brando is made to accept him as a father and begins to get attached to him only to find the man leave without a trace. Each so-called-father's abandonment fills Brando's life with a void bigger than life that becomes irreplaceable and Brando is left questioning his own ability to be a father himself.

Maria is drowned is her own world of delusion and is emotionally abusive. She is a mess and takes it out all on Brando in ways cruel than you can even imagine. She runs her own phone-sex business and keeps moving from one man to another without batting an eye. Her justification for her actions - "At least it never gets boring" pretty much sums up her life. Her attitude towards Brando and his Vietnamese girlfriend was brutal and the mother in me wanted to choke her for all the cruelty. There just cannot be any justification to her actions, she was just a really sad person inside. It was distressing at times to read all about the suffering of Brando in the hands of his mother, yet he couldn't leave her because she was all he had. It was really heart wrenching and brought tears.

Maria's mother, June was a tough yet soft woman who took care of Brando through his early years when Maria was busy searching for a suitable surrogate father. When it came to Maria, I felt that she had a soft corner for her daughter, even after witnessing all the pain inflicted by Maria and when each man came by, they both got together to make sure he cannot find his ways around them and he plays by their rules in the house. Brando finally accepts himself as a Mexican and after both Maria and June eventually die, he goes in search of his biological father and begins to make peace with one of his stepfathers and the birth father.

With such a mother and stepfathers, it is amazing to think about how Brando Skyhorse survived and I was even more impressed when I found out he is a brilliant Stanford graduate. That is a true testament to how resilient he is and that was one thing I was most looking forward to reading towards the end of this book. During the closing chapters, Brando writes about how he tries to find closure, but all those childhood incidents and upbringing has left a lasting effect on his relationships. I doubt if he will find complete closure ever. The final few chapters were the strongest in my opinion and has impacted me very much.  Being a mother myself, I know the importance of a family and more importantly a functional one. I cannot imagine how one can stay sane and alive being raised in a totally dysfunctional family. Reading about it made me so grateful for my family and ideal childhood, and equally sad at someone not even knowing what a loving family is.  Brando has given us honest peek into the darkest secrets of his life and the harrowing experiences and trauma he has endured all through his life. I sincerely wish he finds peace with his inner-self and begins to live a normal life.

This is a fabulous book and held me captive right from page 1. I finished it in 5 hours straight and would recommend it to anyone without a second thought. You cannot miss this!