Still a Bookworm

It's been some time, rather a very long time, that I wrote. During this time, my husband stated a start up, I became a new mother to a lovely baby girl, located to a different city, successfully came out of a post partum depression. All this while the only thing constant in my life was Books. Though other things keep me occupied, I try to keep up with my reading. Many times I could not even finish the book, but the sight of a book on my bed side table was very reassuring.

One good thing I must add that my daughter, now 2.5 yrs, has picked up the reading habit. She too is fond of books or rather s fond of my childhood book. Its one book that she wants to be read, and re-read. Her first word in English language was one from the book itself. That was a proud moment for me. She reading one of my childhood books. What more can a mother ask.

Things will change in future, I might get more busy in life, my child will take up more of my energy, but one thing I'm sure will be omnipresent in my life. Books. They were and will always be the constant in my life.

An Ode to my Best Friend

Well this post is not a book review, this is something which is more special to me. This is about my best friend Nisha.Most people at the age of 27 stop using the term "best friend", but even when I'm 72 (if I'm alive that long) I'll still call her my best friend.

I can still clearly remember her first day at school. I see this pretty girl in class all trying to figure out what is to be done, and unlike me, I go up to her , all the time in my heart thinking wish I could be her friend. Well now when I look back, I know God send her to be my special friend.We connected soon, and before I knew our friendship was becoming more stronger. The fact that our names rhymed, made my belief stronger. I shared my innermost secrets with her, my first love, and the cherry on the cake was when my teacher told my parents during a PTA that "Nisha is the best influence on your daughter."

We passed out school, joined the same college, and our circle of friends grew. We were now 5 in the group, and Nisha very lovingly called the group "Nisha & Friends". I simply loved it. College was fun, with more friends, but at the same time our friendship was entering a new phase. College ended and soon we all 5 went in different directions. I moved out to new city to pursue PG, while Nisha stayed on to do her MBA. The first picture that I packed with my stuff was a group picture of all 5 of us. Adjusting to a new place, new people, I truly missed her. I never told her this, but every night I just wanted to call her and just tell her how scared I was, and wanted to feel good with her chirpy voice and some good advise.
    
A lot of things changed during those 2 years, but one thing which remained constant was our friendship. We both made new friends, but in my heart of heart no one could match up to her. There was always a benchmark which people had to achieve to be called my friend. Yes, they were my friends, but never my best friend.

Life was moving at its own pace, me getting a job, Nisha was in Lucknow, and never in all those years did our friendship loose its shine. It was as shiny as ever. Soon it was time when I heard that she was getting married and there was nothing in the world that could stop me from attending my best friend's wedding. Seeing her walking down the aisle, I had tears in my eyes. My mind raced back to that pretty girl in pigtails, to the young girl at college, and now this beautiful bride all set to enter a new world. It was just too an emotional moment for me, and I prayed for her happiness more than I ever did.

When distance could not falter our friendship, I hoped it would not be marriage. Even after she was now married with all new responsibilities, and in a new country, our friendship evolved. It was fun talking to her about new life, how does it feel to be married and the usual girl stuff. A year later I was to get married and I got the shock of my life that she will not be able to make it for my wedding. Truly speaking I was devastated, and hoped against hope that she would surprise me, knowing how much she too wanted to be present on my special day. But I knew one thing, that even though she physically would be absent, emotionally she and her good wishes will be with me all the while.

There are very few time in our lives we come across true friends. Many come and many go, but its only the true friendships that survive the test of time. Friendship's Day, Birthdays, advice on bf's, or just the silly things meant so much to me all because of Nisha. My life is blessed with a true friend and very few people can proclaim that. No matter our calls are not as frequent as they used to be, you still hold a very special place in my heart. No matter how many friends we make in future, you'll still be My Best Friend.

Holy Cow ! An Indian Adventure - Sarah MacDonald

Finally a post after a very long time. My marriage kept me occupied, and hence the delay in writing about my new book. While I was on my honeymoon to Kerala, I saw this lady in a cafe reading a book "Holy Cow!".. What struck me was the cover of the book. It had the Hindu God Shiva on the cover, and the title too was definitely intriguing. Once back from Kerala, on my visit to the Book store, I saw this book, and I picked it up.

Holy Cow! by Sarah MacDonald is all about an Indian adventure. I like the books about India specially written by  foreigners. It tells us how they perceive this land. India does not fail to surprise anyone, and specially people who visit India from a foreign land. You either love it or hate it.. Nothing in between.

This book tells us about the writer's visit to India, and in this first trip, she knows exactly how she feels about the country. She hates it. There is nothing that goes right for her, and this point she decides never to return back. But on the airport a beggar reads her palm and tells her that she will return to India, and for love. With no inclination to believe she heads back. His prophecy comes true after 11 years and Sarah, quits her job as a DJ in Australia, and returns to India to be with her boyfriend who works in New Delhi, and her romance with India soon begins.

There are many things that shock her, disgust her, from the very common sight of filth, people picking noses in public, or the even common very loud way of people clearing their throats, early morning , noon and night. People constantly are concerned about her marital status, and keep reminding her that soon she will be out of marriage market if she delays it further. She finds it difficult to understand why a girl from a different caste can't marry in another caste, the pressure from parents and consequences of marrying inter caste.

Its these visits that take her to Rishikesh, Amritsar, the Taj Mahal, Delhi, a little insight into the people, the place and the religion, along with its ancient history associated with all the places, makes it an interesting read. She attends a Vipassana meditation in  Dharamkot, a small town in Dharamshala. She learns about the various cultures, a trademark of India, and in the process she understands herself and a goal-less life that she was living back in Australia. She sees herself in a new light, the customs and the people. After living all the experiences - good , bad and ugly - she finally understands herself and her soul is reborn.

Sarah MacDonald's book is like a travel across India. The diversity as seen by a foreigner, the way people live, and live contentedly in such chaos, baffles her and finally leads her to her destiny. As she travels to different parts of the country, she gives a brief history of the place and religion, which gives us a good background. The book is funny, and the writer sees the lighter side of serious things, which makes it hilarious. The book at some places does seem to drag, but on the whole is worth reading. All in all - I like the book. Interesting at most times, a little less, for the rest. Sarah's writing style is very simple,and funny at right places.The way she creates an image of the new place she visits,or about a person, herself included is simply amazing.


I have read a lot of books, with lots of  writers writing the routine acknowledgments. But Sarah in her unique way has written it in such a way, that I think its the best I've read, and somehow is difficult to get out of my head. It says
" To my mum and dad for having me,
         To Jonathan for taking me
                           and
           To India for making me."

Simply amazing.

Schindler's List- Thomas Keneally

During my book shopping spree, I came across a very famous book, Schindler's List. I had heard a lot about this book, but anywhere I asked for this book, could never find it. This time as soon as I saw the book, I knew I had to buy it.
A few years back, I was reading Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf". The only reason I picked up the book was to find out the reason as to what good reason can Hitler give to brutally and inhumanly kill people belonging to one particular religion. I had read around 100 pages or so, when I just could'nt bring myself to read further. So my quest to know the answer was still not fulfilled.
Reading Schindler's list moved my soul. The book written by Thomas Keneally tells the true story of Oskar Schindler who inspite of being a German, saved more than thousand jews from the gas chambers. Oskar runs a factory in Krakow, which makes army mess kits, and later on polishing the insides of artillery shells, and for this he hires jews to work in his factory. In an atmosphere where WW II is looming large, Oskar bribes the SS officials to ensure that his factory runs without problems.

The book magnificiently describes the jews being taken away to Ghettos, and concentration camps. The author gives such a vivid account of the incident, that one can easily imagine the horror, fear that the jews must have gone though at that point of time. One incident truly shakes me, is when an old women and her daughter have to hide from the SS men who are taking all the jews to the capms. She takes the help of her neighbour who had promised to hide them in the cavaity of the wall in her house. When time comes the lady goes with her daughter to hide at the neighbour's place, but there was only room for one. She pleads with the neighbour to let both of them hide, but she refuses to hide the other. Thinking that its best to save her daughter, she goes back to her house crying and praying.

Schindler's factory was running in huge profits since the WW II had begun. He now needed more labourers to keep up with the demands of the army. Since all jews were now being transported to Auschwitz concentration camps, Schindler shifts his factory to Moravia. The only way he can take jews with him is if he shows them as "skilled workers", and ensures that this way he can save as many jews as possible. Inspite of being a war profiteer, he pays huge amount of bribe to the officials for each jew taken by him.

It's these "skilled" jews that comprise of Schindler's list who are saved from Auschwitz and other concentration camps. In another incident Schindler goes to Auschwitz to save as many women and children by bribing the official with diamonds. Any jew who wanted to live and escape the horror, knew the only way was to be in the "Schindler's List".

As the war ends, the book shows that now its time for Schindler to hide, since he is a German. He along with his wife, leaves the factory. He is given a letter by the workers saying that he is not a criminal. As a parting gift, the workers give him a gold ring with an inscription saying"WHOEVER SAVES ONE LIFE, SAVES THE WORLD ENTIRE'. A small token for all the lives he has saved.

Oskar Schindler later moves to Argentina, where he is a farmer. His last days are spent in poverty. It is during these times that the survivors send him money. As his health fails, on October 9 , 1974 Schindler passes away. According to his will, he is buried in Jerusalem.

Even after the book finishes, it leaves me completely shocked. Just the thought of the brutalities that these people faced leaves me speechless. How any ruler can think of completely finishing one sect of people, still is out of my logic. This book describes the fear the jews at camps live in, not knowing what will kill them, the illness at the camps or the bullet?

It is people like Oskar Schindler that keep our faith in humanity alive. Risking his own life , he saved 1200 jews without any ulterior motive in mind. I sincerely believe that no person's library is complete without this book. It hepls us in keeping the 'U' before 'I' attitude alive, the true Schindler's spirit alive.

Sidney Sheldon's Mistress of the Game.

There is not a single Sidney Sheldon's book that I have not read..I fell in love with his style when I read his "Tell me your Dreams". He simply was an author class apart.. Recently I picked up a new book, Sidney Sheldon's Mistress Of The Game, by Tilly Bagshawe. This book is a sequel to Master of the Game written by the master himself in 1982.


Like me and millions of female readers, the author too is a huge fan of Sheldon, and she was approached to write the sequel to the book Master of the Game. One of the major reasons why Sheldon has always been a hit specially with women readers was because all his heroines were strong and successful, all this added in a gripping suspense story which makes any of the Sheldon books hard to keep down.


Since this book is not written by Sheldon himself, I had my doubts if it could come close to his style of writing, after all its not easy to fit in Sheldon's shoes. But after reading the first page I was sure that this book is no less either. It does not disappoint in any department, be it story, suspense, or romance.

The book begings with the female protagonist Lexi Templeton receiving a letter from her aunt Eve Blackwell on her wedding day. The letter contains a secret which if found out can destroy her life, marriage and her most loved , her company Kruger-Brent Ltd. The story then goes back in the past where we meet Robbie, Lexi's brother who has a tough time coming to terms with his sexuality, Peter Templeton, Lexi's father, who is depressed, and turns to alcohol after the death of his beloved wife. Max Webser, Eve's son,who is a puppet in Eve's hands, wants the company just for himself, with only Lexi in his way to achieve his goal. All these characters are caught in web of deceit, love and power. The reader clings to every word, with an ending which leaves the reader fumbling for words.

Tilly Bagshawe could not have done a much better justice to the master story-teller. Not for a minute this looks like a book not written by Sidney Sheldon. Had Sheldon been alive today, he would have truly loved this book, even proud. For all die-hard Sidney Sheldon fans, this is a must buy book. It certainly deserves a place in the bookshelves amongst all the other Sheldon's best.

Preface to the Book worm

Honestly Blogging is something I haven't done much..Before I begin about the real book worm in me.. lets get to know somethin about me.. I'm a 26 year old girl, a die- hard book fan. 2 months ago I quit my HR job with a reputed Telecom company, and came home to prepare myself for my marriage..Since during this break from job, my books and my laptop gave me company, my fiance Nitin encouraged me to start writing a blog to share my 2 passions, reading & writing(being the daughter of a journalist does give me some good genes). So here I'm doing something I truly love.. Writing about Books

I will be writing about the books I'm reading , and have already read.. and in case this blog is read by people.. I would love to get reviews and recommendations for some great books...

So nitin, thanks to you.. Here comes my First Blog...

Yosha- The book worm