Debbie Macomber - The Inn At Rose Harbor

After reading two 'thriller' books back to back ( The Cuckoos Calling and A Wanted Man ) I wanted to read something light. That's how I picked this one, The Inn At Rose Harbor by Debbie Macomber. The reviewers ( I prefer user reviews than critic's ) gave it high ratings. And when I started the book, I really liked it. It was upto my expectation.

The story is about a war widow, who leaving a high paying city job to move to a lesser busy town buying a bed and breakfast. How the move helped her ease the pain and the story of her first two guests forms the book. The troubled guests find solace during the stay ( not because of the

Aroon Raman - The Shadow Throne

The first thing that caught my attention when I opened the packet was the claim on the bookmark that came with the book - India's answer to Dan Brown ! I read books from cover to cover ( mostly start with back cover ) and anything that came as frills with the book. The reason why I was curious about the claim was that, a book I have read recently, The Rozabal Line by Ashwin Sanghi, also claimed the same ! Which was mostly due to the theme of Jesus and his possible chance of survival, the theory of his daughter etc... Though the author was well researched / read, the story hardly had grip, and failed to thrill like his earlier book The Chanakya Chant. The Shadow Throne, I believe, was compared to Dan Brown because a death points to a world disaster and ancient societies and extremists. And here, Aroon Raman succeeded in delivering a thriller, in style...

Amish - The Oath Of The Vayuputras (Shiva Trilogy, #3)

The grand finale of a grand series... May be it’s true about the grand size of the book ;) Like most of the thick books ( from Harry Potter to very Indian Alchemy Of Desire ), here too the focus and pace are on stake at times. It may not be intentional. The author has so much to tell and this is the last chance for him. So he tried to put everything at once. May be he badly wanted to use the extra effort he put down for the research, or a point or two which crossed his mind, or just want to ensure the reader and he on the same, by giving a little brief explanation about few points... 

A P J Abdul Kalam - Wings of Fire

My scientist friend Jomy Joseph told me about this book first. For him, it was the most inspirational book ever read and he keeps a copy with him always, even on his travel abroad,  along with his bible! I heard similar stories from others too. That's how I read it this book for the first time, it was a few years back. Now when I picked it again, I found the content and meaning of this book in a new level, new light... And the book still at it best in inspiration...

R K Narayan - Malgudi Days

When I saw Malgudi Days on Flipkart's special offer rack, I didn't think twice to order it. I was not aware of the content but heard a lot about it and the TV series based on it, and whatever I heard was good. It was light hearted innocent stories, as promised, but did I like it... I will say - in parts.

Jeffrey Archer - The Sins Of The Father

I was angry with Jeffrey Archer to finish the first book of The Clifton Chronicles, Only Time Will Tell so abruptly. It was like stopped in mid-sentence, not knowing where it ends or where it leads. And this one, the second offering - it takes the ending to a new level, a totally brutal one. It is not mid-sentence, it is in mid-trial the book ends ! Literally. 

Arnab Ray - May I Hebb Your Attention Pliss

A hilarious look at India of '90's and the frustration of middle class in general - that is what the book promised.  The author's note say the only one who is going to get entertained or profited is him! He respectfully pities his readers ;) I respect him for his  frankness here... In fact he was true to it, the book was totally waste of time. Pay for the book - don't even think about it...

Ayn Rand - The Fountainhead

After finishing By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept, I was checking with my friends what to pick up next.Some  suggested Ayn Rand, thinking I am a fan of philosophical reading. Few ardent fan of her writing, while others not very impressed with it. Then I enquired with my trusted expert Prajkta about this ( I know this name frequents here, but being my original Book Buddy, it is ok ;) ).She was kind of delighted hearing the name. Sure, she had it and she gave it to me with an offer - if I finish the book and liked it, I can keep it !!! The book was with her for quite some time ( gifted by her hard-core Ayn Rand fan sister ), but she never was able to read it more than 10 pages! 

Amish - The Secret Of The Nagas (Shiva Trilogy, #2)

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Shiva Trilogy was recommended by my reader friend Prajkta, who was the same lady who introduced me to Paulo Coelho. She was in a kind of trance and was not able to stop praising it! More importantly, she shared with me the book too. Me, after finishing the second chapter ordered a copy for myself ! Because I knew this is a book I will read again, and should be a part of my book collection...

Paulo Coelho - By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept

'Book of forgiveness' - this is what the book was referred. But I didn’t really find the feel of forgiveness in it. I found it more of realising one's goal and understanding what exactly he expects from life, and how Love makes the life meaningful.

I like reading Coelho, because he is the one who always tells me being crazy is not a bad thing :) It is perfectly normal thing to be. He definitely is crazy - his thoughts are not inhibited by wisdom! In this book there are a lot of incidents which seems silly. Which normal people may not do and I always dream about doing ! Like getting drunk in open on a cold night, with my Loved one... 

Paulo Coelho - Eleven Minutes

Bijith :|: ബിജിത്‌ has already written a review on 'Eleven Minutes'. This is a closer view of ‘Eleven Minutes’, what i felt and what I learnt form the book. I wasn't merely reading the book, I was learning the book, a book about love,  love which includes desire, sex, passion, hopes, dreams, adventure, sadism, masochism, pain and suffering. I feel like the book like a journey, a journey towards the scared nature of sex.

Paulo Coelho - The Alchemist

There are only a few books I have read more than once. An English book? never, till I picked up The Alchemist last week. I have read this book about three years back and still remember the essence of it. Even then, this second read was interesting and I found the way story unfold had a whole different meaning than the first time. I felt I understand the meaning and message of the book better now. May be a third read after another three years may give it a complete different colour...

Dan Brown - Digital Fortress

Digital Fortress – with which I completed all 5 novels by Dan Brown. Like all of his books, this also sets around short span of time ( almost a day ), involves threat to national security, and secret codes to decipher to stop disaster, saving the day ( nation ) at the last moment, with events almost went out of hand and the saviour(s) crack the situation at the nick of time…

Dan Brown - The Lost Symbol

This is the fourth book I read of Dan Brown after Angels and Demons, The Da Vinci Code and Deception Point. I picked this because I like his style of storytelling - something which can be called smart, intelligent thrillers. Stories based on science / beliefs / myths which are not so familiar with, adapted in real life like situation and by the course of the book enlighten the readers along with entertain. When I told my friends I picked this one, many asked me not to expect a lot and said this is boring. Was it ???

Paulo Coelho - Eleven Minutes

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In this book Paulo Coelho describes a woman's self discovery through Love and sex. The following article has such references. If you are not ready, see you in a different post.
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Paulo Coelho has the gift of telling stories about the things we know and present them as if we are hearing it for the first time, because of the new perspective he present them. He gives it an angle of sacred, special. Eleven Minutes is no different. It is not taking us into a new world, it is showing something that we already know, and he is talking it into a different height, and enlighten us with the dimensions we were blind before.

Jeffrey Archer - Only Time Will Tell

This novel belongs to the master craftsman Jeffry Archer. Every chapter, every sentence screams his style. His proven skill in handling vast plot and story spread in long time frame is at peak in this. Though the story spread through around 100 years, not even a single page of it was boring. The gripping narrative makes it a real non-put-down-able book.
  

Paulo Coelho - The Devil And Miss Prym

Once done with The Pilgrimage, I picked another one by Paulo Coelho, The Devil And Miss Prym. I  browsed through the books which I haven’t read yet by him ( I have read The Alchemist, Veronica Decided To Die and Winner Stands Alone earlier ). The synopsis on the cover promised an excited reading. The Devil, and its manifestation of greed, cowardice and fear excited me. It can not be another way, as in The Pilgrimage he demonstrated the power of Devil and how it tries to manipulate our thought. He even explained how we can turn it to our friend, and deal with the difficult situations of life.

Paulo Coelho - The Pilgrimage

Paulo Coelho – No English author has touched my heart the way he did. I liked the style of story telling of Jeffery Archer, the vast plot and eye for details of Dan Brown and the magical, addictive style of JK Rowling. But none of these authors has touched my life as Paulo did. The first novel I read by him was Veronica Decides To Die. Till it reaches almost the last chapters I felt it a boring story dragged a lot. But when I finished the book, I was awestruck ! Man, was this he supposed to tell… What a wonderful way he did it !!!  And the second time with that book, every move which was thought absurd felt elegant. That was magic. And in that trance I read The Alchemist. The Pilgrimage followed. And that was I liked the most ( till now, as I got to finish more from him. That mission is on ). ( I didn’t like Winner Stands Alone, though. In that Paulo touch was missing, or was very weak ).