Usually, at the beginning of the year, I don't take resolutions. The last resolution I took was roughly a decade back about never taking resolutions and I'm proud to say I've stuck to it longer than most people do with their annual ones. Instead, I open my dairy or blog and write down all that I had been grateful for the previous year and all that I hope the new year to be. This year I was shifting houses so I din't have time to do my usual reminiscing and hoping. In a way, that was good. It broke the flow. While there is a lot to be said about looking back and being grateful for all the wonderful memories and blessings ( and I firmly believe it should be done regularly for a happy life), the whole new-house-in-the-new-year seemed like a good place to take a few resolutions and I hope I stick to them with the same fervor I had stuck with my last one.
Won't bore you with all the details other than the one which is relevant here i.e to read 100 book this year. I did roughly about 50 last year. But funny thing is I barely read even 5 books in the first half of year. But then out of the blue I decided on a social experiment on myself : to keep off social media as long as I can and see what the difference is. And the difference was the rest of the 45 books, among other changes. Suddenly I had time for a whole bunch of stuff I always wanted to do. So this year, to keep myself from being tempted to return to the rather soul-sucking-time-consuming-yet-ever-so-shiny-world of social media, I will read. And read a 100 books at that. And while I'm reading I might as well tell people what was worth the time and what wasn't because let's face it, not all books are written equal. And thus born was the 'book of the month' blogging resolution! :)
Ok, now that you have suffered though the back story, let's get to the point.
Books read this month, in random order.. actually why... not all books are written equal so why should they be presented equally. I will present them in the order of my rating.
Supposedly based on a true story, I found the book dead average. I mention the true story bit because it usually that makes the narrative more compelling/inspiring/horrifying etc etc (depending on what the author is saying). It's not that I completely disbelieve her, it's just that I don't completely believe her. There are some aspects of the story which provide an interesting insight into human nature. But most of it, in spite of being a rather racy read ( and by that I don't mean loads of sex, just how fast paced it is) is lacking.. hmm.. I would have to say soul for the lack of a better word. I'm not really invested at any point in how any of the people in the book are faring. Good, bad, ugly.. it's all the same to me. Just the unusual story line keeps you occupied for a while but when I kept the book down there wasn't really anything for me to take away from the book. But as time pass, it was pretty ok. The only thing I really appreciated about the book was how little time it took as I wanted to make up the time I had taken in reading the next one.
This is a tough book to rate simply because I din't like the early stories but loved the ones at the end. Given that the stories were given in the chronological order of their year of publishing, it was fascinating to see the evolution of the writer. The initial stories felt rather gimmicky or forced at times. But as the years roll by you can see him, moving through words and imageries with grace. I would say definitely pick this 'coz it's not often you realise how a writer changes and grows, plus the stories about him and his aunt are nothing short of literary gems if you ask me. And a word of advice, skip the intro! Such a spoiler!
Not her best work, but honestly even then she stands out. I'm yet to be disappointed by Poirot and this one doesn't either. But it does fall short of the usual awe he inspires. The plot seems a tad bit contrived else it's impeccable as all of Christie's work.
Well written chick lit is such a joy. It's the equivalent of your favorite candy. While it might not always have the best nutritional values, you certainly would have a bland life if you don't bite into one occasionally to celebrate or uplift yourself. This one is funny yet bitter sweet. Which is why I liked it. Unabashedly recommend all the girls to pick up your nearest Ephron.
This one has been on my to-read list for a long while being on a lot of 'Must read classics' lists and was finally happy to move it to the other side of the ledger. Well written and deviously plotted out, my only gripe against it is the length. It could easily have been least a 100 pages shorter. In part, it can be justified saying that's the narrative style and all, but you can so easily lose the reader half way though the story... well, almost. He does rather cunningly keep you hooked.
Yet another classic which had been on the to- read list yet I kept delaying it coz I was worried if I would get bored. I'm always secretly worried about classics boring me though more times than not I'm absolutely love them. This was a book that I grew to like the more I thought about it. My immediate reaction after the book was extremely well written but a bit hollow. Yet the more I thought about the characters and their motivations the more the book seemed to shine. More over there's a certain easiness to read, with the light sardonic tone that she uses, that makes the book feel rather fresh. She's kind of like a Rembrandt with words. Rich with details, some characters shine with extraordinary light and others in the background dimmer but no less textured and nuanced which brings the whole scene alive. But unlike the other classics I did not come away with a feeling of awe. The story was fairly predictable which might be the reason I dint immediately take to it.And though in most cases I'm a complete sucker for bitter sweet endings, this one made me dissatisfied. Not because it felt incomplete but because it was too true to life. A little leniency for her characters could have been spared I felt. But then again, perhaps because of the ending the book might stay with me longer. Especially since she stayed true to her characters. But there's no doubt in my mind for whatever flaws it may have, the book is most deservedly a classic and worth the read.
And finally, the BOOK OF THE MONTH...
Even before I finished the book I knew this was going to be the book of the month. Even though I had at least a couple more books to finish before this month ends, I knew this was going to be the book of the month! It was just simply that lovely. Deliciously endearing book. Weirdly enough I could relate to the main character who incidentally just happens to be the Queen of England. Written so frankly that one is lead to believe that this story might in deed be true. So go, run and pick your copy today! ;)
So until next month, stay calm and keep reading! :D
Phil!
