Book of the month : Mar 2015

O-M-G.. It's month three and I'm still reading books! o_0

Ok, that's not really surprising. But I've been reading a lot of listicles lately on '# ways to get your audience's attention in like 2 second!'. Clearly I'm not very good at retaining vague numbered pieces of wisdom, but thought I'll give it try anyways.

I still have your attention? Wow.. You are patient. Anyways, my inability to retain and execute listicles ( does it remind anyone else of popsicles every time you hear/read the word?) thankfully is independent of my ability to review books. March had been an unusually busy month of reading with 10 book ( and a short story) most likely because I could spend time with a few of my favorite writers and characters. Discovering a new writer or a book is like meeting someone new. If you like the person, you exchange numbers and promise to meet again. You feel thrilled and excited about the new relationship. But they have yet to be a part of your life in a meaningful way - Someone you turn to when you have bad day.

That can happen only with people you have known and loved a long time. Even if you have not met them in a long time, you know you can always turn to them and they'll envelop you in their arms no matter how awful you been. And re-reading you favorite books and authors have same warmth.

Anyways, I'll save my musing on re-reading for another day. Now to the task at hand.

Funnily I started the month with Christoper Moore and ended it with Moore as well, though in the time gap he really dint improve by much which is why he's starting off my list, at the bottom.

Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore - 2/5

The usual trajectory of a mediocre book is from expectation to disappointment. This one completely misdirects you by disappointing you first and then building up the expectation. All I wanted was a few laughs and something which will not strain my imagination or intellect. Which is why I picked Moore. He's not someone I would classify as great but I felt he's always met the minimum requirement for a decent read. But badly developed characters are a huge pain in my... errrm...neck ( keeping it as PG friendly as possible!) and so are dragged out story lines. Half way through the book I found myself mumbling on character consistency and that Moore should not write about women if he doesn't understand them. In 'Lamb' (which I rather enjoyed), there are very few women and we see only glimpses of their personality. I think that might have been the secret of it's success. But in 'Fiends', he made the mistake of making the central character a woman. And the story line meanders all over the place without much purpose to it's inevitable conclusion. But here, in the last two chapters the story really picks up and in spite of the rather predictable ending, Moore get you hooked. But honestly it felt like 'too little,too late'.

Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings by Christopher Moore - 2.5/5

My personality leans on the side of nerdy, and you show me any thing remotely scientific on bugs, bats or whales, you are more or less assured of my attention. And Fluke started out brilliantly. The lead character, a marine behavioral biologist Nate Quinn, had my sympathies from the word go. I was drooling over the goofy surfer dude Kona as expected. The scene with the whale penises ( yes, plural!)  had me in splits and I found myself giggling later thinking of the same. Everything according to script. Even when the story line took a dive from the scientific and probably into the zany, I was still on board. But again, as soon as we started focusing on feminine characters, the book started to sink for me. His women react like men. The fact is, women don't have the same motivations and drives as guys and imagining guys with tits is just not good enough. Which was kinda sad, because this book had so much potential, especially how he could have explored the idea of an alternate gene driven god-ish organism. The ending was so bollywood-ish with it's half baked love story it made me cringe. The only character worth salvaging from the whole wreck was Kona and apparently Moore did use him again else where  ( which I have not read yet). But you know what, it's worth a read coz the whale penises scene .... Priceless!

As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley - 2.8/5

7th book in the Flavia de Luce series, this was awaited with bated breathe by me. I absolutely adored the 10 year old sleuthing chemist in her previous adventures ( if you haven't read her yet, do pick it up). But moving the Brit girl from her comfortable backyard to a new country was too much of a challenge for the author because I felt he lost a little bit of essence of what makes this extraordinary brat so very addictive. Part of her charm was in being the underdog, with regard to her elder sisters. And moving that out of the equation removed a very human part of Flavia. For me, the murder mysteries were just the icing on top but the real meat lay in watching this hyper intelligent, stoic yet surprisingly fragile little girl deal with her uncommon life. So that ways, the mystery itself was satisfactory, but it was the rest of the background and cast which disappointed me. But I have hope, i.e. I'll see more of her in her old haunts and that should set the balance right.

And of course, being a Flavia fan, I had to read story story 'The Curious Case of the Copper Corpse'. My only complaint was that it was much too short.

The Upside of Irrationality by Dan Ariely - 3/5

I love Dan's TED talk which was funny, engaging and insightful. It figures in my list of TTTT, i.e. Top Ten TED Talks. So, I was looking forward to his book. And it din't disappoint in the sense, it was funny and engaging. But more than once, I found myself questioning his insights. True, almost all of them are counter intuitive so they are not easy conclusions to accept. But I felt it all the more because there was a lack of clarity in how he came to some of his conclusions. Maybe it is not possible to share all the data and perhaps his research papers covers them in detail are you so interested to find out more. And some conclusions, even with data, is a tough pill to swallow. So by the end of the book I felt I was in a dilemma. Either I had to accept all of it, seeming inconsistency and all, or reject all. But the scales seemed to be rather evenly tipped to both sides. Oh well, life can be indecisive as well as irrational I guess!

I plunged into Paul Gallico's Mrs.'Arris Series and covered them one after the other. So I'm going to break away a little from the usual system of lowest to highest rating so as to preserve the order of the series.

Mrs Harris Goes to Paris  by Paul Gallico - 4 / 5

If you have not read Paul Gallico, you should. Especially Mrs.'Arris. I remember reading about her Parisian journey in my early teens and being thoroughly delighted. I mean if getting yourself a Dior dress is not a teenage dream come true, then I don't know what is. When I took it up again I wondered if it will be as awesome as I remembered. And it was. If ever there's a modern fairy tale with equal parts magic and equal parts mundane, then this is it! But the part which floored me as a teen, which were all about the wonderful sensation of being around gorgeous creations of satin and lace, was not the ones which plucked at my heartstrings this time. Instead I saw myself being drawn to the more sober part of the tale. Maybe it's a testimony to my growing maturity ( ahem!!) The odd thing is what ought to have been a miserable ending is turned around into a thing of beauty. A tale which will stay with you a very long time, I promise!

Mrs Harris Goes to New York by Paul Gallico - 3 / 5

I would not even know there was a series of  Mrs. 'Arris if not the double feature book I took up! Not as endearing as the first book but you can't help but love Mrs.'Arris, that eternal optimist while she tackles the near impossible!

Mrs. Harris Goes To Moscow  by Paul Gallico - 3 / 5

Fourth in the series, ( I skipped 3rd) the spirit of Mrs.'Arris shines though but the story seemed a little unrealistic. Too many coincidences and lucky breaks to bring about the happy ending according to me. By now, our faith in Ada Harris is such that we can easily predict the ending and the predictability is what reduces the story to just another story.

Every Living Thing by James Herriot - 4.5 / 5

I don't remember when I first picked up Herriot, but he was as much a part of growing up as sip-ups ( that brightly colored, sweet flavored irresistible roadside vendor ices ) because he was a family favorite. Three generations of Thottans have read him and loved him. So every time I pick up his books, it's is not so much as reading as spending time with your favorite uncle. The one who is always ready with delightful stories infused with the unexpected and not afraid to take pot shot at himself. His books are often quoted as must reads for animal lovers because so many of his stories revolve around them. But I say they are a must read for everyone. His humor and warmth will make you laugh, occasionally cry and most of all, reminds you what it means to be human.

The Firm by John Grisham - 4.5 / 5

It's rather ironic but growing up, I managed to skip the popular authors. So never read any Sidney Sheldons or Danielle Steeles. I did read one Harold Robbins as a teen which scared and scarred me for life! Which, I believe, is the reason why I kept away from the popular authors. The reason I'm telling you all this is give you a background why it was only in March 2015 I got hold of my first John Grisham. And boy oh boy, I loved it! I loved everything about it! The book literally had me on the edge of my seat, impatient to know what comes next. Truth be told I was expecting something Dan Brown-ish. Interesting facts/ aspects on law in a weak story line. And there are a lot of people who argue the same. But as far as I'm concerned the title of  the king of 'legal thrillers' can be without doubt conferred on Grisham. I know I might seem a bit hasty in conferring him the title with just one book under my arm, but that's how much I loved it! :P

Through I'm willing to crown Grisham, he is still only the runner up. Annnnd so ( drum roll please) the  BOOK OF THE MONTH goes to..

Blue is the Warmest Color by Julie Maroh - 4.5 / 5

Blue is also my favorite color. But that's not why it's the book of the month. And I don't know if you have noticed, but the last two books have the same rating as this one. So what makes it stand out? For me, it's because Maroh shares a story that feels raw and brutally honest. Because she has shared a story which makes you explore sexuality with sensitivity and sensuality. That is a hard line to toe. She pushes boundaries without pushing the reader away. You would think stepping into shoes of a lesbian, it would never fit, yet it surprises you how incredibly familiar it feels. You also learn how much it can pinch trying to force yourself into a mold which is not meant for you. It's at once every teenager's story, with its share of angst, impossible crushes, rebellion, trying to fit in and stand out; yet it as unique as her fingerprint.

The art work too feels raw at times but you can't help but feel moved by it. A certain sense of life seems to gently throb within in. Her sparing use of color does wonders to heighten your senses. You start feeling the same rush and expectation as Clementine, the narrator, each time you glimpse the color blue. It reads less like a book and more like an experience. Like looking back on your first heart break. Painful yet strangely lovely because it made you wiser, more compassionate. So don't think twice and pick up the book!

Until next time, keep reading! :)
Phil!

PS : Damn, this post was late! Will try not to repeat that! Take care all!