#BookReview: My Ride, I Love You by Patrick Rangimant

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A few months back while searching for new Asian dramas to watch, I came across a show in the BL (Boys Love) genre from Thailand. It is no secret that I like shows and books in BL genre a lot, so I ended up watching about a dozen BL series/movies since then. Since I keep an eye on the BL upcoming dramas, I came to know about My Ride the series which will be an adaptation of this book - My Ride, I Love you.
My Ride,I love You (MRILY)  started as twitter fiction and was later made into a full novel in the Thai language. Fortunately, the author decided to also release the English translation on Kindle before the series. 

MRILY is the story of Doctor Tawan and a motor-taxi driver Mork. Tawan meets Mork when he uses his motor-taxi to go to his boyfriend's place. As the visits become frequent, his conversations expand with Mork from pleasantries to other topics.  Gradually, they become friends and end up spending more time together. While Mork starts having feelings for Tawan, he never oversteps his boundaries and instead makes peace with just making Tawan happy and being inspired by his hard work.

MRILY is not a love story, but more a journey to reach the beginnings of the love story for all characters in the book. Since it was majorly set in a hospital, It was quite interesting to know of the personal life of the doctors/staff and appreciation for their efforts. It takes inspiration from author's own profession and life as a neurologist and made for a unique setting for me. All characters are fleshed out and have their own role in the story without any unnecessary drama. The progression from strangers to friends for Tawan and Mork are quite relatable and sweet. Their conversations with their respective best friends about love and their doubts give a lot of positive thoughts.

My favorite part was the FB page which Mork reads to find answers to questions of his heart. The posts/answers/thoughts of the admin of the page were something I had not read before regarding Love & relationship. For instance, on topic of one-sided love, Mork learns that instead of giving up or feeling bitter, he should just learn his position and make the other person happy from next to that person's heart, if not in that heart.

Kudos to the translator for the book to keep all the essence of setting, the casual banter, the cultural references intact throughout the book. The language is simple, the flow of the story is smooth throughout and even with an open ending ( or not ), this book is quite satisfying to read. Even though this is BL/ LGBT story, please be assured that there are no explicit scenes and the book can be read simply as a story on friendship and love and family.  I can not wait to see this as a live-action show now.

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Book Review: The 'Truth about Harry Quebert Affair' by Joel Dicker

           
                  The 'Truth about Harry Quebert Affair' by Joel Dicker is undoubtedly one of the most gripping and satisfying books that I have read in the recent past. Though the book is quite lengthy (and often has the pretensions of a literary read) with about 600+ pages, itsn't a drag. Infact, I enjoyed it much more than many of that crime thrillers which went on to become 'international best-sellers'!

                 The book is set in a coastal New Hampshire town ( Somerset). The protagonist, Marcus Goldman, has had a super successful novel and is desperately in need of inspiration for his his next book. He goes to meet his college professor, Harry Quebert,whom he considers as his fatherly figure and also tries to focus on his writing and re-invent himself. But when the body of (the then) fifteen-year-old Nola Kellergan is found 33 years after she went missing and Quebert is accused of her murder, Marcus works to unravel the mystery behind the crime . How Marcus finds out the truth and what happens to his new novel in the due course of the investigation is what this 'big' book is all about.

                Part guru-shishya story, part murder mystery- love triangle, this is the kind of the book that has something in it for everyone. I liked the way Joel Dicker narrated the story with bits about creative writing thrown in between.The setting is quite fresh and there are twists and turns happening at regular intervals. Infact, as I mentioned before, I found find this book more racy and thrilling than any of those books that have come out of the 'pages-turn-by-themselves' Patterson factory.

Verdict: Must Read! I'm giving it a 4 out of 5.

-nikhimenon

Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin

Translated by Megan McDowell

Translated from Spanish into english, this book was short listed for Man Booker International Prize this year. This is a story that is part narrated by a lady lying in the hospital , aware of the approaching death and directed into recounting her recent past by the conversation between her and a child.

The story unwraps slowly and with a visual clarity that few other prose attempt, even though you can feel the chill in every scene that is played in her head by Amanda. There is something so eerie to go through the events and realization that nothing in them could stop whatever is to happen or whatever happened. The calm yet hurried questions by David are like darts in the dark , that lead to only more questions and unexplained answers.

One thing that I kept hoping was this to be a nightmare , but this was so real and so haunting that I think I need a repeat reading of the book to see it's true color and depth. It's heart breaking to see David try hard to find the cause and cure for whatever happened to him and in his own way , he tried to help Amanda in her last wish. But sometimes our own denial of the reality , blocks our understanding.

This book is a gripping tale of mother's love ,sacrifice and secrets kept by her.

Loved this read of 190 pages.

My rating - 4/5 

The Shadows of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz

This book is originally in Spanish , translated to english by Lucia Graves who has translated most of his works to english. I mention the translator since a messed up translation has ruined many a books. So this book is not just brilliant in its plot , it's writing , the intrigue and the characters but also that even in English, it has some amazing quotes and poetic , beautiful passages.

The story starts with a boy of 10 who picks the last book by an unknown author Julian Carax. Soon he comes to know little bit about the author's life and when some one wants to take the book away from him to destroy it, he wants to know why. As much as he is curious , he is also baited by men and destiny to go on a journey to find about Carax and to protect the last copy of his book. Soon he , his friends and his life gets tangled with people from Carax's life, concluding with both the lives almost a mirror to each. As it is said in the book , a reader mirrors what he reads and vice versa, it almost feels surreal and magical, this impossible tale of love and hatred.

Needless to say, I was hooked to this book within the first two chapters. It took me 3 days to read this book and I am thankful there was weekend that let me spend so much time reading. I felt like Daniel , trying to unravel this author and to know why some one hates him so much to destroy all his mentions and words. This was a brilliant tale with so many layers , human emotions and everything tied to beautifully in the end. Am amazed everytime I read of a story spanning generations and common folks with their own set of belief and fates so closely linked that it's no less than a sorcery to come up with such a web. This book is a similar web you will lose yourself gladly.

A must read for all book lovers.

My rating : 5 ⭐

A Mirrored Life by Rabisankar Bal , translated by Arunava Asinha

There are stories. Always. Stories about people , about other stories , about people telling the stories , about stories new and old and forgotten alike. Stories liek books reach you by fate. And its fate that sent Ibn Battuta on his travels , reciting and collecting tales of Rumi known to most as Maulana.

Followers of Rumi present Battuta with a manuscript of Rumi's life stories and he goes away from Konya spreading them. It is like he takes all the beauty and love form Konya ( the birthplace of Rumi ) in his heart and the gifts from fellow travellers and followers. The stories he shares are amazed as much as amazing 'cause they flow endlessly entwined with daily life of commoners.
For me these were all conversations , like snippets from an evening , the aroma of favorite cup of chai on a relaxing day. I was hooked to the book from the first page and more when the author mentions that no one can reproduce the stories as they were born. We can only share the qissa but not the physical surroundings or the emotional state of the people involved. And this is the same for this review I am writing.
I am so lucky I got to read this book that questions the answers and answers new questions. It was a difficult book to finish within a short time and I am guilty of avoiding reading more than few pages every now and then.
Do yourself a favor and read this book. ASAP.
My rating : 5/5 

Buy the book here 

#BookReview : Sambhala: The Journey Begins (Sambhala Trilogy #1) by Shariful Hasan , Arindam Mukherjee (Translator)

In a small village somewhere in rural Bangladesh, an old man starts behaving in bizarre ways.
Rashed, an undergraduate in Dacca, comes under police suspicion: presumed guilty of murder.
A thousand year old book goes missing from a house in Shantinagar and a group of Satan worshipers are let loose by their leader to retrieve it.
Nikolas Carson, a world renowned archaeologist willingly steps in his kidnappers' car.

Who is this strange old man? Why was a boy-next-door like Shamim murdered? What is Nikolas Carson's interest in a legend that has no factual evidence? What is 'Sambhala'?

As the story unravels from France and Rome to India and Tibet, each of the characters cling on to their mission, unaware that their fates are mysteriously intertwined.

Nimue Says:  What intrigued me about the book was its name and the lovely designed cover. In case you are not already aware , Sambhala is supposedly the Buddhist Pure land , also referenced in old hindu texts as the birthplace of last Vishnu avataar Kalki. This trivia with the key on its cover , the book seemed to be a journey to reach this land of ultimate nirvana. But is it really possible for some one to undertake such a journey and attain such wisdom and spiritual power ? 

In another interpretation , writers emphasized on the concept of a hidden land inhabited by mystic monks who live and work for good of humanity. Imagine the knowledge these monks would have and the burden of the mistakes and mis judgments too !

The book traces not the journey in the book#1 , but more so the roots and footprints of the seeker and his interactions with various people who shape his choices and decisions over the years. In this regard , The setting and character development is immaculately done from the beginning to the(ir) end. there are no over the top action scenes thrown here and there and neither did I feel the disconnect in the visuals. 

Of all the characters that Shariful juggles with his able pen , the seemingly ageless old man is one of the most intriguing and charming character I have come to like among few other fantasy characters.

While Shariful deserves praise for the story , I liked the way Arindam has translated it in English. The language is easy and later part of the book is actually more fun reading , with some nice modern references added in the dialogues.

My only complaint from the author ( and translator) is that some chapters change too abruptly and jump a lot between locations. this makes it a little upsetting until you get a hang of it.

All in all , a really entertaining tale. Awaiting the sequel now.
My Rating : 4/5

Fever : Mahakaler Rather Ghoda by Samaresh Basu

Synopsis :
Ruhiton Kurmi has been in jail for seven years. Once a notorious Naxalite, he is now a withered shell; a man broken by torture, racked with fevers and sores. The only way he can endure his life is by shutting out the past. But when Ruhiton is moved to a better jail and eventually freed, memories return to haunt him. He looks back upon his youth, his marriage, his home in the Terai foothills—and he remembers too, the friends he has killed, the revolutionary colleagues he made, and the ideals he once believed in.


The book begins with a poem "Behind the scenes" describing the soldiers who fought in the epic battle at Kurukshetra . And with that the moos was set. A story of  Ruhiton told be himself, this book progresses with a detail of the present time and snatches of his past. Even if the incident look random, each memory helps you understand what made Ruhiton the person he is. This was the first time I read anything on the Naxalite movement. Being from a worker's viewpoint and understanding, you get to know of the conditions and the faith at grassroots. its more heart breaking too since its at this level, that people get most affected when the movement failed. the story not only traces the naxalite movement or the ideas behind it but also thoughts and dreams of the people living in those areas at that time. It draws your attention on the effect it has on a person, ot just physically, but also emotionally. Later when Ruhiton is diagnosed with leprosy, the author has amazingly portrayed a patient's fears and doubts as well as the treatment he gets from rest of the world, even after he is cured. there is a tone of understanding one's fate and forgiveness for all, in the book. It is a story of life as it is for most people. Loneliness , sadness , dreams and hopes are just phases we all go through. What we get in the end is what we truly want for us. Ruhiton always dreamed and fought for freedom and that alone drives his life.

A heartfelt book, one which I am glad i came across.
Thanks to Random House for the lovely translation and sending it across to me for review.

I am soon gonna pick the other translations in this series and read. Never realized before, Indian fiction has so much to offer.

Ratings : 5/5

Other Details :
ISBN : 9788184001945
Pub Date : 23 Dec 2011
Binding : Paperback
Price : 250
Pages : 152

The little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The Little Prince first published in 1943, is the most famous work of the French aristocrat writer, poet and pioneering aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry .

The novella traces the days the narrator spends in Sahara desert listening to the story of "the little prince" a fantasy character from another planet. Each chapter from the meeting onwards, details the prince's travels to different planets, the people he meets and his observations.

The author pokes fun at a king, a businessman, a geographer, and a lamplighter, all of whom signify some futile aspect of adult existence. He tells about a rose , a fox , a snake too highlighting what humans have lost with time and what we should treasure if we can. This is a heartfelt tale of love and jealousy , loneliness and its expressions , of what make us special , of freinds we make and why , of things we waste our time and life on...

I can go on and on but can still not emphaisize the lessons and the beaity of each chapter of this book.

Sharing my favorite lines from the book still :

“Goodbye,” said the fox. “Here is my secret. It’s quite simple: One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes. . . . It’s the time that you spent on your rose that makes your rose so important. . . . People have forgotten this truth,” the fox said, “But you mustn’t forget it. You become responsible for what you’ve tamed. You’re responsible for your rose..

"It's your own fault," said the little prince. "I never wished you any sort of harm; but you wanted me to tame you..."
"Yes, that is so," said the fox.
"But now you are going to cry!" said the little prince.
"Yes, that is so," said the fox.
"Then it has done you no good at all!"
"It has done me good," said the fox, "because

Read it and you will find yourself wiser and smiling at the end of it.

Other details :
Pages : 128
Price : 70

The dangerous Man by Ibn-e-safi

This is book#2 in the Urdu to English translation of Imran series written by Ibn-e-safi and transalted by Taimoor Shahid.


Synopsis :

Mysterious Screams:
Ten years ago, Nawwab Hashim was found dead in his bedroom. Now a man claiming to be him appears out of the blue and moved back to the old house. Sajid, his nephew and heir, doesn’t know what to believe, nor can he fathom the terrible screams that have started emerging from the house each night. Moody a romantic young American comes across the girl of his dreams. She gives him an antique casket and disappears. Soon thereafter, strange people start following the American. The answer to both these mysteries is one. The only man who could find it genius snoop Imran.
 

The Dangerous Man:

Roshi, is a beautiful Anglo-Burmese call girl. The hotel she works from is seedy, the neighborhood full of unsolved killings, but Roshi can look herself--until the day she meets a handsome young man called ‘Parrot’. Soon Roshi is caught in a spiral of intrigue and she doesn’t know who to trust. Who is this ‘Parrot’? Will he prove to be her saviour? Or is he the archnemesis?

Review : The stories seem simple but are really not that simple.The settings are quite modern irrespective of being written decades ago. The characters are realistic and the narration is fluid. Best (and maybe a little bad) thing about the stories is that until the main character Imran reveals , you will have no idea what the plot is and how is the mystery ever going to be solved. Some of you who like to be involved in the investigative process, the stories offer you no help. Also you at times wish to be able to read and understand urdu to read the original story.

Rating : 3.5/5 (I would have given more for the Urdu book i think)


Other details :
ISBN        :     9788184001181
Pub Date   :    11 Jul 2011
Binding      :    Paperback   
Price         :    199
Pages        :    214