Gautam tries again to climb the 75 mountain
Talk 75 Books Challenge for 2014
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1mausergem
Happy New Year to all. I've been in this group for the last 3 years but have never reached the target but this is home. So here I go again.
2drneutron
Welcome back! Even though you don't make the goal, I still like to follow your reading. You read some good stuff!
4PaulCranswick
Third time lucky for you this year I am sure Gautam. Have a splendid 2014.
7mausergem
My first book completed in 2014.
Book 1 - Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel
Alison is a psychic and Cholette her companion take us on a journey to the spirit world.
This is a heart breaking story of the struggles and inner turmoils of a psychic, giving an insight into their techniques and works. A good litrary read. 4 stars.
Book 1 - Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel
Alison is a psychic and Cholette her companion take us on a journey to the spirit world.
This is a heart breaking story of the struggles and inner turmoils of a psychic, giving an insight into their techniques and works. A good litrary read. 4 stars.
8PaulCranswick
Gautam - Nice to see you posting. Have a great Sunday.
9mausergem
Book 2 - A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
Rating - 3*
Review - Ruth, a middle aged struggling writer, finds a package on the beach while strolling and opens it to find a diary of a teenaged Japanese girl, Naolo. She starts to read the diary of this girl and gets involved in the narrative. Naolo had spent her childhood in America and had returned to Japan when her father had lost his job as the dot com bubble burst. She has difficulties in adjusting in the new environment and is suicidal. Nao has a great grandmother who is a nun and one summer vacation she visits her and is inspired by her. The story follows Nao's and Ruth's life in alternating chapters. We are led through Nao's story and Ruth's attempt to find out Nao's fate.
This novel hints at magic realism and quantum physics. It was long listed for the Booker's prize 2013. Overall it's an average read.
Rating - 3*
Review - Ruth, a middle aged struggling writer, finds a package on the beach while strolling and opens it to find a diary of a teenaged Japanese girl, Naolo. She starts to read the diary of this girl and gets involved in the narrative. Naolo had spent her childhood in America and had returned to Japan when her father had lost his job as the dot com bubble burst. She has difficulties in adjusting in the new environment and is suicidal. Nao has a great grandmother who is a nun and one summer vacation she visits her and is inspired by her. The story follows Nao's and Ruth's life in alternating chapters. We are led through Nao's story and Ruth's attempt to find out Nao's fate.
This novel hints at magic realism and quantum physics. It was long listed for the Booker's prize 2013. Overall it's an average read.
10mausergem
Book 3 - The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen
Rating 3.75*
Review - This is a Scandinavian crime fiction. This is a police procedural. Carl Morck was a detective with the Copenhagen police squad. In a shooting incidence Carl had lost a partner and his other partner was paralyzed. Carl after returning to his regular duties was being difficult and hence what made the chief of a new department called department Q which dealt with high-profile cold cases. The first case which he investigates is of Merete Lynggaard an upcoming young politician who suddenly disappeared while on a ferry. On deeper investigation Carl and his assistant Assad discover various discrepancies in the previous investigations and discover certain new things. The story ends with a thrilling climax.
A good crime thriller. And moreover it's the first installment of a series.
Rating 3.75*
Review - This is a Scandinavian crime fiction. This is a police procedural. Carl Morck was a detective with the Copenhagen police squad. In a shooting incidence Carl had lost a partner and his other partner was paralyzed. Carl after returning to his regular duties was being difficult and hence what made the chief of a new department called department Q which dealt with high-profile cold cases. The first case which he investigates is of Merete Lynggaard an upcoming young politician who suddenly disappeared while on a ferry. On deeper investigation Carl and his assistant Assad discover various discrepancies in the previous investigations and discover certain new things. The story ends with a thrilling climax.
A good crime thriller. And moreover it's the first installment of a series.
11scaifea
I have yet to read any of the Scandi-Crime stuff out there, but so many 75ers are raving about them that I'm sure to cave soon. Glad to see that you enjoyed this one.
12mausergem
Book 4 - From the ruins of an Empire by Pankaj Mishra
Rating - 4*
Review - This is a non fiction work focussing on rise and fall of imperialism in the Asian continent right from Egypt to Japan. It focuses on the process of awakening of the people and the leaders behind them throughout Asia. Some countries in Asia were European colonies and some were just heavily influenced in policy matters by the European powers. The two world wars contributed to the decline of the European powers and the Asian people awakened to their rights.
This is a excellent book which gives us the background information like the rulers, religion and the beliefs of the different nations and how each country chose the different path to freedom. It also gives us various new and unheard philosophers who directly or indirectly influenced the uprisings of people.
Rating - 4*
Review - This is a non fiction work focussing on rise and fall of imperialism in the Asian continent right from Egypt to Japan. It focuses on the process of awakening of the people and the leaders behind them throughout Asia. Some countries in Asia were European colonies and some were just heavily influenced in policy matters by the European powers. The two world wars contributed to the decline of the European powers and the Asian people awakened to their rights.
This is a excellent book which gives us the background information like the rulers, religion and the beliefs of the different nations and how each country chose the different path to freedom. It also gives us various new and unheard philosophers who directly or indirectly influenced the uprisings of people.
13mausergem
Book 5 - The Ritual by Adam Nevill
Rating - 2.5*
Review - Four friends travel to Sweden for a jungle trek holiday in the Scandinavian wilderness. When they decide to leave the main part of the trail and take a short cut, things start going wrong. They encounter a large animal stripped of shing and mounted between two trees. They could not imagine what kind of animal would hang his pray such. They find further evidence of this strange being, a god of the ancient world and they come across a cult of this strange creature's followers and their ritual.
It's an average read.
Rating - 2.5*
Review - Four friends travel to Sweden for a jungle trek holiday in the Scandinavian wilderness. When they decide to leave the main part of the trail and take a short cut, things start going wrong. They encounter a large animal stripped of shing and mounted between two trees. They could not imagine what kind of animal would hang his pray such. They find further evidence of this strange being, a god of the ancient world and they come across a cult of this strange creature's followers and their ritual.
It's an average read.
14kidzdoc
I'm glad to hear that you liked From the Ruins of Empire, Gautam. I have a copy in my library, and I'll probably read it soon.
15mausergem
Book 6 - The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami
Rating - 5*
Review - Some stories are good some not so but Haruki Murakami is a brilliant brilliant story teller. He can make mundane stories interesting and day to day incidents exciting. There is good build up without any let down. Amazing read.
Rating - 5*
Review - Some stories are good some not so but Haruki Murakami is a brilliant brilliant story teller. He can make mundane stories interesting and day to day incidents exciting. There is good build up without any let down. Amazing read.
16kidzdoc
The Elephant Vanishes is one of the few books by Murakami that I haven't read yet. I'm glad to hear that you liked it, Gautam.
17mausergem
Book 7 - The Infatuations by Javier Marias
Rating - 3*
Review - The novel is a story of many infatuations. The narrator, Maria, tells us about a couple whom she see every morning at a cafe where she has her breakfast. This couple seems so happy with each other and life that she secretly loves them and they add a small spark to her mornings. Our perfect couple miss some days at the cafe and later Maria finds that the husband was murdered on the streets where he was stabbed by an begger in a freak accident. Maria makes contact with the wife and there meets, Javier, who is a close friend of the family. She has a casual affair with Javier and one day when she is asleep in his apartment she overhears a conversation where Javier is indirectly implicated in the murder.
This is a psychological story where we deal with questions of what's permissible or right when we are in love. There is lot of repetition of similar ideas and as this is a translation from Spanish it feels that something is lost in translation.
Rating - 3*
Review - The novel is a story of many infatuations. The narrator, Maria, tells us about a couple whom she see every morning at a cafe where she has her breakfast. This couple seems so happy with each other and life that she secretly loves them and they add a small spark to her mornings. Our perfect couple miss some days at the cafe and later Maria finds that the husband was murdered on the streets where he was stabbed by an begger in a freak accident. Maria makes contact with the wife and there meets, Javier, who is a close friend of the family. She has a casual affair with Javier and one day when she is asleep in his apartment she overhears a conversation where Javier is indirectly implicated in the murder.
This is a psychological story where we deal with questions of what's permissible or right when we are in love. There is lot of repetition of similar ideas and as this is a translation from Spanish it feels that something is lost in translation.
18mausergem
Book 8 - Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
Rating - 4.25*
Review - This is the first book of an urban fantasy series. Peter Grant, a new constable in the London metropolitan deparment has a talent for the supernatural. He is recruited by detective inspector Nightingale to work by his side. What follows is a fun filled journey in the world of of ghosts, river nymphs, vampires and other fascinating characters.
Fast paced and very entertaining.
Rating - 4.25*
Review - This is the first book of an urban fantasy series. Peter Grant, a new constable in the London metropolitan deparment has a talent for the supernatural. He is recruited by detective inspector Nightingale to work by his side. What follows is a fun filled journey in the world of of ghosts, river nymphs, vampires and other fascinating characters.
Fast paced and very entertaining.
19kidzdoc
I bought Rivers of London when I was in the city last year; hopefully I'll get to it this summer.
20mausergem
Book 9 - The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna
Rating - 3.75*
Review - This story is set set in Serra Leone, a country in Western Africa, which is plagued by military coups and civil war. It's is story of three men, two citizens of Serra Leone and one British. These men are intellectuals a professor, a doctor and a psychologist. Each of them had their lives directly or indirectly influenced by the wars and each is trying to deal with it. Each of these men experience love and disappointment.
The language is beautiful and the narrative is very picturesque. The author captures emotions and situations well. The stories go in circles but you are not in this for the story, you are here for the feel of the place and the people. After all this is literary fiction.
Rating - 3.75*
Review - This story is set set in Serra Leone, a country in Western Africa, which is plagued by military coups and civil war. It's is story of three men, two citizens of Serra Leone and one British. These men are intellectuals a professor, a doctor and a psychologist. Each of them had their lives directly or indirectly influenced by the wars and each is trying to deal with it. Each of these men experience love and disappointment.
The language is beautiful and the narrative is very picturesque. The author captures emotions and situations well. The stories go in circles but you are not in this for the story, you are here for the feel of the place and the people. After all this is literary fiction.
21mausergem
Book 10 - The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall
Rating - 2.5*
Review - This is the first novel of series of novels featuring a private detective Vish Puri. It is set in Delhi at the turn of the century. Vish Puri is a well known private detective and is asked by a lawyer from Jaipur to look into the disappearance of one of his servants.
It's not a great story but does give a peek into the modern Indian culture. An average read.
Rating - 2.5*
Review - This is the first novel of series of novels featuring a private detective Vish Puri. It is set in Delhi at the turn of the century. Vish Puri is a well known private detective and is asked by a lawyer from Jaipur to look into the disappearance of one of his servants.
It's not a great story but does give a peek into the modern Indian culture. An average read.
22mausergem
Book 11 - Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Rating - 5*
Review - This is my second time read of this great epic and it's still very impressive. Nowadays everyone loves dark tales, this story of Heathcliff and Catherine is as dark as a tale can get. "A love so dark that it destroyed everyone it touched".
Rating - 5*
Review - This is my second time read of this great epic and it's still very impressive. Nowadays everyone loves dark tales, this story of Heathcliff and Catherine is as dark as a tale can get. "A love so dark that it destroyed everyone it touched".
23mausergem
Book 12 - Jeeves and the Wedding Bells by Sebastian Faulks
Rating - 4.5*
Review - This is a homage to PG Wodehouse as the author, Sabastian Faulks, revives his most famous characters Jeeves and Wooster in a fun filled narrative.
Wooster in an attempt to help out his friend, Woody Beeching, to win back his love goes to Melbury Hall, the home of Sir Henry Hackwood, in the guise of a gentleman's gentleman to his valet Jeeves who is acting as Lord Etringham. Here he discovers his own admiration for Georgina, the niece of Sir Henry, while he fulfills his duties as a footman, a cricketer and an actor in an enactment of a play. Will this admiration be converted into wedding bells? Read and be entertained a la Wodehouse style.
Rating - 4.5*
Review - This is a homage to PG Wodehouse as the author, Sabastian Faulks, revives his most famous characters Jeeves and Wooster in a fun filled narrative.
Wooster in an attempt to help out his friend, Woody Beeching, to win back his love goes to Melbury Hall, the home of Sir Henry Hackwood, in the guise of a gentleman's gentleman to his valet Jeeves who is acting as Lord Etringham. Here he discovers his own admiration for Georgina, the niece of Sir Henry, while he fulfills his duties as a footman, a cricketer and an actor in an enactment of a play. Will this admiration be converted into wedding bells? Read and be entertained a la Wodehouse style.
