Do you want to forget anything you’ve read?

In the perfect follow-up to last week’s question, as suggested by C in DC:

Is there a book that you wish you could “unread”? One that you disliked so thoroughly you wish you could just forget that you ever read it?

If a book is that bad, I’m sure I wouldn’t have completed it. There are so many DNF books that I can name. And I do regret buying them, but I don’t remember wasting time over a book that I would have absolutely hated.

Of course there were a few books which were okay overall but sucked at the end, but then I wouldn’t “unread” them because at least parts of it were good. And sometimes you do learn something from “okay” books too, about a place or a profession or something like that.

So no, I wouldn’t want to forget anything I’ve read. Even if I did have a book like that I would definitely remember the name of the author, so I don’t read anything by him/her again

What about you?

The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran

Title: The Heretic Queen
Author: Michelle Moran
Publisher: Crown; 1 edition (September 16, 2008)
Hardcover: 400 pages
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

About the book: The winds of change are blowing through Thebes. A devastating palace fire has killed the 18th dynasty’s royal family—all with the exception of Nefertari, niece of the reviled former queen Nefertiti. The girl’s deceased family has been branded as heretical, and no one in Egypt will speak their names. A relic of a previous reign, Nefertari is pushed aside, an unimportant princess left to run wild in the palace. But all of this changes when she is taken under the wing of pharaoh’s aunt, and brought to the Temple of Hathor where she is educated in a manner befitting a future queen.

Soon Nefertari catches the eye of the crown prince, and despite her family’s history, they fall in love and wish to marry. Yet all of Egypt opposes this union between the rising star of a new dynasty and the fading star of an old, heretical one. While political adversity sets the country on edge, Nefertari becomes the wife of Ramesses the Great. Destined to be the most powerful pharaoh in Egypt, he is also the man who must confront the most famous exodus in history.

“My love is unique–no one can rival her, for she is the most beautiful woman alive. Just by passing, she has stolen away my heart”.

This poetry was written by Ramesses for his beloved wife Nefertari and engraved on the walls of her burial site. The Heretic Queen is the story of this woman and her struggle to achieve her dream.

The entire family of Nefertari is wiped out in the fire and her mother Mutnodjmet dies after giving birth to her. Nefertari is left alone in the royal castle with her nurse Merit. But Nefertari’s present and future is plagued by her past, by the deeds of her heretic ancestors, her aunt Nefertiti and Akhenaton. Nefertari is in love with Ramesses, the son of Pharaoh Seti and the heir to the throne. But Ramesses is forced to choose Iset as his wife because the people of Egypt are against making a heretic’s niece a queen and fear the wrath of Amun, their God.

Ramesses marries Nefertari later against everyone’s wishes but he cannot make her the Chief Queen. Nefertari has to win the hearts of her people first and prove to them that she is not a heretic like her aunt Nefertiti.

Author Michelle Moran has yet again managed to bring ancient Egypt to life. She is a superb storyteller and knows how to fill in the historical gaps and make the characters more compelling than they might have been in reality. Nefertari was more likable than Nefertiti but it could also be because in this novel, the narrator itself was Nefertari. This book shows her struggle to win over her people, to keep Iset and her enemies at bay, to help Ramesses and the court. But underneath it all, The Heretic Queen is essentially a love story, a love story between Ramesses and Nefertari.

I have always been interested in Egypt and have read and seen so much about it that I was utterly confused between the innumerable pharaohs and queens. This book sorted it out for me. It kind of gave me a sketch. Michelle Moran also gives in the Historical Facts behind her book as to what is assumed, so there is no question of being misguided. Although not as dramatic and scandalous as Nefertiti, The Heretic Queen is equally fascinating. Author Diana Gabaldon calls Nefertiti “Compulsively readable!” and the same can be said for “The Heretic Queen”. This book is entertaining and a pure pleasure to read.

Her next book is Cleopatra’s Daughter and I’m sure it will be as good as Nefertiti and The Heretic Queen.

What’s in a name?

I have been thinking forever about book titles. Just like book covers are used to attract the readers or a browsers attention, the title does the same for so many of us. At least it does for me. We see so many books around everyday, read about dozens of books, what makes a book really stand out for me is the cover and the title. I remember reading about King Rat on Nymeth’s blog. And then at the end she had mentioned ‘Un Lun Dun’. The title stuck with me and when some time later I happened to browse in the bookstore, I came across it. I didn’t remember anything about the book except the title and that I had read something nice about it. So I picked it up.

The other day I read about ‘A toss of Lemon’ and ‘The boy with the stripped pajamas’ and I know I’ll always remember them and pick them up eventually.

The thing is, why don’t people work as hard on titles as they do on covers? Why are there so many books with similar titles?
Let’s see. There’s A long way gone, A long way home, A long way from home, It’s a long way home, The long way home, The way home. See what I mean?

I want titles that could be distinguished from hordes of other books.

Beautiful titles like A thousand splendid suns, Half of a yellow sun, The Convent of little flowers, Gone with the wind…
or striking ones like The house at Riverton, House on the Tradd street, Witches Trinity, Last night in Montréal, First comes love then come Maleria. I also think Neil Gaiman’s books have the most amazing titles.

If it’s a popular author I don’t think the title matters much, but I do believe it should be given sufficient thought for debut novels.

I agree I don’t buy books based on the title, but it does help to have an eye-catching one when all you see in a bookstore is the spine of the book. Does the title attract you when you browse a bookstore or even while surfing the internet?

Any titles you specifically love or remember?

That Went Well by Terrell Harris Dougan

Title: That Went Well
Author: Terrell Harris Dougan
Publisher: Hyperion; First Edition edition (January 6, 2009)
Pages: 224
4 out of 5 stars

Meet Terrell Dougan’s sister, Irene: a woman in her sixties who still believes in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny–but who also enjoys playing those characters for the children at the local hospital; whose favorite outfit, which she’ll sneak into whenever Terrell’s back is turned, consists of Mickey Mouse kneesocks and shorts; who wins over the neighborhood kids by hosting two fire trucks at her lemonade stand; whose fridge bears a magnet: NORMAL PEOPLE WORRY ME.

When Irene was born, her parents were advised to institutionalize her. They refused and instead became trailblazers in advocating for the rights of people with mental disabilities. The entire family benefited, with a life rich in stress, sorrows, hilarity, joy, and overwhelming kindness from strangers. Terrell has found that the only way to get through the difficult moments is to laugh–even in the most trying of times. In her moving, funny, and unforgettable memoir about life with Irene, Terrell Dougan shows that love, humor, and compassion are enough to heal us, every single day.

I had varied reactions to this book in the course of reading the 200 or so pages. At first I was really impressed by the writing style, simple yet effective. After I got used to the writing style, I admired the way the family coped with Irene’s disability. They wanted her to have a life in the community and not to be sent in some home where there are no proper facilities. After 100 pages or so I started getting irritated because it was more about Terrell and her sacrifices and her accomplishments. Honestly I was expecting a more compassionate approach towards Irene. But most of the time it was how unmanageable she was, how stubborn and manipulative.

I was all about writing a negative review for this book. But then somewhere around the last 50 pages or so, I realized something. Whenever I read a book about mental disability or any form of disability for that matter, there is always an expectation that you get to know how wonderful that person is and that he/ she has enriched your life in so many ways and that you would not have it any other way in spite of everything.

In the beginning the book felt like all complaining and how much Terrell and her family had to sacrifice for Irene. But deep down you see they care and they love and do it because they want to and not because they have to. At the end of the book there’s a letter to Irene which says all the things I wanted to read, that she was special and she impacted her life and all that. And then there’s this,

However, as my dear friend says of her mentally disabled son, “Yeah, yeah, I know. But I still wish it had happened to the neighbors.”

So yes, I understand now. I loved the honesty in this book. And even though it’s a difficult subject, the book does not get overbearing at any time. This book, I feel, is not about Irene, it’s about the people who deal with her and cope with the difficulties that come with raising and managing a mentally disabled person. There was this fear of what would happen to Irene when no one was around, the guilt of not doing enough that always seemed to be there, the codependency (read about this in the book) and finally coming to terms with the situation. I think people who interact with disabled people will be able to relate to this book very well.

Thank you Paula from Author Marketing Experts for my copy.

BTT: A Second First time?

What book would you love to be able to read again for the first time?
(Interestingly, I thought that I had thought this one up myself, but when I started scrolling through the Suggestions, found that Rebecca had suggested almost exactly this question a couple months ago. So, we both get credit!)

There are quite a few books actually.

Maximum city: I remember reading this book and being constantly shocked, surprised or amazed. You don’t find that in a lot of books. And it was very informative. I love books that provide information without boring you. This book was good. I would love to curl up with it and not wanting to keep it down, no matter how late it is in the night.

Legends of Pensam: I know I’ve mentioned this book way too many times lately. But I still remember reading it and pointing out sentences or passages to my sister. It exhilarating to discover that words can be so beautiful.

The first Nora Roberts book I’ve read: Unfortunately I don’t remember the name. But I want the feeling of discovering a new favorite author, loving the book so much and then discovering that she has written loads of other books which you can dive into.

What book would you love to read again for the first time?

Jeffrey Archer: My first author signing :)

Guess what??? Obviously you did from the title, but I want to say it out. I went to a signing by Jeffrey Archer on Sunday. yay!!!

Honestly, I have not read a single book by him, except half of Kane and Abel. But even if you haven’t read any of his work, you must have heard about him, right? So when I got a message that he was coming to my city for the launch of the book ‘Paths of Glory”, I had to go. I’ve never been to any signing or author event before, because there are next to none in my city.

We reached 15 mins early but the space was packed. I mean I didn’t expect so many people would turn up (nor I think the staff did). Jeffrey Archer came right on time.

He was so funny and quick witted and he commanded attention from each and every person. He spoke about his latest book “Paths of Glory”. Apparently, it’s based on a true story. It’s about George Mallory who went on a mountaineering expedition to Everest and in 1924. He disappeared for a while and was found dead on the mountain in 1999. Sounds interesting to me.

Among Indian writers he said he loved R.K.Narayanan. Unfortunately, I have read just one short story collection by him called “Malgudi days”.

He also spoke about his first book “Not a penny less, not a penny more”. It was rejected 14 times and it sold only 3000 copies. His second book “Kane and Abel” shot to the top of the New York times best selling list. Talking about Kane and Abel, he said that 30 years after it was first published, he thought he could revisit it and slip the changes, if any, in the next edition. But he ended up almost re-writing it. The re-written version is 7,200 words short and it’s going to be available in October this year. And the older version will go out of print for a while.

Next, he is working on a short story collection and a book which will be a family saga.

I really loved what he said about storytelling. He said everyone can be a writer but very few people are storytellers. It’s a god given gift. He said Charles Dickens and R.K.Narayan are one of the best examples.

Sorry for the choppy update, I wrote whatever I could remember. And obviously there aren’t many pictures, because he said he was getting distracted by the camera flashes. I got the book ‘Paths of Glory” signed by him, but again he said there won’t be any dedications as the line was huge.

After we were done, we went to my favorite Chinese place and had some yummy food. I wanted to take pictures of the food the way Alice does, lol , but we were so hungry, it kind of slipped out of my mind.

Have you been to a Jeffrey Archer signing before? Have you read any of his books? Which one is your favorite? What do you think about the new version of Kane and Abel? Would you buy it?

P.G.Wodehouse – A damsel in distress

A damsel in distress was fun. P.G.Wodehouse is fun. But I guess you already know that. I don’t know many people who haven’t read and enjoyed this author. I was somehow reluctant to read any of his work. I picked this up from a bookstore after much deliberation and because I loved the title.

This novel has all the ingredients that make a book fun and happening and lively. George Bevan, an American composer, falls in love with Maud, the daughter of Earl Lord Marshmoreton. George had a lot of money and is a nice guy and Maud likes him too. But there is a problem. In fact, there are many problems. First is Lady Caroline, Lord Marshmoreton sister, who wants her step son Reggie to marry Maud. Then there is Maud’s brother Percy, who does not want Maud to marry an unknown American, a man without a title. Besides Percy had a row with George once in Piccadilly because of which he had to spend one night in jail, not to mention his family’s name being tarnished in the newspapers.

But the biggest problem is that Maud is in love with another American called Geoffrey Raymond. Everyone mistakes George with Geoffrey and then what ensues is a comedy of errors and misunderstandings.

All the characters were so lively and colorful, even Percy with his overweight body and his tendency to get into trouble while keeping watch over Maud. Although I didn’t laugh out loud at everything, I did have a smile on my face throughout.

I’ve heard that this is not the best Wodehouse book. But I cannot compare it to others as this is my first. For me, this was excellent. 5/5.

Have you read Wodehouse? Which book do you think is his best?

Island of the Blue Dolphins and Children’s book week

I bought this book in a book fair last week. I was going to read this anyway, so I decided to read and review it for Children’s Book Week.

This book was released in 1960 and was a Newbery winner for that year.

This story is about a girl called Karana. She lived on an Island shaped like a Dolphin, hence called Dolphins’ Island. When the Russians come to their Island for hunting Otters, they agree to part with half their share with the Island people as they would be hunting on their territory. But the Russians, while leaving, refuse to give the share and a fight breaks out between the 2 sides killing many people from the Island. Karana’s father was the chief of the Tribe who was also killed.

When the new chief is appointed, he decides to move from the dolphin’s Island to a near by Island where it would be more safe. But somehow during the moving process, Karana is left behind. She decides to wait for the next ship to come and take her to the Island. But seasons later, when no ship arrives, she decides to make the Island her home and do her best with whatever she can.

This story is her struggle with the nature’s forces, with wild animals and most of all with loneliness. Karana has amazing courage and resilience. In spite of the adverse conditions she does not loose hope.

As an adult I enjoyed the story and the decriptions of the Island and the tribal customs. The story was interesting enough to pull me in. But I can see that children would find much more to love in this story. It could teach them morals and values without preaching. And a girl stuck on an Island, making th best of what she has got, making a hut, catching fish, building a boat could be appealing.

Overall, a good read. I am sad I didn’t get a chance to read this as a child.

I found some really good information on Wikipedia. It was published in 1960 and won the Newbery Medal that year, and the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis in 1963. It is based on the true story of Juana Maria, the “Lone Woman of San Nicolas”, a Nicoleño Indian marooned for 18 years on San Nicolas Island off the California coast before being rescued in 1853.

The sequel of this book is titled Zia.

The picture is the Island of San Nicolas where the woman was rescued from. Doesn’t it look like a Dolphin?

Have you read this book? How did you find it?
What children’s book do you recommend which could be enjoyed by adults too?

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Gluttony!!!

Book Gluttony! Are your eyes bigger than your book belly? Do you have a habit of buying up books far quicker than you could possibly read them? Have you had to curb your book buying habits until you can catch up with yourself? Or are you a controlled buyer, only purchasing books when you have run out of things to read?

Ha…yes, I buy books much much much faster than I can read them. My reading speed is very slow; it’s like 50 pages an hour. And I don’t get more than an hour to read everyday. So it takes me a week to read a 300 pages book. But sometimes I do read a lot. Like last month I read 13 books (don’t ask me how).

I have divided my bookshelf into 2 parts, read and unread. That’s as far as I can manage it. And obviously there is absolutely no space in my “to-read” section whereas the “read” section can accommodate at least 40 books more.

I have more than enough books to last me for a couple of years or more. But I don’t hold back on buying books. I do hold back on ARC’s though because a tall ARC pile will give me unnecessary tension. Having said that I like to have a lot of options for my next read.

So book gluttony??? Oh, yes!!!
But I wouldn’t say that’s necessarily a bad thing

Short Stories…

I don’t read short stories much and I have decided to change that. The best part is I can read them online without stressing my eyes for a long time and also I can read them at work when the work load is not much.

I am doing short reviews of each. There are no spoilers.

The Kiss by Guy De Maupassant.
I read about it first on Eva’s blog. It’s a story in the form of a letter written by an aunt to her niece educating her on the ‘art of loving’. I found the story amusing and entertaining but I don’t think most of it applies today.

Take for e.g. these lines.

Trust in the advice of my experience. First, never kiss your husband in public, in the train, at the restaurant. It is bad taste; do not give in to your desires. He would feel ridiculous and would never forgive you.

It all depends on whether a person likes public display of affection or not. Each to his own I say. It’s a fun read though.

Ghosts by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Today I saw Ikenna Okoro, a man I had long thought was dead. Perhaps I should have bent down, grabbed a handful of sand, and thrown it at him, in the way my people do to make sure a person is not a ghost.

This is a story in the form of a conversation between a professor and a man whom he thinks is dead and has not seen for 37 years. They reminisce about all things lost after the Biafra war and how things have changed. A very beautiful story.

The Headstrong Historian by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Many years after her husband had died, Nwamgba still closed her eyes from time to time to relive his nightly visits to her hut, and the mornings after, when she would walk to the stream humming a song, thinking of the smoky scent of him and the firmness of his weight, and feeling as if she were surrounded by light.

Its a story about a woman called Nwamgba who after her husbands death, enrolled her son in a missionary school so that she could claim her land back from her husbands cousins. She got her land back but she lost her son to the missionaries. The historian here is her son’s daughter whom she thought carried her dead husband’s spirit and who after being a Christian for many years, returned to her roots.

I found this story to be inspired from Things fall apart by Chinua Achebe.
The thing I don’t like about short stories is that it makes me feel as if I have read an incomplete novel, a feeling which I do not like. But with Ms. Adichie’s stories, it is different. Her stories are complete however short they are. If you haven’t read anything by Adichie, try this story out. You can never go wrong with her.

The Ethical Dilemma of a Sandwich down the Pants by Kelly Shriver

We queue up at the Li’l Peach, the one on the town-gown line in Cambridge, and we’re dying. The woman paying the cashier is digging around for exact change, and we all want to yell “It would take way less time to break a fiver!” but we are all too chicken. We’re just strangers with a common goal. We shift from foot to foot, juggling our purchases from hand to hand. We are impatient, but we’re honest. We wait to pay.

Don’t you just love the title? This is a very short story. It will literally take you 2 minutes to read but you will enjoy it. A man is caught shoplifting, stealing a sandwich and stuffing it down his pants. The sandwich is put back in the freezer. There are a lot of moral view points to consider here. For an incredibly short story it is funny and will make you think.

The Fluted Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

The fluted girl huddled in the darkness clutching Stephen’s final gift in her small pale hands. Madame Belari would be looking for her. The servants would be sniffing through the castle like feral dogs, looking under beds, in closets, behind the wine racks, all their senses hungry for a whiff of her. Belari never knew the fluted girl’s hiding places. It was the servants who always found her. Belari simply wandered the halls and let the servants search her out. The servants thought they knew all her hiding places.

A chilling and beautiful story about a girl called Lidia trapped under and a mistress and circumstances she cannot come out of. I loved this story. The writer captured the emotions of the fluted girl very well. Al though this was a complete story in itself, I wish this was a novel. I loved the concept and I would have loved to read at least 200 pages of it.

That’s it for now. I’ll definitely be reading more short stories whenever I get time. I have linked the stories to the respective pages where you can read them. Have you read any of these stories? Rather do you read short stories online or otherwise?

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On another note I really really really want to read these couple of books.

Unpolished Gem by Alice Pung and Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji. I just love the covers and the blurbs.