When Christmas Comes to Town

A lovely song from Polar Express

The Wind in the Willows

It was a pretty sight, and a seasonable one, that met their eyes when they flung the door open. In the fore-court, lit by the dim rays of a horn lantern, some eight or ten little field mice stood in a semicircle, red worsted comforters round their throats, their fore-paws thrust deep into their pockets, their feet jigging for warmth. With bright beady eyes, they glanced shyly at each other, sniggering a little, sniffing and applying coat- sleeves a good deal. As the door opened, one of the elder ones that carried the lantern was just saying, `Now then, one, two, three!' and forthwith their shrill little voices uprose on the air, singing one of the old-time carols that their forefathers composed in fields that were fallow and held by frost, or when snow-bound in chimney corners, and handed down to be sung in the miry street to lamp-lit windows at Yule-time.

CAROL

Villagers all, this frosty tide,
Let your doors swing open wide,
Though wind may follow, and snow beside,
Yet draw us in by your fire to bide;
Joy shall be yours in the morning!

Here we stand in the cold and the sleet,
Blowing fingers and stamping feet,
Come from far away you to greet--
You by the fire and we in the street--
Bidding you joy in the morning!

For ere one half of the night was gone,
Sudden a star has led us on,
Raining bliss and benison--
Bliss to-morrow and more anon,
Joy for every morning!

Goodman Joseph toiled through the snow--
Saw the star o'er a stable low;
Mary she might not further go--
Welcome thatch, and litter below!
Joy was hers in the morning!

And then they heard the angels tell
`Who were the first to cry NOWELL?
Animals all, as it befell,
In the stable where they did dwell!
Joy shall be theirs in the morning!'

The voices ceased, the singers, bashful but smiling, exchanged sidelong glances, and silence succeeded--but for a moment only. Then, from up above and far away, down the tunnel they had so lately travelled was borne to their ears in a faint musical hum the sound of distant bells ringing a joyful and clangorous peal.

Carol link

Neele gagan ke tale

Beautiful song . One of my all time favorites. Apparently, the boy is the grandson of Mahendra Kapoor, the original singer .

A Murder is Announced

Author : Agatha Christie

Plot Overview :

In a small quaint fictional town of Chipping Cleghorn, a newspaper advertisement turns all heads towards the house of Little Paddocks on Friday October 29th at 6:30 PM. A murder is about to happen on that day, that place, that time. Everyone thinks it is a prank. But they cannot contain their curiosity. Around a dozen people assemble at Little Paddocks by 6:30 PM and all are almost ready to laugh at the prank, when suddenly, BOOM!!! The lights go out. Three shots fired, the second shot breezes past the ear of the lady of the house, Letitia Blacklock and with the third shot, the shooter shoots himself, or so it appears to be. 

The police arrive and what seems to be a work of a psychopath and a robberer, leads them to the conclusion of suicide or accidental death.The inspector in-charge, Craddock is not satisfied. When they are about to close the case, the adorable, old Miss Marple steps in with her knitty sweaters and inquisitive mind. She offers some valuable inputs to the police and the chief inspector orders Craddock to work with Miss Marple. The problem is that  the murder happens in the dark just after a dazzling flash of a torch light . So the conclusions have to be deduced from only what the witnesses of the crime could hear or smell. Who was standing where at that point of time? Who was in the hallway ? who went to get the wine ? who opened the door ? Who will benefit from the death of Letitia Blacklock.

Together they solve the murder crime, and oh boy, how subtly it all unfolds. We do not have the sharp,shrewd Hercule Poirot in this book. Instead, whom we have is an old lady who loves to have tea and lots of gossip with her neighbours. She loves chatting with them, observes things around her keenly, picks up all the subtle clues- like the place where the vase is kept, the reason why the fire was not burning, and why certain photographs were missing in the photo album. 

The story goes on a very gripping ride, stops momentarily at each character involved, and when it stops, you suspect that particular character might be the murderer. The motive is there with everyone, yet no one . As the mystery unfolds, two more murders happen, which has both the inspector and Miss Marple on their wits end and makes them cut to the chase. The next murder can happen anytime, any moment.

It's a wonderful book, but definitely not a breezy read . Agatha Christie's books make you read and reread the pages, just in case you miss a small clue . You would want to think that you found out who the murderer is before Miss Marple or Poirot reveal it to you. The most unlikely person is usually the culprit. I have always loved Agatha Christie's books, and watched most of the episodes of David Suchet as Poirot - he is my favourite Poirot. I did not like the movie ' The murder on the Orient Express', despite Johnny Depp being in the cast. If you are an Agatha Christie fan, do watch David Suchet. 

Back to the point, this is the first book of Miss Marple for me, and boy, I enjoyed it thoroughly. 

A definite  thumbs up !!

Rating : 👍👍👍👍

Buy A Murder is announced online

There is also a TV mini series based on this book, will be watching it sometime soon.

TV Mini-series 1985

Feature Length Mysteries DVD

Ramayana Rendition - 2018

The time of the year for Ramayana rendition. This year the topic is centered around Ravana's kith and kin. It is about their emotions, how they felt about Ravana and how much they loved him. They went to war and gave up their lives for him not only because it was his order, but they truely felt for him. There is so much to learn from our epics and hope we continue to learn. Jai Shri Ram !!

चारो ओर विशाल समुन्दर, पशु पक्षी भर सुन्दर वन,
ऊपर छत पर नीला अम्बर , नीचे झुको तो स्वर्ण भवन !

कुबेर का गर्व, रावण की शान, लंका का धन है अपरम्पार,
सुखी परिवार, राज्य संपन्न, महादेव की कृपा है अपार !

व्यथित विभीषण, कठिन समस्या, अपने ज्येष्ठ से किये अनुरोध,
"लंका से बढ़कर क्या सुन्दर भ्राता , त्याग दो अपना हठ और क्रोध.

रण की अपेक्षा में दानव उत्सुक. वानर सेना खड़ी सरहद पर,
पुरुष नहीं है इस पृथ्वी के , अयोध्या के दो राज कुमार !

रघुकुल में जन्मे है नारायण, पिता के वचन हेतु करे वनवास,
स्त्री का अपहरण उचित बात नहीं, भेज दो सीता को राम के पास !”

रावण अपने हठ पर अड़े रहे , कठिन दुविधा में पड़े विभीषण,
राज द्रोही या राम भक्त, लंका छोड़ चले राम शरण !

आरम्भ हुआ एक भीषण युद्ध , दानव वानर में हुई टकरार,
मण्डोदरी पहुंची लंका सभा में , रोक लो अब इस रण को नाथ !

"प्रहस्थ कुम्भ निकुम्भ की मृत्यु, राम कर रहे दानव संहार
युद्ध का परिणाम सदा है विनाश, कोई भी कर ले प्रथम प्रहार!"

कुम्भकर्ण जगे गंभीर निद्रा से, लंका की स्थिति है बड़ी विचलित,
कौन ये शत्रु कहा से आया, असुर के गति देख हुए चिंतित !

" सुनो लंका के अधिपति ,हे दशानन, युद्ध नीति के बड़े विद्वान ,
दशरथ नंदन राम है नारायण, शत्रु का करो उचित अनुमान !

लंका को दाव पे न लगाओ भैया, छोड़ दो अब उस स्त्री पर आस,
लक्ष्मी को ढूँढ़ते आये नारायण, भेज दो सीता को राम के पास !

तर्क का अर्थ अब समझो भ्राता , आप तो मेरे पिता समान,
आप से प्रभावित मेरा जीवन , आप को अर्पित मेरा प्राण !"

अंत समय अब निकट दिख रहा, युद्ध भूमि में खड़े है राम,
अपना धर्म निभाने चला मैं, कुम्भकर्ण का अंतिम प्रणाम !"

मायावी कहो या मेघनाथ , आँख मिचोली का ये खेल,
युद्ध उसके लिए एक क्रीड़ा है, रावण का पुत्र का कोई न मेल !

" पिता की आज्ञा सर आँखों पर , आपकी इच्छा आपकी चाह,
स्वयं हरी भी प्रकट हुए तो , रोक न पाएंगे आपकी राह !

एक सीता क्या अनेक छीनलो, आपके साथ है मेरे वाण,
लंकेश की तुलना कोई न जग में, रावण जैसा न राजा महान !"

दशानन सुनो एक माता की आह, इस युद्ध ने लिया मेरे पुत्र को छीन,
आपके इस दुरभिमान के कारण, लंका की रानी है पुत्र विहीन !

निकल पड़े रण भूमि को रावण, पीड़ित पिता और घायल तात,
खो दिया अपने प्रिय लंका को, काश वो सुनते अनुज की बात !

अंत हुआ रावण का राज्य, रक्त पात का भोज उठाएगा कौन ?
स्त्री की रक्षा या अग्नि परीक्षा, मन में विचलित सिया है मौन !

राम और रावण धर्म के ग्यानी, स्त्री हरण के अपराधी लंकेश,
स्त्री तो कोई वास्तु नहीं, कैसा न्याय है अग्नि प्रवेश !

समाज के रीत से राम विवश, सबसे कठिन सिया का बलिदान,
राज्य का अर्थ मित मुकुट नहीं, प्रजा की राय और उनका मान !

सत्य का प्रयास धर्म की रक्षा, होंठ पर आता एक ही नाम
देश में हो परदेस में बैठे, हम तो जपते जय श्री राम !!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Authors : Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Review :

Ever wonder if a book can make you smile and cry at the same time ?? Well, if you are looking for one, here is your pick !! The book is set  post World War II when people are just recovering from the aftermath of the trauma and coming to terms  that they can finally lead a peaceful life. Today, I am writing this review after reading a book, sitting in front of my laptop. We have blogs, social media , websites where we can share our opinions and experiences and connect to people. Reporters and columnists still travel to places in search of stories and technology comes in aid for them to keep people up to date. 

In this digital world, what we lack is the charm of a pen and a paper to write on , the smell of a book which you hold in your hands to read. Where has it gone? This novel brings out the appeal of the age old correspondence so beautifully and effortlessly.

Though  set after the World war II, the entire book is a series of letters between different individuals narrating the events of the war itself .A columnist and an author, Juliet Ashton, gets a letter from a mysterious man, Dawsey Adams, who claims himself as one of the members of  ' The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society', requesting her for a book from a certain author, Charles Lamb. Intrigued by the name, she decides to probe further into this topic and writes back to him enquiring on the details about this society. Dawnsey elaborates further that this society is a book club.It was accidentally formed when they had to escape a curfew in the night hours during the German occupation to Guernsey.Those were the days when all the communication was cut from Guernsey. People were in shortage of food and had to grow their own crops to eat. They had to give away all their meat to the Germans. The book club would meet up once in a while and after intense discussions, they would wind it up with a treat. As the staple diet was potatoes, they decided to make a fancy dish with a Potato pie and potato peels as the "icing" on the pie. Hence the name ' The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society'.

Juliet begins to fall in love with this whole idea of the society and how it was formed and asks Dawsey if she can know further about the society members. Dawsey passes on the buck to the other members of the society, the most prominent being Amelia, Isola, Eben and Will Thisbee . Dawsey is a pig farmer, Eben a post master, Isola a potion maker and Will, the baker and the creator of the potato pie. They all start writing to her about their experiences during the war and how they resorted to books to keep themselves sane. Over a period of time, she starts getting letters from those who were not regular in the meetings but were forced to attend them because their friends wanted them to. One wins over a hand of a widow because he can recite better poetry where as one loves a certain poet because he described his plight better than the words he could ever conjure himself. Few of them have faced the brunt of the German torture where as few think they are not all that bad. Somewhere in the dull, gloomy,unconnected world they lived in, books gave them hope, a reason to live, a reason to bond and make merry.

But hell breaks loose when one of the closest members of the society, the upright and flamboyant Elizabeth McKenna is arrested and taken away to Germany. She has left behind her child, who is being taken care of by the society as their own daughter. The society is still looking out for Elizabeth.

Juliet begins to fall in love with this people and decides to visit them. She convinces her publisher, a very agreeable Sidney Stark, to go to Guernsey for a promising story. What she does not know and she will figure out soon is that this is going to be the story of her own life. When she reaches there, she begins to find a soulful connection with each and every member of that society, that she forgets that she ever belonged to London !!

There are many pages in the book which describe the German torture and the concentration camps in detail. We have read many of the WW II books, but everytime you read one, it still moves you into tears.  Leon Uris's Exodus is the first book I had read which described the plight of the Jews during the war. Uris has such power in his writing, that book still sends chills down my spine even to this day.Such is the atrocity of the war.

This book also makes you smile, because it ends with a happy Jane Austen ending. And as the authors themselves mention, it doesn't matter where Elizabeth finds Darcy , as long as they find each other. It is also very heartwarming to see how  Juliet works on her relationships with each and every member of the society. Amelia is initially very skeptical on Juliet's intentions about the society. So Juliet actually makes two people, one who dotes her like a daughter and the other who hates her to the core, write to Amelia. This is done so that Amelia knows both sides of Juliet's character. 

Those little things make you wander if such integrity exists today. If yes, where??

I did watch the movie as well, it is a beautiful movie if it has to stand by itself. But it falls very short in front of the book . I felt the movie more romantic and feel-good. It failed to bring out the pain of the war or the subtleness of the relationships between characters. One thing I hated about the movie is Juliet barging into Guernsey without telling anyone. She looked more like Anne Hathway in Princess Diaries doing all the wrong things, uncertain about herself. Where as on the contrary, in the book ,Juliet is very careful  not to hurt anyone. She builds the relationships slow and steady. And the day, she steps into Guernsey, everyone has already fallen in love with her.

To summarize, as few of my friends said, the book is both heart breaking and heart warming at the same time. If I may request, please buy a paper copy of the book. As I said earlier, In this digital world, what we lack is the charm of a pen and a paper to write on and the smell of a book which you hold in your hands to read. This book is a jewel which will adorn your book-shelf , and any day you look at the cover, I bet the smile will come flashing on your face. Enjoy the book and relish the tender moments !!

Recommended :👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

Buy the book online

Borg Vs McEnroe

Plot Overview:

I watched this movie in the flight, could not get time to write a review before. We write a review to recommend a book / movie to others, but this one takes a small detour. I guess I am writing this review more  for myself as there is a little history behind it. My mother used to follow  tennis and I  used to watch all the games with her. All the Grandslam tournaments used to be a religious watch in our home, and wimbledon was the top favourite. We would watch right from the qualifying rounds. Infact I do not follow  tennis frequently anymore after she passed away.

So, the story goes that  my mother always rooted for John McEnroe. When I was watching tennis ,McEnroe was already in the back seat. It was more of Becker, Edburg, Andre Agassi at that time. McEnroe was weaning off  by then, but still my mother would watch all his games, even if he lost it. But what she would rave about the most were his matches with his most famous rival, Bjorn Borg.  So when I saw the movie title on the flight, it was my obvious pick.

One is a raging storm, the other is a calm ocean. One fierce as fire, the other as soothing as water.
That is how the duo were best described. They are known for their contrasting personalities. But is the ocean really calm, or there is a strong current raging somewhere beneath the seemingly calm exterior??

The movie is centered around the epic  wimbledon final between Borg and McEnroe. Borg has already won wimbledon 4 times by then. And the only one to stop him from his 5th wimbledon title is McEnroe. The media is splashing the news on the headlines. There is betting  all over and sponsors doing all the marketing. Amidst the hype, the two players face the pressure  in their own way. McEnroe is more vocal, fights with the referees and is known to throw his notorious tantrums. Borg, on the other hand, is extremely focused and quiet.He is superstitious to the core, the same racket, the same car, the same shirt, the same band. But, people close to him have a different story to tell. He had severe anxiety pangs. He dreads that he will be lost to history if he does not make a new record of winning wimbledon five times in a row and making a mark for himself in the tennis books.

The tournament starts, the first rounds, then the quarter-finals and then the semis. They briefly show the match between McEnroe and  Connors, one of his other big rivals. It is more of a verbal spat than a tennis game. I guess it should have been a wholesome entertainment to the audience with each player first fighting with the referee and then fighting with each other !!

Finally, the big day arrives for the grand finale. Borg Vs McEnroe. Its time to face the giant. And on that day, McEnroe focuses more on the game, than on his verbal spats. It was a war of rackets, a war of serves, a war for the wimbledon cup. Anything but words. And what a finale it was.  Five sets played  and the final set goes to the tie breaker. 1–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–7^(16–18), 8–6. It is still regarded as one of the greatest matches, ever played. Even when you are watching the movie, the tension builds up. One can imagine how it would have been when the epic game was live.

The movie is an out and out Borg movie. He is the tennis giant, the invincible, solid wall. He was  talented, hardworking and  meticulous.  But  one can see why people found McEnroe so charming with all his flares and tantrums, he was a natural. He was flamboyant.

In those days , when humans played tennis matches, unlike super heroes like Roger Federer, my vote goes for Borg. Sorry mom !! To my defence, I think if you ask McEnroe,  Borg would be his choice too ,considering the friendship they formed in the later years despite their contrasting personalities and deep rooted rivalry.

All in all, to summarize, the movie could have been named -  Clash of the Titans in Tennis.

Recommended : 👍👍👍

The Pillion Rider

Author : Hirak Kar

Review:

Pack your bags and get ready for an adventure. Breathe the fresh air, embrace the woods, get lost in those lovely country roads and immerse yourself in what nature has to offer. Travel is more of a journey than a destination. That summarizes Hirak Kar's travelogue and personal memoir, 'The Pillion Rider'.

Two young officers , Hirak and George, one from the army and the other from the airforce, set off on a road trip to Delhi from Calcutta  on their newly acquired possession, the Renegade, to attend their friend's wedding. The year was 1971, where the armed forces were being mobilized for a war against Pakistan to free BanglaDesh. Naxalite tension was prevalent in Calcutta and Delhi was gearing up for the big war. Bold and brave, the two officers set off on their journey, George the driver and Hirak, 'The Pillion Rider'. They make it to Delhi, and the adventure does not stop there. George and Hirak embark on their journey across India, from Delhi to Jhansi, to Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad and finally back to Calcutta. What had started as a 7 day road trip to a friend's wedding eventually ended up as a 35 day motorbike feat across the nation.Those were the golden days when the petrol prices were at Rs. 1.25 per liter. If you end up calculating all the money the two men spent on the whole trip, it will not exceed Rs. 1200.

The book is a personal experience, hence there are no dramatic incidents or no turns and twists. On the contrary, it is a very beautiful and realistic narration. What strikes you more is the camaradarie which people from armed forces have. The two bikers make their stops at various venues, and everywhere they enter a regiment office or a PWD guest house or sometimes barge into their ex-colleague's house. They are so warmly greeted, offered food, place to stay and also given generous amounts of money  to take their trip forward.  I had known about this strong bonding even before, when one of my friends from an army background had mentioned that she had taken a train from Delhi to Gwalior  and had booked the ticket for a wrong day. By the time the TC had arrived, the train was well out of the city. She called her husband, who in turn , contacted the army office at the nearest town and someone had come all the way to the railway station to give her the money for her ticket.

For a first book, it is very well written. The language is excellent. The hard work of the author and the editor shows up. Hirak and George are energetic, youthful and daring. Their energy and zeal for life is quite infectious. In the back of my mind, I am still humming the song :

"Country roads, take me home !!!"

So, what are you waiting for?? 

Read the book, pack your bags. Get,set, go !! 

Recommended : 👍👍

Buy The Pillion Rider Online

BBC Adaptation : MiddleMarch by George Eliot

Plot Review:
Another lovely BBC Adaptation based on the book by George Eliot, the story is set in the fictitious town of MiddleMarch in Provincial England. Set around the time when England was on the verge of reforms and revolution, following the footsteps of France, the people are divided in their opinions on change and progress. The story is centered around two main characters, the idealistic doctor , Tertius Lydgate, and an intelligent aspiring girl, Dorothea Brooke. Both of them, naive , principled, and with strong convictions set forth on a journey to change the world. Instead, they find themselves trapped completely into wrong marriages and the narrow minded society in which they live in.

They falter, struggle, try to work around the circumstances in which they find themselves in. The revolution sweeps England, things change. Small steps taken by small people bear fruits somewhere else in the country. The story indicates that the efforts of both Lydgate and Dorothea may not have been conspicous , but somewhere, their convictions and ideas  have indeed given birth to something bigger and better.

And then there is Will Ladislaw, the rebel, who does not confirm to any of the society rules. He lives life on his own terms. He loves the fresh grass under his feet and the sky , which he fathoms as a roof. Disinherited from his rightful claim, he has no fixed income, but yet he is full of talent. Property matters stand as a barrier between him and the woman he loves, Dorothea.

MiddleMarch is filled with many characters, each one of them struggling to work around the problems life has posed before them. Some pass with flying colours, some fail and get exiled. But the story belongs to the three main characters, Lydgate, Dorothea and Will Ladislaw. They stand out beautifully in their lead roles. You cannot be indifferent to the agony Lydgate goes through, he sets out to make a difference in this world, offering free medical service to the hospital in MiddleMarch. All odds stand against him and he has to give up his dream to make a breakthrough in the medical field. On the other hand, the romance between Dorothea and Ladislaw is refreshing to watch, subtle and very endearing. Dorothea has to finally let go of her deceased husband's vast fortune to marry Ladislaw. The same fortune, with which she had set forth to change the world in her own small way, has to be given away for love. Thankfully, things are not as tragic for Dorothea as for Lydgate, as she does not repent on her decision in marrying for love.

So, MiddleMarch ends with happy tidings for Dorothea and not-so-good consequence for Lydgate.
And it ends with me, feeling content and happy , having watched yet another good British period Drama. And also lucky, because I bought the last DVD from Amazon India and it is not currently available in stock  right now :)

Recommended : 👍👍👍

Buy MiddleMarch online from Amazon.com

Indeliberate Deliberations

Author : Shivansh Umatt

Review:

The Verse goes like this :

Even though I didn't know

What hyperbole is,

I had written them

And even the simplicity

Of the poem had its beauty.

Even my sixth grade self

had a lot to say,

And that surprised me.

The poet has described himself in his own words. My exact reaction:

"Your 17 year old self

has a lot to say,

And that surprised me ."

Shivansh Umatt's poetry is simple yet mature, tender yet deep, expressive yet delicate. The book is divided into 4 themes.

Abyss :  This section mostly deals with bereavement, and separation.

Latency : Its about self and poetry. Poetry is everywhere, but why is not unread and unopened yet?

Frost and Froth : Diving deep into the elements of nature, and into one's own minds.

Gory Musings : the words can indeed hurt . Yes, pen is mightier than a sword.

The poems are very light, delicate like feather and you feel warmth in your heart when you read them. I loved all the poems, especially in the Latency and Frost and Froth sections. This poet delves deep into reflection of his own thoughts and expresses them so beautifully and in such simple words, it appears as if he is mirroring what you are thinking. 

At a tender age of 17, Shivansh is extremely talented and gifted.

Looking forward for more such beautiful poetry from him.

Recommended : 👍👍

Buy Indeliberate Deliberations Online

The Book Thief

Author : Markus Zusak

Review:

There are books which make you cry, there are books which make you think. And then there are books - which rip your soul apart. The pages slip by in your hands, the book ends. And you sit there, quiet, complacent. You get back to your daily chores. But somewhere, those pages beckon you, the words haunt you. Words - the power of words.

Words from the Fuhrer,  from a Jew, from a German and then, from Death himself. Words break you, they shake the world beneath you.The Book Thief, shakes up your body and soul, every inch.

Who else can be a better narrator  to describe Nazi Germany other than Death ?

But when events such horrific unfold, Death himself is dumbfounded. 

What can we humans do then, who are mere pawns??If tears come rolling down your cheeks when you read this book, do not hold back. Weep, shed few tears in the name of humanity.

The story revolves around a  girl named Liesel, who is adopted and is raised by her foster parents. Liesel looses her own biological brother when they were coming to her foster home. .The era is Nazi Germany, and Liesel has to grow up amidst war, hatred and bloodshed. 

In what looks like an otherwise gloomy world to live in, Liesel  finds peace and solace in her kind-hearted ,doting , foster father Hans Hubbermann. He recognizes her unquenchable thirst for reading and learning  when he finds out that she stole a gravedigger's hand book  in her brother's funeral.

He teaches her to read and write, and the Book thief keeps stealing books, one after another , at the right opportunity. One, she steals from the burning pile of books set ablaze by the Nazis, and many from the Mayor's house. Few are gifted to her by her own foster parents.

 Her father encourages her to read - read in a bombing shelter to keep people away from panic, read to a heart broken mother who has lost her son in the war,read out to a sick Jew , Max, who seeks shelter to escape the concentration camp.

Her foster parents take a very risky decision to conceal a Jew in their basement. Liesel befriends Max, who with limited means , is very articulate in penning down his own thoughts on paper- the plight of Jews and his hatred for Hitler. Her relationship with her best friend Rudy, with whom she races, steals and shares everything, until he succumbs to bombing, is heartbreaking. 

In the end, nothing remains ; Death arrives, to collect all the souls and witness their last visions.

But what Death sees, amidst the gruesome mass murder and the wave of hatred prevalent in Nazi Germany, is the strong bond of love and the unseen power, connecting  a father and a daughter, two friends, a German and a Jew , a rich lady and a poor girl - the power of words, which books can bring, essentially binding humanity together.

In Summary : Should I summarize ? Haven't I said enough??

Recommended : 👍👍👍

Buy The Book Thief Online

The Trials of Apollo - The Burning Maze

Author : Rick Riordan

Review:

I am a huge fan of Rick Riordan and follow all his books. Those who have read my earlier reviews  know how much I like this author and also the reason why. In synopsis, he blends mythology in the current day setting so well that along with a gripping plot, you learn a lot about the eccentric Gods and their demeanours. And his sense of humor is terrific. On any gloomy day, pick up one of his books as relexation therapy. You never know when that smile comes on your face and in no time, you are laughing aloud.

Coming to the book itself, this is book 3 in the Trials of Apollo series. The fallen God Apollo is in pursuit of his quest to find the third Oracle, the Sybil of Erythrae. The prophetess is imprisoned in the Labryinth, which for some reason has frequent fire outbursts. The fire outbreak has caused major part of California to go dry and humid, and harming the nature. Apollo has to journey through this burning maze and solve the ciphers to rescue the Sybil. In his mission, he has to suffer grief and part with people who are dear to him. 

The book starts in a very light note and the plot is really gripping. But somewhere towards the end, it starts picking steam and turns serious. There is urgency and pain in the voice of Apollo, as he looses his dear friends, one after another. The transformation of  a detached, cynical God to a caring brother and a loving friend is hard to miss. You empathise with Apollo as he is miserable and helpless, when circumstances go beyond his control.  

Surprisingly, there are deaths, deaths of very prominent characters. Not to give away the plot, I was really surprised that one of the most level headed and leading characters of the Olympus series is brought in and killed. Very unlike Riordan to kill his protogonists. 

To summarize, undoubtedly, one of the better books from Riordan, full of wit, humour and yet at the same time, poignant and moving. If you have not fallen for Apollo by now, you will, by the end of this book. Don't miss this one !!

Recommended :  👍👍

Buy The Trials of Apollo - The Burning maze online

Wives and Daughters

BBC Adaptation based on the book by Elizabeth Gaskell

Review:

The adaptation is based on the book by Elizabeth Gaskell, one of my favourite authors. Her books are usually compared to those of Jane Austen. Though I feel her stories are more grounded to reality than Austen's, which are far more romantic in nature. The central theme of Austen's books is romance, whilst Gaskell focuses on all others relationships including romance.

Set in provincial England, the story is centered around a sensible girl with dreamy eyes, Molly, her family , her friendships and the society she lives in. It is her journey and struggle from childhood and mainly focuses on her relationship with her father, her step mother, her step sister and her secret love.  Molly looses her mother in her early years and her father, a well established doctor in the province, falls in love and marries again . Her step mother is a governess with polished manners and though outwardly appears a kind person, is very concieted. She has a daughter from an earlier marriage, Cynthia, who is ravishingly beautiful but is rebellious in nature. Molly endures a silent struggle of acceptance and gets accustomed to her father's divided attentions to the new family. The squires in the town are very fond of Molly and they consider her as a part of their family. She falls in love with the younger son, Roger, but she never reveals her feelings to him. He in turn falls in love with Cynthia and Molly has to deal with the hardbreak silently. 

The squire, over a period of time, looses his wife and his elder son to illness. He struggles between the matters of status and heart when he figures out that his elder son had secretly married a French maid and has a son. Molly helps him accept the daughter-in-law and grand son.Cynthia has her share of struggle with her secrets of the past and has to deal with heartbreaks herself.

The story is more of a journey of each one of the characters, they recognize their weaknesses and evolve over a period of time . Set on the backdrop of provinicial England, there is an undercurrent of how the society was, at that point of time. The character of a young girl , if she is seen with someone unworthy and exchanging a secret word, is looked upon on derogatory terms. The fame of the girl and her family is questioned. There is a matchmaking talk which always goes on in town between a certain eligible young man and a pretty girl. What is worthy and who is worthy is discussed with utmost scrutiny.  

The BBC adaptation is brilliant and sticks to the book to the core till the end. The ending is modified a little bit as the book was left unfinished by the author, who died suddenly. Shot mainly in the country side, the visuals are beautiful. The costumes, the sceneries, the carriages transport you to the period which is so appealing. On a weekend, sit back, relax and enjoy this adaptation.

Recommended : 👍👍

Buy Wives and Daughters online

Also read my review on North and South

Review !!!

Avengers - Infinity War- Part 1

Review:

I am a huge fan of Avengers, and I look forward to see all the Marvel movies. In Avengers-Infinity War-Part 1, the plot follows Thanos going behind all the six powerful stones in the universe and gaining the ultimate power to wipe out the life on Earth. He follows the typical logic , which is followed by most of the villians in the science fiction movies -  help the Earth from getting over burdened , annihilate most of the life , and leave the chosen few to pave the new path. In his quest of six stones, he has to encounter and fight the Avengers and the Guardians, who are in posession of those stones. The part 1 ends in a distressing note when he manages to acquire all the six stones and disintegrate half the team of the Avengers and the Guardians, and wrecks havoc on Earth. He,for some reason, leaves the oldest ones alone .Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America are all intact, watching helplessly, as the world around them diminishes. Looks like Part 2 will pick up the strings and turn things around. The plot is a good one, and you are hooked to the film from the beginning to the end. But I felt the movie was one of the most grim and serious one from Marvel. I missed the quirky dialogues ( not that they are completely missing, they are there, but very few). I missed the wit from Iron Man, the star power from Thor, Banner's innocent and adorable comments. Each hero has very less screen time, simply because they were too many of them. I somewhere seemed to have sided with Hulk who refuses to show up throughout the movie. It was like a boycott from him that he would'nt show up. The whole film looked like a red carpet where the Avengers come, show their face and go. The good part though is Captain America competes with Thor on his good looks with his newly grown beard and super toned body. But we are all so used to Avengers now, and we wait for them to come, entertain us in their own sporting and stylish way. So, I left the movie hall wishing they would have made their presence better in the film. One of my cousins had shared a pic which summarizes the cast and the sequence of the whole movie.

To summarize, Avengers is always a feast to watch. But too many cooks, spoil the broth. Here's hoping, by the end of Part-2, the broth is indeed tasty.

Recommended : 👍

Lavender's blue - lovely lullaby !!

Lavender's Blue (Dilly Dilly)

Lavender's blue, dilly dilly,
Lavender's green
When you are king, dilly dilly,
I shall be queen

Who told you so, dilly dilly,
Who told you so?
'Twas my own heart, dilly dilly,
That told me so

Call up your friends, dilly, dilly
Set them to work
Some to the plough, dilly dilly,
Some to the fork

Some to the hay, dilly dilly,
Some to thresh corn
Whilst you and I, dilly dilly,
Keep ourselves warm

Lavender's blue, dilly dilly,
Lavender's green
When you are king, dilly dilly,
I shall be queen

Who told you so, dilly dilly,
Who told you so?
'Twas my own heart, dilly dilly,
That told me so.

How far I'll go - Moana

I've been staring at the edge of the water
'Long as I can remember, never really knowing why
I wish I could be the perfect daughter
But I come back to the water, no matter how hard I try
Every turn I take, every trail I track
Every path I make, every road leads back
To the place I know, where I can not go, where I long to be

See the line where the sky meets the sea? It calls me
And no one knows, how far it goes
If the wind in my sail on the sea stays behind me
One day I'll know, if I go there's just no telling how far I'll go

I know everybody on this island, seems so happy on this island
Everything is by design
I know everybody on this island has a role on this island
So maybe I can roll with mine
I can lead with pride, I can make us strong
I'll be satisfied if I play along
But the voice inside sings a different song
What is wrong with me?

See the light as it shines on the sea? It's blinding
But no one knows, how deep it goes
And it seems like it's calling out to me, so come find me
And let me know, what's beyond that line, will I cross that line?

The line where the sky meets the sea? It calls me
And no one knows, how far it goes
If the wind in my sail on the sea stays behind me
One day I'll know, how far I'll go

Portkey to a magical world

A good list , not just for the children but for us too . 

A very good compilation with most of my favourite books .
Few of them I have not read, will get added to the reading cart.

Portkey to the magical world

Gajapati Kulapati

Review:

My kids love this series from Tulika publishers. Everyone in our house is fond of the dear Gajapati Kulapati , the adorable elephant and the villagers who take such good care of him . For children less than 5 yrs old, these books are awesome. Kids go giggling in fits and start enacting everything the elephant does .

Discussion on the book with the author

Author's Comments

The Book of Dust (Volume one of La Belle Sauvage)

Author : Philip Pullman

Review:

This trilogy is the prequel to the much acclaimed ' His Dark Materials' trilogy by the same author. The first book The Golden Compass was also made a motion picture on a very grand scale. Philip Pullman is another author who mixes fantasy with science. He takes up human conscience as a separate entity in matter, and how it is bound to us. 'His Dark Materials' is a masterpiece with extraordinary imagination. 'The Book of Dust' is just part 1 of the new trilogy and nothing much happens in this book. It's a journey of a boy and girl, who try to save the life of the main protoganist Lyra against all odds, because there is a prophecy tied to her that she will change the destiny someday. So, they battle against the great flood, and a psychotic villian who is hell bent on stealing Lyra away from them. Having said this, the main opposition which Pullman faced before and will continue to face with this book as well, is that his main antagonist is the fictitious religion he has created in his plot, which draws a lot of parellels to christianity. He talks about this religion and the magesterium , the organization, which governs this religion as the main powers which try to impede science. It is my humble thought that though at one point of time in the past centuries, religion and science , stood against each other, that period is long gone now. It is easy to mock standing on the other side and derogate the party in question. We can also choose to be neutral and try to understand the other perspective. If science has progressed leaps and bounds, the religious organizations have also become quite accepting compared to what they were before. They stand for what they believe in. In the end, faith moves the world. To summarize, Pullman's books are brilliant in imagination if you can overlook these sentiments. But alas, anyone who is very strongly biased in their opinions are not universally liked.

Recommended : 👍

Buy The Book of Dust Online

Here's to the ones who dream....

"A bit of madness is key
To give us new colors to see
Who knows where it will lead us?
And that's why they need us"

So bring on the rebels
The ripples from pebbles
The painters, and poets, and plays

And here's to the fools who dream
Crazy as they may seem
Here's to the hearts that break
Here's to the mess we make

- La La Land, The Fools Who Dream

MAGNUS CHASE AND THE SHIP OF THE DEAD

Author : Rick Riordan

Review :

I have always maintained in all my reviews of Rick Riordan books, that the primary reason I follow him is because he has this knack of introducing his readers to different mythologies in a very interesting way. His plots are simple, and there is a lot of humour in his books. You get so engrossed in them , and as you turn page after page, you never realize how and when those mysterious tales of different mythologies unravel before you and the characters welcome you into their world. We all know Hindu and a little bit of Greek mythology thanks to the popular Helen of Troy. But Riordan's books take you into a vast journey of such mythical creatures which will leave you aghast. His books have covered in-depth Greek(especially), Roman, Egyptian and the Norse mythologies so far. Just today there was an article he is going to start on the Korean line next. Coming to the book itself, The ship of the Dead is the last book of the Magnus Chase Trilogy. It revolves around the journey of a Norse demi God and his friends who have to stop the momentum set by the infamous (or famous?) Loki to bring about Ragnarok- the final battle which will bring the end of the world.The trilogy covers the entire spectrum, the nine worlds, the tree of life, Asgard, Valhalla, Valkyries, the einherji , the giants, dwarfs, elves, dragons, wolves, zombies and the Norse Gods. On the flip side, I felt the series ended abruptly. I would have really liked to see more of the description of the Norse Gods in particular;the battle in the end, especially looked very comical. Percy Jackson's finale was so spectacular, this one in comparison falters very bad. I had not liked the first two books as well much, I felt them lacking in plot, and the trend continues...But to sum it up,for all the good reasons mentioned above , Hail Riordan !!!

Recommended : 👍

Buy Magnus Chase and the ship of the dead online

The Post- Movie

Plot Review

A Steven Spielberg film starring the stalwarts - Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks , the credentials say it all - a classic which leaves u spell bounded . The plot is set in 1971 where the press first published the Pentagon papers which unveiled the nature of the military involvement of U.S. Government in the Vietnam war . The story revolves around Kay Graham , the first female publisher of Washington Post , and the struggles she has to face being a woman. In the times when every statement she makes is scorned at , she takes a rebellious decision to publish the Government secrets and stands by it . Deftly played by Meryl Streep , dignity personified , she has a regal aura around her . Yet she subtly brings out the vulnerability in her character . And very highly complemented by Tom Hanks , who plays the role of her editor Ben Bradlee . He sinks into the character so smoothly - the little trivia that he never sits in his chair but is either seen sitting on the table , or standing with one leg on the table or sitting on the floor with all the papers spread , does not go unnoticed . He plays the guy on the field who gets the job done . He is Kay’s rock solid support when she has to make the difficult decision of going against the Government . And what more to say , it’s a Steven Spielberg film , such meticulous screen play , such technical brilliance . One of those classics delivered by Steven Spielberg yet again . My verdict - Don’t miss this film !! One of those rare masterpieces which come once in a while .

Recommended : 👍👍

Buy The Post Online

UnConventional Friendships

Four months ago, I had written for a short story contest - sparsh from QuoteUnquote. Mine was not a winner , nevertheless they have published a selected few stories on their site. Mine is one of them. Many thanks to Meenal Dhall Saxena for suggesting this and Pragna Kolar for her thorough review and edits. Read on !!!

UnConventional Friendships