Hachi

 Watched Hachi - A dog’s tale over the weekend. The movie is based on a real life story of a Japanese Akita , Hachiko, who waited every day at the railway station for 9 years waiting for his deceased master until his time is up . The bronze statue of Hachiko still stands tall at Shibuya station in Japan . It’s a Japanese tale , adapted to an American movie . Like every Japanese story , this one is also intense and extraordinary. The screenplay is brilliant, Richard Gere is amazing . This movie made me cry , but it is one of the finest I have watched . If you are going to watch it , be prepared to shed a lot of tears and fall in love with Hachi , who is considered the most loyal dog in the world .

Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍

The Noel Diary

A feel good romance with a neat plot , a road trip across old towns with some Christmas cheer . It is about a best selling author who has just come to settle his estranged mother’s estate . He finds a dairy which might hold secrets about his past . As he is working through his mother’s belongings , he meets a woman who knocks on his door and claims to be the daughter of his childhood nanny . She is abandoned by her mother when she was a baby and is now looking for answers about her own past . As they embark on a road trip to dig more into the mystery, they find out that it could be more than their past connecting them together .

The plot is the strength of this movie, neatly tied up together . The lead characters are subdued and sensible , both of them understand loss and suffering , they make a good pair . But I would have liked a dash of humor and some action , the movie was a little bland to me. The screenplay isn’t up to the mark , there are some scenes where the transition is very abrupt, and few where the romance seems forced . None of the side characters are appealing , and though the script and the dialogues are quite meaningful, the dialogue delivery isn’t good . They failed to create the necessary emotional impact.

But overall it is a good movie . The journey of loss and grief , the fear of not letting in and trust someone fully is quite touchy and relatable . Walking away from any relationship has a significant impact causing lot of repercussions ,this theme is depicted well . Light romance , passable .

Rating: 👍👍👍

The Choice

 Author : Dr Edith Eva Edgar

The Choice is an autobiographical account of a Holocaust survivor , Dr. Edith Eva Eger who survives the Auschwitz and later the Death March . She articulates the horrific experiences very vividly .She holds onto hope and light within to get past some gruesome experiences .

I was prepared for this part of the book as I was aware that it is about the Holocaust .

The war is over , and she survives . But Is it a happily ever after ? No . She recovers , marries , bears children , life goes on . But the pain and the suffering lingers in the back of her mind . The trauma acts up in different ways and costs

her a lot . Then she starts questioning herself and the meaning of all her suffering . She starts studying , one degree after another and finally studies psychology. Now at 90, she is an active psychologist treating patients with depression . She talks about multiple clinical cases she has handled , and how she managed to overcome her own trauma and later helped heal others .

This book was a very heavy read , I was not prepared for the second half and it hit me hard .Huge respect to Dr Edith Eva Eger who survived the trauma , worked on healing herself and then put her life to good use healing others .

There are some books which demand your attention and your emotional energy . This is one such book , it is not for the faint hearted and you cannot take it lightly .

It teaches you a lot , I wouldn’t have picked it myself. But no doubt it is a very Informative read. The lady is a huge inspiration . The Choice is up to you , to read this book or not .

Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍

Buy The Choice online at

Where the Crawdads sing : the movie

 “ A feral girl with rumors that she is part wolf, with eyes that glow in the dark “. A girl who is filled with dirt, consumed in loneliness . Struggling to make her living in the only world she knows - the Marsh . Her family , her friends are more like sojourners in her life for a brief period of time . They come into her life , stay with her for a short time and disappear. The only thing constant in her life is the Marsh . Despite all the odds , she evolves into an extraordinary butterfly. But will the society let her fly? The town people tag her as the Marsh girl , they alienate her , belittle her , use her . This is the story of Kya as she stands trail for a murder she is accused of in the extraordinary tale of courage and perseverance , “where the crawdads sing”.

I had read this book and Kya is like the fire within all of us . Our passion is re kindled with her spirit . That is how dear Kya is to anyone who has read the book.

Then I watched the movie yesterday and saw an introverted high school girl who loves to draw and write on the screen . To give the movie due credit , they were loyal to the book . The screenplay is gripping , the marsh ethereal. The whole movie is beautifully shot.

What made it underwhelming is the casting . Daisy Edgar Jones is not the right fit . She is too polished to play Kya . The supporting characters who played Tate and Andrews looked quite robotic. There were times when I doubted the plausibility of Kya’s personality and her capabilities on screen when I was so bowled out with the same Kya in the book . This could be a biased review from someone who loved the book so much . But I was forewarned before by a good friend to keep my expectations low . Despite that I ended up being disappointed. It’s an average movie , well taken , an honest effort but falls short because of its cast.

Rating: 👍👍👍

Enola Holmes 2

 A very fine movie , very very well made . Lot of action sequences , lot of creativity when it comes to evidence , deduction and the spy game . Excellent humor . The actors are wonderful . I love Sherlock Holmes and in the past few years , a few fine actors have portrayed the character very well. I have begun to like this Sherlock too . Henry Cavill is brilliant , just like Robert Downey Jr or Benedict cumberbatch . Millie Bobby Brown is perfect as Enola . In this particular case , the practical , analytical and detached Sherlock works with the spontaneous, vivacious and emotional Enola to solve a mystery. They form such a wonderful detective pair and the contrast in their personalities is evident and made a lot apparent . The supporting cast is also excellent.

The movie revolves around a true story , match girls who work for a match factory and either disappear or die , and is based on a woman who stood up for their rights and their well being . Feminism , brilliantly captured and within the context .

There are very subtle references to the friends and foes of Sherlock Holmes , his famous possessions . There is a lot of onus on his methodical deduction, his style of working . There are some sequences , especially at the climax where we could draw parallels to the action sequences in 2009/2011 Sherlock movies .

All in all , I thoroughly enjoyed this movie . My weekend ended quite well . What better way to conclude the review than this dialogue .

Watson : “You may be right.”

Holmes: “The probability lies in that direction.”

Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍

Ponniyin Selvan 1

 When a much loved literary work is made into a movie, the expectations are sky-high. It takes a crafty film maker like Mani Ratnam to meet the expectations atleast three quarters of the way.

I read the epic Ponniyin Selvan way back in 2006, one of the very few times when I felt handicapped not knowing how to read Tamil. I read the English translation of the work, I fell in love and got lost in the epic, I never found the way out, not to this day. It is one of the most beautiful pieces of Indian literature I have ever read. The epic is set in the time at the onset of the glorious era of the Chola dynasty; just before the emperor ,Rajaraja Chola, the first ruler after Ashoka to annex most of the Southern part of the Indian subcontinent under his rule and even went ahead to expand his empire to Maldives and Srilanka, took over the reins of the country. The storyline is primarily political, on how he teamed up with his allies, conquered over his enemies, the Pandyas and ousted the treacherous plot to overthrow him within the dynasty . It is a magnificent epic with a very strong storyline.

After years of waiting, Mani Ratnam finally brought the first half of the epic on the silver screen. The latter half is slated for a release next year.

It is a very sincere effort from him, he has remained loyal to the book though there are few instances where the romance is glorified and the sequence of events is moved back and forth for a smooth narration. The cinematography is brilliant, ManiRatnam’s signature is found in every scene with his fast moving cameras. The settings are grand and costumes elegant. The two lead actresses are enthralling and the background score is very engaging and brilliant. The dialogue delivery is perfect and the actors deliver the dialogues very skilfully. There are a lot of sword fight scenes, taken quite well without much blood shed and gory scenes.

If there is something I did not like in this movie, it is the dance sequences. The movie is a class and I felt those dance numbers primarily showcasing the Asura culture were not necessary. But it is just my opinion. I also do not remember Aditya Karikalan so pronounced about his obsession for Nandini in the books, but I think I must reread the epic once more. It has been ages.

I would recommend that you read the epic before watching the movie, it will help you imbibe the full gist of the political landscape during that Chola era.

Overall, the movie is a magnum opus , the expectations were high, Mani Ratnam did not disappoint. The movie manages to showcase the glory of the Chola Empire very well. When the Chola Flag flies high once again after so many years, albeit on the silver screen, we do the same thing we did centuries ago, “Take a bow”.

Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍

Ramayana Rendition - 2022

 This year's rendition based on the characters of Ramayana. Tried to convey a message that those who chose love and devotion are the ones closest to the Lord. So this Navratri, try to let go of negativity and hatred and embrace love.

दशरथ बोले कौशल्या से, अपना पुत्र है अति अपुरूप,
मात पिता का है वो गरीमा, राम चन्द्र है प्रेम के रूप!

शिला आकार मे अहल्या की आस, राम पघारे मेरे द्वार,
चरण स्पर्श से मोक्ष प्राप्त हो, करुणा प्रभु कि है अति अपार !

वन मे राक्षस भटक रहे है , राम है साथ तो भय ही नही,
सीता का विश्वास अटल है, राम कहे वो बात सही !

लक्ष्मण छोडे अपनी निद्रा,, भ्रा्त सुरक्षा मेरा धर्म,
राम की आज्ञा सर आंखो पर, उन्की सेवा मेरा कर्म !

भरत ने त्यागा राज सिंहसन, हर पल करे बस एक विचार,
चौदह बरस है मेरी तपस्या, भ्राता भटक रहे समुन्दर पार !

कडवा बेर या मीठा फल, शबरी के मन मै है हलचल,
प्रेम से जीते प्रभु के ह्रुदय को, झूठे बेर का प्रयास सफल !

सि्या को लौ्टा दो रामचन्द्र को , भ्रात से दोहराये अनुरोध ,
राम के शरण मे आये विभीशण, सीमित नही रावण का क्रॉध !

शत्रु पराक्रमी उत्थम यो्धा,, कुम्भकर्ण को है यह ज्ञात,
फिर भी प्रहार करे युद्ध भूमि पर, मोक्ष मिले मुझे प्रभु के हाथ !

भक्ति स्नेह ्का उचित उदाहरण, वानर प्रमुख, किश्किन्दा की शान,
उनका जीवन राम को अर्पण, पवन सुत राम दूत हनुमान !

राम भक्त का यह दृढ़ विश्वास,्ह्रुदय मे बसा है प्रभु का धाम,
बैर निकालो अपने मन से, प्रेम स्वरूप है जय श्री राम !

सत्य और हित क राह दिखाये, आज भी लब पर एक ही नाम ,
देश मे हो परदेस मे बैठे, हम तो जपते जय श्री राम !

Silver Skates

This is one of those hidden gems in Netflix , I picked it up for my weekend watch with no expectations and was pleasantly surprised . Apparently it is the first Russian film to be streamed on Netflix in Netflix originals . Set at the onset of early 20 th century , this movie addresses two key issues , women empowerment- the rights for women to pursue education and the class divide predominant in Russia - bourgeoisie vs proletariat. Matvey Polyakov , an ice skating courier of a local

Bakery is overthrown from his job and chooses to join a rebellious group of pickpockets who steal from the bourgeoisie. Alisa , daughter of one of the most influential Aristocrats of St Petersburg wants to pursue higher education in Chemistry and rebels against her father’s

Conservative views on feminism. Their paths cross , they fall in love and the problems compound. This movie is more of a social drama with some romance thrown in . The plot has nothing new to offer , but the movie is very aesthetically done and is visually stunning . Set in the winter in St. Petersburg, Russia , the place is covered with ice and snow . The ice skating stunts are both novel and mind blowing . The costumes are ethereal, and the movie brings out a dream like atmosphere. It simultaneously manages to beautifully showcase the contrast of the luxury the aristocracy is blessed with and the poverty which the working class has to endure in the snow . I always enjoy reading Russian fairy tales and this movie managed to look like one . The social issues are very subtly addressed and the lead pair is terrific . Loved every bit of it , a very different movie and very well done .

Rating : 👍👍👍👍

 

RRR

 Finally watched this movie last week , with few forwards on the violent scenes . This movie and The Gray Man are made on similar lines . Very creatively done , the protagonists look very good , the dance numbers are amazing , few action sequences are jaw dropping . But don’t put your head into it . Don’t search for logic . Just enjoy the stunts . Even then it was a little too much for me to bear . But I applaud the makers for the creativity and the action sequences .

Rating: 👍👍

Aru Shah (Pandava ) Series

Author : Roshni Chokshi

I read this series this whole summer along with my son and we both loved it . This series is written under Rick Riordan banner and follows the same pattern as his other books in Greek / Roman and Egyptian mythologies , but is written by an Indian author Roshni Chakshi who did a fabulous job with this Quintet. The main protagonists here are five girls who are the reincarnated souls of the five Pandavas . There is a sleeper ( reincarnated soul of Suyodhana) who wants to bring upon destruction to the world . The Pandavas mission is to stop the sleeper . They undertake multiple quests to gather weapons and the army to fight against the sleeper . And in these quests , they meet various mythological characters and we come across the stories surrounding them . The author clearly states that she is dealing with Vedic Gods and does not touch upon the major Gods . We do not come across the holy trinity or any other major Gods and Goddesses whom we pray at the temple ( except one big God briefly and Hanuman who is very respectfully depicted ). We meet Garuda , most of the planets , many Vedic Gods , Varuna , Vayu, Agni , Ashwini Gods and the Nagas , Vasuki and Takshaka - these being only few . The Churning of the Ocean of milk plays a major role in this book. So children get to learn a lot about Indian mythology . Most of portrayals are not accurate but they get to know who is who . These are all the stories either my mother had told me or I read them in Amar Chitra Katha editions . The author also touches upon the negative emotions like anger , grief , hatred and revenge and how these emotions affect us equally as much as our enemies . She conveys these message through the affected characters , with whom grave injustice was done and they chose to act with vengeance, like Takshaka , Shurpanaka , Karna and Shikhandi . It is very good thinking to make the children aware of these negative emotions and not to hold on to them too long that they destroy their mental peace and cause harm to themselves and the world . She also subtly brings out the point that it is never black and white , good is not always good , bad is not always bad . The Pandavas , the Gods all of them had their weaknesses and have made grave mistakes from time to time . The bad is always not bad , injustice has been done to the Asuras right from the time the ocean of milk was churned . Overall these books had a plethora of knowledge, with lot of wisdom imparted in a subtle way with great sense of humor . But please keep in mind that depiction of the mythological characters is not accurate , most of them are funny or pompous , but in a good way . If you are okay with this liberty taken with the Gods and the heroes , I would definitely recommend this Quintet, for adults and children alike . The picture has the Quintet and one graphic edition of the first book .

Buy Pandava Series at

Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍

The Lake House

 I watched this movie again , nearly after a decade . I had picked up the book The Lake House by Kate Morton a few weeks back . The book did start with a girl , a dog and a letter but well 100 pages into it , no hero . Turns out the book and the movie are not related at all . I put the book on pause , and had to turn it in yesterday . Weighed by guilt , watched the movie yesterday night .

A classic romance, there is Keanu Reeves , there is Sandra Bullock , there is dialogue , conversation , connection and Persuasion . This movie will always remain one of my favorites !

Buy or rent the movie at

My Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍

Just like Heaven

 I got some recommendations from one of my friends few days back. So I am just watching these movies late nights . I love light romantic comedies , subtle and full of life . Of late , it’s hard to find movies like You have got mail or when Harry met Sally . They are full of humor and spirit . Speaking of which this movie literally has a spirit . A heart broken widower David moves into an apartment where the ex-tenant doctor Elizabeth’s ghost still lingers and surprise, they fall in love ! The imagination is far fetched but the movie was such fun to watch . I was laughing through out . Mark Ruffalo is very good at refined subtle humor . He and Reese Witherspoon make a terrific pair . An out and out light hearted romantic comedy . Wish they make more of such simple movies again ! Alas, for some reason everything is dark , intense and complicated !

Buy or rent the movie at

My Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍

Purple Hearts

 A very fine movie , true contemporary romance . Watched it late night yesterday .A struggling song writer and a troubled Marine get into a fake marriage to avail health insurance benefits . Typically in love stories , it is said that fate has different plans . Same holds good here , but this movie also goes on to prove that it is us who complicate things much more and make our own lives miserable. Especially in these times , where being strong , independent and hiding our vulnerabilities is the new trend . It is not the question of holding on to our beliefs , but it is the certainty with which we scorn at others . We have all got it , we know the mantra for success and yes we are successful, except we achieve everything by crumbling inside . This movie nailed it to the core .

“Pretending now that we don't care

The tension climbs across the air

I'm more than scared

I'm drowning in your eyes

I'm terrified

Letting my fears show 'til I can face 'em

Letting my tears go 'til I can taste them

How do I know where you and I go?

Damn it, I hope you come back home!”

Indeed a true emotional journey , a beautiful movie ! Watch it to soften up a little and yes ,there is beauty in being vulnerable.

My Rating: 👍👍👍👍

Ante Sundaraniki - Telugu movie

 Had watched this movie , Ante Sundaraniki, two weeks back and fell in love with it ! I am a fan of good humor . If it is a Telugu movie and it is a comedy , it is usually worth a watch . The comic timing is excellent. The humor is usually predominant in the first half , the action and all the hue and cry happens in the second half . In the past , there are many times when me and my room mate Rashmi, would rent the movie , watch only the first half and return it back .

This particular movie, follows a young couple , who belong to two extremely conservative families from two different religions. They fall in love and decide to marry . The humongous task of convincing their parents now falls upon them . They weave a web of lies to make things work but unfortunately everything back fires on them .

The movie is taken in a very light vein and all characters are given equal importance. The youth’s determination to change perspectives and the agony of the parents when their belief systems are challenged is showcased really well . The solution and climax is highly dramatized , but the key take away from this movie is the humor . It is neither loud nor cheap , but subtle and intelligent. I don’t remember when we last laughed so much watching a movie . I like Nani, he is a very seasoned actor . His Shyam Singha Roy was amazing . The entire cast , the heroine , his parents , the girl’s parents and the office crew have done a phenomenal job . I got a little nostalgic watching this movie . Wish they make sensible movies like these more often .

Rating: 👍👍👍👍

Persuasion - 2022 (NetFlix)

 I did watch it yesterday night . Well , it was bad . The script writer ought to be penalized , very poor screenplay . There is no chemistry between the lead pair . Wentworth looks sorrowful throughout the movie . To be fair , the heroine , Dakota Johnson acted well , but her character resembles more of Elizabeth Bennett than Anne Elliott . I wished if they had cast Henry Golding ( Mr.William Elliot ) as WentWorth, there would have been better chemistry between the two . The movie is shot well, the settings are beautiful. That made it a little bearable . The trailer set the tone of the movie already , so no surprises yesterday. We can write it off as another Bridgerton attached to the NetFlix wagon .

Rating : 👍👍

Obiwan Kenobi - Disney +

 This Disney+ series follows Jedi Master Obi-Wan who is chased by the grand inquisitors and is entrusted to find little Princess Leia and come face to face with his once dearest friend and apprentice Anakin , and now his greatest enemy Darth Vader . Excellent visuals , gripping screenplay . You cannot miss the duels between ObiWan And Darth Vader . There are lot of loopholes in the plot , but well with the two most popular characters of STAR WARS on the screen , all eyes are just on them ! A fine series , well made !

Rating :👍👍👍👍👍

TopGun - Maverick

 It takes Tom Cruise to entice people back to the movie theatres. After a long long time , here’s a movie which deserves to be watched on the big screen . A very fine movie , with astounding visual effects . The story follows Maverick as he takes on an assignment with Top Gun to train a bunch of elite pilots on a dangerous mission while simultaneously battling his fears not to loose his near and dear again . A fine balance of action and human emotions . TomCruise keeps getting better with age . The movie is as good as it’s predecessor, and it does indeed “take the breath away” !

Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍

The Forgotten Garden

Author: Kate Morton 

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton is an ode to remarkable and skillful story writing, with layers of magic intricately woven between the pages of the book. The plot is centered around the life of a small girl who is found abandoned in a ship heading to Australia, this novel is about “her past, her future and her family”.

A small suitcase and a book of fairy tales are her sole belongings and a freak accident has wiped out her memory. The kind dockmaster and his wife, raise her as their own child, they name her Nell. On her 21st birthday, the dockmaster, with a freak sense of righteousness, reveals the truth to her. Nell finds herself destitute, helpless and pitiful. With a strong determination to find her past, she digs through her past belongings and starts reading the book of dark fairy tales. The book leads her to London and then to BlackHurst Manor , which belongs to an aristocratic family. Death knocks upon her door before she is able to reveal the mystery of her birth. It’s not until her granddaughter Cassandra takes up matters in her hand, is the mystery fully unveiled. Cassandra traces her grand mother’s footsteps and they lead her to a beautiful ,yet forgotten Garden in a mysterious cottage on the grounds of BlackHurst Manor. Can Cassandra tie her grand mother’s past , the book of fairy tales and the Forgotten Garden together and solve the mystery? As Cassandra travels to BlackHurst Manor, she is also plunging into another journey, unawares- a path to her own self discovery, battling her inner demons, overcome her personal loss, and embrace the uncertain future with open arms.

This book is a beautiful piece of literature, such prolific writing is very hard to find nowadays. The narration happens through the perspectives of three different protagonists, three women from three different generations, each on their own personal inner and outer voyage.

The only drawback of this book is it’s length. I could figure out the mystery by the time I was through with 60% of the book, thus making the ending very predictable. If it were shorter, the plot could have been more gripping and tight till the very end.

However, the book seems to have been written keeping a television or a big screen adaptation in mind. Each setting is so artistically described and filled with vivid and sensory details. The Forgotten Garden is as magical as Neverland, and we wish Tinker Bell will sprinkle some fairy dust on us too, to give us a glimpse of this beautiful magical place. I would strongly recommend this book to any avid reader who is willing to appreciate the magical spell of words. Some books simply put are pieces of art, this is one of them.

My Rating : 👍👍👍👍

Buy the book online at

From Notting Hill with Love... Actually

 Author : Ali, McNamara

This book was a very quick read. As the title suggests, the book is all about finding love in true Hollywood style. The heroine, Scarlett O’Brien, is always day-dreaming about movies. She believes that her life is fabricated out of   different scenes from   different movies. She is unable to appreciate her steady relationship with her realistic and sensible boyfriend, David and craves for a short break from her current life to experience something extra-ordinary and explosive.

Her dear friend, Maddie, comes to her rescue. She gets an opportunity to fly to NottingHill, London, to house-sit for a couple who are on a month-long vacation. The famous quote from the Alchemist, “When you truly want something, the entire universe conspires to help you achieve it”, works like a charm for Scarlett. Once she steps into NottingHill, her life all of a sudden becomes like a movie set up. She is swarmed by new friends and well-wishers. Sparks fly between her and her neighbor next door, Sean. Life takes a dreamy turn. But even the movies have twists and turns, ups and downs. Scarlett’s adventures in NottingHill and the complications they entail, is the central part of this story.

 

Plotwise, this book has nothing new to offer. We have read many like this for years now. But what is unique about this book is the narration. Faithful to the title, the book is heavily influenced by scenes from the movies. The book borrows several dialogues and sequences from many movies, especially Pretty Woman, When Harry met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, An affair to remember and of course, NottingHill, to mention a few. It takes us on a nostalgic tour through all the movies which we had watched growing up, either in high school or in college. Though the plot is extremely silly and the heroine very annoying, I had a big smile on my face when I was reading this book only because of the movie references.

But my respect grew multi fold towards the author after I came to know that she suffers from chronic illness and more than one auto immune diseases. On good days, she can step out of the house with her crutches and on bad days, she is bed bound and cannot do anything. She says she never had a day when she felt completely well. For someone in her state, fantasizing a whirl-wind romance with her Mr Darcy , is more than acceptable. Creating such heartwarming, magical books and have so many best-sellers up her sleeve is truly commendable.

I would definitely recommend this book, more for the creator, than the creation itself.  

Rating: 👍👍👍👍

Buy the book online at

Who Rules the World - Chinese Drama (Netflix)

 There are only a few movies , television adaptations and series which make you feel youthful again ! To me , last time it happened was when I watched Crash Landing on you , two years back . Good news , Tis the season of love again on Netflix . “Who rules the world” , a beautiful romance which alternates between the power politics and the martial arts world has managed to cast the magical spell . The legendary romance between a noble prince and a fearless princess , who also happen to be ace martial art fighters, is bound to fill your heart with warmth . Their chemistry is electric . The settings and costumes are extravagant and the screenplay is very tight and gripping . The pace is good and the martial art fights are a feast to watch . With almost perfect IMDb rating , this Chinese drama is rocking on Netflix .

Do not miss this historic drama, especially if you like martial arts and fights .

Rating : 👍👍👍👍👍

Notebook Mysteries : Decisions and Possibilities

 Author : Kimberly Mullins

This book is a historic mystery set in 1883, Chicago. The dynamic heroine Emma is only 18 but much ahead of her age. She developes a keen interest towards solving crime mysteries . In the men driven world of those times, she establishes a successful business of her own, and also helps other women who are in distress. Along comes a mystery where she is threatened and assaulted, but she has to help a family connection. Can Emma solve the mystery? This book takes us on a adventure filled ride along with Emma. I like women centric novels which are set in historic times, the courage and the resolve women had in those days to succeed was far more than what we have now, considering the opposition they had to face from the society. A very nice YA novel, I enjoyed it !

Jeeves in the offing

 Author : P.G.WoodHouse

Review:

One reads P.G.Wodehouse to laugh. One does not look for logic nor meaning in the plot.  Woodhouse books are well known for their situational humor, the sort of humor which builds up and throws the characters into weird circumstances throwing the readers into fits of laughter.

This book is not much different than his other books. Bertram Wooster decides to visit Aunt Dahlia at Brinkley Court, once again. But unlike the other times, Aunt Dahlia’s house is full of visitors, few of them with a complicated past. Wooster smells trouble but still braves the visit without Jeeves. As expected, people take full advantage of his good nature, and he ends up in a mess resulting in hilarious circumstances. He finds himself falsely engaged to a lady who hatches a plot to use him as a bait to get to her true love. Things get more complicated when there is a theft of his uncle’s precious silver cow creamer. Wooster lands in a big soup until Jeeves comes to the rescue.

The humor is abundant in this book, but I would have loved to see more of Jeeves. But the plot demands the absence of Jeeves for a long time, so the plot drags a little bit till his entrance. But overall, it does provide for a good laugh.

We read P.G.Wodehouse books as stress busters . In the current times where humor is celebrated dark, twisted or cheap, his books provide a great comic relief, especially to  those readers who still appreciate the good old classic humorous style of writing. I would any day recommend P.G.Wodehouse to my fellow book readers.

My Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍

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Emma

 Author : Alexander McCall Smith

Plot:

It is very difficult to accept a retake of a classic, especially when it comes to modern day renderings , that too of Jane Austen books. Jane Austen is a favorite to many of us and her fans stay loyal to her. There have been many sequels and spinoffs of Jane Austen books, we read them and invariably start drawing comparisons with the original classic and start listing the drawbacks, bashing the spinoff one way or another.

But things are not exactly the same, when the retelling is done by Alexander McCall Smith , a very seasoned writer. It is usually a sheer joy to read his books. His books are very entertaining to read and his characters are enticing and humorous. He has a knack of holding the reader’s attention for a long period of time. So it was  very interesting to analyze his modern day retelling of a Jane Austen Novel , Emma.

Emma is the most imperfect of all Jane Austen heroines. She is snobbish, pompous and loves to interfere. The book itself set in a countryside is filled with flawed endearing folks, who steal your hearts with their imperfections.

McCall Smith has taken lot of liberties in this retelling, though he has remained faithful to the original storyline. The novel  is mainly about Emma’s moral development, and that remains the same. But what leads to her self-discovery is captured very beautifully in this spinoff.

The central characters in this retelling, are Emma, Mr Woodhouse and Harriet. The rest of the characters are merely pawns whose lives Emma meddles with ruthlessly.

Mr WoodHouse gets a lot of weightage in this book. The ever fussy Mr WoodHouse, who always worries about viruses, infections, immunization records, cleanliness, environment, global-warming and the international politics. His observations are very interesting to read. Harriet came as a very genuine surprise, she is not exactly the weakling or a low intelligence creature which Emma assumes her to be in the original classic.

The goofups which Emma makes and how it affects other lives are hilarious, there are many times I laughed out loud reading the consequences which people have to face because of the mess she creates.

Though holding on to the light vein, the author makes very deep insights into human frailties, which makes you pause and think.

“When somebody does wrong, Emma, we must remember that that person is still a human being like the rest of us. We must not rush to throw the first stone. We must remind ourselves that all of us do wrong from time to time, unless we're saints, which we aren't.”

 

“And she lowered her eyes at the gentle reproach, for she had learned her lesson, even if there would be occasional, but only very occasional, relapses; for none of us is perfect, except, of course, the ones we love, the things of home, our much appreciated dogs and cats, our favorites of one sort or another.”

 

There is also a mention about global politics, the importance on cultural rights when living in a foreign country,  post-imperial and historic guilt which few Europeans encounter because of their ancestors conquering the world in the past and making the rest of the world suffer.

Jane Austen fans are very picky and they usually do not like liberties taken with her characters, so to be honest,  there are few things I did not like. The book is not without shortcomings. I felt Mr Knightley made  a guest appearance in this book . The romance does not flow , it is quite abrupt. I would have liked to see more of him and his equation with Emma. I couldn’t see the chemistry between them in this retelling.

A few shortcomings left aside, I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful book. It’s been a while since I read a real good book  to my heart’s content.  I would definitely recommend it to any Jane Austen fan.

My rating: 👍👍👍👍👍

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The chocolate lover's club

 Author : Carole Matthews

Four women , with completely different personalities and with different problems, some meek , some serious, bond over chocolate in this comical book . Their problems lead them to hilarious circumstances and they eat more chocolate to get over their issues .

It isn’t the type of humor I prefer but I cannot deny the fact that I did laugh out loud . If you like movies like Charlie’s angels or Bridget Jones Diary ( especially the humor in those movies ) , you can read this book . And yes there is chocolate throughout , so you can indulge in a lot of it as you are reading the book .

My rating: 👍👍👍

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Rosy is my relative

 Author : Gerald Durrell

A very charming book, filled with eccentric characters which makes you forget all your troubles and laugh wholeheartedly.

Adrain Rookwhistle is a grocery clerk who lives a boring life. Rosy is gifted to him as part of the legacy, and surprise, Rosie loves to drink alcohol.

Then come a series of hilarious circumstances when Adrian and Rosie go on an adventurous trip to the shore in search of a circus. The antics these two pose is outrageously hilarious. As they overcome the hurdles one after another and meet more eccentric characters on their way, they are presented with bigger problems. The climax is befitting, I do not remember when I laughed this much, other than a P.G.Woodhouse book. The last pages made me literally roll on the floor with laughter.

Do yourself a favor, pick up this book, and humor yourself. Do not miss it at any cost !

Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍

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Those People

Author : Louise Candlish 

“Could you hate your neighbors enough to plot to kill them?”. If you have ever had troublesome neighbors in your past who have triggered your criminal instincts, even for a little bit, you will relate to this book very well.

LowlandWay is a dreamy neighborhood, picture perfect and idealistic where all neighbors live in harmony. The houses are luxurious, children play together outside and everyone cares for each other.

Hell breaks loose when new neighbors move into one of the houses. Darren and Jodie are practically rebels. They do not follow the rules and that not being enough, they begin a ghastly renovation with rubble all around, turn on loud music in the night and start a used car business, with cars lined up everywhere in the neighborhood. “It’s a free world mate ! As long as the law allows it , we will do whatever we want” !

And then, one horrific night, there is death. And the cops suspect murder. The whole neighborhood is shattered. Who, how, why?

Read this fast paced , gripping domestic suspense to understand how deep the hatred can run if things do not go the way one expected.

The book started off well, almost similar to Agatha Christie books, and the suspense builds up as the crime unfolds. But towards the end, with all it’s twists and turns, it got a little more complicated than necessary.

It is dark, terrifying, scary and there are many times I cried out foul. There is a little bit of humor, and there are times I did laugh out loud as well. I did like this book, but not over the top awed by it.

If you are in a mood for a wacky, dark, gripping mystery, pick this book.

My rating: 👍👍👍👍

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The Christmas Pig

 Author : J.K.Rowling

#bookreview

An unforgettable adventure which sweeps you away into a land of magic, miracles and love for lost things, The Christmas Pig is a story about a boy, Jack, who loses his favorite toy, a Dur Pig, which he has treasured throughout his life. Christmas season looks miserable and bleak without him.

But, surprise, On Christmas eve, the day of miracles and joys, when kids look forward to their presents, the toys come to life. His new replacement toy, The Christmas Pig has a plan.

Jack and the Christmas Pig, embark on a daring adventure into the Land of the Lost, to seek something what he has lost, and reclaim this Dur Pig back.

This is a beautiful heartwarming book, which takes us into a different world, and reiterates the good old values of bravery, courage and true friendship. The toy characters are so endearing, and the Land of the Lost has a lot more to offer than lost toys. Do read the book to know what it’s all about and enjoy the roller coaster ride.

It’s been a while since I read a good children’s book, and who better than J.K.Rowling to lure her readers back into the world of adventure and re-instate the hope that not all magic is lost. A little late for Christmas season, but celebrate the joy and love with this book.

Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍

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