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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STAR WARS - Prequel Review

 

Check out the STAR WARS Prequel review at

https://theworldofmovies.com/star-wars-the-prequel-trilogy-review/

The Midnight Library

Author : Matt Haig 

A brilliant novel which makes us ponder over the choices we made in our lives , The Midnight Library urges it’s readers to introspect and rethink on certain decisions we made in our past .

Have you always made the right choices in your past? Are there few things you regret ? Have you ever wondered about the road not taken ? What if you get another chance to open up those long forgotten chapters ? Would you have made a different choice ? Perhaps a different career option, relocation to another city , studied abroad , try to mend a relationship? If you are transported to the setting of this book , you get a chance to work on your life again.

Between heaven and Earth there is a library , called The Midnight library , filled with stacks of books. Each book contains the story of your life, based on the choice you made at that given point of time . Based on your book of regrets, you can choose to pick a regret , mend your choice and open up a new chapter of your life and see where that path leads you . Sounds very fancy isn’t it ?

In the book , the protagonist Nora Seed ends up in the library because of a decision she makes . She comes face to face with her past , makes amends to her choices and this novel is her journey as she catches a glimpse of different variations of her life across parallel universes.

The book is undoubtedly a beautiful piece of literature , but it does come with a certain baggage.There are some books which start slow and light but get intense towards the end . But this book , on the contrary , is similar to a dystopian book . It is very gloomy and intense in the beginning , but as it progresses , we can feel the weight lifting off our head . It is as if the heaviness is taken away and we can feel ourselves flying in the air , like a butterfly which emerges from the cocoon.

This book would serve as a healing potion for those who suffer with mental health issues and depression. The author Matt Haig himself struggled with severe depression issues and his first hand experience in dealing with this matter is very prominent in certain chapters.

To summarize, this book is a beautiful ride but brace yourself for some depressing chapters in the beginning.

My Rating - 👍👍👍👍

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Before I go to sleep

 Author : S.J.Watson

Plot Review:

This was my third short book during the Thanksgiving Holidays. A fast paced, short, intense, psychological thriller, this book keeps you at the edge of your seat. This is an ideal pick up for a short flight travel or one late night sitting. You get so glued to the book that it is difficult to let go of it without knowing how it will end. The novel is centered around a woman, Christine, who suffers from a rare type of amnesia where she wakes up every day morning not knowing who she is . Even if someone told her all about her past today, she would wake up tomorrow morning again without any memory of the knowledge she gained the previous day. The novel follows her life as she tries to reconstruct her past with some help . But Will she be able to join the broken pieces of the puzzle eventually? What will happen the next day she wakes up?  

Psychological thrillers are not one of my favorite genre, I find them a little too dark and scary. But that does not take away any credit from this wonderful book, which kept me hooked on to it till the very last page. The movie, which boasts of a stellar cast with Nicole Kidman and Collin Firth in  the lead roles, is supposed to be equally good, though I have not watched it yet. I liked the book and would definitely recommend it.

A   brilliant thriller, do not miss it !

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Rating:👍👍👍👍

The Alchemist

Author : Paulo Coelho

 I began my audible journey with Paulo Coelho’s “The Alchemist”.

A story of a young shepherd who begins his travel seeking world treasure , instead treads on the path of self discovery and spiritual enlightenment, Paulo Coelho‘s masterpiece can be read and reread multiple times , a tale of pursuing one’s dreams and carving one’s own unique destiny. Simple and profound, this little book is full of wisdom. Jeremy Irons has narrated the book so well, his deep voice nicely complements the book which is rich and thoughtful in it's content. “When you want something, the whole universe conspires in order for you to achieve it” . Enough inspiration to last for a lifetime, don't you think !

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Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍

How I TAUGHT my GRANDMOTHER to READ and other stories

 Author : Sudha Murthy

There is no greater thrill than exploring a friend’s bookshelf and finding a gem of a book to read.

Sudha Murthy’s How I TAUGHT My GRANDMOTHER to READ and other stories is a collection of short and sweet stories, based on real life incidents and interactions in the author’s life. She talks about sojourners she meets on the train, teachers she interacted with in the rural areas, and car mechanics who are aspiring students. She weaves the stories with words of wisdom and addresses poverty, feminism and lack of education in the rural areas in a very gentle manner. There are few whose lives are blessed with abundance. Sudha Murthy is blessed with prosperity and she firmly believes that when life gives you so much, one must share it with others. This is the first book of hers which I read and I really enjoyed it. This is one of the three short books (including an audible) last week which I read during the Thanksgiving holidays. Do read it when you get a chance.

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Rating: 👍👍👍👍

All the Light we cannot see

 Author : Anthony Doerr

Much has been said about this book, laurels showered in abundance, praises heaped upon. My review could just be a repetition of what has already been stated by scores of readers before me. But yet, there is a certain delight in penning down a review in your own words, though it is the resonance of the same vibe, yet again.

Set in the time of the French resistance during WW II, All the lights we cannot see is centered around two unique teenagers, a blind French girl and a German Orphan, who stand up to the challenges posed to them during the war times.

The book is a parallel narrative for the most part, switching back and forth between the lives of the two protagonists and it overlaps towards the end when they cross paths with each other.

The author leaves no stone unturned in pointing out the atrocities which happened during the war. Prisoners are captured, punished, executed. Innocent people die like flies, succumbing to a fate they do not deserve.  Heart breaking, brutal, heart-wrenching, hard hitting, devastating are the words which should ideally come to the reader’s mind when reading such a serious book. But instead, I find myself using words like delicate, beautiful, fragile and poetic to describe this book. Simply put, it is a piece of art. The narration is rich with details, the language is smooth.  I find myself in a trance, with my heart on my sleeve, calling out to the two protagonists to retrace back their steps and come back to the picturesque town of Saint-Malo, and spend time with the readers, a little longer.

The story of a blind girl trying to live her everyday life with sheer grit despite loosing everything dear to her is truly inspiring. The story of a young boy who dreams of becoming a famous engineer or a scientist but gets caught up in a muddy war which he doesn’t want to fight, is saddening. The book clearly stands out for the brilliant portrayal of two beautiful souls who refuse to give up hope, despite the darkness surrounding them.

Coming to the plot itself, there were many loopholes and flaws, but the beautiful narration neutralizes the short comings. I am eagerly waiting for the Netflix limited series which has just begun production. This book is meant to be adapted on television. It will be a visual treat to watch.

My Rating: Anything less than 5 is a sacrilege. This book is a beauty.

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Trevor Noah : Born a Crime

 Author : Trevor Noah

A biographical Memoir of a world-famous personality, the current host of The Daily Show, Trevor Noah, Born A Crime is a very insightful and inspiring read. Noah deftly covers both the political background of the post-Apartheid South Africa and his own personal experiences in this book. He delves into diverse issues like the Apartheid, Colonialism, Religion, education and gender, which were prevalent in his childhood days in South Africa. The book is a collection of short anecdotes, a narration of his painful experiences which happened in his childhood and adolescence with a comical twist. Few stories make you laugh out loud and few make you cringe in pain. In between the stories, he gives us a detailed account of the history and also the social, political and economic background of South Africa post- Apartheid.

Trevor’s unique identity and his troubled childhood could vastly be attributed to the bold choices made by both his mother and him, two very strong minded, independent individuals who refused to succumb to the dampening circumstances around them.  Despite being ostracized and subject to domestic violence and abuse, Trevor’s mother laid a solid foundation to Trevor’s future. Vowing to write his own destiny, Trevor embraced all the challenges thrown at him and launched himself to reach the stars.

Trevor’s mom tells him “Learn from your past and be better

because of your past, but don’t cry about your past. Life is full

of pain. Let the pain sharpen you, but don’t hold on to it”.

And he lives by those words. Trevor Noah’s story has to be told to the world, and it is told exactly the way it has to be told. My respect went up ten-fold to this man, who came out sane and balanced after going through so much trauma in his childhood. I love stories of such people, who go through so much suffering but come out unscathed with a mission to light up the world. They are the torch bearers of humanity, an emblem of hope and compassion, which the world needs badly.

Take a bow, Trevor Noah. Lead the Way. May the Force be with you.

My rating: 5/5.

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