Paper towns

I loved John Green's "The fault in Our stars". So, I figured I Would try Paper Towns. Unfortunately this one does not match up to the Former. It IS about Finding Margo Roth Spielgelman, who IS Quentin's Childhood Crush. Margo IS this supposedly cool, free spirited girl in direct contrast to Quentin who needs structure and is perfectly happy with his boring, conform to the rules kind of living. It is slow going and in the middle just rambles on. 

There is not enough time spent in getting readers to like Margo enough to care about finding her. Her reasons to skip home and just run away feels more like teenage rebellion. So, when Quentin gets obsessed with finding her, it does not pull in the readers into the same frame of mind. As the journey continues, you are waiting for the end and have long since stopped caring about Quentin's quest. The only interesting part was the road trip on which Quentin and Margo's friends embark. The ending emphasizes the feeling you start getting by the time you are halfway through the book, that this whole journey was a waste of time. Margo Roth does not deserve our time nor Quentin's. Here and there are a few philosophical questions and concepts discussed, out of which only a few are mildly interesting.
You are better off spending this money somewhere else

My rating: 2.8 / 5.0

Hot Tea Across India - Book review

There is something about road trips, especially in India which somehow beats any other mode of transport. Often the journey in itself becomes more memorable than the actual destination. Anyone who loves road trips will know the value of a hot cup of tea. That one cup is enough to rejuvenate and refresh.

Rishad's book "Hot Tea Across India" recounts many a tale of  such trips, with different flavors of tea accompanying the author through his travels. The writing is more like diary entries of a traveler, or like stories shared around a campfire. It does not capture all the details of his various journeys, does not give you enough information about the various places. It feels more like a sharing of various anecdotes. Nonetheless, it makes an interesting read. Some of his encounters are funny, some bizarre and some scary(like being chased by goons who want to buy his bullet!!). The author's love and reverence for his precious bullet will definitely strike a cord with all the bikers out there :)

After reading this book, it made me want to take my car and hit the road, the aroma of a hot cup of tea beckoning me.

My Rating: 4/5

Hitched - book review

This is my first post and my first book review. I have always loved reading and go through at least a dozen a month. I figured I should start writing reviews to put across my thoughts about the books I read and to hear from other book lovers what they feel about it. I invite all of you to feel free to comment and share your thoughts about these books.

Hitched

“Hitched, The modern woman and arranged marriage” by Nandini Krishnan is a collection of real life stories of various women experiencing the arranged marriage phase of their lives. Some are sweet, some are sour, but all of them are interesting. Any girl above 20 would have experienced this phase in her life. The myriad 'rishtey' that well meaning aunts and uncles keep getting, promising the groom of every girl’s dream. Of course in reality, most turn out to be frogs with only a few being prince charming.

This book shows different aspects, like how women learn the ropes of starting their own families, maintaining their own houses, of dealing with in-laws and nosy relatives. It talks about various concerns which plague us as to whats the right age for marriage, pros and cons of starting a family early or late, of how to deal with the issue of having to share a bed with almost a stranger,dowry demands (both explicit and subtle).  

Most stories are quite humorous and made me laugh, often marveling at the way most women learn to cope and yes sometimes learn to manipulate their husbands. I could relate to a lot of issues talked about in the book. One of the girls says “Arranged marriage is like speed dating”, and it does. Most often,  there is only one meeting allowed and the girl and guy are surrounded by too many family members who are all putting a lot of pressure to hear a yes. And the expectation is that such a momentous decision should be taken based on such a short meeting!

What makes this book a good read are that these are real stories, showcasing real situations and issues, not exaggerated dramas. My one grouse about this book is that it is a little superficial. It just breezes through the stories, instead of exploring in depth the various layers and nuances.

My rating: 3.5/5