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