What are you reading?

cynic

Thank you all for joining the group. Let's get talking. What book/books are you reading at the moment?

I am reading two books -

Truth, Love and a Little Malice by Khushwant Singh
Not a holier than thou, typical autobiography. But feels a bit colored at times.

Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? by Frans de Waal
A fascinating book. Makes you wonder if it is humans who are "dumb animals"

booklover1980

Taking a cue from what someone mentioned on the dorum and have started , The 100 year old man who climbed out of  the window and disappeared by jonas Jonasson. Seems interesting

Meself

jhsurti 25-4-2018 12:23 PM
I think Mahabharata has every possible situation covered. You think of anything, you'll find some re ...

Vyas, very arrogantly states "Yadhihasti tadanyatra
Yannehasti na tadkvachit" which means that what doesn't exist in Mahabharat doesn't exist anywhere else in the world. And if you scrutinise it, you'll agree that he was right.




It's very unfortunate and our loss that we have moved into being a closeted society that despite all the progress is regressive in its very fabric. Ancient India was definitely the time to be alive in!

jhsurti

I have a bit different take on this. That is because, perhaps, I have been brought up to believe whatever I wanted to. I am a bit sceptical about God. So, One, I have no preconceived notion of what actually WAS. or HAD BEEN. True, we have been listening the epics in the same form over the years and so it is ingrained in our brains that this is the truth and anything else cannot be justified. I am not against anything.  Two, history has been written by victors. The losers perished so there is no one to tell their side of the story! Three, any event can have different versions. e.g. watch Akira Kurosawa's ROSHOMON. There is only one event that happened but there are different versions of the same event as seen by different witnesses and characters. And the interpretations are widely differing.
So, I do not in the least feel offended if a different view, from the commonly accepted one, is written by some one. I find it actually very interesting to see something that I had perhaps not thought of before. It, for me, is simply another story. Nothing more.
This is simply my opinion. This is not a debate and I am not trying to convince anyone. It's simply how I look at it. I appreciate everyone's own point of view.

jhsurti

pallaviachrekar 18-4-2018 09:38 AM
3 and a half murders by Salil Desai. Just started, very gripping and entertaining till now. Seems to ...

You should also try out Salil Desai's "Lost Libido and other Gulp Fiction". A collection of his short stories. Some of them O Henry style. Quite enjoyable read. I have uploaded it in the Salil Desai thread.

Mitu.delghy

First they killed my father by Laung Ung. Heart wrenching true story.

Meself

Just finished with Pralay by Vineet Bajpai. Now I am planning to move on to Immortal by Krishna Udayshankar.




Myth-fic genre these days is pretty lit!

pallaviachrekar

Meself 17-4-2018 12:40 AM
Just finished with Pralay by Vineet Bajpai. Now I am planning to move on to Immortal by Krishna Uday ...

How is the book by Vineet Bajpai? Reviews.

cynic

pallaviachrekar 17-4-2018 06:19 PM
How is the book by Vineet Bajpai? Reviews.

+1

Do you recommend it? I am on a break from the myth fics right now.

Meself

cynic 17-4-2018 08:47 PM
+1

Do you recommend it? I am on a break from the myth fics right now.

I'd say it's a really interesting take on the entire myth and legend of the Indus Valley Civilization and the hoax of Aryan Invasion propogating by the British. Certain parts will remind you of Dan Brown and his penchant of pulling out mysteries but all in all it is a good book. The writing is sharp and crisp and doesn't have heavy embellishments; something which I like because it usually hampers the pace of the novel.


You'll enjoy the book. I am waiting for its conclusion now. I want to know how it ends.

pallaviachrekar

3 and a half murders by Salil Desai. Just started, very gripping and entertaining till now. Seems to be a police procedural. Will post reviews once finished.

cynic

Meself 18-4-2018 12:21 AM
I'd say it's a really interesting take on the entire myth and legend of the Indus Valley Civilizati ...

Sounds interesting. It is a part of the Harappa series, right? I would have to read that first.

cynic

pallaviachrekar 18-4-2018 09:38 AM
3 and a half murders by Salil Desai. Just started, very gripping and entertaining till now. Seems to ...

Haven't read the author. Do share your review when you finish.

joealexin

Poem of Man God by Maria Valothra