Interview: Vivek Banerjee

Hi everyone! Please welcome Dr. Vivek Banerjee, author of "The Long Road" for an interview on my blog today. If you recall, I interviewed his book a few days ago.

1. I'd like to begin this interview by asking you what kind of booksare there on your bookshelf? What books are you reading right now? Which genre of books do you generally read? Which books do you re-read again and again?
I am a huge fan of fiction. From classics to adventure to mystery to horror to contemporary Indian English writing, I read them all. I also have Bangla and Hindi books in my bookshelf, though not as many as English ones. The books I have read multiple times are Doctors by Eric Segal, To kill a mockingbird by Harper Lee, and almost all books by Jack Higgins, Alister Maclean and Wilbur Smith. I have also read Dan Brown multiple times. For the last two months, I have been busy with the Book Reading Challenge conducted by your blog and Book Readers Lounge. So it has been Indian authors for the last two months.

2. Tell us something about your work before "The Long Road"?I used to blog on Rediff  iLand in its heydays. You can say that I developed confidence in my writing abilities thanks to Rediff  blogs. Many of my early short stories are still posted there.

3. Did you always want to be a writer? How did you get into writing? What inspired you to write "The Long Road"?
I guess I always wanted to be a doctor. Writing was just a whim I developed suddenly. (maybe a part of my bucket list) I was talking on the phone with my old school-teacher Ms. C. Sinha and said that I wanted to write a novel. She kind of encouraged me and I started thinking about it seriously. I started writing blogs, limericks and short stories to test the water. Even The long road started as a serial story on Rediff.( It was titled Doctors, by the way) The response of my co- bloggers to the story was fantastic. I ended the story after the Mumbai attacks when Sarika and Rahul get reunited. This elicited a howl of protest from my readers who wanted me to carry on with the story. I did and thus the book took shape.

4. What kind of people do you think this book will reach out to?It should appeal to the urban Indian reader, the young and the young at heart. I sincerely hope that it does not remain confined to doctors and medical students.

5. What is your favourite thing about books and reading? How havebooks made an impact on your life?Books are wonderful. The best thing about them is that they are always there for you. I have been reading them ever since I learned to read. I believe books have shaped my personality and made me what I am today.

6. Quick take. Answer the following with the first words/phrase that comes to your mind, in five words or less:
- Love – The best feeling ever…
- Life – Do your best…
- Marriage – My biggest strength…
- Medicine (as a profession) – Very taxing but satisfying…
- Books – are everything…


Nothing is impossible. One must dream and do his/ her best in life. I guess the following quote says it all.


Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that
you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.
-- Mark Twain

(Sakhi: That is my favorite quote too! As anyone who's ever emailed me would know.)

Love Me In The End by Sonia Kundra Singh

Love Me In The End was not what I expected.

Perhaps a little context is required - most love stories I've read, especially the ones by Indian authors, ignore the concept of lust. So no one is ever physically attracted to anyone, no one ever seems to sleep with anyone at all, and while the hero and heroine always look absolutely gorgeous and flawless, no one ever seems to like them for the way they look, because that would just be too materialistic and detract from the idea of the great Indian love story. Over time, I have come to find this irritating - especially when the love story seems based on lust anyway, and the author is just unwilling to acknowledge that. And here's what I can say for Love Me In The End - it definitely doesn't do that. Catering to Gen Y, the book is refreshingly open about sexuality and relationships - in fact, if you're uncomfortable with that then I would definitely not recommend this book for you. As far as I'm concerned, this is a very open book (in fact, the last book like this was Nikhil Mahajan's "My Love Never Faked" - reviewed here - which, if you recall, had a main character who cheated, watched porn and got the girl from the porn he was watching  and with whom he was cheating on her girlfriend to tattoo her name on him) but I was quite okay with that.

That is not to say that I enjoyed everything about this book. I did like Ria though - the main character - because she was fun, fiery, and definitely not perfect, and she was making more sense than anyone else in this book. Because I certainly could not understand the motivations of many, many people - Amitab, Ria's father, behaves like he lives in the previous century (engaging her with a guy she's never met and then blackmailing the guy into marrying her), her supposedly modern mother (who is divorced and remarried to Amitab, who is also a divorcee) is upset that her daughter is unhappy with her father's choice but still seems to blame it on her daughter for being 'pig-headed' (which seems like a joke! I consider everyone else pigheaded) and last but not the least Arman, Ria's fiancée who's motivations - both emotional and physical, I fail to understand completely. Also, his hypocrisy made me really hate him! (You will understand once you read the book. Nothing could be as annoying.)

The plot is, as I've explained above, not for everyone. On the other hand, if you're a fan of romance, (this book is reminiscent of Julia Quinn - read here) and you're okay with it, it is quite likely that you will really enjoy this book. Its fast-paced, modern, fun and reasonably well-written - none of the careless grammar and writing that so frequently destroy good stories these days. There are passages in this book that are funny, touching, and incredibly passionate - which is, of course, what all books should aim to do - and I feel the book succeeds in that.

Final thoughts: Its fun, and modern - definitely for the new Indian generation. Give it a miss if you dont like the concept, because its based pretty heavily on that.

Other thoughts: I've been reading a lot of books lately that I haven't got the time to review - like Eric Segal's "The Class" and the first Percy Jackson book, as well as a re-read of the Vlad Taltos series. Expect more reviews soon! Also see my interviews of Anurag Anand, Nikhil Mahajan and Sonia Kundra Singh here soon! Also, its about time for the Book Reading Challenge 2011 and The Book Giveaway of Stilettos in the Newsroom to End - get on it!

(Financial disclosure: Book source is the author.) 

The Quest for Nothing by Anurag Anand

I really liked The Quest for Nothing.

I find it hard to pinpoint exactly what was so amazing about it. Its a combination of various not-so-important factors that lead to a finished product that is both a good story and an extremely good piece of writing. Perhaps at first glance it was the impeccable writing - I dont think you will find a single place in this book with grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, or poor editing - a change that I really appreciate when compared to a lot of books I read these days. The book is a polished, finished product - there is no superfluous information, the book is fast paced, and the writing is really good. It is an extremely professional book - and that is one of the things I appreciated the most when I was on the first half of the book and hadnt really gotten into the story just then. The non-linear structure also works really well, as it gets you into the mystery and makes you feel for Akash, though it can be confusing.

The second part I liked is the plot. The plot is definitely not full of fantasy or even over-the-top, its a simple mystery and a very normal marital relationship - but I think the simplicity is what makes this book truly good. The relationship between Deepali and Akash has got to be my favorite part of the book, simply because its so easy to identify with - the beginning of the romance, the passionate honeymoon period, the pressure of work leading to a decrease in affection, the breaks and the shake-ups and the cheating - I like how each part of it is the kind of thing that can happen to just about anyone. The mystery that forms a core of the book - the reason why Akash is accused of leaking highly confidential data - also seems to build naturally from the way things were and the ending, while not completely unexpected, was still interesting.

The supporting characters were perhaps not as well-developed as I would have liked - we never do get the full story behind Monisha, for example, and I would've liked to know more about Neil as well - though honestly I understand this. Its a short book and its a quick one, and perhaps the lack of all that information adds to the book rather than detracts from it, but I am still the type of person who likes to know everything about every character. On the other hand, the more important characters - in particular Akash (the hero) and Deepali (his wife) are so much fun to read, and they are so superbly etched (especially Deepali) that the book continues to shine despite this pit-fall. Its been a long time since I have written such an elated review - but thats probably because its been a while since I've enjoyed a book quite this much.

Final thoughts: As one reviewer puts it, nothing to WOW you in this book, but its still worth what you pay for it. The varied aspects of plot, characterization and good writing come together to give you a book that is not wow and yet will wow you.

Other thoughts: I will be reviewing author Anurag Anand soon on my blog! Keep reading!

Also, this is part of my list for the Book Reading Challenge 2011.

(Financial disclosure: Book source is the author.) 

My Love Never Faked by Nikhil Mahajan

My Love Never Faked - Trust Me I Still Love You is a different yet similar love story.

Here is something I really like about the book and I feel it differentiated it from the rest of the books of this type - the story. Its not your regular boy-meets-girl, and stuff happens book, and for the first time in a long time its the story of two people who have actually been in a relationship for a long, long time, and a story of how the stupid action of the guy (namely "meeting a girl on a website, flirting with her, and finally ending up with a tattoo of her name on his chest") breaks them up - and how love may or may not survive when faced with insurmountable odds. It gives you a very "it-could-happen-to-you-if-you-are-really-stupid" situation and then forces you to question what the hell you would do in it. If you were the girl, would you forgive him? If you were the guy, would you dare to ask for forgiveness? And will Priya finally forgive Abhi? Written in a very autobiographical way (and perhaps based on real events, I don't know if it is) it forces you to look up because of the realism. 

The realism is also there in the characters and situations. Contrary to bollywood-ish dramas, there is not much photoshopping done to this story. It comes across as one that might happen to just about anyone. Abhi acts really awfully in the whole story - two-timing, forgetting important dates, watching porn, having immature pranks with friends, fantasizing about girls, and of course making the mistake of his life as shown above, and Priya comes across as the typified girlfriend - nagging, fighting, cute, always remembering the important dates...and while this does seem a little stereotyped at times, with there typical roles of the girlfriend and boyfriend, and patronizing at times where Abhi talks about "makhan lagana" to Priya, it does strike a chord at places, and will for many people living in our day and age who are happily (or unhappily) in love.

The problems I've had with this book include the grammar and writing style, which did not agree with me at all. I understand this is a book aimed for the 'texting crowd' but I do not find things like 'u' acceptable in the narrative of a book, and I do feel the grammar and formatting could do with major editing in the book. If you arent a grammar Nazi like me you will mostly not have a problem with this, but me being who I am could not easily get over this. (Note: The author has informed me that this is corrected in later versions of the book. So a note for people buying, consider looking into this.) And on the other hand, the book is short and zippy, it gets through pretty fast, and there are very few slow scenes, though there are a few irrelevant ones, like the one with the revenge, which seemed to be there just because. 

Final thoughts: I can recommended the book for its sense of realism and a plot that I found pretty different. Points off for the handling of the grammar and syntax.

Other thoughts: I'll have author Nikhil Mahajan for an interview soon on this blog, watch this space! Also, this is one of my additions for the Book Reading Challenge 2011. 

(Financial disclosure: Book source was the author.)  

Anything Else But Love by Ankita Chadha

Anything Else But Love is a bollywood-esque love story.

If you're a fan of that kind of romance, then I would definitely recommend this book to you...in fact, many of my friends have already asked to borrow this book from me. Its a classic boy-meets-girl, conflicts happens and happily-ever-after type of story, with quite a few twists and turns, drama on airports, loads of true love, a lot of misunderstandings, great supporting cast and a lot of plain old fun. The situations are really dramatized, as are the characters, which all adds to the kind of story it is. Its very clear, not every one will like this book, but people who actually do enjoy movies like Dil Waale Dulhaniya Le Jaenge, or Kuch Kuch Hota Hein should definitely consider this book as it is likely to be really enjoyable for them to read. 

I think the star of this book is Avi, the main guy. He's adorable, sweet, kind, flirty and FUN, which the female lead, Shewali, the 'teacher' lacks. Also, the thing about Shewali is that's she really good-good, and traditional, and pretty, and perfect, and all those things that I wont ever be, which is why I can emphasise more with Avi, whose pain and love and family issues and flirtiness are all really well-written and not too angsty. Also, I dont like Shewali's decisions through a majority of the book, she's over-dramatized at parts and at parts she just plain acts stupid, like the end, but Avi is just a great foil for her, and he makes the whole book seem a lot better. I think Avi - and Tia (Shevali's sweet best friend), Shabeer (Avi's very sweet and serious brother), and Sonnel (Shewali's kick-ass sister), are the reason you should be reading this book. Of course by the end of the book you cant ever hate Shewali, who's very kind and gentle and all, and eventually you grow to like her too. 

A few things in the book didnt exactly agree with me - I wasnt too fond of the writing style (but then, this is a pretty personal opinion) but it didnt gel with me much, and I didnt like some scenes which were a little nuts (though honestly, in the story they were in, it made perfect sense to put them, but still...). However, what I did like was that it was a quick and zippy read, 300 + pages go  by like a breeze. Moreover, this is the kind of book that warms your heart, pushes your buttons, makes you smile, and finally go 'aww' which is a pretty fun sensation once in a while. 

Final thoughts: Anything Else But Love is about nothing else but love. A fun, sweet, bollywood-esque read, recommended for all lovers of the genre. 

Other thoughts: This is another book for the Book Reading Challenge 2011! Also, author Ankita Chadha's going to make an appearance on my blog soon. Watch this space. 

(Financial disclosure: Book source was the author.) 

Hickory Dickory Shock by Sundip Gorai

I think the name Hickory Dickory Shock doesnt do justice to how good this book is.

Quite honestly, on the onset, I had not expected to like this book. "A Tale For Techies" is not on my ideal reading list, and I admit to being somewhat biased. But the book itself, right from chapter 1, forced me to reconsider, and eventually I will say that this book is amazing. Its fun, its intelligent, and it is really well-written. The book is a basically a mystery set within a techno-innovation company called Shivan Computers. You learn at the very onset that things are wrong - they're cooking their books, there is something fishy about the recruitment patterns, and finally this culminates into the murder of two high-ranking officials of the company. One of the major suspects is our hero - 210 (Maninder Tuten Chatterjee, the history of whose name is as fascinating as the rest of the book) - and he must find the actual culprits of this. This is compounded by some odd ciphers that keep turning up everywhere. 

Now I'd say the very best part of this story has got to be 210. He's a great protagonist. He's fun, he's passionate about his work, and he's the kind of IIT guy who finds relationships between random data in restaurants and yet isnt getting good grades - he's nice, he's cool, and he's somewhat geeky - in short the kind of guy I would consider a great protagonist. He's also well-equipped for this sort of mission, with his extensive knowledge. His supporting cast, especially love interest Geetika ("Geeks") and his amazing mother, are all pretty good. At places, it can be hard to keep the cast in Shivan straight, since you meet them all at the same place and they have slightly similar names. In that case, keep that chapter where they are introduced bookmarked. (Trust me, as this web tangles, you'll need it.) 

The plot is refreshing and not predictable (at least not for me), the puzzles are quite interesting and have a Da Vinci-code esque way of getting you interested in the story, and the writing, as I've mentioned above, is above-average to say the least. The author definitely has a way with words and writes in a clean, simple style that makes the book really easy to read. In fact, this book is the kind of book you would love to finish in a day, because it flies forwards at a steady pace and builds up the mystery really well. The skipping of the narrative from past to present to future may not suit all readers, however, I'm quite comfortable with it so it was not a problem with me. 

Final thoughts: This review has come blazing out, because I really enjoyed the book and I could pinpoint exactly what I liked about it - good protagonist, innovative plot, and interesting writing style. A book everyone, but especially techies, will enjoy. 

Other thoughts: Will be interviewing author Sundip Gorai sometime soon, so watch this space. :) Also, this is my (I've lost count) but part of the books for the Book Reading Challenge 2011. 

(Financial disclosure: Book source was the author.)

It Cant Be You by Prem Rao

It Cant Be You is a murder mystery.

The premise of this book is really interesting - I love how the plot is weaved and the story structure. The story begins with a scene where Col. Belliappa, a major character, is killed. Then we go into flashback mode and are told about the lives of three family members of his who were in his house at the time of the murder - Shefali, his daughter, Pritam, his son, and Elena, his second wife - and we are told, in the next three chapters, that all of them may have reasons to kill him. After this the story deepens into a character sketch of each of the main characters as we trace all their lives (from childhood to the point of the murder) - and each of them reveals the deepest part of their psyche in the form of first-person narratives. Finally, we get to see who committed the murder. 

I love the plot. I like the way it is, and I found the ending really shocking (it was by the character I least expected, but then my friend says I dont read enough suspense and I should always expect the one I'd never expect). I also love the characters. Actually, I dont love the characters, I just like how they've been etched, they are deep and have loads of flaws, and frankly they're all immensely unlikeable, but also really well-etched. I like how they're deep and have loads of psychological disorders (especially Col. Belliappa, but frankly you can see it in all of them) which seems to be a strong point of the author who is highly interested in Psychology. 

For me, the lows of the book are all on technical aspects. I do not like how the book doesnt use punctuation before quotes, with all text ending up like this: "I don't like this" said Character 1. This might not be a problem for most people, but for people like me, it can be very jarring. I also feel that the book involved too much telling (ie, summarziing stories) instead of showing action - which will not appeal to all readers. Also I did not find all the parts equally interesting (I'm sure most people wont) - I liked the stories of Pritam and Shefali more than the Col. and Elena, for example, but this might just be a generation gap. But even in the stories that were less appealing, some aspects, like Belliappa's relationship with Dinaz (with such chilling implications later on in the story) - and more importantly how the childhood development of the character affected later behavior - were very interesting indeed. 

Final thoughts: A deep, moving, thrilling book with an unexpcted ending. Really interesting read. 

Other thoughts: I'll be posting an interview with author Prem Rao soon. Also, this is another book for the Book Reading Challenge 2011!

(Financial disclosure: Book source is the author.) 

Stilettos in the Newsroom by Rashmi Kumar

Stilettos in the Newsroom is an important glimpse into the journalism industry.

Its written from the perspective of a female journalist in what seems to be highly autobiographical (or perhaps that is just the way the book is written?) and tells you about the struggles that Radhika will face as she enters the tough and demanding world of journalism - office politics, power struggles, sullen bosses, back-stabbing friends, mismatches between the picture and the caption, relationship problems and a great deal of craziness - with people inside and outside the industry. It seems to be written without any pretense, there is a lot of stuff in it that is controversial - like relationships between the Press members and the people they interview, or relationships with bosses in order to get better stories. Moreover, Radhika is ambitious enough in this book to be doing just about anything to get what she wants - a big plus.

The characters in this book, aside from the main character, are according to me a little under-developed. I can hardly keep the names and places straight, most people just become one single character trait and quite a few of them don't appear very often. Even Radhika's love interest, Sameer, is a rushed character who doesnt get the screen space he deserves - after reading this book, I have trouble with knowing anything about him other than the fact that "he was a nice guy." I also failed to understand the motivations or why some of them acted the way they did, but perhaps this is a personal thing. This is one of the things I didnt particularly like about the book.

However, there were a lot of things that I did like a lot about the book. I like the 'chat-with-the-reader' style the book is written in - its a simple, fast, entertaining read and I appreciate that. I really like the 'journalism tip' of the day at the end of each chapter - its a nice conclusion to each event, some of it is hilarious, and a lot of the tips arent just limited to journalism but are rather applicable to everyone's lives. I also enjoyed how the author describes various facets of the journalism industry, they are fascinating, especially since I've never read anything in a similar vein (though perhaps I should). The book is humorous at parts, touchy at parts, and written in a no-nonsense way that makes the humor more try and the emotion less tacky, which I appreciate.

Final thoughts: An interesting book on a young's journalists struggles. Worth a read for sure.

(Come back soon to catch my interview with author Rashmi Kumar.)

Other thoughts: This is my third book for the Book Readers Challenge 2011!  Come join us, and discover a new genre...or just get an excuse to read a lot.

(Financial disclosure: Book source was the author.) 

Legally, Lovingly Yours by Abhishek Bose

Legally, Lovingly Yours is exactly what it sounds like - a law college romance story.

The book is refreshing in a few ways. For one, after the Chetan Bhagat success story exploded in India, bookstores are lined by Indian authors from the IITs or the IIMs or various other engineering and management colleges all over the country, and law (which I have a soft spot for anyway) has been largely underrepresented. Moreover, the writing in this book, according to me, is a notch above the regular books it shares a bookshelf with. The writing style of the author is crisp, thankfully without any pretentious words that seem to have been put in after checking a thesaurus. The story is almost auto-biographical in nature, though I'm not sure where fact separates from fiction, the book definitely reads like it's a true story, and like its the author's love story, which is being shared here. 

The story is fairly straightforward, a guy likes a girl, and a series of misunderstandings (mostly engineered by a rival) ensue, which makes her hate him, eventually things are cleared out, and a happy ending reached. Interwoven among this is a vibrant friendship among many different students (in a group called 'diversity unified') and the depiction of a law school - with its moot courts and competitions and projects, and fresher's parties, and fun. Its a simple, clear plot - without much suspense, as the story begins with the girl introducing her parents to the parents of the guy - but with a lot of emotion, and fun, intermixed into the plotline. 

As I said before, the book is fairly well-written. At parts there seem to be details that are extraneous, like a part in the fresher's party which never seems to come back to relevance (unless I read it wrong) and that might be jarring to a reader, but on the whole the book is a quick and easy read, without many stumbling blocks. Its coherent, linear, and easy to understand even if you're not a huge fan of reading. Its also a great glimpse into the lifestyle of a law college, something that might touch a chord among many students (of law and otherwise). 

Final thoughts: Sweet love story - and a nice insight into the law school atmosphere. Oh, and come back tomorrow to see me interview author Abhishek Bose, right here on In My Bookshelves. 

Other thoughts: This is my second book for the Book Reading Challenge 2011! Come join! 

(Financial disclosure: Book source was the author.) 

Broken Hearts by Shrenik Mutha

Broken Hearts is a sweet, sad, romantic novel.

A fair warning - if you're not a fan of romance, I don't think you will like this book. The book is mushy, its sweet, and its full of love - ideally for those who believe in true love. Its also not a book for the weak hearted - like the title and the back cover will tell you, 'most stories end in happily ever after - but not life.' The book can be confusing, as it begins in the present time, and then goes off into flashback and ends in flashback. But, if you actually like romance, if you like stories of true love, if you like stories that are honest and from the heart, then you will like this book. There are very few fantastical elements in this book, as such it is based on true events and true people, and it is a story meant to emphasize with, rather than a story meant to shock and awe. 

The writing style of the author is clear, simple, and easy to understand, which fits in well with the simple and honest plot. There is not much pretentious use of words which can get really annoying, and there isnt much superfluous material either - the book is very short, only about 40 odd pages. One wishes, actually, that the book was a little longer, to give the book more time to develop. On the other hand, the brevity of the book is actually a good thing - even though the book really does feel short, the length is just enough to convey the story, which is a really good thing when you compare it to all the hundreds of books with loads of word-padding to increase the page count, this is really, and refreshingly different. 

As far as the story goes, the book tells the story of Jack, a boy very much in love with a girl called Catherine. It starts with their present disaster and goes into flashback mode to talk about how they met and how their lives have been so far. Some scenes, like when Catherine meets Jack's mother, are very touching indeed. The story is simple and something that most teenagers, in love, or in pain, have experienced and can appreciate. The book is written in an adoring style, from the point of view of Jack, and while his flaws are glaringly pointed out and corrected by Catherine, Catherine herself appears as a shining paragon of goodness - which, I believe, is natural when told from the perspective of someone who is very much in love. 

Final thoughts: Its a sweet, sad book. Ideal for fans of romance, and also for people looking for a short and fast read. 

Ps - I'm going to interview author Shrenik Mutha tomorrow on my blog. Come by and see his own thoughts! 

Other thoughts: This is my first book for the Book Reading Challenge 2011, ongoing now! Check it out here! 

Also, I've got loads of books lined up for this challenge, and a special feature this sunday, so do check out this blog! 

(Financial disclosure: Book source was the author.) 

Book Reading Challenge 2011 Book List

Below is a compilation of various book lists that list great books you may read for this challenge. Just a recap of the rules:

The book does not need to be part of these lists in order to be considered eligible for this competition. The only requirements are that it must be:
- Either written by an Indian (or Indian origin author); or
- Set primarily in India;
- About India.
(Note: A single short story would not be considered eligible, however a whole book on short stories, all of which follow the above guidelines, would.)

This list is intended to be more of a guiding point for anyone wondering what kind of books they may read for this competition.

1. A Wikipedia alphabetical list of Indian Authors, linking to their page.
2. A list of 'Important and Famous' books by Indian authors.
3. A great discussion on Indian books to read before you die.
4. An excellent list on the top ten Indians authors writing in english.
5. Great, comprehensive list on Indian authors and books set in India.
 6. An amazon list on contemporary Indian authors.
7. Another great list on contemporary Indian authors.

(Note: All book lists are compiled by the original authors and are not our property in any way. Also note, that if you've seen another great list to add here, simply leave me a link below and I'll add it.)

Click here to read some reviews by In My Bookshelves on Indian books or go here to see some Indian books promoted by Book Readers Lounge or click here to check out some Indian books by Of Books and Reading.

Happy reading!

Click for more info, click for sign-ups, and click for faqs.

Sign-up for the Reading Challenge 2011!

This is the sign-up post for our Reading Challenge, hosted here at my blog, this challenge is jointly organized by IMB (In My Bookshelves) & BRL (Book Readers Lounge) and Of Books and Reading. It will run from the 1st of April to 2011 to 31st May 2011.

If you’re not sure what this challenge is - here is an F.A.Q. about the challenge, (hopefully) covering all aspects. If you have any questions, feel free to comment on the F.A.Q. post and we will answer them to the best of my ability!
Both bloggers and non-bloggers alike are welcome to participate.

Below is the widget. Please sign-up with your name and blog (if you are a non-blogger, any social network handle like Facebook or Twitter may be included in the link column.)





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