The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was a nice book, just not perhaps as good as I expected it to be.

The first time I saw this book in the local Crossword (and it has been on the special shelf forever now) I thought that it seemed like a different book - specifically because of the cover art, which I like very much - though as far as tattoos go, this was probably better. But I didn't buy it at the time because I didn't find the back descriptions particularly interesting (except for the part of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo herself). Later on, however, I read this review, and I decided to read the book after all. But then, obviously, I forgot all about it. And then last Rakshabandhan, I decided that my brother was going to buy me some books, so I bought King's Nightmares and Dreamscapes (which I read and reviewed first, here) and this book.

I won't say I was disappointed. Maybe I just had very high expectations. But there were both positives and negatives in this one.

The first thing was the beginning, which is slow and full of pages and pages of characters telling their stories. I understand why this is important to move the story forward, but to tell the truth I skimmed through the whole long family histories and the exposition in the beginning just because it was plain boring. I do read a lot of description in many books, but the pace I expected from this book was sorely lacking in the beginning, though it picked up phenomenally towards the end.

But if the book began slowly then it certainly ended with a bang. There were loads of positives about the book, starting, of course, from the wonderful characters. I loved the characters - all of them - from the enigmatic Lisbeth Salander (the girl with the dragon tattoo), the honest and hard-hitting and charming journalist Blomkovist and even most of the dysfunctional family that these two unite to probe. None of the characters are totally good - there are shades of grey in all of them, and there are some that are positively black, and the best part is that its not so predictable that you know from the onset which character comes in which category. Larsson has really written many memorable characters in this one, and no matter what I'd felt about this book, I knew from the starting of the book that I would have to read the next one - if just for Lisbeth, who is one of my favourite characters at the moment. The inter-character relationships are also amazingly well done - they're beautiful, complex, and so very human that one can't help but admire Larsson as a writer when you read them.

The plot is quite engrossing, especially after the first thirty or forty pages. In fact, after that point the book is edgy, fast, and extremely interesting - so much so that I couldn't put down the book even though I really had to study for my term end exams because I was so afraid of what would happen to the characters ahead. Through most of the book, I was just hoping that the mystery at the centre of this book was solved in this book itself and not in one of the sequels (I think I would never even have touched the sequels if this had happened, though. I don't mind cliffhanger endings at the end of chapters, but I do hate unfinished books). I really thought the main plot was very interesting, and definitely not predictable (which would definitely have killed a book which is based so strongly on the suspense) - and the subplots (especially the one considering Erika, who is another great character) which weave in and out of the main story without ever drawing the attention away from it.

I also really like Larsson's way of writing from many different point-of-views, because it really helps you to sympathize with a wide variety of characters (though he cleverly avoids showing you a glimpse into the heads of anyone who might reveal more of plot than he wants to reveal at the time). This style of writing works very well with the structure of the book, because the story is quite vast and involves a large cast of characters, and the whole story only becomes clear when you see it with the different views. (I also enjoyed seeing Harriet and Lisbeth's different reactions to similar situations - and Lisbeth's judgement of Harriet for the same - very layered and very interesting. This was my favourite part of the book.)

Final thoughts: It begins slightly slowly, but overall its a good book - with a nice plot, fast pace, and highly interesting characters. Its quite graphic (definitely not for kids) but if you're okay with that and like action/suspense, I'm pretty sure you'll like this book.

Other thoughts: Well, after a long time the books I've read are going ahead of the reviews I've written. I'm going to write a review of Which Witch? pretty soon, and I've also read Adiga's White Tiger, a review of which will also be coming fast.

Nightmares and Dreamscapes by Stephen King

Nightmares and Dreamscapes was my first Stephen King book.

(I unfortunately didn't get to pick any of these two covers...mine was plain and green and had a toad on it - unfortunately I only realized it was a tone after reading one of the scariest stories in this book)

Yes, this (along with the term-end examination) has been what has taken me so long. (In the interval, actually, today, I've also read Eva Ibbotson's Which Witch, which is a fun if childish book - I don't know if I'll be reviewing that one, but anyway, I digress) It took me a while to even pick a Stephen King book. I mean I would go to the bookstore, meaning to buy one of the huge books in the Stephen King section (yes, he has his own section) and would always be so overwhelmed by the choices that I would promise myself that I would research a little bit more and come back. Anyway, last time I just decided to take the plunge and buy myself a book, any book (and since I have recently come to like short stories I decided to pick this book) by the "King of Horror and Fantasy".

I had a wonderful time.

I mean, I won't say all the stories were equally appealing. There was story called Fifth Quarter about a map in four pieces and a guy who wanted revenge that I just skimmed through, and there are two stories in the end about baseball that I am finding hard to even start. But its the other stories: the two stories about a mysterious vampire (and one which features his remarkably cool grandson!), the two stories about what the author calls "those mysterious little towns" (one of which is about the toad mentioned above), the Sherlock Holmes story where Watson gets to solve a case (I loved this - Watson is one of my favourite characters ever), Umney's Last Case (which was about the relationship between a writer and a character and just so bloody cool), a story called 'Suffer the Little Children' which actually made shivers run down my spine and so many others in this wonderful collection (if I sit and name all of them, it won't be much of a review, so I'll break off now...)

What I love about Stephen King is his characters. His characters are all very distinct and they tell their stories their way, and they think in complicated ways (and sometimes speak in complicated ways, too) but the reader is not pampered...and by throwing you into the minds of these people (half of which, in this book, are remarkably disturbing minds) makes you sympathize with even the horrible guy who kidnaps children to sell them or the guy who plans to bury a few people alive in a cadillac under the desert (this is the first story in the book and sets the tone - its a highly, highly creepy story about a highly odd man, except that he's avenging his dead wife and you can't argue with a motivation like that). King's characters are all very human (even the non-human ones) and you just get immersed into their lives - and what interesting lives they are, too.

This book has been described as 'horror' (and often with a disdainful tone at that). I don't know if I would call it that. I mean, some stories are definitely scary (once, while reading, I woke up at 2:00 am in the night thinking about the vampire story and almost freaked out) and most border on the supernatural and all of them are slightly off-center (I don't know how to put this better - but they're different, though according to me in a good way) but they're not your typical horror books (there are no buckets of blood and floating eyeballs as far as I remember) and I think they would be enjoyed by readers who like all types of books.

Final thoughts: Most of the stories (I think this depends on your personal taste) in this book are absolutely brilliant. They're deep, layered, fascinating - the character's are so real and the plots to original that I can't help but recommend this collection to any lover of fantasy and/or horror. (And any open-minded lover of books).

Other thoughts: I forgot to mention my favourite story - it was The House on Maple Street, where King writes the perspective of children so brilliantly that I loved it. I also loved the Notes, though, as the author says himself, they're not for everyone.

I'm going to start on the first book of the Millenium Trilogy, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo soon. Looking forward to it. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

P.S. - If you've read and liked this book, read Neil Gaiman's Fragile Things (reviewed here). It reminded me a hell lot of this book.

Interview: Chandru Bhojwani

Hello and welcome to my first interview session. Today I'm going to be interviewing Chandru Bhojwani, author of The Journey of Om, which I reviewed here.

1. So, lets begin this interview by asking you what kind of books are 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 have several books on my shelf waiting to be read including Synchro Destiny by Deepak Chopra, Lords of the Bow by Conn Iggulden & John Burdett's Bangkok Haunts. I don't re-read books but I'd say A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth, Bangkok 8 and Wolf of the Plains rank as my top 3 books. As you can see i'm more partial to fiction novels but I do read some spiritual books from time to time.

2. Tell us something about your work before "The Journey of Om"?

I have been writing for Beyond Sindh for over 5 years now and have had numerous article and short stories published in the publication. My short story, The Love Letter won the Mirage short story competition and was published in 2009 in an anthology Inner voices and my short story, Zero is scheduled to be published in a Canadian anthology. A lot of my work can be found on my site www.chandrubhojwani.com

3. Did you always want to be a writer? How did you get into writing? What inspired you to write "The Journey of Om?"

I never studied or trained to be a writer. It started as a hobby. In writing I found an avenue through which I was able to express my thoughts in a witty, tongue-in-cheek way while getting my point across and entertaining readers. I never expected it to go anywhere until a reader told me I had missed my calling. When Beyond Sindh came knocking, it reinforced what my readers thought. Still, I never considered myself a writer and felt like a pretender when I referred to myself as one. As a result of the feedback, support and especially with the publishing of my first short story, The Love Letter I believed that writing was a road I could seriously embark on.

As for the Journey of Om, it initially started as a short story and over time I just kept adding to it. It was a story I felt that needed to be shares especially since it depicts a unique male perspective that is rarely voiced in this kind of genre.


4. What kind of people do you think this book will reach out to?

The Journey of Om is a tale about relationships, love, betrayal and life in general and has something for everyone. That said I felt it would appeal to those in their young twenties through to those in their fifties.

5. What is your favourite thing about books and reading? How have books made an impact on your life?

I'd have so say my favourite thing is finishing a book and having that sense of accomplishment. Great books leave me pondering for days or even weeks! I'd have to say books helped me realise my potential and played a part in helping me create my style of writing.


6. Quick take. Answer the following with the first words/phrase that comes to your mind, in five words or less:

- Spirituality - Answers & Guidance
- Om (your character) - Flawed & Human
- Love - Complexly Beautiful
- Life - Living & Experiencing
- Books - Knowledge & Escape

Thank you Chandru for agreeing to be part of my blog.

If you're a published author who would like to be reviewed/interviewed by me, shoot me an email at sakhisshah [at] gmail [dot] com (Please remove the spaces, and replace the [at] with @ and [dot] with . thanks)

The Journey of Om by Chandru Bhojwani

The Journey of Om was an interesting book.

The book centers around Om - a twenty-something guy who has been cheated upon at the beginning of the book by someone he thought of as a soul mate. The story goes on to show us his trials and tribulations while trying to get out of this heart-break. He is aided by his friends, especially Mona and Arun, and through the book we get a little glimpse into their lives and loves as well (and according to me both of these characters provide the most engrossing storyline in the book, especially Mona). The book is interspersed with observations on life and love and is in its essence a book about growing up, about learning, about dealing with loss, about how life isn't always fair, and about how complex and confusing love can really be.

Personally I felt that this book began slowly, but it really picked up pace half-way through, when Arun and Mona's storylines started to gain a little more prominence in the book. Some of the stuff that I really liked about this book were the "From the Mind of Om" chapters, where Om is writing for his magazine in his highly witty and humorous style, on topics that all of us can sympathize with (like the chapter on Aunties - which was frankly hilarious and spot-on) and the fact that the story is written through multiple points-of-view which help us see the motivations of nearly everyone in the story (except Preeti, the girl who actually cheated on Om and started the story - I would've liked to see one or two chapters in her perspective, though honestly she doesn't get much screen-space anyway) and though sometimes the transitions between past and present get a little confusing, you can mostly understand them, because of the fact that the author puts a chapter break in between them.

I think the chapters in different points of view really work as far as the development of the characters is concerned, especially Om. I mean, about until one Arun chapter, I had the feeling that Om was pretty much perfect, which can get very disconcerting. However, as you move on in the book and see Om and his many flaws, you actually enjoy the book a lot more, because in the end Om is very human, he makes mistakes, he can be quite insensitive, and you feel at the end of the book that you know Om a little bit, and that he almost becomes like a close friend whose struggles you have been observing. The other minor characters are also well-written, and I especially liked the Mona-Sunil dynamics and the Arun-Rakhi dynamics - and also the dynamics within Rakhi's family.

One thing about books that are too much like reality that I don't like is that they tend to wrap up the ending a little too neatly, and I always end up feeling that that would never happen in real life. And frankly, I had the feeling this was going to happen here too. But the ending is truly amazing, it leaves you guessing and it is bittersweet - just like real life. I think I read the last chapter two or three times, thinking, 'Oh my god, did this just happen?!'

It did.


Final thoughts: An enjoyable read, goes from hilarious to tragic, and explores the different facets of real life. Read for the characters and the true-to-life approach.

(Check out this new, updated cover!) 

(Financial disclosure: Book source was the author.) 

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Tuesdays with Morrie is a gorgeous book about life, love and teaching.

It is based on the true story of a professor who is dying of ALS, and in his final days makes a difference in the lives of many, many people - including his old and favourite student. The student is shown as an idealist in college, ready to dream big and follow those dreams, and the story goes on to show you how the guy becomes more and more disillusioned - his idealism crushed by the bills and the attitude of those around him. And then one day he rediscovers the professor who taught him the meaning of the life, and goes to him every Tuesday for his Professor's final lectures, which help him to reassess his own life and relations.

The book is peppered with interesting stuff - quotes and stories come in the middle of every chapter, and therefore make the book more fun to read as well as more inspiring. The chapter names are also masterful. But the real beauty of this story is in how well the author takes a very sensitive topic like death and portrays it simply but effectively. He does not use any hard words, he does not bother with long paragraphs. This story requires no stylistic help to put its point across. Basically the story just has so much substance, and is so inspiring in itself that I feel like I want to memorize the book so that I will remember it forever.

In the story, Morrie, the professor, says, "Learning how to die helps you learn how to live."

And that is exactly what he tries to teach you. With sayings ranging from, "Love each other or die," and "When you're in bed, you're dead," Morrie will teach you about the many things that assail the generation of today - answer questions about life, death, about marriage, about family, about the importance of having someone to fall back on, the importance of connecting with people, the eventual unimportance of material things, and the fact that no matter what happens, love will live on. This book will fill your heart with joy and sorrow, and I am pretty sure you will not leave this book without feeling inspired and refreshed and ready to re-think you life and your goals.

I was very, very glad that I got the chance to read this book. (It was actually suggested by one of my teachers, who I was reminded of frequently as I read the book.) I don't agree with all the things Morrie believed in, but I do think that this a book everyone should read once (or perhaps at every stage in their life) in order to assess themselves whether they are not simply wasting their life pursuing someone else's goals.

Final thoughts: This has been a short and simple review for a short and simple book, but here is what I think - this is a book for all those kids with inspiring teachers, all those people who once had them, and all the people who never got the chance to meet their inspiring teachers. Definitely a must-read.

Other thoughts: Finishing up with Chandru Bhojwani's Journey of Om, should post a review soon. Also, one of my book reviews on Eva Ibbotson's Star of Kazan, came in Teen Ink here. Please read and vote if you like it.

Readers question: Did you ever feel like you had a teacher who truly understood you? Did you end up losing touch with them? Share your stories.

Playing for Pizza by John Grisham

Playing for Pizza is one of those books that touch your heart.

It is a book about football (not soccer, which is what I generally associate with the word 'football'), about food, about Italy, and about passion and love. When I first read this book, I didn't know a thing about american football (admittedly, I still don't know too much about it) and I thought that it would be a pretty boring book for someone who is admittedly not too much of a sports fan. (And, when I recently recommended the book to a friend, she also said 'Oh, I don't really like american football, so I don't want to read it'). Well, here's the thing - you don't have to know anything about american football (or, for that matter, any sport in the world) to enjoy this book. You can enjoy it if you know a thing or two about doing something for love, about culture and about friendships that can last forever.

I think one of the best things about the book is the main character. Rick is, by no means, perfect. The book begins with him being the 'biggest goat in the history of professional football', by throwing three interceptions and causing his team to lose a match that they were almost certainly going to win, and making them lose the cup. He then finds that no team in the country wants to touch him, except for a team in Parma, Italy (and he has never even heard of the place) - Italy, where when you say 'football', they mean soccer. Well, he faces this ridicule bravely, moves to Italy (with a little complaining) and ends up falling in love with the place. And eventually the choices he has to make for the team and for himself are the highlight of the book.

There are some great minor characters - Sam (Rick's new coach), Franco (an old judge part of the Parma Panthers) and Nino (a restaurant chef who is also part of the team), Fabrizio ("high maintenance, think's he's god's gift to football, great hands"). All the Italians in the Parma Panthers play for nothing more than the love of the game (and for the after-game Pizza) and with them Rick (and the readers) learn what football really means. Each character is distinct and well-crafted, and their individual egos, problems, phobias, and aspirations form as big a part of this story as Rick's learning experience does. In this book, you will come to like some of the Parma Panthers and dislike some of them, but it is hard to ignore any character that you're introduced to, simply because Grisham is so good at crafting the characters.

Another great thing is the setting - the small town of Parma in Italy is shown in all its glory and all its failings. The descriptions of the food, the buildings, the small cars, the fashion, and the opera - all of this things will make you want to visit this place. Every small detail shows how well Grisham has studied this place. You are transported to Parma, and you might just fall in love with it enough in this book to want to stay there forever.

Final thoughts: Brilliant characters, well-researched setting and a good premise. You don't have to be a football fan to love this book.

Other things: I haven't been able to finish Frankenstein yet, but I think I'll put that on hold for now, and move on to reading something else.

Good Wives by Louise May Alcott

Good Wives is a such a brilliant book.

In fact, its so good that when I realized I haven't posted for a while on the blog (And this is mostly because my copy of Frankenstein had six pages missing and I haven't got the chance to get it exchanged yet) and I thought of a classic I really wanted to review for the great classic read (and re-read) festival, I thought of this book only. This book was one of the first classics I ever read, it is one of the best books I've ever read, and it has left a lasting impact on me. (Please note, it is a second part of Little Women by the same author. But I have only read that book once and I don't really want to include it in this review.)

This is a story of four sisters: Sweet, domestic Meg; beautiful and vain Amy; gentle but ailing Beth;and wild and headstrong Jo. This is a story of their personal struggles with life and love as all of these 'little women' grow up to be 'good wives'.

The story begins with Meg's marriage. Meg's storyline is one of the most simple and pretty storylines I've ever read. It deals with no earth-shattering problems - mostly her marital problems, which range from her not being able to make jelly one day to her growing distance from her husband after the birth of her children. Meg's storyline will charm you with its down-to-earthness and reality. I'm sure her story is one which many people experience, and the simple advice she receives and follows is definitely not less important for its being simple. Meg is charming as a character.

The other character in this novel who really touched me is Jo. She's the heroine, wild and headstrong. She writes. She must struggle with a change in identity, a want to make money, while at the same time writing something of substance for an industry which doesn't seem to want it. She also struggles with love. She goes away from her family. In short, she does such a lot of things that one does not ever feel bored with her storyline. The other two characters in this book, Amy and Beth are also interesting - though I felt that in some parts Amy was dull and Beth too idealized for my liking.

This is a book to touch your heart. To make you feel happy. To make you cry. Some parts - like the poem in the chapter 'Under my umbrella' will actually make your realize just how much the author knows her characters (and how well she can write poetry!) and others, like the part where Meg and John are compared to a pair of doves will make you like the imagery of the author, others, like the part where Amy and Jo go visiting will make you laugh, and the book in its entirety will come and haunt you on lonely days and make you want to read it again.

Final thoughts: I just adore this book. I don't think its a book anyone can afford to grow up without. Definitely a must-read.

Other thoughts: I think I'll stop (or at least pause) the great classics read (and re-read) festival for a while now, because I and everyone reading my blog deserves a break.
Frankenstein will be the last book for now, I think.