The White Tiger

Summary
In essence, this is a story of how Balram Halwai, a man born in a backward village in the “Darkness” and his ambition to rise above his poverty – to not stay a prey, but be the predator – one with a belly. From a job of splitting coals in a teashop, he becomes a driver (chauffeur) to a US-returned son of a landlord. He commits murder, becomes a social entrepreneur (his words), and finally turns into a businessman. The book is comprised of a series of letters written by Balram Halwai to the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

What worked for me
The language. It’s witty, sarcastic, vivid. Very, very irreverent. The “Darkness” where Balram is born and lives is all too plausible and disturbingly familiar. The images of Delhi or the “Light”, as seen through Balram’s eyes are graphic – especially the scene when he sees a masterless buffalo and the lifeless load in the cart it drags. Balram’s state of mind, his observations, and his thoughts are superbly crafted. The plot is simple – or rather there is not much of a major plot here, but a series of episodes or incidences. Yet, the book is a page turner and I was sufficiently invested the characters: Balram, his US-returned employer Ashok, his mini-skirt wearing wife Pinky –all try to break out of their own “rooster coops” - all evoke a sympathy but on very different levels . I liked the fact that the book has layers of meaning. While reading it, I didn’t think much of it, but the fact that it was on the back of my mind for a week, denotes the contrary. I like books that upon chewing them a day or two present undiscovered facets and meanings. It’s like a mini treasure hunt.

What did not work for me
The book is a series of letters that Balram writes to Jaobin. Why? There is no plausible reason for this offered in the book. It felt like a cop-out – a means to bash China while the author bashed India. That is the biggest problem with the narrative. Also, given the scope of the book: India, its dichotomy – Gurgaon and real “gaon”, corruption, caste struggles, poverty, the observations sometimes seemed a bit naïve. Or Jaded. Or both. Corrupt “public servants” sitting under framed pictures of Gandhi is so 1970s filmy. It’s such an overworked idiom. Which led me to think, that perhaps Adiga was aiming this book for an entirely different readership? Not Indians like me, or not Indians at all, but aiming it at the “western” reader who thinks India is all saris and spice. And elephants. Well, there are several mentions of the buffalo in the book, so at least in that regard he is not too far off.

Hot or drop
Hmm. Tough one. If you have nothing else to read, do pick this up. It’s a slightly disturbing read. If you are like me, an Indian, who grew up in India, I wouldn’t ask you to go out of way to read it. But if you do pick it up, it will remind you somewhat of Goodfellas.

The Shadow Of The Wind

Summary
How do you summarize a novel that’s a mystery, a supernatural thriller, a love story, a coming-of-age story all bundled up in 500 pages? Politics, love, books, loss and life all come together in this slightly melodramatic but enthralling debut by Zafon. Set in Barcelona in 1945, just after the Civil war, the book follows the protagonist Daniel; from the day he walks with his father to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books and picks the eponymously titled book written by one Julian Carax. We follow Daniel as his life (and others’ too) is forever changed by this choice as he attempts to solve a mystery surrounding the Carax book.

What worked for me
The meta theme. A book about a book, a mystery about the mystery. The power of books, how they shape our lives. I also liked the locale. I have a thing for exotic locales. Its arm chair travel. Here I saw Barcelona so closely that when I drove to work, I thought I just needed to make a turn here and I would reach Calla Ana and sit at a café and order coffee and sponge fingers. I am also learning Spanish these days, so a novel set in Spain was bit of a thrill. The era also worked for me. Early to mid-century. The quaint customs, the strange ways. The book is rich. Like a tapestry. Plots and characters weave in and out, all giving their (flawed) versions of a story, or rather the mystery that forms the backbone of the narrative.

It’s verbose, yes and every minor character is painted in detail and I found asking myself why I was not bored by it. Perhaps it’s the tight rein that Zafon holds, never letting the words fall completely overboard (this is exactly what I thought after reading Kiran Desai’s The Inheritance of Loss, she has a tight rein there too). Why did I feel invested in these characters so much that it mattered to me which church the governess of a character attended. Perhaps it’s the language - the book is originally in Spanish and is translated by Lucia Graves, who I must say has done a terrific job of translating the lyrical, almost epic language of the book. Or perhaps it was the mystery itself and I looked for clues in the most unexpected places, asking myself, will this matter how the mystery is solved? Will the mystery be even solved?

The book is a wild roller coaster ride that will give you butterflies in your stomach, that will take you on hairpin curves and to great heights only to drop you and turn you upside down until you scream – in delight or in terror (or both) – finally coming to a stop. All the while hoping and praying the end is not disappointing. When a book takes you on a ride like this, the only thing you fear is being disappointed in the end. But the book ends on an agreeable note. And it comes to a full circle and you all know how I fall for things like that.

What did not work for me
The mystery is not the best mystery in the world. I solved most of it. What also did not quite work for me were the supernatural horror elements in the book. They add to the atmosphere, yes, but they kept me awake a whole night. I don’t like horror. I don’t like to be scared (and yes, I scare easy).

Hot or drop
Totally hot. This is Hitchcock on steroids. It’s an unputdownable book. Don’t miss this one. Also, a question -if you were to pick a book that would change your life in a literal, day-to-day events way, which one would it be?

Sunlight on a broken column

Summary
Set in colonial India of the late 30s, Sunlight on a broken column by Attia Hosain paints a picture of a traditional, purdah-observing upper crust Muslim family in Lucknow. Narrated by the protagonist, a 15-year old Laila (who does not observe purdah), born into a wealthy family of taluqdars, but orphaned at an early age, the narrative follows her through her teenage years and early twenties, in what is essentially a coming-of-age story during tumultuous times of a freedom struggle and partition.

What worked for me
The language, the pace. It’s not a large book – it’s about 300 pages, more like a novella than a novel, yet it manages to maintain that there-is-all-the-time-in-the-world-for-this-story kind of pace. The language is lilting, almost poetic, and has the grandeur of Urdu in it. Not for a minute do you feel, that the subject matter could have been better expressed in Hindi or Urdu. This is not really a plot driven book, but the narrative evolves through its characters seen through Laila’s eyes. The book begins with a slice of life depiction and it does a fantastic job of looking at day-to-day life like a 15-year old. It reminded me of how I was when I was 15. Slightly self-centered, questioning, over-confident, highly distractible. Laila is all those things and it makes her an endearing protagonist. What I also enjoyed is the depiction of wealthy Muslims – their customs and traditions all portrayed through every-day events. The books starts with Laila’s life – her dreams, her desires and then it slowly but deliberately weaves a thick mesh of love, ambition and most importantly of a way of life that soon must become extinct. In that it evokes the same nostalgia, a wistful longing, a lament of sorts really that resonates with Gone with the Wind.

What did not work for me
The end. I did not really like how Hosain chose to end the book. It ends on a positive note, but I got the feeling that it was all too-constructed.

Hot or Drop
Definitely hot. It’s putdownable – and I meant it in the very positive sense of the word. While you will not feel compelled to stay up nights to read this book, you will want to come back to it after a long day like you would want to meet a dear old friend – for the warmth, the comfort and the nostalgia.

An Absolute Scandal

Summary
In the early 1990s, about 1,500 (out of 34,000) Lloyds members (called Names) went bankrupt trying to pay asbestosis claims for companies that Lloyds insured. An Absolute Scandal is based on that event and takes a look at the lives of those affected by this unlimited, personal liability. Wealthy, upper-crust folks, find themselves being slowly stripped of their wealth as losses mount and they struggle, at first to keep appearances, then to maintain their lavish lifestyles and then in the end to just survive.

What worked for me
The English-English. The very Brit language was charming. I read the whole book in a faux-British accent (yes, it was exhausting) and that was fun. Almost like role playing.

What did not work for me
Pretty much everything else. I had never heard of Penny Vincenzi until I picked up this book. It is very long. 500+ pages. And frankly the subject matter does not warrant that. It takes many unwanted twists and turns that add nothing to the plot or to the characters. The plot itself is quite weak. Also the sheer number of characters are hard to keep track of. And a lot of them are romantically involved with people they are not supposed to. Too many tangled relationships to keep track off. I found myself skipping several pages and found it did not really affect the story, or rather my understanding of the story in anyway. The back cover has some review excerpts and I agree with the one that says, it is a soap. Yes, this is a soap in print. It really told me nothing about how Lloyds operates, it gave me a general, vague-ish idea about the ‘Names’ and syndicates but nothing more, really. Perhaps Vincenzi expects the reader she is targeting to know innards of Lloyds operations, but given the amount of fluff in this book, I doubt if that is the readership she is really trying to attract. I think someone like Grisham would have done true justice to the subject matter. There absolutely was no research in this book – it feels like Vincenzi just read the wiki page about Lloyds and tried to incorporate some of that information across 500+ pages. In the end, I did not understand what the book wanted to be. A whodunit? A romance novel? A historical fiction of sorts?

Hot or drop
I think drop. If you are looking for a romance novel, I am sure there are others that have more to offer than this mish-mash.

The Other Boleyn Girl

Summary
In this rather expansive book, Phillipa Gregory recounts the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII and mother of Queen Elizabeth I. Don’t let that faze you. The narrator of the book is Mary Boleyn, Anne’s sister and the king’s mistress. Its through her point of view, we get a rich glimpse of the power games at play in the 16th century English court. Almost like an inside scoop. The story of Anne Boleyn is very well known, so there is really no suspense, in terms of plot, because we all know how the story ends. Yet, Gregory manages to keep us on the edge of our seats. How did it happen? Who did it? The realpolitik of the court, the games to win the king’s favor, the spies, the wars, the diplomacy and the lack thereof and most of all the ambition spin the characters – Mary and Ann Boleyn, their brother George, the King and Queen Katherine, the courtiers, the bishops, the knights even the lowly chambermaids into a dizzying, enthralling tale.

What worked for me
The flow. The novel flows effortlessly. And is very well researched. Only if they had taught history like this in schools! The novel is also extensive in scope and while I winced at the 600+ pages before I started to read, I slowly realized that it couldn’t really be edited to something significantly smaller without sacrificing its pace. I liked the pace of the book. It starts with an execution (actually two) and ends with one. I fall for full-circle-themes like that.

From what seems a fairly routine and innocuous incident (well at least in the 16th century) of Mary Boleyn catching the King’s eye and becoming his mistress, the story unfurls the unbridled ambitions of the Boleyn family, who will literally play the field with their daughters, right under Queen Katherine’s nose. The queen’s quiet dignity and anguished struggle in response to the King’s whims and the Boleyn girls, her political acumen and astuteness, her defiance, all come alive with the character Gregory crafts. The characters are all multi-dimensional. Even the gentle, sweet Mary Boleyn has a dark side to her. And the King, who seems to get what he wants, all the time- well, he is the King after all- has a tragic side to him.

I discovered the etymology of “courtship” and “courting” while reading the book. I discovered the customs and traditions of day to day living in the 16th century England. What did people eat? How did they dress? How did women give birth? And how were they branded witches? I enjoyed the ride immensely and at the end of it was left feeling sorry for every character in the book and thanking my stars for having been born in the 20th century.

What did not work for me
Some language was too modern. Although Gregory, thankfully stays away from the 16th century English and writes her dialogues in faux-old English to set the tone, sometimes, the phrases seem too modern. What also did not work for me, were the gratuitous passages of intimate relations. Between Mary and the King, Anne and the King, Mary and her husband. Too much detail to the point it felt like reading a Harlequin romance novel.

Hot or Drop
Definitely Hot. I can’t really compare it to other historical fiction novels – the only other piece of historical fiction I have read is in Marathi called “Swami” and I read it almost 15 years ago. But I enjoyed this very intriguing book and I highly recommend it.

The Alchemist

Summary (Mild Spoilers)
Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd, has recurring dreams of finding a treasure in Egypt. He embarks on a journey to seek that treasure that takes him over the moors and the desert sands and he meets many spiritual advisers on the way. A fortune teller, an old man in disguise, an Englishman who is interested in Alchemy, a shop keeper who sells crystal, desert tribes’ men and warriors. And of course the alchemist. Even the sands and the camel acts as his spiritual path finders on his journey to Egypt to find his treasure a.k.a his Personal Legend. Through his adventures, Santiago makes discoveries about himself and the world and finds about the Language Of The World and the Soul Of The World.

What worked for me
The title. The title is intriguing, as is the location. Spain and North Africa conjure up mystery and certain inscrutability. Descriptions of the landscape. I enjoyed them and dreamt of jumping on a plane to see Andalusia and Algiers and even traveling in a caravan across the desert.

What did not work for me
Whatever else remains. I think the book is a bit heavy-handed. For a fable it is very long and not surprisingly redundant. I am a big fan of “show-not-tell” style of writing. This book shows very little, but tries to tell a lot. Which gives a feeling that the author is trying to dumb down the book for his readers. Also, where allegories go, there is a certain thrill in “discovering” the allegory which is completely lost here. He lays down the symbols, decodes them for you and then gives his own interpretation all nicely bundled up and tied with a pink ribbon. In my opinion, spiritual themes never go redundant. But when a book like this comes along, it gives a feeling that it is nothing more than recycled spiritual material. The thrill is in finding out the message. If it is laid out plainly, it becomes a sermon, which is what this book boils down to. Also, a good allegory, I think, is a mirror. You see yourself in the symbolism, here I saw only Santiago.

I also had problems with how Coelho defines “Personal Legend”. Is it what you are destined to do? Or deserve to do? Or eventually end up doing? What about responsibility? This book had so much potential. But the seed never quite germinated here. Coelho lays it on thick. On every page. Syrupy Spirituality. I cringed when he described in detail the meeting between a mysterious warrior on the horse in the Oasis and Santiago and ended the narration with this – “He had met the Alchemist?” I, a novice writer could have done a better job of that.

Hot Or Drop
If you like pop spirituality, then this is for you. If you think you can enjoy Richard Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull, at this point in your life, read this book. I read Jonathan Livingston when I was 13 and was enamored by it. I think I will pass that book now. If you have read the Little Prince by Antione St.Exupery, definitely drop this book. The Little Prince is in a whole different league. And if you haven’t read the Little Prince and don’t think you will enjoy Jonathan Livingston Seagull at this point in your life, I would recommend heading out to the library and reading The Little Prince instead of the Alchemist. Or pick up Zen Flesh, Zen Bones. That’s a good read too.

A Summer Affair

Balmy Saturday morning. Post brunch. You are sitting out on the deck, a tall glass of chilled home made iced tea sweating in your hand. The flowers are in bloom, the birds nipping at the seed. Butterflies flitter about. You let out a contended sigh and pick the book you are reading. And if you aren’t reading A Summer Affair by Erin Hilderbrand, you should. Even if mile-high gas prices have put a damper on your beach vacation this year and the patio is your vacation destination, don’t fear. Through this book you will escape. From your worries, from the predictability of your routine to where else, but Nantucket.

When I picked the book it looked promising. I was all up for a harlequin romance. The book was that, but it was much more real in terms of the characters’ motivations. The story is about a glass artist and a mother of four, Claire Danner Crispin. It about the affair that she carries on while co-chairing a gala for a non-profit organization. It takes us through her present life and past, through storylines than weave in and out of Claire’s emotions. From a rocker ex-boyfriend Max West who has to be roped to perform at the gala, to her best friend and sister-in-law Siobhan, to her husband and kids and their lives and her come back to the abandoned glass blowing. It’s a good chick-lit. I was happy to know about glass blowing. I have been in a hot shop before and have seen glass blowers and it’s pretty amazing. It also offers a view of what really goes on in these black-tie type gala events. Hilderbrand has done some considerable research about politics and dynamics of non profit soirees and it was just very amusing and interesting to get a glimpse of that world.

All in all, a fun, entertaining read. For the beach or when you are sitting by the pool when you take your 3-yr old swimming (ok wading) or on those balmy Saturday mornings. You will escape in to an idyllic world in a beach community, right in your own backyard.

More Than it Hurts You

I just finished reading this book. Let me say this before anything else. The book reads like a script. Every detail carefully visualized. The characters all given 3-d lives, beyond the current storyline. I think it will make a great movie.

When I started reading More than It Hurts You, I thought it would be like an episode of House. A medical thriller. It is that on a certain level, for it does revolve around Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome, but upon reading it, I thought it was more about the undercurrents of a relationship. Husband-Wife, Parent-Child, Doctor-Patient, Lawyer-Client. Relationship when a certain trust between the two parties is implied and expected. Through intricate description of characters and their motives, these undercurrents shape the novel as they do shape our relationships and our world views in real life. It is a compelling read, although I must admit at times I was overwhelmed with the exhaustive imagery.

The story is about three main characters. Three and a half if you include baby Zack, whose life it most at stake. Josh Goldin is a TV airtime salesman, is married to Dori and is the father of their baby, Zack. When Zack is admitted twice to the hospital with the same mysterious symptoms – anemia and heart attack for no apparent reason, the head of the pediatrics unit a black women named Dr.Darlene Stokes starts to suspect something. Child Protective Services get involved and a public debate ensues – where no one is spared. The tale is disturbing at times and Strauss does a good job in exposing the nuances of the myriad relationships he examines in the course of narrating this tale. I have to confess that Dori was on my mind long after I finished reading the book. Do add it to your reading list.

The Working Woman's Pregnancy Book

This is one realistic book. That was my first impression upon reading it. Written by Dr.Marjorie Greenfield, The Working Woman’s Pregnancy Book, combines the development of your pregnancy with compelling advice and emotional support. But most importantly, it acknowledges the realities of a pregnant working woman. When to tell you boss you are pregnant, how to handle a change in workplace dynamics, whether to travel or not, how to deal with fatigue and deadlines. Not only does Dr.Greenfield draw from her own experience as a working woman, a mother and Ob-Gyn, but she draws from the experiences of many women as well. The experiences, thoughts and situations these working women went through are interspersed as small comments through out the book – at every stage of pregnancy.

From pre-school teachers, scientists, violinists, policewomen, pilots, lawyers, even a state governor – they all have stories about their own pregnancies as working women to share. Some positive, some not so, but all of them completely in tune with the realities of working women. Yes, it is likely that your boss is going to feel you are choosing family over your job, yes you might get sidelined for important projects, and yes, you might get treated differently now that you are pregnant. A small snippet about a police woman wondering where to position a gun holster brought a smile to my face and a sense of pride too. That she was unwilling to quit her job, instead choosing to take extra training to qualify for a gun she could put in an ankle holster – the only place she could put a gun in her third trimester –is one amazing story.

The book is full of sound advice and the best part was a section dedicated to labor and delivery approaches. It is extremely balanced and non-judgmental. She suggests you select a provider based on your philosophies. This will save a lot of miscommunication later on when you want a natural birth and she is all hi-tech or the other way round. Another thing I found useful is some surprising facts about the FMLA. So, if you are planning on delivering in the USA, I would urge you to look closely at FMLA, I did not know a lot of things about it.

The book is an easy read. Helpful illustrations and sound advice. Not amplifying the risks and problems a pregnancy can run into, but acknowledging them matter-of-factly. But most importantly, Dr.Greenfield writes as an equal. She, is one of the few authors who do regard their target readers as informed and educated. Reading this book is like sitting with a knowledgeable, compassionate friend, a latte in hand, telling you how to plan for and enjoy your pregnancy and the arrival of the baby while being committed to a full time job.

Mama's Mojo

When I was pregnant, I poured over parenting books. How to put your babies in a feeding schedule, how to discipline them, how to encourage them to sleep on their own. Books that pigeon holed babies and children into neat categories and then gave advice on how to “deal” with them. Deal with them? Like they are some sort of a problem that got in our way? These books I felt, did not really acknowledge me as a parent who had feelings and instincts and did not acknowledge my child as one with a distinct and a unique personality. No, my child did not fall into Tracy Hogg’s six categories. And I thought the Ferber and the Brazelton methods bordered on child abuse.

What was missing from this advice? I asked myself. It was only later, many months later, I realized that the books had been written by nannies and pediatricians. Eminent, capable professionals. Not parents. That was the problem. You can be the world’s greatest nanny or the pediatrician, but you can’t remotely come close to becoming a parent. Parents are not only responsible for health and safety and education of their children, they are responsible in imparting values, a sense of moral code, ethics and a sense of spirituality. And I found the parenting books that I most identified with were on the ones written by parents. Like Dr.Sears and Marguerite Kelly. Who did not chastise you or brand you as a bad parent if your child did not sleep through out the night at six weeks of age. Who had been where I was right now, and they imparted parenting wisdom, not just advice.

Adding to this line of brilliant parenting wisdom is a book I read a few days ago. Mama Rock's Rules: Ten Lessons for Raising a Houseful of Successful Children. This is written by the star comedian Chris Rock’s mother, Rose Rock. She raised 10 children of her own and 17 foster children. She would know a thing or two about parenting now. Mama Rose, in a charmingly old-fashioned way, gives it to you as it is. She is not the kind who minces words. You know that kind, don’t you? And I like that. Too many too politically correct parenting books out there. Too many parenting books not quite in touch with reality. This one is refreshing.

Written in an easy conversational style, Mama Rose narrates incidents from her children’s childhood and the lessons she learnt as a mother and the strategies that worked for her. She says she wanted to raise successful children. How does she define successful children? Those that turn into kind, responsible people. Not star basketball players or actors or surgeons. Everyday people that leave behind a trail of goodness. Although the book is aimed for parents of slightly older children than the almost-three year old Chip, I enjoyed it. It’s best to dig a well way before you are thirsty, no? The Rock family was not privileged. Money was tight, the family large. Living in a neighborhood where education was not quite a priority, teenage pregnancies and drugs a norm, all 10 of Mama Rose’s kid became successful. They stayed out of trouble, had successful careers and became good responsible adults. That says for something.

So all you moms out there, read the book, it’s an easy read. Peppered with tales and snippets of this mama’s wisdom you will be smile and marvel how this woman did it all. After all, we could all use a bit of her mojo.

Cross posted on DMZ

Chip's Favorite Reads #2

This is the second installment. (1st installment)

Monsters get scared of the dark too (a.k.a. Monster Andaar Book)– This from the Monster’s Inc. series. Most of this book is lost on him I think, like the jokes about watching movies like Close Encounters of the Kid Kind, but I think he gets the gist. He will rattle off the junk food Billy and his uncles eat, obviously he wants the candy and soda too and how Billy gets scared of the andaar (dark). He will then rattle of things where Chip ghabarto (gets scared) like the HVAC fan and andaar, complete with requisite drama effects like shuddering and gasping.

Planes(a.k.a airplane book) – The book is in tatters now. Tired of reading it over and over again, I once told him Jet engines are like big fans. A big fan of fans that he is, he certainly got a kick out of that information. The jet trails were clouds at the beginning, but they slowly became the airplane doing pee-pee. Actually, that explains a lot. If you can do pee-pee in the sky, why bother with a potty?


I Spy Little Wheels (a.k.a I Spy Book) – This is also a personal favorite. It’s a treasure hunt. Chip has outgrown this book a little, so the Spy value is a bit lost now, but he still sits with the book and looks at other interesting objects and there are tons of those.





Too Big For Diapers (a.k.a. Ernie diapee book) – His Highness enjoys reading this book on the throne.











My First Truck Board Book (a.k.a. Truck Book, what else?) – An all time favorite. Nothing but trucks and tractors and construction equipment of every kind.






My Little Counting Book (a.k.a. Haath Book) – He learnt colors, not counting from this book! Oh! Well.






Special Mention:
Space Odessey 2001 – He had been obsessed with this book for a while. Partly because I had been reading it a few months ago; mostly because it has a picture of the moon on it. He demanded that I read it aloud, so it was condensed to PG-rated five lines sans the evil computer.

Other favorite reads are: Baby Colors, Elmo’s ABC, My big book of Nursery Rhymes, scouring the store flyers for mowers and fans, starts and moon, backs of CDs and DVDs and cereal boxes not to mention the body wash bottles when he is sitting on the throne.

Maximum Ride III Blog tour

Maximum Ride #3: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports
by James Patterson


Maximum Ride III packs pace. Not a dull moment here. I had not read James Patterson before, and although this book is targeted at the tween-teen set, I enjoyed it immensely. For those who haven’t read the first two books in the series, the third book opens with a small rundown of character’s histories. But even without it, the book is great on its own. Max, a 14 year old avian-human hybrid and her flock (Fang, Iggy, Gasman, Nudge and Angel) are on the run, battling people who want them ‘retired’. Their adventures are full of unexpected twists, some strange loops and lots of good old fashioned action. I relished the first person narrative and Max’s irreverent tone which many teenagers will undoubtedly identify with. Another interesting aspect of the book and I am quite certain this will catch on as a trend, is the blog Fang writes. It is actually a real blog- http://maximumride.blogspot.com

Through well-crafted situations that are highly fictional, and futuristic, Patterson tries to convey a message to the teen readers how privileged they are and that their common place, every day gripes, no matter how grave they seem need to be seen from another perspective. This point can obviously be made through realistic documentaries, but to the readers it is aimed at, the sci-fi will no doubt prove to be a better way. Even for teens/tweens that don’t quite enjoy reading, I urge them to try this one out.

The book does lack complex subplots, but I am willing to overlook that keeping in mind the audience at which it is targeted. The book also does have a few loop holes like the mutant’s message to Max in the Yard of Despair, but all in all, it’s an exciting book. So if you are suffering from a post-Deathly Hallows void or back-to-school blues fasten your seat belts and enjoy the ride.

Also see-
http://maximumride.blogspot.com

Review Sponsored by Mother-Talk

Blog Tour

I am doing a review for James Patterson's Maximum Ride III for mother-talk tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Chip's Favorite Reads

Every day we when we get home in the evening, Chip guzzles his Horlicks, but not before a little tantrum of course- because he wants to drink it on the sofa. I only have to start reading aloud from his books and the screaming, writhing creature on the floor breaks into a toothy grin and toddles over hurriedly to the dining table. Chip loves to read (I hope I haven’t jinxed this by blogging it). Even when he was a wee baby, my mom would put the colorful store flyers on the handle bar of his rocker for endless amusement – his and ours. From looking at flyers and picture books, he now is slowly graduating to narrative ones lately. These are his current favorites.


The Giving Bear (a.k.a Pooh Bear Book)– A gift from his Ajji who read it aloud to him everyday all summer. This is a great read aloud book. Simple illustrations and a few sentences on each page are perfect for his age. He was introduced to Pooh Bear with this book and he has grown to love the yellow bear to bits. The contents in Tigger’s and Piglet’s carts have been memorized. He finishes every sentence in the book. He has also learnt to share, but in a strange way. He seems to equate sharing with taking!


From Seed to Pumpkin (a.k.a. pumpkin book) – Chip loves this book. We just borrowed it from the library and Chip took to it immediately. The book is for older kids, but I simplify the story about a farmer who plants the pumpkin seeds in the spring and harvests the pumpkins in the fall. The book explains the stages of growth – roots, leaves, flowers and fruit. Chip has seen strawberries grow from flowers all summer in our strawberry pot, so I think he gets that part. I need to pull some weeds and show him what roots are.


Good night Moon (a.k.a. Moon Nee-Nee Book): We are on book# 2. We love it that much.







Ready for School (a.k.a. school book)– From the Sesame Street series. He loves looking into everybody’s lunch boxes (they have flaps). And making up stuff. Like, a monster playing ball is doing poo-poo in Chip’s mind.

More Books Tomorrow.

Mommy likes small governments

This is a response to a comment left on yesterday's post:

Dear Mr.Zilber,
If you are writing a book and is out in the public domain, it is subject to criticism, both good and bad. This is not a personal attack on you, but a frank opinion of the book. Please don't make it personal. I have never said Jeremy Zilber is bad. I am sure you are a wonderful person. I do have problems with your book though, just as I have problems with other books and movies and newspaper articles. I believe in small governments. I have experienced the inefficacy of large governments and planned economies first hand- I am originally from India- and yes, I do favor smaller governments, less taxation, more private entrepreneurship. I am all for the public good and giving the needy, I just don’t think it’s the government’s job. That’s what charities are for to which good citizens like you and I contribute. Inspecting air and regulating airplanes or insuring private money-those are not for the government either. I am sure private enterprise can handle all that. That's my political view and I am willing to have a sensible debate over it.

I really don’t think it’s the government’s business to subsidize anything, including student loans. I am sure there are plenty of private banks from whom we can borrow, if a need arises to borrow for my son’s student loans. I live in VA, where many, many roads are privately owned and maintained. The fire department in our town is a 100% volunteer company and has the fastest response time in the area. We do make a yearly contribution to this fantastic crew.

This is not a question of pride. It’s a question of morals and ethics. There is a reason why the US has most immigrants. It’s because it is the freest nation. (There is a nice graph here) It takes on the average of 89 days to acquire all permits and licenses to incorporate a company in India. It takes less than 2 days in the US. I would highly recommend this wonderful parable by Fredric Bastiat (if you haven’t already read it). Hopefully, you will see what I see.

Why Mommy is a Democrat

No, I am NOT divulging my own political leanings here, but this is the name of a children’s book. It has been out for a couple of years now and is targeted to enrich young minds with the Democratic philosophy (wasn’t this called propaganda in the good old days?) I have a problem with this book on many levels. Too simplistic. Polarized. It wants to draw a clean line between good and evil, Democrat and Republican. Kids are good at creating a narrow view of the world: superheroes and villains. Do we need to add to it? True, it’s targeted towards the young but – “Democrats make sure we all share our toys just like Mommy does”. Seriously? Is this what it boils down to? Mommy certainly won’t hold a jail term over your head if you don’t share your toys. "Democrats make sure we are always safe, just like Mommy does." Really? and the Republicans don't care about National safety?I am not surprised that even the Dems themselves gave a lukewarm response to the book and the Republicans went right out and lampooned it. (scroll down to see sample pages from the book)

Jokes apart, I don’t think you need books to present political views to children. They learn as they pick lessons from every day interactions with you. For example, Chip knows he has to be responsible for his own actions. Mommy won’t always help. I will warn him – the tea is hot, the chutney is spicy, he will fall if he decides to climb out of the highchair onto the table then to another chair to climb on the kitchen counter. He doesn’t always listen, and I always let him figure it out himself. He has had a few falls and bruises but has always learnt in the process.

He has to be independent, as much as he can be at the ripe age of 2. He eats by himself, will throw his clothes in the wash basket, cleans up his own messes and puts away his books. He helps himself to milk and juice when I keep them on the counter for him. He is learning to be on his own. Hopefully, many many years later, he won’t expect the government to fund his artistic pursuits, or even his retirement.

He is still quite young for me to drive other lessons into him. And I don’t know how many of these lessons will be really learnt by him. But if he grows up to be a rational, fair, responsible, independent, productive and respectful of other’s people right to have opinions, no matter how much he disagrees, I’ll be a happy and proud mom.







Edited to Add this link: Mommy-Daddy, go away!

Potter Mania

I am prolly the only person in the whole wide world who
1. Did not pre-order a copy
2. Did not stand line in snaking lines
3. Is not in any way interested in

the whole Harry Potter new book (The Deathly Hallows). I have never liked fantasy. Never got into Harry Potter and abandoned the series after reading the first two and the beginning of the third. I am sure people have excellent reasons for liking Potter, but I was never the one for it and just can’t understand the Potter Mania. Question: Was such mania seen when Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings was first published or when Chronicles or Narnia made to the book stores? Who is the target audience for the Potter books? If its tween-to-teen, why are the books do damn dark? If they are targeted to the younger professional, why are they so damn shallow? I grew up reading Famous Five, Malory Towers and St.Clares as a child, but eventually moved onto to other writers.

Jenny Bristow from Spiked makes a point here

Okay, so it's good that children read books - and we can assume, for the sake of argument, that they could do with reading more of them. But the excitement surrounding Potter indicated just how far our expectations have fallen. Not so very long ago, it was not considered enough for children just to read books -
they had to be good books. For example, the very fact that kids enjoyed the
Famous Five led to the suspicion that Blyton was brain-rot, and the compulsion
to teach Narnia in class.

For all the original artificial hype of Potter's
literary qualities, it is self-evident that their readability, not their
quality, is what made them popular with children. Yet while Enid Blyton was
actively resisted by school libraries in the past, on the grounds that it might
distract from the better quality stuff, Rowling's equivalent has all but formed
the basis of English exams.

Would you still be OK, if your kids like Harry Potter in their twenties?