Moby Dick - Herman Melville (Book)

Book 3/52

Moby Dick - Herman Melville

My Rating: 2.5/5

Every year, I challenge myself with some real hard books (meaning tough nut classics) to check if I am still up for some of them who make it to an all-time 100 books that one must read before dying. This was a part of that adventure that took its toll on me for almost 15 days I fought hard with myself not to abandon it and somehow finally finished. 550+ pages and a straightforward revenge drama of a seafarer who loses a limb on one occasion and vows to find the culprit white whale named Moby Dick. How He Does It Taking Three Years, Adventure is the book with so much commentary thrown for good measure by Mr Melville with no respite for the reader but to plough along as the action takes place only in the last 50 pages, you get the hint. If you are attempting this and about to abandon after the first 100 pages, as a lot of people do - jump right ahead to the last 50 pages, and you can thank me later. It has its Indian connection, too, as the captain himself is an (American) Indian who talks a lot about Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh and his favourite Shiva with his theory of Shastra’s found underwater that are protected by whales. I must say it was a very tough read as I simply couldn’t digest his prose and later found out that I wasn’t the only one feeling the same. Now that I am done with it, taking a break with my favourite fiction writer before preparing myself again for the next challenge (War & Peace). 

Do let me know if you have read Moby Dick, did it work for you? Also, let me know which one was the toughest book that you read that you were about to abandon but still went on to finish it (or didn’t). I would love to add them for next year’s challenge, this year I am covered with those two for sure. 

 

#CashTags - Vishal and Meghana Malkan (Book)

Book 2/52.

#CashTags - Vishal and Meghana Malkan.

My Rating: 3/5

In my quest to look for an alternate career or call it an additional way of making some money, more excitingly than I currently do it, I started looking at Trading with a new perspective. Hence, this became the third book that I have read on the subject. This turns out to be a lukewarm affair as the entire book turns out to be a marketing gimmick by the couple Authors to sell their Stock Training Program which they run throughout the country. There is no way to read just the book and not attend their training course, which comes at a price and is about a year long. So you get the drift. this is one way of making money for them, whether you make it or not, they will for sure by teaching you how to do it right. But not everything is negative about this book, as it taught me how to read View, Observe and analyse the Trade Charts and predict which one will go down or up in the coming days. Plus it does affirm the reader’s psyche when investing money in the Stock Market. I liked the way they talk about how we are programmed by our surroundings, culture, parents, siblings, friends and colleagues whenever it comes to taking up a new thing as a change and how hard it is to break it and do what you want to do, come what may be the risk. So I am going to try a few of their ways in the coming days but I am damn sure that Warren Buffet’s biography was a better read and teacher, I am not comparing it with that though, just saying. 

Let me know if you have read a better book on Stock Trading or Investments as I am looking for more reading to kick-start my trading career. I would love to read some that talk about real-time stock investments. 

 

The Ink Black Heart - Robert Galbraith (Book)

 

Book 1/52.
The Ink Black Heart - Robert Galbraith.
My Rating: 5/5

My cousin introduced me to J K Rowling about a decade back, and I loved the Harry Potter series plus additional books big time. As I love starting my new year on a high, this was the first of the year, and no wonder it turned out to be better than its earlier counterparts. This is the sixth instalment from her Strike series, written under the pseudonym of Robert Galbraith. Robin and Strike are taking the digital world and its new gimmicks in style to resolve the mystery around an animated series called The Ink Blak Heart, and the game is based on the same animation, who made the game and killed the creator(s) of the series was the question. On top of all that, there is so much going on in their lives, and it was thoroughly entertaining, as always. The best thing about this mammoth of a book with 1100+ pages is again the tete-a-tete between Robin and Strike, especially when they talk or ignore the other’s current partner and what they think about each other. Just like all other JKR fans, I, too, am surprised (and in awe) by the way she is handling the characters and their love lives the way she is doing it. It leaves so much to our imagination and desire, yet she is giving it out in such small doses that we keep asking for more. And with this one done, I already have the seventh part waiting to be picked up on my book rack. I will give it a two-book break in between as the 8th is yet to come out by September 2025. A TV series based on TIBH is already out which I will be watching shortly.

Have you read the Ink Blak Heart? Do let me know how you liked it and if you have a personal Strike favourite, mine will be this one till I read the next.

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Devil in the House? - Kalpana Takbhate (Book)

Devil in the House? - Kalpana Takbhate.

The best part about my love for reading is when a book comes to me on its own especially when it comes from an Author and the worst is when it doesn't work for me. Like in the above book's case, Author approached me to read her book as my hourly rate for book reading is pretty affordable and I always more than oblige when approached as that's what I love doing provided I am compensated by an amazing story and if not, it at least covers the book price and cost of putting the book that I am reading on hold till I finish the Author sent book and pass on my opinion of the same. Going by the title and the review available on Goodreads, this one sounded liked a murder mystery cum thriller and got me excited as soon as I received my Kindle copy. Unfortunately it is a case of trying too hard to make it a suspense story with almost an average premise of whodunnit but it falls flat on its face as it doesn't have its heart in the right place. It was a pretty challenging read where the murder takes place at the very start with story keeps going back in flashbacks and reader is left guessing who could have done that and the reason behind it. There was a huge scope to develop but where it falters is the timeline, where it is happening and character development. None of those points are explained or covered by the writer that reader in me could connect with any of them. On top of that it doesn't even work like a straight forward story (which I believe she didn't intend to keep it anyways) where by the time it ends, it should make a point at least.

A very straight forward plot of two sisters relationship with each other gone sour (reason?) where younger sisters husband is a suspect in killing the elder one as they were having an extra marital affair (again reason?). The only thing which worked for me or I could call it a saving grace which kept me going to finish the book (as I always standby my commitment) was the Cop guy "Jai Dixit", yeah! You are right, our own Dhoom super cop :) I could actually imagine Abhishek Bachchan moving around solving the case but again there is no detailing as what he was wearing, riding / driving, nothing about his own life or past but in one last scene he is seen getting off a police jeep. What shocked me was no effort from writer to show us anything about the victim too, it was such a disaster that he life meant nothing to no-one that I kept looking forward to read something about her immediate family which wasn't there at all. And it was laughable by the way Mr. Jai Dixit solves the case as its a super cake walk for him to not only locate the murder weapon but finding its origin too. In the end, it leaves quite a few questions unanswered but then I seriously do not have the energy to grill the Author anymore as this wasn't a pre-published manuscript but a published book so I will let them it go. A lot of blame should go to her Editors too as there were quite a few instances where the names were printed wrongly, instead of cop they have printed suspects names and vice versa too. It is very confusing and not explained properly which city they start with, where they live and where exactly the whole thing is taking place, yet the case gets solved (or remains a mystery is to be read by the readers).

I believe one good thing this book actually did that it woke me up from the slump that I was going through of not posting anything for quite some time. Anyways, with this my paid project comes to an end and I will go back to Mr. H H Munro to finish his short stories. 

Uncle Pai - Rajesh M Iyer (Book)

Uncle Pai - Rajesh M Iyer.

I must have mentioned this umpteen times by now that when it comes to books, I am seriously born with amazing luck. A lot of Authors (some are now actually good friends now) are so kind that before even I order their books online, they approach me to read there books (as if they were already not in my wish list) and top of that I get the signed copies fresh out of oven :). It takes me a few hours before my allergy kicks in after I smell those fantastic brand new copies to actually start reading them. And this one was no different but there was a reason why I actually had to take a break from my office work and get up early before my household got up so I could read the Biography on an Uncle who we all loved back in the days. Somehow I totally forgot about him till this book happened and Rajesh was simply amazing to choose me as one of the early readers. Wow! First thing I did after finishing this amazing life story was to call my Mom and ask her if she could check our own library for as many "Amar Chitra Kathas" and "Tinkles" from back in the days that I was able to collect. They were definitely not cheap but my darling mother never said no to books and not at all to comics which should have been part of school's curiculum. I am going to seriously bill him now if I am not able to find my old collection in reading order as his book has totally intrigued me to get the whole lot, read it back to back and hand it over to my teenage kiddo who I am not sure but pray that she loves Uncle Pai's creations as much as my generation loved it. If I ever wanted to read Biography on any Comic writers life, this was definitely in contention with Mr. Pran's life as and when it comes out, eagerly waiting. Food for thought Mr. Rajesh :) you've gotta get that in your kitty now as I believe there is no such book available in the market. 

Right from the moment I jumped into "Uncle Pai" like literally, I've been thinking :) can there be a person especially in India who haven't heard of "Amar Chitra Katha" or its creator Mr. Anant Pai's name? Please raise your hand if you haven't (and let me get my gun to shoot you in the first place if you exist) :). I very well remember that I started reading my Mom's books when I was in 5th Standard as such was my appetite for books and reading. She will snatch them out of my hands and hand me over a few bucks to get my own books and direct me to the right book fair's which kept happening in our town during those days. There was a few small libraries too which will have us pick up books on rent as low as 10 paise in mid to late 80's. I very well remember having picked up the fastest fat bounded books so I could cover at least five comics in one shot :) if a Digest form was not available. If you were born in 70's you will precisely know what I am talking. And Uncle Pai's books were always on top of our priority list back then, although my memory doesn't serve me so well but it won't be an exaggeration to say I must have read if not more at least half of his comics and Tinkles as I am surprised to know through his life story that he indeed was not only a genius but a man with a mission to teach not only Indian values through his books but also so much about our own mythology and golden past. In between reading this book I asked my daughter if she knew who Lord Ram's mother was :) and that confused smile and rolling eyes told me that I've gotta get her own set of these books so next time she is able to answer my questions based on our own past. They do not teach that enough in school curriculum these days. I am assuming just like me a majority of my generation people will be huge fans of Uncle Pai and you will for sure lay your hands on this must have must read book. I am not going to disclose anything here but a few things Uncle Pai's fan following not only included a few of our own Prime Ministers or Presidents but also a Friendly nations President who would actually call him to understand the meaning of a Sanskrit shloka :) can anyone beat that. 

One question or shall I say one thing that I missed in this biography is that there is one part of his life which isn't explored much (again that is one thing that I would not like to disclose here to spoil it for those who would surely read this book), I will direct that query to Mr. Writer right after this post. And one thing that I totally disliked is the way he refers to Amar Chitra Katha as ACK in who narrative :) totally not done. It may have added another few pages but those three magic words are just incomparable. I have read almost all of his books and I must say, this is his best work so far and none of his earlier stories (that I loved much) comes any closer to this one and I am surprised by my own words that I have actually loved a Non fiction more than Fiction. If you have read "Amar Chitra Katha" and "Tinkle" back then, do let me know how you loved them and if you still have your collection with you? Unlike me who will have to use power of blackmail to get it out of my own mom :).