Blogging after long!!

I have been not that busy but rather lazy to publish anything here this year, i mean more than a year. Life has gone on and a lot of things have changed in my life. However i will try to publish more here. But, nothing to do with new year resolutions, Happy new year all.

New Books

There is a book sale in crossword and I walked in to it. Daughter was not with me and I had a free walk through most of the titles which was in the offering. Picked up 2 new authors, one is Alastair Reynolds and another one was Sergey Lukyanenko

Alastair is a science fiction author and I fortunately picked up Pushing Ice. Sergey’s Novel is Day watch which is the 2nd installment of Night watch.

Will give here my verdict after going thru them

Review: Elephant Song

Nobody else can do justice to Africa than Wilbur Smith. By reading these books you can feel the sun baked, rusty red earth under your feet and smell the musk of new rain pondering down on the same. Unforgiving nature and remorseless man of this land will touch everyone to the core. Even the animals, whether it is an elephant or a leopard carry the mark of this land.

As usual plot opens grand, with culling of an elephant herd and moves to the international ivory poachers. First time I read a Sikh as bad man in Smith fiction. The story evolves to the revenge of the killing of park warden and his family by one of his friend, Dr. Armstrong. We follow Dr. Armstrong throughout half of the book and then we change to an Environmentalist who is trying to save Africa from exploitation. Plot moves at moderate pace till the half of the book and then slow down. However, in the last few pages of the book, it rushes forward and looses familiar touch of details and featureless climax ends in just fewer than 10 pages.

Things captured my attention in this book is how world exploits Africa to the core! From Taiwanese to Indians to Englishmen, everyone wants a share of Africa’s nature, where none cares to give it back. I am in agreement with Dr. Armstrong’s views of using the nature and giving it back or controlled exploitation. But, the world does not seem to care. From diamonds to timber comes from this wonderful land and everyone still uses the old “Divide and Rule” policy in Africa. It touched me, and will sure next time I meet a person from Africa, I will be tempted to bow down to him/her, just for the wonderful and beautiful land from where he/she is.

Smith’s fascination to brutal sex is evident in this book too, like in his Egyptian series. If any of these books has to be made to a movie, director needs to do a lot of work revolving around this aspect, just to get the nod of the censoring authorities. Another aspect in smith’s book is his detailed description of the murders and killings. Same goes with his understanding of animal mind. At least two times in this very book we will see the “human” world through the eyes of animals; one time as an elephant and another time as a leopard. Though Smith do write about lion and its mentalities, this is the 2nd time I am reading about elephant thinking and I loved it as I myself from elephant land.

Overall score on a 1 to 5 scale will stand somewhere in 4.

Review: Teeth of the tiger

Tom Clancy has always fascinated me with the vivid description of the plot as well as writing down the thought process of the characters. I feel this is required to develop a very strong character in the fiction and it also adds predictability to the character. However, in this case, in my view, Tom has lost that touch.

Teeth of the tiger take plot to the terrorists or the so called “Jihad” from old “Communist Russia” and the war of the countries. The event is so placidly detailed and the background is given very clear; under the 26/11 Mumbai carnage it is damn real. Tom was always having predictability to terrorist threats; remember how “Debt of Honor” end and the event in this book is exactly what happened in Mumbai. The plot then revolves around the payback of the same event.

Here ends the good things about this book. Story has 3 major gaping holes which I could not tolerate. Don’t read further if you plan to read/reading this book. First, how did 2 heroes of the terrorist attack evade media? In Mumbai attacks every single cop firing a single shot was captured in the media. Second, how you feel about classified information being shared among cousins and even after getting to know about it, higher authorities turn a blind eye? Last, which marine will hand over his weapon to someone, who obviously not trained on it!

Sorry Tom, I don’t think I like this book. I grabbed it just because it was Tom Clancy and I was disappointed. I have followed Jack Ryan Sr., throughout his career to the oval office, and I think I know that man. However, I don’t like the idea of Jack Ryan Jr. jumping in to spook business in the very beginning, without doing much or thinking much. I don’t know this man.

Overall score on a 1 to 5 scale will stand somewhere in 2 not more than that.

New Books

Picked up two new books from book shop last week. Teeth of the tiger by Tom Clancy and Elephant Song by Wilbur Smith.

Clancy i am touching after a long time. I left the story line of Jack Ryan when he become president and now picking up from Jack Ryan Jr. entering the spy world. Missed 2 books in between, Red Rabbit and Bear and Dragon. Will catch that up after some time.

I have long heard about Elephant Song of Wilbur Smith and it is a stand alone than the stuff he generally writes which are in series. Not started reading that, however Clancy is about to finish in another 2 hours. Will post some review here after i am done.

Review : The Final Reckoning

I picked up the book of Sam Bourne, The Final Reckoning from the book stall set up in our office, falling to the oneline review on the cover “The biggest challenge to Dan Brown’s Crown”, without thinking too much. Started reading it throughout last week end and completed it in no time, though the book was not a page turner.

Story revolves around 2nd world war Nazi-Jew hostility and runs the same thread till post 9/11 New York. Some of the elements of the story is based on facts but largely it remains as a work of fiction and does not ignite any controversy like Dan Brown.

Story is majorly “Guessable” and I was able to plot the climax through 3/4th of the book. Not a great action or thriller and the pace of the book is moderate. Skipping 10 pages and still you will be able to catch up with the story and you may not lose much important plot. Climax is not completely digested unless you underline yourself that it’s a fiction. Some unwanted characters appear too, without whom plot could have still stood ground.

One completely new styleI liked in this was advantage of writing vs. movie. There is a character called “The Boss” whose activities can be read thorugh but identity is kept a secret till the end of the book. That was something which I felt good and advantage of writing.

Overall score on a 1 to 5 scale will stand somewhere in 3 not more than that and I feel I am being generous here.

Milk & Me

Milk and me!
Why Milk is so important to us
What if someone develops allergy to Lactose!
This question came to me in full force when my counterpart “G” was visiting India.
India is the largest producer of milk in the world!
No north Indian celebration is complete without “Paneer” or Cottage cheese; produced from milk
No South Indian meal is complete without “Curd” or yogurt; produced from milk
No Indian festival seems to be complete without “Kova/Kofta” or “Burfi” as sweet; produced from milk;
Even the Dons of Mumbai say [Chai, “Malai” marke!] Another product of milk.
Even Lord Krishna was from milk man community, is it that we drink so much milk?
Almost every “first night” starts with milk!
Every mother is worried that her son/daughter doesn’t drink milk!
Most gods are washed with Milk!
We Indians use milk in everyday life too!
Let is separate, Milk to milk and water to water [Doodh ki Doodh, Pani ki Pani]
Most north Indians beat butter roti!Man! We are a country made with Milk! No wonder we worship cow! Holy Cow!!