Category Archives: Books

Something Borrowed : Thoughts on the book

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Something Borrowed
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

So, a confession : I actually watched the movie before I read the book. Which may influence a lot of what I felt – I really, really tried hard to like this book but I have to say that I didn’t.

Although I liked the movie, there are some things I chose to ignore while watching because overall I like the actors and just the “chick flick” movie in general. However, there are certain aspects that I chose to ignore in the movie which I couldn’t ignore here because when things are typed out, you tend to find it harder to suppress that “uneasy” feeling you get when something isn’t right. For example, I think Rachel’s character is incredibly weak and spineless – and not even in a “cutesy” way. Her choices in the book, which are spelled out more clearly than in the movie, are just plain inexplicable. Not even the “rush of love” explanation can fix things.

Do I feel good about the ending? In the movie, I did. Here? Not so much. This is largely to do with the fact that I don’t think the characters themselves were happy with the ending. However, I see there is a sequel, which I plan to read, so I guess I will find out soon enough.

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Adele, Writing and Test Cricket

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I know that I really need to be writing more often, but I suppose this is what happens if writing is a major part of your day job! Also, this is what happens when you get used to restricting yourself to 140 characters *glares at a certain micro-blogging site*

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Finishing a book

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I have forgotten what it feels like to finish a book.

The physical turning of a page, or the filling up of that electronic status bar. It’s all the same to me, really. At this point I just want to pick up something and read it from start to finish and I just can’t seem to do that any more.

I’ve never had to beg anybody to lay my hands on something interesting to read, I’ve been lucky that way. I remember how I felt while reading (and watching) Roald Dahl’s ‘Matilda’ – her dad ripping that book to shreds, I could feel my own eyes tearing up. Anyway, the point is there has ALWAYS been something to read , and it’s very rare for me to leave the house without a book in my bag.

But that’s the problem. I’ve become so superficial, floating from one book to another. Disrespectful, I want to cringe with embarrassment, but it’s the truth. At the back of my mind, I know there’s no time limit, no ‘form of the book’ limitation either. Earlier, I would carry only one book with me pretty much everywhere I went. This meant I had no choice but to read that one, single book when I had the chance. If it was a library book (oh, those Mills & Boons!) I would  try to not take them out of the house for fearing of losing them. So I’d end up rushing home after school or college, waiting for the moment when I could delve back into it. Now, I rarely go to libraries anymore because I  hardly read physical books.

Ebooks are wonderful. But ebooks have spoilt me. I carry them on every device I have with me – my Mac, my phone, my iPod. I have multiple forms and copies of the “current book I’m reading” – and at least 15 other ones. Hypothetically, I should be reading more books right? Wrong. I think I’m over-prepared. I’ve lost that NEED to finish a book, because I know it’s always with me.

Anyway, I just wanted to get this out of my system. It isn’t a debate on whether ebooks are good or bad. It’s just something I noticed, and something I really need to do something about. So I am going to try and write reviews of whatever I read, hopefully that will push me to actually go through with completely reading a book. Any other suggestions?

 

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

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Battle Hymn of the Tiger MotherBattle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I finished this book in one go, so I felt that Amy Chua’s writing was simple and easy to read. She obviously wrote the book with a goal in mind, which was to highlight the differences between Chinese and Western parenting styles, and she does achieve this through her narration of how she brought up her two daughters, Sophia and Lulu.

The book itself did not inspire any emotion in me while I read it, which is perhaps what Amy Chua wants from the reader. This is not a book where the writer is pleading to the emotional side of the reader, or asking the reader not to judge her or her choices. I’m pretty sure Amy Chua was well aware of the kind of reactions she would get from people who didn’t share her style of parenting, especially “Western” parents. This is evident because she does occasionally comment on how another kind of parent would have made different choices than the ones she has. She acknowledges that but she is never apologetic or defensive about the ones she made.

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Just A Writer

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Two days ago, I turned on my Kindle 2 (recently handed down to me after the ‘rents acquired a Kindle 3 – with a gorgeous new burgundy cover that I’m so in love with) to try to get through some boring, blah reading material for college. Instead, I see that at some point during the day, my father had put  Wil Wheaton’s ‘Just A Geek’ on it, which he had finished reading in one shot the night before.

Now, I’ve been a big fan of Wil Wheaton – not for the fact that he played Wesley Crusher, or for his blog – but for his adorable pet ‘tweets’ that he put up now and then. As a fellow pet owner, who also has dogs and a cat, I find myself relating to these quite a lot and I always find myself laughing out loud, thinking ‘I KNOW, RIGHT?’ every time he tweets about these pet ‘incidents’. So I thought, ok lets give this book a shot.

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Fifteen Authors – Part 1

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There’s a meme running around on Facebook with instructions that go like this :

The Rules – Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen authors, poets included, who’ve influenced you and will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes. Tag a few friends, including me, because I am interested in seeing what authors you choose. To do so, go to your Notes tab on your profile page, paste rules in a new note, cast your fifteen picks, and tag people in the note.

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Heroes

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Today was a day for heroes.

First, there was Rahul Sharad Dravid and his magnificent 104 against New Zealand. I didn’t watch any part of his innings, but kept a close eye on the score. I can’t help but admire this man, I don’t know how exactly it started, but he’s been one of the few people/things I *believe* in and no I am not saying that in a fanatical-SQUEEEE-fangirl kind of way (okay, maybe just a little bit).

Then, there was Darcy.

I sat down to watch Pride & Prejudice (2005) for probably the fifth time, and this movie never fails to remind me why I love Darcy so. For a long, long time my idea of the perfect romance stemmed from the relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr.Darcy. The witty banter in the beginning, then the quiet looks, filled with longing coupled with awkwardness. No fanfare, but fierce all the same. So now, I will go back and read the novel (again) and fall back into Darcy-land.

I love that I do not take things lightly

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An excerpt from Eve Ensler’s book “I Am an Emotional Creature: The Secret Life of Girls Around the World”. Thank you Gaurav for making me listen to this!

I love being a girl.
I can feel what you’re feeling
as you’re feeling it inside
the feeling
before.
I am an emotional creature.
Things do not come to me
as intellectual theories or hard-shaped ideas.
They pulse through my organs and legs
and burn up my ears.
I know when your girlfriend’s really pissed off
even though she appears to give you what
you want.
I know when a storm is coming.
I can feel the invisible stirrings in the air.
I can tell you he won’t call back.
It’s a vibe I share.

I am an emotional creature.
I love that I do not take things lightly.
Everything is intense to me.
The way I walk in the street.
The way my mother wakes me up.
The way I hear bad news.
The way it’s unbearable when I lose.

I am an emotional creature.
I am connected to everything and everyone.
I was born like that.
Don’t you dare say all negative that it’s a
teenage thing
or it’s only only because I’m a girl.
These feelings make me better.
They make me ready.
They make me present.
They make me strong.

I am an emotional creature.
There is a particular way of knowing.
It’s like the older women somehow forgot.
I rejoice that it’s still in my body.

I know when the coconut’s about to fall.
I know that we’ve pushed the earth too far.
I know my father isn’t coming back.
That no one’s prepared for the fire.
I know that lipstick means
more than show.
I know that boys feel super-insecure
and so-called terrorists are made, not born.
I know that one kiss can take
away all my decision-making ability
and sometimes, you know, it should.

This is not extreme.
It’s a girl thing.
What we would all be
if the big door inside us flew open.
Don’t tell me not to cry.
To calm it down
Not to be so extreme
To be reasonable.
I am an emotional creature.
It’s how the earth got made.
How the wind continues to pollinate.
You don’t tell the Atlantic ocean
to behave.

I am an emotional creature.
Why would you want to shut me down
or turn me off?
I am your remaining memory.
I am connecting you to your source.
Nothing’s been diluted.
Nothing’s leaked out.
I can take you back.

I love that I can feel the inside
of the feelings in you,
even if it stops my life
even if it hurts too much
or takes me off track
even if it breaks my heart.
It makes me responsible.
I am an emotional
I am an emotional, devotional,
incandotional, creature.
And I love, hear me,
love love love
being a girl.

Bits

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Just finished reading One Night With A Prince by Sabrina Jeffries.  Yes, a trashy romance novel. Yes, the kind I love. Yes, the one I stayed up till 4 am to read.

Changed the look of the blog again, I felt the other was a bit too dark. Speaking of dark, I discovered that there’s Season 5 of Grey’s Anatomy on Zee Cafe (2 Episodes back-to-back). Couple this with Season 4 playing on Star World.. I am going to get a sizeable dose of dark and twisty Meredith and oh-so-dreamy Derek every week hopefully!

Gossip Girl Season 3. Oh Chuck. But why does Dan look so slimy!?

I am quite amused with this whole business of the Congress offering ‘opinions’ on Shashi Tharoor’s  tweeting business, but a bit disturbed. Isn’t that usually the role played by another major political party in the country?