Books et cetera

Last year, that is 2008, was first such year when I had done some thorough reading. And as a result I finished 25 books in 2008. And then, on the eve of new year, I decided to read 50 books in 2009, a resolution which is still far from complete in November, but I’ve been successful in finishing a big number, 36 till date, which is my biggest number in a year, even though I’m 14 books away from my target. The books that I have finished in this year are listed here.

1. Perfect strangers – Robyn Sysman: My first book of this year. Was an OK book.

2. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari – Liked by many, disliked by some. I finished this book while I had been unable to finish it when I started it for the first time somewhere in 2005-06. Liked the book.

3. The Gift – My second book of Cecelia Ahern after P. S. I love you. Loved the book. Ends wonderfully even though nothing great in the beginning there.

4. Swami – Sharatchandra (H): One of the two Hindi novels I finished this year. Nothing very great from the standards of Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Don’t remember a lot.

5. Men of Steel – Vir Sanghvi: A collection of interviews of Industrialists not in the form of interviews. Inspiring. Worth a read. Value for money.

6. United States of Europe: A wonderful insight by T R Reid into the power of Europe as a combined power, or rather superpower. Got to know quite a number of new things. Could be a good read if you are into such type of things. Something like ‘The World is Flat’ though the writer doesn’t look surprised here.

7. True Believer: Nicholas Sparks’ worst book yet. Doesn’t really make a very good read.

8. The Elephant, the Tiger and the Cellphone: Shashi Tharoor’s well recognized and popular book on India. Balanced, and a good read. And though I found a better work on the same subject later, I think it always is worth a read.

9. Inscrutable Americans: The little, wonderful saga of a traditional, God-fearing Indian student who actually is a momma’s boy before leaving for USA for his studies. Worth a read any day. Even a re-read.

10. HT leadership summit: India: the next global superpower?: A book that I finished sitting in my company library during my free time. Has the collection of speeches and questions & answers of HT Leadership Summit.

11. Life on a Refrigerator Door: Alice Coopers’ wonderful book that I finished in one reading while sitting in the Landmark’s book store. A wonderful story of a single mother and a daughter who don’t get time to talk and hence talk only through small notes put on refrigerator. Absolutely wonderful.

12. The Wedding: Nicholas Sparks at his best, again. Worth a read for Sparks fans, and for all those who like the romantic, touchy-feely sort novels.

13. Above Average: Amitabh Bagchi tries to explain what life at IIT is for those who are not five point someones. But Above Average. Above Average I’d say.

14. Apne Apne Ajnabi – Agyeya (H): A small novel by Sachchidanand Hiranand Vatsyayan ‘Agyeya’, where he talks of life, death and more via two people caught in a home below snow. Liked it.

15. Families at Home – Reeti Gadekar: A not so great novel by Reeti Gadekar where she explains some characters around us in good detail but fails with the story, especially with its end.

16. The Bridge Across Forever: The story of finding a soulmate and its importance, as explained by Richard Bach. Nothing great as Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Okay. Read if you want to. Cause he’s always different.

17. The Time Machine (abridged): Since I don’t have enough patience to read a classic, I do it my own way sometimes. Found an abridged version of H G Wells’ wonderful book Time Machine. Loved it.

18. Nehru: A bipgraphy by Shashi Tharoor that brought quite a change in my perspective of Nehru. A book worth a read by the First Prime Minister of our country. By the current Minister of State for External Affairs.

19. Illusions: Richard Bach again. Shorter and better than Bridge Across Forever.

20. It’s my life: A collection of her memories by Sangeeta Shenoy, my Orkut friend who happens to be much above the average Orkut users in age as well as enthusiasm.

21. The Lost Boy: The second book of Dave Pelzer’s trilogy of books where he tells about his rescue from his mother who used to torture him. A wonderful book that tells a lot about child abuse and the best of the three books in series.

22. Message in a Bottle: Nicholas Sparks’ story of a man who threw messages into the sea in bottle and the girl who finds them. Good.

23. A Child Called ‘it’: The first book in the Dave Pelzer trilogy. Heart breaking account of his mothers’ tortures.

24. In spite of the Gods: A superb, wonderful book on today’s India, by Edward Luce, former Bureau Chief, Financial Times for the South Asia. The book, In Spite of the Gods: Strange Rise of Modern India is one of the best and most impartial account of current India by anybody I have read. Must read if you are into non-fiction.

25. The Kite Runner: Khaled Hosseini’s masterpiece which I had borrowed from Library, finished sitting at the bus stop in front of the library, and still wasn’t sure if I should return the book or keep it and start all over again.

26. A Man named Dave: The third book in the Dave Pelzer trilogy, where he tells how he became a US Air Force Pilot from a Foster child.

27. Delhi is Not Far: Ruskin Bond’s novella about a fictional town somewhere near Meerut. One word: Masterpiece.

28. By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept: Another strange book by Paulo Coelho. Didn’t like it a lot, though, like always there are quotes worth remembering in life there.

29. Thanks for the Memories: Cecelia Ahern’s book about two divorced people who happen to have some common memories due to blood infusion. Predictable, but a good read.

30. Of course I Love You… Till I Find Someone Better: Another novel inspired by the success of Chetan Bhagat. An interesting read for those who like to read the stories of Indian college-goers and all, running in the market right now. Trash for ‘class’ readers.

31. Nights in Rodanthe: Nicholas Sparks’ beautiful story about a lady who tells her life’s secret to her devastated daughter in order to keep her life going.

32. 2 States: The story of My Marriage: Another Chetan Bhagat book. And his second based on his own life. Absolutely loved the book. But getting mixed reviews from people.

33. Rusty: Ruskin Bond’s journey into his own childhood.  Rusty is lovable, likable, readable.

34. To catch a Butterfly: A collection of ‘short’ stories, some even 4 pages long (which is really short considering page size and font) by Vivek Agarwal, a Hartcourt Butler alumni. The stories are good, bad and ugly, and quite diverse. In fact some stories leave a lasting impression. A small, good read.

35. Dilli to Pagal hai: Collection of Delhi Times columnist Shivjeet Khullar’s small, biweekly pieces. It’s funny, punny, and full of laughter. Though a few things get repetitive in the book, it gives you a good laugh, if you have been to Delhi. Even better if you belong there.

36. Keep Off the Grass: Karan Bajaj’s interesting account of a Yale alumnus son of Indian parents, who leaves the wall street investment banking job to join the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and finds himself smoking grass while making his presentations at the same time. An interesting read.

So here is a brief detail about the books I read yet in 2009. And though it’s just a month and a week remaining, I still hope to reach my target of fifty. Maybe there is some miracle. Wish me luck.

Tags: Books