The Other Side of Life

And I am back with a book review! Book: RIP Author: Mukul Deva No. of Pages: 286 Genre: Thriller, Fiction Publisher: Westland Books RIP by Mukul Deva is a fast paced read, set in the current context of anti-corruption movements, hapless public, politicians who cannot be touched and the general epiphanies about change. The story is about a group of ex-army men who decide to take law in their own hands when numerous protests by activists have no impact on the political class. They turn vigilantes and challenge the Government head-on by assassinating the top brass and making a mockery of their so-called establishment. To counter this group, an alert politician engages a corrupt ex-army man, willing to stoop to any levels and in a story with many twists and turns, the race between the two groups turns nail biting. And finally, ends up in mission possible. The good things first. Its a fast read. Whether you enjoy the story or not, you will definitely finish the book with...

I swear I heard them. It was a cold December winter night, two weeks back. I was tucked in two layers of razai and clutching my hot water bag for life. My head was inside the warm blanket, lest any cold air enters.  And then I heard it. A strange ruffle and a shriek. I slowly formed a small hole in my razai's enclosing to investigate the sounds. There was no mistaking the source. It was my bookshelf. I strained my ears to try and understand what was going on. Oh yes. It was the books. "Will you move? Bloody hell. You are standing on my back cover! If you don't move, I will tell all my fans and they will sit at Jantar Mantar and protest against you and your stupid establishment. MOVE. NOW." It was Five Point Someone, Chetan Bhagat's magnum opus, speaking to none other than Britannica's Encyclopedia. The giant encyclopedia moved with the slightest of movement and shifted his bulky weight. He grumbled, "Hell ya. Establishment. Who even looks a...

So finally, after much procrastination, I decided to give the Book Reviews Program a shot. And as luck would have it, I got lucky with a great book! The Bankster, by Ravi Subramanian is an exciting read, to say the least. I must confess, I was slightly biased towards the author, having heard great reviews of If God Was a Banker, his first book. Here's the deal. When you are dealing with a subject as complicated as Banking (atleast for me), you need to have a very careful approach. You need to make things sound simple so that I as a reader, get a grip on the story, but at the same time, not make it too simplistic to make me feel dumb and lacking in knowledge. Ravi Subramanian passes this test with flying colors! Dealing with banking, frauds and the complexities of the financial world, he has created a wonderful script, which is easy to understand and at the same time technically perfect. The Bankster is the story of the Greater Boston Global Bank (GB2) and a grou...

It's Wednesday, 3 pm in the afternoon and we just had a team lunch at a pretty cool restaurant, I am sleepy and trying really really hard to look alert even as I slump in front of the monitor. I am not kidding! Remember that Tom 'n' Jerry cartoon where Tom keeps his eyes stretched open with the help of match sticks? I probably need crowbars instead! My only hope of getting out of office without the embarrassment of falling off the chair while drowsing is completing this post somehow! Anyhoo. Moving on to the post. Point is, I always had this thing against Indian authors. Probably because they write much too complicated stuff, not at all to my liking. I like things clean, simple, straightforward.(Not as simple as Chetan Bhagat though!) Basically, I  have too many judgement criteria! Surprisingly, over the past few months, I have come across some really impressive books by Indian authors. I figured, if I can write posts to criticize these guys, I can also write posts to prais...

So, my first day in office in 2010 started on an adventurous note. Missed the office bus on a chilly day in Delhi, waded through fog and a subway with no lights, shared the rest of the journey with an irritating office boy, tried the much hyped Noida Metro..You get the picture, right? Not exactly the normal, calm day that I enjoy - which got me thinking about how the daily "nuances" of life have changed in a decade. To be very frank, I don't remember much of the 90's. I didn't have an email Id or a blog back then, to read through old mails and smile at my innocence. I did not have a cell phone, and the landline phone was placed on top of the refrigerator where my hand could never reach. I had never played snakes, and my idea of playing was limited to, or rather not limited to outdoor games! I ran and ran till my legs couldn’t carry me anymore, played stupid games hiding in bushes and plants, jumping across fences, hitting each other with the ball. Oh the times wh...

I don't understand why Wednesday's are even working days. I mean, come on, look around. People look so sleepy and worn out on Wednesdays like they just lost the battle of Waterloo or something! I got into the company bus this morning, and believe me, every single seat was occupied by a sleeping colleague. Some were actually comfortable enough to put their feet on the seat, cover their eyes with newspapers and fall asleep, mindless of the heat and traffic, they looked as if they were sunbathing in Goa! Me, perky as ever, decided I wont be bogged down by the Wednesday Blues, got my earphones, and while listening to some nice, AWESOME Sweet Childs and Dream Ons, took out my book to read..And that's where I lost my Battle of Waterloo.. So what is it with Indian authors? Is it hard to write a simple sentence without using the "Right-click-synonyms" keys in MS Word? Their answer may go something like : The complication is but a subtle glimpse into the incongruity of a...

LOL ...That is easily one of the lamest titles I have ever seen! :) So here's the deal. When I got my hands on a Robin Cook book after a gap of 4 years, I would be lying if I said I was happy..Because, I was ecstatic..Robin Cook was probably never the best author on earth, and most definitely, not a winner of awards, but it worked for me back then. And so running into his latest book sent my adrenaline into a tizzy, taking me back to those days of confused young minds, debating how to sneak in a book in between hectic coaching classes and teachers driving poor minds crazy! I would be understating if I said I liked Robin Cook..I loved Robin Cook, and I had in fact set the indelible record of reading each and every one of his books, till of course, he decided to write one more. And so I had to read Crisis. Crisis is a fast paced story set in the suburbs of Boston. The lead protagonist, Dr. Craig Bowman is a hard working dedicated medical practitioner, caught in an increasingly deep...