If You're Into Stargazing This was one of those books that were collecting dust in my college library and I decided to pick it up because I wa 2.5 stars
If You're Into Stargazing This was one of those books that were collecting dust in my college library and I decided to pick it up because I was attracted to the illustrations and also because of the fact that it's about stargazing and astronomy. I have to say I learned quite a bit about identifying stars and constellations, and a slight bit about planet-watching too. This book gives you the basic know-hows and facts that you need if you're seeking to get into stargazing. And frankly that was my main agenda while picking this up.
Most of the remaining content had little novelty... it's things we've already learned at school at a much younger age. Plus I thought that the story line was a little dry and boring too. It's mostly a dad teaching his little kids Alex and Sveta about stars and planets (duh!) through various experiments, assignments and field trips.
Having said that, for little children, I think this book does a pretty good job at instilling curiosity and inquisitiveness about the world around and above them, and about science and astronomy as well. The experiments and stargazing assignments sound like loads of fun too!
Lies or Fantasies? Ironically my favorite part of the book was the part in which a dwarf named Dopey makes up lies about all the great adventures he has while traveling to the moon and stars and planets. For example, he claims to have met midget sunflowers on the moon who'd love to visit the earth. The irony lies in the fact that the main characters in the book, especially the magician dwarf named Doc shuns his so-called lies. In the world we live in today though, that attitude would be considered out-dated at best and arrogant at worst. To me those were the most lively, if any, parts of the book and honestly they felt like a breath of fresh air!
Finally, this is a book that was published in the U.S.S.R at sometime during the 60's, so I don't think there's much use recommending this one. Besides, I don't think it's all that recommendation-worthy anyways. Actually I don't even know why I reviewed this book. I guess this was just much ado about nothing! ...more
This book was meant to be a parody of Chetan Bhagat's Two States: The Story of My Marriage Frankly speaking, after having read both I must say that thThis book was meant to be a parody of Chetan Bhagat's Two States: The Story of My Marriage Frankly speaking, after having read both I must say that this book is far better than the original one in terms of the humour, the writing style, the punchlines, the story even. It was so much more interesting and I never for one instance found myself bored or wanting to put it down because it was hilarious.
Rishab and Deepika's relationship was far more believable, narrated in a hilariously witty manner. The fights they had, them constantly trying to separate themselves from each other and 'make the divorce work' and yet finding themselves to be a much stronger team than they thought or in fact they wanted to be were pretty clever elements in the book.
So, Judy Balan has performed above and beyond the call of duty on this one. What I like most about her is her easy going, flowy as well as witty and funny style of writing. I can't wait to try more!
This is my first novel of both Mary Westmacott and Agatha Christie (Westmacott is Christie's pen name). I'd have to say Giant's Bread was l4.5 stars
This is my first novel of both Mary Westmacott and Agatha Christie (Westmacott is Christie's pen name). I'd have to say Giant's Bread was long and at times tiresome to read but it made you feel full and satisfied in the end, and I think that's the mark of a good classic. It's mentioned in the introduction that Christie wrote this book and several others under the pen name Westmacott to prove herself as a versatile and talented writer, and I think she did pretty good job!
Technically Speaking
Set in the early twentieth century, Westmacott's Giant's Bread is about a musical genius named Vernon Deyre. Joe, the eternal rebel-without-a-cause and Sebastian Levinne who turns everything he touches into gold are Vernon's best friends since childhood, and I quite liked how their stories were intertwined at the same time narrated in parallel with Vernon's life, (view spoiler)[along with that of Nell, his lover and Jane, who is forever stuck in the friend zone when it comes to Vernon. (hide spoiler)] There were also several very interesting love triangles including this one.
Again, at times I felt the story moved too slow at certain parts but certainly not so much as to make me put the book down. Other times were full of excitement and suspense, especially the end. The whole thing was so beautifully written and portrayed. I'd say my favourite portion was Book One, about Vernon Deyre's life at his palatial childhood home Abbots Puissants. This was when he was around three years old and I loved how he saw his nanny and his parents as these entities with unique characteristics (this portion was written from his perspective) and how he perceived his world which consisted of his nursery, his garden and a forbidden place on the other side of a fence/wall called the Forest - perfect way to describe that phase when you're going through the process of formation and perceiving the world around you.
The Greater Message
Giant's Bread is about the madness that is inherited with genius, as well as the insanity of human nature in general. This story is also about choices. In life you have to choose between dreams and convenience, risk and comfort, love and lust, reason and emotion, life and death. And most of the time you can't even tell one from the other.
For me, the most crucial message that the story drove home was the fact that life ain't a fairy tale. Towards the end of the story the only thing that seemed to remain was regret and true love. ...more
"He had no friends, no other relatives -- he didn't belong to the library, so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back. Yet here i
"He had no friends, no other relatives -- he didn't belong to the library, so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake:
Mr. H. Potter The Cupboard under the Stairs 4 Privet Drive Little Whinging Surrey"
The Harry Potter Series begins at number four Privet Drive where all is well for Mr. and Mrs. Dursley and their son Dudley, the most perfect boy there is. Little did they know they were in for an unpleasant surprise. Strange sightings and happenings unfold, bringing back buried anxieties from the past.
They could hardly have guessed that a rather unwelcome guest awaits them on the door step. Harry Potter spends the next 11 years of his life in the cupboard under the stairs of the Dursleys' house, doing their house work, wearing enormous Dudley's old clothes, being beaten up by him and his friends at school and treated like a vermin the rest of the day when all the while a great destiny awaited him.
On his 11th birthday, with help arriving in the form of Hagrid, he finally gets hold of his letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (after much struggle to prevent him from getting it by the Dursleys who did not approve of all that magic nonsense) and he is off with Hagrid to board the train on Platform nine and three quarters at Kings Cross Station.
"Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting."
The first installment in the Harry Potter Series was a simply magical debut. Most of the action takes place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in London but in another dimension, hidden from the Muggle (non-magical) world. It is here that Harry discovers his real self, his true destiny, about how his parents died and how he got the lightning scar on his forehead but above all he discovers friendship: true and everlasting friendship in Ron and Hermione, who are pillars to both Harry and the story. Harry's tryst with destiny begins when he discovers the Philosopher's stone and who has been after it.
The story is full of fantastic images which can enchant any one let alone children. From his very first day with Hagrid the reader is just as mesmerized as Harry himself as he makes his way through the wizarding world. Cauldrons, magic wands, goblins, potions, broomsticks, owls, dragons, castles, forests, ghosts, trolls, ghouls, candles floating in mid air and a talking hat are just a pinch from the sights galore one gets to savour. The story was woven together so intricately that you'd hardly imagine it to be a book written for children. Each chapter brings a new twist; even Quidditch which I wasn't that keen on turned out to be shrouded with mystery.
"It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. ... However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible... It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that..."
The Harry Potter books are much more than a sensational children's series. I find it incredible that Harry's story resonates with J.K. Rowling's own. Harry went from being a neglected and bullied boy living in a cupboard to a famous hero, whom the most fearsome dark wizard Voldemort was unable to kill. Harry was awkward with all the attention and the hero worshipping but was nevertheless grateful for his new life. This story also carries with it virtues and deep moral values (take that book burners!). Dumbledore's wisdom never failed to seed a thought in my mind and Ron, Hermione and Hagrid's loyalty to Harry touched my heart.
"If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign... to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever."
This is the story of a boy who lived hitherto without knowing his greatness, a boy thrust into fame but whose deepest desire was his parents. Yet he finds comfort and protection in his friends, with whom he instinctively embarks on dangerous adventures to realise his true destiny.
The Princess Diaries series is about Mia Thermopolis, or more precisely, Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Renaldo Thermopolis, HRH Princess of Genovi3 stars
The Princess Diaries series is about Mia Thermopolis, or more precisely, Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Renaldo Thermopolis, HRH Princess of Genovia, a fictional country located in between France and Italy. She is a seemingly normal teenager with all the problems that come with her age, only she is also the Princess of an entire European nation (a small one, though, but still.) You're basically reading her diary in which she pours out her feelings, complaints and worries about events in her life - a hectic double life walking the line between unpopular teenager and reluctant royal.
"I know we learned in Health and Safety that it's physically impossible to die from embarrassment, but I might turn out to be the exception to the rule."
In Sixsational Mia is back at Albert Einstein High as a sophomore with a whole new set of nerd plus teen plus princess problems. A lot of times you get a sense that Mia is a wee bit whiny for a princess and has not much ambition in her life except to become an established writer, which is essentially shot down when her new English teacher Ms. Martinez tells her that she needs to mature as a writer. But hey, being a teenager ain't easy and I think Meg Cabot did a good job in bringing it across. Mia's long list of problems include being called a baby-licker by her best friend Lilly, her boyfriend Michael, who happens to be her only motivation to stay in school, being away at college, (view spoiler)[ the probability of Michael dumping her because she is not ready to "Do It" with him, a potential eco-disaster in the Genovian bay which is all her fault (hide spoiler)] and to top it all off she has been nominated by Lilly to run for student body president.
"... my palms were sweaty. And my fingers were shaking. Because I have never got a B for an English assignment before, Never, never, never, never ..."
Overall I thought Sixsational was fun to read, even though it didn't really have a very strong plot (I guess that is the nature of chick-lit, but the ninth book in the series To The Nines, in comparison, had a much better storyline.) It may not look like much but Meg Cabot does make a few statements with this book. For example, Mia gets a B from Ms. Martinez for having too many pop culture references in her expository essay. But Mia slams back in her presidential debate that a hundred years from then, "a single episode of Sailor Moon" will better describe early twenty first century society than "an essay on the ways in which the media exploits us."
If you're into chick-lit, T.V. shows and pop culture, and are looking for a light-hearted read, then this may make a fun read for you. ...more
“Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world.”
The second book in the Harry Potter series is a not-
“Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world.”
The second book in the Harry Potter series is a not-at-all disappointing follow-up. In fact it was awesome, packed with more magic, more mystery and more action - just the way I like it! Again, the way each and every element in the story works together blew my mind, especially towards the end. And what's more is that there are new characters including a house elf named Dobby, a ghost named Moaning Myrtle and a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Gilderoy Lockhart.
“Oh well... I'd just been thinking, if you had died, you'd have been welcome to share my toilet.”
I notice that the book, or the series rather, is moving towards the darker and depressing side. I mean I can already tell that things are going to get pretty serious between He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named (a.k.a. Lord Voldemort) and Harry, and I'm more than eager for the twists and turns I know I'm in for.
Ofcourse, no review of Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets is complete without these famous words of Dumbledore
“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
Finally, a bit of wisdom from... Ron, believe it or not.
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