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Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Review: Message in a Bottle

Message in a Bottle Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this immediately after A Bend in the Road so Garrett's wife's death is very similar to Miles' wife but here there was no mystery but lot of love and sadness. The story starts while a success columnist who at 36 is divorced with a 12 years old son is vacationing and comes across a message in a bottle and the content is so full of raw emotions that she can't help but cry. And soon somehow it finds way to her column and soon she finds there are other letters which people found similarly to her and curious she wants to meet the guy who has so much love in his heart. So she finds the guy Garrett with the help of her Boss/Friend Diane who was a kick-ass character whom I liked a lot, Theresa not so much.

This book is seeped in emotions and like most/all of Sparks's books in set somewhere around North Carolina there are sea, beaches, boats and vacations and flings and romances along the way but like so often happen the reality and egos soon come between them and then there are the understanding and misunderstandings they have to go through all in all it was a typical Sparks book which is also tinged by tragedy here and there and I am already kinda getting over it but when I have promised myself to go through as many of these books as possible then I shall do so.

May be if you are still missing the Sparks in your lives then pick one of these books maybe you will find something to love so love and read and love and enjoy and just keep on reading.

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Review: Moonshadow: The Story of the Total Eclipse

Moonshadow: The Story of the Total Eclipse Moonshadow: The Story of the Total Eclipse by Terry Manners
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

For a book which was written about 20 years ago it's very surprising that my review is going to the first one also my rating. This was one of the many second hand books I get from the book fairs at cheapo price and the quality was extremely good considering it was 20 years old book now coming to the content of the book the title says it all it's about Total Solar Eclipse. This book is full of amazing photographs covering the phenomenon which has captured human imagination since the beginning of the time. There are few mispronunciations like calling Agra as Accra in the beginning which I caught as well I live in India and most specifically have lived in Agra as well. But yes coming back to the book as all know the solar eclipse happens when moon covers the sun and it's shadow covers the earth hence the name. Chapters are divided with great photos and talk about the past and future eclipses then talk about eclipses in the context of myths and the history also the authors covers the mission to the moon and the space wars. The book also contains few tidbits here and there about moon, people who have been to moon, even some couplets of Shakespeare where he talked about eclipses.

I would like to point out though that the book is little try but again the photos are simply wonderful also this is extremely outdated I mean hubble telescope had just been operational for few years then and the International Space Station was still under planning or construction by the time the book was published and mentions them. So yeah this is smaller coffee table kinda book with glossy papers if you find it get it because most probably you would find it also in the discount bin. So as I am done with this I shall go ahead and read some more and would just Keep on Reading.

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Review: Imperfect

Imperfect Imperfect by Sanjay Manjrekar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Like most I know Manjrekar the commentator and know Manjrekar the player but since he played during the time when cable TV was non-existent and 96 world cup is something I remember for Sachin's, Jadeja's batting and India's collapse at Eden Gardens against Sri Lanka. Manjrekar was an average player and he is the first one to accept that. People have criticized the book for being more about his own analysis of his mindset more than the game or other stories but the data is something you can get from records but the stories are what only the person would be able to tell you. So Manjrekar the retired cricketer tells about his father who was a major cricketer and how his fame motivated him to become a cricketer. The chapters are scattered across his life and after a chapter about his tour of 91 in Australia I was getting ready to read about 1992 world cup but no he talks about 1996 world cup and I had to check the 1992 team to see if he even played there then where did that world cup disappear to when that comes in later chapters where he talks about his failures and struggles.

It was nice read and liked it because I had seen some of him as a cricketer and also his well covered clashes with Ravindra Jadeja and other commentators during the 2019 Cricket World Cup. Well I liked it so how about you also try something new and give it chance may be you will also learn something new and maybe you would too just Keep on Reading.



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Review: A Bend in the Road

A Bend in the Road A Bend in the Road by Nicholas Sparks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First of all this is late late late as I kept on reading the books and missed updating them here on GR. After I finished reading "A Walk to remember", I planned on reading most of Sparks books I could and this was the one I picked after that though I am also reading other books through all this and so on and so and be ready to see about 4-5 book reviews coming one after the other.

Let's come back to the topic this is all about, this book, which is again a love story after all that's what Mr. Sparks is all about the love story where someone has to die at all times. So this here is the person who dies is our hero's wife Missy. Missy dies after a mysterious Hit-and-run. Miles is a deputy sheriff who has a son who is falling behind on his education. Then there is Sarah who arrives to the small town after her tragic divorce. Soon Sarah and Miles meet and they hit it off but there's a secret and I thought that I knew it but later I was sure and correct in guessing the person who was driving the car.

It was nice little book with a nice ending and it was all about growing up and understanding and coming to term with the loss and moving ahead with the life. This one down I am off to the next Sparks book, while you try to pick this I would go ahead and Keep on Reading.

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Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Review: Geekerella

Geekerella Geekerella by Ashley Poston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's a retelling of fairy tale Cinderella and as such there were familiar tropes but no not the old ones but framed in a story around fandom, cons and modern file full of social network and all it's evils. I listened to the Audio-book through audible and it was a great performance. It took a small time to finish as during the weekends I read few other things and watched some videos and slept a lot. Coming back to the book it is based around fandom and as I read it during San Diego Comic Con it added a new dimension to the story what with the Marvel and other panel introducing cast and other details. The show here is a fictional one is the sea of fictional shows called 'Starfield' and he con dedicated to it called ExcelsiCon.

As it's a retelling of Cinderella it follows few familiar tropes but that's what keeps it interesting too. Both the narrators did a good job of bringing the book to life. I don't listen to too many audiobooks but rather Text-to-Speech for my e-Books but since Audible is officially in India and I have got many books from them and hope to continue the membership for a long time. So yeah give this cute book a chance and in any case remember to just Keep on Reading.

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Saturday, July 20, 2019

Review: A Walk to Remember

A Walk to Remember A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My review and story would be similar to others who love the movie but just didn't get the time to read this beauty so far. I finally picked it up and boy oh boy is it different but had so much impact especially due to the fact that I had seen the movie. Of course the movie had to be different as the book is set in the late 1950s as the old protagonist remembers his first love. Also this Landon was different from the movie version is so that probably as per the time he was not a bully or jerk as the movie shows in the start but a shy rich boy. Things are so different that even the play was different and as I am writing it I am listening to the Song "Only Hope" from the movie which is my one of the most favorite song and most probably would watch the movie once more. Last time I watched the movie I wrote the review for it for my movie's review blog and now that I am writing the review for the book I am going to watch the movie again as I just love the movie and just love the song and just love the book now and probably I will keep visiting the song or the movie or the book again too.

Like I said I almost cried multiple times as I already knew the story and it didn't ruin the story or book but enhanced it as you could appreciate the scenes with a different eye. Well if you are like me who has only seen the movie or someone who hasn't watched the movie in either case just give in and experience this life story which is little slow but fits the story perfectly and so remedy and don't like me or Tahera who waited for 19 years to read the book after watching the movie. Well she and I were in the same boat and now in the same boat too.

Yeah what other recommendation do you need than the 5 stars so yeah pick it up read it gobble it up, eat it up, laugh and cry and then just Keep on Reading.

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Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Review: Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time

Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time by Michael Shermer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Why People believe weird things is something I have also wondered a lot when I hear people talking about ghosts or astrology or God. Things are different here in India and you wouldn't find people shouting for creationism or Holocaust deniers here as you neither have prominently christian people here and not too many Jewish people but still we in India have our own laundry list of weird things people believe in. It was a fun read and shocking though I already knew that still so many people believe in supernatural stuff despite so many irrefutable proof. YouTube is filled with stupid videos portraying all kind of weird things you will find flatearthers there, aliens and try all kind of conspiracy theories.

Everyone should read this and more such books and more people should be skeptics after all that's the call of today and only education and more knowledge can pierce through the darkness of superstition and always remember to just Keep on Reading.

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Friday, July 12, 2019

Review: Three-Ten to Yuma and Other Stories

Three-Ten to Yuma and Other Stories Three-Ten to Yuma and Other Stories by Elmore Leonard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had seen the movie a long back with my dearly departed dad and liked it well enough and imagine my surprise when I saw that it was based on the short story by Elmore Leonard now I might have a read a book or two by him but since then I wanted to read the short story or the collection so here I am then. It was nice to read a book set in a different time because for a very long time I was either reading fantasy or the books set in current time so it was refreshing to read the stories set in the wild west of the western movies of Hollywood. The stories are set in various situations involving the classic western characters Military men, bandits, Indians etc. and I liked them well enough of course not all stories were equal but enough were :)

So yeah here it goes and do check as its good for reading to read short stories collections once in a while and then just keep on Reading.

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Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Review: 9 From the Nine Worlds: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard

9 From the Nine Worlds: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard 9 From the Nine Worlds: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard by Rick Riordan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Of course this book didn't have Magnus Chase because it was the time for the rest of the gang to shine. Like the title says this book has 9 stories set in Nine worlds of Norse mythology and has a story set in each World. And the Cover tells you about another common theme Thor is running through all the Nine Worlds to complete 10 million steps to be able to appear on a TV show on Midgard (Earth) and he does all this while wearing only a leather Daily Duke, oh how I wish that it would be on the cover. :D.

The stories are simple and fun and easy to go through in the end there is foldout image of the world tree which is awesome other than that there is complete information in the back about pronunciation and information about the characters if somehow this is the first book you are reading in the series though you shouldn't do that read the trilogy first and then read this companion book. And then just Keep on Reading.

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Review: The Old Man and the Sea

The Old Man and the Sea The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My very first Hemingway read and I can see why he is regarded as one of the greatest writers ever. It's a short novel or rather novella about an old man and the sea and his struggles with the sea. The old man is Cuban fisherman and the story is about how after 84 consecutive days when he can't catch a single fish he finally hooks a giant Merlin and it's about his struggles to get his catch which he does but then the fish is even bigger than boat and then some, sea is presented as a struggle here and it pretty much challenges the old man.

This was a short and wonderful read I would definitely look to read some more Hemingway but now it's time to get back to the world of Magnus Chase :). So pick and read it, it's a very short read so that's that and then just Keep on Reading.

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Review: The Black Dahlia

The Black Dahlia The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It a fictionalized story set around one of the most infamous murder cases in the US this one starts not with the murder but with the setup of our main character Bucky Bleichert who is a boxer and gets entry to LA police force based on his sports status and Lee Blanchard. Bucky and Lee have a boxing bout after which they both become famous and join LA police force and are tasked as partners. Things move on a simple pace in the 1940s of L.A. until mutilated body of a beautiful girl is found and many lives change.

This was definitely a little slower in the beginning and in few later parts but once the twists and turns start they just don't stop at all and it ends beautifully. Bucky of course was the narrator and he goes through the case which doesn't only consume his career but also consume his entire life. Once again it's a fictionalized story of the Black Dahlia case and don't pick this up thinking of it as a true crime story you would be disappointed.

Well I liked it good enough but wouldn't start another Ellroy book now but rather a classic while few other books are continued on the side, remember to read and then just Keep on Reading.

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Friday, July 5, 2019

Review: World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow I just wish that movie was this good and really confused about people's tendency to just focus on the name and then ignore the complete story. Granted that books and movies are separate medium and they are simply not replaceable with one another but still one would think that when Hollywood pays for a book then they would try to adapt something more than just the name. Well that's the rant about the movie over and the movie was decent enough but then it would have been called something else. If you have seen the movie and then like me prepare to read a completely different story all together. I have no doubt that this could have been developed as a kick ass book with an explosive end.

While the book's format also lends itself the few issues but they are not too important in the overall scope of things. This is damn good story and I loved it. so yes give it a chance forget about the movie enjoy that as a standalone thing it was. The book is completely different than the movie so hopefully you would enjoy it so read it and then just Keep on Reading.

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Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Review: The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection From The Living Dead

The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection From The Living Dead The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection From The Living Dead by Max Brooks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ah well I read it before World War Z so maybe I missed something but overall it was way too much fun the tone of the book is like it's written in response to an actual probable threat. It's tone is so much realistic that few times during the book I thought of googling this name or that story. There are zombie tales all around us why don't we know about them because governments and people responsible try to bury the truth so deep that even with a horde of zombies it can't dig it's way out. In some places it was lacking but other than that I liked this one thoroughly and very well could see this in the world of The Walking Dead or Zombieland.

Yeah so you want a fun book about preparing yourself for a fake emergency go ahead but remember it might be little bit dry as the books like these tend to be loved it and going to read World War Z next and then would just Keep on Reading.

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