The Private Memoirs And Confessions Of A Justified Sinner

Book Name : The Private Memoirs And Confessions Of A Justified Sinner
Author : James Hogg

What is it about : The story centered on a committed clergyman being led astray by A Being from the "Dark Side" and eventually becoming an outcast from his community and found solace and peace only through taking his own life; even this last act of trying to come to terms with his crimes and hopeful redemption were shrouded in dubious circumstances - hung by a rope made of loose hay (straws). The clergyman's life was on a slippery slope the moment his jealousy, mis-understanding of religious teachings and greed were noticed and exploited by The Being in ever-changing human forms and through coercing, chiding and misleading, the clergyman embarked on a series of murders and blunders which led him into a cul-de-sac of Life to the point of no-return.

Some thoughts after having read the book : This book had to be the first in the genre (written circa 1,800 A.D.) of :  the ignorant, the innocent and the weak-willed being tempted, exploited and having been rewarded with the riches, power, status, revenge and vanity which he so craved, was finally meeting his inevitable downfall and sunk into oblivion. Having parallel thoughts in mind, I found that this alarming story had numerous versions, and the first which came to mind was strangely enough, The Little Shop Of Horrors - an evil plant from outer space tempted and half-push-shoved Seymour, "the ignorant, the innocent and the weak-willed" as I had just mentioned above, into committing murder and disgraced himself and finally met his nasty end.

Would I recommend this book to you : Barring some of the dialogues written in Scottish-accented English and local slang being difficult to de-cipher, the book was very readable  and surprisingly, quite a page-turner. I would without a hint of doubt, recommend this book to readers of all persuasions and levels for a roaring good read. The structure of the book was actually very modern in that, the first part was a "Editor's Narrative" (the bystander if you like); the second part was the "Main Protagonist's Narrative" (the sinner and confessor's journal) and the last part returned to the "Editor's Narrative" for completion. This structure gave the story clarity by providing a high-level breakdown, of sort. A word of warning, the parts about digging up grave could be a bit spooky for the faint-hearted.

A Legacy Of Spies

Book Name : A Legacy Of Spies
Author : John Le Carre 

What is it about : My favourite author's latest installment, could be seen as a "prequel" to The Spy Who Came In From The Cold - without a shadow of doubt, the all-time classic spy story. The legendary spy master's right hand man, Peter G., found himself to be the subject of a series of legal finger-pointing. Being recalled back to London from his idyllic retirement haven in France, he was forced to confront all the demons in his younger days and any skeleton-in-the-cupboard thirty years on, not yet out in the daylight. In a nutshell, the offspring of his friends/foes caught up with him and demanded answers and compensation of the innocent blood spilt all those years ago, but was Peter being made a scapegoat or was he really to blame ? Was the fatal Operation in question, a five-star cock-up or was it execution-par-excellence up till the last minute ? Read on.

Some thoughts after having read the book : The danger, nostalgia, despair, manipulation, cynicism, in the world of spy-craft which made this author's novels so memorable, were all there to be found. The description of the helplessness, self soul-searching of Peter and the eventual answers he seemed to have found along the way, past and present, made this book a riveting read. Having read so many of his novels, I treated the characters herein with much familiarity - Control, Smiley, Bill Haydon, Jim Prideaux, Alec Leamas; very much liked to say : hi there, long time no see !

Would I recommend this book to you : I guess as a first book for newcomers to this odyssey into the times and atmosphere of the Cold War espionage years, might be a bit far-fetched, confusing even; as the characters in this book had not been as well and fully formed (except Peter, the narrator himself of course) as in previous installments. In my opinion, however, still very much readable and excelled in capturing your undivided attention, definitely enticing you to start reading from his first novels.

The Assassination Of Margaret Thatcher

Book Name : The Assassination Of Margaret Thatcher
Author : Hilary Mantel

What is it about : A pick of a few of the best short stories from this award-winning Author - fanciful, tightly-bound, authentic and cleverly constructed. In the titled story : sitting down and sharing a cuppa with the assassin of the Prime Minister and having a good old chin wag while he went about his business before he pulled the trigger, would count as rather "fanciful". How about starting your much-anticipated vacation in a far-away exotic land and being picked up at the airport, by a "Moustache Pete" of a cab driver and ended up with an extra passenger in the boot ? Yeh, a story tightly-bound indeed.

Some thoughts after having read the book : The Author sure knew how to spin a tale; from unlikely topics to even more unlikely outcomes. On display were solid writing techniques - show don't tell; plain low-key dialogues in a high-octane situation; story kept on the boil until the last paragraphs when it finally boiled over. The hallmarks of good short stories were all to be found here : taut, no time-wasting, forgo the character building and a quick kill at the end.

Would I recommend this book to you : Because of the break neck pace and suspense-all-the-way, an ideal book for the impatient readers - no need to flip first to the end to find out the ending. A very rewarding and satisfying experience it was indeed. Perhaps take it on the plane as an alternative when the in-flight movies get boring.

Tell Borges If You See Him

Book Name : Tell Borges If You See Him
Author : Peter LaSalle

What is it about : A collection of wide ranging short stories from college academic life, business man on an Latin outing, a love story in Paris and many more of the mundane everyday happenings but with a touch of philosophy, a bit of an adventure and a dose of the wry humour. The author made interesting usage of time-travel, not the Back To The Future type, but as a tool to add dimensions to otherwise ordinary tales; giving the impressions and effects of hindsight, fore-telling and non-linear story-telling. By the way, that's Jorge Luis Borges in the title, a well known Argentine writer, poet and philosopher.

Some thoughts after having read the book : I particular liked the in-depth and convoluted relationships and conversations between the characters and of course the use of "time" as a tool to challenge, out-wit and out-flank the readers perceptions, keeping the readers guessing when the events would actually eventually take place. The stories exploded with genuine flavors, sights and sounds of the countries involved, giving an authentic feel to the events - a hotel room, a local bus, a seaside town or a university campus.

Would I recommend this book to you : Readers should not expect a cheap fast thrill, but nostalgia, lingering regrets and heart breaking events. Read it slow and enjoy the strolling pace, oddly enough, I found reading the book was like watching a cricket match - gentle applause along the way, a few sparkles and turns at un-expected times and entertaining overall.

Gladiators, Pirates And Games Of Trust

Book Name : Gladiators, Pirates And Games Of Trust
Author : Haim Shapira

What is it about : All you had ever wanted to know about all kinds of different games that animals including we, human played and engaged throughout our lives. Ever wondered how best to share the cost of installing an elevator between your upstairs/downstairs neighbours ? Em, no it's not gonna be second floor, twice as much and third floor thrice as much, a bit more thoughtful than that. The author then listed out a whole series of games that we played, including those you were not even aware you had been a player. Many rational human behaviour were also described in this book, including auctioning, traveler's dilemma, prisoners' dilemma, the diners' dilemma, the blackmailer's paradox and so on. The book also contained a goldmine of further reading suggestions from infinity concepts, how statisticians read newspapers and evolution games.

Some thoughts after having read the book : I found the book a concise and fascinating read and I quickly got to grips to a few of the gaming and escalation (dare/chicken) philosophies and behaviours. In one neat single book, the readers would obtain a general, wide-ranging view of the world of games.

Would I recommend this book to you : Absolutely ! Seeing that game theory, probability and animal behaviour being my pet subjects. The readers would surely feel enlightened, entertained and looking at the day-to-day world through a clearer prism.

Reptile House

Book Name : Reptile House
Author : Robin McLean

What is it about : A collection of short stories, seemingly each written by a different author as the breadth and scope ranged vastly from - deadly disease in the future space-age world where people were expected to live till 140; 18 wheelers-trucks causing mayhem; a mysterious old lady venturing out to possibly her last swim; a major cold snap hitting a dreary town with deadly consequences; an awkward dinner with an eventual disappearance of the family car; a menacing disgruntled bus commuter waiting to pounce; and a few more.

Some thoughts after having read the book : It was difficult to put a finger on the readability of this book - from story to story, the mood and texture swung from fascinating to inconsequential gibberish; from follow-able to unfathomably incoherent. The readers would have to judge for themselves. The stories I managed to make sense of, oozed class and delighted the mind; the others I just could not wrap my head around them. Oh yeh, and a twist in the tail type of ending should not be expected.

Would I recommend this book to you : "If-fy" had been the word which came to mind as I thumbed through this book in the local library but decided anyhow to give it the benefit of the doubt. I would recommend that the readers do likewise but be prepared to be enlightened or worse, have a few panadols handy.

Kipling's Science Fiction

Book Name : Kipling's Science Fiction
Author : Kipling R.

What is it about : The book included 9 of Kipling's most weird and wonderful science fictions. These stories included cynical journalists aboard a sailboat and witnessed first hand the struggling and "dance macabre" of sort, of two gigantic, smelly and vicious sea creatures in the faraway oceans; these journalists were unsure regarding the publication of this rather unusual and scary account as the general reading public would surely say "sea monsters, yeh, yeh, sure !"; other memorable stories included talking engines, surgeons testing new drugs based on different timing (tides) as well as other present day phenomena we took for granted like wireless communications.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Amazing that the famous author was so far sighted, back from over 100 years ago. Even though he did not predict the exact technologies that would enable and enrich our 2018 daily lives, his vivid imaginations and human touch made up the rest. Never a straight forward read, I had at times struggled a lot to get to grips to the dialogues, whether these conversations were between monks, talking machines with a bit of an attitude or pilots in command of strange flying objects.

Would I recommend this book to you : I would recommend this book insofar as if the readers would want to make an effort to get to know this famous author's range, skills, choice of words, scene-setting and dialogue-making. But be warned, a tough book to get through as the wordings from a century ago could be intimidating. A high level read to grasp his concepts would suffice.

The Returned

Book Name : The Returned
Author : Jason Mott

What is it about : In cities and suburbs all over our planet Earth, the deceased started returning, seemingly un-altered, un-affected and un-fazed by the fact that they had been dead for some years. On the other hand, the present-day population could hardly make heads or tails about these "Returned" ones, even as the law enforcers tried to come to grips with this rather un-usual event. The existing population started forming opposing pressure groups of "The Truly Living", "Fight For the Returned Rights" etc. Caught amongst this confusion and chaos, families and couples reunited in the hope of one more chance and a few ended their encounters with The Returned disillusioned. The book came to a crashing climax when human instincts clashed and reconciled.

Some thoughts after having read the book : The kind of thought-provoking book which one thought "how come nobody ever thought about writing it earlier ?" Just how one would deal with a long-deceased relative, friend or neighbour who "returned" and paid you a visit ? This book described a few families caught in such a dilemma. Perhaps for a cup of tea and sponge cake, or a good old chin-wag about the old and lost times or perhaps an intention to hang out and carry on where you had left off with that puppy-love teenage affair... At times frightening, at times philosophical and nostalgic - could this be a second chance to say that proper Goodbye or even a chance to right the wrong ?

Would I recommend this book to you : A Big Yes from me! But readers be warned that the book should not be read as with a Sci-Fi in mind as you would not get the "scientific" answers and "The Truth" was definitely NOT out there ! More a book to start you thinking about lost opportunities, relationships and your philosophy and attitudes to Life. Very much recommended !

Blackwood Farm

Book Name : Blackwood Farm
Author : Anne Rice

What is it about : An alcoholic sex-crazed teenage spelt out his life to the vampire Lestat. From having an intimate relationship with an under-age minor, growing up and having sex with with a spirit (Goblin), having sex with a ghost, having sex with domestic helpers, having sex with a vampire which was half man-woman and he himself finally was turned into a young vampire; yeh, you got the gist. In a nutshell, New Orleans became the de facto centre of the universe and the party scene of choice for vampires, witches, spirits, ghosts and Talamasca (the organisation which analysed these entities) and all the drama played out among the city's many different suburbs.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Yes, the author's vampire fans would be seriously disappointed as the actions and menace were nowhere to be found. Basically, the book read like a teenager's rampage through his brat of a life; swinging from one drunken scene to the next, always a beer in hand - when exploring the deadly swamps, confronting blood-sucking vampires etc; ha hum ... Alas, the last 30 pages saved the day and had the genuine feel of the author's original and authentic touch; these last pages told the origin of the Goblin and its eventual dramatic demise; these pages had all the hallmark, strength, fire, tension and horror which this author excelled in her earlier books.

Would I recommend this book to you : A bit of a let-down as I had read the Mayfair Witches, the other Vampire Chronicles and they were almost always excellent; so do yourselves a big favour and go read her earlier novels to re-capture the blood and gore !

The Perfect Murder

Book Name : The Perfect Murder
Author : Keating H.R.F.

What is it about : An honorable Indian inspector in the Bombay police department tried to uncover the truth behind the attempted murder of a company secretary of a well-to-do Indian family belonging to the upper echelon in the society. He was dubiously assisted by a lanky Scandinavian working for UNESCO in his effort to track down and outwit the supposed perpetrator. And as if that was not enough on his plate, his family demanded attention and moreover, a refrigerator for their modest home. As his investigation was well underway, he was lumbered with another extraordinary case of a single Rupee note having gone missing from a high ranking minster's office. Our man Guote had to juggle constantly with his priorities and finally nailed his adversaries.

Some thoughts after having read the book : I had high hopes of a roaring good read as this book came with outstanding credentials (this prize and that prize), but I was for most of the way fairly disappointed as the plot was underwhelming, the characters less than colorful, the pace hardly neck-breaking, suspects not at all cunning, Bombay less than intriguing. Alas, the last 30 pages saved the day with a memorable chase through the markets of Bombay and a grand finale when our Inspector cracked the cases with un-expected logic and a final twist; all this while the monsoon rain came pouring down.

Would I recommend this book to you : Ha hum, what can I say, while away on the beach with a beer and you might just find a good laugh out of this book.

The Turn Of The Screw

Book Name : The Turn Of The Screw
Author : Henry James

What is it about : A private tutor arrived at a stately manor, to provide tender loving care to a pair of impossibly adorable brother and sister, aged around eight to ten. She gradually realised that all was not well as aberrations, ghostly appearances and mysterious sightings were spotted throughout the grounds. Moreover, she discovered that the children-in-care actually were well aware of these horrid presence and that the housekeeper informed her these beings appeared to look like those of the late tutor and the male servant. The story came to an abrupt crescendo when the elder child died in her arms.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Henry James' book started the genre of : private tutor/nanny arrived at a remote home on a sunny day, seemingly innocent children welcomed their latest recruit, the tutor/nanny experienced abnormal situations, children turned nasty, tutor/nanny fought back and succumbed to unknown forces. James' narrative was full of suspense, edge and unexpected sudden turns of events. The masterful pen stroke right at the almost last sentence of the book was un-forgettable.

Would I recommend this book to you : Be very very patient, be prepared to skip the paragraphs of often cumbersome English (the style of the book or a sign of those times) but let the book take you through a chilling journey. One of the original and best in this genre.

The Edenglen 100

Book Name : The Edenglen 100
Author : Geoffrey Tate

What is it about : The book contained around twenty short stories of the life, memory, happenings and romances of the 100 oldies living in a purpose-built retirement estate, somewhere on the coast of Dorset. The actions by and large, took place around The Atrium where coffee and digestives were dished out to these seniors wearing woolly jumpers and cardigans. These stories included whirlwind romantic liaison, both present and war-time, Christmas parties gone horribly wrong and turning into a fiasco and a motley mix of "situation comedies" revolving around the jealousy, bickering and the love and hate between these geriatric members.

Some thoughts after having read the book : The book gave a credible inside look into how such a pensioners' estate would operate and the incidents felt true as to how these end-days counting seniors would behave as well as their attitudes towards inheritance, funerals, hobbies and how they would treat their unreliable memoirs. The stories were written in concise English and always with a wry look at life and a deft touch of humour.

Would I recommend this book to you : I would recommend this book as a primer if you were intending to join one of these retirement homes one day; then you would get a good feel of the daily life and living as well as the characters you were likely to meet "at The Atrium". Of course, the book merited a read just for the humour, insights and uniqueness.

Mr Holmes

Book Name : Mr Holmes
Author : Mitch Cullin

What is it about : Our well-known crime solver approaching his old age and spending more time with his apiary (bee yard) than figuring out another whodunit. Yet there were more mysteries in life when an invitation arrived and he embarked on a journey to Japan to help solve a Japanese man's life-long puzzle - the disappearance of his father in London, after meeting Sherlock Holmes more than forty years ago. On a completely different front, Holmes had to muster all his intellectual and logical deduction powers to figure our the death of his apiary apprentice along with Life's other bigger questions - love, loyalty and its very own meaning.

Some thoughts after having read the book : This book was really about Life as one reached old age and our intellect, memory retention and energy began to fade, what would one make of his/her life ? Of course, the readers still had good glimpses of the Old Holmes in action as he nimbly solved puzzles and accidental deaths and we even had a taste of how our matter-of-fact logical man used his tricks-of-the-trade to tail an alluring beauty. All these descriptions made this book a very worth while read as it differed from all previous versions of the Holmes crimes format.

Would I recommend this book to you : I would highly recommend this book not for its crime-solving suspense but more a book about an old man coming to terms with the loss of loved ones as well as his own fallibility. The parts describing his relationship with his young apprentice were at times joyful and yet heart-breaking. Well worth a read !

The Blue Room

Book Name : The Blue Room
Author : Georges Simenon

What is it about : Set in rural France, on a chanced encounter, Tony met up with his school mate of distant past, Andree when her car broke down and a torrid affair followed when they would make a secret rendezvous in the "blue room" of Tony's brother's hotel. Mayhem followed when Andree's husband showed up one day in the hotel cafe which sent Tony racing through the door half-naked. Most of the story then focused on Tony's arrest and his subsequent interrogations by the local courts; the plot slowly emerged in shape as more details of their dalliance surfaced and Tony found himself an unwitting victim of his own indiscretions.

Some thoughts after having read the book : You could think of the story as "Fatal Attraction" in a small French town with a serious dose of court drama thrown in. The amorous man involved (think Michael Douglas) was made a sorrowful figure, regretting his indiscretion and off-the-cuffs remarks that led Glenn Close to commit her wild fantasy. The narrative method was non-linear with no clear demarcation between present, past, thoughts and dialogue. Through these interrogations, the story slowly unfolded as the pieces fell into place and the description of small rural town sentiments, hunger of the flesh, warped emotions, psychological upheaval, guilt and pleasure, was superb; all helped the strands of the story wove tightly as the plot thickened.

Would I recommend this book to you : Immensely satisfying and for me the first real page-turner as I normally would take my time going over, re-reading and contemplate paragraphs and would take ages to finish just one page; but I could not put this book down and finished it in three sittings ! One word of advice to potential readers, it would help a great deal if readers were not made aware of the ending, even as you might have guessed the inevitable. Highly recommended.

Secret Rendezvous

Book Name : Secret Rendezvous
Author : Kobo Abe

What is it about : The story started with an ambulance arriving at mid-night and took away a man' wife, leaving only faint clues regarding her illness and where-about. The man set off on a journey of "search and rescue" mission and found himself entangled in a world of bizarre sexual experiments in a hospital full of weird happenings.

Some thoughts after having read the book : One of the most un-comprehensible stories I had ever come across. At times fantastical, at times mind-boggling but never straight-forward. The story was peopled by a strange cast : the man-in-charge of the hospital was a half man-horse hybrid; an adolescent girl with a "bone-melting" illness and finally ended up a pulp of flabby human skin at her last gasp of life, a doctor in permanent arousal even in a state of comatose and the mysterious wife-in-question was never fully located. Ha hum.

Would I recommend this book to you : The Readers should not expect to make sense of the story or attempt to find logical coherence; instead if you could not find a better book, then perhaps read this fantasy for its exasperating difference.

The 39 Steps

Book Name : The 39 Steps
Author : John Buchan

What is it about : A bored-with-life London city dweller chanced upon an international conspiracy of gigantic proportion (WW 1,2 and 3 and the end of human race as we knew it, etc.), when a shady neighbor paid him a visit and subsequently died through a stab wound. Our hero was left with a notebook full of cryptic signs and clues and he decided to run for the Scottish border where he thought he would have a better chance of breaking the codes and save his country and the world.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Readers would first have to believe in the power of co-incidence, then move on to have full faith in the kiss of Lady Luck. Basically our man from London would meet up in the Scottish highlands and villages (around a 50 miles radius, I had imagined), all the villains, saviors, old chums, well-intention-ed, no-questions-asked villagers and subsequently ducking out from a few bombs and hairy situations; and then even meeting up with the British ministers in charge of defense, military intelligence and the head of Scotland Yard and they all sat up and would listen to our man as he almost single-handed-ly deciphered the mystery of "the 39 steps".

Would I recommend this book to you : The book was written in the days when at a seaside promenade in the south of England, "donkeys padding homewards...". Readers could experience a really good vibe about the ways and life of England and Scotland in the days of 1915 when the book was written. The style, tone and texture of the written text would also bring the readers back to a bygone era. Beautiful !

The Prince

Book Name : The Prince
Author : Niccolo Machiavelli

What is it about : A 14th Century statesman from Florence outlined the strategy, psychology, theory, scenarios, conduct and craft required to rule and govern an empire. The Author peppered his (in)famous book with vivid illustrations from near and afar in both geography and time from Alexander, Roman Caesars, French kings and Italian dukes.

Some thoughts after having read the book : "The end justifies the means" had probably been the first and most famous maxim from Machiavelli's book of statecraft, anyone would have heard of and talked about. Was he simply stating the obvious in human nature, or was he well ahead of his time or perhaps he was the first to simply put down on paper the cunning,  ruthlessness and charm required to be a modern day politician ? At least all of the above would be my answer - present day examples abound with countries taking profit through war mongering, apparent people-elected leaders still ruled by fear or diplomacy had simply been a matter of "truth lies where the shell of a canon would land". I fancied that the long history of China with its many emperors, ministers, premiers, warriors and strategists would be an equally educational arena for would-be rulers.

Would I recommend this book to you : A fascinating book detailing the obvious, darker or the natural side of human behavior. Readers would perhaps gain clearer insights into the field of modern-day politics, diplomacy and the gaming between nation states in our present world of increasingly multi-tiers political theaters. A must-read for would-be students in politics and history.

Fletch

Book Name : Fletch
Author : Gregory Madonald

What is it about : A Californian reporter went undercover as one of the many drifters (Hey Dude...what's up, man...yeh right, whatever, man...), to investigate the drug dealings in the beach areas and found himself being offered a large sum by a wealthy man to commit murder instead.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Clearly a book written in the early seventies, when "real" people were more trusting and "real" readers were less demanding. Basically, this twice-divorced reporter conned, bluffed and drank his way around his subjects and just spun little make-believe stories to gain the inside track and his subjects of interest were just so ignorant and forth-coming with voluntary information that his job of breaking the case was just a walk in the park - never in a million years could that happen, in the present day atmosphere of privacy-consciousness and ID thefts !

Would I recommend this book to you : An easy read to while away a few lazy days; perhaps on the beach, by the pool, plane journeys or over a glass of wine - yeh right, whatever, man...

Anthropology

Book Name : Anthropology
Author : Dan Rhodes

What is it about : A collection of short passages, each no longer than, perhaps a hundred words but all on the subject of Love. Generally written from the a man's or a boyfriend's point of view that love sucks, love hurts, love pains, love kills, love gratifies, love humours, love maddens, love emboldens, love embarrasses, love purifies, love ruins ...

Some thoughts after having read the book : A gem of a little book but big on the ideas of Luv. After reading each passage, I would be left, without exceptions, with a wry smile on my face and a knowing nod in agreeing, understanding and enjoying the different aspects of this "ancient" subject and felt thoroughly entertained and humoured by the author.

Would I recommend this book to you : Try to read a passage each day and think of it like a Far Side (Gary Larson) cartoon in one of those, turn-a-page-each-day calendars, then you would start your day with a wry smile and a humourous mood.

Little Hands Clapping

Book Name : Little Hands Clapping
Author : Dan Rhodes

What is it about : The after-hours happenings in a unique museum where the caretaker participated in a sinister conspiracy with a local doctor. The unraveling of their dark scheme came about when the doctor's beloved hound choked up a massive male organ during a run in the park and both the doctor and the caretaker met their fateful ends.

Some thoughts after having read the book : The plot sounded sinister enough, but the story was written with such emotional detachment, morbid humour, compassion and apathy even, that such sickening subject as cannibalism was made to look "necessary", "understandable" and seemingly no-big-deal. A slice of baby-love gone sour was thrown in with good measures when the girl involved almost ended up on the doctor's dinner plate. The story was peopled by such wonderfully odd characters that would already make interesting reading, a spider crunching museum caretaker to start off with. By the way, the interrogation of a Frau Klopflock by the local policeman produced one the many highlights and laugh-out-loud set-pieces I had ever read; the subsequent scene involving the same policeman chasing after the butt-naked doctor would complete the most hilarious twenty pages of any book !

Would I recommend this book to you : A resounding Yes ! The book ticked all the right boxes - police chase, dark plots, sickening humour, lively conversations from colorful characters and the unique story would be a like a breath of fresh air to any jaded reader.

Simplicity

Book Name : Simplicity
Author : Edward De Bono

What is it about : The expert on Thinking Clearly presented the what, how, why and when on the subject of Simplicity. Philosophy for Life, working manuals for corporations, teaching materials for kindergartens and a DIY self-help course all rolled in one neat book. The details were presented in a simple fashion (or he would have shot himself in the foot), with an all-but-simple message - how many of us make hard work of our simple lives and how to go about simplifying the concepts, targets, processes and results.

Some thoughts after having read the book : I had been a great admirer of the Author since reading his book : Lateral Thinking. The Author's style of presentation and clarity of thoughts and objectives gave the readers meaningful handle bars to latch on, to easily turn words into practice. The book was peppered with numerous day to day examples on how to make your life, company and thinking processes simpler. His humour in quoting these examples and his turn of phrases always hit the mark, to enlighten the readers by illuminating blind corners in our daily lives.

Would I recommend this book to you : Overwhelmingly Yes ! We all should keep this book on our book shelves under the category "Books to turn to for solving problems quickly". I would particularly recommend turning to this book whenever fork roads or confusion arose and you needed a clear voice. Read the book every other month to become better organised and comb out the cobwebs in your muddy thinking.

The Outsider

Book Name : The Outsider
Author : Albert Camus

What is it about : A middle-age man received the news of the death of his mother from the nursing home but felt and showed no sadness at her funeral. Life went on for Meursault thereafter as normal as before until a weekend of drama turned his life into a nightmare. The story climaxed as he sat in his prison cell and contemplated life as the "outsider".

Some thoughts after having read the book : It was gut-wrenching to read the ending of the story where the court passed judgement not on Meursault 's crime (per se) but on his character and how he behaved. One could not help but realised that everyone had, on his/her day been an "outsider" - one who refused to conform to social norms, not paying attention to cultural traditions, not putting on the appropriate emotional mask for the occasion or simply, one could be "an outsider" for being brought up in an "outsider" family. I felt totally sympathetic towards the plight of Meursault as the prosecutor won over the jury for his depiction of Meursault as a heartless son who "went swimming in the sea and watched a funny movie the day after his mother's funeral ..." and successfully turned the trial into one of morality and not about the actual murder. Infamous cases in point kept popping up in my mind as I read, think of the trials of O.J. Simpson, and you would get the gist of the idea. 

Would I recommend this book to you : Yes ! A book written with a clear story line and build-up and the writing style was under-stated in tone and texture - no big statements, no heroic actions. The reader would be taking a ride along side the days of Meursault during the course of a year or so, and you would be rewarded with thumping climax at the end !

No One Writes To The Colonel

Book Name : No One Writes To The Colonel
Author : Gabriel Garcia Marquez

What is it about : A "novella" set in a South American township/island, about the daily life of a retired colonel - edgy exchanges with his asthmatic wife, finding scrapes of foods to feed his treasured bird before the next cock-fighting season, figuring out where the next Pesos would be coming from and most eager of all, waiting hopefully at the dock every Friday (for the past fifteen years) for the news of his delayed pension money.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Despite the book being the length of a short essay, the author showed his masterful pen strokes and painted an intense and colorful story packed with interesting characters together with a taut plot. The readers would feel that they too lived in a shanty town where nothing much ever happened other than placing a tin can under a leaky roof, watching the Friday boat-docking, the wait of the start of the cock-fighting season or a very un-appetizing lunch of mush corn. I would guess the author managed to conjure up such intense imagery in such a short space, by focusing each character into just "doing" or "performing" just one task - the colonel "being optimistic", the wife "being worried", the postman "being un-caring", the cock "just surviving" and the rich land-owner "not being bothered". A good method of writing a short novel.

Would I recommend this book to you : Yes ! If you have a few hours to spare, or wanting to immerse as a bystander in a dream-like South American township or you would like to learn how a "Pro" applied his writing methodology - go get this book out !

Orient Express

Book Name : Orient Express
Author : Graham Greene

What is it about : Not the Agatha version with a detective on board, but a slightly more real life drama with a Jew hoping to close a deal on his business, a chorus girl wanting a part in an Istanbul show, a dogmatic political exile returning to his roots, a fugitive running away from his crimes and a dogged journalist determined to grab the headlines. Their stories, ideals and passion all inter-played out along the different legs of the famous train journey with high dramas culminating towards the end of the book.

Some thoughts after having read the book : On my train journeys, I would never have guessed that there would be a murderer in the midst or a committed socialist on his death tour, or even a fine-figure performance artist romanced by a wealthy Jew making out in the compartment next door; well, it's all happening here in this book. Between these characters on this journey "of a life time", they went through harrowing car chases, fired and dodged bullets, were interrogated by dubious army generals in a make-shift court and amazingly a few of them made it to Istanbul alive. But yes, under the pen of the masterful story teller, everything and anything was possible and all came to life.

Would I recommend this book to you : The reviewer stated in the Introduction of the book that Orient Express was classified as an "entertainment" by the original author. Indeed, the book was entertaining in the sense that it read like a black and white Bogart, Hepburn and Cary Grant matinee. So if that's your thing, this would be an ideal book for your Christmas and New Year indolent days and nights, all curled up warm with a mug of hot cocoa and having a jolly good read.

透過錢眼看中國歷史

Book Name : 透過錢眼看中國歷史
Author : 波音

What is it about : The rise and fall of Chinese dynasties through the lens of monetary matters were described and analysed in this book. Monetary matters included such resources like silver, silk, salt, porcelain, land and much more; the book aimed to show for instance, the scarcity or abundance of these resources affected the fortunes of emperors past, more than any political intrigues or the allegedly "wisdom", "greatness" or "stubbornness" of those famous emperors or ministers.

Some thoughts after having read the book : The author successfully illustrated that the bigger picture or background of "money" which dictated the actions, limitations and strategies which the dynastic emperors/officials could deploy when it came to war, trade and keeping the citizens generally happy.  Take for example, the building of the Great Wall - the objective was to be able to keep some form of peace with the northern neighbors (The Huns); the solutions could be (i) build more walls; (ii) attack and destroy; (iii) pay The Huns off with money, deer skins, beautiful Chinese women; or (iv) set up trade centers to mutually benefit each area's residents. Some clever dudes (Emperors) decided that all (i) to (iv) took time and money, but the last choice (iv) would involve the least expenditure in terms of loss of lives and loss of resources but with the longest possible period of peace. A case in point that the emperors had to balance the books.

Would I recommend this book to you : I found the book to be most rewarding and easy to read and I had gained major insights into the inner workings of the money minds of dynasties past. I would highly recommend this book to readers of any background, to take this book out and look at history from a totally new and fresh perspective.

The Extended Phenotype

Book Name : The Extended Phenotype
Author : Richard Dawkins

What is it about : The ideas that genes could act beyond the boundaries and vicinity of the organism in which they resided, were explored and illustrated with numerous examples from cuckoo and snails to bees and beavers. The effects and manifestations of one' organism's genes to influence and modify other organisms and the environments at a distance covered a range of activities including behavior, hormone excretion, re-structuring the environment such as dam building by beavers etc.

Some thoughts after having read the book : The author painstakingly set the scene in the first three-quarters of the book, in my opinion, to build the case for a water-tight argument and to avoid any misunderstandings from his peers and experts in the field. As such, the book took some tough reading, as the first three-quarters of the book had few direct relevance to Extended Phenotype and it was a drag to plough through pages after pages of fully-versed arguments about such topics as "Fitness", Group Selection and detailed Genetics. I would be far happier to read more about illustrations on examples of Extended Phenotype.

Would I recommend this book to you : Tough going and by no means a lay person's book to get acquainted with the interesting topics of Evolution. Unlike the author's many other books which were less technical, cumbersome and scholarly and written more for the general public, this book was really written for those in the field. I was just thankful that a lay reader such as myself had the opportunities to read his many other mega-interesting books before gaining a bit of a foundation to also cover this book.

Orlando

Book Name : Orlando
Author : Virginia Woolf

What is it about : Set in the 18-19th Century, this story followed the fantastical journey of love and adventure of a "person", as he traveled from London to Istanbul and back and on his way, transformed himself to a woman who experienced altered and warped viewpoints on society and peoples around her.

Some thoughts after having read the book : My attempt in having a go at reading a "Modernist"'s production and for all intents and purposes, I was far from succeeding in gaining an inch of ground. In a nutshell, way beyond me in terms of literary standards and my own interests; it was just good to make an effort. that's all.

Would I recommend this book to you : This book could not have been my "lonely island" book for pleasure and leisure; the book could only be one for intense Literature classes where the reader had to do homework and preferably a good teacher should be nearby to explain the ideas and guide the discussions.

外交十記

Book Name : 外交十記
Author : 錢其琛

What is it about : The official journals of the one of the top diplomats in China - 錢其琛 , detailing his years of service and the dramatic upheavals he witnessed and took part, during the Cold War, the breakup of the Soviet Union, the Handover of Hong Kong and Macau as well as his dealings with political giants such as Mandela and Castro. The journals covered his career over a span of almost forty years as well as containing a few lectures he presented after he retired, covering topics which were of importance then and still very much the flavor even today - globalization, wars in the Middle East and China's role in the world.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Having read the book, one would immediately and without doubt, be awed by the size of task, the un-predictability, the re-occurrence of strikingly similar events taking on new forms, patterns and players, the patience, wisdom and vision required to solve historical tight knots, the clarity of objectives to be achieved, of international diplomacy at the highest levels. It was of much interest in gaining a view from the top (the book) and relate to those people who were in the position to guide the (mis)fortunes of international relationships with the actual events that happened. One thing for sure, it was no easy job to travel over a hundred countries and still be in command of one's brief each time a diplomat faced another President, another Prime Minister, another Foreign Secretary; considering in those days, it took 4 changes of flight just to get from Beijing to Cairo !

Would I recommend this book to you : Do not take this book to the beach or ride the Metro, the book required seriousness, focus and insight while still being very readable. Recommended to anyone interested in international relationships or wishing to embark on a career as a diplomat.

The Beach

Book Name : The Beach
Author : Alex Garland

What is it about : The story of a bunch of curious backpackers receiving by chance, "The Map" to a legendary beach (turquoise lagoon, endless supply of dope and Sunday football came as standard) in Thailand which had been folklore in their realm. "The Map" turned out to be authentic and they found themselves living amongst a community of similarly young-ish no-where men/women whose sole purpose on the beach was to protect its secrecy, live a life on fish, rice and vegetables, smoke dope and basically enjoy life in paradise all day. Such idealistic lives took a complete turn, when fellow "beachers" were attacked by a shark and the local drug lords became nasty, leading to a climatic escape.

Some thoughts after having read the book : A superb backpacker's version of "paradise found and paradise lost". The tension just steadily built up as to when the secret of "paradise" would become instead a "paragraph" in Lonely Planet Thailand, completed with map and route instructions and so on. The looming sinister shadows of the drug lords and their guns and dope added to the tension as to when they would be fed up with this "farang" community in their vicinity; all this came to a boil when the three Swedes were attacked by a shark, resulting in death, fatal injuries and insanity. The reactions from the community gave a vivid demonstration of human fragility, cruelty, selfishness and in the end a wake-up call to what's right and wrong.

Would I recommend this book to you : Take this book with you when you next visit Southeast Asia and let your imagination go wild and live out the fantasy, even though you last saw your backpack all those years ago. Don't know about you, but I would probably last a maximum of three weeks, may be a month in such an environment and in such company, before I would be crying out for clean clothes, a different diet, a change of scene and head homeward-bound.

The Black Tulip

Book Name : The Black Tulip
Author : Alexandre Dumas

What is it about : The story was set in the days of the Dutch "Tulip-Mania" when tulips of all colors, shapes and sizes, exchanged hands at huge sums of monies and assets, without even leaving the soil they were planted in. In one instance, a farmer bought a much sorted-after tulip with "2 carts of wheat, 4 of rye, 8 fat pigs, 4 oxen, a dozen sheep, 4 tons of butter, 1000 pounds of cheese, some furniture and clothes and a silver beaker...". So a tulip in the color of black velvet took centre stage in this classic of love, greed, mayhem, political intrigue and finally justice served.

Some thoughts after having read the book : The story read like a play where you could imagine the theater curtains rising and falling after each set-piece. The style was light and breezy, the story line was entertaining, each scene was purposefully set; so as such, however much pain, betrayal, hardship and injustice the heroine experienced along the way, you could feel it was gonna be alright at the end. The great author was well-known in the way that he filtered out the dull bits of history and liberally embellished an epic based on the remaining colorful bits of historical facts (or otherwise), thus achieving the effects of pace, entertainment and drama.

Would I recommend this book to you : When I took out the book from the local library, I initially approached this Classic with a little bit of apprehension, thinking that major concentration and a big effort was gonna be required here, assuming it to be another formidable read like "War And Peace" or something. But as it turned out, I was like attending a play or musical (think Les Mes) and I was totally amused and the time spent on reading just flew by. I would put it down to the skills of this great author in the way he structured the plot and the witty dialogues he peppered throughout the book. Highly recommended.

And Thereby Hangs A Tale

Book Name : And Thereby Hangs A Tale
Author : Jeffrey Archer

What is it about : Another collection of short stories by one of my favourite authors; geez, he must have known a lot of people or attended many dinner parties to bag all these tales. In this case, fifteen intrigues for the readers to savour.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Up to the author's usual superb standard, these stories delighted a dull afternoon, invited a smile to your day and at times, caused the reader to plainly laugh out loud. If I had just one tiny negative comment to make, it would be the fact that the author was so good at his work, that the endings seemed a bit abrupt at times (a short story writing technique, I'm sure), when a bit of lingering sentiments and melancholy would go a long way to make that story more memorable.

Would I recommend this book to you : Please see my other comments on this author. In this instance, I would recommend the following books which I had enjoyed in the past by the same author. First Among Equals, A Matter Of Honour, A Quiver Full Of Arrows, A Twist In The Tale, Twelve Red Herrings, To Cut A Long Story Short and Cat O'None Tales.

Across The Pond

Book Name : Across The Pond
Author : Terry Eagleton

What is it about : A Manchester-born university lecturer summed up his insights, experiences and philosophies on all things American - from politics, religions, media, literature to wilderness, will power and obesity. The author placed himself in a unique position to make such calls as he has an American wife and lived in Dublin and being an expert in Literature stood him in good stead towards a good understanding of the American English-ness.

Some thoughts after having read the book : A much-needed introduction from the word "go" on the necessity and validity of "stereotype", somehow eased my mind about : how could a book generalize a nation so large and consisted of peoples from such diverse backgrounds from previous slaves with history on their backs, newly arrived immigrants with hopes in their dreams, elites from Wall Street who had nothing but dollars and dividends in their heads or politicians who cared nothing but their rise to power through all these people's votes. From then on, I enjoyed reading the Author's observations on the differences and idiosyncrasies "across the pond" from the point-of-view of an Englishman. However, I was for most of the time, puzzled by the lack of a clear structure of the narrative as the various topics and lines of logic seemed recurring, never fully completed or perhaps the world being so flat these days, that there could not be cliche which I had not previously come across about the Americans. Besides, I have lived and worked in New York and the fact that I have siblings living in California already allowed myself to gain a personal insight about certain aspects of this (relative) new found nation.

Would I recommend this book to you : The readers would find the book to contain amusing observations, fair commentaries and the readers would gain a first hand and first level understanding of this nation.

Sex, Lies And Handwriting

Book Name : Sex, Lies And Handwriting
Author : Michelle Dresbold

What is it about : The science and methodology of "reading" hand-writings was presented together with numerous examples taken from notorious figures including the likes of Ted Bundy, Hitler, Capone as well as ex-Presidents and well known businessmen. There was also a section devoted to layman readers who, instead of having their palms read or talking to their psychiatrist, they sent in their hand writings, asking the Author for help. The case study of identifying Jack The Ripper underlined the profiling methods as a way of providing supporting "evidence" .

Some thoughts after having read the book : The book to me, opened up a new avenue for self-analysis and self-improvement. Without treating the subject matter of the reading of hand-writings as gospels, the "reading" nevertheless did offer a certain amount of common sense. For instance, I would imagine that in general, an out-going person to have big hand-writings and a shy person to write in tiny letters. On a parallel and similar note, the practice of Chinese calligraphy had long been known for those in the field, to improve one's patience and instilling the attitude of constant improvement - the "go-get" character, if you like. The chapter on identifying Jack The Ripper was as riveting a piece of crime-solving as any detective novels I had ever read. The Author pulled together all the tell-tale signs from the dots on the "i"s and the crosses on the "t"s and pointed out the most likely suspect !

Would I recommend this book to you : It's always good to know yourself better and from a totally different perspective and this book could help you achieve that and delivered much more. You might improve (hide) your true temperament by actually changing the way you write. The book also made fun reading as you discovered more from analysing the hand-writings of your loved ones.

An Essay On The Principle Of Population

Book Name : An Essay On The Principle Of Population
Author : Malthus T.R.

What is it about : The first version of this classic work on the many aspects, theories and practical "checks" on the topic of human population was published in 1798. The all-round philosopher, economist and politician presented his views on labor, social welfare, agriculture, industrial ventures and his rebuttal to the many on-going economics-thoughts and philosophies that were in vogue at the time; these fashionable ideas included  the "perfectability" of the human species, conjectures concerning the progress of the human mind. The ideas, theories, arguments and government Bills, put forward by the likes of Pitt, Adam Smith, Godwin, Condorcet were torn apart mercilessly. The Author established himself as a giant in this field as hereafter, Malthusian concerns had been often debated whenever plague, famine and endemics ran wild on our fragile Earth.

Some thoughts after having read the book : Truly an all-time Classic with the capital letter C. This version of the book was presented in a style of English that was prevalent almost 300 hundred years ago, so it was tough going for the readers to grasp the sheer English-ness of the essays. The essays were peppered with examples and illustrations taken from far afield of China, the United States of America as well as cases coming from closer to home, of the introduction of the Poor Bill, the Adam Smith's scenario of industrial revenue against the trends of labor movements. Interestingly, when viewed from our standpoint of the modern world of Genome, space exploration, gene therapy, organ transplant, Malthus might have been too short-sighted (or perhaps not enough qualified in the field of general Science) when he argued against such ideas as "organ perfectability", "indefinite prolongation of human life". What would he think now ? Of a particular note - I thoroughly appreciated the style of how Malthus constructed his attack and defense in his lines of arguments.

Would I recommend this book to you : Be prepared for a tough ride as the readers would find the English impossibly painful, the arguments almost irrelevant to our modern age of iphone, speed dating and mass consumerism. But also be prepared for the reward of having struggled through this "Malthusian" monumental works and having the satisfaction of knowing a totally different world and society that existed 300 years ago; and also the fact that the Malthusian concerns, arguments and debates would still strike a chord this very day, when the human societies could still not find adequate solutions to food crisis, the spread of virus and social (un)fairness.

The Accidental Mind

Book Name : The Accidental Mind
Author : David J. Linden

What is it about : Brains, brains, brains ! All you had ever wanted to know about what actually went on upstairs. The book would present the on-going quest to understand how come human childhood took so long, how come our dreams almost always depicted fear and anxiety and how our brains made up stories in its automatic ways. The book started off with hard balls biology on the neurons and whats-not which were constantly being fired around in our grey matter; the book would then move on to depict our brains as scoops of ice cream layers with the bottom-most, sharing common grounds with the likes of frogs and dolphins; the final chapters contained explanations of how the brains affected our behavior in sleeping, dreaming, sexual orientation, religion, memory and learning.

Some thoughts after having read the book : The parts of the book explaining the nuts and bolts of neurons and stuff were way beyond my league but I did gain a certain level of comprehension of the goings-on by reading between the lines of what the Author was trying to put across. The Author did brilliantly in covering topics related to human behavior as a result of our brain's functions and these coverage were all enlightening and interesting; I was particular fascinated in how the brains constantly "made" things up, so as to help us to make sense of this world. The Author stressed that the "Middle Thing" was still missing - on a molecular level, things had been cleared up a bit with the technology making progress on DNA, Genome and so on; on a behavioral level, psychiatrists and scientists made great progress in analyzing our dreams, memory and general intelligence; BUT the "Middle Thing" linking these two levels were still very much unknown before a more complete picture could be made out, on the detailed functioning of our brains.

Would I recommend this book to you : The biology parts were pretty hard going but overall the book was well presented and many interesting topics were succinctly covered. I enjoyed the read and was fascinated by the insights and I would recommend the book to readers of all levels.

Cat O' Nine Tales

Book Name : Cat O' Nine Tales
Author : Jeffery Archer

What is it about : A collection of short stories, most of which are embellishment of the tales he came across from other prisoners during the author's own time spent at HM Prison.
Some thoughts after having read the book : I first read JA's works in 1990 (First Among Equals) and was gratified by this author's excellent command of "straightforward" English as well as the interweaving plots and clever use of inter-dependencies. I have since read many more (to be covered later in this Blog) of his works and I have always found them fun and enjoyable. This book however, perhaps due to the author's own sentiments (he was in prison), I felt a certain darkness and subdued-ness (as if the author was not in a very good mood when telling us these stories) which were quite unlike the previous ones I read. I still derived much enjoyment out of this book though.
Would I recommend this book to you : Yes. Bring the book on a plane, to the beach or over a glass of chilled white wine alone on a long evening by the fire. With this author, you know you are going to be reading some slick, excellent and straightforward English. I would recommend this author's book to any learner of this language, just to read some good English. Of course, REAL people just don't talk as clearly as the characters in his stories.