My kinda books...

Like they say, sometimes nothing but words alone can be that expressive! I, for one, love reading books - mystery, adventure, romance, science fiction or historical books. Here are a few of my favorites...

Anandmath - Rabindranath Tagore
Well, when I decided to write this blog, this book was the first thing that entered my head! I was quite surprised to realize that this story, which I read because it was my Non-Detailed reading in 8th Std, had left such deep imprints! It was the spirited narration, perhaps, that appealed most to me. To be completely honest, it also appealed to the women chauvinist part of me (kindled perhaps in the years I spent in my Girl's school in Banglore.) To this day, I vividly recall the strength of those women and derive my courage from their personalities...

One Night at the Call Centre - Chetan Bhagat
Another shock! This time totally unexpected! At least I knew I liked Anandmath..But this book!! I remember clearly telling my sister - "Oookay..!" and yet, it has wormed its way in to the second spot in my list! It took some introspection and this is what I think made me like it - To this day, most books I've read (by Indian authors) have dealt explicitly with history or myth. This was the first(that I read), that potrayed reality as it is today in India (and after all this it's supposed to be a supernatural story!!). It even awakened me - supposedly part of the youth of this country - to trends that have set in! What hit me on the face was how we've evolved to become a Westernish Indian bunch...

The complete collection of Hercule Poirot mysteries (Over 50 short Stories) - Agatha Christie
I know each story by-heart! Every character and every mystery. I adore this little Belgian detective who uses the "grey cells" in his little egg shaped head to solve mysteries ranging from finding a missing cook to serving royalty in their troubles! The logic, the mystery and the beautiful potrayal of this character ... But everytime I think, why not Sherlock Holmes?? The supposedly greatest detective of all time? I guess it is because in each of the Poirot mysteries, you have the material available to solve the mystery, which lends to it an extra thrill of guessing the correct suspect (unfortunately, never so!!)

Blue Horizon-Wilbur Smith
Simply, a gripping and wonderful narration! A fictitious story and characters all right, but so well sculpted over the vast expanse of Africa - I found it very hard to put the book down! Some scenes were so well narrated that I thought I was actually present and watching it live! Being a vegetarian, some scenes were quite gross (actually!) to read, but I learnt a lot about African cultures and practices. A must read if you are one for adventure...

The Twentieth Wife - Indu Sunderesan
Somehow, I like books by Indian authors! Even though most of the books I read are by foreigners, the ones I am able to recall after years are the Indian ones! This is one such book - but what appealed in this case was inability to recognize with anything at all! I was totally unaware of the actuality behind the splendor of the Mughal rule in India - some horrifying truths and some more splendor and luxury. But this knowledge is only secondary - the primary reason for this being one of my favorites is that it is a beautiful romantic story. It being narrated by a passionate author in a historical surrounding only made it even more appealing to the hopeless romantic that I am...

The Testament - John Grisham
Its a very boring book - take it from me. But I like it because of one reason - it made me realize the extent to which some people are involved in charity and that what we do is really small. I used to be so proud after donating blood - like I've accomplished a terrific feat and deserved an award for it - but reading about this missionary worker humbled me. I'll always remember this book and it is an inspiration for me to someday try to reach within the vicinity of the work this missionary did...

Bedtime Stories - Geetha
Quite unorthodox, yes, but definitely finds a mention in my all time favorites. Even though I'll soon be stepping out of my teens, every single night my mom ends my day with a "happy" story - and simply because of the peace that fills my heart at the end of her honest, simple and cute narration, I've placed it here...