Book of the Month -- August

The Collected Short Stories

There is something about these rains in Mumbai. The flooded streets and delayed trains give you just another reason to stay back home and curl up on your bed with a cup of hot chocolate and a good book.

My book of the month for the rain drenched month of August is "The Collected Short Stories" by Jeffrey Archer.

I count this book as one of my personal favourite because each story is a masterpiece in itself, captivating you with the quintessential "Archer Style" of the unexpected twist in the plot, intelligent writing and quite humor.

Although all the 36 stories are worthy of at least 3 reads each, I highly recommend "Never Stop on the Motorway", "Do Not Pass Go", "Clean Sweep Ignatius" and "Not the Real Thing".

As each story draws to a close, you will no doubt be mesmerized by Jeffrey Archer's inventiveness and his easy effervescent style.

Last Words: This is a rather thick book and it will last you the entire month. Highly recommended for first time readers, it'll have you hooked on to Jeffrey Archer. This is one book that is not at all put-downable =)

Hiatus

First things First...Bookworm was not in Hibernation! Neither has this been a case of Writers Block.

She was and still is completely immersed in work, because in a couple of months Bookworm will be moving Bags and Books across continents all the way to England. And when such a huge move is on the cards, a little hiatus (I Hope) is justified.

But that is no excuse. No matter the delays, I intend to start the posts immediately.

Glad to be back, this feels so good like Home :)

P.S. A very B-I-G thank you to all those amazing people who have been sending me fan mail even though I haven't written a single post in the last couple of months. You guys keep me going <3

Book Review -- The Gift

Title: The Gift

Author: Cecelia Ahern

Genre: Fiction

Rating: 2.5/5

Cecelia Ahern has developed a style of her own, of weaving a bit of magic into reality in her stories. However, it could go wrong sometimes, it could go overboard sometimes.

In her book "The Gift", it most certainly does not go overboard. But it does go wrong.

The Plot kicks off on a cold Christmas morning, when a teenager is caught smashing a window with a frozen turkey. Since he is a juvenile, charges are not pressed against him and till the time his mother arrives to pick him up from the police station, the cop, Rafe, decides to tell the boy a story.

The story is about Lou, a young and successful professional, who is a hardcore workaholic who has no time for his family. One day out of the blue, Lou decides to offer a job to Gabriel a.k.a Gabe, a homeless fellow who lives on the pavement outside his office.

As soon as Gabe joins Lou's office, Lou's life takes a turn and he slowly begins to learn the importance of giving time to his family, choosing his wife over his secretary and how to balance his work and his personal life.

The concept is good, however the implementation isn't.

Despite the really shaky first couple of chapters, the story does pick up a bit, only to falter again!! The narration tends to get preachy at times, giving you the feeling that you are reading a self help book. Also at time you find it difficult to get a grip on who is actually the narrator: The Cop Rafe or the author herself?

And the lecture on time management in the last chapter is lengthy, deliberate and at the end only puts off the reader.

Last words: Read this only if you have nothing else to read.

Book of the Month -- May

The Traveller's Guide to Planet Earth

The monthly subscriptions of "Lonely Planet" magazine has had the desired effect and so, very soon I will be packing my bags and be off the the Himalayas to scramble around the hills and snow and take a break from all the humidity of Mumbai.

Not surprisingly so, my Book of the Month for May is all about travel, more so the adventure seekers who like to go off the beaten track and explore something new.

"The Traveller's Guide to Planet Earth" is based on the amazing BBC documentary series of the same name. It has now been published as a book by Lonely Planet.

Divided into 10 chapters, each containing fascinating travelogues and breathtaking photos, this book covers 50 destinations across the planet earth; from the hottest deserts to the frozen poles, the deepest seas to the highest mountains, it has all the information you will ever need if you want to go visit those places. And believe me, you WILL want to go there!!

This book is a real treasure for all those who more often than not suffer from Wanderlust and itch to pack their bags and go exploring.

Last Words: Be prepared to get overwhelmed, because this book will show you a side of our planet that has never been seen before :)

The Reading Hour

Amy,

What an absolute pleasure to come across a teeny weeny bookworm-in-the-making like you!!! The way you squealed with delight when I opened my library for you!!! :)

It was delightful reading with you, reading out for you, and helping you learn how to arrange the books on the shelf :P

Here's looking forward to many more such reading hours with you <3 :D