After Dark

First Line : Eyes mark the shape of the city

The idea of reading Murakami’s book came out in my mind after reading some reviews of his work in Zee’s Wordly Obsessions. ‘After Dark’ by Haruki Murakami depicts the events taking place in the course of night in a city.

After Dark just connects both the dream and real world. Mari, a nineteen years old girl, is sitting in a restaurant and reading a book. She is awake even at this wee hour but her sister Eri is asleep most of the times in her room. Murakami tells us how the life of Mari, her acquaintances, Eri and the software guy are interlaced.

The story is narrated by a third person, most likely an entity. The entity is something like a camera which can show the events taking place there but it has no power to intervene the events. Yes, a camera with some emotions. This gave me the feeling of watching a movie.

The narration switches between Eri, Mari and the software guy. Murakami ends a chapter with suspense and then he switches the narration to some other place. Thus my curiosity to break the suspense made me to read the next chapter with great speed and interest. Murakami also had given the choice to the readers to speculate the reason for Eri’s sleep.

This thin book just sucked me into the story by its suspense and excellent narration. Murakami had done a great work and surely I will look out for his books. I give four and a half stars to this book.

Book Blogger Hop!

Once again I welcome you all to the Book Blogger Hop organized by Crazy For Books. This hop is open from July 23-26. The Book Blogger Hop is a place just for Book Bloggers and readers to connect and find out new book related blogs. Please feel free to leave some comments and also your blog URL(if you have one).

This week's question:

Tell us about the book you are currently reading.

Now I'm reading 'Darkly Dreaming Dexter' by Jeff Lindsay. I had finished just 40 pages and the book is very interesting. This is about a monstrous guy Dexter who is obsessed with killing but also following Harry's Codes to channel this practice in a constructive way.

Friday 56

Rules:

• Grab the book nearest to you. Right now.
• Turn to page 56
• Find the fifth sentence
• Post that sentence (Plus one or two if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comment section of this blog.
• Post a link along with your post back to this blog, Starting Fresh and to Storytime with Tonya and Friends
• Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Here is mine from 'Midnight's Children' by Salman Rushdie,

 He invited the leaders of the dozens of Muslim splinter groups to form a loosely federated alternative to the dogmatism and vested interests of the leaguers.

Waiting For You

First Line : The best thing about summer camp is the last day

After reading this book of Susane Colasanti, I had the gratification of reading a splendid Romance novel. Yes, I liked this one a lot. I had read few romance novels which I felt like ‘something is missing’ after finishing but not this one.

After the summer vacation, Marisa is waiting for a fresh start with new plans. The main objective of her plan is to get a boy friend. In real life hardly anything goes according to the plan. Her life becomes more and more screwed. Everything is against her and is forcing her into darkness. But the anonymous Dirk in the program ‘All Talk, No Action’ is the only one who understands the problem of Marisa. But she don’t know who he is?

‘Waiting for You’ depicts the life of a teen girl who is trying to overcome her depression. Heyyyyy…. stop… don’t think this is a sad story of some loser. Susane has presented this story in an interesting and hilarious manner. The feelings, dreams and expectations of the teens are portrayed as such. This novel is interesting because it shows the things which happens in our daily life and at times I felt that I had faced this situation in my life. Susane even made me feel that Marisa and XXXX(don’t like to reveal the name to you) are made for each other.

On the whole this is a wonderful novel and I’m sure that this may take some of you back to your high school days. I give four stars for this novel.

One For The Money

First Line : There are some men who enters a woman's life and screw it up forever.

‘One for the Money’ by Janet Evanovich is the first book of Stephanie Plum series. This is about Stephanie Plum, a bounty hunter, who solves the mysterious cases.

Stephanie Plum has lost her job and was searching for a new job. Her financial crisis is forcing her to take the bounty hunter job. She finds herself in deep shit before learning even the first step of her new profession. Now she has no other option than to face it with guts.

Stephanie Plum series is slowly becoming one of my favorites(I had read book 2 already). The story is completely enchanting from the beginning to the last. I like the characterization a lot. Generally, in a mystery novel the protagonist will be brave, intelligent or with kiss-ass attitude. But Evanovich has not portrayed Stephanie Plum as an audacious fellow with great skill. She has shown how Plum, who was initially an amateur turns into a professional. Moreover the humour content adds some extra points to this novel.

In this novel Plum didn’t find anything with her skill but she is lucky enough to bump into the persons she was looking for. Everyone in the novel praises Morelli as a man with great brilliance but he does nothing more than waiting outside Plum’s home or driving Plum into nuts. The story would be more interesting if few sleuthing stuffs were included. The more pathetic role was given to the cops. Morelli and the missing witness were just in the city but the cops are too incompetent to locate them.

Apart from these few flaws this is a well written novel. I didn’t feel like boring or wasting the time by taking this novel, not even a smidgeon. I give four stars to this book.

Book Blogger Hop!

Crazy for books is organizing this Blogger Hop. Through this hop I came to know about many new blogs, like you. I feel happy to thank you for visiting my blog. I would like to know what you think about my blog so please feel free to leave some comments along with your blog URL(if you have one).

This week's question - What book are you dying to get your hands on?

'Waiting for Columbus' - this book is in my wishlist from the day I read its review in a blog(don't remember the blog name). I searched for this book in local bookshops but I got the same reply 'NOT AVAILABLE'. Even now I didn't completely stop my hunt for this book and I hope I will get it soon.

Friday 56

Rules:

• Grab the book nearest to you. Right now.
• Turn to page 56
• Find the fifth sentence
• Post that sentence (Plus one or two if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comment section of this blog.
• Post a link along with your post back to this blog, Starting Fresh and to Storytime with Tonya and Friends
• Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Here is mine from "Magic Seeds" by V.S.Naipaul,

The leader came to Willie one day and said, 'Headquarters is taking an interest in you'.

Full House

First Line : Nicholas Kaharchek surveyed his seven new polo students moving across the sandy practice field.

Billie Pearce leads a perfect and predictable life. But her life becomes unpredicted when she and Nick are attracted to each other. Under certain circumstance they are forced for the marriage. The doubt whether ‘Nick really loves her’ is disturbing Billie and at the same time Nick is facing perils from someone…

I have the habit of choosing a book without reading its blurb. This is how I chose ‘Full House’ by Janet Evanovich. I read her Stephanie Plum novel before few days and so I took this book without second thought.

I started to read this book and I found out that this is not a mystery novel like Plum but it’s a romance novel. The first few pages were interesting and witty but then this turned into kinda erotica. I love romance novels but I hate erotica. I don’t want the novel to be a written pornography.

After reading nearly half the book, the thought whether I should continue with this book crossed my mind. It is exactly at this moment the story just took a turn from its path. Then I was hooked in the story till the last. And the last fifty pages were so thrilling that it filled me with tension.

What can I tell about characters?….All the characters are different, unique and interesting. Billie, the perfect(before meeting Nick); Nick, the playboy; Max, the geek; Sheridan, the possessive; Frankie, the hunk; and Dee Dee, the model. 

I liked this novel but it also had some flaws. Nick was hanging out with Billie just because she was beautiful and hot. But suddenly at the end he was overwhelmed with his love for Billie. The reason for the transformation of his lust into love was not conveyed properly. Billie, the mother of two, a sixth grade teacher, who behaved with great dignity, steps into the shoes of Gloria. This is so stupid to believe.

I had a great confusion in rating this but finally I decided to give three stars to this novel.

Book Blogger Hop!

Crazy for Books is hosting Book Blogger Hop. It is open from July 9-12.
This week's question:
Tell us about some of your favorite authors and why they are your favorites!

Harlan Coben is my favorite author because he writes excellent mystery novels. He will just make me to think that I have untied the mysterious knot but in the next chapter I come to know that all my assumptions are wrong. Only in the end when he reveals the truth we can get the exact overall picture of the whole thing. His novels have unpredictable ending.

Friday 56

 

Rules:

• Grab the book nearest to you. Right now.
• Turn to page 56
• Find the fifth sentence
• Post that sentence (Plus one or two if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comment section of this blog.
• Post a link along with your post back to this blog, Starting Fresh and to Storytime with Tonya and Friends
• Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Here is mine form "Full House" by Janet Evanovich,

Billie stared at her. "Nick?" She hadn't thought of using Nick as a way out.