Who's reading what,when & the experience

torryquine

I'm reading "Venetian Stories" by Jane Turner Rylands, on the recommendation of Dzibead. It's very sweet - short stories about the lives of Venetian people, interwoven with one another.

PeakXV

I have just read "Sindh Revisited" by Christopher Ondaatje. He follows the footsteps of Sir Richard Burton through what was British India - starting in Bombay where he first arrived - to Ooty where he recovered from Cholera in 1847. Very well written, informative & great photography both contemporary(Ondaatje's own) & archival. If you are up for a little jaunt through British India through the eyes of a world class adventurer then do pick this book up.

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What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us.
~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions?

muzzi

Finished Shantaram not long ago, the best book I have ever read, ever. Probably the best book I will ever read too.

Just finished 'Holy Cow' not really what I was expecting, half way through siddhartha, not bad. Next is 'god of small things' then maximum city, then a trip to the book store or ebay. (my local library doesn't have the best collection unfortunately)

btw, PeakXV - the quote in your sig is my new favourite quote. Wonderful

PeakXV

Hey Muzzi - welcome to Indiamike! Feel free to borrow the quote ... ummm I did! Just sniped a copy of Shantaram on Ebay myself and glad to hear your recommendations of it.

sshekhar

Just finished Stephen Hawkins': 'A brief history of Time'. Probably the most jaw-dropping book I ever read. Most of the chapters I had to read several times . I never thought brilliant people could write so good!!

*jyoti*

I am reading 'Tis by Frank McCourt--a very very long time after finishing Angela's Ashes. Couldn't pass it up for $1.00 at a sale...

And a book by Philip Yancey and another by Ravi Zecharias, both Christian authors (non-fic)...

And Teach Yourself Hindi (does that count as reading? )....

I just finished "The Great Mutiny" about the Indian mutiny of 1857 which was very interesting. Better written than many of the history books I read and put down, and a very interesting comparison to "Freedom at Midnight" about independence--also pro-British but as more patronly rather than because of racial/cultural superiority.

muzzi

Thanks PeakXV The quote is listed as a 'favorite saying' in my profile

I am certain you will love Shantaram! I could see and *hear* the characters as I was reading it, and it took a lot of effort to not get emotional at times. A very involving book, I couldn't put it down, but I didn't want it to finish

Finished Siddhartha this morning before work, a very good book, but try as I might I cannot stop comparing books to Shantaram. The god of small things is next up.

Teach Yourself Hindi, I didn't mention that, but I will join your club, *jyoti*

KatyQueen

My first post, haha how exciting!
I just finished Stephen Lewis' "A Race Against Time" about the AIDS epidemic in Africa and found myself in tears by the third page. Short read, but powerful nonetheless. I find I never have time to read books these days because whenever I'm in the mood to just sit and read I take the opportunity to go over notes for my classes!
After reading some of these replies I'm thinking I'll have to get myself a copy of Shantaram though!

Casey

I think I will be in the minority here, but I really didn't like Shantnaram. I found the writing to be dreadful, especially the romantic sections..."she rode me like a chariot into heaven"...The story was interesting, at times, but where was the editor? Several characters appear for a page or two, and then disappear, other characters go through dramatic changes in personality without explanation. I think this may be a rare example of a movie (when it gets made) being better than a book because perhaps they will cut out much of the authors introductory level philosophising. Sorry, a bit harsh, but I found this to be an extremely overated book.

kashi

all i read these days is books related to housing and architecture. once i am done with my research studies, i can get back to reading other books
the books that i remember as enjoyable reads-

the Great Arc: the dramatic story of how india was mapped and everest was named John Keay
invisble cities Italo Calvino
the ending of time J Krishnamurty, David Bohm
the little prince Antoine de Saint-Exupery

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wahh... i want to go back
photos

iwanttogoback

which one? i have a few myself, and read them again and again.

PeakXV

Somebody else on the this site gave the same one line quote for disliking the whole book but I'm really more interested in the big picture of his personal journey which by all accounts (his & other reviews) sounds to me like a Indian hybrid version of "Midnight Express". Don't even care about how he articulated the women who rode him ..... however I'm very surprised she didn't ride him like a rickshaw into rishikesh ... given the setting and all!

muzzi

Hi Casey,

While I agree that the sex scenes are not up with the rest of the book, in his defense, he isn't a romance writer! I think the love scenes are significant and so needed to more than just a brief mention, but at the same time, being graphic and overly descriptive would have taken away from the rest of the story too much.

Just my opinion

Also, maybe you are more observant than I, but I didn't notice any personality changes without reason? and I rather enjoyed the philosophy I haven't delved as deeply as I plan into philosophy though, so maybe this is why.

*jyoti*

Right now, Disappointment With God. I've read Where is God When It Hurts, but this is more what I was looking for. It doesn't matter what he writes, though, I love it. He's one of the few authors who thinks like I do and who doesn't gloss over the "heretical, real-christians-don't-ask-that" questions.

iwanttogoback

try 'what's so amazing about grace?' and 'the jesus i never knew'. my personal favourites. yes, i too like the not glossing over big questions and criticisms.