The Books Thread (Fiction)

vikramvicky1984 · 16th June 2016, 11:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by doxinboy

Paul Kalanithi, 37 year old Stanford resident neurosurgeon, passed away in March 2015 due to lung cancer. During his final days he wrote about the meaning of life and what it is to stare death in its eyes. He saved the manuscript in the docx file on his laptop. One of his last wish was to publish his manuscript. . His wife Lucy titled it "When Breath Becomes Air" and currently it is on top of the NY Times non fiction bestseller list.

One word: breathtaking

Quote:

Originally Posted by ampere

Thank you for this reference. Brilliant. In fact the audio is version is even better. Just about to finish it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by poised2drive

It sounds so depressing and exciting at the same time. I cannot imagine how the author felt when death was staring at him while the book would certainly be offering deep insights into the psyche of the human mind .

Adding it to my list, thanks for letting us know ...

Thanks a lot for recommending, absolutely breathtaking. Finished in a day on Kindle. We often spend a lot to prolong lives of our near and dear ones, often not realising the pain we put them through. The guilt of not spending or caring for them make us do that. We probably just think of ourselves and not the person who is undergoing the unbearable pain. Anand movie in some way correlates to this book.

Also completed Gujarat files by Rana Ayyub. My takeaway- it is easy to blame bureaucracy for not acting, but one should see what they did in spite of all the pressure and politics. It requires great conviction to not resign and face all the blame. Good insight into how caste, religion have been misused for the lust for power and politics.

OT- I realized Amazon/Flipkart run interesting discounts on books every once in a while. We can highlight them here for benefit of members ( of course only those books one recommends as well)

For now: on Kindle
I bought Complete set of Sherlock Holmes for just Rs. 20, it is 49 today, still a very good deal. Absolutely reccomended
Chetan Bhagat books are going for 20 bucks. Some will love it , some will find it trivial, but always full of fun

vrprabhu · 19th September 2016, 16:24

Finished 'Cure' by Robin Cook (name sounds too familiar with the earlier 'Fatal Cure').

Rather uninspiring. Looks like the author was in two minds - whether to make it a gangster thriller or a medical thriller (there is some finance stuff like VC funding and IPO etc.) Mixing the two has made it unpalatable for me, especially with an ending fit for a Bollywood movie...... giving up Robin Cook (for now!). Funny thing was that, the review stated something about a CIA death investigation, but don't remember reading anything about CIA in the book. Too bored to go back and find out if indeed there was anything to do with CIA in the book.

If one wants to read about the Mafia, who else to turn to than Mario Puzo? Which is what I did - took up 'The Last Don'... the characters are more compelling than the Japanese Yakuza!

blackasta · 19th September 2016, 19:34

Any fans of David Sedaris out here?
I have read almost all his books and am currently reading his latest one 'let's explore diabetes with owls'.

rajivr1612 · 19th September 2016, 22:43

Read somewhere that Drishyam was inspired by a Japanese novel called The Devotion of suspect X.
Went ahead and purchased it on Kindle.
Wow!!! what a book. Finished it in two days. Only the initial part has been used in the movie. The rest of the story is totally different. Totally enjoyed. Surely worth a read.

naveenroy · 1st November 2016, 15:38

May not be the best place to ask but I'll go ahead and try.

I have a load of books (fiction) that I am trying to sell off - have put them up on Amazon second hand books but haven't received any orders yet. I am not looking to make a great profit from them but would like them to probably end up in someone's library or some library to buy them off me. Know anyone? I am put up in Electronic City, Bangalore.

poised2drive · 1st November 2016, 21:16

Completed the Half-Lion, a semi biography of PV Narasimha Rao...

Absolutely unputdownable.

Here's my review!

"
This is a Political Biryani peppered by the salad of Economic and Foreign Challenges faced by the Indian republic and how the most underrated yet highly qualified Indian Premier , PV Narasimha Rao outthought, outmaneuvered and outshone his enemies , inside and outside his party , opponents , both foreign and domestic.

This book glamorously describes how Rao became the architect of the Modern Indian Economy while making enemies out of almost everyone . Though his legacy was erased from the annals of Nehru-Gandhi Congress, the author elegantly lets the reader know why Rao can rightly be called the Deng Xiaopong/ Lee Kuan Yew of India and how he transformed the lives of Indians. Book contains detailed account of the tumultuous 90s without being too technical and the author rightly ascertains Rao without being too biased. This can be called a semi biography which doesn't hover around being a hagiography unlike most of the other biographies."

naveenroy · 4th November 2016, 14:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by naveenroy

May not be the best place to ask but I'll go ahead and try.

I have a load of books (fiction) that I am trying to sell off - have put them up on Amazon second hand books but haven't received any orders yet. I am not looking to make a great profit from them but would like them to probably end up in someone's library or some library to buy them off me. Know anyone? I am put up in Electronic City, Bangalore.

Update - Amazon second hand books is great - I had just put up around 11 books for sale and nearly all of them are sold. I'll be putting up more soon. Good stuff!

Once you put up the ad with some pics and the right title and information as a summary, the ad is reviewed by their team. Once it is approved, it shows up on Amazon - under the main product you have searched for. It shows under a "used" list at the bottom on the Amazon page. Once it is "sold", the Amazon person just comes to pick it up from your address and if the buyer approves, the amount is credited in your account after a few days!

Rajeevraj · 4th November 2016, 15:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by naveenroy

Update - Amazon second hand books is great - I had just put up around 11 books for sale and nearly all of them are sold. I'll be putting up more soon. Good stuff!

Once you put up the ad with some pics and the right title and information as a summary, the ad is reviewed by their team. Once it is approved, it shows up on Amazon - under the main product you have searched for. It shows under a "used" list at the bottom on the Amazon page. Once it is "sold", the Amazon person just comes to pick it up from your address and if the buyer approves, the amount is credited in your account after a few days!

Good to hear. Maybe will do the same for a bunch of books I have. How do you decide the price? Is there an Amazon recommendation?

naveenroy · 4th November 2016, 15:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Good to hear. Maybe will do the same for a bunch of books I have. How do you decide the price? Is there an Amazon recommendation?

Nope, no recommendations. You'll have to decide.

whitewing · 6th November 2016, 10:00

Recently read two great books
- "When Breath Becomes Air" a book that make one retrospect on the meaning of life (well for some it could be 42 :-) ) and mortality. If you liked "Tuesday's with Morrie", surely you would savor this one.

- "The Brain - story of you" an interesting book for the layman (a non medico like me) to gain some insight into the wonder of the human brain.

KD007 · 6th November 2016, 11:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by rajivr1612

Read somewhere that Drishyam was inspired by a Japanese novel called The Devotion of suspect X.
Went ahead and purchased it on Kindle.
Wow!!! what a book. Finished it in two days. Only the initial part has been used in the movie. The rest of the story is totally different. Totally enjoyed. Surely worth a read.

Keigo higashino - also known as steig Larsson of Japan . Try reading his other books - Malice etc. Every book is different and good though I will rate devotion of suspect x as his best . Happy reading

doxinboy · 17th November 2016, 17:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by KD007

Keigo higashino - also known as steig Larsson of Japan . Try reading

Just bought it based on your recommendation. Wife says it's awesome. Thanks mate.

avingodb · 17th November 2016, 17:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by poised2drive

Completed the Half-Lion

I am reading this one currently and it is an excellent book on perhaps the most significant and uncertain era in modern India's politics. Thanks for your review!

JMaruru · 19th November 2016, 10:15

I don't know from where, i got 'The Girl on the Train' on my Kobo. Read few pages, and got hooked onto it.

Are there any other books of this kind, from recent past?

manku · 19th November 2016, 22:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMaruru

I don't know from where, i got 'The Girl on the Train' on my Kobo. Read few pages, and got hooked onto it.

Are there any other books of this kind, from recent past?

Gone Girl. Similar creepy ambience and an even more surprising conclusion. Highly recommended.

View Poll Results: I read most my books in...
Paper book format	269	62.70%
Amazon Kindle	103	24.01%
Apple iPad	9	2.10%
Android Tablet	13	3.03%
B&B Nook	5	1.17%
Sony eBook Reader	0	0%
Smartphone	19	4.43%
Others (mention in post)	6	1.40%
Kobo eReader	5	1.17%
Voters: 429. You may not vote on this poll

19th September 2016, 16:24	#1082
vrprabhu Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: ?? Posts: 1,318 Thanked: 1,142 Times View My Garage	Robin Cook.... Finished 'Cure' by Robin Cook (name sounds too familiar with the earlier 'Fatal Cure'). Rather uninspiring. Looks like the author was in two minds - whether to make it a gangster thriller or a medical thriller (there is some finance stuff like VC funding and IPO etc.) Mixing the two has made it unpalatable for me, especially with an ending fit for a Bollywood movie...... giving up Robin Cook (for now!). Funny thing was that, the review stated something about a CIA death investigation, but don't remember reading anything about CIA in the book. Too bored to go back and find out if indeed there was anything to do with CIA in the book. If one wants to read about the Mafia, who else to turn to than Mario Puzo? Which is what I did - took up 'The Last Don'... the characters are more compelling than the Japanese Yakuza!
	() Thanks

19th September 2016, 19:34	#1083
blackasta Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: WB 26 Posts: 3,406 Thanked: 2,922 Times View My Garage	re: The Book Thread (Fiction) Any fans of David Sedaris out here? I have read almost all his books and am currently reading his latest one 'let's explore diabetes with owls'.
	() Thanks

19th September 2016, 22:43	#1084
rajivr1612 BHPian Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Chennai Posts: 651 Thanked: 886 Times	Read somewhere that Drishyam was inspired by a Japanese novel called The Devotion of suspect X. Went ahead and purchased it on Kindle. Wow!!! what a book. Finished it in two days. Only the initial part has been used in the movie. The rest of the story is totally different. Totally enjoyed. Surely worth a read.
	() Thanks

1st November 2016, 15:38	#1085
naveenroy Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 1,511 Thanked: 1,254 Times	re: The Book Thread (Fiction) May not be the best place to ask but I'll go ahead and try. I have a load of books (fiction) that I am trying to sell off - have put them up on Amazon second hand books but haven't received any orders yet. I am not looking to make a great profit from them but would like them to probably end up in someone's library or some library to buy them off me. Know anyone? I am put up in Electronic City, Bangalore.
	() Thanks

1st November 2016, 21:16	#1086
poised2drive BHPian Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Vijayawada-HYD Posts: 492 Thanked: 1,322 Times	re: The Book Thread (Fiction) Completed the Half-Lion, a semi biography of PV Narasimha Rao... Absolutely unputdownable. Here's my review! " This is a Political Biryani peppered by the salad of Economic and Foreign Challenges faced by the Indian republic and how the most underrated yet highly qualified Indian Premier , PV Narasimha Rao outthought, outmaneuvered and outshone his enemies , inside and outside his party , opponents , both foreign and domestic. This book glamorously describes how Rao became the architect of the Modern Indian Economy while making enemies out of almost everyone . Though his legacy was erased from the annals of Nehru-Gandhi Congress, the author elegantly lets the reader know why Rao can rightly be called the Deng Xiaopong/ Lee Kuan Yew of India and how he transformed the lives of Indians. Book contains detailed account of the tumultuous 90s without being too technical and the author rightly ascertains Rao without being too biased. This can be called a semi biography which doesn't hover around being a hagiography unlike most of the other biographies." Last edited by poised2drive : 1st November 2016 at 21:27.
	() Thanks

6th November 2016, 10:00	#1090
whitewing BHPian Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Bangalore Posts: 577 Thanked: 1,733 Times	re: The Book Thread (Fiction) Recently read two great books - "When Breath Becomes Air" a book that make one retrospect on the meaning of life (well for some it could be 42 :-) ) and mortality. If you liked "Tuesday's with Morrie", surely you would savor this one. - "The Brain - story of you" an interesting book for the layman (a non medico like me) to gain some insight into the wonder of the human brain.
	() Thanks

19th November 2016, 10:15	#1094
JMaruru BHPian Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: BLR/EWR Posts: 808 Thanked: 375 Times	re: The Book Thread (Fiction) I don't know from where, i got 'The Girl on the Train' on my Kobo. Read few pages, and got hooked onto it. Are there any other books of this kind, from recent past?
	() Thanks