tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91442511357751597152024-02-08T06:46:43.943+05:30Random Ramblings"...we are all made of stars..."Magically Boredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689084060646607534noreply@blogger.comBlogger212125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144251135775159715.post-26698409699409520402011-07-17T20:34:00.003+05:302011-07-17T20:36:44.750+05:30<div style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Finally, I am done with the 30 Day Book Challenge, and not a moment too soon - because it was really turning out to be a challenge towards the end! For the simple reason that when I read a book, I don't over-analyse it - I simply enjoy it and let the words wash over me. So having to classify and categorise books for this tag was a strangely difficult experience. </span></div><div style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">However, it made me realise how incredibly lucky I am to have been part of a generation that still read decent stuff. This is not to generalise in any way, I <i>do</i> know a lot of children who read, but for the most part, this vampire-obsession really gets to me. I grew up on a diet of Roald Dahl, Enid Blyton and Agatha Christie (as did a lot of my other friends), most of today's children seem to grow up on a diet of violent Japanese cartoons and Edward Cullen. And it's not just choice in literature but the whole attitude to life that is different with children I see. When did the world change? </span></div><div style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sometimes I just feel incredibly OLD. I think time is passing us all by and every second is fleeting by, every second we grow closer to the end of our lives, that Big Bang in our own existence- except that we will not explode, but rather <i>implode </i>into ourselves, into the lives we have led. </span></div><div style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">And every minute that passes, I am reminded that there is such a lot to do - why, this is just the first month of the last year of university, and already I am swimming in lists of books to read, reference books to look up, essays to go through. And while my cat snoozes away peacefully with her head on my laptop keypad (making it difficult for me to type without moving her head a little, but I wouldn't do <i>that</i>, oh no, she's sleeping so peacefully), I find myself a little weary of life, of growing up and its various responsibilities. But then again, that is life in itself - it must be lived, lived well and lived responsibly (although I know lots of people who defy this convention).</span></div><div style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">And while a <a href="http://www.thedreamerdiaries.blogspot.com/">best friend</a> worries about jumping off metaphorical cliffs and how, with the onset of age, we are becoming alarmingly unadventurous, and I tell her that life, now, is more about just <i>being</i> and <i>living</i> than anything else, I realise that somewhere, somehow, we have grown up and shed the adolescent angst, and are learning to deal with <i>life </i>itself as an adventure. No need to prove anything, no need to be 'cool', to 'fit in'. There is no need to jump off any cliff, we have already jumped off it. The question now is, do we go crashing down into the abyss, or do we learn to fly?</span></div>Magically Boredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689084060646607534noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144251135775159715.post-27562235633956380792011-07-13T18:45:00.001+05:302011-07-13T18:49:53.325+05:30Day 30: My Favourite Book Of All Time<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://mybooksmylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Alice-in-Wonderland-and-Through-the-Looking-Glass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://mybooksmylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Alice-in-Wonderland-and-Through-the-Looking-Glass.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Needless to say, this was the toughest part of the tag. Any bookworm would have trouble answering this, because for one thing, it's next to impossible to have just <i>one</i> favourite, and the second thing - what defines the "favourite book of all time"? Is it merely good writing? Is it its ability to stay fresh and appealing every time you come back to it? Is it good illustration? Or is it depth beyond the words, a heavier meaning that you need to analyse and realise the beauty of?</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">It was incredibly tough choosing Lewis Carroll's <i>Alice's Adventures in Wonderland </i>and <i>Through The Looking Glass</i>, but in the end, it seems to match all of those conditions. And much more, besides. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I glossed over much-beloved books like <i>Frankenstein,</i> <i>Love In The Time Of Cholera, The Irresistible Inheritance Of Wilberforce, </i>and the more recent favourite <i>The Buddha Of Suburbia</i>. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I've read these books countless times, as a child when I read them merely as stories, as an English Literature student when I analysed them, and as an ordinary adult who enjoyed the beauty of the writing and the illustrations, and the hidden jokes and deeper meaning. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">It will always be my "favourite book of all time". </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Magically Boredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689084060646607534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144251135775159715.post-85266909852050945482011-07-10T19:35:00.001+05:302011-07-10T19:35:57.386+05:30Day 29: A Book Everyone Hated But I Liked<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/103790000/103799347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/103790000/103799347.JPG" width="207" /></a> </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">We'd had this on the syllabus for the Victorian Literature course in PGI, and most of my classmates didn't read it, choosing to do Dickens' <i>Bleak House </i>instead, and the few that did read it, didn't like it. I didn't <i>love</i> this book but I liked it, and did think it was very intelligently written. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>The Odd Women </i>was striking among all the Victorian literature I've read, because it's one of the earliest books to discuss feminist ideals, and has very far-reaching thoughts on marriage and relationships. If you take into account the fact that it was written in 1893, it's amazing that a lot of what the book talks about is extremely relevant even today. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">For those who can get through the rather slow pace and the typical Victorian style, this book is a good read.</div>Magically Boredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689084060646607534noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144251135775159715.post-18298480696915844112011-07-10T19:24:00.000+05:302011-07-10T19:24:15.848+05:30Day 28: Favourite Title<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/13850000/13853853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/13850000/13853853.JPG" /></a><a href="http://www.penguin.com.au/jpg-large/9780141190273.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.penguin.com.au/jpg-large/9780141190273.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I had been strongly tempted to answer "Alexander McCall Smith" for this part of the tag, but <a href="http://www.thegrinwithoutthecat.blogspot.com/">The Soliloquist</a> has beaten me to it. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">While Smith does still remain a contender, I think the two most favourite (and intriguing) titles I have come across are from two extremely famous plays - <i>Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf</i> by Edward Albee and <i>A Streetcar Named Desi</i>re<i> </i>by Tennessee Williams. When I'd heard of them, my curiosity was aroused and I just had to read them. In particular, the curiosity about Williams' play was piqued by the fact that I'd once read an Archie comic, in which Veronica Lodge said, "Why would anyone name a streetcar, that too 'Desire'?"</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I'm very pleased that we're going to study them this semester - they're both brilliant plays and it's a rewarding experience to read them. :)</div>Magically Boredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689084060646607534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144251135775159715.post-85963697362716228862011-07-08T21:07:00.000+05:302011-07-08T21:07:58.945+05:30Day 27: The Most Surprising Plot Twist Or Ending<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Roald Dahl is the unsurpassed master of plot twists. If you've read stories like "Skin", "Lamb To The Slaughter", "The Way Up To Heaven", "Mrs. Bixby And The Colonel's Coat", or even the very common "The Umbrella Man", you know what I'm talking about. Of course, <i>My Uncle Oswald </i>is simply fabulous as well - coarse yet so humourous the vulgarity is forgivable! (Simply a must-read, this one.)</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Most recently, I loved the plot twist in Jeffrey Archer's <i>Only Time Will Tell</i>. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I couldn't decide on a particular story or book to put in here, there are just so many contenders, thanks to Mr. Dahl! So sue me for cheating. :|</div>Magically Boredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689084060646607534noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144251135775159715.post-49840567285213973312011-07-08T20:48:00.001+05:302011-07-08T20:48:55.911+05:30Day 26: A Book That Changed My Opinion About Something<a href="http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/isbnthumbs/014/118/0141182539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/isbnthumbs/014/118/0141182539.jpg" width="208" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I've held off from this part of the tag for some days now (as you can well see) because for the longest time, I couldn't think of an answer. I have read some wonderful books, yes, but nothing that changed my </span><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">opinion</i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> of anything as such. Some time back, it just struck me that a suitable answer for this would be Vladimir Nabokov's </span><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Lolita.</i><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Before reading this, I was a little iffy about picking it up in the first place - the very idea of a grown man embarking on an affair with a young barely teenage girl repulsed me. I thought to myself that maybe I was better off not reading this - it was sure to be absolutely disgusting. However, a few years later, I did read it and I liked it - Nabokov's writing is very poetic and the book, although disturbing, is not icky in the sense that you expect a book concerning a paedophilic relationship to be. For all those who can stomach it, <i>Lolita </i>is a wonderful read - something that changed my opinion of it once I'd finished with the last page.</span><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div>Magically Boredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689084060646607534noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144251135775159715.post-48193658371082181362011-06-29T12:54:00.000+05:302011-06-29T12:54:06.804+05:30Day 25: A Character Who I Can Relate To The Most<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://i3.squidoocdn.com/resize/squidoo_images/250/draft_lens3256642module20617522photo_12369628953towers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i3.squidoocdn.com/resize/squidoo_images/250/draft_lens3256642module20617522photo_12369628953towers.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I haven't really identified with any character from the fictional world, but since I promised myself I wouldn't skip any part of this this tag, here goes: if I absolutely <i>had</i> to answer, it would be Darrell Rivers, from Enid Blyton's school series <i>Malory Towers</i>.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">When I was growing up, I could draw quite a lot of parallels between Darrell's character and myself, especially the unpredictable, hot temper! I grew up with Darrell, and she got me through some pretty difficult times.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">P.S.-Probably not a very convincing answer, but the only one I could give.</div></div>Magically Boredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689084060646607534noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144251135775159715.post-91261885928774571062011-06-27T11:36:00.000+05:302011-06-27T11:36:05.764+05:30Day 24: A Book That I Wish More People Would’ve Read<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.qbd.com.au/products/l/1209/9780749311209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.qbd.com.au/products/l/1209/9780749311209.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">A lot of people <i>have</i> read this, I know (especially thanks to the <i>Children's Literature </i>course last semester), but for the large part, many people remain unaware of this little treasure of Sue Townsend's. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I first read this when I was about 13 years old, and since then, have returned to it many times, to find the humour just as fresh and intoxicating as it always was. This book has the right mix of hilarity, pathos, and drama, it's a gem that I recommend very highly - and it's the only book (apart from Wodehouse's <i>Jeeves and Wooster</i>) which can make me laugh out loud! </div></div>Magically Boredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689084060646607534noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144251135775159715.post-38792324857389358962011-06-27T11:20:00.001+05:302011-06-27T11:22:44.708+05:30Day 23: A Book I Wanted To Read For A Long Time But Still Haven’t<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://danliterature.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/gabriel-garcia-marquez-one-hundred-years-of-solitude.jpg?w=325&h=498" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://danliterature.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/gabriel-garcia-marquez-one-hundred-years-of-solitude.jpg?w=325&h=498" width="208" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">There are LOTS of books that I have wanted to read for a long time, but still haven't gotten around to. This is especially true for a person like me - who buys books obsessively without ever thinking when I shall find time to read them! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">And while my shelves pile up with books that lie untouched for months on end (except for the occasional cleaning - I'm very particular that way!), I'm not sure why I choose this book over others (perhaps more-deserving candidates like <i>Sophie's Choice, The Book Thief </i>or even <i>Point Counter Point</i>.) </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Maybe because I fell in love with Marquez's writing right afte </span><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Love In The Time Of Cholera</i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> and therefore felt the need to explore further, and maybe because this book's title is just so intriguing, making you want to delve deeper... I shall really have to get down to this one soon!</span></div></div>Magically Boredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689084060646607534noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144251135775159715.post-81421126425769198062011-06-25T11:26:00.002+05:302011-06-25T11:28:44.718+05:30Day 22: Favourite Book I Own<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRDrhX_8wLUnDP40nrVdLw_T4imqKTTmGLX6FaKNb2-yRMCW45VLkayXtcBEtCVijEGYQfW8I1D9njJIPKLCrad5RMxhwIFvqCs01igvJepbHAoO_BgDGW0QnOP8aIgLhLVh_Ce10MKk/s1600/imgAnd%2520Then%2520There%2520Were%2520None3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRDrhX_8wLUnDP40nrVdLw_T4imqKTTmGLX6FaKNb2-yRMCW45VLkayXtcBEtCVijEGYQfW8I1D9njJIPKLCrad5RMxhwIFvqCs01igvJepbHAoO_BgDGW0QnOP8aIgLhLVh_Ce10MKk/s320/imgAnd%2520Then%2520There%2520Were%2520None3.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I have issues with this part of the tag - how can I have a <i>favourite book I own</i>? Shouldn't mostly ALL the books I own be favourites - simply because they all belong to me? And otherwise why would I have bought them in the first place?</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">But glossing over that, because I do have to fill in this part, I suppose my answer would be Agatha Christie's <i>And Then There Were None. </i>It was the first Christie I read, on my father's recommendation - I was about 12-13 years old at the time, and I still remember his words: "You're too young for Christie's other novels, but this one would be great to start you off."</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">And it genuinely scared me. Part-mystery, part-thriller, and part-horror (yes, almost!), I spent an uncomfortably sleepless night. Brilliantly written, keeps you on the edge, and the ending is a slap in the face for first-time readers. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Even now, when I read the book, I still get tingles down my spine, <i>that's </i>how good the book is!<br />
<br />
P.S.- I'm not exactly sure why I would count this as the favourite book I own. Probably because after this, I went on to read many more Christie novels, yet I still count this as a favourite, and also probably because of the emotional connection to my father. </div></div>Magically Boredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689084060646607534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144251135775159715.post-47629804735549115392011-06-25T11:11:00.001+05:302011-06-25T11:15:02.609+05:30Day 21: Favourite Book From My Childhood<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://ca.pbsstatic.com/l/78/1778/9780394851778.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ca.pbsstatic.com/l/78/1778/9780394851778.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The Sesame Street book <i>Nobody Cares About Me</i> just <i>has</i> to be the favourite book from my childhood. Yes, I loved Noddy and I loved Amelia Jane even more, but this, which was incidentally one of the earliest books I read, has a special place in my heart. In it, Big Bird, jealous of all the attention that Ernie gets after falling sick, pretends to be sick himself, only to actually fall very ill and realise it's not at all fun. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">There's a moral in there, but forget that - I loved this book for its very vivid illustrations, its lovable characters, and Big Bird himself - who was just so darn cute!</span></div></div>Magically Boredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689084060646607534noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144251135775159715.post-46242805291503335442011-06-16T12:17:00.000+05:302011-06-16T12:17:03.854+05:30Day 20: Favourite Romance Book<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://bookmust.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/love_in_the_time_of_cholera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://bookmust.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/love_in_the_time_of_cholera.jpg" width="207" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Does <i>Love In The Time Of Cholera</i> count as a romance? It's certainly a love-story. The definition of a 'romance' is still a little dicey to me, especially after having studied Walter Scott's <i>The Heart of Midlothian </i>last semester, but it would be this work by Marquez. This is a book everyone should read - it's simple, sweet, bittersweet in parts, melancholic, poetic, almost magical in its appeal, and at the centre is a poignant love story that draws you in, not because it's <i>just</i> a love story, but because it's a very unconventional one that has the power to move you.<br />
</div></div>Magically Boredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689084060646607534noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144251135775159715.post-49578188407488319642011-06-16T12:10:00.000+05:302011-06-16T12:10:35.063+05:30Day 19: Favourite Book Turned Into A Movie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a9/Harry_Potter_and_the_Deathly_Hallows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a9/Harry_Potter_and_the_Deathly_Hallows.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I'm generally not a big fan of movie adaptations of books, that being said - <i>A Clockwork Orange </i>would probably be my favourite book turned into a movie - because both book and movie have immensely strong points. However, I have already mentioned <i>ACO </i>for this tag, so I shall go with another answer - the <i>Harry Potter </i>series. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Personally, I like the books much more, and the first 4-5 movies, I thought, were absolutely disastrous. Actors who resembled their literary counterparts - check. Special effects - check. Wonderful sets - check. Acting - terrible! And that's why.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It's only the last book - </span><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, </i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">which seems to have been adapted well</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">. I rather liked the Part I movie, which I saw last year, and am now waiting for Part II this summer. The </span><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">HP7 </i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">movie seems to have what the preceding movies didn't - good acting and that certain touch of finesse. </span></div></div>Magically Boredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689084060646607534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144251135775159715.post-37029313699238058322011-06-14T21:19:00.000+05:302011-06-14T21:19:31.323+05:30Day 18: A Book That Disappointed Me<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfu3zREeI3RWm2vSuATU2HLr6US8bh7-pu4ybKA8ZVqkEoiixNPBPqP9oZQtuMWkp9i2YDeVuNRkD1JZZm3O_JYEnzR2Y_D77GitzKuaVdt0EJCVBoJUcBHg4OBNTCUZQDdH9SOY7BXwA/s1600/luka-and-the-fire-of-life.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfu3zREeI3RWm2vSuATU2HLr6US8bh7-pu4ybKA8ZVqkEoiixNPBPqP9oZQtuMWkp9i2YDeVuNRkD1JZZm3O_JYEnzR2Y_D77GitzKuaVdt0EJCVBoJUcBHg4OBNTCUZQDdH9SOY7BXwA/s320/luka-and-the-fire-of-life.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Coming after <i>Haroun and the Sea of Stories, </i>I had high expectations from this one. Sadly, I was disappointed. Perhaps it would be unfair to compare it with its predecessor (which I count among my favourite books), but <i>Luka </i>was almost un-readable. Boring, monotonous and almost lethargic in pace- I was massively disappointed with Rushdie's latest offering.</div></div>Magically Boredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689084060646607534noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144251135775159715.post-28835728847684408432011-06-14T21:13:00.002+05:302011-06-16T11:58:01.063+05:30Day 17: Favourite Quote From My Favourite Book<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="answer" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Impossible, really, to choose a favourite book, but I suppose it would be Lewis Carroll's <i>Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. </i>And this is my favourite quote from the book:</div><div class="answer" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="answer" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>"In that direction," the Cat said, waving its right paw round, "lives a Hatter: and in that direction," waving the other paw, "lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: they're both mad."</i></div><div class="answer" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.</i></div><div class="answer" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>"Oh, you can't help that," said the Cat: "We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad." </i></div><div class="answer" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice. </i></div><div class="answer" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>"You must be, said the Cat, "or you wouldn't have come here." </i></div><div class="answer" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="answer" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Often-quoted, much-analysed, but probably the best dialogue in the whole book! </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div></div>Magically Boredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689084060646607534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144251135775159715.post-17078085896062338142011-06-09T10:50:00.001+05:302011-06-09T10:52:35.108+05:30Day 16: Favourite Female Character<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://images.wikia.com/aliceinwonderland/images/a/a8/Alice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://images.wikia.com/aliceinwonderland/images/a/a8/Alice.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">At the risk of choosing a very predictable answer, my favourite female character would just <i>have </i>to be Alice, from Lewis Carroll's <i>Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. </i>Based on a real girl (Alice Pleasance Liddell), Alice is one of those unforgettable characters that one reads about as a child, but goes back to continuously, as an adult - simply because she's so wondrously layered. Her handling of situations, her child-like appeal, and her freshness all make her unique - she's one little girl I'd love to have met in real-life!</div></div>Magically Boredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689084060646607534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144251135775159715.post-5060476718673449082011-06-09T10:38:00.000+05:302011-06-09T10:38:21.025+05:30Day 15: Favourite Male Character<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s2uojN0nVow/TXXACp3-i4I/AAAAAAAAAEI/OcP1kf-_57A/s1600/poirot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s2uojN0nVow/TXXACp3-i4I/AAAAAAAAAEI/OcP1kf-_57A/s320/poirot.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I can always, always go back to Hercule Poirot - the funny little Belgian detective with an egg-shaped head, the man who feels that no crime is impossible to solve. </span><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Hercule Poirot's Christmas </i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">remains one of my best-loved books, and plus, how can an obsessive-compulsive man like him not be my favourite male character? *wink*</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div>Magically Boredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689084060646607534noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144251135775159715.post-48991253563475873832011-06-09T10:29:00.000+05:302011-06-09T10:29:30.692+05:30Day 14: Favourite Book Of My Favourite Writer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.webtvwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/jeeves-and-wooster-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.webtvwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/jeeves-and-wooster-logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Because it's </span><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">impossible </i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">for me to choose one single favourite among Wodehouse's books, I'd say any Jeeves and Wooster book would fit the bill. As long as the book in question features the ever-bumbling and perpetually-confused Wooster and Jeeves (the valet who always saves the day), I'll count it as a favourite.</span></div></div>Magically Boredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689084060646607534noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144251135775159715.post-61493316587425095512011-06-09T10:23:00.000+05:302011-06-09T10:23:51.835+05:30Day 13: My Favourite Writer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/images/p-g-wodehouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/images/p-g-wodehouse.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">There's nothing quite like a delicious P G Wodehouse book to curl up with on rainy afternoons, or when you're sad and need some cheering-up, or even in those so-so moods - because Wodehouse works his magic at all times, at all places. Quintessentially British humour, hilarious situations that make you actually laugh out loud, and endearing characters - what more does one need? I will always love this man for Jeeves and Wooster, and for Mr. Mulliner. Be it short stories or novels - Wodehouse's writing is truly one of a kind!</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton would follow closely behind for this part of the tag.</i></div></div>Magically Boredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689084060646607534noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144251135775159715.post-63436052283354073372011-06-03T20:26:00.002+05:302011-06-09T10:12:51.497+05:30Day 12: A Book I Used To Love But Don’t Anymore<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u340/Marine_mp1/the-catcher-in-the-rye-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u340/Marine_mp1/the-catcher-in-the-rye-cover.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I think we've all been through the "Holden Caulfield" phase, that time when everything seems oh-so-pointless and everyone around seems out to make life miserable. There was a time when I used to love this book, when I identified with Holden and his problems, but now, when I read it, I am struck by how much things have changed - what seemed like cool adolescent angst then is pure whiny attitude now. The book's very well-written and Salinger has created a classic, no doubt. It's just that I don't love this book as much as I used to - maybe I have grown up, or maybe I just see life differently.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">PS - My point of view here is going to clash drastically here with <a href="http://www.thedreamerdiaries.blogspot.com/">someone's</a> - she almost worships this book, so if I have offended her sentiments, I beg forgiveness. :)</div></div>Magically Boredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689084060646607534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144251135775159715.post-68403388612377806702011-06-02T19:16:00.001+05:302011-06-09T10:12:35.191+05:30Day 11: A Book I Hated<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8f6Clt9xWkj12UInggoA9pJNZ4uvEDrqOfhVdHc4QQ5uzdjhDFSd2YCg9IdKvxntYEN7u-7n33ZwvMr80NCBERYO1cvZ5f2rBESl-IjGxwKbK8LjEIwvIn4ES6rTxxITSY2256Hm2tbM/s1600/mistressofspices.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8f6Clt9xWkj12UInggoA9pJNZ4uvEDrqOfhVdHc4QQ5uzdjhDFSd2YCg9IdKvxntYEN7u-7n33ZwvMr80NCBERYO1cvZ5f2rBESl-IjGxwKbK8LjEIwvIn4ES6rTxxITSY2256Hm2tbM/s320/mistressofspices.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I don't know why I wasted my time on this book. It is by far the most awful piece of work I have ever read. It's so bad it makes you want to tear your hair out in large chunks. It's boring, it's insipid, and it's mind-numbingly shallow. Almost makes you want to go to your kitchen and throw away all the spices you just read about, just because they remind you of the chapters in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's book.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Casting Aishwarya Rai in the movie adaptation didn't help any, as I was stuck with that mental image of Tilo. Blech.</div></div>Magically Boredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689084060646607534noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144251135775159715.post-77977823018229893322011-06-02T18:51:00.001+05:302011-06-09T10:13:40.620+05:30Day 10: Favourite Classic Book<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://obeygiant.com/images/2009/01/poster_1984_lrg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://obeygiant.com/images/2009/01/poster_1984_lrg.jpg" width="195" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I'm not sure how I would exactly define a 'classic', and if I go by the generally-accepted definitions, I'm ashamed to admit I haven't even read that many 'classic' books (yes, this after four years of being an English Literature student) - but </span><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1984 </i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">would lead the list. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Thematically very deep, with brilliant writing - this is something everyone should read. </span><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1984 </i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">is one of those few books which has the ability to send chills down my spine. In my opinion, it marks the point that all dystopian literature should aspire to.</span></div></div>Magically Boredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689084060646607534noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144251135775159715.post-5634263891736548382011-05-31T19:35:00.005+05:302011-05-31T19:43:33.493+05:30Day 9: A Book I Thought I Wouldn’t Like But Ended Up Loving<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-o-55Fb3uay-SGlF9_DgC2wqzngTtw6a-o5Lqk9xvGuqsmiZslTgfCFqTWlGKlXiIFaZpuiWrWljnmpn-DvscQT8rkxh-vthz55ElliwKXaFOTxd0zQh5JP5o9dXoPXbbaKZBFOUjoaK/s320/chitra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://media.avclub.com/images/articles/article/39379/clockwork_Cover_300x1000_q85.jpg" width="192" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I'd watched the movie (which I loved) before reading the book. When I decided to give the book a try, I didn't like it much, I found it hard to get through the first few chapters because of the difficult language, and for the most part, Burgess' writing went right over my head. I remember actually thinking this was turning out to be one of those books that have better movie adaptations.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">However, this is a book that needs a little patience and effort, and I am glad I stuck to it - because it does get better and once you follow the Nadsat, it's an overwhelmingly deep piece of literature that stays with you long after you've put the book back to the shelf. It plays with your head, it hits on the theme of freedom of choice and the subject matter is quite unpalatable! Started out not liking it, but today it remains one of my favourites.</span></div></div>Magically Boredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689084060646607534noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144251135775159715.post-81692304277931351602011-05-31T19:13:00.001+05:302011-05-31T19:16:54.956+05:30Day 8: Most Overrated Book<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/davinci-code-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/davinci-code-1.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I had a strong urge to put </span><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Wuthering Heights </i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">on this part of the tag, but I think Dan Brown's </span><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The Da Vinci Code </i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">wins hands-down. Good choice of source-material, decently drawn characters - but the writing is very very mediocre, and I always get the feeling he's pushing forward too many bunkum theories. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I never understood the fuss about this book - it works as a thriller, but that's about it. It's forgettable and certainly not deserving of so much publicity. Personally, I believe Dan Brown cashed in on subjects he knew would raise controversy, thus gaining the book attention which in turn increased sales. So if a book works better as a marketing strategy than as actual writing, that doesn't say much for the book in question.</span></div></div>Magically Boredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689084060646607534noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9144251135775159715.post-44786726708138534282011-05-31T18:58:00.002+05:302011-05-31T19:17:04.174+05:30Day 7: Most Underrated Book<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://files.list.co.uk/images/2008/10/30/alexander-mccall-smith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://files.list.co.uk/images/2008/10/30/alexander-mccall-smith.jpg" width="204" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I just finished this book a month ago, and it has all the beauty and simplicity of McCall Smith's writing. He's better known for his </span><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">44 Scotland Street </i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">and </span><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency </i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">novels, which is why I was surprised to find this at the library, not having heard of it before. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I'm glad I read it, though - while it does have its shortcomings (rushing through certain points and lacking required depth in others) it makes for a very heart-warming read, for anyone who believes in the power of love and music. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Plus, the writing is lucid and typically McCall Smith-esque, but different from his other works in the sense that it's a lot more profound, and if you search for hidden meaning beneath the words, you'll find it in the guise of a simple love story that is made even sweeter with the presence of music. </span></div></div>Magically Boredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689084060646607534noreply@blogger.com4