Review: The Stranger's Wife

The Stranger's Wife by Anna-Lou Weatherley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is my first book by the author. It has a decent story and good pace. A story about two women – Beth and Cath who are struggling with marital issues, and the stories converge well at the end.

Beth is married to Evan who is wealthy, but there seems to be little else to the marriage. She wants to move in with Nick, but it is not going to be easy and there is her young daughter Lily to consider. Cath is married to Saul, who is addicted to drugs and indulges in violent abuse. The scenes describing the abuse make for difficult & depressing reading but are very well written. Beth & Cath meet unexpectedly on the train and are struck by the similarities of their pains.

A violent crime brings Dan into the fray, who tries to piece together the sequence of event and the motive.

The book makes for engrossing reading - only the last few chapters could have been much better.

My rating: 3.5 / 5.


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Review: The Girl in the Spider's Web

The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have been late in getting to this considering that two more books in the series are out. I loved the characters of Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist in the Millenium series (The girl with the dragon tattoo, The girl who played with fire and The girl who kicked the hornet’s nest) created by Stieg Larsson. Lisbeth’s character is especially unique – with her strong sense of purpose and the strength she draws upon from within, after a difficult childhood.

The Millenium magazine is in financial distress and new investors are seeking changes. At this time, Blomkvist receives a desperate call from Frans Balder asking to meet him urgently. As Blomkvist rushes to meet him, he lands up a scene of murder. Balder’s autistic son August was also on the scene.

Salander enters the scene – and she is not a stickler for the rules. She will show no mercy to the bad & cruel guys. And in this case, it is a child’s life at stake.

I liked the plot and pace. Salander enters the scene a little late though, and I would have liked it otherwise. David Lagercrantz does a good job of continuing the series, where he does retain the essential personalities of Blomkvist and Salander.

My rating: 4.5 / 5.



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Review: How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease

How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease by Michael Greger
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is an important book and has a lot of information I wish I had come across earlier. Other than the fact that the book is based on evidence and has good nutrition advice, it is also brave – challenging the politics which prevents most people knowing the full facts. Also, much of the medical profession is focused on diagnosis and cure of diseases, with limited understanding of the role of nutrition.

The first and biggest section of the book deals with various serious ailments and how they can be overcome with diets based on plant food, grains, spices & nuts. There is detailed information on the harm meat, fish and dairy causes us. It will appear as if the matter is repeating across sections since the recommendation is straightforward – you need to eliminate processed food, meat, diary, all animal products from your diet to be healthier. There is a good amount of research referred in the book and the case histories certainly makes this credible reading. Apparently, while a lot of medical profession knows about the risks lurking in the foods we eat – only a few are inclined to take on big industries and the politics involved.

So, is Dr Greger advocating a strictly vegan diet? Dr Greger clarifies that his recommendations are based on what is good for health rather than what to avoid for ethical or other reasons. As he points out, he comes across many vegans stuffing themselves with French fries and guzzling a lot of beer. He, advocates a whole food, plant based diet and there is detailed information on what to include and what not.

I would certainly recommend this book – it as a wake-up call to eat healthier.

My rating: 4.5 / 5.


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Review: 2019 on Goodreads

2019 on Goodreads by Various
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

2019 was a great year for reading (while a difficult year otherwise). I read many excellent books and am providing a summary below. The below are the standout books for me in 2019 (I top rated all of them).

1) Recursion by Blake Crouch: Great story & mind-blowing pace with highly plausible science as the backdrop. Read his ‘Dark Matter’ first if you have not already read it.
2) My Name was Five by Heinz Kohler: An exceptional account of a normal German caught in the fallout of Nazism and the Second World War.
3) Pathways to Bliss by Joseph Campbell: There is no better way to learn deep life lessons than by reading Joseph Campbells. Amazing insights from mythology and how they can help life full lives.
4) Colombiano by Rusty Young: A gritty story of how children get embroiled in gangs.
5) 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari: Brave, intellectual & thought provoking – continues the impact he set by Sapiens & Homo Deus.
6) A View across the Rooftops: A beautiful moving story of love & survival set during the Second World War.
7) Brain Food: How to Eat Smart and Sharpen Your Mind by Lisa Mosconi: Has very important information on eating right for brain health.
8) An Elephant in My Kitchen: What the herd taught me about love, courage and survival by Francoise Malby-Anthony, Katja Willemsen: A real life account on how Francoise continues the work on the Thula Thula sanctuary. Read ‘The Elephant Whisperer’ first if you have not already read it.
9) Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking: A journey of intellectual excellence. You may not agree with all his conclusions, and yet the brilliance shines.
10) The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak: Another beautiful moving story of love & survival set during the Second World War.
11) Leadership Dharma by Raghu Ananthanarayanan: Deep insights into human behaviour based on Indian philosophy.
12) Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown: I cannot think of any other author who writes as profoundly about the need for authenticity as Breene Brown does.
13)The Boss by Caz Finley: A very good gang-based story.
14) Boss Girl by Emma Talon: A very good gang-based story.
15) Sita’s Sister by Kavita Kane: An imaginative retelling of Indian mythology from a lesser discussed point of view.
16) The Girl from the Sea by Shalini Boland: A fast paced thriller, as are all of her books.
17) The Silent Victim (Jessie Tucker Mystery #1) by Dana Perry: A good crime novel with pace and a story.

There were a number of other good reads: The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli, The Second Wife by Sheryl Browne, Finding Grace by K L Slater, The Marriage Trap by Sheryl Browne, The Men's Health Little Book of Exercises by Adam Campbell, India Wins Freedom: The Complete Version by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, I See You by Clare Mackintosh, Big Billion Startup: The Untold Flipkart Story by Mihir Dalal, Single by K L Slater, The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee, Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Hector Garcia Puigcerver (Goodreads Author), Francesc Miralles (Goodreads Author), Magic Square by Salini Vineet, DareDreamers by Kartik Sharma and Ravi Nirmal Sharma, Muhammed Bin Tughlaq by Anuja Chandramouli, A Man from Mandu by Manoj Jain, The Murder Suspect by Rani Ramakrishnan, Bridgital Nation: Solving Technology's People Problem by Tata Group Chairman N. Chandrasekaran, Roopa Purushothaman.

A number of the above were review copies from authors either directly or via NetGalley, and am grateful for their generosity.

Despite the inroads made by the visual media, reading remains unique in the experience it offers isn't it? Happy reading in 2020!

Thanks for your support, friends!


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Review: Line of Control

Line of Control by Mainak Dhar
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the second book of Mainak Dhar that I have read, after 03:02. As with 03:02, this has a captivating story as well.

A despot in the middle east eggs on the Pakistani ruler to take some bold steps against India. An assassination attempt of India's Prime Minister and terror attacks at multiple places happen, setting the stage for a communal flareup. This is followed by a large scale influx of terrorists into Kashmir backed by the Pakistan army with an intent to capture and hold territory. Very soon, the conflict widens with the threat of nuclear weapons lurking in the background.

The story is sadly fairly plausible, bringing out the dangers of Pakistan pursuing support to terror groups as a state policy. The pace is very good and the book is engrossing. The drawback though is that a lot of space is devoted to elaborate descriptions of warfare, with very minimal character building.


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Review: Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life

Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Hector Garcia Puigcerver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book has a lot of things going for it - it is concise, packages best known & appreciated theories on a long life & happiness and provides examples from Japan on a fulfilling life.

Ikigai is the Japanese concept of a purposeful life where what you love, are good at intersects with what the world really needs and is willing to pay for making it a winning combination which you as an individual enjoy pursuing. The authors start with Logotherapy pioneered by Victor Frankl, who after a painful period of internment at a Nazi concentration camp, outlines this concept of finding purpose to life. In contrast to traditional psychotherapy which is concerned with finding a problem, Logotherapy offers a positive outlook.

The book later explores the concept of Ikigai with a narrative on how the longest living communities in Japan spend their lives. There is a common pattern among those who live long - they mostly eat plant based food, have strong community bonds, are physically very active (primarily with light exercises like walking) and pursue hobbies or careers they are passionate about. Most of them do not have a concept of retirement and continue these practices well into old age. There is material devoted to yoga, meditation, and other practices which help strengthen the mind and lend balance to life.

This is a book which summarizes important very well. Only, I did not find too much new information except for the descriptions and voices of a new communities in Japan.

A recommended read for the importance of the subject it covers.


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Review: The Gene: An Intimate History

The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

‘The Gene’ is a very informative book, and a book I believe which everyone should read, as it packs vital information on what we really are. That said, this is a big book, and is very dense in several sections.

Siddhartha Mukherjee traces the history of how we have gained better understanding of our genes since over a century. He starts with his family, many of his relatives on his father’s side suffering from mental illnesses. This is interspersed with some random musings on the impact of the partition of the country, which is largely incomplete, assuming the idea was to link it to mental health. The various experiments done by a variety of people (starting significantly with Mendel) allowing us to understand our genome & genes gradually makes for engrossing reading.

The ‘nature’ vs ‘nurture’ debate expectedly finds coverage and it was interesting to read how it is actually one reinforcing the other rather than a binary or a sum. The ethical considerations and some failed genetic treatment experiments insert a sobering caution, though the progress made has been stupendous.

The narrative could have flowed more easily - enhancing readability (also some random & sketchy non-subject references do not add much), and a possibly wider coverage of genes could have been included (the coverage is very much oriented towards disease causing genes).
This is a book of great value and certainly recommended reading!

My rating: 4.25 / 5.


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