The Girl who Reads

4 and a half stars!Everyone must read this book once. Intricately woven story about friendships blossoming at the oddest of places between the oddest people ever possible.

Surprisingly, the movie is much better than the book. Or maybe I'm just prejudiced since it's a Tom Hanks movie.

Written in the best Puzo style ever.

A fantastic book for an audio-read!The tale of four March sisters! You grow with them while you experience their lives as your own.Little Women is the classic story of the March family, which consists of Mr. and Mrs. March and their four girls–Practical, yet fashion conscious, Meg, who longs for the nice things they used to have. Rambunctious, book worm, Jo, who wants to become a writer and wishes she were born a boy. Shy and quiet, home-loving, Beth, who loves to play the piano and play with her kitties. Finally, the youngest, artistic, Amy, who longs for an aristocratic nose!The story takes place during the American Civil War, and begins with Mr. March away from home as a chaplain to the Union army, while his wife and daughters remain at home to work and wait for his safe return. This book follows their joys and sorrows and scrapes along the path to the girl’s becoming grown up “little women”.Many of the scrapes they get into include Laurie–their harum scarum next door neighbor, who becomes their adopted brother. The two families, the March’s and the Laurence’s strike up a lasting friendship, despite their differences in material possessions.Review Courtesy - Librivox

Review to follow!

Incredible!An absolute Life-transformer!

My Rating - 5 starsThis book was read and reviewed for the author.The Pope's Stone is a work of historical-fiction by the Author Mark Kuhn. I would like to add a special vote of thanks to Monica for recommending the book to me. Nathaniel Henry Barrington and Nicholas Henry Barrington have led a similar life although they have lived a century apart. The twist and turn of events that they have both encountered in their lifetimes is not just coincidental but terrifically agnate to an extent that its almost impossible to believe that they can be true. And the only thing that has them connected is THE POPE'S STONE. And hence begins the interlinked stories of Nathaniel Henry Barrington and Nicholas Henry Barrington spun in a fantastic manner as only Mark could do write. The story begin likes this. John Henry Barrington, grandfather of Nathaniel Henry Barrington, 1854, who works as an artisan at the Washington monument was approached by four young men of an active political party to show them the Pope's Stone which was sent to America as a gift from Rome toward the construction of the Washington monument. Together, the four men and John Henry Barrington break it to pieces and thrust it into the River Potomac but one piece was safely secured by John Henry Barrington contemplating it to be inexplicably valuable in years to come. Hence, starts the journey of the marble slab being passed from one generation to next in the Barrington lineage until it rested with Nathaniel Henry Barrington, the grandson of John Henry Barrington.As the story unfolds, we find characteristic similarity in the lives of Nathaniel Henry Barrington and Nicholas Henry Barrington with the turn of exactly same events and incidents in the lives of both although Nathaniel lived in 1950s and Nicholas lived in 1980s. The story starts to place in fall when Nicholas starts to dig out for the history of the stone and finds out the Nathaniel Henry Barrington was his great-great grandfather. Thanks to Mark for revealing the suspense all in good time in small digestible pieces. What I like about the book - - Intricately woven tale that makes you keep turning pages with the under-lying suspense which is brilliantly inter-weaved amongst the lives of the 2 main characters Nathaniel and Nicholas- A proof of the fact that the author has performed some amazing amount of research to take his story to a fantastically engaging level- The characters have a tragedy-based life with a very down-to-earth touch to their life-style that one can find easy to feel as his own since not many of us the prince-touch to our life-styles. - In a way you feel growing emotionally stronger with the way the main characters have tackled the various challenges life throws at them. I personally feel there is a lot to take away from the book.All in all, this book had my heart grieving more than a couple instances and I did so want to get into the book and hug Nathaniel and Nicholas for their sufferings and take away all the pain if I could that is. The ending was kind of sad since I was expecting a happy turnout given the way the story was spun but also makes me want to believe that Mark might write a sequel to the story after all. Ah! just a reader's heart musing there actually. To Mark, I am happy to have read this book since you sure seem to have a way with your words and your characters with the kind of gripping tale that this was. I look forward to reading more of your books.P.S.: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Brightly shining 5 stars for this book. Absolutely brilliant piece of work. What can I say? I'm still living the tale with Nobody Owens aka Bod. Review to follow!

To Jayanand Ukey, thank you for sharing the review copy with me. This book was read and reviewed for the author.My Rating - 2 & 1/2 starsTwo letters that shattered two lives. And begins the story of Girish and Prajakta and how their easy-going lives were turned upside down when they received the two most unanticipated letters of their lifetimes. Girish and Prajakta are college friends and deeply in love with each other. They have recently graduated with engineering degrees and their offer letters from the IT biggies, DCL and Geomsys. They are about to join their companies in a few weeks time when Prajakta's parents, an army officer father and a home-maker mother discover about her relationship with Girish. At the same time Girish releases the news to his parents. Both the families open-heartedly accept their decision to get married. Just when they are about to be engaged, both Girish and Prajakta receive letters from their respective employers that owing to economic crisis, their offers are revoked. And starts the tale about how both Girish and Prajakta try to survive the turn of events in their lives to save their love for each other.- Set in India, the tale is plain lucid and one you can easily relate to as we do find such cases where being unemployed results as barrier in love relationships advancing to next stage.-Although the story is predictable, it is an engaging read nonetheless.-The author has well placed and timed the turn of events. I liked the part when after calling off the engagement Prajakta's father asked Prajakta's phone to be confiscated as she is strictly instructed to have no more contacts with Girish and assigns Prajakta's mother to take away her phone but Prajakta's mother knows how much her daughter loves Girish and lets her have the phone in secret. This is still seen in Indian societies that mothers have a no-say status in families owing to their dominating husbands but mothers still support their kids discreetly.I'd easily rate it somewhere between 2 and 3 stars for this was the first book from the author and a fairly great job done at that. All through the book, I could feel the rawness of language and thoughts, an experience that only the first-most novel captures. I'd like to read something much more intense in plot in his upcoming books to maintain my interest that is.I would recommend this book to those who you are looking for a light read without much expectations of a great brain-whirling tale.

Review to follow!

Spending the whole Sunday listening to Moby-Dick, I realize now that I could have pursued other better tasks. Not that I didn't like the book, I really did, its not often that you come across books which keep you turning pages frantically just so you can finish reading it. But its because I kept losing track and thought that was due to my low concentration level but later realized it was the book that kept getting off the track. Hence it became important for me to finish it and I read it without a break. The pace at which I read this one has got my brain whirling and I might not read anything for a while.As for the review, its soon to follow.

Now, this was not what I'd stepped into. Okay, well, I'd read the synopsis and knew that its about behavioral challenges characterized by autistic kids. But, wasn't there supposed to be some considerable part of the book dedicated towards Wellington, the dog in question? So, for other readers who alike me are suckers for dog-based-books, do not be misled by the title since the book has nothing to do with dogs nor is there any curious incident happening with any dog except that the dog was killed in the night time by Christopher's father.Wondering who Christopher is? Well, that's the autistic kid, the book's based on. Read the synopsis to know more about him. Wondering, why I do not recommend the book? As, quite honestly, I'm sure there are better books to read on autism than just this one. Nothing against Mark Haddon, of course. The book has been beautifully written, no doubt. But I was just hoping to like it a lot more. Even though I was getting antsy knowing there wasn't going to be anything about man's best friend, the book still kept me engaged. So, yes, it is worth a read, maybe you'll like it better.So go ahead, read it. Maybe I just walked into this one with a lot of dog-ish expectations and came out annoyed.

Review to follow!

Actually, I'd very easily rate it 3 and a half stars. Kind of liked it. My first of Ayn Rand's books and I am fairly impressed if not bewitched by her writing style. Review to follow!

Review to follow

I liked the movie better. Maybe because I love Anne Hathaway as an actor.