Booker Prize Shortlist announced

Read more, there are also two Indian authors in the running -

The White Tiger and

Sea of Poppies.

Get the entire list HERE





Some interesting tidbits just for you (source: The Booker Webpage):

• The Man Booker International Prize can be won by an author of any nationality, providing that his or her work is available in the English language
• It is awarded every second year
• An author can only win the award once.
• In accordance with the rules of the separate prize for translation, if applicable the winner can choose a translator or translators of his or her work into English to receive a prize of £15,000.

Pic Source: www.manbookerprize.com

The Alchemist

I completed the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho a few weeks ago.

It was a book that people were talking about forever. And considering the hype it received, I was quite shocked coz much to my ignorance, I did not know it was a motivational book(yes, you can say it out loud - total DUH reader!). Hence, now when I think back of people who say they loved the book, I wonder, wow, did they really?

Its an easy read, simple and short story of a boy on the way to achieve his dream. Its interesting how the book wants you to make the analogies between things such as 'omens', or the significance of each place or project. e.g. the Pyramids, or the girlfriend, or the Alchemist himself.

It does make me feel proud that I chose my path, different and sometimes hard though it may have been, rather than stuck to the old-fashioned ways.

You go Santiago!!!

Best of the Year so far..

Amazon has listed the best books of the year for 2008 -

Must see the list HERE

Life Isnt all Ha Ha Hee Hee

Damn right, its not!!

But the book isn't a good example of representing that either. It was just OK by my standards. Am I a better person because I read this book? Perhaps not, it reiterated for me a lot of things I probably knew already. Still, dont we often read material where we know the content anyways, or at least think we do? (The Secret types.)

Tans, Chila and Sunita are the three characters in the book - all very unique in their personality with distinctive beliefs. The story revolves around the relationship among the three women and also among the people in their lives.

Apparently this book was also made into a television series in the U.K. in 2005:

The cast includes:

Tania - Laila Rouass

Chila - Ayesha Dharker

Sunita - Meera Syal (the author)

If this series does come my way in the far future, perhaps I will watch. But for now, I am back to my own non-ha ha hee hee life.

I hate my nose!

Says, Alfred. This doggie has self esteem issues and is not happy with his appearance, especially the shape of his nose. Sure enough, we may look at his mug and think 'cute'. But that didn't stop Michael Jackson from getting multiple surgeries, did it? Anyways, I am moving away from the point. Alfred is unhappy with his nose and finds himself on a quest for the perfect nose.

Alfred's Nose promises a great story (with a moral, dont we love that!), and good visuals. I wish to buy this book for my nephew, when he is older. I am actually not a fan of dressing dogs in human clothes, sweaters, mufflers, anything to help them stay warm - OK, anything more, Ugh. Yet, I think the moral of the book might make this entire thing interesting.

The book is written by Vivienne Flesher. You can check out a few pages HERE.

A Second Chance

Literary praise much like beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, or reader. Or sometimes praise may be affected by the guilt by association to one's past actions.

After the disaster with A Million Little Pieces, James Frey is now out with a new book – Bright Shiny Morning a book focused on L.A. Interestingly, the NY Times gave it a rave review and its words are a strong but meaningful article giving James a second chance and urging you to do the same. On the other hand, there are other reviews that believe Book 2 is worse than Book 1. One critic implied that if James Frey was going for fiction (which he was not in Book 1), then still the fiction in A Million Little Pieces is much better than Bright Shiny Morning.

Unaccustomed Earth

As a reader of Jhumpa's previous book, I will give this a read. I loved and i mean loved her 'Interpreter of Maladies'. Namesake, not as much. It was good, but kinda slow. The movie was OK too although I wasn't sure is Kal Penn as ideal for the role or if he did a great job. It was a beautifully shot movie though, that I must admit.

In a way I am glad Unaccustomed Earth is a book of short stories. If you have read the book, let me know what you think!