When I read "Scion Of Ikshvaku" By Amish Tripathi

If you've read & loved the Shiva Trilogy by Amish, then you've probably already read the Scion Of Ikshvaku, or at least already have a copy lying in your bag or next to your bed. So this review is not for you, my fellow fan of this new age indian mythology. I say "new age indian mythology" because over the last many years, Indian mythology of today has undergone a change and is different from the Sunday stories that our parents and grandparents grew up with. 

The Scion of Ikshvaku sticks to the age old tale of glory, duty, sacrifice, virtue and honesty - the Ramayana. It begins with Raavan kidnapping Sita from the jungle where Sita, Ram and Lakshman were spending 14 years, having been banished by King  Dashrath from Ayodhya and moves into flashback from a time just before Ram's birth.

But there are some twists in the tale, which the reader will not expect, and which hooks you onto the book. E.g. Dashrath battles with Raavan on the day that Ram is born and loses.

There are parts where the book gets too detailed and lumbers on and the reader is tempted to skip a few pages. E.g. Ram's discussion with a motley crew of people at different stages of the book on dharma, the law, etc.

All in all a decent book to read, but if you've read the Shiva Trilogy and expect the same level of story telling, you will be slightly disappointed.

Will I read the sequel? Maybe, maybe not.

When I read "The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared" By Jonas Jonasson

Every once in a while a book comes along that is engrossing and un-put-downable but rarely does a book come along that has those 2 qualities and is also humourous. 

"The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared" fits in the latter category. It tells the story of Alan Karlsson, who has just turned 100 years old but who is fed up of the life that he leads in the old age home and runs (figuratively) away. 

We follow Alan as he travels across Sweden making friends and experiencing adventures that you wouldn't associate with a centerenian. E.g. riding on a rail inspection trolley with a corpse while disguising it to look alive, travelling with a circus elephant, and not to forget an event that pretty much started the mad adventures - stealing 50 million kroner from a goon.

Along the journey, Jonas Jonasson takes us into Alan's past to discover that this demolition expert has been an involuntary part of some of modern history's pivotal moments and met the men and women that have scripted the world as we know it. From Mao to Truman, from Churchill to Lenin, DeGaulle to Reagan and many more in between.

Besides enjoying his outlandish life story, you take back much more than giggles and guffaws. Alan's a laid back kind of guy who believes in taking life as it comes. He makes no plans for the future and just deals with what life doles out to him; something that this generation of micro managing & over planning individuals would frown upon from behind their smart phones screens.

It's a must read for anyone looking for a laugh. The incredulous adventures of Alan Karlsson will have you smirking all through the book.

Highly recommended.

When I read " How to read a book - The classic guide to intelligent reading"

How to read a book - The classic guide to intelligent reading
By Mortimer J. Adler & Charles Van Doren.

'A living classic' - a phrase that stands out on the back cover of this book. Originally written in 1940 and revised and updated in 1972 this book talks about the importance of reading correctly and how that can be achieved.

The main aim behind writing this book was that as children we are taught how to read only till we've reached the 5th or 6th grade, post which the focus of our schooling shifts to other topics like geography, science, economics, etc.

The book divides reading into 4 types - elementary, inspectional, analytical and syntopical - in ascending order, being cumulative as they go along.
Elementary being basic reading, inspectional being skimming, analytical being understanding and syntopical being the ability to read multiple texts on the same subject simultaneously.

While the book starts off well, it tends to become too wordy and lengthy as you progress. Being a guide to improve your reading, the book ends with some practical exercises which entail reading small passages from the biographies of some classic authors, which if you are interested in history, will be quite captivating.

There are some interesting take home pointers, about the importance of scanning the table of contents, the publishers blurb, the authors introductory note before picking up a book to devote your precious reading time to.

Another good point made is that reading is of 2 types - for information and for understanding.
Reading for information is when you read something that you have some prior knowledge about, but it is when you read to understand that you stretch your limits by reading passages that require rereading and contemplation before you grasp the author's point of view.

At 426 pages, I have to be honest and say that I did not read each and every word on every page. But as the authors point out "Race through even the hardest book. You will then be prepared to read it well the second time."
Somehow, I don't think I will be giving this one a 2nd read.

When I read "Around India in 80 trains" by Monisha Rajesh

If the title doesn't pique your curiosity, the well designed cover will. I came across the book while browsing through Amazon.in for books to buy. A fan of travelogs, I picked this book which is inspired in a way by Jules Verne's epic novel, Around the world in 80 days.
Monisha steps into the shoes of Phileas Fogg as she and her friend, conveniently referred to as Passportout, traverse India on board 80 trains.
An idea which takes root in her head on a cold winter day, takes Monisha from her home in London and puts her smack in the middle of the chaos that one might associate with train travel in India.

A journey that takes her from Kanyakumari, the southern most tip of India to Udhampur in the north and Ledo in the east to Mumbai in the west; a journey that has her spend a few nights in luxury on board the Indian Maharaja - Deccan Odyssey to Passepartout sleeping in the linen closet since they didn't have confirmed seats on the Pune Nizamuddin Duronto Express, with a trip on the famous Darjeeling toy train thrown in for good measure.

All through the journey, Monisha discovers India and Indians at the grass root levels, their idiosyncrasies, their way of life, their thoughts and their aspirations while also discovering a bit of herself.

Fleeting mentions of Indian cuisine partaken (chicken lollipop, aloo parathas, murukkus) sights visited & experiences undertaken (rat temple (karni mata temple at Deshnok, Rajasthan), wagah border, Vipassana) its an easy and fun read that let's you explore India in a different way.