She's A Jolly Good Fellow

The Blurb

Second  Lieutenants Deepa Shekhar and Anjali Sharma have an important task at hand: convince their male counterparts that they too are assets to the Indian Army - rather than merely those with assets. When the 22-year-olds are transferred to a remote unit to a remote army unit, several hilarious situations follow, thanks to the stark novelty of a feminine presence in the traditional male army. However with each passing day, the differences in their personalities begin to emerge. Deepa is more 'officer' - she insists on being called 'Sahab' and even takes to swearing like the troops. Anju is more 'lady' - she can't give up her make and Mills & Boons romances. Or resist the charms of a certain dashing young officer, despite her friend's warnings to stay away. The girls frequently fall out and get back together, but face the same dilemma: is any man worth more their uniform.

About 

Lieutenants Deepa and Anjali (Anju) successfully graduate from the Officer's Training Academy and are posted to Bengdubi, a remote location in West Bengal. They are the first lady officers transferred to that army unit, so their presence was obvious to gain attention. Though in this immensely masculine profession they are united under a task of proving themselves, both of them have very different personalities. Deepa is intent on proving herself to be of the same standards as that of the male officers whereas Anju is more feminine, also getting very keen attention from other male officers. 

As the story unfolds, their personality difference begin to emerge resulting in a lot more fights between the two. The story being centered around the army has its fair share of male characters. Major Prashant Bhat- who seems to have fallen for Anju at the first blush; Lieutenant Sandeep Singh- later named ad Long Nose by the two who cracks impossibly poor jokes; Lieutenant Gairola- who think that army is not the right place for women; Captain Amit Joseph- the main protagonist of the story who has become disillusioned as why he had come to the army. And there are the wives of the senior officers, who think that women should handle lesser masculine jobs and do something that befits the sex.

My Views

Sajita Nair debuts in the world of writing with this novel and she does her job very well. The book is a mix of hardships faced by women in the world of Forces but brings forth also the fact, that no matter how hard it might be, women can and do make a success of it. Although, it cannot be said that the men are all very supportive of them either. 

The book has a lot of laughter and is an enjoyable read that keeps the readers engaged for most part of the story. The behaviour of officers around the duo is really funny as they have no clue how to react around them. 

The book though has more than a few loose ends. Incidents which would have been hilarious generate nothing but a weak smile. At the end the book flags off generating little interest in the readers. Captain Amit Joseph who pays an important role in the book comes across as one dimensional and stupid.

The book is a great entertainer and is a worthy addition to your bookshelf. Do read for a pleasant change!

Order the Paperback on Flipkart.

Author: Sajita Nair 

Title: She's A Jolly Good Fellow

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Hachette India

Published: 2010

Pages: 304

The Broker

The Blurb

In his final hours in the oval office the outgoing president grants a full pardon to Joel Backman, a notorious Washington power broker who has spent the last six years hidden away in a federal prison. It's a controversial move, but what no one else knows is that the presidential pardon comes as a result of enormous pressure from the CIA. They claim that Backman may have may have obtained secrets that compromise the world's most sophisticated satellite surveillance system.

Backman is quietly smuggled out of the country in a military cargo plane; he is given a new name, a new identity and a new home in Italy. Eventually, when he has settled into his lifestyle the CIA will leak his whereabouts to the Israelis, the Russians, the Chinese and the Saudis. Then the CIA will do what it does the best: sit back and watch. The question is  not whether Backman will survive - there's no chance of that. The question that the CIA needs answered is: who will kill him.

About

The Broker starts with outrageous tension in the oval office of the White House as the president ponders over the last minute pardons before leaving the office for his successor to take over. The CIA pressures the president to grant full pardon to a once powerful Joel Backman. In the dead of the night Backman is smuggled to Bologna, Italy with a new identity and a new passport. 

As Grisham provides a flashback, readers get to know that Backman's company had once  received an offer to sell the most advanced satellite system known to man. The system was capable penetrate the highly secure systems of the Chinese and even control them. As the Chinese got a whiff that such system had been made, they went after the three Pakistanis who were the father of that system and the partner of Joel's firm. With four people already killed, Backman is terrified. He pleas guilty and flees to the federal prison.

This is the biggest mystery that CIA wants to solve, to know who built this seemingly most impenetrable and advanced satellite ever.

Backman, smart enough to know the intentions of the CIA for his pardon secretly contacts his son for some sort of help. As the CIA leaks the whereabouts of Backman, he is completely ready for the upcoming hurricane in a manner CIA had never imagined.

My Views

John Grisham is known for his quality thriller writing all over the world. The way he gushes life into the characters is amazing. But I started reading with the usual anticipation I have while reading a Grisham novel. It started fine. I then waited for something to happen. And waited. And waited. Grisham seems to be lost somewhere. The whole story seems to lay forgotten as Grisham slowly rides through Italy. There is analysis of Italian life, language, culture and cuisine from the point of an American. I finished the book and couldn't help thinking that I had just read a report by someone who had spent a long time lounging in Italy.

The plot is very weak and confusing. A veritable carousel of characters with the most bizarre names appear in the plot, play no role and disappear for never to be heard again. Joel Backman is sometimes tagged as 'notorious'(as in The Blurb) and sometimes and just a man with high goals.

The other thing that sets me thinking that Grisham describes in the blurb that there's no chance that Backman will survive but in the end he emerges as the powerful broker again (and of course! Wonderfully alive.). What I mean to say is that isn't that ridiculous that a man with no skills that of a spy can survive when the most skilled agencies of four countries are hunting for him.

My review for the broker is that it is a good read but very low by Grisham standards. Start with this if you want to start reading Grisham though.

Order the Paperback or Hardcover or download the zip file here

Author: John Grisham

Title: The Broker

Genre: Thriller, Fiction (Not Travel!)
Publisher: Arrow books

Published: 2005

Pages: 368

Dear John

The Blurb

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks, comes an unforgettable tale of a man who must make the most heartrending decision of his life- in the name of love...

"Dear John," the letter read. And those two words the heart was broken and two lives changed forever. 

When Savannah Lynn Curtis come into his life, John Tyree knows he is ready to turn over a new leaf. An angry rebel , he had enlisted in the army after high school, not knowing what else to do. Then during a furlough he meet Savannah, the girl of his dreams. The attraction is mutual and quickly grows into the kind of a love that leaves Savannah vowing to wait for John while he finishes his tour of duty. But neither can foresee that 9/11 is going to change the world. Like so many proud men and women, John must choose between love and country. Now when he finally returns to North Carolina, John will discover how love can transform us in ways we could never have imagined.

About

Dear John entrails a story of a couple John Tyree and Savannah Curtis. John Tyree, is born and brought up in North Carolina by his father. John and his father share a common interest: collecting coins. Slowly this interest of his father turns into an obsession and John, now a teenager is no more interested in coins. So having left nothing in common to do, John enlisted himself in army. In a spring break when John returns North Carolina (NC), he bumps into the girl of his dreams, Savannah Curtis. Savannah is staying at her summer home in NC volunteering for a project for Habitat for Humanity.

As the story unwinds, readers come to know that John's father is autistic. Savannah, interested in meeting John's father, takes a liking to him. To help John connect with his father again, Savannah gives John a book on autism. John also meets Savannah's family. But no one can foresee that US will succumb to the 9/11 disaster. This will put John into a dilemma: whether to return to NC where Savannah is waiting for him or re-enlist. He then decides to re-enlist and is sent to Kuwait and then Iraq. In the meantime, Savannah falls in love with someone else and sends a letter to John telling him about the new man in her life. John is shattered by this news and decides to choose army as a career.

John returns NC on leave. His father now terribly ill, eventually dies. John seeks Savannah and is surprised to learn about her life after marriage. This emotional drain by the loss of Savannah and the battle overseas, John is able to express his love in an unexpected way. 

Sparks uses his impeccable skill to convey the message:

"Though harsh and complex, love can transform us forever."

My Views

This is by far my favourite Nicholas Sparks novel with A Walk to Remember being a close runner up. Nicholas Sparks is known for his talent in writing romantic novels. He understands romance in way no other author of this genre does. His works A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, The Best of Me stand testimony to this fact.

One Sunday afternoon, I sat reading Dear John. Till then, I had no idea that I liked such kind of books. His books were intriguing (it is also possible that it was due to the fact that I had been reading thrillers from quite some time). Though romantic, Sparks' romances are far beyond than what it is said to be the Mills And Boons romance. Dear John is a romantic as well as practical novel. It doesn't looks like that the characters are in a fairy tale world or something. The book is a light and enjoyable read. The characters are simple though completely unpredictable. The plot is very moving. The portrayal of the father-son relationship is commendable. 

When I was just starting to read this novel, a friend told me something about the term "Dear John". He told me that in military this phrase means a break-up letter. And when I finished the book I came to notice that he was right. The book actually revolves around this whole thing.

On the whole, Dear John is a novel portraying fatherly love and true love, thus making it a great read.

Order the Paperback on Crossword or download the free pdf file here

Author: Nicholas Sparks

Title: Dear John

Genre: Romantic, Fiction
Publisher: Hachette US

Published: 2007

Pages: 288

The Prophecy

The Blurb

When the writings of 16th-century visionary Nostradamus ring alarmingly true, Jonathon Payne and David Jones find themselves in a life-or-death race to stop those who would use the seer's predictions for their own dark purposes.

In an adventure that spans two continents and several centuries, Payne and Jones must locate a sacred text that may change everything about the future.

About

Chris Kuzneski is known for writing thrillers centered around the duo of Jonathon Payne & David Jones. Payne & Jones, retired members of MANIACs-an elite Special Forces unit in U.S. military are practically trained to tackle any kind of problem.

Payne is now heading company of his father- Payne & Co. and Jones is a private detective. They meet a lady at a fundraiser organised by Payne's company.She is there to speak to them about a historical mystery. The duo are presented with a photocopy of a mysterious and cryptic letter that contains the prophecies of Nostradamus, a prophet from the 16th-century. 

My Views

Reading Kuzneski for the first time, I was impressed by the way he writes phenomenally researched books. After reading and enjoying The Prophecy, I was struck by the Kuzneski fever and decided to pick a Kuzneski novel straight away. The Prophecy indulges you in itself a way no other thriller does. Once you start reading Prophecy you do not plan to sleep. The banter between the two central characters is hilarious and keeps the story from weighing down. You actually feel that you are standing between the two buddies. The novel is packed with a series of fights featuring some very sophisticated defensive gear.
  
Sometimes one feel that he kinda tries to go the 'Dan Brown way' but that certainly is not the case. Though both write the same genre, Kuzneski's writings are far more different than Dan Brown's. Although its difficult not to associate the book with The Da Vinci Code but the most notable thing that sets itself apart from Da Vinci is the fact that its not about religion. Its a refreshing change without deviating from the genre too much. 
But sometimes one feels that Kuzneski is lost in its own side trips. He seems to put everything in the book he knows about a city or a person, for instance, Pittsburgh and Nostradamus. He seems to go on and on when it came to describing Cathedral Of Learning. Sometimes it takes so many pages for the story line to inch forward.At 400+ pages The Prophecy  could have been easily finished within 200. 

The book is a great read but do not expect the writing to be any close to that of Dan Brown or Clive Cussler's though having a great share of entertainment. Must read for those who love the genre.
Know more about the book and the author at www.chriskuzneski.com

Get the Paperback copy on Flipkart or download the Java ebook for mobile here.

Author: Chris Kuzneski

Title: The Prophecy

Genre: Thriller, Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Books

Published: 2009

Pages:406

A new entrant in the world of blogs

I have been reading since the age of ten.

I remember my fears that I wouldn't understand a thing if I started to read some book. This fear was brushed aside as soon as I picked up the The Hobbit.  J. R. R. Tolkien made me start my journey into the enormous world of literature. I have, since then, been enthralled by the world of page and ink.
There is nothing more pleasurable than seeing how an author can transport you into someone else's life making you feel their sorrows, joys, fears etc. 
Its hard to get out of a book, once you taste the joy of reading it. 
In this blog I will be writing my views and synopsis of the book that I have read. I would be glad to take up any book you suggest. 

Till then, Keep reading!