Yes! I have read it!

My reply to anyone who asks me this with a raised eyebrow, “You have read Harry Potter!”

I have not just read it my friends, I have lived and read each book more than 3 times.

Why?! Because it relates to me! A kid who wants to be understood and considered as an adult is in every one of us. People think living in a fairy tale and fantasizing about having all those magic around you is childish. To dream and portray ourselves among the icons of an era. To be able to float in the words of a brilliant writer and to understand the need to be in love & to be loved is not just for kids.

Harry Potter was a magical and mystical world of words! J K Rowling created it with so much balance that the thread she weaved throughout the course of the series was the bond of love & friendship.

I would say I grew up with Harry Potter, Hermione & Ron! When I started reading the book I was thirteen years old so were all three of them! I had carried a radio antenna around as a wand and always tried to jinx bullies!

My experience with the seven books is dedicated to Aparna for reminding me the days I spent with Harry & his friends. Those magical days with my friends at Kendriya Vidyalaya and those moments of goose bumps, will remain cherished in my heart!

Mischief Managed!

I too had a love story - Ravinder Singh

A boring train journey back home was in my plans! By then I remembered borrowing a book from Vinay.
This was supposedly a romantic work. Romantic novels never inspired me (nor to love, nor to read them)!

May be no romantic book made me feel enough as movies did. Movies like "The Notebook" left me dreaming and fantasizing about a love life so beautiful & enchanting. That's when I got "I too had a love story" !

After boarding the train, I scoped for possible targets to look at & ponder. It was one of those days when you see couples all around and look out of the window just to remain satisfied that there is no one near to eat your head!

Lost in my thoughts, I opened the book. Small book, matter of hours! Enough to make boring journey mildly interesting.

Boys will be boys! The book gave all impressions of the same. A blossoming love story through the magical web of internet! From there began a different love story. Conventional boy girl talks and the proposal. Left me wondering whats so special about this book.
The title of the book still kept me reading through. The romance and the happiness where getting to me. Rest of the journey I was thinking about being in love again.

The title was something that kept me probing into the book. In between I even thought I was a sadist waiting for the inevitable tragedy to occur. But the bliss of being in love was so scintillating that I forgot the title and kept on going.

Was it very abrupt? I kept asking myself. She can't die, she can't leave him alone. Mixed emotions and tears found their way out. I cried after reading that book. I remember the instance when i felt "Titanic" was stupid and didn't have any logic in "Rose" crying over "Jack"'s demise. But here I am in a train to Kannur, trying hard to with hold my tears, that too after reading a book.

Mr. Ravinder Singh, some where in the book you hit the nerve that made me feel being alone is far better than being in love. I don't know whether to compliment you for the book or criticize you for the feelings that welled up in me. But I loved your book and the style in which you portrayed it.

I too had a love story - touched the love inside me!

The Day of the Jackal - by Frederick Forsyth

How many of you have read this amazing book? Till last April I was not aware of the world this book created! Thank you Hiran for lending me this beautiful book! ;)

I have heard a lot about this book from my friends and family. But never understood why they praised a novel which involves the hunt for the assassin and the plotting for the kill. After all we have seen lot of movies which involves all these and more.

But realizing that this novel was written so early in time and most probably would have been the base for all the criminal investigative movies, thrillers and novels of our times! Kicking off the plot with the failed attempt on the life of the President, left me wondering which side should I be in. The President’s side or the plotters! With an open mind, I started digesting some of the history involved. Surprisingly, the writing is simple but so enriched in detailing that it left me in the shoes of the plotters! I started wondering what I would have said and what I would not have. The eventual thought process and the plan to bring in a professional assassin seemed inevitable.

Jackal- the name seemed very apt for the character, because he was the lurking predator in the dark. Planning each move with perfection & precision the Jackal closed in on his prey.

An officer who preferred to run the extra mile of going through details catches the conspiracy and from there begins the hunt for the Jackal.

An average looking Cop takes up the hunt. The sword hanging over his head he works out the details of the hunt. What caught my interest is the average looks and normal build of this cop makes him tick, because people relate to him while investigation & interrogation! Some where I felt that bit soothing! :)

The Cop followed the path and focused on details thoroughly! Left me wondering in how many movies I have seen this! The Super Cop hunts down the assassin. The Jackal falls and gets buried in the unknown in an unnamed grave.

Interestingly the clue that set the whole hunt in motion was wrong in the very beginning! The Jackal was never identified! 

Twisting and turning this book is the coveted Bible for all Assassinations! The cunning Jackal with three disguises and the Super Cop with pure logical thinking won my heart. Still confused in whose side I am in!

Books always created a world for me, this one created a world in which I may not prefer to live in but would definitely prefer to visit once in awhile!

Shiva Trilogy

Born near a Shiva temple, I am an ardent believer in Lord Shiva. 

Looking at the cover page of The Immortals of Meluha, I felt the curiosity to check out the book which my friend admired so much.

The Immortals of Meluha - Started with blood and gore, went on to captivate me in the beautiful description of Meluhan architecture and brilliance. The romantic Saga of Shiva and Sati, made the pages turn. The beauty of this well written book was revealing itself, when I started relating it to the stories I heard in my childhood. The child in me tasted the same feel of fantasy and excitement of Somras in rest of the book. Beautifully crafted and well related to mythology, I was able to craft the image of this mortal Lord Shiva who rose to become the God. The rules of Lord Ram, the Gentle Naga and the romantic couple twisting and turning in times made me wait and crave for the next book.

The Secrets of Naga - The child in me was never satiated by the pages. Suspense about the mysterious Naga, the Elusive Queen of Naga and the beautiful couple in love kept me waiting for the new book. Finally I got my hands on The Secrets of Naga!  Pages turned & events spanned, Mysterious Naga, turned out to be Ganesh and the Elusive Queen of Naga was Kali. The brilliance in the plot started unfolding right in front of me. Sitting in the hostel room reading the son meeting the mom after 90 years and sisters reuniting, was so well written that it left a small pang in my heart. Amish were successful in depicting Lord Neelkanth's anger and passionate love. The friendship of Shiva & Veerbhadra, the respect for Krittika in the minds of Shiva & Sati, was heartwarming.

The Oath of Vayuputra - First two books in one month and I stumbled upon the third one by pure coincidence. I grabbed it and rest is what I would call epic. The book took me with Shiva, throughout the length and breadth of Ancient India. The brotherly love between Ganesh & Karthik was the prime attraction. The bloodthirsty fervor in the young Karthik, brilliance of Ganesh brought me back my childhood fantasy. Obviously before Superman, Batman n all, Ganesh & Karthik were the superheroes who ruled my fantasy world. :)

The final book brought about tears and the shiver reading the final fight of Sati. Every word made me feel like staying inside the battleground. 

Amish you reminded me about those childhood memories when I would pour into television to watch the serials and soaps of Gods n Goddesses. You taught in simple and brilliant narrative that you don't need blue throat to be a God; you just need to walk the path of righteousness and truth to be considered God. 

Expecting such numerous & brilliant works from you.

Parvateshwar was exemplary! The guy just won my heart!

Har Har Mahadev! :)

My Citadel of Books!

The books I read sometimes makes me think, sometimes it makes me cry my heart out and sometimes it just makes me wonder why I didn't read it before.

To all my friends out there, I would share with you all the books that I read and have read so far, with a piece of my mind there! 

Thanks to my friends, who never scolded me for not returning the books I borrowed. Thanks to my family for not throwing the novels away, whenever you people caught me reading them inside my textbook. Thanks to all my librarians for putting up with my endless quizzing for more books.

So here goes...!!! :)