Catching Fire

Katniss Everdeen; dystopian teen-heroine extraordinaire won The Hunger Games. She also managed to save the life of fellow district Tribute, Peeta Mellark and stick one in the eye of the sadistic Capitol. Never in the history of the fiendish Games have there been two winners. But Katniss, with her now famous “poisonous-berries” moment achieved the impossible and had The Capitol impotent with fury.

While Katniss and Peeta should now be enjoying the life of well-deserved luxury, they soon learn that rebellious gestures cannot go unpunished. President Snow is convinced that the grand Katniss-Peeta Love Story is a sham and he’s waiting for Katniss to trip and make that one fatal misstep. If Katniss intends to keep her family, Gale, Peeta and the rest of her district-folk alive, she has to pitch in an Oscar-worthy performance.

But the scent of rebellion lies heavy in the air. Unbeknownst to her, Katniss’ grand gesture has sped up the flickering flame of hope in the people of Panem. In varying districts, the sufferers are rising up…ready to take on The Capitol and it’s ruthless regime. And for this, Katniss has to pay…In a cruel and unforeseen twist in the gut, Katniss and Peeta find themselves smack-dab in the middle of The Games yet again.

Catching Fire is a pacy sequel to The Hunger Games. While it does tend to plod and hop along in the first bit, the second half hits you like a punch in the gut with a burst of adrenaline. Survival, despair, improbable decisions weigh heavily on Katniss as she fights it out yet again in the arena of the Games.

Suzanne Collins has the ability to make you empathize with a beautiful, talented teenage-girl who has two handsome and worthy boys waiting in the wings for her. Never at any point do you resent Katniss for all that is being offered on her plate, because just as quickly you realize that there’s a softly softly catchee monkey hand waiting to snatch it all away.

In all, the book is a worthy middle-child of the trilogy. Collins keeps the action constant, drops in a few startling surprises and leaves you with a truly frustrating cliff hanger.

Kudos to her for getting it right, yet again

My "Twilight" Rant

I always have to eat my words…infact, I should be the poster-child for the “hold-thy-tongue-knave-for-thy-shall-have-to-eat-thy-words-with-loads-of-ketchup” campaign.So after scoffing over the vile reviews on The Twilight Saga, I had shuddered and claimed that there would be a snowball’s chance in hell of me ever picking up the books.......................... Five years down the line, I picked up both Twilight and New Moon…read them at a stretch and thereafter, picked up the movies too. What follows here is NOT a review NOR a vindictive diatribe. It’s just a mini-rant, if you will.

Writing a review on the books is futile. I gave “Twilight”: 3 Stars and “New Moon”: 2 Stars. Now why in the name of all things supernatural did Twilight merit the extra star???

For me, it was the Baseball Scene… the one where the Cullen family had their routine bonding session over lightening fast pitches and thunderous body collisions. What really got my blood (see how many nasty puns can creep into vamp-lit?) pumping was the part where the Cullens sense the presence of the evil coterie of James, Laurent and Victoria and await their arrival with barely concealed despair. Meyer builds up the tension admirably. I was literally straining my ears for the crack of a dry twig . And for the record, if you are of the skittish disposition……please DO NOT read this scene in a quiet room. The slightest, unexpected noise is likely to make you jump like a scalded cat…..then again maybe it’s just me….I do tend to live my life out in a series of overused clichés.

Getting back to the plot, kudos to Meyer for that singular scene. The confrontation between the two opposing parties and the ensuing unfolding of events adequately made up for the mind-numbingly boring first half of the book. So yes…Go Team Edward!!!

And now…Book 2: New Moon. Frankly I don’t recall anything from this instalment except for the fact that Edward Cullen resorts to some Drama Queen moves - Jacob Black cuts his hair and gains and some fi-ine body-definition - and dear old reliable Bella blithely accepts the fact that she has a vampire for a boyfriend and a werewolf for a best friend with her trademark insouciance. Seriously, what is with some girls?? Train-wreck waiting to happen?!? So yep, two stars for New Moon And woo…Go Team Jacob!!!

From that soggy rice-pudding analysis, I move on to the movies. So did I like Twilight – The Movie? Did I understand why millions of teen girls all over the globe go weak in the knees at the mere mention of Edward Cullen? To a certain degree, yes. Robert Pattinson was an inspired bit of casting. I can imagine the collective sighs that must have rent the movie-halls when marble-faced Edward makes his model-worthy appearance in the cafeteria. Kristen Stewart was a reserved and confused Bella to the tee. The supporting cast was pretty adequate but I expected Dr.Carlisle to look a tad less pointy-faced. Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black shows promise of morphing into the rockstar wolfboy of New Moon.

Today, I got done with New Moon. Verdict? Edward, get over yourself! Jacob Black was delicious…as a buff human in the guise of Taylor Lautner or as an oversize russet-coloured wolf. Bella…honey….have you seen Jacob?!? Now THAT’S perfection….not Mr.I-Sparkle-In-The Sun-Edward. In all, the acting was better….the hamming was minimal and yep, the movie belonged to Jacob Black.

And for what it’s worth, …..with all the subtle crabbiness I exhibited above, I am still looking forward to The Twilight Saga: Eclipse which releases in June. Go figure…. :)

Rumour Has It

What do you do when you are stuck in the boondocks and have been flicked one too many times by a cow’s tail? You nudge Bessy (or one of her many cousins) aside, dig out a (hopefully) decent chick-lit and settle down for some good ol’fashioned reading.

And Jill Mansell’s Rumour Has It proved to be a surprisingly good entertainer. I use the term ‘surprising’ because I had expected it to be a run-of-the-mill smut-fest peppered with loads of gratuitous sex. I am happy to report that it was in fact a small-town tale about friendship, romance, gossip, slander and verbal slug-fests handled with refreshing candour.

Tilly Cole is twenty-eight years old and freshly dumped by her lacklustre boyfriend. She plans to leave behind the hustle and hassle of bright-lights London for the quiet charms of small-town Roxborough. She follows this up with an impulsive decision to take up the post of Girl-Friday and general dogsbody to handsome (and divorced) interior-designer Max Dineen. And no, she isn’t launching into a predictable relationship with him. She gets along splendidly with Max, bonds with his teenage daughter and provides a welcome ear to his surprisingly pleasant ex-wife; Kaye.

So who does Tilly blow hot-and-cold with? The charming, lady-slayer Jack Lucas. Jack hits all the right buttons but he’s also apparently alley-catted his way through all the ladies of Roxborough. Commitment-phobe Tilly doesn’t want to be another notch on his bedpost but he’s proving to be singularly hard to resist.

Other story-arcs include Tilly’s best friend Erin who has launched into a hush-hush affair with almost-divorced Fergus. Almost-divorced Fergus is still trying to escape the clutches of his scary wife, Stella. Max’s ex-wife Kaye also has an interesting number of pages devoted to her, what with being a prominent soap-opera star and facing the nasty side of Hollywood when a vindictive producer-wife decides to have her blacklisted. Kaye’s subsequent escape to Roxborough and the escapades that unravel thereafter provide for quite a few chuckles.

After being sorely disappointed by some seriously seedy chicklit, 'Rumour Has It' turned out to be refreshing and the proverbial breath-of-fresh-air. It had all the twists and turns of an afternoon slot soap-opera but minus the air-brushed actors hamming it up.

The Bride's Farewell

On the eve of her wedding, a weary but spirited farmer girl gathers up her beloved horse, Jack…and an unexpected companion in her mute brother, Bean and escapes…She escapes from a future that promises to be bleak and soul-crushing.

…and thus begin the reluctant adventures of Pell Ridley.

Striding about in breeches, she’s an expert on all things equestrian. As she heads off to an unknown future, she meets strangers who promise to put the Devil to shame. But there are also reluctant Samaritans…people who can overlook the shoddily-clad girl to notice her core-strength. Pell meets individuals with hidden-agendas and also ones with genuine kindness. The cherry on the cake is the enigmatic Dogman (whose real name remains a mystery). Brooding and brusque, he cuts a promising figure as a possible hero to Pell’s newly awakened senses.

If you cut to the chase, it’s a simple story…straightforward, with a lot of coincidences (or fate, if you will) neatly stitched in to keep you sufficiently entranced. The beauty of the story lies in the mellifluous language of Meg Rosoff. The prose flows, the plot unwinds gracefully and as you turn the pages, you wish the book were an age-old parchment covered with loping, curlicue script befitting a fairytale.

The genre in itself is difficult to peg down. Not wholly a romance, barely a thriller and just skirting around the edges of a coming-of-age tale – The Bride’s Farewell encompasses the life of a girl who has enough guts and gumption to keep you hooked till the very end.

GODS AND GODDESSES From The Epics and Mythology Of India

Childhood memories are choc-a-bloc with my mum plying me with a steady supply of Enid Blytons while my dad matched it with an equally regular dosage of Amar Chitra Kathas (ACKs).

Amar Chitra Katha : The grand-daddy of Indian Comic-Books.

Summer holidays bring hazy images of lying sprawled on a big,squishy bed with a bowl of banana-chips, a packet of hard-boiled sweets and an array of ACKs being devoured at an alarming pace.

Time has passed and snazzier, spiffier graphics dominate the day. The dog-eared ACKs went off to roost in some long-forgotten trunk. And then... in a newly-opened bookstore, I came across this stomach-crusher of a mega volume. Overwhelmed by a strong wave of nostalgia, I gave in and heaved the tome home.

The book is a tribute to the numerous Gods and Goddesses that make Indian Mythology a hot-bed of engrossing tales. An uber-cool Lord Shiva mesmerises you with his primordial love-story. A lithe and cheeky Lord Krishna metamorphoses from a playful cowherd to the slayer of corrupt-kings and power-mad asuras. Lord Vishnu, the protector of the universe stays true to his celestial post and dispenses justice to his devotees. Our much-adored Lord Ganesha makes his interesting debut…and the incandescent Goddess Durga is a powerhouse of energy and awe-inspiring warrior-moves. Jostling for space with these stalwarts are the lesser known but equally respected Gods like Balarama,Lord Surya,The Ashwini Kumars and Lord Indra.

It is a brilliant way to introduce children to the Indian pantheon. Infact, anyone who wants a quick and non-pedantic peek into our rich mythology must pick this up. I don’t fall into either of the aforementioned categories and am pretty much attuned to the tales of our mighty ones. But our Gods are cool. They had foibles…they were distracted by pretty faces and sensuous figures…they fell in love and occasionally, even granted boons which could be quite a bummer in time to come. And yet, they were benevolent. They treated all with a sense of fairness and when all else failed, cut wicked-cool figures on the battlefield. Gentle spirits, fiery tempers and super-human prowess all lay the foundation for some addictive tales

So do buy the book (or more like, wheeze and pant as you try to lug the book!!!) and make a much-welcome addition to your collection of must-haves.

The Hunger Games

Someone posed a very interesting question in a Book Review : Why is it so hard to talk about the books we love?
One would assume that after devouring the book in one sitting, the accolades would flow in a never-ending torrent…that our ravings would be an incoherent babble as we bored our listeners to glazed eyes and barely-concealed yawns. But such a book deserves respect and a well thought-out review. A review that doesn’t sound like glorified fan-mail but is infact, a point of reference for those who dither and hem and haw over whether the book should be picked up or not.

The Hunger Games is one such shining example. I am one of the last few to fall prey to the Katniss-Gayle-Peeta addiction. Although fellow readers wrote sparkling reviews, I was sceptical. I didn’t want another “Twilight Saga” on my hands. I wanted a worthy contender for the magic created up wee Potterkins. And I found such a challenger in plucky Katnis Everdeen and her tale of guts and glory.

In a post-apocalyptic North America, lies a nation called Panem. Run by the autocratic CAPITOL, it is surrounded by 12 Districts. The CAPITOL wields a stinging whip over the surrounding areas by forcing them to send one boy and one girl (between the ages of twelve and eighteen) to participate in the annual Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is the reality show to end all reality-shows…a cruel form of entertainment where the contenders fight to the death on Live TV.

Sixteen year-old Katniss Everdeen from District 12 becomes one such contender when she steps forward to take the place of her younger sister, Prim. And so begins the macabre game of survival. Despite having been a hunter all her life, Katniss must now bring forth all her skills to stay alive. What makes the game particularly poignant is the fact that none of the contenders are truly enemies. Hence elements of surprise, brutality, treachery and even murder are all reluctant weapons to be employed against one another. As the CAPITOL plays puppet-master, it is up to the fiery Katniss and fellow contender from District 12, Peeta Mellark (the baker’s son) to keep their souls intact as they dabble in the deadly game.

In true reality-show tradition, the Master Card of Love is thrown in to spice up the proceedings. Katniss and Peeta are instructed to play star-crossed lovers…lovers who know that there can be only one survivor in the end…One Survivor…One Winner who will bring glory to his/her district and a life of never having to experience poverty ever again.

I can truthfully say that I loved the book and it’s host of characters. Katniss Everdeen makes a splendid main-lead. Following in the tradition of Hermione Granger, she exhibits a admirable cache of skill, valour and the ability to hold her head in worst-case scenarios. Love interests, Peeta and Gale lay the promising foundations for a sure to-be-followed triangle.

Author Suzanne Collins is the mistress of her craft. As she knits in loop-holes around the least expected corners, she leaves you gasping with disbelief. And just when, with all the pomposity of a long-time reader, you assume that you have the plot all tied-up in your head…………she throws a spanner in the works!

Yes, this is a series that I am definitely going to follow. I am going to haunt bookstores looking for the next instalment. I am going to read plot-summaries, character assassinations and improbable fan-fiction on the various online forums. I am going to froth at the mouth as I recommend the series to my long-suffering friends. I am going to plaster my desktop with fan-art from DeviantArt.com. I am going to look forward to the movie-release and in true book loyalist fashion, I am…MOST DEFINITELY going to shake my head despairingly and claim that yes…the book was better than the movie.

The Immortals of Meluha (Book Review)

"When evil reaches epic proportions, when all seems lost, when it appears that your enemies have triumphed………a HERO will emerge"

…and emerge he does…with style and chutzpah and sheer PRESENCE!

Lord Shiva is undoubtedly the coolest God of the Indian Pantheon. With his dread-locks and tiger-skin attire……he oozes charisma, has definitive Rockstar leanings and epitomises the “I-give-a-flying-fig” attitude to the hilt.

Amish’s take on the original alpha-male is that of a Tibetan tribal war-lord. Set in 1900 BC, Shiva is a brawny, war-weary youngster. Constant, brutal clashes with an opposing tribe seem to be the sorry way of life. So when a tempting offer comes from the land of Meluha (or the Indus Valley Civilization, as we know it), Shiva graciously accepts. Meluha, an almost perfect empire was created centuries ago by the good king, Lord Rama and it promises immigrants like Shiva and his ilk, a life that is peaceful and free from disorder.

But beware of Meluhans bearing gifts! When a standard clinical procedure of drinking a medicine called *Somras* turns Shiva’s throat into a startlingly blue colour, his destiny is changed forever.

The Meluhan empire ruled by the noble Suryavanshis is facing trouble on several fronts: Bitter feuds with their arch enemies, The Chandravanshis…the gradual drying up of the holy river, Saraswati which plays a crucial role in the manufacture of Somras (the elixir which has kept the Meluhans young and healthy for hundreds of years)…and the dreaded terrorist attacks by the widely feared group of sinister Nagas.

A battle between Good and Evil hovers like a pregnant rain-cloud and the Suryavanshis are confident that Shiva is The Neelkanth – the blue-throated one, destined to lead them to a much-yearned for victory.

For a weed-smoking barbarian like Shiva, the concept of him being a messiah is laughable. He would much rather concentrate his energies on winning the love of the dignified Sati who treats him with barely concealed contempt. But love is intertwined with war and a hero cannot be kept down for long. Evil must be destroyed and Shiva rises to the task splendidly.

And here lies another crucial question. What exactly is Evil? Are we prejudiced by our self-righteous view points? If our opponent has something different to bring to the table, does that make his opinion wrong? Evil, almost??? Can Gods or humans elevated to the gleaming pedestal of Godliness make mistakes?

Shiva is a turbulent blend of these confusions. While his appearances in battle are awe-inspiring in their ferocity, he is burdened by his inner demons. He is a synergy of a young man who inspires bonhomie amongst his peers, a warrior who can raze the enemies in a burst of raw fury and a lover who just wants to impress his heart’s desire with a spell-bounding display of exquisite dance moves.

The story, the first in a trilogy would appeal to fantasy/ mythology lovers. The network of characters is rich and varies from supercilious kings to cryptic sages to dignified princesses to crusty generals to patriotic aides to smarmy villains to sinister anti-heroes. Lord Shiva is the icing on the cake; strong, kind-hearted, irrelevant and ruled by his passions. For those familiar with Indian Mythology,stay alert as various legends are weaved in with precision, laying the groundwork for a much-awaited sequel.

Percy Jackson goes Graphic

Percy Jackson and The Lightening Thief will soon be available in graphic-novel format (*Y-AAYY*). The artist is one talented ATTILA FUTAKI (how cool a name is that?!?) and I can't wait to lay my grimy paws on it.

Read more by clicking on the following link: Lightening Thief Graphic Novel Page and Interview

Wedding Season ~ Katie Fforde

Frothy/Gauzy/Summery…any of these three adjectives would apply to this book. It doesn’t claim to answer the big questions of life but does promise to be a perfect holiday read.

Sarah, the cynical yet super-efficient wedding planner; Elsa, the hides-her-light-under-a-bushel dressmaker and the multi-talented hairdresser, Bron make an engaging trio. As the team tries to pull off two essential weddings on the same day in a limited time span, they hurtle through the usual vortex of panic, chaos and last-minute goof-ups. Adding spice to the proceedings are their respective love-stories that are entertaining and non-smutty.

So, if you have been doing some brain-jogging reads of late and need a respite…this is just what the doctor ordered. Also recommended for those who love the Brit's whimsical turn of phrase.

Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, #4)

Unashamedly teen, unapologetically feminine and uninhibitedly glorious; “Forever in Blue” is a satisfactory winding-up of the celebrated ‘Sisterhood of The Travelling Pants’ series.

It took me forever to lay my hands on the final instalment…long enough for the magic of the pants to fade and the backstories to dwindle into fuzzy memories. I forgot about Bree’s bull-in-a-china-shop routine, Lena’s lovelorn ramblings, Tibby’s incapacity to open up and Carmen’s sheer vivacity. I forgot why I had devoured these books. I even forgot that the first ever book-review I had written was on a Sisterhood book. And then like a friend who had moved overseas and returned for the summer, we reconnected and it all came flooding back.

In the fourth and final book, the four friends are leading their individual lives. Lives carved out of the trials, heartbreaks and happy endings of the previous summers.

~After struggling with her parents’ approval and dealing with Kostos’ betrayal, Lena has taken up a painting class at the RISD. She is also very taken by the hugely talented (and handsome) fellow art student, Leo. Will Kostos return to smudge the idyllic palette?

~Tibby’s brain oscillates in overdrive as she deals with the no-holds-barred love that friend-turned-boyfriend, Brian showers on her. She believes that karma will eventually catch up and mock the happiness that seems to engulf her.

~Bridget 'Bree' signs up for an archaeological dig in Turkey. Distance from boyfriend Eric makes her susceptible to the charms of a thirty-year old (much-married) professor, Peter.

~And the glorious Carmen (always my favourite character) has become blurry around the edges. Always shining bright, she now tries to blend into the background and play lady-in-waiting to alpha-female and fellow drama student, Julia.

But the feisty four cannot be kept down for long. In their individual styles, they mull and fret and fume and rave and rant and hurt and heal and all along the rollercoaster ride give you glimpses of teenage angst that are so familiar, you could almost taste it.

Ann Brashares’ writing is whimsical and cathartic in equal measures. You see snapshots of yourself (and your friends) in Lena, Tibby, Bree and Carmabelle. You remember the insecurities that you hopefully have outgrown. You reminisce over the improbable love stories that never reached fruition. You recall the battle of wills that you had with yourself. You smile lazily as you mentally dredge up the friends who shaped you, stood by you, fought WITH you, fought FOR you and made the most emotionally-charged years of your life truly memorable.

All you ladies who were once super-amped teenagers, read the series. It may seem predictable, a little low on the laugh-a-minute quips and a tad dramatic. But in the end it’s an emotional tug that keeps pulling you insistently to the very end.

For reviews on the other Sisterhood books, please click on the following links:

> The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants

> The Second Summer of The Sisterhood

>Girls In Pants: The Third Summer of The Sisterhood