I am yet to read a John Steinbeck book that I didn’t enjoy, and ‘Travels with Charley’ definitely hasn’t broken this circle. The legendary author’s novels are very different, and each of those that I’ve read impacted me differently. What they have in common is that they all have left a lasting impression, an aftertaste,... Continue Reading →
“Seabiscuit: An American Legend” by Laura Hillenbrand
What a book! I honestly can’t remember a book, fiction or non-fiction, that impacted me as strongly as this one. When I was reading about the preparations for each race, my heart hammered in my chest like mad, as if it was I who was about to ride towards win or loss or if it was... Continue Reading →
“Clementine: The Life of Mrs. Winston Churchill” by Sonia Purnell
What a remarkable lady was Clementine Churchill! Here, I guess I am supposed to add ‘and not because she was married to Winston Churchill.’ But, even risking causing the wrath of strong and independent women of today, I won’t do that. Clementine Churchill was resourceful, intelligent, and had an array of subtle talents, all of which she... Continue Reading →
Life after Manzanar” by Naomi Hirahara and Heather C. Lindquist
There are pages in history known to everyone. No matter where we live and whether or not an event happened near us, we still know about it. Often, we treat the event personally, even if it happened on the other continent across the ocean. For example, 9/11 feels like a personal tragedy to me, despite... Continue Reading →
“Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing” by Matthew Perry
Reading this book was painful. I felt sad and angry. At some point, all the negativity so overwhelmed me that I almost decided not to finish. And it says something, for very seldom do I not finish my reads. The reason wasn’t that I condemn addiction and don’t believe that it is a disease. The... Continue Reading →
“Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old: Thoughts on Aging as a Woman” by Brooke Shields
“I can spend time wondering what could have been, but these days I find myself, far more often, wondering what might still be.” I think that this is one of the most important, if not the most important, things that we must embrace when we hit a certain age. I don’t like putting labels, so... Continue Reading →
“Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail” by Cheryl Strayed
Would you do an eleven-hundred-mile hike through the wilderness alone? I know that I wouldn’t. Would you read a book written by someone who did it? I did and loved it. “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail” by Cheryl Strayed is as much about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) as... Continue Reading →
“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou
Before reading this book, I regularly came across Maya Angelou's quotes, and her words often resonated with me. “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud,” “Nothing will work unless you do,” and “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you” are my favourites. So I was glad when an opportunity... Continue Reading →
“G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century” by Beverly Gage
He had served under eight presidents and eighteen Attorneys General. His tenure as a director of the FBI (formerly the Bureau of Investigation) lasted for forty-eight years. He had friends and supporters among both republicans and democrats. At times when his popularity among influential circles dwindled, he retained it among the American people. He was... Continue Reading →
Me: Elton John Official Autobiography
I finally began ploughing through the books I have read but have not yet reviewed, and it feels good that the impressions are still vivid in my memory. It means that all my reads were worthy. It has been several months since I read Elton John’s official autobiography titled “Me,” but I still occasionally think... Continue Reading →