The Silkworm

Cormoran Strike is back and how! Robert Galbraith is back on the block with his second novel, The Silkworm. Since, the success of The Cuckoo's Calling, expectations were high. And Galbraith does not disappoint.

Since the famous Lula Landry case, Strike's business has been looking up. But nothing more interesting than the marital vows of the rich cross his doorstep. Leonara Quine is a welcome change when she hires Strike to find and bring back her husband, a rather controversial author. Leonara is confident that her husband has taken off to some place for a few days; an old habit of his. 

But could this time be a little more than that? His latest, yet unpublished novel threatened to defame some of the biggest names of the literary world and reveal a few secrets. And he disappeared after a rather public row with his agent. Could his manuscript be the reason for his sudden disappearance?

Galbraith builds an interesting web of mystery and traverses the literary world with ease. Strike, along with the eager and efficient Robin, takes every twist in the case in his stride, literally. The Cuckoo's Calling introduced us to a war veteran. The Silkworm gives us more than just a glimpse of his past. With characters from his past adding to the story line, we get a better insight into the man behind the coat.

An array of suspects, each with a secret, Charlotte's marriage, and Robin's turbulent relation with Mathew, The Silkworm also proves to be a study in human psychology. In parts gruesome and gory, the book pushes you to the edge of human darkness.

Since Sherlock Holmes & Hercule Poirot there has been a huge gap in the world of detectives. Cormoran Strike is becoming the iconic detective of our generation and filling the gap with his large stature.

A must read for all mystery lovers & looking forward to Strike's next case.

The Fault In Our Stars

Chick flicks and romantic novels are present on the shelves, dime a dozen. Therefore, mostly I walk past them without as much as a glance. The last time I read, and thoroughly enjoyed, a modern day romantic novel was Erich Segal's Love Story. And it remains a favourite till date.

Recently, another book has been making a lot of noise - The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. As is becoming the norm with most books, this one too is gaining popularity because of the soon to be released movie adaptation. So before I saw the film, I decided to read the book.

On a lazy Friday evening, after work, I walked into a book store and bought the book. Since I was skeptical, I bought it on sale; no point wasting much money. 

And I spent the entire weekend reading.

To my utter surprise, I could not put the book down, and read it straight through the two days. No romance has kept me hooked in this manner since Oliver & Jenny. And here were Hazel & Augustus making me laugh, cry, and fall in love.

Although dealing with cancer patients, Green does not romanticize or sympathize with the ailment or the patients. They could very well have been Tsunami victims and still make you feel warm inside. It is not as much about the fight against the disease as it is about a fight against time. It made me sit up and think about all the people who mattered to me, and how much time I had spent with them lately. It made me re-think my priorities. It is not to say that holding on to a job and paying bills isn't important. But once in a while we need to break free of the routine and spend some time laughing and dreaming.

Hazel and Augustus retaught me a lesson long forgotten - it is the right people in your life who make life worth everything. And you better take notice of them before life decides to spring a surprise and it is too late.

The Fault In Our Stars is definitely up on my list of modern day romances after Love Story. Go read it, or simply watch it once it is released. Either way, be sure to have a tissue box handy.

Dear Mr. Watterson

My choices in life can only be defined as bizzare, like my choice of a pet. I wasn't ready to bring home the regular pup or kitten. I longed to cuddle a tiger. Having grown up on Alladin and Jasmine every Sunday morning, was it really that weird to ask for a tiger? 

Little did I know that in another part of the world a kid was really growing up with a tiger. I discovered this kid in 1995, ironically, the year that this kid and his tiger made their last public appearance. Calvin & Hobbes bid goodbye to millions of readers around the globe. But our friendship had just begun.

The first Calvin & Hobbes strip was published in 1985; just a year before I was born. Calvin and his imaginary friend, Hobbes had captured the imagination of millions of readers, young and old, around the globe. People waited everyday for the daily paper to continue their journey with Calvin. And then everything came to a standstill in 1995.

First Calvin & Hobbes strip, published November 18, 1985

But I was not aware of this at the time. At the age of nine, following the demise of my grandfather, I discovered a kid as crazy as my imagination. In Calvin I found the realization of all that I wanted to do in my life but was told that it would be abnormal. So the abnormal me took refuge in daily cartoon strips. For long, my father had tried to inculcate the habit of reading the newspaper. I had finally picked up the paper, but my reason did not match his. I was not interested in the political state of affairs. I was more interested to know the state of affairs in Calvin's home and school. My curiosity lay in finding out more about the progress of G.R.O.S.S (Getting Rid Of Slimy girlS).

Calvin & Hobbes had opened a whole new world for me. They were the voice of reason that could say aloud that the adult world did not make any sense. For years, Calvin & Hobbes have defined friendship and fun, with little doses of though-provoking philosophy. Every time there was need for a little smile, Calvin's smart-ass comments and Hobbes voice of reason were right at hand.

I discovered years later that Bill Watterson, the creator of Calvin & Hobbes, had started the series purely for his wife's entertainment. Although he syndicated the series, he never let go of complete control, in that he dictated the size and print of the series, and never agreed to merchandising. In doing so, Watterson is no different from Calvin who is not willing to let go of his imaginary world and join the world of adults.

I have never been much interested in the world of graphic novels. To me they have always been limited to the daily comic strips in the newspaper. But Calvin & Hobbes is an exception. It is the only graphic novel collection, a gift from my brother, that stands proudly amidst my book collection. 

The original series had concluded with the iconic "Let's go exploring." In my life the series never came to an end and the exploration continues.

Last Calvin & Hobbes strip, published December 31, 1995

The Devil Needs To Rest

Sequels are always a tricky old dog! It is not without reason that some of the greatest sequels in literature have been released without much delay. It doesn't serve much purpose if the audience has forgotten about the original, no matter how big a bestseller it may be.

The Devil Wears Prada hit the shelves in 2003 and took readers by storm. Supposedly inspired by Lauren Weisberger's own experience at American Vogue magazine, the book was a breakthrough in the chick-lit novel market. Miranda Priestly, made memorable on screen by Meryl Streep, struck terror. Speculations that Priestly was an adaptation of Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of American Vogue, only helped the publicity department. The book and its screen adaptation were equal hits.

Ten years later, Weisberger returned with the sequel, Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns. Andrea Sachs has moved on in life. She co-owns a successful wedding magazine, The Plunge and is married to Max Harrison, heir to the Harrison Publication Group. Weisberger probably intended this to be Andrea, alias, Andy's second tryst with The Devil. However, it is no more than Andy fighting her own fears.

The momentary reappearance of Miranda Priestly and constant conversations about her omnipresence, along with recurrence of other characters from the first book, are the only grounds of calling this book a sequel. But the ground is shaky! Andy could very well have been called anything else and we would still have the same story. Nothing in the book inspires readers enough to go back to the first book and find out the reasons for Andy's reservations. For those who may not have read the first book, the 'sequel' remains a standalone book. It definitely forces me to think, if some studio got interested in adapting the sequel to screen, what would Meryl Streep do this time around?

Having spoken to a few friends who are huge fans of the first book, I did not find a single person who was interested to know what happened to Andy after she unceremoniously quit The Runway. The readers could definitely have survived without the sequel.

Think its time for Weisberger to wrap up those Prada and put The Devil to rest.

The Man Booker Prize

The Man Booked Prize is a literary prize awarded each year to the author of the best, original, full-length novel, written in English language. The author has to be a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, the Republic of Ireland, or Zimbabwe.

Starting 2014, the award would consider other authors, provided that the original language of the book is English, and it is published in the UK.

The 2013 Shortlist:

• We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo (Chatto & Windus)
• The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton (Granta)
• Harvest by Jim Crace (Picador)
• The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri (Bloomsbury)
• A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki (Canongate)
• The Testament of Mary by Colm Toibin (Penguin)

The 2013 winner would be announced on 15 October, 2013.

Who do you think will walk away with the award and adulation this year?