sneha

** nuggets of wisdom but from a very witty friend who is like an elder sister with high emotional quotient **

I heard about this book in passing in a random YouTube video and not gonna lie, I was intrigued by the cover. I am def that person who judges books by their cover. I have simple reasoning for it. A book is a labour of love. Every author puts an incredible amount of effort to write and edit it to perfection, publish and market it. So if an author who cares so much would also put in a significant amount of thought and effort in bringing forwards a book cover that is in line with the values and theme of the book. I feel a book's cover is a good proxy of what the book's vibe would be, followed by a blurb. I read this book online (and I wish I had the hard copy for this). This one is definitely the one for annotating and revisiting in bits.
The first 100 pages just felt like a confessional/romanticised chronicle of drug and alcohol use. I pushed through it because it felt like an interesting study of the cultural traits of a British teenager. I could not relate to it one bit. It was the style, the humour and the (lack of) structure of the book. The more the author ventured into her 20s (it's a memoir, if you didn't know), I felt more invested.
It takes courage to recognise and write about your flaws, insecurities, mistakes and bare it all out. For May, the act of facing the truth is hardest, let alone write and publish it for millions to read it too. She is compassionate while she talks about love, loss and friendship. She is witty when she discusses sex, alcohol, drugs and parties. She is wise when discussing adulting, relationship and career. The tone syncs well with the theme and it all flows so effortlessly as a giant big story.
It is like a fun, engaging and non-preachy TED talk from your friend, delivered over multiple cups of coffees. I think this one is worth a repeat telecast and I see myself referring to some of my highlighted bits now and then to remind myself of what's important.
I still don't know who Dolly Alderton is, apart from the 300-odd pages I read about her and I am fine with it. This felt like a more laid-back, chiller version of Tina Fey's Bossypants. (highly recommend the book if you haven't read it)
I love women telling personal stories where they provide a deeply flawed person erring and fixing and still succeeding, makes them feel real (while providing assurance that I am not a complete failure and it's never too late).
I'll end with one of my favourite quotes from the book (there are many).

“I finally grasped the machinations and subtext of that phrase the year I turned twenty-five. When you begin to wonder if life is really just waiting for buses on Tottenham Court Road and ordering books you'll never read off Amazon; in short, you are having an existential crisis. You are realizing the mundanity of life. You are finally understanding how little point there is to anything. You are moving out of the realm of fantasy ‘when I grow up' and adjusting to the reality that you're there; it's happening. And it wasn't what you thought it might be. You are not who you thought you'd be.”

Excerpt From: Dolly Alderton. “Everything I Know About Love”.

This felt like a really long essay with separate but interlinked section. I'm glad the author and editor chose this length and it felt very concise and intentional. I did find the last 30% a bit repetitive. I like the premise of the book (that's why I even begin reading it) but i wish the examples and case studies could have been less global north centric. Listen, i could be wrong here but it felt that the author, after writing Bloodlands had a ton of info on Stalin and Hitler regimes. He found that the 2016 American climate showed certain early signs of it and used those observations to call out the traits of a would-be tyrannical state. Now I understand this move, and it also makes sense. As a historian you've spend years reading up stuff and it doesn't need to be used in only onebplace. But (and it this a big but) if your premise is to show the tell tale signs of fascism and tyrannical rule shouldn't it go beyond just two countries?

This book pulls examples predominantly from Russia and WW2 Germany. And while it address America for most parts, he could have used the growing rise of right wing fascism from countries in South American, African and Asian continent for there are plenty. The Russian and German rule and their implications are already widely known. But wouldn't it make more sense to use lesser known and more subtle states that have this tyranny to hint at cautionary signs?

I love Ruskin Bond but I really didn't like this anthology of his favourite murder mysteries.
Except two, the other stories weren't engaging or entertaining enough. lacked that essential murder, mystery, macabre flavour.

update: 24 hours after I declared I could not finish the book and that I give up trying to - I did just that :3 turns out, the key event happens just after I quit the book. and this cold gloomy town became even worse. I won't rate this because of how stressful and infuriating the central theme was. The aftermath felt so real, ugh, I can't even. Toxic masculinity and bad behaviour from “winners” are enabled by a society, we know. this book breaks that down so bloody well. I liked the weird ending, now I'm done with this book.


22nd September:
that's it. I am DNF-ing this. I cannot go through this book anymore.
This is the first DNF of this year. I am almost 40% through, and there is not a single character I give a damn about. The setting feels so grey and sad. I am sure it's intentional, but I don't like this book's energy.

This is not a criticism of the writing or the story (or the narration). I am sure they are all great; I love Backman's work. But I feel like this book, right now, is not for me. It's a classic case of it's not you, it's me . Maybe another time, another place, I would enjoy this. Returned this book to get Secret History, lol.

I quite literally stole time to read this lovely lovely book. You know when something is hyped up and it LIVES to all that hype? Yes.

I paired up with my (only?) work friend to read this book together and in middle of an instance few weeks of workload we got some cozy sanctuary in this.

Sadie's been on my TBR list for years. Despite the hype, I kept myself completely aloof about the premise. I was worried that I would not like it. I tried reading it a couple of times but never got into it. When I sampled the audiobook, I knew I had to get it. Best 90 rupees I have spent on audible.

The production is SO good. The performances were great, and the whole “podcast” angle works out very well in the audio medium. The music on credit broke me more than the story.

I found the story a bit slow. Like, a slow-burn podcast, it makes sense that Sadie's parts felt a bit repetitive and dragged but perhaps that was a reflection of how she saw her reality. Her voice sounded real, her character made you feel the pain. It was a good read (listen). I'd like to imagine [spoiler alert] that she is living a happy-ish life in LA.

This could have been a long read article. Very disappointed by this book. It is repeating itself over so many times. Certain examples don't even work with the point they are trying to talk about. And they are reusing content from the previous books. Just not what I'd expect from the duo. :(

This book is written with the kind of thoroughness that one had grown to expect from Reza Aslan. It's a historical take on the mythological folklore around the enigmatic entity of God, charting the origin and various evolutions that it underwent. While the book primarily focuses on Abrahamic religions, it draws support and references from all religions of the world. Having said all that, I didn't particularly enjoy this book so much as I feel like my expectations from this book were very different to what it had to offer.
It is still a very solid read for anyone who wishes to know more about the origin of the modern religions as we know it.

medium: audiobook
this book urges you, encourages you and helps you develop a cosmic perspective. This one is definitely going in for a second read some time in future as one time isn't going to be enough to remember the details.
I learnt a lot of new facts and discoveries in the field of Astrophysics and Cosmology. I absolutely love the writing by Tyson. His writing is simple, scientifically detailed and draws in the bigger philosophical picture while discussing all aspects of our big vast universe.
I listen to it for five days while getting ready in morning and stepped out feeling like an important yet humble entity in our giant universe. This one also inspired me to pick up a Carl Sagan.

** all we need is a little love (and food, shelter, money, medicines) but yeah, human companionship **
I was so worried that this was going to be a case of “over-hyped books that are actually just average.” Happy to report I was only 27% right. This book apparently made it to Reese Witherspoon's book club and thus causing a riot. (later part may need fact-checking)

I have been wanting to read the book for over a year now. I saw this popping up everywhere. On my Instagram page, recommended by Bookgrammers, overpriced airport book shops, in newsletters of artists I respect and admire. Heck, a stranger even raved about it in one of my book club visits.
So last week I decided, Eleanor Oliphant it is! Since I can't buy stuff right now and Amazon won't deliver (read: national lockdown), I got an ebook on my iPad. I firmly believe that if I had read this as a paperback, I would have enjoyed it 13% more. (Don't ask me why I know I would have).

I start very slow, I felt a bit lost, but the simple fluid writing got me through it. It was very reminiscent of Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. The first 100 or so pages felt very average; it wasn't a badly written story - I just didn't see the mass appeal around it. But as Eleanor's character grew, so did my interest and involvement with the book. Her character arc is paced very well, and Gail Honeyman did a bloody good job with it, more so since this is her debut novel. You're with Eleanor as she goes through the ebb and flow of growing, hurting, learning, and growing a bit more. I did feel the musician story arc was a bit rushed and ended a bit abruptly since it was presented as a singular focus of the protagonist for most of the first half of the book. But I nitpick.
It was an absolute joy and delight to see how many genuinely nice human beings through the book. All these characters - strangers, trying to be kind, supportive, warm, friendly, and overall decent human beings. With all the hard work and kindness of essential works and healthcare staff in our current times, this just restored my faith in humans even more. The central theme of the book is the value of fostering deep human relations - the introduction of which causes Eleanor's life to change for the better. It's visible with characters like Raymond, Sammy, and Laura.
Can we talk about Raymond for a hot second? Let's do that. Raymond, you gem of a human being. Anyone who knows me well has been an audience to my “nice guy” rant at least once. I hate the “nice guy” trope. I despise it when men are all “nice” and “sweet” and “helpful” but also dorky in their own adorable way but whine when they don't get the girl (read: Brian Jackson from Starter for Ten) feeling that they were entitled to it be with her, to begin with. Like, nuh-uh, ain't nobody got time for that drama. Raymond was a refreshing character. He is genuinely a nice human being. Ladies and Gentlemen, news flash, a real nice guy won't tell you he is one every five seconds - his actions speak for him.
The plot could have very easily divulged into a rom-com story but didn't, instead of celebrating the power and grace of a healthy, positive friendship. We don't see Raymond or Eleanor trying to do nice things to get into each other's pants, but just do them for the sake of it. Raymond is your classic gentleman - goofy, a little shabby, big-heart, pragmatic, but also pushing boundaries. His efforts to support Eleanor through her trauma and pushing her out of her comfort zone, sometimes through mundane acts like grabbing lunch or a pint, is truly nice. Being nice is when you do things without expecting something in return, and that's what my man Raymond does. It is just so comforting to see two individuals of opposite sex helping one another and enabling their growth because they are “pals” and “that's what friends do” without forcefully driving it into a romantic direction. YES - need more of this, please.

This book deal with some weighty issues - childhood trauma, gaslighting, domestic abuse, chronic depression, toxic relationships. But as a reader, not once did I feel like Eleanor was a “victim.” As she declares in the last chapter, “I am a survivor!” - heck yes, you are! We are delicately guided through Eleanor's trauma and adversities while giving us space to deal with our own reality. I saw a very non-fluff, a non-romanticized depiction of therapy in this book. It is slow; it is messy, and once your hour's up - you could be a hot crying mess but will still be guided out of the room. Getting help for mental health is neither shown as shameful, not glamorous, just like getting help for a physical alignment and for that, kudos.

Now, more than ever, since we are all isolated some comforting human connections, maybe this book will remind you to reach out to your friends and have a heart to heart.

It's a solid book with a slightly predictable storyline, but the stellar set of characters make it worth reading. Yes, it was slow to grow one, but by the end of it, I had a big fat smile on me ‘ol face. (argh, I am reading too much British fiction)

The book makes good points but the overall information is very lackluster and repetitive. Could have been published as a long read article instead!

I am going to use cynicism as a shield from the pain the last chapter of the book makes me feel? Yes.

The concept of the book is great, the elements are so unique and interesting. The implementation tho is a bit dodgy. I like how some characters are polished and layered but others just come off as tired stereotypes (not in an offensive way but just boring and one dimensional). The voice and personality of Mateo are so real and makes you feel all the right feels. But Rufus felt so inconsistent. The writing and tone of his character kept switching, his style dialogues did not make sense with his history and context. It feels that the book could have gone through two more rounds of brutal editing to fix some loopholes and tone issues.

Overall, a nice chill YA fiction about two boys going to die young and living their best life while on their way to the end road. It's not bad but it could have been so much better.

it's complicated, I need to sleep over it.

This is a very information-dense book, but it doesn't feel like that (at least not all the time). The author has created a character that introduces you to this world, its eccentric practices and bizarre players. The voice is so fresh and real that you stay engaged even when you aren't sure what index or IPO they are discussing. The key terms are introduced early on, and you're sure to learn a lot of new stories about the companies you've heard of.

For 80% of this book, I was like, “I better pull all my money out because these stories of the Indian stock market read like a non-stop medley of scams”. But in the last 20%, the author (or rather the character he created) provided some helpful perspective.

The sound design and narration for this book on Audible India were

<< misleading title and messy structure but it's solid average read >>
First of all, it's pretty annoying that Goodreads has only one title option, it's How to Watch Football, not soccer. Gah. Now that's out of the way, let's talk about this book.
I started and stopped this book thrice. And after having finished it now, I think I know why that was happening. If you think reading this book would improve your football viewing experience, you're in for a disappointment. This book makes certain claims that it does not deliver on.
Rather than being a Football 101 book, it's an autobiographical account of Gullit's life where the fundamentals of the game are discussed through various aspects of his playing and managerial career. The anecdotes are very personal, and contextual to his career. This book requires a decent amount of pre-requisite knowledge about the game and the drama of European football. The characters or the situations are particularly explained but rather you're dropped in the middle of it. If you're aware of the key figures and their ideologies in the work of football, this is quite a decent read but if you're thinking of starting out, you'll be left quite overwhelmed.
My second issue is with the characterization. A decent chunk is spent with Mr. Gullit explaining his life and many of his “hot takes” are biased from his experience. The “theoretical” bits are a bit chaotic. The systems and style of play are covered in detail before discussing the positions. Certain portions discussing “the reality of sport” felt like a Sunday gossip column, certain reminiscence of “the good times” felt confessional.
I did enjoy the chapter on footballing cultures around the world and how the ideologies have affected the quality of the national squad, but again, I'd take that with a grain of salt. I felt like I needed to keep a skeptical view throughout the book, and that wasn't much fun.
That is not to say I didn't learn new things. I definitely picked up better insights on certain formations and got a gentle nudge on the styles of play. There were some random stories peppered around that I ate up like a juicy burger but overall I felt very underwhelmed by this book. It made heavy promises that it wasn't in the position to pull off.
Jonathan Wilson's Inverting the Pyramid is a better footballing book to check out (and Wilson is a journalist, not a player, so he tends to be a bit less biased).

Medium: audiobook narrated by the author
WMD is like a long podcast. It is filled it case studies and instances of how badly created statistical devices build using terrible proxy indicators effect real communities and oppress them.
This book is a very easy read (listen). Cathy doesn't dwell more in the details of how these models are created, something that I wanted to learn more about. This is basically a curation of important stories and how mathematical models lacking societal context hurts the very people it was made to help. I wish she described these black box models more and discussed the math a bit. But overall, it was a very informative and interesting read.

juts trying to get ahead of the season finale <3

I don't understand why this book has so many positive reviews. Either they did not read the book, or they have chimed in with overenthusiastic “patriotism”. First, this book is not “An Indian Spy in Pakistan” but “An Indian Spy in Pakistan Jails”. We don't learn anything about the mission, his purpose, or his life as a spy. The book starts abruptly and ends abruptly. A few pages in, he is caught in the book about his time in various jails.

Which would have still made for a good story if there was a flow to it. It feels like random diary entries with a stream of conscious flow. How can I root for the lead character and applaud his bravery for the nation when I don't know anything about him? After finishing the entire book, all I know is he is parents, wife and child (he never met), he thoughts on current affairs of that time and how much he finds homosexuality disgusting :upside down smile: I literally know more about the criminals in his jail and the lead character.

What kind of a “memoir” ends with you learning nothing about the man it is about? The editors of this book should rethink their work on this book.

Oh my god, the narrator was SO bad. I have consumed my fair share of audiobooks to realise that basic decent narration is not hard to achieve. Text-to-Speech bot would have made for a more engaging narration. This was prolly one of the slowest and most boring “spy books” I might have read.

A no nonsense guide that focuses on building strong values and growing as an individual. Definitely demands a second read!

Brutal starts off very promising but loses the charm after the first few pages. It becomes extremely predictable, repetitive and down right boring for a thriller.
It has plot points of Kingsman and a cast that frankly come off as painfully cocky and unreal. The characters are shallow and lousy, falling into stereotypes. The dialogues feel lazy and forced. The whole of second half is trying to hard to be something it isn't.
I appreciate the effort that Uday is put and the book is okayish for a first time author but it really should have undergone atleast three more cycles of editing. It couldn't keep up the hype it created and died down a slow painful death. The plot was flying out of control, a bizarre mix of Bollywood mainstream spy thriller meets a forced international arms dealing angle. The main component of the story lacked serious conviction. I read this in one sitting primarily because I wanted to get done with it.

I tip my hat to you, Ms Christie.

My first experience with a Christie novel was ... less than pleasant. It was a summer school assignment. Read “A Mysterious Affair at Styles” and create a book report on it. I distinctly remember reaching out to the teacher to confirm if the book report had to be positive. She said, “Be honest and just write about your experience with the book” and boy was I honest about how much I despised it.

My early teen self was quite critical of her work and her flimsy approach to “murder mystery”. I am not sure why but I had a much greater expectation and demand from the book. I recall while researching supplementary material for the report that Styles was her first book, written as a challenge with her sister who thought she can't write a murder mystery. Ms Christie claimed to have won the challenge but I'd have contested that victory. Since that experience, I stayed off the famous murder mysteries of Agatha Christie and the eccentric adventures of Hercule Poirot.

Until last year, when I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook of The ABC Murders. I thought it was the dramatic radio show enactment that made is enjoyable. In the spirit of a new year, I wanted to give Agatha Christie and her work a fresh start. When I picked up “And Then There Were None”, mostly because it was heavily discounted at a local bookstore, I was not expecting to enjoy it this much. I read the book in three sitting on a weekday after work. And supplemented that with the BBC mini-series. Both were such fantastically executed. I understand why this was voted as the favourite Agatha Christie Murder Mystery. And you bet I am going to read the other two on that list.

Murder of Roger Ackroyd, here I come!

A love story Simone deserves :)

Finished this in under 24 hours because Carrie is just that good of an author.
Her voice is so honest and natural, yet unique to her. Stan

first book of 2020, yay! (or not, since it's a comic)
I have been following Sarah's work on the internet for a long time. Adorakable and relatable introvert and creative mind comic panels are sure to fix your day.
But this book sigh didn't feel right. Maybe I'm being unfair and holding it to high standards, but this book lacked a coherent narrative.
Now before you come for my throat, in my defense, I grew up reading Calvin and Hobbes comic strips in the newspapers. When I finally got my hands on the comic book collections, I was amazed by how well structured they were. Individual comics, while being an absolute masterpiece in itself blended with all the other strips effortlessly to give a collective theme.
This book lacked that. Also, I felt a little cheated at the lack of quantity of comics.
My fav bit was the texture of the cover of the book. The sweater part on the front page, made with actually sweatery material. That was pretty cool and unique. But overall, it was ... alright. Read the whole thing while sipping coffee at IKEA.

a great read for anyone starting college or high school. Comprehensive, simple and easy to follow this book is a compilation of all the best study tips and advices.