Disco of the departed by Colin Cotterill

Title: Disco of the Departed
Author: Colin Cotterill
ISBN: 9781569474648
Publisher: Soho Press/2006
Pages: 247

This is the third book in a series, that is featuring Dr. Siri, but it does hold on its own. Dr Siri, is 73 years old coroner of Laos. He has the gift of a Shaman, which helps him in moments of crisis. Here he is called upon to solve a murder in the mountains of Huaphan Province in Vietnam. He has to find out about a corpse who arm is protruding from the concrete walkway. Now this walkway is situated between the president's previous hideout and his new mansion.

Dr. Siri along with his assistant in the form of Dtui, has to find out what led to the murder of that unknown corpse. He unravels political plots, mysterious beings and he can also hear and watch disco of the spirits. Dr. Siri, infact does participate in one such dance. He has to decipher the meaning of all this and more.

Initially the book was slow. But it did pick up speed after halfway through. The idea might seem a bit far-fetched but being an Indian, this talk about spirits, supernatural powers made a lot of sense to me. I liked that simpleton Geung very much. He was what kept me going to the finish., not to forget wry humour in here. Also the politics and culture of the place added to my reading.

I wouldn't call it a fast paced mystery but it does have its moments.

Booking Through Movie Potentiality

What book do you think should be made into a movie? And do you have any suggestions for the producers?

Or, What book do you think should NEVER be made into a movie?

The one book that ought to be made into a movie is Ulysses by James Joyce. May be that is only way I can get through it. The producers can go any way they want to!

To answer the alternate question, I don't like movie version of books. So my answer is, let them be..

Rachel's Tears by Beth Nimmo and Darrell Scott

Title: Rachel's Tears
Author: Beth Nimmo and Darrell Scott
ISBN: 9781400313471
Publisher: Thomas Nelson/2008
Pages: 179

I received this book via Thomas Nelson.

Rachel Scott, a teenager was killed at a shootout on April 20, 1999, at Clumbine High School, where twelve others died aong with her. Since from very young she had believed in God and Jesus. That day before the shootout, she was eating lunch with another friend, when she was asked if she believed in God and when she affirmed, she was killed instantly.

Dealing with such a tragedy is not easy for anyone. Expecially for the family of that person, who had deep faith in God and Christianity. This book is about her faith, the jottings she made in her Diary and her way to reach out for others. Maybe this also helped her parents to deal with the tragedy and live with hope. This book is for all those who believe in the power of healing by hope, faith and belief.

The Curse of the Holy Pail by Sue Ann Jaffarian

By the age of forty-seven, I had technically broken nine of the then commandments. Although, I'm still fuzzy about the whole graven image thing.

Title: The Curse of the Holy Pail
Author: Sue Ann Jaffarian
ISBN: 9780738708645
Publisher: Midnight Ink/2007
Pages: 343

The book is set in New Power Beach, California. Odelia Grey, a paralegal and a plus size woman, gets involved in a murder when one the clients of her firm, is murdered. Sterling Price is a millionaire who collects lunch boxes. He is murdered and a lunch box goes missing. Now who would want a lunch box? But the said lunch box, known as the Holy Pail is worth a fortune.

There really are people who can go to any extreme to get hold of the holy pail. It has a curse that whoever owned it has died. Odelia takes it upon herself to solve the murder. She makes it a point to talk to everyone who has come into the periphery of Price.

With queer set of people thrown in, it is a fun filled mystery. It does keep us laughing but I found it repetitive at places. I wouldn't call it a nail biting one as I could guess the murderer somewhere in the middle. Maybe going around in circles about the purpose, cause and people did that to me. Humour is there but mystery fizzles out.

Odelia grey is a lovable character and one of the hudlums here too is likeable. Then there is a romantic angel between Odelia Grey and Greg, 10 years her junior. I found their relationship very sweet. It does have its redeemable points.

Musing about New Authors

“A book must be an ice-axe to break the seas frozen inside our soul.” Franz Kafka

What is your policy when it comes to new authors? Do you feel comfortable purchasing a book or do you prefer to borrow new authors from the library? How often do you 'try out' a new author?

I am very open to new authors. I like to explore new books and new genres. I do buy new authors very often. The blog world too is a big help in such matters. We already know a few authors from there when we go book buying. Even without that knowledge, I read through the back cover and buy.

Sunday Book Coveting

“Books are a narcotic” Franz Kafka

The Vagrants by Yiyun Li

During the Cultural Revolution countless unspeakable acts went down in the otherwise unremarkable industrial town of Muddy River. Lovers betrayed lovers, children denounced their parents, and neighbors became sworn enemies. A few years later, the townspeople have convened at the public stadium to witness the execution of Gu Shan. A Red Guard leader in her youth, she has received the death penalty for her counterrevolutionary writings and unrepentant attitude. In Yiyun Li's startling debut novel, The Vagrants, we are introduced to Gu's parents, neighbors, and a handful of Muddy River's social outcasts whose lives have been irrevocably affected by her life and death. Yiyun Li's unblinking and unpredictable fictional narrative demonstrates how corruption and cruelty, fear, and moral ambiguity at the level of the individual reflect the dehumanization of an entire society.


Pictures at an Exhibition By Sara Houghteling

Set in a Paris darkened by World War II, Sara Houghteling's sweeping and sensuous debut novel tells the story of a son's quest to recover his family's lost masterpieces, looted by the Nazis during the occupation.




Dream House by Valerie Laken

It is a riveting debut novel that tells the story of a domestic drama that will forever change the lives of two families. One terrible night. One outraged act. What price will people pay to hold their homes and dreams together?

Beautiful Children by Charles Bock

A wide-ranging portrait of an almost mythically depraved Las Vegas, this sweeping debut takes in everything from the bland misery of suburban Nevada to the exploitative Vegas sex industry. At the nexus of this Dickensian universe is Newell Ewing, a hyperactive 12-year-old boy with a comic-book obsession. One Saturday night, Newell disappears after going out with his socially awkward, considerably older friend. Orbiting around that central mystery are a web of sufferers: Newell's distraught parents, clinging onto a fraught but tender marriage; a growth-stunted comic book illustrator; a stripper who sacrifices bodily integrity for success; and a gang of street kids. Into their varying Vegas tableaux, Bock stuffs an overwhelming amount of evocative detail and brutally revealing dialogue.

Passing Strange by Martha A Sandweiss

Clarence King is a hero of nineteenth century western history; a brilliant scientist and witty conversationalist, best-selling author and architect of the great surveys that mapped the West after the Civil War. Secretary of State John Hay named King “the best and brightest of his generation.” But King hid a secret from his Gilded Age cohorts and prominent family in Newport: for thirteen years he lived a double life—as the celebrated white explorer, geologist and writer Clarence King and as a black Pullman porter and steel worker named James Todd. The fair blue-eyed son of a wealthy China trader passed across the color line, revealing his secret to his black common- law wife, Ada Copeland, only on his deathbed.

All these books are coveted courtesy of the http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books/index.html

Paper Rose by Diana Palmer

Title: Paper Rose
Author: Diana Palmer
ISBN: 9780373770212
Publisher: Mass Market Paperback/1999
Pages: 379

Diana Palmer is one romance writer I really like. Her novels do follow some sort of story with twists and turns. As I am in the midst of evaluating answersheets, I thought this light read made a good change.

Tate Winthrope saves Cecily Peterson from her abusive stepfather after her mother passes away. He helps her to get out of town, to college and on the road to her dreams. All this is more than enough for Cecily to fall in love with her. Although he does not show it, Tate too has feelings for Cecily but feels that he must marry within his tribe to keep pure Native American bloodlines alive. Then a scandal erupts which changes Tate's life and Cecily knows that she will go to any extreme to help him.

With many twists and turns, this book does manage to hold interest. I expecially liked the character of Colby, a undercover agent and friend of both Tate and Cecily. Leta, Tate's mother and Senator Holden are other characters who too are very endearing.

At point I felt, Cecily should marry Colby, who is good for her! I learnt quite a bit about the Native American culture. However, the book did feel a bit longer towards the end. It could have done with a bit of editing!

Booking Through Best Books

What’s the best book that YOU haven’t read yet?

There is no such thing known as the best book. There are many, which are our favourites. I think I can list more than one here, which I know are great reads and I am yet to get around reading:

1) The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
2) Beloved by Toni Morrison
3) Schindler's Ark by Thomas Keneally

Best part is, I own the first two!

Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker

The Day I laid Robert Morgan to rest was remarkable for two reasons. First, even though it was August, the sky overhead was as rough and cold as January lake; and second, it was the day I started to shrink.

Title: Little Giant of Aberdeen County
Author: Tiffany Baker
ISBN: 9780446194204
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing/2009
Pages: 341

It is a novel about Truly Plaice who is of enormous proportions. It is assumed that her mother died giving birth to this giant of a child. Her elder sister Serena Jane is petite and beautiful. Their father does not know how to care for his daughters. Truly outgrows all her clothes and hence is made to wear men's clothing.

When their father dies, both the sisters get separated. Serena Jane is taken by a well known family and Truly paced in the care of a family who is looked down upon by the villagers.

When Serena marries Bob Bob Morgan, Truly is left behind and forgotten. But fate has something else in store for her. Bob Morgan turns to Truly when Serena disappears from his life. There she finds something which changes her life to a great extent. She gets hold of the Shadow book of All cures written by Tabitha, the witch-wife of the very first doctor of Aberdeen. How that knowledge changes her destiny and all those who are close to her?

Truly finds her place in the village, her size does not bother her anymore and she finds love despite her size. Truly lives her life with dignity, is very lovable and has that wit about her which is very sweet. This book has a happy ending, almost magical..

Musing about skipping/skimming

When reading do you read every word? Do you ever skip chapters or skim over parts?

It depends. When I read poetry, I read each and every word. Infact I pause over each word and savour those. There are certain writers whose writing has to read in its entirity. One can't leave out anything at all.

But there are books, where I have skipped pages and pages. Mostly romances. One book I must mention here: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. Although I like her work, I couldn't read through the speech in it. I skipped tha