Tag: Books

Thrillers Books Worth Reading!

It’s very difficult to find thriller books, that keep you engrossed till the last page. And if you have found it by the same author twice, it couldn’t be better. 

Keigo Higashino a Japanese Author! Ah! Yes, another Japanese author. 

Journey under the midnight sun is about A group of children playing inside the building have found the body of a pawnshop owner, 

Detective Sasagaki’s investigation unearths more questions, but never reaches any conclusions. One of his chief suspects, the partner of a woman who the pawnshop owner visited on the day of his death, dies in a car crash soon afterwards. 

Though Sasagaki’s suspects there is more to the deaths, the case is abandoned. But, Twenty years later there are some leads that hints sasagaski that he could finally solve the mystery. 

This is one Book, I came across after enjoying reading “Midsummer Equation by Keigo Higanshino” 

  and what surprises me most about the author and his books is that when you are searching for “Best Thriller Books” You only come across American authors & British Authors, but none of the  Japanese authors, in the first few links and in the first few reviews. And I wonder why? “Japanese authors” are really underrated. This whole curiosity for “Japan” For me grew after I visited the country, it was a place I wanted to know more about? 

Keigo Higanshio is best known for his book “The Devotion of Suspect X” 

Yasuko Hanaoka accidentally kills her ex-husband, when circumstances rose to an unendurable level of ghastly behaviour from him. What follows is an elongated and witty brain-game between the investigator and her accomplice, Ishigami, who aided Yasuko in covering up the murder. ”The Devotion Of Suspect X”is the story about an ingenious plotter, and clever Dr Manabu Yukawa, who helps in solving the case.

In case you are looking to read a nice page-turner and are finding it difficult which one to start with you could surely start with “Journey Under The Midnight Sun by Keigo Higashnio” 

Plotters By Un-Su-Kim 

I have been in a frame of mind, where I am enjoying some nice thrilling stories, 

That is a quick read, written in a way, where you want to know what happens next. 

And after reading Keigo Higanshino’s ”Midsummer Equation ”last year and Under the midnight sun, I found Plotters by Un-Su-Kim a South Korean writer. And having watched some really good thriller movies by Korean Filmmakers, Maybe I had high expectations from Plotters, And as the story unfolds it becomes a predictable story, with not much material to keep you holding to know why, Whereas Books like “Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins” “Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn” Keeps you engrossed. 

While I am not saying  “Plotters”  wasn’t a good read, It certainly wasn’t as good as these, But very much alike like a series I just watched on the streaming platform “Giri/Haji” where The main underworld boss, hires people to do the damage (Assassins/HitMan)  But surely questions if we continue behaving like Assassins/Hitman all for that chair to be the boss for a reason, That we might think we hold the power, Power to continue the same racket/Practice where nobody gains anything, but only losses.

Plotters are read for those, who enjoy a little cliche story and someone who just would like to enjoy a crime story of how the Mafia works in a very simple, plain and easy to understand read. 

Some More of My Writing #2

What The Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell

 

 

What The Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell

Reading a Malcolm Gladwell after about two~three years and it was the title that interested me to read another one of Malcolm Gladwell. This is the 5th Book that I read from Malcolm and this one is as insightful as the previous ones But this has had more case studies that I could relate to personally after a long time and the writing style and the writing is similar to all his previous work – The Tipping Point, Blink, Outlier and David Goliath. Some of the case studies that I could relate to were the Heinz case studies & Prego case studies as these were both I had heard about a long time ago. Is Talent overrated and The Mind hunter we’re other case studies I could relate to. -As I had just watched Mindhunter on Netflix a couple of months ago so it was interesting to live so many stories again.

Garden of Eden by Ernest Hemingway

The Final novel by Ernest Hemingway, Which is believed to be an unfinished Work, for me a rather disappointing read.

The story is about Catherine involving herself & her husband David who is a writer in a strange, erotic triangle with another young woman – And we really never know why until a couple of chapters before the bookend.

This was one book – that was lying on my bookshelf for years and now that I was spending too much time at home and no books to read. I found another book that I was hoping to read “One Day” That day came last week and within a week, I was done reading the book. Maybe I picked the wrong “Hemingway Book” Maybe I had huge expectations. May Be I was just wanting to read a book and that’s why I chose “Garden of Eden”

The style of Hemingway Books are normally incomplete sentences, not too descriptive and just always giving us an outline, not many details of anything much – The setting, and the story takes too long to make you realise what is the actual story. Being my first, I still wanted to know if at all anything happens?

And yes they do, but it too late for that. Leaving the reader to think why did it take this long.

Maybe, Because I have read it today after so many years of it’s the publication and the Era that this story belongs, doesn’t really connect and hence maybe I haven’t enjoyed reading a book from one of the finest writers – Ernest Hemingway.

Being Mortal By Atul Gawande

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

A Book that I have been wanting to read for a while. That was written in twenty fourteen And what better than a pandemic to understand from a doctor on why “Being Mortal” is important and how we aren’t ready to face it and it’s consequences and during this time it’s an apt book to read.

Being Mortal is on the subject of “Death” – Yes, It questions why in medical we don’t discuss death as important as a “life” and how should we deal with the topic of death.

And the book questions us with some thought-provoking questions –

  • If independence is what we live for, what can we do when it no longer be sustained?
  • The real Issues with Nursing homes & how they are solving this problem?
  • What exactly is the job of one in the medical field – Only to ensure the health & Survival? Or is it also to teach & look into the well being of one?
  • Is it true – Once someone loses their physical independence – A life worth of freedom is simply not possible?
  • And Scientist advances have turned the process of ageing & dying into medical experiences & why is it medical world prepared for or in today’s context wasn’t prepared for it?

You must surely read this book once not only because of what all it makes us question. But because a Doctor himself has shared his thoughts & Experiences on how unprepared we are to face Reality.

This is a slightly Emotional, Dull and emphatic read. But A Must Read

Personal Book Review – Becoming & Charles Chaplin !!

 

Becoming by Michelle Obama

I Wouldn’t have really read this book. But, The moment you read It’s written by the former first lady, You know it’s going to be a great read. As it’s going to have things you wouldn’t know about their lives and you also get the chance to know the White House from an insider, The whole architecture, The protocols and the life behind the camera as a president and more importantly Michelle Obama’s journey in life.

Charles Chaplin – Autobiography

I really don’t like reading artist biographies or autobiography’s who have been part of the entertainment industry. For one they could be totally biased, one-sided and slightly boring to read. But Charles Chaplin I have been wanting to read for a long time, a couple of days before we went on national lockdown (25th march ’20’ ) I was about to place an order from the e-commerce website, But did not. Also, having read most of the books that I had already ordered and now worried I had no books to read, First I began scrolling from my contacts and messaged a couple of my “friends” if they could lend me some books. After having waited for too long for them to reply, I browsed through my library at home once again! Maybe there is a book I haven’t read and guess what! I found one of the first editions of Charles Chaplin which was tearing apart and I began reading the book, It was one of the best books I must have read on cinema and actor as it teaches you so much about what goes behind an actor during his preparation and how much effort is it to “Act” and being a superstar of the “silent Era” This fascinated me and within five days I had finished reading the book. Right from his childhood to him coming back from Hollywood and visiting his roots in The UK to him finally settling down in Switzerland to have been married numerous time. About five times and having eleven kids to getting the longest standing ovation in the (Twelve Minutes long ) history of academy awards Charles was one hell of a “Charlie.” It’s a must-read for all and besides Charlie, if you want to read another book on an actor you must! And must read Naseeruddin Shah Memoir – Then one day!