chill therapy

All 3 of them get their time table and portion. This happens twice a year. The fun begins....

cooling off

Office Shocks - Sumit Aggarwal

There is nothing shocking/novel in this novel but has lots of ROFL/LOL moments. It caricatures the first day of a young man in the corporate world. A fast 'anytime anywhere'  read with only 98 pages. The best part is the office memo. And I find the suicide attempt and the dare devil rescue part quite cinematic but fatuous.

Read out and laugh aloud during your office break time. By the by, is this Dude Lit/ Guy Lit /Corp Lit ?

The Post Office - Rabindranath Tagore

Forget about symbolism and spiritual awakening , this two act play is totally captivating and heart-rending. Amal an orphan boy who lives with his uncle in a small village is ill and is on his death bed. He is lively, dreamy, imaginative and his enthusiasm is infectious. He spares no one- the dairyman, watchman, florist and even the haughty and pompous headman falls for him. He dreams to receive a letter from the King via the new post office that has been set up near his house. And he wants to be become a postman in the future and visit faraway lands. Finally the Royal Physician arrives and conveys the King's imminent visit and Amal drifts to sleep/death dreaming and smiling.

Wonderful though tragic.

Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monsters - Rick Riordan

A fascinating fantasy. Now I know why juniors are crazy about Percy Jackson series. He is a hero in every sense - genuine and brave. And the book is about filial relationships , friendship , taking big fat chances , standing up for oneself etc. And is a huge relief n distraction from the drab realities of daily life. Don't miss out on 'Chiron's guide to who's who in Greek mythology' given at the end.  So , Odyssey continues and demigods reign... Fantabulous.

The Witch Of Portobello - Paulo Coelho

Imagine your Boss as a modern witch on constant fight with her inner demons, struggling hard to find her place in this world ! Witch ! It can be me, you or your mother-in-law. Interesting. Ever since I become a fan of Paulo Coelho, I'm hoping to meet a witch/wizard. X-men, Mutants, Martians, Aliens or even Men n Black will do. Also Vampires. I'm a sucker for magical creatures. xoxo

This book is for witches and wannabe witches. And also for you. It asks you some basic queries like - Are you a witch? If not, what is your goodself doing here? Find out the purpose of your earthly avatar and customize it. That's it.

Pearls of wisdom

''What is a teacher? It isn't someone who teaches something, but someone who inspires the student to give of her best in order to discover what she already knows.''

 

''You don't need 'positive thinking' to tell yourself that you are loved, strong and capable. You know it already. Believe.''

 

Manushyanu Oru Aamugham - Subhash Chandran

I read one of the serialized parts of the novel last year and was dazed n mesmerized by the beauty n strength of the language n characters and the sagacity n candor of the writer. Though captivating , the entire novel did not evoke the same response. The novel chronicles the life n times of 4 generations of a prominent Keralite Nair family along with the people and the society concerned. According to the author, the novel portrays 100 years of Malayalee's futile life and laments at the lack of a milestone event/ development/ evolution; the failure to produce a single maha athma/great personality. Thus this novel and it unveils the inanity of our life. So, this is sort of a trumpet call to perk up and ...........  'be the change you want to see in the society.'

Kudos to the young writer. Good job. The best parts are Jithendran's letters to Ann Mary. Wow !

Superstar India - Shobha De

An all India tour with Shobha De`. It being India's and hers 60th b'day, Mrs De is here in her shining Merc to take us out for a joy ride. Yeah, why not? She chirps, hums, croons and rants n raves incessantly about India A-Z. Her orgasmic optimism is infectious. You laugh n cry and what not ... along with her. Hilarious.

Thanks for the ride, Mrs De`. It was sooo unreal. You are a damn good professional guide. You are the superstar. Now that we are back from your dreamy, dazzling n shining India, allow us to face our real India.