Culture

Not entirely sure if this post qualifies for a ’round-up’ as I read only two books in October. I was travelling half-way across the world to India, busy visiting family and friends, and was jet-lagged for half that time –  I could only squeeze in very limited reading. Washington Black by Esi Edugyan This one has made all major award circuits this year and it’s not hard to see why. Spanning several years and continent,…

No trip is complete without trying to hit a local bookstore, especially now that they are a dying breed. This also gives me a good excuse to buy books by local writers! When you are in Boston, the one bookstore that you have to check out is the Brattle Book Shop. Brattle Book Shop is an American treasure and a must-see for any book lover. It’s located at 9 West Street, Boston MA 02111. Established in…

Santiago and the Drinking Party is an odd little book. It doesn’t have a plot or a theme. Stuff happens. Why or to what end doesn’t seem to matter. The story starts at an unusual place, deep in the Amazon, where Daniel, our narrator, is backpacking as a student. During a dangerous, almost fatal river crossing he meets Santiago. Santiago is the resident philosopher, who earns his living feeding off the superstition of the tribes. His…

The Things they Carried is an astounding book that leaves no doubt in your mind on the true nature of war. There is no glory and it’s horror has endless depths. It can’t be an easy thing to write personal war stories – especially painful, gut-wrenching, embarrassing, shameful ones. But that’s what Tim O’Brien does in this semi-autobiographical collection of snippets from Vietnam War. He digs into his war wounds and slices them open and…

England is blessed with such a vast and large literary heritage that their movie-makers don’t have to look very far for a good story. On the downside, there are several versions of the same classic, putting pressure on the creative team to bring their own interpretation to the story without insulting the memory of the writer. The Plot Now I have never read Bleak House, but the casting was enough reason to watch this BBC …

I may be in the minority when I say genuinely enjoyed the first season of Iron Fist. I binge-watched it over 2 nights and was a little shocked to see all the critical backlash against the show and the lead actor, Finn Jones. He may not be the greatest actor on the planet, but he was convincing in his portrayal of the wonder-eyed confusion of an orphaned boy who only expects the best from people.…

With the summer behind us, my four-year-old and I are craving some good old animation classics.  With the “Gorl’ meme gone viral earlier year this seemed like a good reason as any to revisit the very first and original Despicable Me. My review in four words: Brilliantly non-stop funny  ? In this story, the world’s greatest villain Gru (perfectly voiced by Steve Carrell) has recently been upstaged by a pyramid stealing newbie. Clearly, he must establish his…

Only Wodehouse can make a story about the occupants of a stuffy English Country House and a silver cow creamer entertaining. PG Wodehouse’s novels brings all the charms of the English humor to your home and the adventures of young, spoilt Bertie Wooster and his butler, Jeeves form the icing on the proverbial cake in his collection. The Code of the Woosters takes Bertie and Jeeves to the residence of  is Sir Watkyn Basset in…