Blood Red Sari

Writer: Ashok Banker
Genre: Fiction

 I thought I was not going to like it looking at the synopsis but it eventually surpassed my expectations and I must say it is very well written. The protagonists, who happen to be females, are extremely well carved and practical characters. They are so unlike the general central characters that usually form the center stage in fiction books.

The book is supposed to be the first part in the trilogy named 'Kali Rising' but it’s too small a book to be called the first part of a trilogy. Or so I think!  I disliked the way the book climaxed for the first part has no substantial plot except for the introduction of the characters. And now to satiate my curiosity I have to buy the sequels. Sigh!!

Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead

Writer: Sheryl Sandberg

Genre: Management/Non Fiction

 The data points and statistics used to explain the thought process of a woman is really the USP of this book. It’s worth a read and especially if at times you are flustered about the choices you thought you had made :)

The Bankster

Writer: Ravi Subramaniam
Genre: Fiction


Another one of Ravi Subramaniam's banker thrillers; its fast paced but not really intriguing. It offers nothing new and one can skip it without really missing much.

Aunts aren't Gentleman

Writer: P G Wodehouse

Genre: Fiction, Humour

Bertie decides to take a small vacation to the country side as per the advice of his doctor. He decides to go to Maiden Eggesford in Somerset. Maiden Eggesford is in the middle of a horse race and the 2 favourite horses are Simla and Potato Chip. Simla belongs to Jimmy Briscoe, a good friend of Bertie's Aunt Dahlia. Potato Chip belongs to Pop Cook who takes an instant dislike to Bertie when he meets him. After his aunt places some heavy bets on Simla and decides to use her own strategic thinking to make Simla win, Bertie becomes and unwanted accomplice in a theft planned by her. How Bertie wriggles his way out of the situation is what the book is all about.

Being a typical Wodehouse it never leaves you with a dull moment. It has to make you smile.

Devil in Pinstripes

Writer: Ravi Subramaniam

Genre: Fiction

Amit is satisfied with his decision on following his mentor Aditya Bhatnagar and joining the New York International Bank. Satisfied even after 13 years! Life is all set and inspite of a few hiccups things are smooth sailing for him. Amit's wife Chanda gives up her personal ambitions and settles for banking career but not without blaming Amit.

Everything is hunky dory till the police come knocking and arrest Amit. Will his mentor bail him out? Will his relationship with Chanda remain?

Typical Ravi Subramaniam book and clichéd but I loved the ending....somehow I did not expect it. So amongst all his books that I have read, this one takes the cake. A good one time read with a great climax :)

The Incredible Banker

Writer: Ravi Subramaniam
Genre: Fiction

Deepak Sarup is called in into Great Boston Global Bank's Audit department for quick fixing some audit issues. Being a star performer, he takes up the challenge and successfully completes it but not before ruffling too many feathers due to his autocratic and rude behavior. The person most affected is Deepak who ends up quitting the bank.

When Deepak moves into another team and manages to rope in his love interest into the team, things seem to be just perfect for him.  However all hell breaks loose when the CBI come knocking. Deepak has no answers and is dazzled at the accusation of being an enemy of the nation. The bank will not support him nor can his family. It’s only his arch rival, Karan who is now a media reporter who can save him. But will he?

It’s a clichéd storyline but very fast paced. One of my “quick and never again” reads!

The Partner

Writer: John Grisham
Genre: Fiction

My favorite John Grisham book! I remember being bowled over when I read it many years ago. I got a chance to read it again and it managed to thrill me even more this time.

Patrick Lanigan, a junior partner in a law firm is presumed dead but only till millions disappear from the firm. Obviously the owner of the money leaves no stone unturned to trace Patrick and succeeds only after four years. He is tortured by his finders but a call to FBI about his whereabouts saves his life. Patrick is bought back to be tried for fraud and murder. At the same time his wife asks for divorce citing desertion. Patrick, thus, has enough lawsuits to attend to on his return and the way he manages to get out of this legal tangle is beautifully weaved by the writer.
And not to forget the climax! As a teenager, I had not liked it because I thought it wasn't endearing. With time I think it’s probably the masterstroke of the book.

This is one fiction book you should not miss. Very highly recommended!

Around India in 80 Trains

Writer: Monisha Rajesh
Genre: Travel


British journalist, Monisha Rajesh's account of her travels across India in as many as 80 trains (She got the idea from Jules Verne's classic)! The book is a good read as it is loaded with humor and stays true to the writer's original intention which is to talk about her adventure as is.

A small book especially endearing during train travels ;)

The Oath of the Vayuputras

Writer: Amish Tripathi

Genre: Fiction

The third and the final part of the Siva trilogy(Immortalsof Meluha being the first and  The secretof the Nagas being the second) is like ordering an exquisite local cuisine and getting a sandwich in return. Not sure if the metaphor makes any sense but yeah compared to my expectations, the book was a total let down.

As Siva reaches Panchavati-the land of Nagas, he finally gets the answer to the question that haunts him - what is evil? Nevertheless he decides to get a second opinion to his answer and the Vasudevs help him in this quest. When he ventures to destroy evil he has to battle the very same people who made him God. And his adversary is not just another human but a person of extraordinary capabilities. Will he succeed?

Three quarters of the book is about war and when I reached the climax it is such a dud that I felt terribly cheated. I was expecting more! Much much more! Finish the book if you do not leave books/stories mid-way else I would probably ask you to skip it.

p.s. Amish Tripathi is probably the only Indian author who has had a heavy pre-order booking for the final part of his trilogy.

Timeline

Writer: Michael Crichton
Genre: Fiction


Tired of reading uninteresting fiction I decided to re-read this one. Had read it long back so I had forgotten the story and it helped. Crichton and his plots never disappoint you.

An old man is found wandering and disoriented in the Arizona dessert. He has no memory of how he got there. The couple that rescues him takes him to a nearby hospital where he soon dies due to a cardiac arrest. Everything seems normal but it isn't so.

Meanwhile somewhere in France, a group of historians are trying to recreate the medieval era but the process is slow and time consuming much to the dismay of their financiers  A sudden twist and the group find themselves in the middle of the ‘Hundred Years War’ and they have to get their way out into the modern world. Will they succeed or be stuck in an age which they have only read about?

Crichton and his love for technology makes him write some beautiful plots. One of the most successful movies of all times, Jurassic Park was his imagination so that will tell you something about his capability as a fiction writer. This book, although not his best, is still a wonderful read. But yeah, the climax wherein the group of historians decide to payback their chief financier in his own coin was a kind of let down. I mean it's really more of a feel good ending than a pragmatic one ;)

If God Was A Banker

Writer: Ravi Subramaniam
Genre: Fiction


Sundeep and Swami are two fresh recruits of the New York International Bank, where under the leadership of Aditya they set up a successful retail banking India business. Brilliant in all aspects, they however differ in their methods to achieve success. Sundeep is the aggressive kinds who doesn’t mind any kind of compromise to meet the ends whereas Swami is more cautious and would not compromise on his ideals. Both reach dizzying heights in their personal and professional lives but how long will the charm of success entice them?
What happens when the past comes haunting back?

A fast paced book with insights into the corporate world and our choices. However the plot is not really unique and the flow is overall predictable!

A Falcon Flies

Writer: Wilbur Smith
Genre: Fiction

My foray into the Ballantyne series! As expected Smith weaves a beautiful story around his favourite place, Africa.

Robyn Ballantyne is the daughter of Fuller Ballantyne, a famous missionary and African explorer. When he disappears his bosses are not really concerned but the daughter wants to trace him back. Along with her brother, Zouga Ballantyne, she embarks on an expedition to trace her father. They take the sea route on the American ship captained by Mungo St.John who she later realizes is a slaver and is on a voyage to buy good quality slaves. On getting to know of this fact she decides to part ways with the captain.
The brother sister duo then manage to reach their destination but en route they realize their destinations were never the same.

The book, like others set in Africa is fast paced and carries the Wilbur Smith flavour. However for the first time the protagonist and antagonist are not really up to the mark. The Courtneys are more my kinds I guess.

The Devil's Alternative

Writer: Frederic Forsyth
Genre: Fiction

Due to some technical snags, Soviet Union's fungicide making company ends up poisoning the wheat crop. As a result the overall production of wheat would come down and the country would face famine. The politburo decides to import the grain from USA without disclosing the actual reason. A leak from the politburo meetings lets the USA onto the secret and the hope to cash in by asking for some concessions. Some members of the politburo suggest waging a war and obtaining the wheat, however, the president, Rudin shoots down this option by a narrow vote of confidence.

Talks between USA and USSR begin and a treaty is almost signed called the 'Treaty of Dublin'. However in another incident the KGB chairman is shot dead by Ukrainian fundamentalists and just as they try to escape to Israel they are captured in West Berlin. Friends of the shooters then hijack a crude oil ship and ask the German chancellor to free the prisoners and hand them over to Israel where they would be treated minus the prisoner status. If the instructions are not followed, they threaten to kill the ship's crew and empty millions of crude oil into the sea.

Rudin cannot let the prisoners be freed because the terrorists would then declare to the world the penetrability of KGB. He puts pressure on USA to stop the release of the prisoners else threatens to pull out of the Dublin treaty. The US president is left with no choice. Whatever option he chooses people would be killed, hence the name of the book.

The climax is intriguing and I am not going to be a spoiler and explain it. One of the best books by Forsyth, a personal copy is highly recommended.