2 States: The Story of my Marriage

Rating: 4 stars!

Style: Excellent

Content: Nothing you haven't watched in Hindi films before

With this book, Chetan Bhagat has come back to what he does best- Humour!

And after a long time, it's fun to read some good, clean comedy- no slapstick, no cheap cracks... just good fun. Especially for all MBA students- this book will definitely take you back to college with the very first scene! It will remind you of your first job (which most probably you hated as much as the protagonist does) and it will definitely make you laugh with it's subtle jokes about the Punjabi and the Madrasi (oops.. Tamilian) community :)

In the end, the book did come across as a tad bit long and there was an overdose of gyan about unity in diversity and how we should be united etc.

Yet, overall I would definitely recommend the book to people. It's a sure shot for those who want some light reading.

Off the Shelf

Xelf has recently been written about in the Indian Express.

The article is given below-

In these recession-hit times, watching a film in a multiplex will seem like a bit of an indulgence. Buying a stack of CDs and DVDs of your favourite films and pop artists may also be considered ostentatious. Indeed, if we can’t buy movies, and music, what do we do with our leisure time instead? Maybe visit an online book rental website?

Xelf, a website created by two city-based entrepreneurs promises to make your book-reading experience and affordable and hassle-free one. “Xelf is the first online book rental library in Kolkata. We have an exhaustive collections of paperbacks and hard-covers which can be delivered directly to your house, without the need to purchase. The delivery and pick-up is free and there are no late fees,” informs Ridhi Agarwal, co-founder of the website.

Xelf was created by Ridhi and her friend Amit Agarwal, with one motto- to offer a cost effective, convenient online service to the book lovers of the city where they can read more and save money. “The reason why we started Xelf was simple- we felt that there was a need for something like this in Kolkata- where people are culturally rich and yet they might not have the time to visit a library themselves. They just reserve the books online and we deliver them. We are already working with various schools and colleges in Kolkata to plan corporate memberships for their students,” says Ridhi.

Ridhi and Amit decided to fall back on word-of-mouth publicity to promote this website. “Our friends were very helpful.At the same time we have been very active on Orkut/Facebook,” says Ridhi. The entire funding for Xelf was done from both their savings. “Xelf has been running since the last 2 months and the response from Kolkata has been very good and we have great expectations from this city. Once we have created a sizeable base here, we plan to start operations in other cities like Durgapur, Bhubaneshwar, Guwahati ,” sums up Ridhi.

You can become a member of Xelf by registering yourself at www.xelf.in

The Lost Symbol

If you've not read Dan Brown, then I'd suggest you start with The Da Vinci Code or Angels and Demons first. They are much better thrillers! If you've already enjoyed his previous novels, you will enjoy this one too. Robert Langdon's third adventure is a fast-paced thriller involving puzzles, paintings and forgotten histories. Set in Washington, this book better captures the culture, manners and mechanisms of America as compared to the lack of understanding of European culture in The Da Vinci Code.

To rent this book in Kolkata, just visit Xelf.

White Tiger

Dear Mr. Adiga

Next time you attempt to write a novel (which i fervently wish you don't!) please keep in mind, the sanity of the readers. As is obvious from your book, The White Tiger- you have no great writing skills, you don't know how to play with words at all and have completely no story to tell! I don't know whether to label you as a communist (why else would you support "killing your boss to make it big in life" simply because one has had a difficult childhood, in poverty?)... or maybe you are one of those people who think that just by being sarcastic and talking about India's drawbacks you can conjure up a good novel- well, you're wrong!

No part of your description of the protagonist's difficult village life, was even remotely moving. If you want to be so bloody sarcastic about this country- well then first go and do something for all these poor villagers that you seem to care about! You've lived a major part of your adult life outside India, in comparatively developed places like Australia and the US and then you have the gall to actually come back and be so damn critical of this country!

I would suggest that you read another well known book called Shantaram, where a foreigner gives his perspective about India, it's villages and life in Mumbai...Believe me you will learn a lot!! I do not have a problem with the fact that you've spoken mainly of India's backwardness in the villages (in the first half of the novel), but rather with the condescending attitude that you have used.

In the end, it is my personal request that you please explain to me why the character is writing a letter to the Premier of China, telling his life story to him??? I'd really really like to know what made you think that this guy should write a loooonnng letter (the entire novel!) to the Chinese head, giving him his life story?? Yes, you wanted to write it in first hand- I got that! But writing a letter to the Chinese Premier??? What, why? why? You are a crazy person. QED.