The Shadow Lines

This was my first novel by Amitav Ghosh and to be frank I did not really know what to expect. However, as i finished this book I rushed out to the nearest Strand bookstore to pick up his latest novel the Sea of Poppies.

The book is rich in so many ways starting from the Narrative which flips across geographies, timelines, imaginations and reality. Despite this constant crisscrossing it still manages to hold all the threads together and takes you into the Magic world of the unnamed protagonist.

It also raises some serious questions about the concept of political / regional boundaries and baseless dissection of people, relationships and does so in such an unassuming manner.

Its a book that has to be read for the apposite usage of words, excellent language, its wittiness and humour. And don't forget to keep that dictionary handy. :)

A Prisoner Of Birth - Jeffrey Archer

Yet another page turner from J Archer, though not probably among his best. Even while I did find some of the key premises in the plot a little hard to digest, the book still managed to keep me engrossed. The emotions of pity, anger and revenge that he manages to arouse in you for Danny Cartwright are so strong that you begin to yearn for revenge just as Danny would. And once you are in that mode, you begin to overlook some convenient assumptions in the plot, as by now you desperately want the protagonist to win too. And he certainly seems to have hinted that we may have a part II to this one soon.

Whiteout - Ken Follet

Ken Follet has churned out yet another gripping tale, where the female protagonist takes on the bad guys. The central theme being the theft of a deadly virus - Madoba-2 from Oxenford Medical. The story is set in the chilling winters of Scotland and makes for a gripping read. The theme itself is something very relevant to us today, given the rapid strides being made in the biotechnology and medical fields. A page turner, that will not leave you complaining!!