Reading List Updates

Finally managed to finish "The Chamber". It was just about okay. I couldn't really empathize with many of the characters and I guess it made the book seem really long. Either that, or the book really was long.

Funnily enough, the book I read right after that was "The Stranger" by Albert Camus. I really like it when I read with no expectations and the book turns out to be great. However, that happens rarely only since most books I read are recommendations from others or from yours truly :). This one was thanks to D who had this book but hadn't read it. (I would guess that the odds of him reading the book are 1:10 if not lower).

I also managed to finish the "Rising Sun" from my list. That was a pretty good thriller and surprisingly, I managed to finish it in less than a couple of days. (That is a very short time considering the fact that I am overloaded with work!!) Must try and catch the movie sometime. Anyways, might add Crichton's other works to my list soon.

Now I am reading an awesome book on Tamil Nadu Politics, "Cut-outs, Caste and Cine Stars". I am about 70 pages into the book and it is pretty damn good. And I picked this one from random list of LOC Call numbers. Guess I got lucky again!!

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Pushing Daisies

The one new show I have liked the most this season is "Pushing Daisies" (not that I have been seeing too many new ones).

"Daisies" is about a man who can bring the dead back to life with his touch. However, as expected, there is a catch - actually there are two catches. One, if he touches that person ever again, he/she will die forever. And two, if he brings someone alive, an innocent person will have to die instead.

The pilot episode had the unique mix of humor and innocence that is essential for a story using magical realism. The episode was very well shot and had a "if-Tim-Burton-was-happy" feel to it (or may be I still have a "Big Fish" hangover). The story was very "fairy tale"-ish with unexpected twists and interesting characters.

I hope the show lives up to its promise and that they don't stretch it unnecessarily.

Considering how, many of my favorite shows don't survive long, I probably just jinxed this one. But then even if I did, this show can always bring itself to life with its own magical touch !!

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Reading List

I don't usually leave books half-way through, but in the last month, I have been hopping through quite a lot of them (list below). Planning to finish them off one by one.

1. The Chamber - John Grisham
2. Sherlock Holmes : The Complete Novels and Stories Volume II - Arthur Conan Doyle
3. Rising Sun - Michael Crichton
4. Indian Summers - John Wright
5. Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand

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"The Blue Umbrella" blues

Not a surprise. As I had predicted, the one film I was eager to see, didn't do so well at the box-office. In fact, saying that the movie "didn't do well" is putting it very mildly. The movie didn't get a release in even a single screen in Chennai!!

Needless to say, I haven't seen the movie yet. Hopefully, it will be out in dvds soon.

PS : I have already read the book now. So much for the dilemma.

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