My Favorite Books

This post is especially written for my favorite blogger. (He unknowingly taught me that blogging is not just about sharing anecdotes or ranting. It is a form of creative writing.)

I love books. I cannot survive without them. I have read almost all the novels by Sidney Sheldon, David Baldacci, and even Nora Roberts (Hey, don’t judge me. Romance novels were my stress busters until I stumbled upon the incomparable P G Wodehouse.)

I’m no book critic, and I haven’t read all that is there to read. But, since, someone has been pestering me to write a post about my favorite books, here I am, mentioning the ones I love the most.

P G Wodehouse : I mention the name of the author, because all of his work is just out-of-this world awesome. I have been ridiculed for reading his books sometimes. But, his sense of humor and ability to write unfortunate events in a hilarious way got me through most of my med school. The gentle comedy and clever play of words and the buildup of characters. Utterly flawless. No wonder, he is a legend.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini: Redemption is not easy, but, it makes a hero out of ordinary people. The real hero of this book for me was Amir. “For you, a thousand times over” Such simple words, but, they have the power to give me goosebumps and a lump in the throat. No other book by this author or any other author, for that matter, could compare to this masterpiece.

P. S. I Love You by Cecilia Ahern : The movie was so full of crap, I cannot even begin to point out its mistakes. But, the book is so absolutely perfect, I don’t know where to start. The pain of losing a person you loved your entire life. The struggle to get back on your feet. The importance of family. One of the rare books which made me both laugh and cry, and left me smiling at the end. Romance novel at its best.

The Story of a Marriage by Andrew Greer : Another love story which managed to impress the cynic in me. We think we know the ones we love. The story telling and the words so powerful, it was like looking in a mirror and getting baffled by what I saw. The ending was beyond perfection.

The Palace of Illusions by Chithra Banerjee : In my opinion, the biggest and the best epic ever written is Mahabharata. Human drama at its best. So, what is different about this version? It has been written from Draupadi’s perspective and even though I knew what happens next all throughout the book, it kept me hooked right to the end. Even though, the author did very minor changes in the original story, the change was what kept me hooked.

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy : She may not have the best political opinions, but, the Booker Prize winner surely knows her metaphors and the strange ways of the human mind. I kept the book away so many times, when the horror got to much to bear and yet I returned to it, only to be shocked and disgusted again. Reading it left me with a bad aftertaste. Pure genius in its own right.

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri : The movie is spectacular only because of the strong performances of Irfan Khan and Tabu. Otherwise, most movie adaptations of books are just lame. And, the book is written by Jhumpa Lahiri. Need I say more?

The Immortals Of Meluha by Amish Tripathi : Mr. Tripathi couldn’t have chosen a better mythical character to write a contemporary story. The story is written simply yet beautifully almost endearing the fearful God to the reader. Do we have our very own Stephen King? Only time shall tell.
The sequel of this wonderful book, The Secret of Nagas is as disappointing as any sequel can ever be. It is more like a screenplay of an over-dramatic Bollywood masala. I hope the third part saves the day and moves on from where the first book left off. Eagerly waiting.

The Zoya Factor by Anuja Chauhan : I finish this list off with the mention of a snappy, chatpatta love story revolving around the glamour of cricket, written in a fresh style. The humor is giggle-inducing. I read the book twice in two days, and after I finish writing this post, I’m probably going to read it again.