The Affair (a Jack Reacher novel) by author Lee Child

Book: The Affair  (Jack Reacher novel)
Author: Lee Child (www.jackreacher.co.uk )

Publisher: Bantam Books and Random House (www.booksattransworld.co.uk and www.rbooks.co.uk and www.randomhouse.co.uk )

ISBN: 978-0-593-06571-6

The hero of this series is Jack Reacher. Lets get it straight at the start of the review. He is a man’s hero and a woman’s dream man. No nonsense, less emotions, less of mushy wooshy stuff. Tough exterior, good looking in a rugged way. Drifter, who doesn’t have any strings, nor any loose ends. Retired trained Military police, or in his own words: the man who keeps trained killing machines in check and order. Absolute expert in weapons and martial arts. Doesn’t fight often, but when he fights you have to call in the insurance people…. for the place and the people. Do I have your attention?

Jack, in this novel, is still a major with the military police. He is sent undercover to investigate the military style murder of a woman in a small hicky town in Mississippi. The catch is that a big army base is the lifeline of that hicky town.

Jack has to coordinate with the County Sheriff,  an ex US marine, and a stunningly beautiful woman. Her investigation is going nowhere, with either Pentagon stonewalling her...... or she doesnt really want to find the killer.

Jack is faced with the double dilema of shadowing her and shadowing the killer. The climatic end with Reacher having to face a gang of US marines in a local bar is the stuff what makes the legend JackReacher.

The thing about Thugs by author Tabish Khair

Book : The thing about thugs

Author : Tabish Khair

Publisher : Harper Collins.

ISBN : 978 81 7223 978 7

This book: The things about Thugs , is the story of Amir Ali who leaves his life in hBihar to travel to England with an English Captain, William, to whom he narrates his life story, the story of a murderous thug.

While William tries to analyse the strange murderous cult of the Indian Thug, a group of Englishmen sets out to prove the inherent difference between races by examining their skulls- with bizarre consequences.

Set in Victorian London, this story of different voices from different places draws intricate lines of connection from the nineteenth to the twenty- first century, between England and India, across individual and cultural differences.

Author Khair engages between the subalternist or post colonial narrative traditions and subtly and ironically deploys echoes from Victorian literature to modern literature.

Echo Burning (a Jack Reacher novel) by author Lee Child

Book: Echo Burning  (Jack Reacher Novel)

Author: Lee Child (www.jackreacher.co.uk )

Publisher: Bantam Books and Random House (www.booksattransworld.co.uk and www.rbooks.co.uk and www.randomhouse.co.uk )

ISBN: 978-0-553-81330-2

The hero of this series is Jack Reacher. Lets get it straight at the start of the review. He is a man’s hero and a woman’s dream man. No nonsense, less emotions, less of mushy wooshy stuff. Tough exterior, good looking in a rugged way. Drifter, who doesn’t have any strings, nor any loose ends. Retired trained Military police, or in his own words: the man who keeps trained killing machines in check and order. Absolute expert in weapons and martial arts. Doesn’t fight often, but when he fights you have to call in the insurance people…. for the place and the people. Do I have your attention?

In the blistering heat of Texas, Jack is doing what he always does. Walking and awaiting a ride. But is anyone going to give a six foot five, dangerous looking,  sweaty stranger a ride? That too when the rugged landscape is eerily empty and blistering?

A cadillac does stop. It is a very preety, young woman offering Jack a ride. But it has a hitch attached. The lady's husband is in jail. When he comes out he is going to kill her.

Jack agrees to help her, but is there more to the story than meets the eye? Her husbands family is clearly hostile, the cops cannot be trusted and lawyers wont help. 

But there is an understory of killing of the border crossers. Isthe local police involved? 

A gripping story of human debasement, domestic violence and corruption.

Another must read Jack Reacher novel.

Time Flies by author Bill Cosby

Book : Time Flies

Author : Bill Cosby

Publisher : Bantam Books

ISBN : 0 553 27724 3

Bill Cosby is one of America’s leading humorist and stand up comics. His TV Shows “The Cosby Show” and “Kids say the darndest things” are super hits. In the opinion of thebooksurgeon.blogspot.in Bill Cosby is an ace humorist and each of his books are a worth buy.

Bill Cosby brings his unique style of warmth and humour to this book and addresses head on the issue of growing old. He explores this subject with a lot of wisdom and wit. This subject is common to all of us and requires quite contemplation. Cosby takes a hilarious romp through the trials and tribulations and the fact of just being older.

You grow old. You have the luxury of acting senile. Your bones creak . But no one calls you lazy. When the doctor tells you , you have the body of a 49 year old man, you are atleast glad that he didn’t say a 49 year old woman. From time to time Cosby talks to the suits in his closet.

He humorously is happy about loss of memory, as its brings him closer to his mother as both of them forget things at the same time. Or as he comments : You can teach an old dog new tricks, you just don’t want to see the dog doing them. Immortality is a long shot, he admits, but someone has to be the first.

I was at the store buying alfalfa, bean sprouts and carrots and saw a pretty old guy pick up a pack of cigarettes. I went up to him and said- You smoke that? Youre gonna die soon……. He took a look at my sprouts and carrots and said- youre dead already .

As I have always said, every Bill Cosby book is a must buy and a must read.

Worth Dying For (a Jack Reacher novel) by author Lee Child

Book: Worth Dying For (Jack Reacher Novel)

Author: Lee Child (www.jackreacher.co.uk )

Publisher: Bantam Books and Random House (www.booksattransworld.co.uk and www.rbooks.co.uk and www.randomhouse.co.uk )

ISBN: 978-0-593-06567-9

The hero of this series is Jack Reacher. Lets get it straight at the start of the review. He is a man’s hero and a woman’s dream man. No nonsense, less emotions, less of mushy wooshy stuff. Tough exterior, good looking in a rugged way. Drifter, who doesn’t have any strings, nor any loose ends. Retired trained Military police, or in his own words: the man who keeps trained killing machines in check and order. Absolute expert in weapons and martial arts. Doesn’t fight often, but when he fights you have to call in the insurance people…. for the place and the people. Do I have your attention?

In Nebraska a drunk sits in an empty bar. The phone rings, and a woman asks for help. She has been badly beaten by her husband.

Seven men are having dinner in a nearby steakhouse. A stranger shows up and leaves one of them unconcious with a broken nose.

Someone gets a call about this tough & stubborn stranger. He settles in for a long wait with a sniper rifle.

And Jack is bruised & battered and isnt planning on sticking on long. But the clannish locals dont want him gone, they want him dead. 

This is what raises the hackles on Reachers neck. What is the secret of the lonely shed? What is there in the sleepy rural county? Is it worth dying for?.

Dont stand too close to a naked man by author Tim Allen

Book : Don’t stand too close to a naked Man.

Author : Tim Allen

Publisher : Hyperion, New York.

ISBN : 0 7868 8902 0

Tim Allen is a leading humorist and stand up comic from America. His show “Home Improvement” is a super hit. His movies series “Santa Clause” were a super hit.

This Book: Don’t stand too close to a naked Man is a humour book, an autobiography, a book that  explains why men are different from women ….. and guys, its worth the cover price just for the helpful hints on how to deal with the opposite sex…… for example is she asks how she looks in an outfit, never mention her backside, no matter what.

Tim Allen explores the mysteries of the sexes, while giving us real insight into his own life and the twists and turns of fate that landed him both a prison and the successful comedy career, that culminated in the triple crown of show business, a #1 TV show, a film and a bestselling book.

The Hard Way (a Jack Reacher novel) by author Lee Child

Book: The Hard Way  (Jack Reacher Novel)

Author: Lee Child (www.jackreacher.co.uk )

Publisher: Bantam Books and Random House (www.booksattransworld.co.uk and www.rbooks.co.uk and www.randomhouse.co.uk )

ISBN: 978-0-553-81587-0

The hero of this series is Jack Reacher. Lets get it straight at the start of the review. He is a man’s hero and a woman’s dream man. No nonsense, less emotions, less of mushy wooshy stuff. Tough exterior, good looking in a rugged way. Drifter, who doesn’t have any strings, nor any loose ends. Retired trained Military police, or in his own words: the man who keeps trained killing machines in check and order. Absolute expert in weapons and martial arts. Doesn’t fight often, but when he fights you have to call in the insurance people…. for the place and the people. Do I have your attention?

Jack Reacher is sitting in a New York cafe sipping a coffee. He knows he is being shadowed. But the feeling is not new to him. And he awaits for the hunter to approach him.

The hunter does. But what surprises Jack that it is an appeal to help locate a kidnapped wife and her child. And the one making the appeal, the hunter, himself is a n ex British Army soldier and so is his entire team and he himself runs a security agency.

Now this is an intriguing case. Jack has to sweat the details and work the clues. But it has to be done the hard way.

What starts on the busy streets of New York explodes into a battle for love and life in the sleepish English Countryside.  And there is reacher amidst this, armed and dangerous.

A must buy and a must read. 

One Shot (a Jack Reacher novel) by author Lee Child

Book: One Shot  (Jack Reacher Novel)

Author: Lee Child (www.jackreacher.co.uk )

Publisher: Bantam Books and Random House (www.booksattransworld.co.uk and www.rbooks.co.uk and www.randomhouse.co.uk )

ISBN: 978-0-553-81586-3 and 0-553-81586-5

The hero of this series is Jack Reacher. Lets get it straight at the start of the review. He is a man’s hero and a woman’s dream man. No nonsense, less emotions, less of mushy wooshy stuff. Tough exterior, good looking in a rugged way. Drifter, who doesn’t have any strings, nor any loose ends. Retired trained Military police, or in his own words: the man who keeps trained killing machines in check and order. Absolute expert in weapons and martial arts. Doesn’t fight often, but when he fights you have to call in the insurance people…. for the place and the people. Do I have your attention?

In one of the many heartland cities of America, during the noon, around lunch hour, 6 shots are fired indiscriminately into a crowd of innocent people. This random shooring leaves 5 dead.

But within hours the cops have it all solved and wrapped up. .... or as they call it a slam dunk case. The have picked an ex army veteran with all the clues matching........ Except one thing....

The accused man keeps on repeating :Youve got the wrong guy..... and Get Reacher for me.

Reacher responds to a veterans call and steps in to investigate this act of random vileness. Or is there more to these 6 shots than meets the eye?

The Afghan by author Frederick Forsyth

Book : The Afghan.

Author: Frederick Forsyth

Publisher : Random House India

ISBN: 9 780552 155052

Frederick Forsyth was a very big part of my growing up. I have read all of his books. His books are all action and adventure. Some of them are too tacky or dramatic beyond logic. But good fun, all in all.

The British and American intelligence catch a rumour in the wind of a major Al Qaeda operation being planned. But how can they infiltrate the ghost organization, which never has a fixed base or organized structure.

But they have the Afghan, a former senior commander of the Taliban and now in Guntanamo bay. So the MI6 and the FBI and CIA plan the most audacious of the audacious plans. They plan to send in Colonel Mike Martin as the Afghan, a pale face amogst the Arabs, the lion amongst the wolves. Will it work? Mike  is first taken into Afghanistan as a prisoner and then allowed to escape.

And amidst all this deception the true Afghan escapes due to a freak accident. And now it is a race against time to catch the Afghan, keep Mike safe and yet unravel the Al Qaeda plot  

SEVEN ELEMENTS that have changed the world by author John Browne

Book: SEVEN ELEMENTS that have changed the world
Author: John Browne
Publisher: Hachette India (www.hachetteindia.com)
ISBN: 978 0 2978 6989 4

The book Seven Elements that have changed the world by author John Browne is a unique mix of science, history and politics. It is the story of the elements Iron, Carbon, Gold, Silver, Uranium, Titanium and Silicon. Interwoven with them is the authors extensive personal andprofessional experience. The author, now Lord Browne of Madingley, joined BP in 1966 and served as group CEO from 1995 to 2007. He is an engineer, collector and businessman.  His memoirs, Beyond Business, were published in 2010.

This book is about the seven elements, as mentioned before. This book traces individually in every chapter, about every element, the historical references and significance, the origins, the availability, its discovery and subsequent recovery, its significance in world economy, its usage, its ulterior uses and world events shaped by this element.

Humans have put the Earths resources to extraordinary uses. Carbon provides us with heat, light and mobility at the flick of a switch. From silver came photography, the preservation of memories, and a task which for centuries was confined to painters,  sketchers and our imagination.  Silver in turn was replaced by silicon, an element which enables us to communicate and transmit information across the globe in an instant.
Titanium pervades modern consumer society.

But our use of Earths resources is not always for the benefit of mankind.  Our relationship with the element is of great ambivalence. Uranium produces both productive nuclear power and destructive atomic bombs. Iron is the bloody weapon of war and also the economic tool of peace. Our desire for alluring gold is the foundation of global trade but also has lead to death of millions.

This book vividly describes how seven key elements have changed the world around us - for good and for bad.

True Confessions of Adrian Albert Mole by author Sue Townsend

Book True Confessions of Adrian Albert Mole

Author: Sue Townsend

Publisher : Penguin

ISBN: 9 780141 0 10854

True confessions of Adrian Mole is a brilliant humour by author Sue Townsend. These are diary pages of a boy of 16, living in gloomy Great Britain, a less than middle class existence. And all his conversations, aspirations, fantasies, fears and retorts are poured out from his heart onto the pages of his diary.

The diary opens up to a pre christmas scenario. Adrian is waking up to the dreary possibility that Santa and Christmas is losing all its charm and he is not going to get any gifts.  He was made to sit through 2 hours of dreary carols and a nativity play. He has to spend Christmas with his “lousy inbred relatives from Norfolk” and he wonders is it because he is “too worldy, mature and literate” that Beaonos Annuals humour doesn’t appeal to him anymore?

Adrians diary also mentions very heavily his love, his princess Pandora. Some of Adrians friends didn’t celebrate Christmas “as Mrs Thatcher took their jobs”. Adrian also   puts down in his diary the letters to his penpal Hamish and the peoms, in praise of Pandora, he sends to BBC “if the would like to air them”

This and the other books of Adrian Mole series are a laughter riot and a very understated gloomy humour. I am a fan of author Sue Townsend.

Fatherhood by author Bill Cosby

Book : Fatherhood

Author: Bill Cosby

Publisher : Dolphin Doubleday, New York.

ISBN: 0 385 23410 4

Bill Cosby is one of the most famous stand up comics of America. His show ”The Cosby Show “ and “Kids say the darndest things” is one of my personal favorites. My thebooksurgeon.blogspot.in always appreciates humour in any form. I think I own all of Bill Cosby’s books and they are the pride of my library.

Fatherhood is pretending that the gift you love most is a soap on a rope. Fatherhood is knowing that you’re in trouble when the child says “No problem”.

Fatherhood is thinking that the height of fashion is matching socks.

Fatherhood is helping your children learn English as a foreign language.

Fatherhood is not being the boss of the house, bcos you’ve seen the boss’s job and you don’t want it.

In Fatherhood Bill Cosbys special brand of humour, wisdom and plain wonderful humanity come together to create the joyous celebration of being a father. In a marvelous collection of ruminations , anecdotes and vignettes based on his own experience as a son and father, Bill Cosby covers the entire paternal gamut from the happy announcement “it’s a girl” to the challenges of raising a teenager and the perplexing ambivalence of watching kids leave the nest. For men Fatherhood is a must read for everyone who is a father, wants to become a father or who wants to learn more about his own father. And for women it is guide to better understanding the men in their lives, their husbands and fathers.

Fatherhood is another must buy and must read from Bill Cosby.

When the Lion feeds by author Wilbur Smith

Book : When the Lions feeds

Author: Wilbur Smith

Publisher : Pan

ISBN: 0 330 20139 5

Wilbur Smith is a very important author of my growing up. I have read all his books. And most of his books are still the pride of my library. Wilbur Smith has incorporated  a large part of the history of Africa in his writings. He has written about the diamond mines of Kimberley, the dutch and bitish war, the boer war, the various tribes of Africa, especially the Masai and Zulus, the gold rush, the hunting, piracy. In fact it was Wilbur Smith who painted a picture of Africa, and made me see the rugged, beautiful passionate Africa with its beautiful dark skinned people.

In “When the Lion Feeds” Wilbur Smith introduces us to the hero of his many novels series, Sean Courtney. Sean is as big and bold and dangerous as Africa itself. His farming days are halted the Zulu uprising. The daily threat of Zulu spears throws Sean into a war not of his making. Sean flings himself wholeheartedly into a life of passion and violence. He gets thrown into the maelstrom of the massacare at Isandhlwana, the heroism of Rorkes drift, the madness and mind boggling excitement of the Gold rush, the perils of the African jungle.

Amongst all this Sean is desired by his brothers wife, hungered after by the voluptuous  Candy , loved by the impish red haired Katrina.

Sean throws in all his efforts to challenge fate, make his dreams come true and build an empire in the land of the red soil, Africa.

I'm not really here by author Tim Allen

Book : I’m not really here

Author: Tim Allen

Publisher : Hyperion.

ISBN: 0 7868 6257 2

 

Tim Allen is a leading humorist and stand up comic from America. His show “Home Improvement” is a super hit. His movies series “Santa Clause” were a super hit.

 

In the book : I’m not really here, Tim takes a look at men in their midlife, the crisis, their relationship with their wives, children, friends, universe, God and why its so tough to get a good nights sleep.

 

The book opens with Tim waking from a strange dream. He has been reading late into the night about quantum physics and what he has learnt about the nature of reality really disturbs him. Fortunately he’s got plenty of time to mull it over. Tim is home alone with his dog Spot, and initially he is excited about eating what he wants, watch sci fi videos and complete restoration work on the 1946 Ford. Unfortunately he cant find the one of a kind hood ornament.

 

He encounters very strange coincidences, meets people who seem to know too much about him and wonders if his life is half full or half empty. As he roams from room to room, he ponders how we end up sounding like our parents while raising our kids, men’s fascination with pricey gadgets and how romantic chemistry really works. He describes his own rise to celebrity , the allure of hot cars, and his obsession with his place in the cosmos.

Chilhood by author Bill Cosby

Book : Childhood

Author: Bill Cosby

Publisher : G P Putnam Publishers, New York.

ISBN: 0 339 13647 9

 

Bill Cosby is one of the most famous stand up comics of America. His show ”The Cosby Show “ and “Kids say the darndest things” is one of my personal favorites. My thebooksurgeon.blogspot.in always appreciates humour in any form. I think I own all of Bill Cosby’s books and they are the pride of my library.

 

The book  Childhood is absolutely Bill Cosby country. In this ntertaining and endearing book , which ranges from the warmly to the wildly funny, Cosby hold forth with the most marvelous stories he has ever told about his childhood.

 

There are tales that you will never forget, including his heroic quest for Spanish Fly or the one about when he was the school crossing guard for a day and he was so smitten by his crush that he almost waved his heart throb under a bus. And in a delightful counterpoint to his own legendary childhood, Cosby seasons the general hilarity with comic insights about kids today.

 

Childhood finds Cosby in the territiory he knows best, amid the trials of bed wetting , fears of the Loch Ness monster, tribulations of bad table manners. He holds forth on coping with the early demise of his children’s pets, his own days spent smoking in the boys room, out on the street playing stick ball, and back home lusting after Wonder Woman.

 

Please buy and read every Bill Cosby book.

 

A Thousand Splendid Suns by author Khaled Hosseini

Book :  A Thousand Splendid Suns
Author: Khaled Hosseini
Publisher: Bloomsbury (www.bloomsbury.com/ khaledhosseini)
ISBN:  978-0-7475-8297-7

The author Khaled Hosseini is also author of the the book "Kite Runner" , also a reviewed book in our blog thebooksurgeon.blogspot.in and now a major film.   Mariam grows up, in Herat, Afghanistan, hearing the word harami (bastard) all her early life and feeling somehow it was her fault. Her father Jalil tries to express his love but his sentiments fall short when ridiculed by Mariams mother..

When she is 15 Mariam decides to "look in" on her extended family in Herat and she returns to her mothers body dangling from a tree. She is taken in by her fathers family, to be then forced into marriage to a suitor thrice her sge, a cobbler in Kabul.

Mariam is thrown into domesticity, keeping the house, cooking food, understanding a new city, new neighbours and the burqa. She, a small town girl of Herat, is suddenly brought to face with the modern Afghan woman of Kabul. Slowly and slowly she is also exposed to the bestial nature of her husband.

Not yet anured to love in the relationship, Mariam suffers a miscarriage. And suddenly her husband becomes more distant. The Communist faction of Afghanistan declares a coup and that night Rasheed makes Mariam chew on pebbles bcos he finds a stone in his rice.

And then the focus shifts to the story of Laila, a daughter of a professor and whose brother goes to the front to fight against Russians. Her story is slowly interlinked with Mariam.   And then the Taliban mujahideen entered their lives, with the warring factions of Hazaras and Pashtuns. Laila is all set to leave this madness with her paramour Tariq , when a bomb kills her family and shatters her world.

A destitute numb Laila is taken in by Mariam. And the devious lascivious mind of Rasheed starts eyeing her as his second wife.   Buy this book and read on to find the horrific details of Afghan women under Talibani rule and the perseverance of Spirit.

The Kite Runner by author Khaled Hosseini

Book: The Kite Runner
 Author: Khaled Hosseini.
 Publisher: Bloomsbury (www.Bloomsbury.com/khaledhosseini)
ISBN:978-9-7475-9488-8

The story is set in the beautiful, strong, snowcapped mountains of Afghanistan. The story starts around 1970, before the invasion by Russia.

It is the story of Hasan and Amir, two kids in prewar Afghanistan, flying kites, running around in the meadows and doing all the fun filled things that two young boys would do. Amir, the son of a well to do land owner and Hasan the son of their servant. And yet the friendship being strong.

Then happens an incident which no kid will speak of and yet a lot is implied in the silence.The friendship takes on a stubborn silence from one and a devious, plotting maliciousness on part of the other.

Then comes the Afghan invasion. All of Afghanistan is thrown into turmoil. The social fibre is torn asunder. Families flee the incoming armies. Amir and his father emigrate to America, Hasan lives on, their mutual secret alive.

Years later, Amir receives a plea for help, a letter from the country of his childhood, Afghanistan. It is a plea to save an orphan from an orphanage run by the dreaded fundamentalists in Afghanistan. What is in that letter that forces Amir to return to a war torn Afghanistan? What does he try to find in the county? Will he find his lost childhood or will the shamed secret again overpower him?

Read this powerful novel to find an awesome undercurrent of emotions and a visual treat of a rugged mountainous country.

Honour Among Thieves by author Jeffrey Archer

Book :  Honour Among Thieves
Author: Jeffrey Archer
Publisher: Harper Collins (www.harpercollins.co.in.)
ISBN:  0 00 0647606 6

 Jeffrey Archer is one author who thebooksurgeon.blogspot.in respects a lot. Awesome writing, brilliant plotting, ver sharp character delineation and a taut storyline. My favorite books of Jrffery Archer are "Not a penny more,  not a penny less" and  "First among Equals" and his Short stories.

The time is 1993. The President of USA, Bush, has been replaced. Margaret Thatcher has been ousted by her party.  Gorbachev has been toppled by unknown forces. And the sole opposition survivor of the Gulf War is Saddam Hussein. And Saddam is plannning a retaliation so severe that USA will have to retaliate.

 Caught amidst this is Scott Bradley, a young Professor at Yale Law School. Scott is sent by CIA to discover why a beautifil Mossad agent has been dropped into the Iraqi Interest Section of the Jordanian Embassy in Paris..

 And unexpectedly Sadams plot begins to unravel. An intriguing novel. A must read, as is any Jeffrey Archer novel.

Mother Pious Lady by author Santosh Desai

Book :  Mother Pious Lady
Author: Santosh Desai
Publisher: Harper Collins (www.harpercollins.co.in )
ISBN:  978-81-7223-864-3

The author Santosh Desai is also a columnist for Times of India. The author poignantly touches upon middle class India, poised between its dreams of an upper class lifestyle and yet it lower class earnings and yearnings.He elucidates upon the India emerging from amongst its folds of customs and traditions and yet having the biggest mobile internet users in the world.

Desai writes from personal experience. The name of the Book :Mother Pious Lady is a spoof upon the Matrimonial columns seen in all the newspapers of India. The advertisements usually mention the characteristics of the person in short "Tall, fair, IIM, Engineer, joint fly (family)" and also looking for characteristics in prospective partner " Fair, slim, very beautiful, convent ed" and to add the "Indian touch of respectability"- Mother Pious Lady -Mother is a devout, god loving, pious lady.

He talks about the old and yet new Indian tradition of exchanging old clothes for steel utensils, from vendors who strut their wares from door to door. Desai talks about the handing down of old clothes, books and games from cousin to cousin, sibling to sibling. He remembers the summers holidays of joint families. The gathering of 40 people under one roof, the sharing of all possessions.

Desai also writes an ode to the old Vespa scooter, the dying world of chawls and neighbors   Desai talks about the unique Indian creations pithoo, antakshari. The joy of that late night Vividh Bharati, the Indian males predeliction for scratching in public.  

In fact why am I spoiling your fun by trying to name the small idiosyncrasies of middle class Indian life?   Go.... Buy the book.... Read it and chuckle nostalgically at every chapter. Afterall thats the biggest tension vent that we middle class Indians have.

Carry on Jeeves by author P G Wodehouse

Book: Carry on Jeeves
Author:P G Wodehouse
Publisher:Penguin Books
ISBN-13: 978-0-140-28408-9
ISBN-10: 0-140-28408-7  

For the thebooksurgeon.blogspot.in P G Wodehouse is the God of humor. There never has been been a subtle humorist and wizard of words and comedy and never will be . Me reviewing a P G Wodehouse book would be only to share with you some of the ROFLMAO moments from the book. If you are looking for lierary criticism of any of his books, silently move away from my blog just now. Of all the books of Wodehouse, my favorite books are based on the characters of Bertie Wooster, Jeeves and the Blandings castle. I shall say this at the end of this review again, buy anyP G Wodehouse book that you can and get home a lifetime of reread of laughter.  

The book Carry on Jeeves is a compilation of events that take place in the lives of feather brained Bertie Wooster and Jeeves, his butler.   Book starts with the entry of Jeeves into Bertie' s life. The stage is set for utter dependence of each aspect of Berties life on Jeeves. Jeeves manages to break the engagement of the eternal bachelor Bertie to Florence. Florence was given to reading books, on these lines "of the two antithetic terms in the Greek philosophy one only was real and self -subsisting, and that one was Ideal Thought as opposed to that which it has to penetrate and mould"..... Or in the words of Bertie "utter tosh".  

By and by Jeeves takes charge of Berties life and his friends thrown in. He also saves Bertie during the invasion of an unbidden guest, Lady Malverns son Motty.   Jeeves also has to use his considerable brain to extricate from the soup, Bicky whose uncle the Duke of Chaswick is analysing minutely to decide whether he needs a stipend or not. And in "the aunt and the sluggard"

Jeeves saves Rocky from an entirely opposite situation.   And so on and so forth inthe rummy affair of old Biffy,without the option, fixing it for creddie, clustering around young bingo, berties changes his mind.  

A brilliant humour from PG Wodehouse.  The books of Wodehouse are the prized possession of my library and I guard them with my life from borrowers. A lifetime of ROFLMAOb

Persuader by author Lee Child (Jack Reacher Novel)

Book: Persuader  (Jack Reacher Novel)

Author: Lee Child  (www.jackreacher.co.uk )

Publisher:  Bantam Books and Random House (www.booksattransworld.co.uk and www.rbooks.co.uk and www.randomhouse.co.uk )

ISBN: 978-0-553-81344-9

The hero of this series is Jack Reacher. Lets get it straight at the start of the review. He is a man’s hero and a woman’s dream man. No nonsense, less emotions, less of mushy wooshy stuff.  Tough exterior, good looking in a rugged way. Drifter, who doesn’t have any strings, nor any loose ends. Retired trained Military police, or in his own words: the man who keeps trained killing machines in check and order. Absolute expert in weapons and martial arts. Doesn’t fight often, but when he fights you have to call in the insurance people…. for the place and the people. Do I have your attention?

Jack Reacher never forgets. And one guy who he would have liked to forget is Quinn, presumed dead …. until now. But now Quin had resurfaced, meaner. Novel starts with Reacher being witness to a gunfight in which a cop dies. And Reacher has to ignore it to protect and innocent citizen… or is it? Jack Reacher uses all his guile and some more to infiltrate a Mafioso family. But why would the drifter Jack get involved in what should really have been an FBI operation. Was Jack making it personal? If so why.? What looked like a simple business of rugs had some more sinister facets. ….. and Jack is in the midst of it, to pay a personal debt. 

An absolute must read, a buy to be treasured, action packed thriller. The book : One Shot is now a major motion picture starring Tom Cruise.

Cat & Mouse by author James Patterson

Book: Cat & Mouse (Alex Cross Novel)

Author: James Patterson  (www.jamespatterson.com )

Publisher: Time Warner Book Group (www.twbookmark.com and http://warnerbooks.com )

ISBN : 0-446-60618-9

Alex Cross is with the Washington DC Police force. Single father. Melancholic, mulling and contemplative personality. Not a grab, wham, kow pow kind of action action hero. But a regular cop. What is his forte is his tenaciousness with a case and his incisively deductive abilities, coupled with a team that adores him and a family that is his strength.

The story starts with the spine chilling fact that a psychotic gruesome killer, Gary Soneji is hiding in the basement of Alex Cross’s home to kill Cross and his family. How does Alex Cross deal with the breach of security of his own family. This face off then shifts to the labyrinthine mazes of Grand Central station. Gary Soneji is stalking and taunting Alex Cross.And suddenly the investigation turns up that there are two killers stalking Alex Cross- one in East Coast USA and the other in USA. It is as if the cats are having a game with the mouse they are about to kill.

A thrilling, edge of the seat story. One more excellent Cross novel from James Patterson.

The 80:20 Manager by author Richard Koch

Book: The 80:20 Manager
Author: Richard Koch (www.richardkoch.net )
Publisher: Hacehette (www.hachette.co.uk )
ISBN : 978-0-7499-5925-8

The book The 80:20 Manager is the latest by author Richard Koch. This is his sequel to his bestselling book The 80:20 Principle. This book is written for managers to better manage their professional as well as personal lives. As the author asks pertinently on the cover jacket:  Do you feel overwhelmed by an overflowing inbox? Are you constantly struggling to complete your to-do list? Do you stay at work loner than you would like and feel as though you never spend time on the things that really matter?
In the Part One  the author asks you to decide whether you fall into the category of a stressed overworked manager, with the help of a quiz. Then he goes on to name the 80:20 principle. Small number of events give rise to majority of the consequences. OR very few things matter at all but those that do matter enormously. Just 20% of the events in your work life matter at all but give rise to 80% of the outputs. The author goes on to show, how applying the 80:20 principle, Steve Jobs saved Apple from insolvency. The author also explains how the 80:20 principle evolved  and how the study of wealth distribution over 16^th to 18^th to present century revealed pretty similar patterns.

So the core of the book is: Focus on the really important 20% tasks that shall give you the 80% output.

In Part Two of the book the author goes on to define 10 guidelines/ways  that could help you become to 80:20 Manager. Way 1 : The Investigative Manager. Have a questioning mind, understand your product, understand your customer. Way2 : The Superconnecting Manager. In business, connections do matter. Increase your radius of influence…… and so on and so forth.

I shall not try and spoil your fun by revealing all the secrets of this book.

The 80:20 principle will help you: *Put in fewer hours, yet never be short of time *Learn to focus on the issues that really matter *Achieve exceptional results by working less hard * Feel successful everyday.

A must buy for our young generation of upcoming Managers and CEOs.

Gone Tomorrow by author Lee Child (Jack Reacher Novel)

Book: Gone tomorrow  (Jack Reacher Novel)

Author: Lee Child  (www.jackreacher.co.uk )

Publisher:  Bantam Books and Random House (www.booksattransworld.co.uk and www.rbooks.co.uk and www.randomhouse.co.uk )

ISBN: 978-0-553-81812-3

The hero of this series is Jack Reacher. Lets get it straight at the start of the review. He is a man’s hero and a woman’s dream man. No nonsense, less emotions, less of mushy wooshy stuff.  Tough exterior, good looking in a rugged way. Drifter, who doesn’t have any strings, nor any loose ends. Retired trained Military police, or in his own words: the man who keeps trained killing machines in check and order. Absolute expert in weapons and martial arts. Doesn’t fight often, but when he fights you have to call in the insurance people…. for the place and the people. Do I have your attention?

The book starts on the subway of New York. Jack is on the train at 2 am, with tired, end of the shift workers. And Jack senses a suicide bomber, giving all the text book tell tale signs. And yet he senses something amiss.

His persistence confronts Reacher with an absolutely stunning Afghan refugee with her older aunt. They seem to be hounded by a shadow stalker. But is everything really what it seems?

And how does this whole mess involve a US Senator? 

And Jack comes face to face with trained Afghan assassins out to wreak havoc on USA for their Afghan campaign.

An absolute must read, a buy to be treasured, action packed thriller. The book : One Shot is now a major motion picture starring Tom Cruise.

Red Jihad by author Sami Ahmad Khan

Book: Red Jihad
Author: Sami Ahmad Khan
Publisher:  Rupa Publications India
 ISBN : 978-81-291-1987-2

 The author, Sami Ahmad Khan, I must say comes close to being the Tom Clancy of India, with his knowledge of the defence establishment, the latest developments in arms and ammunitions and the missile programmes of India..

This book, Red Jihad, encompasses the military might of India, the Chinese belligerence, the POK, the Kashmir issue, the covert Pak intrusion and extremism, the internal politics of Pakistan, the Left and the Naxalite problem in India, alongwith the lawlessness in politics.

So, the backdrop of the story is pretty vast. Story starts with a covert understanding between the Lashkar operatives and the Naxals. A common task force, between them is trained by Chinese operatives. This task force captures India’s most ambitious missile project set in a base in the Andaman and Nicobar islands. From there the terrorists unleash a missile. The missile hits Pakistan. Pakistan declares war on India. India also reels under political indecisiveness, and eventually is engulfed by a military coup. Pakistan is on the verge of unleashing Nuclear war.

Will the India Pakistan war be averted? How will the war in within Pakistan react to it? How will India react to a military coup?

And what is the twist in the tale with the Indo-Pak joint operation looking for a international terrorist in International waters, where Chinese submarines are lurking.

An interesting war story. 

The Dust Will Never Settle by author Mukul Deva

Book: The Dust Will Never Settle
Author: Mukul Deva
Publisher:  Harper Collins (www.harpercollins.co.in)
 ISBN : 978-93-5029-331-7

 The author, Mukul Deva, has written 4 books in the past, also known as the Lashkar series.

This book, The Dust Will Never Settle, is his latest novel. In my opinion by far his best and a must buy-must read.

The story is set under the backdrop of Israel-Palestinian relations. The acrimony and enimity on both sides. There is a female fidayeen led bomb attack in the most revered of Holy cities, Jerusalem. With a lot of loss of civilian and army personnel lives, the Israelis are able to gun down most of the terrorists, but one escapes.

The story shifts to the murky clammy shores of Sri Lanka, the illegal gun and refugee run into India and the smoldering activities of terrorist group LTTE. From the shores of Sri Lanka a boat reaches the shores of India with its terror cargo.

The story shifts to Israel Palestinian peace talks to be held under the ageis of India. But there are rumours of the escaped terrorist waiting to attack the summit. There are also the ongoing Commonwealth Games. The world powers offer their help and teams to battle terror. The head of the Indian antiterrorist Task Force, Ravinder, is handling his own demons of his past. His daughter from his first marriage, Ruby has returned home. Is he able to take her into his heart and his family. She is an Ex MI6 agent.

With the entire world looking, the Lashkar E Taiba is also straining at the bit to unleash its own terror in this milleu.

Will India be able to host the summit? Will the terrorist strike? Will the Indian ATTF be able to prevent the terror attack? Who is the terrorist?

To find the answer read the book. A must read, a must buy. I have bought this book and it shall be the pride of my collection.

I have read the other books: Lashkar, Salim Must Die, Tanzeem, they shall be reviewed soon.

This book should definitely be made into a movie. WHEN it is made i hope Mukul Deva invites me on as assistant script writer,

Cross country by author James Patterson

Book: Cross Country (Alex Cross Novel)

Author: James Patterson  (www.jamespatterson.com )

Publisher:  Hachette Book Group USA (www.HachetteBookGroup.com)

ISBN: 978-0-446-53630-1

Alex Cross is with the Washington DC Police force. Single father. Melancholic, mulling and contemplative personality. Not a grab, wham, kow pow kind of action action hero. But a regular cop. What is his forte is his tenaciousness with a case and his incisively deductive abilities, coupled with a team that adores him and a family that is his strength.

There is Tiger, a ruthless gang leader of Africans, on the loose in Washington DC. There are one after the other, a string of brutal killings. And these thugs of Tiger make it a special point to defile and mutiliate their victims to absolutely terrify others. When Alex decides to pursue the Tiger, his chase takes him to Nigeria, Africa and absolutely untamed and ruthless mercenaries. Does Alex solve the case? Is Alex able to escape the multiple bids on his life?

Cross Country by author James Patterson for a spine chilling thriller. 

Nothing to Lose by author Lee Child (Jack Reacher Novel)

Book: Nothing to Lose  (Jack Reacher Novel)

Author: Lee Child  (www.jackreacher.co.uk )

Publisher:  Bantam Books and Random House (www.booksattransworld.co.uk and www.rbooks.co.uk and www.randomhouse.co.uk )

ISBN: 978-0-553-81811-6

The hero of this series is Jack Reacher. Lets get it straight at the start of the review. He is a man’s hero and a woman’s dream man. No nonsense, less emotions, less of mushy wooshy stuff.  Tough exterior, good looking in a rugged way. Drifter, who doesn’t have any strings, nor any loose ends. Retired trained Military police, or in his own words: the man who keeps trained killing machines in check and order. Absolute expert in weapons and martial arts. Doesn’t fight often, but when he fights you have to call in the insurance people…. for the place and the people. Do I have your attention?

Jack Reacher is footloose again and stand midway between two Colorado honky tonky towns, Hope and despair. For want of a cup of coffee, Jack picks one town randomly and walks in for his brew. But surprise…. He is picked up by the local law enforcement on charges of vagrancy, booked and gets a ride back to where he started.

When Jack faces a wall, he butts his head against the wall till it gives in.  What is it that the town is so desperate to keep from Reacher?  Why are the locals so furitive and what are they on the edge about? What is with this religious cult and doomsday prophecies.? More intrigue and dark secrets that meets the eye.

A good effort by author Lee Child, not my personal favorite, but an action packed thriller. The book : One Shot is now a major motion picture starring Tom Cruise.