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.