2011

Between June 2011 and Dec 2011 (the newer reads on top):

1. Lessons in Forgetting - Anita Nair
2. The Bluest Eye - Toni Morrison
3. The Illegitimate Tree - Sharada Sunder
4. Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Murakami
5. All you who sleep tonight - Vikram Seth
6. The Moral Animal - Robert Wright
7. God Delusion - Richard Dawkins
8. My Experiments with Truth - M K Gandhi
9. Accidental Millionaires - Ben Mezrich

I had originally aimed to read over 20 books this year. But I thoroughly enjoyed reading the little I could.

I am certainly not a critic and I don't have the talents needed to review. I am just a naive gullible reader. But I do have an opinion and some preferences. I will tell you what I liked or didn't like:

1. Lessons in forgetting: Complicated and engaging. It tries to cover too many issues. It has some sort of an identity crisis - neither Indian nor foreign, the kind we all are gradually becoming.

2. The Bluest Eye: It is almost poetry. Touching. One of the best books I have ever read for sure. I want to read more Toni Morrison books now.

3. The Illegitimate Tree: Simple. Sweet. Mostly uncomplicated. I especially liked the section of poems titled as the funny side.

4. Kafka on the Shore: Surreal and told with a tone of convincing innocence. Different. I could feel Japan in the book.

5. All you who sleep tonight: A comforting lullaby for all the wounded grown ups. I love what Seth does with simple words and few words. Read his quatrains to know. Vikram Seth would be a very romantic person, I guess.

6. The Moral Animal: Has severely changed the way I look at things. Made me ask questions uncomfortable questions. Made me more liberal I believe. Interesting book. I can't talk about non-fiction much.

7. God Delusion: Actually I had expected better from Dawkins. Very opinionated. I do resent the crimes in the name of religion, but I think this book goes a little too far. I am more than content leaving a few questions unanswered.

8.My Experiments with Truth: I am too inferior a human to comment.

9. Accidental Millionaires: Informative, researched, appropriately paced narration and about something I wanted to read since a long time. A little over-dramatic but still credible.