The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

I found this book at a WHS store in the airport at a time when I had no particular book in mind. Something about the description on the back caught my fancy and I decided to buy it. It really is quite different from the genres of my interest but I am quite keen on widening my horizon.
Harold Fry, a man leading a quiet retirement life, takes up an unusual journey to save someone's life. He walks from one end of Britain to the other without proper shoes, a map or even his mobile phone. It is only his faith that carries him forward.
The story is a journey. It is a tale of self introspection and discovering yourself as much as it is of coming to terms with the sheer diversity of people in our world. Many questions are asked about the things that could have been different. What if? It takes us on an emotional ride of faith, hope, remorse, joy and most importantly, love. I teared up at the end.
The story picks up a little slow and remains the same for the greater part of the book. If you are looking for a page turner, this isn't the book for you but in my opinion, it is definitely worth a read.

HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD!

Well you can clearly tell I am excited. I know I am late in posting this but I've been freaking out ever since the news came out. The script of the upcoming play will be released as a book minutes after midnight on 31st of July!
Oh. My. Goodness.
I'm super stoked to find out about this because I, like many unfortunate fans across the world, can't travel to London to watch it because
1. I'll probably be heading for college around that time.
2. MY PARENTS WOULD KILL ME IF I ASKED TO GO TO UK.
Atleast now I wont sit here moping about the fact that new Harry Potter content is out and I haven't got access to it. Plus, I wont have to worry about spoilers.
There has been a lot of debate about this not being a novel, not being written by Rowling alone and as a way of extracting more money.
WHAT?
First of all, JK Rowling has expressed that in her opinion this story is best suited for this medium. She is sure that we'll get it when we see (in my case, read) it. Besides, the Harry Potter franchise is expanding and I find it exciting. I'd rather know the story than complain about not seeing the play.
Second, play writing is very different from novel writing. Novels give you the power of description. You have the freedom to elaborate on how things look as well as how the characters feel. Plays in that way are limiting. As a result, plays need to be written cleverly so as to communicate the emotions to the audience only through dialogues. Unlike novels, there is no place for description here and unlike movies, no place for editing. As JK Rowling is a novelist, I do not see any problem in her collaboration with other people to write this play. Ofcourse, as the creator of the wizarding world she must have control of what happened to wizardkind and the characters after the War.
Lastly, the money factor. Harry Potter has, over the years, turned into a franchise with books, movies, theme parks, studio tours and now, a play with a release of the script book worldwide. Naturally, money is a factor. But it is also a way for all the fans worldwide to have access to the story. So why not look at it that way?

Anyway, I for one am super excited to read the play as soon as possible! Counting down to 31st of July!

Hello!

Yeah, I am back, very much alive!
And so is the Harry Potter fandom!!
I'm hoping by now you've seen the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them teaser trailer. I have (multiple times). So I'm literally just waiting for November now.
So, the new year is upon us and I think this is a great time to be me!
Why? I have a list.
1. I am in class 12 now which means I have my board exams in 2016 along with my entrance examinations to enter medical college. Now I agree there are two ways to look at it. For the pessimist, next year is a hard year filled with loads of exams and a major life change. For the optimist, like me, it signifies the end of a really tough time and if things work out well, the beginning of a wonderful phase. Yes, I know medicine is an incredibly tough course. My parents are doctors. Anyway, wish me luck for whatever is coming in 2016!
2. Major Potterhead fangirl moment! Its been over 4 years since we've got any new content. All of a sudden, there are two new things coming in 2016- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play (which I wont get to see) and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Yay!
3. I am crazy about Sherlock. The problem with being a Sherlockian is that you have to wait for a really long time for new seasons. I haven't yet gone through this because I saw all 3 seasons for the first time on my laptop last year. But I've waited for almost two years and it is driving me insane. So thankfully, Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat are being kind enough to release a new episode 'The Abominable Bride' on the 1st of January!
4. I am a Shah Rukh Khan fan. I have been his fan for around 13 years. We're going to have two new SRK movies next year- Fan (April) and Raees (August). Both are really unconventional movies and I cannot contain my happiness!
5. I really haven't seen many Marvel movies but I have seen Iron Man and ofcourse I love Tony Stark. So, definitely going to watch Civil War. I'm also insane about Benedict Cumberbatch so Doctor Strange is definitely on my list.
6. There are many other interesting movies coming out this year.

So, a very happy new year to me!

I know I haven't written for a while now but I have been reading. Studies are really taking up my time these days so everything else is kind of secondary. So, after Papertowns, I read the first part of Lord Of The Rings- Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien, Looking For Alaska by John Green and The Scion of Ikshvaku by Amish. I will write about LOTR once I finish the next two parts but I have to say, the books are beautifully written. It took a little while to pick up pace but after that I was hooked and Middle Earth has fascinated me. New fandom, yay!
I'm now trying to re-read The Goblet of Fire but I barely get time to. So, that will be all for now! Happy Reading.

Papertowns by John Green

Neighbours, Quentin and Margo had been friends as little kids. One day, they had an experience that connected them forever. That night Margo showed up at Q's window to talk about it and she said something that had a lasting effect on Q.
Highschool was a different time. Margo was queen bee. Q was a regular guy with regular friends. He stayed out of trouble with bullies only because Margo asked them not to trouble him. That was all. But Q had always loved Margo based on what he knew of her.
An uneventful day turned extraordinary when Margo Roth Spiegelman showed up at Q's window at midnight just as she had when they were 9. She took him along on a revenge trip. Next morning however, she didnt show up. That was quite an usual thing for Margo but this time she had disappeared for too long. However, Q found clues to follow to reach where Margo wanted to lead him. In doing so, he discovered who the real Margo was.
It is indeed a beautiful book. John Green has nailed the mix of humour and emotions. There are beautiful thoughts in it. It is about how we often have an idea about a person, an idea that suits us. But it is more of a misconception than anything else. On the outside it may look like people are happy and they belong. But deep within, all they want to do is get away, far far away. It seems that people are paper, living in papertowns and doing paper-things. But sometimes even the most unlikely ones have three dimensions.

The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien

It has been a while now. I really wasnt able to make time for reading.
Anyway, The Hobbit. Yeah I know, am I not a little too old to be reading The Hobbit for the first time? Probably yeah. But how does that count. I have wanted to read the LOTR series for a long time now but I couldnt find the books. So I started when I finally got them.
I must admit, I was kind of skeptic when I began the book. I wasnt entirely sure if I'd enjoy because it is a little hard to enjoy a style of writing aimed at little children when you read it for the first time at the age of 17. But it turned out well. I am actually looking forward to beginning Lord of The Rings now.
The Hobbit is the story of an adventure undertaken by Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit, with fifteen drawves with help from the wizard Gandalf. It is a sweet tale of how an ordinary hobbit who loved his hobbit-hole and enjoyed having proper meals and sleeping in his bed had to go on an adventure reluctantly. And at the end of it we come to know if going this adventure was worth losing his reputation among other hobbits.
Bilbo travels over and under mountains, meets dwarfs, elves, goblins and what not. And at the end of it all, he no longer remains the hobbit he was.
It was a great book afterall.

Everyday by David Levithan

A wakes up in a new body everyday. A borrows a body but only for a day. A has set rules and abides by them. But things change when A wakes up in Justin's body and meets his girlfriend, Rhiannon.
They have an amazing day together and A only wishes to stay and meet Rhiannon again and again, everyday.
What follows is an unbelievable story.
What I love about it is that in every page, this book tells us about how very diverse we are. Yes, the same flesh, blood and bones. But inside we are different people and that truly matters. The body is a case holding a person and we should be whatever we identify ourselves as. There is no definition of 'normal', afterall. The word is too subjective.
Yes, A's story is seemingly impossible and highly complicated. But does that make A incapble amd undesevering of love?
It is indeed a story of coming of age and truly realising how the world works.

The Cuckoo's Calling by J.K. Rowling

I really should have read this book a while back. Oh, well.
I'll be frank, the genius of the plot in itself  was not extraordinary. It was much like many other crime novels. But that does not in any way take away from this fantastic book.
A Harry Potter fan would know better than anyone else, that J.K Rowling revels in turning the most insignificant detail into the missing piece in the puzzle. She did that constantly in the Harry Potter series and the same can be found here. And ultimately, isn't that what good crime fiction is about? The real magic lies in masking the missing link and all credit goes to the author for doing so successfully.
And it is not just about solving a mystery is it? The characterisation is brilliant. You can feel Strike and Robin as you read their point of view. And honestly, their team is excellent.
Now, a little about the story. A famous model, Lula Landry jumps to her death from the balcony of her posh apartment. The press goes crazy about the story presenting all sorts of theories.
However, the gorgeous model's brother does not accept her suicide. He is hell bent on proving murder and to that effect approaches Cormoran Strike. Strike's business had hit an all time low. While he believed the man to be deluded, Strike, supressing his conscience, accepts a double pay to investigate into the mysterious circumstances of Landry's death. Little does he know that he has accepted to indulge into a world where no one trusts anybody and by delving deeper into the secrets he is only putting himself in trouble. The story follows his investigation along with help from his amateur yet tactful temporary secretary, Robin.
This book is complete. It leaves you with a sense of satisfaction. While initially it is a slow read and does lack great quotes, when you finish the last page you do realise that it is indeed a beautiful book.