The Alchemist- Paulo Coelho

Every person in this world has a destiny. Not everyone seeks it. Most of us don't realise that the world, the omens are signalling us to pursue our destiny. However, those of us who do, discover a lot more than our treasure. We discover ourself, the true power we have. We discover the power of our soul. Afterall, we are a part of this world, a part of Creation. Our soul is a part of the Soul of the World. The protagonist is no exception. However, he took a risk to find his destiny. He journeyed into the unknown. But there was one thing different about him. He understood the universal language of the world. He interpreted the omens and signs. In doing so, he found much more than his destiny. He learnt to understand his heart and so he found his treasure.
'The Alchemist' is a story of magic, omens, love and God. The book expressed many truths of this world. Although I myself am an atheist, I would say that I enjoyed the book.
Above all, this story tells us that we look for our destiny, our tresure all over the world while it is somewhere really close by, just out of sight.

Paths Of Glory by Jeffrey Archer

A man with unequaled passion. This is the story of his wildest dream. This man is George Leigh Mallory. I must confess, I didn't know of this great man before I started reading the book. However, he is one of my heroes now. What did he do though? He was the climbing leader of the expedition that first attempted to climb the Mt. Everest. George Mallory, with his climbing partner, Sandy Irvine, died in 1924 on his third expedition. It is still unknown if they made it to the summit.
The book is a wonderful narration of Mallory's life. You can feel his passion coursing through your veins. Starting from his school days to when he met his love to his adventure on the mountain, you feel like you are a part of the story. The book makes you laugh as well as cry. I strongly recommend this book to everyone. This story will change your life.
This isn't a book which entertains its readers. This book touches hearts. It is a story of how a man dreamt big and set out to do something of which mankind had no idea. He jumped into the unknown, he dared. And although you know how this story is going to end, you will find yourself crying at the end of the book. He might have failed but George Mallory was a hero who tried to seek the paths of glory.

Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less- Jeffrey Archer

This was my first Archer novel. After reading, I wished I had started earlier. The book engaged me from the very first page. Infact, the synopsis of the book itself convinced me.
Harvey Metcalfe, a man who managed to make it rich often by illegal means, robbed four men of all they had in a oil company fraud. However, these men were different from the others he had duped. These four, coming from different walks of life, hatch a plot worthy of Metcalfe to get back what he stole from them, not a penny more, not a penny less. The story proceeds with their dangerous journey ahead.
The twists and turns indeed make it a great thriller. It is the right combination of adventure, romance and humour. You'll be hooked onto it till the last page, I promise. I would recommend this book to everybody who enjoys a great plot and a well-written story.

Harry Potter Series.

I didn't pick out one book from the series because the seven books together present a wonderful story. Honestly, I don't need to write about this phenomenal series. However, it seemed appropriate to start a book blog with my favourite series of books. Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived. Where do I start? The most remarkable thing about it is that the series has many themes attached to it. As you progress you discover the layers of this series. Superficially, it appears to be a fantasy story of a boy and his friends who fight against the most dangerous wizard of all time. As you keep reading, you realize that it is a story of love, friendship,bravery and sacrifice. It touches your heart. However, when you read the last three books, The Order of Phoenix, The Half Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows, you come to know of the underlying theme- Death. It teaches us how inevitable death is. It is the condition to life. The books have actually shaped me and my perception.
Aside from the lessons the books teach us, the intricacy of the plot is mind blowing. Every single line turns out to be important (fans will know what I mean). The characters become so dear to us that we laugh and cry with them. Even when I re-read the books, I laugh at every joke and cry for my beloved characters' death. Harry's sass and Ron's, Fred's and George's sarcasm appeal to every witty reader's sense of humour.
Harry Potter really does work its magic upon you. It satisfies our hunger for great books. More importantly though, it changes lives for the better. Quidditch, the countless spells, the subjects (Divination and History of Magic included), Floo Network, Gringotts, Diagon Alley and above all Hogwarts (my home) are a great part of my life.
I cannot express how very attached I am to Harry Potter. Kudos to J.K. Rowling, our Queen, for creating this masterpiece.

The First One.

So before I start posting, I am Arundhati, avid reader and a huge Potterhead. I have tried writing blogs before however, both failed due to lack of direction. Being the optimist that I am, I have decided to try again. I'll basically express my view about a book that I read. It could be any new or old book, whatever I come across. It'd be cool if I get readers and if my opinion does help anyone find a book that they fall in love with.