Day 2 of reading.

Day 2 of reading.

I do a little research on the books I read. Actually just a little trivia about the book and the author. I find that Water for elephants was written during a NaNoWriMo. (National novel writing month) . That is exciting. NaNoWriMo produces a published, successful,likable and a saleable book. I also find that all Sara Gruen’s stories have animals and she is an animal activist , too. That is the example of how you can convert your love and passion into a vocation and I find it inspiring.

To come back to the story, our narrator Jacob, suddenly orphaned and clueless about his life, jumps onto a train which is actually a circus train. I love the idea of a person being able to do whatever he wishes to, start an adventure and abandon his entire prior life . I agree , that he doesn't do it by choice, but it is an adventure nevertheless.  On that note , I slept yesterday, thinking of circus thoughts. My eyes were tired, but brain was not.

The book was engrossing enough for me to finish today, without going to the ‘ Name of the wind’. I loved it while I was reading , but 30 minutes later, I find the ending a little too neat and contrived for my liking. Also, I don't like Marlena’s character very much, there is hardly any depth to her. The best character is that of Rosie, the elephant : intelligent, sassy, gin loving , polish speaking (understanding). Jacob is also good as a character . I will not presume that I can advise the author to improve on her creation but everybody need not be forced to live happily ever after . I cared more about the animals than the lovers and felt that Jacob’s bonding with the animals could have been depicted better.

So, that is that.

Tomorrow is a new day , a Sunday , a reading day… will keep posted about what I read ...

Reading diary : 1 ( 05-01-2018)

As a part of my 2018 reading plan, I go to my library. I return the last book, unread, even though it was interesting. I just don’t wish to read nonfiction now.

I would like to read more fantasy, even though I am reading only fantasy currently . A little historical or literary fiction also would do. I have seriously restricted myself ,so it seems. Fortunately my reading goals don’t state any such conditions of reading any particular genre.

I look at the fiction rack for a smallish book, though I have decided that I will read  ‘ A casual vacancy’ , ‘A little life ‘, ‘Thousand autumns of David de Zoet ‘ this year, but they are too huge.  ‘1Q84 ‘ is so daunting that the wish to read it will certainly remain only a wish for next decade. I am not sure about ‘Autumn’ ,though very much praised and loved on the booktube, doesn't look like my cup of tea.

So, I pick up ‘Water for elephants’ by Sara Gruen. I don't know much about it.The blurb is not revealing. It may be a historical fiction , it is certainly not a fantasy. I haven't heard much about it booktube,  it is not a recent release. But may be it is better to go into a book without knowing much about it.

Print is very fine. Though mostly coincidental, I have always loved books with very fine print , certainly because there was a lot of material for reading there.

The first page of the book is confusing. I don't know who is the narrator and what exactly is happening. Patiently I read on and I am rewarded. The narrator Jacob is a 90 or 93 year old veterinarian (he doesn’t exactly remember his age) and I love his wise and witty voice.

Though he is old, this book doesn't appear to be about old age, like some books on my TBR.(A man called Ove, The diary of Hendrik Groen,aged 83 ¾). The old age will be another topic for discussion, on another day. Today , I definitely plan to continue and finish this book.

The other book which I have started yesterday and which has me hooked so much so that, I immediately have bought the second part even before completing the first , is obviously a fantasy. ‘The name of the wind ‘ by Patrick Rothfuss. It is the story of Kvothe, though I still haven't understood what he is (I have read about 80 pages.) But the story appears to be a story within a story - Kvothe telling about himself to a chronicler and he will take 3 full days to do so. One book consisting of a day’s narrative, there are 3 books in total, third one still unpublished.We have started with current events in Kvothe's life where he pretends or tries to be an ordinary innkeeper and kills demons in his spare time. We have progressed to Kvothe telling about his childhood through a very engrossing narrative. The learning of magic, his mentor/teacher and the magic itself are quite wonderful. I love the idea of connectedness of all things that lies in the centre of this magic.

There ! I have said all that I wanted to for today...now let me go back to my books...More updates tomorrow..