The Rig Veda (Penguin Classics)

One of the oldest sacred texts in the world, it was very interesting to see a glimpse of ancient Indian culture, as well as the mythological foundation of much of the Western world-for example, Indra, king of the gods, has many of the same qualities/abilities as the Greek Zeus, and the name of Varuna the sky god of order is a cognate of Ouranos (Uranus). The descriptions of ritual and stories of the gods were most interesting (sooo many cows!) I was looking forward to the chapter on women, until I read the introduction: "The Rig Veda is a text written by men, for men, about men". Oh... Oh no. Yes, it was as bad as it sounds, and so crude! *disappointed, but not surprised*

352 pages

Buddha Volume 1: Kapilavastu by Osamu Tezuka

 

I really enjoyed Tezuka's Black Jack, and I've heard good things about this series so I thought I'd give it a try. It is really good! A fictional retelling of the story of the Buddha across eight volumes, this one starts with events leading up to and around his birth. There are a lot of fictional elements and even a few modern references, but mostly the artwork and story are stunning in their depiction of Ancient India. Very good start to what I am sure is an excellent series. 

400 pages

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was absolutely adorable. I read it straight through and didn't regret a second. The audiobook, in particular, is excellent, with two fantastic narrators in Sneha Mathan and Vikas Adam. I would definitely recommend this to others.

The premise: Dimple's parents allow her to go to a 6 week summer coding class the summer before college only because they want her to meet Rishi, her potential future husband. Needless to say, Dimple's not very interested in marriage or looking pretty, when she could be coding.

There are a few things about this delightful book that I felt could have been even better (the pacing, particularly in the last half), which would have made me love it at 5 star power. Those of you who know I typically rate high might realize that a 4 can be a bit of a flat rating for me, but this is not a flat book.

For a book set in such a fascinating world (in my mind) as Insomnia Con, I would have loved to see some actual world building there. Basically there was almost none, outside of the basics of getting started. We didn't even get to see the depths that participants went to in order to complete their apps (including Dimple and Rishi who spent more time dancing than coding), and there were tons of other students in the program who we never really got to meet or understand.

Some of the main side characters didn't really seem like the types to attend such a long, intensive summer camp. They were more interested in their wealth and popularity than actual coding, so I'm slightly disappointed in the fact that Insomnia Con could have been the most exciting and fascinating world of intellect, diversity, and nerdery ever and... it just wasn't. Instead, it was more of a romantic plot tool, and the majority of scenes weren't even really about the summer camp or the project, both of which were more interesting to me than the characters going out for dinner over and over again.

So it lost a star for world building failures, and it should probably lose a second star, in all honesty for the last 1/3 of the book, which had major pacing issues and a few moments that made me reconsider if I actually knew and liked Dimple. I know they were there again for "plot" tools, but I hate seeing a character bring out a particularly bad, unflattering behavior/quality at the end of the book and then not really address or atone for it.

However, I did think this was a fun, fast, lighthearted read that made me smile. A lot. So it still gets 4 stars, even though I just overthought it so much I almost reduced a star. There's still a lot of good here. There's still a lot to enjoy in the different ways both Dimple and Rishi consider and react with their cultures, both as Indian-American and as Indian. I enjoyed the culture of this book in general and thought that was a real strong point. It showed the different ways people feel and react, when they're born into one culture/place but raised mostly inside another.

Yes, that helped. Now I do feel it definitely deserves those 4 stars. Just realize that you have to enjoy it for the overall journey, rather than the plot and world building, which both are lacking, particularly as the story progress. I still think the interesting main characters will see you through to the end, so give it a go.

Pages: 380

Strength & Compassion: Photographs and Essays by Eric Greitens

  Strength & Compassion: Photographs and Essays by Eric Greitens

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Published in 2008 long before Eric Greitens became the Governor of Missouri, this title not only shows the reader some of his award winning photography, but also gives you a glimpse into how he views the world and all of its people and the experiences that led him to this viewpoint. As the title implies he believes that one needs both strength and compassion to not only be a good leader and person, but in some cases just to survive horrible events. The photos are from his research and documentary photography work with children and families in Rwanda, Albania, Mexico, India, Croatia, Bolivia, and Cambodia and even though some show the horrible side of humanity there is also hope. 

Awards:
New York Book Festival, Winner for Photography and Grand Prize Winner
Foreword Magazine Book of the Year, Gold Medal for Photography
2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Winner for Photography
Silver Medalist for the Nautilus Book Awards for Art/Photography Book
Winner of the National Indie Excellence Award for Best Photography Book

Pages: 172

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Life of Pi by Yann Martel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Initially, I did not love this story, but by the end, I had a serious change of heart. I think the problem is that the story doesn't actually start until about 1/3 to almost 1/2 of the way into the book. This left me feeling like there was no story and no plot. Had I begun reading in print, instead of listening on audibook in the car, there's a strong possibility I would have quit right before this book became dark, gruesome, and brutal, which was far more interesting.

At times, the storytelling is long-winded, a bit preachy, and even tedious. It lacks subtlety and often hits you over the head with points, instead of letting you have a-ha moments. However, I have frequently found myself thinking about the different things I read in this story, so while some of it exhausted me, other parts clung to me.

My suggestion is to push through the beginning, because things get far worse for Pi Patel, which makes the story much better. Honestly, when it goes into the endless chatter about religions in the beginning, you could probably skip 30-40 pages there and never be missing any parts of the real story. Had they started the book almost 100 pages later, it would be far better, though the commentary on zoos in the beginning is interesting, even if it's a bit lecture-like.

From the halfway mark to the end, I was mostly captivated. The author still had moments where he kept repeating the same thing over and over and over again, ad nauseam, but by then, it felt more like a stylistic choice to drive his point home, though I could have done with a bit less of the pounding me over the head with things I already knew and understood.

There were many things I enjoyed about this unexpected read, and I am glad I persevered. There's quite an interesting story hidden inside all the excess.

Pages: 326

"The Betrayal of the Blood Lily" by Lauren Willig

Although this is the sixth book in the "Pink Carnation" British spy series, it's the first one that I've read.  More of a historical mystery than a historical romance, it is set in early 19th century India where Britain has insinuated itself into Indian socity, culture, and politics.  I was pleasantly surprised at the author's creative expressions and unusual phrasing, but the cast of characters and Indian terms made it a little difficult to follow.  The hero of the novel was much more likable than the heroine, and the contemporary secondary story woven in with it sometimes got in the way, but overall, it was an intriguing and refreshing concept.  401 pages.