Books

Review: The Playdate (by Louise Millar)

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Review: The Playdate (by Louise Millar)

The Playdate
The Playdate

I was just wandering in the library and wasn’t able to pick my read. Normally I select my books from the online catalog of library before actually going there. But, this was spontaneous visit and I was kind of getting lost in piles and shelves of books. Strangely, with so many options before me I was not able to choose one. So indecisive of me.

Saw this book. It was on the outer display unit. Liked the cover and short recommendation and picked it up. Yup! just like that.

I soon realized my mistake of randomly picking up a book like that, as I began to find its introduction of characters pretty lame and lackluster. It’s very nonconforming with me that I don’t like dull and single layer characters. So, as I was going through the characters of its three protagonists, all females, I found them very generic and lame. They are like women living across the street, you saw them occasionally, waving, chatting and soon fading away.

One thing which irritates me in the beginning was that the chapters were written with the perspective of the three characters, not like a single observer or story teller. Like each chapter devoted to single one of them – Callie, Suzy and Debs, all having their own voice. It somehow confuses me in the starting as each female says her part of the story with her own perspective when you were already immersed in the previous one. Each has a different take on her surroundings and life in general.

But after reading a moment or two, I realized that how much depth this has given to the whole story. Now, with the proceeding of story I was visualizing three characters telling their story with utmost honesty and specifics, telling stories of their longings, their shortcomings, their struggle, pain, suffering and love.

This novel is listed as a thriller, so I was waiting for that one twist and turn which will spice up this old neighborhood kind of story. It came, though late. By then, you were just wondering if this story has anything else to offer other than telling us how not to be a single mom? Or How to track your husband’s extra-curricular activities? Nonetheless many would be interested in finding it out J

Mystery weaves into the story is pretty smooth and intricate. It flows with the story and suddenly you realize that how did you miss the indications in earlier chapters. It’s written in a very well absorbing and captivating way. After a point I was just not able to put myself to sleep without completing the book, in the fear of what will happen to the poor little girl? Not me poor girl from the novel L

The big drawback or the disappointment that I have with this story is that the end was so one sided. I would have loved to see the whole drama unfolding from Suzy’s eyes. Her perspective was totally wiped out in the end, which if shown could have added more depth and meaning to the narrative. Oh! I am so fascinated by the psychos. One thing to credit Suzy, she truly believed in keeping your friends close, and your enemy closer…. J

Now I am going to sleep and then maybe a trip to the library. This time I am getting Dan Brown’s Inferno. Good Night. ZZzzzz………

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Life

My Kinds of People

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My Kinds of People
My Kinds of People

Photo Credit: Word Porn Facebook Page

Today when I saw this photo on my friends Facebook page (Yeah I do lot of facebooking), the first thought that came to my mind was, are we really original or just copies of each other. This thought lingered in my mind for some time and the reason that I am writing about it, is that it makes me think about me. The kind of people I have met in life and their influence on me. My family, my friends, my enemies (yeah I have lots of them) and some strangers whom I have met but never got the chance to know.

What is interesting in all this thought process is, that I have heard everyone say that they are not like the rest. All of us think that we are different from others and are unique in our own way. Have you ever heard someone say that I am like others? I am pretty common. I am not unique.

Now if you think about it when you talk about others you must have said that X is similar to Y, They are just the same. They are just like each other. Ohhh X you are just like my friend Y, and so on…

Strange right, when we talk about ourselves we say we are unique but when we talk about others we kind of compare them and always presumed some similarities.

So Confusing…..

Ok, so I was talking about the impact of people who surrounds us. On a personal experience I can say that every person that I have known has given me something, an experience. Some persons give you a positive experience and enrich your life with positivity, but in most of the cases I have found them spreading more negativity. One very clear difference that you can make out between the two is, a positive person is always moving ahead, always growing. He is always learning new things doing something new. He would be the one who is laughing wholeheartedly unaware of his surroundings. He will be the one who will be encouraging you to take risks in life and not holding back. Embrace him/her. Don’t ever lose such people, no matter what is the cost, just hold onto them.

Coming to the negativity, they are those who are always bitching, bitching about life, about neighbors, about office, bosses, friends, relatives, mailman, government…. Everything and everyone in the world. They do blame God also (Yup they do, a lot). They’d say God is always unfair to them, why God has given them pain… etc. They will print a dull picture of life in front of you, they will point out everything that’s bad in you, like you have a big nose, to why are you going to the gym or you are too stubborn or too soft. They will say what you are reading is not worth, what you are wearing is not appropriate, what you are spending is too much, what you are saving is too little, what you are doing with your life is not good enough.

Don’t hold these kind of people in your life, but don’t even lose them intentionally. The key is to let them be where they are. Just don’t promote them in your life. They will leave you eventually if you keep on holding onto your positive side (No promises though). I am not telling you to lose them because some negativity is also important to realize what is at the other end in case you decided to change direction ever. Listen to them and think what are they saying and why are they saying it? Most of the time it’s in their nature that’s why they are pointing out something wrong in you, but do analyze before discarding them as you need to have some critics also J

There are two more kinds of people, somewhat a mix of above.

One who is always negative about others but keep on praising you. They will give you undue importance, will cheer you always, your every move, and your every decision. They show themselves as your true well-wisher. My advice – Stay away from such people. They are fake, real fake. Just keep in mind, if this person is always talking ill of others, he/she will be saying bad things about you also when in the company of others.

Second type who appears sometimes positive but other times they seem to be unsure of their life and surroundings and appear dull or negative. Remember such people are going through a phase and they may need your support. They need your help to sail through the rough phases of life. Do help them, they will always remember you and cherish you.

I know you must be either laughing right now or be confused by seeing such categorization. But this is my current approach of handling the incoming and outgoing tray of people in my life.

This may or may not change in the near future, but I’ll do update this blog in case I met someone whom I am not able to fill in these categories. Till then … keep reading and keep meeting. 🙂

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Review: The Darkest Minds (Book)

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Review: The Darkest Minds (Book)

The Darkest Minds
The Darkest Minds

 

There are few books which I like and there are those which I wonder why would I picked up in the first place.

The Darkest Minds come somewhat in between. I liked it when I was reading it but it ended so abruptly that I can’t figure out even that it has ended. The only problem with the book is that it has no ending.

With books coming in parts like a season of a TV soap, it becomes a fashion for authors to write a book and then leave it abruptly so that their next part will be received with lots of curiosity. But isn’t it like cheating your readers. Readers who bought a book thinking of a completion a closure of the events talked about in the book.

Well, leaving this flaw behind, the book is a good teen fiction. It’s got a good grip on the plot. Sometimes it stretches itself like the journey of Ruby with Lee and Chubs in Betty. Too much time is consumed in detailing out who is sitting where and wearing what. It does paint a picture in front of your eyes, but it’s a very detailed picture, kind of distracting when you are focusing on the characters and their behavior with each other rather than their wardrobe.

The thing that I liked in the book is the character of Liam. He has explained layer by layer and each of his layers is better than the before. Ultimately his character comes out as a very modest and genuine hero. The Clancy’s character was also well drawn out but frankly I have to read the next part (Never Fade) because I do think that there is more to him which can be explored.

Strangest thing in the book was Chubs. Yes, the cute but with attitude boy who was never shown as very powerful in the book throughout but in the end he kinds of shown as a superman who came and save Ruby from the dreadful and deadliest powers of Clancy. Hmmnn.

I know I have not talked about Ruby. I would love to but she is a confused character and rightly so. She has gone through so much in very tender age and that explains her confusion.

Overall a good book, worth reading but with a sudden death/end. Wouldn’t have picked it for reading if would have known this fact before.

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