Our Lady of Alice Bhatti

Author - Mohammed Hanif

Genre - Fiction, Pakistan, Religion, Humour

Source - Audiobook

Rating - 4

May 2013

Very well written. Incredibly bleak and bereft of hope, depressing even -- and this is just next doors, in Pakistan. But Hanif knows how to do humour, some parts are laugh-out-loud funny. Definitely worth a read.

The Club Dumas

Author - Arturo Pérez-Reverte

Genre - Fiction, Thriller, Book-about-books, Mystery

Source - Audiobook

Rating - 4

May 2013

Excellent! This is a thriller for the book-lover, yet isn't a highbrow one like Eco. Not as thrilling as an 'Eye of the Needle', say, but mazy and intelligent.

The Virgins

Author - Siddharth Tripathi

Genre - Indian English, Fiction, Thriller

Source - Print

Rating - 4

May 2013

Written by my Bschool friend Tripathi! Well done, am very proud of him! The book flows through quickly, does not get boring, and is rather busy and eventful. Things keep happening. I liked it. Captures the psyche of testosterone-driven high school kids quite well, as well as that of life in the 'wild north'. As for his depiction of Banaras, which I've never visited, I am not the best judge of. 
If I have to critique something: Sid should have gone easy on the capitals and the italics. 
I say this with no trepidation, I would have complimented this book even if it weren't written by my friend. There's quite a bit of good in this book.

Anita

Author - Keith Roberts

Genre - Fantasy, Magic, Fiction

Source - Audiobook

Rating - 4

May 2013

Fine, fun short stories. Sixties witch, a bit of a wild child, is this Anita. But good. Breezy read.