tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11691513110376885122024-03-13T13:58:30.991-07:00Chess, Comics, Crosswords, Books, Music, CinemaWhen you write, don't just write, tell a storyPrashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.comBlogger792125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-28448588752522008082024-02-01T08:05:00.000-08:002024-02-01T21:12:49.216-08:00All the news that's (not) fit to read<p></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWph98vDV6t4NSOy8nlK0aIix7s7UyT7xhdFvKKTg_apiJ7P1aANLTeBeTBzYGx8sUpP-dIRjXXScx99jHSMOKgqGnRm2tZc47pCYQINtXF3Kcfl-YvtBf9RZ8DM0Bu2nnvlx7uFBH0xuwhDYut0cIlWFU7txtd-dqZSyzXGkyiUZUHeopy3kPoKzWUc0/s1366/Reuters.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="1366" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWph98vDV6t4NSOy8nlK0aIix7s7UyT7xhdFvKKTg_apiJ7P1aANLTeBeTBzYGx8sUpP-dIRjXXScx99jHSMOKgqGnRm2tZc47pCYQINtXF3Kcfl-YvtBf9RZ8DM0Bu2nnvlx7uFBH0xuwhDYut0cIlWFU7txtd-dqZSyzXGkyiUZUHeopy3kPoKzWUc0/w400-h185/Reuters.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />In 1897, Adolph S. Ochs, the owner of The New York Times, coined the famous slogan — All the News That's Fit to Print — indicating the newspaper's resolve to publish impartial, accurate and relevant news. <br /><br />That sentiment has long ceased to hold true in the world of news and newspapers.<br /><br />The climate of news has changed drastically since the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. Much of what I read is not newsworthy, if not unfit to print. Digital has made news easily accessible, but not so discernible. There is more noise and less news.<br /><br />There are some bright spots, though. Reuters, for instance.<br /><br />For a clear reporting and writing style, concise headlines, accuracy, reliability, global coverage, hard facts and professional standards, I find the London-based news agency to be a responsible source of information.<br /><br />Reuters gives me a dispassionate view of the world around us. I read it first thing in the morning — without emotion or prejudice.</span></span><p></p>Prashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-37025267875690094882024-01-17T06:41:00.000-08:002024-01-17T20:01:29.784-08:00Previews: Two debut thrillers and an exciting ebook<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQs4oMe7Jw_QalQoCddLbrrz5HJX5l7GXCZaqWCCDd_-w8AuxehXn5I27PRsLVD-hrnNNclG61qmEqSYn8t8Iob-0eOA93-TmkEeuwAn9a42INvEeeOKUpb5nWnkw5Egi19PR-_k3I_9xY_9MERunTYqk4WnuYCrryIduwQyRKEDNObR2to3r7RTbE7mU/s932/The%20Silent%20Patient.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="604" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQs4oMe7Jw_QalQoCddLbrrz5HJX5l7GXCZaqWCCDd_-w8AuxehXn5I27PRsLVD-hrnNNclG61qmEqSYn8t8Iob-0eOA93-TmkEeuwAn9a42INvEeeOKUpb5nWnkw5Egi19PR-_k3I_9xY_9MERunTYqk4WnuYCrryIduwQyRKEDNObR2to3r7RTbE7mU/s320/The%20Silent%20Patient.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>The Silent Patient</i> by Alex Michaelides and <i>Shiver</i> by Allie Reynolds were gifts from my daughter. She'd enjoyed reading both the thrillers and thought my wife and I'd like them too. Her choice of crime fiction comes with high recommendations.<br /><br /><i>The Silent Patient</i> (Orion, 2019) is described as "A shocking psychological thriller of a woman's act of violence against her husband-and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive."<br /><br />The blurb on the back of the 339-page book tells us about the story of Alicia Berenson who "lived a seemingly perfect life until one day six years ago (when) she shot her husband in the head five times. Since then she hasn't spoken a single word. It's time to find out why."<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_8nVKkOQoQDUWe-blO7p4nv-E9UJIKo466Nqg438xIi_t2n5hpQi_yrCCud7EcfiC_l63m5WahLOgBMwUxORVix2SnlhvY8jL7IF0FgmN4sAvrAu2HItG9qGNHJNEvtB8usXLavWp1Azu2rwg26yoA1nf1p-Raxzs2i7CiQ9JlLdAvBSMt2QOuT_pUY/s564/Shiver.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="365" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_8nVKkOQoQDUWe-blO7p4nv-E9UJIKo466Nqg438xIi_t2n5hpQi_yrCCud7EcfiC_l63m5WahLOgBMwUxORVix2SnlhvY8jL7IF0FgmN4sAvrAu2HItG9qGNHJNEvtB8usXLavWp1Azu2rwg26yoA1nf1p-Raxzs2i7CiQ9JlLdAvBSMt2QOuT_pUY/s320/Shiver.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>"They were all there. So which one of them did it?" says the cover of <i>Shiver</i> (Headline, 2021). The 425-page book tells the story of "A reunion weekend in the French Alps (that turns deadly when five friends discover that someone has deliberately stranded them at their remote mountaintop resort during a snowstorm."<br /><br /><i>The Silent Patient</i> and <i>Shiver</i> are both debut novels and were to be developed as a movie and a television series, respectively; although, I have no updates about either of the ventures. <br /><br />Carolyn Arnold's <i>The Little Grave</i> (2021) is the first Detective Amanda Steele book in what appears to be a series of ten books. The 324-page Kindle edition was available for free on Amazon. My thanks to the author.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1O5d5harFrFoNZBM86ch5YZxE0e2suAgBNWfzXN8LCpypmRqZsRVa6b_YcofrwJdIemzpQpR5VMu8lGT70F26gB5NOgOcQ_TW43PmOWgGwt0QyivsE0-AOOXlyR4GaYeNlT5n5Hz0MgIQtCn7KS9B17IKPQChKqRYQkqcwQ-H2DO4yYx1k6zJ23I_cho/s2046/The%20Little%20Grave.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2046" data-original-width="1332" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1O5d5harFrFoNZBM86ch5YZxE0e2suAgBNWfzXN8LCpypmRqZsRVa6b_YcofrwJdIemzpQpR5VMu8lGT70F26gB5NOgOcQ_TW43PmOWgGwt0QyivsE0-AOOXlyR4GaYeNlT5n5Hz0MgIQtCn7KS9B17IKPQChKqRYQkqcwQ-H2DO4yYx1k6zJ23I_cho/s320/The%20Little%20Grave.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>This is what the book is about:<br /><br />"It's been five years since Detective Amanda Steele's life was derailed by the tragic death of her young daughter. The small community of Dumfries, Virginia, may have moved on, but Amanda cannot. When the man who killed Lindsey is found murdered, she can't keep away from the case. Fighting her sergeant to be allowed to work such a personal investigation, Amanda is in a race to prove that she can uncover the truth. But the more she digs into the past of the man who destroyed her future, the more shocking discoveries she makes." <br /><br />At present, I'm reading <i>The Silent Patient</i> in paperback and <i>The Little Grave</i> on my tablet, and both the thrillers have my full attention.</span></span></div>Prashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-4762890519655378782023-12-29T20:44:00.000-08:002024-01-15T09:23:56.954-08:00Living life in restaurants<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJEXbnZN4c0-dqz3YHMyTInluvO7dNlvMLZraBsb8p_RLACQbshqeNWMGEH_YyU1k52SdIiv4rqKh5U_APw0alRBWfjtBjH_PJGK5MyXqshJYr2Z3p1bq6TTFX5dALlSOQ8I8HSTIA0SsBhTTZ-85xZBz33YhKyxsGoqH90-2xfk599A7INOjsdqXpP8/s1280/Live%20Life.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1280" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJEXbnZN4c0-dqz3YHMyTInluvO7dNlvMLZraBsb8p_RLACQbshqeNWMGEH_YyU1k52SdIiv4rqKh5U_APw0alRBWfjtBjH_PJGK5MyXqshJYr2Z3p1bq6TTFX5dALlSOQ8I8HSTIA0SsBhTTZ-85xZBz33YhKyxsGoqH90-2xfk599A7INOjsdqXpP8/w400-h268/Live%20Life.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo: Bridgesward/Pixabay</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Philip Rosenthal, the American television writer, producer and creator of the sitcom <i>Everybody Loves Raymond</i> and presenter of food and travel documentaries <i>I’ll Have What Phil’s Having</i> and <i>Somebody Feed Phil</i>, says: “We live life in restaurants, it’s the centre of social life, where we celebrate with family and friends, make new friends, travel without travelling, and of course, eat.”<br /><br />That is so true. We go mall shopping and eventually head for the food court. We go to the movies and eat popcorn and ice cream in between the scenes. We go to a coffeehouse and huddle together over laptops, coffees and croissants. We break for lunch and share our meals in the office cafeteria. Not to mention all the dinners and parties we have with family and friends in restaurants and outdoor venues.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We live life in restaurants because in a way life tends to revolve around food and conversations. It’s where people unwind, deals are struck, proposals are made, relationships are broken, jokes are told, laughter is plentiful, special occasions are celebrated and fresh memories created.<br /><br />So much beyond eating happens in a restaurant. From celebrations to heart-to-heart talks, it’s the go-to place for social and emotional rendezvous, making new connections and deepening old ties.<br /><br />In the few hours we spend in restaurants, we forget our worries and share joyous moments over food and drink with the people we meet without travelling. In that sense restaurants are a comfort zone of food, relaxation and pleasant familiarity.<br /><br />© <a href="http://www.pocketfulofhappiness.com">www.pocketfulofhappiness.com</a></span></span></p><p></p>Prashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-73632534386757808112023-12-23T03:58:00.000-08:002023-12-23T10:54:41.557-08:00The day I stopped reading newspapers<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ8-KdsFbUjG0VAJAVnswCtsbjNTd3bhbB-pkDU7XivIA4xFmY0ZzIj5vfV8ANXoOkYaLse4vjLs18AIQVsl1A92TzLMAsFU1l84jdGRV4dZJCgbX-tUWMhIvKKl0XKky-8_lj3Azbe0QiS6dbs03J4eVgvxjAR28KyMe00buvWAmLYAEWPHE_lx66Brk/s1024/Reader.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ8-KdsFbUjG0VAJAVnswCtsbjNTd3bhbB-pkDU7XivIA4xFmY0ZzIj5vfV8ANXoOkYaLse4vjLs18AIQVsl1A92TzLMAsFU1l84jdGRV4dZJCgbX-tUWMhIvKKl0XKky-8_lj3Azbe0QiS6dbs03J4eVgvxjAR28KyMe00buvWAmLYAEWPHE_lx66Brk/s320/Reader.png" width="320" /></a></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Before Covid-19, I used to read a dozen newspapers almost every day—an old journalistic habit. Now I read none. I had cancelled the only newspaper subscription I had even before the pandemic. I miss the paper, not for the news, but for wrapping things.<br /><br />These days I read news online on my laptop, mostly via media websites and aggregators; though I'm not always happy with what the algorithms throw up. Both in terms of the news content and the way it is reported. <br /><br />For example, I have absolutely no interest in reading an "Exclusive!" about a couple of actors arriving in some city for someone's birthday party. Paid news? Or paid algorithm? If there's such a thing.<br /><br />Also, like the palm of the hand, there are always two sides to a story. Unfortunately, that's often not the case. "What does the other side have to say?" The news report doesn't tell me. Probably because the other side wasn't asked. That's not fair.<br /><br />My tab is a very convenient place to read. I have downloaded a few apps—Mint, The Economist, Moneycontrol, FT (London), Reuters, Bloomberg, WSJ, The Guardian (UK), BBC and CNN, The New York Times, Foreign Affairs and Foreign Policy, The Washington Post, AP News, Pocket and The New Yoker—which more than feed my curiosity for news stories and features, and other stuff. Some I subscribe to; others I read what's available for free. <br /><br />In a way I have become my own news aggregator. Curating and gathering news, views and perspectives that I want to read. No longer bound by the limitations of what was often a depressing front page. </span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">© Illustration: Arturo Navarro/freeflo.ai </span><br /></span><br /><br /> </p><p></p><p></p>Prashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-20017029740710606132023-12-13T01:29:00.000-08:002023-12-13T07:46:41.409-08:00Clash of the Press Titans<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">If you simply enjoy humour, you will get this. If you're a part of the media, public relations or communications field, perhaps even more.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">* * *<br /><br />One evening, Press Release and Press Note met in a bar. After a few drinks, Press Release, more cocky and boastful of the two, got up to leave. And then, a funny thing happened.<br /><br />Press Note: "Where are you going?"<br /><br />Press Release: "To shoot myself off to the media. I have several deadlines to catch."<br /><br />Press Note: "Oh, that reminds me, I need to grab the media's attention, too."<br /><br />Press Release: You? Seriously! A waste of time. You sit here, drink some more, and figure out who you are and what it is you do. Here, it's on me."<br /><br />Press Note: "Hey, I know who I'm and what I do — you condescending jerk!"<br /><br />Press Release: "Do you? Do you really?! I don't think so!<br /><br />As Press Release turned to leave, Press Note, as boiling mad as a boilerplate, got off the stool and lunged at him. The two grappled and rolled on the floor. Headlines were torn, datelines were ripped off, quotes were shred to bits. <br /><br />Three journalists, drinks in hand, stood watching the feuding pair in the circle of cheering onlookers, some of whom were placing bets. <br /><br />"There's our front-page story," one of them said, whipping out his phone and taking pictures.<br /><br />"Yeah," replied another. "I can see the headline: WORDS FLY AS PRESS RELEASE AND PRESS NOTE CLASH IN HILARIOUS BAR BRAWL"<br /><br />"Wonder who's gonna issue a press statement," said the third.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>© Prashant C. Trikannad</b><br /></span></span></p>Prashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-90690116682412780392023-09-07T12:11:00.009-07:002023-09-11T11:32:09.677-07:00Why I chose to give away my books<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrAsvXC4mgZREOuaqA2pKEJs-PiGBa6HDyac4UL4lMhbkrrTiKJNAiixL4Xxt72wDaLX37pWdQAf2JPm1eD1sD4DLU2DMqjbyKWaIn3pqUW1cBQpJ4BHz7rCRyeQPXpDozAVfPhV8xTXgKlZBXJd7zyNlr1Ggb_rGAzRqASD9aUvSPt6WBDsW8yE3_4MI/s3444/Books.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3444" data-original-width="3429" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrAsvXC4mgZREOuaqA2pKEJs-PiGBa6HDyac4UL4lMhbkrrTiKJNAiixL4Xxt72wDaLX37pWdQAf2JPm1eD1sD4DLU2DMqjbyKWaIn3pqUW1cBQpJ4BHz7rCRyeQPXpDozAVfPhV8xTXgKlZBXJd7zyNlr1Ggb_rGAzRqASD9aUvSPt6WBDsW8yE3_4MI/w399-h400/Books.jpg" width="399" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the abandoned paperbacks.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Each one of us has a unique relationship with books. We have so many anecdotes and stories to tell about the books we buy, collect, read, hoard and never read. Till, one day, </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">something — I don’t know if it’s age, wisdom or common sense — propels us into doing what was once out of the question: Downsize our collection. Give away books we have been holding onto for god knows how long. Free up space, in cabinets, on shelves, up in the loft. And start again, one book at a time. Go back to the basics of reading. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">At least, that was my plan. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I owned very few books in my youth, the years between 14 and 25 when I read the most number of books. In those </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">days I read novels in just two or three sittings; sometimes in half a day and started on a new </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">one by night. I borrowed my books from private circulating libraries, British Council Library and American Library. Then somewhere down the years, my career and family life took precedence. I stopped going to the libraries owing to the distance and lack of time, and instead started <a href="http://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/search?q=secondhand&max-results=20&by-date=true">buying books</a>, more than I could read. Not that anyone or anything stopped me from reading like I did before. </span></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Over the next three decades, I accumulated so many <a href="http://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2023/08/reading-ann-patchett.html">books</a> that several of my mysteries, thrillers and westerns followed me to every new place of work, where they sat quietly in office desks and cabinets, and seldom got a chance to tell me their stories. Then came the tech-induced comforts and distractions and my goal to read a certain number of books and short stories every month – in other words, reduce my TBR pile – went out the window. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">About a year after the onset of the <a href="http://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2020/10/buying-books-in-time-of-pandemic.html">pandemic</a>, I decided enough was enough. We were in the middle of home renovation when I took an inventory of my collection and removed nearly two hundred books, which I eventually gave away to anyone who was interested or sold them to footpath booksellers at throwaway rates. I’d no other choice. Some of these books remained unread for years. My logic was that if I hadn’t read them up to that point, I sure as hell wasn’t going to read them now. Fortunately, most of the books I weeded out were <a href="http://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-lure-of-secondhand-books.html">secondhand</a> and didn’t cost a lot of money, though the parting did hurt for a while. </span></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Now I have fewer than a hundred books, mostly paperbacks of some of my favourite authors and a few nonfiction; the latter comprising a dozen books on the craft of writing by seasoned writers like Stephen King, Francine Prose, Ray Bradbury, Anne Lamott, Benjamin Dreyer, Annie Dillard and Bill Bryson. They’re my writing companions – offering valuable lessons from their own experiences of storytelling, and helping me both as a reader and a writer. </span></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In these past three years, I have been compensating the “loss” of my books by purchasing ebooks or downloading them from public domain and online libraries. I read these on my Kindle and Samsung tablet. Of course, I also buy paper books – no more than half a dozen a year – from Amazon as well as secondhand booksellers and <a href="http://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2023/08/my-wife-and-i-frequently-travel-to.html">book fairs</a>, depending on what I find. I haven’t bought a book in a new bookstore in years. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> The thing about de-cluttering books, to borrow a phrase from George Bernard Shaw in another context, is the illusion that it has taken place. No matter how many books we discard, there are always plenty around the place. I guess the only way to pare down our books is to read them as soon as we buy them.</span></span></p>Prashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-68224268160750562922023-08-31T06:56:00.005-07:002023-08-31T21:55:55.163-07:00A visit to a book fair in South Mumbai<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span>My wife and I frequently travel to South Mumbai, roughly 22 km (17 miles) from our home in the suburbs, to spend a few delightful hours among its art deco buildings, historical landmarks, art galleries and cultural scenes; walk along the sea-facing promenades; visit <a href="http://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2020/10/buying-books-in-time-of-pandemic.html" target="_blank">footpath booksellers</a> and book exhibitions; shop on the causeway; and eat at traditional restaurants.<br /><br />The island city holds a special place for us and has an old-world charm that takes us into another time. You can read more about our recent trip to the island city at our new website <a href="https://www.pocketfulofhappiness.com/post/the-best-sightseeing-locations-in-south-mumbai" target="_blank">Pocketful of Happiness</a>. <br /><br />Here are a few pictures from a <a href="http://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2022/05/time-to-turn-page-on-book-buying.html" target="_blank">book exhibition</a> that we went to. There were literally thousands of books – fiction and nonfiction, <a href="http://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2013/12/hidden-treasures-in-book-collections.html" target="_blank">paperbacks</a> and hardbacks. Most books cost no more than a dollar or two. We bought a few. The book fair was organised by Ashish Book Centre and held near <a href="http://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2014/03/reading-habits-6-reading-on-railway.html" target="_blank">Churchgate</a>, which serves as the headquarters of the suburban Western Railway network.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbimXcgucPNZhSxIOTsm8iAff1WIaxMQFhv4gUJRknlDtsooZl2CziwNKfsWVF6rtmWksViE1edkPfwDXgPibip1F2h2Ckr79DOQ9TRvSpYsVNbHyjPxyrBAA9bvcG3Yi8UWNSTuY6qp1xbJGL-ydz_NLS5pKkrNzmf6xAvgsIlQH2puM2JfMtm4vkMAE/s4640/IMG_20230806_161837.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4640" data-original-width="3472" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbimXcgucPNZhSxIOTsm8iAff1WIaxMQFhv4gUJRknlDtsooZl2CziwNKfsWVF6rtmWksViE1edkPfwDXgPibip1F2h2Ckr79DOQ9TRvSpYsVNbHyjPxyrBAA9bvcG3Yi8UWNSTuY6qp1xbJGL-ydz_NLS5pKkrNzmf6xAvgsIlQH2puM2JfMtm4vkMAE/w478-h640/IMG_20230806_161837.jpg" width="478" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9RTZrBi61LJqU2yOt7ccEA9BKPiRnsOPdTIvw1GKmBg1lf0nse_bmUvFiDpIzsmIfSzyqUwUYVqv1_2nTwVoz4JML-zVftdQm0wLykWqt2mGeAUdMf8ZXvuI70ZoIaskG-OuIcWNAVLb9hfjkH4TBHH-1Z9I9nDshRyTqBB8At63YgxqFM3Bp28HoMM/s4640/IMG_20230806_160435.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4640" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9RTZrBi61LJqU2yOt7ccEA9BKPiRnsOPdTIvw1GKmBg1lf0nse_bmUvFiDpIzsmIfSzyqUwUYVqv1_2nTwVoz4JML-zVftdQm0wLykWqt2mGeAUdMf8ZXvuI70ZoIaskG-OuIcWNAVLb9hfjkH4TBHH-1Z9I9nDshRyTqBB8At63YgxqFM3Bp28HoMM/w400-h299/IMG_20230806_160435.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">© <span>All photographs by Prashant C. Trikannad</span><br /></span><p></p>Prashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-36210590210113967152023-08-29T08:14:00.005-07:002023-08-29T22:11:00.600-07:00Reading Ann Patchett<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Excerpts frequently influence whether I should read books by authors I have never read before. That and a Twitter post is how I learnt more about award-winning American author Ann Patchett who writes both fiction and nonfiction. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I was drawn to her writing when I read about her latest book <i>Tom Lake</i>, which is described as a “Beautiful and moving novel about family, love and growing up” or in the words of <i>The Guardian</i>, “A truth that feels like life rather than literature.” </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccr3HKKt1gB3IQ3U67DCNONbOJBTJoZRpesVdCY8vPZ-RV23bLO_tp00E3-WSzd7F27c4tu5ARTTbSD8IrQ_Y9HGtisqMyycPfrZ0u195GlRjFs11EABWTiBgCrHkupJhLH0lusp5J_2E5wnntudwlWX3ncMEzokipRZmpVzvV82MUDCtjorEvWQRe9M/s954/This%20is%20the%20Story%20of%20a%20Happy%20Marriage.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="954" data-original-width="636" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccr3HKKt1gB3IQ3U67DCNONbOJBTJoZRpesVdCY8vPZ-RV23bLO_tp00E3-WSzd7F27c4tu5ARTTbSD8IrQ_Y9HGtisqMyycPfrZ0u195GlRjFs11EABWTiBgCrHkupJhLH0lusp5J_2E5wnntudwlWX3ncMEzokipRZmpVzvV82MUDCtjorEvWQRe9M/s320/This%20is%20the%20Story%20of%20a%20Happy%20Marriage.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Those are the kind of books I have always enjoyed reading, and hope to write someday, now more so since my wife and I launched a website <a href="https://www.pocketfulofhappiness.com/" target="_blank">Pocketful of Happiness</a> which stemmed from our desire to be happy (possibly, at all times) and spread a little joy among our readers. Books like these have a feel-good quality about them. </span></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Ann Patchett's writing has been variously described as warm, poetic, illuminating, rich, poignant, funny, powerful, compelling and stirring. This was evident from the many excerpts I read including this affecting passage from <i>This is the Story of a Happy Marriage</i> (2013): </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">“People seem able to love their dogs with an unabashed acceptance that they rarely demonstrate with family or friends. The dogs do not disappoint them, or if they do, the owners manage to forget about it quickly. I want to learn to love people like this, the way I love my dog, with pride and enthusiasm and a complete amnesia for faults. In short, to love others the way my dog loves me.”</span> </span></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHqwfSnZEFRNE8wbGLetFlLX53DJZgjlV7Fu43JHgfRMTyuXyQvy5A10O0_wIBOAesMM0d6gSl3hxbp64ALOv6cNxzNv-tsekzrdQcP6lGdqJolpK9MeB3hXjMnyh_HOxopCT7Yi80xwfZ06GmJtUfUUeb_ROSXwlXaxcAGbuBabehoH7TYu-XpM2xOE/s750/These%20Precious%20Days.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="475" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHqwfSnZEFRNE8wbGLetFlLX53DJZgjlV7Fu43JHgfRMTyuXyQvy5A10O0_wIBOAesMM0d6gSl3hxbp64ALOv6cNxzNv-tsekzrdQcP6lGdqJolpK9MeB3hXjMnyh_HOxopCT7Yi80xwfZ06GmJtUfUUeb_ROSXwlXaxcAGbuBabehoH7TYu-XpM2xOE/s320/These%20Precious%20Days.jpg" width="203" /></a><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">It prompted me to buy the book along with <i>These Precious Days: Essays</i> (2021). Both are personal and literary collections of essays and memoir. </span></span><p></p></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I look forward to reading one of these books as soon as I finish Agatha Christie’s <i>The Murder on the Links</i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p> Prashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-91108584011167459842022-06-01T07:38:00.004-07:002022-06-01T07:41:42.007-07:005 things you can do to beat writer's block<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxgLszz_p124618p78mapfpHvC9A87Q5z9CimxLfX8TDgcfuUBUwdtCoNeUlolonAC-3qPJDkz94ji1l2LKTdumhmhskKHDhKtqWqpkKNwHYjLNcPSbAc_sGkYlzrAPDqdf7DaxNwAbW31SkiRyBiIKqm0rvOekHeoWURaysQc5yDQ08z3a4Lr2OOV/s519/Peanuts.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="519" height="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxgLszz_p124618p78mapfpHvC9A87Q5z9CimxLfX8TDgcfuUBUwdtCoNeUlolonAC-3qPJDkz94ji1l2LKTdumhmhskKHDhKtqWqpkKNwHYjLNcPSbAc_sGkYlzrAPDqdf7DaxNwAbW31SkiRyBiIKqm0rvOekHeoWURaysQc5yDQ08z3a4Lr2OOV/w400-h349/Peanuts.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">© Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz</span></td></tr></tbody></table> <p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The India-based <a href="#">Reputation Today</a>, a widely-read print magazine and website on the </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">public relations and communications sector, has published my article titled <a href="https://reputationtoday.in/five-things-you-can-do-to.../">Five things you can do to beat writer’s block</a>. <br /><br />This is my second piece for Reputation Today which caters to PR and communications professionals. The first one <a href="https://reputationtoday.in/the-bulls-eye-of-pr-writing/">The bull's eye of PR writing</a> appeared in September 2021.<br /><br />Here is an excerpt from my latest offering:<br /><br />Writing is a bit like wearing clothes. Just as you have an awful dress day, you can have a bad writing day. It takes away your confidence and nearly ruins your day.<br />Imagine this scenario. <br /><br />You wear clothes to work that don’t make you feel good about yourself. They’re either ill-fitting or you don’t like the combination. You can’t wait to go home and change. Sound familiar?<br /><br />What’s worse, it happens on a day when things are going your way in the office — a promising lead, a great presentation, an appreciative client, boss on leave, an easy day at work, a party in the evening… And yet, something’s off. Oh yes, these clothes!<br /><br />Now the writing equivalent. <br /></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />~ End of excerpt ~<br /><br />If you liked it so far, I hope you'll click <a href="https://reputationtoday.in/five-things-you-can-do-to.../">https://reputationtoday.in/five-things-you-can-do-to.../</a> to read the rest.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>Prashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-88988461319389980962022-05-29T13:04:00.011-07:002022-07-22T21:55:51.538-07:00When it's time to turn the page on book-buying<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNhi3GW8cpbcA84CLC1iKbZXb_LE00OHBrd_uE-Jcj_8B5ReP76PaBam315g_yWyNvoNejQg8G_xhT0rBiZ4G7hMxGSP-oeRthA0wYGIx9oMzCUPcb9UPv8nYAyWCPCcN9Ct1e8blnA5G9kRhGo-CuTQcDEO5TwtJz_B3T3B22pL9sbfwf-7PdLR0/s4640/IMG_20220424_183400.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4640" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNhi3GW8cpbcA84CLC1iKbZXb_LE00OHBrd_uE-Jcj_8B5ReP76PaBam315g_yWyNvoNejQg8G_xhT0rBiZ4G7hMxGSP-oeRthA0wYGIx9oMzCUPcb9UPv8nYAyWCPCcN9Ct1e8blnA5G9kRhGo-CuTQcDEO5TwtJz_B3T3B22pL9sbfwf-7PdLR0/w400-h299/IMG_20220424_183400.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Photographs by Prashant C. Trikannad</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">About a month ago, I found myself among books (not my own) for the first time since March 2020. I visited a <a href="https://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2016/03/photo-essay-books-by-weight.html">Books by Weight</a> exhibition
hosted by Butterfly Books of Mumbai, and in a rare instance of self-restraint, left empty-handed. It's not
that I didn't find good books. It's just that I didn't feel like
buying any. I wonder if working from home for two years (and even now in
a hybrid setting) might have had something to do with it. Barring evening walks, an occasional social visit and grocery shopping in the
neighbourhood, I'd hardly been out until that day. <br /></span><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I was also aware at the time that there was no point in adding to my collection of <a href="https://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2020/01/hits-and-misses-in-2019.html">books</a>, many still to be read. Only last November my wife and I gave away over a hundred paperbacks and I'd no intention of replacing those with a new lot that would probably remain unread for months and years.</span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhalF3o7Kv5ZkygN8zy-DPOSS8ttErcwQssjzJ70ovJGsjC2AGf9XeLV6XYmVKw33KaXHdlpa6qg91BgA70Dx7jLzEqGflrvht83SH4QAw6Jq2-9avIthUIdAP-kl93Zg1S_ciUiXxygEhr5yb58epQVN8xXbc1CEcUB3TswZGcPe5kxxqrDsG2jjpT/s4640/IMG_20220424_183455.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4640" data-original-width="3118" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhalF3o7Kv5ZkygN8zy-DPOSS8ttErcwQssjzJ70ovJGsjC2AGf9XeLV6XYmVKw33KaXHdlpa6qg91BgA70Dx7jLzEqGflrvht83SH4QAw6Jq2-9avIthUIdAP-kl93Zg1S_ciUiXxygEhr5yb58epQVN8xXbc1CEcUB3TswZGcPe5kxxqrDsG2jjpT/s320/IMG_20220424_183455.jpg" width="215" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">As I grow older, though not necessarily wiser, I'm more convinced that it's time to own fewer things and actually use those things. And that goes for books too—read and give away. As my wife said to me one evening, "What are you finally going to do with all your books? It's time to move on." She'd a point: it wasn't as if I'd a treasure chest of rare and valuable books, not counting a few out-of-print western <a href="https://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2018/01/books-and-ebooks-i-bought-in-2017.html">paperbacks</a> and some others with swell covers. I think what she also meant was that I needed to grow out of this irresistible urge to buy and hoard books. There was a time for it and that time had passed. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We both still have <a href="https://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2018/12/timequake-by-kurt-vonnegut-and-other_6.html">many books</a>, I more than she. I'm also still holding on to my comic-books, some of which are quite old. I don't know what I'm going to do with them once I retire a few years from now. Paper has a shelf life too. So these days I mostly read ebooks on my Kindle and an 11-inch Motorola tab. Both the devices are reader friendly, convenient and a space saver where paper books are concerned. No doubt, books have a charm that ebooks can never replicate, but I have to be practical and draw the line between the two, maybe 70% ebooks and 30% paper books.</span><br /></span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSOf2LSo0Nj598G7j_MUgK3foHZdjCzEMdMy-3kqKw8P34ySl8knvBURsBH0PF3ZyxSwPoVTcPUkOlEZEEh3O6DFjwYzp4aNzcWabddUZTdb_NfFeN4eg-DgxUanYR35F0R3ElWyMfuUH_MfmVeMybXbN2zrEnxDG4jMqTPv5iJ09zmAEcoLz5_8E/s4497/IMG_20220424_183221.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4497" data-original-width="2063" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSOf2LSo0Nj598G7j_MUgK3foHZdjCzEMdMy-3kqKw8P34ySl8knvBURsBH0PF3ZyxSwPoVTcPUkOlEZEEh3O6DFjwYzp4aNzcWabddUZTdb_NfFeN4eg-DgxUanYR35F0R3ElWyMfuUH_MfmVeMybXbN2zrEnxDG4jMqTPv5iJ09zmAEcoLz5_8E/s320/IMG_20220424_183221.jpg" width="147" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I'll still buy the odd paperback from secondhand
bookshops and <a href="https://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2019/01/so-many-books-so-little-time.html">book exhibitions</a>, but that would depend on what I find
and then again only after I ask myself, "Is it really worth buying the
book? Wouldn't a Kindle edition do just as well?" The answer to those
questions will henceforth shape my <a href="https://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2020/10/buying-books-in-time-of-pandemic.html">book-buying</a> habits. Having fewer books doesn't mean reading less.</span> <br /></p>Prashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-53125376846126521732022-05-22T03:31:00.004-07:002022-05-30T06:16:26.579-07:00Reading the good stuff for mental well-being<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEk-OP4s1yj_9AZkBWCvRRZtayNrhPSmdl6uB8jLW5FOj_4suSMHph6fTLWdJoI7u4EGmkrZ8h5O5JRa5Z1aJL3alt7KdkxmcbMZOnU-FDr3ZiZ2sZ9fWAlcUQtlEtFEC3rGTMNKXY7nKCkJbovCt7HAMaOwbDsgRK1B2054gG0b5S_XtzdOY8gCL9/s5472/priscilla-du-preez-aqGIS55Fjg4-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEk-OP4s1yj_9AZkBWCvRRZtayNrhPSmdl6uB8jLW5FOj_4suSMHph6fTLWdJoI7u4EGmkrZ8h5O5JRa5Z1aJL3alt7KdkxmcbMZOnU-FDr3ZiZ2sZ9fWAlcUQtlEtFEC3rGTMNKXY7nKCkJbovCt7HAMaOwbDsgRK1B2054gG0b5S_XtzdOY8gCL9/w400-h266/priscilla-du-preez-aqGIS55Fjg4-unsplash.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Photo: Priscilla Du Preez/Unsplash</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I say this from experience. <br /><br />Reading is one of the most effective home-based therapies for mental well-being. <br /><br />While serious mental health issues may require medical intervention and counselling, other concerns like stress, burnout, worry and anxiety that we often experience in our day-to-day lives can be managed—and even overcome—by reading books, and especially inspirational books, stories and essays. <br /><br />Personally, I find spiritual literature extremely uplifting—it does these four things, often within minutes after I start reading.<br /><br />It elevates my mood<br />Soothes the mind<br />Makes me emotionally resilient, and <br />Fills me with a sense of calm. <br /><br />Reading the good stuff makes me feel good about myself, my environment and my ability to make it through the passing storms of life, even though more often than not those storms are little more than blips on the radar or minor interruptions. <br /><br />This is not to say I don't read other books, like the mysteries, thrillers and westerns I'm fond of. It's only that, whenever I feel a bit down in the dumps, I know I can dive into books that fill me with a positive energy and make me happy. They're always on standby.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Does reading help improve your state of mind?<br /><br />What kind of books do you read for inspiration and mental wellness?</span><br /></span></p>Prashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-2370059545924178202020-10-21T11:06:00.005-07:002022-05-30T06:19:13.346-07:00Book-buying in the time of the pandemic<p> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">If I have missed one thing during the pandemic-induced <a href="http://controlaltlive.blogspot.com/2020/08/aliens-in-our-own-land_3.html">lockdown</a> and work from home, it's my frequent visits to <a href="https://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-lure-of-secondhand-books.html">secondhand bookshops</a>, <a href="https://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2017/10/book-hunt-browsers-delight-buyers.html">pavement booksellers</a> and <a href="https://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2015/03/photo-essay-books-by-weight-is-back.html">book exhibitions</a>. Since working remotely, March 19 onward, I have bought just two books off Amazon India—a used but rare Corgi edition of <i>Sudden</i> and a new <i>Fantastic Four: The Coming of Galactus</i> comic-book digest, both featured here. The <a href="http://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2012/09/sudden-rides-again-he-rode-horse-as.html">Sudden</a> paperback with the eye-catching cover art was like winning a lottery. I was both surprised and delighted to find it on Amazon India for only Rs.295 ($4). My favourite western is not easily available at used book sales in Mumbai.<br /><br />But I did buy <a href="http://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2019/03/a-windfall-of-books.html">books</a> in the weeks and months leading up to the virus outbreak. Here are a few with their synopsis, actual covers and original year of publication.</span></span> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wdCoz0eUL28/X5Byu-fNfNI/AAAAAAAAZIc/MScgAYBC2WIDMnLmUVLbvS1nV59s20n6gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/Jeffrey%2BArcher.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="778" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wdCoz0eUL28/X5Byu-fNfNI/AAAAAAAAZIc/MScgAYBC2WIDMnLmUVLbvS1nV59s20n6gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Jeffrey%2BArcher.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>The New Collected Short Stories by Jeffrey Archer, 2011</b><br /><br />"This brand new edition brings together three of Jeffrey Archer's classic collections of short stories—To Cut a Long Story Short, Cat O' Nine Tales and And Thereby Hangs a Tale—showcasing the master storyteller's skill like never before. Every reader will have their own favourites: the choices run from love at first sight across the train tracks to the cleverest of confidence tricks, from the quirks of the legal profession, and those who are able to manipulate both sides of the Bar, to the creative financial talents of a member of Her Majesty's diplomatic service—but for a good cause. In `Caste-Off', Jamwal and Nisha fall in love while waiting for a traffic light to turn green in Delhi, and in `Don't Drink The Water', a company chairman tries to poison his wife while on a trip to St Petersburg, with unexpected consequences... The stories held in these pages are irresistible: ingeniously plotted, with richly drawn characters and deliciously unexpected conclusions. Some will make you laugh. Others will bring you to tears. And, as always, every one of them will keep you spellbound."</span></span></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0qooOw4LKvw/X5BzRdNoJjI/AAAAAAAAZIs/PaS7tnIelpQLnGfNZ7hoTjkYk0zXlANKgCLcBGAsYHQ/s475/Mickey%2BSpillane.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="291" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0qooOw4LKvw/X5BzRdNoJjI/AAAAAAAAZIs/PaS7tnIelpQLnGfNZ7hoTjkYk0zXlANKgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Mickey%2BSpillane.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>The Twisted Thing by Mickey Spillane, 1966</b><br /><br />"This was some household.<br /><br />"The kid was a genius, the father a scientist of international repute. Money was problem. Not shortage of money but the opposite: too much. The sort of money that brings the envious and the scheming clustering like flies round a pile of ripe offal: nieces, nephews, cousins - a family of mean minds and gross appetites.<br /><br />"The hired help had its peculiarities too: the chauffeur, an ex-con; the governess, formerly a featured act in strip clubs from New York and Miami; a secretary with a well developed taste in other women.<br /><br />"Quite a household. And not one to welcome the arrival of Mike Hammer</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia;">—</span></span>not when the kid had been kidnapped and everyone else was a suspect."</span></span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uEatMhKi-cY/X5Bzw5lAKvI/AAAAAAAAZI0/t2v4RjQLQfAHX-y30YVTMNwycb-tVEWlQCLcBGAsYHQ/s240/Julian%2BFellowes.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="159" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uEatMhKi-cY/X5Bzw5lAKvI/AAAAAAAAZI0/t2v4RjQLQfAHX-y30YVTMNwycb-tVEWlQCLcBGAsYHQ/w212-h320/Julian%2BFellowes.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Snobs by Julian Fellowes, 2004</b><br /><br />"The English, of all classes as it happens, are addicted to exclusivity. Leave three Englishmen in a room and they will invent a rule that prevents a fourth joining them."<br /><br />"The best comedies of manners are often deceptively simple, seamlessly blending social critique with character and story. In his superbly observed first novel, Julian Fellowes, creator of the Masterpiece sensation <i>Downton Abbey</i> and winner of an Academy Award for his original screenplay of Gosford Park, brings us an insider's look at a contemporary England that is still not as classless as is popularly supposed.<br /><br />"Edith Lavery, an English blonde with large eyes and nice manners, is the daughter of a moderately successful accountant and his social-climbing wife. While visiting his parents' stately home as a paying guest, Edith meets Charles, the Earl Broughton, and heir to the Marquess of Uckfield, who runs the family estates in East Sussex and Norfolk. To the gossip columns he is one of the most eligible young aristocrats around.<br /><br />"When he proposes. Edith accepts. But is she really in love with Charles? Or with his title, his position, and all that goes with it?"</span></span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7h8nfmqLjHw/X5B0FT9_MhI/AAAAAAAAZI8/66IB4a1VV-kiSWATEPy50zkUsTf0lzbRACLcBGAsYHQ/s475/Oliver%2BStrange.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="299" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7h8nfmqLjHw/X5B0FT9_MhI/AAAAAAAAZI8/66IB4a1VV-kiSWATEPy50zkUsTf0lzbRACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Oliver%2BStrange.jpg" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Sudden: Law O' The Lariat by Oliver Strange, 1931</b><br /><br />"The word had filtered out that Sudden was dead—and there was no one around to contradict it. Men who had cringed before, swaggered now; others boasted of their encounters with Sudden, the coward.<br /><br />"Only one man stayed quiet: a tall, saturnine fellow wearing two guns tied low. When he heard the rumours, he gave a thin smile; and when someone asked him who he was, he said shortly: James Green. James Green — alias Sudden!"</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Maigret and the Headless Corpse by Georges Simenon, 1968</b></span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jkU1KnfLyJk/X5B1ZsYtb6I/AAAAAAAAZJs/PuMwg1nTcwk4vjYjo9dfCZq247hIxEdVQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1020/Simenon.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1020" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jkU1KnfLyJk/X5B1ZsYtb6I/AAAAAAAAZJs/PuMwg1nTcwk4vjYjo9dfCZq247hIxEdVQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Simenon.JPG" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">"Two brothers find a grisly package clinging to the propeller of
their barge in the Canal de Saint Martins, and by the time Maigret
arrives most of a mysterious corpse has been assembled, except for the
head. The search shifts from finding the missing piece to finding a
motive, as the Inspector's keen mind assembles clues from the
dismembered torse which lead to a trio of suspects. A flash of intuition
linking the principal suspect's sordid life to the whereabouts of her
victim on his last day alive closes the case but opens Maigret's mind to
the reason for the crime." <br /><br />I have yet to read Julian Fellowes and Georges Simenon.</span></span><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gC2zexHPxFk/X5B3ooZ_1DI/AAAAAAAAZJ4/luYaxd7GK6ASClN_J_zw6OURZkEsloImgCLcBGAsYHQ/s499/Fantastic%2BFour.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="319" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gC2zexHPxFk/X5B3ooZ_1DI/AAAAAAAAZJ4/luYaxd7GK6ASClN_J_zw6OURZkEsloImgCLcBGAsYHQ/w205-h320/Fantastic%2BFour.jpg" width="205" /></a></div><br /><p><br /><br /><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p>Prashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-61230365335495421332020-10-11T07:40:00.014-07:002022-05-30T23:36:04.065-07:00The Case of the Wandering Redhead by Leigh Brackett, 1951<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I’d never read <b>Leigh Brackett</b> until now and I’m glad I finally did. I found her short story <b>The Case of the Wandering Redhead</b> in the pages of <i>New Detective Magazine</i>, February 1951, and thoroughly enjoyed it.<br /><br />This is the introduction to the story.<br /><br />“Here is the most ruthless man you’ve ever met—a filler whom death could not soften nor bullets stop—yet whose relentless fists battered to their last futile gesture that softest thing a man ever finds—the heart of a woman in love. It is with a definite sense of accomplishment that we welcome Miss Brackett to these pages—which many of you will find unforgettable!”</span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8ZRtcwBG5Yw/X4MXC7JKB8I/AAAAAAAAZGo/KIpiXIo0x7o1x7f4R6ovf5eosUMRMieDACLcBGAsYHQ/s436/New%2BDetective.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="308" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8ZRtcwBG5Yw/X4MXC7JKB8I/AAAAAAAAZGo/KIpiXIo0x7o1x7f4R6ovf5eosUMRMieDACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/New%2BDetective.png" /></a></div><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The “ruthless man” is Marty James, a territorial gangster who lives by guns and fists, and the narrator of the story. He is wildly in love with Sheila Burke, a stunning redhead he wants to marry even if she detests the very thought of it. She refuses him point blank, just the way he’d shoot his adversaries. Sheila has good reason for not wanting to have anything to do with him.<br /></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="font-family: courier;">“Can I get it through your head? I hate you, Marty. I hate everything you stand for. All I want out of life is decency and peace and maybe a little happiness. You can’t give me any of them.”</span> <br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But Marty has no plans to leave her alone. In fact, he is trying to force her to marry him, when his sidekick calls him away on urgent business only to betray him to a rival gangster eyeing his turf. Marty fights and shoots his way out of captivity and returns to Sheila, with a rib wound and two bullet holes in his thigh.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /> </span><br /> <span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Six flights, with thin snow beginning to fall, thinking of Sheila’s voice saying, There’s blood on you, Marty. You’re not in my world. <br /><br />I thought, All right. That’s the way it is, Sheila. That’s the way we’ll play it. I was colder than the snow, and numb. <br /></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /><i>The Case of the Wandering Redhead</i> is a cracker of a story. The two main characters, Marty and Sheila, are drawn well. In the words of the gangster, human enough to go crazy over a girl. Brackett’s narrative style is clean, almost poetic and visually striking, as if the story is playing out on screen. Consider this passage.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I looked at her. She was beautiful. She was like something the wind might cut out of a snowbank, with the red fire of her hair on top. Her eyes met mine, and there was an awful coldness in them, like I’d killed the spark inside her. </span><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br />The short story is a fine example of the hard-boiled crime fiction of the Golden Age, although I have plenty left to read from the genre.<br /><br />Recommended.</span><br />Prashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-34925400159934005822020-10-07T10:43:00.026-07:002022-05-30T06:27:27.782-07:00Stone: M.I.A. Hunter by Stephen Mertz, 1985<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>Stone: M.I.A. Hunter</b> by American thriller writer <b>Stephen Mertz</b> is book one in the adrenaline-soaked Mark Stone: MIA Hunter series comprising seventeen novels. The series was created and plotted by Mertz, who wrote the novels in collaboration with Joe R. Lansdale, Michael Newton and Bill Crider. Mertz and Newton have also written several of the action-packed Mack Bolan: The Executioner books created by Don Pendleton.</span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m82NvGU_6pM/X339ElqGHxI/AAAAAAAAZDY/l-rpxkY0iUgduU3q7GIgXvrV_njWF-ecgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1172/MIA%2BHunter.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1172" data-original-width="728" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m82NvGU_6pM/X339ElqGHxI/AAAAAAAAZDY/l-rpxkY0iUgduU3q7GIgXvrV_njWF-ecgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MIA%2BHunter.jpg" /></a></div><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
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</p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My <a href="https://www.amazon.in/Stone-M-I-Hunter-Stephen-Mertz-ebook/dp/B075L2K7RR/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=Stone%3A+M.I.A.+Hunter&qid=1602091065&sr=8-6">Kindle</a> edition is a reprint of the first M.I.A. Hunter with an additional title <i>Leave No Man Behind</i> and September 2017 as the publication date. As the series name suggests, M.I.A. Hunter refers to Mark Stone, a tough-as-they-come former Green Beret whose post-Vietnam War mission is to find American POWs forgotten by the government and declared either as MIA or KIA, and bring them home. He knows he can’t get them all out, but he’s determined to save as many as he can. <br /><br />Stone does his MIA hunting in the jungles of Vietnam and Laos, and elsewhere, with his two trusted and battle-hardened friends, the six-foot-four Texan Hog Wiley and former British commando Terrance Loughlin. They rarely question Stone and his actions, even if it means going into hell and fighting their way out of it. They’re in it together. While Stone works for the CIA, in an unofficial capacity, he often operates on his own under Stone Investigative Consultants, a private-eye outfit in Los Angeles. <br /><br /><i>M.I.A. Hunter</i> begins in the steaming Laotian jungle. Stone and his men, backed by Laotian anti-communist guerrillas, rescue a US navy pilot and other POWs held captive by the Viet Cong since the war ended. When they finally make it through over a hundred miles of enemy territory, their pickup chopper throws up a surprise: CIA man Alan Coleman with a twisted agenda. He detests Stone and places him and his friends under arrest for violating US law; in other words, for making the spooks look bad. <br /><br />Back in L.A., Stone quickly overcomes his legal hurdle with the help of Carol Jenner, his lady-friend who works for the Defence Department in Washington, and a smart lawyer. Out on bail, Stone helps the widow of a close friend who served with him in Vietnam rescue her teenage son from a Mexican-run drug cartel and set him on the right path. And just when he’s looking for some MIA action, a badly wounded stranger turns up in his garage and gives him a shocking news before he dies–Rosalyn James, an army nurse and the love of his life who was believed dead in a medevac operation in Vietnam, is still alive. For nearly fourteen years, she has been the prisoner and mistress of a brutal and torture-loving drug lord, known only as General, in his mountain fortress on the Laos-China border. <br /><br />Stone goes back with Hog Wiley and Terrance Loughlin, in what could well be the most important MIA rescue mission of his life. <br /><br /><i>Stone: M.I.A. Hunter</i> is filled with edge-of-the-seat action that never ceases from start to finish. Mark Stone and his men use an array of weapons and hand-to-hand combat skills to kill their enemies with deadly precision and little more than a scratch. They’re almost invincible, even in the face of overwhelming odds, but that is only to be expected of such vigilante-type of novels where the good guys seldom get hurt and are the silent heroes long after the battle is won. They’re men of honour, integrity and sacrifice. I suspect many readers like it that way, as do I, because it appeals to our sense of justice. Someone's got to uphold it, even if it's in fiction and films.<br /><br />Stephen Mertz does not disappoint in telling the story of the audacious MIA hunter and the forgotten war heroes he brings back from the dead. I will be reading more books in the series.</span><br /></span>Prashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-38757267553438032452020-09-18T09:55:00.018-07:002022-05-30T06:28:31.401-07:00Drink with the Devil by Jack Higgins, 1996<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5uCD7Uy4gMA/X2Tk18ojLnI/AAAAAAAAY7E/kmYew0Orb0k-VFWvpDMgqFyYtymsuTYVQCLcBGAsYHQ/s465/Jack%2BHiggins%2B1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5uCD7Uy4gMA/X2Tk18ojLnI/AAAAAAAAY7E/kmYew0Orb0k-VFWvpDMgqFyYtymsuTYVQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Jack%2BHiggins%2B1.jpg" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I read <b>Drink with the Devil</b>—the fifth appearance of <a href="http://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2014/03/touch-devil-and-white-house-connection.html"><b>Jack Higgins'</b></a> trademark hero Sean Dillon—before the pandemic and decided to finally review it in my sixth month of work from home. Somehow, I always seem to pick up a Higgins to revive my blog every few months. Maybe because he is my favourite action-thriller writer and also my comfort read.<br /><br />In <b>Drink with the Devil</b> (1996), Higgins offers a glimpse into Dillon's early life—first as a disillusioned IRA assassin, then as a skilled mercenary for the PLO and the Israelis, the KGB and the Red Brigades, and finally as an operative for a highly secret British intelligence unit answerable only to the prime minister.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The story begins in 1985, London. <br /><br />The IRA sends Sean Dillon—as Martin Keogh—to team up with a legendary Irish militant (Protestant/Loyalist), Michael Ryan, and his young niece Kathleen, who hijack a truck laden with gold bullion worth £50 million. The IRA doesn't want Ryan to use the bullion to buy arms and start a civil war back home. Luckily for Dillion, things don't go according to plan. One late night, he and Ryan are transporting the bullion truck by a hired boat across the Irish Sea. But the scheming crew with plans of their own forces them to blow up the boat and send the bullion plunging to the bottom of the choppy sea.<br /><br />Cut to the present, 1995, New York State.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael and Kathleen are dead to the world, including to the IRA and British intelligence; the priceless cargo never recovered. Michael is serving 25 years in a New York State prison for a failed bank robbery and shooting a policeman. His niece, who works as a nurse at a nearby hospital, meets him every day. They have assumed the names of Liam and Jean Kelly.</span> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ed3-5BiNiUY/X2Tk_Zrqb2I/AAAAAAAAY7M/WJKh-vdIfy0kloJm2woewyt-rSG7tad0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Jack%2BHiggins%2B2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="311" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ed3-5BiNiUY/X2Tk_Zrqb2I/AAAAAAAAY7M/WJKh-vdIfy0kloJm2woewyt-rSG7tad0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Jack%2BHiggins%2B2.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But word of the lost bullion reaches the mafia family of Don Antonio Russo, who strikes a deal with Michael and Kathleen—a share of the gold, now worth £100 million, and their freedom. Word also reaches the US and British intelligence services, the president and the prime minister, and the IRA.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Enter Sean Dillon. The former IRA hitman is tasked with a single mission</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">—</span>prevent the gold from disrupting the peace process between the Catholics and Protestants. He meets his "old friends" a decade later, and therein lies the proverbial twist in the tale.<br /><br />While I haven't read many of the nearly two-dozen Sean Dillon novels, I can venture to say that <b>Drink with the Devil</b> is not his best. I thought the story, though evenly paced and with a fair amount of action and plenty of dialogue, was somewhat weak. It gave me the impression that even an amateur could have got away with stealing the gold. It also left me wondering how British Intel could not have traced the hijacked bullion or the whereabouts of Michael and Kathleen. They can't just have been lost at sea or disappeared into thin air. <br /><br />In Higgins' defence, though, Dillion, his boss, Brigadier Charles Ferguson, who heads the secret unit known as the Prime Minister's Private Army, and Special Agent Hannah Bernstein, come into the picture much later; in 1995, when the story of the Irish Rose under the Irish Sea actually begins.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GroMhAyIMZY/X2TlUPl8Z6I/AAAAAAAAY7c/nLHXlFukA6UrA0x9in_96OZyoXaTGr_NQCLcBGAsYHQ/s450/Jack%2BHiggins%2B3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="338" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GroMhAyIMZY/X2TlUPl8Z6I/AAAAAAAAY7c/nLHXlFukA6UrA0x9in_96OZyoXaTGr_NQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Jack%2BHiggins%2B3.jpg" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">That aside, <b>Drink with the Devil</b> has all the hallmarks of Higgins' simple, to the point and conversational storytelling style. The characters, including the appearance of his other endearing hero, Liam Devlin, and the charming Lake District setting in northwest England, with its pubs and cafes affiliated either to the Republicans or the Loyalists, make the novel a fairly entertaining read. As with many of his IRA-linked novels, Higgins weaves the Northern Ireland conflict and its assorted players into his narrative, which, as a history buff, I find very interesting to read. <br /><br />Whatever the pros and cons, it is a pleasure to read <a href="http://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2017/06/jack-higgins-master-storyteller.html">Jack Higgins</a>.</span></p>Prashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-4960329175985275522020-02-16T04:43:00.002-08:002022-05-30T06:31:39.854-07:00I felt like I'd been shot in the leg<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">Last Thursday, February 6, I learnt an important lesson: If you've crossed fifty, never run to catch a bus. Instead, wait in line for the next one, take an autorickshaw or call an Uber. The world isn't coming to an end. <br /><br />That evening, I ran, ducked, leaped and dodged like an African gazelle. Big mistake. I was a few metres from the departing bus outside my suburban station when my knees buckled and I almost fell. I felt a stab of pain in my left leg, as if someone had whacked me hard with a stick or shot me in the calf. A couple of passersby helped me up. I managed to hail an auto for the ride home, through hellish traffic. By then, I was in agony and tearing up.<br /><br />The injury forced me to stay home, or work from home, for nearly two weeks. I was advised complete rest. No travel. No movements. No bending or stretching. No yoga. The physician didn't think it was a tear and he did not recommend an X-ray or a scan, not that I'd have gone in for one. I hate those things. The healing process involved ice and heat packs, painkillers and anti-inflammatory medicines, a pain-relieving balm, my trusted homoeopathy, and getting pampered by the family. The calf is still sore, but better.<br /><br />With little to do, I read, watched movies and listened to old music these past few days. Blogging, not so much. I read books and comic-books. I rediscovered some great music from my generation, the seventies and eighties. And I watched several films. Here is a recap of films that made an impression, mostly from Netflix and then some on cable TV.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eYdPwO2E_mI/XkkaH1rRalI/AAAAAAAAWT0/JDaqcLZ6TTUA4NsMkQDBXH1ux-DaXZDxgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Red%2BJoan.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1060" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eYdPwO2E_mI/XkkaH1rRalI/AAAAAAAAWT0/JDaqcLZ6TTUA4NsMkQDBXH1ux-DaXZDxgCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/Red%2BJoan.jpg" width="141" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><b>Red Joan, 2018:</b> Loosely based on a true story, widow Joan Stanley (Judi Dench) is interrogated by British Intelligence decades after her suspected role in passing atomic bomb secrets to the Soviets during WWII. She was protecting her country, England; idealistically, if only to maintain the balance of power between the Yanks and the Communists. The film is a series of interesting flashbacks.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hkil20cXHgw/XkkaHN1zyTI/AAAAAAAAWUU/UwcjocA-dBQKhhXjhedS5-5R3IQg0Qa8ACEwYBhgL/s1600/Beirut.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hkil20cXHgw/XkkaHN1zyTI/AAAAAAAAWUU/UwcjocA-dBQKhhXjhedS5-5R3IQg0Qa8ACEwYBhgL/s200/Beirut.png" width="134" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><b>Beirut, 2018:</b> In 80s war-torn Beirut, a seasoned but a widowed and washed up US diplomat Mason Skiles (Jon Hamm of <i>The Million Dollar Arm</i>) is forced to return to Lebanon to negotiate the release of his friend and colleague held hostage by a PLO faction. I enjoyed the film because I have been following events in the Middle East since the eighties.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7TL-7H5Vb-M/XkkaJfOwPhI/AAAAAAAAWUc/mUIfGUCYfToBcA1IBD884mssVQM27UeRACEwYBhgL/s1600/We%2BBought%2BA%2BZoo.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1282" data-original-width="1102" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7TL-7H5Vb-M/XkkaJfOwPhI/AAAAAAAAWUc/mUIfGUCYfToBcA1IBD884mssVQM27UeRACEwYBhgL/s200/We%2BBought%2BA%2BZoo.jpg" width="171" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><b>We Bought A Zoo, 2011:</b> A rich widower, Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) and his kids buy an estate house, except they also have to buy the zoo that comes with it. The film also stars Scarlett Johansson as his love interest and Thomas Haden Church as his brother. Again, based on a true story. A nice family drama. </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vPOtCVySLXc/XkkaI1P1X_I/AAAAAAAAWUk/RUr5VoxpSHIGkzqHZISIM5DzTOts0FQYgCEwYBhgL/s1600/The%2BKominsky%2BMethod.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vPOtCVySLXc/XkkaI1P1X_I/AAAAAAAAWUk/RUr5VoxpSHIGkzqHZISIM5DzTOts0FQYgCEwYBhgL/s200/The%2BKominsky%2BMethod.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><b>The Kominsky Method, 2018:</b> This is the kind of stuff I'd like to write. Don't ask me why. Two ageing men, acting coach Sandy Kominsky (Michael Douglas) and his longtime agent and friend Norman Newlander (Alan Arkin), ride the roller coaster of life together, laughing through old age, cynicism, loneliness, illness and tragic loss. I hope there is a Season 3.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><b>Lucky, 2017:</b> Harry Dean Stanton was 91 when he played Lucky, a reclusive navy veteran who lives in a small Arizona town. The film follows Lucky's rigid daily routine until, one day, he collapses in his house. Though quite healthy for his age, the event forces him to come to terms with the inevitable process of ageing and dying. <i>Lucky</i> offers a profound insight into one man's philosophical journey. It has some great dialogues too. Stanton, who died before the film was released, looks his age and that kind of hits you from the start.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><b>The Big Short, 2015:</b> Another true-to-life story about the 2007-2008 US financial crisis, triggered by the collapse of the housing market. Remember subprime? This one went over my head.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><b>The Hard Way, 2019:</b> Payne (Michael Jai White), a retired soldier and new bar owner, sets out to avenge the death of his brother, a secret operative, in distant Romania. He finds a kickass ally in his brother's teammate Mason (Luke Goss). Avoidable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><b>Boy Erased, 2018:</b> Jared Eamons (Lucas Hedges), the son of preacher Marshall Eamons (Russell Crowe) and Nancy Eamons (Nicole Kidman), is forced into a church-backed gay conversion programme. I found this film disturbing. How can parents do a thing like this to their children, their own flesh and blood? It doesn't have to be "complicated" for parents if it's in their heart to love and accept their children unconditionally. In the end, Jared tells his father, <i>"I'm gay, and I'm your son. And neither of those things are going to change. Okay? So let's deal with that!"</i> Guess who needs conversion therapy?</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">There were a few more, I forget which. Meanwhile, lesson learned.</span></div>
Prashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-72893176658428219592020-01-14T03:17:00.001-08:002020-01-15T00:21:33.360-08:00Able Team, Louis L'Amour and Sudden<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In my first <b><a href="https://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2020/01/hits-and-misses-in-2019.html">blog post</a></b> of 2020, I wrote about my abysmal <b><a href="https://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2015/01/reading-habits-17-how-many-books-do-you.html">reading</a></b> through most of last year. No excuses. But that did not stop me from buying more <b><a href="https://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2017/07/book-tag.html">books</a></b>, some of which I highlighted in that post. Here are three <b><a href="https://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2014/11/five-new-paperbacks.html">paperbacks—</a></b>two westerns and a thriller—that I bought secondhand in 2019. I'm particularly delighted with the acquisition of <b>Able Team</b> and <b><a href="https://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2018/01/books-and-ebooks-i-bought-in-2017.html">Sudden</a></b>, which are rare finds in my part of the world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Ironman</b> is the 19th book in the Able Team action-adventure series written by two pseudonymous authors, G.H. Frost and Dick Stivers. The series—a spinoff of Mack Bolan: The Executioner created by <b><a href="https://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2014/12/war-against-mafia-by-don-pendleton-1969.html">Don Pendleton—</a></b>was first published in 1982 by American Gold Eagle publishers. <br /><br />I have been collecting <b><a href="https://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2015/03/mack-bolan-needs-new-home.html">Mack Bolan</a></b> thrillers and the spinoffs—Able Team, <b><a href="https://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2012/12/book-review-atlantic-scramble-1982-by.html">Phoenix Force</a></b> and Stony Man— for nearly a decade and own some 25 novels, including a few written by Pendleton himself. The books remind me of my teens when I used to collect James Hadley Chase, Nick Carter and Perry Mason, the originals of which are still available in <b><a href="http://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2014/02/footpath-libraries.html">secondhand bookshops</a></b> in Mumbai.<br /><br /><b>Synopsis:</b> "Able Team's Carl Lyons travels to the cloud-swept Sierra Madre without his partners and without his weapons. But what was supposed to be well-earned R&R turns into a nightmare of conspiracy and terror when a Fascist international surveillance team identifies Lyons as one of the American specialists who wrecked Unomundo's attempt to seize Guatemala two years earlier."<br /><br />Carl 'Ironman' Lyons is an old Able Team hand. As a bright LAPD detective, Lyons was tasked with bringing Bolan in—dead or alive; that is, till the Executioner saved his life. Later, he is recruited by Hal Brognola who heads a special organised crime task force.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Western fiction is one of my favourite genres. I like to think of Westerns as the sum total of most other genres—crime, mystery, suspense, action, romance, politics, war, religion. So I'd no hesitation in picking up the Bantam edition of <b>Hanging Woman Creek</b> by <b><a href="https://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2017/09/booty-for-badman-by-louis-lamour.html">Louis L'Amour</a></b>, an author I read widely in my younger days. <br /><br /><b>Synopsis:</b> "Barnabus Pike is no gunfighter and not much of a street fighter. Eddie Holt is a black boxer in a white man's world. They've both taken their share of hard knocks. Now they're looking to survive a brutal winter in a remote Montana line shack, collect their pay, and settle down for good. Then they cross paths with a hardworking Irish immigrant and his beautiful, spirited sister, who've been burned off their land. It's a fight Pike and Holt don't want, don't need, and don't dare turn their backs on-especially when one of the perpetrators might be one of Pike's old friends. Hunted like animals across the frozen countryside, Pike and Holt will risk everything-including their reputations, their dreams-and their lives." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you're familiar with my blog, you'll know much I enjoy reading <b><a href="http://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2010/12/sudden-outlawed-and-out-of-print-last.html">Sudden</a></b> novels. James Green—alias Sudden, the Texas outlaw— was created by British writer <b><a href="http://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2012/09/sudden-rides-again-he-rode-horse-as.html">Oliver Strange</a></b>, who wrote only 10 books. Much later, English author Frederick Nolan did a fine job of producing five more Sudden novels, including <b>Apache Fighter</b> (my second copy), under the pseudonym of <b>Frederick H. Christian</b>. The original Corgi editions are so rare in India that they're being sold at hundreds, even thousands, of rupees. I have most of the 15 books.<br /><br /><b>Synopsis:</b> "There was a reward of five thousand dollars for the man who could bring Barbara Davis out of Apacheria alive. Every outlaw, gunman, and scalphunter in the south-west had drifted in to Tucson, then out into Apache country, lured by the dream of easy gold. The Apaches killed some of them slowly and horribly; but still they came. Governor Bleke knew unless the girl was brought out soon, he would have a full-scale Indian war on his hands. He sent for the one man who might be able to do it. A tall, slow-drawling man who wore his six-guns tied low and looked as if he knew how to use them. A Texas outlaw on the run: SUDDEN!"</span></div>
Prashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-47729278789706288522020-01-10T08:01:00.000-08:002020-02-17T01:27:45.690-08:00A Lesson in Deceit by Gillian Larkin, 2016<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">They came to a crossing and Sam pressed the button. “Anyway, let’s talk about you. How many dead bodies have you found now? Granddad thinks you’re cursed.”<br /><br />“It’s not my fault I keep finding them,” Julia said with a note of indignation.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A Lesson in Deceit</b> by Yorkshire-based author <b>Gillian Larkin</b> is the first book in her Julia Blake cozy mystery series. It is a delightful novella about a murder set in the University of Edinburgh.<br /><br />Julia Blake has a son, Sam, and a daughter. She dotes on them. She lives with her Scottish shortbread-loving dad in Leeds and runs a cleaning business to support her family. Life has not been easy since her husband left them. But her hardships have not deterred her from caring for her family or solving murder mysteries, even if accidentally and often to the mild annoyance of DI Clarke of Leeds.<br /><br />In the story, Julia is visiting Sam at his university and typically is full of motherly affection and concern. Sam takes her around the campus, including to the local pub where he works part-time. He introduces Julia to his close friend, Elliott, who is covering his shift that day. Elliott works many shifts because he needs the money, and hence misses lectures. In fact, he hasn’t been himself lately, causing Sam to suspect something is bothering his once happy-go-lucky friend. Elliott’s plight stirs Julia's maternal instincts.<br /><br />But before Julia can think of helping him in some way, her dad’s prophetic words come true again — she finds Elliott dead in his room. There are no signs of injury or a scuffle. Did he overdose on painkillers and sleeping tablets? Or was he poisoned with a heady concoction of the two drugs?<br /><br />DI Thostlewaite, who has heard of Julia’s reputation and her penchant for turning up where corpses do, gently tells her not to interfere with the case. But she has no option when the local police detain Sam as a suspect.<br /><br /><i>“Grandad wants to know if you’ve found any dead bodies yet. Ha! He’s so funny.”<br /><br />“Dead bodies are never funny,” Julia replied.</i><br /><br /><b>A Lesson in Deceit</b> is not a murder mystery in the true sense. There is no major investigation and the unearthing of clues, as Julia predictably does at some risk to her life, is kept to a bare minimum. Julia and Sam are likeable characters, mainly because of their strong familial bond, easy relationship and light banter. The author has also nicely interlaced her narrative with values. For instance, when Julia offers Sam extra money so he doesn’t have to work at the pub, he tells his mother that she’d done enough and that he wants to pay his own way. A nice lesson for young readers.<br /><br />The novella, available for <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DSY4730/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i6">Kindle</a>, is written in an easy and engaging style, which I suspect is deliberate, and will appeal to both young and old readers. I hope to read more about Julia Blake’s charming mysteries as well as other offerings from Larkin. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>About the author:</b> <a href="http://www.gillianlarkin.co.uk/">Gillian Larkin</a> is the author of several mysteries, both short stories and novels. Her series includes the Julia Blake Murder Mysteries, Storage Ghost Mysteries and Paranormal Mysteries among others. She lives near Leeds, Yorkshire.</span> <br />
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Prashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-66730330436533698362020-01-03T03:35:00.000-08:002020-01-03T06:34:59.391-08:00The Bodyguard by Lee Child, 2010<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>She took my formal qualifications for granted. I have scars and medals and commendations. I had never lost a client. Anything else, she wouldn't have been talking to me, of course. She asked about my worldview, my opinions, my tastes, my preferences. She was interested in compatibility issues. Clearly she had employed bodyguards before.</i><br /><br />If ever I have read about the all-too-real fictional world of bodyguards in about 500 words, it is in <b>The Bodyguard</b>, a short story by <b><a href="http://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2016/06/killing-floor-by-lee-child-1997.html">Lee Child</a></b>. In those initial paragraphs, the British author succinctly describes the life and work of a highly-trained bodyguard who quits the military to protect the rich, the famous and the powerful. <br /><br />Written in the crisp and gripping style of his Jack Reacher novels, Child gives us a nameless bodyguard who could either be real or a phony, and the stakes that go with the unpredictable nature of his job; mostly looking out for automatic targets, the wealthy and the politically connected, and guarding them from kidnapping for ransom. Especially in South America where such abduction is a national sport.<br /><br />A year after he quits his friend's agency and starts his own business, our bodyguard, "a medium-sized man, lean, fast, full of stamina," is hired by Anna, a 22-year-old rich and beautiful woman whose father is a Brazilian politician and businessman and her mother a television star. But the contract with Anna and a perilous trip to Brazil don't go according to plan.<br /><br /><b>The Bodyguard</b> is well-written and entertaining, the incredulous turn of events towards the end adding to the pleasure and making it well worth reading. The 3,110-word story is part of <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/First-Thrills-Lee-Child-ebook/dp/B004EYSLO0">First Thrills</a></b> (2010), an anthology of thrilling stories—of murder, mystery and mayhem—by various authors, and edited by Lee Child himself.</span></div>
Prashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-9431927194189111672020-01-01T04:33:00.001-08:002020-01-01T22:17:33.924-08:00Hits and misses in 2019<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2019 was less than an average year for reading and writing. I did not read much and hardly wrote in my personal capacity. I'd be embarrassed to put a number to either. I have a folder titled 'My Writing Projects' that I have been visiting whenever the mood has suited me. While I did not read a lot, I did buy a few <a href="https://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2019/03/a-windfall-of-books.html">books</a> and watched plenty of films, mostly on Netflix. I also travelled a bit, especially towards the end of the year. I continue to remain active on social media, as many of you know, which is partly responsible for the downside to my <a href="https://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2015/01/reading-habits-17-how-many-books-do-you.html">reading</a> and <a href="https://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-sheriff-of-kalbadevi.html">writing</a>. I will have to do something about it in the new year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">On a more positive and happy note, my daughter, a post-graduate and a chartered accountant by profession, got engaged and married all within a span of three months. My son, a graduate, enrolled for an MBA programme with specialisation in finance. Both are brilliant in Math and Accounts. I count on my fingers. In October, I rejoined a yoga class, which was a big plus for me, though I'm light years away from doing <i>Shirshasana</i> (the headstand) and having a fresh perspective on life. I needed to slow down and de-stress. Now I wake up at 5 am, bathe and shave, do yoga from 6 to 7 am on most days, come home for a quick breakfast, change into formals, and head to work by 7.30 am. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm going to make sure 2020 is different and productive. I have a few unwritten goals that include reading and writing, contributing meaningful essays and articles to magazines and websites, and <a href="https://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2019/07/memory-man-by-david-baldacci-2015.html">reviewing books</a> and interviewing authors on my blog. I have missed the last. Hopefully, this is a start.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Coming back to the <a href="https://chesscomicsandcrosswords.blogspot.com/2019/01/so-many-books-so-little-time.html">new and secondhand books</a> I acquired in 2019, I look forward to reading the ones I received as Christmas gifts from my family—<a href="https://www.amazon.in/India-Curzon-Nehru-Durga-Das/dp/8171675913">India: From Curzon to Nehru and After</a>, a 550-page book on Indian history by <a href="https://starofmysore.com/durga-das-journalist-par-excellence/">Durga Das</a> (1901-1974), a well-known journalist and historian, and <a href="https://www.amazon.in/Batman-Killing-Deluxe-Alan-Moore/dp/1401216676">Batman: The Killing Joke</a>, a 1988 DC graphic novel written by Alan Moore and featuring Batman and the Joker. History and comic-books have been my favourite genres since I was in school.<br /><br />At another time, a serious errand ended in a treasure hunt among the old book haunts of King's Circle in central Mumbai and a rare find—an early Coronet edition of P.G. Wodehouse. A welcome addition to my wife's collection of mostly Penguin PGs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I will leave you with a story in 50 words—a Dribble—I wrote on Facebook; clearly, the influence of yoga.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />I sat on the mat, legs folded under me, eyes closed lightly, hands resting on my thighs, the tips of my index finger and thumb touching gently, in <i>Gyana Mudra</i>. I took a deep breath and exhaled, once, twice, thrice, and instantly found balance—in a dusty old secondhand bookshop.<br /><br />Happy New Year!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Images: Prashant C. Trikannad</span></div>
Prashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-7581941380932153262019-09-01T05:55:00.001-07:002019-12-03T20:17:53.168-08:00The Ganesha Arati Book: Understanding Sukhakarta Dukhaharta, 2019<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sukhakarta Dukhaharta—the harbinger of light and the dispeller of darkness—is one of the most popular <i>aratis</i>, or devotional songs and hymns, in the large repertory of Hindu religious anthems. <br /><br />It is a heartfelt prayer by the devout, seeking the Lord’s miraculous intervention in bestowing peace and happiness on the worshipper and removing pain and obstacles from his life.<br /><br />The <i>arati</i> is believed to have been composed by Samarth Ramadas, the renowned 17th-century poet-saint from the west-central state of Maharashtra, in praise of the beloved and endearing Hindu deity, Ganesha.<br /><br />It is said that Sant (or Saint) Ramadas was inspired to compose the <i>arati</i>, in Marathi, after he was blessed with the vision of Mayureshwara, a form of Ganesha, in a temple at Morgaon in Pune district of the state.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ganesha, the elephant-headed Hindu god of wisdom, intellect and new beginnings, is revered by people across the country but most of all in Maharashtra and in the neighbouring states. The patron deity of arts and sciences is loved and feared in equal measure, though he is chiefly venerated as the god of benevolence, one who does good to those who reach out to him and seek his protection. For that reason Ganesha occupies a special place in the pantheon of Hindu gods as well as in the hearts and minds of devotees, young and old. Children, especially, hold him in awe and love him as a dear friend. <br /><br /><b>The Ganesha Arati Book: Understanding Sukhakarta Dukhaharta</b> is more than an exposition of one of the most widely sung <i>aratis</i> at holy rituals (known as <i>pujas</i>) and religious ceremonies; especially during <i>Ganesh Chaturthi</i>, the popular 11-day annual festival celebrating the birth and glory of Ganesha. It brings out the essence of the hymn in a way that will make worshippers—and families who pray together—aware of its inspiring message, even as they join hands and chant the <i>arati</i> with joyful enthusiasm before the resplendent idol of Ganesha. For, to know the true significance of an <i>arati</i> or prayer is to enrich the soul.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The book provides an easy-to-understand English translation of Sukhakarta Dukhaharta, the glorification of Ganesha, in three main stanzas and a chorus stanza repeated after every stanza. The stanzas are interspersed with three fascinating stories—The Legend of Mayureshwara, The Birth of Ganesha and The Story of Kubera’s Feast—which trace the origins of the deity and narrate one of his more famous lessons in humility and human values.<br /><br />Apart from the excellent rendering of the <i>arati</i>, a lot of thought, research and imagination has gone into this beautifully-designed book. The horizontal format has been inspired by the <i>pathi</i>, in the size and style of ancient scriptures and <i>aratis</i>. Every page of the 48-page hardbound book consists of colourful motifs and illustrations in India's rich temple tradition. A glossary at the end offers a list of non-English words and their explanations. All these elements make <b>The Ganesha Arati Book: Understanding Sukhakarta Dukhaharta</b> a joy to behold, read and preserve for the next generation. <br /><br />The book is published by Atah Lifestyle, a Pune-based company engaged in making objects related to Indian art, culture and tradition, and is available on its <a href="https://www.atah.in/product-page/the-ganesha-arati-book">website</a> as well as on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Atah-Ganesha-Understanding-Sukhakarta-Dukhaharta/dp/8194129508">Amazon</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.in/Atah-Ganesha-Understanding-Sukhakarta-Dukhaharta/dp/8194129508">Amazon </a></span><a href="https://www.amazon.in/Atah-Ganesha-Understanding-Sukhakarta-Dukhaharta/dp/8194129508">India</a>. <br />
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Prashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-76190177161906151862019-07-18T04:58:00.000-07:002020-01-12T21:25:01.880-08:00Memory Man by David Baldacci, 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Amos Decker is Memory Man.<br /><br />The bearded and massively-built protagonist—a former homicide detective-turned-private investigator-turned-police consultant—has a rare gift: he remembers everything and forgets nothing. Events, experiences, people, faces, names, objects, shapes, numbers, dates, time, hour, minutes, seconds…the result of a violent collision on the football field when he was twenty-two years old.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The accident ruins Decker's professional football career but leaves him with a super autobiographical memory, the ability to recall just about everything that has happened in his life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you are a student and about to take a Math or History test, you would want what Decker has.<br /><br />Decker puts his extraordinary perceptive faculties and deductive reasoning to good use: he joins the Burlington Police Department where he and his partner and friend, Detective Mary Lancaster, make a formidable team in crime investigation.<br /><br />One evening, Decker returns home from work to find his wife, little girl and brother-in-law murdered; his wife and daughter genitally mutilated. The shocking tragedy sends his life into a tailspin. He leaves home, gives up his job, and lives off the streets, basically not caring what happens to him. Eventually, Decker establishes a semblance of life by working as a reclusive private investigator, taking up inconsequential cases, probably just to stay alive. Meanwhile, the case remains unsolved.<br /><br />More than a year later, the sudden appearance of a strange man, Sebastian Leopold, who walks up to the police and confesses to the murders, in spite of a watertight alibi, and a calculated mass shooting at the local high school around the same time jolts Decker back to reality. His former boss, Captain Miller, persuades him to be a part of the investigation into the shootout. Decker agrees in the hope that he can also find out who killed his family. <br /><br />Decker joins his former partner, Lancaster, in the school library—the war room—with the FBI for company. But he works largely alone, much to the annoyance of Lancaster and special FBI agent Sam Bogart, bringing them in only after he has successfully pursued a lead.<br /><br />What he uncovers over the next few days leaves him stunned—the person (or persons) who wiped out his family was also responsible for killing the targeted students and staff at the school. His remarkable mental abilities initially fail to throw up faces or names of people he might have wronged in the past and who might want to get back at him through his family.<br /><br />As more people, including a female FBI agent, turn up dead, Decker makes another chilling discovery—he is going to be the final victim.<br /><br />Amos Decker is one of the most unusual characters I have read in crime fiction. The tragedy has left him bereft of emotion but not without empathy. His brilliant mind makes him unique in a way that it makes everyone around him—his partner Mary Lancaster, special agent Bogart, with whom he has a strained relationship in the beginning, and opportunistic reporter-turned-amateur sleuth Alexandra Jamison—almost redundant. He finds most of the clues and assembles the missing pieces. It comes to a point, later on in the book, where the three wait for a cue from Decker and do exactly as he deduces. <br /><br />As a reader, I couldn't help question their purpose in the narrative. I also felt it was one of two weak spots in what was otherwise a novel filled with suspense and speculation, though not enough to keep me on tenterhooks. The other was the motive behind all the murders, which wasn't as convincing as I'd have liked it to be.<br /><br />Still, <b>Memory Man</b> is a well-crafted thriller with an unusual storyline and an intriguing hero. The novel's strength lies in its singular focus on the Goliath-like character who sweeps the crime novel from start to end, both as a grieving family man and as a razor-sharp homicide detective. I will be keen to read more on Amos Decker in the five-book series.</span></div>
Prashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-23045382631251865192019-06-04T12:42:00.000-07:002019-07-17T03:37:08.749-07:00Dangerous Lady by Martina Cole, 1992<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The Ryans, Benjamin and Sarah, and their nine children including eight sons and a daughter, live in squalor and deprivation in a seedy district of London. Michael, the eldest, loves his mother and dotes on his little sister Maura, the joy and pride of the Ryans. He is indifferent to his father, a good-for-nothing boozer who introduces him and his brothers to small crimes at a young age. Soon, cops, or "Bills" as they are referred to in the novel, come a-calling. Michael loathes the uniforms so much that, when he grows up to be a ruthless mobster, his antipathy to the police nearly destroys the family he is protective of and fiercely loyal to. <br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In many ways, Michael Ryan, born into an Irish-English family and ruling the West End of the London underworld, is like Michael Corleone, born into a Sicilian-American mafia family and running the New York gangland. But the similarity ends there.</span><br /><br />In spite of Michael Ryan's intimidating presence through most of the 416-page novel, <b>Dangerous Lady</b> is not so much about him as his beautiful sister Maura. Following a secret love affair with a cop, fear of Michael and a painful abortion at the age of 17, she joins her brother and together they build a criminal empire that would’ve made the Sicilian Mafia proud. She proves her worth not just to Michael and her other brothers, but even to the traditionally male-dominated crime syndicates of London. And yet, tough as she comes, Maura has a soft side to her, the result of unfulfilled love that eventually comes back to haunt her and possibly gives her a shot at redemption. <br /><br />British crime writer Martina Cole’s debut novel is more than a high-octane crime story; it’s the violent saga of a crime family whose exploits stretch from post-war London in the 1950s to the mid-1980s. As the years roll, the Ryans lose more than they gain, both within the family and on the streets of West End.<br /><br />Though <b>Dangerous Lady</b> is a crime drama with plenty of action and gory scenes, I had a few issues with the novel. One, it was rather long, the narrative seeming to drag on in places and frequently moving back and forth. I'm not much for flashbacks. Two, I thought the writing was ordinary, as was the dialogue. I read somewhere that <b>Martina Cole</b> wrote the novel in her early 20s and published it years later. She has since written over two dozen books to wide acclaim and rave reviews. Three, I felt somewhat cheated that in the end I couldn't empathise with or relate to any of the characters, neither Michael or Maura, nor their strong-willed mother, Sarah, or any of their seven brothers who work for Michael and Maura. It’s not how I expected to come away from a crime thriller of this scale.<br /><br />In spite of my reservations, <b>Dangerous Lady</b> is both entertaining and readable. It's a dramatic canvas of organised crime and an all-too-real portrayal of an unlikely female gangster with a heart. I plan to read more in the Maura Ryan series as well as other books by the author.</span></div>
Prashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-34571803893757517122019-03-31T03:44:00.001-07:002019-07-22T22:30:54.904-07:00A windfall of books<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I bought more books in the first three months of this year than I did in all of 2018. Restraint and resolution went out the window as I scoured book exhibitions and secondhand bookstalls for some of my preferred books and comic-books. A few books, such as Yuval Noah Harari's <i>21 Lessons for the 21st Century</i>, I bought online (I already have his <i>Sapiens</i> and <i>Homo Deus</i>). I also used my annual office book allowance to acquire a few guides to better writing, two of which are featured here. I ordered Neil Gaiman's <i>Norse Mythology</i> for my son, which I intend to read in future. <br /><br />My catch of the season? Three rare Sudden novels by British author Oliver Strange, including two different Corgi editions of <i>The Range Robbers</i>. The title is the first of the 10 adventures of the Texas outlaw James Green, alias Sudden, so known for his quick draw. English writer Frederick H. Christian (Frederick Nolan in real life) wrote another five based on Strange's eponymous hero. I have 12 of these 15 classic westerns, my favourite in the genre.<br /><br />Here are the exact covers of some of the books I bought over the past three months.</span><br />
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Prashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169151311037688512.post-11246135774840794452019-02-23T05:20:00.000-08:002019-04-12T00:52:58.406-07:00Wild by Cheryl Strayed, 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">©Alfred A. Knopf </span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Synopsis</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life. With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, she would hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State—and she would do it alone. Told with suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>My thoughts</b></span><br /><br />In order to find yourself, sometimes you have to lose something. Or in the case of <b>Cheryl Strayed</b>, someone. Someone very dear to her, her own mother, who she loses to cancer. The personal tragedy leaves her distraught with grief and sets off a chain of unfortunate events in her life—estrangement from her stepfather and her two younger siblings; extramarital affairs and experiments with drugs; the heartbreaking decision to put down her horse; and divorce from the man she loved and who truly cared for her. <br /><br />Cheryl is lost in the wilderness of her life. And it is the wilderness she seeks to find herself again or, as she says, “to save myself.” <br /><br />Four years after her mother’s death, Cheryl embarks on an epic and a fascinating pilgrimage of self-discovery—all by herself—hiking the 1,100-mile Pacific Crest Trail that starts from the Mexican border and ends on the Canadian border. Cheryl, though, begins her redemptive journey from the Mojave Desert, hiking through California and Oregon, and finally making it to the Bridge of the Gods, a cantilever bridge, and to Washington state. <br /><br />It takes Cheryl over three months to complete the hike, through imposing mountain ranges, forests and plateaus, record snowfall and extreme temperatures, and past deadly creatures such as bears and rattlesnakes. Her remarkable and seemingly impossible expedition, often assailed by fear and self-doubt, is as intimidating as it is beguiling, the rocky terrain as hostile as it is hospitable. In the end, Cheryl emerges triumphant, grateful to the PCT—“the long walk”—for making her whole again. <br /><br /><b>Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail</b> is an engaging and entertaining memoir etched with vivid details of Cheryl’s journey starting with her lack of preparedness, first with her humongous backpack she affectionately calls ‘Monster’ and then with her ill-fitting boots that cause her to lose the nails of her feet; the books she carries (including the oft-repeated <i>The Pacific Crest Trail, Volume 1: California</i>), reads and burns on the PCT; the many kind and helpful people, mostly fellow-hikers, she meets on the way and exchanges notes with; and the nights she spends alone in her tent, eating granola bars, listening to the voices in her head and the strange sounds outside. <br /><br />Throughout her journey, Cheryl recalls, with a tinge of pain and sadness, the life she left behind—her childhood, the abusive father who abandoned them, the stepfather who admirably filled his shoes, remorse over her failed marriage, and finally, the one person who meant the world to her—her mother, and the illness that snatched her away. The frequent flashbacks, however, do not take away the joy of reading abo<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ut her hike, though, at 338 pages, I thought it was a bit long. But considering it’s a deeply personal and emotionally-charged account of her early life, the writer would be justified in telling it any how she likes. Cheryl tells hers in first person, in a candid, engaging and almost conversational style.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Wild</i> struck a chord because I’d read of similar journeys of self-discovery, undertaken for different reasons. Notably, <i>Peace Pilgrim: Her Life and Work in Her Own Words</i>, where Peace Pilgrim (Mildred Lisette Norman) walked over 25,000 miles on a personal pilgrimage for peace; the classic <i>Walden</i>, a life in the woods of Massachusetts, by Henry David Thoreau; and my personal favourite, <i>In Quest of God</i> and <i>In The Vision of God</i> by Swami Ramdas, the Hindu monk who walked the length and breadth of undivided India in search of spiritual salvation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Nearly every one of us must someday get on the trail, not necessarily a physical trail, and find ourselves. <br /><br />I plan to watch the 2014 screen adaptation of <i>Wild</i> where Reese Witherspoon plays Cheryl Strayed. I learnt of the film only after I read the book.</span><br />
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Prashant C. Trikannadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.com0