Interesting Read -- The Case of the Missing Servant

Just a few days ago, the Harris bookstore near my house was having a storewide sale, and all books were sold at a 30% discount. Not wanting to miss out, I went in the bookstore and got myself a couple of books without hesitation.

To my pleasant surprise, one of the books I have bought was a great find. Prior to purchasing this title, I have never heard of the author Tarquin Hall himself. After reading through "The Case of the Missing Servant", I took an instant liking to the book.

The story starts off with the titular character, India's most private investigator Vish Puri (also known as "Chubby")in a midst of his investigation work. Ably assisted by his undercover assistants, namely Tubelight, Flash and Facecream (Being Punjabi, the detective had various nicknames for his colleagues, friends and family members. For example, Flush got his nickname because he has a flush toilet at home, a first for anyone in his village in the state of Haryana. Talk about convenience.), Puri handled his cases with the aid of modern techniques and the sharp wit of a detective.

When renowned lawyer Ajay Kasliwal is accused of murdering his maidservant, Puri's resources are finally put to the test. The only clue he was given is that the maidservant was known only as Mary, and his job is to find her whereabouts in a population of more than one million. To make matters worse, Puri becomes the target (and nearly victim) of a mysterious shooting incident, and his mother insists on playing sleuth to find out the culprit. How would Delhi's most private investigator handle the situation this time?

This book was first published in 2009 and was the first of the Puri series (Hall followed up with a second book "The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing" in June 2010). Hall's ability to brilliantly capture the sights, smells, sounds and foibles of modern India, not to mention the nuances of English-Indian speech, captivates my attention as I read the book. This is perhaps due to the fact that Hall is also a journalist and has lived in India for a period of time due to his job, that he was able to describe India so well. Even if readers have never been to India before, they can certainly experience the bustle of Delhi streets, to the remoteness of the mines of Jharkhand.

The many twists in the story also made the story all the more interesting and until the very end, there is no telling of who the real culprit was. Puri's wit and intelligence has also left me in awe, and his style reminds me of another fictional detective, Hercule Poirot.

So, do check out this book "The Case of the Missing Servant" and experience the spirt of India for yourself!

Interesting Read -- Crescent Dawn

I have always been a fan of Dirk Cussler's books, especially the Dirk Pitt series. It all started when I was in Secondary 2, when I had nothing to do at home and asked one of my friends to recommend something to read. He passed me the book "Inca Gold", which was first published in 1994 and is the 12th book in the Dirk Pitt series. And it all commenced from there.

Crescent Dawn is the 21st book and the latest installment in the series, and is co-written along with his son Dirk Cussler. It was only released in 2010, so it's actually quite recent. When I saw it displayed at the library shelves under the "New Titles" sections, I swooped in for the kill without hesitation.

A narrow escape from a pirate attack by a Roman galley in A.D. 327, a mysterious explosion of a British warship in the North Sea in 1916, and a cluster of mosque bombings in Turkey and Egypt in the present day. How are all three unrelated events intricately linked together? As Pitt and his son Dirk Jr. investigate the truth behind the spate of strange happenings, evildoers Ozden Aktan Celik and Ozden's sister, Maria, who are bent on Muslim domination of the Middle East, are determined to restore the prestige of the Ottoman Empire. In addition, their investigations may well lead them to the existence of a mysterious "manifest" lost long ago. The plot thickens...

Generally, the Dirk Pitt series are written in the style of fast-paced action, and follow a simple storyline. Most of these stories start off with a historic event, which will ultimate lead to the main story and Pitt's intriguing adventures. In this latest installment, it covers the events pertaining to HMS Hampshire and Field Marshal Lord Kitchener, as well as the attack on a Roman sea galley. What attracted me to this series is the highly detailed descriptions of these events. Cussler's detailed style of writing also extends to the protagonists' adventures, as well as other events and technology that are not necessarily mandatory to get the story across.

Aside from being envious of the various places that Pitt travelled throughout his adventures, I have always been inspired by the protaganists' tenacity and determination to overcome adversity and near-impossible odds (in this case, the deaths of their allies and friends and of course, the relentless and mad pursuit of the Celik siblings). It has taught me to believe that nothing is impossible so long as one perseveres.

Overall, being a fan of the Dirk Pitt series, reading Crescent Dawn has left me wanting for more adventure! If you are new to this sreies, start by reading this book (and perhaps search for its previous installments as well) and engage yourselves in an adventures that will bring you across land, air and sea!

Something I Heard Off The Radio...(which I thought was good)

Heard this off the radio this morning...
I thought it was well-written, because it fully captures what the roles of a wife and a husband in order to make a family complete. What makes it more interesting is that both statements follow the numerical order from one to ten, using words with similar pronunciation to replace some of the numbers. It's in Chinese, but here we go.

To the husband:
一个温暖的家；两只操劳的手；三更不熄等你归家的灯；四季注意身体的叮嘱；无微不至的关怀；六旬婆母的微笑；起早贪黑对孩子的照顾；八方维护你的威信；九下厨房为了你爱吃的一道菜；十年为你逝去的青春……这就是你的妻子。

To the wife:
一个男人的责任；两肩挑起的重担；三更半夜的劳累；四处奔波的匆忙；无法倾诉的委屈；留在脸上的沧桑；七姑八姨的义务；八上八下的波折；九优一疵的凡人；时对家对子的真情……这就是你的丈夫。

And because my translation skills are pretty bad, I shall not trouble myself in case I mess it up. Anyway, the English translation doesn't really encapsulates the original meaning as well as its Chinese version or come across as poetic either. Yea.

Interesting Read -- Boom! + In The Miso Soup

Recently, I have made a trip to Kinokuniya to search for good books to read.

I think I definitely made a few good purchases in this trip, which is why I am going to introduce 2 books in 1 post this time.

First up is the book "Boom!" which attracted me due to its neon orange cover and a very simple picture of a rocket in front. It turns out that it's a pretty interesting book for a light, leisurely read. It is written by Mark Haddon in 2009. This was originally adapted from "Gridzbi Spudvetch!", another of his works. However, due to the complexity of the name, it wasn't really very well known when it was published then and rapidly went out of print thereafter ( as Haddon puts it in his foreword, "It was a ridiculous thing to call a book. No one knew how to pronounce it... As a result only twenty-three people bought the book."). In 2007, he received feedback from a teacher on how her students enjoyed it everytime it was read to them and was finally persuaded to give the book a total revamp. And "Boom!" was born.

The story is about a boy called Jim, who was fearful of being sent to "that school in Fenham" because of his poor performance in school. To confirm his fears, he along with best friend Charlie went to tap in on their teachers' conversation, only to find them speaking in a strange language. After some detective work by the two boys, they realized to their horror that their teachers were aliens all along. At the same time, Charlie was also kidnapped by the aliens, so Jim and his 16 year old sister Becky went on a chase to rescue him...

I like the book because while the plot is simple (and perhaps a bit illogical), the writer's humorous and witty style of writing caught my attention. This is definitely a good book for a light read. (Note: just don't think too much while you are reading this. have fun and enjoy the book! :D)

The next book, Ryu Murakami's "In The Miso Soup" takes on a darker and more mature theme, as it explores Japan's pink industry. The story's protagonist, Kenji, is a "nightlife guide" who specializes in sex tours for foreign tourists. A day before New Year, he was hired by an American tourist, Frank to take bim on a guided tour of Tokyo's night spots. At the same time, it was also reported that a high school girl had been murdered and her corpse dumped at a trash collection site afew days before. Frank's odd behaviour causes Kenji to suspect that his latest client may be linked to the murder. As the tour progresses, Kenji finds himself embroiled in greater trouble...and greater peril.

I like this book because of the surprises it gave me throughout the book, but the horror parts left me a bit shocked and a bit hard to digest. But this book gave me an insight of Japan's sex industry and some of its traditional cultures. Infused with horror akin to a slasher film, this is definitely not for the faint-hearted.

So make your pick, the fun, entertaining "Boom!" or the dark, ambiguous "In The Miso Soup". Whichever you pick, you are bound for an entertaining read! ;)

Interesting Read -- Packing For Mars

Whew, what a busy month this is!

I had such a packed schedule, that there was no time to update the blog! :D

Anyway, I have been picking up some cool books from the library to read, one of which will be introduced in this post.

Presenting: "Packing For Mars" by Mary Roach!

Mary Roach has previously combined science with topics like sex (Bonk -- The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex), and even investigated the possibility of an afterlife in "Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife". This time round, she tackles the topic of space travel and life without gravity.

Have you ever thought about how food in space taste like, or how much time and resources are required to plan a simulated moon expedition, or even how to answer nature's call in space? Well, this book covers a wide range of topics regarding space travel that will keep you entertained throughout the book.

Reading through scientific books can sometimes be a bother, because the content can be pretty dry and hard to digest. However, Mary Roach's humorous and witty writing style, combined with interesting scientific knowledge and real-life examples, got my attention. I was reading through the chapter on answering nature's call in space travel, and to illustrate that clearing fecal waste in space can be a frustrating matter, she provides this excerpt from the Apollo 10 mission transcript:


Cernan: ... You know once you get out of lunar orbit, you can do a lot of things. You can power down... And what's happening is --
Stafford: Oh -- who did it?

Young: Who did what?

Cernan: What?

Stafford: Who did it? [laughter]

Cernan: Where did that come from?

Stafford: Give me a napkin quick. There's a turd floating through the air.

Young: I didn't do it. It ain't one of mine.

Cernan: I don't think it's one of mine.

Stafford: Mine was a little more sticky than that. throw that away.

Young: God almighty.


[And again eight minutes later, while discussing the timing of a water dump.]


Young: Did they say we could do it anytime?

Cernan: They said on 135. They told us that -- Here's another goddamn turd. What's the matter with you guys? Here, give me a --

Young/Stafford: [laughter]

Stafford: It was just floating around?

Cernan: Yes.

Stafford: Mine was stickier than that.

Young: Mine was too. It hit that bag --

Cernan: [laughter] I don't know whose that is. I can neither claim it or disclaim it. [laughter]

Young: What the hell is going on here?

Aside from the main content, the author also provides annotations at the bottom to give further explanation on some of the terms in the chapters. This allows the readers who may be familiar with the scientific terms used to further understand some of the concepts in this book.

I would strongly recommend this book to all, even if you are no fan of space travel. But if you are interested in how life is in the void, this is the book for you!

Interesting Read -- Fever Pitch

Knowing my love for football, my friend actually recommended me to read this book. And so I did.

I present to you: Nick Hornby's "Fever Pitch".

After reading a few pages, I loved the book. It fully describes and captures the emotions and meaning of a true football fan.

The story begins when the author's father brought him to a soccer match between Arsenal and Stoke City in 1968, and despite Arsenal being infamously known as a "boring, aggressive and rough" team then (unlike the pass-and-move style that is now adopted under Arsene Wenger's tutelage), the author felt in love with the Gunners. And this began the love affair between Hornby and Arsenal Football Club.

I loved this book for various reasons. One of which is that I am able to relate to the author's thoughts and perspective as a football fan. As an ardent supporter of a favourite team, one rejoices when the team wins, and feels sad as the team loses. This is something non-football fans will never understand: that the fans and the football team are one. Nick Hornby fully demonstrates the traits of an ardent Arsenal fan when the Gunners lost 2-1 against Aston Villa:

" I was stunned and exhausted by the defeat... the next morning a girlfriend phoned me at work, and, hearing the tired dejection in my voice, asked me what was wrong. 'Haven't you heard?' I asked her pitifully. She sounded worried and then, when I hold her what had happened, I could hear, just for a second, relief - so it wasn't after all the things she had momentarily feared for me - before she remembered who she was talking to, and the relief was replaced by all the sympathy she could muster. I knew she didn't really understand this sort of pain..."

Another factor that endeared me to this book is that the author brilliantly captures the culture of football in England. While I was reading, I could vividly feel the atmosphere of a soccer match around me. I bet you will feel the same too...

"I loved the different categories of noise: the formal, ritual noise when the players emerged (each player's name called in turn, starting with the favourite, until he responded with a wave); the spontaneous shapeless roar when something exciting was happening on the pitch; the renewed vigour of the chanting after a goal or a sustained period of attacking."

The Highbury has an attendance of 50,ooo odd people every match. On average, Singapore's soccer matches have a woeful attendance of about 2000. There's no way one in Singapore could feel the same way like in Highbury.

But of course, the book also highlights the ugly side of football in Europe -- hooliganism. Hooliganism is a major threat to European football and has led to many tragedies in football, for example the Heysel incident (when a masonry wall failed then collapsed under the pressure of escaping fans in the Heysel Stadium in Belgium as a result of rioting before the start of the 1985 European Cup final between Liverpool & Juventus.)and the West Ham stabbing as described in the book. Such is the violent side of football, and unfortunately, it cannot be eradicated completely because without it this isn't football either.

If you are a football fan, this is a good book to read through. If you are not a football fan, you may not exactly endear to the author's thoughts and views, but it's worth reading to understand how a typical football fanatic feels.

Interesting Read -- The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

"Although gifted with a superbly logical brain, 15 year old Christopher Boone is autistic and everyday interactions and admonishments have little meaning to him. He lives on patterns, rules, and a diagram kept in his pocket. Then one day, his neighbour's dog was killed and Christopher sets out to solve the murder in the style of his favourite (logical) detective Sherlock Holmes."

This is the start of a book that I have recently read. Was scouting the library for a new book to read when I came across this. And it made for a rather interesting read. What caught my attention in this book is the humour and the way the main character were portrayed. It gives a greater insight to how autistic people think. To a person with a painfully narrow knowledge of autistic people like me, it was an enriching experience reading this book. They are just as smart as any of us, just that their way of processing logic and information is valid but just different, or possible never thought of by others. Let's get you an example...

"Chapters in books are usually given the cardinal number 1,2,3,4,5,6 and so on. But I have decided to give my chapters prime numbers 2,3,5,7,11,13 and so on because I like prime numbers. ... Prime numbers are useful for writing codes and in America they are classified as Military material and if you ever find one over 100 digits long you ahve to tell the CIA and they buy it off you for $10,000. But it would not be a very good way of making a living.

Prime numbers are what that is left when you have taken all the patterns away. I think prime numbers are like life. They are very logical but you could never work out the rules, even if you spent all your time thinking about them."

Now that got my attention. He's right. As I was reading, there were times I was thinking,"Why the heck didn't I think of that?!"

Oh one more thing, I think this book taught me another lesson. It goes to show that anyone, no matter who you are, can achieve the impossible as long as you want to do it. The main character, Christopher, wanted to find his mother in London. But he didn't really know how to. That, though didn't stop him from trying and ultimately, finding his mother. He overcame many difficulties and his fears (of which I shall not reveal, cos that will spoil the fun of reading this book.).

I guess that sums up what I felt about the book. If you would like to read the book, it's by Mark Haddon and the title is "The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time".