A Lady Cyclist’s Guide to Kashgar: Suzanne Joinson

Review by Joannah CabornPublished by Bloomsbury Publishing, 2012, 384 pages. I wrote this review for a distance course in journalism that I'm taking, so just sit back and enjoy the style! There is a fine history of novels that start with a map, promising travel to distant places following outlandish characters and exotic plotlines. But …

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The Fall of Giants: Ken Follet

Review by Kamakshi BalasubramanianPublished by Viking, 2010, 985 pages. Didn't know about the Taxi Armada until I read Ken Follet's integration of that episode in his novel The Fall of  Giants. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Gallieni.) If you enjoy fat novels, really fat novels, then this one is for you. It's got love, war, sex, infidelity, unrequited love, …

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Arrowsmith: Sinclair Lewis

Review by Kamakshi BalasubramanianPublished by Signet, 1925, 272 pages. Sinclair Lewis’s Arrowsmith (1924) depicts the prevalence of corruption and unethical practices in the pharmaceutical industry. Lewis’s protagonist, Martin Arrowsmith, doctor and researcher, armed with idealism and intelligence, fights the often hopeless but necessary good fight, guided by science, his extraordinary mentor, and the love of his …

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The Twelfth Imam: Joel C. Rosenberg

Review by Lulu HashimPublished by Tyndale, 2010, 256 pages. Hi everyone, just got my hands on this new book from Secunderabad club library. So far it has been interesting. Though its my first book book of fiction with some political twist 🙂 It revolves around a young boy from Persian descent—David Shirazi, who is in …

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The comments now work

I've figured out, with some help--thanks, Alice and Joannah--how to do the comments. If you click on the article, you can reply. There's no need to put in your email. Another thing: I know some of you have had trouble getting in. I've sent invites to everyone who wanted to contribute. I'm going to activate …

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Reading the greats (from Kamakshi)

Margaret Laurence At this time, I am in the process of gathering my thoughts to write about teaching Margaret Laurence's The Stone Angel.  I have an ongoing blog, one section of which is dedicated to books and authors I taught in the IB (International Baccalaureate) program (http://englishaba.blogspot.in/2013/05/the-butler-did-it.html). I am going to try and keep my …

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The concurrent list

By Usha Raman This is not a review but a statement of purpose. I'm sure most of you will know the feeling.... I am reading four different books. One is on the table next to my bed. This is News of a kidnapping by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I'm about 10 pages into the book. A …

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Thirteen Moons: Charles Frazier

Published by Random House and Sceptre, 2007, 432 pages. "I am leaving soon for the Nightland, where all ghosts of men and animals yearn to travel. … It is the last unmapped country, and a dark way getting there. A sorrowful path. And maybe not exactly Paradise at the end. The belief I’ve acquired over …

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It’s finally happening!

This is the beginning of an adventure for me, and I hope for you. I'm going to kick this off with a review. Bear with me--it's the first time I'm doing a blog. I'd be happy to get any suggestions for improvement. Over to you now!