A-Z Book List: N for Nine

I haven’t read many books which contains short stories. I like them, but I usually don’t buy books which consists of short stories alone. But when I had a gift coupon which allowed me to buy only very limited set of books, this one was one among them. Let’s get to the book now, before I explain all about it.

Name: Nine on Nine Stories by Nandita C Puri 

Genre: Short stories, Fiction, Indian Literature, Drama

Let’s start with the number of stars I gave this book in Goodreads. Two. Yes. So that speaks for itself. It was mostly about  women in India and their stories. So I thought may be it will have some nice ones like the Ladie Coupe. It did have a couple of good stories in it. But overall as a book is concerned, it wasn’t that great. It is a very small book as such. You can read it in two hours max, if you are an avid reader.

PS: Check out the rest of the A-Z Book list here

A-Z Book List: L for Ladies

Do you have a separate coupe/compartment in your trains for ladies only? We do have it here. I was once a very frequent traveller in those compartments. They are unreserved compartments which means you can buy ticket when you are travelling and just get in. I have so many funny and interesting experiences travelling in those compartments. It can be really very informative and can give you so many ideas and stories, if only you keep your ears open 😉

The book for today is based on one such experience, even though it is fictional.

Name: Ladies Coupe by Anita Nair

Genre: Drama, Fiction, Contemporary, Indian Literature

One woman gets into the ladies coupe (in a South Indian train, of course) on her way to Kanyakumari. She is running away (from her life, from her problems…etc…) There she strikes a conversation with 5 other women. Each of them share their own story and their own journey. Each of them have their own destinations also. But how their interaction and their stories impact her and her decisions is what Ladies Coupe is all about. I had written a review in my other blog (which isn’t functional anymore). This is what I had to say about this book.

Well as far as the stories go, if you have seen enough of KB’s (a Tamil Director who takes more off beat subjects) movies, read enough of Jayakandhan or Lakshmi’s Tamil novels, well these dont surprise you a lot. But with respect to writing, the flow was nice and smooth. Even though there were 6 stories altogether, you wouldnt be confused. You exactly know who was saying what and every thing had a perfect start and a perfect end. If you are woman, you can identify with each character, because you might have known them as yourself or as your sister, or your relative or your friend or your mom etc etc.. any woman you would know in your life. That is where she (the writer, I mean) scores. The vocabulary isnt too hard either. You can see a perfect control over the words and the phrases in some places.

Would say: Read it once atleast, if you are a woman.

I don’t think I can say anything more than this on this book. I gave it 4 stars in Goodreads.

PS: Check out the rest of the A-Z Book list here

A-Z Book List: I for I

I got this book because it was on sale. Sort of one plus one kind of thing when I bought Chetan Bagat’s ‘2 states‘. One of the few Indian fictions that I have with me in paperback.

Name: I too had a love story by Ravinder Singh

Genre: Romance, Contemporary Romance

It is a love story, a very small and quick read actually, but did leave a big impact on me when I read it. Because (and I am giving away a spoiler here) it is ends on a sad note. I felt like crying for this guy. And if I am not wrong, it was based on a real life story, so that makes it even more sad for me. This was the author’s first debut novel and I liked it for its simplicity. I haven’t read it’s sequel (I think there was one) yet. I remember finishing it in two hours and that is all it takes for the book. And since the previous one 2 states was full of gaiety and fun, this one put me in a melancholic state that I had to go and watch some silly movie to get me out of the funk 🙂 Not many books have that impact on me. I gave it *** stars in Goodreads.

 

PS: Check out the rest of the A-Z Book list here