All Consuming : degreecopy

A story about "Video Night in Kathmandu: And Other Reports from the Not-So-Far East"

nobody@allconsuming.net (degreecopy) — Wed, 14 Dec 2005 06:37:32 GMT

Video Night in Kathmandu: And Other Reports from the Not-So-Far East

by Pico Iyer

pico iyer takes you on a wonderful journey across south east asia. during the course of which he unravels the very interesting relationship between tourists and natives. a wonderful book! the only glitch is that it’s a little dated.

A story about "Collected Short Stories of Roald Dahl"

nobody@allconsuming.net (degreecopy) — Wed, 07 Dec 2005 06:27:21 GMT

Collected Short Stories of Roald Dahl

by Roald Dahl

a whole bunch of fabulous stories, with lots of twists and turns. highly recommended!

A story about "Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found"

nobody@allconsuming.net (degreecopy) — Tue, 22 Nov 2005 10:56:16 GMT

Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found

by Suketu Mehta

it’s a wonderful book based on Bombay. Suketu Mehta takes you into the interesting lives of some of the people who’ve made the city home. in the process he has created a book that makes for wonderful reading.

A story about "The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"

nobody@allconsuming.net (degreecopy) — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 09:05:06 GMT

The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

by Douglas Adams

originally written by douglas adams as a series of five books, the ‘ultimate’ has been added to this version because all the five have been rolled into one, with an extra chapter thrown in for free.

i’d seen this book on the ‘favourites’ list of so many people that i had to read it to know what the fuss was all about.

this book is definitely one of the funniest books i’ve ever read. all about the adventures of one mr.arthur dent around the universe. over 815 pages, douglas adams takes you across countless galaxies and introduces you to some of the funniest characters a weird imagination can conjure. this book is a rib-tickler all the way.

A story about "The Motorcycle Diaries : A Latin American Journey"

nobody@allconsuming.net (degreecopy) — Thu, 22 Sep 2005 13:11:09 GMT

The Motorcycle Diaries : A Latin American Journey

by Ernesto Che Guevara

it’s ok. not that great. i guess, people interested in south america might like the book.

A story about "Everybody Loves a Good Drought: Stories from India's Poorest Districts"

nobody@allconsuming.net (degreecopy) — Thu, 22 Sep 2005 11:02:43 GMT

Everybody Loves a Good Drought: Stories from India's Poorest Districts

by P. Sainath

p sainath has written what is arguably the best book ever on the subject of poverty in rural india. a must read

A story about "My Name Is Red"

nobody@allconsuming.net (degreecopy) — Sat, 03 Sep 2005 10:14:37 GMT

My Name Is Red

by Orhan Pamuk

this is a thriller set in the 17th century turkey. it’s the story of a school of miniature artists who have to work on a project commissioned by the sultan.a couple of them end up getting murdered, in the process. orhan pamuk meshes a murder mystery and the artistry of the 17th century perfectly, to set up a wonderful plot.

A story about "Johnny and the Bomb"

nobody@allconsuming.net (degreecopy) — Tue, 16 Aug 2005 10:02:22 GMT

Johnny and the Bomb

by Terry Pratchett

this was my first terry prachett book. i read on a couple of blogs that terry prachett is an amazingly funny writer. so expectations were quite high. a story about a bunch of kids going back in time to the second world war. the book isn’t that funny, but it certainly makes for breezy reading. a decent book. certainly not among the funniest i’ve read.

A story about "The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography"

nobody@allconsuming.net (degreecopy) — Fri, 05 Aug 2005 06:13:06 GMT

The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography

by Simon Singh

it’s an nice book for those interested in the mysterious world of cryptography. from its origins to coding in the 21st century, simon singh takes the reader down the long winding road of the evolution of cryptography. while it is certainly an interesting book, it’s not an easy read. be warned, gentle reader!

simon singh provides numerous examples to explain the different kinds of codes. you could get caught up in trying to figure out how a simple message was shuffled, crumpled and broken up into gibberish and then put back together again. unless, of course, you decide to just turn the page!

what i found most interesting about the book were the little stories about the unsung heroes and heroines of cryptography. their eccentricities, their ingenuity and the closed world in which they had to work. while their intelligence is truly admirable, it remained a secret from the world. until it was no longer relevant to their bosses.

i think the book’s worth reading.

A story about "Heat and Dust"

nobody@allconsuming.net (degreecopy) — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 11:17:15 GMT

Heat and Dust

by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala

why was this given a booker? i guess because it fits into the westerner’s perception of india. an average book, at best

A story about "The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of The Oxford English Dictionary"

nobody@allconsuming.net (degreecopy) — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 10:18:25 GMT

The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of The Oxford English Dictionary

by Simon Winchester

a wonderful book on how the oxford english dictionary was put together. with the focus on one insane man who contributed greatly to it. a must read!

A story about "The Selfish Gene"

nobody@allconsuming.net (degreecopy) — Fri, 10 Jun 2005 14:48:43 GMT

The Selfish Gene

by Richard Dawkins

very interesting. makes biology seem interesting!

A story about "The Blind Assassin: A Novel"

nobody@allconsuming.net (degreecopy) — Fri, 10 Jun 2005 14:48:42 GMT

The Blind Assassin: A Novel

by Margaret Atwood

been an interesting read so far.

A story about "Million Dollar Baby"

nobody@allconsuming.net (degreecopy) — Fri, 10 Jun 2005 14:48:41 GMT

Million Dollar Baby

by Clint Eastwood

the movie is good in parts. the million dollar question: did it deserve an oscar? i think not.

A story about "Amsterdam: A Novel"

nobody@allconsuming.net (degreecopy) — Fri, 10 Jun 2005 14:48:40 GMT

Amsterdam: A Novel

by Ian McEwan

my first ian mcewan book. this book makes for very easy reading. ian seems to have a special ability to infuse humour even in the most morbid of subjects. he does that many, many times in this book. and that’s what makes amsterdam a wonderful book. truly a must read.

A story about "The Line of Beauty"

nobody@allconsuming.net (degreecopy) — Fri, 10 Jun 2005 14:48:39 GMT

The Line of Beauty

by Alan Hollinghurst

just started reading this book.

A story about "Vernon God Little"

nobody@allconsuming.net (degreecopy) — Fri, 10 Jun 2005 14:48:38 GMT

Vernon God Little

by DBC Pierre

have finished only about 100 pages. but i think it’s an amazing book.

A story about "Disgrace"

nobody@allconsuming.net (degreecopy) — Fri, 10 Jun 2005 14:48:37 GMT

Disgrace

by J. M. Coetzee

just finished 100 pages. it’s ok. lets see how the rest of the book turns out.

A story about "Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha"

nobody@allconsuming.net (degreecopy) — Fri, 10 Jun 2005 14:48:36 GMT

Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha

by Roddy Doyle

i’ve just started reading this book. all of two pages, in fact!

A story about "Staying On: A Novel (Phoenix Fiction Series)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (degreecopy) — Fri, 10 Jun 2005 14:45:56 GMT

Staying On: A Novel (Phoenix Fiction Series)

by Paul Scott

well, i just started reading this. too early to comment!

A story about "Last Orders"

nobody@allconsuming.net (degreecopy) — Fri, 10 Jun 2005 14:43:55 GMT

Last Orders

by Graham Swift

an enormously poignant story of four working class english men. while it’s definitely a great book, it might leave you feeling depressed. but it’s definitely worth reading!