The Last BookStore

Famed as one of the 20 most beautiful bookstores in the world, The Last BookStore is situated in downtown LA. Unless you checkout the exact same address in the map, it is easy to miss this gem of a place. It doesn't have huge billboards directing it to the inside of the bookstore nor does it have flashy exteriors. Only thing that distinguishes the bookstore is a writing on its huge glass windows.

I came across the list of 20 most beautiful bookstore in the world two months back and it instantly struck me that I haven't even been to a single one of them. Since the list spanned across various cities across the globe, I decided to first visit the one that is closest to home. The Last BookStore in LA began in 2005 in a downtown Los Angeles loft and is currently in its third location. They are one of the last bookstores in LA which still buys the used books.

The books are arranged in various shelfs by genre and author. All the books in the front room of the bookstore are priced at $1 and if you search hard enough, you are bound to find some rare gems. Though most of the books are used books which are prices reasonably, the bookstore house new books too; but those are priced at the stored prices.The bookstore also house music records, some rare ones at that too. There is an in-house coffee house which serves up a cup or two of coffee if you are tired from looking at the books.

According to the owner Josh Spencer

the coolest book to ever be placed on the shelves is a giant-sized sample of Taschen's "Dennis Hopper: Photographs 1961-1967." Only 1,500 copies were printed and signed at $2,000 a pop. The Last Bookstore's was the rarest because it was never for sale. Another gem is a vintage paperback of Philip K. Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?," inspiration for the film "Blade Runner."

There is a story behind its name too

The name was chosen with irony, but it has become a self-fulfilling prophecy as physical bookstores are dying out like dinosaurs from the meteoric impact of Amazon and e-books. With our constant turnover of stock, regular musical and literary events, and the addition of coffee and a vinyl LP shop, we book-lovers at the Last Bookstore hope to last as long as we can in downtown LA’s vibrant new community. Join the cause! Buy, sell, trade, and above all read real books…before they’re gone.

I love the last line "Buy, sell, trade, and above all read real books…before they’re gone". I hope they are never gone. I hope that even in the time of Amazon, Flipkart and e-books, the real books survive forever. To help the cause, I bought a second hand copy of the book "Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck, something I wanted to read for a long time now.

Which is the most beautiful bookstore you ever visited? Do you think real books are becoming extinct?

Google Doodle

I absolutely loved today's Google Doodle.



Google celebrated the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens by dedicating a Google Doodle showcasing the characters from the famous Dickens Novels. Anyone who had read the David CopperField or Christmas Carol would be able to identify with some of characters shown in the doodle, but I have to admit, I had to consult the Google Book Blog to identify the entire list of the characters. We have Ebenezer Scrooge and Tiny Tim in the front and center; doodle also includes Estella and Pip from Great Expectations, Oliver and his friends from Oliver Twist, and Charles Darnay from A Tale of Two Cities. What I particularly liked about the doodle was the background showcasing a London Street, complete with lamp posts, buildings, windows, et all. Makes you dream about the Victorian era; just as you had imagined it while you were reading many of those Dickens Novels.

Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. His first novel, The Pickwick Papers, was published in serial format, with successive installments appearing each month. Many of his early novels were released in this manner – and Dickens began work on Oliver Twist while in the middle of The Pickwick Papers. He was one of the most influential writers of 19th century English literature and his works include classics such as A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, The Adventures of Oliver Twist, Bleak House and Our Mutual Friend. David CopperField is considered his most autobiographical novel and the first Dickens novel to be written in first person narration.

The Charles Dickens' novels that I enjoyed reading thoroughly were David Copperfield and Christmas Carol. Which is your favourite Dickens' novel?

Review: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

First of all, I admit, this is 'supposed to' be a children's book and I am still wondering how I missed reading this book in my childhood. But better late than never is the principle I follow in my life :) Believe me, you will enjoy reading this book, no matter what age you belong to. After all, we all have a little child hiding somewhere inside all of us :)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is one of the funniest children's book I have ever read. Authored by Roadl Dahl, this book became a phenomenal success across the world when it was published way back in 1964. 1971 saw the release of movie version of the book starring Gene wilder, which was also proved consistently popular.

The basic premise of the story revolves around Charlie whose favourite thing in this world is 'Chocolate'. He lives with his parents and grand parents in a small wodden house on the edge of a great town. The family has a mere hand to mouth existence, but they are happy in their own world. The town also hosts the 'The Great Chocolate Factory' by Willy Wonka which produces the yummiest chocolates which are distributed all across the world. What happens inside the factory is not known to anybody in the town. Willy Wonka in an attempt to uphold his trade secret, has made sure that no human enters the big factory. Naturally, there is a huge amount of curiosity to know what actually goes inside that factory.

And then a one day comes when Willy Wonka announces that he has hidden five golden tickets in five chocolates. The kids who find those tickets will be given an entry into the chocolate factory and Mr. Wonka himself will give them a guided tour of the factory. Above all, they will be given a supply of chocolates which will last for a lifetime. This news spread like a wild-fire across the town and hilarious events follow. The extend to which people are ready to go to procure one golden ticket, how Charlie finds his golden ticket, the happenings inside the factory and the final decision by Willy Wonka forms the rest of the book.

The whole book is a fantasy store house. There are Chocolate Rooms, Chocolate Water Falls, Oompa - Loompas, Chocolate Rivers, Everlasting Gobstoppers, Hair Toffees, Great Gum Machine, Eatable Marshmallow Pillows, Lickable Wallpapers, Hot Ice Creams, Fizzy Lifting Drinks, Square Sweets that look Round and a numerous other things which will make you wish you were in the factory instead of Charlie. Another notable feature of the book is the kind of words Roadl Dahl has used to describe various things (I believe this is a common feature across all his books) - Scrumdiddlyumptious, whangdoodles, hornswogglers, snoozwangers - they quite add to the humour and magical quotient of the book. In between all the chocolate, fun and magic in Willy Wonka's world, the author tries to educate the children about the importance of discipline, respecting your elders and obeying them. It is all subtly put inside the book so that children can have a few insights into proper behaviour while they are enjoying reading this book.

Overall the book makes a very good read. It is a big chocolatey magical world out there. It is yummylicious. If you are not yet bitten by the 'Roadl Dahl bug', this is a good book to start.

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This one is the first book I read for the Foodie Reading Challenge. I am glad I took the one with 'Chocolate' as the centrepiece for it :)

Reading Challenges 2011

Keeping up with my NewYear Resolution to read more, I have decided to participate in a number of Reading Challenges this year. This is the first time I am participating in Reading Challenges and I found the concept very interesting. More than that, I wanted to set deadlines for myself so that I will stick to the habit and complete a set of books. Listed below are the reading challenges for this year.

1. What's in a Name


An interesting concept introduced by Beth - Between January 1 and December 31, 2011, read one book in each of the following categories (The books I have chosen is given right next to the category):

A book with a number in the title: 100 Years of Solitude, Gabreil Garcia Marques
A book with jewellery or a gem in the title: Garlic and Sapphires, Ruth Reichl
A book with a size in the title: All Creatures Great and Small, James Herriot
A book with travel or movement in the title: To be Decided (Any Suggestions?)A book with evil in the title: Murder on the Orient Express, Agatha Christie
A book with a life stage in the title: Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie

2. 2011 Global Reading Challenge



This challenge is hosted by Dorte. I am participating in the easy level in which I have to read one novel from each of these continents in the course of 2011:

Africa - No.1 Ladies Detective Agency
Asia - Midnight's Children
Australasia - Oscar and Lucinda, Peter Carey
Europe - 84 Charring Cross
North America - Garlic and Sapphires
South America (please include Central America where it is most convenient for you) - 100 Years of Solitude or Love in the time of cholera
The Seventh Continent (here you can either choose Antarctica or your own ´seventh´ setting, eg the sea, the space, a supernatural/paranormal world, history, the future – you name it) - Twenty thousand leagues under the sea, Jules Verne

3. Foodie's Reading Challenge (My favourite ;) Yummmmmmy!!!)



This challenge is hosted by Margot and I am aiming at the 'Epicurean' level of reading, i.e. 7 to 9 foodie books in the year 2011. Given below are the books I chose.

Garlic and Sapphires Ruth reichl
Tender at the bone - Ruth reichl
My life in France - Julia Child
The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears in Paris at the World's Most Famous Cooking School - Kathleen Flinn
A Homemade Life - Molly Wiezenberg
The Sweet Life In Paris: Delicious Adventures In The World's Most Glorious - And Perplexing - City by David Lebovitz (Paperback - 03-2011)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl

4. South Asian Challenge



This Challenge is hosted by S. Krishna and I am hoping to be a South Asian Explorer, i.e. reading five books by South Asian Authors or book about South Asia. The ones I have chosen are:

Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie
Sea of Poppies – Amitav Ghosh
The Palace of Illusions – Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Immortals of Meluha - Amish Tripathi
Desirable Daughters - Bharati Mukherjee
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time - Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin

Do you have any suggestions in this category? I am looking for some books by South Asian authors set in some other country. Suggestions please ...

5. Haruki Murakami Challenge



I have been longing to read books by this author for a long time, so when the challenge came up, I jumped at it. I am aiming for a 'Hajime' position, i.e. to read atleast one book by the author. If it gets interesting, I will read more books by the author.

There are several other reading challenges that are doing rounds in the blogs, but with my schedule, I can only afford to participate in these. If I finish all of these books well on time, I may take up some more :)

Happy Reading and do let me know if you have any reading suggestions for the titles mentioned.

A new dimension to reading

Blog Marathon Post 16

I owned my first real book(something other than children's magazines/books) when I was 10 years. I had to coax my dad a lot to get my hands on that book. He complained how costly it is, however was more than glad to buy that for me. Ever since, my relationship with the books had been a long lasting one. I got books as gifts; I borrowed them from libraries; I rummaged through huge piles of them during book exhibitions; I exchanged them with my friends and when I started earning, I used to spend a huge share of my salary on books. They gave me company when I was sad; they gave me company on a rainy night; they inspired me through quotes; they told me stories of places and people which I have never seen or heard of. They were my companions in exploring the world unknown.

Nowadays, whenever I open Amazon.com to search for a book that I read about or to check for its price, their home page always greets me with an advertisement on Amazon Kindle. They say its Amazon's No.1 bestseller(What is the need of using No.1 and bestseller in the same sentence. Any thoughts?). They even have free reading apps to go with it. They have two versions of it currently - Kindle(6 inch one) and Kindle DX(9.7 inch one). It's slim, can hold upto 3500 books and has features like automatic battery backup, full image zoom, adjustable text size, bookmarks, built-in dictionary and audiobooks. I find a pretty cool device to have. You can carry 3500 books with you all the time, pretty nice, right?

Lets go three years back.

"An e-book and me? Oh, please. I would never love to read an e-book. Sitting in front of a computer and reading an whole book? As it is, I spend so much time sitting in front of computer, I don't want to read an whole book sitting in front of it. I love the feeling of holding a book close to me, turning the pages with my fingers, a lazing around in my couch or bed. I don't think I will ever read an e-book"

The above words were uttered by yours truly exactly three years back. So what happened in the next three years?

The first e-book I ever read was "Rich Dad Poor Dad". It somehow came inside a folder which I downloaded from my b-skul LAN. I started reading it out of curiosity and got hooked to it because of the amazing fundas he gave about money. Before I could realise it myself, I was scrolling pages after pages and in no time, I finished the book. I totally liked the book, above all, I was surprised that I could actually finish reading an e-book. I was amused at myself.

The next one was 'How Opal got drunk, got kissed and got a life'. I read this as an e-book because I didn't want to spend money on a paper back for two reasons: It was a chick-lit and I didn't expect it to be any good. Still, I wanted to read it because for all the controversy it created about Kavya Vishwanathan plagiarising from two books of Megan F. McCafferty. I didn't enjoy the book much, but there I finished reading my second e-book.

It broke a huge barrier inside me. I came to realise that its not so difficult to read an e-book. I read articles, news, papers and so much other online content, then how different is it to read an e-book? Not much. Since then, I have read a few e-books and I don't find it a daunting experience anymore.

Still, I have bought all the books which I really wanted to read and find reading a paperback/hardbound a more enjoyable experience than reading an e-book. Seeing all these ads of e-book readers make me realise they are the future of reading. Who has the space and resources for carrying all the huge books when you can do it all in an e-book reader? An e-book reader or e-books are much more convenient and with e-book readers coming up with so many features, it makes reading a pleasurable experience too.

But, if we digitalize every book that is available to us, won't we have libraries any more? Won't we borrow books?

How will we show off our book collection?

How will we exchange books to read?

Would the parents read their children bedtime stories through a Kindle or Nook? What will the children read without all those colourful picture books?

No more book exhibitions? :'( No more second hand bookstores? :'( :'(

No more spending hours on a Landmark or Crossroads? How will I pass time when I am all alone? :(

Sigh, the one advantage that I can see is lesser number of trees being cut for making paper and hence, a greener world. Though I have kind of accepted the fact that e-book readers/e-books are the future, I refused to buy a Kindle while I was in US. I would hold on to my paperbacks/hardbounds/second hand books as longer as I can. I may go to a phase wherein my books and an e-book reader can co-exist. But what can replace that joy of holding a new book in hand, smelling its fresh pages, flipping through the pages slowly and arranging it all in a book shelf. Nothing can beat the euphoria of being surrounded by so many books either.

Happy reading folks and have a great weekend ahead !!!

God is dead. Really??

Blog Marathon Post 1

Ours is a country which takes pride in its religious diversity where Hindus, Muslims, Christains, Parsis and people belonging to many other religions, live in perfect harmony, well, most of the times. No matter which religion you follow, we are all faced with experiences in life, which re-affirms our faith in God or questions its very own existence. For many of us, God is a comforting force more than anything else. When things don’t go our way, we take comfort in the fact that it’s God’s wish and we move on with our life. When we want things to happen in a certain way, we pray to God and strive ahead with the belief that he is watching over us.

What if, one morning, you wake up and realize that the force, which you thought is writing your destiny, making you go through all these experiences in life, the one whom you remember in your happiness and sadness, no longer exist. Would you lose the meaning in life? Would you feel that no matter how you behave, how you conduct yourselves, there is no one to watch your actions and hence you are free to do whatever you want to do? Would vandalism be the new way of the world? Would human beings be lost in the vast expanse of Universe? This is the premise which is explored in the book ‘God is Dead’, authored by Ron Currie, JR.



The story begins with God taking the form of a Sudanese woman searching for her brother in North Darfur region where rape, mass murder and several other crimes are rampant. By the end of first chapter, God is dead, trying to escape an attack by the corrupt Sudanese government. What happens in the subsequent chapters is the aftermath of the death of the all-guiding force - High School buddies forge a suicide pact; dogs speak Aramaic and walk on water; and parents, for the “lack of anything to do on Sundays”, worship their own children and eventually the entire planet becomes embroiled in a war between Evolutionary Psychologists who believe in genetic predetermination struggle against Postmodern Anthropologists who subscribe to choice and free will.

In this well-written dark comedy, the chapter that I found particularly amusing was the first-person narrative of a regional psychiatrist for CAPA – the Child Adulation Prevention Agency. He is the most vital and hated man in his county, vital because he is trying to save the world from the child-worshipping anarchy and hated because he forces people to see their children for what they are: flawed, mortal and essentially useless creatures. He works hard, and real hard, to make the parents realize that their children are no GOD, they are mere mortals. During one of his appointments, he reasons with one mother that her son “never scored higher than a 98. Like most of us, Levon will have to rely on the gifted few to drive human intellectual progress in his lifetime. He will be a passenger, not a participant.” How this story ends is sure to make you feel blessed, with all the love surrounding you.

The one thing which strikes out in the book is the fact that even during the non-existence of God, the actions undertaken by human beings has spiritual undertones. Friends who sign on a suicide pact feels they are doing something ‘sacred’ and the psychiatrist in the story himself ‘worships’ children. Maybe as mortals, we are trying to seek faith in whatever we do, no matter how non-existent it is.

I recommend this book to anyone who want a change of genre and a fresh style of writing. There are parts in the book which may appear scandalous to theists, but overall the book makes for a good read.

P.S: This debut novel of Ron Currie won the New York Public Library's 2008 Young Lions Fiction Award.

May he rest in peace ...

Erich Segal passed away. The Ivy League Professor was 72 and died of heart attack. He had suffered from Parkinson's disease, a neurological condition that affects movement for 25 years.

I vividly remember reading his book 'Love Story'. While going through the last few pages of the books, I was reading two-three lines, crying for two-three minutes, then again reading the next two-three lines, crying for another two-three minutes and this pattern went on till I finished the book. I was surprised at myself, wondering how emotional I can become while reading a book. I think Erich Segal had that magic in his words. His Characters are people whom we can identify with and the way he weaves his plot makes us feel their emotions, predicament and trails in life. 'The Class' was also one of the books that I enjoyed thoroughly. Lives of four Harvard graduates were told in an inimitable way. I haven't read any of his other books, I have heard Doctors is also one of his good works.

May we have many more authors of his stature.May Erich Segal rest in peace. We owe you for your wonderful contribution to the English Literature.

If someone would like to recommend any other book of Erich Segal, please let me know through your comments.

News Info from ibnlive.com

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Another gem from the writer who have given us the internationally acclaimed book 'The Kite Runner'. Never ever had a book made me sit up and read the whole of it in one go. But this book did that to me. I was so engrossed in the story of Mariam and Laila that i could not keep the book down till i finished it.

Set in Afghanistan through the late nineties, the book tells the story of Mariam and Laila, both brought together by fate and locked up in a loveless marriage to a egoistic person. Both Mariam and Laila, the central protagonists of the story, had beautiful childhoods in their own small worlds. During the course of their lives, fate plays havoc and they are brought together in a very strange, uncomfortable way. From there starts their struggle for survival, supporting each other in every possible way they can.

During the initial pages of the book, author tries to draw parallels between the lives of Mariam and Laila. Mariam is denied her father's love during her childhood and Laila her mother's. Both of them realises their mothers' love for them only after going through similar situations in life. All these incidents in turn helps Mariam and Laila bond better, though they belong to two different generations.

Many a time, i was horrified by the gory details of the torture inflicted upon Mariam and Laila, by their husband and all those tears struck in my throat came running down as Laila read the last letter addressed to Mariam, by her father. A thousand splendid suns makes a good read, challenging us emotionally, questioning the whole purpose of womanhood, yet, showing us that in the end, everything will be fine.
The two lines of the poem which Saib-e-Tabrizi wrote about Kabul, way back in seventeenth century illustrates the same point:

"One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs,
Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls."

Memoirs of a Geisha

I just finished reading 'Memoirs of Geisha' by Arthur Golden. Set in Japan in early years of 20th century, it unravels the journey of a girl from small fishing village in Japan. The way she sees her life through rose tinted glasses during her childhood days, her bewilderment towards worldly affairs, her love for her fishing village, makes her strike a chord with us during the initial pages of the book. It is later followed by a elaborate description of the Geisha culture of Japan, and the struggle chiyo-san undergoes to finally emerge as a popular giesha, christened as Sayuri.

Unlike the popular tendency of relating a geisha to a prostitute, 'gei' in Japanese means art, geisha meaning an artist. Her principal aim is entertaining those around her, with tea ceremonies, playing shamsien and dancing. The book even gives us ghastly insights to how a young geisha's virginity is sold to the highest bidder. It also throws light into the Deep Depression Japan went through during the years of second world war.

There are several heart touching moments in the book. The innumerable attempts little chiyo makes to reunite with her sister, the tribulations she faces in the geisha house in Gion, the pain she endures when the persons whom she trusted the most, betrayed her, are a few of those. The book as a whole tells the tenacity and perseverance u need to have to make your dream a success, be it becoming a popular geisha or winning a man's heart.

Meanwhile, this is what japan-zone.com says about the current status of geisha culture in Japan.

Geisha do still exist and ply their trade, of course. But the role they play in modern society is minor and, except for the attention they get from camera-wielding tourists, largely unseen. In fact, most of the women captured on film are either maiko (apprentice geisha) or tourists themselves, done up for a few hours of faux sophistication and attention seeking.

The book is a must read for anyone who wants to know about the reality behind the Geisha culture of Japan.

Strand Book Fair

I couldn't have found a better place for spending my sunday afternoon. A place where i was surrounded by so many of books. Being surrounded by so many books had always given me a high. I was planning to go to Strand Book Fair for quite some time, but had neither the time nor the oppurtuinity to do so. Strand Books' legacy of offering a minimum of 20% discount on the books and the wide coverage given by media were adding to my excitement so much that Sunday morning i decided, be it rain or fall i am going there today.

Even if it was a lazy sunday afternoon, all the three halls where the Book Fair was being conducted in the Chinnaswamy Stadium was filled with people. Childrens rummaging over the tables containing comics, couples discussing whether 'Freakonomics' would make a good read or not, friends recommending books for each other, elderly people moving slowly from one table to another were the common sights. All of them had two things in common - a carry bag full of books and a passion for reading. It was nice to see so many ardent readers discussing fervently which book to buy and which not. Even with so many technological gadgets occupying our attention and space, books remain a man's best friend till date.

In my childhood, books came to me weaving a magical world of fairies, dwarfs, princesses, princes, kings and queens. They brought with them Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, Pinochio, Peter Pan and Cindrella. In my dreams these characters flocked in once in a while giving me an interesting story to remember for days to come.Those years, everything that i read had a mystical aura surrounding it. Years passed by and books came to me as Diamond Comics, Sherlock Holmes, Famous Five and Princess Diaries. After that they came to me as Three Men in a Boat and a few more. Then came the huge bunch of technological books and somewhere in the process of mugging them up i lost my magical world. I lost everything magical about books and they became mere huge chunks of papers which i have to eat up to score more in my exams, to get into a good engineering college, to get a good job and the list went on. I had become too busy cramming them up that i lost in touch any book other than my text books. After all, your priorities at a particular point of time govern your interests to a certain extend.

But now i have to catch up with all those years which i have spent ignoring my books. I am trying to find as much time as possible to read. I want to be in the world of Somerset Maugham and Charles Dickens. I want to read 'World is Flat' and 'Freakonomics'. I want to discuss books with my friends. I want to own all the lovely books in this world. All in all I want to be in that magical world yet again.

-dewdrop