“Do you believe in God?”

“Yes”

“Do you know what God is?”

“Yes”

“What is God then?”

“He’s God!”

‘Do you go to church?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because I know it all!”

“What do you know?”

“I know to love Mister God and love people and love cats and dogs and spiders and flowers and trees”- and the catalogue went on- “with all of me.”

….Anna had bypassed all the nonessentials and distilled centuries of learning into one sentence: “And God said love me, love them, and love it, and don’t forget to love yourself.”

This Anna who talks so profoundly about life, love and its essence is just a four year old runaway that author Sydney Hopkins (alias Fynn) found one night on London’s Fog shrouded docks. A little girl who changed his life forever. Through Mister God, This is Anna the author shares this life altering experience with his readers. This book is all about Anna, her thoughts, her way of looking at life and understanding in simple terms the much discussed and debated concepts of love, life and happiness. It is touching in its simplicity… in its ability to focus on and derive pleasure and meaning from the smallest things and events in life. In many ways it reminded me of The Little Prince, only this book is a little more inclined towards the spiritual. It centres around Mister God, who Anna loved like no other and provides pointers for becoming more like him.
Here’s a brief extract from the book:

Anna’s misery was for others. They just could not see the beauty of that broken iron stump, the colors, the crystalline shapes; they could not see the possibilities there. Anna wanted them to join with her in this exciting new world, but they could not imagine themselves to be so small that this jagged fracture could become a world of iron mountains, of iron plains with crystal trees. It was a new world to explore, the world of the imagination, a world where few people would or could follow her. In this broken-off stump was a whole new realm of possibilities to be explored and to be enjoyed.

Mister God most certainly enjoyed it, but then Mister God didn’t at all mind making himself small. People thought that Mister God was very big, and that’s where they made a big mistake. Obviously Mister God could be any size he wanted to be. “If he couldn’t be little how could he know what it’s like to be a ladybird?” Indeed, how could he? So like Alice in wonderland, Anna ate of the cake of imagination and altered her size to fit the occasion. After all Mister God did not have only one point of view but an infinity of viewing points, and the whole purpose of living was to be like Mister God. ..The whole point of being alive was to be like Mister God and then you couldn’t help but be good and kind and loving, could you?

Read this profound and moving novel @ the INDIAreads Online Library.

Lately we at INDIAreads have been incredibly busy.  Earlier this month, we featured various bestselling writers and books on our website – And all the while our team has been busy updating our collection with the latest and most essential reads. We also received a great number of reviews and requests from our members. So, exclusively for our library members, we’ve been able to add the titles which we have received requests for.

And yes, with people from all across the country joining as members, our readership has been growing daily. So we’re happy to announce that INDIAreads is reaching nearer to your doorstep each day!

We’ll be continuing to add updates and books to our website, so be sure to head over to our library and check out our latest additions and the book of the week as well.

Happy Holi everyone!

Saul Bellow (June10, 1915 – April 5, 2005) is the only writer to have won the National Book award three times, and the only writer to have been nominated for it six times.

He was born in Quebec, Canada, and began writing at very young age. One of the most represented Jewish-American writers; his interest in writing began mostly as a form of rebellion against what he later called the ‘suffocating orthodoxy’ of his religious upbringing. Therefore, Jewish life and their identity remains a major theme in his work. His writing reflects his views on the disorienting nature of modern civilization and the countervailing ability of humans to overcome their frailty in order to achieve greatness. The principal characters of Bellow’s fiction are often Jewish with a sense of alienation or otherness. However, they possess heroic potential and stand in contrast to the negative forces of society.

An acute observer of the sign of the times, he speaks of flaws in modern civilization, and its ability to foster madness, materialism and misleading knowledge. His characters often bear a resemblance to him as it was his style to intersperse autobiographical elements into his fiction.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for his novel Humboldt’s Gift in 1975, and awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1976. He is the only novelist to receive three National Book Awards, for The Adventure Of Augie March, Herzog, and Mr. Sammler’s Planet.

Read the award winning works of Saul Bellow at the INDIAreads Online Library and share some of your favorite books with other book lovers…

After all, like Saul Bellow righty said,’ We are always looking for the book it is necessary to read next.’

Happy Reading!

Applauded by critics and already gaining positive reviews, ‘Simply Fly : A Deccan Odyssey’ by Captain G.R. Gopinath is all set for its release on 23^rd February 2010.

His autobiography describes in gritty detail the journey of a helicopter pilot who emerged as one of the most successful entrepreneurs and changed the face of aviation history in India. This book captures the drama and fascinating tale behind the struggles of a man whose dreams have surpassed imagination. His humor and potent personality helps the already astonishing story, and displays his charming yet awe inspiring character.A trait which he flaunts with ease throughout the narration of his book.

‘Simply Fly’ familiarizes readers with a totally unexpected side of the Captain’s persona. He is a remarkable storyteller… And a superb one at that.

To grab a copy of Simply Fly, simply log on to www.indiareads.com

Lately, movie studios seem to have become obsessed with bringing literary characters to life… Is this because script writers are running out of ideas? Are all the good ones on extended vacation? Maybe production studios find it worth the effort to cash in on the hype and fan following that the book has generated?

Whatever the reason may be, one thing is for certain. Book lovers adore their super heroes! And while some on-screen adaptations may do justice to the character, there is nothing that compares to the thrill of characters and their super powers coming alive at the turn of every page. They come in all shapes and sizes… really old ‘teenage’ vampires, dragon riders, dyslexic demi gods and even bookbinders! Each one leaves a lasting impression. Be it creations from one time editions that leave us craving for more or sequels that tingle memory and stretch the imagination further.

So, if you were to create a fictional character, what kind of superhero would it be? Would they have weaknesses or fears? What would a normal day for them be like? What would be the nature of the crisis that they avert using their super powers?

Pierce your imagination. Enter the mind of a writer for a moment…and let us know what your superhero would be like….

Fans of the Percy Jackson series will soon be catching a glimpse of the half – blood hero and his adventures in theatres across the city. Director Chris Columbus teams up with some of Hollywood’s finest actors for the screen version of Rick Roirdan’s ‘Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief’.  Columbus, creator of the on-screen adaptation of the Harry Potter series, hopes to strike another right chord with his latest release.

Like the book, the film promises to be fast paced and frantic enough to keep you glued to your seat. Following the exploits of Percy and his other demi god friends, the story revolves around our dyslexic high school student and his battle to find the stolen lightning bolt of Zeus. The 21st century heroes must face the wrath of mythological enemies determined to craft an apocalyptic war between the Greek gods and Hades. And just as discovering he is the demi god son of Poseidon comes as a surprise to him, Percy must embark on a cross country adventure to save his mother, find the true lightning thief  and unravel a mystery more powerful than the gods themselves….

Grab a copy of The Lightning Thief and other books from the Percy Jackson series at  www.indiareads.com

The World Book Fair in Delhi taught us many things…..for instance we know for a fact now that India still loves to read and books are not going to be passe any time soon. The enthusiasm of kids and adults alike, not just from Delhi but from all across the country as they browsed, bought and discussed books gave us a never before high…So even as we went crazy selling books and enrolling members, we took time out to observe what else INDIA was telling us..and it said that we do not follow the New York Times or any other best selling lists. We have our own preferences ….

So here’s a list of what (and who) India, and especially Delhi is reading and buying…..

a) Paulo Coelho: Be it the ever green alchemist, the just out Winner Stands Alone or even the little heard about Valkyries, his books were in high demand. He was definitely the best selling fiction author.

b) Chetan Bhagat was a close second. The fact that his books are affordable (just Rs 95) and easily available definitely helped the sales. Two States and Five Point Someone were at the top, but One Night @ the Call Centre and Three Mistakes of My Life were also extremely popular.

c) Twilight Series: Breaking Dawn was a big hit but the other Twilight novels were not far behind. Meyer’s other titles like The Host and Prom Nights From Hell didn’t do equally well though.

d) Nicholas Sparks: The Notebook and A Walk to Remember were the top grossers but all her other books did well do.

e) Enid Blyton: Even now no one can Beat an Enid Blyton when it comes to books for children.

f) Amartya Sen’s Argumentative Indian was highly sought after

g) Books by Edward De Bono and Malcolm Gladwell

h) The Little Prince in both English and Hindi was a popular buy. Reasonably priced and beautifully written, it seemed like a must have for most people

i) Books by Ruskin Bond, R.K. Narayan, Khushwant Singh and Amitav Ghosh were a big hit.

j) Rashmi Bansal’s Stay Hungry Stay Foolish that tells the story of 25 IIM graduates sold many copies.

k) Three Cups of Tea and Schools into Stones by Greg Morgensten

l) Books by Jhumpa Lahiri, especially An Interpretor of Maladies did well.

m) Sidney Sheldons and Jeffrey Archers were also popular.

n) Premchand in Hindi: We ran out of every single copy that we had stocked. There was a huge demand for hindi books, especially classics by Premchand, Madhushala by Bachchan, Gitanjali by Tagore

o) Books on Hindi poetry were in great demand. Meena Kumari ki Ghazelin was definitely the surprise grosser.

This is what India is buying…..want to see what’s so special about them? You can rent them out from INDIAreads Online Library. ALl are available for rent and sale…

HAPPY READING!!!!!

The World Book Fair New Delhi is finally over….9 days of sheer book craziness -of running around, always being on your feet and discussing books, books and yet more books. It was crazy, it was fun and it was unbelievable to see just how many people still love reading….All the nay sayers who predicted the death of the printed word should definitely visit the Book Fair! Kindle, e-books, everything is fine but nothing compares to the pleasure of holding a book, of turning pages as you sip your cup of coffee…..But this post is not about rekindling the debate….it’s just to say a BIG THANK YOU to everyone out there who made the Fair such a roaring success for us.

Here are a few pictures….

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J D Salinger, author of Catcher in the Rye and Franny and Zoeey, died of natural causes at his home in Cornish, New Hampshire.

The writer, who avoided publicity and did not publish an original work over the past 45 years, was the creator of Holden Caulfield, the delinquent, alienated antihero of The Catcher in the Rye, which became required reading for generations of teenagers after its publication in 1951.

Salinger was born in New York on New Year’s Day 1919. His father, of Polish Jewish origin, became wealthy importing cheese and meat; his mother posed as Jewish, and he did not find out that she was not until after his barmitzvah. He had his own troubled history in various schools until he was dispatched at 15 to Valley Forge military academy. There he began writing at night using a torch under his bed covers and published his first story in a fiction magazine in 1940.

He submitted a number of stories to the New Yorker which were rejected, including one called I Went to School With Adolf Hitler. But the magazine did accept a later story about a disaffected teenager called Holden Caulfield, the first time the character appeared.

He found fame disagreeable, and the year after the publication of his most famous novel he left New York City for the town of Cornish, New Hampshire.

Source : The Guardian

Find books by J D Salinger @ INDIAreads.