The Bookworm Resurfaces

Each year I make a wish-list for the books that I intend to read.  The goal is to read at least 25 titles each year.  Barring 2006 I guess I've been managing to do that rather successfully though many of the books I've read in the recent years do not measure up to the praise heaped on them.  

The best fiction I read in 2010 was the 'The Millennium Trilogy' by Stieg Larsson (originally written in Swedish, translated to English).  Unfortunately the author didn't survive to see the publication of his novels and he had the ambition to write 10 novels in all in the series.  The character of Lisbeth Salander is one of the best women characters ever created by a novelist in the recent years (and if I ever get to make a movie/teleseries based on the Trilogy I'd cast Kangana Ranawat in the lead role).  If anyone of you reads this blog and decides to read these novels, my only piece of advice to them is, "Do not read all the three at a stretch.  Give a break between the two books so you can relish them".  

Economics is one dry subject and the writers are drier than hay mostly.  Derivatives?  God save those who have to read anything about them.  Surprise of surprises.  I not only read a book on derivatives but also found it impressive, interesting and unputdownable!  'Traders, Guns & Money' by Satyajit Das is a revelation and the author's tongue-in-cheek humour is delicious to say the least.  This was the book of the year (non-fiction) for me.

This year too I desire to read at least 25 titles - a judicious mix of both fiction and non-fiction, hopefully.  Here is the list of books that I already am in possession.  

Fiction

1.  Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie.  The novel was shortlisted for the Orange Prize.  Set in the period of II World War the story traverses several countries, tracing the love story of a Japanese girl in the aftermath of the Nagasaki bombing.

2.  Shadow of the Wind by Carlo Ruiz Zafon.  Translated from Spanish, this is a part of 4-book series.  Hoping it to be as exciting as the back cover indicates!

3. Red Earth and Pouring Rain by Vikram Chandra.  I read 'Sacred Games' by the same author last year and found it impressive.  So, decided to pick up his first novel, which had received rave reviews but wasn't otherwise noticed by me.

4.  The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson.  The 2010 Man Booker Winner.  Nothing more to say.

5.  Way to Go by Upamanyu Chatterjee.  His 'English, August' was a runaway bestseller and was also made into a highly successful movie but he followed it up with a few duds.  Hoping this to be good.  

6.  Artemis Fowl  Series by Eoin Colfer.  Juvenile fiction.  But I'm a great sucker for these kinda books (following the Harry Potter series).  There are seven books in all but listing them all as one.

Non-fiction

7.  India After Gandhi by Ramachandra Guha.  The history of the world's largest and least likely democracy and its struggles, humiliations and glories.  

8.  The Battle for God by Karen Armstrong.  A former nun (who served the order for 7 years only to quit) writes with great insight about the fundamentalism in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.  

9.  The Edge of Reason by Anil Ananthaswamy.  Dispatches from the frontiers of Cosmology.  A travelogue that celebrates the blood, sweat and tears that drives our understanding of the Universe, said The Guardian about this book.

10.  A Cultural History of Ladakh by Nowang Tsering Shakpo.  I was gifted this book by my colleague's  (Mushtaq Ahmed) father who was impressed with my knowledge of Bhutan, Buddhism and the Oriental Culture of Tibet.  The author's the first cousin of Mushtaq's father.  It also made me realize the relative non-importance of religion in relationships (the author's Buddhist, while my friend's a Muslim).

11.  I, Durga Khote.  An autobiography by the legendary actress, translated from Marathi.  My friend who visited Jammu left this behind after much persuasion :)

12.  Fooled By Randomness by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.  I am sure this book is going to go all over and above my head but still want to give it a try.  

13.  Storms in the Sea Wind by Alam Srinivas.  The much-public, all-over-the-media war between the two Ambani brothers caught the attention of the entire nation and even the courts and the government.  Might make for interesting read, albeit a little late in the day.

That leaves me at least another 12 spaces to fill. Any suggestions from friends who might happen to read this (apart from wishing me, 'Happy Reading')?