Crime investigations and intricate procedurals are my go-to genres when it comes to television series and movies. I love the process of deduction, forCrime investigations and intricate procedurals are my go-to genres when it comes to television series and movies. I love the process of deduction, forensics, and the science behind it. So, I was thrilled when I came across B. Umadathan’s memoir “Dead Men Tell Tales.” Umadathan was a prominent forensic surgeon from Kerala and played a key role in solving some sensational cases across India during his career. Well translated by Priya K. Nair, the memoir chronicles Umadathan’s rise in the field of forensics and, along the way, he talks about techniques, procedures, and some of the thinking that went behind solving many puzzling cases.
I think one of the most fascinating ones for me was the Chacko murder case from 1984. In a bid to escape the authorities, a notorious criminal named Sukumara Kurup tried to fake his own death by placing Chacko’s body in a car and setting fire to it. With no other evidence, Umadathan arrived at the conclusion solely from the post-mortem, and managed to find justice for Chacko’s family.
The book reads more like numerous entries from a journal put together than a planned, structured memoir. The chapters are divided by different cases and there’s a little bit of information about Umadathan’s personal life included every now and then. The reading experience could have been enhanced with tighter editing.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this peek into a very different line of work. If you, like me, enjoy crime investigations, pick this book up right away. ...more
This is an important book that needs to be widely read. Not just for the experiences of this brave author but for the kind of perspectives she gains fThis is an important book that needs to be widely read. Not just for the experiences of this brave author but for the kind of perspectives she gains from them. It's difficult to believe in a faith, any faith, and then completely shift gears and go against it because you have found compelling reasons to do so. That's exactly what Ayaan Hirsi Ali does even at great risk to her life.
It was a gripping read until the latter half when it slows down considerably. ...more
I am not fond of the cold. At all. I live in Dublin, Ireland and it’s a place where your constant companion, even in summer, is a light jacket and notI am not fond of the cold. At all. I live in Dublin, Ireland and it’s a place where your constant companion, even in summer, is a light jacket and not a book. Because you never know when the sun is going to hide behind the clouds and when the breeze is going to start whipping your hair with cold fingers. Yet, I was fascinated when I came across Nancy Campbell’s book on NetGalley. “The Library of Ice” promised to be a “vivid and perceptive book combining memoir, scientific and cultural history with a bewitching account of landscape and place.” How can you not be seduced by that delicious swirl?
Campbell’s icy journey begins when she is offered the position of a resident artist in Upernavik, Greenland. She was given a choice to go during the summer or in winter when “the darkness of the winter to many southerners seems like a terrible and nasty time lying in wait.” But Campbell finds the “idea of the terrible and nasty 24-hour polar night and the midwinter cold appealing,” and decides to go in January.
That’s how Campbell’s exploration of the nature of ice begins. She marvels at the Greenlandic way of life, which is still predominantly pre-modern, dominated by hunting and fishing. She learns how the landscape, particularly the ice and the glaciers, has played a big role in shaping the people’s traditions and life even till today. She learns their legends and myths. And she falls in love.
For the next seven years Campbell goes to museums and libraries, meets with scientists and explorers and learns how ice has been instrumental in building entire societies. She travels on a shoestring budget where she “sofa-surfed for a few nights, or spent the night on a train concourse, or holed up in an airport or bus station toilet cubicle…” And although she “has no desire to go to Antarctica” (I wonder why) she does go to far flung areas in New Zealand, Iceland, and Scotland.
Amidst accounts from her wanderings Campbell weaves in innumerable facts about voyagers and explorers who navigated treacherous ice and made detailed notes of their observations. Quotes from their notes or diaries that she reads from libraries or museums abound. We learn of pristine landscapes along coasts glittering with ice formations, and of ecosystems that are impacted by the changing nature of ice. One of the most interesting narratives for me was the story of Otzi. I also relished reading some of the folklores and spiritual beliefs attached to the places she visits.
Yet, I found myself drifting off in the middle, not unlike a glacier, my brain meandering just like Campbell’s writing. With her sources for the book as varied as figures from science and history and art and music Campbell cannot help but wander in and out of topics and discussions, sometimes abruptly. I found this slightly jarring and found myself losing the thread of thought many times especially when there is a long series of verbatim quotes. Her writing, when it shines through subjectively, is exquisite and poetic. But sadly we don’t get a lot of that.
Having said that, I wouldn’t discourage you to read the book. It’s definitely an entertaining and educational read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me the ARC for a review! ...more
This is how it's done. This is how precious memories are preserved and passed on because memories are like recipes. They need to be told and retold. RThis is how it's done. This is how precious memories are preserved and passed on because memories are like recipes. They need to be told and retold. Rukmini Srinivas'book takes us through her childhood and adulthood, her family and friends, and the food that surrounded them at all times. We often express pride when we try out our grandmother's recipe but mostly we never know how she got the recipe herself or her memories surrounding it.
Rukka, as she is known to everyone, transports us to her world that was a mix of tradition and modernity, something that was unheard of in 1940s India. Her parents, especially her father, were unusually liberal for their times and Rukka was frequently the odd person out amongst her friends with her preference for skirts, English authors, and progressive attitude. I got lost in her recollections about Palani's Welcome Bakery, Ramakrishna Lunch Home, and other hidden places that I would otherwise have not heard of. I am not sure how many of these joints exist today but I do want to look them up and see if I can find them.
After a point, I was so drawn by her stories that I skipped past many of the recipes. Most of the recipes are laborious but I am sure they are delicious because of that. But for me "Tiffin" was made more enchanting by the friends and family, and all the travels that surrounded Rukka's life. I just wish it had been edited better to avoid countless repetitions....more
Gilmore Girls is one of those shows I don't mind watching all over again because it has everything right going for it. And it's witty. That's a difficGilmore Girls is one of those shows I don't mind watching all over again because it has everything right going for it. And it's witty. That's a difficult combination to achieve. I enjoyed reading this book because -it's an honest memoir -it tells you some behind-the-scenes stories about Gilmore Girls -it's got Lorelei's self-deprecatory humour -I could identify with a lot of things Lauren talks about
I gave it just 3 stars because -there were too many pop culture references Lauren expects you to get -a bit too rambling?...more
The Fish That Ate the Whale took me all the way from the busy docks of New Orleans to the sultry groves of Honduras, and elsewhere, across the world. The Fish That Ate the Whale took me all the way from the busy docks of New Orleans to the sultry groves of Honduras, and elsewhere, across the world. Everywhere that the towering (literally) figure of Sam Zemurray had set foot.
This is a fascinating read. However, it's less about the life and more about the times that America's banana king lived in. Cohen bases the book on a wafer-thin personal plot - Sam Zemurray arrives in America, an immigrant hungry to succeed. His rise is quick and we get to know a bit about the man's personality. But once he establishes his banana business the book meanders into multiple threads, getting sidetracked into politics and anecdotes about other lesser-known figures. Through these wanderings, I did learn about some intriguing people like Edward Bernay and Tommy "the Cork" Corcoran.
That said, I walked away at the end of the book knowing less about Zemurray than I knew about world politics. I would have liked to know more about his family and his childhood.
I also felt that many of the descriptions about Zemurray himself being a formidable figure came across as forced. He was the typical silent and gruff man who was smart about his business. Isn't Jay from Modern Family the same? Not trying to put down Zemurray here but I just didn't get enough details about him to form this larger-than-life figure that Cohen was trying to project.
Don't skip the book. Just skip a few pages here and there....more
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