Aditya's bookshelf: read en-US Sun, 29 Jun 2025 06:34:32 -0700 60 Aditya's bookshelf: read 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Animal Farm / 1984 5472 This edition features George Orwell’s best-known novels—1984 and Animal Farm—with an introduction by Christopher Hitchens.

In 1984, London is a grim city where Big Brother is always watching you and the Thought Police can practically read your mind. Winston Smith joins a secret revolutionary organisation called The Brotherhood, dedicated to the destruction of the Party. Together with his beloved Julia, he hazards his life in a deadly match against the powers that be.

Animal Farm is Orwell’s classic satire of the Russian Revolution - an account of the bold struggle, initiated by the animals, that transforms Mr. Jones’s Manor Farm into Animal Farm - a wholly democratic society built on the credo that All Animals Are Created Equal. But are they? AUTHOR: George Orwell (1903-1950) was born in India and served with the Imperial Police in Burma before joining the Republican Army in the Spanish Civil War. Orwell was the author of six novels as well as numerous essays and nonfiction works.]]> 400 George Orwell Aditya 5 4.29 1949 Animal Farm / 1984
author: George Orwell
name: Aditya
average rating: 4.29
book published: 1949
rating: 5
read at: 2016/11/01
date added: 2025/06/29
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]]> <![CDATA[Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power Within India]]> 693771
Ignited Unleashing the Power Within India goes the logical next step and examines why, given all our skills, resources and talents, we, so obviously capable of being the best, settle so often for the worst. What is it that we as a nation are missing? For at the heart of Ignited Minds is an irresistible the people of a nation have the power, by dint of hard work, to realize their dream of a truly good life.

Kalam offers no formulaic prescription in Ignited Minds . Instead, he takes up different issues and themes that struck him on his pilgrimage around the country as he met thousands of school children, teachers, scientists and saints and seers in the course of two the necessity for a patriotism that transcends religion and politics; for role models who point out the path to take; and for confidence in ourselves and in our strengths.

Who was he to write on so large a theme, he wondered as he started writing this book. But at the end, Kalam's humility notwithstanding, this may well prove to be the book that motivates us to get back on the winning track and unleash the energy within a nation that hasn't allowed itself full rein.]]> 222 A.P.J. Abdul Kalam 0143029827 Aditya 5 4.01 2002 Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power Within India
author: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
name: Aditya
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2002
rating: 5
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]]> The Prince 480329
Refreshing in its directness, yet often disturbing in its cold practicality, The Prince sets down a frighteningly pragmatic formula for political fortune. Starkly relevant to the political upheavals of the 20th century, this calculating prescription for power remains today, nearly 500 years after it was written, a timely and startling lesson in the practice of autocratic rule that continues to be much read and studied by students, scholars and general readers as well.]]> 80 Niccolò Machiavelli Aditya 3 3.73 1513 The Prince
author: Niccolò Machiavelli
name: Aditya
average rating: 3.73
book published: 1513
rating: 3
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]]> 1984 40961427 Nineteen Eighty-Four is a rare work that grows more haunting as its futuristic purgatory becomes more real. Published in 1949, the book offers political satirist George Orwell's nightmarish vision of a totalitarian, bureaucratic world and one poor stiff's attempt to find individuality. The brilliance of the novel is Orwell's prescience of modern life—the ubiquity of television, the distortion of the language—and his ability to construct such a thorough version of hell. Required reading for students since it was published, it ranks among the most terrifying novels ever written.]]> 298 George Orwell Aditya 5 4.24 1949 1984
author: George Orwell
name: Aditya
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1949
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Why I Am An Atheist: An Autobiographical Discourse]]> 1389596 91 Bhagat Singh 8178710609 Aditya 5 4.44 1931 Why I Am An Atheist: An Autobiographical Discourse
author: Bhagat Singh
name: Aditya
average rating: 4.44
book published: 1931
rating: 5
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]]> Nationalism 166312 143 Rabindranath Tagore 8171677789 Aditya 5 4.07 1917 Nationalism
author: Rabindranath Tagore
name: Aditya
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1917
rating: 5
read at: 2020/07/20
date added: 2020/07/20
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]]> The Prince 28862
1. So it is that to know the nature of a people, one need be a Prince; to know the nature of a Prince, one need to be of the people.
2. If a Prince is not given to vices that make him hated, it is unsusal for his subjects to show their affection for him.
3. Opportunity made Moses, Cyrus, Romulus, Theseus, and others; their virtue domi-nated the opportunity, making their homelands noble and happy. Armed prophets win; the disarmed lose.
4. Without faith and religion, man achieves power but not glory.
5. Prominent citizens want to command and oppress; the populace only wants to be free of oppression.
6. A Prince needs a friendly populace; otherwise in diversity there is no hope.
7. A Prince, who rules as a man of valor, avoids disasters,
8. Nations based on mercenary forces will never be solid or secure.
9. Mercenaries are dangerous because of their cowardice
10. There are two ways to fight: one with laws, the other with force. The first is rightly man’s way; the second, the way of beasts.]]> 144 Niccolò Machiavelli 0937832383 Aditya 4 3.85 1513 The Prince
author: Niccolò Machiavelli
name: Aditya
average rating: 3.85
book published: 1513
rating: 4
read at: 2020/07/17
date added: 2020/07/17
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]]> <![CDATA[The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams and Reaching Your Destiny]]> 43877 Wisdom to Create a Life of Passion, Purpose, and Peace.

This inspiring tale provides a step-by-step approach to living with greater courage, balance, abundance, and joy. A wonderfully crafted fable, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari tells the extraordinary story of Julian Mantle, a lawyer forced to confront the spiritual crisis of his out-of-balance life. On a life-changing odyssey to an ancient culture, he discovers powerful, wise, and practical lessons that teach us to:

Develop Joyful Thoughts, Follow Our Life's Mission and Calling, Cultivate Self-Discipline and Act Courageously, Value Time as Our Most Important Commodity, Nourish Our Relationships, and Live Fully, One Day at a Time.]]> 208 Robin Sharma 0062515675 Aditya 0 3.88 1996 The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams and Reaching Your Destiny
author: Robin Sharma
name: Aditya
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1996
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind]]> 23692271 512 Yuval Noah Harari Aditya 0 4.33 2011 Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
author: Yuval Noah Harari
name: Aditya
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2011
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[You Can Win : A Step by Step Tool for Top Achievers]]> 714711 290 Shiv Kehra 1904910033 Aditya 4 3.87 1998 You Can Win : A Step by Step Tool for Top Achievers
author: Shiv Kehra
name: Aditya
average rating: 3.87
book published: 1998
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[मधुशाला: Madhushala (Hindi Edition)]]> 42646356
All the rubaaiaa (the plural for rubaai) end in the word madhushala. The poet tries to explain the complexity of life with his four instruments, which appear in almost every verse: madhu, madira or haala (wine), saaki (server), pyaala (cup or glass) and of course madhushala, madiralaya (pub/bar).

The publication of the work in 1935 brought Harivanshrai Bachchan instant fame, and his own recitation of the poems became a "craze" at poetry symposiums.]]> 29 Harivansh Rai Bachchan Aditya 0 4.58 1935 मधुशाला: Madhushala (Hindi Edition)
author: Harivansh Rai Bachchan
name: Aditya
average rating: 4.58
book published: 1935
rating: 0
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]]> The Alchemist 865 197 Paulo Coelho 0061122416 Aditya 5 3.85 1988 The Alchemist
author: Paulo Coelho
name: Aditya
average rating: 3.85
book published: 1988
rating: 5
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]]> रश्मिरथी 10588193
Karna was first born son of Kunti whom she had abandoned at birth as he was an illegitimate son. Karna grew up in a lowly family, yet became one of the best warriors of his time. In the Great Mahabharata war, Karna was obliged to fight from the side of Duryodhana as Duryodhana recognizing his merits had made him a king and adopted him as a close friend. Karna fighting from Kaurava's side was a great worry of Pandavas as he was reputed to be unconquerable in war. The way Dinkar has presented the story of Karna with all hues of human emotions trapped in moral dilemmas, is simply marvelous. The rhythm and meter is lilting. Choice of words and purity of language is exhilarating. The work has a timeless relevance and is a must read.]]> 176 Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' 818031362X Aditya 5 4.71 1981 रश्मिरथी
author: Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar'
name: Aditya
average rating: 4.71
book published: 1981
rating: 5
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]]> Jaya: 9 9864913
The doorkeepers of Vaikuntha are the twins, Jaya and Vijaya, both whose names mean 'victory'. One keeps you in Swarga; the other raises you into Vaikuntha.

In Vaikuntha there is bliss forever, in Swarga there is pleasure for only as long as you deserve. What is the difference between Jaya and Vijaya? Solve this puzzle and you will solve the mystery of the Mahabharata.

In this enthralling retelling of India's greatest epic, the Mahabharata originally known as Jaya, Devdutt Pattanaik seamlessly weaves into a single narrative plots from the Sanskrit classic as well as its many folk and regional variants, including the Pandavani of Chhattisgarh, Gondhal of Maharashtra, Terukkuttu of Tamil Nadu and Yakshagana of Karnataka.

Richly illustrated with over 250 line drawings by the author, the 108 chapters abound with little-known details such as the names of the hundred Kauravas, the worship of Draupadi as a goddess in Tamil Nadu, the stories of Astika, Madhavi, Jaimini, Aravan and Barbareek, the Mahabharata version of the Shakuntalam and the Ramayana, and the dating of the war based on astronomical data.

With clarity and simplicity, the tales in this elegant volume reveal the eternal relevance of the Mahabharata, the complex and disturbing meditation on the human condition that has shaped Indian thought for over 3000 years.]]> 349 Devdutt Pattanaik 014310425X Aditya 3 4.20 2010 Jaya: 9
author: Devdutt Pattanaik
name: Aditya
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2010
rating: 3
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]]> The Last Lecture 2318271
When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave, 'Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams', wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because time is all you have and you may find one day that you have less than you think). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.

In this book, Randy Pausch has combined the humour, inspiration, and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given it an indelible form. It is a book that will be shared for generations to come.]]> 206 Randy Pausch 1401323251 Aditya 5 4.25 2008 The Last Lecture
author: Randy Pausch
name: Aditya
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at: 2019/03/16
date added: 2020/01/04
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]]> <![CDATA[The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life]]> 28257707 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780062457738

In this generation-defining self-help guide, a superstar blogger cuts through the crap to show us how to stop trying to be "positive" all the time so that we can truly become better, happier people.

For decades, we’ve been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. "F**k positivity," Mark Manson says. "Let’s be honest, shit is f**ked and we have to live with it." In his wildly popular Internet blog, Manson doesn’t sugarcoat or equivocate. He tells it like it is—a dose of raw, refreshing, honest truth that is sorely lacking today. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is his antidote to the coddling, let’s-all-feel-good mindset that has infected American society and spoiled a generation, rewarding them with gold medals just for showing up.

Manson makes the argument, backed both by academic research and well-timed poop jokes, that improving our lives hinges not on our ability to turn lemons into lemonade, but on learning to stomach lemons better. Human beings are flawed and limited—"not everybody can be extraordinary, there are winners and losers in society, and some of it is not fair or your fault." Manson advises us to get to know our limitations and accept them. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties, once we stop running and avoiding and start confronting painful truths, we can begin to find the courage, perseverance, honesty, responsibility, curiosity, and forgiveness we seek.

There are only so many things we can give a f**k about so we need to figure out which ones really matter, Manson makes clear. While money is nice, caring about what you do with your life is better, because true wealth is about experience. A much-needed grab-you-by-the-shoulders-and-look-you-in-the-eye moment of real-talk, filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humor, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives.]]> 212 Mark Manson Aditya 4 3.87 2016 The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life
author: Mark Manson
name: Aditya
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2016
rating: 4
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]]> As a Man Thinketh 81959
Purity of mind leads inevitably to purity of life, to the precious love and understanding that should control our everyday acts and attitudes towards friends and foes.

But where must one look for guidance? How does one achieve purity of mind that alone brings happiness and confidence?

The author offers his clear answers in this book As A Man Thinketh. His words have helped millions for more than a century--and they continue to point the true way to a better life for a troubled humanity.

"Out of a clean heart comes a clean life and a clean body," James Allen writes. "Out of a defiled mind proceeds a defiled life and a corrupt body."

Too many mortals strive to improve only their wordly position--and too few seek spiritual betterment. Such is the problem James Allen faced in his own time. The ideas he found in his inner-most heart after great searching guided him as they will guide you.]]> 80 James Allen 1585425648 Aditya 4 4.23 1902 As a Man Thinketh
author: James Allen
name: Aditya
average rating: 4.23
book published: 1902
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[Angels & Demons (Robert Langdon, #1)]]> 960
A devastating new weapon of destruction.
When world-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a mysterious symbol -- seared into the chest of a murdered physicist -- he discovers evidence of the unimaginable: the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati...the most powerful underground organization ever to walk the earth. The Illuminati has now surfaced to carry out the final phase of its legendary vendetta against its most hated enemy -- the Catholic Church.

Langdon's worst fears are confirmed on the eve of the Vatican's holy conclave, when a messenger of the Illuminati announces they have hidden an unstoppable time bomb at the very heart of Vatican City. With the countdown under way, Langdon jets to Rome to join forces with Vittoria Vetra, a beautiful and mysterious Italian scientist, to assist the Vatican in a desperate bid for survival.
Embarking on a frantic hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and even the most secretive vault on earth, Langdon and Vetra follow a 400-year-old trail of ancient symbols that snakes across Rome toward the long-forgotten Illuminati lair...a clandestine location that contains the only hope for Vatican salvation.

An explosive international thriller, Angels & Demons careens from enlightening epiphanies to dark truths as the battle between science and religion turns to war.]]> 736 Dan Brown 1416524797 Aditya 3 3.95 2000 Angels & Demons (Robert Langdon, #1)
author: Dan Brown
name: Aditya
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2000
rating: 3
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]]> <![CDATA[The da Vinci Code (Robert Langdon, #2)]]> 968 This is an alternate cover for 9780307277671. Others can be found:
here, here, here, here, and here


While in Paris on business, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call: the elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum. Near the body, police have found a baffling cipher. While working to solve the enigmatic riddle, Langdon is stunned to discover it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci -- clues visible for all to see -- yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.

Langdon joins forces with a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, and learns the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion -- an actual secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci, among others.

In a breathless race through Paris, London, and beyond, Langdon and Neveu match wits with a faceless powerbroker who seems to anticipate their every move. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle in time, the Priory's ancient secret -- and an explosive historical truth -- will be lost forever.

The Da Vinci Code heralds the arrival of a new breed of lightning-paced, intelligent thriller utterly unpredictable right up to its stunning conclusion.]]> 489 Dan Brown Aditya 4 3.92 2003 The da Vinci Code (Robert Langdon, #2)
author: Dan Brown
name: Aditya
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2003
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[The Lost Symbol (Robert Langdon, #3)]]> 6411961
Washington DC: Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned at the last minute to deliver an evening lecture in the Capitol Building. Within moments of his arrival, however, a disturbing object - gruesomely encoded with five symbols - is discovered at the epicenter of the Rotunda. It is, he recognizes, an ancient invitation, meant to beckon its recipient towards a long-lost world of hidden esoteric wisdom.

When Langdon's revered mentor, Peter Solomon - philanthropist and prominent mason - is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes that his only hope of saving his friend's life is to accept this mysterious summons and follow wherever it leads him.

Langdon finds himself quickly swept behind the facade of America's most historic city into the unseen chambers, temples and tunnels which exist there. All that was familiar is transformed into a shadowy, clandestine world of an artfully concealed past in which Masonic secrets and never-before-seen revelations seem to be leading him to a single impossible and inconceivable truth.

A brilliantly composed tapestry of veiled histories, arcane icons and enigmatic codes, The Lost Symbol is an intelligent, lightning-paced thriller that offers surprises at every turn. For, as Robert Langdon will discover, there is nothing more extraordinary or shocking than the secret which hides in plain sight...]]> 509 Dan Brown 0385504225 Aditya 4 3.75 2009 The Lost Symbol (Robert Langdon, #3)
author: Dan Brown
name: Aditya
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2009
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[Wings of Fire: An Autobiography]]> 634583 180 A.P.J. Abdul Kalam 8173711461 Aditya 5 4.28 1999 Wings of Fire: An Autobiography
author: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
name: Aditya
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1999
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Power of Your Subconscious Mind]]> 68984 The Power of Your Subconscious Mind has been a bestseller since its first publication in 1963, selling many millions of copies since its original publication. It is one of the most brilliant and beloved spiritual self-help works of all time which can help you heal yourself, banish your fears, sleep better, enjoy better relationships and just feel happier. The techniques are simple and results come quickly. You can improve your relationships, your finances, your physical well-being.

Dr. Joseph Murphy explains that life events are actually the result of the workings of your conscious and subconscious minds. He suggests practical techniques through which one can change one's destiny, principally by focusing and redirecting this miraculous energy. Years of research studying the world's major religions convinced him that some Great Power lay behind all spiritual life and that this power is within each of us.

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind will open a world of success, happiness, prosperity, and peace for you.

]]> 304 Joseph Murphy 0553583182 Aditya 4 4.10 1963 The Power of Your Subconscious Mind
author: Joseph Murphy
name: Aditya
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1963
rating: 4
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]]> Godan 19301931 410 Munshi Premchand Aditya 5 4.35 1936 Godan
author: Munshi Premchand
name: Aditya
average rating: 4.35
book published: 1936
rating: 5
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]]> The White Tiger 1768603
Balram Halwai is a complicated man. Servant. Philosopher. Entrepreneur. Murderer. Over the course of seven nights, by the scattered light of a preposterous chandelier, Balram tells us the terrible and transfixing story of how he came to be a success in life—having nothing but his own wits to help him along.

Born in the dark heart of India, Balram gets a break when he is hired as a driver for his village's wealthiest man, two house Pomeranians (Puddles and Cuddles), and the rich man's (very unlucky) son. From behind the wheel of their Honda City car, Balram's new world is a revelation. While his peers flip through the pages of Murder Weekly ("Love -- Rape -- Revenge!"), barter for girls, drink liquor (Thunderbolt), and perpetuate the Great Rooster Coop of Indian society, Balram watches his employers bribe foreign ministers for tax breaks, barter for girls, drink liquor (single-malt whiskey), and play their own role in the Rooster Coop. Balram learns how to siphon gas, deal with corrupt mechanics, and refill and resell Johnnie Walker Black Label bottles (all but one). He also finds a way out of the Coop that no one else inside it can perceive.

Balram's eyes penetrate India as few outsiders can: the cockroaches and the call centers; the prostitutes and the worshippers; the ancient and Internet cultures; the water buffalo and, trapped in so many kinds of cages that escape is (almost) impossible, the white tiger. And with a charisma as undeniable as it is unexpected, Balram teaches us that religion doesn't create virtue, and money doesn't solve every problem -- but decency can still be found in a corrupt world, and you can get what you want out of life if you eavesdrop on the right conversations.

The White Tiger recalls The Death of Vishnu and Bangkok 8 in ambition, scope, and narrative genius, with a mischief and personality all its own. Amoral, irreverent, deeply endearing, and utterly contemporary, this novel is an international publishing sensation —and a startling, provocative debut.]]> 276 Aravind Adiga 1416562591 Aditya 4 3.76 2008 The White Tiger
author: Aravind Adiga
name: Aditya
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2008
rating: 4
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]]> A Thousand Splendid Suns 128029
With the passing of time comes Taliban rule over Afghanistan, the streets of Kabul loud with the sound of gunfire and bombs, life a desperate struggle against starvation, brutality and fear, the women's endurance tested beyond their worst imaginings. Yet love can move people to act in unexpected ways, lead them to overcome the most daunting obstacles with a startling heroism. In the end it is love that triumphs over death and destruction.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a portrait of a wounded country and a story of family and friendship, of an unforgiving time, an unlikely bond, and an indestructible love.]]> 372 Khaled Hosseini 1594489505 Aditya 4 4.44 2007 A Thousand Splendid Suns
author: Khaled Hosseini
name: Aditya
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2007
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[The Mahabharata Quest: The Alexander Secret]]> 23354495 334 B.C.

Alexander the Great begins his conquest of the Persian Empire. But his plans for everlasting glory do not end there and the young king marches towards the Ends of the Earth - the lands of the Indus - on a secret quest. It will lead him to an ancient secret concealed in the myths of the Mahabharata; a secret that is powerful enough to transform him into a god.

Present Day

In Greece, the ancient tomb of a queen is discovered, a tomb that has been an enigma for over 2000 years.In New Delhi, the Intelligence Bureau discovers unexplained corpses in a hidden lab. Vijay Singh and his friends, now members of an elite task force, are sucked into a struggle with a powerful and ruthless enemy. In a deadly race against time, they will need to solve a riddle from antiquity that will lead them to encounter shocking secrets from the past; secrets that will reveal mystifying links between ancient history, the Mahabharata and the ancient enemy with diabolical plans for a future that will hold the world to ransom.

The Quest has just begun.

After the Mahabharata Secret, Christopher C Doyle yet again explores the science behind the enduring mythology of the Mahabharata and brings it alive in a contemporary setting. The result is a gripping story that will keep you hooked right until the last page]]> 355 Christopher C. Doyle 9384030597 Aditya 3 3.61 2014 The Mahabharata Quest: The Alexander Secret
author: Christopher C. Doyle
name: Aditya
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2014
rating: 3
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]]> The Old Man and the Sea 2165 Librarian's note: An alternate cover edition can be found here

This short novel, already a modern classic, is the superbly told, tragic story of a Cuban fisherman in the Gulf Stream and the giant Marlin he kills and loses—specifically referred to in the citation accompanying the author's Nobel Prize for literature in 1954.]]> 96 Ernest Hemingway 0684830493 Aditya 4 3.81 1952 The Old Man and the Sea
author: Ernest Hemingway
name: Aditya
average rating: 3.81
book published: 1952
rating: 4
read at: 2016/01/01
date added: 2016/11/01
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]]> The Kite Runner 77203 371 Khaled Hosseini 159463193X Aditya 5 4.34 2003 The Kite Runner
author: Khaled Hosseini
name: Aditya
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2003
rating: 5
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]]> To Kill a Mockingbird 2657 "Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."

A lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel - a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with exuberant humour the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina of one man's struggle for justice. But the weight of history will only tolerate so much.

"To Kill A Mockingbird" became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film.]]> 323 Harper Lee 0060935464 Aditya 5 4.25 1960 To Kill a Mockingbird
author: Harper Lee
name: Aditya
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1960
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Playing It My Way: My Autobiography]]> 23150337
I knew that agreeing to write my story would need me to be completely honest, as that’s the way I have always played the game. It would require talking about a number of aspects I have not shared in public before.

So here I am, at the end of my final innings, having taken that last walk back to the pavilion, ready to recount as many incidents as I can remember since first picking up a cricket bat as a child in Mumbai thirty-five years ago." - Sachin Tendulkar]]> 486 Sachin Tendulkar Aditya 4 3.81 2014 Playing It My Way: My Autobiography
author: Sachin Tendulkar
name: Aditya
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2014
rating: 4
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]]> The Mahabharata Secret 18597047
For 2300 years the secret remained hidden to save the world from untold horror. Hence, to save the secret, Ashoka forms a group of people called 'Nine’ and gave them oath to protect the secret even on price of their lives.

Suddenly the story comes to the present, where a retired nuclear scientist, Vikram Singh is murdered in a mysterious way. Before his strange death, Vikram has sent few e-mails with cryptic clues to his nephew, Vijay. These clues further lead Vijay and his friends to unlock the secret in his uncle’s message. Throughout the story, Vijay along with his friends is racing against time while solving the mystery behind his uncle’s death and the message Vikram left before his demise.

The readers will find out various fictional and mysterious things about epic Mahabharata while going through the series of adventures in the book. Combining past and present, the book will intrigue all fiction lovers who are also keen to read about ancient India.]]> 386 Christopher C. Doyle 9383202319 Aditya 3 3.53 2013 The Mahabharata Secret
author: Christopher C. Doyle
name: Aditya
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2016/09/12
date added: 2016/09/12
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Hound of the Baskervilles (Sherlock Holmes, #5)]]> 8921 256 Arthur Conan Doyle Aditya 4 4.16 1902 The Hound of the Baskervilles (Sherlock Holmes, #5)
author: Arthur Conan Doyle
name: Aditya
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1902
rating: 4
read at: 2016/01/01
date added: 2016/09/12
shelves:
review:

]]> As You Like It 42607 As You Like It with delight. Its characters are brilliant conversationalists, including the princesses Rosalind and Celia and their Fool, Touchstone. Soon after Rosalind and Orlando meet and fall in love, the princesses and Touchstone go into exile in the Forest of Arden, where they find new conversational partners. Duke Frederick, younger brother to Duke Senior, has overthrown his brother and forced him to live homeless in the forest with his courtiers, including the cynical Jaques. Orlando, whose older brother Oliver plotted his death, has fled there, too.

Recent scholars have also grounded the play in the issues of its time. These include primogeniture, passing property from a father to his oldest son. As You Like It depicts intense conflict between brothers, exposing the human suffering that primogeniture entails. Another perspective concerns cross-dressing. Most of Orlando’s courtship of Rosalind takes place while Rosalind is disguised as a man, “Ganymede.” At her urging, Orlando pretends that Ganymede is his beloved Rosalind. But as the epilogue reveals, the sixteenth-century actor playing Rosalind was male, following the practice of the time. In other words, a boy played a girl playing a boy pretending to be a girl.]]> 263 William Shakespeare 074348486X Aditya 4 3.81 1599 As You Like It
author: William Shakespeare
name: Aditya
average rating: 3.81
book published: 1599
rating: 4
read at: 2016/01/01
date added: 2016/09/12
shelves:
review:

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