Review: The Martian

The Martian by Andy Weir
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Put simply, this book is just brilliant writing and sharp editing.
I loved the movie, but I'm happy that the movie did not spoil the book for me. Also, I realize now why it was so easy to convert this book into a movie; the source material is already so well-written. The book makes you smile, laugh at Watney's sarcastic sense of humor and cry at the climax. But above all, in this age where dystopias are all the rage, it restores your faith in basic humanity; at that primal human instinct to help anyone out in times of distress. I loved Watney's sense of humor, it's what kept him alive. For the record, I also loved Damon's portrayal in the movie, I was tied even between rooting for him and Leo for the Oscar.[ cry at the climax. But above all, in this age where dystopias are all the rage, it restores your faith in basic humanity; at that primal human instict to help anyone out in times of distress. (hide spoiler)]
The book seems to have reignited my love for these survival adventures like Robinson Crusoe, The Lost World, etc. I'd love to read more by the author.

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Review: The Guilty

The Guilty by David Baldacci
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My first book of 2016 and this one has actually set the bar quite high. This is the fourth book in the Will Robie series. Robie messes up two of his missions. Meanwhile, his father, whom he ran away from as a teenager, has been arrested for a murder in Mississippi. Robie returns home to confront the demons of his past and Reel joins him later as the body count in his hometown begins to rise.

This story is about the repercussions of our actions that we sometimes don't even think about, of relationships with one's family and learning to forgive the past and move forward in life. You can travel the world, change your personality, escape your hometown; but you can never escape your roots.

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Book Haul - The new Amos Decker by David Baldacci

Hello mystery junkies! I have been AWOL for a long while now, but I finally decided to be back.So as my first come-back post I'm sharing my first book haul post with you guys. 

Today I went to Dolmen Mall, Tariq Road to find a nice dress for Ramazan/ Eid. However, as all brands are launching their festival collections tomorrow, I was unable to find anything good to buy. Of course, I had to stop by Liberty Books to browse through their shelves...duh! And boy am I so glad that I did, because look what I found:

Yup that's right, your eyes are not deceiving you. This is indeed a paperback for the second book of David Baldacci's new series, Amos Decker. The reason for my excitement was that the book only released this April and only the hardcover is currently available on Amazon USA website. The paperback edition is scheduled to be released in September 2016. I was afraid that I would have to wait till September to get my hands on this book. But thanks to Liberty Books and Pan Macmillan India, I was able to get my hands at a reasonably priced paperback so early!

The listed price for the book was Rs. 1195, but I got it for Rs. 1075 only thanks to my Liberty Book Club membership card. Plus 10% points was also added to my account balance to be redeemed later. (P.S. They were out of bookmarks, so I didn't get my customary free bookmark.)

To those of you who do not know it yet, David Baldacci is my absolutely favorite contemporary author and I've read almost all the books that he has ever written. The first book in his Amos Decker series was Memory Man which I have rated 5 stars on Goodreads last year. Memory Man felt way darker than anything I've ever read by Baldacci. A Serial killer arc, that chills you, disgusts you, but still keeps you turning the pages to get to the end. While I love reading the more spy-type Puller and Robie series, Memory Man reminded me of his old gems like Simple Genius and Last Man Standing.  

I can't wait to dig into this one, maybe I'll find time to start it this weekend. Watch out for my review when I'm finished with this one, meanwhile, leave a comment below if you have also been waiting eagerly for Baldacci's next!