The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

If you don't know about "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", then you have missed out on so much. Any commentary on English literature is incomplete without a mention of this book. Some even call it The Great American Novel penned by Mark Twain. Although , this classic is meant for children, but the book offers valuable insights into the American history and society. It touches upon the sensitive issues of slavery in the US. It is a sequel to "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer".

The story revolves around a young boy, who has an enthusiasm for adventure. He rebels against , what he calls, efforts to civilize him. Also, he doesn't let his difficult past damper his spirits. The story unfolds with many twists and turns, introducing new interesting characters every now and then. All in all, it is a hearty read best enjoyed with a mug of hot chocolate. I know this description sounds way too generic but I am trying not to spoil the story for you, that is, if you haven't read it yet.

My favorite thing about the book is the narration style. The linguistics represent they typical accent from the south. Some while ago,I listened to the audio version of the book and thoroughly enjoyed it. Listening to the story in my bed on my ipod reminded me of the time I used to listen to stories from my grandfather. Now, that was a great time. You too can enjoy listening to this story. The mp3 downloads are available here and here as well. The second thing that, I love about the book, is a break from all the technology. Right now, it seems impossible to live without the internet and technology. The continuous flow of Sci-Fi novels and media seems to reaffirm this theory. But , after reading this book we are reminded that there was a time without all this digitization and technology. And people could live their life almost all the same and have fun too back then. Buy this classic book here.

Deception Point by Dan Brown

Spoiler Alert  Like some wise reader once said, " If you have read one Dan Brown book , you have read them all". So, you would know my first comment on the book. Yes, it's the typical Dan Brown story. A light reading, with a suspense built-up that makes you want to finish the book in one sitting. See for yourself, all the key ingredients of this and any other Dan Brown are in the checklist below.     The story takes you to many places, zapping from one location to the other as the plot unfolds. Way too many random facts, bordering on information overload. Touching upon a controversial issue (Area 51 and alien sightings in this case) Super fast plot Nerve wrenching suspense Ultimate twist to the story near the end (in most cases an inside traitor) An almost ready-made Hollywood action blockbuster script So, now a little about what the story is all about. It is set on the political Chessboard of Washington, where a not so clean Presidential candidate is running for office with an unusual campaign, an anti-NASA campaign. His daughter, Rachel Sexton, a semi-government employee, is the female protagonist. She is the intelligent, pretty, sensitive yet strong girl ( found mostly in novels and rarely in real life). It so happens that, in the midst of all this political mud flinging at NASA, the space agency makes a very important a discovery. This very important discovery will not only return NASA's pride in the current situation, but it is dubbed as the biggest discovery NASA has ever made. A  meteorite is found on the North Pole, which might have signs of extra-terrestrial life. The timing of this discovery might just save the President (who has a not so great election campaign) , his position in office. A bunch of civilian (non- NASA) scientists are flown to the North pole to authenticate the discovery, which they do. Among them are Michael Tolland (an oceanographer and the hero), Rachel Sexton (the heroine) , Corky Marlinson (the funny side kick) and a few others. I am sure you are waiting for the controversy now, after all it's a Dan Brown book. Well, here it is, the discovery has a lot of fishy facts, and (no pun intended) the supposed extraterrestrial life ends up being an actual ocean creature. The civilian scientists being the first to find the faults, put themselves in danger. While on a run for their life, they go through many adventures, rather mis-adventures. And all this happens in a mere span of 2 days. So, Who planned this mega huge fraud? What were their motives? Who is out there on a murder rampage? What happens to the president's campaign? What will be the future of NASA after this fraud discovery and a politician breathing down there neck? To find out you must sit back with  a glass of lemonade and enjoy the book on a lazy summer afternoon (the lemonade is optional of course and you can read the book in the winters as well 😜). Among the things that I didn't like about  the book, the worst is the end. It's an abrupt wind-up. Seems like the writer hit the required word count and said " What the heck, lets just end it quickly." Some parts of the book are so unreal, especially the way Michael and Rachel end up escaping their killers every time. Well, that was bound to happen, they were the protagonists in the story. Can't have much of a commercial thriller novel by killing your two main characters, what was I thinking. But seriously, I could have eaten my hat, when tapping Morse Code on ice got a submarine for their rescue.   My last words about the word are of praise to the writer for his excellent research. Kudos, for finding out the boring facts of Space science and Washington Bureaucracy ; and then putting it all together to make an action-packed thriller.

Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel Fattah

So you are curious about this ever growing cult of Hijabis. Well, here is a book that will give you some real insights on who they really are. They are just girls like every other girl out there.This book narrates the ordeal of a girl who adopts the hijab living in the west. In doing so the author beautifully covers all criticism hurled towards young Muslims in the current era. The author very aptly responds to the critique with logical reasoning in the voice of a young Australian Muslimah. The life of Muslims living in the West is shown with a touch of realism. The apprehensions, thinking, identity crisis, clash of cultures, attitudes and behavior of the Muslim community are captured into a simple yet sweet novel.

As far as the literary potential of the book is concerned, the plot is quite predictable. But then again it isn't exactly a mystery novel. The focus is more on the emotional aspect of being the odd one out. Moreover, if you expect to increase your vocabulary by reading this book; then don't. the book uses a very casual writing style, so as to target a younger reader audience. On the upside the writer spices up the book with witty jokes and amusing conversations.

All in all, this feat of writing reassures the world that Muslims are just ordinary human beings with the same sorrows and joy as others. It is a fantastic effort by Randa Abdel Fattah to soften and boost the image of Muslims without compromising on the religious principles. The book won the Australian Book Industry Award for Australian Book of The Year Award for older children.

You can buy Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel Fattah here.