Caging Skies by Christine Leunens

Disclaimer: This book was given to me for free by the publisher for my unbiased review in return.

Stories that are set in the backdrop of historic events are my favorite and this novel by Christine Leunens falls in that category. Set in the backdrop of pre-WWII in Austria the main character Johannes then a child is brainwashed by the propaganda machine of Hitler which his parents don't agree with but has on choice but to put up with their son's misguided love for their leader. The daily interactions between a misguided son and his parents are well-captures by the author. The book is almost fun to see how a child can be made a part of such a machine and cause to blur the line between moral and immoral. The story starts getting interesting once Johannes finds out that his parents have been hiding a jew girl in their house which nobody knows off. First hatred and feeling of supremacy of being an Aryan compared to a jew girl and then irrational obsession towards her makes the middle third of the novel pretty interesting. The lengths Johannes goes to hide the fact that Allies won the war so that he doesn't have to part with his "girlfriend" is what makes the middle third of the book interesting. There is quite bit of tension between the girl and Johannes , again well written by the author. The book starts getting little dis-interesting in the end where the writing takes a mostly philosophical turn making it hard to get by. But the story comes full circle when once a man of free will keeping a girl from achieving her freedom himself becomes a captive of his psyche. 

Overall, a good book. I think most people will enjoy it atleast the first 2/3rd of it. The last couple chapters may feel like a little drag but if you like heavy writing you will enjoy even those last chapters.  

Temper by Layne Fargo (Goodreads Author)

First of all  I would like to thank the publishing company for providing me a copy of this book in return for my unbiased review.

What drew my attention when I asked for this book for review was the cover and the title. I knew it had to be a story on one of the undesired elements of human nature i.e anger/temper. But it's not a flat out vendetta novel nor is there a frank declaration or portrayal of uncontrolled anger. What we have is a psychological thriller of a sort where the constant provocation leads to an ever building passion in which the line between good passion and bad passion is so blurred that one does not know which one is guiding the action of the doer. The doer is a debutante, Kira Rascher who has just landed a lead role in a famous Chicago theatre company production whose director cum lead actor Malcolm Mercer has been known to take his actors to extremes to mold them to his desires by psychologically manipulating them on and off stage. There is a particular magnetism that people feel around him that they can't pull themselves out of and continues to egg along knowing that they might be losing their identity and continues to torment themselves just to prove that they are worth his time. Between a constant psychological manipulation by the director and his actors, there is another character Joanna who is a constant companion to Malcolm Mercer and  has been desiring his validation since the day she met him be it professionally or romantically but to no avail leading to build up of years of resentment that finally finds outlet as the book end draws near. This interplay of human emotions divided in short chapters told from the perspective of two women Kira  and Joanna keeps this book so interesting and a page turner.

Layne Fargo the author has done a good job capturing and exploring the interplay of confusing emotions and relationships in her debut novel. I enjoyed this book and I am sure if you are into psychological thrillers and drama you will too. 

Good Will: Shakespeare's Novel Life by Arthur W. Wiggins (Goodreads Author), Barbara M. Wiggins

This book was sent to me by the authors for free in return for my unbiased opinion of it. So here it is.

Shakespeare has been a man of mystery to many and such an antique personality that hardly someone outside studying English literature would express curiosity about Shakespeare's life. This book is for those who are peripherally interested in knowing about his life. It is a hybrid of facts as gathered by authors during their trips to England and some extrapolated ideas that fills in the gap and makes most sense. Thankfully the language is easy to comprehend and the book reads fast. Interspersed are sonnets as one would expect of any book on Shakespeare. Overall, I think this book is worth reading if you have even the slightest curiosity about Shakespeare and what the life would have been like when he was alive. 

I particularly liked the last paragraph of this book. It is a conversation between business manager of The Globe after it was burnt down in an accident. The business manager asks Shakespeare who is tending his wife who has been injured in the fire while watching a play to commit his time and money to rebuild The Globe and keep writing more plays that makes money for the company and Will says " Cuthbert you disgust me. Your emphasis on money sounds more like my father than yours. Life isn't about money, it's about love. The love of my life and I are going home."

I think that is true no matter if you are a playwright genius like Shakespeare or someone who works long hours just to make ends meet.

Knowledge in a Nutshell: Astrophysics

One of the most thorough book I have read on astrophysics. Backed by diagrams, figures and formulas this book goes a step beyond The Origin Story by David Christian or Neil Degrasse Tyson's book Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. Be warned though that it is a little bit more technical for a layman wanting to explore field of astrophysics. Perhaps above mentioned books may serve as a stepping stone for this book but once you feel comfortable with the level of complexity you are sure to enjoy it. The book addresses the field of astrophysics from its history to current state. The content is thoroughly explored and explained.

Overall, I found this book worth reading with my interest in Astrophysics. If you are a budding scientist or have a general interest in astrophysics and want to take it up a notch, I highly recommend this book.