The pleasure of finding things out

In April 2003 the BBC's Big Read began the search for the nation's best-loved novel, and we asked you to nominate your favourite books.

Below and on the next page are all the results from number 1 to 100 in numerical order! [from BBC - The Big Read]

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien [Check]
2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling [Check]
6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee [Check]
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger [Check]
16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
19. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling [Check]
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling [Check]
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling [Check]
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
26. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot
28. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving
29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez
33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson [Check]
37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
38. Persuasion, Jane Austen
39. Dune, Frank Herbert
40. Emma, Jane Austen
41. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
42. Watership Down, Richard Adams
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas [Check]
45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell [Check]
47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
48. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
50. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher
51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
52. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck
53. The Stand, Stephen King
54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
55. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
56. The BFG, Roald Dahl
57. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome
58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer [Check]
60. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
61. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
62. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden
63. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
64. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
65. Mort, Terry Pratchett
66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
67. The Magus, John Fowles
68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding [Check]
71. Perfume, Patrick Süskind
72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell
73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
74. Matilda, Roald Dahl
75. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
76. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
77. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
78. Ulysses, James Joyce
79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens
80. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
81. The Twits, Roald Dahl
82. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith
83. Holes, Louis Sachar
84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
85. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
86. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson
87. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
88. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
89. Magician, Raymond E Feist
90. On The Road, Jack Kerouac
91. The Godfather, Mario Puzo [Check]
92. The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett
94. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho [Check]
95. Katherine, Anya Seton
96. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer
97. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez
98. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
100. Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie [Check]

Ranbir Kapoor and gang come of age in this movie about honest entrepreneurship! It has it's light moments, and elements that even I could relate to as a working professional. The movie touches upon entrepreneurship, work ethics, and people-oriented vs. numbers-oriented business.

The story is that of Harpreet Singh Bedi, a simple guy with average results who wants to be a successful salesman Multiple applications later he ends up as a PC salesman at At Your Service (AYS) Computers. He is honest and believes he can truly make a difference.

Sooner than later, he realises that sales is not about honesty and belief in good product. Rather, it's about lies and grabbing clients at any cost. Harpreet decides to keep his honesty and do the right thing. He starts an honest to customer company that provides cheap PCs with exceptional service, and calls the company Rocket Sales.

The only problem is he does this while working at AYS. The rest, as they say, is history. The movie truly touches a few chords, and then some. Ranbir Kapoor has come of age...

I don't want to give much of the movie away, but it's definitely worth a watch, or two. It's also making it into my personal library for reruns and as a collectible.

I am currently reading Straight from the Gut by Welch. It's one hell of a book, and talks about various personal and mostly professional aspects of being a good leader.

I've also been reading Guy Kawasaki and Seth Godin religiously. They do make sense, and are truly independent thinkers.

Title: Hotel Pastis: A Novel of Provence
Author: Peter Mayle
Publisher: Vintage Books
Pages: 389 (softcover)
Rating: 3 out of 5

Simon Shaw is a successful advertising magnate, with a string of unhappy marriages behind him. His confidante, Ernest, orders him to take a few days off from work and relax. Recently out of a bad marriage, he agrees and decides to go spend time in France. A friend in Paris recommends spending the weekend in Provence, stating that he had the best time he's had ever, in Provence.

The rest, as they say, is the story *grin*. There is some insight into advertising and running a hotel, but only on the surface. Simon meets a French lady he likes, in Provence, and decides to start a hotel in a little town there along with her and Ernest. He counts on a simple and quiet life in France, after his hectic days in the advertising business where holidays are rare. In short, he is counting on life becoming one long holiday.

What he doesn't count on are bank robbers in the area, the local mafia using threats in the guise of providing security, and the local journalist who hypocritically hates change and progress.

The book makes for good humor, and essentially takes digs at marriage, the English and the French :)

I give it 3 stars because it started dragging out at the end.. and somehow I felt I had lost the story in the last 80 pages.

Khuda Ke Liye has been one hell of an eye opener. It provides us an unbiased view into the minds of Muslims, both extremists and the common progressive man.

The movie has various threads running, showcase different aspects of Muslim life. I was shocked by the treatment meted out to a Pakistani Muslim in the US, where he is tortured without proof! On the other hand, I was also shocked by a Muslim father who willingly forces his daughter to marry her own first cousin in the name of religion and his pride.

The music from the movie is haunting, and the acting is fairly good all around. The director, story writer and the cast of the movie make a strong case for better interpretation of Islam and banning those who provide an extremist interpretation in the name of Religion.

Worth a watch!

Some songs are meant to be heart for pleasure, while others are meant to be heard for their sheer beauty/art factor. Some voices can bring a flash flood of memories from the past. I doubt it matters if the memories are good or bad? :)

Below are 3 songs that totally rock my world whenever I hear them. I'll also state the reasons why. Of course if you just want audio, check my shared playlist for these 3 at phulki.

1. Bandya Ho from Khuda Ke Liye

Though I don't understand the language [I believe it's urdu], the vocals and the simple background music evoke a tide of memories.. Farah Zala [the female lead on the song] pours her soul into the vocals, and I can actually feel the energy with which she sings. I haven't heard a better voice outside of Norah Jones [and she is amazing]. Just close your eyes for full effect.. don't watch the video [which isn't bad .. but takes away from the raw energy].

2. Ha Raham from Aamir

Nothing special about the song, but just that it hits something inside me.. hey if I could tell you exactly what each time around I'd be omniscient!! :) Something to do with the subconscious mind I guess..

3. Delhi Destiny from 99

Oh this is my absolute "wake me up" number. I think it makes for a good long drive number.. me wanting to take my car out for a spin.. not that the vocals are amazing or that the lyrics are to die for.. just a peppy number with the right attitude.. but something reminds me of my times in college in Kharagpur..

Some songs are just meant to make sense to your DNA.. these are just some of them that work for me :)

My office is barren. Most people have stopped coming to work as it constitutes a public place with large gathering areas [the pantry being one].

Meetings with more than 3 people have been stopped, and folks are asked to dial in to such discussions if the need arises. There is fear in the air, with employees wearing masks at all times and avoiding talking as much as possible.

Out of my team of 22, only 3 people [including me] are in the office today. The others are doing [supposedly] the wiser thing by working from home.

Our Vice President for India operations has sent out a missive asking people to work from home if they can, and that various precautions were being take in the workplace like regular swiping of doors, etc.

Unfortunately, I cannot benefit from it because I have a lot of international calls to make, and hence need to be in the office.. at odd hours, that too! :(

C'est la vie!

I have been a fan of Alex Delaware for over 10 years now. Who is he, you may ask?

Well, he's a fictional psychologist made famous in a series of novels by Jonathan Kellerman. Kellerman's Delaware series rocks! They are mostly psycho-thrillers with serial killers, rapists, drgu-dealers, etc and set in California.

I enjoy them because though it's told from Alex's first person perspective, it's not a one man show. The other protagonist sharing stage with Alex is Milo [Sturgis], a gay cop.

The stories are tight, with some really good suspense, the kind that wants to make me read the last few pages to know the killer and then go back to reading how it unfolds. Don't worry, I've done that kind of juvenile stuff with a few Hardy Boys, but not with such amazing books :)

I can only say one thing, read one Kellerman novel and be hooked for life! :)

I'm currently reading Gone by Jonathan Kellerman.

I just googled up Alex Delaware and realised the character is a huge hit and has his own Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Delaware.

Happy reading!

The song itself is amazing, but when you apply it to an event of amazing magnitude, a wedding, it totally blows you away!

Jill and Kevin truly *brought* this song to the world... do not miss their wedding march to this amazing number.

I have to give full credit to their band of friends and family who actually agreed to participating in the march/dance/whatever!! :D

Various comments on blogs and in youtube have trashed the celebration by stating that this is an insult of God [the march is in a church], but I personally feel that a celebration is a celebration, and God only joins in! :)

Be prepared to be amazed: JK Wedding March on YouTube [sorry embedding is disallowed].

The song actually drove up sales for Chris Brown's hit single Forever!! :)

Some lyrics I loved from the song:

Feels like we're on another level
Feels like our loves intertwined,
We can be two rebels breaking the rules
me and you, you and I
All you got to do is watch me
Look what I can do with my feet
Baby feel the beat inside,
I'm driving you can take the front seat
Just need you to trust me
       - Forever by Chris Brown

Yesterday's Economic Times editorial titled "Single Minded" made for interesting reading.

I can't remember exactly what stood out in the brief writeup, but it got me thinking about writing letters and observing people. I'll talk about each, and how it can help us grow as a person.

Writing Letters:

Gone are the yesteryears where writing letters was the defacto mode of communication. There were so many aspects to it:

• The smell of paper and envelope traveling through various lands
• The excitement and the wait of reading replies to questions/comments made in previous communiques
• Thinking through what you want to write, and structuring the information in a consumable format
• Extending hobbies and making penpals

I used to write regularly to my Mama in Mumbai, while growing up in Dubai. We used to exchange random things, and collectibles.

We both collected stamps, and he collected Phone cards. I would make it a point to send him phone cards from Dubai, with different pictures on each [as unique as stamps could be]. He would in return make sure to buy new/different stamps and use them to post the letters to me. This way we were able to extend our hobbies as well as keep in touch.

I remember waiting for 1 particular letter, after he got engaged, to see what my Mami looked like.

I used to write to Atamjeet Kainth regularly too, who was my best friend till 5th grade, when he migrated to Canada. We are still in touch, but now use email *sigh*.

I find it all so very missing in our current lifestyle. The excitement, the personal touch, the exchange of pictures awaited, the extension to hobbies.

All we have is a drab email in a boring interface, with photos attached at will, without consideration or excitement.

I intend to write 1 letter per month, to begin with, and try and review the art at least from my side :)

Observing People:

I remember reading, as a child, about Jim Corbett sitting in a Ferry and observing people. He was trying to guess the profession and place of origin of each passenger on board the vessel. He happened to meet another traveler on the vessel who was doing the exact same thing! :)

They ended up chatting and exchanging notes on the art of observation. It was an impressionable read to say the least. Even my dad would tell me while growing up, to observe things around me and to understand what it could mean. I was always more for books than for observance.

But after yesterday's article I decided to spend 10 minutes a day just observing people [we have a huge cafeteria in the office, so I don't need to find ground]. I believe there is much to be learned. :)

Lets see how this goes. Will keep you guys posted.