Books in the City

I am one week into my trip to India and what a week it has been! I have visited New Delhi, Veranasi (Holy City and site of Ganges River), Kujaracho (site of Kama Sutra erotic temples) and now we are in Agra - site of the Taj Mahal. Every day has been an assualt on the senses but so fascinating - there really is so much to learn here!

We have had some long bus/train journeys which has given me the welcome opportunity to get some reading done. On the overnight train from Delhi to Veranasi (an interesting experience in and of itself!), I finished Wishin' and Hopin': A Christmas Story by Wally Lamb. I am a big fan of Lamb's novels so I was excited to read this one but it fell short of my expectations. Perhaps it was too short for the author's signature character development but somehow the story didn't grab me as I had hoped. Nonetheless, it was charming and a quick read which I appreciated on the train journey. I will post a full review when I have a more reliable connection.

I am now nearly finished with Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time and I wonder why I waited so long to read this! Travling in India while I read it really makes me appreciate the obstacles Greg Mortenson must have faced as he tried to build schools in rural Pakistan - I marvel at what he achieved and his selflessness in doing this work. I will certainly finish this one tonight and will post a review as soon as possible.

Next up are the two books I have targeted for the South Asian Authors Challenge.

The White Tiger: A Novel (Man Booker Prize)
The Age of Shiva: A Novel

As I said above, there is so much to learn here. In particular, I have been fascinated by the many religions that co-exist in this country. I realize now I know so little about these religions, with the exception of two or three, and I am interested in exploring some of the lesser know religions. To that end, I am joining the World Religions Challenge so that I can expand my knowledge in this area. Thanks to Bibliofreak for hosting this challenge!


On to Week 2!

Namaste

Update: My reviews are now posted:
Three Cups of Tea
White Tiger