Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

'' It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune , must be in a want of a wife"
This very first line from ch.-1 attracted my attention and boosted my will to read this book.This novel is one of the most popular classics of all time and my first classic read.Pride & Prejudice classically captures the life of 18th century England.
Jane Austen beautifully describes the sentiments of people of England and their definition of 'beauty' and a 'well secured life'.
Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy (main characters) are bitter towards each other at first but eventually develop feelings, Elizabeth may not be the prettiest among 5 sisters but she was surely witty and the most intelligent of them and later she starts to wonder if her pride has prejudiced her opinions of Mr. Darcy.
Although , this novel was published few centuries ago, but it continues to amaze the readers till now.
If you are looking for centuries old romance filled with drama , emotions and a little bit humour , go for it:)
MY RATING-5/5

The Man-Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag by Jim Corbett

Jim Corbett has been one of the greatest hunters of pre-independant India , he was also an author and a naturalist.He has written his various encounters with the wildlfe ,from his various experiences about wildlife , here comes his novel about a man eating leopard of Rudraprayag dist. in Uttrakhand .

so, the story behind me reading this novel is that i too belong to  Rudraprayag district and in my village , there are many folklores about that leopard , that was the time i first heard about that leopard and decided to read this novel by jim corbett himself.

So, after finishing this novel i could literally feel the pain of people at that time who lost their loved ones , officially,the man eater killed 125 but the actual number is much more than this. Corbett has done a great job in describing the details of the killings by the leopard, one can literally be scared and amazed at the same time.

This book enables you to experience the detailed look at the life of the people of Garhwal, their superstitions regarding the man eater and ofcourse, the beauty of the region.

The leopard remained an  active man eater for 8years (1918-1926) and was finally killed by Jim Corbett.

The book is also an ode to people who inhabit the hills and the hardships they face in their everyday lives.

Do give it a read and know more about the people of the hills:))

MY RATING-4/5

The girl on the train by Paula Hawkins

The girl on the train by Paula Hawkins is a must read for those addicted to suspence and thrillers.The story is set in England and  revolves around a women called Rachel who was once a happy married women and now is divorced and a raging alcoholic. She catches the same local train every morning and never forgets to overlook the surroundings around the train and notice people, she feels that she knows them and always cherish a couple who are 'perfect'.
And then one day everything changes in her life when she notices something shocking from the train and she eventually becomes the part of their lives.
Paula has kept the suspence in the novel very tight and you will be biting nails until the very end.You can literally feel the pain of the protagonist throughout the story.All i can tell you is she is much more than just a girl on the train.
MY RATING-4.5/5

The House of strange stories by Ruskin Bond

The house of strange stories is a great treat for those who love thrillers.Bond has described various incidents which took place with him during his lifetime , most of the incidents took place in Dehradun and Mussoorie(where he currently lives). The author has narrated various incidents about supernatural creatures like vampires too. He does not denies about the existence of such creatures in his stories. Some stories are too obvious and somewhat boring but some literally give chills down the spine. Some of the stories in the book are of other authors like ,'' The red headed league" by Arthur Conan Doyle, "The sqaw" by Bram Stokers etc.Ruskin Bond has used simple english so that it can be read by all. Those who have just started reading books can surely go for it.

MY RATING- 4/5