Lone Rider - Book review

 

Lone Rider: The First British Woman to Motorcycle Around the World by Elspeth Beard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An amazing read. It's full of adventure, culture, excitement, romance, mystery and of course a woman riding a motorcycle.
She has detailed how the various cultures viewed a woman riding a big motorcycle in the early 80s though am sure that there are certain subtle changes over the decades now.
She is a young woman, just after college, setting out on a round the world trip on a motorcycle in 1982 when it was not the done thing. Despite all odds she goes ahead and proves that once you put your passion to work there is no looking back.
She started her ride from London, USA, Australia, South East, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Turkey and back to London.
Her description of riding on various roads/offroads is an education for all motorcyclists.
A must read for every motorcyclist and travellers.

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Book review - Dear respected Dada

 

PROOF: Dear Respected Dada (circa 1947): Letters from a daughter to her father, halfway round the world. by Suranga Date
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A wonderful book that gives the reader an insight into the lives of educated Indians in pre independence India.
Though it could have slipped into being a window into someone's privacy, it manages to be objective by clever editing.
It is a fascinating read and shows how courageous the Indian woman was even in the pre independence India and how forward thinking was the educated elite who believed in equal rights for women and their right to education without being tied down to raising a family.
A must read as a tiny glimpse of Indian history.

It is available only on Kindle at the moment. Will soon be available as a paperback edition.

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Recipes for life - Book review

 

Recipes for Life by Sudha Menon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A treasure chest of 'almost lost recipes' of comfort food for Indians. Very well documented.
Possibly to make it attractive to a larger audience than just the foodies, she has interviewed the Indian celebrities and their take on comfort food. All of them undeniably talk about the food they ate that was made with a lot of love by their mothers, irrespective of their social status then.
My only grouse is there should have been pictures of the food rather than that of celebrities. It would have added value for readers/foodies like me. The pictures of the celebrities are available all over the internet while the pictures of the almost forgotten food would be a tough ask.
Else a great book of recipes!

Bought this book on Amazon  

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Humour and travel

 

Don't Forget Your Guidebook by David Ways
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A racy fun read about the travails and travels of a wannabe traveller.

Entertaining and easy read. Well narrated.

A smorgasbord of travel experiences that include romance, street food, street culture, behaviour of the locals towards tourists, and much more to keep you smiling.

Definitely worth a read maybe on your next journey!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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The Replacement - Book reviewed

 

The Replacement by Denice Holt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A short, crisp fantasy into the career of a gigolo. Classified as erotic, it is not titillating and very clinical in its approach.
Wonderful narration and keeps you hooked till you finish it. It is a one sitting book. Would be perfect for your travel time.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.



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Quest - Book reviewed

 

Quest by Aditya Raj Kapoor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is one book that can be judged by its cover.
On the cover you see the man and his machine under the title ‘Quest’.
As the title says this book is all about the quest that Aditya Raj Kapoor is on. His vehicle for the Quest is the Motorcycle which he has ridden around the world across seventeen countries clocking thirty-five thousand kilometres over a period of ten months.
He makes it clear at the outset that this is not a travelogue but it is about a journey of self-discovery. Motorcycling is the perfect vehicle for this ‘activity’ of introspection. As soon as one starts the ride one tends to zone out and meditation begins. It is multitasking at its best.
In this book Aditya, who hails from a premier family of the Hindi film industry, the Kapoors, son of Shammi Kapoor, traces his life right from the time he got thinking about his life as a young adult. He has been strongly influenced by his Guru who directed him on the path away from the film industry, that he has diligently followed.
Wherever he goes he meets up with his Guru’s disciples who ensure he has safe passage.
What stands out is the fact that a Round the World trip on a motorcycle is a very tough task, physically and mentally.
Aditya, despite his influential contacts in most parts of the world took a long time in getting his plans off the ground, so one can imagine how difficult it would be for a commoner. Hence, if you are planning a similar trip, remember it will be ten times tougher.
This book is more of an autobiography with snippets of his life woven together with circumstances that he finds himself on his motorcycle journey. Very interesting.
This is not a book that can be finished in one sitting. It is a book that has to be relished and digested chapter by chapter which again are thought sized pieces.
Do read it to get an insight into the life of a thinker who loves to balance his life on two wheels round the world.
Does he get the answers he is looking for?
I will not be a spoilsport. Read the book to find out.

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When Places Come Alive - Book reviewed

 

When Places Come Alive by Ami Bhat
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's a fun, interesting and a quick read about all those exotic places you might have visited or will surely want to visit after reading this book by Ami Bhat who is a passionate traveler, photographer and an amazing narrator.
I finished reading this book in one sitting as most of you will.
Her writing is fluid and engaging and she knows exactly how much time and talk is to be devoted to each story without letting you keep the book down.
It reminded me of the tour guides at all tourist places who hold your interest with stories that you might have heard but they have the knack of spicing them up with their own creativity.
The basic premise that Ami Bhat has based her stories on is that every popular place has some myth, legend or very interesting history associated with it. In this book she narrates the best myth by giving it her own spin followed by a short fact sheet of the place and links for additional reading if you wish.
She takes the reader on ten different trips to ten fascinating destinations, both National and International.
My personal favourites are (in no particular order) -

1. Where did she go - in Kuldhara, Rajasthan, India (famous as the abandoned village)

2. Sparkling Secrets - Gold Coast, Australia (fun treasure hunt)

3. The Last village - Ladakh, India (Aryan descendants)

The other seven too are fascinating and fun reads but the above three appealed to me due to personal reasons.

A must read for all travelers or even wannabe travelers!



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