Category Archives: books/book review

Ghachar Ghochar

Book Review of Ghachar Ghochar, by Vivek Shanbhag

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I won a copy of Vivek Shanbhag‘s Ghachar Ghochar through Goodreads.

Description:
For readers of Akhil Sharma, Mohsin Hamid, and Teju Cole, a haunting, masterly novel about a family splintered by success in rapidly changing India.

A young man’s close-knit family is nearly destitute when his uncle founds a successful spice company, changing their fortunes overnight. As they move from a cramped, ant-infested shack to a larger house on the other side of Bangalore, and try to adjust to a new way of life, allegiances realign; marriages are arranged and begin to falter; and conflict brews ominously in the background. Things become “ghachar ghochar” – a nonsense phrase uttered by one of the characters that comes to mean something tangled beyond repair, a knot that can’t be untied.

Review:
Interesting, I think that’s the right way to explain my thoughts on this book. It’s an interesting look into the lives of a somewhat dysfunctional family. But it also leaves you wondering and speculating at the end. What really happened? Did anything really happen. If it did, who is responsible and who actually knows.

Ghachar Ghochar is a quick read, but packs a lot of punch in it’s pages. Well worth picking up.

Invading Nirvana

Book Review of Invading Nirvana: a Chicagoan in the City of Angels, by Kevin Theis

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I won an audio copy of Kevin Theis‘ Invading Nirvana through Dab of Darkness.

Description from Goodreads:
Chicago theater veteran Kevin Theis, co-author of the cult classic “Confessions of a Transylvanian: a Story of Sex, Drugs and Rocky Horror,” presents: “Invading Nirvana: a Chicagoan in the City of Angels” the story of one actor’s quixotic odyssey into the heart of the entertainment industry: Hollywood, California.

From the early preparations for his trip to La La Land to his search for representation, his encounters with the famous (and soon-to-be famous) as well as his deep-dive exploration of this unique and fascinating city, “Invading Nirvana” is a must-read for anyone considering moving to L.A. to pursue a dream of breaking into show business.

The author is both candid and unsparing in his description of the industry, the city of Los Angeles and the challenges of being a performer in Hollywood looking for work.  Casting agents, pay-to-meet workshops, the comedy club scene, film and TV auditions as well as a peek inside the audiobook world; every aspect of the entertainment industry is thoroughly examined in this hilarious and comprehensive look at life as a professional actor in Hollywood.

Review:
This is one of those books I had to look at in my Audible account and wonder how I ended up with it. I mean, I know I won it through a Dab of Darkness blog giveaway. But what was I thinking to even enter? I have almost debilitating stage fright. The thought of becoming an actor is tantamount to hell for me. So, how did I end up listening to the story of a 50-year-old veteran actor’s move to Los Angelous to pursue his acting career? Honestly, I’m not even sure.

But surprisingly enough, I found it interesting. Interesting in a detached, ‘I have NO INTEREST in doing that’ sort of way. But interesting all the same; kind of a ‘how the other half lives’ experience. The other half being people who don’t pee themselves at the thought of standing in front of a crowd.

Theis has a self-deprecating humor that I appreciated and I found myself invested in his journey. I also found myself shocked at how many people he knows. At one point he had a chapter dedicated to how many people took him out to lunch during his 3 months in LA. I’m not being facetious when I say, I literally don’t think I even know that many people!

Not only am I not interested in acting. Prior to listening to this, I’d of told you I’m not remotely interested in LA. Big cities? No thank you. But all the history was fun. Again Theis made it so.

All in all, you might not be surprised to find that I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. Even my hesitancy to listen to an audiobook narrated by the author himself proved unfounded. Theis spoke a bit too fast for my liking, especially in the beginning (which I listened to at .75 speed, which I hate doing), but it eventually slowed down and I enjoyed his banter-like narration. Invading Nirvana was a surprise win for me.

Review of Reflection in the Music, by LeTara Moore

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I won a copy of Reflection in the Music, by LeTara Moore, through Goodreads.

Description:
Melissa is lost and hasn’t the first clue of where to find herself. Pea can’t let go of her past mistakes, which is suffering her present and future. Sherri thrives on her vanity, but even the most vain finds herself falling short. Jane just wants to start over and make amends, but how does one mend a broken heart? Life has a funny way of connecting the lost and confused. Some mistakes are meant to be made and some wounds aren’t meant to be healed. Some wounds don’t want to heal. Despite the shortcomings and differences, these ladies find themselves all singing the same tune. Beauty, passion, art, fear and love all had their hands in the composition of the ladies’ song—a song that reveals the deepest layer of each one’s being.

Review:
This was….well, honestly I don’t know what this was. True to it’s title it contained a lot of music references and the characters used songs to illicit memories. But rather than a story, it’s almost more a series of interconnected vignettes. The problem is that it reads as if this was not what the author intended, but what resulted from poor development and storytelling. Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s what it felt like to me. Further, the book could do with another round of editing. Especially to look at consistency in tense and page numbering.

There are those who will likely enjoy this more than me, especially readers who gravitate toward innocent, slightly religious characterization. But this was bust for me.