Pick-a-Shelf discussion

Earlier in the year, Ebony, Karen Booklover, and I discussed the possibility of buddy-reading this enormous book in July!

Seems like neither Ebony or Karen has been around though I'm hoping that's only cuz they've been busy with work / study but I'm still planning on picking this book up in July so... here's the plan (according to the edition I have on hand with 1,474 pages in total):

1-7 July: Parts 1 - 6 (approx. 396 pages)
8-14 July: Parts 7 - 10 (approx. 344 pages)
15-21 July: Parts 11 - 14 (approx. 378 pages)
22-28 July: Parts 15 - 19 (approx. 324 pages)

I've still got 400 pages of Shantaram left so I'm hoping I'll smash that in the coming week :)

Err, hoping Ebony & Karen will drop by but would anyone else like to join in the "party"?

I'll be drinking lots of chai this time (as opposed to my wine binge during Les Mis read along) ha ha ha! I'll even post the chai recipe I use here, if requested, it's pretty good!

if I wasn't still chuggling through Middlemarch - which is probably going to take me most of July to finish, I wouldbe up for i

Dee wrote: "if I wasn't still chuggling through Middlemarch - which is probably going to take me most of July to finish, I wouldbe up for i"

ooh, that was a tough one for me too! Good Luck!

its not bad - i'm about halfway - I do a chapter in the am and one in the pm while on the way to/from work

It was one of those books where there are lots of characters but I can only put up with one so... it was a struggle.

OK Tien, the challenge has been set...count me in. I have wanted to read 'A Suitable Boy' for so long. it will be nice to know someone else out there is meandering their way through it too...looking forward to July.

This will be like reading a book a week, I'm up for it....I like a good character study.

Lisa wrote: "This will be like reading a book a week, I'm up for it....I like a good character study."

My thought exactly!

Lisa wrote: "OK Tien, the challenge has been set...count me in. I have wanted to read 'A Suitable Boy' for so long. it will be nice to know someone else out there is meandering their way through it too...lookin..."

Glad you're jumping in, Lisa. :)

Tien wrote: "Lisa wrote: "OK Tien, the challenge has been set...count me in. I have wanted to read 'A Suitable Boy' for so long. it will be nice to know someone else out there is meandering their way through it..."

Can't wait now...have it on my bedside table, all sections marked with a flag....ready to go!

I am going to read the book and will start in July, but I don't think I can manage it for this challenge. A book this size in one month during the first month of summer is probably not realistic for me due to all the activities in this short season.

Lisa wrote: "Can't wait now...have it on my bedside table, all sections marked with a flag....ready to go! "

All the signs of a reading challenge junkie! LOL

Cheryl wrote: "I am going to read the book and will start in July, but I don't think I can manage it for this challenge. A book this size in one month during the first month of summer is probably not realistic f..."

oh, sorry, Cheryl. Somehow, it missed my attention that it would be summer on the other side of the globe! We've set it for July because it's also the winter school holidays here and Ebony (whom I spoke to, originally) will be on holidays. She wanted to do it in July.

Tien wrote: "Cheryl wrote: "I am going to read the book and will start in July, but I don't think I can manage it for this challenge. A book this size in one month during the first month of summer is probably ..."

Not a problem at all. I've ordered the book and will start as soon as it arrives. Hopefully, I'll be able to contribute a little.

Tien wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Can't wait now...have it on my bedside table, all sections marked with a flag....ready to go! "

All the signs of a reading challenge junkie! LOL"

Absolutely...have you read An Equal Music by Vikram Seth? Has to be one of my top 5 books.

Cheryl wrote: "Not a problem at all. I've ordered the book and will start as soon as it arrives. Hopefully, I'll be able to contribute a little."

and hopefully, if you need to vent, you can too ;)

Lisa wrote: "Absolutely...have you read An Equal Music by Vikram Seth? Has to be one of my top 5 books. "

No, I haven't actually. I've not read any of his works. I'll look that up, thanks :)

I'm alive, I'm here!

I have just been so insanely busy with my uni, this Masters degree is taking up way more time than I ever thought it would, I havent had time to read anything thats not related to my classes!

But I'm here, and I'm still in on the read-a-long! Uni starts back on the 29th of July so I should be able to complete this book (I hope!) I'll go to my local bookshop today and try and get a copy there, if they dont have it I may have to order it online and read like crazy when I get it to catch up.

Tien, I would love that chai recipe! I usually sit down with a coffee to read, but with the amount of reading this challenge includes I think I'll need something that isnt overloaded with caffeine, haha!

EBONY!! *shrieked*

Lovely to see you :D

At least you are strong enough to actually avoid GR / books whilst studying! Good for you, I say... though, of course, we miss you :(

Here's Chai recipe I use. yuuum!!



Btw, you're in Melbourne, right? Have you heard of Brotherhood Books? They sell 2nd hand books and look like they have this book in stock

Tien wrote: "Here's Chai recipe ..."

Fennel? Really? I'd never have guessed that ingredient.

No I'm in sydney, out in the Fairfield/Liverpool region. I've checked a few shops and they don't have it in stock so I may just order it from bookdepository.

Ebony wrote: "No I'm in sydney, out in the Fairfield/Liverpool region. I've checked a few shops and they don't have it in stock so I may just order it from bookdepository."

are you?! not too far from me & Lisa then :)

Brotherhood Books also ship though there is shipping charges, I think. Either way, whichever you prefer, they both ship pretty quickly :)

I just checked, free shipping for June for brotherhood books so you better order today! ;p

Susan wrote: "Tien wrote: "Here's Chai recipe ..."

Fennel? Really? I'd never have guessed that ingredient."

Do you like chai, Susan? I'm totally addicted! It's great for winter - especially since it's been so wet this week!

Tien wrote: "Do you like chai, Susan? I'm totally addicted! It's great for winter - especially sin..."

I love it. It's summer here, but I still enjoy hot tea. Though I confess to using teabags for it. (Are Aussies as rabidly against teabags as the British are?) I've found I can buy decaffeinated chai teabags in the grocery stores. I'm sure it's much better if you make your own, so you're tempting me. I don't usually keep ginger and fennel on hand, and would have to see if I can find decaffeinated black tea leaves. But it's beginning to sound good to have on hand when I sit down with A Suitable Boy. :)

um... no, I wouldn't say rabidly though I did make a point to use tealeaves for the chai. I have both at home, just depends on whether I feel like the extra effort of not ;)

I've used the Biochai (Hampstead Tea) teabag and that's not too bad although I have to say making it from scratch is soooo MUCH Better! You won't want to go back.

I've just finished Shantaram which was also set in India and they have chai at pretty much every page so I've been craving for it for the past month, ha ha ha... the last time I had food craving from books was this Korean book where they have kimchi & beer nearly every chapter (still craving after kimchi! Was going to have kimchi udon at lunch today but was told they didn't have kimchi today :( )

I think most tea's are fine using teabags, but most chai teabags Ive tried seem to be quite bitter, so I'm looking forward to trying that recipe! When it says 1 serving, how many actual cups of tea does it make?

Ive ordered the book from bookdepository, all I can hope for now is that they deliver it quickly! They say 7-10 working days, but that will put me a good week and a half behind schedule! Lots of late night reading sessions coming up.

I use a mug rather than a cup (that's how much I like my tea) - about 2ish?

bookdepository usually does take 7-10 days so good luck :)

Who's EXCITED about starting?! I AM!!

Well a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Excited that I will finally seriously start reading this book after so many years of looking at it on my shelf. Anxious in case I won't like it and will struggle with it badly (not a good start huh?)

Absolutely excited. The anticipation was unbearable. I agree Tien...what if we don't like it!!!! As 'An Unequal Music' is one of my absolute favourite books, it has a lot to live up to...

Im excited too! Got an email yesterday that my book has been shipped, cant wait! I'm almost positive I will love this book. Ive read a few books by Sharon Maas, another Indian author, and I absolutely love her books, Of Marriageable Age and Peacocks Dancing especially, and Ive been told that Vikram Seth is along the same lines as Maas, with the family stories interwoven with the cultural perfume of India throughout.

My postman just handed me my copy - so looking forward to reading this. I may not have enough time with it to finish in July as you plan to do, but I will be reading it.

@Ebony: ooh, Sharon Maas sounds vaguely familiar though those 2 books not at all. The only Indian book I've really loved was A Fine Balance which was probably the first Indian book I've read and I've not come across any others to compare.

@Cheryl: yay! Not to worry about finishing in July though you should probably be careful when reading later posts in case of spoilers.

btw, peeps, to hide spoilers:
<_spoiler_> xxxx<_/_spoiler_>
remove all underscores

(view spoiler)[and it will look like this (hide spoiler)]

I've only managed to read 35 pages or so last night though I would've continued reading late into the night, I was just too exhausted yesterday so I stopped at 10 (!) and went to sleep. I've really enjoyed these 35 pages and look forward to reading more later on.

I also started reading last night, and also fell asleep...not an indication of how interesting the book is....just sooo tired.
Must be exciting to have a book delivered to you by the postman. I generally only buy from independent bookstores.

Since I'd never heard of this author except here, I didn't at all know what to expect. At first, the genealogies on the first few pages worried me a bit. I often have trouble keeping track of characters in books that have so many. (When I was a teenager reading Dr. Zhivago, I had pages and pages of notes of who was who.)

But I've finished Part 1, and like his writing style. It's very straightforward and accessible. I wish I had a dictionary, though. I know what a tonga-walla is, and bhang, and I called my own grandfather Nana. But I've never heard of the drink thandai.

I wonder whether the fact that one of the patriarch's surnames is Seth is relevant in any way.

Lisa wrote: "I also started reading last night, and also fell asleep...not an indication of how interesting the book is....just sooo tired.
Must be exciting to have a book delivered to you by the postman. I ge..."

I ordered on line to get a used hardcover so the postman or some delivery service was needed.

@Susan: I had the same concern too! I did find Dr Zhivago hard and I think that's also the reason why I never got far with War & Peace. Though am determined to try W&P again one day. This book is definitely more "accessible" than W&P so I have great hopes of finishing the whole thing :)

re: thandai: " is a cold drink prepared with a mixture of almonds, fennel seeds, magaztari seeds (watermelon kernel), rose petals, pepper, vetiver seeds, cardamom, saffron, milk and sugar. This drink common in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan - mostly in Peshawar. It is native to India and is often associated with the Maha Shivaratri and Holi festival." - thank you google & Wikipedia ;)

Tien wrote: "re: thandai: " is a cold drink prepared with a mixture of almonds, fennel seeds, magaztari seeds (watermelon kernel), rose petals, pepper, vetiver seeds, cardamom, saffron, milk and sugar. This drink common in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan - mostly in Peshawar. It is native to India and is often associated with the Maha Shivaratri and Holi festival." - thank you google & Wikipedia ;) "

It sounds great! Though I'd prefer mine without the bhang. :)

You're definitely a committed reader if you're willing to google each foreign word you don't understand. I usually wonder for a moment, then settle for the level of understanding I can get from the context (in this case, some kind of drink).

Susan wrote: "You're definitely a committed reader if you're willing to google each foreign word you don't understand."

LOL - I don't really. Just cuz you asked, ha ha ha
but since then, I've been thinking to find a proper recipe (hopefully an easy one with accessible ingredients although the area I lived in has a number of Indian grocery shop, I should be able to find them)

This thandai recipe looks pretty easy and I have everything except saffron (hhhmm, most expensive ingredient there)

Looks to be the easiest and now I wonder if it's any good at all! Maybe I'll just wander in into an Indian shop / restaurant and see if I can buy a pre-made one! LOL

Tien wrote: "This thandai recipe looks pretty easy and I have everything except saffron (hhhmm, most expensive ingredient there)

Looks to be the easiest and now I wonder if it's any good at all! Maybe I'll ju..."

Yep, the "grind to a fine powder" is the part where I usually get bogged down, even with my heavy mortar & pestle.

How did everyone go with their first week?

Likes / Dislikes so far?

Anybody thinking of stopping to read?

Fave Quote so far?

I didn't quite finish Part 6 last night. I'm definitely planning on continuing, though I sometimes find the jumping around frustrating -- I do lose track of who's who, and what's happened to them most recently. And the legislative stuff seemed to go on forever. It paints an interesting picture of India in turmoil after partition, but I don't think there needed to be so much of it to do that.

Favorite quote? Without warning to mark it ahead of time? LOL! Maybe from the next section.

Susan wrote: "Favorite quote? Without warning to mark it ahead of time? LOL! Maybe from the next section."

Sorry! Didn't think about that, ha ha ha... I know I don't really have one either!

I'm also a little annoyed with the jumping around though mostly because I'm interested in Lata and not too interested with Maan & co :p

Tien wrote: "I'm also a little annoyed with the jumping around though mostly because I'm interested in Lata and not too interested with Maan & co :p "

Agreed. And, after all, the author did that to us by his choice of title.

I don't suppose A Suitable Boy is on the adventure shelf. Too bad. Somehow, I imagined I'd finish the week's section in 3-4 days, then have time to read some other things while waiting for the next section. That is SO not happening.

Susan wrote: "I don't suppose A Suitable Boy is on the adventure shelf. Too bad. Somehow, I imagined I'd finish the week's section in 3-4 days, then have time to read some other things while waiting for the next..."

Ditto! lol - I still have to take a break sometimes from it though so I've been devouring a number of short story in between :)

Maybe that it is summer but I can't maintain my focus on this book. I keep going back to lighter fare.

Cheryl wrote: "Maybe that it is summer but I can't maintain my focus on this book. I keep going back to lighter fare."

oh no, I'm actually really enjoying it. How far into it are you, Cheryl?

My copy finally arrived yesterday, its huge! Im about 60 pages in and really enjoying it so far, but my gosh im so far behind schedule! About to make some chai tea and sit down to read some more :)

(view spoiler)[Mrs Rupa Mehra reminds me a little of Mrs Bennet, consumed by desire to marry her children off, makes a spectacle of herself at Savitas wedding, a hindrance to her male relatives, the really long and mostly pointless letters she writes to family members. Just an observation :) (hide spoiler)]