Reading books has become something of a luxury in these modern times. I managed to snatch some time during the year to read a few books. Here are a few that I enjoyed reading and are mentioned in no particular order. Not all the books were published in 2017.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 84, is the second woman to be appointed to the US Supreme Court. My Own Words is the first book by Ginsburg that was put together with Mary Hartnett and Wendy W. William.

This is a fascinating book that takes you through Ginsburg’s childhood and how she became a lawyer and the role her husband played in helping with her career. She overcame many adversities during the course of her life and learnt how to deal with them.

The book has a selection of her writings and speeches like  interpreting the  constitution and women’s rights. Ginsburg offers us a look into the daily routine at the Supreme Court and how they work.  I enjoyed reading this book and realized that there is no substitution for determination and hard work.

 

 

Namita Gokhale’s Things To Leave Behind made for an absorbing read. It is not often that you can read a book about the forgotten Himalayan state of Uttarakhand and its rich and complex social and economic history. Set in the 19thc Gokhale’s fiction highlights the fascinating interaction between the local Kumaoni people, the British and the Christian missionaries.

Gokhale has tirelessly chronicled stories about Uttarakhand in her various books, and in Things To Leave Behind she once again brings to light the fascinating history and people of this forgotten state of India.

I read this book twice to fill the gaps in my knowledge of Uttarakhand, the home state of my parents. Like many before them they left Kumaon in search of better economic opportunities and all I knew about the state is through their stories and anecdotes. Kumonis love to tell stories and Gokhale certainly knows how to tell an absorbing one. She is a born story teller.

 

Ethan and Joel Coen’s (Coen brothers) The Big Lebowski did ok at the box office when it released in 1998. It went on to become a cult film that has spawned a dedicated fan base, festival and a religion of sorts. I got hooked to this quirky film when I heard Sam Elliot utter these lines at the start of the film.

I only mention it ’cause some- times there’s a man… I won’t say a hero, ’cause what’s a hero? But sometimes there’s a man… and I’m talkin’ about the Dude here … sometimes there’s a man, well, he’s the man for his time and place, he fits right in there. And that’s the Dude, in Los Angeles.

The film has some far out memorable characters and dialog and I was always curious to find out how the Coen brothers concocted this yarn about this White Russian drinking dude, who is unfailing polite and lazy. I stumbled across I’m A Lebowski, You’re A Lebowski at my local library quite by accident. The book is studded with all sorts of trivia about the characters in the film and has interviews with all the actors. I wish they had an interview with the elusive Coen brothers, which would have been just far out.

If you are a fan of Coen brothers and The Big Lebowski then this book is right up your alley.