Journal Entry 1 by LyzzyBee from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Kindly donated to BookCrossing by the Red Cross charity shop in Kings Heath - they give us the books they don't sell, to save them from being recycled in a more permanent manner.

Picked out of the donation bags to read as I love Rai's novels. I will send this on a bookring when I've read it, before keeping it till I find a copy of my own. 

Journal Entry 2 by LyzzyBee from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Another page-turner from this excellent YA writer. Simran's liberal Sikh parents aren't worried when they find out she's dating a black guy - how could they, when their own best friends are black? But the community as a whole *does* mind, and when the minding becomes concrete, things escalate horrifically.

I loved the writing of Simran, very believeable, and as usual, black, white and asian characters are woven together, giving something of interest for everyone. The plotting is tight and you care about the characters, which makes the ending even more shocking.

As I was given this for BC, I will ring it in the next load of rings'n'rays... 

Journal Entry 3 by LyzzyBee from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Wednesday, March 04, 2009

BookRay!

Usual rules apply...

Make a journal entry when you receive the book
Contact the next reader for their address when you are almost done
Post a review when you've read the book - please try to send it on within a month of receipt if you can
Make a journal entry or controlled release notes when you send the book on

PARTICIPANTS

Purplerosebud UK (UK pref, o/s poss)
Katisha50 UK (anywhere)
Kerriou UK (UK/Eur)
Cross-patch UK (anywhere)
Scotsbookie UK (Europe)
Okyrhoe Greece (anywhere) <------ it's here!

It's a bookray, so free to travel on wherever it wants now. I look forward to seeing its further travels! 

Journal Entry 4 by LyzzyBee at Controlled Release, --by post or by hand (ie ring, ray, RABCK, trade) -- Controlled Releases on Saturday, March 14, 2009

Released 3 yrs ago (3/14/2009 UTC) at Controlled Release, --by post or by hand (ie ring, ray, RABCK, trade) -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Posting to the first person in the BookRay! 

Journal Entry 5 by purplerosebud from Petersfield, Hampshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Many thanks for this book. I'm looking forward to reading it just as soon as I finish my current read. 

Journal Entry 6 by purplerosebud from Petersfield, Hampshire United Kingdom on Saturday, April 04, 2009

I found this an excellent story! It's a quick read and when I got towards the end I couldn't have put it down if I'd tried. I found it quite gripping as events unfolded. The race issues gave me much to think about as the things that happen in the book could and probably do really happen. I really got involved with the characters but the everyday language of the young people mad me sad. Not averse to a swear word or two myself, I don't like to think that they talk like that without thought. I very much liked Simran's parents with the calm way they treated the situation when they became aware of her new boyfriend and the fact that they did show dissaproval of the language.

Many thanks for sharing this book, probably not one I would have chosen although I have read and enjoyed book by this author before. I'm torn between an eight and a nine for rating this book but will go with an eight as I didn't find the story 'hotted up' until half way through and sometimes going back in time distracted me from the main story.

Just waiting for Katisha50 to send over her address and it will be moving on. 

Journal Entry 7 by Katisha50 from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Thursday, April 09, 2009

Thanks for this, purplerosebud, it arrived this morning. I really want to get to it, but I have at least one other ring book before this. 

Journal Entry 8 by Katisha50 from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Saturday, April 18, 2009

Read it! Very quick read, enjoyable and well up to his usual standard. Was a bit worried about the extent of the violence - is it really that bad! I must lead a very sheltered life. Will be on its way today, if I get to the PO on time. 

Journal Entry 9 by Kerriou from Swansea, Wales United Kingdom on Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Arrived safely this morning. Thank you, Katisha50.
I'm just finishing my current read so I'll start reading this tonight. 

Journal Entry 10 by Kerriou from Swansea, Wales United Kingdom on Wednesday, May 20, 2009

I really enjoyed this book. Thank you for sharing, LyzyBee.

 

Journal Entry 11 by Kerriou at Swansea, By Post -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Released 3 yrs ago (5/20/2009 UTC) at Swansea, By Post -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Posted off to Cross-patch this morning. 

Journal Entry 12 by Cross-patch from Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Thursday, May 21, 2009

Thank you, Kerriou, this is a lovely surprise, and thanks to Liz for making it available. 

Journal Entry 13 by Cross-patch from Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Very Lesta, innit? I enjoyed it very much, and it certainly picked up pace as it went along.

I'll just check that scotsbookie is ready for it...and then send it on its way. 

Journal Entry 14 by scotsbookie from Peebles, Scotland United Kingdom on Friday, June 19, 2009

Arrived safely this morning, thank you Cross-patch & for the lovely bookplate. This is No.2 in the bookring pile. 

Journal Entry 15 by scotsbookie from Peebles, Scotland United Kingdom on Wednesday, July 08, 2009

This was a great read, it fairly had me turning the pages to find jusy what was going to happen, as well as teaching me a few things I didn't know before.

Thanks for raying the book LyzzyBee, just of to PM Okyrhoe but it wil be the end of the month before I can send it to Greece. 

Journal Entry 16 by okyrhoe from Athens, Attica Greece on Monday, August 17, 2009

Arrived in Athens today.
Thanks LyzzyBee for including me in the reading list, and scotsbookie for posting the book to me!
I enjoyed (un)arranged marriage by the same author, and am looking forward to this one!

Shameless plug:
I just started a bookring for "Bollywood Nights" --> info here. 

Journal Entry 17 by okyrhoe from Athens, Attica Greece on Thursday, August 20, 2009

A quick read!

I wasn't too impressed by this book, compared to un)arranged marriage.

I was distracted by the shift in voice between the segments - Simran and David in the first person, but the cousins's and the grandfather's passages in the third. I can't help feeling there's a lack of balance, or at least a lack of focus, because of this.

I feel that the oversimplification of the 'other' side, detracts from the complexity of the issue. It's easy to perceive the cousins & uncles as types rather than characters, representing only hatred and agressive behavior, without explaining the whys and wherefores of this phenomenon.

In the end it's not clearly explained how the uncles & cousins are intolerant while Simran's father & brother aren't. How can this be, given the understanding nature of the grandfather? I can interpret the cousins, whose actions are guided by the Desi Posse code, (for more on this, see Gautam Malkani's Londonstani), but the matter of the uncles remains undeciphered, given the concluding revelation of the grandfather's personality. 

Journal Entry 18 by okyrhoe at Singles (Plateia Ag. Eirinis 4) in Athens, Attica Greece on Saturday, August 29, 2009

Released 2 yrs ago (8/30/2009 UTC) at Singles (Plateia Ag. Eirinis 4) in Athens, Attica Greece

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

To be released on Sunday August 30, 2009, around 5pm, at the monthly meeting of the Athens Bookcrossers, at Café Singles. See info and map.

Θα το φέρω την Κυριακή 30 Αυγούστου 2009 στην μηνιαία συνάντηση των Αθηναίων Bookcrossers, στο καφέ Singles, στην Πλατεία Αγίας Ειρήνης 4 (διασταύρωση οδών Αιόλου & Αγ. Ειρήνης, Μοναστηράκι). Δείτε την τοποθεσία στον χάρτη.

Journal Entry 19 by contraforsa from Athens, Attica Greece on Sunday, August 30, 2009

Got the book today from okyrhoe at the August meet-up in Athens. Looking forward to reading the book, seems quite interesting!