April Watch: Inspector Rishi

Web Series: Inspector Rishi

OTT Medium: Prime Video

Language: Tamil 

Audio: 6 Languages

Subtitles: 15 languages

I watched it, twice so far, in Hindi with English subtitles. Very good dubbing. Feels very close to the original. 

Genre: Horror / Suspense

Maturity Rating: A

Episodes: 10

Review: Excellent watch. Highly recommended. Brilliant cast. Gripping storyline. Picturesque location. Perfect South Indian feel. Parallel narrations beautifully directed. Immersive soundtrack. After a long time, a good Indian thriller! Next favourite in this genre after Kantara movie!

Image Credit: Screenshots from Amazon Prime Video Mobile App

…Ashu Bolar
ashubolar@gmail.com

February Read: Vital Signs

Long back, some ten to maybe twelve years back, I had read the novel, Coma. And then I made it a point to watch the movie. Another movie was Outbreak. Both movies based on Robin Cook Novels by the same name. Excellent plot. Excellent read. Excellent watch. And recently I got the opportunity to read Vital Signs. It was not just a reading experience, but it was an amazing learning experience. It took me back to the five and half years of medical school training and internship days. From anatomy lab to pathology, bacteriology, microbiology to forensic medicine, surgery and more, the novel was a reminder of all those classes and discussions once I had as a medical student. Doesn’t matter which year the book was published; each book is an archival of information that can be of immense significance in the present and the future.

I do not own the book as it is difficult to find Robin Cook novels in the book stores. But I got lucky that it was available in a library I frequently visit. I am glad I read. I hope I get the opportunity to read all the novels authored by Robin Cook.

#MedicalThriller #RobinCook #VitalSigns

– Ashu Bolar
ashubolar@gmail.com

January Books: Read and Archived!

Thriller + Politics + Geopolitics + Military + Security + Safety + Crime + Technology = All together weaved into an excellent plot is what you get to read in the books above. The Summer House, The First Lady and The President’s Daughter…books by James Patterson. I bought these last year post reading The President Is Missing by James Patterson and it was worth the purchase!

The books are available on Amazon.in.

Until next, happy reading!

…Ashu Bolar
ashubolar@gmail.com

Harlan Coben: Fool Me Once

‘fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.’

Which means: After being tricked once, one should learn from one’s mistakes and avoid being tricked in the same way again. So reads the wiktionary.org page.

It was the first site that popped up on my Google search for the phrase ‘fool me once quote’.

Well, ‘fool me thrice or more’, then it is probably ‘shame on repeat’ to all the participants involved. Sounds strange, but not a rare occurrence.

I like all the series based on Harlan Coben’s Novels on Netflix and Prime Video. Love the plot, the cast, the suspense, the ‘what’s-going-to-be-next’, the ‘whodunit’ and the ‘whole-of -it’!

Fool Me Once is the recent addition to the list—released on 1^st January 2023 on Netflix. Best part of these series is the fact that all are limited. No ‘Seasons and Seasons’ of suspense, where one forgets what happened it the last season. Sometimes you may rewatch the last season/s, that is, if the plot is interesting, and if not, then you may just leave at whatever season watched last.

However, that isn’t the case with Harlan Coben Collection. Can’t stop without knowing how the story ends—which is always a surprise. Binge-watched even this one as I had done with the rest. Yet, I have not read any of Coben’s novels. Maybe soon, I would.

Until next, let’s enjoy the show, but let’s not fool around!

First Screenshot Credit: Netfilx App on Phone; Second Screenshot Credit: Prime Video App on Phone.

…Ashu Bolar
ashubolar@gmail.com

It’s Reacher Again!

Once again as a Major…demoted…back in the 1990s…a crime…an investigation…a secret to uncover…

“Reacher may be an exceptional military investigator, but office politics aren’t what get him up in the morning.” Very relatable.

Just received. Yet to read to know ‘The Secret’!

Amazon Link to the book: https://www.amazon.in/Secret-Jack-Reacher-Book-28-ebook/dp/B0BJ1NF3KY

Until next, it is Reacher Time Now!

…Ashu Bolar
ashubolar@gmail.com

Five & Seven

The Famous Five & The Secret Seven–two of my all time favourite book series. And if age is just a number, then why not read these fun-exciting-adventurous stories again! A few new additions to my mini library…some of which I had missed reading in the early years. Felt refreshing and nostalgic!

…Ashu Bolar
ashubolar@gmail.com

March Read: The President Is Missing

Book: The President Is Missing
Authors: Bill Clinton and James Patterson
Pages: 513

What I think after reading…

• Virus: Biological or virtual/cyber, both are bad news.
• Technology: Dependability is scary.
• Wars: Winning is an illusion. All is lost—for a long time, in some cases, forever. All being time, money, infrastructure, life, people, childhood, youth, dignity, honour, respect, peace, freedom, trust, faith, happiness and the list goes on.
• Trust: In a competitive world, “Whom to trust”…keep asking yourself, time and again. 
• Republic: Needs a good leader, but is a team work.
• Power: Shouldn’t affect your sanity in anyway.
• Peace: Precious. Very precious.
• Freedom: To be grateful; it is a blessing. One should value it.

I had to brush my knowledge on the global events that occurred between the years 1992 and 1995. The book has added to my history and vocabulary. Vocabulary addition was good. History, depressing. The book is a work of fiction, but you forget it is fiction. Verisimilitude is the word, I guess. Worth 4.5 days of reading.

Many pages bookmarked in my memory…just a few in the images…

Until next and always, may God Bless us with peace and harmony. 
Happy Holi to those who celebrate!

-Ashu Bolar
ashubolar@gmail.com

Jack Reacher: Reached!

20 June 2020: I will miss you Reacher!

Yeah, I completed reading all of the 24 Books on Jack Reacher, a very interesting, unfortunately a fictional character, created by the very talented Lee Child.

I started reading the series sometime in 2016, I think. It took me almost four years to collect and read all the Jack Reacher Books. Yes collect. Jack Reacher will have a very special place in my library. This collection will be my prized possession, forever.

From what I know, the next book in line, The Sentinel, is scheduled to release in October 2020. However, it will be the work of Lee Child along with his brother, Andrew Child. I am happy that Reacher is still alive, but I am not sure if I will continue reading the series post the 25^th book release.

“There’s only one Jack Reacher. Accept no substitutes.” – Mick Herron
(The quote as mentioned on the cover page of the Lee Child book, Jack Reacher Series, Blue Moon)

And I totally agree. I seriously can’t accept a substitute.

The author section in Blue Moon reads: Jack Reacher is sold somewhere in the world every nine seconds. I am glad that I was that ninth second, 24 times.

One has to read the book to feel the character. You don’t just feel, you actually see the character perform in front of your eyes, sometimes you feel standing next to him—that’s how each book is written.

Two movies, starring Tom Cruise, based on novels – One Shot and Never Go Back – were produced, and I loved both the films. Honest answer is watching a movie based on a novel is nothing like reading the book itself, but in this case, it was nothing less as well.

So yes, I will miss Reacher terribly. But I have the collection; maybe someday, I may reread the entire series, preferably in the order of the events in Reacher’s life, not  just random as I did the first time.

Those interested in reading can buy the books on Amazon or Flipkart. And the movies are on Amazon Prime and Netfilx.

Until next, Take Care, Stay Safe!

…Ashu Bolar
ashubolar@gmail.com