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This quirky novel, exquisitely penned with a mixed temporal perspectives, will captivate readers with its fascinating episodes and depressing tragedies the Bramble family has to endure. Minot writes about the joys and sorrows of motherhood and successfully exploits the typical experiences of a modern surburban family - from the loss of a beloved family member to the subtle manipulations between siblings. As a heartwarming and heartbreaking novel, "The Brambles" will grip you with its tenderness and surprising plot twist; it will suck you into the pages and you will feel as if you have known the Bramble family your whole life - or at least someone like them.

Midnight's Children, a humorous heartbreaking fairy tale-like story, is a huge landscape of a novel as the main character attempts to fit into his huge paintings. With a loving eye for detail, the author proves he is a miniaturist who writes with astute empathy about children born in the first hour after India's birth after creation of Pakistan. It will take a couple of re-readings to catch all miniature details in woven into the canvas of an intricate plot, strung together with poetical and metaphorical language. But even though the novel tends to render us speechless, it makes for thought-provoking discussion of the real life political drama of the India-Pakistan partition that is embedded into the background of the story.

Splendidly and cleverly crafted with a unique style of metaphorical prose, Winterson strings together two different languages of the opposite sides of a symmetry to make up the novel's prose: arts and sciences (physics). A truly luminiscent romance, the geometric love triangle story is told in various perspectives, each marked by a different tarot card that plays an important role in the chapters. This passionate novel is a delightful read regardless of its dishevelled sense of temporality and will lovingly touch the readers' minds in surprising ways.

Atwood explores the famous tale of Odysseus from the Illiad in a different perspective. Like the title hints, it is Odysseus' long-suffering wife, Penelope, that is the heroine of the novel. Should not be confused with a "chick" flik type novel. The "Penelopiad" is much more deeper on certain levels as the novel presents the story of Penelope differently, but in the similar context as we see in Homer's famous epic - just a different side of the same coin, which reminds us to inspect and research both sides of a same coin. The story embellishes a women's steadfast devotion as strength and feminizes a rather male-oriented story. A true delight and different type of Greek mythology for any fans of the historical epics and folklores.

Winterson spins an orginal and beguilling tale of fairy tale and greek mythology, bringing the story of centuries-old story of Atlas and Heracles into British modern times. Indeed "Weight" is a beautiful retelling with a sweet ending that make Winterson's contemporary audience feel trapped in the illusion that we need to shoulder the weight of the world on ourselves.

Like "Handmaid's Tale," Margaret Atwood takes her readers on another futuristic and dystopian tale of humanity's downfalls through its own faults. In this delightful yet morbid story, science and ethics clash, love and jealousy combust and all is lost when the world becomes embroiled in what Atwood considers a horrific and universal apocalpyse. In one thread of temporality, the novel hints how humanity causes its own downfall while experimenting with genetic engineering, while in another time and place, the main character desperately searches for a glimmer of hope in dark times - a way out of the apocalpyse nightare and towards a better world and future. A must read for any sci-fi lover, Atwood fan or a college syllabus.

Like "Handmaid's Tale," Margaret Atwood takes her readers on another dystopic and futuristic tale, one which could come true, give or take a few thousand years. Read and find out what happens when science and ethics clash, when love and jealousy combust and how humanity ends up becoming caught up in what Atwood considers the ultimate and horrific world apocalpse. The novel depicts a chilling story while hinting how mankind could go downhill with science and technology, while in a different time and parallel story, the main character desperately searches for glimmer of hope in dark times - a way out of the apocalpyse and towards a better world and future. Definitely deserves a place on the shelf for sci-fi readers and Atwood fans or a college syllabus.

Winterson's semi-autobiographical and contemporary English novel will captivate and give readers a chance to peer into her bared soul. Though the novel is filled with sexual behavior and nature, it is never once vulgar in the puritanical sense, but beautiful and teaches the readers to celebrate life. The novel explores the heroine's struggles and clashes between life in her home and church and her own identity. Though the novel is partly fictional, Winterson argues that fictional characters give a foray into the reality of the situation in "real life". A literary gem that deserves a special place on the shelf with other Winterson novels.

Much like a Margeret Atwood dystopian and futuristic novel, Ishiguro once again outdoes himself in a story of innocence and horror. The novel keeps us guessing as if there was a mystery to be solved, with subtle details and mannerism embedded into the story that awash over us in different time and moments in the novel. Reading Ishiguro's "Never Let Me Go" is like opening a window in the reader's mind - a window that will expose the readers to new questions on the assumptions of what makes a human being a human being and force us to explore the dichotomy between science and ethics.

I was surprised and delighted to find C.S. Lewis' works was acclaimed for series other than the famous "Chronicles of Narnia." The Space Trilogy begins with Lewis' fascinating tale "Out of the Silent Space" - an old-fashioned sci-fi/fantasy tale reminiscent of H.G. Wells. A good story coupled with a reasonable and intellectual tone worthy of the sci-fi genre that revolves around religious themes of rational beings that force us to reconsider our assumptions on Christ's sacrifice. But whether we are religious or not, this controversial novel will certainly be ideal to spark bright debates pertaining to the religious themes and the sci-fi genre.

'Earth" is the second in Deepa Mehtra's trilogy of elemental films, "Fire" and "Water" being the other two. Of the three, 'Earth' is probably the most strongest of the three, with its subtle symbolism and imagery and strong, well-rounded characterization. Based on Bapsi Sidwa's critically acclaimed novel, the atmosphere of the story is a blend of love and hatred between two partitioned nations: India and Pakistan. Though the story begins with a group of friends from diverse backgrounds, political and violent religious tension and terror gripping the two nations threaten to split the friends, lovers and close neighbors alike. "Earth" truly is a chilling film, but nevertheless one that is rightfully acclaimed and will stay in your mind's eye forever. It should not be missed as it is relevant to today's dark times as it was in the horrific times in India, nearly sixty years ago.

If you enjoyed "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" you will most certainly be unable to put down "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister." Again, Macguire does not disappoint when it comes to adapting the fairy tale romance in his own fantastical world of shaded and well-rounded characterization. Like "Wicked" the Maguire's tale explores the grey shades of 'evil' blended into the dark areas of the stepsisters' characters and allows us to question from whence came the concept of 'evil' within the environment of the stepmother's tyrannically-run household. Of course, we also have the essential ingredients that make up a delicious bedtime fairy tale - the magical blend of enchantment, beauty and most importantly, love.

Gaiman spins another web of lies, deceit, intrigue, magical realism and folklore in a contemporary setting. The amazing Anansi story seamlessly weaves into the love story concerning the two Nancy brothers, Fat Charlie and Spider Nancy, a girlfriend and their trickster father's legacy, within which lies their heritage and identity that will guide them in this funny slice of life story. The ultimate and perfect gift for a sci-fi/fantasy lover and Gaiman fan!

From the prodigious author of "2001: A Space Odyssey" we readers get "Childhood's End." It is a novel that sparks debate as it was written in the time of the Cold War in 1953 and suitably makes many references to the end of childhood. The plot gracefully explores the concept of the end of innocence as overlords deal in war and poverty. The novel remains as relevant today as it was fifty years ago and tackles the issue of what humanity could achieve and our intentions to strive for a better end to childhood. A must read for any sci-fi and fantasy genre lover.