Love

This is one of the images that I got when I googled "Love". And I felt I had to share it here.

The smell of Coffee

This picture reminds me of the smell of Coffee than its taste. And somehow I always find the smell of Coffee much more appealing than the Coffee itself. Don't get me wrong, the taste is great, but somehow, nothing can beat the smell of good coffee brewing. I guess it's like comparing the smell of baking to the cake itself. Somehow its the smell that lures us into these small guilty pleasures that we often indulge in.

And what can beat a cup of Coffee when you spend the evening curled up at home with that favorite book? The smell of Coffee is often the reason why we take a coffee break especially when we go shopping. The smell is just too strong to be ignored.

And what can beat a good cup of Coffee during winter? Coffee, I have often felt, bridges the gap between people. Gossip & Coffee do always go hand in hand as well! The smell of hot Coffee is guaranteed to bring a smile on all faces.

Though, the health benefits of Caffeine and Caffeine addiction maybe questioned by some, indulging in Coffee once in a while can definitely give you an energy boost as well.

So, here's wishing everyone a happy weekend & make sure you grab that cup of Coffee!

Rejuvenate

It's a time to rejuvenate, a time to unwind & relax. It's also a time to do what you have been meaning to do for a long long time. It may be that phone call, that letter to a friend, that book that you have been meaning to read. For me, it's also the time to get my lazy fingers back to blogging!!!

And so yes, here I am blogging for the first time this year. Hopefully, a lot more to follow, since I have been reading A LOT!!! So, till next time... :)

Book review- We need to talk about Kevin

This is definitely not the book you can take as a light read. It is simply one of those books that haunt you and is simply disturbing. Told in a series of letters by Eva to her husband Franklin, the book dissects the relationship of the parents with their first born Kevin. Kevin, just days before his sixteenth birthday kills 7 of his school mates, an English teacher and one of the cafeteria workers.

Told in a series of flashbacks, Eva recounts each of the incidents from Kevin's conception till he is a teenager. Even as a baby, Kevin refuses to bond with his mother right from the moment he is born, favouring his ever doting father. Was Kevin simply born wicked or was it his mother's indifference to him that made him who he is today? Whether Eva's description can be vouched on or whether Kevin is who he is because of the lack of his mother's love and care is left to the reader's imagination.

Throughout the book, we find various shocking and cruel things that seems to give Kevin his pleasure. We are also introduced to Kevin's sister - Celia whom Eva dotes on. Kevin seems to induce an almost sadistic pleasure on his family members including his Mom & sister.

There are some major twists towards the end of the book but you have to read it to find out! A must read for not only all parents but to those who keep wondering the root cause of evils that are so prevalent in today's world. Do give this one a read even if you don't belong to either of the above category, as this one is thought provoking for all.

Goat days by Benyamin

Goat days is a novel based on real life events by Benyamin that is translated from Malayalam by Joseph Koyippally. The book has received the Kerala Sahita Academy award for its original work. Though it is a fiction, it is based on the real happenings of Najeeb, an immigrant who came with high hopes and dreams to work in Saudi.

Leaving behind a mother and a pregnant wife- Sainu, Najeeb boards the plane to Saudi from Bombay in the hopes of realising his dreams. He is a resident of Karruvatta and like thousands of Malayalis hopes to make it big in Saudi Arabia.

But what waits for him is a horrible surprise. Made to live the life of a shepherd, in a desert where there is not even human company to even talk to, other than the Arbab or his sponsor who is cruel in his ways of treating both Najeeb and the animals, he takes solace in the company of the goats, sheeps & camels he herds. In short, he lives a Goat's life. He talks to them,  names them based on real life characters in his village in order to maintain his sanity.He considers them as his true brothers as they even save his life in certain situations.

Giving a vivid description of all the tortures that he has to undergo in order to save himself and finally escape the vast Desert, the narrative can be easily related to. Undergoing the painful torturesfor more than three and a half hours without being able to contact his family once during this time, Najeeb proves that hope & faith would eventually take you home.

I definitely recommend it. It is one of those books which stay with you & haunt you for days to come.

Book review- I've got your Number by Sophie Kinsella

Poppy Wyatt has lost her engagement ring given to her by her fiance Magnus, and what could be worse, she has lost her phone on the same day as well. The ring that has been in Magnus's family for three generations. As she searches for her ring in the hotel that she lost it, she finds a phone abandoned in a bin. Well, now she can leave a number at the hotel reception in case they do find her ring. There just seems to be a small problem though, the phone's owner, Sam Roxton seems to think otherwise. The phone belongs to his ex- secretary and he needs the phone back. ASAP.

Somehow, Poppy manages to convince him to keep the phone just for a little while longer, that she will return it as soon as she finds her ring and not only that, she would forward all the messages and call details to him. Juggling wedding preparations, surviving her scrutinizing in laws as well as hiding her left hand from them  and handling Sam's PA work seems to take its toll on Poppy.

But keeping another person's phone certainly proves to be entertaining as there are some messages, personal and official that Poppy couldn't resist replying to. Like the message from Sam's Dad, who seems to be missing his son or the bossy girlfriend Willow, who Sam seems to be avoiding and also the long number of colleagues who seem to value Sam's opinion a lot. So Poppy decides to take matters into her own hands and replies to some of these emails as Sam, the result which turns out to be hilarious and definitely tickles the laughter bone in you.

Sophie Kinsella keeps the readers expectations high as with her previous works and this one will not fail to disappoint them. It is a good light read which definitely takes you into Poppy's world and would lift your spirits. Go for this one and its bound to give you a few good laughs! 

Book review- One Amazing Thing by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

The book, like the title indicates is absolutely amazing. I have no other words for it. When I opened the book last night, I was planning on reading just a few pages before bed. But boy, was I wrong. Not only did the book keep me fully engrossed, I found myself reading the book until the end into early hours of morning. Yes, the the book is simply beautifully written and makes it easy for the reader to connect to each of the characters in it.

The book has a total of 9 characters trapped in a visa office of an Indian consulate in an American city due to an earthquake. Not knowing if they will be rescued or they would be able to rescue as they are trapped inside the broken down building, they have no option but to stay together and hope for the best. The 9 people are as different from each other as chalk and cheese. In order to survive the trauma and because they have no other option but to wait, they start telling each other stories. Stories about 'One Amazing thing' that has happened in their lives.

We see Uma - an Indian- American student who is confused about her parents' decision of moving to India after 20 years, Tariq - a young muslim who considered America as his country, angry at himself and everyone around him due to the happenings on 9/11, Jiang & Lily- the Chinese woman & her granddaughter, Mr Mangalam & Malathi- the visa officer & his secretary who are having issues among themselves, Cameron- an African American ex- soldier haunted by his past and finally a married couple- Mr & Mrs Pritchett who must both face the ghosts of their past.

Jiang surprises everyone by narrating the first story, of how she reached America and about her first love- an Indian man named Mohit. Malathi, the secretary working at the visa office, tells everyone her story of transcending from working at a beauty parlour and the secret lives of the high society ladies who visited the saloon & her life changing decisions she took while working there. Tariq, tells the story of his parents and how much the date 9/11 changed their lives and also about the one mysterious girl in his life- Farah. Lily- the confused and gifted teen tells about her brother, who opened the doors of the beautiful world of magic for her. Mr Pritchett narrates about his neglected childhood and how he found solace in the world of numbers. Mrs Pritchett, whose life was changed by a stranger she saw helping his wife remove her coat. Cameron, the soldier who is haunted still due to his dark past and his lost love. Mr Mangalam, his journey from the small town boy to the wealthy husband of Naina, who has tied him to her even though they are in different countries and his bitterness towards her. And finally, Uma, though in love with an American, finds herself wondering what is in store for her future once she goes to India to be with her parents.

The novel stresses on the magic of story telling and its powers. Of how we can find redemption even in the darkest of times. Each individual story is unique of its own and it switches between the past stories and the present one where the 9 people are united as though by some unknown fate.

The story is definitely not one to be missed. Do give this one a read and you will be hooked on to this book just like how I was. I would say a 5 on 5!!!